Peace, peace! He is not dead, he doth not sleep,
He hath awaken'd from the dream of life;
'Tis we, who lost in stormy visions, keep with phantoms an unprofitable strife,
And in mad trance, strike with our spirit's knife
Invulnerable nothings. We decay
Like corpses in a charnel; fear and grief
Convulse us and consume us day by day,
And cold hopes swarm like worms within our living clay.
- Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Jaycob pov
I turn away from Ava and walk across the field to the rest of my pack. I can feel her fear through our bond. She is afraid for me, for the pack.
I didn't tell her the truth, about the vision. I told her that I saw the Gaffer, nothing else. But I also saw something else, something that I am powerless against. My own death.
She said that the future isn't set in stone, this is. That's what she told me. I don't know who she is, but it was her who gave me the vision.
I watched Avalon look in to the clearing beyond the bushes. I look at her with love clear in my eyes. The last thing I remember is her long black hair cascading down her back before I am pulled out, in to the darkness.
The darkness didn't stay long. It cleared for long enough for me to see the shape of a vile creature sat atop a throne of dead flowers.
"This is where you will find what you are looking for." a voice said, it was clearly feminine, but I couldn't see who said it.
"Who's there?" I manage to call out before the darkness finds me again.
This time I am brought out in to a different scene. It is a battle field. I can see members of my pack fighting rogues. I can see myself fighting them too. It was like I was there, but not really there. Like I was a ghost, seeing, but not being.
It is still quite blury, as if it isn't set yet.
"There are two possible outcomes for tonight's battle." the voice speaks again.
"Who are you?" I question.
The voice laughs.
"That does not concern you right now." it says.
"If you do not get the faeries in your side, your entire pack will be slaughtered by the Fates."
The image turns to an image of my entire pack getting slaughtered by rogues. Including Avalon, in the midst of her heat, no idea what destruction lays out in front of her.
"Including you."
The image shifts to one of me being held down by two rogues. I have wolfsbane in my system, making me weak. I see one of the three fates cut my throat. I see my own blood pouring out on to the floor as my body collapses. I see Ava screaming as she is forced to watch me die.
"If you get the faeries to help you, your pack will survive."
The image changes yet again to one of my pack, and some of the Faerie knights forcing the rogues and the Fates back in to the woods, I see us all rejoicing, but I am not there.
"The same can not, however, be said about you."
For the last time, the image changes. I see myself battling rogues, killing everyone and anyone that threatens to get in my way. I see myself charge at the three fates and stopping them in the middle of one of their spells. I see them throw me off and advance towards me. I see myself die for the second time, yet again, my throat slit and my blood decorating the floor.
"Use this knowledge wisely." the voice says.
I gasp as I am thrown back in to the present, with a worried Avalon standing in front of me.
But I'm not worried. I know we have the faeries on our side. I know that we will win this war. I know that a battle is not a battle without some sacrifices. I will not be afraid of death.
The future may not be set in stone, but mine is. And as long as the pack is safe - as long as Avalon is safe, I won't mind being that sacrifice.
I look around the field that my pack is stood in. We are stood in front of the pack house, protecting its inhabitants. As long as we stay on this side of the field, those inside will be safe.
I can see some Faerie knights at the edges of the field, waiting to strike. Hoping for the element of surprise.
Me and the pack ready ourselves for the incoming battle. I gave everyone an inspirational speach this afternoon, they all know what they are fighting for.
I can see some figures at the opposite edge of the field to us. I can smell the heavy stench of rogues. Some members of my pack growl at their stench. The rogues growl back.
At the back of the group of rogues, the three fates float in to the field, literally. Their blonde hair is blowing out behind them in the wind, their amber eyes glowing. They are smiling sinisterly. It sends ripples if shivers through my pack.
The Fates have managed to gather around 100 rogues. My pack has about 100 warriors plus 30 pack members who want to fight for their luna. We also have some Faerie warriors on our side, I can't tell how many, but we easily overpower them. This should be an easy win.
The Fates smile wider and start glowing. They whisper a few words in Latin, Ava would understand what they are saying. Suddenly some fire balls are shot in to the middle of our formation. We scatter out of the way and then there is chaos.
The war has begun.
The rogues charge through the field towards us. I have a belt on my waist, modified for werewolves. It is made of elastic so it stretches when we shift rather than shred with the rest of our clothes. I have three daggers and a sword on mine. I take out two daggers and run in to the battle.
As in the vision, I kill any rogue that dares cross my path. I come up against my first rogue.
We both charge at each other, them in their wolf form, me still human. I make it look like I am about to leap in to the air to pounce on their back. As I suspected, they took the bait and lept in to the air to meet me half way. At the last possible moment, I duck under them and draw my dagger across their underbelly. They fall on the ground and willost likely die soon from blood loss.
I don't dwell on them and continue on my path. I know what has to be done.
I slash, hack and stab my way through the never ending line of rogues. At some point I shift in to my wolf and abandon my two daggers. I also get a cut on my shoulder and three on my back. But they aren't fatal. I carry on through the pain.
I am closer to the Fates now. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a rogue about to pounce on my back. I swivel my body out of the way and bite in to the rogues neck as they pass, snapping it.
I focus on my target now. I prowl through the crowds and towards the Fates. I see them mumbling words under their breath. Something in me tells me that they are about to paralyse everyone.
I let out a loud growl and pounce at one of them, effectively stopping their spell. I manage to get a few scratches and I bite down hard on her shoulder before I am pulled off.
"You shouldn't have done that, pretty boy." she growls at me.
You pounced on the one called Aria. Deus says in my mind. Good to know, I growl back at him.
The other two, Belle and Grace hold my arms back. I struggle against them, but it is pointless. Belle, I think, hands Aria a knife.
This is it.
It has been an honour being your wolf. Deus says. Thank you. I tell him.
I sigh and stop struggling. I know what is coming. I saw it. I take my final breath and close my eyes, accepting death.
I don't feel anything. I can tell that I am dead. I feel like I'm floating. I open my eyes and look around. Definatelly dead. I can see the rest of the fight going on below.
But the only thing I can concentrate on is Avalons scream of anguish. She felt my death.
I hate to leave her. But it had to be done.
A blinding flash of light overcomes my vision. But I am already dead so I don't cover my eyes. The light clears and a floating Ava comes out of the roof of the pack house.
It is like all the stories. I can tell she's in her moon goddess form. Her long black hair is flowing behind her. She has a gorgeous silver dress on and a flower gardland on her head. She is glowing.
I carry on floating. Eventually I loose sight of the clearing. I hope we won. I hope the Fates suffer.
Death is calm.
I look up. I am floating towards a current of souls. All those who die float up above the clouds. They drift for eternity, above the world. In peace. I look around me. All those dying in the battle below are floating up with me.
The current pulls me. Towards the river of souls, joining on to the sea. I yearn to follow it.
Every fibre in my being is telling me that is where I belong. I yearn for it. To render myself useless to the riptide.
But something holds me back.
Literally.
I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to find a woman. Her hair is as black as the night sky, darker than Ava's. Her eyes have stars in them. I find myself staring at them, unable to look away.
Her dark skin fades in to a black flowy dress. It sparkles in the sky, like stars are inside it. It blows out behind her, though there are no winds to carry it. She looks as if she could blow away with a small push. She is mesmerising, beautiful.
She smiles at me and holds out her hand. The same hand that held back my shoulder.
"Come with me." she says.
I recognise her voice. It is the same one from my vision. It was her who helped me. I instantly relax. I know she won't hurt me.
I look towards the tide, the yearning to follow the other souls, the longing to be at peace, finally, still there, more present than ever. I look back to her, her caring smile, her welcoming hand.
What would happen if I took it? Where would she take me? Why can't I finally have my peace?
"It is not your time yet." she answers my unspoken question, "There is still work to be done."
In death we are all equal. There is no Goddess Garden. There is no heaven and hell. There is no judgement day. There is no higher being telling us if we deserve good or bad to be done to us in death due to what we did in life
In death we are all equal.
No matter what we have done when we were living, we will all follow the tide in death. We will all succumb to the same fate.
That is why, when I glance back towards the sea of souls one last time, I make my choice. I only hope it is the right one.
Hey everyone. Just so you know, this is only some figment of my imagination. I am about as clueless as to what happens after death as most are. This is just some form of it that I came up with on the spot. Hope you all like it.
Are you all going back to school? Or are you already back?
Word count - 2055 words