A Wolf's Spirit

The Soul of the Wolf

          Wafting into Kai's strenuous ears were delicate chirrups of crickets and starlings. The rumpled grass and arid leaves crunched beneath his boots, yet the simple noise made him jump out of his skin. His heart was relentlessly hammering against his ribs, and he could barely find the strength to breath correctly. His skin stung and itched from countless abrasions and grazes on his body, not to mention the excruciating pain of the bite. Sharpened barbs from the barbaric canine's maw peeled his skin open; it agonized him, made him shriek with anguish, flooded his mind with throbbing discomfort... it would only be a matter of time before he would pass out cold.

          "Argh... these stupid branches!" he hissed angrily, whacking them away. Heaving a deep sigh, he ran a trembling hand through his spiked hair. Kai winced as he tried pulling it out, but his fingers were deeply tangled within the dry strands. Wrenching it out, he felt several hairs detach from his skull, but he was too tired or terrified to care.

          He carefully climbed stone steps, yet he slipped on the slick moss. His jaw smashed into the marble, and a fresh surge of cold shock sent a wave of agony to throttle his nerves. Holding in a choked cry of pain, he cautiously reached for... whatever he could hold on to. His fingers lightly touched the smooth lumber of a coiled tree stump, and he used it to support himself. The cool sensation of the wood slightly calmed him down, and, leaning on it, he put his weight on his legs.

          "What in the name of..." Kai trailed off. He shoved the branches out of his view and saw Ember with the wolves. They were hunched and ready to bound away, but Kai called at them.

          "Wait—hey!" he yowled, but he shrunk away when the pulsing pain in his chest returned. He squeezed his eyes shut as the soreness subsided, but he nearly tripped again with what he witnessed next.

          Kai saw their glowing forms a second time, but they weren't wolves anymore—they were people. Real people. He saw that boy; the same one he had seen earlier. He shone a glimmering gold, keenly staring at him with piercing, orb-like eyes. He clawed at the ground and shook his head, swaying his ruffled hair out of the way.

          Absent-minded, Kai blinked again, this time noticing the graceful gleam of a sapphiric scent trail. An elongated stream swirled beneath his nose, and it twitched, welcoming the distantly familiar odor. Skin tingling with anticipation, he stared at the woman. Her features stood out sharp and focused, cheekbones high and lips pursed. Her warm eyes were slanted, and her hair curled around her torso like a dancing river.

          Again. This was a dream. It had to be. Kai couldn't believe it. Wouldn't believe it. His vision blurred every now and then; he struggled to direct his attention on them.

          "You're all... this can't be real. You're supposed to be... wolves?" he said, but his statement sounded more like a question. He faltered as disbelief and confusion struck him again and again. Then Ember caught his eye.

          Or... it wasn't Ember. It was a girl. She looked about nine years old, but Kai was amazed at how mature she appeared. Blazing ashes engulfed her completely, but he could still make out the shape of her human form...

          "No, it's a dream! Wake up, Kai, this isn't happening!" he snapped. "You're just seeing things!" Shutting his eyes, he whipped his head around, trying to rid the image of the young ginger staring at him.

          A bark suddenly pulled him out of his stupor. A wave of relief and terror settled its way into Kai's body as he saw them. As their normal selves. As wolves and a dragon. He fumbled over his next words.