Six Weeks (Dragonfly #4)

Cold Meat

"In here," said Feurige, leading me into a broken down den.

The fur on my spine creeped up again, this place had a ominous feel.

"It's okay, here," He gestured to an old deer carcass, I was taken aback by it's sheer size.

"Wow, that's a big animal," I exclaimed.

"Sorry it's a bit old, I'm not exactly the highest ranking wolf in this pack, the others get to eat first," He admitted, chewing on one of it's legs.

I bit part of it, disgusted at the cold, bland flavor. But I was hungry, and this still counts as food.

"Lupa," he started,"is our patron, when we hunt, it's in her name, and our prey is killed for her."

"But what about Ignis, and Suka?" I questioned.

"I have no idea who they are, I've also never seen your kind of creature before in these woods, are you a strange type of fox?"

"No! I'm an Ice-claw, all my friends are, except for Annabeth, Ocaso, and Kennon, they're White-claws and Blood-claws," I said.

"What are they?" He asked.

"Well humans would call us winged cats, but that's technically not true, Claws are bigger, have a longer life, and we have..." I railed off, not knowing if I should continue.

"What? Have what? Does this have anything to do with the things on your back?" He inquired.

I froze, and watched as his green eyes shined, almost glowing. How could he see them? I thought Kennon had told me this place hadn't been touched by magyk in centuries, how come this wolf seemed so special?

"You can see them?" I stretched my wing out and waved it in his face.

He blinked and pulled his head away. "Yeah, nobody else can, right? I guess that's just me, I've been different since I was a cub."

"I... yeah, but, how?" I gaped like a fish.

"I don't know, it's probably just me," he shrugged.

We ate in silence, till he piped up with another question.

"You're looking for your sister?" he asked, trying to ease to silence.

I nodded solemnly, "I... did something pretty bad, and she was kidnapped, I just hope she can forgive me."

"Do you have parents?"

"Yep, I'm actually son of the chief, one day I'm going to have to take the responsibility of leading a tribe," I answered.

He nodded, and suddenly got a far away look in his eyes. And the luster slowly disappeared till they were almost yellow.

"What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

He shook his head.

"Parents?"

"My parent's are dead, they died in a fire a long time ago, while I was a cub."

"Oh, sorry to hear that."

For a moment I remembered part of the great prophecy. About the four Great Beast returning to Coniurantum. I stared at Feurige, and I thought about Ignis, and my vision of the future from the ancients, the flying wolf.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked.

"This might seem a bit weird but, have you ever had any strange experiences with fire?" I inquired, cautiously.

He hesitated, and I saw something flash behind his eyes. "Er, yes, a long time ago, I had a dream about a wolf with his pelt on fire, and he spoke to me, saying, 'chosen one.' Then he was gone, why do you ask?"

I swallowed, and was about to tell him that I thought he was destined to help the world from a rising evil. When a howl split through the camp. And the smell of smoke flared in my nostrils.

"Fire," Feurige gasped, fear reflecting in his eyes.

A strange orange glow surrounded us. We escaped his den and I stopped from pure terror. All around us was a wall of fire. The heat penetrated my fur, and the smoke stung my eyes.

"We have to get out!" I yelled above the roar.

Feurige didn't answer me. The only sound I head from him was a whine, and he backed away from the red curls of heat. I stood dumbfounded, the reincarnation of Ignis was afraid of fire. Feurige was afraid of his born element.

"Kill the one with the mark of the Dragonfly!" The alpha screamed above the fire.