Undwospi

Chapter 2

Jake stopped when he heard the howls.

He stood atop the hills, shielding his eyes from the silver sphere in the sky. Yet, the silver sphere offered no warmth to those embracing its light. The icy wind bit into his exposed arms and lifted his long silver hair. The wolf pelt and a pair of trousers were his only clothes. His barefooted trek left footprints in the fresh snow.

The snow hare tracks forgotten, Jake listened to the howls. His village shared a close bond with the wolves, the fiercest predators in the region. The existence of a person, man or woman, called the Alpha made this bond possible.

"Flee, my brothers! Woc is coming! Leave these lands at once!"

The howling stopped, only the whistling of the wind broke the silence.

What did that mean? Why did I sense fear?

Jake pulled his spear out of the snow and took a quick glance of his surroundings. Then, he took off, retracing his footprints back to the cave where he retrieved his bag. The dead hares inside weighed down the bag and brought a smile to his face. With his spear in hand, Jake descended the cliff wall. The vertical icy surface only sped up his descent.

Reaching the bottom, Jake sprinted. His strong legs were unhindered by snow reaching his knees. His steady breaths cast warm fog in the air. Recalling the message, his spear trembled slightly with each step he took. Timid animals scurried away at his approach.

I should take the shortcut. I have to tell this to the elder.

The shortcut brought Jake to a river. Ice formed on the river surface, providing Jake a method to cross. Yet, the man wasn't disillusioned to think the crossing was safe. Certain sections of the ice were too thin to support a full grown man like him.

Knelt on one knee, Jake closed his eyes and chanted a spell. Moments later, the river appeared in his mind. Sections of the ice broke off rapidly until only a single path presented itself. That path was ingrained in Jake's memory.

He studied the icy surface and took his first step. His second step saw a few cracks in the ice. A step at a time, Jake navigated the path and only let out his breath when he reached the other side. A growl turned him around.

A wolf locked eyes with Jake and let out a small growl. Its fur coat could be easily mistaken as snow. The black stripe across the wolf's spine and the jade eyes stood out in the snow. Jake noticed the eyes held wisdom but the message of the growl was lost in the wind. Several seconds later, the wolf broke eye contact and vanished into the white landscape, leaving Jake temporarily stunned where he stood.

A fierce wind broke his trance. After a final glance, Jake turned around.

What did you want to tell me?

The question remained on his mind during the remainder of his trek home.

Undwospi was once a rich and fertile land filled with beings of all sorts. The humans, orcs and all the other races coexisted and life flourished on the continent. Major agricultural advances saw enormous food yields, feeding the growing population. These were happier times and few suffered. The beings only died of old age since there was a cure for all existing disease. Conflict was practically unheard of. Yet, this utopia was never meant to last.

Even in such a utopian society, there were outcasts who roamed the fringes of society. The outcasts were discontent with how society operated. They openly opposed the system and were exiled as a result. These expulsions harnessed the hatred within them. Eventually, the like-minded outcasts banded together. They called themselves the Liberators, claiming to be sent by the gods to free the others from the illusion they were under. Their sole objective was the destruction of the existing society so a better one could rise in its place.

In their search, the outcasts discovered an ancient manuscript which mentioned the Goblin King, Woc. The manuscript was hidden in an underground archive located in a remote part of Undwospi. This region had been far too barren for agriculture to thrive so it was uninhabited. The discovery excited the Liberator leaders as the manuscript described Woc as a powerful goblin, possessing the power to destroy all life. He was the solution to the problems plaguing society as a whole. Thus, the Liberators dedicated their next ten years searching for Woc.

Sam lowered his hands and breathed a sigh of relief. The frightened faces of Mike and Sarah brought out a laugh of both him and Gary. The brother and sister were contrasts as they stood side by side. Mike boasted a large frame with a big belly. His short hazel hair and calloused hands reflected his former profession of woodcutter back home. After the initial shock, he was busy catching his breath.

Sarah stood a head shorter than her brother. Her long hazel hair was well cared for and her slim figure was a result of her hobby of climbing trees. While Mike returned empty-handed, Sarah returned with two hares in her hands. She barely broke into a sweat and looked at her brother with a shake of her head.

"You need to exercise more," Sarah directed the comment at her brother as she passed the hares to Gary for skinning. "How are you going to outrun something big that wants to eat you?"

"I'm sure your brother can run faster than any of us if that happens," said Gary with a smug smile. "The only other occasion is a situation where food is involved."

At the mention of food, Mike's gaze turned to the hare meat over the fire. His mouth watered but, before he could take a step, howling stopped him in his tracks. He hesitantly looked behind him and was greeted by a large pair of red eyes not far from where he stood.