Wolf Child

VI

"Ferhia," Something cold touched her lightly.

"Stop it Kilfer, I want to sleep," She mumbled and turned away.

"Ferhia," The voice hissed again, this time harsher and the touch on her bare skin sent ripples of pain through her, jolting her and she woke, coming face to face with... nothing. She could feel its presence, but it was far away yet its voice seemed right in front of her face. From the ground, a small gust of wind threw the leaves into a dance, while from the entrance to the Lair dark mists surged in.

Her eyes met Kilfer's, who was also staring at the dark mists, aghast. Whatever it was, Ferhia knew, it was not a good thing.

The wolves were raised from their slumber, but their eyes were closed and legs drooping as they were hauled by a force unseen to the eye several feet into the air. From their white fur, the stain of dark red blood emerged, drenching their lifeless bodies.

"What have you done?" Kilfer screamed at the dark mist as the lifeless canines flopped to the ground. Yet Ferhia was in a daze. Everything happened in a few moments' time, she did not know why it happened at all.

"Meet me at the Swamps and I shall revive the Pack. If not, their bloodline ends this day!" A voice boomed from above as the mist turned to nothingness. Then what followed was an annoying silence as they stood there for a long time.

Silently, Kilfer dragged his feet towards the Alpha, limp and lifeless. She could feel Kilfer's vengeance, and his contorted emotions blew a cold, strong gust of wind from outside the cave. His fists were shaking, but just then did Ferhia realize that Kilfer's vengeance... was directed at her.

Kilfer knelt before the canine in its warm blood as Ferhia tottered towards him blindly.

"Don't come near me," She heard Kilfer say in her mind, but she continued taking slow steps towards him.

"I said stop," She could feel Kilfer's annoyance, but something drew her closer.

"I said stop!" Kilfer yelled suddenly with a tone of finality, nailing Ferhia to the ground with a strong, sudden gust, leaving her dazed

"What did I do?" Ferhia frowned, suddenly realizing how dry her mouth was.

"It was a mistake to bring you here. You are a cursed child, damned for eternity!" Kilfer stood over her in contorted rage, "I hoped, for all the years you came to the pack. I hoped you were not the person in the prophecy! But it turns out I was wrong."

Then the wind subsided, and a cold draught washed over her as she continued looking at Ferhia. There were too many emotions in Ferhia, Kilfer, and both of them intertwined. Then, Kilfer finally spoke, this time softly with a tinge of regret as he lay his back on the statue of the Wolf God, "It's alright. The prophecy is the prophecy, it is already over. What we can do now... is to revive the pack, and to go to the swamps."

Everyone within a hundred miles from here knew that the Swamp was a place that all the living would avoid, but the more they avoided it, the more powerful the dark forces within the Swamp swelled, only restrained by the curtain that held them back.

Ferhia raised her gaze to the west, which was the directions to the Swamps. However, besides the plains and forests and small villages that filled the land beneath them, beyond that was simply white mists blanketing what lay ahead.

Then, she caught sight on a tiny reddish spark glowing beneath the mountain. It was unclear, but in the darkness of the night, it seemed like a flicker of life -- except that Ferhia noticed that it meant... death. "Kilfer!" She turned back and cried, before scampering to the ledge. A huge village was ablaze with the flames flickering in the darkness, a reddish madness seemingly seeping the lifeforce of all that was in the village.

"Your curse," Kilfer did not even wince, staring calmly at the buildings, some partially standing but other smaller ones burnt completely to the ground, "I had visions from the Wolf God before. All that you loved, all you once adored so deeply and dearly, and even all that you knew -- will be gone, just because of the curse. And it should include me, but I do not know why I survived."

Kilfer and Ferhia sat in silence as they watched the blazing flames. Both of them knew -- but did not say -- that in the midst of the destruction in the village there might be the burning corpse of her parents, but it was too late.

Maybe, Ferhia thought, she might not be able to meet her parents again after all.

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