Beyond the Red Roses | Slow Updates

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Astrid Grigoryan? She didn't sound like she was from around here." I stated as Dahlia smiled and nodded.

"She was born and raised here but her mother wasn't. Her mother traveled a long way to get to this land. She was seeking asylum from her previous tribe as they weren't as nice as you'd think. Around those times, most tribes weren't very accepting of their female counterparts. Even the creatures here in the Sacred Land were treating their counterparts horribly. It got so bad that the Moon Goddess had threatened to wipe this pack clean." Dahlia presented while standing up before walking over to her dark brown bookcase. "Those times were rough for the pack. They even had it documented." She added while pulling out a few books that looked old but still maintained clean, put together pages.

"The goddess threatened her own creations? Seriously? Did she ever go through with her punishment?" I asked while pouring some more water into my cup.

"Yes, she did indeed. You see, Astrid was not the first born child in a family of alphas. She was actually the fourth to be born. She had six brothers and two sisters since her father didn't really treat his wife well. She was practically a baby making machine and in the end, it resulted in her getting sick just after her ninth child. She stayed ill for awhile, only being taken care of by Astrid and her younger sisters since her father never allowed her brothers off the field. He was a shitty alpha and the Moon Goddess knew it." Dahlia stated while straying from the subject before sitting back down with a few books in hand.

"That's awful, but what did the Moon Goddess do when all of this was happening?" I asked as Dahlia flipped through a few pages before showing me a picture of a blue deity drawn into the old pages. "Is that what they thought the Moon Goddess looked like?"

"Yes and she did follow through with her punishments. She started off by visiting Astrid in her dreams in the form of this blue deity. The Moon Goddess had told her that she was the rightful alpha of the land that was handed down through her family. The goddess had even foretold others of her arrival but they were all silenced. The goddess proceeded to tell Astrid that if she was not given her rightful position, her pack would face punishments that'd leave them helpless." She stated while frowning slightly before looking over at me. "I bet you can guess what happened next."

"The punishments began?"

"Yes. It started out as small fires throughout the village then it progressed to a drought that quickly grew worse as the months passed but that wasn't what started killing off the pack in bundles. Astrid tried once again to tell her father of the last punishment coming if he didn't give her the position. Can you guess what he did that caused a lot of people to die including Astrid's two oldest brothers?" Dahlia questioned while flipping through a few pages before stopping on the page with a dark cloud scribbled at the top. "Here." She pointed as I quietly read the little passage.

"He struck his own daughter? Why would he do such a thing?" I asked in clear disbelief as Dahlia sighed.

"Because he was stupid. He had the superior mindset since he was big and she was small." She rubbed her hand across her face before continuing. "That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Not only had both Astrid and her sisters awakened their powers, their land was plagued with a disease that quickly began taking lives."

"So, people were dying because Astrid wasn't given the position as an alpha? And awakened powers? What do you mean?" I asked as she turned the page as two small girls and a taller female were drawn on the old pages.

"Astrid's position was important because she was going to be the change that this pack had needed. The alphas, as you've witnessed from Aiyana, have been given special abilities. Astrid was the first wolf to be given the power to use and control ice along with the same power that Aiyana has which is known as the vision. The vision allows them to see both the past and the future, but it's mostly the past since the future can be altered. Astrid's younger sisters were given the power of the light and the ability to heal. They were given those powers to become the first Saints of their pack. They were the only two children out of nine who weren't born with wolves. They were also very frail before they were given their powers."

"Without wolves? That's new, but wouldn't they have been humans?" I asked as she closed the book before looking at me.

"One would think so but the Moon Goddess had different plans in store for the sisters." She stated while pouring herself a glass of water before drinking some. "Astrid ascended to the top as the rightful alpha of the Sacred Land while her sisters began to understand their powers. Not only did their goddess fix their health, she gave them the power to heal all. They might not have been born with wolves but they still had the heightened senses like one. Astrid and her sisters first goal was to restore their mother's health before bringing harmony back to their land. They weren't the same girls who couldn't defend themselves. They were now their pack's only hope at survival." Dahlia informed while drinking some more water before clearing her throat.

"So, what happened after that?" I asked as she propped up on the couch while Gabe got comfortable next to her.

"They brought back harmony, but couldn't bring back the dead. After that, different creatures began seeking asylum here. The goddess was even giving her creations mates that weren't of the same species. It was now becoming a safe haven to all that would seek help from the Moon Goddess. More wolves with special abilities were being born outside the territory as well. Some would eventually move here after awhile. Others would be in trouble and end up here as if they were transported here. They say that it was the work of Astrid and her sisters leading the troubled to a safe haven while others say that it was the Moon Goddess helping out as they called upon her."

"So, the Moon Goddess wasn't just kind to her creations but also to the other deities' creations. All of that's here in these books?" I asked as she nodded before holding a book out towards me.

"You can take some of these home with you and check them out if you want to know more about this land and its people. Who knows, you might even find something on your family if you check the book of Familial Affairs. But, you'll have to ask Aiyana first as only her family and the historians can look at it."