Ikari

Chapter one: The Name

It was a dark night. The clouds blocked out the moon and stars leaving the trees and plants in total darkness. Many animals slept now and did not notice the darkness that crept around the forest. Other animals however had awoken only a short while ago when the sun was exchanged for the moon and stars, which were out of sight at the moment.

These nocturnal animals roamed the forest at night in search for quick and easy meal. The thunder roamed the skies joining forces with the lightning creating light in this total darkness, but only for short moments. The nocturnal animals did not care much for these disturbing sounds and flashes and neither did the sleeping animals. They didn’t notice from their deep sleep. Some animals awoke to the disturbing sounds, afraid of them. However with nothing to change the sounds and flashes all they could do was wait for the night to turn into day.

An owl swept over an open terrain in the middle of the forest searching for a quick meal. This open terrain was a hill and at one side of this hill was an opening, an entrance. It was a den.

Several howls echoed through the forest. The alpha female of this wolf pack had given birth.

The eight pups retreated into the den as the day turned into night. The pups were now around 4 weeks old. They ate a bit meat and searched just outside the den, but they were still very dependent of their mother.

The eight pups snuggled against their mother before all fell asleep. The mother wolf nuzzled every pup and then fell asleep as well.

Then the peaceful sleep was disturbed. Many wolves howled alarm. The mother wolf’s ears perked up and she instantly awoke. She looked at the exit of her den ears slightly pulled back into her neck and he nose in the air sniffing for any danger.

The entrance suddenly darkened. Something was blocking the light. A urgent growl sounded through the den and the mother wolf instantly tensed up. She glanced at her pups before standing up and grabbing one by the scruff of his neck. The mother wolf then made her way out of the den.

The other seven pups began squeaking slightly. The entrance darkened again and suddenly a different wolf form their pack appeared. He too grabbed one pup by the scruff of its neck and left as well.

Then the alpha male entered the den and took another pup out of there. Soon enough three other wolves did the same leaving two pups left.

They squeaked louder, but no one came for them. They were alone. The youngest pup, number eight, snuggled closer to her brother, number seven. They comforted each other waiting for someone to come for them.

After one and a half hours the two pups were still alone in the den. The young female stood up and waggled towards the entrance her brother close behind. When the female pup was halfway there, a loud growl from outside made her stop in her tracks. It wasn’t a wolf growl. It was much louder and threatening.

The light from the entrance darkened again. The two pups looked curiously though also afraid. Again that loud growl this time aimed into the den. The two pups cowered to the ground and shifted back further into the den. Just as they began moving back a huge paw with claws reached into the den. Luckily it didn’t get far for the entrance was too small for the huge paw.

The two pups squeaked in fear as the large paw started digging at the entrance, trying to enlarge it. The two pups watched in fear as the huge paw came closer and closer. Both were trembling in fear, but there was something else trembling too.

The female pup sniffed the air and squeaked in fear when she smelled the scary thing from the entrance. She snuggled against her brother for comfort before pulling away again and sniffing again. This time she smelled it.

Swiftly she turned around and growled a mix of fear and courage. After all this was her and her brother’s den, their home. Her brother turned around as well at the female pup’s response to something far back in the den.

A soft growl echoed to the two pups. Both shifted back a bit in uneasiness. A loud scratching sound behind them made them jump farther back into the den and turn to see what happened. The huge paw had reached further into the den and had reached far below the ground, scratching stone.

The female pup sniffed once more and this time she smelled the same sent from the entrance behind her. Overwhelmed with fear she turned around growling once more. Her brother was squeaking from fear and confusion with mixed frustration. He had no idea what to do.

The small thing in the far back of the den growled softly again. It sounded like a distress call. The small thing was slightly afraid. The female pup backed up against the sidewall shifting her head to the entrance and to the far back of the den, watching both things.

The male pup growled in a high sound before jumping far back in the den. The huge paw from the entrance was only a few inches away from them now and with the paw and claws they now saw huge teeth.

The male pup backed up even more as his sister moved his way as well to get away from the attacking monster.

Suddenly light entered the den in a flash. Both pups and the thing inside looked to the left of the den and saw another huge paw clawing its way inside. The male pup jumped back screeching in terror. He bumped against the thing in the den which growled in response. The male pup was terrified and as result he ran straight towards the entrance and rushed outside underneath the paw which followed towards outside. The female pup squeaked in alarm for her brother, but she went mute when she heard a high, painful screech from outside and smelled fresh blood.

The female pup stayed still in the back of the den watching the entrance from where the huge paw had disappeared. The small thing behind her started moving around. It slowly crept passed her and moved towards the entrance. The female pup could only think the strange thing was incredibly stupid.

It crept outside leaving the female pup alone. She waited and waited, but no painful sound and no new blood. No she only smelled the blood of her brother and heard his screech over and over in her head. She lay down her head and softly whimpered.

After what seemed forever, but was indeed short her den collapsed. The roof came down upon her. Feeling trapped the female pup dug her way out. She dug and dug and tried to breath. Her small lungs kept pumping and she continued to spat out dirt. A loud growl caused her to stop moving. Inches before her nose a large claw swapped away the dirt. The female pup smelled her brother’s blood even sharper now and pushed herself up. The place she was only seconds ago was viciously ripped apart by another large swap of he huge paw.

The female pup finally escaped the barrage of dirt and stood up. She shook most of the dirt off of her. Two loud growls sounded around her deafening her temporarily. She whimpered in fear and began to run. She felled the air behind her being ripped apart by a fierce swap of the huge paws. After running far and long she didn’t feel the air being ripped apart or the tension following her.

She dared to look behind her and saw nothing but trees, bushes and dirt. Before she got a chance to turn her head back to the front she tripped over a tree root and fell forward on the ground. Her muzzle was slammed shut as lower jaw hit the ground.

The young female pup stayed down for a while before standing up with a large sigh. She sat down on her but. Her jaws hurt badly from the sudden force with which they were slammed shut and her front paws hurt too form the fall. She especially felt pain in her shoulders. A muscle was bruised from her paws bending beneath her body suddenly.

The young female lay down on her belly and laid down her head softly. She whimpered from the pain, the cold and the fear. Her thoughts went to her brother and her parents and the others of the pack and her other brothers and sisters. She whimpered again as she stood up. She slowly made her way back to the destroyed den.

After walking quietly for a while and sniffing the entire time she returned to the den. It was silent, but the air was filled with blood, her brother’s blood. She reluctantly followed the scent and found her dead brother. He looked horrible.

He was off course a bloody mess and there were markings of claws and teeth. It seemed whatever attacked him and the den had put a lot of pressure on the pup’s body for it was dented and ribs stuck out.

The female pup didn’t dare come closer to him. She whimpered from a distance wanting him to stand up and be fine and wanting to go closer, but not daring. She laid down in frustration and soon enough stood up again. It didn’t do her shoulders much good.

Suddenly a flock of crows were spooked and flew away. The female pup forgot about her brother and looked around in panic. She sniffed as well, but she didn’t see or smell anything.

She looked back at her brother again. She felt grieve and pain. But she also felt something else. Something new to her. She felt anger, no…………………….it was hatred. She growled in a low voice at the thought of what did this to her brother.

The female pup turned around and walked away, leaving her dead brother and a horrible memory behind. Though the memory would forever haunt her, she found comfort in her hatred. Hatred for the thing that killed her brother, hatred for her own incompetence to help him and………………..hatred for her pack who left her and her brother to die.

She wandered through the forest, the smell of her brother’s blood still in her memory as his dead state. All around her animals watched her with fear, curiosity, hunger and disgust. The young pup growled at anything that came to close.

She forgot how to smile, how to laugh, how to play. She forgot how to be happy. All she could think of was hatred, anger and blood. She craved to see and smell blood.

The wind blew around her as if afraid to touch her and it whispered a word……………Ikari. The female pup quirked her head at the sound. She then lowered her head as if sneaking around and grinned maliciously.

“My name is Ikari” She said softly, but in an venom filled voice.

To Be Continued!