Part 1
A loud creaking made him jump back as he cowered at the back of his cage as a man opened the door and grabbed the cage pulling it out being throwing it on the ground as Aryan struggled for keep his footing. His eyes lightened up at the sight of his forest and his tail started to wag uncontrollably behind him.
One of the men walked forward as he was talking to another man but Aryan couldn’t understand what they were saying and looked at them wondering if this was simply some trick, another one of the many that they had taunted him with during his life.
As soon as the cage door opened Aryan leapt forward with a speed he never knew he had and bolted into the forest leaving nothing but a small dust trail on the ground as he did. He was so scared that they were going to catch him again that his heart beat bounded and the branches that were scratching his face were nothing more then an obstacle he was going to overcome as he escaped.
After what seemed liked hours he felt his lungs ache as though they couldn’t possibly go any further and so he quickly stopped and started panting as he tried to catch his breath. Suddenly a familiar scent seemed to float by which made him pause, what he didn’t know by sight he knew by scent and as he steadily rose to his feet he walked following the scent.
He had been only a few months old when those men had taken him away but the smell of his den and of his loving mother still remained in his mind and he followed it like a wolf possessed.
Bursting through some small branches he looked down at the entrance to the den something that had remained with him. The smell of his family hovered in the air exciting him as he ran forward towards the entrance of the den. The untidiness and overgrowth of grass at the entrance didn’t stir him as he walked forward and down into the den.
The warmth in the den from the cold air outside made him feel safe even from the clutches of those horrible men. He decided that they must be out hunting and they would return soon to greet him with a huge feast from their hunt. Lying down in the warmth Aryan smiled to himself knowing that soon he would find his family.
The next morning as the sun rose up into the sky a drop of dew dropped on Aryan’s nose causing him to leap up instinctively as though he was being attacked. ‘Mother?’ He called out running outside. Once outside he looked around and noticed that he couldn’t see anyone at all and all he could hear was the howling wind in the trees. Sitting down at the front of the den he waited, they would return soon he knew it.
Hours passed until it was night again and still he had not moved from his position, he ignored his hunger and thirst because he knew they would be back any time soon he couldn’t miss them.
The rising sun rose the next morning and an exhausted Aryan sat in the same position but his dire thirst finally got to him as he turned on his heel and began to run towards a small river he had heard in the distance whilst he had been waiting, in fact that was the only thing he could hear.
Plunging into the shallow river he lapped up the water as fast as he could so he could return to the den. Stopping for a moment Aryan looked down at himself in his reflection noticing for the first time the tiny scratches on his face from the day before. His hazel eyes looked back at him as he sighed sitting down beside the river his exhaustion making him feel as though he could collapse at any moment but he couldn’t sleep his family would come back and he’d miss them…
Aryan was a simple grey wolf with different shades of grey in his fur and never thought of himself as anything special he was only a wolf after all. Yawning he slowly laid down and decided to rest his eyes for a moment not realizing he had fallen in to the world of dreams.
It was only the splashing of water by some fish in the river that caused Aryan to wake up and yawn stretching his legs. Suddenly remembering the den he spun around and ran back towards it smiling knowing that any moment his mother would come out to great him and his whole pack would be there, they must have picked up his scent by now.
When he arrived he noticed that the area still smelt the same and that there was still no sign of any wolves. Looking down at the ground all he could see were his own footprints but why could he still smell the scent of others when they weren’t there? Looking up into the tree’s he noticed that they to were void of all life and that no birds were in the sky, no insects in the shrubs, not even any ants crawling upon the soil everything was gone.
Feeling himself start to shake he looked around as though trying to see whether he could see any men, this had to be them, the destroyers they had done something to his family and all the animals that’s why they weren’t here.
For the first time in his life he howled instinctively to the sky knowing that somehow someone would have to hear him and if anyone was out there they had to come to him. Even just the sound of a reply would settle the fears boiling inside of him and the growing fear of once again living in solitude, he had lived alone in that human world for so long that he thought now everything would turn good for him, or had he just been fooling himself again?
Finally under the cover of darkness he stood up from sitting in front of the den and began to walk away, a force greater hunger was telling him that he couldn’t stay here, he had to find someone because deep down he knew that no one was going to find him, he had to find out what man had done to his family. Who else but man could have done this?
His walk soon turned into a run and as he ran he felt the breeze blowing in his face and it made him feel safe because when he was in that horrible cage he used to stare out the window of the man’s box where he could see the tree’s rustling in the wind something he wanted to feel again., You could never understand how much you miss the simple pleasures of life when you have been in captivity for so long.
Slowly he climbed up a small mountain with an easy slope and when he reached the top he could see the vast expanse of land before him. It was covered in tree’s that were so high he thought that they were touching the sky and that mountains were reaching up to heaven.
Turning back around he looked back towards where he came from and in the far distance he could see an illuminating glow from the human cities which made him shiver. The men would always build closer and closer to his home and he remembered that when he had been taken all those years ago how the earth itself rumbled beneath him from the huge moving machines which moved faster then any caribou and blew toxic black smoke that was worse then smoke from a fire.
Most would never admit to being scared because they would be afraid to lose their pride but Aryan could help but fear the men, he wasn’t going to hide this fact from anyone because he knew that the destroyers would send fear into even the bravest creature.
Sitting down Aryan sat alone for many hours looking up at the moon and the stars as he thought about whether he should wait till his family returned or if he should he seek them out himself by leaving the home he had just returned to? He had wanted nothing more then to return home and yet suddenly he was home and wanted to leave to find his family, how could you want something so much but then when you finally get it, it’s not what you expected or even wanted?
He knew leaving his land meant he would have to wonder into other packs territory’s but he also knew that if his family was gone and every other animal was to then the chance of the other wolves being gone to was high.
Standing up he looked behind him at his old territory with the city’s glow in the distance one last time before he slowly looking ahead of him, he was going to find his family because he believed he couldn’t be the only one left and he wasn’t going to allow his dream of a perfect world end. Walking back down the gentle slope Aryan took a deep breath as he walked forward the eerie silence before him which was only broken only by his breathing which in the silence sounded almost as loud as those horrible machines in the human city.
Aryan could feel himself being thrown from side to side in the silver cage every time the machine he was in made any slight turn to the left or right. It was completely pitch black except for a small crack in the doorway to the outside where he could see tree’s which reminded him of his old home before the men had taken him away.
Part 2
His stomach growled as he rolled over on the hard ground yawning, he hadn’t eaten for a long time and was afraid that if he fell to sleep he’d never wake up again, but what was there to eat everything was gone? He knew he had to find something the last wolf in the entire forest was not going to go like this he had to survive in the name on his pack of the wolves who once lived here he thought as he slowly closed his eyes in a deep sleep.
The sun shone down in his eyes causing him to slowly open his eyes but he didn’t see the tree’s he saw a large metal cage all around him. Gasping he jumped opening his eyes wide as he ran to the cages edge but beyond it all he could see was huge metal walls descending high in the sky blocking out the stars.
In the distance he could hear a voice echoing from the darkness, “Help me Aryan” The voice repeated itself as Aryan pushed his full weight against the side of the cage thinking that maybe if he pushed hard enough he could get out. ‘I can’t help you…’ Aryan called out in a panic as he looked up as the cage walls all around began to close in on him. Whimpering Aryan sank to the ground as the voice echoed all around him “Help me Aryan…” as the darkness collapsed on to him.
‘No!’ Aryan yelled out waking up as he looked up to see the sun shining down on him and the trees all around him blowing in the wind. Slowly his heart beat returned to normal and his hunger started to make him feel even more tired as he tried to think of what the voice had said in his dream. ‘Help me Aryan?’ He didn’t understand but he did know that if he didn’t eat something soon nothing would matter anyway.
Standing up slowly Aryan walked towards the sound of the nearby river and as he walked all the things in front of him appeared blurry and he couldn’t see properly everything seemed to be moving around him. Closing his eyes to blink he suddenly saw a strange creature standing in front of him which was huge and had horrible green eyes and smirking white teeth. Shivering and blinking again the image was suddenly gone and as he looked down he noticed that he was standing beside the river, shaking his head he thought that he must have been imagining it all and that he wasn’t fully awake yet.
Bending down Aryan quickly lapped up the water when suddenly something in the water caught his eye, the entire river was full of fish. Seeing the silver scales of the fish flickering in the sun he instantly jumped in the water missing the fish that turned around and swan away.
Standing in the water Aryan waited patiently for a curious fish instead of trying to catch one. Soon enough one fish swam up to his legs because the moving water made his fur look like a lot of tasty wiggling worms below the surface. Before the fish knew what happened Aryan instantly managed to catch it before taking it to the edge of the water and eating it so quickly that before long it was gone. The fish had filled a tiny space in his stomach and was already starting to make him feel much better.
He laid beside the river and wondered why that when everything else had disappeared there was still fish swimming in the water? Hearing something rustling in the tree’s behind him Aryan quickly turned around thinking that the wind was simply playing tricks on him again and no one would be there but deep inside he hoped it was something. As he turned around he came saw a brown cat on the ground looking at him with its green eyes.
Before he could even comprehend what was going on the cat turned around and began to run away, for a moment Aryan stood in disbelief as he to suddenly bounded after the cat who for something being much smaller then he was, was running like the wind.
‘Wait!’ Aryan called out using all his energy to power his back legs that pushed him forward at the cat who was easily outrunning him in the distance.
It wasn’t long before the cat disappeared and slowly Aryan slowed down to a trot until he was standing still looking after the cat. Sitting down on the ground and looking at the ground he didn’t notice the cat in a nearby tree looking down at him as he sighed sadly to himself.
‘Never saw someone who would actually try and out run the fastest cat on the planet.’ The cat purred as Aryan turned around smiling up at the cat as he ran to the bottom of the tree looking up at her.
‘Come down.’ He said slowly looking up at her.
‘Is that an order?’ The cat said playfully its tail flickering behind her like a snake.
‘Where is everyone?’ Aryan said looking around as the cat suddenly hissed and jumped down to a lower branch.
‘How can you not know if you live here?’ The cat said dumbfounded looking at Aryan who looked confused.
‘I only came home a few days ago and I’m alone.’ Aryan said sadly.
‘Then leave wolf.’ The cat said seriously as it turned to jump higher up the tree when Aryan moved closer the tree.
‘Help me. I’m alone.’ Aryan said in an almost pleading voice as the cat stopped and looked down at him.
‘I can’t help you because I need to help myself but ask my anything and I will answer quickly before I leave this place.’ The cat shuddered. Aryan could understood why the cat wanted to leave because the silence was deafening and it was even louder then the thunder during a storm.
‘Where can I find my family?’ Aryan said with a serious look as the cat looked down at him.
‘At least one year ago something came here, I used to come here to hunt for small birds but one day everything disappeared. I myself go no further then this place as I have heard from my fellow cat friends that beyond this forest at the other end something unnatural lurks and it takes anything alive. The people are scared many are moving away and if I were you I’d get out whilst you can.’ The cat jumped higher in to the tree before disappearing into the shadows. Aryan whined slightly as stood up tall trying to find her in the darkness, ‘Come back…?’ He was to late though the cat had gone and for a few moments he sat there looking up at the tree as though waiting to see whether it was going to come back.
Taking a deep breath he realized the cat had gone, and he even wondered whether or not he was going crazy and if that cat was ever really there? Turning around Aryan looked into the dark tree’s knowing that the journey to the other end of the forest would take many days, but was it worth? Of course it was anything to see his family again.
Spinning around Aryan began to follow the opposite of what the cat had told him to do as he walked towards the edge of the forest a place he had never been to before and that no one dared to go.
The silence of the stars as they glowed above reflected back off the dim gaze of Aryan’s eyes as he stared up at them. When he was in the cage he looked at the stars through broken windows in the room knowing that where ever he went the same stars would always be shining down on him, it was something he new that would never leave him.
Part 3
Thinking back to the last day in the human world he tried to remember anything different from the regular routine that he went through every day. The only difference he could remember was that a few days before they took him out of the horrible cage the men had been watching something on a box from which sound came out of and they started to get restless after watching it. He remembered how one of the men had started to sweat as he talked to the men beside him. Of course Aryan didn’t know what they were saying but he could tell from their tone they were worried. It was at that moment they turned to look at him, their pointing fingers made him feel frightened as the men started to argue amongst themselves and raise their voices at each other. Another man who was obviously their alpha or superior came in and quieted them down as they began to whisper to each other, he didn’t understand why because they knew he couldn’t understand them but he did know they were talking about him.
Walking through the forest Aryan soon came across the river again that seemed looked like a giant snake as it cut its way through the forest.
Aryan would never brag but catching fish for the past week or more had become his gift he even called his self the fishing master.
Walking up to the river he looked down at the fish but somehow something seemed different and as he looked down at the fish he felt a feeling inside as though something wasn’t right it was a strange instinct that something wasn’t right. Stepping in to the water he watched the fish but they seemed normal and they didn’t look dangerous or different. Taking one out of the water he quickly walked back to the bank and sat down and began to eat it but suddenly he spat out what he was eating as his whole mouth had begun to burn like a fire had erupted inside him.
Jumping over to the water he quickly began to lap up the cool crisp water to try and make the horrible burning feeling stop as it spread all throughout his mouth like a wildfire. He didn’t stop drinking the cool water until the burning sensation began to ease before slowly stopping altogether. He turned away taking deep breaths feeling as though he was about to explode because he had drank way to much water.
Frowning at himself he looked over at the fish which looked absolutely normal but as he slowly walked forward he noticed that its eyes were bright green, gasping he stepped back a few paces as he remembered the nightmare he had had. Looking back at the river he quickly turned around and began to run along the bank as fast as he could and as he ran he could see that all the fish had the same green eyes that seemed to be staring at him from every single angle.
Aryan ran till he physically couldn’t run anymore and when he finally stopped he looked ahead of him where the forest and river continued into the distance, it was as though it was never-ending, he was never going to make it on his own especially now without food, things were just getting worse and worse and he now wished he did what the cat had told him to.
That night when the stars finally appeared in sky Aryan laid down looking up at them as he tried to remember the loving faces of his family before he had been taken. He shivered inside when he realized that he couldn’t even remember his mothers face or even the sound of her voice all he could remember was her being there and his brothers and sister all cuddled up beside him in the den, it was so peaceful and warm there. Aryan never saw his father whom was always to busy running the pack as the Alpha male but he knew his scent and he could have sworn he could smell them back at the den like they had been their only days earlier.
Looking behind him he sighed because the den now was so far away that it might as well be forgotten because he knew the life he wanted had was gone and escaped his grasp. Closing his eyes Aryan could feel the sadness swelling up inside but he kept any tears from falling down his face as he thought how alone and scared he was, everything was gone and the realization he wasn’t going to find anyone hit him hard as a silver tear slowly slide down his face.
During the night when Aryan was asleep he started moving his legs as though his dream was real because there were green-glowing eyes all around him and no matter how fast or far he ran they were always behind him getting closer and closer till…snapping awake Aryan could feel himself sweating as he sat up and looked around as though expecting the dream to be real but thankfully it wasn’t. Laughing a little about how he was scaring himself he looked into the distance were he was going wondering whether or not the horrible green eyes were any relation to the green eyes that the fish had? Aryan quickly shook his head guessing that the fish were just sick and that he was just scaring himself even more.
The next morning a stir in the nearby woods made Aryan slowly wake up but he wasn’t as alarmed as he had been the night before because he thought that he must be dreaming again. Turning around he looked into the shadows with his eyes barely open but when he saw two green eyes looking at him he gasped before jumping up.
‘Mother…?’ Aryan said with hope as he took a step forward quickly realizing the thing was too big to be a wolf. Just before Aryan could say anything the creature turned around and began to run off in the opposite direction. ‘Stop…!’ He suddenly yelled running after it but by the time he had taken a few steps it was completely gone and he quickly stopped and sighed, ‘…wait.’
Shivering to himself Aryan felt himself go pale as he looked after the thing knowing that what ever it was it wasn’t a wolf but it was something alive in this completely empty area and this was enough for Aryan to go find it. As he slowly walked after it the warning the cat had given him began to play in his mind but he just ignored it and kept walking.
Can anyone ever truly say that absolute silence doesn’t drive them the least bit crazy? Because as the days went by Aryan had a lot of time to think that perhaps he was going mad. He alaso wondered were everyone had gone and that why were those people scared of something in the forest? The men were the masters of all they feared nothing so what could possibly send them away with their tail between their legs?
Part 4
He walked for at least two days but with each growing day his eyelids felt heavier and heavier and it wasn’t until he found a small lake that he managed to find some fish that didn’t have the strange green eyes. Aryan was sure he’d eaten the entire lake empty of all it’s fish but now he felt stronger and he knew that he was getting close to where ever that creature went because the further he walked the more he could swear something was watching him.
One day when Aryan was just walking blindly with his mind a blank he felt something shine into his eyes making him try to move aside thinking that the sun had just peaked through the overgrowth in the leaves right in to his eyes.
Frowning Aryan looked into the light realizing that no matter where he moved it kept following him. Suddenly he realized that the light wasn’t coming from the sky, it was coming from something in the distance. His mouth moved into a smile as he felt his legs pushing him forward into a run as he ran across the ground like lightning ignoring everything as he ran towards the light knowing he had found something after so long.
As he got closer and closer the light just seemed to get brighter until finally he burst through some small bushes and instantly skidded to a halt before catching his breath and looking at what was standing before him. In front of him was a huge fence crossed with thin straps of silver that were reflecting the light and it was then when Aryan started to panic, he couldn’t go back to the men he wouldn’t let them take him again he thought as he started to edge backwards away from the fence until he heard something which made him stop and peer through the fence.
Gasping he saw at least five pairs of green eyes staring at him and in a panic he turned around and started to run without looking behind him as he did, he was just imaging this, he was going crazy he thought as he ran. Suddenly he heard the sound of a howl, a wolf howl which made him slowly stop and look behind him, the howl was one of sorrow, terror and pain. He could feel something inside that was making him sick as he looked down at the ground the howl echoing in his ears and he knew that who ever was howling had to be in trouble. Those creatures maybe the humans had captured them to and all the other animals?
Aryan could feel himself shaking at the thought of man as he turned around and looked back where he had come from, he had been alone in the mans world for so long he knew what ti was like to live alone and in captivity and how could he just stand by and allow the entire forest to be held captive by the men? Breathing in and out deeply he closed his eyes as he forced himself to turn around and face his fears head on. Sitting down he kept looking to where he had come from and the glowing light from the fence shone in his face. He was going to wait till dark to investigate further if they had his family then he knew that he’d make sure they’d escape back home with him, or he’d die trying.
Day soon turned to dusk and dusk soon turned to night and still Aryan didn’t move as he sat their waiting and watching. He kept pondering in his mind whether or not to go now or wait awhile to have a look. The thoughts in his mind were playing with his emotions making him feel more scared then he actually was. Calming himself down he stood up and was about to step forward when he saw a green flash in front of him but before he even had to breath he looked up at something standing in front of him.
The creature looked like a wolf except is was bigger then Aryan, had larger teeth that stuck out of it’s mouth and hair that was long and shaggy, it had large ears and huge paws, a long tail and glowing green eyes. Aryan couldn’t move as he looked up at the creature who looked down at him with an expressionless face.
‘Hello…?’ Aryan said looking up at the wolf who just sniffed him as though picking up his scent.
‘You just greeted me.’ The wolf said moving his head slightly.
‘Yes.’ Aryan said nodding looking confused. ‘Who are you?’ He continued guessing that this wolf like creature didn’t seem like a threat and maybe it had already escaped form the man.
‘We are the Vereor we live to abide by the laws of our Pack.’ The wolf said still not looking down at Aryan but rather was looking over him. ‘Come with me animal of the forest.’ It said finally looking down at Aryan who looked a little unsure as he simply nodded as the other wolf turned around and began to walk back towards the strange metal fence with Aryan walking closely behind him. Aryan wasn’t sure but somehow he knew that he didn’t need to sneak into that place to find his family because this wolf seemed to be leading him there.
When they arrived as the fence the wolf simply looked into a strange machine on the fence with its green eyes as a small gate opened. ‘What about the man’ Aryan said not moving as the other wolf walked behind him pushing him in.
‘There are no men here.’ The wolf stopped pushing Aryan when he was inside and started to walk forward looking up at the huge building in front of him and he knew that if there were no men then it couldn’t possibly be dangerous.
What ever that thing had been it had left not even a single mark on the ground as it had ran and so it was impossible to follow its exact course. But Aryan knew if he just kept walking he should be able to pick up it’s track and ignore his growing hunger.
Part 5
‘How did he get out?!’ Another wolf creature growled at the other who remained silent. ‘You’re pathetic now get out of my site and guard the others.’ The wolf spat as he walked forward towards the door where he could see Aryan watching him on the other side. ‘Tell me how you got out?’ The wolf demanded looking at Aryan who looked confused.
‘The men let me out, I’m looking for my pack but the forest its empty there’s nothing there.’ Aryan said quickly.
Smiling a little the other wolf realized that Aryan had not escaped he simply hadn’t been caught in the first place. ‘I can help you, and by the way my name is Parvus.’
‘Greetings Parvus I am Aryan…’ He didn’t get to finish because Parvus quickly interrupted him.
‘Being polite won’t help you.’ Parvus spat frowning down at Aryan who quickly nodded.
‘Who are you?’ Aryan said looking directly at Parvus noticing that he looked almost identical the world creature he had seen in the forest.
‘We are the Vereor a species much grander then the common wolf.’ Parvus looked down in disgust at Aryan who frowned but didn’t say anything.
‘Where is my pack?’ Aryan said in a low voice looking at Parvus who simply laughed out aloud.
‘In time you will recognize them.’ Parvus said in a low voice as his eyes flashed green.
‘What happened here? Why is everything gone and I know you are not real wolves…’ Aryan said stepping forward as Parvus did the name until both wolves were looking directly at each other.
‘Our kind is more advanced then you puny wolves, the five senses have been improved in us making us more powerful then even man.’ Aryan could feel himself getting a little scared, how could anything be more powerful then man? Aryan tried to hide this as Parvus started to circle him. ‘Sight.’ Parvus’ eyes flashed green as he looked past Aryan into the darkness, ‘We can see in the dark as though the sun had never disappeared. Hearing. We can hear the buzzing of a fly over vast distances we can hear a single wolf breathing as it tries to hide from us many miles away. Smell. We can smell the sweat as it runs down the back of an animal no matter how small and can smell fire when it is only a small cinder in the bushes. Touch. Our paws are large for a reason and this is because we can feel vibrations in the earth you can almost say we could live blinded and still see. Taste. Well let’s just say we enjoy this one…’ Parvus smiled showing his ivory colored teeth.
‘I think I need to go.’ Aryan said starting to get worried as he stepped back a few paces and glanced back at the gate that was still closed.
‘You heart beat has quickened, you’re sweating, you’re breathing hard and your eyes give me the indication you are worried…we’re not scared are we?’ Parvus chuckled following Aryan back matching every step. ‘Oh no you may not leave please stay for awhile.’
‘For how long?’ Aryan said stopping.
Walking away Parvus motioned with his head as two other Vereor wolves ran up to Aryan pushing him from behind in to the building against his will. Despite how worried he was he did what he was told knowing that if he didn’t it would only end badly for him and right now it was best to do as he was told, if he wanted to survive for a little longer.
The wolves pushed him through large long corridors where the walls were lined with a shining silver metal and strange human signs lined the walls the further they went into the building. Aryan shook his head how could as he walked how be so stupid? His search for a friend, for his family for anyone had lead him here if he just remained alone he would have lived a long happy life he should have released that these creatures were the cause of all of this. The power of seeking someone when you are alone to find someone other then yourself is a powerful force, many wolves or other animals can not survive alone and they need companionship or else they will go mad or become nothing but an empty shell of who they once were and that was what Aryan was afraid of becoming.
They suddenly stopped at a cage which the strange creatures opened with their eyes by looking into a machine before shoving Aryan inside and slamming the door shut with their tails as they marched away.
Turning around Aryan could see a group of normal looking wolves looking directly at him, smiling and jumping forward towards them he said loudly, ‘Hello!’ when he didn’t get a reply Aryan slowly walked forward where he could see that the wolves were all right at the back of the room close to each other and all looking at the ground. Sighing and sitting down Aryan quickly realized that this wasn’t his pack. ‘If you were smart you would have stayed far away from here.’ One of the wolves said walking forward a little but staying in the shadows as he looked at Aryan who turned to him.
‘I’m looking for the Northern River Pack.’ Aryan said hopefully.
‘You won’t be looking much further…’
‘I don’t understand?’ Aryan said looking confused.
‘My name is Caelum now if you come closer I will tell you what happened here but remember do not speak the forgotten language and repeat none of this to anyone especially the Vereor.’ Nodding Aryan quickly walked forward towards Caelum who took a deep breath before beginning.
‘Stay here.’ The wolf creature said as it walked away into a building leaving Aryan sitting outside starting to look a little unsure as he looked back at the large fence.
Part 6
‘What were they doing here?’ Aryan said looking at the huge metal walls all around him.
‘From what I’ve heard from The Vereor the men were making some new chemical that would make them stronger and improve their senses so they could live longer and so it could be used in warfare amongst them selves. They tested this chemical on the wolves because they were too afraid to test it on themselves. One night these horrible hybrid wolves managed to escape from their cages, the chemical flowing through their veins had turned them into what they are now. We are not quite sure what happened but that night all we heard were yells and cries of those men who tried to escape and those who didn’t. The next day more men arrived and quickly built a fence around the entire area and began to dump the chemicals into the river because from what we gather these Vereor need it so they can survive. Stupid men…they knew that the fence couldn’t hold them and it wasn’t long before they escaped and captured more and more wolves turning them in to The Vereor and calling themselves the perfect breed. Animals sensed this and fled before they were caught and killed. The chemicals in the river killed off all animals that remained no one can survive long drinking that water.’
Everything seemed to be hitting him so quickly Aryan’s whole head was spinning and he didn’t even know if was dreaming or what it actually real and he soon realized he had drank the water and he seemed fine but he decided not to bring it up incase they wouldn’t talk to him thinking he was one of them. ‘I saw that they opened door with their eyes…I don’t understand?’ He said looking at Caelum who shook his head.
‘Men made these machines so that when they looked into it opened don’t ask my how it works I know nothing of this technology but obviously these Vereor do.’ Caelum looked down from Aryan to the ground, ‘If you were smart you would have escaped whilst you could! Not come here willingly you must be a fool.’ He snapped at Aryan who shook his head.
‘I didn’t know I had been released by the men back into the forest I just wanted to find my family.’ Aryan sighed.
‘You doomed yourself.’ With that Caelum turned around and walked back into the shadows leaving Aryan to look down at the ground. These horrible creatures were killing all animals they could find and were turning wolves into creatures like themselves and he had walked straight into it.
Turning around he walked up the cage door and stuck his head as close to the bars as he could as he looked down the hall both ways but all he could see were corridors branching off in all directions and all he could hear were the hum of machines and the flickering lights in the hallway.
‘What’s you name?’ A wolf said walking halfway up to Aryan as he turned around.
‘Why don’t you come any closer to the bars?’ Aryan asked looking at the wolf who looked scared.
‘When the Vereor come they take those closest and if we hide at the back we have a greater chance of surviving another day.’ She said softly keeping her whole body in the dark shadows.
‘My name is Aryan.’ He said bitterly.
‘I am Astra.’
‘How long do we have before we are taken to become like them?’ Aryan said sighing and looking at her.
‘Days…weeks…hours even. It all depends on them they are the perfects and decide out fate.’
‘Are there any other wolf packs here?’ Aryan said hopefully as Astra nodded.
‘They are kept separate we hear them at night but we’ve never seen them.’ Sitting down on the ground Aryan guessed that how ever long he had left of life as a free wolf was slowly ticking away and all he had to do was sit here and wait till they needed him, waiting for the inevitable.
Whilst he lay down trying to sleep he heard a sound and instantly looked up to see a Vereor wolf looking down at him from the other side of the cage. In the corner of his eye he could see all the other normal wolves behind him cowering in the darkness. If he was going to be turned Aryan guessed he might as well do it now he was never going to see his family again no matter how long he waited here, so staying as he was seemed to be a pointless venture.
Standing up he walked up the cage were the horrible green eyes of Vereor wolf stared at him but as always its face remained emotionless and cold. Slowly it raised a paw and pressed a button near the cage which made Aryan turn around as a humming sound began to echo around the room. Looking up to the roof he watched as food was dropped down on to the ground but still none of the wolves in the shadows went for it. Looking back at the Vereor wolf he suddenly realized that it was walking away, frowning Aryan ran to the far end of the cage as he called out, ‘Take me, don’t leave me waiting here If I’m going to be turned in to you then do it now and don’t leave me to go crazy!’ The Vereor wolf stopped in its tracks for a moment but didn’t look back at Aryan. After a few moments the wolf continued as Aryan stared after it till it disappeared from his view.
‘Is it gone?’ One of the wolves asked from the shadows as Aryan turned around and nodded. All the wolves suddenly ran forward grabbing what ever food they could before running back into the shadows.
When Aryan finally walked back to the middle of the room he saw that none of them had left him any as they all greedily ate as fast as they could in the shadows as though they hadn’t eaten in days. Aryan didn’t mind though he wasn’t hunger and as he laid back down and closed his eyes the blurred images of his pack seemed even more distant then they ever had before.
‘We all know man and how powerful they are, they decide whether we live or die and they are so powerful that they even scare and kill themselves. About two years ago my pack watched this place get built by this men and it was finished in less then half a year it was amazing how quick they built it. We went about what we did normally thinking that this wouldn’t affect us but it wasn’t until they began to take at least one wolf a month that we knew something was wrong but were could we go? We were bound in our pack lands and if we tried to leave other packs would attack us, so we stayed where we were and just hide from the man as best we could. It wasn’t until last year that something went horribly wrong and the entire place went into chaos.’
Part 7
‘There is something he is not telling us, why else would he walk blindly in to this place and then ask or rather tell us that he wants to become one of us?’ Parvus thought aloud standing up and pacing on the hard floor. He was in a small room covered in broken computers whose broken glass crackled under his large paws as he walked. ‘We need to find out what he knows’
‘Do you want me to make him give us the answers?’ The other wolf replied as Parvus quickly shook his head.
‘No I want him turned into one of us that way he’ll do as I say and answer my questions.’ Parvus growled as the other wolf nodded before turning away and walking out of the room.
Meanwhile back at the large cage room Aryan was snoozing on the ground in the middle of the room as all the wolves behind him began to whisper as Caelum walked forwards up to him. ‘Are you a spy sent in to make us behave?’ He said bluntly causing Aryan to open his eyes and look up at him.
‘Do I have green eyes?’ Aryan said standing up looking at Caelum who just frowned. ‘Look all I wanted was to see my family but now I realize I can’t so I might well turn into those creatures it might be the only way I’ll ever finally find true happiness because I’m not going to find it caught up in this cage am I?’ Aryan frowned looking back at the wolves who were all looking at him.
‘You’re mad.’ Caelum said shaking his head and stepping back.
‘I’m crazy!? Look where we are, we’re in a cage being consumed by the Vereor of course I’m going crazy this can’t be real…’ Aryan said his voice shaking as he turned away from them. All the emotion’s he was hiding inside were making him feel sick and confused. He was scared, frightened, hopeful and angry all at the same time and keeping it all bottled inside was just playing with his mind.
‘It takes awhile to realize Aryan.’ Astra said walking up and sitting beside Aryan who looked down at her.
‘I don’t understand how you can live in fear everyday and yet not go crazy?’ Aryan asked sounding very confused as he looked at the walls that boxed them all in.
‘We let the hope of a rescue and of something to come and save us cloud our minds so we can even if it’s just for a moment forget the fear we feel inside.’ Astra said closing her eyes and smiling.
‘You’re much stronger then me.’ Aryan admitted, ‘I wanted the easy way out and yet you and the others will last as long as you can.’ Standing up he walked up the bars and looked at them shivering. ‘I’m a coward and I always have been and now I‘m being exactly what I am by taking the easy way out.’ Sitting down Aryan rested his head against the bars as he closed his eyes.
A loud bang suddenly made Aryan open his eyes as he looked down the corridor to see two Vereor wolves walking towards him, quickly jumping back away from the cage he looked behind where all the other wolves retreated towards the back of the room.
‘You will come with us.’ They said looking down at Aryan who hung his head low as he slowly walked out of the cage looking back at the others who had hidden back in the dark. Looking away from them he followed the Vereor wolves knowing that he was going to be even more alone and feared when he came back here and he knew Astra and the others would never recognize him again.
As Aryan followed the Vereor he walked past at least two different cages were he could see the wolves hiding at the back and every time he saw them he’d stop to try and work out whether or not it was his pack, but every time he was met with disappointment because it was never them.
Looking at the Vereor wolves he suddenly shuddered wondering whether this horrible creature was once part of his pack could this be someone he had been searching for…could this be one of his parents or one of his brothers or sisters? He would never know and he didn’t want to because as far as he was concerned it was better to live without knowing such things.
From the end of the corridor another Vereor wolf suddenly appeared and started running towards them making Aryan instantly stop and look scared thinking that it was going to try and kill him but it just stopped and turned to the other Vereor wolves. ‘We have an emergency put this imperfect specimen in that cage we need everyone outside now.’ With that the wolf turned around and ran away as the wolves beside Aryan quickly turned to the nearest caged room and looked into some machine and when the door opened they shoved Aryan inside who was more then happy to comply as the door slammed shut and the Vereor wolf bounded out of site.
Quickly walking to the edge of the cage Aryan tried to see what was going on but all he could see was white corridors and the distant sounds of those wolves in other cages howling.
‘Aryan?’ Someone said behind him as he quickly turned around and looked into the blackness where he could see a group of wolves looking at him.
‘I did not do what the imperfect specimen told me to do.’ The same Vereor wolf that had just been beside Aryan’s cage said to Parvus who was standing up looking at the wolf.
Part 8
‘My mother told me a lot about you.’ She said looking up at Aryan who looked taken aback.
‘Is that my family?’ He said as a rush of joy flowed into him as he smiled. ‘I finally found you and you’re alright.’ He continued laughing and looking at them and stepping closer wanting to see his family his tail wagging behind him.
‘Aryan there is something you need to know…’ The wolf whispered stepping forward into the light and walking up to Aryan who stopped and looked down at her not recognizing her scent and he instantly knew it wasn’t his mother, father or any of his siblings, in fact he couldn’t smell any of them in the room.
‘Who are you?’ Aryan said starting to sound a little unsure as he frowned thinking that this might just be some sick joke.
‘My name is Keana, and I’m the daughter of your sister…’
‘My sister where is she?’ Aryan interrupted quickly. ‘Where are the Alpha’s where are my parents?’
‘They were all turned many months ago.’ Keana said looking down at the ground as tears formed in her eyes.
‘You’re lying…’ Aryan said stepping back away from her as tears formed in his eyes. ‘You’re lying.’ He muttered walking further away from her as he sat down looking at the ground all his emotions inside boiling over as small warm tears slid down the side of his face and onto the hard metal ground below. He had been taken away from his family locked up in a cage by man released with the hope of returning to his family and now none of them were alive…he had been better of in mans world because then he at least would have had the hope of seeing them again to keep him going but now he didn’t have any, he was empty.
He wasn’t sure how long he lay on his own away from the others but it felt like hours and he didn’t say anything, he didn’t move because all he could think about what those awful creatures knowing that they were his family.
Keana slowly walked up to him and sat down beside him for awhile before saying softly ‘At least they’re not dead.’
Turning to look at her Aryan frowned ‘They’d be better of dead then becoming those horrible Vereor…’ he hissed looking up at Keana who looked upset. Sighing he slowly sat up and looked at her. ‘So you’re me niece then I guess…at least one tiny part of my family is still here.’ He smiled down at her.
‘For how long?’ She said seriously with a sad face as she looked up at him.
‘Tell me what happened Keana I need to know what happened.’ He sighed knowing half the story already but he wanted to know exactly what happened to his pack, to his family.
‘The Vereor came and took us and if anyone tried to escape they were killed. My mother was spared because she was carrying pups and after she had me and my brothers they turned her…’
‘I’m sorry.’ Aryan said looking at her as she shook her head.
‘I’ve accepted it for at least a year now. I don’t have a choice do I?’ She said.
‘Why do these Vereor need us? Can’t they just take as many as they have now and leave us?’ Aryan didn’t realize he was being so blunt to his niece because for him he had never known her and so he didn’t really think of her as his family even though it was all he had left.
‘Without us they would die out…’ She said looking a little unsure.
‘What do you mean?’ Aryan said raising an eyebrow.
‘They disappear, many just disappear after a few months…we don’t know why and that’s why they need us.’
‘Why…’ Aryan began but was quickly stopped.
‘Stop interrogating me!’ She suddenly snapped turning around and looking away from Aryan who looked shocked as he watched her walk back into the darkness.
‘I…I wasn’t…’ Aryan started but was quickly stopped when he heard something behind him causing him to turn around to see two Vereor wolves looking at him, they had come back for him.
Aryan slowly walked to the cage door as it opened and as it closed he looked back at Keana who watched him from the darkness as tears slid down her face as she was nuzzled by another wolf in the darkness. ‘I’m sorry.’ Aryan whispered under his breath as he was lead away knowing he would never know if Keana would ever forgive him for giving up and treating her as though she wasn’t even a part of the family when she truly was all that remained of it.
As he walked down the corridor the howls of those around him in cages echoed like an eerie choir singing the last tune he would ever hear, the final march of one destined to soon become a traitor to those who he once was part of.
Walking through a door he looked over at Parvus who was standing there smiling at him with his large teeth grinning and his green eyes glowing menacingly. ‘Prepare to be taken into my world my imperfect friend…’ He cooed looking directly at Aryan who hung his head low because he knew this was the end of his journey. ‘Now stand still as I transfer the Vereor blood that will change you…’ he growled walking closer to Aryan who could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
Slowly but surely Parvus walked over to a puddle in the middle of the room where a light green mixture was being dripped into from a small hole in the ceiling. Slowly he drank some of it covering his teeth with the liquid as he turned back around to Aryan who didn’t resist as he watched Parvus walk up to him. ‘Welcome to the world of the perfect being…’ Parvus said smiling as he quickly bit down hard on the back of Aryan’s neck causing him to yell in pain as Parvus let go and stepped back licking his lips.
It was as though he could feel the burning sensation running through his entire body, closing his eyes he tried to fight it but it was too strong and the pain was so bad he yelled painfully closing his eyes tighter and tighter as they watered down his face. Soon the pain started to subside and taking in a deep breath Aryan opened his eyes which shone bright green as Parvus smiled at him, he was now a Vereor.
‘Who said my name?’ Aryan said walking forward towards the wolves who remained silent. ‘Answer me!’ He suddenly yelled frowning at them. A young female wolf who was about one year old stepped forward slightly as Aryan turned to see her but he couldn’t make her out in the darkness. ‘How do you know my name?’
Characters – Aryan, Caelum, Parvus, Keana and The Vereor © Kaynight
Special Thanks to Taka_PL for their help =)