The Rise it was called, the last remaining hill before one stepped foot into Crystal Springs. They had made the journey; it had been long and exasperating, but ultimately, they had arrived. Paws came to sink into fresh icy waters, the snow upon the Rise now melting rapidly with the coming of a new season. Formations of Apophyllite laid scattered in every direction. Some remained clear while others took the hue of soft malachite. The Rise was the protection of the lands soon to follow it, it was a place of purification and tranquility.
Maerick led the way as he had for the entirety of the trip. Zacura, Canavis, and Anjeimas following close behind. The clan had come together as one, and for a moment, they all felt a certain joy. For most, they did not know if it came from the thought of salvation, or merely because they had come to grow upon each other.
"Do you suddenly feel as if all your troubles had fled your mind?" Spoke Anjeimas, his body moving to brush up on Zacura. "Hmm...Yes, I suppose so," she replied looking to Maerick for answers. They all came to stand at the endpoint of the Rise; their draconic protector's eyes locked upon the castle before them. "We stand in the Rise, a sacred and calming place. The crystals you see around you are that of Apophyllite. They can control the corrupted waves a sinful mind may emit. Crystal Springs is and will always be a place of peace and unity. Come, let us find sanctuary, and if the gods favor us, answers."
"Alpha, may we break words. It is important." Spoke Anjeimas. "Can it not wait until we have passed through the gates?" She questioned as the pack moved forth. "I am afraid not, Alpha. I do not feel we should follow this demon any further." The two pulled away from the rest, their eyes meeting. "Why do you speak such things? He has done everything in his power to protect us." He was lost in her eyes, lost in thought, his mind struggling to remain intact.
"I believe they have plans to bring harm to you, Alpha. I overheard some things. Such things that put my mind and heart into a state of worry. I would have brought them to light sooner but could not find a proper time." "So you decide to tell me now, as we march into the possibility of death? What sense could you gain from such an action? Tell me what did you hear?" Zacura watched as her clan began to disappear into the flatlands. "I overheard the old wolf of my people and the Drake speaking. The dragon claims to have known you at some point in time. The old one refused to let him talk about your blood, arguing that you would be killed." A snarl came to wave along the hound's muzzle. "Are you sure of this? Are you positively certain what you speak to me is said in truth?" He nodded. Moving rapidly to meet up with the others, Zacura came to stand before Maerick blocking his path. Her ears had begun to fold on either side of her head, her body dropping low in a defensive position.
"I need to share words with you, now." She spoke, moving to his left and into a nearby patch of brush. Confused Maerick followed, his motion catching the curiosity of Manuke. He too followed, leaving only a wandering glance upon Anjeimas. He came upon the pair, and within an instant, he knew. The time had come to speak the past, to open the eyes of she who would take his place. "How do you know of me?" she asked the gleam in her eyes teetering from caution to sorrow.
"What do you mean? We met in the forests," Maerick replied. "No, Anjeimas has told me of something he overheard, something about you knowing who I am. The dragon looked at the wolf for answers, yet all he received was a nod of his head. "We must do this now?" He spoke with a heavy heart. "Yes, Maerick, we must. It is time. The time for her to be awakened has come to pass."
"What is he talking about?" she said moving closer to glare upwards. "He speaks of your destiny, Zacura...the reason you live. I have known you since you were nothing more than a beating heart within an orb of fur. I have cared for you, protected you. I was...your guardian once." She stepped away. "Please listen to me. Do you not remember the words I spoke to you when we met again?" "I do, yet I do not know how that would link us. I was not even alive when those wars were raging." Manuke stepped forward brushing against her. "But you were. You were simply in a form of sleep. It was not the time for you to awaken yet. There was a reason you were never told who you were or are now. Why you never knew who came to sire you, it was not time." "But it is my right to know." "Aye, it is. Yet if you knew, you would not stand here today—" The Drake interrupted, "You are the heir to a line of beings, gods if you like, called keepers. You are the being who shall bring us salvation, sanctuary, and protection."
Manuke moved a bit closer, he could sense her shock. "You are far more than what you have been raised to be. You are the chosen of the gods, the hound of both the void and the heavens. And in time, you will understand that and come to embrace it." "And why should I trust you? I barely know both of you, and now you stand here speaking of me as if I am some savior." "Why should you not trust us? We have proof to back our words not to mention that our world is decaying around us. What pain should we wish to cause you when we all stand to face our demise? Without you, all will be lost. I knew it so long ago, and I know it now," spoke the dragon.
She felt a rush of heat consume her and suddenly, she felt sick. This could not be true, they were lying perhaps Anjeimas was right. She slowly began to back away from them; her natural instinct to run overtaking her. "Manuke, leave us. Show the others into the gates. I wish words with my...friend," his speech was stressed. He had hoped to claim her by another title but did not dare speak it. "Zacura, come. I would never bring harm to you," Maerick spoke extending his hand to her. She sat back and eyed him. "I am fine right here."
"Very well, I will be fully honest with you. Back then in those years when death was what I lived for, I killed hundreds. No matter their crimes nor their innocence. But when I was sent to kill you, a beam of wisdom stuck me. I would save your life even if it meant forfeiting my own. And upon that night, I killed my own men, took many arrows into my back, disowned my honor and my heritage to save you. I raised you as my own, and if you hadn't been taken from me, my plan was to take you to Laylia. I was seen as unfit to raise you fully, and thus Manuke handed you into the protection of the Bloodclaws. It was a choice I was forced to agree with, one I both regret and am thankful for. I would die for you, Zacura. I would serve you until my last breath. You must understand that. That old wolf...he means more to us than anyone."
She could sense the honesty in his words, feel his passion and for a moment, she gave into trust. "I want to know more. If I am to die with you, I wish to know where I came from."Maerick moved beside her and laid down his talon moving to brush her neck. "There is so much I could say, so many tales to sing, yet it is not my place. All I know is that it is my duty to protect you until the great exchange." "Great exchange?" She questioned.
"Yes, the time when Manuke shall pass from this world, and you shall take his place. It has already begun. You are just not strong enough yet, to fully bare the power's weight." His talon lifted her fur upward revealing the scar that had been left when Manuke brushed her. "Do you remember the day that he came to speak with you, the old wolf ?" She gave a nod. "That is when it began. When his flesh touched yours, you were marked. It is why your flesh tore, and your flames neglected the wound." She thought back long and hard to that day. It was a blur as she had been exhausted, but somehow she came to remember the pain it had brought. "But why would his flesh harm me?" "It was not his flesh, but what lies beneath it. He wears the amulet of the elements, a necklace of unmatched power that was made by our god's hands. It is said when it was forged, it was given the name and blood of every being who would wear it.
Since then, it has come to adapt ways to conceal itself upon its host. Some say it has a life of its own, some believe it to be a keeper of time, of history. Yet no one truly knows what it is with the exception of its current host. One day you will know everything, hold the stories of the past within your mind. And no matter where you travel, or how you get there, I will be by your side no matter if you wish my company or not." He nuzzled her gently much like a father would before standing. "Give it time, Zacura. Do not overthink things now. Just let them come."
Zacura was utterly stunned, frozen by the even greater weight now forced upon her. For all this time she had believed herself to be nothing more, but a hound left orphaned. A female granted an opportunity to become a leader and alpha. But for all this time, it had been a lie. If what the two spoke proved to be true, she had not been provided an opportunity at all. Instead, she had come to be suppressed, exiled from who she truly was. And though she had grown in her many years to love and admire those she claimed as a family, were they really her family at all? And somewhere deep down, she had always felt as if she was to be something more than what she had become. She looked like them, hunted like them, and fought like them, but was she ever of their blood? Or were the Bloodclaws only her family chosen by her parents, to protect her until this day came to roll around and greet her. There were so many questions she wished to ask. So many answers she needed now to feel whole again. But as she stood there looking at the new faces that had strolled into her life, she asked herself, "Why would they want to help me?"
She took a moment to sit down and honestly analyze what needed to be done. How she would reform her way of living to fit into such a troublesome role. It felt as if the world had begun to fall around her literally. Her home had been reduced to nothing more but a memory, and now, she was to venture into a new world.
"I cannot feel pain any longer for the loss of something that was never mine to claim," she began her voice soft and confused. "We will remain here for a while. I do not believe myself ready to enter those gates. I feel as if there is something I must do before I surrender myself to you. My heart sings songs of praise and trust, while my mind tells me to banish you from my clan and move on. But then I remember why I shouldn't trust you? What would you gain by seeing me to my end in a world dying around us? For the last few moons, you have done nothing but put your lives on the line to see my family survive. So tell me Manuke..." she trailed off and turned to face the dragon. "Maerick," she continued, "Would you do all of this to simply give me false hope. Would you truly lead my family into some sort of pit of death in order to sustain your lives for a moment longer?"
The two looked at her, the scent of sorrow emanating from them both. Maerick was the first to speak, his voice low and sincere. "No, we would not. None of us actually know why we are the ones chosen to do what we must. But one thing is certain, I would take my own life before I ever came to harm you. And though I do not live within his mind nor his heart, I am sure Manuke feels the same way. If you wish to remain here to gather knowledge or to simply clear your thoughts and let your soul speak to you, I support your choice. Honestly, there is no better place than what you stand among now. The Rise holds many tales, many legends—some true, some not. There are even some that have yet to be written or dared to be explored. But I know from personal experience that there is no purer place to really soul-search than its soils." "He is right young, Zacura. The Rise has brought an end to enemies, brought peace to families. We will remain here, but remember time is of the essence. You know now what you are to become. So tell me here and now, will you trust me, trust in him, and have confidence in yourself to take hold of what is yours? You may have lost a home, but you shall gain much more in the years to come. Some of the most powerful creatures grew up without their parents to guide them. You are one of them, but know that your father and mother watch over you somewhere. Death is never truly the end because if you think about how we came to be, surely there must be a rejoining somewhere."
He nuzzled her, his touch soft and loving. He spoke truthfully in his beliefs, in hopes it would spark a flame inside her. Maerick leaned down to join the embraces; his ears eager to hear her response. The words of the old wolf had indeed done just that, and this time she spoke with pride. "I trust you, and even if I did not, I would step forth and do what I could to save this world. Without it, I would not be who I am. I would not have known love, or family, or friendship. There is an emptiness within me, a void never filled. One that may never come to be. But perhaps with this gift of power, this blessing of wisdom I may find at least some of the truth I must know. All I ask is that you give me time. Six sun rises are all I ask, after that I will bend to your will and share your burden."
Manuke looked to the sky and then to the small dot of blinding white off in the distance. He knew time grew short, his time primarily. "Six sun rises, that is all. After that, you are mine to wield. I have much to teach you." He trotted off into the clearing to join the others leaving his apprentice in the clutch of her guardian.
ns 172.70.131.46da2