wolfbane isle: chapter one
Ruliim was sitting in the fields outside the castle enjoying an apple while watching the sun set over the horizon. She leaned back against the apple tree she was sitting under and closed her eyes, listening to the wind blowing through the branches of the tree and the rustling of the grass.
-This is the life- she thought- this is my home and no one can take it away from me, no wolf could be any happier than me at this moment. This is the time when not even the birds dare to bother me. I am..-
"RULIIM!! HEY RULIIM!!"
She jumped, startled from her daydreaming.
"Huh? What? Oh..." she scowled.
-Why is it always him interrupting my peace?-
Her brother Keth was running towards her, tripping and stumbling over the sword at his waist. When he reached the tree he plopped down in the grass next to Ruliim.
"Hey little sis!" he said clapping her on the back.
"Hi Keth, what's up?"
Keth took a deep breath "are you coming to my naming ceremony?" he looked at her hopefully.
"Naming ceremony? What naming ceremony?"
"You know! The one where I get named general? I told you about it last week."
"You did? Oh that naming ceremony! heh heh heh" Ruliim grinned and scratched the back of her head " I don't know keth, you know I don't like ceremonies."
"Ya, that's why you went fishing on my admittance ceremony" he put a hand on Ruliim's shoulder "please come this time sis, you know how important this is to me"
Ruliim looked into Keth's eyes.
-oh god, he really wants me to come.. grr. Maybe I can say I'm going then conveniently forget what time it starts and show up at the end but that would disappoint Keth and my parents... ugh-
"Fine I'll go to your ceremony thing" she mumbled, regretting her decision the minute she made it. Keth jumped up and did a little dance then stuck out his chest proudly.
"You had better show up this time Ruliim, no tricks! No alcohol either!"He said seriously.
Ruliim's jaw dropped "WHAT!?!? You expect me to go through a whole fuckin ceremony without any ALCOHOL!?!?"
"Yup, I'll see you there."
Keth turned and walked back towards the castle, leaving Ruliim to fume by the tree.
-That little shit-she thought- how dare he convince me to go then ban me from alcohol! Oh how I wish I could just squeeze his fuckin head until it popped! Grrr. Well can't change my mind now.-
Ruliim got up and walked back towards the castle.
...
Twitchiarous smiled as the wolf merc ran towards her hiding place in the forest on the outskirts of the village.
-Hmm he better have found out something useful I would hate to have to punish this one to... never mind, I would love to punish this one as well-
The wolf stopped in front of where she was hiding and saluted dutifully.
"Have you found anything useful for me?"She asked stepping into a patch of sunlight.
"Yes ma'am! I have."
"Well then tell me."
"Yes ma'am. Everyone in the village will be at the castle for some sort of naming ceremony. The village will be unguarded and all its inhabitants in one place."
-Perfect-
"Thank you uhmm... What's your name again?"
"Jeffery, ma'am."
"Thank you Jeffery. Now leave me be, I have to prepare for the ceremony" she chuckled quietly as she stepped back into the shadows.
...
"You know what I don't get Ruliim? Why do males have to wear tunics when the females only need to wear a belt for their knives? It's unfair don't you think? And..."her friend Carson went on.
-I_'m so bored, ugh. Doesn't he ever shut up? Every time I go to one of these things he complains and complains about the same fuckin thing_-
"...Plus the fact that everyone in whole village is stuck in this one tiny space. They really need to make it bigger! Don't you think so? Also..."
-he has a point there. This ballroom was made to fit one hundred bodies comfortably and there are three hundred people in the village and their all crammed into this single room. Ugh, I hate this so much. Why did I let Keth convince to come? Ugh-
"Are you listening to me? Ruliim? Heelllooo?"
"Huh? Oh, ya I'm listening" she looked around at all the people "I really wish I had some alcohol. Even just a tiny drop of cordial would be a relief" she sighed unhappily.
"Well your brother told you that you can't drink tonight" Carson said digging in the bag he carried everywhere with him.
"Ya, I know and it pisses me off! I'm twenty three and can do whatever I want and he shouldn't be able to do anything about it but he placed guards by the fuckin wine caskets o make sure I don't disobey him! It just..UGH."
Carson looked up and pulled a bottle of strawberry cordial out of his bag and placed it on the table "Want some?"
Ruliim looked at the bottle then at Carson "how did you...?"
"Sneak it past the guards? Very carefully" he said, pouring some into a glass and handing it to Ruliim. Ruliim ignore the glass and grabbed the bottle and took a long drink.
"Oh that is so good!" she took another drink "You are the best Carson! Thank you!"
"You're welcome" he mumbled giving Ruliim an annoyed look.
Ruliim took another drink then set the bottle on the table "Mmmmmm, so good."
"So, I thought I told no alcohol."
Ruliim jumped and fell out of her seat and landed on her back "Uhmm Keth, hi! How are you? Heh heh heh" she scratched the back of her head and smiled up at her brother innocently, her smile disappeared as her brother frowned at her "I'm in trouble aren't I?"
"Yes you are" Keth looked at Carson who was backing away slowly but stopped as Keth's eyes met his.
"Uhmm hi k-Keth, h-how have you been?"He stuttered.
"Carson, why is it that every time I see you your always smuggling alcohol to my little sister?"
"Uhmm coincidence I guess. Heh heh" Carson looked at the ground and shuffled his paws.
"Well if this coincidence keeps presenting itself I might just have to arrest you, got it?"
"Yes Keth, I understand no more coincidence I swear" he said backing into the crowd where he was lost from sight among all the people.
"As for you Ruliim, I'm disappointed in you! I would have thought you would have the sense to turn down his offer and avoid getting in trouble with me!" said Keth, bending over Ruliim and squinting at her angrily.
Ruliim looked away "I'm sorry Keth it won't happen again I promise"
"It better not" he said standing up straight "or I'll let you spend a few nights in a prison cell." Keth turned and walked off into the crowd, leaving Ruliim alone on the floor.
Ruliim sat up "why does he always do that. Ugh, every time I disobey he knocks me down" she reached up and grabbed the edge of the table and pulled herself up off the floor and shook herself to get the dust out of her fur.
-God that was embarrassing- she thought looking around- sometimes I swear that's what he's trying to do, embarrass me into obedience-
...
Jeffery the wolf merc was standing outside the castle ballroom talking with a young wolf dressed in similar armor.
"Tell the others she's inside and to be ready to attack as soon as she gives the signal."
"Yes sir"
The young wolf saluted promptly then turned and ran towards the village. Jeffery glanced into the ballroom then turned and walked off into the darkness.
...
Ruliim looked up from a steak she had gotten from one of the chefs and noticed a black wolf slipping through the crowd.
-Huh that's strange. There are no black wolves in this village-
She stood looking for the strange wolf. She spotted it standing in a corner, watching the king as he walked in through the door behind his throne. Ruliim pushed her way through the crowd, her eyes never leaving the black wolf, when she got close enough to see the whites of its eyes she stopped, finally noticing the wings on its back. She gasped as she realized what it was.
-A werepyer! What's it doing here?-
Ruliim moved in closer trying to get close enough to talk to it, but as she was pushing through the people the werepyer turned its gaze her way and waved at Ruliim. Ruliim stopped in her tracks and stared. The werepyer turned and disappeared into the crowd leaving Ruliim standing there looking dumbfounded.
-It knew I was there! It looked me straight in the eyes and waved at me as if I were an old friend! Oh god this can't be good-
She turned and started pushing her way through the crowd, looking for Keth. When she saw a guard she ran up to him and asked where her brother was, the guard pointed towards the king.
"He's right there. Why?"
"I need to talk to him about something, it's important!" She looked at her brother who was kneeling in front of the king. Ruliim noticed a shadow to Keth's far right, it was the werepyer.
"Oh no" she said under her breathe as she started pushing towards the king and her brother.
-This can't be good just can't be good!-
Six feet from her brother and the king she was stopped by a guard.
"Woe there Ruliim, where are you going?" asked the guard putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I need to talk to Keth, let me go Marcus it's urgent!"
"I'm sorry but I can't do that. The ceremony is starting."
Ruliim looked past the guard at the king who was raising a wicked looking black claymore over Keth's left shoulder.
"The blade of the kings, it's beautiful isn't it" said Marcus, watching the blade as the king touched it to Keth's shoulder "Legend has it that if a female wielded that blade the world as we know it would be changed forever."
-Oh no, the sword! That's what the werepyer's after! The sword!-
"Oh no, Marcus I need to Talk to Keth really bad, It's a matter of life and death! Please!"
"I'm sorry but I cannot let you right now. You can talk to him after the ceremony"
Ruliim stamped her paw in frustration. Something was up and she knew it wasn't good. She looked at the werepyer and gasped, it was holding a translucent purple sphere that seemed to be moving.
"Holy crap!" she yelled making everyone look in her direction including the king and her brother. Keth opened his mouth to say something when the werepyer tossed the purple orb into the crowd. Everything went silent as she watched it fly through the air, then it exploded in a ball of light and Ruliim was thrown backwards into the throne and hit her head on the leg of the solid gold chair.
"shit" she moaned looking around, her vision blurring "Keth" she called out hoarsely still looking around as her vision got fuzzier and fuzzier "Ke, oh no"
Keth was on his back, a broken table leg protruding from his chest, his cold, lifeless eyes at her.
-No... Keth!-she thought as she slipped into unconsciousness.