Northern_Lights_2017

79 Tale of the Wolf Queen Sean Landrock In the darkest of times, in the darkest of woods, did the beast howl at the moon in envy. In contrast to this darkest of nights, in the darkest of times, in the darkest of woods, did the moon scream across the sky in all its beauty; piercing the darkness and reflecting that beauty. Now the beast I speak of is one of ancient times with a name long forgotten. Feral is its name, but none remember the beast of old. This beast was long ago king of all things wild. His form was that of man and beast. In the human flesh he took on the appearance of a sojourn-worn traveler, and sometimes that of a traveling bard. When in his true form he took on the shape of a giant wolf. In days past Feral ruled over all things wild. From the forests, to the mountains, to the sea did his reign stretch. One day, though, the king of all things wild received word from the birds of the forest that man had entered his sanctuary to desecrate all things sacred of the wild. Upon hearing this, Feral was thrown into a rage so bold that the world melted around him in a shroud of red. Fast he took off upon hearing the gentle bird’s words “to desecrate all things sacred of the wild.” Man had many of times come to the forest to take from the sacred land that Feral called home. Being of ancient times, this forest was protected by powers more ancient than Feral himself. Powers long ago invoked by the Gods of this land. The land is thought to be cursed to the humans who try to enter this sacred forest. This curse, though, was the only protection outside Feral himself. Upon hearing that the humans gained entrance did he slyly take on one of his human forms after seeing past the shroud of red that blinded him so. This human form being that of the sojourn-worn traveler. After three days’ journey did Feral finally arrive to meet the humans as one of their own. Nearing the camp, though, Feral paused to watch and listen to the unnatural sounds around him—to realize that the humans planned on destroying all of the forest, along with hunting the beasts of ancient times that dwell within for their ancient powers. Upon hearing this once again did the shroud of red come to haunt his mind. This time though Feral could not see past it. He approached the group in his sojourn-worn form to immediately change into his true form, that of a giant wolf—to end up biting the heads off of each of the humans that threatened his existence in the shadow of the shroud of red that consumed him so. After this Feral was still not satisfied by his actions. So he set off in the form of a travelling bard, a form he took upon entering the world outside his wilds. Rarely did he ever leave the forest. So for what reason he left was not even known to himself outside the shroud of red that blinded him so. He traveled to many kingdoms and entertained many kings and queens—to finally find which kingdom was responsible for the desecration of his home. Once again cast into a shroud of red did Feral take his true form in the courts of this kingdom; he ripped, he tore, and he eviscerated any and all human forms before him. After all this he still felt nothing, but the ever-pressing shroud of red the humans brought about that lingered in his mind like the stench of blood pooling from the bodies around him. Now no longer bothered with the ambitions of humans did Feral finally return home. Upon his return he found the humans had not only desecrated, but destroyed most of the ancient forest. Not only was most of the forest destroyed, but so were many of the ancient beasts that dwelled within the very forest Feral himself was supposed to protect. Now, though, Feral could not see past the shroud of red that consumed him so. In his absence did his worst fears come to be reality. In turn The Gods of this land blinded Feral for being blinded by the shroud of red which was his own pain, anger, and hatred. No longer could he leave the forest. For he could no longer see the land before him. Little did Feral know that the humans were sent by the Gods to test Feral, but in his rage he failed. So those very Gods blinded him. To make him remember, always remember, his duty was to the forest, and not to himself. Many of years had passed since the Gods blinded Feral. Now even more ancient than before had Feral grown and in his old age did he become ill. Now that he was weak the humans could enter, but they did not know this for the land was still thought to be cursed. To any and all humans who tried to gain entrance to this most ancient of lands blessed by the Gods. Now in the midst of death did he find the company of a small child who had entered his most blessed sanctuary. The child was lost, scared, and crying alone next to Feral. This softened the blind old wolf’s heart, so that upon hearing the young girl’s cries did he make her a promise. This promise was that if she stayed with him until death even though lost, cold, and afraid, he would give her the gift to never feel that way again. Upon hearing this the young girl stopped her sorrows and stayed to comfort the old blind wolf to his death. Three days she stayed by the old blind wolf’s side. Within those three days the old blind wolf told the girl of his journey into the world of man as the traveling bard and how upon death’s door did he now see his folly. Now that the shroud of red had left his mind. Little did the girl know that, upon staying with the wolf until death, she had signed an unwritten contract to protect the forest and be its new guardian. In turn she became the first princess of the forest known only as the wolf queen, and for many years she protected and reigned over the ancient lands of the forest until the next generation’s reign presented itself, bold, brave, and beautiful.