The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story. (Chapter 9 Up!)

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The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story. (Chapter 9 Up!)

Post by macintot »

So. . . yeah. This is a little story of mine. I'll try to stay active with it. Feel free to give constructive crit. and comments.

A map of the known world in this story. (I apologize if this map is hard to read. I had to take a picture of it with my sister's tablet and e-mail it to my computer.)


Prolouge: The New Kings
Spoiler
The tawny wolf stalked quietly through the mist-shrouded forest, the tips of her golden wings brushing against the trees. She was on her way to a den where two very special wolves had been born. They were the twin kings, whom the clans had awaited for centuries. They would be locked in a struggle for dominance that would determine the fate of the Clans of winged wolves. The victory of one would unify the Clans, while the victory of the other would forever tear the Clans apart.

At last the wolf, Sayla, arrived at her destination, a small den. Inside, a magical fire illuminated the cozy cave. In the back of the den were several wolves, expectantly watching Sayla. In the center of the den, two wolf pups were sleeping next to each other, their wings spread out on the ground. Even though they were just born, the pups were covered with soft, silky fur and their wings were fully developed.

"What are their names?" Sayla asked the two wolves in the front of the crowd.

"This one is Graenik," one of the wolves, the pups' mother, said, nudging the larger of the two pups with her nose. The pup's fur was pure white, and his feathered wings were a soft shade of silver. He slowly regarded Sayla with a bright blue eye before going back to sleep.

"And the other one?" Sayla asked. The second twin couldn't look more unlike his brother. Jet black fur covered the smaller pup, and the membrane on his batlike wings was so dark that it looked almost purple.

"Oh, that's Rodan," the twins' father said cautiously. "But are you sure that we should send him, too? I mean, do you really think he could be the one? He's so... you know... chaotic"'

"It is too early to tell which king is which," Sayla said. "They both need to come with me. When they're older, we'll know."

"We understand," the twins' father said. He nudged the two pups awake. "It's time to go. You have a long journey ahead of you, boys." The twins yawned and got up, curiously watching their parents and Sayla.

Sayla nosed the two kings towards the den's exit. "We have to leave now. We're going to your new home, Howlmont. Someday, one of you will defeat your brother rule the Clans from that mountain. For now, though, you must prepare."
Last edited by macintot on October 11th, 2014, 11:16:46 am, edited 5 times in total.
You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. You are not worthless. You are not unloved. You are not disposable.
You ARE full of purpose. You ARE priceless. You ARE indispensable. You ARE loved.


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Re: The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story.

Post by macintot »

Chapter One:The Coronation
Spoiler
Rodan bounded his way down one of Howlmont's extensive tunnels, dodging the other wolves bustling by. Many years had passed, and Rodan and his brother had grown from pups into handsome adolescent wolves. It was only four days until the cornation, where Sayla would select either Rodan or Graenik to be the next king. Sayla had been telling them for years that through the coronation, one brother would defeat the other and determine the fate of the clans. Rodan wasn't concerning himself with the event, though. It wasn't like he had any chance of being chosen, anyways. Graenick was always so respectful and serious and, well, almost perfect. Rodan, on the other hand, had never bothered with being king, or any of its responsibilities.

Rodan rounded a corner and quickly jumped back behind it. In the secluded corridor, he could see Graenik talking to a large brown wolf. Rodan's ears pricked. He loved any chance he had to get some dirt on his brother, and this secret conversation was too good of a chance to pass up.

"So, your highness," the brown wolf said, "do we have a deal?"

"We do," Graenik said. Like the other wolf, his voice was hushed, as though he didn't want anyone to hear.

"Many thanks, your highness," the brown wolf said. Then, without another word, he walked out into Rodan's hallway and disappeared. A puff of red clouded Rodan's vision as the brown wolf brushed by him, not bothering to acknowledge Rodan's presence at all. He quickly forgot about his anger, though, as Graenick rounded the corner.

"Grae," Rodan said, making his brother jump. "What were you talking about?"

"Nothing!" Graenick snapped. Then he relaxed. "It was nothing."

"Okay," Rodan said, shrugging. He knew it was useless to try and get more information out of Graenik, who never betrayed a secret. "See you around, Grae." With those words, Rodan continued his romp down Howlmont's tunnels.

*******************************************************

Rodan sighed as he stared out at the landscape through the exit of the empty tunnel. From Howlmont's peak, he could see for miles in any direction on a clear day. And this day was as clear as could be; it was as though even the weather was honoring the coronation that would be occurring later that day.

Rodan knew he was supposed to be getting ready. The coronation was in a few hours and, like it or not, he was expected to attend. Rodan had other plans though. As he stared out at the forest below him, he braced himself for the choice he was about to make.

"What are you doing?" Graenik's voice made Rodan whirl around.

"I'm leaving." Rodan said shortly. He mind screamed at him to leave now, but he stayed, curious as to how Graenik would react.

"Leaving? The coronation is today! You can't leave!"

"Are you going to stop me?" Rodan challenged. As he'd feared, he was met with silence. "I'm sorry, Graenik, that we have to part like this. I just can't let myself be humiliated in front of all the Clans as the failure brother of the king. Goodbye." With that, Rodan left the tunnel and flew east as far as his wings could carry him, hot tears running down his snout.

*******************************************************

Graenik sighed as he walked down the great hall, wolves bowing to either side of him. It was the coronation, the moment he'd waited his entire life for, but, somehow, he couldn't make himself be happy. Rodan's departure had completely ruined Graenick's enjoyment of the day.

On one side of the room was a large brown wolf. Oazel, he'd called himself when he'd pulled Graenik aside four days before.

"If you don't mind me asking a favor," Oazel had said, "I was hoping that when you are crowned king, as everyone knows you will, if you could please give me a home here in the mountain. You see, I am blind, and there are so few places that are hospitable to a wolf of my state.

"Wait, wait," Oazel had said after hearing Graenik hesitate. "I have something to give to you in return, my king. I am a very learned wolf; my knowledge surpasses that of many elder wolves. If you allow me to live here in Howlmont, I will be ready at all times to assist you with my knowledge. So, your highness, do we have a deal?"


Graenik dismissed his thoughts as he approached the pedestal at the end of the great hall. Sayla stood on the pedestal, her ears twitching nervously. Though she was trying hard not to show it, Graenik knew that Rodan's absence was flustering the old she-wolf as well.

"Where's your brother?" Sayla asked as Graenick sat before her on the pedestal.

"He ran away afew hours ago," Graenick whispered back. "I don't know where he went."

"He-he ran away!?" For a moment, Sayla was silent, too shocked to say anything more. Finally she sighed. "We can't worry about that now. He forfeited any chance he may have had to the crown."

Sayla raised her voice. "Graenik," she said, "Are you willing to accept your responsibility as ruler of the Clans, and to seek the welfare and unity of the Clans at all costs?"

"I am," Graenik said, sitting a little bit taller and puffing his chest out a little bit more.

"Good. I now declare you king of the Clans. You have defeated your brother. The fate of the clans depends of you. Do not disappoint us."

"I won't," Graenick said as Sayla bowed before him, finally recognizing him as the sole ruler of the clans.
You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. You are not worthless. You are not unloved. You are not disposable.
You ARE full of purpose. You ARE priceless. You ARE indispensable. You ARE loved.


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Re: The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story.

Post by macintot »

Chapter Two: The Relocation
Spoiler
Graenik paced back and forth in front of the entrance to Sayla's cave. Over the past two months since his coronation, Sayla had been growing weaker and weaker. She was an old wolf, but nobody had expected her to get this bad this quickly. Right now, a healer was inside the cave, trying his best to save her.

"Sayla won't live much longer," the healer said as he left the cave. "She wants to talk to you personally."

"Thank you," Graenik said. He entered the cave, leaving his guards outside in the hallway.

Sayla certainly didn't look like she had much life left in her. She was curled up in one corner of the small cave, her wings folded up against her for warmth despite the nearby fire. Though her fur and feathers once shone like gold, they looked dull and lifeless now, as did her amber eyes. As Graenik walked in, she weakly lifted her head and looked at him.

"Graenik," she said quietly, "It is time for me to die, and I will no longer be here to guide you. You must find a new advisor, someone who is knowledgeable, wise, and loyal - someone you would trust with your life. Listen to them as you would listen to me. That is my final instruction."

"I-I will do as you say," Greanik said solemnly.

"Thank you, Graenik," After she finished speaking, Sayla rested her head on the ground, closed her eyes, and slowly stopped breathing.

Graenik walked out of the cave, blinking back tears. He couldn't believe that Sayla was dead. She'd been like a mother to him, ever since the night she'd taken he and Rodan to Howlmont.

"Is there a problem, your highness?" asked a guard.

"Sayla is dead," Greanik replied, avoiding the question. "See to it that the proper steps are taken to honor her memory."

"Yes, sir. Anything else?"

"Yes," Graenik said after a short pause. "Find Oazel, and alert him that he has been promoted to the position of the king's advisor."


*******************************************************

"Your majesty," Oazel said, walking into the great hall. "I hope I didn't come at a bad time."

"Not at all," Graenik replied, sitting up. Lately he hadn't had much to do except lay around and mourn Sayla's passing. "What can I help you with?"

Oazel bowed and then sat at the edge of the pedestal. "You have had two weeks to mourn Sayla's death, and while we all regret her passing, I believe it is time to turn our attention back to managing the Clans. I have a matter I must discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"It concerns the Forgeclaw clan, your majesty. Their ability to craft magical objects is very useful to you, but would be equally dangerous in the paws of an enemy. In order to protect the unity of the Clans, I advise that you relocate the Forgeclaw wolves near Howlmont."

"Are-are you sure?" Graenik asked uncertainly. Oazel's plan made Graenik uncomfortable. It sounded wrong somehow.

"Of course I am," Oazel said suavely, slowly waving his tail back and forth. "With the Forgeclaws' items readily available to you, you could more easily crush any threat to the unity of the Clans - or your throne."

Graenik thought for a moment, pausing the weighty decision. "... Very well." He said. "We will proceed with your plan."

Oazel smiled. "Excellent."

*******************************************************

Rodan stalked through Darkoll, eyeing the old, dead trees. It had taken him nearly three months to get here, but only because he'd taken his time. Now he'd finally made it to his dream home- dark and lonely, with, nobody to tell him what to do or nag at him about not fulfilling his duty to the Clans.

Rodan crouched, eyeing a raven scratching through the blackened grass before him. Normally, he wouldn't have even considered eating the bird - way too many feathers for so little meat. Right now, though, he was hungry, and he knew that prey was scarce in Darkoll.

After a moments hesitation, Rodan pounced, ready to make a meal of the raven. As he pounced, he saw another wolf appear from nowhere and pounce at the same bird. They crashed into each other as the raven flew away, cackled mischievously.

"Who are you?" Rodan growled. Not only did his head hurt, but his chances for a meal and a lonely life were dashed. His black eyes glared into her steely blue ones as he questioned his new adversary.

"I'm Brailin," the she-wolf said, her grey and white fur bristling. "Who are you?"

"Rodan."

"As in, the king's brother?" Brailin asked. When Rodan nodded in confirmation she seemed to grow even angrier, pressing her ears even flatter against her head and snarling. "Why are you way out here, then, instead of trying to stop your brother?"

"Stop him from what?" Rodan asked, confusion mixing with his anger. "Being king?"

"No. From relocating all of the Forgeclaw wolves. Thanks to your brother, my pack's being taken away and I'm left in these woods all alone!"

"Graenik's doing what?" Rodan stepped back in surprise. Then his eyes narrowed again in disbelief. "Since when has Graenik ever done anything like that? And while I'm at it, why didn't you go with your pack?"

"The wolves that took them wouldn't let me. I'm not from the Forgeclaw Clan. I'm from the Vanishers Clan." Brailin promptly became completely invisible, and then re-appeared. "I couldn't follow them, either.I broke my wing." one leathery wing did look hurt, sticking at an odd andgle.

"Listen," Rodan said. "Even if I wanted to help, I couldn't. I don't have any power since Graenik was coronated. Have a nice life." Rodan turned and walked away, ready to finally to be alone. To his dismay, Bailin began following him.

"You know," Brailin said, trailing behind Rodan. "Since I don't have a pack anymore, I might as well follow you around from now on."

It was too much for Rodan. "Fine," he said, turning around. "If I help you get this whole issue with your pack sorted out, will you leave me alone?"

"Sure!" Brailin said. "They were going east. Let's follow them before they get too far."
Last edited by macintot on January 29th, 2014, 5:53:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. You are not worthless. You are not unloved. You are not disposable.
You ARE full of purpose. You ARE priceless. You ARE indispensable. You ARE loved.


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Re: The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story.

Post by macintot »

Chapter 3: Seer's Warning
Spoiler
Rodan trudged through the dank swamplands of Marok, Brailin right behind him. It had already been a full week since Rodan had agreed to help Brailin find her pack, and Rodan was being held to his word. In a way, he admired Brailin's boneheaded persistence, but she was driving him up the wall.

"Did you hear that?" Brailin said, stopping. Rodan pricked his ears, but he could only hear the buzzing insects.

"Hear what?" Rodan asked sarcastically. "The bugs?" He was about to say more when a howl ripped through the air.

Rodan and Brailin were off in an instant. Everything was a blur as Rodan surged through the swamp. Curiosity mixed with Rodan's hope of finding Brailin's pack until discovering the source of the howl was all Rodan could think about.

Almost without warning, a group of wolves stalked into a clearing just in front of Rodan. With a skid, Rodan hid behind a clump of weeds. He intently watched the large group, wondering if they had anything to do with the supposed relocation.

"My pack's with them!" Brailin whispered, now invisible. Rodan guessed that she was talking about a dejected-looking group of wolves in the middle of the group. "What are we going to do? We can't just sit here."

Rodan sighed and grumpily left his hiding place. "What's going on here?" he asked nobody in particular.

A massive wolf turned and answered him. "These wolves have been commanded to move near Howlmont. King Graenik's orders."

Rodan shook his head. Rodan would sooner believe that stones could talk white before he would believe that Graenik, his oh-so-perfect brother, was forcing wolves away from their homes and packs. Still, it was weird that two different wolves had told him the same story. What if it was more than just a coincidence?

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Rodan asked. "Let these wolves go, and tell me who you really are and what you're doing."

The large wolf growled, flattening his ears. "I am Brazar, of the king's guard. And unless you're ready to fight for them, Rodan, these wolves are staying with me."

Rodan backed up a couple of paces, studying his opponent. The smoke curling around Baaxer's paws gave him away as being from the fire-controlling Flarefang clan. Rodan already knew he was at a disadvantage, but this was his chance to finally get rid of Brailin. Besides, forcing wolves to leave their homes was just plain wrong. He couldn't let that happen.

Brazar and Rodan began slowly circling each other. Silence fell over the clearing as the other wolves watched the conflict. The air seemed to hum with tension.

"Stop!" a wolf said, suddenly jumping from the swamp canopy. He landed between the two circling wolves, just as Rodan had been about to charge. "Stop this at once! Release these wolves, or it shall be the end of you, Brazar!"

Brazar recovered before Rodan did. "Move out!" he ordered his wolves, and Brazar and his wolves left the clearing as quickly as they had arrived, taking Brailin's pack with them. Brazar called out as he disappeared into a blanket of fog, "Nice try, old geezer, but I'm not about to defy King Graenik. If you know what's good for you, you won't, either."

Brailin materialized behind the new wolf, growling angrily. "I was about to take out that Brazar jerk," she said. "until you distracted everyone and they had a chance to get away. Who are you, anyways?"

"My name is Seer, of the Darkeye clan," The wolf said, dipping its rust-colored snout low to the ground. "I sincerely apologize for the loss of your pack, young Vanisher. I came here to try to protect them, but it seems I have only made things worse."

"Wait," Rodan said, studying Seer. "You're a Darkeye? Which means you can see the future? Which means you were serious?"

"Yes," Seer said. "We must go to Howlmont, and quickly! If we do not make haste, things shall become worse than they are already to be."
You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. You are not worthless. You are not unloved. You are not disposable.
You ARE full of purpose. You ARE priceless. You ARE indispensable. You ARE loved.


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Re: The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story.

Post by LightningDragon »

This is wonderfully written! I love the ideas of different clans with different elements, and I love the characters. Please keep it up!
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Re: The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story.

Post by macintot »

Thanks! Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Chapter 4's in the works right now.

EDIT: Just realized that Oakel is supposed to be Oazel. >.< fixed it.
You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. You are not worthless. You are not unloved. You are not disposable.
You ARE full of purpose. You ARE priceless. You ARE indispensable. You ARE loved.


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Re: The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story.

Post by macintot »

Chapter 4: Rebellion
Spoiler
Graenik sighed as he curled up in his room, the one he had shared with Rodan until recently. He had been trying to sleep all night, but he hadn't been able to. News had arrived that Rodan was near Howlmont, and Graenik hadn't stopped thinking about his brother ever since.

"Graenik." A sudden made Graenik jump up. He'd been so occupied with his thoughts about Rodan that he hadn't noticed anyone sneaking up on him. Graenik peered into the darkness, but all he could see was a faint glimmer that may have been a pair of eyes.

"Wha- Rodan?" Graenik whispered back. "What are you doing? And while I'm at it, how'd you get in here anyways?"

"I have my ways," Rodan whispered back. Graenik could almost see his brother smirking. "That's beside the point, though. Somebody's been forcing Forgepaw wolves to move near Howlmont, away from their homes and packs. And the weirdest thing is," Rodan said with a quiet laugh, "Some wolves have been saying that you're the one behind it all! Crazy, right?"

"... Right," Graenik replied hesitantly. As soon as Rodan had been seen near Howlmont, Oazel had warned Graenik to deny having anything to do with the Forgepaw relocation. After all, Rodan was the dividing twin. No doubt he'd want to steal Graenik's throne, and tear apart the clans as well. If Rodan knew about the relocation, he would have tried to persuade Graenik to free the Forgepaw wolves. Once the Forgepaw clan was no longer under the king's control, Rodan would have used their talents to get rid of Graenik for good. At the same time, though, Graenik didn't want to lie to his brother.

"This is the first I've heard of this," Graenik said, more confidently this time. "I'll get it all sorted out in the morning. I promise."

"Okay. Thanks, Grae," Rodan said. There was a sound of padding feet, then silence. Graenik curled back up and closed his eyes, hoping that his brother wouldn't investigate the matter further.

*******************************************************

Rodan swooped down into a large stone chamber, where Brailin and Seer were waiting for him. Seer's abilities as a Darkeye, as well as some spying on Brailin's part, had revealed that Rodan and his companions were less than welcome at Howlmont. To avoid being seen they had been hiding in the mountain's secret passageways.

"What did he say?" Brailin asked as soon as Rodan's paws touched the ground.

"Graenik didn't have anything to do with your pack," Rodan yawned. "He said he'd fix everything in the morning. Let's get some sleep, and we can find your pack when we wake up." Without another word, Rodan curled up and fell asleep.

Rodan woke up to Brailin incessantly nudging him in the ribs. He growled and covered his eyes with his paws. Why couldn't he just sleep a few more minutes?

"It's morning," Brailin said as soon as she saw that Rodan was awake. "Let's go find your brother now."

"Fine," Rodan growled. "Let's go." He led the others through a ground-level tunnel. Rodan's days sneaking around the mountain had done him some good: He knew Howlmon't secret passages like he knew his own paw. Soon, light from the great hall lit the tunnel.

Graenik was sitting not far from the secret tunnel. Rodan took a deep breath. Last night's conversation had gone well, but Graenik had seemed to surprised and tired to argue. Now that they were both more awake, Rodan didn't know what his twin would say.

Rodan was spared from confronting his brother when a wolf burst into the hall. "Your majesty, there's been a revolt!" Everyone, hidden and otherwise, looked up in shock. How could there be a rebellion among the clans, especially with Graenik as king?

"A Forgepaw wolf got in a fight with one of the guards," the messenger panted, "and then everyone else got involved. It's bad. Really bad."

"Are there any survivors?" Graenik asked.

"Just one of the Forgepaw wolves and myself, sir."

"Bring the Forgepaw wolf in."

As the messenger left with two guards, conversation erupted in the great hall. Rodan stayed silent, lost in thought. A Forgepaw wolf had started a revolt against Graenik? Why would they, since Graenik was the one setting the Forgepaw clan free? Why were any rebellions going on in the first place? After all, Graenik was supposed to be the unifying king, wasn't he?

Before Rodan could think more, the two guards returned escorting a black wolf. Behind himself, Rodan could hear Brailin gasp. Rodan vaguely recognized the wolf too. It was a member of Brailin's pack.

A brown wolf Rodan hadn't noticed before stepped forward. "You dare rebel against the king?" The brown wolf asked threateningly.

The black wolf bared its teeth angrily. "Graenik made us leave our homes and families," the wolf snarled. "He's no king of unity!" everyone started talking again, drowning out whatever Graenik, the brown wolf, or the black wolf had left to say.

"Silence!" the brown wolf howled. The hall grew deathly quiet. Rodan's heart beat so loud that he felt like it could be heard through the whole great hall. Behind him, Brailin was whimpering nervously.

Graenik shifted nervously, the way he always did when he had to make difficult decisions. Rodan silently begged his brother to let the wolf go. There wasn't any point in causing more trouble.

The brown wolf moved closer to Graenik. "Your majesty, we cannot let this go unpunished and let others think they can defy you," the brown wolf said almost silently. "I suggest you execute this traitor. Show him what it means to defy the king."

"Very well," Graenik said. "Kill him."

There was a collective gasp from the crowd as one of the guards lunged at the prisoner. Rodan jumped from his hiding place, but he was too late. The black wolf fell to the ground, dead.

"What are you doing?!" Rodan asked, whirling around to face his brother. "You know this is wrong!"

"Don't tell me what to do, Rodan," Graenik growled. "Get out of here now, or else."

Rodan didn't move. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he wasn't content with letting Graenik ruin so many lives. It wasn't just about getting Brailin out of his fur anymore. Rodan couldn't let innocent wolves die.

Graenik rose to his full height, where he towered over his brother. He was seething, his teeth bared in a full snarl. "Kill... him!"

"Get out of there!" Seer called from the secret passage. "You'll just get yourself killed if you stay." Rodan obeyed and rushed into the tunnel. He could hear Graenik's guards enter after him.

It seemed like an eternity before Rodan reached the chamber he'd come from. The sound of his footsteps and his heavy breathing seemed to fill the room. Behind him, though, he could still hear the barks of his pursuers.

"which one is it?" Brailin asked, sounding scared.

"The top one!" Rodan yelled back. He could only hope that Graenik's guards would choose the wrong passage. After all, there were lots of tunnels higher than the one Rodan was planning on using. Rodan's tunnel was just high enough to reach by jumping.

Rodan jumped into the tunnel, hoping that Brailin and Seer had made it in too. Just as Rodan rounded the first corner a pillar of flame illuminated the chamber behind him. Rodan could see Brailin and Seer running ahead of him.

"Find the top tunnel." A wolf said. "Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! We can't let them get away." There was a flurry of wings, then only the sound of Rodan and his companions.

Rodan didn't care that he wasn't being followed anymore. He kept running. Rodan, Brailin, and Seer ran out of the tunnel and aimlessly into the woods. By the time they stopped, they were all shaking. They were far from Howlmont now, but it seemed to Rodan, as he collapsed, that he could still hear the howls of angry wolves echo through the forest.
You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. You are not worthless. You are not unloved. You are not disposable.
You ARE full of purpose. You ARE priceless. You ARE indispensable. You ARE loved.


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Re: The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story.

Post by LightningDragon »

Ooh, that tension! :well:
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Re: The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story.

Post by macintot »

Chapter 5: Saving Kida
Spoiler
Rodan sighed, staring at his paws. The events that had taken place in Howlmont were beginning to sink in, now that he'd calmed down. Brailin and Seer were silent, too, adding to the dismal atmosphere.

Rodan stood up. " I need to go think."

"Try not to do anything too stupid," he heard Brailin mutter as he left. Rodan just shrugged.

Rodan trudged through the woods, letting his mind wander. It hadn't been the rebellion or even the murder that had shocked him most. More than anything, he couldn't believe that Graenik had lied to him. They'd always been honest with each other, no matter what. What Graenik had done was just unbelievable.

"So your brother lied to your face, and now he wants to kill you. Ouch." Rodan jumped and looked around. Out of nowhere, a silver wolf with shimmering feathered wings had appeared next to him.

"Who are you?" Rodan asked.

The strange wolf shrugged indifferently, sending a shimmer along its silver fur. "It doesn't matter. Just follow me."

The wolf walked into the brush ahead. Rodan hesitated, then followed. He looked nervously at Howlmont coming ever closer, but he still kept walking.

As they got closer to Howlmont, Rodan began to see sign of a fight. Scorch marks littered the ground and marred the trunks of the trees. In places, the ground was still smoking. Dried blood was smeared across the tree trunks and painted the grass a sickly red in palces.

Rodan peered at a shape concealed in the shadows. With a start, he realized that it was a dead wolf. As he continued to look around, Rodan started seeing even more bodies. He even recognized on huge, wound-covered corpse as Braazar, the wolf he'd almost fought in Marok.

"As you can probably tell," The silver wolf said, "Oakon's not a safe place anymore. Not for you nor anyone else. You need to flee south to the desert before Greanik can catch you. But first..."

Rodan and his guide stopped in front of a small, still form. It was a wolf pup. A long gash ran along it's side, staining its brown fur and feathers with blood.

"She's still alive," the silver wolf said. If Rodan squinted hard at the pup, he could still see her chest faintly rising and falling. "She won't be for long, though, if you don't use your magic to help her."

Rodan snorted. "Magic?! I don't have any magic."

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course you have magic."

"No. I don't. Now what do you want me to..." As unexpectedly as the silver wolf had arrived, it vanished. Rodan had only blinked, and the wolf had disappeared.

Rodan stared at the air. He couldn't believe that wolf! It had taken him here to see this dying pup, and there was nothing Rodan could do to save her. Rodan vowed that, if they ever met again, he'd give his former guide a serious thrashing.

But until then, what was he going to do? Rodan knew he couldn't help the pup, but he couldn't make himself leave, either. It felt like he was glued to the ground. He glared at the gash in the pup's side, wishing he could make it go away.

Rodan blinked and shook his head. Was he seeing things, or was the wound closing? It was; right before Rodan's eyes, muscle, skin and fur covered, the pup's wound until only some bloody feathers and fur showed that the she had ever been hurt. Slowly, the young wolf opened her eyes and stood up. When she saw Rodan, here eyes widened and she backed up a few paces.

"It's okay," Rodan told the trembling pup with a gentleness he'd never known he'd had. "I'm not going to hurt you. What's your name?"

"K-kida," The pup still looked terrified, but she wasn't trembling as much.

"Well, Kida, my name's Rodan. I'm going to take you somewhere safe. Follow me."
Last edited by macintot on June 18th, 2014, 4:07:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. You are not worthless. You are not unloved. You are not disposable.
You ARE full of purpose. You ARE priceless. You ARE indispensable. You ARE loved.


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macintot
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Re: The Twin Kings: A winged wolf story.

Post by macintot »

Sorry it took me so long to write this. I'll try to do better.

Chapter 6: Not the First Argument
Spoiler
Brailin and Seer were still in the clearing when Rodan returned with Kida. Brailin looked up glumly from where she was laying. When she saw Kida, she was immediately on her feet.

"Kida!" Brailin said, nearly running over Rodan in her rush to get to the pup. "Are you okay? What about the rest of the pack?"

Kida looked up at Brailin. She was starting to cry. "There was a really big fight, and everyone died. I - I thought I was gonna die, too, but Rodan saved me."

Brailin's expression darkened for a moment, and then she looked up. "You did what?"

"I healed her," Rodan said, smirking.

"How?" Brailin said.

"Like this." Rodan stared at Brailin's broken wing and willed it to heal. He really didn't know how to use his magic, but this was all he remembered doing last time. He hoped it worked and he didn't end up looking like an idiot.

Brailin jumped back. "Ow ow ow ow ow!" She said. "What happening? My wing feels like it's on fire."

Rodan stepped back, eyes wide. He'd meant to heal Brailin, not hurt her. He inwardly cursed the silver wolf that he'd met earlier for not teaching him how to use his magic.

After what seemed like forever, Brailin stopped scowling. She slowly opened her injured wing and began moving it around. She glanced from Rodan to her wing and back again.

"It's healed," Brailin said. "What - how did you - you. . . you jerk!" Brailin's snarl was so sudden that Rodan and Kida both took a step away from her. "You mean to tell me that you could have fixed my wing this whole time?"

Rodan shook his head. "I didn't - "

"We could have gotten to Howlmont sooner and none of this would have ever happened. But no, you decided to keep this whole magic thing a secret. My whole pack is dead now, and it's all. Your. Fault."

Rodan glared back a Brailin. This was so unfair! Two hours ago he hadn't even known he had any magic. He'd just saved Kida's life and this was the thanks he got?

"I didn't know I had any magic then! If you want to blame somebody, blame yourself. If you hadn't broken your wing, you could have done all of this on your own. And while I'm at it, I'd still be happily living in Darkoll if you hadn't made me come here with you. Now, because of YOU, Graenik wants to kill me!"

"Enough!" Seer stepped between Rodan and Brailin. "We do not have the time for this. Both of your accusations are false, and you know it!"

Rodan scowled at the ground. He didn't want to admit that Seer was right. Deep down, though, he knew that he couldn't really blame Brailin.

"Now," Seer said, "We need to get out of here before Graenik's guards catch us. Silvar is closest to where we are now." Brailin, Seer, and Kida began walking north.

"Wait," Rodan said. "We need to go south. To Soloan."

"Why Soloan?" Seer replied. "If we go south, we will have to pass right under the shadow of Howlmont."

"I - I can't explain," Rodan said. "I just know that we need to go to the desert." He really didn't want to explain about the mysterious silver wolf that he'd met in the woods. Nobody would believe him. Even if they did, they would probably wouldn't trust the silver wolf. But if it had been right about Rodan having magic, maybe this advice was worth following too.

Seer studied him for a moment. Then the old wolf nodded. "Very well. We go south."

Brailin huffed. "You two can take your little suicide trip if you want," she said. "Kida and I are going home." Brailin walked into the brush. Kida looked back at Rodan and Seer before following.

Rodan sighed. He was still furious with Brailin, but he was sad at the same time. It was like part of him didn't want them to go.

'Probably the part that grew attached to Kida,' he told himself, but it didn't really help.

Seer stretched his wings. He looked upset, too. "Let's be going," he said. He took off, Rodan just behind him. Soon both wolves were winging their way south, skimming the treetops.

As the sun began to touch the horizon Rodan Seer Flew back to the ground. They landed in a clearing surrounded by ancient oak trees. It seemed safe and calm and happy.

"Get some rest," Seer said. "It would be best if we travel by night for now, so that we will be harder to spot." Rodan nodded and curled up on the springy moss. Within seconds he was asleep.

Rodan woke to Seer nudging him. The sun had gone down and the moon was already high in the sky. In its light Rodan could just see the red of Seer's fur.

"Somebody's coming," Seer said. "Get ready to fight." Rodan sniffed the air. He could smell wolves flying their way.

Rodan crouched at the edge of the clearing. His small black body let him blend in perfectly with the shadows. Rodan would have to be almost on top of a wolf before they realized he was there.

Rodan didn't have to wait long before two wolves flew over the clearing. The smaller one clipped its wing on a tree branch and feel to the ground with a yelp, and the larger wolf flew down to it. Rodan was on top of the bigger wolf in an instant.

"Brailin?" Rodan said. He backed up and let the wolf stand. "I thought you and Kida were going back to Darkoll."

"Graenik has. . . gaurds everywhere in the north," Brailin panted. "One of them recognized me by my voice and tried to catch us. We just barely got away."

"I'm glad we found you," Kida said. "Now we can travel together."

There was a moment of silence. Rodan glared into the darkness and pouted. He'd had enough of Brailin for a lifetime; he didn't want to team up with her again.

Brailin sighed. "Fine. We'll go with you guys."

"Fine," Rodan replied.

"Good." Seer said. "Now that we have come to an agreement, we need to keep moving." The four wolves took off again and continued their journey south.
You are not a failure. You are not a mistake. You are not worthless. You are not unloved. You are not disposable.
You ARE full of purpose. You ARE priceless. You ARE indispensable. You ARE loved.


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