"Well that went as well as I expected." I sit on Jeremy's back and listen to the wolf snarling below, "If you don't want to fall to your death, I suggest you stop with your tantrum."
The white wolf looks down below himself momentarily before he ends his struggles. Jeremy's tension lessens and my ride back is now enjoyably smooth.
"Over all it was successful, Ryo will come on her own now." I chuckle with anticipation.
With the Island coming in to view, I tap my heel into Jeremy twice. We will land at the secondary sanctuary, it is closer to the entrance of the compound. I don't want this wolf pup getting in to any mischief.
Jeremy hovers just above the open terrace and releases the white wolf. He lands heavy but the serpentine squad keep the wolf restrained. These creatures have the upper form of a man and a torso of a snake.
One of my early gentic experiments, they are good creatures over all but lacking in so many ways. I jump down from Jeremy, landing in front of the frighten wolf pup.
"Release him and follow protocol C1-M9." I watch as they remove their coils off the white wolf and slither out the entrance.
Shortly after Jeremy walks in and drops a blanket at the wolf's feet silently before coming to stand at my side. I put my hand on his shoulder and squeeze lightly before walking over to the sitting area.
"Marcus, shift forms and cover yourself." Jeremy uses his authoritative power and the wolf has no choice but to comply.
"Jeremy, your skills are improving splendidly. One day you will Master all your dragon arts." I clap my hands praising the young dragon.
"My Lord, you are ever too kind. I have much to learn still." He bows slightly before turning back to the wolf.
"Who are you people?!" Marcus sounds highly displeased as he covers his vulgar bits.
"You dare address the Lycan Lord Kozukai in such a way!" Jeremy steps forward, scales slowly growing along his arm.
"My boy, mind your temper. Marcus is still a mere newborn. He has no proper education." I smile darkly and turn my attention to the wayward King, "Come and sit Marcus."
I watch as the wolf burries his fear and steps forward. Such a weak display, I can't believe how far Lycan descendants have fallen. I despise chosen ignorance but every creature deserves a chance to learn as I have.
"Jeremy, please bring refreshments for our guest. Nothing local though, it's best to limit exposure." I tilt my head and motion him to leave.
"Sir?" He looks concerned.
"Worry not boy, this pup will behave, won't you Marcus?" I grin warningly, I have only so much patience.
"Yes Lycan Lord-"
"Please just call me Kozukai for this exchange." I smile warmly, but as expected from an Alpha werewolf he doesn't relax.
"As you wish Kozukai. May I ask you questions?" Marcus carefully walks over and sits at the adjacent chair.
"I expect you have many, most kids do." I chuckle, "Ask away. I will answer if I deem it appropriate."
"What is Jeremy?"
"That is a Dragon shifter. You do know there are many creatures to this world beyond what you've seen." Such a boring question, I roll my eyes.
"I see.. and you are a Lycan?" His eyes flicker bewteen two colors, both creatures wanting to know more.
"Once werewolves walked on two legs, there was no divide between wolf and human." I glance at Marcus, his eyes filled with childish curiousity, "The Goddess took the form of man who basked in the sun and molded it with her favorite creatures of the night." I sigh heavily as forgotten memories flicker.
"Lycans are the ancestors to werewolves that roam today?" Another boring question from Marcus.
"Yes, history faded into legends then to myths till finally forgotten... So on. Surely you must have better questions?"
"How old are you?" His question yet again dull.
"I don't know anymore, time no longer means anything to me." Tiring of his pointless questions I take charge, "Listen well Marcus. Let me tell you a story instead of pointless questions. Young ones love stories."
I take a deep breath and let my mind play the memories of a life before life, and time so ancient one may wonder if it ever occurred.
"As with all things the beginning was peaceful but soon two Brothers started fighting each other. History being written by fangs and blood."
"Any anyone born different then the Elder Brother were are all casted out. Their ideals and thoughts not trapped by one way of thinking. So the ones casted out went to the Younger Brother, beaten and hated."
"The Eldest labeled them and ones who thought like his Younger Brother, Rogues. The Eldest Brother and the Lycans that followed his ways became Pack Wolves."
"So there were always two types of Werewolves!" Marcus proclaims like he was been right all along, typical ignorance.
"ALL WOLVES are children of the Moon Goddess! She birthed the Brothers together! They were the same yet different!" I roared back at Marcus, slamming my fist down on the table.
He is instantly quiet again, his eyes looking down. Rubbing my temple i continue with the story.
"Mother Goddess created a race in their image shortly after. There were few but all were strong and provided companionship for her children. However, the Younger Brother was never good enough in his Elder's veiw. For the younger one never did he seek warmth and order as his Big Brother."
"The Elder Brother seen how the other races lived and wanted to be as them. Houses, families, jobs, money. A modernized society, not respecting the primal ways of their kind."
"The Lycan culture shamed, the ones who belived in the natural way were hunted for merely wanting to live a differently. Ironic is it not?" I laugh dryly, thinking how I live now.
"What is ironic Kozukai?" Marcus ask sheepishly.
"I lived set in my ways in the beginning too. We were stupid and ignorant beings. Now I have matured. Growing as the centuries pass me like days to you." I feel myself darken.
*So much time has passed, I can't even recall half of it.* Taking another breath I continue to re-educate this lost pup.
"Pack-Wolves forced /rogues/ to live running yet kill them for running. You all ignore them, beat them, and torture them for enjoyment. How can you find such pleasure in killing rogues yet shame them for doing the same?" I look at Marcus, he eyes deep pools of green and gold.
"Kozukai.. your story.. you can not possibly be one-"
"Oh I most certainly am the /Orginal Rogue/." I watch as realization takes root in the false king's eyes.
"How can-"
"Your wolf inside will never age and die. It's the human side that dies and the wolf moves on to rebirth. Marcus you are just lost Frost Wolf, hailed as a king in your lost lands." I snort standing up, "Some King. Doesn't even know his own family's lineage. Listen and I'll continue to educate you." I laugh maniacally as his expression goes blank once more.
"Wolves didn't always have a human counter part Marcus, but now they die and their energy recycled into the next generation. My Elder Brother fell in love with a human female and thus the human blended werewolves slowly began to dilute the Lycan lineage through eons."
"I still ended up alone in this world, my kind dead and the new race weak." I growl, slowly losing my own restraint.
"So what is your-"
"I have spent a millennium trying to bring back Lycans. To fix what I ultimately destoryed, the divide that has polluted all the Moon Goddess's children. My kin."
"Tell me, oh Powerful Alpha King Marcus, when you kill all the /rogues/ and make the world perfect in your eyes. What are you gonna do with the people like you? Troublemakers, the different thinkers? Ones who will see their way as Just and Fair. Your way as brutal and cruel?"
"I don't understand-" He has no intelligence does he...
"Wolves just like you, Marcus! With revolutionary ideas on ways to find prosperity. Everyone is a villain in someone else's story after all. They will hunt you as you hunted the Rogues. You slaughtered Rogues for your own goals and now pack wolves slaughter you for theirs." I take in his eyes, a glimpse of the bigger picture slowly sinking in.
"Maybe they believe peace is possible a different way and see you as a villain, mercilessly committing genocide. Wolves once chanting your name, now hunt you with unfathomable hatred."
"What then /King/ Marcus? Kill your own people or die by their righteous hearts? You sit here and think I am plotting to over through the order of /your/ world?"
"Is that what you plan on doing?" He ask in a quiet whisper.
"Don't make me laugh! I have fought till there was no one left to fight once. Do you see where winning war got me? Alone, empty, isolated. An endless life with nothing in it now."
Marcus continues to sit across from me in silence once more, his breath held as I pace back and fourth, continuing on with my tangent rant.
"Both sides never once thinking about the future our war would create. Lycans killing each other till only I remained. Now the Werewolves of today are continuing the path my Brother and I started. Wolves have slaughtered so many of their own kind, that now less and less are even born."
"With her children dwindling, she even intervened in fate.. Playing matchmaker, hoping to save her children. This world vast yet less then 10,000 werewolves remain alive. Nearly half are labeled Rogues. Don't you see it yet Marcus?!" I snarl and bang my hands on the the table again.
"Picture them fighting! Young children endlessly killing eachother! Each side with their own form of communication. Each side with their own personalities yet so very similar. One side fighting with hatred while the other side fighting for survival."
"Both are equally balanced, killing one another without differences. Now envision this battle will never end!
For this is every fight to come and it is every battle that has passed!"
"I still don't-"
"It is always the same Marcus! No matter how right you feel you have no idea who is gonna die! Whose pups will burn and who will dream of revenge." I can't stop myself, I am shouting viciously now at the young one before me.
"Whose heart will darken as they burry their love and rage takes root. How much more blood needs to spill till everyone does what always needed to be done!"
"And what is that Kozukai!?" Marcus's attitude wary but his tone full of rage.
"TALK! SIT AND DOWN AND FUCKING TALK! You all are the same. Just like myself and my Brother were! Screaming children acting like you know everything!"
"But they are Rogues! They murder and kill needlessly!" Marcus slams his own fist on the table.
"ROGUES ARE WOLVES YOU IMBECILE! /Rogues/ are what your kind have made them after generations of endless torture and slaughtering. They all labeled and judged as one, indiscriminately killed. Only the worst of the worst are able to survive and then they lead their fellows by example!"
"You don't understand Kozukai, rogues killed my parents and siblings. A group of them laying waste-"
"I DONT UNDERSTAND?! Are you kidding me child! You call theses little skirmishes war? I indulged your naivety to much this conversation. This funny little fight in your lands is nothing but children bickering!" I rage loudly, my concealment threatening to fall.
"I have done worse things then anyone alive or dead could ever achieve! Things your werewolf brain can't even begin to fathom! I've fallen further then even demons! A bottomless pit of agony and despair! I fell so far in I found the bottom."
"What caused your despair to be so vast?" A true question from this fool of a pup at last.
"A Millennia of war child! I don't sleep for I see the haunting faces, countless expressions frozen in time all filled with hate. Their life ending by my own doing. I hear more screams then anyone could ever count to! Screams of all the ones who died cause of me!"
"Me not understanding? What a tasteless joke. Do you know why there is even a war between you wolves currently? My wife was murdered by my Elder Brother's /pack/.. Lillian was hunted and slaughtered because she was a /rogue/." My tone carries venom as I continue.
"She was merely collecting plants in the forest between the sectioned land. Fueled by vengeance I attacked my brother inturn and he died in my arms. I thought killing him would finally put an end to the feud. That it would quell the growing rage in my soul."
"That his death would end the divide and ease my pain but look where we are! The divide stronger then ever and my kind extinct! The war my Brother and I started still raging, forever fueled by endless revenge! The seed that was planted, has only grown since, watered by the blood of the slaughtered. Now all I want is to bring back a legacy lost to the endless flow of time."
"No more do I want to be alone! Ryo is the key to a new beginning. I'll create more Lycans through her and together we will unite all the werewolves and I will fix what broke." I turn sensing Jeremy's appoarch, Ryo must have been spotted. Time flows very differently here thanks to my extensive abilities.
"It is time for you to leave now Marcus. Heed my words well and I pray you grow up before we meet again." I turn and walk out without another glance back.
"I just got here.." Marcus mumbles lowly.
"Time passes differently here. Do not fret, it has been an educational experience."
Jeremy already shifting and walking towards Marcus now. I leave them and head straight for Ryo's enclosure. After all the reminiscing, I am excited for Jeremy to hurry up and return with her.
Then finally I will get to observe Ryo outside of that putrid ring. To see her mannerisms and study her true personality. Hopefully she is indeed of Lycan the lineage, the key to unlocking the future.
YOU ARE READING
Rogues: The Beginning
Werewolf. A Beast lurks deep in the shadows of her own despair. Anger and hate are the chains she can't break. Instincts guiding her fangs as she hunts for blood. Lost and found. Feared and loved. Powerful and weak. Alone in the world, pain is all she...
