My Entry For Xylaxs Contest!

My entry for Xylax’s contest!

(On mobile, so no read more, sorry!)

“The Shadow Beast”

The shadows welcomed them, as they had always done. It’s where they lived, and they knew nothing else.

They used to long to feel the sun warming their back, to prance in the golden meadows like the other creatures did. They wandered tentatively out one morning, their curiosity driving them, only to scurry back to their shadows with a hiss of pain, thin tendrils of smoke lifting from their flesh.

That was when they were still New. When it had only been days and weeks and months since they had opened their eyes for the first time.

Now, they continued what they had been doing day after day, year after year. They nimbly leaped among the shadowy treetops, the new moon glowing dimly. For such a huge creature they were surprisingly agile.

Below, a wolf pack ran across the land like a comet streaking across the sky.

The creature followed them, their heart leaping and bounding like an excited puppy. This was the only way to fill the hole in their soul, if only for a little while.

They watched the pack hunt and howl and sleep, a silent guardian.

When the pack moved for the winter, they stayed in their forest with their shadows. It was incredibly lonely.

Throughout the winter months, the creature slept or wandered. The grey winter sky enabled them to go outside of the shadows, but they inevitably returned. No other creature wanted to see them. They were all too afraid.

“The Shadow Beast will eat you up if you don’t go to sleep,” rabbit mothers said to their children.

“The Shadow Beast will drink your blood and crunch your bones while you’re still alive,” wolf packs howled in fear.

“It can climb trees and squeeze into the smallest spaces to eat up chicks in their nest,” owls warned their friends.

The Shadow Beast. It fit, they supposed.

Like the winters before, they wandered their forest, slipping between trees without so much as a rustle of leaves. The sky was pitch black, and the forest was quiet. They enjoyed the silence.

Something broke the silence. Their ears twitched and they froze mid step.

Sticks were cracking and breaking, accompanied with the evident thump of wolf paws hitting the ground. They were getting closer.

A split second decision was made, and they stepped out of the safety of the shadows.

Two wolves burst into the clearing. The female instantly collapsed, while the male skidded to a stop.

He didn’t see the creature at first, but when he did, he took up a defensive stance in front of the female.

Although he trembled with fear, he looked them in the eye. “What are you?”

They blinked, surprised at the male’s boldness. They took their time to respond, turning the question over in their mind. It was a good question. Finally they answered. “They call me The Shadow Beast.” Their voice was deep and guttural, as if it hadn’t been used in thousands of years.

The wolf bowed his head in acknowledgement. “I am called Elm, and this is my mate, Flight. Please allow us to take refuge in your forest until we can recover.”

Elm favored his left hind leg, and his fur was matted. Flight was also clearly pregnant. The creature would not ask them to leave.

“Of course, stay as long as you like. Although, this forest is home to another wolf pack in the spring.”

They stepped farther into the clearing. Flight sat up, staring at them. There was no fear in her eyes, only curiosity and gratitude.

“Why do they call you that?” she asked quietly.

They sat down slowly, unsure. What did she mean? Did she not notice the way their fur blended in with the shadows? The way their teeth gleamed in the night, and their eyes glimmered like that of a predator’s? “It’s what I am,” they answered simply.

“You don’t have a name?”

“I’ve had no one to name me.”

Flight tilted her head. “You don’t have a mother?” She sounded almost astonished and there was something else in her voice...sympathy?

They shook their head. Why would a creature like them have a mother? They were not like other creatures.

“That’s terrible,” Flight whispered. “Do you have any friends?”

“I am all alone.” They stated it like a fact, pushing their loneliness down deep.

“We’ll be your friends. Do you mind if I name you?” Flight inched closer.

“I suppose it’s fine.” They wondered why it mattered to her, but nonetheless a thrill went through them.

“How does North sound?”

North. “North,” they murmured, trying out the sound. A surge of emotion swept through them, feeling like they were finally known, finally existing. They smiled a big toothy grin, their eyes glowing brighter than they did before. “North is my name!”

Flight’s tail tapped on the ground happily and she yipped, joining in their excitement.

From then on, North cared for them. They plucked deer and other animals easily from the ground, killing and delivering them to the pair. After a few days, they offered their den, a large cave, for them to stay in.

Flight gave birth to a gorgeous slate colored male and named him Comet. The little pup lived up to his name, darting around the cave energetically. As he grew, he proved to be fast like his mother. The family decided to stay with North, and they became their guardian.

They all lived in relative peace, with only a few scuffles with the resident pack. North’s name became associated with hope, family, and kindness. They stopped calling them “The Shadow Beast”, instead looking to them as a deity of sorts.

Eventually, Elm and Flight died. Comet became friends with a she-wolf from the forest pack and left to be with her. He promised to visit, and he did, once. He brought his three pups and his mate, and that was the last North saw of him.

Sometimes pregnant she-wolves would come to their cave to receive a blessing for their future pups, but that had practice died out over the years.

Now, North sat outside their cave, staring at the stars. They were very old, although it didn’t show.

It had been hundreds of years since their family died. Oh, how they longed to see Elm and Flight one more time.

They had met and befriended many wolves, but none would come even close to the bond they shared with their first friends.

Something brushed against one of their massive clawed hands. They looked down and almost began sobbing when they saw who it was.

“Did you miss us?” Flight barked. Beside her stood Elm, and behind them, Comet.

North ducked their head, gently nuzzling Flight. “I missed you all. Why are you here?”

“It’s time for you to go,” Flight said. “You’ve helped so many over the years, and now your job is done. I know you’re tired, so come rest.” She stood and a shaft of moonlight touched the ground. The she-wolf took a few steps onto it before turning and waiting for North to follow.

A glimmering tear dropped to the ground as North stood. “Thank you,” they whispered. They stepped onto the path, feeling warmth envelop them like an embrace. Elm and Comet brought up the rear as Flight led North to their home among the stars.

In the sky, North shone brighter than any other star and even in death, they remained a beacon of hope.

Marisol

Beta, Scout, Mate to Remus

Born to Unnamed Mother and Unnamed Father // Pair-bonded to Remus

Marisol’s puphood was as normal as it could get. She had loving parents, siblings that she adored, and the protection of the pack. 

It all changed when she started training. She wanted something different than what her parents wanted, and that was apparently reason enough to cut her off. 

Great Lupus forbid she become a scout. No, she simply had to be a finisher, use her unnatural size to her advantage. Or, even better, utilize those long legs of hers to become a chaser, like her mother was. 

They didn’t even talk to her, and it got even worse when their new pups were born. Her parents drove her away when she tried to meet her new siblings, and then when they started training, they strutted around boasting about how proud they were of their children, who were training to be chasers and finishers. 

By then, Marisol was an adult and had become very close with Dorian, another member of their pack. She couldn’t care less about what her parents thought or did anymore, she just wanted to be happy with her own life. 

Until one day, Dorian disappeared. 

Not completely; she knew what had happened. There was a strange travelling pack of wolves that stayed in their territory for a few days. They had interesting things to trade, including rare herbs and seashells. One of the wolves was a cream colored she-wolf, and she flirted with Dorian from day one. The day that they left was the day that he did. 

It broke her. 

If that wasn’t bad, her parents decided just then to talk to her. They belittled her and told her that Dorian was better off with that other wolf anyway, and who would want a wolf that wasn’t a hunter? She couldn’t provide for her family, all she was good for was having pups. 

It became so bad that Marisol just left. She walked for many moons. She walked until she was completely sure that nobody could ever find her. Finally, she stopped and focused on building up her walls. It was a year until she met Remus, and he destroyed what she tried so hard to keep up. 

He was....something else. He made her feel needed. When he told her about his dreams to start his own pack, she realized that she very desperately wanted to participate in that dream. She couldn’t imagine her life without Remus anymore. 

Remus was everything to her, and she would die before she let anything hurt him.

This is the exact same thing as “ah yes, the floor here is made out of floor.”

(Gotta write this little tidbit because it really adds to Selena’s mysteriousness!)

Sometimes she’d disappear, normally in the middle of the night. She’d come back early morning, her mate, Smoke, waiting for her. They’d speak in hushed voices, retreating to their den. 

It was truly peculiar, the way Selena would come back with a belly heavy with pups. 

Deca thought to ask her about it and called her into his den one night. He was the alpha, after all, and he should know what was going on in his pack. 

So, his best friend lay in his den, gently licking the fur on her swollen belly. She was pregnant for the third time. Her first litter only one male pup survived. He was named Anubis, and he was...something else. He barely spoke, hardly even spent time with anyone. Deca didn’t mind, he was nice enough. They spoke occasionally about his scouting missions and the leader had come to realize he was very observant and intelligent. He wished the young wolf had more friends, though. Anubis seemed deeply sad. 

Selena’s second litter only had two pups. Nephthys and Horus. They were bright, outgoing pups. Although, Nephthys unnerved Deca. She was always staring off at nothing. Even when they were speaking, she didn’t truly look at him. Her gaze pierced into his soul and he felt that she saw everything. His past, his present, his future. The very fabric of his being. 

Horus, her brother, was normal. He dreamed of being an asset to his pack, hunting majestic elk. He was quieter than his sister, who always had something to say, but when he got excited about something he wouldn’t stop talking.

Deca sighed, unsure how to word what he had to say. He settled for a simple question. “Where do you go at night?”

Selena stared at him for a moment, an almost amused look on her face. “The lunar plane.”

“Why?”

She chuckled, giving Deca a look that said are you sure you want to know this? “There are...special wolves in the plane. Demigods. Their offspring inherits their power, but only a fraction of it.”

He should’ve known that with the existence of gods there would be other supernatural things, but it didn’t take the shock out of it. Selena wanted these not-wolves to father her pups? Why? For the power? He supposed there was something appealing about having extra special pups, not that he would want any. He would much rather prefer his normal pups with Kyra, his mate. 

“So...,” he struggled with the words. “You’re only gone one night. How are you that far along already?”

“Time passes differently in the lunar plane.”

He waited, expecting her to continue, but she didn’t. It almost seemed as if she was hiding something, leaving out certain information. He decided not to press her, acknowledging that maybe there were some things he shouldn’t know. For now, at least. 

“Thank you, Selena. I appreciate your honesty.”

She nodded, standing to leave. As she walked out of his den, Deca could’ve sworn that he saw a slight blue glow on her stomach, and blue dust shook free from her pelt with every step.

He had the feeling that Selena was not what she said. 

Wolvember 2021

Hey guys! Sorry I didn’t have time to set up anything for wolvember this year, I was going to work with Lore Clan to release something, but seeing as Wolvden released their first monthly event, it’s been decided that there would be too much going on for yet another event. However, keep an eye out next year as I’d like to work on something huge for it! 

I have decided that I will be releasing montly questions/prompts. Nothing too huge, just an opportunity to share the lore you’ve been working on or just write something new (like a normal prompt!).

So, with that said, here’s my question/prompt for this month:

How has Wolvden’s event impacted your pack? If it hasn’t, what’s happening in your lore currently? 

For me, my onsite pack is way ahead of my written lore. So currently I’ve introduced elemental wolves with the arrival of Petrichor, the nbw with smoke eye and black wings that I claimed. She is a minor god and can call storms, although if she uses any of her powers it renders her unconscious for days, which is a side effect of having a mortal body. Also with her arrival, pups have started being born with elemental powers. Pluto and Zinnia being the first two. Pluto’s title is “Frost-Caller” and Zinnia’s title is “Sand-Shifter”. I haven’t decided the extent of their powers yet, and as they’re still pups there’s plenty of time to develop it. 

I just wrote three pages of lore in past tense and now I’m thinking about rewriting it in present tense because I guess I just love to suffer.

Would it be weird to have some lore in past tense and some in present??? Probably. Do I care? Unfortunately.