Chapter 27: The Hunt

October 2011

Somewhere in another realm

The deafening howl of the wind thumped loudly in my ears as the ice crashed sideways. I inhaled a sharp breath as it clouded, and I savored the area onto of a mould of a hill. There was a strong gust of snow and wind which whirled around. My grip tightened around the thick rope as I pushed the sleigh downwards only to swallowed by the snow. The pointed curved point of my ears burned with the cold as my boots crunched on the snow ,desolate plateau that stretched towards the horizon. As the sleigh ,left its mark on the soft snow ,it was blew away and wiped off just as it began to left its mark just like my footprints.Amark only to be blown away and forgotten.

The sky blended from navy blue to pure white as it blurred in the morning as the moon glinted , nestled between two sharp peaks of the great mountain peaks that encircled my home.The wind whipped sideways but as we sprawled over the winter desert it subsided and my body was caked and speckled with snow.I averted my head and flipped my braid away from my lean face.The strong force yanked my furry hood down.I blinked away the flakes of snow which dotted my red cheeks and caked the fur trimmed hood of my hide parka.The heavy hide cloak draped behind me as the wind carried it in harsh turrets.

A tall looming figure stood beside me with with his lips pressed into a harsh line of his lean ,cold severe looking face as his eyes ,bold warm golden like a burnt photograph which curled.A cloud of ice frosted at his lips.His obsidian hair tumbled down his back in waves which blended to his thick opal cloak.A loud grunt echoed from his broad chest as the older man ,his colour darker than my light caramel fingers .I snapped my head as the wind carried my braid and loose strands of hair as laughter seemed to pour out of my lips.My fingertips tingle with heat and lips and the cold seeped into my bones but as a creature of the night ,it was nothing for my kind.

My fingers ran through the worn wood, crevices and veins of my spear ,used and sharp as I pointed its large frame towards east.I averted my gaze towards the sleigh as our prey ,fresh and limp.

Earlier that night ,we roasted fish over fire and only our gaze met. A bucketful of fresh fish ,some caribou splayed on it and a walrus.A frosty cloud slipped from lips as I trekked down.The world of wonders stretched with a white carpet as the ring of light danced from a thousand miles above sea level.My eyes widened as I took it all in.A grunt of disapproval rumbled from my companion chest.

His black furred boots crunched on the heavy snow as his eyes darted from left to right.Bartimaeus stood beside me as he was my hunting partner ,several years by far older and disliked the fact that my mother travelled to Greenland instead of looking for a panther in our realm but honest to the gods ,he might have wanted my mother instead.To him it was unusual for a woman to leave her own kind for another in an unknown tribe.

He realised a heavy sigh ,wind billowed towards me as a shudder ran towards me but to him ,the muscular creature of darkness but he gestured towards our little realm.His black taloned fingers to the harsh ,loud winds that whipped throughout.To the jagged mountain tops of the north that encircled as the wind whistled through the caves,to the creatures that inhabited here to the emerald pines tree sprinkled with frost with calm winds to the west.The wind pulled back his hair and exposed his curved ears.

The explosion of colour, blue and white to the crimson eyed wolves Ijiraat—shapeshifters that shifted into foxes and other creatures ,who darted around the dunes to the rabbits who switched their bumpy noses and smooth,fine .My eyes absorbed everything as my senses overwhelmed me.Steaks of thick periwinkle blue of the large glaciers and then finally the forest again where the winds were tamed and where we resided.

Home.Haven and peace.

A hearty sigh escaped my lips and regardless of the bitter numbness that spread on my fingers as my lips quriked.My fingers twitched with anticipation as my pupils swelled.An impulse plan aroused through me.

Run.

My feet went on its own accord as I spread my feet and swung.

Patience is a virtue.

"This is our home,"Bartimaeus began ,his loud bass voice reverberated throughout ,oddly amplified by the strong gusts of winds almost drowning us.My teeth chattered and yet I was unfazed."It was created by the Goddess herself ,Sedna,goddess of the underwater world and we are children of the wolf God , Amaguq hidden from the curious eyes and ears of mortals but to them we are great myths and legends but others truly believe we truely roam this earth.They really think there are the focal point–they arent.They never were."His eyes flared ,ember rose in pillars of gold.Then he averted his head and forced a cold,bitter laugh.The raven braid in his hair loosened a bit as he hastily pulled it away.His furred overcoat inscribed with coloured runes.He chuckled again ,sharp teeth glinted."They never were but once they find out ,we aren't safe.We never were but we exist.Deep down.They talk about us.They'll worship us.They speak about us.They write about us.We do exist and deep down ,they know we do."His furry coat that swelled on his chest.

Bartimus paused and looked at with a quick blink,"Did you sacrifice anything to the Wolf God?"

My eyes widened as my body became tensed.I staggered backwards on the now.Another heavy sigh.He pressed his clawed fingers on his nose and inhaled sharply.

"Today's wolves know nothing ,don't they?"

"This is our responsibility—now I hand it down to you.You're a Guardian now.A Guardian of our realm to protect it against external forces and sometimes even enterally.From mortals eyes ,to the panthers and from nature itself.From whoever harms it."His voice boomed with a strange sense of warmth as his hard gaze weirdly softened ,his sharp lined face.His amber eyes filled with yearning as it bounced over the bumps and dips in the snow.His gaze far away and his arms outstretched.The sleeve thick with soft fur.

Home.

It swarmed with more emotions that leaked out of Bartimaeus had ever shown.His block of ice suddenly singed before his harsh mask built itself up again and his face hardened and eyes turned to a furnace.Warmth leaked out of him.His voice boomed over.

A familiar green aura weaved and intertwined around my body with a steady hum as it formed an armour around my skin ,it granted me strength as my light brown pupils exploded with green tints ,mixed and swirled like a nebula,the Aurora Bolaris that sank into my skin with a shrap glow.

With my powerful sight ,several kilometres away ,beyond the howling wind with the dips and mounds of snow.On the ice cap ,surrounded by glistening waters a creature stood, its delicate white strokes of fur of a polar bear with a sharp array of teeth as she groaned to her to the curved claws of her cub who stood under her care.It beady eyes a reflection of the bright green lights of a nebula.

"If,"he began, his voice tensed and tight of a taut bowstring.His eyes hovered my body as if scrutinising me.His lips pulled to expose the glint of his canine teeth.His looming frame was enough to make anyone wary,"if you don't stop surrounding yourself with those woman.Saying those tales to scare the young ones.Youd never be a man."

My eyes widened at the odd remark especially the last one and the magical aura had faded from my skin.

I was ten and five.

I was hardly a man, just a young wolf.

"But I am not a man.I am a young one.I am ten and five years of age.Hardly a man."I averted my gaze and gnashed my teeth at him.He gave me a glare of disapproval and gritted his teeth and tore his gaze away."Can you not see.You have responsibility.All you do is act...act like a child.Soon—soon enough."He chidded ,his voice leaked pure poison.

But aren't I one?

As he spoke ,annoyance formed from within and spread around.Bile climbed on my throat and as he fisted his hands and stared into the sky ,I rolled my eyes and made my hands open and close like a mouth and when he whirled to me when he checked to make sure it had sank in.I nodded ,forced my lips into a smile and when he looked away.I realised a groan and rubbed my temples.

Soon, when I turned twenty and one.That was almost...almost aeons away.

"You would become the lead hunter when I retire and it would be your job to choose a partner."A warm cackle ,more like a throaty one."and there are plenty of them to plant your seed in ."

I recoiled.My heart hammered in my chest as I snapped my gaze away.I never wanted to do such a thing.Those women and girls were practically sisters to me.My tale tellings were not tales but cautionary warnings to the young ones from venturing to the icy ,harsh biome and prevent them from the eyes of mortals ,other creatures and sudden deathly monsters hidden in the cracks and crevices.

It wasn't childish or womanly to warn others and enjoyed voicing them out around the warmth of the flames as the children laughed. Or latched to their parents.It was to protect them.

The thought of it.The mere thought of planting my seeds in numerous women brought pure disgust to me as I recoiled and my limbs went weak.

I wanted freedom.No,I craved it.I wanted to have fun.A world without responsibility.I wanted to explore.My eyes darted over the familiar landscape from the woods and beyond the stretch of the horizon.My eyes went beyond as my heart was heavy with longing.I wanted to explore other realms but more importantly.The mortal world.Its humanity and its vast expanse.I didn't want to stay.

"Stop meddling with human and women affairs."He snapped ,it tore me out of my revere.My whimsical eyes tore away from the distance and yanked me back into reality.Sad and cold one.Then with a tense,throaty laugh."then I should consider you ready."

Yes ,ready to explore and fend for myself .When It was time.When I was ready.

The men isolated themselves from the women and the others didn't.The concept of sharing was encouraged.They had their own conservations ,hunted around the area as the others to the sleighs.

The woman ringed themselves and their laughter diffused.I felt as if I was outside looking in.Isolated.In the middle of the men and women with my eyes I felt as if I was in the middle of a large stretch as the men were over thousand miles and so where the women and I was just there in the middle.With my eyes that snapped back and forth through the biting wind ,my hair in a frenzy as I stretched my hands towards the west ,the men then the east towards the women like a great tug of war but then with a gasp ,my body staggered forward with my heart and my heart lurched as if a clawed Ijiraat had forcefully yanked it off its cage.It was excruciating.

Northward.

It was neither,but towards the sea.

The great wide expense of snow was a thick blanket against my feet.

Beyond.

Free.

A world to explore.

No responsibilities.

Reality landed my feet back into solid ground with a sharp crunch.My eyes darted left and right as my breath hitched.My eyes were saucers as Baretemaus stared at me, not impressed ,the older wolf hummed in disapproval and crossed his large arms.

I whirled to the older one.

"You were staring into space.Are you finished?"He cocked his head then shook his mane of hair roughly."Young ones.''He began to go down the dip but I just couldn't leave as I had to stay.Watch."They're hardly ever there."

Magic singed and emitted with a pulse.It spiked into my eyes and charged under my skin and it was just below the surface.Energy charged from deep within with a deep breathe as wisps of the air curled around and formed on orb then when I exhaled it dispersed and seeped into my bones.I dropped my hands.

With a cheeky grin ,I spun on my heels then bolted away.Bartimaeus screams carried into the air as I ran ,my feet hovered over on the ground as I practically flew ,streaking like a comet as the wind carried my cape into the wind and the world blurred by.Blasts of air left in waves in my wake.Swirls of magic hummed its green glow and singed my skin as it interwoven meshes that wrapped around my skin.Music and words danced on its surface.

Then I increased my speed as the wind spilled behind me.I leaped onto the air as the wind slowed his course ,I was higher ,higher than I could ever imagine.Airbourne.It howled in my ears loudly as magic swirled and whirled as I felt light as a feather and delicate as a snowflake.My fingers touched a lone flake,it burned my fingers.Bartemus shot a look of complaint then the world resumed its course as I landed on the ground with a crunch as the snow cushioned my soles then I spun on my feet and let out a loud ,cheerful howl as the snow rose and harended as I slid.

Within seconds ,I stood about two kilometres away from Baretemaus as his voice travelled through the rustling and howls and cries of the wind as my ears twitched with concentration as my senses sharpened and heightened.The mere fuzzy silhouette of him was now sharp and not blurred as his face was hardened and his eyes were a set of hard amber.His bushy brows knitted as he clenched his fist.

"Nevecksis!"Bartemaus cried,his voice boomed,"I know you can hear me?"

Nervous laughter slipped from my lips as I stretched out my fingers despite the chill which settled in as the wind curled and solidified in my fingers into a spear–my spear.As I whirled and tried to drown Bartemus remarks as an awkward groan slippled.

"Stop playing around with your magic."Bar snapped and darted his head frantically."You'd draw attention towards yourself."He continued."We don't need it.Not now ,not ever."

He caught it.He spread his feet and bared his teeth.The muscles in his dark brown skin tensed and I tugged on a loose strand of hair.

"Come back this instant."His body went rigid ,he snapped his nose to the wind which roared as his eyes snapped frantically.He clenched and unclenched his fist.His deep voice rose to a panic as I waved his words away.I began to whistle as my powers strummed and charged in my skin and cackled around as the snow folded itself like a wrinkle then I whirled.Jade balls of lights began to form and emit a light as it hovered a great feet over my head as it cackled and sizzled in place. The snow beneath my feet began to churn tightly.His ears twitched ,the pointed curve twitched to catch movement.He froze in mid position.His dark golden pupils flickered back into its black.Then he blinked.

"Now I say,"He chidded,"if you keep on acting like a boy.You'd would never be a man.Something's coming.And it's coming now."

I nodded in disbelief.The winds called me and the snow sang to me.

"Neveksis,"he repeated.

I stretched my hands to my sides and stared at him,eyes narrowed."What are you scared of?"I mocked ,my eyes swiveled.The blizzard ,the deep snow or the eerie quietness."There's nothing sir no one here.It's only us."I turned my head towards the sky as I felt the rough caress of the wind with eyes closed as I inhaled the icy air.

"Come here at once.''He ordered and pointed his finger at where he stood.I blinked and stared at him then I dissolved into laughter.

He cried again as I staggered back out of breathe.The ground beneath me roared and shook ,a large cry arose from the sky as the snow rippled forward.The snow lurched as I stumbled forward and with a will the snow climbed up and hardened around my ankles and kept me in place.It rumbled again sharply and again I staggered in.The winds giggle caught onto my cape with curls of fingers which balanced my cape and it prevented me from tipping over.

My heart lurched as my blood turned to eyes in my veins as my breathe came out laboured.I breathed in and out.With a piercing loud cry,the wind groaned and cried then with a powerful gust of wind then another loud shake,something streaked across the sky and an outline of a creature formed.Its screech reverberated and rippled across the snow.My head snapped upwards and my blood cystailised in my veins as my eyes widened.Eyes like mercury swirled like an orb as its glistened.It was invisible and glistened like clear ice–it flapped its giant wings ,large leathery wings longer than the clouds and flicked its tail.Faster than light ,the tail rippled with silver scales ,then it vanished.Its cries subsided and streaked in its path.A trail of wavering white air which illuminated.

My fear melted into fascination as multiple cries and squawks echoed throughout.

"Amazing,"I yelled in pure glee.I began to laugh as my lips quirked into a smile.A tunnel of wind streak passed me as I lurched avoided it narrowly.I spun on my feet and stared at trail mortally impressed.High on laughter and pure shock as it began to wore off.

His eyes were wild with angry flames but he gestured with his fingers to come forward.So I trudged with the ground beneath my feet gave way and churned and tumbled down.I almost tripped back as a hand wrapped itself around my fingers.With my breathe caught in my throat ,as Bartemus gaze locked on mine with my feet back in mid trip.

I thanked him and patted my shelf.I spun and sighed heavily.My gaze darted to him, his eyes wide and a sliver of a smile curled his lips.

"What,"I breathed in,"What was that?"I asked ,out of breath and fingers pointed towards the sky.

His lips formed a smile and cleared his throat."That ,my boy.That a dragon."

I raised a brow as ice fogged,"A dragon."

He nodded,"Yes ,an airborne creature.Well mostly airborne.It has scales and wings and is not native to here."

I nodded still shaken up but my blood boiled with excitement."Yes ,I can see that.If I had known of that creature's existence—"

"It would be weaved into your tales.Yes,I know you,Nev."He responded espration but his voice was oddly warm not its usual icey tone.But as soon as it came ,it vanshied.Heat ,chill,harsh and bitter.

He then pulled me close ,his hot breath fanned my face and his stumble rough against my skin.The claws dug onto the fabric.His eyes drilled holes onto my flesh.We were uncomfortably close.

"It is what I've feared ,boy.You were never supposed to be here when it's due."He realised with a breath."If that creature came here without hesitation then our fields are down.The dragon wasn't supposed to be here."

I only gaped.

"What's going on?"

"The Hunt.The Hunt has begun."I was left with the trail of uncertainty and an air of mystery.I didn't get any of those words he had just spoken."All you need to know is that is not our war—is rare for us and that is all you need to know."His fingers ,rough and calloused brushed my face delicately,who knew rough hands could be nice.

"The Hunt comes every five to ten years.It is inconsistent as the sea itself and the world and which we live in.Creatures from far and wide enter here and collect their share of mortals.The veil between ours and the mortal world has melted and a bridge has been repaired.Humans would appear here and creatures would pick their share—if only they bare the mark of a supernatural creature.If not ,they are left for another and if not.They die ,a mistake or it was too late—or they were weak."Maybe delete.

Mortals lived with us but it was rare and they never truly stayed with us.I never knew how they appeared.But then he threaded his fingers into my hair and let his low voice vibrate against my body.I was still shorter than him.

"I need you to mute your aura."I blinked and stared at him aghast.He left me speechless and lifted a finger."Don't question it just do."He realised a heavy, breathe."We would not be alone now.Others would soon follow.Other creatures.We must mute our aura so they would think we are lesser beings."

Lesser beings.

I did what he asked and went deep within me but questions still wheeled in my head and I found myself being confused.My magic was an orb which was aflame and glowed and thumped like my very heart.It was a living fireball and I began to unravel it till it stretched and unweaved like a string till it was the size of my fist.My powers dimmed and slipped off my feet and into the snow and left a soft green glow and fingers and ice in its wake.It remained in the snow a layer of gas which never settled.

"Creatures like the Dark creatures ,the shadows and the spirits.The Light creatures ,the ones of light that we are not.The Giants would come for the share later.Then the Night creatures ,the ones we are will come soon."Another shrill squawk ."Now look there they come."He gestured with a laugh ,like meteors they striked the sky with pastel lights and explosions as the Dragon's roar echoed throughout and vanished everywhere.Like a wild explosion of loud squeaks.

Slowly creatures trinkled out from many different places as my eyes widened with apparent shock.From the highest incline of snow.A herd of mahahas—a laughing demon with pale blue skin ,beady black eyes and a long mane of black hair dragged its weedy eyes and cocked its head towards the sky and another stared at us with its eyes unblinking.They crawled on all fours like dogs and dragged their front limbs.

They also had their share.

Corpses.

My body tensed as my breathe was locked in my throat.I was aghast yet surpirsed.I had heard of them those creatures but I had never strayed far from the tribe but it was believed it was the souls of others that was corrupted with its shrill laugh and killed others by tickling them to death.It didn't sound harmful till they actually appeared ,one by one.

Bartemaus lips quivered as he nodded,he moved me closer to him and his fingers, an iron grip pressed onto my shoulder and kept me in place.My lips were unhinged as I gazed at them.

"A mahaha,"I gasped.

"Yes ,a mahaha."He repeated with a curt nod then with a huff, he averted my gaze to him and gripped my neck tight.Then he lowered his voice."But yes ,don't stare too much.It can sense your fear and drive you mad or it might attack you."My eyes widened further but he nodded please as my questions swarm in my mind as my lips opened and closed.He nodded again ,appreciated."They too are here for their share of mortals to kill or turn ,to take away,for servantide,or even to devour and others to watch them struggle."

Ice crept into my veins.They were curious.One snapped its gaze to me and inhaled sharply.Its face, hollow and gout against its skin.

Snow swirled and was thrown into the air as a loud ,demonic roar echoed from the west.We snapped our gazes as the wind cleared.First, it was a large strange grey beast then as it revealed itself.A great bronze beast ,long and cylinder in shape gave way leaving odd tracks with giant metal appendages which reminded me of a giant caterpillar limbs.Its outer layer hummed into a warm ,red light as if it burnt of embers.It practically gilded and slice across the snow with a roar and screech so loud and deafening as it meandered and splashed snow on us.

Godesss.What on earth was that thing?It towered over us and it was a whale ,bigger than one even.My eyes widened as my breathe come in pants,the forces of the wind thrashed my braids a I spat the strands.Its force practically sent me sideways as if I was a mere twig in a raging storm but due to the snow.It glued me in place and Bartimaeus hair went upwards as he tried to shield himself from the sharp force as it tried to throw him off his feet.Through the wind ,I caught two smaller ones which was far smaller than the demonic monstrosity which rose and loomed.The panthers and their demonic automobiles.And their task.

Sednas wrath.

"What type of monstrosity is that?''I gasped ,speechless in disbelief as I stared aghast and pinned in place like a seal stabbed in its heart.

Bartemaus clenched his fist to his sides and gritted his teeth.His eyes burned like suns ,like embers in a fire ,like liquid gold finally burnt.

"Panthers."He hissed.

My eyes narrowed as I savoured it.Its curved walls formed a thin outline of an opening then it rose like wings and slowly as smoke drifted into the atmosphere as a group of burly men trickled out.

Dressed in thick ,black fur.Yak,I presumed with strange colourful runes which lined their gear.Their faces pricked red from the cold and covered in a thin layer of frost.Their black hair speckled and caked with ice and frost.They huddled against one another as oddly three men come after.Dressed in coloured robes ,lined with strange colourful runes and thick trim of fur with bushy brows and long hair like tails.Their hands covered in silk.

In this weather,the hems thick with fur.The men in thick ,curly caps lined in runes.Those men towered over me with skin far fairer than mine.They ranged from ivory to olive skinned men that swelled with muscular body and stern ,cold gazes and never shed a smile.Their footsteps left larger marks on the snow ,only for the winds to blow them away.

"Who are they ?"I questioned ,drawing closer,a low guttural growl vibrated from Baretumus chest which made me halt ,my feet hovered on the ground as I watched ,wide eyed and intrigued as the endearing tracks were swallowed by the snow.The snows howls muffled as the group of men formed a formation among a similarity dressed men but he was bolder ,cold eyes and a commanding voice which bounced from men to men,their feet spread and hands behind their back as they stared at their leader and nodded in harmony ,like a pack of wolves sorting a hunt.A choreographed dance but for war.

The Silk men encircled the men in yak fur and chartered among themself and laughed as their sleeves almost draped the thick layered ground.Strange words dripped from the leaders lips ,as he gesticulated animatedly and swivelled his body.

Nurses ,automobiles,letters , offical seals from the king,Healers and drawn to golden light.

He then unclasped some patchement from his pocket and rolled it then displayed an image of an aerial drawing of the whole realm from the jagged peaks to the sea and the glacier in the North. A man beside him ,tall and wiry and similarly dressed held a strange brass coloured contraction equipped with wheels and a long stalk.

"We have surveyed and explored this land,"The man began."we surveyed it a few days prior before the Feast that the gods of our land have officially dissolved all barriers.You'd be given one by our Geographer here ,so in each map is a small dot."With a glove hand ,he tapped on a small red dot and golden ones which pulsed and some brighter than others.Others less or none at all."These are all hotspots for potential meals for our selves.Find there ones who call out to you ,or drawn to you like a magnet ,if nothing.They aren't ours but someone's else's prey.We've been through thick and thin and listed out potential threats and happy hunting.We expect at least a hundred or more human or more.We are victories.Do not disappoint our King and people."He threw his arms into the air and roared."May the gods be with us and let the Feast begin."There was a roar of approval ,it bounces and rippled as their eyes ,as wild and untamed as flames pulsed.An array of wild warm colours and surreal roars.

They stamped their boots on the ground ,causing a weave of thin gold lines and the ground to rumble with their cries.

Their true features begin to seep through the cracks ,teeth pulled away to reveal pointed teeth ,not canine and pointed ears which were prominent but not as sharp as ours.Again ,I was locked to the ground with their roars ,far more different from my cries.From behind the warriors ,the silk dressed men in long goatees ,coloured brows and long decorated claws with intricate nail guards stopped their clap and snapped their gazes to us.

With their strange act being grafted as I watched in awe.Bar kept his lips in a thin line ,eyes with a shimmer and stood and remained quiet as he watched the scene unfold.

The Imperials.Rich nobles.

"Well ,well, well."One imperial began ,hands hidden under long silk sleeves as he swivelled towards us.His eyes a bright gold just like Bartemus but his pupils were squeezed into slits and his face was drained of all colour till his skin was pale with skin more taut and hollow than Bartemus own.His smile was stretched wide and it never met his eyes.It sent ice into my veins."who do we have here.A wolf boy and its companion have dared to come next us."Then he had began to laugh,long and loud.His eyes landed on Bar was as if he used wolf boy to demean him.But Bar stood there as still as a statue with a bowed head and his lips shut tight.

The man cackled like a tortured crow as his eyes thickly lined with a black finish.His eyebrows were traced with the same thing.With his talons which clicked as it touched the gold nail extensions as he raked as both and snarled in full disgust.

"Look at these filthy lowlifes."he continued and smirked ,lips quirked."I feel bad for these undeserving scoundrels."he sneered and eyed him with his uncanny silt eyes.

I bared my teeth at him and snarled at him but he only threw his head and laughed as his fellow comrades followed suit.

"Isn't it funny, that these primitive lowlifes trek on this land full on not knowing the full extent of it."

"Take that back."I snapped,he blinked and looked at me then he looked at me ---shell-shocked as if anyone had ever resisted him.

"Excuse me ?"He shrieked ,and raised an elaborately decorated nail and gaped at me."Excuse me?"

I straightened my back and spread my feet with my fists clenched as my aura,amplified a bit which caused him to slightly recoil.

Good,he felt like.Like a taut string.

"I am not a lowlife.I am a Gruadian.My job is to protect this realm and watch over it from potential threats.It is by and by the goddess herself.I know my way around ,the portals and the crook and cranny."I pounded my chest then threw my arm towards the sky then the mountain."I was born here and this,this is my home and it would always be."

Bar tensed beside me,his breath hot and just body rigid as he dug his clawed fingers on my arm tightly as I resisted the urge to lash out.

His eyes flared with angry flames as he stretched his hands to the sides outreached.He bared his array of sharp teeth and huffed."You insolent boy,how dare to talk back towards your elder."His eyes whirred with magic ,a steady hum then he whirled to Bar and pointed an accusing finger at him."Is this what you teach your undeserving youth to disrespect other species because they aren't in your tribe?"He seethed.He lifted his palm high in the air as a roar slipped from his lips."I'll teach you ,you son of a mortal delinquent about respect."He had wanted to slap Bar because of my incompetence.Then he swung his palm and with a sharp spin ,my fingers wrapped around the panthers wrist.He was locked in a tight grip as hard as metal ,I gripped and tightened it.He opened his mouth in a gape as he glared at me.His eyes burnt like embers."How dare you?"

Laughter slipped from my lips as I watched the man watch me with a tight air of superiority and distaste as the air was thin with tension,too thick to slice against."How dare me?It is you who dared to slap my companion.We were both here unprovoked and when you come here and come to lecture us about your greatness and now you wanted to slap him because I made a comment?"He seethed even harder as his companions watched us with stern ,cold eyes and the others dispersed and watched in amazement as the others carried on with their Hunt.

The man's laughter was full of energy and anger as he darted his gaze towards one of the biggest ,grandest of the demonic sleigh like an elder rousing the crowd with a song before the story starts at the cylinder shaped beast ."Your primitive and backwards mind cannot comprehend our fabulous and futuristic tech."He exclaimed at the mobile.

I nodded at that thing ,impressed on how it glided and cut through the ice like a kayak on sea with its strange body and colossal size and its strange limbs like a caterpillar."Yes,I am impressed by it.Never have I seen such a thing and I wonder,I do wonder what makes it move or glid?Such a monstrosity !"

I had seen tech but this was the grandest and most impressive thing I had ever seen in my youth.

"A monstrosity ?"He echoed in mere distaste and pure offence.He recoiled and placed his palm on his chest.Offended."What do you not know how much worth the creature has.How dare you call it a monsterioy.You disgusting savage using words that you foolishly do not understand."He pointed at me with clenched teeth."This is why you're never go forward with your words."

My anger was starting to rise like a fire about to smoulder but alas ,the man wasn't done."I doubt you'd even understand order.Hunting with useless weapons.Acting like animals and I doubt you even wash yourself.You bark and howl at the moon and mate like bunnies and lack a conscious.At least I don't live in a tribe.Of course you'd never see a gun,handle modern weaponry or a even use a proper harpoon or even access to the lastest tech.You can't read nor write.You're a savage ,a mere dog."He ranted."And you foolishly let yourselves to be ruled by someone than lead youselves.How foolish can you be?"He shrieked.He began to laugh and my patience wire thinner than the ice caps.

"So you think you are superior to us because of your lifestyle and because of our species means were lesser and not important."I scoffed as his laughter got louder and his tone got even more more dismissive.He bent at waist and pointed at me.He hissed and wrapped his clawed finger around my chin and lurched me towards him.

I snapped my teeth as he increases his pressure."Yes."He stated as if it was obivous.As If I was a child.I fought in his grip as Bar squeaked in protest and grabbed my arm tight as the cat blinked at me hard."You let him go."He straightened his spine and dusted his hands with a smile."Well, of course I am a superior.I am a panther.I live in a bustling kingdom."His eyes swivelled around the realm in distaste."Away from this harsh and cold environment.I do not rely on hunting or nomanding or am I a stupid dog.And I educated and not you.There's food on day long and never a shortage"

Oh ,how the mighty hath fell.

I raised my brow and stared at him."Aren't you too ruled by a monarch.A king?"I questioned.

He recoiled, then he grinned."Of course."His lips stretched wide."At least I am ruled by a king and not some self appointed Elder or woman who believes they know how to rule others .In this world,you only kill or to be killed."

Then he turned to Bar."And of course,I am better.My skin is clean and pure and unlike you I wash and bathe and clean myself."I assumed he was insulting both of us then I realised he gaze was on Bar , eyes narrowed and voice filled with disgust.And yet the strongest man I knew was quiet and let the cat insult him.I only gaped at him shocked.

What an imbecile.

He cackled and knocked and hit on his chest."Unlike you ,my skin isn't the colour of old faeces and yak fur.Why don't you clean yourself, you ape? Wash and bleach yourself to just die.People like you need to be filtered and killed off.We don't need further impurities."

"You're the disgusting one.How dare you aim at his skin colour.He has no control over it.I can tolerate your nonsense about our tribes and clothes but never aim at our skin."

"You're an improvement but stupid for your priorities.I really saw potential in you,young one."He stenched."Unlike you ,at least my skin isn't the colour of rock ,copper or brass.You are an impurity yourself but far more on a cleaner side."

I was about to further speak my mind as all his insults whirled my mind like the snow that churned beneath my soles.

"Please stop this at once."One of the group members said ,his chest rose and fell as he bolted towards us.He was young.Maybe a couple of years older than I.His eyes darted left and right as he placed his black clawed fingers on the shoulder of the pink robed man who only hissed at the young man ,he was more wiry and taller than I.His gaze to the young lad was poison as he yanked his hand away as if he dipped his hands in hot water.

Nervous laughter and a mild consulve of his body as his eyes caught mine ,suddenly with a nervous wave and shy smile ,I recoiled and averted my gaze towards my furred and lined boots decorated with colourful runes.The man spread his palms nervously and chuckled heat travelled to his cheeks."Today,"he began ,his voice wavered."Today is the day of Peace where we hunt and carry our share of mortals.In this day ,we don't fight.Only take what's ours and disperse."The Imperial only responded with a sharp breathe ,a deadly stink eye and voice swelled with anger.He yanked is eyes and raked ne.

"You are lucky today ,wolfboy.Next time you won't be."He whirled with a flash of silk , to the stranger and hissed at him as he fingered his thick goatee as the other brightly coloured men whispered among next to their demonic enclosed sleighs.The man or boy only grinned at me with a shy smile as he turned on his heels and walked away and vanished from the thashing snow.He vanished to a dot and the robed man muttered angrily back.

I finally realised my breath and whirled to Bar as he too did the same with his palms on his chest and realised a feeble,sad smile.I proceeded to ask him if he was okay and he then smiled ,a sad and one filled with rocks which weighed him down.

My heart swelled with pain as it tightened within my chest as if a robe wrapped itself around it.

All I did was stare in total disbelief at my mentor ,my older companion and the adult who constantly reminded me about taking charge and being responsiable.And an annoying father to a brother like figure in my life.

Oh,how the mighty hath fell.

And yet I didn't mean it in a hateful or mocking way.In fact ,my heart weighed a boulder about as I watched him.He let out a heavy,sad sigh and rubbed his temples with his fingers then tore his gaze to the brilliant white sky lost in thoughts as his eyes ,pale now with bluish silver was lost in a cacophony memories and a recall of events.His eyes full of yearning and pain.His palm clenched on his chest as he tore his gaze away.

Oh,how the mighty hath fell.

"I-I don't understand."I spluttered in mere disbelief at my splayed hands as the bitter chill finally sank into them.The tips of my fingers numb and red as a cloud of fog slipped from me as I gaped at him."I don't understand."As I caught his wrist and forced his gaze to mine.The adult and the child.The man and his boy.

Again,he sighed and adjusted his furred decoration,warm shades of blue dyed fur on his chest."I don't expect you too,Nev.''I was taken aback.It was as if the arctic water was dumped into me unexpectedly.

"How could you let that man talk you down and degrade you.You arent a child,you are an adult.A full grown one as a matter of fact.Haven't you always taught me to take charge and be a man."I ranted as my hands clenched at my sides."Why didn't you say anything and let him...and let him talk to down to you–to us like we're childern.How dare he act that way."

"Nev,"he began ,his voice soft as he let emotion flood through."in this world ,creatures ,mortals and humans judge one another and each species believes that what they are,what they believe it or their lifestyle is better and instead of trying to understand or be in one's shoes.They rather insults and redicule.Others believe ,they stupidly believe that their breed or colour is better."

"But it's wrong."

"Sure ,Kiddo.You might not get it but it was better for him to speak.So we can learn about people and their actions.Plus,I wanted you to learn that alas ,this world isn't just happiness and responsiblities.This world is not a monolith.That in this world,man would be judged by their skin than rather than their actions.That a man would judge as a collective than an individual.Than man would judged by their sins of others and their ancestors that them now.Do you get it now?I endured because it would happen and even another tribe could even do it.We do it.We are such animalistic creatures and that is how it is."

"But is stupid.No one is superior than another.''I retorted.

His smile barely reached his eyes. As his eyes lost its life. "Sadly,in this world of ours there are."Bar stared at the sky and rubbed his afro textured hair between his fingers–kinky,curly and coily–and yet exceptionally silky and long.His cold brown skin and severe build who even towered the man fit in appral of caribou ,deer and yak fur dyed with black with a thick hide cape and yet he endured the insults.

Kill or be killed.

Prey or predator.

He could have fought back.

He would have snapped his neck in half.

But no ,the mortal side of my mind clicked but now it would be an act of war in this day of Peace.I clenched and unclenched my fingers with a hiss and then observed my skin.My skin was the colour of brass or even the colour of bronze and yet he felt the need to insult my companion.The shell shocked Bartemus created was viewed in cracks and the image I had of him ,a cold and stern and rule loving man was replaced with sadness.A pure disoriented photograph.

My hands slowly fell to my sides in agony,"But why?"I pressed and yet his lips quirked with a smile.

He placed his palm on my shoulder with a warm jest."But today ,young one.You have impressed me indeed.How you defended me with your words and actions and fought him for his arrogance.There was a reason,young one why I let you dim your aura.So no one would attack us in this day or figure out what we are essential because in this world there are far more scarier and dangerous creatures that you your mind could fathom.Let them think us weak.Our weakness protects us.Don't change it."

Again ,I clenched."I-I dont get why we must hide our selves.If he'd know what we are.That we aren't man wolves or wolf shifters who howl at the moon.That we are better and bigger and far stronger.That in this world we are ones who consume the rats."

The realisation sank deep into my bones as I realised how and who I sounded.Like that cub.Disgust filled my tongue ,which caused its tightness and discomfort to settle in like the thick snow.

The disappointment was evident in his eyes.The wrinkles of a man who neared the end of his prime almost to his age of almost forty summers long.My heart broke.Wrinkles formed on his face as his cocked head observed me.His bushy brows rose as he pulled back."Do you know how you sound right now?"He began as I nodded and replied a yes.

"We hid in the shadows because decades before.The panthers knew who we were.We were feared and loved and worshipped but the panthers wanted to be feared and known and they attacked us."He cocked his head."Just because we were big and intimidating does not mean we are inherently violent.They attacked us in herds and soon enough we deeply isolated ourselves and if you now mention us.We are a little known myth.Have not notice how much an army they come in and believing that they deserve over hundreds of mortals to serve them and in the end ,we hid and vanished only to blurred with the man wolves ,the cursed mortals with the ability to shift by the moon and the people like us who can control themselves willingly."

I nodded not quite grasping and yet I got it.They hunted us in herds and maybe weaponry to dispose of our numbers and now I never heard of others like me and I wondered if there were more or we hunted to near extinction .

My hatred for the panthers was brewing from their crimes against our species and now they didn't believe my kind existed and blurred as with other mere wolves.Now we were myths ,our history erased from this realm and the realm of humans themselves.Erased as if we weren't great beings of destruction.

"Since we hide now.No one pays attention.We are the shadows—not to actually confuse them with the others.Notice we barely have mortals amongst us.The last time we came you were barely five years of age.And there's only one."

Now I got it.He replaced our sad story with humour as he gestured dramatically to the ground on how small I was with a smile which lit up the whole room and bent at waist and showed my "height" from the ground to quarter of his knees.

I laughed annoyed and painfully wacked his arm,his arm swelled with hard muscle as if deep, gruff laughter dispersed into the air and sent another to him with a false smile as his eyes twinkled.

But we aren't alone in our jovial fight ,his laughter was warm and just what we deeded.A distraction. He dodged and swerved and sidestepped my flimsy punches with my lips in mock determination as I leaped and ducked and attempted to kick him from below only for him to grip both hands as I punched his chest made of iron and pure flint.

We began our trek across the winter plateau that stretched beyond us as the wind rippled across the ice and howled in its wake.We walked away from the giant machinery and and away from and their robed sentitals as I caught sight of weirdly white hide and furred clothing and their gloves were thin and almost like second skin and hair like tails.While on our excursion creatures ,of young and old and strange yet familiar trickled out of their hiding places in herds or in solos.

I arched a brow in confusion at them as the men quickly brought wounded humans wrapped in a blanket and placed on the snow—furred mats as the white dressed individual hands glowed with a pale blue light in a steady hum as their fingertips,feathersoft travelled across the human frame.A wiry mortal man coated in a thin layer of frost and eyes as he attempted to move his tight limbs in pure agony ,he was thin yet unresponsive as more and more men were accompanied with humans wrapped in skin.It followed as a strange intricate pattern as it settled down on the skins of humans dressed in strange,thin and colourful apparels not correct for our weather type and there were others dressed in peculiar parka like clothing and yet unlike it but they still couldn't withstand the bitter chill.

Healers ,they were called.

"They call them healers,magic shamans who heal the mind and body so they wouldn't die."Bar narrated as his eyes followed ,not one but four healers holding up a body in a mat,covered with wooden inside as they set it down around the automobile.Then I realised they were bodies of the dead as their bodies were pinched and outlined in the blanket.

Dead.

They were dead as the silked men shook their heads in pure displeasure as aman wrote in strokes and shook his head in sadness.

"Too many dead ,not enough living."

The pink robed man hissed ,exposed his fangs and slammed his booted foot on the ground and spread his clawed fingers.

Didn't have to use half of my mind to figure it out.

We then continue again on our hike on the icy desert and from the crinkle of the sea landlocked by ice caps as the water rose in heaps as the water trickled down and exposed a familiar creature.A herd of sirens— It had a long , thin and oval face and hair which went down her shoulders but what come out of the water had webbed ,thickly hands.Silver blue skin patches with scales and an array of sharp teeth and legs that were webbed too.Its chest was tied with seaweed and bits of cloth braided in had zero genitals—not that I knew off.More and more of them popped off and hissed and passed by us—with feet ,actual walkable feet as my eyes widened in pure shock.

All my life,I had known them as creatures of the sea and my expression turned sour as Bar fingers were on my shoulders again as a cold ,disgusted shiver ran through my spine and deep into my bones.

Sednas wrath ,I hoped otherwise.

I began to wonder what the sirens would do to the mortals as my answer was answered for me.A man with bald head with skin blue held a spear made of bones ,barnacles and shells as he hissed ,his teeth spiny and sharp,he completely towered and lanky and hunched with a curved fin that lined his spine.A blood curdling scream squirted and the leg of a human man was soaked in blood as it pointed out of it like a fishbone as the fish man dragged him towards the icy waters with a loud wet splash and with a gurgle.He was gone with a flash of silver fins.My answer was evident.

The female one did the same and wrapped her clawed fingers around a lady dressed in winter clothes,a parka made of strange material who screamed and screamed and waved her hands frantically and down she went.My eyes burled in horror and my throat was squeezed into silence.

Goddess Above.

How cruel it was for man."I-"I spluttered.

"Food and potential merfolk."

I snapped my gaze to him and blinked but all he did was nod.Bile climbed up my throat."Which?"He only lifted and dropped his shoulders as my body stunned gaped at the scene with fingers raised.

Horrifying was an understatement.Slowly like an untangled cloth ,more creatures come.Like a mirror ,I saw others like us and my eyes widened and I bubbled with glee.I went forward and waved my hands enthusiastically as Bar spat an insult as I stopped in my tracks as the realisation dawned to me.

Man wolves or wolf shifters.Other tribes like ours then the realisation settled in.They looked like us but no they werent.I cocked my head and narrowed my gaze at them.They were dressed in black parka,their clothes seemed to distort and glitch.Their outfits seemed to curl and uncurl like smoke.They writhed and swirled around and hardened again.Her eyes were small orbs of red light which pulsed like my heart.It stood there and cocked its head ,the bones outlined rippled through her body as its mouth spilt opened into a gresome smile.Everywhere was black and teh skin ,tanned was spotted in black dots.They glitched and in a flash of opal light.

Disgust over took my senses and I blinked,faster than light the feminine creature with hair in braided black loops smiled.She was in front of me over a distance and she was stretched tall and wide.From the glacier trinkled more as they erupted into eerie laughter and exploded into black masses and exploded all over.They'll appear just string ,eyes glowing like blood then it vanished,like that.

Shadow creatures.They lived in an alternate world like ours.They looked like us but they weren't us.They weren't even wolves or in our Inuit tribes.Ancient beings who take their share as mortal scream periced into the night.The same feminine being had wrapped her arms around a child,about four and the child screams were swallowed by the opal mass then they vansihed.As soon as they come,about a hundred had all vanished in a blink of an eyeThey exploded into laughter.Black masses all appeared then disappeared one by one.Not one evidence of their appearance was here.I blinked.

"Sendnas wrath."

"Never listen or make any assumptions,"Bar warned,his lips vibrating in my ear.I gulped in reply.

More things popped off as the same creatures materialised from the air as fingers from the billowing wind as the black stands curled and formed into a body of a panther with eyes the colour of blood as more and more appeared in dots to herds as they patrolled the dunes of ice and snow.They zoomed and streaked and swallowed beings whole but they were faster than their other counterparts.They had many forms from giant birds,stretched out and thin penguins too long slender beings pulled apart like straining with red dots for eyes.It medered its way in the snow leaving a curved outline in the snow.

The Wolf tribes made their way in with markings on the chins and dressed in parkas and snow boots with their eyes ranged from deep brown to black as they they all flashed from many blue to silver to white.They brought their kayaks over the glacier blue waters and their sleighs and their dogs but they by far were shorter than us both.They stared at outfit with narrowed eyes as we made ourselves small.Our outfits distinct from theirs with hid capes and puffed out decorations on our chest,They looked at us.A man with thick black hair and bright yellow eyes puffed out a cloud of smoke as he untangled the thick rope and began his exploration.He muttered a word in Inuitunuit as the herd of women gaze travelled far and wide as they climbed up the dunes and vanished without a trance.

Good luck.

I had wanted to say initially but I saluted them instead with a sigh.

My whole body went rigid when I found an unexpected pair and group.Faeries come out from the glacier and materialised.Their skin smooth and creamy and ranged to dark like bark and creamy.Their eyes were pupiless ,pure white or glossy.There were others with ice like the layer of the ice caps.Their teeth sharpened like fangs—-canine almost like others.They were tall and regal and dressed in rich purple robes with intricate designs inked in gold and others dressed in capes made of slike nad gossamer green outlined with leaves on it.They were tall and graceful much like the panthers in mortal form with their delicate pointed ears ,in pairs of two or even four.I caught a pair of clawed fingers ,a flash of antlers and horns of a ram to the flicker of tails from other skirts ,dressed and capes to furry feet.

The fae folk who were also known as the faeries the one who lived under the hill or the underground dwellers.One of them had two pointed ears which curved out of weaved golden hair braided in a crown but her eyes ,oh her eyes was a pure white orb,much like a small snowball to a neither who was tall and buff with deep yellow eyes and bald head with dark brown unblemished skin with a thick tail and a flutter of colourful pearlescent wings.His breastplate made of old dead bark and skirts made of purple silk tried together on his broad for.His gaze snapped to mine and smoke diffused from his nostrils.

They were by far the strangest beings my eyes had caught as the others had helmets made of leaves and bark and held spears made of wood ,old and winded up with winds and atop made of flint and oozes green poison to perfection.The guard held an odd material as a ring of decomposed plants shrivelled back into the snow in which they stood.They were united by the winter chill even though they were best adapted for warmth.I had always wondered why they lived and never tased or felt the chill.

The faeries began their conquest to find mortals they were lead by their guard who wielded a poison spear and the broad man with bald head as they headed to the emerald forest and I found myself headed towards there with Bar at my feet.Bodies of humans stuck out of the snow and were peppered here and there with legs and arms or the soaked outlines of their close.All covered in frost and ice and bent at deadly angles as a hand fingers were broken like branches.

They dragged bodies and hurled them over with such force.The guard eyes glowed a light green shade as a body began to writhe and jerk sharply.It gulped as there others dispersed to find humans who wandered into the far woods.

The one who wore gossamer robes walked towards the man in strange clothes ,pink and sleeveless ,no she glided her soles covered with leather or hide and stared at the golden brown haired male.She waved her small delicate hands on his face as the man ,drunk swayed as the magic intertwined and weaved.It glowed a deep green and settled into the man as if he was roused from sleep jerked and blinked as the net like magic settled into his skin then he wrapped his body with a pink cape and secured it.She blinked as more come in ,dazed and confused as I observed ,head cock from the shadows.Intrigued.

The lady continued with a wave and ran her hands on their bodies as the net like pattern roused them to sleep over and over till a group about five humans :A brown haired lady to men in blonde and light hair with bowed head.She nodded."It is done."she began"let us leave."They nodded and the rest come back,the bald head man had dragged a lady ,tried and secured with thick thorny vines as she struggled ,her exposed arms rubbed raw and red with her knees on the ground as she struggled and hissed in pain ,her fluffy brown hair tumbled down her shoulders.More screams and yells echoed as the guard jabbed the spear at boy ,dark brown skinned and skinny.My heart lurched at him.He was about my age ,his teeth chattered as he hissed and rubbed his exposed hands to the chill.

He fell to the carpet of snow as the poison vined his body as he gulped in pian.The guard dispatched it at his back as the boy as paralysed from the waist down as his brown eyes burgled from his hoffied face as he gurgled in horror oas his eyes met me.My feet went back as I stared at him with my heart heavy,his eyes met mine as his blood trickled out from his lips and stained the snow red.The thin material on his back stained the thick green mixture as the guard nodded and saluated as thewines ,twitched and writhe in the snow and curled around the boy and wrapped him in a cocoon.

"Lets go."The buff man commanded and gestured with a sharp wave."Were done here."He seethed ,his voice deeper.His eyes danced over the trees then met mine,his eyes narrowed then he huffed and moved aide.My knees hit the ground as I realised a breathe and stared ahead.Hidden by the wall of short trees.Unharmed.

The fey folk walked towards a three ,the man snapped his thick neck and bared his teeth.The with a nod,he waved his hands on the bark of the three ,taller and more rich green and pointed like a spear top.He pressed his palm on it as the green ring of moss trinkled nad spread like liquid as prisoners intimidated by the guard loomed over them as he tapped the ground with his feet as mushrooms sprouted out of the ground.

Bar stepped forward and shook his head,"Poor mortals.Punished for eternity.''He began,I snapped my gaze and raised a brow as I slowly rose up confused.

"What?

"These poor mortals would become servants,maybe even slaves to only to work and live amongst these ancient beings in a strange land with strange cultures and enteral summer."He shivered."Oh the horror,time is strange over there,with permanent parties and tortured for decades by food and drink only to be trapped and cursed and used for entertainment.Till they forgot their names,their will and their wants and when they finally have to choose they won't return and maybe build a family.Once they step back into the mortal plain,theyll wither and die like a prune or turn to dust."

A shudder ran through my spine."Goddess,that's horrible.Forced to live for decades and forced to be ruled."I stared at him.

Would these humans ever have peace?

I darted my head round and gulped at all the horrors I had witnessed on this very day and I nodded.I suppose being in the parthers vices was better no matter how much I hated them.

"Soon they might become one of them or even a shell of their former selves.A drug to their lives."

Laughter slipped from his tongue so easily opposed to the dull ,sad and tension attitude evoked by the ancient ones as they all stepped through the Faerie tree by them the guards and slowly as the guards stood in front of the bowed mortals and stepped in then slowly their bodies started to dissolve ,to fade into ice and air till they were nothing not coparal.And finally ,the robed lady blinked and in a flash ,she too slipped into the trees never to seen only a trail of mendering plants sprouted ,too deep and frozen like river of plants as they only reminder of her.A shudder ran through my spine as I straightened myself and huffed as a cloud of ice drifted into the sky.

I looked at the ground stunned.All these atrocities against man and man finally met its makers.

Goddess above.

I darted my gaze towards the sky, finally clouds,thin and streaked decorated the sky.

He scoffed,"I would never like those creature,preying and torturing others for your mere entertainment and the heat and warmth."He shuddered ,visibly disgusted."I can't stand the heat and the sun.They can stand our cold and frost.Adaptive creatures."

From my crouched position ,I stared still confused and as I played with an ideally rock deep in my mind ,it's dark depths as I rotated the jagged edges.Then I threw it."Is amazing isn't it?How cruel each creature was the human as if they were cattle of food and hunted them a as we hunted our meal."Then I took in a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair tight."How callous we are to others when we see fit."Laughter bubbled from my chest."We really are cruel."

Bar scoffed and placed his calloused ,dark hands on my head tight and forced me to stare at the fire n his eyes ,golden."Young one."he began ,a sadistic smirk formed on his lips."You really haven't met man and their atrocities against nature and to themselves.Man treated each other from skin to tribe to religion.Humans themselves are scum too.We all are."

I rose up as the snow fell down my trousers as I clenched and unclenched my fist and the snow crunched under my feet.Then he gestured towards the woods.Where we were in now.The thinly packed forests with tall emerald pine trees that tripped and as you go deeper ,the more denser it become.A worst way to die and by the,I had no idea how many hours had passed and all I felt down to my fingers was the familiar tingling and reddish tips on the hands.With a sigh ,I prowled on as my sharp sight went beyond ,to the spikes on the truck to the rough green points on the leaves of the pine but I narrowed my gaze further ,towards the edge ,where the wind howled ,scaremed and churned with the snow and now we were protected ,of I thought of by the wavering covering that wrapped of a force field where creatures could be saved by the force which kept as in.

Outside where there was the strong wind and the strong environment inside here in this haven was calm air and thrived with life and greenary.Here was less chilled compared to the realm outside.

The both of us left the haven and entered back into the severe weather as I realised a reluctant breathe and threw my hood back on and slipped out .It felt as if I went inside a membrane ,though and tesneed nad I struggled to go out then my eyes widened and my ears popped as I was as I swallowed by the thick snow and tensed air into my windpipe to breathe as Bar stepped through ,his arms up while dim from the tensed air then I threw my head up gasping ,shocked and flabbergasted.

Goddess above.

I could hear them before I could see them.Like hours before ,the round reverberate and shook like an earthquake as I struggled to keep my footing and Baretmas hands flew to catch around my wrist to prevent me from tripping and falling as I snapped my gaze.Each step was another loud lurch and jerk and with both ,I swayed and almost stumbled as Bar commented and called me a weakling and a daughter.I snapped my gaze to him and scowled.

Itea.

My eyes flew open as I stared at the great beast—beings with my lips gaped open.At first ,I thought they were Saumen–yetis because they were grand ,huge and looming creatures as my widened eyes took them in as Bar muttered something about how impressionable the youth were to creatures woven in myth and legend–but to me to us they were never myth or legend but reality.

It was far more impressive and surprising when you finally met the creatures you wanted others as reality or physically and goddess ,I was definitely impressed.

My gaze sharpened and so did the ground slammed like heavy rocks constantly turning over and over again.It caused my body to vibrate and shudder.

As my eyesight sharpened ,they become more humane to me.They faded from blurred and fuzzy beings who prowled through the thick ,bitter cold to people who looked like me but aller and loomed over us.To them we were probably the size of polar bears or even seals and I gasped ,scared and intrigued as my foot moves forward and again the sharp claws dug onto my back ,lurched like a sad thing to its prey.

They were over six feet tall and the tallest in my eyes was about nine feet.They were broad shouldered and swelled with muscle—the men while they women were slender in comparison and they towered over them.They moved in packs and conversed with each other their laughter like raging sea and their footsteps which shuddered and cracked the cracks.Their outfits were like ours but more ceremonial with white and creme colours with their parkas that went all the way to their ankles and pulsed on their chest was a bright blue gem which glowed.The women went on their knees with a lid stamp and began to dig the ground and other omen joined in a ring as the women with jet black hair braided into loops grabbed a seal with a gloved hand and brought it towards her.It was a speck ,almost micro in her palm.The air almost left my laughs as he lips quickly as she watched the creature flap with fascination and warmth.

Human was she.

A mother I believed.

She was an Inupasuquik—a female giant or giantess as her friend , a chubby women placed her gloved hand on her knees and watched as the men continued their search as they easily scooped up humans with their eyes lit up and warm laughter and placed them on their shoulders with grins and smiles nad pets or.The one who just grabbed a mortal man covered his palm on another then continued his search.My body jerked.Then the others went around the once who were barely alive and watched them with cocked heads.

Fascination was a magnet to them.

Did the giants have affection towards them?
A warm feeling spread throughout my body as I thought of them with a shrug of happiness.Finally the mortals would not be cursed to a life of pain as my palm went to my chest with a fruitful sigh.

Never again.

But it seemed as if the goddess and our god had other plans for me.Something sliced my heart with a loud bang as my body went rigid and my heart began to pound and I froze and gnashed my teeth.The world around me froze then shattered.My heart contorted and it pulsed like a bird in a cage.Another wave of pain coursed through.I groaned my eyesight losing focus as my eyes getting blind.It began to water as I stumbled forward.Before I could even register I found my legs walking towards the direction of the entrance towards the woods.My head pounded hard as if it was swollen and it felt as if my heart unravelled and suddenly I was in the familiar warm embrace of the woods ,the tall peaks and the lighter air and yet everything felt wrong and the membrane feeling was stranger bow and I staggered forward with a jerk.With a hiss,my hands flew to my chest with a huff.The left eye was suddenly blinded and for a split second I couldn't see.

I had become a wanderer.

Lost and confused.

It was a recipe for disater.My knee went down on the snow and I stumbled forwards and rested my hands on a bark then inhaled sharply ,then I wandered again and let my feet take me whenever.My will stopped.It felt as if the strings of my heart unravelled and my foot moved on its own accord as of it gained a mind and the woods become thicker and the howling prevailing winds had seized.

I darted my head and rested my arm on a pine tree.Goddess above , I swiveled my head with a gasp.I had wandered deeper into the bowls and with a self reassuring sigh ,I prowled further.

Then something blurred then shaped as a starting of golden light almost transparent stretched through and winded around trees and went forwadd.Apprehenson stopped me dead in my tracks then I remembered.

The panthers word of caution.

Then I went in and followed in.The world getting darker ,saffocating and harder to navigate.My eyes sharpeded and illuminated the world in a bright green light and flooded it.Every feature and detail was highlighted in green from the intricate designs of the bark to the moss on the nettle and to the openings in the trees which began to thick.I darted my gaze towards north where I had wandered.

Goddess above.

Please lead me be to the world of freedom and not the shackles of pain and quick death.The string faded and evaporated then my feet stopped ,reality settled in and my senses are back and my movement settled in.Like a ghost returned to its body ,I wiggled my fingers and sighed then my eyes caught a dune and the revelation of the vastness of the snow slammed into me.

Bodies poked out of the snow ,hands ,feet and heads all covered in frost and immobile in horrified postionsMy heart hammered in my chest ager to let out as my breathing went up.With cracked,dislocated limbs and clothes appeared and peppered in the snow.Then I climbed up the dune without much error and ,one tree stood there proudly.

A pressure formed in my navel and my shoulders felt as if like they weighted something.

Dig it.

As if I was completed spelled too yet I didn't resist and I did as it commanded.My knees slammed ont the snow and I began to dig and scoop and spread out from the other side of the dune.Minutes passed and y arms burned with momentum then shoulders tensed and breathing was itched as I paused in mind scoop.An outline of a body become to form as my heart slammed in my chest.

Goddess,it couldn't be.

It could not be her.

About four hours had passed when Bar and I had first witnessed the hunt and now I was involved in it.I tried to calm my breathing as I relaxed with a sigh then dropped the snow and took a couple of deep breaths.Then I continued and continued till it was body.An actual human body.

The realisation had settled in as I stared gape at the body.A body that was all too familiar and too well known.The blood in my veins ran cold and my eyes winded in familiarity realisation.

It was her.

My heart pounded and blood thrummed in my ears.It couldnt be her.I shook my head and staggered backwards from my initial position.Heart pounded and palm on it.I realeased breathe,went on all fours then then moved towards her.

No.

It was a body of an all too familiar child.One that I had seen in my nightmares and waking dramsShe was slender and short with short hair with an odd texture,vividly similiar to Bars own, and it was cropped to her head which was cakeed in snow and her body was powdered in a layer of snow and her fingers were black and swallowed with her eyes closed.She was dressed in an odd clothing with trousers which was oddly tight fitting not lose like mine and made with an odd ,thin material.Hers skin was the colour of bark and on her feet was boots like mine yet strange to my eyes.Her clothing too was caked and thick with ice and sow.

I darted my head.Goddess above ,she was real and not figment of my imagination.My heart slammed harder.

I realized.I knew the task at hand as my eyes landed on the bumps and corspes of long dead humans.All dusted and covered with a light webbed like layer of frost.

I placed my head on her chest and closed my eyes tight.Her heart pulsed but very lightly.I was surprised that a child wasn't dead after all these hours but all the other bodies by my observation was frozen solid.Impretable and hard and remained frozen and yet her heart pounded.

My hands went to her wrist and thumb the pulse for any sign.Any sign that the human wasn't dead.As soon as my fingers brushed I recoiled and shook it.Her body was cold ,extremely cold and it burned like my fingers that touched the embers of flames.I shook it as the heat ran though my body.I pressed on it and shockenly.It beat slightly with pulse.

Goddess above.