The forest was awfully dark. Dense mist filled the overgrown trees as the night creatures began their activities. The crickets sang their songs, and the nightingales soon joined in. The contrast from the day creatures where just too great. Where the morning was filled with life and excitement, the night was one of spook and sorrow. The sharp eyesight hidden inside the large round eyes of the owl has succeeded in hiding those sinister thoughts that filled the bird's mind and the sneer that hid behind those curved beaks. "Hoot-hoot-" The cry before an attack sounded, and the creature took off in a soundless flight. Below those that owned the night sky were creatures of cunningness. If foxes were the willy creatures of the day, they were the con-artists of the night. Their cry will echo throughout the forest, sending chill down those living in the forest. Hyenas they are, but one species own the night more than any others in the forest. They are of known evil and fear, one look into those menacing eyes is said to petrify the other. They are creatures showing no mercy except to their own pack. Wolves. They are the king of the night forest.
Wolves are known to travel in packs for a solidarity wolf meant death to itself. The packs care for their own and are not friendly at all to the other. However one wolf hunts alone, sleeps alone, eats alone and howl all alone. Even the other wolves fear him. In yips and barks, they said that this wolf is the cursed one, and an evil aura flows around him. "He learns sorcery." said one wolf, "He isn't our kind" said another, "Look at how unnatural his fur color is!" cried another. The lone wolf was truly unlike any other. Wolves of the forest are usually in gray or black, perhaps some would be a dark shade of brown. And wolves of the mountian and snow are white or pale gray. This wolf was different. His fur is pale gray but at the tip of each follicle is shining green. Green like emerald. His eyes were gray and menacing. Climbing up the highest rock, this strangely coloured wolf threw his head back and faced the large moon that owned the sky that night. With a mighty howl that echoed through the forest, his message is as clear as day, "I am the strongest wolf!"
No wolf dared ask his name, no wolf knew where he came from, no wolf dared meddle in that wolf's life. Cowering from him was all they did. Cowards they are, totally opposing the fact that they were wolves, creature of evil and destruction or anything great. Cowards, are all they are now. When this odd wolf first appeared months ago, many had challenged him to a fight, and had died or have been injured so badly that they were rather off dead. It was then no one dared challenge him anymore. All silently prayed for their great leader of the forest would soon return from his journey to the beyond and fight this wolf. The great wolf that knew how to use weapons that the scrawny talk creature with no fur and had front way eyes, that walks on two legs, what they call humans, used. Their leader used a weapon called sword. No wolf dared speak of his name, but silently they prayed for him to come back, their legendary leader named Mihawk.
Now not far from the forest lies a hut made of straws and sticks and some bricks. Not wonderfully built but definitely comfortable for a certain young hunter who lived alone. He had once been laughed at for keeping a fringe over his left eye for people thought it would hinder the accuracy in shooting. But nevertheless, this young hunter, despite his age or that fringe, had managed to bring back kill. But no one questioned how he did it for he used none of his arrows he brought and the kill and no other injuries other than a broken neck, which was most probably the cause of its death. The hunter would always shrug off questions if they came once in a long while with "Why do you care how I did it? As long as there is meat to eat, the village will not starve." Sanji, himself, was a great cook. However due to the lack of meat coming in and the excessive cooks, Sanji had been selected to be a hunter due to his long legs that could most probably run faster than others and his slim built for easy hiding.
His good friend who lived in the village was the greatest marksman he'd ever saw and only he knew the secret to Sanji's way of hunting. Usopp was his name, and no matter how far or small the target is, he never missed an aim, although his overly timid nature is a major drawback itself.
Where other hunters decide to hunt by day, Sanji hunts by the night where most creatures let their guard down for a good night's rest. Wolves were Sanji's only worry, but he had always managed to get of out the mess with the wolves. Tonight was the same as all other nights, he grabbed his bow and arrows and headed out to the forest. That night however, Sanji realized that something was a little off. The moon is high up in the sky but it is glowing brighter and appeared to be much much closer to Earth than it really is. Howls of the wolves were loud and constant, without stopping. It sends chills down the hunter's spine for they sound like they were egging something on. Sanji tugged at the black hood that covered his bright blond hair and continued his walking into the forest.
The forest was quiet. No crickets chirping, no nightingales singing, no owls hooting. It was all silent except for the wolves. It seemed like the other creatures saw evil at their doorstep and had ran away to hide. It was one yelp that was of higher pitch and of louder voice that got the wolves to stop. Sanji turned to look around. There was no movement in the forest. Then it came, the deepest, loudest howl that he had ever heard a wolf howl. No wolf dared howl back to disrupt this howl that echoed through the forest. Only when the howl was complete that the other wolves started, like they were cheering and celebrating some sort of success.
Sanji shuddered. Perhaps he should have listened to the elders' saying, "To not hunt when the moon is big and full, for it means that the great one will soon return to his rightful place in the forest. The night would be quiet before a chorus of celebration. That's when evil is at maximum." Thinking about it, what he had just experienced was exactly like the saying.
It was carelessness of his own that Sanji had neglected the warnings, it was also his carelessness that the had wondered deep into the forest. Searching around for prey, something by the large oak tree had something that reflected off the moonlight and caught his eye. Slowly edging closer with caution, the young hunter couldn't help but let out a gasp. It was unmistakably a wolf. But not like any sort. It had pale gray fur with slight green tinge to it. But what shocked Sanji the most was the large cut from the wolf's shoulder to its abdomen. The wound was bleeding profusely and Sanji couldn't tell exactly how deep the wound is or how it came about. Reaching out for the poor creature that lay there with loud pants and wheeze, Sanji decided to bring the wolf back and nurse it back to health.
The wolf turned to look at the hunter and growled when his hand came close and tried to bite off Sanji's hand when it came into contact with its fur. But with Sanji's constant cooing and comforting, the wolf finally gave in, seeing that it could do nothing else.
Tying the creature carefully on his back, Sanji began trekking his way home. Not knowing that what he had just done could possibly change his life forever...
That's the end of chapter 1, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Stick around for more and remember to leave a review! Review makes me happy! :D