Prologue: The Wolf and the Girl… Not to mention the Ogre.
The dark forest of the forgotten lands lay mostly undisturbed for the night, save a hasty prince and his troublesome Ogrian prey. Bushes rustled violently as the ten foot tall, seven foot wide Ogre broke into the meadow before the mouth of the Cave of Gates, the cave that led from the Forgotten lands to the outside.
It seemed that the monster was more than willing to run to the world of humans, mouth watering as he crushed the delicate flora beneath his feet. The Prince, in hot pursuit, growled scornfully at the large beast. "The Ogrians once thought it dishonorable to resist arrest!" He snarled, taking a mighty leap and using his demonic claws to slice at the Ogre.
The beast roared, swatting at the smaller creature, grabbing the Prince in midair and smashing him into the rocky wall next to the cave's entrance. "And the wolves were once less irritating!" He said, leaving the prince in his own impression in the Granite.
"Milord!" said another Wolf Demon, hesitating before the Cave entrance.
"Go! Get after him!" said the one of higher rank, then the young Wolf Prince leaped, knocking boulders of the Granite wall out of place and charging down the tunnel, rushing once again into the hunt after the other.
With a sigh of contempt and relief a young girl pressed the Print button on her laptop. Out of what seemed to be nothing but spite, Her Ninth grade Language Arts teacher had given her the assignment to write him a letter stating how much of a failure she would come to be if she would not listen to his horrifying advice and startling remarks on how she should and should not write the book that she had been working on since midway through Sixth grade. She finished the five page letter quickly enough, but it took another seven or so hours extra to remove all traces of sarcasm and loathing from her words.
With exhaustion looming around her head like a thick fog, she looked to her clock and somehow deciphered the numbers to where they read Five A.m.
Thank the gods for Saturdays.
Stumbling to her dresser she pulled out pajamas before flopping onto her bed, which only made her head hurt worse. After another five minutes of confusedly slipping on and off her clothing, (In that order at some points) she crawled under her blanket and clapped her hands until the lights finally went off, silently happy that the Dorms were fairly updated in technology. The printer finished humming and spitting out paper long after she slipped into unconsciousness.
"My Lord…"
"Yes, I know." The Wolf Prince murmured, standing in the middle of a small road leading from a park. "The scent disappears because of the Humans' stench. We must split up."
"But, sir, wouldn't it be wiser to regroup and come back with more warriors?"
"If we leave now, he'll go on a hunger rampage. Our chances are better for little to no casualty if we go now."
"Aye, My Lord." With that, the warrior took off on a branching road while the prince chose another.
With barely a creek, the ogre managed to slip through a window. "I can smell female…" he said joyously as he crept toward the young human's bed, bumping the printer and sending it sprawling along the floor in his haste.
The girl sat up, eyes wide open, and clapped her hands. She had expected to find some random boy from the other dorms trying to pull a prank on her, but the more she stared at the being in front of her, the less likely that got.
"Hehehahaha!" The ogre murred in delight, "Young human girl meat!"
She screamed, though not nearly loud enough to get any help, so she thought.
The wolf demon stopped midstride as he began to pass a collection of buildings when he heard a scream. He turned and looked up, finding a window open and a fraction of a green body just visible. "There!" he muttered, jumping up and easily swinging into the opening.
The ogre was less than five feet from the girl's bed as the wolf leaped back into the air and rammed him back. While the beast was stunned, the wolf turned to the girl he, though telling himself it was only because she was in the way, rescued.
"Are you alright?"
She nodded briskly, pushing herself against the wall at the head of her bed. She looked at him curiously, eyes searching and scrutinizing him. "How… did you do that…? He's so much bigger…"
He smiled. "Humans forget the things they do not wish to remember."
At that moment, the ogre was standing back up. "Git out of my way, Wolfkin! I saws her first!"
The boy drew his sword, the blade glowing slightly even in the light of the dorm room. "You will not have her," he said calmly.
"Gah!" the ogre chortled, throwing his weight at the boy as he swung, and then the girl was out cold.
After the small fight, the ogre vanished in a golden dust while the demon turned to see the human collapsed, half of her dangling from her bed. With a sigh, he picked her up, meaning only to situate her, when he got a good look at her face.
The shock nearly caused him to drop her, and when his hand touched the skin on the back of her neck, he began glowing the shade of the sun as her skin pulsed in a silvery purple color.
Carefully, he placed her back on the bed and stepped back, growling lightly.
Why?
Why did he have to find her now?
"Milord!"
The young prince turned to see his companion just inside the window. "Have you found the ogre? I can smell him here…"
"Yes, and I slew him while he attempted to eat this girl. It was fortunate that she was able to scream, or she'd be a dead human."
The other sniffed in contempt. "You should have let him finish… she wreaks of something old, a decaying magic."
The prince growled more loudly this time. "I will not let my people speak so of the old ways! Thanks to old magic, we are able to live peacefully. If you don't like it, I'd like to see you try your luck out here." He muttered, than sighed. "Go back to the fort; have them prepare my quarters for a guest. I'll bring the girl with me tomorrow."
"Sir?"
"Do as I say, Hawk."
There was a slight "Humph" noise, and then the prince was left in the room. He sat against the wall, staring agonizingly at the girl. "Why must I be tormented so?" he murmured lightly, watching her sleep and dream of being attacked by a monster, and being saved by a beautiful wolf.