Ch. 1 The Red River
It had been so long since he had come here again. It was night and the graveyard was still and lit only by the faint blue glow of the moon. He approached the grave in the center of the hill of the cemetery. It read, "Erin Jessica Faulkner 1990-2008 A Loyal Sister" As he kneeled to place the snow white orchids at her grave a duet of tears rolled down his face as he whispered, "How's going midget? Yeah. Me too" It was the grave of his long dead baby sister. He was the oldest of his remaining family, which were only two brothers who were his cousins and himself. He was born Joseph Michael Faulkner and was the sole surviving lycan of his pack. To others born into the world normally hidden from humans he was known as Oturo, which was lycan derived from the term lone wolf. "Joseph are you ok?" Amelia asked as she knelt next to him. "I have to go soon." Oturo spoke without turning his face towards her as if to keep her distant. "What do you mean?" she sat scrutinizing his face trying to read him like she usually could but then again she was the only one he ever let read him. The cool night air blew and tossed his long black silky hair back revealing his sorrowful black eyes. He slowly turned his face to face her and she began to cry as she threw her arms around him. "Please don't go you'll die! I don't want to lose you too", She wept and sputtered as she clung desperately to the last person she had to love. Oturo sighed as he wrapped his arms around her. He brought her to her feet as he held her before whispering, "You are the only person I've ever loved but if I don't kill him he'll take you away…maybe even hurt you…I can't lose you…he took everyone from me…I won't let him take you from me" Oturo let her go and looked into her eyes which were still full of tears. "I'll come back for you...I promise," He finished the armor of his helmet closing around his head his eyes still exposed to look at her both their eyes glistening with tears. The respirator in his mouthpiece hissed out steam and his combat visor finally came down covering his eyes with a blood red pane of combat grade polyurethane. He ran to his airship, Behemoth, and jumped behind the controls starting the four top facing propellers. As the medium sized U-shaped craft began to lift off the ground the rear propellers started and it started moving forward and up towards the golden sky and the floating castle in the distance trailing a deep red river of energy. As he urged his mechanical airborne steed forward all that was long past almost a formless wraith began to pour into him as he began to remember all that had brought him here.
The day was June third. The year was two thousand six. He was 17 at the time and was in his junior year of high school. He was walking briskly towards his biology class accompanied by his closest friend Nathaniel but whom he had always referred to as Tir. Taken in full the nickname was Tiribus but being that Joseph and Nathaniel had grown up together he had chosen to shorten it. "Did you study for Mr. Davis's test Oturo?" Tiribus asked as he walked his back pack slung lazily on one shoulder. "I've got more important things to work on then some easy biology test Tir" Oturo had been on edge ever since he had first learned to control "The Change". The change was the point in which a lycan would transform every full moon and Oturo had been working feverishly to control it. More importantly he had been working to control himself. Lycans would normally not remember themselves in their turned state and for Oturo losing control simply would not due. "Look we aren't on the field all the time so this is important for us to be able to support "normal" lives Oturo father even said so," Tiribus was beginning to grow concerned even though he knew Oturo studied he was afraid of him putting more effort in trying to become stronger then trying to be a better person. Tiribus was tall which by comparison of Oturo wasn't saying much as Oturo was only five foot ten inches and one hundred and twenty pounds. He had strong features and was very muscular considering he was more at home caring for people. He had tanned skin from working outdoors and short sandy blonde hair, which was cut away from his deep brown eyes. Oturo was shorter but well toned but he let his black hair hang past his shoulders before it was brought together by a tie and his bangs usually hung over his grey eyes who's pupils would turn to slits at varying times of anger, excitement, or stress causing many to be afraid of him. As they walked in Oturo blew some of his bangs out of his face causing one of the new girls to giggle a little. She was shorter then him with brown hair that was just as long as his but tied back in a loop. Her blue eyes sparkled as the sun hit them and her freckles adorned her face giving her the cute look. He took his seat, which incidentally was next to hers on her right as Tiribus took his next to Oturo. "Maybe if you got it cut Joseph it wouldn't be in your eyes or if you tied it back higher," Amelia whispered to him before giggling and smiling at him again. Oturo had begun to go red before saying,"well I kind of like it like this" Amelia smiled at him with her head tilted to one side before facing forward and quickly saying, "well so do I but not when I can't see your face" Oturo began to redden even more and quickly tilted his head forward so his long bangs covered his face as the test was handed out. He worked quickly through the test his eyes darting to his left to gaze at her for just a moment. Tiribus shook his head next to him muttering quietly, "Just tell her already" Oturo finished the test and stood up immediately seeming to walk with the discipline of a soldier as he handed it in causing Amelia to once more giggle at his attempts of being proper and intimidating. This immediately made Oturo bow his head to once again cover his face as he turned red before sitting down in his seat. As the bell rang Amelia quickly tossed a note on to Oturo's lap before giving him a final smile and rushing out of class. Oturo sat shocked as he began to open the note and read.
To 3Joseph 3
I really liked being with you friday and I would really like that to happen again. I'm glad sometimes that your so serious because it scares all the other girls away so that only I get to really know you. I'm also really glad you opened up to me friday and I'm really looking forward to seeing you tonight after school.
ps I have something I want to tell you so could it just be you and me tonight???
love always 3 Amelia
"Something to tell me..," Oturo repeated quietly to himself as he folded the note back up and slipped it into his jean pocket grabbing his things as he walked out of class to head home. He had lived with Tiribus for sometime now since he was 10 when his father and step mother had died leaving him and his younger sister Erin to fend for themselves. Tiribus's father Cain had taken them in after learning of their lycan heritage and began teaching them the art of Demon Banishing. Tiribus and Oturo took one look at eachother as they reached the parking lot and then another look at their respective vehicles and began to grin. Without warning both boys ran to their vehicles and quickly started them. Oturo's was a massive custom motorcycle with a V-12 car engine and huge tires. Tiribus's reworked '79 Mustang was just as impressive and just as loud as they both raced out of the parking lot getting cheers from students as Oturo proceeded to use the curb to launch him over Tiribus and into his seat of "victory". As they slowed to a normal pace and entered the normal traffic of rushing high school students and parents they gave eachother a lazy two fingered salute and seperated both heading in different directions. Tiribus was headed home and would have much to explain to his father as well as Erin for Oturo's absence from dinner. Oturo turned right and pulled up alongside Cale, Amelias brother who often brought her home, and pulled up his visor giving him a thumbs up which was returned with a grin. Cale and Oturo had always been on good terms but that was as long as Cale knew not of Oturo's wolfish heritage. They're mother had been murdered by a rampaging lycan when they were younger and Cale has harbored a deep set hatred for all members of the species since. His prejudice was only surpassed by his fathers however his father had renounced his lycan murdering ways as evil and wrong. Cale however made no effort to ever accept lycans as a part of the world.