The Wolf's Song
Year 649, the continent of Tellius. It is springtime, and all of the animals are just coming out of their places of hibernation. I, Apostle Stanley Marsh Kirsch Altina, 101st apostle of Begnion, enjoy watching these animals. The tiny birds soaring through Ashera's sunny sky… the forest deer poking their heads out of the defrosting evergreens… I found it all absolutely marvelous.
Yet, there was someone who was yet more gorgeous than all of these, a young man who could best any being in beauty…
Kyle Broflovski, the prince of the wolf kingdom of Hatari.
It has been roughly 3 years since I have seen him, and yet, his image coruscates in my mind as if he stood before me now. Oh, if only there was a way I could find out where he was…
Right now, I am walking around close to the Serenes Forest. This forest was once the home of the legendary heron tribe, but was burned down in a brutal massacre. Yet, every spring, its recovery grows all the more mesmerizing.
I was merely lost in thought of this forest when all of a sudden, a familiar voice from behind me uttered, "Hey, Stan."
"What?" I turn around, and there stood a corpulent boy wearing a red coat, "Oh, Cartman, it's just you. What brings you of all people to the Serenes Forest?"
"Have you seen that goddamned Jew Kyle around lately?"
"What kind of question is that? We haven't met in 3 years. How is it possible to see him 'lately'? Moreover, what do you want with him?"
"Uh…" The fatass' face bore a red tinge upon it, "Nothing. I wanted to steal his Jew gold, that's all! Bye now!"
And just like that, piggy Eric Cartman was gone. Now, why in the heck would he act all… flustered? If he didn't have such an odd mix of emotions, I would be able to sense a definite thought… But I guess it does not truly matter.
With Cartman now gone, I walk into the Serenes Forest. I can feel such happiness and jubilant energy radiating from it… But where is the heart of all of this vigor?
Just then, I hear a beautiful tenor voice. It was faint, but I could tell that it was quite far away. I now start trying to track it down, desperate to find the wonderful singer.
Before I knew it, I sensed someone's presence right in front of me. I could tell that it was an ally, but whom? Cartman? Wendy? Or… No… Could it be?
I duck down in front of a bush before a clearing. The clearing was the most beauteous part of the whole forest. Fireflies fluttered in every which way, and there was no place on the face of Tellius that bore more green. I try to push the bush's branches aside to see the mystery man, and finally, I saw him.
It was none other than Kyle. He was singing to a long-tailed bird perched on his right hand. Kyle Broflovski, of all people, has such a wondrous voice? Well, since he is the son of Prince Rafiel of the heron tribe, it makes sense. Oh, how I wish for that voice to fill my ears… I move, closer and closer, and soon enough…
"Oh, hello, Apostle Stanley," he says to me.
Great. I am on the soil, lying down on my stomach, and looking like a total idiot before the man I love. He must think I am a complete 'tard right now. If only his mind wasn't so strong, I could easily know what he was thinking.
"H-Hey, Kyle!" I get up as quickly as I could, brushing off the soil that had stuck to my brown coat.
"Why so flustered, my prince?" The half-heron grinned.
Oh, crap… I knew it! He hates me now! I just know he does!!
"I don't hate you, Stan. Why on Earth would you think such a thing?"
Stupid, stupid, stupid. All of my mixed feelings have caused me to forget one important thing: Kyle is half-heron laguz, and his mind-reading powers outdo mine one hundred fold.
"You better believe it!" Kyle now walked closer, "Actually, I knew you were there the whole time, listening to me sing. I would like to know, though, why you have been lying in wait as if you were a Begnion spy."
"Um…" I try to look for a reason, blocking my mind from being read, "I… I… I didn't want you to know I was here, okay?"
"It's futile," Kyle was now standing right before me, "As a prince of the herons, I can always sense where my allies are. Including ones that I haven't seen in 3 years."
He ran his right thumb across my lip while stroking my cheek with his left hand. The satin touch I have yearned for three years… Kyle, why are you doing this…?
"If you like, I can sing just for you, right now," he offered.
"Um, sure…"
Without warning, Kyle pulled me right into him, his mouth right next to my ear. If only Ashera's voice had told me, I would have known this would happen… But my ability to hear the goddess' voice, an ability that only Begnion apostles have, is unfortunately nullified when I am love-struck.
And boy, was I ever love-struck now!
Apart from the moist air exuding from Kyle's lips, I could hear the wonderful song that he had sung earlier. That boy may be like his mother, Queen Nailah, in every way, but he had his father's voice, all right. He soon finished his aria, staring at me yet again.
"I sure hope you're satisfied now," Kyle giggled with his eyes closed, "That was my father's song. And- Apostle? What is the matter?"
For no reason whatsoever, I was crying. Was it because of the fact that I acted like a total retard earlier, or because of the song…
No… It was because I was finally reunited with the man I cherish more than anything the goddess had ever known.
"Oh, Stan, don't cry," The wolf prince gripped tightly on my right hand, the hand that bore the blood-red brand of Begnion's apostles. He was wiping my tears now with a simple stroke of his thumb.
"B-But… Oh, Kyle, I haven't seen you in such a long time! Even… even though it has been a mere 3 years… i-it felt like an eternity for me!"
"There, there…" He patted me on the back, right under my black wing, "It's okay… Stan…"
The most unexpected happened just then. I felt the wolven prince embrace me once again. Only this time, he seized my face into his own, lightly touching his lips to mine.
I truly love the Serenes Forest and its many residents, don't get me wrong. But what I was experiencing right now was more ravishing than any forest. I knew that it was no mere spring heat keeping my temperature at unspeakable heights… All of it was due to Prince Kyle's enrapturing kiss. My heart was racing so fast against my chest that a mere beorc could probably hear its sonorous beating from a meter away. But this is the hamburger-flipping prince of the wolf tribe we're talking about here. He could probably hear my heartbeat from the other side of the continent, fast or slow.
When he finally let me go, he looked so deeply at me with his chartreuse eyes that I thought I would die right there.
What came out of his mouth next were the sweetest words to ever reach my ears.
"Stan… I love you. I would easily trade my whole entire being if it means your ensured welfare."
"I love you too, Kyle…"
I buried my right cat ear deep into his chest. Sure enough, his heart palpitated almost as quickly as mine was right now. The most dulcet music, more stunning than any heron galdr, was right under my ear. How I have longed to hear Kyle's heart…
"Apostle…" he whispered with that sexy voice, "Come. I would like to see the rest of Tellius with you."
"You mean… you have been in this forest for so long?"
"Ever since the Mad King's War ended three years ago."
"My goodness… Well, I suppose we should be going now."
At those words, Kyle grabbed my branded hand once again, leading me to a nearby lake. The Greil Mercenaries, the group I have been staying with for the past 3 years, was having a picnic there.
"Oh, hey, Stan!" The leader's sister, Mist, greeted me with a smile, "Who's this?"
"This is my boy- Er, my best friend, Kyle. He's Nailah's son."
"Oh, the wolf prince, is he? Well, welcome to the Greil Mercenaries!"
"Thank you…" Kyle felt slightly embarrassed, I could tell.
"Say, Mist…" I ask the beorc girl.
"Yes?"
"Have you seen- Oh, never mind, he's right there."
Surely enough, I saw Cartman sitting near a secluded tree. His face was mellow, but I could sense a true sorrow from deep within.
"Kyle, can you excuse me for a second?"
"Of course."
I flew to that tree, where Mr. Tubby was simply staring at the lake. It was as if he was trying to find the answer to all of his problems in that lake...
I finally decided to break the silence, "Hey, Cartman! What are you doing here? Don't you want to be at the picnic with the Greil Mercenaries! You know, Oscar and Mist made this really awesome chocolate cake I think you would love-"
"I don't think I would love it as much as you adored your make-out session with Kyle in the Serenes Forest," he pouted.
"You mean… You… you spied on us?"
"You're so lucky… to have been with him like that."
"Cartman, I'm sorry, I know you feel sad-"
"I hate it when you peer into my heart. I have very personal feelings, and I would appreciate it if you didn't act like such a gaywad."
"About Kyle-"
"It's okay, though," The fat boy got up and began to walk near the picnic area, "As long as the man I love is happy, it is all good in the end for me."
When Cartman had finally left, I instantly felt sorry for him. Yet, he did have a point. I adored the time I had with Kyle in that forest, and it got me wondering a few things.
What was the most beautiful thing that I had heard there? His father's song? His heartbeat? The words of his love for me…?
And then I thought, it was none of these alone. They all blended into one lovely spring song.
It was the best thing I have heard in my whole life.