Flames of the Forgotten

_ Chapter One _

Hundreds of years from now, most of the Earth is a ruined wasteland and people live in a few domed cities. Legends speak of how wolves know where Paradise lies at the end of the world. But wolves, along with most wild animals, have been extinct for 200 years...or so everyone believes. In fact, very few wolves still survive, disguised as humans, eking out a living in the alleyways and gutters of human cities. But then there are those that are of a mixed race and mistaken for dogs… one of them being adopted by humans and to discover that she is one of the wolves to open Paradise. And here is where her untold story begins…

…

''It is the 18th of October and I am petrified. Father has been taken away to safety and,''

Marie Laclosie held a quill close to her mouth, as her eyes travelled to her bedroom window where her cream frilly curtains billowed with the wind. She was deeply afraid and no one else was with her in the house… Or so she dearly hoped. She sat in her satin-laced nightgown after a lukewarm bath where she saw something frightening in her beautiful mirror. That's why she had the urge to close her balcony window but she was scared he was already there and she also knew it was pointless. He would get in any way… So a frown graced her lips and she returned to her letter.

''-And I know why. I thought he had had enough, that he would leave us alone now but I should have known better than that. This is my farewell letter; I know I will live not another evening because the sign was there in the bathroom. I can only hope he can be stopped. May God have mercy on me; I've slept with the Damned.''

Marie froze in place when she heard loud single applauding. Her free hand fretfully groped under her desk for the weapon she had put away but then mocking laughter filled the air when her hands come up empty. She looked around and gasped. A man stood there dressed all in black with his back pressed against her now closed door, as he tossed a slim dagger in his hand. A ghostly white face his face was and he looked down at her while his blue eyes gazed down her body.

'Looking for something are we? Funny,' he said airily, looking down at the sharp piece of metal before taking off his mask. 'I never thought you could try pull something this stupid off, my dear.' He flashed a dangerous grin that sent shivers down her spine. She felt herself push against the chair she was sitting on and hit the wooden floor but all pain was forgotten, as he was suddenly kneeling down in front of her like a statue.

'Ricutio…' she said in a painful whisper, her heart going quicker like it thought it could accomplish living another year when it only had a few more minutes. Ricutio took his finger and jabbed it against the dagger, hissing like some sort of animal and then he showed her the dark crimson drop that rested on top of his finger. Then he laughed.

'See, that hurt me. But my, my…' his voice travelled silently, as he continued smiling brilliantly and ran his fingers through his black hair. 'Don't you look lovely tonight?' His head inched closer to hers and his lips brushed across her cheek towards her ear. She started.

'You and her will never get away with this!' she whispered. Her grey eyes travelled to the window but her eyes were wide and filled with deep terror. She was like a petrified doe in headlights, nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. She was unable to move and bound to die. She could run for the windows and jump but what then? She would still die as the palace walls were high and Ricutio's guards were bound to be down there too. Her mind worked feverishly before she whispered more furiously. 'Never!' then Ricutio laughed mockingly and Marie's eyes widened even more.

'My dear naïve, simple girl… Oh, Lady Jagara and I have already won.' He said, putting a hand through her brunette hair and then plunged the dagger swiftly into Marie's chest. Her mouth hung open, gagged and her eyes stared angrily at Ricutio. 'Rest well, Marie Laclosie… Daughter of Lord Orkham and goodnight.' He whispered and then stood up, as she collapsed. Her eyesight started blurring and the last thing she saw was a midnight black animal leave through her bedroom balcony window. Then her heart stopped beating but her eyes stared continuously at the door.

...

A gentle breeze drifted through the woods, carrying leaves along the worn dirt path and slowly they went off into the forest. The leaves of the trees rustled noisily, as the wind blew daintily past but it was a beautiful spring morning. The sun shone brightly and left its rays on the path and grass on either side of it; it was an odd area as on one side of the path stood a dark but not gloomy pine tree forest and on the other side stood fields of rich green grass.

Under a lone tree in one of the fields there was a joyful laugh that echoed through the almost-completely deserted area. A couple sat laughing under the shade of the lone oak tree on a red and white checker picnic cloth and sure enough there lay a picnic basket with half its contents out. The shade provided to be cool to them, as the birds chirped delightfully.

'And I said to her that my jarred peach recipe wasn't for sale and she cussed and then she tripped on the way out!' the woman placed her creamy petite hand over her mouth, as she closed her eyes and giggled slightly: not mockingly but just slightly laughing in humour. The man leaned closer to her and laughed.

'Eh, Annabelle but your peaches are loved by the town. They're the reasons I fell in love with you!' he laughed and then stopped abruptly as Annabelle wore an insulted look.

'You don't mean that, do you, Quent?' she asked with an arched eyebrow and her petite chin suddenly lifted up stubbornly. They had been married for six years, which had been quite a while. Her husband always had a silly humoured secret joke of his that always got her hair ruffled. He closed his eyes quickly and did a fake stretch.

'Of course not, woman! Look, why would I put up with your mother for all these years just because of your jarred peaches? It's ridiculous!' he roared with laughter now and after a few seconds he opened his eyes to see his wife glaring at him. He gaped at the reaction from this beautiful woman. 'All right, all right! Seriously, woman,' he leaned towards her and smiled gently. 'if you must really know again I love you for you and what you do.' He leaned in to kiss her but then jerked his head back. Quent felt eyes on him, staring a burning hole into his back and so he looked back to the cluster of bushes behind them that went towards the forest.

'Quent?' she asked silently and followed his gaze. 'What is it?' Quent look startled. Ever since he was a child he was told horror stories of the creatures of the woods. He refused to tell his son too as he was afraid it was jinxed. So he looked up at his wife.

'Nothing. I jus-,' he stopped suddenly as he heard a distant shout that could belong to that little voice that he knew so well. "What could he want now?" Quent thought tiredly.

'Mom! Dad!' a little boy called excitedly as he half tripped, as he ran up the hill towards them carrying something behind his back with a huge grin on his face. He suddenly held out a furry black figure. Then Quent let out a hoarse snap.

'What the hell? What the Devil is that?'

…

'For the last time no, Ruse!'

'But why not, Papa?' Quent's son asked quietly, as his hazel eyes filled with silent tears while he watched his father from the doorway reading the weekly newspaper. The headline blared:

DRAMA IN KYRIOS

MONGRELS ON THE RAMPAGE?

Rumours continue to stalk about on recent sightings of large dogs invading Kyrios and killing needed livestock. Mothers being afraid for children and men being outraged for their cattle being killed we did wonder what Mayor Foster will do to fix this catastrophe.

'Please remain calm! A curfew has been placed for all children under age and please sort out any needed business before sunset,' Mayor Foster commented breathlessly as we caught him coming out of his home early this morning. 'Soldiers from Lady Jagara herself will come and take care of them within the next day or so.'

Nevertheless, we highly advise to stay indoors, pen up your cattle and watch your family members. These are highly dangerous animals and sure enough most remember what happened to Billy Walker late last spring (cont. page 2, stanza 1)

'I swear I'll look after her!' the little boy said eagerly when Quent didn't reply. He looked up from his newspaper to see a heart-shaped excited face and so he sighed. Children couldn't always get what they wanted, could they? He took off his reading glasses and got up. No, not all children could. Quent had made up his mind, as he got up and headed for the front door where Ruse was.

'No. Now take that thing back where you found it.' He said gruffly but then there was a muffled sob. Quent looked down and saw that his son had his arms flung out across the doorway and thick tears streaming down his now red cheeks. Quent didn't understand. How could a dog mean so much to his little boy? It was only a dog after all but the sight of his strong boy crying made him shocked. 'I'll get ya' a goldfish, how's that sound?' he smiled teasingly but Ruse didn't budge. He merely stared up fixedly up at Quent with his tear-filled eyes. Quent looked past Ruse and saw the black puppy still tied to the tree as he had left her but there was something strange about her… She was staring at him, as if she understood what was going on and was pleading to him to keep her. Then Ruse's silent voice filled his ears.

'Please, Papa… Please,' he asked and looked over his shoulder to try and see the stray he found.

"You're killing me here, Ruse." Quent thought gruffly and pushed him aside.

'Quent, just let him keep the dog. He needs a friend,' Annabelle grumbled silently, as she walked up the wooden stairs that creaked with every light step. She had the picnic basket in one hand and in the other the blanket. She looked reproachful and he knew to avoid that mood so he sighed. Maybe having a dog wouldn't be too bad.

'Where did you get your stubbornness from, boy?' he snapped grumpily but then took off Ruse's sunhat and ruffled his auburn hair. Ruse looked up at him sadly and shrugged, prying hid fathers hand. 'Fine… Fine! Keep the damn dog! But I refuse to have anything to do with her, got it?' he growled and walked outside lazily onto the front porch and looked at the sky.

It was already sunset… The sky was a late amber colour and the sun you could look at without burning your eyes. A flock of geese flew over the pine forest towards the hazed mountaintops and a breeze blew past making Quent's hair flow to the side. Though the most odd sight of the day was what looked like a large metal ship floating dreamily towards the town… Quent squinted his eyes. 'It couldn't be a ship, my eyes must be playing up on me again,' he thought and then suddenly felt a warm embrace around his waist. He looked down to see Ruse hugging him ever so tightly with a grin much too wide for his face playing. He smiled quickly and ruffled his son's hair yet again. Then he felt another arm drift across his shoulders. Annabelle smiled to him and winked, as her gaze turned down towards their son.

'Thanks, Papa!' Ruse shouted excitedly and after one last squeeze he ran down the steps towards his new dog.

'Don't mention it…' was all he said gruffly before heading back into the cabin.

…

Ruse ran across the field of grass towards the old oak tree that held his old wooden swing that had aged greatly. The chains were rusted, they squeaked when he pushed it aside but he remembered how he cherished this toy his dad had built for him. But he laughed joyfully. Not because he remembered about his swing, no. It was because he had a new best friend. A bright cuddly face with fine blue eyes winked up at him, as a small whine escaped her mouth and then she leaped onto his knees before licking his face. He laughed and immediately fell onto his bottom before laughing.

'Papa said I can keep you! We can do everything together! We can eat together, go to school and even bath together…' he trailed off happily and turned his head around to see his puppy's head bent to the side. 'Okay, okay maybe not bathing!' he chuckled before putting an arm around her and receiving many love licks. He looked up at the blackening sky where a moon crescent was just visible and the evening star. He had got his wish after all… To have a new best friend and he knew this was only the start of a blooming friendship. 'Hey, I think I'll name you… Blue. Yeah that's it, I'll name you Blue.' He whispered, as she rested her head onto his lap and fell into quick puppy rest. He smiled gently and turned his head to see his father peering out of the kitchen curtain at him. He laughed happily and waved. 'Thanks again, Papa!' he shouted across and work Blue up. She looked irritably up at him and resumed to sleeping again. He chuckled softly and stroked her head. 'Ooops', sorry there,'

Well that's the beginning of my new story everyone! Hope you enjoyed it, been meaning to write it for a while. :) The second chapter should be even better... Please read Kiba's life story if you wish so you may all see that I'm doing all of the Wolf's Rain's casts life stories. Thanks everybody for taking the time to read this hey!

~Amber~