Chronicle of The Flame
The sun rose slightly over the horizon, blanketing Jasper Park in a powerful ray of Spring sunshine. The fresh air of a new day seeped into the den of Kate and Humphrey, the still newly mated couple had slept peacefully through the night, their slumber harboring dreams of grandeur and happiness. But something else stirred in the overhang of rock and cold earth, one small ball of fur looked up in curiosity at the new world that surrounded him, the sights, the sounds, that new smell all picked at his senses madly, jumping up with delight he greeted them with tiny paws.
Pyrus had been born to Humphrey and Kate in the late evening hours of the previous day, the only pup that was born to the couple, an odd turnout in the process left them with only one bundle of joy. He stumbled out of the his new home and into the bright and colorful atmosphere that was Jasper Park. The beauty was unlike anything that could be described in mere words, the small pup could hardly comprehend the immense creativity that the greater beings of nature bestowed upon the land.
As Pyrus first set foot out onto the cool grass, he was addicted to the way that everything synchronized around him, pure ecstasy in the form of a wonderful spring day. His curiosity was peaked further as he noticed a group of pups playing around in the long fronds of grass that marked a small clearing, scurrying over to meet them, he wanted to join in on the fun and games.
Approaching them cautiously, Pyrus attempts to jump into the pups little game of tag only to be pushed away by one of the other little ones. Pyrus was a bit confused, a new feeling that he had never experienced surfaced within him, sadness and rejection mixing together and creating a sense of hurt. He sat quietly for a short period of time, away from the group, pondering why the others wouldn't play with him. Finally, he got up and decided to try and play again. Not having much success with his current plan, Pyrus decided to get the attention of the other pups by using violence, virtually repeating the action that the other pup did to him.
He jumped up and instantly knocked over the pup that bumped him, the other pups stopping their game and turning their attention to Pyrus. They stared at him with piercing eyes, not leaving his gaze for a second, strangely, Pyrus loved it.
Humphrey slowly flicked his eyes open as he was starting to wake up. He looked over at his loving mate Kate and smiled. Humphrey felt joyful, he now knew what it felt like to be a father. He went to go marvel at Pyrus, his own flesh and blood and noticed that he was gone, the spot that Kate had set for his sleeping accommodations was barely disturbed . Humphrey Peaked his head out when he heard the commotion that Pyrus was causing, the small male was only a day old and already he had gotten himself into more trouble than he or his Father could handle, the pressures of Fatherhood already crushing Humphrey under its unbearable weight.
Pyrus strutted confidently around the group of males, by asserting his dominance he had found a certain amount of respect through fear, one thing that Humphrey was trying to teach him that was a terrible to inflict in others. Quickly, before the situation could escalate further out of hand, Humphrey grabbed his son by the scruff and hauled him off. Pyrus squirmed madly under his Father's grasp, whimpering and whining, wanting to rejoin his forced followers and making himself royalty in their eyes.
"What were you thinking Pyrus?" Humphrey said sternly, trying to show some control over the situation, even though he was so nervous, his muzzle was dripping sweat.
Pyrus sat there awkwardly, not knowing exactly what Humphrey was trying to explain, though it seemed like his Father was mad, Pyrus didn't give a slight hint of caring.
"Do you understand exactly what I am trying to say to you?" Humphrey asked Pyrus trying to make himself sound stern. Pyrus just nodded his head lightly, flashing his Father a cute smile before Humphrey let him run off again, back into a downward spiral of flaring tensions and ego propelled escapades...
Pyrus walked up and down the line of Omega's that were standing before him, basking in the familiar feeling of self recognition and crowd controlled fear. Pyrus had become one of the biggest Alpha's on the social food chain, completely surrounding himself with the attention of his much adored admirers, at least, that is what he saw them as.
In bleak reality, they despised Pyrus. They saw the heir to the pack as a chump, a ego-maniac that thrived on the pain of others, and the pitiful respect that they managed to provide him. He continued to strut up and down the line of staring wolves, constantly gawking at him with disgust, he only noticed admiration.
Humphrey walked out onto the large, rocky overhang that held Kate's and his own den high above the valley, overshadowing the vast clearings and rushing rivers. Drinking in the familiar comfort of the soft morning sunlight, Humphrey heard a disturbance from down in the clearing below. Already he knew that his son had stirred up trouble among the pack, and it was once again Humphrey's responsibility to drag him out of the mess.
Slowly approaching the crowd of wolves that surrounded Pyrus, Humphrey grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and hauled him off to the den, Pyrus yelling in protest and flailing around in a pathetic attempt to escape.
Humphrey dropped him at the entrance to the den and sat down calmly to go over the same general talk that usually followed after Pyrus' little escapades.
"You realize that I have to punish you right?" Humphrey started off smoothly.
"Yes Dad, I understand, but I didn't do anything wrong this time, I promise!" Pyrus protested. Humphrey shook his head and sat comfortably on his haunches, staring out into the massive expanse of and before him.
"Sometimes I wonder if you will ever learn. Have I ever done a bad job in raising you? Your mother seems to think we did fine, but in my eyes you seem troubled Pyrus, what is going through your head when you do such idiotic actions?" Humphrey asked, his tone shifting as his statement became a serious question.
Pyrus gave Humphrey the same blank stare that seemed customary to him, not knowing what to say, completely disregarding everything he had said and letting his mind wander freely. Finally thinking his father's words through, he sat up straight and answered clearly, "I agree"
Humphrey sighed and shook his head in disappointment, "You weren't listening to a single word, as usual. I'm really not sure anymore Pyrus, Me and your mother love you unconditionally but...You have to get your life on track, stop with the constant nonsense and grow up, you are an Alpha, I expect you to act like one", without saying another word, Humphrey turned and re-entered the den.
Pyrus went to the place that he usually went to when he felt upset, it was a place that made him happy, let all of his problems just drift away. It was nothing more than a small clearing that was heavily shaded by trees, a circular opening in the top of the shade created a funnel from which the moon and sunlight could pour in and carry his problems away, leaving him to admire the beauty of nature. He would sit for hours and just ponder the meaning of his own existence and ways that he could improve on his own actions, elaborating on how to right wrongs and make things better for his own future and the future of the pack, his pack.
Tonight, nothing seemed to come to him, his thoughts were clouded by his father's words, he just wondered, wondered whether or not Humphrey was right.
Pyrus got up and prepared to leave for home, as he walked out into the valley, he thought he could hear the faint tapping of light paw steps. He sniffed around but couldn't detect any foreign scents in the area, he shrugged his massive shoulders and continued onward to home.
Pyrus slept soundly that night, nothing haunting him, no worries or fears, something that was new to him, as it seemed that nightmares were a permanent part of his mentality. He woke to the sounds of a summer morning, crickets and frogs chirped happily in the long grassy plains, the hunting patrols were up bright and early, ready to begin their day like any other, for once, everything seemed normal.
Looking down into the clearing, Pyrus noticed movement among the thick brush of the woodland, a small black shape moved quickly, so quickly that he barely caught sight of it. He dismissed it as a rabbit or fox moving along the edge of the tree line leading into the more dense areas of the forest, so composing himself and stretching his still sleepy muscles, he set off for the pack meeting.
The crowd formed around the open grassland and listened attentively, Pyrus watched his grandfather, Winston, stride up to the large rock in the middle of the
everything and address the crowd as he did normally on such days like this, after the full moon. Pyrus looked around as he sat by himself, the ones that he dubbed his "friends" sat far away from him, but he didn't seem to notice the neglect, his ego taking over and shielding him from the grim truth that he was able to so easily avoid. He joined his Mother and Father, Kate gave him a quick and affectionate lick around his ears, Pyrus let out a whimper of embarrassment but returned the gesture and sat beside Humphrey.
"listen up!" Winston called out toward the crowd, his broad shoulders and refined facial structure outlined against the soft glow of the sun.
He waited for the attention of everyone in the clearing, taking note of those who payed little less attention than others, focusing a powerful gaze on them, making it clear that this message was of the utmost importance.
"As you all know, Summer has arrived, the valley is alive with the sound of wildlife and beauty of mother nature. It also means that we will be paying more attention to hunting and gathering, we have a long season ahead of us, let us make it a good one" Winston dipped his head formally before stepping off the rock, his age clearly showing in his posture and movement, each day taking more and more energy from the proud Alpha.
The meeting slowly came to an end and the excitement died down once again. Pyrus noticed his aunt Lilly and uncle Garth pacing themselves as they padded over to join them.
Lilly greeted Humphrey and then her sister, they both exchanged tight hugs and then they all started to chat amongst themselves, leaving Pyrus to his thoughts once again.
"Hi Pyrus" Lilly started, her tone always seemed so cheery to Pyrus, he could always count on his aunt to bring a smile to anyone's face, "My you have grown, every time i see you, you seem to look more and more like your father".
Pyrus went red with embarrassment, he couldn't help but admire his aunt's keen eye for detail, as he did somewhat resemble his father. Besides the body stature and fur color, they both looked almost identical.
"T-Thank you aunt Lilly, I'm surprised as well, me and Dad actually look alike, who would have thought" Pyrus chuckled, Humphrey turned his head and glared, making Pyrus drop the chuckle to a soft snicker.
Kate and Lilly sat close together far away from the males, their heads craned close together to share something that required little more than a whisper to be heard, but enough to conceal themselves from eavesdroppers.
"Kate I'm...Pregnant" Lilly whispered, Kate perked up with joy, congratulating her and hugging her tight, the news would be something wonderful for the packs.
Pyrus overheard the whisper and smiled at the thought of having a cousin, he padded over to his aunt and silently congratulated her, explaining that he had heard the conversation and promised to keep it a secret.
Turning to allow the grown-ups to have their fun, he joined a group the group of wolves that he named admirers and let his ego loose as he told stories of adventures that he had never been on, but lying through his teeth to gain some popularity from the crowd. As Pyrus rambled on about his tales of grandeur, he noticed the same black shape from the morning, weaving in and out of the bushes like a snake, moving so silently that nobody could hear it. Pyrus edged away from his crowd of admirers and tryed to get closer to the black figure that attempted to evade him, he continued to pursue it until it escaped once again. Scratching the back of his head lightly, Pyrus returned to the crowd and pushed the thoughts of the black figure out of his mind and focused on gaining the attention of his adoring fans once again.
Evening was setting over the valley and Pyrus began to grow tired. Having lost the attention of everyone hours ago, he decided that it was due time to head for home and get a goodnights rest. The path home was dotted with small shadows and the sound of the whistling wind, howling defiantly through the branches of tress and the bushes that lay below. The ominous feeling of things that stay hidden in the cover of the bushes watched Pyrus with prying eyes, burning a hole into his conscience with their relentless gazes, it made him uncomfortable and he picked up his pace. Something lurked nearby in a tree, it watched Pyrus as he made his way further down the road, its eyes gleamed in the growing darkness, but its gaze never shifted from the young Alpha. Pyrus felt a shiver run down his spine as he got the sudden feeling that he was being watched, his light padding turned into a run, he wanted to get home, and he wanted to get there fast.
Pyrus' dreams were disturbed as he slept that night, he was in a dark forest, the sky was a pale grey color, dim light shining through the cracks in the trees. Pyrus looked around, everything was so alien to him, it was a place that he had never been to before, but as he turned around, there it was staring him right in the face, that sleek black shadow. He stepped closer, trying to get a better look at the apparition, but it ran off in the other direction, running at full speed. Pyrus instinctively ran after it, dodging obstacles as he barreled his way through the dark forest in pursuit of the wandering shadow. As he came to the edge of the forest, there was a steep cliff that lay ahead of him, the black figure was nowhere to be seen, but curiosity propelled him forward, burning into him as he seeked the answer to who this figure was. He looked over the cliff, the only way was down and the shadow couldn't have gone in any other direction, he braced himself and jumped. He was quickly consumed by a sea of darkness, continuously falling into a endless pit of black. Pyrus closed his eyes and yelled in pure fear, his curiosity slowly leaving him as he longed to be on solid ground once more.
As he continued to fall, he suddenly stopped, a soft voice reached out to him, "You are not alone Pyrus", and then it vanished, like it was never there, and Pyrus woke up in a cold sweat, looking around at the familiarity of his home.
Pyrus stretched and yawned loudly, he prepared for his chance to finally join a hunting party and take his full right as a male of the pack. The morning was like any other, fresh dew coated the grass and the sun drew a pale light on the horizon as Pyrus followed his hunting party, eager to sink his teeth into whatever he could. The night before still picked at him fiercly, causing him drift away as he pondered the dream that had so vividly presented itself to him, leaving him without any answers as to who the dark figure was, but he was still very determined to find out.
He blankly peered around the open clearing, the only things that stood out were the bundles of bracken that lay scattered among the undergrowth and the sweet smell of new summer pine trees. Suddenly a small creature darted through the brush and out into the open, swaying its head around in frustration before collapsing to the ground, its side heaving painfully. Pyrus' first instinct was to run and see what had happened, but before he could in front of him stood Hailee. The slender female wolf's eyes glittered luminescently in the sunlight, her pelt shimmered so that the crimson was ablaze with beauty.
Hailee slowly padded over to Pyrus, she moved subtly like a wisp, barely touching the ground with each stride, to the eye, it was like magic. Finally standing face to face with him, she spoke softly, so softly that he could barely hear, "Good morning Pyrus".
Pyrus was too busy staring at her before snapping out of the daze, "H-Hi Hailee, what's up?" he asked casually, Hailee just smiled.
"How are you enjoying the hunt?" Hailee asked suddenly, Pyrus couldn't really answer, considering that nothing had been done. "We haven't really done anything yet" he admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed. Hailee giggled and swished her tail gently across his muzzle, "Have fun fuzzball". Fuzzball, that name brought back many familiar memories of childhood play, so much had passed in the time from now and then, but Hailee was still the same, his best and only friend.
His hunt didn't go exactly as planned. After losing three caribou from constant mistakes, the rest of the group got fed up and decided to head home, feeling angry from the thought of having to deal with empty stomachs for the night. Pyrus was enraged with himself, "Stupid, stupid, stupid Pyrus, why did you get so caught up in bragging?". This was the first time that Pyrus had actually contemplated his actions and realized that he felt bad for the way he acted.
Returning to the pack, Pyrus secluded himself in his den, having another one of his pondering sessions, something that he hasn't done for a very long time, but it is needed. From deep within the recesses of his mind he yearned to scream out at all the trouble he has caused and how much distress he has inflicted. Suddenly interrupted by screams of confusion and the howls of the patrols, Pyrus ran out to see what was going on.
In the middle of the crowd of snarling wolves a small, black wolf with snow white paws and deep purple eyes. The small wolf had something hanging from it's mouth, food! Pyrus instantly figured out that she was stealing fresh meat from their food supplies and was thrown into another rage. He was about to confront the black wolf but Hailee padded up to him and gently pressed her side to his, the warm fur was comforting, he had forgotten all about his anger and just got caught up in the moment and the sweet scent of childhood memories.
"Hey there Fuzzball, what is going on?" she asked him, a smile spreading across her face.
Pyrus shook himself out of another trance and explained the situation to Hailee, she sat and listened to him attentively, perking her ears up at every little detail. When Pyrus had finished, Hailee sat dumbfounded, she just sat up and gave him a reassuring lick over his ears, " I think you worry too much" she whispered.
Pyrus chuckled, "Maybe you're right, thanks Hailee, for being such a good friend", Hailee just blushed and padded off towards her den. Focusing on his task at hand, Pyrus approached the crowd and got ready to attack the intruder fiercely, finally showing his dominance. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed how scrawny the wolf really was, the determination and hunger in it's eyes must have driven it to do such an atrocity, Pyrus felt a twinge of pity prick him like a pine needle.
Seeing the wolves about to pounce on the intruder, Pyrus thrust his way into the crowd and quickly took control, "Stop! I will deal with this intruder on my own, you all errr...you go and reassemble the patrols for dusk". With that one command, the wolves left, muttering words of disapproval and anger under their breaths, Pyrus shook it off and turned to the intruder, signaling it to follow him.
As they reached the outskirts of the united pack's territory, Pyrus turned around and was instantly pinned by the intruder. He was surprised to find how much weight the small wolf actually had, keeping a strong pin on him as he tried to break free.
"Move and i won't hesitate to kill you where you stand!", the voice was hostile but feminine, the female kept her hold and Pyrus stopped moving, saving his energy.
"Why did you steal food? What were you thinking coming into a camp that was completely filled with a pack you don't belong to? Are you insane?" Pyrus managed to croak out. The female released her grip and sat up with dignity, pride gleaming in her desperate eyes.
Licking one paw clean she started again, "I thought I was fast enough, guess not" she laughed. Pyrus was getting angry, listening to this intruder slander him and his pack by the blatant insult she laid out in front of him.
Controlling his anger he calmly spoke, "This is your one warning, leave now, take the food, just don't return..." his tone was cold. The smirk on the intruders face turned to a scowl, the look of scorn and disgust made itself apparent as she picked up the kill and padded away into the forest.
Heading back home, Pyrus was pounced and tackled by a group of his own wolves, "Woah! What's going on guys? Is this just a joke or something, haha you got me", the wolves didn't speak, they just carried him back to camp, the intruder with them as well.
Sitting in a circle, the pack peered eerily at him and the mysterious wolf, their faces expressionless. He tried to shrink himself to a smaller size by curling up and wrapping his tail around his paws, he just felt the gazes burning into him, the fear consuming him.
"Do you understand why we have called you here Pyrus?" Winston thundered, Pyrus looked around nervously, he saw his mother crying, Hailee sat close to her, tears staining her beautiful face, Pyrus' heart sunk.
He spoke up, his voice cracking, "I didn't do anything wrong". The crowd stayed silent, Winston spoke up once again. "You have been accused with the following charges... treason, and theft of food from the pack, I have no choice but to exile you Pyrus, I'm sorry. As for the intruder, you are to go with him."
"W-What? She was starving! I only let her go because she needed it.", Winston didn't listen, the verdict was final. Kate burst out into more tears, Hailee followed suit, the whole of Pyrus' family and friends were bathed in a rain of sorrow, except for his father. Humphrey stared at his son blankly, not the slightest hint of sadness was present on his face, his father only held a small pinch of pity for his son, nothing less, nothing more.
Pyrus had no choice but to leave his home and find somewhere else to live, pain and anger battled each other inside his mind, a constant conflict that saw no end to the fighting.
he turned to see where the strange wolf had gone, she was nowhere to be seen. Noticing a small trail of paw prints, Pyrus followed her out into the open, the first time he had been away from his home, he wasn't prepared.
Padding slowly along the winding dirt path that led to the outskirts of the Jasper territory, Pyrus found a small den from which he could rest in, he had been walking for hours on end, his paws cut up from the long escapade. After trailing the mysterious wolf for what seemed like an eternity, Pyrus saw no use in continuing the useless journey. He moved into the small space concealed by rock and earth. Resting his head, he dozed off, falling asleep with the pitiful night that had brought the once proud and strong Pyrus to a battered and defeated state of morale.
When Pyrus woke, he took in the magnificent scent of the forest. He didn't want to move, he just wanted to bask in the glory of the Jasper territory. Jerking his muscles upward to get a head start on the day ahead of him, he realized he was constricted, his body wouldn't comply as he blindly scent messages to his brain for his body to move. Looking up, the dark wolf hovered above him, her paw resting ever so slightly as she continued to hold him to the confines of the ground, smiling slyly as she did so.
"Did you really think you could follow me?" she asked bluntly, her tone was clam and clear. Pyrus stared in horror, how did she know he was here? How did she know he was following her?
"I thought maybe we could travel together?". The dark wolf sat silently, then she bursted out into laughter, Pyrus gasping for air as the pressure was released. "what is so funny?" he asked, a bit annoyed from her constant attempts to mock him.
"I would never be caught dead with someone like you, you can't even track like a true wolf, that is pathetic!" she retorted, laughing hysterically.
That made Pyrus even more annoyed, he wasn't about to put up with this, he got up and walked out of the makeshift den, "That is no way to treat someone who saved your life...".
Pyrus emerged into the fresh air of the wild open space, he was caught up in his own world again, taking note of every little detail that the environment gave him. He padded forward slowly before being pinned again.
"That wasn't the only reason why I came here" she continued, "I can't have news floating around that I was saved by a petty kid like you, I have decided that the best way to deal with you is direct elimination".
Pyrus' reaction was nothing that would be expected after a threat like that, " Go ahead.. I have nothing left to lose. I just go kicked out of the pack I was supposed to be running when I get older. And my dad doesn't even care that I'm exiled, nobody cares, not even Hailee..."
The wolf unsheathed her claws and lightly dug them into Pyrus' pelt, itching to get to the kill. As she lifted her paw to unleash a powerful swipe she was caught off guard. Something caught her eye, a small birthmark, a pattern in Pyrus' fur that looked strangely familiar.
"That mark...I've seen it before", Pyrus opened his eyes and looked down at the small pattern on his chest. "What do you mean?".
The wolf released her grip and let him up, "When I was only a pup, the elders in my pack would tell stories of mighty wolves who had braved the dangers of mother nature, receiving fame and honor for their packs. One of the prophecies had yet to be fulfilled, one that would be born in fire...", Pyrus couldn't believe what she was saying, he thought she was mad! The notion that he might be a hero born in fire was highly unethical.
"Listen, whatever your name is, I'm no...", he was cut short as she spoke up, "Phade...My name is Phade.". Both wolves sat silently for a few moments before Pyrus continued. "Well Phade, I think you might have the wrong wolf, I'm no hero, just a dumb Alpha who lucked out for too long before fate took its toll on me.
"The marking on your chest confirms my suspicion, the symbol is that of a large body of flame, a torrent if you will, that can only mean one thing...", Pyrus was still unconvinced.
"Listen, will you travel with me or not? This prophecy stuff is a little odd for my liking, how about we just drop it and start over...Hi my name is Pyrus, nice to meet you.", Phade sat up and accepted the friendly gesture, "Phade, nice to meet you too". From then on, both Phade and Pyrus pledged their loyalty to one another in a fragile truce, though they didn't enjoy it, anything was better than dying out in the wilderness...alone...
Days had passed since Pyrus had been exiled from his pack, him and Phade had made it to the end of the Jasper park territory, they were ready to leave and start their new lives, wherever that may be. Both hoped that they would be able to tolerate the other long enough to part ways, not killing each other in the process.
"Pyrus wake up" Phade nudged, trying not to disturb him completely, "Come on Pyrus!".
Pyrus blinked his eyes open abruptly, Phade gasped. "What? What is it?" he asked frightened. Phade stared into Pyrus' burning amber eyes, secretly admiring them, one facial aspect that didn't make her want to kill him, "errrr...Nothing, i thought i saw a bug on you." she replied casually.
Pyrus sighed and walked out of the den they had stayed in for the night, dawn was barely poking itself out to the world, making a small appearance as the sun rose over the horizon ever so slowly. The last few days were hectic for the both of them, what was waiting for them out there? A new frontier awaited them, somewhere foreign, a sleepy land that was just waiting to be discovered, explored, conquered.
Pyrus thought of everything that he was leaving behind, being forced to leave behind, exile repeated itself viscously in his head. The one thing that continue to pick at him, the one thing that hurt him the most, was leaving Hailee behind, it killed him to even think about it.
The beauty that stood by his side for his entire life was slowly slipping further away from him, right out of his grasp.
Phade watched him curiously before finally nudging his shoulder, "Come on, we better get going, we have a long way ahead of us...", Pyrus nodded and followed.
He couldn't help but continue to think of his mother, Hailee, and his father...That look Humphrey had, the look of pity and disgust, Pyrus had truly failed this time, he failed himself, his loved ones, but most importantly, his father.
Padding forward, he finally admitted to himself that he was ready, ready to brave any danger that was thrown at him. Finally he pondered one last thought, was he truly destined to be a hero? or was it just a myth? All he knew, was that whatever it was, he was ready...