Chapter 1: Birth of a Hero
Karu dragged himself to the Ashton temple, still bleeding from the brutal cut from Night. He had a short amount of time left to find a baby to place his power into. As he paced a rundown house on the way to the temple, he heard the sound of an infant crying. Karu's ears perked. Perhaps there was still hope. Karu listened a little while longer ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Hush little on," Mary pleaded, craddling the unamed baby in her arms. Her husband had left for the war just before the baby
was born. She hadn't heard a word of him since. Mary began thinking of her other son Kairo, who had left for Ashton temple a month
after his brother was born. She was broke from her trance when she heard a clattering at the door. Before she could grasp the handle,
it swung open with great force. She nearly dropped her son in shock. The creature before her was like man combined with a wolf,
from the mountains. She heard the splash of blood on her floor and realized this thing was injured severly. He needed help.
Mary asked if he needed anything at all to make him comfortable. He sighed and began to speak in a raspy voice.
"May I have your baby?"
She looked at him with intense fury. "I don't know who you are but the answer is no. I'm not handing over my child to a creature I've never seen before."
"I can bring you back your husband," Karu sputtered quickly. He saw the confusion on her forlorn face. "Your husband was Nire Taki, was he not?"
"He IS my husban," Mary shot sharply.
"Not anymore. He was killed at the hands of Night. If you hand over the child, I promise to restore him to you," he said with no hint of trickery.
Mary looked down at the sleeping infant in her arms. He looked so peaceful lying the gray cloth wrapped around him. She began to sob, not wanting to lose him but at the same time longing for her deceased lover. She looked at the dying wolf and nodded her head.
"Excellent," Karu said with satisfaction. Mary placed the baby in his arms, and in a cloud of smoke they were gone. In their place was her husband, covered in mud, sleeping on the floor. She walked over to him and placed her head on his chest. He was breathing heavily, but at least he was breathing. They were together again.
