Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own this franchise or any of its characters.
There Is No Wolf
Bread Path
And meanwhile a Ranger with a permanent frown wandered in a town where 'people' were. Little wa he aware of the fate that would occur to those that traveled those paths though She warned him considerably, he could no longer hear he pleas, he hasn't been able to for a very long time.
Good job Ameruda, get us both helplessly lost. I wonder if he's thinking about anyone right now. Why is everyone looking at me? I am aware that the red cloak is very gaudy but is there really a need to stare with such intensity?
A man with tri pointed hair stares at me with a smile.
"Are you Raphael?" He asks.
"I suppose it depends whether or not you're looking for the Raphael with the same name." I reply.
I continue down my path.
"I heard you give out services." He calls out after me.
"I suppose you could call it that. I haven't honestly done anything like that in a long time." I frown deeper.
"Well then, what's your price?"
"My price? Usually food or whatever you can spare."
"My, my aren't you cheap."
"Cheap? Well yes. It's not like I had to pay for this gift that God's given me."
"A gift from God you say? I've interpreted it as something far more sinister."
"Call it a blessing, call it a curse, it makes no difference to me. Would you like to see it now?"
"Now? In public?"
"I sense we aren't on the same wavelength."
"I don't think we are. I want your services regardless."
"I'd tear you apart."
And with that I walk off. The tri haired man smiles and mumbles something about dying stars and anger. I always get to go on the trips where people think I'm a whore don't I? Something about that is so… annoying. The world is so annoying, isn't it? I think I'll kill so people know my whereabouts.
I walk down the path as the scents and smells and tastes and noises climb over me. Too loud, too filthy, too, too, too much everything. Humans are too much; I'll stay with animals in their stead. A bird flits over on the wind and chirps loudly.
"Hello there little one." I say to it.
That's quite an incorrect statement as this bird is an eagle with yellow feathers scattered.
"What are you then? Eagles don't usually have feathers this colour. Well whatever you are you are a friend." I tell the bird.
It plants itself firmly into my shoulder. I continue down my set path into the light.
People are leering at me. This was a bad idea. Thanks Ameruda. I know you're violent and have the self control of a snake but even you are better with people than me. I should have gone into the forest after Varon. He could be lost or worse. If I don't away from these people soon I'm going to lose it. The eagle caws loudly and pulls at my cloak.
"No don't pull that off!" I yell a bit too loudly.
Everyone that wasn't looking at me is now. My uncovered self. Murmurs echo through the crowds.
"Isn't that the kid who killed his parents with a summoning ritual gone awry?" Someone whispers.
I growl at the bird as it sheepishly tries to cover me back up. I grab the red cloak from it's beak and cover myself up again.
They whisper and laugh and cry and gossip. Humans are too weak to even understand an accident of a lonely boy. Sometimes bad things happen. I didn't kill my entire family though. Sonja and Julian are just fine. I know they are as I didn't see the scythe rip deep into skin that ought to been clean. There was no red dotting the bodies of two young children. It wasn't my fault. I continue down the path and a young man with an eye like a dying star and one like the vague lingering tears in a pool of self satisfaction stands in front of me.
"Are you Raphael?" He asks with a snarl.
"No." I reply.
I've learned. The only time people want me is when they WANT me. Or want some of that money I don't have. This man is like those wolves in fairy tales. How very amusing. And annoying. Ah, the world is so annoying. I think I'll kill to reassure my whereabouts. That would prove it. Killing animals. They don't deserve it though even though I appreciate it. In my hands the red cloak shifts into a bow and quiver in crimson and stained with blood. Where did these come from? Rather peculiar. Hmn.
"Are you sure? Because I have to say what blue eyes you have and what a big chest you have and what cruelness you buried." He laughs.
"You are clearly insane, let me pass." I sneer.
He leaves me. Fool. Probably another idiot that thinks they can buy my body. News for them, even if they could I don't want what they have.
I walk down the path a more and more people show up. I have nothing to cover myself up, damn. I usually bring some sort of cloak. I wonder why I didn't. The eagle pulls at me once again.
"Stop that." I demand as I wave a hand to chase it away.
Where am I going? Ah yes to deliver a basket of something to some lady as an assignment. What a waste of my talents. At least I'll get here before Ameruda and Varon. That's satisfying if nothing else is. A man clearly in some sort of drunken haze walks up to me. I ignore him. The man has pink hair and pink clothes and is it actually a man? I can't really tell. Then again I'm horrible with genders, I thought Ameruda was female as well and thought Yubel was male. She's so young though. Wonder why they let her in the academy at all. Magics probably. This place runs on it even though everyone has it. Everyone except for me and Ameruda. That's why we're special, because we CAN'T do what everyone else can. Not the good kind of special though. I suppose we're cripples. As long as I'm crippled with him it's no issue. Nothing's an issue as long as I'm not alone. Even surrounded by people I'm alone as they don't, won't understand me. Ameruda and Varon do though and that's the best gift I could be given. Well then that was rather philosophical. I look around. I'm almost halfway there, well then.
A sound calls through the woods and down here. A scream. An Aussie scream. Varon. I run off the trail and through to see him. I'm stopped however by a man with eyes like dying stars. God it's the annoying pink haired fuck again. What's he want? And then there is no man only a Predator with eyes like dying stars. It'd be a wolf if they existed. I run past it far faster than it can manage. I could completely outrun it if I wanted to. This is something strange. Ah, it's so annoying, I better kill it to remember my whereabouts. It'd be a sin not to. I draw back my bow and with perfect accuracy put out an eye of its. The thing doesn't howl in pain and runs towards me.
"Go on." I smile with the thrill of killing that was absent before this, completely.
I strike it again, this time in the other eye. Finally a sure arrow pierces the annoying thing straight through. It howls as it dies without eyes like dying stars. I just killed a man. A pink haired man. Or is it a man? Beside him, her, whatever is a red cloak. Where did this come from and where will it go? As I pick it up the eagle returns and tries to pull it from my hands. The blood stained cloak with traces of shining white on it melts into my hands. Something more carnal will do. Something more carnal will do quite nicely. It changes into a pair of red claws that shine like rubies. Are they rubies? That'd be strange. Where did these come from anyway? And why is this man dead? I bet someone kille him by accident trying to kill me.
I run farther into the forest humming to myself. The eagle abandons me. Ah why wouldn't it? Living creatures tend not to take to kindly to a Predator in their forest, no matter how benign. And where was I going again? Ah yes to kill the soldiers waiting for me in the most carnal way possible. And where was I going again? Ah yes to deliver these goods to some woman. With my claws fastened fast I continue on my way. Wait Varon. I can not continue.
Taking a detour I practically fly through the forest. It's so familiar to me. I can feel the earth almost speaking to me, almost crying for me. The Aussie screams again as I approach the place where Varon lies with fear in his eyes. A fellow Predator with eyes like dying stars is on top of him. Fast little beggar. Can't believe he got from the Bread Path to the forest so fast. I jump of my perch and down to the ground. Practically flying, practically flying. I don't feel the damage. With a smile I ram into the Predator as it shrieks. Varon stares into my eyes.
"Your eyes are like dying stars." He mumbles.
"Get out of here Varon. Unless you really want to die." I sigh.
The runs off as the thing that is not a wolf as that would mean that I to am a wolf bites into me. I am not a wolf. Was not a wolf. Because wolves and Predators are different. Wolves have eyes like dying stars and tears of green on them. I don't have tears, yet. But I will. He bites into me again and I resigned to my fate allow him to. If he's distracted by me then Varon and Ameruda will be fine. Poor Ameruda doesn't even know what's happening. Ameruda, wait, I never told h-