Fenrir

The door shut with a click that echoed down the empty halls. She was right, I did have a bed in the room. Too bad I was far more comfortable outside under the moonlight. The scent of the trees. The cool brush of the wind. The beautiful stars staring down at me. The chirps of the cicadas were more than just white noise to me, and the dew on the grass in the early morning was somehow refreshing to wake up to in the morning. everything coming together felt... right. It felt like home.

Or at least as close to home as I could get, anyways.

As I neared the usual spot in the park I thought about my blonde haired partner. What had come over me after our talk? Me and Nova were always rather... close... We weren't blood related or anything, but I'd never felt this... uncomfortable? I didn't know the word. All I did know was that my stomach went swimmy when I looked up into her electric blue eyes and my heart beat much faster than in any hunt I could remember.

I sighed, reaching the clearing and climbing into my favorite tree. Hopefully laying down and relaxing would clear my mind a little bit. The third branch up gave me the perfect viewing of the moon which was now slowly disappearing as the nights progressed. I stretched out and got about as comfortable as I could on a large, wooden tree branch and looked up into the clear night sky.

As stupid as it was, I couldn't help but feel a little comfort looking up at the sky, thinking about the moon and stars. We'd always been taught that our ancestors became stars when they died so they could continue to watch and guide us. Maybe, just maybe, that wasn't just afterlife garbage and someone up there could give me a sign that I'm in the right place and doing what I should. ...Please?

Seconds passed. The cicadas seemed to get a little louder as my heart thumped in my chest, waiting for some stupid supernatural sign. It never came, of course, but I couldn't help but give a wistful sigh as I turned on my side and closed my eyes for the night.

Fire. The town was on fire. My ears were ringing as I pushed myself up off the ground. I turned at looked at the source of the explosion, a large flaming ball that had fallen from the sky. Debris had been blown all over the plaza, and several people lay collapsed on the ground. A woman a few feet from me twitched, and I hurried over to try and help.

I turned her onto her back and instantly noticed the large metal shard jutting out from her stomach. I caught my breath and fell on my backside as she coughed and blood spewed from her mouth.

"You..." she opened her eyes, full of malice, and pointed a shaking finger towards me, "You caused this, didn't you? You and that curse..." Her hand fell to the dirt and she weakly clawed her fingers through the ground towards me, attempting to drag herself in my direction. "I'll kill you... I'll kill you... I'll kill you..." she chanted as she pulled her body toward me. Fear gripped my heart as I tried to force myself back in vain. Her hand finally landed on my foot, but the chanting came to a halt. My body trembled too much for words as I could do nothing but wait.

I kicked my foot, holding back the urge to scream, as her hand fell limply to the side. Blood pooled around her body, and my eyes widened.

"H-hello? Miss?" I stood up, my body shaking, and lifted her head. Her eyes had lost their anger, now glazed over, and her mouth hung open as blood slowly dripped down. My stomach felt as if it had been stabbed as I dropped her head. I doubled over and wretched again and again until acidic bile burned my throat and splashed onto the ashen ground. I coughed and heaved, trying to get rid of the pain as I noticed the tears streaming down my face. Why was this happening? What was going on?

I finally found the strength to stand as the ringing in my ears finally died down, only to be replaced by the shouts and screams of men, women and children. Some screamed in pain, others in fear, and others shouted insults. Who would do that during all of this chaos? Shouldn't we be trying to help each other? I needed to talk to mother.

Mother! I forced my legs to move in the direction of the house. Mother and Nova might need help, and father was out hunting. The fires had grown over the houses, and several streets were blocked by flaming wreckage, but I found my way to the house. The roof was blazing and I feared the worst as I forced open the door and rushed inside.

"Mom! Nova! Where are you?!"

"Fenrir! Oh, my baby! I'm so happy you're okay!" her voice called from the next room. I sprinted in and gasped as I saw her collapsed form stuck underneath a rafter that had fallen from the weakened ceiling. I ran to her as fast as I could, trying my best to lift the wood off of her. "Sweetie, no, listen to me! You have to leave, now! Find your sister and father and leave! I need you to be safe!"

"No, I'm not leaving you!" I yelled back as I grunted and again tried hefting the rafter up. She was about to yell at me again when a crash came from the front door. Footsteps loudly stomped through the house until three bodies walked through the door. A large, gruff man with an enormous hammer lead the group, flanked by a surprisingly small woman with a sword and a tall, thin man with a bow on his back.

"Ah, there you are," the leader said with an ugly smirk. His face was covered in scars, his right side bearing most of the damage. His right eye was strangely silver with a fairly large scar reaching down from his hairline over his brow and eye. He reached up and scratched the gruff stubble around his jaw. "Sorry, kid, no hard feelings but everyone's gotta go."

"No! You're not touching my son!" mother yelled at the trio from behind me.

The giant opened his eyes in surprise. "Someone else here? Lucky us," he finished with a chuckle. "Valeria? Why don't you take care of these two?"

The woman nodded and stepped forward, drawing her blade and pointing it at my chest. "Move." The right side of her face was covered in a porcelain mask, yet it did nothing to dull her murderous gaze. Her black shoulder-length hair was streaked with a royal purple more intense than I'd ever seen. The ease and comfort with which she moved her sword spoke volumes about the endless experience she had with her weapon.

I should have been afraid, like I was earlier. I should have been shaking with fear as I stood between this woman and my mother. But I wasn't. I stood, blocking this woman with my arms outstretched, more confident than I've ever felt before in my five years in this town. I had no idea what was going on, or why, but no one was going to lay a hand on my mother.

She seemed surprised by my determination. She lowered her weapon for a fraction of a second before raising it back to me.

"You've got guts, kid, I'll give you that." She raised her blade and I heard my mother shout behind me, but I couldn't make out the words as Valeria's sword sliced down my torso. The pain was so intense my vision went black as my body tumbled to the floor. The sound of flames and collapsing buildings, the shouting and screaming of voices, my mother's voice, everything died out as my vision came back to me slowly. I watched the woman walk to my mother and bring her raised sword straight down into her throat, severing her spine.

I could've sworn I heard my heart shatter. The weapon slid out of her neck as fast as it had entered. Blood, more than I knew a body could hold, spilled from the orifice as my mother's head rested lifeless on the floor. Her once beautiful brown eyes gave one last flash of life as they met mine before glazing over with the curse and blessing of the afterlife. I would make them pay. I'd make them all pay.

I had no strength, no weapon, nothing to fight back with. But I was going to try anyways. I don't know how, but I forced myself forward, dragging my body forward. "I'll kill you... I'll kill you... I'll kill you..."

I grabbed onto her boot, seething hate as I tried to drag her down, but she only laughed and pulled away.

"Nice try, kid. Come on, let's get out of here." She turned and left the room with her two partners, leaving me alone as my vision again faded slowly to black.

"No... Please... Come back... Don't leave... Don't leave me alone... Please..."

And with that, I was awake again. Sweat was pouring down my face and I was panting with anger. I drew a dagger and stabbed it as deep into the tree as I could with a shout. The moon was still up so I couldn't have been asleep for too long, but I cursed myself for getting so worked up over a dream.

I drew my dagger and jumped from the tree. I needed a walk to calm down or something. I was just about to sheathe my weapon, but something made me freeze. I sensed someone was watching me, and I slowly turned to face the dark to see a figure standing there, watching me.

"Hey there, Fen," came the voice of a woman about my age. She sounded familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on it at all. "What's got you riled up, love?"

"Who's there? Step into the light," I called out to her, drawing my other dagger slowly.

I heard her laugh as she stepped forward, and I braced myself for anything. Her clothes were strangely casual, just a simple blouse and jeans. Her long, wavy black hair reached down to her lower back and was topped by two wolf ears, meaning she was a faunus like me. She was about my height, maybe a few inches shorter. She didn't seem to be carrying any weapons, surprisingly.

Despite all this, I had no idea who she was, but she seemed to know me. I was about to ask who she was, but she spoke before me.

"Come on, love, don't tell me you don't recognize your own wife. You know who I am." She took a few steps towards me.

"I don't, actually," I responded, stepping back, "and I'm pretty sure I'm not married."

"Fine. It's probably easier this way," she said back as a large halberd seemingly materialized in her hands. "You know, you've never forgiven yourself for letting everyone die. Don't you think it's time you let that go?"

I grit my teeth and gripped my daggers. Who does she think she is? Like I had a choice. I was a five year old kit who'd never even held a weapon.

"Your plan for revenge is going to fail, you know."

Bullshit. I'd find those three someday. I had to.

"You'll never have the skill your father had, either."

My body shook with anger. "Never compare me to that man," I spat at her.

She smiled darkly before opening her mouth again. "You were just a burden on your mother, you know. Everyone hated you except for her, and everyone shunned her for it. Her friends and family dropped her the moment she decided to love you."

My vision grew red as I lost control and sprinted towards her, my daggers aimed right at her throat.