Chapter 25

REID:
As the tapping sound of the Elder’s cane resounds in my ears, I start to arrange in my head the words that would enable me to have a smooth questioning with the old one.
I didn’t entirely prepare myself to be here. Only decided to when I fell into a hallucination again. This time I could not take it and so put a message through to Hunter who decided to go with me to the base of the Red Legion.
“Elder Griffith,” I start to say, swallowing a gulp swiftly to maintain composure, “is there a way you can make us understand the situation the pack is going through? The last time we were here, you mentioned something about a prophecy but neither my beta nor I understood what you meant. All we need now is a clearer understanding.”
The moment I was done speaking, the continuous tapping on the floor stops, putting a brief stop to the pressure on me. I have no idea why I am so tense around the Elder when I wasn’t even close to that the first time I was here.
The Elder’s husky voice takes over the silent air of the living area we are all seated in, “Did you go through the first stage?”
I have to think about his question for more than ten seconds. And even after that, I still had no idea what he was talking about. “What first stage?” I ask.
A single tap of his cane on the floor and he says, “The first stage of belief. That is what the ancients used to call it. It is a stage where you start to realize that the force surrounding you is not just ordinary. It is something that if care is not taken, could lead to your demise and that of those around you.”
“Can you make me understand that better?”
“Did you go through various hallucinations?” was the swift question I receive from the Elder that came with a charging tone.
I think I understand now. The situation is getting clearer. I might have underestimated the powers of the Elder which made me not believe that he knew what he was doing. More like I thought he was only scheming against me and my pack. But now, I think I have every right to believe that the Elder indeed has a connection with nature.
“I did,” I say, “as well as my beta and my pack warrior that is here with us now.” After I say that, I look in the direction of the fourth man in the room here with us.
Ryu had accompanied us after informing us of hallucinations that he went through. And after listening to him, I realize that he was going through similar situations to what Hunter and I were going through because I eventually did find out what Hunter was scared about.
The same visions of a monstrous substance that had a choking pressure had been what we had all experienced. The substance was similar to the slimy substances that had been found in three households and thus led me to a possible theory before I came down here.
With Hunter, few of the warriors that we were sure had come across the substance during the investigations, especially the warrior that had been with Ryu during the second incident, were questioned. And we found out that just like us, they were also having hallucinations of the monstrous substance. But they were too scared to say anything to anybody so as not to be tagged as cowardly.
It was after that situation did I realize that we had better meet with a body that possibly understands the situation more than we can ever do.
“...few of my warriors too.” I chip that in for the Elder. It was a way of making him know that the situation was much more critical than expected.
“And what did you all see?”
“A substance has no meaning. It was without shape, just like the pieces of evidence we found in few of the households that have experienced the crisis,”
“That is the first stage, Alpha Reid. The first stage to prove to you that the prophecy is coming back into place,” Elder Griffith says.
“Is there anything we can do about it? Please let us know because we want to prevent further crises on the pack. This is the fifth report we have received concerning the incident and we do not want it to go any further,”
I watch as the Elder closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath alongside before opening them. I quickly look in the direction of Hunter to see that he has his focus entirely on the Elder. He even looks more curious than I am.
“Let me tell you something about the prophecy,” the Elder starts with that, gripping the top of the cane harder than expected as he proceeds to speak to us. “About fifty years ago, something happened around the major packs of our territory. It was a mystery that involved the disappearances of wolflings and beasts. At first, it looked like a pack was raiding the other. But when it became intense, the major packs had to do something about it. And do you know what they did? They consulted a gifted being who told them it was beyond their reach. It was indeed beyond their reach because, at the end of it all, every living member of those packs was made extinct from the face of the earth!”
Terror. Yes, that was the word I could use to describe the tale of the Elder. And it struck a likely fear in me. Fear that was worse than even the first hallucination that involved the monstrous substance.
“Are you telling us that there is nothing we can do about it?”
“There isn’t, and there is one.”
Hunter and I exchange a knowing look because the Elder has made us more confused. Giving us two possible options was not what we came here for. But it would be wrong of me to tackle him.
“I know what you are thinking,” the Elder says which makes me shift my attention back to him as he continues to speak. “You are confused about why I choose to say those words. But listen to me first,” A pause from him and he continues in no time. “When the major packs went to meet the gifted one, he gave them an option to save their souls. Up until this day, it is unknown to my kind what it was but it involved sealing destinies together. One thing I do know is that none of them adhered to it and that is what resulted in their extinction. Now, I have a possible solution to help your pack’s situation but it would not be possible if it doesn’t involve something similar to what happened in the past,”
“Which is?”
“That the events have to be similar. It has to involve more than one pack. And through that, perhaps a possible solution could take place. That solution would also involve destinies and that is all I can say for now,”
I don’t think this is making any sense to me. Because the Elder is not even providing the solution. Only speculation that could lead to a solution which I am sure might not even be the thing we need.
‘What are your thoughts on what he said?’ I link both Hunter and Ryu at the same time.
Hunter is the first to respond, ‘If I’m to make a guess, I think he is trying to tell us to collaborate with a pack that has a similar issue. And no other pack is in this region asides from ours and the Green Dales. Trust me, I definitely wouldn’t want us to have any involvement with those bastards,’
I was not planning to be in full agreement with Hunter because I know that sentiment was involved. So I decide to ask Ryu, ‘Have you received a similar report from the Green Dales? Do you think they are experiencing what we are experiencing?’
‘Nothing has been reported from them. We just might be the only pack having such trouble,’
Seeing there was nothing near there, I speak to the Elder again, “About what you said, what do you think you should do?”
“What do you think you need to do?”
The Elder throwing back such a question at me when I have no option in mind is what I didn’t think would happen.
I shrug. “I don’t know, Elder Griffith. If it was left to me, I would have proffered a solution to the problem myself.”
The Elder stands up to his feet, looking at the three of us one after the other. It felt kind of odd to me because I don’t know if he is studying us or something.
He then speaks the words that leave my men and me in mental disarray, “What you need to do is right before your eyes. Settle the differences you have with your rivals, and maybe then will you get the solution you need.” before walking out of the room.