A world

The fraud from the Asark priesthood is something that annoys most werewolves. The priests who are supposed to be holy having more than one wife are the most ridiculous thing in Asark. There are so many debates surrounding why it is supposed to be so. But not many people have come out to go against it. In short, no one has.

Arnou used to question it but ever since he became a priest, he acknowledged the weakness of it. How unfair it is to the Felans. He has been having thoughts about many things in recent times. He doesn't even want to get married. The spiritual wives of priests in Noguchi are treated worse than criminals. And if a spiritual wife gives birth to a child acknowledged as the next priest, she will be made to stop reproducing and left alone to live in her room, till her death. In most cases, the Felans usually die before their husbands and the next priest is given the title. But Arnou's mother is one hell of a woman who didn't die in all her days in isolation.

And since his father died, he has been looking for ways to get his mother out. If it would require that he betray the oath he took. The goddess should understand. And if he got caught by the law, his actions would at least incite revolution in most people. They would want to change that.

Before he slept last night, he had thought of what to do. He thought of the wrongs in their society. What he could do to improve the situation.

"Arnou," a voice called him. His eyes opened immediately and he saw himself in a different world from when he slept.

"Arnou," the voice called again. It was distorted at first. It became clearer and sort of familiar the second time. He looked around. He didn't see anyone call him. He didn't see anything in this world that he is in. It's just an Empty space. It's like a wide arena without an end.

"Arnou," the voice came again. But clear. A figure came into sight. Arnou could recognise the voice now. It's his father's. He hasn't seen the figure. He walked towards the figure. And his dad became visible.

"Father,"

"Yes, Arnou," his father opened his arms wide. He walked towards Arnou. Arnou gave him a wide embrace. It's been months since his father died. Not up to a Asark's year, but it's been long.

"Father, what are you doing here? How are you here?" Arnou looked around one more time. He grabbed his right arm. He pinched himself to check his consciousness.

"This isn't a dream," Arnou said.

"It's not. It's as real as everything in the universe," his father replied with a smile. And for once, he saw his father in a good light. His father looked different from what he was before he died. He is younger.

"And why is everywhere Empty,"

"It's our space. Me and you. We are in the bond that brought us together. We are atop everything in our universe," his father said.

"Why? Why is it just me and you?"

"There need not be any interference by anyone,"

"And what if there?"

"There can't be. Not everyone in Asark could do this. Just you and the Ultimate Alphas,"

"We are both here because of your will. Your will to do what you term as right. But not what is right," his father said.

"And what are those?" Arnou asked.

"Ever since you became a priest, all your wishes to release your mother, expose the fact that there are worlds beyond Asark, and every other thing you have learnt has awakened me,"

"So this is the awakening he was talking about," Arnou said, referring to the Elderwolf.

"Have you seen the world outside here?" He asked his father.

"Yes! And it's beautiful. Vast and magnificent," his father said.

"It's a world where there is the sun, and there is the moon. The moon doesn't appear once in seven years. It appears every thirty days. Their world is bright,"

"Why do you and other elders keep letting us live in Asark,"

"We are a curse. A big curse. The worst curse that could plague the entire world,"

"How so,"

"We are a hybrid between a dying goddess and a dying wolf," his father said.


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The first time Derin took his son to his wife. It was on his tenth birthday. She had grown thinner than the last time he saw her. He came about two months ago or something. He is forbidden by every law of the land to see her, but he couldn't help it.

"Who is he?" She asked. Her voice sounds frail. She doesn't have any strength in her. She gets fed. But isn't allowed to go out. She was told that she had become an embodiment of the goddess. An icon of holiness, hence no one should see her just anyhow.

"He is your son?" He pushed Arnou towards her.

"Oh! Dear Arnou. Look! Look!!" She took him to a wall where she had written his name. He saw the names of two other people. According to what he heard, he had two elder sisters and an elder brother. But both of them had died while they were young. Arnou believed the story told to him by his father.

"I knew you would come back to me," she hugged him. She is tiny, but not to the extent of having no fat at all. Arnou loved her arm around him.

"Father told me many stories about you,"

"How good of him," she smiled at her son. Arnou couldn't believe the sort of room his mother was in. A large room with a bed, and a toilet at a corner. It has a kitchen and foodstuffs. She cooks and does all her business indoors.

Derin looked at the woman who had begotten his best son. How he had fallen for her during their days of intercourse. He hoped she had loved him all these while too. He wanted to do right by her, but there is no way to do that. And the best way is to bring Arnou to see her.

He feels bad about the fact that he had to kill his other three children who weren't selected as the priest-to-be. He had killed them with his hand. It was not his fault. It's what the law wanted.

"Mom! I will help you get out of here. You won't be here forever. When I grow up like my father, I will get you out of here," he promised. His mother smiled.

"I know you will, son! I know you will," she cried and hugged him one more time.

Derin dragged his son away from her respectfully.

"He has to go," he mouthed to her. His presence in her room causes him distress, but he had to.

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Dun knows better than rushing to the Volde pack to share information with Skoll. It's been two weeks since she and Skoll had agreed. Skoll hasn't given her enough information to convince her of who killed her daughter, but she doesn't mind sharing him information.

The first time she gave him information about the Ultimate Luna and Elvis. He wondered how that piece of information was useful to him. He knew they were friends. Very close one. But why does she have to make it an important issue? She noticed the disappointment on his face.

The second time they met, she told him about Audolf and other things that went on, in the palace. And she mentioned Elvis and the Ultimate Luna.

"Do you mean both of them go into the woods, just for walks?" Skoll asked her. She could feel the restraint in his voice. He was trying his best not to get angry.

"Yes! And I have been with them once. It's just Edon, her, and maybe two maids,"

"I see," Skoll agreed.

But today, she fell out of favour with the Ultimate Luna. The ultimate Luna called her. She needed her advice on something but Dun didn't reply. The Ultimate Luna sent her maids countless times.

The Ultimate Luna knocked on her door, but this time without Elvis. She frowned at her. Told her that it was by chance that she was there. By chance, her son Leowulf knows her daughter. They were only trying to console her.

"We owe you nothing," the ultimate Luna fired at her and left the room.

Dun felt insulted. Her heart beat faster. She felt cheated. She could swear that Leowulf was the one who killed her daughter. But this is the son of the highest authority in Asark. If she was to take revenge, it has to be in a diplomatic manner.

She went where she and Skoll agreed to meet. On a particular tree, she wrote "same as the others" and returned to the palace. She went straight to the Ultimate Luna to apologize. Both of them apologized. Dun smiled.

"What is done is done. And what has to be done, must be done," she said under her breath and returned to her room.