He was in an open field, tall pale grass swayed back and forth on a gentle breeze. The air was cool and crisp. The two moons glowed brightly in the sky, but the bigger moon, Eris, that’s what Luna had called it, glowed brighter than the other, illuminating everything around him in a silvery light. No clouds dared to obstruct the view of the heavens. Stars dotted the sky for as far as he could see. Never had he seen anything like this; this must have been what it looked like on Earth before light pollution. Darius stood in awe, taking in the sight. There was suddenly movement to his side. A large rock overlooking the field was the only obstruction to the serene view, and atop it was the largest wolf Darius had ever seen. The beast was easily the size of two sedans stacked on top of each other and just as wide. Majestic pale fur covered the beast with rivulets of gold locks woven throughout. Two pools of gold eyes met his. Intelligence and cunning, that’s what those eyes held, and something else: divinity. Darius knew what or rather who he was looking at; he was looking at Eris, the Goddess of the celestial wolves. And she was glorious; the power radiating through his dream, because this was what he assumed it was, was palpable. It was the very air he breathed, and he knew that with a word he would cease to exist.
“Lost one, traveler, stranger of this world. It has been some time since I have interacted with one of your kind.”
The goddess spoke directly into his mind. She was laying on the rock looking at him, but as she spoke her mouth did not move.
“I am humbled by your presence great goddess Eris.”
Darius bowed his head in a show of respect.
“Most would prostrate themselves in my presence, boy.”
The goddess’s tone didn’t sound angry or accusatory; it sounded curious, perhaps.
Darius bowed deeper, but he didn’t fall to his knees.
“I mean no disrespect, goddess, but I serve another.”
The wolf tilted her head to the side and looked at him. He saw mirth and amusement dance in her eyes.
“So, it seems, young one. Fear not, your behavior is appropriate in our world where gods are many. Not all take kindly to their subjects showing favor over another.”
Darius breathed a sigh of relief. He knew this was a dream, but it was certainly more than that and he knew this goddess could end him if she wanted to. He was in a camp of her followers for god’s sake… goddess’s sake? Anyway, he was worried what would happen. He knew he was risking not falling to his knees and bowing to her, but he still had his faith and his God had rules against that.
“I do not speak to you because you are special or unique, young one. Make no mistake, I have seen many of your kind come and go like the tide. However, you saved one of my precious children, and for that I am grateful. Aisha is important to me, though she doesn’t know it yet.”
Darius didn’t say anything, he kept his head bowed. She might have thought her words would discourage him, but he was secretly happy. He thought a god popping up on his second day meant he was integral to this world and was going to have to save it or something. Talk about exhausting. He just wanted to fight some monsters and use some magic; he didn’t want to be a prophesied hero or anything.
“It was my pleasure, goddess; it was really Luna who saved Aisha and myself, truth be told. Those monsters would have ripped us apart if she hadn’t showed up when she did.”
The Goddess nodded her large head, and her fur shimmered with that celestial light the other wolves had.
“True perhaps, but she would have been devoured if you hadn’t stalled for as long as you did. That alone is worthy of a gift.”
Darius’s head popped up, and his mouth fell open.
“I’m going to be able to turn into a wolf!”
The wolf threw her head back, and he heard a husky laugh fill his head.
“No, not the true gift, young one. As thankful as I am, you are not one of my chosen.”
Darius's head fell a bit. I guess it was too good to be true, he thought to himself.
“Fear not, you will not receive the true gift but something close. Now sleep, you have an interesting day ahead of you.”
Darius’s vision darkened, and a voice spoke in his mind.
[Blessing of the Celestial Wolf Bestowed]
The rest of his sleep went uninterrupted.
--
Luna shook her head for the hundredth time. She was sure it was all just a regular dream. The idea that her goddess visited this outsider who hadn’t even been in the world for two days properly was something she refused to believe and who could blame her?
“Look, I’m not saying you’re lying, but our goddess doesn’t even talk to other clan members other than the matriarch and priestess.”
Darius sighed. He didn’t know how to convince her, but he knew what he saw and even she admitted the description of her goddess was what she recalled but that still wasn’t enough. That was fine with Darius, but he wanted to know what this gift was. He knew he wasn’t going to turn into a wolf, and he didn’t feel any different. He shrugged; things would reveal themselves in time.
“So when are we going to meet this matriarch?”
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He took a bite of the bread and the sweet berries that were given to him for breakfast. It wasn’t what he was used to having for breakfast, but it sufficed.
“Soon, she is currently discussing the route we will head next with the elders. Afterwards, you will have your audience.”
Darius nodded in between bites. Life had become so strange overnight. Just two days ago he was on his way across the country in another universe. Maybe this was the same universe but how would he even be able to tell? Now he sat amongst shape-shifting wolf nomads and dreamt about gods. The wonder was starting to wear off, and he felt the fear and uncertainty begin to creep into the back of his mind.
How do I get home? Do I even want to go home? Has my mom or dad heard about the accident? Are they worried? Did time stop for me in that world and if I go back will I pick up from where I left off?
So many questions and no answers. At the very least, no answers here in this camp. He would have to explore and learn more. He thought about his parents. They didn’t leave on the best of terms, but it wasn’t the worst. They had been disappointed he didn’t want to go to college right out of high school and took off across the country. He guessed they were right in one sense, look where he ended up. His mom would be devastated. His dad too, but he knew the toll it would take on his mom. He wished he could send a message out, to let them know he was okay. He was surrounded by werewolves eating bread and wondering if he would turn on a night with a full moon.
Not now, sad thoughts were for later. There was much to do and much to learn. If he dwelled on all the thoughts that arose, it would paralyze him. First, the fear would plague him, and that would make him indecisive, and from there he would sit in the corner of the tent, numb and crippled. No, he could have died in that accident; instead, he was in another world. Where magic was real, and gods were tangible things. He would make the best of it. He would be an adventurer. He would see all that this world had to offer. He would slay dragons and sail across numerous seas. He would win and fail and love. He would try to find a way home; he didn’t know if he would go, but just knowing would be a gift itself. So, Darius smiled. He was ready for what awaited him.
--
Darius was terrified. He didn’t know what to expect. He thought he would just be sitting around a tent talking to the leader of the clan about how he saved Aisha. Instead, he felt like he was on trial, and he didn’t know why. No, he knew why, Luna had told him it was forbidden for him to be within the clan.
They were inside the largest tent within the camp. He couldn’t imagine what a headache it would be to take this thing down. You could fit thirty people in the tent comfortably; it was strewn about with comfy cushions and tapestries depicting wolves in various sceneries. There were ornaments hanging from the ceiling, some made of bones from what animal he wouldn’t have known, but there was one that looked like a rhino except the skull was the shape of a guinea pig.
Seated cross-legged on a large comfy cushion was the matriarch. Silver-haired and dark-skinned. She must have been related to Luna; they shared the same eyes. She looked to be in her fifties, but something in her eyes told me she was older. Though she was in human form everything about her face screamed wolfish. Perhaps it was the giant grey pelt that covered her shoulders. Next to her stood the priestess of Eris. She looked more shaman than priestess to Darius’s eyes. She was lighter than the matriarch and had a more angular face. Her hair was jet black with streaks of white and the wrinkles on her face were more defined. She too wore a pelt, but she carried a staff of pristine wood with a wolf's head carved into the top and various ornaments hung from it. Darius could make out various runes carved into the wood.
A grunt from the matriarch made his eyes snap back to her.
“It is not custom for us to host guests within our camp. However, my granddaughter found it important that we let you stay with us.”
Darius swallowed; this lady was intimidating to say the least.
“I understand it is not your ways to harbor strangers, matriarch. I am grateful that your people have allowed me to stay here while I recover. As I’m sure Luna has told you, I am not native to this world, and I would have been dead within the first day if it wasn’t for Luna’s interference.”
“Whether you had perished is not our concern. We don’t make it a habit to save souls that Noctwyn has already claimed especially those that aren’t our own. Though gratitude is in order. Your interference saved one of our precious children. Aisha would have perished without your fortuitous appearance.”
Darius got the impression that she wasn’t impressed and that if he hadn’t saved the child, he wouldn’t have even learned what a celestial wolf was. He would have been filling the bellies of the monsters that night.
“I am glad I was able to delay them until Luna appeared, the great goddess Eris told me how important Aisha is to the clan.”
He said this without meeting the matriarch’s eyes; he knew it was a gamble to invoke the goddess’s name, and he doubted they would believe him, but he got tired of this woman looking at him like the filth beneath her boots.
Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Luna tense up at the mention of Eris. He looked up and saw the matriarch and the priestess share a glance.
“You claim our goddess spoke to you, boy? And why would she do that I wonder.”
Darius met her eyes evenly.
“Well, she was doing what you are doing, matriarch. She was showing her gratitude.”
He took pleasure in seeing her scowl; he knew he had hit a nerve. He didn’t know why she seemed to hate outsiders so much. He figured there was a story there; he would have to ask Luna about it later.
“What was it the goddess said to you?”
The way she said it gave Darius the impression she didn’t believe him.
“She said I was deserving of a gift for saving Aisha. Not the true gift that you and your clan enjoy. I don’t know what this gift is myself but she…”
Darius stopped mid-sentence as he heard chanting coming from the priestess. Her eyes were closed, and she made circular movements with her staff. Suddenly she pointed it at him, and a ball of light flew towards him. He tried to duck out of the way, but it came at him too fast. His world suddenly lit up, and there were three spheres with an image orbiting him. One was of a man speaking to several other people who looked different from each other. He saw what could be an elf, a dwarf, and some other humanoid with a horn in the middle of its head. The second was of a man sitting cross-legged, seemingly meditating, and the third was of a wolf howling at the moon.
Darius was stunned. Magic, he was looking at magic; he could feel the power shimmering around him. Would he be able to do that as well? Conjure fire, call storms to do his bidding. He was shaking with anticipation. Then he looked up and saw something he didn’t expect. Shock. Everyone present shared the same expression, complete and utter shock.
“Impossible. That’s not possible.”
The matriarch couldn’t believe this was happening. She was sure the boy was lying. She was skeptical of him being from another world, but his clothes lent credence to that tale. When he dared to say he spoke to the goddess she was sure what this was all about now. He was a spy trying to ingratiate himself to the clan, for what means she didn’t know though she had a few guesses. But a gift being bestowed by the wolf mother. Impossible, to an outsider no less. Yet there it was glistening in the air. A blessing and two others hovered among it as well.
“It is true, matriarch; the boy bears the mark of Eris.”
The priestess’s voice was soft but clear.
Something battled across the matriarch’s face for a moment until finally she sighed.
“I don’t know what the goddess is thinking but if she sees something in you worth bestowing a blessing then who am I to argue. As of this day you shall be a friend of the celestial wolves.”
Luna looked relieved and smiled at Darius. Even the priestess gave Darius a small smile. He met the eyes of the matriarch.
“You honor me.”