Chapter Twenty-Two
----------------------------------------
Mother met me at the edge of the forest, as I swooped down to land in front of her. “Hello, Aella.” I nod. “Hello, Mother.” “So you have finally gained a Name, then?” “Yes. I am Aella the Sentinel now. And I remember. I remember everything.” My eyes glowed ominously. “Good. We have a problem, however. A human army showed up recently, and began to destroy parts of the forest. They have killed many creatures, and I would have had to sacrifice part of my forest to kill them. But you are back now. And I do not believe you will let them live.” I nod, a wolfish smile spreading over my face. “I’m back. It is time for my vengeance!” I howl.
----------------------------------------
On the outskirts of the forest, Winter's keen ears picked up a sound that sent shivers down her spine. It was a howl, yet it carried the weight of a roar, echoing through the trees with purpose. Using her skill for understanding the creatures of the forest, she deciphered the message hidden within the mysterious voice. "I'm back. It is time for my vengeance."
The voice, reminiscent of a wolf but saturated with an primordial power, left Winter with a sense of dread. Turning to her companion Sylvanus, the Mistwood Tiger, she saw fear in his eyes. "What is it, Syl?" she asked, desperate for answers.
Sylvanus's reply sent a chill down her spine. "That was the Alpha of the Shattered Moon Clan. The Claw of the Mother." But there was more to the story.
As Winter pieced together the puzzle, she realized the true identity of the Alpha. A Fenrir, like the legendary beasts of the Violent Sea and the Night Flames. The connection to the Mother Tree, the dryad protector of the forest, heightened the gravity of the situation. The Alpha's quest for vengeance was driven by a deep sense of duty to protect the sacred land from human invaders.
With the knowledge that the Alpha had been growing stronger in exile for years, Winter pondered the best course of action. Should they warn the humans of the impending threat? Sylvanus's answer was swift and decisive. No. The consequences of such a warning would be catastrophic, inviting destruction and chaos upon them.
As the forest trembled with anticipation, Winter knew that they must stand united against the wrath of the Alpha. Only by embracing their bond with nature could they hope to weather the storm that was about to descend upon the humans.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
----------------------------------------
I arrived at Sanctuary swiftly, greeted by curious creatures as I made my way through the forest. Among them, I spotted Shade, a black wolf I had trained in shadow magic years ago. "Hello, Shade. It's good to see you," I greeted her with a wolfish smile. She bowed her head respectfully.
“Could you inform the right wolves that we will have a celebration today?” She nodded and ran off to spread the news. Turning to another creature, I suggested taking some younglings out for a hunt to feed the pack. The howls and roars of agreement echoed through the clearing.
As I directed another wolf to bring a message to Selene, a thought struck me. "Mother, where are these humans?" I asked the dryad, and she kindly provided me with directions. With a powerful leap, I soared through the treetops, landing in a clearing where the problem lay.
Mother dismounted from my back as I approached the forest's edge, surrounded by concerned dryads. “Can someone give me a report?” I asked, turning to a familiar face named Aster. She detailed the situation, explaining how an army of around 1000 threatened the forest's safety.
I shifted into my nimble-form, a small wolf with dragon paws and no wings, and climbed a tree to wait
As I prepared to face the pests endangering our home, I felt a surge of determination to protect Sanctuary and its inhabitants. Today, we would stand together and defend our sacred land from any who dared to harm it.
----------------------------------------
I was almost dozing off when the humans finally left their camp. My tail wrapped around the branch, I watched as they approached the trees. Four red cloaked humans, and one with a ridiculously tall and pointy hat and red and gold robes stepped forward. As they began their spell, I couldn't help but chuckle at their inefficient casting. I mean, come on, I put more effort into deciding which rabbit to chase.
I decided to have a little fun and cast Dispel Magic, sending their faces into a hilarious frenzy. Their expressions ranged from anger to confusion to pure dismay. I could almost see the steam coming out of their ears! It was comedy gold.
But of course, all good things must come to an end. I was eventually spotted around ten minutes later, much to my surprise. I mean, I was practically rolling on the forest floor in laughter. What took them so long to notice me? As the humans started shooting arrows at me, which shattered harmlessly on my fur, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. So rude.
When one of the mages tried to use [Wind Blade] on me, I simply dispelled it again. "Mother is becoming slightly upset," I warned them, giving a wolfish grin in return. The mage in the funny hat spouted some nonsense about destroying the forest, which only made me chuckle. "You really shouldn't make Mother angry. It's terribly unhealthy, I'm afraid."
The funny hat guy insisted that they would never flee, boasting about the might of the Iocus Kingdom. I couldn't help but scoff. "You're as weak as a newborn bunny. Not even worthy prey. Unless you taste good. Wendigo is pretty good..."
As I rummaged through my spatial storage for a wendigo leg to munch on, I started to lose interest. "Go tell your boss to scurry along like the insignificant gnats you are," I said dismissively before retreating back into the cover of the trees. Oh, the things you see when you're a wolf with a front-row seat to human stupidity!