A red moon shimmers through the thick of jealous clouds. A steady beating of pants and growls fill the veld. A startled Wartarg hooves it to the nearest borrow. The stench of blood sits thick in the air.
A man or rather half of him points towards the source of the blood. His transformed body is thinly muscular. His fur like the rest of families is red, from clay. The clay is found in only one place in the higher Delta. His ancestral hunting ground simply called Perrinfield.
Five silhouettes rise from the tall yellow grass behind, Thier fur blends well in the night and tall grass.
"We have to find her before those filthy mongrels do," Says Sipho the youngster to blame for all this. He had forgotten to take his red herb during the Savage Moon.
His alpha, a one eyed long toothed, Kishin killer and father, who stood before him more grey than red no matter how much clay he put on growled disapprovingly at him. Instead of answering he used his rite forcing them to follow deeper into the deathly still of the Delta.
His brood brother Thabo says to the pack "At least her scent is stronger tonight I'm sure we are only a few minutes behind your," Thabo turns to Sipho intending to bite,when a sudden flash of fury strikes Thabo.
Thabo whimpers out in pain, as Sipho attacks him in the middle of the hunt. The two Unbonded claw at each other. Second is a rather thick built warhound, throws himself in between the boys and with his hind legs kicks Sipho in the jaw ending the squabble. Nothing had to be said everyone knew why only Sipho had been reprimanded. Equally the others had not even stopped to observe they knew better.
Second says realising to late that Sipho had only meant to remind his brood brother of his position in the band. "You shouldn't have brought him if you are going to act this way, we are here at the mercy of the First, to help you." Sipho who would normally have leashed out at the warhound has no choice but to fall back since exactly like the wardog said they are all here because of him. Sipho spits as he picks himself off the ground. Second didn't even bother to growl since the band is only for the night after all.
Thabo joins a green eyed, half white half red runt at the back. Sipho falls in behind Second. As a warhound Second is his alpha's instrument in all matters first being discipline. Second turns back at looking at Sipho as his jaw cracks back into returning to its normal length.
Even thou Thabo is at the back, he has the best nose in the pack. Thus he shoots towards the familiar scent they have been following for almost a week. Thabo has not said anything but he knows this smell. A newly bitten who will never complete the moon mothers embrace. He smiles the amount of shame Sipho will have to suffer for not only being stupid enough to fall under the influence of the Savage Moon but also to have shared his gift with human girl. Thabo can hear some of the pack elders in the back of his head already. He wonders how far they will take the foreboding. Sipho's father is alpha but even that can only lessen the punishment not save him from it.
The grassland is vast, and due to them not being quite most animals have hidden themselves away. Thabo howls signalling to the rest , Second jumps infront Thabo. Second had used his bane. Seconds body has bulged in an instant doubling his mass, strength, speed well beyond the limits of normal.
A slender arm had pierced his side, his sliver blood drips into his red fur. Second grabs onto the arm and yells, "Now you fools! while I can still hold her move," Seconds voice is deep and coarse like sea salt. The only one who had unleashed himself was the ever prudent runt of the pack Kwanele. Being mostly wolf now he had faster speed than his older brood brothers, who were still shocked that she had managed to hurt Second.
Kwanele bites at the half transformed, crooked twisted right leg of the girl. 'Humans never fair well during the embrace at least if a Kishin had bitten her it would have been better,' Kwanele thinks to himself before remembering that most humans die no matter which of the Scared beasts bite them. The taste of her blood is extremely sweet, he bites down harder.
Sipho, taps his brood brother, using his presence for courage. Sipho had heard stories but to see for himself how the embrace can twist a human is shocking. Sipho has been around violence most of his life so he use to seeing bodies. However she looked so unnatural to him nothing like the girl he has known for the past five years. He doesn't even recognizes her scent which always smelled of fresh Jacaranda. His heart is beating faster, as he gets closer to her. For the past week he has not been able to say her name. He did this to her even if consensual, he didn't expect the effects to be servere or immediate.
Sipho and Thabo use a lesser bane to make themselves stronger to restrain the girl. Since they had to involve the Alpha and Omega, Sipho could only hope that his father would kill her quickly. As Alpha of the hunting band, the only one allowed to kill is the Alpha.
The girls struggle is wild, the snapping and twisting of her bones mean nothing to her. Her once sliver hair has spread all over her body. Sipho who is holding her by the neck whispers into her ear. "I'm sorry Nomagugu, I love you."
The Alpha edges closer, his eye shine bright purple having activated his Bane. All the other band members eyes have also turned a light shade of yellow in response. The Alpha used his more human right hand to grab her face and looked deep into her eyes. A strange wicked smile came across his face. His blood lust filling the air.
Sipho has heard the stories of his father's band bond but this is beyond the stories. The only thing that comes close was when he had to clean up after a battle with a rival pack. That day his parents the Alpha and Omega alongside with only three other pack members had devastated a pack of over a hundred in a single hour. That's was also the day he found Nomagugu and took her as his spoil. At the time he found her to pretty to kill even if he found her surrounded by seven dismembered bodies which he later found out were her brothers who had been killed by the rival pack before Thabo's father killed them. The whole thing had been the worst thing to ever happen to Nomagugu who is herself no stranger to suffering in blood. First her family had been systematically hunted for years by the Tureg pack. Then when the Broken Moon pack saved her it came too late for her family. She always told Sipho she never knew why the Tureg pack would hunt a family of humans it's not like their are beastslayers anything in her family.
The Alpha says, his fingers extending with nothing short of malice "I can see why he likes you girl." Second hand slips a little as his blood makes it hard to maintain grip of the twisted form in front of him. The Alpha thrust his hand forward right passed Nomagugu into Kwanele.
The runts eyes open wide in shock, his heart beats painful. It is gripped by the Alpha, Kwanele feels ever fibre of his being ripped as his heart is pulled out of his chest effortlessly...Kwanele young innocent body slumps over unnaturally reverting back to his limited human form, the once mighty wolf now only a man. Not even a man a boy barely fourteen.
Sipho and Thabo both unable to grasp what's happening loosen there grip in the moment. Thabo moves quivering towards the boy's lifeless body. Kwanele had only been there with them because of him. Thabo thought this would be a great way for Kwanele to gain the recognition of the Alpha and show off his bane. Second struggles even as the calm ever calculating Alpha places the heart carefully into the girls mouth.
"Kwanele, wake up." The tears rimmed Thabo's eyes. He touched Kwanele's body, Thabo didn't know what else to do. He had felt the band bond fade between him and Kwanele.The pain he felt affected the whole band. They felt his pain as he did. Sipho fell to his knees overcome by emotion.
Nomagugu chewed Kwanele's heart. At first a timid nibble then the embrace consumed her. She devoured it after a few short moments. Second releases as soon as she had turned ravenous on the heart.
Thabo runs his hands through the hair of Kwanele, similar to a petting motion. Thabo is wrapped in grief. Sipho to is trying to fight the overwhelming emotion coming from his friend. Thabo voice filled with bitterness of a death he can't understand says "Why did you kill him." The question almost causes Second to rush at the boy but having used all his bane in one go, he is weaking and would have to wait until morning at the very least before he would be able to threaten Thabo.
"This one, is special if I had known we would have prepared better." Says the Alpha his voice smug and with a tingle of pride. His hand still dripping blood.
"Thabo, stop..." It's all Sipho could muster to say. Thabo is able to control himself but Sipho knows his father and Thabo. Thabo is like a firefly comparing brightness with the sun.
"You! and your fucking father did this. You knew Kwanele would come...How could you do this to me, we feed from the same breast I...I" his voice trembled terrible from anguish and betrayal. Thabo's mouth losing all taste.
"I didn't," Sipho says adamant in his innocence.
"Oh then why pray tell, did I kill your friend just now?" says the Alpha, his eye focused fully on Sipho.
Sipho face contortes, he looks at his father, standing proud and then to Thabo who is holding his cousins motionless body. Sipho can't talk against his father and his words make it seem that Sipho is in fact the mastermind of this skim. Sipho unconsciously moves his hand over his scar located by his liver. A deep set of teeth marks given to him by his father for having disobeyed clan law. It was the reminder of the price his father extracted for giving Nomagugu family status.
The tears flowed from Thabo, his band bond broken. Thabo furs stood on edge, his eyes glowed yellow almost golden with Bane. "Murderers!!!"
Thabo bares his fangs at all the people present, a growl fierce for younglings snaps at Sipho. Sipho rolls back a bit in fear his fur standing on edge.
"Thabo stop you can't do this...He..He will kill you too." Sipho is in full panic Thabo had forcible broken his band bond a taboo. He also threatened his alpha a high crime and now he looks like he about to attack his alpha.
"That is true, I will kill you...However pack law says if you wish to come at me you have to kill my band and while Second is weak I doubt he is so weak to be taken by one who will probably never take a mate." The deliberate cruel jab was unnecessary from the Alpha. Thabo is beyond quelling.
Sipho frowns his face pulled by his emotions his father wants him to kill Thabo. Few Alphas would risk their children for some tradition. Sipho thou is learning first hand that the stories of his father are true. 'I guess I owe you a meal' Sipho thought to himself. Kabu a Kishin had told him that his father is called wolfsbane due to how similar the two are. Sipho had not believed him at the time. The story of battle that Shattered the Moon here the four delta families were destroyed and the pieces of the moon lost.
"Thabo, we can work this out please, believe me we are..."
swoosh a blurred Thabo lunges at Sipho. Using the lesser bane of Vor to strengthen his muscles. Thabo wants to knock out Sipho since the law is vague enough that most people accept a downed oppopanent as enough. Now that thought his mind is filled with grief and yet the years of friendship tug at what little is left of his heart. Thank would destroy the future of the Alpha through Sipho and at least that way he won't die in vein.
Sipho take a blow to the body. The one thing Sipho has never been able to do is back away from a fight. Especially with those on the level as he. Sipho who until just now thought he might be able to talk his way. disregards his emotions and fights. Sipho will always fight if brought I blows it is his natural temperament, as molded by his father.
While brood brother, Thabo was always destined for a lower caste maybe one of the hunter father caste and Sipho possible future leader of his own pack. This means that unfortunately for Thabo. Sipho is a skilled fighter especially in an unfair fight. Being in band makes one stronger depending on the number. However high numbers are difficult to maintain and even harder to control.
Sipho, who is in now in battle mode, can feel his emotions moving beyond his will."Why won't you listen to me!" his rage bubbles uncontrollably. The alphas smirks a little as he concentrates.
"Why would I listen to killers," Thabo ferments swinging his other arm towards Sipho's chest. Sipho can easily see the simple path of the fist. He is overwhelmed by a deep anger. even Second appears to angry at what's happening. Sipho who is overcome counter by biting at Thabo's neck killing him instantly.
Sipho then slams his body into the ground yelling and pounding at Thabo's body. The swipes cutting him open with his. Smashing ribs and spine. He is in a frenzy. Sipho bites again removing an arm, even as the lies open the frenzy has gripped Sipho just like the Savage Moon. Sipho wrecks Thabo. Thabo faces is a mush similar to clay with white sticks protruding out randomly. Finally he reaches his prize Thabo's heart. It is at this moment thou his father stops with a hand.
He uses the Band bond to settle his son before he consumes the heart. "That will do boy, indeed you are my son."
Sipho looks down at the body by his feet and some the other not near him at all. He remembers all of it. Unlike the Savage Moon his frenzy is a product of his lack.of emotionally control. He steps back stumbling over Nomagugu who had collapsed shortly after eating the heart. Sipho looks at her and Thabo and poor Kwanele. Innocent Kwanele. Sipho can't, his.mind won't allow him to. Second moves forward knocking Sipho. In his weakened state he needed the aid of a large rock.
"You didn't need to that, you have always been soft on him," Says The Alpha in a disappointed voice. He had been expecting something to happen, a great thing that only he has heard spoke on the ice fields.
"And you are far to hard on him, the Frost Wars are over you can be a bit more gentle," Second says moving Nomagugu over Sipho who he plans to use as a sledge since they are white the distance away from the caravan of Abada.
The Alpha raises an eyebrow "You could be just as dead."
Second stopped dead in tracks the Alpha rarely make idle threats, today could have just as easily been his funeral lucky for him. The boy had an.uncommon transformation based bane which made him idle for...
The Alpha flashed with anger be for continuing, Second realised a breath of hot air. They moved towards the caravan arriving shortly before morning...
end of prologue
"Power begest pain as it does death yet only power can give you can justice." An extract from the book of Mazklan, Second era written by Lord Uriel Suigine Noctis