Fire. Smoke. Blood.
Those were the only things that Atreyu could smell. A pack from the west lands had attacked their home in the middle of the night. Setting the homes on fire and slaughtering any that tried to escape the flames.
They had even set the castle on fire. Atreyu had ran from the flames, many of the servants rushing out with her. Throughout the chaos, Atreyu tried to gather as many as she could.
"This way, quickly." She directed the group of people into the woods. "Savan." The male turned his golden eyes onto Atreyu. "Take them to Hollow Caves, the third opening inside follow it and it should protect you from anyone following."
"Your father, as his guard.."
Atreyu held her hand up to cut his sentence off. "Father and mother were slaughtered. Xiao killed them before he set the castle ablaze. Now, please. I need you to save my people."
Savan took a moment to process before he placed his hand over his chest. "As you wish, but...what about you?"
"I have to go back, I need to save as many as I can." Atreyu didn't wait for his response. She turned and began to make her way back to her burning village.
Atreyu ran straight for the sacred shrine of her family. The flames couldn't even begin to get past the sacred charms, the building was still pristine.
"As a member of the Great Wolf bloodline, I command you to open!" A small hole opened in the barrier allowing her to run past before closing again.
She burst through the doors, making her way to the armory. There was only one weapon she needed. Her father's scythe. If it deemed her worthy, she would be able to control the winds themselves.
However, if she was rejected it would kill her. She slowly opened the altar to reveal the large, 6-foot tall scythe. It's handle and even the blade looked pure white. Like fallen snow.
Reaching her hands out, she carefully lifted it from the altar. A surge of energy pulsated through her as what appeared to be a mini cyclone surrounded her body.
"You wish to make a contract, wolf pup?" A deep male voice called out to her. "Well?"
"Yes. I wish to make a contract, Erix, lone ruler of the wind." Atreyu responded. As the words left her mouth, two strange symbols began to burn into her wrists. It felt as if someone was using a white hot knife to carve them in.
"In order to make a contract with me, the person must be strong. Your will must be unbreakable. If your heart ever wavers, even falters just once I will tear you to shreds where you stand." The voice growled at her.
She gripped the scythe tighter and gritted her teeth to hold in her screams. "I will not let you go. I will not fail!" She managed to get out through her teeth.
The symbols, when complete looked like two dragons, circling a tree. The pain suddenly stopped and the cyclone disappeared. She looked down to the scythe. "I will use your power to protect my people."
Running back out of the shrine, she ran to the middle of the town and raised the scythe. A whirlwind surrounded the blade and when she swung the weapon, a cyclone burst forth. It pulled all of the flames from the houses and many of the intruding pack members were pulled into it as well.
"Now, off with you." She commanded. The cyclone began to dissappear, ashes the only thing left of the intruders.
When the cyclone fully disappeared it was quiet, closing her eyes she allowed the scythe's abilities to enter her body. She could used that to see with the wind. The village was empty.
Following the flow of the wind she could see Savan leading her people back, but..there was someone new among them. An injured male.
Concentrating hard, her body began to disappear into a cyclone before ascending into the clouds.
The cyclone dropped down in front of Savan and the rest of the pack. When the cyclone disappeared, Atreyu stood in its place. "Is everyone alright?" She asked, looking to Savan.
"Yes, however, a strange man washed up on the shore near the caves. He is gravely injured."
Shirai, one of the young women helping to carry the man, looked forward. "Lady Atreyu, is it safe to come back? Savan said that he saw the flaming cyclone from the entrance of the caves."
Atreyu nodded and held up the scythe. "Yes, I used my father's scythe. I made a contract with the wind god inside. He gave me the strength to save you all." There were few cheers, though many of the elders looked on with such solemn looks on their faces. "Let us head back. We have much to do in order to repair the village. All elderly, injured and sick, please make sure to see the healer." Atreyu looked to the stranger. "Take him to the dungeons. Have a healer see him, but after he is restrained. I won't have him harming my people."
Savan nodded and took over carrying the man as Atreyu led her people back to the village. Many buildings were severely damaged, but if they all worked together they could rebuild.
"For now, those whose homes are uninhabitable, we will be staying in the sacred shrine. There are plenty of rooms for everyone." Atreyu spoke loudly so that everyone could hear her. One of the elders stepped forward at this.
Seyu was an old wolf demon set in his ways. Prideful and stubborn. "Now wait a minute. My lady, the sacred shrine is only for the royal family and their counsel. It is unheard of for anyone else to stay there."
Atreyu bared her fangs and brought the blade of the scythe to the man's throat. "Are you questioning your new Alpha? My people need a safe place to rest. That is the safest at the moment."
Seyu looked almost too afraid to even breathe. "Of..course not. My lady."
"Good. For now, we rest. Tomorrow, we will rebuild."