Four Years Prior
The moss hung low over its mouth, and thick brush covered the walkway, making it almost entirely invisible to a passerby. The black slit of an opening was all that could be seen, but in the night, it too was impossible to recognize unless looking for it specifically.
Lucian darted into the mouth of the dark cave entrance, cracking a few branches as he slunk into the shadows. Immediately, his wolf eyes adjusted to the darkness. He could make out the figures of the Elders and Atlas heading further into the cave. Their voices were small echos when they reached his ears.
He slunk deeper into the shadows and hugged the wall, following it the entire length of the tunnel.
Halfway down the tunnel, a low rumbling shook the walls. Particles of dust and rocks dropped from the ceiling. Lucian held his hands above his head and crouched into a ball. The rocks clacked against the stone floors and bounced around to the vibrations.
Suddenly, the rumbling stopped, leaving the entire tunnel in silence. There were no more voices either.
Lucian shot up and sprinted toward the last place he saw Atlas, not caring about the darkness he was running in, nor the source of the rumbling. A small dot of blue light guided him toward the opening.
Slowly, the blue light became a large oval with a few strands of vines hanging down. Once he was within a few feet, Lucian could make out the entire cave. It wasn't dark or dingy like it should have been. But light was everywhere. The water emanated light and shone blue. The trees had an odd glow, but each glow was that of its leaves. The green trees shone a slight green while the large pink one had soft pink flowers.
Lucian's foot hit a rock and he tumbled to the ground, rolling a few feet. Stunned, he lifted his head to see a large translucent fish leap out of the water in front of his eyes. It flipped and dove back into the water, the spray speckled the ground and Lucian's face.
Slowly, Lucian rose and dusted off his pants. He was completely overwhelmed by the odd beauty the cavern held.
Voices and conversation floated over the still surface of the water.
Lucian turned toward the voices to see the island not far from the shore. The large pink flowered tree grazing its surface. The stepping stones were wet and covered in blue and green moss.
Lucian hesitated, a foot hovering above the rock's surface. He gulped and squeezed his eyes closed.
Laughter came from the island.
Lucian planted his foot down. Taking one careful but determined step at a time, he reached the island and made his way toward the canopy of the tree.
"Well done, Atlas." A feminine voice stated from beyond the curtain of flowers. "I think that you would make a great Alpha."
"I agree-"
"Elder Albert Briar. That old fool." Lucian seethed from between clenched teeth. He tightened his fist.
"You have many new ideas and even though you are inexperienced, being an Alpha runs in your blood. Your father was a good Alpha to this pack and he never led us astray. Never!" Elder Briar finished.
A wave of murmurs in agreement made its way through the Elders.
Lucian's blood boiled. Heat floated up into his neck and face, turning his cheeks and ears scarlet.
"This isn't how it should have been." He whispered to himself. He snuck a glance through the flower at the Elders.
They sat in a semi-circle around Atlas, hands in their laps and heads tall and proud. Some were considered to be far too old to be an Elder, but somehow they managed to keep their position of power. Most retired or passed away by the age of 65, but there were some that were far beyond that still serving their pack.
Lucian gritted his teeth. The scraping was so loud that Lucians heart jumped wildly in his chest. He took a deep breath in and held it tight in his lungs. His chest burned as it screamed for the oxygen to be released, for some sort of relief from the pressure. But he refused. If he released it, words or cries of anger would escape. So Lucian stood on the other side of the curtain of flowers, waiting for the Elders to refuse Atlas the position that wasn't meant for him.
Elder Briar rose from his chair, leaning on his cane as he stood.
"I think that we've come to a decision, haven't we?" He glanced around at the other Edlers who all nodded in agreement.
Atlas fidgeted and shifted between his feet. Sweat dripped down his neck in it's slow trickle until it reached the collar of his shirt. He wiped his brow and licked his dry, cracking lips.
"Elder Lin? Would you do the honors?" Albert Briar motioned to the small lady.
She rose and cleared her throat. A tiny eh-hem escaped her lips, sounding much like a kitten sneezing.
"I speak on behalf of the Elder Council in saying that we believe that you would do a fantastic job leading the Riverwood Clan to an era of peace and prosperity with the neighboring packs."
Atlas face lit up as Lucian's heart dropped into his stomach. Lucian gripped the flowering twigs tightly between his calloused fingers as Elder Lin opened her mouth to continue.
"As you stated, you plan on using the Circle as a means of protection. You want to establish better relations with the Clell family and promote some coexistence with those who would consider themselves not of the original werewolf heritage. And we want to support the son of Alpha Callan in that. We believe that their knowledge would be of the utmost importance to the continued survival of our pack and packs around ours. We will be here to guide you and assist you in any means that you ask, Atlas." She dipped her head to a light bow soon to be followed by the entire Elder Council.
Atlas raised his head proudly, a smile on his lips and the anxiety completely washed away.
What a thing it is that a few words can do.
Lucian tugged on the branch, snapping it in half. The flowers crumped and floated to the ground, exposing the eavesdropper.
All heads turned toward the source of the cracking, their eyes wide and startled.
Lucian stood there, half hidden by a twig of leaves and flowers. He was angry. More than angry. Livid. His eyebrows knit tightly together, covering the top half of his eyes. The normal blue eyes were a bright shade of green, exposing the true anger of the wolf inside of him.
Atlas stumbled backward as he registered Lucian before him.
"Lucian?" Atlas whispered, his voice anxious.
"What did you hear, boy?" Elder Briar rest a hand on Atlas shoulder, stabilizing the boy before him.
Lucian turned his venomous gaze toward the old man.
"Enough." He spat.
"Now isn't the time." Elder Lin stepped in, making her way toward Lucian. "How did you get in here?"
"Followed you." Lucian mocked slightly. How stupid could these Elders be.
"Why're you here?" Lin continued.
"I'm here to convince you you're making a mistake." Lucian stepped past the layer of protection. He was now vulnerable to the Elders and a confused Atlas.
"Oh?" Elder Briar cocked a head and smiled. "What kind of mistake?"
"Atlas isn't fit to be an Alpha. He's never even fought off rogues or any other packs. He hasn't had any real world experience. Just what I have taught him." Lucian pounded a thumb into his chest and puffed it out slightly. "He's a child. You would be a fool to have someone like him lead us toward the future."
"Oh?" Elder Briar smiled and hobbled around Atlas. "And I supposed you think you would be better suited?"
"Yes." Lucian said adamantly, stiding up to the Elder. "I have experience and I am the actual first born of Alpha Callan. If anyone has that right to be an Alpha, it's me."
The remaining Elders huddled close together, talking amongst themselves while Lin and Briar exchanged nervous glances.
Atlas stepped past Elder Briar and up to Lucian. His head was bowed, but he was confident in his steps.
"Then challenge me." He muttered, unsure of the words that were escaping his lips.
"What?" Lucian scoffed.
Atlas raised his head and met Lucian's spiteful gaze head on.
"Then challenge me for it." He spat between clenched teeth.
Lucian scoffed, blood rising to his head.
"Then I challenge you to a duel."