Word of a mysterious woman living in the forest began to spread. Rumors of a wolf who followed her and of her uncanny connection to nature reached Zodd's ears. His paranoia grew, and with it, his cruelty. He sent soldiers to every corner of Isikor, demanding that all women with any hint of a mark be brought before him.
Elara's village, hidden as it was, could not remain untouched forever. When Zodd's men arrived, they questioned every villager, searching for the woman with the wolf. The villagers, bound by a deep respect for nature and the old ways, said nothing. But Zodd was relentless, and he would not stop until the prophecy was crushed.The time for Elara to hide was running out.
The child was born on a night of thunder and rain. The heavens roared, and the earth shook as if to herald his arrival. Elara, exhausted from the birth, held him close, feeling the pulse of his power even in his infancy. The wolf sat nearby, its eyes glowing in the dim light of the fire, a silent protector.As the boy grew, his abilities became more evident. He could calm the fiercest storm, summon the wind with a mere thought, and speak to the creatures of the forest as if they were his kin.
Elara named him Aric, and she knew in her heart that he was the one foretold by the prophecy—the child destined to overthrow the tyrant king and restore balance to the land of Isikor.But Zodd was closing in, and time was running out.
Zodd sat on his throne, eyes narrowed as his advisors whispered around him. The kingdom of Isikor was tense, and he knew why. He had heard the whispers of rebellion, of people waiting for the chosen one to rise. The prophecy haunted him daily, twisting his once-clear thoughts into paranoia. Every woman with a mark had been found, but still, the prophecy remained unfulfilled. There was one, a woman hidden deep in the forests, living with a celestial wolf.
The thought of a wolf made Zodd's heart race with anger. The ancient wolf, the symbol of Isikor's sacred past, was a creature bound by the laws of the old gods. If this woman truly carried the mark, if she bore the child that Neel had prophesied, Zodd's rule was in danger. He clenched his fists. He would not let his reign be undone by some woman and a wild beast."Send more scouts into the northern forests," Zodd commanded, his voice low but firm. "Find this woman, this wolf, and her child. Bring them to me. Alive if possible, but if not—kill them."His men nodded and left the throne room, leaving Zodd to stew in his thoughts. He had ruled with strength, but that strength had only been his own. If this child truly had the power to control nature, then Zodd had reason to fear. But there was no room for fear in a king. Only action.