Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Fukai Mori ❯ Chapter 1
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
The sky was a deep blue; the world was dark and snowflakes fell from the gray heavens, decorating the earth in a white hue. But standing on the dead earth was a young girl; this girl was no ordinary creature, however, for her features were similar to that of a wolf. Her eyes were the same midnight yellow and two small pointed ears poked from her hair.
The grass between her toes felt dry and crunchy and her toes scrunched in from its foreign sensation though the air was still drier than the grass. Whenever she took a breath, a cold mist would materialize. But then suddenly a cold front ruffled the young girl's short white hair. The frosty feeling was enough to give her some comfort, but not nearly enough to mend her weeping spirit. A cold nose had then nudged within the palm of her hand in acts of comfort. She smiled; how she could have possibly survived this winter without her big brother? The rest of the pack was in the same state as her. A male human hunted her mother, the leader of this small band. Her hand suddenly balled into a fist and trembled slightly; merely reminiscing on the horrific experience made her blood boil. She held no contempt for humans before this matter; they were merely another creature the wolves had to share the forest with. But as they entered her home and hunted or gathered for whatever they needed, the young wolf could never understand why she had such distrust for them. However, the death of her beloved mother revealed the true nature of these horrible two legers and the young wolf would be sure to make them pay. Because of them, the only thing she had left of her mother was her skinned fur which she wore proudly.
Another soft cold nudge against her palm returned the young girl to the present.
“Leader,” there was concern in the older brother's growl.
“I'm fine.” She replied as she drew her mother's fur closer to her body.
“What is your plan?”
“We can't stay in this area; it's too dangerous with the humans venturing farther into our realm. Go tell the others.”
The elder wolf's only response was a grunt as he turned and retreated. The young wolf had noticed the wind had ceased its cries then. She wiped a strand of hair from her eye and hoisted up her skinned mother's head onto her own. When shrouded in her mother's body, it felt as if the wisdom her mother had would overtake her. But know mediating could replace her mother's wisdom. And at this moment, the young girl wished she have some advice given to her.
Her wolf like ears shifted to the distant calls of the birds, the shuffling feet of the large herbivores; she could almost feel what scurried beneath the surface; she supposed the rodents were readying themselves for winter. But all this commotion, this life may all cease if her now endangered forest home was not protected. With the humans now searching to expand their territory, they've come into her domain to exterminate those who are of any threat to their people. A small tear threatened to slide down her pale, cold face as she peered at the ancient pine trees shroud in snow. Those trees had resided their designated spot before humans even walked the Earth, but now, these humans were going to eliminate them. She shook her head and violently wiped the tear from her eye. Then on all fours, she ran into the forest to rejoin her pack.
In a dim lit bar, a young boy sat. His attire was simple if not, being clothed in nothing more shorts and a long sleeved cotton shirt as well as boots. Many thought his attire strange, however. When one lived in an environment which always seemed like went it was expected that the attire match that season. His mother would always scold him when he complained of sickness. After all when he returned home, his brown hair was shrouded in white specks. Then his mother ended up having to undo his ponytail to brush out the snow.
Among the boy was a group of hunters in the middle of a meeting regarding the extermination of the “unneeded creatures”. And they were trying to decide the best way to do so. After countless hours of bickering, they had come to two conclusions: Trapping the beasts or hunting them down. The boy sighed and leaned his head back on his chair to look at the ceiling. His mother forced him attend this current meeting; she wanted him to become a hunter like his father. He and his mother were the only two left; his father had been recently killed by a she wolf. The boy was in the midst of closing his eyes when he was suddenly elbowed in the chest by on of the hunters.
“This ain't time to be dreamin', boy!”
With a grunt, he sat up while rubbing his chest.
After further discussion, the hunters decided to merely hunt the beasts down; it would be too much trouble to set traps for all of them. And the caresses could be used to feed or cloth the villagers. But before the hunters could hunt the minions they had to slay the rulers of the forests, the wolves. When the hunters finished their last glass of beer, they grabbed their rifles and bean their journey to the forest.
As the pack devoured their recent catch, the young leader stood guard. They were coming; she could sense it. Her ears twisted toward the direction the men were advancing from; which seemed to be toward them. Knowing this, the young wolf beckoned her wolf brother, Akaan and sister, Uneka to her.
“What is it, leader?” growled Uneka.
“I want you two to take the pack and depart from here.”
Uneka had grew concerned then and titled her head in a questioning manner. “Why? What is happening?”
“The humans are coming to claim the forest. They're coming for us.”
“I was afraid this would happen.” Akkan grunted.
She simply nodded her head in response.
“What is to become of you, Haru?” Her sister asked.
Haru didn't answer. Fortunately, Haru's older brother spoke up before the young she wolf could pry Haru further. She wouldn't have known what to say had Akaan not interfered.
“You being guardian of the frozen deep forest know what must be done.” With that said, Akaan proceeded to depart along with Uneka.
“Brother.”
His ears perked before he returned his gaze to Haru.
“You are now the new leader of the pack. Uneka, you are his witness.”
“May our ancestors guide you to victory, Sister.”
Haru nodded as she placed on her mother's head upon her own and prepared to greet the humans.
As they marched through the frozen forest, the grass cried as it gave way to their heavy footsteps. The hunters had been wandering through the dense forest for hours with no sign of the guardians' appearance. The hunters were growing ill of this futile search; they were clothed in four sets of shirts and were still trembling from the cold. Then suddenly, one of the hunters cried, “Look there's one of the wolves!”
Every man pointed his rifles at the beast. The wolf continued its slow pace toward them. But when the wolf image was now visible, they dropped their weapons for the beast was actually a girl.
“What are you doing out here? It's not safe. ” Said one of the hunters.
She didn't answer.
“Hey, little girl, answer me!”
Still her only reply was silence. However, Haru didn't think it was necessary to answer; they would all fall dead soon enough. But she did finally she speak, her voice subtle and cold, “What a shame. There are only seven of you.”
She lifted her hands toward the heavens and the hunters watched in confusion. But soon the confusion lifted from their eyes when they witnessed liquid being drawn to her palms from whatever source. The water slowly shifted into a single large icicle; its pointy end was exceedingly deadly. With the speed of a wolf, she hurled the icicle at the man who had spoken. The icicle pierced through his abdomen with alarming speed. The sound of ripping clothing could be heard its entry, and blood soon stained through his attire. The man wheezed as blood quickly rushed from his throat and poured from his freezing lips. And as his knees fell to the snowy earth, he touched the icicle; it was bitter just like her heart to the humans. The other hunters began a slow retreat then, not wanting the same fate as their deceased companion. Haru, however, had no interest for their escape. Once again, she elevated her hand into the air. This caused the hunters to panic and attempt an immediate retreat; they believed she couldn't possibly strike them all. She raised her other hand in the air and produced two icicles launch at them. And one after another the hunters stumbled.
There was only one human left now. She advanced upon her prey with weary strides to investigate him. Cocking her head to the side, Haru furrowed her brows.
“You're just a boy…”
Her breath abruptly grew heavy and she tasted the warm blood as it built up in her mouth. Peering down at the pained region, she saw that the boy had driven a blade into her abdomen. She had opened her mouth to curse the human, but ended up spewing blood as she fell upon him.
Haru idly opened her eyes before closing them again. She didn't want to rise because stirring would upset her stomach. She caressed her stomach believing it would somehow ease the throbbing pain. But her skin felt odd to her fingers and began scratching it. Finally, she chose to lift up the covers to see that she had been bandaged. The cold air that flooded under the covers made her skin shiver; Haru needed the reassuring feel of her mother to warm her. She felt for her mother's fur beneath the covers only to discover it missing. Realizing that her mother was gone, she sprang up and peered around the room, but her mother's fur was nowhere in sight. She swiftly jumped out of bed. The sudden movement brought a sharp pain to her being so Haru clutched her stomach as she dashed to the door. Upon opening the door, she collided into someone as they too made an attempt at the door. The person had turned out to be a middle-age woman in which she wore bearskin to keep warm. Haru nose creased as her throat gurgled a growl.
“Where's my mother, human?”
The woman didn't comprehend Haru's question and quirked a brow. Her silence reply also didn't give Haru any reassurance. Catching a familiar scent from the woman, Haru asked,
“What do you have under your fur, human?”
The woman rummaged through her fur until she came across what she had been searching for. And what she pulled out was a wolf fur neatly rolled up.
“Mother!” Haru desperately clutched the wolf fur and cowered to the other side of the small cabin. Unrolling the material, she began stroking her mother's head as she whispered to it. When she again regained her confidence, she draped the fur over her form and scurried passed the woman. Startled, the woman alerted the other residents of the wolf's means of escape. Haru escape was short lived however; he was barely able to trend out the entrance before she was cornered by a pack of hunters. There were five in and they al had their rifles pointed at the young girl.
“Ya can't dodge `em all, demon.” One hunter challenged.
Crouching close to the earth, Haru let out a deep throat growl. The hunter, taking this as threat, pulled the trigger. She leaped sideways, dodging the first bullet. Then sound after a barrage of rifles sounded. She managed to sidestep and maneuver passed the deadly pellets until the hunters' weapons ran dry. Now with little to be concerned about, Haru rushed at the hunter who had challenged her. Drawing out her claw like nails, she hacked at his throat. The wound was deep and the blood began to stream from his massive gash. The remaining men watched in horror as the unfortunate hunter gasped and clawed at his neck for breath before falling limp.
The moments in which they stared in awe seemed to draw out uncomfortably long. Everything about Haru grew silent; the women ceased their daily chores and the children their play; and the elders peered anxiously from a safe distance. But life reanimated itself when the rugged breaths of the young girl drifted through the silence.
The faces of the hunters abruptly twisted into a deep rage and they bombarded her with their rifles raised. Haru did whatever she had to do to avoid her assaulters; she sidestepped, rushed beneath their open limbs; she even continued to slaughter a few when no other choices qualified. She then began dashing toward the forest but halted from a disturbing scene: six grayish, white wolves dangling from a tree. Haru approached the wolves and lightly stroked two in particular.
“Big brother, sister…”
Tears welled up in the young half wolf eyes. Despite what she did in an attempt to protect her family, she still failed. Her ears perked upon hearing a click behind her. She didn't bother turning around; she knew what the source of that sound had come from. And she was no longer concerned about it. There was no point to suffer through her life if her family wasn't there to do likewise.
“If you wish to kill me do so now.” She told the hunter.
“With pleasure.”
His hands trembled with excitement and his heart thumped in anticipation. It didn't take the hunters and him long to flush out the guardians. In fact, he was almost disappointed that the beasts faltered so quickly. By instinct they did retaliate, but no creature had enough force to withstand cold steel. It was quite the scene; when the first wolf had fallen, the remaining wolves were desperate to avenge it; but the falling of another wolf soon shattered their bravado. In fear, the last five turned to flee, but was killed before they could take the first step. And now, he, Braxton had the leader of the wolves at the end of a barrel. He along would be the one to end the lineage of the winter forest guardians.
Braxton's index finger curled around the trigger and was about to end the monster's misery when someone cried,” Stop! Don't hurt her!”
This threw Braxton off and he whirled around in anger. “Who said that?”
Among the crowd which had gathered around the panorama emerged an elderly woman. Despite her age, her nimble legs quickly carried her to the hunter. In the process of her hurried steps, strands of her white hair fell from her tight bun. Hands clasped together, she pleased, “Please don't kill her. She's still a child.”
In respond, Braxton bellowed, “That thing isn't a child; that's a demon! Why should I let her live?”
“We could teach her how to be human.”
“You can't teach that!”
Haru was confused to why a human would want to defend her? After all, she had already planned to kill them. Even if the hunter did happen give this woman permission to “keep” her what made the woman think Haru would be obedient? She decided to watch the two humans continue their squabble.
“Please, I am a lonely widow. All I want is a child to love and care for.” She reasoned.
Braxton then fell silent in thought. After much consideration, he spoke, “You can keep her. But if she harms one person it's her head! Got it?”
The woman nodded in understanding. Braxton lowered his weapon and stepped from the woman's path. Haru softly growled upon the woman's approached then glanced at the hunter from the corner of her eye. He gripped his rifle tightly, ready to hoist it into position. She relaxed; it was either this woman or her head. If she died now she wouldn't be able to protect the forest; and that would have been what her siblings wanted. She sighed in defeat as the woman took her hand and led Haru to her cabin.