Calling the spirit

Ch 2

Chapter 2

Isis walked with starlit paws that never touched the ground. The forest was awake around her, a thousand souls welcoming the gentle spirit. Above the dog star glimmered like a beacon reminding her of her duty. The white wolf dropped her nose to dew scented grass and caught the faint hint of tears. Loose souls always smelled that way. Without a Harvester to show them home all souls could do was cry and lament. That was exactly the reason the angel wolf was in this strange and beautiful forest.

Behind her the true Harvester floated. Pharoh, the white wolf's brother pulled up next to Isis. Briefly their noses touched and in that touch Isis gave him the scent of tears and souls. Pharoh was the the one who had to call the soul forward so that it may be led to a place of rest, unfortunitly the brown wolf lacked the nose his sister carried. Therefore it had been by unanoumus decision that the pair would work as a team. Pharoh as Harvester and Isis as Tracker.

"Cyrus willing we'll be back before the first star fades." Pharoh barked pulling a little ahead. The white wolf let him be even if he was going in a different direction then the scent. That was just her brothers way. The whistle of water squeezing past a bed of rocks made the young wolf tremble slightly. It's laughter still haunted the female like an echo of the past. "Lets hope so." She murmurred.

The Tracker dropped her nose to the ground once more. Now her whiskers bent slightly like a diviners stick pointing water. She followed the tingle in her nose closely. It had never steered her wrong before and it would not start now. The scent was strong. The she wolf opened her eyes to the snake like glow of fine mist before her. The soul called its Harvester forward. "Pharoh!" Isis barked. Her brother appeared mear moments later. "Thanks Sis." He nudged her affectionatly before following the trail. She watched his brown gold flag of a tail glow more brilliant. Pharoh was changing from the simple brown wolf he was known for to a being touched by the divine. Souls would be drawn to him now like a moth to flame. His transformation marked the end of her shift.

She sat at the very edge of the misty path and curled her tail over her paws. This was her favorite part of working with Pharoh. He never made her go in to watch him cajole the new spirit into following him. She never had to see the broken hearts of the living that all new spirits leave behind. Broken or empty bodies was a sight foreign to her sensitive eyes and it was just as well. Her gentle spirit couldn't hold the weight of a Harvester's world.

Instead she had this. The smell of vibrant happy souls calling from every trunk of tree and ant in the ground below. She could hear the stars in their metalic song and watch them dance with glee. The voices of the living never failed to awaken the mystery within her. She stood gracefully, her full tail swinging in an arc over her dainty head. She wanted to add her song to all the world. The howl was low and sweet. It complemented the night and caressed the stars like lovers. She could feel the power of her howl running through her body, instantly giving her a taste of everything she'd never had. Love, life, blood lust, pain. She felt it all in that short space of time, until she heard the call.

"Help" It stopped her cold. She hadn't heard it on the wind and it was not a voice on the outside. The weak muffled cry had been inside her, all around her. It wrapped her in a blanket of fire so desperate she had to answer. Again it called, but more insistant. Her eyes shot up as the smell of her scorching fur lined with the scent of blood and tears. Another soul was being lost no, ripped apart.

WIthout thought she rushed the deep bloody scent. Now that she was moving the flames consuming her fell behind. She only felt the bite on her heels urging her to run faster. The trickle of the creek gave her pause but she knew she couldn't ignore this cry. She stepped over the icy water knowing her paws would no disturb the glass surface but terrified non the less.

Barks of laughter found her not far down the creek. She could see the mist of the soul now floating from the same area. The tail of Soul was short though. The body had not stopped fighting. She turned her paws quickly to walk the length of the creek and found the source of soul and laugh. Two rough pelted wolves stalking a fallen lump in the creek. The burn of the fire had fled from her heels and lodged in her chest. As the she wolf stepped omenously closer to the being in the water. Its snakey dribble of soul had turned from a clear path to a cyclone centered over the small of the young Mans back.

The angel snarled feeling the threads of space mesh around her like so many writhing insects. Soon she was engulphed with brown eyes blazing and body glimmering over the icy water. The angel bared her mighty fangs and roared with the power of heavens comand shaking the trees loose of their changing leaves.

"Holy S**t! he really did summon a demon!" One of the young wolves barked. Now with half celestial eyey she could gaze upon the wolves in their entirety. Human malace unknown to wolf kind poluted thier souls.

Red Moon Weres.

Isis howled once more letting her heavenly body grow until she was far from natural size. There was no words needed to scare the bite out of these monsters. She watched their shivering rumps fall behind in the darkness of the forest leaving her alone with the trapped soul. She took a breath and felt her body realign with natures design. Her gentle muzzle dipped in the hollow between the boys face and shoulder. Faint watery breath bathed her muzzle. The sould was not yet lost.

"Isis?"

She cocked her head toward her brothers bark. Pharoh stood on the far bank watching her quizzically. One one side of his flank a fresh star of a pup shivered. "What are you doing?"

I wish I knew

Isis didn't answer but let her body coil just benieth the typhoon of the boys raging soul. Her pelt whipped in his frantic winds. Never had she encountered a soul such as this.

"Isis, get away from there. Its dark!" The white wolf had no idea what her brother ment but she did see the soul was settling overhead. Slowly she licked the blood from the torn ligiments in his shoulder and neck, healing the ribbons under her touch.

Her golden eyes gazed over the young man's pudgy freckled face. Honey hair dripped with a mixture of water and blood. He was lucky the creek was shallow or he surely would have drowned. His nose just cleared the waters crest. His bleary eyes cracked open as Pharoh's bark became more insistant.

"You'll be trapped!"

The warning came to late. The eyes of the boy had found her own. Suddenly a weight such as she never felt hung upon her neck. Her body fought for breath it never needed and she felt herself convulsing under the power of Man's sight. Somewhere inside her the great Cyrus could be heard. "Your soul has been called my sister. You must now protect this boy as he is your master. He needs you more than you know. Make him happy until the end and return to your home in the stars."

***

When Isis opened her eyes again she was alone, but for the unconscience man benieath her. The bank where Pharoh had stood was abandoned. The souls of the forest were slumbering peacefully and there were no stars in the sky. Isis hurled herself to her paws that still managed to glide over the clear waters. She sat on the bank and scratched her ear. Her hind leg hit hard metal with a clink. "What in Cyrus's name?" She looked down into the creek bed once more. Just recognizable was her white pelt.

I'm still in the half relm.

And then with a shake she saw the ugly brass collar clutching to her neck. Her eyes flew to the boy in the creek, her Master. Frantically she crossed the water once more to curl around him.

"I have to get you out of here. Where would you be safe?" She touched his cheek with her nose, taking the essence of his being through the sensitive organ and processing his memories as hers. There was a woman there with the same hair as this boy and a trusting smile. Her eyes seemed sad but that didn't matter now. The boy felt safe with her. Isis closed her eyes and focused on this woman. Soon the boy would be safe with her.

Soon.