Chapter 4- The Sanctuary

Chapter 4- The Sanctuary

 

Chanoue ran as fast as he could only thinking of Kanoue. Kanoue had the key to what his father wanted. The cave they had been living in came into view. Chanoue stormed inside. “Kanoue, where are you”? Chanoue shouted. Kanoue woke with a start and stirred looking at his brother. “Chanoue? Brother what happened to you”? Chanoue glared for a moment and stamped his feet. “Father is dead”. Kanoue’s eyes went wide. “Father is dead”? Chanoue growled. “That’s what I said, humans attacked us. I killed them both”. Kanoue looked uneasy at this news. “I… don’t know what to say…” Chanoue came closer staring at Kanoue. “What did you tell father, why did we come here”? Chanoue’s voice began to rise loudly echoing in the cave. “I couldn’t remember! I thought the item was here”! Kanoue wailed curling up into a feeble ball on the floor. “You idiot! He’s dead because of you”! Chanoue advanced on Kanoue. “I should gut you right now but if what father said is true then you are the only key to opening this… this tomb of sorts”. Kanoue raised his head. “I need time to think”. Chanoue glared at him for a moment. “So be it”. Kanoue’s eyes filled with tears and he turned away. Chanoue sat down staring at the ceiling. Chanoue thought of his brother. If only he had been there to help father wouldn’t have died. “It’s not here; it’s up in the mountains. It’s called… Javora’s Ring”. Kanoue sputtered. Chanoue turned on him. “You’re sure”? Kanoue nodded. “Once you have it… you have to harvest souls using a certain ritual, they will be collected in the ring”. Chanoue got up and walked outside. “I’m going after it then. You will stay here. If you leave I will find you”. Chanoue stormed off into the closing night. Kanoue climbed out of the cave watching his brother run off into the forest. “Be safe brother”. He muttered turning away.

 

 

 

 

Chanoue stopped in the snow. The cold overwhelmed him. Dark night held overhead while the chilly blizzard covered him with snow. He was about to give up. He could barely feel his paws now sinking into the snow. “I failed father, but I’m going to join you soon”. Chanoue’s head dropped into the snow and his eyes shut. Suddenly, the sound of growling and gnawing somewhere nearby awoke him. Chanoue pulled himself to his feet and drugged through the snow slowly. He noticed over in fog a dark figure standing in the snow. It reared its head and a chunk of meat splashed onto the snow, drenching it in blood. Chanoue reached for it nibbling. It had a strange taste to it, unlike any deer he had ever eaten. The warm meat was like savior for Chanoue despite its odd taste. He looked up at the figure. “Who’s there”? Chanoue called out. It turned and growled. “My kill stranger, back off”. Chanoue shook his head. “I’m not here to steal your food, I just need help. I’ve gotten lost”. The figure turned around. It was a black but stout wolf. “You and me both, my pack broke off in the storm when a couple of humans came our way. Looks like one of them got lost”. He gestured behind him revealing a dead human’s corpse. There were tears and bites all over its almost unidentifiable face. “You’ve… been eating it”? The wolf nodded. “They make good meat and easy kill too. At least when their alone”. Chanoue moved closer and sniffed. “Go on, try a bite”. Chanoue approached slowly, he remembered the odd taste of the meat but now it was like dear for him. The cold weather made him desperate. Chanoue ravaged the corpse for some time. The black wolf joined in with him. The meat tasted stale and unappetizing but as he continued gorging, Chanoue’s hunger warped his taste. “So, what is your name then stranger”? The black wolf asked, gulping away another chunk. “Chanoue; Chanoue’s my name”. The black wolf nodded. “Ah, I’m Ranoue. I traveled these lands in search of a pack to accept me. You see I’m what they call a cannibal. I eat other wolves if I kill them”. Chanoue perked his ears. “You’re not going to try to kill me then, are you”? Ranoue shook his head. “No, only if I’m starving and if your not my friend. I suppose at the moment I can consider you friend”. Chanoue nodded. “Then if you were looking for a pack how did you find the one that just recently got split up”? Ranoue shook his head removing the snow. “I held back my usual urges. It kept me with them long enough to get to this point”. Chanoue thought back to what he was originally seeking and brought out the question. “So Ranoue, I take it you are not pleased with humans”. Ranoue looked up as he had buried his head back into the open body. “In terms of food, their great but in general I disown their kind”. Chanoue smiled at this. “Well what if I told you I have a plan to rid them off this land forever, all of them”. Ranoue perked his ears. “I’m listening”.

 

 

The golden leaves wavered slow wind that cast around. Sunlight barley cast down over the trees and appeared to be revering into a sunset. The leaves across the ground glowed in the bright light like water reflecting the sun’s light. Shadow stepped on them crunching with each step. Crystal followed beside him into the deep forest. “How are we even suppose to know what this tree looks like”? She asked looking around. “Well it’s big and it’s an oak tree, not hard to miss right”? Something blew near Shadow’s ear. Kind of like a voice but almost like wind. “Did you hear that”? Shadow asked. Crystal swung her head round to look at him. “No, what did you hear”? Shadow didn’t respond. Another whispering wind blew by; only this time, words could barley be heard. “Follow… way… now…” The voice trailed away again. “Listen”. Shadow said stopping. “Follow me to safety brother”. The voice whispered and was gone again. “I heard that”! Crystal shouted out. “Whatever this thing is, it wants us to follow it. Come on”. Shadow listened in walking with the voice. Every now and then it would call out again. “You must be quick, follow now”. The voice carried them deeper and deeper into the woods until the trees were so dense not an inch of sunlight cast though. “Where is this thing taking us”? Shadow asked confused. “To sanctuary brother, not far now”. The voice responded. “What sanctuary”? Shadow pleaded. The voice simply whispered incompressible words and floated on. The trees did not part but became bigger. The voice kept leading them till it slowly drifted away. “Where to now”? Shadow asked curiously looking around. The forest was so dense it was nearly impossible to see anything. Then in front of them came the crunching of leaves. Shadow hunched down ready to fight. Crystal did the same. Shadow squinted into the darkness hoping to see who or what it was advancing on them. “Do not be alarmed, I will not harm you”. Shadow gazed at a strange golden brown wolf that was walking up to him. A small but also golden brown bat perched on his shoulder. “Outsiders, those are outsiders Gefro, those are dangerous”. The brown wolf known as Gefro raised a paw in a call for silence. “They don’t appear to want to cause us harm”. Shadow pulled out of his hunched stance. “Were you the one who summoned that voice”? Gefro looked confused. “Voice? Oh that must have been our guardian spirit Yula”. Crystal backed up a bit. “Don’t be afraid, she’s harmless but must have led you hear for a reason. Please follow me”. The bat sneered at them and lifted up into the air. “Outsiders in the sanctuary, bah”! He yelled out. Shadow followed behind Gefro not speaking but listening to the coo of birds above. “Tell me your names young ones”. Gefro said not looking back. “I’m Crystal and this is Shadow my friend”. Crystal said before Shadow could speak. He was glad after having to introduce himself so much. “I see. Crystal and Shadow, I am taking you to the sanctuary, a place of safety for wolves. Just this way”. A giant and round trunk slowly formed in front of them. The tree was obviously oak. Its tender dark brown wood shimmered in the light. A large hole was split right in the middle of the large trunk which appeared to stretch several hundred feet in diameter. Gefro walked inside. Shadow and Crystal followed. The trunk opened up into a huge hollow room with wolves everywhere. Some were sitting around talking and others eating large amounts of meat. A small puddle of water sat in the middle of the room and wolves gathered round to drink from it. A wolf with what looked large earrings walked over with a bucket and poured more water into the pool. “This way please”. Gefro commanded walking up a flight of spiral stairs. Shadow was amazed. The complexity of a simple tree fascinated him. Even Crystal was gawking around excitedly at the room. They traveled past several floors which showed more wolves talking and walking about. “I can get you a room near the top floor but try not to disturb Donvu, he wouldn’t like you causing racket under his office”. Shadow’s ears perked at this. “Did you say Donvu”? Gefro stopped on the floor as the stairs came up on it. “Yes, he lives up in the office at the top of the tree. I don’t know what he does in there but he rarely leaves”. Shadow felt anxious. He finally was going to see Donvu. “Please, can we see him”? “Absolutely not”. Gefro snorted. “But please we must, he is my grandfather and I haven’t seen him in years”. Shadows lie seem to have worked because Gefro’s expression changed from annoyance to surprise. “I didn’t think he had family. Alright, I lead you up to his office, come”. The climbed several more flights of stairs before coming to the last floor where a large wooden door blocked the way into another room. Gefro gave a heavy knock against the door. “Donvu, I have someone to see you”. A raspy voice called out from inside. “You know I don’t have visitors Gefro, politely send them on their way”. Gefro looked down at Shadow then gave another knock. “But Donvu, this young wolf claims to be family and says he must speak with you”. Donvu’s voice called back again. “What is the boy’s name”? “Shadow”. Gefro said leaning close to the door. “Oh yes please let him in”. Gefro pushed on the door and it slowly creaked open. He held it with his paw motioning for both Crystal and Shadow to walk inside. The door shut behind them. The room was adorned by a velvet carpet, book shelves, and several wooden tables. Candle sticks hung on the walls which where made of stone. A large chair was at the end of the room in front of a table with a stack of books and a small candle next to it. “Please come closer and take a seat”. Shadow moved forward and sat on the carpet next to Crystal. She watched the chair intently as though it were going to attack her. Something tall and furry stood up from the chair and then turned from its side to look over at Shadow. As though strait out of his dreams there he was, Donvu standing on his hind legs in the flesh. “Ah Shadow, you finally arrive, I knew you would soon”. “So this is the wolf you say you’ve been seeing in your dreams”. Crystal said looking at him from head to toe. “But why is he all… all…” Crystal couldn’t find words to express her question. “You wonder why I walk on two legs and not all four”. Donvu said finishing her sentence. “Yes”. Crystal said. “Well you see over the years I studied the piece of the Shadow Stone I possessed, it rubbed off on me. It gave a part of itself onto me and as a result, I slowly gained the abilities I have now”. “How is that possible? Is that thing like possessed or something”? Shadow said starring past Donvu onto his table where the half of the stone lay. “No, well I don’t know. That thing has been proven to be capable of a lot of things. I won’t lie that that evil thing was passed down from our ancestor Vladimir”. Crystal stared at Shadow. “You didn’t tell me that… that… you’re related to Chanoue then”? Shadow turned around. He had dreaded her finding out. “I found out shortly before he came and murdered my dad. Donvu told me himself but I couldn’t tell anyone”. Shadow said. Donvu spoke up but quietly. “Be assured that Shadow and I are not like our family has turned out”. Shadow turned around to look at him then back at Crystal who was still looking at him slightly shocked. “The stone passed from my grandfather’s hands to mine. He said its power was so drawing he didn’t give it to my father but he decided it was time to pass it on”. “So that’s where it stays today”. Shadow said looking past him again. “Yes, I never had children nor would I give them this wretched thing. It may be a devious relic but its mysteries continue to amplify as I study it. Do you remember what I told you? How I lived for all these years”? “The elixir of life you said”. Donvu nodded. “That stone showed me where it was; I set out to find it. I was young and believed at the time living for thousands of years would be a treat, but no. I sat through years and years wasting away with this ridiculous stone! I split the stone and hid the other half in hopes it would never be seen again”. He turned on his heels and picked up his glasses and shoved them onto his long snout. “I guess we can’t bury our past can we? My grandfather entrusted me with this thing and all I’ve done is set a challenge to get it. The tomb I found and hid it in, useless. I hoped to keep those curious enough to look for it out”. Shadow butted in. “Why didn’t you keep the two pieces together”? Donvu looked around uneasily. “It would have been too much, that stone can corrupt even the greatest of wolves. It was too powerful to keep united. My fear has now led to disaster”. Shadow jumped in. “But we can change this, we have to stop Chanoue”. Donvu turned his chair and slid himself into it sighing. “You are quite the hero Shadow but you must understand how strong Chanoue really is now. You say he has the stone”? “A piece of it”. Shadow said absent of the thought of it. “That would easily be enough to kill you effortlessly”. “And he has a Nature born with him as well”. Crystal said. Donvu’s ears flicked and he made an angry growl. “That’s bad news, if he succeeds than the human race is finished as well as anyone that opposes him”. Shadow’s mind rumbled. “Then we have to find him and kill him”! “Not alone Shadow”. Donvu said rising to his feet. “My wolves here in the tree will help but we need a plan. I have concluded Chanoue needs one last item to complete his ritual to open the tomb. It’s called the Amulet of Sanet. It’s somewhere down south in the deserts among a ruined old human town. If we can get to it before Chanoue can we may be able to buy some time.”. “Then we need to beat him to it”. Shadow said standing up. Donvu turned his chair around. “You should go and speak to Trabon the bat. He’s usually hanging around the loft up here, the other door on the floor below me”. “Thanks”. Shadow said. “What will you do in the mean time”? “I am going to rally the wolves and explain what is going on, if Chanoue has an army then we will need one too”. “Alright”. Shadow said turning around. They walked out of the room. The door closed slowly behind them.