RoD Chapter 4

The forest seemed darker and more foreboding as Cainu walked through it. His ears were back and he flinched at every noise. For the first time ever he truly felt hunted in his own territory. Not mine anymore. He reminded himself with a shake of his head. I am no longer welcome here. He trotted at a fairly slow pace towards the far end of the territory. There was only one way out of the valley that he knew of, and that was the main entrance on the other side of the burnt forest. He was tense about revisiting the place where he killed Gannon, as if Gannon’s spirit would be there waiting for him. He pushed on, sending up clouds of ash behind him as he entered the forest.

Cainu emerged into the clearing, his eyes instantly zeroing in on the blood stains across from him. He slowly padded over to the largest of them, where Gannon had lain after he died. He reached out his right paw to touch it and the new sigil on his foreleg glared up at him, the same color as the blood. His body grew heavy as the weight of what he had done crashed down on him. “I’m so sorry Gannon!” He wailed to the sky. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect you! I failed you…” He trailed off with a whimper and sat there, crying, until the sky began to darken. He looked up at the pinkish sunset and glanced fearfully around at the shadows that were growing. He knew he had to leave or the pack would kill him. With a heavy heart he kicked ashes over the bloodstain and turned away. He could not let himself look back.

 

Cainu paused at the border to the pack’s lands, glancing back at the place where he had grown up, the only place he ever knew. It may not have been a good home, but it had still been his home. He was stepping into the unknown and never coming back. He placed a single paw over the border and paused. The strange trees seemed to hide an enemy, waiting to leap out and attack him the moment he was no longer under the pack’s protection. I might die if I go out there, but I WILL die if I stay here. He told himself. With that thought in his head he pushed on, breathing a small sigh of relief when he had fully crossed the border and nothing attacked him. He walked away from the only lands he had ever known full of fear.

The sky grew dark much more quickly under the trees, and Cainu began growing tired. I have to find someplace to sleep. He told himself, sniffing at the air for any traces of other creatures. All he picked up was the scent of a deer, but that didn’t worry him too much. If he had learned anything from his training it was how to endure. All Cainu was going to worry with were predators. Having to make his own decisions felt weird to him, but he knew there was no one out here to tell him what to do. He had always thought that the freedom to choose for himself was going to be something amazing that he would revel in, but now that he had it the responsibility weighted him down. He knew every decision was his own to make and a single wrong one could mean death. He quickly found a crevice in some rocks just big enough for him to get into, and small enough that a full sized wolf couldn’t get into. With a nod, Cainu moved over to it. It would suffice for the night at least. He wiggled into it backwards, wedging himself inside. It was nowhere near comfortable, but at least it was safe. He laid his head on his paws and went to sleep.

Cainu woke every time a twig snapped or the wind brought him a new scent, and when the sun rose he felt even more tired than before. He wiggled out of the rocks into the weak morning sunlight. His muscles were stiff from having held the same position all night and his stomach grumbled. He muttered to himself and trudged on. He soon picked up a rabbit trail and decided to follow it on a whim. The kinks in his muscles started working themselves out and though Cainu didn’t realize it, his harsh training was coming in handy for he was much stronger than he used to be. He was so intent on following the scent he didn’t pay any attention to where he was going. His hunger was outrulling his rational judgment. He had just reached out a paw to climb a large boulder when a voice spoke from behind him.

“I wouldn’t go that way if I were you.”

Cainu whipped around with a fearful growl to spot a wolf a few strides behind him. He hadn’t heard the stranger coming and the voice took him off guard. The wolf was unafraid of him and sat down, his eyes flicking up the mountain that Cainu was about to climb every so often. “Easy there pup. I mean you no harm.” The wolf said. “I was following that rabbit trail myself until I realized where it led to. I figured I should warn you as well since you don’t seem to know. That mountain...” The wolf stepped forward to stand beside Cainu as the sun lit his pelt and Cainu studied him with surprise. The male’s pelt was surprisingly close in color to Cainu’s own, just a shade or two darker. He fought the urge to reach out his paw and study the similarities. Cainu had never seen a wolf with a pelt so close to his in color. No wolf in his pack came even close. In his surprise, Cainu missed the rest of the male’s warning and before he could ask him to repeat it, the male had disappeared into the forest. He shrugged and was about to walk away when his stomach grumbled again and hunger pierced him. He had not eaten in days and he was just so hungry. It was that hunger that spurred him to climb the boulder even though he knew he shouldn’t.

 

Cainu raced at top speed through the trees, not paying attention to where he was going anymore. The breath of his attackers was hot on his heels. Suddenly, a tree branch swung around of its own accord and smacked him across the face, sending him flying into another tree. The new tree grabbed onto him and held him there. Cainu struggled desperately to get free as his four attackers revealed themselves. There were 3 wolves, one of them with a green sigil that was glowing faintly that Cainu realized was using its power to make the tree hold him in place. Cainu fought harder, but just could not free himself from the ensnaring limbs. The four chuckled darkly as they approached and Cainu realized they were all males around 3 years old, the same age that wolves in his old pack would finish their training. They were thirsting for blood and Cainu’s would suffice. They egged each other on, squabbling over who would get the first attack. Cainu continued to struggle even though he knew his efforts were in vain. Unlike them, he couldn’t control his demon. He was outnumbered and outclassed… and alone. Suddenly, one of the males shot forward. Cainu cried out in agony as the wolf latched onto his leg and sank in his fangs. The male bit down harder, encouraged by his friends and Cainu’s cries. After a few seconds the male let go and stepped back, the blood on his muzzle the same color as the sigil above his eye. Another one of the wolves them took his turn, leaping forward and sinking his teeth into Cainu’s hip. They each took a turn, and then another. Every time one of them came close Cainu tried to bite them, but that only seemed to encourage them. They bit harder and deeper each time he tried. The males continued to torture Cainu, and after a while he didn’t have the strength to resist anymore. He hung there limply as the males drew blood over and over again. ‘Just finish it already!’ He begged them silently, knowing they wouldn’t anytime soon. There was a ripping pain in his shoulder, he got a massive headache, and then  everything went black.

 

Cainu’s eyes opened once more and he found himself in a plain that seemed to stretch forever. The grass was growing up to his shoulders, past them in some areas, and swayed gently in the breeze. “Is this it? Am I dead?” He asked without any reply. “Gannon are you there?” He called out louder. Still nothing. He began running, weaving through the grass. He spotted a lone tree in the distance and veered towards it out of curiosity. He paused at the base and looked up into the tree. To his surprise, he found he wasn’t tired and was still breathing normally. “I guess you don’t get tired here.” He said happily as he looked up into the branches. There was a hammock hanging between two branches and Cainu studied it carefully, trying to figure out what it was. He could see a platform above the swinging material and assumed it was like the roof of a cave. “It would keep the rain off of your head.” He reasoned with himself, “But what about the wind?” He shook his head, realizing he was talking to himself. He chuckled lightly at how silly he was being and turned away from the tree, looking to the sky for the first time and hoping to see some stars or the moon in the dusky darkness.

Cainu gasped at the sight that greeted him. The sky was not the comforting blues or blacks he had come to know. The sky was a swirling mix of red and purple. It would look like a never-ending sunset if the colors were placed right, but they moved like ribbons through the sky. “What is this place?” Cainu wailed at the top of his lungs.

I knew you were slow, but this is just ridiculous! The voice sounded clearly, echoing around the land and Cainu jumped. He spun around, trying to find the source of the voice.

“Where are you?” He yelled out, his ears perked to hear sounds of movement. “What do you want?” He was answered by a chuckle.

Quietly at first, but growing louder by the second, Cainu realized he could hear cries of pain and fear now that he was trying to listen. As they grew louder Cainu was shocked to realize they were the same voices as the males who had been torturing him. With a blink Cainu found himself back in the forest. His shadow had become solid, taking hold of one of the males by the back leg and dragging him closer. The male struggled to get away and Cainu recognized him as the one who attacked him first, the one with a red sigil. Suddenly, he leapt forward and his fangs sank deep into the male’s throat. The male did not stir again. He tried to stop himself and cried out when he realized he couldn’t move his body the way he wanted to. His head turned and he saw two of the other three retreating. “Where’s the fourth one?” He tried to ask, but even though he could hear what he had said as clearly as if he had said it, his mouth did not move. “He ran away before I could snag him.” His mouth answered before his body turned and began walking back down the mountain. “Wait! Stop!” Cainu cried out but no matter how much he tried he couldn’t control his own body. He emerged into a clearing and his head turned up to look at the sky. “You just don’t get it do you?” His mouth asked him. “You’ve kept me locked up inside since we were born… well now it’s your turn to be locked up. This body is mine now.” With a gasp Cainu comprehended what his own mouth was telling him. He had been taken over. The demon was in control of his body now, and he had no way to take it back.