Re: Ascension Chapter 0 - 1.1

Farewell my love…

By RandomCanis

I knew it… I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. I was panting heavily, some of the wounds on my body staining my fur with blood, my traveling cloak in tatters. Footsteps to my right revealed my friend. Carrying his unconscious child by the scruff, just as battered and bruised as I was. I immediately walked over to examine the pup. Wincing when I saw the amount of blood painted on his fur. Blood that belonged to his mother. Her actions left him relatively unharmed, but at the cost of her own life.

I couldn't help myself anymore, letting the growl building up in my chest to escape. “Lenn… calm down." My friend whispered to me, cautiously scanning the area around. “Calm down… Calm Down!" I yelled back quietly, all the frustrations pouring out from me. “How am I suppose to calm down? When we… all of you just got raided, Konnor!?" I barked at him. He turned towards me, his gold eyes settling on me with a glare. Those same gold eyes that caught my attention when we were young. How many times have I gotten lost in them? Too many to count from the looks of it.

We silently glared at each other for a few moments. Only for us to snap out attention towards the trees, when we heard a twig being snapped. I felt the air shift right beside me. And I didn't even have to glance to know that Konnor's was ready to unleash a spell. I readied myself for whoever that might emerged from the woods. Luckily for us, it was just a pheasant that wandered out from the undergrowth. The air stopped shifting as we both let out a sigh of relief. “We need to leave while we still have the chance…" I whispered softly to him. I wanted to guide him and his pup back to my Altarrum so badly.

Konnor, however, shook his head, his intense gold eyes trained to direction we came from. “I'm not leaving." He mumbled back. And I felt my hackles rise once more. “You're going to get yourself killed, you idiot!" I roared back at stubborn wolf. I knew… I knew I should've done more to stop him back then. Back before this whole mess started. Hell! Even back before these plans of his were made. But I didn't…

I let his gorgeous eyes distract me. I let his words persuade me. I let him charmed me so, so many times. I should've been more firm with this idiot! I growled lowly, slowly stalking over to stare at him straight in the eyes. My Light making an audible hum in the air as I let it leak out from my being. Not too much to alert the raiders of our position. Konnor, ever the unshakeable, meets my gaze just as intensely. “Lenn… please. Let me go check on the pack... and Ilse-“ he mumbled before I cut him off. “We both know that most of them are gone… especially her…" I whispered at the last part, and he visible winced at that. 

Ilse was a good friend of ours. We've all known each other since we were pups. All of us used to dream of helping other mages as best as we can. Dreamt of building sanctums for people like us. But we realized later on how hard it was going to be to fulfill those whimsical dreams of ours. Especially with how illogical the world around us was. But we still made an oath to accomplish our dreams. One way or another…

Ilse and Konnor chose a very dangerous path to achieved our goal, unlike myself, when we became young adults. Even when the Impurgeion had ended centuries ago. Mages were still being hunted by certain groups. And even by a Kingdom at times. These two idiots wanted to make them stop. So plans were made and they planned to gather mages who would join their cause.

I tried to stop them. Told them it was a dangerous path. Konnor was reasonable. Ilse… not so much. We argued so much for weeks. They wanted me to join them. But I refused, not wanting to go about achieving our dreams in that way. They were disappointed of course, Ilse more than Konnor, but they respected my decision. 

I managed to get Konnor away from Ilse. Begging him to reconsider, to think things more thoroughly. He was stubborn about it. They both were always stubborn when they decided on something. We argued for a while. Not as bad as the one with Ilse. But in the end, I let myself get charmed by his gorgeous eyes and words. Let him dissipate my worries away. Let him lead me back to his den, for one more night in each other's company. I'll never forget the bliss I felt when I woke up next to him. And the dread when I wished him to farewell in his journey…

Now look at where we were, battered, bruised and bleeding in a forest. Hiding from the raiders that ambushed and overwhelmed us with their numbers. I was merely visiting them when Konnor sent a letter that said he was nearby to me. He always made sure to send letters my way. Even when he knew that I wasn't able to send any back to him. I've read so many of them. Some where it was just him telling me that they were still alive. Some where he recounted their adventures. Some where he complained about how troublesome the group they were dealing with was. 

One of them shocked me to my very core. Konnor sent it to me a few weeks after Ilse became pregnant, with him as the sire. Ilse made a small pact with Konnor and I, long before their quest. A pact in which either Konnor or myself would sire pups with her. She told us that she trusted us more than others. 

Konnor and I were shocked at first. But she explained that she only wanted us to sire the pups, nothing else. Playfully telling us that she knew we were courting each other. And that she only wanted us to do this one favor for her. Which we agreed to do. But for them to finish the pact in the middle of their quest. I swear those idiots doesn't think things thoroughly sometimes.

I growled at Konnor more, only to stop when I heard the pup stir. Konnor immediately leaned down look over his son. And I could only stare as he mutters a lullaby to coax the pup to sleep more. My anger calming down at the sight. A sight I wished I didn't have to witness like this. A sight that I'll cherish for however my life will be. I walked towards my lover, brushing myself against his side and nuzzling him. And I couldn't help the spark of joy that ignited when he nuzzled back. 

“P-Please my love… let's run while we can. P-Please…" I asked softly and I could feel him take a shuddering breath. Gazing at me to reply before he got cut off by the sharp barks that echoed across the forest. Both of our hackles raised and I felt dread clawing up my throat. I could feel the air shift even more now. “Lenn… take our son and run." I stared at him in shock. Visible sparks of lightning around his toned form. Eyes glowing with an intensity I've never seen before. “W-What!? No! Let's get out of here while we still-“

A burning streak of gold lightning roared out from Konnor and past me. A short yelp following it quickly, before the scent of burnt flesh filled the area. I turned my head to see one of the raiders laying on the ground, their head smoking. They were already that close to us! “Lenn!" Konnor called out and I turned back to him. His eyes wide with fear, staring at me pleadingly. “Please. Take our son and go!" he begged. The usually unshakeable wolf, my wolf, looked around frantically. I could only nod shakily, moving over to his son, our son. 

He followed right behind me, “Your cloak's still good enough that they probably haven't seen your face yet." He mumbled to me, leaning down to lick his son's forehead one last time. “I'm so sorry you have to go through this, my son." He whispered softly with tears in his eyes. And I could feel my own welling up. “Lenn…" Konnor called as he looks up to me. Just like that, the dam broke. I pushes myself up against him. Licking his face and committing his scent to my memory, with him doing the same. Before he rest his forehead against mine. “I l-love you…" I choked out, staring into those gorgeous gold eyes. “I love you too..." he whispered back before he withdraws. Giving me a nod, which I took as a sign to pick up our son by his scruff. 

“Lenn… my love. Whatever happens. Don't turn back." He stated firmly as he nuzzled us one last time. I wanted to shake my head. I wanted to help him or drag him away from here. I wanted to say goodbye. I wanted to do so many things. But I wasn't able to when the raiders arrived. All I could do was run when my love shoved me away. And I ran, not looking back even when I wanted to. Listening to the familiar barks of thunder that belongs to Konnor. Tears blurring my sights and being careful not to drop our son. I let all of my paws carry me away from him. Back to the where I've, somewhat, accomplished my dreams… Back to my Altarrum.

To be continued...