FicWad

Chapter 4: A New Pack
Rafeo stared at the boy, he hadn’t seen those eyes in a very long time, so long he’d wondered if they would never open again and if all their effort would be in vain. How long had it been? A season? Two? It had been long enough to wonder if they should just give up hope. He’d visit the other almost every day, he sat with him in the never ending silence, he brooded over his past, and he made vows about his future. Somehow the horrid event had brought a bit of good with its terrible bad. The chain of events had caused him to grow up, grow wiser, and change his ways. He could not be a man, a leader, or anyone worth any while if he only let emotions and a foolish resentment inside of him run his every choice.

Drowsy eyes watched him, although they looked a bit bleak, blank even, somehow they were still clear and vivid. He shifted in his chair, the dark gray vest crinkling against the soft, dark blue shirt beneath it as he leaned forward. His mouth opened, preparing to work in the right motions to form words, but in his head there was no words to form. He was at a loss of what to say although there was so much to say. There was a long stretch of silence, each staring at each other with different expressions but neither expression spoke any more than the lack of words.

Finally the silence was broken, a shift against blankets, the soft swish of hair brushing against fabric as the young boy cocked his head with confusion. “Who are you,” he asked softly and curiously.

Rafeo blinked, that was certainly not what he was expecting to hear. There was a lot he’d planned for, anger, sadness, and yes, even confusion… but this was a kind of confusion he hadn’t calculated. “You don’t know who I am,” he echoed in a half sitting pose as he paused midway in his transition to rise. A shake of a silvery head was his answer and he frowned, completely taken aback. “Do you know who you are?”

“Yes. I’m Naki… Do you know who you are?”

Rafeo almost smirked, it seemed the other had a spark of spunk in him. “Yes I know who I am. Can I ask you who else you may know?”

“I know my mamma and our staff. Are you new staff?” Naki glanced around, the room was strange, and it looked like a room he’d never seen before. There was a little beeping machine connected to a string of some sort which went down to a band aid plastered to his arm. He raised his arm but it took some effort, as if his muscled had fallen asleep and took effort to bring some life back into them. “Where am I? Where is mamma?”

Rafeo grimaced. If there was anyone Rafeo wished Naki didn’t remember other than himself, it would be his mother. He didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news if the boy had ever awoken from his coma but neither could it be avoided. That night almost a year ago… it was filled with so many tragedies that even he did not want to remember. He came closer to the other, sitting in the chair that was nearer to the bed so he could be closer to the other. “Is there anything else you can remember? Anything at all?”

Naki glanced up at the handsome man with confused eyes. What else was there to remember? It was always just him and his mother, they lived in their quaint little home and he played all day while his mother tended to the lovely garden they had. But all those days… he was so small… He glanced down at his hands and arms; he was obviously no longer a tiny little boy. He frowned, “I’m very confused right now…”

The man placed a gently hand over his, he had a nice smile, and warm eyes. “I know you are Naki… there is a lot we need to talk about but it’s going to take a lot of time and a lot of information. I don't want to load you with too much. My name’s Rafeo though and I’m your… brother…”

Naki cocked his head in confusion again. They didn’t look alike. He didn’t know what his face looked like right now but the man didn’t look like he would be his brother… wouldn’t he know who his brother was anyways? Did he even have a brother? He didn’t think so.

“About your mother Naki… well…” Rafeo paused. He didn’t know what to say or do right now. It seemed Naki had amnesia of some sort. His brain seemed trapped in a past that was no longer existing. What did he do about that? How did he handle this? Everything he said had to be said carefully… He needed help.

“Hey are you hungry? I bet you are. How about I go get you something to eat and then we will talk about some stuff okay. I know you’re really confused right now but I’ll help you with that okay? Big brother promise.” He offered the other a smile. “There will be a woman come in, she just needs to check on you because you were hurt so don’t be afraid.”

Naki nodded obediently and watched the man who called himself his brother leave the room. He looked around once again, it felt as if he’s taken a nap and woken up in some strange place.

ooOOoo

Naki stared down at the big, white stone, a place marker and physical reminder for a person who was somehow still on the planet but no longer in their presence. He felt a strong sadness within him, a hurt that radiated through his entire being, continuously stabbing him in the heart. How could this be? It felt unreal, like his eyes accepted the image in front of him but the rest of him could not. It seemed like only yesterday that he was holding a warm hand, looking up into a beautiful smile, accepting a loving hug. How could she be gone? She was always there, always present and the notion that something could take her away.. How could such a thing be?

“Are you alright?”

He looked up at the black haired male, tall and regal in appearance, the man had introduced himself as a Prince. He knew that there were different lands and each had a ruling family line, his head wasn’t so empty that he’d forgotten basic things about their existence… he just couldn’t remember details about his current life or anyone in it. His eyes trailed back down to the large jetting slab of rock, “has it really been so long…”

The grass had covered the fresh dirt and flowers were blooming beautifully around it. He had apparently been in his state of sleep for a long time after some anonymous accident. They told him she’d died protecting him, but he couldn’t remember no matter how hard he tried. It hurt him to know that she was gone but to know she was because she protected him. He had been fighting the tears back for quite a while. At first the feeling of shock was too strong but then the fact that he’d never see his mother again, hear her voice, see she smile, or feel her love… it just all came crashing down on him and he slumped to the ground, tears streaking down his pale face.

“She shouldn’t have saved me! I don’t want to be here if she isn’t! Why would she do such a thing?”

Rafeo frowned… it wasn’t true, the story they’d told the boy but he didn’t want him to know the truth. He didn’t want him to know she’d died in child birth a few days after he’d run away from home. Naki might never forgive himself if he knew he wasn’t with her in her final hours. A sympathetic arm hand was put on his shoulder. He was grateful for Sega because without him he wasn’t sure he’d be so strong throughout all of the changes in his life. He became a friend of sorts and he could understand his loss and the fact that he was now responsible for a whole life.

“Naki,” he said calmly as he gently stroked the sobbing boy’s hair, “I know it hurts right now but the pain gets a bit better over time and your mother will always be a special place somewhere watching over you and sending you love.” Naki glanced looked up at him with innocent eyes gleaming with moisture. “And you have me okay? I promise that I’ll be here for you and you can always depend on me.” After all, he had to make up for playing a part in turning the young boy’s life upside down somehow.

ooOOOooOOOoo

Yusiel was bored as usual, being a King was not all it was cut out to be. Being King meant far too much paper work, constantly being bothered with problems, and always, always having to be royal and studious. Being royalty was boring. He wanted to play tricks on people, laugh about outrageous haircuts, wonder why every “noble” wore ridiculously long hair styles. He sighed, oh well, he’d picked this life for himself. Really for all its annoyances the fact he could protect others, fight for their safety and make their lives happy and safe all paid off. His beautiful queen was definitely a plus as well.

He waked along a secret path that only he knew about. Most of the townsfolk stayed within the city, finding the high mountains too wild for their taste. He prided himself knowing that his pack was one of the most sophisticated and modern packs but he himself and many of his soldiers loved the wildness of their beautiful mountains which surrounded their beautiful city. As Shashiva though, he thought it was important to have a little bit of wild inside of them. The gift to shift from a complicated humanoid being to a great and fierce wolf was always something he was amazed by. Their kind were ancient and wonderful but they’d been given the gift to blend in with the other occupants of their home over time. He found it important to keep in touch with both.

It was quiet today though, this was a time of controversy with the Field Pack so most of the men who would venture into the rugged mountain land were training. It gave him time to simply relax and enjoy being alive. He placed big, rough hands atop his bush of dark brown hair as he whistled a tune. Yusiel paused however when he spotted a peculiar site beneath him. Below a rather jagged side of a mountain slope was a dirty looking young man. He was older than a boy but to a man of his rather great age, he was still nothing but a pup. The boy wore tattered clothes and was hungrily devouring a raw fish as he crouched by the lake, eyes darting around cautiously like a scared animal. He mused a bit at the comparison… he supposed in a way he could indeed be a wild animal.

Curious, having never seen the young man or smelled he sent, Yusiel shifted and descended the dangerous slope in his, gliding as if he jumped on currents of air in a downwards slope. He landed with a heavy thump, big, bushy neck turning curiously when the young man startled and shifted himself. He almost wanted to laugh at the little growl that escaped the boy who was not even half his size. Yusiel had had a very long time to grow and a puppy baring his little chompers didn’t cause him to blink twice. He laid down where he landed, tail swishing happily as he showed the other that he was no threat.

“Really little guy, I’m not here to pick a fight. I haven’t seen you around these parts. Are you lost?”

Aiden narrowed his eyes at the big wolf, for months he’d roamed the mountains on his own, alone, confused, angry, and afraid. He just kept pushing though, he kept running but by now he wasn’t sure from what. It was evident that no one was coming for him, neither to rescue him nor to apprehend him but he knew he could not go back. For so long he’d wondered aimlessly, searching for who knew what. It was a lonely life and sometimes he found himself overcome with hate for what he’d done and brought upon himself. Now he had no one. He had encountered a few lone wolves, none of them were ever friendly and wanted him out of their lands immediately. It had been so long since he’d even seen someone else that he wondered if he was imagining the big male. Everything about the other though… it would be very hard to imagine all of that.

“Who are you,” he asked cautiously, not sure what to do or say to someone after so long.

“I’m Yusiel. And you are?”

“Aiden,” he answered in return, his weariness not waning from the pleasantries. He’d learned that some wolves were very lacking in morals and did not care about gender when it came to trying to get something he didn’t quite want to learn about so soon. This guy looked suspicious.

“Really don’t look at me like that, I’m not some pervert if that’s what you’re thinking.” Yusiel chuckled, everything about the boy screamed scared and alarmed. “What are you doing way into these mountains? Have you lost your pack?”

Aiden went quiet, looking away at the question. Had he lost his pack? No… he’d push himself away from his pack. His loneliness was his own fault, for his grievous crime he deserved to be alone. He stayed silent, not wanting to tell anything to this oddly friendly guy.

“Hmm you’re alone then.” Yusiel watched the other, he had a sadness about him, for one so young he had a lot of anger in his eyes but there was also fear and isolation in them. “That won’t do. Would you like to come home with me?”

Aiden eyes snapped up and he immediately bared his teeth, he knew it! This guy was a creeper!

“Woah, woah calm down, calm down. I have a wife youngin’, furthermore, I’m purely a ladies man. I have a nice home with lots of food,” he looked down at the fish… “Lot’s of cooked food, showers, and fresh clothes.” He rose, stretching like a big dog before turning and looking back at the boy. “Think about it okay, no one should have to be by themselves.”

Aiden watched the other as he scaled the mountain side with the grace of a gazelle, or antelope… or whatever scaled mountains. He cocked his head to the side… what a weird person, offering their home to him. He heard his stomach growl and looked embarrassed. He was terrible at fishing and hunting was difficult in the mountains. He wasn’t sure what he would be walking into but anything had to be better than live life as a lone wolf… he so desperately craved the presence of other people again.

ooOOOooOOOoo

Naki crouched in the high grass, he was stalking Cerise, the pink of his long hair poking through the vivid green of the grass. He was trying to help his friend learn to shift. It had been years of knowing his best friend and for whatever reason the other did not understand how to pull whatever allowed them to turn into their alter form from the air and shift into the agile beast. He knew it bothered Cerise that he was so different from everyone and Cerise knew it bothered his father who prided himself in his first two sons. They both knew the pains of being different, only Cerise amongst his friends knew of the terrible scars that riddled his back from an accident long past. He only shifted in front of Cerise too because in his own alter form he appeared so different from everyone else, he didn’t need anything else to be ashamed of.

He watched the other silently. He was becoming excellent in stealth, agility, and speed. He wanted so desperately to join the hunters of the pack, he was almost old enough to be considered fully grown and he wanted to be amongst the top picks. He wasn’t sure what else he could be good at in life and perhaps if he became a great hunter, his adoptive father wouldn’t hate him. The man loved his younger brother dearly but there was a hate so strong emitted towards him that he didn’t dare look at the man for fear of his wrath. Perhaps too if he became important, he and his brother could become close. He saw the small child a few times when he escaped his part of the house but his father made it clear that Naki could have nothing to do with the young boy. He knew there were things he didn’t understand from the lapse of his memory but perhaps he could fix whatever wrong he’d caused his step-father.

He shook his head, he had to focus. He could see faint specks of blue dotting amongst the tall blades, they’d befriended the chaotic twins of the towns carpenter and since then their little duo of four were practically inseparable. He was sure Liathan, the more skilled of the two blue haired twins had a crush on Cerise too. Whenever they would practice drills Liathan always took it easy on Cerise. Frankly he was a bit jealous, he sort of had a crush on Cerise too but then again he also had a crush on Sega’s oldest brother. Rafeo had told him that it all came with being their age. He huffed, he had to focus! If this was a hunt and he let his mind wander he’d miss a great opening!

He watched the two twins creep closer to Cerise, they were all pretty good at hiding but Cerise had it worse because his hair was so bright and clashed with everything about their lands. The two had disappeared for a moment and then the sound of something rushing through the crash lit the air. There was a bunch of commotion and then he was off as well, running through the grass and eventually landing on top of the dog pile the twins had created on Cerise.

“Oh my goodness you guys are all so heavy, get off me!”

Vio laughed, ever the jokester of their group he always found something amusing. “You were supposed to shift and run you runt! It can’t be that hard to just you know, feel that weird tingling stuff around us and pull yourself into the shift.”

“Shut up Vio, it’s not that easy, he just has to try to figure out the feeling on his own.” Liathan smiled lopsidedly at Cerise, “besides he’s cutest like this,” the tall male said with a flick to one of Cerise’s pink ears.

Cerise blushed, his cheeks matching his hair for a moment. “Sh…Shut up you two! Don’t talk to your prince that way! Naki, you’re supposed to back me up you know!”

Naki laughed, “but it’s true! You are cutest this way!”

They all laughed as they rolled over Cerise who protested their weight. The dog pile turned to Vio tackling his brother and then Naki dog piled them as Cerise sought his revenged. They always played silly games in the back fields because there was no boring adults telling them to do something boring because they were “too old” for games. How could you ever be too old for games!

Their fun was rudely interrupted though when they all went sprawling randomly to the ground, a brutish force pushing them all in different directions. Naki was the first to rise and blink in confusion, wondering how on earth one of them had managed to push him off with such force. He stared however at Liathan and Vio as they both stared at him, all mirroring the same lost expression.

“What the h--” Liathan started but a scream interrupted him.

“What the hell! Put me down! You guys!”

They all stared with both horror and confusion as they saw a group of wild and mangy looking wolves taking off with great speed with Cerise in tow, their friend forced to hang on least he go sprawling dangerously to the ground.

“Are they… are they kidnapping him?”

Naki instantly snapped out of it, that was exactly what was happening and the three of them were standing around like fools. “Oh my Gods! They are kidnapping him! Cerise is being kidnapped you idiots.”

“Shit!” Liathan was instantly shifting, his rather large frame tense with anger, “those fuck heads!”

“What do we do,” Vio asked with confusion, shifting as well.

Naki didn’t know what to do either but someone had to go and alert the pack. “Vio go and tell someone quickly! I’m fastest so I’m going to follow. Liathan you follow as well and leave a scent trail!”

The others both nodded. He made it a rule not to shift forms in front of anyone other than Cerise or Rafeo but he trusted their new friends not to judge his looks. He had to catch up to those rogues as well and the other two were not as lean and lithe as he was. He was by far the fastest amongst his peers and he had the best chance of keeping on their tails. Vio was already dashing back towards the town and the two of them were taking off after the retreating figures that had appeared out of nowhere. How had they not smelled them or sensed their presence. Their lack of their surroundings proved that they weren’t adults yet but he wouldn’t let those bastards get away. This could be their chance to prove to the elders that they were not brats anymore. Besides, he thought as he shifted, quickly closing the distance between he and Liathan, no one stole his best friend and got away with it!