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Ashina woke up to the sound of a lively compound. Everyone before her is awake. She still lingers on her bed wondering what to do today. She concludes on some things she should do but one important one is to go to the market where she had met Beowulf. Maybe she will see him. It's been days since they met. Four days since she met Beowulf at the market. Four days since she met the man she believed will be the one to change the course of her existence. The man who she thought existed in fairy tales. A man with power but with a considerable amount of affection towards the people. A man whose humility rivals that of the goddess. Not to lie, there are three sets of things in Noguchi that she could compare Beowulf's humility to. The powerful, the weak, and the goddess. The powerful bones like the Alpha's, Upper Betas, Betas. These are the strong ones that determine how things go within every pack in Noguchi. But the truth is, they are only humble to those they know and love. And the weak.
Ashina left her mother's room after a bit of mother and daughter moment. Her mother tried her best to cheer her up. Ashina acknowledged it but that wasn't enough. She can't end up with Amoux. She can't have a failed second love interest. If it comes to that, she would lose interest in love and just marry for the sake of birthing. And if by the curses of the goddess, she was to get married to Amoux. She would try her best never to give birth. Else those children will lack her love. She heads towards her father's courtroom. She didn't notice anything else. She wasn't going to tell him to accept Beowulf or mention Beowulf to him. She would just go to greet him. And hopefully, he doesn't mention Beowulf. She believed he wouldn't. This isn't the first time she had sent her mother to her father and her father, wouldn't even mention it. So she knew today won't be an exception. Werewolves and Felans around her were watching her closely. But she ignored the stares from all of them. She got t
It's not every time Priests go out of their little coven to see the outside world. In all honesty, they are least interested in what goes on in the world. Or their code of conduct forces them to lose interest in the outside world. They live their lives feeding off the people. They claim the offerings belong to the goddess. Truly, the goddess does require some items for sacrifice but the Priests do double it. And before the righteous people will judge them, it's not a fraud. In Noguchi, such is not what constitutes fraud. Fraud has a very vast meaning. It's different from every pack. But one thing they all see as a fraudulent act from the priest is the idea of the priest taking two wives. But the priest who is closest to the goddess knows the reason they take two wives. They know why polygamy is important for them. As the goddess has told the first priest, who relayed it to the next priest after him. And the next one told the next priest who told his colleagues of priests and since th
He wondered who would even allow people to take such an oath. He wondered why the priests are repulsive towards all the werewolves in Noguchi."You will get the answers soon," the elderwolf said immediately."A reply. Will I get a reply that will determine my fate if I refuse a woman from the Ultimate," he asked, hoping to reject whatever spiritual wife he is to be given. "You can't refuse. It's the culture," the Elderwolf said, looking deep into the fire. His jaw resting on his back palm. His hands are on his walking stick. And he rocks forth and back despite being on a wooden chair. "What about the woman's fate? And my choice to either procreate or not?" He said, calming his rage."Here in Noguchi, it's a world controlled by forces larger than fate or destiny. That's why we are always in packs," the Elderwolf said, smiling. "And what are these forces?" "Culture and duty,""Culture? An agreement of old laws. Laws are made by wolves, aren't they," "Yes, they are," Elderwolf repl
"Do you take joy in delays?" Dinar asked Cathulf. That was a way of reprimanding Cathulf for her late comings without making Ashina take it out on both of them. "I'm sorry, my Lady," Cathulf knelt, apologizing. Ashina nodded and she stood up. Even if everyone knows how slow Cathulf can be when it comes to observing her duties, how much disregard she has for the punctuality of time, they still love her for her meticulousness. But it's not the love that is making Ashina overlook the lateness. But the interest of what is to come, or what she would gain in the coming minutes. She is going to the town, the market to be precise, to see Beowulf. Her man. Or someone she is dying to see. Someone who would be the way out of her misery. And the only thing that could have stopped her didn't. Her father didn't stop her, so nothing would now.Ashina, Cathulf, and Dinar arrived at the market the same time they arrived days ago. The day is dark. Today is one of the long nights. It had started for a
"My lady!" Cathulf called out to Ashina. She couldn't hear. She walked away from Farkas. Unaware of her environment. "Lady Ashina!" Dinar called out. But she heard this time around. She didn't want to listen to them. Right now, the only thing she wants to do is what her heart tells her to do. To leave the Town. Nothing was interesting about it anymore. It's become a place of pain. "Grandmother said that I will always get what I want, as long as I put my heart and mind into it. Grandmother, you lied to me. I prayed for Beowulf.""Lady Ashina," Cathulf grabbed her hard. She brought her back to consciousness and made her aware of her environment. "My Lady, I know your fears. But it's not worth it. He hasn't picked her yet. He hasn't accepted his daughter yet." Cathulf comforted her. "It's all the same, isn't it?" Ashina said. Her voice faded. It's shaky. It's a bit croaky and not lively. She had lost her spirit.
It's not just enough that Ashina and her father already made Amoux realize that he has been wasting his time with her. Every gesture of love that he has shown her has not been appreciated. Everything has been for naught. Her father had blatantly accepted the situation that his daughter was in a friendship with the Ultimate Alpha's son. He had complained but no one had listened to him. Not even his father. It was like no one wants to listen to him. Days ago, it had been his turn to lead the attack on people in different parts of Noguchi. This would be a form of revolt against the Ultimate Alpha. "It won't just solidify your position in the coming government after the end of our plan, it will allow you to have more respect within our pack," his father had advised him after he reported Lord Olcan to him. It's obvious his father is scared of Lord Olcan. Or maybe his father had taken a compromise. Either way, he is not happy with his father's decision on the situation. But right at the
Amoux looked behind him. He saw the guards approaching. They were guards from the Ultimate pack. They weren't rushing. People were trying to get away from where Amoux was standing. He dropped Ashina who was nearly gaining her consciousness. He realised the situation he is in. Market guards who are definitely weaker than him, are before him. He could fight through them, but the Ultimate guards would have caught up with him by then. "Don't come closer," he warned. He held his claws at Ashina's neck. His eyes showed desperation. "I am Amoux of Hudun pack. Son of the Alpha. And there has been a misunderstanding," he explained. "She is my Felan to be. It's only an argument between us. Look, those are people from my pack. They dare not deny me," he pointed to Farkas and others he knew were from his pack. "Lord Amoux, you have disrupted the edict binding this market. It's a neutral place and no form of violence. We understand who you are. We know your father, but even he is not above the
Good morning Sir!” a calm female voice rang past Dr. Hugh Henow’s ear, just when he took the diversion towards his office in Lagos City Police Department. Oh, God! Here we go again. Is there any day people realize that you don’t want to talk to them? That even the best greetings they offer might sound so shrill to your ears. Moments you just want to be alone.“Morning!. How are you?” he responded less aggressively than he intended to. If he gives a cold reply very early in the morning, she would be wary of coming to him throughout the day. “I am fine sir,” she noticed the lack of interest and coldness in his reply. Now hold on. Not like she was interested in greeting him. She is only doing this because she has a message for him. Even if he is her superior, he has no right over. He is not even her employer.He kept on walking. She hurried towards him.“Dr. Williams wants to see you.” She whispered behind him. Hu
Dr. Hefner Eric has been the coroner for the Lagos state police department, Allen District for as long as his certificate was handed to him 20 years ago. He didn’t get to stay that without his super apt sense of discerning. He was one of the best they have got and is the only one available when the need for one arrived. Despite being forty-three years old, he is still one to jump around when called to work. The reluctance other staff younger than him would show, was never in him since he began. Just like every Thursday, he was always sleeping over at the station. He was called to check out the corpse of a boy at Allison Baker's way. A police restriction line had been created 2 hours before Dr. Hefner got there. The Lagos city Police Department had received a call early in the morning from a woman who wasn’t ready to reveal who she was."Hello. Oh my God” she cried to the phone“911. What’s your emergency”“a man is
Has anyone else planned for something and it went just according to plan? Or perhaps you didn’t plan, you only wished for it to happen and it did? Even though it is out of your control? Of course, there would be lots of people. And some never got their plans into reality because of some unfortunate factors. Sadly, Tobi belonged to the second category of people on this particular day.Since his arrival at school, he had been anticipating the arrival of Amanda Dram. The way her presence spoke to him, the way it stimulates self-calming hormones in him is something he can’t have enough of. He needed to see her. To speak to her, but she wasn’t in school. And there was no way in hell he would go meet the principal to ask him about her. That would be creepy, wouldn’t it? He doesn’t want to create a bad impression of himself to anyone yet.After school ended and he couldn’t see her, there was only one thing left for him to do. To go see his Pharmacist.<
Present-day. Open earth.“don’t… now… drink… night...” incoherent words like these were the only thing Tobi could make out from the argument of his parents. His mother’s high-pitched voice woke him. He already knew what the situation was, but he wasn’t going to interfere. He knew what would stem out of him interfering. He could hear his dad’s sloppy voice. He didn’t bother standing from his bed. The Christian early morning criers haven’t begun ringing their bells. Nor the Muslim’s crier. Not like he needed to worship their God, but those people were just some sort of alarm. The sudden creak of his door’s room sent chills to his spine. He jumped. He switched the light on.“Are you still sleeping, boy? Your father wasn’t home last night and you didn’t bother asking for his whereabouts?” his mom screamed. He looked at her pitiable appearance. Her hair tangled all around. Even her pajamas are rumpled. He knew she must have been in some sort of scuffle
Run my lady!" Edon cried. "Run as fast as you can." He and a female werewolf were being chased by a pack of twelve fierce-looking werewolves. They were being chased through the wood but the female werewolf can't pick up enough speed to outrun the werewolves as she would. She is the Ultimate Luna of Noguchi. A world set aside from the human world with a large amount of magic. It has a barrier that keeps its inhabitants from interfering in human lives and vice versa. She just gave birth to a werewolf half a day ago and is unable to run. She could have healed five hours after she gave birth but during the birth, she has been using her power to conceal her and her Alpha's brother's presence. Both of them had left the Ultimate den in search of a hunt or more like so she could see him hunt. Just to pass time. She had been pregnant for the past one and a half years. She was expecting the baby anytime soon but never expected it to be the day she decided to go through the woods. "My lord,
Dun knows better than rushing to the Volde pack to share information with Skoll. It's been two weeks since she and Skoll had agreed. Skoll hasn't given her enough information to convince her of who killed her daughter, but she doesn't mind sharing him information. The first time she gave him information about the Ultimate Luna and Edon. He wondered how that piece of information was useful to him. He knew they were friends. Very close one. But why does she have to make it an important issue? She noticed the disappointment on his face. The second time they met, she told him about Audolf and other things that went on, in the palace. And she mentioned Edon and the Ultimate Luna. "Do you mean both of them go into the woods, just for walks?" Skoll asked her. She could feel the restraint in his voice. He was trying his best not to get angry. "Yes! And I have been with them once. It's just Edon, her, and maybe two maids," "I see," Skoll agreed. But today, she fell out of favour with the
The fraud from the Noguchi priesthood is something that annoys most werewolves. The priests who are supposed to be holy having more than one wife is the most ridiculous thing in Noguchi. There are so many debates surrounding why it is supposed to be so. But not many people have come out to go against it. In short, no one has. Arnou used to question it but ever since he became a priest, he acknowledged the weakness of it. How unfair it is to the Felans. He has been having thoughts about many things in recent times. He doesn't even want to get married. The spiritual wives of priests in Noguchi are treated worse than criminals. And if a spiritual wife gives birth to a child acknowledged as the next priest, she will be made to stop reproducing and left alone to live in her room, till her death. In most cases, the Felans usually die before their husbands and the next priest is given the title. But Arnou's mother is one hell of a woman who didn't die in all her days in isolation. And sinc
"Now this is the room you will be in for the main time. Once you and my son get engaged, you will be in a better room," the Ultimate Luna said. She smiled at Ashina. Ashina returned her smile even though she isn't happy. She is concerned if she really wants to be with Beowulf. What if her brother had been right, and Beowulf is just a random guy who isn't all pious as her first impression of him had been. She has been praying that some sort of enlightenment or clearance comes to her. So she should know. Left to her current feelings, she wanted to be with him. Her life since her grandmother died, has been full of sorrow and being controlled. Her father had contributed largely to that. Amoux came along the way. Even if he had been with her for four months. She thanked the goddess that both of them hadn't experienced the full moon together, else things would get worse. It might have been impossible to get him off her, even if she loves Beowulf. But within the last few day
Beowulf can't forgive himself for what he has done. He deserves every single act of aggression that comes from anyone he knows. But his father had decided to keep it between himself and his brother. Beowulf is concerned about how his father came to know about what happened. After his father asked everyone to leave, he expected his father to ask him questions. Ask him real questions like what is true or did it happen. Even if his father hadn't asked him that question, maybe just something else. He even thought this father was about to punish him for going to Ashina's house. Ever since he became the Ultimate Alpha, he had been warned never to walk or associate around women alone. Jealousy at times bred rumour. And rumours could be used to taint your image at times. That's what a young priest had told him. This same young priest had told him to be careful of how he relates with women. They are innocent and can be so tempting. He was supposed to stay off of them.