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mirrorofficialramblings · 3 years

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Chapter 5

Arc 1 - Auspicious Calamity (Part 5)

Word Count: Approx. 7,300 words.

PK - Summer, 114, 0000

As time passed, things got set up and readied for the long night ahead. Slash watched as cleanly cut wooden logs were neatly stacked, surrounding the carelessly stacked wood for the bonfire. A lone wolf was pacing in and out of a fissure with a springy step. Rather, he was actively checking the situation outside. Finally, once the bonfire's containment was set up, he swiftly bolted into the room and remained inside for a while. Slash tilted his head, wondering what the guy was doing.

The wolf appeared again. He came out dragging a wooden cart filled with a black substance. Slash squinted and inched forward to get a better view of the cart, and once he discovered what was inside, his eyes shot open. Stained Pearls; there seemed to be thousands.

'Are those all Stained Pearls?! But they're so small. How did they get a pile that big?' The pup stared in awe at the collection, then he gritted his teeth as the Sin Scavengers came forward and began pouring more Stained Pearls into the cart, forming a small hill on top of the already impressive pile. A guy dumped Willow's bag empty into the cart as well as she was preoccupied. 'I wonder what they're gonna do with all of them. It seems like a burden to just have so many...'

Slash sighed and scanned the area, watching everyone working together to get everything done. He saw Yazhu by his mentor's side; they were managing the others. Upon the large boulder were the relaxed bodies of Gwendolen and the unknown male that was always following her around. If he had to guess, it was probably the alpha male. They were overlooking everything, staring just as attentively at the crowd at Slash was.

Unexpectedly, the light within the chamber faded, making visibility the same as the night outside. Slash lifted his head in surprise, although none of the wolves setting up seemed to be bothered by it. This sort of thing appeared to be normal, anticipated even. It would probably take him a while to get used to that. Yazhu seemed alright so he didn't worry too much.

Slash concluded that the dimming of the light meant night had fallen outside; it was just nighttime. He imagined everyone slept in the open, so having it bright as day constantly was too obnoxious. 'I guess it'll take a while to understand pack life, but this is just surreal. I bet this is weird even by pack standards.' He stared up at the darkened ceiling, now unable to view the mural.

He looked back to the crag that Willow had vanished into earlier and spotted her slipping out with another she-wolf close behind. Following the adults were two pups that appeared to be around Slash's size. Most likely that was Cinnamon and Seisyll, the two pups that Gwendolen mentioned. His ears swiveled as he watched the pups prance around the pair of women, then run over and pounce on leftover wood from the bonfire set-up. Willow shouted at them loud enough to elicit a few giggles from the adults.

'I should greet them eventually ... I mean, I'll be training alongside one of them.' He licked his lips and turned away from the scene, settling to sit near the bonfire while waiting for Yazhu to finish his work. He perked up as Gwendolen hopped down from the boulder and approached.

"Is everything prepared?" she asked. A male turned to her and nodded.

"We've given Tezaia the signal, we're good to go," he answered. Gwendolen peeked at the cart and the Stained Pearls inside, her lips curving down. "I know, so many in just a year. It makes me anxious about how many we'd get during an actual war." The male scowled further. "I've been told a lot were miniatures."

Gwendolen's face turned somber. "I hope it doesn't come to that. We've been granted such a long era of peace that it seems like the balance is so fragile. The Axis worked so hard and I'm worried all her work would go to waste."

"We'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious, so don't worry Gwen," the male said.

"Alright, start keeping track of where we send our scavengers the most. Get a detailed report of how many lions and in which areas they appear. The Scout team should take notes as they go, too," Gwendolen said. The male lowered his ears then quietly agreed to her orders. He lowered his head and the female passed by. "Once we grasp a location, tell Saira to send one of the Scouts to gather information." His face flashed with confusion, but he didn't dare question her orders.

Slash grumbled to himself as he lost interest. The she-wolf just padded around issuing checks on every wolf, gathering them up. He perked up again as she moved to Yazhu and his mentor, exchanging some whispers with the snowy wolf. Yazhu seemed to avoid listening.

Slash turned to see what the alpha male was doing but was both stunned and disappointed to find him still lounging on the boulder. He was watching Gwendolen, but seemed to get tired of even that and slumped down with his head between his paws. 'How lazy!'

"As always, he doesn't participate," Yazhu complained. He sauntered over and sat next to Slash, muttering under his breath. "You'll get used to his behavior. I'm told he's been lazy since birth."

"That so?"

Yazhu nudged Slash and the two stood up; Slash confused by the unexpected urging. Yazhu, along with every other pack member bowed to the unlit bonfire. Slash shuddered and bowed too, perplexed by the action. Seemed like the ceremony was about to commence.

Gwendolen advanced next to the unlit structure and sat politely in front of all the bowing wolves, her pale eyes surveying each body. "It's time we began," she stated. Those azure eyes had an aura of oppression emanating from them. It was unlike anything Slash had seen. When she nodded, everyone raised from their bow and sat stiffly, their sights glued to the structure behind their alpha.

Gwendolen glanced toward the cart and a male with large feathered wings stepped up, his eyes glowing a beautiful deep blue. He leapt up to the wooden structure and inhaled sharply. He spat from his mouth a ball of explosive flame, setting the wood inside alight. The winged wolf leapt down and bounded back to the cart, watching as the fire grew.

The darkness slowly became illuminated with a soft flickering glow. The light unfurled long shadows along the earth, and a gentle orange hue painted the pelts of the silent wolves. Those flames, their purpose was lost to Slash, but their beauty in the still night was breathtaking. He brushed Yazhu with his tail and pointed to the bonfire. The older pup shook his head and signaled for Slash to remain quiet. He would see in due time.

Edging from within a fissure in the wall was an odd wolf with fur like late summer leaves, so dull and dark. His eyes glowed with a purple aura and he crept through the crowd, eyeing every figure he passed. Those eyes held no life, it was almost like a hollow corpse was wandering by, so insipid. Those languid steps made their way to the bonfire and he settled. The green wolf, Tezaia, stared at the bonfire with impassive eyes. His tail went stiff and he waited.

The winged wolf reactivated his telekinesis, and the pearls all began to glow with the same ocean blue as his aura. The pearls all erupted from the cart and streamed into the air, twirling like a whirlpool as every last one was taken and elevated. He raised a paw and then swung it down, sending all of the Stained Pearls flying into the bonfire, the flames erupting as they entered, sending the inferno roaring.

The entire pack lowered their heads and began to chant prayers, even Yazhu following them. Slash, not wanting to be left out and feeling it was important, lowered his head as well. They were chanting in the same language he heard Willow use at the tree. He was bewildered, but he noticed that only one wolf remained mute throughout. Tezaia.

Tezaia's ethereal purple eyes glared into the flames, his pupils shrinking to points. He was anticipating.

The pack went silent once more, their heads still bowed and their eyes shut tight. But, Slash couldn't copy them, there was too much going on and he wanted to know. He remained attentive to Tezaia and the bonfire, patient.

The flames, they gradually faded from orange to gray, and a cloud of black smoke began to emerge from the flames. The smoke twisted and whirled in the air, billowing and rising into a cloud above the flames. More and more came from the roaring flames, and Slash could hear the numerous Stained Pearls cracking and exploding in the heat. Their energy was being released in the form of that horrible mist. The pup's eyes stared and his muscles sacrificed movement.

Tezaia's eyes that were once so listless widened and their glow intensified. He gnashed his teeth and stood, all of the furs on his body standing on end and bristling at the darkness. The cloud grew so large it blocked out the sight of the mural and loomed over every living body. Tezaia let out a loud snarl and yowled at the mass of sin. Almost as if it had a mind of its own, it collected itself and loomed over Tezaia and only him, leering at him with unseen eyes.

It lunged.

The smoke spiraled around him forming a black twister, swallowing the wolf up. Powerful wind was blasted by the tornado, and finally, as if they had just come back to life, the wolves near the entity took to their feet and sprinted away. Slash rose to his feet and nearly slammed into Yazhu being pushed by the violent vortex. Yazhu used his telekinesis to hold both of them in place, and together they watched the creature.

The green-furred wolf glared right back at the creature enveloping him, and he broadened his stance, the glow in his eyes intensifying so much that it washed the Chamber in an eerie light. The smoke began to sway and churn, pushed by the raw energy of the wolf. Opening his maw, Tezaia sucked in the trembling smoke. Like a black hole, he took in the sinful energy, consuming everything and making it a part of him.

Eventually, the whole mass was sucked up by Tezaia, and he closed his mouth with a content hum. He huffed and sat back down, looking more energized now. His eyes dulled back to their original glow, and they shined with a new radiance.

After a long moment of silence, the pack started up again with their chattering, voices drowned with relief. Yazhu shoved Slash off his shoulder and released his telekinesis. He sighed, finally feeling at ease. Both watched as the pack began bustling, relieving themselves of their stress.

"I'm so glad it went smoothly!"

"Yeah, it was pretty big this year, too. I was scared."

"I hope it's not like this next year. Enough is enough."

"One day I'm going to have a heart attack ... remind me never to sit near Tezaia's position again."

Slash tried to listen in on as many conversations as he could, but he didn't hear anything about what had happened. Just that it was an annual occurrence and that the current year was impressive. He turned to Yazhu, nudging him. "What was that?" he asked. He could understand it was the raw form of the sinful energy, but that was his limit.

Yazhu gave him a solemn look. "The purification ceremony. We release all of the sins inside the pearls to get rid of them," he answered. He brought Slash's attention back to Tezaia, "That guy is Tezaia, the purifier. He was blessed with the ability to consume the negative energy released from the Stained Pearls when they're burnt. On the downside, he's mute and rarely leaves the fissure there. He's like a walking enigma, impossible to figure out."

"Slash!" The boys turned and noticed Willow approaching, the tan-furred she-wolf and her pups close behind. "You boys alright?" Willow gave Slash a quick examination. When she confirmed he was unharmed, she nodded in content and gave way to the other woman.

She stepped up and smiled softly at Slash, bowing politely. "Hello," she said.

"Mohini, how are you?" Yazhu greeted.

"I've been better," she admitted. The tan wolf glanced at her two children and sighed. "I should have expected this, though."

Yazhu looked at the young pair and pressed his lips thin. "I see."

"It'll be fine, this is my last year witnessing this anyway. I just wish I could have done more for this pack than give you children fated to die," Mohini said. She squeezed her eyes shut and then let her face relax. When she opened her eyes again, she wore a much softer look as opposed to the sullen one before. "Regardless! That's not what I came to discuss." she flipped her attention back to Willow, "So this boy here is going to be Cinnamon's training partner?"

Slash flinched, knowing he was brought to attention. He took a peek at the two pups standing by Mohini's side. They were scrutinizing him with both judgment and curiosity. He eyed the two of them, wondering which was Cinnamon. Their silence felt awkward; he couldn't bring himself to greet them. They had a cheerful exterior but he knew they must've been drained inside, not just from witnessing the purification but also from losing most of their siblings not long before.

"Slash," his attention was caught by Willow, and he reverted to listening to her. "Tomorrow you'll take the examination, and when you pass you'll be training alongside the girl here. Her name's Cinnamon. Try to get along with her."

Slash whipped back to the pups and he set his sights on the female. She had stunning electric yellow eyes and auburn fur, exuding a sense of fire. She bounced forward without warning, sending Slash stumbling back. "Uh, hi," he managed.

"Hi there. I didn't think they'd take a runt like you into the pack! Not to mention Willow has so much confidence in you. It's pretty strange, but whatever!" her statements were scathing but her face exhibited a brilliant smile like her words implied a normal greeting.

He twitched at her remarks. "Um, well, we're the same age so you know I still have room to grow. You're Cinnamon? I'm-"

"Slash, I heard. That's a really weird name, in my opinion. Why'd your parents name you that? So small and fluffy and they give you a big bad name like Slash."

"Big bad name? I don't think that was the point of the name..." The she-wolf merely tilted her head and continued to stare at him enthusiastically. 'Dear Mia above this is going to be the real trial isn't it?'

Cinnamon's brother stepped up and he shoved his sister aside, getting a squeak out of her as she toppled over. She glared at him as he sat down, neatly coiling his tail around his leg. "Sorry about her. I'm Seisyll. It's nice to meet you." He bowed to Slash, who returned the bow. Seisyll grabbed Cinnamon's head with his paw and thrust her head down forcing a bow. Slash didn't return that one.

Cinnamon flung her head up and growled. "Don't act tough now after running away from the Rose Orb!"

Seisyll rolled his eyes at her stingy words. "So," he raised an eyebrow at Slash. "Where are you from? Mom told me we get packmates from all over the world so I've made it a little goal to keep track of how many newcomers we get from each zone."

"Oh, I'm from ... well..." he suddenly drew a blank. He racked his mind for the answer but somehow he couldn't recall ever hearing the name of his zone. "I don't know," he admitted. He turned to Willow and gave her puppy eyes, begging her to answer for him.

She got his signal loud and clear, "The zone is Diana Peninsula. He's from the Forest of Diana near Signa Hill, more specifically."

"Forest of Diana?" Slash echoed. The others all went silent and stared at Slash with a strange look on their face. He was filled with anxiety locked under their eyes. "Um, is there something wrong?"

"Oh no, it's just that the Forest of Diana is a very special place," Willow said, taking everything in stride. "It was the great mother's favorite location before it was burnt down. After that, she cleared out all the ruin and planted a whole new forest full of young saplings all on her lonesome. Not to mention it's right beside Drew, the birthplace of Blue of the Adherents."

"Oh really? Sorry, I never knew," Slash said. "Are there other special places like my forest?"

"Too many to list. Pretty much every location is synonymous with some special event whether we know it or not. It's not that it has any historical value, it's just we see the Forest of Diana as a sacred location considering the Axis cherished it," Willow said.

Slash hummed in thought and cocked his head. So the forest he lived in was such a special place? Only if Willow's words had weight to them, however. In truth, Slash didn't know anything about the Axis or the Great Mother, finding both new words. But he had asked so many questions today and learned so much that he felt that he'd just forget it even if they told him. His mind was stuffed full of new information, it was beyond reason for him to shove any more information in there. He still had to digest today's mental meal.

"Regardless, that's all a story for another day. The real reason we're here is to introduce you to Mohini. She'll be your foster mother until you're an adult."

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Slash. I hope you enjoy your stay." Mohini crouched down to meet Slash eye to eye. One look at her and Slash could tell just why she was chosen to look after him. She seemed to be a very patient and kind person at first glance. But, what she said before about her children being fated to die. It seemed she suffered quite a bit. "If you have any questions about the pack, don't be afraid to ask. My bloodline is natural to this pack, unlike most others. I'm the twenty-ninth of my generation. Cinnamon and Seisyll are the thirtieth!"

"Is that a big deal?"

Mohini looked away. "It is when you think about the line of work. We don't just deal with Sin Lions; sometimes we tackle the source. The gangs and criminals that breed those lions into existence. It's dangerous. Most don't live long enough to have children. Even if they do, the mortality of those children is hardly negotiable. Anything can wipe out a bloodline, be it murder or natural causes like a disease."

"And that's not taking into account whether a woman wants to have a child or not," Willow said. "Personally, I'd rather never be a mother. I'll train kids any day, but birthing them is a whole different story! My bloodline ends with me."

"What about your brother and sister?" Slash asked.

"Engin, just like me, refuses to have kids by choice so he's out. Gwendolen is barren, so she's also out."

"Barren? Wait, Gwendolen is your sister?!"

"Yes, Gwendolen's my sister."

"Woah, so you're the little sister of the alpha! Comfy position." Slash blurted. Willow smirked knowing well that her blood meant nothing to her position. Slash didn't need to know that, however. Might as well let the kid have his delusions. Mohini shook her head and stood up, she nodded to her pups and they both bounced to their feet.

"Slash, dear, why don't we head to the nursery? It'll just be one night while the second half of the ceremony starts."

"There's more?"

"Yes, but the remainder of the ceremony is nothing like the burning of the pearls. You won't be able to participate anyway as you came too late, so let's just head back so we can talk. You must be exhausted from your journey so we'll rest while they continue."

Yazhu stood and patted Seisyll, "You should work hard. Become a good medic. I hope you'll be a great partner one day." With that said, he turned and padded away.

Seisyll sighed and he looked to his mother with pressed lips. Mohini just shook her head and spun around and tiptoed across the Chamber with her three charges ambling behind her. As they walked, Slash learned he resembled one of Seisyll and Cinnamon's late brothers who died from an illness. It frightened him a bit, but they both just had gray fur.

On their way, Mohini paused and glanced at Slash, "Are you hungry at all? I understand you've been traveling all day long and you haven't eaten a scrap of food. It's already around midnight in the Diana Peninsula..." Forget that, he should've been beyond exhausted due to his young age. Still, when faced with that gentle face Slash felt a bit strange. Was it alright to even eat at night?

"Sorry, but I'm fine. We usually only eat once a week to spare prey. Today, in Diana, it was the day we ate and I can't eat anymore now. I'm alright with fasting so it's no bother."

Seisyll and Cinnamon both froze and gawked at Slash. He only ate once a week? "You seriously can do that?!" Cinnamon bounced to be right in the gray pup's face, "I can't imagine going even a day without food, and you manage a whole week? I don't believe you, you're lying!"

"No, it's true! We really do practice fasting."

"That must be why you're so small, then! You need to eat a lot to get big." She said. Seisyll agreed with his sister posthaste. "If you keep this up you'll stay a runt forever."

"I don't think that has anything to do with it. I mean, my brother and I eat the same way and he's bigger than Willow." Slash said. Mohini frowned and examined Slash closely. Slash couldn't understand what the problem was; he wasn't much smaller than his new foster siblings, not to mention his brother never said anything about his size either.

"Is your brother a Fenrillis?" Mohini asked. But she regretted her question realizing he wouldn't understand.

"What's a Fenrillis?"

"It's ... a clan. Demonic Wolves aren't just a collective race where everyone shares the same traits. We have different races known as 'Clans' that dictate how we look and what powers we can use. Sometimes we can have abilities unusual to our clan but it's uncommon. Members of the Fenrillis clan are known for being larger than other clans, with strong well-muscled bodies. They're the complete opposite of the Shrew clan which features small slender bodies for slipping through cracks."

"Oh ... no. I don't think he's a Fenrillis. My brother has no muscles. But, if I'm small could I be a Shrew? My dad was really small so he might've been one! I've never seen a wolf smaller than him before so maybe I just inherited his clan."

"Your father was a Shrew? Then, that could explain if you don't grow much in the future. For now, we'll just wait and see. I'd say you should stop fasting, though. We have plenty of food here so you can eat your fill every day without worrying. We have people watching the populations of the prey we eat so there's no worry of hunting too many."

"But..."

"No buts! You should eat your fill, otherwise, you won't grow strong. You don't want to fail Willow's expectations, do you?"

Slash shook his head and slouched down. Reluctantly, he agreed and he went off with her to where they kept the food for that night's dinner. Several wolves were eating and didn't care as Slash approached. Mohini watched like a hawk as Slash pushed himself to eat the meat despite his whole body telling him it wasn't okay. Taking advantage, the siblings joined him and ate alongside him, giving him more reassurance. He still felt he didn't earn it, but he figured he'd learn to deal with it. He'd learn to hunt in the mountains soon, and he'd make sure to pay them back for everything.

When finished, he shrank back to Mohini and crouched at her feet, feeling ashamed of the free food. Mohini, now satisfied, called back her kids and brought them all to the nursery, located in a crack in the wall. It was to the far right of the tunnel and due to being a slit opening hidden beside a shrub, it was difficult to spot and considered safe. The nursery is where all mothers would stay with their young until the fall, where their children would be taken as trainees in the field of their choosing.

There, Slash would spend his first night in Sapphire.

Slash slipped through the narrow entrance and peeked around the dark area. To his surprise, it opened to a long hall with many paths diverging from the main area. It was impressively spacious, failing to feel even the least bit cramped. On the ceiling hung black lamps with small flickering flames giving just enough light to manage without tripping.

The den featured a dirt path with smooth stone walls, carved precisely so there were no sharp edges. It was obvious safety was the priority in the creation of the den. The numerous paths lead to numerous nesting rooms for the mothers. According to Seisyll, no two mothers have ever shared a nest.

Slash paced after the family as they padded through the halls to their nest. The place had a nice herbal smell to it.

They entered Mohini's section of the den and the she-wolf nosed at the bedding underfoot. It covered the whole floor and seemed to be something like straw. Slash cocked an eyebrow and sniffed at the straw, curious of the scent Mohini was checking out. There was a similar black lamp hanging from the ceiling, but it was unlit, leaving the room dark.

"This will be the last night here, you two. Once Slash is tested tomorrow, you'll go to sleep in the Chamber's open area like everyone else. No more privileges." Mohini leaned over and whispered to Slash. "Don't worry about making any noise, we're the only ones here. I was the only mother this year." She gave a quirky grin and returned to the entrance of the nesting area, laying in front of the path. Slash's ears drooped and he inched deeper into the room.

The two siblings settled down in the bedding and looked to Slash expectantly. Seisyll was the first to speak up, "What's your brother like? Is he cool or is he annoying like Cinnamon?" This earned him a glare from his sister, but he fully ignored her in favor of the gray-furred male.

"Well, he's alright. Fang is big and he's strong but he is a sloppy fighter. He's brave to a fault and is kind. He says he feels bad for the animals we have to eat. But, he's a total pushover! He always lets me have my way and never argues. That makes him kind of sucky," Slash said. Thinking about the disagreement they had before Slash left for Sapphire, he scoffed. Seisyll and Cinnamon glanced at each other.

"I think he sounds nice, I wouldn't mind meeting him," Seisyll said. He smiled at the boy. Cinnamon rolled her eyes and flopped onto her side, pushing her head into Seisyll's shoulder.

Slash rested across from the siblings, and as soon as he laid down his exhaustion crashed over him like a tidal wave. His legs felt heavy and he was sure he couldn't bring himself to stand up again. His body was pinned to the ground whether he liked it or not. He rested his head on his paws and watched as the siblings wrestled nearby. They didn't seem halfway tired which meant they were probably going to stay up for a while longer.

Mohini watched the three, her eyes falling to Slash's face. Frowning, she took a breath and sat up. "Slash, would you like to hear a story?"

"A story?"

"Yes, a very special story. One of our pack's history and the wonderful she-wolf who founded our entire culture, making us who we are today." She eyed her two little ones with a devious glint. The siblings bounced to their mother and sat down, looking eagerly up at her. The she-wolf turned her attention back to Slash. "Well? Would you like to hear about it? For them, it's a repeat but for you, it'll be a brand new tale."

Slash thought for a moment. The history of the pack ... Yazhu mentioned that the pack was thousands of years old, meaning that the story was ancient. "Okay. I'll listen."

The siblings shifted over to Slash and cuddled beside him, Cinnamon using his back as a pillow, and Seisyll leaning up against his neck and shoulder. Mohini shifted herself into a comfortable position and smiled warmly at the pups. Above their heads, the previously unlit lamp suddenly flickered on, a small flame dancing behind the tempered glass. Mohini's mouth twitched. "It finally lit up. Always with that delay..."

"Anyway, shall we get started? The great history of the three apostles and the birth of the second unity. It's a long story so get comfortable." Mohini cleared her throat and squirmed trying to set the mood for a story. Thus, the story began.

"A long time ago, many years after the start of the first revolution, demonkind lived in absolute chaos. It was a time where the strong governed and morals were left to rot. It was a time of despair for all, be they Demonic Wolves, Skins, Beast Kin, or even Angeloids. Among the numerous wars reigned the Trinity War which swallowed all attempts at order, bathing our land in blood. Beasts born from the war dotted the world painted the innocent in terror, causing an imbalance. Eventually, the situation of the sin consuming beasts became too great and most wars came to an end and the warriors shifted their focus to combating the violent creatures.

Day after day was vicious fight after vicious fight with no rest. During that period, Demonic Wolves knew not of their demon blood and could rely only on their fangs and claws, making them prime targets for the beasts. Our ancestors suffered the greatest trauma known to Mirror. Packs were small and few between. To flourish in such a world meant one had to be strong; there was no place for the weak. In their desperation, wolves would turn on one another and there were constant spats with other packs. It benefited nobody. Life continued on one weak breath at a time.

When wolves learned the weakness of the beasts, they were overjoyed, and when they found the black pearl left behind they decided it was their reward for the defeat. A medal of honor. But, as the number of pearls grew, demonkind found it troubling. They knew not how to destroy them, as brute force and magic failed to harm the small orbs.

One day, in the continent of West, a pack of demonic wolves decided to cleverly start a bonfire. The alpha of Ashen Night believed that like normal pearls, the black pearls would burn in the flames and be reduced to the dust from which it came. He and his pack began a fire and dumped the pearls into the flames, hopeful for their destruction.

It turned out to be a horrific mistake.

The gems did indeed burn and break, but they released all of the darkness stored inside. The sinful energy recollected itself and became a new beast ... one of solid black fur and sickly gray eyes. The beast, newly awakened with power far beyond what any demon had seen, went on a rampage and slaughtered most of its creators leaving only a mere four alive. This became known as the 'Black Lion Incident' and became a lesson for demonkind.

'Do not allow the pearls to burn.'

It became a slap to the face for everyone who learned of the incident; they never defeated the lions at all. All of the pride for slaying a lion in battle was buried away in a locked chest. They never won. They were only putting the beast to sleep and breeding an even greater monster. They achieved nothing.

Ashen Night's four survivors fled deeper into the jungle, where they were surprised the black beast didn't follow. They intruded in the territory of another pack and were caught. They went willingly, knowing better. The survivors explained the situation and pleaded for assistance, but even the other wolves knew nothing. To fight such a powerful beast would take hundreds of demons. There was no way to gather up the forces or even cooperate. It was a useless plight.

While the others were satisfied to just be alive, one of the survivors felt no ease. She felt disgusting. The Black Lion was left to roam free, taking innocent lives while she cowered in a corner, tail between her legs. This wasn't the sort of life she wanted to live. Thus, she came to a conclusion. If nobody else stepped up, then she would.

Sapphire, a young she-wolf with a determined heart, decided to take matters into her own paws. She would learn about the beasts and find a way to defeat the lion who slaughtered her family."

Slash's eyes widened, 'Sapphire?!'

"Sapphire began to observe the lions and study their behavior; she analyzed everything. She noted every location they appeared in and their growth. She realized that the lions would always appear where a battle was fought, or strife was abundant; this led to the revelation of their birth. They were a consequence of our fighting; they embodied the wrath of demonkind. Upon figuring out their purpose, Sapphire decided to dub the beast as 'Sin Lion'. Upon naming the beasts of darkness, her greatest nightmare appeared before her. The Sin Lion created by Ashen Night during the Black Lion Incident came forth, standing before the she-wolf. It was pacified and merely watched her despite her hatred.

Then, all of a sudden, a bright light burst forth from the sky and cascaded down to Mirror. From the light was a beautiful white lion with glistening scarlet eyes and legs of a golden hue. The beautiful scarlet eyed lion stepped to Sapphire and performed something no lion had ever done before.

It spoke.

The lion introduced herself as the Continental Goddess of the West, Taavet. She explained to Sapphire that everything the she-wolf had deduced was correct, and that Sin Lions were a lesson for demonkind. She wished for her subjects to support one another and work together to combat a threat greater than each other, but clearly, her message wasn't sent. Either they worked together to survive, or they perished to the bloodied fangs of their own sins.

Understanding that her message couldn't be understood, she requested Sapphire to act as an envoy and spread her message to demons of all races. She wished for Sapphire to unite the demons once again and form a new era of peace where the lions wouldn't prevail. And thus, upon the agreement, Sapphire was blessed by the Goddess of the West herself. She was given the power to confront Sin Lions and consume their sins upon the burning of the pearls.

Sapphire would become the first Purifier in history, and the one destined to cleanse the ancient world of their sins. She would come to bring an end to the chaos, and mend the bleeding wounds caused by the First Revolution.

With her blessing, the monstrous lion burst into black smoke and was consumed by Sapphire, increasing her strength and lengthening her life span beyond that of a normal Demonic Wolf. She knew that Sin Lions could never be prevented from being created, but so long as demonkind worked together, they could manage the threat and prosper once again.

Subsequently, Sapphire traveled alongside her two companions across the globe and spread the word of the Goddess and destroyed the Stained Pearls collected over the many years of war. She managed to get demonkind to work together to fight the lions, proving that they could see eye to eye if given the chance.

Demons of all kinds worshiped Sapphire as the Envoy of Taavet and every year they would collect all of their Stained Pearls and bring them to the she-wolf. They would light a bonfire and dance and pray for her, celebrating their newfound freedom and the peace brought by the wolf.

The wolves who followed her and practiced her mantra eventually founded their own pack under her name ... the single greatest Sin Scavenger pack in all of history, Sapphire. Even centuries after her death, demonkind continued to sing praises to the lady of the Second Unity."

Mohini heaved a sigh, finally finished with her story. She opened her eyes to three children staring at her with large sparkling eyes. She grinned. "Did you like that?" she asked. All three nodded their heads fast as they could. It was confusing but it was a great story.

"That was a great refresher! One day do you think I'll be an elder telling this story to the kids of the pack?" Cinnamon looked at her brother and Slash.

"You ought to be thinking of how you'll tell it to your own children, young lady." Mohini raised an eyebrow and smirked. Cinnamon froze and glanced at her mother. The pup was stunned that her mother could say such a thing.

Seisyll didn't seem impressed either. "Mom, do you really think Cinnamon could be a mom? I can't imagine her having kids. She'd probably be a horrible mother."

"Hush! Don't look down on your sister. If not her, then you should be looking to have kids. Our bloodline is precious to this pack and I don't want to see it end with me. Besides, being a mother is one of the greatest feelings in the world. Seeing that you can create life yourself and even see that life develop and grow up." She gave her kids a stern look.

"You mean to end with us," Seisyll muttered. Mohini couldn't deny that. Still, she felt some sympathy for her children. Maybe that was a bit too much stress to be putting on the backs of pups so young.

She decided to pull back. "I'm sorry. Forget it. I shouldn't try to force you. I guess I'm still hung up on my mother's pride. She was always so proud of our blood existing in the pack for centuries. Might have rubbed off on me."

"Okay, but think about it, mom. Cinnamon sucks and she'd probably raise a bunch of little nuisances," Seisyll said.

"I do not! I bet I could raise the strongest, greatest wolves in all of history."

Slash chuckled nervously. The siblings climbed off him and began throwing sarcastic remarks at one another, and even throwing some childish things at Mohini. Narrowing his eyes, Slash interrupted them, "Mohini, can I ask a question?"

"Hmm? What is it dear?"

"Is anyone in the pack related to Sapphire? Did she have kids?"

Mohini blinked. She gritted her teeth at the question. "Yes and no. Sapphire's relatives do exist in the pack to this day; their blood is beyond important to us, and their safety is prioritized above everyone else. But, they're not descendants of Sapphire herself. They're the descendants of Sapphire's one surviving relative, Hornet," Mohini said. "As for Sapphire herself ... well, it's strongly implied she was barren as her price." she continued. "But, again, yes, her blood remains in the pack to this day. Nonetheless, you lot should be getting ready for bed. It's getting late! I expect to see you three asleep by the time I come back."

Mohini stood up and stomped to the entryway. She turned back, "As long as you're in this den, you follow my rules. My rules say it's bedtime. I'll be off to carry out the rest of the ceremony with the other adults, so goodnight. Sleep well." And with that, Mohini left.

The siblings looked at one another before deciding that Mohini's rules were trash and began to wrestle, their bodies harmlessly kicking at one another, pushing each other around. Slash, on the other hand, decided to let lazy eyes fall. He wriggled in the bedding until he felt comfortable enough and then finally set out for some shuteye. He felt like he could sleep for a few years. His spent brain shut off instantly, drifting his consciousness to a new area; it was one he visited every night.

Slash knew he was asleep, but these dreams of his felt too real. It was as if he had been transported to a new dimension of sorts, or astrally projected into one at the very least. Of course, why he was here was the least of his problems. Actually understanding the location was his main concern every night.

Beneath his paws were numerous bright pink paths, spread across the inky darkness like the veins through one's body. The paths never made sense. When he tried to follow them forward, he came to dead ends and couldn't move beyond the path, but when he turned back and traveled to the start of the path, he found odd golden figures completely stationary. Their glowing bodies featureless and quietly standing in place, never budging no matter how much he tried to will them to move.

Somehow, these wolves didn't scare him. They exuded an aura of nobility. At least that's how he'd describe the sensation. They were comfortable to be near and made him comfortable. He didn't understand who they were or why they were in his dreams, least of all why he had the dream every night. The paths that he could walk along and the figures patiently waiting to step forward. He didn't get it. What purpose was there in seeing these dreams?

He decided he wouldn't worry about it. Maybe sometime down the road - or path, apparently - he would ask Willow about his recurring dreams and get her opinions. She seemed smart, so she'd probably have something to say. If not then maybe someone else in the pack could help. He could ask Gwendolen or Yazhu if they knew anything, or could at least point him to someone who would.

Still, he churned his thoughts and recalled the story he heard just before drifting off. Remembering the details, he could only think of so many questions. "Sapphire was a crazy girl. Did she really travel the oceans into war zones just to tell them to stop fighting? I mean, the goddess told her to, so..."

His mind fell to another thought. "... Did our ancestors really not know they were demons? I wonder why that was. Did something bad happen to cause demons to forget about their powers and their blood? But how could we forget what species we were?"

He peered at the glittering pink path under his paws. Maybe it was possible. And if so, someone had to have reminded the wolves of who they were and what they were capable of. Another mystery to be solved. Great.

In the end, his thoughts would chase their tails through the night. His mind received no rest.

"Family is built on love, not expectations. The blood running through your veins does not dictate who your family is. Anyone can love you. Our true family isn't those we share blood with, but those who love us with all their heart and soul. Those who cherish us despite all of our flaws, and even embrace those flaws. The desire for that gentle embrace. Where can we find it?"

#LONG POST #Mirror: Path of Scars #Slash (Mirror)#Willow (Mirror)#Cinnamon (Mirror)#Seisyll (Mirror)#Mohini (Mirror)#Tezaia (Mirror)#Gwendolen (Mirror)#Auspicious Calamity Arc #Chapter 5 #My writing

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