The real Little Red - And The Beastly Realms

As with all good fairy tales our story begins with an innocent young woman, raised in ignorance of her origin, heritage and destiny. One who’s world is about to fold beneath her and drop her into a broken realm of sinister beasts, love, lust and betrayal, good and evil in an infinite tug of war for the upper hand. It would be remiss of me not to point out that all is not what it seems, preconceived discernments and prejudice will not serve you here. A glimpse beneath the mortal veil will expose a truth many strive to keep hidden, Werewolves, Dragons, Witches and Elves, all embroiled in an endless conflict that shapes the world around them. Allow me to shine a torch into the shadowed corners of the Beastly Realms and see what the light will unveil. This is the story of the real Little Red. Chapter One *Omniscient* The weathered walls of the limestone cottage stand stark against the dense surrounding woodland. Though it is set back from the rarely travelled path, the swirling smoke from the tumbling down chimney is sure to give away its position to anyone passing by. A young woman, enveloped in a cape of the deepest red, waves a merry goodbye to her guardian and sets off into the dark, sprawling woods. She pulls the thick woollen fabric closed around herself in an effort to keep out the early morning, autumn breeze. Cherry red hair spills over her chest, and tumbles in waves to her waist, from beneath the oversized hood. The day she was born, with a shock of red hair and matching rosy red lips, her parents knew there was only one name suitable for their little princess. Ruby’s birth was hidden from the entire kingdom before she was spirited away in the dead of night by her guardians. The only child of the ageing King and Queen, Ruby’s head is the one the heavy burden of crown will eventually come to rest upon. Her parents took comfort for their broken hearts, knowing that one day she would be returned to them. If only it were that simple, but I think we all know better than that. The Queen, a gifted seer, was plagued with nightmarish visions throughout her pregnancy. Prophecies of witches and wolves, dragons and elves, tearing the world apart for the power that would come from making the child theirs. The fates have dealt the unfortunate girl a harrowing hand and we all know it is pointless to try to outrun your destiny. The strongest and most powerful being of each race would destroy everything in their path to claim her as their mate. Her overwhelming beauty, her pure and loving soul and the gifts she would inherit from the generations of strong women in her blood line, make her the most coveted creature in all of the beastly realms. Of course, she was born in the human realm, safe for the time being at least. Right? The strongest and most loyal of the royal guards, and closest friend of the king, was charged with protecting and hiding Ruby until she comes of age and can return to her parent’s kingdom to take her rightful place beside them. The Queen has foreseen that if the child remains hidden until her eighteenth birthday, she will forever be invisible to her mates and the human realm will be spared the bloodshed of its warring neighbours. All of Jordenia mourned the passing of the baby princess in the following months, believing the heir of their beloved rulers died inexplicably, soon after her birth. Black drapes adorned every window, pure white chrysanthemums filled every flowerbed, people would line the streets, candles in hand and hang their heads in silence for ten minutes at dusk each and every Sunday. The guard, Joseph and his wife Flora, loved the little girl as they would have their own, if they had been blessed with such a gift. They delighted in every milestone, taught her love and compassion, and ensured she knew of the dangers in the woods. Ruby has known since her thirteenth birthday that she has other parents, and when she is eighteen they will all leave their little cottage and return home. Most recently she has seen it in her dreams. High painted ceilings, gilded chairs and sprawling gardens filled with flowers, fountains and ponds. She couldn’t imagine anything less like home if she tried but, as the obedient child she has been raised to be, she accepts her fate and obeys her parents’ wishes. Now, don’t mistake her obedience for weakness, or lack of character, Ruby was born with a fire inside her, yes it may only be an ember for now, but we all know the potential destruction and devastation even the smallest spark can cause. *** “Don’t stray from the path Little Red.” Joseph calls after her as she passes him on her morning forage. The razor-sharp blade of the heavy axe he wields above his head, glints in the sun. The steel sings as it slices through the air and he swiftly brings it down on an upturned log. Freshly felled wood splinters and cracks as it splits in two around a knot in the grain and the young woman shudders at the brutality of the simple act. She knows it’s only wood, but her pace quickens as she tries to push visions of blood coated steel, sliced flesh and shredded fur from her mind. Images that are visited upon her all too frequently in her sleep and wandering mind. A pair of curious, evergreen eyes follows her every move as she continues down the dusty trail. The little human has a captive audience. “Little red.” He murmurs to himself, grinning wickedly inside. “How fitting?” He makes sure to tread softly, avoiding the twigs which litter the forest floor, not an easy thing to do with paws as large as his. Her scent lingers, teasingly in the air, drawing him closer, she is intoxicating. How can one little human female override his every sense? Wolves are strong, blood thirsty, predators, they crave the hunt, live for the kill and hunger for the flesh they strip from the bones of their enemies. Phillip knows if he doesn’t rein in his wolf now, there will be nothing he can do to fight his instincts to claim her right then and there. The snapping of bones echoes eerily between the trees, a low groan disappears into the earth as the beast morphs almost instantaneously into its human form. There is something different about her, beyond her skin-deep appeal, something Phillip can’t quite put his finger on. He continues to stalk her as she ignores the woodcutter’s warning and strays from the dusty path to pluck blackberries from the gnarly branches sprawling between the trees. Little Red hums to herself as she fills her hand-woven basket with the berries she will bake into a pie this afternoon. She is prone to wandering off the beaten path, often carried away in a daydream, visions of magical lands and mythical beasts come to life in her mind. Unaware she has caught the eye of one particular beast, she continues deeper into the dark woods. The dense canopy casts an ominous shadow over her and she flinches when a thorn snags her finger, spilling a single drop of her claret blood on the dirt beneath it. The scent of her life blood, although just a drop, has Phillip frozen to the spot. He watches hungrily as she sucks her finger into her mouth, her deep red lips pucker as she slowly withdraws it to inspect the damage. Only then does Little Red notice how far she has wandered. She could turn back towards home, or she could continue, knowing what awaits her if she does. Phillip watches intently from his hiding spot behind a particularly large tree. He weighs up the pros and cons of approaching the human. She would not be able to out run him, he could take her home with him without any doubt. She could not over power him, he is broad and strong, the epitome of what a prince should be. It would be difficult to explain his lack of clothes, that much is certain. Not that an explanation would be necessary, should he wish to take her. He had only intended to go for a run, needing to clear his head before returning to the castle, why is it that nothing is simple when his father sends him to the human realm? Diplomatic visits and negotiating treaties is one of the many burdens he wishes he did not bare. The human King and Queen are particularly bothersome, not willing to adapt or evolve and unbending in their ideals, blind to the ways of any realm beyond their own. Of all the races, humans are the only ones unaware of beings other than themselves. Sure, they tell their children stories of monsters and magic, they create fearsome beasts to scare them into submission, and they romanticise magic and fated lovers to beguile them. King Brunor and Queen Isolt along with their inner circle, are aware of the creatures that live beyond their borders though they choose to live as if still ignorant. Their out of sight, out of mind policy is beginning to wear on Phillip’s last nerve. War rages around them and they turn a blind eye, blood is spilled in battle every day and still, they refuse to take in refugees or use their considerable resources to help turn the tide and bring peace to the battle weary masses. The humans easily outnumber the collective ‘mythical creatures’ by three to one, and the latter’s numbers decline further every day.