Chronicles of the Wolf: Of Wolves & Spiders

chapter 1

Lacia D’Opidium, that was what many had called her, she was the daughter of the Chief of a neighboring tribe about two days north of the Bel’athore Forest. I had met her briefly, but when I had, females did not interest me much. It was, perhaps, just before I had entered the adolescent years when I had met her.

It was a few years before I had entered my adolescent years when I met Lacia. I had been dragged across the Bel’athore Forest by my father to meet with Baharus, the Chief or the neighboring Obscuros. At the time I had no idea why my father just decided to drag me across this forest to meet with what I believed was only Baharus.

I remember that day I complained every second that I got.

“Quit your whimpering we are almost there,” my father had said after about six hours of journeying into the Bel’athore forest.

My father had become the Supreme Chief before I was born, he had already become a great Supreme Chief by the time I was a pup. He was a giant for a male Beghrest. He stood nearly 15 feet tall and was half a head taller than any other male Beghrest in the clan. He always had platinum-grey fur, and this made him unique amongst Beghrest.

There were several clans that my father was the Supreme Chief of. There were three neighboring clans close to the Bel’athore Forest. The Obscuros, as mentioned earlier, they were two days north of the Bel’athore Forest. They were black furred Beghrest. They were considered to have a bigger population than our clan. They averaged in height between 10 and 12 feet, Baharus, the chief of that clan was around 11 feet or, so I calculated when I met him.

The second clan was called the Marrons, they were brown furred Beghrest. They were about three days west of the Bel’athore Forest. They were considered smaller than the Obscuros, they ranged between 8 feet and 12 feet. Kalit was the Chief of the Marrons, I met him once or twice throughout the years back then. He always had a jealousy factor with my father (that my father stated had to do with my father saving Kalit when he was younger.)

Ours was the third clan, we were just south of the Bel’athore Forest. We were gray or silver furred Beghrest, though often we had grey fur. Occasionally a Platinum or Silver-furred male would be born, and they often were much taller than any other Beghrest around. My father was the one fortunate one to be born with the Platinum fur.

Alqamar was the name that was given to him. The name literally meant he who had fur like the moon. Behemet was the name given to me by my father, it was name chosen by him. It meant he who is of greatness or something like that, at least my father boasted.

My father was recalling stories of when he was a pup and he had fought what he called a Zhiran, it was an apparent giant insect creature that lived in the forest. I was not paying attention to this, such a silly legend had been spoken about ever since I was a pup, I never believed it, a giant insect? Such an idea was ridiculous.

“I know you don’t believe me,” my father said as we walked.

I always hated when he could tell what I was thinking.

“Well get used to the idea because you are easy to read.” My father said seemingly knowing exactly the thoughts that I was thinking.

My father elaborated and explained even a blind Beghrest would be able to see what I was thinking because I was so easy to read. Perhaps this was a foreshadowing to what was going to happen later in life, however looking back at that moment I thought my attitude and demeanor against my father was not what it should be.

“You may not believe me Behemet, but the gods have spoken of these insects before. You know the legends of the Zhiran, they have forever resided in our history, these giant insects that could stare at one’s soul.” My father said.

I of course had heard such stories since I was a pup, well a younger pup since here when this happened, I was still a pup. At some point I had decided that all these legends all these tales and folklores were merely just, what we called asuntos de vejas, the legends of the old females.

There were many who were starting to reject these legends and stories in the current tribe my father however was still very spiritual, still very full of folklore and myths. There were stories of magical beings. Like this dignitary of Lord Brahma named Hanuman. He was an apparent primate of some sort. Such ridiculousness, I felt, was going out and should have gone out when we Beghrest were still walking on all fours many eons ago. It was this sort of thing that was holding us back as a race.