THE WOLF AND THE SERPEPNT

Hanswell Wallen (Exile) I remember the night I walked away from my home. The fire from our hearth was still burning, and the smell of Lilian’s cooking clung to my clothes, but I did not turn back, I couldn’t. My daughter’s power kept growing each day, wild and untamed, and I knew it was me who made it worse. Every time I held her close, something would always happen, the lights would dim, our shadows would grow longer, and sometimes the cupboard would shake. I knew I was the one feeding her fire. The only way to save her was to leave. Lilian agreed, though her eyes were full of tears. She clutched Lisa against her chest and whispered, “If the hunters take her, I will die.” Her voice trembled, and I knew she meant it. So before I left, I knelt beside Lisa and pressed the symbol of the moon and the sun into her shoulder, a mark to bind what I could not control. She flinched at the touch, but she did not cry…only that she looked at me with wide eyes, as if she knew what I was doing. That look haunts me till today. I left for Silverbrook City with nothing but guilt. There, I bent my head low, trying to be ordinary and worked for Charles Marvin, the hunter who trusted me as his craftsman. I built his blades, sharpened his spears, and forged his iron traps. Charles loved me for my loyalty, that he called me brother. And I believed him…until the day he cornered Ivan Gryphin. Charles said Ivan’s eyes glowed in the dark, too bright for a man. He said Ivan’s wounds healed faster than any mortal’s. He gathered his men and trapped him in the forest one evening with their torches blazing against the night. I remember Ivan’s face; he was sweating and breathing fast, standing against the tree. I saw fear there, but also his strength, almost like Lilian’s strength. Because she too was a werewolf, and I could not watch one of her kind burn at the hands of hunters. I stepped backward and my hands trembled. Ivan saw me with his wolf senses, and in that moment I said the words I had sworn not to say. There was silence, the wind had stopped and I summoned a mist. The hunters had no idea what was happening, and they couldn’t see each other. In that moment, I spoke with Ivan and we made a deal. If I saved him, he would give me a single strand of werewolf fur every full moon. In return, I would help his business to prosper. But for me, it was not just business. I needed the fur for a stronger spell, something to guard Lisa, to keep her safe beyond the weak mark I had left on her shoulder. So, he agreed and I acted. I whispered the words under my breath, waving him off with my finger and he found himself in his living room at his home. I told him he should not run, even the following day when he meet Charles he should act normal, and Charles would soon start treating him like a brother, and respected his name. I thought I was clever. But when I turned, I saw Charles staring at me, his mouth twisted into a snarl. His eyes were wide with fury, and I knew. He had seen, he knew that I was a witch. That night, I ran like a wounded wolf with trees tearing me on each side. I could hear their angry voices, their dogs, and I could see their blades. They wanted my head, and I could not let them have it. Since that day, I hated my name more than anything, as it was being hunted. I became something else, a name that had been waiting for centuries for someone to wear it…Vargoth. To seal my path, I cast one last spell on my real name, Hanswell Wallen, as it was something unholy in Silverbrook city. If Lisa ever heard it, she would not know it was mine, it was her father’s. If she saw it written, her eyes would turn away. She must never learn who I was, not until fate chose otherwise. Now I live in exile, and tomorrow is the full moon, I’m waiting to collect what’s mine. Lilian (Morning, Countryside) It was a very quiet morning, and Lisa was getting ready as she sung to herself. She was grown now, no longer the little girl who clung to my skirts. I watched her from the kitchen doorway as she folded her clothes into a neat pile, and her suitcase was already half-packed on the bed. “Mother,” she said, glancing over her shoulder with a bright smile, “what’s Silverbrook City like? Is it really as wonderful as everyone says? I’ve already got an apartment there, Sunnyside Complex, I found it online, and it’s close to the market. I can’t wait to see it.” She looked so alive today, and she was old enough to stand on her own. Still, I was scared for her safety, and I forced a smile. “It is wonderful,” I said. “Silverbrook is full of light, and…opportunity. You’ll find your place there.” She paused, tilting her head at me. “Did Father find his place there? You always said he went to Silverbrook for work…but he never came back. Maybe something bad happened?” The question made my heart skip a beat. I folded my arms to calm myself. “He went there to work, yes,” I whispered. “And…he never returned. But one day he might. I still believe that.” Lisa frowned, biting her lip. “It’s been so long, Mother. I think…maybe he’s gone.” I took a deep breath. I wanted to tell her the truth…that her father was alive, that he was hiding…and he was hunted as he was a witch. But I could not. She wouldn’t understand, not yet. “I’m not sure of anything,” I admitted. “But I hope he’s alive. Hope is all we have.” She looked away, folding another shirt into her suitcase, and I could tell that she had questions. I could almost hear them piling up, questions I dared not answer. My mind drifted to Stephan Mooncrest, the Alpha of my pack, who worked in Silverbrook, holding the fragile line of peace between the Moonwhisperers and the Shadow Walkers. We were fighting for Bloodwood Forest…our ancestral ground, and the Shadow Walkers believed they had the right to hunt there, and we couldn’t let them. The war could tear the city apart…if it wasn’t for the werewolf hunters, and it was our biggest threat. I reached for my small leather pouch, hidden deep in my dresser. My fingers shook as I pulled it open. Inside was a cracked silver mirror, a tiny bottle of silver dust, and a stem of wolfsbane wrapped in a cloth. I held them carefully…they burned to the touch, even through the cloth. Lisa’s eyes widened when she saw me carrying them. “Mother…what are those?” I took a slow breath. “There are bad people in this world, Lisa. People who hurt others…for sport. These are protections.” She laughed lightly, shaking her head. “You don’t have to worry so much. I’ll be fine, Mother. It’s just a city.” But I stepped closer. “No, listen to me. Lisa…werewolves are real.” She blinked, then rolled her eyes. “Myths. Stories to scare children. You don’t expect me to believe that, do you?” My heart skipped a beat. “They’re real,” I insisted. “And some of them are dangerous. You must be ready.” “Mother…” she groaned, running a hand through her hair. “This is crazy. Wolves that walk like men? It doesn’t make sense.” I pushed the pouch into her hands. “Please. Take this. Even if you don’t believe me. For your protection, Lisa. Never walk without it.” She sighed. “Fine,” she said at last, tucking the pouch into her bag. “If it makes you happy, I’ll keep it.” I reached up and brushed her cheek, memorizing the warmth of her skin. “It makes me breathe easier,” I whispered. She shut her suitcase and smiled as she carried it up. “Don’t worry so much. I’ll write to you. And when I’m settled, you’ll visit me. You’ll see…it’s going to be wonderful.” I tried to smile back, though my lips trembled. “I hope so, my love.” At the door, she turned and waved. “I’ll make you proud, Mother.” “You already do,” I said, trying my best to smile. She stepped out, and I stood frozen, clutching the doorway as she walked toward the bus stop down the dirt road. She waved one last time, and I lifted my hand, holding it high until she was too far to see. My last words followed her on the wind, though she could not hear them: “Stay safe, Lisa. Stay hidden. And forgive me.” With her gone, I knew I had to leave and stay with my pack.