War Moon

A situation of fear

Kira knows the wolf’s a lycan because of his smell, but her insides scream that that thing is much more ancient, and her instinct tells her not to move. She only stays there, paralyzed with her tail between her legs and ears flat against her head.

The wolf approaches her, coming out of the shadows. Despite his enormous size, his legs do not make the slightest noise, his paws are the size of her, shackles are tied to one of his legs and around his neck, both with a broken chain. The fur is as black as the night itself with fire-colored tufts in some parts, although it seems that they can appear and disappear at will. He has blood-colored eyes. Stopping in front of the puppy, Kira felt like a flea.

"Are you afraid of me, little girl?" He lowers his head to her height, snorting hot air in it.

"N-n-no," She growls in a trembling voice, but her body betrays her.

"You are a very brave little girl," his voice sounds more sarcastic than kind or sincere. "I'd say you look more like a snack," he says, while he opens his mouth, showing fangs as long as Kira's head.

"I'm not food," she growls, trying to show some courage so as not to look so pathetic. "Y-y-you beast."

He grumps with a menacing tone, rumbling on the walls.

Kira shrieks in fear, hoping that someone would save her from that situation, she wishes that everything was just a nightmare.

A sound of voices is heard in the distance in the hallway. The huge wolf grabbs her neck with a strange delicacy, walking into the shadows again.

"Hey, put me down!" she exclaims in panic, seeing how far away the floor is.

"Close your mouth, annoying cub, I'm stuck in this labyrinthine building and you will be my exit ticket."

"But I'm not a key or a ticket!"

A new growl from her kidnapper makes her shut up as she remembers her situation.

They keep on walking through that perpetual darkness, although Kira doesn’t remember a place like that existing in her home. She also notices that the wolf does not look very good now that it is closer.

The coat is entangled, some scars and burns can be seen on the muzzle and neck, even reaching more on the face. But the most visible thing at that distance is that he was quite thin, you could see his ribs; but it could not be seen from a distance.

Kira can not help but feel the urge to cry. It is not the first time that she had been kidnapped, after all she is a lycan child, plus a female, any pack of savages or rogues would like to have her under their control and force a pairing with a female cub of that lineage. They would pay any price for one.

She starts to wriggle, trying to make the wolf let go of his grip, when she hears voices, recognizing her father's with others.

"Stay still, little girl, or I will split you in half, my patience is short," he growls coldly, nailing a little his fangs on her neck. The taste of the little girl's blood and her whimpering sounds is enough satisfaction for him.

The wolf stopps, Kira doesn’t know where exactly but at least she can see some light, distinguishing her father's blurred figure a little. She is able to recognize Giovanni and Jayden by their smell too, along with others - probably guards and one of the outer circle.

"Did you find it?" Arseni growls menacingly, his height makes him look really intimidating and he exudes a dangerous aura.

"No, alpha, no trace of the intruder," one of the guards murmurs in terror. He and his companions have made a serious mistake when someone had entered; the worst thing had been that they had not noticed anything in one of the cameras.

Arseni's growl increases and his amber eyes darkens. No one has ever gone so far in his home. His family and his most loyal members of the pack are on total alert, all the cubs in the castle are in danger.

"Call off-duty guards and wake up others," says Syaorang, a man of Asian features with a serious countenance. He is the epsilon of Arseni, belonging to the outer circle. "They have surrounded the whole palace, none of the exits are unsupervised.

"You'll be including the security cameras, I have to assume, " Jayden growls as angrily as Arseni, folding his arms. He seems ready to butcher the guard in front of him. "We have just over fifty puppies here and they are all potential victims to a single rogue."

"We have already checked the entire perimeter and warriors circulate the city for any unauthorized sightings," Syaorang replies, while he is reviewing the messages sent to him by the warriors by an electronic tablet. "All those who entered through the border of the city and the country are in their assigned areas, the wild dogs are helping to look for any suspects and their females monitor the children's centers."

"The moon queen and the others are checking the castle cubs," Giovanni says, but before he can continue a scream resounds in the link of the whole pack. It is the voice of Sonia.

"What's going on Sonia!?" asks Arseni, alarmed through the mind link.

"Kira has disappeared!"

"Are you sure? Isn't she with the other cubs, hiding as we have taught them?" Arseni asks, trying to project some calm to his beloved.

Jayden and Giovanni know Arseni well. They know he is only trying to hide his nervousness.

"For the gifts of the moon goddess, no! I found the smell of the intruder in the hallway where she disappeared!"

Arseni's growl begins to increase again, his body and bones creaking under the skin as if they broke and rebuilt, before he transforms into his real form. Blinded by anger and despair

"Find my daughter!" he roars through the link, while his howl resounds throughout the castle, calling everyone to hunt.

The intruding wolf went back into the darkness, while all over the castle the howls can be heard in response.

"I want to go back to my mommy and daddy," Kira says with some tears running down her face. She tried to communicate with her father or at least her pack, but couldn't, she was blocked.

Only the very powerful Lycans could force that psychic cut, it's a kind of torture because it is to isolate an individual completely, to leave him abandoned for days. Kira’s dad can do it.

The stranger grumps, he begins to get annoyed with the girl, his patience is also shortened. He shrinks suddenly from a strong twinge in his stomach, he does not remember the last time he had eaten, where he was the time was incalculable.

The darkness around the two began to fluctuate, weakening, Kira can see even more light.

"Damn hunger," the wolf complains before coming out of the darkness, jumping to the side.

He comes out of the wall with Kira still in one piece. He looks around to find out where he is.

It is a huge well-ornamented room, a long rectangular table occupying half of the room with crimson velvet chairs and a crystal chandelier emanating a warm, comforting energy. There are other tables that are less ostentatious but just as elegant. Three chimneys occupy one of the walls, while at the other side is a window with a good view of the garden.

"Where is the kitchen, kid?"

"Why would I say where to go?" Kira says, whimpering, trying to hold back the crying.

"If you want to live..."

But his voice is cut short when the strange smell of sand and moisture reaches his nose. When turning to the door, he growls as he notices that they were no longer alone. A wild dog or Russian Lycaon is watching them from the entrance.

Unlike its distant African cousin, its large mottled fur is a mixture of grays and blacks with white spots on the legs, its round ears are smaller and a height of 5 feet. Quite some time ago, an African princess of lycaon left her country, fleeing from her pack with a few faithful servants to her and a pair of hyenas. They managed to settle in Russia under the protection of Arseni's ancestor, and where she would find her soulmate in his Beta.

It took several centuries before the wild dog/Lyncaon could become a species of its own and different, just like the hyenas that came.

"Princess," he growls seeing the intruder, it is obviously smaller than that wolf, but the lycaon has a greater advantage in their numbers.

"Don't even try, kid, if you want to live." The wolf begins to retreat, his stomach still hurting in the void and he would not be able to concentrate enough to return to the darkness.

But soon he sees others coming out of the adjoining doors and two from behind the drink bar. They have been waiting for his arrival or there were more than he expected.

The Lycaons approaches him in a semicircle to close his escape, they just need to hold him long enough for the others to arrive; but they must do it carefully because Kira is still in his clutches.

The black wolf only ran forward, ramming two Lycaons in the process, those who almost flew out crashing into the chairs. He rushes to the front door, his body resenting the onslaught but he cannot use his fangs at that moment. Running around trying to find the way out as quickly as possible, he can hear the wild dogs coming from everywhere, their constant barking and growling were getting closer.

The wolf stops in a circular area with a window on the roof. He gasps fast, soon to be surrounded by the Lycaon, it was impossible to know how many there are in total.

"You are testing my patience," the wolf growls again, measuring his options.

One of the Lycaons throws himself on the back of the wolf, fitting his teeth into the fur and skin. The wolf roars, opening his jaws for an instant, enough for Kira to fall to the ground. As if a spell has broken, the Lycaons throw themselves at him, while the cub is left under the wolf in the frenzy of the hunting.

Kira has never witnessed that, although two of her friends are half Lycaon. On top of her, the wolf shakes them off like rags, barely getting some to get rid of them. The mandibles of these are as strong as hyenas. The wolf stomps on the floor, on its front legs has appeared lines engraved on the skin as if it was lava. A shock wave, as if it were waves under the stone floor, propelling the Lycaons upwards.

He grabs Kira back in his mouth and walks out of the hallway, he has no choice but to jump out of one of the windows.

"Zeta Naina, Alpha Arseni the intruder is a giant black lycan! I can confirm that he has Kira with him," Asher says in the mind link, the first lycaon to get up.

"How big is it, Asher?" asks Naina, the female zeta of Arseni and belonging to the outer circle.

"8 feet, he is not in good health but you don't have to judge him the first time, he has enough power."

"The priority is to rescue my daughter, Captain, focus on that. Guide the intruder to the southern gardens, We will ambush him," Arseni says impatiently. A lycan stealing from another lycan's cub, something like this has never happened, least of all among those of royal blood.

The intruder is clearly one of them, only those with that blood can reach 7 feet tall. That thing is bigger than Arseni, and he is the largest lycan of Asia.

"Count on that, boss," Asher responds, throwing several barks into the air that can be heard at a good distance.

"Alpha, we will rescue her," Naina mentions, looking up at the night with the moon in the middle of the sky. "It's a good night to hunt."

"Let's put an end to it then," Arseni says. He and the others went hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The wolf keeps running through the corridors, that place is a labyrinth making it difficult to find the exit. He listens to the Lycaon again on their hunt.

"Damn beasts," he growls quite annoyed. The hunger does not let him concentrate.

He manages to reach one of the large corridors with floor-to-ceiling glass that leads directly to one of the gardens. He only rammes against them, cutting off the persecution inside. Falling three stories high, rolling on the ground and crystals to resist the impact; but letting go of Kira in the process.

Kira is thrown several meters further, gets up from the ground and throws herself in the race to look for a hide. They are in the garden of the south wing, one of the largest and most beautiful in the castle. She crawls into a rose bush, even though more wounds are cut open by thorns and crystals.

"Hiding will not serve you too well, kid, there is no time to play hide and seek."

She can hear him approaching, she can only shrink by begging for someone to find her. He hovers nearby almost as if playing, moving around the plants.

"I'm already tired of playing wolf and rabbit," The wolf holds the rose bush with its teeth, tearing it off the ground with roots and everything.

Kira screams, barely holding on to her roots for a few seconds, before sliding down and falling into the hole that had been left. Falling on her back, looking directly at those furious red eyes.

The wolf growls at her menacingly, but his ears catch some movement approaching, turning his head violently, throwing the rose bush straight into Arseni's face.

Arseni roars, shaking his head from side to side to remove those thorns.

The wolf turns his head to the other side, a gray wolf with mottled fur and others approaches closing the escape routes with each step. He puts his paw on Kira, pressing her to the ground enough to make her squeal.

Each of Arseni's wolves stop in their tracks.

"Ah, naughty kids, come to play too." He growls with a bizarre smile, enjoying the position he is in.

"Leave my daughter alone!" Sonia yells in her red velvet wolf form.

"Why, if we are having fun?" The wolf dragges Kira with his paw until he has her just down underneath him. "You better not move from here."

"What does a royal lycan do in my domains?" Arseni growls without taking off his gaze to the stranger and his cub.

"Will we start with the interrogation now? What makes you think I'm a royal one?"

"Your shape is different and your height betrays you, no lycan not even a werewolf can reach that size."

"I broke a record then," he laughs. "But let's ignore that, you want your cub, don't you? Maybe if you accept my demands, I will let go of your child."

"How dare you," Jayden growls.

"What demands?" Arseni says with gritted teeth, but there is no other option but to listen.

"I need enough food and I will go in peace, of course without being chased and I will leave the little princess at the entrance of the city," the stranger says as if nothing. "Your/A omega can follow me to get the girl back, but if I see that they follow me or want to make an attempt to ambush me, well, let's say they won't see her again, whole."

Arseni growls, he doesn't like the corner he has been forced to reach, his pride is wounded; but he can't let his child succumb to this wolf, just because he didn't want to give in to his request. Looking forward to Vladimir and his Theta Yeong, with a silent order both wolves rushed out to the palace.

The others stayed in the same position, a tense feeling was felt in the air. Kira has not yet been released, the long nails are stuck in her back uncommently. The minutes seem eternal at that moment while waiting for Yeong and Vladimir's return.

The two return after ten minutes with a whole moose, the largest that the young people had achieved that afternoon.

Once it has been left on the ground, the stranger attacks it almost instantly, but without letting go of Kira at any time. The wait became more and more agonizing, while the wolf finished eating. At the end of his meal, he runs the tongue by his lips. He can’t remember when he had last eaten such a delicious thing.

The stranger took his paw off Kira before holding her by the neck again.

"Daddy! Mommy!" Kira exclaims, terrified.

"Quiet, my sweet girl, Vladimir will bring you back. Just do what he tells you," Sonia says distraught but calm for her child.

The wolf leaves the castle followed by Vladimir, his fur is ash-colored, the wolves and lycaons in the city look at him cautiously; Arseni has sent a message to everyone by mental connection, they should not intervene at all - only if he did not keep his promise.

After almost an hour, they reach the limits of the Iberian forest that surrounds the city.

"Here ends your journey, little princess," the stranger says, leaving Kira on the ground. "I told you that you would be my escape ticket."

"I won't be again," she growls, now that she is free.

"Keep being that rebellious and you'll have more problems, cub. Maybe we'll see each other again some day.Goodbye." The wolf rushes out into the forest, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

"Come on, Kira, let's go home. Your parents are anxiously waiting for you," Vladimir runs his tongue over her head, calming the tension of the cub.

"That was terrifying."

Vladimir grabs her by the neck gently and they return to the interior of the city. Walking in the direction of the castle.

Dawn is beginning when they arrive again at the main entrance, where Arseni and Sonia are waiting restlessly, until they see Vladimir and Kira arriving.

The Omega releases Kira and she runs straight to her mother's fur. Vladimir just smiles at the family reunion, thanking the Moon Goddess that his daughters did not run with Kira's bad luck

"He did exactly as he promised?" Arseni asks, rubbing his nose with Kira's fur in a way to make her feel safe and calm her protective instinct.

"Yes, he left the city."

"I want a full investigation. He had to get in some way." Arseni says but before Vladimir can say anything, he speaks again. "Not tonight, the lycaons and warriors can take care of it. We go with our families, we will need it."

~0~

Kira is sitting at a desk in a classroom, listening to her etiquette tutor alongside her siblings and the forty-five children, all kids of the elite of their parents. Unlike the cubs of the common lycan, they receive classes with special tutors of different species, equal elite children of other species; only two days a week they study with the children of warriors and other common kids.

Although this class is necessary, it begins to become tedious with so much learning how to behave in front of other people with a high cradle or diplomatic visits. She can no longer even see cutlery in the same way because of the amount that should be used just at a dinner.

Kira looks at her book with boredom. That day they are studying the function of relations with other kingdoms and the human world. She knows very well that this part of her lessons is important, especially for those who would be the next king or queen; but she can't help it. She doesn't feel like it. She looks away at the window, filling her mind with things from the past.

"Princess Kira!" The voice of her tutor, Faida, resonates through the classroom. A beautiful tall woman with long, pointed ears, sun-golden hair, and an elegant ivory-colored robe.

Kira jumps slightly in her chair before watching the teacher approach. You can hear the poorly disguised laughter by Agna and Paulette, daughter of Jayden, who are sitting near her table. She shared hers with Aristide and Sarka.

"You do know we're in the middle of a class, right?" The elf speaks to her ten-year-old student.

"Sorry, Professor Faida. It's hard for me to concentrate today," Kira replies somewhat embarrassed.

"I understand that we are in full festivities, princess, the ceremony of the first winter moon is important, but so are the studies." Faida sighs, royal children are always difficult, obeying and staying still is not in their nature, at least not at this age. "Or is it that she only thinks about fighting?"

Kira blushes almost from head to toe. The class laughs, ignoring the girl's condition. She growls loudly echoing long throughout the room, shaking the walls from the vibration. The others were immediately silent.

For four years since the incident, she has devoted herself arduously to her physical and magical workouts, she still had much to learn. She also has a good intelligence for her age if only in certain things, although like everyone she has her weak points and one of those is a quite imaginative mind, which could be carried away and distracted easily.

They hear the door open and Arseni comes in.

"Hello kids," smiles Arseni. As he watches the children do the same, he also did it with more enthusiasm.

"Tsar Arseni, an honor to have you here," Faida bows.

"A pleasure, I hope they are behaving. Will you allow me to take my children? The elite will probably come and get theirs soon. We will soon begin preparations for the festival."

Kira is the first to get up, jumping her over her desk which is in the front row. Her brothers do the same as her.

"I think they responded to you already," Faida laughs softly. "Okay, but I want you all to read chapter 12 completely for the next class, understood?"

"Yes, teacher," say the Quintuplets.

Arseni and his cubs leave the classroom, located on the ground floor, walking towards the sun room.

It is a huge room that overlooks the south garden, the walls are large crystals that allow you to admire the exterior landscape. Inside it contains an infinity of exotic plants from the tropics to the impenetrable desert, it gave a spectacular color bath. In the middle there is a crystal table in the shape of a crescent with various alchemy utensils and potions, Including a tall glass container painted with a pale blue liquid.

"What is that?" asks Lev.

"Do you remember that during the festivals the adults have a special drink after the ceremony, which the children participate in?" asks Sonia as she exits from among the plants with a basket full of three different types of flowers. The children nod, getting closer to their mother. "It is the mead of the moon, it is a special drink that allows us to connect directly with the goddess, see our destiny, our mate, or the very rooms of Valhalla."

"How?" Sergei asks now, looking at the flowers that his mother puts on the table

There are several samples of varied roots and fruits. Kira is able to recognize the beautiful flowers of the aconite, a plant quite dangerous for humans and werewolves, the lycan were also in danger if used poorly processed; but it is used in various rituals of celebrations like this.

"The aconite accelerates the heart rate, which allows blood flow to the brain to be greater," explains Sonia as she plucked the aconite flowers from its branches. She puts them in a silver mortar with blue lily petals, unlike werewolves silver is not deadly to them.

Silver is the most representative metal of the Goddess Dianica, it gave them energy and made them feel closer to her. This element being a punishment for werewolves, who dared to challenge her.

"Using it in an infusion of other flowers and seeds, bathed in Arctic waters collected in the Samhain; a special mead can be created. For example the Blue water lilies and peyote seed produce a rather psychedelic hallucinogenic experience, but it is the energy emanating from the silver that connects with the goddess."

Sonia continues to spray the plants before using a larger one for peyote.

"You will help your mother prepare mead this year, you have reached the age to take a minimum dose," Arseni mentions. Seeing the expression of happiness reflected on the children's faces, it is noted that they are excited. You can tell that they are happy to be able to participate in adult things. "Kira, you don't stay, you will come with me."

"Why won't Kira stay?" Garald says with a frown

"She is the firstborn, she has different duties for these festivities," Arseni explains as he strokes his daughter's short hair.

Kira smiles as an apology to her brother. Garald purses his mouth but shrugs his shoulders with a small smile in return.

Although they are siblings and each had a chance to become king or queen, the Firstborn has a more important role for the Lycan. They are considered as those blessed by the goddess, because they are the ones who won the battle of being born first, according to their beliefs. Some had great power, others endowed with unique gifts in music or art, others were made to lead or even have an enviable beauty.

That would have been the case with Arseni's sister, Anastasia, who was born with an unusual and dangerous beauty, becoming one of the perfect killers. Although she is already retired, after an accident that almost killed her chosen mate and soul mate, Aquiles and Adonis, two Greek princes of the kingdom of chimeras.

"Come on, Kira, you have to prepare," Arseni gently grabs his hand and returns to the castle.

They walk down the plant corridor for a while before reaching the other door facing the palace. Kira knows that area well, although she wasn't allowed into it until she reached her current age. A special area only for certain trainings, although it was not used for a long time, is the headquarters of the brotherhood; but she doesn’t know for what exactly.

"Dad, why are we here?

"Here will be your preparation and instruct you on what you are going to do."

"Won't you instruct me?"

"No, you need someone else of your level," he opens one of the doors, more than a room it looks like a dressing room and study.

There is a figure sitting in one of the high back seats, covered with a special costume reminiscent of ninja suits.

"Godmother Anastasia!" Kira screams excitedly, running to the chair.

Anastasia removes her hood before receiving her goddaughter. The woman is exceptionally beautiful, almost like a Greek goddess. Her greenish eyes glow in the sunlight and her long platinum blonde hair is adorned with a hairstyle of twenty different braids.

"Hello, little one, it's been a while since we last saw each other," she replies by hugging the girl.

"I'm glad you're here for the holiday, Apollo and Hercules came?" Kira asks about their older cousins.

"Yes, but that's not what I'm here for. We're going to prepare you." Anastasia takes her to a chair in front of a dressing table, nearby there were two mannequins with dresses.

"I leave it in your hands, Annie, I will see you at the festival," Arseni caresses his daughter's head. "Good luck, sweetheart, and resist the torture of your godmother."

"I'm not going to torture her!" Anastasia is scandalized.

Arseni just laughs and leaves the room, shaking his hand as a farewell.

"Don't make me look like a doll," snorts Kira.

"Don't worry, you'll look like a warrior, that's why we're Lycan." She started combing her hair, "Remember what symbolizes the braids in the hair in our culture?"

"The victories we have had in our lives, but when we lose, we use a knife to cut it completely and we start again."

"I guess you had to lose because of how you have your hair, how many have you won?"

"Seven," Kira smiles proudly.

"Seven, they will be."

It is already sunset when the two leave the room.

Kira wears a sleeveless dress subject to chest height of a night blue color, on the sides there is a black vest elongated to the skirt that touches the knees and fastened to the waist by a white belt that glows at the moonlight. Her hair is crowned by a diadem of six little braids and a large one where they join and fall on one side of her shoulder.

Anastasia wears a similar dress but hers is gold and white, with simpler details in representation of moonlight. She can't represent the goddess because that will be Sonia.

"Nervous?" asks Anastasia watching her goddaughter staring at her boots

"A little bit, it will be my first holiday that I will really participate in." She walks with her towards the exit. "It's also very tight," she purses her mouth.

"It's only a few hours, let's go." Anastasia pushes the glass doors that lead to the garden.

The garden is beautifully lit by rice paper lamps, floating on a gravel path. Along the passage surrounded by trees of white and blue flowers there are thirteen children of 10 years old.

Aristide supports one knee on the ground in front of it and extends a hand to her.

Kira nervous grabs the hand.