Howl of the Unbound

Chapter 2: Sandstorm and Secrets

The sandstorm hit with brutal force, a wall of shifting earth and air that swallowed everything in its path. It came without warning, roaring across the plain like a living beast, carrying with it the scent of death and decay. Leia squinted into the rising winds, her vision obscured by the thick clouds of dust that whirled around her.

The canyon she'd sought refuge in was no sanctuary, but it offered temporary shelter. The jagged stone walls curved around her, creating a narrow corridor where the storm's fury was slightly muted. Still, the air burned with grit, and the roar of the wind drowned out all other sounds.

Leia dragged Sain deeper into the canyon, his weight a constant strain on her muscles. His breathing was ragged, his body feverish with the poison he had no doubt ingested from his wounds. The storm provided some cover, but it also hindered her—visibility was near zero, and if he died before she could learn what he knew, it would be a wasted opportunity.

As she set him down against a rock, she wiped the sweat from her brow, staring at the man who had crossed her path in the most improbable way. A Royal Guard, stranded in the middle of nowhere, carrying a mysterious affliction. The irony wasn't lost on her. If anyone should be out here, it was her—not him.

The storm's howl was deafening as she knelt beside him, checking his wounds. His skin was clammy, and his lips were cracked, stained with dried blood. His chest rose and fell in shallow gasps, his body trembling with each intake of breath.

She reached into her pack and pulled out a small vial filled with a potent concoction—a blend of herbs and toxins that she used to stabilize the wounded. It wasn't a cure, but it would slow his decline long enough to figure out who he really was.

As she prepared the medicine, Sain stirred, muttering incoherently under his breath. His words were fragmented, tortured.

"Containment... the plague... God... Wolf..."

Leia paused, her hands stilling as the faint words reached her ears. The Wolf God? Was that what he meant by the plague? Her mind raced. This man... there was more to his story than he let on.

Her curiosity piqued, she leaned closer, her face only inches from his. "What plague? Who are you really?" she demanded, her voice sharp, cutting through the noise of the storm.

Sain's eyes fluttered open, his gaze unfocused but fixed on her. For a moment, he said nothing, just looked at her with a vacant, almost pleading expression. His mouth moved again, though his words were slurred.

"Containment... it's... too late..." His voice cracked. "The Core Crystal... it's inside me... it won't hold much longer."

Leia frowned. "Core Crystal? What are you talking about?"

He blinked, a faint trace of recognition crossing his face before he gritted his teeth against the pain. "The Bone Devouring Core Crystal," he muttered. "Only a few of us are chosen to carry it... to hold the power of the old... wolves... the plague... it's a weapon."

A weapon? Leia felt a chill crawl down her spine, the words striking a raw nerve. A weapon tied to the very curse that had branded her, that had turned her into an outcast.

“Tell me more," she urged, her voice low but insistent. Her hands clenched the vial in her palm, ready to act, but she needed answers.

Sain struggled to sit up, his chest heaving as though the effort drained him of what little strength remained. "I wasn't supposed to survive this," he whispered. "But the Core—it keeps me alive, keeps me from changing into something else. Something... monstrous. It's the only thing that holds the sickness at bay, but it's killing me, piece by piece."

Leia's mind spun. This man carried something that could change everything. If it could stop the plague, if it could reverse the Bone Devouring Brand... could it be the key to restoring her wolf form?

Sain coughed, blood staining his lips. His voice dropped to a hoarse rasp. “You don't understand... the Royal Guard... we were sent to find the source. The Citadel... they've lied to everyone. The plague... it's not from the exiles. It's from the heart of the Wolf God Ruins."

Leia's eyes widened. The Wolf God Ruins—the place where the Bone Devouring Ceremony had first begun, where the noble houses had twisted the ancient rituals to their advantage. And now, this man was telling her that the source of the plague, the source of her suffering, lay there?

"How do you know this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sain's gaze locked with hers, his eyes clouded with feverish pain. "Because... I was sent to stop it. But now... I'm part of it. The Core Crystal... it's both a weapon and a curse. And I need you to help me destroy it."

Leia stepped back, her mind racing. Destroy it? The only thing keeping him alive, the only thing that could possibly undo the Bone Devouring Brand? She had no reason to trust him, no reason to believe his story, but something about the desperation in his eyes made her hesitate.

"I don't trust you," she muttered, though her voice lacked the venom it had held before. "But I don't have a choice. We'll get you out of here, but if you're lying—"

"I'm not lying," he interrupted weakly. "I have nothing left to lose."

For a long moment, Leia stood there, her thoughts in turmoil. She had to decide. Trust him and risk everything? Or abandon him and let the storm swallow him whole?

The howls of distant wolves echoed again, sending a shiver through her. She had been alone for so long. Alone in her hatred of the system, alone in her desire to take back what had been stolen. But something about this man—something about the way their fates had collided—made her wonder if she could afford to be alone any longer.

With a resigned sigh, she lowered her knife, her resolve hardening.

“Alright," she said, meeting his gaze with a determined look. “I'll help you. But you better be telling the truth."

Sain nodded weakly, a flicker of gratitude in his pain-filled eyes.

The storm raged on outside, but for the first time in years, Leia felt a glimmer of hope stirring within her chest. This was only the beginning.

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