I am the Light - His last Redemption (Book 2)

Chapter 2 - Rougarou

There’s a fire burning in the fireplace, keeping us warm for the night. River is already fast asleep in his little bed. Luckily, he has always been a good sleeper. Never cried much during the nights. He’s a little angel.

I gently caress his cheek as he yawns in his sleep. I like to study his features and see if I can remember a man looking just like him, but the images fail to come. All I see is my boy.

I wonder what happened to his father though. Is he alive? Is he looking for me? Did he die in that war at Selencity?

I’ve been told stories about it. About how a Rogue wolf attacked the city with vampires. Callie said they weren’t real vampires, but people started to call them that because of their insatiable bloodlust. She said they were the result of dark magic. Some witches can create monsters like that. They turned their gift of life into something evil and uncontrollable.

Vampires –the ancient creature- isn't nearly as bad as what the dark witches created. They drink blood, but they usually don’t kill their doner. It rarely ever happened.

But those things the witches created are vicious. They don’t stop to think. They just feast on anything that’s moving. If they don’t kill it, it will turn into the same evil thing, spreading its virus like a disease.

They say that there is a wolf, a myth really, that driven by his rage killed all of them. He killed the Rogue wolves that attacked his city as well. People call him the Nightshadow, but he hasn’t been seen or heard of in a while. The last time I heard his name was about a year after River was born. He had just taken out an entire pack of wolves, hiding somewhere in the north.

Callie said they had hostages. Women. Some of them were pregnant, and others were just bruised and beaten. In a way, I guess the Nightshadow saved them. I’m not sure his killing spree is to be praised though.

Rogue wolves are simply misguided wolves. They have been raised with different beliefs, by someone evil. Someone ruthless. His name was Gideon and they called him the Rogue Alpha or the Rogue King. He was consumed by darkness. Something that turned him into the leader he was and he turned his people into the wolves they had become.

I guess, if someone would have the patience to show them the right way, they could be led on the right path. But they are in hiding. Hiding from the wolf who swore to kill them all.

Revenge can be such an ugly thing. It’s a dangerous thing. In the end, it will right no wrongs. It just adds to the list of wrongs. Not the other way around.

I don’t know exactly what happened to the Nightshadow –some say they killed his father; another story is that his pack was destroyed, and the last theory is that his mate was killed. But up until recently, there were no female wolves and certainly no mates, so my bet is on he lost his father or his pack.

Wolves are loyal creatures. They are caring, and playful even, but above all, they are devoted to their family and their pack. Callie told me a few days after River was born that he’s not entirely human. Not just a warlock –the male version of a witch- but that he’s also part wolf. His dad was one of them. It’s a nice trait and I like to think that he will have the same kind of devotion.

Willa said that there was a time not too long ago when humans hunted those wolves. They were afraid of them when really there isn’t much to be afraid of. At least that’s how I feel. Maybe that’s naïve. Maybe I just don’t remember what it’s been like before I lost my memories and before the Moon Goddess came back, but I just can’t imagine that a creature with so much compassion could harm another.

Then again, if humans attacked their families -I guess it’s their right to defend themselves.

Today there are still Hunters, and they still chase the supernatural, but not those who mean no harm. They are after the kind of creatures born from chaos and darkness. There used to be more of the Hunters, but their compound was overrun during the war. Half of the survivors left their village and the few that stayed needed to learn about new creatures and who is the true enemy.

They had to learn a lot in a short amount of time, because with the powers of the Goddess returning, so did the powers of witches. Light and Dark. And chaos always finds a way to plant its seeds all over the continent, sprouting like malicious little weeds.

I think it’s good someone is trying to keep the evil at bay. As long as they leave us alone that is. Who knows how long until they see a thread in everything supernatural? People are always afraid of the things they can’t quite understand.

Men changing into wolves. Witches control the elements. Creatures that possess more power than humans do. I wish they would understand that not every witch has powers like that. Callie for example. She leads our coven, but she has no magic of her own. She has what I like to call a direct connection to the Moon Goddess. She is blessed with knowledge. She’s the one who taught every single person in this village what they know. Including me.

I smile at the thought. I am lucky I have found a home like this. I am lucky that River and I are safe here. Always.

But just as the thought enters my mind the door to our little cottage bursts open and a breathless Willa runs in. It’s a reminder to never let my guard down.

“Take River and come with me! Now!” she gasps.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as I grab my son. I don’t question her. I know by the look in her eyes that something isn’t right. She is here to make sure everyone gets to safety.

“There are three Rougarous out there,” she says. Rougarous is a creature that you can only describe as turning a man into a wolf gone wrong. They are a bit like the Vampires the dark witches created, only that they share features with a humanoid wolf. Vicious, hungry for flesh, fast and strong.

“Three? They don’t hunt in packs,” I say, as River starts crying in my arms, “hush, baby, it’s okay. We just have to play hide and seek for a bit,” I tell him, trying to soothe him. He’s scared. Willa waking him up by bursting into our cottage didn’t have a very calming effect on him.

“I don’t know. Times are crazy. Maybe they changed their habits. They are fairly new creatures to this earth. We might not know everything there is to know about them. They haven’t been around for centuries. Now they are creeping out of their stupid holes.”

“I’m scared, mommy,” River hides his face in the crook of my neck.

“It’s going to be fine,” Willa tells him, “Mommy and I can protect you. And this,” she hands him one of her crystals, “this will protect you from all evil! I promise!”

River curls his little hand tightly around the stone as a few crocodile tears run down his cheeks. He’s such a brave little kid. I bet he’ll be fiercely protective once he’s grown up. I can sense it about him. Yes, he gets scared, but he’s just two years old. He’s allowed to be scared. Hell. I am too.

Willa takes my free hand and tugs on it to make sure I hurry. The streets are busy as the elderly and the children are gathered in the temple.

Technically it’s just a big building in the center of town, but we call it our temple. It’s a sanctuary for everyone who seeks help from the Goddess.

The building is three stories high and almost completely overgrown by Moonflowers. They glow softly in the moonlight, almost as if they are little stars right here down on earth. River and I like to come here and look at the pretty flowers at a full moon, but I keep reminding him that they are poisonous.

They symbolize that even beauty can hold great evil. Then again, they are used for a few potions. The healing kind. There are two sides to everything.

“Are you scared, mommy?” River asks me.

“No, baby, I know we are safe here,” I say, “the Moon always protects us,” I tell him because those are words I seem to remember from my past. I don’t know who told them to me, but they hold a simple truth to them.

We hurry inside the temple, along with other moms and their children. They all look scared. This isn‘t the first time we had to gather here. Last time it was a rogue wolf. We were able to drive him away though. He didn’t even make it past our borders. I can only pray that the Rougarous won’t make it anywhere near this temple. One is much scarier than a lone wolf and we have three out there.

„Willa?“ I grab her arm as she is about to leave, „do you need my help? I can-,“

„No. You should stay with River. Make sure everyone gets safe inside and try to make sure they don’t panic. I have to go help the others.”

“I can do that,” I say with a confident nod. I probably should feel bad about not helping them fight, but around here everyone has a job to do and every job is just as important as the next. There is glory in fighting and protecting the village, but so is in keeping those who can’t fight calm and out of harm's way. Even a gentle smile at a time like this is worth something.

“Mommy, I’m tide,” River sighs, resting his head on my shoulder while I carry him through the crowd of people, trying to make sure everyone is okay.

“Here,” an elderly woman offers, her arms outstretched for my son, “let me take care of the little warlock.” She says with a kind, wrinkly smile. Her name is Blossom. She’s one of our best potion makers.

“I don’t want to trouble you,” I say, but she’s already taking River from me.

“I’m not of much use around here. Let me at least help you in this way.”

“Thank you,” I smile at her and kiss my son goodbye. “See you later, baby!”

It’s hard to leave him while the village is in danger. But I know she and her potion maker friends will keep my son safe.

I make my way back downstairs helping to set up some beds and chairs. There’s a soft murmur of voices filling the space around us combined with the soothing trickle of water from the fountain in the middle of the entrance hall.

It all comes to a sudden halt as the sound of a gurgling, choking sound -as if someone was torn to shreds- erupts right outside the doors to the temple.