Selene's Alchemy

It was the day of the hunt and the day that changed Sparrow's life; her fate and her emotions.

Savage, ruthless and untamed are the wolves of North Aremoth, across the coast deep in the mountain island of Aremoth. They desecrated the sacredness of Artemis. Her wild sacred animals were hunted for meat and gutted in derision of Artemis. Cannibalism dwelled with them even up to the tropics of Aremoth striking terror and caution on the dwellers of South Aremoth.

The valley of South Aremoth belonging to the native humans was once invaded by the wolves for slaves and meat. Tearing, biting and deaths hovered in the valley. They would hide in the dark under the valley once they sense the wolves, mixing their scents with cinnamon. They would spend days there until the wolves finally gives up. This continued until eight full moons.

Hishi, son of Kandro rose and led the able bodied men to build their fortress, a city in the dark valley of South Aremoth. It was one of the most dreaded valleys with cold eerie darkness, fish without eyes and black water. Though it has a clean streamlet running from a rock and flowing into a lake.

Hishi and his men fought against the mountain wolves and emerged victorious, wiping out the wolves that trespassed and losing a few men in return. Their secret were weapons forged out of pure silver discovered in the dark valley. With the victory, their leader became Hishi.

The cliffs surrounding the valley were high serving as a natural wall which can only allow one to see the sky if one was to tilt one's head fully backwards. They built two vast stone gates at the mouth and back of the valley shielding themselves from the savage wolves. Against approaching danger, sentries were chosen to watch the town gate from warriors with great eyesight and agility. So far, the village has been moving just fine.

Their only problem was meat as they had to move out of the town into the forest to hunt for meat. Strong and agile warriors were chosen to hunt for meat which will be divided between the small members of the village.

On this day of the hunting chase before the great spirit moon when wolves are crazy with lust for meat and blood, the hunters are to hunt for meat that would last them for days before and after the spirit moon. They were strictly warned not to hunt the sacred animals of Artemis; the wild deer and the white fox. Artemis day was celebrated on the night of the hunter's moon in appreciation for replenishing wild life and nature so that humans won't die of hunger. At such, a wild deer and white fox were only hunted on the hunter's moon day to sacrifice to Artemis and were never to be eaten.

The hunters were gathered at the foot of the city gate ready to go on a hunt while they were being addressed by Hishi, their leader who was already old and looked haggard. His son Kiremi was supposed to take over after him but the council set up by Hishi remonstrated this idea but later gave a condition and that was to join the hunters and get the head of a wolf. Generally, anyone who succeeds in kiiling a wolf would become the next leader.

Sparrow, the wild flower of South Aremoth valley has been training for this day all her life with Kiremi, her closest friend in the team. Though she had suffered ridicule for being the only female amongst the hunters, she didn't quit which was why she was tagged the wild flower.

"You are a woman. Know your place. The meadows are for us." One of the female villagers had said to her.

"A woman who is born to put an end to wolves." Sparrow would counter.

"The wolves will kill you without blinking." A little child chipped in. "You are too young and womanly to fight a wolf." He had said.

"Wolves will make you their slave."

"Wolves will strip you, beat you and take your gem."

"Wolves will hang you over their fireplace and watch you roast."

"Wolves will peel your skin and drink your blood."

"You know nothing about wolves to face them."

Those words kept replaying in her head when she bolted into their house. She lit up their old lantern which her mother got from Hishi in reverence of her father. Her father was one of the brave warriors who fought against the early wolves to secure their foothold but died in the battle. She screamed while those sharp words continued pricking her mind.

"What did they say to you?" Her mother, Adelia said as she walked in from the back door of their little cabin made from logs. Every house in the valley were made from wood and dried fronds but in different styles of the inhabitants choices.

"Cruel things." Sparrow complained. "Cruel things that dispirited me, mama. It cut me and made me want to leave Kisha." She broke down in tears into the cold wooden floor of their room.

"Sparrow" Her mother bent over her and cupped her face with her rough hands shaped by her daily working in the meadows. Every full grown woman is expected to work in the meadow except those who are brave enough to join the male's I'm hunts and war trainings and so far none has except Sparrow. "You are the wild flower of Aremoth that blossoms in the wild despite the dangers of the wild. I truly admire you Sparrow. Your bravery makes me proud of you my child. Born on the great spirit moon day in the wild and looked after by the white fox of Artemis and the multicoloured Sparrow where you drew your name from. You're special. Born to make a difference. Don't give up the chase."

"But Papa died for this mama."

"Nay. Papa died a peaceful death knowing he fought to protect his own."

Mama called me the wild flower of South Aremoth that blossoms in the wild. She called me brave. Sparrow began to build her courage as the tall stone gate was pulled apart for the hunters to set out.

Animal skin, silk and cotton were used to sew clothes for their bodies while their weapons were crafted out of pure silver to protect themselves from the wolves in the forests.

"I'll become the next leader." Sparrow would say to Manik, her neighbour.

"Hahaha!" She would laugh. "A wolf is not a bird Sparrow. You'll be facing pure savagery."

"As long as I get a silver weapon. A blade or shuriken." Sparrow said as she continued sharpening her mother's cutlass.

"It is the fear a savage instills with its presence alone that will decide if you are a master of your weapon or not." Manik laughed until her eyes teared up.

"Have you ever seen one Manik?" Sparrow was a bit irritated now.

"My Papa described it. It has sharp claws that can tear mountains. Howls that pierce the air and shakes one to the knee. Size that intimidates and a lethal bite that kills at once. I will never face such monster. Not ever." She nodded in disapproval.

"I will want to face them to show them who is in charge of earth."

"Myths say they are humans as well and only turn to wolves to hunt or fight when they wish to."

"They are real Manik. They are also humans. Even the ones that attacked us were once humans until they were cursed by the divinity realm to become wolves and have no control over their bodies."

"They do control themselves but chose savagery over humanity." A voice chipped in from behind them. They turned to see it was Kiremi, the one who sneaks in from behind.

"Ah! Kiremi do you think that is possible?" Manik quickly jumped over to Kiremi while Sparrow returned to her work.

"My father led the war. He saw their leader change into human before returning to the wild and crossing the coast." Kiremi confirmed, his eyes still glued on Sparrow who behaved like he wasn't there at all.

"So they live across the coast? You think so?" Manik asked.

"No one has ever crossed the coast for fear of running into a lone. So no one knows yet."

The sound of feet shuffling through detritus and rustling leaves reminded Sparrow they were already in the tropics and were to be on high alert. Sparrow scanned the forest with her eyes to see what she was never able to see before given she grew in the darkness of Aremoth valley. Insects chirping and the fluttering of wings unanimously agreed with Sparrow's thoughts of what being out here would look like. The air was filled with rotting wood and earthy smell as they crossed over a fallen tree.

"Does it always look so dead here?" Sparrow asked no one in particular. She expected to see something else.

"What do you expect?" Kiremi asked, drawing closer to her.

"A lovely place filled with the wild activities of the animals. I want to see them bouncing through trees and leaves. I want to to hear the birds singing lovely music and the huntsmen winding their horns." She was starting to get bored and tired as they had walked for miles already into the endless forest.

"Some of the animals have heightened senses. They can sense the vibration from your feet and scamper for safety." Kiremi said with a hint of pride like a teacher and his pupil.

"That is what they teach you in the exclusive hunted team. So should we stop walking so they will not know we are not around." Exclusive hunter team are for the privileged few, the sons of the leader and his council, the proficients for the leadership position before they finally join Kisha, the hunting team on the hunting expedition, hoping they'll run into a lone. Whoever secures the head of the lone becomes the next leader.

"Not it Sparrow." Kiremi corrected. "Some can't also sense the vibrations or might be too slow to react which might serve as our prey."

At that point, the leader of Kisha known as Kavi and called Nambi as his name raised his hand to halt every ongoing discussion. With his other hand, he parted the leaves that were blocking his view and sighted an antelope drinking from a pond. Nambi twisted his sharp pointed spear in his hand and silently flinged it towards the antelope. The other hunters were busy watching him keenly and learning every move he made.

It was a skilled throw which landed accurately on the target's nape. They ran towards the antelope after the spear had perfectly struck it. They watched it struggle with its last breath before finally stretching to death. Nambi pulled out the spear from the antelope's nape and Kilamba, the son of Odirah, a member of the council picked the antelope and draped it over his shoulders.

"We need more five of this" Bihal, Nambi's subordinate said.

"The next target is for the newest members, Sparrow and Kiremi." He turned to the two. "If you loss it, you leave Kisha for good." Nambi said and signalled them to move forward.

Sparrow and Kiremi took the lead this time. They walked wordlessly and in caution in hope of making a perfect hunt. Their ears and eyes focused on every little sound as they marched forward. Sparrow slightly lifted her face, letting the light seeping in from the leaves of trees dance across her face, warming it. Their feet against the dried leaves on the floor and the humming of bees became the only sound in the forest when they crossed into the foggy parts of the dense forest.

"You will find the elk in this part of the forest. Don't miss it." Nambi said with a stern tone and grill face. No one dared counter Nambi in Kisha. He's the most experienced, skilled and strongest member of Kisha which granted him the title of Kavi, the leader of Kisha.

Kiremi was the first to sight a large elk sitting on a pasture under a large tree. It's antlers covered almost every part of it's body.

"Such large horns." Sparrow pointed out.

"Those are not horns but antlers." Kiremi corrected.

"Talk until it gets away, then I will turn you two to peasants in Aremoth." Nambi warned.

Sparrow and Kiremi quickly took position, pointing their spears at the elk which had no idea it's predators had arrived. For a moment the air stilled as the tension increased. Sparrow and Kiremi were still getting ready with their spears in their hands pointing at the elk and their fears laced with doubts gradually subsiding within them.

"Can you just do this? You're wasting our time." Bihal was getting impatient, the elk should have long been dead but the unskilled members were taking up time. His words startled Sparrow and she unintentionally let go of her spear. It was going o be a good throw but instead, it went through the elk's antlers, startling it. The elk scampered into the dense parts of the forest.

"You missed it!" Nambi yelled.

"Get it! Make sure you get it!" Bihal ordered.

Sparrow moved on impulse, not caring if the team was following her. She didn't think about it as she made for the elk. Branches slapped her face as she continued after the animal that seemed to have gathered speed from Artemis at the spot. It covered in seconds what Artemis covered in minutes creating a wide gap between them.

She pulled out her short axe from the skin bag on her back and gripped it tightly ready to strike the elk at the slightest opportunity as she increased her speed.

Trees came past her in a blur and her breath became irregular, coming out ragged as her heart thumped fasted threatening to jump out of her chest. Her throat became dry giving her great discomfort and fatigue but she continued. She was this close to the elk and won't stop now.

Spider webs stranded on the soft skin of her face and made her lose focus, causing her to trip over a root that rose from the floor which was barely visible.

She rolled over the floor as her hands forcefully let go of her axe. Twigs cut her skin as she continued tumbling, losing sight of what was happening around her and the whereabouts of the elk. Even her body was unresponsive to her and finally, she landed into a swamp.

Thick mud smeared on her face down to her whole body and before she could stop, she was covered entirely in a coat of thick brown mud. She touched her forehead and felt the stinging pain swerve through her head to her spines. She managed to sit up and scan her surroundings. She had no idea of where she was and she did not even know how to leave the swampy part of the forest. Totally lost.

"Ah! I lost it!" She sighed. Her throat contracted and ejected a lump as her eyes became heavy with headache. She couldn't even think of the height of the ridicule she would face if she is kicked out of Kisha and there again, she can't even find her team.

She searched further and found her axe further away from her. She made to stand but heard a low growl that shook her with fear.

Her eyes darted up to sight a pair of golden eyes brightly shining through the leaves whose arrival changed her fate.