A Chance Encounter

Chapter one

In the depths of a mysterious and untamed land lied the kingdom of Lycanthropia, a once peaceful and serene realm had now been ruled for years with an iron fist and plunged into shrouded darkness. Here in Lycanthropia, the ancient folklore curse of turning into a wolf at a certain age of eighteen, was not merely a supernatural phenomenon but the foundation to the beginning of a complex society that was even now more complex under the rule of the ferocious Alpha king, who had taken over the kingdom after battling and killing the now late Alpha Roderick.

At the heart of Lycanthropia, a grand citadel stood high in all its glory, with towering walls and intimidating architectures of statues that reflected the oppressive rule that pervaded every corner of the realm as a whole. This was the seat and present fate of the realm under the power of the alpha king, a figure feared and reviled by the werewolf population, his name, Morbidus. His rule was marked by cruelty, subjugation, and the oppression of any perceived opposition.

The kingdom of Lycanthropia, stretched far and wide, encompassing sprawling forests, mist-covered moors and rugged mountains. Within this vast expanse, numerous packs resided, each led by an Alpha who answered to the Alpha king. Each of these packs representing the backbones of the lycanthropy society and giving rise to the intricate tapestry of power, loyalty and fear that had once held the kingdom together. With names being given according to resident areas, some of which were: the mistral, misty wood and misty hollow packs for residents of the mist-covered moors. Storm ridge, whisper peak, and thunder cliff packs for residents of the rugged mountains. Wild wood, thorn vale, wolf haven and the silver pine pack for residents of the sprawling forests, which relatively had a lesser population than the rest. Each of the aforementioned pack leaders now shared a hand in a web of lies and whispered dissent becoming rivals in the quest of becoming the Alpha king’s favorite. The Alpha king, driven by a thirst for dominance and control, employed fear and manipulated violence in order to maintain his grip on power, his rule was characterized and graded as a strict enforcement of oppressive laws, ruthless punishment or death for those who helped those who were conspiring to defy him or even those that conspired or tried to defy him. Resistance was met with a swift and brutal retribution, as dissenters were hunted down mercilessly, their lifeless bodies displayed as a means of warning to others or anyone who might dare or think to change the status quo. With punitive measures for even minor infractions, simply stating that even the underage and young were not exempted out. In situations when he was in a supposed good mood, those who opposed were labeled traitors, branded as outlaws, forced to live in the shadows, isolated from their pack and condemned to a life of constant danger.

 The once noble and proud werewolf generation, was a shadow of itself as everyone now lived in constant fear and despair of the unknown to come,  with the Alpha’s king regime stifling our natural instincts, suppressing our individualities and reducing each and every one of us to nothing but mere pawns in a game of power. The once upon a time lively and vibrant  realm was now marked with submission and coated with silence, with each of us resident wolves learning to conceal our true wild nature, all the same living in constant vigilance, with the Alpha’s influence extending beyond the borders of Lycanthropia and striking fear even into neighboring realms.

Yet, even in the darkest of times, glimmers of hope flickered in the hearts of werewolves with no feeling of how long it would last for, as whispered rumors of a resistance circulated the entire realm and neighboring realm in hushed voices, as every resident wolf yearned for a leader who would bring an end to the tyranny and restore balance to the already fractured society. 

 The silver pine pack located within the sprawling forest, was the lowest of all packs but was known for a couple of things. For what we lacked in physical prowess and strength we made up by excelling in sales and commerce, together with our honed negotiation and persuasive skills and our ability to identify valuable resources within and outside our territory it was no wonder we were called the realms of the master traders all of which was before the reign of the current Alpha that is but most importantly the name “Silver pine” had come to be because of the rare herbs, minerals and other natural treasure, coupled with the dense pine forests, with silver-hued trees stood tall  that exuded majesty and a deep connection to nature and I just so happened to be a resident of the Silver pine as I has come to know from my foster parents. who never failed to tell me the story of how I had appeared at their doorstep when her and father had been in dire need of a child, mother had said it was as if I’d been gifted to them by the moon goddess even though they felt they didn’t deserve me after waiting twenty-five years and so they’d done everything to be deserving of me, even giving out food to the less privileged though I wouldn’t say we were so buoyant ourselves giving our current status since being under the reign of the current alpha but they never failed to fulfill the promise they’d made to the moon goddess after my appearance and to the long awaited child who they’d waited and hoped for over the years that was eventually gifted to them on a platter, they had bestowed the name.

“Mirabella, Mirabella” I heard repeated shouting of my name from the crowded market.

I had only just convinced mother and father earlier to let me come to the market to sell our wares of herbal remedies and aromatic products that we’d gotten from the rare herbs and fragrant pine trees from early this morning since it really didn’t take much to see that her and father were both growing weary from age and tired more easily now. It had taken me long enough to be able to convince them since they were both against it, they’d suggested I stayed while they went.

I looked straight ahead to see who was shouting my name and just then I spotted her, a young lady with brown hair, running towards me.