Warclaw (3 page)

He looked around frantically, panic slowly setting in, but there was nothing to be seen around him. Warclaw turned around and tried to retrace the way he had come but there was nothing that was familiar to him. ‘My body is already weak and now this?’ Warclaw thought, worried and panic stricken. What was he going to do? He laid down on the ground or what he believed to be the ground. The sky was becoming dark black again, but this wasn't the night, no, this was something worse. A lot lot worse. Black became his full surroundings. Black was all he could see. He could smell nothing. Hear nothing. See nothing. This was something the wolves feared the most. Death.

The reason wolves feared it the most was because it came when you were the most alone, the most scared and when you least needed it. Even though wolves were at the top of the food chain, they couldn't escape the inevitable. Warclaw knew this too well. He had watched many of his family members die over the past decades. Warclaw needed what was in that chest at this very moment in time, but it was too far away. All these depressing thoughts were what Warclaw didn't need. He shook his head trying to get rid of the blackness and the dark thoughts but the darkness was still there and so were the thoughts. The shadows started to creep upon him, covering each and every corner of his vision. He looked around. They were nearly upon him. His vision blackened. Shaking his head again he opened his eyes. The shadows had gone, but for how long?

He got up off the ground and walked. He took a deep breath, taking in all the sights, smells and sounds. He thought back to what had just happened. He knew you couldn’t cheat death but never that you could postpone it, or what he thought was postponing. Shaking his head again, he carried on walking towards the sea. Soon he started to see the hills and the trees, and he could smell the sea. All of Warclaw’s senses picked up different things and he let it fill him with the sense of relief. Warclaw smiled as he walked towards the sea. Looking over to where his lighthouse and home had once stood, Warclaw could see the remainders of the brickwork lying all over the ground. The storm had finally stopped but really, on the inside, it was still raging on. He walked over to the rubble, and from the ground above Warclaw looked down into the depths of the sea. Once again the sea had become crystal clear, and he could see the remainders of the lighthouse in the sea. The lighthouse had split into three in the water. You couldn’t tell what was what, as the rubble laid across the ocean floor. As it lay there in front of him, just a few inches away, Warclaw heard some-wolf come up behind him. His ears could hear each and every footstep it took. Turning his head around quickly, Warclaw noticed that Waya stood there right behind him.

"Where is Willow, Warclaw? I know she came to find you, so where is she?!" Waya demanded at Warclaw. Warclaw laughed, it was cold and cruel. "You really thought that she'd be able to stop me? You must be stupid! I may have been weak when we used to fight, but that was many moons ago. Have you not realised that you have been stupid enough to come and get me on your own?" Warclaw laughed again. Whilst shaking his head at the stupidity of Waya. Waya growled.

"How dare you insult me?" Waya barked at Warclaw baring his teeth. Looking towards Warclaw's neck, he saw the bight marks and his eyes became wide. "And for your information, Waya, I enjoyed killing your mate!" Warclaw laughed again, each laugh was colder and crueller than the previous one. Warclaw watched the horror come rushing into Waya's eyes. But instead of weeping and becoming weaker, Waya started to laugh. Warclaw had stopped laughing by now and looked at Waya in shock. "You really thought I had come alone? That makes you the stupid one doesn't it?" Four other wolves came sprinting from the forest and started to surround Warclaw. He looked in every direction. No sign of escape. "Can I ask something, Waya?"

"Yes."

"Well, I've been meaning to ask you this for some time now,"

"Well ask it then! We haven't got all day you know!" Waya growled.

"What makes you think that these wolves are on your side?" Warclaw said as the smile on his face grew. Waya’s eyes darted around from each wolf’s face. They turned round and started to head towards the Alpha."What are you doing?! I am your Alpha! You should be attacking Warclaw not..." he trailed off. They had started to surround him.

"Looks like the tables have turned Waya. These wolves are with me. I can't believe that you thought the pack would always follow you. Any-wolf would think that you’re the Alpha almighty, the way you strut your weight around! Besides, with your mate gone now, the pack have become unsettled. I'm afraid, Waya, with no mate your unable to be Alpha. I myself have no mate but I do have the power." Warclaw growled with a sting. Waya stood there frozen. This was not what he had planned at all. Waya’s closest friends were now turning against him. He looked towards Wibeke, but she continued growling, Waya knew now more than ever, that he was done for. But he would go with one last fight! "Warclaw, consider this as a last request if you like, but as being the
current
Alpha, you have to
fight
me for the right to become the Alpha. So this is what we’ll agree on. If I win then you give me the treasure and if I lose, you become Alpha and you keep the treasure." This was a simple request but was high in value, especially to Warclaw. You could hear the cogs in Warclaw’s mind turning as he thought about this and somehow it seemed to be right according to the rules that wolves had to follow. "Fine." Warclaw remarked with the distinct displeasure on his face.

Chapter 4: Secrets.

As the other wolves gathered around Warclaw and Waya, there was a clash of thunder in the background as the rain started to pour down upon the ground. It beat down upon the wolves again; making the ground beneath slippery. Waya bared his teeth at Warclaw. Warclaw growled back at Waya. Warclaw’s teeth were sparkling white, even though he had killed another wolf not so long ago. Now it was time for Waya to die. "You know Waya, Willow was easy to kill! She was very much similar to you I think. Hmmm...” Warclaw paused thoughtfully, before carrying on “Yeah she was. Such a shame though. She was a lovely wolf." Waya growled loudly and pounced at Warclaw, but he just simply moved away from him, dodging his lunge. "I felt sorry for her before she died; knowing that you'd betrayed her.” Warclaw made a tutting sound as he shook his head. His laugh was cruel, as he kept eye contact with Waya. As they circled, Waya snapped at Warclaw "You will regret ever saying that Warclaw!" Warclaw looked at Waya with a blank expression on his face and said "Oh, will I?" The circle grew smaller and smaller, until they were nearly nose to nose! The two wolves growled at each other as the rain poured down upon them, soaking their coats.

Waya made another lunge towards Warclaw but yet again, Warclaw simply moved aside. Then he went in for the kill… 
again
! Warclaw grabbed a hold of Waya’s neck, sinking his teeth into it. Waya howled in pain as he saw the blood slowly drip to the floor. As Warclaw bit down harder onto Waya’s neck, Waya howled in more pain and watched, horrified, as more blood started to leak onto the floor. Waya tried to get out the bite but Warclaw’s hold was firm. He looked down towards Warclaw’s legs. An easier target and something that would make Warclaw let go. They were close enough to bite. Taking the opportunity to get Warclaw off of his neck, Waya bit down onto Warclaw’s legs. Blood started to splatter everywhere. On the cold, black floor, red blood had started to form a pool of its own. Waya howled in pain. Warclaw had bitten him again on the neck, making a gaping hole that oozed with blood. But Waya stood his ground. Warclaw had moved backwards enabling Waya to have the chance to bite down onto Warclaw’s own neck. He sank his teeth deep into Warclaw's neck. As Waya teeth sunk deeper into his neck, Warclaw cried in pain. Warclaw had to let go of Waya’s neck to take a breath, before taking his next horrific bite. Waya still had a firm hold of Warclaw’s neck and Waya hung on for dear life. He just wouldn't let go! Warclaw tried to shake him off of his neck but Waya threw Warclaw to the ground. Warclaw growled. This was his opportunity to end this battle and come off slightly injured. And he saw it.

The rain still poured down onto the wolves, their coats getting more and more drenched. But the blood on the floor that surrounded Warclaw was still there. Warclaw was on his back; breathing quickly. You could see the air that Warclaw breathed out in the cold air. He steadied his heartbeat, closed his eyes, and took that final blow! Waya thought he was winning this battle and getting his paws on that treasure. But in fact, all along it was the exact opposite! He could feel the blood pouring out of his neck. It flowed out of his neck like a stream. The sky was going black as Waya looked at it. Death had struck its final blow. Warclaw chomped down again onto Waya's neck. More blood flowed from the gaping wound. The stream was turning into a river. This was it. The end of Waya’s life. Wolves, being the apex predator, weren’t supposed to cry as it was a sign of weakness, but a small tear rolled down Waya’s cheek as Warclaw finished him off. The river had turned into a sea of blood as Waya fell to the sodden ground. He hit the ground with a thud. The sea of blood, which came from his neck, was getting bigger by the minute. Warclaw walked up to the weakening body of Waya and said calmly to the dying wolf, "You can be with your beloved Willow now!"

Waya let out his final breath as Warclaw walked towards where the lighthouse had once stood. The wind was strong and the rain cascaded down upon the wolves. The other wolves looked at each other in shock. Who would they follow now as their Alpha, as their old Alpha was now dead? They only knew one wolf still alive and what that fight had meant. Warclaw was now Alpha.

The rain had started to ease as Warclaw turned around to face the other wolves. Their eyes were wide with terror; as they waited to hear their new orders from their new Alpha. Warclaw looked at them calmly and spoke with softness in his voice "Your new orders are to tell everyone that the Alpha is dead and that I'm your new Alpha.” He paused “And then you are dismissed from your duty." The wolves looked at Warclaw with astonishment. They were shocked at their new Alpha’s orders.

"But, what about protecting the pack?" Wibeke asked nervously. Ignoring what the wolf has just asked, Warclaw turned back around and looked out towards the sea. The rain had stopped and the sun had once again begun to gleam in all its glory.

Silence. Nothing could be heard in the forest. Noting could be heard in the sky and the sea was also silent. Nothing could be heard from the wolves. The other wolves started to back away slowly from Warclaw. They were frightened now and they feared for the lives of the members of their pack. They couldn't believe that Warclaw had tricked them into thinking that this was something good for the pack. But it was the complete opposite. It made the pack insecure. Yes, it had been insecure before the old Alpha had died, but now? Now it had become more insecure than it had ever been before. Warclaw heard the wolves back away. He turned around sharply. The wolves stopped in their tracks, worried that he was going to do something bad to them. They looked at their new Alpha, a waiting for something to happen. A waiting for something bad to happen to them but nothing happened. Warclaw just looked at them, blankly. "Why are you still here?" He said calmly. The wolves looked at each other, then nodded as one and ran, as if they were running for their lives. Once again, Warclaw was alone; looking back into the sea and at his lighthouse.

******************

A Secret. What is a secret? A secret can be kept close to your heart and you don't tell a living soul what it is. Some secrets can be nice and happy but some secrets can be dark and
evil
. That was what Warclaw had. Warclaw's secret was just that though; dark and 
evil
.
But Warclaw had more than just one secret. He kept himself to himself now. Alone and contempt. Warclaw had done this for as long as he wanted to remember. Many of the wolves didn't trust him because he kept dark and 
evil
 
secrets. Warclaw spent his time alone. Wolves were never alone. They were pack animals, sticking together and protecting one another. They never spent their lives alone, but this one wolf spent his alone. And now he was their Alpha. The pack had no choice but to follow every word he said. Secrets were the very route to evil in wolves. Wolves were supposed to be an open book but this one wolf wasn't. Knowing nothing about your new Alpha was dangerous. They could be very unpredictable. Warclaw knew this and he loved it!

Warclaw had surrounded himself with so many secrets and so much mystery that it had become his life. And this had made his life dangerous. He had become that vile being that he had portrayed himself to be. His precious object could be taken away from him and he didn't want that nor did he need it at this moment in time. By the high Alpha he didn't. He would be nothing without it! In that chest, in that darkened room, in that collapsed lighthouse; was where it would lay until Warclaw had it in his grasp again.

You want to know what 'it' is don't you? You want to know what this ‘object’ is. But that's something that is a secret as well! And really it should stay like that. Or should it?