Prologue
Prologue
fourteen years ago in a realm named Diraque Mundi, a small village was raided by a group called the latros. They had been informed of a woman harboring an umbra. After searching her house, they found a small child, not even a week old. They forced the woman to take the child into the forest surrounding the village and leave it there. She reluctantly obeyed. When she returned she found that her house and all of her belongings had been set on fire and she was forced to leave.
It was mid-winter and that night there was a blizzard. The child began to freeze. Just as it began to die, it was approached by a beautiful, six-foot tall wolf with gleaming white fur, glowing violet, and gold eyes, and a pure gold plate running from her forehead to her tail, branching off around her legs. The wolf was the last of the lokwa’s, a species of giant, and very intelligent wolves with the ability to transform into humans. She was tired of being alone and felt sympathy for the child, but didn’t know how to help him. She watched as the child’s hair slowly lost its color and became light grey, which meant that its soul was leaving its body and it was dying. She suddenly had an idea. She walked towards the child and pressed the tip of her nose onto its cold, pale forehead.
Just as the child drew its last breath, she performed an act called dimidium animae, which transferred half of her soul into its body. The child awakened instantly and stared at her with odd wolf-like eyes that were an unnaturally bright blue with oval pupils that had a gold line down the middle, branching out to form three parts on each side and resembled a leaf. As soon as she saw them she named the child Skyler, after her now dead brother who had had the same eyes.
The wolf turned into a tall woman with pale white skin, long white hair, which reached to the small of her back, and the same violet eyes as the wolf. She is wearing a white shirt, long black coat, black tights, a silver dagger strapped to her left thigh, and black boots. She has long white hair and pale white skin. Her only feature that remained unchanged after the transformation was her glowing violet eyes.
She picked up the child, rocking him gently in her arms. She knew that she would never be alone again. She looked at him, smiled, exposing sharp teeth, and said, “hello Skyler”. the child smiled at her
“That’s a lovely name.” someone said from behind. She turned around, reaching for her dagger, and saw a man who appeared to be in his early twenties. He had pale skin, black hair with bang’s that almost covered his eyes, which were both different colors, one a glowing silver, the other a pale blue-grey, and is wearing a black trench coat and a grey scarf.
She knew this man, and what his presence meant. “So I’m guessing that this little guy is yours then Aidyn,” she said. “And your’s,” he replied. She looked at him and smiled nervously. “Thank you for saving him Luna, I don’t think I could have handled losing another one so soon”
she looked at him. She knew that he didn’t have to sleep or eat as often as most people, maybe once or twice every month, but he looked like he hasn’t done either for at least two.
His hair was messier than she remembered it being, although it has been close to a hundred years since she saw him last, and he was a little too pale. He also had dark circles under his eyes and his hands were twitching slightly. She tried to imagine how it would be like to have his job, being assigned two umbra children to watch, teach, and in some cases, raise until they inevitably get caught and killed by the latros, or died in some other way, just to be replaced by another who was doomed to the same fate. She held the child tighter just thinking about it. “I’m sorry,” she said, knowing that it wouldn’t change anything.
He sighed and said “at least he was still a kid” he paused and looked at Luna with sad eyes, then shook his head slightly in confusion
“I’m sorry, that made me sound horrible, it’s just when their older and I get to spend more time with them, I get more attached, and it hurts so much more when I lose them.” his voice was weak and his hands began to shake a little more. “It’s ok, I understand,” she said kindly, remembering when she lost her family and friends centuries ago.
“can I hold him?” he asked quietly. “will I get him back?” she wasn’t sure if she would be allowed to keep the child and was being cautious. Aidyn chuckled and said “don’t worry, the indeprensus have decided that it will be,” he paused to find the right word, “interesting, to watch you raise him.” she sighed and handed the child to him. “you can carry him while we walk to my camp, it’s not that far, and you look like you could use some rest and food.” Aidyn shook his head, laughing a little, but he didn’t dare argue with her and they began walking towards the camp.
