Eye of the Storm
Prologue
"Faster, Cheyenne. You have to run faster." I tell myself as I run through the woods. My lungs are starting to burn, but I have to keep running. I'm almost there. I can't stop now or I'll miss it. Salaz will be furious with me if he finds out I was out here but I can't miss the the First Full Moon of the year. Especially when there is a meteor shower on the same night. Its one of the most powerful, magick filled nights of the whole year.
Salaz could give me any punishment he wanted to later. But I needed to feel the full moons light on my skin. I needed to see the meteor's fly across the sky, leaving star dust to rain down in their wake. I needed to feel the Magick in the air first hand. To let it seep into my heart, body and soul. To find a piece of myself again. I'll only be gone 2 hours tops. He'll never even know I was gone.
I come across the thick line of tree's that hides the meadow on the cliff edge and slow my pace. I made it! I slowly walk through the trees, dragging my hands on the bark of each tree I pass. Feeling their energy as I greet them with my own aura of thanks and admiration. Nature has always been my second home. But not in the way others like me feel it. Its deeper and stronger within me, according to the local shawman. I think he's just a crazy old man who's been reading one to many legends in his old age.
As I approach the center of the meadow I look up to the skies and see the moon is nearly at her peak. Even the stars have come to greet the moon, shinning almost as bright as the moon itself. Soon it will look like a snow storm in the sky. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Pulling in all the scents surrounding me. Everything out here is so familiar to me. The sweet and musky smell of the dewy grass and mud. The flowers are not in bloom yet but I can smell them coming to life soon in the next few months to come. The tree's seep the smells of pine, and maple. And the river to the east is going at full stream. Loud, but not loud enough to drown out the crickets and owls cooing softly awaiting the same magick I came here to feel.
My skin starts to softly tingle and I feel as if I'm glowing. Something is telling me its time to open my eyes, and as I do nothing looks as it has changed except the moon. It has not moved directly above me and as I take in another deep breath the meteor shower begins. I smile to myself as I watch the magick of tonight unfold. I don't care what Salaz does to me if he learns I was out here. I have found peace, happiness and pure love out here in this moment. And nothing else matters except for the here and now.
But I spoke to soon. Behind me I hear a twig snap and my smile falls as the meteor shower ends as if it was my smile that started it all. It must be Salas... Slowly I turn around to see who made the noise and ruined my perfect moment. What I come face to face with send chills down my spine and I'm frozen in shock for moment.
In front of me, coming through the same trees I came through is a larger then life wolf with gorgeous silver eyes that could pierce you like a dagger to the heart. His eyes adjust to the light of the moon as he exits the shadows of the trees and is now 20 feet away from me. All I can do it breath slowly and deeply. This wolf isn't part of the village but there is a familiarity about him I just can't place. Just as he closes the distance between us so there is only a few feet between my feet and his paws I realize how big he actually is. Staring straight ahead I am eye to eye with this massive beast. I don't have to look down to get a good look at him. This is no wolf I have ever scene, this is a beast. the body size of a bear but the shape of a wolf.
I start to feel myself shake as fear slowly sets in. Thunder start to roll, lightning flashes across the meadow and rain starts to pour so hard and fast I am instantly soaked to the bone.
"It can't be... we were told you were dead." I hear the voice in my head and flinch away from the wolf. Okay I have got to be losing my mind. Maybe I never left the compound, did Salas roufy me at dinner?
"What is your name?" The wolfs eyes narrow and he takes on a defensive stance that makes me flinch away some more and wrap my arms around myself. I don't know why I answer him because this is all just a big hallucination but I couldn't stop myself.
"Cheyenne... Cheyenne no last name. I am a servant of the Brighton Village just down the way. I serve Sir Salaz Azzreil."
"I shall see you soon miss Cheyenne no last name. Really soon." And with that he turned tail and ran the same direction as the river. As if him leaving broke a spell over me I took off South back to the village as fast as I could. Never looking back but his words haunted me... "See you soon....really soon..."
