The Wolf Pack - Prologue

Prologue

    The storm raged around him, turning the dirt beneath his paws into slick mud, but he continued to run, thankful for the endurance he gained while in my wolf form. The sound of horses and feet never stopped, so he knew he was still being chased. He snarled. He’d tried to lose them, but they’d continued toward camp, even when he wasn’t going in that direction. They weren’t relying on him to lead them to camp; they already knew, which meant that they had someone on the inside. A traitor. 
    The trees ahead thinned, and he picked up his pace until he broke free of the forest and entered the camp. The druids who were outside working all looked up, startled by his sudden appearance. He howled a warning, then turned, and ran toward his brother’s cabin as quickly as he could. Bursting through the door, he quickly returned to his normal form, and collapsed against the wall. 
    “What the—Ander? What are you doing here?” Josh shouted, setting down the book he’d been reading and running over to kneel by his side. His eyes widened as he stared at him. “Ander, you’re hurt! What happened?” 
    Ander shook his head and shoved himself to his feet, swaying and grabbing the wall to steady himself. “No time,” he gasped. “Enemies, in the camp. They’re coming. Josh, they’re here!” 
    His eyes widened. “Intruders? Are you sure?” 
    “Yes. They chased me all the way here. I tried to lead them away, but they knew where camp was. I had to come back.” A tear spilled down his cheek, and his voice     cracked. “I had to warn you. They know.” 
    “What? Ander, what do they know?” 
    Ander’s whole body trembled, and his words were barely audible when he spoke. “Me, Josh. They know about me.” 
    He gasped and shook his head. “That’s...Ander, that’s not possible. Are you sure?” 
    “Yes. They know I’m a seer. They’re here for me.” 
    An explosion sounded outside, followed by screams of pain and fear. Josh’s head whipped toward the door. “Can you fight?” 
    Nodding, Ander pushed himself away from the wall and grabbed his staff with his bloody hands. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” 
    Josh shook his head. “It seems like none of us do, brother.” 
    Running outside, they found ourselves immediately thrown into the middle of a fierce battle. All around them, wizards, sorcerers, and warlocks threw spell after spell, causing fire, acid, and ice to pelt the enemy. The rest of the druids had either retreated to the trees and showered arrows on the intruders, or fought in their preferred animal form. 
    Dead bodies already littered the ground, and Ander’s heart stuttered, thinking of his friends. Josh immediately ran to join the magic users. Ander shook his head and began to coat the mages in protective spells, then stopped short as a vision struck me. 
    He was standing in a cell. Shackles hung from the wall and floor, and there was not a single surface within the cell that wasn’t stained with blood. He looked around, then froze as he saw himself dragged inside and chained to the wall. He was clearly unconscious, his whole body limp, the shackles digging into his skin and making his wrists bleed. Gasping, he was yanked free of the vision. 
    Pulling his eyes back into focus, Ander felt his legs give out and he fell to the mossy ground. He’d never seen his own future before. What had just happened? He heard someone shout a warning, but he couldn’t make sense of it over the ringing in his ears. Turning, he saw Josh staring in horror at something behind Ander. Spinning around, Ander watched as a huge club descended on his head. His last thought was one of terror, as Ander realized that his vision was about to come true.  

Fainting Goat

UT

14 years old

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