[Avira]
Kyle appeared on the podium through the back door, bearing the old Ashen cage. Although he carried it with ease, I could tell that it was heavier than it seemed. Carefully, he placed the old looking cage on the floor in front of me, and motioned for me to get inside, and I did, trembling fearfully.
Alpha Demian began the ritual by chalking down a not too wide circle a little farther from me, and from the other members of the pack. Next he brought out the sacred items from the wooden box, beginning with the ash coloured moon crystal, the wand, the silver candles, and the Lunar incantation scroll which contained the chants and incantations Alpha Demian would need for the ritual. Alpha Demian brought out every item just as he did yesterday, every item except the Spirit dust. There was no sorting to be done, and so there was no need for the Spirit dust.
But there was an item among the others. One I have never seen, and couldn't tell what it was.
It was a dark silver necklace with a crescent moon pendant. The pendant has tiny carved runes along its curve, and the chain is thick and sturdy. A small, silver bead that looked like moonstone was attached to the chain, giving it a faint, mystical look. The metal looked old and slightly worn, making it feel ancient and powerful. Instinctively, my breath hitched, even though I had no idea what the item was or what it was used for.
I watched Alpha Demian place the items in their right position but every now and then my gaze went back to the chain with a moon shaped pendant. As much as I looked fearfully at it, I wondered even more what it was to be used for, and something in my guts told me it wouldn't be good.
Alpha Demian looked up from the chalk drawn circle which he had spent the last ten minutes placing items on. The whole congregation had gone utterly still so that the throne room was quiet, but not my heartbeat which I could feel hitting my rib cage violently or my thoughts which had gone out of control.
I had a plan now, although it was not solid, or reliable, it was the only thing I've got. The moment the cage is opened, I would run with every ounce of my being, and with every strength I had. If I was going to survive this, it would depend solely on how fast I am able to run.
My heartbeat accelerated once more when I saw Alpha Demian moving towards my direction, with the chain in one hand, and the Lunar incantation scroll in the other. I moved back in the cage but it was pointless. When he got close to the cage, one of the warriors got it open, and pulled me roughly out of it until I was standing a few feet before Alpha Demian.
He unclipped the chain, and chanted some incoherent language from the scroll before placing the chain around my neck. I shut my eyes as I felt the coldness of the chain on my neck. My whole body was shivering out of fear even though it was not cold. I had no idea what the chain was supposed to do to me, and I was too afraid to think of it.
What if Alpha Demian had changed his mind, and decided to have me killed on the spot?
No, I thought quickly, rebuking the thought. Maybe the chain was supposed to slow me down or…
Alpha Demian's voice sounded from a distance, and I opened my eyes. He was chanting an incantation, and the ash coloured moon crystal was ascending slowly. Oliver nudged me hard on the rib back into the cage, and I went inside, wondering more than ever what the chain was for.
The moon crystal was above now, and had stopped moving. Alpha Demian's chants had switched from being slow and solemn to being Thunderous, and with this, the ash coloured moon crystal suddenly turned orange, prompting the others to cry out in pain as they began to shift. The atmosphere around me changed also, like it does whenever I shifted but a much stronger force reversed the effect. While furs, paws, claws, fangs and hoofs sprouted out of the others, I remained unaffected by the presence of the full moon which was strange.
I felt myself reaching for my wolf once more but the force which I could not fathom restricted me again, and then I noticed it. The small silver bead that looked like a moonstone on the pendant radiated light, and became hot enough to burn my neck and collar bone each time I reached for my wolf, and the light would fade out slowly when the effect of the moon subsided.
I tried again once more with my eyes closed, and my heart was beating so violently that I feared my chest would burst open, and my heart would pour on the floor. The realization of what was going on was seeping into me even though I did not want to believe it.
The chain was no ordinary chain or any ugly necklace but a magical necklace that possessed a power strong enough to stop a werewolf from shifting. I have heard a lot of information about it, and only a few of it was good. I wasn't so sure about outrunning the entire pack as a wolf, and now I had to outrun with my human feet, I wouldn't stand a chance.
My eyes had begun to sting as tears gathered in the corners, the thought of dying miserably because of an offence I did not create caused my heart to ache, and the fact that Beta Maverick, the culprit who lied against me was watching me at the moment made it even worse, and more than ever, I wanted to survive.
But how?
The sounds of growling forced my attention back to the crowd to see that every pack member except Alpha Demian had shifted and was now a full wolf.
"Come out!" Alpha Demian commanded in a loud voice, facing my direction. I placed one quaking foot in front of the other until I was fully out of the cage.
This is it, it all ends here!
I told myself as I stared at the big red eyes of the wolves before me. They all stared back at me with the same angry and bloodthirsty stares. I was shaking too much, and could not stop the tears now.
"Lets make this fun," Alpha Demian was saying to the others. "We'll give her a chance to run, let's see how far her human feet can carry her." He finished with a menacing laugh while the others joined him with a loud howler.
"Run!" Alpha Demian said suddenly without warning, and without thinking, I ran into the forest. I ran as fast as my human feet could carry me, I ran as if my life defended on it because it did. I ran, panic-stricken but not blindly. It was quiet behind me which suggested that the others are not in pursuit yet. Even though I did not know my way around the woods, I ran into every bend I came across. I knew I could not outrun them, no matter how much time I was given. Maybe hiding from them would give me a better chance.
But where do I hide?