Chapter 15. A Premonition of The Past and Future.
Gavin went to bed that night, utterly exhausted and deliriously happy. He quickly changed his clothes to a pair of loose-fitting pajama bottoms and paused as he reached for a shirt. Erza was deliberately trying to tease him with climbing into his bed. Two can play that game.
He put the shirt back on the chair and grinned mischievously. He stretched his arms above his head before he climbed into bed next to her. This is bold, but she won't expect it. He thought to himself as he grinned. He blushed slightly as he curled up against her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her hair was a mess as it fanned around her. I could get used to this though, I think.
He covered them both as he laid his head down on his pillow and quickly drifted off into what he expected to be a restful slumber.
Unfortunately, that was not the case.
As he drifted off to sleep, he felt a strange sensation come over his body. He felt like he was falling without any end in sight. He opened his eyes and could see nothing around him. Just a strange abyss that was becoming all too familiar.
Eventually the area was lit up by an unknown source of light. He could see that he was in a strange forest that he didn't recognize. He could hear the birds singing their songs, and the insects buzzing away.
He looked around, and that's when he noticed his body was almost translucent. He could walk just fine, his feet found easy footing on the ground, but he could practically see through his body no matter what source of light. It was truly a strange feeling and sensation. Alright what sweet circle of hell is this now?
"Well, this is unsettling," he said aloud to no one in particular. He moved through the forest looking around and for any reason his dream would bring him here. He felt hopelessly lost and confused until he heard a soft female voice singing among the trees.
He felt drawn to the person singing. As if something inside him recognized the voice. He mindlessly followed the soft, melodic sound deeper into the forest. The trees slowly gave way to a wide-open clearing filled with wagons, horses and tents. People came and went along with the group, packing up supplies and loading the wagons. No one seemed to notice Gavin was walking among them as he kept following the sound of the singing.
It led him to a beautiful brunette that sat by a campfire with a young man, maybe in his mid to late twenties. The woman had a giggling baby wrapped up in a carrier against her chest as she sang. The man smiled as he joined in singing, his deep rich voice soothing Gavin's ears. He felt entranced. As if he was watching old friends, he knew all his life. But the feeling was stronger, much deeper than just that. A strange connection as he watched the family in front of him.
It felt as if he was home. Truly home. He noticed the way the two looked at each other and the giggling child, their love and adoration for one another was plain to see.
He sat down on the grass next to them and closed his eyes. He let the combined harmonic singing sooth his soul. He lost track of how long it felt like he sat there and listened to their songs. Truth be told, he didn't know, and he didn't care. He had never felt such a sense of peace and comfort as he sat there. He didn't know why or even understand it. He just knew that he did not want them to stop any time soon. Eventually, however, the couple stopped their beautiful singing, much to Gavin's disappointment.
"Drogo, is today moving day?" The woman asked him. Her voice is soft and almost lilting in its cadence.
The man, Drogo, nodded. "Sadly, yes. "We'd have moved weeks ago if not for you and the other pregnant females being so close to labor," Drogo said as he rose from his chair.
"The elders want to protect our royal bloodline. They don't want to take the risk of something happening while Fenrir is so young and defenseless," he responded to her softly.
She frowned up at him, "Yes, they believe the old prophecy. That a descendant of the alpha species would unite all the clans and restore us to the public eye. That he would right the wrongs of the past," she said softly, almost as if in distaste. "They think that might be Fenrir, don't they?" she asked him.
Drogo nodded grimly. "They claim to have read the signs from the gods, messages, whatever you wanna call it. But they plan to use Fenrir to attempt to make the prophecy come true sooner than later," he said in frustration.
Gavin watched them talk as the baby wiggled against his mother. Then suddenly the scene shifted in his dream sequence.
The campsite in the forest slowly faded from view and darkness filled his vision. The next thing he knew, he was back in a dark, dimly lit room. The smell of mildew, mild, and rust invaded his senses. Gavin felt a shiver of fear and trepidation creep down his spine as realization dawned on him where he was. The soft buzzing of incandescent lights flickering above him could be heard as he barely made out any details around the room.
In the center was a single metal chair with chains hanging off the arms and around both front legs. There was a steady drip, drip, drop of water from a leaky pipe in the back of one corner of the room. Gavin gritted his teeth in anger as he took in his surroundings. He remembered this room from the last time he was here in a dream.
He found the metal pipe that he remembered laying down on the ground next to the single door to the room. He picked up the pipe and walked over to turn the handle of the door. His heart was thumping loudly in his ears as he stepped closer to the door. He felt like all he could hear was the beat of his own heart.
Thump thump. Thump thump.
He reached out and turned the door handle. As he did so, a soft metallic screech echoed through the chamber. The door creaked open. Gavin stepped through the doorway and into the narrow hallway beyond. As he peered down the empty hallway, he noticed the familiar dim lighting and sheet metal walls.
An eerie familiar scream echoed all through the halls. The sound of it set Gavin's anger off. He recognized it. He knew what was happening, and he was furious. His eyes glowed crimson in the darkened hallway as he felt a somewhat familiar burn in his blood. A pain filled his body as he knew his body shifted into his were-wolf body. Unlike the last time, he had strength now. He stalked through the halls searching for that damned room he dreaded going into.
He rounded the corner and found the door. Two bodies of men lay on the ground unmoving. Gavin paid them no mind as he walked towards the door and another ear-piercing scream filled the area. Gavin gritted his teeth, his body tense and his adrenaline pumping as he grabbed the handle and turned the knob. He opened the door and froze.
Even though he knew what was going to be there, he still wasn't prepared. Aria, Lyla and Erza hung suspended from the ceiling by chains. All three of them were in their were-cat shifter forms. They were beaten, bruised and bloody as they swayed against the chains.
He growled low and deep in his throat, as he snapped back to reality. He took a step forward as the door in the back of the room opened. A man with blonde hair and a thin scar down the left side of his face walked into the room. He wore a white coat with a red anarchy symbol on it.
"Ah, it seems the newest mongrel is awake and joined us." The man's voice filled Gavin's ears. It was taunting, confident, and cruel.
"I will kill you, for touching them," Gavin snarled, his own voice rough and filled with hatred.
"You will try many times, but each time you will be unsuccessful. You won't ever be able to save these filthy animals," the man said as he drew a pistol from his waistband and popped the safety off. He giggled like a deranged lunatic as he danced around to stand behind the girls.
"No!" Gavin screamed as the first shot went off and Aria's head fell forward, blood pooling on the ground.
Gavin tried to run forward. He sprinted with every ounce of his supernatural speed. His adrenaline was spiked; his blood boiled. He felt the burn in his lungs from the exertion. But no matter how hard he pushed his body he couldn't close the distance. It was as if the girls and the scarred man got further and further away from him. He snarled in rage and frustration.
Erza looked up and gave a pained look at Gavin. "You must get stronger. You must save all of us," she said in a voice barely audible. Tears filled her eyes as she hung there, barely conscious.
Bang.
Another shot rang out and Lyla's head fell forward, blood pouring out of her head from the gunshot wound.
Gavin let loose a feral howl in rage and hatred. "Damn you, stop!" he shouted at the man.
The man only laughed as he walked behind Erza. "This is your fault, you know. You were too weak to protect them. Too weak to stop me. It is your fault they die!" He taunted as he pointed his gun back at Erza. The barrel pressed against the back of her head.
"No, please stop. Whatever you want I'll give you. Just please don't do it," Gavin pleaded, desperate to try anything to save her life.
The man's laughter was cold and sadistic as he grinned at the wolf. "This is all because of you, boy. I'll see you soon," he said in delight.
Bang.
The third shot rang out in the room and Erza's head slumped forward, blood pooling at her feet.
Gavin screamed out from the ferocity of his loss and anguish as he snarled. "I will kill you. So, help me God, I will find you and bathe in your entrails," Gavin vowed as the man seemingly walked forward, the black polished metal of the gun now pointing directly between his eyes.
"I'd love to see you try. But don't worry, you can join your friends in hell. Game over, filthy mutt," he said. The last thing Gavin heard was sinister laughter as a bang rang out, and darkness filled his vision.