Song: Meet Me On The Battlefield by SVRCINA

Adrenaline coursed through my silver laced veins as I forced my way through the foliage of the night. The poison pulsing within me weakened my run to a quick foot stumble. That revelation alone only added to my rising fury. Gritting my teeth, I absorbed the screams of death and forced myself to sprint faster.

This was my Pack burning to the ground.

These were my people.

I needed to do something.

I was Venus Brightdoom of the Moon Warriors Pack. The daughter of the Alpha and Luna. And I was not about to allow my home to be successfully invaded because a bit of silver got into my system.

Giving up wasn't in my vocabulary.

Emerging from the tall bushes, I coughed on the scent of burning wood and flesh. Scores of Werewolves ran back and forth from the river to the crumbling houses. Cold water sloshed within the rusty buckets as they worked to put out the climbing flames. Overwhelming heat washed over me and I readied myself to enter the scorching fire.

Cries of help filled my ears and my heart ached at the sound of a crying child. Closing my eyes for a split second, I focused on the blubbering voice and honed in on their location. "Poppa! Momma!"

The top floor.

"Moon Goddess, give me strength," I prayed. Strands of silver enveloped my dark melanin imbued skin and I opened my eyes. I was ready. With the poison in my blood, my feet pounded against the cold earth and I ran towards the destruction. The blessing of the Moon Goddess swathed me in silver glamour, protecting me from the heat.

I breathed easy and stumbled up the caving stairs. Yelping, my left foot sunk into the broken step and I braced myself against the ashy walls. Fire licked my dark palms but not a single flame singed my skin. I forced my foot free from its trapped wooden inferno and resumed running upstairs.

"I'm coming!" I called out.

"Vivi!" My blood ran cold at the sound of my baby cousin's voice. How hadn't I noticed that before?!

"Get to the window, Malec!" I fought through the blazing debris of the second floor and raced towards the third. Damn my uncle and his architectural dreams! Family portraits curled in on themselves. I watched as the faces of my ancestors glowed red before disappearing into black. Bursting through the fire licked door, I found the terrified six year old huddled by the foggy window. "Malec!"

"Vivi!" His little voice sputtered as he coughed on the rising fumes. Grey smoke flooded the room and we raced towards each other. Malec's burned body latched onto me and he buried his face into my chest. Extending my silver glamour to him, I gripped him as tight as I could and prepared to run back down.

A loud screeching filled my ears and an unknown tongue engulfed the fiery air. That damn Witch was still nearby. The foundation of the house rumbled at the whispering of her incantation. I ran towards the open door before she could topple the house completely. As I reached the threshold the flaring roof screamed in anguish and collapsed. Wood and blackened mementos stored in the attic fell through, demolishing our exit. The new addition of the weight caused the floor beneath us to groan and slowly dip downwards.

"Vivi?" Malec's tear stained cheeks brushed my exposed chest. I glanced down at the petrified child as he asked, "Are we gonna die?"

Stroking the fair boy's cheek, I firmly promised, "No."

Turning to the shut window, I pressed Malec closer and ran. The ground underneath slowly gave away with each step I took towards freedom. "Hold on tight," I whispered.

Focusing my power forward, the silver shield sharpened into a pointed needle. Glass shattered around us as I leaped through the window. I swallowed the tears threatening to fall, and abandoned the ruined house to burn. Calling my power back to myself, I twisted my body midair and soared through this accursed night. Silver embraced my backside and I-

THWACK!

Groaning, I gasped at the shot of pain tingling up and down my neck. I rolled over, relieving myself from the force of impact. The silver blessing of the Moon Goddess withdrew back into me and I shivered at the sight of the fiery wreckage.

The home my great grandfather, grandfather, father, and uncle had built many years ago was all gone. Gone. Nothing but roaring debris remained.

"Lady Venus!" Warm hands pressed against my still drugged body and I tensed for a moment. As soon as my Pack's scent of the Maine forest filled my senses, I relaxed under the woman's touch. "Lady Venus, are you hurt?"

"No," I replied. Shifting to a sitting position, I took in the sight of the soot covered Omega. She trembled greatly in the wake of our ongoing brutal attack. "No, I'm fine."

Malec pushed himself closer against my bosom and I cupped the older woman's face. Her violet hued eyes shined with fear and confusion. My instincts to lead kicked in at the sight of the Healer's worry. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, yes of course." She nodded hastily, shaking the few strands of grey loose from her low black bun. "But, you and Sir Malec-"

"Are fine," I interrupted. "Where are the injured? Are they safe?"

"Yes, we've managed to transfer them to the bunker discreetly." I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. Finally, some good news. "I came with some Warriors to check for more when we saw the house burning. My Lady, I'm so so-"

"Don't apologize." Scanning our surroundings, all I saw was my Pack and burning flames. The battle wasn't here anymore. Swallowing the lump in my throat I said, "Don't bother trying to salvage the house. Put the remaining fire out and carry on with your task."

"But, Lady Venus-"

"Houses can be rebuilt," I stated. "The lives we lose trying to save rubble cannot. Your orders are to rescue the injured. Don't waste time on buildings. Understand?"

The Healer frowned at my words but agreed nonetheless. As a Healer, her empathic abilities enabled her a glimpse into the privacy of my deepest emotions. I knew she was feeling how difficult it was for me to give an order that meant erasing my family's legacy from this land. And although it pained my aching heart to have those words leave my lips more than a fire burning my skin ever could...

My Pack meant more to me than my own selfish desires.

Forcing my weak emotions away, I hardened my erratic heart and stood tall. The Healer rose with me and I made one more difficult decision. I pressed a kiss to Malec's sweaty forehead and transferred the young pup to her open arms. "Take care of him. Whatever it takes. You make sure he lives."

My parents had no other heir but me. If I died tonight, then he was the future of the Moon Warriors Pack. And no matter what, the future needed to be protected.

"Yes, Lady Venus." The Healer hushed the young pup's cries of protest. With one last nod, she and her band of Warriors took off into the dark. When they vanished I allowed my strong persona to fall and I dropped to my knees wailing. Tears of anguish pooled at my chin as the sight of mangled bodies flashed within the fresh pool of my memories. The sheer agony alone forced my body to shift into the wolf that was slumbering within.

Sharp black emerged from my baby blue coffin nails. The claws dug into the battle scarred earth. Four massive paws thumped against the snapping twigs and crunching leaves. My black skin and long silver hair melted away into a sleek coat of grey fur. The tattered mess of my dingy white dress lay in a shredded heap as I rose to my short height of six feet. Beads of winter blue pierced the forest as my ears perked at the threatening sound of a growl in the distance.

I'd known that growl since I was a young pup.

Father!

Leaving the broken remnants of the past behind me, I sprinted deeper into the forest. The sounds of battle welcomed me. Crunching bones and whimpered cries. I pushed myself faster before emerging into the new battlefield.

Growling, I averted my sensitive eyes at the flashes of colorful magick. Summoning all that was left of my ailing power, I released it onto my Pack and strengthened their attacks. Lines of silver circled my people as they fought our invaders with renewed vigor. The Witches hissed at their weakened assaults and I smirked wolfishly.

Without my power I was weaker than the average wolf. I genuinely stood a good chance of dying now if seriously injured. But my people, my Pack, would make it through the night.

That was enough for me.

I surrendered to my possible fate and howled at the moon.

Fight! I commanded. Protect each other!

My Pack answered with howls of approval as I barreled through the warring warriors. Mother growled, tucking the head of her black wolf under Father's brown neck. The Witch they battled chuckled at the display and my blood boiled with rage. Mother was not showing weakness! Mother was not cowering! Mother was protecting her Alpha's throat from serious injury!

She was guarding a wolf's most sensitive place!

Anger blinded me and I charged the redheaded Witch with every scrap of strength I had left. She gasped as my thick body slammed her to the blood soaked ground. I opened my mind to my parents, showing them the remnants of the charred house. The Witch's eyes gleamed a sickening green as more of my kin gathered around her. They all saw through my eyes as I fought against the flames of our deceased ancestral home. Their desire for magickal blood increased tenfold at the sight of an injured Malec. The youngest pup in our entire family.

"Go ahead and kill me," the Witch spat. Oh, we would. "But it won't change a thing. See that? The stars have aligned. We are no longer hunted. Now, you are."

I looked to the stars and saw nothing but the usual constellations.

Mother moved out from under Father's chin and shifted to her normal form. Her long silver hair covered her femininity and she spat, "The stars do not rule the Werewolves, Rowena. Your kind, of all creatures, should know that. We make our own fate."

Mother's deep melanin infused skin shined magnificently in the moonlight. Her thick lips twitched with disgust as Father looked to her for permission. At the sight of her nod, Father howled, and we bolted forward and ripped the bitch apart.

🌙

Vote and/or Comment if you enjoyed this part!

🌙

QOTD: What are your initial thoughts on this first chapter and Venus herself?