Warclaw

by Samantha McGivern

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  Days later after the lighthouse had crashed into the sea; the storm was still carrying on without rest. The terrain around the house had started to flood, and had begun to come seeping into Warclaw’s short term den. He started to puzzle to himself, if his treasure was safe and if the Alpha had realised that Willow hadn’t come back from her mission yet. Remembering Willow’s screams as he took her last and final breath, he felt the ground quake beneath him as if it was striking back for her.

  For many decades Warclaw hadn’t faced a challenge, an opponent, but he remembered how she had nearly beat him to the darkened room and to that precious treasure of his but unfortunately for her; he was more powerful and quicker. Willow had never stood a wolves chance against him! There was no doubt in his mind that he was smarter than Willow. Her only downfall was to think that she could outwit him and get to that room, without him stopping her. Warclaw had fought in many wars over the past few centuries, so knew where to kill quickly and give the most damage! Shaking his head in shame, he thought ‘It was such a pity to lose such a beautiful wolf and one that was such a good fighter. I could’ve had her as my Luna, I could’ve been more powerful but not everything goes smoothly!’ He sighed to himself. Warclaw needed to surmise a plan, a way to get around the current situation quickly; before the Alpha came for him. Warclaw knew that he had to get to the darkened room before the Alpha. Before it was too late...

  Chapter 3: Alpha

  The sky had become dark with cloud cover. The moon that would shine brightly in the sky was covered with miserable cloud. With everything else it surrendered itself to the darkening sky, the rain ceased to surrender and fought more angrily at the world. Not a star shone on this gloomy night. There may have been many stars out behind those possessive clouds but they would not let them be seen. The grass would squelch under the paws of the wolves, as they ran for shelter. The trees moaned as they were thrown around in the harsh, reckless wind. Branches would fall to the ground, calling out for help as they snapped. There was a bright bolt of lightning. A tree screamed in pain as it got set alight, the lightning bolt had struck to its roots. The day was becoming late. And so was Willow. There was shouting coming from a cave that was in the very middle of the wolves den.

  “Where is she? Where is Willow?” shouted the Alpha. He paced around the cave. His Luna had gone missing. This made him look bad, very bad. And with his pack slowly turning against him, he desperately needed Willow to return with Warclaw’s precious treasure. Time was ticking by; days were ticking away and there was still no sign of her. Each minute, each hour, each day was going quicker. He could feel his heart lurch inside his already aching chest. At the back of his mind, he feared that she was dead. His instincts could feel it. ‘It cannot be true! I have to believe that she is alive! How can I not? She isn’t... she isn’t.... she cannot be dead!’ He thought as his heart lurched again, knowing that this was most likely true, that she was no more. The cave was getting darker along with the light outside. He was afraid for Willow and he should have been so, but unknowingly for him, it was already too late to be afraid for her. Willow was gone and he would never see her again.

  The Alpha was jet black. His eyes were bright green with the hate for Warclaw turning inside him like a furnace. The Alpha’s name was Waya. Waya was a powerful Alpha but without Willow, his Luna, he was weak and feeble and lonely. Willow was beautiful, and he had loved her dearly for that. While in mid-thought, another wolf had come into the cave and walked cautiously up to the Alpha, before speaking and breaking Waya’s concentration on the thoughts of Willow. “Waya, there has been no sign of Willow in days. We cannot keep searching for her day and night. I sent one of the Warren brothers to the lighthouse yesterday but he came back just a few minutes ago without Willow. He said that the lighthouse was empty. There was no sign of either of them. In fact he said that there was no lighthouse! It has just simply vanished! What can we do now?” Wibeke looked at the Alpha to see if there was going to be any response to what she had just told him. But the Alpha kept looking pass her and out of the cave. Waya was sure Warclaw had had something to do with the death; as he had now heard that Willow was dead. Having this dying feeling inside of him, Waya hung his head in shame. After all, it was his fault, as he did send Willow after Warclaw. The desperation for Warclaw’s treasure had grown so heavily out of proportion, that he could see the treasure in front of his eyes and could taste the revenge...

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  BANG! Warclaw jumped waking himself up. A bolt of lightning struck nearby. Warclaw had become alert, very alert. Another clash of thunder. Another bolt of lightning. This was a dangerous place to be and Warclaw knew it, but he stayed where he was as he was already too far away from the rampaging sea. Slowly drifting back to sleep, he let his mind think back to the treasure he loved and protected so dearly. The love and the protection that Warclaw felt and showed for his treasure was more than the love and protection that he had shown his pack (well, what he thought was his pack). Warclaw thought back to the times when he was truly free and didn’t have to hide his treasure away from this wicked world. Knowing what Warclaw hid from every-wolf, it made him have so much pain and despair, but Warclaw was not one for despair. This life his treasure had chosen for him had caused him too much pain. All the time, throughout the past few decades, his past had caused him shame and fear. There was too much shame and fear to share with any other wolf.

  He never let any-wolf know of his past. It was too dangerous. They'd use it against him; he had to make sure that if any-wolf heard him talk about the treasure, that they wouldn't be able to imprison him. This was a dangerous time and place to be. Warclaw knew he was in danger if he told any-wolf his secret. He never even talked to himself about it. There was too much shame and dismay, to let any-wolf know. Besides talking to yourself is a sign of madness and he didn't need that. Not at this moment in time, anyway.

  Time was passing and Warclaw knew he had to make a move towards the beach. Unfortunately for Warclaw, he didn't know that Waya was on his way there as well, both making the same distance at the same time. The ground between them was quickly closing. Warclaw had started his journey through the forest. The forest still had no colour to it. It was dull and lifeless. There was the odd branch on the floor, from where the lightening had struck it down. Walking for hours on end, Warclaws paws had started to ache. They ached even more as Warclaw took each and every step towards the lighthouse. 'I must be near the sea now, surely?' Warclaw thought bemused. As he walked he couldn't pick up the sound of the sea. It was quiet. Too quiet for Warclaw's liking. He liked the silence but today this silence was uncomfortable and unbearable. Silence wasn’t his best friend today... no, it was his worst enemy. He needed the sound to direct him on his way. Sniffing around, Warclaw tried to paint a picture in his head of where he was. No. Nothing. The ground was bare and had no scent to it. There were no trees or bushes around him. There were no birds in the sky. There wasn’t even a cloud in sight. This was somewhere where Warclaw had never been before. He looked around again but still there was nothing. The dark sky was bare and there was nothing towards the horizon. Where was he?

  He looked around frantically, panic slowly setting in, but there was nothing to be seen around him. Warclaw turned around and tried to retrace the way he had come but there was nothing that was familiar to him. ‘My body is already weak and now this?’ Warclaw thought, worried and panic stricken. What was he going to do? He laid down on the ground or what he believed to be the ground. The sky was becoming dark black again, but this wasn't the night, no, this was something worse. A lot lot worse. Black became his full surroundings. Black was all he could see. He could smell nothing. Hear nothing. See nothing. This was something the wolves feared the most. Death.

  The reason wolves feared it the most was because it came when you were the most alone, the most scared and when you least needed it. Even though wolves were at the top of the food chain, they couldn't escape the inevita
ble. Warclaw knew this too well. He had watched many of his family members die over the past decades. Warclaw needed what was in that chest at this very moment in time, but it was too far away. All these depressing thoughts were what Warclaw didn't need. He shook his head trying to get rid of the blackness and the dark thoughts but the darkness was still there and so were the thoughts. The shadows started to creep upon him, covering each and every corner of his vision. He looked around. They were nearly upon him. His vision blackened. Shaking his head again he opened his eyes. The shadows had gone, but for how long?

  He got up off the ground and walked. He took a deep breath, taking in all the sights, smells and sounds. He thought back to what had just happened. He knew you couldn’t cheat death but never that you could postpone it, or what he thought was postponing. Shaking his head again, he carried on walking towards the sea. Soon he started to see the hills and the trees, and he could smell the sea. All of Warclaw’s senses picked up different things and he let it fill him with the sense of relief. Warclaw smiled as he walked towards the sea. Looking over to where his lighthouse and home had once stood, Warclaw could see the remainders of the brickwork lying all over the ground. The storm had finally stopped but really, on the inside, it was still raging on. He walked over to the rubble, and from the ground above Warclaw looked down into the depths of the sea. Once again the sea had become crystal clear, and he could see the remainders of the lighthouse in the sea. The lighthouse had split into three in the water. You couldn’t tell what was what, as the rubble laid across the ocean floor. As it lay there in front of him, just a few inches away, Warclaw heard some-wolf come up behind him. His ears could hear each and every footstep it took. Turning his head around quickly, Warclaw noticed that Waya stood there right behind him.

  "Where is Willow, Warclaw? I know she came to find you, so where is she?!" Waya demanded at Warclaw. Warclaw laughed, it was cold and cruel. "You really thought that she'd be able to stop me? You must be stupid! I may have been weak when we used to fight, but that was many moons ago. Have you not realised that you have been stupid enough to come and get me on your own?" Warclaw laughed again. Whilst shaking his head at the stupidity of Waya. Waya growled.

  "How dare you insult me?" Waya barked at Warclaw baring his teeth. Looking towards Warclaw's neck, he saw the bight marks and his eyes became wide. "And for your information, Waya, I enjoyed killing your mate!" Warclaw laughed again, each laugh was colder and crueller than the previous one. Warclaw watched the horror come rushing into Waya's eyes. But instead of weeping and becoming weaker, Waya started to laugh. Warclaw had stopped laughing by now and looked at Waya in shock. "You really thought I had come alone? That makes you the stupid one doesn't it?" Four other wolves came sprinting from the forest and started to surround Warclaw. He looked in every direction. No sign of escape. "Can I ask something, Waya?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, I've been meaning to ask you this for some time now,"

  "Well ask it then! We haven't got all day you know!" Waya growled.

  "What makes you think that these wolves are on your side?" Warclaw said as the smile on his face grew. Waya’s eyes darted around from each wolf’s face. They turned round and started to head towards the Alpha."What are you doing?! I am your Alpha! You should be attacking Warclaw not..." he trailed off. They had started to surround him.

  "Looks like the tables have turned Waya. These wolves are with me. I can't believe that you thought the pack would always follow you. Any-wolf would think that you’re the Alpha almighty, the way you strut your weight around! Besides, with your mate gone now, the pack have become unsettled. I'm afraid, Waya, with no mate your unable to be Alpha. I myself have no mate but I do have the power." Warclaw growled with a sting. Waya stood there frozen. This was not what he had planned at all. Waya’s closest friends were now turning against him. He looked towards Wibeke, but she continued growling, Waya knew now more than ever, that he was done for. But he would go with one last fight! "Warclaw, consider this as a last request if you like, but as being the current Alpha, you have to fight me for the right to become the Alpha. So this is what we’ll agree on. If I win then you give me the treasure and if I lose, you become Alpha and you keep the treasure." This was a simple request but was high in value, especially to Warclaw. You could hear the cogs in Warclaw’s mind turning as he thought about this and somehow it seemed to be right according to the rules that wolves had to follow. "Fine." Warclaw remarked with the distinct displeasure on his face.

  Chapter 4: Secrets.

  As the other wolves gathered around Warclaw and Waya, there was a clash of thunder in the background as the rain started to pour down upon the ground. It beat down upon the wolves again; making the ground beneath slippery. Waya bared his teeth at Warclaw. Warclaw growled back at Waya. Warclaw’s teeth were sparkling white, even though he had killed another wolf not so long ago. Now it was time for Waya to die. "You know Waya, Willow was easy to kill! She was very much similar to you I think. Hmmm...” Warclaw paused thoughtfully, before carrying on “Yeah she was. Such a shame though. She was a lovely wolf." Waya growled loudly and pounced at Warclaw, but he just simply moved away from him, dodging his lunge. "I felt sorry for her before she died; knowing that you'd betrayed her.” Warclaw made a tutting sound as he shook his head. His laugh was cruel, as he kept eye contact with Waya. As they circled, Waya snapped at Warclaw "You will regret ever saying that Warclaw!" Warclaw looked at Waya with a blank expression on his face and said "Oh, will I?" The circle grew smaller and smaller, until they were nearly nose to nose! The two wolves growled at each other as the rain poured down upon them, soaking their coats.

  Waya made another lunge towards Warclaw but yet again, Warclaw simply moved aside. Then he went in for the kill… again! Warclaw grabbed a hold of Waya’s neck, sinking his teeth into it. Waya howled in pain as he saw the blood slowly drip to the floor. As Warclaw bit down harder onto Waya’s neck, Waya howled in more pain and watched, horrified, as more blood started to leak onto the floor. Waya tried to get out the bite but Warclaw’s hold was firm. He looked down towards Warclaw’s legs. An easier target and something that would make Warclaw let go. They were close enough to bite. Taking the opportunity to get Warclaw off of his neck, Waya bit down onto Warclaw’s legs. Blood started to splatter everywhere. On the cold, black floor, red blood had started to form a pool of its own. Waya howled in pain. Warclaw had bitten him again on the neck, making a gaping hole that oozed with blood. But Waya stood his ground. Warclaw had moved backwards enabling Waya to have the chance to bite down onto Warclaw’s own neck. He sank his teeth deep into Warclaw's neck. As Waya teeth sunk deeper into his neck, Warclaw cried in pain. Warclaw had to let go of Waya’s neck to take a breath, before taking his next horrific bite. Waya still had a firm hold of Warclaw’s neck and Waya hung on for dear life. He just wouldn't let go! Warclaw tried to shake him off of his neck but Waya threw Warclaw to the ground. Warclaw growled. This was his opportunity to end this battle and come off slightly injured. And he saw it.

  The rain still poured down onto the wolves, their coats getting more and more drenched. But the blood on the floor that surrounded Warclaw was still there. Warclaw was on his back; breathing quickly. You could see the air that Warclaw breathed out in the cold air. He steadied his heartbeat, closed his eyes, and took that final blow! Waya thought he was winning this battle and getting his paws on that treasure. But in fact, all along it was the exact opposite! He could feel the blood pouring out of his neck. It flowed out of his neck like a stream. The sky was going black as Waya looked at it. Death had struck its final blow. Warclaw chomped down again onto Waya's neck. More blood flowed from the gaping wound. The stream was turning into a river. This was it. The end of Waya’s life. Wolves, being the apex predator, weren’t supposed to cry as it was a sign of weakness, but a small tear rolled down Waya’s cheek as Warclaw finished him off. The river had turned into a sea of blood as Waya fell to the sodden ground. He hit the ground with a thud. The sea of blood, which c
ame from his neck, was getting bigger by the minute. Warclaw walked up to the weakening body of Waya and said calmly to the dying wolf, "You can be with your beloved Willow now!"

  Waya let out his final breath as Warclaw walked towards where the lighthouse had once stood. The wind was strong and the rain cascaded down upon the wolves. The other wolves looked at each other in shock. Who would they follow now as their Alpha, as their old Alpha was now dead? They only knew one wolf still alive and what that fight had meant. Warclaw was now Alpha.

  The rain had started to ease as Warclaw turned around to face the other wolves. Their eyes were wide with terror; as they waited to hear their new orders from their new Alpha. Warclaw looked at them calmly and spoke with softness in his voice "Your new orders are to tell everyone that the Alpha is dead and that I'm your new Alpha.” He paused “And then you are dismissed from your duty." The wolves looked at Warclaw with astonishment. They were shocked at their new Alpha’s orders.

  "But, what about protecting the pack?" Wibeke asked nervously. Ignoring what the wolf has just asked, Warclaw turned back around and looked out towards the sea. The rain had stopped and the sun had once again begun to gleam in all its glory.

  Silence. Nothing could be heard in the forest. Noting could be heard in the sky and the sea was also silent. Nothing could be heard from the wolves. The other wolves started to back away slowly from Warclaw. They were frightened now and they feared for the lives of the members of their pack. They couldn't believe that Warclaw had tricked them into thinking that this was something good for the pack. But it was the complete opposite. It made the pack insecure. Yes, it had been insecure before the old Alpha had died, but now? Now it had become more insecure than it had ever been before. Warclaw heard the wolves back away. He turned around sharply. The wolves stopped in their tracks, worried that he was going to do something bad to them. They looked at their new Alpha, a waiting for something to happen. A waiting for something bad to happen to them but nothing happened. Warclaw just looked at them, blankly. "Why are you still here?" He said calmly. The wolves looked at each other, then nodded as one and ran, as if they were running for their lives. Once again, Warclaw was alone; looking back into the sea and at his lighthouse.