The Crimson Howl

Chapter 2: Friendship’s Burden

The thick air of the aftermath of that confrontation with the exiled wolf seemed like a thick fog, in which the tension of what had just happened was palpable. In front of Lyra were Elliot's footsteps, crunching softly as they fell on the fallen leaves, with moonlight glancing off of the forest. Rafe trailed a couple steps behind them, his eyes scanning the shadows warily out of some unspoken fear something would leap out from the shadows.

Elliot looked at Lyra, with her hands still trembling. The rawness of her emotions was obvious. She was trying to steady herself at the same time. Elliot began gently. “Lyra,” Elliot began gently ‘ bridge the gap between us’.

Tension in her jaw gave her away as she nodded. I’m just sort of processing everything, I guess. Each word came out as straining her voice.

But there was the familiar knot in the stomach – concern, yeah – but with the weight of their shared history and the fear of what she might say. “I know it’s a lot. But we faced it together. Back there you were incredible.”

Lyra chuckled softly; it didn’t really have anything to do with mirth. I wouldn’t call it incredible. I nearly let myself be devoured by that beast.” For a moment her eyes clouded as shadows flickered over her face. I could sense that my mind was being clawed at the edges. What if the next time I can’t fight it off?”

“Then we’ll help you. Just like you helped me.” Elliot paused, took a deep breath and the memories poured back: memories of Lyra sitting by their sides on countless nights, talking them into their own transubstantiation. “You were my anchor, Lyra. You showed me how I was at my worst when I was at my worst.”

Her eyes met his. It relaxed her face just a little. “And you helped me too. You proved to me that being vulnerable didn’t make you weak.” She paused and bit her lip. “Wanting her was something deeper than that now.” It creeps in here... I feel this.”

Elliot noticed the weight of not-spoken fears. “What do you mean?”

“Kind of… what if this isn’t even the virus?” What if there’s something else? 'Was something that’s still always a part of me?' The vulnerability of Lyra’s voice could be felt by Elliot.

Her words held the enormity of them suspended in the air; Elliot shivered there. What had their lineage done, what blood coursing through their veins, “You’re not alone, Lyra,” you say, or “If it’s something, we’ll take it on together as long as it’s something.”

“But what if it takes over? Alright, she whispered, what if, like them, I become? What do you think, Elliot? I don’t want to hurt anyone. “But it’s already come close once tonight anyway.”

“You won’t. “We’ll find a way,” I promise you.” His hand was on her shoulder, bringing her calm to her stroke, and he reached forward. You are stronger than you think you are, and you wish you were strong. We’ll get through this.”

Lyra shrugged a shaky smile, and this hope flickered in her eyes. But not the dark, the dark had to suck that flicker back, it fought to hold out. They continued to walk, between each other and us, each of us locked away in our own thoughts, palpable tension between them.

They couldn't help but see sights of their home, sights they knew welled up the bittersweet comfort. Under the sweet light of lanterns from windows, they had trodden the paths a thousand and one times over. But tonight, those lights weren’t as bright anymore, tainted still with what the village ahead of us would be waiting in their blood.

What if Lyra had been afraid? And transforming friends into monsters was already a virus thing, and there was already a demonstrated capacity to destroy. There was no other way that another soul could disappear. ‘Lyra,’ they said. And 'they have to know what's going on' and we've got to gather the pack."

She hesitated. Her burdens fought her eyes. “What do we tell them? Tonight was almost a beast. Could it be that the blood moon was messing with us?

They sighed and ran their hands through their hair. “We will tell them the truth. They have a right to know what’s at play. "We need their support now more than ever.”

And her eyes flickered uneasily just a little more, and she nodded slowly. “Alright. But it won’t be easy. They might not understand.”

“We’ll make them understand.” The Village Square shivered at the chill whispering secrets of the forest and the breeze breathed its names.

There was no laughter, no chatter, air that was more than usual quiet. It was the first pang of loneliness Elliot felt tightened around them, they were all haunted by that fear, losing their loved ones to the plague, as they were all bound by that same fear.

Rafe’s face went grave and he joined them. “We need to act quickly. Otherwise, others will be restless.”

They steeled their resolve and glared at Elliot. We should all go to the old oak. It’s the heart of our pack.”

As they went through the village, the air thickened with tension. Its whispers glared at those who had observed the disorder of the night. I couldn’t ignore the unease rippling through the pack, the pack talking to their own fears in return.

The old oak, top of the line, was planting its protective arms on its branches. The weight of the moment came down on them, and Elliot breathed, a deep breath out. Things they had done here, immeasurable things, and shared stories, bonded, destroyed, or survived storms together. Tonight they were higher than ever.

The pack gathered the rest of the pack, but Elliot stood at the front with Lyra and Rafa flanking them. Their friend's and family's faces were beaming like moonlight off of them, their eyes full of concern and confusion. But their task hung before them and Elliot cleared his throat. I just want to thank everyone who got this coming together. We need to talk about something that happened tonight.”

The crowd pushed ripples of murmurs through itself, their shoulders already tense, their uncertainty as if they waited for bad news. “But Lyra was attacked by the virus tonight.” Yet this almost beat her, but it took her back. We’ve had the real sense that this is more than a physical threat. It’s psychological, too.”

Their voice was steady, and a steady moving Elliot, their voices echoed gasping echoes in the clearing. The time for us to come together is right now. There’s a darkness spreading and if we don’t act together we’re going to lose everything, it said.

According to a few voices in the crowd, it was a lie. “Otherwise what if Lyra can't control it?” “And what if she hurts everyone?”

And the air thickened with apprehension, as they prepared for the challenge of his heart beating so hard. “We won’t let that happen. We stand strongly together, and we’re supporting each other through this. Tonight Lyra has fought valiantly. She deserves our trust.”

A hulking figure, named Jaxon, a pack member, stepped forward, though his brow furrowed. “Trust is earned, Elliot. If this virus changes who we are, is that a bad thing? What if it tears us apart?”

There was an anger surge at Jaxon’s words. Fear isn't an excuse for us to let it stop us from doing great things.” "We all have this weight of this darkness, but we have to fight against it, not among ourselves.”

His voice was calm, but firm, and Rafe stepped in. “Basically, we are facing an ancient curse.” I think we have to break it. “I need you to survive this.”

There was only tension in the air, and the pack murmured among themselves. But they couldn't taste it: The uncertainty draped over them like a cloud, hanging heavy between them — those Elliot could feel — and they powered through, hoping to light some flame of hope. “So we can really discover what this virus is and what that blood moon really is.” We’ll protect each other. “That’s what it means to be a pack.”

Suddenly there was a chilling howl that it wouldn’t in any way describe as the same as one he’d heard before. It was full-throated pain and fury that sent a shiver down their spine and resonated through the clearing. It was the kind of sound that made the hairs on the back of your arms stand on end, and one that seemed to shake the ground beneath them with an intensity they could feel, but could not hear, in the air.

All eyes turned to the forest from which the sound had come, and the pack all but stopped, all staring. Beyond the trees, the darkness loomed full of something alive and would swallow them whole.

“What was that?” Her voice was barely a breath, but Lyra whispered it, gripping Elliot’s arm tightly.

His heart was racing as he swallowed hard. “I don’t know. But we need to find out.”

Fear and curiosity dwelt in tandem with them, and they were unsure about it. His eyes narrowed; he stepped forward, looking into the shadows for answers. “We should investigate. It could be a sign—an omen.”

Jaxon erupted over the rest, saying, 'No.' “It’s too dangerous. We should stay together.”

Then, responsibility came head-heavy on the shoulders of Elliot. “We can’t ignore it. That howl… it felt different. Would it be another wolf in need of a warning? We have to know what we’re dealing with, either way.”

There was a murmur of dissent in the pack, but an undercurrent of agreement. And that, each of them, had unsettled them all thanks to its howl.

Rafe proposed we split into two groups. “Behind, I’ll one scout the perimeter and one behind with Lyra and the others.” "That’s if there’s a threat,” he added. “We need to be prepared.”

Their hearts started racing, and they nodded, wondering if it would be safe to go into the dark forest. “We’ll see what that howl means.”

Elliot caught Lyra’s eye as they were about to split. Only a small reassuring smile, but a flicker of fear remained. “Be careful,” she whispered.

"We will," Elliot said, the weight of the universe crushing them into the ground they walked upon to follow into the darkness.

The anticipation of thick cool air wrapped around them as they stepped into the shadows. As each step ushered in a sense of the unknown outstripped by choice, each step represented a reminder. They could hear the soft whispers of the pack, ever fear tingeing their words as the words were determined, and at that moment Elliot knew they were on the brink of something giant.

The howls grew louder in their ears, a terrifying kind of ring to them as they left the more populated areas of the forest and headed deeper into the unknown and the undone.