Hilda and the Werepup

(P2) Chapter 3 - When We Were Friends

"When we were friends, we loved each other like brothers. When we were friends, we looked out for each other like brothers. When we were friends, we knew each other like brothers. When we turned on each other, we fought each other with remorse like brothers.

"We grew up in the same clan. We were famous there, and well-loved by all. Mostly because of our gifted powers. Percy was stronger, bigger, faster, and more skilled than any other werewolf in the clan. Isaac was given the element of thunder. And I, was given the element of shadows. 

"We were the great trio. We were like brothers, we would spend every day together. We grew up together, we trained together. That was, until the Great Clan War. Our clan was at war with the other clan. Too late it was, when we found out that Percy had a lover from that clan. They already had a baby. Luke. We didn't know what to do, no matter how desperate Percy was for our help to bring Luke to safety, we couldn't. Our minds were clouded by the fact that Percy had hidden something like this for five years. We couldn't think straight - Isaac had his own family, and despite the fact he knew what to do, as he had done with his own child, he was too traumatised by what Percy had revealed to us..."

"How could you hide something like this from us?!" Vasco had yelled at Percy. They were hiding behind a bush, the surroundings were violent, cruel, gruesome. Blood splattered all over the wet mud, as the heavy rain poured down on everyone fighting. Werewolves lay, motionless, on the ground; some in their wolf forms, some in their human forms. 

"You were secretly in love with someone from the opposite clan this whole time?!" Vasco continued to yell. Mud was splattered all over the trio. They had cuts and bruises all over them. Blood streamed down the side of Percy's mouth as he clutched his left arm, which had a long scratch on it.

"I-I tried to tell you-" Percy began.

"For five years?!" Isaac cut in, his dusty-blonde hair swaying from side to side as he protested, "How did you think it would make us feel?!... I don't feel so good..."

"I-I'm sorry!" Percy confessed. "I tried to tell you, I really did! I really considered how you two would feel, I just... didn't know time would pass this fast..."

"And you're telling us now?! I have a son, Perce. A son I had to abandon for his own safety! I can't believe this... I-I can't..."

Isaac suddenly went silent, his mouth still open. It was as though he had lost the ability to speak. His eyes lolled back as he fell sideways onto the muddy ground.

"Isaac!" Vasco hurriedly picked him his friend. Isaac had passed out due to the shock. 

"Percy," Vasco began, his tone had softened slightly, "when children are born, we must be cautious."

"I know..." Percy said remorsefully. 

"I can't believe Isaac actually cares for your baby! We only found out about him a few minutes ago - look at him now!"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner okay?! I-"

But Percy's words were cut off by a giant figure that loomed over the bush they were hiding behind.

"You talk too loud." he thundered before leaping over them and the bush and landed on his werewolf form. He turned and growled at them.

"Stay back, take Isaac somewhere safe!" Vasco tossed the unconscious Isaac at Percy and transformed into his werewolf form. The two werewolves snapped and growled at each other, circling around the small area. Percy scrambled to his feet and, with Isaac over his shoulders, limped towards a tree nearby. 

Just as he did, he was startled by another werewolf who immediately tackled them, clawing aimlessly. Percy only felt light cuts, but he was horrified to see why. He sat up to see Isaac's body, drenched in blood. A pool of blood began to spread from underneath him. There was not a spot of untouched skin on him, they were all full of scratches.

"Isaac..." Percy coughed, crawling towards the body, "Isaac, please let me know that you're alive. Just a blink, or a flick of a finger... please..."

But Isaac did not respond. Percy placed a hand on his blood-soaked chest. Empty. Percy felt his heart thump so hard, it felt as though it was trying to break through his skin. 

"Percy! Isaac!" he heard the familiar voice that only made him feel more remorse. Vasco panted as he caught up with them.

"What... Percy? What happened... Isaac? Wh-what's going on?..." Vasco breathed, seeing the pool of blood, but from his view Percy blocked what would later be the reason Vasco began to attack Percy. 

Vasco had the gift of shadows. It was night, the rain made the surroundings even darker and foggy. The dull, grey clouds had blocked the moonlight. Percy was at a great disadvantage...

"Isaac and I were already friends before Percy came around, you see... it was reckless, I understand, but I couldn't help it... that's when Wolf Slayer approached me. He knew I was a werewolf, that I was lost and hopeless. I was weak and hungry. When he heard what happened, he told me that he was just so coincidentally hunting for Percy. Percy was one that would make loads for buyers. Isaac was dead. I was helpless. So... I joined him."

Callum, Hilda, Percy, Johanna and Vasco sat in a circle just outside the opened cell, listening as Vasco told the story. Luke lay on the bed, tucked in under the blanket. No one could believe what they had just heard. Percy sat there, his head hung low.

"I wanted revenge so badly. I craved it. We may have been a close trio but Isaac and I were closer. I just want my revenge, I don't care about Wolf Slayer." Vasco sighed and looked up at them, glaring straight at Percy with his poison green eyes, "And I got what I wanted."

Following Vaso's words was silence. Everyone turned their heads towards Percy, who still hadn't lifted his head. Everyone but Callum. Callum looked at Vasco, his eyes half-lidded full of hopes that he hadn't heard what he thought he had heard.

"Isaac." he began, and everyone turned their heads now facing Callum. Vasco looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You described him as, 'adventurous young boy with dusty-blonde hair. He had maple-brown eyes I could recognise anywhere. He was a brother to me, we always went on adventures in the wilderness together. He loved the wilderness more than anything else the world had in stall for him.' But what got those words to prove my theory were the first words you mentioned about him." Callum said in a low voice as he looked up at Vasco. 

"'Isaac was given the element of thunder.'" Callum finished. Hilda saw his eyes were filled with pain. The same pain she wished she would never see again for a long time. 

"I have blonde hair, but I dyed it brown to hide from people like you," Callum explained. Vasco scoffed as Callum continued, "I also have brown eyes. I am a werewolf, with the element of thunder."

"I see what you are thinking now." Vasco said. He continued as he watched Callum's eyes cloud with tears as he trembled and choked, "I-is... is Isaac m-m-my... f-f-father?"