The Gentle Giant

Book One ~ Chapter One

It was early morning when Emir set out from the palace. Dew hung heavy in the air. "I need to collect some supplies if I'm going on a manhunt across the city," he thought. Emir was still running through the ingredients in his head as he arrived at the shop. Absentmindedly, he reached out to unlock the door and it swung open. Slowly and on its own. A smear of red shown on the wood and long gouge marks were near the handle. Emir's blood ran cold. He wanted to call out to Sandra and Isabella, but he didn't know if the person who broke in was still there. He certainly wasn't rushing in head first. There was no way he was putting them in more danger than they could already be in. Quietly, he slinked around to the back of the shop, "Now, if I'm careful, I think I can climb through the window-" Emir's thoughts were interrupted by a great hulking figure bursting through the glass, shattering the window. A wolf as large as a man with glowing yellow eyes that pierced through Emir like an arrow.

Blood dripped down slowly from its fur, pooling at its feet as it approached. Emir stumbled backward, heart beating wildly in his chest. He tripped over a raised piece of cobblestone and landed on the ground with a thump. Before Emir could get to his feet, two heavy paws pressed on his chest. The wolf looked down at him. Saliva dripping from its maw. The wolf whined. Emir paused, incredibly confused. "Are... are you okay..? Do you need help..?" The wolf whined again, its intelligent eyes stared beseechingly into Emir's. He had no recollection of this wolf whatsoever. "Wait- I remember that protection spell on the door. Did the spell let the wolf in? If it didn't, the spell would be broken..." thought Emir. "What were you doing here?" he asked.

The wolf only let out a soft whuff. "Well... if the spell let it in, maybe it doesn't have any malicious intent," Emir thought. He then smiled, "You must be like Faust 'cause you can understand me but I can't understand you at all. And I'm just gonna get this out of the way now, Asra isn't here. He left a couple of days ago." The wolf whined, its ears drooping, and tail sinking to the ground. Emir sighed lightly, "Fine, I'll help ya." Almost immediately, the wolf jumped to its feet, looking at Emir hopefully. Then it began trotting away, clearly expecting Emir to follow. "This is probably the strangest thing I've done..." With a final glance back at the shop, Emir started following the wolf. It rushed through the town, barely stopping to wait for Emir. Before long, the two have reached the edge of the forest. The trees loomed overhead, branches stretched out over the sky like skeletal fingers. Emir never liked the forest. He didn't know why. The wolf made a soft noise, waiting for him to start following again, to go into the woods. "I don't know where Sandra and Isabella are," thought Emir, "I should go back to the shop... but I have a stronger urge to follow this wolf." Without another moment's hesitation, Emir took a deep breath and crossed the threshold into the forest.

The two picked up speed as they ran through the forest, jumping over roots and rocks. The wolf bounded ahead, letting out a mournful howl. All around them, the sound echoed back. Soon, they reached a small clearing, and the wolf stopped suddenly. The fur on its back bristled. "Holy shit... what kind of fight went on here..?" Emir asked no one in particular. There were broken branches, kicked-up dirt, and cracked tree trunks. And blood. Everywhere.

In the middle of it all was a large form huddled over a smaller figure. The wolf yelped and ran forward, nudging at the huge form. "Inanna..?" they muttered, "What are you doing here! Get away!" The person snarled at her, but she stared at them, unperturbed. She nudged their face with her snout then turned to look at Emir, huffing. The person's head slowly lifted, finally noticing him. Their hood fell to their shoulders with the movement. The first thing Emir noticed was more blood. It smeared the man's face. His clothes. It was everywhere. A thick cut on his forehead bled sluggishly. Inanna nudged her muzzle against the cut, gently licking the blood away. The man stared straight at Emir. Or rather, a space above his shoulder. "You..." he seemed to recognize Emir, but he didn't have a clue who the man in front of him was.