The Shadow marked

Chapter 1

It was a warm summer evening. No clouds around, the sun was just about to set. Birds were still chirping and here and there a cricket began chirring shyly as a warm breeze swayed the lush green grass back and forth.

Amidst this scenery was a small lake. The soft and warm rays of the evening sun gently touched the surface, making the fresh clean water glitter. A little frog suddenly jumped out of it onto a stone at the edge and shortly after caught one of the countless mosquitoes dancing above the lake. It then sat still to release a loud single croak, as a black and red flame appeared, engulfing the amphibian and turning it into ash, aswell as leaving a deep mark in the stone.

A pitch black wolf dashed past the calm of the water, his yellow eyes glowing, and these dark flames floating around him. Abruptly he stopped, flipped around and let out a deep angry growl.

He was followed by a weird creature with a white furred serpent-like body. It had two front legs with sharp claws and a head that looked more feline than canine. It opened it's mouth, giving away a frightening hiss, and its saber-like teeth shined in the last lightrays of the day. The slender body moved agressively back and forth, and the red snake-like eyes fixated the wolf. That way they both stood there, staring, awaiting the other's first movement. Nothing else could be heard now except the wolf's growling and the beast's hissy panting.

Suddenly the screech of a bird tore the noise apart, and with another loud hiss the odd creature lunged at the canine, who quickly dogded the attack, bared his teeth and buried them into the beast's flesh. A loud growl of agony sounded right next to the wolf's ear, and almost immediately he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder. Some black flames emerged from his body and engulfed the creature's head, who again cried out and eventually let go. The wolf jumped away a bit, baring his teeth. The wound in his shoulder was throbbing and gave him a weird sensation. He kept on stepping away from his opponent who still was busy with the flames surrounding it's head.

Growling, he tried to ignore the increasing pain, and breathed heavily, his left front leg shaking. Suddenly his ear twitched, and he now sensed a strange aura. Apart from the creature, he was not alone here in the field, but he never sensed this particular aura before. Who or what was it?

"HISSS!" A shadow dashed towards the wolf, and he could barely jump aside. The beast just missed him by millimeters, skidded past him, stopped and slowly brought itself into position. It then showed off its saber-like teeth and seemed to be grinning.

The black wolf tumbled into the grass, his shoulder and left front leg felt weak and numb, unable to support his weight anymore. Shocked, he let out a bark, before he growled, heavily breathing. He could hear the beast slowly coming closer, until he could see it's claws almost right in front of his nose. Then he closed his eyes.

Silently, the beast raised one of it's paws, ready to land a final blow.

The wolf now opened his eyes again, but now a glowing red mark had appeared around his left one, and again flames emerged from his body, which made the creature flinch a bit. He then struggled up, his left front leg still numb, and snarled and growled loudly.

The beast angrily hissed back, and lunged at the wolf, who now seemed to get swallowed by the demonic flames.

A loud cry was heard. Then there was only silence.

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Everything was dark. So dark.

Kiriko walked slowly through the endless darkness. There was nowhere to actually go, but she also couldn't stay here, wherever she was.

The air was filled with the stench of fear, blood and death.

Suddenly it got a bit brighter, as some clouds moved away from an unnatural red moon in the sky. Still she couldn't see where she was and where she was actually going.