Boundless

Endless

Chapter 1 - Endless

There is a low, rolling growl.

"Shh...it's okay." Rena takes a cautious step towards the wolf, hand outstretched.

Another growl, along with a fur bristle.

"You're fine."

The wolf is almost upon her, snarling madly. He is moving very deliberately, very slowly - a sign that Rena's done for.

Rena's backing up as well as she can without setting off the canine. The first chance she gets, she ducks behind a tree, whispering who knows what to herself. In about a half a second, she is no longer fourteen year old Rena, but the Elven Hunter of Revenge.

She can hear the wolf on the other side of the tree. She can hear him licking his chops, preparing himself to strike her.

Hlaupa!! (Run!!) her instincts tell her.

She gracefully swings herself up on the nearest branch, ascending the tree as though her life depends on it - which, she realizes humorlessly, it does.

Towards the top of the tree now, she looks down the shaft of her arrow, prepared to take the life of the wolf if she must. It's no different than hunting an imp or a vampire, right?

However, she could start a second war between Wolves and Elves. Better to not...

She shakes her head. Her life is at stake; the arrow is drawn back slowly...

She gets no such privilege to kill the wolf, as she sees it wander away, looking bored. After waiting longer, she jumps from branch to branch until she reaches the ground. Taking another look around, she steps forwards and walks around the tree.

The wolf is waiting for her.

He pounces, and she reaches for her sword only to realize she's left it at last night's perch.

Fjandinn! The only other close-range weapon she has is her dagger, but is it enough to take down her natural enemy?

Wanting to go down at least fighting, she unsheathes the small knife and swings with all she's got. There are a few cuts in the wolf's side now, but not enough that she'd be able to take him down without collapsing from exhaustion first.

She swings again, but the wolf sees the act before she can do it and promptly swats the dagger away, pinning her down by her shoulder. Bits of drool hit her face, and she grimaces.

Ég er að fara að deyja! (I'm going to die!)

There is another growl next to her, and she flinches, ready to become the meal of not only one, but two wolves.

Before she can notice, the weight on her shoulder is lifted, as the other wolf is in competition with the other. The two have seemed to almost lock jaws together, growling viciously, flecks of saliva and blood flying. In a matter of seconds, the first is whimpering slightly, glaring at the second and apparently recognizing him.

Rena goes back from her True Form, wincing as the deep cut on her shoulder appears to have made the transition.

This wolf seems to know who she is, but then again, she is famous among non-humans. The Hunter of Revenge, always ready to help anyone's selfish need for satisfaction that something has been avenged.

Rena notes the white markings around the wolf's eyes and back (contrasting to the black fur), a sign of his pack. She racks her memory for the pack he belongs to. In a moment or two, she realizes this wolf is admitted into Keberos' pack, as a Beta.

The most notoriously evil pack in the nation.

Slightly panicking now, Rena raises her foot to back away, but pauses midstep as something catches her eye. The wolf has stopped growling, and is sitting rather contentedly and...almost expectantly.

Rena retakes her step, the step she'd been hesitating on, now with confidence. The wolf crouches slightly, arching his back.

Understanding the sign of acceptance as well as the invitation, Rena climbs onto the wolf's back and lets him bound to wherever he wishes, shaking all the while. After all, what kind of Elf would climb onto a wolf s back and just expect him to not lead her to her doom?

It is about sunrise, and the wolf has taken her to her home in some act of kindness. As the sun slips above the horizon, Rena looks to the side while the wolf transforms back into a human, as it's dangerous for anyone to watch a transformation.

Sitting in place of the sleek black wolf is now a boy, slightly older than herself, with choppy black hair and the same green-blue eyes as the wolf had. While such a detail may have gotten lost to a human, Rena almost immediately notices one of his eyes is glass. He has a lip piercing that might have been of his own choice or the choice of his pack, as certain tattoos and piercings are mandatory markings.

"I need your help," he says bluntly. "You are the Hunter, aren't you? Nemesis?" Rena's legacy is named after the goddess of revenge. Suiting.

Feeling safer, Rena gets a businesslike tone. "I am. What needs to be done?"

"...My father. Kerberos. I refuse to live as 'the son of evil himself.'"

This shocks Rena slightly. While she understood that he's bonded to Kerberos' pack, it surprises her that it is none other than his own son that wants to do him away.

"Do you realize what I am?"

"Yes."

Rena is surprised, to say the least.

"And you're willing to accept my services even though I should be an enemy? Even though Elves and Wolves have been in standoff for centuries?"

"Yes. I understand you don't hunt for food, and you aren't exactly infamous for being a Wolf slayer. I trust you. I'll also accept any and all responsibility if this causes war, and will be at your side in that case."

Rena doesn't pay attention to the last part - she's never asked anything of her "clients" anyway. "You will not, under any circumstances, contact me or my family. Especially since you seem to know my address. If I need something, I will come to you. Do we have an agreement?"

The new client pauses. "Yes, but how will you contact me?"

"I have my ways."

He chuckles. "Oh-kay, be mysterious then." Rena fails to find the humor, and just sticks out her hand.

The boy shakes it, a small smile playing on his lips.

...