Arcticus

Village of Lycan

Lupe laughed and cried out "Well! what do you guys want to hear tonight? Another fairy tale?"

Rouge peered around at his brothers curiously. "Daddy, how about this time instead of making up a story, you tell your story!" The smallest boy squealed out, the others joining in.

"My own story?" He questioned dumbfounded.

"Yeah Dad, like, your past!" Vert chimed in "Yeah, mama said you went on journeys when you were just a kid!" Bleu added.

"Thats true, I did, fantastic ones" There father worded proudly.

"Alright then, I'll begin when I was around your ages" He chirped happily, patting Bleu's head.

"Way, way back 13 years ago, I was about 8 at the time-"

                                                  ~~~

A pointy eared, dark haired boy climbed his way up into a small coniferous pine tree.  He made a bird call and snickered, grabbing my shoulders.  I let out a small mumble and dropped the stick I had been carving on down to the earth.  staring down at what seemed to be at least a 30 foot drop I glared up at him  playfully.  Flashing a sheepish grin he then yawned and slumped against the trunk of the tree.

"Are you tired, Paco?" I squeaked out ,trying to break the awkward silence in the air.  My older brother simply sighed and tilted his head back against the bark.

"Yes..very...y'know you got it easy in this family, right kid?  Dad doesn't make you do squat..."  He grumbled out, staring into the depths of the frosty forest.

"He just doesn't need me yet..." I said, trying to sound confident.

"No, he thinks your worthless.  I hear the way our parents talk about you, they think your too frail, little man. He looked over me after finishing his little spread of words and winced as he saw my now watery eyes staring back at him.  Sighing sadly he pulled me in for a comforting hug, petting my head awkwardly.  After several minutes of complete silence his voice cut through the chilled air.

"How 'bout we go look for some more bugs?  I brought your special jar!" He piped cheerfully, snatching up a little empty peanut butter jar from the satchel slung over his shoulder.  I squealed with joy and grabbed it from him, taking a leap of faith from the thick spruce branch and landing gracefully feet first on the podzol beneath me.  Paco instead of jumping down from the tree decided to be more like himself despite his exhaustion and swung from a branch and into the air grabbing one from the next tree and flinging next to my side, sticking the landing.  He smirked as he saw the impressed expression on my face and heaved me onto his shoulders, running through the maze of ancient trees.

I yelled out "Halt!' as we approached a large sticky web, gorgeous designs woven from the fine silk.  Paco suspiciously set me down  on the forest floor and sniffed the thick, icy air.

"Something isn't right, stay here buddy.." He whispered cautiously, slowly flipping his bow off his bag's clip and drawing it back, pointing it with his gaze.  He stepped quickly and stealthy around the premises, watching me from the corner of his eye the whole time.   Popping up in the air from the cracking of a dead stick he spun around faster than light itself, shooting at the sound.  A huge gray outline hissed at the sky and jumped onto a tree, just missing the arrow that neatly split the stick in two.  Surprised to hear my brother laughing he leaped up and grabbed a tree branch easily pulling himself up to peak over the tree tops.  The figure hissed again and flashed its scary red glowing eyes.  I sat in amazement at the whole scene, pressing my back against a tree trunk trying not to be noticed. 

Paco's bow made a sharp, whip like sound as he shot another arrow at the beast.  This time hitting it's leg, the monster was launched into the air and landed in a patch of red dying sunlight.  I peered over from the trees shelter, glancing over at its thrashing body.  It was a spider!  Its onyx legs squirmed in the air, hissing at the setting sky and trying to roll over off his back.  The eldest Leiosake son leaned over the spider and smirked, handing me his bow.  I gawked up at him in surprise, slowly taking the adult sized bow in my hands.  It felt right.  My mind went blank and without having time to even realize what I was doing a drew back the large wooden bow, arrow nocked and released its grip, letting the arrow whizz past my cheek and right through the spider's chest.  Making one last bone chilling hiss its body stopped quivering, laying at peace in the mysterious, eerie woodland.

My brother stared down at the spider and slowly lifting his head with a smiled painted across his face.  He threw me into the air, catching me and setting me back down on the frozen podzol as an act of victory.  He knelt down on the ground and presented me with his bow.  I stared at him, my eyes widening.

"Take it, little dude.." He spoke softly.  

I ever so gently lifted it from his opening hands and straightened my stance, giving him a toothy grin.  He chuckled joyfully and ruffled my hair, taking me by the hand and leading me back to our woodland village hidden behind a large waterfall at the base of a mountain. It was now lit up in every street corner, glowstone lanterns hanging from the trees and beacons placed outside every door step.

Darkness had fallen over our village as it did every night.

But only this time, light would not rise for months to come.

And as went the light of the town, so did the light of our hearts.