Polarity

Chapter 2: Departure

On this night, Atlas and Semira had taken their usual place atop their beloved ice formation by the edge of the waterfall, their eyes settled on the constellations and the beaming full moon. Torr and his father, per usual, were sitting at the mouth of the den, tired eyes searching for any threats and occasionally glancing up to the silhouettes at the overhang.

"That one is my favorite." Semira told her son, voice barely rising above a soft whisper. "It always shines the brightest when the first snow is brewing." The star blinked and twinkled at the two of them, and Atlas lifted his head to see a snowflake drifting on the breeze before settling atop his cold, wet nose, as if a star had fallen just for him. "See?" His mother laughed softly, her eyes shining. "It never lies." Atlas' tail waved in the brisk air, his heart beating profusely in his little chest. The stars were falling from the sky! He leapt from his place, ambling around and yipping in delight. His mother couldn't help but smile at her frolicking pup. His first snow. She watched as the snowflakes became bigger and thicker, slowly beginning to collect and cover the earth, and much to Atlas' delight, transforming it into a world of white. The small wolf came tumbling down into the snow as his paws lost their grip on the slippery terrain, and Semira's bout of subtle laughter broke as her audits swiveled and a horrifying sound shattered her world. Her heart dropped and a feeling of doom overwhelmed her as her eyes lowered to the frozen ground and the ice began to splinter and crack beneath her paws. She failed to catch her breath, her body wracked with violent shivers and shakes. Semira's visage fixed back on her precious Atlas. "Atlas, darling", she called, her voice breaking. The small brute- who was shaking the freezing snow from his pelage after his collision with the earth- froze as his eyes lifted to his mother, her body poised ever so carefully in fear of the ice inevitably crumbling beneath her.

Her ears were held tightly against her cranium and she held her breath, as if she were afraid to breathe. "Atlas, go back to the den. It's time to go to sleep." The fae mustered out, which was only met with a small whine. "But mom, I wanna keep looking at the stars." He took a small step toward her and her body trembled, pupils dilating.

She took a deep breath, balancing her decisions on a tipping scale. Atlas stood, his body stiff and frozen, before he began to tremble. "What's going on?" He questioned, his voice sweet and innocent, but twinged with worry and fear. She bit back tears, her voice growing softer and softer. "Atlas, take a few steps back. Everything's going to be okay." The small brute nodded speechlessly, shifting back a few feet, but not nearly far enough to be considered safe. "Don't... Ever change, Atlas. No matter what your father or Torr tell you, you just keep looking at those stars." She cried out, her voice shaking before she closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

The ice cracked and made a loud, bone-chilling sound as Semira leaped forward, her aging back legs springing from beneath her. But her body had failed her. The overhang crumbled, snow and ice tumbling down the cliff and into the water below. She breathed quickly and heavily, her eyes wide in horror as she desperately dug her claws into the ice, trying to pull herself from the ledge. The sound of splitting ice and Semira's cries caught the attention of her mate and older son, and they quickly rose to see what was occurring as Atlas scrambled backwards in distress. "Mom!" He cried, looking to her helplessly as her claws began to lose their grip on what was left of the overhang. Her eyes widened and her maw parted as the ice crumbled and her pup disappeared from her sight, the world becoming a blur of white. Atlas rushed forward, lungs heaving in and out freezing oxygen as he watched his mother tumble off the edge of the earth. The sound of bones cracking made his heart stop as Semira's body was deformed by the rocky terrain. There was a moment of dreadful silence as she was suspended in the air until the sound of her body colliding with the water flooded his audits.

She had disappeared into the shimmering body of water below, the night sky reflecting off of its surface in a breathtaking display of ascendance. The waves of despair tossed against each other and faded into subtle ripples before leaving the lake still and quiet. Above, the snow still fell and the stars still shone, unaware of the tragedy which had just occurred.

☾

Atlas blinked slowly, his heart sinking in his chest. She had fallen into the sky. His daze remained unbroken as Torr and Tyrus came rushing to him, their minds gradually registering the event that had just taken place. Atlas' eyes remained fixed on the place where his mother had sunk out of view before he lifted his face to the sky, searching for his mother desperately. She had told him, one night, that when a wolf leaves the earth, they go to be with the stars. So, where was she? The winter star shone brighter than ever and Atlas looked to it, deciding that his mother had become a star for him to forever look to.

Tyrus' eyes grew as cold as the very ice beneath their paws, his amber orbs portraying a deep sadness which they had never held before. This expression, however, faded away as quickly as it had appeared. As the reality of the situation settled deep into his marrow, the large brute's eyes shifted from the shattered frame of his mate to the pup. "Atlas," Tyrus' growl ripped through the air, his gaze settling on his son.

"Do you see what just happened to your mother?" His voice rose into a snarl, his hackles rising as he stood over Atlas. "You saw it, son. You saw it with your own eyes." Atlas looked up at him, his entire body trembling, wide, blue eyes filled to the brim with fear. Torr stood by his father's side; and although he attempted to seem unbothered by their mother's departure in order to remain worthy of his father's acceptance, the faded hues of shock and grief bled through the cracks in his essence. "Come. Now." Tyrus' voice lowered as he commanded his offspring, nimbly and carefully descending to the crashing waterfall.

The cold mist collected on their pelage as they stood in close proximity to the scene, gazing up at the rocks that Semira had collided with during her descent. Crimson blood had stained the freshly fallen snow atop the rocky terrain. Torr looked up at the rocks, and then to the water which- to his brother- had so clearly resembled the sky. He saw nothing beautiful about anything his eyes were perceiving. The water was dull and dark blue, like an abyss that had so selfishly swallowed his birthgiver. He looked up to the sky and cursed the Gods, and cursed his mother and brother for being so impractical.

"Atlas, if you keep looking at the stars... If you keep following in your mother's footsteps, with her inquisitive ways, you will end up like her." Tyrus spat out, his eyes narrowing into furious slits of gold. "Don't be stupid, kid." He pivoted and silently returned to the empty den, leaving the two brothers behind at the water's edge. The snow continued to fall, growing heavier and heavier by the minute. "Atlas, don't be like mother." He told him plainly and simply with a nod of his head. Atlas' ears laid tightly against his cranium with a whine.

"But Torr, mom said-"

"I don't care what mother said."

Torr's voice rose into a shallow growl, turning away from his brother. He began climbing back up to the den, turning his head to spit out, "Whatever, Atlas. Be stupid. Keep looking at the stars. Get yourself killed", before disappearing from Atlas' sight. His heart heavy and mind numb, the young brute laid at the water's edge, watching the universe through cold, distant eyes.