Rigor Mortis

Warning

Corax sat on a wolf's skull at the entrance of Rigor's cave. Birds, rats, and insects had eaten the meat leaving the skull for Rigor to take. It was the skull of the wolf he encountered months ago. The one that wasn't dead yet. Corax waited for his son to come back from another call out. He had a stick in his beak which he used to carve out Fehu in the earth in front of him. The first rune of the Futhark. The letters they used to write down texts. Most of them using the long lost language.

As soon as Rigor came back, the raven made eye contact with him, letting him know that he wanted to say something to him. It would be a quick exchange of words.

Rigor walked to him and saw the drawing on the ground.

"Fehu. The first rune of the Futhark. It sounds like 'ffffff', so remember that." he told him. Rigor nodded and looked at the drawing.

"Fehu" he replied. He tried to think of a word starting with it.

Corax nodded and flew off. One of the quickest conversations.

He saw the raven flying to Dux and some other crows. Probably new friends or just some random birds he had a conversation with that Corax had to leave to teach him the Fehu rune.

The place was now full of Grim Reapers in just a year time. In the meantime some left or some joined to take a rest from a long time travelling. They didn't have to stay. They could decide for themselves.

And ofcourse, today there was another intruder. A wolf. But she smelled somewhat different. He left again to tell this one that she had to leave.

His legs carried him at a fast pace through the woods. His now finished drawing of a wolf's skeleton scared a small bird when it saw him walk by in the corner of its eye.

Rigor found the smell to be a lot stronger now. He was very close.

"Just leave." he stated calmly. The other wolf showed herself. She had bright blue eyes and a strange tree shaped marking on her chest made out of thin grey lines.

"No." she replied. The look in her eyes told Rigor that she wasn't kidding.

"I am here to check on you." the blue-eyed wolf continued. A dark smile on her face intimidated Rigor. Something he hated since this stranger wasn't very welcome in his territory. But somewhere he knew that this wolf wasn't really like the others. What she said was exactly what she would do.

"Who are you than?" Rigor asked, his teeth a little bared and his ears turned slightly backwards.

"One born out of the Night of the Dead, but you don't know about that. I am the Eternal One." the white wolf replied. That meant the grey tree shaped marking was supposed to be Yggdrasil.

"Why do you need to see me?" Rigor asked.

"I have my reasons." she laughed. Rigor growled at her for a second. He was calm with the appearence of this wolf, but she did annoy him.

"What reasons?" he asked.

"To see what is done and what has to be done. To see how you will treat Life. To see how you will protect Yggdrasil. Time is limited, I just want to be sure that you are ready when the time is there." the stranger explained.

"I am the Prophecy, I thought Yggdrasil had a little faith in me. I will be ready when it's time." he growled. The stranger growled back.

"You do sound worried." the stranger suddenly said.

"I am worried." Rigor admitted. How could he be comfortable with the situation? Not a single day passed without him having a nightmare or thinking about what was coming.

"Don't worry." the stranger said. But it was clear from the look in her eyes, that she was worried too.

"What?" Rigor asked when he saw the strange wolf staring at him. As an answer the wolf just sighed and thought.

"I can see that you will do something. You will lose your innocence. Just watch your moves and prevent it." Rigor was shocked to hear that. But when he saw the stranger leaving, he yelled something.

"What will I do? What do I prevent?" Rigor asked her.

"Something terrible. Don't do that." the stranger said looking back at him.

"I wasn't planning to do that." Rigor tried.

"Good. Keep that promise." And the stranger walked off. She left a puzzled Rigor. He was very confused and hoped this wolf didn't come back.