Lupine

Chapter 1

Cold crisp air brushed past her face as she left her house for work. The sun was rising behind the mountain, casting a bloody golden glow across the land. How ominous. She pulled her shawl around her shoulders. She didn't want to be out in the open too long because of the Creatures.

Those disgusting beings would still be active in their disgusting forms this early in the morning. She hated having to sell to those beings during the day. You could always tell what they were just by their appearance. Even if they looked human, their eyes, you could tell they were a Creature just by their eyes.

Eyes that glowed and were more animal than human. If that wasn't enough, then their fangs that would jut out over their lips would be. They were monsters but they ruled over this land.

It was to be expected, humans couldn't compare to their monstrous strength. Even if there was an uprising it was quickly crushed, and humans would suffer the consequences of going against the Creatures.

She shook her head to get rid of her thoughts about Creatures. She didn't have time to think of useless things like Creatures. What she needed to focus on was opening the shop and hoping another day goes past without any encounter with a Creature.

There should be an new shipment of herbs coming in to today and if all goes well, she could even look around the mountain for more herbs to stock up their reserves.

Cold wind brushed past her face making her sneeze. Her jaw ached as the cold wind seeped into her bones. She just has to make it to the shop and then she can start the fireplace at the back. The first customer wouldn't appear till after the sun had fully risen but it was always good to start early and have everything nice and warm when they arrived. Winter was here and everyone was looking for some warmth. Everyone that was human anyways.

She got to the shop without any hassle and opened the door. The smell of herbs filled her nostrils as she breathed in their familiar scent. Her tense body relaxed as she walked slowly through the store to the back and started the fire.

Flames crackled in the fireplace before too long and she left the back room to start counting their stock. If the shipment did arrive today, she'll need to know exactly how much was needed in their next monthly restock.

After she had took her stock take, she sat in front of the fireplace and read. She'd hear the bell if a customer came in and most people wouldn't be out at this time of day in fear of the Creatures.

An hour passed before the bell rang in the store and she got up from her position to welcome the customer. Greying black hair and sparkling green eyes greeted her. The woman had crow's feet around her eyes and her hands were starting to wrinkle from age. A scar ran down the woman's arm. An attack from a Creature.

"Mother, why are you here? Shouldn't you be back home resting?" she asked. The woman gave a soft smile.

"I'm not that old that I need to stay home Tia," the woman shushed. Tia's eyes diverted to the scar on her mothers' arm before she sighed.

"The backs all warmed up for you," she sighed.

Tia's mother smiled warmly at her as she walked past towards the back room. She kept a smile on her face until the door to the back room closed and her smile dropped. Every time, that scar, it was all the Creatures fault! Because of that attack, her mother's left arm was paralysed. They had ripped muscle and flesh and her arm had nearly been torn off. She could still remember her mothers face as she cried from the pain, holding her bleeding mangled arm.

Her body shook as she slumped down to the ground. If only Creatures didn't exist. If only.

The day went by smoothly. Her mother didn't leave the back room while the store was open. She served customers who came in for medicinal herbs and begrudgingly served a Creature who walked in asking for some herb to cure a poison. She pointed to the herb and got the Creature out as quickly as possible.