The Ashes Wake

Chapter 11: Romulus

ROMULUS
"It isn't quite certain why shadow wolves have the ability that they do. From the small studies that have been done, researchers were able to determine that shadow wolves manipulate the shadow dimension through practice and concentration. Just how much they practice and concentrate, however, remains unknown, as does the actual logic behind their shadow switches. One thing is for certain, however-no other creature species possesses this ability."

Passage from A Brief History of the Shadow Wolves by Historian Rashad Patel
Published 3677 Year, Majira Season

-

The foreign girl-creature screamed again when she saw Rom and Alpha Armina.

The thing looked hysterical, Rom thought, with her torn dress. Even more so, she was covered in blood-blood that didn't radiate any scent he knew. Her skin was scaly and eerie green. Rom studied her for a moment longer before padding closer, which made her open her mouth again. This time there was no screaming. Instead she spoke in a language that made Rom's hair raise, for he recognized some of the words.

"Help help-don't -" she spoke, her voice high and shrill.

It was as if the words unlocked something in his brain: memories of a twigged creature reading him stories, a warm hut with something he remembered as a bed, running around on his hind legs as a pup...

"We can't understand you, stupid girl," Alpha Armina growled, which made the creature burst into tears, the warm liquid emitting steam as it rolled down her face.

Rom figured she only heard ferocious snarling rather than the language of the shadow wolves. "She just needs help," he said to his leader as he pushed the fragmented memories away. "Don't harm her."

Armina whipped her head towards Rom. "You understand her tongue? How can that be?"

Rom was silent. He didn't have an answer. He turned back to the girl creature, who was whispering and shivering violently. She didn't have a fur coat like the shadow wolves, and as he padded closer to her, he could make out a forked tongue as she muttered. He wanted to speak with her, but the words felt too odd to form-and yet he knew his mouth wasn't a stranger to the language either.

He strained his ears, trying to comprehend each word. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his Alpha looking at him in disgust for his newfound language. He'd have to deal with that later. The creature kept muttering, her breathing labored, as her knees slowly sunk to the ground. Rom drew closer as he listened:

"Death a melodic ring;
deep a creature sings,
upon ashes wake to their sting.
But they move,
an ancient beast,
that destruction,
and on the Realm... it shall feast."

Her breathing started to slow, but Rom hardly noticed as he fed off of each word; every syllable felt like a thousand things from his past stirring, unlocking memories he didn't know he possessed. She continued on, blood starting to drip from the corners of her mouth:

"A battle... for tongues... has begun,
an wolf becomes a son;
the Men.... declare there to be... Ones.

In a place.... where killing... is for
a child creature-"

And then she collapsed, her chest refusing to rise and fall. Rom was nearly touching her, he had been so intent on listening, trying to get any information he could to understand what was happening with both she and him. Instead he had received a load of random words, some he recognized and some not. Rom also knew he hadn't heard all that she was trying to say. Death had cut her off too abruptly.