The Untold Story of Texas and Lappland (Arknights)

Dream of You

Dream Sequence . . .

Lappland could hear her mother's voice in her ear. It was warm and gentle, encompassing her like a blanket. "No matter what Lappland, always remember who you are. Follow our traditions no matter what. Love you Lappy, love you."

Those had been the last words her mother had spoke from her. Things were so anxious that day, everyone in the pack was on edge. There had been enemies coming onto their land. Her parents were protective of their home, and even more so, protective of her. They were good alphas and even better parents. She loved them with all her heart.

So when she woke up to the sound of someone screaming, Lappland knew something was wrong.

"Mama? Papa?" She looked around for them, calling out their names. The world was painted with the fire of flames. Everything was burning. She choked on the air, barely able to hear the heinous laughter of people nearby.

"Did we get them all?"

"I don't know."

"Hold up, I think I hear something."

Footsteps were fast approaching. The pack had been sleeping in the forest that very night, cuddled up in the hollows of trees. With all the smoke turning everything asunder it was near impossible for her to make out her surroundings.

Lappland pictured the scene of last night. There were low hanging branches stretching down over her sleeping spot, the whistle of leaves with the nightly wind. Her parents were sleeping a little ways off, sheltering her from the cold with their own bodies. She searched for those two familiar faces. Lappland could feel her eyes tearing up as the footsteps got louder. Her parents . . . just where were her parents?

And then she found them. Like she remembered, they were nearby. They were curled up together, seemingly still asleep. Lappland rushed towards them on staggering legs. The ground was riddled with tree roots and the air was choking her lungs.

"Mama? Papa?"

She crouched low to the ground once she reached them. Small hands shook their still bodies. In the bludgeoning heat, the little wolf could not feel the life drained out. Like her own face must have been, theirs were covered in ash.

"Well well well, look what we have here fellows. Looks like little puppy doesn't realize what's happened yet." The footsteps had stopped. Lappland looked up to see four hulking figures standing over her. They all had leering smiles of broken, rotted teeth. Dressed in dark garbs wielding wicked looking guns, these men were armed to the teeth.

Hunters her mind supplied. A bolt of terror shot down her. Lappland had been warned about the hunters. The hunters without morals; the hunters who killed other wolves for the fun of it. True monsters.

"W-what?" She stumbled on her words with the pitiful air she breathed. "What are you talking about? Why won't they wake up?" Lappland was getting a horrible feeling. There was a tugging in her chest, heart-wrenching pain.

One of them sneered. A cigar was fuming at his lips, smoke puffing out in little rings. They blended into the burning of the forest and the darkness of the sky. Lappland could hardly breath, her breath catching as her heart came to a staggering halt.

"You're parents are dead. We killed them."

"No . . . no. You're wrong."

"No we're not."

Lappland looked down at their bodies, examining them closer now. She was looking, looking, looking for any sign of life. There was none. Her parents were dead. Lappland could see it in the dullness in their eyes when she pried them open. Bodies covered in blood; her father clenching his favorite sword. Shaky fingers grabbed at the sword, her white knuckled grip clutching the hilt. Above her, the evil men were laughing like maddened hyenas. Terror wrapped around her like a vice, but there was something she had to do.