literature

An Answer to 'The Calling

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Introduction

We are "The Calling". For thousands of years, it has been our sacred duty to protect nature's balance. As man, we have cultivated the fallow lands, as beasts we have culled the herds. We are "The Calling"; we are of beast and man.


Chapter 1


Where should I begin this tale of loss and betrayal? How can I tell of becoming a monster, and of all that was gained and lost by denying "The Calling"?

I am Muin DeAshee; roughly translated as "Moon Shadow". I've also been known as "The Silver Lady", "The Silver Stalker", and "The Night Wolf." I am one of "The Calling". We are both human and animal. Myself in particular; I am a human and a wolf. The great mother gave me a lean sensual female body with softly tanned skin. She gave me silvery hair, and haunting gray eyes. My perpetually youthful body has the ability to change into the forum of a huge grey female wolf, and anywhere in between.

When I first answered the calling, humans had neither vehicles nor cities. They were scattered across the mother’s gift, in many small and struggling tribes. Called, we swept in from the wild depths to save these children of the mother. Bidden, we taught them; the doe's soft skin for their furless bodies, the doe's powerful muscles to feed and strengthen them, and dens to protect succor them.

When I again answered the calling, draught threatened all. Humans were few, but remembered the lessons of "The Calling", our pack brothers also were few and were dying. Called, we came again to teach them: Of taking the fallen lamb, of moving to fresh grounds to cultivate anew, and of working together for balance and strength.

When next I answered the calling, Humans discovered communities. Though still widely scattered, they built great gatherings for home and work. Far they were removed from the pack brothers, though some part of the packs stayed with them. The humans continually warred, and upset the precious balance of life and death. Called, we came again to teach them: Nobility of spirit, Song and music, the sorrow of war, and appreciation of life. Not for the first time, nor for the last, we answered the calling of death. As a pack, with the packs, we made blood scent fill the nights.

Since, "The Calling" has not slept again. Though the mother bade us slay, she could not abide our touch next to her heart. The blood of her children on our hand/paws brought her too much pain. Though we weep still, for missing our mother’s arms, so do we continue to answer the calling.


Chapter 2


In the early years of man, I had my first encounter with one of the "infected". He looked to be a disheveled youth, but had a wild look and scent about him. He looked starved, and injured. It was too easy to see the broken ribs in his side, with no muscle or fat to cover them. Something felt familiar about him, though I knew that we had never met. As I moved to help him, he fled with panic in his eyes. Some days later, I realized that his eyes were almost those of "The Calling". They were definitely a mix of man and wolf, but lacked that which makes "The Calling" what it truly is.

A great many years later I met the next "infected". In a cage of branches and vines, I found children. I instantly recognized their scent and look. Though they could not be children of the creature I had met so long ago, they were of the same making. This time, when I moved to help them, a true brother bade me leave them be and return to the summoning. I returned later, but the cage and children were gone.

By the time of the last sleep in the mother’s arms, we learned what the infected were and how they came to be. The great mother created "The Calling" from her flesh, and a perfect blending of human and animalian spirits which had never before been born. By her gift and will, we did what could be done by no other. The "Infected" were an imperfect blend of spirits already born human and spirits already born animal. In moments of great passion, good or ill, animalian creatures caused the changing of a human by means of biting them without killing them. In the transfer of blood and saliva, the animal did give of its spirit and take of the humans. The animal would often die shortly afterwards, having given up it's will to survive to the human. The human often died shortly there after, but a rare few would live and become like we of "The Calling". If their spirit was strong enough, they could change from human to the form of the animal that bit them. Those of exceptional will power could even control the degree of change. Though shorter lived than "The Calling" they were nearly as powerful in physical abilities. As I had experienced personally, they always ran as soon as they caught our scent. It would be a great many years, and deaths, later that we would come to understand what the "Infected" were and did.


Chapter 3


It took a thousand years of purifying and service to wash the blood off our hand/paws and from our spirits. We continued to teach mankind, we continued to maintain the balance, and we learned to love. Not the love of children to mother, that we had always known. We learned to love others, both within "The Calling" and outside it. Some did return to our mothers embrace, some did not. I was among a few who returned to her arms, but arose again for the missing of what we had come to love. We always answered "The Calling" and felt the love of family and mother when together again. Our sacred duties came before all else.

In the human year 550 AD, I took a human mate. Joseph loved and accepted me for whom and what I was. We had two beautiful children together, Elizabeth and Jacob. I don't remember having been happier before, or since.

In the human year 561 AD my world changed forever. I stumbled across a young pair of "infected" one cold winter night. They moved immediately to bold away, as they always have with "The Calling", but the young male of the pair had a foot caught in a crushing hunters trap. The young female, his mate I later learned, stopped and huddled tight to him as he cried out in pain. I assured them that I was not looking to harm them, and could even help. It took a lot of coaxing, but they both agreed to come back home with me after I released the young man's foot. I released him, disposed of the horrid trap, and took them to my home. Elizabeth and Jacob were curious about the newcomers, and very friendly to them. Joseph wasn't at all pleased to have them in the house, let alone around the children. His studies had shown a lot of "Werewolf" activities, and he knew that they weren't all folklore. I assured him it would be ok, and that I could handle them if they were foolish enough to cause trouble. For the rest of that winter they lived with us. I taught them about their other halves, how to be more a part of it. They even helped teach the children what lessons they learned from their parents as children. When spring arrived, the summoning came to me. I kissed my husband and children farewell, embraced the two who had become as family, and left to meet the rest of my people.

I returned home a few weeks later, to a nightmare. My home, our home, was a charred ruin. I searched around what was left of the house, the yard, everywhere I could think of to find some possible trace of Joseph and the children’s escape; I found none. I ran for miles to each of the neighboring homes, but none had seen or heard anything before the fire except wolves in the night. I returned to the house that night, and summoned by brothers and sisters. Within minutes, they melted out of the darkened forest and rushed to embrace me and cry in the loss they too felt. In the morning, we started in on the ruined house, clearing away the burnt timbers and debris. We found Joseph first, and I felt a piece of me die. A couple feet away we found Jacob, and the rest of me caught fire. Though the fire had badly damaged their bodies, there was no mistaking that they had been killed by tooth and claw. Now frantic, we cleared away the rest of the ruined house. Elizabeth and my two "Guests" were not anywhere in the rubble and ashes. I sat down hard in the grass and stared at what used to be my life and happiness. The first to approach and try to comfort me were my brothers, all keening for my husband and baby. Fleshy arms, furred sides, warm lips, and gentle muzzles pressed in on me from all sides. I started to get lost in their mournful cries when an alarm called out from the woods, opposite where I sat. As one, we moved to the call. One of my sisters sat on her haunches and cried out a long bone chilling howl. Between her forepaws was a torn and blood stained night dress for a little girl.

"It was buried beneath the tree behind me, Muin. It has no scent, due to rains, but I happened to catch a corner of it with a claw when I was scraping aside dead leaves and branches to check for tracks." The beautiful golden wolf looked up at me with tear filled blue eyes. "I am so sorry Sister."

I heard her, but the words never registered. My whole focus was on the torn and blood stained dress I had recently made for my dearest Elizabeth.

I also felt the summoning, but it could not get through the pounding of my heart and mind. Like wraiths, my brothers and sisters slipped away into the forest, answering as is our duty. I could only stare at the tattered dress on the ground before me.

The last of my brothers stopped and tried to take my hand/paw, "Come sister, we are summoned."

I jerked my hand/paw from his, and looked at him flatly. "No, I must find Elizabeth."

My brother cocked his head to one side and said, "We must uphold our duty, sister. When the task is done, we can return to continue the search for your daughter."

Molten anger exploded out of me in a terrible eruption. "No. I must find my daughter, and if the great mother cannot understand that need, then I will not satisfy hers." I pointed to where our siblings had already gone, to where I felt the strong pull to go. "Go, brother. I will not go, and you may not stay. Leave me to my new duties, and I will leave you to yours."

I gave him no time or opportunity to reply, but stooped to pick up my daughters dress and cradle it to my breasts. I wept openly for her, for my losses, and for what I had just thrown away. My brother’s gentle kiss was a surprise, but when I turned to embrace him he was already gone.

I stood like that for hours; holding Elizabeth's dress to me, and staring into the woody gloom. Slowly, I turned my mind from losses to the task at hand. I had to find my daughter.

I shifted into my wolf self, and searched the area. Though hidden and partially obscured, it didn't take me too long to find the trail I knew must exist. The two "Infected" with my bleeding daughter. I ran hard, ate little, and slept not at all. Three days of hunting them found me gaining ground fast. The scents were stronger, their spoor clearer, and I growing angrier by the minute. What spurred me on to such speeds and self abuses was that my daughters scent was a living scent. Though bloody, she lived, and it made me push myself hard even for one of "The calling".

On the sixth night of the Hunt, I found their make-shift den. Ears perked, I could hear their breathing, and moaning. The smell of fresh and old blood permeated the whole area, almost sickening me. It was a tiny cry from inside that broke me free from the horrors in my mind, and launched me into action. I slipped into the cave like a grey shadow of the moon, deathly silent. A couple short turns into their den, and it opened to a huge cavern. My “friends” were together beside a dying fire facing away from the entrance of the cave, and me. Both were in their wolven forms, devouring the last bits of flesh from tiny bones. Beyond the fire, two tiny bodies huddled together in a makeshift cage, whimpering with fear and despair. Though I could not truly see them, I knew both were young girls and that my dearest Elizabeth was finally again within my reach. More like a ursine cousin than a wolf, I roared and charged these beasts who dared to attack the ones I love. They spun at my outcry, fear turned their blood smeared black muzzles nearly white. Neither had time to do more than swallow their fear before I was on them. The female was first to fall, my charge and attack broke her. The male fought for all he was worth, which was not much. My initial attack had sent him rolling to a far wall. As he shook off the blow and charged, I charged him as well. He was a large wolf, though still small beside even the smallest of “The Calling”, unfortunately for him I was not one of the smallest. For my daughters sake I wanted this ended far quicker than he deserved, so I shifted in mid charge. My body responded perfectly to my commands by flowing from full wolf form to anthropomorphic wolf. I caught the fool as he leapt to reach my throat and then smashed him to the cave floor. He tried to struggle free, but my wolfish strength and human-like fingers crushed him to the floor as well as choked the breath from his body. As the light faded from his eyes, I twisted my wrists to ensure his terror was at an end.

Sweet Elizabeth died in my arms that very night. Her poor spirit had been broken from the horrors she witnessed, her body nearly drained of blood by the two monsters. The poor human girl that had been held captive with Elizabeth stayed with us through the night, crying and holding us both. Though my darling daughter forgave me for not being there to save her, her brother, and her father, I could not forgive the great mother and I could not forgive myself. That night I forsook the oath I had given to the great mother, never again would I listen to the summoning. Never again would I fight the greater battles for the sake of balance, instead I would devote my timeless years to fighting the small battles that left mothers without daughters or daughters alone in the dark with only terror as their companion.


Chapter 4


“You expect me to believe that story?” The officer said with a smirk. “That you are some kind of werewolf on a holy mission to kill other werewolves?”

“No, Officer.” I said calmly with no emotional inflection. “I expect you will believe what you wish to believe and think I am a mad woman and a murderess.”

“You got that right, lady.” He said with a tone of finality. He motioned to two other police officers behind him. “Take her back to lock-up. She stays there till the D.A. gets her arraigned.”

“You want us to leave her a bowl of water and some Alpo for dinner, Lieutenant?” One of the officers said with a smirk on his face and in his voice.

The Lieutenant simply gave the smart-aleck officer a flat stare, until the young man looked at his shoes and said, “Sorry sir that was not P.C. of me.”

“Move out” was all the Lieutenant snapped.

“I hope your D.A. is quick, officer” I began as the two other officers started to escort me from the room. “I have work yet to do tomorrow night, and will not be late on his account.”
MoonShadow's first story

CR Heartwing
© 2005 - 2024 heartwing
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Grigglestone's avatar
This is bloody awesome. The Calling, The Infected, all of it makes an odd kind of sense. It's both inventive and original, while also being a wondurful tale. I'l most definately be looking out for the next part, if there will be one.