Filed to story: Wolf Crying Mate of the Alpha by Jazz Ford
‘Leave!’ I shout, causing sharp black crystals to sprout from the ground around her.
Selene gasps, ‘Atlanta, this is unlike you. What has caused this hostility towards me? We used to be so happy, and now I never see you,’
‘You and the rest of the deities have made me this way. No one respects me, Selene. They are all too busy trying to keep your attention to themselves,’ I pause and let out a manic laugh, ‘My status is ironic, don’t you think, sweet sister? Goddess of night, I’m nothing but a dark presence to everyone, a shadow, a cryptic nightmare everyone wants to wake up from!’ I say, intensifying my glare at Selene.
‘Atlanta, that’s not true. You are the light in my life,’
I scoff, ‘Please, spare your words, sweet sister. You are everyone’s light, the sweetest dream no one wants to wake from. Your words might be a sweet song to others, but to me, wreak of venom,’ Selene takes a step towards me with a sorrowful look, ‘Atlanta, please,’ she says.
‘I told you to leave!’ I yell, causing a wave of shadows to repel Selene back. More black crystals extend from the ground, creating a dome around my realm, preventing anyone from entering my realm.
Selene emits a glowing light from her hands that dissipates my wave of shadows. Then, saddened that she may never see me again, she stops and turns for a moment staring at the vast dome of black crystal.
‘No matter how much darkness consumes you, little sister. The spark of light within your heart will always shine.’ With those last words, Selene walks away.
After a thousand years, my hatred towards my sister and the other gods has only deepened. Having decided it was time to leave my realm, I pay a visit to the Goddess of air, Aria.
Aria informs me my sister Selene, Ogrun, Valkrim, Cerridwen and other deities decided to create a new world since so many were destroyed by Thypon long ago.
‘Mysteria is different from the other worlds,’ Aria says, ‘Because when it was complete, it became protected by a magic veil that not even they could get through. They created life in their image and blessed them with their abilities,’
I become more frustrated within myself hearing this, as Selene can shift into a large pure white wolf and has blessed her people with the gift of shifting. I have never been able to shift into anything. All I can do is summon poltergeists and manipulate shadows, which all the Deities opposed I do. The poltergeists liked to torment the living in different worlds. So, the deities banned me from summoning them, adding more reason to resent them.
Aria continued to talk while I sat there brewing.
‘So, Ogrun the orc god gave his green-skinned, tusked people the gift of great strength and bravery. Never would you meet an orc that would flee in the face of danger. Danger triggers excitement and adrenaline in an orc, which explains their love of fighting. Cerridwen gave her people the gift of casting spells, and Valkrim gave his people the advantage of speed and immortality. Unlike the other magical beings, his thrive from drinking blood, just like he does.
It means, unlike other worlds, the deities will not be able to interfere with the lives in that world. They will still be able to hear their people’s prayers and watch them, but they won’t be able to hinder or help them due to the veil preventing them from doing so. This will also keep them safe from Gods with harmful intentions, such as Thypon. Even though he has been sealed away for eternity, there could be other deities in future who wish to bring harm,’ Aria explains.
‘So, if anything goes wrong in Mysteria, not even my sister Selene can do anything about it?’ I ask.
‘That’s correct, and there have already been two great wars in Mysteria. The first one wiped out most of the species and left only humans and werewolves. Thankfully witches had placed babies and children of all species in the forest trees to protect them from the war before their demise. In the second war, Alpha King Damon and his Luna won after King Fenris tried to wipe the rest of the werewolves out. Once the second war ended, the children in the trees were set free, restoring all species to Mysteria again. Selene and the others were incredibly distraught that they couldn’t do anything during the war but could only watch. I did hear something that is meant to be a secret, so I’m not sure how true it is,’ Aria says.
‘So, tell me what it is then?’ I reply.
‘Apparently, the midsummer solstice is the only time a God or Goddess can enter Mysteria as it’s the only time of the year the veil will be weakened. Selene hadn’t gone through it to help the people of Mysteria because the wars were already over by the time the solstice came about. Defeating the purpose of entering. They don’t want anyone to know that, though, in case one of us with bad intentions finds out,’
‘Oh, how interesting,’ I smirk.
‘But recently, Selene has been even happier than usual after some of her descendants, Astrid and Magnus, along with their friends and family, had left the human realm and now reside in Mysteria,’
I stand and force a sweet smile,
‘Aria, do me a favour and don’t tell anyone that I have come out from my realm,’
‘Okay, sure?’ Aria says, confused as to why.
I halt and turn back to Aria with a smirk.
‘In fact, I’d prefer to make sure you don’t say anything at all,’ I shout, raising my palms. I engulf Aria in a black sphere of shadows.
Because I caught Aria off-guard, she didn’t have time to repel the shadows.
‘Please, Atlanta, don’t do this,’ she says as the sphere shrinks with Aria inside. The sphere crystalises and is now the size of a marble. It drops from the air making a c***k sound, and rolls towards my feet. I pick it up, hold it up to the sky, and see tiny little Aria slamming her fists against the marble wall.
‘Better to be safe than sorry, Aria,’ I shrug and place the marble into my pocket.
Fuming with hatred, I pace back and forth while thinking of ways to destroy Mysteria. Finally, I come to a halt and smile as the answer comes to mind. Thypon, the God of ferocious monsters. He has the head of a dragon, a bat’s wings and a serpent’s body. Once a God amongst the other deities in the Celestial Realm, Thypon wreaked death and destruction across many worlds. To end Typhon’s terrible ways, the deities and I trapped him beneath a volcano for all eternity, compelling the volcano never to erupt since that was the only way Thypon could be released.
I immediately travel to the world of ash and lava where Thypon has been sealed. Approaching the volcano, I raise my hands high and begin the chant. The seal dissipates, and the volcano erupts. An explosion of ash rises into to air, whilst lava flows out from the crater. A boisterous roar emits through the cloud of ash. Enormous wings flap and push the ash away. Thypon, now silent, gazes at me. I smirk and cross my arms.
‘Finally, after thousands of years, I am free,’ Thypon roars, ‘But of what purpose did you free me?’ He asks in a deep gruff voice that vibrates through the land.
‘I want the deities to suffer, all of them, including my sister Selene. I’m sure it’s on your agenda anyway?’ I say.
‘Go on,’ he says, giving me his attention.
‘In your absence, a new world has been made, which they named Mysteria. Selene, Ogrun and many others have created life forms in their image and gifted them with some of their abilities. They have grown a great love for the world and its people. Destroying Mysteria would destroy them. I want to see them all suffer. The midsummer solstice is near, and it would be the perfect time to strike,’
I purposely leave the detail out that the only way in and out for a deity is during the solstice. Once he enters, he will be trapped there until the next solstice or longer if he doesn’t figure that out.
‘I suppose I can start with their precious world of Mysteria before finishing the destruction of the other worlds I was pursuing before being sealed under this wretched volcano.’
‘I will place a temporary spell over you, so the other deities can’t trace your whereabouts. It will only last until the solstice ends. That is when you need to cross through the veil.’ I explain.
Thypon nods, and I begin a chant. A blue iridescent sphere encircles Thypon and then vanishes.
‘There, it is done.’
I will return when it is time,’ I say. Thypon nods, and I return to my realm and await my revenge.
The Moon Goddess
‘We sealed Thypon with an unbreakable spell. I don’t understand how he broke free?’
‘Selene, we have to find him and seal him back before it’s too late,’
‘I know that Valkrim, but even you haven’t been able to trace him yet,’ I say.
‘We must let all the deities know that Thypon has somehow been released. As soon as anyone knows his whereabouts, we are to immediately gather and work together to seal him again, just like last time,’
‘Selene,’ Ogrum interrupts, ‘I understand finding Thypon is of utmost importance, but we need to find out how he became free? There isn’t much point to sealing him only for him to be freed again,’
‘Ogrum has a point,’ Cerridwen says in agreeance.
‘The only way he could have been freed is if the spell used to seal the volcano had been removed,’ I say.
Cerridwen stiffens, and her eyes grow wide.
‘What is it, Cerridwen?’ I ask.
‘Atlanta is the one who placed the spell. You don’t think she is the one who removed it?’
We all stare at each other in thought.
‘It’s possible,’ Ogrum replies.