Chapter 5: The Call

I’ve been wandering for days now, I am not even sure how much time has passed, lost in the endless shadows and trees that surround me. The forest became the only companion with me, the dark canopy above me kept me in my own silence. My wolf form feels more natural now more than ever, my senses have grown sharper and my instincts have heightened, but the ache I’ve felt in my bones since that day was hard to ignore. I was weak, my strength diminished by the hour because I am starving. 

Although the wounds I sustained from the brutal incident that led me into the forest has healed, thanks to my wolf’s abilities, but the emptiness in my heart could not be mended. I was indeed alone, and my heart breaks everytime I think about that fact. 

I paid attention to every noise around me, the snap of a twig or even the rustles of leaves but I was careful. I am staying in the thickest parts of the forest and needed to avoid any rogues or. enforcers guarding territorial boundaries. I really don’t have the energy to fight and I can not even defend myself. I felt very hungry and even when I catch some small prey, it was barely enough to sustain me. My whole body is weak, I am hungry, and my soul feels even weaker. 

Then…there is the weakness in my heart. My heart ache so bad it could break apart. It is empty, and every time I think of him, my heart feel like it’s crashing. How could he? my father. How could he do that to me, not even a chance to defend myself, not even a moment of doubt showed in his eyes?

It is night fall already and I had found a small cave under a rocky overhang. The moon tonight is full and it rose high above, casting beams of silver through the trees in the forest. I curl my body inside, finally taking a rest and coming out of my wolf form. I really need to rest myself, and allow myself to feel weak and vulnerable as I am.

I look up at the moon. “Moon Goddess,” the words come out as I keep glaring at the moon. “Help me. Please. I can’t do this alone.” I whisper, my voice choke, and I let the tears come streaming down my cheek. “Mother, if you are there…just if you can hear me, please…I need your help, I need strength. Just give me a sign, anything to help me out of this.” I say still sobbing softly as I press my face into my hands. 

I put my head back down on the cold stone floor, tears flowing from my eyes as the exhaustion I felt finally took over my body. 

I dozed off, and in my sleep I began to dream. 

I feel a strange warmth envelope me, like I was under sunlight, and a gentle hand touches my face. I open my eyes slowly to find a strange woman standing before me, her hair was golden, and it flowed around her like a shimmering veil. Her face shone softly, yet something about her feels ethereal, something that made my heart beat faster. 

I’d seen my mother in pictures and this woman looks just like my mother, although my mother had dark hair. This woman’s hair is like spun gold. She give me a soft smile, her eyes warm, familiar green and she reach her hand to me.

“Come, Phoenix,” she say, her voice soft and melodious. “Get up, follow me.”

I find myself rising, even though I want to ask who she is and how she knows my name. My feet moved without hesitation as I follow her through the thick, shadowy forest. Every step toward feels lighter, as though my exhaustion is wearing off and it feels like magic.

We keep going in silence until we got to a small clearing and I see a cottage, quaint and covered in vines, the insides glow softly. The woman lead me inside and my mouth fall  in awe when we stepped inside. 

In front of me is a grand dining table, the kind with every kind of food imaginable, roast meats and fresh fruits and even loaves of bread still steaming, there is also pastries dripping with honey. My stomach rumble, and the woman smile, gesturing to me to sit. 

“Come, sit my child, Eat,” she say to me gently. “You need your strength back.”

She didn’t need to say more, so I take a seat and begin to dig in. Savouring every bite, enjoying the rich flavours, each mouthful warming me from within. It feels like a dream, like a gift and I eat until I was full, barely believing this is truly happening. 

When I finish, she gestured for me to come follow her again. But this time, she lead me into a narrow corridor, down into the cottage. At the end of the hall, there is a door, bathed in golden light that shone into the dark hallway. 

My heart beat heavily in my chest as the door opened, a grand chamber was revealed. The room was filled with beautiful figures of men and women that looks ethereal, they all have varying hair in shades of gold. Some had locks like the woman’s hair, others had cropped hairs, while others had hair that looks like the sun itself.

As they all turn to look at me with piercing yet warm eyes, they spoke in one unified voice that seem to echo through my bones. “Head north.”

They spoke those words and it resounded in the air, masked in power and high command. I want to ask what they meant, but my voice was gone and lost.

“North, Phoenix.” I feel the woman with golden hair say to me, her voice softer and hands resting on my shoulders. “Follow the path laid out for you, Phoenix.”

Though, not fully understanding, I nod because I feel the certainty they exude, and it fills my heart with a sense of hope, strangely.

And then, I wake up, gasping for air in this cold cave, that felt nothing like the warmth of the cottage.

But as my eyes dart downwards, my breath hitch as I catch sight of my paw, my left paw is glowing faintly with a golden light, it was soft and radiant and felt alive. 

My thoughts went back to the dream…it had to be more than a dream. I couldn’t shake off the instructions, the message, it feels like a sign. The golden glow on my paw, the voice of those mysterious figures and they all said one thing. 

Head north…they said 

My heart races with a new found purpose. I felt strength returning to my bones as I stared purposefully into the darkened forest. I made up my mind to move, i took a deep breath, turned north, and began to run.