Chapter 1: The Willows

“Yord, a land closed off from the world of pure humans. A vast land of trees, water forms, and mountains habited by every magical creature created by the gods. Before the wars started by pure humans began, our kind was living peacefully among them. When the first World War launched its first bomb Frey- the most powerful immortal being of Yord- saw how the pure humans used and abused his creatures for evil. He then created a barrier to protect his creations. His anger on pure humans became deeply rooted from then on. Never did a pure human set foot on our land ever again, the end.” Grandmother Willows closes the book called “The Legend of Yord” and puts it on the side table close to the moon-shaped lamp she bought for her grandson. The warm glow of the lamp soothes the boy from the rain outside his windows. His room had walls covered in drawings he made at home and school. A pile of used sweaters and jackets gathered on a chair in front of a homemade study desk, and a bunch of card games, building blocks, and Lego pieces scattered all over the floor.

“Grandma?” a sleepy young voice calls for her.

“Yes Giddy, what is it?” she sweetly smiles as she says his nickname.

“Grandma it’s Gideon, not Giddy.”

“Of course it is. What were you going to ask?” She tucks him in closer in bed as the cold breeze blows into the room,

“If Frey hated pure humans so much, what happens if they get in Yord?” The boy yawns but waits for the answer before surrendering to sleep. Grandmother Willows sits on his bed and brushed the falling strands of hair away from his face.

“Well dear, since pure humans look just like us we can never tell what they are until they reveal what kind of creature they are. It was rumored that when Frey hears about the pure humans that are living on our lands they are never to be heard or spoken of in Yord and whoever helps them is punished.” Gideon yawns again and closes his eyes, but asks one last question. “But grandma, how will we know if they’re pure human or not?” Grandmother Willows smiles and laughs lightly before answering.

“Just ask them. Never be rude and assume, be polite and smile bright.” She stands gracefully, turns, and fixes the creases she made on the bed. She bends forward and kisses Gideon on the forehead,

“Good night Giddy. Sweet dreams my dear.”

“Good night grandma.”

Grandmother Willows turns off the warm yellow light coming from the lamp on his bedside, leaves the room, making sure to avoid stepping on the toys and cards while sweeping them to the side with her foot and closing the door.

She turns to the hall and makes her way into the dining room where all her children are gathered. The wooden chandelier lights up the depressing mood in the house. The walls are painted in emerald green with white linings on the windows and doors to give a calming ambiance, a shelf of vintage plates is displayed on the side along with some framed pictures of the family hanging on the walls. She sits at the head of the long wooden dining table and changes her demeanor, from comforting to serious.

“How much time do we have Idris?” her voice turns low with no tone of affections heard. A man in a plaid shirt stands on the opposite end of the table. His appearance seems like he was unhinged with reality. His plaid shirt slashed at the arms, his black mid-length hair was messy from running, and his pants had cuts and holes on them from the branches of bushes he ran past to get to Grandmother Willows’ territory. Eyes red from lack of sleep lips dry and his voice is hoarse from dehydration.

“The Frey said, ‘In your bloodstream comes punishment, in others, comes love and sacrifice. A decade it takes to complete absolute forgiveness, and mend the union promised at youth.”  The mood of the room turns grim. All of Grandmother Willows’ children and their respected mates; Idris and his wife Hailey, Ava and her husband Colton, Eleanor, the twins, Daniel and Nathaniel and his wife Mabel, and Seraphine, looked like they have no hope left in the situation. Grandmother Willows nods understandingly, takes a deep breath, and speaks.

“Have you spoken to the Celes pack yet?” Her voice was shaky as she mentions her dear friends’ name. The Celes family was a part of their own pack before the incident happened.

“No. We haven’t talked to them since they left” Ava says.

“What happened? Who left?” Mabel whispers asking Ava as the family discussion goes on.

“From what I know is, The Celes pack found an almost lifeless pure human somewhere in Yord. Then one of them carried the girl to their home and treated her back to good health. Frey saw the whole thing, in pure anger he caused thunders and storms, he still hates pure humans, like he never got over it. Even after decades of stagnant peace among pure humans, he never looked beyond the barriers of his land.”

“I see, thanks” Mabel lightly smiles as she tries to process all the information. Their attention got caught when Nathaniel speaks a little too loud.

“Yeah, like why do WE even matter? THEY started this they should end it too! It has nothing to do with us” he says.

“Not so loud Nat, you’ll wake the kids” Hailey, Idris’s wife, lowly growls at him. He raises his arms in a gesture of surrender. “All I’m saying is, they’re the ones that helped a pure human so why are we paying the price too?” he continued.

“He’s kind of right. I mean, like, it sounds like a them-problem. Not a whole specie problem” Seraphine adds.

“Wh-what did she say? Did she say I’m ‘right’?” Nathaniel teases as he nudges Daniel to answer him.

“She said you’re ‘kind of’ right” Daniel begrudgingly replies while rolling his eyes. A pair of pale built arms raise and slams on the back of the heads of the twins causing them to groan in pain.

“Thank you Eleanor that was unnecessary but appreciated” Grandmother Willows smiles.

“No problem, ma,” she says as she keeps her hands on the twins’ heads ready to make them behave. “Since no one has spoken to the Celes pack, I think they deserve to hear the prophecy that Frey has graciously shared with us. This may not be what you call a “them problem” because since this was shared to specifically us it is definitely a, um, what did you call it dear?” She looks at her son Daniel.

“A species problem,” he says finishing her statement.

“Ah, yes thank you, a specie problem. Until we know more about this prophecy we must keep our guards up, do not violate anything from the treaty we signed with the Celes pack, alright?” Her children all nod in unison.

“Frey said ‘a decade’. That’s how much time we have to gather information what the prophecy said” Idris rubs his temples trying to make of the information that he received. Hailey rubs his back wishing he would calm down a little.

“Hey Id. When Frey summoned you, what was it like to be around him?” Ava asks. This was the second time Frey has summoned someone from their species. All heads turn to him waiting for him to speak.

Frey rarely spoke to the creatures he had made and rather keeps a keen eye among them all.  The first time Frey had spoken to their kind is when the incident happened. Maryn Celes was the first wolf to ever be summoned by Frey. She spoke to no one but her husband about the judgment and punishment she received that night. On the same night Thazar, Maryn Celes’ mate, spoke to Gideon Willows to be separated from the pack. Confused and troubled as to why his longtime friend wanted to part from the pack accepts his plea and creates a treaty to formalize it all.

“It was humbling.” Idris shakes his head and breaths deeper “If you think we’re the strongest ones on Yord, being around him will make you think otherwise.” He scowls remembering how weak he felt in his presence. To be presented to the god that created his species and other creatures that live among them, gave him a fear that could never be understood by anyone but him and Maryn Celes.

The room grows quiet and the rains get stronger, the wind blows the windows causing them to shake a little in its frame. Small cries of babies fill in the silence of the house alerting Nathaniel and Mabel to attend to them immediately. Grandmother Willows stands and sighs, missing her mate to handle this all with her.

“Alright everyone, we have another day ahead of us. Like what your father says, go rest and hope for the best.” They all stand letting her leave the room first before they all follow and rest in their own rooms.

“Good morning!” Eleanor chirps in a sing-song way while holding her cup and basking in the warmth of the sun from the terrace. The open floor plan of the house makes it easier for both human and wolf form to move about the house. The sun lights up the once dreadful and grim dining room into a lively yet calm area. Hailey and Ava slave away in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the family. Having to prepare stacks and stacks of pancakes hoping it all wouldn’t finish before their children wake up. Seraphine rushes into the living room right next to the dining area, holding papers and her face covered in stains of markers.

“I figured it out!” she shouts. Daniel comes right behind her and smacks her head to quiet down.

“Oops, sorry” she whispers. “I figured it out” she continues in a whisper, “So we got 10 years right to make sure the prophecy works, but it didn’t say which ONE of US makes it work. So I thought that maybe it’s not us that’ll fix this whole thing! If we tell the Celes pack by asking an elf or fairy to write the letter for us, then we wouldn’t break any treaty! It’s foolproof!”

Daniel passes by the breakfast table grabbing two pancakes, he sits at the table and prepares to eat breakfast while listening to his younger sister blab. Ava and Hailey smile at her because she looks like she solved the world’s most mysterious treasure puzzle and a little crazy with the streaks of ink on her face and messy hair to finish off the look.

“Hey Ninie, I think you forgot about how we don’t know where the Celes are and that Frey knows everything,” Daniel says as he continuously eats.

“Oh.”

“Oh, indeed dear but I appreciate that you tried.” Grandmother Willows pats and kissed Seraphine’s head.

“Morning ma. I tried so hard to make a plan, ugh. I’m going back to bed.” She stomps her feet going back to her room followed by a door slamming.

“She was never a morning person anyway,” Eleanor shrugs putting her mug in the sink. 

“Regarding last night, I’ll confide to Vor” her children stare at her like she grew another head.

“Vor? Like VOR-Vor? Are you serious ma?” Ava asks incredulously, putting a plate of pancakes and a cup of coffee in front of her mother.

“Who’s Vor?” Hailey asks as she sets the table as the rest of the family start to come into the room.

Gideon, Idris’s son, walks slowly to give his mother a hug good morning. Beatrice, Ava’s daughter, walks towards the kitchen dragging her little chair to the sink to wash her hands. Nathaniel and Mabel set their one-year-old twins Lucinda and Lucas in the crib in the living room. Colton, Ava’s husband, and Idris walk in through the back door carrying groceries and supplies for the house. The wolves’ home was full of life, not a single outsider can predict the weight of what they were prophesized hours before.

“Vor is Frey’s sister. She’s one of the gods that protect Yord. She’s one of the most powerful beings in the land” Idris explains as puts away the food in the cabinets.

“Can I be Vor when I grow up?” Gideon asks looking up at his mother.

“No, I’m going to be Vor!” Beatrice teases.

“Shh, the adults are talking. Go eat your breakfast now.” Hailey ushers the children to their seats at the table and begins to gobble up their pancakes.

“Ma, what were you saying about aboard?” Nathaniel asks in between chews. A hand slaps him at the

back of his head.

“Vor, you idiot,” Daniel says.

“As I was saying, I will consult with Vor about the prophecy. Her wisdom is what we need and the sooner we can figure this out, the sooner we can prepare for the future.”  The family nods in agreement. Nothing would make them feel any better than knowing what lies ahead of them.