Wolf Chasers

Finally, a story (besides my novel) that's completely original! xD Lol.

Maturity: Kissing and stuff. And the fighting is . . . kinda descriptive. xD
Fantasy: If you don't like the idea of spirit animals, then you shouldn't read this. xD

Prologue

I let out a bloodcurdling shriek as the monster’s teeth bit into my arm.
I was going to die here; we were all going to die. And it was all my fault. If only I hadn’t gone wolf hunting . . . if only I hadn’t chosen this place to hunt in . . . if only I didn’t have to put my friends in danger as well.
I looked for them at this thought, but couldn’t see through the haze brought on by my pain. The wolf’s jaws snapped through the bone, and I screamed again.
Oh, who cared about the others. They’d be fine - there was only the one wolf, and it had gotten me. I was going to die here, whether I liked it or not.

Chapter 1

I laughed, sprinting past the others in our frenzy towards the river. “Can’t catch me!”

“No fair, Lupa! Wait up!” Aila called after me. She was the fattest out of us four; nothing against her, of course, because even she knew she never stood a chance when I went all out like this. Her cropped black hair was oily and frizzy from days such as these, when we’d be running around all the time, and her already pale skin seemed even paler with exertion.

I ignored her, pumping my lanky legs even faster as I sped through the forest. Soon I left Scia behind too, despite how energetic she usually was. She scowled as I grinned back at her, and amped up her pace, but her small build was no match for mine. (A note from the author - Scia is pronounced "shaw." *nods*)

And then Feli was the only one left. A determined expression was on her face - when she was like this, I never got very far ahead of her. Frowning, I tried to go faster, but I was starting to tire already. She grinned impishly at me when I glanced back to check how close she was - I hoped she wouldn’t beat me again like last time. Even though she didn’t look as strong, she could easily outrun me if I wasn’t at the top of my game - and the unfair part was that we were so closely matched that it was never any fun playing tag with her. The only thing involving running and competition with the two of us were races like these.

And then I went wolf. I knew it would cost me, but maybe I’d be able to catch back up if Feli didn’t react soon enough. I quivered as I ran, and then the indigo wolf that was my Essence exploded out of me with a joyous howl. Then I could run twice as fast - I surged ahead of Feli before she even realized what had happened, and by the time she finally brought her own Essence - the cat - out, I was romping victoriously into the huge, calm river.

The flame red cat stopped on the fringe of the river and scowled at me with a hiss - our Essence animals were always the color of our eyes. I almost had you that time, too, you cheater, she accused, her voice ringing clear in my head. Even when in our Essences, only those of us that were highly in tune with their Essence could understand the other animals’ tongues, so we were able to speak telepathically due to this.

Oh, shuttup, I said, sitting down with a splash. That wasn’t cheat, and you know it. That was strategy.

Call it what you like, I still almost had you, she replied primly, sniffing. I didn’t know sometimes how we were even friends, seeing how much we bickered, but somehow we were. It wasn’t natural, the tri-years had said. Our Essences always held the most of us, and the cat and the wolf should have been natural enemies. We’d managed to tolerate each other eventually, however, and now here we were.

Scia caught up breathlessly a moment later, her brown squirrel Essence that was not only the color of her eyes but of her hair. Geeeeeeez! she whined. You guys ALWAYS beat me!

I grinned, my tongue lolling out the side of my mouth. What do ya expect? Can’t defy the Essence.

Finally, panting heavily, Aila came and collapsed nearby the water as her panda Essence. I’m done . . .

I laughed - my laugh when “of Essence” was weird; like this coughing woof noise - and plopped myself into a play bow in front of Aila. That sent a shower of water over the chubby little panda. No you’re not! Not yet!

Aila just huffed and shut her eyes.

I snorted. You’re no fun, I said disappointedly, and trotted towards Scia, lifting my feet high above the water in a weird prance. I used my tail to swish a bunch of water at the squirrel.

Why, how DARE you! Scia roared, and her furry little body suddenly flung itself at my head. I gently shook her off, letting her splash into the water. Sputtering, Scia paddled back to shore.

Nasty Feral, she growled.

I just laughed again. Feral yourself. Feral used in this context was an insult, but really it was a species like the Secnesse or Wilds. See, we’re part of this tribe, and we all call ourselves the “Essenced.” A few days after we each were born, we were presented to the Secnesse, the sentient animals of the forest. They’re different, though, besides being sentient - like they’re in all sorts of weird colors, like violet and cyan, and some of them even have a power. But anyway, one of the Secnesse chose us when we were presented, and our souls were merged in what we call the Essencing. The Secnesse then is a part of us, our Essence, and it doesn’t have any free will anymore. However, it does influence our lives, as we will grow to look and act like the Secnesse - like I’m all playful and I’m really lanky and strong, because a wolf is my Essence. And our eyes also become the color that the Secnesse was.

Then, so, when we come of age, we’re able to turn into the Secnesse animal - the wolf I am right now really isn’t me at all, it’s the Secnesse that chose to be my Essence. But then, the Secnesse is so happy to be itself again that first time that it tries to regain control of its free will.

Two things can happen from there. Usually what occurs is that the human will be strong enough to keep the Secnesse under control, and so it subsides and doesn’t try to control itself ever again. But sometimes . . . sometimes the humans aren’t strong enough, and the Secnesse gets its will back. Then the Essenced one becomes a Feral, a former human gone wild, trapped in an animal’s body. The Wilds are a lot worse, though - they’re neither human or Secnesse, they’re just normal animals like you’d have around your world. Except they’re giant. So our job, the Essenced ones and the Secnesse, is to keep the Wilds under control so they won’t spread beyond our forest. That would be pretty bad for any of you that aren’t Essenced or Secnesse.

We don’t officially become "controllers", though, until we become Tri-Years. We’re a Tri-Year when it’s been three years since we first shapeshifted; usually this is about fifteen years of age. Then we’re considered an “adult,” and become a full member of the tribe. Aila and Scia and Feli and I aren’t too far away from becoming Tri-Years, but we plan to enjoy our “childhood” while we can.

I rolled around in the river, submerging my head for a brief instant as I tried to soak up as much water as I could. Then I stood, waterlogged and dripping, and padded lazily over to Feli.

Don’t you dare, she said, narrowing her eyes, and taking a step backwards.

I stood beside her and shook myself, flinging the water in all directions - especially towards her. The cat yowled and scrambled towards the nearest tree, now soaked herself. She clawed her way up to a branch well out of my reach, dripping and horrified. I laughed helplessly, and even Aila and and Scia joined in.

Chapter 2

The three of us eventually came out of our Essences and returned to the village. Our clothes were still intact; the clothes always merged into our fur when we became our Essences.

“Hello, Lupa,” my mother said to me when I entered our little cabin, smiling warmly as she glanced away from her bread kneading. Her name’s Cana; her Essence is a golden and silver Siberian husky. Mom’s always friendly, but she never stops working, and you can’t argue with her. She’s pretty stubborn. And then she’s sorta stocky, but in a muscular way, and then her eyes are weird - one gray, one yellow.

“Hi Mom,” I replied with a grin, heading towards my room. “Is Dad still out . . . ?”

She sighed, shaking her head with a smile. “Yes; he and a few other Tri-Years went wolf chasing.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Again?” Wolf chasing was a popular sport for us, even though it was pretty dangerous. Only the bravest ever tried. What you did was find a pack of Wild wolves, and then you basically track them until you find them, at which point you run as fast as you can to get out of there. But if they notice you - which they usually do - and catch up to you, you have to fight them. Or you die. So yeah, pretty dangerous.

Mom nodded, grimacing. “I’m afraid so. Larctos just doesn’t know when to stop.”

I shrugged. “I guess.” I was pretty jealous of Dad; I’d always wanted to go wolf chasing, but Mom wouldn’t hear of it - she said it was bad enough that Dad was always out doing it, not to mention how dangerous it was. I was practically a wolf myself; I didn’t see how I’d get hurt very much.

She laughed. “Did you finish your chores?”

I nodded. “Yup, I did before I went swimming with the others.”

Mom nodded. “Good; why don’t you come help me out then? You can make a cake for dessert.”

“Fine, fine,” I sighed. “I’m gonna go change real quick then.”

She smiled. “Hurry up now.”

I nodded, and raced upstairs.

Life is different here. Different than the way the rest of you live. See, we do everything by hand. Cooking, cleaning, and everything. The only modern technology we have are computers, televisions, and electricity. We shut ourselves off from the rest of the world mostly this way, which will help protect the others. If they found out about us, there’d be so many people coming here that the Wilds would get pretty well-fed for a few years.

I almost tripped over my little sister Cala in the hallway; she was sitting around and sucking her thumb as usual. “Hey Cal,” I said with a grin, reaching down to ruffle the two-year-old’s long, glossy red hair.

“LOOP!” she said. “Daddy’s chasing ‘gan.”

I laughed. “Yeah. He always goes wolf chasing, doesn’t he?”

She nodded.

“Whadaya think, Cal, maybe he’ll catch me one day?”

She shook her head. “NO! Loop stay here.”

I laughed, and continued into my room. Shortly after, I went downstairs to my mom.

“Kay, which cake?” I asked, pulling the recipe book out from our cabinet.

“I was thinking the cream cheese pound cake,” she said, smiling as she set her bread dough in a bowl to rise, covering it with a towel.

I nodded, thumbing through until I found it. Then I went around the kitchen, collecting ingredients and dumping them on the table.

“Careful with the eggs!” she warned me. I rolled my eyes, and started working on the cake.

(There's more; I'll post after I get a few comments. XD)

Next part on post 5.

Well here's one of your comments but I loved your story so much I think it counts as 2 xD

1st of all I loved your characters names they are very original and the kind I have a hard time thinking of xD

2nd of all I love your writing style (as you know :) and it was great to finally read a story of yours for a change and I can say I like your story just as much as your many poems! I hope to read some of Dragon Soul soon!!

This is... really good.

Your ideas are very creative.

Thanks! I'm not on the right computer to post more, but I will later. XD The names are actually all based on the animals' scientific names; I never woulda come up with them otherwise! And I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I might post some of DS eventually, but it'll only be a chapter or two since I'm not really revealing it to the public anymore. XD

Thanks Pugs!

Chapter 3

I stood anxiously before the gathering of Tri-Years, my limbs quivering. Today was the day I would finally join them. Feli had gone before me, and she was now with them, grinning excitedly at me. But Scia and Aila still had to wait, unfortunately. Oh well - at least I wasn’t the first one to go like Feli. And I wouldn’t be the last, like Scia.

“Lupa, the one of the wolf,” my father said to me - it was traditional for the father to perform the ceremony. He was big, brawny, and dark - his Essence was the polar bear, but oddly enough, a brown one. His eyes shone, revealing the hidden Secnesse within him. “It has been three years counting since the first time you were one with your Essence. And now you join us as a Tri-Year, a full member of our community. Do you avow to vigilantly and loyally govern the Wilds, no matter what consequences this may bring for you?”

“I do,” I swore, my eyes shining with excitement. I could barely contain myself.

“Then let us each be one with our Essence.” He swiftly turned into a polar bear, and all the rest of us copied him.

Lupa, he said, his voice in each of our minds. You have chosen the way of the Essenced. We now welcome you as a Tri-Year. I laid submissively on the ground before him while he spoke, as he put a paw on my head.

The other animals let out a chorus of loud noises, welcoming me. I got back to my feet with a grin, feeling on top of the world as I wagged my tail.

Congratulations, Lupa! Feli purred, coming forward to twine herself through my legs.

Thanks Feli, I said.

Now it is time for the first duty of the Essenced. Our tribe will go on patrol now, so that we can make sure the Wilds are not going beyond the territory. Attack any which you see. The animals agreed with their various noises, and the procession headed out. I trotted cheerily along with them, hardly able to wait. Maybe I’d even be wolf chasing before long!

Chapter 4

The tribe headed back to the village at sundown. We’d taken down a few snakes and a fox; nothing huge. It still felt amazing, though, to finally understand it all. Like it was hard to kill them, knowing they were so much like us. But then when you saw the stupidity in their eyes, you knew you were doing the world a favor.

When we got back we found a strange man - or teenager, really - in the center of the village. He seemed out of place here, like he wasn’t sure what to make of the village or the tribe. “Who are you?” our leader demanded - Draco, the dragon - stalking up to him as he returned to his human form. The rest of us tentatively followed suit, approaching the strange boy.

He was tall and muscular, but lean all the same. His hair was messily cropped short, and black. His bright blue eyes darted around as he examined us. “I am Leo,” he said in a deep, husky voice.

“What have you come here for, Leo?” Draco asked.

“I heard there was a tribe for those who are Essenced. I am an Essenced, and so I came to see what this is about.”

“You have heard correctly, my friend. But whom did you hear this from?”

“From my Secnesse.”

“What?” I whispered confusedly to Feli, and found I wasn’t the only one whispering. “I thought the Secnesse were just in us, but didn’t do anything? Not even talk to us?”

“So did I,” she murmured.

“I’m rather close to mine,” he explained. “A lion. And we have a bargain with each other - when in animal form, the Secnesse governs, but when in human form I do. We have a very intimate relationship; we can communicate and work together like no others I have seen before. We’re so in tune that no matter which form we choose to take, it hardly matters, as we both always choose to do what the other would have done anyway. We’re also able to communicate mentally because of our bond, such as the Essenced can with each other when animals.”

“Whoa,” I murmured not to Feli this time but to myself. That was . . . awesome. This Leo dude was pretty lucky.

“That is amazing,” Draco said, looking as if he meant it. “Truly, you must be one of a kind, for I have never seen such as you either.”

He nodded as if it were obvious. “I wanted to see if perhaps there were a place for me in your tribe.”

“Our tribe is always open to the Essenced,” Draco said warmly. “Are you a Tri-Year?”

He nodded. “Been ‘of Essence’ for four years now.”

“Welcome then. We do have a few free cabins, fully furnished and stocked with what provisions one would need. You may feel free to have one of these.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

“Now, will one of you please show our friend Leo the free cabins, and after he situates himself, take him around the village on a little tour?” He looked around those gathered. “Lupa,” he said, beckoning me forward.

Flushing, I hurried over to Draco. Was I supposed to be Leo’s tour guide? It didn’t seem very natural. He looked more like he should be leading me.

“Will you please be Leo’s guide until he is fully familiar with our ways?”

I nodded, respectfully looking down at the ground. “Of course, Draco, sir.”

He smiled. “Thank you. Now let us leave Lupa and Leo in peace.” He drifted away, and the rest soon followed. Feli was the last to head home, giving me a long look that I didn’t understand before turning away.

Leo stared down at me then, and I turned even redder. “What?”

“How old are you?”

“Fifteen,” I said, glaring.

He rolled his eyes. “No wonder . . .” Leo sighed then. “Well, are you going to show me around then?”

“Er . . . yeah,” I said, staring down at my feet and feeling highly discouraged. He didn’t seem to think very much of me. “The extra cabins are this way.” I slowly walked in their direction, and he quietly followed me along.

Next part on post 8.

This is really good Shadz!

Good job! Post more soon!

Thanks guys! =3

I have like one chapter left; I need to write more. XD But here it is!

Chapter 5

It wasn’t so bad to show Leo around, since at least he was quiet. But the silence was the awkward part; it just felt like he thought he was so much better than I was. I wasn’t used to being treated with such disdain - everyone else in the village was nice, unlike he seemed to be.

I was pretty relieved when we finally finished and I got to go home and have dinner. Mom, Dad, Cala and I ate quietly - well, not Cala really. She kept laughing as she threw her food on the floor. I stared at my plate though as I ate.

“LOOP!” Cala suddenly shouted. “There was a stwange Esenth today.”

“Yeah, he was weird, wasn’t he?” I asked, looking up at her. Dad shot me a warning glance, which I ignored.

Cala nodded. “And meanie-lookin.”

“Yup,” I sighed, looking back down at my plate.

“Now, Lupa, maybe that boy is just shy,” my mom said rebukingly.

“Doubt it. He just thinks he’s better than the rest of us,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Lupa, that’s enough,” Dad snapped. “He is a member of our tribe now, and I will not have you bad-mouthing him.”

“Fine,” I sighed. “I’m done.” I went and dumped my plate in the sink, then stomped up to my room.

Next part on page 2, post 4.

Sweet! This is still amazing!

Thanks, Dream!

You're welcome!

Wow! I love this!

Thanks Keri! =3

I just realized that out of all the stories I'm working on, this is the only original one. XD Like, completely not based on anything else. (Dragon Soul probably isn't based on Hannah Montana anymore, but I don't have it posted here, so yah. XD)

Here's more! XD I edited the last paragraph of the part I posted earlier, so that's why I'm reposting it.

“Fine,” I sighed. “I’m done.” I went and dumped my plate in the sink.

“Lupa!” Dad growled . But I ignored him, and danced upstairs to my room, giggling. It was fun to make him mad, now that I wasn’t so intimidated by him as I was when I was Cala’s age. I peered outside my window, and suddenly was stirred with jealousy to see Feli and Leo talking.

Why? Well, why was I jealous, of course, but why were they talking? Feli was usually really reserved; it’d been hard enough for her to warm up to Aila, Scia, and I, and here she is, laughing with the new guy?

I suppose they kinda would be nice for each other, though, if it did turn into anything. I mean, lions and domestic cats were certainly related. And if a dog and a cat didn’t get along, wouldn’t that make a wolf and a lion even worse? Maybe that was why he hadn’t been so nice to me. But I just shook it off; I got jealous whenever I saw anyone talking to a guy. I’d never been very lucky in that spectrum of life.

Sighing, I dug through my nightstand for my hairbrush, and then yanked it through my hair. But after a few seconds I just tossed it back in, figuring my hair was decent. I looked in the mirror, and grinned at the reflection; I loved how my hair always looked kinda nice no matter how messy it was. In my opinion, at least.

Suddenly, Aila clambered up the side of the house - they were easy to climb, being made haphazardly of bricks and such - and laughed. Climbing was the one thing she could do well, although she still couldn’t beat Feli at it - much less Scia. But I sure sucked when I tried. “Hey, Lupa, can you come out?”

I glanced towards the door to my room. When I didn’t hear any more commotion about me, I turned back to Aila and grinned. “Why not.”

“Great!” She let herself back down, and I followed her rather awkwardly, hardly able to keep hold of the wall. When I got to the last five feet, I jumped off the wall, twirling around in midair to land just right - even if I did stumble a bit.

I found Feli and Scia waiting there. What the heck? Hadn’t Feli just been talking to Leo? They grinned. “Race ya!” Scia shouted, and turned and scampered towards the forest. We always ended up in there; it was automatic. Especially cus the river was kinda our hideout, even though it was a horrible spot to “hide.”

“Cheater! You got a head start!” I laughed, immediately launching myself after her.

“Hey!” Feli protested, and I could hear her feet impacting the ground half a second later.

“Ohhhh gosh,” Aila sighed, shaking her head as she trotted after us.

Next part on post 7.

This is good Shadz!

Thanks Dream! =3

Here's a new part!

The usual battle in the water ensued once we got to the river, and then we all just swam around - even Feli, shockingly - until it began to get dark. Then we returned to our essences, the water dripping off of us to form huge puddles on the ground, and trotted back home.

When we got there, we found a bright blue, powerful-looking lion in camp - obviously an Essenced. But who? Was this Leo? I’d never seen him before in this form. The others and I froze, staring warily at him. Suddenly, our own Essence forms seemed weak.

The lion’s gaze turned to us, and then he padded over. Scia. Feli. Aila. Lupa, he acknowledged. The voice was probably Leo’s - the echoes of telepathy always distorted the sound a little, so it was hard to tell.

Who are you? I asked, snorting as I tried to hide my fear.

Leo. Or his Secnesse.

Next part on page 3, post 3.

My eyes widened. Whoa, I commented to my friends.

Double whoa, Scia replied, narrowing her eyes as she darted to hide between my legs.

How do we know he’s really Leo’s Secnesse, though, rather than actually Leo? Feli asked, smugly suspicious.

I shrugged. Um, Feli wants to know how we can tell if you’re really the Secnesse?

The lion rolled his eyes, and just padded away.

Well, that’s certainly Leo’s personality, at least, I muttered.

Nice!

Thanks!

You're welcome. Are you going to write more?

Haha nice.

Here's more!

You remember what he said, though, don’t you? Feli said, her voice prim. He and his Secnesse are so connected that it doesn’t matter whether one is in charge or the other; there’s no difference.

Well, then how can he ever prove that it’s his Secnesse when he’s in animal form?

My point exactly.

Scia and Aila were shocked into silence. The silence said enough - we all knew now that Leo was the shadiest one here.

Chapter 6

Dad went out wolf hunting again the next evening. I kind of shadowed him until he left - by himself, like usual. I sighed forlornly as I went up to my room; would I ever get to go chase the wolves along with all the other Tri-Years? I peeked out my window after Dad and the others, who had gone to their Essences by now, and was shocked to see Leo’s Essence among them as well.

Real nice, Dad, I growled to myself. It felt like he was excluding me. Scowling, I clambered out my window, and crept around the house. Leaning against the side, I waited, and then looked cautiously out after a few minutes. Good, they’re gone.

Taking the most of what time I had, I morphed into a wolf and scampered hurriedly towards the forest, intending to head to the river where I could get some peace. Once I was into the trees, I slowed to a walk, taking in a lungful of air. The others’ scents still lingered nearby, where they’d gone after the Wild wolves, but otherwise I seemed to be alone.

Unluckily, however, I found Aila and Scia at the river, having a splash fight in the shallower part.

Hey guys, I greeted them, coming over and plopping myself down at the bank half-heartedly. Feli here?
Scia leapt out of the water to tackle me, with a cheeky chatter of a laugh. Nope! she said, grinning. Haven’t seen her.
Aila nodded, loping out of the water. Me neither.
I wondered if she’d gone wolf chasing, too . . . but I shook it off. Surely they wouldn’t let her go? After all, I’d never been invited, and my parents for sure wouldn’t allow it. But still . . . maybe? What if she went with the others? I suggested, forcing a laugh to keep the mood light.

But from them there was silence.

Oh, come on! You don’t really think . . . ?

I bet she did, Scia growled, baring her sharp little teeth. It’d be just like her! Go off with all the older Tri-Years without a backwards glance. Just because we’re a few months younger . . .

Aila shook her head. Scia’s right. I could definitely see Feli doing that.

This time it was my turn to be shocked. Then I remembered the scents I’d came across. Well, I won’t believe it until I see the truth, I uttered, turning and trotting away. I’m going to go check the scents.

Hey, wait for us! Scia called eagerly, pelting after me. Even Aila bumbled along, willingly for once.

It wasn’t long before we reached the scents again. Okay, here they are, I said, swallowing nervously. Even now I didn’t want to face it if Feli really had abandoned us like that. But I forced myself to start sniffing - and then I froze, shocked.

She did go, I whispered, my nose still against the ground. A clump of bright red fur was caught under a little branch, Feli’s scent all over it . . . and Leo’s. Even though it was insignificant, considering everyone else’s scents were around too, I couldn’t help but feel another pang of jealousy. I made a ‘blah’ face. This was going too far . . . I didn’t actually like this Leo guy, did I?

HOW DARE SHE! Scia screeched.

I bared my teeth, in a good mood to go along with my nut of a friend. We’re going after her, I said, and I ran along the trail of scents.

Hey, wait for us! Scia called again - and, as always, she and Aila hurried after me, with thoughts of betrayal and anger flashing through our minds.

Eventually, we heard voices a bit away, and stopped. It was just two - Feli, and Leo, I thought. In their Essences.

Stay here, I murmured to Scia and Aila, and crept quietly forward, hugging the ground. My eyes narrowed, as I came up behind a bush, and managed to see what was going on.

Feli was twining herself around Leo, looking up at him with an amorous expression. So, how’re you liking it here so far? she purred. It would’ve been an innocent enough question . . . if she hadn’t said it in such a flirtatious voice.

He stared at her with a blank expression, and very deliberately stepped away from the little cat. It’s fine.
She sidled up to him again. How about the people? Like me?

Leo’s eyes bored into her, still blank, and then he turned and padded away. It was satisfying to watch, although I couldn’t help but feel back for Feli. She didn’t seem sad, though; she just stood there with a lashing tail and pricked ears, looking miffed.

Very carefully, I crept backwards until I was far enough away, and then hurried back to Aila and Scia.

Well? Scia demanded, her ears wide open.

I shook my head in disgust. She likes Leo, apparently, even though he doesn’t feel the same way. And she sure doesn’t seem to care that we’re not there. They weren’t even with the rest of the group . . . they were nearby, though. I bet Feli just got him to lag behind.

Aila winced, and Scia growled out, Flirt.

I love the new part!!!

Thanks Dream! =3