Just another of my strange stories about magic and chaos. Been more motivated to write this recently, so you'll probably be seeing more of this than my other books! More information on the characters and backstory can be found here. Hope you enjoy

I'm also experimenting a lot to see what fits my writing style best- I find it's easiest to write with multiple povs in each chapter, so you'll probably be seeing a lot of that here!

Gleaming amber eyes sparked triumphantly amidst a cloak of velvet shadows.

A skeletal fist clenched tightly.

Nails, tapering to pinprick points, dug sharply into flesh.

Her suspicions were correct.

She was alone, and she was not alone.

Her time had come.

She moved with the certain agility of a feline, her lithe form curving gracefully as she flung herself across the clearing. Her landing was soft, silent. Her posture was radiating confidence, and though invisible in the darkness of nightfall, her lips twisted slowly into a grim smile. With yellowed fang-tips glinting against the moon’s weak glow, she crouched, silhouetted against a navy sky.

There was something strange about her- about the way she moved; about her narrow pupils and wolfish fangs; about the way her gaze was flickering, never ceasing, scanning the undergrowth, the canopy, the branches..

Like a dragon preparing for flight, she raised her arms, which trembled not from fear but exhilaration. Finally.. after five excruciating years of waiting…

The injustice of the entire situation overtook her and bitterness welled in her throat again- it was all she could do to choke down the shriek of fury that was fighting to escape her mouth. She forced herself to take a shuddering breath and let go of the past- her troubles were irrelevant. Though they did not know it, innocent lives were in the balance. Lives that depended on her.

Somehow, that strange sense of responsibility calmed her, and she stood with less rigidity, allowing her eyes to snap shut as she waited for the gift that had been her downfall.

A moment’s pause, in which the forest held its breath in anticipation..

And the first orbs of light materialised.

They came from nowhere, tiny glowing specks bobbing gently in the air before her, hardly noticeable at first glance. As if drawn by some great invisible magnet, they pulled toward the figure, surrounding her in their soft, comforting glow.

Time seemed to slow so steadily it almost ground to a halt, and although the entire process took less than three seconds, it felt like hours before she moved again. Enveloped in light, a radiant beam against the inky sky, she took a single step forward, eyes glowing eerily in the harsh light.

Her limbs stiffened and her body shook as she was thrown upwards, suspended in the air. The orbs pulsed gently around her heart, illuminating her face.

And then she was gone.

*

Cumulo’s skin prickled with undisguised joy as he broke into a run, ducking to avoid branches as the force of the billowing wind caused his eyes to water. Finally- after what felt like centuries- he had obtained the information he needed. But a lingering doubt tugged at the corner of his mind. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe she isn’t here at all.

He pushed the thoughts forcefully from his mind and continued, leaping over a fallen tree, and continuing at breakneck speed. His doubts subsided and a laugh of pure glee escaped his mouth. He had been trying to contact her for so many years, and yet nobody seemed to have any idea where she was located. Until now.

Brilliant sunlight flooded the copse. Something stirred in the thickets and he froze, hardly daring to hope..

Before sighing heavily as a mouse emerged from the shadows and scuttled away.

Am I being too optimistic? he wondered, hopes dashed yet again. She could well have moved on by now.

He continued, slightly subdued, at a brisk walk. Autumn leaves of gold, scarlet and amber- just like her eyes, he couldn’t help but think- dappled the ground, embellishing the otherwise dull cobblestone path like jewels. His eyes dropped to the ground- and landed on a small, flattened patch in the cascade of brightly coloured leaves. A footprint.

Encouraged, he picked up his pace again, hopeful. And at last, as he surveyed his surroundings, his sharp eyes picked up a rustle amidst the trees. Squinting, he could just make out a shadow- a human shadow.

“Cirrus?” he called softly.

And she stepped out into the light.

At first glance, she was just as he remembered her- hair wild and matted; the light of steely determination in her dark amber eyes; skin smooth and dark like an acorn’s shell, though now blemished by scars. On closer inspection, however, she looked somewhat malnourished, and her posture was tense with wariness. Cumulo also noticed that she had pierced her left ear with what looked like a badger claw. Typical.

But despite the changes in her appearance, the youth standing before him was, undoubtedly, his sister.

“Cirrus,” he repeated in awe, pulling her into a tight embrace. She hesitated for only a moment before returning it.

“Brother,” she whispered, her voice quavering slightly. “You care?”

The question took Cumulo by surprise. “Of course I care about you. You- you’re everything to me.”

Cirrus seemed relieved by his answer. “You, too, are everything.” She nestled closer, leaning against him and rubbing her face against his shoulder like a dog greeting its master. “How are you found Cirrus?”

“Long story, sis,” he replied, fondling her gently.

“Ah.” Cirrus nodded wisely. “Cirrus also long story, small time. Five year long.”

“How did you know it’s been five years?” Cumulo inquired, startled.

Cirrus shrugged carelessly and displayed her hands to him. “Five year, claws come. Cirrus like claws,” she added, sharp fangs glinting in her grin as she inspected her nails.

“Course you do,” Cumulo said with a resigned sigh, eyeing his sister’s fingertips warily. “Just keep ‘em to yourself, hey?”

Cirrus nodded vigorously. “Yes,” she confirmed. “Claw not Cumulo. Claw for enemies.”

Which wasn’t entirely reassuring.

There was a minute’s hesitation in which neither brother nor sister seemed to know what to say. Finally, Cirrus broke the silence with a single word: “Come.”

“Come where?” Cumulo asked nervously, staring into the depths of the forest. Cirrus smiled a mysterious smile, turned, and fled.

“Wait up!” The words flew from his mouth before he had even registered what was happening- and then he was laughing again, streaking after his sister, weaving through the windswept trees.. the world was a blur, and nothing mattered any more. He was with his sister again.

Finally, Cirrus skittered to a halt, interrupting his positive train of thought. She beamed proudly, letting him take in his surroundings.

“It’s.. some trees?”

“No, no! Closer look.”

Cumulo squinted into the shadows, trying to make out a shape in the darkness. And as his eyes adjusted, the dark shapes began to make sense. The branches were skilfully weaved into a perfect half-sphere; saplings leaned forward as if drawn into deep bows of respect; they parted only to make an opening, a vine-concealed doorway.

It was a den- no, more than that- a house.

“Cirrus,” he whispered weakly. “Wow. You are.. extraordinary.”

Cirrus returned his smile, but her expression carried a trace of awkwardness, even longing. “Maybe to some,” she murmured, voice breaking. “But few.”

“What do you mean?”

Cirrus’ gaze dropped, and she stared forlornly at the ground. “Cirrus is.. monster.”

Cumulo leapt to her side, arm around her shoulder, but he said nothing. Just let her speak.

“Not even human.”

His grip on her shoulder tightened and his heart lurched, but he tried to sound light-hearted all the same. “Who wants to be human, anyway?”

Her reply was soft but certain, bitterness and anxiety loaded into the single word she spoke.

“Me.”

*

Everything is different now.

Back when she left, there were still two tribes.

Back when she left, I was only nine years old.

Back when she left, Mother and Father still cared for one another.
No use thinking about that now.

Cirrus has changed, too.

Of course, I didn’t expect her to be the same. The speech thing should have been predictable- it only makes sense. Five years without human interaction is a long time. She was bound to forget some things.

But where is the old Cirrus? She used to be so outgoing, so.. so confident. And look at her now. Feral. Uncertain. Afraid.

She has lived in this forest for almost half her life, and yet she still appears to be lost.

Her heart holds many secrets, things she does not tell me, not because she won’t, but because she can’t. I would not understand them. And for the time being, I do not need to.

But if I do? If my sister needs assistance, who else will she call to? I must be the only one she knows- or trusts.

No use getting anxious over it. She’s survived for years on her own. She doesn’t need me now.

No- she only needed me when I was not there. Why didn’t I go with her? Was my sense of self-preservation greater than my love for my sister? Or was I just a fool? Why wasn’t I there with her? I should have been with her.. she could have died. It is a miracle that she survived. How did she survive?

So many questions. But there will be no answers.

Leave the questions to us, they used to say. But that was when they still cared.

Maybe now it’s my job to care. For myself, and for her. And yet, I can not control her. I can sense something different about Cirrus.. she will make history; I am sure of it.

Perhaps I could take her back home.

No.

What am I thinking?

If they saw her, they would kill her on the spot, no questions asked.

I can not allow her to be harmed.

If only..

Wishing will get me nowhere. I must look at the situation and try to help my sister in whatever way I can.

But Cirrus has always been independent. Will she accept my help?

She has changed. She is older now. Surely she knows she can’t isolate herself forever. Can she?

She has seen so many hardships- maybe they’ve already broken her. Maybe there really is nothing I can do for her.

But she is alive. That, in itself, is a miracle.

*

“No, hear me out- I saw one, I swear I saw one!”

Forrest Clowder leaned forward, glaring at his sister intensely. Birch sighed with exaggerated patience as she rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Forrest. Can’t you get anything into that thick head of yours? The Cursed are a myth. You know what that means? They. Don’t. Exist.”

“I even checked in the book! It had the eyes and everything. And the claws,” he insisted emphatically.

Birch was silent for a moment, thinking up a scathing retort. Drumming his foot impatiently, Forrest stared into the distance, mulling over the events of the day. A loud sniff punctuated his thoughts, and Birch opened her mouth again. “And what did this.. this thing look like?”

“Well, I didn’t see it very well.. it was all hidden in shadows, and.. stuff,” he protested feebly. His sister raised her eyebrow, but he ploughed on. “And then there was a kind of flash, and she- I mean, it- turned into a kind of snakey thing!”

“A kind of snakey thing. Sure.”

“Yes! With fur!”

“So you want me to believe you were walking alone in the forest and just happened to come across an exiled Curse transforming into a furry snake and running away.”

“Yes.”

“You’re hopeless,” she snorted, a grin stretching slowly across her face. “Absolutely hopeless. You always were a bad liar, Forrest.”

Forrest snarled defiantly and backed away. “Well, I’m going to tell Dad. He’ll believe me, and we can hunt her- it- down together. And then everyone will believe us, and you’ll just look stupid.”

He received no reply, only another huff while Birch sidled away, eyeing him as if he were contagious. “I’ll show you,” he spat, storming away to his shack in search for his father.

He brushed away the trickle of doubt that slipped under his wrath, but found himself unable to prevent the thought that followed.

Someone is about to die because of me.

Oh my word this is amazing! I love it, Moony! It's way better than TWW I love the concept and the plotline and most importantly- Cirrus! For some reason she reminds me of Whiteout lol Ig they both speak in small, sometimes odd phrases! And they are both bean

Red-Wolf-2010 wrote:

Oh my word this is amazing! I love it, Moony! It's way better than TWW I love the concept and the plotline and most importantly- Cirrus! For some reason she reminds me of Whiteout lol Ig they both speak in small, sometimes odd phrases! And they are both bean

Thanks so much!! TWW is obviously superior though!
Cirrus is probably my most developed character (Forrest didn't even exist until I started writing about him, and Cumulo used to be a younger sister-) but I mainly just like writing her dialogue

Aaaaa this is awesome! Something else for me to waste my life occupy myself with! As with LWH, I would yell ‘mORe I nEeD mORe’ but I must restrain myself. This is great and don't you dare try and tell me otherwise. (I must admit that when I read it, the Google translated version keeps popping into my head, but somehow that only makes it better-)

This is such an amazing and well-written story!

squirrelflight1010 wrote:

Red-Wolf-2010 wrote:

Oh my word this is amazing! I love it, Moony! It's way better than TWW I love the concept and the plotline and most importantly- Cirrus! For some reason she reminds me of Whiteout lol Ig they both speak in small, sometimes odd phrases! And they are both bean

Thanks so much!! TWW is obviously superior though!
Cirrus is probably my most developed character (Forrest didn't even exist until I started writing about him, and Cumulo used to be a younger sister-) but I mainly just like writing her dialogue

lol yes imao- I like well developed characters!

Unlike mine