Lone Wolf Chronicles

Part 1: In the Company of Wolves

Northern Montana - About an Hour Northwest of Flathead Lake

It was a winter day like any other in the American wilderness. Among the natural beauty of the snow covered trees and mountains was a remote cabin on a modest plot of land. Summer birds had migrated south and the winter birds had taken their place, filling the air with their early morning songs.

William opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. It was still early morning, but the fire in the wood stove was nearly out. Making his way across the room, William added an extra piece of firewood and stoked the fire a bit. Within a few minutes, its warmth permeated throughout the rest of the cabin.

As he made his way back towards his gear, he stopped for a brief moment and checked his reflection in the mirror - taking note of the bits of grey coming out in his beard and hair. For the time being, his illness had not gotten worse; but there was also no telling whether or not he was truly getting better.

Dressed warmly, he gathered his hunting supplies - a knife and 1911 pistol on his belt, a lever action 45-70 slung across his back, and a compound bow. The bow was meant to allow for quiet hunting, while the rifle and pistol were meant for either a quick follow-up shot or general protection.

Though his main query were deer that morning, the mountains were home to all manner of creatures - deer, mountain lions, wolves, bears, and even wer's. It may not be in any of those creature's nature to openly attack, but desperation and hunger change everything.

Heading out to the barn, William saddled up his horse and headed off through the snow in search of prey. A couple of hours later, he returned leading his horse by the reigns with two freshly killed deer lain over its back.

Makoyi Creek Settlement/Wer Community

A few miles down the mountain was a small settlement known as Makoyi Creek. Its inhabitants were a combination of European and Blackfoot descent, but they all shared a common trait - it was a town full of werewolves - some born, some turned.

Many were "purebreds," meaning that the blood of the first wolves or higher lycans ran through their veins. This meant that they treated each other like wolves treat each other in the wild. They provided for their families, protected the weak, and were wary of outsiders.

Sometimes, wandering lone wer's found their way into Makoyi Creek who were more human than wolf. When transformed, they still had enhanced strength and speed; but not to the extent of those with more wolf than humanlike characteristics.

Depending on what kind of human these wer's were before being turned deeply affected their personality. Some accepted the "way of the wolf" and were welcomed to live peaceably among the inhabitants of Makoyi Creek. Others were cast out by the Alpha, the sheriff of that area if they displayed a penchant for aggression, blood lust, and savagery.

The sheriff of Makoyi Creek was a large man who had come from Native American descent whom everyone called Joseph. Truth be told, Joseph belonged to a line of wolves with a deep and rich history. Quick to defend the week and just, he was respected by his pack.

Though he did not know about William's true origin (or even his identity for that matter), Joseph welcomed him into the community. Going by the name "Charlie Grey," William kept his identity a secret and never challenged Joseph's leadership.

To the wolves of Makoyi Creek, William was just old Charlie Grey. He brought in fresh kills to the local butcher along with skins and other useful materials in exchange for money, and that was the extent of his contribution to the pack.

That morning, as William led his horse into town with fresh meat, he noticed Joseph and a local craftsman standing in front of the local saloon. The craftsman had just finished replacing one of the front windows of the tavern and was just cleaning up.

"Morning Charlie," Joseph said with a nod. "Those are some good looking deer you've got there."

William nodded back and replied, "New window?" taking note of the broken glass which was being cleaned up nearby.

"We had a couple of drifters come through last night... they got a little rowdy..." Joseph said.

"A little rowdy?!" a voice exclaimed from inside the saloon. Out walked Kayla, the bartender on duty from the night before. By the look of her clothes, she had not been home yet and had clearly stayed at the bar overnight dealing with what had transpired. "Those pieces of $hit came in, roughed up two of our patrons, put their hands on ME, and then put a barstool through the window when I asked them to pay their tab and leave!" she said. "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't gotten there so quickly, Joseph..."

It was clear to William that Kayla was still shaken up by what had happened the night before. She was a young wolf born in Makoyi Creek and twenty-three years of age. She had been bartending at the saloon for a couple of years, and for someone so young, William had seen her always maintain a calm and level-headed composure. Something about the wanderers had set her on edge and her survival instincts had kicked in.

"Sorry about your window..." William said quietly.

"It's not your fault, Charlie." Kayla replied with a slight look of relief.

With that, William left Kayla and Joseph to discuss and made his way towards the butcher's shop. He could not help but wonder why those drifters had come through. Various questions and scenarios raced through his head. Kayla said that it was not his fault; but William could not help but feel that some portion of it was.

If he had not been sick, there would have been someone to get bring those rogue wolves to heel. Luckily, Joseph was there. He was one of the few sheriffs in the region who had not deserted his post when William stepped down from the throne.

Still, Joseph was just one immortal - a powerful at that, but still just one real fighter. There were other fighters in the pack, but none that matched Joseph. What if there were more rogues? What if they were just probing the defenses of the town, or sizing up the alpha? What if they returned with greater numbers?

"It's not your fault," William said to himself. "There's nothing you can do... just stay out of it... don't get involved..."

After dropping off his kills to the butcher and getting his payment, William brought his horse to the livery so that it could get a chance to warm up. At nights, the moon was getting fuller. In two days, there would be a full moon.

As his horse got warm in the heated livery, William pondered getting something to warm himself up and headed towards the saloon for a drink...

(More coming soon...)

Your writing has always been fascinating, and this gives me classic Spaghetti western vibes!

If you know what the game Inscryption is about, then that's an interaction brewing in my mind :)

@thisisgonnahurt: Thanks man! I’ll have to check it out.

@the_hunter:

The horror atmosphere is top notch and I'd love to emulate it in a poker game using Mephisto

But that begs the question... what would "Charlie" be willing to wager? ;)

Part 2: Fireflies

Makoyi Creek (Wer Settlement) - Night Before the Full Moon

The saloon with Makoyi Creek was nothing fancy. It was old and rustic, and the walls were covered in local photos and hunting trophies. However, William appreciated the fact that they kept good whiskey in stock and had decent humidor.

While his horse continued to warm up in the livery, William sought the warmth of a glass of bourbon (straight) and a good cigar. "Need matches with that, Charlie?" Kayla offered, as she handed him a glass and a cigar. It was clear she had finally been able to get some rest and clean up after her previous shift, as she seemed much calmer than earlier.

"I've got some." he replied with a smile, taking his drink and cigar from the bar. William made his way way across the saloon and seated himself near the fireplace - his back to a corner and his eyes on each exit of the saloon. He draped his coat over the chair next to him and took in the warmth of the freshly stoked hearth.

After taking a sip of his bourbon, William proceeded to notch a v-cut into the end of his cigar and get out his own matches from his coat pocket. Toasting the end just a bit, he placed the cigar in his mouth and puffed a bit - getting a nice burn going.

Just as he was about to lean back and relax, the saloon door opened - bringing in a slight chill - and in walked Joseph. He warmly greeted a few of the patrons and Kayla before making his way towards William's table.

"Hello Charlie," he said. "Mind if I sit?" William exhaled smoke, nodded his head politely, and motioned to the chair across from him. "Thanks..." Joseph said, taking a seat. "I wanted to have a word with you about what happened here last night..." He then flagged down Kayla for a drink. "I'll have what he's having..."

Joseph looked down for a moment and his face took a more serious look. William had seen that look countless times throughout the centuries. It was the look that any worthwhile commander had before having to send their soldiers into battle - wishing that it were not necessary, but knowing that it was unavoidable.

"This wasn't the first time those rogue wer's have come through lately... is it..." William said.

"No..." Joseph replied heavily. "They're coming through more often than usual... even more than they were after the king fell..." He raised his glass for a moment and took a drink. It struck William a little odd, but he raised his glass and well and (ironically) drank to his own memory - unbeknownst to the others.

"My scouts tell me that these rogue wer's are starting to band together and they've been targeting settlements like ours..." he continued. "Two weeks ago, the Missoula pack was taken by them. They're only five or six hours south of us... and they were a larger pack... much larger than ours, Charlie..."

"What happened to them?" William asked, leaning forward in his seat a little.

"They killed the alpha..." Joseph replied. "...ripped him to shreds and fed on him in front of his own pack. These wer's are different. They're savage... mean... The packs they take over, they give them an ultimatum - join them, serve them, or become food. These dog soldiers target their own kind and infect them like a disease."

"What's the warden of this territory said of this?" William asked.

"The warden's got his hands full handling attacks like these." Joseph replied. "I'm one of the few sheriffs he had left within his jurisdiction after the fall, and now the sheriff of Missoula - one of our strongest allies - has been ripped to shreds by this godd$mn 'Messiah' that these rogues follow..."

"Messiah?"

"He's a fanatic, preaching the laws of natural selection to the extreme..." Joseph continued. "I haven't seen it firsthand, but scouts report that this is no ordinary alpha that's leading these rogues. He's definitely stronger and faster than a lot of the purebreds around... The sheriff of Missoula came from the old lines. The blood of the first wolves ran through his veins... nearly two hundred years old... and this Messiah bested him without even trying... ripped him apart in front of his own pack just to send a message... They say his bite even interacts with meta humans..."

By now, William's curiosity was peaked. "Our bite doesn't interact with meta humans," he said. "We can't turn them - only humans can be turned."

"He doesn't turn them." Joseph replied. "He absorbs their power... for limited amounts of time, but still... Again, I haven't seen it firsthand, but one of my scouts has... couldn't believe her eyes, but her heart was completely steady when she told me, so there was no lie there... He keeps meta humans chained up like cattle, feeding on their blood whenever he and his followers are looking for a particular high... He also gets stronger when he feeds on the blood of other alphas... and then the twisted ba$tard opens his wrists and lets his followers drink HIS blood... and they gain that power as well..."

"Well," William said. "He almost sounds as if he's not even like us."

With a look of absolute seriousness, Joseph looked William in the eyes and said, "They say he's the Power of the Alpha reborn..."

"You really think he's coming here?" William asked.

"Something's drawing him here, Charlie..." Joseph replied with a grave expression. "I know you're preferential to your cabin up the mountain, but it might be safer for you to come into town for a bit until this thing passes over... might be safer for the pack as well..." Before William could reply, Joseph reached up and placed his hand on William's shoulder. "Look, we don't know much about your past or who you were before you came here." he said. "But I know enough to see that you know how to handle yourself... You've seen battle, you've seen war... You're a fighter... and the wolves that live here need you right now... Please join us."

"I can't," William replied, looking away. "You're right... I've seen war... but I've also taken more than my fair share of damage. Trust me, I'd only slow you down. It might just be best to lay low, let them lose interest, and move on..."

With that, William finished his drink, put out his cigar and stood up to leave. As he grabbed his coat off of the chair next to him and walked by, Joseph caught his arm.

"We're stronger together..." he said. "Regardless of your past, Charlie, you don't have to be a lone wolf... Tell me you'll at least think about it... full moon's tomorrow night..."

William replied with, "Stay safe, Joseph." He then put on his coat and left the saloon.

As he walked towards the livery to fetch his horse, he could not help but think about what Joseph had said. If this so-called "Messiah" was as dangerous as he said, Joseph and the Makoyi Creek pack would be no match him or his pack of rogues.

With his horse rested and warmed up, William saddled up and trotted down the main street of town. As he rode past the saloon, Joseph came out front and waved farewell. William nodded in return and went on his way.

Further down the street was a small group of parked motorcycles. Four riders, male and female, were standing nearby talking to one another. As William rode past, they grew quiet and looked at him - their eyes glowing in the darkness. Without a doubt, they were part of that group of rogue wer's.

It was a common battle tactic to send scouts up ahead to probe defenses before any major assault. William just hoped that Joseph and the other members of the Makoyi Creek pack kept a low profile and would not draw too much attention. As he said before, with any luck the group of rogue wer's would lose interest and pass through without causing too much damage...

Eventually, William reached his cabin further up the mountain. After stabling his horse and restoking the fire of his wood stove, he went over to his bed and knelt down. Reaching underneath, he pulled out a storage locker and opened it up.

Though the locker contained bits of memorabilia, William's eyes went directly towards two specific boxes in the upper right corner. He opened them up to reveal specially cast silver ammunition - 45-70 for the rifle, and .45 ACP for the pistol. He then proceeded to load both weapons.

A few hours later, William lay awake in bed. He could not help but feel as if he were being watched. Though his senses of hearing and smell were slightly diminished, they still functioned at a somewhat higher level as the full moon approached...

With all the lights out and the cabin in complete darkness, he carefully approached a nearby window and peeked behind the curtain - moving in silence and being careful not to draw any attention. There was an extended drive which led away from William's cabin that he would take whenever he traveled into the settlement and at the edge was a dense tree line.

William's eyes saw through the darkness, and at the edge of the tree line stood a lone dark figure. The only light provided was that of the moon and stars up above. The figure simple stood there motionless... watching... waiting...

At this point, there was no need for deception. Whatever or whoever this creature was, it knew that William was there. Slowly, William opened the door to his cabin and stepped out onto the front porch - his 1911 holstered at his side and his rifle firmly gripped in his hands.

Just then, the lone figure looked up and across the clearing, William could see the glowing eyes of a predator upon him. At that point, the only light provided in the darkness were from the moon and stars above, but suddenly the eyes of many predators lit caught their reflection and glowed among the trees.

One could say that their feral yellow eyes glowing in the darkness resembled... fireflies...