A New Friend

It'd been five weeks since the incident that Zack called The Loss Day, Zack still didn't feel anything resembling emotion. He had traveled nightly and slept during the day, he'd already made his way to the mountains without running into anyone using this strategy.

Zack felt lost, as if his very soul was gone, he simply wandered since The Loss Day not focusing on where he was going so much as why he had to go there. He was headed to the devils' kingdom of wilderia where he would become the Devil King.

Zack had promised himself that he'd get his revenge and since the people who slaughtered his home town and people, as well as killed Aria, were soldiers then it's only right that their entire kingdom suffers the same way his people did.

Zack had long since found out that he more resembled a devil now, long black horns had sprouted from his head and large leathery bat-like wings had sprouted from his back, his pupils had dilated and became slanted like a cat and shined a brilliant scarlet red, that seemed even richer than silk or honey. Zack's nails had sharpened into long black retractable claws that were strong enough to shatter wood. Even Zacks magic had taken on devil-like properties, becoming stronger and darker and more destructive than ever.

Yet none of this mattered to Zack, he had only one goal and that was to destroy the human kingdom and show them true pain. Not because he hated them or was angry, but purely because it was the only drive he had left to give reason to his life.

Zack sighed, the mountains were cold and he hadn't eaten in days, he'd seen several mountain goats but hadn't had the foresight to try to catch one before what little food he brought with him ran out.

Somehow Zack really wanted to laugh, he hadn't expected his first emotion in weeks to be annoyance. He was hungry, cold, and annoyed yet this mixture of feelings made him oddly happy. It made him feel more human, though feelings don't fill bellies, Zack thought as his stomach growled at him.

Zack wandered the mountain range a little longer eventually taking refuge in one of its many caves. Zack took long deep breaths and closed his eyes, slowly he drifted off to sleep.

Zack's dreams were anything but pleasant. His dreams were always the same since The Loss Day. Zack dreamed of the man with the psychotic laugh, each time he killed Zacks family and friends then cut off Arias's head right in front of him while Zack was powerless to stop him. Zach woke with a tear-streaked face and a crippling sadness that seemed to eat away at his soul.

Zack sat in the cave thinking about the many ways he could have saved his home, and the many ways he could have saved Aria, when he heard movement at the back of the cave. He hadn't noticed until then, the small yellow eyes watching him. They were watching him with an intense curiosity that made him feel more than uncomfortable. Zack tried to ignore the eyes but they slowly crept closer to him until he just couldn't ignore them any longer.

Sighing in defeat Zack looked at the creature creeping closer to him. The eyes belonged to a dire wolf cub that seemed to be hurt. Zack reached for it but it nimbly dodged his hand and retreated back to the shadows of the cave.

Zack laid down on the floor of the cave and laughed at the little wolf. Closing his eyes Zack prayed for a dreamless sleep that he knew he'd never get. Zack woke to the little wolf laying under him shaking from the cold. He briefly thought about eating the little creature but decided against it because of how chewy wolf meat was.

Pulling the pup closer he wrapped one of his large wings around it. "I guess i got a dog now," Zack said. "But how am i gonna feed it when i still don't have any food to eat?"