As Eric lay there, struggling to catch his breath, a rustling in the underbrush announced the arrival of a new presence.
A majestic wolf emerged from the shadows, its ash-colored fur blending seamlessly with the forest floor. Its eyes, like two gleaming stars, locked onto Eric's prone form.
The wolf's tail twitched, and it padded closer, its paws making barely a sound on the forest floor.
Eric felt a shiver run down his spine as the wolf's hot breath washed over him, its snout sniffing him with an unnerving intensity.
Its snout sniffing him like a curious creature. The wolf's ash-colored fur seemed to glow in the fading light, and its eyes gleamed with an otherworldly intelligence.
Eric's fear turned to anger as the wolf purposefully sniffed his bottom, then sneezed repeatedly, as if offended by the scent.
Eric's thoughts raced with questions and accusations. "Della, what have you done? Are you behind this?" He recalled the truck driver's words, "The young master's orders..." and wondered if his ex-girlfriend was involved.
Then he thoughts of this oddly furred wolf that's behaves as if it despise to even eat his flesh.
Just as Eric's anger boiled over, he felt a strange, unsettling energy emanating from above.
The air seemed to vibrate with an ethereal power, like the hum of a harp string.
The wolf, too, sensed it, and backed away, its ears flat against its head.
In the depths of space, a dull, earthy meteorite floated, its surface unremarkable. Yet, within its hollowed core, a mystical being stirred. Three pairs of white wings, folded like a cloak, trembled slightly as the being slept. The wings seemed to hum with a soft, pleasurable energy.
The being's cloudy bed, starched and still, enveloped it like a shroud. But as Eric's curses and prayers pierced the cosmos, the being's wings fluttered, and it woke with a start. "Centuries have passed...prayers from Earth...vile talks about me..." it murmured, confusion etched on its face.
The mysterious being stretched out her delicate hand, the air around her seemed to vibrate with anticipation.
Her fingers fluttered like a harpist's, and the cloudy mist within the meteorite's core churned in response.
A crystal ball materialized which then expanded into a crystal screen,its surface etched with intricate patterns that shimmered like stardust.