The Fire Wolf of Ofedin

A Flashback

Ofedin is a village in a valley that was surrounded by basalt rocks. The rock itself served as their protection, their walls against intruders. At first, they were just fine with it until people outside developed some advanced tools to penetrate the natural walls of their kingdom. The time comes when even their oldies are a force to battle for their invaders were many, and they were just ordinary unarmed groups of werewolves.

" If this will continue then our pack must be brave to face our extinction," the pack leader told the wolves of Ofedin.

Everyone fell into silence.

They couldn't say a word.

In these times when one kingdom gains power through invasion and raids, robbing wealth, and any resources of every kingdom, living was more of survival. And the people of Ofedin know they're at a great disadvantage.

Though they know how to wield swords, they don't have sufficient weapons to do so, plus their kingdom is in starvation this time.

It's winter, and hunting is difficult most animals were hibernating, also, they could not plant in this area.

" There's one weapon we could rely on actually," one elder interrupted.

The pack leader looked at him and sighed.

" Shamanism?" he replied.

" We all know that kind of craft in our pack ended when the last shaman died fifty years ago," he said.

" And after that none of our pack has been born to succeed her," he added.

" because our pack had just forgotten it!" the elder insisted.

" because there's not even a sign manifesting for a long time!" the pack leader replied.

Silence.

" Okay, all we could do for now is fight with our claws and fangs," the pack leader said then.

" Meeting is over,"

Night comes and the Ofedin Valley was intruded on by invaders. The werewolves, warriors, or commoners fight with all their strength, but the enemies have advanced weapons compared to their claws. They have longships and explosives.

Everything was in chaos.

A gash of light breaks the dark carrion sky. Blood that was poppy red dripped from their wounds. The intruders were bashing the stone walls with war hammers and axes. In the air, arrows were hissing and zipping. Some of the common wolves were crying and snorting in terror, while at the foot of the valley claws were clashing against the enemy's swords.

It was a long night of terror in Ofedin, until such time the center of it was attacked, has been captured.

It was as if this time, the valley of Ofedin was filled with the foul smell of death.

" Akash...dear...hide here...don't come out, okay!"

The seven-year-old she-wolf just nodded in response to her father. It was as if she was disassociating herself from what was happening to their pack at that time. Deep inside the kid, Akash was shaking in fright that she almost can't understand what her father was advising her. She just nodded because she thinks that is the needed response.

" Faoir... ( father) " she clutched at her father's hand, refusing to let go of it as when her father was about to leave.

Her father patted her head when he notice the fear in her daughter's eyes.

" I'll come back..okay...this is just quick," he said.

And her father rushed to the battlefield.

While the kid Akash could hear her won heart pounding in worries and fear.

From a distance, she followed her father with a look, searching for him in the midst of chaos. Tears began to fall on her cheeks as she got overwhelmed by emotions until she was sobbing.

She feels sorry for their kingdom.

And she's scared her father might die there.

If only we have weapons like them...no... if only our kingdom was impenetrable.

Akash wished in her thoughts.

" Got yah!"

She was shocked when a hand clutch at her back and dragged her. She was screaming, wrestling as her boots scratches on the icy ground. The intruder was wearing a metal monstrous helmet. That's all she could notice amidst all her panic.

" Here...we can sell her!"

Akash heard the intruder yelling. He was referring to her. And she knows what he means. That is how usually the raid is done. They will kill the strong men, and get the weapons, gold, and the women and kids as if they were commodities to be sold in towns either for income or slavery.

No! I can't allow this!

Akash whispered to herself. She continued to wrestle and gather all the fainting strength she had inside.

She began to growl.

And keep harnessing energy in her until her fiery wolf eyes manifested.

" What the f***!"

The man who was dragging her had let go of her and slammed her on the ice. He glanced at his hands which suddenly had turned red and painful as if he had touched something hot.

He glared at the kid.

" You...witch!"

And he pulled out his sword and rushed at Akash.

But before he could get near the kid, Akash screamed loudly in terror and fury. The fire was sprayed out of her mouth as if she were a dragon that was breathing fire, consuming her intruder.

The man was screaming in panic and pain, as fiery flames engulfed her but even though in his death, still Akash was not stopping.

Her eyes were still glaring red.

Angry and uncontrolled.

Her hands were still in flame.

She felt like something is happening inside her she was not familiar with. There's this feeling like she's gonna shift into her fury form.

But no! I am just seven. We shift when were eighteen. Akash told herself.

She growled as she continued to wrestle that thing that was going on inside her. Until she unintentionally let out a howl.

And as she howled fire comes out of her. The next thing she knows is that she was now in her fury wolf self.

" Huh! What's that?"

The werewolves of Ofedin asked each other. It was as if everything had stopped on the battlefield. All their attention was drawn by that howl that reverberated amidst the village.

The howl was a terror to their enemies nad salvation to Ofedin.

" Is it possible? Must it be the... shaman spirit! It has awakened!" muttered one elder.

And Akash in her wolf form proceeds to the battlefield. She will be searching for her father. That's what she had in her mind. But as her hoofed feet stride, the icy earth becomes too hot to walk on. Fire follows her steps everywhere she goes.

She stops.

She doesn't know what's going on.

And she doesn't know how to stop these fiery footprints of hers.

Faoi! she was screaming in her mind when she saw her father falling to his knees, bleeding.

Noooo!!!

And more violent firs exploded on the ice, as she let out another howl. The destruction is moving scorchingly fast. Creeping unto every intruder she could catch her sight. Leaving them dead, trapped in heat, suffocating to death. The fire's merciless march continues. Every longship and enemy present in the valley is being meticulously eradicated as the fire travels with purpose.

The flame was hungry.

It devours whatever it sees out of avarice.

It consumes as it will never be satisfied until all the enemies are dead.

Akash held back nothing.

" Akash..."

She heard a voice.

Akash notice it was her father who manage to get near to her despite his wounds and the flames that surrounds her.

" Akash...my child...calm down...it's over now...we're safe....okay,"

She heard her father say.

It was as if her father's voice was the very thing she needs amidst all the raging chaos. Yeah, the only voice that could keep her sanity back. The kid, Akash looked at her father's face. She saw the delight in his eyes.

" Faoi!" she whispered as she shifted back into her human form.

And that is how Ofedin becomes a legend. That is how it earned a reputation as a valley that's unconquerable, for it is being taken care of by a fire wolf whose fire she can't control whenever her fury is unleashed.

She can't even tame her own fire.

And that's what makes her even more dangerous.

Years After

The social structure in Ofedin has now changed. Perhaps they're the only pack who is not being led by an Alpha, but they regarded their shamans as higher than Alpha wolves, or they choose shamans to be the Alpha of their pack. Now, for their protection, they have both embraced shamanism and enhanced their wolf abilities.

Both are regarded as weapons especially now, that the basalt rock that's surrounding their valley has been destroyed in that horrible intrusion. Now, they were without walls.

They just rely on the fire for protection.

And that terrifying reputation their pack had gained because of Akash.

" If Akash is our Alpha shaman, then no one would attempt to invade us here!" one elder said as they pushes Akash to be the pack's Alpha.

" But she still can't control her fire! She's dangerous! We all know that!" one commented.

" But she's more powerful than all of the shamans who arise in our clan!" one said.

Silence.

" If she can control her flames then she can," the eldest of all said.

And that was the start of her living her life learning all about the shaman stuff, and exploring her flames. She was transferred from different Skalds ( teacher) but still, none had figured out why she wields fire.

Some say it has nothing to do with her shamanic blood. Some say it is a gift from Agni, the fire deity.

But that's not her concern. She wants to tame her power so she could protect the people she loves. So, she could be a protector and not a danger.

But even until now that she's eighteen, no Skalds came to make her understand the fire she's wielding.

She heard the elders chatting that if she has not able to control her powers when she reach eighteen, then she would be locked in the stone fireproof tower they had built for her. That's all they could do for they can't send her to exile for they need her in Ofedin to scare the intruders.

Days...

Hours...

She was counting and hoping...but until the day of her seclusion came none had come.

" Just look forward to the next winter..." her father whispered as he bids her goodbye.

Yeah, she can go out once every coldest winter. A time when her flames are not a huge threat to the valley. That's the agreement.

And so she spent months alone in the tower, learning shamanism on her own. They would just send her scrolls. There are times when a combat trainer would come, and teach her. But that is rare since her father could not freely arrange such things for her.

She would always end up her days staring at the sky thinking of extraordinary Skalds who would come and save her.

" For this fire that's unfathomable by mortals perhaps no skalds could teach me, but a god...yeah...I need a deity to rescue me from her," Akash whispered.

The next day, here she is again, training on her own. Though she knows she would end up again frustrated to this day, still she tried to tame her flames.

" Darn!!!" she groaned as she begins to feel pissed.

" sh***!"

Akash yelled as she throw balls of fire unto the fireproof wall. If she isn't inside this tower then she would have been destroyed in the valley then.

" You know why you can't tame your flames? Because you can't tame yourself,"

A voice had interrupted her.

She turned to see who was there, but she saw no one.

Then, she felt a force clutch her back and transported her outside the tower.

Her eyes widened.

She was about to panic, seeing herself amidst the dried grasses.

" Relax.."

There she saw who has brought her here.

Tall, Viking gold hair, and god-like face... he must be the answer to my wish. Akash thinks.

" You have something that originally belongs to me. That fire...I'm the only one who could teach you about it,"

She heard him say.

And that feels music to her ears.