• “Gather ‘round, gather ‘round… Yes… That’s it… Good- good. I wish to tell you a story.” An old grizzled wolf cried. His black fur ruffled with age, singed with silver. One of his ears drooped, a large chunk taken from it- possibly a battle scar from his young life. Partially blind the bard grinned, exposing broken teeth, a few of them gray with decay. Once elegant wings were now tattered just as he was, clearly he was a wolf who had seen many hard years.

    “…A story?” A voice from the crowd of canines chimed. Many young wolves circled around the scraggy predator who spoke only moments ago. A few of these wolves were hesitant, but others eagerly pushed forward.

    “Mmm… Yes, a story. One that happened many, many… Many, years ago! Far before you were even thought of young pup.” The gnarled wolf replied with exuberance. His ears slightly twitching… His eyes, despite near blind, watched the younglings intently.

    Once all of the wolven creatures were gathered around the old wolf… A faint smirk pulled across his sleek muzzle. “Ah… Good, very good… Yes let’s see… Where to begin… Hrm… Oh, yes. I know.”

    “Well get on with it you old buzzard!”, Snarled a young brash wolf, his brows furrowing. The snide comment was ignored but a cold glare was delivered unto the “pup”… Clearing his throat the winged elder continued. “This story begins thousands of years ago when our kind were called Neuk Vilkami. During this time, the Neuk Vilkami were at war with the Liuh Rayin, a race that was nearly destroyed… A dark time in our past…”

    Silence befell the canines there; a few of them seemed to have regretful looks upon their faces… Others had looks of disgust and outrage… Even during these times the Liuh Rayin, or rather simply “Rayin” were scorned. The Liuh Rayin were a faction of winged foxes that the Neuk Vilkami nearly wiped out. The sentiments still remained between the two, and not a very happy sentiment at that.

    “Dark times indeed…” The old wolf trailed off, pausing as if to reminisce. Though he shook his large shaggy head and chuffed, continuing.

    “This was during the time of Lord Hermus, Talin’s reign… A bloody and savage time for both the Vilkami and Rayin… The war lasted nearly twenty-three years in succession. Painfully drawing on and on and our Earth-mother groaned in pain for the death of her children…”

    “It was upon that day that the red-orange sun rose above the horizon… A dawn of another bloody day. Its once golden rays were stained a scarlet hue, a foreshadowing of another day of death. This was the third year of the war… And it would continue on for many more years.”