Legacy Of The True Alpha

"It's a bad omen, Clara, a cloud in the shape of a horn from the southeast. This will bring no good before the sun comes up," Zane said, his voice low and serious as he petted his chicken in the stillness of the night, his white hair glowing under the moonlight. He stood, naked, surrounded by the shadows of the forest, facing the moon with an air of deep contemplation. Clara, his chicken, clucked in response, her small beak pecking at the ground.

"I need your help, Moon Sage," a voice suddenly pierced the silence, sharp and commanding. Elara stepped from the shadows, appearing as if from nowhere, her presence both alarming and sudden.

"Sorry, uh, I'm as deaf as a peach and as naked as a baby bird," Zane muttered, his face lit with mild surprise. Using the chicken to cover his modesty, he faced her with a raised brow. "What did you say?"

"I asked the great Moon Sage, Zane Aldric, for his assistance," Elara replied confidently, her voice unwavering despite the absurdity of the situation.

Zane blinked, clearly perplexed. A Moon Sage—an elder wolf with ancient knowledge of magic and the lunar cycles, able to heal and cast protective spells. The request was unexpected. "I think there's been a mistake," he said, his voice hesitant.

"There is no mistake," Elara cut him off, her hand flashing the blue necklace that hummed with power. "I had help finding you."

Zane eyed the necklace, his lips twitching. "Nice quiet couple of decades," he muttered under his breath before continuing, "and now time's up?"

Elara nodded, her expression hardening. "Now, bring me to the True Alpha."

Just then, the sound of hooves echoed from the woods. A horse approached, its rider struggling. Zane's keen senses caught the familiar scent of Rylan before the boy even appeared. He looked exhausted, his body limp, and his face pale with the telltale signs of poison. The sight shocked all three of them.

"Y-you!!" Rylan's voice cracked weakly as his eyes fell on Elara. His legs gave out, and he collapsed off his horse, landing heavily on the ground, unable to stand.

Rylan was taken inside and laid on a bed. Zane, frantic, yelled and cast magical spells to remove the poison from Rylan's body. Rylan writhed in pain, screaming and sweating as the poison coursed through him. Then, a white-skeletal demon emerged from his body, vanishing into the sky. The wound on Rylan's hand healed, and his fever subsided.

"His fever has been cured. Now, take me to the True Alpha," Elara demanded urgently.

Zane responded, "He is here," pointing at Rylan.

"What?" Elara asked in shock.

"If he's not up to your standard, then that's fine by me. Find yourself another," Zane said confidently.

"Alpha? What are you talking about?" Rylan asked, confused.

"You never told him?" Elara asked Zane, shocked. "He was supposed to be trained! What have you been doing these last 20 years?"

Zane made a joke, "Steal apples, skin my knees, catch some flies."

Elara interrupted him, her tone shaking with disbelief. "My sister gave her life to ensure the books were in the hands of the Alpha, and he's catching worms?"

She turned to Zane, continuing, "Did it ever occur to you that he"—she pointed at Rylan—"is the first True Alpha in the last thousand years? He has a destiny!"

Zane shot back, "Who are you to determine a man's destiny?"

"It's written in the prophecy," Elara replied firmly.

"Prophecy be damned!" Zane shouted. "I averted the prophecy when I brought him here. Until you opened up a nice little door in the boundary and said, 'Right this way, the seeker, ladies, and gentlemen,'" Zane mimicked Elara's actions.

Elara paused, her expression serious. "So it doesn't matter if Malachar grows more powerful by the day? People in the Midlands—people are losing their freedom and dying by the thousands. And you're making jokes?"

Rylan, still confused, cut her off. "What are you talking about? What is an Alpha?"

Zane, with a more open expression, explained, "An Alpha is a hero who arises in a time of trouble and suffering. A hero who seeks out evil and fights it wherever he can. He's a wolf in human form, who wields powerful magic, an ancient sword, and a magical tome—only a True Alpha can unlock."

Rylan, even more confused and tense, asked, "What does that have to do with me?"

Elara turned to Zane. "Tell him the truth."

Zane looked at Rylan, his voice filled with an eerie calm. "First, you need to know about a man called Lord Malachar…"

Malachar is a fallen Alpha who delved too deeply into forbidden magic, cursing himself and his bloodline. Malachar seeks to overthrow the True Alpha and reign over all wolves, using dark and corrupt magic. His power grows stronger with each life he takes, and he will stop at nothing until he sees the True Alpha fall.

Zane continued his story, saying, "Twenty-three years ago, a great prophet spoke on his deathbed about the birth of the True Alpha—a child whose destiny would be to seek out and kill the greatest evil of all: Lord Malachar. With his last breath, the prophet named the town where the child had been born. Malachar sent his assassins, known as the Iron Pack, and in one night, they murdered every firstborn son in the city of Valthoria but spared one. By the grace of the spirit, the words of the prophecy found their way to me, along with something Malachar didn't have: your name."

"Your mother gave birth to you on the night of the massacre. She was young and weak, but still alive when I took you from her arms. She kissed you and blessed you," Zane said emotionally.

Rylan, confused, replied, "My mother died when I was 10."

Zane responded, "The woman you think was your mother raised you and loved you as her own, but she did not give birth to you. I crossed the boundary with you in my arms. For weeks, I watched, listened, and read the clouds. I came to know that there was no one kinder than George and Mary Kyran. I told them your story, and they took you into their hearts and home."

Rylan nodded, scoffing with a joke. "So, according to this fantasy, who is my real father?"

Zane replied, "I don't know."

Rylan pressed, "If you knew my parents so well, then why didn't I see them with you?"

Zane cut him off, saying, "I kept myself apart from you, watching from a distance. If Lord Malachar found his way to me, I wouldn't be a blazing arrow pointing the way to you. That's what a Soulbound Alpha is for."

"Soulbound Alpha?" Rylan asked, raising an eyebrow toward Elara, who stood nearby.

"A Soulbound Alpha is a rare wolf in the form of a woman who can command loyalty with a touch. We are sworn to find the truth in other wolves, no matter how hard they try to hide it. Our power ensures devotion, but at a cost—those we bind lose their free will. If an Alpha arises, we protect him with our lives," Elara explained.

"My name is Elara, and I'm sorry for threatening you earlier. You did save my life," she said with a faint smile toward Rylan. "I came here to bring you this." She presented a small book wrapped in gold.

"It's the Chronicle of the True Alpha. It's kept hidden in our territory, but years ago, Lord Malachar broke in to steal it."

"Why?" Rylan asked.

"Because the Chronicle contains the secret to power. If Lord Malachar gets it, he will use it to control every corner of the world, and we will all become his slaves. The prophecy says the True Alpha will use it in his quest to defeat Lord Malachar," Elara replied.

She handed the book to Rylan. "Take it and read it."

Rylan opened the book, but it was written in an unknown language. "The Alpha you know can read this language, but I can't," he said, closing the book in disbelief and stretching it toward Elara.

"Try again," Elara urged.

Rylan stared at the book, and then the symbols began to change, turning into a language he could understand. He read the part that said: "The truth of the words of the True Alpha can only be ensured by a Soulbound Alpha."

"How...?" Rylan asked, surprised.

"Because you are the True Alpha,"

Zane replied.

Rylan stood there, shocked, still trying to process everything happening around him.