Sequoia's POV
I crept around the pack house with Niylah following me quietly behind. The house was quiet and Sephora was not around. Niylah was nervous and she tried to stop me. She was always such a sticker for the rules. Everyone thought her to be the most disciplined wolf of our time."Sequoia, we need to stop this. We might get caught."I hushed her and continued to creap around. I knew that sister Sephora was hiding something from me. I was seventeen and she had been really sneaky and secretive. She was always hiding stuff and talking in whispers to sister Artemisia. I hated Artemisia. She had this cruel look in her eyes and she was always very hard on me, especially when we trained. Having her take the fighting lesson was like living a nightmare. I was never good enough for her.Suddenly, Niylah grabbed my arm."Sequoia stop this!" she said in a tense whisper. "Sephora will catch us sneaking around and you know how mad she will be."I sighed and looked back at Niylah. She was always keeping the rules. She needed to explore more. She could be so boring sometimes."Niylah. Can you just stop this. You don't have to come if you don't want to."I turned quietly around the corner and Niylah still followed behind. She didn't want to be here but she was my best friend and she would never leave me by myself. We looked around and I caught a glimpse of Sephora talking with another sister in hush tones. This was it. I had to find out what they were talking about. I knew it was about me. Everytime I passed her and she was taking to someone, they quickly and awkwardly changed the topic. It was frustrating.Sister Sephora was like my big sister. We were very close and almost inseparable. We had the same element, the same fiery orange eyes and she was so wise, strong and funny. I love her so much. But these few months had been different. She kept her distance from me and we never had long talks anymore. She looked afraid and nervous when she saw me, she deliberately avoided me. I hated it. I just wanted to know what was keeping her on edge. Any caring sister would want to know. It was only right.I closed me eyes and tried to listen as hard as I could but the whispering stopped. What had happened? I looked around the corner but Sephora was gone. Suddenly, Niylah and I jumped as we heard a voice behind us."Can I help you sisters?"I thought my heart was going to explode. Niylah and I turned fearfully and looked into Sephora's eyes. She wasn't happy."We are sorry sister Sephora. Sequoia and I were..."Niylah tried to explain but Sephora raised her hand to stop her mid-sentence."Niylah, go and find Artemisia. Tell her I sent you to her. She will understand."Niylah looked at me sadly and walked away and I was left alone with Sephora. I lowered my head but I could feel her stare baring down on me."Come."Her voice was not angry but stern and I followed behind her wordlessly. I didn't know how to start explaining myself to her."Sister Sephora, I am so sorry."But she had no interest in what I had to say. We climbed up the stairs to the top of the pack house, to the balcony that overlooked the land below. The view was magnificent and always took me away anytime I came up there.Sephora looked over the lands and I stood silently beside her. I wasn't really looking at the view. I was waiting for Sephora to chew me out. As loving as she was, her scolding could be unbearable."Sequoia, you are seventeen and you will turn eighteen in a few months. You need to stop this childish behavior. Sneaking around the house and taking Niylah with you."My head dropped sadly. I hated when she called me childish."I am sorry. It's just that, you have been distant and we barely talk anymore and you don't want to tell me why. Your eyes look sad and your are always worried. I just want to know what's wrong."I waited for her reply but she only sighed deeply."There is much that you do not understand. But you will know when the time is right."I murmured in frustration. She always said that whenever I asked her. I hated when she tried to act like Mistress Kali. Always so secretive and mysterious.She turned to me. Her beautiful orange eyes stared into mine. They were no longer hard and stern but soft and gentle, full of feeling and love, the love that I had missed whenever we talked and laughed together."Sequoia, I love you dearly and I am sorry for the secrets that I keep from you. It is hard for me as well. But it is not yet time for you to know...""Well, the Goddess says different."We were both startled and turned towards the door. Mistress Kali glided in like a ghost. I never knew if she was smiling or not and I could never hear her footsteps. It was creepy.Sephora and I bowed deeply and faced her. Black mist encircled her like a halo.Sephora looked worried as she stared at Kali."It is time Sephora, you must tell her who she really is. She has but a few months to prepare. The Goddess has willed it."I turned to Sephora and looked at her puzzled. What did she mean by 'who I really am'? And what was I preparing for. I could see the anxiety in her eyes as she looked back at me. She was apparently looking for where to start."If the Goddess says it is time then so be it. You have wanted to know what has been getting me so worried, well now it is time. Follow me. And grab the spears. We are going into the forest."Sephora walked past Kali and I was left confused. What exactly was going on? I walked past Kali, who gave me a polite nod and grabbed two golden tipped spears from the rack. Where were we going? The secrecy was driving me mad. But most of all, 'who really was I'?Sequoia's POVWe walked out of the pack house into the warm sun. I carried the spears and was significantly slower than Sephora. Her strides were long and prideful and I scurried to her side."Sister Sephora, where are we going?"She said nothing to me and simply took one of the spears from my hands and we pressed on. As we walked, the other sisters stared at us and I could decifer sneaky whispers. They were always whispering behind my back. I never really paid attention but now, I knew something was wrong.We disappeared into the forest and the greenery took over. The flowers here bloomed with elegance and beauty. The red and purple swayed in the wind like candles in the windy night. We passed a stream and I stopped briefly to look at the little fish swim against the current. It looked so magical though I had been in here many..."Sequoia, you are behind. Come."Sephora called me and I walked up to catch her. Soon we reached a clearing and she set the tip of her spear into the groun
Sephora's POVThe walk was quiet and I could feel Sequoia's eyes on me. I was deeply troubled but I did not look at her, instead, I turned my attention to the flowers in the field. They were beautiful, blazing with colour, just like Sequoia's fire, like 'my' fire. We continued to walk to the pack house and there was still a silence between us and yet in the silence, I could still hear the many questions of Sequoia's heart. There was still so much to tell her but she couldn't know about them yet.As we approached, Artemisia walked up to us and by her side was Niylah. She looked quite tired but happy all the same."I take it that you two had a nice day."Niylah was itching to say so much but Artemisia restrained her."It was good," said Artemisia flatly. I smiled at Artemisia."You need to lighten up, sister. How about we all go and eat together?"We walked inside and found the table already set. I was surprised because I had not asked anyone to set the meal yet. Artemisia turned to m
Sequoia's POV"Niylah! Wait up! Stop! Your Suprema commands you!" I ran after her, panting, but she was quick, dodging through the trees and soon she disappeared into the dark. The mokk wasn't bright enough to see where she went and instead it casted eerie shadows on everything that it's light touched. I stopped on a rock to rest. I knew she was around here somewhere, watching me, waiting for me to be off guard so that she could pounce on me, like she always did.I had a bright idea and immediately shifted into my wolf, my bright orange and red flames filled the clearing I was in with light. The shadows were pushed back andy light burnt bright into the night, rivaling that of the moon's.I heard a twig snap and I turned sharply around but there was no one. Suddenly I felt a presence but I was too slow to get out of the way. Niylah emerged from he hiding place and had pounced on me, pinning me to the ground. She too was in her wolf form. Her eyes were a deep blue, her white coat patte
Sequoia's POVI looked at Mistress Kali stunned. Niylah looked at me and shrugged. There was nothing else to do. We sat beside Kali and watched the petals. They just sat there, no movement at all.Kali closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The gentle breeze began to pick up and suddenly, the petals moved with the current. We all watched and soon Kali urged us to stand up and follow the petals as they flowed down the stream.The petals danced, swirling and criss-crossing each other elegantly but never touching. It was beautiful, mesmerizing. Niylah smiled at me as we watched the petals flow down with grace.The winds soon began to pick up and something blew across my cheek. It was a split second and then I saw it: a blue petal. It floated down into the stream and danced next to mine and Niylah's. It was an intricate dance but soon Niylah's petal got left behind and mine was left dancing with the blue petal. It continued for a while until it reached the rapids of the river. The curre
Sephora's POV I stood on the ledge of the cliff and watched the pack. The night sky was an inky black and moon was a crescent. In a few days, it would be a full moon. A new lunar month and a new child to be born in to the pack."The land is beautiful, Suprema Sephora."I was startled and looked behind me. A lady walked up behind me, half hidden by the dark but soon the light of the moon revealed her face. It was Kali. I relaxed and resumed my gazing. It was getting lonely and I would really appreciate her company.We stood silently side by side and took in the magnificent view was as the light of the crescent moon bathed the lands below."Your heart is heavy."I looked at her. How did she know? Was it that obvious?"Yes Kali," said I with a sigh. I couldn't lie to her. It would never work anyway."Your reign as Suprema might soon end in a few days. But then again, your successor might been born on another full moon."I looked at the shining crescent moon. The winds did not lie."No K
Sephora's POV I walked outside and into the glorious sun. I walked among my people and soon, the kids were swarming all over me. They pounced on me and I fell down playfully. They were simply a delight."Suprema Sephora, look what I can do."The young girl shifted into her wolf and closed her eyes. A pebble on the ground began to levitate and I picked it from mid air."Wonderful little one. If you keep practicing, you shall be a powerful wolf."The little girl shifted back and the others around playfully swarmed on her."You are such a show off."I got off the ground and left the little ones to their game. My wolf pack was a magical one. We had all been born from the waters of the Lunaria stream under the essence of the full moon. As we were bestowed with their wolf, we were each given a unique element to possess. The little child had definitely been given the gift of the earth.We were also well trained in hand to hand combat and I could see some older wolves training. I stopped to
Sephora's POVFour days came sooner than I thought. The entire pack was buzzing with activity. The sisiters no longer called me the Suprema and the little ones did the same. Today was finally the day. The new Suprema was going to be born. Her birth would mark my death and the end of my journey in this world. It was my duty to train her and after, I would pass away by her hand when she caeme of age. That was how the change of power worked in Mystic Shadow. No one could question it.Artemisia stood close by my side all day. I could feel her worry. Though it woud take another eighteen years for me to get my successor ready, time seemed to move faster when one knew that her days were numbered.Torch stands were erected as they would guide the path to the waters of the mystical stream. Fire was the elemnt of the Suprema alone. No one else had her element.The day seemed to move too slowy for me. I sat on my little cliff looking at the sky and watching my sisters prepare for the child. Arte
Sephora's POVI walked outside and the moon was bright and it's glow bathed the entire land. The sisters were all ready. Artemisia walked up to me from behind and handed me the white veil that I was meant to put on. I smiled and took it from her and covered my long flowing brown hair. We couldn't proceed, however, without Kali.I didn't have to wait too long as she soon appeared. The moon light made her look even more mysterious as her black mist intertwined with the moon's bluish glow."Sephora, are you ready?"I nodded. Could I 'not be ready'?"Yes Mistress Kali."There was nothing left to do. Kali gave me a flaming torch and I walked infront of the procession. As we took a step, I would light the torches that the sisters had set up that led all the way to the waters of the Lunaria.As I lighted each torch, the path grew brighter and brighter and the sky was set alight with the moon's glow and fire. I was filled with anxiety and excitement. I couldn't wait to meet the new Suprema. H