Whispers of the Past: Prologue.

[Jack Pine]

Den of Wolves star system
Neridto Chi - raider camp

The snow drifted down above the courtyard, the wrought iron cages freezing to the touch. Raiders walked about on their rounds, watching the slaves they had claimed through murder and violence, even with escape attempts unlikely as they were. The camp was rather large, a log wall surrounding the area. The raiders living tents filled the left side and rear of the camp, while the cages were clustered closely to the right. Two qood structures sat near the center, a wide one serving as a rough throne room, while the other served a the mess.

"I don't care Trent, I want it done! Those sniveling fools will be our next target, they haven't paid the protection fee. Have it done tomorrow!"

"Yes Master Garret."

Alice watched as she sat there in rags that barely concealed her mistreated body. She clutched her son as the man named Garret approached with a sneer and stared at the pair with an expression akin to disgust. He kept at least a foot away from cage as if it bared some disease. The snow melted against his fur cloak and crudely forged plate armor as he stood there silent for a moment. He scoffed before walking away towards the throne cabin, "Bring me the Neserwin bitch." He said snapping at one of his underlings.

"Remember baby, I'll be back. Whatever you hear, I'll be alright, just stay quiet and they'll leave you alone.", Alice said to the boy in her arms, trying not to cry as she knew what was about to come. There was but one joy given to her through her captivity, and she clutched him close to her as the underling approached.

The child does as he is told watching the underling as it got close

The raider opens the cage before grabbing Alice by the arm and dragging her to the throne building after the cage is reclosed. Alice looks back to her son, trying to hide her fear as she is taken away.

One of the guards above watches the procession before making commenting to his buddy next to him.

"Why does he keep that bitch like some trophy? He uses her every night, beats her, and makes her clean his throne like he's some damn god."

"Dont let him catch you saying that, he'll have you hung by your balls with hooks."

The kid looks around the small cage scootins to a section looking outwards in the distance at something

Outside the main gates seen clearly even past wrought iron bars, stands a white wolf out in the snow, it's fur having an almost ethereal quality. A slight glow as if caused by some unseen light source.

The wolf strides up to the gate and passes straight through the bars as if they were not present. None of the guards seem to even acknowledged the creature's presence. It walks all the way before the young man's cage and sits there before it, quietly watching.

The young Rohan reaches out to pet the wolf gently

The wolf doesn't resist as his hand meets soft white fur, red eyes watching curiously. The wolf places a paw on the cage latch as if in question of if Rohan wanted freedom.

Rohan shakes his head "not without mom"

"Destiny does not always permit such circumstances dear Rohan.", the wolf spoke in a mature female voice, "You have such a Destiny to fulfill. Complete the path and your mother will be safe. The path will guarantee she is."

Rohan thought a moment "am I dead, wolf's don't just walk threw walls"

"Or talk because you know that's an important detail. I am no mere wolf, I am a guide of sorts. My name is Kiriya, I have watched your bloodline for centuries.", Kiriya replied her paw still placed against the latch.

Rohan nods "I'd hate to leave her here like this" Rohan thought with a frown, "you promise she will be safe"

"Destiny will ensure she is safe, but you must follow the path. Look for the man only known by the quietest of words, a mere whisper who the man was meant to be ", Kiriya says, albeit in a somewhat cryptic manner before the latch froze under her paw. It cracks and breaks, the cage door swinging open slightly as her paw is withdrawn.

"Follow.", the creature says before walking towards the wall.

Rohan took one last look at we're his mother went before following "we're are we going"

"Off world. You are heading to a world in the Kowloon system, a place called Piyapon.", the wolf said as she stopped before the wall. She placedplaced a paw upon the wall and ice rapidly began to spread across it's surface.

"Prepare to run young Rohan. Even though I may be unseen at times I am with you every step of the way."

Fire began to burn around her paw before the frozen wall was blasted apart. Vapor and debris spreading in a cloud after a sudden flash of heat. After the initial blast and and the smoke thinned enough to see before him, Rohan would see the wolf had disappeared. Muffled shouts could be heard as the guards were caught off guard by the sudden unexpected event.

Rohan begins to run as fast as he can as he hears the shouts close behind him

As he bursts through the cloud, he is met with snow laden woodlands. A sight he had only had peeks of through the main gate. Before him lay a world he had been denied.

As his feet carried him through the forest blindly a tree partially exploded as gunshots rang out far behind him.

"There he is!!"

"Boss wants him alive you imbecile!!"

The shots became fewer, but they began to come closer and closer. Ahead a shallow river bed could be seen, the slope to the bed being three feet.

Rohan ran as fast as he could before jumping unfortunately he wasn't able to make it to the other side of the river as he lost his footing and slipped into it being carried up river

The current was swift , and carried him far. The water was freezing however, and he was dressed well enough for such temperatures. Rohan would feel the chill to his bones, to an almost painful degree. As the world began to darken, a set of canine jaws would grab him by the shirt as a wolf dragged him from the river and over to a tree. It was a normal wild wolf.

Rohan looked at the wolf with surprisingly no fear "thank you" he said petting the wolf gently

The wolf simply sat and accepted the petting. After a moment it perked it's canine ears, hearing something Rohan could not. It then began trying to pull him to follow with a sense of urgency.

Rohan nodded and got on his feet on shaky legs and fallowed

The wolf led him for over an hour through the woods, conditions making the travel less then swift. When they finally stopped, it was at a craggy hill that overlooked a city, one with a seaport as ships flew up into the clouds.

There was the sound of rocks being disturbed behind them. The wolf turned just as a figure in crude plate armor and a fur coat raised an AKM style rifle at the pair.

The wolf began to howl before the sudden crack of the rifle ended its life. The boy would be sprayed with the animal's blood as the man approached.

"Fucking brat. You aren't worth all this trouble slave. I don't know why Garret wants you so badly. Doesn't matter, you just had an accident, shame you couldn't be retrieved.", the figure said as he moved the rifle's aim towards boy.

As Rohan would stare down the barrel of the gun, growling would begin to eliminate around them. The man looked up to find them surrounded by wolves. This realization was short lived as they swarmed him, taking him down with the sounds of clanking and tearing flesh. He screams only lasted briefly.

Rohan looked at the man as he was torn limb from limb before looking back at the wolf and before going to the town below dug a grave and buryed the wolf "that who spilt blood this day beside me is my brother and sisters, rest now I'll be safe"

Rohan went to the man's remains and took the man's rifle and any armor and ammo that was still usible before heading back to the town

All that had remains of the bloody mess was the rifle and ammo. The wolves having done.well in there attack. The wolves stood bloody watching with an unnatural sense of calm as the boy buried their comrade and left.

Rohan would hear a unified howl as he neared the city.

The city was bustling with people, few even paying mind to the boy carrying a.rifle, sprayed blood still on his face. A white wolf could be seen far ahead as if waiting to lead him some place.

The boy would walk to the white wolf who helped him
"Will you be joining me in this Journey?" He asked monotoned with a tinge of hopfullness to his voice as he gave a half smile to the wolf

Kiriya looked at him as if the question perplexed her, tilting her head as she asked in return, "Did I not say I would, even if not always seen?"

Rohan nodded "well I'm glad you are coming along" , he brightly chuckled "Unegv unega, what surpises you have"

Kiriya simply smiled.before leading him to the star port. There she had him follow into the cargo.before finding an open crate. "This will be a long and quiet trip, but it is only but one leg of the journey. This crate will takes us to the world where you.must find the man known as Whisper."

Rohan nodded "well as long as you are here with me I'll be ok thank you"

Both would enter the crate before sealing it, and be loaded on a ship bound for Station Endeavour. Kiriya curled up against Rohan to eliminate the cold his body still felt before their trip to the station began. There they would grab a short shuttle ride over to Piyapon.