In my Community, the law of the jungle was fierce —survival of the fittest. The werewolves were the strongest and they moved in packs. Everyone knew this. No one dared engage them in any kind of conflict unless you are sure of your stand or in a battle for the alpha position.
I arrived at school late as usual so I could slip in silently and no one would notice. However, today was different. I detest when my routine changes.
The class was in an uproar. Some students had formed a tight circle in the centre of the class, shouting, raising their hands, and hailing. I tried to peep through the circle to know what was going on but could not see a thing.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!!"
It was the principal with two other teachers. I scrambled quickly to a corner and a few students who loitered around the class during the uproar joined me. We huddled close in the corner. We knew our status in the Community —the nobodies, without power and consequently, no voice.
The principal, broad shoulders and six feet, nine inches tall, a werewolf from one of the alpha bloodlines, walked into the circle as the students dispersed at his authoritative voice.
On the ground and curled up into a ball was Hilal, a werewolf and one of the popular students in school. His father was the chairman of the school board and an alpha. Every student feared him. Well, except the one who fought him, Pete, a werewolf.
Hilal glanced up at the principal. One eye was black and swollen shut, his claws were out and his fangs hung down on his bleeding lower lip. He would soon heal, of course.
The principal growled. The hairs on my neck rose followed by goosebumps. Pete was held by his forearms by the two teachers. The principal pointed his fingers at the two boys. "You, get up! Both of you to my office. Now!" He stormed out of the class.
Lisa and Andi, were-deers, giggled beside me. "Did you get the stuff then?" Andi whispered very quietly he barely moved his lips. As a Blue Morpho were-butterfly and unusually sensitive to low pitch sounds, I caught the whisper and curled my inner antenna closer to them. They did not know.
"Sure. Very smooth, like dust. Hilal will not see it coming." Lisa replied silently.
My heart stopped for a second. The werewolves were allergic to only one element —fine silver. And it had been banned from the Community for a very long time. Though I knew it could be gotten from the black market at a high price. Lisa's family were rich. She could afford it.
My brains connected the dots but I was not sure. If true, this would mean war between the wolves and in turn, upend the entire Community. We at the bottom rung of the ladder would suffer the most.
All through school, I made sure to keep Lisa and Andi in my sights. They were inseparable and when the bell rang, they left together. I followed them at a good distance, wearing a glamor.
At a sharp corner close to the deserted former shopping complex, a big, brown wolf pranced out to meet them. It was Pete in his shifted form. I would recognize him anywhere with the rare white twin stripes across his neck. He grabbed a small box in a ziplock bag with his teeth from Lisa and pranced back into the building.
I was not sure what was in the box and did not want to draw unwanted attention to myself. So I waited on top of a tree branch.
It was dark in the night when Hilal, dressed in his fitness clothes, jogged closer. I knew it! I bounced from the tree I was on to the one closest to the shopping complex.
As Hilal jogged closer, Pete caught his scent and shifted into his human form. He pulled on a gas mask, wore thick, black gloves, opened the box and right inside was fine silver like fairy dust.
My heart raced fast. Do I gain anything from intervening in this matter? What if everything goes wrong? Pete will come for me and my family. I had a decision to make in a split second.
Just as Pete lunged to pour the fatal fine silver on Hilal, I reflexively shifted partially by flipping out my blue wings, jumped off the tree in a flash, and angled towards Hilal. Everything happened in slow motion before our eyes.
Werewolves were preternaturally fast but not as fast as my kind.
Hilal and Pete both saw me. The fine silver was already sprayed into the air when I roughly grabbed Hilal by the jacket and took off back into the air. I was a little slow because of Hilal's weight. In reflex, Hilal shifted into his animal form in mid-air which came as a shock to me causing some of the silver dust to splash on my back as we both landed roughly on a tree branch.
As I was catching my breath, amber, almond-shaped eyes stared sharply into mine before glancing down. Pete shifted and took off. Hilal raised his head and howled into the night. Seconds later, more howls sounded in response from within the Community.
That was how I saved the Community from war and bloodshed. Pete was committed to the Undergrounds by the Alpha for the attempt on Hilal's life.
Hilal and I became good friends because I saved his life. I tried to give him space, to respect each other's boundaries because we are different but he would not have it. My family became respected in the community because of this singular act.
The End.
I hope you enjoyed reading this fiction. This is my entry to The Ink Well Prompt/DreemPort Challenge. You are invited to participate.
Image from Pixabay.com edited with canva
