Sequoia's POV
We 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 ground and sat cross-legged beside it.I did same and sat infront of her. She looked at me calmly, her bright orange eyes mesmerizing me every time I met her gaze."What is this all about Sephora?"She took a deep breath. Her voice, powerful, deep and clear."You are here because the Goddess has a job for you. Look at your chest."I looked and saw the wolf shaped mark above my left breast. I had been with it and most times, people in the pack stared at it and it made me uncomfortable."It's just a birthmark...""No Sequoia. It is a mark of leadership. The Goddess has marked you as the Suprema of Mystic Shadow Pack."I looked at her with wide eyes. Suprema? Me?"Suprema? What is a..?""The Suprema of a pack is like the leader. She maintains the peace and guides her people. She is also a strong spiritual link to the Goddess and Lunaria's waters.""I thought Kali was the strongest link to the spirits."Sephora smiled at me."One can know the spirits but they chose who they give part of themselves to and they have chosen you. You are to be the next Suprema of our pack."I felt my breath become shallow. Me? Suprema? I was not even as strong as half of the pack. Niylah still beat me when we had training."Why are you telling me this now? And who is the old Suprema? Did she die? Did she..?"Sephora raised her hand to silence me. She smiled het gorgeous smile and I blushed hard."One question at a time sister. Your mind is unraveling. A Suprema's mind is calm like Lunaria's waters."I took a deep breath and watched her."You are knowing this now because you are almost of age. The rite's of the Suprema will be done when you are eighteen. You must prepare. The old Suprema went into hiding as soon as you were born. You will meet her when the time is right."I was silent and Sephora stood up and grabbed her spear. She assumed a battle stance and encouraged me to do same."Come sister, spar with me. Artemisia tells me that you have been doing poorly. Let's see if we can fix that."Sephora smirked and I rolled my eyes. I knew Artemisia didn't like me. She was always hard on me during training.I picked up my spear and faced Sephora. We began to circle each other and I took the first lunge. Sephora dodged it with ease and parried my next blow. We blocked and attacked and soon Sephora saw and opening and swept my feet."Your stance is poor, sister. Take your roots in the soil. Again."I growled and stood up. I circled Sephora again and took a blow at what I thought was an opening. Sephora was swift and in a second. I was disarmed and I had two spears pointing at me."Your grip needs work, sister–"She threw my spear to me."–Again."I took it back and went on a fierce attack of Sephora. My blows were quick but she moved like the wind and I was unable to land a single hit. I soon was tired and I began to slow down. Sephora laughed and I stopped attacking.I was tired and I propped myself up on my spear."Out of breath already. We are just warming up.""How are you so fast?"Sephora smiled."I had a good teacher. Now, let me see your wolf."I smiled and dropped my spear. My wolf was one thing I had master control of. It was like we were one spirit, all the time.I shifted and my bright orange and red flamed filled the forest with light. I stared down at Sephora and she looked small. She had a smile on her face as she shielded her eyes."Careful not to burn yourself," she said mockingly.She shifted as well and I was stunned. I had never seen her in her wolf form before. There were no elements swirling around her. She was a plain, brown wolf. Beautiful but plain. I could feel my flames reduce. This wasn't a fair fight."Don't worry about me sister," she said, speaking through the mind link. "I can still beat you, hands down, this way."In a split second she pounced and I was lucky enough to escape her paw. I was unsure of what to do. It didn't feel right fighting Sephora like this. Her movements were swift and powerful but she was at a great disadvantage without any powers. She landed blow after blow but I didn't strike a single hit.Soon I shifted back and Sephora did the same. She walked up to me angrily and I dropped my head in sorrow."Forgive me sister.""Why did you hold back?! I told you to take every sparring session as a...""As a battle. Yes, I know but I wouldn't be fair.""There is no such thing as a fair fight! Only prowess sets people apart in battle!"My head was still dropped low and a tear fell from my eyes. I felt a gentle finger under my chin and Sephora raised my head so that my eyes met hers.I wiped my eyes and looked at her."Why don't you have any powers? What happened?"Sephora looked away from me and then stroked my hair."Let's just say, that I made a sacrifice with it long ago. A sacrifice I do not regret."She wiped my eyes and smiled at me."Get the spears. All this fighting has made me hungry."She smiled at me and I smiled back. I picked the spears and we walked home silently together. All I could think about was Sephora's wolf and her words. I wondered what sacrifice that she could have made that was so important that she gave away what made her special.I stole a glance at her but she pressed on, slowing down every now and then to stroke a flower petal. She was tall and beautiful. Why would she sacrifice such a vital part of her?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
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