Chapter eight: The hidden tribe

Thalia

"Who is that who wishes to cross our barriers alone?"

Their words echoed in my ears, like the wind howling through ancient trees. I looked up, startled, my breath catching in my throat.

I was surrounded. At first I thought it was just voices but now I could see actual people. They were different. They were unique.

I hadn’t seen or heard them arrive, yet here they stood, hundreds of them. Quiet, still, and powerful. It was like they had just stepped out of thin air, summoned by something beyond my understanding. I turned slowly, my eyes darting from one direction to another. Four distinct groups surrounded me, each standing in one corner of an invisible square, as though the elements themselves had come to bear witness.

To my right and in front stood men, women, and even children cloaked in sea-blue robes that shimmered like the surface of a calm ocean under the moonlight. The symbol of a wave curled over their hearts, stitched in glowing thread that pulsed faintly with life. I could almost hear the crash of waves and the murmur of rivers running deep.

Beside them was the second group. Adorned in deep crimson and scarlet robes that fluttered without wind. Flames flickered at the hems, not just embroidered but alive. A symbol of fire, three rising tongues, blazed over their chests. Their eyes held heat and intensity, like they could ignite the forest with a single breath.

Turning behind me, my eyes met the grounded, stoic presence of the earth people. They wore garments made from bark-like fabrics, tones of moss and clay. Stones and vines decorated their arms, and a sigil of a sturdy mountain stood upon each of their garments. The scent of fresh soil and crushed leaves clung to the air around them.

And then there were the air dwellers. Clad in white garments so light they floated like mist. Some of their robes shimmered with silver threads; others were nearly translucent. Their eyes were pale, blue, gray, or white like the sky during a thunderstorm. Their symbol, a spiral of wind, glowed softly on their garments. They seemed barely tethered to the ground, as if a gust could lift them away at any moment.

Panic caught my throat, and I started to scream.

“Help! Please! Somebody help!”

But my voice didn’t seem to echo. Instead, it was absorbed into the stillness of the moment. The four elemental groups began closing in, their formation tightening. The sounds of the forest faded, replaced by a low hum that seemed to rise from the earth itself.

They formed a small circle just wide enough to fit two people. Me… and one other person.

Then, from the fire clan, a woman stepped forward. Her eyes blazed like coals and her long red cloak shimmered like molten lava. She was the woman from my dreams. The one who sounded whispers of my gift.

"Fiamma, you're here at last," she said, her voice calm but commanding.

I took a step back. “I am Thalia,” I replied, my voice trembling. “I don’t know who Fiamma is.”

The woman tilted her head. “To step into our world is no easy feat. We must test your courage and of character, you must not step in alone.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, but before I could say anything more, the circle dissolved into smoke.

And there was silence. When I opened my eyes, I was alone again. Back in rogue land. The land of no laws. I groaned. I traveled for a whole day towards the east only to end up back here.

I heard a sound from afar. A child was crying and men where laughing. I followed the sound even though it led me away from the east but I followed it still, curious about what was happening. I hid behind some shrubs as I peeped at what was going on. There was a clearing and two children where tied together in the middle. The eldest child tried to look tough but the younger one was scared. The men where drinking and making jokes, like they had done nothing wrong.

I wanted to come out and fight. And help the children, but something in me made me to stop and watch. To wait and see what was going on. Suddenly the leader held his hands up and everyone went quiet. He went to the children with an evil grin.

"Little boy who sent you out here in this dangerous forest eh?"

Another taunted. "I'm sure he must be from one of those neighboring parks"

"they sent these little children here to die"

"Even their parents won't dare wonder this far. They came out on their own"

"Enough!" the leader shouted.

"We shall sell him to Alpha Cedric. I'm sure they will fetch us a good price" He said grabbing the younger daughter by her chin and sizing her up.

Angel nudged me. "aren't you going to teach these guys a lesson?"

"you've never said this much to me" I replied feigning surprise

"that's because you were pathetic" she replied haughtily.

"we were pathetic" I corrected her.

she rolled her eyes. "whatever"

A sharp scream distracted us. My wolf leaped out immediately and began to tear them apart. The leader was trying to brand the children. He was about nicking them with a sharp knife when the younger girl let out a scream and Angel took over. she couldn't bare to stand by and watch them mutilated. She attacked the leader first, tearing him apart by surprise. the other four rogues was about to pounce on me when angel went all fury. Raining punches and kicks at every corner. She tore one with her sharp claws by his neck which left him bleeding to death. Another one she pushed him backwards with a mighty force that he hit a tree and died. She didn't stop until everyone of them was dead which took me by surprise. I've never seen angel fight in this manner before. I've never even seen her fight at all without giving me any chance to control her. I shifted back into human in mid-air and went to their side.

"You are safe now" I promised as I hugged the younger one. The elder boy smiled.

"We were expecting you" he said as he touched me. I was confused by what he meant. How did he know I was coming?

I didn't have time to process that. I started to feel hazy as a gush of wind surrounded us. when I looked around me, the trees weren’t the same. We were back at the hidden tribe. The barrier of fire was wider and glowing, inviting us to come in. I stood at the entrance, doubting if I should take my next step when the voice of a child brought me back to reality.

"Don't be afraid, we are with you" they said together, each taking my hand.

Immediately we crossed to the other side, I could feel the air change around me. The atmosphere was charged. It felt like electric which made the hairs on my skin stand. The trees that guard the entrance were different. Unlike anything I had ever seen in my life. Their trunks shimmered faintly with silver veins, and the leaves glowed subtly in hues of gold, emerald, and violet.

The fiery doorway behind me had vanished, replaced by a field of tall grasses and mist. As i walked forward, I couldn't tell that I was in the tribe of the outcast and that could only mean one thing.

That I had passed the test.

The air here felt strangely heavy. Like gravity itself was denser here. The deeper I walked, the more the world changed. The wind sang in a language I couldn’t understand. The trees whispered to one another. Strange creatures scurried past. One looked like a fox with feathers instead of fur, and another shimmered with translucent skin that reflected the stars.

I gasped as I looked around. I was in a hidden world. A city that pulsed with life and color. You could feel the energy around you. It was breathtaking. Untouched. Sacred.

Homes were built into nature itself—woven into trees, carved into the mountain sides, and resting atop lakes that reflected the sky perfectly. Glowing lanterns floated in the air, some tethered, some moving freely like fireflies. Bridges of woven vines and suspended stone connected the cliffs. Crystal-clear rivers divided the land, and floating platforms moved along them like silent boats.

The people came out to welcome me as I entered the city. They were wolves, but didn't seem like it. I could smell their werewolf essence, yet they felt different. More enlightened and awakened. Their eyes shimmered like the elements they bore. They were all smiling and waving, which made me feel welcomed for the first time in my life.

Suddenly, a voice called out, “The outsider has joined us!”

The crowd started to part and four people stepped out. The woman at the gate who represented fire, a tall man with flowing blue robes. A very fair woman who was bright to behold. I could tell she was with the wind because of the way she hovered the ground. A fierce looking man who was huge and had muscles as strong as rocks.

The tall man stepped forward. His presence silenced everything. He was dark-skinned with silver hair that cascaded down his shoulders, dressed in midnight-blue robes embroidered with stars. His eyes were a piercing white, glowing faintly.

“Welcome, child of fire. You have entered the Direlands, home of the Direwolves.”

My mouth went dry. “Direwolves?”

He smiled, but there was gravity to it. “We are the forgotten. The elemental outcasts. The ones cast aside by your kind for being different.”

I frowned. “I didn’t know anyone like you even existed.”

“You weren’t meant to. We exist beyond the veil of the ordinary. We don’t interfere in the affairs of the common packs, unless we must There isn't much written about us.” the woman on the air replied.

“I didn’t come here to interfere. I came to survive, to learn,” I said, finding strength in my voice. “I was hunted and left to burn by my pack. I only just discovered I had these powers. I don’t understand them, but I want to. I have questions that would help me understand, and I need answers.”

“Then you are not only brave, you are ready,” he said. “But first, you must complete the Trials of the Element. You must prove that you are worthy. Only then can we teach you. And help you with your answers.” The man with the muscles replied.

“Trials?” I repeated.

He nodded. “Four trials. You have been tested by fire which proves that you are one of us. And by air which granted you passage into our lands. You must be tried by water and by earth. Till you've passed the last test, you cannot be accepted and trained.”

I swallowed hard, “What if I fail?”

The woman from earlier approached me. The one from my dreams. The same one who had called me "Fiamma". She looked different now, calmer. She smiled reaching out to touch me.

“You should not make that your worry. The tests are to prove who is worthy of the gift. If you're not worthy, your powers would be taken away from you and you would be sent out as a Normal wolf. But if you are, you'll be trained and taught our ways."

"I am Aglaya of the Fire Court. You must rest now, for the task ahead of you is great.”