Chapter 4: The Rogue Deity

"Rogue Deity? No, I have never heard of such an entity," Alinta replied, intrigued.

"As you know, a true rogue is a title reserved for criminals of our kind, not for a wolf who leaves his family or friends to travel alone in search of adventure. The Deity in this story was a powerful wolf, created specifically to control and dominate immoral wolves of power, such as kings and leaders," said the old woman, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Those men of power became increasingly corrupt due to their human disposition, making them susceptible to temptation." Deanna paused for a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing.

"I think I need to start from the very beginning!"

"No, she always does this!" Angela exclaimed in the confines of her person's mind. Alinta smiled, stifling a laugh. Unlike Angela, she didn't mind waiting; Aunt Deanna's storytelling was an art to behold.

"Now, as you know, around 2100 BC our race was created by a dark witch who cursed a shepherd for selling her a sickly lamb. The hex was meant to last only until he had killed and eaten all of his flock. However, due to her anger at the time, she made a mistake in her spell. The witch was eventually captured and killed by the villagers before she could undo the werewolf curse. Once the shepherd ran out of sheep to slaughter, he began attacking his family, and then the rest of the villagers."

"Initially, our ancestors were infected humans, unlike how we are born as werewolves today. Their transformations were uncontrollable and only occurred during a full moon. The ability to shift was akin to a plague, and when they bit other humans, those victims would turn—if they were fortunate enough to survive the attack. As a result, more men were documented as werewolves than women. During their transformations, they became completely animalistic, attacking and killing anything that came their way.

"It was then that the Divinities gave the Moon breath and consciousness. He became our God, guardian and caretaker. To help us manage our beastly behaviour and shifting abilities, the Moon performed his first miracle, by mentally splitting the wolf from the human, while also sharing aspects of both. This created empathy and understanding between the two souls, forming a powerful bond between shifter and beast.

"However, new problems started to arise. Some werewolves chose humans as their partners. At first, this was not an issue; they would bite their chosen person to transform them, but with werewolves living longer our population grew dangerously high. Causing an imbalance within the world. In response, the Moon performed his second miracle: he created the mate bond, a connection reserved only for werewolves, and eliminated the ability to turn humans or other beings into werewolves. There is a legend that only those of royal blood were still able to transform their chosen partners, but with all royal bloodlines extinct for centuries, it is now considered a myth."

Deanna paused to make herself comfortable on her couch, then continued, "Years later, when we began to settle and establish our colonies, some powerful kings and leaders began to abuse their authority. One infamous example, as you may know, is King Argo Appius the Second. He was a frightening creature, and his wolf, Caym, were one and the same. They ruled for many years and nearly brought our people to ruin. He ignored the mate bond, taking many wives and mistresses, even going so far as to abduct beautiful humans, vampires, and other shifters. His actions epitomized lust, which unfortunately resulted in many crude tales associated with our kind. He had to be stopped, but no creature or human could defeat him. You may have heard he was turned to ruin due to losing his sanity, but that is not entirely the full story."

Alinta shifted slightly to the edge of her seat at those words. She was never satisfied with the demise of King Argo Appius whilst insane. Alinta wished he had remained mentally well so that he could fully understand the suffering he deserved to endure.

Deanna smiled, noticing Alinta's piqued interest, as she continued, "During his reign of crimes, the Divinities did not wish to interfere, for it was the responsibility of the Moon God. The Moon performed his third miracle, creating the wolf, Lesser Deity Raguel. Raguel was blessed with the ability to enter the mind of any corrupt werewolf and challenge his wolf. If the wolf was defeated, it would be forced to leave its host and return to the Moon, while the human part in turn takes the place of his former wolf, only to become trapped in his mind.

"His punishment was to watch as Raguel possessed his body, undoing all the wickedness he had committed, and ultimately leaving his being without a wolf. He would suffer the pain of this loss and endure everlasting punishment, and that, my dear, was how Argo lost his mind."

Alinta's heart fluttered with satisfaction at this new reveal. Aunt Deanna's smile broadened as she saw Alinta's elated expression. "For decades, Raguel disciplined many corrupt leaders in this manner, ensuring that each man faced the consequences according to his crimes.

"Though the Moon is a powerful God, he has his limitations, as he is a lesser God compared to the Divinities. Nevertheless, it is said that he was graciously granted the ability to perform five divine miracles, intended to maintain harmony and balance between our kind and the rest of the world.

"Unfortunately, being a creation of a lesser God made Raguel not immune to defeat. He met his match when he encountered the dangerous werewolf tyrant, Crustblood the Terrible, a descendant of Argo who was also a powerful wizard. Crustblood's wolf, Draven, was a strong and cunning creature. During the battle, Draven deceived Raguel, by pretending he had lost and was lying helpless on the ground. As Raguel approached him, Draven used forbidden magic and devoured the lesser deity. This act instantly endowed Draven with immense power and a desire for independence, establishing his own will. He trapped his human in the depths of his mind and consumed his soul as well.

"Draven transformed into a large black wolf with luminous amethyst eyes and violet electrical discharge crackling around his body. He was relentless and thirsted for power. He killed anyone who dared call him a lesser Deity. Because of this, people referred to him as the Rogue Deity. Still today, the few who know this tale dare not call him a lesser Deity for fear of becoming cursed.

"Some say the wolf perished and became one with the earth, while others believe he is waiting for the eighth crimson full moon to rise, poised to wreak havoc upon this world as predicted by the famous Sorceress Elda Hammelelch. She foretold that his sole goal would be to kill his creator and take the Moon's place, ruling over us all."

Alinta stared at Deanna in wonder, until she realized something, and exclaimed, "That's just around the corner!"

"In two weeks, on your 30th birthday to be exact," giggled the old woman hauntingly, trying to scare her shocked guest.

Alinta laughed to mask her uneasiness. "Oh, come on, Aunt Deanna! I'm not a child anymore; you'd have to do better than that!"

"You're no fun!" the old woman sulked teasingly.

"Wow, so we have a devil version of a werewolf. How come I've never heard of this before? Does the tale say where the creature disappeared to?" Alinta asked, completely invested. Even Angela sat in dead silence, eager to hear what Deanna had to say.

"The Moon wept for his miracle, who was devoured and whose abilities were used for evil. Some say the countless stars in the sky are his shed tears, etched in the sky forever to commemorate his loss. To deal with Draven, the Moon performed his fourth miracle; he severed his bond with his celestial wolf and sent the great Silver Lord to Earth to stop the creature. It is believed that since the Moon and his wolf have parted, werewolves can no longer hear his voice." Deanna heaved a saddened sigh as she thought about her words, then continued, "Draven only escaped with injury and has gone dormant ever since. Some say the creature disappeared to the east, into the barren valley of Bare Mountain's Shadow."

"As wolves who are devoted to the Moon, many werewolves voted against the retelling of the Rogue Deity to just anyone, for they did not want to portray the Moon as flawed to the next generation. This story is only shared among the elders so that it is not forgotten. In doing so, it serves as a reminder that we need to be mindful of the sacrifices the Moon made to look after his children," Deanna said sternly. Angela defiantly rolled her eyes at Deanna's words.

"But why did you tell me this?" Alinta asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"Since your birthday is approaching, I thought this was fitting," Deanna replied. "I should also mention that you are the only wolf I trust, and who shares my passion for our heritage. But be warned—do not speak freely about this tale. Many wolves will be angered, especially those who are completely devoted to the Moon."

"I won't, but I do wish to conduct my own research on it," Alinta assured her.

"Yes, please do! Let me know if you find anything interesting. Who knows what theories and rumours the internet retains these days?" Deanna exclaimed excitedly.

"I promise," Alinta said, making a mental note on her to-do list.

Deanna smiled and got up to head to the kitchen. Alinta was grateful for the brief pause, allowing her to ponder on the lore once more. It truly fascinated her, especially regarding the Moon and his imperfections. She and Angela had their own grievances with their God but never voiced them for fear of facing dire repercussions. Her thoughts were interrupted by the aroma of freshly baked muffins filling the room.