+When the Devil Wakes+

Prologue

Long ago when humans were few and animals were in abundance, there were mighty predators that roamed different parts of the world. Lions preyed on the African safari, their fur thin and short acquainted to the dramatic heat wave. Bears and cougars coexisted in the forests of the north, living on deer, elk, and if need be, each other because they were unafraid of death--only starvation. Snakes and the sleek panthers slithered through the rainforest, scaring all of the creatures into the treetops that eventually they learned to climb the bark to pounce upon their meals. Polar bears crunched on the ice in the freezing arctic, living on whales, birds, and fish.

Then there were the wolves...

The wolves were enemies and friends with the other predators around the world. They lived in many parts of the world, packs learning to live with all the different types of predators. They didn't live in one place in particular--everyone knew about these wild canines. Some humans have learned to tap into the wolves interest, having them live among their small clans as close companions. Yet most of the wolves were wild and free of the humans clutches. Some never knew humans existed, only knowing the way to survive to see the next day.

Although these wolves may never meet all of its cousins across the globe, they all shared one thing in common. All wolves worshipped the god Fenris, the wolf-god and the god of destruction. He was described to as black as charcoal, larger than an elephant and the eyes of fire. If you were caught seeing Fenris, laying your mortal eyes on his majestic godhood, he would slaughter you without a thought. Now he could disguise himself as a normal gray colored wolf, but this wasn't often and this would be the time where he wouldn't have you killed because you wouldn't know it was him. Fenris was the most feared and most respected, all wolves adored him and believed in his existence. Though they may have never seen him their instincts told all wolves that he watched over them everyday. If Fenris didn't exist the wolves wouldn't be here today.

It was easy to say Fenris isn't real because who would say that he was? If you saw him you were dead--except for Ylva and Gentro, the first twin wolves ever born upon the world. They were brought up very close and inseparable to each other. Both pure and full of love for their pack and a brother and sister bond that couldn't be broken.

When the twins were old enough they had left their pack to explore the world around them. They had passed ancient places only told in stories and the few that still exist today. Until one day they were thirsty in their travellings and wound up in a forest far from their birthplace. All they could recognize was the pine and wild smell of the trees and the hear the trickling of water of a nearby. Dry for thirst the twins made their way and saw a huge black wolf, staring down at them--Fenris was waiting for them. At first the twins were scared that he may kill them where they stood but the wolf-god ordered them to stop their quiverings and he explained to them they were a one of a kind and because of their existence a new race of twins would be born throughout the decades. He wanted them alive as a symbol to the wolves around the world that if it weren't for them there wouldn't be large litters in the future. He also told them that there were weaker wolves that had set eyes upon him but had escaped before he had killed them and that they needed to die. If they were his messengers, Fenris would grant them immortality.

Being young and naive, the twins accepted it needing to bathe in wolf's blood so they could keep their immortality. Ylva learned to love the power falling under Fenris's example and being almost as bad as he. She had eventually met a male wolf as a pup when the twins had snuck their way into a pack to kill one of its elders. When the male wolf grew up Ylva had fallen in love with him, soon the two were mates and after introducing him to immortality she warned him he needed to kill 90 wolves to stay alive with her forever. He accepted it, first killing his birth pack and then travelling with Ylva and Gentro.

What Ylva and her mate didn't know that Gentro soon learned of seeing a pattern. The blood and sin Fenris's curse he had placed upon them was slowly killing the race of the wolves and that they were soon killing humans as well. Fenris had told them their numbers were growing quickly and that they were killing their animal equals-they needed to be stopped. Ylva and her mate came up with a solution that they should have a pack of immortals, it would make them powerful and as strong as the humans with their thundersticks and spears and earth shaking bombs. Gentro felt this was wrong and after a long battle with his sister and brother-in-law Gentro left his sister after a few hundred years of being together.

Gentro felt he needed to protect their wolf race and protect the creatures around the world from Fenris's bloodlust for death. He was no merciful god. Only the god of destruction. He was trying to bring the end of the world upon them, using the immortal wolves in his ploy. Gentro took a mate and they began to make a large pack--naming themselves the Valkeryies, from the norse term of angels who protected those in battle, but instead protected those who needed them. Ylva and her mate, Manderallen, made a small pack called the Berserkers continuing to be the messengers of Fenris and killing those he wanted them to--all for immortality and the strength that came with it.

And here we are now. 400 years later. Fenris had grown tired of the Valkeryies effort to protect the weak and has sent the Berserkers to kill them once and for all.