Lunaria

Lunaria
Darren arrived at the Weeping meadow when it neared noon. It took him that long because the Weeping meadow was quite far away from his cabin.

Despite having ran all the way here in his lycan form, he could only arrive now.

Standing by the long crystal clear stream with tall trees along the banks and everywhere, Darren looked around the place with a frown in search of Zeeb.

He had asked Zeeb to wait here for him after all.

" My liege" Suddenly, Darren heard from behind him and swiftly turned around. There, he saw Zeeb detach from the back of a tall broad tree and stand away from it to greet him with a bow across the distance.

" Zeeb, there's no time for all the pleasantries. Quick, lead the way back to the clan!" Darren urged with a serious frown in a stern tone.

The lanky, bearded Zeeb nodded his head curtly and said as he shifted into a tall beast of light brown fur standing on it hind legs, " As you wish." He rushed towards the tall woods, running around them as he ventured deeper into the woods afterwards.

Darren watched all of this with a creased gaze for a while before also shifting and following behind him...

They both traveled through the wilderness all day.

It neared evening when Darren who ran in his lycan form, majestically dashing through the woods behind Zeeb as though he were in his natural turf, finally reached their destination.

Darren and Zeeb slowed down on their dash and shifted back into their human form when they arrived at a huge waterfall that gushed in a heavy flow down a tall height. The violent flush of the water that caused a huge breeze to blow at them was intimidating. Anyone would feel pressured seeing the waterfall.

However, both Zeeb and Darren only stared at the waterfall with their eyes glistening in familiarity. Most especially, Darren, whose gaze seemed reminiscent of a distant past as he stared at the huge waterfall.

" Welcome home, My liege" Zeeb bowed as he announced.

Darren took two steps forward to stand in front of Zeeb. He stood staring at the waterfall with a frown and a creased gaze for the longest while before finally turning to face the clan herald afterwards, " let's go!" He donned a serious and resolute expression as he urged. He shifted back into his lycan form, his snout coming to existence as his mouth tore till it reached underneath his pointy ears as he grew dark, deep brown furs.

Zeeb was the same behind him as he shifted into his lycan form as well.

Darren didn't wait for Zeeb as he dashed forward and jumped towards the waterfall above the small bed of water that flowed down another steep cliff on the side of the terrain.

Zeeb didn't stand on watch either as he did just the same.

If anyone were to see this, they would think that both Darren and Zeeb had a death wish as it seemed quite unfeasible to jump at such a huge waterfall.

However,

Whoosh! Whoosh!

As though they were just jumping through a curtain, Darren and Zeeb passed through the heavily cascading outpour.

Thud!

They landed on a stone floor which seemed to be the entrance of some hidden cave.

Flap! Flap!

Darren and Zeeb shook water off of their furs, causing a loud flap to resound around the cave in an echo.

Shortly after, Darren shifted back into his human form, his body wet and dripping as he looked around the cave that brought back memories.

The stoney cave was slightly illuminated by small mineral rocks that were embedded and scattered about the walls and floors of the cave which grew narrower and even more narrower as it extended a path inwards.

This is the entrance to his homeland!

It was evident that this was a hidden place from the outside world.

Only Lycans or shapeshifters of similar might could access this place.

After all, passing through a waterfall of such magnanimity as they just did wasn't an easy feat, considering the fact that the pressure would push anyone else back. And if it wasn't for their huge body mass and strength being Lycans that helped them to withstand the pressure, Darren and Zeeb wouldn't have been able to pass through either.

Besides, the cave's entrance was at a certain height high enough for anyone to not be capable of finding so easily. It takes a high jump power to reach, and thus, making it difficult to find.

Hence, it not only requires the strength to pass through the waterfall but also the jump power to reach the height of the cave.

But even if there were to be such a creature that could pass through. It has to be capable of shifting back into human form or of smaller size to pass through the narrow passage in the cave.

" My liege, we should get going" Zeeb who had also shifted back into his lanky, brown bearded human form moved to Darren's side and urged. He understood how Darren felt returning back here, but it was better that they leave quickly.

Darren glanced at Zeeb and nodded his head in understanding. He didn't waste any more time sightseeing as he pushed away the memories and just walked forward towards the passage ahead right after, leaving Zeeb following behind.

Flush!

Drip! Drip!

Tap! Tap!

The sound of the waterfall that gushed behind them and that of water that slowly trickling down the cave, mixed with that of their footsteps to form a cacophony as they continued in silence.

As they ventured deeper through the passageway in the cave, Darren couldn't help but move his dazed gaze away from the dimly illuminated floors and move his head to the side to look at Zeeb.

" I haven't been here for years, and he has never thought to do something like this ever since I left. Do you know why father wants me to return?" He asked in a hoarse tone.

Zeeb who walked beside Darren, slightly behind, shook his head pitifully at his question.

" I have no idea, my liege" Zeeb's voice was grim as he answered honestly. He understood why Darren felt this way after all, but he really had no idea why the chief suddenly wants him back in the clan.

" However, the chief has been waning recently as his age is starting to catch up to him. He's also taken several mates in the past years, hoping to bear himself another heir, I deduce." Zeeb recounted sadly after a while of thinking. It was evident from his tone that the clan hadn't been the same since Darren left.

Darren shot a glance at this herald with a puzzled frown. ' A heir?' Darren moved his gaze back and thought to himself, wondering why this was so.

Darren had several thoughts in mind after hearing Zeeb's recount of what his father had been up to in the past few years, but he couldn't be certain just yet.

However, he could tell from what Zeeb just said that his summoning was nothing but for the achievement of another of his father's selfish goal. And he could tell that he wouldn't like anything about it...

Silence reigned in the passageway once again as only the trickling sound of water dripping on the stone floor, and the sounds of their footsteps as they continued along the passageway could be heard.

Until the gushing sound of the waterfall that had already become quite distant could be heard up ahead once again.

Flush!

" We're here..." Zeeb announced at the sight of the calmly gushing outpour in front of them through another entrance of the cave which grew wider in space.

As though knowing they would have to shift to their lycan form once again and thus, affording them the space to do so.

Darren's frown deepened at the sight of this and his heart thrummed anxiously.

He shifted into his lycan form just as Zeeb did, and calmly walked through the waterfall.

Flush!

His feet became heavy as they stepped into a steep pool. However, Darren didn't pay much mind to this as the first thing that came to his view after passing through the pouring waterfall was a dense forestry shaded by tall trees.

Stepping out of the tranquil flow of water, Darren became wistful. While the birds chirped, he reminisced on the serene, yet ethereal silence that fell over the place.

Covered in lush greenery and mountains adorned in moss that leaped in folds and bounds throughout the vastness, this hidden home of lycans remained just the same as Darren remembered.

Soft wind blew amidst the quietness, causing a melodious whistle to resound all around the place in harmony.

This was Darren's hometown. The secluded home of his kind- Lunaria.