Universe Next Door: The Vastlands
by Brian Lewis
Chapter 1: The Emerald Expanse
A man runs naked through the dense forest of the Emerald Expanse. From his state of
undress one would assume that he’s being pursued by a jealous husband and his
vengeful blade. Or perhaps he’s an escaped prisoner fleeing the headsman’s axe.
Another possibility he’s an escaped slave running from a cruel master’s whip. But his
wrists and ankles do not bear the scars from iron manacles you would find on a
prisoner or a slave. However his body does carry other scars, most notably on his face.
It runs down the right side of his face, from the hair line of his jet black hair all the way
down to the curve of his jaw.
The thing that pursues him is not a man but a beast. It is the most feared creature that
calls the Expanse its home. A very large wolf like canine called a dreadwolf, but unlike
others of its ilk it is a solitary hunter. And when the opportunity presents itself it is a
hunter of men. As such it possesses a near human level intelligence and that more
than anything else is what makes it so fearsome and frightening. It is said that
dreadwolves were once humans gifted or cursed with the ability to change into
animals. But over time they either lost the ability to change back or for whatever
reason simply gave up their human forms.
Its frustrated howl of rage drives the man to run head long through the underbrush.
He ignores the thorns that tear his flesh. His blood spatters the leaves as he runs,
knowing that the scent of his blood will drive it to greater frenzy. It is what he’s
counting on; if the beast is so caught up in blood frenzy perhaps it will make a mistake.
But, when he hears the sound of rushing water ahead of him he realizes that the
mistake is his.
He comes to a stop at the edge of a rocky precipice and looks down and sees the
churning waters of the Blue River Gorge below him. With winter barely past the waters
churn violently like a great caldron, swollen from the spring thaw.
“End of the line.” He says to himself dejectedly. “The beast was driving me to this spot.
I played right into its trap.”
In confirmation of his words the creature comes into view from the shade of the
underbrush. Its over all appearance is that of a wolf but twice as large as any other of
its kind in existence. Its fur is the reddish brown color of cinnamon from the tip of its
bushy tail to its muzzle. It growls bearing its fangs, in a maw that could sever a limb in a
single bite. But the most incredible feature was its greenish gold eyes. Eyes as
expressive as any human’s he has ever gazed into, eyes that bore into his soul.
She circles the man, drinking in the scents of him. These scents excite her; the sweat
that pours down his heaving chest from the exertions of her pursuit of him. The scent
of blood from the wounds inflected on his back and buttocks by the thorn bushes. But
most of all what excites her the most is the lack of a particular scent. Any other human
in his position would stink of it. Without clothing, weapons or armor his body should be
screaming fear. But it does not, it says something else. It says arousal, not just by his
scent, his penis is semi-erect. Clearly he is as excited as she.
She desires him not as prey even thought she could have easily taken him at any time
as such. Through the entirety of the chase she has been toying with him and him with
her. Getting them both worked up to this moment of truth. This is when she sheds her
wolf-form and stands before him as naked as he, and speaks to him.
“Good morning Matt.” The woman says smiling, showing her slightly enlarged canines,
a trait of her kind.
“Good morning Simone.” The man replies and smiles, and thinks to himself that she’s
equally beautiful in either of her forms.
It wasn’t so very long ago he had almost killed her, before he knew what she was. But,
with his power he sensed the duality in her. The two sides of her that where vying for
control over the whole. On one side was a frightened young woman struggling with her
recently manifested gift, on the other a powerful and deadly force of nature. Using his
power he helped her achieve a balance between the two. If he had not intervened she
would have lost herself and become wholly a dreadwolf. However, the process wasn’t
without its trials and tribulations. Because as a Knight of the Iron Hand he is duty
bound to protect the inhabitants of this territory be they Gifted, Denied, human, non
human, or something in between. Even when it means he must protect them from
themselves.
Of course neither one of them meant for it to happen; they were simply fencing one
day. She suddenly disarms him, sending his sword flying into the air to impale itself
into the ground. A feat she was never able to accomplish before. At that point their
relationship as teacher and student came to an end. And they stood together as
equals, partners and eventually lovers.