Calliope's Wolf - Book 1
Chapter 5

"Concentrate," Nova instructed. "Listen to your heart beating. Feel the rhythm."

"I can't listen to my heart when I keep hearing you talk," Calliope quipped.

Some time has passed since the Moon Festival. Just over a year. And now, Calliope has made no progress in controlling her gifts or conquering her wolf.

Calliope uncrossed her legs and laid back on the stone floor.

"I'm getting a headache," she said with a scowl.

Nova sat down on the ground next to Calliope. In her hands, she held a book. A book that was recently sent over from Theo to them. It contained thoughts and theories on the Greats. He thought it would help Calliope.

"How about we try focusing on something else?" Nova suggested. "Perhaps we should focus on trying to see your wolf rather than controlling it?"

"Is that what your book says?" Calliope inquired.

"Well, not really. But I got the idea from reading it, though!"

"It can wait until tomorrow," Asher says as he enters the room.

"Oh my Goddess, it's been an hour!" Calliope exclaimed as she raised her arms in the air.

Nova stood up, shaking her head. She set the book down on the table where Asher stood.

"You work her too hard," Asher said with a frown. "She is still a child."

"But she doesn't act like a child," Nova countered as she plopped into a chair. "Do you see her play with toys? Run around as Riley does? I think it's been a month since I last heard her laugh."

"I'm sure the Great Alpha was the same as a child." Asher sighed. "I can put in a request for the books on his early childhood. Maybe even the Grand Luna's as well."

"Great... more books," Calliope grumbled from her spot on the floor.

"You seem tired," noted Asher. "We can skip history if you'd like?"

"I don't care," Calliope said with a wave of her hand. "You can speak, and I will listen. What are we on? The 6th set of Greats?"

"No," Asher responded while shaking his head. "I won't subject you to me quoting books if you are not feeling it."

Asher walked over to Calliope and sat down near her. He motioned for Nova to join him.

"How about we talk about something else?" he says with raised eyebrows. "What is something you'd like to talk about?"

"It can be anything?" Calliope inquired.

"Of course," Asher nodded. "As long as I know it or Nova has knowledge of it, we will discuss it."

Calliope sat up and thought to herself. What would she want to talk about? There isn't much knowledge hidden from her, after all. Is there something they have avoided, perhaps due to her age?

"I want to know more about sun wolves," she answered.

"Sun wolves?" Nova asked, surprised by the answer. "Why?"

"It is something you two rarely talk about in front of me. Even my parents only talk about them behind closed doors."

"That's because they are dangerous," Asher responded. He looked to Nova before returning his gaze to Calliope. "We don't wish to frighten you. Or worry you about the problems of the world. These are not yet your burdens."

"I understand," she nodded. "But can you teach me their history? Why do they attack us? Why do they worship the sun and not the moon?"

"That we can do," Nova agreed as she looked at Asher. "Right?"

Asher rubbed his jaw for a moment. "I don't see the harm of it if we stick to the history aspect. Fine... it began thousands of years ago."

"They've been around that long?" Calliope asked, amazed. She assumed they were a recent problem.

"Yes," Asher replied. "For quite a long time, sun wolves have roamed the earth. You see, the Moon Goddess cursed the original sun wolves. They were normal wolves who wanted more - more powers. They wanted to be like the Greats. They wanted to feel blessed."

"So they were jealous," commented Calliope. "Why curse them?"

"They killed an entire line of Greats," Asher answered. "The Great Alpha... the Great Luna... their pups."

"The third set of Greats!" Calliope gasped, connecting the dots in her head from history lessons.

"That is correct. I told you the entire line had died but neglected to tell you how. Because of this, the Moon Goddess had to start over from scratch. The world went over a hundred years before another Great could come into power. The world was in chaos. No order, no laws. It took many, many years before the wrongs could be righted."

"And for this," Asher continued. "Those responsible were cursed. Their entire line, generations, cursed. She limited their wolf."

"Limit them?"

"Essentially, they cannot shift when the Moon is out. They can shift only during the day or when the moon is just a sliver in size. And from what we are to understand, they can only reproduce when the new moon is in the cycle. Which severely limits their numbers. To try and counteract the curse, they turned to the Sun God. He cannot create wolf spirits, but he can give them power."

"Is it the same powers Greats have?" Calliope asked with a frown.

"Thankfully not," Nova answered. She looked to Asher, who nodded his head approvingly. "The Sun God can only give one gift, and that's strength. But it's limited in capacity. He can't gift it to all the Sun Wolves; they would barely notice a difference. He gifts it to one or a few at a time. We never know the full extent."

"So, similar to the Moon Goddess who limits the gifts to two Greats?" Calliope asked, mulling over the information.

"In a way," Nova shrugged. "Our knowledge of the Gods and their ways is limited after all. We can only assume based on what we can see. But, other than the gift of strength, the only known difference the Sun God gives is how different their wolves are."

"Ah yes," Asher interrupted. "I nearly forgot. In their wolf form, rather than walking on all fours, they walk on the back legs, similar to the human form."

"What? Walks on their back legs? Show me a drawing." She commands. She may not have meant it, but her curiosity over the Sun Wolves had caused her to be accidentally brash in her request.

Nova and Asher instantly stood. Their bodies are compelled to obey. They looked at one another, possibly exchanging words over mind links. Calliope took notice and sheepishly looked down.

"I'm sorry. That came across the wrong way." She said softly.

Asher looked at her and smiled. "Come with me to the table. I'll show you what they look like."

Calliope stood and walked across the room with Asher and Nova. Asher took a book from a stack and flipped through the pages. He stopped when he came across what he was searching for. He turned the book towards Calliope.

She looked. The wolf looked odd to her. It stood only on its back legs, which looked larger than a regular wolf's. Perhaps even stronger. And it's...hands...looked like a human's with claws on the end. Like it could write and hold a sword in this form.

The fur around the neck and head seemed normal, but throughout the rest of the body, it seemed short and slick, like a cat.

"Why are they still around?" Calliope asked while she looked at the image. "Why haven't we killed them off thousands of years ago?"

"How do you kill off something when you don't know their true number or strength?" Asher quizzed.

"He means they have never attacked anywhere with their full numbers and strength," Nova adds quickly. "And it is against the morality of the Greats to go out, hunting them, killing them just to cause their extinction."

"I was once told that my powers will reflect what is to come," Calliope says as she looks at both Asher and Nova. Worry was stricken across her face. "Everyone says I will be a strong Great Luna and that Theo is already a strong Great Alpha. Does our strength reflect their strength?"

Asher looks down. He didn't want to burden her, but she figured out some things on her own. He looked away from her, ashamed.

"Yes," Nova answered. It was a whisper... almost inaudible. She clenched her fists. "When there are peaceful times, the Greats will have simple powers. But during times of trouble... during times of war, the Greats will have greater gifts."

"What am I destined to do?" Calliope asked.

She looked up at them, angry. When they didn't answer, she hit the table.

"Leave!" Another command. This time, they obeyed instantly.

Once they left, she sat on the floor. She was angry, but she did not understand why. They simply told her what she wanted to know. It was like there was an internal battle within her.

She was still a child in her body, but in her mind, it was as if she was hundreds of years old already. But everything seemed to be fighting each other, fighting against her.

I want it to stop. She thinks to herself. She crosses her legs, attempting to meditate. But what did Nova tell her earlier? Focus on seeing her wolf?

Calliope puts her hands on her knees and closes her eyes. Where are you? Calliope asked in her mind, asking her wolf.

Come to me, she commanded.

Calliope sighs and takes a deep breath.

Can I see you? Calliope asked in her thoughts. She was tired of fighting. She wanted the internal war to be gone. She wanted peace.

Calliope closed her eyes, and before her was a white wolf. It was large, and she felt small in front of it. Was this her wolf? Was this what she had been fighting against?

I don't want to fight you. The wolf snorts, and the air from its nose pushes against Calliope. But the wolf lies down in front of her.

How do I control my powers? The wolf gives a low growl. Please... I don't want to control you. I just want to get stronger. I need to get stronger.

The wolf looked at her. It was as if she was thinking. She simply looked at Calliope, unmoving and silent.

Do you speak? They say wolf spirits have a voice. Calliope says, but the wolf remains silent. Maybe Calliope is too young, and her wolf is not at full power to speak.

Are you the one preventing me from using my powers? The wolf does a gentle snort, a way to answer Calliope.

Please, Calliope now says, begging her wolf.

Calliope didn't need to say more. The wolf knew what she wanted. The wolf remained silent, but after a moment, it moved closer to Calliope. It gently nudged her with its nose. Calliope laughed, and she began to feel a spark. Is she finally working with her wolf, not against it? She touched the snout and felt its fur. Calliope looked into its eyes—bright blue, just like hers.

The wolf took in a breath and then exhaled onto Calliope. It forced her to open her eyes, to break the meditation. Calliope sighed.

"Did Theo ever have these issues?" She thought out loud, wishing she could ask him.

In an instant, her eyes were white, and she suddenly saw something else. Before her, she was walking down a long hall. People would step to the side as she walked and bow to her. Was this the future? It looked like the palace.

She kept walking until she came to a large set of doors. She opened them and before her was a bedroom. It looked lavish but almost empty. It had a simple bed, a desk, and some bookshelves. She walked into the room but paused and looked to her right, where a mirror was on the wall.

In the mirror, though, she did not see herself. No, it was Theo. He ran his fingers through his hair. Calliope had no control over the movements, but she watched the hands and the face in the mirror. She was looking through Theo's eyes.

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