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Putting a Price on Life

The Legend of Didi Morningstar of The Former World

By Dani BananiPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
2
Putting a Price on Life
Photo by Florian van Duyn on Unsplash

I love the sensation of cool water against a human’s skin, which is why I’m endlessly diving into any body of water in a form outside of my natural wolf state. It just feels better across smooth flesh instead of dampening all my fur. My own wolf form evolved into a mid-shape between humans and wolves, so I can run on all fours or my two back paws, which thins my fur out a bit more than the standard looking wolves who run on all four paws. The water weight is still annoying, though, even without a thicker coat.

Today is no different, as my hour-long daily run is transformed into an all out exploration of neighboring wastelands full of history and artifacts from The Former World. I’m standing at the edge of a small pond in deep thought before diving in.

By Philipp Pilz on Unsplash

Centuries ago, before the rightful line of beings took their place as leaders, my ancestors helped save humanity by burning cities to the ground. Humans were a failing species, and they sought our gifts to enhance themselves. Our teeth were pulled from our mouths, our blood drained from both of our forms, our brains tormented and studied for reactions (like shifting) and patterns. While they lost focus on the right things and embraced unethical approaches to experimenting, our kind were able to rise up and stop being killed in the name of government research. We burned the cities that housed the evil our kind suffered for science experiments, for their so-called “knowledge” that had to be gained. To them, we were just lab animals. To us, it was a game of the last wolf (or man) standing, and wolves came out on top.

Our victory continues to be celebrated to this day, with annual festivals and parades.

It’s unfortunate that so many good humans were lost in the process. We honor them, though, and we have history books in my library that highlight the great things a lot of them did. I spend a lot of free time finding new people to admire and whisper thanks to, which is another thing that keeps me in human form often: reading. I can’t get enough of human history from The Former World and I feel a need to be grateful for their sacrifice. Plus, much is to be learned from history, as I don’t intend to rule like my ancestors.

By Jorge Salvador on Unsplash

As I continue to stare at the water, I’m reminded that my obsession with water is something I’ve had since I was born. I have always found things hidden in various bodies of water: human creations like watches, toy cars, coins, old sewing kits in tins, and what they used to call “CDs”. Wolves trade jewelry for goods or currency, so my main goal is to find things worth something to me in the long run. Not that I need the money, but I like to keep my own stash just in case. I have a ton of those silly diamond rings that human women are recorded as being so fond of in that lifetime.

I dive all the way to the bottom of the pond near some house from The Former World, my human fingers gently scraping the shallow bottom in search of any artifact I can find. The texture of the earth beneath the water is mushy, soft, almost too soft to be pleasant against flesh, but I keep feeling around in hopes that something was missed by a scavenger. As I start to lose hope, I feel something like a chain slip over my left pinky finger, and my heart jumps in excitement as I start to wonder what it could be. Perhaps a diamond pendant or even cooler, cubic zirconia: a wolf’s favorite gem. Humans called it worthless in The Former World, but we love them.

My head breaks the surface of the water and I lift my hand to brush my hair aside while the other reveals a pendant on a long, thin chain. It’s a heart-shaped locket, and I gasp as I realize that I’ve seen this exact necklace on one of my favorite humans I’ve studied. She came from local documents that recorded humans who were aiding the effort to hide from wolves despite our inevitable win, and she was photographed wearing a necklace exactly like this.

By elnaz asadi on Unsplash

I scramble out of the pond as quickly as I can, tossing the necklace into a small satchel I have attached to my leg that doesn’t get lost in shifting. I assume my wolf form and run as fast as I can, my heart nearly exploding from the pressure of traveling so ferociously. But I can’t stop, I don’t care that my entire body feels as though it’s bursting into flames at the end of each nerve. The endless abandoned streets and dilapidated homes turn into a blur as I power down the old road, heading for the forest that shades and protects the Royal Living Quarters.

It takes little time to arrive at my library when you cut through the trees. It’s stationed near the large house my family claimed when they ascended to power decades ago. I exit the forest’s edge and smile, my wolf fangs glistening in the sunlight as I approach the building and slowly shift to human form.

My desk is near the entrance, right by the filing cabinet where I keep all important finds. It nearly falls over as I yank on the handle a little too enthusiastically, retrieving the bright orange folder I’d labeled “Didi Morningstar.” I plop down in the little human chair at the desk and open it to reveal an immediate photograph. I jam my hand into the satchel on my leg to grab the necklace, holding it up for comparison.

They’re identical. My heart feels like it’s going to ping pong right out of my chest.

Right behind her photo is a police report that contains the information of when she was first reported missing by the humans who had survived the first great blaze. Her home address is on it.

By Ahmed Zayan on Unsplash

I leap up, memorizing the address, and close my eyes to map out my journey before my wolf takes me there. My wolf has a built-in compass for any target, almost magically so, and the compass is already telling me which direction will take me to Didi’s home.

And so, I run.

Two hours later, I find the house and discover a surprise: it looks quite undamaged, as if someone is constantly taking care of it. Not many houses survived the fires but those that still stand really never look that good. They suffered a lot of smoke damage and ash had turned a lot of them black with the intensity of the fires my ancestors set. This one isn’t perfect, by any means, but it definitely looks better than surrounding structures. I shift back to human form and ascend the steps, stepping lightly in case of broken glass. I’ll heal if I step on anything but it’s still a nuisance.

The inside is dark; entering sends all of my wolf senses to the surface, a growl escaping my chest without consent. My shoulders tense up and I can feel my claws beginning to sprout from my human finger tips. Heart racing, steady breathing, I turn slowly to review my surroundings.

Someone is here, and it’s an enemy.

By David Balev on Unsplash

Within moments of completing the thought, a hissing sound forces me in the direction of the noise. I see what looks to be a cloaked vampire, fangs bared, preparing for battle. I smirk.

“Oh, I don’t have any appetite at all, I guess I’ll settle for just killing you.”

I prepare to shift as she emerges into the moonlight and I stop shifting abruptly, half-crouched and frozen as I’m choking on the words I’m trying to force out as my state lingers between wolf and human.

“D-D-Didi? Didi Morningstar?!”

The vampire looks taken aback, but I know I recognize that face. I adjust myself into a standing position, hovering at 6’7” as a human (even taller as a wolf; got it from my dad; pretty good genes).

“What do you want with me, Descendant?” She spat the last word with as much venom as she could muster.

I shake my head. “You don’t understand. I’ve idolized you ever since I first read about you. But you should be dead...and you’re clearly not. You’re a vampire.” I tilt my head and ponder this before dropping my gaze to meet her surprised, light brown eyes.

“Why are you a vampire, Didi?”

“I did what must be done to save humanity.” Didi had no fear or shame, but perhaps a tone of guilt laced through her strength.

“Do you regret it?” I asked softly.

Didi met my eyes and firmly replied, “No.”

I nodded respectfully. “I regret what my kind have done to good people. You were one of them. It shouldn’t have been this way…”

“Then change it.” Didi’s tone grew firmer, compassionate but with a power that I only knew when I saw my Wolf Queen mother address the masses with her newest plans for dominance and continued ruling. Didi is serious.

“How am I supposed to change it? It’s just me.

“Listen, I have had to go through so many changes, changes you wouldn’t believe. I’ve become my most authentic self only to be told I did not know who I was. I have made sacrifices, I have cried and reached out for help, and no one helped me in the end but me. You say you don’t have anyone? You do, actually. You’re the Child of the Wolf Queen, are you not?” She tilted her own head and waited, her brown locks falling down her shoulder.

“How do you know that?”

“You have an advanced evolution wolf form, I can sense it. Usually those of royal blood are taller, faster, stronger, even able to feel some of that power in human form. But I know you folks like to stay as wolfies, and hey, more power to you. Now, what exactly made you come looking for my old house to begin with?”

I pulled the necklace from my satchel and held it up, Didi’s eyes immediately flooding with tears.

“I believe this is yours. I found it, and I wanted your family to have it, but I suppose it’s best if you do.”

Her lower lip quivers as she retrieves her old necklace from my fingers and I hear a soft gasp as her fingertips touch the pink gem in the center. She closes her eyes, holds it to her chest, and walks to the kitchen. I follow her in case this could lead to something interesting.

Didi lays the pendant on the table and proceeds to grab a hammer. She turns around, tears still streaming as she lifts the hammer above her head.

“WHOA, hey, why are we breaking it?!”

The hammer comes down and the locket shatters everywhere, leaving the pink gem intact and several small pieces of paper scattering through metal bits of the pendant. It looks as though each paper has a letter or number on it, but Didi grabs the pendant gem first and places it aside.

“These letters and numbers, along with some symbols, contain a code only a witch can read. The gem is needed for whatever the code says it’s needed for. It is the only hope we have. Humans can be saved by this...but witches are controlled by wolves.”

Didi’s eyes went dark as realization hit me.

“You understand what that means, Descendant?”

I nod. “I do.”

“Your Ma won’t be very happy about this.”

I feel goosebumps on my skin, from…fear? Excitement? I'm not emotional in my human form and this sensation feels chilling. I collect myself before lifting my head for my reply.

“Mother won’t have much to say when I kill her.”

Short Story
2

About the Creator

Dani Banani

I write through the passion I have for how much the world around me inspires me, and I create so the world inside me can be manifested.

Mom of 4, Birth Mom of 1, LGBTQIA+, I <3 Love.

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