Cornelia’s POV
“Cornelia!”
I momentarily shut my eyes as I feel the blowing wind onto my face. As I open my eyelids and hear that loud call of my name, a huge smile instantly forms on my lips.
Here it is again. Another morning of usual scoldings and shoutings. I can’t remember if there is still anyone who is not immune to this unique wake-up call that my father and our chief, Francis, are always giving us as soon as the sun rises up.
I am part of the Amarylis Tribe, a group of hunters who are experts in using bows, knives, swords, and many more, but we have morals, unlike many other tribes whose worst than animals as they kill as they please.
I look at the other hunters on my way and see that they only shake their heads as those who are already awake and outside just simply continue with what they are doing and those who are still in bed get up and go out of their houses to start their morning. None of them is already alerted by the loud calls nor are they curious enough to see what is happening.
They just simply go on with their lives without even turning their heads to look.
A smile flashes on my face as I wave my hands in delight before I continue to run towards the wall of equipment as a starting run before I jump high with ease and grab my favourite recurve bow. Afterwards, I hook the quiver that is filled with arrows on my back and run as fast as I can towards the exit of our tribe.
“I will be back, Dad. I promise,” I shout back as I give my father a flying kiss.
I am the daughter of the chief of the Amaryllis Tribe. I am known to be stubborn and have always loved adventures. I will always sneak out early in the morning to venture to the Black Forest, the boundary between the human and werewolf world.
Because of these dangerous endeavours, I like to take, my father’s fuming calls have become the infamous morning call of our tribes.
Centuries ago, human and werewolf paths has intersected. The werewolf’s existence came to light and to prevent further conflict and fear that is consuming the humans, werewolves compromised and stayed on their part of the land. The earth is then divided and the Black Forest becomes our boundary between.
Because of that, I kind of admire the werewolves. When they are obviously the more superior species, they are willing to compromise for us all to have peace, but of course, that will not mean that I will go treating them like some god or superhero.
However, despite the action that the werewolves have taken to make us, humans, feel safe and unthreatened, there are still those other humans who are filled with greed and fear.
Our government starts to form tribes with the purpose of either killing or experimenting with the werewolves. And these tribes together with my tribe are located near the Black forest. We are like the frontliners in case war against the two species occurs again.
During those times, many tribes are in a race to attack, kidnap and kill werewolves. However, our tribe, The Amaryllis Tribe, are far different. We are the ones who are both an enemy of the werewolf packs and Hunter Tribes. Unlike the other tribes, we save werewolves who are mistreated by hunters, and we also save humans who are being preyed on by werewolves who have gone rogue.
Our tribe is the kind of tribe whose goal is to bring peace and unity between the two species, but many did not feel the same way as we did. Other hunter tribes have labelled us as traitors to our own, while most werewolf packs remain cautious of us as they see us suspicious.
Sometimes I want to be angry at them. I mean, here are my tribe, my family. We are taking the risk of being in the middle to be righteous. We are saving their kind and yet they still have the audacity to think even in the slightest that we have another intention.
But then again, I can’t blame them. They are only being protective of their own family. I have to be thankful already that they respect us as we are the only tribe that never has encountered any attacks from decent packs - packs that are not rogues. And I will take that as their way of being courteous to us.
It is only the Blue Moon Pack who remain as our allies considering that our tribe have saved many of their members from the metal hands of those cruel hunters who kill even their pups.
“Let me go!”
I stop in my tracks as I hear the loud voices of numerous people not far from where I am.
I squat and gradually walk closer behind the bush and there, I am able to get a glimpse of members of the Dragger Tribe - the most inhuman and notorious hunter tribe among the five tribes excluding ours. The Dragger Tribe is known to be ruthless. They use their captives to experiment and make new weapons that they utilise in killing werewolves.
They torture them until their captives beg them before they kill them. And they do it without remorse. Among all tribes, I am most disgusted at them.
I sneak further closer and am surprised at what I see. A werewolf girl is chained using silver cuffs and is being forced to drink a wolfbanes potion which can cause them to be weak and febrile. I am clenching my fist so tight in anger that I feel my nails being pointed onto my palms.
I intently look at the woman and find her look to be only around fourteen or fifteen years old. Only a few years younger than me. My hand starts to take hold of my bow as I start feeling itchy to kill those men in front of me. They are heartless.
I roam my eyes to ensure that there are only five hunters in there. The girl is now begging for help and tears are running down her cheeks. I can see how she is trembling in fear, and I emphasise her.
I grit my teeth and grab an arrow from my quiver. I place it on the string of the bow and start to aim when I am halted by the voice in my head.
“Don’t do it…”
“I must…” I reply in my mind. “Diana…” I will continue.
This is my secret. A secret I must keep for as long as I need and I can. I am different from many hunters in any tribe. I have a wolf in me, but unlike the other werewolves, I cannot shift to wolf form. I am a half-werewolf, half-human; an offspring from a taboo relationship between a sentinel werewolf and a huntress.
It is said that my parents were killed during the outbreak of my parent's relationship and my birth. I am left in the Black Forest under the giant tree and there I am saved by my adoptive father, Francis - the chief of our tribe.
I was not aware of this fact until a month ago when I turned eighteen and my wolf talked to me. At first, I was extremely surprised and scared, but later on, I was able to get accustomed to it and am even grateful for my newfound skills - strength, speed, and an increased sense of smell. Though I gain skills that are above average for a human, it is still below average for werewolves.
I am the epitome definition of a half-blood.
“You will put yourself at risk,” Diana, my wolf, initiated to me. I know that she is worried about me as I may get hurt or even die. However, I cannot just turn a blind eye when there is someone who needs my help.
It is my duty. This is what our tribe does best - saving. And besides, as much as they are strong, I know that I can’t take them on. I am, after all, a skilled huntress even before I learned about my true identity.
“The girl will die,” I answer back as I pull the arrow much closer to myself and aim for the man who is holding the girl by her arms.
“But so will you if you risk it,” Diana insists, her tone of voice became more stern.
I look at the scene in front of her and I just cannot stomach the torture that they are doing to the little girl. I take a sniff in the air, and I smell a faint scent of mint and woods which captured my attention, even my wolf’s.
“What is that?” I ask my wolf, but Diana remains silent.
The smell. It is captivating. It smells magical. Alluring even. I don’t know why the smell has too much effect on me, even on Diana who instantly becomes silent at the smell of it when she has been protesting to me since I aimed my arrow.
Shaking my head in frustration, I empty my worry and confusion as I focus on aiming my arrow at the man instead. I take a deep breath before I let go of the string and arrow, striking the man straight to his ankle, making him shout in pain and fall to the ground.
“The fuck! Who is that?” The man shouts and the other four bulky men who are with him roam their eyes in search of the culprit, but they see no one as I immediately drop to the ground and hide.
Secretly, I pull another two arrows from my quiver. This time, I utilised both at the same time and struck the other two men who are close to my position.
“Help!” the girl cries out in panic. Even though the woman cannot see who is helping her, her hope rises as she sees the men capturing her falling one by one.
“Who are you? Show yourself or I'll kill this girl!” the man with a scar on his face said as he grabs the woman and roughly holds her on her waist while he is pointing a silver knife at her neck.
My eyes widen in shock while I take a glimpse at the scene between the gaps of bushes leaves.
The skin where the knife is touching is already burning to the skin of the woman and she is already crying in pain. She is even shivering as she whispers over and over again that she needs help.
“I am about to do something stupid, are you not going to stop me now?” I asked my wolf, but like earlier, she remained silent.
Shaking my head, I swiftly close her eyes as I take a deep breath before I open them and stand up out of the shadow with my head held high as I look straight into the eyes of the man who is holding the girl.
“If it isn't the daughter of the Amaryllis Tribe…” said the man with a huge sinister smirk on his face.
