Viper's Legacy

Prologue

The woman cried out in pain as the creature inside her struggled to arrive into the world. The child bit into her mother’s flesh, pushing upwards. The woman moaned as she gave birth to a monstrous being−the spawn of a demon. Sweat and tears traveled down her face, and blood covered the floor of the small cave hidden deep in the forest. No one was around to aid her or to save her. At last the child broke free of her mother’s womb. Snapping the umbilical cord, she peered up at her mother’s face. Intelligence flashed in the depths of her deep, blood red eyes, while sadness crept over her face.

My baby girl…my Viper…, whispered Alitzah smiling weakly. Dying, she wanted to hold her baby tightly in her arms before passing into the void. The newborn climbed into her mother’s arms, feeling a pang of guilt to know she was her own mother’s killer.

She wasn’t a normal child, her mind was that of an early teenager. She had developed quickly, and already her body was that of a two-year-old. As her mother faded away, Viper touched her face gently, caressing the chocolate curls and soft pale skin.

Forgive me, dear mother, the child whispered, and lovingly kissed her dying mother’s worn cheek.

It isn’t your fault, Viper. Don’t ever blame yourself; it was my fault alone. I did what I had to, so you’d be safe. Know that I love you with all my heart. Someday, my dear, someday you’ll understand. Coughing loudly, Alitzah fought for breath, to stay with her child a little longer. Death was a cruel thing, taking you in the worst of moments.

Save your breath, Mother. Die in peace. The child wiped away the blood covering her own face, revealing just how pale her skin was. Her hair seemed to have been spun out of midnight−dark and gleaming.

You are destined for great things. I shall be watching you. I know you’ll make me proud. Alitzah squeezed Viper in a tender hug with the last of her remaining strength. Her dark brown eyes traced over her child’s features, as if to capture the image in her mind.

With a final kiss, the fragile woman passed away, setting free her soul and leaving behind the child that she had wanted so desperately to protect.

Throwing back her head, the newborn child let loose a heart-stopping, mournful keen. The cave rang with her grief and her guilt, the sorrowful sound spilling out of the cave to echo through the forest.

And so was born a child who would either save or destroy two intertwined worlds.

Chapter One

Viper

Silently, I stalked my prey. My fangs elongated, as my ears flicked forward. My tail and outstretched arms balanced my weight. My body, coiled like a spring, was poised to attack. My prey lifted its head, suddenly alert, and I lunged. With fangs flashing, and fur rippling, I hooked my claws into the terrified stag’s shoulders, sinking my canines deep into its neck. With a twist, the neck snapped, and the stag went limp. It dropped to the ground, its legs twitching for a few seconds, before growing still. Straightening up and smiling in victory, I licked its blood off my lips and took out my hunting knife. Peeling back the furry hide, warm, steamy flesh became exposed to my hungry gaze and my stomach growled in response. For weeks, I had pursued the stag, tracking it closely; my efforts had been rewarded.

Ripping, tearing, and gulping. Ripping, tearing, and gulping. Repeating this process numerous times, I picked the bones clean, until they shone stark white in the sun. Burying them, I wiped the blood off my lips with the back of my hand and strode back to my cave home. Birds flew overhead, and squirrels chattered noisily in the trees. Cicadas electrified the bushes with their songs, and frogs croaked. The animals in the forest once again felt safe, now that the hunger of a mighty predator had been satisfied.

A small stream ran through the path to my cave, and there I washed up with its cool, crystal clear water. Drinking my fill, I tilted my head back and soaked in the warm sunlight. After a week without enough food, I had eaten a delicious meal fit for a queen. When I arrived at my cave, I sprawled out at the entrance, stretching my powerful limbs, and yawned widely.

As I lay there, I reflected upon myself and my life, which seemed so simple. I am a shape shifter, taking on the shape of any living thing and anything in between. In human form, my hair is black, obsidian actually, falling down in soft waves down to my knees. My eyes are a fiery, blood-red color ─dark and unforgiving. My skin is pale, even after years under the hot sun, but not so pale as to resemble death.

I don’t have a permanent home. Sure, I’d join a wolf pack now and then, but I’d get chased off after a while. My parents are most likely dead, and I don’t know much about them. I do have an image of my mother, though. She’s smiling down at me, with her chocolate brown curls framing a tired face, and her dark brown eyes hiding immense pain. My past is a mystery, my memory before six years of age a blur. The only thing to show for my past is a scar slashing down my left eye.

Right now I’m living in a heavily wooded forest near humans, though I have no idea in which state I’m in. North Carolina, perhaps? New Jersey? No, maybe California? Nah, I’m pretty sure it’s one of the Carolinas.

Anyway, I’ve made it a habit of mine to visit the house that is closest to the forest, the one with a backyard ending where the vast forest begins. A boy lives there, about my age, with his bickering parents. Yelling and shouting always drifts out from behind those walls. How can he stand them?

I’ve been watching the boy for a while now, for some odd reason. Something about those haunting, stormy-gray eyes attracts me. He’s caught glimpses of me before, in my wolf form. Many times when his parents fight he sits outside on the back porch steps, staring at me, or my home, with longing. Because I don’t trust humans, I never let him get within a car length of me. And yet, I want him to come nearer.

A faint crash catches my attention. Ears swiveling forward, I pick up where the almost inaudible sound came from. The boy’s parents must be fighting again. I shook myself off and headed toward the dreary gray house. I sped through the trees as fast as I could, wondering what had happened.

Ducking behind a canopy of leaves, I perch upon a tree’s thick branch, as the wind blows my hair back. The boy storms out of the house, slamming the back door shut and sunk down onto the stairs. He closed his eyes tightly and let his head fall into his hands. Anger and weariness seem to seep out of him, racking his whole body. His parents shouting drifts out of an open window, and I catch snatches of the argument.

Such a lousy slob….never do anything…life is not fair….you’re useless…it’s all your fault….shut up…how dare you! Why won’t you listen?

Insults and blame are tossed back and forth like a volleyball, as each tries to gain power. Pity for the boy sparks inside me, and I flick my ears in anger.

The boy stands, sticks his thumbs into his pockets, and walks away from the house towards the forest. Short, black hair with cowlicks covers his head, while stormy-gray eyes peer out from a good-looking face. His skin is a warm tan color. A tight black shirt gives a hint of a lean muscled body, and a baggy, unzipped gray sweater adds to the dismal look. Worn jeans and black converse sneakers complete the typical outfit for a teenage boy. He isn’t drop-dead gorgeous, but he isn’t ugly either.

As he sits down on a rock a few feet away from where I hide in the tree, a longing look spreads across his face. The forest seems to call to him, to whisper his name sweetly. The burning desire to run away and leave behind the chaos of his life shows in his gray eyes. The wanting to break free and feel joy is there, the wanting to heal the wounds that are relentlessly broken open daily.

When I touch his mind with my own, I am greeted by such a torrent of pain and confusion that I wretch myself away and shiver. Glancing up, the boy catches sight of my glowing red eyes and stiffens. Just as he’s about to investigate the sight of my eyes peering at him from above, the yelling abruptly ceases.

Doors slam as his parents’ part ways. Sighing with relief, the boy glances once more in my direction and turns away, heading back to his house. Letting loose the breath I kept in my mouth, I watch the boy disappear into his dark home.

Deciding to spend the night close to him, I curl up right there in the tree branch, wrapping my furry tail around it to keep myself from falling. Sleep came quickly, bringing fuzzy, half-glimpsed dreams.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The next day I follow the boy to his school, wanting to see what a human’s day at school was like. As I follow the bright yellow school bus, I take in the sights of the teeming human life below me. As a bird, one could see everything from a safe distance.

Cars filled the roads as people rush to work. The streets became busy with morning people as they walked to their various destinations. Honking and beeping fills the air, along with gas smoke from the cars. I prefer a nice forest to this jumble of everyday activity.

Once inside the school building, I shift into a mouse, scurrying past stomping feet as I try to follow the boy. Deciding that getting crushed by book bags is not an ideal death for me, I hurried into a girl’s bathroom and shifted into my human form. As I step out, I catch a glimpse of the boy’s dark hair and follow a safe distance away.

As soon as he closed his locker a blonde, green-eyed boy shoved him roughly while snickering devilishly.

Hey Ethan, the blonde boy growled. Where’s my money? I told you that you have to pay for breaking my new phone.

And I told you it was your fault. I’m not paying you anything. Ethan, so was the boy’s name, shoved past the other one and ignored his remarks.

No one ignores Carlos! the blonde boy shouted, grasping Ethan by the arm to bash him against the lockers. Just then, the principal passed by.

What’s the problem now, boys? she demanded, as if she’d dealt with the two boys before.

Nothing, responded Carlos. Just messing around, is all.

Just go to class, the principal sighed. I’ve had enough to deal with already.

Sure thing, Mrs. Powell. Carlos smiled sweetly at her as the bells loud ringing echoed through the quiet hallway. The kids who’d gathered around dispersed, all rushing to their morning classes.

As soon as the principal left, Carlos twirled Ethan around and kicked him to the floor. Dumping the contents of Ethan’s book bag to the floor, he hissed, I want my money by tomorrow! before jogging off.

Rolling his eyes, Ethan sat up and began collecting his scattered papers, pencils and notebooks. On impulse, I stride forward to help him. Glancing at me, he did a double take as he noticed my unusual red eyes. Putting his things back into his book bag, I drop it softly in front of him.

Um…thanks, he said uncertainly, standing up slowly. I nod and study him for a moment, then turn and walk away, leaving him to wonder who I am.

Humans bustle about noisily, always busy, as I head home in the form of a stray cat. They are like a million ants, carrying out various tasks and chores to their separate kings and queens. Sometimes, I yearn to be a part of their world, like right now as I watch a little girl with brown, bouncy pigtails run up to her father. She stretches out her arms to him as he catches and throws her up into the air.

Must be nice to have a family.

Slipping into my forest, I switch to my wolf form and decide to go hunting again. This time, I want something much more challenging to catch. Perhaps a rabbit would be good, they always like to throw me off by zigzagging like they took in too much sugar.

Pressing my nose to the ground, I search the soil for hints of fresh rabbit scents. Sure enough, I come across a recent trail that leads to a den. Settling down to wait patiently for my prey, I soak in the afternoon sun. Bee’s buzzed around and butterflies fluttered about in their search for some sweet nectar. The sun’s rays paint the grass and leaves in a soft green glow, pollen drifting with the cool air.

Insects scuttled about, snapping their pincers or waving their antennae. Finally, a rabbit pokes its head out of its home and sniffs the air. Luckily for me the wind is blowing into my face, which means I’m downwind of my prey. I suddenly pounce upon the white rabbit’s home. Startled, the little creature bolts away, pumping its long back legs hard. Snarling joyfully, I bound after it.

Left, right. Left, right. Duck, jump. Veer to the side, avoid a towering tree trunk, zigzag. I remain close behind, not letting the rabbit escape my grasp. Hunting rabbits is always a pleasure. They keep me alert and help me perfect my agility and speed.

Soaring over a fallen tree, my paws come down upon the rabbits round body. With a squeal, the life fades from its eyes and it becomes my dinner. How exhilarating! The hunter almost always succeeds, the prey almost always serving its purpose.

Just as I am about to bite down into the rabbit’s beefy body, snapping branches and rustling leaves catch my attention. Looking up, Ethan emerges from the bushes, brushing away the spider webs that cling to his arms and face. He stops short when he notices me.

Ethan watches me and glanced at the dead rabbit between my paws. Its snow-white fur is spattered with splashes of gleaming red. For a moment, we just stare at one another, neither moving a muscle.

Then, So you’re my stalker wolf. His voice is hoarse, as if he’d been yelling recently. I flicked my ears in response. May I say hello to you? Or will you disappear into the shadows the way you always do, Red Eyes?

I puff out my chest at the sound of the nickname and stand slowly, my fresh prey forgotten. It wouldn’t hurt to let him touch me just once, right? He wouldn’t chase me away like so many others, would he?

Stretching out his hand, palm down, Ethan lowered himself to his knees. Slowly, with my head low, I approach the boy with the sad gray eyes. Sniffing his hand cautiously, I familiarized myself with his scent. What would he think if he knew I was also a human?

I study his tired expression. The need for peaceful company is as clear as day in his eyes. Lifting my head, I press my forehead against his palm and let my warm breath wash over his skin. A happy smile spreads across Ethan’s face as he began to stroke my muzzle.

Both alone in this world, aren’t we Red Eyes? he questioned. No one to turn to. No one to trust. No one to seek refuge in. No affection.

On impulse, I placed my paws on his chest and lay my head against his shoulders. At first, Ethan was so surprised he remained frozen. Then