Tale Weaver Festival

Ricin was generally the storyteller in the family but on this day Chade would give it a try.  He’d had plenty of time to think on it the whole way down to Fenmyre.  When Ry had asked him what it would be about Chade would shrug and say he’d see.  Looking at the different faces of those listening Chade exhaled, clearing his mind to focus only on the story.
“This story takes place before any here were alive,” Chade offers for his start, a paw waving across the air as if trying to set some story mode feels.

“It was a time before your parents and those before.” His voice kept to a whisper, but an intense one.  “It was a time when the dead roamed the earth with the living.  Death wasn’t an end, only a different form of existence.” Chade made sure his eyes met everyone for a moment, trying to draw them in.

“It had its good points, getting to see those you loved.  Family, friends, even the family before you were born, truly seeing your ancestors and learning from them.  You see, the great spirits who shaped the world hadn’t wanted to tear us away from our loved ones then.  Spirits of death and life worked together in this.”

“Evil, was, unfortunately, less prevalent in the world then also.  The burning desire for revenge, the intense feelings of greed and wanting more were far less.  Wolves and even other animals had a sense of comfort,” a dramatic pause, inwardly counting to three, “Then, the dark one was born.  His name was Darsien.  He was a creature born from shadow, his coat mixed of various dark, near-black shades of grey.  They say the stink of the grave was on him.  Thankfully, none of us have been near him to experience it.”

“Darsien was charismatic. He started his own pack and assured wolves of all they could get with him but there was a condition.  The dead were not welcome in his pack.  He said the dead stole from life.  To join one had to ignore the ghostly apparations and their words of wisdom.  He also told the wolves to quite thinking well of the spirit of death and only life.  That the spirit of death was against us.  Today, that sounds more reasonable right?”

“He promised the wolves who joined him greater wisdom than any dead could offer.  He told them how he could help them find even greater joys in life.  More excitement.  He let them believe they were superior to those who still talked to the dead.  Once he had them feeling superior these wolves were all his.”

“Peace was stolen from the land. Darsien had his pack insulting other wolves, and soon enough used brute force to try and make others bow to their will.  Other wolves wanted in on the fun and soon Darsien had a collection of packs that allied to his and their alphas went to Darsien for how to rule.  The dead tried to warn other wolves this was just the beginning and soon matters would grow worse.  The living no longer listened to the dead.”

“The spirit of death mourned for her subjects and let them choose.  Some faded out of existence to a dimension of peace.  Some were granted power.  Their words could cause earthquakes or start fires.  Their touch became icy cold so that it could stop a heart.  The dead started seeking out the living to kill so that they too would join their army.”

“One of Darsien's wolves asked for advice and he went to a witch, one who knew of potions that could bring the recently dead back to life and make them immortal.  Many used it.  They came to life again, they were immortal.  However, their spirit wanted to return to the dead.  They also started hunting other wolves to slay them.  It was said that it was a lucky day if you could find green grass for most was red from the spilled blood of what seemed a never-ending sea of death.”

“This threat is now gone, obviously?  How did it happen?  All we have is stories.  Some say that some good pure wolves sacrificed themselves to go speak on the plane of death and beg them for peace.  Some say a noble wolf killed Darsien and that was all it took.  Some say the spirit of life had pity on her own and she locked the spirit of death, so that all the dead or living dead were also locked away.  Does the reason why matter?”

Chade gave a second before adding, “The problem is, some whisper if the dead are allowed back to life again it could be Darsien who comes back.  They say he is tortured eternally in death.  Should he come back to the land of life he will seek to kill any who do not submit to his will.”

Chade glanced around, “Beware Darsien.  With that, my tale is over.”
"Chade"