Viverna Luprena sighed and looked out her small window. Once again, she was
alone, as most often she was.
She fumbled around with her black anklet, a small ring around her right hind
leg attached to her from birth to remind her that she was no more than a mere
commoner. She scanned the little village, spotting her friend’s house. She was
looking out the window too, and caught Viverna’s eye.
“Hi Viverna!”
“Hi Sondra,” Viverna said. Viverna sighed. “Now what?”
“I have just found the hottest guy for you!!” Sondra said.
Viverna did not feel any better than she did a few minutes ago. “And what is
he like? Boring and dull, just like all the others? All they like to do is play
chess and play video games. They’re all geeks!!!”
“Viv’, that’s just your opinion. Now, my boyfriend isn’t too bad, now is he?”
Sondra asked.
“Oh, yeah, let me tell you. The only thing he likes to do is eat!” Viverna
and Sondra laughed.
“Well, maybe he is a little on the chubby side, but he knows a lot,” Sondra
protested.
“Yeah, a lot about video games!” Viverna snickered.
“Oh, do be nice,” Sondra said, but Viverna knew her to be joking.
“You know all about me, Sondra, and you know just as well as I do that I want
an adventurous, strong man. I can’t stand any of the Shoyrus here! Even their
pet pets are dull! They have Clouds for pets. Look how dangerous they are! I
want to live on the line, ya’ know? I want to be thrust into danger, not knowing
if I’ll live or not. Now, tell me, is this ‘hot guy’ anything like I described?”
Viverna said.
“Well, no.”
“Of course. None of the Shoyrus are!” Viverna burst into tears. “Why do I have
to be like this, Sondra?! Why can’t I be like you and all the others?! Even
my colour is different! There are no silver Shoyrus other than me!”
“Oh, Viverna, I like you just the way you are.”
“Yeah, but not even you, my best friend, could ever understand what it’s like
to be me.” Viverna hopped out of the window in anger. This was just one of the
many talks she had on this subject.
She angrily pulled out a travel backpack from her bed. She began filling it
up with her things; some blankets and some food she could eat along the way.
She also put in there a flashlight, a map, and her favourite blue stuffed Chia
that her mother had given her. She then ran to the cabinets, looking for any
food that wouldn’t go bad.
“Oh, I knew you’d do something like this!!” a familiar voice scolded. Viverna
turned around to see Sondra standing in the doorway.
“I’m leaving,” was all Viverna said. She continued looking for food.
“You can’t; I won’t let you! You’ll be eaten!”
Viverna put her hands on her hips. “By what? I can fly.”
A look or pure terror crossed Sondra’s face. “No. Not from Lupes,” she managed
to stutter.
“Oh, now you too? They’re just faerie tale creatures, and nothing more. Besides,
even if they are real, I’m a speedy little Shoyru, aren’t I?” Viverna reassured.
Sondra’s yellow body shook with fear. “No one can escape them, Viv! You’ve
heard the stories-”
“That’s right. They’re stories, and that’s all. I’ll be all right.”
“But were will you go?” Sondra asked.
Viverna pulled out a map from her backpack. “I suppose I’ll got here,” she
said, pointing to a snowy, forested area on the map, labeled Lupus Forest.
“Lupus forest!” Sondra shrieked. “That’s where the Lupes live! Oh Viv, have
you lost your mind?!”
She sighed. “Sondra, Lupes are the ferocious wolf like animals from legends,
just like Grarrls, that’s all. I’ll be okay.”
“But why do you want to go to Lupus Forest? Why can you go somewhere else?”
Viverna looked out at her backyard, her only comfort. It was where she practiced
battle techniques. If anyone found out, she would be imprisoned. “Cause something
inside of me wants me to go there. I can’t explain it. It’s not like I’m happy
here. Maybe I’ll find the Shoyru of my dreams there.
“Look, if I take some chocolate Chias with me, would that help?” Viverna threw
some in a bag and tossed them into the backpack.
“I don’t want you to go at all. But I know your stubbornness, so I know you’ll
go, whether I want you to or not. So just promises me one thing. Don’t go to
Lupus Forest. Please don’t go there. Something doesn’t feel right about that
place. Promise me you won’t go there!”
Viverna nodded. “I promise.”
“And here. Take this,” Sondra took out a small picture from her purse and thrust
it at Viverna. It was a picture of a green Lupe. She smiled shyly. “That’s so
you know what they look like.” Viverna nodded her thanks.
Sondra hugged her friend. “I’ll miss you. Will you ever be back?”
“Yes, yes I will. Don’t worry about me. Just worry about yourself, and protect
the kingdom.”
“Protect the kingdom,” Sondra whispered, but Viverna was already running out
on her new adventure.
Sondra collapsed on Viverna’s bed in a huff of tears. She was so afraid for
her friend. But she’s only 17 years old! she thought, She wouldn’t
be able to defend herself from the Lupes! Sondra remembered the times when
Viverna said she would run away, and only hide in the bushes next to her house,
then come back the next day. But this time, she knew it was different. Viverna
would not come back tomorrow. She probably won’t come back for weeks, maybe
even months. Maybe she'll never come back. She thought. But I can’t think like
that. She WILL come back.
Viverna slowed down to an even-paced walk; her backpack was quite heavy. The
Shoyru settled her blackish brown cloak better on her. She walked north; north
was where Lupus Forest was.
To be continued... | 
