• There is a town in this world that lives in its own little bubble. It has little, to no interaction with the outside world, save for those who sell their wares in the large bazaar near their home.

    This town is built in the shape of a cross, with a huge cathedral at the crossroads. The cathedral's door faces north, and if one should stand at its doors, one can see down the three paths to the living sections of the town. The path to the right of the cathedral leads to the poor district. The path is dusty with a few scraggly trees that offer little shade. This path is well trodden, and always has people moving along it. Everyone on this path is willing to offer a smile, a 'Hello' or 'Good Day'. It was a good path, even if one had to dodge carts, animals, and other people. To the lift of the cathedral is the path to the middle-class. It is a tree-lined path but is no forest, each tree strategically placed like ordered rows of soldiers. The fact that there is no sound of birds in the trees adds a sense of foreboding to anyone walking down the path. The middle-class, though, are too busy with their own little lives to notice. The path directly north of the cathedral's door leads to the upper- and ruling-class citizens. This path was covered by a roof and blocked off by a half-wall, as if trying to offer protection from any beasts that stalk the trees. This path is also eerily silent, as if any noise is frowned upon. Lastly, the southern path leads out from around and behind the cathedral and leads toward the bazaar. This is the longest of the four paths and is surrounded on all sides by untamed woods. Birds sing in the trees while squirrels and mice scrounge in the undergrowth.

    The bazaar itself is a maze of stalls and travelers, as many people from all over the nearby area come to it, though they know little to nothing of the town nearby. In this bazaar can be found almost everything one is searching for; food, weapons, information, women, and much more.

    This is where our story begins, in the bazaar on an early autumn afternoon.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    "Brother, please slow down. You know I can't walk as fast as you."

    The siblings were jostled around the bazaar as they tried to make their way through the crowds. The brother stopped in front of a small stack of crates and let his sister sit and rest.

    "I'm sorry, Sis. I keep forgetting."

    At first glance one couldn't tell that they were siblings. One was short and curvy, the other tall and lanky. She had fine, dark brown hair that fell just below the shoulders while his was thick, coarse, and black. She was pale, with freckles dotting her face, arms, and legs, he had a permanent tan. It was only in their eyes that there was any semblance of blood relation. Green eyes flecked with blue, brown, and yellow looked out from heavy eyelashes, studying the crowds around them.

    "With this crowd we have gotten completely turned around. I don't know which way we came from, nor which way we were heading," said the sister, rubbing her feet.

    The brother was silent. He had leaned against the stall and had fallen into a light sleep.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The man stopped in front of the bazaar. On his shoulder sat a hawk, preening herself while two wolves stood as guards on either side. His cloak hung in tattered rags around him, giving him the disguise of a beggar. His face was drawn from months on the road with little food or rest. Only his eyes flickered with life, though they were hidden under heavy eyelids

    "They're here…" he said opening is eyes wider; they flashed yellow in the afternoon sun. The wolves looked up at him expectedly.

    "Now don't look at me like that. You are going to have to find them on your own."

    The wolves lowered their heads and silently left the man's side and slipped into the woods nearby. There they would wait until they saw the ones they had been searching for.

    The hawk left the man's shoulder as he made his way into the bazaar.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    Back inside the siblings had decided to find something to eat and had left the crates they had been sitting on. Heading north, they found a few food stalls and picked out something to eat.

    "Sis, why don't we just head in one direction and find out where we are from there? There has to be an exit somewhere and if we find one, we can put ourselves back on the right path."

    The girl thought about it for a short while, then nodded. "Ok. Sounds good."

    They continued going north. The brother cut a way through the crowds with his sister following close behind. Suddenly someone cut between them and the girl lost sight of her brother.

    "Brother?"

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The boy had made it out of the bazaar and onto the path that led to the cathedral. He had walked a little ways before he felt that something was missing. Looked back he saw that his sister was not with him.

    "s**t, we must have gotten separated."

    He knew his sister hated crowds. She wasn't claustrophobic, but too much noise tended to overwhelm her and throw her into a panic. He wanted to go back and look for her, but knew that it would be fruitless and would only make things worse in the end.

    Sighing, the boy turned back around and continued towards the cathedral.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    One of the wolves stood up. He looked at his partner and gently nuzzled her cheek before trotting off after the boy who had left the bazaar on the wrong path.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The hawk cried out at the sight of one of the wolves moving. The man looked up from the crowds at the sound, 'So…one has been spotted…A little earlier than I had expected, but there's no harm in that.'

    He wondered where the other one was, but shook his head. He wasn't there to find them. He bought something to eat and started to peruse the stalls, just taking in the sights and sounds.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The girl was started to panic. She couldn't see or hear, having shut out everything due to the overwhelming sounds that assaulted her. She blindly tried to find a way out. She bumped into someone standing at one of the stalls. She didn't notice the man's strange colored eyes, but continued on. Shortly she made her way out of the crowds. Heaving a huge sigh of relief she sat down on a large stone nearby and tried to calm herself down.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The second wolf looked up from her spot. A strange sent was on the wind. Was it the one she was looking for? She got up and silently made her way towards the source of the scent.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The boy had made his way past the cathedral and onto the path towards the poorer part of the village. There was a small trickle of people on the road, as it was the middle of the day and most were already at the bazaar. He pulled one aside and asked where he was.

    "If you're looking for the main path, Sir, you're going the wrong way. Turn around and head back, when you reach the crossroads take the southern path." The boy thanked him and turned back around.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The man watched the girl who bumped into him with some trepidation. He could smell the fear coming from her, and was worried.

    'She might not be able to handle the change…'

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The girl had calmed herself down enough to start walking. She didn't know it, but she was on the same path her brother walked earlier. The difference was that at the cathedral, she chose to take the path leading towards the middle class section.

    She shivered in the silence, suddenly feeling as if someone or something was following her.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The boy had returned to the cathedral and was now walking down the path leading towards the upper class section. He too had the feeling of being followed and kept looking over his should to see if someone was behind him. There was no one.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    Suddenly the wolves, who had been following the siblings, ran towards them. They knew it was time and was intent on fulfilling what was needed of them.

    ~ ~ ~ ~
    The girl heard something move. She took one glance to see a wolf bounding towards her. Crying out in fright she tried to run, only to trip over her own feet and fall. She was able to turn and raise her arm in defense before she felt the wolf bite. She closed her eyes at the pain and prayed for a quick death.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The boy was running too. He had little trouble running the smooth, manicured path, but the wolf was still closing the distance between them. He stumbled and felt the wolf latch itself onto his shoulder. Crying out in pain and fear he fell, wondering if he was going to die.

    ~ ~ ~ ~
    The hawk screeched again. The man looked up from the wooden bowl he was studying and smiled grimly. 'So the two have come into their inheritance…' He placed the bowl back down and left the bazaar.

    'And I will be the one to teach them about their new life.'

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The girl woke up to silence. She looked around, confused.

    Where was the wolf?

    She looked down at her wrist. The bite was still bleeding, but not as badly as it probably had been. She stood up, swaying a bit, and clamped her hand on the bite. Slowly she made her way back towards the cathedral.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The boy also woke up to silence.

    Sitting up he gingerly touched his shoulder, wincing at the pain. Drawing his hand away he spotted blood on his fingers. 'Not a lot…must have started healing already…' he thought as he stood up. Placing his hand on his shoulder he too made his way back to the cathedral.

    ~ ~ ~ ~

    The man sat at the door of the cathedral. From his seat he could see the three roads leading to the town's residential quarters. From the middle path came the boy, the left path, the girl. They both looked tired, and each was holding the spot where they were bitten.

    The man watched as the two came and stopped in front of him. He knew they saw him, but their attention was on each other, studying the most obvious change, the yellow eyes. He gave them time before clearing his throat. The two looked down at him.

    "Your confused are you not?"

    They nodded.

    The man started to unwind the old rag he had wrapped around one hand. On it was a mark, almost like a tattoo, in the shape of a wolf's fangs.

    "Lower your hands. The bites have healed."

    The two did and now noticed they too had the same mark as the man. Each one placed where the wolves had bitten them. The girl had it on her left wrist, the boy on his right shoulder.

    "I don't know how to rightly explain this, but if you haven't already guessed it, you're no longer fully human. The mark and your eyes are proof enough, but there is more to it than just the obvious signs." Here the man sighed. "But I don't think I need to explain in detail everything now do I?"
    The siblings looked at each other, then back at the man and shook their heads.

    "Good. Now," the man stood up, "let's get going before some local decides to come to church. I'm not in the mood to answer any of their questions." He set off back to the bazaar.

    "Um…" the girl spoke up.

    "Yes?"

    "Your name?"

    The man chuckled as the hawk landed on his shoulder.

    "It's Marrok."