The Silver Star By: Amanda Kisor and Alex Hananel

“I hate winter...” Orion grumbled as he crunched through a newly fallen blanket of snow. A sharp, cold wind blew his long, silvery hair in front of his face and he squinted his emerald green eyes against the biting frost. “And I hate snow even more.” He pulled his long black trench coat tighter around himself and wiggled his numb fingers inside his leather gloves. Large snowflakes fluttered to the ground in the wintry silence only an empty forest can manage. Orion trudged down what he hoped was the forest path toward his small cabin just outside Giyan city, though he feared he was lost. The night sky was dark with clouds, and the moon did all it could to peek through small gaps in the cloud cover. The glow of the city was just barely visible over the horizon when Orion sighed, aggravated. “I am undoubtedly and most definitely lost.” He kicked at a snow covered tree. The snow from its bare branches happily plopped on his head and he muttered at the tree under his breath as he dusted the snow from his shoulders and long black scarf. Having no better option than to keep walking toward the light of the city, Orion begrudgingly continued his trudge through the ever deepening blanket of snow.

He walked for hours, and it seemed to the lone man that he wasn’t getting one step closer to any building, much less a warm room and a nice hot bowl of soup. The moon once more shone from behind the clouds, and sent its silvery rays through the forest’s cover and onto the white sparkling ground. The faint sound of someone moving through the snow caught Orion’s attention, and he stopped walking to listen better. The crunching of the snow grew louder, and Orion called out, relief filling his voice. “Hey! Where are you? I’ve gotten my stupid butt lost and need to get my bearings straight... Have you got a cell phone or something?” The only answer to his inquiry was the sound of snow underfoot. “Some people need to show a little compassion...” He grumbled and continued on his way. An eerie howl pierced the sound of rushing wind, and sent a shiver up Orion’s already frozen spine. It seemed to cut straight through the air and land in his ears. “Damn wolves...” He pulled his coat tight around himself once more and walked faster. “I hate ‘em too.” Orion shivered at the dropping temperature and didn’t have time to even turn around before he was tackled by a massive beast.

He was knocked hard onto the icy ground and his breath was taken from his lungs. Standing on his chest was a massive wolf. Its golden eyes glinted in the moonlight as it bared its yellow fangs. Warm drool dripped onto Orion’s face as the creature’s rank breath filled his nostrils. He tried to squirm out from under the wolf’s strangely hand-like paws, but was held fast by its weight alone. The wolf threw its head back and let out another eerie howl that chilled Orion to the marrow of his bones. It then sunk its fangs deep into the man’s arm, drawing warm red blood. He screamed and kicked and punched at the animal, though it paid him no heed. The wolf threw its head from side to side and ripped the flesh on Orion’s arm. The pure snow was now soaked in the precious crimson liquid and his cries became weak as his mind threatened to lose consciousness. The wolf, its muzzle now covered in Orion’s blood, released its grip on his arm and stood stark still, its attention now turned on something deep in the forest. Orion saw his slim chance to escape and took it. He pulled himself to his feet and ran with all he had, but not before the wolf turned and snapped at him. The wolf’s teeth sliced across his cheek, sending yet more blood onto the snow. Orion grunted as he swallowed a scream and fell once more into the soft white powder. The wolf growled, but heeded the call of another of his kind. A faint howl echoed on the wind and the wolf ran into the forest. Orion watched the huge beast run as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness.