Fleet walked along the town square of the Lupinosse Den. The Head Alpha didn't quite seem himself that day. His usual air of confidence and life seemed muted and bleak. His usual adornment of the red tunic marking him a proud warrior of Den Wolf was gone. In it's place was a sleeveless, silvery silk shirt and some worn looking jeans.
He lifted his natural paw and pushed the rapidly graying blue hair out of his eyes. His muzzle was peppered with platinum hair and his joints made more noise than an old house. Fleet was rapidly aging once more. The cure that Sean had given him was vanishing. His iceblue eyes looked over a gaggle of pups enjoying a game of tombulata, or kick the can in some cultures.
A couple stopped by to speak with him. The male was a picture of health. Broad shoulders, rippling muscles, and the burning eyes of a Lupe who knew how to work the earth. The female was as healthy as her mate, with curves in all the right places and ample birthing hips. They chatted about the upcoming summer festivals and the crops that were growing well. The female did ask if Fleet was okay noting that the Alphrans was seeming a bit off.
Fleet put on his best smile that had reassured many over the last 300 some years. He reassured them he was fine. Just an old wolf feeling a little stiff. The couple seemed relieved and bid Fleet a fond farewell as they headed for their crops. The smile on Fleet's muzzle fell rapidly. He was getting tired of putting up facades of good health and happiness. His long life was beginning to wear him down to nothing. Most people blessed with immortality aged slowly and would stay young for the first 500 years. Fleet seemed to be cursed with the opposite effect.
His musings carried him to the fountain dedicated to the memory of Ammy when she died fighting Takhesis. The Lupinossai community grieved for a long time for her loss then seemed shocked when she came back from the dead. Ammy for all purposes shouldn't be alive. She should have stayed dead like all Lupinossai, but Fleet had meddled with Natures grand designs. Now they both paid for it.
Fleet paid for his sin of bring her back from the dead by losing his honor as a respected magic user. The drain on him also destroyed the youth cure Sean bestowed upon him. The Vet wouldn't perform the ritual a second time. It was too risky for both of them. Now he was aging faster than last time.
Ammy was paying for his meddling by living a good portion of her new life with few memories of him or Lene. Then she got entangled with a demon to regain her shattered soul. Now she was a mutated demonic Lupinossai with a heart of gold, and a community of Lupinossai loathing her. She moved the Philospopher's Flask outside of the Lupinosse Den to stop Lupes from damaging the shop. But that was the least of her worries.
An old malady that plagued her before her death had resurfaced. Her genetics were breaking down leading to her body degenerating. She was being careful now when she went out in public. Fleet looked up at the statue of Ammy holding the broken manacles of slavery in her right paw defying the heavens. He shook his head for a moment. She was facing the timer on her life and watching it slowly tick down to zero just like he was.
Maybe they'd survive another year together. Maybe they would die alone watching the other from the edge of death. What Fleet did know is that he had to make sure everything was in place in the Den before he slipped away from the land of the living. He thought back on the discussion Sitalkis had with him on the porch last night. That was a miserable day. It was his 368th birthday and no one remembered. He wasn't really expecting anyone to remember one birthday out of a thousand things going in life.
He used to never think about birthdays, but lately, each one that went by he noted with painful awareness. Sitalkis though helped him to see that if he did pass away, no one would think he was just addled brained Lupe to forget. That he still meant something to the community he had helped create.
Fleet sat on the rim of the fountain watching the pups still playing. That was something else he needed to tend to. Vuusoolta and Myrlene. His only living legacy resided in his remaining two children. Vuusoolta was mostly his pride and joy as the young male was shaping up better than he imagined as a strong leader for the Lupinosse Den. Myrlene was still the jewel of his heart, but she ran more along the path of Ammy, her mother. Wild, chaotic, and having moments of pure calm. He would need to make sure she had a future secured.
So many things to do, and his time was running short. If someone told him two years ago, that he may be dying of old age in a realm away from his destroyed homeland, he would have laughed in their face. The reality though is they would have been right. Fleet stayed sitting on the fountain's edge watching life for now.
He lifted his natural paw and pushed the rapidly graying blue hair out of his eyes. His muzzle was peppered with platinum hair and his joints made more noise than an old house. Fleet was rapidly aging once more. The cure that Sean had given him was vanishing. His iceblue eyes looked over a gaggle of pups enjoying a game of tombulata, or kick the can in some cultures.
A couple stopped by to speak with him. The male was a picture of health. Broad shoulders, rippling muscles, and the burning eyes of a Lupe who knew how to work the earth. The female was as healthy as her mate, with curves in all the right places and ample birthing hips. They chatted about the upcoming summer festivals and the crops that were growing well. The female did ask if Fleet was okay noting that the Alphrans was seeming a bit off.
Fleet put on his best smile that had reassured many over the last 300 some years. He reassured them he was fine. Just an old wolf feeling a little stiff. The couple seemed relieved and bid Fleet a fond farewell as they headed for their crops. The smile on Fleet's muzzle fell rapidly. He was getting tired of putting up facades of good health and happiness. His long life was beginning to wear him down to nothing. Most people blessed with immortality aged slowly and would stay young for the first 500 years. Fleet seemed to be cursed with the opposite effect.
His musings carried him to the fountain dedicated to the memory of Ammy when she died fighting Takhesis. The Lupinossai community grieved for a long time for her loss then seemed shocked when she came back from the dead. Ammy for all purposes shouldn't be alive. She should have stayed dead like all Lupinossai, but Fleet had meddled with Natures grand designs. Now they both paid for it.
Fleet paid for his sin of bring her back from the dead by losing his honor as a respected magic user. The drain on him also destroyed the youth cure Sean bestowed upon him. The Vet wouldn't perform the ritual a second time. It was too risky for both of them. Now he was aging faster than last time.
Ammy was paying for his meddling by living a good portion of her new life with few memories of him or Lene. Then she got entangled with a demon to regain her shattered soul. Now she was a mutated demonic Lupinossai with a heart of gold, and a community of Lupinossai loathing her. She moved the Philospopher's Flask outside of the Lupinosse Den to stop Lupes from damaging the shop. But that was the least of her worries.
An old malady that plagued her before her death had resurfaced. Her genetics were breaking down leading to her body degenerating. She was being careful now when she went out in public. Fleet looked up at the statue of Ammy holding the broken manacles of slavery in her right paw defying the heavens. He shook his head for a moment. She was facing the timer on her life and watching it slowly tick down to zero just like he was.
Maybe they'd survive another year together. Maybe they would die alone watching the other from the edge of death. What Fleet did know is that he had to make sure everything was in place in the Den before he slipped away from the land of the living. He thought back on the discussion Sitalkis had with him on the porch last night. That was a miserable day. It was his 368th birthday and no one remembered. He wasn't really expecting anyone to remember one birthday out of a thousand things going in life.
He used to never think about birthdays, but lately, each one that went by he noted with painful awareness. Sitalkis though helped him to see that if he did pass away, no one would think he was just addled brained Lupe to forget. That he still meant something to the community he had helped create.
Fleet sat on the rim of the fountain watching the pups still playing. That was something else he needed to tend to. Vuusoolta and Myrlene. His only living legacy resided in his remaining two children. Vuusoolta was mostly his pride and joy as the young male was shaping up better than he imagined as a strong leader for the Lupinosse Den. Myrlene was still the jewel of his heart, but she ran more along the path of Ammy, her mother. Wild, chaotic, and having moments of pure calm. He would need to make sure she had a future secured.
So many things to do, and his time was running short. If someone told him two years ago, that he may be dying of old age in a realm away from his destroyed homeland, he would have laughed in their face. The reality though is they would have been right. Fleet stayed sitting on the fountain's edge watching life for now.