Centennial Dawn Ch. 1: The Rite of Passage
#1 of Centennial Dawn
(This is my first story, let me know how it is, thanks.)
Ch. 1 : Rite of Passage
Pacific Northwest North America. Late Pleistocene epoch. 23,710 B.C.
A herd of Mammoths are grazing in a meadow on a warm noon. In the nearby pines, five Dire wolves are hiding and watching patiently in prone with their spears for the time to strike. "Father, we have been here since the sun has risen, it's almost midday now, when will we start?", whispered Naaktiir. A 19 year old Dire wolf who had long black hair, black fur with gray chest, abdomen and face, birth marks on face that extremely resemble tribal markings, yellow eyes, 6 '11 height, lean muscular build, who wore animal hide leggings and hide gauntlets, also the younger son of the tribe chief, Chief Delviihar of the Lycanche Tribe.
"I am comparing, son. The old Mammoths are more solitary and will be slower. We can separate an elder from the rest of the herd. Vanaruc, Naaktir, you two will scare the herd away while Yelgaen, Silaluk and I will keep the bull busy." said Delviihar with command. Delviihar is a 52 year old Dire wolf who has long metallic gray hair, red eyes, 7 '10 height, muscular build, black fur with white front and wore animal bone plate armor on his legs, arms, and upper torso.
"Vanaaruc, this is your brother's first Mammoth hunt. Have him stay by you." continued Delviihar.
"Do not worry, Father, I know he has the potential. Are you ready young brother?" replied Vanaaruc. Vanaaruc is a 24 year old Dire wolf who has a long slicked black Frohawk that starts from the top, goes down the back of his head, then his neck, then stops at his middle back, scarlet eyes, 7 '5 height, lean but massive muscular build, black fur with silver streaks on back, silver fur on chest, abdomen and face, who also wore hide skin protection on same places as Naaktir but Van's was thicker skinned. Vanaaruc is the eldest son of Delviihar.
"Yes, always." said Naaktir anxiously but excitingly.
The five of them crawled to their positions without alerting the Mammoths. Delviihar gripped his spear with purpose and shot himself directly at the bull's side.
"AAAAAHH!!!!!!" Delviihar fiercely roared.
"Let's go Naaktir." Vanaaruc said before he shouted at and chased the other Mammoths to scare them off.
Once Vanaaruc and Naaktir chased the Mammoths away from the bull's proximity, they ran back to the enraged elder to help the other three. As they ran back seeing Silaluk, Yelgaen and Delviihar frequently dodging the Mammoth's lethal hits, they spotted bad news coming from the side.
"What is it Van?" asked Naaktir.
"Fucking Sabers." said Vanaaruc, very annoyed.
"VAN! NAAK! OVER HERE!!" shouted Delviihar, still fighting the mammoth. As all five of the Dire wolves were intensely attacking the Mammoth, four Sabertooths crashed the hunt. Now the wolves have two problems.
"Delviihar!! Your reign ends he--AAAAUURRHH!!!!" shouted Sabertooth 1 right before he was impaled by the Mammoth's tusk.
"Up the trees!!" Sabertooth 2 yelled to his comrades. As they did so, the Dire wolves were left face to face with the insanely angered bull. But they had a plan for this. Delviihar got the bull's attention and made a run for it. As he ran into the pines, the bull's tusks got stuck in the trees.
"Quick Naaktir! Before the wood breaks!!" he exclaimed. Naaktir rushed to the Mammoth and drive his spear hard into its skull until the spear broke. Meanwhile, Yelgaen, Silaluk and Vanaaruc were keeping an eye on the Sabres.
"Very good son, now is the moment of truth." said Delviihar proudly to Naaktir.
"What is next?" asked Naaktir
"You must consume the entire heart."
Delviihar unsheathed his scalping knife, cut and sliced into the skin, muscle and tendons until he found the heart. Once, he did, he gave it to his son. It was 14 pounds, 1 foot long and 8 inches wide. Dark red arterial blood still pumping and spurting out.
"When you're ready." continued Delviihar.
Naaktir exhaled in preparation. He then took a large bite out of the heart. Valves and ventricles gushing the red liquid of life. It took about 20 minutes to finish it. But once Naaktir did, he knew he had never felt more accomplishment before in his life. He had become an official Lycanche tribeman. None of the other Dire wolf tribes have the tradition of mammoth heart eating. This is one of the reasons the Lycanche tribe is one of the most powerful the tundras have ever seen.
"Son, you have carried on this proud tradition that has stood for 2000 years. Not many have been able to perform this custom. I now know you will never let down this family." said Delviihar with tears occurring. They both walked back to the other three that were waiting out the Sabertooths.
"Did he do it?" asked Vanaaruc.
"In the spirits' sight he did so." responded Delviihar.
"I am overjoyed for you, brother." said Vanaaruc as he embraced Naaktir.
"Now's our chance." Sabertooth 2 whispered to his tribesmen, still in the trees. With great force, the Sabertooth flung his bolas in between Van and Naak, fatally knocking them unconscious. The three Sabers lept down from the tree armed. A snarling wrathful Delviihar armed himself with his stone axe in one hand and obsidian spear in the other. Silaluk and Yelgaen prepared as well.