{"sf1_id":400979,"sf2_id":"pnG3KB7n","title":"Moon's Shadow (Prologue)","author":"Rtlstien","words":1117,"posted_at":"2012-07-10T11:10:00.000Z","tags":["Character Development","Fantasy","Human","Science","Story Series","Werewolf"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/400979-moon-s-shadow-prologue","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/pnG3KB7n","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/fd/4f/fd4f94a9-9094-4af3-9e0d-eaa176f50b1d","description":"#1 of Moon's Shadow","content":"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It's been confirmed\" a voice echoed over the intercom.\u0026nbsp; \"Our latest subject has expired.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I see...\" a female voice replied in a hushed tone. \"Three years, four months, twenty-five days... seven hours... he's lasted the longest so far...\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes.\u0026nbsp; If the trend continues the next one may live up to three and a half years.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe other voiced remained silent for a moment.\u0026nbsp; \"He'll be ready in nine months.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Understood.\" The voice said before the intercom went silent.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAn elderly woman sighed as she stood up from her seat.\u0026nbsp; She walked along the wall, tracing it with her right hand.\u0026nbsp; She stopped when she felt a familiar shift.\u0026nbsp; She pressed her hand in and backed up a few feet.\u0026nbsp; She watched as the dull white wall shifted in place and sunk into the floor.\u0026nbsp; She looked down.\u0026nbsp; It took a moment for the stairway below to be illuminated by the lights.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe carefully walked down the stairway.\u0026nbsp; Recently, it had become harder and harder for her to do this.\u0026nbsp; She opened the door at the bottom.\u0026nbsp; A burst of cool air escaped as the door cracked open.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe had to take a few steps forward before the motion sensor illuminated the chilled room.\u0026nbsp; A large glass tube was at the center of the room.\u0026nbsp; From it ran many wires on both the floor and ceiling.\u0026nbsp; She approached a computer which hadn't been turned on in over three years.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a press of the button the screen illuminated.\u0026nbsp; The systems started to hum all around her and the tube in the center started to fill with a transparent liquid.\u0026nbsp; She watched it fill up completely before she approached a large metallic container in the corner of the room.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nBehind the door were dozens of vials filled with many shades of red.\u0026nbsp; Each was labeled by date.\u0026nbsp; She took out the vile she had filled not even a month ago.\u0026nbsp; Its contents were bright and rich.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe went back to the tube.\u0026nbsp; She injected the contents of the vial into the tube.\u0026nbsp; She watched as the red liquid flowed in with the transparent liquid.\u0026nbsp; The two didn't mix though.\u0026nbsp; Instead the red liquid gathered at one spot.\u0026nbsp; It formed a sphere that just bobbed at the center.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe sat down and faced the monitor.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nSubject Name?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShe pressed only three keys.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n21L\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n------------------------------\n\n\u0026nbsp;Meanwhile in the forest village of Sonir, a small celebration was unfolding.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShadow, his name given to him because of his pitch black fur, was celebrating his 250th moon cycle.\u0026nbsp; Using the sun cycle he would be nineteen years, two months old.\u0026nbsp; By rite he was now able to venture pass the safety of the forest.\u0026nbsp; Every member of the village was granted this rite, but very few acted upon it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe village of Sonir was a neutral village on the border of two warring nations.\u0026nbsp; To the west was the human nation of Lomia.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; It was technologically more advanced than its eastern neighbor, but was a smaller nation with a smaller army.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nTo the east was the nation of Ruqi.\u0026nbsp; It is filled with a variety of different species, each with its own name.\u0026nbsp; They've been coined the term \"Furries\" or \"Furs\" for short.\u0026nbsp; Ruqi is the largest nation on the continent.\u0026nbsp; It has the largest and most diverse army.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe villagers of Sonir were wary about venturing outside the forest.\u0026nbsp; They weren't well liked by either nation because of their reputation.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey had many names; Werewolves being the most popular.\u0026nbsp; They were feared by the humans and looked down upon by the Furs. They were seen as nothing more than being half-breeds.\u0026nbsp; They wouldn't be able to live in either society.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHowever... there was one particular item that gave the werewolves the freedom to move about.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShadow opened his present from his mother, his only family.\u0026nbsp; He couldn't believe what was inside the box.\u0026nbsp; He picked it up to make sure he wasn't dreaming.\u0026nbsp; A carved stone; white on one side and black on the other.\u0026nbsp; There was no doubt that this was moonstone.\u0026nbsp; He looked at his mother.\u0026nbsp; Moonstone was extremely rare to find.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"How...?\" Shadow asked.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"It was your father's. \u0026nbsp;He found it when he was young.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShadow didn't know much about his father.\u0026nbsp; He died before Shadow was even fifty moons old.\u0026nbsp; He couldn't believe that it had belonged to his father, and that his mother had kept it all this time. She had a hard time raising Shadow by herself.\u0026nbsp; The two of them could have been set for life if she had sold the stone.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Your father wanted me to give this to you when the time came.\" His mother said with a nostalgic smile.\u0026nbsp; \"He said you'd be happier being able to explore the world than live a life of luxury.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShadow remained silent and just stared at the stone.\u0026nbsp; It was polished so smoothly he could almost see his reflection on it.\u0026nbsp; \"He said that?\"\u0026nbsp; Shadow chuckled.\u0026nbsp; \"I was so young and he already knew what I'd want?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Your father could see what kind of a man you'd grow up to be.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Oh yeah?\" Shadow asked, leaning back in his chair.\u0026nbsp; \"How?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis mother laughed.\u0026nbsp; \"You were a wild child.\u0026nbsp; You couldn't sit still for more than a minute. You didn't listen to me or your father, and the exploring.\u0026nbsp; Oh my, the exploring!\"\u0026nbsp; She covered her eyes with her hand.\u0026nbsp; \"When no one was looking you'd wander around the village or go off into the woods.\u0026nbsp; And then your father would have to go and bring you back.\"\u0026nbsp; His mother went silent.\u0026nbsp; \"He knew one day he wouldn't be able to bring you back... I just didn't think it would be that soon...\"\u0026nbsp; She looked at Shadow.\u0026nbsp; \"I didn't think this time would come so soon either.\"\u0026nbsp; Her eyes started to tear up.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nShadow stood up.\u0026nbsp; \"Hey, I'm not going anywhere yet.\" His mother seemed surprised.\u0026nbsp; Shadow held the stone out to his mother.\u0026nbsp; \"What did you gain for holding onto this for so long?\u0026nbsp; Nothing!\u0026nbsp; With this I can give you the life that you could have had so many years ago.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Shadow!\u0026nbsp; You can't mean you're going to sell it!?\" his mother asked with panic in her voice.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Sell it!?\u0026nbsp; Of course not!\u0026nbsp; But I am going to use it to our advantage!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n=============================\n\nSo this idea has been lingering in my head for a while now.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nNot sure if I should continue\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhat do you think?\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Moon's Shadow","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/404443-moon-s-shadow-crimson-moon.json"}}