Fate Rebellion

A few days later, the hunting party set up camp at a large clearing in the forested wilderness. Here, they planned to celebrate their kills of the last few days. 

Several fires flickered across the camp. Loud voices laughed and shouted. The mead flowed freely, and large carcasses were roasting above the fires, spreading a delicious aroma across the area. 

It was a time of celebration, and yet Rurik was sitting away from the others, looking up at the moon in the night sky. He loved watching the moon—it always made him feel closer to Luna, named after the Roman goddess of the moon. 

Most of the other kids that came along on this hunt were running around the campfires trading food and drink for stories and tips from the adults. It was a good time for socializing, but Rurik couldn't be bothered. Despite his vow, and the progress he'd already made, he couldn't deny that it all still felt a little hollow. 

Without Luna, could he really enjoy the creation of a new legacy? Even if it was in her name? 

"I'm sure it's only temporary," he sighed up at the night sky, as if talking to Luna. "I just need some time to grieve, I'll get back to my old self soon enough. Besides, it's not like I've been—" 

Suddenly, a voice interrupted his thoughts. 

"Big Brother!" Maria smiled happily as she approached from behind. 

Instantly, Rurik groaned slightly as she looked up almost apologetically at the moon and the stars. "Hey, Maria," he sighed a little under his breath, without turning around. "I was actually hoping to—" 

"Here!" she grinned happily as she stepped in front of him and pushed a large mug full of mead, and a plate of fatty, sizzling meat into his hands. "I brought you something!" 

Forced to grab the items or let them fall, Rurik pursed his lips. Looking at Maria, he could only see enthusiasm and a happy, pure grin. He found himself unable to decline the gift. 

So, for the third time, he sighed helplessly and looked up at his younger sister with as much indifference as he could scrounge up at this point. "Thank you…" 

Maria nodded happily, but said nothing. Instead, she simply smiled happily, and sat down in front of him, closely watching his hands. 

What else could he do, but begin to eat and drink? Technically, he knew the alcohol in the mead would wreak havoc on his underdeveloped brain, but would that even matter, considering his mature mind? He wasn't sure, but he knew just a little bit wouldn't do any irreversible damage either way. 

Helpless against Maria's onslaught of enthusiasm, he sipped the mead and ate the meat, unaware of Maria's plot. 

The moment he set his teeth in the food, Maria's grin widened, "Now you owe me a story!" 

Rurik's eyes widened, and nearly spat out the food in his mouth. He'd not expected an ambush like this from his innocent little sister. "I—" he muttered with confusion, after swallowing his food. "What are you talking about?" 

Maria pouted slightly, "That's what everyone does at the feast! You give a gift, and then you get a story. Papa said it's how we keep the gods happy! And I want to hear a story of yours!" 

Rurik looked pleadingly at the moon, before shrugging helplessly, "Yeah, but I'm not an adult, Maria. What story am I supposed to tell you?" 

Suddenly, Maria looked a little nervous. She swayed from side to side, her eyes darting around. "I— I want to hear about Luna…" 

Instantly, Rurik's stiffened and stopped eating. Then he narrowed his eyes. "How do you know that name…?" he growled threateningly. 

Maria was a little taken aback by his aggressive reaction, but she quickly recovered, pouting defiantly. "I heard you talking to yourself at night… You said something about someone named Luna. I didn't really get it, but… after that, you started acting weird." 

She looked up at him, eyes slightly wet, "I just wanted to know why she was so important to you." 

Rurik cursed inwardly. Despite getting his memories back, he'd instinctively spoken in Old Norse back then. Not that talking modern English or even modern Norse would have helped much with Maria's curiosity. 

Regardless, he had no desire to talk about this. 

"I don't know what you're talking about, Maria," he said coldly, a little harsher than he perhaps wanted. "I know no Luna, so just drop it." 

"N— No!" Maria cried out and shot to her feet. "I gave you a gift, now you owe me a story! I— I want to know what happened! Why you changed!" 

Rurik's anger was rising quickly. He didn't want to talk about Luna, and even mentioning her might bring him trouble that he didn't want to deal with. 'I've already lost her, and now I'm supposed to explain myself to this child?!' 

Ironically, he felt frustrated partly because he couldn't share his grief with anyone. 

"Stop being a child!" he growled aggressively. "Just forget you ever heard that name!" 

For a moment, the two children stared defiantly at each other, but slowly, Maria's expression began to crack. Then, she finally began to cry. 

"I—I hate you!" she shouted, voice breaking as tears started spilling down her cheeks. She turned abruptly, her steps uneven at first, before breaking into a full run back toward the camp. 

Rurik stayed angry for less than a second, when he instantly deflated and sagged back down to the ground. "Ah, crap," he cursed hatefully at himself. "I shouldn't have lost my cool… And the fact I'm even thinking that is definitive proof that I'm getting soft in my old age." 

His eyes followed the retreating Maria with a complicated gaze. "Well… maybe it's for the best. I probably never would have been the big brother she's looking for." 

But his expression changed quickly when he noticed she began to veer off. For some reason, Maria changed course just before she reached the celebrating adults and headed for another edge of the camp instead. 

"Shit!" he instantly cursed and jumped to his feet on instinct. "Maria!" 

Before he knew what was happening, his legs began moving in her direction. 

"Maria!" he exclaimed again, but the young girl either didn't hear him, or didn't care. She continued charging forward, and quickly disappeared into the forest, sobbing loudly. 

"Fuck!" Rurik cursed again. For a half a moment, he looked up at the night sky helplessly… before running after her. A quick glance towards the celebrators told him all he needed to know about their reaction time. If he tried to warn them first, it would be precious minutes before anyone went after her. 

No, he had no time to waste. Besides, he was an adult as well, wasn't he? 

He plunged into the cold needle forest after her, but he instantly lost sight of her in the underbrush. Fortunately, he was no slouch when it came to tracking, so he quickly picked up her trail and went after her. 

He ran for a few minutes, knowing he was catching up to her. 

But then, a bone-chilling howl surged into the air.