- hace 3 horas
The Covenant Of Betrayal
Categoría
🎥
CortometrajesTranscripción
00:00She stood at the covenant altar wearing the exact same gown, moon silk, silver white, lily, she's just a friend,
00:06Jack always said, the vixen, her three red tails swaying behind her, each tip blushing pink, the sign of a
00:10fox in heat, or in triumph, she stood beside Jack, greeting guests together, my hand traced my moon silk gown,
00:16traditional bridal robe of the Lycan people, for the man I had loved eight years, ready, nervous, a scent drifted
00:23from the great hall, something sweet, clowing, and wrong, fox, I knew that scent, a female, young,
00:29her paramones too strong for a guest, she shouldn't be here, I'm going to look, Rose, Rose, everyone is here,
00:37the five kingdoms, you can't, I know, I'm just looking, I pushed through the curtain, and saw her, lily, Jack
00:43wore his half form too, golden lion's mane shining under the crystal lights, a hybrid, always ashamed of it, but
00:49today he looked like a prince, they looked good together, behind me, my mother sucked in a breath, the hall
00:54went quiet, ears turned towards me, tails stopped swaying, all eyes on me, I breathed in,
00:59wolves don't show fear, my father's first lesson, I walk into the hall, my moon silk gown, dragging across the
01:05stone floor, my ears straight, Jack saw me, his face changed, muscles tightening under his mane, he opened his mouth,
01:12lily got there first,
01:15Rose, what a beautiful gown, oh, what a coincidence, ours matched, she looped her arm through Jack's, leaned her head
01:23on his shoulder, Jack didn't push her away, I looked at him, he looked at me, amber eyes,
01:28guilty, flustered, but not surprised, he knew she would come, he knew she would wear this, maybe he planned it,
01:36I smiled, you do look perfect together, loud enough for every beast in the hall to hear, a fine pair,
01:44lily's smile froze, her tail stopped, three tips trembling, the tell of a fox caught in a lie, then her
01:51eyes welled up, Rose, how could you, Jack and I are just, just,
01:56she ran, gown tangling under her feet, Jack's face burned red, his mane flared, tiger stripes rising under his skin,
02:04Rose, how could you say that, lily came to wish us well, his voice boomed, Jack, today is our vow
02:11ceremony,
02:12he stopped, five kingdoms are watching, your father, mine, do you really want to fight me here, over a friend,
02:19his mane flattened,
02:20he looked at me, then at the silent guests, his throat bobbed, but he didn't apologize, he turned and ran
02:26after lily, left me standing at the altar in my moon silk gown,
02:29alone, one by one, the crystal lights went dark, guests rose and left, some gave me pitying looks, some smirked,
02:36I stood still,
02:37my mother came to me, said nothing, just draped a blanket over my shoulders, it smelled like her, cedar, frost,
02:44and a trace of old blood, war wounds,
02:46rose, mother, I want to be alone, I stared at the altar, she left, the hall was empty, I looked
02:53up at the soul bond contract hanging above the altar,
02:55our names carved into a crystal, after the vow ceremony, the crystal would split in two, each of us would
03:01hold half,
03:01now it just hung there, a joke, I reached up and took it down, the crystal was cold against my
03:07palm,
03:07I remembered eight years ago, the lake, Moonlight Lake, Jack's first confession, he was a hybrid, I was the duke's
03:14daughter,
03:15our union could have healed old wounds between lions and wolves, I thought it was fate, now I knew better,
03:21it was just me,
03:22I got the news on the way home, Jack took lily to Moonlight Lake after the reception,
03:27Moonlight Lake, our sacred ground, where the wolf moon goddess bathed, they said, where the waters healed all wounds,
03:34I was supposed to go there with Jack, for our mating moon, he went with another woman,
03:39griffin driven carriage clattering over Golden City's stone streets, I set down my communication crystal,
03:45didn't reply, told the driver to turn, to the temple of life, head to the temple of life,
03:50the temple sat in the eastern quarter, run by deer druids, incense always burning, an old doe received
03:58me, her antlers grey, but her eyes clear, you're certain child, yes, she sighed, took a purple vial
04:07from the shelf, a runestone, root severant runen, drink the potion, press the stone to your belly,
04:14three days, and the child's scent will fade, I took the vial, cold, my hand didn't shake,
04:19how long, the rune works fast, but recovery takes time, you'll need someone to tend you,
04:25the doe's voice was soft, I drank, bitter, then I opened my gown, and pressed the stone to my skin,
04:32cold spread from my belly through my whole body, like something being ripped out by the roots,
04:36three days later, the cub's scent was gone, Jack would notice, his kind didn't have lichen noses,
04:42but a father knows when his own blood goes missing, but what did it matter,
04:48he didn't care anymore, neither would I, pale moonlight bled through the fur curtains,
04:53frost wolf decorations from the ceremony still hung on the walls, they look like bad omens now,
04:58I dragged myself to the bed, collapsed onto the fur mattress, Lily's phantom image was the first
05:04thing I saw, lucky to have you, meant to be, the image showed Jack holding her close at moonlight lake,
05:11moonlight silver on the water, their lips about to meet, matching rings on their fingers,
05:16answers, once, I would have stormed over to demand answers, now I just turned off the crystal and
05:21rolled over, no tears, just tired, the next days brought no word from Jack, but Lily's phantom
05:28images showed me everything, kisses, selfies, market walks around moonlight lake, every image
05:33had a location marker, everyone had a sweet caption, I didn't react, I contacted a mage,
05:39started preparing to sever the soul bond, his name was grey claw, Avis, my classmate from the academy,
05:43his beast form was a grey feathered eagle, in human form, he still had those sharp raptor eyes,
05:49he asked when he flew to my house, you're sure, yes, he didn't argue, just pulled a roll of cured
06:00hide from his satchel, soul bond severation contract, he said, spreading it on the table, under the codex of
06:09beasts, severing a bond requires both parties to tear the contract before the council of elders,
06:14the guilty party pays cub feed, all costs from the pregnancy and recovery, what else,
06:19if a third party interfered in the marriage, the innocent party can reclaim all property the guilty
06:23party spent on the third during the marriage, grey claw's eagle eyes fixed on me,
06:28jack bought lily an emerald bracelet worth a million crystals, did you know,
06:33i blinked, then laughed, i do now, write it in, two weeks later, i was reviewing grey claw's draft
06:40at home, when the front door opened, jack walked in, lily on his arm, he'd gotten tan,
06:45his mane had grown, golden hair bright in the sun, lily's three red tails wagging behind her,
06:50our eyes met, jack dropped her hand, uncomfortable, his mane flared,
06:54then flattened, tiger stripes flickering, his nervous tell, dry-throated,
06:58lily had never seen the snowfields, i took her to see them, i said nothing,
07:03you're carrying our cub, the mage said you should rest,
07:06his voice trailed off, i looked back down at my papers, nodded, good,
07:11you,
07:11he stopped, watched me not looking at him, his mane flared again,
07:16you,
07:20what's your problem, i told you, lily just wanted to see the snow,
07:24we can take our mating moon anytime, why are you making a scene,
07:28and i've told you a hundred times, lily and i are just,
07:31just siblings, i know, my face was blank, wolf eyes flat, his face went stiff,
07:36mane flattening, stripes fading, he opened his mouth, nothing came out, lily stepped forward,
07:41grabbed jack's wrist, her tails low, ears pinned back, rose, please don't be angry,
07:47please don't fight with jack because of me, lily's voice soft as cotton,
07:52he didn't take you this time, but he brought you a present,
07:56jack, give your wife her present, she smiled at jack,
08:00jack fumbled in his pocket, pulled out a small box, pushed it at me,
08:05i got this just for you, open it, i glanced inside, simple earrings, flower shaped,
08:13tiny crystals around the edges, pretty enough, but compared to the emerald bracelet on lily's
08:19wrist, worth a million crystals, it looked like market stall trash, i pushed the box back,
08:26no need, i don't accept scraps, the air turned cold, jack's face went dark,
08:33mane exploding, stripes rising, rose, what does that mean, i looked at the bracelet on lily's wrist,
08:43moonlight lake yade, green as new leaves, worth a fortune, then i met jack's eyes,
08:50what i said, you give her emeralds, you give me scraps, you think that's all i'm worth,
08:58jack's mane frozen, his eyes flickered, lily jumped in, voice breaking, rose, don't be angry,
09:07jack only gave me the bracelet because i loved it so much, if it bothers you, i can give it
09:12back,
09:13she said this, made no move to take off the bracelet, jack pulled lily close, glared at me,
09:20lily, don't listen to her, the bracelet is yours, she's always been like this, small hearted, jealous,
09:28i looked at them, said nothing, turned back to my crystal, gray claw had sent a message,
09:34first draft ready, also, compiled list of jack's gifts to lily during the marriage,
09:40total, 3.72 million crystals, i replied, good,
09:45jack saw me ignoring him, got angrier, he stormed out with lily, slamming the door so hard he cracked
09:53two rooms, i knew what he was waiting for, he wanted me to run after him, apologize, like i always
10:03did, this time, i didn't even look up, on the eighth day, gray claw flew to golden city himself,
10:12put the final soul bond severation contract in my hands, sign, he said, i'll handle the rest,
10:19i picked up the quill, dipped it in ink, i signed my name, rose frostclaw, daughter of the lichen duke,
10:2672nd generation of snowfield wolves, then pressed my paw print beside it, silver gray,
10:31the print glowed faintly on the hide, scent rising, cedar, frost, and something bitter, my mark,
10:36from this day, jack had no part of me, but the day before my follow-up exam, jack sat in
10:41my living room,
10:41nervous, his mane flaring and flattening, jack tomorrow, you'll come with me, of course,
10:50i smiled, then i sent lily a message,
10:56maybe you're not as important to jack as you think, he promised to take me to the temple tomorrow,
11:02he says everything between you was just pretend, lily was quiet for a long time,
11:07finally, just wait, i set down the crystal, smiled, fox pride is more fragile than their tails,
11:17i knew she wouldn't let me down, the next morning, jack was gone, his pillow was still warm when i
11:25woke,
11:26he'd left recently,
11:29the sheets smelled like scorch, his lying smell, my crystal lit up, lily's phantom image,
11:39jack and her kissing, the caption,
11:45true love doesn't check the calendar,
11:48i set down the crystal, picked up the soul bond severment contract, walked out,
11:53gray claw waited outside covenant hall, he came,
11:56no, but the council is inside,
11:59then let's begin,
12:01the fifteen elders sat in their places, three from each kingdom,
12:04their eyes followed me, my grandmother sat among the wolf elders,
12:08she nodded once, i nodded back,
12:11rose frost claw, wolf,
12:13the high elder spoke,
12:14you petitioned to sever the soul bond with jack golden mane,
12:17is this true?
12:19yes,
12:19evidence?
12:20gray claw stepped forward,
12:22laid out the rolls,
12:23phantom images,
12:24crystal messages,
12:25gift records,
12:26the elders read,
12:28the defendant,
12:29defendant not present,
12:30wait,
12:30jack burst through the doors,
12:32mane a mess,
12:33shirt untucked,
12:34he stopped in the center of the hall,
12:36breathing hard,
12:37amber eyes locked on me,
12:38rose,
12:39you,
12:40his voice shook,
12:41you planned this,
12:42i said nothing,
12:43yesterday,
12:44you asked me to come with you,
12:45you knew i'd go to lily,
12:47you set me up,
12:49do you admit to improper relations with lily the fox?
12:54jack opened his mouth,
12:56closed it,
12:57she's just a friend,
12:58he finally said,
13:01murmurs,
13:02a friend?
13:04the bear elder laughed,
13:06you kiss your friend?
13:08jack's mane flattened,
13:10i made a mistake,
13:12enough!
13:12the high elder struck his staff,
13:14this council finds in favor of the petitioner,
13:16the soul bond is severed,
13:17jack golden mane shall pay cub feed and damages,
13:19totaling 5.3 million crystals,
13:21rose frostclaw,
13:22do you accept?
13:24yes,
13:24jack golden mane,
13:25do you accept?
13:26jack stood in the center of the hall,
13:28shaking,
13:29his eyes were red,
13:31mane flat,
13:32stripes gone,
13:32i-i-i don't accept,
13:34louder now,
13:35rose,
13:37you're carrying my cub,
13:38how could you?
13:39gone,
13:40he froze,
13:42what?
13:44the cub,
13:44i looked at him,
13:46calm,
13:47two weeks ago,
13:48at the temple of life,
13:51i did the root severment,
13:53the whole gasped,
13:55jack's face lost all color,
13:57turning deathly pale like ash,
13:59his lips trembled,
14:00you what?
14:01his voice came from somewhere hollow and deep,
14:04the cub is gone,
14:06the day you took lily to moonlight lake,
14:10jack's legs gave out,
14:12he fell to his knees,
14:15how could you?
14:18how could you?
14:20mumbling now,
14:22our cub,
14:23you knew it was our cub,
14:26i looked into his eyes,
14:28spoke each word clearly,
14:32then why did you take another woman to moonlight lake while i carried it?
14:36he had no answer,
14:38just knelt there,
14:39shaking,
14:40completely broken and defeated,
14:41the elders exchanged looks,
14:44judgment stands,
14:45the soul bond is severed,
14:47this council is dismissed,
14:49one by one the elders rose,
14:51the wolf elders each touched my shoulder as they passed,
14:55my grandmother said nothing,
14:57just pressed a warm crystal into my palm,
14:59the blessing of wolves,
15:01i closed my fingers around it,
15:04walked out of the hall,
15:05behind me jack still knelt on the floor,
15:08not moving,
15:09i didn't look back,
15:11after the bond was severed,
15:13i went home to the snow fields,
15:15wolf territory sits between frozen mountains,
15:18winter all year,
15:20i liked the cold,
15:22cold that went to the bone,
15:24kept you awake,
15:26my mother made me recovery food every day,
15:28bone broth,
15:30fish stew,
15:31wild greens,
15:32different every time,
15:34my father didn't talk,
15:35just left fresh kills at the door and walked away,
15:38it took me a long time to heal,
15:40root severment is hard on the body,
15:42the deer druid said three months at least,
15:44i didn't follow jack's news,
15:46but greyclaw told me anyway,
15:48jack's not well,
15:49he sat across from me in the longhouse,
15:51his sharp eyes watching intently,
15:54he's been in the taverns every night,
15:57drinking until he can't stand,
15:58a few times he shouted your name in public,
16:01the lion council warned him,
16:04lily,
16:04she tries to see him,
16:06but golden mane,
16:08jack's father,
16:08forbade it,
16:09said if she comes near jack again,
16:11he'll have her whole family run out of golden city,
16:14she won't give up,
16:15no,
16:15greyclaw shook his head,
16:16she's been talking to you're a new patron,
16:18one more thing,
16:18i nodded,
16:19greyclaw pulled a scroll from his satchel,
16:21the frost wolf trading house,
16:23all of jack's shares have been transferred to you,
16:25he signed,
16:25didn't fight,
16:26didn't fight,
16:27no,
16:28greyclaw paused,
16:30he was drunk,
16:31after he signed he cried,
16:33said he wanted to see you,
16:36i was quiet for a moment,
16:38no,
16:38i said,
16:40greyclaw put away the scroll,
16:41stood,
16:42i'll be going then,
16:44send word if you need me,
16:45he spread his grey wings,
16:46shot out of the longhouse,
16:49into the sky,
16:50i watched him disappear into the clouds,
16:52then looked down at the roll in my hands,
16:55frost wolf trading house,
16:57jack and i started it together after we left the academy,
17:00a market stall at first,
17:01selling snowfield goods,
17:03hides,
17:04herbs,
17:04crystals,
17:05then it grew,
17:07became one of the biggest trading houses in the five kingdoms,
17:10bards used to sing about us,
17:12the hybrid son and the duke's daughter,
17:14against all odds,
17:16building an empire together,
17:19pretty story,
17:2043.
17:214-5-2013,
17:211- transport커,
17:222-3-3-4-3-3-4-4-3-6-消防
17:22SUS ou 4-4-4-4-4-3-4-4-2-4-9-1,
17:222-3-4-3-4-3-4-4-3-4-4-4-4-5.
Comentarios