A Tale of Red Riding: Rise of the Alpha Huntress (The Alpha Huntress Series Book 1) by Neo Edmund

knew she held the power to do so. “I’ll never help you.”
    “Then everyone in Wayward will die, and it will be your doing,” Ragnarok said.
    The double doors of the temple exploded open. Red shielded her face as a massive gust of flames blasted in, setting the chamber around her ablaze. A horde of werewolves charged in, growling in rage.
    Trembling in fear, Red raised her sword high. A white werewolf with glowing purple eyes lunged at her through a wall of fire. Its mouth was open wide with the intention of crushing her throat. Red wailed out a battle cry and swung her sword with furious intent.
    An instant before they collided, Red snapped awake in her parents’ room. She leaped backward and swung her sword. The blade sliced through one of the poles holding up a canopy above the bed. The whole thing came plummeting down with a crash and a bang.
    “Red, calm down. You’re safe,” Grenda said.
    “Is that what’s to come for me, Granny?” Red asked.
    Grenda put a comforting hand on Red’s shoulder. “What the sword showed you is one possible vision of the future. Never forget that nothing is written in stone.”
    “How can I face such a terrible ordeal? I’m just an orphan girl that doesn’t know anything about fighting in battles or defeating monsters,” Red said.
    “Of course you can. You’re the Alpha Huntress,” Grenda proclaimed.
    Red sat on the bed. “I am not. I’m nothing.”
    Grenda gave Red a disapproving glare. “It’s a good thing your mother and father aren’t around to hear you talk like that. They sacrificed everything to assure that you would live to see this day.”
    “Are you saying they died for me?”
    Grenda sat next to Red. “When it became known that you had received the Alpha Power, there were some who believed they could take it away and give it to another. They planned to invoke a dark spellcraft that would rip the power from you. When the first attackers came that night, your mother fought fearlessly to keep you safe. In the end, she was fatally wounded. Your father refused to leave her side, but when push came to shove, he had no choice. Your mother and I stood together and gave him enough time to take you safely away.”
    Red struggled to hold back her tears. “So what became of my father?”
    Grenda took off her glasses and wiped the lenses clean with her dress. “I am sorry to say that he fell into terrible despair. In one night, he’d lost his beloved wife and had to abandon you to be raised by strangers. He wandered off alone into the woods. I haven’t seen a sign of him since.”
    Red sat clutching her stomach. “It’s all so tragic.”
    Grenda stood and raised her head high. “No. It’s a heroic tale that should be remembered as such. To think of it as any less would taint the memory of your parents.”
    Red considered this and realized it was true. “How can I do this, Granny? How can I stand against such terrible evil?”
    “You won’t have to face it alone, Red. I’ll be with you. Others will make themselves known when the time is right.”
    Red picked up her mother’s sword and stood tall. “You’re right. I will honor my parents’ sacrifice. I’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure Wayward doesn’t fall to evil.”
    “Now that’s the Red Riding I’ve been waiting so long to see.”
    Red paced in a whirlwind of excitement. “So how do we begin? Do we raise an army? Maybe storm a castle or two?”
    Grenda took the sword from Red and put it back into the chest. “When it comes to that, we certainly will. Right now, you have a ball to prepare for.”
    “Granny, how can I think of such a thing when my destiny is calling?”
    “Destiny can wait for tomorrow. Tonight you have other matters that need to be tended to.” Grenda opened a wooden wardrobe, revealing it held many dresses.
    Red smiled in awe at the wonderful sight. “Did all of these belong to my mother?”
    “That they did. She made them with her own hands. It would do her proud