Razi and the Wolf Myth

The sun was setting on a peaceful day in the ancient Middle East, the 4th century BCE to be exact, and everything was extremely still in Razi’s small village; everything but the sound of the rushing water from the nearby stream. It was from there that Razi had been sent, at his father’s command, to search for their missing sheep. He trudged through the sand and the heat of the day, his mind wandering to things much bigger and far away. School, his parents, and graver matters he couldn’t fathom all came to his thoughts as his feet, still unsteady on the loose dirt, carried him into the silent night. As he advanced, the stars in the deep blue sky revealed a peculiar sight ahead, a tall temple structure, long abandoned by all gods and people by which to judge it.

Before Razi could turn back or think twice, his foot stepped onto the first step in front of the temple entrance. There, commanding his attention, was the sight of a large and mysterious dark figure; a wolf as if from a dream, peacefully resting beneath a cherry blossom tree. Razi stood in awe for what felt like eternity, finally coming back to his senses before being interrupted by the sound of a human voice—a woman’s voice. He looked around and saw, as if part of the scenery, a slim and colorfully dressed woman casually emerging from the shadows. As she walked, Razi noticed how the wolf rose instantly to a standing position, growling under his breath in a low, yet friendly, way. The woman approached Razi and extended her warmest hand out to him, detailing shyly with a pleasant smile, “My name is Cassandra and I know why you are here.”

Razi was startled by her sight, particularly due to the other-worldly vibe she exuded--so much so that he had failed to notice the remarkable likeness between her and the wolf under the tree, as if of the same breed. On sensing his surprise, Cassandra made it a point to explain that she was indeed with it and so much more, an immensely powerful being whom was deeply linked to that old temple’s past. Though knowing of Razi’s quest to find the sheep, Cassandra asserted that it the gods that were in need of his help first. With that, she presented him with the most daring opportunity--ridding the world of an ominous spirit that had plagued their people and its mystified land through malicious acts and wicked deeds, a ritual that a literal blood offering would be required to performed.

Razi, with little choice in the matter and trusting in Cassandra’s words, embarked on a grand adventure alongside her to set right this injustice. Exploring abandoned ruins and taming wild beasts, their journey to the only destination powerful enough to serve as a proper sacrifice took them far into the boundless desert. With the help from a handful of those who had know of the cursed spirit, even less of the dangers that accompanied it, facing the ruthless troubles the two soon found themselves in and through prayers to the gods, Razi and Cassandra set off in desperate attempt to dodge the malicious being's traps. Ultimately, with immense bravery, skill and a determined attitude, Razi offered his own life as a sacrifice to the gods, finally freeing the land of its madness after so many centuries of oppression and paving paths of peace and light in its place.