Memento Mori -- Chapter 5
#13 of Eben Black Series -- Memento Mori
© All characters and storylines involving said characters belong to me: Eben Black.
"So what happens now, boys?" Jasper's deep voice rolled through the ruined penthouse like some distant dream. If I had to be honest he did look handsome, impressive even, but he was still a bad guy.
"What do you mean?" Snow asked as he winced over his wounded shoulder.
"Well, lets see," Jasper took a defiant step forward, while that she-wolf smirked, she leaned against the back of the couch and crossed her arms underneath her breasts. Jasper continued, "I think you have two choices: you break this little...coalition of yours. No more uniting the different species and hoping for a better future and all that shit!" he snarled as he spoke. The she-wolf giggled from her spot on the couch.
"And choice two?" Bartholomew demanded.
"Choice two? Well, Helena?" Jasper looked to his companion, "What should choice two be?"
"Oh that's a simple one...death!" she cackled as she bounced up from her perch and swept over to where Donovan was bundled on the floorboards.
"L-Leave him alone!" I stammered.
I heard Snow whisper, "Sawyer? Sawyer, can't you do something?"
Sawyer breathed back, "For whatever reason, she can block my fucking illusions."
"What are you going to do if I don't?" Helena teased. She placed a heeled foot at Donovan's unconscious throat.
"P-Please don't touch h-him?" I begged. I shuddered and the temperature in the room seemed to drop. I reached a hand out for Donovan and the fur seemed to bleed from light grey to pure white. "Fuck," I breathed.
"What are you doing?" Helena demanded as her breath clouded in front of her. She leaned her heel on Donovan's throat and grinned, "Make a move and he dies?"
A cool female voice breathed through my mind, She would threaten our wolven-King and you lie here in the arms of another? Act like a true Lupine and save him!
"Helena, I think we're about to see what kind of power this puppy has inside him," Jasper grinned from his spot across the room.
I concentrated as my own breath clouded and focused on Helena. A second later ice blossomed from her shoulder, the impact sent her staggering backwards. I took my chance and leaped from Snow's arms and rushed her. The ice shattered as she lunged forward for Donovan. I stepped in close, reared back my palm and thrust forward. The blow connected with her lower abdomen. I don't think she saw me coming, because she looked down at me with a mixed look of confusion and disbelief. I heard something break, like a rib, and then watched as she was flung backward and smashed against the window pane. It cracked and splintered, but never shattered. I crouched beside my alpha, beside Donovan and slammed both hands to the floorboards. I visualised the room erupting with frozen spines and seconds later they blossomed from the floorboards and walls and even the ceilings. Jasper avoided them to the best of his ability and soon was standing alone as far from the others as I could make him.
He whistled and looked at me with an impressed expression, "Never thought you'd be a Level Three."
"L-Level Three? What does that mean?" I stammered as I lifted Donovan and swung his arm over my shoulder. I was getting everyone out of here whether Jasper liked it or not.
"Level Three is the term used to describe wereanimals of our caliber. Level Two is alpha level, and Level One is your everyday, run-of-the-mill wereanimal."
"I've never heard of these terms before," I replied.
"That's because they are council terms only. Now, if you are through with your tantrum, allow me to show you what a true Level Three is capable of?" Jasper grinned, he raised a large, slender hand. Nothing happened for a while and then a distant smell filled the room, it was a charred, almost burning sensation. I looked up and watched in disbelief as flames blossomed in Jasper's bare hand. The flames reared and flared wild and feral, their colour was a deep, dark crimson, almost like blood. "You like what you see, pup?" he grinned.
"Your...your like..."
"I'm the opposite of you in some sense, but I get the feeling you haven't truly accepted your inner beast yet, which is why your abilities are so basic," he growled.
"Jasper, J-Jasper please don't use that," Helena whimpered as she picked herself up from the floor. Her hand grasped her lower abdomen while she struggled to walk. Had I harmed her that much?
"I suggest you run, Helena," Jasper breathed. He took a deep breath and raised the other hand, the same dark, crimson flames blossomed there like some kind of alien flower.
"What are you doing?" Snow demanded.
"Like I said, either this coalition gets disbanded, or you die," he replied, "And since you don't seem to want to disband anytime soon, then I have no choice but to eradicate you all here and now."
"Fuck that!" Bartholomew growled, he rushed, keeping low to the floor as he rounded the couch with blinding speed, slammed a hand to the floor and swung his leg over. It looked like some form of capoeira. He swung his foot down and smashed Jasper's shoulder. The bigger panther staggered back a little, the flames flickered, as Bartholomew braced himself on his hands and span his legs, two more blows to Jasper's chest and then it seemed Jasper had had enough. He stepped back and clasped his hands shut. The flames extinguished as Jasper ducked low and rushed Bartholomew. He gripped Bartholomew by the vest, took one defiant step while Bartholomew was upside down, and then launched the feline with amazing ease. With a sickening crack Bartholomew was embedded into the wall upside down. His body sank into the plasterboard and brick like he'd been embedded into silly-putty instead of a penthouse wall.
Snow was suddenly there, face furious, as he clenched his fists and launched a blow for Jasper's jaw. Jasper grinned and raised a hand, blocking the blow. Jasper slid back a little, but maintained his hold on Snow's closed fist while he reared back his other hand. He did two things at once, he yanked Snow forward with one hand, and then the other swung in a full circle and smashed into Snow's elbow. Another sickening crack filled the room as Snow let out a deafening scream. His arm had been broken at the elbow joint. Not nice! I lowered Donovan to the floor and stepped around the couch so I had room. I faced Jasper as he turned and landed a beautiful roundhouse kick that sent Snow flying sideways. The tiger smashed into the wall and slumped in between Bartholomew and Aleksander. I was standing closer to Sawyer now who used the wall to slowly stand up.
"Sawyer, is that bitch still blocking your abilities?" I demanded.
He nodded.
"What if she's unconscious?" I suggested.
"Then her ability to block me might be knocked out too. What have you got planned?" he asked.
"I'll launch on her again, and knock her out cold, once that happens blind Jasper and we'll grab everyone and run," I explained.
"Just like that, we're running?"
"You got any better ideas?" I snarled.
"Right. Understood," Sawyer replied. He braced himself against the wall and waited. I watched Jasper as he took a step toward me. I grinned, and then launched across the couchs at the wounded she-wolf, Helena looked up at me with a confused expression as I landed in front of her. I reared my arm back, aimed for her head and launched an open palm at her. She looked at me wide-eyed. I'd have smashed her through the window if Jasper had not gripped the back of my arm at that moment.
"Tut-tut-tut, didn't your mother ever teach you to never harm a woman," Jasper growled. He tossed me aside and then paced after me. I staggered a little but regained my composure. If I couldn't knock her out, then I'd stab her. I clasped both hands together and a spine of ice formed between them as I peeled them apart. I had almost formed the javelin-like ice, when a fist came down and shattered the spine with terrible ease. Jasper was inches from me now and fear thrilled through me. Nothing was working. "I said, that's enough!" he sneered at me.
"Your right, that is enough," a cool voice echoed from behind me. A second later an open palm soared passed me and smashed into Jasper's face. He growled and was sent skidding backward before crouching and clasping a hand over his wounded face. I think his nose had been broken. I turned and found a heavily wounded, but standing Donovan looming over me. He looked down at me, the look there all too serious. "Change back, Eben. I can take care of things here," he ordered. The second he spoke the beast inside receeded. My fur bled back to light grey and for a moment I thought I'd faint. Exhaustion swallowed me like some damned nightmare. I slumped to the floor as Donovan stepped around me. "Get the others. We're leaving," Donovan ordered.
"Leaving? Your not going anywhere, you damned mongrel!" Jasper snarled as he stood up. Helena was at his side now, wounded but still there.
"The council abandoned us a few months back, you declared that the older times of being hunted and killed were better than the more modern ones. I believe one of you said that it would slaughter the weak and only the truly strong would remain alive? I don't believe we should live in those dark times. If we cannot be accepted then I will do my damned best to keep everyone alive!" Donovan yelled. I'd never seen him so pissed off before.
"Your pathetic idealism isn't what will keep you alive, Donovan!" Jasper sneered, "In fact, such ideals should be burned, incinerated until there is nothing but ash remaining!" flames blossomed across his shoulders. Helena took a step back, she truly looked frightened now. "Like I said earlier, you should run Helena," Jasper warned. In that split second, Helena turned and kicked one of the unharmed windows, the glass shattered and a second later she had jumped through it. She was council. No doubt she'd survive that. "Now where were we?" Jasper demanded, he raised his arms as the flames blossomed across his arms and his palms again.
"My "pathetic idealism" is what will save the wereanimals of LA!" Donovan yelled. He crouched and a second later he was airborne. He had leaped midair and landed a perfect foot-stomp upon Jasper's face. Jasper reared back as Donovan rode his upper body down. Jasper maintained standing though, upper body horizontal. Donovan braced himself and then began landing blow after blow, kick after kick upon Donovan's upper body. The panther coughed and spluttered, blood spilled from his mouth. Donovan must have been battering his internal organs! Donovan then turned, straightened up, raised one leg and performed a perfect drop kick that crashed into Jasper's throat. Those crimson flames flickered and died as Jasper collapsed backwards, his throat was splintered, broken. It would heal in a few minutes, but for now the panther hissed and winced as he clawed at his own neck. Donovan landed back on the floorboards unharmed and looked back at me. "Lets get out of here. Snow? You still awake?" he demanded. Snow raised his hand slowly. He was conscious. "Grab Bartholomew and Aleksander. Eben, get Sawyer. We're leaving. Now!" Donovan ordered. We all did as Donovan demanded and moments later we were running down the small corridor to where the elevator was. Donovan punched the button, but it was already halfway up.
"I don't think so!" Jasper growled. He was standing at the other end of the corridor now. Bracing himself against the wall. "I did not give you permission to leave!" he grinned. Flames erupted at the elevator doors and blocked us. I fucking hated that technique of his!
"Stay back!" Donovan demanded, he took one step and the whole world seemed to pin him to the floorboards as he collapsed, he panted. Exhaustion had swallowed him like the rest of us!
I took a deep breath and as I exhaled it clouded again.
"No Eben!" Donovan yelled, "Your not transforming again!"
"You said not to change unless it was an emergency, right? Doesn't this constitute an emergency?" I demanded.
"He kind of has a point, Donovan!" Sawyer growled beside me.
"It won't make a difference, Jasper's too much for you to handle alone!" Donovan explained.
"Your coalition will be shattered, one way or another, Donovan Reed, whether you like it or not!" Jasper smirked as he took a step forward.
DING!
That cool female voice that was my beast breathed through me again, Another champion has arrived! The darkened assassin that will protect us from the shadows!
The elevator doors slid open as we all looked back. A shadowed figure stepped out. The world swam as smoke filled the corridor. I was blinded from exhaustion and smoke inhalation as I staggered and dropped to one knee. That figure stepped in between all of us and said something that I could not hear. Everyone reached for him as Jasper screamed his rage. A slender hand grasped mine and a second later the world swam and blackened. Darkness swallowed me and I was plunged into the depths of sleep.
I was floating, floating in some distant pale ocean somewhere. The skies were a mixture of blue and white. I'd been here a few times and more often than not it looked different. I sat up in the shallow water. It was a wide expanse of ocean, but I could stand on the top layer with ease. I sat up and looked around. I heard footsteps and turned to find a beautiful white she-wolf padding across the water's surface. She stood at around five foot ten, her slender form nude and covered in white fur, large breasts hung unsupported, pale blue eyes, heavy-lidded with an almost bored expression on her face. A thick, full white tail curled behind her. Who was she?
"You do not recognise me, Eben Black?" a familiar cool voice filled my mind. Her mouth never moved. That was eerie as Hell.
"W-Who? Are you my inner beast?" I asked.
"I am the inner beast of the Lupine that has bound herself to four powerful alphas. I came here in this form because I believed you'd feel more comfortable," she explained.
"Your my inner beast?!" I stammered.
"If it makes you feel better my name is Adelheid," she replied.
"Inner beasts have names?"
"You had to merely ask, but you never did," she explained, "I brought you here because we need to have a serious conversation about our alphas."
"What do you mean by serious conversation?"
"I want you to look back at what happened earlier today, you and your lovers were almost slaughtered by one other."
"Jasper."
"The beast that resides there is not a pleasant one," Adelheid remarked.
I stood up and realised I was dressed all in white. I had a white hooded jacket that was unzipped to reveal my furred chest and stomach beneath. A pair of three-quarter-lengths done in pure white too. Nothing more.
"I felt you'd be more comfortable clothed."
"Thanks," I replied with a shy smile.
"Eben, I brought you here because I think it is time we brought our alphas into their power and secured our kingdom once and for all before our next confrontation with this Jasper character."
"Wait, wait, "bring them into their power"? What does that mean?" I stammered.
"You are about to make your alphas all the more stronger, so strong that even Jasper wouldn't be able to stand against them, but in order for that to happen we first need the final components to our circle."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"There are two others. Two others that we must bind ourselves to before we can unlock their potentials one by one and secure our power base before the next confrontation."
"I don't quite understand. You want me to bind two more alphas?" I demanded.
She nodded and then looked across the expanse of ocean as if she could see something I could not. "One comes now. Awaken Eben, and when you have bound them both I'll bring you here and show you what to do."
I blinked in disbelief. "W-Wait, Adelheid, wait!" I demanded. The world swam as I plunged beneath the surface of the water and sank deeper and deeper. Shadows swallowed me as I slowly woke up from this distant dream.