Chapter 20 - Scars of Life

788 I.C, February 19, Cromwell's Guild, Morning

I set my backpack down and looked through it once more. There were potions made to hide my scent and a gun loaded with the mystical marbles. A few rations, crystals, tools, and something special for the captain. The spears had been wrapped in a separate package and were already resting against the guild's wall.

"There's no way we can make you reconsider?" Leonard asked.

I closed the backpack and slung it around my back while I stood up, "Not really."

Leonard stepped closer and glanced into my backpack, "I couldn't help but notice that you were working on something this morning."

I glanced up with a bemused smile, "Oh, did you know?"

"You also borrowed one of my wax seals, one of the more common ones fortunately. What are you up to?" Leonard asked.

"You've told me of their incompetence in dealing with the wulfkins. It outlines a few strategies and spells that they can use to increase their chances."

Leonard tipped his head with a worried look, "Spells in what language?"

"Everwinter's kind, the language of the necromancers," I answered.

Leonard drew a deep breath and sighed, "They'll come here and look for the mercenary once all of this is over. You'd better put on a convincing act when they do, or have a way out of here."

I nodded, "In the worst case scenario I should be able to transport us to a secret place."

"A secret place?" Leonard asked.

"Uh huh," I said.

Leonard made a solemn smile, "I guess I can live with a small secret," and then held something out, "This is how you'll be able to contact the captain in the fortress."

I looked at his hand and saw a small rock embedded with a crystal, "So this is one of those devices that you use to communicate with others from afar?"

Leonard nodded, "It's called a messenger stone, but don't tamper with it. If the link to the managing mage is broken, then you won't be able to restore it. I'm surprised you don't know this already?"

I plucked the messenger stone from his hand and gave it a look over, "Transporter magic was tightly controlled by the Master, and I'm not surprised that he kept this implementation of it from us. That being said though, I do think Everwinter makes use of it, just that it was kept from us mages that weren't trusted."

"Because one of you might have figured it out and used it to contact the outside world?" Leonard asked.

I scratched my neck, "Maybe. I have an idea of how it might work, but for now this is foreign stuff to me. So how do I use it?"

"Just hold your hand on the crystal and it will activate," Leonard answered.

I placed it in one of my inner pockets, "Anything else?"

"Throw it away once you've used it, or experiment on it if you want. The point is that you shouldn't bring it back here."

"Why not?" I asked.

"I've heard messenger stones that keep the link open. It enables the mage to track you. Something we don't want," Leonard answered and looked toward the city.

"Understood," I answered with a nod.

Leonard motioned to me, "The captain's name is Ortega and he's not expecting you to succeed."

"I see," I said with a chuckle and turned my attention toward Talwin who stood silent by the wall.

Talwin looked up at me with his ears folded back, "What if they have one of those things we saw. The ones that scream of death?"

"A Sentinel?" I asked.

Talwin nodded, "One of those black obelisks."

I stepped up to him and touched his arm, "Then I turn around and come straight back here. I know my way around wulfkins and mages, but the Sentinels are too much of an unknown."

Talwin eyed me in silence for a few moments, "Promise?"

I sighed, "I'm not suicidal, Talwin. They emit very strong signals and I'll be able to sense them from afar. In the worst case scenario I'll use the bullets. Hopefully the Master hasn't figured out a way resist its power."

Leonard stepped up, "I've heard some sketchy reports about those things. Sentinels... What are they?"

I shook my head, "I don't know. I think they're some extremely advanced form of aetheric construct based on obsidian."

Leonard raised his hand, "Don't mention that material in the city. Dealing with dark metals is one thing, obsidian is another."

I raised my brow in surprise, "Why? It's just a good material for creating constructs."

Leonard shrugged, "Most of the dark metals we smuggled eventually ended up at the Academy. Cromwell asked them if they would be interested in obsidian once, since Everwinter makes so much use of it. They were aghast at the prospect and made it very clear they had no interest in 'such' things."

I stroked my chin in wonder, "Obsidian was always in supply, but..."

"Yes?" Leonard asked in wonder.

"It never occurred to me until now. Obsidian wasn't mined, it just appeared within the supply rooms. I wonder how they made it, or where they got it from."

Talwin squeezed my arm, "Anything you want me to do until you're back?"

I looked over at him and smiled, "Focus on your studies with the others, clean up the basement, and take a look at the alchemy books I picked out. You'll need it once I get back."

Talwin made a warm smile and nodded, "Looking forward to it."

Leonard drew a deep breath, "Good luck, Avery."

I let go, stepped back, and lifted the packed spears into the air using magic, "Thank you, and don't worry, I'll be back in a few days."

788 I.C, February 19, Country Road, Evening

The wide landscapes, thick forests, smell of horses, and the wagon's rocky progress reminded me of Bellkeep. At the time I had been utterly lost, confused, yet so eager and full of hope that I had left a trail of mistakes in my wake. Much had changed since then. I was stronger, wiser, and I had been learned concepts that Everwinter would find incomprehensible.

Compassion for other races... Bonds that stretched beyond the hierarchy of power and dominance...

It filled me with a strange sensation while I pondered. It had started in Everwinter when I saw the ones working in the foundries. It had grown during my alliance with Titan, and Talwin had brought it to new heights. It seemed a preposterous idea at times, yet it gave the world a somewhat warmer touch.

I heard a loud sigh beside me and looked over to the other side of the wagon. The second passenger was a human with black hair, and an unkempt beard. He held onto a large sack and was clad in peasant clothing.

He's familiar somehow... Is it his scent?

The man noticed me looking and glanced over with a tired expression, "What?"

My ears perked, "Nothing, I was just curious."

"Curious?" The man asked.

Friendly...

"Not a lot of travel these days with all the wulfkins running around. What's your story?" I asked.

The man made chuckled to himself and shook his head, "Just being transferred."

"Huh?" I asked.

The man eased the top of his shirt down and revealed hints of a black uniform underneath. It was marked by the sigil of a watchtower.

I tipped my head in wonder, "I'm sorry, but I'm not from around here."

The man let go, "I'm a Watchman, I'm being transferred to Sigil fortress."

Could this be... Well shit...

"Oh, I see," I answered.

The man studied me for a few moments, "What's your story, stranger?"

"Mercenary. We don't have to worry about rank as long as we can find work," I said.

"Mercenary, huh?" The man said.

I reached into my jacket, "If you want to see my papers, then I have them rig-"

The main raised his hand, "It's all right, last time I checked someone's papers I got demoted for it."

I raised my brow in faked surprise, "Oh? Why?"

"Well... No, never mind," The man said with a shake of his head.

I smiled back, "You seem troubled, sometimes talking helps."

The man eyed me for a few moments and then sighed, "My reputation is ruined either way. I'm not sure if it was a prank or something, but it didn't go over well. Not long ago I found myself passed out on my patrol route, behind a tavern."

"Watchmen aren't allowed to have some fun?" I asked.

The man smiled for a moment, "We have our days off, but this was on duty, and the captain in charge didn't like it when news of it spread."

"I'm sorry about your bad luck. You've got no idea what happened?" I asked.

The man shrugged, "There are poisons that can do this sort of thing. But it's rather farfetched compared to an explanation where I got drunk and pissed myself."

I just had an idea...

"Are you being stationed at the fortress near Ferrel Grove?" I asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Ortega is your captain?" I asked.

The man stared back, "I thought you said you weren't from around here?"

"I'm not, but it would be quite bad if I didn't know the name of the one holding my contract," I mused.

The man's eyes widened, "Oh, I see."

I motioned toward him, "Would you be interested in something that could lift your career?"

The man made a hesitant nod, "That depends."

"I have an important message to your captain. Could you deliver it and swear that you won't open it?"

A chance for Agron to survive if I die...

"Is there anything illegal about the contents?" The man asked.

I shook my head, "There isn't, just business that your captain is expecting."

A necessary lie... To prove to your captain that this is serious...

The man nodded, "I'll deliver your message, and I swear upon what remains of my title, that I won't open it."

You acted according to your sworn law... You refused a bribe... Therefore I shall trust you...

I opened up my backpack, fetched a few sealed scrolls, and then handed them over, "Here you go. May I know your name, Watchman?"

"Cedric," The man answered.

I moved toward the edge of the wagon and waved back at him, "Until next time, Cedric."

Cedric's eyes widened in shock, "You're getting off here!?"

I jumped off the wagon, held out my hand, and used the aether to reach my heavy pack of spears.

The spears lifted and Cedric jumped in surprise before glaring at me in fright, "What's your name!?"

I ignored him and started marching into the forest while the wagon kept moving.

788 I.C, February 19, Aetherius, Night

Raymond found himself in a strange state of being. Reality felt distant and his thoughts were fuzzy. Rather than fight the sensation, he clung to it and feared the moment that it would shatter.

In his daze he rummaged through old memories. A time where the halls of Everwinter represented playful exercise and charming pranks. It didn't take long before the memories drew him to a name that he did not wish to ponder.

The name upset him and stirred his mind so that reality returned once more.

UNF!

A sudden barrage of sensations felt like a bolt of lightning rushing through his body.

UNGH!

It assaulted his nose with scents so rank and strong that he felt his stomach twist in an attempt to throw up. His throat seized up, but nothing came forth. His eyes wandered to the ground and saw the reason his stomach was so empty: An already frozen pile of cave mushrooms.

HUFF!

His shoulders and neck were forcefully pushed against the stock. It groaned from the pressure and the wood chafed against open sores on his shoulders.

GRAH!

The wulfkin that straddled him made another hard push and Raymond groaned with another spike of pain. It burned like acid inside him, but the exact location seemed diffuse, as if he had lost track of his own body.

URRAH!

Raymond could barely breathe when the wulfkin's arms pulled tight and squeezed. His ribs screamed in pain and claws raked along his chest like knives flaying him.

HURR!

The wulfkin slumped onto Raymond's back and he could feel ragged breathing over his neck. It made Raymond's head slump out of exhaustion while he wheezed for breath.

A slurring voice mixed with a low growl murmured near Raymond's ear, "You're ugly as shit, you know that? But hey, gotta work with what you have? Right, Raymond?"

Raymond shut his eyes and tried to drift into the dreamy haze out of desperation. His attempt was cut short when the wulfkin moved without warning. The pain grew until it reached a peak that made his body shudder with a pained yelp.

POP!

Raymond trembled took solace when the pain and pressure finally began to abate.

The wulfkin rose with huffing breaths, and spit by Raymond's feet, "Quit whining, will you? I'll just have to go get someone to fill you up again, won't I? Fucking bitch."

Raymond struggled to calm himself while the wulfkin sauntered off. It didn't work and panic began to boil in his mind when he realized that there was no end to it.

Not again! No more! I have to get out! Please? Anyone? Kill me!

Panic rippled through his mind, it surged into his body, and he moved his paws until they rested on the supporting base that held the stock in place. He then pushed with all he had and felt both wrists and neck strain against the sturdy stock.

To his surprise the stock shifted a little and made a creaking noise. Raymond's eyes widened in stunned shock and he strained to look at the metal hinges which held the stock together. The hinges had chafed back and forth to a point where they had almost worn loose.

Raymond's panic faded and was replaced with hope that this nightmare might finally end.

Rather than push back and forth, he instead moved his body up and down like a crowbar exerting pressure. The top of the stock groaned and the hinges began to loosen further. He kept doing it and ushered forth the last energy his body had to offer.

Half a minute later the hinges had grown warped and he tried to pull his hand out. It was a tight fit but with some wriggling his hand was released from the stock's maw. He then used his freed hand to exert more pressure, and with a crack the clasp came loose.

His mind lit up with relief when he pulled his head out and tried to stand up. It made new areas of pain come to life and his spine screamed with stabs of pain when he eased himself up.

Stars glittered in his vision and his heart pounded to keep him conscious while he looked around. Gruff noises could be heard from the surrounding camp, but no one seemed to be out of the tents at the moment.

He then looked across the bridge at the second camp. It was full of workbenches staffed by hooded figures that were too focused on their own tasks to notice.

Raymond was about to start running when he realized that he had nowhere to go. The cold made it clear they were still in the frozen north, and the obelisk shaped Sentinels would have no problem hunting him down even if he managed to escape the wulfkins.

It made his heart sink when the realization sank in. Somewhere deep in his heart he had hoped that things would be all right somehow. Yet here it was, the end of the line.

Raymond forced his legs to obey and hobbled along toward the edge. Within moments his sense of balance failed wavered and made him stumble into the side of a few stacked crates.

THUNK!

Raymond leaned against it, gasped for breath, and then looked down at himself for a moment.

Much of the fur along his sides had been chafed off and the revealed hide was full of wounds that were already forming scar tissue. Even his shoulders had been rubbed bare and was full of bloody scabs.

Fury welled up inside him and with a low growl he pushed at the crates with all he had. They slid along the ice and with a snapping snarl he pushed them onto the edge. They tipped, leaned over, and hurdled down toward the rushing torrents of water.

It was an insignificant act of rebellion, but Raymond latched onto it in desperation to have some kind of revenge. He then rushed over to another stack of crates, and pushed. Within moments they too were hurtling into the depths.

"Hey!" A wulfkin screamed with a dark snap.

Raymond jumped in fear and looked back. One of the monstrously sized wulfkins had stepped out of a tent and had seen what was going on.

The wulfkin pointed, and stormed forward, "Stay where you fucking-"

Raymond stepped back in fright and felt his paw touch the cliff's edge. The marching wulfkin came to a skidding halt while his eyes filled with fright.

"Don't move!" The wulfkin snapped.

"What the hell is going on?" Another wulfkin growled from within the tents.

The first wulfkin kept his eyes locked on Raymond and lowered his voice, "Raymond escaped, he's on the fucking edge of the cliff."

The news rippled throughout the camp like a shock-wave. Wulfkins burst from the tents and it only took moments for Doros to emerge. He pushed the others out-of-the-way like toys, and then looked toward Raymond with eyes big as saucers.

Doros raised his hands, smiled, and spoke with a softened voice, "Raymond? What are you doing?"

Raymond turned his head and looked down. The cliff walls were full of ice and by the bottom was a torrent of water. It surged with such force that an icy mist danced in the air above it.

"Raymond, don't move! You don't want to anything stupid, understand?" Doros pleaded.

Raymond glanced toward the camp across the bridge and noticed that the cloaked figures were now moving about in a hurry.

"Raymond? Come over here! We were just teaching you a lesson, you know? It's over now, you can get food, and a nice suit of armor!" Doros yelled.

Raymond looked toward Doros and met his eyes. Inside them he saw something he had never seen before. Fear. Unbridled horror at what the Master would do to punish him.

Doros patience slipped and he roared in anger, "Raymond! Don't fucking move! Do you hear me!"

I listened to you... I believed in Everwinter... I trusted the judgment of my parents...

Raymond began to lean back and felt gravity pull at his body.

I made a choice and I clung to it because I thought it because I thought it was the right thing...

" NO!" Doros fur bristled, and he stumbled forward with a scream.

Part of me doubted... But the consequences if I was wrong... I couldn't stand it...

Instead I clung to my choice that much harder...

Raymond's paws left the edge and he felt himself fall. The cliff grew distant while a stream of cold air buffeted his back. The pining wind grew and the world seemed to accelerate.

I made the wrong choice...

Raymond embraced the cold that seeped through his fur and numbed his body. Within moments everything started to blur and the roaring wind was overtaken by the sound of rushing water. A hazy fog of white enveloped him and the noise of water became a thundering roar.

Forgive me...

788 I.C, February 20, Everwinter: Rebel Headquarters, Midday

"Ben!" One of the mages shouted.

Ben looked back with a tired grimace, "What is it?"

The mage walked up, leaned in, and whispered, "Where's Titan? We're working our asses off out here and he barely deigns to show himself?"

Ben crossed his arms, and stared at the mage, "Titan is busy and is not to be disturbed. If it's anything important then you talk to me, understand?"

The mage leaned back with a frown, "None of us elected you to be our leader, half-breed."

"Titan merely asked me to filter things for him, I'm not your leader nor will I ever be. Now what do you want?" Ben asked.

The mage looked around for a moment, "You know the plan, right? Move through to the old tunnels, Breach the surface where the Master can't stop us from using the transporters, and then get the hell out of here."

Ben nodded, "Of course. I thought we were making good progress?"

The mage squirmed for a moment, "We are, but there are a few problems, and..."

"And?" Ben asked.

"The Master hasn't made a move in weeks and the wulfkins do not even bother harassing us."

"So? Count yourself lucky," Ben answered.

"Isn't it strange? And what has happened to everyone above? Isn't it time you do some scouting?"

Ben glared back, "I'm not going up there again, besides, there's nothing left."

"What do you mean?" The mage asked.

Ben sighed, "Let me tell you what I saw up there last time. Undead wulfkins roaming around, blue crystals growing all over them. Anyone who isn't a mage has either been taken to the tower or has been eaten. There are piles of bones up there."

"So why aren't they attacking? The caravans have stopped and we're literally the only food around here... Apart from the damn cave mushrooms," The mage said.

Ben raised his voice, "Because they found greener pastures. The transporters are being worked around the clock and they have no need to bother with us when there's a whole continent to feast on."

The mage blinked, "That's insanity. The other nations won't tolerate that, they'll move on Everwinter."

Ben shrugged, "So what? We'll be long gone by then. Now what's the problem you spoke of?"

The mage drew a deep breath, "We breached the surface, discretely I might add, and we set up a transporter. Everything looked fine at first, we had unfettered access to the aether."

"But?" Ben asked.

"Aetherius, the old fortress to the west of here. It's emitting a very strong signal in the aether. If we try transport with the equipment we have right now, that's where we'll end up."

"Then get some better gear?" Ben retorted.

The mage cringed, "We can't, because we don't have it. The crystals we need are upstairs..."

Ben clutched his head and groaned, "Fine. I'll bring this up with Titan, and try to figure something out."

The mage nodded while Ben turned his attention to the hallway and headed toward Titan's office.

Once he reached the office he knocked, "Titan?"

"What is it?" Titan murmured in irritation.

Ben unlocked the door, eased it open, entered, and shut it behind him. He then turned around and found Titan sitting next to a large desk. His stomach tightened, and a nervous tingle trickled down his spine.

Titan's face had jutted out into a short muzzle, his lips were growing black, and what had looked like a growing beard increasingly looked like white fur. The eyes were sharp yellow and the ears had grown pointed.

"What is it?" Titan asked and looked over with a feral stare.

Ben glanced down for a moment and noticed that Titan had discarded his shoes. His heel had started to lengthen, fur grew wildly, and the front of his feet looked like stubby paws.

"Ben!" Titan snapped.

Ben looked up again and gulped, "You're not planning to join them upstairs, are you?"

Titan bared his teeth, opened his palm, and revealed dark pads. A fire flared in his hand and started licking at the air.

"Over my dead body," Titan growled.

Ben couldn't help but take it as a sign that the big guy was still on their side, "The transporter is almost ready, but they need crystals from upstairs. Apparently the Master is doing something in Aetherius, something so powerful that it acts as a beacon for the transporter."

"Based on what you told me last time, that's pretty much impossible?" Titan asked.

Ben nodded, "Yeah. I barely made it out last time, I'm not going up there again without a proper plan."

Titan grew a wolfish grin that showed off his sharpening teeth, "Then let's come up with one hell of a plan and leave the Master with something to remember us by!"

788 I.C, February 20, Ferrel Grove, Night

My progress through the forest had been slow. But I had finally reached the outskirts of the wulfkin camp. The aether revealed no hint of Sentinels and it filled me with relief that I had an actual chance of doing what I had set out to do.

Every step through the forest required concentration. Not only did I have to be silent, but I also had to manage the spells that had protected me so far. The first spell kept flux from leaking out, it kept me from disturbing the aether but it was also making the air toxic around me. The second spell warped light itself, and while it warped my view of the world, it also made my presence look like a mirage floating in the air. The improved camouflage potion seemed to take care of the rest and I could barely catch my scent despite sniffing my fur.

At this kind of range the wulfkins didn't have the same luxury. Their presence in the aether felt like pinched holes and I could sense them all in the distance. There were around twenty, and one of them was rather close to my location.

A wulfkin scout... Probably...

It's better to test my camouflage in the presence of a single wulfkin, rather than an entire camp...

I started moving toward the wulfkin and within minutes I had moved close enough to hear him.

CHOMP! CHEW!

POP! CRUNCH!

I sneaked up to a massive tree, and glanced around the corner. Unfortunately the spell that kept me hidden from sight also made the world look like a warped smudge. It made me cling to the tree while I eased up on the spell and watched the world come into focus once more.

My eyes were met by the sight of a small glade illuminated by the moon. The darkness made it difficult to make out details, but something about the area seemed strange. I sniffed the air but found my sense dulled to the world around me.

I guess the potion not only hid my scent... It almost rendered my nose useless...

A figure near the tree caught my attention and I looked down. There were bones, and the remains of a ravaged body. I looked around and felt a shiver down my spine.

It was a macabre feeding ground. Bones were scattered across the area. Ragged pieces of fabric littered the glade, and skulls decorated the trees like trophies. The ground had become muddied with heavy pawprints, and the grass had withered as if sensing the surrounding death.

My focus shifted to the crouched wulfkin by the ground, and I blinked with the realization of something odd. Wulfkins had always varied in appearance. Some were small but nimble, others were bigger, and a few were more primal in appearance.

This was different.

The crouched wulfkin was broad-shouldered, massive, and the pose made it look more like a gigantic wolf rather than a bipedal creature. The fur itself was growing wild with a rough texture and its clawed hands were surprisingly stubby. A large but tight armor with black plates was wrapped around the wulfkin's upper body.

Its muzzle was deep within a ribcage of a victim that looked human in nature.

That's one hell of a wulfkin...

The thought had barely passed my mind when the wulfkin stopped munching and looked up.

Sniff! Sniff!

Damn it! Didn't the potion work? Does it dissipate faster than the other? Does it carry a scent on its own?

The wulfkin kept sniffing while I activated the invisibility spell and stepped back behind the tree.

I then began to move backwards and took great care not to make a single noise. After a few moments the wulfkin grew silent, and then began to munch on his meal once more.

It forced me to shift strategies and focused on the more primal aspects of a hunt. The direction of the wind; the shape of the landscape; vantage points; and patterns of movement within the camp. I backtracked some, took a detour, circled the camp, and then headed up a small hill.

A few minutes later I reached the top and eased myself onto the damp mossy ground. The wind was coming from the direction of the camp and shielded me from their noses. It gave me the confidence to ease up on the spell, and within moments my vision cleared.

In the center of the camp was an old but intact guard tower with a wooden door. On top of the tower was a simple table and a big chair, it was unoccupied but the presence of mugs and several plates told of usage. A massive aetheric presence emanated from within the tower, and I focused on the radiated energy to interpret its purpose.

High frequencies... Intense energy... Definitely the transporter... But there's something else as well...

My focus was drawn to an arrow slit in the tower. Candlelight flickered from within and I caught a hint of something moving within. I focused on the aether, filtered out the transporter, and felt another pinched hole of nothingness.

One wulfkin in the tower... No mages based on what I can tell...

I looked toward the area outside the tower and I saw a small campfire, a worktable, and a big tent. Sitting by the campfire was a cloaked figure that emitted a strong aetheric pulse every few seconds.

A mage... Probing the aether... I'm fortunate that the shield has kept me hidden so far...

There was another presence from within the tent, aetheric in nature, but at ease, and drifting.

A sleeping mage... They're probably working in shifts... Sensible... But are there just two of them?

Some distance from the tower was a large campfire surrounded by wulfkins. I could hear them from my hiding place, the grunts, huffing, and constant badgering that was part of their dick waving contest.

A sudden sensation washed over me, a bout of nausea that made me rest my head on the ground. I was tired, my powers were running out of steam, and the flux I was forced to trap within my shield was becoming toxic. It tingled in my nerves and it burned on my skin.

I'm too weak to fight them... I need to purge the flux, eat, and wait until morning...

I reached out the aether, lifted one of the spears, and then pushed it deep into the ground. My hands then grabbed the end jutting out of the ground and I focused on the aether. The flux trapped within the shield began to gather and I funneled it through the spear.

It would take hours to drain it discretely, but even a small trickle of relief was a welcome change.

788 I.C, February 21, Ferrel Grove, Morning

The time had come. Flux buzzed deep in the ground and my chance to rest had invigorated me. Part of me balked at what I was about to do, after all, these were my people. I focused on Rastlin's lessons and emptied myself of emotion. It brought a calm and focus that stirred a sensation of pride.

I'm a hunter...

I rose from the mossy ground, headed down the path I had come from, and started crawling toward the tower. As I looked ahead I could see the sky starting to brighten. Soon the sun would rise and the wulfkins would stir from their tents.

The coast was clear and I moved up toward a massive tree that would allow me to overlook the camp without stretching my powers. I rose, dug my paws into the thick bark, reached for the branches, and started to climb. My breathing was steady, slow, and composed while I ascended.

I then hugged the tree tight, and settled by a branch that gave me a good look of the tower. The cloaked mage was still sitting by the small campfire and kept probing the aether. If they detected me, then they could find me, and the wulfkins would kill me.

Something stirred in the aether, it was coming from the tent and was growing in power.

The sleeping mage is waking up... They're going to change shifts... That's good...

I seized the opportunity and let threads of aetheric energy wander down the tree. The growth of the tendrils was slow and subtle. Just enough to escape detection while the other mage stirred.

Without warning the cloaked mage by the fire glanced back toward the tent. It was a male with stark yellow eyes and a bored look.

"Get a move on already, I'm tired," The male mage muttered.

There was a yawn from within the tent followed by a female voice, "Yeah, yeah."

I was pondering my options when my eyes caught on something near the tent: A pair of female boots.

That's it...

I looked to the ground beneath the tree and noticed numerous caltrops that had been dropped from the vegetation. A thread pulled one up to me while I reached into my backpack and fetched a potion.

Refined Edenberry poison...

I opened it up, dipped the sharp edges of the caltrop in the poison, and let a thread seize it once more. The thread then eased it down the tree and began to move it along the ground in a slow and careful manner.

"Any transports today?" The male asked.

"You're the one with the schedule! How should I know?" The female muttered from within the tent.

The male frowned, sighed, and then turned around to focus on the campfire.

I could hear the female mage moving around in the tent and I rushed the caltrop along. Moments later I heard the signature sound of pants being pulled on. The thread moved up to the boots, lifted the small caltrop, and then dropped it inside.

Second later a hand reached out of the tent, snatched the boots, and pulled them inside.

The female mage spoke up, "Well? Were there any transports to-"

Her words were cut by a sudden scream of pain, while the male mage jumped in surprise and looked back, "What's wrong!?"

"God dam- It's one of those fucking barbed thingies!" The female yelled in irritation.

The aether flared with activity from both of the mages, and polluted the aether with a buzz.

"You mean from the trees?" The male asked.

"Yeah, where else!?" The female snapped.

The trap has triggered, it won't be long now...

The wrapped spears began to unravel and I started to build my powers. It flared within my chest and it surged through the tendrils. The infestation spread into the tree, and the once so nimble threads began fat with growth.

"Hey, no need to get so upset," The male said.

The female pushed her head out of the tent and stared at him, "Me? You're the one stirring the aether like an idiot."

The male mage blinked in surprise, "... What?"

"You- I... I..." The female raised her hand, pointed at him, and then seemed to falter.

The male mage stood up, "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"

"An- Andre- I... can't..." The once pink hue on the female mage drained and her lips wavered when she tried to speak.

The eyes of the male mage widened in shock and he looked toward the tree I was perched in.

Time to die...

788 I.C, February 21, Ferrel Grove: Tower, Morning

Clyde stared at the tower's interior in silence and let his gaze idly wander along trails of concrete. Guard duty was boring, especially when given the task of keeping an eye on the transporter. A task that was for some reason often assigned to him.

One could usually solve it by sleeping through a shift, but this time he couldn't find the peace for it. The noise of battle still lingered in the back his mind and the scents clung to him like taint. Clyde leaned to the side and let his head rest on the wall. The pose made him glance down for a moment, and he noticed a hint of pink in his white fur.

He dabbed a padded finger in his mouth, reached down, and rubbed it into the fur. The pink hue faded but the scent of blood strengthened once more. He then licked his finger and felt the taste blossom.

Human blood.

Clyde's ears folded back and a conflicted sensation arose. It felt wrong, but it was the right thing to do.

Right?

Clink!

The noise made his ears perk in an instant, and he turned his head to locate the source. His eyes caught on something that glinted on the floor. It made him look down and he saw an orange crystal in the shape of a hexagon.

Clyde blinked in surprise and looked up at the transporter. It was a jagged structure of metal beams in the shape of a dome. It was covered with runes and socketed crystals that glowed. One of the sockets was missing a crystal and sparks of aetheric energy danced along the metal surface. The sight of it made Clyde stand up in wonder.

Did the others put the mages up to this? Are they going to blame me for it? Are they serious?

The Master is going to have someone's head if it messes with the coming transport...

Without warning a whole load of crystals lifted from their sockets, and were dropped onto the ground.

THOOM!

A crackle of energy surged through the transporter and was followed by an eerie silence when it shut down.

Clyde's fur bristled in fright and he rushed toward the exit, "What are you doing!?"

To his surprise the male mage that was in charge of the night shift stood not far from the entrance. Something was wrong though, the mage moved as if caught in tar while struggling to say something.

Clyde bared his teeth, "What are you-"

His voice trailed off when he saw a glimmer by the mage's throat, followed by a sudden line of red. Clyde stared in wonder, followed by fright when the mage's head toppled forward, and hit the ground with a soft thud.

Sprays of blood shot from the decapitated neck and the body crumbled into a lifeless heap.

Clyde looked toward the tent in order to rouse the second mage. The idea was ended the moment he saw her laying by the opening to the tent. Her flesh had become greyish blue and there was a trickle of drool by her mouth.

His tail squirmed against his legs, his ears folded back, and he felt his fur stand on edge. The transporter was down, the mages were dead. Who could have done something like that?

Clyde drew a deep breath and looked toward the main camp. He was ready to start screaming when he caught sight of two massive wulfkins looking his way. They were sniffing the air and were walking closer in wonder of what was going on.

Something moved near the top of a nearby tree and Clyde glanced up. It looked like a set of four black spears that shimmered in the morning light. The spears separated and the shimmer grew while they took aim at the walking wulfkins.

" WATCH OUT!" Clyde screamed and pointed.

The wulfkins glanced up in wonder while two of the spears launched with a loud crackle of energy.

The first spear struck black armor, but was deflected with so much force that the first wulfkin stumbled to the side and crashed to the ground.

The second wulfkin remained standing but wasn't as lucky. A spear had pierced his chest and settled in the ground. A loud gurgle escaped the wulfkin's muzzle while he reached up and fumbled at the spear in a desperate attempt to remove it. Within a few moments the wulfkin twitched, relaxed, and then let go of the spear.

THWACK!

Two more spears launched from the tree, and pierced the still moving wulfkin's back with. It made the wulfkin twitch and reach out, before falling dead to the ground. Clyde stumbled back in horror at what he had just seen. This kind of thing was supposed to be impossible, yet here it was, wulfkins being slaughtered.

Without warning the wulfkins started moving once more, the spears jerked within their bodies and with a sickening crunch they were forced free.

" We're under attack!" A distant scream called out.

Clyde looked toward the camp and his ears perked when he heard the telltale sound of more spears launching through the air. Even worse was a growing number of glimmers across the treetops.

" Where are the mages!?" Another one screamed from the main camp.

Screams of pain and panic filled the air, wulfkins rushed out of the nearby tents only to be skewered like simple prey.

" The transporter! Get to the transport!" Another wulfkin screamed.

One of the spears that had struck the wulfkins lifted, rotated in the air, and Clyde found himself staring at the sharpened edge of it. Survival instinct kicked into gear and he lunged to the side before grabbed hold of the wooden door.

WHAM!

Clyde pulled with all he had and the door slammed shut with a resounding bang. He then leaned onto it while his mind screamed in wonder of what to do.

Find the mage... Touch him... Kill him...

It was simple in theory but this one was using physical objects to kill, something that could only be countered by mages of their own. Mages that were now dead.

CRUNCH! SPLINTER!

A sudden noise tore through the tower and Clyde felt himself pelted by shrapnel while he bolted back in surprise. It made him stumble into a nearby table, and he pulled it over while falling to the ground.

Clyde shook his head and then looked up. There was a big hole in the door and it was surrounded by jagged splinters. One of the black spears had pierced it, kept flying, and had settled in the stone floor.

His heart pounded, he panted for breath, and looked toward the transporter. There was only one way out of here, and it involved the transporter. Clyde pushed himself onto two legs and was about to start moving when the spear started shaking.

It rocked back and forth in an attempt to dislodge itself and Clyde rushed forward before grabbing hold of it. Upon touching it the Master's blessing came into effect, and it canceled the aetheric spell in an instant.

Clyde pulled at the spear, pushed, and with a crack it came loose. He then rushed up to the transporter, stared at the rows of sockets, and tried to remember the original layout.

788 I.C, February 21, Ferrel Grove, Morning

They ran screaming and stumbling upon one another. They hid and scrambled to escape. They clawed at the spears in their dying breaths, and some tried to gather the spears in order to steal them from my control. It only bought them moments of time, and when they died; the Master's blessing faded with it.

CLANG!

A jolt struck me and I looked toward the sound. My brow raised in surprise when I realized that one of the wulfkins had managed to block a spear with nothing more than a sword. It made me tip my head in wonder while I focused on the wulfkin.

The strange wulfkin was a tad smaller than the other monsters and there was a uniform hiding underneath the black armor. It made me focus on the utility belt and I noticed the telltale sign of a logbook.

That's the Alpha of this pack...

The Alpha snatched up the spear and shouted at the others, "Gather the spears! There's only twenty of them! Find the scent! The mage can't be far from here!"

I refocused the remaining spears and ignored the Alpha while mopping up those that remained. One of them was hiding behind a stack of crates, and I focused a group of spears on them. The spears lifted high in the air and aimed while the spells charged.

The Alpha noticed, looked toward the crates, and screamed, " Move!"

Whoever was behind the crates didn't listen, and the spears fired with a loud crack of lightning. The crates burst into pieces, while the wulfkin became like a pincushion. A few twitches later the wulfkin's life ceased and so did the Master's blessing that clung to him.

I sensed the aether and realized that there were only three signatures left.

The Alpha, the one hiding in the tower, and a third one approaching from the forest...

The Alpha kept moving like a scolded rat while looking around in desperation, "Gather around me! Keep moving! Answer me!?"

I focused on the newly deceased wulfkin and the spears that riddled him. My threads of magic gripped the spears, lifted them into the air, and brought the wulfkin along. It made the Alpha stop for a moment while he stared at the wulfkin that now floated in the air.

The spears began to pull in different directions and shook in an attempt to get rid of the carcass. Blood splattered from the broken body and was followed by a wet crunch when it finally loosened. The wulfkin fell to the ground in a lifeless heap while the spears rose and took aim at the forest edge.

I looked into the distance and saw a massive wulfkin sprinting toward the camp. It was the same one I had seen in the garden of death, feasting on a human.

The Alpha rushed toward the sprinting wulfkin and raised his arms, "Run! Flee! Don't come any clo-"

With little more than a thought, ten spears launched and the sprinting wulfkin looked up in confusion.

The first spears hit the ground and dug deep. Another few made the wulfkin's fur flutter, and the remaining hit their target. It was a wet but dull sound as armor, bone, and flesh was ripped apart. The worst was the sound of a large crack when it pierced the wulfkin's head and sent a spray of gore into the air.

The Alpha came to a stumbling halt and looked around in confusion. Moments later his expression twisted into fury.

"Come out here! Show yourself! Coward! Face me!" The Alpha roared with a distorted snarl.

I should be careful killing this one... I don't want to damage the logbook...

The Alpha kept walking with a sword in one hand while the other held one of my spears. His expression kept shifting between distraught panic and feral anger.

"Who are you!? Is anyone alive!?" The alpha yelled.

Perhaps I can get some answers from him...

I reached out to the aether and ordered my remaining spears to gather. 22 of them moved into the camp, circled the Alpha, and then aimed at him.

The Alpha looked around, and stopped moving in a sign of defeat, "What are you waiting for! Kill me!"

I crouched by the branch, grabbed hold of it, eased myself down, and then let go. The drop was little more than a few meters and my paws made a thud when they hit the ground.

The ears of the Alpha perked in an instant and he looked toward the tree I was standing by. The Alpha's eyes widened in shock and his big square muzzle dropped open.

I made a gentle bow and motioned toward him, "You're the Alpha of this pack. May I ask your name?"

The Alpha stared at me in disbelief, and sniffed the air, "I don't understand... What are you?"

I commanded the enchanted clothes and felt them change around me. It took on the shape I had worn as the Seer of Everwinter, a respectable uniform in black with a cloak along my back.

The Alpha stumbled back, "You! No, it can't be! Wulfkins can't use magic!"

I tipped my head with a malicious grin, "Oh?"

The Alpha gritted his teeth and snarled, "It's impossible!"

There was something familiar about the wulfkin, yet it was hard to place because of the enormous growth and made my lacking sense of smell, "I recognize your voice. Have I seen you during my father's meetings? You belong to the upper echelons, don't you?"

The Alpha's eyes became like saucers, "The Red Eyes, can you really be him? The Seer? Avery? The Traitor?"

Something clicked in my mind and I remembered a time when father had sheltered me during one of his important meetings. He had ushered me into a corner and ordered me to stay there.

I raised my hand and pointed a claw at him, "You're Cujo, you served with commander Amarok. Didn't you? How far you've fallen..."

Cujo's hackles rose and drool dripped from his panting muzzle, "You BASTARD! Do you know what you've done!? How could you do this!? To Everwinter!? Your own kind!?"

Rastlin had taught me to approach every battle with a cool mind. Rage was something befitting of a wild beast and it was an anathema to properly wield the aether. Yet when I stared into Cujo's yellow eyes, I felt something begin to boil inside me.

I was far from the only one who had suffered by their hands. It was the slaves in Everwinter, the desperate merchants that visited each year, the people all over the continent. The peak of it all was that the wulfkins had deluded themselves to the point where they accused me as the bad guy.

"What did happen to Everwinter?" I asked.

Cujo pointed his sword at me and snapped, "Hand back what you stole and all of this can end!"

I forced my ears to perk up and feigned ignorance, "Stole?"

Cujo took a step closer, "The Star! Return it and face your crimes!"

This isn't going anywhere... Far better to rely on the logbook...

"What are you doing to your bodies? Why do you look like twisted monstrosities?" I asked.

"The Master is giving us strength! He's turning us into true wulfkins!" Cujo growled.

True wulfkins?

"How?" I asked.

"Enough!" Cujo snapped, "You've betrayed your people! You have brought Everwinter to near ruin!"

"Your point?" I asked.

Cujo drew deep growling breaths, "We would have tolerated you as our Seer. You could have paid penance, and gained our respect. Instead you angered the Master for your own petty desires. Have you no dignity? No shame?"

I glared back, "I was blind for many years, just like the rest of you. We thought ourselves a fair people that took pity on those lesser than ourselves. We urged the rumors that spoke of us as monsters, because it kept others on their toes. We considered the merchants that came to us as greedy thieves that represented the outer world."

Cujo stared back in confusion, "Yes!?"

I bared my teeth, "I've heard of your handiwork in the area. Striking at farmers and small villages, leaving nothing but destruction in your wake. Are you so warped that you cannot see the evil you commit!?"

Cujo swung his sword in the air, "You have no right to judge us, traitor!"

The swarm of spears flared with energy when the anger rose within me.

"I was taught not to let my prey suffer! I was taught to only kill those who wronged us! Everwinter taught me that!"

"Shut up!" Cujo roared.

"What have these villagers done to wrong us!? What have they done to deserve a fate of being eaten and raped by your hands!? I considered you evil for the things I saw in Everwinter, but out here you are nothing but monsters!"

Cujo looked ready to explode in fury, a few moments later he calmed and focused on me, "You sound just like magistrate Phaeris."

"Who?" I asked in wonder.

Cujo made a mocking sneer, "I guess it's not that much of a surprise. Despite looking like one of us, you aren't. You can use magic and your mind has been poisoned with the outside world."

Without warning he discarded the spear and raised the sword, "Fight me! On equal terms with your newfound perspective on the world."

I'm almost relieved, that he cannot be swayed, it makes things easier...

I stepped closer while I ordered one of the spears to line up behind him.

Cujo's ears perked and he looked at me in confusion, "You intend to fight me with your bare hands?"

I eyed him with a tired gaze and sighed, "You're forgetting something, Cujo."

"What?"

"The outside world may have changed me, but the lessons Everwinter taught me will forever remain."

Cujo opened his muzzle to speak when I ordered the spear to strike.

CRACK!

A shudder rippled through Cujo's body when the spear hit his back, made its way through, and erupted through the left side of his chest with a spray of blood. Cujo let go of his sword, slumped forward, and hit the ground on his knees. He gurgled, and gripped the spear with panic in his eyes.

I stepped into reaching distance and watched him sputter blood, "Everwinter teaches that there is no honor in battle. The quicker and more efficient you can kill your enemy, the better. Did you really think I was stupid enough to go up against someone revered for their skill in close combat, let alone someone as big as you?"

Cujo frothed at his mouth, and wheezed, "Y- you..."

I gritted my teeth and growled, "The Master is going to die, one way or another, and Everwinter is going to change or die with him. I promise you that."

Cujo stared daggers at me and reached out with one hand as if trying to strangle me. His eyes then rolled back and his body relaxed while falling to the side with a thud.

I crouched beside him, waited until the aetheric presence left his body, and removed the logbook from his belt. My hands felt the leather surface, unclasped the lock, and flipped it open. True to his role, Cujo had detailed events, assignments, notes, and rosters for the last few months.

My eyes caught on an entry...

'Lower levels are gone. Foundries and heat exchangers utterly destroyed, ran a headcount, at least 40 missing. What do we do now?'

I flipped forward...

'The rebels have moved deeper into the tunnels, we've been ordered to ignore them and focus our efforts on the search.'

Rebels?

I flipped further and skimmed...

'New armors, heavy but so strong I can't even scratch it, warm to the touch as well. Every wulfkin worth his weight is being called to join the search.'

'Joining the action was good, we've spent far too many years squabbling back home.'

'Starting to feel like my younger self, finally losing that embarrassing flab as well.'

'Didn't think much of it at first, but we're not just adapting to battlefield. It's affecting the whole pack, we're changing and I don't know why.'

'Armor was awfully tight, tried to take it off for a dip in the lake. Couldn't do it, I know we were told not to remove it, but it's damn itchy at times.'

'Put out a few feelers, the other packs are experiencing the same thing. Our enemies adapt, so do we.'

'Had to knock Danton out. Tried to get out of his armor and panicked when he couldn't. It took five of us to restrain him. There was something in his eyes, out of control. Ordered him to get a grip of himself.'

'Danton nearly tore the camp apart looking for food. Had to take him down again, can't remember how I did it. We're all hungry.'

'Worried about the whelp, need to set him straight before something bad happens to him.'

I pocketed the logbook and looked over at Cujo. The black armor was stretched against the massive chest while the leather pants were starting to rip. The growth was so extreme that he had been forced to make a custom hole in the belt.

I reached out toward the black armor and stopped with an unnerving sensation that trickled onto my arm. It brushed against the aetheric shield that coated my body and I felt a pinch when it began to burrow through.

It made me bolt back in surprise and I fell to the ground with a thud. The aether reacted my fear and the air crackled when distortions tore apart whatever it was that had tried to get inside me.

I panted for breath, focused, and let several stronger shields envelop my body. I then moved closer, and reached out once more. It was a subtle but there was a strange spell radiating from the armor. I felt along it and let my own threads probe the spell.

Incomprehensible...

The spell made little sense but was actively trying to do something that reminded me of the curse that Rastlin had woven into my own body. I pulled the spear from Cujo's body and looked into the hole. It was messy, but a mere glimpse at the fragmented ribcage proved something I had wondered about.

There were lines of blue crystal interwoven with the bone.

A parasite? Crystal that feeds on life and replicates? Or what is it?

I'd need to study it more, but for now there was one last thing to take care of. I stood up, looked toward the tower, and approached. The wulfkin inside was still struggling with the transporter, but it would do little good.

The spears gathered in my wake and began to charge while I lifted my hand. Threads surged out, gripped the massive door, and surged with energy. With a simple command the threads triggered and pulled.

CRUNCH!

The hinges splintered, the lock snapped, and the door was torn out. I then threw the door aside and noticed something white leaping out of sight from within the tower.

"Come out here, and I promise that I'll make it swift," I said.

GRAH!

The wulfkin sprinted from the tower's exit while clutching one of my spears. He had a white coat of fur that glinted in the light and I found myself surprised at how small he was, just a tad bigger than myself.

Rather than turn him into skewered meat, I aimed one of my spears toward the ground and fired.

THWACK!

It settled in the ground in front of the sprinting wulfkin, and a loud ding was heard when his paw hit it. The wulfkin's expression widened in surprise when he stumbled over the spear and was sent to the ground with a loud slam.

Perhaps this one will be easier to interrogate...

The wulfkin scrambled to get up and reached for the spear on the ground.

"Touch it, and die," I warned him.

The wulfkin didn't listen and grabbed the spear in his hand.

Idiot...

One of the spears moved up to me and I grabbed hold of it. I wove spells around it and felt it grow light as a feather while I moved it between hands to loosen myself.

Is this the whelp that the logbook mentioned?

The wulfkin stood up with the spear in hand, and looked at me with two piercing blue eyes. It made me freeze in place when I recognized him.

Clyde...

"You..." I whispered.

Clyde panted like a wild dog and his eyes moved along the battlefield that was now covered with torn corpses and red streaks.

Seeing him did something to me, and the cold demeanor that had guided me so far crumbled. The scars on my back tingled when I was reminded of the pain they had inflicted on me. It made my heart ache, it made my blood boil, and it filled my heart with an instinctual fear that I might suffer like that once more.

Never again! Never!

I gripped the spear hard and felt rage spill over inside me. It made me bare my teeth with a feral snarl while my heart thumped with so much adrenaline that my hackles bristled.

My hands pulled the spear back like a mace and I swung it hard. Clyde raised his own spear and they struck one another. A loud crackle of energy surged through the air and I felt a jolt of pain. Clyde buckled under and the sharp edge of the spear struck the side of his neck.

It made him stumble to the side while a streak of red blossomed in the white fur.

Just kill him... Remember the lessons... Do not make your prey suffer...

It was an admirable goal, to minimize suffering, but this was different from the others. It was personal, it was a wound so deep within my soul that the mere thought frayed at my sanity.

Clyde steadied himself, and I leaped toward him. He raised his spear to block while I threw my own aside. My hands gripped his spear and I felt a jolt of distortion surge through me. It sapped my ability to control the aether, but it didn't matter.

GROWL!

Clyde stumbled back and I pushed forward with a snarl in my throat. It made him topple and we fell to the ground. My legs gripped around his waist and I used it as leverage to push at the spear with all I had. The strength in his arms faltered and I pushed it against his chest to lock him in place.

"Long time no see, Clyde!" I screamed.

Clyde looked up at me with his bright blue eyes locked in fright while his muzzle trembled, "W- Who are you!?"

"Have you forgotten me already, Clyde? Hmm? The one you chased through the corridors like prey!"

Clyde's eyes widened in shock and his muzzle dropped open.

"Oh? Remember me now? Bet you didn't expect me like this though, did you!?" I snapped.

"Avery!?" Clyde wheezed while continuing to struggle.

I chuckled to myself, "Yes! The Seer! The Traitor! The one who escaped the shackles of Everwinter!"

Clyde weakened under the steady pressure and the spear began to slip over his chest. It pressed against his throat and he choked out a gurgle, "Stop!"

"Stop!? You mean like I asked you!? When I ran for my life and you chased me? When I pleaded with you during training with Doros? Like I begged of you when you hunted me through the corridors!?"

Clyde squirmed in panic while he struggled to breathe.

"I was one of the few friends you had! We were brothers to another! We were supposed to be a pack, and you tortured me!" I screamed.

Clyde let go of the spear with one hand, grabbed something by the ground, and threw it. A hand-full of dirt and sand hit my face and made me cringe. In that moment he leaned to the side and my legs lost their grip. My body lifted and he pushed me aside while scrambling to get away.

I tumbled onto my side, rose up, and turned to look at him. Clyde coughed and stood up with a stumbling gait while reaching for his sword.

A few nearby crates caught my eye and I reached out to the aether. Sparks of aetheric energy danced along my body when I struggled to break through the effects of the Master's blessing. It worked with a great load of effort and the crates lifted into the air.

Clyde pulled his sword out and faced me when the crates launched toward him.

SLAM! CRASH!

They slammed into him, and pulled him along like a rag-doll hit by a cannon. A loud crash was heard when they hit the tower. The sword flew to the side, the crates crumbled, while Clyde fell to the ground in a heap of flying debris.

He squirmed on the ground in pain and made a rasping groan while clutter rained down around him. Moments later he whimpered and clutched his leg. I looked down and saw something jutting from his upper leg, a large piece of wood.

I stepped closer and lowered my voice, "How does it feel, Clyde? To crawl in the dirt? You're not laughing any longer, are you? Chuckling in amusement when the human mage winced from the pain of your touch? The screams he made when your claws cut the flesh on his back?"

Wisps began to materialize in the air and arcs of light danced along the ground. The aether was tearing itself apart, and my mind was reeling from years of anguish that was born anew.

Clyde looked up at me with tears gathering around his blue eyes. The once pristine white fur was growing tinted with red and there was a dripping gash near his nose, "I'm sorry!"

It only fueled my anger as I lashed out, "You don't get to be sorry! You traitorous! Despicable! Fucking piece of shit! You all betrayed me! My own parents threw me away like filth! You wouldn't even spar with me out of fear that it would reflect on your fucking reputation! You wouldn't even let me get a breath of fresh air in that fucking garden because I wasn't allowed there!"

Clyde clutched his chest and gasped for breath while red tinted drool dripped from his muzzle, "I did what I had to survive!"

I raised my hand and pointed a claw at him, "Don't even try, you wretched waste of flesh! You looked upon me as a fucking meal! I suffered, I cried myself to sleep, I stood on the edges of the wall and I was inches from jumping! You could have stood by the sidelines and do nothing, instead you exploited me to better your own reputation along with the others! That's how much our bond meant!"

"They said you were human!" Clyde snapped.

I stepped back and felt a backlash when I was reminded of how things worked in Everwinter. My mind had always been a bit different, and Leonard had been the first to show me that others had value. Clyde had never reached that point, compassion for someone else, another species, it was a foreign concept.

Clyde looked up at the wulfkins that littered the battlefield, "You killed all of them."

I stepped closer and focused on him, "Yes, with good reason."

Clyde stared at me as if I was insane, "Do you have any idea what you've done? To all of us!?"

I glared back, "I'm starting to realize, and it needed to be done."

"What!?" Clyde snapped.

I pointed at him, "The wulfkins have been raiding villages and farms all over the continent for weeks. Did you do it as well, Clyde? How many innocents have died by your hand?"

Clyde coughed and winced on the ground, "We had orders!"

I bared my teeth and growled while remembering the slaughtered village, "How did it feel to slaughter screaming villagers? Did you eat them while they cried out in anguish? Did you fuck their lifeless bodies like the utter monsters you've become?"

Clyde trembled and looked up at me, but didn't answer.

I see...

I marched forward while Clyde raised his arm to protect himself, "Stop!"

Rather than kill him I reached down, and snatched hold of the jagged piece of wood in his leg. A shrill yelp filled the air when I pulled it out with a pop and threw it aside.

Clyde writhed in pain and clutched his leg when blood seeped from the open wound.

"Get up," I ordered.

Clyde looked up at me and spoke with a shaky voice, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to let you go," I answered.

"What!?" Clyde snapped in surprise while his ears perked.

I reached out to the aether and forced the spears to approach while aiming at him, "Get up, or I'll turn your body into a pulpy mess."

Clyde obeyed and struggled to ease himself up on one leg, "If you just return the Star, then-"

"Shut up!" I snapped.

Clyde cowered while his ears clamped to his head, "... Your parents are still alive, Avery."

I ignored him, "Remove the armor, remove everything you're wearing."

Clyde's eyes widened in disbelief, "What? Why?"

The spears moved closer and a crackle of lightning arced between them, "I'm not going to tell you twice!"

Clyde looked down and reached for the clasps on his armor. He opened them up one by one, and eased the heavy piece off his shoulders. It hit the ground with a loud rattle and left his upper body bare to the world.

Strange... He could open the armor easily enough...

"All of it," I hissed.

Clyde gulped, reached down, and unbuttoned his leather pants. He then eased them down and winced in pain when it touched his wound. Moments later he discarded the bloodied garments.

"Boots," I said.

Clyde looked up once more and stared into my eyes, "Avery... I'm sorry for what I did, I was just-"

"Shut it, Clyde. Anyone would beg in a situation like this, especially a spineless waste like you."

Clyde forced his paws out of the boots and stood on the debris, "There, I've done as-"

"Loincloth, Clyde. I said everything!"

"I don't understand," Clyde whimpered while he reached down and pulled out the knot that held his loincloth in place. The garment fell to the ground and left him bare to the world.

"Now let me tell you something. We're in an isolated and rather small forest, the nearest wulfkin transporter is at least a week away. In a few hours this forest and the surrounding areas will be crawling with soldiers. You and the others have slaughtered their families and violated them in the most atrocious ways possible," I said.

Clyde gulped and looked at me like a shivering pup while blood trickled down his leg.

"Do you know what they're going to do if they find you? I read about it once, in one of those books that you always scoffed at. A special kind of punishment adapted to those with fur. They'll cut you up like we were taught, but with far more precision to minimize blood loss. Then they'll chain you up, place hooks in your hide, and start to pull. The hide will come right off you, it'll even rip your eyelids off, and then they'll leave you there."

Clyde's eyes grew like platters while I grinned at him.

"In most cases they die in minutes from the shock, but wulfkins are hardy. You'll spend days in that state, flayed, exposed to the world in the most grotesque sense, before you finally die."

Clyde shook his head, "Avery... Please? What do you want?"

I growled at him with hatred in my heart, "I want you to suffer! I want them to hunt you! I want the fear and hunger to pain you! I want you to experience what you did to ME!"

Clyde reached out to me, "Let me explain! Ave-"

I raised my hand and pointed toward the mountains, "Run! Run like the beast you are! Before I kill you where you stand!"

Clyde stumbled back on one leg, "Ple-"

" RUN!" I roared.

Clyde froze for a moment, cowered with his ears folded back, and turned around before starting to hobble into the forest.