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Rekkdyr

Aklys and I made our way down the tight confines of the corridor. Aklys took point, as her small form was more readily prepared for potential combat in such a tight space. I held Silvernight before me, ready to thrust and stab at any potential foes. In all honesty, however, I doubted the sword would be much use in such a location.

It didn't take the two of us long at all until we reached the end of the corridor, which opened in a spiral staircase.

We were on a small landing of the staircase, with the option to either ascend into what appeared to be a tower above us, or descend into the underkeep portion of the Hall of Manir.

You ready? I cannot quite read what is down there. Aklys asked, turning back to look at me.

“No point in waiting here." I commented, giving a determined nod.

She began her descent into the darkness.

I followed behind, but quickly found that the staircase led into a dimly lit passageway, running parallel to the corridor above. It would have been difficult to see for a human, but my gnoll eyes were better equipped to piercing the shadows.

I followed the cat out, noting that this corridor seemed to be wider than the one above. It offered more room to swing a bastard sword, though not by much. It also seemed to be lined with simple heavy oaken doors, possibly cells with prisoners?

It's possible there are prisoners in there, including Camden, and centaurs' sister. Unfortunately, I cannot read here, I'm having difficulties centering my thoughts. We will have to do it one at a time.

_ _ Glancing at the cat, I asked the question on my mind.

“You said read? Like reading somethings presence?"

She turned back at me.

Typically, I can track or tell something is nearby scent, sight, or sound, but also, through a gift all Naettura possess. It is part of their inherent magic. We can sense the presence of certain creatures. It's usually easier to do in the wildlands of the world, but cities and places touched by evil are harder. She explained.

“Evil?" I asked.

If a place has witnessed great evil, the presence of it is overwhelming. A stench of shadow and darkness that seems to suffocate. It's not a pleasant experience, and unfortunately, I fear that is what dulls my senses now. She told me. I could see her fur was on end, and the voice in my head sounded almost afraid.

“Then let us be quick." I commented, approaching the first door.

It was a simple lock mechanism, which seemed to require a type of key, which could be accessed from either inside or out of the cell.

“Strange, why do these locks have interior access? Don't prisons typically isolate such access to avoid prisoners tampering with the mechanism?" I asked, examining the door.

Something to dwell on another time. Let's go.

I turned to the door, kicking it open with a powerful burst from my leg.

Inside sat a small goblin, who cowered against the wall at our entrance. Beside her was a kobold, who seemed to be trying to comfort the goblin. They shrieked at the towering gnoll who entered the room.

“Please!" the kobold squealed, moving something quickly behind her back. I could see the goblin woman had a well swollen stomach. She was pregnant.

I glanced at Aklys, quizzical.

You must leave here, the castle is in disarray. You may be able to slip out. She projected.

I raised an eye, surprised. Was it really wise to set kobolds and goblins free? I quickly cursed myself though, realizing the hypocrisy of my thoughts. I was a damned gnoll, if I could not grant such chances, how could I deserve one?

“Come, the stairs are just here." I said, gesturing back into the hallway behind us.

“NO!" the pregnant goblin shouted. “It's a trick!"

Come, the door is open, it is up to them if they should be free. Aklys projected, turning for the next room.

I moved to follow, when suddenly, my eye caught a woman at the far end of the corridor, right before it rounded a bend.

She had raven black hair that cascaded in a wild mass about her face, and a pale, greyish white skin. Her eyes seemed as black as obsidian, and she wore a strange, shredded black skirt that hung low around her hips, falling in tatters about her legs. Her chest was covered in a simple blackened leather chest wrap, covering only her breasts. A large grin was on her face, her lips the color of blood.

A horrible scar was torn across her stomach, fresh skin still angry and on the mend.

“Ah, the Naettura herself comes to rescue her fuck toy!" the woman laughed, slowly walking towards us from the far end of the hall.

She was unarmed, but the way she carried herself with confidence, and a lack of fear gave me pause.

“And, it would seem she's brought a new friend to play with." She added, eyes falling on me. It was then that I noticed a dull glow growing from Silvernight's runes. It seemed that with every step she took, the silver light grew stronger.

That had only occurred when I had chopped an undead corpse in two.

“Something's not right." I told the snow leopard.

Go, find Camden, free as many of these poor souls. I'll handle the vampire. Her words filled my head. They were filled with a strange determined force that I had not known from the Naettura.

“Vampire? So you know me, and I know you. But there is so much more to me than that. I serve patrons darker than any you have ever known, fool…" As the woman spoke, her voice grew slightly darker, deeper. A second voice accompanied the first, though they both belonged to the woman.

“You mean Prince Myr? All I've ever heard is that he is a spoiled brat of a mage!" I stated.

“Prince Myr is a failed academy mage who wastes his true potential with flawed schemes of power. He will raise his army of bastards and hybrids, all creatures without a place in this world, and he will spread chaos. That is his role, and he plays it well, without knowing, blindly listening to delusions of grandeur." The woman cackled, finally coming to a halt about 10 feet from us.

Rekkdyr, go! This battle is mine alone. Aklys ordered, voice filled with growing anger.

“Ah, yes, that destiny, and all that. The divine charge of the Naettura, who stand against the tides of darkness! Romantic."

I moved to pass the woman, keeping Silvernight between us. She turned raising a hand.

“Halt, gnoll. We aren't finished!" She commanded. I ignored her.

“I said stop!" She growled, her voice growing even more demonic.

“Stand aside, witch, I have a job to do." I growled, letting that feral tone enter my voice. I raised Silvernight to her throat. The steel of the point touched her neck, and immediately the runes seared with the glowing of the moon. She stumbled backwards, the flesh against her throat sizzling slightly, as if the steel blade had scorcher her.

She hissed, gripping her neck.

“A gnoll with a strong mind. Ha, perhaps if the Halfling had such gifts…" she said, regaining her composure and turning to Aklys.

I moved to step past her again, but this time, she leaped to action.

She outstretched her hand, and muttered a quick chant.

I slammed back against the wall of the corridor painfully, blasting the air from my lungs.

Panting, I pulled myself up, ready to defend myself, but found that Aklys had leaped atop the woman, and was now tearing into her throat with powerful jaws.

She slammed upwards, throwing the cat into the air with strength that did not seem to match her physique.

I rushed her, chopping with Silvernight. Faster than I could register, she ducked, slamming me in the gut with a powerful blast of shadowy magic.

I flew back, feeling a strange chill consuming me. I tried to push myself up, but strength seemed to be sapped from my limbs.

The witch then turned to Aklys, who was rising to her feet, eyeing the woman.

The vampires' neck was a tattered mess of blood and gore from the leopards' assault, and it apparently hurt a great deal, but it was definitely not proving to be lethal.

Her eyes were emanating a sold black shadow that drifted outwards as light would have. She stepped forward, bringing her arms up in a spells somatic components.

Aklys braced herself, taking a full blast of shadowy force from the witch.

“No!" I cried, forcing my limbs to answer. Rising to my feet, I rushed the witch, who quickly directed the blast at me.

I slammed back into the wall. It appeared I was useless in this fight!

Enough! Aklys cried, while giving a great roar. The blast of shadows immediately dissipated. The woman turned to the cat, a look of shock on her face.

Aklys' eyes were glowing that silvery-green. She seemed completely unmarred from the witch's magic.

I demand to know who your master is, vampire! Aklys roared, her unearthly voice echoing throughout everywhere, and yet nowhere.

The woman fell to the floor, gripping at the stone tiles, her nails turning bloody.

“It's too late!" she laughed, though through great pain.

Aklys took a step forward, and fissures began to open up across the vampires' flesh, each glowing with a bright light from within.

Tell me!

The woman wailed in agony, writhing in pain.

“Okay! Okay! It's Malmyrkris!" she wailed.

The look on Aklys' face was indecipherable.

With little effort, she focused her gaze on the witch, and gave a mighty roar.

With a bloodcurdling scream, a bright light illuminated the chamber before casting it once again in darkness.

As my eyes struggled to readjust, I glanced to where the woman had been. There was nothing, not even a smoldering heap.

“Aklys!" I cried, managing to pull myself up, and rushing to the cat. She was humped on the ground, though conscious.

Rekkdyr, I'll be fine. Let's find Camden. She managed to pull herself to her feet.

Walking close to the snow leopard, we set to work, me kicking in doors, Aklys following behind slowly, and weakly.

A few of the cells were empty, others held every day, normal beasts, like horses, otters, and even a rhino. Some cells, much like the first one, held frightened sentient races, everything from humanoids, to dragons, to far exotic races like lizardfolk.

The strange thing, however, was that every single one of them were female. And every single one was pregnant, or protecting a clutch of eggs.

There was two cells near the turn in the chamber. I kicked the first open to reveal a small centaur filly, cowering in the corner, frightened.

She had golden blonde hair, that was bound in braids, though messy and coming apart. She was nude, and she moved to cover herself when we entered.

“NO! Please! I just want to return home!" She pleaded through tears. The sight brought a great weight to my chest.

“Elska?" I asked.

Her face brightened when she gazed up at me.

“How does a Gnoll know my name?"

“I'm here with Hestross and Riddaris. We have come to rescue you." I replied.

“NO! It's a trick, another vision, I won't believe it!" She wailed, collapsing against the wall. At this angle, I could tell by the large swell of her stomach that she too was with child.

My heart sank. She could be no more than thirteen. I felt anger boiling up inside me, and memories of Krell surfaced. The darkness of this world had reared its ugly head, and I wasn't sure I was strong enough.

“Shhh, I am no vision. Look." I said, lowering myself to her level, though remaining feet from her. I didn't want her to feel trapped, cornered.

“Why would they use a gnoll to bring word of your kin? Would they not attempt to fool you into believing that your brothers themselves walked through this door?" I reasoned, soothingly.

The filly wiped her face, giving a soft sniffle and a nod.

“Come." I said, offering my large pawed hand.

She cautiously took it, and I led her from the cell, to the great cat that sat on, watching.

“Elska, this is Aklys, she is a special snow leopard. Can you stay with her? I need to save others." I told her.

Elska, I am a Naettura, do you know what that means?

_ _ The girl nodded.

Good, can you remain with me?

_ _ “Y-yes." Elska whimpered.

I moved on to the next door, giving it a mighty kick. My leg was beginning to ache from kicking in doors, but I ignored it.

Inside this cell sat a nude elf, with hair as silver as the moon, and skin as white as snow. She looked to be young, though not a child. My guess would have placed her at one hundred and twenty years. It was so hard to tell with elves.

She turned to me, rising from her seated position. Her stomach did not show the signs of pregnancy like the others had. The way she carried herself made her seem much older than her appearance.

Cautiously, I spoke.

“This is no vision, we are here to set you free."

“I can tell reality from illusion." She stated softly. “Aklys, it's been a long time."

Eluniss? How can this be? The cat seemed stricken with awe.

“You know each other?" I asked, glancing at the cat.

“Long ago. It's been nearly seventy years." The elf said.

_ There will be time to speak later, Eluniss, for now, we are here to free as many as possible._

“Come, I shall get these prisoners out. Down the other wing is where they keep the males. Not all are so willing to be freed." Eluniss warned, stepping from her cell. I let her pass.

“You carry a blade made by the craftsman of Rainhaven." She stated suddenly, seeing Silvernight in my grasp.

“It was a gift from the Lords and Ladies of Rainhaven." I told her.

“Few ever see such an honor, let alone a gnoll." She smiled, frost seemingly clinging to her light blue lips.

“Thank you, my lady." I said with a bow. I couldn't quite explain why I felt the need to give her a noble's courtesy.

“My lady?" She asked with a smile. “I'm not used to such politeness." She moved past to gather the freed girls, and began to lead them to the exit.

“Will they be alright?" I asked, turning to Aklys.

Eluniss is a powerful druidess, any foe unfortunate enough to cross her path here will meet a terrible end.

I looked to the cat.

“How could they capture such a being?" I asked.

Our foes are cunning, and I fear there is more at work here than a demented breeding operation.

With that, we rounded the bend coming to a long straight shot, a single large double door in the center of the hall, and what appeared to be another wing of cells running around the corner at the far end.

Aatu

I slept long, much longer than I had intended. It seemed day found me, and passed. The flight had taken more out of me than I had realized initially.

Rising from my place amongst the bows of the pine tree, I climbed into the open. Perhaps my slumber wasn't a bad thing, for I felt fairly rested, if only a little stiff. And, the cover of night might make it better to infiltrate the city.

I trotted to a clearing, where I focused on the form of a raven.

With a blink, a large black raven was sitting where only seconds before, an even larger white wolf sat.

I would have smiled, if my form allowed me to. I got a running start, flapping my wings as I took to the air, climbing through the thin canopy to burst out into the night sky.

The cool night air was refreshing, and I gave a few dives and mock spirals to work my stiff muscles.

Finally, I climbed higher and higher, until I flew above the city of Manir itself.

There were dancing lights in the windows of buildings below, but what caught my attention was the random eruption of activity at the castle atop the hill.

Coming for a closer look, I could see a battle raging below, between all sorts of strange creatures, many I had never seen before.

A centaur and an elf stood in the center of flames, calling forth bolts of lightning and throwing flames upon their enemies.

Was the castle under attack? I began to drop in altitude for a closer look when another sight caught my attention.

There were armed men, city guards from the look of it, all milling about beyond the city wall to the north. They had torches and dogs, and were leaping boulders and fallen logs, as if in pursuit of something, or someone. As if they were on the hunt.

I don't know why I chose to do so, but I decided to soar down there instead, carrying myself down close enough to peer through the branches better.

“She came this way, I think!" a voice called from the night.

“That makes no sense! Why would she be heading back to Manir?" another asked.

I flapped down to land in a tree overlooking the exchange.

Two armored men, wearing chainmail and leathers, were arguing in the dim torch lit clearing.

A large dog was pulling in a direction that led southwards.

“Why would Brog lie? He's one of the best trackin' hounds we got!" the first man argued.

“Alright! Let's go south, then!" the other said, throwing his arms up in defeat. “Hear that, everyone! She's heading south!"

I took to the air again, circling back around to the south, trying to catch sight of their quarry. Perhaps it was my experience with Manir slavers in the past, but I felt like I needed to cheat them of their prey.

Soaring overhead, I caught the glimpse of something small, bounding a boulder before gracefully running along the length of a fallen log.

It was a Halfling, and it appeared as if she was running out of forest.

She burst from the tree line, coming to the city wall itself, though far from any gate or doorway.

They were not far behind her, and the hunting party soon crashed into view behind her.

“Oi! Bitch, led us on quite the chase!" The leader said, stepping forward. He was panting heavily.

“What can I say? Wanted to see if I could outsmart you in your own land." She stated, drawing an arrow from the hip quiver.

The man laughed. “Well, didn't seem to do so well, now did you?"

I blinked, missing the arrow that flew from her bow, striking the man in the throat. He collapsed, gasping for air.

“Don't be so sure!" she snarled, readying another arrow.

“Get her! When I'm done with you, there won't be enough to give to the prince!" another man roared, rushing forward. Another arrow found him in the eye.

There were nearly seventeen by my count, and they all started rushing the cornered Halfling.

Fornvarr got himself captured to rescue creatures imprisoned by the slavers. He would have likely gone to the creatures' aid.

I climbed high, before spinning and entering into a dive that would take me right at the space behind the charging men.

I had one shot, and I hoped it would work.

Slowing just enough to stop a full forced crash to the earth, I resumed my wolf form, landing with enough force to get the rear of the groups' attention.

I should be far enough! I thought to myself, inhaling a deep breath.

“Oi, a wolf. A fucking beast of a wolf, too!" a man at the rear of the element shouted.

Frost burst from my lungs, swallowing the six or so men at the rear of the element unfortunate enough to find themselves in the blast.

Their frost bitten corpses thudded to the forest floor.

“He's a winter wolf! Get him!" another shouted, rushing me. A few others followed.

It now seemed like of the original seventeen, about eleven remained, an five of them had turned to face me. It was something.

“Rikiss!" I growled, focusing on the frost of my northern home.

The area begin to immediately grow cold, and the men's breath billowed about them in clouds.

“What sorcery is this?!" one asked, halting his assault.

Their flesh begin to slowly pale, a blue color growing throughout.

“Ah!" One man yelped, dropping his sword in surprise. His hand was a white color, clearly suffering from the effects of frostbite.

“Flee now, or feel the ravages of the north!" I growled, taking a step forward.

One of the men glanced back at the frozen corpses of their comrades.

“Get out of here! This is no mere wolf!" He cried, turning for the trees. One of the men moved to follow, but an arrow blast through his thigh, bringing him to the ground.

He collapsed, writhing in pain and gripping his leg.

Another rushed me, raising his axe overhead.

I leaped forward, slamming into his chest quicker than I think he expected, and we both crashed to the ground.

I felt my teeth close around his forearm, and he struggled beneath me, unable to bring his axe down for any good use.

I felt his arm flesh tear free, and I spat it out, lunging at his throat. He managed to drop his forearm in the way, and I snapped on that instead.

We clashed as another man fell next to us, an arrow protruding from his back.

I felt bone snap in my mouth, and began to violently shake my head to and fro in the death shake of a predator.

I pulled away from the man, whose arms were shredded, bloody wrecks. He was screaming in absolute agony, thrashing about as blood spurted from his torn artery.

He quickly fell silent, as did the man who was shot trying to flee. He was lying still, skin a blue hue, dead from the cold of my spell.

I turned to the Halfling, who was watching me cautiously, arrow trained on me.

“Why does a winter wolf come to the aid of a Halfling?" She wondered.

“If I were in such dire need, I would pray for such aid." I replied, sitting back on my rump. Hopefully, the nonthreatening posture would set her to ease.

“I've heard your kind are nothing but savage monsters, devouring any who wander in your realm." She spoke.

“And I've heard your kind are savages who dress in the hides of others. Now, as you can see, I am not trying to kill you. Furthermore, you're currently wearing a cow hide tunic, which proves the rumors I've heard to have more truth than what I've granted to you." I pointed out, giving her a wolfish grin.

“Articulate for a beast, aren't you?" She said, eyes narrowing. She lowered her bow nonetheless.

“I learned from a man in Drifa." I explained.

“Drifa? You hail from the Sutvalds?" She asked, eyes widening.

“The northern tundra's, west of Drifa." I told her.

“The Sutvalds are my home." She stated.

“It would seem we have both come a long way, then."

“How did you do that? Winter wolves have a nasty bite, and their breath can chill the bones of a fire giant, but I've never seen one manipulate the very air before. You had to have dropped the temperature to well below freezing!" She said, eyeing the corpses.

“That doesn't come from my heritage so much as it comes from my training in druidry."

She looked at me, skeptical.

As she opened her mouth to speak, the sound of hounds baying interrupted her.

“Perhaps we could continue this conversation later?" I asked.

“Good Idea, come the river is northeast. We should be able to lose them there."

“Go, I shall meet you there." I said, turning towards the noise of the hounds.

“Wait, what are you doing?" She asked.

“Setting them on a false trail." I said, trotting off into the night.