Chapter Thirty Six: Old Wolf
Paltos.
This untamed region of Vita was known for many things, but perhaps the most prominent was it's many forests. Wild tree's of maple and pine went on endlessly, outwards like the sea. Softly rolling hills and verdant scenery almost made one believe that they had arrived at a time before the reign of man, before the Races took control of this fair continent.
Wildlife was abundant in these wild woods, the smell of bitter berries and freshly fallen rain filled the air with a pleasant scent. Paltos was nature at it's most raw. A world apart from the world, ruled by the apex predators that had called this place home for thousands of years.
One such predator made his way forwards now. Large paws, the size of a carriage wheel and heavier, tread the ground with nary a sound. The soft black fur of his coat somehow hiding itself within the darkness extended by the tree's, and his quarry that lay beyond.
Thirty metres ahead of the giant creature was it's prey, a large elk. These beasts were known as king's to the inhabitants of the Palton Forest. It's fur a golden brown and it's antlers glowing with a damp hue as it gently lowered it's mouth to eat more of the foliage, it's eyes focused solely on it's meal.
The predator watched with an inhuman patience, waiting for his moment, completely still and hidden within the shadow of the wood around him. His eyes glowed gold, filled with intelligence and savagery. A dangerous combination.
They waited there for what seemed like an eternity, locked in an invisible battle, the struggle between predator and prey.
Then the Elk raised it's head, looking directly at a spot just to the side of where his hunter waited, hearing the sound of a twig cracking.
The predator did not move, even the slightest movement would be enough to spook the large elk and it's speed was nothing to laugh at. Should it run then he would have to search for another meal, and that could take hours.
It only looked at the spot for a few seconds before the elk decided that there was nothing out there to threaten it and it lowered it's head back down to the ground to feast in peace. It was at this moment that it's hunter moved.
A wolf, nearly eight meter's long and twelve feet tall, burst from it's hiding place, a snarl escaping it's muzzle as it moved with incredible speed, landing on the elk before the creature could react. The beast was dead before it could even think, it's pitiful whines cut short by the sharp teeth of the black wolf, the apex predator of these lands.
The wolf began to eat with gusto, it's jaws sinking into the sweet flesh of the elk and tearing with a sickening sound. Blood filled it's mouth as it savoured every single bite, bones breaking and marrow spilling out as he continued to pull apart the animal.
It was at this time that he noticed another presence. Another member of his kind walked out of the forest and stopped about three meters away, a female. This wolf was much smaller than the first, so much so that the black wolf completely dwarfed her. Her fur was a light brown, her eyes the same golden colour as the wolf in front of her. She lay down and placed her muzzle between her two front paws. She knew that she would have to wait. The male wolf was the alpha. He would let her eat when he had his fill.
The black wolf returned to his meal and ate for a few more minutes before he was full. He moved away, his muzzle covered in the blood of the hunt. He growled at the female, allowing her to eat and she moved with speed, tearing into the carcass with as much ferocity as the black wolf, who looked on in approval.
The black wolf watched for a few moments before he growled again, causing the female to look up, her eyes filled with disappointment. The meaning behind the growl was clear, they were done here, it was time to move on before other predators arrived. Beasts that could cause problems.
Together they stalked through the wood, their every movement concealed and hidden. It took them nearly three hours to make it back to their camp, their home for the last two weeks. It was a simple affair, it only had two tent and a simple firepit in the centre.
The black wolf moved to one side of the small clearing and began to change, his body seemingly pulling back on himself as he changed back to his human form. Although he was intimidating in the form of a wolf, his mortal form was nothing to sneer at.
The man stood at over seven feet tall, his heavily muscled body a tapestry of scars and burns from the many battles he had seen. His hair was as black as midnight and, as the female watched, he scraped the hair away from his eyes and tied it into a long ponytail that hung down his back. He was completely naked but the female did not feel the need to look away. This was how it was done in the old way, before the need to covers one's body became quite as important. And Abhor, Knight of the Rebel Court, was an avid student of the old way.
After the man had finished changing, he nodded at the female, who then began to change as well, her wolven body tightening and compressing as she took the form of a young woman with short, light brown hair, her eyes an ocean blue. She took the opportunity to speak first.
“Forgive me, Elder. I almost cost us the hunt.” She said with a bow, referring to the branch that had broken when they were hunting the elk. She had been so focused on her teachers actions that she had failed to take notice of her own, almost losing them both a much needed meal.
The man turned and gave her a severe look, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her. Unlike her, he had retained his golden eyes, something that happens to wolf kind once they reach a certain age. It was at this time that they received the honorary title of Elder, a person who had become one with the wolf.
“It is fine, Luna. The hunt ended well and we both had a meal. But in future, you must always pay attention to your own actions much more closely. When hunting prey, your power means nothing if you can't get close enough to use it. Understood?” Abhors voice was deep and gravelly, but his tone was positive.
There was a time when Abhor would have punished Luna severely for almost costing him a meal, but those times had long past. That version of himself had disappeared after meeting his King. Once, Abhor had thought that the only way to rule was through fear, and it was how he had controlled his clan. But kindness was another way, kindness and guidance. Something he had learned first hand while watching his own Alpha in action.
Luna bowed again “ Yes, Elder.”
Abhor grunted, letting Luna know that she was safe to rise before he moved to a log next to a fire and took a seat. It had been nearly a week since he had sent the missive to the other Knight's and he had yet to receive word. They would come, he knew they would. When one called, they answered, It was how they had functioned for centuries, it was how their King taught them to operate.
Yet he couldn't help but feel worry begin to gnaw at his heart. For some reason, he believed something was wrong.
“Elder, would you like some tea?” Luna asked as she ignited the fire with magic her head bowed, like it always was when she spoke to her teacher.
Abhor growled an affirmative and looked on as the girl went about putting leaves into a teapot filled with water and placed it over the fire.
Abhor had never really expected to take on a pup at his age. It was customary for Elders to be the teachers of his race but he had never really expected to find himself in the role. He was a warrior, he was the General of the Vanguard, the feared Knight of the Rebel King, but after Corus died he had felt himself become lost. He had sworn his life to this man, this person who had changed him so profoundly. Then he had fallen in battle, in such an unremarkable way. It had left Abhor in a dark place and he had left Ellai that very night, unable to remain in the city where he had experienced his greatest failure. His inability to protect his Alpha.
In the centuries that followed he regretted leaving Cinder behind. As keenly as he had felt Corus' death, for his daughter it was something much greater.
He had watched her from a distance as she made her way from country to country, hunting down the remnants of the church, leaving a trail of blood and death behind her. But he had done nothing to help her. He had abandoned her to her own pain, as did the others. He doubted that Corus would ever forgive him for that, if he were alive.
The guilt that he felt was part of the reason that he left his home in Paltos to try and stop Cinder from carrying out her foolish hunts. But she was different, more violent and hungry than he had ever seen her. Her power had merely grown while his had stagnated, he was unable to defeat her and it had cost the lives of many innocents. He had returned to his home a coward, failing once more.
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It was then that he was gifted the opportunity to better himself. Approached by Elders from the other clans two hundred years later to become a teacher and take on a pup to train in his way. Without really knowing what he was doing, he agreed. There was a great tournament held to see who would become the new student of Abhor, The Beast Lord, and the young of every clan had taken part. There was only one decisive winner and she stood in front of him now.
Luna, of Clan Coldue. It didn't surprise him that she was from his own clan, they were the most powerful in Paltos after all. Luna was very much gifted in the art of the hunt and had a huge amount of potential. But what first drew him to her was her control of magic. Unlike others her age, it seems that Luna had put aside the stigma that was usually held by wolf kind towards mana and had taught herself how to use it, her control of fire was something to behold, quite remarkable for one her age. She was also teaching herself how to control the other elements as well, her goal to be as powerful as The Rebel King himself.
When she had said that, Abhor couldn't help but laugh. To be as strong as Corus. Even he and the other Knight's had fallen short. Perhaps Marwen was the closest but she was still far behind Corus in terms of both swordsmanship and magical ability.
“Here you are, Elder.” Luna said as she handed him the steaming cup of tea. Abhor took it with gratitude and a smile, drinking delicately at the cup. It looked rather odd for a man of his size.
“Take a seat, Luna, and tell me how your studies into magic are progressing.” Abhor said, his hand indicating the log opposite him.
“Yes, Elder!” Luna said eagerly before taking a seat, causing Abhor to release an almost silent chuckle.
Because the girl had been having such great progress working with magic on her own, Abhor had decided not to interfere with her training into mana and let her continue her work alone. They hunted together and sparred together, working solely on her body work as a wolf, but the magical side he left up to her. He had her update him daily on her activities, allowing him to nudge her in the right direction if he felt she wasn't working towards her full potential, but otherwise he had nothing really to teach her. While he could help her with Earth and Metal, the rest of the Elements were a mystery to him. Something he was now regretting, but everyone had their own path to follow.
The naked girl took a seat opposite him “ I've been continuing my work with fire, Elder, and I think I'm really starting to get somewhere. Unlike the others, fire just makes sense to me. It almost comes too easily. I think I'm close to an insight but I can't be too sure.”
Abhor nodded “The important thing is not to push it. Insight comes with time, do not go searching for it. You may cause an understanding to distance itself from you and that would only end in disaster. I've seen mages be pushed back years in their training because they were too eager. In my experience, it is when you are not looking that you see something that you may have missed.” Before he think Corus' words came out of his mouth.
Luna nodded, hanging on his every word “Yes, Elder, I'll keep that in mind. I was also wondering if you could help me further my studies into Earth, it is my weakest element.”
Abhor gave a thin smile “I will, pup. Once we return home, we'll put aside some time to training solely with Earth.”
Luna returned his smile before dropping her gaze “Elder, when will we return home? I don't understand why we are still out here. You caught those trespassers but I don't understand why we can't just leave and let the Clan's deal with it? I don't see why you needed to call The Knight's.”
Abhor smiled at the young woman but said nothing. He didn't want to burden her. He would talk to his sister's when they arrived, until that time, he would keep quiet. There was a very important reason Abhor felt the need to keep Luna in the dark about this. It was because he had felt something when he had fought those trespasser's, something he hadn't felt in a very long time.
Fear.
That alone was enough for anyone who knew the old wolf to become concerned.
“It is just something we must do, Luna. It shouldn't take too long for them to get here. Until then, we will continue your training as normal.”
“Yes, Elder.”
Abhor continued to drink his tea and, for a time, they both sat there in silence, merely enjoying what remained of the day. Luna's training would continue tonight, with sparring and hunting, then she was free to continue her work into magic.
“Elder, may I ask you some questions? About The Rebel Court?”
Abhor nearly sighed but contained it. Luna was an avid fan of every Knight in the Rebel Court and was a huge admirer of Corus. Occasionally, Luna find time to try and ask him questions about his time with The Court.
“Of course, pup, ask away.”
Luna shifted slightly in her seat and found it hard to hide her excited smile as she clasped her hands in front of her.
“I was just wondering if you could tell me who taught The Rebel King how to do magic the way he could? He must have had a teacher, right? Like I have you.”
Abhor chuckled “I asked the Alpha many times who taught him magic, but he always said that he was self taught. The sword he learned while studying under an elven master in Callai.”
Luna's eyes widened “Self taught? That's amazing... Did he teach you how to use magic, Elder?”
“Yes. I never gravitated towards magic. I always thought it was cheating, that it was beneath me. Corus taught me differently. He defeated me without any weapons, merely using his mana enhanced strength. I was not as big as I am now, but I still should have been able to kill him. He beat me and I pledged my life to him. In return for my loyalty, he forced me to learn magic. I did as commanded, although I hated it. But I became that much more powerful, someone worthy of being one of his Knight's.”
“But Heilvol and Drogna? They couldn't use magic, why were they allowed to become Knight's?” Luna asked, confused.
Abhor laughed, a booming sound that filled the entire clearing and made the tree's shake.
“Heilvol may not have been a mage, but he killed plenty of them in his time. Even defeating Valant in single combat when that little shit was still a member of the church. Believe me, pup, I would choose to fight a mage over Heilvol any day of the week. He wasn't the greatest swordsman, but his tenacity and endurance could put a wolf kind to shame. I saw that man get up after being stabbed through the gut and kill a dozen more men before Corus finally healed him. He then went on to rally an army and push back the horde of Vitriss. He truly was something else.”
“Wow... and Drogna?”
“Ha, the brains of our little band. Drogna was thoughtful, kind and always helping others. People seem to only focus on the fact that he built Ellai, forgetting that he wasn't called the King's Hammer for no reason. Drogna was a terror on the battlefield, his strength for a non mage was really quite unnatural. He was physically stronger than any of us, excluding the King himself of course.”
“Gods, I knew the stories, I just didn't think they were true. Who would believe that a non-mage could do those kind of things?”
Abhor growled approvingly “Then you have learned a valuable lesson today. Just because someone cannot use magic does not mean that they do not have worth. Underestimate the common man at your own peril. Sometimes, they can be even more dangerous than the one who can all upon mana.”
Luna nodded thoughtfully, her eyes lost as she took the lesson to heart. If there was one thing that Abhor could say about Luna, it was that she never took anything he said for granted. She was constantly trying to better herself and absorbed every lesson he taught her, memorizing them and making sure they stayed with her. In a way she reminded Abhor of Cinder, when the little girl used to follow Corus around in Ellai. Of course, her training was slightly different as, early on, it focused on getting Cin accustomed to not killing people within the city. But, in essence, it remained the same. Both girls shared the same level of desperate need to become 'more.'
It was just at that moment that both wolves heard a noise coming from the forest and both were on their feet, Luna began to draw in mana while Abhor remained motionless. He would not act unless there was need.
“Friendly! I come in peace!” following the voice came a man, dressed in the furs of Coldue, the clan mark upon his neck and a bear tooth hanging by a piece of leather from his neck. The symbol of a messenger.
Upon seeing the two naked wolf kind the man immediately turned around, his hands shaking slightly at his side. It seems he was quite young, probably sent because the seniors were too nervous.
“Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you. Give me your message and be on your way.” Abhor growled. Despite the fact that he was trying to be friendly, he found it hard to try and put it across in his tone. While some, like Luna, could tell when he was trying to be kind, strangers could not and the sound of Abhors gravelly voice made the messenger shake.
“Knight Abhor, I have two messages for you, one from the Knight Marwen and the other from Knight Faral. Knight Marwen is on her way with King Valant. but they go via The Red Citadel, in order to travel with Knight Cinder. Knight Faral has sent word that she will be docking in Scarl Forest, we believe that she will then travel to The Red Citadel.”
“Is that all? Nothing from Cinder?” Abhor growled again and the man's shaking became even greater.
“No, my Lord. We are unsure whether our ambassador in The Red Citadel has informed her of the situation. But we have word from other sources that Knight Marwen and The Elven King left Callai with five hundred warriors in tow. We thought we should inform you, my Lord. It seemed strange.”
“Fine, you may leave.” Before Abhor had even finished his sentence the messenger had already taken off, disappearing into the tree's.
“So, this is good news, Elder. All the Knight's are heading here now.” Luna said eagerly, coming to stand next to her teacher.
Abhor grunted but said nothing. Something was wrong here. Why was Marwen headed for The Red Citadel to get Cinder? She would add days onto her journey when she already knew that Faral would dock in Scarl Forest. Tt was the only way that she could safely get onto land, the rocks on the coast of Paltos offering very little in the way of a proper port. Faral would tell Cin and he was sure that she would agree to come. And why bring Valant? He had not sent word to bring him and Marwen knew that Abhor and the other Knight's had little time for the former champion of the church. Then there was the soldiers. The royal guard in Callai had a standing force of five hundred warriors, why would she think that she needed so many?
“Luna, change. We head for The Red Citadel.”
Luna's jaw dropped “Elder!? Why? The Knight's are on their way, shouldn't we wait for them?”
Abhor wanted to stay but something in his gut was screaming at him. They needed to go to The Red Citadel now.
“Something's happening, pup, and I don't like it. Marwen doesn't act without thought and I never mentioned anything about bringing a small army with her, plus she didn't mention it in her message. She's heading directly towards Cinder, with Valant in tow. This could be bad. Those two have been having more and more problems since Corus died. It might be nothing, but if it is, then we all come back here together. If it's something, I'll just have to knock their heads together until they see sense. I've done it before, I'll do it again. We make for Scarl Forest.”