Next Chapter: Licking the Wounds...
"Kraven!" one Lycan screams at the top of her lungs amidst a cyclone of mass hysteria...
"What are we going to do!?" another bawls his eyes out over their Matriarch's corpse. It's an impossible day for Them, and it destroys their hope.
"SHE'S DEAD!" They cry together in agony... For two of their oldest, wisest, and best are...
"THEY'RE DEAD! THEY KILLED THEM!"
... ... ...
"ANESTHESIA AND YMIR ARE DEAD!!!"
Those words trigger something in Ryn. Her mind freezes just as she did that day when it happened...
What a painful memory...
"HE'S DEAD! THEY KILLED HIM!!!" She's...
Ryn remembers how she screamed; the despair she felt in her brother's fading eyes, never noticing the tears currently streaming down her snow-pelted cheeks and hair in real-time. She takes deep breaths, nearly gasping for air. As the Lycans lose themselves in hysteria, their screams also trigger something in Her head. Ryn realizes what's going on; she starts repeating...
"Ryn, calm down. Ryn, calm down. Ryn, please calm down.."
But that memory bleeds into her reality. The screams of those despairing Lycans mesh into the screams in Ryn's head; Her screams back then...
"MY BROTHER IS FUCKING DEAD!!!!" Ryn’s now laughing in deranged disbelief. What's going on? She's succumbing to that pain again.
She hits her breaking point and screams. Her PTSD IS TOO MUCH…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Ryn screams. Her tears now fountains of traumatic despair...
She CLUTCHES her head slipping into unrepair...
She's losing her fucking mind...
Those memories remind me...
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There once were two; but not many who knew...
Both were once Friends, but One indulged in Their own Sins...
One valued compassion. The Other chose Their own passion...
These two people are known; for how they both earned their thrones...
Adam or Eve...
Which path will Ryn be?
Ryn's eyes flash red as her magic spirals beyond her control, her traumatic thoughts torturously reminding her of the emotions she felt that day. The woman's magical power screams around her as waves of chaotic, pulsing blasts of magic. The Lycans watching her, even Kraven stepped back in sheer fear of the spectacle going on. To Ryn, she's losing Herself. To Them, she's an extinction-level threat. Kraven orders everyone behind him, preparing to transform again if needed as Ryn's power thrashes around. He wonders if this Human's words were true from earlier...
After all...
Lycian's Legend mentions that there were two of them. But...
What should He do!? He's panicking inside; this is too much for him...
He's lost his Sister, his Friend, was wounded by his Enraged Comrade, and now faces one of the most dangerous supernatural monsters on the planet losing control in front of him and killing Them all...
Kraven's eyes water; He can't show weakness in front of his allies frozen with terror...
He's all They've got now...
He wishes someone helped him...
"KRAVEN!" Aerin screams while rushing towards Them all with his sword still drawn. His form and black clothes are burned, tattered, and covered in snow, but his voice is loud, relieved, and shaky. Even though he's exhausted, Aerin runs as fast as he can to his Lycans. Kraven's eyes water at his King's next words. The silver-haired man's scream of assurance sends a powerful feeling through All of Them...
"I'M HERE, EVERYONE! I'LL PROTECT YOU ALL WITH MY LIFE!" Aerin swears!
But Ryn cries...
"I said I'd always be there..."
She snaps..
"I HATE MYSELF!"
Ryn Self Destructs, her magical energy moments from detonating as Aerin simultaneously screams at the top of his lungs; he's got five seconds. "FENRIR!" Aerin calls out but falls to his knees as his energy is spent. His battle with that Woman was more taxing than he thought. He's out of time.
Aerin can't stop Her! He's failed...
... ... ...
Kraven can, though...
A brilliantly destructive BLASTWAVE incinerates everything in a nearly two-hundred-mile radius in moments, a symphony chorus set off when Ryn screams again. Its power is overwhelming. It’s a torrent of unbelievably chaotic destruction that overtakes everything in sight and lasts for almost thirty seconds. Aerin can't comprehend anything as it's happening. He notices a flashing burst of energy from Kraven before his senses overloaded. Yet, he never feels pain, nor do his Lycan comrades. In fact, Aerin wonders if he's in a dream.
He wonders if he's passed out and having a nightmare. His questions aren't answered until Ryn's destructive energy finally ceases, leaving the once snow-covered mountain range a smoldering mess of superheated rock. The freezing cold temperatures causing an immediate steaming of the air surrounding them. Aerin's eyes pierce the moonlight fog, finally noticing Kraven's incinerated corpse, and his heart sinks. No. This can't be happening to him...
Kraven's Divine Sacrifice saved Them...
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
The same sacrifice Ymir enacted to protect them...
Aerin cries. One haunting sentence in his head. It attacks him in multiple different ways but stings him the same.
"It should have been Me..."
"Why am I so weak...?"
... ... ...
"I HATE MYSELF..."
Ryn collapses in the snow, her physical form surprisingly unharmed, but her magical and mental energy utterly exhausted; she lays in the snow, comatose. Aerin, however, remains the last one standing. His emotionally charged, glowing-blue eyes widen in morbid curiosity; Where's his brother?
"... Cyrus...?" Aerin shakily chokes out, too scared to move his eyes from Her in fear she'd get up. No, Aerin knows that's a lie. He's more afraid of seeing his brother's corpse if they're dead. The silver-haired Lycan calls out again, much like a crying pup does for their parents. "... Mom... dad?” he's fighting tears. He needs someone to support him...
"I can't do this alone..."
Someone runs up and touches Aerin's arm, snatching his attention with her dark red hair, her warm-hued skin, and her wide, expressive brown eyes...
Aerin remembers Her...
"... Roxy?" the King shakily asks, and the small Lycan nods.
"We've got your back, Aerin..." Roxy assures him, turning to the revitalized and vengeful Beasts at his back again. They howl to the moon, the return and survival of their King ignites one last fire in them, blessing them with His Gaze one last time. Their rallying energy fuels Aerin's natural reserves within seconds; he's at Full Strength again. A sense of adrenaline and calmness washes over Aerin's body, and he regains control. At least until this was over…
"Right..." Aerin nods, and his resolve returns before he looks at Ryn's unconscious way. Although his Army awaited orders to kill Ryn while she's unconscious, Aerin can't help but wonder about something despite his urges to kill that Human as well. Roxy looks at Aerin, still in her humanoid form but waiting on his command like the rest. She tilts her head up at the taller man, noticing the hesitation in his eyes under the moonlight, almost lost in them herself.
"Aerin? Are you okay?" Roxy asks. Aerin blinks and looks her way, briefly nodding before looking at Ryn's direction again.
"Yeah... yeah..." Aerin assures, relaxing and sheathing his sword to Their surprise. The young King made his decision, and he looked at Roxy first before turning toward the others. Aerin's worries over his brother and the rest of the Inner Circle have to wait; he's got a Species to keep safe. As far as he knows, he's the last leader left...
... ... ...
"I hope I'm not making a mistake on this..." Aerin thinks to himself before speaking. Here he goes…
"We're taking the Human prisoner!" Aerin decrees with a confident assurance in his voice. "As it is now, She's more useful to us alive than she is dead," he pleads his case for his decision, earning unreadable reactions, but not to him. Many of the Lycans hesitantly stayed silent but showed their objections by reverting to their humanoid forms the moment Aerin finished talking. They're unsure whether to speak out, or stay silent; just like their still transformed kin willing to accept Aerin's decisions without doubt. Roxy looks between Aerin and the rest, having stayed humanoid the entire time; she's unsure what to do but stays close as Aerin keeps pleading.
"As you all know: I have the Eyes of Insight..." Aerin gestures to the softly glowing eyes in his head, their gaze as strong as his beliefs. "They allow me to learn from not only Our and Lycien's past but also from the past of Others as well!" he yells, his words louder than the freezing winds blasting snow across the frozen scenery. As Aerin speaks, all eyes stay on him when he turns and points to Ryn's unconscious form, but keeps his eyes on his people.
"She is not the threat that we might believe her to be. I say that we take her prisoner, and when she wakes up? We will judge whether she's capable of being our ally, or if she should die. She will be held on trial!" he pauses, looking Ryn's way a moment as he gets ahead of himself; his ambitions are bleeding into his words. He turns and bows his head to everyone.
"Or..." Aerin hesitates. Roxy sees he's shaking from anxiety, not the cold when Aerin clenches his fists and draws his Warwolf Blade. Her eyes widen in awe; she's mesmerized but in a different way from the Others. Aerin speaks, his tone honest and direct.
"I will execute Her right now if you all unanimously decree it..." Aerin promises.
"Because a King serves His Lycans! Not the other way around!" He screams. Keep going...
"If you tell me to slaughter this Human and eat her heart to give you comfort. Then your King shall do it!" he cries out. Don't despair...
Aerin pauses again; this time, everyone notices it...
He has to say this; he can't help himself...
Is a King allowed to be selfish?
"However, I ask that you all trust me and spare Her your wrath for now.." He begs. Stay honest...
"For She suffers, too..." Aerin reveals. Stay humble...
... ... ...
Aerin's heart sinks as more of Them revert to their human forms. The silence tells him nothing, but Their eyes tell him everything; they're going to tell him to execute Human. Aerin knows that once he does, he'll never get his questions answered. It's a selfish thing that's upsetting him inside, and he hates it. He again wishes he was a nobody. What's the point of spilling his heart out when others could simply overrule him with numbers? His good intentions will always be governed by those he protects. He braces himself for the inevitable, giving up until Roxy speaks on his behalf.
"That Human saved Us!" Roxy yells, her high-pitched voice piercing the sky and earning all eyes. Her usually shy demeanor fades with Aerin nearby, and her boldness grows when Aerin's shocked eyes fall on her. Keep going. "That Human took down a Vampire capable of fighting Kraven! And, she did it in a single attack! I know many of you saw it!" she aggressively reminds Them. She keeps going!
"That Human also put herself in DANGER for us after that other Vampire killed Ymir! Her actions gave Kraven, the man who also DEFENDED HER AGAINST CYRUS in his rage, protect her!" she says, not only viciously purging the intense and reflexive reactions from her peers, but also informing Aerin of everything that's happened in his absence; the young man's in silent awe. Roxy points to Aerin but keeps her eyes on the ones standing before them.
"Kraven trusted that Human’s words after asking if she was an ally or foe. We should give her the ability to defend and explain herself. At least, that's what I believe Kraven would want. Right, King?" she asks the silver-haired Lycan, who nods in return before looking at his allies again. He knows what he has to say to finally ease Their suspicions and calm his own desires. His next words are spoken from the heart and with conviction.
"I'll kill Her without hesitation if she's a direct threat to any of Us," Aerin assures, recalling his last conversation with a dearly departed...
"You are the tether that gives us Unity. You are Our Leader," Anethesia's gentle and always flirty voice echoes in his mind, then he remembers his response...
"And if I don't want to be a leader?" Aerin remembers his jackass response, and also how she shut him down; her words are proven true by the change in everyone's eyes at him.
Aerin's willingness to forsake his happiness for Them was all that They needed to hear to put their complete trust in him.
"The best leaders are never self-appointed, love..."
They are Chosen.
The rest of the transformed Lycans revert as well before a unison of cheers assault Aerin's ears. He's been heard, and They fully support him now. Aerin feels a weight off his shoulders, and a strong feeling wells inside of him again. He can't help but let a painful smile show; one thing on his mind. While another wish goes on behind it.
"I'll make you proud, Anesthesia, Ymir, and Kraven..."
"So, please Rest In Peace..."
Aerin turns and looks Roxy's way as his smile fades to resolve. Roxy quickly notices the young man's gaze, and immediately locks eyes with him; he's got her full attention as he speaks. "Can you please do me a favor and make sure my brother is okay; I need to be near the Human in case something happens. It's honestly a miracle that we managed to only lose three members of the Inner Circle; Losing Kraven hurts our overall strength the most," he stops before he rambles. Roxy's smart enough to get the point and nods in total understanding.
"Of course! Oh, also, your brother is okay and alive! He's over there!" she quickly gestures to a large group of Lycans recovering Cyrus's unconscious form from the snow; the injured man is unaware of everything happening. Aerin feels another great weight off his chest at the sight of Cyrus, but keeps his emotions in check; there's still work to be done. He looks Roxy's way and nods.
"Thanks, Roxy; I owe you. Let's gather what we can of the dead and..." Aerin pauses when he thinks about it; the realization of Anesthesia, Ymir, and Kraven's deaths finally settling. He takes a moment to control his constantly churning internal emotions, then looks at Roxy again. "We'll give them a proper burial. I'll need to talk to Cyrus and the Human when they wake up, too..." he pauses again, looking at the full moon. There are so many things that need addressing. Aerin hopes Fenris forgives Their failure to Hunt.
... ... ...
Aerin hopes he's ready for what's coming...
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A few days later...
In a village hidden in a snowy valley...
A Man prepares for war...
"Alright, men!" a tall and muscular man with short greying hair and a cleanly shaven, fair-featured face yells while standing in the deep snow in his village's defense zone; a section of land dedicated solely to the protection of the village and its inhabitants. He stands in front of a company of the village's strongest and most disciplined men gathered throughout: he's got nearly two hundred soldiers. And everyone carries Stardust-tempered weaponry from swords and spears to axes and arrows. They're ready. The Commander keeps going, his baritone words match the intensity of his battle-hardened and aged facial features. Those strong-willed, no-nonsense gray eyes also match his polar-fur-colored service uniform attire.
"If you don't know me because you're new; my name is Kaden Alastair. But, you all can call me Commander Alastair. I've been in charge of the military force keeping us safe in this valley for almost forty years," he pauses a moment, standing straight and speaking with confidence. He even crosses his arms. "I've likely seen worse shit than any of you could imagine. And if you believe I haven't?" another pause as he uncrosses his arms and leans forward with a nearly arrogant tone.
"I bet my life that I'd still be more capable of handling it than you would!" he says, and another soldier quips this time.
"I say Hooah!"
"HOOAH!" They all scream in unison! Commander Alastair smiles.
"I say fucking Hooah!" the man laughs, quickly moving on. "As you've heard through all the rumors revolving around that magic girl, we might have ourselves a stray dog problem," he chuckles, earning laughter from his soldiers while he paces under the shining, morning sun. His voice is a mixture of sarcasm and seriousness. "Now, I don't know bout y'all, but I take these rumors quite seriously. Because we live in a world where these monsters have existed. To me, the existence of those supernatural abominations is about as real as the insanity around the fact we have a Human capable of wielding magic. You all know she exists. She pretty much can't keep from looking for trouble..." he sighs, and a comment from another man with messy but well-maintained blonde hair, foreign features, and green eyes speaks.
"Women, right?" Marcus quips, and all of the men laugh, even the Commander. It's a joke only men seem to understand. Commander Alastair points and agrees, quickly carrying on.
"But, she's also what I call a Wildcard. She, like women, can't be controlled. Now, I'm not saying that women should be controlled," a pause as he gestures at the audience of young and impressionable men, and even those he can't see who might be judging him closely. "The most dangerous Human in this Village just happens to be a young woman. So it makes this situation even more difficult for me to deal with. I'm old and logical. The youth are young and ambitious..." he stops again, flashing a smile at everyone as those gray eyes sparkle with anticipation. The cold air and gentle breeze feel refreshing when one's in the zone.
"But, that's why I'm in charge of defending our village and not Her. I know what needs to be done because I have the wisdom and experience for it. I know everything there needs to be known about killing beasties, and I'm gonna bless y'all with the greatest excitement you'll ever have outside of sex with your partner, whoever they might be," he earns one last unanimous spout of laughter from his company before getting serious.
"Gentlemen..."
"Who's ready to kill some feral dogs?"
His soldiers SCREAM in response...
"WE SAY HOOAH!"
"Oh, it's gonna be a Bloodbath..."
Next Chapter: Prepping for Carnage...