A/n Here it is the ruff post, ready your favorite fight music mix.
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There he stands, a little ways away with some water between us. On these wooden platforms, we’ve been running in circles putting on a show for thousands.
We’re not upstaging Akane yet by any means….I’m not making anyone jealous of Lupa nor am I proving Asta picked the better man. I’m not making anyone fear or respect the Barghest….
The crowd themselves, are all on the edge of their seats, waiting for our next move. Damn it’s been a crazy event...Akane versus the twins… Zenazla and the assassin, I hope these people are happy.
It’s all a show.
I feel like I’m the only one not enjoying it.
So let’s give them a damn show.
“Walther.” He looks at me with an arched eyebrow; I suppose I don't ever use his name.
He relaxes his stance and waits for me to speak.
I smile, “I don't think we’re doing a very good job today little brother. You’ve already been first to break the rules.”
He shrugs as if to say damn the rules.
I point to the stands, “I agree, let’s go all out and give these people what they came here for. I’m going to hold nothing back so do your best not to die little brother.”
He laughs and turns sideways to grin at Father on the thrones.
Turning his head to me he frowns, points the trident at me and speaks, “I still want Asta.”
Scratching my ear, “It was their decision Walt. If Asta was really unhappy with this then she would have fought it, you know that.”
With a sigh he looks up at the clouds, “I know… I know.”
Walt smooths his hair back out of his face and looks back to me, “Then I will just settle for kicking your ass to vent my anger.”
I have to laugh, “You’re welcome to try if you can catch me. Now, be a good little brother and hand me that stick and I’ll trade you this stupid, toy sword.”
A cocky grin crosses his face, “No.”
What?
He lowers the top of the trident into the water and I watch as ice begins to creep up its shaft.
He pulls it out and as he brings it to a rest on his back the ice spreads thin into a massive blade the length of his body and pointlessly wide. A frosty, wisp of wind flits about the blade, possibly to make it lighter.
Soooooo not fair.
He lowers onto three with his other arm holding the blade on his back. He leaps for me over the water. The crowd is deafeningly loud with cheers.
He swings the blade to make a spinning slash as he lands.
I mist form the swing and reform to slash him from low in an upward strike. But my movement feels slow, I’m chilled to the bone. Even the discharge on my blade is a pale blue.
Walt blocks the strike with the hardened silvery fur on his forearm. He’s balanced on his similarly hardened tail to disperse my lightning.
Well Fuck...
I spot the scorch mark on the wood from my attack and decide to keep this up for a bit.
Turning up the heat we trade strike for strike. With each swing of his blade that forces me to fog shift, my blood runs colder in its wake. With each of my slowing swings the wood burns more. The crowd is going insane for this match.
Blow after blow, swing after swing, he blocks every attack with unreal speed and I can only dodge so much while using fog as little as possible. At some point I feel a sharp pain from my right ear.
Finally, we pause to catch our breath. He’s grinning like an idiot that thinks I’m only just realizing he’s using that frosty wind to chill my fog.
Meanwhile the entire wood platform is smoking with burns.
I look at Walt and grin my own evil grin, “As I said, do your best not to die little brother.”
I overcharge the cheap sword in my hands and slam it down on the platform. It erupts in a splash of molten metal, as the whole of the platform begins to burn, I take smoke form and Walt jumps away to the next platform.
I discharge as much as I can into the surrounding water. Steam begins to rise into the air around my now rotating column of smoke.
My smog creation begins to fire off its own lighting within the clouds. It is enough to recharge everything I just released to create this light show.
Fortunately it’s not much bigger than a water spout so it shouldn't harm the crowd. Walt, on the other hand, knows what I have in mind, we’ve done this before after all. I’ve just fixed it up for my own use.
He begins his dodging run as soon as the lightning strikes begin to hone in on his metallic fur.
I drop down out of the fog onto a nearby wooden slab where I spotted a halberd from earlier.
I snatch it up and begin pursuit, all the while discharging lighting, hotter than ever. It arcs into the water I jump and across the wood in order to add to my smog plum.
I’m giving this city a storm alright.
Walt is no longer jumping but freezing the water as he run across it in a long arcing turn back towards me.
He comes to a slide as we come to a clash head on.
His ice blade, no longer lightened by frost wind, crushes through the wooden haft of my halberd like the cheap excuse of a weapon it was.
I duck low and spin to quickly punch him hard in the side, my arms now hardened black metal fur, same as his.
He takes the blow and staggers back just enough for me to counter rotate and elbow him in the gut.
Walt doubles over and I back flip to kick him in the jaw.
The only way to beat the aggressive hunter, Walther, is to turn him into the prey.
That said, at the height of my flip I begin to shift into my massive black werewarg form, landing with an arena shaking howl.
Walt stands upright and side steps just in time to dodge a strike from the storm.
He lifts an eyebrow at me and smiles, “I thought this wasn’t going to get any better but now you’re giving me a beast to hunt?”
With a laugh he stretches and points his blade at me, “Like you said in the den older brother, Let’s Play!”
The city is on their feet screaming for more.
Walt charges me while constantly dodging more lightning strikes from above.
Once more I move to charge head on as well. This hulk of a form also attracts the storm bolts, however it only serves to fuel my assault with more fury.
I punch through the ice Walt runs in on in attempt to send him into the water. He leaps onto my arm and kicks the side of my head in jest as I slide out of control until a step onto another wood platform.
I turn around to see Walt tapping the ice sword on his shoulder, looking absolutely thrilled.
I raise my fists into the air, both instantly getting struck by lightning. I slam the coiling charged arms down onto the frozen water’s edge. Sending arcs in a rolling shock wave at Walt.
He stabs his tail through the ice to the water and catches the bolts with his blade.
It shatters the ice from the trident but passes through him to the water below.
The dispersal combined with his half assed, developed resistance, prevent him from feeling more than a mild tingle.
He spike’s the trident in the ice and calls out to me, “We’re brothers! Anything you can do I can do as well!”
Real chatty when you're having fun, aren’t you Walty?
The ice around him begins to circle and obscure him from vision in a small flurry.
When it lowers once more a sleek, silver, wolf stands ready to attack. The ice flurry whips in around his legs and tail. Not only that, the icicles from earlier have returned and are taking aim at me.
They fly out ahead of Walt as he disappears in a flash.
Paying more heed to the missing Walt I raise my arms to block the thin icicles so I can focus on sensing him.
A sore mistake, my arms are pierced by dozens of the icicles. As I look at them the ice melts away to reveal large slivers of metal now stabbed along my arms.
The storm chooses that moment to strike me, the lighting narrows in on the metal barbs and goes straight into my body. Interestingly it has the same burning feeling as a swig of strong alcohol.
I let out a howl just as Walt hits my shoulder with a bite and force that sends me flying to the side to the edge of the platform.
I pull him from my shoulder with a spray of my own blood, I throw him across the pit with all my strength.
He uses his wind flurry to level out however, and lands like he just hopped over a log.
Fine, I’ll use my storm the same way!
I reach for the sky and as I get struck I pull as if there's an invisible rope. The spout reforms around me as the whole smog cloud system funnels down to me.
With that the chase begins as I drop to all fours. Every stride I take sends splashes of static all around me and a bolt forward from the cloud trailing behind me. Every step Walt takes leaves a patch of ice for me to avoid.
We do a lap around the whole pit. A giant black werewarg in pursuit of a faster silver wolf. The crowd is clapping their hands, stomping their feet, leaning over the edge of the rails, goading us on to keep the battle going.
In a sudden turn, Walt runs to the edge of the arena and as if it was nothing to him begins to run up one of the support pillars. He jumps out above me and makes an attempt to catch my neck.
I immediately cloud shift into a massive fog bank that he falls into the center of.
Before I can deliver a finale blow worthy shock to him he dashes out back towards the center of the pit.
Feeling it’s time to end this before it gets out of hand I change the storm into a gargantuan version of the shadowy beast from the assassin's nightmare.
My shark quickly hones in through the air after the little metal doggy.
The crowd has gone silent in terror perhaps, or maybe I simply cannot hear them over the thunder in the storm and the crack of the lightning that echoes out every time my beast’s teeth come crashing down within a breath of Walt’s tail.
There is simply too much energy flying in the air for him to move fast haphazardly.
In a rather heroic looking move Walt leaps high into the air and transforms back into his normal form, but with the full weight and force from his now fully metallic body he comes down on the edge of a platform like a hammer.
The entire platform comes flying into the air towards me like a coin with such a spin that it blows away my clouds and completely disperses my storm into small bits of dark clouds.
With effort I reform on a platform near the center of the pit near the ice flow Walt is standing on.
I have returned to my normal form but he still stands with metal claws, legs, and tail.
Walt seemingly pulls a large sliver from his tail, around it ice forms up from the flow and once again he holds a blade of ice.
Great, right back where we started. However blood drips from my arms, and his armor is covered in scorch marks from the shadow beast’s maw, his breathing is heavy from so much running. About time I at least forced him to require cleaning up after we Play.
The crowd stands in silent awe waiting with breath held to see the conclusion of the show.
So how do I end it with a win, better still I need an overwhelming win that won't kill Walt. Looking around, all the weapons have been blown into the water by me storm. Ah save for one, behind me, still stabbed into the wood, is the trident.
I smile at Walt and turn my back to him, in doing so allowing him to see what was directly behind me. At this distance and his exhaustion there is no way for him to stop me. True to that the moment I grab the trident and turn around Walt comes to a stop at the edge of my platform.
I thrust the trident skyward and in an awe striking display all the remaining charge from the dispersed clouds of my storm strike onto the weapon into an overcharged state. The cheap toy will only last one use.
I slam forward the trident into the wood. Once more a thunderous crack echoes through the amphitheater as a great beam splits the wood and rides the water surface directly to Walt.
No possible way to evade this time he can only try to once more absorb the shock. He takes a knee, stabs his ice sword into the wood and forms a layer of ice armor over his body.
The beam reaches him, splitting the wood in a blaze, shattering his sword and armor in shock and heat wave, and blasting him into a daze, miraculously still conscious.
As he stands up in a stagger I shift into the line of smoke left by the beam across the wood and instantly reform in front of him, using the momentum of the transfer I spin through the air into a kick that finds its mark on Walther. He drops back onto the ice flow that he shielded with his own body from the beam.
As it floats out to the edge the silent crowd begins to cheer so loud I bet the Naga in Nicopolis shudder in fear of what’s to come.
The water level drops until the remaining platforms touch the bottom of the pit.
Sassa comes running out from the side, Asta walking a short ways behind her. Once Sassa reaches Walt she dismisses the ice and with only a little coaxing Walt comes to. Still dazed, Sassa helps him to his feet.
The whole of the city clap for him.
He looks at me with a slightly bloodied smile, “Great fight Big Brother.”
Asta squeals a little in excitement, “Right!? That was Amazing!”
She runs over and gives me a kiss on the cheek, again to the cheers of the crowd, before running back to her sister to help carry Walt to the bath.
Father, The Lord Fenrir, stops them as he passes by and places a hand on Walt’s shoulder. Asta and Sassa visibly buckle a little.
Father smiles as usual, “Great show my son, they’ll talk about this one in the history books.”
With that he continues to me, he walks right up and raises my arm to the sky.
As the crowd roars he exclaims, “This year’s champion! Alpha Nox of Yoden!”
Then to me he says quietly, “You now have authority to roast, fry, zap, or whatever, to anyone who calls you pup.”
This day just gets better and better.
I follow father out of the arena to the sound of continuous cheers. Taking a last quick look out at the pit, I see it in shambles. Like, absolutely wrecked.
There are even still small bits of smog floating around, energy spent and left to linger. Should I have gotten rid of them first? How would I even do that?
I should work on not resorting to playing everything by ear, for all the good it does thinking about this after the fact.
Ah it’s the end of the tunnel.
As soon as father steps out to the lobby Iris runs past him.
She runs up and slaps me on the arm, Ah! That stings!
She is all smiles, “Great job Fuzzy, as much is expected of my future husband!”
I can only chuckle, “Of course, it would be a shame if you were to wed someone who does not do justice to your beauty.”
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
She does a little hop, “I know right! Come on everyone is waiting!”
She grabs my hand and pulls me into the room.
Lupa walks up and kisses my cheek, “That’ll do, I suppose.”
She has a smile and I’m sure she’s only teasing, but for the love of Freki I don’t know what I could have done better!
She continues to hover off my shoulder while Mora approaches and immediately begins looking me over.
As she seems to be looking at my head, “I missed when you lost a chunk your ear, and when did you pierce the other one?”
Huh, “A Chunk you say?”
“Ya.” she reaches up and touches my right ear.
Fuuuck! That hurts!
I bite my lip a little and say nothing but that really did not feel good, like at all.
Lupa reaches up and starts healing it, “Sorry a chunk isn't something I can just grow back, but I’ll stop the bleeding. You’ll have to get it sewn up.”
Ulfa speaks up from near the exit, “Right get to the bath and get patched up. There's a feast tonight and we can’t have you bleeding all over the food.”
Making my way out I spot Akane moping on a bench in the corner with Patra petting her hair.
I approach her but for once she seems more interested in playing with her pet carbuncle then me.
Patra rolls her eyes slightly and explains, “She heard someone call her Juggernaut Princess. I think it’s kinda catchy myself.”
Akane buries her face into Monty’s back with shame.
In a halfhearted attempt to cheer her up, “Don’t worry, you’ll always be my adorable, not-so-little sister.”
She shoots me a dangerous scowl. Hey, it’s not my fault she’s a full head taller than me.
Patra giggles, “Love it, anyway, you made nice work of my cousin out there as well you know.”
I really can't remember much aside from the fight with Walty.
She continues, “He was the black and gold furred pup that didn’t just get one shot by you.”
Wrapping her arms around Akane and laying on her back, she rests her head on top of Akane’s.
Patra goes on, “He’s been talking himself up all week for this event. He’ll be working at my shop, you can come witness him lamenting his loss while sweeping my floor tomorrow when you come to help me out.”
Well that’s news to me, “Sure but uh, maybe you two should head to her room before you get busted for being too playful by our mothers.”
Without even looking at me while she plays with Akane’s hair, “Ya probably, see you tomorrow.”
I guess I’ve been dismissed.
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Along the walk to the bath tower Mora remains silent, almost nervous.
“What’s the matter?” I ask.
She shakes her head, “Walther will already be in there.”
“So?” he’s a big pup and my brother, he’ll get over the loss.
Mora sighs and looks to Ulfa who in turn flicks my head.
I rub the spot, “Do you have to keep your claws so sharp in this form? And what’s the problem? I’m bleeding enough at the moment without your help thank you.”
I’m not mad, honestly, but that is So annoying.
She scowls then speaks, “You clearly didn’t feel like following my advice or your father’s rules. I told you, your fog abilities should be kept from the public. Now every assassin in the continent knows a knife to your back won’t cut it.”
I see what she did there, I can’t help but smile.
Ulfa sighs and scratches her ear in embarrassment, “Oh shut up, you know us black tails can’t help that sort of thing.”
I laugh, “Then I will use the same excuse for the fight. Besides, Walt and Akane broke the rules first. And I grow tired of watching my every move in fear of some distant possibility. That sort of thing seems to haunt Father plenty.”
Ulfa almost seems to give up but has her final word, “You’re father is a very wise warg.”
Whatever, I know she is right but I just don’t care right now.
I half lean on Lupa as we turn the final corner, I really miss her glorious softness being in my bed. Her and Mora combined would be some kind of heaven.
Lupa pats my head, “You did great, and I’ll continuously torture and heal anyone who dares hurt my champion.”
Pity the poor fool who goes for my life.
Opening the door to the bath I quickly yet carefully undress with Mora’s assistance and enter the bathing area.
Walt is indeed already sitting in the pool alone, he most of sent away Sassa.
I call to him, “I hope you not so upset you hurt Sassa’s feelings sending her away.”
Walt rolls his eyes, “She’s fine, I told her I want to think the fight over.”
He smiles, “I want our next one to be even better.”
That’s my brother.
I take a seat in front of one of the mirrors.
Yup, I am beat up. Small cuts on my face, gashes along my neckline and chest, and a decent chunk of flesh missing from just below the tip of my right ear.
Walt calls over, “I suggest you get better at dodging older brother.”
Oh shut up, “Am I really the only one you talk to this much? Go on, get it out of your system.”
He chuckles and raises his arms to say he’s done.
Ulfa is stitching my ear from behind me while Lupa works on my arms from in front.
She is sitting between my legs, if it wasn’t for the fact she is digging metal slivers out of my arms this would be quite nice.
Noticing my lack of a bulge under my towel Lupa looks up, “I thought you might be enjoying this a little more, you know having me back between your legs.”
She rubs a soft hand up my thigh and under my towel.
I have to stop her, but I do so with a smile, “Later, and trust me, I’m experiencing a great range of emotions right now but arousal is at the bottom Ouch!”
Ulfa jabbed the sewing needle in my ear a bit roughly.
She flicks it, seriously it hurts woman!
“Don’t be a baby, I’m just backing up what you were saying.” she says with a smile.
Evil bitch, her and Lupa finish patching me up.
Before letting me rest in the pool Ulfa hugs my head suddenly, “Nox, from the moment your soul entered the god realm you became like a little brother to me. Please don't go willingly jumping into so much danger just to have a good time.”
I can’t make that promise, I remain silent and just nod.
She pats my shoulders and I get up and slowly sink into the pool. The girls start washing themselves and preparing for dinner.
I wade over to Walt and lean against the edge beside him.
I once more take in the sight of this gorgeous pale white room with all its flowing water fountains coming from all the way up its tower to the windows with the fading light of the afternoon.
I speak to Walt at my side, “Ulfa says this city has more than a hundred public baths, something to do with the nature of birds.”
He shrugs, uninterested before spitting a bloody tooth out of his mouth into his hand and tossing it over to one of the drains.
It must be from my final blow, “Ya know, that was disgusting.”
Walt chuckles, “True, anyway I don't intend to ever lose another, Sassa would cry.”
He gets out and leaves. I don’t think Sassa is as much a concern to him as the fact that he lost a fight to his siblings again.
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The dining hall is packed as ever with members of the court, all laughing and regaling each other with stories of their point of view of the fights earlier. Here and there I hear bits of things I missed seeing.
Father is enjoying the large boar at our table. Mother is eating a pheasant, while Emese has a large salad with small chunks of rabbit meat and fish. Iris is bouncing in Queen Emese’s lap also enjoying the salad.
The queen insisted Akane order the same thing and Akane seems thrilled with it. I guess the three have gotten along quite well. It seems Emese is a bit airheaded but not dumb, and everyone seems to like her quite a bit. I hope Iris will grow to be just as kind and charming….and well endowed.
Walt and I are sharing our plates with our girls. I have Lupa on my left and Asta between me and Walt. Mora is over in the servant area chatting with Patra, Ulfa is standing next to them keeping an eye on our table. Sassa is on the opposite side of Walt happily feeding him spoons of the roast stew he requested. I myself have a fantastic elk steak that I swear is cooked to such perfection.
The only thing that can ruin this meal is now approaching the table. Anax Phix is strutting up with his daughters, Ailu and Sachi, in tow.
He makes an over dramatic bow, “Greetings Lord Alpha Fenrir, I’ve come to congratulate your pups on the marvelous fights.”
Oh he’s fair game.
The Fenrir gives the Anax such a grin that I can seem him slightly unnerved.
Nevertheless Phix turns towards me, “An extremely entertaining battle Young Lord, I must say, we were all on the edge of our seats once you summoned forth that great shadow of a beast, a shark I believe?”
I lean forward and smile, “Why yes it was, would you like to see it again up close?”
The Anax looks at me without a shred of fear and smiles back, “That’s quite alright, and we have plenty of the real things back home that you're welcome to see should you decide to take a swim off our coast.”
He gestures for his daughters and the step forward, he looks back to me, “In honor of your victory I would like to remind you that you are more than welcome to court both my lovely daughters…”
I raised my hand to stop him, “But what of my darling sister, what have you brought to celebrate her victory?”
He immediately turns to her, “Why of course, I’ve brought a marvelous set of pearls, she certainly showed herself to be an unstoppable force despite being such a beauty.”
Under the table I hear the slight sound of a metallic creak. Hardly a moment later Ulfa walks up and trades Akane a new spoon for a bent one she just handed her from under the table.
I can’t help but laugh, the Anax turns back to me with an arched eyebrow.
“Anax Phix, you certainly do talk quite a bit, you seem very experienced from your years of pandering to the Fenrir.” I look for a reaction but he gives none so I continue.
“It is this gorgeous sister of mine who will rule this city one day and much more, most likely. I would even concede the wolf’s head throne to my younger brother Walt before I take it up myself if it would mean I’d be saved from cock suckers like you.”
He looks slightly upset now but I do not stop.
“As for your supposed daughters whom I will point out have zero resemblance to yourself or even appear to be from the same tribe as each other. Sachi seems sweet but she is clearly interested in Walther, not I. Ailu, if I’m to believe the rumors, is akin to the public baths, open to all. And by the amount of perfume she’s assaulting my nose with, everyone leaves smelling better as well.”
At this point I’m standing with my drink, looking down at him. He scowls at his daughters who move to leave, Sachi shoots an embarrassed glance to Walt. I see him grin at her from the corner of my eye, sly bastard.
Phix smiles rather wickedly at me, “I know it has indeed been a long day, what with the fights and executions and all. Perhaps the young alpha should refrain from more alcohol tonight before he reminds the court of those awful old stories.”
Before I can jump the table Lupa grabs my shirt and Mother speaks up.
“Phixy boy, it would be a crime to ruin what has been a rather fine evening. Go cheer up your kittens like a good father and leave the counseling of my pups to Me.” she shoos him away with a hand.
He bows, “As you command Madam Inari.”
The Lord Fenrir laughs with a booming voice, “Go on Phix enjoy the party, Nox sit down and finish yer damn drink so I can pour your next one myself.”
When I sit down I look at Lupa expecting an explanation.
She bites her lip before talking, “I’m sorry but I’ve learned a lot since arriving here in the city. That man, Anax Phix, controls all the trade traffic and supply routes to the Southern Continent and is its northern region’s ruler. You’ll need him to take back my homeland and angering him will just start another war.”
Ulfa isn’t going to let me hear the end of this.
I slump back into my chair, “Great I’ll just leave my pants down and hope he doesn’t bite.”
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There ya go, it was a very fun chapter. I look forward to chatting with yall in the comments.
I'll proofread more of the entire story tomorrow, finally a slow weekend.