Arman staggered over to the edge of the cliff and fell to his knees. He rubbed his hands along the edge if the cliff, finding it difficult to find where the rough rock of the outside faces gave way to the smooth hewn rock of the inside.

He looked around the inside of the cliff again, trying to make any sense that he could of the symbols carved from top to bottom. Again they made no sense, but he didn’t really expect them to. For some reason he just needed to look at them again, his eyes were drawn to them.

The sun sunk below the edge of the horizon and darkness began closing in. One last stray ray of sunlight reached the silver skeleton within the middle of the cliffs. It hit one bone, and then reflected and split, bouncing from bone to bone. All the rays kept going until one by one they landed on the wall.

He blinked and shook his head as the dots of light flickered over the cliff face. It was the most amazing sight he had ever seen. A thought tugged at his mind. His hand felt across his coat and found where he had hidden the scroll given to him by the governor.

He pulled his eyes from the scene below. His head wanted to turn back to the skeleton but he kept his mind focused away from it. He felt for the scroll again and closed his eyes. He regained his composure and his concentration.

He opened his eyes and pulled the scroll from within his coat. He held it before him and thought back to the instructions he had been given. He whispered lowly to himself as he thought.

“Now… hmmm… what was it the governor said?”

Arman found the tab where the paper of the scroll started. He tugged at it and then smoothly pulled the paper from within the tub. He dragged it to its full length and laid it flat on the rock ledge. Symbols, similar to those around the cliff walls, covered the scroll face completely.

He studied it for a while, trying to make sense of the images. But as with the walls the images on the scroll were just gibberish to him. He was sure someone somewhere would be able to read it, but he had no clue how to find. Nor the time and resources. He was a little tied up with that was going on in the moment.

“Ok. I had to run a line of blood from one side of the scroll to the other. That would activate the power within the scroll. Thankfully he said this scroll had a set spell.”

Arman held his right hand before his face, and then brought the claw on his left hand up to it. He twisted his right hand and dragged his thumb along the tip of one of the claws, digging it in deep to get the blood flowing. He winced as it dug in, but the pain was fleeting.

As the blood started to appear on the end of his thumb in a big drop he placed it on the far left of the scroll sitting on the ground before him. As he dragged his thumb along the page it left a thick line of blood directly along the middle. As the blood touched each symbol the symbol started glowing a deep blue.

He reached the end of the scroll and lifted his hand to wipe the remainder of the blood onto his coat. But he stopped himself and wiped it on the ground instead. His coat may be nearly the colour of blood, but he did not want it stained with his own blood. He would keep it looking pristine as long as he could.

Arman looked at the scroll again. Each symbol was glowing now, giving off a faint light that illuminated his face in the increasing darkness. As he watched the scroll slowly lifted itself from the ground, the glowing increasing the higher it rose.

He stood, keeping his head above the scroll so he could watch what was happening. His eyes were riveted to its face. It came ever upwards. As it reached his head level it twisted, the scroll turning vertical then as it passed before his eyes. As it started to rise above his head it turned again, the glowing symbols facing the ground and his head tilting up to watch it.

The blue glow grew stronger. It started to look like a ball of light in the sky.

Arman blinked as words of a strange tongue were dragged forth from his mouth. He no longer had any control over his vocal chords and the words came unwilling. He tried to raise his hands to check his throat but something was holding them firmly by his side.

He struggled against the invisible bonds. Arms held rigid by his side and mouth spewing forth strange words. The governor had obviously left this part out for a reason. No one in their right mind would go through this if they knew what was going to happen. But he still couldn’t take his eyes from the now glowing ball of light above him.

The ball hung above his head, spreading itself a little, and then releasing a few wispy tendrils of light. The tendrils tested the air, as if searching for something. They moved towards Arman’s face, twisting this way and that, slowly making their way closer.

He struggled some more, trying to twist his head left and right, but he was held firm. He tried closing his eyes, but his eye lids wouldn’t react either. The only control he had left were his eyes themselves, but all he could see were tendrils of blue light making their way to his face.

The tendrils came within a few inches of his face and stopped. They twisted in the air as if looking back and forth. Then, like a flash of lightning, they shot forth and into his eyes.

All Arman could see was a blue light.

*          *          *

Innic woke with a start. He had been enjoying his dreamless sleep. But an itch had started in his lower back.

He stood and stretched. He knew what the itch meant. Arman had activated the scroll. It was about time too. Maybe the human had finally found what he wanted to know about.

Slowly he walked to the middle of the cabin. He looked across at the governor, still sleeping away. It would take a lot to wake him, but thankfully he didn’t need to be wakened. Innic could do this next bit alone.

He stood in the centre of the cabin and looked out the huge back window that stretched across the whole face of the ship. The itch started to grow strong and now a burning had begun behind his eyes.

Arman was most likely trying to fight the spell. But the scrolls tended to have a mind of their own. He wouldn’t be able to get away any more than Innic would. Innic was willing though, and knew what was to come. He had done it a number of times before.

His vision started to feel blue. That was the only though that he could come up for the feeling. It was as if his vision was clouding with a blue mist. His eyes closed and his body went rigid as his mind was pulled from it.

He opened his eyes. Or more to the point, he opened Arman’s eyes.

The blue glow from the spell began to fade, and he watched as the scroll floated down to the ground, the ball of light diminishing as it got closer to the ground. It landed flat on the cliff top, devoid of any light now, no signs of the power it had just released. A line of blood lay along the blank the page, the symbols all gone.

Innic chuckled at the amount of blood the poor human had used. All it took was a prick, the scroll itself drew out the blood it needed. But the job was done now.

Innic moved Arman’s arms. He twisted them and lifted them, testing the muscles out. He moved the man’s legs around too. He could feel the muscles move and knew this man’s body was honed to precision. Innic hadn’t thought much of Arman, but he had proven himself reliable a few times. He hadn’t realised the human who looked so meek was so powerful.

Innic looked at the claws attached to Arman’s arm. These brought a smile to his face. The human was also resourceful. Innic had wondered how the man had achieved some of the goals set him so easily. Maybe there would be further use for this creature. He could prove more worthy than that Governor he had brought around this thinking.

Innic brought himself back to the moment at hand. The spell was on a strict time limit. He needed to have a look at what was happening before it ran out. He got distracted again though, as he felt the thoughts of Arman press against his own thoughts in an effort to break Innic’s grip on the body.

This human would definitely be useful. The push was so strong that Innic thought he might nearly lose his grip. This shouldn’t be so. The man should be dazed and confused. The others he had done this to hadn’t even attempted to break out, and they had woken after the ordeal not remembering a thing.

Innic pushed back and Arman stopped. Though he was still there. Likely he could still see what was going on with his own eyes; he just had no control over anything anymore.

Innic looked at the surroundings with Arman’s eyes. The cliff top. Then the walls of the inside of the cliff. The symbols looked familiar to him, but he couldn’t quite place them. He felt as if he should know them, but the thought was lost as soon as it appeared.

Then his eyes settled on what he was after.

The bones of the great wolf god Monok lay in the middle of the cliffs on a wide expanse of fine sand and rock. The silver reflected some of the moons light from the gap that appeared in the clouds only over the area where the bones lay. This is what he had been seeking.

Just as he had hoped too, the Spear of Volg stood tall and rigid from the bones. It had not decayed one bit. Though this was to be expected of the weapon of a god, especially one that had been as powerful as Volg. While he hadn’t seemed it, the hunting god was one of the most powerful of all the gods. Though the disgrace from when he had been banished brought his followers to their knees, and not in prayer.

Innic now had a reason to come to the mysterious island. The things he sought were definitely here, he had seen them with Arman’s own eyes. All he had to do now was get to it.

He stretched his mind out, feeling for the four wolves that could cause him problems. The spell was starting to wear out. He could feel Arman pushing in beside him, could hear the man’s thoughts. Could likely speak to him now.

Innic’s mind found what he was looking for. Two of the wolves were off in the distance. The wolf Valter, holder of the strength of Monok. And Ecazin, holder of the speed of Monok. They seemed distant, off in separate parts of the island, too far away to cause him problems.

There was the signature of Seichi, holder of the heart of Monok. He was moving away from this spot at speed. Though the trail started right below where they were now. This was of no consequence though.

What was of consequence was the location of the fourth signature. Innic turned Arman’s head and looked to his left. He grinned.

“And here is Ohenoki, holder of the mind of Monok. As usual the first to the scene. Even with all of Ecazin’s speed you always manage to get there first don’t you.”

Arman’s voice was strong and true. Innic was liking the human more and more. He could feel Arman’s thoughts, his asking of what was going on, his confusion at the sight he was seeing and the words that came from his mouth.

“Welcome to the Halls of Monok, Innic, our little island,” Ohenoki walked slowly towards the human, chest out, head held high, “I didn’t think it would be long before you came to see us. But I was hoping to see you in your true form.”

“Oh, you will soon enough. I’ve seen what I needed to see. Its time to come ashore I think. Want to meet me on the beach?”

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“I am sorry to say Innic, but I will not be there to meet you.”

“Oh, that is such a shame. Mind if I part ways now? The spells time is up, and I must be getting back to my own body. A Bloodwood Hound’s day is never done. I’ll leave you to get acquainted with my servant here. Arman is his name. Play nice with him; I want to use him again later.”

Innic withdrew his mind back so that Arman’s could come further forward. Arman couldn’t understand the series of growls that had just come forth from his mouth, but he could sense the mood behind them.

Innic spoke directly with Arman’s mind, much as he did with the governors. But this was much easier when their minds were as close as they were now.

Arman. You can hear me cant you?

Voices in my head now too? Get out of my body. GET OUT!

I am going Arman. I will leave you be for a while now. I just have one request for you.

Whatever it is I will do it, just let me have my body back.

Your body is yours, as long as you can kill the creature standing before you.

Innic fled Arman’s mind as the spell expired, a cackling laugh the remains of his invasion into Arman’s mind.

He was glad the man was still mostly sane. Weaker people would likely be driven mad from what they had just witnessed. Unless they had prepared for it with vigorous years of training. He hoped Arman’s mind would stay in tact. The man would have his uses later.

Once again the blueness overcame him. This time when he opened his eyes he was looking out into the black ocean, seeing lanterns from other ships dotting the empty space.

It was all in Arman’s hands now. Come morning he would order the governor to land these ships on the beach. The Armada could start making their way to where the bones were.

Innic gave a chuckle at what Ohenoki had said. Halls of Monok, what a name, couldn’t they have thought of anything better.

He stopped abruptly though as the symbols on the wall of the cliffs drew his attention again. He couldn’t help but feel that there was something important about them. He just couldn’t figure out what that was.

*          *          *

Arman blinked a few times as the feeling that had just been over him lifted. He was seeing out of his own eyes again. He could move his muscles again. He flexed his hands a few times just to make sure everything was working as it should.

The voice in his mind had been strange though. It hadn’t sounded like the governor’s voice. But then again, who knew what the true power behind the governor was.

All he could think about was the conversation the voice had with the creature before him. The growls coming from his own mouth had seemed strange, but also like they weren’t something completely out of his grasp. And the laugh as the voice had left his mind made him shiver.

He shook his head slightly, realising there were more important matters at hand.

Most specifically the creature that was slowly making its way toward him.

He brought his body to task. He gripped the handles on his claws tight and made sure they were locked in place. Then he positioned his feet so that he could get the most from his reflexes.

The creature kept coming forward at a slow pace, as if not worried at all at what was about to happen. Arman looked at its eyes and could see the glint of life there. Just like a human’s eyes too, emotions were played out behind them.

It was at that moment that Arman realised the creature was more than willing to die. This creature had already accepted its own death. All it had to do to make its life worthwhile now was to take Arman down with it.

Arman moved a few steps back. He didn’t want to jump into this fight too quickly. He felt he had run a mile. On top of scaling the cliff all day. But somehow reserves of energy flooded into his limbs, as if the spell had left him more refreshed than when he had started it. He twisted his head a little to crack a kink from his neck.

He was feeling tense and he couldn’t understand why. Loudly he spoke. He spoke at the creature, but doubted it would understand. It was more for its own confidence.

“I didn’t lose when facing six of your kind; I won’t lose when facing one!”

The creature paused for a brief moment, and then came on again. A blue glow started to appear around the creature much like the one from the scroll earlier. It was light though, little more than slight illumination of the creature’s fur.

His feeling of uneasiness increased. And it was then he knew. The creature was causing him to feel this way. Not because he feared the creature, but because the creature was pushing the thoughts into his mind. This wasn’t his fear. He didn’t fear any living creature.

Like being lifted from a cloud of smoke the feeling disappeared and the creature paused again. The blue glow still surrounded it, but it was more on edge now. It took up a fighting stance as it came closer, legs a little wider as it got ready to react to Arman.

A smile came over Arman’s face as he took a step toward the creature. It had obviously hoped to drive him away with that. He twisted his hands so the palms were facing the creature.

Then he rushed it. Arms stretched wide, claws dragging across the top of the cliff. Sparks flew on each side of him as he crouched a bit in his run.

The creature came at him too. The glow seemed to trail behind it as it ran. Its speed was incredible. The other creatures had not been like this. He hoped he could match it when they met.

The creature leapt, and so did Arman.

As they neared in midair Arman brought his left arm around in a wide swing, hoping to catch the creature in the side. But the creature’s body seemed to shift itself even in the air and it rolled over the top of his claw. Its teeth flashed and he dropped his left shoulder. The teeth dragged along his shoulder but couldn’t get the grip they were trying to find.

As it went past him Arman twisted his whole body and brought the right claw around with blinding speed. Again the creature rolled over the blade, as if it knew what was coming.

They both landed. The creature skidded to a halt, all four paws touching the ground at once, twisting sideways as it slowed. Its head swung to look at Arman, teeth bare and the hair along its back standing upright.

Arman landed on his feet and slid backwards, the spin in the air changing how he was landing. He leaned forward and caught the cliff top with his claws, bringing him to a sudden halt. Both had slid surprising amounts, and neither had expected it.

Arman brought his hand to his right shoulder and felt the teeth marks in his coat. The scratches on his skin weren’t deep enough to draw blood, he had dropped his shoulder just in time, but his coat was ruined. He would need to get a new one when he got back to the mainland.

He grinned menacingly at the creature. This was going to be interesting. Arman knew he needed to finish this quickly, he had no choice, the fatigue he had felt before was gone but it would be back. Only the thrill of the fight kept his arms and legs moving now. And the blue glow had him a little worried.

They charged again, leaping just as high as before.

Arman held back, waiting for his chance to strike. They came closer and he threw his left arm forward. As expected the creature rolled over his claws again, but this time its jaws caught solidly onto Arman’s upper arm.

He refused to feel the pain though and twisted his left arm. The creature had no time to react and he caught its right side with the claw. His right arm swung around again. The creature rolled a bit, but with its jaws on Arman’s arm and the left claw stuck within its side, it couldn’t move out of the way.

His right claw didn’t strike squarely though. It had moved enough to change the location of the blow. The claw dragged down the creature’s side rather than digging in. It drew two long gashes that flowed with red blood. The third prong was too far to reach.

They span around in a tight circle as they were held together and landed in a heap. The creature closed its jaws tight as they came down, and Arman’s left arm snapped like a twig. The left claw fell free.

The creature released its hold when it felt the bone break and pushed itself to its feet and sprang away. Arman rolled in the opposite direction and brought himself into a crouching position. His left arm hung useless by his side. The bone was clearly broken, and the teeth had torn a large chunk of skin away.

But he had left his marks on the creature too. On its left side blood was flowing in just a little more than a trickle down its fur. But of its right side the three puncture wounds from the claws were spraying blood in wide arcs. Arman must have hit a major artery near the hind legs of the beast. Thankfully his luck was with him.

But the creature would not be down yet. The glow around it strengthened a little and it prepared to run at him again.

Arman stood and prepared for the charge. There was no way he could run at the creature now, not with his arm as it was. So instead he waited to see what the creature was going to do. Both of them would likely be dead soon, from the pain and loss of blood.

The creature leapt at him. Or it would have, except as it went to jump its foot struck the scroll that had been used for the spell. Its back feet slid on the scroll and rather than leaping gracefully into the air it tumble toward Arman.

He moved to his right and swung his claw at it. It tried to twist out of the way, but being unbalanced it couldn’t move fast enough. He caught it just below its jaw, hooking into the fur and around the back of the bone. It didn’t dig into the skin, but Arman continued his swing, using the bone to drag the creature faster towards the edge of the cliff and throw it over.

His claw stayed in its fur for a few moments and he was dragged to his stomach, arm stretched over the edge of the cliff. But it came free, and he lay their on the edge of the cliff. Quickly he scrambled back to safety.

Arman looked at the creature as it hovered for moments over the empty space. It looked at Arman, eyes sad, but as it started to fall it seemed to nod at him. Arman nodded back to it, and then watched as it plummeted to the bottom of the cliff, toward where he had started his climb. The blood seemed to hang in the air for a little bit longer before dropping to catch up.

When it was gone from his sight he pulled himself onto the cliff more and rolled onto his back. His mind cleared of the euphoria of the fight and the pain took over. The tiredness came back too, but that was secondary to the pain.

His broken arm was causing him much pain. He would need to find some way to set it. He could use his coat to wrap it up like a bandage. It was ruined anyway, nothing else for it now.

He felt the broken section with his right hand. It was a clean break. He pushed his shoulder against the ground and held his arm flat. He grabbed his limp left wrist with his right hand. He breathed deeply, preparing himself.

He did it quickly. His right arm dragged his left wrist away from his body in a straight line, and he pushed down on his shoulder with all the weight he could muster. He screamed with the pain and tears welled in his eyes. But with another snap the bone was back in place.

He pulled his knife out and started cutting his coat away to use as a bandage. There was nothing else for him to do now but wait. Maybe the voice would come back in a pain delirium. He couldn’t climb down either side, not with only one working arm.

At least he was still alive.

*          *          *

Morgan looked up as a howl came from above.

Falling from the cliff now was a blue light. It wasn’t very strong but it was there. And it was getting closer.

He moved back from the cliff with his men. They all looked up at the falling light, wondering what it might be this time. Some glanced at the previous corpse. Other remembered the mysterious screams of the second time.

It fell fast and as it got closer they could make out what it was. One of the creatures was plummeting to the ground. It made him think that there must be some way up to the top then that doesn’t involve climbing.

As it got within a few metres of the ground it suddenly slowed down. The glow moved to the bottom of it as if providing a cushion for the creatures. The men gathered around it in a circle as it came to a gentle rest on the ground.

It was clearly dead, its eyes were shut, and it looked like it had lost a lot of blood. Maybe the men on top had killed it.

Then Morgan’s eyes widened as it bulged and grew, then shrunk, the features moved around and the shape of it changed. It was still the same kind of creature. But now it was smaller, scars had appeared on its face and right shoulder. Its legs became bulkier and its tail shortened.

It was almost as if another daemon had possessed this one. And when they died the original came through. He looked at his men and saw all their jaws dropping.

He turned back to the creature now.

The skin melted away and muscles withered and vanished right before their eyes. The bones lay there now, bare and white. They started to turn to dust, and as they did the blue glow pulled them all in together. Slowly it became a ball. A ball filled with bone dust and remains of the skin, fur and muscle.

The ball then lifted above their heads. It rose until it was above the trees. The dust was falling from it in a trail. Suddenly it shot off in the direction of the beach, a trail of glowing blue dust behind it.

The men all looked at each other, eyes wide and mouths agape. They seemed ready to run, and only the presence of Morgan was keeping them there.

Morgan kept his face emotionless. If he let his own shock show, then his sway over the men would be gone. He went to walk away when he felt a few drops of rain. He looked up and the rain splashed onto his face. He looked across at the men, they were also looking up.

He turned his hand so the palm faced upwards and caught a bit of the rain. He looked at it closely. It was blood. The creature’s blood. The blood was raining down on them, only just now catching up with the body that was no longer there.

The men realised it was blood too, and this time his presence did nothing. They all turned and fled, forgetting muskets, running straight into the forest in the night.

Morgan shook his head and wiped his hand on his coat. They would likely be dead before too long. No point calling out to them. They had just witnessed what was likely the scariest thing they had ever seen. He shook his head and shivered.

What had he gotten himself into?

He sat down with his back against the wall, the blood still raining down around him. He drew his pistols out and reloaded them. He held them firmly in front of him and waited in the light from the lantern.

The creatures were likely preparing to attack him now that he was alone.

*          *          *

Koga watched as the scene unfolded.

Sugano was on his feet in a flash.

“Now, Koga, let’s attack them.”

Koga looked up at Sugano. The scene before was strange and he did not know the whole meaning of it. All he knew though was that he had just witnessed Ohenoki dying.

“Ohenoki told us not to attack Sugano. Even if now is the best time. I say chase down the ones in the forest. But we don’t enter the meeting grounds yet. Not until we hear from Kabian or this Seichi.”

Sugano nodded slowly and lay himself back down. He barked some quick commands to a nearby wolf. Soon the ones that had fled into the forest will be chased down, if they hadn’t run directly at a wolf anyway.

“I know you are right Koga. I am just itching to do something. And watching Ohenoki just then made me feel useless.”

“I am sure there is a reason why he wanted us here. Maybe it was to watch this human. This one in particular. I do not know. But something that does itch at my back is where the blue orb was going.”

Sugano looked in the direction of the glowing dust trail that followed the blue orb.

“It’s heading toward the Hot Sands.”

“I hope it is a good omen.”