Zarkon stared forth at a dead landscape, a barren sky filled with violet-grey clouds, trees long dried out yet still standing, their barks pulsating with violet veins.

No grass covered the ash grey ground, dead yet still living with strange movements underneath.

A sensation of dread filled Zarkon as he felt dark eyes watching him from each and every direction, a sense of menacing evil surrounded him.

He had this vision, this dream, many times in the past months.

Yet still he could not understand where this was, what happened here and…what occurred next.

He simply had no words for the sudden appearance of an armada of demons out of the dead forest.

No words to even explain the flash of golden flames which burned them and the forest, suddenly filling the world around him with life and light.

The ground was fresh brown, the grass and leaves bright and flourishing green. The sky itself was blue and shining with its sun at the centre, birds and other winged creatures soaring through peacefully.

Then suddenly, just as every time before, darkness.

Surrounded by pitch black, until a form of gold came into being before him, incomprehensibly massive before his own form it encompassed his sight with a dominating light.

Its wings, spreading far and wide, as if threatening to engulf his world.

Until abruptly the being’s form fell, like a rain of golden sparks, it showered down upon a smaller…dark form, which wasn’t visible before.

Not until the sparks showered down upon it, a similar form to the previous giant, four legs, a long tail, short neck and a snouted head.

Yet, no wings.

The creature raised its featureless dark head as Zarkon noticed it, rising to stare directly at him whilst a golden glow began to radiate out of its body.

Suddenly it opened its eyes, staring deep into Zarkon.

Wide golden eyes with a white iris surrounded by a small tinge of blue, its right eye seemingly injured by three claw marks which also glowed gold.

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Then, a bellow sounded out all around him.

A majestic yet terrifying roar which would’ve made any man tremble, a sound that brought out Zarkon’s primal instincts to run.

Then breathless and covered in a marathon’s worth of sweat, he woke, catching a long intake of air he choked and turned sideways coughing.

Calming himself, Zarkon timed his breathing and gripped his hand with the other as both trembled.

Fear was clear on his face as he turned to look up at Dregar, his second in command, staring at him from beyond the wagon’s curtains.

“It seems the ancestors wish to simply haunt you with this vision, brother.” Dregar mused, opening the curtain just enough to see inside but hide it from anyone else nearby.

“I sometimes wonder the same Dregar, but deep inside I know, they are trying to…tell me something! I just need to figure out what.” Zarkon grumbled, rising out from under the sheets and wiping his sickly body off with a wet cloth which Dregar had prepared.

“I cannot think of anything good coming from the monstrosities you depicted to me from existing in our world.” Dregar added, “Either way, the dream world aside, we’ve set up camp and I’ve begun rallying the fighters. They await your words, Alpha.”

Zarkon nodded and Dregar left, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

You can never put the dream world aside, old friend.

He sighed, grabbing hold of the suit of armor which stood upon a stand in the wagon’s corner.

Dreams are the one thing we cannot avoid.

Beginning to put on his clothes then armor, Zarkon start putting together what might this vision from his forefathers meant…

An ancient evil not lurking but thriving somewhere unknown…A great power cleansing it, a creature I might as well define as a god and…Its disappearance, or maybe fall, maybe death or…descent into a lesser being? The darker creature…A fallen deity? Maybe an offspring? Or worse…A new enemy?

Sighing in defeat once more, and having finished preparing himself, Zarkon walked through the curtains and out into the camp which now lay before him.

His people, his close comrades and old neighbours from his brightplace.

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And before them, a battlefield he had many times fought upon, a battlefield he had almost died on.

It will never end, one day, I will die here.

Zarkon thought, having only ever known war, albeit only being the second Alpha since the freeing of his race.

But are we truly free?...

He pondered, and always has.

For as long as they live… for as long as they pursue us…

Silent, alongside his second hand lycan and a small elite retinue, Alpha Zarkon made his way through the campsite and to the centre where several large bonfires were prepared for the night. Just now lighting up as they noticed his arrival, food which had been cooking also began to be distributed amongst the troops.

Zarkon scanned the thousands of new faces amongst them, a small army of ten thousand strong, but only two thousand trained with the rest being volunteers from Willow Front. He knew around twenty thousand trained soldiers awaited his return at Bleak Moon, and while he had brought with more than he had hoped for…still his hopes for the coming battle were dry of such.

The very thought of hundreds of thousands having retreated to Shallow Creak…denying him aid and support…it only brought down his hopes lower.

I’m leading them to their deaths…

Zarkon thought, as he found himself upon an elevated wooden stand, surrounded by them all as each of their gazes turned to face their peerless leader.

They all must know it, yet still they came, still they chose to follow me. For that, I will give them all the most glorious death.

He inwardly vowed.

Taking hold of a goblet filled with hair, he downed it in one quick movement, before requesting another much to the young boy’s amazement and the troop’s amusement. Gripping his second goblet, Zarkon turned to them all.

“Three days from now, we will arrive at Bleak Moon. You will all be joined by twenty thousand of Luna’s best and most ferocious warriors. Approximately one day later, you will find yourself surrounded by death and destruction. By the ugliest this world has to offer. Perhaps even horrors our dreams cannot outdo.”

Zarkon raised his goblet, letting the moon’s light reflect off of its brass material. “And because of that…To those horrors we go. Towards them we race, to face them. So that our families and kin need not!” Suddenly Zarkon threw his goblet aside and into the nearest bonfire, lighting a bright blaze. “Like a forest fire I need you all to be. A blinding blaze to cleanse our lands from the monstrosities beyond! The torches you wield to keep away the darkness… I need you to wield sword and shield to pierce it now, not to keep it at bay! But to fight the darkness! To slay it alongside its masters! I need you to be the flame, be the torch and light the way for the rest of our world! Or there might forever be darkness evermore.”

Turning to a lit torch by his side, he grasped the tip, snuffing out the light.

“I will not lie to you, the odds are against us…” Then suddenly bellowing out, “But when have they not been!? What are we!? Who are we?! We are slaves no? We freed ourselves of our chains and masters! We pulled away from the whip, grasped it and struck back! We are no beast of burden, we are animals! Free and strong, we are beasts of the forest! Hunters that lurk the night! Underneath our goddess Luna, we are predators that hunt darkness! We who were created by it, we who were brought upon this world as an apocalypse to burn it all…”

Zarkon howled out into the night, joined by many in the crowd around him. “I need you to be that apocalypse! I do not need any mere demilycan! I need the monstrosity which came first! I need you all to be our ancestors! Be not warriors, be blood thirsty beasts of destruction! Be my monsters, be my creatures who slay the night! Be my hunters! Be my sword of flame, so that I can snuff out the shadows! Like the moon, dare to walk into darkness! Dare to surround yourself by it! Dare to thrive albeit it!” He then raised his arms up, fists clenched as his hairs stood on end. “Who are we?” He asked.

And after a brief pause filled with the cold silence of the night, “We, are Lycan.” He said.

And slowly, starting from the front, it began.

“We are Lycan…”

“We are Lycan!”

From whispers, to shouts which filled the night sky, fists shook in the air as the crowd cheered the words.

Zarkon quickly stepped off the stand, taking hold of a large tankard of ale, he walked back up onto the platform shouting, “Let us be the fire which burns the night!” Before raising the small barrel to his face and beginning to down the entire thing, the cheers turning into roars and bellows.

Finishing the entire thing after a few breaths inbetween, Zarkon threw the now empty tankard into the flames too, howling out once again alongside every single Lycan warrior or not around him.

“Enjoy the festivities tonight! Eat! Drink and dance to your heart’s content! For tomorrow we continue our march! Towards the night!” Zarkon exclaimed, and the cheers only grew louder, as suddenly a ragtag band of musicians who had walked up the platform behind him began to play a mixture of stringed instruments and drums, a quick and uplifting tune. A festive song which began the drinking and oddities of Lycan culture such as games of chance and strength amongst the warriors, while the rest ate, chatted or danced about the bonfires.

Walking off from the stand and followed by his retinue, Zarkon greeted many a lycan as they approached him with greetings, questions or simply salutes.

Until, a familiar sight came before him, a beautiful young woman with reptilian parts to her mostly human appearance. Followed by the young Silverhide, the one he knew as Erika Draconia approached him.

“Quite the speech,” She mused, politely bowing in a military style rather than simply saluting, “You bring out a fire from your followers, I understand your kind pursue strength above all but I am also glad to see that character and charisma are still present within their chosen leader.”

Gray behind her seemed to have something to say about her tone and words, but much to his surprise, Zarkon simply laughed. “And you’re quite the blunt one, aren’t you? Do you need something then, friend from another realm? I have many questions of my own yet, I’m afraid this is the only respite we will have, so my own can wait.”

“Hm, several as well, but one is at the forefront of my mind at the moment.” Erika said. “Lano, If he is to be my teacher, then I wish to know more about him.”

“Hah, I would say why not ask himself but…I fear I already know why not.” Zarkon chuckled, “Yes, my oldest friend is quite the mystery himself. Please, this way you two, join me. It’ll be fun revelling in old memories for a time.” Zarkon then led them to a campfire his retainers had prepared and kept clear of others, his retinue surrounding them as the two sat down with Erika and Gray.

Having been brought food and drink, for a moment Zarkon watched his people play and socialize about, before returning to them. “Where to begin then? Elder Lano…” Zarkon chuckled lightly, “It’s been several ages now, since we first met.” Gazing down into the flame as its light glistened against his pale skin, Zarkon reminisced. “It was the final battle, for my people’s freedom…I was just a boy, a trainee not much unlike yourselves. The battle was bloody, and never has it been as so since. A time when Vampire Lords taking to the battlefield was commonplace. We stood little chance but…Then he appeared. A warrior unlike any I’ve ever seen…And at the same time, a terrifying monster.” And so, Zarkon told them of Lano.