With his hammer’s he had constructed from black matter held high above his head, TJ ran straight for Korvo, striking down hard as he approached. Korvo teleported to the side and shoved TJ’s head downward as his hammers sliced through the air and crashed into the ground below. TJ picked them back up and laughed, turning toward Korvo who had summoned a ball of fire from his chest. He threw it at TJ, barely missing his body, but as he flung the fiery mass, TJ tossed his hammer high in the air. As Korvo watched the fireball rolling across the ground, the hammer came smashing down on his head, driving him into the dirt. Korvo pushed the hammer off of him, shook the dizziness from his brain, and climbed to his feet, angrier than ever.
In the distance, the Ravagers began to turn toward TJ and Korvo, watching as their epic battle ensued. Kyo ran to Wagner, healing his wounds, and helping him from the ground. They stood in awe as TJ moved faster than they had ever seen before, dodging Korvo’s advances, and teleporting back and forth across the field. Though Korvo was holding his own, using the powers he had stolen from the pack, his eyes showed worry. Wagner stepped forward, glaring at the two as Korvo used his stolen strength to grab TJ and throw him across the field. TJ landed on his feet, sliding backward through the grass and putting his arm up to release energy, slowing his momentum.
Korvo, knowing this could go on for hours until someone tired, threw back his cloak and transformed into his Ravager. TJ gritted his teeth and shifted to his wolf, as well, giving him an edge to heal faster and move even quicker. The two continued to battle as TJ’s shadow aura moved swiftly around Korvo, slowing him down each time TJ fell to the ground. With a loud growl, Korvo flung his arms down, releasing his gloves back onto his hands. He teleported next to TJ, swiping at him with the sharpened edges of his metal gauntlet. TJ howled loudly but moved faster than the eye could follow, churning the dust in circles around Korvo. He then moved backward, looking over at Wagner and nodding.
Wagner grabbed Kyo and pulled him back to a safe distance. They watched as energy surged through TJ’s body toward his chest. He didn’t know if this would work, but it was worth a try. He pulled the black swirling orb from his heaving upper trunk and held it in his hands. As Korvo regained his footing, the dust falling to the ground, TJ tossed the black hole toward him, watching as it spun in circles and grew larger and larger. The wolves bent down, digging their claws into the dirt to avoid being pulled into the black hole. Korvo looked around not understanding what everyone was doing. Suddenly his feet began to scrape across the grass, and he turned to find himself being sucked into the swirling dark creation.
He growled and whimpered, scratching his claws across the gravelly dirt but couldn’t get ahold of anything solid. Finally, he grasped onto a root and looked over at TJ, chuckling. However, before he could look back, one of his Ravagers lost their footing and went whirling through the air straight toward Korvo and the black hole. He plowed into Korvo sending them both spiraling into the empty darkness.
As Korvo’s screams echoed into the black abyss, TJ clapped his hands together and watched as the hole sealed shut with a crash. Before the shifters could pick themselves up from the ground, the Ravagers were on their feet and heading toward Yasenia. She stopped mid-swing with her massive sword and watched as the snarling beasts trampled in her direction. As they grew closer she could see the wild in their eyes, and she screamed out, putting her arms over her face and dropping her sword to the ground. They grabbed Yasenia and hoisted her high in the air, pausing for a moment to stare at Denise, then turned and ran from the grounds. Denise wiped her blood-stained hands on her pants and shrugged, picking up the sword and examining it.
Denise and Kyra walked over to where Wagner and Kyo stood, joining them to watch TJ standing in the field. TJ stood silent, staring off into the distance, energy dispersing from his body and disappearing into thin air. He took in a deep breath and could feel his powers surging through his veins. It was as if he could feel his ancestor’s Void prowess compiled inside of him. He turned to walk back toward the mansion and stopped when he noticed everyone standing and staring at him. He transformed back into his human and watched as the others followed suit.
“Denise,” TJ said, looking down at her bloody hands. “Where are you injured? Have Kyo fix you up.”
“I’m fine, just had my head cut off and reattached. You know, the norm,” she replied chuckling.
“It was epic,” Kyo added.
TJ half smiled, not understanding fully what happened before he made his way back from the Void Realm. He turned and looked at the setting sun and sighed, thinking about his father. Wagner put his hand on TJ’s shoulder in an attempt to reassure whatever questions he had floating around in his head.
“You think he’s alive?” TJ asked Wagner thinking about what happens when you fall into a black hole.
“Who knows,” Wagner responded, putting his arm around TJ and leading him back toward the mansion. “But at least he is gone, and you are safe. When you feel it is time, you’ll have to tell me where you went.”
“Is it ever a good time to talk about other realms?” TJ replied, looking at Wagner’s confused look.
“Hey, guys, who are they?” Kyo yelled out to TJ and Wagner and turned toward the broken gate.
Walking through the rubble were a large group of cloaked figures. They moved seamlessly, almost as if their feet never touched the ground. Their hands were clasped together in front of them, covered by the long billowing sleeves of their capes. Their faces were human, but TJ knew there was more to them than mere mortality. The one in the front kept her head down, her silvery hair flowing from under her hood, and her cloak a dark red, different from the others. Wagner walked forward and stopped next to Kyo and TJ.
“Those are the Paladins. Stay here,” he said as he walked forward to greet them.
The woman in front put her arm out to the side, stopping the others a few feet behind her. Though her hair was made of shimmering silver strands, her face was youthful and knowing. She smiled slightly at Wagner as she approached.
“Wagner, it’s been many years,” she said with little emotion.
“It has. What can we do for you?” Wagner kept a strong but non-threatening stance as they spoke.
“Look around you, did you think this could happen without our knowledge?” The leading lady looked around the yard, injured wolves peppering the fields, and rubble falling around them. “This cannot go unnoticed.”
“It has been finished. Korvo has been finished,” Wagner responded.
“Has he? And how exactly did that happen?” The woman’s eyes shifted toward TJ, piercing his stare.
“It’s not your concern, just know he is gone,” Wagner said, this time with a more authoritative tone.
“Listen carefully,” the woman said, her stare snapping back to Wagner’s with the sound of his tone of voice. “You have all caused to much trouble. You have battled in broad daylight, and though I know you were not the instigators, the others aren’t here. After your battle at the camp, I knew this had to be stopped. It seems I was a bit too late. You must all leave, immediately or we will come back, and next time it won’t be so cordial.”
“Now hold on, this is my house, my land. You can’t just kick us out,” TJ stepped forward in protest. Wagner put his hand up and glared at TJ, silencing his objections.
“See that it is done,” the woman said, pulling her cape across her and turning. “Oh, and keep your puppies caged, I don’t want to have to put them down.”
Wagner gritted his teeth and clenched his fists but said nothing as the woman joined the others and they moved off of the property and into the streets toward the city. TJ walked slowly to Wagner’s side and stood, understanding that it was not the time for anger or objections. As the last of the cloaked figures disappeared around the corner, Wagner turned to TJ.
“We need a plan,” he said. “If word has reached the Paladins then someone else out there is pulling these strings. They hate us, yes, but they have always let
us fight our own battles.”
“Do we really need to leave? This is my home,” TJ said quietly, thinking of his father.
“If we do, remember that these things are just that, things. You hold the memories and connections of your father in here,” Wagner said tapping TJ in the chest. “What happened while you were gone? Something is different.”
TJ half smiled and looked back out at the city. The moon was low but large and glimmering in the night sky. Kyra, Kyo, and Denise walked forward and joined the two in the yard. They followed TJ’s gaze toward the ominous sky and waited for his response.
“Different isn’t even close,” TJ responded. “But what I do know is regardless of where Korvo disappeared to, this is not the end of this fight.”
A deep howl echoed across the city and into the fields of the mansion. Denise wrapped her arms around her sides, chilled from more than just the night air. The enemies lurking beyond the mansion gates were growing in numbers rapidly, and the wolves were their target.
Chapter 24: This Is My Land
“This is my land,” TJ said angrily, bashing his fists against the solid wood table. “I don’t give a damn who the Paladins think they are; I’m not leaving my home.”
“We can’t take on the Paladins,” Kyra argued. “They are too strong, too old, and wrapped in a history of violence. We will be dead before we even see the silver leave their weapons.”
“I don’t agree,” TJ growled. “What we need to do is get everybody back to good health and find whoever it is that is behind this. The Paladins do not want to face me.”
“I appreciate your valor and confidence,” Wagner said calmly, watching the others discuss the current situation. “But to be fair, you have not seen what these people can do.”
“And they have not seen what I can do,” TJ whispered, staring down the table at Wagner before throwing his hands up in the air and marching out into the yard.
Everybody had come inside to either tend their wounds or get some rest before a decision was made on where they would be heading next. TJ looked around at the rubble, kicking at a piece of wood, and gritting his teeth in frustration. Not only was this his home, but he knew if they left, with nowhere to go, the trouble would just continue to follow them. He didn’t understand why they wouldn’t just stay and face it head on. Running was not in TJ’s vocabulary and after seeing his father in the Void Realm, he was surer than ever that they needed to be around to protect the innocent.
TJ walked across the grass and up the hill to where he had buried his father. He used to find solace there, feeling like his father was with him in that cemetery. But now, after knowing the truth, he knew his father was in the Void Realm, and while he should feel comfort in that thought, it only made him sadder. He needed his father’s advice, but he was in too much of a rush to get back to stop and ask him. TJ knew he made the right choice coming back but tonight, under the full moon with so much facing him and the pack, he just really needed his fatherly wisdom.
“He’s not there,” Wagner said standing behind him.
“I know,” TJ responded, standing and walking over. “He’s in the Void Realm.”
“How do you know about the Void Realm?” Wagner’s face was shocked.
“That’s where I was when I was out,” TJ said shrugging his shoulders. “Dad was there; grandpa was there, my whole family was there.”
“But I thought once you entered you could never leave,” Wagner said with concern.
“There’s a way around everything,” TJ replied chuckling. “I think when I broke through back to this world, I brought a lot of the powers back with me.”
“No, TJ,” Wagner replied, turning toward him. “You always had that power, the Void Realm just helped you realize it, manifest it, and put it to good use.”
Wagner and TJ stood there for a moment staring out over the graves of TJ’s family. As they turned to walk away, TJ put his hand on Wagner’s shoulder and turned him back toward him. Wagner’s face was covered in worry, and TJ needed him to know he understood the gravity of the situation.
“Look, I understand the Paladins are a force. I'm not naïve,” TJ said quietly.
“I’m glad you understand that TJ. It’s important that we keep everyone safe and getting them out of here is the smartest move you can make,” Wagner replied shaking his head.
“Wait, I wasn’t done,” TJ answered. “The Paladins are a force but so are we and with a little work we can be the strongest force on the planet. I’m not stupid, it could get us killed, but running will definitely get us killed. Whatever is chasing us will continue to do so, and there’s nothing more dangerous than being caught in an unfamiliar place with no covering or special weapons.”
“So what is your plan?” Wagner crossed his arms and looked at TJ.
“We rebuild the mansion, heal the sick, and when that is done we start building other training facilities all across the property. We build a real camp, a real place to train, and safe haven for anyone with special powers, wolf or not, that is looking to fight in the resistance,” TJ said with passion. “We don’t lay down and tuck our tail between our legs, we fight back, and we grow. There are other wolves out there looking for a pack, and we need to provide that for them.”
“That’s a tall order young man,” Wagner replied.
“But a smart one,” Kyra said walking toward them.
“And an amazing one,” Kyo responded from behind her.
“So you guys are in? You’ll help me turn this place into a school, a training center, and anything else we need to help others like us?” TJ felt a rush of excitement as he looked around at the others waiting for their responses.
“I’m in man, you know you can count on me,” Kyo said chuckling.
“I’m definitely in,” Kyra said, winking at TJ.
“Wagner?” TJ turned to Wagner and watched as he scratched his chin and thought it over. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
TJ let out a deep breath and hugged Wagner tight. He had really grown close to Wagner over the last several months and he was becoming a strong force in his life. TJ knew with Wagner, Kyo, and Kyra on his side; he couldn’t fail. The four of them turned toward the moon and looked out over the cityscape. Danger lurked through those city walls, but the next time it came calling they would be ready. They would be ready with a pack stronger, faster, and more powerful than anything the world had seen before, and no one was going to stand in their way, not even the Paladins.
Conclusion
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