Tales of the Wolf: Book 01 - The Coming of the Wolf

by A. E. McCullough

  Halting his flight a few hundred feet away, Hawkeye studied the surrounding area.

  The courtyard was constructed of white marble and at each cardinal point the symbol of one of the gods was carved into the marble and overlaid with a black substance. From his vantage point above the courtyard, Hawkeye got the impression of a giant compass while the archway seemed to rotate slowly. At the top of the archway, the circular symbol of the Dhyana blazed with a light of its own.

  As Hawkeye studied the courtyard, he heard a mournful wail from somewhere behind him. Acting on instinct, he spun around and drew his weapons in one fluid motion. Low on the horizon, three large black hounds seemed to be running across the sea headed right toward him.

  Spirit Hounds!

  Anasazi had warned him that nothing forged by mortals could harm them. Additionally, once a Spirit Hound catches the scent of their prey, they never give up the hunt.

  Glancing at his weapons, Hawkeye shrugged his shoulders and put them away. Instinctually he knew they would be useless. Speed would be his only salvation.

  Concentrating on Tatianna’s thread again, he noticed it ran right through the glowing archway. Casting a quick glance at the Spirit Hounds, he noted that they were closing the distance rapidly. Willing himself forward, he flew at a neck-breaking pace while the spirit hounds changed their angle of attack. They were trying to cut him off before he reached his destination. Hawkeye mentally placed the image of Tatianna’s face before him and knew if the Spirit Hounds caught him, then she would be lost forever.

  Willing himself faster, he plunged through the shimmering wall of the archway just as he heard the snap of teeth behind him. There was a flash of light in front of his eyes and the world went black.

  Chapter 15

  Hawkeye studied his surroundings.

  All around him was a blackness so thick it was almost suffocating. Feeling the slightest twinges of panic rising at the bottom of his stomach, Hawkeye forced himself to take ten deep breaths to calm himself. He had always prided himself on his great sense of direction but without the sun, moon or even the ground to base his judgments on, he felt lost. Shrugging his shoulders, he picked a direction at random and willed himself forward. Soon, the blackness began to give way to a pale white light and a heavy mist that swirled all around.

  He found himself standing in some sort of a courtyard in an ancient amphitheater that seemed to be floating on a cloud. One end of the amphitheater was full of white marble statues surrounded by numerous gray pillars. The other end held several tunnels that faded off into the distance and some stone steps leading to a balcony that hung in empty air. Taking a quick glance at the heavens, Hawkeye expected to see stars but found nothing; just the same rolling mist mixed with the surrounding blue and whiteness. The light seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

  Making his way over to the statues, Hawkeye counted twelve of them all in excellent shape and grouped into four different sections. The first section was of three beautiful ladies so similar that they had to be sisters, Hawkeye guessed that these three statues must represent the Moirae, the sisters of Fate: Aurora, Hecate and Luna; the Goddesses of the Morning, Night and the Moon. He also knew these to be the patron goddess of the Elves, Shadow Elves and Highlanders.

  The next three statues were of three brothers. The first two statues were of twins, both short and heavily muscled and depicted making weapons of war. One was bearded and wore his hair waist long; obviously this was Bromios the Thunder God, father of the dwarves. The other was bald and clean-shaven with intricate tattoos covering his exposed skin; Steropes the Destroyer, he was also the father of the gnomes. The third statue was of a slender youth, no more than three feet tall with pointed ears holding a gold coin in his right hand and a lyre in his left. Although Hawkeye had never met a halfling before, he knew this statue must be to their patron god, Hodios the Wayfarer, the errant God of Luck, Mischief, Music and Chance.

  Moving to the third set of statues, Hawkeye looked up at the first one. It was huge. It was nearly fifteen feet tall and depicted an armored joten carrying a massive double-bladed axe. This was obviously Gaul the Lord of the Underworld and the father of the jotens. Next to him was a ten foot tall, heavily muscular man with the head of a bull with large horns, in his hands was a two-handed sword that was as tall as the statue; Minos, the God of Battle and father of the minotaurs. The last statue was of a large centaur with a bow held ready; Cheiron the Archer, God of Nature and patron god of the centaurs.

  Turning to study the last set of statues, a touch of sadness crept over his heart as he gazed on the likenesses of the Lost Gods. They were the original creator gods which were killed during the first war with the Arachne. The first was a tall, extremely handsome human male depicted holding the sun in his right hand, high over his head and carrying a large shield in his left; Hyperion the Sun God, the God of Light, Creation and Guardianship. Next to him was a large statue of a five-headed dragon which Hawkeye recognized her to be Terra the Earth Mother, Goddess of the Elements and mother of all dragons. While the last statue was of a tall, hunched figure in a heavy cloak which hid all signs of gender and facial features so Hawkeye couldn’t tell if it was a male or female, young or old, ugly or beautiful but he knew this must be a statue of Nox the Evil One, Patron of Evil, Hate and Darkness.

  As the mists swirled around him, a gentle breeze rose from his right and carried with it faint voices. The voices were light and musical, seeming to float down out of the heavens. Hawkeye walked slowly around the amphitheater trying to get a bearing on their origin. Glancing up, he spied the floating balcony. Through the swirling mist he could faintly see several figures. From his angle, it seemed to be four figures. He wasn’t positive but it looked as if one was kneeling while the three others seemed to be walking about. Shrugging his shoulders and seeing nowhere else to go, he climbed the steps which led up to the balcony.

  As he crested the top, he saw that he was correct and that one was indeed kneeling and from his position, Hawkeye couldn’t tell anything about her, other than her long scarlet hair. The other three were standing around the kneeling figure, talking to her. They were each tall, slender and incredibly beautiful. One had long flowing black hair and was dressed in a white gossamer silk gown that was very flattering. Another had shoulder length white-silver hair with skin as black as the night sky. She was dressed only in a very revealing black gown and she moved with feline grace. The third was a redhead with sparkling green eyes and dressed in flowing green robes.

  They were perhaps the three most beautiful women Hawkeye had ever seen. He cleared his throat gently. “Excuse me ladies. . .”

  The three ladies drew back revealing the kneeling figure to be Tatianna. Hawkeye rushed forward. “Tatianna!”

  Turning slowly at the sound of her name, Tatianna’s face was void of any emotion while her eyes didn’t show any signs of recognition. They were still the beautiful crystal blue he loved but they didn’t have that spark of life he held so dear. She blankly stared at him for a brief moment before turning back toward the three beautiful ladies.

  Jumping between Tatianna and the three ladies, Hawkeye drew his tomahawk and hunting knife. “Get back!” His voice echoed slightly in the ruined amphitheater.

  Not moving other than to cover their mouths as they giggled. Their eyes lit up with amusement at his behavior. Moments passed before the redhead finally broke the silence.

  Her soft voice was reminiscent of a cool morning breeze. “Well…well. What do we have here my sisters? A brave warrior or a foolish champion?” The redhead pointed at Tatianna, “You would fight us for this mere mortal?”

  “I would! I would fight Minos himself for this lady! Now who are you and what have you done to her?”

  The ebony skinned lady glided forward, circling Hawkeye and Tatianna like prey and spoke softly. “Be careful for what you wish for Kamots Hawkeye, it might come true. Relax brave warrior, we have done nothing to her other than talk. Anything else t
hat has happened to her since her arrival has been her own doing.”

  Hawkeye felt a cold chill run down his spine as the ebony skinned lady gently touched his shoulder.

  He was about to say something as the lady in white with alabaster skin and raven hair moved forward slowly, her arms open. As she spoke, her voice reminded him of a clear mountain stream. “Your weapons are useless here, Kamots Hawkeye. Don’t you know who we are?”

  Hawkeye knew he had heard this last voice somewhere before, he just couldn’t place it at the moment. It was so familiar, it was…

  “You have acted bravely in coming here. I knew you wouldn’t fail me in our time of need.”

  It hit him! He had heard her voice in his prayers and his dreams. This was his goddess, Luna the Lady of the Moon. Dropping to his knees, his weapons fell to the ground, forgotten as he said, “Forgive me my goddess! I was enraged at the thought of losing my love.” Lowering his head, “I ask your forgiveness.”

  The three ladies laughed again. The redhead walked gracefully around Hawkeye. Reaching out, she gently touched his shoulder. In her touch he felt the warming caress of the morning sun. “Yes my beloved sister, I believe you are right. He should be the one to teach our child the ways of the warrior. He is brave and fearless. He would have taken on all of us without thought or concern for himself just to save this mortal. He has my vote. What do you say Hecate?”

  The Mistress of the Night smiled. Hawkeye couldn’t help but get a mental picture of a cat that had cornered its prey, beautiful but deadly. As she spoke, Hawkeye noticed that her voice was cold and void of any emotion. “Yes Aurora. He will do. None of the others in all these years have made it this far. He has my vote.” Turning toward Luna, her voice laced with sarcasm as she asked the obvious question. “Does he meet with your approval?”

  Casting a quick glance and a smile at Hawkeye, she turned back to her sisters. “Yes, he has always been true and brave. He will be a great teacher for our son.” Luna turned back to Hawkeye. “You and Tatianna have passed our tests. The two of you must prepare the Chosen One for his destiny. A great darkness is gathering in the south. Soon it will spread to all of Terreth. Only the Chosen One has the power to turn the tide of battle.”

  Hawkeye stood slowly and replaced his weapons. “What do you mean? What darkness? What can one man do to change the destiny of Terreth?”

  Looking at her sisters, they both nodded. Luna spoke in a low voice. “I will be brief, for your time here is limited but you need to know the whole story.”

  Luna laid her right hand on his chest. As she spoke, Hawkeye could feel the sorrow in her voice while images of the past slowly formed in his head. He realized he was seeing the downfall of Atalanta, the legendary City of the Gods, as it had appeared those many centuries ago.

  “After our first encounter with the Arachne, we thought we had won a great victory by destroying most of them and banishing the rest to another realm of existence, forever freeing the face of Terreth from their evil. But unknown to us, several Arachne had escaped their destruction. These rogue Arachne worked for many hundreds of years in the background, poisoning our followers against us; until the unthinkable happened.”

  “What?” Hawkeye asked boldly.

  “While we had our attention elsewhere, these rogues Arachne were able to free their trapped brethren, bringing them back to our realm until there were literally thousands of them. At first, we didn’t notice. We were too caught up in our own troubles, until the first of the Arachne’s attacks came.”

  Through the magical sight of Luna’s touch, he saw the Arachne with their hideous spider-like forms begin their assault on Atalanta. They came floating down from the sky on strands of webbing; attacking as they came, spitting acid and casting magical bolts of darkness.

  “Their first attack caught us unaware and off guard but we rallied and began our counter-attacks. Initially we were able to hold them off. However, it soon became apparent that they would not give up and in a pure magical contest, aided by their superior numbers, they were more than a match for our powers.” Luna gestured at her sisters and said, “So we came up with the Spell of Binding. A great magical spell that would bind them to a piece of the universe but something went wrong.”

  Stepping up, Aurora laid her left hand on his forehead and took up the story. “Magic here on Terreth is rather simple. All one has to do to cast magic, is access the weave of the universe and manipulate the weave to gain the desired effect. It’s really very simple.”

  Looking into Hawkeye’s eyes, she could tell he really didn’t understand the nature of magic and its relationship to the weave of the universe but she went on anyway.

  “You see, magic is just an extension of the universe. Since, everything was created from the fabric of the universe, then everything is just a smaller part of the universe. If you want something created or changed, you can access ‘the Weave’ of the universe to attain your results. Magic is a way of weaving what you want from something you have. Some people are more attuned to ‘the Weave’ than others.” Pointing at Tatianna, “This accounts for the stronger Spellweavers such as this young elf.”

  Casting a quick glance at Tatianna, Hawkeye felt his heart ache at the sight of her but Aurora didn’t stop in her explanation, so he quickly turned his attention back to her.

  “When we devised the Spell of Binding, we didn’t take into consideration the true nature of the Arachne. They are spinners while we are weavers.”

  Noticing Hawkeye’s blank expression, Aurora elaborated. “In other words, they have the ability to spin or to make from nothing whatever they want. Their style of magic is a bit slower but just as powerful as ours. They had planned long on their revenge. They knew we would try to bind them again or send them to another realm, like we did the first time. In fact, they counted on this.” Aurora gestured at their surroundings. “They used their magic to create a great netlike web, which caught us and drew us into the same realm that we had prepared for them. So, now we are also trapped here.”

  Hecate walked up, placing both of her hands over Hawkeye’s eyes. A slight chill ran up his spine at her touch. “The Arachne have been able to spin a magical portal from this realm. One was able to escape before we noticed. We were able to destroy their portal but given enough time, they will make another and more of the Arachne will be able to escape to Terreth while leaving us trapped in this realm. When there are enough of them, they will attack and conquer all of Terreth.”

  Hecate paused for a moment to let the realization of her statement sink in. Through the magical vision induced by their touch, Hawkeye caught a glimpse of what the future would be like if the Arachne conquered Terreth. It was not a pretty sight.

  Hecate continued, “The one that has escaped has already stirred up the old hatred between the races. She has been working behind the scenes and has been able to influence many smaller kingdoms to the side of evil. There is a great alliance of darkness forming. As you know, the cyclops, shadow elves, gnomes and several packs of the highlanders are now working together. Soon, the trolls, minotaurs and many legions of dragons will join this Dark Alliance.”

  Releasing Hawkeye, the three sisters stepped back. Hawkeye felt the room spin slightly after they released him. Shaking his head to clear it, he focused his attention on Luna who was talking again.

  “We have done what we can to slow down the Arachne. We have blocked or destroyed every portal they have made. But eventually we will miss one. Then, they will be released on Terreth with nobody to stop them.”

  Pausing for a moment, Luna smiled. “All is not lost. While there is breath, there is still hope.” She pointed at Tatianna. “She has been selected to give birth to the Chosen One, the child of prophecy who will break the Spell of Binding and banish the darkness. You have been selected to protect the Chosen One. He must grow up to be a powerful warrior and a great leader of men. For it is his destiny and our hope that he will save Terreth from destruction.”

  Aurora spoke up. “To
help him in his time of need, we have inspired our loyal followers. There are not as many as they once were but if the Chosen One can find our true followers, they will help him in his quest.”

  Flashing him a chilling smile, Hecate the goddess of the night spoke. “Remember the ancient prophecy: When the Darkness returns from whence it was banished and the Gods are helpless to act, look to the north for the Chosen One; a being of no race and all races; part black, part white, a creature of the balance, a true son of the Dhyana. He will lead the Nine against the One in the final battle for the fate of Terreth. For only the Chosen One can unlock the secrets of the past and lead the Nine to victory.”

  Hecate walked up to him and placed her right hand over his heart. There was a slight pain in his chest and a wave of nausea came over him which caused him to drop to his knees. Removing her hand slowly, something flimsy that was grayish-white fluttered in her hand.

  Looking down, Hawkeye was shocked to see a small hole in his chest, right over his heart but no blood flowed from the wound and as he watched the hole slowly closed up and the pain subsided.

  Lifting the piece of Hawkeye’s soul to her lips, Hecate kissed it briefly before passing it to Luna. The goddess of the moon also kissed it before handing it to Aurora. The lady of the morning also kissed it before rolling the soul-piece up until it looked like a worm. Placing it on Tatianna’s belly, Hawkeye was shocked to watch it burrow into her belly until it was gone.