The Enemies of Vengeance

by P. A Ross

  "It would be good practice for you," he said.

  "Maybe, but I just don't like the taste of it."

  "Suit yourself."

  "When are you going to tell them about your discovery that the Dragan magic is not just inside of us but something we can channel. That it is almost limitless."

  "When the time is right. I don't trust Cyrus. I would not want him to learn this technique, as I fear he would use it against us."

  I nodded in agreement. Cyrus's comments last night suggested there was an ulterior motive at hand. He wasn't really interested in defeating the Turned but only interested in gaining back his rightful position.

  Max came out of the cabin and walked off into the woods, staring up into the starry night sky and the rising full moon. He did not stop to talk to us; he merely waved his hand for us to follow. Rip dunked his cigarette out into his wine, and we walked after Max. As we walked, Rip placed his hand on my shoulder.

  "Remember everything we practised. Tonight you will see a fully powered werewolf. Max is very experienced and very powerful, so it's unlikely that Giles would be able to match this level of power. Battling against Max will be great training for you."

  We followed Max through the tall pine trees, and the moonlight cast a dim light to find our way. Max stomped on ahead, crunching the earth and branches under his feet. We reached the same clearing that we had sparred in earlier in the day. Max stopped and looked up at the full moon shining into our combat circle. Rip took a few steps backwards to the edge of the clearing.

  Max's face began to contort and it looked like he was in pain. He was clenching his teeth and balling his hands into fists. His body tensed up, and he wrapped his arms around himself, with the muscles bulging out of his biceps. He pulled off his t-shirt and kicked off his trousers and boots.

  The bristles on his beard stood on end, as did his eyebrows and hair. His skin turned red as his muscles tensed under the strain. Eventually, he let it explode out, releasing his arms, spreading them wide and throwing his head up into the air to release a bloodcurdling scream.

  Fur erupted all over his body and his jaw extended out, his teeth growing and sharpening. His back legs buckled, and he threw his body forward onto his hands. His hairy arms changed in size and his hands transformed into paws, with big claws jutting through. His back legs lengthened and pushed out the back to form the wolf's hind legs.

  His ears changed to those of a wolf and pushed up to the top of his head. The spine on his back pushed out a hairy tail. As every bone-crunching change occurred, he screamed out until they became a howl.

  He had fully transformed into a werewolf with dark hair and gleaming blood red eyes. He growled at me and stalked around to the side.

  I felt frozen to the spot just as I had done with Giles. The fear coursed through my body, and I relived the moment when Giles bit and clawed into my flesh. My instinct was to run away, but I knew the wolf could catch me in a straight line, and that wasn't the point of the exercise.

  Max stalked around, and I mirrored him, keeping the distance between us.

  "Remember what I taught you. Use your emotions to fuel your power. Whatever you are feeling now is good enough to unlock the doors to your magic."

  I didn't need to worry about trying to find an intense emotion. The fear was intense, even though I knew Max would not hurt me too much. I pictured my sphere of purple magic inside, and I let my intense fear pour into it. My sphere of light expanded at an ever-increasing pace towards the edges of my imagination. I would have to use it as soon as he attacked.

  Max stalked me, growling all the time. I scooped down to the floor, picked up a stone and then threw it at Max's head. He ducked out the way. I followed up with another couple, the final one hitting his head. He coiled back and sprang at me, jaws wide open and claws slashing forwards. I dived to the side and rolled back onto my feet. Max landed on the floor, skidded around and set back after me. I darted off through the trees, zigzagging around them as Max chased. I grabbed hold of a tree trunk to whip around 180 degrees. I darted back in the opposite direction with Max skidding to a halt, twisting around to chase after me again.

  I ran back into the clearing and turned to face him with a massive tree to my back. Max bounded into the clearing and charged at me. I knelt down and waited for his pounce, letting my magic build up and preparing to redirect it to my legs.

  He jumped the final couple yards, and I sprung up into the tree, grabbed the branches and twisted myself up into safety. Max hit the tree head-on, shaking it violently. I managed to hold onto the tree as it rocked back and forth. Max whimpered from the pain and staggered sideways, then walked around in a circle, shaking his head until he was facing the tree once more. He stared up at me, and then barked and growled.

  I guessed it must have hurt hitting the tree. But I was up in its branches and safe. I would just wait in the tree to see what he would do next. He couldn't climb up without turning back to being partly human at least.

  Max scraped the floor with his paws as if he was building up to something. He sat back on his haunches and then ran at the tree and jumped, hitting it full on with his paws. The tree shook again but I held on. But then Max ran around the clearing and jumped back at the tree. This time I heard a crack and the tree began to tilt to one side. My extra weight sent it tumbling over as I tried to clamber further up. I leaped to safety at the last second and hit the ground.

  Before I could get fully up, Max barged me to the floor, sending me bouncing along the ground into the base of another tree. I shook my head and cleared my face of dirt. I looked up and there was a giant werewolf's face in front of mine with jaws wide open. I shuddered backwards and put my hands up to my face to protect myself.

  Max barked at me several times. I took my hands away from my face. He leaped forward and licked my face, covering it in werewolf's saliva.

  I rubbed my face on the sleeve of my shirt, and Max nuzzled my head with his nose. He then turned and ran off through the forest. Rip walked over and held out a hand. I took it and he pulled me up.

  "Are we done? Where is he off to?" I asked Rip.

  "Your training for tonight is complete. You did well in making him hit the tree. You definitely had him dazed and confused. I think you should have followed up on the attack at that point."

  "I wasn't sure how far to take it. I certainly wasn't expecting him to knock the entire tree over."

  "Max is strong. Not sure Giles could have done the same thing. At least you know it's always a possibility. You did well; no one was expecting you to win. It was to get used to fighting a werewolf. After practising against Max at a full moon, you know what to expect and can be prepared if you face Giles again."

  "Where has Max gone now?" I asked, staring out into the darkness, hoping to see him.

  "He is using the advantage of the full moon to scout out the first generation Turned that live in this area. His senses will be enhanced, and he can cover a lot of distance. Hopefully, he will find them, and then tomorrow night we can attack. Let's get back to the cabin. Thorn, Cassius and Cyrus should be working out potential battle plans if we locate the first generation Turned."

  We walked back through the forest towards the cabin. The lights were on and guided us in. We walked up the stairs through the front porch and heard voices coming from the kitchen and smelt fresh coffee. I stopped off in the bathroom and washed my face to clean off the werewolf spit, and then went and joined the rest of them in the kitchen area.

  They stood around the kitchen table with a map on it. Rip was busy pouring himself another glass of red wine while the others stared at each other and then at me as I walked in.

  "How did you get on?" Thorn asked.

  "I survived but got a big face of werewolf's spit. But I did manage to evade him and then got him to bash into a tree. He was definitely dazed for a while, but I didn't think to follow up. But Max won in the end."

  Thorn smiled and uncrossed her arm. "He was bound to win. He's a werewolf after a
ll, and you are not fully transformed yet. There was no real winning or losing tonight, it's just practice."

  "Thank you. Rip, can you pour me a glass of wine as well," I said and headed over to Rip who offered me the glass he had already poured.

  Thorn pointed at the map. "We think they are based here in an old hostel. If it is a first gen Turned, they will have second and third gen Turned guarding them. It will be a hard battle in a confined space."

  "They will sense us and leave before we can get into position," Cassius replied.

  "There isn't enough of us to close in a perimeter line. I suggest one person goes in and forces them out. The others pick them up as they run," Cyrus said.

  I went over to look at the map. "Or, I could draw them out. If I went near, they might detect me as just a human or come after me anyway. It would draw them out of their hideouts and get them to attack me. If I had the formula, I could transform and keep them busy for the rest of you to swoop in."

  "But they would detect us if we were nearby. Nice try boy, but let's leave this one to the adults," Cyrus said and gave me a disgusted look and returned to pointing at the map.

  Thorn glared at him and Cassius raised his eyebrows. Rip walked around to the side of me and took a sip of his red wine. I stared at Cyrus for a moment and drank down my wine in one go and then slammed the empty glass on the table.

  "And that is why you don't come with me. We have this stuff called technology. I press a button on my phone or my GPS receiver watch, and it signals you to my exact point. I know these guys can run pretty fast. Can you keep up with them Cyrus? I should imagine you can, you have been running for long enough."

  Cyrus grabbed the table and flung it over. "How dare you speak to me like that boy? Who on earth do you think you are?"

  "My name is V, for vengeance. And I am the King of the Dragans."

  Thorn went to put her hands between us, but Cyrus pushed them out the way. "You're not my King. Thorn promised herself to me as part of the agreement for my help. I am the rightful King. You have just been a sideshow. A means of keeping the biotech away from the Turned. But you should know your place and shut up."

  I kicked the table back across the room, but Cyrus stopped it with his foot. "You are not the King and will never be the King. Thorn did not promise herself to you. All of this is your fault anyway. You started the Dragan War. You created the first Turned army. You don't deserve to be King or even good enough to lick our boots," I yelled back.

  Thorn pushed me back through the kitchen door and then twisted around to face Cyrus. "I never promised you anything, Cyrus. We had our time together hundreds of years ago and it didn't work. We can share power now for what it's worth, but that does not mean you are my King. I decide who I am with."

  "Just like you decided to be with Rip all those years ago while we were supposed to be trying for a child."

  "Maybe if you'd spent more time with me instead of the twins, then something might have happened. You talk of my affairs, you were no innocent. You groomed my girls under my own roof, and then took them from me and turned them against me. Why can't you understand that you were only King through our union? It didn't mean you were in charge of me."

  "You mean you prefer this half Dragan to a full blood like me."

  "It means I have decided to be with V. It is my choice. We can share power by each taking a different continent to rule. There is plenty of land up for grabs. And very few of us to oppose one another. Why does this even need to be an argument."

  "Fine. Let's forget I even mentioned it," Cyrus said and pulled the table back up and put the map back on it.

  Thorn walked back into the room and went to the bottle of wine for a drink. I stood in the corridor and looked back at Cyrus who grinned at me, then he flung the table to the side, blocking in Thorn and Rip, and then kicked Cassius in the groin and darted towards me. I spun away to run, but he was too fast and grabbed me around the neck and dragged me down the hallway. He kicked the door off its hinges and flung me down the stairs. He jumped down and grabbed my shirt and pulled me through the dirt. He extended a claw and placed it against my neck.

  "Stop fighting, little child. We will settle this like men even if you aren't one."

  Thorn, Rip and Cassius burst through the lodge doorway and ran after us.

  "Leave him alone. I said to drop him now," Thorn shouted.

  Cyrus pulled me up straight and pushed his claw against my neck, allowing a little bit of blood to trickle out. "We will fight for you and for the rightful position of King. Now I want you to all stand well back. If he fights well, I will let him live at least. He can continue to live as my servant. If he wants to be King of the Dragans, then he needs to be able to fight like the King of the Dragans."

  "You harm him, and I will rip you to pieces," Thorn yelled, and her eyes misted blood red and claws appeared at the end of her fingers.

  "I said get back, further back so you can't attack without me killing him first," Cyrus shouted back.

  Rip, Cassius and Thorn all stepped away, and Cyrus kept ushering them backwards. He flung me to the floor. "Now get up and fight me, King of the Dragans."

  I stood up and clenched my fists, and I saw Thorn and the others were far enough away that they could never get him in time. Maybe I could run towards them, I could probably move faster than Cyrus expected. But he was an experienced Dragan. I couldn't be sure I could get away in time.

  "It is tradition for the King of the Dragans to be able to defend themselves. Or to put down any challengers. The first King, Thorn's father, had to battle many opponents. I am simply invoking the right to challenge for the position of King of the Dragans. Thorn, this is my right as another Dragan."

  Thorn shouted back from a distance. "He's not a Dragan at the moment as not completely transformed. You should wait for him to finish his transformations and the war to be finished. We can settle all of this then."

  Cyrus laughed and then spat towards her. "Why should I wait when it is so easy to beat him now? Anyway, you heard him earlier, he pronounced himself as King of the Dragans even in his human form. He is willing to use that title in his human form, then he should be prepared to defend his title in his human form."

  Cyrus held up his fists and faked a punch to my head. I jolted back with my arms up to protect myself, and he laughed at me again. He circled around and dived in with a couple of fake attacks, making me jump back and swing my arms wildly to protect myself. He laughed again and switched directions. He was trying to humiliate me before beating me, so I would never forget what happened and everyone else would always see me as being weak. I had to put on a good show at least.

  I focused on my fear and anger. The intense emotions opened the pathways to the external magic, and it streamed in and engorged my power. I wish I had the vampire formula to bolster my strength. Thorn was carrying one with her, but Cyrus would never let me take it.

  Cyrus jumped in again and faked a punch. This time I didn't move, but he quickly followed up with a real blow to my head, and he spun around with a kick to my side, which sent me crashing to the ground.

  He jumped into the air, leading down with a kick to my head. I twisted back to my feet and lashed out with a front kick to his side, knocking him off his flight path and into a heap on the floor. Thorn cheered and Rip clapped. Cyrus jumped back up, his eyes blood red and fangs jutting out, and he mopped the dirt off his face.

  "You will pay for that."

  "You were already going to make me pay."

  Cyrus sneered back at me. "You're right. This is going to hurt quite a lot. I can't understand how Cassius and Rip could possibly consider you as their King. I don't care what Thorn says, she's just a deluded psycho."

  "You should hear what they say about you!"

  "Very funny. I can guess what they say about me. But I don't care. Just remember, I am only here to regain my power and position. I could care less about the Turned and their motives. They will never be strong enough to completely overthrow th
e humans."

  "You don't understand. They are working with the humans and will try to take over everywhere. Eventually, there will be nowhere left for you to run. If you want to survive, we need to stop them now."

  "I understand fully. But we will stop them with me at the head of our little army. I'm not playing second fiddle to some wannabe."

  Cyrus lunged at me again and hit me on the chin. I was too busy thinking of what to say next. I tripped over backwards onto the pine needle covered ground. Cyrus walked around me, occasionally kicking the dirt at me as if I was something disgusting to cover up.

  He waited until I was back on my feet and had my fists in the guard position, and then he attacked again, pushed my guard out the way and elbowed me across the nose. I dropped to the forest floor once again and put my hand up to my nose. I pulled my blood covered hands back. I focused my magic on my nose to increase the healing ability to stem the flow. While I was checking my nose, he stepped in again and kicked me twice in the ribs. I curled up into a ball, and he kicked me twice on my back and then kicked dirt into my face.

  He shouted to Thorn. "This weak little boy does not deserve to be your king."

  I spun around on the floor and kicked him through the back of his knees, so he upended into the air and landed on his back. The impact of the fall knocked his breath out of him. I rolled on top and punched him in the face, fist after fist. His nose bloodied and my knuckles stung against his face. He bucked his body up and flung me off, and then staggered to his feet, wiping the blood off his face.

  His face contorted and hair stood up as his red eyes darkened and fangs sharpened.

  "You little git. This ends now. Say goodbye to Thorn," Cyrus said and then turned to where Thorn was standing. "Say goodbye to your little boy King, he dies now."

  Thorn dashed across the forest towards us, and Cyrus charged at me. I just needed to survive another attack so Thorn could be here in time to save me. But I suspected Cyrus was going straight for the killing blow. I focused my power to dart to the side and avoid his attack when a black shape charged through the forest from the other side. It hit Cyrus full on and knocked him into a tree.