by Logan Jacobs
“Wow,” Revna breathed as we ventured into the snowy woodland. “That’s fascinating.”
“And still a conundrum to most of us,” Vanessa muttered in a slightly bitter tone.
Before I could say anything, I heard a slight rustle just ahead of us, and when I squinted ahead, I thought I could see something digging into a small pile of leaves. Then a sharp sensation flowed through my body, like a sign that I needed to get closer.
“Look over there,” I said before I pointed ahead. “Do you see something digging into that small pile of leaves?”
“Yes!” Revna gasped with surprise. “That’s a Sciurus… they like to burrow into sleeping Draugrs. Good eye, Cole.”
“Thanks,” I said before I flashed her a smile.
“Now, everyone keep a lookout,” Revna ordered, and her expression and demeanor grew serious. “You never know what could spring out at any second. Cole, let’s get down there and cut the bone off. It does not matter who separates the bone from the body, so I’ll show you how to do it, but I’d like you to watch closely as I do so… just in case you need another new wand someday.”
“Alright, everyone, do as she says,” I commanded as the others pulled out their wands but remained on their bears’ backs.
“Yes, master,” the women responded while Vanessa pursed her lips and nodded.
Together, Revna and I dismounted from our bears and slowly approached the pile of dead and nearly frozen leaves, and when I looked at the wild woman, her face was set in stony concentration as she brushed them away. Then a small, squirrel-like creature sprung away from the foliage and scattered away through the trees in a panic.
As Revna continued to dig out the undead creature, a horrid smell filled the air, and when the wild woman brushed the rest of the debris away, there was a greenish-gray skeleton buried in the snow. Raw, melted skin was peeling off its exposed bones, and its eyes were deadpan and staring up at the sky. Its eyeballs were yellow, bloodshot, and devoid of life, and its jaw hung open as strange-looking insects that were somehow impervious to the cold slithered through its skeletal mouth and nose.
“Oh, Satan,” Akira growled as she pinched her nose. “That smells like shit.”
“I know,” Revna said before she pulled out a knife and cut away at a partly flesh-covered finger. “It’s been rotting for years.”
Nothing happened when she first began to cut at the limb, and the air was still and silent, but then the skeleton’s eyes suddenly glowed a bright shade of lightning-yellow. It quickly widened its jaw and sat up, but before it could snatch at us with its long bony fingers, Circe pointed her wand at its head.
“Fragor!”
The undead creature’s head instantly exploded into bits and pieces, and brain matter flew in all directions before it tumbled back into the snow, now lifeless once more. The women groaned as gore flicked onto their dresses and capes, but Revna received the worst blowback of all.
I brushed a chunk of rotting flesh away from my cheek, and Revna sighed as she glanced down at her blood-splattered furs. It looked like someone had tossed a bowl of raw meat all over her, and it smelled just as terrible.
“Fucking hell,” Vanessa muttered before she wiped flesh off her dress. “I thought it was in hibernation?”
“Sorry,” Circe mumbled as she tucked her wand away. “I just used the first spell I could think of. I think I might have encountered a creature like this before, so the spell might have actually killed it.”
“Well, thank you,” Revna chuckled nervously as she brushed another chunk of the Draugr’s skull away from her eye. “If you had done nothing, it would have snatched the life right out of us. I don’t understand how it happened, though… These things are supposed to remain asleep all winter. They never wake up like that.”
“Maybe Samara is keeping a closer eye on us than we realized,” Vanessa grunted under her breath. “As I’ve said, that fucking bitch has spies everywhere. Now, let’s get a move on. I don’t want to be out here any longer than we need to be.”
“We just need the tooth and the bark now.” Revna nodded before she pulled out her wand. “But first, I need to burn the flesh off this finger because I’m not carrying a putrid bone around. Illuminana!”
The light left the Wicca’s wand, and it quickly traveled up the finger bone and burned the entire limb clean. Then, when the flame died, the bone was white and gleaming, and Revna smiled proudly before she tucked it deep into her furs.
“Now, where would the tooth be?” Vanessa asked in an impatient tone, and her lips were trembling from the cold.
“I’ve read Fenrir teeth are usually deep in caves,” Morgana said as she looked aimlessly around. “Is that true?”
“That’s correct,” Revna replied before she climbed back up on her bear and clicked her tongue to move it forward. “Let’s go. I know where there’s a cave.”
“Wait,” Vesta said as she stepped forward with her wand raised. “There’s no reason for us to go around stinking.”
Then the elven witch murmured an incantation under her breath, and moments later, the Draugr’s gore had vanished from all of our clothing and skin.
“That’s a handy spell. Thanks, Vesta.” I grinned, and the other women muttered their agreements.
“Of course, master,” she purred and winked one of her silver eyes at me.
With that, I mounted my bear again before we ventured deeper into the woodland, and for a few minutes, we traveled in peaceful silence until the former siren’s curiosity got the better of her once more.
“And what is a Fenrir?” Marina asked with furrowed purple eyebrows.
“It’s a type of wolf,” Vanessa said with a long, drawn-out sigh. “Far larger than Isobel and more deadly. Satan, Marina, remind me to give you extra textbooks when we return to Scholomance.”
“Unholy shit,” Marina gasped as she ignored Vanessa’s remark. “How the hell are we going to find one of their teeth? I thought you said this was going to be easy?”
“All we have to do is enter one of their caves and look for a fallen tooth.” Revna shrugged like it was a simple task. “They shed their teeth and grow new ones all the time… err, not to be rude, but may I ask you something, Marina?”
“Sure,” the former siren said as we carried on. “Go ahead. I’m hardly ever offended.”
“You don’t seem to know a lot about magical creatures,” Revna commented in a straight-forward, no-nonsense kind of way. “Is there a reason your knowledge is so limited?”
“I wasn’t always a Wicca,” Marina explained. “In fact, I was only recently turned. Before that, the coven found me in a dark, icy lake where I was kept hostage by a water lord. He was cruel, unfair, and an unbearable master to serve. I hated every day I was with him, and I thought life would always be that way until I was saved.”
“So, wait, what were you?” Revna questioned with pinched eyebrows. “How did you live in the water?”
“I was a siren,” Marina replied. “A creature of the land and sea. Instead of legs, I had a fishtail and a pair of gills behind my ears.”
“Satan,” Revna gasped, and when she turned around, her eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “That’s incredible… I’ve never met a siren before. I haven’t even heard of one. We have other sea creatures such as the Kraken, but they aren’t beautiful beings like yourself.”
“How kind of you--” Marina giggled, but then Vanessa sharply cut in.
“Yes, yes, yes, it’s all fascinating,” she sighed impatiently, “and as much as I hate to interrupt this heartwarming conversation, I need to know if we’re getting any closer. I have a feeling we shouldn’t be out here any longer than we need to be.”
“We are,” Revna said as the bears started to go down a small hill and through a cluster of tightly-knit trees. “See just beyond that tiny peak up there? There is a cave right below it. I know you can’t see it now, but it’s there. Trust me, after three long unforgettable days, I remember almost everything in these woods.�
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We nodded in agreement as we headed up the hill, and when we reached the top of the peak, I squinted my eyes and stared down at the view below us, but I couldn’t see what the wild witch was talking about. I was about to say something, but then I saw a sliver of a gray boulder against a stone wall, and I realized the cave she was referring to was blocked from view.
“Is something covering the cave?” I asked.
“Yes, Fenrirs are very secretive creatures,” Revna explained as we got closer. “They can move rocks with their paws, almost like a human. They’ll even cover up dens they’ve abandoned on the off chance they ever need to return.”
“So intelligent,” Faye murmured with a broad grin and glittering emerald eyes.
“Someone should keep a lookout while I go inside with Revna,” I said as we approached the trapped cave. “But before we do… let me make sure there’s nothing hiding in there.”
“How will you do that?” Revna wondered with a frown
“Easy.” I smiled. “I’ll use the periculum incantation.”
“What’s that?” the wild woman asked as she cocked her head to the side.
“It’s a premonition spell that helps you sense danger before it arrives,” I clarified, “and luckily, it doesn’t require a wand.”
“Wow,” the dark-blonde Wicca murmured, and her silver-blue eyes looked me slowly up and down. “I’ve never heard of that one before. You must be very powerful.”
“Satan, help me,” Vanessa sighed quietly before she rolled her eyes.
“Just watch,” I said before I placed my hand on the freezing rock and closed my eyes.
Periculum.
Suddenly, my mind grew dark, and I could feel my consciousness entering the inside of the cave. Seconds later, I could see the belly of the dank, dark domain. There was ice in every corner, and bones were scattered all along the cave floor, but I didn’t see any giant wolves lurking inside.
“Well?” Vanessa’s voice penetrated my mind. “Is it safe?”
“Yes,” I said after a long moment, and when I pulled my hand away, I returned to the outside of the cave. Then I looked at Revna and nodded at the boulder. “Here, allow me.”
I raised my hand into the air and focused intently on the giant rock that stood in our way. I willed the massive stone to swiftly roll away, and when I felt like my mind was connected with the element, I uttered the incantation.
“Motus!”
The giant rock groaned as it shifted out of the way and tumbled from the mouth’s cave. A cool gust of wind swept past our faces, and even though the presence felt uninviting, I knew it was safe to step inside.
“Come on,” I urged as Revna stood by my side.
“Illuminana,” the dark blonde woman whispered, and when her wand tip glowed, everything I saw in my mind came to life.
While the others kept a lookout, the two of us ventured inside the belly of the cave, and the echoing sound of bones crunching beneath our feet filled the air each time we took a step forward.
“The tooth will probably be merged with the bones,” Revna explained as we looked down at the ground. “It’s like the size of a dagger.”
“Got it,” I said as she waved her wand around, and suddenly, I thought I saw something in the corner, frozen against the wall and stuck in between an icy rib cage. It didn’t take long for me to realize the gleaming, bone-white dagger was a tooth. “Look, Revna! Right there.”
“Great eye!” she praised. “I never would have found it so quickly.”
“Let’s unfreeze it and get out of here,” I proposed.
“Agreed,” Revna said before she waved her fiery wand around the tooth, and soon, the ice around the bones unfroze.
I held out my hands, and when the tooth fell into my palm, I quickly studied its texture. It was almost ten inches long and yellowish-brown in color. There were dents and chips on the point, but it was still sharp as a knife. When I was done, I carefully tucked it into my pocket and cocked my head to the side.
“Let’s go,” I said. “What did you say the last ingredient was?”
“Bare bark,” she replied as we headed out of the cave. “It comes from wood nearly blood-red in color.”
“Did you find it?” Vanessa asked when we emerged from the opening.
“Yes.” I nodded. “We only have one ingredient left.”
“The bark,” the professor said. “Let’s go.”
We clambered back onto our animals, and when the bears headed up another nearby, tree-covered hill, we soon found ourselves surrounded by different colored trees. The bark was a gorgeous blend between mahogany red and deep brown, and I’d never seen such wood before.
“Let’s stop for a moment here,” Revna suggested as she dismounted from her bear. “Once we scrape the bark, we can perform the wand binding ritual.”
“What a lovely color,” Vesta said before she gracefully leaped off her ursa and then gently caressed the tree bark. “What kind of trees are these?”
“They’re called rufus lignum,” the wild witch responded before she turned to face me. “Cole, take out the Fenrir tooth and just gently scrape the bark from the tree.”
“Alright,” I said before I did as she instructed.
“These trees only grow in the north, and they hold significant power,” Revna explained as I shredded the bark with the massive wolf fang. “Not even my wand is made from such a tree, but I knew the moment I saw Cole take out those elders that only he could wield such magic. Only Sigrid and a few others have wands made from rufus lignum because you have to earn it in our village.”
“We’ll need to collect some more wood, correct?” Vanessa asked. “If I remember correctly, wild wand binding requires a small fire to meld the wand together?”
“That’s right.” Revna nodded. “Not a grand one, but make it large enough to burn the entire bone.”
“Faye, Akira,” Vanessa said in a commanding tone. “Gather some wood and be quick about it. Don’t wander too far.”
“Yes, Professor,” the two women answered before they headed off to collect firewood.
Once I finished scraping the bark from the tree, Revna kneeled in the snow and pulled out the finger bone. Faye and Akira quickly returned with enough wood and leaves to build a small fire, and once they piled everything together, Revna beckoned for me to come closer.
“Do you have a bonded blade with you?” the wild woman asked as her bright eyes intently studied my face.
“Yes,” I answered without breaking eye contact with her.
“Pull it out,” she ordered, “and then cut into your skin.”
Without hesitation, I retrieved my weapon and swiftly slit into my palm. Hot, sticky blood dripped down my wrist, and as soon as Revna saw the wound, she nodded in my direction.
“Now what?” I asked.
“Let the blood drip into the flames,” she instructed. “Then close your eyes and repeat after me… Satanas accipere alienum in sanguine meo.”
“Satanas accipere alienum in sanguine meo,” I repeated once my eyes were shut, and to my surprise, my voice came out like an echo.
“Hac obligatione animam capit,” Revna continued.
“Hac obligatione animam capit,” I said, and a sharp gust of wind swept across my face and sent thousands of shivers down my spine.
“Ask for permission to use Satan’s glory,” she finished. “Then open your eyes.”
“Allow me to wield your unblessed power!” I yelled, and as I opened my eyes, the fire exploded into sparks of vibrant green embers.
Revna quickly tossed the bone into the fire when the flames shifted color, and the pieces of bark followed. Then we watched with fascination as the bark stuck onto the bone and merged together to form a beautiful and expertly fashioned wand.
When the fire died, I reached down to pick up my new wand, and it was ice cold. It was a simple weapon, but the wood shone so brilliantly and beautifully under the pale sunlight, I felt like I was carrying pure gold. I could still
feel the texture of the bone under my fingertips, but it was smooth as silk and light as a feather.
“It’s beautiful, master,” Vesta purred from behind me.
“She’s right,” Morgana added. “It’s absolutely stunning.”
“May I add something to it?” Revna asked with her hand extended.
“Sure,” I said before I handed it over to the bright-eyed woman.
We watched as Revna took the Fenrir tooth and carefully carved the letter ‘C’ in the thicker part of the wand. She then tucked the tooth back into her furs and passed the wand back to me.
“Just a personal touch.” She smiled.
“Thank you, it’s--” I started, but then a sudden howl cut into the air and made all of us go dead quiet.
“Was that…?” Circe started with wide, serpentine eyes.
“Yes,” Vanessa said, and her face grew two shades paler than usual. “Fenrirs, and it sounds like it’s a pack of them… heading right this way.”
Chapter 6
“Everyone, gather in a circle!” I commanded. “Tell your ursas to form a barrier around us. Now!”
Everyone did as I ordered, and even Vanessa didn’t argue as we urged the bears to form a protective barricade around us. When the fierce howls and deep, hungry growls grew louder and more demanding, we pulled our wands out and stood our ground as we waited for the wolves to show themselves. I knew, just by instinct, there was no way to outrun them with the bears, but then I did wonder if we could simply shadow-port ourselves back to the village.
“Revna!” I called out, and the wild woman spun around to look at me with raised eyebrows. “I can transport us back to the village to avoid a bloodbath--”
“No!” she begged, and everyone turned to look at her like she was mad. “Please, help me wipe them out, or at least kill as many as you can. They haunt the outskirts of the village and have been known to kill hunters. We’ve tried to kill them with our weapons and magic, but they weren’t powerful enough.”
“You failed to mention that little bit of information,” Akira growled as her black eyes wandered around the forest.