Ghost Wolf

by Brandon Chen

  “Who are—”

  Beo’s words were cut off as a sword slammed into his chest, pinning him against the ground. Blood splattered on the stone and he gasped, his vision blurring as agony took hold of his body. Then he was still.

  Silence seized the night once more as the cloaked stranger ripped his blade from the man’s body and continued onward into the darkness. The blackness swallowed him as he descended into the catacombs, but he had no need for light. The darkness was where he found comfort; it was where his purpose for existence was forged.

  The figure ambled patiently through the narrow tunnels of Horux’s catacombs, following the sound of Faelen’s furious roars, until he was walking down a long corridor towards the werewolf’s cage.

  Faelen eyed the newcomer curiously and he sniffed the air. “I smell the blood of Beo on you. You killed him?” he said in a surprised tone, standing tall. “Who are you?”

  The man chuckled gently as he reached up and pulled back his hood, revealing his face. He was bald, and had a small, diamond-shaped tattoo seared into his forehead. His eyes were violet, and gleamed so brightly that they shined through the darkness like two miniature suns. “My name is Junko,” he replied, a wicked grin spreading across his lips. “I’ve come to offer you a proposition that you cannot refuse.”

  Faelen narrowed his eyes. “How so?”

  “I work for an organization known as the Bounts. Our goal is to dominate Terrador, and I am interested in recruiting you. You’re strong, stronger than any ordinary man-beast. I will free you from this cell on the condition that you join my cause and infect all of Horux,” Junko said with a sadistic laugh, “bringing anarchy to Escalon’s civilizations.”

  Faelen’s eyes widened with surprise. “You want me to turn all of the humans into werewolves?”

  “Did I stutter?” Junko said with a slight tilt of his head. “Yes, I want you to turn them all into hungry beasts. I’ve done my share of studying werewolves. I know that newly infected werewolves enter a berserk phase where they will slaughter anything that isn’t one of their kind. They lose all sight of whatever humanity they once had and are completely swallowed by the monster that they’ve become. Their human rationality is replaced with beastly instinct, and it just so happens that their instinct is to follow a pack leader.” The Bount pointed his index finger at Faelen and licked his lower lip. “That’s where you come in. You will become the pack leader of Horux and will lead the werewolves across Escalon, where you will conquer the rest of the continent in the name of the Bounts.”

  Faelen raised his eyebrows in surprise, slightly amused at the elaborate plan that Junko had devised. It was a lot to accomplish in exchange for freedom. But after centuries of being stuck behind these silver bars, he was desperate.

  “If you don’t accept my offer, you’ll be stuck here until you starve to death, since I’ve killed the only man with the key to this cage. No one else in Horux has the strength to tear these bars apart as I do,” Junko said. “Or that dark-haired child that was just here will bring back a mob of soldiers that will personally execute you. Either fate is not favorable to you.”

  “I’ll do it,” Faelen growled. “Just get me out of here.”

  Junko smiled at the werewolf. “If you try to betray me, wolf, understand that I will annihilate you without remorse. I don’t have time for silly games.”

  Faelen snorted. “I always honor my accords.”

  The Bount reached outwards and grasped the silver bars. His muscles bulged as he pried them apart with ease, bending the creaking metal with brute strength until there was a wide enough opening for Faelen to fit through.

  The beast leapt through the aperture, adrenaline surging through his veins, filling his body with newfound energy. He bared his fangs and laughed boisterously. “At last … freedom!” he declared exultantly.

  “Once you’ve secured control of Horux and the werewolves, I will return with your next set of instructions. For now, welcome to the Bounts,” Junko said, watching as the beast began to charge through the catacombs, searching for the exit. The Bount smirked, feeling the murderous aura radiating from the monster. “And enjoy your vengeance.”

  The Vile Taste of Vengeance

  Guard Thompson stood watching the unmoving forest from the city walls. He yawned, tired of staring at the same dead woods every night. His eyes felt heavy, and his grip on his iron pike loosened as he felt drowsiness overcoming him. That was when he suddenly heard a rustling sound before him, like a gentle breeze stirring the slender branches of the ebony trees. The soldier snapped to attention as he spotted a black blur scampering across the forest, dashing forth with such speed and agility that the man couldn’t tell what it was.

  The guard’s eyes widened with fear as he took a step backward, reaching to his pockets to pull out some matches. The black blur shot from the forest, rushing towards the base of Horux’s outer walls. Whatever it was, it was approaching the city!

  Guard Thompson’s heart pounded rapidly as he quickly struck the match, creating a tiny fire that he used to light a large torch behind him. It ignited instantly, and the man grabbed the torch, visceral fear and panic seizing control of his mind. He began to sprint along the wall’s walkway, making his way towards a giant, unlit, brazier.

  Scraping sounds shattered the silent night, and the soldier glanced over his shoulder to find a massive beast vaulting over the side of the wall, landing heavily on the walkway behind him. Guard Thompson’s eyes widened in terror as he scrambled forth, realizing the beast that he was dealing with. A werewolf.

  There was no way that he could outrun such an agile beast. Knowing this, the guard pulled back his arm and hurled his torch at the brazier. The brazier burst into flames, filling the night with its brilliant flash. Upon seeing the light, other guards around the perimeter of Horux’s walls began to light their own braziers, warning that there was a dangerous threat invading Horux.

  Before Guard Thompson was able to smile at his own successful throw, he felt a sharp pain in the side of his neck. His eyes bulged with horror as he turned to find that the werewolf was already upon him, sinking its sharp teeth deep into his flesh. Warm blood poured from his gushing wound as he collapsed forward, screaming in anguish. But the beast did not finish him off. Instead, it simply rose to its feet and let out a nefarious chuckle.

  “Be honored. You are my first victim.”

  ***

  Archerus stood in his quiet cell, watching the luminous moon in the distance through the bars of his window. His arms were folded over his chest as he watched the city. Then he suddenly spotted one of the braziers being lit on Horux’s outer walls. Frowning, he put his face closer to the window to get a better look. Within minutes, all of the braziers on the walls were aflame, illuminating the dark night. That could only mean that there was an invasion of some sort, but there had not been an incursion into Horux in decades.

  Suddenly Yuri popped his head in his window and the man yelped, completely startled by the boy’s sudden appearance. He leapt back and then raised his eyebrows when he recognized that it was only the boy. “You climbed up this tower again? Impressive.”

  “You were right about the werewolf,” Yuri said, gripping the metal bars with one hand. Strapped to his back was the sword that he had stolen from Beo. “I explored the catacombs with Asmund and found the beast.”

  “That’s Beo’s sword that you have,” Archerus said observantly. “Did you—”

  “No, I didn’t.” Yuri shook his head. “Look, I don’t have much time. Beo is still alive and once he comes back to the city he’s going to—” He was interrupted by a loud howl that shattered the night, instilling terror in his heart. That can’t be…. The boy could also see the look of fear fixed on Archerus’s face, for he too recognized the origins of that cry.

  “Yuri, behind you!” Archerus yelled.

  Yuri glanced over his shoulder and spotted a werewolf leaping over the rooftops of nearby buildings, quickly converging on his position. Suddenl
y the beast slammed its hind legs into the top of the roof, smashing the floor beneath its feet as it propelled itself hundreds of feet into the air. Like an unstoppable bullet, it soared straight for Yuri, its crazed eyes lacking humanity.

  Yuri grunted and shifted his body to swing out of the way as the werewolf plowed straight through the wall of Archerus’s cell, sending bricks of stone flying in all directions. A cloud of dust swept around the area and Yuri gasped, his right hand grabbing onto a piece of the fractured wall, his body dangling from side of the tower. That was too close.

  “Yuri! Your sword!” Archerus shouted, rushing to the hole in the wall.

  The young man reached to his back, pulling his sword from its strap. He hurled it up to the prisoner, who grabbed the weapon and whirled around to confront the invading beast.

  Yuri hauled himself up into Archerus’s cell and saw that the werewolf was on the far side of the prison’s hallway, having smashed directly through the iron bars that had kept Archerus captive. The beast was on the ground, dazed, but was beginning to stir. But Archerus was not going to give the monster any time to recover.

  The brave man charged forth, jamming his sword downward into the werewolf’s throat, pinning the creature to the ground. Blood spewed from its wound and a sickening, gurgling noise emerged from the creature before it went completely still.

  Yuri stared aghast at the slain werewolf. His bottom lip quivered, his stomach beginning to churn at the sick murder he had just witnessed. But he clenched his jaw tightly, biting back whatever fear he had. This werewolf was not Faelen … that meant that this was someone that had been infected. Beo must’ve released Faelen from his prison. “That bastard … how could he do this?”

  Archerus tore the sword from the werewolf’s corpse and slammed it back into its sheath, handing the weapon back to Yuri. The former prisoner walked to the gaping hole in the tower’s side, gazing over the city, which had already descended into chaos. Shrill screams of agony echoed through the night, coming from all directions, forming a dissonance of anguished cries mixed with the dreadful roars of newly infected werewolves. “Horux is beyond saving, we need to leave. To escape this city alive, we’ll need to board the boats. Running into the forest will be impossible since the werewolves have already overtaken the area near the gates. We would never make it out,” Archerus said, his face composed despite the precarious situation. “The only issue is that the docks are in the Lower District. The infection spreads quickly and I expect by the time we get to the docks either it will be full of panicking citizens trying to escape or it will be overrun by the beasts.”

  “There are more boats behind the royal castle,” Yuri said, swallowing hard. “I can get us aboard. I’m somewhat acquainted with the royal family. I’m sure that they would let us on. But I need to find my family first.”

  “As do I,” Archerus said, turning to Yuri. “We should gather our families and meet at the docks behind the royal castle. If you can indeed get us on a boat, then hopefully we’ll all get out of this mess in one piece.” He walked over to the werewolf’s corpse and bent down, picking up a sword that was sheathed at the creature’s side. It looked like this monster was a guard before he had been transformed.

  The man pulled the sword from its sheath and tested its balance, tossing the weapon from hand to hand. With a fluent whirl, he slid the blade back into its holder. Yuri watched him with admiration. He seemed so calm and relaxed, completely different from when he had been screaming in the pub the previous night.

  “I’ll meet you there,” Yuri said with a nod, beginning to make his way towards the stairs that led down the tower.

  “Yuri,” Archerus called the boy, who halted. “If you do end up encountering werewolves, know that they can only infect you with a bite. That’s how they insert their saliva into your bloodstream. A slash from their claws can certainly rip you in half, but it won’t transform you into one of them. Understand? Avoid getting bitten at all costs.”

  “I understand,” Yuri said.

  “Then good luck to you,” Archerus said with a weary smile. “And thank you for your help.”

  ***

  Yuri dashed through the chaotic streets of Horux. Survivors were either running in terror or attempting to fend off the ferocious beasts, which only resulted in their inevitable deaths. The boy quickly made his way into an alleyway, trying to keep himself hidden. That was when he remembered that Faelen had been able to smell him from an extreme distance. It didn’t matter if they couldn’t see him. These werewolves had enhanced senses, and they would find him.

  The man glanced up and exhaled. Maybe it would be better to take the high ground. If he was going to be hunted down regardless, it was probably better if he was harder to reach.

  Yuri ran three steps up the side of a wall and lashed outwards with his arms, grabbing onto a windowsill. He hauled himself upward and glanced through the window, only to find that there was a werewolf inside. The beast was gnawing on the mutilated corpse of a woman. The monster turned its head and met Yuri’s eyes with its beastly gaze, opening its mouth and allowing the limp body to fall from its mouth to the wooden floor.

  Panic usurped Yuri’s mind and he used his upper strength to leap upwards, grabbing the edge of the roof with his hands. He groaned as he pulled himself upward, breathing heavily. A moment after, the werewolf’s claw smashed through the window beneath him, sending glass spraying into the alleyway.

  Yuri rolled onto the tiled rooftop and reached for the sword on his back, grabbing its handle tightly. He tore the weapon from its sheath and watched in anticipation as the werewolf’s claws slammed into the side of the roof, digging into the clay tiles. The young man grunted as he ripped his sword sideways, cutting off one of the beast’s hands. The beast let out an enraged roar that pierced Yuri’s eardrums, causing him to stumble backwards as the werewolf leapt onto the roof, snarling angrily, blood spewing from the hemorrhaging stub of his right claw.

  The werewolf pounced forward with incredible speed, moving faster than any opponent Yuri had ever encountered. But he anticipated that the beast would leap and had already rolled to the side. The monster smashed into the tiles where Yuri had been only a moment before, snorting as its eyes watched its prey roll away. As soon as Yuri rotated to his feet, his sword came swiping diagonally upwards. The silver blade shredded straight across the creature’s chest, causing blood to fountain out of the beast.

  Yuri winced, realizing that such an attack was surely not enough to kill the beast. However, as he watched, he saw that the werewolf collapsed to the roof, writhing in pain. It began to convulse as smoke drifted from the slash wound, as if its flesh were smoldering. Silver must be what weakens a werewolf. That’s why Faelen was trapped behind those silver bars!

  The young man realized that this was his chance to finish the monster, and he let out a loud cry as he hacked the beast’s head clean off its body with a tremendous swing.

  A pool of crimson liquid formed beneath the beast, running through the cracks of the rooftop tiles. Yuri collapsed to his knees, staring at the werewolf that he had slain. This was the first life that he’d ever taken. He gulped, staring at the corpse of the monster in disgust. Even though it looked like he’d murdered an abomination, he knew that this being had been human only an hour before. Shaking his head, Yuri pushed his distraught thoughts from his mind. I did this in self-defense. This is no time to be sulking. I need to get home. Mom and Han are in danger!

  Yuri looked to the streets and watched the carnage as dozens of werewolves descended from other rooftops upon helpless civilians, slaughtering or infecting them. The werewolves scampered towards crowds of fleeing people, but Yuri noticed they weren’t attacking each other.

  An idea popped into Yuri’s head, but he sure didn’t like it. Looking back to the werewolf corpse beside him, he groaned as he gripped his sword with both hands. He hacked away at the corpse, splattering more blood across the tiles. Reaching down into the puddle of crimson liquid, he began to drench
his hands in the warm blood and rub it along his arms, legs, and face. He even smothered some of the guts onto his shirt and pants.

  If Yuri’s observations were correct, then werewolves used their sense of smell to locate targets that were outside of their line of sight. They could detect the difference between werewolf and human scents and, from what he saw in the streets, the beasts did not attack their own kind.

  By covering himself with werewolf blood, Yuri’s masked scent would not lure any of the monsters to him. Though, if they spotted him, he would still be in trouble.

  Yuri’s nose twitched at the pungent miasma that came from his blood-coated body. He turned back to the streets and saw that the werewolves had finished hunting whatever civilians were on this street. Dozens of mangled corpses lay sprawled across the ground, their bodies practically shredded to pieces from the beasts’ sharp claws. The monsters placed their noses to the ground like hunting dogs, sniffing for several moments. Within seconds, they had located their next targets and sprinted off on all fours, leaving the street completely devoid of life.

  The boy sighed with relief, satisfied that his plan had worked. He slid his sword back into its sheath, watching as the creatures leapt onto the rooftops of buildings. His eyes widened when he realized that the beasts were heading in the direction of his home. “Damn it!” he growled in frustration, breaking into a mad dash across the rooftops.

  Leaping from building to building, he raced forward. He soon saw that the werewolves had already descended upon their next group of targets, who were located on a street near his apartment. Cries of terror and agony echoed in Yuri’s ears and he clenched his jaw, pressing onward as he sprinted in the direction of his home. Mom … Han … please be okay!

  After several minutes of running, Yuri reached the roof across the street from his house, his heart racing. He pressed the soles of his feet against the tiled roof and leapt forward, his arms outstretched. He flew over the alleyway beside his home and used his hands to grab the top of his window, swinging his body into his family’s apartment.