by Brandon Chen
Violet broke the kiss, moving back an inch. “You sound like you’re saying goodbye.”
“Hopefully, I’m not.” Yuri bit his lower lip. “But I wanted to tell you that, just in case.”
The wall of the infirmary suddenly exploded, and several nurses that had yet to vacate the area screamed in horror as a gigantic beast trudged through a gaping hole in the castle. A cloud of dust swept around the triumphant monster as it loomed over the feeble humans fleeing from him. “There you are, Yuri,” the werewolf snarled. “Finally, I get to see the angst in your eyes as I crush the life from you, just as you did to Tanya.”
Yuri shoved Violet out of the way as the werewolf pounced upon him, landing on his chest. The bed crashed to the floor and Yuri grunted, feeling Faelen’s weight bearing down on him. He gritted his teeth as the werewolf leaned down, baring his fangs inches away from Yuri’s face. If he wanted, he could’ve bitten Yuri’s head clean off, but that would’ve been far too easy.
Yuri launched his fist upward into Faelen’s jaw, sending the monster flipping backwards. The Bount landed gracefully on his feet, sliding across the marble floor. He worked his stinging jaw and snarled. “I’ll make you pay for the eternal fate that you’ve condemned me to.”
The boy rose from his destroyed bed, brushing his white hair from his turquoise eyes. His body began to morph, elongating and growing to match Faelen’s size, his fur the color of snow. Flexing his claws, Yuri cracked his neck, feeling stiff after such a prolonged sleep. An ordinary human wouldn’t be able to walk yet, but he wasn’t human. “I didn’t have control of myself,” Yuri said, knowing that the excuse was not enough to justify his actions.
“I know,” Faelen said. “At one point, I too sought power from Malyios. The Oblivion Claws granted me that power, but cursed me with the body of a monstrosity. This is the form I’m forced to wear! And now, because of you, I’m stuck like this forever. Your petty excuse will not save you from my wrath,” he growled. “I am deemed a threat before I even open my mouth to speak. All of these humans, they all fear me. They don’t understand what it’s like to be as misjudged, mistreated, and isolated as I am. That’s why I’ll turn them all into the beasts that terrify them. Then they’ll understand what it’s like to be an abomination!” He glanced at the princess, on the ground several feet away from Yuri. A nefarious grin cracked across his lips. “And I believe I’ve found my next victim.”
Yuri’s body tensed when Faelen dashed across the room. The Ghost Wolf leapt into the werewolf’s path, but the Bount knocked him aside with a hard swing of his arm. The white beast slammed heavily into the wall of the infirmary, shaking the castle. Gasping for air, Yuri slid to the floor. Pieces of the marble wall crumbled onto his shoulders.
He watched with horror as Faelen forced Violet to the ground. The monster leaned downward and sank his teeth into the princess’s neck, biting her gently. Faelen’s fangs could’ve torn her throat wide open with slightly more pressure, but he controlled his urge to murder the delicate woman. Rising from the hyperventilating princess, the werewolf turned and grinned wickedly at Yuri. “Watch powerlessly as the woman you love is torn from your grasp,” he shouted triumphantly. “Feel despair.”
Yuri roared, moving with blinding speed across the infirmary. He struck Faelen in the stomach with a heavy blow, sending the werewolf smashing through several walls, rolling out of the castle and onto the grassy courtyard outside. The Ghost Wolf rushed to Violet’s side, morphing back into his human form. He knelt beside the princess, who was writhing in agony. “Violet,” he whispered, his hands trembling as he reached for her. Already, he could see that the werewolf’s poison was taking hold of her mind. Her eyes had changed from lavender to a beastly orange, and her body convulsed as her bones began elongating.
The boy stared at the suffering princess, shaking his head in disbelief. This can’t be happening. Please … anyone but you. He glanced around the room, looking desperately for anything that might help him. He caught sight of a pistol that was lying on the floor beside his destroyed bed. His nose twitched; he could smell that the gun contained the antidote found within Phoenix Hearts. By the gods, Archerus and the others succeeded!
Yuri scrambled across the room, snatching the Phoenix Cannon from the floor. Holding the metal contraption in his hand, he sprinted back to Violet’s side. The woman’s spine was already beginning to twist as her body stretched, her teeth becoming sharp fangs. “P-Please,” she gasped, shuddering uncontrollably.
Yuri pressed the barrel of the Phoenix Cannon to Violet’s fresh bite wound in her neck. He could only hope the gun would actually work. Fighting Violet was probably the last thing he wanted to do.
Pulling the trigger, he heard a click, then a hiss. A dart shot from the Phoenix Cannon and buried itself in Violet’s flesh, injecting the ruby-colored liquid into her bloodstream. Within moments, the princess’s pain had subsided and she stopped shivering.
Violet gazed up at Yuri wearily, her eyes returning to their normal color. She smiled, exhausted. “Thank you,” she said softly. Her body currently looked human, but Yuri knew that she’d become a werewolf. At least she wouldn’t be mindless, like the savage beasts that now plagued Reidan and Horux. She reached up and brushed some of Yuri’s hair from his eyes. “I don’t mind your change, so hopefully you don’t mind mine.”
Yuri laughed, planting a kiss on her forehead. “Nothing will change the way that I feel about you,” he said, slowly rising to his feet. “Now, stay here. The antidote will take some time to settle into your body, so it’s best for you to rest. I’ll be back once I deal with Faelen,” he said, morphing back into his werewolf form.
Yuri spotted the Oblivion Claws lying on the ground beside Violet. She’d been holding onto them? The Ghost Wolf reached down and picked up the Sacred Treasure, staring at the powerful artifact. I can’t leave this here. Sliding the Oblivion Claws into his pockets, he turned to the gaping hole in the infirmary wall.
“A contraption that can inject the Phoenix Heart’s agent straight into a werewolf’s bloodstream. Your lot has certainly been busy,” Faelen said as Yuri stormed out into the castle’s courtyard. “But you can’t cure every werewolf in Reidan. Your ammunition is limited.”
“Indeed,” Yuri said, knowing that with every passing second, more Iradians were being infected by Faelen’s minions. If too many became infected, there wouldn’t be enough antidotes to cure all of the werewolves. He needed to defeat Faelen swiftly.
Since wielding the Oblivion Claws, Yuri had gotten taller and stronger in his werewolf form. In terms of physical ability, he would’ve been equal to Faelen, had he not been weakened by the coma.
He remembered the magical attacks that Faelen had used to destroy entire buildings back in Horux. A swipe from Faelen’s claws could send forth a projectile of black energy in the form of a crescent slash. It was similar to the ability that Yuri had used when he wielded the Oblivion Claws. Could it be that Faelen somehow could still harness the same power that he’d had when using the Oblivion Claws?
Yuri let out a howl loud enough that it reached the ears of every being in Reidan. The werewolves of the city returned the cry, and Faelen’s eyes widened as the beasts all started to rush towards the castle’s courtyard. The infected monstrosities ignored the fleeing humans of Reidan and sprinted in the direction of the Ghost Wolf’s summon.
“Why are they responding to your call?” Faelen growled, watching as dozens of werewolves scampered into the courtyard. Iradian guards, clearly overwhelmed, ran at the sight of the ferocious beasts. But the creatures posed no threat to the guards. Instead, the army of beasts crowded around Faelen and Yuri, forming a circle around the two werewolves.
“Werewolves look to their strongest as their leader,” Yuri said, tilting his head back as he grinned. “As a Ghost Wolf, they deem me on equal footing with you.” He indicated the patiently waiting werewolves that surrounded them. “Our battle will decide who becomes their leader.”
“That’
s preposterous! I’m the one who turned them into werewolves in the first place!” Faelen barked, snarling at the beasts. “Obey me!” But they did not heed his command; they stared at him and retreated several steps from the enraged Bount. The dark monster glared at Yuri, his face contorted into an angry scowl. “I have to rip you to shreds in front of these mongrels for them to acknowledge me as their ruler? So be it.”
At least the first part of his plan had worked; he’d managed to stop the werewolves from massacring and infecting the rest of Reidan’s citizens. Now Yuri just had to prove that he was stronger than Faelen so they would obey him. Though that was much easier said than done.
Faelen charged towards him, moving as fast as lightning, his image barely visible. The Ghost Wolf grunted as he was tackled backwards, slamming heavily onto the grass. Dirt kicked up into the air as the two creatures struggled for domination, rapidly clawing at each other. Yuri finally managed to drive his legs into Faelen’s chest, propelling the Bount high into the air.
Faelen smashed into the earth, rolling back to his feet. The crowd of werewolves had separated, giving the two potential leaders more room to battle. There was nothing but scorching rage flaring from Faelen, as if he were a roaring conflagration of hate. “You’ve interfered with my plans enough!” he boomed, dashing at his opponent once more.
Yuri swung himself to his feet, raising his fists before him. He jabbed at the werewolf’s face, but the Bount moved his head slightly, narrowly avoiding the fast blow. Faelen sank a punch solidly into Yuri’s stomach, drastically damaging his diaphragm. Another blow met his face, sending him sprawling onto the ground.
Yuri clenched his bloodied teeth, rubbing his aching jaw. Pressing his palms on the ground, he could feel Faelen’s overwhelming presence looming over him. Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just stay down?
He let out a ferocious roar as he swung around, dragging his claws across Faelen’s chest. Blood splattered onto the ground and the Bount let out an agonizing scream, falling to one knee. Yuri rushed at Faelen, taking advantage of the werewolf’s weakened state.
But I can’t. All of the battles that I’ve endured have led to this final fight.
Faelen’s fist flashed upward with blinding speed, slamming into Yuri’s jaw. The Ghost Wolf flipped backward and slammed onto his back, gasping. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth and his ears rang with pain.
The fate of Escalon rests in my hands.
Yuri felt nails digging into the flesh around his ankle and he gritted his teeth, biting back pain. Faelen squeezed Yuri’s leg, rotating his body as he used his titanic strength to swing the Ghost Wolf hundreds of feet into the sky.
Yuri screamed, his arms flailing as he spiraled wildly through the air. The blustering wind rushed into his face, pulling back his cheeks. He grunted as he hit the rooftop of a building, crashing into an abandoned general store. His body rolled off the counter, knocking an amalgam of tools to the floor. Sharp pain erupted through his back and he groaned, dazed, blinking his eyes to clear his vision.
His ears pricked up, hearing werewolves scampering about outside. That meant that Faelen was nearby as well. There was no time to rest.
The door to the shop was ripped off its hinges, and Faelen stormed into the empty store, frowning when he saw that the building was empty. He knew that Yuri had fallen here; there was a gaping hole in the roof to prove it. “Where are you hiding?” he barked, sniffing the air. There was a loud bang as Faelen was struck on the head with a silver pan.
Yuri had popped up from behind the counter, gripping the silver pan tightly by its leather grip. The silver had a harsh effect on Faelen; the werewolf’s flesh sizzled as if he had just been hit by a flaming rock instead of a kitchen utensil. Unfortunately, this was the only silver item in the store that had an actual grip on it, and it didn’t deal enough damage to incapacitate or injure the Bount. If only Yuri had his enchanted sword.
Faelen swung around, jamming his fist into Yuri’s stomach. The Ghost Wolf gasped, lurching forward, feeling as if he would retch. The breath choked out of his lungs and he crumpled to his knees, grabbing his aching stomach. “I find it intriguing that you’re risking your life for the pathetic humans of Escalon,” Faelen growled, rotating and striking Yuri in the face with a powerful kick that sent the beast crashing into a shelf of kitchen appliances. “To them, we’re monsters. Right now, they come to you for help out of desperation, fearing for their survival. But once they no longer have a use for you, you won’t be hailed as a hero. You’ll be cast out as a freak.”
Yuri wheezed, staggering to his feet. He wiped a stream of blood from his nose and yelled as he hurled himself at Faelen. The Bount sliced his arm in an uppercut, striking the white werewolf in the jaw, sending him flipping across the store.
“Everyone will toss you aside like unwanted trash,” Faelen shouted, watching as Yuri rose to his feet once more, his body swaying. “Before long, they’ll lock you behind silver bars and you’ll waste away decades, maybe even centuries, brooding in the claustrophobic isolation of a cell. You want to save a race of arrogant humans that believe that they are the center of the universe! They look down on all other creatures and reject them as outsiders. They judged me without even listening to a word that I had to say! Beings that blindly think they know who someone is merely from their appearance deserve to be turned into the monstrosities that they condemn. There is no room in my heart for mercy for fools.”
Yuri spat blood onto the ground, raising his fists in front of him. “You want to be accepted, right? Well, murdering and infecting the humans of Escalon is not the right path! You need to show them that you deserve their companionship!”
Faelen guffawed, shaking his head at Yuri’s words. “That I deserve their companionship? No human deserves to even stand on the same soil as me. They’re arrogant and cursed by ignorance, never considering the possibility that they’re not this world’s superior race.” He flitted across the store, his claws rending the air at Yuri’s face. “They need to open their eyes to reality!”
The Ghost Wolf ducked the slash and jabbed two quick punches into Faelen’s snout, causing the Bount to stagger back several steps. He twisted his body and focused his power into his left arm as he rocketed a blow straight into Faelen’s cheek, sending the werewolf spinning to the ground. “Not all humans are like that,” Yuri gnarred, flipping into the air as he came crashing down, eager to smash Faelen’s body with a finishing blow.
The ebony werewolf rolled away at the last moment and Yuri’s fist smashed into the store’s floorboards, breaking straight through the wood. He grunted as he pried his claw from the floor and launched his other arm at Faelen, knowing that he needed to maintain momentum in this fight. His eyes widened when his punch was abruptly halted by Faelen’s palm.
Faelen grinned nefariously, his nails digging into the flesh in Yuri’s hand. “But most of them are.” He swiped upwards, unleashing a magical shockwave at the Ghost Wolf that was shaped like an ebon crescent and detonated upon impact. The general store exploded as if it had been full of dynamite, swallowed by a cloud of darkness. Werewolves scattered in an attempt to avoid the flaming debris that rained from the sky.
The weight of collapsed wreckage bore down upon Yuri, whose chest was now seared with a raw wound, his flesh burned from Faelen’s corrupted magic. The Ghost Wolf grunted, squeezing out the remainder of his strength to haul the detritus off his chest. Coughing, he squinted through the cloud of dust that engulfed him. Catching sight of an approaching silhouette, he gritted his teeth, knowing that he was immobilized with half of his body still buried beneath rubble.
Faelen appeared, driving a relentless kick into Yuri’s cheek. The Ghost Wolf’s body twisted as he was propelled from the destroyed shop’s ruins and launched into Reidan’s abandoned streets. Flipping wildly, the werewolf hit the ground hard.
Lying on his stomach, Yuri clenched his jaw tightly, his teeth bloody. He tried to move, but many of his bones were broken. It was a mir
acle that he was still alive. Rivulets of blood streamed down his face, soaking his white fur with the pungent scent of ichor. He could barely open his swollen right eye.
He should’ve been terrified when he felt Faelen’s exultant shadow looming over him. But everything, including his emotions, was numb. Yuri accepted death, knowing that he was currently too weak to defeat Faelen alone.
“So weak,” Faelen said, grabbing Yuri by his skull as he lifted the white werewolf off the ground by his head. The Bount squeezed, feeling the Ghost Wolf writhe in pain before his incredible strength. But instead of crushing Yuri’s cranium, he hurled his enemy across the street, slamming him into the wall of an empty cottage. “How is it that you’ve managed to travel so far in your efforts if you’re this delicate? Are a few attacks all that you can endure? You’re a mouse in lion’s skin, acting all high and mighty, when you’re really just a powerless weakling, accustomed to the taste of failure.”
Yuri groaned, blood dribbling from his lips onto the dirt. He pried himself from the wooden wall of the building, staggering forward. His legs wobbled, barely able to stabilize his body. But he wasn’t standing for long. A backhanded swing from Faelen’s hand sent the Ghost Wolf spinning back to the ground. Wheezing, he pressed his bloody palms into the cracked tiles of the street.
The werewolves gathered around the area, perching themselves on nearby roofs and gathering inside alleyways to witness Yuri’s torment. Most of them had already decided to pledge their allegiance to Faelen, who clearly seemed to be the stronger of the two werewolves. But they stayed, eager to watch the battle’s conclusion.