by Brandon Chen
Yuri sensed a flicker of movement in front of him and instinctively slashed outward. Blood splattered onto his face, and his eyes widened as he saw Violet fall, clutching her eye. The princess struck the ground, gasping in agony as crimson liquid oozed through the cracks of her fingers.
The rage drained from Yuri, replaced by disbelief of what he had done. He’d harmed the woman that he loved, the woman that had cared for him even when things seemed hopeless. They’d made sacrifices for each other, and Yuri had betrayed her.
For that moment, Yuri no longer cared for power, and without that hunger, the Oblivion Claws reverted to their original form of ebony gloves. The boy’s eyes returned to their turquoise color, gleaming with tears. Releasing Faelen, he fiercely tore off the Sacred Treasure and threw the gloves to the floor, quickly rushing to Violet’s side.
“No, no, no, no! I … didn’t mean for this to happen,” he whispered, holding the princess’s limp body in his arms. She was unconscious, blood gushing from her eye. The Ghost Wolf’s lips quivered as he desperately looked around for something to bandage her with. He needed to stop the bleeding!
The warehouse was empty of all but the unmoving body of Faelen. It reminded him of the last time he’d been in an empty warehouse, just like this one, back in Horux. In both instances, he’d lost control.
Biting his lip, he reached to pick Violet up in his arms and carry her away. He knew that it was foolish to leave a threat like Faelen alone, but he didn’t care. Violet needed to be treated immediately.
A black raven dove through the hole in the warehouse, swiftly landing beside Violet’s body, startling Yuri. He cringed as the animal transformed into a tall humanoid. Moriaki.
The druid said nothing as he knelt beside the injured princess’s body, extending his hand over the hemorrhaging wound ripped across the right side of her face. The elf’s hand glowed with green energy, emitting healing magic. The deep gash sealed itself within seconds, and the blood stopped flowing, but there was a stretching scar that traveled from Violet’s lower cheekbone, across her eye, and up to the top of her forehead.
Yuri was relieved that Violet was healed, but felt an overwhelming sense of guilt as he stared at the mutilated face of his love. He’d done that; he’d been the one to disfigure her. He closed his eyes, devoured by grief.
Moriaki looked at the Oblivion Claws, which lay on the floor. “She’ll be blind in her right eye, and she’ll have a nasty scar,” he said. “But she’ll live.” The elf stood, nodding to Faelen’s unconscious body. “I’m surprised that you managed to halt Faelen’s invasion all on your own. You defeated a Bount, and there’s an army of obedient werewolves just outside this warehouse, awaiting your commands. You’ve saved Escalon, Yuri. You halted the infection before it became inexorable. That’s a true feat.”
Yuri lowered his head, his lower lip quivering. He felt like bawling like a child. “I didn’t do it on my own,” he murmured, his gaze wandering to the cursed gloves on the floor. His hands quavered, curling into clenched fists. “Without the Oblivion Claws, Faelen would’ve killed me long ago.”
Moriaki nodded, looking at the scar on Violet’s face, now realizing what had happened. “That Sacred Treasure warps the mind, granting its wielder immeasurable power at a terrible price,” he said, reassuringly placing his hand on Yuri’s shoulder. “I know that you won’t believe me, but you ought to know that Violet’s injury isn’t your fault.”
Tears now streaked freely down Yuri’s cheeks and he sniffed, bowing his head. That’s what everyone kept saying — that it wasn’t his fault, that the outcome was unchangeable. But he didn’t believe that. There was always something that he could’ve done differently with each action that he’d chosen. Unfortunately, he’d made mistake after mistake. His blunders had caused many people to suffer.
The boy’s eyes widened as the old druid embraced him tightly, surprised by the warmth he felt from the elf. “It’s okay to be distraught. There’s no point in hiding it,” Moriaki said gently. “But know this. Zylon and his forces are successfully retaking Horux as we speak. None of this would’ve been possible without you. You helped the Iradian party get through Lichholme, and you saved Escalon’s last practitioner in gnomish engineering from Malyssa’s army of vampires. We never would’ve been able to create the Phoenix Cannons without you. And now you’ve stopped Faelen, the werewolf that threatened the wellbeing of everyone in Escalon.” The elf grinned, the first time that he’d smiled so broadly in centuries. “Regardless of what you think of yourself, Yuri, you’ve saved millions. You’re a hero. Never forget that.”
Yuri leaned forward and pressed his face against the druid’s robe, sobbing freely. He released all of his frustration, sorrow, and regret, crying harder than he had since his family’s death. Moriaki held Yuri as tightly as a father would his son, patting the boy’s back to comfort him.
“When you’re ready, I’ll take you home,” Moriaki said, pulling back from the embrace as he looked at Violet. “Both of you.”
The King of Horux
Yuri walked out of the warehouse with Violet in his arms, standing tall before an army of obedient werewolves. Behind him was Moriaki, whose gaze shifted nervously at the myriad of beasts, unused to seeing so many of them as allies.
Yuri’s body shifted into its gigantic werewolf form, towering over his subordinate creatures. The beasts gave obeisance to their new leader, bowing their heads to the ground, pledging fealty to the strongest werewolf. The Ghost Wolf stole a glance at Faelen, who was now awake. The Bount, with most of his bones broken, was still unable to move.
A simple nod from Yuri was enough to command three werewolves to rush into the warehouse and lift up Faelen, bringing the injured beast with the Ghost Wolf as he walked.
“You’re not going to kill me?” Faelen said, his eyes filled with shock. He bared his fangs at Yuri, who didn’t even look at him. “I caused you so much suffering! How could you just let me live? I am responsible for the death of your family and your best friend, and the destruction of your city! Do you not realize—”
“I know,” Yuri said, his words filled with such power that the Faelen was silenced immediately. “But I understand why you were angry. To feel neglected by everyone in the world, to be treated like an outcast and abomination, that’s something that no one wants to feel. That’s why I’m taking you to Horux, a city reborn.”
“What do you mean?” the Bount said, frowning.
“Most of the werewolves in Horux will be cleansed,” Yuri explained as he strolled through the destroyed streets of Reidan, trailed by his army of beasts. “They’ll be rational, like you and I. And I would welcome you there, where you will be surrounded by a community of beings that will finally accept you. They will not jail you as the founders of Horux did. They will not condemn, disrespect, punish, or scorn you for your appearance. This is a second chance for you, Faelen. Will you accept it?”
Faelen stared at Yuri, disbelieving the nonsense that he was hearing. This boy was willing to trust him, after all he’d done? “How do you know that I won’t try and wreak havoc as I’ve done here?”
“I don’t,” Yuri said honestly. “But you don’t have a reason to. After all, this is your wish, isn’t it? To live amongst others like you?”
The Bount lowered his gaze, his injured limbs drooping as Yuri’s werewolves carried him through the streets. Faelen had never met anyone as genuinely compassionate as this. A weary smile appeared upon his lips and he bowed his head in defeat. “You really are something,” he murmured. “Why are you doing this?”
“I would like to say that it’s from the goodness of my heart,” the Ghost Wolf said with a chuckle. “But in reality, I feel guilty that I heartlessly murdered Tanya and stole your one chance to become human again. I don’t think you’re nefarious, Faelen. You’re just misled. Perhaps an era of harmony will set you on the right path again, as you once were with Yazmine and your grandmother.”
Faelen’s eyes widened at the mention of th
e two people he’d loved most. He’d cast them into the back of his mind, locking his memories of them away in a mental vault. Lowering his head, he remembered.
Recollections of times that he’d spent with his beloved Yazmine and occasions when he’d stay up all night to talk to his grandmother flooded into his mind. His eyes filled with fresh tears. Suddenly, his arms and legs began to shorten, his body altering and condensing in size. His fangs became ordinary teeth, and his blazing red eyes became cerulean. For the first time in centuries, since Malyios had condemned him to an eternity as a monstrosity, he took the form of a human.
The man stared down at his broken limbs, not caring about how hideously injured he was. He could finally see past his ebony hair. He had a beard and normal teeth. His fingernails weren’t claws honed to rip victims in half, and he was no longer hunched by his arched, werewolf spine. “I … how?” he whispered, his lips twitching with incredulity. “For so long, I’ve searched for a way to change forms. I thought that I’d rummaged through my entire mind for my trigger. Why now?”
“Love and acceptance,” Yuri said, grinning at Faelen. “Those feelings that you sealed away hundreds of years ago. Together they are your trigger.”
Faelen bit his lower lip, recalling the wonderful times that he’d spent with Yazmine and his grandmother. He wept, realizing how much he missed them. To avoid affliction, he’d forcefully forgotten them. Since he’d become a werewolf, all that he’d felt was rage, frustration, and hatred. This throbbing feeling in his heart, the tingling sensations of love and acceptance — it had been centuries since he’d felt like this. The man’s tears dripped onto the fur of the werewolves that carried him, but the beasts did not react. A grateful smile spread across his lips as he sniffed. “Thank you.”
***
By the time Yuri led his army of beasts to Horux, Zylon’s troops had already conquered the city. Most of the werewolves that had been under Faelen’s command were cured of their bestial ways. Only a handful had been killed.
Upon their arrival, the Ghost Wolf ordered his werewolves to stay calm in the presence of the Iradian army, and they obeyed. All of them were then injected with antidotes fired from the Phoenix Cannons, restoring their rational minds. Underneath Yuri, Zylon, and Moriaki’s supervision, the cured werewolves began to rebuild their wounded city.
A day after Yuri’s return, the legendary Ghost Wolf stood outside of the great walls of Horux. Behind him stood Moriaki. Zylon was in the city, monitoring Faelen closely as the werewolf assisted with reconstructing the wounded city.
The immortal, along with many Iradians, had been against Yuri’s decision to spare the old Bount. Zylon was even more surprised when the Ghost Wolf requested that Moriaki mend Faelen’s shattered bones. However, out of respect for Yuri, the magician honored the young man’s decision. Though he decided to keep a close watch on Faelen for the time being.
“Faelen and I made an accord,” Yuri said to Moriaki as the two heroes stood alone on the soft dirt outside of the city, watching the empty road. “I believe that he will stay true to his word.”
“His emotions clouded his judgment when he broke the accord that he’d made with Zylon. That is why Zylon is so worried that Faelen might do the same to you,” Moriaki said with a slight smile. “Though I agree with you. I no longer sense such senseless rage dominating him. He seems to get along with the other werewolves so far, but perhaps it’s too early to tell.”
“Perhaps,” Yuri said, reaching into the pockets of his black cloak. He pulled out the Oblivion Claws. “Moriaki, I know that you’ve done many favors for me already, and I don’t want to ask any more of you. But I was wondering—”
“You need not feel guilty about asking favors,” the druid said with a hearty chuckle.
Yuri grinned and respectfully bowed to the elf, holding out the cursed gloves. “As the Druid of the North, I hoped you would be willing to safeguard this Sacred Treasure. I fear that its terrible power might one day fall into the wrong hands. It cannot stay in Horux.”
The druid nodded in agreement. “That it cannot.” He reached out and grasped the gloves in one hand, gripping his staff in the other. “I will hold onto the Oblivion Claws until you are ready to wield them.”
The young man blinked. “I don’t believe I will ever be ready,” he admitted. “The Oblivion Claws feed off its wielder’s desire for power. No matter what, I feel that I will always subconsciously hunger for more strength.” He smirked at the elf. “But maybe there will come a day when I truly am worthy of wielding it.”
Moriaki tucked the gloves into his robe, patting Yuri on the shoulder. “I believe that day will come a lot sooner than you think,” he said, nodding towards the road. “Ah, our friends are finally here.”
Yuri turned, spotting them. A large group of Horuxian refugees from Teolan were being led down the road by a handful of cloaked riders. Archerus rode in the lead, a broad smile upon his face as he gazed upon his old home. The warrior waved to Yuri.
Noah rode to the leader’s left, his attention focused on a massive tome. The magician glanced up and saw Yuri, smiling slightly. He adjusted his glasses with a poke and then gave a nod of acknowledgement before returning to his reading.
To Archerus’s right was Lena and Terias. The knight and engineer were discussing something, so deep in conversation that they hardly noticed they were approaching Horux.
The group halted before Horux’s champion, and Archerus dismounted his horse first, followed by Lena, Terias, and Noah. “We heard about what you did with Faelen,” Archerus said with a smile. He reached out and clamped his hand on Yuri’s shoulder. “No matter what anyone says, I support you. I know you have your reasons.”
“Thank you.” Yuri smiled, embracing his friend tightly. He flinched when he felt a heavy thud on his back. Turning, he saw that Terias had wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Eh?”
“They’re calling you the Ghost Wolf of Terrador now! Hero of Escalon and Champion of Horux!” Terias said with smirk. “Word travels fast, and it’s only been a couple days since you saved Escalon.”
“We saved Escalon,” Yuri corrected, rubbing the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed. “Though I didn’t know that people were calling me that.”
“They are,” Moriaki confirmed, trying to hide his words with a cough.
“How’d you manage to defeat the great Faelen? If he got past my father, then he must be very powerful,” Noah said, lowering his book.
“Yeah, I want to hear this!” Lena exclaimed, sounding like an excited child.
Yuri blinked, feeling overwhelmed for a moment. Then he smiled, looking past his friends to the sea of refugees. People craned their necks to get a glimpse of the man that had halted the werewolf infection. He waved for his friends to follow him through the gates of Horux. “You all must be exhausted from your travels. Let’s get everyone settled in, and then we will share tales. I want to hear all about yours as well.”
***
The Horuxian refugees were initially terrified of living amongst werewolves. But after several days, they began to realize that the beasts were really no different than other humans. They even came to accept Faelen. The werewolf worked hard to rebuild homes and perform favors for anyone in need, trying to redeem himself in the eyes of the people. And it was working.
As the months went by, Horux developed further. Archerus started a class in Horux to teach new werewolves how to control their enhanced senses and abilities. Lena, Noah, Terias, Faelen, Zylon, and thousands of civilians worked together to mend the city’s infrastructure. Moriaki had returned to his home in the woods, now that balance had been restored within Escalon.
When Yuri wasn’t helping to rebuild the city, he was at Violet’s bedside as she recovered. He hadn’t been able to forgive himself for hurting the one he loved. The scar across the right side of the princess’s face constantly reminded him of his crime. Even when Violet told him that she forgave him, and that she only wanted to move forward, he didn’t fee
l any better. There was still a knot in his stomach, twisting painfully at the thought of the pain that he’d caused.
The Ghost Wolf and Horux’s princess stood on the balcony of Violet’s royal chamber, overlooking the healing city in the distance. More homes were being built in the Noble District, housing for the Iradians that were forced to leave their home once they became werewolves. Because they were no longer human, they knew that they had to migrate to a place where there were others like them. A place like Horux.
Yuri still wore the red scarf that Violet had given him at the beginning of their journey, fingering the cloth with one hand, his other hand on the marble railing. He felt soft fingers interlacing with his and turned to his dearly loved partner. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand, and together they gazed upon a monumental statue of the Ghost Wolf that had been built in his honor. Two other statues were built in the city. In the trade district was one of Zylon, the immortal who bravely led the Iradian forces to retake Horux. In the Lower District was one of Archerus, who facilitated the creation of the Phoenix Cannons that had saved the werewolves from their bestial ways.
“Things are changing,” Yuri said, gently kissing Violet’s forehead. “I wonder what’s in store for the future of this city.” The king and queen of Horux had returned to their thrones upon their return from Teolan. They seemed unsure of how they should lead a city of both werewolves and humans. Often, they consulted Yuri and Archerus, since they understood the people, both human and beast.
There was a knock, and Yuri turned as Terias opened the door to the chambers for the king and queen of Horux. The royal pair ambled into the room and Yuri immediately gave obeisance, in reverence to his lords. “I-I was not expecting you,” he said, blushing slightly. He’d never kissed Violet in front of her parents before, and he knew that they’d seen him.