Gauntlet Rite of Ascension

by Marcus Abshire

  I made my way towards the northeastern corner of the Den, passing a large garage filled with dozens of different vehicles. The smell of gasoline and metal filled the garage along with the faint lingering of exhaust fumes. The Den’s property extended for many acres around the building, allowing me to go outside without leaving the compound and getting into trouble.

  I left the Den and entered the dark openness of the night. The fragrant air from the surrounding forest was a refreshing change from the aromas clinging to the cars and trucks parked in the garage. There was a large paved path following the outside wall of the Den. Dotted every few hundred feet were benches facing out towards the trees. My keen vision picked out openings in the forests dense vegetation that indicated a trail winding off into the woods, away from the Den.

  My Beast sensed the nearness of the full moon and a deep and powerful urge to follow the path into the wild and hunt down whatever scent crossed my way tugged at me. I took a deep breath and focused my Beast to give me stealth and speed as I turned from the trees and followed the wall towards the corner of the Den at a silent sprint, cutting the night like a surgeon’s sharpened blade through the pink flesh of a patient’s skin

  The Den was large and a deep and wide river ran through the middle of it. Luckily, I didn’t need to cross the river to get to my destination. I soon came to the corner of the Den and saw a large carving of a wolf standing at the ready on the top of the first level. The wolf was huge, maybe ten feet long and five feet to its shoulder. It stood carved from the same deep purple stone of the Den itself, looking out into the darkness, forever keeping silent watch over the ever changing land.

  The wall itself rose twelve feet and I calmed my breathing and concentrated on my senses, focusing on the environment surrounding me. I felt my awareness expand and let it extend outwards, searching for anyone that might be watching. I felt the ants that ate at an old dying tree, I felt the slight breeze as it swept through the trunks of the forest, I sensed an owl sitting on a branch watching and waiting for its opportunity. I sensed no one else around, I hadn’t been followed.

  I had to climb up the wall to place one of the objects from my jacket in the space between the wolf’s feet. I removed the protective wax paper from the adhesive on the devices back and it stuck to the smooth rock securely. I made sure it faced straight out and flipped a small switch on the back of it. I heard the small buzz of electronics powering up as the camera began to transmit. I hopped back down and looked up seeing if it could easily be spotted. The device sat at the very edge of the wall and only a discerning eye could spot anything wrong. One would almost have to be purposefully looking for it to see its edge.

  Confident in its concealment, I moved on to the next corner and placed another one there. The last two were on the other side of the Den and required I crossed the river to get to them.

  An entrance to the Den broke the smooth wall as I neared the edge of the river, allowing me to get back inside and make my way to the other side of the river. This part of the Den had very high ceilings allowing for a large indoor bridge to span the gap. It arched gracefully over the water and stood there like an ancient overpass, resisting the pull of time and the strength of the raging water. The chamber I was in had high, curved ceilings. The arched rock followed the flow of the river like a tunnel that has been cut by the eroding power of the water. It gave the room a feel of being in a large half filled drainage system.

  I knew it served a purpose, the doors entering this are were made differently than others in the Den. They reminded me of a hatch on a ship; they had handles mounted in the center and on both sides of the door. Their purpose was obvious. When the door was closed, the handles were used to make them water tight in case the river over flowed.

  This engineering attribute got me thinking, if this place was built to withstand a flood that meant there had to be extensive foundation work to make sure the whole thing didn’t float off down the river like a paper boat on a rushing stream. I’d have to ask Abaddon about that later. It seemed to me that having a large expansive underground engineering structure might be worth investigating.

  I walked over the indoor bridge and marveled at the clarity of the water under me. I could see large salmon and trout swimming in the depths of the river, my acute eyesight picking out the fish as they went about their lives, unaware of my presence. The rich smell of the river permeated the air and it gave the whole chamber a moisture and thickness that was not at all unpleasant.

  It was soothing, knowing fresh water was so close at hand. Deep down in the primal part of my brain I associated water with life, having this here, in all its natural beauty gave me a feeling of security that I never had with normal plumbing. Sure, we had water available in an instant at home. All you had to do was turn a knob and water flowed from the sinks, bathroom, washer, dishwasher and refrigerator. The impersonal nature of modern plumbing actually took the awe out of it. I took it for granted, never once realizing how essential it is to modern living.

  I reached the other side and brought myself out of my thoughts, exiting through a door quite similar to the one I entered. Once outside, I again went to each corner of the Den and placed the devices between the wolf’s feet. I only encountered one person and that was from a distance.

  Before I planted the third camera I sent my awareness out, like I did the previous times, and felt someone up on the second level. I felt their power as I sensed the Beast within them. As I encountered them I kept my touch as light as possible, afraid they might be able to feel my questing probe. They stayed outside for a few minutes, then went back inside, seemingly just getting some fresh air.

  Finishing with the fourth camera, I went back inside the Den and started making my way up, towards the arena. I stayed as far from the Hall as possible, wanting to keep my movements hidden from anyone loyal to Vicktor. I knew the Hall took up most of the second level, but there was a series of rooms and passages that circled the Hall, allowing for someone to move from the first level up to the third without entering the Hall. I followed this route, occasionally passing someone in the corridors. Most treated me with indifference, probably because I hadn’t passed the Rite and was considered beneath them. The older types could be rigid in their traditions. Just before entering a stairway that would take me to the third level and the arena I heard a voice come from around the corner that stopped me in my tracks.

  “C’mon, we have to get moving, we don’t have a lot of time before our guest arrives. We need to make sure the cargo is ready. You heard Vicktor, we can’t screw this up, she’ll kill us.” Jameson said in a hushed voice.

  “What about you, too good to get your hands dirty?” A voice I didn’t recognize said.

  “Don’t worry about me you mongrel. My hands drip with the blood of my labors. You should mind your tongue lest I cut it off and use it in my endeavors.” Said another, his voice oozed contempt and unveiled threat. This must be the hooded figure standing behind Vicktor, the sorcerer.

  I heard movement followed by the sound of impact and then a grunt of pain.

  “You should teach your men more respect, if Vicktor didn’t need things to go smoothly, I’d kill you right now. Do you understand?” The sorcerer said.

  Another grunt of pain, then, “Y-Yes, I understand.” The other said, clearly hating every second.

  “Good, now go. There isn’t much time.” The sorcerer ordered.

  I heard Jameson as he walked off with the other guy, laughing, the sounds of their footfalls fading as they got further away. I waited for the sorcerer to leave, listening. After a moment I began to get worried. I knew my proximity to them could easily give me away. All they had to do was detect my scent and investigate, but I was counting on their preoccupation to keep them from noticing me. I also hadn’t been through the hallway they were in. I came from a different path so they would not have passed through my trail. I knew the longer I stayed here the further my presence drifted out, making my mark bigger and bigger, eventually reaching
them and allowing them to detect me. I was gambling on the stillness of the Den to keep my scent from traveling down the hallway. I was sure they never knew I was there, but if the sorcerer hadn’t moved that gave me pause. Maybe I miscalculated and he had noticed my scent, maybe he was waiting for me to leave so that he could track me. If I went up and placed the last device on the antennae array he could follow me and catch me.

  I decided to walk right past him as though I owned the place, I had the right to be here and would act as though I didn’t know he was here, that way we both would know I knew he was there and he knew I was there. Hopefully, he would think nothing of it and go about his business, allowing me to go about mine.

  I walked down the hall and came to the corner, purposefully making no attempt at hiding the sounds of my passing. I was shocked to see he had vanished. He wasn’t there, I could detect the faint traces of his scent, but he seemingly had left without making a single sound. I focused on my senses, seeing if maybe he had used magic to hide himself. I even sent my awareness out tentatively, not wanting to slam into him and give myself away, nothing.

  I toyed with the idea of abandoning placing the receiver/transmitter on the array. If they were up to something, which I thought they were, I had to find out. It sounded like they were getting ready to do something tonight and if I didn’t finish I’d have no way of catching them. I was afraid of getting caught and still didn’t know if the sorcerer had left or was somehow hiding from me, waiting for me to make a mistake.

  I had a choice to make, take the safe road and go back to my room, possibly missing the opportunity to get the evidence needed, or take a chance and place the device not knowing if the sorcerer would be watching.

  My life had long ago ceased to be without risk and my senses and instincts told me I was alone. Making my decision, I turned and went back the way I came, taking extra care to keep my movements silent. I went up the stairs and exited the Den, walking out into the night and the arena.

  I stood and looked around, getting my bearings. The layout of the arena was very similar to modern stadiums. I was in a large area under the seating that let people gather before going up to their seats. In stadiums and arenas around the world this is where the vendors would place themselves, selling food, beer and souvenirs hoping to get people to hand over their money for overpriced merchandise to commemorate the show or game they went to see. Now the place was deserted and the stillness of the area that I always remembered as having a bustling atmosphere seemed eerily daunting.

  I walked through the vendor level and went out a large opening, entering the arena seating. I looked around, easily spotting the large antennae array that shot up from the far end of the arena’s highest level. It was out of place, the arena had the feel and design of ageless strength, while the antennae was a modern scar that appeared weak and fragile compared to the thick power of the architecture surrounding it.

  I quietly and quickly made my way through the seating levels. Going up towards the base of the array I stopped before climbing it. Taking a deep breath and calming my jagged nerves I concentrated and once again sent my awareness out, searching, looking for anyone who may have followed me, anyone who might catch me. I was eased to find no one else near and brought my probe back with a large sigh of relief.

  I easily climbed the metal structure and placed the last piece to my surveillance system on the highest point on the antennae, flipping a switch I activated the transmitter/receiver and climbed back down.

  I was feeling elated, knowing we now had an advantage on our enemies. Strength was important, speed was valuable, but intelligence turned the tide of war. I had just given us a chance at shifting the odds in our favor when a sharp object pressed against my back. My elation quickly turned to dread as I realized in my eagerness to fulfill my task I had let my guard down and allowed someone to sneak up on me and catch me in the act. The dread that threatened to drag me down into the deepest crevice of the earth saw a faint glimmer of hope as I heard a voice that flowed with the melodic tenor of a strong Irish accent say,

  “What the hell were ye doing up there?”

  Chapter 27

  The wind shifted and a recent, but wonderful scent came to me.

  “Eavan?” I asked tentatively, relief filled my voice.

  She must have been just out of my range when I searched and stayed upwind. She was also Ascended and had the ability to hide her movements if she chose, as long as she placed herself in a position to stay concealed.

  “Ye didn’t answer me.” The tip of her sword pressed painfully into my back.

  “Easy, easy.” I pleaded as I raised both hands in the air, showing I held no weapon. I slowly turned around facing her.

  I looked at her and was again struck by her beauty. Her pale skin shone in the deep moonlight as her fiery red hair framed her face. She wore a look of determination and weary mistrust. It hurt to see her look at me like that. I suddenly had an urge to tell her everything so she would stop looking at me with concealed hostility.

  “I said what were ye doing up there?” She brought the sword up to my neck just below my chin, giving me no room for movement.

  “I tell you what, I’ll answer your question if you answer one of mine.” I said.

  “Yer in no position to barter, in case ye haven’t noticed.” She said back, the mistrust faded slightly, replaced by a small trace of amusement.

  “I know you got me by the short hairs. Just humor me, you can always run me through in a second.” I answered, keeping my posture non-threatening.

  She looked at me for a few seconds, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. I could almost see her thoughts as she tried to figure out of I was trying to trick her.

  “Alright, ask me yer question.” She said finally.

  Keeping perfectly still to make sure she didn’t stab me in the throat I asked, “What do you think of Vicktor?”

  “What kind of bone headed question is that?” She answered.

  I kept looking at her openly, trying to show I was completely serious.

  Again she studied me, trying to find a hint of deceit.

  “He’s a pain in the arse. Dangerous aye, he lets the Pack wallow in their Beast’s primal urges, allowing them to engage in hedonistic acts that only fuel the wild nature of their animals. He’s no friend to the O’Sullivan clan, I ken tell ye, if ye try and repeat that to anyone, I’ll cut yer tongue out and feed it to me piggy’s.” She answered.

  It was the last part that convinced me. Anyone can talk about how bad Vicktor is, but only someone who understands how dangerous going against him can be would be worried about making sure he didn’t know. It also showed that maybe there was a chance that she was involved in more than just talking against him; maybe she was prepared to move against him.

  During her answer I pushed the Beast to focus on her words, her breathing and her person as a whole. I looked for anything that would tell me she was deceiving me. My instincts were hit with the powerful and clear understanding that not only did she feel this way; she had deeper emotions that were in line with her words that she kept repressed.

  “I was up there placing a transmitter/receiver on the highest point.” I answered.

  “Why?” She asked, never letting the sword tip waver.

  Her scrutiny intensified as I saw her forehead wrinkle between her eyes in concentration. It was cute.

  “I am monitoring the comings and goings of the Den’s perimeter, seeing if anything untoward is happening.” I said, letting the truth of my answer fill my words.

  “Why?” she asked again.

  Now it came to it, up until this point, I could probably still have kept myself out of serious trouble if it was found that I had placed monitoring equipment on the Den. All that showed was paranoia. Nothing against that, but this next part is where the real threat lay. Once you start accusing the Pack leader of collusion with vampires you really have nowhere to hide.

  I took a deep breath, worried that she might be tricking me some
how, waiting until I reveal my thoughts only to haul me away to Vicktor.

  Only I didn’t think she would, her countenance was one of hostility, but not manipulation. She wasn’t going to turn me in, I don’t know how I knew this I just did. I had a hard time trusting someone just based on a feeling, but trusting your intuition was as big a part of embracing the Beast as being able to shape-shift.

  “Abaddon and I have reason to believe Vicktor is working with vampires, we don’t know why, but hope we can find evidence of what he’s up to with surveillance cameras.” I said, waiting for the hammer to fall.

  She stared at me for a few more seconds before she sheathed her sword and shifted her weight to one leg, placing a hand on her hip; a small mischievous smile grew on her red lips.

  “No shit Sherlock.” She said, smiling broadly.

  My mouth dropped open before I closed it in an audible clack of teeth.

  “You knew?” I asked, stunned.

  “Aye, my papa and Abaddon have been in contact about it. My father tells me everything. Why do ye think we are here so early?” She said.

  “Then why did you treat me like that? Like I was hostile?” I asked.

  “A girl’s gotta have some fun, dontcha think?” Her smile turned from something beautiful to radiant, it lit up her face and momentarily stunned me.

  “Well, shit.” I said, realizing I was the last to know.

  “My father and Abaddon have been arguing about O’Sullivan leaving the Pack to form its own fer hours now, he sent me off to fetch ye.” She told me.

  “Also, if I were ye I’d keep my mouth shut about you know what. The walls tend to have ears around here.” She added.

  “No shit Sherlock.” I said and smiled.

  She met my smile with one of her own, tinged with a glint in her eye that made my face flush.