by Alexia Purdy
***
There were others I could have called to the cause, but I didn’t have time to negotiate with the pit masters at the moment. There were warriors all over Temple who’d fought alongside me and now sat in my gym chatting the morning away as we waited for the stragglers to arrive. Everyone had jumped at my request for help, and all were trained warriors, hardened by the very same pit that had forged me.
“All right, people,” Jason’s voice boomed across the crowd. “Let’s get this started!” They were my friends, but he was my second-in-command for a reason. I was the strategic observer, always planning, always evaluating situations to the best of my ability. He was the voice of the campaign, the motivator and drill sergeant. Under him were his ranking officers chosen for specific purposes. The leaders were all MarkTier, but the crowd before us was a mixture of people from ArcKnight to MarkTier to just plain citizens of Temple. All were shifters of some sort, but only the wolves could belong to the royal packs.
“The KelHans were banished from our pack for a good reason. The archives state they violated a peace agreement with the MarkTiers. They stole magic that shouldn’t have been theirs from the local magi and used it for their own devices. Unfortunately for them, the use of such magic came with a curse that affected their entire pack.
“This curse inhibits their transformation to wolves during the daylight hours and freezes them into stone. They usually take refuge on the edges of buildings, high above the streets, where no harm can come to them as they rest, encased in stone. During the night, they are free to roam as grotesque flying monsters.”
“Whoa—wait,” someone said. “They’re gargoyle shifters?”
The crowd erupted in a rush of shocked whispers.
“Yes. They’re wolf-gargoyle shifters now. The question is, why would they return now? Ephrem and I speculate they are here for vengeance, but they have no real advantage with the weakness the curse provides. On the other hand,” Jason exhaled slowly, his face already projecting the bad news to come. “We can’t confirm it, but we have reason to suspect the fog they have been creating near the edges of town is just a taste of what’s to come.”
The heads bobbed in agreement. The fog hadn’t been an isolated phenomenon near the park. We’d learned that it had been spotted in all the forests surrounding Temple. It was this that brought the next concern up.
“We believe the fog will stretch over the city when they strike. It will block out the light of the sun to make the area an eternal night. With the sun gone, the KelHans will have the ability to transform at will into their gargoyle selves, as they do during the night.”
The chatter rose again. Confusion, curiosity and not a little fear filled the faces before us. I didn’t blame them for being afraid, but I had to get them focused or we’d lose perspective before we even got started.
“If they do cover the city with fog, countless civilians will be put at risk. We’ve therefore decided to strike at them first.”
One of the warriors, a man named Luke, stood up from the crowd. He was a good friend of mine who’d often fought with me in the Pit. He was much like me and definitely erred on the side of caution. He’d been a mentor and helped me survive when I first started in the Pit as a young, naïve kid trying to fight for his life. I would have never made it out without his help, and I owed much to him. He was here out of loyalty and friendship, not for any owed debts.
“Won’t that be dangerous?” he said. “We don’t even know what we’re facing. None of us have fought gargoyle shifters before.”
“It will be touch and go when we start, but I urge everyone to pay attention to all their movements, fighting styles, and offensive maneuvers. The sooner we can pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses, the faster we can overtake them.”
“All right, let’s get this show on the road.” Heads bobbed as Jason dismissed them to get ready. Weapons were handed out from my own private armory. I was no longer officially welcome in polite company, but as the brother of the Alpha, I still had limited access to the MarkTier palace. It had taken years, but I’d eventually been able to stock my armory without anyone blinking an eye.
Save up for a rainy day, right?
As I scanned the crowd, my chest swelled with pride. They hadn’t come out of obligation but out of friendship and loyalty. These were my comrades, my friends. I knew each man’s face, voice, and personal quirk. In the times when I’d been broken and bleeding, they’d had my back as I’d had theirs. There was no better company in dark times such as these.
Chapter Twenty-Seven