Shepherd's Wolf

by M. Andrew Reid

  You have to jump.

  “Nope.” Viper backed away, “I’m done listening to you. Athena will be fine. Let’s get out of here and you can pick her up when she respawns.”

  You are afraid.

  “I wouldn’t call it afraid. I don’t want to lose my stuff. Sorry, but I worked pretty hard for what I have - too hard to lose it in a bottomless pit.”

  You are afraid of losing something else. You have lost many important things.

  Doesn’t this seem familiar - an eagle on a ledge in the darkness? But this time, I need you to jump.

  Viper froze, and then he swallowed, “I don’t...”

  You are trapped. Do you want to be free, Victor?

  “I do, which is why I’m getting out of here.”

  “The boy is trapped as well. You choose to be trapped, he does not. Do you want to be free?”

  “I can’t do anything for him,” Viper shook his head ruefully. He backed against the door and sank to the cold metal floor. “I’m not the one you need. He’s gone. They’re all…”

  Do you want to be free? Who spreads his wings inside a hollow heart of steel?

  Viper’s breath caught in his throat, and his lip quivered, “…a golden eagle.”

  Fletch screamed, ringing the walls and shattering the silence of the depths below. He turned in place, revealing the bright yellow feathers on his backside.

  Do you want to be free? What is the eagle’s name?

  “Valor.” Viper slowly got back to his feet.

  What does Valor mean? Do you want to be free?

  Viper sprinted for the ledge, his armor burning red in the darkness.

  Room 8: Training Grounds

  The Phantom leered at Wisp, and patted him on the shoulder. He flourished his cape and glided off the stage to the floor below. With renewed vigor, the organist pounded his keyboard. Wraithlike, the green tendril unwrapped from around the Phantom, and reached for the Red Woman.

  “Let go of her!” Athena shouted a warning to Haymaker.

  Haymaker struggled to unravel the folds of the dress. The green tendril coiled around the Red Woman, bathing her in light. Haymaker fought to untangle himself, but the light reached his arm, and quickly spread over his body. Soon, he was frozen in place, one arm in the air.

  The Red Woman turned to the approaching Phantom, and sang to him. Athena let loose with a stream of arrows. Yellow fletching fluttered as each arrow was turned aside by the rippling dress. Green light infused the Red Woman’s wounds, healing them; the arrows in her back dropped away.

  Athena adjusted her aim and pointed Arc Flash at the organist once more. She drew tight to loose an arrow.

  A searing white bolt erupted from the Red Woman’s claw, striking Athena in the shoulder. The Huntress was lifted from her feet and driven into a wall on the far side of the theater. She slid down the wall and struggled to regain her feet. The Phantom’s whirling green cane spun through the air and struck her in the abdomen; spinning back into the Phantom’s waiting hand. Green light filled Athena’s violet eyes, and she moved no more. The Red Woman’s loving gaze never left the Phantom.

  A second tendril burst forth from the organ, and weaved around the Phantom like a vine. He reached up to take the Red Woman’s hand, and together they sang. Hand-in-hand they rushed at Bishop, the woman floating above the seats, the Phantom charging like a bull. Bishop threw up a blue wall of light, which was quickly shattered by a strike from the Phantom’s cane.

  “I’m sorry Ben,” Bishop muttered. “We tried.”

  Raising his arms to the heavens, Bishop shouted and bombarded the charging enemies with a miniature cyclone. Unfazed, the Phantom stepped through the maelstrom and struck out at Bishop.

  Bishop was able to turn the first blow, and the second, but a third blow brushed his outstretched arm, and that was enough. Crucible hit the floor with a muffled thump. Bishop turned sadly to Ben, “We tried.”

  The Phantom stepped around Bishop, and Gabe snarled with fury. White anger slammed into the Phantom, and sharp fangs dug at the already twisted face. The Phantom laughed, and hurled the giant wolf into a row of seats.

  Far away on the stage, the organ changed keys, fueling the intensity of the moment. The Phantom began tearing out the seats between himself and the huddled Ben and Laura. Metal groaned and screeched as each chair was ripped free and flung across the theater.

  Ben was crying uncontrollably, and Laura was shaking with rage and impotence.

  “It’s okay Ben,” she said as she rocked him. “It’s almost over.”

  Cackling, the Phantom loomed over them. The shrill music rose to a crescendo, and the woman in red shrieked with hysterical laughter. He raised his cane, ready to strike.

  The music stopped, replaced by a constant drone of discord - as if every key were pressed at the same time and held.

  Slumped on his bench, the organist was playing a final note. Cold frost dripped from the icy axe protruding from his skull. The green tendrils oozing from the organ’s pipes delaminated and faded into nothing.

  With a grunt of surprise, the Phantom turned to the stage.

  Viper struck from behind, driving Flame into the Phantom’s back with both hands. The Phantom whirled and flung Viper aside, scattering blood in a black spiral.

  Viper was on his feet immediately, Flame glowing brightly through the slick coat of black blood. He squared off against the Phantom and the woman in red, who were noticeably less confident without the organist’s magic.

  Ebony clashed against dragonbone as Viper turned aside blow after blow. The Phantom was a blur of crimson and black; Viper an iridescent demon in the dim light. Dwarfed by the towering Phantom, Viper matched every strike with equal ferocity.

  The Red Woman drifted to Viper’s flank, and drew back to unleash her lightning into his exposed side.

  With the drone of a small airplane, screeching like an open door to Hell itself, Fletch slammed into the Red Woman and began clawing at her face. Sharp talons and a hooked beak tore into her flesh.

  Clutching at the yellow storm ripping into her, the Red woman screamed with pain and anger. A burst of electricity exploded from her fingers, and Fletch was hurled across the room, trailing a stream of smoke. He landed at Athena’s feet, feathers blackened and smoking, and closed his golden eyes. Athena stood silent, unable to move.

  The Phantom brought his cane down in a heavy overhead swing. Viper caught the cane in his free hand, and swung Flame into the Phantom’s ribs.

  Singing through gritted teeth now stained with black blood, the Phantom tried to back away. Viper pressed on, gripping the cane tightly and hacking furiously with his axe. Flame found a home in the Phantom’s hip, and then his shoulder. The axe was wet and black as it struck again and again. Feeble parries blocked some of the strikes, but most attacks struck home unchallenged. His eyes wild and begging, the Phantom reached up for the Red Woman.

  The Red Woman sang fearfully and glided forward to aid the Phantom. They sang together, one voice strong, the other weak and thick with blood.

  She shrieked with desperation, and lightning forked from her fingertips. Viper was lifted and pressed against the wall. His armor rang and rattled as blue-white energy arced around his body. The woman in red screamed and pressed harder, pouring her anger into the torrent of electricity flowing into him. With a victorious grin she continued to sing,

  Her grin vanished. Viper settled to the floor, and held out his hand. The energy walked its way across his armor until the entire spider-web of electricity disappeared into his palm. His eyes glowed with blue fire.

  The woman in red pulled her hands back, but the energy still flowed. Unbidden, the lightning was drawn out of her and into Viper. She tugged at the beam, trying to free herself and sever the link between them.

  Soaking in a growing puddle of black blood, the Phantom searched for his love with dying eyes.

  The Red Woman wailed and shook her head, begging. Viper extended his free hand toward the Phantom. Crackle
s ripped the air as unimaginable energy exploded into the Phantom’s chest. A river of death flowed from the Red Woman, through Viper, to the Phantom’s heart. He screamed and sang as he roasted.

  Flames licked around the red cape, and the Phantom was soon a pyre of burnt clothing and flesh. The Red Woman shrieked louder and higher; every piece of glass in the theater exploded. A portal of light appeared at the back of the theater- a door had opened.

  “Everybody run!” Viper yelled. He was still connected to the Red Woman by a stream of energy. As she wailed, the stream grew brighter and stronger. Viper was surrounded by an eerie purple aura, and bolts of electricity licked out from his armor to touch nearby objects.

  The others moved - freed from their green prisons.

  Haymaker shook his head groggily, and stumbled toward the door. Wisp sprinted past him and helped shaky Ben and Laura to their feet.

  Athena bounded through the door ahead of the others, clutching Fletch to her chest and crying soundlessly. Bishop was the last to go, he turned back toward Viper.

  The Red Woman was screaming ever louder. Bolts of white fire cracked like whips, vaporizing chairs and wall sconces and melting paint off the walls. Viper was glowing from within, the energy bursting from the gaps in the dragonscales and the joints of his armor.

  “Go,” he roared at Bishop, his voice a deep rumble, “This is going to be bad.”

  Bishop stepped through the door and disappeared in the light.

  Viper was unable to sever the connection to the Red Woman. They continued to feed off each other, and the air hummed and warbled around them. Viper backed toward the door, pulling the Red Woman with him. With each passing moment, the energy multiplied, rattling his bones and ringing violently in his ears.

  Soon the amount of energy shared between them would be unsustainable, and something would break. He positioned himself in the center of the doorway, and held out as long as he could - providing the others time to get clear. His armor rattled and sang, and his feet melted holes in the floor. Viper closed his eyes. He hoped that the tunnel was straight.

  For an instant, there was complete silence. After that everything was white; sound, sight, taste, and smell. Pure white.

  Chapter 18

  Over the Edge

  Agilar Exit

  Bright skies greeted the tunnel exit on a mountainside, overlooking a broad green valley far below. A crystal blue lake stretched along the valley, cutting into the green like a cerulean knife. To their right, a steep path descended and met up with a smooth white glacier that coiled its way down the mountains and into the green valley.

  “The Rift,” Haymaker stated to no one in particular.

  Laura was consoling Ben, who had a grip on Gabe so tight it was a wonder the wolf could breathe. Bishop leaned on Crucible and stared at his feet.

  Athena was holding Fletch’s broken form close to her, standing away from the others. She shook with sobs, and gently placed the hawk in the snow.

  Wisp silently stepped behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. Athena jumped back, startled, and looked up.

  “You scared me,” she said, suddenly throwing her arms around him - sobbing.

  Wisp was stunned, and awkwardly hugged her back, “Fletch was a good friend.”

  Athena squeezed him and took a step back. “He was my only friend.”

  “That’s not…” Wisp was cut off by a sharp rumble from the mountain.

  Bishop peered into the tunnel and jumped away from the dark opening, “Everyone get away from the tunnel, now!”

  Scarcely had the words left his lips when a beam of white light surged out of the mountain. At the head of this blast, Viper tumbled like a ragdoll, sailing over the valley. He flailed his arms uselessly as he disappeared into the clouds.

  “He’s toast,” Haymaker said. “We’re at least two miles up.”

  “Maybe not,” Bishop replied, and looked to the heavens.

  …

  Viper fumbled desperately for a bail-out. He always carried at least three, but rarely needed to use them. As he plummeted, he realized he had not replaced the last one he had used, or the one before that. The third one was in a slot in the handle of Frost. He reached over his back and grasped at air.

  Oh yeah, the organist. The Shepherd – Ben - had magically bound the weapons to Viper, and the axe would eventually return if he moved far enough away. Unfortunately, “far enough” was about thirty miles.

  The green valley and the lake below rushed ever closer. Soon the green carpet became a bumpy forest, and the bumpy forest became individual trees. Fishing boats, once tiny white specks, were now clearly in view.

  Viper had nothing to slow himself down. His only hope was that the water would soften the fall. But who was he kidding? He was about to become a red stain.

  He decided to accept his fate, and spread his arms wide to embrace death. Viper had never died before, and wondered what it felt like. He was angry that his record would be broken, and angry that he would have to dive this cold lake to get his armor back, but the anger took back seat to a burning question:

  Will it hurt?

  The water hurtled toward Viper at blinding speed. His ears filled with the thunderous roar of a million angry hornets. A piercing scream shattered the air, and a shadow fell over him.

  Something clamped onto his arms, warm and hard. Wind whipped around him in a frenzied tornado. He stopped falling- mere feet above the surface of the lake. The crystal water, recently ice, sprayed around him.

  Christine screamed again, dragging Viper inches above the water. She strained upward, and slowly gained altitude. Twin geysers trailed behind the dragon as her booster wings channeled massive amounts of air. The thunder of her wingbeats crashed off the valley walls.

  Slowly, the water sank away and the trees became a green carpet once more. The air grew cold and harsh as they drifted through wispy clouds. Christine relaxed her grip slightly.

  Sharp and white, the mountain rose up to meet them. Christine dove toward the powdered slopes, Viper trailing helplessly in her claws.

  Christine dropped him in front of the waiting party, and perched on a nearby outcropping. Viper rolled and got to his feet; he brushed snow off his armor.

  Weary silence greeted Viper. The others were lost in their own thoughts, and no one spoke. Ben was still trembling with fright and clutching at Gabe’s neck. Bishop stooped like the haggard old man he was. Haymaker silently held a battered shield; his armor was scored and scuffed.

  Athena’s violet eyes were watery, and rimmed with red. At her feet was a yellow bundle, a pitiful bundle that seemed much smaller than what it had once been. Wisp sat with his back against an icy rock, his brow furrowed in exhaustion.

  Viper’s knees slammed into the ground before he knew he was falling. His helmet hit the snow with a wet chime; the cold air bit at his ears. He was unable and unwilling to fight them back; tears poured from his eyes. Viper tried to speak, but he found no voice. Broken and silent, he hung his head.

  …

  “What’s wrong?” his father asked.

  Victor sniffled, “These kids at school, they...”

  Vincent Valor Sr. leaned down and looked his son in the eye, “Bullies?”

  “Yeah,” Victor nodded.

  “I remember them; I still run into bullies every once in a while,” his father mused. “You want to know the secret about villains?”

  Victor nodded again, looking up.

  “Inside every villain there is a hero who wants to do the right thing. Today, those bullies chose wrong. Maybe tomorrow they will choose to be the hero instead.”

  “But what if they don’t? What if they’re always mean?”

  “Then you should feel sorry for them.” Father smiled, “They will never know what it’s like.”

  “What what’s like?”

  His father grinned down at him, “They’ll never know what it feels like to be the good guy.”

  …

  Warm arms surrounded Viper;
a feeling so alien that his heart stopped beating. He found himself returning the embrace, and squeezing harder than he meant to.

  “It’s okay,” Laura whispered. “We made it. Thank you so much.”

  Small footsteps crunched beside them. “You came back,” Ben said. “I knew you would.”

  Viper looked at Ben wordlessly. This was probably the closest they had been to each other without Viper trying to kill the boy. “Why do you say that?”

  “Laura said you promised that you wouldn’t let me get hurt. She said it’s a shame that you’re such an asshole all the time because you…”

  “Okay Ben,” Laura interrupted, and stood up. “He understands.”

  Haymaker stifled a chuckle by clearing his throat.

  Viper glanced at Gabe. The wolf curled his lip and snarled, baring his massive fangs; clearly, he was still not a fan. When Ben stepped away from Viper, the wolf relaxed.

  Athena bent down to the yellow bundle at her feet. She gently removed two bright yellow tail feathers, as she had done thousands of times before, and stepped forward. Her violet eyes flicked up at Viper.

  “These are yours.” She thrust the feathers at him, her voice wavering, “Wear them.”

  Viper carefully took the feathers, and paused. He sat motionless and unblinking for quite some time; the feathers holding his attention. Finally, he slowly removed two iridescent quills from his helmet, one from each side, and replaced them with Fletch’s tail-feathers.

  He planted a hand in the snow and stood up, facing the others.

  “What’s the plan?” Haymaker asked, slinging Myrmidon’s dented shield over his shoulder.

  Viper peered down into the valley below, his eyes tracing the winding glacier. He raised his hand to the sky, and the ground behind him buckled and cracked. In a storm of purple fire, Venom raced out of the earth, her black coat bathed in steam and her dark hooves flinging snow.

  “Let’s move.”