The Silver Crown

by William Bridges

Arkady shut his eyes, holding down anger. "Damn them! But they matter not now! They are gone many years while I stand here, soon to be king."

  "Oh, no, Arkady, they are not gone. You think that your oppressors existed in body alone? No! Their spirits still thwart you. Their servant stands before you, defiant, ready to run any obstacle to prevent you from succeeding. Lord Albrecht, scion of a royal line. He is just the same as they were, Arkady. Remember the Motherland and what they did to you there? What royals just like Albrecht did to you?"

  "No. Do not warp this. He is like me — an exile. But he is wrong to defy me!" Arkady turned to glare at Albrecht. "He should have bowed down when he could. It is too late now."

  "Yes, too late," Dagrack said. "He must be punished."

  "What the hell are you talking about, you asshole?" Albrecht growled. "Arkady, why are you listening to him? He's a Black Spiral Dancer!"

  "You will be quiet!" Arkady said. "Dagrack, fetch my klaive."

  Dagrack smiled and went over to pick up Arkady's klaive, walking back to stand next to him with it. All the while, he smirked at Albrecht. Arkady concentrated, crooning low, calling on his Gift to heal his arm.

  Albrecht fidgeted, uncertain what to do. Arkady was distracted; he might be able to grab the crown. But what if the Dancers did something to Evan and Mari? He couldn't decide how to act.

  Arkady finished his healing and flexed his right arm. He took the klaive from Dagrack and looked back at Albrecht. "What to do with you, Albrecht?"

  "Shit if I know," Albrecht said. "How about giving me the crown and letting my packmates go?"

  Arkady snorted. "You will stop treating me like a fool! I have beaten you on all occasions. Bend knee and I will consider letting you live."

  "My lord," Dagrack said. "I have a better punishment. One which will prove whether Albrecht is worthy to live or not."

  "What do you say? Spit it out!"

  "I have heard the Lay of the Silver Crown, the legend Albrecht doubtless followed in his quest. It speaks of a punishment placed upon the first Garou to seek the crown, a punishment for his impudence."

  "Eh? What happened to him?"

  "His claws were cut off, his fangs pulled and his pelt removed."

  Arkady wrinkled his brow in disgust.

  "Is this not what you swore to do to Albrecht? To flay his hide and hang it from a tree? I say if he survives this punishment, he can live. I will even let his packmates go free to help him crawl from the room."

  "What do you gain from this?" Arkady said, staring at Dagrack.

  Dagrack's demeanor did not change at all. "Why, the pleasure of helping you mete out your first royal edict and setting you on the course of kingship. You need to learn that a king must have a hard hand, lest he be dethroned by upstarts such as Albrecht."

  Arkady looked at Albrecht and seemed to think on this.

  "Don't listen to him, Arkady," Albrecht said. "Don't let him tell you what it is to be a king. That's your choice. Get rid of him! You know this isn't fair. My hands are tied as long as he has my packmates captive. Let them go and we'll settle this one-on-one."

  Arkady sneered and shook his head. "Now who is giving kingly advice? You, who tried to snatch the throne from me! Dagrack at least helped me to get it. You must learn, Albrecht, that packmates are secondary to rulership. If you truly desire the crown, you will forsake them. Come at me! Let them fall as they may. We shall fight and decide the affair!"

  Albrecht shook his head. "No. I'm not going to abandon them. I did that once already. I won't do it twice. You gotta decide: What are you going to do about it?"

  "I will take my advisor's advice. I shall exact the traditional punishment for treachery against the crown. Yield your claws and fangs, Albrecht. Your pelt also. Or watch your packmates die and you with them."

  Albrecht growled low.

  "Arglach! Cut the boy!" Dagrack ordered. One of the Black Spiral Dancers swiped a claw at Evan's head, slicing his left ear clean off. Evan yelled and clutched his head. Mari stepped toward the Dancer, growling, but the other Dancers gathered menacingly about her. She backed up a step, putting her hand on Evan's shoulder. The Dancer who had cut off the ear picked it up from the floor and swallowed it, looking pleased.

  "An incentive," Dagrack said to Albrecht. "Think hard on this."

  Damn it! Albrecht thought. What can I do? He measured the odds against him and knew they were too much. Arkady was healed, and was more than a match for him even when wounded. Add Dagrack and his pack to that, and he didn't stand a chance against them. He looked at Evan and Mari. Mari glared at him, giving him a look he knew. It said that he would be a fool not to try to fight his way out. Evan looked at him, but he couldn't read the kid's intent.

  I wish I were a Get of Fenris, he thought. They think nothing of dying gloriously in combat as long as they can take a few bodies out with them. But I'm not a Get. I'm Morningkill's grandson, and I owe it to the Fangs to live up to my heritage.

  He looked for the falcon spirit, but it was gone. This was his choice alone. It was one thing to suffer declawing in a story: another thing entirely to have it really happen to you. He looked up at Arkady.

  "Do you swear, on whatever honor you have left, that if I submit to this, my packmates can leave unharmed?"

  "Yes," Arkady said. "I can be merciful also. I bear them no ill will."

  Dagrack's eyes narrowed as he looked at Arkady. He obviously did not like the promise.

  "Then make sure your lap dog knows that," Albrecht said.

  Arkady looked at Dagrack. "You will heed me in this. If one of your mongrels harms them, I will kill you first and then all of your horde."

  Dagrack nodded. "Of course. I have no need to disobey you."

  "Drop your weapon, Albrecht. Let Dagrack perform the punishment."

  Albrecht gritted his teeth and placed his klaive on the ground.

  "Kick it over here," Arkady said.

  Albrecht shoved the sword with his foot and it slid across the marble floor to Arkady. Dagrack stepped forward, drawing out a small klaive of his own. Like all klaives, it was silver.

  "Please put out your hands, noble lord."

  Albrecht glared hatefully at him and looked at Mari and Evan. Mari was giving him a wide-eyed "you idiot" look, while Evan was stone-faced. Albrecht turned back to Dagrack and slowly raised his arms, palms up.

  Dagrack smiled, and in an flash swung his klaive down.

  Albrecht grunted as the tips of his fingers fell to the floor. The pain burned him, the agonizing touch of silver. But he slowly put his now-clawless hands down and cocked his head at Dagrack.

  "So fall our ideals," Dagrack said. "Like dead flesh. Now, open wide."

  Albrecht opened his large muzzle, revealing sharp fangs. Dagrack pulled a pair of silver tongs from his pocket. Albrecht wondered if he had come here planning on this punishment all along. If so, he was pretty cocky about his sway over Arkady.

  Dagrack placed the pliers in Albrecht's mouth and began to yank his teeth out, one by one. He grunted with exertion as he pulled the teeth, finding them hard to remove. Albrecht shut his eyes and concentrated on blocking out the pain. It was hard to do. The silver burned his gums and the blood welled up in his throat, forcing him to cough it out at Dagrack.

  Dagrack smiled as the blood sprayed over him, but he did not stop his work. "Oh, I envy you in a way, Albrecht. Such an exquisite pain for those who could appreciate it. I would carry the memory of such an ecstasy with me forever." He yanked out the final fang, leaving Albrecht's blunt back teeth intact.

  Albrecht spat out more blood, speaking with great difficulty. "Then why don't you give me those pliers. I'll oblige you."

  "I fear I haven't the courage. I yearn so, but fear so. I envy your conviction, Silver Fang."

  "Enough compliments," Arkady said. "Take his pelt. Give it to me."

  Dagrack pulled his klaive out again. "I am afraid this one will hurt the most. Try not to lose control and attack me. I would be forced to kill you th
en. And your friends."

  Albrecht stood still, closing his eyes and trying to meditate, to go deep within himself and escape the pain. But he howled loud and long when Dagrack made the first incision at the base of his throat and worked down from there, slicing through the skin of the chest and down to the groin. The Black Spiral Dancer then sliced cleanly down the inside of both legs. Albrecht nearly toppled from the pain, but Dagrack steadied him.

  "Enjoying your part in the morality play, Albrecht?" Dagrack asked. "What have your morals brought you? Only this!" He carved the skin off Albrecht's foot with one swipe. "The unkindest cut of all. Do you think I chose this punishment out of sheer sadism? No, the irony is what's important here. Didn't the Lay of the Silver Crown teach you anything? About how important being good and cleaning your plate is?"

  Albrecht growled, his eyes shut. He winced as Dagrack continued the cutting.

  "Where's Gaia now? Where is your wonderful mother? The endlessly caring nurturer? Could they have lied to you, Albrecht? All those stories about the Earth Mother? She is no kind lady. I know that better than you. No, she is a cannibal with a fanged cunt. First she fucks you and then she cuts you."

  Gaia! Albrecht cried to himself. Why are you letting this happen! I have done everything asked of me! What the hell else could I do? Does it always come down to blood and pain in the end? Is that all this equates to? And Falcon! What happened to you? You ran away as soon as Arkady showed up. You abandoned me. I called to you and you ran. I'm alone in this. I guess it's always been that way.

  But the pack. I have a pack, damn it. And they are going to live because of this. This pain — aargh! It hurts! But Mari will live. Evan will live. He'll write me up in the Silver Record, won't he? He's a good kid. I'm sure he wouldn't forget me. I'll be famous for this. A martyr.

  Idon't want to die. Not here. Not torn up by some damn BlackSpiral Dancer. But we don't always get what we ask for...

  Dagrack peeled the hide off Albrecht, starting from below and sliding the arms off like sleeves turned inside out. As the hide slid across Albrecht's raw and bloody muscles, he screamed again in pain. Only his Garou nature kept him alive. Only the regenerative power given the werewolves by Gaia allowed him to live to endure such pain and torture.

  "This is the lesson of the crown, Silver Fang," Dagrack said. "No noble sacrifice. No reward for your ideals. Only a Grand Guignol of pain, humiliation and ultimate degradation. Serves you right. Serves all your kind. How dare you lecture my tribe on our ways! But where are your ways now? I'm stripping them away with your pelt. That is the moral of your damn crown! It's not about honor, you fool. It's about power. It always has been."

  "Shut up!" Arkady said. "Just finish it."

  Dagrack walked away from Albrecht with the pelt, which no longer glowed now that it was flayed from Albrecht's body. He dragged the wet, bloody thing over to Arkady, who took it in his hand.

  Albrecht collapsed to the floor, shivering and barely conscious through the haze of pain.

  "Let them go," Arkady said, signaling the Black Spiral Dancers. They moved away from Mari and Evan, who both bolted to Albrecht's side.

  Evan bent down and immediately called on his Gift to heal Albrecht, but while it sealed up some of the oozing blood, it did not regrow the fur, claws or fangs.

  "You sick bastard," Mari said, seething at Arkady. "You're pretty damn proud of this, aren't you? Why don't you try doing that to me? I'll carve you up!"

  "Tend to him and then get out of here," Arkady said. "I am being gracious in letting you live. You conspired against Silver Fang leadership rites. No tribe will defend you on that."

  "Wanna bet? Wait till Alani Astarte hears about this! She'll have every tribe turn against you. No one will recognize your rule."

  "Oh? If she will not, then others in your tribe will. She is old and will die long before I leave the throne. Her successor will surely ally with my causes."

  Mari fumed and bent down over Albrecht. "How is he?" she asked Evan.

  Evan sighed. "Alive. But — Gaia! How are we going to get him out of here without killing him?"

  Dagrack stepped in front of Arkady. "I have given you Albrecht's pelt. Now I ask one thing of you in return. A simple thing. One well within your power to grant."

  "Tell me," Arkady said.

  "I want the Silver Crown."

  "No! You are joking! I would not dare give this to you!"

  "Why not? In my hands, it is sale from any enemy to your crown. I certainly cannot use it to dethrone you. Do you think I would be stupid enough to wear it? No, Arkady. I need it to overthrow Azaera."

  "Your queen? Why?"

  "Why not? She is a tyrant. She uses you as a puppet. I work with you out of respect. She wants only power. If I have the crown — not even to wear it, but to possess it — the Black Spiral Dancers will come to my side. Rumor alone of the crown will bring them to me. With such an army of sycophants, I could easily overthrow the bitch!"

  "No… don't…" Albrecht choked out, from his prone position on the ground.

  Arkady looked at him, amazed. "Do not give Dagrack the crown? Why? Because you still labor under the illusion that you can have it? Oh, no. I will give the crown to whom I see fit. In his hands, it is at least as far away from yours as it can get."

  Dagrack beamed. "Thank you, my lord! I am deeply honored." He reached his hands out for the box beneath Arkady, but Arkady put his foot on the box. Dagrack looked up questioningly.

  "You must swear to hide it away, and to let none of the tribes know where you put it. Is this clear? If I hear rumor of it from any of the tribes, I will kill you and take it back."

  "Of course. I will be most occult concerning its hiding."

  Arkady removed his foot, and Dagrack picked up the box.

  "Man…" Albrecht whispered, trying to rise. "Get it… don't let…"

  Mari was already moving. She was next to Dagrack before he knew it, and reaching tor the box. Arkady leaped in and punched her full in the face. She was knocked back, giving Dagrack time to scurry over to his pack.

  Mari moved in on Arkady, but the Silver Fang placed his klaive between himself and her.

  "Do you wish to be carved up as was your friend?" he said.

  "No, Mari!" Evan yelled. "They've got the crown. There's nothing we can do."

  Man glared at Arkady and over at Dagrack, dropping into an attack stance.

  Albrecht stood up, grunting loudly, startling everyone. "No. Don't, Mari." He swayed but kept his balance. "It's over."

  Mari quivered in anger at Albrecht but then sighed, and stepped away from Arkady. "Damn you, Albrecht. I hate you for giving in."

  "Sorry," Albrecht said. "I'll make it up to you later." He almost fell, but Evan caught him. Mari ran over to help steady him, concerned now. "Heh. Not too good on my feet here."

  Dagrack was ignoring them now as he opened the box. A silver radiance came forth, lighting his awestruck face. "It's beautiful. It's so… noble." He reached in and pulled out a silver headband, simple and unadorned. He let the box drop to the floor.

  That's it? Albrecht thought, gritting his teeth in pain. A band of silver? No jewels or stuff?

  Dagrack turned to show the crown to everyone in the room, beaming with pride. He then turned toward Arkady and held the crown over his own head. "Power, Arkady. Power. Only cowards fear the taboos of their elders."

  "What are you doing?" Arkady cried, running toward him. "Put it away! You'll die!"

  Dagrack put on the crown.

  And smiled. "You see. I am the true king here. No ethical retribution. No moral finger-wagging. Your stories were wrong. Your lies about the Wyrm are also proved wrong, Arkady. We are not corrupt. Just—"

  He broke off into a scream as the crown began to glow brightly. It seared itself onto his head, fusing with the skin. Smoke rose from his singed fur, stinking up the room. He frantically shifted to Lupus form, trying to knock it off, but it was part of him now. He danced around, yelping in pain.

  T
he Black Spiral Dancers stared at him, aghast, not sure what to do.

  Dagrack's head was melting. The skin caught fire and burned away, revealing red and oozing musculature underneath, which itself burned away to reveal bone. The bone blackened and bubbled, cracking into shards.

  Dagrack still screamed.

  His eyes pooled to jelly and ran out of the sockets, smearing across his chest fur. He fell to the ground as the bone cracked away, blackened and charred, falling from his face to reveal a cooking brain, bubbling in its own juices. The crown seemed to shrink to constrict the brain, but the gray matter quickly liquefied and spilled across the floor.

  The crown hit the floor with a gentle clang.

  In the next few seconds, nobody moved. They all stared at the sizzling mass of flesh that once had been Dagrack's head. His body was perfectly intact.

  Then Albrecht bolted toward the crown. Calling on reserves of energy he hadn't known he had, he ran with all his might toward the crown. He was followed a mere fraction of a second later by Arkady. The Black Spiral Dancers were too stunned to react to this explosion of blinding speed from the Silver Fangs.

  Albrecht reached the crown first by a palm's width. He held it up and away from the grasping Arkady.

  "Give it!" Arkady growled, and dug his claws into Albrecht's exposed abdomen, puncturing the stomach wall, spilling out guts and blood.

  Albrecht grunted but concentrated on one thing: dropping the crown on his head. In the moment it took the crown to settle — a measureless moment, lasting an eternity for Albrecht and Arkady, but mere fractions of a second for the others in the room — Albrecht wondered what it would feel like when his brain melted away. He prayed that he could die with more dignity than Dagrack had. Please Gaia, let it be a quick death.

  The crown fitted itself to his head, tightening about his skull. The silver band seared into his furless flesh, causing more pain than Albrecht would have believed possible. More pain than he had known when the fur was flayed from his flesh and the teeth yanked from his jaws. More pain than could possibly exist. The silver burned into his skin and melded with it, becoming part of it, an inextricable piece of his body and being. Albrecht shut his eyes, tears flowing down his cheeks.