by Arizona Tape
Lightning shot through my chest, the pain hammering in my skull. In agony, I buckled to the ground. The wood splintered in my knees, the excruciating devastation rampaging through me.
The taunting words of my siblings made room for dark whispers from people I never met. People I’d never meet. The dead called my name, their promises alluring and sweet.
A man that called himself Jacob The Great offered to take my place so he could cleanse the earth from sinners. A woman with a sharp voice promised she’d gut every last man or woman that came in my way if I visited her daughter’s grave. A young boy promised me an era of revenge if I drank the blood of my victims.
My head spun with the poisonous requests, the voices unrelenting in their pursuit for vengeance. As tempting as it was to take one of them up on their offer, I searched for another voice. A soft voice, one that was drowned out by all the darkness, drenched with all the misery of the world. My voice.
I pushed the others aside and grabbed hold of the soft whisper that was me. The chains around my wolf snapped and the transformation took hold of me.
Almost as fast as my bones broke, my wolf rebuild them. My muscles wrapped around my new limbs, my human form warping into that of a white wolf.
With the last hits of pain surging through me, the voices retreated. They knew they lost this round.
I stared at the people in front of me, my companions in battle. Their bodies and faces were mostly unscarred, but I knew that was about to change. Danny’s two men morphed into the grey wolves, their big paws and strong teeth a slight reassurance. The redhead drew her own wolf to the surface and with pain etched on her face, her animal crashed out of the chains. She was the smallest of the three wolves, but I knew she could stand her ground.
Ashleigh’s hand brushed through my fur and I stared up at my mate. A sadness hid in her blue eyes as she scratched me behind my ear. A bone-chilling shriek echoed through my every being as she collapsed in pain. When she rose, her black wolf stared back at me. I nuzzled into her, the beat of her heart comforting me a little.
“Ready?” JP’s voice was surprisingly clear as he drew our attention to him. He stroked Danny’s pelt affectionately, the agony of being left behind carved in his features. He cleared his throat and rejoined the rest. “A blood mage can be ripped apart like any human. They’re weak when they’re chanting their spells and they won’t try to save each other. Guard each other’s back, drive them apart and kill them. But remember, no matter what you do... Don’t let them touch your blood.”
Chapter 26. Blood
With the humans and Chesca staying behind, we ran out of the inn, the streets filled with curious women and children. They darted back at our sight, the fear clear in their voices and on their faces. I wanted to tell them it wasn’t us they should be afraid of, but there was no time to waste. We had an inn to protect.
The chanting of the blood mages died out and figures in purple robes marched into our street. A small child ran towards the hooded men and quickly paid with his life. The mother’s wails only added to the tragedy of the moment.
I felt the wolves around me tense and I knew the time to fight had come. I glanced at the black wolf next to me, the love for Ashleigh strengthening my courage to protect.
The first row of mages charged at us, their staffs at the ready. Regan howled next to me, his growl vibrating even through my chest. His muscles rippled under his fur as he charged towards the men.
My paws thundered on the pavement, the air whistling as I chased my friend. I crashed into the first man, his purple robe constricting any movement he had. From one blow, he tumbled to the ground. The fear in his eyes drew compassion to the surface, but I repressed it with all my might. With my eyes closed, I slashed his chest open and robbed him of his life. If I’d been in human form, I’d have vomited on the spot, but the magic egged me to keep going.
Next to me, each of my friends had taken care of their own mage. Five mages down, at least twenty more to go. But at this rate, it wouldn’t be too hard. They were no match for the power coursing through my veins, for the destruction raging through my heart.
Five new men broke free from the purple group and hurdled through the street, any curious bystander long gone. I studied my next opponent, his face young and his eyes innocent. He was just a boy, how could I kill him? I hesitated, doubt clouding my judgment.
He raised his staff, a flash of lightning narrowly missing me. I hardened my heart and rammed against his legs. The boy tumbled into the blood of his predecessors, panic splayed across his features. I ignored any empathy I had for my opponent and drove my claws into his skin, destroying muscle and bone alike. Four other men fell by the paws of my friends and my chest lightened a little. The second wave was won by us.
I stared at the thinned out group of mages. Why were they just charging at us like that? What was the point of just dying in the street, their blood was just staining the tiles red.
Despite my trembling legs, I strengthened my resolve and prepared for the next wave. Five men broke apart from the group and slammed their staffs into the pavement. With ragged breath, I waited for their next attack.
One of the men brought his hands to the heavens and started a new chant. Confused, I looked at Ashleigh to figure out what to do. Were we charging in? Were we waiting?
Darren drove his paws in the ground, staring back at us and Regan shook his head, the blood dripping from his fur. The two of them seemed as confused as we were and I realised the disadvantage of being in wolf form. We couldn’t communicate, not properly. Anything we did was in blind faith, trusting the others would understand what was happening. One wrong move, and we could all fall.
A new kind of tension filled my chest and I growled at the men in front of us. Why were they doing this? Why were they after the amulet? Why were they chanting? Was it their last prayer to the gods?
I studied the mages, trying to understand their insistent chanting. The words were foreign to my ears, unlike their earlier prayer. A strange sensation tickled my legs and I stared at my paws. Blood trickled down my side, the redness staining into my white fur.
The bodies of the fallen mages twitched, the blood leaking from wounds into the dust. The pools bubbled, like water coming to the boil. I darted back, but not fast enough. The liquid curled around my legs, the red making way for black. What was happening?
I tried to shake the blood off of me, the tingling creeping me out. What were they doing? Was this why the men charged at us? Sacrificed so their blood could be used by their masters? How cruel and revolting.
Panicked, I stared at Ashleigh, begging for her help. I caught the last flecks of blue in her eyes before red overtook them. A chill swept through the air, all four wolves next to me corrupted by the magic.
The blood tugged on my paws, the poison seeking its way to my mouth. I clamped my jaw shut and called for my own magic. The tendrils curled around me, hissing as they attacked the blood seeping into my body. Red smoke sizzled off of me as I directed the magic to attack the foreign blood, another battle of wills presented to me.
A paw clawed into my side and I fell from Darren’s charge. The pain stung in my side as my own blood stained my white fur. I knew the blood magic hadn’t completely overtaken him, not when I was still breathing after his attack. This wasn’t his full force and I could only hope I wouldn’t have to endure that. I wouldn’t survive it.
The mages were reaching for my blood, something JP told me to avoid at all costs. I needed to do something drastic, something dangerous, and I needed to do it now. Desperate, I begged for my magic to help me, wishing for the voices to return. The whispers filled my head once more and I begged them for more power. I fueled myself with their hatred, their desire for doom and destruction. A film of green coated my vision as I darted away from my frozen friends. I needed to break the spells they were under and only had a small window of time.
With my magic guiding me as a compass, I found the mage trying to bewitch me. The circle of bl
ood he drew around himself burned into my paws, but I didn’t care. I buried my strong paws in his chest and ripped his chest and beating heart out. The man fell and his grip on me disappeared.
With hatred surging through me, I aimed it at the mage next to him. My claws slashed through his throat, the blood splattering against the purple robes. Dead before he hit the ground.
I should’ve been repulsed by what I was doing, ashamed of how easily I was stealing lives, but it was easy. With the encouragement of the voices, with my friends’ lives on the line, the desire to protect burned deep in my gut.
I took a moment to observe my friends and found Regan and Danny returning to their own selves. The magic hadn’t completely worn off, but they were definitely back in control of their own bodies. Good.
The next mage abandoned his prayer as I carved a cross in his chest. His scream echoed through me as I stole his life, his future.
Undisturbed by the murder of their comrades, the mages just kept chanting. The blood of their fallen kin fueling their desire for... Revenge? Power? I had no idea why they were doing it, but it didn’t matter. They were my enemy and they needed to die.
A voice I recognised as Jacob The Great pointed me towards the next mage and with his guidance, I dragged my nails through his throat. The blood bubbling up made the whispers laugh in excitement, egged on by the death and destruction I was dealing to the world. The last mage never saw me coming and I drove my paw straight through his heart. The voices cheered for me, the magic replenishing with every kill to my name.
I wasn’t sure what was happening to my friends, but I had no time to waste. I was finishing this battle by myself.
Without giving the remaining mages time to regroup and start another chant, I barreled into their midst. The men screamed as they fled from my strong claws, but they were no match for my speed. I chased them down like prey, cutting them down like unwanted weeds. The mages scattered and JP’s words echoed through me. Scattering them was good. The four wolves behind me finally regained their senses and they joined in on the slaughter. Red to purple, blood to dust, the streets turned into a massacre unlike any I’d ever seen.
The voices egged me on, bursts of raw magic powering every deadly stroke I dealt. Twelve mages to go. Darren tore one apart. Eleven. Ashleigh ripped out a throat. Ten. Danny stole a life. Nine. Regan mowed down two. Seven. The man under my paws fell. Six. We were almost down to an even count. Danny killed another. Five. Even. Regan quartered one more. Four. We were winning. Victory was near.
A chill swept through the air and as if in sync, my friends shredded the remaining mages to pieces. The last body thudded to the ground, the street littered with countless men. The battle was over.
Chapter 27. Magic
The wind tugged on my fur, the moment so silent, so quiet, it didn’t seem real. Regan lifted his head to the sky, his snout dripping with blood. His howl carved straight through me and I joined his victory cry. We won.
I averted my eyes from the battlefield, from the countless bodies and rivers of blood. The voices loved the spectacle, but I didn’t take any price or pleasure in the slaughter. I was sure the battle would haunt my nightmares, but for now, I did what I had to do.
I called upon my human form, thanking the voices for their guidance. Reluctantly, they retreated and gave me my body back.
The winter breeze tugged on my bare skin and I’d have felt embarrassed if my other friends weren’t just as naked as I was. But the euphoria of our victory was enough to forget such frivolities and we chased each other to the inn. Our other friends emerged from the Humble Pig and JP returned our clothes to us. Fabric never felt so good on my skin as right now.
Another chill tugged on my shirt and before I realised something was wrong with it, it was too late. A mage sprung up from behind a ledge and in our celebration, we didn’t see the danger hurling towards Danny.
I screamed, but to no avail. The sword slashed through the air in a trajectory for her throat. My panic froze on my lips as two hands pushed the redhead out of the way. With inhuman speed, Chesca put herself between Danny and the blade. It happened so fast, it didn’t even register before it was all over.
Blood stained the metal sword, the Puma fell to the ground, Danny’s devastated scream. The mage’s laugh cackled through the air, his eyes blazing red. Before any of us could stop him, he licked the blood from his sword and a spell burst from his chest.
His magic curled around me, the corruption crawling into my veins. The freezing pain rampaged through me, the hold on me strengthening. A voice I didn’t recognise whispered instructions in my ear. To bring more destruction, to cause more death, to kill my friends.
Bow to me.
His magic brought me to my knees, my friends fallen to the same fate. I didn’t understand what was happening, but I knew we were trapped in the same spell.
Kill.
I laughed in disbelief. Did he really think one voice could make me forget what I loved, what I was trying to protect? If he did, he had no idea what I’d been struggling with ever since the amulet came in my possession. What other demons I’d been fighting.
I called upon my own magic, the tendrils reacting to the outspoken rage thundering through me. I basked in the power, in the hatred wrapping itself around me. The green smoke penetrated my system, the multitude of voices crashing over me as they always did.
Effortlessly, I broke the black spell and cast his voice out of my head. The mage stumbled from the blast of magic, his feet tangling in his own robes. Pathetically, he fell to the ground, his prayers no longer meant for a curse. I robbed him of his last words and slashed his throat with his own sword.
The spell broke and released my friends from their hold. Danny fell to her knees, the cries of agony tearing my heart to pieces as she hugged her friend.
“No! Chesca, no! Stay with me. Please.”
The Puma chuckled softly, her breath ragged. “This is an interesting way to die.”
“No, don’t say such things. You’re not going to die!”
Chesca’s lips curled up in a typical smile. If she could have, she would’ve thrown her hair over her shoulder. The woman smiled, a serenity to her expression. “This is the second time I’m dying in your arms.”
“Damn it, you’re not dying.” Danny’s tears drew silver lines across her face, the crack in her voice breaking my heart. “Why did you do that? Why, Chesca, why?”
The Puma chuckled, the light fleeting from her eyes. “Because you’re my dearest friend.”
“No, I’m not your friend. Go back to being my enemy, don’t save my life. Not again. Stop it, stop it, stop saving me!”
Ashleigh placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder, but she slapped it away. She buckled into the young girl, her pain captivating everyone of us.
“Death is a beautiful thing,” Chesca mused, her signature grin dancing around her lips.
“It’s not! You’re not dying, Chesca. I’m going to save you, I promise you.” Danny’s words ripped through me, her pain so raw and pure, even the voices grew silent.
“I’ve died many deaths, I know when it’s near.” The Puma closed her eyes, but Danny wouldn’t let her. She shook the woman, her tears pooling on her trembling body.
“You come back to me, you understand? Come back to me in your next life.”
Chesca opened one eye. “Danielle. This is my last life.”
The redhead turned to Darren, desperation breaking her voice. “Help her. Please.”
The young man crouched down next to her, his palm flattening on the Puma’s chest. He shook his head and tried to peel Danny’s hands away, but to no avail. I didn’t need any words to understand that Chesca wouldn’t wake up again.
Danny screams tore through the silent morning, her wails more bone-chilling than any howl I heard. She cradled the young woman in her arms, every cry slashing through my heart. Her men sank down next to her, but their support didn’t reach the agony she was going through.
I wrapped
my arms around Ashleigh, my face hidden in her dress. Tears stained the fabric as I mourned my friend’s death.
The battle really was over, but it was no victory.
Epilogue.
“THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.” JP hugged his friend tight, the goodbye bittersweet.
“Have a safe journey, my friend.” The owner and his daughter waved us goodbye until the Humble Pig was no longer in sight. The rain of the night had cleaned almost all the blood from the street, but it would never be the same again. We would never be the same.
I tugged on my backpack, the straps digging in my skin from all the dried meat and oats we stocked up on. The Golden City had was a nice respite from the wilderness, but I wished we never visited. Not with the price we paid. Despite my mixed relationship with Chesca, I missed her company already. I wasn’t sure if the men minded her absence, but Danny certainly yearned for her friend. There was no spring in her step, but we had to keep moving on. It wasn’t safe here anymore and we had a Stone to find.
With Aspen at the front, we followed the winding roads to the rising sun. With every step, the amulet bounced on my chest, almost joyfully. This time, it’d done me a service, but I knew it was just waiting for a moment of weakness on my part.
I smiled at Ashleigh, the sight of her enough to banish any dark thoughts for a moment. With her next to me, with her wolf calling for mine, I could fight any darkness, any grief.
“Straight ahead?” Aspen called, pointing at the little forest at the top of a hill. I nodded, silently thanking my old teachers for showing me paintings of the East. Finally, some of my knowledge would come in handy.
“Straight ahead, all the way to the shore.” I smiled half-heartedly. My quest changed when I mated Ashleigh and now that I controlled the the magic in the amulet, I had no need for the Winter Stone anymore. But Aspen was determined as ever and so my journey to the East continued. Not to save my village, no they didn’t deserve my help. This quest was for a whole different reason. To bring Aspen’s mate back to life.