Son of hell: Blood of wolves

by Michaela Burdová

  Aragen looked into her eyes and then smiled. "No, I'm not."

  On the way back they walked in silence together. Their thoughts were interrupted by muffled cries. Amitha paused and sniffed the air. "I can smell Kar."

  Aragen nodded in agreement. The sounds could be heard coming from nearby. They followed the sounds. The vegetation here was thicker and more impenetrable. The perfect hideaway.

  "I can smell Drel too!" Aragen hurried on and emerged into a clearing to be confronted by Kar trying to rape Drel. The muffled cries they had heard came from Drel as she tried to resist him. He held her by the hair from behind, holding her arms behind her back.The girl was naked, as was he.

  "Enough!" Aragen cried. Kar jumped back in fright. Drel quickly stumbled away from him while tears as big as peas ran down her cheeks. Aragen reached out to hug her. Amitha gazed at Kar with her mouth agape.

  "How did you dare ...?"

  "She wanted it," he said while breathing hard. Aragen saw a faint flame of anger in his eyes.

  "I changed my mind," Drel cried. "I told you NO!I swear, Aragen, I said no!"

  "I know, Drel," Aragen replied soothingly whilst glaring at Kar with disapproval. "My father would have you cruelly punished for such an act."

  Kar grinned. "Yeah? But he does not need to know, right? Come on, we've all been friends, since childhood ...”

  "Kar, I choose my friends very carefully," Aragen replied coldly. "You are definitely not one of them."

  Kar stepped closer to her. "So you´re going to snitch on me?"

  "Shut up! Don´t you ever touch another woman again against her will!"

  "You don’t command me!" He answered belligerently.

  Aragen´s hand shot out like a snake. Idly, slowly, she clenched her fingers. As she did so, Kar's eyes widened and he grabbed his throat. Something unexplained was squashing his windpipe, preventing him from breathing. The others looked on in wonderment as Kar fell to his knees, his face turning dangerously blue.

  "By the Lord of Fires, Aragen, how do you do it?" Amitha gasped in amazement. Aragen walked slowly over to Kar. She moved her fingers and Kar´s mouth opened against his will. He was wheezing and thrashing, his eyes bulging. Aragen grabbed his tongue. The young man clumsily pounced at her, while his eyes begged and pleaded with her.

  Aragen released him. He fell onto his stomach, gasping, coughing, and choking. She knelt by him and leaned into his ear. "Who gives you commands now?"

  Kar barely found his voice. "You ... only you."

  Chapter 3.

  Castaways

  That night, Maura’s baby was stillborn. Aragen steadfastly refused to accept a premonition that seized her at that moment. The premonition that this was the beginning of a chain of events that would bring big changes. Changes that would either save or destroy them all.

  Aragen stood in the doorway of her cabin. It was daybreak and the pack was still asleep. All except Ragar. He was sitting on a hillside near the forest, his head buried deep in his hands. He was mourning. Aragen watched his huge back and wished that she could somehow relieve his pain. She knew she couldn´t. He had lost a child and that was something he could only overcome by himself.

  "One less bastard," Sieena stated with an angry voice. Aragen clenched her teeth.

  "Be quiet, Mother."

  Sieena stood behind her. "All of them are just bastards. You must stay away from them. Don´t let them get close to you! You must be strong!"

  Aragen faced her. "Mother, you have no idea how strong I am," she growled.

  Sieena’s big eyes which at that point were full of venom suddenly turned into loving tenderness. "You're still a child. My baby...," she stretched out her hand. Aragen flinched.

  "Not anymore."

  "Don’t do this to me," Sieena shook her head in desperation. "The two of us should stick together!"

  Aragen threw up her hands in frustration. "Mother, I'm not going anywhere!"

  Sieena grabbed her head and rocked backwards and forwards. "It's all his fault! Ragar is to blame! I hate him! I hate him, I hate him!

  Aragen pushed her inside and slammed the door. "Stop it, Mother. If someone heard you, they would punish you. You must learn to control your emotions, do you understand? Only then can you overcome the insanity that rages in your head." She led her mother to the furs and gently put her to bed, comforting her as she did so. "Now get some rest. Get some sleep.” Sieena lay there, gently sobbing, wiping her eyes with trembling hands.

  When Aragen returned to the door and looked out, her father was gone.

  In the morning there was tension and excitement in the air. Preparations for the Autumn Hunt had begun and everyone enthusiastically argued about who would win and become a Predator. It was an annual tradition at the beginning of the autumn, when the Young wolves went into the forest to hunt Karamba. Karamba were strong, very dangerous beasts. Whoever managed to bring one down and bring it to the camp became a member of the Predators.

  Aragen sat by the fireplace and inquisitively watched her father as he gave out his orders to the Predators. There were four of them, two men of Ragar’s age, and another two only a few years older than herself. Catching a Karamba was not an easy task. For three consecutive years none of the Young had succeeded.

  The Predators’ task that day was to guard the edge of the forest just in case one of the Young accidentally drove an enraged Karamba towards the camp. Aragen knew how much Wenir wanted to become one of the Predators. She had no doubt he could do it, after all he had all the prerequisites for it.

  She watched as the Predators handed over their swords to Ragar and in one graceful leap transformed themselves into magnificent giant lupine creatures. Ragar thrust their swords into the ground creating a small circle as he did so. Little Tan was put on guard to protect them.

  Pack rules forbade werewolves from carrying weapons. The only exceptions were for the Predators and the leader himself. Aragen knew the intricacies of her father's sword, axe and knives. All of them had apparently been crafted by gnomes which he met during his youth when courting his first love. Rumour had it that she was the only woman he had ever truly loved. He could never deal with her death, while Sieena could never accept the fact that she was always number two.

  Aragen, staring ahead, lost in thought, was brought back to the present when a long shadow cast itself across her view. Wenir sat down beside her with a nervous smile on his face. Aragen reassuringly touched his forearm. "Don´t worry, you can do it."

  "Thanks," he replied. "I'm excited and scared at the same time. I fear what is lurking in these forests."

  "Karambas are said to be very smart animals. You have to be smarter. Beware of their front sabre teeth. They´re poisonous."

  "I know. Apparently, they also have poisonous spines on their backs."

  Aragen smiled. "You can do it. You're a werewolf, a Son of Hell. You're far more dangerous than any animal."

  Wenir grimaced at the thought, then looked at her with a serious expression. "My condolences for the loss of your sibling. They said it was a boy."

  Aragen only nodded. As she did so, Wenir reached out and caressed her cheek. Before she could react he had got up and joined the other Young gathered in the forest. There were only four of them. The number of newborns in the pack had dwindled over time. The birth of a healthy baby was therefore a glorious event.

  Kar patted Wenir on the back. He seemed so eager. He stood there stretching his muscles and grinning from ear to ear. Aragen watched as Ragar approached them. The rest of the pack gathered around the campfire from where they had the best view. As part of the ritual they painted colourful symbols on the hunters’ foreheads. As they did so, the tension in the air became markedly more intense as the Young readied themselves for the start. With Ragar´s howl and to the cheers of the pack they disappeared into darkness of the forest.

  With the hunters gone, the rest of the pack prepared for the celebration that would follow their return in the evening. The Autumn Hunt and the admi
ssion of a new Predator was one of the biggest events in the pack calendar.The women busied themselves with preparing the wild boar the pack had hunted at daybreak. The men prepared a fire and brought in a barrel of wine which they had stolen in the nearest village. When all was done, the women and girls emblazoned themselves with dark paint to cover their skin. Tradition had it that they should wear no clothing for the festivities. Aragen, as the rightful leader's daughter, would then dance a celebratory dance with the winner around the campfire.

  When Drel had finished painting Aragen’s belly and breasts, she stepped back and gave a satisfied smile. Aragen looked impressive. Her hair had been braided for the occasion. Three braids flowed from the top of her head and were tied together at the ends. Red paint, symbolizing blood, glowed bright around her eyes, mouth, and the middle of her neck. Aragen adjusted herself and went to find her father. He was sitting to one side on a dry log and was carving a spear. She sat down beside him.

  "Father."

  Ragar looked at her and smiled. All the anger was long forgotten. He loved her too much and could not be angry with her for a long time. "What is it, Aragen?"

  "I have a question. Does it always have to be a man who chooses his keishah? What if it was a woman? What if a woman wanted to choose her man?"

  Ragar raised his eyebrows. “I have never thought about it. For generations, the men have asked the fathers of their chosen ones."

  "But a woman might do it too."

  "My daughter, it would seem you would like to change all the laws of our pack!" he shouted, but in the corner of his mouth, he laughed.

  "After all, everything is possible isn´t it? We can do anything, if we set our minds to it."

  "Why are you asking me? Have you already picked your man? Someone from the Young?"

  "Yes. I would like to ask his father for his approval."

  "Impossible, Aragen. This is something a man must do. It is he who must choose you and ask me for approval! If you did what you are proposing, you would humiliate the poor man."

  "Women are still just as capable, strong, and smart as men! After your departure, I will lead our pack, as a woman. Why should men be humiliated when a woman chooses them?"

  "I don’t want to argue about it, Aragen. It is the way it is. The man is the leader, the head of the family. A man protects a woman and cares for her. You cannot take it all upon yourself and make him look like a weakling. He would never agree to it."

  Aragen suppressed her irritated growl. Men and their vanity. She wanted to have Wenir for herself as soon as possible so that no other female could have him. She knew that he had the same feelings for her. Unfortunately, he was always too reserved and suspected that he would not dare to choose her.

  As the sun went down and evening drew in, the shadows got longer and the darkness started to prevail. Everyone started eagerly looking towards the forest for signs of someone´s return. There were none. Aragen noticed that Amitha was tense. She was hugging herself with her arms and anxiously watching the trees. She could not resist and asked her sister: "Are you worried?"

  "Well, I ... no one is coming back. What if something has happened?"

  "They will return," Aragen assured her, but at the same time thought that Amitha´s concern seemed a little overstated. As far as she was aware, there was nobody Amitha would worry about so anxiously.

  Then came the first sounds. All of them sniffed the air and took in the smell of fresh blood. Animal blood. They had done it. One of them had killed a Karamba.

  Amitha urgently pushed herself to the front of the crowd. Aragen followed her. The first figure emerged from the shadows. It was a huge lupine monster, dragging a sinister beast in its jaws. A Karamba was part tiger, part boar. Its spikes and tail were like those of a dragon. Blood ran down its throat and stomach, clotting as it did so. The wolf threw the Karamba dramatically onto the ground and the pack burst into cheers.

  The wolf transformed himself back into his human form. It was Kar. He lifted his fists above his head and yelled out his victory cry. Aragen frowned, curious to know how Kar had killed it and where Wenir was.

  Suddenly, the crowd closed around her blocking her view. Aragen could smell more blood on the air and heard other voices coming out of the forest. She anxiously pushed herself forward so that she could catch a glimpse of the other returning hunters, but it was not easy. When she broke through, she saw Wenir. Another Young was supporting him. Wenir was injured. If he were not a werewolf, a torn belly would have been a mortal wound.

  Aragen wanted to rush over to him, but someone else was faster. Someone else was touching him. Someone else was worrying over him. Someone else was kissing him on the lips. Aragen felt dazed, like being lost in a dream or maybe a nightmare. A stone dropped in the pit of her stomach. Poison began to flow through her veins. Anger, stronger than she had ever experienced before, welled up inside her as the bitter taste of hatred grew in her mouth. It took her best efforts to restrain herself and not cry out in fury.

  It was Amitha who was stroking Wenir’s chest. She was now taking care of his wound. It was she who kissed him on the forehead, she who received his fervent, affectionate glance. When their lips met again, Aragen looked away. Her pulse pounded directly under the skin. She felt she was going insane! She felt like throwing herself at the two of them and slitting their throats!

  Instead, she turned, changed into a black monster and fled into the forest.

  She came back after midnight. The campfire was still burning and the wolves were still celebrating. Aragen passed among them like a lost soul, feeling much the same way. Empty, humiliated, ejected. She sought out Wenir. He was sitting nearby, his wounds almost healed. A werewolf´s advantage.

  He looked up at her as she stood before him. He even dared to smile.

  "Kar beat me," he said with a smile of defeat. "Anyway, where have you been? Ragar was looking for you everywhere. You owe Kar his victory dance."

  "I saw you with Amitha," she said instead. Wenir looked down.

  "I think it's time for the others to learn about it," he looked up and smiled casually. "I want to choose her."

  Aragen’s heart stopped beating. She stared at him and felt a darkness spreading through her.

  "How dare you?" she hissed. Wenir frowned, confused. She leaned towards him full of hostility. "Don’t tell me you did not know about my feelings. Don’t tell me you did not respond."

  He seemed genuinely surprised. "Aragen, I … you never mentioned, never hinted..."

  "You liar!"

  "Aragen…"

  "You prefer my half-sister over me? Over Ragar’s rightful daughter, over the future leader of our pack?"

  Wenir jumped to his feet. "Aragen, I didn´t know that you felt anything for me! We are friends! I love your sister ...”

  "Shut up!" Aragen closed her eyes tightly, wanting herself, willing herself to calm down. "Wenir, you'll regret this one day. You have no idea what is hidden inside me. Soon, you will crawl at my feet."

  The vindictiveness and the nature of Aragen´s words stunned him. "We've known each other since our childhood, you're my friend. I'm sorry that I have hurt you, but it will pass. You’ll find another who will be worthy of you."

  She moved closer to him. "I chose you," she growled. "And you have rejected me."

  "That´s not true."

  "It is. Both of you have betrayed me."

  "You're upset. Tomorrow ..."

  "Tomorrow you'll know my pain," she said and left him.

  The next morning it was raining. Ragar went hunting with the Predators to train the new member. Kar was thrilled. Aragen´s instincts told her that his bloodlust was growing by the day. Some day he will make a great Darkwolf she thought. Yes, that is how she would name her pack in spirit.

  She sat in the corner of the cabin and watched the flicker of the candle flame. After a while, she took the candleand let hot wax drip onto her open palm. Physical pain seemed to dampen her broken heart which at the same time filled her with a se
nse of power. Aragen felt her true nature was forming and rising to the surface. She was becoming more aware of her own superiority. Once again, she felt change was in the air.

  Her mother sat on the other side, hugging herself with her arms, rocking her body to and fro, muttering continuously: "Bastard, bastard, she stole him from me ... she stole him. But revenge will be mine, I will reclaim what is rightfully yours my little girl. Everything will be yours! Everything, everything!"

  The rest of the pack were in the forest sheltering from the rain. Aragen left the cabin and headed towards the trees. She was drenched to the bone before she even got there. The Young gazed on as water ran down her half-naked skin. Amitha approached her.

  "I'd like to talk to you, Aragen," she said pleadingly. "Wenir told me everything."

  "Of course, after all, you share everything, don’t you?" Aragen smiled ironically. "We'll talk, but not now. When the moon rises, we’ll meet at the rock which we discovered together when we first arrived here."

  Amitha nodded. Aragen turned away. As she did so she caught sight of Wenir. He was leaning against a tree, looking at her with pity. She felt the infuriation locked inside her grow even more and became more determined to carry out her intentions. No one would mess with her again.

  It continued to rain for the rest of the day. Locked away in her cabin, she ran through the details of her plan, again and again. She was determined. No one could convince her otherwise. Hatred and humiliation bothered her. Her mother had been right all along. She was her father´s only true daughter, no one else! She would no longer call anybody else her sister or brother! She refused to accept the pain, but deep inside, the betrayal was consuming her.

  Aragen was one of the first to rise after dinner. She was aware of what she was going to do, but all the love she felt she had had died inside her. As she walked past her father she paused to lightly kiss him on the forehead. In that split second she was overwhelmed by a sense of foreboding, a feeling that she would never see him again.

  She wandered aimlessly through the trees of the forest for a while accompanied only by their shadows, sniffing the different scents that floated on the air. Darkness came quickly. As the moon´s beams began to penetrate the branches, she took the familiar meandering path to the mountain. Aragen followed it until she came out at the top of the cliff, the exact same spot where she and her sister had stood on the first evening.