Son of hell: Blood of wolves

by Michaela Burdová

  A fourth darkwolf appeared, bit Neran’s shoulder, and shook him like a rag.Again, Neran flew through the air, only to be stopped by the painful impact with a tree.He felt and heard the bones in his right hand break, as did a couple of ribs.He prayed that they grew back rapidly enough so he could fight again.

  There was not much time.The darkwolves had surrounded him.One had a bloody eye, the other a charred skull, and the third had burned skin.The fourth was unharmed.Neran's eyes darted from one to the other.His heart was pounding.He could not use the fire because his throat was so burned.He stood there, stooped over, his right arm hanging by the side of his body at an awkward angle, his broken ribs making breathing difficult.

  He was determined that he was definitely not going to get killed just like that.He was going to scoop out a few eyes, break some bones, and tear some flesh from those beasts first.If he died in the process, at least he would feel good for having tried.

  His thoughts were disrupted by a flash. The half blinded darkwolf howled, stumbled and slid to the ground almost on his muzzle. As the darkwolf bent over in pain, Neran noticed a silver dagger protruding from his back.

  The dagger had not killed him, but the beast looked stunned. Liadel stood behind him. Neran had hoped that she had fled long ago. Dammit, she should have got out of there.

  When the darkwolves looked back at her, Neran's stomach tightened. Fear grabbed his guts. "Get out of here!" he growled at her. Liadel did not seem to be ready to do that. Instead, dark blue shades rippled and swirled around her like orbiting ghosts and something sparkled around her hands. Neran smelt a familiar whiff.

  Power filled the air until it was heavy and stifling. The hair on Neran’s back bristled.

  The darkwolves growled menacingly, three of them turning towards her, while the last continued to threaten Neran. Neran was not afraid for Liadel anymore. He had guessed what was coming and could not believe it.

  Liadel’s eyes began to glow a turquoise blue and her skin began to darken, turning grey at first. Her skin darkened even more until it had turned a very dark blue, almost black. Sparks and mini bolts of lightning flashed around her body.

  The darkwolves hesitated. One of them summoned up their courage and leapt forward, growling as if to try and chase Liadel away.

  But this was not Liadel any longer. It was a being whose dark power could destroy every living thing within its range, a power that emanated from the very depths of the Earth.

  She now moved with almost imperceptible speed. Neran flinched with shock as he saw her abruptly standing in front of the darkwolf.

  She grabbed the beast's head in her hands and it howled in dismay. Then all of a sudden there was silence. An electrical shock had pierced the darkwolf´s skull, frying its brain. The stench of burning flesh immediately hit Neran’s nose. Liadel attacked the second darkwolf straight away. She looked like a spirit born of the night. Her clothes had now turned to black and her hair had gained an even more fiery touch.

  She thrust her claws into the beast’s ribs and ripped out its heart. The darkwolf fell to the ground like a felled tree. The third wanted to flee, but did not make it. She fried his brain too.

  The fourth darkwolf managed to escape. For a moment, Neran thought that the being would chase him too like a hungry beast, but nothing happened. Instead, it stood with its bloodied hands at the feet of the corpses of the three giant wolves.

  Neran did not know what to do until he noticed that Liadel was transforming back into herself again and was shaking.Her skin began to turn pale again and the glow in those unbearably turquoise blue eyes started to fade.Sweat appeared on her face.Suddenly the eyes seemed familiar again.They were Liadel’s beautiful and coldly penetrating eyes.

  Neran could not believe it and did not want to see it. It could not be her. After all she had told him she had a soul. She was different. She was no longer a demon. Neran had trusted her with all his heart.

  Now that heart was bleeding.

  Liadel collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. Her palms rested on the ground, while her arms shook. She seemed like she might faint.

  Neran returned to his human form. His arm healed and his ribs too. He slowly knelt down next to her. "You don´t have a soul, do you?" he whispered with difficulty. His throat was still on fire.

  Liadel raised her tired eyes. "It's not like that..."

  "You lied to me," he growled, without realizing it.

  "Neran..." her head dropped. Frowning, he brushed the clothes off her shoulder. Her wound was inflamed, purple, and liquescent. Neran was convinced that this was not the reason why Liadel was totally exhausted. Could it have been the transformation, or something else he asked himself.

  By the time he had smelled Aragen´s presence, it was too late.

  The black female darkwolf jumped on his back. Neran´s chin sank into the ground and he felt a sharp pain run down his spine. Liadel tried to get up, but a muscular man grabbed her throat with his hand.

  The darkwolf’s fangs flashed. She bent over, close to Neran’s ear: "The pack never leaves their brothers behind, remember?"

  Neran growled and Aragen licked his face. Then she jumped off and let him get up. They were surrounded. Neran was quietly furious. This should not have happened!

  Aragen turned to Liadel. The elven could not muster any defence. Within moments the darkwolf had transformed herself into a woman, her black hair covering her breasts. "I knew that you still had some power left inside you, Thirteenth." Aragen lowered her face to Liadel’s. "I felt it inside you the first time. You know who I am, right? Do you remember Wolfgar?"

  Liadel looked away. "Come on. Thanks to him, you could create this," Aragen sneered, stroking the medallion that hung around Liadel’s neck. The elven winced. "Don´t worry. I know that only demons can seize it."

  "What the hell are you talking about?" Neran snapped. Aragen turned to him with a broad smile.

  "She didn’t tell you about it?"

  Neran was suddenly full of rage and painful disappointment. Without thinking, he attacked Aragen and sank his claws into her throat. The darkwolves bristled, but did not dare to attack because Neran had Aragen under his control. He whispered to her face: "I’m sure you remember that I know where you have your birth mark, right?"

  Aragen gave him a piercing look with her eyes. Neran pressed harder and the darkwolf began to choke.

  Then something unexpected happened.

  Liadel gasped. Her eyes widened and she began to shake. The man released her in confusion. The elven grabbed her own throat. She was choking.

  Neran stared at her wide-eyed, while strangling Aragen. This makes no sense he thought as he looked alternately at the elven and Aragen. Then he pulled out his dagger and scratched Aragen’s arm. Liadel hissed as a bloody gash appeared on her arm.

  Neran's heart pounded even more. His burned throat contracted in terror. He was now even more confused than before and felt despair well up inside him.

  He released Aragen who jumped away like a snake. She rubbed her neck and then struck him in the face with such force that he fell down on all fours. Then she turned to Liadel and in amazement looked at the scratch on her arm quickly heal in unison with the scratch on Liadel’s arm. Not only was it in the same place, but it even looked completely identical.

  "How fascinating," Aragen said with her eyes ablaze. "Is it possible?" she asked the elven eagerly. Liadel looked equally surprised.

  "I had no idea ..."

  "Our union is indeed sisterly," Aragen chuckled. "Blood sisters, what do you say to that?"

  "Nothing," Liadel said coldly. "Something must have gone wrong."

  "A miracle," Aragen sighed. "It is a miracle, my lady."

  She beckoned two of her underlings who had transformed into human form. They were not nearly as muscular as the one who was guarding Liadel. They had sunken stomachs and hunched backs. As they approached, Neran noticed that their faces were unkempt, but that their eyes glowed like torches. One forcefully grabbed hi
s arms, while the other tried to put on a thick leather collar.

  "What the hell is that?" Neran said, fighting back. He writhed as much as he could, but the darkwolf pulled both of his arms hard behind his back.

  "You have to be a really obedient dog," Aragen scorned. The second man put the collar around Neran’s neck. Neran immediately felt paralyzed by black magic penetrating his muscles like an arrow. They pulled the chain that led from the collar as a leash and Neran involuntarily fell to his knees.

  "Let’s go," Aragen commanded. Suddenly Wenir approached her. Neran overheard him whisper: "We should not take her with us. You saw what she did to Tamar and the others." He looked at the corpses of the darkwolves and then at Liadel. "We’ve lost two Predators."

  "Now she is weak," Aragen responded.

  "She won’t always be."

  Aragen gave Wenir a condescending look. "If it´s true that we are connected, she will have no power over me and she can´t endanger our pack."

  The darkwolves left the Teardrop Forest with Neran and Liadel under their watchful eyes. As soon as Liadel crossed its border, the protection returned and the trees disappeared, leaving only an overgrown green meadow in its place. It was a shock to the eyes to go from the bright light of the forest into the thickening darkness. Neran soon got used to it, as did the others. As they descended the hill, the skinny fellow kept pulling at the chain as if Neran was not running fast enough. Liadel was being escorted ahead of him. Only five darkwolves remained in their lupine form. The other eight looked like wild men, some skinny, some burly, some pale and some tanned, but all bearded and hairy. Most of them were naked.

  Neran thought hard. He was trying to figure out what to do next, but over and over again the image of Liadel with her darkening skin and turquoise eyes entered and clouded his mind. The anger about the elven’s betrayal flooded him. He did not know whether Liadel had lied about her soul. He did not know what bond she shared with Aragen. That was not the worst of it. Liadel had still had enough power to rescue them several times before. She had not, not even once. Neran’s life was now hanging by a thread and she had left him to help himself.

  His whole heart ached while he stared at her from behind. He looked at her red hair and longed for the hatred he had felt towards her before to return. It tortured him that he could not do it. Instead of hatred, he only felt a painful disappointment. He knew that in the end the rage would prevail. Neran had always been hot-headed in that way and with all these acute emotions merging together, it was to be expected.

  As they side-stepped branched oaks they soon saw a distant light. The smell of smoke drifted on the air. A huge figure emergedfrom the darkness. It was a darkwolf in his animal form, standing on his hind legs.He must have been close to seven feet tall.

  Aragen muttered something to him in the ancient language of Fiery Gorges and he disappeared into the darkness again. It occurred to Neran that his task was to guard the camp.

  The camp fire was big. Three men and seven women were sitting around it. They all raised their heads as the party arrived. With the exception of one woman, all of them remained seated. She was as slender as a stick and wrapped in shaggy fur, from which only her long, skinny legs protruded. Neran could never forget her crazed, dedicated expression and ruffled hair.

  Drel joined Aragen and whispered something in her ear while they entered a hut made of sticks. They took Neran and Liadel with them.

  Aragen sat down on a wooden block and ordered Liadel to be tied. Two men obeyed and then disappeared.

  Drel rubbed her hands together with glee and a crazy smile appeared on her face."So you did it.You got him."

  "I did not even need the help of the Twelfth," Aragen snorted smugly and pointed to a leather cloak that hung in the corner.Drel quickly handed it to her and Aragen wrapped herself comfortably in it.Aragen threw Neran a piece of cloth as he had been naked the whole time.

  Liadel, tied with ropes, was sat on a wooden block in the corner.Neran knelt down beside her, with nobody bothering to tie him up.Apparently, Aragen did not see him as much of a threat, which insulted him.

  "I wonder what you will do with me, Aragen," Neran remarked casually."Rape me?Because voluntarily, I won’t even touch you."

  A few months ago, you were talking differently," she said, flashing a smile. Neran gave Liadel a quick glance which Aragen noticed. "Oh," she exclaimed, faking astonishment. "Did you perhaps fall in love with the ice queen? Tell me, Thirteenth, did Neran tell you that because of me he tried to kill his brother?"

  Liadel’s expression did not change, but Neran saw her eyes widen.

  "I was under the influence of your disgusting magic!" he yelled at the she-wolf.

  "My powers only helped that what was inevitable. You have been strongly attracted to me since our very first meeting, Neran, don’t deny it." She approached him and ran her hands over his chest. Neran recoiled. His glance fell on the silver cross that was burned into her chest. For this, he had always admired her a little. "Come on. I didn’t conjure up your love, but only your devotion. You started loving me on your own."

  "I have never loved you," he growled into her face. "You have no idea what the word means. You know nothing."

  She laughed. "You're the expert! Darling, we are creatures of hell. Pure love is something that will remain forever unknown to us, but we can at least feel something similar. You loved me in your dark, perverse way."

  "Think what you want," he snapped. "I will never make you an offspring."

  "So this is what it is all about," Liadel sighed. "You want…"

  "Yes, I want to mate with him," Aragen added. "We're the last of our kind and my pack is doomed. We need fresh blood. When Neran showed up..."

  "You saw your chance," Liadel concluded.

  "You see," Aragen grinned. "Even our thoughts are the same."

  Liadel looked unimpressed. "Neran will not give in to you."

  "I am already immune to your shady dealings," Neran maintained firmly.

  "Maybe you are. Then I'll take you by force."

  Neran wanted to shout out how ridiculous it was that a woman would rape a man. It was always the man who had the strength ... But then he realized that Aragen had the strength. She was both stronger and more powerful than he was, and crazy enough to do it.

  She leaned towards him. Her pale green eyes pierced right through him. "Together, Neran, we will give birth to a pack more powerful than any other pack on Earth. When I get all her power...” she tilted her head towards Liadel.

  "What do you mean?" Neran interrupted her abruptly. Aragen blinked and suddenly, looked almost cute.

  "We’ll prepare a ritual. I’ll withdraw all the demonic power that she has left. Then we will revive our species."

  "Gariel will not allow it," Liadel argued, but it seemed that nothing could stop Aragen. She had thought out everything very well and knew all the answers.

  "He won´t know about it. When he figures it out, it will be too late. I will have become more powerful than he is."

  "The Twelfth Demon is watching me, he is close, he ..." Liadel exclaimed again.

  "I sent him on a false trail."

  "Does it bother you so much that you would lose your beloved abilities?" Neran shouted into the elven’s face. Liadel remained completely calm when she responded: "Neran, the ritual will kill me."

  Neran froze. "Dammit."

  Drel giggled in the corner.

  Aragen caught Neran by his chin and pressed her lips to his."Don’t worry about her, my love, you’ve got me," she sneered. Her eyes looked devilish.Neran twitched.Everything was lost.He had to think of something quick, otherwise Liadel would end up on some sacrificial altar and he would become the love toy of a yearning darkwolf.

  Aragen finally tied Neran’s hands with the chain from the collar around his neck and then left with Drel in tow. Apparently, they wanted to discuss plans which were not meant for Neran’s and Liadel’s ears. Neran quickly turned to Liadel. "Go ahead, use your power!"
/>   "I can´t," Liadel sighed quietly. "I am too weak."

  "Sure," Neran snapped irritably. "You are weak only when it suits you."

  "It's not that simple, Neran."

  "Isn’t it? Please explain! I can see it very clearly! You still have demonic power and you hid it! You could have used it at any time, but instead you chose to leave me to be almost killed! For instance while fleeing from Karnelos’ castle, or when Urvan and his men attacked the Northern Elves, your people! And then in Reana when I fought Kar and the whole village was nearly murdered. You didn’t even move a muscle."

  "Neran, I couldn´t help you because I would put all of you at even greater risk. Don’t you understand? My skills were left to me, but their use has its price. I vowed that I would never use my dark force ever again. Every time, when I touch it, if only slightly, it devours me. It devours all of me and I ... I cannot control myself. I transform into the beast you saw. With the Dark Force within me, I can indeed kill creatures that are equally dark, but once I take innocent life, I will lose my soul. And as I said, at that moment I cannot control myself and I could kill anyone. The power inside me is too dangerous. In any case, it brings me enormous suffering..." she broke off, turning her face away. "Every time I return to my demonic nature, my conscience attacks me because of my soul. My soul can´t handle all the evil and cruelty that I have done in the past. The images return to confront me as soon as I let the darkness take over me."

  Neran did not want to hear it. He wanted to be angry. "You expect me to believe this whole thing? Maybe the explanation is much simpler - you lied and you don’t have a soul."

  "You know that I have one," she gazed at him with a pleading look. "You can feel it."

  Neran looked away. "Don’t play with me. Back in the forest, when Aragen’s spy appeared, it was you who killed him. You were the monster that attacked me then. You tried to kill me."

  "I've just told you that I can´t control myself. At that time, I was forced to use my power.You were far away and the monster would have killed me. At first, he wanted to catch me, but once I started to resist and fled, he turned mad and the killer inside him awoke. It was impossible to stop him."