THE EVENT

by Jamie Heppner

  Donovan laughed aloud as his Nightwalker pulled yet another werewolf from the battlefield. Suddenly Donovan began to feel something different. His Nightwalkers didn't feel fear, not as normal people do but he did feel something. Something in the battle had changed. He had to know what it was; the only way to do that was to send someone closer to look. He couldn't chance himself. There was no way he was going into a battle, someone might get lucky and take him out. There was only one other person he controlled who could tell him what was happening. It was time for her to earn her keep.

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  Sylvia had given up her struggles long ago. She always thought that maybe if she fought enough she could break free of Donovan, but not even once had she so much as even twitched a finger when he was in control. The candle in the room had burned out a while back so it was hard for her to tell how much time had passed. All she did know was that it was dark and she still was under Donovan's control. All of a sudden, she could move again. Her head spun around the room as she looked for her captor, but he was nowhere near. Hope filled her mind until his voice shattered it. "Come to me now."

  Sylvia's body snapped into motion as she once again instinctively railed against him. She marched her way through the ruins of the mall without a guide. Her own body knew where he was even if she didn't, and it went straight to him.

  Sylvia marched naked right up to him, and her body released her as it had filled out his command. Temporarily free of his control Sylvia did her best to cover herself up with her arms. It didn't help. Donovan stared as he remembered he had left her that way. His concentration was broken as his feelings of lust, and perhaps something else broke into his mind at the sight of her. His grip on the Nightwalkers slipped a moment.

  Suddenly he remembered what was happening. "I need you to scout out what is going on out there. I can't see from in here and there is no way I'm getting closer to the fighting, so you are going to be my runner." Donovan smiled at the thought of Sylvia running back and forth to him to report. He had to fight to keep his concentration on the battle at hand.

  Sylvia's eyes looked out to the exit of the mall and fear washed across her face. "You want to me to go out there and fight? Like this? Who are you fighting, what is going on?" She began to back away from Donovan and from the entrance.

  "No you stupid bitch, I just need your eyes. You are to go out closer to the fight, and see what is happening. Then come back and tell me. Don't try to run away and hide either or I will just make you come back myself." Donovan placed his hand on top of the moonstone and gave a twisted smile as he once again stared her down. "You don't have a choice, so get moving." His mental shove was enough to get her running towards the entrance whether she wanted to or not. Then he released her to find her own way.

  The stars were out in full force as Sylvia tried to sneak her way out of the mall. It was easy to see that Donovan's army was winning. More and more werewolves were falling back away from the mall. She snuck carefully around to try to be sure the werewolves wouldn't see her. As she got closer to the entrance, she saw what was going on.

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  The General's plan looked to be working. The Nightwalkers were ranging farther and farther from the mall. To their backs were the massive piles of wood Dawn's army had spent so much time building. The bulk of Donovan's army was past the piles now, and the wolves were once again holding them back as best as they could. Dawn gave the word to the few runners she had kept back just for this purpose. "Light them, NOW!"

  At once, the group sprinted out in wolf form. They were much too fast for the clumsy movements of the Nightwalkers. They dashed around them and ran straight through to the wood stacks. Almost as one, the wolves shifted back to human form and lit the woodpiles. They knew exactly where to light them. The General had told them how to begin the stacks of wood to get the fire to build the fastest. Within moments, the piles were ablaze.

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  Sylvia fell to the floor and screamed as loud as she could. The fires had grown so quickly they blinded her almost in an instant. Even with her arms covering her face she could still see the brightness from the burning piles of wood. Donovan called her back then. She was almost grateful for the command as her body marched itself back into the darker core of the mall.

  When she came back to Donovan, she saw the rage in his eyes, he didn't notice the tears in hers. "Tell me what I already know." He practically growled to her.

  "They lit bonfires. They waited until your army was past it then lit them. I couldn't see anything the light was so bright. The pain, I can still feel it."

  Donovan's rage pulled up inside him. He didn't even hear what else Sylvia was saying anymore. He didn't even see her perfect body as she tried to keep talking to him and tell him what happened. Donovan clutched his moonstone and mentally commanded his second wave to move closer. It was too soon to use them with those bonfires, but he wouldn't be defeated like this. With a glance towards Sylvia who was now trying to keep her face out of the light and her body out of sight he locked her frozen once again. He would get back to her.

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  With the bonfires lit, the werewolves turned the tide. No more wounded were brought back to Dawn for healing. Unfortunately, a few who were still with her might not live through the night.

  A group of Nightwalkers had broken through to her at one point. Bonetwister and his guards had pushed them back, but they too had taken wounds. Bonetwister’s wound was the worst where one Nightwalker had managed to duck under the swing of his club and grabbed him by the throat. Bonetwister tried to pull the hand away, but was unable to break the grasp. He stumbled to his knees. Dawn herself had to come to his rescue as she lopped off the arm with her sword so it would release him. Dawn's hand reached into her pocket as she felt her moonstone. "No. I'm sorry. I must save this. If there is time later, I can use it to heal you. I promise."

  Bonetwister nodded as his friends pulled him once again to his feet. He tried to tell her it would be ok, but his voice failed him from the injury. Bonetwister just smiled instead as best he could and turned once again to the fight in front of him.

  The werewolves only had to stay out of the way of the flailing Nightwalkers, as the fires grew brighter and brighter. They broke legs, arms, whatever they could to disable them as the few wolves with swords finished the jobs. Eventually, not even one remained. The stink of blood filled the air. A few werewolves tossed some of the bodies onto the fires, but this stopped quickly. The smell of burning flesh mixed with blood took over the air. The super sensitive noses of the werewolves put a stop to any more burning of bodies. The General pulled back to Dawn as the fighting ceased.

  "We have won this battle but I don't think we are done. I have had some wolves check around, but as far as I can tell not one of the Nightwalkers wore any armor. Your brother has something else up his sleeve. We have to be very careful now."

  "There is nothing else we can do but wait. Our next fight will be on his terms. We need to be ready for him."

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  Donovan's anger didn't fade with the fires outside. Every one of his first wave of Nightwalkers lay destroyed. He couldn't sense even one left. He had thought to hide a few if he could, but the werewolves had destroyed them all. His massive army lay reduced by almost three quarters in less than a few hours.

  Donovan pulled his second wave of Nightwalkers closer as the fires outside dimmed more and more. The werewolves had pulled all the fuel they could find from close by. They had nothing left to stoke the fires. He had watched as a few wolves had piled the Nightwalkers bodies on top of a fire. Donovan thought it was a good idea of them, but they had stopped almost as soon as they had started.

  "Fools, you should have used them." He thought until the smell reached his nose. Donovan gagged at the stench the burning bodies made and he understood why they had stopped.

  Donovan's fingers held tight around his moonstone. There was one good thing come out of the massacre...he had used up much less of his stored power then he ha
d expected to. Donovan's lips curled up in a grin at the thought. Perhaps it was his turn to toss out a surprise or two.

  Slowly the fires dimmed, and the stars started peeking back out. In less than half of the night, Donovan had lost a major portion of his army, with little damage done to the hated wolves. It was his turn to tip the scales. Donovan placed his hands on both sides of the moonstone and sunk himself deep into its power. He would be able to take almost direct control of the core of his army this way. He would make decisions for them whenever possible and he would ruin the werewolves. Now was the time for the real battle to begin.

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  The General stood at the front lines with the army of werewolves. They waited, and they healed. The fires had given them a break long enough to recover from almost all the wounds. Their losses had been much less substantial then at first thought. The regenerative power of the werewolves was strong.

  The General looked back over his shoulder where Dawn wound her way among the few werewolves that might not live. She offered her comfort and thanks to everyone. She had been born a leader and it showed. The General silently shook his head as he once more began to scan the mall for signs of movement.

  She would make a good and fair leader for the clan, but she felt their pain too closely as well. Every wound, every death she took into herself. The pain of it was evident on her face as well as her form. This fight was as hard for her inside as it was for the wolves outside. The Generals sight snapped to a corner of the mall where the walls had collapsed."Was that movement?"

  A flash of white, he knew he had seen it. The General stared as hard as he could at the darkness. It would be at least another six or seven hours until sunlight. They had to make it through this night or Donovan would win. Another flash...this time the General was sure he had seen it. It was too fast though, much too fast for a Nightwalker. The General called back to warn the werewolves as a very different army burst through the doors and charged straight at his front lines. They were Nightwalkers after all, but they were a scene from the depths of hell.

  The werewolves only had a moment to take in what was running straight at them before the two lines collided once again. As before, there were no battle cries, no grunts from exertion. In that way, it was the same but that was where it ended.

  These Nightwalkers moved fast, as fast as the wolves did. Their hits weren't random either. The Nightwalkers struck for vital areas wherever they could. They pressed the wolves hard right from the start.

  The General was doing his best to get his oak club to strike the Nightwalker he stood fighting toe to toe. He was hitting it, but the armor that the Nightwalkers wore was a stroke of genius. Even the clubs they used were having little effect. The armor didn't break as they had hoped; it flexed and snapped back into shape. If it were a normal human inside, the pain would have made them drop. One thing was increasingly evident. Nightwalkers didn't feel pain.

  The General watched as a group of werewolves tried different tactics. One of them tried to sneak behind the Nightwalker and pin him so the others could finish him off. The General thought it was a good idea, but something went wrong. The moment the werewolf wrapped his arms around the Nightwalker to try to crush his arms down he howled in pain and released him. The entire front of the werewolf covered in blood.

  The General ducked under a blow that was much to close and noticed what had happened. Donovan had placed razor blades all down the arms, back, legs and chest of the Nightwalkers. You would cut yourself to ribbons trying to hold one of these beasts down. The General had to accept a grudging respect for the tactic, even though it may well be the death of the clan.

  At first, it was only one by one that the werewolves began to drop. Some made it back to Dawn for healing, but most lay where they fell. Their forms limp as the Nightwalkers just stepped over them to the next opponent. Even the General was having a hard time. His oak club was flying so fast it whistled with the speed.

  The blows would knock down an enemy, but as another took its place the first would just get back up. Only a handful of white clad Nightwalkers lay on the ground. Dawn watched as the General fought for all he had and all that he was worth. A layer of sweat was forming over him and the club began to slip from his fingers. A group of Nightwalkers seemed to feel him weakening and they moved over to attack him in earnest, pushing his weakened defences to the limit.

  "How can they make those decisions? No Nightwalker can act like that... something is helping them to decide what to do...directing them... Donovan!"

  Dawn closed her eyes and ranged out with her senses. She had little of her own power left, much of what she had she used to heal the worst of the werewolves. She could sense a life inside the mall and the wolves all around. The life inside was like a beacon. It was so bright she didn't know how she couldn't see it with her eyes open. Dawn needed more power, but the moonstone she held was not to be used for this. She had promised to hold out in case she needed more. Dawn opened her eyes and looked around. Bonetwister was still close by. His entire body strung as tight as a bow with the effort of not rushing off to help his brothers. Dawn's personal bodyguard stood with him. Their looks pleading with him to let them go help as they watched more and more of their friends fall to the ground, and not get back up. "Bonetwister, I need you!"

  Without hesitation, he sprung to her and kneeled. "Anything!"

  "Release your guard, they are needed. They must slow the attack while I try to help another way."

  Bonetwister looked back over his shoulder and barked a single command. "Attack!" The guard took off full force to join the fight. "What do you plan to do?" Bonetwister's voice was raspy from the damage.

  Dawn placed her hand on Bonetwister’s head and began to pull the life from him. At first, he resisted as the color around him began to fade. Then when realized what she was doing, he willed his own life to fill her. Bonetwister gasped as the last of his life force left him and he slumped to the ground. "You would kill yourself for me?" Dawn stood in shock as she watched his body drain of color and his breathing slow more and more. "I won't let that happen."

  Dawn reached down to the unconscious form and bleed a little of his stolen life back into him. His color returned and his breathing steadied. "Now, let's see what I can do about my brother hiding inside the mall."

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  Donovan was stretching himself too thin. He knew it, but it was working. He was destroying the werewolves. They tried many different tactics but each time he over ran them. Their numbers were dwindling. Soon this fight would be over.

  Donovan took a moment to look at Sylvia still locked behind him. Her dark eyes trained on him. Donovan could tell she knew what he was thinking. She was terrified and that made him grin again. Donovan closed his eyes once again and concentrated his attacks on this one werewolf. Something about him was different. He didn't have a look of fear when he attacked. Something about him was stronger than the other wolves. Donovan wanted him torn to pieces quickly.

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  The General was breathing heavy now. The oak branch he had been swinging with such strength was feeling more and more like a lead bar in his hands. A few werewolves had come from somewhere to help him, but most of them were now injured or dying around him. He couldn't take even a second to catch his breath. Every time he did, another Nightwalker or two would surge to him, and he would once again have to defend himself. They were wearing him down bit by bit.

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  Dawn watched the fight with her eyes closed. She was once again full of life, it let her see the battle in a way she didn't before. This way was much worse. She saw time and again the lights blink out as her brother destroyed wolf after wolf. She could sense him inside the mall. His light was still so bright it was hard to miss. "How does he have so much power? He should be exhausted by now but there he is as strong as before."

  Realization grabbed Dawn as she struggled for a way to defeat her brother and end this battle. Her fingers dug deep into her pocket and wrapped around the
moonstone she had been saving at the cost of others lives. She knew how he was doing this. How he had so much control and stayed so strong. Donovan had a moonstone.

  Dawn reached out with her power. She looked past the fight, past the General and her army who were fading quickly. She saw it now. The light inside the darkness wasn't her brothers. His light was so close to it that from afar they looked the same. His was low, just like hers. The moonstone was his source of power and it was still strong. "So much power! It must be gigantic!"

  Dawn pulled out the moonstone and held it before her. She had an idea but she needed to be closer for it to work. She would only get one shot. Dawn knew that Donovan must have been controlling all the Nightwalkers; there was no other way for them to be fighting so well. She was going to wrestle that control from him no matter what.

  Dawn began walking towards the battle with her hand gripped tight around the moonstone. The werewolves that saw her called out to her to stop but she just shook her head no. A loose guard began moving towards her to protect her from the Nightwalkers. Dawn ignored them and kept pushing forward. There was no other way. If she couldn't do this, the clan would lose and everyone would be dead before the sun came back up.

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  Donovan cursed as once again this man, whoever he was, escaped another of his blows from a Nightwalker. He was getting closer though. He had time. His army didn't get tired. Donovan pressed the attack again. "Sooner or later you will slip up. When you do I will be right there to take advantage." Donovan laughed as he pushed and pushed towards this weakening warrior. Then his chance came. Something made his enemy turn his head aside. Something caught his eye and they opened wide in surprise. Donovan commanded one of the Nightwalkers to rush in and drag his arm across the unprotected chest in front of him. Donovan saw the spray of blood as his reward.