by Seth Ring
[Like they got shot through the chest and the arrow hit their spine. Interesting.] With Akira’s guidance, Thorn found the arrow head and pulled it from where it was lodged. [Huh, a bit too triangular to be a crossbow bolt, but to go all the way through the body, the archer must have had a lot of power. Though, I don’t see any armor.]
[There is some old leather under the skeleton.] Akira poked around the skeleton for a bit before climbing back up to Thorn’s shoulder. [Master, there are more dead people ahead of us.]
[Did you see any teeth marks?]
[You mean like from the giant wolves? No, only some broken bones.]
[That is a relief.] Rising from where he had crouched, Thorn continued to follow the giant wolf who was waiting patiently at the end of the hall. As Thorn arrived, the wolf turned its big eyes on the Titan and spoke in its deep voice.
“You must proceed by yourself from here. I must guard the entrance.” Without waiting for Thorn to respond, the giant wolf melted into the shadows, vanishing from Thorn’s sight.
With a sigh, Thorn looked around at the darkness. If he had learned nothing from his time in the game, it was obvious that whoever had written the characters had a penchant for theatrics. Shaking his head, he examined the doorway at the end of the hall. A solid ironbound door sealed it shut, but flickering light could be seen shining sporadically through the keyhole.
[Akira, can you hear or smell anything that might be dangerous?]
[Mmm, no, it just smells a bit smokey. Like torches. And I smell cakes, and apples, and you. You smell good! You smell like honey and oats.]
[Uh, thanks?] Tilting his head away from Akira who was sniffing around his helmet, trying to smell his hair. [Lets focus, okay? We don’t know what is on the other side of the door, so I need you to be ready to support me.]
[Oh, right. Yeah! I can do that.] Taking one last smell, Akira scrambled up unto Thorn’s head and bared her tiny fangs.
[What are you doing?] Thorn started to look up but stopped when Akira yelped.
[Ah! Don’t do that master! I might fall off.] Adjusting her position, Akira stared at Thorn upside down. [I am being ferocious, master. In case we need to scare anyone!]
CHAPTER SEVEN
[Fair enough.] Standing in the darkness in front of the iron-bound door, Thorn did not have the heart to tell Akira that her bared teeth just increased her cuteness. [Alright, are you ready?]
[Yup!]
Putting a massive hand on the door, Thorn pushed against it slightly to see if it was locked. With a screech the door opened revealing a large cave dominated by a raised platform. Only two feet off of the ground, the platform was nearly thirty feet across. The torchlight coming from the sconces set around the room cast light on a woman sitting in the center of the platform. Silver hair fell like a waterfall, dripping down the woman’s frame and blending in with the snow white robe that wrapped her figure. Dark eyes peeked at Thorn and Akira through the curtain of white and a brief glimpse of the gentle curve of her full lips drew Thorn’s full attention.
It wasn’t until a shiver ran through him that he looked down and realized that he had already taken three steps into the room and was just about to take his fourth step. Under his raised foot an arcane symbol flickered with black light, nearly unnoticeable in the dim room. Carefully pulling his foot back, Thorn had to catch Akira who suddenly jumped from his head, trying to get closer to the woman on the platform.
“Hello.” The woman’s voice echoed softly around the room, covering Thorn in a warm feeling. The sweetness of her voice wormed its way into his ears, but there was something about her voice that set his teeth on edge. At her words, Akira started to struggle to get free from Thorn’s grasp. Tightening his hold on his squirming pet, Thorn focused on his mental connection with her, pushing against it with his mind.
[Ah! Huh? Hey! How did we get so close?]
Glancing at the blinking notifications in the corner of his vision, Thorn gave a mental thank you to whatever algorithm gave him a mental defense racial trait. [Titan’s Strength] was a passive ability that wasn’t granted by one of his abilities, allowing it to work despite his [Living Statue] curse.
“Why are you so quiet, young man?” The woman on the platform looked up, pushing her hair out of her face and revealing a set of delicate features. The nails on her thin pale fingers caught Thorn’s attention, sparkling like jewels under the torchlight. “Maugrim said you were a big one, but he certainly did not do you justice. Oh, where are my manners? I invited you to meet me and yet I still have not introduced myself.”
Rising slightly, the woman in white bowed her head toward Thorn, her every motion exuding grace.
“My name is Mayari. As you can see, I am trapped here in this ruined temple and I desperately need your help.” Holding up her arm, she revealed a thin black chain that extended from a manacle around her wrist, disappearing into the folds of cloth around her feet. “I require a hero to save me from my plight, one who has strength and courage, one who has the will to do what must be done. I have been cruelly imprisoned here for countless years, waiting for someone to rescue me. Will you be the one who finally sets me free?”
*ding*
Quest: Quest: An Ancient Priestess
Led to a ruined temple by a giant wolf, you have discovered a woman in white who claims to be the high priestess of Hati. She appears to be trapped in a magical prison.
Mayari has asked you to free her. To free Mayari you must unlock the magical circle by entering it with the Ring of the Wolf Lord.
Under his helmet, Thorn frowned. Maybe it was just his experiences in the game so far, but something about this quest seemed strange. Nothing was as straightforward as it seemed, right? Opening his mouth to ask some questions, Thorn froze and then sighed. On the platform, Mayari watched him with hopeful eyes. After a moment of silence a slight confusion appeared on her face. The giant bronze armored warrior in front of her did not move or speak, simply staring at her.
“Um, do you want to hear about why I am trapped like this? Or where you can find the key?” When Thorn did not respond, she stared at him awkwardly for a couple of minutes. “Well, hero, you see, a long time ago, I was the priestess of this temple. I served the Great Wolf, Hati, god of the Night as his high priestess. This was in an age when this valley was filled with Hati’s people, the Wolfkin, unlike the desolate, lonely land it has become.
“The valley was truly beautiful then, unlike the wilderness it is now. Together we lived peacefully, worshiping the Great Moon Wolf. However, one day that all changed. One of our greatest champions fell to the corruption of a powerful devil and tore our peaceful lives apart. His power was, thankfully, not as strong as our god’s so he was forced to use a plot to trap me here. Thankfully, you have arrived and can help me.”
As she finished speaking, Mayari bowed her head slightly, holding her hands together like she was praying. A wave of pity washed over Thorn as he saw her innocent appearance, yet it only caused his frown to deepen. Standing silently like a bronze statue in the flickering torchlight, Thorn’s lack of reaction caused Mayari to blink. The slight confusion in her eyes deepened.
“Hero, to save me you must find the key that will unlock this formation. The villain who sealed me was the leader of the Wolfkin race and he bound the formation to the royal ring, the Ring of the Wolf Lord. To release me you will need to retrieve the ring and bring it here. Simply entering the formation will loosen my restraints, and will allow me to once more resume my duties as Hati’s high priestess.”
Mayari’s words wove around Thorn and he almost lifted his hand to look at the finger where the Ring of the Wolf Lord rested. It was only his iron control of his body that allowed him to suppress the impulse. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the beautiful figure on the platform. Despite his lack of motion, his mind was racing at a hundred miles a minute, trying to piece together everything he had seen and heard.
“Hero…” Seeing that the bronze figure in front of her was still not resp
onding, Mayari opened her mouth to speak when Thorn moved abruptly. Spinning on his heel, Thorn ignored what the priestess was about to say and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Over his shoulder, Akira saw Mayari still sitting on the platform, her mouth wide open in shock.
[Master! Why are we leaving? Aren’t you going to free her? You have that ring, right?]
[This whole thing smells weird.] Thorn did not stop, the sound of his boots echoing loudly as he strode down the hallway toward the valley.
[Really? I thought she smelled nice! Not as nice as you, of course.] Akira patted Thorn on the head as she reassured him. [She smelled very sweet. Like fruit right before it becomes rotten. That is when fruit is the sweetest, you know. Just as it goes bad.]
[Exactly!] As Akira prattled on, one of the things that had been bothering Thorn became clear. Mayari had appeared enchantingly beautiful, but the sweet feelings that Thorn felt as he looked at her concealed a disgusting aftertaste.
Leaving the hallway, Thorn emerged into the valley and stopped. Facing him in a rough half circle were twenty large wolves, crouched and ready to spring. Maugrim was standing at the front of the group. Seeing that Thorn and Akira were emerging alone, the giant wolf’s eyes lit up. At his gruff bark the other giant wolves slowly stood from their crouches.
“Well well, you surprise me. Who would have thought that you would be able to resist the temptation of freeing the witch. I must admit, though, I was sort of counting on you unbinding her.”
*ding*
Quest: An Ancient Priestess - Updated
Led to a ruined temple by a giant wolf, you have discovered a woman in white who claims to be the high priestess of Hati. She appears to be trapped in a magical prison.
Mayari has asked you to free her. To free Mayari you must unlock the magical circle by entering it with the Ring of the Wolf Lord.
Maugrim, the Alpha of the Children of the Moon, claims that Mayari is the former priestess of Hati, and requests you kill her. To defeat her, she must first be released from her enchanted prison.
Reward: Children of the Moon
Glancing at the quest notification that popped up, Thorn’s brow furrowed. There was not nearly enough information for his comfort so he put the quest notification aside with the one he had received from Mayari. The giant black wolf looked at Thorn in silence, but after not getting a response for a couple of moments, he sighed and gestured with his head.
“Come along. You better meet my master.”
This time Maugrim led the way in a loping run up the mountainside. Thorn had no trouble keeping up with the giant wolf and they were soon deep into the mountain range that surrounded the valley. Taking a moment as they crested a ridge, Thorn looked over his shoulder at the valley laid out below him. The lights from Moon Wolf Citadel lit up one end of the valley and Thorn could faintly make out the few remaining ruins of the old Greymane Keep at the other.
Lights dotted the valley floor, large swaths of dark forests between them. A quiet footfall let Thorn know that Maugrim stood next to him, looking over the valley.
“It has changed quickly. Few things are the same as when I was a pup.” As if sensing the Titan looking over at him, Maugrim shook his head slightly. “Thankfully, not all the changes are bad. Come, we don’t have long before the sun rises, and we have a long way to go.”
Leading the way again, Maugrim brought Thorn and Akira through the mountains. After traveling for almost three hours the giant wolf finally stopped near a cave entrance. Cleverly concealed by a leaning boulder, there was still plenty of room for Thorn to walk in. Unlike the darkened temple entrance, the tunnel Thorn entered was bathed in soft light by a variety of glowing fungi that decorated the walls.
Following Maugrim closely, they soon came to a large cave where they were stopped by two giant wolves who were guarding the cave entrance. Looking past them, Thorn could see that the cave was at least half a mile long and three quarters of a mile wide. Thorn estimated that it took up the entire inside of a mountain.
“Who is this?” One of the giant wolves barked at Maugrim, his unfriendly eyes fixed on Thorn.
“Lord Greymane. I’m bringing him to see the master.”
“Huh? Since when is Lord Greymane a weakling?” Obviously unimpressed by Thorn’s massive figure, the guard wolf sat back on its haunches, angling its head so it could look down at him.
[Hey! My master is not a weakling!] Akira chittered unhappily. Quickly reaching up to hold her before she did anything drastic, Thorn scratched her behind her ears, reducing her angry shouts to mumbled grumbling.
“Move aside.” From the bland tone of his voice it was obvious that Maugrim was completely uninterested in the guard wolf’s thoughts or opinions.
“Hmph. It is my responsibility to make sure that no vermin get into the cave.” The guard wolf stood and looked disdainfully at Maugrim. However, before he could continue, an incredibly dangerous aura began to seep out of Thorn. Swiftly spreading to encompass the wolf guards, they found themselves backing up two steps and instinctively crouching slightly. Thorn’s armored figure seemed to grow as he took a small step forward. Instinctively terrified, the arrogant guard wolf spoke again, his voice taking on a whining tone.
“But of course, the esteemed Lord Greymane is welcome to come in and visit with master.”
As swiftly as it had come, the aura retreated, and Thorn once again turned into a large, statue-like figure. Maugrim, who had taken a step back, opened his mouth as if he was about to say something but ultimately shut it again. Shaking his head, he gestured for Thorn to follow and led Thorn through the cave, leaving the two trembling guard wolves behind.
“This is the home of the Children of the Moon.” Maugrim explained as they walked. Dotted around the cave were hollows where Thorn could see what looked like nests. Giant wolves of various sizes, colors, and ages watched Maugrim and Thorn with interest as they walked by.
“At one time, our race made its home in Fang Valley, but a variety of things forced us to move. The master wants to speak to you about this, among other things. When you meet the master, you are to be respectful. I know that you believe your position to be high, but if you show the master any disrespect you will be buried here and the pups shall have your bones as chew toys.”
Though his tone did not change, Thorn could sense that Maugrim’s threat was deadly serious, and looking at the number of giant wolves in the cave, Thorn had no doubt that the giant wolves could deliver on it. In the center of the giant cave was a sizable mound. Leading Thorn into an entrance on the side of the mound, Maugrim bowed his head to the floor and then stepped aside and crouched, his eyes fixed on Thorn.
As the giant wolf moved aside, Thorn discovered a huge creature in front of him. Maugrim was big, but this wolf was absolutely massive. Curled up on the ground, its head was still above Thorn’s, reminding him of the first time he met Hati. Covered in beautiful silver fur, the wolf in front of Thorn had an undeniable majesty, and it was with some trouble that Thorn kept himself from instinctively bowing.
Lazily the silver wolf opened its eyes, revealing a sky full of stars that threatened to absorb Thorn’s soul. As if waking from a deep sleep, the wolf yawned, revealing fangs that were almost as tall as Thorn. Three massive tails shifted and thumped, sending a tremor through the cave. Adjusting its position, the silver wolf turned its head toward Thorn, sniffing around him with a nose that was half the size of his body.
The sniffs sent the air around Thorn rushing back and forth, forcing him to hold on to Akira tightly lest she be sucked into the wolf’s nose. After smelling Thorn, the silver wolf perked up, lifting its head further and opening its eyes the whole way as it examined Thorn from head to toe.
[Curious, curious. A bloodline greater than the humans yet walks among them. Dressed in the finest Dwarven armor. Bonded with a Royal Ailuridae. Holding court above the Wolfkin people and ruling the ancestral lands of the Children of the Moon. Cursed by the Mad Stone King yet walking freely. Curio
us indeed.]
Startled by the voice in his head, Thorn suppressed his desire to step back and instead stared up into the silver wolf’s face. However, the wolf’s next words shook any composure that he had.
[I had thought that your people died eons ago?]
CHAPTER EIGHT
[But where are my manners? Please excuse me, it has been a veritable age since I have interacted with anyone but my children.] Raising her body slightly, the silver wolf bowed her head, her nose nearly touching the ground at Thorn’s feet. [Greetings, Lord Greymane, Moon Wolf.]
[Hello.] Thorn’s fist touched his chest over his heart and he bowed slightly in return, his mind still racing as he pondered the giant silver wolf’s words. [How am I to address you?]
[You may call me Mani. I am the mother, and master, of the Children of the Moon.]
[Greetings, Mani.] Reaching up, Thorn removed his helmet and put it away in his inventory.