The Rising Azimuth

by D D Mathews

  This wasn’t how Colin thought the conversation would start, “Um sure, whatever you’re drinking.“

  She smiled and poured a double of whiskey, Coin had never heard of. He sipped it politely and waited, this was her meeting.

  “I like to enjoy myself on trips away from my grandmother. She knows of course, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying it.“

  She was relaxed, Colin wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it himself. She continued, “How was dinner with Mr. Nygaard?“

  “Good, very good. He is a nice guy,” Colin said.

  “Right, nice guy. He has a silly plan that probably won’t work. That’s what we need to discuss.“

  She was treating Colin as an equal, which he distrusted, “Why are you treating me so well?“

  She looked at him, sized him up and drank the rest of her drink. She poured another over the remaining ice. “You are the future; my grandmother has seen it, so have I. You also believe it, or maybe just wish for it very hard. Hell; Osmund sees it; it’s why he treats your family so bad. Or are we all wrong? Are you the future for the Celts?“

  Colin wasn’t used to the McCarthy’s being so straightforward; usually, they played a more subtle game.

  “I am. I know it in my bones,” he declared for the first time out loud.

  “Very well we have a lot to talk about and by that I mean you have a lot to listen to,” she said smiling at her own joke. “Mr. Nygaard wants me to treat you like dog shit and talk about how you are the bottom rung of Celt society to everyone who will listen, which I will enjoy immensely. You just have to prove me wrong, which you already have multiple times, which I did not enjoy. My grandmother wants me to teach you the inner working of both Celts and Viking clans which will challenge us both I expect.” Colin let her have her digs, it didn’t affect him, and he knew she probably hated every minute with him. She went on, “Your problem is the little glass girl Lovisa, you must have her fall in love with you and bring her home to Osmund. If she comes with you, hopefully, the Vikings come too. Good luck lover boy.” She paused and sipped her drink, “How much do you know about my grandmother?“

  “She is a wise wolf with a lot of power and influence. She talks to the ancestors for guidance.“

  “I’m amazed anyone believes that anymore, of course, the truth is even weirder. She has infinite foresight. When she drifts to the dream realm, instead of seeing the world, she sees every possible future. She can focus on one person or event and see every future possibility, tens of thousands of them.“

  “That’s incredible,” Colin said.

  “It sure is, but almost useless except with the largest events or personalities. There are too many avenues one person can choose, much less everyone. But she has foreseen a disaster for clan Celt, which she needs my help and yours to stop. Do you know anything about my gift?” Colleen asked. She was still treating him like an equal and he was starting to believe they were.

  “I didn’t know you had a gift, is it like your grandmother’s?“

  “Somewhat, once I lock onto a goal, I get a preview of how I should act to get the desired result. In other words, I can see how I must act to get closer to that future. It’s why I broke down when you beat me and threatened to ask for my hand in marriage,” she quivered remembering the other outcome. “I had to show extreme fear to get you to change your mind fully or you might have asked for that ridiculous wish, causing all of my family’s sacrifice to be wasted.”

  “Why is your family so invested in me?” Colin asked.

  “We’re not, but saving our clan is important since we are part of it, and lucky me, you’re the key.” That didn’t make Colin feel any better. She continued, “The Vikings are dying. They are even more backward than the Celts. After the fall of the human Vikings, who prospered on raids and bringing back the best females, our Viking Weres also stopped raiding other wolf clans as well. This led to inbreeding and that’s how we got the Eriksons and Hexums, but all are infected to some degree. Their successful birth rate is lower than the Celts. The customs without strong blood means the Vikings are on the way out. Mr. Nygaard wants to protect his clan; save it. My grandmother sees a more likely result. We take the best and watch the rest crumble. That’s my job.“

  “Wait, shouldn’t we help them?“

  “Help them what, they haven’t adapted to the changing world for over 800 years, you think we can change them.” Colleen scoffed.

  “Maybe, Mr. Nygaard sounds like he wants too.“

  “Poor sweet Colin. You are in for some tough lessons over the next couple weeks. Focus on Lovisa, she’s the prize.” This was the first time Colleen talked down to him tonight. “Tomorrow, we’ll meet here after breakfast to talk about the current Viking politics and players, leave your dunce hat in your room.” He didn’t like this relaxed, slightly drunk Colleen much better than the one he knew from home. “Assume we’re being watched away from this room. So in public try to act like you don’t enjoy my company,” Colin laughed at her jest, he couldn’t help himself.

  Chapter 21

  Nuri waited on the front step of the office for Ursula who arrived ten minutes early. Nuri introduced her to Tamara who took the girl under her wing. Tamara and Ursula clicked together like two puzzle pieces. Her aunt only had to tell the girl once and she had it perfectly. She was a much better student than Nuri had ever tried to be.

  By noon Ursula was answering all the phone calls and handling the smaller issues herself allowing Nuri to focus on the more important. She also was good at getting the right call to the right person. She flooded Tamara with the problem cases that needed help ironing out dates, times, personalities, while the calls that needed a decision came to Nuri. Somehow, Nuri only had to handle two calls. One call from Lutsk was an irate woman yelling about poaching wolves from other regions. Nuri yelled back at her. “If you don’t see Katia’s talent send her to me, I’d love to work with a woman of her value.” Nuri knew she was on speaker phone and guessed the unnamed woman was trying to show Katia how much power she had over the woman. Nuri guessed within two weeks, Katia would be on her doorstep.

  Late in the day, a call from Warsaw where a weak but harsh voice spoke into the phone. “Tamara, what do you think you’re doing? Why are you screwing around in Lutsk?“

  “I’m Nuri, Tamara’s niece, Can I help you?“

  “Who? I’m looking for the Duchess of Krakow; get me, Tamara, immediately. This is her Queen.“

  “Queen Doman, I am the current Duchess of Krakow and I would be honored to explain myself.”

  Her voice wasn’t much stronger, but it was full of rage, “Give me Tamara, I demand to speak to her. I will not speak to some silly one-week old pup not worthy to lick my paws. Where is Tamara?“

  Nuri wasn’t going to give in, but this conversation was going nowhere and making friends with this lunatic wasn’t important to Nuri, “My Queen, I will resolve this with Lutsk.” And Nuri hung up the phone.

  Tamara had heard the conversation from the lobby and stepped inside, “Do you think that was wise?“

  Nuri flashed a moment of anger, paused, took a breath, then answered, “I’m not sure, but putting you on the phone to talk to her wouldn’t fix anything either.“

  “Probably you were correct,” which meant Nuri probably wasn’t correct. Either way, it was over, Nuri would deal with whatever happened.

  “I wanted to confirm everything is ready for tonight. Are you sure you want to start off this conflict so harshly?” Tamara asked.

  “The fight is coming, might as well give him something to cry about.“

  Tamara smiled, “Ursula is a godsend, smart and quick. She will be running this office better than I ever could in a matter of days.“

  “I’m glad you like her, I think you both work well together. What you did with the house was miraculous. Simply unbelievable. Thank you. Hanna and the girls love it. It sealed the deal. I would be lost without you.“

  “That’s kind to hear,” her a
unt said.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I took all the credit.“

  Her aunt laughed loud, caught off guard by the joke. Laughter was also a godsend after her trek into the woods to bring Hanna back into the fold. Tonight was going to be a great stress reliever for all of her sisters, not so much for Alek.

  ***

  Alek sat at the Goth club outside downtown Krakow, he hated this city; it was dirty and smelled awful. The only reason he ever came here was to rough up his Amazon bitch. He knew she saw others on the side, but he had followed her from Dresden and she was his. She was a gorgeous confident woman on the outside, but a little smack and she was the perfect submissive. She took all of his abuse and came back for more. He knew she was spying for her mother, and he gave her plenty of dirt about his family and people back home. It was worth it. Alek drank vodka and some red juice thing, a pretty weak drink for humans but even worse for a Viking. He wore a long leather coat that fit into this Goth scene. The band playing wasn’t bad, but all Alek could think about was the two days he had to wait for Gretchen to show up, he was going to enjoy punishing her tonight.

  She came into the club, not fitting into the Goth scene at all. She wore a flower dress like a little girl would wear; she had wedge sandals and was holding a wide-brimmed hat. Alek was awestruck by her complete lack of awareness. She was so stupid. She was the perfect girl, model looks, few ideas in her empty head, hated violent sex but had no self-esteem so she always came back for more; insatiable. He smiled a cocky grin towards her as she walked up and kissed him heavy and hard, he responded and grabbed her hair and yanked it hard, twisting her neck.

  “You make me wait; you know how much I hate that. I think tonight I will punish you extra, my little pet.“

  Gretchen wouldn’t speak until he asked her a specific question, but first, he wanted to maul her with his mouth. He took his other hand and pinched and twisted her nipple through her dress.

  “Where are we going tonight, your place? A hotel?” he asked.

  “I have a new roommate, so I set-up a place upstairs. I wanted to apologize for making you wait by letting you take me as soon as possible. I also want to see if you can make me scream so loud even these brain dead club kids will hear.“

  She was kinky and he loved it, probably her German background. “Good slave, let’s make you scream all night long.“

  Gretchen led him through the club to a metal winding staircase which allowed them to look down into the club. Gretchen turned to him and crooked her forefinger and guided him to a hidden staircase to the third floor. The space was open and empty like a dusty loft, but in front of Alek were two metal poles, with heavy bases. Hanging off the poles, were heavy chains for arms and legs, no wolf could escape from. It looked like a medieval dungeon roleplaying kit. On a table next to the right pole were torture tools. A cat o nine tails, a leather whip with no studs, a couple of sharp looking knives, Alek even saw two Pears of Anguish. His German plaything had outdone herself. He was so frustrated and excited; he didn’t smell another Were until it was too late. He had been stabbed with a needle in the neck and collapsed forward into the floor.

  ***

  The whip cutting into his back woke the naked Alek. In front of him stood his Gretchen excited, her joy at his predicament pissed him off more than the pain from the whip. He started cursing and trying to get to her, but the heavy chains held him. Alek turned his head to see Tamara, and Justine and Nox, plus two wolves he didn’t know. Alek yelled for help but was drowned out by the club below, so he went back to cursing at Gretchen and her Amazon sisters, “Do you know who the fuck I am? I will kill all you bitches.“

  First, the old bat, who Alek didn’t know, started whipping him. He kept cussing and pulling at the chains. He felt some pain, but this was nothing compared to some Viking rituals. The old woman stopped and Justine took over. She went to work with the same whip, not cutting the skin on Alek’s back and buttocks but causing red welts and pain. Alek wasn’t dumb enough to switch into his Were form, it wouldn’t help anyway. Pain was pain.

  The next Amazon, Nox took over and instead of the leather whip, she used the cat o nine tails. As the little bits of glass torn open his back, Alek’s words turned vile, “My family will hunt each of you fucking cunts down and kill you.” Nox hit him harder, enjoying herself immensely. The pain increased and the blood dripped down his back. After fighting the chains, yelling, and the blood loss, Alek became less violent. Tamara took over after Nox and after she finished the tall girl with light brown hair picked up the pears.

  He started to freak out and thrash hard, the chains held. The unknown girl stood in front of him with the horrible Pears of Anguish. She clinked them together and looked him in the eyes. He screamed for rescue from this woman he had never met. She walked out of his view, behind him. He now could only see his Gretchen and he broke, “Help me, save me,” he whined.

  Gretchen walked straight to him, bent down and said directly into his face, “No.” She drove a needle into his neck dosing him with a much larger dose than before. He blacked out.

  ***

  Alek woke stuck in a box. He was tied down with his legs tight together, still naked. Hands bound to a heavy ring on the bottom of the box. He couldn’t move or stretch, but the worse part was one pear was in his mouth, expanded large so he couldn’t expel it and the one in his rectum felt even larger. That bitch had done it. He struggled, but the chains didn’t budge much and the movement caused pain in his mouth and rear. He wanted to morph into the proud terrifying animal most werewolves feared, but with the torture devices inside him, he worried they would be stuck in him always. He dealt with the pain as best he could.

  He tried to understand where he was, a couple of air slots let air and sound into the box, but all he could hear were road sounds. He decided he was being shipped back to his family. This wasn’t good, but a least it wasn’t as bad as when the truck hit a bump. It was as if the driver was hitting them on purpose.

  ***

  The rock music blared in Nox’s ears as she motored out of Poland into Germany heading to a ferry to return, Alek, the rapist piece of shit, home to his family. She laughed like a banshee every time she hit a pothole.

  Chapter 22

  On the second day in Boston, Veronika sold the stolen car to a chop shop; she gave all the money to Joseph so he could buy whatever he needed for their trip. She took care of everything else, but the cash made Joseph feel independent. Over the next week, Joseph settled into Boston life. He would spend the mornings walking around the neighborhood trying to see everything he could. In the afternoon and evenings, she would tell him everything about Sweden and at night they would travel the dream world to explore Viking lands collecting information for their trip.

  On one of his walking trips around the city, he found a necklace with a jade wolf howling and he bought it for her. He also bought some new clothes and a hand held gaming device because he always wanted one.

  His favorite moment in Boston was when he surprised his love with the necklace after a dinner he had cooked for them. He felt like an adult on an adult date. It felt like the trip across the country was a rite of passage and Veronika was the prize on the other side. He believed his life might be like this forever.

  ***

  At the end of the week, Veronika announced everything for the trip was ready. She had a fake passport made for Joseph by some random guy she knew. She purchased two business class plane tickets. And to seal the deal she made dinner for him.

  She cooked up some steaks and potatoes with Brussel sprouts in butter. The meat was rare and seasoned perfectly. She poured him his first glass of red wine, ever. Joseph had snuck some swill from his dad once, but this wine was completely different. Joseph wore his new suit while she wore a sexy black dress. The food was great and they talked about the fun they had over the past couple of weeks. Veronika’s laugh was so full and upbeat, full of positivity. She seemed comfortable and happy. It was a great evening.

  “M
y sweet love, I need you to help me get justice on those who hurt me. Will you do this with me?” she asked after the meal, “Before you answer, let me show you something while we dream.” She took his hand and led them to their bed, soon after they met in the dream world.

  “I’ve never shared these memories with anyone,” she said, Joseph saw how scared her eyes were. “This was the worst day of my life. I was born Veronika Knutsen, we were a strong Viking family, never kings and queens, but often advisors and power brokers. My mother was a Falck, but married my father a Knutsen; they had me and my older brother Isak. He was two years older. We were happy and normal growing up, but after my mother died it was just me and my father and brother. On the day of my Initiation, my father took me and Isak, along with Alek and Kai Falck into the woods with Inge Leif. This was the day I learned a harsh truth; the entire Viking clan of wolves was fucked up. Vikings are racist monsters who believe in pureblood wolves. After a simple ceremony and before the younger wolves even had the ability to change, the two fathers, Kai, and my Dad changed and sexually attacked the girls. The boys didn’t know what to do, but soon they were helping the adults. Here’s my memory.“

  The dream world created tall trees all around them. Snow was on the ground, but not deep. The two men, Veronika’s dad and another wolf Kai, were leading the four pups through a short recitation in a language, Joseph didn’t understand. Each of the initiates would repeat back to the elder some promise in Swedish. Joseph watched the rite, her dad barked something, and the two boys held Inge tightly. Veronika’s dad and Kai turned into werewolves and grabbed Veronika. She was stripped and forced down on all fours in the snow. Her father took her in his Were form. The purpose wasn’t to rape, but to force her to morph. She did almost instantly. After she changed from her father’s assault, she was held down by Kai and her own dad. They both encouraged the younger males to participate. Alek changed quickly and raped her. After he finished, her brother was goaded into frenzy so he could attack her as well. Her father helped hold her down for both boys. After they were done raping her, her father tossed her aside into the snow to bleed and watch the same process happen to Inge. The rape of Inge was longer. She didn’t change when Isak took his turn. However, when Alek attacked her, his cruelty forced her to change. He looked like he enjoyed hurting her.