by Eric Vall
I pushed myself into him, felt his muscles and body make room for my enormous existence as I made him mine. He, like my minions and the God Slayer, would be an extension of myself. I loved my minions, but they were still my tools to use, just as the Bánwolf and his she-wolves would be.
As I took over his mind and engrained my essence deeply into his cells, scenes from his life flashed before my eyes. He was a vicious and blood-thirsty beast that tore the entrails out of much smaller animals with a single rip of his massive jaw. I watched as he and his pack ravaged and conquered the mountains of Tamarisch, and my heart beat in time with his. I also saw the love and care he took while dealing with his females, and I was reminded again of how I was with my women. His movements below me slowed then came to a stop as I spoke to him, not aloud but through our shared connection. My whispered words echoed through his mind, and though he didn’t reply, I knew he understood from the way his body reacted underneath mine.
“I am your Master now, kneel to me,” I commanded as I gripped on to his body and seized more of his mind in the clutches of my power.
The Bánwolf reared up beneath me and snapped his head back in an attempt to knock me off, but I held on with a vise grip. His body was tense as he rocked side to side, and I ripped through his mind in retaliation. The whine that sounded up from his throat made the she-wolves to our back whine in fear and pain as they watched their alpha struggle in vain. He was a headstrong beast, but I would soon break him of that.
“Submit to me,” I growled, then repeated those words until it was like a never-ending chant in his head.
The alpha shook his head as if to ward off the sounds of my voice, but I persisted as I moved my essence through the entirety of his whole being. I was consuming him, molding and forming him into the obedient living weapon I wanted him to be. The alpha trembled beneath me, and I knew he would break soon, but he was stubborn and determined not to let me in.
“Submit,” I roared as I took up all the mental space within him and forced his subconsciousness into a corner where it couldn’t escape, “or I will make you watch while I kill your women.”
The alpha hesitated for a moment, and I knew I was finally getting to him. The male alpha may have been strong on his own, but he was nothing without his she-wolves. If I were to let him go without them, he would waste away in the unfamiliar wilderness. I glanced back at the caged she-wolves, and all of their ears were held long against their massive heads as they watched their leader struggle. The alpha moved his head and leveled his orange eyes at his females who cowered fearfully in the cages.
“Do as I say, and I won’t harm a hair on their heads,” I told him a softer voice, and beneath my body, the form of the Bánwolf began to tremble and shake, not only from the wounds I had inflicted but also from imagining a world where his females were dead, and he was the only one spared.
The alpha’s body lurched forward as he took a step, then another one. The beast’s head hung low as he accepted that I was now his master and leader through everything. No harm would befall him or his females, like my minions and all others who came under my wing. I would protect them with all of my being. I held the fur at the base of his neck and urged him forward toward the cages and his waiting females. I could feel him speaking to them though I couldn’t understand his words. The she-wolves’ ears perked up, and they looked at me cautiously with icy blue eyes. As Annalise and Ansel had told me, the females were significantly smaller than the alpha though they were still ten times larger than the average wolf.
I reached down and wrenched the God Slayer free from my beast’s flank, and he whined in response then wavered on his feet slightly. Lucky enough for him, my minions returned and stopped short as soon as they saw me on the back of the Bánwolf. Carmedy’s paws came up to her mouth in horror, but Rana cocked her hip and raised an eyebrow at me. Annalise reached for Bloodscale but saw that I was in control and her hand dropped to her side limply. Morrigan, unsurprisingly, was the first to come forward in the presence of such a beautiful creature.
The Bánwolf I rode snorted and sniffed the air as she neared but stayed calm as she stood in front of him. My other three minions followed after more cautiously through the redhead kept the smirk on her lips as she moved closer.
“Couldn’t resist showing off, could ya?” the fox snarked.
I shook my head as I laughed. “It’s not showing off, my dear.” She tilted her head at me as she gestured wildly between me and the giant brute I was on top of. “It’s just--”
“Showing off?” Rana quipped as she rolled her eyes, but I brushed it off lightly as she took a tentative step closer to the dog.
“What are you going to name him?” Carmedy asked as she rocked back on her heels to take in the whole mass of the Bánwolf.
“Name him?” I inquisitively asked, and the black-haired alchemist nodded vehemently as she reached out a tentative paw and stroked the beast’s fur. “Does he have to have a name?”
“Of course, everyone has to have a name.” The feline nodded as she moved over to his injured side. The alchemist was silent as she took in the damage, and without a word, her paws went to the bundles at her waist. “You can’t just call him dog or Bánwolf. He has to have something to respond to.”
Carmedy began mixing up a potion right there on the spot, and the Bánwolf turned his huge head to watch her nervously. I slid off his back, and the beast regarded me with tired, drained eyes. He had fought valiantly, but in the end, as always, I came out the victor. He was a gorgeous animal and would serve me well on the battlefield. He hadn’t been able to put a scratch on me, but I was eager to see the enormous beast tear the ranks of the Tintagal army to shreds before my eyes. Adam was right when he said we would have an edge against the enemies. We already had an advantage with my powers on our side, but this was something the Tintagal bastards had never seen before.
“When I resided in the god’s realm, I had a companion, or what you mortals would call a pet,” I told my minions as they gathered around Carmedy and me “He was loyal and stayed by my side always, he was ready to do my bidding. He could take many shapes and forms as he or I pleased.”
As we talked, Carmedy slathered the Bánwolf’s side in a sticky green liquid that would heal the wounds I had inflicted upon him.
“What happened to him?” Annalise asked from my shoulder as her dark brown eyes moved over the great wolf in front of us.
“He was mercilessly killed when I was cast out. All of my unearthly minions were,” I said sadly as I reached out and stroked the muzzle of my new familiar. “They reside in the underworld unable to return to the heavens or earth.”
“That’s awful,” Rana breathed as she assisted Carmedy in slathering the dog’s side in the green liquid. “The Heavenly realm is starting to sound more like Hell every time you tell us about it.”
“The heavens are just as corrupt as the earth, and we will take them soon enough,” I growled, and the Bánwolf whined at the tone of my voice. Each of the females locked away in the cage came closer and placed their faces through the bars to lick at their leader in an attempt to comfort him.
“What were you saying about your familiar?” Morrigan asked as she stepped out in front of me. As she stroked the beast’s ear, he keenly tilted his huge head to her.
“His name was Marbas,” I told them softly. “In ancient texts, he was described as the great president of hell and governed thirty-six legions of demons, but the being I knew was much different from just that. He had many powers and would lend them to me in times of need. I would say he was the closest thing to a friend that I ever had in the heavens.”
The Bánwolf’s eyes and mine connected for a moment, and we stared into the depths of each other’s souls. “His name shall be Marbas, and we will avenge the death of my minion he is named for.”
“Marbas, I like it.” Carmedy smiled brightly as she wiped her hands on a spare swatch of fabric. Once clean, she placed her fists on her hips and she nodded approvingly
. “Oh, I was going to call him Mashed Potatoes With Gravy, but I suppose your name is really good too.”
“It matters not if you like it,” Morrigan uttered in her usual cold tone, and the dark-haired cat leaned around the massive beast to look with surprise at her sister. “It only matters if he likes the name.”
My minions and I stared at the Bánwolf for a moment when I stepped closer and spoke directly to him in a firm, commanding voice, “Beast, do you accept the name Marbas and agree to bring honor to the name?”
The alpha male looked down at me, and I could see the glimmer of thought in his eyes. I was again astounded by the creature’s intelligence and ability to understand our language. I hoped that someday we would be able to understand and speak to each other on another level than me speaking and the beast listening.
The alpha Bánwolf whined once then lowered his head in my commanding presence. He already knew I was his master and soon, I would lead him and his females out onto the battlefield to destroy the Tintagal bastards that threatened us. The Bánwolf, like my armor and the God Slayer, would be an extension of myself, and I would work through him and use him to my will. He had accepted that he was no longer the alpha of the pack, I was. All my minions smiled at Marbas as he rose to his full height and towered over all of us. I could almost imagine the proud and mighty beast out in the wild.
“There are four females, does that mean that we can ride them too?” Rana asked as she stalked over to the caged she-wolves. The smaller wolves drew back from her and huddled together in the corner farthest from my redheaded minion.
“I’ll keep my Bantam, thank you very much,” the petite alchemist squeaked as she eyed the other wolves cautiously. “Dogs and cats don’t mix. I’ll stick with Kura.”
“I believe that they will allow us since Marbas is under my control,” I told them as I waved for one of the soldiers to unlock the cage. The soldier gave me a wary look but dared not to disobey me as he scuttled forward and unlocked the chains holding the metal bars closed.
I reached for my minions and drew them back a few steps. “Let’s let them reunite first then we will see if they will allow us to mount them.”
The doors of the cage clanked open, and the females stayed huddled together for a few passing seconds as they examined the open door. The she-wolves glanced back at my minions and me, then Marbas as if asking for permission. It was deadly silent as we waited, but Marbas gestured with his persimmon colored eyes towards the open cage.
The first she-wolf to move was the largest out of all four, and it seemed as if she was the leader of the females. Her coat was mainly white but gray and crème speckled her regal face as one of her huge paws stepped from the metal cage onto the pebbly shore. The she-wolf looked back at her sisters then turned back to the open beach where we stood. The female stepped out with her ears laid back against her head cautiously, then once she saw that Marbas was free to move about, she darted over to his side and nuzzled his meaty neck.
I didn’t have to guess who would choose this wolf to be her champion and was unsurprised as Annalise tiptoed closer to the white she-wolf. The wolf’s icy blue eyes landed on Annalise and stared her down. It seemed as if the she-wolf was about to growl and snap at the High Queen, but Marbas made a curt sound through his nose. The alpha huffed and snorted, and the white female’s eyes lifted to attention as they communicated to each other silently. I watched intently as Marbas ruffled his female's fur affectionately then urged her forward with a soft push of his snout.
Annalise held out her hand, and the she-wolf scrutinized it with suspicion but still took a step toward my first wife. Then the female sniffed at Annalise’s hand, but the bright blue eyes stayed on the High Queen’s face. My swordswoman turned her hand and brushed at the soft fur at of the she-wolf’s muzzle. To my surprise, the white wolf allowed Annalise to pet her softly and even leaned into the hand warmly. My wife smiled at the huge wolf as she moved her hand once more and scratched behind the she-wolf’s ear.
“What will you call her?” I asked in a whisper. Annalise didn’t turn around to look at me, only kept her eyes on the massive dog in front of her.
“Nymsyss,” my wife murmured as she stroked the fur between the she-wolf’s eyes. “She was a woman who challenged one of my ancestors for the throne and nearly won. This was long ago, but her name has been passed down through tales.”
My warrior queen and I were broken away from our quiet conversation by the sound of Rana yelling loudly. I reached for the God Slayer as I assumed the worst and I prepared to kill one of the beasts. As I expected, the fox-woman was pinned down by one of the she-wolves, but instead of being bitten and torn to shreds, the wolf was lapping happily at the redhead’s face and cheeks. The wolf’s tail was whipping through the air so rapidly that it made a swishing sound as she continued to lick at Rana.
“Get off! Your breath stinks!” the redhead shrieked, but the she-wolf only yipped happily and ran a huge tongue over Rana’s unruly locks. “Ew! Why’d you have to go and do that for? Now my hair’s all wet! If I catch pneumonia because of you, I’m using your pelt as a coat!”
None of her words deterred the she-wolf. Annalise and Carmedy laughed loudly at Rana’s predicament while Morrigan lifted a pale hand and giggled behind it. I was about to move to pull the wolf off, but the huge dog rolled over and exposed its pink belly to the fox as its dark tail beat at the ground excitedly.
“You think… you think I’m going to rub your belly? You tried to suffocate me with that big tongue of yours! You think you deserve scratches after what you just did to me?” The redhead shouted in exasperation as she stared down at the playful wolf. Then just as suddenly, Rana’s expression broke, and she dove at the wolf. “You bet your furry ass you deserve some belly scratchies. Come here, you big lug.”
My three minions and I roared with laughter as the fox-woman and the colossal she-wolf tumbled around on the shore lightheartedly. Rana assaulted the wolf’s belly with her paws, and the she-wolf panted and yipped happily as she wriggled back and forth on the loose stones of the beach.
Annalise cupped her hands around her mouth to call out to Rana. “What’s her name?”
“I’m thinking Frei,” the fox said thoughtfully then the she-wolf leaped to her feet and pawed at Rana. The redhead laughed then spoke to the wolf in a high-pitched, excitable voice. “How does Frei sound, girl? Do you like it?”
The she-wolf howled deafeningly and bounded at the fox-woman, but the redhead dodged and ran down the beach, laughing as the dog gave chase. The third wolf had come out and stuck closely to Marbas’s side. I moved my eyes over her as the smallest she-wolf cowered next to Marbas. I reached out and brought Carmedy to my side and the petite feline didn’t protest as she looked up into my face. I smiled gently to her as I brought her closer to both Marbas and the frightened female.
“I know you don’t want to ride one of them,” I stated as I lifted my eyes from Carmedy’s and rested them against the she-wolf. “But you could still name one if you want.”
“Really?” Carmedy giggled as she rocked back and forth on her heels and leveled her emerald eyes on the single she-wolf next to Marbas. The cat looked thoughtful for a moment as she stroked her chin and took in the beautiful light and dark browns of the female wolf’s coat. “I think I got it!”
“And what name is that?” I purred into her ear as the rest of my minion’s gathered around.
“Tatin!” the petite alchemist cried loudly as she lifted her arms into the air.
“That’s a really pretty name, Carmedy,” Annalise said over the feline’s shoulder as she smiled. “I’m surprised you didn’t name her after food this time.”
“I did!” the feline giggled and the swordswoman blinked down at her in confusion for a moment before she gave in and laughed. “She’s named after Apple Tarte Tatin! One of my favorite deserts... or breakfast... or eat it whenever.”
“You are so silly,” Annalise laughed. “I love you.”
“Aww, t
hank you!” the cat giggled.
My eyes moved to Morrigan as she stepped close to the cage and the fourth she-wolf cowering inside. I moved to warn her, but the wolf inside showed no signs of aggression, only fear. Unlike the other three, this she-wolf’s eyes were yellow though not as bright as Marbas’s. The lone wolf lowered herself even closer to the ground as Morrigan floated closer, and I listened as the pale-woman as she spoke softly in her elven language to the beast.
At first, the she-wolf observed Morrigan with her ears laid back, but as the white-haired woman inched closer, the ears perked up with interest. My second wife had a way with animals that none of my other minions had, and even in the presence of the threatening looking wolf, Fea and Macha were totally silent.
The elf sat down on the metal flooring of the cage by the door, and I observed intently as her colorless lips moved silently, but whatever she was saying was heard by the she-wolf. The dog’s light daffodil colored eyes stayed intently on Morrigan’s face, and slowly, the she-wolf crawled closer on her belly. Though I knew very little about the power that the High Elves possessed, I could see it working right here before my eyes as my wife raised her delicate hand into the air and the she-wolf pressed her wet nose into the palm.
This was something I hadn’t seen in a very long time and had only witnessed a few times before. This was a soul bond between two creatures, much like the bond Morrigan shared with Fea and Macha. The ravens were Morrigan’s familiars, creatures that were able to lend the elf their powers, they were not her pets. If anything, she was their pet after they had taken care of her for so long.
This same bond was now being forged between Morrigan and the last of the she-wolves. Their souls were becoming so tightly bound to one another that they would become one, and a piece of each soul is torn off and kept within the other being’s body. This was much different from a mere friendship with another person or animal. This was creating a tie between both minds and their collective consciousness.
Morrigan and her she-wolf would have a constant awareness of each other without effort from this moment forward, and I had suspected she had done the same with her lizard back in Valasara. She would be able to communicate freely with the wolf and also be able to tell if the animal was in harm or injured no matter the distance between them.