Brace For the Wolves

by Nathan Thompson

  “Thanks,” she said, still smiling. “I wasn't expecting it to be relevant today, but I'm glad I had it on hand anyway. It was in one of the stashes I had hidden away in case I ever had to run again.” It was a blue shirt, with white writing that said 'Be the doctor your parents wanted you to marry'.

  We both chuckled over the cheesy joke like the teenagers we technically still were.

  “It's good to see you, Stell,” I said finally. “And it's really good to see you're okay.”

  “Thanks.” Another smile. “It's good to see you're okay, too. And thanks for going after Breena and Guineve. They told me about that.”

  “You're welcome,” I shrugged. “Did they tell you that both turned right around and saved my life each by themselves, and probably another time together, that I would have been more sure of if I had been fully conscious?”

  “No,” she snorted. “And I'm proud of them, but looking after a Challenger is a Starsown's job. We're supposed to take care of you, not the other way around.”

  “Sorry,” I replied smugly. “Chronic chivalry. Kicks in whenever I meet an amazing, smart, and beautiful woman. No known cure.”

  A second later I realized I had just flirted with my boss, and probably with a really corny line. But it was too late to change anything.

  Fortunately, she just snickered at me.

  “That's cute, Wes. But keep practicing.”

  I wanted to sigh in relief, but again, no turning back. Finally, I remembered I had an audience, and so I turned to face the dragon I had just formed a soul-bond with.

  He had been there the whole time, watching all of our awkward teeny-bopper dialogue.

  Take it in stride, I told myself as I addressed him. Just take it in stride.

  “Thank you for saving my life, and for counteracting the other. And thank you for letting me see her again.”

  “I wish I could grant you more time with her,” the wyrm said to me. “But she will be pulled back to the location she was earlier.”

  “I'll be fine, Wes,” Stell said, seeing my concern. “Cavus isn't anywhere near me, at the moment. I'll be okay. Really. Besides, it'll be safer if he doesn't come straight here.”

  I snorted at that.

  “Are you kidding? With all three of us here, plus part of a dragon? We'd clean his clock.”

  “Wes...” Stell begged.

  I didn't relent. But Vinclum spared us from turning things into an argument.

  “In addition to our new bond, and ensuring you adjust to it, I have one favor left to give you, Lord Challenger. Based on what I have just recently seen of your soul, I assume you will treasure this last act most of all, though it will still be limited.”

  “If the favor comes with another mind-crunching headache then I'm going to politely decline,” I said firmly.

  “I apologize again for the suffering I caused. But now I seek to bring you additional relief.” The tiny wyrm grew to about three feet in length. “Lady Starsown, this projection of mine is not permanent, but can still be of use for a time. When my magic ends and you are pulled back, I will travel with you.”

  Stell's eyes widened.

  “What did you say?”

  “I have but a fraction of my corporeal body's power, but it should still be enough to help you hide from the Umbra, or at least distract him long enough for you to escape him once. Though your Challenger is adamant about the fact that the one known as Cavus is not as powerful as the fiend wishes you to believe.”

  “No,” she said firmly. “We're not fighting him. Not yet,” she added. I took it as a concession.

  “Then I should be able to help you evade him for a good length of time. Longer still, if I am careful with this projection's power.”

  “You'd really travel with me? Me?” My friend's voice sounded both suspicious and hopeful. “Why?”

  “As I have said, I owe your Challenger much. And with the Soul-bond, a part of me will always be by his side as well.”

  “But your projection could help him fight! You could do all kinds of things!”

  “I may only battle directly with him if I earn his trust. And I choose to do so by soothing the greatest worry in his mind.”

  “Greatest worry?” Stell asked, not understanding. I was too excited to clarify for her.

  “You'll really help her?” I asked intently. “You can follow her? Protect her? Be there for her?”

  “If the worst happens, I can guard her for exactly one battle,” Vinclum replied. “Half as many as you did.”

  That caused three suddenly-angry heads to swivel over at my direction, including Breena's, who was still hovering near my chest.

  “You fought him TWICE?” they all screamed in unison. They were loud, and quite unfair, given that I thought I already said that I'd fight Cavus as many times as needed.

  “Dude,” I said to Vinclum. “Help me out.”

  “Lady Starsown,” the golden wyrm said. “The Challenger has many more allies than you, and your safety is possibly the greatest concern he has. It will ease the worry of all who value you, if you will but travel with one protector as you hide from one of the most dangerous monsters in the Expanse.”

  “But...Wes...”

  She was hesitating, I realized. And hesitating because she worried about me too.

  “I will further help you with planning the routes between the portals and pathways you take through the Expanse. You will be able to visit your local worlds if we are careful, and we may be able to adjust the passage of time in those places, as the Challenger's enemies have already done.”

  “That's right,” Stell blinked. “They've gotten so much extra time. Are you sure you can undo some of that?”

  “We can at least limit their further gains,” the ancient wyrm replied. “And travel to strategic places at the most opportune of times.”

  “I could finally coordinate with the Icons again,” Stell said, blinking. “I could probably ensure that a handful of resources got transferred.”

  “Avalon,” I asked out loud, noticing the mists were moving again. “What is the status of the super-grains I created yesterday?”

  “Confirming that multiple seeds of each type have been successfully cultivated. Planting has not yet begun but can resume once the remainder of the seeds are created.”

  “You did that?” Stell's eyes grew even wider. “Right, right. You're a Nascent Lord now. Haven't really had time to process that. Guineve, Breena, give him a lot of help.”

  “Of course, dear.”

  “You got it, boss!”

  “And Wes, that was a super good idea,” the steward said with relief. “It'll take time to be effective, because no one world is used to every type of grain, but it will still help a whole lot.”

  “Huh?” I replied curiously. “Oh, right, you haven't heard the whole plan. Avalon, do we have at least one seed of each type of grain? Stell needs them if we do.”

  “Confirming that several dozen seeds of wheat, rice, barley, oats, and rye have all been produced. Confirming that Avalon is able to transport said grains directly to the Starsown’s location, given her unique role as Steward. Transporting now.”

  The mist swirled, and a leather bag of different types of seeds suddenly appeared at Stell’s feet. She blinked at it, then looked back up at me, shock written all over her face.

  “You did what?” Stell asked, then shook her head. “I take it back, I just figured it out. You were making sure you could provide an emergency food source to every one of my worlds. I could marry you for that, Wes. Actually, forget I said that,” she added quickly, reaching down and swinging the satchel’s strap over her shoulder. “Didn't mean to put you on the spot. But still! You genius wonderful man!”

  She leaped up and hugged my neck, squeezing it tightly.

  Again, after a long period of whatever the hell yesterday was, affectionate touch felt nice.

  And it was good to see Stell's smile again.

  I was riding a lot of different emotional highs ri
ght then. Sue me.

  “Lady Starsown,” Vinclum said, doing what sounded to be the draconic version of clearing one's throat.

  “Right, sorry,” Stell said quickly, letting go of my neck. “Didn't mean to choke the Challenger. And Avalon's new... lord. That's still weird, Wes, and hopefully we'll all live to talk about it sometime. But I'm glad it's you that got picked for it.”

  “Really?” I said, startled. “It kind of feels like I stole your job or something.”

  “Pfft. Please,” Stell said with a raspberry sound. She was still smiling, and it was awesome.

  It felt good to see her this relieved. “Don't think I'm going anywhere for good. Worst-case scenario, all this means is that I have a permanent Challenger on standby. And I know you're the kind of guy who won't really screw things up when I'm gone.”

  “I hope so,” I admitted. “To be honest, being in charge has been really terrifying. And—” I looked down at my hands, conscious of the forces still seeking to turn me toward their own ends— “I hope I don't go down a bad route.”

  “And you won't,” she said, crossing boundaries again to touch my face. “I know you have issues about believing your own goodness. And I know that on Earth, good men and women get taught that power will corrupt them, and that they shouldn't seek it. And that just makes it easier for bad people to be the only ones in charge. But that's not how you avoid corruption, Wes. You avoid it by having friends, and being known. I saw how you changed as soon as you met people here that believed in you, that saw you for you, and not the person all the liars on Earth tried to paint you as. As soon as someone knew you were good, that you weren't the evil, crippled pervert that the idiots on Earth probably still insist you are, you burst forth. My people were rescued from flood and famine and from ancient evils that had already tried to drag some of them into damnation. And you're still doing that, Wes. Even though you haven't seen what I've seen in you, you're still breaking dungeons and conquering the unconquerable and raising the freaking dead. You want to know how you avoid corruption? The so-called 'taste of power' that you were taught inevitably corrupts all men? Listen to the people that know and love you. And when those who love you tell you that you've got a heart of gold, don't let anyone else take it from you.”

  There she went again. Telling me I was good. Making the fear fly right out of me.

  I don't think anyone back on Earth would believe this. A bunch of sweet words from a pretty girl and suddenly Wes Malcolm was okay again? What a sap. What nonsense.

  But I couldn't argue with the results. Maybe there was still plenty wrong with me, and maybe it all wouldn't even get fixed before I died. And Stell probably couldn't ever really fix me, as much as my feelings about her said otherwise.

  But she could tell me about the parts that were still whole, and I could believe her when she did. And when she did so, and I listened, Aegrim and my other fears and pains fled.

  I'll take that, every single day it happens.

  And maybe people back on Earth needed to spend more time seeing the good in each other too, instead of just the bad.

  “Stell?” I said after a moment. “Thank you. Again.”

  “You're welcome,” she said with another one of her smiles. It was how I recognized her, I just realized. No matter what shape or color she became, I could always recognize her by her smile.

  “Oh,” I said suddenly. “Sorry.”

  When she had put her hand on my cheek I had put mine over hers. She had just tried to gently pull her hand back and I accidentally hadn't let her. I let go to free her own palm, but she was still smiling.

  “Her time grows short,” the hovering dragon interrupted. “I am sorry.”

  “Take care of her,” I commanded, surprising myself. I had meant to make a plea, and not a demand, but it still came out the way it did. “And thank you,” I said in a much softer voice. “For letting me see her again.”

  “You are owed much,” the still-small dragon lowered his bronze-helmed head. “In fact, you are owed far more than you have lost. Remember that, and take heart.”

  “Goodbye, Wes,” Stell said while biting her lip. “Goodbye, Guineve. Goodbye, Breena. You all have to take care of each other for me. I need all of you.” Her eyes glanced nervously at me for just a moment.

  “We will, Little Star,” Guineve said comfortingly. “But you have to stay safe as well.”

  “That's right!” Breena said with a sniffle. “We need you too!”

  “All of us,” I added, as firmly as I could, making direct eye contact with her. I felt stupid and cheesy for doing so and part of me realized I was coming dangerously close to hitting on my own boss, but I needed Stell to feel as much support as she could get, before she had to deal with that creepy fucking monster again. Just wait your turn, Cavus, I thought angrily. One of these days either I'm gonna come for you or she is. Probably both of us. But enough of that. Back to happy and supportive thoughts for my friend.

  She tried to avoid my eyes for just a second. I didn't know why. But she looked back at me and opened her mouth to say something.

  And then she was gone.

  The golden, glowing, stained-glass-winged dragon was gone with her.

  Please keep her safe, I prayed to whoever listened. At least until she's ready to fight him herself. Please do that at the very least.

  She will be, the newest voice in my mind promised. She is beloved by many.

  She is Starsown, Pain argued. Her doom was written beyond the stars themselves.

  I don't care about her doom! I snapped in my mind. To hell with it, and to hell with anything else that says she has to be crushed or hurt by that thing!

  Fool, Pain replied, though for once there was no malice in his voice.

  He is far from wrong, Aegrim, Vinclum replied. Your own defeat was certain as soon as you forgot that there are greater things than doom. The boy has seized upon one of them, and now all the heavens and hells will shake in his wake.

  You cannot save him, Aegrim argued back. In fact, you will be his death.

  Another will save him where I cannot. And on that day he will master you, and claim his birthright in place of his curse. You will see...

  I had to shake off the internal conversation, and see about getting them both their own rooms so that they'd stop fighting. Fortunately, the new guy and the quiet voice hadn't spoken up or I'd start feeling really crazy. But for now, Breena had started crying into Guineve's embrace as the taller woman tried to comfort her.

  “She's gone again! And we only got to see her for a little bit!”

  “I know, darling,” Guineve said gently. “But we have to be strong for her, so that she can come back one day.”

  “But Cavus is still out there!” Breena sobbed. “And Wes keeps saying we can beat him but he doesn't get it! He doesn't understand!”

  “He's Wes, little darling,” Guineve soothed. “We can't change him. He'd believe those things even if he understood. It's just what he does.”

  “Hey,” I said, stepping forward and opening my arms. My physical contact, no-touch-pretty-or-tiny-women hangups twitched again, but they didn't fit the new me well enough to stop me this time, and they'd actually had trouble stopping me for a while.

  At any rate, it seemed like it was the right call. Guineve and Breena both leaned into my hug, and Breena quivered a little less. “Hey,” I repeated. “We've already done a lot of impossible this week. We can get through everything else. Just give it a little more time.”