by Kindred Ult
"So, let's say that we actually do catch this guy and kill him, you honestly think that the werepyres will just give up?" The tone in his voice suggested more than just doubt.
Demenn had only his old answer. "I cannot know. I can only guess that they would. Like I said, they have been lied to all of these years, and if all of that is finally exposed, I hope that they will have no will left to fight."
"Or they will, and will rip us to bits." Brand could not help but interject.
"Right, or he kills us and all of us die anyway." Demenn agreed and smiled.
Brand returned the smile. "Okay then, I suppose that is good enough for me."
"Right, same here." Varus spoke for the first time in the meeting. His words ended very quickly, but there was something in his tone that felt wrong in Demenn's head. He had felt it before, a coldness he could not place, and it disconcerted him. Before he could question Varus, though, Brand said that he would be leaving, and as such all three of them began heading towards the exit of the tent. Just as they were about to exit, however, Niethel turned back.
"Uh, you guys go on ahead, I'll be right there."
As they left, Niethel turned to Demenn, who, upon seeing the dread in his friend's eyes, addressed him first.
"What is wrong?"
Niethel would not meet his eyes. "Demenn, I'll go with your group, but you have to find someone else to go with the four of you when you, Brand, and Varus fight Lueke."
Demenn was puzzled, but hardly surprised. "Why will you not fight with us."
"Because," Niethel took a deep breath. "Because Lucifer was, is right about me. I'm nothing special, I might even be sub-par in this army. There just has to be many more who could do this better than I could. Who wouldn't fail. I—I—What if I fail us at a critical moment, and all of you die? I can't let you all place your lives in my hands. I couldn't take the knowledge of knowing that I was the sole reason we all died." He looked miserable, and sounded worse.
"What Lucifer said really affected you, didn't it?" Demenn looked worried.
Niethel hung his head. "Yea."
Demenn put his hand on his friend's shoulder and looked him in the eye when he looked up. "Listen, I would not have chosen you had I not thought you were at least one of the best twenty warriors in all of our armies combined. Whether or not you fail is clearly up to you, but I will not substitute you for another, because then we will all have an even greater chance of death. We all have to live with the chance of failing and causing the death of all those around us, only some of us more than others.
"I am not going to be your mother about this, and if you honestly believe that you cannot be a part of our team, then you can, of course, decline and fight with the main army, or leave and live life among the humans. However, if you do so, know that you will live with the knowledge that your absence may have been the reason we were defeated and died. You will live the rest of your life wondering if you could have saved us all. Who will you trust, me or Lucifer?"
Niethel felt like he was between a rock and a hard place. Either way, he would be responsible for their deaths. Only one way, however, at least gave him the chance of saving his friends, and all others as well. He felt Demenn's words flowing over Lucifer's harsh criticisms, and for the first time in too long, he felt courage, and confidence well up inside him. "Yea...Yes, I will fight with you Demenn. Forgive me for ever doubting you."
Demenn smiled wearily. "Good, I am glad. I will be more at ease knowing that you have my back. Now, go get some rest. Night will be upon us soon, and I need you at your best for what could be our last fight together."
"Okay boss." Niethel turned to leave, but spun around swiftly and caught the item that had been thrown at him by Demenn. It was a sheathed sword, and he knew it well.
"Wulfsbane." He breathed.
"It has served me well more times than I can count, but it is waste to own two swords. I cannot use them both. I want you to have it. It should fit well with your dirk should you need to fight in close."
Niethel looked up at his longtime friend. "Thanks Demenn, for everything."
"You are welcome, now get the hell out of my tent!"
The Beginning Of
27
The Beginning OfBlack flooded the sky, dotted by the countless white lights of stars and by the moon as well. She paraded herself as the largest figure in the night, and flared with majesty as she lit up the sky around her. Strangely, and almost prophetically, she was full tonight, and her full orb watched angrily from above as the werepyres slowly emerged from the shadows into the light of the corpse-filled valley that had been a battlefield only one night before. The smell was nauseating, or exhilarating, depending on whose opinion was being taken, and as the large, hulking figures emerged, all sorts of carrion from wolves, crows, and bats to deer and squirrels ended their feasts and fled in to the night. Some tore off one last piece of the immortal they feasted from, while others took a long, slow mouthful from the stagnant pond of blood that had been pooling at the lowest part of the valley all day.
As the scavengers ran, the predators gathered. The first thing they did was the grab the nearest body and rib it to shreds, feasting on the meat and blood until their lust was satiated, and then they slowly began to gather off to one side of the valley, where Lueke was waiting for a report from a werepyre he had sent out to scout while it had still been day. The werepyre had carefully snuck around in the shadows while in human form, found the camps, and finally made his way back now that night was upon them once again. When he returned, he first ate ravenously, then pointed the army in the direction the other races now lay.
Many of the werepyres roared and began to take off with their wings, but they immediately came back to the earth and quieted when Lueke raised his hand. They waited for him to speak with rapt attention, and when he did, it was with a calm, but undeniably strong tone.
"We will not go charging after them like dogs. We will head towards the camp like the superior beings that we are. Once we are within a mile of the camp, you will stop and send out scouts. Only once those scouts have returned and given their findings will we attack. This is the greatest chance we may ever have, and we will not squander it by rushing in, massacring, and giving them the chance to get away in the confusion. We will kill every one of them!"
There some obvious feelings of discontent, but overall the werepyres believed in their leader, and were satiated by the promise of a complete victory. They set out into the air once again, but silently this time, and one by one they disappeared into the night sky. When the last of the was gone, Lueke looked around the corpse-filled battlefield, smiled, and leapt into the air after them.
* * *
When Lueke set down once again, it was with extreme caution, and almost no noise. All of his warriors were around him, and each of them were as silent as he. They stood, motionlessly, waiting. Finally, there was movement all around, and a general shifting as werepyres moved to the side to let the scouts reach Lueke. There were three of them, but only one spoke when Lueke motioned him permission. He bowed, sweeping his wings across the ground in supplication, and began.
"Lueke, they have not separated groups,"
Lueke smiled, just as he had thought.
"And are not retreating."
Lueke's smile left him. "What?"
The sentry looked to the side, shuffling his feet. "They have taken up and fortified a position at the top of a nearby hill as one army, and seem to be waiting for our attack."
Lueke cocked his head. That made no sense, but regardless, this was even better than before, as now they could be surrounded and cut off from escaping. Still, he felt unsure, but let none of his uneasiness show.
"If a last stand is what they desire, we will accommodate. My werepyres, secrecy is no longer important. Go to that hill now, before they change their minds, but do not attack it yet. Circle around it and wait for my order. Go Now!"
His voice rose in command, and with it came out the long-contained aggres
sion of the werepyres under his command. They roared with enthusiasm, eagerness, and relief at no longer having to be silent, and burst off into the night with howls and screeches.
Once again, Lueke was left alone, as he always took flight last. When the last one was out of sight, a dark shape slipped from the forest and stood beside him, looking toward the large hill their last true enemies inhabited. Lueke spared a glance at his most trusted ally before speaking. "What do you think, Death, why do they choose to stand and fight. The hill is a good move, as it almost nullifies our fliers, but they have no chance of survival."
Death looked up at his leader. He was far larger than Death, and every inch of his dark brown skin and fur radiated strength, power, and command. He was in all ways different from Death himself, who was small, even by just a werewolf's standards. In fact, he was only slightly larger than a human. Any ridicule his size could bring to him, however, was offset by his completely pitch black fur and black eyes with red in the middle. When he spoke, it was with something less than a voice, but more than a whisper.
"The answer is clear. They believe they can defeat us. Either by military might or by some tactic they think they have. You have spoken of the wisdom of their leaders, so we cannot assume they are idiotic enough to think they can defeat us in a pitched battle. The first option is not worth considering. They must have some plan, but what could they think would stop us save our complete annihilation?"
Lueke gave as little input as possible, preferring to let Death's mind work. "What plan do you believe they will use?"
"Most likely a covert attack while the main forces are battling." Death spoke without hesitation.
Lueke nodded. "This is most probable to you?"
"Yes, all other plans would be racially suicidal or pointless."
Thinking for just a moment, Lueke continued. "So what would the purpose of such an attack be?"
Once again, an immediate response. "Traditionally, the important functions of such an attack involve destroying key figures or structures. However, the only key figure we have amongst us is you, and the possibility that they are targeting you raises up several impossibilities."
"Such as?" Lueke was caught up in the workings of Death's mind.
Death ticked them off on his fingers. "First, you are almost completely identical to any other werepyre in our army, so thinking that they can find you in our army is a fallacy. Second, destroying you is impossible. Third, even if it were possible, your death would not cause the defeat of our army. We would only fight on harder, if any change were to be registered."
"Which means?" Lueke had never been more glad for having Death with him. He was the most intelligent being he had ever seen, and any situation was laid bare before him.
"Well," Death continued. "if they do indeed intend to assassinate you they would not only need a special way of locating you, but would also need to feel as if destroying you would somehow cause the rest of us to be defeated..." His voice trailed off, and for just one moment his red eyes shot up and glanced at Lueke.
Lueke had been so caught up in Death's mind that he had not noticed the conclusion Death was coming to until just now, and he involuntarily cleared his throat. "There is no such reason, but assume that they must think they have one, what do you believe are the chances they will try this strategy?"
Death quickly realigned himself back into the perfect tactician he had been before, but there was something different about him that was only barely perceptible. Lueke noticed, though, and knew that, after this battle was over, he would have to have Death killed. "Seventy-six percent, at least."
"That high?" Lueke had never known Death's percentages to be off. It was just then that he noticed how dangerous one like Death was. With his highly active mind, he was constantly analyzing everything around him, including his leader. Lueke realized now that it was inevitable for him to discover everything around him, and was glad that he had realized it now.
"It is their only chance." Death did not realize how he had given himself away with his truthfulness.
"Very well, I want you and thirty of my personal guard with me at all times during the battle." It would be best to keep Death close, where he could do nothing but be loyal.
"Yes Lueke." Death did not realize that he had signed away his life with those two words.
* * *
"Are you quite sure about this, Demenn?" The worry in Brand's voice spoke louder than his words.
"Absolutely not, now see if you can find him." Demenn's smile, on the other hand, countered his bleak statement.
Brand sighed and let go of his regenerated eyes. He suppressed the momentary, involuntary shiver of fear at going back to the darkness once again, and moved on past it until he was seeing once again. The world came back to familiar reds, oranges, and a few other colors. Once he was acclimated, he swept his gaze over the army that was arrayed before them. The werepyres had arrived minutes before, and had wasted no time surrounding the large hill they were fortified at the top of. They had not attacked, or made any aggressive move save for a few roars.
Brand at first wondered what they were waiting for, but then his eyelids widened in involuntary mimicry as he realized what stood in their midst. Whenever he used his eyes on a sentient being, the darker their life's energy that flowed through them looked, the more evil they were, or had committed. The being that stood before him, directly in front of the hill, had a force so dark it would have been impossible to see had there not been others directly behind it that contrasted it. While the energy flowing through him was not pure black, it was the closest he had ever seen, and it seemed to almost suck in the color around it every moment.
He quickly regenerated his eyes.
"So, did you find him." Demenn had noticed Brand's surprise, and looked worried.
"I believe so, if not, then there's one seriously screwed up individual inside his army besides him." As he spoke, Brand found the same spot and pointed toward it. There was a slightly larger clump of werepyres there, but Brand quickly found the one. "There." That dark-brown one in between all of the others. Do you see him?"
Demenn put his fist to his chin, squinting. "Yes, I see the one. Do you get the general idea of where we want, Skull?"
"Absolutely. He's the one surrounded by a bunch of other really strong werepyres." For being an undead Lich, Skull still had remarkable control over the nuances of his voice. He was still able to make his voice drip with sarcasm without the use of vocal chords.
"So can you get all of us there?" Demenn looked around at the twenty-one of them.
"Phh, you mock me vampire." Skull laughed, unearthly. "I could send half of our army that distance. Just say 'when' and we'll be there before you finish. In fact, now that I have a lock on who exactly he is, I can instantly send all of us to him at any time."
"Good," Demenn nodded. "Now it is up to them. Once they begin their charge, we will wait until the two sides have met, and then we will warp as close to him as we can. Be ready to go at any time, everyone."
Almost as if in tandem with his desire, there was an earth-shaking roar from all around, and a call rang from the other side of the mountain that the werepyres were charging.
"Well, I guess I never really expected them to wait long." Demenn smiled.
"True, but I think there may be one flaw to your plan, Demenn." Brand's eyes were gone once again, and he was looking towards where the call had sounded from.
"What is it?" Demenn was worried by Brand's tone.
"They seem to be attacking from opposite Lueke first, and are working their way closer around the circle."
"So," Demenn thought out loud, "The part of the army around Lueke will be the last to attack?"
"Exactly." Brand brought his eyes back and looked at his friend with sorrow. "We'll either have to attack prematurely and risk being overwhelmed before we ever make it to Lueke, or we wait until the charge carries all of the way around the mountain and watch as our people die."
With only a mo
ment's hesitation, Demenn's face steeled. "Then we will wait to see how fast the charge comes around."
"And let them die?" Sophella looked him in the eyes.
He turned away. "And let them die."
Brand spoke once again. "Regardless, this is very strange. Why would they form start their attack as if to completely counter our battle plan. With this, Lueke will be the last part of the army to attack, and last to be vulnerable. And he's also being guarded by powerful werepyres when that's happening. Doesn't this seem strange to you, Demenn?"
Demenn looked towards Lueke. "Yes, either Lueke is very cautious, has a traitor amongst us, or somehow guessed our plan. None of those are very comforting possibilities..." He trailed off.
