by Peter Saenz
I can hear the sound of footsteps marching down the hallway outside. I immediately bend down to Fenrus’ level and say to him, “Is it possible for you to merge with me, but not summon the wolf form?”
In my head I hear him answer, “Yes.”
“Good.”, I say. “Let’s do it then. They’ll be here any moment.”
At that, Fenrus jumps into the air, seemingly to enter my arms. Instead, he mystically phases into my body, filling my soul with his strength and power. I can physically feel myself grow several inches taller. My muscles grow larger, causing my once loose clothing to become anything but. I then close my eyes and concentrate on a form. In my mind I see myself wearing standard Synoro battle gear. I will the image in my mind to become reality. When I open my eyes I see that the spell has worked.
Astonished, my father says, “Devin, that’s amazing.”
I then look at all three of them and say, “I know none of you want to lose Damon any more than I do. I don’t want your people at war either. Help me get to the arena with Damon and I’ll see to it that we can get Damon and peace between your clans at the same time.”
The three of them nod their heads as the door to the room opens. In walks my grandfather, Jason, and a small team of Synoro warriors. He looks around and says, “I just saw Nicholas and he said that you might be needing assistance. Has anything happened?”
My father looks at Jason with contempt in his eyes and says, “No, we’re fine. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to escort my son to meet the trials.”
Jason says, “Of course. Everyone is taking their places.” Jason then walks over to Damon and tells him, “We are so proud of you Damon. You’ve resolved the conflicts between your parent’s packs. I’ll make sure you are held in high honor within our clan.”
Damon bows slightly toward Jason in respect. An unspoken fury breaks out on my father’s face, but he keeps his cool. He takes Damon in one arm as Gabriella takes the other. I follow closely behind as they walk out of the door and into a long narrow passageway. A light at the end of the hall tells me that we are making our way up from underground. I become nervous as Jason and the troop of soldiers walk just behind me. Will they be able to see through my glamour spell? Damn, and what about my scent marking? Will they notice that too? I keep in mind that there is nothing I can do if they can, so I continue walking behind Damon, hoping no one will catch on to what is really happening.
When we reach surface, I see that we are in a formal holding area. Just ahead are wooden gates leading off to the center of an arena. Even from here I can see that the seats are completely filled, mostly with soldiers dressed in Synoro battle gear. From my vantage point I can also see three grand window boxes, each with a set of official looking people sitting in them. I imagine a fourth window box to be right above us.
Jason then stands in front of Damon, pointing to the various window boxes, and says, “As you can see, the Archons from the different clans are all here to see you.”
Just then a very official looking older gentleman with red hair and wearing a variation of Gabriella’s green uniform approaches us. He has a small team of wolves following behind him, also wearing the green battle garb. Jason smiles, offering his hand to him. The green clad Archon extends his hand as well, and they each grab each other’s forearm in compliance.
Jason says, “Gregoire, it is an honor to meet with you again. I trust the other Archons from your clan are comfortable?”
The red haired Archon releases his hold and replies, “Yes, we are all fine.”
Gregoire then turns to Gabriella and kisses her on the cheek. Afterward he turns to Adam and locks hands with him similar to how he greeted Jason. Gabriella then tells the Archon, “Thank you for coming papa. It means a lot to Damon that he can see his grandfather one more time.”
Gregoire looks into Damon’s face and says in a French accent, “It is a big day for you Damon. I’m sure you will make us all very proud in the trials. Your spirit will always live on among us.”
I’m sickened to my stomach. How can the leaders of his own people look Damon in the face without any guilt what-so-ever and tell him that they are proud that he is going to die? And not just any leaders, but members of his own family! Don’t they care that the same blood that runs through their veins are in his? Instead of being filled with remorse, they are completely content to send someone so young off to slaughter. Goddess, please steady my emotions so that I don’t do or say something I’ll regret later.
Devon smiles back lovingly at the Archon and says, “Thank you Grandpapa. I’ll put up a good fight until the end.”
Inside myself I can feel Fenrus soothing me, keeping me calm. My father sees the expression on my face and politely says to the two Archons. “Thank you both for coming. Now if you’ll excuse us, Devon’s mother and I will escort him to the arena. I’m sure the other clan Archons are ready for the trials to begin.” He then turns to me and says in front of them. “You, come with us. We can use your assistance.”
I nod in response as the Archons turn and leave, taking their mini troops of body guards with them. In the corner of my eye I can see Nicholas standing back in the shadows, watching us from a distance. Damon notices him too and walks over to him. With my heightened hearing, I hear Damon tell Nicholas, “I’m going to miss you cousin Nicholas. You’ve been like a second father to me. I’ll always treasure our lessons, even into the afterlife.”
Nicholas then surprises me with what he does next. He breaks his cold hard persona and gives in to emotion. He sweeps Damon into his arms and whispers to him, “You are the son I never had. You take my heart with you.”
Damon holds Nicholas equally as strong, not breaking the circle for several moments. I look back at my father and Gabriella and see they are now silently crying. They interlock hands, not taking their eyes off of Damon for one moment. Finally Nicholas releases Damon, who returns to join us.
I tell Damon and his parents to hold on a moment. I run over to Nicholas, who changes his demeanor back to it’s usual emotionless state. I put aside all animosity and tell him, “I know I’m the last person you want to see right now, but I need you to know that I intend to save my brother.” The agitation returns to Nicholas’ face but I stop him from saying anything else. Instead, I continue saying, “You might think it’s a hopeless cause, but I’ve got to try. You hate me, I know. But please, don’t let that get in the way of what I’m about to do.”
Again, Nicholas looks deep into my eyes, as if he is searching my soul. I send back to him feelings of the upmost sincerity and care. He then says, “I don’t hate you. I don’t know what I feel towards you, but it’s not hate. You do what you have to. I’m not going to stop you. But if you do die in the trials, as I suspect you will, I just want you to know one thing. I had nothing to do with your mother’s kidnapping. That was entirely done without my knowledge, at your grandfather’s behest.”
I’m surprised by his words. “Thank you.”, I tell him. At that, Nicholas turns away and disappears into the darkness.
I return to the trio waiting for me. Gabriella then says, “I notice you only have one sword. All emissary wolves always carry two.”
“I’m not an emissary.”, I respond. “The only reason why I have this one is because Nicholas dropped it. Technically, it’s not even officially mine.”
Gabriella says, “That sword is most definitely yours. You handle it as if it were made for you.” She then removes one of her own sword and scabbards and offers them to me. “Here. Take it. You’ll need two swords if you’re really going to do what I think you are.”
Except for the green handle and different marked etchings, Gabriella’s sword looks identical to my Synoro sword. I look at Gabriella and ask, “Are you sure?”
She answers by taking the new tools and adjusting them onto my back to match the standard way the various other wolves station their own weapons. As she does, I look over and notice that Damon has one black handled sword and one green handled sword as well.
She then takes my face into her hands and says, “You are a complete stranger to both Damon and I, yet here you are, willing to put your own life at risk in the hopes that my son will live through the trials. The stories your father told us of you were that of a small child. As a man, I see a lot of your father in you. You have his same kefi, or spirit. No matter what happens, you have earned my respect Devin.”
Gabriella then turns to Damon and embraces him one last time. When she is done, my father goes over to Damon and kisses him on the forehead and tells him, “I love you son.” Adam then comes over to me and says, “I’m so sorry about everything that’s happened. If there were any way I could’ve stayed with you...”
I stop him by saying, “It’s okay dad. I know what happened. You did what you had to do to save our family. Now it’s my turn.”
My father says, “You don’t have to do this Devin. Those are trained killers out there with years of experience. You still have a chance to walk away from this.”
As kindly as I can, I tell him, “I might be able to walk away, but Damon can’t. He’d be hunted just like I am. If I can give him even the slightest chance at survival, I’m definitely going to try. I only ask one thing in return.”
Gabriella says, “If it’s within our power, ask and we’ll see it done.”
I tell them, “If I don’t make it through the trials, promise me you’ll help my friends destroy the coven chasing after us. My friends are in way over their heads and are going to need your help. You could make it look like one of your assassination assignments. Do this and consider everything between us squared away.”
My father says, “I promise.”
He holds me one last time as the sound of a war horn can be heard. In the open arena before us, a set of doors opens on the opposite end. Out marches a team of 3 Synoro wolves, dressed in their black assassin garb. Behind them are three more similarly dressed teams of 3, one dressed in the green Basque colors, another dressed in light grey, and the last dressed in brown. Suddenly I understand why no Enopo has ever survived the trials. Damon is definitely outnumbered.
“12 to 1?”, I say under my breath. “That’s not fair.”
My father hears me and says, “No, it’s not.”
Remembering Tobias’ words just before we walked into The Cauldron, I say to myself, “Here goes everything.”
The group of us take formation, walking out into the arena to meet the other wolves. Damon takes point, with his parents walking side-by-side behind him. I then take up the rear. Once we reach the center of the space, we hear Jason’s voice over a loud speaker. In an authorative voice he says, “Fellow Archons, loyal kinsmen, and esteemed guests...today we honor the life of Damon Toxotis. Enopo to both the Synoro and Basque clans, he has fulfilled his mission and brought peace to our people. He is escorted by two highly ranking members of their packs: Adam Toxotis of the Synoro Clan and Gabriella Basilikos of the Basque Clan.”
A roar of cheer emanates from the crowd. Toxotis? Growing up, I’ve always known our family name to be Marshall. I guess that’s the name my parents chose to use when they went into hiding. Even my own name has been a lie.
Jason continues, “As is custom since we wolves split our nation into clans, each Enopo made must face trial by combat in order to show his allegiance and worth. Should the Enopo survive the trials, he will have earned the right to stay in the clan of his choosing. Should he fall in combat, we will honor our fallen brother in death. Does the Enopo or his guardians have any last words before the trial begins?”
I magically augment my voice so that everyone in the arena can clearly hear me. I then step forward and say, “I have something to say. My name is Devin Marshall, and according to your own laws, I too am an Enopo.” The crowd is suddenly filled with gasps and murmuring.
With nervousness in his voice, Jason says into the loud speaker, “Fellow Archons, I have no knowledge of who this is. Synoro guards, take...”
But before he can continue, I will for the arena’s sound system to shut down. It does, allowing me to continue my speech uninterrupted.
“Unlike previous Enopos, I wasn’t created by two clans looking to help fix whatever mess they’ve made on their own. I was created out of love. I also wasn’t raised in your world. I was brought up in the outside world where killing your own kind, like you all are so willing to do with Damon, is seen as barbaric and a crime against nature. I’m hoping my presence here will change that. I’m here to help see Damon has a real chance at doing what he’s always wanted to do: live among all of you to help bring about peace and change. He’s lived his entire life servicing you. Outside of his ambassador duties and training for the trials, he’s never known anything else. Give him the chance to prove he’s more than just a one-time peace bringer. Allow him to bring peace to you for many more years to come.”
More murmuring is loudly heard around the arena. I listen to some of the conversations with my enhanced hearing. Things like “who is he to come here and tell us what we should do” are interspersed with “he makes sense but it goes against everything we’ve been taught”.
To pull their attention back to me, I silently speak to Fenrus, who allows our wolf form to partially be released. I look down at my hands and see that they changing, slowly growing black and white fur. They also morph to include razor sharp claws. The crowd gasps again in response.
I silence them by saying, “As you can see, my coloring is two tone, just like Damon’s. The colors might be different, but the meaning is the same. My eighteenth birthday passed 6 years ago, so my own trial is long overdue. I stand before you ready to fulfill my obligation. I ask that I be allowed to stand beside Damon as he fights for his life. To deny me my trial goes against thousands of years of tradition.”
I allow several minutes to pass as I can see the various Archon window boxes emptying, no doubt to gather together and conference. I look back at Damon and my father. A look of pride is etched on both of their faces.
Finally a team of Archons enter the arena. Their personal bodyguards trail behind them. All of them have yellow eyes, showing their displeasure as they walk toward me. It’s my grandfather’s face, Jason, that I focus my attention on though. His yellow eyes almost shine, seething with reigned in anger. He knows I’ve backed him into a corner before he could’ve had the chance at torturing me and my mother without anyone knowing. I smile at him in defiance.
Gregoire stands forward, speaking for the others, and says, “Who are you, really?”
I put on my bravest face, looking at all of them and answer, “I’m not a Lykaion, if that’s what you’re asking. My fur may have half of their coloring, but I have no ties to that pack of wolves. They don’t even know I exist. My bloodline is half Synoro and half human.” I then turn to Jason and say, “Isn’t that right grandfather?”
Jason lunges at me, but Gregoire stops him cold with one swipe of his massive arm. Gregoire then turns to Jason and asks, “Is this true? Is this Enopo part of your family?”
Curdling with anger, Jason says, “My bloodline is filled with the likes of historic champions...Damarchus, Romulus, Remus... I share nothing with this half-breed mongrel.”
Still smiling at him, I say, “Then I’m sure you won’t object to a blood test to prove I’m a liar?”
One of the Neuri Archons dressed in brown says, “There’s no need to waste the time. We can all tell by both of your heart rates that you’re telling the truth. That still doesn’t explain who you are, or how you came to be.”
My father steps forward and says, “Devin is my son. His mother is human. I met Devin’s mother years ago and left my clan to be with her. That changed when Archon Jason, my father, had me return to fulfill my duties here. Aside from today, I haven’t seen Devin in 18 years. That said, I stand by his side. He deserves a right to a trial, just as any wolf would.”
Jason yells, “But he isn’t a wolf, is he? He has no right to any of our laws.”
An Exallos Archon dressed in light grey then asks, �
��If your mother was human, how are you able to change?”
“I can change because I’m also a witch.”, I answer. I then suppress my wolf appearance and revert back to fully human. “My access to magics bridges the gap and allows my wolf birthright to manifest, as you can see.”
Jason says, “It’s a trick! Can’t you see that? He’s making fools of all of us!”
The group of Archons talk among themselves, offering their opinions to one another in hushed tones. I stand aside, waiting for them to come to a decision. I do find it ironic though that a group of complete strangers are about to offer me my final judgment on my life. Finally, when I think I can’t take it anymore, Gregoire stands forward and says, “We all agree that you are not a wolf. At least, not in the traditional sense. Still, you carry royal wolf blood in you. We can’t dismiss that either. You will be given your chance at a trial. You will fight beside Damon as you wish. But custom decrees that every Enopo must battle against 3 representatives from each clan.”
Gregoire holds his hand up in the air and beckons the various Archon’s personal body guards forward. They move forward as a group and stand directly in front of me. Gregoire continues, “12 more trained assassins will be added to the trials. If you can survive that, then we shall let you live. Fail, and you not only lose your life but also disgrace your family line. That is something we will not tolerate.”
What does that mean? Will they do something against my dad if I die in the trials? I look back at my father. He looks steely back at me, but I can tell that I’ve just upped the ante at the cost of my father’s life. What have I done? Now I not only have Damon’s life in my hands, but my father’s, Tobias’, Mika’s, Luke’s and Fenrus’ too. Inside my soul I can feel Fenrus giving me support. He causes my body to be overwhelmed with warmth and love.
