Only the two females had come out of this unscathed for the most part. Margo thought she might have a few cracked or bruised ribs from the impact with Pauli. Pauli had a growing lump forming on her head and was seeing double. It was with total dismay the pack watched the creature carry off Allen. They wondered if they would ever find what would be left of the body.
It was a very broken and downtrodden group that arrived back at the house. Margo had nurses training that could patch and stitch everyone up. After showers and being doctored up they all met in the den.
Jonas poured everyone a brandy. Margo glared at him, but he felt they needed it. They all could now see how the creature had taken out Michael. He normally ran at the back of the pack as second in command. He had probably scented the Wiliko and went off to see what it was. They all were somber and sore.
Jonas waited until everyone had taken a drink then spoke. “We now know what we’re up against. I’m sorry about Allen, but there was nothing we could do. Steven I saw you tense up right before it grabbed Allen. What did you see?”
Steven looked up, tears in his eyes, “I saw what you all saw. Just out of the corner of my eye. If I tried to look at it straight on it disappeared. I thought I could take its emaciated ass. I couldn’t believe that was what killed Michael. How are we going to stop it? Is there anything in your research that tells you how?”
Jonas stared at his glass, “Fire…maybe… it’s all I’ve found. We rest up a few days and go after it again. This time, some in wolf form and some human. Steven, you're going in wolf form. You spotted it first, so you’ll know what to look for. Tanner, you're banned from going out there. With your throat injury your in no shape for another fight.”
Tanner just looked at his feet with tears in his eyes. “I want to hurt that damn thing. For Pauli, Michael and for Allen. I know your right, but it doesn’t hurt any less.”
Jonas could feel his pain, “I know and we will get it. Pauli and I are going in human form. We’re the only two that can shoot bows with any accuracy. If we can find it again we’re going to fry its ass.”
“Flaming arrows?” Pauli looked shaken at the thought. “The only problem I have with that is none of us saw the damn thing until it had Allen. Are we going to have to sacrifice another to get it?”
Jonas looked grim, “We know when we smell it, and it’s in the immediate area. That may give us an advantage, how ever small. Look I don’t want to lose anymore of the pack. We just can’t leave that thing running around out there. The summer people are safe. It thrives in the cold. We’ll just have to do what we can.” He looked around at his beat up pack
None of the pack wanted to give up. They all wanted pay back. Now that it had hurt them all in one way or another, they wanted blood. They gave it three days before trying again. Jonas informed them if the tales were true, it would be hunting already.
It was a somber group that left at dusk. Tanner watched from the front window, saying a silent prayer for their safety. He hated the fact he couldn’t be with them, but a small part of him was glad. The Wiliko had scared him to the bone. They had looked for two days for Allen’s remains. Someday someone would come across a wolf skeleton and wonder how it died. Contrary to what Hollywood portrayed, when they died they stayed in what ever form they were in.
They stuck close together. They had to move slower than normal because of Jonas and Pauli being in human form. Maybe it was for the best. Less chance of it getting jump on them. Pauli looked like a warrior. Her and Jonas both had arrows notched and ready. Each of the arrows tip was wrapped with gas soaked rags.
Two hours into the search they started to get whiffs of odor. It was hard to pin point it. It almost seemed as if the creature was circling them. Staying far enough away to keep an eye on them. If Jonas was right, it was probably hungry already.
Suddenly Margo stiffened up. She had caught a slight shift of movement to her left. She looked and it was gone. As soon as she looked forward again she could see it again. The stench it carried with it was getting stronger. She went up to Jonas and bumped him with her shoulder. He looked down and she motioned with her nose in the direction she had seen it. He stood stock still, trying to glimpse it. The smell was closer and he feared he might lose another before they could act.
All at once all hell broke loose. Steven had also spotted it and tried to warn Pauli. She was busy trying to get her arrow lit. Her hands were shaking too bad. She kept dropping the lighter and now it had snow in it. Steven stepped between her and the glimmer of the creature. Jonas was having better luck. He was waiting for the Wiliko to make its move. No doubt they would lose another in order to end this.
Steven figured the only way to make it show itself fully was to make the first move. Jonas was down on one knee, waiting to light his arrow. Steven bunched his muscles and leapt in the general direction of the creature. Pauli screamed and ran to Jonas for a light. Steven had hit his mark and now the Wiliko was visible to them. Now they had another problem. Margo had joined the fight and only managed to outrage the creature even more. She had her teeth sunk into its leg. The monster had it’s teeth sunk into Stevens shoulder and was trying to slice him to ribbons. With one back hand with those claws it managed to slice Mona’s head nearly off.
Pauli was screaming at Jonas, “I can’t get a clear shot off with out risking Steven.
Jonas was trying to move to a better position, “Steven! Drop down if you can. Get hell out of the way!”
Steven managed to shake loose and drop. Just as soon as he was out of the way Jonas and Pauli let fly. Their arrows flew true and both connected with the Wiliko. His screams were unworldly as it caught fire and burned. The remaining members of the pack watched in horror. They stood and watched until there was nothing left but a smoldering body.
Jonas spoke first, “We’ll come back later and bury Margo. If what the legends say is true we need to scatter what’s left of that around.”
Pauli looked at the gruesome sight, “Are you trying to say it could come back to life?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not taking any chances. Let’s go get Steven cleaned up. Tanner and I will come back out here.”
Leaving Steven in Pauli’s hands, Jonas and Tanner headed back out an hour later. Tanner was unusually quiet. Jonas figured it was due to his own injuries. Once the grisly job was done they headed back.
Jonas couldn’t handle Tanner’s silence any longer. “Ok out with it, what’s bugging you?”
“Mona called while you were out doing battle. She decided to do more research on the Wiliko. It seems you can survive being scratched by it. But some of the legends say if you are bitten that you will turn into one.” He looked at Jonas with sad eyes, “I was thinking about how badly it bit Steven.”
Jonas was about to reply when they heard Pauli screaming from the house. They broke into a run. They reached the front of the house in time to see Steven heading into the forest out the back. They ran in the house to find Pauli ripped to shreds. They looked at each other. Both thinking the same thing…he knew about the ranch in Montana. Also, they knew how to kill him. He wouldn’t be easy. Jonas went to phone and warn her. It wasn’t over yet. They had to get to Montana before it did and they didn’t know how fast it could travel. Somehow it had to end. Jonas felt in his gut it was going to be a long fight…let the battle begin.
His First Snow
by
Linna Drehmel
On the world of Zahomla all celebrated this special winter season, mortals as well as immortals. The winter moon alignment was tonight. It was the one night of the year where the moon of the Master, the Lord and the Guide all came together to share their life giving light with the mortal world. Mortals and immortals called this night the night of the Lord alike.
One emissary from each of the moons had been sent down, one by the Master and one by the Guide to the planet of the mortals to find a gift for the Lord. A third emissary had been sent from the moon of the Lord to find a gift as well. Caelan was the o
ne chosen from the moon of the Lord to go. It was his first time to the planet since he had become an emissary. He had been told by many of his fellow emissaries that he had to stand in a snowfall. They told him it was an experience unlike anything he had when he was mortal.
Caelan was excited as he began to descend to the planet through clouds that he knew held snow. He pushed through the cold feathery clouds and felt the soft tickle of the crystalline flakes of beauty touch his skin as he slowly descended to a small hill just outside a city, and sank into the snow up to his knees.
He laughed in wonder at the sensation of the cold that surrounded his legs. The feeling of his legs encased in snow would have been uncomfortable, even painful while he was mortal, but now as an emissary the feeling only filled him with delight.
Using only the merest bit of his power he extended his wings of light and gracefully rose above the snow so he could walk just on top of the drifts. He loved the sound of the snow as it crunched under his feet. He laughed once again keeping his wings out so he could stay above the drift and kick the snow and watched with glee as the snow fell in chunks around him. He reached down he scooped up a handful of snow, quickly formed a ball in his hands and lobbed it at a tree hitting it strait on.
“Ha!” Caelan laughed to himself, “I was not that good of a shot when I was mortal.”
What a fantastic sight this young emissary was, as he played in the snow like a small child with laughter in his dark brown eyes. His dark hair stood out in sharp contrast on the white snow, his wings of light caught each tiny diamond flake causing it to gleam in the dark of this special night.
Caelan was so caught up in the sensations of his first snowfall as an emissary that he forgot his mission, until he looked through the cloudy sky and saw how close the moons were to the alignment.
“The gift!” he gasped out loud.
He fully extended his wings and quickly sped through the cold winter air toward the city not knowing where to find a gift that would be fitting for his Lord. Caelan searched the quiet city streets looking, listening for anything a song or a sight that he could capture with his power and carry back to the Lords moon in time.
Caelan began to panic and chided himself for spending so much time playing in the snow, until he heard a sound that caused him to feel cold. A cold that had nothing to do with the snow filled air; it was the sound of fear and pain.
Caelan forgot his panic over finding a gift as he raced to the sound. His duty as an emissary of the Lord was to protect the lives of mortals from beings of darkness. Help and protect was first in his thoughts as he flew around the side of the Masters sanctuary. Caelan saw one such loathsome being attacking two young clerics as they tried to enter the sanctuary. One cleric was on the ground as the other was trying to wrestle a knife away from the creature.
“Stop!” Caelan cried as he sped through the air pushing all of his power into his wings. “Cleric look out,” he called out his warning allowing the young man to duck in time as Caelan barreled strait into the dark beast, lifting it off the other cleric, who lay bleeding in the snow. “You cannot have them beast, they are clerics in the Master’s service!” Caelan declared angrily as he slammed the dark beast against the wall of the sanctuary.
The dark beast was weakened by Caelan’s attack, but still had strength enough to hiss in laughter “I have already taken one.”
“You cannot have the unalloyed soul of a cleric!” Caelan avowed as he began to glow brighter. The beast squealed in pain from the light but managed to say with menace in its voice, “I will have their wretched souls yet, but for now I have at least taken that one’s life so he will no longer be able to serve the Three.”
“You cannot have him!” The emissary yelled again as the light that emanated from him intensified to the point that the beast fought just to get away from it, but Caelan held firm to the dark beast, until the vile monster imploded, overcome by the emissary’s pure light.
Once the beast had vanished, Caelan descended as lightly as the countless snowflakes around him to the ground next to the two clerics.
“Emissary help Autreo please, I think he is dying.” The young man pleads desperately.
“What is your name cleric?” Caelan asked softly.
“I am Kriess cleric in service of the Master. Autreo is cleric in the service of the Lord.” He said through his tears.
Caelan knelt next to Kriess in the snow and put a comforting hand on the young man’s shoulder using his power to bring comfort to the distressed young cleric. “Be at peace Kriess we are all one in our service to the Three.”
“But please Emissary can you help Autreo?” Kriess begged urgently.
“I am sorry but Autreo has passed into light.”
The young cleric bowed his head in grief as his hot tears fell to the ground melting the cold snow.
“Kriess you must go into the Masters sanctuary where it is safe and tell the Vercovo of the sanctuary what has happened,” Caelan instructed him.
“But what about Autreo’s body?” Kriess sobbed, “I can’t leave him out here.”
“Be at ease Kriess, I will care for him. Autreo’s election is made sure.”
Kriess looked up quickly when he heard this, knowing full well what it meant. “He is going to be a…” He stopped not daring to speak it.
“Yes, his soul is pure.” Caelan confirmed what the young man was going to say. “Now go be safe and at peace, for it is the Lord’s night.”
Kriess got slowly to his feet and with melancholy in his voice said, “Thank you Emissary, blessed night of the Lord.” Kriess looked sadly back at his friend for just a moment, and then crossed into the safety of the Masters sanctuary closing the heavy door behind him.
As Caelan knelt on the cold ground he was enveloped in the quiet of the winter night. He looked at the poor soul that lay on the ground where his precious life was taken before his time. Caelan knew what he needed to do, but this meant that he would have to use most all of his power and would not be able to find the gift he had been sent after, but that didn’t matter. Caelan would do his duty as an emissary of the Lord even if it meant that he would return to the moon of the Lord empty handed.
Caelan focused almost all of his power on his hands and placed one brightly glowing hand on Autreo’s forehead and one on his chest releasing the powerful light into the lifeless body. He then called Autreo’s soul back. Using his power, Caelan eternally sealed the young cleric soul and body together.
Feeling drained of his power Caelan took his hands from the young man as Autreo opened his eyes with a gasp of surprise.
“What has happened?” Autreo asked as he sat up looking down at his clothing that was now as white as the snow that fell around him.
“You passed into light and will soon be an Emissary of the Lord.” Caelan explained simply.
“But how? Where is Kriess?” Autreo questioned him. “Who are you?”
“I too am an Emissary of the Lord. My name is Caelan and it is time for us to return to the moon of the Lord.” Caelan said as he stood up, fully extended his wings and held out his hand. “Come, the moons have aligned.”
The young man who would soon be an emissary stood up, took Caelan’s hand and the two of them ascended into the snow filled night sky. The journey that the two of them made on the night of the Lord would have seemed to take an eternity to a mortal, but for two immortals it happened very fast.
The two of them burst through the clouds and were pulled by the light of the three moons that had aligned as one to the presence of The Master, The Lord and The Guide.
Caelan stood silently in the glorious presence of the Three, watching as the other two emissaries presented the Lord with their magnificent gifts, and saw the happiness it brought to all of the Three. But Caelan didn’t know what he was going to say as he walked sadly empty handed before the Lord.
“My Master, Lord, and Guide,” He formally addressed the Three with a shaky voice. “I am sorry to tell you I have no gift.”
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“Please, tell us why,” Was the Lord’s soothing voice.
Caelan bowed his head in shame, “I was enjoying my first snow fall and thought of your gift.” He began. “I flew quickly to the city looking for what would be a gift for you Lord, but I heard a fight. Two clerics were attacked by a dark beast, I did my best to save them but one was killed.” He said as he gestured to Autreo. “He was a good cleric in your service Lord with a pure soul, I used my power to raise him so he could be an emissary in the service of the Three.”
Upon hearing this The Lord arose from his seat and descended the steps with a smile on his glorious face. The Lord approached Autreo and said, “My son.” As he folded him in an embrace and passed his hands over the young man’s back then drew his hands out, as he did so two magnificent wings of light emerged from Autreo’s back. “Welcome home Emissary.”
The Lord then turned to Caelan and then enfolded him in a tight embrace that filled him with the power of light that he had been drained of when he raised Autreo.
“I am sorry I failed you Lord,” Caelan whispered in shame as tears fell from his eyes.
The Lord released Caelan and stood back looking at him with a dazzling smile, “You did not fail my son. You have brought me the best gift of all, for the worth of a soul is great in my sight.”
Dementria’s Task
by
Amanda R. Browning
Chapter 1
The portal room of the Academy of Infernal Avocation was crowded with the demon students and their families, the instructors, and the two massive hellhounds guarding the portal. Today was a graduation of sorts for thirteen fledgling demon students. Each student had just completed the academic portion of their demonic studies, and the time for their final test had arrived. They would all begin their Proving today, as soon as they stepped through the portal and onto Earth. During the Proving, each fledgling demon would be given temporary full reign of their powers in order to complete their individual assignments. The air in the room was heavy with nerves and desperation; to fail this test was not an option.
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