Darkness Falls (Tales of the Wolf)

by A. E. McCullough

  She smiled and everyone in the arena found it intoxicating.

  “Amat victoria curam.”

  Darnac looked over his shoulder and whispered, “Victory rewards the prepared.”

  As she stepped out of sight, a gong echoed loudly throughout the arena. Members of the other Cöteries dashed off into the dark corridors until only the Shadow Wolves were left.

  Darnac turned to face them and smiled. It was genuine and warm. “Remember your training. Trust your instincts and work as a team. Do this and in the end, the Shadow Wolves will rule the day.” Turning his back on them, he walked away.

  Everyone looked around as if they were lost.

  Galvorn shrugged his shoulders and began to walk away but Gray held him back. The dark elf gave him a hard look but Gray ignored him. Turning his attention back to the rest of the Cöterie, he began giving orders. He paired up Aciês and sent them down different passageways until there were only four of them left. Nergüi and Dovan had become their shadows.

  Galvorn shook his head and asked, “Why?”

  “Why not? The Kënnári hinted that we should work together. This is just the most efficient strategy.”

  Galvorn glared at the other Aciês with distrust. “But they could attack us at any time, do we dare trust them?”

  Gray shrugged. “Should they trust you? Trust is earned, not given. I have no doubt that my fellow Shadow Wolves will come to my aid if I ever needed it. Why? Because they know that I will risk my life for them, I have in the past and I will do so in the future.”

  “But Grim, there can only one can be the victor.”

  Gray shrugged. “If we four or any other Shadow Wolves are the last standing, then we will spar amongst ourselves to determine this day’s victor. But we will do it as comrades-in-arms, not as enemies.”

  Galvorn furrowed his brow as he tried to understand. “But why?”

  “Because in the end, we are all slaves.” Gray turned his back on his friend and moved into the darkness.

  The other three warriors followed silently.

  Galvorn could not really argue with that logic. Technically, he was not a slave but he had been isolated and ostracized for so long that he may as well have been one. Growing up, his only friend had been Darnac. Period. His parents rarely spoke to him unless it was to berate him for something that he had done. Then add in the fact that his father was stuck in his hybrid werewolf form and it was an odd childhood. It was at that moment, he realized how much he enjoyed Grim’s friendship.

  The four Shadow Wolf warriors entered the passageways of the Arena just as the gong sounded.

  Gray moved up close to the right wall of the passageway while Galvorn hugged the left. Nergüi and Dovan paused for a split second before copying their motions. All throughout the tunnels, sounds of combat echoed off the stone walls and filled the air. Nergüi and Dovan longed to rush forward and join in the fray. However, a stern look from Galvorn and a simple pat on the shoulder from Grim was enough to curb that impulse.

  Minutes later Gray found what he had been looking for, a crossroads of tunnels with plenty of cover for an ambush. He breathed in deeply but no new scents were in the area. Satisfied that they were alone for now, he turned to his companions and pointed at a large group of boulders. “Nergüi, you and Dovan take up positions there but don’t expose yourselves until you see us attack.”

  Dovan grunted. “Where will you two be?”

  Gray pointed upwards at the small ledge that ran along the walls a dozen or so feet above the ground. “Once we attack, feel free to jump in at any time but not a moment before. Let us be the focus of their attention. Now move.”

  Within minutes, all four Shadow Wolves were in position and just waiting for their first victims.

  * * * * *

  Lalith beamed with pride as her son and partner used restraint and set up an ambush. Primarily, since they were the only ones to do so. Turning her head to gaze on her subordinates, she graced Darnac with a smile. “Blademaster, you should be commended on your leadership. Your Cöterie is showing great promise.”

  The dark elf took the off-hand compliment with grace but the other Döcents did not like the fact that she had singled him out.

  Mortharona was actually jealous and slightly hurt since she had not spoken to him since she arrived. He had received a single wink and one squeeze of her hand as she walked by but that was it. Of course, his mind was still filled with images of the last passion filled night they had spent together a month ago. She had warned him that their relationship needed to stay hidden for the time being and that she would be cold to him in public. He had heard the words but this was the first time he had experienced it; he did not like it.

  Espen did not like the complement that Darnac had received for the simple fact that it meant that the Blademaster had eclipsed him, again. No matter how successful he would become as an assassin in the Subterreth, Darnac’s reputation was greater and it galled him. To add insult to injury, he was now forced to work beside the damned dark elf.

  Chikk Forlorn did not care one way or the other. She was fine with Lalith not talking to her. As a matter of fact, it took a great deal of restraint not to draw her cutlass and strike her down. She was only here to pay off her debt, period. Nothing in her contract said that she had to be friendly to the Dark Lady.

  Kralm just grinned with joy as he watched his dream of having high-trained warrior-assassins at his beck and call. He knew that one day his Sicárii would be the backbone of the Dark Alliance.

  When the dignitaries spied two rival Cöteries approaching the crossroads, they all quieted down to watch.

  * * * * *

  In the etherness that was the misty realm of the gods, the Dhyana also watched as the events played out below. They knew that their fate was entwined in the destiny of one of the combatants and for better or worse; they could not interfere but only watch.

  * * * * *

  Gray heard the approaching cöteries long before he saw them but more importantly, he smelled them. Tamina was in one group, of that he was certain. All three groups exited the tunnels at about the same time. Directly below him was the trio of girls. Gray took a second or two to ponder the significance of the sizes of the cöteries. Only those taught by Mortharona operated in pairs like the Shadow Wolves. The Ravens were in groups of threes and the Cobras hunted in packs of four.

  All three cöteries paused for a second to size up their opponents before attacking.

  Only the trio of girls stood their ground and waited for the impending attack. From their methods and calmness, Gray guessed that they had been trained to fight defensively. Judging from the way the duo of warriors from the Panthers attacked, it was obvious that they had trained to work together but to also compete against each other for the glory of the kill. The Cobras….well, they just charged in mass. No teamwork, no tactics, just raw brutality or at least that seemed like their plan.

  Unfortunately for the Ravens, both groups had targeted them to be the first to fall. Almost immediately, one of the girls fell to the onslaught of blades. The other two were on the defensive, dodging and parrying as best as they could. One was Tamina, the other a redhead. They both moved well but it was only a matter of time before they fell.

  Gray did not think. He acted.

  Both the Cobras and the Panthers’ attention were completely taken up with the Ravens and each other that they never even considered the possibility of an ambush and the Shadow Wolves capitalized on it. Dropping down from above, Gray’s first attack was swift and efficient. The Blademaster had drilled into his students that efficient strikes were deadly strikes. Knowing effective locations of where to strike your opponent to maximize the effect and damage of your attack was the most important aspect.

  In the limited time Darnac had to prepare his students, he had shown them seven strikes from this position. One that would kill slowly, two would kill silently, one would maim painfully and three would incapacitate quickly. Gray chose the incapacitation str
ikes since his opponents were slaves just like him. However, the effect of his first strike on an unsuspecting Cobra caused him to rethink his tactics.

  As he slid his dagger into his opponent’s lower back, Gray really did not know what to expect. He expected blood of some sort. Having the blade pass through his body without breaking any skin was surprising. Nevertheless, the real surprise was the jolt of blue-white lightning that flared from the gem attached to the sicáe and flowed down the blade. The resulting electric shock incapacitated the unsuspecting Cobra in an instant.

  Gray was elated when he realized that Kralm had figured out a way to test and train his slaves safely. Now that he knew his attacks would not kill his friends, he became a blur of motion.

  * * * * *

  Lalith giggled and clapped her hands at the spectacle playing out below.

  “Outstanding Kralm, absolutely outstanding! You figured out a way for them to train full speed without killing each other. Phenomenal!”

  The grey-skinned half-orc beamed at the compliment but bowed his head slightly. “Many thanks for the praise Dark Lady but I cannot take credit for this. I wish I could but I can’t.” He gestured to Darnac. “The Blademaster came up with the idea.”

  “Interesting…please elaborate.” Lalith turned to face her former bodyguard and raised one eyebrow.

  Darnac met her gaze but did not flinch. She held his life in her hands and could end it at any time with naught but a simple word. However, he was long past worrying about currying favor. He would walk his own path and honor his commitment until either he died or completed his servitude.

  After a brief moment, she nodded and he began his explanation.

  “When Kralm explained his problem, I remembered an idea an old gnomish engineer once explained me about a weapon he wanted to create. It was during my time in Avaris as novice weaponsmith. Back then, it was beyond my skills but the theory was sound.” Darnac drew out his own sicáe, popped off the gem and handed them both to his mistress. “The principle is very simple. The blade acts as a conduit for the magic stored in the gem. However for it to work the blade must be crafted with certain silver-metal alloys and a small silver tube must run through the center of the blade to allow the magic to flow through.” Darnac shrugged. “Unfortunately I have been unable to create a viable weapon longer than these daggers…well, I do have a few other designs in the work but they aren’t ready yet.”

  Lalith studied the blade as her slave spoke and nodded at its craftsmanship. When the Blademaster paused, she gestured to the gem in her other hand. “And this?”

  “The cantatis lapis are basically a storage device for spells. The Dôminus has a crew of gnomish gemcutters crafting the stones which are then enchanted with a wide variety of spells.”

  “Such as?”

  Darnac pulled out his pouch and emptied it on the table. The gems sparkled with a rainbow of colors. He picked up the blue stone first. “You have already seen a variation of the fulmen lapis, the lightning stone, at work. The exercitium lapis, the training stone negates the physical damage of the blade while casting the lightning spell.” He pointed to the red, white, yellow and green stones. “These cast similar spells of fire, ice, poison and acid. All five of these gems are multi-strike stones. They do naught but add a magical effect to the Sicárii’s attacks. However,” he paused as he displayed the black and purple stones, “these two are my pride and joy.”

  “And what makes them so special?”

  Darnac presented the black gem first. “These last two are considered single strike stones. This is the mors lapis, the death stone. On any strike, a powerful death spell is cast which virtually guarantees a successful assassination.”

  Lalith smiled as she realized the implications. With this weapon, she could use less skilled operatives to complete a near impossible mission.

  Darnac could tell what she was thinking from her devilish grin. He handed the purple gemstone to her. “This is the ánimus lapis, the soulstone. I am told that it acts basically the same as the mors lapis but also captures the essence of the target.”

  If Lalith was smiling when she was presented with the black stone, she was literally beaming with this one. “Impressive. And who did your enchanting?”

  “Kâlikâ.”

  “The blind witch from Avaris?”

  “The same.”

  “I never realized that she was so talented. How did you get her to help?”

  “Let’s just say that I called in a favor.” Darnac shrugged and left it at that. He did not volunteer anything more and she did not ask.

  The whole room turned silent as their attention returned to the drama playing out below. Gray’s ambush had worked perfectly. As the Cobras reacted to his attack, Galvorn struck. Reeling from this, the remaining Cobras joined the Panthers and attacked the deadly pair. That was when Dovan and Nergüi joined in the fray and within moments, the attack was over. Only one of the Ravens was still ‘alive’ to face the four Shadow Wolves.

  Surprisingly, Gray did not dispatch the girl but ordered her to fall in and moved his little band to a new location and set up another ambush. This time, it was two groups of Panthers that fell to the trap although Dovan was cut down in the brief flurry of battle. Once again, Gray offered the lone survivor a chance to join his little band or a quick death. His group grew by one and they went hunting again.

  One by one, every group they ran across fell to their tactics. Not every attack left a survivor and not every survivor joined their merry band. As their numbers increased and their targets decreased, Gray knew that he would have to shift tactics soon. Eventually, one of the strays would take it amongst themselves to strike out at his band.

  After all, in the end there could only be one.

  Chapter 21

  Lalith pointed at her son’s partner as they broke away from the hunting pack and moved into dark passageways by themselves. “Blademaster, who is that young man?”

  “Isengrim.”

  “A half-elf? Hmmm…”

  She watched as he and her son ran afoul of a much larger group and made short work of them. As they fought, she mentally compared the two young warriors. They were nearly exact opposites in how they fought and moved but at the same time their styles complimented each other.

  Galvorn was happy and cheerful in battle, jesting and taunting his enemies while using fancy techniques to accomplish his goal. Isengrim was extremely serious and used the minimum force necessary to gain victory.

  Once the two Shadow Wolves were done with their brief skirmish, they moved back into the tunnels and continued their hunt. Here was another place where their differences became obvious. Galvorn seemed to blend into the shadows while Grim stalked his prey.

  “Shadow and Stalker, I like it. I bet that they will be the last two standing.” Lalith turned to face the small gathering. “Any takers?”

  Espen croaked, “What’s the wager?”

  “How about a year off your service if one of your students wins?”

  “And if we lose?”

  “An additional year of course.”

  Espen noticed that Lalith’s favorite pair was approaching two of his aciës. One of them had two of his most promising students in it and so he nodded. “You’re on.”

  * * * * *

  The two Shadow Wolves felt the rush of excitement as the eight Cobras surrounded them. Even with their helmets on Gray could tell who was who by their scents and mannerisms. However, judging from the way they held their daggers only two of them felt confident with their weapons and he knew that one of them was Jardan.

  Galvorn and Gray stood back to back and waited.

  The Blademaster had harped on this particular strategy many times in their limited training sessions. He had suspected that at some point, they would be outnumbered during the competition. Now, it seemed as if they were going to get a chance to put his theories into practice.

  The biggest limitation that Gray felt was not the odds against them but the fact that he onl
y had one weapon. Then, a crazy idea rolled through his mind. The Cobras had begun circling them with a slow deliberate pace, as if that strategy was going to unnerve them. Gray never took his eyes off his opponents but reached up with his off hand and pulled free the hard leather sheath of his sicáe. It was not perfect but it would work as a makeshift parrying stick. The Cobras charged and the two Shadow Wolves reacted.

  They blocked and stabbed, parried and thrust, never staying still for more than a second. Never concentrating on any one opponent, nor did they stay on one side. They fought as one. When Galvorn moved forward, Gray would step back. When Gray attacked to his left, Galvorn shifted his guard to cover his backside. They did this almost instinctively. Partially it was Darnac’s training but mostly it was the fact that they trusted each other. They knew that their partner’s life was just as important as their own, if not more so. The simple concept of trust allowed them unlimited freedom in combat. It was this fact, more than any other, which was the deciding factor in their victory.

  In the end, seven Cobras lay twitching and unconscious from the aftereffects of their attacks. Only Jardan was left standing and his left arm was numb from a glancing blow. It had not been from Galvorn or Gray’s dagger. It had been from one of his own men. Shadow and Stalker could only account for five kills. The other two had been the result of friendly fire but as the old saying went, there was no honor among thieves.

  The Shadow Wolves moved forward to flank the last Cobra. Even though Gray suspected the answer he would receive, he made his offer. “Jardan, it doesn’t have to end here. Submit and join our hunting band.”

  The nobleman laughed. “Why? So you and this dark elf can claim all the glory for yourself? Never!”