Bloody Crucible- Lone Wolf

by E C Chii

  Charle being the hulking Melkor he was; he was very intimidating. Muscles upon muscles, it was no wonder he could wear the heavy armor with ease and use that large two-handed-sword like it weighed a feather for such long periods of time.

  Inside they found Siris, Ezie, and Sienna lounging in pool of water letting the heat work out the knots in their sore muscles. Spotting them Sienna waved to join them, to Siris and Ezie’s admonishment. Once cleaned, they walked toward the pool the ladies were in. Sienna had a smile on her face knowing that she was making both Siris and Ezie uneasy. One of the customs that was told to him by the elderly ladies was that you were not permitted to join the opposite sex unless invited like Sienna just did.

  Intending to play a little joke on Sienna, Wolf smiled wolfishly, both literally and figuratively. His naked body showed blackish purple scales all emanating from the old scars of his past life. To the casual observer it would have looked like an infection spreading across his body and the scars were the origins of the infection. His now sopping wet tail swished left and right lightly showering those he passed with small droplets of water. A few scowled at him, some cursed at him, several children giggled at it, but nobody did anything.

  ‘I guess there are some benefits to looking like the living embodiment of the boogeyman’ he thought with a laugh. When he reached the edge of the pool, he eased himself in slowly, getting used to the heat centimeter by centimeter. The water was hot but not overly so, once up to his waist he sauntered over to where the women were at and promptly sat down next to Sienna, picked her up off the submerged bench and sat her on his lap.

  Sienna’s tail went straight and stiff along with the rest of her body. Wolf let out a barking laugh.

  “What? Wasn’t this what you wanted when you invited us over or do you prefer Charlie? You did tell me you were interested in thanking me more personally earlier, unless that was all just talk.” Wolf asked mockingly

  Ezie’s shyness broke as she began to giggle uncontrollably, while Sienna half-heartedly tried to escape. Eventually, he let her go to the glares and frowns from many of the residents of Kokuri Village. Realizing that she might have felt uneasy like Ezie did after being enslaved as a pleasure slave he apologized to Sienna. She merely laughed and explained that Beastkin look at things like sex in a very different way than others. Unfortunately, Ezie’s culture was much different resulting in a scarring typical of a sexual assault victim. This further added more reason for him to fight against this slave empire.

  Soon enough, when Wolf felt it was time to leave the bath he got out and headed to the changing room. As he was leaving he was met with the others and they went as a group to the tavern for their evening meal. The conversations continued allowing Wolf to get some idea of how a typical life was and that only the empire’s people and various magical monsters knew how to cast spells. During the evening meal Sienna sidled up next to Wolf and would constantly tease each other with their tails.

  All the while this was happening Siris would occasionally glance and frown. Wolf noticed but largely ignored it, due to one; being a man, and two not really caring since he was unattached. As they finished their meal, and each had a mug of ale in hand he stood up.

  “Well, I suppose it is time for me to mosey on up to my room. Where I will finish my ale and probably turn in early, that is unless I find something better to do.” He said playfully as he winked at Sienna.

  Charle laughed as Wolf walked up the stairs toward his room.

  Sienna stood next, and smiled mischievously whilst saying, “I suppose I could go and talk to him about several things. I am curious as to how he measures up to the men from my tribe.”

  As she walked to follow Wolf, Ezie giggled and Siris scowled.

  Sienna reached Wolf’s door, tapping lightly she received the answer to enter. When she entered she saw Wolf laying completely nude facing the door with a hand propping his head and one leg bent with the knee pointing toward the ceiling.

  When she closed and locked the door, Wolf asked, “So…Why don’t you paint me like one of your French girls.”

  Laughing at his own inside joke, he beckoned her over where they had a long and eventful night.

  Chapter 19 – Bag of crazy

  A week went by with him teaching them his tactics and methods from his previous life. While most resisted his way of fighting, saying it was dishonest and wrong. Others understood that taking on the empire in a head on battle was just asking to be killed. Throughout this week Ezie became more open toward him, constantly asking questions about the technology of his world and how to make them. He tried to avoid it as much as possible but sometimes things just slip out. It had gotten so bad that he was starting to actively avoid her as much as possible. Because of the wonderful nightly visits. He had with Sienna she all but moved in with him and Wolf couldn’t tell if it was a good or bad thing.

  Throughout the week he had managed to get the blacksmith to repurpose one of the larger and thinner scimitars into something closer to a katana. The smith had been having difficulty creating the blade that was so thin and make it durable enough to use in actual combat. By modifying this sword, he could better understand the way to create the weapon. After the modifications, the sword was considered an uchigatana only in the most general sense. While it wouldn’t do any good in an actual fighting, it was good enough for practice in the arena and it allowed him access to his two techniques.

  Wolf thought to himself, ‘Things are actually pretty good, I haven’t been having nightmares since Sienna has been keeping me company lately either. Ugh, now is about the time when the Empire would attack and ruin everything or some drama shows its ugly face.’

  True to his prophecy, everything changed the day that Ezie showed up to his door that night instead of Sienna. This both shocked and concerned him greatly as this past week he had become more and more unsettled at Ezie’s infatuation with the technology of the other world. Her insistence had even started the others and forced him to become more withdrawn. This had cause a bit of a spat between him and Sienna, while the argument had been resolved she was unwilling to join him that night.

  Instead he got Ezie, standing at the doorway wearing the typical brown canvas pants, knife belt and white cotton shirt, with an insidious smile that immediately put him on edge. Something about the smile had set off alarm bells in his head. The last time he had saw that smile on a woman was when she had attempted to castrate him for sleeping with her little sister, who had just turned eighteen.

  Instead of letting her come in the room he stood blocking the door way. Inviting her in would also invite trouble, if anything he learned that from the near emasculation was that to do this would be tantamount to suicide.

  “How can I help you Ezie?”

  “Sienna wanted me to come and get you. She wishes to speak with you by the moonlight.” She said while keeping the smile

  This comment threw him off balance as when asked to join a Beastkin in the moonlight typically was when one or the other would propose either marriage or breeding. In either case, not showing would be much, much worse than simply declining. As social taboos go breaking this one would make him hunted by every member of the Bengal clan. Fastening his belt carrying miscellaneous daggers and donned a light gambeson tunic and pants. With that done he was a prepared as best he could.

  “You shouldn’t need that, it is just outside the gate and will be quick. Why not leave that all here for the time being?” Ezie said wryly.

  “Nah, one of the organizations I was associated in the other world had a motto, ‘All ways be prepared’” Wolf replied dismissively

  “Suit yourself.” Ezie remarked disappointedly and lead the way to the southern gate.

  Once they exited the gate and made a couple hundred meters into the forest proper they came across a small clearing. Wolf’s instincts went wild with alarm bells as there was no one in the clearing.

  “Where is Sienna?” Wolf asked cautiously.

  Ezie turned to face him
with a malicious smile, “Oh I am sure she is around here somewhere and will show up shortly. Why don’t you tell me about those weapons called rifles…and I mean everything, though let’s start with how to make them?”

  “No thanks, I would prefer to not become this world’s Oppenheimer.”

  Wolf felt the shifting of shadows in the woods as Ezie said, “No, no, I must insist. You will tell us otherwise we will need to force it out of you.”

  “Well you’re welcome to try but I doubt you will get much.” He said with his hands slowly closing around the handles of two knives on his belt.

  “Oh, I think that would be absolutely fun. The Eversmeet Liberation Front will have that information, one way or another.” Ezie said while crossing her arms and nodding to something behind him.

  “Really?! Your group is called ELF? Gods if that isn’t a kick in the teeth I don’t know what is.” Wolf replied giggling at the name of the Wood Huldra’s organization.

  Thinking he was distracted a shadowed figure rushed at him. Drawing his daggers, he combat-rolled to the left narrowly missing a sword that would have cut straight through his hamstring. Stabbing his dagger repeatedly into the kidney of the ELF, he let out a yelp in pain. Another came barreling down toward him with his gladius held high attempting to strike him down in a single blow. Wolf kicked off the stunned ELF into a backflip dodging the other ELF’s powerful downward slash.

  A notification once again distracted him enough to allow the second ELF to recover from his missed attack and swing again with a backhanded slash cutting through left forearm sleeve of the gambeson. The damage had been minimal, but the sharp pain did cause him to drop his dagger.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill ‘Acrobatics’ at Beginner Level 1

  Acrobatics Level 1 (Passive, Common) – You can use objects around you to dodge or out maneuver your enemies and their attacks. Requirement: 15STR, 12AGI

  Acrobatics and Parkour have combine to create the skill ‘Combat Grace’

  Combat Grace Level 1 (Passive, Common) – You can use objects around you to dodge or out maneuver your enemies and their attacks. You move 10% faster through, around, and over obstacles. Able to use objects in your surroundings to move around the battlefield. Requirement: Parkour Level 1, Acrobatics Level 1, 15STR, 12AGI. Cost: 20 STA upkeep

  By unlocking a new and advanced skill without a trainer you are awarded +3 AGI.

  Hissing in pain he riposted with several short quick stabs through the gap in the armor just under the ELF’s right arm. The blade pierced his heart instantly dropping him to the ground catching his dagger as he was pulled down. Wolf went for his last blade affixed to the belt at the small of his back, drawing it from its sheath, a large wide bladed kukri gleamed in the moonlight. The first ELF having recover partially from the initial blows of the fight, maneuvered with his blade out front of him with is elbow tucked in closely.

  “Smart man, play to the strengths of your weapon. That other man was stupid trying to slash with a short-bladed weapon meant for stabbing.” Wolf complemented the soldier. “Though it doesn’t change much in the way that it hurts you here since you do not have your large shield or formation to help you. Still, as one soldier to the next, I will give you an honorable death.” Wolf continued.

  They both single mindedly circling each other, the soldier’s face had become pale from blood loss. Both men knew he wouldn’t last much longer but masculine pride took over forcing them to fight on. Wolf with is large kukri held in a reverse grip and the other man with his gladius-like sword held pointing forward ready to be thrust into his opponent’s gut. The final attack started when Wolf saw the gladius dip a few centimeters suddenly before being pulled back up. Wolf darted in, the instinctual thrust of the ELF’s sword was perfect, but easily batted away by Wolf’s heavier kukri. Grabbing the ELF’s sword arm he pulled the Soldier further off balance opening his neck where the Kukri sank down to its hilt through the gap between his breast piece and neck. The ELF’s strength failed, and he fell to the ground gurgling, drowning as blood filled his lungs.

  In an act of pity, Wolf knelt at his side and looked at him with sympathy. He placed the tip of the kukri over top the man’s heart and said, “You fought well, I hope you find peace in your next life.” Before plunging it deeply through the man’s heart to give him a quicker and less painful end.

  Wolf rose and turned to face Ezie only to find her next to him thrusting a long narrow tipped roundel dagger through his gambeson and sliding cleanly between his ribs. Panic filled Wolf’s brain causing it to release copious levels of adrenaline back into his system. Wolf pulled hard on his psychic power pushing it into his kukri knowing that he wouldn’t last long in a stand-up fight now.

  Seconds dragged on for hours as more and more energy filled his kukri and everything around him seemed to move sluggishly. Wolf’s left arm reached around to grab Ezie by the scruff of her neck pulling her toward his front. As he was stabbing his kukri into her left eye an odd observation came the forefront of his mind, ‘Did him pushing psychic energy into the dagger give it the smoky purple look?’

  Ezie’s eyes were wide with shock when the kukri pierced her eye and he felt little resistance when it broke through the orbital wall and was driven deeply into her brain cavity. An unforeseen effect occurred that Wolf had not expected, a flash of smoky purple blasted out from Ezie’s head and then rebounded back toward his. Blinding pain pierced his left eye as though he had just been stabbed by the kukri himself, several foreign thoughts rebounded in his head. Why couldn’t this man just tell her what she wanted and none of this would have happened. Confusion, pain, and fear intermingled with these foreign thoughts until the blackness of unconsciousness took him

  Wolf was awoken from water being dumped on his face. His eyes shot open only to slam shut from the lancing pain of light and ensuing hangover style headache that put a stop to all conscious thought. A groan escaped his throat as he voiced his displeasure. A bottle found its way to his lips and poured sweet relief. His body recovered, with the pain no longer impeding him, he opened his eyes to see Charle and the elder standing over him. Noticing the surroundings, he saw he was in a stone looking cell.

  “Where is Sienna?” Wolf asked looking around.

  “She is off at the healer. Why you care I do not know.” Charle sneered

  “Wolf Mikall you are under arrest for murder, attempted murder, and suspicion of being an Imperial Spy. You will remain here in this cell until it is time for your trial.” the elder said coldly

  Wolf tensed at the comment as he glowered at the elder, a few ideas of escape passed through Wolf’s head but were dismissed just as quickly as they were as unlikely to work. Dying would be a non-starter since he had told them that he would either comeback in the current body. Seeing no chance of escape, he let himself be incarcerated.

  An armored Charle stood up and began to walk out of the cell, Wolf said, “I hope you all realize you are burning one very important bridge right now.”

  Charle replied betraying no emotion through the facelessness of his helmet, “Silence, you are guilty until proven innocent. If you try and escape, I will keep killing you until you don’t come back again.” Wolf understood that this was no idle threat and stayed silent while he seethed on the inside the cold musty cell where they left him to fall asleep on a straw mat.

  Looking at the notifications that were pending his attention. Of all of them only one was of interest.

  Congratulations! You have learned the skill ‘Magical Infusion’ at Beginner Level 1

  Magical Infusion Level 1 (Active, Progressive) – Infuse an object with a concentration of elemental magical energy. Infusion is a 1:1 damage ratio maxing at 10 MP. Every 10MP infused increases breaking chance by 5%. Cannot infuse body parts at this level.

  Sleeping early as there was nothing left to do he drifted off into the darkness of unconsciousness. Wolf woke to the sound of a strange muffled voice cheerily humming an oddly familiar song. He swore to him
self as the excessively cheery tone was begging to be throat punched.

  Squatting next to him was this bluish-teal creature with black dead beady eyes, no nose, a large mouth filled with sharp pointy needle teeth and a tuft of red hair on top of the otherwise bald head. The creature smiled crazily at him with a hint of laughter with every breath. Sitting up and scooting back rapidly the stone scraped and cut his hands, legs and butt as he distanced himself from this creature.

  The creature spoke again only the voice wasn’t muffled and sounded feminine, “What? According to your memories this form is one you are very familiar with.” It paused for a few seconds before it began to laugh hysterically.

  “Okay, this is creepy.” Wolf said unsettled

  Giggling insanely the blue creature finally said, “Your memories are absolutely exquisite. I must have more.”

  “Ummm. Who are you?” Wolf asked still scooting back until his back was against the rocks that made up the wall.

  “You know who I am. Look at me?” the creature said with additional laughter. When it calmed down it finally said, “Oh just call me Lyssa, Goddess of insanity, rage, and chaos. We have known each other for quite a long time.”