Dark Wolf's Awakening

by Ryan Evans

  I turned to face my attacker. Sir Leonis stood there breathing heavily, looking nothing short of feral. He held his bloody dagger along with his drawn sword. A chirper made the mistake of charging him at that exact moment and Leonis decapitated the creature without even looking.

  I saw his gaze drift to my shifted hand briefly before it refocused on my eyes. “The princess sends her regards. She told me to inform you she wouldn’t have even bothered with this if the heir of Silvanti House and her betrothed hadn’t requested it,” he said before he snarled and lunged.

  He’d made the mistake of rambling too long. Even though I still pressed my dagger hand to my side, the wound had already healed itself enough to keep from impeding my movement. I lunged into his charge, releasing my full aura as I did so. He brought both his sword and dagger down in an overhead swing. I used my dagger to deflect his sword while catching his other arm in my clawed hand. In our stalemate, I pushed hard enough against him to cause him to stumble backwards, losing his balance.

  I didn’t give him the chance to recover. Honor did not exist in a battle for your life. You either killed or were killed.

  I swung from above with my dagger as I swiped at his abdomen with my razor sharp talons. He stopped both of my attacks and even knocked my dagger from my grip. He stood to make another attempt on my life, but he didn’t get that far. I pushed him back right into a chirper that had just killed an imperial soldier, and the saurian took full advantage of Leonis’ distraction.

  Leonis’ eyes went wide and his body stiffened as the chirper drove a primitive dagger down into the back of his neck, severing his spine. The wound was serious enough to be fatal to even an old bloodline. We were strong, but we weren’t immortal. I spared one last glance at the knight who’d tried to kill me before wading back into the surrounding carnage with two clawed hands and a vengeance.

  As I made my way towards the remaining imperial soldiers fighting the swarm of saurians, I caught site of several brutes sporting the necklaces of leadership. They were too far away for me to get to them, but I noticed Kyla and several of the lieutenants bearing down on them. Kyla moved like the wind; wild but graceful. She could hold her own in battle. She didn’t need my help. As the last of the leading brutes died, the enemy moved to scatter.

  I dispatched several chirpers as they tried to retreat around me, but for every one of the enemy killed, five more escaped. I was making my way to the formation when everything changed. A deep drum beat started in the distance, and the retreating enemy rallied at its sound.

  The world paused for a moment in my eyes as the enemy turned around to renew their attack. The imperial soldiers who’d survived faced the fact that the battle wasn’t over with. Kyla and her fellow imperial officers who thought they’d ended the fight looked shocked and confused. My eyes met Kyla’s, and we knew the worst was coming.

  As the world sped back up, saurians flooded into the camp from the northwest. Their numbers were beyond my ability to discern. Many had primitive swords and spears of a type I had never seen.

  As I took in the horror before me, several large brutes wearing stone body armor emerged from the edge of the long grass. Each of the monsters carried a large two-handed weapon that looked to be a cross between a great sword and a saw. They didn’t charge into the fray, instead they looked to be guarding something. I tried to see what they protected, but the number of enemies that now reached me made it impossible to keep track.

  I did the only thing I could to help the soldiers before me. “Everyone retreat! If you can shift, do so. Use the long grass for cover and separate. Get to the fort, and don’t stop running until you’re there,” I yelled as I used the full strength of my aura to enforce the command. The imperial soldiers didn’t need convincing. Faced with the enemy all around them and my aura backing the command, they broke into smaller groups as they ran east, back towards the fort. They disappeared into the long grass on either side of the road as they fled. Some were in their beast forms, but most weren’t.

  Kyla and the other officers were still fighting near me as the main formation scattered. I made my way to them, carving a path of death in the never ending sea of saurians. “We have to go, we’ve lost this fight,” I yelled to Kyla and her two remaining subordinates as I reached them. Defiance flashed in her eyes for a moment but disappeared quickly. Realizing the situation, she nodded, and we all cut a path in the direction the soldiers had run.

  The enemy had attacked from all sides, but the bulk of their forces hit us from the west. That fact alone allowed any hope of escape. The saurian numbers on the eastern side of the camp were significantly less than the north and west. When the soldiers all turned in that direction, it allowed them to overwhelm the enemy and gain some distance from the horde behind them.

  “How long does your shift take?” I asked Kyla as we ran towards the long grass. The enemy still ran at us from all sides, but a plan was taking shape in my mind.

  “Fifteen seconds,” she said distractedly as she stabbed a brute attacking with a spear from her right. Her words gave me hope that my plan would work.

  “At this rate, the soldiers will not make it. We need to distract the enemy and give everyone a chance to shift. It’s the only way they can outpace the saurians,” I said as I ripped through the chest of a chirper in front of us.

  I spared a glance at Kyla as we battled the saurians around us and saw understanding in her eyes. “I’m game, if you think you can keep up,” she said with a sly smile.

  “Run ahead and yell for everyone to shift. We will buy you time,” Kyla told the officers with her. I expected them to offer to join us, but when I looked back in their direction, I noticed the panicked expressions on their faces.

  The lieutenants saluted and ran as Kyla and I slowed to a jog before stopping and turning back to face the bulk of the enemy. “We stay together just at the edge of their forces. If they wound one of us, the other carries them out at a run. No heroics,” Kyla said as we prepared to change forms.

  “Agreed. Oh, and Kyla, my shift only takes ten seconds.” I winked at her as I embraced my inner beast.

  Every time I shifted was like a new high. The power was amazing and was easier to access each time I reached for it. As I stood before the enemy horde, I glanced over towards where Kyla had been standing.

  In her place was a dusky red female wolf-kind in beast form wearing plated leather armor. She was just slightly shorter than me with a sleeker frame. Attraction and lust from my beast bombarded me in equal measure. My desire kept me staring at the female wolf-kind, even as she used her sword and dagger to dispatch saurians around us.

  The sting of pain from a saurian claw woke me from my trance, and I immediately took the creature’s life in recompense. With the spell broken, I got back to the business of wreaking havoc on the enemy. As I moved to engage those around us, I swore that I saw a smirk on the red wolf’s face.

  Chapter 20

  In true saurian fashion, they had begun their ambush shortly after midnight. Faced with overwhelming numbers, the imperial camp had collapsed almost immediately. The result was that our retreat through the long grass started in almost complete darkness while the drums continued to sound behind us.

  Kyla and I fought the enemy as we retreated for nearly two hours. The more frustrated we made them, the less likely they were to pursue the surviving soldiers. Several times, the enemy tried to encircle or charge us, and two of their attempts almost worked. Their adaptation and tactics convinced me that there was an intelligent leader somewhere amongst them. The armored guards I’d seen further reinforced my conviction on the subject.

  After we’d killed more of the primitives than I could count, they lost interest in us and stopped their pursuit. We used the opportunity to turn and run for the fort. Though we were no longer being attacked, the drums still beat in the distance.

  It didn’t take long for us to catch up with the soldiers bringing up the rear. They were a couple of shifted bear-kind, and their forms
were much larger than my own. Each of them had to weigh at least five hundred pounds and stood near a foot taller than me. They were so big that they easily saw over the long grass that covered so much of our surroundings. They periodically bent down and ran on all fours, trying their hardest to go as fast as they could. Their labored breathing and the foam at the corners of their mouths conveyed their exhaustion.

  Even though these weren’t my soldiers, I couldn’t, in good conscience, abandon them. A glance at Kyla’s face told me her same feelings on the matter. We slowed to run beside the exhausted bears. If the saurians changed their minds and pursued us, we’d be ready.

  We ran through the night. Kyla and I both used our auras to call any survivors to us as we made our way through the long grass. Imperial soldiers in every imaginable beast form started joining our group at once. Though we couldn’t communicate with speech, our auras allowed us to give orders and ensured everyone was on the same page.

  Nearly an hour before dawn, the soldiers ran out of time on their shifts. It wasn’t an exact science; no two beast-kind were the same when it came to their beast forms. As the first soldier was forced to shift back to human, the others knew their time would soon be up too. In less than an hour, we were two wolf-kind in beast form escorting a group of naked imperial soldiers through the long grass at a jog.

  Eventually, the sun appeared on the horizon in front of us and the drums ceased with the light. Kyla and I agreed that the threat was probably over and directed everyone towards the road. As we did, Kyla shifted back to her human form, and I did the same.

  Once we had fully shifted back to our human forms, I found the attraction to Kyla was still there. She stood, giving orders to her troops, with dirt and sweat smudged on her face. Blood and blades of grass were matted in her hair. She looked beautiful.

  In that moment, I was disappointed that her armor remained in place after her shift. I shook my head to clear the thoughts of what she would look like without her clothing and focused on fastening my armor clasps. We had more pressing concerns at the moment.

  The road offered a much easier path to jog and allowed a clear direction without fear of getting lost. It also provided a smoother surface for everyone to run on with their bare feet. As we broke out of the long grass, we met up with several more naked soldiers running towards the fort. They looked exhausted and beaten, but still they ran.

  After yelling for the imperial soldiers to make it to the road and radiating the command in our auras most of the day, Kyla and I agreed that we’d found all of the surviving troops. After that, only the sound of labored breathing accompanied our retreat. If we maintained the jog, we’d arrive at the fort before sundown.

  That knowledge was enough to keep the soldiers moving though they were well and truly spent. No one wanted to face another night outside of Fort Granas’ walls. The tension was such that the only words anyone spoke throughout the day were words of encouragement for those that wanted to stop running.

  The sun was just touching the horizon behind us when we reached the short grasses surrounding the fort. The moment we passed the change in terrain, it was like someone had lifted a weight off our backs. We all seemed to find a hidden reserve we hadn’t known we possessed.

  Even though we still had nearly two hours of running to go, no one complained. I watched the soldiers in the fading light as they ran, still bringing up the rear of the formation, and wondered what the saurians had planned. The walls, which were now in view, just seemed too daunting an obstacle to tackle.

  Regardless of how impressive our defenses were, I was sure we’d be their target. The question was whether they were content to wait us out. They couldn’t leave the fort behind them and invade the empire without facing a fight on two fronts.

  Sure, we were the only sizable force that wasn’t weeks away. They’d be able to ransack villages and towns, but eventually they’d face another imperial army. If we were at their backs when they did so, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

  That was what I hoped anyway. The truth was that if they got into imperial lands, we’d have a hell of a time getting them out. Saurians bred faster than any other species we knew. They laid large numbers of eggs at a time and matured quickly. The only thing that kept them in check here in the east was a lack of food and their tendency to kill one another.

  I pushed my thoughts of the saurian threat to the back of my mind as we finally made it close enough to the fort that cavalry would support us if the enemy appeared. The survivors no longer needed encouragement as they burned the last of their energy and picked up the pace. Their nakedness meant nothing to them as they approached the walls. No doubt, each one of them imagined a bed and warm food waiting at the end of their run. I was thinking much the same when Kyla spoke from her place beside me.

  “We need to discuss your return to the fort,” she said, getting right to the point. The soldiers were too busy focusing on their goal to pay attention to our conversation.

  “The princess tried to have you killed and failed. She’s not one to give up,” she continued when I didn’t respond to her first statement.

  “I’m aware and have already been warned of her control over several of the houses here on campaign. My forces are working to safeguard against them,” I said, thinking of the letter that Ferrun House had given me. I didn’t miss the surprised look on Kyla’s face at my admission. As I looked up at the fort walls, they looked more like a trap than salvation.

  After the silence between us had gone on for a little while, Kyla spoke again. This time, her voice had an unexpected vulnerability to it. “Why did you help us?” she asked, “Leonis tried to kill you, and I ignored you the entire mission. It makes little sense that you’d risk yourself to help us escape the saurians.”

  I thought about her question for a moment before answering. “The soldiers didn’t deserve to be punished because of what Leonis did. I know you’re out of favor because of me. I understand your staying away in front of everyone. I don’t care about the old rivalries; from what I’ve seen, you’re a remarkable woman,” I said with a smile on my face as I looked over at her.

  The light dimmed as twilight approached, but I still made out the blush on her cheeks and a glint in her eye. We ran in silence for a time after that. I found that it was nice just to run near Kyla, even with all we’d just experienced.

  “You’d better lead the survivors. You should also make some distance between us. We’re close enough now to be under observation again,” I reluctantly said as we neared the gates. She didn’t respond, but she moved close enough to graze me with her shoulder before speeding up and doing as I’d suggested.

  The final count as we entered the fort was one hundred and eighty imperial soldiers lost with twenty one survivors including me. The young lieutenants that had run ahead were never found, making Kyla and me the only surviving officers. The best anyone came up with was that they never made it from the ambush site. None of the surviving soldiers remembered seeing them after we gave the order to shift.

  As we entered the western gate, a colonel I didn’t recognized ordered the survivors to report to the keep as imperial sergeants handed out clothes to the naked soldiers. Kyla nodded and led the weary soldiers down the main road at a slow walk once they’d dressed. I, on the other hand, saw several of my own forces, including Tristan, standing to the side of the staging area and moved to meet them. The colonel looked like he wanted to protest, but a look from me brought him up short. The only way I’d be returning to the keep right now would be by direct summons from the princess.

  “It looks like you had an exciting time,” Tristan said in a sarcastic tone as he took in my blood covered form, bare feet and lack of weapons. He wore a sergeant’s rank; something I’d arranged before I left.

  “The mission had a big finale. The neighborhood’s pretty crowded out there, and we’ll see what’s coming soon. Also had an imperial knight try to kill me at the end of the trip. He didn’t get the chance to understand his mistake,�
� I said casually as we made our way towards our housing area.

  Everyone froze for a moment at my news of an assassination attempt but snapped out of since I was walking away without them. I hadn’t stopped my purposeful stride. Too much still remained to be done in a short amount of time.

  “Speaking of missions, how are our preparations coming?” I asked before anyone commented on my news. Tristan jogged a few steps to come in close beside me.

  “Preparations are complete, sir. No issues arose,” he said in a voice just loud enough to reach my ears.

  “And the guests of honor?” I asked at the news of his report. I noticed a vicious smile appear on his face as he answered.

  “They happily accepted our invitation. They’ve even reported as much to their handlers already. Before you ask, we’re sure. Stephan has a way with disenfranchised nobles,” he said in a smug tone. My house impressed me. I’d left quite the to-do list in my absence, and they’d only had a little under two weeks to get it all done.

  My happiness was diminished somewhat by what I had to do next. “Send someone to summon Colonel Karsam and Lathian to my office. I want them waiting on me upon our return. Have Stephan and four armed soldiers keep our guests company until I arrive,” I said in a grim tone. My orders clearly disturbed Tristan, but he nodded his head and one of my escort ran ahead to carry out my orders.

  “Congratulations on your promotion,” I said as a way to break the uncomfortable silence. We had just arrived at our housing unit and turned towards the barracks building that housed my office and quarters.

  “Thank you. Apparently, the house leader thinks highly of me,” he said with a laugh.

  “He’ll also be demanding more of you as this continues,” I said in a more serious tone as we entered the building and made our way to the conference room I’d turned into my office. He nodded silently as he opened the door for me to enter the room and followed behind me.