Chapter 1: Description of some terms and Prologue

The world: The world was almost destroyed few centuries ago by the event known as Extinction. Now from the ruins of the old-world new forces rise, striving to shape the new world according to their own desires.

Reclamation Army: The state founded by the man known as Dynast. Sometimes they are going by the name Reclaimers. For centuries he wages wars to forcingly reunite the world and eliminate all traces of Extinction from the lands by terraforming them. The state found many technological marvels in the ruins of the old world and now it is one of the strongest powers in the world today. Population of Reclamation Army is made of various people. Mutants, normies, new breeds known as wolfkins, new breeds known as orais, new breeds known as wyrms. Originally a strict tyranny, Reclamation Army currently allows and uses many democratic institutions to manage the lands of a huge state as efficiently as possible. Despite this, word of Dynast is the law even today.

Iterna: The sole country in the world that survived Extinction thanks to the massive shield that protects the lands of this state. Aiming to establish alliances with the locals and rebuild the old world by either integrating the locals into Iterna or providing the locals with the technologies needed to rise to a pre-war and higher level. Iterna using terraforming to rebuild the world exactly as it was prior to Extinction. Currently they are busy around the small city of Balach in the Ravaged Lands. Dynast gave order to leave them alone during the conquest of the rest of the region. Population of Iterna made of from mostly normies and artificial humans, descendants of sentient AI Artificer. Strongest army in the world ensures the safety of the people of Iterna, as well as some of the strongest abnormals in the world. Initially it was a constitutional monarchy, nowadays Iterna changed its government to a full democratic one. Due to the fact that Iterna was spared of the side effect of glow, abnormals are rare in their lands and the government of Iterna taking all possible steps to attract abnormals to live on their lands.

New breeds, abnormals and blessed ones: Words and terms used by Iterna, Reclamation Army, Oathtakers and others to describe those who were changed as a result of the glow, a side effect of one of many weapons that destroyed the old world. Even though their appearances can be wildly different from the normal humans, new breeds are still considered to be humans by all three major powers of the world.

Oathtakers: The weakest country of the three major countries. Unlike Reclaimers they were not lucky enough to have ancient stash of tools from the Old World. Through the hard work and persistence, they had claimed a region in the world for themselves. Despite boasting impressive military might, Oathtakers try to avoid fighting in a war of conquest. Instead, they are trying to convince other countries to join them, often using underhanded methods. Population of Oathtakers mostly made from normies, blessed ones known as trolls, blessed ones known as Insectoid Commune. Mutants are a rare sight in this country but welcomed with open arms, just like everyone else. Technically this country is union of people government by the blessed ones, all true power however lays in the hands of Lord Steward, uncrowned ruler of Oathtakers. Always starved for income to continue build their version of paradise, Oathtakers have built many gorgeous resorts for tourists from other great countries, rivaling even the ones in Iterna.

Apocalypse class: Rank given to the extremely rare cases among new breeds. Each person who bears this rank can potentially cause another Extinction in the world. The only known people in the world who were given the Apocalypse class title are Eugenia Mylli from Iterna and Outsider from Reclamation Army.

Power: Another side effect of the glow, resulting in supernatural ability or skill. Sometimes power passes from the child to the parent, but this almost always results in weaker type of power. Rare examples of the opposite are innate powers of wolfkins, wyrms and trolls, unless they have joined their blood with the blood of other tribes, power of the offspring will remain around the same level as power of the parent.

3^rd Army: Army of Wyrm Lord. This new breed is a champion and commander in Reclamation Army. Known as the weakest army out of the three armies in the state. After original commander of 3^rd Army, Ravager, defected, many people in the Third Army consider Wyrm Lord an upstart, as he never passed trial of strength.

Wolfkins: new breeds, named so because of their external resemblance to the wolves. Two major tribes of wolfkins exist, the Wolf Tribe and the Ice Fang order.

The Wolf Tribe: they claim their heritage from Ravager, first recorded abnormal in the world. A less civilized tribe out of two tribes of wolfkins. Almost all of them serve in 3^rd Army. Eighteen wolfkins are known as the warlords and they rule over smaller packs of wolfkins during wars. In peacetime, even warlords bow to shamans. Males in this tribe are weaker and smaller than females.

The Ice Fang order: A more civilized tribe of wolfkin. They claim their heritage from Twins of the north. They were originally members of the 3^rd Army, but because of constant clashes with their kin from the Wolf Tribe, ownership of the order was transferred to the 2^rd Army. Many of their number are considered heroes of Reclamation Army, because of their attempts to always aid their fellows. The Order allows its members to pursue non-military careers. Twenty noble houses and forty Elders rule them. Each noble house has two Elders on the Council. Each house is ruled by the strongest wolfkin, known as sword saint. The Council deals with most civil issues of the Ice Fang order.

Resistance: A group of various raiders, tribes and gangs of Ravaged Lands who have teamed up to refuse claims of Reclamation Army. Ruled by mysterious person known as King, main power of Resistance comes from the Bento tribe and the Soultakers tribe. The Bento tribe is known as techno barbarians, people who replace parts of their own bodies with mechanisms, aiming to leave only the brain in the end.

Organization: highly advanced group that lurks in the shadows. Their goals are unknown, yet their actions often cause tragedies across the globe.

Skinwalker: An extremely rare cause of genetic anomaly among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe. If a member of the Wolf Tribe has this anomaly and willingly pursues live of combat and domination, she will eventually end up as mad, nearly unkillable creature. Skinwalkers are considered to be divine by the shamans of the Wolf Tribe. Hostile to all.

Warlord: Highest rank among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe.

Shaman: Second highest rank among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe. Members abandon their names and only reclaim their names if they are promoted or demoted. Shamans rule over the tribe in time of peace.

Wolf hag: third highest rank among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe.

Scout: one of the lowest ranks among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe.

Warrior: lowest rank among the wolfkins of the Wolf Tribe. Below them only cubs and males.

Sword saint: Highest honorably and military title of the wolfkins of the Ice Fang order. Only those who excel in both close and ranged combat can claim it. Sword Saints rule noble houses of the order.

Knight captain: High military rank among the wolfkins of the Ice Fang order.

 

Prologue:

 

“Please be still, daughter.” Gregor jokingly pulled his daughter by her long ear.

“I am standing still!” fiercely argued Aranea. “It is you who are messes up with me!”

Kalaisa only smiled at this argument. To the outsider eye they could be seen as strange couple. Kalaisa was once of the Wolf Tribe, tribe of the wolfkins people from Ravaged Lands. Her large black furred form dwarfed even figure of her husband, standing head and shoulders above him. Her amber eyes glowed brightly like a pair of flashlights, sign of her former rank as warlord. Her snout was long, her thick black fur was capable to stop even bullets. Right now, her fur was clean, carefully combed and shone in the soft lighting of the room. She was wearing a simple black dress and a silver necklace, with symbol of the Wintersong family, around her neck.

Gregor was a wolfkin of the Ice Fang order, order of warriors that came from distant north. His order served under his excellency Wyrm Lord for a long while, before constant clashes between the two tribes of wolfkins forced Wyrm Lord to hand over ownership of the Ice Fang order to his excellency Devourer. In the lands of Devourer, the Ice Fang order has become an influential organization, responsible for restoration efforts in the lands and for guarding border lands from roaming bands of bandits and raiders. In recent years less and less of bandits dared to try and attack these lands, thus many members of the Ice Fang order were leaving the military, trying themselves in other jobs. Gregor was a tall wolfkin, his fur was of snow-white color. He was wearing white and blue colored ceremonial clothes of the noble member of the Wintersong family, long sword in golden sheath was on his belt. Ten years ago, Gregor made a pilgrimage to the lands of the far north, homeland of the Ice Fang order. Upon returning he was accepted into Wintersong family and reached title of knight captain in the order. Gold rings were woven into the fur of his lower jaw, silver necklace, identical to the one of that his wife had, shine brightly around his neck. His eyes were of crimson color, not glowing with inner flame like eyes of his wife, yet still very visible red orbs.

Aranea Wintersong, daughter of Kalaisa and Gregor Wintersong, stood between her parents, clothed in a blue dress. Four weeks ago, her family celebrated her third birthday. Wolfkins of the Ice Fang order were still small at this age and could barely talk. Yet Aranea had blood of her mother in her, the color of her fur was that of the night color. Aranea was already reaching up to her father's waist and was growing taller and bigger with each passing day. Unlike cousins of the Ice Fang order of similar age, Aranea already could talk like a grown up and could even read books. The Wolf Tribe members grew up at a vastly different rate than their cousins. One eye of Aranea was of yellow color, while another one was of color of crimson, sign of her father’s bloodline. The fur around the red eye was slightly pale, as if reminding the young cub that she was a kid of both worlds.

The family stood in front of the painter, one of wolfkins from the Ice Fang order who decided not to join the military. The man was busy creating their portrait, copies of this portrait will later be inserted into three medallions that Gregor ordered for each member of the family, to remember that moment of time. The family stood still for nearly an hour and soon Gregor began to have fun teasing his daughter.

Aranea hated when her father tricked her into making a fool of herself.

“Please, just a few moments more!” Painter was almost begging, as Aranea turned to jump at her father. “I am almost finished!”

“Oh!” The girl quickly turned around, becoming still like a statue once again. “My apologies, sir.”

Aranea could hear her parents whispering to each other.

“Stop teasing her, dear.” Kalaisa smiled.

“But it’s so cute when she loses her temper,” Gregor joked, “I will be leaving for a whole month, so I want to tease her all I can now.”

“Dad, you can always call me over the terminal.” Aranea whispered carelessly.

“Ah, but this is just not the same thing,” Painter showed up big finger of his paw and Gregor cracked his muscles, spreading his shoulders wide. Ignoring protests of his daughter he grabbed her and put her on his left shoulder, “I will not be seeing you in the long time, little one, so today I will be treating you with anything you want. What do you want? Candies, meat, honey perhaps? Or how about these strange vegetable dishes from Oathtakers that have recently appeared on the market? Or how about we take for a ride around the city?” The family left the room, moving toward the vast hall that led to inner chambers of the New Dawn fortress. The walls of the hall were decorated with paintings, the floors were covered with rich carpets. The Ice Fang order was not a poor group, over the years they accumulated quite a wealth within Reclamation Army. Wolfkins of the Ice Fang order were closely involved in the construction new cities, inspiring population, healing sick and wounded. Always striving to excellence, the Ice Fang order was ever growing force within the state.

“Dad, stop embarrassing me! I can walk just fine.” Aranea tried to break free, but Gregor held her with ease.

“Nope. Let еру entire world laugh if they want to, what do we care?” Wintersong dismissively waved his paw. “Your childhood is a fleeting thing and let the Spirits damn me, if I allow you to waste your youth in attempts to act like a grown up.”

“Well, then I want to learn how to fight properly.” Aranea said stubbornly. “Other cubs train all day in the sword halls, why can’t I join them?”

“Honey, you are still a bit too young for this.” Kalaisa smiled and pat her on Aranea’s head gently. “And besides, there are so much more in the world aside from fighting. You can become an artist or an engineer. Just imagine, with your own paws you can create paintings as beautiful as these.” She pointed at the walls. One of painting depicted Twins and Ravager, standing side by side in rare moment of peace. Painter had to create this piece of art from the photo, for Ravager simply could not stand in the presence of Twins for long without trying to dominate them. Desire to be the strongest was in the very blood of Ravager. Twins were dressed in doublet of pristine white color and trousers of the same color. The man had longbow behind his back, the woman had a long sword on her hip. Ravager meanwhile was without any clothes, her fur was of color of the utter void, the only weapons that the blessed mother has ever needed, her trusted claws, were hidden deep inside her fingers. Both Twins had a smile on their snouts, Ravager looked unhappy and out of place on the picture, “Or create technological marvels of this world. You can learn how to heal people…”

“Boring!” Aranea refused the idea, “I can fight with wooden swords just as good as Keyl can. Every time we spar, he always ends up in the mud. Mom, I've heard what others have said about you. You were a warlord, greatest of the great, fighter with no equals! I want to be like you, I want to even surpass you one day! Crush the enemies of the Dynast, restore the world to humanity!” Aranea allowed her claws to slid out of her fingers and pointed them at the imaginary enemies, imaging how she shreds them.

“There were plenty of people who were stronger than me. Even today, there are plenty of people who can crush me into dust without looking.” Kalaisa said softly, “Dear, you have no idea what fighting really is and, if Spirits wills it, will never know hopefully. To feel the pulsating feeling in your blood, to see the crushed forms of foes before… To lose dear friends, again and again… No, I will never let you choose this path.” Kalaisa shook her head, “I became much happier when I left the war behind and began my new carrier as a doctor.”

“But why!” The girl shouted angrily. “Battles still rage on in the world! Father leaving us to fight. Everyone knows that there is a danger or two out there, each day our people risk their lives to tame wilderness. Just because you choose to hide and…”

“Your mother is not a coward.” Gregor dropped on one knee and lower his shoulder to look in the eyes of his daughter, “She has a… condition. She can’t fight anymore, or bad thing will happen to her. And yet she saves lives even now.” Aranea knew what father meant. Mother often left home to work at hospital. When there was a shortage of doctors in the neighboring city, Kalaisa left for two whole months to work there.

“This is exactly why I need to become warrior!” Girl furiously snarled back, “I need to pick up the slack. What if someone tries to hurt mom, while you are away? I need to become stronger to protect our home, to…”

“Protect our home?” The knight captain laughed, standing up. “From whom? Dear, you are in one of safest places in this world! Relax and have fun, no one will ever dare to touch you here.”

Aranea folded her hands on the chest stubbornly. No one sing songs about doctors. No one sing songs about engineers. No one builds a status in honor of the workers. Artists themselves were creating statues of generals, captains and great warriors. She wanted to become legendary warrior like her mother.

“And one day I will.” She decided. Her eyes will glow with the same light as eyes of her mother. Foes will tremble from her name. She will become someone who will inspire others. Someone who protects the weak.

****

It was deep night when the family returned home. Gregor insisted on taking his daughter to the circus, then to the art exhibition and even dragged entire family all the way to the nearby lake for fishing. The catastrophes that occurred several centuries ago left the world in ruins. Yet the Reclamation Army, through constant struggle, managed to force nature to obey the will of the state. Where once was nothing but sand and death, now there were fields, teeming with life. Where drought was, now there were rivers. Will of the Dynast and ancient technology helped reshape the ruined world, reanimating it back to life.

Kalaisa and her husband lived on the middle level of the fortress, a few dozen meters above ground level. Many representatives of noble families lived here, entire street was filled with homes were made for them, artificial lights above and around the street created an image of the sun, sun that becomes an orb of darkness in the evening and slowly lighting up at dawn. Kalaisa saved enough tokens to buy a small two-story tall house, otherwise they would have been still forced to live in the Wintersong’s main keep. Fortress of the Ice Fang had twenty keeps inside, one for each noble family. As wolfkins grow up, they were end up being adopted into one of the noble family, unless they were already member of one of them. Aranea remembered the Wintersong keep fondly, yet her mother insisted that so many warriors around her had bad influence on Aranea. Father asked Aranea to go to her room and girl stormed to the second floor, while her parents were left on first floor. Once inside, she fell to her knees, pressing her ear to the floor. Her hearing was far stronger than either her dad or her mom had any idea and sometimes she used this ability to spy on them.

“You think she is angry with my decision?” Kalaisa asked and Aranea wanted to run down and scream that her mother was wrong. But this would mean revealing her secret. She will make up for this by cleaning her room. Someday. Maybe.

“Of course not, but she is going through a phase. When I was young, I always argued with my parents.” Gregor laughed in response and Aranea heard the sound of a knife cutting through meat. Her father was making some snack, “Remember yourself in her age.”

“In her age I was busy bullying and dominating others.” Kalaisa said so silently that Aranea barely heard her, “I do not really want to remember this part of my life.”

Aranea heard noise and understood that her parents sat at the table. She heard the sound of a chair being moved, that was probably meant that her father was moving closer to the mom.

“You can’t just take and cut off part of your life. Your choices, all of them, made you into who you are today.” Gregor softly said, “The nightmare is over Kalaisa, the dawn has come. You have to accept who you are, all of you, and move on. For her sake too. She has the right to make her own choices.”

“I am still against her going to training. What if… what if she ends up like me?” Kalaisa whispered.

“You mean she ends to be a wonderful person who cares for her fellow people? Wonderful wife and caring mother? Truly, a horror.” Gregor tried to make a joke.

“No!” Kalaisa raised her voice. “You know what I mean.”

“That too will be because of her choice, and if the worst happens one day, we will get through it. As a family. But we have no right to lock her from the future, just because we are afraid. This will only lead to resentment, to rage and…”

“Eventually to anger.” Kalaisa finished for him. Aranea heard some noise and her mother continued. “Just the mere thought of losing her like… No point of thinking about. You are right. Time to accept and move on. I will call Ygrite tonight and apologize for what I did… before. I heard that with me leaving, she became a warlord once again,” Kalaisa let out a sigh, sounding worried all of the sudden, “You really think that he is involved in all of this?”

“I know that he has something to do with it,” In serious voices responded Gregor. “I just not sure in how much. I pray, for all our sakes, that my doubts will be false, but if I am right…” he swallowed. “Maybe I should go to the spies of the Dynast and tell them what I know. But I owe him enough to try and reason with him. Thrice he saved my life. Stay safe please. While you are in the fortress, no one can hurt you.”

“This will be just one month,” Kalaisa responded, “Everything will be fine. Get to the bottom of this and come back.”

“I will,” Aranea heard how her father stood up, moving toward the stairs to the second floor. She quickly jumped in her bed and pretended to sleep, as he knocked on her door, “Come in.” She responded in fake sleepy voice.

Gregor walked through her room, clicking his tongue disapprovingly at the sight of toys lying around everywhere. He came toward the bed and sit near his daughter.

“Sorry for leaving you like this, furball.”

“It just a month,” Aranea smiled, “But… I'm going to miss you. Call, at least sometimes.”

He smiled and kissed her in the forehead.

“I will. And when I get back, I will try to persuade Kalaisa to allow you to go to training.”

“Really, really?” Aranea jumped and her father gently made her lie down. “No lying?”

“No cheating, no lying and no weaseling out. But you got to promise me something as well. Listen to your mom, do not run into the lower city without her and clean your room finally.”

“I promise!” Aranea shouted and Gregor left the room, with a smile on his snout.

****

Aranea woke up late the next morning, light of the artificial sun was already visible through the window. Her father went on a mission and the first thing the young cub did in the morning was to clean her room. She put all her toys back into a box, then she put the books back on the shelves. She put an ear to the floor and understood that her mom was still asleep. She carefully went up to the first floor, filled a bucket with water, took a broom and a rag, and then cleaned her entire room. This was usually her mother job, but Aranea felt that she owed that much for her yesterday’s behavior. Besides, she had nothing else to do at the moment. Just as she was finishing her job, her mother came to the room.

“That… is unexpected,” Kalaisa said, looking at suspiciously clean room, “What happened? If you broke something, you can tell me, I won’t be mad.”

“I just wanted to help,” Aranea mumbled stubbornly, annoyed that she was caught, “Besides, it’s boring here. Keyl and the others are still at school, and I have nothing to do.”

“Honey, I am sorry,” The mother came closer and hugged her daughter, “I know that it seems unfair, but we truly tried to get you into school. But they only accept children of the age of nine and higher.”

“I know. Stupid law,” Aranea clenched her teeth, “Keyl told me about this law. He teases me constantly that I will be the biggest student in the class. It sucks.”

“I will talk with his parents…” Kalaisa started to speak, but Aranea almost jumped in panic, grabbing her mother by the waist.

“Don’t you dare! It’s bad enough that he always loses to me. If I snitch on him, he will stop talking to me altogether,” Aranea desperately looked in the eyes of her mom, “He is not bad, mom, he is training all the time and he was the one who introduced me to the other cubs. We just mock each other from time to time, it’s no biggie.”

“Loses,” Kalaisa said this word in a somber tone, “I assume that you do not mean in games,” Aranea wanted to lie but knew that her mother will know. Instead, she stubbornly looked at the floor. Kalaisa took her daughter by the lower jaw, making young cub to look in her mother’s eyes “So those bruises weren't from the fall then, am I right?”

“Mom, this was just a game!” Aranea protested. Bruises and scratches on her always healed up near instantly. But a few days ago, when she fought against Keyl with a wooden sword she stumbled and slammed her nose straight into the stone wall. Sharp stone sliced the skin on her snout. Keyl was afraid and wanted to call a healer, but Aranea convinced him to just stitch the wound together, the way teacher showed him in the class. Young boy knew enough about medicine to do this and in a few hours wound was gone, leaving only a few bruises that her mother noticed later. It took Aranea quite the efforts to convince Keyl to train with her afterwards, stubborn boy was afraid to hurt her. As if he could! “Besides, it was technically a fall damage! Keyl is too slow to touch me anymore!” She boasted.

“Too slow,” Something akin to fear moved in the eyes of Kalaisa. He led her daughter to the bed and made her sit, lowering on both knees, “I… I need to tell you something. You know the meaning behind the terms “new breed” and “power”, right?”

“Of course!” Aranea eagerly nodded, “We are new breeds. Humans, who look different from humans. Power is that supernatural ability that someone sometimes have.”

“Yes. And…” Kalaisa took deep breath, “Point is, you know how cubs of the Wolf Tribe grow so much faster than cubs of the Ice Fang order? That is because we, all who come from the Wolf Tribe, have passive power. Power, known as “Descendant of Ravager”.” Kalaisa stopped, looking at her paws.

“What does it do?” Aranea asked impatiently. Power, she have power? That’s awesome!

“Each time you dominate… winning against other being, someone who is close to you in strength or stronger than you, you yourself get stronger. And not just physically. Your size increases ever so slightly. You begin to heal faster, to run faster. You also start to… think differently, it becomes easier to notice certain things or to react to certain things,” Kalaisa fell silent again, tapping on her own jaw and lost in thoughts. “You played with a lot of cubs, am I correct? It was not just Keyl?”

“How do you… Yes,” Aranea looked at the floor, “Keyl once let his mouth run to others how he always loses to me and ask them to train him. Oh, they agree. But the other cubs also showed up to watch our next training. After Keyl lost, they even challenged me,” Her eyes beamed, “And I won! Unlike me, they train all day long. Yet I was faster, stronger than them! Who cares what kind of techniques or styles they use, if they are too slow or weak to pull it off? Anyway, long story short, they bought me ice cream as a prize, and since then we have only played football. Most of the time. But from time to time some of older students show up and challenge me, to a “honorably duel” as they say,” Aranea giggled. “I lose some, I win some. No one gets hurt, honest!”

“Aranea,” Kalaisa took her daughter by the shoulders, “I do not approve this, but neither I am angry at you. Do not let the thirst for winning to get into your head. And never fight because you are angry at something or someone. Because if you do…” Kalaisa stopped, as if trying to find words, “I do not think that you share my personal power. I would have noticed your strange growth way sooner otherwise. But you clearly have something inside of you. Power in you may be weaker, but it is still there. And if you walk too far toward thirst for dominat… winning,” Kalaisa corrected herself, “You may end up in similar situation to mine.”

“I do not understand mom. What do you mean? Look at you!” Aranea pointed at the trunks like arms of her mother. Despite her enormous size, Kalaisa walked as silently as a cat. Who would not want to become a person like that?

“I won too much and tried too hard and now Spirit of Rage stand just behind my shoulder,” Kalaisa smiled upon seeing her daughter's confused face, “I will explain it to you one day,” She promised, “Just not today. Anyway, while you father is away, you must stay in the fortress for a while. No sneaking outside, not even just for a quick glance You and I have to stay here until Gregor gets back.”

“But all my friends are outside! Keyl and the others all go…” Aranea tried to reason with her mother, but Kalaisa was adamant.

“I am sure that they will wait for a single month. If you want to, I can invite them here, for a dinner.”

“NO! Just no! If Keyl ever learns that I told adult about him losing to me… He will hate me!” Aranea screamed in panic. Friends don’t snitch on each other, this was her rule, “And then I will have no one to play with and he will feel hurt!”

“If he truly is your friend, he will…” Kalaisa started talking, but Aranea howled in gesture of begging, falling on her knees and Kalaisa relented, “Fine. But no going outside. At least not without me.”

Aranea promised her mother that she will be good and that she will obey. She even intended to keep this promise. Just not today. Because her pride was on the line. Today was supposed to be a big game and she promised to be there.

This night she sneaked out of the house, when her mother was still asleep. It was dark outside, aside from a light from a few lamp posts, but Aranea walked across the street without fear. Who in their right mind would dare to cause ruckus in this place? Ice Fangs were the heroes, ones who always were ready to help anyone. Their city was part of the Core Lands, a place that had actual free healthcare available for every citizen of the state. People from all around the state were coming here due to how professional doctors were around here. And the sword saints! Legendary heroes of the Ice Fang order, only one of them was currently in the fortress, yet for any villain that would dare to sneak in here this was one sword saint too many.

Guards, two regal looking wolfkins geared in blue power armor made in the image of a knight let Aranea go to the city. They advised to the young cub to stay at the roads, just for safety case. Aranea eagerly nodded and ran the elevators. She heard knight’s instructions countless times by now and today was nothing new. Sometimes she even wondered if they actually knew why she was sneaking out. For today Aranea dressed herself in black pants and a brown jacket. When elevators reached the ground levels, she left the keep.

Fortress of the Ice Fang order loomed over the city like an eternal guardian. Made in the shape of the cube, walls were made of reinforced stone and steel. According to her father, countless weapons were hidden within the walls, ready to be unleashed in times of need, but Aranea herself never saw them. The city was built around the fortress, countless homes in which normies, normal looking humans, lived. Right now, there were but a few people on the streets as everyone were going up to sleep. This suited Aranea just fine. She turned left from the gates of the fortress, moved down on the road through the city and passed through the slums, the poorest district in the city. Then she came from the slums and walked toward abandoned site where factories once were. No longer the Ice Fang order needed these outdated factories that polluted the air. Thanks to technology that Wyrm Lord brought via trading with Iterna, new factories were clean and safe for the surrounding area. Or at least this was what Aranea’s father told her. Smiling, Aranea lifted her paw to the skies, “grabbing” distant orb of the moon with her palm. There was so much new to see and learn in the world!

Pretty soon Aranea came across a small group of white furred wolfkin cubs. The elders of the Ice Fang order did not like when Aranea bothered older cubs, as Elders considered Aranea to be too young. Thus everyone had to meet in secret.

“What took you so long!” Asked one of the cubs. Wide eyed Keyl, wolfkin of Ice Fang grabbed Aranea into a hug. He was older than the girl by five years and tried his best to impress her with his physical prowess, yet no matter how much the boy tried, they were just built differently. Even now Aranea was bigger and stronger than him, she barely felt his hug. Boy carried two wooded swords behind his back.

“So, uhm… about that last time,” Keyl grabbed his head, “I understand if you will not want to fight me again…”

“Dummy!” Aranea laughed, hitting him across the head jokingly with her paw, “It was just a bruise! Who cares about it?”

“Oh…” The boy said, visibly relieved, He lowered on one knee and offered her a sword, as if he was some kind of knight, “Then, lady Aranea Wintersong, will you please accept this humble challenge of mine on this beautiful night?”

“Keyl, we want to play,” One of the girls nearby said, throwing black and white soccer ball in the air and catching ball on her leg, “You will just lose again. Get over it and stop bothering Ari. We all lose sometimes.”

Football was something of new thing in the Ice Fang order. Keyl saw it on TV, on one of the recorded programs that people brought back from Iterna. He showed it to Aranea and together they created small stadium in an abandoned factory. Instead of proper gates, they used steel pipes, instead of nets, they used ropes. Surprisingly, it was easy enough to buy a soccer ball on a market, although Keyl had to spend his entire savings from recent birthday on this toy. Eventually other kids joined the duo. Original soccer ball was long gone, but now that their group was slowly growing in numbers it was far easier to buy new one.

“I am gladly accepting this challenge, good sir!” Aranea boastfully grabbed wooden sword with her right paw and jumped few steps back. She took no stance. She never used any stance in combat. Keyl showed her some tricks of course, but against him she saw no reason to be careful.

Keyl stood up, taking the wooden sword with both hands and raising it to the level of his head, tip of the wooden sword was looking directly at Aranea. Both hands of the boy held sword hilt with deadly grip, he moved sword slightly to the right of his head. And then he made a thrust. Aranea blinked in surprise, usually Keyl always sticked to the slashing hits. But this was a “piercing” motion, he was wielding his weapon like a spear. In a single lunge he covered most of the distance, his left hand moved away from sword hilt, his right hand moved back, holding the sword only at the lower part of the hilt with three fingers and pushing his weapon forward. Aranea was nearly caught off guard by this motion, she was expecting him to close distance with a few steps, not in a single lunge. She leaned her body to the right, evading blade of the wooded sword. It moved past her chest… And then Keyl grabbed his weapon with full grip of his right paw and made a slash to the right. It was done perfectly, she admitted this. She never saw such movement from him before. She should have been hit.

Yet he was just so slow! Aranea let herself almost fall back, Keyl’s sword flew above her head. In this same instance as she fell, she struck forward with her own weapon. Using her own wooded sword like a needle, she hit boy in the wrist and Keyl hissed in annoyance. Aranea arrested her own fall by pressing muscles of her legs, her hair barely touched the ground.

“Touch! Ani wins again!” The wolfkin girl with soccer ball on her leg laughed and clapped her paws in congratulations.

“Damn it all!” in frustration screamed Keyl, helping Aranea stand up before she could fall and hit herself on the stones. He ensured that she was standing and broke his weapon on the knee, “I train and train and this is the result?”

“Don’t you worry, Keyli boy!” Aranea jokingly pat him on the head with her paw, “One day you will beat me up…”

 “If only I too had blood of a barbarian in me!” Keyl threw broken remains of his weapon away.

“What?” Aranea asked in confusion. Barbarian? What could he mean?

“If only I had the same blood as you!” Keyl threw his arms up, visibly angered. Aranea half felt bad for him. He really trained hard all day long. But it wasn’t her fault that she was strong, right? “Or if you never had this accursed tainted blood in you! Then I would have never lost to you! Damn it, the savage legacy of your mother is just too much for me to overcome! This is the only reason why…”

“My mother is not a savage!” Aranea screamed, pushing him back. Keyl fell on his ass, blinking in surprise. Aranea blinked, helping him to stand up, unsure that has come upon her, “Sorry, but my mom is! She is… she is caring, she is not cursed… she is a doctor!” Aranea felt tears running across her eyes. Was this what he always thought about her? That she was a savage girl? Someone with a cursed blood?

“Not cool, Keyl.” One of wolfkin boys said, “I never won against Ari myself either and yet you don’t see me raving like a madman about it.” Wolfkin girl threw soccer ball away and moved to hug Aranea, yet the girl pushed her away, stepping backwards.

“I… I do not feel like playing today, sorry everyone.” Aranea mumbled, ashamed of her behavior. Crying like a stupid fool, she will never live this one down.

“Ari…” Keyl stood up on his knees, “Please, I never intended… I do not know what came onto me, I am sorry, so sor…”

Aranea could not listen to him anymore. She turned around and run. She could hear how Keyl, and few others tried to catch up with her, but she was far faster than them. She run into a building, almost leaped to the second floor across the broken stairs, jumped out of the window on the second floor, softly landed on her legs and run across the bushes to the slums.

“Cursed blood,” She mumbled to herself angrily as she reached the slums. “I’ll show you cursed blood. My mother is not cursed, she just… no longer a warrior, that’s it!” Aranea wiped tears from her eyes. She was unsure what caused such reaction in her. Cubs always teased each other, Aranea teased Keyl as well and he teased her right back… so why does she feel so hurt right now?

“I am stupid. There was no harm,” She decided. She will apologize to Keyl tomorrow. Poor idiot probably blames himself right now, “Maybe I should buy him something? But where will I take tokens?”

She stopped near a small stone bridge in the slums as she heard a whining sound underneath it. It was low sound of someone who suffers great pain and yet tries the best not to let out pain into the world. Without thinking, Aranea jumped off the bridge on the ground beneath. A small river run under the bridge, water was clean and reflected light of the moon in the skies. Something… no someone was lying in the dark. Enormously big body, pale, almost white skin without any fur. Countless scars and cuts covered the mishappen body, some of the cuts were oozing blood, blood produced strange hissing upon hitting the ground, as if weak acid run in the veins of this strange being. Small, fat looking tail was coming from the back of the person, almost from the middle of the back. Strange looking, three fingered clawed hands grasped head of the being, covering short ears. Creature had a single blue eye and a single white eye, tears were running from them. Shape of the skull resemble that of a wolfkin, but creature was so much bigger! And rest of its body was so… weird.

“Are… are you alright mister?” Aranea asked as creature whined again. She was unsure if this was a man, just made assumption based on the sound of whining, “Do you need me to call someone help?”

Creature looked at her and unspeakable fear appeared in his eyes. Long slash in form of halfmoon was under his left eye. Removing arms from his head, he whispered:

“Run. For the sake of everything, just run before he comes back….”

Aranea wanted to ask who “he” was but suddenly she felt a prick in the back of her neck. She wanted to jump but her body refuse to obey. Her entire body became that of a statue. Numbness run down her limbs.

“Who comes back? Me?” Male voice behind Aranea asked cheerfully and creature grasped his head, whimpering in terror. “Grug, mind to introduce me to your new friend?”

“I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry…” Creature mumbled over and over again, trying not to look at the person behind Aranea.

Something slithered on the ground. Eyes of Aranea widened as she saw long metallic tendril moving on the ground. Thing reached Grug and thin blade appeared out of the tendril, slicing through flesh of the beast on his skin and burrowing underneath his skin, causing Grug to cry out in pain as his skin was peeled away.

“I asked a question, pet,” Voice said in annoyance this time, “Your power does not allow me to easily get information from your thick skull, so speak up.”

“I just saw her. She is just a child, please let her go, please, please…” Grug made no attempt to defend himself, while tendril was busy opening his arm now. He only whimpered once more, continuing to plead the strange person behind Aranea.

“Well, let us look at her,” Someone grabbed Aranea by her shoulder and made her look up. Smiling face of a normie appeared above her. He was black haired, a sand-colored cloak was over his shoulders, underneath was visible, crimson-colored shirt. The whites of his eyes were pitch black, while thepupils gleamed with green, “Lookie here! A half-breed! You must be this Aranea girl I heard so much about. Such curious eyes indeed,” Another mechanical tendril appeared above the head of the man, “Can’t wait to see how you will react when I will take them out.”

Take them out? Aranea thought in horror. This has to be the joke, right? She tried to move and yet all she could do was look, look at this smiling face before her.

“Hands off, Academician,” Said lazy voice of someone, “You already got what you wanted to. This cub is mine, I have a need for her.”

You are reading story Duty, empty dreams and trying not to become a monster. at novel35.com

“Oh, come on Tilden!” Academician turned away from Aranea, looking back at someone. “It just one more kid. You already gave me six tonight, let me take seven back to the lab. You no longer even need her, the fool will charge in the trap on his own now…”

“I need her to deal with her bitch of the mother,” Voice yawned, “Deaths of my dear allies will be in vain, if Kalaisa gets her paws on me. I just want to ensure that their noble sacrifice won’t be in vain, don’t you want the same? So kindly fuck off, before we make you. I am taking her with me.”

“Make me?” Academician whispered, as if in disbelieve. One more mechanical tendril rose in the air and with horror Aranea saw several cubs, children of the Ice Fang order, sleeping in a glass cage currently held by tendril. Carelessly tentacle threw cage away for someone to catch, “Am I sensing an iota of threat here, friend?” Voice changed, unmistakable aggression was in the previously cheerful voice of the strange man.

“Sir, we really are ought to leave.” Woman’s voice said. She sounded tired, as if dealing with a petulant child, “You got what you wanted, Tilden will get what he wants and hopefully we all can continue our productive cooperation…”

“Be silent please, dear,” Academician told unknown woman and looked down at Aranea, “Sorry, but I will have to leave you as a human. But do not worry, I will give you a nudge toward ascension,” He lifted the girl and whispered into her ear, “Everything what will happen to your family from this moment onward is your and only your fault. It only happens because you are weak. Live with it.” He threw Aranea in the air like a doll.

Her body was spinning in the air when someone caught her by the neck. White furred wolfkin of the Ice Fang order was holding her by the neck. On his neck he carried long golden chain, he was dressed in a blue-colored power armor. His helmet was missing, revealing boring-looking face with a single scar over his left eye. With one paw he held Aranea, his other paw was pointing a wrist gun at Academician. Several other wolfkins were standing behind him, their paws are on the hilts of their swords.

“Thank you for cooperation, Academician. Death of my dear comrades now won’t be in vain.” Wolfkin smiled arrogantly.

Academician, man in cloak of sand color was standing before the wolfkin. Several mechanical tendrils were visible from underneath his cloak, one was currently slicing open back of the Grug, causing large being to cry from pain. Green haired young woman in strict green clothes was standing next to the man, holding the glass cage with sleeping cubs in her arms.

“Well, if this is it, we will leave now,” Academician smiled thinly, and a large black oval opened in the air behind Grug with a soft hiss. After a second, Aranea could see a large white room inside, filled with light and medical equipment. “Word of advice. Don’t lose your head, Tilden, you are not half as smart as you think you are.” Academician chuckled, turning around and coming through portal with Grug and the woman.

“Sack of shit.” Tilden said calmly as portal was closed behind strange people. He threw Aranea’s body lightly up and then she felt hit on the back of her neck. Everything became black afterwards.

****

Aranea woke up on a stone floor. Her head was spinning, and she fell pain in the back of her head. She tried to stand, yet her legs gave in.

“She is finally waking up.” Familiar voice said nearby.

“Finally. Tilden, it was too dangerous. How did she end up with him in the first place? Can you even imagine what would have happened if he…” In a worried voice said unknown voice.

“Relax, elder. Everything is within my calculations. The fool moves exactly as I planned. You just sing the song that I wrote for you and the old farts will move exactly as I planned. Thanks to Academician, they are in panic now and panic makes people do stupid things.” Tilden said in a smug voice and Aranea heard how someone was walking away.

She finally lifted her head and saw an iron bars before herself. She was in a small cell, food and water were standing next to her. On the other side of the iron bars stood smiling Tilden.

“Wakey, wakey, moron,” He laughed, “Your bastard of a father sure gave me troubles. I even regret saving him on that day.”

“You… you saved my dad?” Aranea asked with barely a whisper. It took quite the effort on her part just to speak.

“Yep. But don’t blame me, I was young and idealistic back then. Now however, we have to get rid of him. And for this I am forced to sacrifice my dear friends,” Tilden wiped fake tear from his crimson eye, “Tragedy, really. But this all his fault. If he just stopped looking into my business, none of this would have happened.”

“Sacrifice your friends? But… this is insanity!” Aranea finally returned control over her voice and screamed at the man, “And what will you do to my father!? And… what were you doing with the cubs! They have parents who will be worried, give them back!”

“To answer your questions in an order,” Tilden continued speaking with bored expression on his snout, “In order to obtain power, true power I mean, you have to sacrifice someone from time to time. Tragic, yes, but for me it is the only way to rise in ranks. And rise I must for I have great many things that I want to change in our order. And for this I need authority. I am not strong enough to rise naturally, so I need to “grease” things up. For this I needed funds. And your pappy dared to try and stop my ascension. As for your second question,” He smiled. “Next time we will see each other, your daddy will be dead and dishonored, because my new allies will wipe out someone and he will be made to take the fall. And can you guess what will happen next?” He stepped away from the cell, laughing, before stopping as if remembering something, “Oh, and as for cubs… Eh, kids die all the time in the world. This time their lives are the coin that will ensure demise of your pappy.” Tilden left laughing like a maniac.

“You lie!” Aranea slammed her whole body into the iron bars but could not even move them from their place. In panic she stepped back, looking around cell. Nothing. Stone walls, stone walls and nothing but walls.

The light went out in the corridor, leaving only her cell the only place with tiniest amount of light.

“He is lying,” Aranea said to herself. Her father was not a fool. He was not! She licked her lips, “Mom!” that person also spoke about dealing with her mother. What did he mean by that? Oh Spirits, what if she wakes up and finds that Aranea was gone? She's going to be terribly worried! What if Keyl tries to find Aranea and could not find her!

She clutched her head in horror and fear. She really ruined everything this time. Aranea waited and waited yet no one came for her. Eventually, she ate the food after hunger was getting to her. Then she sat on the floor, feeling how despair was washing over her. Her paws trembled, she felt as if something terrible was about to happen. She cared not for herself, but what if this Tilden hurts her family? He knew her father and he wore the military armor, does this meant that he was part of the order? But Ice Fangs were heroes! How could any of them do this? Eventually, the girl fell asleep and when she woke up, new food was in her cell.

What seems like days passed, yet no one was coming. No matter how she tried, she could not notice how food appeared. Each time when Aranea went to sleep, food and water were renewed.

Then, one day, her wait was over. She heard loud footsteps and whistling. Tilden was coming back, a small bag with something ringing inside was on his belt. He came up to the steel bars and snapped his fingers and the steel bars moved into the floor. Just like before he was in full armor and without helmet.

“Hello there, little killer!” He smiled, showing fangs. “Your daddy is gone. Time to meet your mom and finish it.”

“You lie!” Aranea shouted, stepping back to the walls, as Tilden came inside cell. Yet despite her words she felt sudden emptiness in her chest. As if something important, something that can never be replaces was torn out, leaving empty hole inside.

“Why would I? I am actually quite happy and honest right now. But anyway, believe whatever delusions you want, half of your family are gone,” His smiled widened, “Time to deal with the other half.” He grabbed Aranea by her neck, dragging her out of the cell.

She tried to scream, but he nearly choked her out. She let out her claws, but they only scratch helplessly across his armor, as he dragged her after himself. Tilden dragged her across the corridors, sometimes going up the stairs and sometimes going down. Finally, they came before large steel doors. Aranea felt how Tilden pricked her in the back with something and then he dropped her in corridor, right before the doors. This was a brightly lit place, walls, ceiling and floor all were made of steel.

“What…” Aranea asked, her thoughts becoming confused for a moment. “What did you do…”

“Kids should act like kids. We don’t want you to complicate the message, right? Worry not, it only temporary. I want you to be fully conscious when end comes. Miss Kalaisa!” Tilden said, slightly raising his voice. “I have something of yours! Come out and play!”

Loud noise came from above the ceiling, as if someone was running above. Sounds of movement now were accompanied with loud sound of the tearing metal, someone was coming closer by the moment. Then it stopped. Tilden took the bag from his waist in his left hand, his smirking face was changed into mask of concentration. Crack appeared on the metal ceiling, further down the corridor. Tilden licked his lips and the metal cracked. Black form crashed through the cracks, landing on two feet. Kalaisa Wintersong, stood up in the corridor, her face calm while amber eyes looked at Tilden. Then her expression changed as she saw Aranea on the floor.

“Give her back,” Kalaisa silently said, “I will not try to take revenge, I will not hunt you. You can just leave, run anywhere you want. Give her back and this will be the end of it.” She made one step forward, sending tremors across the corridor. Aranea looked at her mother in numb surprise. Before her mother was a gentle being. Now however, she was something else entirely.

“Take her then,” Tilden smirked charging at Kalaisa. Gun appeared from the wrist of his right hand, he raised his hand up taking aim at Kalaisa. Aranea watched in horror as Kalaisa stood calmly, motionlessly. Tilden took aim and…

Kalaisa disappeared and Tilden flew backward, gun was gone from his wrist, torn away by casual swing of Kalaisa’s claws. Large wound was on the right shoulder of the man, metal of his armor shattered. Tilden tried to slam the bag into face of Kalaisa, but she tore through the fabric with her claws, causing golden tokens to fell on the floor. Tilden scream out as he crashed into the metal doors behind him.

“I surrender!” Tilden shouted, half with panic, half with smugness. Kalaisa stopped, just as she was about to pick up Aranea. Aranea looked in the eyes of her mother and saw fear, tide of pure animal horror that was rising up in the eyes of her mother.

“No… no…” Kalaisa whispered, suddenly heavily breathing. Drool begun to fall from her mouth and her arms start tremble.

“No, really I am at the loss,” Tilden confidently smiled, standing up and holding wound on his shoulder with left hand, “You won, fair and square. You… dominated me,” The white furred wolfkin mocked his opponent, “Enjoy your just reward, it should hit you soon if I understand right. Girl.” He addressed Aranea with fake concern. “Now you’ve done it. Your whole family is gone. Why did you do it? Why did you have to sneak here? Why did you pushed your mother to this despair?” He shook his head in mocked perplexity, “GUARDS! INTRUDERS ARE IN THE VAULT!” He shouted on the top of his lungs, his voice echoing in the hall and loud sirens start to scream in the corridor, as light changed to the red.

Kalaisa tried to pick up Aranea, yet she suddenly stumbled, falling on her knees. Low, guttural growl came from her mouth as wolfkin tried desperately to hold something back. Aranea thought that she saw how her mother was increasing in size, yet moment after she was the same size as before. Large doors open and group of armored wolfkin came in. Aranea blinked and darkness came upon her.

She awoken in the wide hall, sitting near her mother. This was a brightly lit hall, yellow light was nice, rich paintings were visible on the walls. Large round table surrounded Kalaisa and Aranea, eight venerable wolfkins were sitting around behind the table. These were Elders, wolfkins in charge of the Ice Fang order. In total there were forty Elders who ruled the order, but right now only eight of them were present.

“And this finishes my report,” Tilden, dressed in formal attire and without armor was standing before Elders, a bandage was covering his wound, “While it is true that Kalaisa attacked me without provocation, it is true that Aranea sneaked into vault without reason, I ask honorable court to show mercy on both of them. After what happened with my best friend Gregor…” His voice cracked, as if in pain and he went silent.

“Gregor Wintersong was a traitor and he died like one!” One of the Elders shouted. Aranea recognized this voice, this was the person who was talking with Tilden near her cell. Woman angrily jumped on her feet. “Monster that he turned out to be was responsible for the massacre of the entire village! He refused to follow am order of the sword saint and refused to give up, insisting in his delusions! He was mad and you have nothing to blame yourself for, knight captain!”

“Still, this is warrant further investigation,” Another Elder said, sleezy looking old wolfkin. A sword saint in power armor, with golden markings around the edge of his armor, behind him nodded in approval, “You need at least ten Elders to mark someone for death. You only had three…”

“What does it matter!” Elder slammed her paw in the table, “He killed the entire village! How long we needed to wait until we act? Eternity? And don’t look at me like this, sword saint Osiris Summerspring, you were there! You saw what happened! Knight Captain Tilden Summerspring was absolutely right!” She pointed finger accusingly at the sword saint.

“Yet, I want to ask Kalaisa some questions,” The sword saint quietly said. He alone carried weapon in the room, thin, deadly looking sword at his waist. He alone was in full armor. Tilden wanted to say something, but the sword saint silenced him with a glance, blue lens of his helmet burrowed into the eyes of Tilden, and Tilden backed down, “My dear, can you please tell me, what happened to Gregor? Tell me your version of the events. You have no need to be afraid, I won’t let anyone even think about insulting you or your daughter.”

Low growling came from mouth of Kalaisa, as she unleashed her claws and they deeply bit into her own legs, tearing fabric of her pants and causing herself to bleed. Sword saint was on her in moment, stopping Kalaisa from harming herself. Aranea desperately wanted to say something, yet all her thoughts were in confusion, she could only whimper like an infant cub.

“Look at her. She became deranged. All the Wolf Tribe members are nothing but insane trash,” Female Elder said with a disgust in her voice. Before she could continue, sword saint appeared before her, moving too fast for Aranea’s eyes to follow. He hit venerable woman across the snout lightly.

“One more insult, Elder, and I won’t hold my next hit,” He said with steel in his voice, “You broke our laws, betrayed our traditions and dared to deceived me, by claiming that ten had decided fate of the knight captain Gregor. We will review your actions at a later date. This woman,” He pointed at Kalaisa, “Lost her husband. She is grieving. Send her to…”

“To the Ice Cave for ten days.” Female Elder said, looking at the sword saint with a hate in her red eyes.

“Pardon?” The sword saint tilted his head in question.

“This is a reasonable decision,” Tilden nodded, “They broke the law. Few days in an Ice Cave will cool their heads and let them think. Come on, uncle, this is hardly even a punishment!” Tilden let out a good-natured laugh.

“I heard that the Wolf Tribe have troubles with cold…” Sleezy looking Elder said.

“Just a superstition!” Elder slammed her paw into the table once more, “People! We have a crisis on our hands! Six, I repeat, six cubs are missing! From the safest possible city in the world! From our keep!” She shouted, raising her paws above her head, “And you argue what to do about minor trouble like this?! Decide already, we need to act, now! Look at them, they have fur just like us, what can possibly happen to them?”

“Ice Cave.” Said one of the Elders, then another, then all of them, aside from sleezy looking one, who kept his silence.

“Ice Cave it is.” Female Elder said.

“Not all Elders have spoken.” Sword saint said in the threatening voice.

“We only need two Elders to subject someone to Ice Cave. Five have spoken.” Woman smiled at the sword saint.

“Now you care about our laws? Convenient.” Sword saint asked sarcastically.

“Uncle, please, let us not making a scene. Important events need to be discussed. If Gregor really was behind disappearances…” Tilden started to talk but went silent as the wolfkin in blue and golden armor turned to him.

“I fail to remember when you have become one of the Elders or a sword saint. Knight captain, you will remember your place and will not speak out of order. You are to keep watch on Kalaisa and Aranea, if any, and I mean any, danger comes upon them, you are to save them and report to me. If as much as a hair falls from their fur, you will lose your head, nephew. There is something fishy about this incident and I swear that I will get to the bottom of this.” Lenses of the helmet burrowed into face of Tilden, and smaller wolfkin swallowed his drool in fear, shouting commands to the guards.

“Oh, and nephew.” Sword saint spoke once more.

“Yes, uncle?” Tilden turned to look at the sword saint.

“On my authority as the sword saint and master of the Summerspring household I am calling for help from the investigation bureau. I trust that you are overjoyed.” Sword saint burrowed Tilden through the lenses of his helmet while smaller wolfkin was backing out from the hall along with the guards.

Soldiers took Kalaisa and Aranea, while Elders began to discuss disappearance of the cubs. Aranea desperately wanted to scream that she knows what happened, but could only whimper, while her mother growled from time to time.

Why can’t the mom speak up? Aranea thought in shock as wolfkins carried them down. They brough them to the very bottom of the fortress, into a place known as the Ice Cave.

This was the prison of sorts for wolfkins of the Ice Fang order and also place of meditation. Wolfkins were coming here to remember their distant homeland or to meditate on their mistakes. The walls were covered with ice, temperature was bitterly cold. As guards left Kalaisa and Aranea in the middle of the room, next to a table with some food, Aranea whimpered from cold.

Her mother embraced her, hugging her close. Kalaisa was still growling slightly, but now it was desperate growl, as note of fear and despair was creeping into her voice. For what seemed like an eternity Aranea and her mother hugged each other and slowly Aranea regained control of her speech.

“Mommy I am sorry, so sorry!” She mumbled as white mist was leaving her mouth. Belly of Kalaisa was growing alarmingly cold and Aranea could barely feel her own feet, “I didn’t want this to happen, I didn’t mean…”

“A…ra..ne…a” Her mother half spoke, half growled in a voice that scared the girl. Never before she heard this tone, it sounded like some monster tried to parody speech of her mother, “You are… not guilty… Do not blame… I love you… I… save… you.” Kalaisa threw her head to the ceiling and howled. This was not sound of her mother. No. With sudden dread in her veins Aranea understood that this was sound of someone she heard for the first time.

And then all hell broke loose. Ice cracked on the wall. Ice, thick as entire floor of the building, just cracked under the ferocity of the howl. Body of Kalaisa grew, flesh was tearing through her clothes, her fur came off revealing white skin beneath. Her legs became thicker, her jaws changed shape and amber light from her eyes shot like a light from the projector. Aranea froze in horror, as her mother, this creature that her mother turned into, picked up Aranea in her left arm and charged to the large metal doors. Metal, as thick as a wall, crumbled when Kalaisa reached for it with her right paw. Creature tore the right door clear, door that was bigger than Kalaisa herself. She threw the remains of the doors behind herself and charged outside. Corridor outside became narrow and creature lowered herself on three limbs, running toward the end of the corridor as some sort of beast, still holding Aranea close to her chest. Shoulders scratched the walls and stone was shattered under the pressure.

Creature reached the stairs and run upward. Wolfkins came to stop them and Kalaisa slammed them into the walls, four knights in full power armor were defeated as easily as if they were a group of children in the path of an adult. Their broken forms were left behind the strange creature as she charged toward the exit from fortress. Aranea silently prayed to the Spirits that none of the knights would die.

Steel and stone, all was torn asunder before the ferocious assault of the weird beast once known as Kalaisa. She broken into the main hall, ending up on the balcony. Two stairs to the left and right led on a floor below, large pool was under the balcony. Only two large doors separate escapees from the world outside. Kalaisa lunged from the balcony, aiming at the doors. Someone jumped, crashing into Kalaisa. All Aranea could see was the blurry of steel in the air before her mother and Kalaisa growled in pain and agony, hitting with her free paw at someone before her. Both opponents pushed away from each other, Kalaisa landed before the pool, large cut marked her right paw, causing it to dangling on a piece of flesh, her bones were cleanly cut, only muscles held her hand.

Her opponent, wolfkin in gold and blue power armor crashed his back into the doors, landing on his feet with a groan. Sword saint, who was present at the council, now stood before the creature. Sword was his paws, armor on his side was torn asunder, allowing torrent of blood to dirty his armor and showing white bones of the ribcage. He fell on one knee, breathing hardly.

“All these years of training and for the first time I failed to see the blow…” He whispered, looking up, one paw on the wound, another paw was holding his blade, “Let the girl go, monster. I know not who you are, but I will sooner die than let you hurt…” He stopped as if he understood something. “Aranea? Girl, is that you? What happened to you?”

“Cold,” The girl managed to whisper with her still frozen lips, “So cold. Mom suddenly became strange.” She tried to say more, but all strength left her.

Sword saint looked in shock. He removed hand from his wound and placed tip of his sword at a floor. He moved forward carefully, as if trying not to scare someone. Strange creature that held Aranea stopped, cocking her head to a side as if curious. Drool fell from her mouth.

“Kalaisa?” The sword saint asked in shock, looking at the creature. “Is that you? You…” He stopped, “I see, I understand now,” He bowed, showing his neck to the creature, “Please, put the girl away. I promise, I swear to you that she will be safe and sound. I will find all who was behind this, I will personally drag them to justice,” Creature growled in anger and Aranea saw how wound on the right arm of the strange beast began to heal, muscles were tying themselves back like knots of rope, “You can’t take her with you,” The wolfkin pleaded, “You know what happened to you. If you take her way, it will be just a matter of time… Before the worst happens. I can’t let you take her. She is safe, she will be safe from now on, I swear this on my life.”

“Uncle, step back!” Familiar voice shouted from the balcony and Kalaisa turned to look back.

Knight captain Tilden in full power armor was on the balcony. Aranea only recognized him by his voice. He held large weapon on one shoulder, pointing it at Kalaisa. Several soldiers surrounded him and more hurried from passage behind him.

“You have weakened the beast, now I will put her down! Not even this beast can endure shot from this cannon easily!” Tilden shouted in excitement.

“Put your weapon down, knight captain! If you shoot disruption cannon here, you will kill the kid!” The sword saint shouted at his nephew.

“Small sacrifices must be made for a good cause! Uncle, we can’t let this beast escape into the city! It's either her or people's lives!” Tilden screamed back and took aim at the beast.

“Tilden! You will put this weapon down, or I will butcher you!” The wolfkin wolfkin in blue and gold armor shouted in anger, “Soldiers! Apprehend the knight captain!” Knights glanced at their captain in uncertainty “This is an order!”

“Sorry uncle. If you won’t move away from thesplash zone, I will have to sacrifice you too for the future of us all…” Pale light appeared inside the barrel of the cannon. Tilden moved his finger to press trigger…

And cannon fell apart, sliced in three parts, while new wolfkin in power armor appeared next to Tilden. She carried the same thin sword as the first sword saint in her paws.

“You heard your orders. Apprehend the knight captain.” Newcomer said with icily voice. Power armor of the deepest sea color clad the lean form of the newcomer. She leaped from balcony and Kalaisa followed her movements with her head, turning toward doors to exit. Each movement of the newcomer looked like she was dancing, grace was seeping from her every movement. Two sword saints stood before the beast and exit out of the fortress.

“Camelia. You managed to…” Sword saint in blue and gold said, and his comrade only nodded.

“I arrived when you called. All of us are, rest are landing on the roof as we speak. We need just to hold her back. Not even skinwalker can stand up against First.” Aranea suddenly understood who this person was. Camelia Wintersong, matriarch and head of the Wintersong family line. Keyl told Aranea that in the past Camelia and Kalaisa had an actual battle between them that lasted for hours, back when the Ice Fang order still served Wyrm Lord. Duel between ended up in a draw.

“Kalaisa,” Camelia said, her tone filled with pity, “It seems we will never have a proper rematch now. As a mother and as a human being I have nothing but pity for your situation. But I can not, will not let you take your daughter away. Your life as a human being is over. Please, find strength inside of you to lay the child down and allow us to help you to pass on to new life. By my honor, I swear that your daughter will be taken care off, she will grow up as a happy person and she will forget horrors of past days.”

Kalaisa growled and lowered herself for a charge. Edges of the sliced bones merged together, and flesh run across her arm, sealing up the wound. Fingers of the paw moved. Kalaisa once more had both paws.

“Save her… Protect her… I will…” Skinwalker said with drool falling from her mouth and Aranea saw two sets of jaws inside her mother’s maw.

“She is too far goneб” Camelia shook her headю “I will find whoever responsible for this and will ensure a proper punishment. Girl, close your eyes and try to sleep. When you wake up, you will be in the warm bed, surrounded by toys, food and doctors. This I swear. Ready, Sun?”

“Ready, Moon.” First sword saint responded, raising his sword high, while Camelia moved her sword in low position, “We will hold her until he comes…”

Skinwalker roared and both sword saints moved back to the doors, leaving prints in the stone with their feet. Such was the power behind the roar of the beast that even sword saints were found lacking strength to resist. Kalaisa leaped from place, Aranea could only saw how everything around her became a blur. Only forms of the sword saints in front of the doors were solid. They moved forward and disappeared from Aranea’s eyes as well, round circle of steel came into existence before the skinwalker. Gleaming with whirling steel, circle moved toward skinwalker and Kalaisa roared again in anger. Skinwalker punched with her right hand at the circle in front of her.

The next moment skinwalker was in front of the doors, slamming her head into them and breaking them down. Her right arm was gone, bloody stump now served her as shoulder. Deep cuts were on both legs of the skinwalker. Aranea could hear shouts of the sword saints behind the escapees, yet Kalaisa was already outside, remains of doors falling on the ground as skinwalker charged into the city. It was here when Aranea finally lost her conscious again.

She woke up in an unknown place, still held tight by her mother. Skinwalker was moving across the unfamiliar lands, covering the vast distance with each bound. There were rocks and sand under her feet. Burning sun was shining brightly across the scorched wasteland. No matter where Aranea looked, she could see no greenery, no sign of great work of Reclamation Army. They were somewhere else entirely.

And then she saw something that scared her even more. Right arm of her mother was back. Aranea was sure that her mother lost her hand back in the fortress, yet here she was, running ahead, both hands in place. Cuts that covered legs of Kalaisa were closed now, leaving behind not even a trace of scars. Could everything that happened be just a nightmare?

“No.” Aranea told herself. What happened was real. Ground was moving in blur underneath them as they run.

“Where are we going?” Aranea asked her mother but received no answer. Drool was falling from Kalaisa’s mouth, while skinwalker continued to half run, half jump forward. Aranea shuddered in fear. What if they will just run and run and one day she will die from the hunger or thirst. Skinwalker glanced at her, and the girl felt horror. There was no recognition in this gaze. Something entirely alien was looking at her. Jaws open wide and Aranea whimpered in horror. What if…

Skinwalker stopped and Aranea turned her head. Before them was a ragged camp, small military tents were visible here and there. Black furred wolfkins assembled in front of the camp, taking aim at Kalaisa with their weapons. Most of them had power armors, but these armors were so drastically different from the slick and slender power armors of the Ice Fang order. Crude and bulky, these armors left mouths and paws of black furred wolfkins wide open. Unlike the Ice Fang members, none of the black furred wolfkin carried swords, instead they all had ranged weapons pointed at the skinwalker.

Kalaisa opened her mouth and roared to the skies, this roar resembled a summon. A cruel queen was calling her subjects to appear.

And they appeared. From the camp two wolfkins jumped and landed before skinwalker. One was enormously huge, almost as big as Kalaisa. Armor on her looked ridiculous, it barely covered her vital areas. Helmet was missing from her head and one mighty paw held an enormous axe, weapon that looked more like a tooth on a metal stick. Behind her back was a long rifle. Second wolfkin was in power armor covered by the countless words of prayers, talismans were dangling from her armor, ringing and slamming into each other on the wind. Woman took off her helmet and both wolfkins looked at Kalaisa with amber eyes.

Kalaisa roared again and large wolfkin nodded. She put aside her axe and extended her left arm. Jaws of Kalaisa closed on her arm, biting it up to the wrist, right paw of skinwalker hit the wolfkin across the mouth, tearing up lower jaw away. Tongue helplessly hit the chest as large wolfkin stumbled back, stubbornly standing despite grievous wounds. Blood poured like a stream of water from fountain from the wounds on the arm and on the head of wolfkin. Kalaisa hungrily devoured lower jaw and gave Aranea to the wolfkin in ornate armor. Wolfkin took the girl in her paws with almost divine reverence.

Body of Kalaisa start to shake, as if in pain, her size started to decrease. Second row of her fangs moved into palate of her mouth, fur reappeared across the body, legs and arms slowly turned to be more thin and in moments a second copy of the large wolfkin was standing before Aranea. Something akin to recognition came back to the eyes of her mother.

“Shaman…” Kalaisa whispered in utterly unknown voice, “Take care of Kalaisa’s da….” She growled, almost screaming from pain while veins popped all across her body. Her voice changed once more, becoming voice of Kalaisa, “…My daughter. Save her. Raise her. She is not at fault…”

“You came back to us, Kalaisa,” Wolfkin in ornate armor bowed her head, “And you achieved divinity.”

“Divinity?” Kalaisa roared, her form reverting back to that of skinwalker. Fur fell out, another set of fangs pierced the mouth palate, her eyes slowly becoming mad, “This is no divinity! My mind, my memories, everything is about to be gone, only anger will remain. This is not a blessing, this… this…” She stumbled, as if trying to find words “Torture!” she roared and jumped away, disappearing in the desert.

Shaman only nodded.

“In time you will understand. You are now even closer to the blessed mother,” She turned toward other wolfkins, “What are you standing here for? Carry warlord to the medics right now, before she bleeds to death! Summon Sonya, right now!”

“Already here.” Black furred wolfkin with brown stripes across her fur approached shaman, yawning and putting aside her weapon. Shaman gave Aranea to the wolfkin and Sonya grabbed the girl by her arm, raising her in the air.

“She is now in your pack, wolf hag Sonya. She is old enough to not be in the pits, so you will teach her our way of life and make sure to teach her proper!” Shaman turned around, leaving two alone.

“What am I supposed to do with such weird creature?” Sonya asked, looking in the eyes of frozen in fear Aranea, “Well let’s see what you are made of.”

She dragged Aranea into one of the tents and snapped her claws. Two wolfkins put large bowl of tasty smelling meat on the floor. Sonya dropped Aranea on the floor.

“Eat. If you can.” She gave girl a kick and Aranea came closer to the food on her unsteady legs. She was unsure what exactly this weird wolfkin wanted from her, but she was feeling hungry. As she lowered herself to pick up the food, someone crashed into her, biting her arm. Another wolfkin, slightly smaller than the girl, growled, trying to push her away from the food.

“Why are you biting me?” Aranea asked, more in shock, than in pain. Small drops of blood were on her arm. Her opponent was slightly smaller than her, yet he released his claws and tried to slash her. She stepped back, evading the attacks.

“Oh, for the love of Spirits,” Sonya said in annoyance, “He is just a male, you dumb cusack, there is nothing to be afraid of. Stomp him already, he just barely older than you. Are you really this weak?”

The wolfkin growled again and lunged, aiming to bite the girl’s neck.

“Stop it already, you asshole!” Aranea snarled, letting all frustrations from the past days released in a surge of aggression. She grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck and slammed him into the floor, moving too fast for him. Following some instinct, she closed her jaws on his neck, biting him lightly and feeling blood on her fangs. The wolfkin whined and stopped struggling, lying still. Stepping away from him in shock and fear Aranea said quickly, “Sorry. I did not want to hurt you. Really!” She reached with her paws, aiming to help him stand, yet kid remain to lay down. Feeling sick and disgusting taste of his blood on her fangs, she tried to sound calm and gentle, “You can stand up, it’s fine, I am not angry,” Kid looked up and took her paw, allowing her to help him standing up.

Something snapped in Aranea. She felt how something, some adrenaline was running across her veins. It was familiar feeling, something that she felt when she was winning against Keyl and the others.

“No!” She shouted, scaring the kid. “I don’t want it. Screw you!” She grabbed her shoulders, forcing urge to go back. Her muscles were about to increase slightly, but she forced grow to stop, she willed her power to disappear. This power turned her mother into a monster. This power caused her to grow up too soon. She refused, she will never accept gifts from this power ever again. She will live with her own power from this day on.

“I am sorry,” Aranea quietly said to the scared boy before her, “You wanted to eat too? We can share the food.”

“He is just a male,” Sonya raised her brow, “Hell do you care? His lot is to die on the front line as a meat shield.”

“I won, right?” Aranea asked stubbornly, “So this mean I get to decide what to do with prize?”

“Your truth,” Sonya shrugged her shoulders and her form disappeared. She blindingly fast, appearing on Aranea before the girl could even react, mighty jaws closing on neck of the girl, causing her to bleed slightly. Sonya raised Aranea in the air and threw her on the floor. Aranea let out gasp of pain, feeling her insides scream in agony, “Lesson number two. Always bare your neck before the wolf hag. If you refuse or forget, it will mean that you have challenged me. Today you lost and unless you accept your power, you will always lose to me.”

“We will see.” Angrily whispered Aranea. “I will beat you with my own strength and skills one day.”

Sonya only laughed and left, allowing the children eat in peace.

During the night, Aranea reached with her paw to the disk of the moon in the skies above.

“Aranea Wintersong is no more. I am Aranea from now on. One day I will reach all the way to the top. One day I will become strong on my own and bend others to my will. I will become strong enough that no one will ever take anything or anyone from me anymore. And when this day comes…

****

Time of war.

“… I will come for you Tilden and I will feast on your insides. I will make you pay and end your precious future. And after this I will find this Academician and I will devour him as well.” Aranea whispered, trying to grasp the moon above her with her paw. The dead called for vengeance, and this was her duty.

But today her duty was different. Fifteen years had passed since she was brought by her mother into the Wolf Tribe. Fifteen long, painful years. Yet she struggled, she dominated others and refused to accept gifts of her power. Under her fur countless scars marked her body, yet her unnatural healing always allowed her to move on. She reached all the way to the rank of scout. And on this day, she will finally test her skills in real combat.

“Everyone is in place,” The message came and Aranea smiled. She was standing on the top of the large rock, seven meters above the entrance to the cave. Grenade launcher and shard gun were locked to the back of her armor. In past years Wyrm Lord ensured that the Wolf Tribe members received proper armaments, something what will suit their style of combat. No more bulky power armor, instead they got a slender one, the one that no longer limit their movements. Aranea made backflip, jumping off the stone and allowing wind to run across fur on her snout as she fell. She landed on two feet, nimbly as always and stood up. Her helmet slide on her face, covering her snout, covering her whole head, but leaving place enough for her to open jaws and use them in combat. Red lenses of her helmet flashed as she looked on her pack.

“Time to start the massacre then.” She smiled. This was such a good night.

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