Writer Wolf's Retreat

[Wolf Rawrrr]

As you enter this place, you immediately spot a note written on a piece of parchment. The handwriting is somewhat sloppy and the paper worn, but still perfectly intelligible. It reads:

"To any who might come across this: I am writing something here in hopes of writing everything else.
I gladly open it to the world - after all, that is part of the plan - but at the same time would like to express a plead that you do not add to the writing yourself.


Come and stay for as long as you like, read and draw out whatever you want, but refrain from adding anything.


Bring nothing to my Retreat, and you will have my thanks."


- Wolf

Underneath the text is a print of a paw, like a signature. How mysterious. You feel like something of importance is happening here. Perhaps it would be worth to stick around.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

PROLOGUE

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The hour grows late when I finally find it in me to close my eyes and shut the world away.


I let go, detach. I drift away.


The Retreat welcomes me with arms open. I am embraced; not because I have deserved it - I know I have not - but because it was promised, when I came to life, that the way would stay open until the day I was gone forever. It's always been there for me, like an advisor whose advice more often went ignored than heeded, yet it remained, eternally faithful nonetheless.


I don't need to open my eyes to see here, to see the Retreat come to life. It's good that there's nothing to remember, for it has been so long that surely by now I would have forgotten. But this place takes care of itself. This time, it's a snow-covered mountain wrapped in pale mist. I see the frozen peaks rise in silence from where I stand - it's the base that I can't see, submerged in a sea of fog. Perhaps it's not even there. It doesn't have to be. The rest of the world is missing as well. There is nothing except the mountain. Not even the Sun, though it's as bright as a colorless noon.


The place where I stand is just below the crest. A solitary ruin on cliff's edge, no bigger than a house roof. This patch of grey stone, worn and cracked as it is, looks like the last remnant of a larger fortification. I take a few steps to close the short distance to the crenellation and draw satisfaction from the crunching of the snow. The railing's barely hip-high. More like a reminder than an actual guard against the drop. For now I just rest my hands on it and feel the cold. I don't have to make an extensive search of the surroundings to know that I'm completely alone. It will stay that way until I let the Retreat in, just as it had let me in. But first I decide to enjoy the peace of privacy for a while, because it just feels so good.


Moments and minutes pass in silence. And then I surrender. I let the Retreat in.


I let it all in.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

CHAPTER ONE

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- The Fall -

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Sure enough, I am woken from my thoughts by another.


"Welcome back, Wolf." he says. "Welcome home."


When I turn around I see him standing just a dozen feet away, in the middle of the ruin. I am not surprised to find no footprints leading up to his position. He's a creature of the Retreat, this man who looks at least fifty. He wears a thick, grey robe with a hood. I can't say I recognize his face, but that rough voice sounds as familiar as it makes him seem even older than he looks. "This isn't home," I reply and come off sounding more unfriendly than I intended. "And I don't know who you are."


He manages a half smile, predictably unaffected. "Then what are you doing here? Why have you come, if not for a taste of home?"





"That's all it is. A taste." I say to him, but he caught me off guard. What was I doing here? I hadn't given a single conscious thought to that when I closed my eyes, but I can't say that it would have mattered. I felt that it was somehow important to be here. Perhaps, then, that was it? Did I feel summoned? No. I was here of my own volition, of that I was sure. I have no time to ponder this, though, for the man decides to pressure me.





"Having second thoughts, Wolf? Just how deep does your well of regret go, anyway?"


"I regret nothing." I reply, almost automatically and with a hint of threat.


"You're lying, Wolf." He sounds confident as he says it, and I realize he's right. "Lying to me. Lying to yourself. Might as well be the same thing, in this place you're in. Where do you think it will lead you? There are no answers that way." Suddenly, he seems to remember something. "Oh, is that why you've come? Are you here to seek answers?"


I don't like where the conversation's going, so I decide to sabotage him. Facing him, I lean back against the parapet, arms outstretched, trying to sound relaxed and careless saying: "Nah, I think I'm here for that taste of home after all. You got me all figured out from the start."


"Is that right?" he asks, not letting me confuse him. "So the wolf changes his coat, but not his ways."


His conclusion stirs something inside of me, leaving me restless. "What is your purpose here, anyway?" I ask in another attempt to change the subject, and then hurriedly clarify: "Why you and not someone else?"


At first it seems the man doesn't want to hear me, for he expands on what he just said. "I'm sure you know the phrase well. It was written many times, some of them even by your hand." He gives me an odd look and at the same time reaches for something inside his grey robe. Instinct causes me to tense, though nothing has ever really harmed me within the Retreat. I cross my arms out on my chest, waiting. "I have here..." he says while searching his garments, "something else... that was written... And I believe is of personal interest to you, Wolf... Ah!" he finally exclaims as he produces a normal-looking folded scroll. He looks at me and frets, saying: "Well, do come closer, Wolf! You can hardly read it from over there!"





Somewhat interested, I part from the crenellation and make my way across the snow-covered stone until I was standing beside him. Up close, I can see his eyes are icy blue, and there seems to be something else, like a pattern almost...


"The scroll, Wolf! look at the scroll, not me."


At that, I look down and see that he has already unfolded the scroll. As soon as I catch the glimpse of the first sentence, I know exactly what it is that he is showing me. I immediately look away and draw back, stepping away from him. "No..." I say to him. "Do not show that to me, spirit! I know-" But I am interrupted and don't get the chance to finish what I was going to say.


"I'll show you what you know!" he shouts and suddenly comes at me. I wasn't prepared, but even if I was it wouldn't have made a difference, I soon realize, because he easily overpowered me despite his apparent old age. He rammed me and then slowly (because I was struggling nonetheless), but surely pushed me all the way back to the parapet without any explanations. Then, much to my surprise, he picked me up and threw me over like I was nothing. I didn't even get to protest and already I was falling down from the edge of the ruin. "There's what you know, Wolf!" he shouts after me, in a voice that echoes across the face of the mountain. "Nothing!"


It was impossible not to realize his point at that moment, and I had to admit that was a pretty impressive way to prove it. I was falling down toward the distant white fog, whipped by an arctic wind at that, and the last thing I saw wasn't the blurry outline of the old man and the ruined wall, or the great mountain looming over me beneath a sky of grey clouds. No. The last thing I saw was what lay beyond the fog, and of course it wasn't the bottom of the mountain or anything logical like that. This was the Retreat, remember?


And I was in darkness.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

CHAPTER TWO

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- Part 1: Through Darkness -

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I don't know for how long I was falling, and I don't remember when I stopped. At some point I just woke up on the ground - though I still couldn't see a thing. Then I turned around and saw a faint light in the distance; but however faint, there was no missing even the smallest spark in complete darkness. Without hesitation I picked myself up and set out towards my beacon of hope.


My progress was slow because I had to reach out and feel my surroundings before taking each step. I realized that I was in an underground tunnel: the floor was uneven and the walls made up of rock. The air was heavy and old, with an earthly scent and something else I couldn't identify. The unknown scent was somewhat unnerving, but what really puzzled me was that I had a clear line of sight to the distant wisp of light, yet at the same time it seemed that the tunnel was twisting. Odd, but there it was. I was almost entirely sure that my movement was not in a straight line. Could I have been that disoriented? I steadied myself, paused for a few moments, and then moved on while keeping my eyes fixed on that light. Again, somewhere along the way the path twisted, yet the light remained where it was. I couldn't explain it, and honestly it was borderline frightening.





"You have to hurry!"


I froze, listening. Was that a...?





"The light, you must reach the light!"


The voice sounded like it belonged to a little girl, and I thought it was coming from somewhere up ahead. I shouted back in reply: "Where are you?"





"Hurry, before it's too late! It's coming for you!"


The girl sounded afraid, desperate, and it was starting to rub off on me as well. As if dragging myself through complete darkness wasn't scary enough, the last thing I needed was a phantom child delivering warnings. "What's coming?" I asked, guessing I probably won't like the answer. Whatever it was, in a place like this I didn't want anything coming for me.





"Please!" she cried, "Get to the light or - oh, God! It's here already!"





I felt shivers down my spine and knew there was something terribly wrong here. First, the impossible twists in what should have been, by all laws of physics, a relatively straight tunnel with a light at the end. Second, something bad was coming for me. And third, what I realized just now and what made things even worse - I didn't seem to be any closer to the light than when I started out. I was sure I had been walking for at least five minutes, admittedly slowly, but the source didn't seem to be that far to begin with. Perhaps half a mile, if that. I should have been halfway there by now, but contrary to all logic I seemed to be at the beginning. "How?" I shouted my question into the darkness ahead.





"You are being mislead! You can't see the way like this. Open your eyes, Wolf!"


I had no idea what she was talking about, so I did what I was told. I opened my eyes, and in doing so realized they were closed all this time.


My surroundings were pretty much how I had envisioned them before, but it was not completely dark. Shining powder seemed to cover some of the rocks that made up the tunnel, and this offered limited, faint illumination. There seemed to be a lot of dust... no, sand, on the floor and from the mixed footprints I realized I was mostly spinning in circles in this small chamber. Great. Then I heard a scream. I turned toward its source; the light, and saw that it was in fact a flickering torch about as far as I had guessed it to be - less than half a mile through the uneven but straightforward tunnel. What I couldn't see was the source of the scream, but hearing it dispelled any doubt that the little girl was perhaps part of the dream. I was about to call out to her, but something interrupted me. It started as a slowly increasing feeling of dread that sent shivers across my spine. I immediately knew that I wasn't alone. Not wanting to, I turned away from the light and faced it.


A living nightmare would be the best description, but that's not very descriptive, is it? It was pitch-black, darker than the surrounding darkness if that was possible, and about five times my size so it was completely filling up the other end of the tunnel. I couldn't tell what its body was made of. Perhaps it was a creature of pure darkness. It was humanoid in shape but with beast-like features, and its hands and legs ended in long, sharp metallic claws that reflected what little illumination there was. Wisps of flames filled the eye sockets, and at first I thought it didn't have a mouth until it opened its jaw to reveal shiny blades for teeth. At that moment I knew two things, beyond the shadow of a doubt - first that this was what the girl was warning me about, and second, that if I didn't get to the light right now I would be ripped to shreds in a few moments. So without further ado, I turned and ran for it.


As scary as it might have been to turn my back on something like that, it was even scarier when I heard a roar behind me that could only mean it was coming after me. It sounded like metal grinding on metal and filled me with fear. I didn't look back. The torchlight wasn't far, and I put all my effort into running as fast as conditions would allow it. It wouldn't have been possible without the glowing powder on the rocks. However faint, the illumination was welcome in the darkness of the tunnel. I heard crushing sounds behind me and rocks splintering. Now I did risk a backward glance. The tunnel was much narrower beyond the small chamber where I started, and the damn monster was too big for it, so it was actually tearing it up and cutting a bigger path as it pursued me. Its strength was frightening, but at least the effort slowed it down.


Eventually, I managed to reach the end of the tunnel without even once tripping and falling to my death. But the monster was close; pieces of rocks that flew past me meant that it was right on my tail, and when I turned around at the end of the tunnel I was almost face to face with it. Instinctively, I grabbed my symbol of hope - the torch - off the wall holder, and the moment I did so, the nightmare that was pursuing me instantly turned into wisps of fading smoke before my eyes. I allowed myself a deep breath, and collapsed to the floor with my back against the wall. Wait, the wall? It was only then that I became conscious of my new surroundings.


I seemed to have emerged into a wide hallway that looked exactly like one of those dwarven ruins from fantasy settings: the walls had strange artwork chiseled into them and the high ceiling disappeared into shadows. To my right the hallway abruptly ended in a cave-in. To the left, it continued beyond the range of my torchlight. But the most interesting thing was neither right nor left - it was practically at my feet. Across the stone floor, lying by the opposite wall, was the body of a woman.


I stood up and approached her, then crouched. She lay on her other side so I couldn't see her face, but I saw her chest rise and fall and knew she was alive. "Hey," I said, "are you alright? Wake up." I placed my right hand gently on her shoulder and that did the trick. She mumbled something, as if waking from a dream, and then slowly turned around and opened her eyes. Odd thing was, she did not seem surprised or alarmed at my presence.


"Hey..." she said, sitting up against the wall.


She was younger than I expected, but not nearly young enough to be the little girl I heard earlier. She had beautiful features; her eyes, her mouth, everything. Even her medium-length red hair seemed to fall perfectly straight. She couldn't have been older than twenty, if that. Definitely a few years younger than me. "Are you alright?" I repeated my question.


She nods. "Y-yes. I think so. Your eyes are very green."


I was so confused that I must have stared at her like an idiot after that one. She stared back and directly at my eyes at that, which were green, by the way. I just never thought of them as shockingly green before. "Umm... Thanks." What a dumb reply, but it was too late. "Yours are very... amber." I said in realization, for they were.


Her face lit up with joy, and her lips formed the most amazing smile. "Wow! You guessed my name! So what's going on?"


"Are you kidding me?" I asked. This was getting weirder by the second. "I was about to ask you the same thing! Who are you and what are you doing here?"


"I'm Amber." she replied. "But you already know that, I think." Again she smiled at me, like I was the best news she had in a long time. "I was sent here from the Above. The Elders said I should go deep into the Ruins of Remembrance - that if I go deep enough, eventually I will find the Winged Wolf! So I was walking around, trying to find a way that would take me to the deepest depths, and then something happened, I think, because I just woke up here. But it's really important that I find the Wolf. Have you seen it?"





I listened to her story with interest, but didn't know if I should believe her or not. For the moment it didn't matter - I guessed that one explanation was as good as another in this place. It made sense that she came from the surface, which was what she probably meant by the Above, and I wanted to get out of here so I played along. "Unfortunately, I have not. I'm just trying to get out of here. Do you know the way back to the Above?"


"What, are you lost?" she laughed a bit, then paused thoughtfully. "Hey, you didn't even tell me your name! What am I supposed to call you?"


For some unknown reason, I instinctively didn't want to give her my name. I matched only half the description of what she was looking for, but felt like it was better to keep that to myself. Instead, I quickly gave her another name and made it sound convincing. "Revmar." It was the name of one of my creations, so technically it belonged to me just the same.


"What?!" she exclaimed, utterly astonished. "But that's... that's... Wait, are you joking with me?" she sounds a bit offended and it immediately makes me feel bad. "God's name is no joke, you... you... whoever you are!" She stood up amid that last sentence and walked several steps away from me.





So much for keeping a low profile. Perhaps it would have been better to give her my real name, but it was too late now. I had to do damage control some other way. "Sorry," I began trying to sound genuinely apologetic, "but that's really my name. I didn't know it was also your god's name... I'm not from around here. I don't remember exactly how I got here, I think I fell in a hole..." The recipe for a good lie includes at least a dash of truth. "I'm from somewhere else, far away. I don't think my people worship the same god as your do."





The lines of her face softened. She believed me. "Oh. Oh, I see. That didn't occur to me. It's just that I never actually met anyone who's not from the Above - well, my part of the Above, anyway." She walked back and stood next to me, smiling. "I don't think I can call you that, though. Sorry! It would be too awkward for me."





"That's alright." I said, just happy that the conflict was quickly resolved. Fun fact: Revmar was the name of a deity I created for a story. Was this the Retreat trying to be ironic?





"I think I'll call you Green-eyes." She grinned, showing two lines of perfect teeth.


I had no objections, but I was eager to get going. The torch I was holding wasn't going to last forever, I just remembered. "Sure. But let's go, ok? This is the only light we have, and it's bound to go out at some point. We can look for your wolf on the way."


"Alright, but he's not my wolf." she said cheerfully. "At least not yet."


I gave her a puzzled look and led the way. Darkness readily parted before us, but engulfed the way behind us without hesitation as well. The hallway was straight, and though the painted walls were cracked at places, there seemed to be no serious damage to the infrastructure. The drawings seemed to be random at times; other times they seemed like a story unveiling. I saw monsters and warriors, elaborate weapons, cities being built and destroyed. Eventually we came to a crossroads where Amber told me to take the left path - logical since it had stairs leading up. After some more hallways we emerged into a large chamber where there was this one depiction that captured all of Amber's attention for a good two minutes. I knew immediately that it was a solar system, though obviously not Sol's. There were five planets orbiting a blue star. There were labels under each celestial body but in some runic script that neither of us could read, although it looked somewhat familiar to me. Probably a variation on some script I had created at some point for one of my worlds.


Moving on we came to another set of stairs, and then another, and then there was a double gate in our way. Noticing how one of the doors was slightly open, I peeked through but it was as dark as the rest of this place. Amber insisted that we were on the right track, so I went and opened the gates. Stepping outside there was a chill in the air, and I could feel we were in a huge space. I couldn't see any walls, but just ahead the path we were on turned into a wide bridge. I looked over the stone railing and to my surprise discovered that there was a river of lava flowing far below us.


"Vein of Sargeras." Amber said, creeping up to me. She threw a hateful look downwards. "Legends say that this was once the greatest city in existence, shaped by Revmar himself. It was destroyed in a great battle between Revmar and Sargeras, who had betrayed him, and although Revmar was victorious the city was lost to the depths. Not even its name survived. We call it simply the Ruins of Remembrance."


An impressive story, but my torchlight was burning out so I persuaded her to pick up the pace. She didn't seem to mind leaving the chasm behind. After a while her mood brightened. She was much more beautiful like this, so I told her that. She laughed at me and gave me a playful look. On the other side of the bridge was another gate; this time open. We passed through and took a battered, winding hallway. Something was going on in that girl's head. I could sense it, but had no idea what. I caught her staring at me many times but couldn't get an explanation out of her. Sometimes she paused, politely asking me to illuminate some of the wall drawings, and it was clear as day that gears were turning in her head. But what on earth could she have been contemplating so much? I offered to help her if she would tell me what was wrong, but she waved me off saying how it was nothing and that I wouldn't understand anyway. Odd, but I sensed that we were nearing the exit at that point so I didn't care that much. She was interesting company but I was intending to go my own way once on the surface.


The torch burned out at the same time when we saw daylight pouring from the top of a stairway. I was glad that it was day outside. Sunlight was a welcome change after the world of darkness we had just gone through. Soon we reached the top and saw the exit; at first a blinding rectangular of light, then a patch of blue. The sky. "Finally." I said. "Come on, Amber. Let's get out of these shadows."


"Not so fast." she said, and I paused, immediately thinking of all the book and movie scenarios that had started like that. None of them were good.


"Why? Is there something wrong?"


"Don't you know what day it is?"


I blinked. What day it was? I had no idea, so I shrugged. "What does it matter?"


A cunning smile turned up on her face, like she knew something that I didn't. I hoped it was just what day it was, but had a feeling it was something more. "Still bent on playing your game, Green-eyes? Even in the face of Wolfsbane? Did you think I would choose a random day to stalk the Ruins of Remembrance?"


"I have no idea what you're talking about."


"Oh, really?" Amber smirked, then taunted me. "Go ahead then, step into the light. By all means! I want to see your true face, Green-eyes."


I looked at the exit and the daylight that poured in through it. It reached a few feet from where I stood. I hesitated, but why? Then I heard Amber speak, or actually quote something as I quickly realized.


"Only one who is lost can find the lost.


Drown yourself in darkness, pay the cost.


The wild untamed shall roam no more


If you would heed this ancient lore.


A wolf may change his coat on sight,


But not in face of Wolfsbane light."





"I don't know if you've ever heard the legend, but it doesn't matter. Go! Try your luck..." and then she said it. "Wolf."


Now that I had all the pieces, I was starting to understand. "Amber, listen. I'm not your wolf. Why do -"


"Enough, trickster!" There was no kindness left in her voice. As a matter of fact, she seemed to be a whole different person now, though her beauty could not be denied still. And the way she was holding herself... I couldn't quite place it or understand, but it seemed almost... threatening. There was definitely more to this girl than I gave her credit for.


But she was wrong. I had nothing to do with her world, except that the Retreat had apparently used some of my work to put it together. So I shrugged her off. "Fine. Have it your way. I had enough of this place anyway."


The sunlight felt good as it fell on my skin, warming it. Only now I realized how cold it actually was down there in the dark. I looked back and saw Amber still standing there, watching me intently. I winked at her and headed for the exit that was still a dozen feet away, but I never got to it. And it wasn't anything that she did to me, though of course those were my first thoughts. The warm light on my skin grew ever hotter, and just when it was about to become too much I felt an incredibly powerful shiver throughout my whole body - so intense that I could no longer move. I felt like my body was rearranging itself. I couldn't think, I could only feel. The pain was manageable, but it was far from any kind of pleasant. And then I could no longer stand upright; I didn't know why at first. I fell down on all fours for support and before I could argue I felt searing pain in my back in two places, somewhere along the middle on the sides - it felt like being bitten but from the inside, if such a thing were possible. I was scared and confused. Nothing like this had ever happened to me in my Retreat. It was my Retreat, damnit! What the hell was happening to me?!


Somewhere through the haze I heard Amber laugh and say: "Finally you show your true form! And it's more beautiful than I imagined. Perfect! You're going to be perfect, Wolf! My perfect pet."


Your what?! I said, realizing that I hadn't actually said that. I thought it, clearly, but what came from my mouth sounded like a dog whining in protest. In disbelief I opened my eyes to see a similar, but somehow different vision of the world around me. But the first thing that really drew my attention were my hands. They weren't hands anymore. They were paws. I was down on all fours, and a quick inspection revealed that I was now, for all intents and purposes, a wolf - quite literally. Then I felt a weakness, and was soon overcome. The last thing I saw was Amber's face, and though still beautiful I could not longer make out every single detail about it the way I could earlier.


A moment later I lost consciousness.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

CHAPTER TWO

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- Part 2: Bound -

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When I opened my eyes I found myself lying on the ground. Actually, on a tapestry. I tried getting up, shaking off the blurriness as I rose. It felt different. One glance at myself reminded me why I couldn't seem to stand tall. I was a wolf.


There was no way for me to see the world from my old perspective in this new body; not while walking around on all fours like... well, an animal. And even if I was skilled enough with it to balance on my two hind legs - which I definitely wasn't - it would still make little difference. For now, I was stuck like this, so I figured I might as well study my surroundings and figure out my next move.


The room I was in was definitely a bedroom. From the looks of it, I deduced I was in an upper class medieval dwelling. The double bed was empty and made, covered in a heavy, brown blanket. The expensive-looking red-orange tapestry covered most of the tiled floor (at this point I was amazed at the fact I could still recognize colors, even through the eyes of a wolf. I thought wolves were partially color blind, but I suppose I was not an ordinary wolf). There were some ordinary shelves on the other wall, as well as a small book case lined with literature, and a desk with a chair positioned under a window. Judging by the light outside it was some time in the afternoon. A small fireplace occupied another part of the room, which was why it was warm inside. The fire was dying, though. Finally, there was a door - and cracked open at that. I was surprised that there was no one to watch over me, and that I was left unbound. I half-expected to wake up shackled in a dungeon. Instead, I find myself in a rather pleasant environment next to an unlocked door. Was this a test? Was I meant to try and escape? Maybe. But I was doing it anyway. On my way to the door I noticed the last detail in the room: a tall mirror on the wall next to the fireplace. The beast in it caused us both to flinch.


I was looking at a menacing, black-furred wolf with green eyes, white fangs and... well, an actual pair of wings attached to its sides. My sides. I had wings. I could flap them. And it felt incredibly odd. While at it, I noticed that I was somewhat bigger than the average wolf, too. It wasn't just because of the wings. Then I remembered Amber and her hunt for the Winged Wolf. It was hard to believe that she was right, but the truth was right there, staring at my face. I shook my head and proceeded to the door. It took me a few moments to realize I had to raise my paw and pull it open, and I was thankful that it was already open by a few centimeters beforehand. With the door now half-open, I slid through without a sound.


Beyond was a long hallway featuring several closed doors and a staircase at the far end. I set my sights on the stairs and proceeded carefully. A tapestry ran the length of the hallway, effectively muffling my footsteps. The walls were lined with unlit lanterns and portraits of people who looked like they were nobility. I couldn't make out much detail from this perspective, nor did I care to. I needed to get down, because it was clear now that I was on the second floor of the building. When I got to the stairs, I looked down and was relieved not to see or hear anyone. Of course, that could have been a bad thing at the same time. But there was nowhere else to go but down, so I descended. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, I found myself in a foyer whose appearance confirmed that the house must have belonged to an upper class family. The grand front door was a double one, made of heavy-looking wood. I wasn't interested in anything else in the room, and nothing caught my eye aside for the fact that there was no one else but me present.


I walked to the door and spent the next minute trying to figure out how to open it, when I heard a familiar voice from behind.


"Glad to see you up and running, Wolf." she said. "But where do you think you're going?"





It was Amber. She wore a different outfit, having traded her adventurous leather armor for something more casual, but everything else was the same about her. The same striking red hair that almost seemed to burn in the afternoon sunlight coming through the windows. Now, I knew that she didn't actually do this to me, but indirectly I blamed her - and she was definitely responsible for what she did after my transformation; capturing me to be her... pet... as she put it. But she had another thing coming, so I gave her a hateful look and said as much: I'm getting out of here! Except, I didn't actually say it. Like before, as I now remembered, I thought the words but what came out of my mouth... was barking.





Amber smiled cunningly. "Oh, don't give me that look. You should know right away that there's no escape for you. It's too late for that."





Even though I could no longer speak, she seemed to be guessing my thoughts. So I barked out a few insults, hoping that she'd get the message. And maybe she did, but it didn't wipe the smug off her face.





"Bark all you want, my pet! You belong to me now, and there's literally nothing you can do about it."





Was she crazy? Probably. I looked around and confirmed that the two of us were alone. She was also completely unarmed, unless she was hiding a blade in her long hair. So how was she intending to go through with this plan of hers? She couldn't possibly expect me to cooperate just because I was no longer human. On the contrary, I was even more dangerous as a wild beast, and the fact that she was just standing there relaxed and self-confident only made me feel more nervous. What did she have in store? Magic? Yes, that must have been it. I didn't see her perform any magic so far, but that hardly meant she wasn't capable of it. Still, she was underestimating me. Only about ten meters of the wooden floor separated us, and I felt that if I wanted to, I could be on her in two seconds. There was little chance that she could react and manage a spell in such a short time. Or perhaps I could turn the other way and simply jump out the nearest window. Same time frame. Could work.


While I was contemplating my options, the girl spoke to me again. "Actually, you know what? I'm wrong. There is something you can do about it." Her arms crossed, she smiled devilishly. "You can make your way over here, to me, and lick my feet."





I almost couldn't believe it. She was insane. But even so, as soon as she said it, I felt an immediate compulsion to obey her. I shook my head as if trying to shake it off. My front paws quivered, hesitant. Then Amber's face turned strict, and she added to her command: "Now, Wolf. Do it."





It wasn't mind control. I felt like a part of me really, genuinely wanted to obey her, and I was torn in my internal struggle. It all proved too much for me. I couldn't defy her, couldn't defy myself. When I moved, my body was not acting against my will. I was not a mindless puppet, like hypnosis or other mind control tricks usually make you. I was clearly aware that I was doing this of my own volition, like I simply chose to - as crazy as that may sound. So I walked over to Amber slowly but surely. She was wearing sandals, so when I bowed my head down it was indeed her naked feet that I licked. Then I looked up at her.


The girl's face was so bright and happy, no one who happened to enter the scene could possibly have accused her of being an evil sorceress. "Good boy!" she said, crouching down to meet my eyes up close.





I snarled - a reflexive reaction that surprised us both. Me, because it showed how quickly I was adapting to being a wolf. Amber, because she probably didn't expect anything of the sort.


"Oh, is that so? You wanna tear me up?" she said, sounding amused after her initial surprise. "Go ahead. My neck's exposed for you."





It was. And in the moment, I made my mind to forget myself and dive my fangs into her throat. But somehow... Somehow, I changed my bloody mind and instead rested my head on her shoulder, my snout harmlessly touching the soft skin of her neck. I couldn't help it. I simply could not force myself to bring harm to the girl. I didn't want to surrender, but what else could I do when I didn't have the option to resist? So I exhaled and relaxed where I was.


Amber seemed very pleased. "Aw, Wolf!" she said, almost lovingly. "I knew you'd come to love me, but I just didn't think it would happen so soon! This is perfect. You are everything I was hoping you'd be, and more." She stroked the fur along my back a few times, and I enjoyed it and hated myself for it at the same time. Suddenly, she sprang to her feet. "You know what? I should take you for a walk. Yes!"





I barked once: No. Of course, she completely misunderstood.





"Excellent. Wait here by the door while I get dressed. I won't be long." She turned around and went up the stairs that I previously took to descend from the second floor. It hit me that the room where I woke up must have been Amber's bedroom.





As soon as she left, I dashed in the direction opposite from the door, deeper into the foyer. I was half-surprised to find myself able to do so. Even though Amber had ordered me to wait by the door, I was somehow able to ignore that command. Was it just her absence? She wasn't that far, after all. Just several meters above me. I had no idea what to think, but it seemed like a good idea to stay on her good side for now so I walked back to the door and sat there, waiting for her. Once again it surprised me how quickly I was getting used to being a wolf. It scared me, and also made me wonder at how long would I stay like this. Judging from the way things were right now, quite some time.


True to her word, Amber was back pretty soon. So much for women taking forever to get ready. She must have been too excited to delay. When she came back down the stairs she was wearing an outfit similar to yesterday - partial, red-leather light armor - but much more elaborate than the one she had in the Ruins of Remembrance. She wore her true red hair loose and I realized that she was planning to show off in town. Of course.





"I'm pleased to see you did like I asked." she said. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you for as long as you cooperate." She proceeded to unbar the door and then open both wings wide.





All I could see was a front garden, a low wall at the end of a short path and beyond, the sky. Amber's house must have been on an elevated position. I looked at the girl, almost expecting her to produce a leash or a chain, then wondering how I had not been collared at least. I concluded that with her... powers of persuasion, let's call them, she didn't actually need any of those things. All the better.


Amber stepped outside. "Come on, Wolf. Don't make me make you!"





She said it jokingly, but I knew it was no joke. After a quick consideration I decided to play along. No use making a fuss over something trivial when she could easily have her way with me. But her powers must have had limits. I would explore them when I got the chance. For now, I obediently crossed the threshold and paused a few meters into the front yard to wait for my new owner. I spread my wings, feeling the wind's caress. It felt good.





"You look magnificent, you know. Aren't you glad that I got you out of that dark and forgotten place?"


Sure.


She missed the sarcasm in my bark, but I couldn't blame her for that. "Just wait until you've taken the Above in. You've been underground for a long time, Wolf. It'll hit you, and you'll love it." She smiled, stepping next to me. "Well, don't be shy. You're not leashed - yet." She laughed, but it was the cute sound of an entertained girl, not laughter of an evil manipulator. It was frustrating how hard it was becoming to dislike her. "Explore! Look around! Be a wolf, for the Word of Revmar! Just don't get too far. We'll be taking the path down into the city together."


Be a wolf. Pfft. Like I have a choice. But I stopped barking after that and took advantage of my limited freedom to dash over to the wall. It was just low enough for me to be able to grab the ledge between the crenelations and pull myself up to peek over it. The city itself wasn't very large, but part of it was built over a tall hill, and this is where Amber's house was. On the same hill was something resembling a keep, and the wall I was leaning on was part of its lower fortification. The girl must have had some kind of a privileged position here. Beyond the city's walls and towers loomed a very high mountain peak. I couldn't make out all of its features with my short-sighted wolf vision, unfortunately. Everything else was forests as far as the eye could see.


"Keep up, my pet." Amber beckoned to me as she began descending the cobblestone path winding downwards along the fortification. I sighed and hurried along.





We eventually arrived to a gatehouse with stationed guards - which were the first people I had seen in this place aside of my... owner. They looked like your everyday City Watch members; clad in heavy armor and equipped with halberds. I wasn't very surprised to see them salute Amber and step out of the way, but they looked very surprised to see me. If I wasn't with Amber, they would probably have sounded the alarm. I could feel their gaze on me as we passed through and descended into the town proper. The architecture was all wood and stone, and everything was very clean and well maintained. Unlike Earth's middle ages - the people in this world clearly knew how to live. Every single guard we came upon saluted Amber and completely ignored the large wolf beast trailing her. The citizens weren't so skilled: their astonishment was apparent, though there was more wonder in their faces than fear. I heard even the quietest of their whispers: "The Winged Wolf!"





So Amber was doing this just to show off. I already knew that. Well, she was definitely getting the attention she wanted. I was her prize that she could flash and be admired for it, a local legend brought to life and into submission. Just my luck. What was the Retreat trying to accomplish with this, I wondered.


"None of them believed they would actually get to see you." Amber said, giving me a sideways glance on the move. "You, the great Winged Wolf, making an appearance in their lifetime."





I knew she couldn't understand me, but I barked away my thoughts anyway: Wow. You're gonna go down in history for this, I take it?





"Great things are ahead, Wolf. For both of us." She gave me an odd look then, and said: "Together, we shall become unstoppable."


Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm.


"But first I want to see you in action."





Before I could properly wonder at what she meant, we had arrived at what seemed to be a large square. At the center was a large statue of white marble representing an armored knight. On the far side was a large building also of white marble that reminded me of a Greek temple more than anything else. As we crossed the square, it quickly became apparent that this was our destination. Amber opened the heavy-looking double doors and motioned for me to enter. I obeyed, after which she closed the doors shut from the inside. It was somewhat dark, but as a wolf I had no problems piercing the shadows. The interior agreed with the exterior on the assumption that it looked like a temple. Braziers and torches lit the central way, barely shedding light on the wall carvings and statues on the sides. There were four guards here, wearing some sort of ceremonial armor and weapons. They were definitely not city watch. I could sense their vigil.


"Stay close to me." Amber said. Clueless as I was, she didn't have to tell me twice.





The first chamber narrowed into a hallway that then expanded into an even larger room. The prominent thing was the altar in the center, built upon a pedestal and overlooked by a large wolf statue. There was a man there, clad in white robes. When we paused some distance from the altar he hurried to greet us.


"Amber, my child!" He must have been at least fifty. "Do my eyes deceive me, or have you succeeded in your task?"





"It is as it appears, Elder. The Winged Wolf stands before you, delivered from the Ruins of Remembrance." Quite needlessly, she pointed me out with an open palm.





"And..." the man hesitated. At that point I noticed there were several more like him gathering around us, as if they appeared from hidden passages. They all kept their distance. "And you control it?" he finally asked.





"As promised by the prophecy." Amber answered, smiling. "The Wolf is my loyal servant. Aren't you?" She gave me a strict look.





I, however, had other ideas. The robed men surrounding us from afar, the suspicious altar, the Elder that smelled of fear and deceit - I didn't like where this was going. I snarled at no one in particular, or at all of them. It didn't matter.


The Elder flinched, and I could feel the tension in the room. "W-we should perform the ritual quickly, my child." he urged Amber. "What limited control you may have over the beast... Well, we c-cant afford to have it break during the Ritual of Sacrifice!"





What?! I was shocked to have my fears confirmed. My sudden bark disturbed the Elder even more.


"It... It understands us?!"





Amber laughed. "I'm sure he does."





I stared at Amber and growled out my disbelief. You... brought me here to have me killed?!


"Oh, don't give me that hateful look, Wolf. It's not how it seems."





Oh, really? But why was I shocked, anyway? Something was off with that girl from the start, and come to think of it she did openly state that she was sent by the Elders into the ruins where we met. I should have seen it coming, but what could I have really done about it? The moment I stepped into the light of day I sealed my fate. But I wasn't about to go peacefully.





The Elder picked up a viciously curved ceremonial knife from the altar, and motioned at the other robed men. There were about half a dozen of them, and they began slowly moving towards me. "Whatever control over it that you have, use it now, my child! The ritual demands it!" said the Elder.





Amber laughed and put on that cunning smile of hers. "Oh, I have plenty of control, old man. The Wolf serves me completely... Me, and no one else." It came out sounding like a threat, and got everyone's attention.





"Amber, what are you saying...?" asked the Elder in surprise.


"I'm saying this wolf is mine, and I'm not about to hand him over to you fools."





Shock and disbelief throughout the room. I don't think that was what they were expecting to hear. When I looked up at Amber, she returned a reassuring gaze. She was betraying the Elders... Maybe even planned it from the start.


"Tear them apart, Wolf. Kill every single one of them." she ordered.





Instantly, I felt my senses go wild; the killer instinct taking over. Without hesitation I lunged at the Elder who was too terrified to even properly use the ceremonial knife. I ripped his throat and felt his blood spray over my snout. His scream was still echoing in my head while I was turning around and going for the others. At first they were charging at me, brandishing long knives of their own, but as I felled two of them within seconds the rest started to flee in terror. I thought I heard Amber shouting at me to hunt them down, but I was doing it anyway. They never made it out of the chamber. I slaughtered all seven of the Elders within a minute - and when the four guards finally arrived at the scene to investigate the screams, nearly slipping on the bloody floor as they marched in, I descended upon them from the shadows with all my fury. They stood no chance. And as I stood there, bathed in the blood of the people that I've just killed, I knew that I hadn't been driven just by my own desire to survive. Amber used her influence over me to make sure I went completely berserk, sparing no one and not once thinking of escape but instead only of killing.


"Well, done, Wolf" I heard her say. "Better than I expected."





I snarled at her.


"Hey, easy boy. You can calm down now. The bad men are all dead. It's just me here - your beloved mistress." She smiled, and somehow she was back to being that innocent, cute young woman at whom it was impossible to get mad at. "Now come to me. We need to finish this."





Obediently, I walked over through the pools of blood to join Amber at the altar that she was motioning at.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

CHAPTER TWO

​

- Part 3: Unfinished -

​

I don't know why I was surprised when Amber, after having me sit by her side, brought down the ceremonial knife upon me. Earlier when she called me hers and explained that she wasn't about to hand me over, it only meant she wanted to sacrifice me herself for whatever purpose this ritual had. What happened when the blade struck me was so unreal that it took me a few long moments to realize the blow never actually connected.


The world around me froze and cracked. Like I was in an alternate world behind the mirror, and someone on the other side shattered the glass. My surroundings: the knife before my eyes, the altar, the red-headed girl, the blood-soaked temple... It all fell apart, broken in a thousand gleaming pieces. But there was nothing on the other side of the veil. Only darkness that, once the pieces of my world faded, engulfed me completely. I was in a place without sense of time or direction, somehow both floating and standing upon nothing at the same time. Lost in the void of nothingness. However, due to the fact that I could see myself clearly, I chose to believe there had to be some obscure source of light even here - there just wasn't anything else to reflect it except myself. Nothing happened after that so I did some reflecting of another kind. I thought about Amber, wondering what she was hoping to accomplish. I thought about the wall paintings in the Ruins of Remembrance and tried to grasp some meaning. A logical explanation of any kind. Everything in the Retreat happened for a reason, I knew. So what was the purpose of my fall, of my journey through the shadows and the events that took place afterwards? Why was I ironically turned into a wolf? Was it just a twisted joke on my account by the Retreat, meant perhaps to teach me humility through being a mere pet at the whim of a girl? And finally, if this was the end, then why was I still a beast?





"I can feel it." a male voice said.





I was walking around, or at least I think I was, hoping to trigger some kind of reaction from anything. Anyone was just as good.


The voice sounded close but I found it impossible to trace back to its origin. "Your mind." he said. "I can feel it straining to understand. Reaching. It pleases me to watch you fail."





"Who are you?" I asked, realizing that I could talk normally again.





"Irrelevant." He shrugged off my question. "What matters is why you are here."





I asked a different question, but not the one I was expected to right away: "And where is here, Voidwalker?"





"Here is the Void of Nothingness."





"And why is all this... Nothingness... here?" Word games came naturally to me as I regained composure.





"This Void is of your own making. Or should I say; unmaking."





"I didn't put this here." I said.





The Voidwalker laughed. "And that is exactly how you put it here."





"What? Why?"





"You dare to ask me why?" Wrong question, it seemed. He sounded offended. "Because you were careless, incompetent, and arrogant. That's why. Did you think the pages would write themselves? You are a fool, Wolf, enslaved to your own failures just like you were enslaved to the sorceress; a pet, servant of her will as if you had none of your own. Given time, the effect would have become permanent. A most deserving fate, if you ask me."





I felt my heart harden. "I won't ask you, then."





"Ha! Who will you ask then? There are no answers in the Void. You have yourself to thank for that. But I will enjoy watching your torment for the rest of your miserable existence."





He was right, and I hated him for it. Plus, this line of questioning was getting me nowhere, and the idea of spending the rest of my days here did not appeal to me. So I went back and asked what I assumed to be the right question. "Alright. Why am I here?"





Instead of mocking me, the Voidwalker skipped to the point, for which I was thankful. "You are here to learn the error of your ways, so that you might change them. Countless worlds stand unfinished, including this one, because you stopped creating them. Thus you have betrayed your purpose and failed the task set before you, son of the Maker."





Chills ran down my spine at his last words. "What did you call me?"





"This Void is but one of many." he went on, ignoring my question. "And it is ironic that the world that has suffered the most at your hands is the one world you care most about. There, the Void does not merely line the edges like an empty, beckoning canvas the way it was meant to be. Instead, even now it spreads as cracks of Nothingness and tears that world apart. Your world. The one you have sworn to protect."





"I am beginning to understand, but you are wrong in one thing. I swore nothing." I said.





It didn't sound like he was pleased. On the contrary. "You swore! By using His gift to breathe life into Nothingness in the first place, you swore to protect the heart of each world you wrought, and one in particular. Do you deny that there was a time when you would have given everything for a chance to become one with it? Do you deny that you would still do it? You cannot lie to me, Wolf. Not here. In this place, you cannot hide from my gaze any more than you could from His. Here, you are exposed, your very being stripped naked in the dark."





I did feel exposed, and I knew that he was right. I also knew why, but I was not given the chance to speak.


"But you know this." the Voidwalker continued. "And just hearing it won't make a difference. You are too far gone for that. No. You need to see it with your own eyes, feel the pain of your world as if it were your own. Only then will you be able to fully understand. Steel yourself, Wolf!" he shouted. "Brace yourself all you like! Knowing it's coming won't help you one bit. In the aftermath, when your own heart has broken enough times, you will appreciate the beauty of that, among other things."





I didn't doubt his words but I took his warning all the same, knowing that I wouldn't be prepared.


And I whited out.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

CHAPTER THREE

​

- Part 1: Ruin -

​

It was late afternoon, and the town was already taken when I joined the story; its defenses broken and survivors scattered. I found myself walking in a short colon - Renarion Arenimon at my side, four other surians marching close behind us in pairs, and a line of six human warriors at both our flanks. We kept our formation, heading through the town square littered with corpses and debris in the direction of the cathedral on the other side. But before we get there, I should clear up a few basic things.


I recognized when and where I was shortly after coming to my senses. A town in flames could have been anything from my world, especially since I never bothered to envision any in great detail, but as soon as I spotted the person beside me and the large cathedral across the square, there was no doubt. Surians were an elvish-looking race, with dark blue toned skin and usually black hair, strong and tall while still retaining some of the grace in which your stereotype elves are commonly presented. I feel obliged to point out that surians are not elves, though in the beginning I referred to them as "shadow elves". They're a race on their own, sufficiently apart from elves with their narrow white-greyish eyes (iris, pupil, everything) that give them a slightly saurian appearance and the dark blue skin. Like the four beings behind me, Renarion Arenimon was a surian as well. But he was far more than that: a near invincible warrior and immensely powerful wizard, a champion, national hero and a living legend, a bloody icon so to speak - and finally, though he did not realize it at the time, a surian demigod. A grand list of achievements, but he did have over three thousand years to work on it.


And myself? I was Arenimon's second-in-command and his loyal friend since forever. I knew the scene well enough to spot the only significant person who was missing from it, so after taking a look at myself the answer presented itself. I have to admit though, at the risk of sounding pretentious, that I was a tad (at least) surprised that the Retreat did not place me in Arenimon's stead. Global fame, near unlimited power and immortality aside, he is one of my three main projections in this world and I have long used his name as my alias in reality. The character I was currently playing, though a formidable surian himself, ironically did not even have a proper name regardless of his importance for the plot. I remember using "Reyin" as an early version but I abandoned it since and never got around to making up a new one. Don't preach me. I know. Now, to get back on track.


Long story short, Arenimon led an attack on this town (whose name I also never got around to), driven by anger and hate he felt for the Church of the Sacred Trinity - the dominant religion on the continent, practiced exclusively by humans and dwarves. Surians, on the other hand, served the one true God they referred to as the Maker. Now, I want to make it perfectly clear that putting non-believers to the sword is not one of the articles of faith taught in temples of the Maker. Surians lived isolated on their own continent, but those few that sailed over here - despite their clear disapproval or even hate - didn't kill humans at sight based purely on religion. To avoid long explanations, Arenimon was influenced by a dark power which amplified his own inner demons. He was himself, but the worse version. Coincidentally, war raged throughout the continent so this attack was made to fit the general scheme, regardless of the fact that the town held next to no importance and posed no threat at all. The men who marched beside us were from the southern barbarian tribes. Rallied by Arenimon under his banner, they made a significant part of his army. But I knew they were merely tools, a means to an end; to be disposed of once they exceeded their use. I doubted they would actually receive the rewards promised to them. If they lived, that is.


That would be it in a nutshell. Back to the story at hand now.


Arenimon's orders were specific and not what you'd expect of a powerful, immortal surian with ruthless reputation who held himself above others and acted as if the entire world was there for his convenience. He ordered the army to kill every man of the cloth on sight - all priests and apparent members of the Church - to destroy every religious building and tear down every idol. As for the guards, Arenimon explicitly ordered to kill only those who stand in the way. Everyone else was to be spared, and no civilian was to be harmed unless they were part of the Church or tried interfering with the purging of the town. The orders were carried out a bit loosely, of course, but we were at war and the majority of the army was made of the aforementioned barbarians who held an ancient grudge against the kingdom they bordered with. It was a wonder that Arenimon was able to keep them on a leash to the extent that he did.


As we finally crossed the scorched square where apparently most of the fighting had been done, it was clear that it was over. What troops we brought with us - a few hundred - were about the minimum a strategist would recommend for mounting an assault against this particular settlement, and in this moment they were scattered throughout the town, cleaning up last pockets of resistance. Our group of eighteen would have been in no danger even had four of us not been surians, of which one the Blade of Storm and Fire himself (one of his titles). The cathedral was easily the biggest and tallest structure in town, or one of, and its heavy-looking doors were shut. Two of the barbarians with us, clad in fur and leather and armed with battleaxes left their places in the colon and approached the doors. They pushed against it a few times until one spat on the ground and the other cursed. They walked back to our now halted colon and stopped at a respectable distance from Arenimon.


The second barbarian spoke. "Lord Arenimon, the cursed gates are firmly shut and reinforced. Might as well be the castle keep, the kind of security they put on a mere church."





Arenimon glanced from the spires bathing in late afternoon's golden light downwards. "This is the final prize. It will fall." he said, gesturing with his right hand. "Aside." That said, he made another gesture, longer, and extended his arm to release a large sphere of blazing fire that shot directly into the entrance of the cathedral. The gates violently exploded, leaving behind flames licking at the gap in the wall. Not wasting a moment, he led us inside.





The cathedral was as large on the inside and overly adorned in gold and scarlet as you'd expect. Moving to stand beside my friend, I could see the disgust and hatred clear on his face.





"Spread out and eliminate the survivors."





All twelve of the humans obeyed without hesitation, ransacking the place as they went, destroying whatever they could in their path - be it golden idols or candelabra. Whoever had holed up inside the cathedral must have hid for there was no one in sight, but soon enough their screams echoed off of the decorative archways as they were found and slaughtered, one by one. Until, quite unexpectedly, there was a crashing sound from the gallery above and the body of one of the barbarians landed on the altar, quickly covering it in blood. Arenimon raised a brow in slight surprise and we all looked up. There, by the broken wooden railing of the gallery, stood a woman wearing the standard Church priest outfit: a red robe with golden patterns. Two more barbarians quickly ran up the side stairwell and she disappeared through a door behind her. A minute or more passed when one of the two barbarians broke out from the room on the other side, stumbling through the broken woodwork with a long knife protruding out of his chest until he finally fell down onto a line of pews below. We heard a roar coming from somewhere within the enclosed part of the gallery, a loud thud and then silence. The same robed woman reappeared at the same spot. Though she was covered in blood, it was obvious from her posture that none of it was hers.


"Looks like today might not be uneventful after all." said Arenimon, and I realized he was looking at me with a mildly amused expression. I returned the glance but said nothing. Our attention was drawn back to the gallery where the remaining warriors were all committed to cornering the priestess that had just killed three of them.





She tried escaping back the way she came from, but was blocked off by a barbarian with a shield. Being armed with only a long knife, she couldn't get past him so she ran to the right, but encountered three barbarians who had just come up the stairs. Looking to the left, five more had scaled the opposite stairway and were already moving down the walkway towards her. But the priestess wasn't cornered yet. She slid inside of what looked like a confessional but clearly was something else, because when the men reached it and went inside they disappeared just like she did. Someone shouted from behind the walls: "The bitch stabbed me!"





Arenimon could no longer suppress his amusement. He laughed and turned to face me and the remaining four surians who were watching with anticipation. "Well, if this keeps up I'm afraid the attack is done for."





"Where the hell is she?!" an angry shout came from somewhere upstairs.





"Not on this side!" someone replied, sounding every bit as irritated as the first man.





"I saw her run over there, past the tapestry!" a third voice said.





"Which tapestry, damnit?!"





Arenimon sighed. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry." I silently agreed.





"There, I got her!" someone finally said, but since the priestess emerged back onto the gallery walkway alone and seemingly unharmed, it was clearly an overstatement.





But this time, she quickly ended up cornered for real somewhere near the left end of the gallery. Several barbarians moved up on both sides, and she had her back against the wall. The only way out for her was over the railing and down, but she didn't seem eager to take a crippling fall over being cut to pieces by blades.


"Now you die, whore." the big barbarian who advanced first taunted her, holding a broad, bloody sword in hand. "You're gonna -"





"No." That came from Arenimon himself, reminding me of the plot that I designed. "Bring her to me. Unharmed." he ordered, and seeing the men hesitate, added: "Now."





Looking furious, the men grabbed and disarmed the woman and then hauled her down the stairway. Finally, they delivered her before Arenimon and then stepped back, still grinding their teeth. Thus presented, we could see how young she actually was. No more than twenty-five, if that. She had blonde hair and spiteful blue eyes. She held herself proudly, apparently keen on not showing fear. Arenimon took a few steps towards her, until the two of them were in the middle between the angry barbarians and the stoic surians.


"Do you know who I am, priestess?" I don't know if he honestly expected her to know, or if he was just asking. Renarion Arenimon was one of the most powerful beings in the world, but despite his reputation not everyone could recognize him, especially humans to whom all surians looked alike. And the one thing in his appearance that made him unique, his naturally snow-white hair, was currently as black as the night - consequence of the exposure to dark powers I mentioned earlier - just like his eyes that, instead of the surian all-white were completely black.





It took her several moments to collect herself, but she lined her words with defiance to match her expression. "A hateful demon sent to destroy us."





"You will find most of the town intact and all townsfolk who stood out of my way safe and sound. This was an attack against your wretched Church, not the town. And you clearly know nothing of demons, ignorant mortal."





"What, then?" she asked, remaining calm.





"This is a message. A warning to your corrupt Church that its days are coming to an end. For far too long has it poisoned this world with its presence, spreading lies and twisting the truth." he studied her a bit, then asked: "Are you a priestess of this Church? If not, you may walk away."





"You will kill me anyway."





Arenimon laughed. "On the contrary. You will live in either case."





She fixed the surian with an arrogant look. "Then I am the High Priestess here, chosen of the Sacred Trinity! And if it is the will of the gods that I die in their defense, I go gladly!"





"You poor, misguided fool!" he exclaimed, making swift gestures with both hands. Heat filled the air as he summoned fireball after fireball, destroying sections of the cathedral. Before long, several fires were raging. Pieces of marble and metal from statues and idols lay scattered everywhere. The barbarians stepped back, hugging the wall on the side of where the entrance used to be. "Where are your gods now?! Tell me!"





The priestess, visibly shaken and shocked, collapsed down on her knees and began mumbling half-whispered prayers with closed eyes.


Arenimon raged on regardless. "Where are they?! Why do they not stand against me?! Their great temple burns, their most faithful subjects are slaughtered, and yet the gods do nothing!" He circled around the fallen priestess, proving his point by lifting her up with one hand and forcing her to watch as he finally destroyed the centerpiece altar in an explosion of licking flames.





The girl flinched and burst into tears, still praying. "Sacred Three, grant me strength... I need your aid..."





"Your gods," Arenimon half-whispered to her ear, "Are dead." Then he turned around, glanced at everyone and finally stared at me. "I have other matters to attend to. Finish this and return to the fortress. The priestess is not to be harmed." I nodded without a word and watched him turn around and exit the cathedral. A few feet beyond the threshold, he made a hand gesture and opened a large, round, purple-blue colored portal that closed briefly after he passed through.





Nothing happened in the next several moments. Then, one of the surians approached me. "Commander," he addressed me, "Should we rally the others?"





"Yes." I responded. "Go. Make sure we're ready to leave as soon as we're done here."





He nodded, took one other surian with him and left. It was just me, my two remaining countrymen, and nine barbarian warriors. And of course, the priestess. Or what was left of her. She was still crying, swinging back and forth in her kneeling position. Then one of the barbarians said: "Now to finish what we started." And he grabbed the girl. Automatically she began kicking, so two other men joined in to restrain her. The first one grinned. "Stupid bitch. You'll pay for what you did up there on that walkway. I'm not gonna kill you, tho. Not yet. But you'll beg me to, I promise you that." The three of them proceeded to undress her, clearly intending to rape her. She screamed on the ground, desperately trying to resist them. I watched, sort of detached as if I was nothing more than a beholder. Thinking how this was not meant to happen. It didn't hit me until they hit her. The first man, the leader, grew irritated and slapped her. It must have been pretty strong, because she grew still for a few seconds after being hit. And then I came to my senses.


I suddenly remembered my own story. It was my character who was supposed to prevent this. No one was going to act for me. I glanced at the other two surians. I could read tension and readiness on their faces. "What do you think you're doing?" I said, stepping out closer to the group on the floor.





"Satisfaction." said the leader, thinking he could shrug me off like that. "This little priestess is ours."





"She is not to be harmed. Lord Arenimon's orders." I said through my teeth. That got their attention.





"Ohhh no..." said the barbarian leader, rising from the stone floor. "You're not taking this away from us. We did your work for you. We held back enough times from taking the spoils of war that were rightfully ours, just so you blue-skins could play at morality. We're taking this one." He said it in a way that made it clear he wasn't willing to negotiate.





I did my best to sound even more resolute. "You will not touch her."





They tightened weapons in their hands, anticipating a fight. But there was no anticipating the lightning-quick reflexes of trained surian warriors. I designed the race. I knew what they could do, and I drew my curved sword and cut off the man's head before he could utter another word, let alone take action. "Kill them." I ordered, not removing my gaze from the remaining barbarians. The other two surians moved as swiftly as I did, cutting down the closest targets in the blink of an eye, and engaging the rest. I didn't have to take another step. My two comrades made short work of the clumsy barbarians. I stared at the rapidly spreading pool of blood and the priestess in the middle. She stared back. I thought of my plans for her later on in the story, and at the same time realized that this was the end. I immediately wished it wasn't.





The world broke before my eyes once more, just like it did when I was a winged wolf at the side of a sorceress in another world. It froze, cracked, and shattered, only this time I could feel it. I could feel every single crack spread like lightning across a mirror made of water - except the mirror was me - and Maker, did it hurt.


It hurt.


The center of the pain was my chest, and for the longest moment, I was certain my heart broke to pieces.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

CHAPTER THREE



​

- Part 2: Damsel in Distress -

​

There was... a lot... to take in when I regained my senses. Rather than attempting proper storytelling, I'll describe things in the order as they came to me.


The first thing I was aware of was my beating heart. A wave of relief as I enjoyed the fact that I was alive. Still beating, but moderately fast. I was excited. I found myself looking far over the horizon, at the darkening eastern sky. Then I became aware of footsteps grinding on... snow? I leveled my view and realized I was standing on top of a snow-covered hill. All around me soldiers marched, and there was snow as far as the eye could see. Troops descended downwards; men and surians. A battle raged in the valley ahead. I turned behind and saw a tall mountain rising. And it was cold.


I remembered.


This was the northeast corner of the Enarithian continent. The battle was fought between one of the two local kingdoms of men, Arnath, and Renarion Arenimon, who had his surians as well as help from the other kingdom, Istra. I could see the battlefield pretty well from my vantage point. It was taking place on a large frozen plain, with both armies already fully engaged. The surians were few in numbers; this was not their homeland. Not many followed Arenimon after he was exiled from Elleran. Had there not been for Istra, the Arnathian army would outnumber the surians ten to one. Even with Istra included, the Arnathians still had the advantage of numbers - but not the odds. Not really.


"Lady Arenimon!" I heard someone call. In between the formed groups of men and surians that marched past me on their way to join the fray, I noticed a single surian approaching my position.





The call jogged my memory. I looked around to see who he was talking to. As he came closer, it became apparent that he was talking to me. Surprised, I finally studied myself from the only perspective I had and quietly realized that I was a woman. I must have had an odd expression on my face because the surian asked if I was alright. "I'm fine." I answered, further surprised by my own voice. Her voice. I was Niara Arenimon, Renarion's twin sister.





"I feel compelled to urge you to reconsider your intention of joining the battle. If your brother knew that you even left the fortress... And what if you come to harm?"





Niara was a very developed character, and as such her mind was stronger. I had trouble thinking as myself. So I caught myself laughing my initial confusion away, replying: "Isn't that why I have you around? Come! It is not every day that we get to test our skill like this." And I turned, almost against my will yet not, and started making my way down the hill. The only thing that slightly distracted me was the feeling of breasts under my armor. I was naturally not used to that. My companion followed on my right side, effectively silenced. On our way down I saw a dragon lift-off from the edge of the battlefield and start an aerial sweep.





"It is fortunate your brother is here." said the surian. "He will make short work of the attackers. With the Blade of Storm and Fire on our side, I don't think we even need the Istrians."





I gave him a sideways glance. "So what are you worried for, then?"





"My concern is for you, Niara."





I felt compelled to say something defiant in reply. "I can hold my own. Perhaps even better than you." I could feel my need to prove myself, to show that I am more than a sister living in her brother's shadow. I was confident in my abilities, but Renarion wouldn't even hear of me fighting. "I can't lose you," he had said. "You're all that I have left." While I understood his drive to protect me, he was underestimating me. We were twins; both over three thousand years old now, yet he was always acting as if we were a millennium apart. It's true, I had never stepped foot outside our isolated homeland until recently and couldn't possibly compare my experience to his, but that didn't make me a helpless little girl. And this battle was the perfect opportunity to, well, show off.





I was so lost in Niara's mind and her thoughts that I completely forgot how the story went. But even if I remembered, what then? Was it wise to try and alter a written plot through means such as this? Who knows.


The fighting became even louder once we reached the actual battleground. There was bloodshed not a hundred feet from us. "Stay close to friendly faces." my companion advised. "Remember your training. These humans are no match for our skill, but you can only fight so many of them at once."





I nodded and drew my blade. My first chance was to take on a group of tangled Istrians and Arnathians. The Istrians were overwhelmed and slowly losing. I ran up to the Arnathians from behind, stabbing the first man in the back, then pulling my bloodied sword out and sinking it into the side of another one. By then the others noticed me and my companion and regrouped accordingly. An Arnathian warrior in full heavy armor came straight at me, but I executed a series of fast attacks that deflected his sword and ended with him cut down. I looked around, confirming that my allies have taken the chance to finish the rest of them off. The adrenaline coursing through my body felt good.


Without hesitation, I plunged deeper into the fray and killed three more men on my way to finding another objective. I knew it was the Istrians who needed help the most, not my fellow surians. Looking over my shoulder I saw my companion (yes, I never named him, that's why I keep referring to him in this manner) struggling to keep up with me. I had to slow down anyway, having encountered two Arnathian knights who turned out to be more capable than I thought at first, because they repelled my attack and even forced me to step back. I fenced with both of them at the same time, relishing in the realization that I could hold them both off without excessive effort. However, I was unable to kill them either. Eventually the flow of battle took us apart - several enraged Istrians swooped in among us, fighting everything at the same time like rabid dogs. I saw one of the knights fall, but had to focus on my new situation.


A line of enemy archers that somehow managed to stay intact had me on their sights. Acting fast, I impaled a nearby Arnathian soldier on my sword and used his body as cover against the arrows that were already flying in my direction. I tried pushing forward but the man was too heavy in his armor for me to move around holding him, so I took my sword out and melded back into the chaos where at least I would be safe from the firing squad. I couldn't see my companion anymore. I thought I caught a glimpse of him in one moment, but it turned out to be another surian. I killed a few more men, barely avoiding getting killed myself by the last one that came at me with two axes. I survived without a scratch, but the close encounter brought me back to my senses. I looked around, trying to assess my surroundings. I was surrounded mostly by Arnathian infantry clashing against Istrian troops. I couldn't see any surians anymore, and I lost sense of direction as well. Above the blood and the smoke I could see the mountain in the background, bathed in the light of the setting Sun. At least I knew where to go.


I pushed past a group of men so bloodied that I couldn't even discern which side they were on, defended myself against several attempts on my life, slashed through two marksmen that were shooting at the Istrians, and finally found myself in a more favorable position. I still couldn't see my companion anywhere, but I did see a group of surians fighting under an Elleran banner just beyond a rocky formation. I had to go around the obstacle, nearly slipping on some ice first, and then really slipping - what I took for a patch of ground was actually ice covered in blood. I fell down but somehow kept grip of my sword, which is what saved my life a moment later. Just as I got back up, an Arnathian knight swung at me with a blow that would have surely split me in two had I not blocked it with my own blade. But just barely. He was much stronger than me. Before I could disengage he swung again, this time with his shield, and knocked me down. The force of the blow also made me lose both my sword and helmet. Shifting my gaze from the looming knight to my surroundings in attempt to find something - anything - I could use to defend myself, I saw familiar surian figures rushing towards me. The knight didn't see them, being too occupied with finishing me off, and was cut down by my fellow surians - but not before he brought his sword down and ran me through.


I felt piercing pain in my lower torso where the blade went in, and stayed there. I think I screamed. I could see shapes moving about me, hear the chaos of the battle raging. A feeling of detachment came over me. Barely remembering that I was just playing a character, I asked myself: If I died here, as Niara, would I die as me, too?


"Maker's Mercy! Lady Arenimon!" someone cried. I heard other voices, too, each more distant than the previous one.





"No! No! On that side, there! Push them back!"


"Protect her with your lives! Healer! We need a healer!"





"Find Arenimon, now! Go! Quickly!"





"Healer!"





I don't know for how long I lied there. Time didn't make sense anymore. And the pain was getting duller.


"Can you hear me? I'm here to help." someone said. "I have to take the sword out before I can do anything. It's going to hurt."





I nodded with my eyes closed. In the next moment, I felt searing pain as the blade was drawn out. It was almost too much to bear, but at the same time it woke me up from the slumber I was falling in. Then there was a soothing sensation that made be feel a bit better, but not much.


"I'm sorry." said the person. She was a surian, and I think she was talking to the others. I was surrounded by surians, most of which were fighting to keep the flow of battle from spilling over me. "But this is beyond me. The wound is too grave. The blade practically nailed her to the ground. What little I could do is the only reason why she's still alive. I fear it's... too late..."





Too late.





No.





This wasn't how the story went. Niara doesn't die here. No. I knew better than that. Where was Renarion? He was supposed to be here...


At that moment something crashed nearby. I could feel the tremor in the ground. A part of my vision was filled with a huge, looming dark shape with a set of green eyes. Wings stretched out, it breathed fire over the enemy ranks. Men screamed. My little group relaxed, safe for the time being. A rider dismounted from the dragon, clad in black armor with silver engravings.


"Renarion! Just in time!" someone said.





"We found her like this. We did what we could, but..."





"No!" Arenimon screamed. "Niara...!" He knelt by my side, taking off his helmet. I saw desperation written all over his face. "No, no, no.... Why?"





All I managed to utter was: "I'm... sorry..."





"No!" he cried, tears falling out of his white eyes. "No! You're going to be alright, sister! You'll be fine. I'm here."





"I'm cold..."





He made a gesture over my wound and I felt my pain soothe like earlier. Then he rose back to his feet and signaled. "I have to take her back to the fortress. I'll be back. Don't lose the battle while I'm gone." he said to the others. Then the dragon re-entered my field of vision, this time closer. I saw my brother mount, the beast spread its wings, and then I was grabbed and we flew up. The dragon carried me way up high above the clamor of the battle, towards the frozen peaks of the mountain. To my brother's fortress. Where I would be saved, and in return doom him for it.





I know. I wrote the story.


Even half dead and soaring through the cold skies, the pain that echoed in my heart as my world shook and fell apart was unbelievably intense. Finally, I fainted.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

CHAPTER THREE




- Part 3: Maker's Chosen -
​

I found myself in the middle of an oak forest, walking a path of ancient-looking, cracked stone tiles overgrown with shrubs in many places. I could see the Sun hanging low through the treetops. Late afternoon, it seemed. I stopped moving and looked around, confirmed that I was alone. Then I searched my mind to figure out the rest. I was Renarion Arenimon, and I came here looking for solitude. Coming through a portal from a place of cold and snow, I still wore a heavy black robe with a raised hood. I needed some time to relax, and a change of scenery at that. There was much to consider. For now, I continued along the stone path. This character was perhaps the most developed of all my characters; as such, his mind was incredibly strong. I had to continually remind myself of who I really was. I found it helpful to do some meta-thinking and ponder what was going on between me and the Retreat.


It was trying to teach me a lesson, I was sure of it. But that didn't really explain anything. The Retreat was always trying to teach me lessons. That was its purpose. But none of the previous lessons ended up nearly as painful as the one I was currently undertaking. Why? I thought about it as the path curved. I went around some rocks that were in the way, and that's when I thought I heard something. I instinctively continued walking, trained by many centuries of experience to not let on that you know you are being watched. I quickly dismissed the possibility of being followed. I arrived through a portal, remember? And from a private location. So, assuming that I wasn't imagining things, whatever was out there had to have been present even before I arrived. It could be...


I abruptly cut off Renarion's train of thoughts. As Wolf, the writer, I knew exactly what was going on. I just had to remind myself. Relishing in my own omniscience, I pressed on. The path curved once more, this time to the right. I followed it to the forest's edge and exited into open space. The path ended at the ruins of a small fortification built right on the cliff's edge. Nothing more than remains of a small tower and a ground level lookout point, really. I slowly crossed it and leaned against what was left of the lower stone wall. The sunlight was golden and the skies blue. Nary a cloud in sight. Over the precipice I saw the forest stretch on for many miles. All the way in the back I saw the great mountain chain of Adent rising to hide the secluded valley where the ancient capital city of the Humans of Enarithia was positioned. I felt Renarion's thoughts - my thoughts - rush towards the throne upon which he once sat when he took the city as part of a joke, but I wanted to stay focused on what was going to happen next. Renarion's senses were honed to near perfection; I didn't actually need the foresight I had as the writer who wrote the story. With this gift I could even have reacted ahead, but it was wiser to simply follow the story as it was, lest it be changed into something beyond my control. A million things could happen, so I just passively gazed at the horizon and waited for the sign. The anticipated faint hint of movement behind me came soon, and I turned around, ready. She didn't stand a chance.


A female surian in light armor - combination of leather and cloth - was jumping at me with a long, curved blade in hand. She was already airborne, but I had drawn my own steel as I turned to face her, and it was easy to dodge her attack, sidestep, then parry her follow-up attack that she masterfully executed before even touching the ground. She was now where I previously stood, having exchanged places with me. She couldn't see my hooded face, but I could see hers. Beautiful, elegant features, adorned with long black hair. Renarion the character wasn't supposed to recognize her: He had a form of amnesia. But I knew her. God, she was prettier than I had imagined her. How was that possible even, given how I made her and everything?


Our conversation was in the surian tongue, of course, but I will write it down here plainly.


"Skilled you may be, traitor, but it will avail you nothing." she said. The term she used hurt. Traitor. Me. The goddamn Blade of Storm and Fire. "Did you think you could evade justice forever?"


"If I knew justice looked this good, I'd make less effort to evade it." I played the part as I remembered it, not wanting to stray too far from what was written.


"You...!" she exclaimed, visibly upset. Her voice was edged with anger. "You've made a mockery of the Council! You've betrayed your own people!" She moved forward and swung at me, aggressively, before even finishing the sentence.


I parried her first blow, and the second, and the third, staying on the defensive. "Playing by the rules was never my thing." I said, feigning a left side attack and then going for her right, to test her reflexes. She saw through it and blocked me, then proceeded to quickly launch another series of her own attacks that I parried relatively easily. But I could tell she had skill. I decided to commend her. "You keep your anger in check. Good. But your chain attacks are too predictable."


"I did not come here for fencing lessons!"


"No. You came here to kill a compatriot. A fellow surian. Am I wrong?" I asked, lowering my sword for the moment.


This gave her pause. It was forbidden for a surian to kill one another. It was considered among the worst sins conceivable, regarded as even worse than killing a member of another race. For the Council to sanction an assassin with such a task... It meant that they had run out of options. I saw a dose of sadness creep across her face that was nothing but anger just a moment ago. "All the things you've done... Why?" she asked in turn, keeping her sword up.


"You don't know the whole story. Things are not what they seem. I am not what I seem." I said.


"You seem a traitor and a disgrace to our people! Maker have mercy on your soul, for no one else will. I am here to stop you."


I shrugged. "Try, if you must."


Her face hardened. She tightened the grip on her sword and attacked me again, this time with even greater determination. I actually had to put in an effort to fend her off. I was still only defending, reluctant to kill another surian, but she seemed to be trying her earnest to kill me. Again and again she came at me, and I was running out of options. After parrying her last attack, I put some distance between us and quickly engaged in conversation again. "How did you find me?"


A defiant grin appeared on her face. "Tracking you down was easier than you'd think. Getting close to you unnoticed and following you through the portal was the hard part."


My eyes widened in surprise. "Were you really sent by the Council? Because I've dealt with far better than you already." I said, confidently. "The best they had, I believe. Come on. You don't honestly think you stand a chance now, having lost the element of surprise? You are amazingly stealthy, I'll give you that. If your combat prowess was on par, I'd be in serious trouble, but that is not the case, is it? You can stop bluffing now. You had one chance to sink that blade in my back and you lost it. You have no hope of defeating me in a fair fight, and we both know it."


I could see it on her face that she knew I was right. She can't have missed how effortlessly I dodged and parried all of her attacks. How I had been playing with her since the start. I could end it all whenever I wanted. She backed off, lowering her sword slowly. But there was no weakness in her eyes, nor in her voice as she spoke. "It is by the Maker's will that I stand here before you. You may have beaten the best, but I was chosen by the Maker himself to stop you." She looked vulnerable now, retreating to this philosophy, but nothing she ever said earlier came out with as much certainty as her next sentence. "With His blessing, I will succeed."


I must admit this caught me off guard. I forgot about that part. Must have allowed myself to sink too deep in-character. Shifting back into the role of my true self, I remembered. The surian wasn't lying. Arenimon became all but unstoppable, and the Council desperate. Their prayers were finally answered when the Maker himself truly appointed the girl as the one who could stop him. In the story, hearing this made Renarion quiver. Instinctively, driven by my character as much as by myself, I raised my sword in a lightning-fast arc and disarmed the would-be assassin just as she tried to defend herself. With her back against the low wall and the precipice beyond, she had nowhere to go. The tip of my sword was resting right under her chin.


But I didn't fool myself for a second. Regardless of my writer's insight. Renarion wouldn't have fooled himself either. It just felt wrong. He... I knew that I couldn't do it. And apparently, so did the other surian. Her expression changed as if she just realized it.


"What are you waiting for?" she asked, calmly. "Can't bring yourself to kill a fellow surian?"


"A fellow surian? Perhaps. A Maker's chosen? Some rules are not meant to be broken." As I said it, something drew my attention. The girl had something around her neck. I could only see part of a fine silver chain, familiar-looking. I felt shivers across my spine. Carefully, ignoring the confused look on her face, I lowered my sword and used its tip to raise the chain upwards, revealing the entire thing. It was a flat pendant, depicting a wolf - or more precisely, only half of one, but it was clear what it was. I gasped and my eyes widened.


My opponent was confused as well, but her confusion was coming from my own. She gave me a puzzled look, but did not speak. Only slightly lowering my sword, I reached under my garments and pulled out my own pendant on a silver chain. I held it out on an open palm, displaying the half of a wolf fixed at its end. The other, missing half... I saw her quiver; her eyes gradually filled with disbelief. With my left hand I pulled back my hood, revealing a shower of snow-white hair and showing my face.


Immediately she moved towards me, past my still raised sword, completely ignoring it. I made no attempt to stop her. I just stared ahead, lost in thoughts. I was so detached that I barely even felt when she bumped into me, her hands instinctively wrapped around me. She embraced me and uttered a single word on the edge of tears.


"Ren!"


Her name came to me in a split second, and I whispered it to her ear. "Niara..." And then my mind was overwhelmed with visions, flashbacks, memories... I suddenly remembered. Not everything, but her. My sister.


There was so much that I wanted to tell her. So much that I wanted to ask. But I couldn't. I hadn't written it. I wished I had, really, I did - not just for the two of my characters - but for myself as well, for it would have misplaced or at least the delayed the mind-shattering picture before my eyes and the pain of a broken heart in my chest. I clutched my sister firmly in my arms as darkness filled my sight and stole me from time and place.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

CHAPTER THREE




- Part 4: The Last Wish -
​

"If you're reading this, that means I am dead."


The scene I revealed in the house upon my arrival confirmed the beginning of the letter that called me here. Broken furniture, stuff thrown around... The place was a mess. And when I observed the heavy amount of blood on the floor I knew that he really was dead. The man who once fought in wars alongside Renarion Arenimon and saw things beyond the scope of mere mortals eventually fell prey to mere thugs in his own home. It was disgusting. But it was not vengeance for his death that he asked for in the letter he sent.


"Instead I beseech you: Find my daughter, Aryn. She is all alone in the world now, and she is not safe here in the capital. I beg of you, find her, and ensure her safety.. For old time's sake. You are her only hope against the grave and immediate danger that she faces."


Thus I, Renarion Arenimon, set out at once for the city of Narsilion - the great capital of the human kingdom on the continent of Enarithia - to grant the last request of an old friend. Naturally, the girl wouldn't be found at home, though I've searched it just in case. And now I had no idea as to where she might have gone. I assumed her father's killers were looking for her and that she really had no place to go, so the most logical course of action was to search the streets and hope for the best.


The capital city was dark and wet. It was late in the evening and the rain was pouring since I arrived. Given how the streets were near deserted I didn't bother shadowmelding. A long cloak would suffice to keep both the rain and the occasional glance off my person to a satisfying extent. Passing through the various areas of the city I couldn't help noticing the evident lack of presence of city watch guardsmen. If the Watch was not watchful, then it was no surprise that crime was rampant these days in Narsilion. I made my way down one wet street after another, sweeping one neighborhood at a time, but the girl was nowhere to be found.


In the meantime, I was pondering the Retreat. I wondered if it was possible for me to even just leave at this point. Would the Retreat respond aggressively? Likely. And even if I succeeded, would that really solve anything? Unlikely. No. For better or for worse, I had to figure this out and get things done. I reflected back on what happened so far and solidified my conclusions. The Retreat was upset with me for leaving my worlds, one in particular, unfinished for so long. It wanted me to create, to write. All of this was just one large attempt to make me do so - or, more precisely - to make me see all that so that I would want to continue of my own free will. But if I just deduced all that now, wasn't that it? Was I supposed to ring a bell and say: "Hey, I got it now, so if you could let me go now I'll get back to writing"? Somehow I didn't think that was it.


Another empty street, another gutter filled with downpour. I heard someone calling out somewhere in the distance. Not the name I was after, so I ignored it. I pressed on, searching quite literally every nook and cranny. The girl supposedly had nowhere to go, so I was fairly certain she'd stick to the streets. The whole thing happened too recently for her to have gotten to any kind of safety unassisted. And right around the corner, I was proven right.


I heard it before I saw it; screams came from an alley on the left hand of the main road. I quickened my pace, but glanced behind cautiously before coming around. My surian eyes granted me perfect vision despite the dark of night and heavy rain. One figure was standing over two others huddling over a smaller one that laid on the ground. Three men and a woman, unmistakably. What was going on was unmistakable as well. I hurried towards them, still not bothering to shadowmeld. I wanted them to see me. They did, but only when I was practically on top of them. The first man, who was standing as if keeping watch - which he did poorly, because he was staring at his two friends restraining the girl - finally heard my footsteps when I was just a dozen feet from him.


"What's the matter? Daddy not here to protect you?" one of the two huddled men said. He and his partner hadn't yet noticed me, despite the first man telling me to get lost, as if he was scaring off a beggar or random passerby.


I was already angry by then and felt my anger steadily turn into wrath. "No." I replied without slowing down, "You should have done that while you had the chance." Then I threw back my hood and quickly drew my sword, decapitating the man's head while he was still trying to shake the confusion and fear caused by my appearance.


That got his two friends' attention. They both stood up, fumbling with their weapons and muttering words I couldn't make out. Probably because I did not want to. Still keeping my stride, I effortlessly parried the first man's pathetic excuse for an attack and put two feet of cold steel in him. I pulled my sword out before life had left him, but I knew he'd be dead in a few moments. The second man watched his friend go down in shock, then dropped his weapon and fell down on his knees before me.


"Mercy!" he pleaded. "Please... Please, I'm sorry...! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me, please..."


I gave him mercy. The movement of my sword that parted him with his life was quick. Probably quicker than he deserved. I looked around. All three thugs were dead as can be, so I finally focused on the girl. She was soaking wet, her blonde hair disheveled, and her clothing torn. Her face was a weird mixture of fear, panic, and exhaustion. But those things aside, she was pretty. And young enough to be who I was looking for. I slowly lowered my bloody sword until it was resting on the ground, and then I knelt down on one knee next to her.


"Easy now. No harm will come to you." I said, trying to sound calm and soothing. "I am only here to help you. Are you Aryn?"


It took her several long moments to speak. "Y-yes... Who... W-why?" Her voice was weak and cracking.


I produced the ring that I received with the letter, showing it to her in the open palm of my right hand. "Because you were the last wish of an old friend." I said.


She looked at the ring in disbelief, and then she looked at me. I mean really looked at me. Not just my face, but who I was. She was trying to place me. "My... My father..." she began, then trailed off.


"Your father sent me. My name is Renarion. And I'm here to take you somewhere safe, where no one can harm you."


In the next moment two things happened. The girl flew forward and wrapped her arms around my neck, and then burst into tears. I said nothing, just embraced her. I felt odd... A good kind of odd. This kind of closeness was not something Renarion Arenimon experienced often. I knew he could use it.


What happened after that? Well, as the story goes, Renarion carried Aryn out of the city, using the nearest portal to transport her halfway across the continent to the cold, distant North where his mountain fortress was (the one I mentioned before). There, he intended to do much more for the young girl than his friend had asked him to. That story, for one, had a happy end.


But it hadn't yet been written, which is why the warm, hopeful images were erased from my mind by the searing pain of the dark void that hit me, shattering the world around me and clenching my heart until I fainted.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

CHAPTER THREE




- Part 5: At World's End -
​

Have you ever had to watch a world die? Or worse yet, watch your world die?


Because I'm watching mine now. Front row seat at the precipice beyond which things were falling apart as my world plunged head-first into Chaos. Mountains collapsed, rivers and lakes flowed over edges and dissipated into nothingness. Even the heavens would not be spared as the sky thinned and became transparent, revealing a solidifying presence of outer space beyond. It was all coming undone.


My genesis, reversed.


A long, long time ago, back when Order reigned supreme and Perfection was untainted, there existed a small group of enlightened individuals who saw beyond the world that the Maker had created. According to them, the purpose of life was the act of Creation itself, so, professing that the sentient races were made in the Maker's image, they claimed to be driven by desire to create themselves. Eventually they gained His favor, and with it the knowledge and power required to attempt the greatest act of Creation possible - to create a world.


They succeeded. But although these new worlds were unique and near-limitless, they were not independent. For beyond the sphere of Creation, there was raw, unformed Chaos to consider - surrounding the world like outer space surrounds Earth in reality. This Chaos was believed to have come from the Maker's own mind; representing everything that could have potentially been realized during his shaping of the world but for some reason was not, resulting in a dark, unknown mixture of nothing and something. The Maker likely perceived a possible threat from Chaos, for he warned his apprentices about it and taught them to bind their worlds to the original one, so that they would levitate around it, so to speak, safely anchored.


Renarion Arenimon, currently played by yours truly, was the first being to learn the since long-forgotten knowledge and ultimately succeed in creating a world of his own. Of course, this was after one of the three Maker's helpers - demigods in their own right - took the life and power of another and challenged the Maker for supremacy over Creation. World-crafting became a lost and ever more dangerous game since, because Argeron lost the war that ensued but managed to take refuge in Chaos, where he bided his time until his inevitable return. This meant that every single one of the worlds anchored around the original world were in grave danger. The anchors protected them from being simply reeled in by Argeron's power, yes, but they were otherwise undefended when his demonic army invaded one after another to seek and destroy the anchors so that they would be condemned to fuse with Chaos and thus strengthen his might.


But back to the moment at hand: Where I stood at the precipice, watching my world being consumed by Chaos, the shards of the Amaranth scattered beneath my feet... You can probably already tell what's wrong with that sentence, but let me clarify nonetheless in one brief definition: When Arenimon created and secured his world, he did so using an artifact of immense power, an anchor, which he fondly named "Amaranth".


Yup. The shards of which lay scattered across the ground all around me. That was not supposed to happen. It doesn't even matter how it happened, because nothing could stop the events that were set in motion when the anchor was destroyed. So there I was, a helpless beholder.


But I was not alone. I heard him with my back turned easily because he happened to step on one of the shards which then broke in two with an audible, glass-cracking sound. "That's my Amaranth you're walking on." I said calmly without turning.


"Or at least it was." he replied, taking a few steps closer before he finally stopped.


I sighed. I felt tired and probably sounded that way when I turned around to face him and said: "What are you doing here, human? Come to watch a world die?"


"I'm here because I couldn't let your sister come alone."


That got my attention. "Niara... She's here? I don't see her standing next to you."


"I'm here, brother." a familiar voice said, then she came into view from behind a ruined wall. We were standing at the edge of a small observatory that had long since fallen into disrepair.


I studied her face for a few moments, then turned away and faced the distant Chaos. "You should not have come here. Both of you." I said. "In less than an hour, there will be nothing left of this place. Nothing..." My thoughts drifted away, briefly. Everything that I've built, gone. Just like that. And it was my fault for trusting others to protect my Amaranth instead of being here to safeguard it myself. I should have been here - but I knew that I could not. I was desperately needed elsewhere. Who knows. Perhaps that was part of Argeron's plan as well...


"How can you say that?" Niara said to me. "My brother is here, and so I am too."


"I am here because this world is of my making. It is only fitting that I witness its downfall." I replied. "You, however, can only come to harm here. This - all of this," I made a wide gesture, "Is being engulfed by Chaos. There is not much time left."


"Then come back with me! What are you waiting for, the last possible moment?"


"I'm not sure I want to go back. At all." I said.


She was shocked. "What? Ren, I don't understand. If you stay..."


"I'll get a first hand tour around Chaos. Always wondered what the place looked like."


We argued for some time - and by that I mean Niara tried her earnest to talk sense into me - but I could feel how depressed Arenimon had become. He felt like there was no point in going back because almost nothing mattered anymore. He reached a point in his life where he did not much care whether he lived or died. And then, suddenly, with a thunderous clap the ground gave way and the cliff we were all standing on started sliding down - fortunately, the height was not incredible, and we all ended up relatively unhurt on the lower plains below us. This was practically right next to the portal that led back to the main world; the place I used to enter my world and then climbed the observation spot that was now no more.


"Are you ok? If you needed a sign, look no further." I said, dusting myself off and pointing at the glowing azure doorway. Before my sister could reply, however, the plains entered the chaotic vortex and started rapidly falling apart.


"I thought you said we had an hour!" the human shouted.


"I said less than an hour. Isn't this less?" I maintained my composure.


Niara started making her way towards me, but the ground suddenly split apart and separated us. I could see the void of space gaping far below. It didn't get to me at all. I could just... stare at it. But my sister panicked. So I shouted: "Hold her, damn you! And get her out of here!"


"I'm not leaving without you! Do something! Get over here!"


"The anchor is broken. I have no control over this world anymore." I said matter-of-factly.


"Ren, please... Don't do this..."


She was begging me now. The pleading look in her eyes was almost too much to bear. So I averted my eyes and told the human: "Take her and leave through the portal, quickly! It could collapse at any moment, and then you'll have no way of escaping this hell. I'm sorry, Niara. I can't reach even if I wanted to... I'm sorry. I love you."


It was fortunate that the man was there, because I had a feeling that she'd stay behind otherwise. He literally had to grab and pull her towards the portal. I understood her. We only had each other, after all. But I wasn't lying; there was no way to jump over the rift, and in the meantime it only grew. The plains were all cracked up. That portal was the only, last way out. And it was beyond my reach. So I just stood there and watched as it swallowed up the human, then my sister and her tears. It was painful to watch.


Ultimately, it was just me left. Me in my world at the brink of destruction, heading straight for Chaos. Arenimon wasn't immune to fear. I felt it. He didn't know what to expect, for the first time in a long, long time. And then I heard a voice.


My voice. The Maker's voice.


"Do not fear. I am with you."


Back on Earth, if I can call it that, the word would spread like wildfire - Renarion Arenimon was dead. But needless to say, the Maker wouldn't leave his chosen to such a fate. I liked him too much as a character. Instead I led him safely through Chaos, protected him so that he could gaze upon the endless legions of Argeron and see for himself what was coming. And then I sent him back to complete his task.


Indeed, it didn't end there. There was no mind-shattering pain, no broken glass around me. Not this time.


I chose to exit, and my surroundings faded to black.


I had learned my lesson.