Secret of the Mystic

Aniki felt as though he could barely breathe, each breath a desperate force as he tore across the forest land. The fear and adrenaline were eating through his nerves like blazing fire in his veins, driving him ever forward against the howling wind and the screaming ache in his muscles. He could hardly feel his ears and paws, numb from the cold and ceaseless running through the frozen powder. His mouth was dry, and matted bits of fur from Aren clung to his tongue. It was the squirm and cry of the young pup that brought his mind out of the daze of terror, causing his legs to finally slow and give out from the lack of adrenaline fuel.

For a moment he lay still where he collapsed, finally releasing the pup from his jaws and panting amidst gasping breathes. Aren shook himself off, wriggling towards Aniki on his tiny legs and crying with hunger and fear. The red wolf lifted his head in sudden alarm, glancing around in search of Theos. His pulse raced as his eyes found no trace of the pup, and a sharp chill rose up his spine as he felt something touch his tail. With a fierce snarl he whirled around, fangs bared, only to find the poor pup cowering in the snow behind him.

Theos stared up at him, whimpering and tail tucked, his green eyes large with terror. Aniki sighed and dropped his head. “I’m sorry Theos, I thought you might be one of those… things. You just scared me.”

The pup shivered. “What are we going to do, Aniki?” His small voice was strained and quivering.

At first Aniki didn’t answer. He had no idea where they were, or if there were any of the demons following them. All he knew was that he needed to get the pups somewhere safe, and where that was, he couldn’t begin to figure. “We need to find a safe shelter… somewhere higher up and out of sight.”

With a soft sigh to try to calm his nerves, the red wolf looked around. Beyond the trees ahead was a steep cliff, a large tree perched upon it, its roots tangling all around the stones down to the earth below. Near the top of the cliff the roots created a barred cave, just large enough for the red wolf and the pups.

“There, that will do, while we wait…” Aniki gently gripped Aren once again, who squeaked restlessly in his grasp, and rose to make his way to the cliff. Theos followed behind, so close his nose brushed against the red wolf’s heels. Aniki was too tired to notice, his mind falling as numb as his frozen paws. The climb up the cliff’s side was tough for little Theos, but once inside the safety of the cave the three curled up together, the two pups nestled in the warmth of Aniki’s soft fur.

Though he wanted nothing more than to let his mind still into sleep, to let the horrors of the day fall away like the shadows of a nightmare, Aniki was restless with worry. What if Tai was hurt? What could have happened to the pack? Are the demons still out there, searching for them? What would he do if they found him? He could hardly stand it. The anxiety twisted his insides into fearful knots. Every sound, every breath, every slight movement made his fur stand on end.

He lifted his head as his nose caught the terrifyingly familiar scent of blood and smoke, making his muscles shiver. Aniki gazed between the thick roots to the white ground below, waiting for something evil to jump out and claw its way up to them. He watched, and he waited, but all was still until he noticed slight movement from the corner of his eye. A figure, tall and cloaked in shadow, moved slowly from between the mists surrounding the trees.

Aniki could see nothing of the creature beneath the hooded cloak and robes, only its hand as it held onto a staff as tall as itself. His heart froze within his chest. Could this be him?

The creature paused before the cliff, and though Aniki could not see its face, he was certain he felt its gaze upon him as it spoke. “Good warrior, Sheraga, don’t be afraid of me. I am an apprentice of the Mystic, he wishes to see you and Avira… Where is he?”

The apprentice’s voice was light and accented, higher in tone than Aniki was expecting. Beside him, Theos awakened and was peeking his head between the roots in curiosity of the strange creature. Aniki rose, wanting to go down to him, but he couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. “How do I know you’re really an apprentice of the Mystic?”

The creature was quick to respond, as though he had planned and rehearsed for such skepticism. “Oh, he told me you would likely be hesitant, and gave me a few bits of knowledge that, though meaningless to me, are things that only he could know about you. You were raised in a small townhome amidst the streets of Chicago, Illinois, in a country known as the United States. The house itself was grey, and your room was painted blue with stars and moons dotting the ceiling like the nightsky.”

Aniki listened in surprise, for he had no idea the Mystic knew such things about him, though it was beginning to seem that there was nothing this mysterious being did not know. “Wow… how does he know all of that?”

Though he couldn’t quite tell, it sounded almost as though the creature gave a soft laugh before he answered. “The Mystic is wise, he knows many things that will surprise you time and again. Do I have your trust?”

“Yes.” Aniki bent down to pick up Aren, and swiftly climbed down the side of the cliff, Theos following, to stand before the apprentice of the Mystic. The creature, surprisingly, held out his free hand towards the pup. His hand and arm, Aniki noticed, were covered in short red-brown fur, his fingers with claws instead of fingernails.

“The poor thing, he needs to be kept warm. May I?”

Aniki was hesitant, but cautiously stepped forward and allowed him to gently grasp the tiny pup and shelter him between the warmth of his robes. With his mouth now free to speak, Aniki responded to his earlier question. “Tai… I mean, Avira, well… We had been staying with the Valr pack, but they left on a hunt this morning and never returned… so we went out to look for them, but were attacked by dro… uh, the demon wolves. Tai stayed behind to fight them, and told me to run and get the pups to safety… I…”

“Oh, not good… Not good at all. I must tell the Mystic right away. Come along then, Felwren is close by, once there where I know you are safe, I can send a message to him…” As the apprentice turned and began to hastily walk in the direction to Felwren, Aniki trotted up beside him.

“How are you going to send a message? Surely not a letter, that would take forever and something bad could have happened to Tai-“

Aniki heard the creature softly laugh again, something he didn’t expect to hear from such wise and mysterious beings, but this one, he thought, didn’t seem all that unnaturally wise. Perhaps it was only the Mystic himself, not his apprentices, who was supernaturally powerful. “Oh, dear child, a letter! Nonsense, we have much more efficient methods of communication than written word.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see soon enough, Sheraga. Not to worry.”

The name of the legendary wolf kept throwing Aniki off, but this time provoked a questioning thought. “Who are you, anyway? Other than simply an apprentice of the Mystic, you must have a name, right?”

“Yes, yes, of course, but that’s not important. Plenty of time for formalities and proper introductions later. For the moment, we have much more pressing matters…”

After the brutal fight Tai stood, panting and trembling in the snow, his jaws frothing with demon blood. His mind struggled against the harsh grip of instinct, the overwhelming fire of self-preservation. The black wolf forced his eyes shut, allowing his mind to slip away from the blood-stained snow of the dark forest, back to the soft memory of the hazy, lakeside sunset. He recognized it now as Lake Heron, the tree dressed in the blossoms of spring. There he waited upon the bench, just a boy… waiting for someone…

“That was quite an impressive display, young wolf. You are indeed a powerful beast… Having slaughtered an entire pack of my drovails singlehandedly. No wolf has ever accomplished such a feat. But you are not just a wolf, are you… Avira.”

The black wolf’s eyes flashed open at the sound of the voice, low and dull it was, yet its tone reverberated against the still shadows of the forest. Tai lowered his head and snarled as he noticed the cloaked figure before him. He was an elf, it seemed, with long golden hair and thinly pointed ears, upon his head was a crown designed like the thorns upon a dragon’s head. The elf was dressed in long flowing robes and a cloak of matching velvet black, and carried a tall wooden staff, a flame of burning orange cradled at the top by the twisting twigs.

“Who are you?” Tai growled, the fur upon his neck and shoulders bristled with anger.

“I am Lord Dreykin of Zorowan, the chief kingdom of the blacklands of the south. I have been watching you with great interest, you see… It was I who sent for you, under the command of my lord and master.”

“You’re the one who sent Elwyn to earth to find me? He’s working for you?” Tai raised his head in surprise.

Lord Dreykin, however, only smirked in amusement, his dark glassy eyes glowing in the light of the flame. “That elf had no idea who I was. I had to cast an illusion to make myself appear like the Mystic, for everyone knows they are of much greater stature than any race upon this land. That fool was easily deceived… But he served his purpose. He brought you here, and now finally within my grasp…”

“What do you want with me?”

“I want your power, your great strength… You will be the Darkside’s greatest asset.”

Tai snarled, his lips curled back over his fangs in fury. “I will never serve you, I’ll kill you like I did your worthless demons!” Without a second thought Tai leapt for the throat of the dark lord, jaws parted wide and claws splayed to rip him apart. His fangs, however, never met their target, for the moment the wolf leapt his mind suddenly fell into darkness, his limp body into the blanket of snow.

The odd apprentice of the mysterious Mystic was fairly silent along the path to Felwren, moving at such a swift pace that the wolves following him had to jog to keep up. Questions flooded Aniki’s mind, how he longed to speak with him, yet something told him that now was not the time for questions. Dawn was beginning to break across the sky as they finally arrived at the village of the hwervags, who noticed not their coming as they slept.

Aniki nervously lead the apprentice to the home of Veinta, nudging open the heavy doors with his head.

“…Aniki? What are you doing here at this hour?” It was Elwyn who greeted them in the great room. The elf often rose earlier than the hwervags, for the Northerners quite preferred the morning and evening times. His expression changed from slightly puzzled to concerned as his gaze fell upon the strange, cloaked figure behind the wolves. “Is that… the Mystic?” His voice softened to an awed whisper.

The red wolf was about to answer, but the creature moved to introduce himself. “I am not, I am merely an apprentice. I was sent to bring Avira and Sheraga to meet with him, but it appears that Avira is in great danger. I must send a message to the Mystic, quickly.”

The elf appeared baffled, and shook his head lightly. “What kind of message? What do you need?”

“Simple, really, I need water. A large bowl will suffice.” The creature’s tone was matter-of-fact, as though the unusual ways of the mystics were nothing to be so puzzled by.

Elwyn was quick to react even so, heading off into the kitchen and searching through the cabinets for what he guessed to be a large enough bowl. Having filled it with water, he carefully carried it to the dining room table, where Aniki had lead the apprentice. With a soft sigh, the creature stood before the bowl of water, as though he were recollecting instruction to perform some sort of magic trick.

From one of the pockets within his robes, he pulled out a softly glowing star of lavender, strung upon a thin golden chain. With the chain firm in his grasp, he held the star so that the very tip barely touched the water’s still surface, sending out a single, smooth ripple. As the line of movement reached the edges of the bowl, the surface of the water began to glow with the same lavender luminance of the star.

The wolves and the elf gazed in wonder as the surface reflected no longer their faces as they looked down upon it, but a dark room with stone walls, lit by the orange glow of flame lamps on either side. In the center, was another figure cloaked in shadow, the same as the apprentice.

“Mi dispiace, Mystic, I have troublesome news. Avira and Sheraga were attacked by a pack of drovails, and though Sheraga escaped, Avira stayed behind to hold them off. What do you feel?”

The creature reflected in the water was still and silent for a long moment, as though deeply lost in thought, but finally his voice reached through as though he was actually there in the room. “Lord Dreykin has him, in the tower. This matter is too great for you, Remaliah. Stay with Aniki, I will show you where to meet with me again.”

“Yes, Mystic. I will await further instruction.”

The room was dark and damp with a shivering chill, the scent of mold and smoke and a hint of blood filled his nose. Every now and then, beyond the muffled scuttle of activity amongst the halls, came strange and unsettling sounds. Some were like cries, others like the loud crashing of violent outbursts. Noises of scraping against the walls, the dragging of chains, and the pounding of hammers were beginning to set Tai on edge as he slowly regained consciousness.

He growled softly as his eyes finally began to focus. The chamber was empty, appearing more like a prison cell than a room, with only one small window. Very little light fell in through it, for most light was blocked by the clouds and the shadows of the mountains on this side of the tower.

What is this place? Tai wondered as he lifted his muzzle, hearing the scrape of metal chain against the bricks beneath him. He glanced to the side, realizing that he was chained to the wall beside him, the links carved with strange markings. Feeling the strength return to his muscles, he rose shakily and swiftly rushed to the end of the chain, pulling against it with all of his power, but his attempt was in vain.

With a frustrated sigh, the black wolf paused in his struggle. His muscles tensed at the sound of the deep, hollow tone of a clock resounding through the entire tower, like the ominous oncoming of death itself. Tai could feel the vibrations of each toll through the very bricks of the floor, sending a trembling chill into the very marrow of his bones. Your time is up, a voice seemed to say within. At last, at the sixth toll, the vibrations ceased. Tai stared down at the floor, his eyes wide as a nauseating chill swept through his body, sending a shiver deep into his nerves. Something was there, in the doorway… Something of great evil.

The wolf dare not turn his gaze, for even he feared what he might see. For a dragging moment there was silence, but not the comforting sort, nor even the unnerving type before a storm. No, this silence was thick and heavy, suffocating like smoke filling up his lungs and pressing upon his mind. The pressure exerted from this creature before him was immense, it seemed to choke the very life out of the atmosphere.

“You are wise to fear me, Avira.” The voice that came from the shadowed figure in the doorway was coarse and harsh, like hard bristles scraping against his ears, yet calm and cold as mist over a lake of ice. “I have the power to smite your life as easily as pinching the flame of a candle. Yes… Even you. The mighty warrior of chaos. Your spirit has not yet been fully awakened.”

At last, Tai was bold enough to turn his face to the sound of the voice, finding that its owner was as frightening in appearance as his presence. He was tall, even a tad more so than the young wolf, and wore a long flowing cloak as black as a moonless night, which was pinned to his shoulders by large metal spikes, one upon each shoulder. Dressed for war, he wore a vest of black leather, lined with metal studs and spikes, and thick straps holding various knives and daggers. Even his trousers were of black leather, reflections of metal bits catching the light here and there from beneath the shadows that layered upon him. Around his neck was barbed wire, tightly strung in three layers, the spikes tipped with dried blood.

However, what caught Tai’s attention was not so much how he looked, but what he was. He was not elvish or rokun, no, not even fey. He appeared to be the same race as Anima. He was covered in short, smooth fur of black, with jet black hair that hung in waves just passed his shoulders, and poured over his forehead. His upper fangs protruded from his jaw, giving him an even more threatening appearance, and his face was covered in gruesome scars. His eyes were golden, but the left was blind with a pupil of grey and brutally scarred by two jagged fissures which ran from the top of his brow to the edge of his bottom jaw. The left ear was pierced by a wooden spike, the inner tip still bearing the paint of blood.

To his surprise, the creature smirked at him, a dark and twisted expression that left Tai feeling sick. “Do you know who I am, wolf?”

“You’re a dark lord… but not the one who brought me to this prison.”

“I am not merely a dark lord, I am Lord of the Dark Forces. Every demon, every army, every kingdom, bows to me. The very darkness itself…” The creature took a step towards Tai, seeming to pull the shadows from every corner to envelope them both in a cloud of choking darkness. “…is subject to my every whim.”

Tai coughed, struggling to breathe under the massive pressure surrounding him from the shadows. The dark lord chuckled darkly, and with a single swift gesture released the wolf from the grip of his hellish aura. After a few deep breaths, Tai cautiously turned his gaze towards the doorway, noticing Lord Dreykin at the dark lord’s left side. He seemed so small, less than half the height of the towering creature beside him, yet his expression was no less smug as he gazed at the black wolf with scrutiny.

“My Lord, will you use the loyalty spell, then?” Lord Dreykin questioned with a smirk.

For a brief moment the Dark Master was silent, appearing to evaluate Tai with his cruel gaze before he responded. “Yes… He will not otherwise comply. He is no use to me in his current state, not even aware of his own power. That ancient fool chose such a weak and worthless host for the mighty Avira… But it matters not, once I awaken the spirit of Chaos within, he will be unstoppable.”

The dark creature’s eyes seemed to burn as he stepped quickly forward, forcing his hand upon Tai’s forehead. With a sharp growl he struggled to move his head, but all of his muscles froze under the mysterious power of the Dark Master. He felt the shadows close in around him, filling his sight and drowning away all of his thoughts, his memories, himself…