The Axelridge Series Book 4 Griff's Red Card

(Chapter song ‘Warrior' by Paleowolf)

GRIFFIN

Blade laces his fingers on the table. His thick arms flex under his tribal ink tattoos. Bobby fixes his long, black ponytail and untangles his heritage necklaces from his dog tags.

The tent was silent when Blade started. “What I’m about to share, I didn’t even believe at first…”

“Of course, you didn’t.” Bobby leans back in his chair and sneers at Blade.

“Bobby.” Blade snaps darkly and his brother waves him on.

Blade continues. “This was pure myth. A legend that could predate all others among my tribes so, the details may not be accurate. As the tale was passed from father to son, a lot may have been messed up, but judging from what I’ve seen and heard, it won’t be by much. It will also bring my family name into question.”

“We understand that, Blade, but if it solves this, we have to know.” Owen says.

He nods and takes a deep breath as he prepares. I can tell he feels like he’s breaking some big spiritual rules here.

“I’m going to tell you everything I know about the myth of Lake Hydra.” He stares at us all as we all stare back in confusion.

“Lake Hydra? Ye having a gas, mate?” I raise a brow and give him a once over.

“No. I’m dead serious.” He stares me right in the eye and I wave him to continue.

He clears his throat and starts. “The world was just getting to its feet. This land was new and people were trying to make sense of their lives. Trying to survive a time where it was kill or be killed.”

His tone was serious and dark. You could hear a pin drop as all eyes were focused on him and his words.

“As clans waged war and took up arms against their brothers, a great evil arose by the name, Destroyer of Worlds. We all came to know him as Cymon.” He carefully eyes the room.

The room mumbles at the rehashed memory of the super wolf cowboy that rampaged across the country.

“Tribes, barely able to stand after battling with themselves, began to join up to fight back. A great war ensued. A war against the Destroyer. They banded together and went against his beasts. Those that fought died. Those that cowered became one of his beasts.”

“Cymon turned them?” Bastian questions.

William confirms. “He did. Either by force or by choice. It's why I did what I did.”

Blade glances at William. “Sorry, brother.”

Williams lip ticks. “I’m sorry, too.”

My gaze flicks to Noah. His head is hung. We've all heard the story of William, the 5000 year old first Alpha cave wolf, having to kill his brother Cymon to save the world from him, but no matter what you feel, that will always hurt.

Blade continues on.

“While they fought off the Destroyers advances, they were also fighting against each other for food, fighters and land. In short, the population dropped rapidly.” He glances at his brother who waves him on to continue. Bobby shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest.

“During one of the lowest points, when one tribe took a huge hit in fighters, they needed something. A weapon or something that could bring the Destroyer down.

Against the wishes of the Elders, a young warrior sought out a wise man. A mystic. He had magic and the boy thought this magic could benefit his tribe and give them the upper hand.

After a long, perilous journey, the boy found the mystic and pleaded with the man to help. After seeing that the boy had no trade, but what he carried, the mystic agreed to help. He agreed under one condition. The boy had to bring the mystic two of his warrior brothers. The boy didn’t feel right in his heart at the sound of the request, but the mystic told him it was needed for what he wanted.”

I watch the reactions of the Alphas. William doesn’t seem phased by this at all. I wonder if he knows what Blade is talking about.

Blade sits up slightly. “The boy agreed and the mystic left him three specific instructions. One warrior had to have the strength of the bear. One had to be cunning like the fox and one had to have the heart of the wolf. These three will represent the soul of the warrior.

Not fully understanding the request, the boy searched out the best warriors he could find. His friends had strength and knowledge, but he couldn’t find one with the heart of a wolf. Not wanting to send his friends alone, he went with him to represent the heart.

Once they gathered with the mystic, he had them drink a tea he made. He told them it would open their minds to great spirits.”

“Blade, think about this.” Bobby whispers his protest.

“Hush!” Blade growls then continues. “After they drank their fill, the first warrior doubled over in pain. The second and third got angry. They accused the mystic of trying to kill them. When they saw the warrior rise back to his feet, they were amazed to find him alive and well. Soon after, the other two went through the same.

The mystic man led the warriors on a journey. They walked through the trees and over mountains. They walked through the hardest rainstorms and fought the most evil creatures. Cold, tired and hungry, they tried to ask the mystic why they were doing this. All he would respond with was, ‘A warriors trial’.

Their journey took months. Finally, they stopped at a lake.

The mystic told them their final task was to build a boat. They did and the mystic took the boat and sailed across the lake.” Blade looks around at all the captivated eyes.

I’ve heard some tales spun by old men in the Irish pubs, but they pale in the shadow of this one. This one’s a whopper, if you ask me.

Blade continues.

“On the fifth day of being left alone on the beach, the men started to fight with each other. The two wanted to leave and head home, the warrior with heart begged them to stay. The Destroyer will surely kill them all if they don’t.

Knowing it to be true, the other two stayed.

The mystic arrived at the beach on the seventh day and told all three to get in the boat. They rode across the lake to a small island. It wasn’t a place a tribe could live so, the men questioned what they were doing there. The mystic only responded with, ‘A warriors trial’.

The three followed the mystic to the center of the island. Again, the warriors questioned when they stopped at a peaceful, small pool of water. They all looked into it and it was deep.

The mystic told them this water will be the creation. Warriors who enter this pool will be the strongest, wisest and most virtuous fighters. They will beat the Destroyer and the tribes will be saved.

The men laughed and had their doubts until the mystic picked up a piece of red jasper. He whispered his magic onto it. The rock glowed red and the men were amazed at what they saw.

He tossed the jasper into the pool of water. It glowed a deep red then the water started to spin. As the warriors watched, the edges of the pool started to crumble. The pool got wider and wider. They feared the island would crumble and kill them all. They questioned the mystic and started to think he was an evil spirit.

The pool almost consumed the small island, but the water stopped and started to boil. It’s red light lit up the stars.”

The Alphas all lean their arms on the table as they try to make sense of Blades story.

“When it died down, the mystic turned to the men and told them to stand shoulder to shoulder. Fearing his power, they did as he asked. Without warning, the mystic took his spear and slit their throats with the tip of his spear in one swipe.”

“What the fuck? That was rude!” Luke growls.

“Luke.” Bobby waves him down to hush him up.

“I’m just sayin’.” Luke grumbles and leans back in his chair.

Blade side eyes his friend and goes on. “As they stand, bleeding to death, the mystic collected their blood in his hands and walked to the pool. He put the blood in and the men fell dead. When the pool was ready, he put their bodies into the water.

It glowed and raged. The mystic called to the spirits to give the water the power it needed to make the best warriors. The gods struck the water with red lightning and the water rose out of the hole. It turned in the air and pulsed.

When the mystic pushed the water back down with his magic, the pool calmed and he waited.

Soon, not 3 heads, but 6, rose from the water. Confused they all got out and stood before the mystic.”

“Damn. We need that.” Darcy elbows Luke.

“Darcy.” Ricky warns.

“What?” His brows go out as he holds his arms out.

“The mystic pulled all six men out of the water. ‘This is the heart of the warrior. It will feed strength and life to any army. You will live forever, be as strong as ten bears and gather in numbers never seen, but each warrior must go through the points of his soul.’

When asked what he meant, the mystic told them of a tree they must find in the east. They must also find a body of water to the west. This pool connects them all.”

Blade grabs a piece of paper, flips it to its blank side and drew three dots as points on a triangle. “The heart, the strength and the life.” He draws lines to connect the Heart, the Lazarus pool and Axelridge. “This triangle is the warrior’s soul.” He lifts the paper and shows it around.

“Satisfied with the gift, the warrior thanked the mystic. The mystic warned them that they are the keepers of this water and must be honorable with it. The warriors took possession of the pool and began their work.

They rose in numbers and fought great battles. The Destroyer was all but beaten until it was found out.

The mystic had told them to keep it a secret, one of the men didn’t.

As men started to live well beyond their years, still looking young and strong, people questioned. As dead men were being brought back to life, people demanded answers. As warrior armies, with only a handful of men, came back with thousands, people got scared.

The tribes started to fight over the pool. The warriors defended it, but took their power too far. They started conquering.”

“Of course.” Jake shakes his head.

“The tribe became the Destroyers. Endless clans were swallowed up by the unstoppable army. Over time, the pool became a free for all because the warriors couldn’t defend it all the time as they fought across the country.”

Blade leans back in his chair. “When the settlers came, they also discovered the pool. They took it from the warriors and used it to overpower the tribes as their weapons were far more superior. They named it Lake Hydra.”

“Oh, I get it. The dragon thing where you chop a head off and two more grow back.” Brody grins. “I see what you did there.”

“Yeah and the settlers used it to their full advantage.” Blade eyes him.

“Not surprising.” Finn grumbles as he flicks his eyes to Bastian, Owen and Jake.

I get the feeling that it’s a lot more than independence that stops Finn from signing onto the Alliance. By the look of him, he doesn’t trust them.

“More wars were fought over control of the lake. More people came to claim it. As word got out, the mystic became angrier.” Blade says.

“He still lived?” Bastian asks.

“He’s a mystic man. I don’t question it.” Blade shrugs.

He leans on the table. “The mystic man grew so enraged that he basically went on a killing spree. Using his magic, he killed the clones and the people who tried to control the water. He rose the side of a mountain and threw it on top of the lake, sealing it forever.

With the people who knew dead and gone, he sought out someone who he could trust. A small boy. He searched his heart and knew that this boy would be the one to keep the secret of Lake Hydra and also defend it should it be discovered. He told the boy the story and instructed him to carry it on to his son. He told him to keep the legend in his own blood and don’t share it with anyone, not even his wife. His blood alone will be the guardians of the lake.”

“So, the secret remained a secret?” Finn asks.

“For the most part.” Blade nods. “As history went on, the tale became myth. We observed carefully. Though many came close, they never found it.”

Finn leans forward. “Came close. Like who?”

Blade ticks his shoulder. “Men, shifters, lycans…”

He raises a hand. “Hold up. Lycans know?”

“I don’t know what they know, but granddad told us they were on the watch list when they came over.” Blade supplies.

“No fucking wonder.” Finn slams his back into his seat.

“Finn, this water started our war?” Jax points to the lake.

“They must have heard about it and when they found my grandfather built over it, they attacked. I always wondered why they were trying so hard.” Finn shakes his head.

“Fuck.” Marcus growls. “We need to get this under control.”

“They must be trying to skirt around the suppression.” Jake says. “I need to call Zander.”

“Look, guys. We can’t go telling the world.” Bobby leans forward. “If it was bad then, what do you think it would be like now?”

“You have a point, Bobby, but in order for us to protect this, we have to all be informed.” Bastian motions a hand to him.

“Right and when this is taken care of, we will make sure it’s protected.” Finn turns his head to Bastian.

“With our help.” Owen states.

“No. I don’t think that’s necessary.” Finn says.

“I think it’s necessary.” Bastian arches a brow.

“Like I give a shit what you think.” Finn crosses his arms and scowls.

“Guys! Save the politics for later!” Ricky barks. “Blade. How do we stop it?”

“There’s something wrong with the magic. From what I know, it doesn’t behave this way.” Blade suggests.

“The rock!” I snap my fingers as a light bulb goes off.

“Right.” Marcus wags a finger at me then turns to the table. “We pulled the rock up. Maybe it has something to do with that.”

Blade scrunches his brows. “You pulled out the jasper?”

“Yeah.” Finn confirms.

“What the hell did you do that for?!” Blade leans forward and growls.

“We didn’t know what it was!” Finn growls back.

“So, you just take it? Of all the dumbass moves!” Blade shakes his in utter disbelief. “That rock is the heart of that lake. It controls the beats. It controls everything.”

I stop him. “Wait. What yer saying is, that red stone is the waters regulator?”

Blade holds a hand out and points to his fingers. “It feeds the Heart of Atlas and The Lazarus pool. It also keeps its own waters under control. As magic is used or lost, that rock adds more. The water is just an ingredient and now that ingredient doesn’t have a fucking off switch!!”

“Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.” Marcus snarls.

The tent groans in disbelief.

“So, the water is cloning on its own and won’t stop until we put the rock back, right?” Finn asks.

“According to the legend. I just hope it works. That lake can go off forever.” Blade rubs his nape.

“It could flood the bleeding earth?!” My brows shoot up.

“If not shut off, yes.” Blade confirms. “Where’s the rock?”

Finn glances at us all and then back at Blade. “We…um…lost it in the flood.”

“You lost it?” Blade scowls.

“Look. We didn’t mean to, but that’s not the problem. The problem is, we need to go to the island and find it. The city is under water. That rock can be anywhere.” Jax leans forward and glares at Blade.

Blade scrubs a hand down his face. “Alright.” He glances at Bobby. “Do you have anything?”

“Wait for the mystic to show up and kill our asses?” He shrugs.

“Anything useful!” Blade snarls.

“Nope. Got nothing.”

Blade groans and turns back.

Peter pipes up. “We can dive it, but we need to be careful of debris and watch the currents. We will also need to cover all skin. That water isn’t going to be healthy.”

“We'd need to anyway. It seems cloning is based on skin contact.” Finn suggests.

“Aye. The Security Complex is pretty closed off with the fences. It can’t have gotten far on the trip.” I add.

Peter looks to us. “Ok. I’ll need a team of 4. Adam we’ll need you too. You’ll be more flexible in the water to help move stuff. I’ll run through the procedures at the drop site.”

Adam nods in agreement.

“I think we need a magical expert on this.” Owen suggests.

“What? Azriel?” Bastian asks.

“No!”

The entire table turns to Bobby who’s leaning on the table and glaring at everyone. “The Sorcerers Council doesn’t need to be told about this.”

“Bobby…” Blade starts.

“No, Blade. You know they’ll either take it over or destroy it. No!” Bobby demands.

Owen holds a hand up. “Bobby, we assure you, Ariel will be discreet. We will remind him this is a tribal possession and we can’t mess with it, but if the magic is broken, we need someone to fix it.”

Blade turns to Bobby. “Unless you want to find the mystic.”

“No.” Bobby grumbles.

“I know what I’m doing. Just, relax.” Blade says.

Bobby stands. “Yeah, relax. Until the great spirit fries my ass.” He sneers. “Relax...” He shakes his head, waves Blade off and leaves the tent.

“Sorry, he takes these things seriously. I don’t believe the spirit will retaliate in any way. At least, I hope it won't.” Blade reassures.

“Ok. Let's go get this rock.” Finn stands and we get to work.