Chapter 1
Night Eye stood at the edge of the forest. Even though he had grown up around the Garou, he still wasn't quite used to being one himself. But, from what he had experienced of the human world, he was glad he wasn't one of those soulless shells.
Practice makes perfect. Night Eye chuckled to himself and tried to change. He concentrated like he had in the past letting his body morph. He dropped to all fours, and his clothes disappeared, replaced by the black fur that was a trademark of his tribe. His knees bent backward, bringing a sharp pain and he changed fully into a wolf. Now in Lupus, he looked himself over to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be.
Satisfied he had gotten it right, he loped off into the forest to try to find some food. He was still new to this and hunting as a wolf was a totally different experience than cooking a burger or something. He sniffed at the ground searching for any scent of game. There was a crash in the bushes ahead of him and he crept up on it, making sure he was upwind of it like he had been taught. There was a small brown rabbit munching on some grass just a few feet away.
That would be an appetizer. Night Eye thought, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. He pounced and the rabbit took off, vanishing in the undergrowth. Night Eye smashed into a fallen tree that had been hidden by the bushes. He yelped and rubbed at his head with his paws. Stupid hare!
He heard a chuckle behind him and turned around growling. It was his father. The Sept leader here, many believed it was unusual that a Shadow Lord of his stature would lead such a peace-oriented caern. The Sept of the Broken Water was a caern dedicated to the uniting of the Garou Nation. The Children of Gaia were the original founders, but his father took control after he bested the former leader on the grounds he was to weak.
His father smiled. "Still trying to get used to it?"
Night Eye dropped his tail, "Yeah. It's hard, but like you said, it will be important for me later on if I know all my forms like I know my Homid."
"Indeed." His father said, nodding. "Come. I have prepared a meal, and I shall teach you further."
That brought Night Eye's spirits up considerably. He was hungry, and another lesson from his father would be a bonus. His father turned, walking deeper into the woods. They stopped in a clearing where a deer roasted over a fire pit. Night Eye's mouth watered, but it was law that his father would eat first. His father walked over and pulled two small Klaives from a pack leaning against a tree.
"Change to Homid." He instructed. Night Eye did as was told. Shifting to Homid was easy; it was his natural form and took less than a moment to change. "Take this." He said, handing one of the Klaives to Night Eye. "Today we will begin your first lessons in the art of klaivascar."
That surprised Night Eye just a bit. He had heard klaivascar was taught rarely, the masters guarding its secrets almost religiously. He also knew his father was one of the greatest Klaive duelists alive. "We will eat later. Now, come at me." He spoke, weaving his Klaive in a circular defensive pattern.
***
Some months later, Night Eye was still being taught. His father insisted he learn all he could while he stayed at the caern. Night Eye didn't mind, but he wanted to prove to his father he was capable, and undergo his Rite of Passage. For now, he was stuck listening to another boring oration from one of the elders, almost asleep.
A small lupus walked by, her tail wagging. She immediately caught his eye, a lithe little brown wolf, with a pure white tail. She was sleek and sensual, absolutely gorgeous.
The elder peered at him, reprimanding, "I see you staring at her. Let me tell you something cub, a Talon like her would throat a homid like you without a second thought. Besides, you know the first law of the Litany, it is forbidden."
Night Eye watched her disappear into the woods and turned back to his teacher, "I know, just wishful thinking."
Later that day he met Routs-the-Wyrm and Sky-Fire. Both Homids like him, they became fast friends. Routs-the-Wyrm was like an older brother, joking around, even though he was an Ahroun. Sky-Fire was very aloof, as if something was constantly troubling him. Even so, he was still pretty cool, Night Eye thought.
"The three of you will take your final test." The elder said to them one afternoon. "You will spend a week in the woods, learning to live as a lupus. As Homids you must learn to appreciate what Gaia has given you. You will take no supplies and must live as the wolves do."
Routs-the-Wyrm raised an eyebrow. "Only a week?"
"Would you like to stay a year?" The elder asked.
Recognizing his mistake Routs covered, "A week is good. We will keep our minds open and learn from this experience."
The elder smiled slyly. "That's what I thought. You will leave at moon rise." He turned and walked away.
Sky-Fire kicked at Routs. "A YEAR?! You almost got me stuck in the woods for a YEAR?!"
"Sorry!" Routs apologized, tackling Sky-Fire in a rough headlock. Night Eye chuckled, getting cut off as he was grabbed by the leg and dragged into the wrestling match.
***
Routs-the-Wyrm had led them deep into the forest away from the caern. They had already been out for a few days and while the others were resting Night Eye went hunting. He enjoyed the solitude of the forest, and as he padded along he took in the beauty of Gaia. He sniffed at the air, smelling of the sweet pine and hardwoods. Then, he noticed a subtle, acrid stench hiding beneath the rest. Had he been in another form it would have gone unnoticed. He sniffed at it again, gaining a faint sense of direction of where it emanated from. As he walked toward it he could hear grunts and growls, and the stench grew stronger. His pace began to quicken, as there was something definitely wrong here.
He rounded a fallen tree and saw it. It was a huge Wyrm beast, covered in barbs and spines, and there was a small brown wolf throwing itself at it. Her attacks were fierce, but hardly damaging to the thing. She bled from dozens of wounds, but paid them little mind. Night Eye howled the Anthem of War, and leapt upon the beast's back, digging his jaws into the base of its neck. It roared and grabbed him with one huge claw and hurled him to the ground, tearing a large gash along his flank. Bright Tail ran in and raked a claw along the beasts face, gouging out an eye, and quickly danced out of its reach. Night Eye sped around, while its attention was occupied, and neatly hamstringed it. The instinct came, and they fought with precision, each one attacking in turn diverting its attention, giving the other a chance to strike.
Then, Night Eye latched onto its flank, tearing a huge chunk of diseased flesh from the things side. It turned its gaping maw toward him, and Bright Tail lunged in and planted her jaw around its neck, and neatly ripped it open.
The beast collapsed, its massive body falling to the ground in a pool of ichorous blood, drowning on its own fluids. Night Eye limped over to Bright Tail, and licked at her wounds, a gesture of friendship and trust. She whined and licked at his muzzle, which had been gashed on the things spikes. Routs-the-Wyrm and Sky-Fire came running up, alerted by the sound of the battle.
Routs looked at the oozing body and turned to them, "What happened?"
Bright Tail sniffed, "Wyrm thing. Dead now."
Sky-Fire had shifted to Crinos and kicked at it, "Obviously."
"We should tell the sept." Night Eye interjected. "Such a creature getting so close to the bawn is a serious matter."
Bright Tail nodded, "It is advised. One will tell them." And she disappeared into the woods.
***
Back at the caern the three of them recounted their tale. Night Eye, being the Galliard, told of the fierce battle with the Wyrm-beast, embellishing a few parts for a better story. The elders listened in silence. He finished and waited for them to speak. He saw his father standing to the side, cloaked in the shadows. His father inclined his head to him, a slight smile across his face.
One of the elders stood. "It is time that the three of you became a pack. In one turning of the moon you will undertake your Rite of Passage. You will be accepted a full members of this sept, and of your tribes. You will become adults, Cliaths, no longer the cubs you are now."
They nodded in unison, accepting the will of the elders. Then another voice spoke up, one that had went unseen.
"I would join them."
Night Eye and the others turned to this newcomer. It was Bright Tail. She winked at Night Eye and looked back up at the elders, her gaze solid and unwavering.
The elders peered at her and one spoke, "You wish it to be so? This is highly unusual."
Bright Tail nodded, "I would join them as a member of their pack. Undertaking the Rite together."
The elders conversed amongst themselves briefly, and turned back to them, "A pack is made by mutual friendship and trust, it is not up to us whether you are to join them. That is their decision." The elders looked back at the three.
Routs-the-Wyrm shrugged, "Ok with me." Sky-Fire nodded. Night Eye scratched his head and shrugged.
"Sure."
Bright Tail smiled and wagged her tail, then loped back into the woods. Routs looked over at Night Eye, curiosity in his eyes. Night Eye just shrugged. When she had gotten out of earshot, the three of them rejoiced that they would finally take their Rite. Whooping, they all slammed high fives, and dived into one of their usual wrestling matches.
***
The moot had begun. Already the air around the bawn was filled with the howls that signaled all the participants to the gathering. Luna waxed full, bathing the caern in her pale luminescence. A new pack was being born tonight. The four young cubs gathered in the center of the circle, adding their own howls in a show of unity. Routs-the-Wyrm, Ahroun Fenrir, stood in the lead, Night Eye, Galliard Shadow Lord, and Bright Tail, the Ragabash Talon, flanked him. The fourth, a Theurge of the Wendigo, Sky-Fire, stood in the rear.
As the chorus of howls died, the elder of the Sept of the Broken Water spoke unto them, "There is a new Hive in the north lands. It has already begun to spread its corrupting blight to the surrounding Umbrascape. Your task is to travel there and discover the extent of its power. A powerful leader of the Black Spiral Dancers is there. Discover and eliminate him if possible. My Luna guide you."
The gathered Garou howled their praise, and the ritemaster lowered his head, and clawed glyphs into the bark of an ancient tree, marking the beginning of their trial. He turned and intoned to the caern's totem, blessing the pack on its mission. The air opened before them and the four Garou stepped into the Umbra.
***
Routs-the-Wyrm looked around the Penumbra, "So, where do we start?"
"You're the alpha, you decide." Bright Tail pointed out.
"Yeah, exactly when did that happen?"
Bright Tail grinned at him, "You just got elected."
Routs sighed, "Perfect. Well, obviously we have to find this hive first." Night Eye grunted. "You're the Theurge, Sky-Fire, you know more about the Umbra than I do, so I'm sure you can find this thing we're looking for."
"What, do you expect me to just snap my fingers and open up a moon bridge or something? That's not quite how it works. Perhaps we can get a spirit to guide us. The elder say it was in the north lands though, so we should probably start off in that direction."
"Why not? Let's travel in lupus, we can cover more ground that way, and the sun will be up soon, so we better try to find a glade or something to hold up in."
"Whatever you say o' revered leader." Night Eye poked fun at him.
Sky-Fire led the pack down a moon path to a nearby glade that a passing spirit told them should be there. They reached it a moment before dawn. The glade was a wondrous sight, vast trees loomed overhead, and a small gurgling stream ran through the middle. Almost like a forest from a fairy tale, yet this one was real, and it was alive with spirits. Bright Tail sniffed the air, "Is it safe here?"
"It ought to be, those glade children say they will warn us if danger approaches."
"That's nice of them." Bright Tail perked up, for a lupus she was awfully excitable. Night Eye liked her immensely. They settled in and almost immediately fell asleep, Bright Tail snuggling close to Night Eye.
They awoke the next night to the full face of Luna, stretched out, and prepared to leave. Sky-Fire thanked the spirits for their vigil, and they struck out down the moon path they originally came off of. After what seemed like miles, they noticed the umbra around them seemed to change, it was no longer the usual dull gray, smoky plain, but a darker more sinister color. Even the path they traveled on showed signs of the blight. "Seems we're getting closer to this thing, I'll be glad once it is gone." Night Eye spat. "It fouls the land with its very presence, and the Realm is probably worse."
"Definitely, such corruption is far too common, and no amount should be allowed to remain. The Wyrm rears its head way too much for my tastes." Routs flexed his Crinos talons, "The Dancers responsible shall feel our claws, and they will know that we warriors of Gaia are not going to take this sitting down." Routs reached over his shoulder and un-slung his massive battle-hammer from his back. "By my ancestors, I will not rest until every one of the dammed things is wiped from the earth."
"I should record your speeches and sell 'em as inspirational tapes." Night Eye smirked.
"Oh, shut up."
***
The next hill they crested opened up to a valley, where they saw what they were sent to find. A massive hole gaped, where foul banes spewed forth. Black Spiral Dancers tromped through the tainted land. Patches of Balefire erupted like geysers from tears in the ground, where banes danced in un-holy glee. Bright Tail gasped, Night Eye recoiled. Routs shuddered and gagged, for the sight of the hellhole was repulsing. Sky-Fire looked on with a steely gaze, no emotion showing at all. Bright Tail gulped, "So, what now?"
"Now, my dear, you are ours." A hideous voice sounded from behind them. "You see, you came to us, and now you may never leave." They turned and stared into the horridly grinning faces of a Dancer pack. The one in the front pointed toward Night Eye. "We are particularly interested in that one."
"Oh, by the way, I told them we were coming." Sky-Fire declared.