Chapter 2
"Wake up!" Smack! Night Eye groaned into consciousness, and stared at the traitor before him. Sky-Fire sneered. "Good, it wont be any fun if your still knocked out." Night Eye looked around him, prone on the floor of the hive was Routs, a festering wound ripped across his side. Bright Tail was tied up on an altar-like slab of rock. He himself was chained around the neck and wrists to the wall.
He glared at Sky-Fire. "You bastard! Why have you betrayed us?"
Sky-Fire cackled, "Fool. Why else? For power, you of all people should understand that, being a Shadow Lord yourself. That's all it has ever been about. They promised me more than those pathetic Gaian weaklings ever could. The Wyrm cannot be defeated. It is a futile war you wage, and the Black Spiral Dancers will be at the forefront of its armies, and as you will come to find out, you will be in the lead of the Dancers. You are destined to join the Wyrm, and it will be I who turns you."
Night Eye peeled back his lips in a snarl. "Go ahead and try it, I'll die before you ever come close to bringing me to your side."
"That depends on how long you can endure seeing your precious Bright Tail being tortured, which is the mildest we will do to her. We know all about your feelings for the bitch, and she is the door. All you have to do is join us, and she can go free."
"What about Routs, what would you do with him?"
"He is already dead. His wound claimed him as we dragged his carcass down here. He will also serve us, as his flesh will feed the young." Bright Tail moaned and turned over, "Ah, well, it seems we might as well get started, I will return shortly." Sky-Fire-ikthya turned and stepped out into the main corridor of the hive.
"Bright Tail, listen, Sky-Fire has betrayed us, Routs-the-Wyrm is dead. They are going to use you to get at me. They want me to join them. If I do, you go free. I do not trust them, but I have to. You have to get away and tell the sept, warn my father."
Bright Tail stared at him. "No. You cannot allow yourself to fall. I will not leave, not without you. Even if they let me go, they would probably hunt me down anyway. There's nothing we can do. If we try to fight them, they would just kill us both."
Sky-Fire-ikthya stepped back into the chamber, with an immense brute behind him. Night Eye recognized him, Longtooth Soulkiller. Even as a child, Night Eye had heard of this legendary Dancer. His prowess in battle rivaled some of the greatest Gaian heroes
Longtooth grinned; a horrible fanged smile that sent shivers up Night Eyes spine. "Well, well. Look at this. Isn't this quaint. I'm almost touched." Longtooth brought the point of his banesword under Night Eye's chin. "So, you are the one who will lead us on the fields of the Apocalypse. Not very much, are you? But, you are still young, and in time I will teach you all the ways of the Wyrm. That will be my ultimate triumph. I ask you one time, all you have to do is say yes. Do you renounce the bitch world mother and join the Father Wyrm as one of his bastard children, agree to follow willingly in numerous conquests against the Wyld, and Weaver, to further His cause, and bring ultimate damnation to the world? Yes, and your bitch here will not be harmed, you have my word."
Night Eye concentrated his will, and through his Gift, formed a mental link with Bright Tail. "What do I do? I cannot say yes."
She spoke within the vaults of his mind, "Do not submit, Night Eye. You cannot succumb, no matter what." With that Night Eye set himself, and spat his defiance into Soulkiller's face.
"So be it." He snapped his fingers and Sky-Fire-ikthya drove a large silver spike through one of Bright Tail's legs. She howled in pain, the flesh of her legs burning under the touch of the cold silver. The chamber filled with the stench of burning fur and blood, Longtooth laughed. "Any time you wish it to end, all you have to do is submit."
Through the mindspeak he spoke to Bright Tail, "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do. I cannot give in. I'm sorry."
"Do not worry about me, shield yourself, after I am gone there is nothing holding you. Kill these bastards, rip them apart. Avenge Routs-the-Wyrm. Avenge me."
Thus it continued for days, without food, water, or sleep. Night Eye's willpower began to wane, only the mindspeak keeping his sanity intact. Through it they both escaped their pain, detaching themselves from the horrors that Soulkiller put them both through. The perverse Dancer ravaged Bright Tail's body. Slating his exotic lusts, and depraved desires upon her prone form. Night Eye could no longer hold out, he had to give in, then Bright Tail spoke to him one last time.
"I know how you feel about me, Night Eye. Know that I love you as well. I always have. Had it been different maybe we could have been happy together, but I must leave now. Griffin has come for me, and I cannot refuse. Avenge me, Night Eye, and know that I will always be with you." And then she looked one last time at the face of her pack mate, and died.
A single tear rolled down his cheek, and rage consumed him, he howled his wrath, erupted into the Crinos war-form, tore his bindings from the wall and ripped into Longtooth with a fury born of his loss. Sky-Fire-ikthya leapt onto his back and dug his claws into his side. Night Eye reached over his shoulder, grabbed the traitorous bastard by his muzzle and hurled him across the room. Longtooth sprung and grabbed for his banesword, swinging the great blade before him. Night Eye fell back and his paw came down on something hard, he chanced a look down and saw the battle-hammer of Routs-the-Wyrm. Sky-Fire-ikthya shot to the outer passageway trying to get away from the enraged Garou. He gripped its handle and lunged after him, howling his vengeance, before the betrayer could get more than a few steps away Night Eye caved in the side of his head with the great hammer, splattering his brains against the cavern wall.
Soulkiller swung the banesword, missing Night Eye by a hairsbreadth. Night Eye spun and brought the hammer down upon Soulkiller's arm, shattering it under the great force of the ancient fetish. Longtooth screamed in pain, cradling his ruined arm. Night Eye then remembered the bodies of his fallen pack mates. His rage could wait; he couldn't allow their bodies to remain to be corrupted by the Dancers. Gathering up his fallen friends, he sprinted out of the cavern, pausing for a second to spit upon the still bleeding corpse of Sky-Fire.
He ran as fast as he could up the dark tunnels of the hive. The feel of the corrupted ground under his paws made his flesh crawl. He could hear them chasing him. Soulkiller howled after him, a mob of Dancers at his back. Night Eye continued running, he had to escape. The exit came into view, the light from outside shining through. He put on an extra burst of speed, clearing the mouth of the cavern and stepping onto the black ground outside.
The sun was setting, casting a deep crimson glow on the land around him. The trees seemed as if on fire, and Night Eye darted into their sheltering embrace. Soulkiller stopped at the mouth of the cave, holding out his sword to halt the others.
"Let him go." He growled. "He cannot escape me. I will watch him, and when the time is right, I will strike."
***
Night Eye stumbled into the sept. Garou rushed to help him, as he collapsed to the ground. He was exhausted, and could no longer stand. He was carried to one of the huts and laid in a bed. The healers came and tended his wounds, bringing him food as well.
"Where is my father?" He croaked.
The healer looked at him for a moment, and then lowered his head. "You father, Ivan Thunderblade is no longer with us."
"What!?" Night Eye almost screamed. "How is this?"
"Lost." The healer explained. "Lost in battle with a great Wyrm minion. His body, and Klaive were not found. The caern is now lead by Sergeiv Summer-Howl, The former warder. We thought you to be dead too, but here you are."
"Sergeiv? The Child of Gaia? How did he manage that?"
The healer thought for a moment and shrugged. "Challenges, political maneuvering, stuff like that. It wasn't very hard, him being the warder and all. He already had quite a few allies in the right places. Besides, he is held in high esteem here."
"I guess so. It was just a bit surprising, is all." Night Eye lay back down. "How long ago did it happen?"
"The day you left, more than a week ago, the beast attacked. It had several bane servitors as well, and we lost more than just your father in that battle. Two packs of guardians were killed as well, and now you bring us more lost ones. These are sad times."
"Indeed they are." Night Eye sighed. "Indeed they are."
The next day Bright Tail and Routs' bodies were cleansed. Night Eye lead the Gathering for the Departed as they were interred. He told of how they fell, leaving out a few parts as not to reveal some truths. Sergeiv bestowed their posthumous renown in falling to the Wyrm, and Night Eyes in surviving. He was granted his Rite of Passage, and joined the sept as its newest member.