Title: Reason to live (part XIV)
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR
Rating: PG-13
TV verse: Blood Ties
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.
Summary: Werewolf vs. vampire
AN: Thanks to luvinmike for proofreading!
WK: 2165
Part XIV:
A painful howl escaped him.
That bitch had done something to his eyes. He couldn't see! All he was able to make out were mere shadows and the damn lightning didn't help at all. One moment it was light as day, the next pitch black again. But that didn't save her from him. After all, he still had all his other senses and the reek of vampire told him exactly where she was.
She was trying to hide from him. A growling laugh spurted from his muzzle. It was in vain. He would tear her into pieces, rip that traitorous, beautiful face to shreds and bathe in her blood!
That was when she understood and tried to run for it but, even half blind, his reflexes were still faster than hers and he pounced on her, burying his deadly canines into her shoulder.
Her screams were music to his ears. However, just before he could rip her head off he was struck in the back. Furious he sprang up and turned around. But nothing was there and he couldn't make anything out amid all the moving shadows with his addled eyesight. When he turned back, his quarry was gone. Not even her scent remained. It was as if she had vanished.
He let out another displeased howl.
Regardless, she was unimportant. He had to find the boy.
Only one good sniff and he was back on track. After a few meters, he recaptured the other scent again. So now he had even two leads to follow: the scent of the human boy and that of the vampire.
He would find them and she would pay!
***
Augustus, meanwhile, made his way to the altar. Only a few more feet and he would be there.
"Uncle?" the small, frightened voice called to him.
"Hush, Marcus. Yes, it's me. Just a moment."
"He is here – somewhere – we…" the boy said frantically.
"Shhh. Yes I know. Now just hold still," Augustus interrupted the boy as he finally reached the altar and grimly tore at the chains. After only a few minutes, they gave and the boy was free.
Still thinking that it had been way too easy, Augustus gathered the boy in his arms and carried him quickly away from the retched stone table to one corner, where he wouldn't have to watch his back and could concentrate, at least momentarily, on his boy.
There he put Marcus on his feet and knelt down in front of him to inspect his injuries more closely. Apart from the cut in his hand and his fright, the boy seemed to be all right. Maybe a little thin, but nothing a few hearty meals couldn't restore.
Relieved, he ruffled the boy's hair.
"What have you gotten yourself into this time? You!" and he gathered the boy back to his chest in a fierce hug before he let the boy go again to take care of the wound.
"I knew you would come. I told him so. I said my uncle would come and free us... OW!!!!" he squeaked as Augustus poked the cut and it started to bleed again.
At that moment a large shadow entered the square in a blur to his right and snatched the boy away, setting him down in the opposite corner, positioning itself over him, and roaring out loud. A muzzle curled, exposing long, sharp, threatening canines.
For a moment Augustus couldn't believe his eyes. The beast was magnificent and like nothing he had ever seen before.
If he had not known better, he would have believed it to be a werewolf, but he knew were-creatures and they didn't change into this sort of hybrid form. Still, this was the incarnation of what humans believed a werewolf would be. Only there was no full moon tonight…
Augustus shook his head, collecting himself. After all, he had to get his boy back before the beast could do him any harm. Because no matter how extraordinary, it still was very deadly.
With a snarl of his own, Augustus shot forth, only to impact with the beast's clawed hand. As those dagger-like nails grazed him, it hurt like hell and that infuriated him. Like a snake, he attacked faster and faster. But each time, he was either slapped back, bitten, or thrown through the air. He did land a few good blows, however. Eventually, the animal's hits became not only sloppier, but he also believed to have found its weakness. It could not really see him.
Using this knowledge, he awaited the next lightning then jumped quickly on its broad back, arms encircling the wolf man's neck. It was his only chance because in this fight, he was at a great disadvantage. Neither his strength, speed, nor other powers seemed effective on his opponent who, with his bulk, fangs, and claws, was far better suited for combat than he himself. If it weren't for the beast's bad eyesight, Augustus was almost sure he wouldn't have had a chance of winning this. But maybe he could outwit this thing.
The moment he managed to grab the beast's neck, he wound his legs around its waist and held on for dear life as it bucked under him like a bull at a rodeo. As Augustus attempted to cut off its air supply, it simply threw itself on its back, making the vampire feel the whole impact of their combined weights. Dazed, Augustus let go and quickly rolled to the side. Once back on their feet, they circled each other.
Neither attacked for a while as if both were trying to get a feel for the other's rhythm and movement. The wolf was first to attack. He shot forward, grasping one of Augustus' arms and yanking it almost brutally behind the vampire's back. He countered by spinning out of the way and punching the beast in its now-unprotected side. Huffing, it in turn responded by capturing the brunet's head. Augustus escaped, just barely avoiding its sharp claws, by tripping it and bringing them both to the ground. It became apparent that this was not the way a mindless beast would fight. Furthermore, its movements seemed suspiciously familiar…
Still, he mustn't get distracted! Swiftly, the vampire tried to once again get a hold around its neck, but the moment he tried, he was spun round and pushed face down onto the ground, knocking the air out of him. Before he could recover his senses, he found himself turned on his back and flattened by the werewolf's mass, unable to move. A bone-chilling snarl was the only warning he received before the beast descended upon him.
Absentmindedly, Augustus registered the sounds of Marcus's screams to stop and the thunder rolling in the background, as he waited for the pain to come. But it never did. Instead, the beast seemed to sniff him and squinted hard, as if trying to clear its eyes to get a better view. That was when Augustus saw the red irritation in the white of the creature's eyes, which were otherwise intelligent, soulful, and, oh, so beautiful. Now, it was Augustus' turn to blink. He could have sworn that if he looked really close, he could see a deep blue circle surrounding the glowing, golden orbs. If it had been a man, would its eyes have been blue?
Feeling the weight suddenly leave his body, Augustus witnessed speechlessly as little Marcus ran to the retreating wolf, speaking to it as if it could understand.
And then he remembered. Marcus had said 'us' and the wolf had stood over the boy as if it was trying to protect him. It hadn't even attacked first, but only in defense. Could this perhaps be an ally? But why was it suddenly looking at him as if it had seen a ghost?
Slowly he stood up and carefully stepped closer.
"Uncle, please! He is my friend. Don't hurt him!"
Still not quite able to believe that this wild thing could be friendly, the vampire nodded his agreement.
He knew there was something he was missing but, by Zeus, he didn't know what it was.
Loud clapping disturbed his musing. Alert and ready to attack, both vampire and werewolf spun around to the source, each sporting equal snarls.
"Druid!" Augustus spat when he saw the man he had thought dead for all his vampire existence.
"One and the same! How are you Roman? Still a nuisance to kill, I see. Well, it was worth a try. How do you like my pet, by the way? Isn't he simply magnificent?" the man from his past croaked.
At the word pet the wolf almost lunged at the priest, but the little hand on its leg seemed to enable it to bridle its animalistic impulses.
"Yes, not quite a German Shepherd, but what do you expect from a 'true wolf'." The man grinned and Augustus knew the joke was on him, but for the life of him, he didn't know what the fool was hinting at?
To his right the creature stood frozen, with its head held high and its muscles so tight they contracted.
So it knew what the bastard was referring to…
German, true, wolf? True wolf in German was echter Wolf. No, that couldn't be it. Mmm… He knew that the word werewolf derived from the old German word 'were,' which meant 'man' which leads to 'man-wolf,' so maybe…
Aghast, he looked at the creature's tall form, noticing the proud, muscular stature and remembered the way it had fought with him. He felt his chest suddenly constrict as he recalled the feeling of familiarity he had imagined and then his earlier musings came back to him:
If it had been a man, would its eyes have been blue?
He swallowed hard and felt like the world was being pulled from under his feet.
BLUE eyes, TALL, MUSCULAR, True Wolf.
It was as if those two words were mocking him.
TRUE WOLF - TRUE WOLF - TRUE WOLF - TRUE WOLF - TRUE WOLF
And suddenly, as if someone had ripped a blindfold off his eye, he knew and it broke his heart.
'Were'wolf, the man behind the wolf.
Wolf, which was 'ulf' in Gothic and true, which was… 'SAND'
Sandulf
***
The tension in the air was almost tangible and the three friends knew something important was going to happen.
After the barrier had vanished, they raced through the labyrinth, Henry, of course, moving a lot faster than his mortal companions. But soon they caught up with him as he stood before an entrance, clearly spying on what was happening beyond.
And once Mike and Vicki stood next to him, they understood why. Not only were they once again prevented from going further by another invisible barrier, they also were frozen in place by what they saw.
There in the middle of the center of the labyrinth stood a mighty stone altar, on which's surface runes glowed bright orange. Behind it was an ancient looking man dressed in a druid's frock, holding a sturdy looking staff. Opposite him stood Augustus, seemingly enraged. His eyes shot daggers at the priest. But what made them swallow was the creature next to Augustus. Standing motionless, like an Egyptian Anubis statue, was a frightful-looking creature. Covered from head to toe with a shining silver pelt, it had an almost majestic charisma. Its black, dagger-like claws glittered like onyx and even in the darkness, the eyes shone bright golden in its wolf-shaped head. If it opened its mouth, they knew they would see a set of deadly teeth, created to destroy and devour. But that was not the strangest and most puzzling aspect. No, it was the ease with which the small child stood at its side.
At first glance you would have thought the - well, werewolf would be the only term that came to mind - to be the villain, but as it would seem, it was quite the opposite. The wolf appeared to be the protector and seeing that the older vampire trusted it to be on his side spoke volumes. This left only the old man who talked happily, leaving the others increasingly uncomfortable. The beast seemed to get quieter by the second and the vampire more and more irritated. It looked as if he was trying to understand something, but couldn't figure it out. Then suddenly he went completely still and looked at the beast as if someone had ripped his heart out.
A movement to their far right caught their eyes, but before they could do anything, Christina had entered the area, making the barrier glow and collapse and, right on cue to something the Druid said, shoot at the wolf, which collapsed with a groan.
Augustus let out a loud scream as he ran to it, catching it in his arms, desperately whispering something to it. But all he could do was lay it carefully on the ground.
Then all hell broke loose.
***
tbc