Otto XVI

Snowflakes whipped at his face in vicious white swarms as he rode forward through the darkness. His whole body was numb, yet his grip was hard as steel. Otto clutched Daciana's reins tightly, driving his mount onward relentlessly through the night. He had no time to spare. All he could do was try and reach the Wolf's Den in time.

A hastily assembled party of thirty soldiers rode with him, and they would eventually be followed by a hundred more reinforcements from the Hotspring Hold once Leo rallied the garrison. For now, Otto was forced to rely on his small group alone. Alysanne and a few handpicked Angels had flown ahead. Otto guessed they must have reached the castle by now. What they found there remained to be seen.

Otto's heart was pumping with dread and anticipation of what was to come. He fervently hoped that Willam and all the others were safe and unharmed, yet his mind tended to jump to the worst conclusions. The distress fire from the Wolf's Den signified a dire emergency that required immediate help. Otto knew that Willam would not light that fire unless there was a good reason. It's definitely not something as minor as a wildlife attack. Although rare, those can safely be dealt with by the garrison. No, it must be something bigger. Dare I say it might have been the Protectors of Man? He dismissed the possibility. Impossible. There's no way they can be this deep in our territory. The border patrols would have spotted them. Or at least that was what he hoped. The distress fire had blinked out a while ago, meaning the threat was either gone, or. . .

Otto's group rode for hours and hours in bitter silence, with nothing but the snow, the wind, and their own misgivings for company. When they finally came within sight of the Wolf's Den, Otto's heart immediately sank and he knew that his worst fears were true. The castle had been attacked.

All the watchtowers were completely dark and void of life, with the nightfires extinguished and the guards nowhere to be found. The nearest gate was in complete ruins. The oak doors were a splintered mess and worse yet, Otto spotted corpses just a few feet inside. His gut churned as he took in the scene. This has to be some cruel nightmare, he hoped to himself. Winter and his pack were already investigating inside the compound, sniffing around and turning bodies over. Otto whisked Daciana's reins and rode through the ruined gate into the Wolf's Den.

Inside was worse than outside. Far, far worse. There was no longer any way to deny the truth of what had occurred. A massacre. Bodies were strewn literally everywhere. Armed soldiers, civilians, animals. Everything. The air was ripe with the metallic scent of blood and death. Although Otto's senses were enhanced by Winter's nearby presence, he knew it must have smelt horrible to even regular humans. Jon and the other soldiers were gagging from the smell. In a state of shock, Otto turned around and took everything in.

There were perhaps close to two hundred bodies in the courtyard. Most of them were clearly inhabitants of the Wolf's Den, but there were also a few foreigners who must have been soldiers of the Protectorate. They were well-equipped for battle, with full sets of chainmail and steel armor, whereas the Wolf's Den soldiers were half-dressed in armor and nightclothes. And whereas most of the animals were native to the north, there were a few creatures that clearly came from elsewhere. Otto spotted the dead bodies of raptors, troodons, and even a massive green tyrannosaurus rex with steel armor and a spiked collar.

While Otto's followers spread out to investigate the gruesome scene with expressions of shock and disgust, Alysanne emerged from the central castle, flanked by two Angels. In his shock, Otto had barely registered that the Angels were also here. A flock of argentavis were perched on the castle roof, and the poor woman who had been assigned to watch them was desperately struggling to keep them in check. All the dead bodies were practically an untouched feast to the carrion feeders.

Alys's face was pale and haunted. "No survivors. We checked everywhere."

Otto's hand curled into a tight fist and his teeth clenched. "Willam. . . ?"

"I'm sorry Otto. Perhaps you should see for yourself." She motioned inside the building.

Otto walked forward in a trance-like state, down the hallway past all the corpses. Recognition vaguely flashed in his mind when he saw the corpses of a megalosaurus pack. Otto's spine tingled as he remembered the first attack on his camp. Could those be the very same monsters that forced us to move north in the first place? He passed a second tyrannosaurus, this one a deep dark black with purple highlights. All the while, Otto was dreading what he would find. Some massive battle must have occurred for all these corpses to be here. . . It would be no easy feat to kill these megalosaurus and this tyrannosaurus rex.

Near the far end of the hall, Otto found Argentum and Willam. Both dead. The giganotosaurus was covered in dried crusted blood and his throat had been gouged out. But judging from the slew of enemy corpses littering the hallway, Argentum had not gone out without a fight. Otto stared at the giganotosaurus sullenly. There goes our strongest weapon. We had all been counting on Argentum's strength to help us through the war but now, without his support, we can only imagine what trials await. How will we even begin to recover from this?

Willam was slumped on the floor next to Argentum's head. Otto stared down at the old man's cold stiff body, covered in crossbow bolts. He knelt on the floor and checked for a pulse but, as expected, did not find one. Otto stared down dumbfounded. Never again would he have the chance to talk to Willam, listen to his counsel, discuss their plans for a brighter future. The healer had been a steadfast pillar of support for the Northern Coalition. Now, in less than a night, that life had been snuffed away forever. Otto closed his eyes for a moment.

In a fit of panic, he stood up and started searching around the hallway desperately. Hoping against all odds that at least one person had survived. He saw lots of corpses, some that he recognized. Spectre the albino direwolf had been crushed against the floor, but amidst the blood and broken bones there was still a distinctive white pelt. There were also hyaenodons, soldiers, even the Captain of the Guards. But none of them were alive. Otto's desperate search efforts were only met with more cold corpses and glassy stares

Otto ran up the spiral staircase at the end of the hallway, onto the highest tower of the castle. There was the extinguished distress fire, but again, not a soul left alive. Willam's assistant Myra must have been the last to fall. Her body was sprawled on the floor of the tower, with dozens of spear gashes to her stomach and torso. Her stiff arms were cradling a book. Otto faintly recognized the thing. During their trip to the mountain clans, Willam had been busy scribbling down notes the whole time. Otto gently pried the book and held it up to inspect. It was Willam's Northern Dossier, yet another unfinished reminder of the old man's dreams and aspirations.

Otto carefully brought the book with him, down to the main floor, then outside to Daciana's saddlebag. Alysanne and the others were waiting there. Otto turned to her stiffly. "Fly out to the border and tell the guards of what happened. Tell them to tighten their defenses and stop anything from fleeing south. I intend to trap the monsters who did this and make them pay for their actions."

The Head Ranger nodded and quickly organized her Angels. As the Angels were all flying off south to warn different parts of the border, Otto turned to his own group. "The demons who did this must not run free. We will hunt them down and butcher every last one of them where they stand. We will reap justice for the Wolf's Den."

He mounted Daciana and spurred her out of the broken southern gate. All around Otto, his wolves had picked up on his anger. They sprinted into the forest at full speed, having already picked up on the fleeing enemy's trail. Otto's forces followed after him and the hunt began.

The entire journey was a hazy blur for Otto. It was a few hours of riding relentlessly through the spruce forest, tapping into Winter's instincts to follow the trail of his enemies. Otto could tell that the battle had taken a large toll on them. Based on the tracks and the scent that they left behind, he had a good guess at their numbers. Most of the fleeing soldiers were on foot, and at least a few were injured. Their raptor pack had thinned out considerably, with only seven or eight of them left. There were about the same amount of troodons. And fortunately, only a single megalosaurus was still alive.

The hunt took up the better part of a day, and it was late afternoon by the time Otto's group caught sight of the enemy forces. The sunlight fell down around them in beams, half-shielded by the pine trees overhead. There were only about thirty soldiers left, and as Otto suspected, many of them were injured. Some were limping with crutches, supported by their able-bodied comrades, or seated on the backs of raptors. Others had slings and bandages and missing limbs. And their warbeasts were depleted as well. The raptors looked tired from carrying their riders, though they still snarled and growled with fighting spirit. The single megalosaurus and pack of troodons were sluggish and fatigued. Being nocturnal creatures, they were especially tired during the day. Yet still, the one-eyed megalosaurus turned and roared in defiance, and all the troodons chittered excitedly as they eyed Otto's group.

A fiery rage washed over him. The sight of that one-eyed demon brought back memories to Otto. Fear and desperation, but also a burning hatred that he had buried deep inside him. Now that wrath was back in full force. All the past few hours had been culminating to this moment where he could take his sweet revenge. With a shout, Otto plunged forward into battle at the head of his warband, making a beeline straight for the megalosaurus.

All around him, his wolves sprang into battle. They knocked men to the floor and tore out their throats, snatched troodons by the neck and snapped their jaws shut. The riders from the Hotspring Hold engaged with the Protectors of Man who were mounted on raptors, spears and swords flashing as both sides clashed together. Otto headed forward, straight as an arrow, with Frostbite unsheathed. The megalosaurus lunged to bite him off his saddle, but Daciana swerved aside and ran along its flank. Otto slashed the monster's hide, his meteorite blade sawing through its thick scales and leaving a thin trail of red behind. Before the megalosaurus had a chance to turn around, Otto followed up on his initial attack. He whirled Daciana around and made another pass beneath the megalosaurus's belly. Otto cleaved at the beast's right leg with all his might, aiming for the tendons. His effort was rewarded with a satisfying snap! The megalosaurus stumbled around, nearly buckling to the floor as its leg suddenly gave out. The rider on top looked panicked and fought to control his mount. Now that the man was nearly level with Otto, he galloped forward again and silenced the soldier with a clean slash to the throat. Only days later did he realize it was the first time he had killed a human being. At the moment, however, Otto couldn't have cared less. They had attacked his people first. They would pay the price.

The megalosaurus roared in anger and tried to snatch Otto again, but Daciana was too quick. She had already circled around behind the beast. Otto slashed and hacked, taking all his pent-up fury on the megalosaurus as it limped around in a circle, trying to protect its rear. Frostbite opened up swaths of red on the monster's tail, hind legs, and underbelly. The whole time, the megalosaurus was screeching in pain and anger. It was music to Otto's ears. He kept slicing gleefully, taking delight in every strike. He chopped off the tip of the megalosaurus's tail, then a larger chunk, and another after that. He made a pass by its left flank and took off its arm with a clean sword stroke. Blood spurted all over him but Otto reveled in the warm spray.

The megalosaurus suddenly lunged forward and slammed its jaws closed. . . nearly taking off Otto's sword arm. He jerked back, just a hair's breadth away from losing his limb. That jolted Otto back to his senses. You're not here to toy around. Kill that thing quickly and help your comrades. You'll have other chances to take your revenge. Otto brought Daciana for another pass, then struck the megalosarus's right leg at just and severed its tendons. With both legs dysfunctional, the carnivore careened into the ground. Otto jumped off Daciana's back and struck the finishing blow on the megalosaurus's neck. After one final screech, the nightmarish beast finally fell to the earth, silent.

Otto climbed back on Daciana's back, wildly looking for his next opponent. One man on a raptor was preoccupied fending off two direwolves. Otto rode up behind the distracted man, but his mount sensed danger at the last instant. The raptor turned around to try and bite Otto. Frostbite was faster. The sword cleaved a huge chunk of the raptor's face off, and the startled beast reeled in pain. Otto pressed his heels to Daciana's flanks and the doe burst forward. Otto used the momentum to gouge the rider's throat with his sword, then left the injured raptor to his wolves. They made quick work of the thing, tearing it apart while it screeched in agony.

Otto found his next target, a crippled spearman who had one arm in a sling. The soldier was easy prey. Although he tried to defend himself, Otto easily parried his spear aside then cut him from shoulder to groin. In a rush of excitement and bloodlust, Otto rode down enemy after enemy. The forest echoed with Frostbite's metallic song. The fatigued Protectors of Man were no match for Otto. He laughed bitterly as he cut them down like animals, taking pleasure in the fear glistening in their eyes. Now they know what Willam felt. Vengeance has never tasted better, Otto reflected as he killed another soldier.

In seemingly no time at all, the enemies had fallen. It became harder and harder for Otto to find fresh victims. He was about to cut down the man in front of him, when the enemy soldier threw down his sword and shouted "Yield!"

Otto hesitated for a moment, deciding whether to kill him. He quickly surveyed the rest of the battlefield. All the raptors and troodons had been killed. A few enemy soldiers remained, but most had thrown down their weapons and surrendered already. The casualties on Otto's side were light. Only a few elk and their riders had fallen. Yet still, the sight of more lives taken too soon stirred a fire in his heart.

Otto growled and lowered Frostbite by a fraction. He cocked his head toward a tree. "Over there. Hands where I can see them."

"What should we do with them, your grace?" Jon rode up and asked Otto. Five other captives had surrendered.

Otto considered them for a moment. Should I show them mercy? Rage twisted inside him as he thought about how terrified the people of the Wolf's Den must have been in their final moments. No. They never showed Willam any mercy. I will return their violence in kind. Otto turned to the nearest soldiers. "Hang them all."

As Otto's soldiers were tying nooses with rope from their saddlebags, one of the captives broke away from his guards and threw himself at Otto's feet. He slid Frostbite out but saw that the man was not trying to attack him.

"Please have mercy, my lord," the man sobbed. "I was only the lookout. . . All I did was watch for reinforcements. I took no part in the killing."

Otto saw that it must have been true. This one was hardly a man, more like a boy. Probably Jon's age. He considered that for a moment, then his thoughts flashed to Zach the stablehand and Myra the healer's assistant. Both had been about the same age. And both had been butchered regardless. Otto turned away from the captive. "Hang him last. He can watch the others die."

The boy began to protest but guards were already dragging him away. Otto rode away from the clearing with Daciana and his wolves, leaving his men behind to finish the last few captives off. The forests rang with screams and gurgled choking as the men kicked and struggled for air. Otto did not so much as spare them a second glance as he left the blood-soaked clearing.

The journey home had been somber and sullen. Otto rode all the way back to the Hotspring Hold in silence, then returned to his chambers to brood. Jeyne tried to comfort him and ask what was wrong, but Otto pushed it off for another time. He just needed to be alone for a while.

After hours of stewing in silence, he finally summoned Jon to his chambers. The squire looked shaken from what he had seen earlier, though he seemed to be recovering. Otto handed him a stack of papers.

It was my fault that the Wolf's Den was attacked. I played too cautiously, ordering everybody to pool troops at the border. . . Well, that failed and Willam paid for my mistake with his life. Otto sighed. I learned but at a dear price. Never again will I sit idly by and wait for the enemy to bring destruction to my home. No. . . I'll meet them in the field where we'll settle this matter one way or another.

"Send riders to every member of the Northern Coalition."

"All of them?" Jon asked, staring at the stack of letters.

"Every single one," Otto confirmed. "We mobilize for war. We'll meet the enemy on their own ground."

Author's Note:

Wytaii, Sorry to surprise you like that but every good story should ideally have a few good twists and turns :) Hope you're a bit better now

Nateman364, I'm glad you caught up. There's quite a few more developments coming soon and you'll get to see how both sides handle this first attack.

DinoNerd89, Revenge has arrived with this chapter. The megalosaurus threat is finally over, but of course there's more threats to come.

Guest, There will be pretty big army listings next chapter for you to compare numbers again!

Guest 2, Glad you enjoyed that one! In my opinion it's probably either saddest or second saddest. More to come :)

SaurianFan, Good question. However, they still have plenty of other resources. Creative use might be able to turn the tides back. . .

Thanks for taking the time to check out my work, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to comment, ask questions, or criticize my story, review is always welcome! If you liked what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK stories on this site! Have a great day!

- DaRumpyBurr