"From here on, the events shall be even darker and more horrible. Those young and weak of heart, leave my humble inn, for I do not wish to hear complaints of nightmares." smirked Dandelion darkly. "Now let us continue..."
Assassins and nightingales
The morning after Slenderman's defeat
Claudette and Fleet were standing together at the edge of the rocky path, outside Fleet's den, admiring the valley.
"What do you think?" asked Claudette, leaning her head against her lover's shoulder.
"About?" answered Fleet, nuzzling her.
"About what do you think, silly?" she giggled. "The night after the Howl was the best night of my whole life, I've never lived anything more exciting... but what will my parents do...?" she finished slightly worryingly.
"I don't think they'll kill me will they?" he said, smiling slightly.
"They wouldn't, I think. But I don't want Gran doing anything rash, I know she was ... protective of Mom and aunt Lilly." she replied thoughtfully.
"Do they even know?" asked Fleet.
"I had a funny feeling Mom was smelling me a little suspiciously that next day." answered Claudette.
"We did wash after, but well, who knows?" shrugged her lover.
"I did indeed smell you , Claudette. You have to also roll around in some flowers to fool me." giggled a voice behind them.
Claudette and Fleet turned around suddenly to see Kate, Humphrey, Stink and Ann smiling behind them.
"And it's alright, we won't kill you Fleet." laughed Humphrey, noticing Fleet's worry on his face, who sighed gratefully.
"But watch out, we get any whisper that you're hurting Claudette, it's gonna end in another gruesome kill." added Kate, the remark wiping off Fleet's smile and made him nod nervously.
"Stinky also told us about the relationship he's been having with Ann here." said Humphrey, looking at the second couple. They smiled.
"It's completely alright, we had a feeling that would happen soon, and we're happy for you two. Also, for you two lovebirds." he added.
"Thank you, very much!" said Fleet.
"Don't worry." replied Kate.
They went together to the feeding grounds.
About half an hour later, in the feeding grounds
The morning sun was rising gracefully on the archway of the heavens. It gave a magnificent golden light to the mountains and forest. The dew shined alike crystals on the jade-green leaves, the old oaks shading the nature gently, with their towering shadows. The stillness of it all purely made it picturesque only through this. It looked just like a painting made by a talented impressionist. The cool summer-morning wind was hissing through the grass and rocks, murmuring through leaves and it gently stroked the wolves' and bears' fur inside their dens. The ruby-red sky had few patches of fluffy white clouds, scattered through the sky and ushered by the breeze.
Everyone was enjoying a hearty meal taken at the feeding grounds. Stinky and Ann were merrily chatting with Brent and Zoe, and the rest of the family among each other. The Archmages also arrived then.
"Hello!" said Lilly happily. "How's your week off?" she asked.
"I gotta say, it's been quite stressed, seeing that we have no fuckin' clue when the next thing's gonna come out of pretty much nowhere..." said Fannaeras amused.
"Still, I've been wondering, how come it's not crawling with humans around here? I would've thought they could help." said Garth curiously.
"Pennywise put a spell on the city here so they won't get involved, they think nothing's going on. And I think the summoner may have even enforced it." answered Ithilden.
"And why don't you lift it?" asked Claudette. "Couldn't they help?"
"It would be just like Garth said, there would be hundreds. And there's no magic around here normally, so I don't know how they would treat us. Or even you." explained Shalidor. "We thought it's best to leave them out of it. We're managing well by ourselves. And it's not like they would be able to do very much."
"Good point." nodded Stinky. "Best try to get allies, not foes."
"Exactly. So far we haven't detected anything, not a soul, or even a presence. We've been checking around here." said Lara.
"Wise idea. If we keep on high alert, it won't manage to catch us so off-guard." approved Winston.
"Slenderman was very bad, wasn't he?" mumbled Kate. "What could be even worse than that?" she asked distractedly, staring at the ground.
"We try not to keep any standards. They're coming out of hell. We can literally expect ANYTHING." shrugged Kharazim.
"Mhm." she replied getting up. "Let's go, Stinky, you might want to get some more leadership advice, yo know you'll be Pack Leader sometime."
"Yes, Mom, I know." smiled Stinky.
"Let's go then and see if there's anything to be done." replied Winston. "You can come too, Ann, you'll also be Leader someday."
Ann grinned and followed Stinky and the Leaders up to the top of the mountain, the Council's place, looking nervous but also excited. Brent and Zoe also went up to meet Canue. The Archmages went around for another roundabout in the territory, with Humphrey and Kate, which insisted on joining. Garth went with Claudette to teach her some hunting lessons, while Runt and Lilly went to solve a conflict which appeared between two wolves and a bear.
That evening, in the summoning room
The Nathrezim once again knelt in the middle of the circle. He drew new runes and symbols, for he needed more power. His raised hands began to siphon blood from two vases and spoke:
"Through denial you are born,
Through anger you prosper,
Through fear you come to life,
Through bargaining you make mortals think,
That their dear ones lives must be over with."
The portal and the demon's hands burst into flames. From pure darkness, a shadow became visible, of a tall humanoid. It was becoming clearer and more shapely as it was approaching the portal. Then it stepped out. It seemed like a tall man dressed in an elegant coat, with a top hat, but with long, sharp and gleaming claws instead of hands. It's pale face was barely visible, but it was enough to make a mortal turn and run. The demon projected an image of the Archmages.
"They are your target. Do not stray far from this path." he said in the same cold, impassionate voice.
The Babadook didn't reply, merely stared.
"Go." the demon simply said, and opened a portal. Mister Babadook went through without a word or a sound.
In Jasper
The monster looked around the magnificent forest, but his face remained as cold and still as carved out of stone. It got out a red book from out a pocket, entitled "Mister Babadook", and holding it, he vanished.
That night
All the Archmages woke up at once, all feeling the same vibrations. They teleported quickly to the place where the defense magic and crystals were centered.
"Vibration's are coming from around here." said Lara, pointing to a place which was illuminated, on the map projected by the protective enchantments. They hurriedly teleported there. She got out a lamp which shined with green light, and started illuminating around her, but couldn't see any spirits. The other Archmages started casting spells and sending out vibrations, but they found nothing. Yet they didn't give up.
They continued walking through the territory. The dark night, wrapped in the moon's fine silver mantle, remained as unyielding and silent as ever. The friends searched and searched, but to no avail, as the spirit's presence they felt was a ruse...
But they didn't realize that it really was a ruse.
A looming shadow appeared in Eve and Winston's den, but it went completely unnoticed. It put the red book next to Eve, and vanished without even making one sound...
Next morning
Eve and Winston woke up a bit earlier than usual next morning, and Eve noticed the red book right next to her. She started sniffing it curiously, but Winston intervened:
"Eve, do not touch it!" he said loudly. She jumped back and looked at him, confused.
"Why? It's just a … thing."
"That 'thing' can be dangerous! Who knows what it is?! It could be cursed." he asked her reproachfully.
"I don't think that-" she began, but was interrupted by Winston's howl he let outside, not listening to her.
"Are you even listening to me?!" she added, angrily.
Winston didn't answer, but smiled when he saw a portal open, and the Archmages stepped out of it.
"I see you've heard my howl." he said.
"Yes, we did. What is the problem?" asked Lara tiredly, slightly struggling to keep her eyes open.
Kate's family also ran down, alongside Lilly and Garth.
"Dad, what's up?" asked Lilly breathlessly.
"Well, now that you're all here, I can speak once and for all of you. That thing appeared next to Eve. We don't know when it appeared, we saw it just now." he said, jerking his head at the book. Eve was still glaring at Winston.
Fannaeras was first to pick it up.
" 'Mister Babadook'." He touched and rubbed it, and sent a green wave on it. "I don't feel shit. No vibrations, no nothing."
The Archmages passed it all between each other, casting different spells and scanning it.
"Don't feel anything. But it must be something else, a book couldn't just appear out of fuckin' nowhere, we're miles away from any society." concluded Ithilden, throwing the book back to Fannaeras.
"Society?" asked Garth, tilting his head.
"Human pack, basically." answered Kharazim.
"Let's read it, see what the hell is it." said the blood-elf. He opened it at the first page and read out loud:
"If it's in a word, or in a look, you can't get rid of the Babadook." He turned the page. "A rumbling sound then three sharp knocks. That's when you'll know that he's around. You'll see him if you look." A drawing of a seemingly tall man which was waving from behind a wall, and a wolf staring at him.
He turned again. "That's what he wears on top. He's funny, don't you think?" There was a drawing of the same very tall man, with an enormous black coat and a bowler hat. He had an interesting smile, with his mouth slightly open. The blood-elf read on:
"See him in your den at night, and you won't sleep a wink." Another drawing of the torso of the man, leaning above a wolf who looked terrified. "I'll soon take off my funny disguise, take heed of what you've read…" It was a much bigger drawing of the man's face, but his arms spread like wings, and his mouth opened wide, showing many sets of small, white teeth. The rest of it was all black. Fannaeras turned the page again, slightly alarmed.
"And once you see what's underneath… YOU'RE GOING TO WISH YOU WERE DEAD." he finished. The next pages were blank, completely. He closed it.
"Alright, what in the actual fuck is this?" he said, looking at the wolves and mages, which were staring incredulously.
"Sure seems like another monster, alright." said Kharazim. "It also seems to haunt it's victim, making it go insane. It also seems to have two forms … but why did it give us the book?!" he asked, confused.
"I don't know… it's like he almost wants us to know, but not too much… . It's all very strange."
"Let's try to destroy it. Allow me to burn it." said Shalidor. Fannaeras rolled his eyes.
"Come on, 'burn'? What are we, fucking peasants? Are you a mage or not? said the blood-elf in an exasperated voice. "Let's disintegrate it, more likely." he added.
"Alright, fine. Let's do it."
"Do we need to get out of there?" asked Claudette.
"No, only close your eyes." said Lara. The wolves did that, and Fannaeras encased the red book in a dark purple circle, and made it float among the mages.
All of them raised their hands or staffs, and cast spells, sending different colored beams to the circle, Fannaeras sending his own lime one. The Archmages all shouted an incantation at once, and closed their eyes. Extremely bright and powerful light illuminated the den, then the book disappeared, and the light went out.
"You can open your eyes." said Mithrandir. The animals all did.
"Is it… gone?" asked Runt, slightly surprised.
"The book is, but we'll see about the demon." replied Mithrandir. The mages told the wolves what they sensed the previous night and their fruitless search.
"So that's why you were more tired than usual." nodded Humphrey.
"Yep. We'll be very careful, we need not miss one thing or sensation." said Ithilden.
"Tell us if you notice anything strange." said Lara.
"Be sure about that." smiled Kate.
The Archmages teleported back to their tree-house, to get a little more sleep.
"Where is Grandma?" asked Stinky. Only then they noticed that Eve was gone.
"Probably still angry that I overreacted slightly." replied Winston. "I'll go find her later, after she cooled off. You get to your own business."
The wolves all left, while Winston and Tony reported to the Royal Family what happened that morning.
A few hours later, in the afternoon
Winston followed Eve's tracks until he saw her next to a lake. The emerald-green grass rustled under Winston's old and slightly tired steps. The crystal water was reflecting the sun's golden rays, but Eve didn't seem to be there to admire it. She was just … standing there, not moving one step…
"Eve?" asked Winston, intrigued by her behavior. She didn't turn around. He approached her. But by the time he saw her reflection in the lake, his yell was stopped when his mate, or what was his mate, turned around lightning-fast and hit him very heart in the head. Her ruby-red eyes were staring into Winston's pleading blue eyes.
"Please… Eve…" whispered Winston. She didn't answer, only a twisted smile curling her lips.
He then passed out.
A few minutes later
The Archmages sensed the vibrations once again. This time they teleported even faster than before to the location, and they were shocked too see Winston…
Hanged by his tail and choked with his own left paw, which was shoved down his throat, and his blood trickling down from his forehead and stump.
Shalidor turned slightly green, but didn't throw up. Instead, he sent a red signal high up in the sky. Mithrandir stepped towards it and looked at it, alongside Ithilden.
"Knocked out…" said Ithilden, biting his lip.
"Choked with his own ripped off paw…" continued Mithrandir, in a shocked voice.
"And hanged by his own fucking tail." finished Lara, through gritted teeth.
"How. The. Fuck. Didn't. We. Feel. ANYTHING?!" yelled Kharazim angrily. "Our protection's working perfectly, what the fuck?!" he added waving his arms angrily.
"He must be something much more powerful and one of the most evasive demons we've had the fortune to encounter." said Fannaeras.
Then they heard the wolves sprinted towards them and the bears hurrying in their wake.
Kate and Lilly broke down crying after only one look at the posed and mangled body. Claudette and Runt threw up. Stinky started tearing up and cried on Ann's shoulder. Fleet, Garth, Humphrey, and Tony just stared, not believing what they were seeing. King and Queen Bear were also beyond shock. Queen Bear cried silently on her mate's shoulder. Canue's and Zoe's tears also flowed silently down their face, while Brent hugged the princess. Canue accepted it happily. Fleet, Garth and Humphrey then hugged their mates tightly, the she-wolves hugging them back, crying in their fur.
"Who… how… why… ?" asked Runt, stupefied.
"There's this fur on him." gasped Lara, recognizing it.
Kate looked at it, and her tearing eyes widened.
"No… Mom wouldn't…" she whispered.
"No. She wouldn't. That wasn't Eve." said Humphrey firmly, while tears stealthily were making their way down his muzzle.
"It wasn't. She was possessed, must've been." said Shalidor.
"What's that?" asked Mithrandir, pointing in a bush.
Kharazim dashed and held it up, grimacing. It was the red book they had destroyed in the morning.
"What the fuck?! How?!" shouted Fannaeras.
"Look." said Kharazim quietly, showing them the open book. There was a new page drawn. Eve standing smiling in a deranged manner in front of Winston's hanged body. But her fur wasn't the same. It was a very stuck up and just not normal. And despite of the black and white colors of the drawing, her eyes were an intense red. The book suddenly dissolved out of the monk's hands.
"Prepare his burial." said Mithrandir loudly, looking at the wolves. "We shall call help. From someone just as elusive and tricky as this Babadook. I think you know who I'm talking about." he addressed to the Archmages, which nodded.
"Then let's go. We're infinitely sorry for this." he inclined his head towards the wolves. Lara cut down Winston's body with one swing of Zirael.
"You couldn't do anything, you couldn't even sense him." sobbed Lilly. "We heard Kharazim." she added. "Just please… stop this." The mages nodded and teleported, while the wolves took off towards the mountain, Humphrey still helping Kate stand up, while she still sobbed heavily.
"You can't deny he's got some fucking style… " thought Fannaeras, smirking grimly.
In the Archmages' tree-house, ten minutes later
"Think this will work?" You sure he didn't change his projection stone?" asked Fannaeras.
"I doubt he's anywhere he can't be contacted. And second he enjoyed my gift too much." shrugged Shalidor. The human got out a stone carved with various runes and models. He whispered an incantation, his hand shined a dark purple and the stone was lifted slightly into the air. It created a projection above, which was unclear, but clarified fast.
A cloaked and masked face appeared. It was decorated with silver and dark grey linings and models. Black eyes were barely visible, even them being shaded.
"Well, well look who ends up contacting me!" the man said excitedly.
"Greetings to you too, Spectrale." smiled Shalidor, taking off his mask. "Long time, no see."
"Or hear." he laughed.
"Well, we urgently need your help." said Fannaeras.
"Ah, you've sparked my curiosity! Care to elaborate?" said the man.
"We would rather speak face to face, Spectrale." answered Lara.
"Very well. Here are my coordinates" he said, and they were projected. "You were always more talented than me at creating those damn things…" he chuckled. The conversation ended.
Shalidor drew a sign into the air, pressed his hands together, which started vibrating, and he suddenly wrenched them apart. A portal opened in front of him and soon enough the man stepped through.
He had handsome dark grey armor, decorated with many silver and black linings and models, scales, spirals, and so on. He had a medallion depicting a nightingale with it's wings spread. Only his eyes could be seen, the rest all being concealed. On his back and around his middle he had various knives, swords, and what looked like the shape of small bombs. He also had a longbow, which shined faintly with pale-blue light.
"Welcome, Nightingale." laughed Fannaeras and shook his hand. After they all greeted each other, Shalidor explained the current situation to Spectrale. There was a small silence after the detailed explanation from the mage.
"You've faced quite a lot… of course, I shall help you. I felt some strange sensations of calling too in the end of May, but I was in a bit of trouble at time, so I didn't pay attention to them, and they didn't come back only after much later. Yesterday, as a matter of fact." spoke Spectrale.
"There's a good chance the Nathrezim's after you too. If it wants us dead, it certainly wants to get of you too." said Lara.
"Pfft, only adds to that long-ass list of the people that want me dead." laughed the Nightingale.
"You wanna check out the protection, you said?" asked Kharazim.
"Yeah. I'll also add some of my own things." nodded Spectrale.
They went to the cave in which the Archmages set the crystals up.
A quarter of an hour later
Spectrale was whispering incantations, and setting up certain gems, while the mix of bright blue and white light of the crystals was becoming grey and black and smoky.
He finally got up.
"Alright, that should do it for now." the newcomer concluded, satisfied. The Archmages walked out of the den, outside of which the wolves and the Royal Family was waiting.
"Greetings to you all. You can call me Spectrale. Professional thief, master of stealth, Nightingale, and also an experienced of stealth magic, at your service." he bowed deeply. The animals inclined their heads, and also presented themselves.
"Good to know you, Spectrale. You believe you can help the Archmages with this… thing?" asked Kate, her eyes red and puffy from crying hours after hours.
"I do, Kate. An elusive monster requires an elusive enemy. And I think I fulfill the requirements. After all, I'm also called 'ENW'." he added, smirking.
"ENW?" asked Claudette confused.
"Everywhere and nowhere…" he chuckled and disappeared in front of their eyes. They all gasped, and Claudette was tapped on her shoulder. She turned around to see the new member of the Archmages right behind her. She almost screamed. And she barely got a good look at him, he was back in front of the entrance again.
"I think you understand now, don't you?" he laughed.
"Very well, we wish you good luck, Archmages." nodded Garth. "We shall prepare Winston's burial."
"And your leadership declaration." added Humphrey.
"Wait, what?" asked Lilly, taken aback.
"Well, you're becoming leaders now, aren't you?" said Runt, as if it was obvious. "Grandpa did say he wanted you as his successors, then Stinky." His older brother nodded.
"What?!" cried Lilly. "I'm… I'm not ready for this!" she added anxiously. Garth nuzzled her.
"It will be alright love, I'm always here for you. We will manage, trust me." he encouraged his mate.
"Al… Alright." she stammered. "Let's go, burial's due to start soon.
After the burial
The ceremony was short, and depressing. Kate and Lilly sobbed silently through the entirety of it, while Garth, Humphrey and the pups also cried silently. King bear held a short speech, and it was over. He also declared Winston's wish for Lilly and Garth to become Leaders of the United Pack. After it was all over, Spectrale immediately set to patrolling the territory, curios of the surroundings, and getting to know it better.
That night, a bit after midnight
The seven Archmages immediately got up, for they felt the protection was penetrated again, near Kate's family's den. But Spectrale sensed also something else, close to the top of the mountain, in the Royal den.
"Stop! The one near Kate's den is a fake! It's just a distraction!" he said suddenly. "Make a portal to the Royal den, NOW!" he shouted hurriedly. Shalidor immediately did it, and they all ran through.
At the Royal den
The Archmages stepped out, and saw a shadow of a wolf prowling near the entrance. Lara managed to blind it, and they all saw Eve. But they knew she was possessed. The Archmages wasted no time in attacking her, all casting different spells, while Ithilden caused thick roots to burst out on the entrance of the bears' den, isolating the Royal family from the battle.
She dodged many of them, now having an incredible speed, but she didn't see that Spectrale was invisible behind her, and stabbed her in her in the center of her back. She turned around at lightning speed and threw him off the cliff, but that gave time to Fannaeras to bind her in his stamina-draining bounds.
Suddenly, a tall shadow of a man rose behind her and cut the lashes off. It was the Babadook itself. Flashing his white teeth, he swiped at the mages powerfully but they managed to shield themselves in time. Lara managed to get a down-cut at his thighs, but she quickly forced to parry his claws.
Eve got back up and jumped on Shalidor, biting his arm. Kharazim's fists burst on fire and he quickly hit the she-wolf powerfully, sending her backwards into the rocks. Ithilden then caused stars to hit both of their enemies, and Lara, alongside Mithrandir managed to get even more swipes at the Babadook with their swords, while Fannaeras started draining Eve of stamina. The Babadook then went invisible and slashed Fannaeras and Ithilden deeply, and threw powerfully Kharazim into a wall, making rocks collapse on him.
"FUS, RO DAH!" was heard and the monster was thrown back by Shalidor's unrelenting force shout. Out of nowhere Spectrale appeared once again and shot the Babadook with many arrows from his bow. He then appeared behind him and slashed his back with one of his swords. The Babadook tried to slash him back, but Shalidor's lightning bolts and Mithrandir's fire whip made him stagger, and Spectrale was dashing around him slashing and stabbing him repeatedly with swords and daggers, while the other two were still damaging him. Also, Shalidor summoned a lightning atronach, who was throwing bolts at the demon.
Meanwhile, Lara was busy fighting Eve who had healed by herself, who tried to finish off the injured warlock and druid, which were healing. The she-elf and she-wolf danced around each other, none of them landing a hit. That was until Kharazim dashed at Eve, and kicked her powerfully in her stomach, his leg shining brightly. The she-wolf staggered at the end of the cliff, hurt. Then…
A great burst of dark light appeared, blinding all the Arhcmages. They all were thrown back, but Ithilden and Fannaeras, now healed, didn't let any of them fall off, because of the shield they projected. The Babadook and Eve, of course, disappeared into nothingness. Lara's staff shined brightly, and the darkness dissolved. Ithilden made the roots go back to the ground.
Kate's family arrived, and the bears stepped out of the den, all sharing the same look of distress.
"Did you fight that thing?!" gasped Runt.
"Yeah, we did. Managed to make it retreat, think we hurt it pretty good." nodded Spectrale.
"Why did you-?" began Canue, but was interrupted by the druid.
"We couldn't have let you jump into battle, you would've certainly died." spoke Ithilden.
"What of Mom?" asked Kate, with new tears in her red eyes.
"She's possessed, clearly." said Shalidor.
"She can't be put down easily, she heals fast." added Fannaeras.
Kate nodded, tear going down her muzzle. Humphrey hugged her tightly.
Then Fannaeras spotted the book once again. He opened it at the last page and read out loud:
"You've beat me now, wasn't that fun? But the rematch shall take place, if you can keep the pace."
He quickly tried to encase it in a barrier, to keep it, but the book disintegrated. The blood-elf swore loudly.
"Go back and sleep, you can't do anything here. Next time, we need to think up a way to keep him here." said Spectrale.
"We thank you for coming. Immensely." said Stinky, bowing his head.
"Just helping out my old pals." smiled the Nightingale. The smile could be seen in his eyes. The Archmages teleported back to their tree-house, while the wolves and bears went back to their dens.
In the pitch-black night , you could almost hear the deep breaths of the Babadook and possessed she-wolf, as the monster was also planning his next move carefully…
A/N: Getting interesting, isn't it? What do you think of the new character? Will Eve survive the possession so she can be saved, or will she and up like the poor child that resisted Slenderman? Tell me what you think in the reviews, and leave a favourite/follow if you enjoy this story! Peace!
P.S. Long boiiii (longest chapter yet lol)