And Darkness Consumes

Chapter Six: Way of the Blood Wolf

Just beyond the Cold Plains lay the Stony Fields, a grasslands where literally thousands of rocky outcroppings are scattered all throughout the couple dozen or so acres like seeds dropped from the sky by a god. Darting from rock to rock, Kyoko and Erich snuck their way across the field, again favoring stealth over a more direct approach.

"Better to fight against a scout or straggler then against the entire Demon assault force," Kyoko reasoned.

Along the way, Kyoko took Erich close by the Cairn Stones, a series of five narrow, tall monolithic stones, each with a symbol on it. They did not investigate it further due to the presence of a group of Devilkin lesser demons that appeared to be making camp amongst the stones. Passing by this, Kyoko lead the route to the Underground Passage, which would take them from the Stony Fields to the Dark Woods.

"The way looks clear." Kyoko said from behind the large rock they were using for cover, spying the entrance to the Underground Passage. "Let's make a run for it." She suggested. Erich nodded.

"Let's do it." Erich said, then stood and ran for the cave, pumping his arms for more speed. By the time he realized he was under attack, it was too late.

There was a blur of motion, a streak of dark gray that shot by him so fast it didn't register to his senses until it was too late. Kyoko yelped in surprise as a Dire Wolf tackled her to the ground, his jaws locked on her throat, but it didn't close just yet. Erich spun around, "Kyoko!" He shouted in alarm.

"Take another step, and your woman will die." Came a voice from the cave. It was Yun's. Erich growled, spun to face Yun as the Druid walked into view from the cave. He wore attached to his belt the head of Rico. "I am Yun of the Blood Wolf Clan, and you are responsible for the death of my mate." His tone was flat, lacking emotion, yet at the same time every word dripped with hatred.

"Agh... Forget about me, kill him!" Kyoko said, then whined as the Dire Wolf bite down a little into her neck, it's teeth breaking the skin and drawing blood.

"No Kyoko, I won't let you die." Erich reassured Kyoko.

"How touching. Perhaps I SHOULD kill your woman, so you know how it feels to lose a mate." Yun said. Erich soon became aware of more wolves surrounding him and Kyoko. Tightening his grip on his halberd, Erich paid no mind to the reinforcements and focused his attention on Yun.

"What do you want?" He demanded. Obviously Yun wanted something, otherwise he wouldn't have put them into this situation. The Druid held up a piece of parchment, on it a series of runes.

"This was copied off the bark of the Tree of Inifuss. One of my spies within the Sisterhood has informed me that with these runes, one can travel to Tristram. You will tell me how to use these runes to travel to Tristram, or I will kill your woman." Yun said. Again his tone of voice was flat, nearly monotone, his hard chiseled face blank, completely unreadable.

"Never!" Erich said, fire raging in his eyes.

"Fine then... Kill the girl." Yun said to the Dire Wolf with it's teeth on Kyoko's throat.

"NO!" Erich shouted as the Wolf started to close it's jaws on her neck, Kyoko shrieking in pain as it's teeth dug deeper into her throat. "Stop! I'll tell you!"

Yun raised his hand, and the Wolf stopped. "Then do so..."

"First, let Kyoko go." Erich demanded, his hand dropping to his belt, where his Daedric Dagger lay just out of sight.

"You are in no position to negotiate. I hold all the cards. Do as I say, or your precious Kyoko will die."

"Kill her and I'll kill you!" Erich exclaimed.

"That's exactly what this silly Paladin said, moments before I ripped his head from his shoulders." Yun tapped Rico's head with one hand. He could see that the sight of it angered Erich immensely.

"Then call your wolf off her. I have to saw you how to use the runes, and she comes with me." Erich said, still trying to bargain for Kyoko's safety. Yun stared at Erich long and hard, then rose his hand, waving the Dire Wolf off. The dark furred wolf obeyed, releasing Kyoko and scooping up her bow in it's jaw, bounding away leaving her defenseless.

"Ah ha!" Erich shouted as he whipped the Dagger from it's sheath and flung it towards Yun, intending to catch him in the throat like he did Janus. But it wasn't going to end that way.

With impossibly fast reflexes Yun caught the Dagger in mid-air, "Wrong move." He said simply as he began to shift into Werewolf form.

"RUN KYOKO!" Erich shouted as he took up his halberd to fight off the Wolves and Yun. He didn't have to tell her twice, as Kyoko took off running full speed, fleeing the scene. "Oh no you don't!" Erich said as two wolves started to give chase to her, holding his halberd like a javelin, throwing it over handed at the nearest Wolf. The Halberd sailed gracefully through the air, but unfortunately the wolf hopped aside as the weapon neared it, the blade digging into the earth, and now Erich was weaponless, surrounded on all sides by a pack of wolves.

"Leave her," Yun said, his voice booming like raging thunder, then turned to the wolves surrounding Erich, "This one is mine!" He was in full Timber Wolf form, at least twice as big as the Dire Wolf that had it's jaws on Kyoko's throat, his eyes a dark blood red, pulsating with a feral rage. His glossy fur was smoke gray, and his mouth was lined with rows of razor sharp teeth, long lines of salvia dripping from his jaws as he eyed Erich hungrily.

Erich took up a self defensive fighting stance. He was no match for this thing, but he'd be dammed if he didn't go down fighting. Yun began to circle Erich, locking eyes with the Nord as he paced around him. Erich made the first move, taking a swing at Yun with his fist. The wolf easily dodged his swing, side stepping then leaping onto Erich, it's large jaw closing on his head. Pain washed over Erich as the weight of the wolf sent him careening over backwards, then the world was washed over gray as he felt his head collide with a rock. The last thing he heard was the howl of a wolf...

Stumbling over herself, Kyoko returned to the Rogue camp, alone. Night had fallen by the time she returned. She was welcomed warmly, then she told Akara the news of what had transpired. Akara was greatly upset by the thought that one of their own was a spies for Yun's Blood Wolves.

"Yun will no doubt try to make Erik a member of his pack. But he is mistaken in believing Erik has any knowledge of how to read the runes." Akara explained to Kashya and a small team of her most trusted Rogues, gathered inside Kashya's hut, "We must at all costs rescue him, for if he were to die, or become a Blood Wolf, then all hope is lost."

"Right. I'll take it from here. Our scouts have pinpointed Yun's Den here inside the Stony Fields." Kashya pointed out a spot on a map laid on a table, "We will being the rescue mission by..."

Kashya went into depth, explaining mode of entrance, plans of assault, even how they would get past Yun's wolves stationed at the entrance of the cave. Getting in appeared to be the easy part, but getting out with Erich would prove to be the hardest...

Erich awoke some hours later, and found himself bound hand and foot by leather cord. His Bonemold armor had been removed, and he was dressed only in a pair of loose fitting gray cotton pants. "Ugh..." He groaned, his head five sizes too small for his pounding brain. Looking about himself, he noticed that he was inside a cave, the bones of dead animals and humans scattered across the floor haphazardly. "No way am I gonna die here." He said as he tried to break himself free of his bonds.

"You are not going to die." Came Yun's voice suddenly from behind Erich, "Instead, I'm going to give you life, make you a part of my clan." He was in human form.

"What? No way will I EVER work for you." Erich spat in Yun's direction.

"You'll find I can be QUITE pervasive." He said, cracking a wicked, sadistic grin at Erich. His sharp, wolf canines showing, "By sunrise, you will come to think of me as your father, and you will gladly tell me how to read the runes." Yun cackled evilly as he left Erich to his thoughts...