Hi, I know it's been a long time since I updated. I'm sorry, but it's been really difficult to find time to write. I just want to take a moment to thank my faithful repeat reviewers.
Areiko:Thanks for being one of my first repeat reviewers. You didn't review my last chapter so I don't know if you're reading this, but I just wanted to say thanks.
Awrawrawrawrawrawra: I have always liked reading you're reviews. They are always an encouragement and I appreciate the comments on specific aspects of my story. It really helps to me to figure out what I'm doing right or wrong.
Mai Minase: I would like to give you a big thanks. I feel a lot better knowing that you sharp eye is out there. Thanks for finding the mistakes that slip by me and pointing them out in a kind, tactful way.
I also want to say thank you to everyone else who has reviewed this story so far. The reviews really do help give me motivation to keep going. (subtle hint) So, if I get more reviews I'll have more motivation to write, edit, and post the chapters faster, get it? (not so subtle hint) And I do really like hearing from the same people more than once, for those of you who left a review for my earlier chapters. It lets me know if you are still reading this and whether you like it or not. I REALLY do NEED the feedback PLEASE! (gets on knees and begs with puppy eyes) I really do love reading the opinions of people who have read my story.
This chapter is a bit shorter than the others and it is mostly a transition chapter that focuses on the nobles, but it is going reveal a lot of important information for later parts of the story. I honestly did not intend for this chapter to turn out the way it did. The wolves do not appear in this chapter and that is why it is short. Originally they were in the second half of this chapter, but the two parts didn't mesh well. So, I divided them into two chapters. However, the next chapter is longer than this one and focuses only on our favorite wolves to make up for this chapter. By the way, any relationships I imply in this chapter are strictly my fabrications for the sake of my storyline and I have no idea as to whether or not they actually occurred in the series. Enough of me taking up space, onto the chapter.
Episode 05: Evil Horizon
It had been two days since the wolves escaped from the city. Orkham's soldiers had been on constant patrol searching the skies for Darcia's airship. Lord Dark had still deemed it a priority to capture the flower maiden. She was the final element needed before the Dynasty could enact their master plan. This plan, however, was something that not even Orkham was privileged with; only Dynasty members were allowed access to this information. Therefore the uneasy alliance continued as Orkham kept a wary eye on Dark's every move. Twice now, Dark had threatened to kill him. The old man was not about to drop his guard around the Dynasty noble. Orkham was starting to think that it might be for the benefit of his own health if he put some distance between himself and Dark. Yet doing so might draw the suspicion of his fearsome ally. This left the old man in a very uncomfortable position. At this moment, Orkham was aboard Dark's airship pondering over these things.
The Dynasty noble's personal airship was much larger than anything in Orkham's military. It was doubtful that all of Orkham's airships combined could be a match for this flying behemoth. Dark's airship could easily out gun any other opposing war craft regardless of whether the opponent was based on land, sea, or air. The overall shape of the vessel resembled a sting ray. It was wide in the front with three large protrusions. The center one being the bridge and the protrusions on either side of the bridge were the massive engines that ran all the way to back for propelling the craft through the air. The Ôtail' in the back center of the vessel was a large charging mechanism for the main cannon on the bottom of the airship. The cannon was centered directly under the bridge and, when not in use, retracted into the aircraft's hull, so as to avoid damaging the weapon while in flight. The vessel was covered in a black metallic coloring with glowing dark violet lines in a streamlined pattern.
Orkham thought back to the reason why he had joined with the Dynasty in the first place. True they promised him power and a greater area to reign over, but the real reason Orkham joined their ranks was for one thing. Protection. Jagara's actions were becoming more and more militant. It was when her troops began approaching his keep that Orkham began looking for allies to protect him. First, he reached out to Darcia with an enticing offer. Orkham would open his boarders to Darcia and assist in the flower maiden project. All that was required of Darcia in return was that he station a few airships at a specified location. This location that Orkham had graciously opened to Darcia was really where Jagara's soldiers had advanced furthest into the old noble's territory. Positioning Darcia between Jagara and himself, Orkham had a shield he could effectively hide behind. However, Darcia lacked the military strength to repel lady Jagara if she decided to commit to a full out assault making him good for little more than an early warning.
Thus, Orkham sought more aid. He found it when his agents brought back word of powerful nobles in the far east with an interest in Darcia's flower maiden project. And the rest gradually developed into the current situation. Orkham was disturbed from his thoughts as a knock came from the door of the room he had been given to stay in. It was one of Dark's servants bringing a summons to the noble. Dark wished to show something to Orkham. Orkham was led through the winding corridors of the ship until finally he reached an area which almost seemed like a laboratory. Dark stood there awaiting Orkham's arrival.
"Good, you're here. Well, as you know, you're men have not had much success in locating the flower maiden or the wolves. I have decided to allocate some of the Dynasty's resources to assist in the search. Now let me show you the masterpieces of the hybrid technology." Dark strode over to a large thick metal door with three bar locks arranged in a horizontal fashion. The door looked like it was more for keeping something on the inside rather than keeping people out. Dark pressed several keys on a terminal next to the door. The locks retracted, and the door descended into the floor. "Come this way. Stay close and don't touch anything or else I won't save you," Dark coldly commanded in a tone that relayed a sick sort of pleasure.
"What could you possibly have in there that is of interest to me?" Orkham demanded.
"Just wait and see," Dark gave a sickening chuckle as he entered the room. Orkham followed shortly afterwards. The room was one large aisle lined with cages. The cages were behind thick glass walls, allowing the visitors to see what was lurking inside.
"These are . . . wolves?" Orkham observed in confusion. "What can these possibly be any good for!" Orkham shouted rather irritated at his time being wasted like this.
"I think you forget your place," Dark warned. Orkham immediately went ridged and gasped in fear. He gave an apologetic bow not daring to look up. "That's more like it. Now watch as I show you just how useful these seemingly ordinary wolves can be." Orkham rose slowly and stood in front of the window that Dark motioned towards.
All of the wolves, four males and a single female, in the room were a pitiful sight. They didn't snarl, growl, or even howl for help. Hope for them was lost completely. It was nothing more than a faded memory. They didn't bother to struggle because escape was an impossibility. The only thing that remained for them was to await the time that they would be used for whatever foul purpose Dark had planned, and pray that they would be killed during the task, finally receiving a release from their captivity.
The wolf, whose cage Dark and Orkham were in front of, didn't bother to growl or bare his fangs in defiance at the one who held him captive. Instead he cringed helplessly in the back of the cage whimpering. There was nothing he could do. All of them had fought and resisted in the beginning, but it never helped them escape or stopped the painful experiments they had to endure. Instead, cruel beatings were administered after every act of resistance.
Dark opened a keypad in the glass wall and pressed a sequence of commands. Orkham's eyes went wide in utter fear at what he saw next. The wolf in the cage howled writhing and contorting on the floor in pain. Its body was changing, growing, and shifting. The wolf became many times larger than what was natural. Its height eventually rivaled that of a man's. The wolf's legs became longer and more muscular. The pads on the wolf's paws were absorbed back into its body. The paws of the forelegs grew longer mutating into the shape of fingers, but still retaining their canine characteristics. The wolf's claws on all of its paws became much longer, thicker, and wickedly sharp. The wolf finally stood upright on its two hind legs facing lord Dark. The head was still that of a wolf's, but the body now had many human features added. The forelegs and hind legs no longer were of the gracefully slender form of a wolf's legs, but rather resembled human arms and legs. All semblance of a soul and conscious thought were gone from the wolf's golden eyes. The once majestic creature was reduced to this mindless beast, a monster.
"Genetic modifications are added to the wolves. These modification include addition of human DNA and enhancement of all desired characteristics. The results are quite startling, as you can see for yourself. However, in order to manage the wolves more easily the modifications are suppressed by the control mechanism. The control mechanism is a device which preserves and sustains the genetic alterations. Once necessary, the control mechanism is activated releasing the suppressed modifications, and this is the result. The control mechanism is implanted in the neck at the base of the skull. It suppresses all conscious thought once activated in order to ensure the beast's complete cooperation," Dark explained. He had seemed to enjoy the suffering of the wolf as it underwent the painful transformation. Dark retained a look of satisfaction even now as the wolf stood there striped of its mind and free will. Orkham was sickened by all of this and grateful that his mask covered all of his face. However, he dared not betray his thoughts to Dark.
"It is . . . quite a magnificent technology," Orkham finally croaked.
"These five wolves are my special project. I plan to use them to find all our targets. These five are far more enhanced than anything else you have yet seen.
"Wait, what about that one who interfered back in the city. You can't possibly be thinking of ignoring that assassin are you?
"My assassin? He is merely a nuisance. He follows me, like a shadow, trying to kill me when the opportunity presents itself. He will never succeed, though," Dark laughed confidently.
"And what if he intends to join the others?" Dark turned to face Orkham. If Dark's eyes hadn't been covered by his mask his expression would be one of a scoffing look and a raised eyebrow.
"He has no intention of joining the wolves or Darcia. All he cares about is revenge for what I have done to his brothers and sister," Dark again broke into a bout of menacing laughter. Then he regained his composure and made an offer, "Now then, I imagine you wish to add this Ômagnificent technology' to your own military. After all, the human version is ready for mass production. When wolf DNA is added to humans the results are equally astounding.
"No," Orkham shook his head.
"What?" Dark snapped, hostility punctuating his voice.
"I mean, no it will not be necessary. I trust that whatever resources the Dynasty deems necessary to send me will be quite sufficient, even if they deem that no resources need be sent. I am confident that the Dynasty's judgment will be more than enough to deal with whatever situations that might arise. I will leave all matters of military engagement in your hands. I must return and tend to the affairs of my keep, if you understand.
"But of course," Dark chuckled lightly.
"Send word to me if there is anything you need." With that Orkham departed from Dark's presence. The old man was relieved to finally have the chance to get far away from Dark.
"The old fool has made things even easier than I had hoped. He has practically turned control of his entire territory over to me," Dark chuckled in self satisfaction. Then he turned his attention to the transformed wolf. "Now it is time to put you to good use." A few hours later Orkham was well on his way back to his keep within his domed city.
Aboard another airship, very similar to lord Dark's, lady Jagara had been invited to a meeting: A gladiatorial demonstration between a group of her soldiers and a group presented by her hosts. The airship resided just above Jagara's keep as the lady was escorted by her personal guard. Jagara stood before a pair of large double doors surrounded by her elite vanguard. Her posture was one of absolute confidence as she stood in clad in her armor and cape. Her armor was a brown, platted metal that had a distinctively feminine design to it. Jagara's long blonde hair draped from her helmet around her shoulders. The helmet covered her eyes, nose, ears, and upper face leaving her mouth, chin, and lower cheeks exposed. Jagara was starting to get impatient when finally the doors opened revealing her hosts.
Two women stood before Lady Jagara. One clad in snow white, the other in raven black. Both their gowns were of the same style and cut. The dresses had open shoulders with a neckline just below the collarbone, and long sleeves that ended in a point on the back of the hand with a loop that hooked over the middle finger. The gowns were form fitting contouring to the women's bodies without being tight. There were also dual slits, one on either side, running up to just above the knee which caused the gown to flare out at the bottom in a ruffled pattern. Both women wore helmets of feminine design, similar to Jagara's, that covered their eyes, noses, upper cheeks, and ears.
"Welcome, Lady Jagara . . ." the one in white spoke.
". . . it is most gracious for you to have come here," the one in black finished. It appeared as if this is how the two lady nobles spoke all the time. Both alternating, yet still communicating a single unified thought almost as if they were joined by the same mind. "I am Lady Umbrora," she addressed Jagara, "and my sister is Lady Aurora.
"On behalf of the Dynasty . . ." Aurora began.
"We wish to extend our greetings and hope . . ." Umbrora continued
"To establish an alliance in friendship between ourselves and you." Aurora concluded. Jagara stepped forward advancing ahead of her guards.
"Let's just get down to business," Jagara's patience was wearing thin.
"As you are already aware . . ." Umbrora started.
"Orkham has acquired increased military strength through an alliance forged with another noble . . ." Aurora added.
"The Dynasty knows of your plans and wishes to assist you . . .
"Yet for your plans to come to fruition, you must possess the flower maiden . . .
"Is this not correct?
"Very well, but how does the Dynasty presume to have anything to offer me for this alliance?" Jagara questioned.
"We have a technology that is unprecedented in our world," Aurora stated.
"The creation of hybrids, a combination of wolf and human, and we have also created a flower maiden of our own," Umbrora explained.
"Allow us to introduce you to her," both sisters spoke in perfect unison. From behind the two women came a hooded figure dressed in black. The flower maiden stepped forward to introduce herself removing her hood.
"This one, is called Shikyo." She gave a small respectful nod and then took her leave as if she were needed elsewhere.
"Interesting . . ." Jagara pondered for a moment and then delivered her decision. "Very well, let's see what you have to show me." The sisters led the lady to a large two story room. The three women were seated, with Jagara between the two sisters, upon the upper level looking down into a circular pit. Then two teams of five soldiers entered the arena. One team consisted of Jagara's troops and the other team was a group of the Dynasty's hybrid soldiers. Jagara's troops were clad in their black armor carrying large shields and spears. The Dynasty's hybrid soldiers possessed no weapons wearing only full body suits with helmets covering the entire head. The hybrid soldiers were also shackled with long heavy chains joining their wrists and ankles together. "Why are your soldier's wearing restraints?" Jagara observed.
"For the protection of your own men . . ." Aurora explained
"Unless you wish to make this lethal combat," Umbrora offered.
"I agreed to this exhibition under that assumption," Jagara stated crossly.
"Very well," Umbrora agreed, "Sister, if you would," she addressed Aurora, who seemed to know just what Umbrora wanted her to do. Aurora outstretched her right arm with hand open and fingers fanned outwards. A series of bright flashes followed immediately. The image Jagara beheld astounded her. Arrows of light flew out of Aurora's hand and struck the restraints, that bound her own soldiers, disintegrating them entirely.
"I should have exercised a bit more restraint," Aurora chuckled to herself. Jagara simply gasped. She had never seen such a display of sorcery. Though Jagara utilized magics of her own, she had never seen sorcery wielded so casually or with such destructive results from so little force. "Now, let the match begin!" both sisters declared.
Jagara's troops raised their weapons and charged the hybrid soldiers. The Dynasty soldiers scattered across the ring. It looked almost as though there was a lack of any coordination between the hybrids. "Is this the best your hybrids can manage, running away?" Jagara taunted. The sisters declined to answer.
One of Jagara's soldiers managed to corner a hybrid at the far end of the ring. Jagara's soldier lunged at the hybrid, however, the hybrid caught the spear wielded by Jagara's soldier and snapping the bladed ends off easily. The soldier backed away, frightened, now hearing a growl emanating from the hybrid. The hybrid discarded its helmet revealing the shocking creature beneath. The face was predominately human, but the eyes were far different. Human eyes were not what stared, with a cold piercing glare, at Jagara's soldier. Instead the hybrid possessed the same black and gold eyes of a wolf. The ears were canine, as well, being pointed rather than rounded. The nose and jaw structures retained their original human features, however, glistening ivory fangs were clearly visible as the hybrid curled its lips as it snarled.
The soldier backed away in utter horror from staring at the monster before him. With a backhanded swat, the hybrid sent the armor clad soldier flying into the middle of the arena. The loud thud of the body hitting the ground drew the attention of the rest of Jagara's soldiers, distracting them from their own individual scuffles. Then all the soldiers caught sight of the unmasked hybrid. The other hybrids in the arena now follow suit removing their helmets to expose their terrifying visages. Jagara's soldiers were quickly herded into a group with their backs pressed against one another as the five hybrids circled them. The scene no longer looked like match between two groups of soldiers. Rather now, it was akin to a pack of wolves stalking their prey just before the kill.
Jagara squirmed in her chair as she listened the sounds of metal cracking, bending, and shattering mixed together with the screams of her soldiers and triumphant howls of the hybrids. The lady became fixated on the carnage of the slaughter before her. She was unable to remove her eyes from the sight of the hybrids sinking their fangs into flesh. Even as lady Jagara became nauseous from watching her men being literally torn into pieces, a fascination grew within her. A craving for the power she beheld.
"Spectacular . . ." Jagara gasped. This elicited a satisfied smirk from the sisters.
"These are the final test stage human-type hybrids for our mass production variation of the technology," Aurora explained.
"The mass production technology has been perfected at last, and with it an entire army could be converted into hybrids within a mere matter of days," Umbrora continued.
"So, what is your decision?" both sisters asked Jagara.
"What do you mean?" Jagara was slightly confused, still reeling from the demonstration. Her soldiers were nothing to be laughed at, and the thought that they could be dispatched so easily by these foreigners had her head spinning.
"We are offering this to you as a gesture of goodwill," Aurora answered.
"With this, your army would be unstoppable, and Orkham would fall before your might," Umbrora paused then continued her enticement. "And that which you desire would be within your grasp . . ." The sisters let that notion hang, ringing in the air, for a few moments before continuing their slick persuasion.
"Is it not true that you yearn for the affections of a certain . . . noble?
"Yet, he shuns you in favor of another . . . Another that is far inferior to yourself!
"That weak, sickly woman has no right to lay claim to his heart. He should belong to you and you alone! Do you not agree?" Aurora and Umbrora's words slid like oil into Jagara's ears. The Dynasty sisters spoke everything Jagara wanted to hear.
"Darcia," Jagara breathed in a barely audible sigh. She paid little attention to the fact that these two women seemed to know a great deal about her. The lady merely brushed it off as common knowledge amongst those who kept up with the affairs of nobles. It was no secret that Jagara had competed for his affections, but that was two hundred years ago.
"Perhaps you desire a closer look at the hybrids?" Aurora offered after receiving no reply from Jagara for some time. Aurora pointed to the hybrids below and curled her index finger several times. Their obedient response was immediate. All five jumped up onto the second level landing in front of the lady nobles with a loud boom on the metallic floor. This stirred Jagara from her thoughts.
"No, no that is sufficient. How soon will you be able to convert my entire military?
"It will be a difficult task. Each hybrid must be implanted with a control mechanism to stabilize the genetic modifications. Additionally, the control mechanism suppresses all conscious thought ensuring total obedience. This prevents the hybrids from turning on their masters. We would be more than willing to assist with this, as well.
"Very well, then I shall leave the details to the both of you.
"Does this mean we have an alliance?" Umbrora reminded Jagara. She nodded and then took her leave of the two sisters.
"All proceeds according to plan," Aurora turned to her sister once Jagara was gone.
"Indeed," Umbrora answered, both dawning sinister half-smiles.
I know that this chapter was on the nobles only, but I promise that the next chapter is only on the wolves as a make up, plus the next chapter is longer than this one. I already have it written, but I need at least three reviews for this chapter before I post the next one. Oh, as a little preview I have several really cute innocent fluff scenes in the next chapter. I hope that sparks you interest enough to click that button at the bottom and leave a review please. Remember, I'm looking for at least three new reviews and thank you in advance.
Areiko:Thanks for being one of my first repeat reviewers. You didn't review my last chapter so I don't know if you're reading this, but I just wanted to say thanks.
Awrawrawrawrawrawra: I have always liked reading you're reviews. They are always an encouragement and I appreciate the comments on specific aspects of my story. It really helps to me to figure out what I'm doing right or wrong.
Mai Minase: I would like to give you a big thanks. I feel a lot better knowing that you sharp eye is out there. Thanks for finding the mistakes that slip by me and pointing them out in a kind, tactful way.
I also want to say thank you to everyone else who has reviewed this story so far. The reviews really do help give me motivation to keep going. (subtle hint) So, if I get more reviews I'll have more motivation to write, edit, and post the chapters faster, get it? (not so subtle hint) And I do really like hearing from the same people more than once, for those of you who left a review for my earlier chapters. It lets me know if you are still reading this and whether you like it or not. I REALLY do NEED the feedback PLEASE! (gets on knees and begs with puppy eyes) I really do love reading the opinions of people who have read my story.
This chapter is a bit shorter than the others and it is mostly a transition chapter that focuses on the nobles, but it is going reveal a lot of important information for later parts of the story. I honestly did not intend for this chapter to turn out the way it did. The wolves do not appear in this chapter and that is why it is short. Originally they were in the second half of this chapter, but the two parts didn't mesh well. So, I divided them into two chapters. However, the next chapter is longer than this one and focuses only on our favorite wolves to make up for this chapter. By the way, any relationships I imply in this chapter are strictly my fabrications for the sake of my storyline and I have no idea as to whether or not they actually occurred in the series. Enough of me taking up space, onto the chapter.
Episode 05: Evil Horizon
It had been two days since the wolves escaped from the city. Orkham's soldiers had been on constant patrol searching the skies for Darcia's airship. Lord Dark had still deemed it a priority to capture the flower maiden. She was the final element needed before the Dynasty could enact their master plan. This plan, however, was something that not even Orkham was privileged with; only Dynasty members were allowed access to this information. Therefore the uneasy alliance continued as Orkham kept a wary eye on Dark's every move. Twice now, Dark had threatened to kill him. The old man was not about to drop his guard around the Dynasty noble. Orkham was starting to think that it might be for the benefit of his own health if he put some distance between himself and Dark. Yet doing so might draw the suspicion of his fearsome ally. This left the old man in a very uncomfortable position. At this moment, Orkham was aboard Dark's airship pondering over these things.
The Dynasty noble's personal airship was much larger than anything in Orkham's military. It was doubtful that all of Orkham's airships combined could be a match for this flying behemoth. Dark's airship could easily out gun any other opposing war craft regardless of whether the opponent was based on land, sea, or air. The overall shape of the vessel resembled a sting ray. It was wide in the front with three large protrusions. The center one being the bridge and the protrusions on either side of the bridge were the massive engines that ran all the way to back for propelling the craft through the air. The Ôtail' in the back center of the vessel was a large charging mechanism for the main cannon on the bottom of the airship. The cannon was centered directly under the bridge and, when not in use, retracted into the aircraft's hull, so as to avoid damaging the weapon while in flight. The vessel was covered in a black metallic coloring with glowing dark violet lines in a streamlined pattern.
Orkham thought back to the reason why he had joined with the Dynasty in the first place. True they promised him power and a greater area to reign over, but the real reason Orkham joined their ranks was for one thing. Protection. Jagara's actions were becoming more and more militant. It was when her troops began approaching his keep that Orkham began looking for allies to protect him. First, he reached out to Darcia with an enticing offer. Orkham would open his boarders to Darcia and assist in the flower maiden project. All that was required of Darcia in return was that he station a few airships at a specified location. This location that Orkham had graciously opened to Darcia was really where Jagara's soldiers had advanced furthest into the old noble's territory. Positioning Darcia between Jagara and himself, Orkham had a shield he could effectively hide behind. However, Darcia lacked the military strength to repel lady Jagara if she decided to commit to a full out assault making him good for little more than an early warning.
Thus, Orkham sought more aid. He found it when his agents brought back word of powerful nobles in the far east with an interest in Darcia's flower maiden project. And the rest gradually developed into the current situation. Orkham was disturbed from his thoughts as a knock came from the door of the room he had been given to stay in. It was one of Dark's servants bringing a summons to the noble. Dark wished to show something to Orkham. Orkham was led through the winding corridors of the ship until finally he reached an area which almost seemed like a laboratory. Dark stood there awaiting Orkham's arrival.
"Good, you're here. Well, as you know, you're men have not had much success in locating the flower maiden or the wolves. I have decided to allocate some of the Dynasty's resources to assist in the search. Now let me show you the masterpieces of the hybrid technology." Dark strode over to a large thick metal door with three bar locks arranged in a horizontal fashion. The door looked like it was more for keeping something on the inside rather than keeping people out. Dark pressed several keys on a terminal next to the door. The locks retracted, and the door descended into the floor. "Come this way. Stay close and don't touch anything or else I won't save you," Dark coldly commanded in a tone that relayed a sick sort of pleasure.
"What could you possibly have in there that is of interest to me?" Orkham demanded.
"Just wait and see," Dark gave a sickening chuckle as he entered the room. Orkham followed shortly afterwards. The room was one large aisle lined with cages. The cages were behind thick glass walls, allowing the visitors to see what was lurking inside.
"These are . . . wolves?" Orkham observed in confusion. "What can these possibly be any good for!" Orkham shouted rather irritated at his time being wasted like this.
"I think you forget your place," Dark warned. Orkham immediately went ridged and gasped in fear. He gave an apologetic bow not daring to look up. "That's more like it. Now watch as I show you just how useful these seemingly ordinary wolves can be." Orkham rose slowly and stood in front of the window that Dark motioned towards.
All of the wolves, four males and a single female, in the room were a pitiful sight. They didn't snarl, growl, or even howl for help. Hope for them was lost completely. It was nothing more than a faded memory. They didn't bother to struggle because escape was an impossibility. The only thing that remained for them was to await the time that they would be used for whatever foul purpose Dark had planned, and pray that they would be killed during the task, finally receiving a release from their captivity.
The wolf, whose cage Dark and Orkham were in front of, didn't bother to growl or bare his fangs in defiance at the one who held him captive. Instead he cringed helplessly in the back of the cage whimpering. There was nothing he could do. All of them had fought and resisted in the beginning, but it never helped them escape or stopped the painful experiments they had to endure. Instead, cruel beatings were administered after every act of resistance.
Dark opened a keypad in the glass wall and pressed a sequence of commands. Orkham's eyes went wide in utter fear at what he saw next. The wolf in the cage howled writhing and contorting on the floor in pain. Its body was changing, growing, and shifting. The wolf became many times larger than what was natural. Its height eventually rivaled that of a man's. The wolf's legs became longer and more muscular. The pads on the wolf's paws were absorbed back into its body. The paws of the forelegs grew longer mutating into the shape of fingers, but still retaining their canine characteristics. The wolf's claws on all of its paws became much longer, thicker, and wickedly sharp. The wolf finally stood upright on its two hind legs facing lord Dark. The head was still that of a wolf's, but the body now had many human features added. The forelegs and hind legs no longer were of the gracefully slender form of a wolf's legs, but rather resembled human arms and legs. All semblance of a soul and conscious thought were gone from the wolf's golden eyes. The once majestic creature was reduced to this mindless beast, a monster.
"Genetic modifications are added to the wolves. These modification include addition of human DNA and enhancement of all desired characteristics. The results are quite startling, as you can see for yourself. However, in order to manage the wolves more easily the modifications are suppressed by the control mechanism. The control mechanism is a device which preserves and sustains the genetic alterations. Once necessary, the control mechanism is activated releasing the suppressed modifications, and this is the result. The control mechanism is implanted in the neck at the base of the skull. It suppresses all conscious thought once activated in order to ensure the beast's complete cooperation," Dark explained. He had seemed to enjoy the suffering of the wolf as it underwent the painful transformation. Dark retained a look of satisfaction even now as the wolf stood there striped of its mind and free will. Orkham was sickened by all of this and grateful that his mask covered all of his face. However, he dared not betray his thoughts to Dark.
"It is . . . quite a magnificent technology," Orkham finally croaked.
"These five wolves are my special project. I plan to use them to find all our targets. These five are far more enhanced than anything else you have yet seen.
"Wait, what about that one who interfered back in the city. You can't possibly be thinking of ignoring that assassin are you?
"My assassin? He is merely a nuisance. He follows me, like a shadow, trying to kill me when the opportunity presents itself. He will never succeed, though," Dark laughed confidently.
"And what if he intends to join the others?" Dark turned to face Orkham. If Dark's eyes hadn't been covered by his mask his expression would be one of a scoffing look and a raised eyebrow.
"He has no intention of joining the wolves or Darcia. All he cares about is revenge for what I have done to his brothers and sister," Dark again broke into a bout of menacing laughter. Then he regained his composure and made an offer, "Now then, I imagine you wish to add this Ômagnificent technology' to your own military. After all, the human version is ready for mass production. When wolf DNA is added to humans the results are equally astounding.
"No," Orkham shook his head.
"What?" Dark snapped, hostility punctuating his voice.
"I mean, no it will not be necessary. I trust that whatever resources the Dynasty deems necessary to send me will be quite sufficient, even if they deem that no resources need be sent. I am confident that the Dynasty's judgment will be more than enough to deal with whatever situations that might arise. I will leave all matters of military engagement in your hands. I must return and tend to the affairs of my keep, if you understand.
"But of course," Dark chuckled lightly.
"Send word to me if there is anything you need." With that Orkham departed from Dark's presence. The old man was relieved to finally have the chance to get far away from Dark.
"The old fool has made things even easier than I had hoped. He has practically turned control of his entire territory over to me," Dark chuckled in self satisfaction. Then he turned his attention to the transformed wolf. "Now it is time to put you to good use." A few hours later Orkham was well on his way back to his keep within his domed city.
Aboard another airship, very similar to lord Dark's, lady Jagara had been invited to a meeting: A gladiatorial demonstration between a group of her soldiers and a group presented by her hosts. The airship resided just above Jagara's keep as the lady was escorted by her personal guard. Jagara stood before a pair of large double doors surrounded by her elite vanguard. Her posture was one of absolute confidence as she stood in clad in her armor and cape. Her armor was a brown, platted metal that had a distinctively feminine design to it. Jagara's long blonde hair draped from her helmet around her shoulders. The helmet covered her eyes, nose, ears, and upper face leaving her mouth, chin, and lower cheeks exposed. Jagara was starting to get impatient when finally the doors opened revealing her hosts.
Two women stood before Lady Jagara. One clad in snow white, the other in raven black. Both their gowns were of the same style and cut. The dresses had open shoulders with a neckline just below the collarbone, and long sleeves that ended in a point on the back of the hand with a loop that hooked over the middle finger. The gowns were form fitting contouring to the women's bodies without being tight. There were also dual slits, one on either side, running up to just above the knee which caused the gown to flare out at the bottom in a ruffled pattern. Both women wore helmets of feminine design, similar to Jagara's, that covered their eyes, noses, upper cheeks, and ears.
"Welcome, Lady Jagara . . ." the one in white spoke.
". . . it is most gracious for you to have come here," the one in black finished. It appeared as if this is how the two lady nobles spoke all the time. Both alternating, yet still communicating a single unified thought almost as if they were joined by the same mind. "I am Lady Umbrora," she addressed Jagara, "and my sister is Lady Aurora.
"On behalf of the Dynasty . . ." Aurora began.
"We wish to extend our greetings and hope . . ." Umbrora continued
"To establish an alliance in friendship between ourselves and you." Aurora concluded. Jagara stepped forward advancing ahead of her guards.
"Let's just get down to business," Jagara's patience was wearing thin.
"As you are already aware . . ." Umbrora started.
"Orkham has acquired increased military strength through an alliance forged with another noble . . ." Aurora added.
"The Dynasty knows of your plans and wishes to assist you . . .
"Yet for your plans to come to fruition, you must possess the flower maiden . . .
"Is this not correct?
"Very well, but how does the Dynasty presume to have anything to offer me for this alliance?" Jagara questioned.
"We have a technology that is unprecedented in our world," Aurora stated.
"The creation of hybrids, a combination of wolf and human, and we have also created a flower maiden of our own," Umbrora explained.
"Allow us to introduce you to her," both sisters spoke in perfect unison. From behind the two women came a hooded figure dressed in black. The flower maiden stepped forward to introduce herself removing her hood.
"This one, is called Shikyo." She gave a small respectful nod and then took her leave as if she were needed elsewhere.
"Interesting . . ." Jagara pondered for a moment and then delivered her decision. "Very well, let's see what you have to show me." The sisters led the lady to a large two story room. The three women were seated, with Jagara between the two sisters, upon the upper level looking down into a circular pit. Then two teams of five soldiers entered the arena. One team consisted of Jagara's troops and the other team was a group of the Dynasty's hybrid soldiers. Jagara's troops were clad in their black armor carrying large shields and spears. The Dynasty's hybrid soldiers possessed no weapons wearing only full body suits with helmets covering the entire head. The hybrid soldiers were also shackled with long heavy chains joining their wrists and ankles together. "Why are your soldier's wearing restraints?" Jagara observed.
"For the protection of your own men . . ." Aurora explained
"Unless you wish to make this lethal combat," Umbrora offered.
"I agreed to this exhibition under that assumption," Jagara stated crossly.
"Very well," Umbrora agreed, "Sister, if you would," she addressed Aurora, who seemed to know just what Umbrora wanted her to do. Aurora outstretched her right arm with hand open and fingers fanned outwards. A series of bright flashes followed immediately. The image Jagara beheld astounded her. Arrows of light flew out of Aurora's hand and struck the restraints, that bound her own soldiers, disintegrating them entirely.
"I should have exercised a bit more restraint," Aurora chuckled to herself. Jagara simply gasped. She had never seen such a display of sorcery. Though Jagara utilized magics of her own, she had never seen sorcery wielded so casually or with such destructive results from so little force. "Now, let the match begin!" both sisters declared.
Jagara's troops raised their weapons and charged the hybrid soldiers. The Dynasty soldiers scattered across the ring. It looked almost as though there was a lack of any coordination between the hybrids. "Is this the best your hybrids can manage, running away?" Jagara taunted. The sisters declined to answer.
One of Jagara's soldiers managed to corner a hybrid at the far end of the ring. Jagara's soldier lunged at the hybrid, however, the hybrid caught the spear wielded by Jagara's soldier and snapping the bladed ends off easily. The soldier backed away, frightened, now hearing a growl emanating from the hybrid. The hybrid discarded its helmet revealing the shocking creature beneath. The face was predominately human, but the eyes were far different. Human eyes were not what stared, with a cold piercing glare, at Jagara's soldier. Instead the hybrid possessed the same black and gold eyes of a wolf. The ears were canine, as well, being pointed rather than rounded. The nose and jaw structures retained their original human features, however, glistening ivory fangs were clearly visible as the hybrid curled its lips as it snarled.
The soldier backed away in utter horror from staring at the monster before him. With a backhanded swat, the hybrid sent the armor clad soldier flying into the middle of the arena. The loud thud of the body hitting the ground drew the attention of the rest of Jagara's soldiers, distracting them from their own individual scuffles. Then all the soldiers caught sight of the unmasked hybrid. The other hybrids in the arena now follow suit removing their helmets to expose their terrifying visages. Jagara's soldiers were quickly herded into a group with their backs pressed against one another as the five hybrids circled them. The scene no longer looked like match between two groups of soldiers. Rather now, it was akin to a pack of wolves stalking their prey just before the kill.
Jagara squirmed in her chair as she listened the sounds of metal cracking, bending, and shattering mixed together with the screams of her soldiers and triumphant howls of the hybrids. The lady became fixated on the carnage of the slaughter before her. She was unable to remove her eyes from the sight of the hybrids sinking their fangs into flesh. Even as lady Jagara became nauseous from watching her men being literally torn into pieces, a fascination grew within her. A craving for the power she beheld.
"Spectacular . . ." Jagara gasped. This elicited a satisfied smirk from the sisters.
"These are the final test stage human-type hybrids for our mass production variation of the technology," Aurora explained.
"The mass production technology has been perfected at last, and with it an entire army could be converted into hybrids within a mere matter of days," Umbrora continued.
"So, what is your decision?" both sisters asked Jagara.
"What do you mean?" Jagara was slightly confused, still reeling from the demonstration. Her soldiers were nothing to be laughed at, and the thought that they could be dispatched so easily by these foreigners had her head spinning.
"We are offering this to you as a gesture of goodwill," Aurora answered.
"With this, your army would be unstoppable, and Orkham would fall before your might," Umbrora paused then continued her enticement. "And that which you desire would be within your grasp . . ." The sisters let that notion hang, ringing in the air, for a few moments before continuing their slick persuasion.
"Is it not true that you yearn for the affections of a certain . . . noble?
"Yet, he shuns you in favor of another . . . Another that is far inferior to yourself!
"That weak, sickly woman has no right to lay claim to his heart. He should belong to you and you alone! Do you not agree?" Aurora and Umbrora's words slid like oil into Jagara's ears. The Dynasty sisters spoke everything Jagara wanted to hear.
"Darcia," Jagara breathed in a barely audible sigh. She paid little attention to the fact that these two women seemed to know a great deal about her. The lady merely brushed it off as common knowledge amongst those who kept up with the affairs of nobles. It was no secret that Jagara had competed for his affections, but that was two hundred years ago.
"Perhaps you desire a closer look at the hybrids?" Aurora offered after receiving no reply from Jagara for some time. Aurora pointed to the hybrids below and curled her index finger several times. Their obedient response was immediate. All five jumped up onto the second level landing in front of the lady nobles with a loud boom on the metallic floor. This stirred Jagara from her thoughts.
"No, no that is sufficient. How soon will you be able to convert my entire military?
"It will be a difficult task. Each hybrid must be implanted with a control mechanism to stabilize the genetic modifications. Additionally, the control mechanism suppresses all conscious thought ensuring total obedience. This prevents the hybrids from turning on their masters. We would be more than willing to assist with this, as well.
"Very well, then I shall leave the details to the both of you.
"Does this mean we have an alliance?" Umbrora reminded Jagara. She nodded and then took her leave of the two sisters.
"All proceeds according to plan," Aurora turned to her sister once Jagara was gone.
"Indeed," Umbrora answered, both dawning sinister half-smiles.
I know that this chapter was on the nobles only, but I promise that the next chapter is only on the wolves as a make up, plus the next chapter is longer than this one. I already have it written, but I need at least three reviews for this chapter before I post the next one. Oh, as a little preview I have several really cute innocent fluff scenes in the next chapter. I hope that sparks you interest enough to click that button at the bottom and leave a review please. Remember, I'm looking for at least three new reviews and thank you in advance.