Chapter 37: Ewoden

Something was clearly happening. Sarafan branded ships had been moving in and out of the Willendorf harbour for the past two nights, unloading large crates before they set off again. Cabal spies watched the unloading from the shadows. Sarafan guards were having the crates transported back to the citadel at the heart of the city.

During the night there was an accident and one of the crates fell from the ship and crashed onto the dock, breaking open and its contents flying out for all to see. Humans remains, piles of bones that filed the entire container which was half the size of a man. Skulls and rib cages had been piled high and labelled for easy distribution.

Before any of the workers could see, the guards stuffed them back into a replacement crate and sealed it back up; kicking whatever evidence over the side into the waters below the docks.

This was reported at once to Ramak, the master smith currently heading the Seroli resistance in the city. While a good deal of human remains were known to be shipped OUT of the Sarafan's stronghold from time to time, never this large amount to be taken IN. This puzzled the smith a great deal; what could the order possibly want with so many bones and why make it so secret? It's not as if they were in the habit of concealing their brutality.

"For work in Druid devilry no doubt." He muttered to himself as he paced the corridors of their safe house, the estate of a nobleman loyal to their cause. Within the aristocratic district of Willdendorf it was right under the very nose of the Order. He ran his claws through the fur around his face. Lines of communication between themselves and what was happening in the north had been cut. For all he knew, the Sarafan army had already decimated the clans and were marching back home.

"Sir, a carriage has stopped outside the gate." One of his agents informed him and instantly he was at the window. A horse drawn carriage had indeed stopped at the gate marking the entrance to the estate, the animal crying out into the cold night. It had been driven hard and fast to get here at this hour.

At reigns was one of the two werewolves Ramak had lost track of for the last two days. Obelisk climbed down from the stop and opened the door. The other of their own they had been looking for, their newest Ewoden slipped out. He glanced around to check that the coast was clear before stepping outside.

With them was their strongest ally in the aristocracy, Princess Alicia Ottmar.

"We are running out of time." She proclaimed as soon as they safely inside and away from prying eyes, the heads of the resistance gathering for the meeting in the estate library. "If the battle in the north is won then their political power becomes absolute. We have to overthrow them here in the city now, before they had solidify their hold." Her statement met with blank stares from those assembled, including the master smith himself. "The Sarafan are murderous killers and if events remain unaltered, then they will incite a massacre in this city. No one will be spared their wrath. We have to bring them down before that can happen."

"How many groups around the city can we count on for support sir?" Obelisk asked looking towards Ramak.

"Not enough for a rebellion." The master smith replied shaking his head. "We need more time to incite the people to join us."

"Well we haven't any time left." Alicia stated. Ramak paused for a brief moment looking the princess over.

"Your majesty, may I be as bold as to ask where this sudden haste has come from? You have after all been aware of the situation for some time yet have been content before to wait for the opportune moment."

"I've just been shown some new things." She replied as calmly as she could. "I have seen what will happen if I do not go about my business with haste. We are out of time Master smith. We must act now." Ewoden sat nearby. He hadn't the mental fatigue to remove his armour and happily sat content in his furs and metallic clothing nearby, the Axes Havoc and Malice at his feet. He was still thinking about all that had happened and indeed was still happening.

The images put through his head at the temple in the ancient ruin of Midguard had showed him that Ramak was going to die. Not only that but his mentor in the true nature of the werewolf, Obelisk himself, was going to fall alongside the master smith. He hadn't warned him of what he saw as Ewoden could not be sure he could trust his own senses on the matter.

The former knight was not one to believe in pre-destined events. It was his philosophy that no event was inevitable. The very fact they were here fighting against impossible odds, planning for a fully fledged peasant revolt against a blood thirsty regime was proof enough of that. Perhaps those images he saw were only warnings of what 'could' happen, rather than what will.

Leaving Sally after so brief and distracted a reunion had been soul crushing, for the both of them. He could feel her disappointment and sadness wheeling up through the Whisper as they parted. Despite being a vampire, Sally's personality was very childlike and innocent. Playful, like a small kitten. Whatever magic's the Sarafan placed upon the city was preventing him from contacting her through the Whisper directly, but the few scraps of emotion that seeped through told him that she was both frightened and in awe of the events around her.

A disposition he shared.

He cast his memory back to Midguard, the ancient ruin they had been at a mere half day ago. Kain had already gone, dissolving before their eyes into a flock of bats after having a brief conversation with the Hylden seer before each of them flew away, vanishing into the snow. Clearly he had obtained what he had gone there to collect.

"He will want that canister very soon." She had whispered to Vorador, who had simply nodded with a grim smile.

"Come Vorador; let us return to the Cabal before the battle begins." Janos announced to the elder vampire, spreading his large black wings eagerly.

"Yes of course sire." He replied, offering Umah his hand. She nodded and took it, allowing him to help her up. Her strength had not yet fully returned and walking on her own was near impossible. "Sally, come." Sally had looked like she was about to obey, but froze on the spot.

"No sire." Vorador turned to look back over his shoulder. "My task is to aid the seer and William. I won't be going back with you." Vorador could simply order her to accompany him and being her creator she would have no choice in the matter. The convulsion to obey would be far too strong.

"I understand." He stated with kind, almost fatherly understanding in his eyes that seemed very out of place on his features. "Farewell then." As Janos, Umah and himself vanished into the midst of a translocation spell Ewoden had been sure he felt a silent message pass between the elder vampire and the fledgling, but that may just have been due to his own high state within the Whisper.

The vampire with wings, the one called William was sitting beside the entrance to the temple staring out into the gloom of Midguard. His wings were wrapped around his arms as if to keep himself warm.

Alicia Ottmar, the Princess of Willendorf stood beside him. She was trapped in a moment of indecision and it was clear on her face. She had courted before, but that had all been arranged by the machinations of politics. This was different enough to be worthy of remembrance.

Taking a deep breath she sat down beside him. William glanced to the side. She smiled at him and after a moment he smiled back.

Throughout all of this, it was easy to forget that the Princess; despite being a ruthless political leader was still barely out of her teens and prone to flushes of adolescent emotion.

"I'd be lying if I said I understood any of this." Ewoden had begun almost to himself as he sat near the pedestal at the centre of the temple staring up at the icon representing nature. "But still, if we're the only ones who can make this mad world sane again…"

"Then why us?" Sally added staring off into the gloom. Through the whisper the former knight could sense her anxiousness, the nervous disputation that so much responsibility burdened.

"Why not us?" The seer asked calmly. "Why anyone else? Why anything else? Why anything at all. That's the question." Sally looked up with a clear expression of confusion on her face. "Every item on this world, right down to the most insignificant pebble, has a mission and purpose to fulfil. It's reason for existing." The Hylden smiled grimly. "But people are different. If we choose and enacted enough will we could break the vicious cycle of the wheel of fate and choose our own paths."

"I don't understand." Sally replied.

"Existence can be anything we want it to be." The seer replied. "But we should not dwell on such philosophy at this time. We have tasks to accomplish." She glanced around those still here. "All of us." Ewoden sighed and stood up.

"Aye." He replied sadly. "I suppose the next time we all meet will be at the time of election." The seer nodded. "And when will that be?"

"We will be summoned at that moment, you will know the instant." Was her cryptic reply that had left the former knight plenty of food for thought.

"Sire Sarafan Knights!" Someone declared and instantly the master smith was at the window, peering through the curtains. There was activity in the street outside. The street lamps cast shadows over the armoured figured leaping the procession. Doors were being knocked upon and in some cases, broken open when they weren't opened fast enough. People were marched out and huddled together in groups while their homes were searched. Windows were smashed, furniture broken apart and carpets torn up. Anyone who protested were tossed back violently and told at the point of a sword to keep quiet.

"It's an inquisition sire." Someone else whispered. "The vampires just received word of random searches being conducted throughout the city." Several of the knights were approaching the door of their safe-house and as they passed underneath the streetlamp outside, Ewoden recognised their leader.

It was the Sarafan Knight Gaunt, the knight from the attempted execution the former knight had escaped from. He was clad in full armour with a long flowing red cape and his engraved rune sword strapped along his left arm. Even if only through the hole in the visor of his helmet, Ewoden could recognise the man. This knight had cause to hate Ewoden with a passion, as Ewoden had killed his brother defending Vorador's mansion from a surprise Sarafan attack.

"Those are sunlight knights." Obelisk hissed, pointing to the two armoured men at Gaunt's side. "They'll detect the vampires in our group."

"Downstairs, the escape tunnel inside the cellar, go!" Ramak directed and instantly the Seroli around them made for the door leading into the back of the house. "Your majesty, it would seem suspicious if you were found here at this time. Go with them and return as soon as possible to the Royal…" Without even bothering to knock, Gaunt raised his sword and sliced through the door. The frame shattered and the fragments of the door itself caved into the hall.

"We know you're in this district Werewolf Scum, show yourselves!" He declared striding into the house. By now the agents in the estate had made their way down into the cellar and were the process of opening a secret door that lead into an underground passage. "Search the house." Gaunt announced to the Sarafan soldiers marching in after him. "Tear it apart if you have to. Just find them!" They saluted and several of them made their way towards the stairs while opened began kicking the doors to various other rooms open.

"We will speak of this further." Alicia told the Master-Smith, before vanishing out the back door of the library with the last of the Seroli agents. Obelisk and Ewoden had braced the door as best they could, but it would not hold for long with several Sarafan knights on the far side.

"I will attend to them." Ramak announced. He clenched his fists at either side and the fur lining his arms and face began to recede back into the skin, pulling itself back through until it had vanished entirely; leaving a human face in its place as the snout pushed itself back into a nose and the ears began rounded. With the fur gone, his true face was observed. Despite being as old as Vorador himself, he appeared only into his late twenties. The only blemish on his face was a single scar running across his forehead and then down towards his right ear.

"Now go, your faces are known to them." He jabbed a finger at the far door the Princess had just used. Obelisk nodded and did as he was told. Ewoden paused for a brief moment. He could hear Gaunt's heavy armoured footsteps just outside. He nodded as well before moving to the door.

A trap door leading into the cellar was already open waiting for him in the kitchen just beyond, Obelisk quickly disappearing down into it. Ewoden took a step towards it, when suddenly he heard the muttered beginnings of a fire ball spell.

The barricade they had placed around the door flew inwards as the door combusted. Sarafan soldiers rushed into the room and two at a time, surrounded Ramak and drew their swords. Gaunt entered next, smoke still rising from his gauntlet.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Ramak demanded, changing his voice a little so he spoke with an aristocratic tone. "I thought I was being raided by bandits and thugs so I locked the door. What is going on here?"

"We are hunting an unholy alliance." Gaunt replied, removing his helmet; his eyes set hard against the Master-Smith. Ewoden watched through a crack in the door. They were too preoccupied with Ramak at the moment to be bothered with the other exit. "If so much as one of them is found here, you will face the full wrath of the righteous Sarafan law."

"I am a law abiding citizen." The Master-Smith said calmly. "I do not associate with enemies of the state."

"That had best be true for your sake." Gaunt replied. At that moment one of the soldiers came into the room after the others and saluted to the knight.

"We found evidence that a large number of people were here recently sir." He handed Gaunt a bottle. Ewoden nearly gagged when he recognised it. It was the bottle of strong alcohol that Ral had given him to help with his stomach. Gaunt uncorked it and sniffed the contents. He glanced up towards Ramak from the bottle rim.

"What is this?" He demanded holding the bottle out in front of himself.

"I had a social gathering of nobles the other night." The Master-Smith began. "I imagine it's the punch that was served. One of them must have bottled some and then left it here." Gaunt gently sipped some of the liquid and blinked as it worked over his tongue.

"You really don't expect me to believe that pathetic excuse for a cover story do you?" He asked. "I know there's a Werewolf cabal affiliation in this district and I know they are using nobles who had fallen from God's grace to hide themselves."

"Believe me good sir; I am not one of them." Gaunt turned away, but paused briefly when he sighted something he hadn't noticed before. He stopped and looked up towards the Master-Smith with discerning eyes.

"Tell me then…. How did you get that scar?" He pointed to only blemish on Ramak's forehead. The Master Smith hesitated. "My departed brother once told me that he during the era of the Sarafan Lord's rule he was ordered to track down a beast and slay it. He tracked it for over a weak until finally they meet in a clearing north of the Terragent forest." Ewoden watched as sudden horror crept over Ramak's face. "He and the wolf fought for over an hour before finally they dealt each other mortal wounds. My brother received a gash across his chest, while the wolf…" He raised his massive sword and pointed the tip directly at the mark. "..Received a cut that happens to be in that exact position."

"You…you're the brother of…" Ramak began taking two steps back.

"Men, restrain this creature!" The soldiers grabbed the master smiths arms and legs and forced him to kneel before the night. Ramak struggled back trying to free himself but a brief blow to the back of the back sent him cascading to the floor. "You may have escaped my brother, demon, but you will not escape me." Gaunt stated with sadistic gleams in his eyes as he ran the thumb of his gauntlet along the edge of his blade. The sword was raised high into the air and Ewoden watched out of sight as the blade he had seen kill Ramak in his vision was readied to strike.

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