The long howl broke through the night air, long and constant. The Sarafan manning the defences of the citadel paused and look up. The full moon silhouetted the towers and spires of the fortress and as the howl continued, the moonlight seemed to grow even brighter.
A moment later, the brick and mortar around the chapel broke open and Sir Gaunt was sent flying out down towards the battlements. Grabbing a hold of a flagpole on the way down he prevented himself from crashing into the ground. Flaring up, he stare at the dark shape that shot forth from the hole after him; leaping through the air until it landing on the nearby battlements.
Spreading its wide forearms out, claws spread the werewolf howled again. It was a huge bi-pedal creature with a long bushy tail and short chestnut brown fur, the eyes as bright as moonlight, its claws and teeth razor sharp, highlighted by the glow from the moon. The fur on the top of its head was more like hair, remaining in the same style as its human form.
It stared Gaunt down and drew its lips back over his teeth, snaring loudly.
"What are you idiots waiting for?" Gaunt called back to the Archers standing in the courtyard below and along the battlements. "Shoot it!" The archers raised their bows, drawing back arrows armed with silver heads.
The wolf flew out of the line of fire, leaving an after image in its wake; travelling at a tremendously fast speed. He leapt off the battlements, its body highlighted by the light of the full moon.
Before the first archer could draw his sword to defend himself; the claws lanced forward burying themselves through his armour and clenching themselves around his ribs. Displaying unrivalled strength the wolf tore the man's entire chest open, blood and intestines flying out into the night air.
The wolf did not even bother to feed. It ripped apart what was left with its bare claws before charging at the remaining Sarafan; snapping ones head clean off with a bite from its powerful jaws and tearing the limbs off to others.
One of them managed to hit it in the shoulder with an arrow but even the silver did not slow it down. It bit down through the man's shoulder, taking a bit out of the flesh and bone. The soldier was torn to pieces not long after that.
As the remains of half a dozen men lay around its feet, the wolf reared its head back and howls into the night; its muzzle and claws soaked wet with blood.
Gaunt swung his body across and used the flagpole as a spring board to propel himself to the battlements. Regaining his footing, he glanced down at the wolf that was standing there in the courtyard.
Its lips draw back to reveal its teeth; blood and saliva dripping from its mouth. It paused for a moment to reach around and grip the arrow stinking out of its shoulder. It barely even grunted as it removed the arrow lead, the flesh bubbling from the touch of the refined metal.
"So, just you and me is it?" The Sarafan asked, gripping the hilt of his sword. "Well so be it." Sliding down the side of the wall he reached the courtyard; sword held at the ready. "I'll earn my guardianship here and now!"
Gaunt charged first, drawing his sword back over his shoulder and tensing himself ready to strike a blow. As he swung, the wolf dodged the attempt before lashing out with its claws.
Gaunt was surpassingly fast in his armour and managed to avoid the swipe before letting go of his sword and with his free hand drew runes in the air; unleashing a powerful fire ball spell. The wolf slid back out to a safe distance and ducked as the fireball speed overhead and crashed into a cart setting it ablaze.
Gaunt fired a dozen more spells, alternating between lightning and fire; each one coming closer to striking the wolf as it darted out of the way. Seeing its change, the creature soared in close opening its mouth. Gaunt tried to defend but the teeth bite down sharply on his shoulder.
As soon as they pierced the armour, steam began rising from its teeth and lips and the Wolf let go; howling in pain clutching its muzzle in agony.
"Bitten off more than you can chew?" Gaunt asked with a sadistic grin. "You should feel flattered. I had this set of refined silver armour made especially for my fight with you!"
The wolf backed off, shaking the rising bubbles out of its mouth and using the opportunity Gaunt unleashed another massive spell; this time mixing the magic to fire a bolt of lightning and a fireball at the same time. The combined elemental attack hit the creature head on and sent it rolling back across the stone courtyard until it came to a stop at a hay cart.
There it lay as a short pile of straw fell on top of it. Slowly it rose, shaking the straw out of its fur.
"Come now you brainless animal, jump on my sword while you can." Gaunt declared, taking a hostile step forward with his blade brandished forward. "I'll be a lot quicker." The wolf narrowed its eyes at him but remained where it was.
Then he straightened itself up; squaring its broad shoulders. Slowly it brought a single claw up; holding it rigid in the air.
Gaunt made a frown in confusion. That confusion turned into alarm as the wolf started drawing runes in the air with that claw, each of those runes glowing bright blood red.
"How in?" He started but wasn't able to finish before the wolf fired a fireball spell at him. Forced to whether the attack, he brought his sword forward defensively and drew runes across its width and brought a shield into existence.
The fireball impacted the shield and dissipated upon it but using this time delay to its advantage, the wolf darted around Gaunt and charged him from behind. The knight tried to turn in time but wasn't able to avoid the claws as they slashed across his undefended back.
The Silver hurt the wolf but the blow hurt Gaunt more. The claws penetrated the armour and slashed through his chain mail shaking across the flesh. Gaunt cried out and staggered forward, blood seeping out and dripping down his armour to leave a small puddle on the ground.
Gautn whipped around, anger and rage clear in his eyes.
"You marked me…" He hissed. The wolf managed a short of sly smile. Howling in anger, Gaunt hurled himself forward and slashed at the creature with his sword. The wolf dodged the slash before lashing out with its claws. Gaunt dodged that as well before darting in so close the wolf couldn't avoid the stab quickly enough. The edge of the Silver blade caught it across its side and the skin spit and hissed like oil at the touch.
Carrying on his anger fuelled assault, Gaunt smashed his gauntlet back across the wolf's face knocking it sideways before his sword swung again, this time scoring a direct hit across the left arm. Blood flew forth and the creature howled, backing off several steps.
A massive wound had been opened up in its flesh, biting deep almost to the bone. Usually the wolf would have been able to heal such an injury within moments but the silver still reacting with his flesh kept impeding its efforts.
Slamming the tip of his sword into the ground, Gaunt freed both his hands and cupping them in front of his body he began culminating all the magic he had into one focused burst. He was not a mage or a wizard but like most Sarafan frontline soldiers he had been tutored in the basics of destructive magic and now he was using all that knowledge to channel the energy into a single blast.
A ball of magic appeared between his fingers, sparking with power before he unleashed it; sending the roaring attack straight at the wounded animal. It was magic devoted purely to destruction, wasting energy as it went but when it struck the explosion sent the wolf flying through the air until it crashed through the side of a wall and into the interior of the fortress.
It crashed through two walls before rolling out into the main loading area for the tithe transportations. Cut off from the moonlight, its fur began to recede back into the body. Its muscle mass began to disappear and the tail retracted back. Within moments, Ewoden was left his human self again.
Naked and unarmed, he was now at an obvious disadvantage. Staggered to his feet, holding his wounded arm he took stock of his situation. He was completely naked without any kind of weapon save for his own magic. Sweat was pouring from his body and within moments had left a puddle on the floor.
As Gaunt moved in through the hole in the wall, Ewoden darted behind one of the unattended carts out of sight. If Gaunt found him now he was good as dead.
"So, there was enough of a human mind left so you could use magic while in the form of a feral beast?" The Sarafan asked, moving across the rubble of the fallen wall.
He was out of breath and sweating hard as well but he was still the one with the armour and the sword. "I'll admit, our order has never seen that happen before. You're unique." Then his face contorted into one of loathing. "And for that you must die."
"And now we're seeing your true colours aren't we?" Ewoden asked, sliding from cart to cart trying to keep Gaunt guessing as to where he was. "There's no grand benevolent design here. You're order's agenda is nothing but conformity, where anyone who doesn't confirm to your ideal is brutally oppressed simply for the crime of being different."
"I do not have to justify my Order's nor my own actions to the likes of you." Gaunt replied, his eyes darting from right to left as he tried to catch a glimpse of his opponent. "As soon as differences creep into a society decadence soon follows. You're heretical revolution would have humans, werewolf's and vampires living together; the ultimate sin."
"What, peace? Peace is the ultimate sin?" Ewoden demanded. "I'm disgusting with myself that I was ever part of your order. You work with some horribly twisted logic."
"You're the only thing that's twisted here, beast!" The Sarafan knight shouted, finally sighting Ewoden's heal near the side of a wheel of a caravan. Charging, he leapt over the front of the caravan to confront the former knight.
Drawing runes in the air as fast as he could, all Ewoden had time for was a weak lightning bolt that struck Gaunt and knocked him out of the air; bolts of lightning sparking across his metal armour.
Running out to a safe distance, Ewoden started drawing more runes; building up for the most powerful spell he had ever used against an opponent. Before he could finish however, Gautn grabbed his sword and threw it like a javelin straight at him.
Ewoden only caught sight of it at the last second. Unable to dodge or even move, the blade slammed right through his body with the tip bursting out the far side.
A mixture of blood and saliva flew out of his mouth as he toppled backwards, the spell he was preparing flying off prematurely; crashing up through the roof breaking part of it open with a shaft of moonlight falling through.
Collapsing to the ground, Ewoden was in more physical pain then he had ever been. The bite of the sword through his side hurt but the burning affect of silver was far more potent. It took every ounce of willpower he had to regain enough wits to pull the weapon out of his hip. The blade slid out with a wet slapping sound before it clattered away, coming to a stop at Gaunt's feet.
The Sarafan bent down and picked his weapon back up while Ewoden scrambled to try and move but he had lost too much blood; his sight was blurring and his reactions were going to be far too slow.
"Warped logic is it?" Gaunt asked, using the last of his strength to lift his sword up. "Before long that logic will be all that governs this world and it shall be perfect, where the State defines what is good and just not just with mankind but with all creatures." He took a step closer and readied his blade for a final blow. "But you will not see that world." Thrusting forward he angled his sword to stab directly through Ewoden's heart. "Now die!"
Acting on instinct, Ewoden threw his hand forward in a defensive manner and as he did his fingers past through the beam of moonlight coming down through the hole in the roof. His nails became claws, deadly weapons lancing forward. Committed to his attack Gaunt could do nothing to defend himself.
Before Gaunt's blade could come close to striking Ewoden, the claws slammed through his armour and stabbed directly through his heart. Their tips burst out the other side with a spray of blood. With his strength faltering, his let go of the sword and its momentum carried it past Ewoden severing some of his hairs and catching the side of his ear.
Realizing what he had done, Ewoden blinked and drew his hand back and once it left the moonlight the claws reverted back to nails. Gaunt gagged, blood bubbling forth from his lips. He staggered back a few steps before collapsing to his knees.
"Brother…" The Sarafan muttered with the life fading from his eyes. "I failed you." Ewoden just looked away.
"I'm sorry." He muttered.
Gaunt collapsed to the ground, letting out one single sigh as he faded away. Ewoden didn't look at him. This man had had nothing but hatred for everything he was but Ewoden did not wish for his death, he had would never wish death upon anybody; even those as twisted in the ranks of the Sarafan.
However, the moment Gaunt had finished drawing his last breath Ewoden had left something profound. It was like a connecting, as if part of himself had been intermingled with something far grander than anything he had experienced before. That connection filled him with great strength and glancing down he concentrated his new strength into healing magic.
The large seeping wound in his hip which had shattered his pelvic bone began to close. He could feel the bones moving back into place and they became one whole again with a loud crunching sound that made Ewoden cringe.
"Ewoden?" A voice asked, but a voice within his own head. That was a voice he recognised at once.
"Sally?" He asked. That profound connection grew more joyful as a familiar presence focused in on him. There were others in that presence as well. He could sense William and Janos, but Sally was the one he joined his thoughts with.
It was like the Whisper, only a merging of thoughts and emotions on a far deeper level.
Three Pillars were now standing. The Pillar of Energy had risen first, followed by the Pillar's of the Mind and Dimension. Now the ground shook as the pieces of the forth Pillar began to pick themselves back up; refitting themselves together piece by piece before sliding into place. Their cracked and compromised appearance began to fade, the grey stone changing to become pure white. The Icon for the Pillar of Nature lit up near its base.
As if given an abundance of new life, the dark ground around the Pillar's churned with a sudden input of colour. The trees, dead for years, shook as if physically struck and the beginnings of green leaves started to push their way out.