Disclaimer: I do not own the Fable universe. Characters you do not recognize were created by me for the purposes of this story. Story contains scenes of a very mature nature, do not continue if anything of that nature could offend you (sex, violence, sub/dom, non-con).

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and for the lovely reviews that have been left so far! It is so nice to know "Wolves" is really being enjoyed :) I am especially proud of this story, more so than all my others I believe, and writing it has been a real pleasure! - Fallon.

Chapter Nineteen

"Fear has a large shadow, but he himself is small." - Ruth Gendler

A warm gust of wind blew the sand off of her body. The sun had risen, but the Princess could not see it.

Swirls of darkness covered both of her eyes completely and dripped down her cheeks like ink rolling off the tip of a quill. She could feel it moving, trying to burrow itself down into her soul - but even in such a weakened state, she fought it.

She heard something in the distance - footsteps hurrying towards her.

Maya reached for her Dragonstomper, but was too weak to free it from her belt.

Suddenly, Maya felt like she was floating.

Voices erupted around her and she was lifted up from the burning stone.

"Maya! Wake up!"

She groaned.

"Open your eyes!"

Her head rolled back as the strong arms that held her tightened. Too weak to lift her head, she had no idea who it was that was carrying her. But the arms felt vaguely familiar - so she allowed herself to believe it was him.

"V-Von?" She croaked.

Ben cringed at the mention of the wolf, but reminded himself not to use it against her. "Not to worry, Princess, we'll get you home in one piece."

Limp in his arms and her head pounding, Maya didn't realize it was Ben and not Von that held her.

"I can't see...V-Von...I can't see..." Her chin trembled. How could she be a hero if she was blind?

Ben looked down at her, "It's going to be alright..."

But he didn't know if it was, she looked near death.

Maya whimpered as she was laid down on something flat and then jerked up.

"What -"

"You're on a stretcher, love," Ben said softly, "we're bringing you into the city."

She opened her eyes, but everything was blurred by the darkness that still lingered there. The stretcher shifted, jostling her sore body and intensifying the pounding in her head.

"Be careful!" Ben spat to those carrying her.

"W-Walter...where is he?" Maya gasped, remembering that she had made the last part of her journey alone.

Ben squeezed her hand, "We'll find him, you just sit tight, Princess."

She teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, then finally gave in.

Maya opened her eyes, and found herself in the castle garden.

The leaves were starting to change color and a thin layer of frost had spread over the grass and crumpled leaves. The setting sun made the yellows and reds of the world gleam even brighter.

Maya took a deep breath and sighed in contentment.

She knew it wasn't real, but it had been too long since she'd seen the garden. Even in a dream it was a sight to behold. It had once been a haven for her, but now it twisted her emotions so tightly she felt like she'd be sick.

Maya casually strolled about the paths, visiting all of the special spots she had adored as a child. The tree Logan had helped her climb, the pond her father had taught her to fish in and...and the spot where her and Elliot had shared their first kiss.

The willow tree swayed in the wind and she walked around it's trunk.

She ran her hand sadly over the bark.

Elliot had chased her under it's canopy of wispy branches and around the trunk. She had collapsed in a fit of laughter among the leaves and he'd knelt beside her and silenced her with a kiss. She had long since forgotten what had made her laugh so hard, but she'd never forget that kiss. It had been sweet and rather awkward with the innocence of first love, but she spent the rest of that day with a huge smile on her lips and a fire in her belly.

It made her feel alive - Elliot had made her feel alive.

"Hello, Princess."

Maya glanced over her shoulder, and spotted Theresa sitting on a stone bench.

"It's been a too long, child," she patted the seat next to her, "come and sit a while..."

She took a small step forward, "Will you answer my questions?"

Theresa grinned, "Perhaps."

Maya reluctantly sat beside the old woman, but kept her eyes fixed on the willow, "What is this place?

"The castle garden -"

"No," Maya interrupted, "this isn't real...I'm not really at the castle, am I?"

"Hmm, it is and it isn't. But you are right I suppose - you're on the Road to Rule."

"Why the change?"

Theresa turned to her, "I thought you'd like it, child."

Maya shook her head slowly, "Elliot died in this place, I can't enjoy it anymore...not like I used to." She refused to allow herself such a thing.

"You made your choice, Maya," Theresa said calmly, "we can not turn back the clock..."

She hung her head, "I know..."

"Just know that with every one you make, for good or ill, you will be stronger for it."

A strong burst of wind tore through the garden, violently pulling the fallen leaves into the air. They twirled in the wind, creating small tornadoes of color.

"Then...what about Von?" Maya asked, glancing back up to watch the seer.

"What about him?"

"Theresa, I did something to him" Maya said desperately, "but I'm not sure what. You talk about making choices...was what I did to him a bad one?"

She shook her head, "I'll not judge your choices -"

"Please, just tell me what I did to him! I'm tired of all your riddles!" She shot up from her seat, "Tell me!"

Theresa looked up at her with blind eyes and spoke calmly, "The girl, Shiloh, was right. You passed a fragment of your will into him when you struck him. But at that moment, when your hand made contact with his flesh, you also established a bond, a connection of sorts. He told you he felt stronger with you around, that is because he is. How close he is to you determines how strong his will is."

"So...he's a hero? Like me?"

Theresa shook her head, "No, his blood didn't change and he does not have control over it. That is why it flared so suddenly at Reaver's mansion, his emotions were so extreme it forced the will out in the form of lightning. He has nothing to harness and direct his new found will, that is why it is extremely dangerous for him to use it offensively, be wary! You were both just lucky at Reaver's manor."

"What's dangerous about it?" Maya asked as she sank back down to her seat, "I use it all the time."

"But you have your gauntlets. They harness the power from your blood, but his power is wild. It reacts to you because your power is a calming one...that, and because of his feelings for you."

Maya blushed then looked away, "So...it won't hurt him?"

"So long as he doesn't try to use it offensively, no. He'll have more stamina in battle and be tougher, but he is by no means a will user."

"Why...why did this happen?"

Theresa smiled wickedly, "Because the will let it happen. It has always been a sensitive thing, will, it moves and shifts with the emotions of those who weld it. As to why it would permit such a thing, why it would jump to another, I can only...speculate."

"It isn't like you not to know something, Theresa." Maya suggested hesitantly. She was truly grateful of what the seer had shared but, as always, it seemed like she would not give the entire truth.

It scared her sometimes, what the seer really wanted from her. It was true Theresa had helped her father, but at what cost? Surely the mysterious woman was not utterly selfless?

The old woman stood, "Remember what I've told you, Princess, he'll be risking death if he uses it."

Theresa walked off and mist hurried in to cover her tracks.

Von paced back and forth as the priestess tended to Maya.

It infuriated him beyond words that Ben had been the one to find her, but she was safe and that was what mattered in the long run.

"You're making me dizzy." Ben complained from his seat near Walter, "Will you cut it out?"

He glared at the Captain, "If you don't shut your mouth, I will - permanently!"

"Enough!" Kalin spat, "Your bickering is not helping her concentration!" She gestured to the priestess.

Ben looked away and mumbled, "He's just moody cause I was the one who found her..."

Von snarled and shot a murderous stare Ben's way, "But whose name was she muttering, Finn?"

He had been there when Ben and the Aurorans brought her to the temple. She had a firm grip on Ben's hand, but he had heard her whispering his name as she faded in and out of consciousness.

"Why you ungrateful -"

"You'll not finish that sentence, Captain Finn!" Kalin demanded as she stood, "I do not know how you do things in Albion, but this is a temple!"

Ben grumbled, crossed his arms and turned his back to Von.

Von crouched down beside Maya and watched the priestess work. The darkness around her eyes was fading, but her breathing was still labored.

"Will she be alright?"

The priestess frowned at the question, "She is strong."

"That doesn't answer my question..."

The old woman sighed, "She is doing well."

"Your sitting here will not make this go any faster," Kalin said, having calmed herself, "please...keep an eye on things in the city."

Von opened his mouth to protest.

Kalin raised her hand, "There is nothing you can do here. I will keep an eye on her and let her know where you are as soon as she wakes."

He sighed and reluctantly left the temple.

Maya sat alone on the bench near the willow tree.

Theresa had disappeared into the mist, but she had left her with a lot to think about.

The strange scar she had given Von, the bond they'd established at that moment - what did it mean? Sure he was stronger when he was near her, but why had it happened in the first place?

When she'd struck him, she had been so angry, so shouldn't the will have simply hurt him rather than transfer to him? The way Theresa had described it made it sound like the will had a mind of it's own, it's own agenda separate from her own. The idea made her feel used, sort of like a vessel for some strange, arcane power.

Maya sighed and held her head in her hands.

For so long she had thought she welded it and made it bend to her will, but what the seer had told her threw that out the window. She realized truly for the first time that she knew nothing about the magic the gauntlets channeled.

It scared her that she knew so little and yet was expected to have all the answers.

A wave of exhaustion flowed over her and she laid down on the bench.

Perhaps heroes weren't expected to know why they had their power, only to use it. It didn't seem fair, but Maya knew that was the way of things.

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Despite everything, she suddenly felt very serene.

An invisible hand caressed her cheek and closed her eye lids.

The fog that clouded her mind lifted, and Maya opened her eyes without pain.

The ceiling was stone but had been painted to look like a starry night sky. It was crudely drawn, but Maya was just happy she could actually see it.

"Hello."

She glanced to her side and saw an exotic woman with a warm smile looking down at her, "My name is Kalin, and you are in the City of Aurora."

Maya cleared her throat, "A-Are any of my friends here?"

"The light in your eyes offend us! The light inside you must be extinguished!"

She quivered as it's voice echoed in her mind.

"Do you mean a devilishly handsome soldier by the name of Ben Finn?," Ben piped in, hopping up on the platform, "not dead yet my friend."

"How did you -"

He chuckled, "Kalin here found me and wolf-boy washed up in their port. I used my charms to get a search party sent out for you...not that Kalin here needed much convincing."

She smiled, "I never should have doubted Walter, he assured me you were on a beach somewhere with a dozen beautiful women." Maya peaked over Ben's shoulder, "Walter! Is he -"

"He's in good hands," Ben said as he moved to let her see.

Walter was laying motionless on a stone platform, his hands crossed. A woman in richly decorated robes waved her hands over his body and muttered what Maya could only guess were prayers.

"Will he wake up?" Maya asked.

Kalin sighed, "Removing the darkness from you, saving your sight, was hard. For him, it will be much harder. You had youth on your side, he will have to rely on stubbornness."

Ben grinned, "Well then we have nothing to worry about!"

Maya swatted him, "Not now, Ben."

"Is that the thanks I get for saving your hide?" He jested.

Maya tried to hide her surprise, "Oh...thanks."

He scratched his head and gave her a cocky look, "Sorry to disappoint, Princess."

"Your other friend had been pacing back and forth at your bedside for many hours," Kalin said as she stood, "I finally asked that he put himself to better use."

"He's patrolling the city," Ben clarified, "keeping us riff-raft in line and all that."

He helped Maya to her feet, but she was nearly bowled over by Hale.

"Easy boy," she laughed as she scratched his sides, "can't get rid of me that easily!"

"You should wander our streets," Kalin offered as she led them into the main temple, "see what the Crawler has done to us."

"The Crawler?" Maya had never heard of such a creature.

"Tainted...broken little toys..."

She grimaced, but tried to conceal it.

"The being you faced in the desert. It appeared five years ago and has brought us nothing but death and destruction since." She stopped on a balcony overlooking a neglected town square. "Few of us are left now, and soon...we will blow away with the sand and be forgotten."

Maya approached the exhausted leader, "What can I do?"

Kalin looked back at her, "I heard a voice before you arrived. At first, I believe it to be the Crawler, as it often enjoys taunting us, but this voice was of a woman. She said her name was Theresa."

Maya's eyes opened wide and she remembered the dream she'd had on the way to Aurora.

"She said you were coming, you and your friends. She said you were the hope for our people," she regarded Maya with a sad but proud stare, "I do hope that she is right."

"I...I will certainly do what I can, Kalin."

She nodded, "Then go and speak with the people, learn their stories."

Maya glanced back to Ben.

He shook his head sadly, "You go ahead, I've seen enough to last me a life time."

Von watched her wander the streets from his perch atop one of the many oddly shaped houses.

There were only a small handful of people on the streets. Many were just staring off into nothingness, waiting silently for the Crawler to come and get them - their minds broken. A few others were posting memorials, but they were equally defeated and weary.

He watched her approach one of the men posting a memorial.

Sadness and despair blanketed the city like a shroud. It was infectious too, for he ultimately felt worse the more he saw. Dead bodies rotted in the streets a few feet from occupied houses.

The living were too afraid to go outside to bury the dead.

Dead - that was what the city was, utterly dead.

Around him were the bones of what it was once a vibrant desert oasis filled with color and laughter. But the color had been dulled by the darkness and the laughter of children had been snuffed out under cover of night.

What remained of Aurora now was with it's few remaining citizens. They were like the last puzzle pieces of a culture on the verge of being forgotten by time.

Von spotted Maya leaving the man and leapt down into an ally to follow her.

She walked with her head down and he followed, keeping to the shadows and exchanging glances with Hale.

She finally stopped at the port and sat down in the sand, pulling her legs into her chest. Hale sniffed her, bowed his head and walked away.

Von could smell it too - fresh tears.

He stepped out of the shadows and approached her slowly, not wanting to startle her.

Her shoulders were twitching and he could hear the muffled sounds of sniffles. "Princess?"

She jumped and looked up at him, her chest heaving.

"I'm sorry -"

Maya quickly got to her feet and wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. Her cheek pressed firmly to his chest, he could feel her tears soaking through the thin fabric of his shirt. He swallowed hard, "I am glad you are awake -"

"I thought you were dead," Maya exclaimed in a gasp.

Von blinked a few times, expecting her to vanish, "Well...I'm not."

She could hear his heart thumping in his chest, "I should punch you for pushing me off the ship..."

"I thought it was rather noble of me." Von said with a small grin.

"I didn't hear you jump in after me," she grasped the lapels of his coat, "and I couldn't find you once I broke the surface..."

"I went in after you, just as the ship split in two. I...I heard you calling my name, but the waves pushed me away from the sound of your voice."

Maya bit her lip and tried to smother the memories of the Crawler's taunts, tried to forget how it had warped and manipulated him.

Von leaned down and pressed his lips to her ear, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "Nothing -"

"He will turn you into a monster! Yes, that is what he wants!"

"You're a very bad liar," he breathed against her skin, "tell me..."

"He will betray you...hurt you...leave you...just like Elliot did!"

Maya pulled away and looked up at him deeply.

"What is it?" He asked, growing more concerned by her strange glance - she looked absolutely terrified, like a switch had been triggered inside of her.

She let go of his coat and backed away, pressing the back of her hand to her lips.

His eyes weren't red, and his teeth weren't sharp...but still she feared what the Crawler had mocked her with. She worried that if she remained, he would turn into just that.

He reached out to her, "Amaythea?"

She turned and ran away from him as fast as her legs could carry her. Wind whipped past her ears and blew sand into her eyes.

Shame overwhelmed her, fear suffocated her, and a massive sense of unworthiness consumed her.

In her mind, the Crawler laughed at her.