Ch.13 Maul

Skelar sat outside a home drinking water when Hel stepped next to him from the doorway. Skelar sat against the post of the porch lost in thought. Hel squatted down behind him and growled. Skelar leapt to his feet whipping out his sword. He paused and dropped his sword with a sigh.

"Damn it, Hel! I almost went right through you!"

Hel chuckled standing and stepping off the porch. "You wouldn't be able to touch me much with that sword. Good luck though."

"Hows Sell?" Skelar asked putting the sword away in his bag. "Is she awake?"

"She just settled back into sleep." Hel sat on the steps of the porch staring out at the forest on top of the ridge. "What has you lost in thought?"

"He hasn't returned."

"He?" Hel asked looking up at him. "Your werewolf?"

Skelar nodded sitting down next to Hel. "He was supposed to be back by now but nothing has come of him yet."

"He went hunting right?"

"yeah. He usually doesn't take this long." Skelar looked around at the villagers that were milling about doing things. They had worked alongside the villagers until they were happy with the progress and asked them to look after Sell.

Hel stared out at the landscape thinking. He smelled stale werewolf musk from when the village had been attacked. He also scented Skelar's werewolf that had left not long ago. His eyes traveled up the slope that the werewolf had taken and into the wood path. Hel stood and stretched.

"Stay here. I'll go have a look around. If I find him I'll bring him back."

Skelar watched the man sprint off following his friend's scent. Damn, Sell. You're so lucky to have a guy like that. He goes out of his way to do things. Skelar stood heading inside the house that belonged to the head guard Serdra to check on Sell.

"Skelar!" a female called out making him turn around.

"Oh. Hey, Serdra! You're home early. What's up?"

She came up the stairs looking at him then back the way that Hel ran off too. "What's going on? Hel hardly leaves Sell's side or the village for that matter."

"He's gone to look for my friend," he replied letting his shoulders droop slightly. "He hasn't been back from hunting so I was worried."

Serdra nodded. "He knows it's best for you to stay where it's safe. Seeing how Hel saved me with Sell yesterday I trust him." She stared out at the ridge that went above the village a ways. "I never trust werewolves but seeing how he does what Sell orders him to I think I'll let him stay here with her. I'm sure you're embarrassed for getting beat up by a girl? Hm?"

Skelar frowned at her. "You just keep telling me that don't you? I can't think of it as a bad dream?"

Serdra laughed smacking his leg with a rough slap that made him yelp and hop slightly. "Ow!"

"My bad. I don't know my own strength at times!" Serdra went off back to work waving good bye.

Skelar waved good bye before turning and heading into the house. He strode through the living room quietly and looked in on Sell in the back room to see that she was sleeping ok. She must be having a nice dream. She never smiles in her sleep like that.

He sat down in the chair that was in the corner of the room. He slid down to a comfortable position and dozed off asleep forgetting that Hel had gone out searching.

Leaves flew past my face as I focused and realized I was running through the woods. I looked down to see my legs weren't moving but I was on the back of Hel.

"Hel. What's going on?"

"Traitor!"

"Grab him! He can't escape these woods!"

I turned around behind us to see werewolves running around us as hard as they could to catch up to Hel. His sleek black head looked left and right thinking up a strategy. I grabbed onto his neck fur tightly as he surged upwards climbing the trunk of an oak tree. He perched on an upper limb and burst from the foliage, pushing off each tree trunk that he came in contact with. His sides heaved as he panted from running.

I looked behind us as we moved through the top part of the trees. The werewolves below were having a tough time keeping up with us. I couldn't figure out why Hel was running from them or why they were chasing after him. They didn't know him unlike the other wolves had on the islands. What was going on?

Hel fell to the ground heavily pushing off the ground and flinging his self over the ridge falling into the village below. There was no pond where he leapt off from. It had been the highest spot on the ridge. I screamed on his back and shut my eyes tightly. I found myself being awoken by Skelar.

"Sell! Sell! Wake up!" he pleaded with me shaking me. "Sell!"

I awoke with a start and grabbed him looking terrified and worried. "Go outside to the ridge. Hel! He's being chased! The highest spot!"

Skelar tried to make sense of what I was talking about before I collapsed in his arms out cold from the medicine. He laid me back down and hurried outside grabbing up a torch and wielding his sword. "What in hell was she talking about? Hel and the highest point on the ridge?"

He searched around the ridge that was the highest point but found nothing. Serdra came over with a torch and her sword as well wondering what he was doing.

"Why are you out here?"

"Sell had a vision that Hel came over this ridge I think. I see no sign of him though."

Howling could be heard above them and a great black mass shot over the ridge above their heads, crashing to the ground below with sickening cracks and laid there not moving. Serdra and Skelar remained crouched where they were, not believing what they were seeing.

"She was right."

"Dear, Notch! Hel!" Serdra sprang up crying out. "Hel!"

Skelar and Serdra tried to rouse him but it was no use. He was out cold. Serdra blew the whistle for the help of her other guards. Twenty men came running from all over the town and helped drag the great werewolf into the stables to be treated. Skelar noticed there was something within Hel's jaws and pulled it out with the help of the two veterinarians.

Looking down at it in his hand he realized that it was a collar. The color and fur that clung to it was his werewolf's. What was Hel doing with it in his jaws? He looked up at Hel's body watching his sides heave up and down, blood trickling from his nostrils. What in hell happened in the woods?

Heavy paws trampled the long grass that stood in the way. Elongated k9's hung down from the large maw of a disfigured werewolf with a black stripe that went from his muzzle to his tail. The moon shone on his auburn colored fur. The werewolves seemed to flinch and step away from his presence no matter what the ranking was.

"Alpha Maul has arrived. The meeting shall begin!"

The werewolves gathered in a huge circle while their leader stepped up onto a stump staircase that had been man made by the werewolves themselves. The werewolf eyes shone in the moonlight up to the alpha. Maul stood atop of the small stump ledge that allowed him to look down at the wolves.

"I was told that we have a traitor in our ranks?" He stared down at them with eyes that shone no pupils. Just deep endless darkness. "Where is this traitor now?"

Maul's left hand werewolf stepped forward on his own ledge. His blonde fur glowing from the light above making him look angelic almost. "He took refuge in the village that isn't far from here, sir. The Minecraftian's call him Hel. He had a collar about his neck."

Maul narrowed his eyes. "Hel… Is it the same Hel that appeared several years ago at the hand of a Skeletal Lord? In some war..?"

The werewolves gasped below growling to one another. They couldn't believe that one of their own would help with the destruction and endless killing that this race was doing.

"Him? He helped a Lord kill all those people? Good riddance we chased him!"

"He is such a poor soul. It was our duty to chase him out."

"May Notch help him."

The werewolf alpha roared out at them all making them flinch and cower. He lifted his muzzle into wrinkles showing his elongated k9's with a growl that told them to be silent for good. "This village houses an heir that has tamed one of our brethren. We cannot over see this!"

A werewolf scowled up at him with distaste. "Have you lost your mind? The Lord fucked his genes up! He is not part of us any longer! He chose his path, to be with the Minecraftian's and be a dog! I will not accept the bastard in this pure pack!"

The werewolves chorused in barks and howls of agreements. Maul stood tall above them puffing out his chest and sighed. "If his DNA has been altered like you've said then he is to be slain along with the heir starting tonight. I will not have any tainted blood running about in my territory. What became of that Minecraftian that signed his blood to us?"

Maul's right hand werewolf spoke up shaking a lock of fur from his eyes. "He was defeated by Hel's owner. Upon further inspection he has been taken under her care and watched over by Hel. They have the village to defend them."

Maul growled. "It has come to my attention that Hel along with that boy that failed to uphold his contract, and Hel's master will be executed tomorrow night. Tonight we will prepare ourselves for the mass slaughter. No village should defend those that work for evil!"

The forest was awakened by the howls that chorused throughout the trees. Birds cried out taking flight away from the ruckus that was going on below.

Hel's eyes slowly opened and blinked. A veterinarian assistant perked up and knelt in front of him. "You're awake finally. How are you feeling?"

The assistant removed the tube that was going down Hel's nose to his chest. Hel reared up snapping shaking his head from the discomfort. "I was better off not knowing that I'm tubed up."

"You're free of the tube now. My apologies." The assistant stood feeling his body of the breaks he had taken from the fall off the ridge. "Please stand still as I check you over for your remaining injuries."

Hel stood still as the woman prodded and poked here and there. Her hand suddenly hit a weak spot in his lower rib making him yelp. The assistant stepped back with a frown. "You need more rest. You can't be up and going just yet."

Hel changed back to his human self and gasped leaning against the fence that held the cows in. "Sell. She and Skelar are in danger. I need to protect them!"

Serdra stepped into the stable and shut the door behind her. What's with all the fuss for? I've never heard a werewolf cry out as much as you have about one single broken bone."

Hel stared at her un-amused. "Tell her I'm the only one that can fight against the werewolves. You all can't handle the numbers. You just rebuilt and haven't built up your numbers again. I can't have them hurt you all again!"

"Hel?" I whispered at the door making everyone turn. Hel yanked open the door to see me leaning on a crutch looking up at him tiredly. "Hel, I was with you when you were running through the woods. What's happening?"

"Maul is what's happening." He walked towards me worried. "You're in no shape to fight them. They'll be here tonight or tomorrow."

"I'll prepare a watch." Serdra said walking past us hurriedly. "By the way, who's Maul?"

"The werewolf alpha amongst all werewolf clans. He is the ruling werewolf that says what stays and what goes. He's strong and he's ruthless." Hel looked from me to Serdra.

I stared at him leaning heavily on the crutch. "You speak as if you know him personally."

Hel turned away and sat back on a haystack. "I'm his son."

I stared at the hearth in my parent's living room. My father sat in the chair next to me. We were silent for a little while he chewed on a wheat stalk.

"You've got questions." He sighed and sat back staring at the ceiling. "Spit it out, Sell."

"Who was Hel's father?"

Rien turned to me raising a brow. "Why?"

"It's vital for us right now." I looked at him hard. "Who was it?"

"I don't remember." Father chewed on the stalk a bit too fast for my liking.

"You're lying to me. That's ok though. It was Maul, wasn't it?" I leaned over on the arm rest looking intently at him. He leaned away looking a different way. My leg shot out and kicked him in the right leg making him jump.

"Fuck! Yes! It was Maul!" dad grumbled rubbing his leg. "You didn't have to kick me if you already knew the damn answer!"

I jumped up out of my seat and leaned over him pissed off. "He's coming to the village I'm in! I'm laid up in bed with an injury from the last werewolf attack! Hel has a broken rib and Skelar has hardly any abilities!"

Dad stared at me as his left brow slowly rose up. "Not my fault you got yourself in that much trouble. Damn."

I sighed exasperated collapsing in the chair. "I'm just pissed that I can't do anything! It's nerve wracking!"

"I trained Hel for many years while living with your mother and raising you three." Dad stared in the fire and smiled. "If there's anything he's more proud to uphold, it would be the duty to protect others."

"He would give his life for them," I said repeating what my dad had told me before. Dad nodded at me. I sighed hanging my head. "That's what I don't want him to do though. I don't want him to give his life up this early in my training stage just so a bunch of werewolves won't harm us!"

Dad stroked the small goatee on his chin before snapping his fingers and getting to his feet. "Hang on. I'll be right back. Don't leave!"

I sat in my chair slightly confused. "Ok? I'll stay right here."

Dad turned into the flicking light of the fire and shot up the staircase that was to my right a little behind us. I heard his footsteps heading to the front room that over looked the farm. His walking paused at his writing desk before returning. His hands held a sheet of paper that had a drawing of a circle with symbols on the inside and directions on another piece of paper.

"This is an incantation to call up help when you need it. It won't be too stressful on your heart. All you have to have is the energy to call on."

I took the papers looking at them. "You created this?"

Dad nodded taking his seat once more in front of the fire. "I taught it to a group of learning lords a few months back. None of them could really execute it very well. All you have to do is draw it out on the ground to call up a horde pf monsters at your disposal."

I looked up at him with a grin on my face. "I like this already."

After a while of talking I decided it was time for us to depart and head to bed. Before I left I turned to dad once more as he was putting away our cups. "Dad."

He looked to me with raised brows that said what?

"Your next meeting. When is it?"

"It'll be this weekend at midnight." He placed the cups in the sink running water into them. "If nothing comes up to make us cancel it. It's always been on the weekends at midnight. Well almost always."

I nodded my head disappearing. "Night."

"Night, Sell." He watched me fade into nothing while leaning on the counter.

I rolled over to see Sell resting on the floor sprawled out in his werewolf form. I smiled watching him rest. Even though I was in worse shape than him I felt I could finally help in some way, if little at all. In my hands were the two papers that dad had given me. Hel's right eye opened slowly focusing on her.

"You're up. You and your dad have a nice chat?"

"You won't be fighting alone after all. I'll be by your side to aide you. I'll need to practice tomorrow though. I swear I'll stand strong by your side. You don't have to continuously shield me from everything." I slowly sat up against my pillow leaning on the side table. "You're not invincible, Hel. Neither of us are to be honest. I must protect you because you're the only thing I've got out here that can tell me good from evil. Whatever you do… Don't give up your life just to save me! That's such an idiotic move!"

Hel cocked his head as I slid into the sheets of the bed and covered myself with them. It was silent in the room. No one was moving it seemed, just breathing.

"How long have you been worrying over that sort of thing?"

I sighed under the covers. "Ever since my dad told me what you'd strive to do."

Hel got to his paws and rose up onto my bed to sit at the edge. "To be honest I only pretended to do that in front of your dad so he'd like me. I'm not really going to give my life for a mere Minecraftian such as you."

I flipped the sheets off me angrily. "You cold hearted-"

I was suddenly suffocated beneath a great paw that was auburn color. My eyes stared up into bright green eyes that narrowed at me. His weight was too much for my chest I felt my stitches starting to pop. Hot blood began to soak my bandages on my chest. I tried to scream through his great paw but it was covering my nose from getting air.

He was deliberately suffocating me! I managed to bite his palm and make the werewolf yelp. I screamed as loud as I could through the pain and the spasms that my heart was giving off. An imposter had snuck into the village posing as Hel and tricked us all.

"You're not Hel! Who are you?"

I grabbed my crutch and gave the auburn werewolf an uppercut with it. The werewolf snapped and snarled grabbing the crutch from my grasp and throwing it out the window.

"Plan A is in motion, child. Be good and I won't kill you."

No help was coming to me. Where was everyone? I had no choice but to do as he said.

"What do you want?"

The werewolf grinned seeing he had the upper hand in this. "I'm taking you to my alpha. From there he will deal with you and Hel."

"Where are the villagers?" My eyes narrowed at him as I flinched from the pain in my chest.

"The villagers are all being looked after. No worries, little heir." He rose and scooped me up roughly. I looked over his shoulder at the paper that had fallen to the floor. I touched my bandage that soaked my fingers in blood and flicked droplets of blood on the paper. Please say it would react.

As the werewolf stepped out of the house he scanned the village where he had stationed some lookouts and took off up the trail that curved around the ridge and into the forest. I clung to his shoulder to try and alleviate pressure on my chest but only made it worse.

"Who are you?"

The werewolf ignored me as he bounded through the woods on two legs. I reached up and grabbed his ear, tugging it down. He snapped and threw me across the trail shaking his head.

"You little whelp! How dare you bring my ear down like that! It doesn't bend that way, damn it!"

I tumbled and bounced heavily across the gravel trail before finally stopping in a patch of weeds. I gasped for air, all my stitches had been popped out. Nothing was holding my heart together to beat properly. Blood dripped from my mouth as I coughed from being winded, spraying droplets on the ground. I was suddenly grabbed by my hair in the back and wrenched up to the werewolf's eye level.

"Little bitch! Don't do that again! I'll kill you next time!"

I cried out clawing at his paw. "Let go of my hair!"

He held me under his left arm sprinting across the trail again. The pressure on my lower abdomen wasn't helping my chest. Nothing at this point would allow me to live with the type of wound I had. I must keep consciousness. The circle…

I thought back to the symbols on the paper within the circle. I had placed blood on it hoping it would react if I sent energy to it. It suddenly hit me that my idea would be dead. The symbol needed my body, the main source of power. Damn it all! What am I to do?

I slowly began to slip away to unconsciousness. All my sense began to die as my blood ran from me steadily. How could I let this happen? Maybe I wasn't fit to be an heir after all. Skelar, Serdra, the villagers, my parents, my brothers all flashed one by one in my mind. All reciting words that I had remembered in our short time together.

How could I do this to them?

Fur that was black as night brushed my cheek. I turned around in my dream state staring into the eyes of Hel as I remembered him in his werewolf form. His Minecraftian form standing next to it. He held my gaze smiling as tears ran down my cheeks. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

His hand and his paw reached out and rested on my head. "Why do you always worry about stuff that doesn't need to be worried about? Things happen for a reason, whatever it may be, take it all in strides."

I watched as he began to fade, the weight of his forms beginning to lighten. "Sell, stop crying. Heir's don't cry over the small things…"

His touch faded into nothing. I was alone in darkness crying with no one to turn too. I let me head fall and sobbed loudly. "I've failed you all! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

In the darkness a bird cried out. The calls got closer and closer slowly. Looking up I could see a great black raven soaring over to me head level with large red eyes. It wasn't a normal bird at all. Within its beak held a white and black feather from some other bird.

What bird would have a mixture of both? The great raven let the feathers drop in front of me into the darkness. The darkness below me rippled and shone brightly turning into a huge amount of clear milky blue water. The white and black feather combined and exploded into a blinding light making me shield my eyes.

"Sell." A female asked, her voice echoing softly around me.

I let my arms drop slowly as I got accustomed to the light to see a woman rising from the water with a white robe on and a coronet on her head. He milky blue eyes shone softly on me. I stared at her wondering who she was. Her right arm lifted out to me as she offered me her hand.

"Come. There's something you must see, my dear child."

"Who are you?" I asked taking a step on the water. Surprisingly I didn't sink.

"You know of me, child. Among the great ones you are known as our future savior." She took a step towards me brushing the hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear. "You have the eyes of Lord Rien. I adored his eyes. They had their own light whenever he did things. He was such a strong amn, as was Lones. They were like brothers to me and they acted like brothers too."

I gasped staring at her. "You're…!"

She smiled softly and chuckled. "You have many questions, child. Most of them you can answer yourself. You've been fighting for your life ever since you met Hel. I'm terribly sorry for bringing you into this."

I shook my head at her. "No, please don't be like that for me. It'll be ok. I'm fine with it."

She frowned at me then and took a step closer to touch my cheek. Her aura had warmth, something her hand lacked but I didn't mind. I could tell I was in no danger. "Such softness of a heart is not good. The willingness to accept things is hereditary it seems though."

I looked down not knowing if that was a compliment or not. I felt bad if I didn't help others though. "You came to me for a reason. What was it?"

Her eyes shone brighter than before as she smiled. She took my hands in both of hers bringing me towards the light. "This is important for your future, dear child of the devil. You must not allow this future to happen, whatever the case may be."

I stared at her wondering what she meant as we stepped closer and closer into the bright light. "Am I dead?"

"Those alive all must die once to speak with the dead and the living unite the two together in harmony."

"Lady Ananon," I pleaded to her as we were absorbed into the light.

Lady Ananon!

Sell, do not be afraid. You are in no pain. You are in the hands of good. Notch is watching over us. He is the being that sent me to you, to finish something we could not. Please hear my cry for a savior?

Lady Ananon…