 
How Gods Bleed

By Shane Porteous

Copyright 2011 Shane Porteous

Cover Image Copyright 2011 Christopher Richards

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Dear reader,

Before you begin reading this book I have a confession to make. I have never really been a big fan of werewolves. Now before you send me hate mail (just kidding, feel free to send me hate mail) please keep in mind that I have never hated them. I just have always found demons and the like to be far more interesting. I suppose it has to do with the general concept of the lone wolf (no pun intended) identity that most werewolf tales consist of that has failed to really garner my personal interest. So you may be wondering if this is the case than why have I written a werewolf story? A good question that hopefully I will be able to give an equally good answer to.

While I was spreading awareness about my first published book Rasciss (more on that book a bit later) I came across another debut author by the name of Jeff Shanley. His book was called Mathion: book one of the Mavonduri Trilogy. Now without filling the next ten pages with descriptions, in a nutshell Mathion was a Lord of the Rings styled story where werewolves played a major part in the tale. Now as I have already said I have never been a huge fan of werewolves but the overall concept of Mathion was very intriguing to me. For although werewolves in fantasy is hardly a new concept I had never come across a fantasy story where werewolves were one of the biggest factors. Mostly, werewolves play minimal parts as servants, slaves or worse yet, pets of other supernatural creatures, most notably vampires. After informing one another about what our books were about we agreed to cross promote.

Being a man of my word when Mathion was released I bought a copy with the intention of reviewing it. In all honesty I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, after all there is so many werewolf stories that even with this new concept my expectations weren't exactly high. However as I began reading Mathion I discovered one of the most enjoyable and brilliant stories that I have ever read. Jeff Shanley had taken the time and the effort to quite literally write an entirely new history for the werewolf or "Kanin" as they are called in the Mavonduri world. Beyond this brilliant re-imagining of the werewolf legend I discovered a sweeping epic that was far more character driven than most that I have read. These two factors combined with the immense passion that could be felt through his words, Jeff Shanley had written one of the greatest stories that I had ever read. For the first time in a really long time I had read a novel that I thoroughly both enjoyed and appreciated.

I was so impressed that after writing a well deserved 5 star review of Mathion (its very first review ever I might add) I wanted to do something that I had not done since I was 12 and Dragon Ball Z had come to Australian shores. I had a great desire to write Mathion fan fiction. I sent a message asking Jeff permission to do so and graciously he gave me his blessing. Needless to say I was ecstatic and began planning out a concept. However, the initial concept changed seemingly over night, to a story that at best would be 40 pages long to a story that would be a novel all of its own. I was so excited about my idea however I merely accepted this fact and looked forward to the concept of writing a fan fiction novel.

But as I really began to think about my story, plotting out its chapters and inventing a whole cast of brand new characters I realized something. Ultimately fan fiction should stay within the boundaries and rules of the original work. Mathion in many ways is a traditional story with clear-cut protagonists and antagonists (trust me tradition is one of Mathion's greatest strengths). My story would have blurred those clear cut lines and shown the characters of Mathion in a far different light to what they were ever intended to be shown in. Knowing my ideas ultimately could never work in the Mavonduri world I wrote Jeff back explaining my reasons why I could not write my fan fiction idea. He didn't write back to me at first, personally I can not blame him, after all I would feel pretty bad if someone had told me they were going to write fan fiction of my story one day and then not do it even with an explanation.

Honestly I did indeed feel very lousy but I simply would not feel right changing his characters so drastically. So I re-read Mathion enjoying it as much the second time as the first and tried to come up with new concepts for Mavonduri fan fiction. But alas all of my ideas carried similar flaws to the first and I had to concede defeat.

Like many authors I had many of my own stories to tell just waiting to be written. So I turned back to my now overflowing folder of story ideas and began writing one of them. However try as I might I couldn't get Mathion or rather the concepts that I had come up with for my fan fiction out of my head. No matter which one of my stories I tried to write the muse kept pulling me back to these ideas. In vain I tried to ignore the ideas, after all I had three novels that I had been trying to write for years. But as any writer shall tell you if you don't have the muse then you can't write good stories.

I accepted the fact that in order to move on creatively I would have to put these ideas on paper. But the original fears and concerns that I had never went away and I knew that I could not put my ideas as fan fiction. To ensure that I did not hurt the integrity of the Mavonduri world or its 40,000-year-old history I would have to write a completely separate story placed in its own unique world. The end result is the story you are about to read.

While How Gods Bleed is not and should not be considered a true reflection of Mathion, for Mathion should be judged on its own merit. It would be dishonest and simply unfair not to openly admit that Mathion was the biggest inspiration behind How Gods Bleed. So I will end with this:

Mathion: book one of the Mavonduri trilogy is available from:

www.smashwords.com

www.barnesandnoble.com

www.amazon.com

Enjoy!

How Gods Bleed by Shane Porteous
Prologue

The Rodovic war was the bloodiest and longest conflict of its age. Fought between the kingdoms of Gatavoi and Belrondia, it was a war that lasted for three decades. But it was on the fields of Marga where the most important battle of history was fought. Over one million warriors from both kingdoms waged a battle more ferocious than any other. By the 11th day the battle had come to a bloody end and only a single man still stood. Cada Varl, a soldier of Gatavoi. But after seeing so much blood and death Cada Varl had lost his humanity.

As he began to wander the land aimlessly, wolves, drawn by the smell of blood and death came to the field and feasted on the flesh of the fallen. Such a feast of human flesh made the wolves hunger for more of the same taste. The wolves followed the wandering Cada Varl attacking him upon nightfall. As the now mindless man lay there with the wolves savoring his flesh he witnessed the full moon and its light reminded him of whom he once was.

With his memories restored the desire for survival returned and using a simple spike of silver worn around his neck he injured one of the wolves. Seeing their meal was now ready to fight back the wolves stirred and fled from him. Though he now remembered his humanity the light of the moon was not enough to make it return and so he remained immortal, a shell of what he once was. Though he had been able to save himself from the wolves, their tastes remained and having fed on the flesh of an immortal they now carried a piece of him inside them.

The wolves attacked villages, cities and anywhere else where humans dwelled. Those who were attacked but survived were infected by Cada Varl's immortality, twisted and combined with the spirit of the wolves. From this hybrid of an infection the survivors became monsters, neither wolves nor immortals, but something in between. As the wolves continued attacking villages so the monsters continued to spread until only after a few short decades they had become so numerous that the west belonged to them. The very few humans that one way or another survived the rise of the monsters fled into the east and thus the continent of Noonsva became divided between the lands of the werewolves in the west and the lands of man in the east.

### Chapter 1

Sight was more dominant than sound for the hallway was dark and offered no clue as to what lurked within. The sounds of footsteps revealed a group of men as they moved flawlessly through the near black. A total of five sets of steps could be heard with four matching one another identically. The other was a vast contrast to its brethren for while the others were proud and clear, the 5th was shuffled and without cohesion. The sound of creaking, almost echoing in the black indicated that a set of heavy doors was opening.

The men entered a large room where the dominance of darkness was only tested by candlelight, revealing that the room was as long as it was dark. A figure sat at the other end of the room sitting tall and proud upon a throne. By any standard the figure was very tall almost inhumanly so and if standing he would easily be measured at 7 foot. But it was not his height that made even the darkness weary of him, it was his features. In human terms it was difficult, even impossible to tell his age, he was old there was no doubting that but his elderliness felt more appropriately counted in ages, not years like he was a remnant of a time long before the age of man.

The group of men passed through the light of a nearby candle revealing that four of the men, dressed in the uniforms of soldiers had surrounded the 5th man forcing him to move where they wanted him to. The 5th man, who the shuffled steps belonged to, tried to halt his steps only to fall to the ground in front of the figure that sat at the throne. The four other men did nothing whether in word or motion to offer assistance to the 5th man who scurried onto his knees and gasped loudly as he looked into the face of lone figure.

The 5th man grasped onto his robes tightly as he quickly lowered his head once more clearly frightened by the dark ancient eyes of the man who sat at the throne. The silence that followed was horrid, worse even than many other awful sounds. Time became irrelevant for the horrid silence was terrifyingly powerful. The sound that finally broke the noiselessness was just as haunting.

The figure upon the throne began to sing, but there was no joy in his voice, much like the rest of him there was something very morbid about his song. There was a talent to his tune but it was so eerie it could never be enjoyed, only heard like the cry of a hungry thing that has come to do someone harm. Every word of his strange song seemed almost to blend into the surrounding darkness as if that is where the song truly belonged.

The awful silence returned as the figure finished his song and the black of the room seemed emboldened upon hearing it. The kneeling man looked up into the dark eyes of the figure as soon as the song had begun. As if entranced by it the man did not look away from the figure though his trembling blue eyes and shaky hands revealed he did not desire such action but could not look away.

"That is how the song goes does it not?" The man upon the throne asked in a voice that was just as morbid as his singing. The kneeling man continued to hold his robes tightly as his lip quivered and his mouth moved several times in silence before he said, "That it does my lord."

The figure on the throne nodded his head very slowly and even this slight act seemed morose for his expression showed no sign of approval or anything else for that matter.

"Tell me," the figure asked, his voice darkening. "Why do you shiver so in front of me?"

The kneeling man took an involuntarily sharp breath but dared not to take his eyes away from the figure. For what seemed a simple question the man took a long time to answer and when he did so there was no strength in his voice.

"Because of the cold my lord, the winters seem frostier with each year that passes."

To this the figure tilted his head slightly before he asked, "When have you ever known a Helluvan to shiver because of the cold?" The lips of the kneeling man moved, as they quivered yet no words came from them. "Helluvans do not shiver because of the cold, you know that as well as I." The man nodded his head ever so slightly but said nothing in response. "Only those who are scared shiver in Helluv, but what possible reason could you have to be scared kneeling in front of me?" To an outsider such a question was obviously answered, this man if that is what he truly was seemed the very embodiment of intimidation.

The kneeling man lifted his head and opened his mouth wider but still could not bring himself to speak. "Answer me!" The figure bellowed leaning forward as his words echoed throughout the darkness.

The kneeling man could do nothing else but answer the lone figure, transfixed by his overpoweringly dark eyes. "I do not know my lord," the robed man choked out stuttering every fear filled word. The lone figure leaned back on his throne but the power of his presence did not diminish. "I do," the figure said with a morbid calm in his tone. "It is strange that you remember the song of somber so well and yet you have forgotten the price for stealing..."

Again the lips of the robed man quivered as his mouth moved several times before he said, "I have not my lord,"

"Oh but you have," the lone figure replied. "For your sake I hope you traded my silver for a good price!"

"I-I-I," was all the kneeling man could muster before the figure upon the throne spoke once more.

"A man in your order values the power of knowledge and so my gift to you serves as both a reminder of why you do not steal in Helluv as well as the knowledge of what Onvaucalis feels like."

With those words spoken the figure upon the throne slowly looked over to one of the guards that had brought the robed man into the hall. Though it was only a simple look the guards knew what their ruler wanted from them. Two of the guards stepped forward grasping the kneeling man around his shoulders and collar. At first all the robed man could do is gasp but as the realization of his predicament fell upon him he began screaming the same group of words over and over again, "No, my lord, have mercy please." His cries were so great that they turned from clear words into something far more animalistic like he was a dog knowing it was about to be put down for biting the children of its once loyal master.

The figure kept his eyes upon the eyes of the lone man, his expression unchanging but ensuring the robed man knew he was watching him with a disturbed satisfaction in his eyes as the robed man was dragged away into the darkness beyond the light of the candles.

It was not long after the screams of the robed man could no longer be heard in the hall that another guard, not of the first group entered the large hall. He walked until he was standing at a proper distance to the figure on the throne before he said, "My lord, a lone man has come to Helluv requesting an audience with you." The guard hesitated for just a moment but it was enough to let everyone in the hall know of the gravity of what he was about to say. "He claims that he is Cada Varl, my lord."

To this revelation the figure upon the throne merely stared at the guard for a slight moment before he said "Really? Bring him to me..." Though the tone of the figure's voice had not changed there was still something about the way he said his words that indicated he was concerned. The guard bowed before turning and walking out of the hall.

The guard did not return, in his place was another man completely different to anyone who had ever walked through the hall. He was 6 foot 4 a large man by any standard, dressed from head to toe in a well-stitched and proud black material, woven to create a uniform of some kind that seemed in many ways outdated by the uniform the guards wore. A cape made from a thinner yet just as black material hung down from his shoulders falling to his thighs as a large sword with a over decorated handle rested in a black sheave at his side. His skin was the colour of cream and showed no imperfection whether from scar, sunspot or any other mark. His short hair that stood dead vertically across his head was rich white, a tone not forged from age but something else entirely.

The steps the man took seemed almost to echo in the darkness as if the black itself was weary of him. He knelt before the lone figure placing his hand on the handle of his weapon to ensure that it not hinder his movements. Unlike the robed man before him as he knelt there was nothing pathetic about his movements. He was not begging obedience; he was willingly showing respect to the man he had come to see.

"My lord, thank you for granting me an audience," the man in black said in a voice that was not quite human, carrying a level of awe to it that arguably surpassed the power of the lone figure's words.

For all the awe that the man in black carried with him the figure on the throne showed no sign that he felt the awe and instead replied calmly. "It isn't often that an immortal responsible for the destruction of the west wishes to kneel before me." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice but it was hard to tell because of how overpowering his tone always was. It was now clear that the figure was skeptical.

"Gorgoza is dead my lord, overthrown by Metamok."

When these words were spoken, for the first time in perhaps his entire life the figure showed great concern upon every inch of him from his eyes to the motions of his body as he shifted restlessly for a moment before sitting still once more.

"How do you know this?" the figure asked. Every trace of skepticism was gone from his voice; it seemed he no longer cared who this man was only what he had come to say.

"13 days ago I captured a werewolf near Uldaween, under three days of torture the beast told me of Metamok's usurpation and that Gorgoza loyalists are on the brink of collapse. Metamok is closer than anyone has ever been to having complete control over the entire west. The werewolf claimed that is why it was so far east, to escape the tyranny and bloodshed of Metamok."

For a time that seemed much longer in the thick silence that now fell across the room the lone figure said nothing. It was only when the silence had become too powerful to bear the figure spoke once more. "You journeyed all the way from Uldaween to my kingdom in just ten days?"

"Yes, my lord," the man in black replied simply.

The lone figure thought for a moment bringing his long hand to his chin and stroking it across his thin beard before he asked, "What do you offer to prove that you are who you say you are?"

To this the man in black looked up from the ground directly into the eyes of the lone figure, revealing that his own eyes were a rich bright red that did not truly glow but seemed to, compared to the brooding black around him. His eyes were of a rare kind, a kind that would frighten most men and yet the figure showed no fear as he looked upon them.

"How would you like me to prove my claim, my lord?"

"As quickly as possible," the lone figure replied.

The man in black without a word brought his left hand up to his right shoulder, respectfully keeping his red eyes upon the dark eyes of the lone figure as he untied a simple knot causing the length of material to fall across him. Such action revealed the skin of his chest and torso that was anything but bare. Upon his extremely muscular frame were jagged thick lines, black and definite that with the exception of their colour could only be identified as hideous scars hindering his otherwise god like physique. He straightened his back and lifted his head ever so slightly to ensure that the figure on the throne could see the black scars easily. With a simple nod of his head the lone figure indicated he had seen enough and using only his left hand the man in black retied the knot covering his torso and chest in black material once more.

"I thank you Cada Varl for bringing this information to me...." Though his voice was clear it was obvious that the lone figure was as troubled as a rabbit when it hears the call of an owl warning that a wolf is hungry and on the prowl.

"I bring more than just information my lord," Cada Varl replied as he lowered his head once more. "I bring possible salvation from not just eastern invasion but from the entire werewolf threat."

The lone figure said nothing but waited calmly for Cada Varl to explain himself further.

"Forgive my ignorance my lord but are you aware of the Goddess Kerceeria?"

"That I am," The lone figure replied. "The Goddess who fell from the sky and from whose blood life on the earth began."

Cada Varl nodded, "Some of her blood still remains upon the earth in an ancient chamber underneath the lands where the kingdom of Gatavoi once stood."

"So how can the blood of a goddess deal with the werewolf scourge?" The lone figure asked flatly and yet curiously.

"Because of what I am, a memory of a human if I drink her blood not only will that destroy me but everything else that has been created because of me...."

"You mean...." The figure almost gasped out.

"If I can get to the blood of the goddess then I can destroy every single werewolf, the monsters of the west will cease to exist."

There was now a collective gasp, not from the figure upon the throne but from the two guards, who still stood in the room, the revelation was too great for them to control themselves as they temporarily forget the conduct of their duty. But for the figure on the throne it seemed a different matter as he said, "You discovered this information at Uldaween?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Is that where you have been for all these centuries? Within the earth's memory?"

"Yes, my lord," Cada Varl repeated.

"Is this what you have been searching for all this time, a way to destroy the werewolves?"

There was a silence that felt far longer due to its heaviness that fell across the dark hall before Cada Varl spoke once again.

"No, my lord it was not. I was searching for a way to become human again...."

His answer was blunt and yet there was something obscure as well as definite, a slight shudder of his shoulders showed that it was significant.

"Am I correct in the belief that you did not find what you were looking for?"

It was upon this question that Cada Varl looked up from the floor into the eyes of the figure, hesitating for a brief yet important moment before he said, "You are correct my lord."

His face became somber as he lowered his eyes once more. The lone figure intentionally waited for a moment allowing his powerful dark eyes to look over the frame of the Immortal before him. "In times as dark as these honesty is more valuable than even silver...and I feel it shall only become more important as the days turn darker. Tell me Cada Varl what do you need from my kingdom?"

"My lord, I must speak to prince Yakarzin to see if the werewolves have any knowledge of the chamber and the blood of the goddess."

"That raises an interesting question, if the werewolves got a hold of the Goddess' blood what could they do with it?"

"Put simply, my lord if a werewolf were to drink it than they themselves would become the next best thing to being a god."

The eyes of the lone figure widened for only a split second but it was enough to reveal how shaken he was by this revelation.

"It is because they were once human or at the least descended from humans, their humanity although greatly twisted and corrupted remains...."

There were many more questions that the lone figure upon the throne could have asked but time now seemed to be a greater enemy than anything the lone figure had ever faced. He rose from his throne and stood as tall as his 7-foot frame would allow as the light of the candles made his presence even more overpowering.

"Rise Cada Varl," the lone figure commanded and as instructed The Immortal did just that. As the two men stood facing one another the presence that both carried was different but just as dark as the other like they were two great gods coming face to face for the first time. The lone figure stepped towards the Immortal

"Follow me," he said not breaking his stride.

Cada Varl did as he was asked as in silence the two guards moved to either side of the lone figure walking silently behind him and in front of Cada Varl.

The group moved out of the hall into the connected black where the darkness seemed more suited to the castle than even the night sky. There was very little light to be had with few torches held sporadically on both sides of the cold stone walls that made up the castle. Cada Varl could not help but notice how the fires flickered like they were shivering as the lone figure passed them. The only other source of light came from the moon seeping through glass-less windows that were as sparse as the torches.

It was through one of these simple windows that the Immortal could see the moon; it was full acting as an extremely bad omen. But the full moon also brought light to a courtyard where the eyes of the Immortal were drawn to descend by the terrified words of someone begging. He saw the robed man who had been taken from the hall, now completely dragged by the two guards who had taken him. They were moving towards a specific set of thick wooden pillars that stood as a collection with a dozen or so identical sets. Though the guards were ignoring him no one could blame the robed man for his fear filled yells. He was about to experience Onvaucalis, a form of torture that along with a handful of other equally brutal tortures were as unique as they were awful. The condemned would be tied by the wrist to either pole, impaled through both hands to increase the suffering. Inch by inch the poles would then be turned until eventually the condemned was quite literally ripped in two. The agonizing ordeal was always performed over the course of two days to ensure that the condemned would not die of dehydration first. Everyone in the kingdom knew of Onvaucalis and how horridly painful such a death must have been, it was clear by the way the robed man was screaming he knew this all too well. If that wasn't enough to tell him of what he was in for, the bloody remains of a condemned woman still laid in a vile heap where the smell of blood was fresh in the air. Cada Varl looked away, not from disgust or queasiness he just simply saw no point in witnessing such a thing. The screams of the robed man were so loud that surely the figure and the guards that followed him would have heard it and yet none of them seemed to pay any attention.

Such punishment was commonplace in the kingdom of Helluv, it was as well known in the land as what a crow sounded like when it squawked. In terms of size and manpower to call Helluv a modest kingdom was the most generous of statements. In fact it was the smallest kingdom in the east of Noonsva and yet it was the closest to the west, sharing a border with the empire of the werewolf. To most it seemed inconceivable that this tiny kingdom could survive being so close to the lands of monsters but there were four good reasons why the kingdom had never been conquered.

The first was that Helluv possessed more silver than other land in Noonsva. The silver deposits found in Helluvan Mountains were thought endless by many. The second reason was the mountains themselves; surrounding the entire border of the kingdom they made invasion by any army a difficult task. But more importantly the mountains forced any invading army to move through and across narrow ridges where a much smaller troop of soldiers could force them into a 'kill box' and easily slaughter them. The third reason was the capture of prince Yakarzin, son of the werewolf king Gorgoza. It was a little over 40 years ago during a border dispute that the werewolf prince was captured and held prisoner. Capturing Yakarzin had proven a great deterrent against a full-scaled werewolf invasion of Helluv. But now with Gorgoza dead Yakarzin would be all but useless in serving such a purpose.

The forth and most important reason was the 7 foot tall figure Cada Varl was now following. King Granzool, the man that even monsters feared. 72 years ago Granzool had defeated both his sisters and his brother in order to become sole ruler of the kingdom. When he claimed his throne he chose to completely change Helluv from the very ground up. Before his ascension Helluv had been a small yet spoiled kingdom using the fear that other human kingdoms of the east had to trade countless tons of silver. The mass wealth made Helluvans fat and greedy especially in their upper classes, caring only about self-indulgence. Granzool's first act as king was to outlaw the trade of silver and when the noble families protested he ordered the execution of every single one of them. He then made it mandatory that even single man, woman and child over the age of 9 had to carry a bow and a quiver of silver tipped arrows. This combined with the fact every Helluvan had to train daily in both archery and combat allowed him to call upon almost every single Helluvan to defend the kingdom if the werewolves ever invaded. He kept his rule by killing anyone who dared to disagree with him as he constantly came up with more and more ways to publicly execute his detractors in the most gruesome of ways. There was a purpose to such barbarity; Granzool wanted to ensure that his people feared him more than they could ever fear the western monsters.

Such a tactic had proven not only successful inside Helluv but elsewhere. Granzool was so feared by both werewolf and human alike that he no longer had to worry about invasion from any of the fellow kingdoms, no human would dare to oppose him. He was a legendary figure in the darkest kind of ways with as many legends spoken about him as there were stars in the night sky. Many legends told of how he was the embodiment of evil, as old as time itself. The histories told that he was 28 when he took control of Helluv making him in fact 100 years old. But simply by looking at him it was easy to see why such legends were told for age had done nothing to bend his spine or cripple his step. Granzool had changed Helluv from a spoiled kingdom of greed to a place where the greatest warriors of the east were bred, shaped and molded to be the most effective werewolf killers as humanly possible. As drastic as all these changes were, they were performed with a single purpose, to ensure the survival of Helluv, that is all that mattered to Granzool.

Cada Varl followed Granzool and his guards through the castle. In spite of what surely was a hectic circumstance the Helluvan king did not walk with hurried steps as they moved through the darkness. The king knew his castle well for even as they began descending stairways he showed no hesitation in his steps as if he could somehow see through the black or more likely he was moving more from memory than sight.

The group continued to descend; there was no doubting that, as the cold air slowly became stale. They were heading underground and the first change of scenery came in the form of flames that danced blood red in place of amber. This was not due to a magician's trick; the torches of the underground were made from a special fuel specifically blended to burn in such poor air. The crimson lights revealed that the group had entered a place that was even larger than the throne room. On one side a total of 9 large crossbows had been somehow built into the stone wall each ratcheted to hold a bolt that was half the size and width of a powerful spear. The bolts were at the ready to be fired by a simple latch that was wrapped in a series of long leather straps that were tied around the trigger of each massive crossbow. By the way their tips shone in the crimson light it was clear that their heads had been forged from thick silver. They all pointed to the opposite wall that was covered in chains so heavy it was doubtful that even the strongest of men on his own could carry them. Underneath the heavy chains the wall shone silver, as a total of four guards could be seen, two at either end of the chain-covered wall.

The four guards bowed their heads ever so slightly in respect to their king but said nothing. Granzool and the guards that had accompanied him moved through the room far enough to ensure that Cada Varl was standing near the middle of the room before Granzool turned around to face him.

"Behind this door Helluv keeps Yakarzin, let me know if you have any problem getting the information you need from him. My men will be more than happy to extract it for you...."

There was no glee in his voice but it was clear that Helluvans, Granzool especially, took great delight in torturing the western monsters.

"Thank you my lord," Cada Varl said calmly.

"No need to thank me Cada Varl," Granzool replied. "The fate of Helluv rests in your hands; by helping you I am in turn helping my kingdom."

Cada Varl nodded in silence but Granzool was not yet done, "If you have been in Uldaween all these years than you have no idea of what lies beyond our borders into the west do you? The scribes of Uldaween have not been able to gather such information in over 4000 years?"

"That is correct my lord," Cada Varl replied simply but truthfully.

Granzool nodded ever so slightly before he said, "Yakarzin is not the first werewolf that has been captured by Helluv, there have been many others who under the right level of agony have spilled their guts about what lies in the west. Helluv has the most accurate maps of the beast lands, you will need them...."

"Indeed I will," Cada Varl said knowing a thank you would be pointless.

"I will have them ready before you are done speaking with the vermin behind this door," Granzool said.

Cada Varl then moved his hand down to his waist removing a long yet thin pouch on his belt. It was a scroll made from animal hide that was so old it seemed on the brink of crumbling into a thousand pieces.

He offered the scroll to Granzool and said, "This map is of the west before the werewolves conquered it."

Granzool took the scroll from the Immortal but did not look at it.

The Helluvan king said, "This will make it easier to plot out the best way to reach the blood of the goddess. I have no need to see the wretched thing; I shall leave you to do what you have come here to...."

Granzool turned and took two steps before the Immortal could say, "Let us hope he will tell me what I want to hear...."

Granzool slowly looked over his shoulder revealing that in the crimson light his eyes looked even more inhuman and powerful. "Oh it will, do not worry about that the guards will ensure it...." With those words the king turned his head and continued walking, commanding the guards to open the door before he disappeared into the darkness, though his steps could be heard as he made his ascension above ground. Even to an immortal such as Cada Varl he was in awe of Granzool, silently and only in his own mind he was greatly impressed by the Helluvan king for so many reasons. Most of which was the fact he did not ponder over the effects of the blood of Goddess. For any other human king in the east the idea of the blood would be a way to become a god. That is all they would have thought about it, they would have sent their entire population to go and retrieve it caring nothing for the lives that would have been lost. But Granzool showed no interest in becoming more powerful; he was genuine in his desire to ensure the survival of Helluv. To any other person, Granzool's reason for not wanting to become a god would be smeared in a new legend, perhaps that demons do not want to become gods.

# Chapter 2

As they had been commanded to do the guards began to open the door, but it was soon evident that opening this door was far more complicated than turning a knob. All four guards moved to one side and began twisting and turning heavy iron switches that the numerous chains were connected to. The sounds of the chains falling from their latches and dangling became powerful in the otherwise silence. Once this was done each of the guards took up a different position against the gigantic edge and began pushing, moving the massive silver door in a sliding fashion. Like all Helluvans the guards possessed incredible strength powered by overdeveloped shoulders that were covered by thick muscle. But even with 4 of the strongest breed of men pushing it the door would not be opened hastily.

As they did so Cada Varl thought about the reasons why he had come here in the first place. Out of all the horror stories and terrible myths whether fact of fiction that had been spoken about the werewolves there was none amongst them more legendary or infamous than Gorgoza. Of the monster's lineage he was first generation, once upon a time he was indeed human. He was the first werewolf to actually envision himself and his brethren, not as monsters or cursed beings, but as a race. Quickly he set about carving out a land that the werewolves could truly call their own. He gathered others like him, forging an army of monsters that was as terrifying as it was powerful. From there he claimed the west in the name of his people eventually crowning himself their king. After purging the west of all mankind he set about the destruction of every man made thing from cities to dams. Thus began the transformation of the west where Gorgoza built his empire quite literally from scratch and in his image. Much of the cities and other such landscapes he designed were more marvelous than anything his human predecessor's could envision were. However Gorgoza in both of his lives had always believed that knowledge was power and so before he destroyed the history and cities of men he learned everything he could about them, if for whatever reason such knowledge could one day serve him. Werewolves never forgot anything, once they had seen it or thought about it, every second could flawlessly be recalled in memory. Because of this Gorgoza could recall everything he had learned about the west before his ascension and such knowledge he passed down to his son.

Unlike most leaders Gorgoza was not a sexual fiend, he did not bed a different female every night and in his thousands and thousands of years of rule he had only bore one son, Yakarzin. Perhaps this had to do with the fact for all his 3800 years as ruler there had never been an age of peace in his lands. There was always some kind of rebellion or uprising lead by a would be usurper. This was not due to him being a weak ruler for indeed his cruelty, malevolence and power was greater than any before him. But Noonsva was the largest continent on the planet and the west was too large for a single king to rule, werewolf or otherwise completely. Out of all the renegades and false kings Gorgoza had to deal with there was none more powerful than Metamok.

In the lands of man little was known about Metamok with the exception that unlike all the other usurpers he was the only one that Gorgoza had never been able to completely subdue and his thirst for power seemed beyond endless if such a thing was possible. Metamok was like an inferno that had burned for so long it could never be put out as if the very earth itself had become so use to burning that it no longer knew any other way to thrive.

In actuality Gorgoza had served the preservation of the east well for he had little desire to further expand his empire and indeed for the most part he wanted nothing to do with humans. The culture he had shaped over the centuries had kept most werewolves with the same ideals as his own. It was strange to think about how much Granzool and Gorgoza must have hated one another. Granzool because of the threat Gorgoza represented against his kingdom and Gorgoza because of the capture of his son by a human ruler. Though despite their differences both monster and the man monsters feared had more in common than either would like to admit, the survival of their people. Now with Gorgoza gone there would be no significant force in the west that could stand against Metamok and once he gained control he indeed would set his sights on the east to the kingdoms of men.

With these thoughts still very strong in his mind Cada Varl watched as finally the silver door was opened revealing a large chamber. At first the Immortal could hear a powerful sound that resembled the growl of a dog but was far more incredible to hear, the sound soon subsided however and Cada Varl took notice of the crimson light reflecting off something large and rectangular. In size the massive rectangle would have taken up half of the chamber but had been positioned in the center of it. It had been forged from silver, which could be told from how the light shone off against it.

The growl the Immortal had heard had come from the lips of what could only be described as a strange creature. Only its head could be seen sticking out from the top of the rectangle revealing the mass of silver had somehow been forged around its frame effectively locking it in place. The head was a hideous thing to look at, a horrid amalgamation of man and beast. Human skin and the dark fur of a beast could both be seen as both fangs and teeth were represented in the thing's twisted mouth. Its eyes were different from one another also, one a very dark green and almost human the other almost twice the first's size was animalistic and soulless. It was the presence of silver remaining so close to his body over such a long period that kept Yakarzin in such a state of half transformation, making him appear a freak in the eyes of both men and monster.

Cada Varl without fear or hesitation entered the chamber taking notice of how the guards seemed not fazed by the sight of the half-transformed freak. Though his eyes were utterly opposite to one another they worked in unison as the captured prince looked over every inch of the Immortal and like most who looked upon Cada Varl the werewolf's eyes stopped their search when he noticed the ripe red eyes of the Immortal. It could not be told what Yakarzin was thinking whether he was weary or simply curious about the presence of someone who looked so different after all these decades imprisoned. There was more that broke the silence other than the burning torches outside the chamber as they devoured their fuel source, the sound of Yakarzin breathing resembled that of an old man who had smoked far too much tobacco in his life. His breaths were heavy from agony, no doubt caused by the severe irritation the silver was having on his skin.

"You're not Helluvan," Yakarzin commented in a voice that was neither human nor monstrous but falling somewhere morbidly in between.

"No I am not," the Immortal simply replied.

"An obvious statement," Yakarzin said as if he had not spoken in so long he had forgotten what his voice had sounded like and was now remembering how much he enjoyed the sound.

"It has been thousands of years since I have seen such garments, the military garb of a Gatavoi soldier, a kingdom that fell 4137 years 8 months and 4 days ago...."

It was a reminder, deliberate or not of the flawless memories werewolves possessed. In return Cada Varl said nothing before Yakarzin began to sniff at the air and it was in these moments he looked the most monstrous and animalistic.

"Hmmm...." Yakarzin muttered not taking his odd eyes off of the Immortal. "You don't smell human...but you are not of my kind either are you? Your eyes give that away almost as well as my senses tell me."

With more words spoken there was a definite undertone to the imprisoned princes words, if he was not encased in silver and allowed his human shape than his voice would be almost charming and soothing to listen to, but remained morphed from the pain he was feeling.

"I am Cada Varl," the Immortal answered in a clear tone that was neither proud nor modest. This revelation made the imprisoned prince hold his breath or rather it was taken from him allowing the sound of the crimson fires burning to reign supreme if only for a moment.

"Cada Varl?" Yakarzin said as if his mind needed to hear the Immortal's name from his own lips before he could believe it.

"Do you know what you are known as in my homelands? Javuzzzz Nememba," Yakarzin said, not allowing Cada Varl a second to answer the question. "The revered one," Yakarzin translated " Many of my kind consider you a god second only to Elfanya, but I am not amongst them."

It could not be told whether Yakarzin had said this out of truth, which would contradict his body's reaction mere moments before or he was simply trying to keep some level of awe about him.

Elfanya was the name the werewolves had for the moon, in their theology (or mythology depending on who was speaking the story). She was a great goddess and the stars were her soldiers always at the ready to descend upon the earth if the werewolves dared to do anything that did not please her.

"Was it your father who gave me such a name? To help others of his kind to embrace the fact they were no longer human?"

This question seemed to stir something inside the prince, something that for a whole legion of reasons did not sit well with him.

"Indeed it was."

It seemed this question had reminded Yakarzin of his father and all he had done for his kind. Though he did not care for the Immortal he knew what his father had thought of Cada Varl.

"Tell me," the imprisoned prince said after a moment of silence. "Where is it that you have been all this time?"

Cada Varl answered truthfully, "Uldaween, do you know of it?"

Yakarzin tried to move his head in a nodding fashion but the silver was so tightly melded around him that he could not even accomplish this simple task.

"Earth's memory, the place where all the histories of this continent had been stored until my father took control of the west."

"That is why I have come to see you," Yakarzin made no reply but waited for the Immortal to explain himself. Without any change in his voice the Immortal said, "Your father is dead Yakarzin, overthrown by Metamok."

As soon as he had heard these words a look came over Yakarzin's eyes, more easily seen in his human one, a sadness that was as powerful as it was undeniable. Perhaps it was a remnant of humanity buried so deep inside the beast that it could only be seen in such an extreme situation. But Yakarzin had never been human and hence it seemed more to prove that even monsters felt empathy and sadness.

"So...." The prince said slowly after several moments, "The Harbinger of Hollowness has finally succeeded..." The prince went quiet again for some time and Cada Varl allowed him his time.

" When I was first captured by the Helluvans I felt such shame that I had dishonored my father's name by being taken prison by those who are inferior to my kind. That shame has been a greater poison to me than even this silver that now surrounds me. I should have been at my father's side I should have personally led armies to vanquish Metamok or at the least had the chance to die trying, an honorable death compared to this rotting existence. With my father no longer opposing him Metamok will conquer the west before long...and when he does he will set his hunger east...starting with this dustbowl of a kingdom!"

The prince screamed his last several words, a might returning to his voice that had not be there for all those years, he wanted to ensure that the guards outside heard him and indeed they did. But with the exception of each one of them looking as far into the corner of their eyes they did or said nothing else. The sadness had been replaced by anger only to be quickly replaced with the darkest of joy in the eyes of the imprisoned prince as he realized this.

"I will see my father soon in the world beyond our own, for what reason would Granzool now have to keep me living."

There was no fear in his tone at the prospect of his own death; perhaps this was bravery or simple acceptance. Then again maybe after enduring such agony for all these decades he found some kind of relief in the fact he no longer would have to endure such pain.

"Not necessarily," Cada Varl said bringing the attention of Yakarzin upon him. "I am going to travel into the west and kill Metamok myself."

Yakarzin stared in silence for a moment before he snarled in a mocking way similar to a disgusted laugh.

"Why would you do that? Never have you meddled in the affairs of my kind before."

Now the Immortal stepped forward and as he did so the crimson flames of the torches behind him began to burn differently, casting shadows around him that made him appear even more powerful. The shadows darkened his face increasing the intensity of red within his eyes. He leaned forward ever so slightly but the movement was enough to make Yakarzin silent. "Because, never before has the east been in such threat from the west, I saw Gatavoi fall to your father and then the rest of the west. I am responsible for the genocide of my brethren that is a burden I must bear. There is nothing that I could do about the past only the present and the future. I cannot allow Metamok to conquer the east and in order to stop him I will need your aid."

Yakarzin didn't answer right away he was in awe of the power he now felt resonating from the Immortal.

"What do you need from me?" he asked in a forced calm.

" I need you to tell me everything that your father has told you about the west before his rise to power, the time when man ruled western Noonsva."

"What good what that serve you?" Yakarzin asked revealing that indeed he was no fool and even Cada Varl would not be able to extract such information from him so easily. The question however did not seem to catch the Immortal off guard and he answered flawlessly.

"Because I discovered at Uldaween that there are centuries missing in their records, whether they have simply been lost or decayed over the years is ultimately irrelevant. It made me realize that as much as humans try they can never achieve perfection. Like your father I as well value knowledge and want to know about these missing centuries. Now they are something that only you can tell me."

Yakarzin thought on the reasons given but it was clear he was not entirely convinced.

"I offer more than the death of Metamok to you prince, I will crown you as king of the west in my stead once I have killed him." There was a flicker in both eyes of the imprison prince, clearly he liked such a notion.

" Even with Metamok dead the west would be in chaos leaving the east vulnerable to invasion. Once you have taken your rightful place as ruler of your father's empire I will need you to sign a peace pact with the west that both sides of the continent will uphold."

"You dream of peace?" Yakarzin said clearly surprised by such a thought.

"I desire survival for mankind...so that is my exchange you tell me what I want to know and I shall make you king. I know that you will never forget what I did for you which will ensure the safety of the east. The human kingdoms, even Helluv would never dare try to reclaim the west, who amongst them could anyway, so do we have a deal?"

Yakarzin remained silent it seemed he was not entirely convinced but at the same time he was not stupid. He did not have to be told his only other alternative was to be killed at the hands of the Helluvans, at the least this way he had a chance for salvation.

"Where would you like me to start?" Yakarzin asked.

"At the beginning, leave nothing out regardless of how insignificant it may seem."

As asked Yakarzin began retelling everything his father had told him beginning with the rise of Yukijhnmabosszuik the first city of the west.

### Chapter 3

Time became lost, as the only voice that could be heard in the underground place was that of prince Yakarzin. Not once were the guards outside heard speaking, showing that they never allowed boredom to get the better of them. The only thing that did change was the rotation of the guards, shifting exactly every twelve hours. After a total of 12 shift changes Yakarzin fell silent, ending the histories with the fall of the great confederation of Noke.

"Is that everything?" Cada Varl asked having not so much as shuffled his feet during the entire length of Yakarzin's words.

"It is," Yakarzin answered.

Though he had been speaking day and night he showed no sign of soreness in his words, werewolves simply did not suffer such things. Cada Varl searched the mismatched eyes of the imprisoned prince, seemingly satisfied with what he saw he nodded.

"I thank you prince, I will not forget the favor you have given me."

"That is good," said Yakarzin. "Remember the deal Cada Varl, for my throne waits for me to claim it once again."

Cada Varl nodded but said nothing in response; he turned and walked out of the chamber.

The guards outside knowing that Cada Varl had finished with the prisoner moved in unison to close the giant door once more. Cada Varl did not look back but he could feel the eyes of the prince upon him, boring through him with great intensity. The Immortal had taken no notice but there was now a fifth guard, one who did not help the others close the door. The new guard approached the Immortal and stated, "Sir, now that you are finished with your interrogation of the prisoner I have been ordered to escort you to meet with King Granzool."

"Of course," Cada Varl said bowing his head ever so slightly in respect to the king of Helluv. "Follow me, sir," The guard said before he began walking out of the chamber. The Immortal had seen no fear or concern in the eyes of the guard, even the presence of Cada Varl was not enough to shake him from his duty.

Cada Varl followed the guard and after their ascension from the underground the Immortal could see crisp daylight peering in through the various glass-less windows of the castle. At first the Immortal was expecting to return to the hall where he first met Granzool, but instead the guard led him out of the castle and into the open ground of the capital. Fresh snow that did not quite smell so had fallen heavily for a number of days. Though the snow was now thinning, it was still dominant in the cold air around them. The chill of Helluv was prominent in the mist that escaped the bodies of those around him as they breathed.

Many people from all shades of a civilization could be seen, from blacksmiths, to farmers, to hunters. Every single one of them regardless of man, woman or child had two important commonalties. The first was that each of them carried powerful bows slung across their back, accompanied by a quiver of arrows whose silver tips seemed to stand out. The other commonality was that though it was heavily snowing they all only wore a thin garment of blue and green that couldn't possibly offer any warmth in this harsh land. It was just one of the many things Granzool had decreed in order to keep Helluvans as tough as possible. Men from other human kingdoms could not possibly survive such cold without a warm fire and many layers, but Helluvans had been engineered to tolerate such harsh weather. Everything Cada Varl could see was plain and practical, the buildings and houses were no exception to this fact. He could see no grand design or splendor of extravagance anywhere amongst them.

The Immortal followed the guard through a series of stone arches moving around the inner castle and through the various courtyards, most of which were empty. The guard led Cada Varl into one of the larger courtyards, where like a lone tree in a field Granzool could be seen, accompanied by a total of 6 people, three men and three women. They had gathered around a stone table that had literally been built into the ground, such a thing seemed pointless for the table would be too heavy to be stolen quick enough by anyone foolish enough to commit such a crime in this place. Granzool along with the people to either side of him looked upon the Immortal as soon as he had entered. The guard that had escorted him stayed silent before moving off to a corner of the courtyard where he stood alone.

"Cada Varl," Granzool said, "We have just plotted out the course that shall be taken into the west."

Cada Varl bowed his head before he responded, "Then it is good timing on my part, my lord. Perhaps the gods are watching out for us after all."

Granzool seemed non-fazed by the mention of deities, he responded simply, "If that is true then it would be the first time they ever showed favor to Helluv."

Cada Varl said nothing in response. Regardless of what people thought about gods, religion was religion, a touchy subject in just about every land.

Cada Varl approached the table standing opposite to the king and those who stood at his side. "What did the vermin tell you, Cada Varl?" Granzool asked flatly. "Are they aware of the underground chamber?"

Instantly after these words were spoken the Immortal could feel the air become thick with anticipation, even to men and women of Helluvan caliber, the hope that could only be found in the spirit of humans shone through.

Cada Varl answered quickly. " No, Yakarzin made no mention of it."

"Good," Granzool said, "That will make this task easier to accomplish."

Granzool was not a fool, to many a man the most obvious statement would be to say that if the werewolves had known about the chamber surely by now they would have gotten the blood of the Goddess. But Granzool, knew of the powers the gods possessed, forces greater than even Gorgoza was capable of wielding.

Granzool looked upon the closest person to his right, a young woman with a very long fringe of blonde that suited perfectly her slender face. "Imbaka is the greatest logistics planner I have ever known, this course was chosen by her, show it to Cada Varl."

"Yes my lord," Imbaka replied.

Cada Varl could not place specifically why, but her voice reminded him of rainfall. It was soothing to listen to but in the most cautious of ways, a light rain that without warning could turn into a violent storm. Imbaka now looked into the eyes of Cada Varl revealing the strength of her own vision, eyes the colour of an autumn leaf covered in bronze. Imbaka looked down at the many maps of animal hide that were sprung out upon the table including the one Cada Varl had given to Granzool. Using her finger to guide Cada Varl's sight upon a specific map she said, " We shall head to Gearnius, the northwestern most point of Helluv. Western border patrols there are scarce year round, the terrain is rocky and almost always covered in snow. We shall head in a sweeping arc through the forests of Casbi that shall lead into the mountain ranges of Raefree. From there we shall head to the Iganosa straight into the Jusohag mountains that shall lead us to a place known as the Deupenddous valleys."

As her finger came a stop there was a definite flash in the eyes of Cada Varl. There wasn't anything unnatural about this flash, but it was powerful all the same. The sparks of memory were turning the gears in the mind of the Immortal as he looked upon the place where his kingdom Gatavoi once stood. It was a line of thought Imbaka and for that matter anyone could have questioned, but none decided to. Cada Varl after the longest time a moment could be, studied the rest of the map retracing in his mind the path that Imbaka had laid out. The map was well detailed revealing the names of all the major cities of the west, but one could not help but notice large areas that showed no such fine detail. More specifically these were such areas the chosen path was to be taken across.

"This path will help us avoid the major populations of the werewolves, it is the best course of action," Imbaka said firmly as if what she saw in the eyes of the Immortal was doubt.

Cada Varl looked to her and said, "Agreed."

"It should be known Cada Varl," Granzool said firmly. "That no one here has ever seen the lands of the west past the hills of Eentoma, though this map is the most accurate to be found in the entire east, it is not a guarantee." Cada Varl studied the map once again and indeed there seemed large areas that were very vague even if they did hold nothing more than forest and woodlands.

"I will always keep that in mind my lord, as I make this journey." The Immortal looked to Imbaka before he added, "Thank you Imbaka for this path, I shall follow it closely."

In response Imbaka bowed her head but said nothing.

With that Granzool took a single step back and instantly the three men and three women at his side knelt down and with lowered heads bowed in the direction of Cada Varl.

"To your quest," Granzool said in a dark pride. " Helluv pledges its 6 greatest warriors, their skill, strength, endurance and bravery shall aid you greatly in this plight. But never forget Cada Varl," Granzool added, the darkness becoming even blacker in his eyes. "These men and women serve Helluv, the good of their country will always come first." Cada Varl looked deep into the eyes of the Helluvan king; even one such as he could feel the dark power within them.

" I will never forget, my lord." Cada Varl answered with equally powerful conviction.

"That you won't," Granzool said. " Before they accompany you, I need you to commit to me, a Gyu, are you aware of what that means?"

"I do my lord," Cada Varl answered before he too knelt down and bowed, with a lowered head and his eyes to the snow. He said firmly, "I Cada Varl, swear a Gyu that I will do everything in my power including the sacrificing of my own life, to ensure that they return to their homeland, with breath and strong hearts." For a moment Granzool stood silent for an unknown reason, he then said in his dark powerful tone. "Rise Cada Varl, I accept your Gyu."

As commanded the Immortal did as he was ordered, with the 6 Helluvan warriors standing directly after he did.

Cada Varl was not surprised in the slightest that Granzool would be sending warriors with him. Helluvans were not of a breed that waited to be saved or for another to act. The 6 warriors (including Imbaka) were packed for a long journey, each carried upon their back an assortment of sacks, tools and other such items that must have weighed considerably yet none amongst them showed any sign of strain. All but one of the warriors wore a suit of armor forged in gekkaheel, an amalgamation of silver and panzied the strongest metal in the entire continent. The mixture made the suits the darkest shade possible of silver in colour. Each suit of armor bore the symbol of Helluv upon its chest, none of them were bulky but slender and streamlined as if each had been custom fitted and forged for the individual. Cada Varl made sure that he looked each of the warriors in the eye, showing them respect, which he could see, returned by each of them.

Granzool then stepped forward standing but an inch away from the table. He extended out his hand before he said, " To the success of the journey."

Cada Varl stepped forward and placed his hand upon the forearm of the Helluvan king to reciprocate. The Immortal showed no sign of this, but the strength of Granzool was beyond impressive, he held a grasp far greater than even men a fifth as old as his hundred years. His strength compared to the Immortal's certainly wasn't overwhelming but still seemed nearly inhuman.

"To the survival of Helluv," Cada Varl stated firmly.

The two then simply stared at one another, both knowing the enormity of the situation before them. Whether Cada Varl and the warriors who were to accompany him succeeded or failed, either way it would lead to the destruction of either the west or the east.

After a moment filled with the gravity and history of an age was over, the Immortal and the king let the handshake go. Granzool then turned and walked away saying nothing to the 6 greatest warriors under his command. In silence and without looking back he left the courtyard as the guard who had once escorted Cada Varl there followed him. Once the king was no longer in sight the Immortal looked to the warriors before him expecting to greet them. Instead the warriors as a group turned and began to make their way of the courtyard. The last of them, a warrior who did not wear the uniform of the others approached Cada Varl carrying a large pack between his hands. This warrior was dressed head to toe in a stainless black, with only a slit for his eyes to look from. The warrior said nothing as he looked into the eyes of the Immortal and Cada Varl noticed just how black the warrior's eyes were, to the point that they did not stand out from his garments. Cada Varl nodded his head slightly before he took the pack, effortlessly placing the weighty thing upon his back. The warrior dressed in black remained silent following the others with Cada Varl following him two steps behind.

As they made their way through the capital out into more open areas the townspeople stopped their normal duties to look upon them. It was strange that they had not done such a thing when Cada Varl had walked through the town, for surely Helluvans would not have been use to the sight of outsiders. While the 6 warriors seemed to pay no attention to it, the Immortal would occasionally glance into the eyes of the townsfolk. It was not weariness or sadness in their eyes but an undeniable jealously. A strange thing to see considering there was a real chance that this warrior state was going to lose 6 of its best to the underworld.

It did not take long to reach the end of the capital, proof of the modesty of this kingdom. The end of the capital was met with a simple bridge crafted from hardwood that was wide enough for 20 men to stand comfortably side by side when crossing it. From the other side of the bridge there could be seen a group of 40 or so warriors of the kingdom, surrounding a group of 8, three men and 5 women that were bloodied and bound together by thick chains that dragged across the snow. The captured however were not the only ones with blood evident, for the forty warriors were drenched in it. This was no more prevalent than upon the warrior that led the march. He was a giant of a man, not quite as tall as the king was but pretty close. He was far stockier than the king was however and such muscular bulk would have been needed to wield the massive sword he carried, resting partly on his left shoulder. If cleaned his sword would have shone silver but it was almost completely covered in blood. The cold of the air had frozen the liquid keeping its rich, nauseating smell fresh in the air. Indeed the entire troop looked like they had just walked through a rainstorm of blood.

Upon the bridge the two parties met, each stopping when they could go no further. The 6 warriors who accompanied Cada Varl bowed their heads slightly in respect, which was reciprocated by the entire 40 odd warriors of the troop. The man who lead them possessed a crimson face of blood, for the helmet he wore bared no faceplate, the blood made the blue of his eyes stand out tremendously. Imbaka, who lead Cada Varl's group was the first to speak, "Gortulin, it is good to see these traitors in chains."

"Rats are good at running, but eagles are better at catching," Gortulin replied in a voice that did not match his hardened appearance. "We had to cross the border into Lumyano, where they had an ambush party waiting for us. Foolishly I must admit we walked right into the middle of it. It seems Helluvan silver can attract the strongest of mercenaries."

"How many of them were there?" Imbaka said with a genuine interest in her voice.

Gortulin did not need so much as a single second to think about his answer, he said truthfully,

"Must have been at least 250 of them, but they won't be bothering anyone anymore, all Helluvan silver got them was death...."

"How many Helluvans died getting these traitors?" Imbaka asked.

Gortulin shook his head, "None."

"That is good," Imbaka commented keeping her eyes upon his.

"And where are you heading Imbaka?"

"Into the west," Imbaka replied without hesitation. It was now that Gortulin looked away from Imbaka, towards the other 5 Helluvan warriors where his eyes rested upon Cada Varl. The two stared at one another for a moment but neither said anything. Gortulin looked back to Imbaka and asked, "Why to the west?"

"That is an awfully long story and time is not giving us favor."

Gortulin nodded but seemed disappointed as if he had been treated unfairly.

"Then I shall let you proceed with your task, the shedding of blood has not yet finished not while the traitors still breathe...."

"Of course," Imbaka said with a slight bow. "Congratulations on your capture...."

"Thank you," Gortulin replied, a strong look of disappointment in his eyes.

As Imbaka moved onward, the other warriors and Cada Varl followed. As the Immortal passed him Gortulin looked him dead in the eyes, but it was not a disrespectful glare more of a curious glance. Cada Varl gave eye contact back but did not say anything to him. Once the Immortal had passed him Gortulin turned and continued his march into the capital with his troop and the captured following him. Once they were over the bridge Cada Varl seemed curious about the disappointment he saw in the eyes of Gortulin and so he asked, "May I ask who that was?" "Gortulin," Imbaka answered without looking back, "Helluv's seventh greatest warrior."

### Chapter 4

It was only a matter of hours before the group arrived at Gearnius, a place where nature was undoubtedly the ruler of the terrain. The landscape was random and uneven, melding into a handful of mountain ranges like water that had been frozen as it descended down a sinkhole. The terrain made it obvious why Helluvans did not ride horses; such beasts could offer no real aid in a landscape this inhospitable. It would be close to impossible to map this terrain out in fine detail, indicating that the group was relying more on memory than maps.

Imbaka no longer lead the group, but a man in his late twenties with long hair that was as straight as it was black took control. Upon his back, underneath his pack were a pair of twin swords, custom made to fit his grasp as was noted by the finger guards that possessed a row of small spikes, more for decoration than combat use. Strangely though unlike all of the other weapons the group wielded, these swords did not shine silver but rather were a crimson colour eerily resembling the taint of spilled blood.

As the group moved further into the mountains Cada Varl could easily see just how hard of a place it would be for an advancing army to march through. Trails were few and would unexpectedly vanish into cliff faces, there was also no area wide enough for more than 5 or 6 men to march side by side. Cada Varl noticed several walkways, both natural and artificial high up along the few trails. The terrain favored a defender in every way; nature itself would force any enemy army into a lethal bottleneck where they could be eviscerated in a shower of arrows from up above. The walkways were not left unmanned for every 400 or so yards a single solider could be seen carrying an already loaded crossbow as well as a regular bow and a quiver of arrows upon their back.

The group came to a trail that was so thin and deluded that it did not appear to even be one. Even to men and women who knew this landscape ascending it would be very slow. Not to mention just how easily someone would be able to be picked off upon it. The ascent of the slope came to the most open area Cada Varl had seen in all of Gearnius, even so it would be difficult to place more than 40 individuals within it. It was in this area however that they came across a small group of soldiers, 6 in total who stood with their backs turned to an opening into the mountains. The opening was closed off by some kind of leather curtain so heavy it would take several men to lift it.

As the group approached the soldiers the longhaired warrior silently stepped back and allowed Imbaka to lead the group once more. The soldiers had seen them coming since they had ascended the slope but did not move to meet them. Imbaka from a satchel upon the right of her waist produced a sheet of leather that had been folded several times to look as if it was a letter.

" We need to speak with your captain soldier," she said firmly but without aggression. The closest of the soldiers glanced down to the leather letter at her hand and saw the seal of Granzool. "At once madam," he replied before taking the leather letter from her and disappearing behind the leather curtain. There was no talk whether small or large between anyone as they waited for the soldier to reappear. The silence made the time pass seemingly slowly but in reality it was not that long before the soldier reemerged along with a companion.

The man the guard had brought with him was an impressive sight to behold, in height and appearance. He was perhaps in his early 40's with well-trimmed black hair. Around his neck was a collection of fangs whose sheer length proved they had been taken from the jaws of many a werewolf. Flowing down his back from his shoulders was a werewolf hide altered ever so slightly to serve him as a cape. With one hand holding onto the letter and the other resting on the handle of the sword by his side he approached the group and said, "I am Captain Eres." His voice was hard yet perfectly easy to understand. Imbaka bowed her head slightly before saying,

"I am Imbaka."

The captain nodded, "That you are," he said with a powerful truth in his tone. "So Gorgoza has fallen?" he remarked daring not to take his eyes away from Imbaka's.

"It is so," she replied simply,

"That would explain a lot," the captain said.

"How so?" Imbaka replied with a great sense of urgency in her voice.

The captain tilted his head slighty towards the leather curtain as he said, "Come, there is no reason why my mouth cannot move at the same time my legs do."

Imbaka nodded and led the group as she followed the captain behind the leather curtain.

The ice-framed light of the sun disappeared as soon as the leather curtain was brought back into place after the group had entered. Torches burning the same red as the ones that were found in the underground dungeon of Yakarzin hung from the wall. Though their lights burned brightly they could not completely cover the vast darkness the mountain had been covered in since its beginning, perhaps a million years ago. From a normal man's sight the captain would easily disappear into the darkness if he had walked a step quicker, but the group seemed easily able to follow him as they moved down a winding path.

As they did so the captain spoke, " Border patrols by the werewolves are not common in this area, for it would be a foolish invasion point to choose. But for the last 3 months there hasn't been a single sighting across the border, and that certainly is not normal. At first I feared that they might have been planning something. Perhaps a surprise attack, but I knew it had to be something else, for there would have been other signs. Do you know how close Metamok is to having complete control of the west?" His words though spoken normally carried with them a slight echo revealing the vastness of the inside of the mountain.

"It is believed he shall have control of the west in a matter of months, but that cannot be claimed as fact nor said with any certainty," Imbaka replied.

"I see..." the captain replied more out of simple acknowledgement of her words than anything else.

The group remained silent until they reached their destination. A place within the mountains that was so thin, a single person could barely move through it. At the other end in the light of the red fire could be seen a heavy door of silver quite literally constructed inside the mountain. The Immortal knew it was only because of Eres that they had been able to reach this door. He had felt air flows around him numerous times as he walked through the passage, meaning that the border guards probably used many other passage ways in the mountains for various reasons. The captain using both hands grasped onto a thick bar that stuck out of the door, he turned it in his hands one way or the other in some kind of combination. There was no apparent sound to explain that the door was unlocked yet the captain knew it was.

Using all of his strength he pressed his body against the door pushing it open. The light of the sun seemed to burn even brighter for the group had not seen it in sometime. After their eyes adjusted to the sun the Immortal could see before him, upwards of at least 70 feet, a stone walkway that had been carved into the mountainside. Upon the walkway he saw the most number of people he had seen in Gearnius and with good reason. The Immortal was looking upon the very edge of the border between Helluv and the west, he could see massive crossbow weapons far too large to be carried, loaded with bolts that made even the largest of spears look small. He could see deposits filled to the brim with silver arrows as soldiers stood no more than ten feet from one another, each carrying a crossbow and bow of their own. There were also racks upon racks of various bladed weapons kept from freezing by nearby fires, alongside various other useful items.

The captain walked down a slight slope, which lead into the largest trail Gearnius seemingly had to offer. The trail lead upwards and towards a pair of gigantic doors that had been forged from the same melding as the armor Helluvans wore. Chains thicker than a man were connected to the door each running down to massive gears, half swallowed in the ground that each resembled the wheel of a ship. Lengths of the same mixed steel were placed horizontally upon the door at three places, top, bottom and center. A total of 30 soldiers lined either side of the massive door standing at attention in line.

"Open the gate!" the captain declared in a thunderous tone.

Without question the 30 soldiers moved upon the large gears in the ground, working in unison they began to turn the gears, which in turn shifted the heavy chains. Each gear performed a different task and each had to be turned a precise way and at a precise moment to successfully open the doors. First the three large bars that barricaded the door were lifted upwards away from it, their weight evident by how tight the chains that held them became. Once the bars were ascended out of the way the doors themselves began to open as frost and ice that had accumulated upon them broke under the weight of such movement. Once the doors were opened the captain and the group stood if only for a moment to look upon the opening before in silence the captain led them towards it.

When they were standing in the doorway the captain stopped walking but continued to look outwards for a long moment. He then turned to look upon Imbaka who met his gaze. It was hard to tell exactly what the captain was thinking but it was clear whatever it was weighed heavily upon his mind.

"Until we meet again...." Imbaka said in her recognizable voice.

"May you remain immortal in memory," The captain said as he offered his hand and forearm to Imbaka. The words the two had spoken to one another sounded casual enough but in truth were gravely serious. In Helluv such a thing was a way of saying that if the group did not survive their journey their sacrifice would always be remembered.

Imbaka placed her hand on the inner forearm of the captain and firmly squeezed as he did the same to her. She studied his cold bitten face for a moment before walking in the direction beyond the massive doors. The captain shook the hand of the other warriors in the same way saying to each of them, "Immortal in memory." When it came to Cada Varl the captain paused for a moment, but did offer his forearm. Like the others before him Cada Varl did the same and received the same farewell. The captain watched the group of warriors as they began to move down the slope of the other side before he bellowed, "Close the gate," and turned to walk back to his post.

None of the Helluvan warriors looked back to watch the two massive doors close, sound was a big enough indication for each of them. Now they were officially in the west outside the safety that their homeland offered. They moved down the slope, which lead into a snow covered valley. In the short distance the group could see the beginning of a forest that stretched further than the eye could reach in both length and width. Cada Varl looked over his shoulder and saw the outside of the Helluvan border and the soldiers who stood upon the border guarding their homeland. He knew in a matter of moments the border would be nothing more than a speck in the distance. The trees of this forest were of a tough breed for they were plentiful and grew close together, not allowing the outside world to easily see what secrets the forest held.

It was only a handful of steps into the forest when the Immortal took notice of something upon the ground. Against the tone of white earth and bark of the trees, a clay sphere, now shattered easily captured his attention. The clay sphere had once held roughly two dozen scrolls, each the same size. Though Cada Varl did not break his stride to get a closer look he could see that they were not blank but each possessed a list of instructions. These scrolls were recipes on how best to cook werewolf meat. The clay sphere was one of many propaganda tools Granzool used against the werewolves. What better way to make monsters afraid of your people if they knew you ate werewolf flesh? But these recipes were more than just propaganda they were actual recipes. Helluvans were known to not only eat werewolf meat, but enjoy it immensely. It was an ingenious way to help stem the fear of any Helluvan, to make them look upon a werewolf, not as something that should be feared, but something that could make a fine meal. Such a sentiment explained the words engraved upon Helluvan helmets 'Aneck bet untoom' (You look delicious). The clay sphere must have been launched from the border defenses of Helluv, using some kind of powerful projection war machine.

Cada Varl looked back as if to see just how far the clay sphere had to have traveled. But he soon saw just how quickly the world he once knew had been closed off to him. A feeling of isolation was thick in the air, like the humidity before a great and powerful storm. Even with the knowledge Eres had given them, that werewolves were not somewhere close, this did not change the fact the group had entered another world, a place where no one would give them aid or comfort, they were completely on their own.

The male warrior with long black hair led the group through the forest. Few trails could be found and of the few none seemed useful, forcing the group to move slower than one might have liked. But the warrior who led them seemed to have at least some idea of where he was heading.

For the following hours nothing changed in the landscape, the snow remained thick, the trees remained close together. The only exception was the direction of the sun's light as it aged across the sky growing weaker in intensity with every hour that passed. As dusk began to creep upon the world the group came to a small clearing, where the tree tops were so close together little snow had fallen onto the ground, leaving it a dull dark brown.

"We'll make camp here," the male warrior said in a tone that was well suited to a man who was brash, but not cocky. As he said this, the man dropped his pack onto the ground where it fell like a large stone striking the earth. The sound revealed just how heavy the pack was and as the other Helluvans followed suit, none of their packs were lighter. They had been marching all day without rest and yet none amongst them stretched their limbs or showed any other sign that the trek had tired them. They all seemed like if they needed to, they could march all night without breaking a sweat, and making camp was more a desire than a necessity.

Before Cada Varl could place his pack onto the ground, one of the women approached him, placing her hand in his pack, searching for something. Out of the three women she was the tallest and broadest. Under her armor she would have possessed an impressive physique without losing a feminine figure. She was perhaps 6 feet tall possibly a little taller and had long apple red hair with eyes the colour of young autumn. She granted Cada Varl eye contact as she rummaged through the pack on his back but did not say anything, eventually taking in hand a small jar of some kind, sealed with a simple black lid. When the red haired lady walked away from him Cada Varl placed the pack onto the ground and watched as Imbaka, the third woman and the last man took from their packs foot long blades of some kind. These were not weapons of war but rather tools of labor, for the three Helluvans began cutting down branches and stripping bark from certain places on the surrounding trees.

The other three Helluvans were crouched upon the ground, with the man dressed completely in black rummaging through his own pack and taking out a bucket sized pot of dark metal. While the longhaired warrior was rummaging through his own pack, the lady sat crouched next to him with the jar in hand, waiting for something. Cada Varl wanted to offer help, but he could not see where he would have been needed. The group was obviously preparing to make a fire and then cook food of some kind. Either the 6 Helluvans had traveled together enough times to know what each other were going to do, or perhaps this was just how Helluvans were. So Cada Varl merely watched as kindling was gathered to form the foundation of what would be an impressive fire.

With their task complete the three that had gathered the bark and wood now sat upon the ground next to their respective packs. Of the other three the man dressed in black had taken from his pack, several slabs of heavily salted meat unwrapping them from some kind of butcher's paper. Using a thin slab of wood he had taken from the pack and a long knife he had taken from his boot, the man in black began slicing the meat into much smaller pieces, never having to perform the same cut twice. The man with long black hair held two identical stones of white clicking them against one another, which formed, sparks over the fuel. When he had gathered a great enough spark he used his breath to enhance the flames forging a tall fire, whose warmth was most welcome in such a cold place.

As all of this was happening the red haired woman was turning the jar, twisting its top in both directions. She kept her eyes upon the jar as if she was either looking for something or paying close attention to the number of times she turned it. The warrior dressed in black placed the pot right in the center of the fire, seemingly taking no consideration to the risk he might have gotten burned. He then returned to his own pack and took in hand several wrappings of various sizes. They were revealed to be various spices and herbs that he placed inside of the pot, followed by the man dressed in black using his knife to make the meat follow the herbs into the pot.

When that was done the warrior in black cleaned his knife upon the ground and placed it back in his boot, before he took the board of wood and placed that in his pack, taking a simple but long wooden spoon, in its place. The man dressed in black began to stir the ingredients of the pot in a steady way. The red haired woman then stopped turning the jar. She removed the lid and took a whiff of whatever was inside, seemingly satisfied, she held it over the pot and tapped her finger upon it, causing the red spice to fall out in slow groups into the pot. Whatever turning the jar had done to the spice it had worked well for as soon as it was placed inside the pot, a rich aroma as pleasant as even the most impressive flower filled the air. It seemed the smell was so grand that even the winds stopped as if they liked it so much they ignored their duty of travelling across the landscape.

With the fall of night the warmth of the fire was even more welcomed, for without the warmth of the sun the air grew ever colder. The light of the fire was also welcomed but it was not alone on this night. The stars were out in full as was the moon, it seemed Elfanya (the moon) was eager to look down upon these strangers in her realm. Not a single word was spoken by any of them as they waited for their evening meal. Cada Varl took a seat next to Imbaka who showed no sign that she acknowledged his presence. Sometime after the warrior dressed in black stopped stirring the pot and watched it for a moment before he cleaned, if such a word could be used, the spoon on the ground before placing it back into his pack. As he did so the red haired woman took from her own pack a stack of simple bowls, probably made from some kind of tough clay.

"Do you eat Cada Varl?" The man in black asked with a voice that made sandpaper seem smooth. The man did not look up from the pot as he asked this but Cada Varl made nothing of it, he replied, "I am capable of eating, but it does not deliver to me any nourishment and though it may smell ever so delicious, it is not necessary for me to have some."

As he said these words he could feel the eyes of someone upon him, he glanced over towards the third woman, the one he hadn't had any interaction with. She stared at him deeply and made no effort to look away when the Immortal looked at her. Cada Varl matched her gaze for a moment but did not say anything.

The man dressed in black nodded at the reply and said casually, "More for the rest of us."

With those words the red haired woman took a single bowl and passed it to the black haired man, who in turn gave it to the man in black. Using only the bowl and his hand he scooped the bowl into the stew and when it was filled he passed it to the third man who passed it down to where it stopped at Imbaka. The group continued passing bowls of stew around until all six had one and it was only then that they began to eat. They had no utensils to do so but this was no hinder to any of them, they simply pressed the bowl to their lips and lifted it, as if they were drinking liquid. Steam rose greatly from each bowl and yet none waited for their meal to cool, showing no sign that the hotness of the stew was overwhelming. Cada Varl observed as they did this and noticed that not a single drop of the stew fell anywhere outside of their mouths, clearly they had eaten this way enough times to master it. As they eat their meals, only the most necessary of words were spoken, none amongst them were the beginning of a conversation. When the group had finished eating, it was the reverse of what had happened when the meals were served, the empty bowls which had been licked clean were handed down to the red haired woman who placed them in her pack.

With the evening meal over, silence once again reigned. They had not seen a single other living creature, not so much as an insect scurrying upon the ground. The sheer coldness and hostility of the terrain were to be blamed for this, but that did not stop an uneasy feeling to remain in the air. With the exception of the occasional drink from a leather water skin, the group remained almost motionless as they watched the fire burn less brightly with each hour that passed. They did not even attempt to admire the stars in the sky in spite of the how plentiful they were. When one of them finally did speak, the man dressed in black his already strange voice seemed alien against the silence. "We will need to come up with a guard rotation," he said.

"I'll will keep guard," Cada Varl said before anyone else could speak. With all eyes upon him he explained further, "Sleep is not a necessity for me, it would be selfish to take hours of slumber from any of you." With those words said 4 of the 6 warriors looked back to the fire, with the man dressed in black and the 3rd woman being the exception.

"You are proving useful Cada Varl," the man in black proclaimed. The man in black looked upon the fire and again the Immortal could feel the eyes of the third woman upon him. Again he looked to her and again she did not look away. There was no tension or aggression in her eyes so The Immortal did not push the matter, he simply looked back to the fire.

The long haired man stood up and using a stick that had not been placed in the fire he began taking pieces of the fuel away from their brethren, carefully breaking them into smaller pieces and spreading them across the ground. As he was doing this the fire was already in the first stages of dying out, making his task easier. He continued moving the pieces from the fire and soon it was revealed he was making a very large rectangle out of them upon the ground. By the time he was finished the flames of the original fire had lessened considerably and they would burn out on their own soon enough. The rectangle of small flames was just large enough for its purpose. The warrior lay down inside the rectangle right at its very edge resting upon his side. The other Helluvans followed one by one lying very closely next to one another so that their bodies were touching. They followed no pattern and laid next to whoever was before them, there was no modesty or romance taking place in such a grouping. The Helluvans were simply exploiting both the warmth of their bodies and the flames to ensure they survived the cold night.

"Good night," Cada Varl said not expecting any reply.

Imbaka however did answer with a, "Good night, Cada Varl."

While the others simply waved their hand in the air as a way of acknowledgement. The Immortal watched them for a moment as they laid with closed eyes and perfect stillness, even the way they slept seemed sub-ordinary compared to other men and women.

Cada Varl stood up staying as quiet as possible, he turned away from the sleeping Helluvans and looked out in the dark of the forest beyond the reach of the fire. The close treetops that had worked well in keeping out the light of the sun did even better in keeping the light of the moon at bay. But Cada Varl was not worried, through his red eyes he could see what men simply could not. Though it was true he could see better in the day, he could see well enough into the darkness, making him an ideal guard to watch over the Helluvans.

Alone with his thoughts he allowed his mind to stir, conjuring up images of his past and illusions of what his future might hold. He stood there staring in the darkness not moving for a time that did not change enough to be truly counted.

Sometime during the night when the fires of the rectangle had become embers the third woman awoke from her slumber carefully moving herself as to not disturb the others as she stood and stepped out of the rectangle. She was very good at being quiet for Cada Varl only noticed her moving when he heard the sound of her chest plate armor being unhinged. He looked over his shoulder and watched as she placed the armor onto the ground revealing that she wore the same simple clothing as the Helluvans of the capital, bearing the colours of her realm. As she had done several times during the night she stared into the red eyes of the Immortal. Her eyes were large and very round, the dominant feature of her face. But there was nothing cutesy about them, like the eyes of an infant deer. But rather they resembled the eyes of a lioness that had widened because she had found a delicious prey. Much like Imbaka and the red haired woman her eyes were a strong autumn brown. Her hair was long, not quite straight but not quite wild, like an animal that had only been recently captured and was slowly adapting to captivity. Like most Helluvan women she was tall standing just less than 6 feet.

When she began to approach him Cada Varl turned to face her but waited for her to speak. From full lips she said, "You are immortal?"

It was hard to get a clear description of her voice because her words were whispered.

"That I am," Cada Varl whispered back knowing neither he nor her wanted to wake the others. "What do you feel?" the woman asked still whispering.

"Feel?" Cada Varl replied, hesitant because he was not expecting such a question.

"Pleasure? Pain?"

"Pain," Cada Varl answered before the woman could provide anymore examples.

"Everything else, everything that is human about me is now little more than a memory...."

The woman kept her eyes fixated upon his and even to an immortal it was not obvious what she was thinking.

"Tonight, for example," Cada Varl said "I could smell the stew, but it was only from memory that I knew it smelt so rich...."

"Living a life, only through memory...." The woman said obviously more to herself than to Cada Varl.

"There's no future in the past sadly," Cada Varl said flatly indicating that perhaps one of the few emotions he still felt was pity.

It was then that the woman moved her hands down gently upon the hand and forearm of the Immortal. He did not resist her in the slightest as she placed his hand on her left breast, which was far more than a handful worth of flesh. She kept her eyes upon his as she pressed his hand against her breast, making him fondle it. She was searching for something in the eyes of the Immortal but he did not know what.

" Do you feel this?" she asked flatly with a slight sternness in her tone.

"I can feel your flesh and recognize it as so to touch, but I do not feel the pleasure a man should when he touches such flesh, only a memory of what that sensation should feel like."

At first the woman said nothing in response but continued to study his eyes for a few moments more as she continued fondling her breast with his hand. She then stopped such movement and moved his hand away but kept it gently within her grasp.

"You speak the truth," she said in a matter of fact way.

"That I do," The Immortal whispered back.

The woman slowly and gently allowed the Immortal's arm to fall back at his side before she whispered, "How interesting."

With those words she turned and walked back to where her armor lay, with remarkable quiet she placed the armor back upon her frame and took her place once more within the rectangle of embers.

Cada Varl watched her for a moment unsure of what to make of what had just happened. He knew it went beyond the obvious thought one might have in such a situation. Helluvans were not the promiscuous type and they certainly were not a romantic people. The woman was interested in Cada Varl but not in a 'needing warmth' way but something else entirely. Cada Varl turned and looked back into the darkness, allowing his thoughts to return unabated. Amongst these thoughts one soon became dominant, that the Helluvans were a strange breed.

### Chapter 5

For the whole night the Immortal stood in the same spot, remaining so still he made a statue look lively. The sun returned to the world once more, creeping through the forest like an angry spider hell bent on reclaiming what once belonged to it. Within mere seconds of one another the 6 Helluvans were awake, needing no prodding from Cada Varl to leave their slumber. There was no yawning or rubbing of eyes to be had as if the group had been groomed perfectly to always awake at a specific time. The Helluvans ate a quick breakfast of some kind of biscuits, two each before the journey commenced once again.

So it was for a number of days, the group would move through the wilderness at a steady pace until dusk, before making a simple fire, eating a simple dinner and sleeping a simple sleep. Over these days the fact that Helluvans did not talk much only became more solidified. However Cada Varl was able to gather all of their names alongside pieces of their history.

There was Imbaka of course, beyond her great knowledge of maps and logistics the Immortal discovered that she was also the best fugitive finder Helluv had to offer. In one such case she traveled all the way to Nargus Ballen, a frozen desert where most would never dare to tread, in order to find a man who had stolen a sizeable amount of arrows. This was only one such case of her literally travelling to the ends of the continent to find fugitives, none had ever escaped her. Such feats granted her the title of the Human Hunter along with many tall tales spoken by those who had never even stepped inside Helluv.

The man with the twin red swords and long black hair was known as Tanagy the Abider. He had earned such a title because out of all the living men in Noonsva he had directly fought against werewolves the most amount of times and survived. It was said that his swords were red because he had stained so much werewolf blood. However this seemed a contradiction because werewolf blood was more of a dark purple than red and was known to actually turn a bright orange when staining something. Yet Cada Varl believed Tanagy's story was truthful.

The man dressed from head to toe in black was Gokkus, leader of the Emuge Mura, which were a special assassination force created specifically to perform certain and dangerous tasks along the Helluvan border, mostly assassinating certain werewolf border guards. Outside of Helluv the Emuge Mura were as feared as they were well known.

The tallest and strongest of the women was the red haired Leannol, known exclusively outside of Helluv as Sin Smile. This was due or so it was said to the fact that Leannol only ever smiled when she was on the battlefield or committing some kind of murderous deed, a sin. Cada Varl had taken notice that he had not yet seen her smile; but then again he hadn't seen any of them show such an emotion.

The blonde haired woman who had a strange interest in Cada Varl was known as Zova, Zova Infinite-Eye to be more precise when speaking about titles. With a bow and arrow or for that matter any kind of projectile weapon she could not be matched, it was said that she was so skilled that she could shoot a single leaf off of a tree from two miles away and leave the rest completely undisturbed.

The last of the Helluvans was perhaps the most famous or rather infamous amongst them. The man who Cada Varl hadn't had any interaction with. He was the oldest amongst them by at least ten years, perhaps 45 years old. The strong black of his hair had been infected by an even stronger gray though both colours remained prominent across his scalp. He possessed a stern face that though was suited to a man of 45 years was not burdened by deep and unflattering wrinkles. He was not with a beard and yet was far from clean shaven with stubs of both black and gray peppering his strong jaw and low cheek bones. Unlike the others who had only the phrase 'You look delicious' carved into their helmets, he had many different engravings all written in obvious different languages. He was Hazum Ka-te and unlike the others possessed no title, which indicated the power that his name carried, a power he had definitely earned. He had fought in well over 200 battles with men and werewolf alike and yet not once had he ever suffered so much as a nick in battle.

Equally impressive as the man himself was the weapon he wielded. A true giant of a weapon, a spear that measured close to 10 feet and was so thick an average sized hand would not be able to hold it correctly. The sheer size of the weapon would have been comical if it was not so deadly. Because of its size as well as the skill with which Hazum Ka-te could wield it, the spear had been given the name Cloud Cutter. There were even a handful of stories about the weapon where it did just that. One such story spoke of a thunderstorm that was bothering the legendary warrior and so he cut the clouds in half to stop the thunder from keeping him awake. Cada Varl did not ask if such a ludicrous story was true and yet silently he did not completely doubt the tale's sincerity.

Cada Varl gathered this information from the other Helluvans except the one who the stories spoke of. This showed that the group were not acceptable to vanity and took no joy in explaining their reputations. In the whole of the east with the possible exception of Granzool himself, Cada Varl was truly in the company of the 6 greatest human warriors that walked the land. It was hard to tell what if any relations the 6 had with one another, whether they considered each other friends or not. But from the little that was spoken over the course of those days the Immortal believed that Hazum Ka-te must have trained Tanagy at one time.

The day fell to night once again and the group made camp in yet another small clearing. The winter had remained with them the entire time and upon this night seemed only to grow colder. A fire larger than any that had proceeded it on the journey was formed to compensate the increasing cold. A stew was soon cooked and though it seemed forged with the same ingredients as any other night, the scent it brought to the air was noticeably different. The Immortal could only guess that it had been cooked to a higher temperature to help deal with just how cold this particularly night was. The routine of the Helluvans was almost mechanical for like they had done on nights prior they ate their meals in silence, waited for their stomachs to settle, before forging a rectangle of small flames and embers to sleep within.

As the Helluvans began to lie down within the rectangle Cada Varl said goodnight as he had done every night. Zova was the only one who responded with actual words while the rest simply waved their hands before entering the realm of slumber. The only thing that had changed in this ritual each night was the single Helluvan who actually said goodnight; so far each of them had said it at least once.

Cada Varl took his post to guard over them as they slept, staring out into the frozen wilderness and the dark that it offered. However on this night something indeed changed and no more than an hour of sleep had passed before the Helluvans were awoken by Cada Varl's whisper.

"Werewolves are in the darkness."

With these soft words the Helluvans awoke instantly showing no sign that a state of interrupted slumber had hindered them. As Cada Varl stepped back from where he stood around the still roaring remains of the fire the Helluvans with bows in hands and quivers at their sides had surrounded the Immortal. They knelt with three on each side of Cada Varl, thus protecting him from every direction with the exception of behind him; the large trunk of a giant tree had such an honor. The Helluvans strung their bows pulling them back as far as possible in preparation to fire them, showing no sign of strain in spite of the tremendous strength needed to keep the strings pulled back.

"How many?" Gokkus whispered daring not to take his eyes off of the darkness before him. "Thirty two," Cada Varl answered after the briefest of moments to count them.

The moon had only come out a quarter on this night keeping the forest dark and brooding, not allowing the Helluvans to see its secrets.

But sight was not absolutely necessary for the werewolves could be easily heard through the breaking of branches and fallen twigs that snapped under their enormous weight. From a single direction they were coming and moving at full pelt. As they drew closer the most animalistic and powerful of grunting could be heard coming from the darkness like a choir no one wanted to hear. The Helluvans kept their bows ready as Cada Varl grasped the handle of his sword with his right hand. The werewolves remained out of the campfire's reach, only barley and enough for the Helluvans to know of their close presence.

Like spilled water that separates when it comes across something circular in its path the werewolves moved in opposite directions around the camp.

"They're encircling," Cada Varl whispered making sure the Helluvans knew of such a tactic.

The werewolves had encircled the clearing fully but did not stop their pace, like a whirlpool they seemed hell bent in swallowing the encampment in a single strike. Using only sound alone each Helluvan seemed to find their target with their bows and arrows carefully following the beasts as they moved. Now they were so close the growling of the creatures seemed to make even the air tremble in fear of their presence.

Almost simultaneously in a time too close for the normal eye to differentiate the Helluvans fired their bows into the darkness. The undeniable sound of 6 massive bodies crashing to the ground dead could be then heard. The Helluvans had fired so precisely that their beasts did not even have the second necessary to make a final sound. Each short was incredibly impressive considering the Helluvans had to rely completely on sound. Yet not so much as a single second was taken to admire such skill as the 6 strung their bows once more and carefully took aim. The werewolves were still encircling, perhaps watching and waiting for the ideal moment to strike. The eyes of the Immortal darted back and forth as he kept his vision on no specific target and as he did so the flames of the fire reflected off of his eyes, intensifying his already powerful vision.

A moment later and the Helluvans had fired a second volley of arrows that was soon followed by another 6 thuds of massive bodies falling. If the attacking werewolf force was trying to confuse the group than they were indeed failing for the darkness appeared no hinder for the Helluvans. The werewolves seemed to finally realize this for it was only a spilt instant after the group had strung their arrows once more that the beasts leapt from the darkness.

Directly in front of him Cada Varl watched as one such monster, for there were few other words that could describe it, leapt into the light of the fire towards him. It was a mass of fur the same colour as a thundercloud covering a tremendous frame of overdeveloped muscle. The thing's face resembled that of a wolf's only amplified by the power of 10 thousand nightmares. Through eyes that were as unnatural as a corpse moving after death it looked upon the Immortal, its gaping mouth filled with teeth as sharp as any sword. Its hands resembled more the paws of a bear than of a wolf's with fingers that were human and yet inhuman at the same time, each possessing a long sharp claw of black. The creature was moving more like a lion or some other big cat as it leapt directly towards the Immortal.

Cada Varl unleashed his sword from its sheave bringing it up in a vertical arc into the hideous flesh of the beast. For all of its size, bulk and muscle its frame offered no resistance whatsoever as the Immortal's blade cut right through it. The cut was as quick as it was clean, literally separating the beast in two equal halves that fell to either side before Cada Varl. This was followed by an explosion of blood, entrails and bones that formed an image of a storm in the air before all of it fell onto the ground as well, leaving the Immortal completely unstained.

The fallen beast was not the only one of its kind to attack for 6 others from all sides had done the same, each as monstrous and as powerful as the first. These 6 met their ends on the tip of a Helluvan arrow, as each member of the group found their mark perfectly, firing the arrows into the heart of their selected beasts. The time for projectiles was over and the Helluvans dropped their bows taking in their place their hand held weapons, the skirmish would now be close and personal.

Before the six beasts had finished their fall another group of the monsters was already in the fray. Hazum Ka-te who had been standing behind the Immortal and to his right was the first to engage an attacker. Wielding the Cloud Cutter he thrust his weapon forward directly into the heart of the approaching monster. The weapon and the strength with which it was wielded by were so powerful that the monster's leap was stopped and the creature was almost thrown back. Blood of a dark purple squirted out from around the tip of the Cloud Cutter as it plunged deep into the creature's heart. The werewolf lifted its head and gave an almighty roar of pain that echoed through the forest in the same way a wave does when it crashes upon a cliff face. The creature fell heavily onto its back as all life was taking from it.

Leannol who was the next in line of the Helluvans meet her counterpart with equal force. She wielded a weapon that possessed both the head of a single bladed axe and the fine tip of a spike or spear fashioned onto the opposite end. In both hands she wielded the weapon bringing the axe head up and then down upon the face of a werewolf. Its horrid snout was spilt completely in two causing its own blood to be thrown into its large yellowish eyes. The beast snarled in pain but Leannol knew this did not mean the end of the monster. Leannol lifted her weapon from the wound, turning it as she did so before plunging the spear tip directly into the dark thing's black heart. As the blood of the creature squirted upon her face it forged a morbid smile as the darkest of glee filled her eyes. This was the very reason why she was known as Sin Smile for she seemed only happy when committing such bloody acts.

Imbaka was the next amongst them to directly face off against one of these beasts. The weapon she wielded was not as large or as impressive as the weapons wielded by Sin Smile or Hazum Ka-te but proved just as deadly. It was a short sword, forged ideally for slashing, hacking and if all else failed bludgeoning. Forged with the intention of being wielded with one hand Imbaka did just that. The werewolf she faced did not leap toward her but rather stood on two legs of powerful muscle, sword and claw met in a brief yet intense engagement, causing sparks to form and then fly off the blade. After the engagement the Human Hunter swiped her sword downwards just above the leg joint of the beast, causing the monster involuntarily to kneel. The beast did not yelp but rather growled in a powerful pain before Imbaka cut the blade downward into the thing's chest and through the heart.

Gokkus fought with a weapon that could only be described as two identical blades that had been forged horizontally handle to handle, creating a kind of staff from both blades. In a 360 degree blur in front of him Gokkus spun the weapon, effortlessly slicing its tips into the wrists, forearms and biceps of his opponent. The blows were that swift that the blood followed his weapon creating a morbid twirl of the dark purple liquid before one end of the weapon was plunged into the things chest.

Zova was next and wielded a long blade that could be held with a single hand but was more suited to two. She ran the tip of her blade across the throat of a werewolf and as blood flowed from the ghastly wound like the water from a fall she struck the beast squarely in the heart before it had a chance to counter. Though this beast was dead Zova did not rest, taking from underneath the armor that covered her right wrist a short knife that was as thin as it was simple, she threw the weapon across the air where it landed flawlessly into the heart of yet another beast.

Tanagy fought with as much skill and brashness as his companions, wielding his weapons without flaw. Criss-crossing his sword repeatedly he struck a beast across the wrists, knees, thighs, shoulders, elbows and groin, quickly hitting every joint before driving both blades into the werewolf's chest and finishing off the monster. The attack had been a dissection with the precision of even the most skilled of surgeons. Though he had not severed any of the creature's limbs, he ensured that they became useless before finishing off the creature.

As another werewolf leapt towards him Cada Varl was ready for it, in one swift motion he brought his blade across the neck of the monster instantly severing its head from the rest of the body. The attack had been done with such force and precision that the severed head actually spun through the air causing a swirl of blood to follow it as it landed off somewhere in the darkness. Before the headless body of the monster had even fallen two werewolves were all ready to take its place. Cada Varl brought his right leg up in a simple way into the stomach of the headless thing, causing it to violently move backwards as if it weighed no more than a pebble.

The two werewolves twisted their bodies to avoid the now projectile corpse, turning just in time to see the Immortal as he leapt in front of them and cut his sword effortlessly through both their bodies in a horizontal arc. Blood and bone became the sickest of decorations as they spewed into the air while the 4 halves of the two bodies fell onto the ground joining their now eviscerated brethren.

The remaining three werewolves were finished off by Imbaka, Tanagy and Leannol respectively and as easily as the others had been killed. In total the whole ordeal had only lasted a matter of minutes, but the intensity of those minutes was greater than most men felt in their entire lifetime. Cada Varl was more than impressed by the skill of his companions, they had easily and systemically defeated a werewolf group over four times larger than their own (including Cada Varl). This was all the proof the Immortal needed to know just how skilled and powerful mere men and women could be especially when they had been bred and groomed their entire lives for such a purpose. There had been very little room to maneuver in, causing the group to remain surrounded by the werewolves, only now they were corpses not beasts that no longer needed to be feared.

"Gokkus," Gokkus said suddenly in a clear loud voice.

"Leannol."

"Zova."

"Imbaka."

"Hazum Ka-te."

"Tanagy."

They all followed Gokkus' example. When Cada Varl realized what they were doing he added "Cada Varl."

It was basically a road call, a way of knowing for sure that each of them were still alive.

With this knowledge the group slowly moved away from one another checking and looking upon the bodies of those they had slain. None amongst the werewolves had turned into a human corpse indicating that these had been born such beasts and had never been human. It was an expected result for werewolves that were old enough to once be human were probably a thing of the past, probably. Using the tip of one of his swords Tanagy checked the back of one of the werewolves he had killed ears, revealing a strange mark literally seared into the flesh and strong enough to force the fur not to grow back. It was a strange sight, for werewolves could heal very quickly from all wounds that were not instantly fatal or cleaved by silver. But Tanagy did not appear concerned, without taking his gaze off of the seared flesh he said clearly, " Exiled beasts, I am guessing they turned bandits."

"Agreed," Leannol said in a voice that was strong yet still feminine as she looked down upon an identical mark of a beast she had killed.

"Good," said Imbaka as she stabbed her sword into the hearts of the two beasts that had been cut in half from the waist by the Immortal. The only sure-fire way to kill a werewolf was by plunging silver in its heart or decapitating its head completely, though the beasts appeared already dead Imbaka took no chances.

"That means they are not a part of any regiment or patrol, meaning we should not have to worry about allies showing up." She added as she checked a seared mark on yet another fallen werewolf.

Though these creatures had been formidable they were nothing compared to the monsters that fought professionally for king or usurper. Much like the humans they were descended from the werewolves were not of one breed or duty. Though each possessed a pair of deadly claws and a mouth filled with severing teeth not all could be considered warriors.

"This flesh could make a nice breakfast for the morning," Tanagy said, as he began for seemingly no reason to cut the ear off one of the corpses.

" It could," Gokkus added "But by morning chances are it would become frozen, it would take too long to thaw..."

Tanagy nodded " Probably," he said simply.

As the hope of having werewolf flesh for breakfast died, Hazum Ka-te approached the severed halves of the first werewolf Cada Varl had killed, his dark eyes were filled with a strange emotion that was not quite weariness not quite amazement. His eyes slowly wandered the ground where he looked upon the headless corpse and the two, which had been horizontally severed, until finally his eyes rested upon the sword of Cada Varl. In spite of what it had done the blade remained stainless with not so much as a single drop of dark purple.

"That is one hell of a sword," Hazum Ka-te said in a voice that was powerful and booming, yet clear. Cada Varl slowly looked over his shoulder into the eyes of Hazum Ka-te but said nothing in response.

" It wasn't because of the sword," Zova said in a matter of fact kind of way. Now all eyes were upon the Immortal, he could feel every one of them upon him like he was the light of a candle surrounded by curious moths.

It was now that all of the Helluvans took notice of the damage the Immortal had caused, sure their weapons had more than adequately killed the beasts, but not even the legendary Cloud Cutter was capable of cutting a monster in half. But beyond this remarkable feat was the fact that as skillfully as the Helluvans wielded their weapons, they all were covered in the blood of their enemies, meaning Cada Varl was capable of moving his sword far faster than even the most capable of men and women. An awkward yet calm silence followed for a moment before Imbaka spoke once again. " Come the night is not yet over and it would be foolish to waste it, let us return to our slumber, Cada Varl," she said as she turned to the Immortal. "May you please continue to keep guard?"

"Of course," Cada Varl replied with a slight bow. With those words the Helluvans quickly cleaned their weapons upon the corpses of the very beasts they had killed before returning to the rectangle of embers.

In a matter of moments they were all fast asleep again like they had never been awakened in the first place. A thought then popped into the mind of Cada Varl, not a serious one but one he could not help but enjoy. The Helluvans slept so peacefully because they had never woken in the first place, that killing werewolves was so ingrained into them that they could literally do it in their sleep. Though the Immortal was well aware that the Helluvans had awoken he allowed this thought to repeat itself time and time again as he stared into the darkness of the night.

The following evening as the group set up camp there was a new feeling in the air that was anything but tense. The skirmish against the werewolves seemed to enliven the Helluvans greatly and after the evening meal was finished conversations were to be had. Even Cada Varl felt more welcome as Tanagy and Hazum Ka-te invited him to play a game of 'Arkles' with them.

The game involved a total of 19 stones, each specifically crafted for such a game. The largest stone was dark red in colour and was positioned in the center of a circle Hazum Ka-te created in the dirt. Each player then had to place a black stone somewhere on the circumference of the artificial circle. From there each player then had to drop a white stone ensuring that it struck against the red stone in the center and then landed onto the ground. Each player then had to drop their remaining stones, one at a time with each bouncing off of its predecessor to eventually form a line between the white stone and the red stone. Distance was an important factor as there was no space allowed between the stones after they fell, if a player dropped their stone and it bounced too far then they would have to wait until their next turn before they could try again. The game of course could be finished quickly if someone had been lucky enough to drop their white stone from the red stone exactly wide enough for the player to drop a green stone between the two without leaving any spaces. When Cada Varl tried such a thing and failed Hazum Ka-te was quick to assure him that it was only a rarity that someone actually won that way.

More important than the actual game however was the conversations that were being had by all of them. Unsurprisingly the conversations were all about past victories and battles prominently against the werewolf kind but a handful of intense human battles were discussed as well. The atmosphere of conversations was reminiscent of a group of farmers who had finally finished the summer harvest and now were eager to discuss stories of the past. It all made sense for Helluvans were bred and groomed for combat, it was their livelihood, something that their entire lives revolve around. It had been a passage through fire for Cada Varl to be fully accepted by the group, to people whose entire purpose in life was to kill werewolves, an immortal who could literally cut the beasts in two was someone they easily appreciated. It seemed an almost alien vision to see these men and women smiling and laughing as they recalled battle after battle, glorious incident after glorious incident. The game of Arkles seemed merely a way to keep their hands busy for neither Tanagy nor Hazum Ka-te concentrated much as they dropped their stones.

The game then came to a sudden end as Tanagy who had been a definite third in progress landed a green stone perfectly between his red and white one.

"Well done," Hazum Ka-te said with an undeniable genuineness.

Tanagy bowed his head slightly as a smile came across his face.

"Congratulations," Cada Varl added receiving a friendly nod from the Abider.

Hazum Ka-te then leaned back ever so slightly as his expression hardened in thought, he then looked over to immortal and said, "Cada Varl may I ask you about Gatavoi."

Upon these words spoken a silence fell over the group as every eye was now on the Immortal. It was not a tense silence, but an important one as the expressions of each Helluvan showed a quiet eagerness to hear Cada Varl's answer. The Immortal looked over to Hazum Ka-te hesitating for a long moment before he said, "What would like you know?"

There was now aggression or anger in his voice but it was clear the question sat heavily on his mind. Hazum Ka-te now paused for a moment as if silently showing the Immortal he knew what the heaviness of the question.

"Just a little of its history," Hazum Ka-te answered quietly yet clearly.

the Immortal looked around the group and saw the curiosity in each of their eyes. The Immortal knew the reason behind the curiosity, it was no doubt because of his combat abilities, they all wanted to know from what kingdom such a man was bred and the fact he was now immortal and no longer a man seemed irrelevant.

Cada Varl did not look to any of them but rather the roaring fire as if he was intending to use its flames as a canvas for his memories to paint themselves upon. A smile that disappeared as quickly as it appeared could be seen upon his face before he said, " For 9 months out of every year Gatavoi was surrounded by a mist as thick as iron, as if the very clouds wanted to keep the kingdom a secret from the outside world. For those 9 months the sky was always dark gray like a thunderstorm that never fell. After winter spring would come and that is when the beauty of Gatavoi could truly be seen."

Cada Varl stopped for a moment as if to enjoy the memory in his head and make it last just that little bit longer. "When Spring came the mist would lift and the sun would shine through, like the very world itself was awakening after a dreamless slumber. The many rivers of Gatavoi who had become frozen would melt. In the sunlight the riverbeds would look like they were filled with countless crystals...." Cada Varl did not notice for he was transfixed upon the fiery canvas before him but Imbaka smiled at the beauty Cada Varl was describing. The Immortal after a long moment looked up from the fire to each of the Helluvans but said nothing. He knew that was not what Hazum Ka-te and the others were interested in.

" Gatavoi was a wealthy kingdom built on the power of trade, from the shores of Astroluc in the north to the lands of Belcummin in the south. You see a very unique metal known as Hegadakore could be found in the mountains of Gatavoi, the metal was useless for the forging of weapons or making tools, but it resembled gold more than anything else. It was a lighter shade than most gold, however it was easy to treat the metal in a certain way to make it appear as gold. Amazingly that is where it found its value, Gatavoi had so much of it that it could be traded for just about anything. Many people I think enjoyed the fact Hegadakore allowed them to appear whether, with false rings and other such jewelry, a grand illusion that even the lowest peasant could enjoy. Gatavoi became the wealthiest kingdom in the west...."

Again Cada Varl fell quite but the Helluvans did not need to be told why, for it did not take a great deal of thinking to understand how wealth often lead to attention, welcomed or otherwise. "In Gatavoi, military service was not mandatory though it did possess an army any kingdom would be proud to have serve them. You became a soldier only if your hands were not skilled enough to be used in another way, which mine weren't...." Cada Varl paused only briefly before he continued, "I joined the Hodgand division, each time a new captain was appointed it was his or her privilege to name the division, Hodgand meaning ultimate...."

After he said these words he moved his hand up towards a very small badge that he wore upon the left side of his chest, the badge was very simple consisting of black and red which formed a simple yet impressive pattern. He looked towards Hazum Ka-te as he said, "This is the badge of the Hodgand division...." Judging by how clean it looked the Immortal had either taken great care of it for over 4,000 years or he had had a replica made to replace what he had lost.

"It is rather quite small?" Tanagy added not causing offense but rather asking a question.

Cada Varl looked over to the Abider and nodded his head. "Designed specifically so," The Immortal said, "All division badges were forged this size, the reason why it was said was because Gatavoi soldiers got so close to their enemies upon the battlefield it made the badge seem as large as the sun."

There was a collective nod of approval from the Helluvans, clearly they enjoyed such a premise.

"What do you remember about Marga?" Tanagy asked and though he had spoken clearly and in his normal tone the question felt quick, like the blade of an assassin upon an unsuspecting target. Cada Varl lowered his hand as he looked over to the Abider staring for a moment too long. Everyone else looked over to Tanagy but it was clear by how quickly they looked back to the Immortal that they were eager to know the answer. Though it was perhaps the heaviest question the Immortal had ever been asked in his 4,000 years he understood the question. Marga was not only 'the battle of all battles' it shaped the very continent of Noonsva and in a sense gave birth to the werewolf the very thing Helluvans hated above all else (with the possible exception of thievery and cowardice). Cada Varl looked back to the fire and it was immediately clear there was no good memories to be had of that place. His hands even trembled ever so slightly as the memories came over him like an unwanted snowfall.

"Blood," he said finally. "Lots of it, the blood of the butchered and the screams of the slaughtered.... That is what I remember most...." The Immortal now looked upon Tanagy who narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing he knew that he had asked a question too far. For their warrior ways and in contradiction to what many stories told about them Helluvans were not heartless, but rather quite the contrary, for it was the love of their homeland that ultimately shaped them into the men and women that they were. A silence then came, one that no one welcomed or enjoyed, it was so powerful that even a group such as this became overburdened by it.

"The night is becoming old and time will not prolong itself just for us, slumber is needed." Imbaka said keeping her voice clear and calm. Several members of the group looked up through the trees and into the night sky, though it had not been the sole reason why she had said it Imbaka was correct, slumber was needed. One by one the Helluvans stood up with Tanagy being the last of them.

"I am sorry Cada Varl if my question caused you discomfort, I can assure you that was not my intention," Tanagy said keeping his eyes upon those of the Immortal.

"Your apology is welcome," Cada Varl replied. "But not necessary, I cannot blame such a dedicated warrior wanting to know of such a battle...."

In response Tanagy bowed his head but said nothing. As Hazum Ka-te began to put away the Arkles stones and Leannol began to form a rectangle of embers Cada Varl stood up and walked away from the light of the fire standing guard as he had done on each night. It was clear that he was still troubled by the memories of Marga for not only did he keep his back to his companions, he did not say goodnight.

### Chapter 6

Eventually the horrid winter broke and when it did so the change was the torrential equivalent of night and day. Gone were the frozen woods, icy air and snow covered fields replaced by tropical woods, humid air and lush fields and terrain filled with all the colours such a place had to offer. The change was not a gradual one either, it seemed literally to make such a drastic change in a blink of an eye. In spite of this great change the Helluvans did not take even so much as a moment to admire the new world before them. The fact that they were now further west than any human being had been in 4 thousand years seemed irrelevant or at the least not something important enough to celebrate.

The group entered the confines of a lush rain forest that from the outside in looked endless and almost immediately the group took great notice of how many insects could be seen all around them. The frozen landscape of where they had been had kept the insects far away and now it seemed with this new terrain the bugs were eager to bite and drink the blood of the new arrivals. But the bugs were little more than an annoyance easily squatted away with simple hand movements. The trees of this forest were vastly different than their frozen brethren for they grew far apart from one another as if each of them were enjoying the humid yet fresh air of the forest.

Vines and fallen trees however certainly were not absent and it did not take long for several of the Helluvans to take in hand bladed tools to keep their path clear. Tanagy lead the group and wielded a strange short flat blade that had a strange flat hook on its outer edge whose purpose was not obvious. The rainforest was also very lively with sounds that were far more various than even the insects could produce and they were heard all around them. Amongst these sounds were the indisputable songs of river ways and streams, something they had not seen in a matter of weeks.

The first waterway that came across their path luckily was only a stream and a small one at that. As Tanagy stepped over the small stream he did not take another step but rather remained in one spot. Leannol who had been second in the march quickly joined him. There seemed no obvious sign to panic for Tanagy instantly would have held up his hand in one of various symbols to tell the others to come to a stop.

When the entire group had crossed the stream Leannol crouched down and looked upon the ground before her. It seemed that rainfall was a common thing in this place for the light brown that made up the ground was only now just returning from mud to dirt. What had caused Tanagy to stop and Leannol to crouch down was some kind of large imprint upon the slightly wet ground. It was longer than a foot in length, closer to two and had a total of three long points that touched upon one another in a small center. Two of the points were facing forward like the forked tongue of a serpent, the third which was behind the first two was facing the other direction. Each of the points seemed identical in both size and length to one another, adding credibility to the fact the marking was simply too perfect to be a random shape of nature. It was a footprint of some kind but clearly one that the group did not instantly recognize. Leannol silently looked up towards Imbaka who was the best tracker amongst them and therefore had the greatest knowledge when it came to such things. Imbaka joined Leannol in crouching down in front of the strange print but neither said anything.

After a moment of staring Imbaka reached her hand out extending her fingers as much as possible and placing her hand beside the print. Easily in size it dwarfed hers. There was good reason for the silence that consumed the group for it did not take an expert to know that this print was neither human nor werewolf. In size a werewolf print wasn't much smaller but deformity was not something that occurred to the shape shifting monsters. It was also not the result of some kind of amputation for although werewolves could heal from almost any wound, there were certain ones such as those inflicted by silver and possibly sorcery that could not be healed from. But if this were the case than there would be some sign of a stumped appendage and there was none. "Strange," Imbaka said when she had gone through the encyclopedia of knowledge that was her memory. Several in the group silently nodded in agreement but it seemed no one could give an explanation. When the footprint itself could offer no more information Imbaka looked beyond it expecting to see a set of tracks identical to it in the close distance. But the footprint was unique, there were no others in any direction. The ground remained weak and it was impossible that if something moved through here than it would leave only a single print.

Imbaka slowly looked up unsure of exactly what she was looking for. She saw the spot they and the footprint were in was directly underneath a very large break in the trees, which formed almost a circle around the area. She looked back down to the footprint as a possible explanation played out in her head. With no other tracks it seemed the only place the owner of the footprint could have gone was upwards. When she spoke, her tone proved she was perplexed by such an explanation.

" Whatever must have made this track somehow ascended."

She pointed up as her gaze looked upon the dark thick blue of the sky. Collectively the group looked upwards and around to the surrounding trees.

Whatever had made the footprint must have been of considerable size and yet the trees did not appear ravaged, as they should have been if something so large had climbed them.

"Not necessarily," Tanagy said keeping his voice at a normal tone. "Perhaps it was moving down the stream, the running water would have destroyed any trace of additional footprints."

Imbaka looked over her shoulder towards the stream and almost immediately she knew the flaw of such a theory. "No," she said as she turned back around to look at the print, "It's too large...." Tanagy could not be blamed for such an assumption as Imbaka herself had to double-check the stream before she discounted his words.

"Perhaps the other tracks had been washed away by rainfall or a swift wind?" Gokkus suggested. Imbaka shook her head and retorted. "No, the track is too fresh, I say whatever made it did so only a few hours ago...."

"That raises an even better question," Hazum Ka-te said, "What made the track?"

It was a question that they all wanted answered and the thick silence of the unknown returned to reign over them once more. However its reign was short lived as Zova broke it with these words "Yonga Ponday," her tone carried within a great seriousness, one so heavy it was almost overwhelming to hear. Now every eye was upon her but for a time nothing was spoken. Zova kept her eyes upon the track revealing that she felt no discomfort by having all eyes upon her. "What makes you say that Zova?" Imbaka asked without so much as a hint of accusation or doubt in her tone.

" The size and shape of the track as well as the fact that there is only one of them." Zova glanced towards the trees as she continued. "There is no sign of something large enough to make that print upon the trees meaning whatever made it had to have flown upwards."

The group looked back to the track each with a mind full of questions that they could not answer. The only thing that the track somewhat resembled was the footprint of a bird though there was no known species that grew anywhere near large enough to make such a footprint.

"How unknown," Hazum Ka-te said more in a vocalized thought than intended speech. He had spoken a common Helluvan phrase that simplified a more complicated meaning. How unknown basically was a phrase used when someone came across something tangible belonging to something completely unexpected and yet highly debated. The phrase was perfectly suited to the footprint and what had supposedly made it.

Yonga Ponday loosely translated meant 'Wolf Killer' it was a creature whose origins were in werewolf folklore. According to such folklore and depending on who was speaking about it the creature was between fifteen and eighteen foot tall. Though its footprint (if this indeed was from a Yonga Ponday) resembled that of a bird the creature itself was far more reptilian in appearance. Its skin that could not be broken by fang, teeth or steel was suppose to resemble the colour of pale moonlight with a pair of magnificent thick wings, each of which were larger than the creature's body. Supposedly it possessed a flat face without a nose or lips, brandishing a jaw of silver teeth each were as sharp as any fang. Its eyes, each of which was the size of a man's head were suppose to glow silver along with any number of strange blunt crests that ran vertically down the top of its head. Again depending on who was describing the creature its jaw was able to open to a limitless extent allowing it to eat werewolves whole. It had as many as 6 arms and a long thick tail that was so powerful it could crush boulders with a single strike. When the moon is full it is claimed the Yonga Ponday descends from the sky and devours any werewolf unfortunate enough to be seen by its large silver eyes. Beyond the appearance of the creature itself was its origin where there seemed more stories than stars in the sky to explain its existence.

The most common tale spoken of its origins was that it was a demon summoned forth by a spell from the dying breath of a warlock to wreck havoc upon the werewolves who had destroyed his family and were responsible for his death. Apart from the stories about its origins and its appearance very little was known about the Yonga Ponday in the east. Strangely even in Cada Varl's time before werewolves even existed warlocks and other such magical beings were considered rumor. Sure there was plenty of tales about them but most took these stories as just that, stories. However Noonsva regardless of what kingdoms and countries filled its landscape had always been a large and mysterious place. The only thing that the Immortal was almost certain of was that there were no warlocks or witches in Gatavoi. Most of the stories about it were extracted from werewolf prisoners that Helluvans caught. The official belief about the Yonga Ponday in the east and most of the west was that it was nothing more than a mythical creature whose true origins laid in the overactive imagination of some forgotten werewolf centuries ago. The Yonga Ponday was believed to be an embodiment of the werewolves physic forged from the guilt those beasts who were once human possessed for the destruction of human civilization in the west.

Though the Yonga Ponday was perhaps the best known of these kind of stories it certainly was not alone. There were literally hundreds and hundreds of other tales that spoke of creatures and beings summoned, created and forged by man to seek vengeance upon the werewolf. Most of these stories were not known by the east but there was another tale arguably better known in the world of man than even the Yonga Ponday. The Beret Oonoon, meaning the women in white. According to legend the Beret Oonoon were a race of giant 10 foot tall women with blood red hair and dressed in long white dresses. Each wielded a knife of silver that was as long as a sword, it was said that Beret Oonoon used these knives to cut the hearts out of any werewolf they came across, where they would proceed to devour the hearts. It was said that the Beret Oonoon were formed from a lake created by the tears of human mothers who wept over the bodies of their sons and daughters who had been killed by the werewolves.

The reason why this legend was so well known in the east was its potential to replicate. Granzool who was a master of fear mongering had on more than one occasion dressed Helluvan women in such fashion when patrolling the western borders of the land. Leannol herself who with the exception of her height mirrored what the Beret Onoon were suppose to look like had used such a tactic. When in battle against the werewolves, she would sometimes eat the hearts of the monsters she killed, adding to the legends about her that she was indeed a Beret Oonoon. But this was a manufactured thing designed specifically to install fear into the werewolves. Like the Yonga Ponday the origin of the Beret Onoon was unknown. There was a popular rumor that Granzool had started the legend himself but this was impossible considering stories about the Beret Onoon reached back over at least two thousand years.

This footprint however was real; there was no doubting that. What was known about the Yonga Ponday was so vague that the very language its name was supposedly derived from was completely unknown in both the west and east.

Silence had reigned too long even for Helluvans to bear and Tanagy sought to break it.

" This footprint is real of that there can be no doubt...but that doesn't mean it was made by the Yonga Ponday."

There was a fusion of both a quiet doubt and a certain frustration in his tone, but he had made a good point. They were now further than any human had been in the west for thousands of years and though Helluvans possessed the most knowledge and the most accurate maps of the west in the east there was no solid proof that their knowledge was 100 percent accurate. This footprint may or may not have belonged to the Yonga Ponday but for all they knew it could very well have belong to a completely different creature, one that for whatever reason had not been mentioned by any of the interrogated werewolves.

Just as the group was collectively looking back at the footprint Gokkus spoke.

"I may have seen it once, the Yonga Ponday."

This revelation was like the first light of dawn after a 100 centuries of night. With intrigue that could be seen in even Cada Varl the group waited for Gokkus to explain.

"Roughly 8 years ago myself and a handful of Emuge Mura members were in the west, reports of werewolf border patrols acting strangely over a three week period was enough to warrant our presence there. Fearing the possibility of invasion we were sent to capture at least one of the border guards for interrogation. One night we were moving through the woods, the snow had fallen heavily making it easy for us to follow the tracks of an enemy border troop. With the light of a full moon above we carefully followed the tracks until suddenly something overhead blocked out the light of the moon. It was only for a moment and in the second it took for us to raise our heads we could see nothing except the top of the nearby trees were quivering like something had caused a great gust of wind to move them. I remember a fellow Emuge Mura member by the name of Helsot describing the moving of the leaves like they were quivering, as if something scared even the trees...."

The air became heavy with anticipation as everyone listened intently to the man dressed in black. "Somewhere beyond the reach of our vision we could hear the unmistakable sound of werewolves screaming, cries filled with nothing but the outmost of pain. Quickly we moved towards the sounds that soon fell silent as we came across a break in the woods. There in a clearing were 15 werewolves each and every one of them dead, their bodies lay eviscerated pulled apart by something, their wounds were not from a weapon but from tooth and claw.... We had no idea what possibly could have done it; the time seemed too minimal between the first and last scream for it to have been the work of an enemy werewolf group. Besides each of the corpses brandished the markings of Gorgoza's kingdom."

"Did you find any tracks?" Leannol asked with almost desperation in her voice.

Gokkus looked to his fellow Helluvan as he said, " No, not a single one that did not belong to the werewolves that had fallen, it was as if whatever had killed them had done so without ever touching the ground."

"But you never saw it?" Tanagy asked as a genuine question.

Gokkus looked upon the Abider and shook his head. "No, we saw or heard nothing...."

The man dressed in black's story only added to the mystery of the Yonga Ponday if in fact this was the footprint of such a creature. The silence then became broken once more but not by anyone in the group, a sound so powerful and great it seemed to make the very trees shutter came from somewhere far in the forest. The sound was like nothing anyone of them had ever heard, a whispering scream, resembling nothing a human could possibly make and saying nothing. The scream seemed almost to echo endlessly through the woods if only for the briefest of moments. Imbaka and Leannol immediately rose to their feet as every single one of them reached for a weapon as they turned to face the direction of the sound.

None amongst them may have known a lot about the Yonga Ponday but they knew enough about werewolves to know they were not the source of the sound. They waited silently and motionlessly for the source of the sound to reveal itself. Some in the group were expecting to see some kind of giant creature smashing through the trees directly towards them. Nothing came, the woods remained still but a thick tension remained in the air. They stood ready to defend themselves for a very long time made longer by silence. Finally Cada Varl spoke looking up towards the sky as he did so, " When I stand guard tonight I will be sure to keep my eyes upon the sky as well."

### Chapter 7

Not only was there no sign of the Yonga Ponday that night but it was in fact the best night of sleep the Helluvans had had since beginning this journey. The new tropical terrain offered more than just a change of scenery, it offered a wider array of dining opportunities. In the frozen lands that had been ravaged by winter the group had only seen a single bird which flew too high to be captured or killed. But in these lands there was plenty of wildlife, birds as varied as the colours of the rainbow could be seen in just about every tree top, decent sized lizards and colourful snakes were also on the menu. There was even some evidence of deer and other such creatures that though had yet to be seen would make a very tasty and rich meal. The soups and stews the Helluvans had been eating beforehand all smelled good and were probably acceptable in taste, but it was clear they all were looking forward to the variety the tropics had to offer. Nevertheless the Helluvans remained as they were expected to be, there was little chatter to be had, as there was a real possibility that there was more to the tropics than just birds and reptiles. As they were all aware of no human had been this far west in thousands of years and the accuracy of their maps always played out in their minds.

Wars were a common thing in both the east and the west, the lands of the werewolves were so large that they never had peace for very long. Now with Gorgoza overthrown wars of succession would be fought all over the landscape and these tropics were an ideal place for deserters and other such desperate groups to wage a guerrilla war. Apart from the werewolves themselves and the occasional poison snake there was only one other major predator in the west the Helluvans knew of. The Moelekke Bear was a giant creature that when standing on its hind legs could grow to 14 feet tall, covered in a long fur that was not quite gray, not quite black but an unnamed colour in between. Famously the Moelekke bear was most well known for its pink coloured eyes that seemed to glow in both the light of the sun and the moon. Tooth for tooth, claw for claw and pound for pound a Moelekke bear would be able to hold its own against a werewolf. But it was a general belief that the Moelekke bear ultimately survived the transformation of the west because it lived in areas that the werewolves tended not to inhabit. It was known to prefer colder climates, not so much the frozen landscape that the Helluvans had been through but rather the mist filled highlands of the various mountain passes that covered the west. It would be quite a surprise to encounter a Moelekke bear in the tropics, which were known as very territorial beasts but then again the troop had no idea that they would come across possible evidence of the Yonga Ponday either.

Over the course of the next three nights a fire was forged, more for its light than its heat for the tropics remained humid regardless of which ruler was in the sky. But soon the group came to realize that for all the things the tropics brought them not all was welcome, primarily the rain. Like a bored baby who had discovered how to turn on a tap the rain came randomly and when it did so it did not fall but pour. The rain was so heavy it was as if a mischievous young god had somehow brought an entire ocean into the sky and was now systemically pouring it back onto the world before the other gods could find out what it had done. The sky would give no warning either, remaining a constant cloudless dark blue. One moment the group would be moving through a stretch of land so dry it made a thousand year old bone seem moist and then the rain would fall forcing the group to act quickly and rush to higher ground before they were literally swept away. The rain became a dangerous annoyance and inconvenience, constantly forcing the group to move and change direction. Their path no longer was direct and even to someone as skilled as Imbaka it became confusing to deal with. More importantly progress was hindered greatly over the next few weeks with less and less ground covered upon each day that passed. One such day Imbaka estimated that after a whole day of tracking they had moved only two or so miles. Time was not on the group's side and as the days passed the group made more and more rash decisions to compensate for this fact.

On the afternoon of one such day whose morning had been covered in the now all too familiar rainfall the group came across a raging river that undoubtedly had been swollen by the falling rain. If time was not such a factor and if they had not already come across two dozen similar sites already the group would have turned back around. But progress was absolutely vital and they decided on a risky course of action. Upon the other side of the river was a steep rock face whose brown exterior had been shaped by millions of years of wet weather. It was over this rock face where the group decided to go. The first thing they had to take care of was the rearranging of their packs, things they could afford to get wet were placed at the bottom while things that had to remain dry were placed at the top. Their most valuable items, at least in the eyes of Helluvans, weapons were tied horizontally to the top of the packs across their shoulders. Weapons such as Hazum Ka-te's Cloud Cutter spear would be very awkward to carry in such a way, with even more difficulty added by the raging waters of the river.

Leannol would be the first to make the journey through the river, her pack had been lightened considerably and though Cada Varl offered to take the lion's share, most of the contents of her pack were spread evenly amongst the other members of the group. Gokkus tied a very thick long rope made from some kind of solid white substance around her powerful shoulders and firm waist. The other end of the rope was tied to the thickest of the nearby trees. The other members of the group then gathered in a line with Gokkus at the back and Cada Varl before him as they each held onto the rope with both hands. Leannol carefully dropped into the river with the group ensuring that if it was too deep they would be able to tighten the rope to stop her from being swept away. The water came up to just over her breasts but she seemed to find firm enough footing. Raising her hands up at either side to ensure balance she took a single step and when she found a firm place she took another.

She had more than just the violent rage of the water to contend with for she still wore her heavy metal armor, which strangely did not seem to hinder her much. Helluvans were indeed strong, perhaps the most physically powerful of all the humans of Noonsva, still it was impressive to see this woman keep upright regardless of how much the water seemed hell bent in sweeping her off of her feet. She had to move only 30 or so feet to reach the other side but it was a journey that no one could rush if they wanted to see it through. The group kept silent as she reached roughly the middle of the river and all but her head was underwater. Now she had to be even more careful in choosing her next step. The moments it took for a her to decide felt more like hours that were worth waiting for when she took another step and was only chest deep. Successfully she reached the other side, where after checking several places with her hands, found a firm boulder half swallowed by the river that she could comfortably and firmly hold onto. Hugging the rock as if it was something she loved she raised her left hand and moved it in a swatting motion. She remained silent partly because of the strength that was needed to hold onto the rock, partly because the running river was so loud it would be difficult to hear any words she said. The river did indeed seem to be growing louder with each passing second almost as if it was furious at Leannol for successfully defying its power. The others had made sure to give her slack on the rope when she needed it, they had worked together just like the gears that had opened the gate on the border.

Now it was time for the rest of the group to make the crossing and the first to go was Tanagy. Keeping one arm around the rope as he used the other to pull himself along he seemed to be struggle slightly more than Leannol against the raging river. Perhaps this was because of the additional weight he was carrying though the rope itself should have compensated for that, or maybe he simply was not as strong as Leannol. In any case he was able to reach the other side without falling and when he did so he kept one hand around the rope and the other upon the shoulder of his red haired companion. This was done to let Leannol, who kept her face lowered upon the rock in a bid to keep water from invading her mouth and eyes, know that he was behind her. He looked up and studied the rock face soon finding what he was looking for. He stepped slightly closely to Leannol so that their bodies were now touching before he lifted his hand up and placed it inside a crevasse in the rock face. Then using the back and shoulder of Leannol as a kind of step he pulled himself upwards, incredibly Leannol managed to raise her shoulders slightly to ascend the Abider a little further upwards. He soon found firm places to keep his hands and feet as he began his search once again for new places. As Tanagy slowly ascended the 60 or so foot tall rock face Imbaka was the next to make the crossing.

As Tanagy had done when she reached the other side she placed her hand upon the shoulder of Leannol and used the red haired woman as a step to begin her climb. One by one the others followed with Zova after Imbaka and Hazum Ka-te after her. Movement of any kind whether through the river and upon the rock face was slow moving. Unsurprisingly Tanagy was the furthest up the wall seemingly trying to ascend it as quickly and safely as possible. This was so when Tanagy reached the top he could help the others complete the ascent.

Roughly two thirds through Cada Varl's crossing the slippery wet of the rock face took effect and Zova's hand slipped from its place. As her body dropped Hazum Ka-te acted quickly lifting his shoulder and pressing it upon the bottom of her right foot, ensuring that she did not lose her place even further. Zova who showed little sign of distress at almost falling looked down upon the wielder of the Cloud Cutter giving him a simple yet respectful nod, which he in turn reciprocated. Zova pointed to the gap in the wall which had been responsible for her almost fall, ensuring that Hazum Ka-te knew of its presence.

Cada Varl who was taller than most in the group made the crossing without incident following quite literally in the steps of his predecessors, lifting himself onto the rock face with the help of Leannol's shoulder and back. This left only Gokkus to cross who did so without hesitation.

When it seemed that this part of the trek over the rock face would be accomplished without incident Gokkus suddenly slipped under the water, his grip loosened upon the rope just enough for the water to sweep him away. Panic instantly conquered the air as the man dressed in black was nowhere to be seen. Those already on the wall watched on helpless to do anything as they waited for him to reappear.

Leannol must have felt the change in the rope for she looked over her shoulder and knew immediately what had happened. Keeping her arms around the rock she saw a flash of black within the water and instantly thrust herself away from the rock disappearing from sight as well. Now those upon the rock face had only the changing slack of the rope to indicate to them roughly where Leannol was. With wide eyes and held breaths the group waited anxiously for any sign of the red haired woman or the man dressed in black. They could see that the rope had been pulled as far as possible and was now under so much pressure it seemed that in any moment the rope would either break or pull the tree out of the ground.

Then when the darkest of possibilities entered the collective mind of the group both Leannol and Gokkus appeared 35 or so feet down the river. Almost simultaneously they both rose out of the water, holding each other by the forearm. Leannol using her powerful grip and arm pulled Gokkus towards her and soon the two had their arms wrapped around one another. Both were breathing heavily for they had been submerged for quite some time. While still holding onto one another they slowly shuffled back towards the other side of the river and back onto firm ground. It had been a close call but both did not appear seriously wounded. With drenched faces and heavy breaths the two moved back towards the tree where the rope had been tied. Leannol looked up to the rock face where the group had not moved since she had dived under the water. She motioned her hand and said, "Keep going," between heavy breaths. As instructed those upon the rock face continued their ascent. Both Leannol and Gokkus took a moment to catch their breath with the man dressed in black thanking Leannol for what she had done for him.

As they made the crossing for a second time it was clear the raging water was beginning to drain Leannol of her strength, but not by much. They stuck close together and made it to the other side thankfully without further problem. Gokkus stepped onto Leannol's shoulder and she showed great endurance by easily pushing the large man upwards. Now with all of them across it was Leannol's turn to climb the wall. Gokkus extended his right hand towards her, which she grasped as he helped her upon the wall. Now side by side with one another Gokkus guided her hand to the crevasse which his hand been in, they gave each other a nod of approval before Gokkus grasped upon the rope which was still tied to Leannol. The man dressed in black then began flicking the rope forcing it to move almost like a subdued whip. He did this several times, every now and again turning his hand ever so slightly until eventually the rope became untied from the tree. With as much skill as quickness he pulled the rope across the water where using only one hand wrapped it around the waist and shoulder of Leannol in such a way it would not hinder her movement. With that done Gokkus placed his hand back on the wall and allowed Leannol to use his bent knee as a step to pull herself further up the rock face. Gokkus placed his hand on the back of her thigh to help such a maneuver and when she found a firm place Gokkus began his ascent.

Tanagy was now only ten feet or so from the summit but he did not allow this to hurry his movements. His head was lowered as he looked for an ideal place to put his right foot when he could feel something drop between his eyes. Instantly he glanced up so quickly it was amazing his neck did not snap. It had only been a single drop of water but when an identical one fell upon him he knew what it was. Looking down over his shoulder he yelled, "Rain!" Now every neck moved in a snapping motion as they looked upwards to see the sky open up and a new rain falling. It seemed the fury of the river had now reached breaking point, now it was calling upon the sky to punish the group for daring to defy its wrath.

The rain fell so heavily that it literally silenced all other sounds, even the raging of the river. They had seen such rain before and they knew just how quickly it could fall. Not even taking a moment to look down upon the river, which in moments would begin to rise, the group quickened their movements upwards. The rain made the rock face even more slippery but time had now joined the sky and the river in wanting to end the journey of the group. Tanagy was the first to reach the summit, almost slipping back down as he struggled to find something to hold onto as he pulled himself up. When he found his footing he himself became an extension grasping Imbaka by the hand and pulling her up to meet him. Though it seemed only a matter of moments when Zova was near the top the river was already swelling greatly. Imbaka and Tanagy grasped Zova by the shoulders and pulled her up quickly, ensuring they were ready to receive Hazum Ka-te when he reached the top not long after. Cada Varl was next, followed by Leannol who managed to climb the wall rather quite quickly considering just how tired she must have been. By now the river had risen to touch the souls of Gokkus' feet, this cold and wet reminder of what he had already been through seemed to spur him on and incredibly he was able to move quicker than the water could catch him. Eagerly Imbaka and Tanagy pulled him up, grateful that they had not lost him for a second time.

It seemed unlikely that the river would swell to the point of the summit, yet the rained continued to fall and showed no sign of stopping. Regardless they had each made it, yet there was no celebration to be had for there was no reason for such a thing. Through the almost wall of rain they could see well enough to know what lay before them. Effectively it was a dead end or rather a dead end in every direction they wanted to go. The rock face ended after about twenty feet before them and offered no way forward. In a consuming silence they stood, each knowing that the only way available to them would effectively take them back in the opposite direction they had been moving in all day. Now not only were they not making any ground but also they were in fact moving around in some kind of morbid circle.

Eventually the rain did break but it brought little comfort to them. Upon high ground they found a reasonable spot to make camp with several trees with leaves large enough to offer some kind of protection if the rain decided to fall once again. It may not have been dusk quite yet but the group knew they would make no headway by continuing onwards. A fire was made with great difficulty for the ground remained wet, as did almost everything else. The group dried themselves off as best they could and soon the evening meal was being made. They were forced to eat some kind of stew for the day had offered no time for hunting.

But there was now a far larger problem than eating a familiar stew. The group had to face facts, the tropics and its rainfall had made progress almost impossible. It had literally gotten to the point that if the group had moved a mile than it was a good days trek. Keeping at such a pace it could take months or possibly even years to make it through. This route had been chosen specifically because it was a place where werewolves did not normally venture. But the group had come across something more powerful than all the men and monsters of Noonsva combined, Mother Nature. It was clear now why the werewolves did not live in this place, the terrain was simply too inhospitable for continuous habitation.

After the evening meal was eaten somberly, a silence much heavier than the usual breed fell across the camp. The ground remained wet and non-welcoming and though Helluvans were not a vain people it merely added to the darkness of their predicament.

"We have to go further inland," Imbaka said after a reign of silence so long it seemed to make time irrelevant. Her words were as heavy as they were true, it was a course they would have to take. Moving further inland meant moving into areas were large werewolf populations were known. But they simply did not have any choice, out here Mother Nature could kill them just as easily as any werewolf, if not easier. The group had proven themselves great warriors easily capable of defeating a rag tag group of 30 or so of the monsters. But they were nothing compared to the elite warrior troops that thrived further inland. Not to mention the fact werewolf armies were known well for their sheer size. In the west if you had an army of 100,000 at your command than it was generally considered to be a small force. Armies of one million were not uncommon; at least that it is what the information the Helluvans had gathered over the years told. The other Helluvans nodded their heads but could not bring themselves to say it outloud. The entire course of their journey was now going to change; they had planned all along to fight as little as possible. Not because they were scared but rather it was such a high risk considering the very reason why they were taking this journey.

As the night grew old all but Imbaka and Cada Varl fell asleep, creating a rectangle of embers to keep them dry rather than warm. Imbaka remained awake for she was studying the maps of the west looking for the best course to take in such a bad situation. The sky fortunately gave her a break, remaining clear enough to see the many stars with which she could navigate by. She had taken a stick from the fire and used its light to study the maps as the darkness of the night surrounded the camp. In place of standing guard Cada Varl sat beside her, keeping her silent company while looking out into the darkness. Cada Varl felt perhaps Imbaka was ashamed that they had to change course. Because although she really did not have any way of knowing how heavy the rain was going to fall she prided herself so greatly on her logistical knowledge. Though she showed no sign that this was what she felt the Immortal felt compelled to speak about it.

" Have you found a new direction?" It was the Immortal's way of trying to make her see that she was the reason why this problem was going to be solved. Whether Cada Varl succeeded or not couldn't be told for Imbaka answered in her regular tone of voice, "I believe so." It was clear her attention was with the maps and silence fell once more as she occasionally would look up at the stars to see which ones specifically could aid her. After a time some would consider long Imbaka looked up from the map in her lap and towards the Immortal who sat staring into the darkness searching for any sign of potential enemies.

"Cada Varl," she said softly, taking into consideration others were sleeping.

"Yes Imbaka?" Cada Varl asked as he looked back to her.

"May I ask you a question," she said softly.

Upon hearing these words the Immortal's mind flashed back to the night he had been alone with Zova and the strange way she was interested in him. He wondered if Imbaka would show a similar interest.

"Yes?" The Immortal said realizing he had allowed the question to hang in silence for too long.

" When you drink the blood of the goddess, you yourself will be destroyed?" Imbaka asked softly yet firmly as if to show she knew the seriousness of her question. Cada Varl hesitated slightly, not expecting the question, he needed a moment to regain himself.

"Yes I will," he answered.

"A prospect an immortal must find difficult to grasp, death is for mortals." Her words may have sounded slightly cryptic but Cada Varl knew what she meant and was implying. He felt no aggression towards her for it was a fair line of thought. The future of not just Helluv or the east but the entire continent ultimately rested in his hands. She could not be blamed for having her doubts that an immortal could cope with the prospect of an ending.

Cada Varl forced his eyes to remain upon hers as the darkest breed of thoughts played out like nightmares in his mind. He said, "Do you know of all those tales about kings and emperors trying to find immortality so that they can rule forever?"

Imbaka nodded, it would be more difficult to find someone who hadn't heard such a tale compared to someone who had. " They could not be blamed for wanting such a thing, they dedicate their entire lives to rule, whether through sword or inheritance they live lives of great wealth, indulgence and power. They have known the best in life so why would they ever want such an existence to come to an end. But do you think a cripple would want the same thing? To live forever with the pain and the suffering that only a cripple would know?"

Cada Varl held his words and knew Imbaka understood them though she said nothing in response. "It is not death that awaits me, but destruction, I truly died the day I lost my humanity. All I have is memories, that is all and while some memories can be enjoyed and others suffered, they all serve as a reminder of things I will never feel again. With each day that passes those memories fade a little. I have already forgotten so much and will continue to forget until there is nothing left but a shell."

Imbaka studied his red eyes searching for something that only she knew.

"What have you forgotten?" she asked.

It seemed this question was more out of curiosity than anything else was. Cada Varl now had to look away; he could not bear such thoughts without effect. He looked back to Imbaka as he said "So many things...when I first came to Uldaween four thousand years ago I shared a bottle of Teius with one of the scholars, Teius was a kind of wine that was considered a delicacy in my homeland. I had drank it before several times and enjoyed it immensely, when I drank the bottle with the scholar the memory of what it tasted like was so fresh that I felt almost as if I could actually taste it again." Cada Varl shook his head and glanced away for a moment before looking back. "Sadly I cannot remember the name of that scholar. When I was about to depart from Uldaween another Scholar by the name of Qeupit found the very bottle of Teius that I had drank from 4,000 years ago with the other scholar. As we shared the Teius Qeupit kept saying how rich it tasted after being aged for four thousand years, but my memory had become so faded of what it tasted like that I could taste nothing as I drank it. I could feel it in my mouth and in my throat, but nothing else, no sweetness, bitterness or any other taste in between."

The two studied each other's eyes but for a time neither said anything as both tried to figure out what the other was thinking.

"Of the few memories that have not began to fade none of them are things I want to remember." "Like what?" Imbaka asked seemingly now greatly curious in a cautious way.

Cada Varl looked away from her and could not bring himself to look back as he said cheerlessly, "The burning of my kingdom, the destruction of the lands I had spent my entire life fighting for and the fact that I am responsible for all of it. Noonsva is what it is because of me." Cada Varl looked back to Imbaka as he said, "A burden that I no longer want to bear and one that can only be treated by the blood of the goddess."

Imbaka stayed quiet as she continued to search his eyes, his words had only magnified the strange attraction his inhuman eyes had. It was not a sexual attraction, but something far more rare. Within his eyes Imbaka could see truth and she knew that he was ready for all of this to come to an end.

"Would you like to become immortal?" Cada asked quietly and yet suddenly.

The question was not expected made evident by Imbaka's long silence, she could not tell the true reason behind such a question but before she could speak Cada Varl spoke.

"To fight forever?" he glanced over to those that slept as he said, "I imagine Sin Smile, Tanagy and Hazum Ka-te would consider such an existence worth living?"

Imbaka smiled humorlessly realizing now Cada Varl's question was little more than curiosity. She said, "I cannot speak for my fellow Helluvans, but fighting for the sake of fighting is not something I have ever craved, even the beast-men are above such a pointless thing."

Now it was Imbaka who looked at the dying fire for a brief moment before she said. " I am proud when I kill a werewolf or another enemy of Helluv, it would be a fair thing to say that I enjoy such acts, but not because of the acts themselves, but rather what they will prevent. One less enemy that can hurt Helluv, I fight because I want to keep my fellow daughters and sons of Helluv safe and I will gladly stand against anyone or anything that wishes to do my countrymen or my country harm. But the idea of doing so forever, killing werewolves and other enemies is not a thought I cherish. Because that would mean if I fought forever than Helluv would never be safe, which in turn would make the very reason why I fight redundant."

Cada Varl nodded his head, clearly impressed he said, "Well said."

"Thank you," Imbaka replied with a bow of her head.

With those words she folded the maps back up and placed them back into her pack. She stood up and with a strong breath from healthy lungs blew out the flames of the small stick she held. She made her way over to the rectangle of embers where a spot was already waiting for her.

"Good night Cada Varl," she said.

The Immortal repliedm, "Good night Imbaka."

### Chapter 8

Their remaining time in the tropics was barred with frustration for the heavy rainfall that had once plagued and hindered their every step lessened considerably. It seemed almost as if Mother Nature had grown angry with them and was now trying to see if they would return to their original plan of journey. It would be a lie to say that the group did not consider doing just that but too much time had already been stolen from them.

Their journey inland had taken them to the Dedarsky mountain ranges, a place that was boring, repetitive and dull. None of this dry gray landscape offered any inspiration or spark of imagination, hence the reason why there were few tales spoken about this place. On top of all of that the mountain ranges possessed many of the same problems as the tropics did. There were very few tracks and out of the few that did exist almost none of them were useful. The group had to return to double backing and deciding on a new course of direction. After hours and hours of trekking they came across yet another dead end. It was like the very landscape itself had grown bored with its own dullness and was hell bent on keeping the group within it so that it had some company for the rest of eternity. The group's direction became so twisted that they were even brought back to a point where the tropics and mountain ranges intertwined. Vines and other such lush things grew out upon the dull rocks like the blood from a stab wound. Frustratingly the group was forced into a narrow passage of overgrown weeds and boring rocks.

As they passed through this narrow passage even the sky itself seemed dull with not so much as a single cloud to break up the boring blue. Through the passage they came across a slightly more opened area that was covered in a remnant of the tropics, making the place appear like the tropics were upon a slow conquest of the Dedarsky mountains. Before them was a terrain of thick bush where trees grew twisted and randomly.

As the group took only a handful of steps into this new place Imbaka quickly held up her hand, a command instantly followed by the rest of the group who came to a quick stop. Cada Varl who was the last in the group could not see any reason why she had commanded this but then again the trees seemed certain on keeping whatever secrets they possessed hidden. Cada Varl peered out as did the others searching for what had made Imbaka come to a stop. Just when the thought of a Yonga Ponday sighting popped into the Immortal's mind Imbaka made another hand gesture which commanded the group to quickly crouch low to the ground. With the overgrown weeds of this place acting reasonably well in keeping them hidden Cada Varl continued to search for what they had stopped for. When he could see nothing his eyes focused on the back of Imbaka's head almost as if doing so would somehow tell him of what was going on. A long moment later and the reason was revealed to him.

Through the trees and overgrown weeds something very large and upright was moving. Another moment passed and Cada Varl could see enough of it to know that it was a werewolf. But unlike the rag tag group of bandits that the group had come across in the frozen lands this creature was not naked. Upon its enormous torso and equally large shoulders and hands this werewolf bore a strange suit of armor. Most of it shone like any other armor in the light of the over head sun but that is where the similarities stopped. Unlike human armor, which was a collection of different plates and shapes this armor was clearly forged from a single piece of metal. Yet it did not appear constraining and hard to move in but rather the opposite. This suit of armor had been forged by something that possessed knowledge too great to be gathered in the course of a single lifetime. The chest and torso was completely bare of any decoration, this made sense since a werewolf's heart was its most vulnerable asset. Upon the giant's right shoulder and upper arm was a simple consumption of some kind of red paint while on the other shoulder was an engraving of a symbol that none in the group recognized. The creature bore no helmet or anything else to protect its face for such a skull shape would be near impossible to protect effectively with any kind of armor.

The lone werewolf showed no sign that it knew of the group's presence. It seemed completely consumed with its own thoughts as it held a part of what would have been a sizeable tree under its arm like it weighed little more than parchment; an indication of just how strong werewolves were. The werewolf turned with its back towards the group and then it moved off through the bush, soon disappearing from sight. Yet it was quite some time or at least felt so before Imbaka gestured for the group to stand up again.

The sighting was brief but its impact was enormous, this was the first time since the journey began that the group had come so close to an enemy soldier. While the beast warrior on its own would be of little problem, it was next to impossible that it was in this place alone. Cada Varl thought the group would now stop and consider a plan of action; instead the group continued moving through the bush although admittedly with much more carefulness than before. It did not take long for the Immortal to realize that the group was in fact following the tracks of the lone werewolf, something Cada Varl did not completely understand the reasoning behind. Though the tracks did not go on for long the thick under bush would make them difficult for most to follow and yet Imbaka showed not a hint of difficulty as she did so.

The next time Imbaka made the gesture for the group to both stop and crouch Cada Varl knew exactly why. 6 or so feet ahead of them was a break in the trees, revealing a decent sized clearing where far more than just a lone werewolf warrior could be seen. Within the clearing was an encampment where no fewer than 40 of these enemies could be seen. Each wore armor identical to the one the group had first seen as some sat around a large fire while others performed minor tasks. Imbaka with both hands gestured for Zova and Tanagy to move up and crouch beside her. Zova and Tanagy than mimicked the gesture causing Leannol, Gokkus and Hazum Ka-te to do the same. Imbaka without looking back gestured for Cada Varl to move closer as well only this time she reached her hand out behind her towards him. Cada Varl correctly assumed what this gesture meant and crouched walk until Imbaka's hand could grasp around his shin, she squeezed it as an indication for him to move no further. Behind her his half a foot advantage in height allowed him to see into the camp clearly. The sight was not what someone would expect to see in a gathering of monsters. There was no evil cackling or mindless brutality going on, rather the red shouldered troops seemed almost subdued as they sat silently as if simply waiting for time to pass by.

Beyond the impressive armor they wore these troops were well armed. Unlike the first werewolf they had seen, who was now inside the camp, many of these beast warriors possessed a set of the werewolf's primary weapon, 'Gotianik'. They wore a set of heavily armored gloves, each possessing a total of 4 long blades that acted almost as long extensions of their claws, a fifth blade was far shorter and more curved like a hook represented the creature's thumb. Without armor a beast's primary weapon was its claws and Gotianik were a wise extension of an already deadly weapon. Sets of Gotianik were not the only weapons seen, though most of the others appeared little more than modifications. One such werewolf possessed gloves with a rounded semi-circle styled blade across the knuckles. Another werewolf had a single giant blade on one hand that curved slightly at its end. Sets of Gotianik were well known for their ability to cut through pretty much anything, but their sheer size made any other task apart from killing impossible. So the werewolves who were performing duties did not wear the weapon gloves but rather had them hanging down from the wrists using some kind of simple hook and strap on each arm.

Each Helluvan studied the camp one more time silently counting how many enemies lay before them. Then the group turned around while staying crouched to face each other in a strange shape. In a voice so soft it made a whisper sound like a bellow Imbaka said, " We will surround the camp on both sides, keep close to the trees and aim well, we will surprise them and cut them down quickly."

These words struck the Immortal like a hammer of war upon his chest. For the entire journey a top priority had been to avoid conflict with the enemy now it seemed the Helluvans were purposefully welcoming it. Helluvans loved battle but not at the cost of their mission. At first Cada Varl thought Imbaka was simply making the best of a bad situation. After all if this camp had been left alone than the group would constantly be forced to look over their own shoulder to see if they had been spotted. More importantly if they came across this enemy group in a head on head situation they would be greatly disadvantaged. This way they could use the element of surprise along with the terrain to its most effective. The revelation comforted the Immortal somewhat, for now he understood the course of action.

The Immortal was brought back to the moment at hand by Gokkus who held out a clenched fist towards Cada Varl. Unsure of what the man dressed in black wanted the Immortal simply held an open hand underneath the fist. Gokkus quickly placed something inside of the Immortal's hand quickly placing his own over it and forcing Cada Varl to clench his hand around it so it was not visible to the eye. The Immortal looked to Gokkus as the man dressed in black whispered.

"Stay low to the ground, take two careful steps forward and then count to 68, then throw what I have given to you high into the center of the camp, make sure it catches the light of the sun." Cada Varl looked down up to his hand but before he could open it Gokkus placed his own hand over it. "Keep your hand clenched until you are ready to throw."

Cada Varl nodded not knowing what he held but understanding the command he had been given. "After I have thrown this, I will attack the camp with my sword and drew them to me." Cada Varl whispered, ensuring he gave eye contact to every Helluvan.

The group collectively nodded before Hazum Ka-te whispered, "Keep on the far side of the camp, we need to keep our paths as clear as possible, we don't want you getting in the way of our arrows."

Cada Varl nodded for the comment was sensible and not mean-spirited.

The group nodded once more before Zova, Leannol and Gokkus crouch-walked eastward around the camp while Imbaka, Tanagy and Hazum Ka-te crouched walked westward. In less than a moment they had vanished completely from the sight of the Immortal. Cada Varl was greatly impressed by the fact Imbaka had spotted both the lone werewolf and the encampment for it was something that not even he with his immortal eyes had seen. As instructed he took two steps forward keeping himself low to the ground. "1, 2, 3..." he counted in his head as he looked out upon the enemy encampment. His heart was no longer capable of racing but the memory of such an action was the strongest it had ever been in his mind. Even if everything went to plan, this was going to be the most dangerous encounter of the entire journey so far. These werewolves were perhaps the most formidable they could be, not only did they possess incredibly weaponry, they had been well trained to use it. More importantly however was that these warriors might have possessed hundreds if not thousands of years of battle experience, a time that dwarfed the experience of any of the Helluvans. If that wasn't a bad enough factor, the armor these creatures wore played to their tremendous strength perfectly. Their armor was far thicker and heavy than anything a human could wear. It was a dreaded fact in the lands of the man that eastern arrows were practically useless against this kind of armor, with the exception of course of Helluvan arrows, which were tailor made for such a purpose. Even so in order for a Helluvan arrow to pierce such armor its aim needed to be flawless right down to a part of a millimeter.

"33 34 35," Cada Varl glanced around to the borders of the camp but could see no sign of the Helluvans. Either they had yet to find suitable positions or remained well hidden. If his eyes could not find them, chances were neither could the werewolves.

"40 41 42," Cada Varl watched as one of the werewolves who sat around the fire lifted its head ever so slightly as if sensing something. It was a slight action that possessed a gravity that rivaled that of the very earth. Werewolves were known for their excellent sense of smell, in fact it was considered their strongest sense. Nothing Cada Varl or the Helluvans could have done would prevent their scent from being known, only the wind held such power. Though it was still at the moment nature had already proven itself unsympathetic to their cause.

"53 54 55," Cada Varl looked away from the werewolf and towards a nearby blade of grass. For the moment it was standing still, but the tension was so strong that Cada Varl could almost sense the wind as it prepared to foil their plain. "59 60 61," seconds more valuable than an entire lifetime. Cada Varl looked back towards the camp and saw that the werewolf kept its head raised but made no other motion. "66 67 68," the time had arrived.

Cada Varl stood up and in the same action threw whatever had been given to him into the camp. It was a well-aimed throw that ascended high into the air and reached the center of the camp. When the item came under the light of the sun, it lit up with an intensity greater than a thousand bonfires. It seemed to steal the very light of the sun and though its light remained small it was powerfully intense. Every werewolf within the camp raised their head and looked upon it, a reaction that was blameless.

Immediately after heads had been raised Helluvan arrows were fired from somewhere unseen. The 6 six shots found their marks perfectly resulting in the quick deaths of 6 of the werewolves. Before the werewolves or the Immortal could make any reaction another volley was fired, just as brilliantly as the first. These volleys were not only well aimed their targets were equally well chosen. The dozen werewolves who had been killed were amongst those already armed, gaining valuable seconds against those who were not. Several of the werewolves howled in sounds so great they sounded more like 30 hounds in perfect sync than a single creature. The howls were a call to arms and in seconds the werewolves knew they were under attack.

This was proven by the third volley of Helluvans where only 4 arrows found their mark, out of the other two one bounced off the turned shoulder of a werewolf while the other was simply a fraction off its target. The light of the thing Cada Varl had thrown into the air was now diminished, as was the element of surprise for the Helluvans. Seeking to ignite this element once more Cada Varl leapt into the camp drawing his sword as he did so. There were no enemies immediately in reach of his weapon so the Immortal stepped forward, striking his weapon through the air as a werewolf had just enough time to turn and face the Immortal. Cada Varl's sword cut through the neck of the werewolf like it was a clay figure whose owner had grown bored with looking at it. Dark purple blood exploded from the impact of the wound as its body fell a mere second before its head smashed onto the ground.

Another werewolf saw the Immortal but could do little more than growl at Cada Varl before he hacked his sword down through the creature's armor, cutting deep and severing its heart. Amazingly the impressive armor of the werewolves did nothing against the ferocity of the Immortal's sword, a weapon so unstoppable it seemed more suited to the hands of a god.

Arrows continued to fly into the camp and with each volley fired fewer and fewer arrows found their mark. The next werewolf that was close enough for Cada Varl to reach was met not by his sword by his foot. With astonishing power the Immortal kicked the werewolf so violently that it was thrown off its feet and moved with the speed of a ball fired from a cannon. The werewolf crashed into the depth of the campfire howling agonizingly as the flames burnt into its flesh. The fire couldn't kill the creature and seconds after leaving the flames its wounds healed. With this, the presence of Cada Varl became the center of the werewolves' attention forcing some of them to temporarily forget about the Helluvan arrows, it was a decision that cost a number of them their lives.

A dozen or so werewolves looked upon the Immortal and collectively howled, causing a collective noise that sounded like a whole army of dogs barking. The werewolf who had been kicked into the fire was now upon its feet, with a tremendous anger in its eyes it attempted to return the favor by hurling a large piece of the fire towards The Immortal. The fiery piece once upon a time must have been a log that began to fall to pieces as it came towards Cada Varl. The Immortal swung his sword horizontally meeting the log and turning it into fiery splinters. This caused a temporary explosion of flames before him and as they cleared three armed and ready werewolves were upon him. He stabbed the first in the chest killing it instantly before skillfully sliding back and avoiding the sets of Gotianik by the other two. He stepped inward and swinging his sword in almost a vertical circle sliced through the wrists of one of the werewolves, severing its hands from its body. This creature howled in pain as the blood sprang forth from its arms. A spilt second later the second werewolf had swung its own weapons towards Cada Varl, who using the flat side of his sword, forced its arms away from him before decapitating the best in a single powerful strike.

As the Immortal cut through his enemies like they were nothing more than unwanted candles the Helluvan arrows continued to fire. Though the element of surprise was no longer a factor the Helluvans still had two major advantages. The place the werewolves had chosen to camp was surrounded by close trees, in theory this would allow them to keep a much larger enemy force of werewolves from overwhelming them if they came under attack. The terrain worked so well it would enable them to possibly defeat a numerically superior army. But now it was working completely against them, the trees prevented the werewolves from seeing their attackers clearly. The trees worked well as barricades against the werewolves, stopping them from unleashing a quick and precise counterattack. The second advantage was the common knowledge that with the exception of sieges werewolves did not use projectiles. In their belief system killing was meant to be up close and personal, not distant and in their minds cowardly.

The werewolves who were not attacking the Immortal now were focused upon the Helluvans or rather getting to them as soon as possible. One such werewolf simply criss crossed its arms over its chest, effectively protecting its own heart from being pierced. It could not be seen which Helluvan specifically was firing arrows at this werewolf but whoever it was they soon came up with a solution. A Helluvan arrow was fired into the right eye of the beast causing the creature to instinctually throw its arms up as it howled. Now unprotected another Helluvan arrow had no problem piercing the werewolf's heart.

Utilizing quickness above all else several werewolves leapt up high into the air towards the border of trees. The strength of their legs was proven as they effortlessly leapt well over twenty feet into the air. While such a tactic made several of them easy targets for enemy arrows others came crashing through the treetops. It could not be seen what was happening as a result of such actions but it was clear several of the Helluvans had stopped firing.

One werewolf who was large even for its kind did not leap into the air but hurriedly rushed towards the tree line taking no notice of one of its kind who fell dead before its feet. This werewolf wielded a single unified blade that stretched out from its metal glove. When it came towards the trees it did not even break stride, instead it sliced its blade through the air cutting through the tree with the same precision and quickness as Cada Varl was hacking apart his enemies. As soon as the tree began to fall, the werewolf, like a giant to a fly pushed the tree causing it to fall away from the beast man as it crashed through the shrub. It was a tremendous display of power, one that proved ultimately pointless to the werewolf who was struck down dead by a Helluvan arrow.

This werewolf may have failed but it had opened up the way for another of its kind. One such werewolf actually wielded a large shield that was as large as it was circular. Like the armor the creature wore it was plain, with the exception of a length of red paint that decorated one arc. This was not the only shield the encampment possessed, but most of the others had simply not been seized quick enough before the arrows could perform their duty. A Helluvan arrow was fired towards this shield but bounced off instantly leaving not so much a dint upon its circular frame. The werewolf hid its face behind its shield to deflect yet another well-aimed arrow. The werewolf seemed determined not to deflect a forth. It rushed forward keeping the shield over its face, effectively protecting it from any harm. In spite of its quickness another arrow was fired, this one was directed towards its unprotected foot. By a distance too difficult to measure the arrow barely missed and the beast warrior was through the trees.

Seemingly it could sense Tanagy for he barely had time to drop his bow before the beast warrior had struck the Abider with its shield. To say the force of the blow was tremendous was like saying an ocean was fairly wet, a gross understatement. Tanagy was hurled back, striking a tree with so much force the tree almost broke in two. Even his armor, made from the strongest metal known to man, dented greatly, but saved him from serious injury if not death. The werewolf looked over its shield and the two warriors from two completely different worlds stared each other down. Rattled but far from defeated Tanagy reached for the swords upon his back but the werewolf attacked before he could unleash them. The Abider with surprising speed hurried his body sideways avoiding the shield. But that was not the only thing the werewolf possessed as the blades of a Gotianik came slashing downwards. Tanagy turned his body but did not avoid them, they scarred his armor but failed to penetrate. He managed to pull his swords out before the werewolf could attack again.

As the werewolf swung its shield once more the Abider thrust the tips of his own blades forward. It was not a maneuver to pierce the shield but rather to stop it from striking his body. He was forced back but it seemed a controlled maneuver before Gotianik and swords briefly clashed. The area that the two fought in was small preventing the Abider from gaining much distance between the two of them. After blocking the Gotianik Tanagy slashed his swords across the shield, as if only to perform an offensive move, even if said move was pointless that was pointless. When the werewolf tried to use its shield once more Tanagy brought his foot up to meet it. Incredibly he used the strength of the werewolf and the sturdiness of the shield to launch himself into the air.

As he came crashing down upon the ground once more he drove both of his blades deeply into either side of the beast warrior's neck. The werewolf let out a cry of pure agony as Tanagy moved his body so that he landed behind the creature. Though it was far from a graceful move Tanagy landed on both feet, dragging his swords out of the deep wounds he had delivered. Before the werewolf had a chance to turn and face him he brought both blades across its neck, almost like an over grown pair of scissors. Purple blood gushed as the beast stumbled but it took another swipe of both swords before the creature's head was removed from its body and it lay dead before the warrior. Tanagy took no time to admire this fresh kill, he placed his swords back into their sheaves without cleaning them before quickly reclaiming his bow and resuming firing.

Cada Varl had slaughtered enough of these creatures that bloody body parts lay around him like he was the centerpiece of some deranged piece of art. Most of the werewolves that were left were drawn to him, none showing fear of his disturbing ability to easily cut them to pieces. In quick succession he buried his sword into the heads of three enemies adding their bodies to his collection. As another beast warrior came towards him he swept his blade across the air literally turning the blades of the beast's gloved weapons into useless shards before driving his sword straight through his enemy.

A number of other werewolves were met with similar fates, broken, bloodied and destroyed. One such werewolf attempted an attack from above leaping high with plans of pouncing upon the Immortal. Cada Varl raised his sword to meet the creature and effortlessly his weapon impaled through the thing's chest. The werewolf did not even have a chance to howl one last time, it was instantly dead. In place of letting the creature's corpse fall he kicked it so violently that as the corpse was thrown backwards its top half spilt open like some kind of hellish flower blooming. With blood as thick as it was dark upon the ground before him Cada Varl stood at the ready to face another enemy.

But then silence fell upon the encampment, as the only enemies that could be seen were dead ones. Cada Varl now examined the tree boundaries; he was not looking for enemies but allies. The silence that he once welcomed he was now uncertain of for he could see nothing but dead bodies and trees.

"Cada Varl," He called out remembering Helluvan protocol, he remembered the sensation of holding his breath as he waited for a response.

"Tanagy," The Abider called out as he entered the clearing.

Reassuringly one by one the others called out as they entered the encampment. Hazum Ka-te held his Cloud Cutter as blood oozed off of it, showing that he had come under direct attack by at least one werewolf. Gokkus and Leannol were the same while Imbaka remained bloodless. The group looked around quickly realizing that someone was absent.

"Zova?" Hazum Ka-te called out, concern clear in his powerful voice. Something then could be heard crashing beyond the line of trees before "Zova," was returned. Zova appeared and entered the encampment, the length of her entire blood utterly drenched in blood.

With the knowledge that each had survived relatively unarmed the silence that proceeded was welcomed. The Immortal did not look at his blade as he raised it and flicked his wrist ever so slightly, freeing it completely of any blood. Now without a stain Cada Varl placed the sword back into its sheave drawing the attention of Tanagy who commented, "That's a good way to clean your sword."

Cada Varl bowed slightly in acknowledgement but said nothing. The group looked around the encampment at the fallen enemies, with most eyes looking upon the creatures Cada Varl had killed.

As the Helluvans struggled to hide their amazement that the Immortal could cut through werewolf armor so easily the Immortal was looking elsewhere. Out of all the corpses that now lay dead only one was no longer a creature. The enemy that had been shot in both the eye and the heart had become human once more. There lay the body of a blonde haired woman who looked no older than 17 or 18. She had once been human and despite her appearance was probably thousands and thousands of year's old. The Immortal walked over to her saying nothing but carrying heaviness with his steps. One of her eyes was closed, the other remained opened with the arrow still sticking out of it. It was strange just how innocent the corpse now looked even though it had been a bloodthirsty monster not long ago. By the look in his eyes it was clear that Cada Varl did not like what he saw for it was a reminder of something he wanted to forget.

His trance upon the corpse was broken by the words of Gokkus

"Is there anything your sword will not cut through?"

Cada Varl looked to the man dressed in black as he stood over the dismembered body of a creature that had been cut in half, armor and all. Cada Varl glanced down at the corpse before looking back at Gokkus and without his usual restrained voice he said, " As Zova once said, it is not the sword."

### Chapter 9

Unlike the aftermath of their first combat engagement there was no talking of past victories or other glories. Questions remained heavy on each of their minds. They may have successfully fought and killed 40 enemy troops but that number did not make sense. Werewolf armies were enormous and even if the group they had encountered was an advanced party they should have been ten times the size. Something was amiss and it did not sit well with the Helluvans. They could not ignore the likely possibility that there were many more werewolf warriors nearby.

Beyond the clearing however they soon discovered a bridge, larger and grander than any the group had seen before. Positioned between two mountain edges this bridge had been forged from an unknown material that was thick and strong. To put it simply this dull gray bridge was a work of architecture beyond the skill of any man. It was not just its width that would have allowed 50 odd man to easily walk down it side by side; it was the length of the bridge. There seemed no obvious telling of how it had been connected between the two mountains that stood thousands upon thousands of feet off the ground below. The group did not have to worry about vertigo for the sides of the bridge reached up far higher than any of them stood. The bridge lead to a descending path that curved immediately after the bridge preventing its end from being seen.

After they began their descent they found themselves in a field which was covered by some kind of red crop overgrown to at least 8 feet. The crop may have prevented them from seeing beyond the field but at the same time it kept the group hidden from the outside world. No words were exchanged but tension was thick in the air. This was Wuvan; a crop used by werewolves to create Jursug a type of ale whose alcohol was so strong a single glass could easily kill a large man. Being immortal werewolves did not need to eat or drink so any consumption was an act of pleasure. To the best of the group's knowledge Wuvan did not grow in the wild, meaning that this field was either a private stock or was near a large werewolf population. Adding to the mystery however was the sheer size of the crop, Wuvan needed to be harvested once it had grown to three and half feet, if left for any longer it would lose all of its flavor.

It seemed this field had been left abandoned because of the power struggle in the west, but what that meant for the group could not be completely known. With this weighing heavily on the group's minds their steps were slow and deliberate as they reached the end of the field. Tanagy who was leading the group poked his head out from the crop for a moment before gesturing that it was okay to proceed. With great caution the rest of the group followed Tanagy the Abider as they left the field of Wuvan and entered another bridge.

Though this bridge was far smaller than the first and covered less distance it was still strikingly impressive. The material it had been made from looked like stone but felt like steel, though was neither. Before the group had reached halfway across the bridge they came to a silent stop as they realized what was both beyond and below the bridge. Beneath them was a city, filled with temples and buildings so grand that not even the most tyrannical of human kings with a million odd slaves could build anything like them. Made from what seemed the same material as the bridge they were on, there were buildings that reached so high that not even the sky seemed to limit their summit. There were temples covered in symbols and engravings so detailed and rich they seemed almost like livings things had somehow been placed upon them. In a word the sight was truly breath taking, putting anything a human civilization could create to shame.

This is what Gorgoza had envisioned for his kind, cities built to show the grandness and ingenuity of his kind. The bridge seemed right in the middle of this strange city that had been built between various mountains with surprising ease. They could also see that this bridge was far from being one of kind, with literally dozens upon dozens of bridges both near and far could be seen in almost every direction. It was almost like a gigantic maze, one that could not easily be solved.

The Helluvans and Cada Varl had no time to gaze upon the magnificence of such a place because they were all horribly aware of where they were. This was a werewolf city, judging by its sheer size it was home to well over a million monsters. A million enemies, each of whom would offer nothing but death to the group. The sides of the bridge were not high enough to keep them hidden forcing the group to remain somewhat vulnerable to enemy vision. But there was a mysterious silence in the air, one that neither comforted them nor haunted them. Though they could see no sign of destruction below them there was an outside chance that the city had been abandoned because of the civil war and yet it seemed illogical that the city would not have been claimed by the enemy and yet the silence told otherwise.

The group was unsure of what to do, entering an enemy city with only 7 troops was utterly ridiculous. But at the same time the group had already lost considerable time, not to mention the fact the mountain ranges proved almost as treacherous and confusing as the tropics. It seemed silently the decision was made to proceed forth, on the condition that the group remain upon the bridges over the city, where they could potentially find a way through undetected. Keeping to the small wall that was built on the side of the bridge they proceeded carefully. As the bridge ended it led into a small clearing between a number of other bridges.

Randomly it seemed Tanagy chose one bridge to follow peering around its corner and ensuring nothing was on it before proceeding. It was this way for quite some time with the group reaching the end of one bridge only to choose another, always checking for any sign of the enemy. The silence of the landscape in itself haunted them with not so much as a breeze; it was like this whole land had been forgotten by the world. They were in a land so strange that it felt not just foreign but alien, as if they had truly stepped into another world. When the wind finally emerged even it seemed unnatural whispering in a language that not even Cada Varl recognized.

As they turned the corner onto another bridge they could see immediately that it was far closer to the ground than its predecessors. But that quickly became an afterthought as from the corner of his vision Tanagy could see movement upon the ground 50-foot or so below them. Instantly he gestured for the group to crouch down and they did so without hesitation. Like mirror images of one another the group turned and peered down over the ledge of the bridge to see what had caused the movement.

Perhaps as few as 30 yards away from the bridge three werewolves could be seen, each wearing armor similar to the troop the group had just fought. Similar being the key word for two of the werewolves' wore armor far more extravagant, consisting of multiple layers and a rich yellow colour upon both shoulders. The yellow may not have resembled gold but it seemed a far more precious colour. These two werewolves who were large even by the standard of monsters stood at either side of a third werewolf. The third werewolf was draped in another kind of armor, far simpler than the other two, decorated on one shoulder by dark blue and black and a small symbol on the other.

The two yellow armored werewolves had forced the third to its knees placing all of their weight through their left feet upon the back of the third's knee. They held onto the third's shoulder and forearm holding its limbs tighter than even the most powerful of vices. The larger werewolves seemed to be speaking but the group could not make out what they were saying specifically. The Helluvans watched on in silence but when yet another werewolf came into view a collective gasp could be heard from them, looking upon this new monster it could easily be seen why.

The new werewolf was a giant even amongst these enormous creatures he bore armor even grander than the yellow shouldered monsters. Parts of his armor were also this magnificent yellow but there was much more of it upon what he wore. The detail of his armor was incredibly decorated not just by symbols and carvings, but by spikes and rounded blades making him by far the fiercest of the creatures below. Strangely he had a curved sword at his waist that looked more like a long dagger upon such a massive frame. His most striking feature however was the fur upon the left side of his jaw, it was a strange yellow, not gray, that was only slightly different to the colour that decorated parts of his armor.

This giant, for there was no other way to describe him approached the others standing before the kneeling monster. As their eyes met the kneeling monster was instantly consumed by fear that could be seen by the group even from such a distance. Blood cleaved from unknown wounds could be seen upon the kneeling werewolf, as the giant seemed to be asking something of it. A moment later and the giant raised a gargantuan hand that was so large it easily engulfed the face of the kneeling werewolf. It took only a second for the group to realize what the giant was doing as the kneeling werewolf began making a sound that was the very epitome of pain. The sound was so loud that the group heard it easily before the definite cracking of bone was heard. A second later and it was all over, the giant had literally crushed the skull and head of the kneeling monster. The giant then pulled the broken skull from the body, where it was accompanied by the creature's spine. The giant threw the bloody mess onto the ground as the other two werewolves allowed the eviscerated corpse to fall to the ground. The grizzly movement had been done with disturbing ease; the giant had shown no sign that it needed to summon excess strength to perform such a task. Even more disturbing may have been the fact that the giant did not raise his head and howl like a beast. The murder had been performed with cold cunning and silent ruthlessness.

Without saying anything Tanagy began crouch-walking across the bridge with the others soon following him. When they reached the other side they found themselves protected from view by two natural rock walls, yet this did nothing to lessen the look on their faces. The group quickly gathered in a circle each looking upon the others with a look of shock. For Helluvans who were well capable of hiding their emotions, this made their expressions even more intense. The sighting had been brief and yet it seemed to carry the gravity of a lifetime of staring. Cada Varl did not share the concerned expression of his comrades but could feel the heavy tension in the air just the same.

Leannol was the first to speak, "That was Thark."

Upon hearing these words the expression of the Immortal changed to match the Helluvans. With the exception of Gorgoza, Metamok and Yakarzin there was no werewolf more infamous than Thark. A warrior who it was said knew no equal, as the right hand of Gorgoza he had lead the king's armies against all opponents and had played a vital part in Gorgoza becoming the first king of his kind. By his hand it was said he had personally killed 10 million enemies. He was the leader of the Maka Vaon, the elite core of Gorgoza's army. Arguably there were even more stories of his boldness, bravery and butchery in battle than any werewolf ever known. The sword he carried was not used as a weapon but as a trinket of what he once was, before becoming a werewolf. Everyone but Thark himself had forgot such an identity, but there were many legends that claimed he was once any number of heroes of ancient legends. The fact that Gorgoza who had systemically obliterated everything created by mankind from the west allowed Thark to carry the sword proved just how highly the king had thought of him.

The strange yellowness that made up the fur of the side of his jaw was another source of mystery and legend. The most popular myth being that on a certain battlefield heavy rain was falling, preventing Thark from seeing his enemies clearly. Angered by the storm Thark demanded the rain to stop, when it continued he bellowed to the heavens and challenged Yockurin, the god of storms to a fight. It was said that Thark defeated Yockurin but for his victory he was struck by a lightning bolt that singed his flesh and changed the colour of his fur where the bolt struck as a reminder of what he had done. There was no evidence to support the myth and even though gods were suppose to be infinitely stronger than anything upon the earth, the aura Thark held made this myth seem credible.

"What is he doing in a city such as this?" Gokkus asked, a great need for an answer was clear in his tone. The question was a heavy one, it did not seem right that Thark would be in a city but rather on a battlefield fighting on the front line. The group stayed silent listening to the still wind hoping to hear the sounds of battle for it would bring sense to Thark's presence and yet the wind remained still and silent. Werewolf battles were as ferocious as they were loud. Often upon the Helluvan borders battles in the west could be heard from distances much further than any eye could see. The silence revealed no such battle had taken place. Further proof could be seen in the buildings, temples and the city floor. There was no damage or corpses to be found, meaning a battle had not taken place. The air also did not smell of death further proving no great battles had occurred recently.

"I think the better question is why was Thark killing a Gorgozian soldier," Zova said.

Like the light of an explosion in the dead of night her words brought the complete attention of everyone upon her. "That was a Gorgozian soldier?" Tanagy asked as if he had just been told the sky was in fact the ocean and he had spent his life upside down in a strange world. Zova nodded and explained herself without prompting, "I do not know what division it was from, but the symbol upon its shoulder was the badge of Gorgoza..." The group looked around to one another each with an expression of utter confusion and dread. Zova was known by the title of Infinite Eye for a reason, if she said she saw the badge of Gorgoza then there was no mistaking what she had seen.

All eyes now fell upon Cada Varl like a volley of arrows,

"Cada Varl," Hazum Ka-te said with unusual concern in his voice, "How did Gorgoza die?"

Cada Varl paused for a moment bringing a most unwelcome silence before he shook his head

"I honestly do not know, the werewolf that told me of Gorgoza's passing in Uldaween only said that he had been assassinated."

The group then looked back to one another each searching for an answer that was never found. Imbaka was the next to speak, her words heavy and somewhat forced, "Out of all those under his command who would have been able to get close enough to Gorgoza, to kill him?"

Like a hammer upon a defenseless piece of clay her words struck each of them including the Immortal. They knew exactly what she was implying but it was strengthened by the undeniable truth that it made sense.

"Thark betrayed Gorgoza?" Leannol asked, her words hollowed by disbelief.

The ramifications of this now likely possibility were vast, without Yakarzin to lead them Thark would have been the only warrior capable of keeping Gorgoza loyalists united and therefore capable of defeating Metamok. If he was now under the command of Metamok there seemed no one capable of stopping him from conquering all.

Gokkus then said, "If Thark is in such a place, hunting down loyalists who haven't been able to mount a defense than that would mean...."

"That the Gorgozian loyalists are on the brink of collapse and Metamok's conquest of the west is almost complete," Zova said.

"With the west conquered he will look towards the east...." Hazum Ka-te said with the same kind of heavy hollowness.

"Starting with the destruction of Helluv," Imbaka added.

All of these words had been spoken in a perfect way, one after the other. It was like the demon god of dread had possessed each of them spreading its darkness through their souls. There was no denying now the dread that filled each of the Helluvans as visions of their homeland being torn apart by the clutches of monsters played out in their minds like the darkest of bad dreams.

Seeing the heaviness that filled each of the Helluvans Cada Varl spoke up.

" Thark may not be working for Metamok, the soldier he killed may have been a traitor to the cause."

Though this was more than a credible theory the Helluvans appeared unconvinced, the vision of their homeland burning was more powerful mentally than even Cada Varl was physically.

"If that were the case Thark would have removed the symbol of Gorgoza from the werewolf's armor before he killed it," Imbaka said with an iron conviction.

Cada Varl fell silent, in his haste he had forgotten that his companions knew far more about the west than he did.

"What about the symbol on Thark's arm, was it of Metamok's army?" Hazum Ka-te asked seemingly hoping that Cada Varl had sparked a chance for another possibility.

Zova shook her head, "It was the symbol of the Maka Vaon...."

Simply put the symbol of the Maka Vaon was one of loyalty to Thark not to Gorgoza, it had always been that way.

"This may explain the presence of the soldiers we killed before we entered the city," said Imbaka. At first this statement may have appeared random but in fact was not. Perhaps the 40 odd troops the Helluvans had killed were aware of Thark's nearby presence and were in fact in hiding, waiting for others to join them before they escaped into the mountains.

But there was one problem with this theory as Tanagy said, "But they were not soldiers of Metamok or Gorgozian loyalists."

This revelation did not impact the group that much for each was well aware that there were many other would be usurpers in the west.

"Judging by the size of their encampment however I would say they as well were on the brink of collapse," Gokkus painfully pointed out.

"We need to create time," Imbaka said suddenly. "We cannot allow Metamok such control over the west."

Tensions and emotions seemed higher than even the sky above.

"We have to kill Thark," Imbaka said.

Now every eye was upon her but it was Cada Varl who seemed the most shaken by such a notion "What would that accomplish?" he asked not intending to be aggressive but he did so anyway.

"With Thark dead his troops would abandon this city, allowing the Gargozain loyalists a chance to escape and regroup," Imbaka answered with great conviction in her voice.

"How much time will that grant them if it is how you believe," Cada Varl asked keeping his voice in a very forced calm. "If they could not even mount a defense of this city than what could they do to stop Metamok? What value could they possess if they went into hiding?"

Imbaka may not have had an answer for Cada Varl but Leannol did.

"The value of information."

Cada Varl looked to the red haired woman warrior but said nothing.

"Gorgoza might be dead but there are other warlords who would be fighting for control of the west as well," she added.

"But the fight has always been between Gorgoza and Metamok, like two bulls constantly shoving one another for dominance, the other warlords are the equivalent of feral cats," Hazum Ka-te said not to diminish the words of his comrade but rather to get all the facts out.

"But put yourself in the loyalists shoes, if you had a chance to escape but had no army to call your own what would be on your mind?" Imbaka asked Hazum Ka-te quickly.

He responded, "Revenge, or rather what I could do to get revenge."

"The survivors might ally themselves with another warlord granting them valuable information about things that only the loyalists could know," Tanagy added.

"Giving them a serious advantage to stand against Metamok," Zova said.

"Keeping the war brewing for a long time," Gokkus added.

The demon god of dread now seemed to be replaced by the spirit of hope bringing light to darkness that had plagued them. But Cada Varl was the exception, the idea of trying to kill Thark was the equivalent of deciding one day that you were going to pull the clouds and blue out of the sky and use them to decorate your house without the gods knowing about it. The risk was tremendous and even if they managed to kill Thark their presence would become known within the city. Cada Varl had to think of something valid and think of it quickly.

"Wait," he said bringing all eyes towards him. "What if Thark is in command of his own army and he has chosen to stand against Metamok and become ruler of the west for himself?"

The Immortal's question at first was met by silence until Imbaka said, "It is too slim of a possibility Cada Varl. If that were truly the case he would not have killed that loyalist just then, they would have gladly served under him. Someone wanting conquest would not throw away a chance to command another soldier."

Cada Varl became silent, he did not want to but he could not think of another argument. The idea of trying to kill one of the greatest werewolf warriors of all time was bad enough. But even if they managed to successfully kill him it seemed a certainty those under his command, the elite of the elite would discover their presence and they were a force that the Immortal did not want to face. Emotions may have been high but Helluvans were not a breed that acted hastily and without thought. But beyond this Cada Varl could see the intensity in each of their eyes, it was so great that he almost could see inside their minds, towards what they were thinking. Each Helluvan was imagining their homeland burning in flames strangled by an inferno. That is when a certain memory came into the head of the Immortal, his own kingdom of Gatavoi burning as it was ravaged by these damn beasts. That is when a far more recent memory came into his mind, what Granzool had said to him before the journey had commenced. That these warriors were dedicated to the cause but the good of Helluv always came first. Time is what the Helluvans wanted and nothing the Immortal could say would change that. Finally he said, "Okay, how are we going to kill him?"

### Chapter 10

The world itself felt like it had been suddenly changed forever as if a new god had taken the throne of existence for itself and now was hurriedly reshaping the world in its image. The journey had changed from a frustrating yet successful approach to something else entirely. Though the decision to kill Thark had been made quickly its execution was anything but rushed. Before the group could simply fire an arrow at Thark within the city the leader of the Maka Voan and his cohorts had disappeared from sight. Cada Varl feared that the group would be forced into a kind of cat and mouse predicament, searching for Thark through the city, but something far more effective (seemingly) took place.

In only a matter of several hours the group had found their way out of the city, taking refuge in nearby woodlands whose terrain offered little to the imagination. From there the group had quickly devised a plan with the cunning and cleverness of any hunter. Imbaka and Leannol had soon discovered that Thark had camped his troops outside of the city walls in low lying lands to the north, roughly half a mile or so from where the group now was. Firewood had been cleaved by the likes of Hazum Ka-te and Tanagy but no fire had yet been forged. Around the yet to be lit fire the group stood and listened to what Imbaka had to say.

She informed the group that there were no more than 800 enemies within the camp although there was a chance that more were still in the city and would arrive later. She pointed out that the only natural defense the camp had was a ridgeline in the east, a place the group could easily reach without being seen. Since the ridge wall would prevent a large-scale enemy attack, camp guards would be looking out to the more open landscapes of the other directions. The camp had been set out in typical werewolf fashion with what appeared to be the commander's quarters placed in the center. The mindset of the Helluvans now was almost animalistic to the point that they were hungry beasts needing to kill their selected prey. Cada Varl could feel it in the air as the group asked a number of questions most of which Imbaka and Leannol had an answer to.

It was then time for Hazum Ka-te and Tanagy to leave, in order to find an effective route of retreat, which would not lead them back into the mountain ranges or even the tropics. It would be a lie not to say that Cada Varl felt useless in this situation. For all of his great strength and skill with a sword it had not so much as been suggested by anyone that he attempt to kill Thark. For their entire life Helluvans had been trained to be the most effective warriors that humans could be, to fight and survive in just about any situation and depending on an outsider, even an immortal one was simply not how they saw the world.

As the group waited for Hazum Ka-te and Tanagy to return Cada Varl watched as Gokkus took his pack and laid it at his side before crouching onto the ground. The man dressed in black took something from his pack that the Immortal did not recognize and in actuality appeared to be little more than a rectangular shaped wooden box. As best he could Cada Varl studied the box looking for signs to its true identity as Gokkus looked over it with a careful eye as if to ensure it possessed no flaw. The only other thing the Immortal could see was that the box possessed a set of simple hinges on its side, allowing the box to open vertically like the mutated jaws of some strange creature. The box also possessed an opening at one end that could easily be sealed by some kind of metal lid.

Gokkus opened the simple lid and using the light of the afternoon sun to increase his vision he peered down into the box. Though the Immortal did not know what he was looking for, clearly the man in black was satisfied with what he saw as he then placed the box onto the ground and reached back into his pack.

After several moments he took in hand a number of very small bags and a jar. Using the length of his arm he pressed these items against his stomach as he took the box in hand and while crouching turned away from the others as if whatever he was doing was to be kept secret. Cada Varl was curious but not enough to disrespect Gokkus by peering over his shoulder; instead he looked to the Helluvan women who had not simply been standing around.

Sitting in a line with Leannol in the middle the women were talking about the enemy camp. Soon a blank parchment and some kind of ink and quill were taken from Leannol's bag and in a moment the Immortal realized what they were doing. The Helluvan women were drawing a picture of the enemy camp and even though Zova had not seen it she listened intently to what the other two had to say.

Cada Varl could hear Gokkus opening bags and placing their content inside of the box, but only looked towards him when the man dressed in black took in hand his water-skin. Strangely in place of drinking the water he carefully placed a certain amount of it inside of the box, where not so much as a single drop leaked out. To the Immortal it seemed strange that Gokkus appeared to be trying to hide what he was doing from the others, who took no notice of what he was doing. The Immortal thought ' _if it was that important than why didn't the man dressed in black simply leave the area and perform his task in solitude?'_ After all there was plenty of space in these woods that appeared to bear no other life than the group themselves. Whatever he was doing it was a complicated procedure, but one he had performed many times as he continuously added ingredients to the mix without taking his eyes away from the box.

Cada Varl looked back and forth from Gokkus to the Helluvan women, remaining silent as they went about accomplishing their tasks. Finally the man in black seemed finished with whatever he was doing and began holding the box as if suddenly it had become very unstable. He half turned in the direction of the Helluvan women where without being motioned Zova stood up and approached him. With a touch that was as gentle as it was careful she took the box from him and held it in a precise position with one hand on either end of it. Cada Varl watched for a moment taking notice of how Zova kept the box at the exact same level as she slowly moved away from the man dressed in black.

As Gokkus began putting things back into the pack it became clear to Cada Varl that he hadn't been hiding what he was doing, but rather how he was doing it. Still feeling useless the Immortal offered these words to Zova, "Would you like me to hold that Zova, it will allow your hands to do other things?"

Zova glanced towards the Immortal gently shaking her head but Gokkus was the one to respond. The man dressed in black turned his body so that he remained crouching as he looked in the Immortal's eyes. "Do not worry Cada Varl...." he said, "You have a duty to perform, but not yet." Cada Varl gave a nod of respect though it was unclear what such a duty was.

Gokkus motioned for Cada Varl to crouch at his side as he reached into his pack once again. This time in place of taking out bags and jars, he took out pieces of both wood and steel, each a different shape, size and width to one another before placing them in some kind of assembly on the ground before him. To the Immortal they looked like nothing more than random pieces that did not serve any purpose, like a jigsaw puzzle that had just been taken out of the box. But to Gokkus they were something different entirely and it did not take long for him to make something out of the random pieces. As the man dressed in black slid, bolted and connected the pieces together the Immortal thought that whatever he was making had something to do with his 'duty' but this was not the case.

It was only when the thing was 90 percent assembled that the Immortal realized what it was. A crossbow that was so large it seemed more suited to the defending of castle walls than anything portable. Unlike other hand held weapons of its kind this crossbow ended with a large semi circle that Gokkus soon explained rested over and under the shoulder to allow for better stability. Gokkus had assembled almost the entire thing by himself and only needed or rather asked Cada Varl to bend the bow of the weapon as he carefully threaded a thick black string upon it, tying it up and over on both ends. If this was the duty of the Immortal than it seemed an unnecessary one, because Gokkus easily could have bent the bow himself. Nevertheless Cada Varl did what was asked of him and soon the weapon was ready. It was a complicated thing to say the least with some kind of strange pulley system that the Immortal did not quite understand, regardless of how well the man dressed in black had explained it to him. It seemed that Gokkus had simply gotten Cada Varl to observe him as he performed this task, like he almost could sense that Cada Varl was feeling useless and went out of his way to make him feel a part of the group. Though the Immortal was ultimately against the decision to attempt an assassination of Thark he had always felt to be a welcomed if not vital part of the team.

With the crossbow assembled Gokkus would sporadically check to ensure that its sighting was not off. The Immortal looked elsewhere between Zova who continued to hold the strange box on the exact same level to Imbaka and Leannol who continued adding detail to the map they were creating.

It was the birth of dusk by the time Tanagy and Hazum Ka-te had gotten back; they were greeted by the bowing of heads before Imbaka asked, "Is there a viable path of retreat?"

Hazum Ka-te nodded but looked to the Abider to explain more. "These woods only go on for a few more miles, after them there are swamplands, that are simply impassible to a large group on the march, but they shouldn't cause us too much trouble."

"We do not know what lies beyond the swamps, but the path will serve our purpose," Hazum Ka-te said almost interrupting his younger companion. A look of slight frustration flashed in the eyes of the Abider as he looked to the older man, but such an expression vanished as he looked back and said, "I have left markings that only Helluvans will recognize, my memory of the path is strong...."

Imbaka nodded before she looked up to the darkening sky and said, " Night will soon fall, hopefully it brings as much darkness as needed." The group collectively then looked up at the sky but no one said anything to encourage or contradict the statement.

Frustratingly Mother Nature did not oblige the group in their hope, summoning not only the full moon but seemingly every single star the sky had to offer. The moon and the stars covered the forest and therefore the landscapes beyond it in an unwelcome light. Leannol and Imbaka had become satisfied with their creation and immediately Cada Varl noticed that its detail and descriptions could clearly be seen. They had used some kind of ink that did not quite glow but still could be seen clearly in the near darkness.

"It almost glows?" Cada Varl said as he looked down upon the map. Leannol looked up to the Immortal and explained, "Ballaus ink, made specifically to be seen in the dark of night, did you not smell its powerful odor?"

Cada Varl lifted his head slightly, as he said, "No."

Her question was a reminder of what he was, having not smelled the odor before he became an immortal, prevented any memory to remind him of such a smell.

With the map complete there still seemed much to do. Zova carefully handed the strange box to Tanagy as both she and Gokkus stood by the side of Leannol as she went over the map with them. Hazum Ka-te was now crouching over the unlit fire bending leaves and other such things over it before he sent spark to it using a knife and some kind of flint. As the fire was born it resembled more the highly heated top of a homemade pie than a regular fire. The whole thing glowed as it was made up of embers in place of free flame. It did not need to be explained to anyone, this fire was being used for its warmth not its light and would be difficult to be seen unless several feet away from it.

As Zova, Gokkus and Leannol looked over the map the rest of the group was silent with Imbaka and Hazum Ka-te sitting next to the fire while Tanagy held the box with as much care as Zova did. Cada Varl stood watching it all as he put the pieces together for himself as to what was actually going to happen. Once Gokkus and Zova had no more questions to be asked of the red haired warrior Gokkus took the map from her, placing it under his black garments around his waist. Now Imbaka stood back up and walked over to Gokkus and Zova as the man dressed in black went over to the pack that the Immortal carried taking out several rolls of material that was the same colour as his garments.

Zova stood with both her arms and legs spread as Imbaka and Gokkus began wrapping the black material around her in a coordinated fashion. The Immortal watched as the light that reflected off of her armor vanished and she was encased completely in the black material, leaving only a slit across her face for her eyes to see out of. Her long wild hair was carefully and completely tucked in under the black, if it had not been for the shape of her body she now would look almost exactly like Gokkus.

Just after Zova had been dressed a very strange sound came from the box; it was not quite a clicking sound, not quite a hissing sound but something in between. All eyes were drawn to it as Tanagy looked towards Gokkus. The man dressed in black walked over to the Abider and took the box from him, placing his finger upon a slight indentation on its side. After a moment he looked to the group and said, "It is ready."

"May I ask what it is?" Cada Varl said having wanted to know its context since the very beginning.

Gokkus did not hesitate in his reply, " Molin, a kind of artificial ice that takes a very long time to melt and is much easier to form."

Now seemingly only for the Immortal's benefit Gokkus explained all. "We are making a crossbow bolt out of Molin; using the crossbow Zova will fire it into Thark's heart. The bolt will shatter upon impact leaving no trace but its tip, which will be lodged inside the body of the target. Even if the werewolves pull out his heart to find the cause of his death, it will appear no different than the very tip of a Gotianik. There will be no trace of us for them to find, in and out quickly...." Cada Varl was impressed by the notion and peered towards the box as if hoping that he could somehow now see through it at the Molin bolt.

"She will only have one shot?" Cada Varl asked as if he needed clarification.

"One shot is all she will need," Hazum Ka-te answered without looking up from the embers of the strange fire. Typical of Helluvans they never bragged about their own abilities with Zova showing no sign of arrogance towards her own skill.

As Zova picked up the giant crossbow from the ground Gokkus yet again went inside his own pack taking in a hand a bottle so small it was difficult to be seen. He somehow removed its tiny lid and placed a dab of its clear liquid onto the forehead of Zova before doing the same to his own forehead.

"Sheki," Gokkus said almost as if he could telepathically read the mind of the Immortal.

"A complicated mixture that suppresses human scent and makes us resistant to carrying any smell."

"Resistant?" said Cada Varl, "It does not mask your scent completely?"

It was an honest question with which it received an honest answer from Zova

"Not completely no, but we know what we are doing Cada Varl."

The Immortal fell silent, he knew that no matter what they did there was still great risk involved a fact that his Helluvan companions not only knew but also had accepted.

Now the entire group stood up in a kind of crooked line facing the man and now woman dressed in black. Zova and Gokkus went down the line grasping forearms and bowing heads but remaining silent. When they reached Cada Varl they did the same who bowed back. There was nothing said until Zova and Gokkus had vanished from sight moving silently through the forest and to the world outside.

"Cada Varl," Imbaka said with a strange softness in her voice.

"Yes Imbaka?" He asked.

"Please stand watch and as soon as you see them coming back this way let us know."

The Immortal nodded before he took several steps and did what was asked of him while the others sat quietly around the fire.

The heaviness of the silence that fell was most justified, as good of a plan they possessed the odds were still undoubtedly stacked against them. Not once did the Immortal not believe the skill and abilities of his companions but it was a task that even he would find difficult to accomplish, all he could do was stand and wait for any sign of their return.

With Gokkus leading the two Helluvans left the edge of the forest and entered a more opened plain. Occasionally Gokkus would quickly glance at the map that had been given to him but he seemed to retain most of its imagery in his memory. The two Helluvans were so silent they made a breeze sound like thunder as they moved through the wilderness.

Suddenly Zova grabbed onto the shoulder of Gokkus prompting him to stand perfectly still. Zova searched the darkness to the right of her; sure that she had seen some kind of movement. When it was revealed that such a movement was nothing more than a large bird feasting on insects upon the ground the two preceded with their plan.

The half a mile or so trek felt more like a journey in itself as their minds were weighed down by the responsibility that they possessed, especially Zova. Fortune, if only briefly seemed to smile upon them as the landscape offered no hinder and in actuality it did not take them long to reach the ridge. They had yet to see any sign of the enemy camp but they knew it was close and according to the map just over the ridge.

The landscape behind the ridge seemed as random as it was uneven and it proved difficult to find a spot where they would not be overexposed. Placing their bodies in an uncomfortable position of half lying, half sitting upon the ground they looked over the ridge and saw beyond it. As they looked across the distance of the camp they could immediately see that the camp held several hundred more than the original 800 werewolves that were originally counted. In place of being a bad thing the additional werewolves were an indication that perhaps the entire troop was now within the camp. There was a very large bonfire burning near the center of the camp though nobody sat around it. Most of the werewolves were sitting around much smaller fires that had been set up in a strange pattern that could only be fully seen through the eyes of a bird flying overhead.

The scent of the fires filled the air and morbidly they smelled of burning flesh yet it did not appear as if the werewolves had been cooking anything. Guards were picketed on all sides including near the ridge. That was something the Helluvans had not expected. Why would they? It seemed impractical to have guards facing something that easily could be used as a natural defense against enemy attack. The closest guards to the Helluvans was only about 20 yards away, this combined with the light of the moon and the stars, not to mention the vision werewolves possessed made the risk of detection extremely high.

Both Gokkus and Zova looked around the camp to each of the fires and the werewolves that gathered around them. They could see that many of the beast warriors were drinking deeply from enormous cups, no doubt enjoying the sting of ale. Their eyes locked onto what lay at the center of the camp not far from the roaring bon fire.

A simple tent made seemingly from some kind of hide stood alone with the symbol of the Maka Voan carved into its top. The tent was not there because of some kind of vanity or a need to be recognized by Thark but rather its use was practical. The tent was little more than a place to keep maps and other plans out of harm's way from the weather that had always proven itself to be unpredictable.

It was within this tent that Thark must have been for his enormous frame and yellow fur covered jaw could not be seen elsewhere. Zova focused her gaze upon the tent as the man dressed in black opened the box so carefully that the hinges did not make any sound as they folded. As the box opened it revealed a bolt that looked more like it had been carved out of some kind of white wood than ice. It had a sharp silver tip that seemed to have somehow been treated so that it did not catch the light of the moon across it. Its size was the perfect counterpart to the crossbow being several times larger than even the broadest of arrows. As Zova placed the crossbow so that its strange end was above and below her right shoulder Gokkus carefully placed the bolt upon the string of the weapon before reaching his hand over Zova as he began to slowly turn the strange pulley system. Centimeter by centimeter the string was pulled up and already great pressure could be seen upon it. Zova kept her eye upon the camp looking for any sight of her target, as much as they both wanted this over they would have to be patience and wait for Thark to leave the tent.

The string had soon been pulled back completely and its strength could be seen by just how severely the bow had been curved. All they needed now was a target.

As Zova Kept her eye upon the tent Gokkus continued looking over the entire camp making sure that none of the werewolves were looking in their direction. Even the closest of the guards seemed preoccupied with its own thoughts standing at attention but staring at the ground before it. They could see the werewolves communicating in various ways, as some talked softly to one another, others were cackling at something that only werewolves could find humor in.

Minutes seemed to pass like hours but there was still no sign of the Thark. Then the night air began moving swiftly summoning a wind that came across the camp and as it did so Gokkus and Zova held their breath silently cursing this act of the nature. They watched as almost in unison a large number of werewolves raised their heads and sniffed the air. All they could do is wait and see if these monsters could smell their presence in the wind. Now it was so tense that seconds passed like days as the werewolves kept their heads raised. Gokkus looked down upon the closest guard and was silently grateful that its head remained lowered.

The wind eventually passed and the werewolves resumed what they were doing before it came. Either the Sheki had done what it was meant to do or the wind simply had not been close enough to pick up their scent. In any case they remained undetected but it was a close call, too close in both of their minds.

Then both Zova and Gokkus noticed a single werewolf and when they saw it their blood became as cold as the Molin of the bolt. The werewolf appeared to be staring directly at them. Both remained as motionless as possible in an attempt to salvage the chance that they had not yet been seen. The werewolf began walking towards the ridgeline, its gaze appearing not to move away from them. As the werewolf passed the borders of the camp it gained the attention of several guards who watched as it approached the ridge. It was then with the creature less than 20 or so feet below them that they realized it was not looking at them at all but something upon the rock face. It snarled slightly as it took in hand something from the ridge, perhaps nothing more than a piece of rock before it turned and reentered the camp. The pair began breathing again though their hearts remained beating faster than even the drum god could contend with.

They continued to wait for any sign of Thark and after sometime a commotion began at the other end of the camp. Both Zova and Gokkus were drawn to the commotion and watched as a small group of werewolves entered the camp with a giant amongst them. Believing that it may have been Thark himself Zova redirected her aim and watched as the group moved further into the camp. As they passed the light of a roaring fire Zova could see that the giant was not Thark for it possessed no discoloured fur.

But before her hope sank completely she was drawn to movement from the tent as Thark appeared from its entrance. His gaze was drawn to the new group of his kin but the light of the fire illuminated his position. Quickly but carefully Zova took aim and felt as if the very world itself was ready to crash down upon her if she failed. Even for one as skilled as her it was a hell of a shot to make. She held her breath and steadied her aim, as the leader of the Maka Vaon appeared to be angry with the approaching group. She studied the beast's armored chest and found her mark but did not yet fire, the air may have been quiet but it was not yet completely still. Too much was riding on this one shot to make a mistake now. Feeling the pressure his companion was under Gokkus held his breath as well.

Then the air began to move but not in front of them but rather behind them. Mother Nature was up to her old tricks again and this time the wind would fall over them before sweeping across the camp, bringing their scent with it. From such a direction it was doubtful that the Sheki could override such a power. Time had been taken from them and now Zova had only a second to fire her bolt before their presence would become known.

Time did not slow down but if anything seemed to hurry as if it was racing Zova to see what would happen first. Zova fired the bolt and it was launched from the weapon with incredibly velocity. It all occurred so quickly that as soon as the bolt struck the chest of Thark, shattering into nothingness Zova and Gokkus moved away. But not before the man dressed in black took notice of how the guard who had seemed lost in its own head was now staring in their direction.

They moved quickly down the ridge as the wind swept across the camp, they had beaten it but only barely and had not taken the time to see Thark had fallen. Believing the guard had spotted them Gokkus and Zova ran through the darkness as a choir of howls sounding like it was from the depths of the darkest pit cursed the air behind them.

Back at the Helluvan camp nothing had changed, the remaining Helluvans all sat around the fire saying nothing to one another as Cada Varl peered out into the moonlit darkness. The thick tension of the air had made the passing of time as slow as it was frustrating but when Cada Varl suddenly said, "They are approaching." New life seemed to fill the group, they sprang to action, gathering up their packs and quickly dousing the fire.

"Is anything following them?" Hazum Ka-te asked desperation clear in his normally calm voice. The moment it took for the Immortal to answer felt more a year filled with long days. The smallest of smirks appeared out of the corner of his mouth as the Immortal replied, "No, nothing."

### Chapter 11

There was no celebrating or talks of grandeur to be had, as soon as Gokkus and Zova had reached the others the fire had been put out, packs had be taken and the entire group was moving hastily through the woods. It was now that the light of the full moon and its many star companions were welcomed for it made the journey easier to perform. Tanagy's memory was flawless as the grouped followed him without delay through the woods and beyond. It was only when the group had made it into the swamplands that Gokkus spoke of the possibility that they may have been seen, ultimately though it was irrelevant for the task had been completed.

The swamp was far from welcoming to the group and more than once it seemed invested in stopping them. They moved through the entire night at a running pace that incredibly the Helluvans did not struggle to perform. If Gokkus and Zova had been seen and there were enemy troops out looking for them, the group had yet to see them.

By the following morning they had made their way out of the swamps and it was soon decided that they had garnered enough distance. They found shelter in a simple cave where the Helluvans proceeded to quickly fall asleep lying next to one another. They had been moving all night and though surely they must have been exhausted the act seemed more out of commonsense than a need for slumber. For the entire journey Cada Varl had not stopped being impressed by his companions. There was a reason why they were both feared and renowned for their courage, strength and bravery in both the east and the west because it was all true.

Cada Varl kept a look out upon the land beyond the cave, noticing that it was a terrain of hills covered with fresh green grass and yet the sky was anything but clear. Beyond the hills the very clouds themselves seemed to hover mere inches off the ground, the mist in the distance was that thick. Even when the Helluvans woke up almost at the exact same time in the early afternoon the mist still had not lifted.

The group had had roughly four hours of sleep and yet they all appeared to have slept soundly. An uncooked breakfast was then eaten with the only thing being said was a question by Gokkus to the Immortal, asking if there was any sign of the enemy. If he was relieved that Cada Varl's answer was no than the man dressed in black did not show it. The night before had happened so quickly yet in the mind of the Immortal seemed like it had happened many decades ago, like a thing of legend. In a way it was, or rather it was deserving of a legend. His companions may have been the most skilled and strongest of humanity the east had to offer but they were still humans. The fact they had executed arguably the greatest warrior in werewolf history without being caught or suffering a single casualty was a feat that deserved a legendary status.

Before Cada Varl could even finish thinking about what a great feat it truly had been the group was already packed and ready to go. Like always the group was anything but egotistical, they may have accomplished something truly legendary but their quest was not over, far from it. Without a single word said between them the group continued onwards moving through the landscape of sloping hills and strange thick fog. Some parts of the terrain felt and looked like an image from summer while others seemed more suited to the cold of a highland winter.

It always felt like a strange place, the west, for the sheer fact that no matter what terrain they found themselves in the group always could feel a heavy isolation in the air. It was as if this part of the world had not seen humans for so long that it was curious just to observe them and would not allow any creature to go near them.

After an hour or so it looked as if such a landscape was nearing its end for they came across a massive slope that strained their eyes to see the top of. Moving up such a steep slope they stayed close together moving side by side as opposed to behind one another. Such a small thing would prove itself as lucky as it was vital for what lay beyond that slope.

Before they had even reached the very top they could see that something was moving up there and as they took their final steps they came into a horrid view. There were not the only life to be found in this place for a group perhaps three times the size as them had been coming from the other direction and like always in the west it was not a friendly group. Enemy warriors, each clad in armor decorated by some kind of orange colouring upon the right shoulder now stood before them.

Both groups were as surprised as one other upon seeing each other. Both had reason to be surprised for neither was expecting such a sight. The second of silence that followed felt more like a thousand years, as both groups stood simply staring at one another. The Helluvans were the first to act and without a word they all dropped their packs onto the ground shattering the silence with a collective thud. Zova even managed to take out her bow and deliver a fatal shot to her closest enemy counterpart before the werewolves could react. Before the dead werewolf had even hit the ground its kin had rushed forward in a single mass, instinct and training took over. On the Helluvan side weapons were drawn with Cada Varl dropping his pack and being a step behind his companions. These orange uniformed enemies may not have been as well armed as their red wearing counterparts but they did not have to deal with the terrain or Helluvan arrows, this would be a fight as close as it was bloody.

It seemed the Immortal realized this and lunged himself into the heart of the enemy group, driving his sword straight through the heart of a werewolf, he used its body to block the swipes and stabs of his enemies as he forced his way inward. Like a roof suddenly collapsing the werewolves around him leapt upon him. He was able to slew two of them before he vanished from sight. A second or so later he could be seen again as he fought back with savage ferocity. As a werewolf fell before him its kin quickly stepped back to avoid the brunt of his blade.

The Helluvans on the other hand simply could not have been so aggressive. Even with the Immortal's sudden offense they were outnumbered and immediately had to block the blades of Gotianik and other such weapons that came at them from several directions. The Helluvans were pushed back and became separated from the Immortal, forced into a kind of semicircle, with the curve of the shape facing the enemy.

Out of the Helluvans Leannol was the first to land an offensive blow and she did not waste the opportunity. With awe inspiring skill she easily bypassed the many blades of the enemy and drove the tip of her weapon into an enemy's heart with enough power to strike through the armor. Instantly she pulled back avoiding the hungry weapons of the werewolves. As she blocked the Gotianik gloves of one enemy Imbaka defended her from another attack, placing herself in harm's way to protect her companion.

There seemed little order to the conflict with one side simply trying to devour the other. Gokkus using his double bladed weapon was able to block an enemy attack with one end and attack with the other, he delivered a nasty blow to werewolf's neck, one that would hurt but would not kill. The injured enemy roared in defiance as if to show the man dressed in black that it was still alive. It attacked with the blades of its gloves while Gokkus was still fending off the attack of another. Gokkus moved his weapon effortlessly so that he was blocking the Gotianik gloves of both enemies.

Instantly Tanagy exploited the opportunity burying one of his swords into the side of the werewolf's neck, while at the same time his other sword had been stabbed through the heart of another enemy. His blow had not been powerful enough to decapitate the beast but the axe head of Leannol's weapon saw that the dreaded thing's skull was removed from its shoulders.

The Helluvans may have been outnumbered but they fought with much better unison than their monstrous counterparts. Even the movement they made was fluid, as some blocked attacks while others exploited the situations all working effectively to kill their enemy. They were working so well together it was more like they were the limbs of some strange being rather than 6 individuals. They stayed close, but not to close so they could not maneuver.

After Leannol had smashed her axe into the face of yet another enemy Imbaka was right there behind her. Using Leannol's strong shoulders to elevate herself she literally leapt over her red haired companion and finished the enemy off with two heavy swings that decapitated it.

Hazum Ka-te was proving that the sheer size of the Cloud Cutter did nothing to slow him down as he wielded it as if it was no more than a small stick. The broad head of his weapon allowed him to counter anything his enemies could offer, while at the same time he was able to deliver powerful and effective counter strikes. Using Hazum Ka-te as a kind of living and killer shield Zova wielded her sword with equally impressive skill. Because of the enemies armor she was forced to limit her attacks to thrusts and stabs but this seemed to do nothing to stop her effectiveness.

Somewhere amongst the chaos two werewolves who were attacking from either side of him forced Tanagy back away from the others. His hands and arms were moving so quickly it was hard for the human eye to keep up with them and yet he did not appear to be struggling to fend off the attacks of his enemy counterparts. He even managed to slash his weapon across one of their eyes before the other suddenly howled in pain as blood began to explode out of the back of its head. Incredibly Gokkus who was locked in a ferocious conflict of his own had not only seen what was happening to Tanagy but had managed to pull out some kind of projectile and accurately thrown it. Like before Tanagy did not waste the opportunity, slaying the beast quickly before focusing on the foe that remained. Twin swords and Gotianik clashed in a fury of sparks and piercing sounds. The fact Tanagy kept up with the creature was impressive enough but he wasn't even struggling to do so. He was watching the movements of his enemy looking for something that only he could see. Suddenly the fury came to an end as Tanagy's sword struck the chest of his foe while the other blocked an otherwise fatal enemy strike. Tanagy did not even wait for the thing to fall he rushed forward to join his companions, crossing his swords one way and then the other, delivering a total of four strikes that removed the head of yet another adversary.

Zova was thrown into Tanagy as she fended off the bladed gloves of a powerful werewolf. But before her enemy could capitalize the Cloud Cutter was plunged into its chest, with so much force that the piercing sound could be heard above everything else and by all combatants.

Silently Imbaka thanked her armor as enemy blades scraped across it, training and instinct had made her reflexes almost inhuman. Before the enemy blades had even finished moving across her armor she had killed their owner swiftly. As Imbaka fought off another attack Leannol stabbed the spear tip of her unique weapon into one werewolf before hammering the axe head down upon the nape of another's neck.

Hazum Ka-te was proving that his great reputation was anything but myth. After stopping the blades of one enemy he killed three others in quick succession stabbing his spear into their hearts so quickly that all three monsters fell to the ground at the exact same time. In this fight the enemy's armor seemed to make little difference as time and time again the Helluvans killed their enemies seemingly just as quickly if they had not been wearing the protective steel. They were not the only ones doing well for as they fought bravely they could see at least half a dozen or so werewolves being launched into the air behind the group they were fighting.

How Cada Varl had accomplished this could not be seen but it was clear that he was making the superiority of enemy numbers irrelevant. From all sides they attacked him; he was moving so quickly to counter each of their blows that it seemed more actions of instinct than vision. His arm moved 360 degrees performing angles that were humanly impossible. He was cutting through the enemy mass of muscle, armor and fur like it was nothing more than blades of grass. As body parts fell around him he appeared as if in some kind of morbid scenery were falling snow was replaced by body parts. He had cut through the entire length of the enemy group and now was facing inward.

Despite the fact they originally had been heavily outnumbered, the Helluvans and Cada Varl had the advantage. Reminiscent of the 'hammer and anvil' technique military commanders had been using for thousands of years they began closing in on their enemy counterparts. To say the air was thick as blood was accurate because most of it was actually filled with the substance. The Immortal killed six of the enemies with an ongoing strike causing a collective decapitation where the bodies fell before the heads hit the ground. Cada Varl however was not the only one spreading the embrace of death for with their numbers advantage quickly depleting the werewolves could no longer overwhelm them.

Imbaka and Zova used their swords to pierce the hearts of any enemies' close enough for their swords to reach. Tanagy's swords continued to sever heads, as did Gokkus; Leannol used which either end of her weapon she chose to slay the beasts with as well. Not wanting to be left out Hazum Ka-te added to the collogue of killing seemingly by wanting to paint his spear a bloody purple colour.

The battle had turned very quickly in the favor of the Helluvans and the Immortal, as it now seemed simply a matter of time before it was over. Such a time soon came as the clashing of steel and piercing of armor gave way to a strange sound that was not quite silence but fairly close. Like almost always not a drop of blood had fallen on Cada Varl or his sword, which was impressive considering the ground around him now resembled a gigantic puddle of vein water. Cada Varl was about to call his name out as the group always did after a battle but something almost out of reach of his eye grabbed his attention.

He turned his head and could see in the distance a werewolf, it was down on all fours and running at a considerable pace away from the slaughter. He soon saw two others moving just as quickly both in different direction before him. He had barely turned his head before something faster than even his eye could see flew past a millimeter from his nose. It took him a second to realize that it was an arrow fired from the bow of Zova. She paid not an ounce of attention to him as she stepped forward stringing another arrow. Her first arrow had found its target dropping the beast dead. As she fired the second arrow however the wind blew fiercely, yet in spite of this she still hit her target dead on. Now there was only one werewolf left but it was quite some distance away, she strung her bow with a third arrow and the wind grew fiercer, angered that it hadn't stopped her second shot. Even to an archer as skilled as her the wind was too strong for the arrow to be fired accurately and with great frustration the group watched as the werewolf grew smaller and smaller in vision. Then when it looked that the werewolf would survive this day, there was a break in the wind. As Zova was about to fire, the werewolf vanished into the distant mist. Zova kept her bow raised and the arrow pulled back for several moments but it was now completely impossible for her to make such a shot. She breathed heavily as if in anger though such an action stopped not long after it had started. She took pressure off of the string but kept her eyes fixated on the last spot where she saw the werewolf, cursing herself that it had gotten away. Though it was not her fault, that didn't change the fact an enemy had gotten away.

Even when the Helluvans began calling their names out one by one Cada Varl had to speak before Zova did, before she was taking out of her own mind and brought back to reality.

"Scouting party," Hazum Ka-te said as purple blood dripped from his helmet, his face may have been stern but his eyes showed that he seemed to enjoy the smell of werewolf blood. He had one of his feet upon the body of a slain werewolf, which had some kind of blue, decorated cloth upon its left shoulder.

"A large force must be close by," said Leannol as her eyes searched the distance for any proof of what she said.

"Move, Move, Move," was all Imbaka had to say for the group to hastily move onwards realizing the predicament they now found themselves in. There were in such a hurry that they did not even bother to clean their weapons as they ran across the landscape.

### Chapter 12

The group had good reason to flee, there was no doubt that the scout that got away would be retreating to the main body of an army that could have been one million strong. Cada Varl and the Helluvans had proven that they could defeat as many as forty enemies under the right circumstances, but no amount of tactics on any kind of terrain could achieve victory against such a number. Even if the main army thought the group too small to go after it did not change the fact that for the first time on this journey many werewolves would know that humans were this far west. The sheer rarity of such a feat would cause word to spread quickly.

The group soon realized that horridly the terrain would not change just for them, it remained open with only the occasional hill or tree to break up the otherwise flat ground. They had to figure out something and quickly, werewolves could move much easier and quicker over such a landscape.

Eventually they came across something that could potentially save them from being seen as ridges, remnants of the mountain landscape they had passed through could now be seen. One such ridge appeared to possess the opening to some kind of underground cave system; the hole however was not ideal and would be a tight squeeze to move through.

As the group stood around looking down the hole Imbaka and Leannol raised their hands over the hole before Imbaka said, "There doesn't seem to be any air coming through."

She looked over to Leannol who said, "It may not lead anywhere."

This was an important decision as though the group needed to get out of sight it would be pointless to enter such a place if all they could do was hide there for they needed to get as far away from these lands as possible. The Immortal stepped up and placed his hand near the hole as well, though he did not really know why for he had no reason to doubt his companions.

"I shall go look," Cada Varl said bringing the attention of the group upon him. "I will go by myself and see where this cave may lead us to."

It did not even take a moment for Imbaka to nod her head knowing that the Immortal's ability to see in the dark would make the task quicker and simpler. Cada Varl placed his pack onto the ground, nodding his head in acknowledgment to his companions before sliding feet first into the awkward entrance. In a moment he was vanished from sight and the Helluvans could do little more than simply wait for him to return.

The land in this area was not quite as opened as the rest of the terrain but they still felt greatly exposed and it would only take the turning of a werewolf's head to see them clearly if one were to come past. If such a thing were to happen than the group would find a way to deal with it but for right now they stayed silent with only their own thoughts to keep them occupied.

Zova's mind was drawn to the most obvious thing in her vision, for it seemed completely out of place with the rest of the landscape. About 50 or so feet away from them was a kind of natural pillar, grown from a strange light brown stone. Even though the clouds of this land appeared comparatively low to the ground the pillar was enormous reaching up so high that the hungry clouds swallowed its top and kept it hidden from view. It was a natural structure of that she was certain, but it still seemed as though it had been misplaced in such a terrain. Her mind came up with several possibilities of what it was but she soon looked away, believing such thoughts to be ultimately fruitless. As they were all aware of no human had ever been this far in the west for thousands and thousands of years. There was no way of telling for sure what the strange natural pillar actually was.

It was not long after she had looked away that something fell from the pillar, down through the heavens. Before she could even look back completely the something had landed onto the ground, with great impact. Instinct took over and she took out her bow, stringing an arrow upon it. The other Helluvans instantly followed as they looked upon what now stood 30 or so foot away from them. It was a man, at least something that looked like a man, but it did not take a whole lot of guesses to know what it actually was. The 'man' stood an inch or two taller than 6 feet. His torso was mostly bare revealing a frame of intense lean muscle. Upon his right shoulder and arm was a kind of armor, forged from an unknown black, created in overlapping plates that continued to a lesser degree, over his heart and positioned by a simple thin strap that ran across his back. Upon his other arm was a simple band, created from shades of black and white, it had a symbol upon it that resembled somewhat of a twisted series of crosses, formed like shadows, overlapping one another until finishing in a perfectly straight cross. Possessing fingernails that were almost as long as an animal's claws he wielded a sword in his right hand. The sword was over a foot wide and at least 4 and half feet long, with a large added curve at its end to ensure maximum cutting power when wielded. He wore long red pants that were bright to look upon along with simple black boots. A strange mask that shone the same colour as his pants but was made from some kind of metal covered his face. The mask was almost featureless with the exception of a vague line that creased vertically from his chin to the middle of his eyes, there was no holes in the mask for the 'man' to breathe through making his eyes stand out the most. His eyes were a strange sickly yellow and appeared more werewolf like than human. His hair was also mangy and an off black, almost gray colour, growing only an inch or so from his scalp.

He hadn't even bent his knees when he had fallen from the heavens; the ground had cracked many times over from the impact he had caused upon it. His horrid yellow eyes quickly darted back and forth to each Helluvan moving with a speed that was inhuman, like his eyes were literally trying to escape his own head. His eyes then slowed considerably as he looked again, this time much more deliberately.

"Ah," The masked man said with a conviction that was as chilling as it was powerful. "I thought I smelled something foul in the air."

His voice was wicked and if frost was capable of speech, then it would sound a lot like him. There was an era of silence carried out in a single moment before the masked 'man' spoke again. "The west must truly be falling apart, for humans to be so far west." It was clear by the added emphasis on such words, that this masked 'man' had a great disdain for mankind. All the Helluvans looked worried as they looked upon the masked figure, but Hazum Ka-te had the most powerful look in his eyes, it was not fear but it was pretty dam close.

"Aneeku," he said in a voice so forced it sounded like a whisper.

Several other members of the group then gasped as the identity of this figure had been revealed. Aneeku looked upon the wielder of the Cloud Cutter as he said, "I haven't been anywhere near that wretched border in 20 years, my you have a good memory."

If this was intended as a compliment (which was doubtful) than it certainly didn't sound like one. The group had every reason to be worried for this Aneeku was a rogue with a reputation to match. 400 or so years ago during a border dispute with the now perished kingdom of Estovia Aneeku was struck between the eyes with a silver arrow. Such a wound severed a part of his brain and would have left him a mindless psychotic killer, but because of his service to his commander he was spared and a special mask was forged that would prevent insanity from claiming him. However it also prevented him from transforming into his true form as werewolves called it. Because of this lack of ability he had been forced to fight like a human, such a thing made him a target within his own kind but through the centuries he not only survived, but also thrived. Though he had fought for many warlords, ultimately he was an outcast, one who was known for his tremendous fighting ability. The sheer fact that he had survived for so long was proof enough of this.

It may have been unknown what exactly such a werewolf was doing there, or if he was alone, but it was an indisputable truth that he possessed a tremendous hatred of humans.

"You know who I am, good for you," Aneeku claimed "I might not know your names but I have a word I can call you...dead!"

Upon hearing this chilling remark the Helluvans fired their arrows, each a perfect shot. Aneeku in turn swiped his sword through the air with a kind of speed the Helluvans had never before seen. He swiped the arrows away like they were nothing more than annoying insects, catching the last of them in his spare hand. He had caught the arrow as if it was nothing more than a falling feather. He seemed completely unfazed by the sudden attack; disturbingly it took no effort for him to block the powerful arrows. He looked down at the arrow in his hand for a moment before looking towards the group.

As he snapped the arrow like a twig he said, "So you're Helluvans? That would explain the terrible smell in the air, don't you damn things ever bathe?"

His extreme skill and insult did nothing to the Helluvans, they showed not an ounce of fear as they exchanged their bows for their other weapons and collectively charged towards the red masked enemy. Aneeku remained perfectly still until they were exactly upon him swiping his sword upwards to counter their attacks. He blocked each of their blows so easily, like he was doing nothing more than swatting away flies. He possessed a strength that matched his quickness; a strength that each Helluvan felt as his counterblows rattled them to their very core. Aneeku continued blocking their attacks; strangely he seemed not to even need to look upon them as if his instincts were so great that they automatically blocked the attacks.

Suddenly Aneeku swept his sword through the air and though it had been a deliberately easy attack it was enough to make the Helluvans back away. They now surrounded him on all sides, their weapons raised and at the ready. They did not allow their eyes to show it, but the Helluvans knew that this enemy's skill was far greater than anything they had ever faced on this journey. Keeping his head perfectly still Aneeku looked around to each of them, his eyes capable of movement beyond the sight of man.

"Uh Oh," Aneeku said mockingly, "The arrows didn't work, neither did attacking him all at once, whatever are we going to do?"

Aneeku was fully aware of his abilities and he was arrogant because of them. But it was an arrogance that was more than deserved.

His abilities may have been great but the Helluvans did not stand intimidated, again they went on the attack with Tanagy being a split second faster than the rest of them. He swung his swords in opposite directions trying to catch Aneeku off guard. Aneeku easily struck both blades with his own quick enough before they could go anywhere near him. He tilted his head back ever so slightly avoiding the axe head of Leannol's powerful strike. Aneeku turned slightly to meet the sword of Imbaka whose arms trembled to cope with the power of the enemy's counter. Gokkus swung his staff in a circle like fashion but was blocked just as easily as his companions. Hazum Ka-te was forced to duck a swiping blow of Aneeku before he could even finish his spear's lunge. The swipe was so fast that Zova was forced to block the blow with her sword, almost causing her to lose her footing. Imbaka tried another strike, this time stabbing her weapon forward. Aneeku merely turned his head and avoided the weapon completely as he blocked another blow from Leannol. He then used the armor of his arm to prevent the twin blades of Tanagy from finding his flesh, before pushing them both away in time to block the attack of Gokkus.

In comparison to one another Aneeku looked like a great and legendary warrior blocking the blows of overzealous children. He seemed light years ahead of them all in strength, skill and speed but this did nothing to stop the Helluvans from continuing their attack. Working as well as they did against the scouting party they fought on against their masked adversary. Imbaka blocked a strike by Aneeku as Leannol attempted to bury her axe-head into his neck. Though the attack failed it had come very close to cleaving the werewolf's skin. Gokkus used both ends of his weapon to issue a series of short and quick attacks, Aneeku may have blocked them all but this gave Zova a chance to hammer her own sword down. Aneeku stepped back with uncanny speed, twisting his body to avoid the head of the Cloud Cutter with enough time left over to stop the blades of Tanagy from cutting through anything but air. Leannol, Gokkus and Hazum Ka-te worked together bringing all of their weapons down across the blade of Aneeku. Their combined strength was enough to make him lower his weapon. Imbaka and Zova then leapt over the bodies of their companions, using them to get even higher into the air. Aneeku saw them coming and easily brought his blade up, freeing it from the weapons of the other Helluvans.

He swung his sword across the air, forcing the two women to block his blade and lose all momentum. Tanagy tried to attack from the right, away from where he was facing, but Aneeku easily maneuvered his blade to counter the attack. After pushing Tanagy away he swung his sword back the way it had come, which the other Helluvans barely avoided. Zova and Imbaka then landed on the ground, neither landed gracefully but both turned the momentum in their favor and were soon back on their feet charging towards the enemy. Aneeku blocked the attack of Zova before bringing his blade across blocking the attacks of Gokkus, Leannol and Hazum Ka-te. He then, through his blade, forced the sword of Imbaka to bounce off of it. He even was able to turn his body and bring his weapon up in a vertical slash, causing Tanagy to stop his attack before any of the others could continue their onslaught. With a single blow he stopped the thrusting attack of Leannol's spiked end and Hazum Ka-te's Cloud Cutter before hitting the staff of Gokkus with so much force the man dressed in black almost crumbled under the force of the blow. As all the weapons clashed together there was a look in the eyes of Aneeku one that made it horribly clear that he was blocking their attacks with little effort.

After blocking every single blow with a single slash of his own sword he repeated the blow, this time offensively. The Helluvans avoided his strike but this did not seem to faze him. As the axe of Leannol came hammering down upon him Aneeku merely turned his body for his sword was busy knocking away the staff of Gokkus. His ability to avoid their attacks did nothing to diminish the determination of the Helluvans and if anything only fueled them more to fight faster and stronger.

This time when the group attacked the tip of the Cloud Cutter managed to strike the cheek of Aneeku. The mask made the attack pointless and even if it had not been there it would have only been a shallow wound. Nevertheless the fact that a Helluvan weapon had actually touched him made Aneeku take the fight more seriously. If there was any doubt before that he was fighting halfheartedly than what happened then proved it. He smashed his blade across all weapons in front of him causing the Helluvans to stumble back. Imbaka was the first to regroup and attacked from behind the red masked warrior. When it seemed that she would indeed land a powerful blow Aneeku turned and brought his foot up into her chest. The force of the blow was so great that it could be heard like roaring thunder; her armor bent like it was nothing more than clay as she was quite literally thrown through the air, stopping only when she struck against a rocky ridge that struggled to maintain its shape. She fell slumped onto the ground, her head lowered and a trickle of blood falling from her mouth, she remained motionless.

The other Helluvans could see this but could do nothing to help her as Tanagy smashed both of his swords down upon his enemy. Aneeku met both of them and immediately pushed his arm into the Abider causing him to stumble back violently. Now the Helluvans stepped back, each wanting to look to see if Imbaka was moving, but none dared take their eyes off of Aneeku. His arrogance may have gotten the best of him before, but it seemed that he might have been through playing his twisted game.

"Not Bad," Aneeku claimed, the mockery in his voice now fleeting. "For Helluvans," he added darkly. His eyes performed their strange dance, darting back and forth to each of his enemies around him, making sure that each of them met his eye. The Helluvans stood still and strong allowing an incredible silence to consumed the air. Aneeku had ascended this conflict to a whole new level, one that the Helluvans had never known before. He was a lion surrounded by jackals and he knew it.

As his eyes continued to move in their strange way he said with a slow deliverance.

"But if that is the best you can do, than you will not live long...."

His eyes continued moving as if he was searching for fear, a fear that would invigorate him the same way blood livens a predator. His eyes then stopped moving, becoming deadly still as he looked upon Hazum Ka-te. He waited for a moment, deliberately so before he spat out "Die!" His movement was so fast it made a well-fired arrow seem slow. But he had not moved towards Hazum Ka-te as his eyes had lied. He rushed towards Leannol plunging his sword forward. The strength of the attack was so great that it cut through the middle of her weapon like paper, continuing onward through her armor and not stopping until half of the blade stuck out the other side. He had quite literally stabbed straight through her making a mockery of both her weapon and armor. It had happened so quickly that Leannol only realized her predicament when blood, as dark as it was thick, fell from her mouth, like vomit. He had moved fast, too fast for anything to have stopped him.

Seeing the blood that fell from the mouth of his companion Gokkus bellowed her name "Leannol!" he screamed with a might and strength that rivaled any god of legend. It was as if saying her name loud enough would reach the other side and let it know that she was still needed in this world. If the reaper did hear him, than it ignored his plea. Blood now began to flow around the borders of Aneeku's sword as he stared into the hollowing eyes of the red haired warrior. His vision revealed the sickest of pleasure as he saw the light fade from her eyes. Such a pleasure was increased, as he knew she was looking back at him, her vision weakening.

"Impressive," he claimed in the darkness of ways. "You would have blocked that attack if your weapon had not failed you."

As sickening as his words were to hear they were correct, even against his speed Leannol was skilled enough to raise her weapon in time. It was a tremendous feat, but didn't change the truth that she would be dead within a matter of moments. Like the water from a broken damn, all strength left her legs, but she remained standing because of the Aneeku's sword. He may have been wearing a mask but he seemed to be smiling as her blood trickled down from the sword onto his hand. For a shard of a moment, her eyes became concentrated as she suddenly spat out a short stream of her own blood onto the face of Aneeku. He didn't even blink as the blood fell down his face but the act was clear enough to let him know what Leannol thought of him. Such concentration vanished from her eyes; as did everything else, one last act of defiance before she left this world. As her head fell back lifelessly the pieces of her weapon fell from her hands landing onto the ground with a horrid piercing sound. As Aneeku looked over her corpse with the blackest of perversion in his eyes, his attention was suddenly grasped by screaming.

Tanagy now was running towards him making sounds so primal they seemed more animalistic than even the most primitive of beasts could produce. His eyes were wide with a fury that would make any man tremble upon seeing upon. But Aneeku was no man and as Tanagy drew closer he pulled his sword free of Leannol's corpse, allowing it to fall like it was nothing more than rubbish. With salvia falling from his mouth like a rabid dog the Abider unleashed an onslaught of attacks. Fueled by tremendous rage his attacks appeared quicker than what they had ever been. But Aneeku still met each one of them and it was soon apparent he was getting some kind of twisted pleasure out of the anger he saw in Tanagy's eyes. He easily blocked every single attack whether it came from high or low. Killing a Helluvan seemed to restore the arrogance within him as his eyes widened in delight at the struggle Tanagy was facing. His attacks may have been faster but they were not as well executed as they should have been. Tanagy's sword blows were far from sloppy but Aneeku made them appear so. Aneeku was blocking the attacks with such ease he did not even move from the spot but continued turning his wrist and placing his sword in any angle he needed.

As he blocked the hurried blows of the Abider his other hand quickly came up catching onto something that had been moving very quickly. He looked away from Tanagy while still blocking his strikes and holding the arrow in his hand as he looked upon the one whom had fired it. Zova held her bow proudly as a great and powerful anger dwelled in her large eyes. It was a sign of just how powerful Aneeku truly was, he could stop an arrow fired from perhaps the greatest human archer with his bare hand all the while fending off attacks from Tanagy.

"That old trick again!" he snarled like he had caught a child trying to steal from him.

Gokkus quickly placed himself in front of Zova with his staff held at the ready. But before Aneeku could attack he was drawn to the sound of Hazum Ka-te bellowing like cannon fire as he charged his enemy. Hazum Ka-te's bellow was still angry, but it wasn't filled with fury, as if he did it more to bring attention onto him than anything else. Aneeku effortlessly pushed Tanagy away in time to move his weapon across and block the Cloud Cutter. Tanagy however would not be denied and continued screaming as he attacked once again. Zova was about to lower her bow, take out her sword and join the fight when Gokkus said "Zova, listen to me, wait until his hands are occupied and his vision hindered, then fire an arrow right into his damn heart!"

The words of the man dressed in black were also consumed by fury, but it was a far more concentrated and cold feeling. Zova glanced down and saw that Gokkus was holding something hidden in the palm of one of his hands. She looked back at the man dressed in black and said, "I will." Gokkus did not immediately join the fight, for he was waiting for something that only he knew of.

By now Tanagy and Hazum Ka-te's attacks had become more synchronized and it was becoming harder and harder for Aneeku to block both of their attacks with his sword. They attacked him from both left and right ensuring that they stayed on either side of him. With every strike that Aneeku blocked his enemies' weapons got closer and closer to cleaving his flesh. Gokkus then entered the onslaught attacking with a single stab of his staff. Aneeku managed to block this attack, but only barely before the Cloud Cutter came for his head. What happened next took only a moment but was filled with a lifetime of action.

As Aneeku twisted his sword so that it locked the blades of Tanagy into a single spot he grasped onto the Cloud Cutter just below its tip instantly stopping it. Gokkus now opened his other hand swiping it through the air and revealing that he was holding some kind of blue powder. Like a thin cloud it covered the face of Aneeku and Gokkus quickly crouched down. Zova did not hesitate; it would be only a second of opportunity, one that she would not get again. As she fired her arrow Aneeku suddenly pulled on the spear, so quickly and strongly that it forced Hazum Ka-te off of his feet and in the path of where Aneeku stood. Miraculously because of the way his body was positioned, Zova's arrow struck Hazum Ka-te in such a way that it did not pierce his armor.

Aneeku continued the throw causing Hazum Ka-te to crash into the Abider, taking both of them off of their feet. Just as Gokkus was standing back up Aneeku swung his sword across, forcing the man in black to leap back hurriedly to avoid it. It was a sight so unbelievable that the Helluvans thought their eyes must have been playing tricks on them. With impaired vision and occupied hands Aneeku had still blocked Zova's arrow, perhaps using some kind of 6th sense the Helluvans had never heard of. Tanagy and Hazum Ka-te were struggling to rise; the wind had been violently knocked out of them.

The blue dust soon settled revealing, yellow and black eyes of fury. Purple tainted blood did trickle from the right eye of Aneeku but it seemed to be nothing but an annoyance to the red masked warrior. His eyes were squarely upon Zova, even though Gokkus was closer to him. "Shattered shards of silver, ground into a powder?" he said loudly more to himself than to his enemies. "Congratulations," he mocked. "You accomplished to sting me, like some kind of insect." His voice became darker and louder as he said, "Allow me to give you a reward!" Gokkus readied himself to meet Aneeku head on as Zova reached for another arrow.

But before Aneeku could do anything, his head tilted up as his eyes widened, the gasp that came from his mouth was so sudden it seemed as powerful as a full on scream. An arrow now stuck out from his back, on the same level as his heart. Blood did fall from the wound but something did not seem right with the injury. With eyes still widened Aneeku turned his head to look upon his attacker. Imbaka had fired the arrow. Clearly she was hurt, but she was standing on her own two feet breathing heavily, but standing strong.

"You're still alive?" Aneeku asked as if he had just been told that the rain was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. Imbaka did not say anything in response but the power of her eyes seemed to say 'Yes I am' defiantly.

Aneeku looked away from her up towards the sky as an eerie silence fell upon the land like the earth itself was holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen. Aneeku however remained standing, something he shouldn't have been able to do if the arrow had found his heart. Aneeku held his breath as the muscles of his back suddenly began to twitch and tense. Astonishingly after only a moment or so the arrow popped out of his back and fell onto the ground, dripping in his blood. Such a feat was unthinkable considering it had been a silver arrow that had struck him. Imbaka looked upon him with a mouth opened as wide as her eyes. When Aneeku turned to face her and had his back to the others Gokkus could not control his shock, "No way," he gasped out. Aneeku with piercing and hate filled eyes said, "You are not the first to try and kill me when my back was turned, and you sure won't be the last!" With these words he leapt towards her and though Gokkus tried to catch him there was no way he could match such speed. Imbaka was injured, making her movements that much slower, even at full strength it would be near impossible for her to lower her bow and take out her sword. It truly looked like her life was about to come to an end. Even in such shards of a second she did not close her eyes, she would not give him such satisfaction. His sword now was almost upon her when a sound so pitching it was deafening consumed the air.

The blade of Cada Varl had blocked Aneeku's sword. The clashing of their weapons was that great that it caused wind to form and then strike the ground around them violently. Aneeku seemed greatly surprised by the presence of Cada Varl, fixated upon his powerful red eyes. Cada Varl had easily blocked the blow but then amplified this sign of strength by easily pushing Aneeku back. The red masked warrior's feet slid across the ground as his eyes remained upon those of Cada Varl. Aneeku was not the only one startled by the presence of the Immortal, through the mayhem of the prior moment no one had seen him return to the surface.

"Humans really are over grown rodents," Aneeku declared, furious that this stranger had dared interrupt his attack "Where did you come from?" the red masked warrior demanded but the Immortal did not appear intimidated. In fact he wasn't even looking at Aneeku but towards the corpse of Leannol and the blood that was now forming around it. There was heaviness in his eyes that showed how immensely the death of Leannol was weighing on his mind. Slowly as if he had to force himself to, he looked away from her body and to the other Helluvans. Aneeku seemed completely irrelevant to his gaze as he looked past him towards Gokkus and Zova. He then looked to Hazum Ka-te and Tanagy who only now were getting to their feet. Finally he turned his head and body to look upon Imbaka, who stared back but neither said anything.

"You!" Aneeku bellowed, all arrogance had disappeared from his voice filled with a great anger. It was one thing not to answer him, it was entirely different to turn your back on one as great as he was. Cada Varl slowly looked back to the red masked warrior but did not say anything, he appeared very still. "You dare turn your back on me?" Aneeku bellowed out as if it was the most unforgivable of sins to do such a thing. "You have nerve getting in my way!" Aneeku added, bellowing his voice. Cada Varl remained still, his sword lowered, staring hauntingly into the eyes of the red masked warrior. This was the final straw, how dare Cada Varl not answer the great and powerful Aneeku.

The red masked warrior charged with even more speed than before. Easily however Cada Varl raised his weapon and without moving anything else but his arm he blocked the strikes of Aneeku. The power of the blows could be told by how the wind continued to form and then rush to the ground. Cada Varl was now the one who seemed to use little effort in avoiding or blocking the blows of his enemy. Aneeku snarled like the beast he truly was when Cada Varl pushed him back like he was nothing more than an annoying fly. Aneeku's feet slid across the ground and he snarled once again before grasping his weapon in both hands and attacking.

This time with the added strength of a two handed grip his strikes were not only more powerful they were quicker. His attacks were that swift that they seemed little more than a blur in the eyes of the Helluvans. The swords clashed like two sets of lightning striking upon one another, creating a harmonized boom that seemed to shake the air itself. Yet Cada Varl easily blocked each and every attack showing no sign that he was struggling to do so. The Helluvans watched on in pure amazement, they had always known Cada Varl was powerful, but he was making Aneeku look like he had never been in a battle his entire life.

Aneeku snarled again, this time with much more ferocity in his tone, his attacks weren't getting him anywhere and he knew it. Frustration got the better of him and in place of delivering skilled precise strikes he merely brought his weapon down in a series of the exact same maneuvers like he was no more skilled than someone trying to hammer a nail into a piece of wood. The entire time Cada Varl did not take his eyes off of Aneeku and it would be a lie if the red masked warrior said they did not haunt him. After the 5th or 6th of these hammer-like strikes, the Immortal pushed into his own blade holding both weapons in the air for a second before he pushed Aneeku back. Like before the masked warrior slid back but now he was breathing heavily. It was not out of weariness for werewolves did not possess such a weakness it was out of anger. Cada Varl had countered all these powerful attacks like they were nothing.

"Who are you?" Aneeku demanded, seemingly oblivious that Cada Varl was not intimidated in anyway. The Immortal did not answer but continued staring with those haunting red eyes.

"Kill him Cada Varl!" Tanagy yelled breaking the gaze of the Immortal as he looked towards him. "Kill him," Tanagy repeated knowing full well Cada Varl had heard him. Tanagy may have not have been making animalistic sounds anymore but the rage was just as strong in his eyes. Hazum Ka-te stood next to him, with his weapon at the ready but neither rejoined the fight.

"Cada Varl?" Aneeku almost gasped in a kind of echoing way, bringing the gaze of the Immortal back upon him. The two swordsmen stared at each other for the longest moment possible before Aneeku said strangely. "Of course," it was an odd thing to say that felt out of place, lessened only slightly by what he said next. "No Helluvan could have so much skill, nothing Helluvan could hurt me." His tone was a mixture of both arrogance and disgust as he stared at Cada Varl. The Immortal then sheaved his sword, something that clearly surprised everyone else including Aneeku. "What are you doing?" the red masked warrior demanded, again not receiving a quick answer. Cada Varl looked away from Aneeku, towards one of the arrows that Aneeku had deflected, he took several steps before placing the arrow in his hand.

As he turned to face Aneeku he said, "Is that so?" his voice sounded almost like it always did, yet as he said these words there was an undeniable power in his voice. "Let us see the truth of such a statement...." He declared as Aneeku watched on, clearly confused by what the Immortal was saying. "This Helluvan arrow verses your sword." Cada Varl had barely said these words before Aneeku bellowed "What!" The Helluvans watched on intently as the air remained thick and unpleasant with tension. When Cada Varl remained silent Aneeku spoke again, "You dare mock me? With such a suggestion?"

Finally Cada Varl spoke and said, "Mockery? I am not the one standing with a sword in my hand scared of someone holding an arrow, with no bow to fire it."

"Scared!" Aneeku snarled, his anger making his word barely audible. Aneeku bellowed like some demon for the entire length of his charge.

Cada Varl showed no sign he was worried about the oncoming conflict, not even when sword and arrow met. A piercing sound that shook the very air around them filled the air. It was followed by a collective gasp from everybody except Cada Varl. The collective gasp was well justified for as the air fell silent and the arrow had not only stopped the sword, but also had remained completely intact. This was a sword that could cut through Helluvan armor like it was parchment and yet against this simple mixture of silver and wood it was stopped. Aneeku gasped again as his eyes widened beyond what seemed possible. In the face of this remarkable act Cada Varl showed no change in expression or stance. Aneeku stared at the arrow tip as if he couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing, but when he noticed the eyes of Cada Varl his anger resurfaced.

Aneeku moved his weapon back and struck it down again with even more force. Not only did the arrow not break but Cada Varl's arm did not so much as flinch because of the attack. Empowered by his own fury Aneeku attacked again and again, rage did not get the best of him, his attacks were as swift and powerful as they were skilled. Yet all Cada Varl had to do was turn his wrist slightly to ensure that the arrow was there to block the many strikes. It was an unreal sight to behold for so many reasons, beyond the fact that an arrow was stopping a sword that could cut through armor Aneeku no longer seemed so threatening. He seemed a fool, an ant trying to best a bear in a game of strength. The Helluvans watched on in complete silence, amazed by what they were seeing. After delivering what should have been an extreme onslaught Aneeku pulled his weapon back and snarled, "Fight back!"

As soon as these words had left his mouth the Immortal swiped the arrow down upon the unarmored shoulder of Aneeku and did not finish until it had reached his mid-chest. A cut more fine than even the most skilled of surgeons could perform then appeared upon Aneeku, his dark purple blood spewing forth into the air. His head fell back as he let out a horrid howling, a true sign of what he was. As the Helluvans gasped at the sheer severity of the wound Aneeku stumbled back, breathing heavily with both rage and pain. He did not place a hand over the wound, the sheer amount of blood that was now pouring from his shoulder was enough proof to know he was injured.

He stared at the Immortal with nothing but contempt and hatred before he held his breath and charged again. This time anger got the better of him, holding his weapon above his head with both hands. Cada Varl had no problem flicking the tip of the arrow across his enemy's side. It was a simple action but it cut a large wound into the side of Aneeku. He had taken two steps before the blood flowed but when it did, it was immense. He snarled in pain as he quickly turned to face the Immortal once again. Cada Varl stood with an unflinching gaze, holding the now bloody arrow before him. He casually looked down and watched as blood dropped from the arrow like a single path of rainfall. He looked back at Aneeku who stood breathing as heavily as he was bleeding.

"You are a liar," Cada Varl said calmly, too calmly. "This Helluvan arrow has spilled your blood."

Aneeku growled sharply before responding, "Why are you toying with me?"

In truth it was a question that even the Helluvans wanted answered, even though there was no denying the strange enjoyment they were getting out of seeing Aneeku suffer.

"It isn't so much fun when you're the one being toyed with is it?"

There was a calm disdain in his voice one that made Aneeku hold his breath. Cada Varl was doing the same thing that Aneeku was to the Helluvans, except that he was doing a far better job of it. The shock the red masked warrior just felt could not compare with his anger and it soon resurfaced. Aneeku slowly looked around to the faces of the Helluvans who watched on in a cold silence. No longer did they fear him or show any sign at all that he was something important. He looked back to Cada Varl and spoke like a sadistic child whose toys had turned on him.

"I am Aneeku!" he bellowed his words sounding more and more animalistic.

"I am a god compared to you, do you hear me! A god!" His breaths now sounded more like growls, but it did nothing to change the expression of Cada Varl. If Aneeku was what he claimed to be, a god, than he was living in a world of atheists.

Suddenly Cada Varl threw the arrow towards Aneeku, which caught him by surprise. It may not have traveled at the same speed as being fired from an arrow, but it was pretty close. Injured how he was Aneeku still was able to block the arrow with his sword, watching it as it fell to the ground. As he looked back to the Immortal he became painfully aware that Cada Varl hadn't meant it as a powerful strike. It was more a kind of physical insult, meant to mock and make fun of the masked warrior.

"Why you!" Aneeku snarled as he leapt forward at an incredible speed. Like before Cada Varl showed no sign that he was worried and at the last moment he took out his sword slashing it across and under the armored arm of the warrior. This time when the blood poured out it rivaled the floor of a great river, the blow had not only cut his flesh but it had destroyed his armor. As Aneeku stumbled, struggling greatly to stay on his feet his armor fell like the pedals of a rose in spring. Werewolves would heal from any wound that did not pierce their heart or sever their head, but a weapon made of silver could be just as damaging to werewolf flesh as it was to human flesh. Aneeku struggled greatly to even turn around, using his once great sword now as walking stick. He leaned heavily upon it, sticking its tip into the ground to keep himself standing as he looked upon his enemy. Like it had almost always happened the sword of Cada Varl was without stain. Most insulting of all however was the fact that Cada Varl hadn't even turned around.

No longer did Aneeku appear as some great warrior did, but a very old injured man who had lived out his usefulness. His legs trembled under his own weight, even with the sword to help him he was struggling just to remain standing. Not only had he been bested but also humiliated, his hundreds of years of slaughter and butchery now meant nothing. He glanced briefly around to the faces of the Helluvans, how he hated each and every one of them. He regretted not killing them when he had the chance, at the least that would leave Cada Varl all alone. He looked back to the Immortal with a strange look in his eyes, like Cada Varl was a riddle he had to solve but could not.

The Immortal now turned to face him with eyes as cold and uncaring as they had ever been. The sounds of Aneeku's horrid breath haunted the air as he could feel his legs become even weaker. It seemed all over for him, the wounds he had suffered may have eventually healed but he simply did not have that time. He glanced around yet again to each of their faces; he would find no quarter with any of them. He looked back towards Cada Varl taking a moment to just breathe, before he tightened his breath and stood at full stature. He was still clearly in pain but now was focused on something else entirely. He lifted his sword slightly before jamming it back into the ground before moving both hands away from his weapon.

"You should feel lucky," he said before placing his hand over the mask. "No one has seen my true form in 400 years." Now for the first time in this battle Cada Varl widened his eyes as Aneeku removed his mask. Such a movement revealed Aneeku's face, something that had not been seen in centuries, surprisingly he looked very youthful, with a soft gentle face. But his eyes remained as wicked and as inhuman as ever. Such a vision of his face vanished as he threw the mask away. The yellow of his eyes intensified as his muscles twisted in an inhuman fashion.

Almost immediately it was seen that this transformation was very different, there was something greatly wrong about it. In total the Helluvans who watched on must have seen werewolves transform a thousand times and the transformation Aneeku was going under was totally different. In place of his skin growing fur, it turned a strangled blue as his eyes bulged almost completely out of his head. In place of his bones twisting and snapping, as they should they made no such sound even though they were changing. His flesh should have been bulking out as the curse took him and yet it seemed to shrink as if something from inside of him was slowly swallowing it. He raised his head back and let out an ungodly scream that was a mixture of the most intense of pain and the most climatic of pleasure. Even the air around him began to change, shaking violently as if trembling. Cada Varl watched the rocks on the ground as they began to move, vibrating to the strange change in the air. The blood that had stained Aneeku's body was now quickly returning from whence it came before the cuts began to glow a strange metallic blue. As Aneeku screamed his tongue began to twist 360 degrees repeatedly and yet remained attached. A blue shadow then appeared reflecting off of him that seemed completely alien to any light the sun and sky had to offer. Like a wave crashing down upon a shoreline the blue shadow fell onto him, consuming him entirely.

Now as the shadow and his flesh became one his body grew almost three fold. His fingers, hands and feet changed as well becoming far more elongated and clawed. His stomach grew in height but vanished almost entirely, while his chest remained broad and thick. Shapes like twisted spikes than grew from his elbows, a total of 4 on each arm. His face changed forming a long snout with gruesome teeth to match. His eyes became like an animal's no longer representing anything human. The strange metallic like blue of the shadow then transformed into long wild fur of the same colour. One of the last things to change was his eyes, the pupils disappeared completely leaving only the strange yellow captured in twisted triangles.

His transformation was complete and shockingly he only vaguely resembled what a werewolf was supposed to look like. His long thin fingers possessed claws that were two feet long and had the same shade as dirty yellow fingernails. The strange spikes that grew out of his elbows resembled the claws almost exactly. For the first time during the journey Cada Varl looked shocked at what he saw, but his expression was nothing compared to those of his companions. They were looking upon something that rewrote everything they had known about werewolves. Even the wounds Aneeku had suffered had completely vanished. Aneeku opened his mouth revealing he or rather it possessed a total of three tongues, as stiff and as thick as bone. It let out a sound that quite literally deformed the air around it, a horrid sound that only slightly resembled that of a howl.

"What's going on?" Tanagy asked more as a thought spoken out loud than an actual question. No one could give him an answer as they each stared upon this strange creature. Even Aneeku seemed confused by what he had become; moving his hands in front of him to ensure that they were in fact his.

"This feels so good," Aneeku declared with a voice that had changed as drastically as his body. The voice was a strange thing to hear, almost echoing in on itself as if it was a power too great to control. Since it did not possess any pupils its eyes were hard to follow but Cada Varl knew when it was looking right at him. It wanted revenge for what Cada Varl had done to it and though he was unsure of what he was facing the Immortal stood firm and at the ready. Aneeku kept its mouth opened allowing its three tongues to turn and twist over and under each other in grizzly fashion before a light came from its mouth and in an instant, something blue and wicked sprang forth from its mouth. It moved like fire but was utterly different. In a morphing stream it came from Aneeku's mouth and upon Cada Varl, like a great beast trying to swallow him whole.

Cada Varl raised his sword meeting the strange energy as it continued to stream upon either side of the weapon. Cada Varl had never seen it before so he could not smell its horrid stench that was so powerful several of the Helluvans had to cover their mouth and noses. From the strange energy, smaller pieces fell like the cackling of a fire from the main body, but this strange energy was completely silent.

Cada Varl may not have known what it was but he knew he didn't want it to touch his skin. The stream continued on for a number of moments before disappearing completely, as if it was something summoned from the world beyond the living. Cada Varl had survived the attack unharmed and his sword showed no sign of wear, although it shone slightly different than before. He looked back upon Aneeku as its three tongues continued moving morbidly. Aneeku then leapt dead vertically into the air almost instantly reaching a height well over 100 feet. Aneeku pushed itself through the air as if it could control gravity itself. If Aneeku had traveled with the speed of an arrow before its transformation it was now moving at the speed of sound by comparison. Aneeku smashed onto the ground appearing to land directly on top of the Immortal. The sheer impact of the attack was so great it caused the ground to almost shatter as walls of dust formed around the two combatants. The Helluvans had to place their arms across their mouths to deal with the dust.

"Cada Varl!" Imbaka yelled fearing that not even he could survive such a savage attack. Her cry was not met by words but the clashing of steel upon something and as the dust settled Cada Varl was revealed.

Astonishingly he had somehow avoided the attack and now was swinging his sword quickly to counter the 2-foot claws of Aneeku. The human eye simply could not keep up with their movements as the two of them clashed in a hurricane of violence. Aneeku was swiping its claws so quickly that sometimes sound could not keep up, creating sonic booms that infected the air like poison. Aneeku had become countless times stronger than before and worse of all no one knew the reasoning behind it. Cada Varl was on the defensive able only to counter the seemingly countless strikes of his enemy's claws.

As the two-fought Zova raised her bow, an arrow strung and ready. She tried to steady her aim but soon realize such a thing was pointless, her eyes simply could not keep up with the tremendous battle that was taking place. She lowered her bow, frustration clear and strong in her expression, the Helluvans could do nothing to help their companion in this struggle. The claws of Aneeku were not only long they were sturdy and were easily able to strike the sword of the Immortal without so much as blemishing.

After he had blocked what seemed to be at least 30 different strikes, Cada Varl avoided the claws of Aneeku, moving out of their way just in time for the claws to pierce the ground. Even the earth itself could not offer the claws any resistance breaking apart like fragile clay as the claws smashed into it. Cada Varl leapt up quick enough to then leap forward and meet Aneeku in another clash of blurs and sonic booms. They moved even faster now to the point that even their arms became difficult to see clearly. Finally the intensity of the duel was too much even for them to take and both Cada Varl and Aneeku leapt back from one another.

As the Immortal landed a deep cut appeared on his right cheek, blood flowing fast and freely from it. He glanced down at the wound and for the first time in 4000 years saw what his own blood looked like. Aneeku had a cut of its own, a large deep gash that opened up on its left side. But before it could even bleed the wound sealed itself back up and vanished completely from sight. Cada Varl could not control the gasp that escaped his mouth, sounding as loud as a bellow in such tense air. The Helluvans felt the same shock as Aneeku opened its twisted mouth and began making a sound that resembled laughter, but was far more vulgar to the ear.

"...Not even silver can wound me!" Aneeku screamed in a horrid glee. Cada Varl did not wait for Aneeku to attack, without fear he charged ready to continue the battle. Aneeku gladly met his challenge and the near blurring clash resumed. The Helluvans may not have been able to see every strike but they could see clearly the look in the eyes of the Immortal and it disturbed them. For the very first time since meeting him Cada Varl was straining, his skill, power and speed pushed to a limit no one had ever imagined. If Cada Varl could not stop Aneeku then it was a certainty that none of them could either.

The Immortal leapt back as the claws of Aneeku smashed into the ground, pursuing the movements of Cada Varl. The Immortal watched these strikes closely before he lunged forward and then upwards delivering three large cuts to Aneeku's body. Cada Varl landed behind his enemy but was forced to leap further as the claws of the monster tried to descend upon him. He turned just in time to see the three wounds he had delivered, seal up and vanish like the first one. "If silver can't hurt it?" Tanagy found himself saying.

"What can?" Hazum Ka-te echoed in the same hollow tone.

Cada Varl fought on but with his sword seemingly ineffective, there was little that he could do other than block or avoid the blows of Aneeku. Cada Varl seemed to realize this and tried to put distance between himself and his enemy. But Aneeku would have none of it, it knew its strength and would offer no mercy to the Immortal. In the eyes of the Helluvans the situation seemed helpless, they could do nothing but watch as Cada Varl avoided the enemy attacks. The Immortal may have been able to avoid such strikes but they were getting closer and closer to severing his flesh with each passing second.

As Aneeku brought its right hand of claws forward Cada Varl blocked it, but when Aneeku moved its hand it seemed the stronger of the two. Aneeku took a split second to admire this, to look into the eyes of the Immortal that knew he was no longer the stronger of the two. The moment came and went and Aneeku struck his other hand downward. Cada Varl did the only thing he could; he leapt up into the air to avoid the attack. His leap was far greater than anything a human could do but Aneeku's leap dwarfed it. As it had done before Aneeku leapt up so high in the air it seemed capable of wingless flight, falling back down again so fast Cada Varl was still in the air as it did so. The two titans met briefly with Aneeku landing onto the ground and causing the earth to break under its power. Cada Varl then landed with far more grace beyond his enemy and looked on as a deep gash appeared across and through the throat of Aneeku.

Gokkus and Imbaka gasped at such a site for the cut may have been large enough to decapitate the foul thing's head. The cut must have happened quickly for Aneeku stood like some kind of twisted statue with its arms held out to its sides, frozen as if screaming silently. Even Cada Varl seemed to be holding his breath waiting for the head to fall from its shoulders. It was not the Immortal but Zova who first realized that the cut had not completely gone through the entire breath of the neck. Before she could say anything however the wound healed itself and the horrid creature began moving.

As it turned Cada Varl leapt up so that their eyesight was on the same level. He would have attempted the strike again if Aneeku had not opened its mouth and unleashed another stream of the foul smelling energy. Cada Varl barely was able to get his sword up in time to block the energy. Violently he was thrown back towards the ground where he managed to stay on his feet. The energy consumed his entire vision as he struggled to stop its wrath.

When a piece of the strange energy broke away from the rest it fell upon his hand and instantly his skin began to burn away. Burn might not have been the right word for it but it created an ugly and strange wound upon his hand. It had burned so deeply that the white of bone could be seen amongst the seared flesh. As soon as the energy had vanished Aneeku was there lunging forward with the claw of its left hand. Incredibly Cada Varl leapt around Aneeku avoiding the strike. However the rocks of a ridge were not so lucky and the ridge fell to pieces under the force of the blow. A large piece of rock the size of a boulder remained upon its claws as Aneeku turned and jerked its arm in such a way that the boulder came harrowing towards Cada Varl while he was still in the air.

Quickly he struck his weapon upon it and caused the rock to shatter like it was made from glass into fragments. Before the pieces of rock had left his vision Aneeku was upon him, leaping through the air, its most werewolf like movements, its hands and claws were out to either side as if it was trying to get the Immortal in a deathly embrace. This may have left Aneeku's neck open for attack, but it was far too big of a risk for the Immortal to take. He realized this a second too late however and did not move quite fast enough to avoid Aneeku's claws, like the sharpest of spear points, the tips of the claws plunged into his left arm. He may have been able to leap back in time to avoid the other set of claws but the damage had been done.

Blood fell heavily from all four-claw wounds soon covering his arm in a dark crimson. He stood strong and in silence but there was no doubting the injuries would hinder him. Instead of pursuing the Immortal Aneeku looked upon the wounds it had delivered and began making that awful sound that was not quite laughter.

"He was right!" Aneeku screamed out, its words appeared nonsensical even when it continued talking. "This power is amazing, riveting...." Aneeku then made truly disgusting sounds, an indication that it was enjoying itself immensely. "How does it feel Cada Varl?" Aneeku asked between its disgusting sounds. "How does that blood feel running down your face and arm?" The Immortal kept quiet as his mind raced to find a solution. He was already struggling to stand against this thing, but now injured it may have been impossible. The only chance he had it seemed was to try and decapitate Aneeku, but there was no guarantee that even that would work. Aneeku would not laugh forever, Cada Varl had to do something and he had to do it now.

"Will it be enough?" The Immortal said quickly but clear enough for the Helluvans to hear him. Aneeku may have heard his words as well but it seemed more interested in the sounds it was making and the pleasure it was feeling. "Only one way to find out," Cada Varl said with the same quickness in his tone. "Everyone get back!" The Immortal screamed with more emotion in his voice than the Helluvans had ever heard from him. His words took a moment to register, the Helluvans were already some distance away from him but none amongst them had felt a need to argue. They did as they were told with even Tanagy and Hazum Ka-te picking up the body of Leannol and carrying it with them.

His words had been loud enough for Aneeku to stop its laughter and pay attention as the Immortal held his sword out in front of him and concentrated on something only he could see. The air around him began to move, slowly at first but increasing in speed by each passing second. Like a stone dropped in water, more air began to ripple all around him.

"What are you doing?" Aneeku asked to which it did not receive an answer.

So much air was now moving around him he was difficult to see clearly before a very vague red light then filled the air moving all around him. To someone of a different age Cada Varl would look like he was inside an oven at its center. A powerful heat soon could be felt filtering into the unaffected air beyond the red light. The heat was intense, being felt from where the Helluvans were standing, and one could only imagine just how hot the red light air was.

The red intensified as the air moved even faster around him. Aneeku would not allow Cada Varl to complete whatever it was that he was doing, opening its mouth and unleashing another blast of the strange foul smelling energy. Not only did the stream not touch Cada Varl but also it evaporated instantly upon touching the strange red light. Aneeku paused for only a moment before it tried the same attack, this time increasing the intensity of the blast. When this did not work Aneeku tried for a third time, unleashing energy so powerful Aneeku seemed to strain to control it. But even this did nothing, not reaching anywhere near the Immortal. Cada Varl then closed his eyes just before Aneeku snarled and growled horrifically.

Aneeku then attempted to plunge the claws of its left hand through the red light and into the flesh of Cada Varl. But as soon as its claws entered the light they began to crack. Aneeku howled in agony as it quickly removed its hand, a few seconds later and its claws may have broken off. Aneeku watched on not knowing what it could do. For the first time since its transformation Aneeku had felt pain and it was a feeling that it did not enjoy. The ripples in the red light then became vertical, moving so swiftly that they soon could no longer be seen.

"What power is this?" Aneeku demanded from the Immortal that stayed silent, immersed in his own mind.

Then the eyes of Cada Varl opened, though they looked no different they seemed to silently command the red lit air. It instantly shrunk to surround him and his sword in a vague light, like shadows being chased away by sudden luminosity. Seeing that the red light was no longer in the air Aneeku quickly opened its mouth in preparation to unleash the foul smelling energy. Before it could do that the Immortal lunged forward with more speed than he had ever wielded. Aneeku saw him coming and attempted to impale him with its claws. But the claws shattered when the glowing sword was struck upon them, these once great weapons now appeared no stronger than glass.

Aneeku did not have time to howl for Cada Varl continued his lunge driving his sword into the chest of Aneeku. Instantly with great violence its chest exploded open as a wound so great it almost severed Aneeku in two appeared across its frame. Blood now quite literally fell as if it was water from a raging river. The cut itself was overkill; for the sword of the Immortal had not only cut through the heart of Aneeku it had disintegrated it.

Cada Varl landed upon the other side of Aneeku, the light around him making him a vision of the most powerful of gods. Before Aneeku had even hit the ground its body quickly returned to its once human looking form. Drenched in blood and almost severed in two, there was a strange peace that could be seen on the pale dead face of Aneeku.

The light vanished from around Cada Varl and he involuntarily fell to his knees, using his left hand to keep him from falling on his face. The fight was over, Cada Varl had won, but the Helluvans did not cheer or rush over to him. Even to people such as them the sight they had just witnessed was overbearing. Slowly Cada Varl raised his head and as he did so something began to stir from the body of Aneeku.

With all eyes now upon the corpse, a light that was almost blinding ascended from his body and quickly rose into the air before exploding in a light that looked almost a mile long. The light covered everything in its luminosity before disappearing completely. To a religious person the light may very well looked like a soul ascending into the heavens, but it was doubtful one such as Aneeku would ever be welcomed in such a place. Cada Varl looked upon the body of his fallen enemy ensuring that there was no other movement. Amongst all of this it was a surprise to see that Aneeku had once been human, for he carried such a hatred for them. Then again that may have been the very reason why he hated them so.

### Chapter 13

It was of little comfort to the group that the cave was not stand alone but a part of a series of an underground system. The world had forever been changed to them; their enemies now knew they were in the west. Aneeku had become something that seemed to completely rewrite history and change what they knew of the werewolf forever. The light that had ascended from Aneeku's body would have been seen for many miles and would undoubtedly draw attention. Cada Varl had shown he possessed powers beyond anything the group had ever known. But most importantly they had lost a comrade.

They took Leannol's body with them into the cave system. Using the red coloured light of the long burning fuel the group found a ledge that jutted out from the underground wall. Strangely it was the perfect size to lay the body of Leannol across as if the gods themselves had placed it there for such a purpose. In spite of everything else that had happened, the Helluvans did not rush and took the time to perform a funeral ritual. The broken pieces of Leannol's weapons were placed at her side and what appeared to be a replica of a short sword, forged from some kind of dark glass was placed in her hands, over her chest.

The glass sword was known as a Vorig, a 'weapon' that could be used only in the afterlife to slay violent spirits known as Eschu. In Helluvan belief when someone died they would have to complete a journey known as the Black Wandering. To complete such a journey would ensure happiness and eternal glory in Haer the Helluvan equivalent of heaven. Failing such a journey would send the person to Julane, a horrible place where only pain, hunger and sadness could be felt. The Vorig would ensure that Leannol was armed when she went on the Black Wandering.

Imbaka and Hazum Ka-te quickly but carefully combed her hair ensuring that it did not fall over her face. This ensured that her vision would remain clear in the world beyond the living. Now the group excluding Cada Varl stood around the body, their heads lowered, and their eyes heavy with sadness. As one they spoke in a language that Cada Varl did not understand and though their words sounded dark, the language was hauntingly beautiful to hear. They soon fell silent and Zova looked towards Cada Varl motioning with her eyes for him to now join them. Standing next to Gokkus the Immortal did not know what was expected of him. So he simply lowered his head and kept quiet.

Now it was time for the group to individually say their last words to Leannol. But in order for Leannol to hear them from the spirit world they had to close their eyes and silently mouth the words they wanted to say. Realizing what the group was doing Cada Varl did the same, closing his eyes and mouthing the words that he was sorry that he did not arrive sooner and that he hoped she could forgive him for breaking his Gyu to Granzool. All of this was not simply a hollow routine that the Helluvans felt duty bound to perform, all of them (including Cada Varl) were greatly saddened by Leannol's death.

After they each had finished their silent words to Leannol they opened their eyes again. In the red light of the torches they held Tanagy's eyes were the glassiest, he was not crying but was close to doing so.

" Fo timmer Ne," Imbaka said proudly.

The term was part of a religious saying that loosely meant 'The Gods will tremble' it was the greatest comment a living Helluvan could give to a dead one. Basically it meant that the gods would be in awe of Leannol, for all she had done in the world of the living. She deserved such words for in the land of Helluv there were few who had accomplished more and had done more for the kingdom. She was a warrior until the end that would be sadly missed, not just by the group but by all of Helluv.

With that saying the group slowly walked on leaving Leannol in darkness. The ritual may have been over but mourning for the loss of the red haired warrior continued long after, making the air thick and unpleasant to breathe. Adding to their woes, the cave system was much larger than what was once thought and more than once they were forced to return to it after reaching the surface. In total they spent just over two weeks underground with barely half a dozen words said between them. Even when they finally came across cool running air there was no excitement or gladness to be had as they followed the air path to the outside world once more.

They entered forestlands whose ground was wet from recent rain, judging by the dark green of the tree leaves rain fell often in this place. They could see that this land was far more open than the other places they had tried to resurface at. This would be where they continued the journey. The landscape matched how they felt perfectly, it was dull and dreary. The group had not quite recovered from the loss of Leannol; mentally they were exhausted and decided to make camp just outside of the entrance to the underground.

The still wet ground made starting a fire difficult but Hazum Ka-te was determined to feel such warmth. Using dry leaves they could find on nearby trees the wielder of the Cloud Cutter eventually got the fire going. It did bring warmth to the air but not their hearts as the group sat upon their packs, staring into the roaring flames. Cada Varl raised his head and looked towards the sky, it was filled with clouds but they were white and empty. At the very least it did not seem rain was about to fall, though this was a small comfort. Only the crackling of burning leaves and twigs prevented silence from ruling, leaving each member of the group to ponder over their own thoughts.

The problem with doing such a thing was their minds were darkened by all that had happened and questions continuously demanded to be answered in their heads. Finally Imbaka spoke after over an hour of nothing said.

" Does anyone have any idea why Aneeku transformed into such thing? Has anybody ever heard of such a creature?" She looked around to the group already knowing the answer to her own question, but she wanted to hear someone else voice. Several shook their heads but Gokkus offered a thought.

"Perhaps some kind of werewolf magic, I know of records that speak of alchemy and potion makers within the werewolf lands, many would be warlords spent time investigating such possibilities. Looking for anything that would give them the advantage against their rivals."

It was a compelling argument and yet no one appeared completely convinced.

"But there is no definite evidence to support such a claim," Hazum Ka-te pointed out calmly. "Then again," he said as he looked to the heavens. "It's now painfully obvious that there is much about the west that we do not know."

His words fell heavily upon the group and it was a long moment before anyone spoke again.

"I cannot say it with certainty but if such transformations had occurred, Helluv would have some kind of information about it. Something like what Aneeku transformed into would not be a secret easily kept," Imbaka pointed out.

"Perhaps it was only recently discovered, an experiment that for whatever reason was considered a failure. Aneeku after all was a rejected being, no warlord would accept his service for any measurable period," Hazum Ka-te said.

"He may have done it to himself, in a bid to fix his insanity so he could transform once more." Gokkus added.

Hazum Ka-te lifted his head in such a way it could only be because of a new thought.

"Aneeku had not transformed in over 400 years, he was forced to fight against other werewolves in a human form. So many years fighting tooth, claw and werewolf bulk using only hands and a sword, could it be possible that such a unique way of life somehow changed his body to make him into that thing he became?"

Silence fell again but it was far less intense as the group thought about the likelihood of such a thing. As such thoughts filled his mind the Immortal watched the fire and witnessed the thin smoke gently rise from it. Keeping his eyes upon the flames he said gently, "Steam." This single word grasped the attention of the Helluvans like a powerful hand strangling their throat. Feeling the eyes of his companions upon him Cada Varl looked away from the fire and towards the group as he said, "What if it had to do with the fact that he had not transformed in 400 years?" Cada Varl waited for an answer but the Helluvans simply stared at him, waiting for him to explain further. He glanced back at the fire for a moment before he said, "Imagine that a human is an empty pot, the werewolf curse is hot water that places itself into the pot. A human transforms into the monster, the hot water is emptied from the pot. When and if the werewolf transforms back into a human form, the pot it refilled with hot water. But if that hot water is never emptied it becomes steam...." Several Helluvans shifted slightly, feeling uncomforted by the power of his words. "If the hot water stays within the pot long enough than eventually it would all transform into steam...." Cada Varl looked back towards the fire as he said, "Aneeku had not transformed in 400 years, which might be more than enough for the hot water to become steam?"

It was a possibility that shook each of them to their very core as Gokkus said with a slightly gasping voice, "Some kind of acceleration of the curse?"

Cada Varl nodded in agreement. It was a dark thing to think about but it was a possibility that could not be ignored.

Gokkus continued on, "As far as we know Aneeku is the only werewolf not to have transformed for so long."

"That would make him unique," Hazum Ka-te said as his eyes looked back upon the fire.

"Is that how you see humans Cada Varl?" Imbaka asked suddenly but gently. She waited until The Immortal was looking upon her before she said, "Nothing but empty pots?" Her question may have been a mystery to many and regardless of interpretation it was a powerful question asked. Cada Varl thought for a moment, reaching into his own memory and knowledge of what he knew of Helluvans. They had felt helpless against Aneeku when he had transformed and to people who prided themselves on their strength, independence and skill it would have been the ultimate humiliation to feel such a thing. Cada Varl had saved them from certain death, they may have accepted Cada Varl as a companion and there seemed a genuine affection for him, but that did not change the fact that they had to rely on an outsider for their safety. Cada Varl looked around the fire and saw that each Helluvan was looking upon him intently, in this moment they wanted only his answer.

He shook his head and said, " No, I see you as anything but empty, I see you as filled with everything I wish I still had, the love of your kingdom, honor, valor and bravery. Never have any of you ceased to amaze me with your talents, not only am I proud to have each of you as company, I feel safe knowing that we are not enemies but allies, a fact that I cherish...."

His words were as powerful as they were genuine. None of the Helluvans lowered their heads or any other acts of modesty, they simply were not that kind of people. But they respected his words and were glad to hear them even if their expressions did not change.

"He said He," Hazum Ka-te said suddenly titling his head as if a heavy thought had entered his mind. All eyes fell upon him but he did not wait for the obvious question to be asked. He looked upon the Immortal and said, "When you were fighting Aneeku, he said something about He being right." The group thought for a moment merely to double check their own memories, Hazum Ka-te was correct.

"That would mean he learned of such power from someone else," Imbaka said.

"If that is the case than why did he seem so surprised by his own transformation?" Gokkus asked openly.

"He must have been told, not shown such power," Cada Varl said.

"Meaning that such a transformation must have been seen as least one time before," Gokkus said. The air now seemed to change as if to silently tell each of them that they all agreed about this possibility. With thousands and thousands of years of werewolf history, if such a transformation had only occurred a single time before than such an account easily could have fallen from the carvings and books of history.

"And what of your power Cada Varl?" Zova asked.

Nothing had changed within her voice but the question itself combined with the fact that she had not spoken in a while made it a heavy thing to hear. Cada Varl looked over to her, staring into her large autumn eyes. Once again all eyes fell upon him for it was a question they all wanted answered. They had never before questioned his power but then again he had never used it in such a way before the encounter with Aneeku. The question seemed to bear down with the weight of the entire world upon the shoulders of Cada Varl , forcing him to lower his head and only look straight ahead into the roaring fire.

" I do not know what to call it, nor do I know exactly how it works but when I...." His words suddenly stopped and his eyes closed as if he was in mourning. Slowly he opened them again and continued his words, "Lost my humanity, something awoke within me, some kind of power that had been lost long ago collectively by man. A primal power that I believe existed during the dark times of old. Even Uldaween had no specific information about what it might be."

"Why didn't you use such a power when we were attacking the first werewolf encampment we crossed?" Zova asked out of nothing more than curiosity. The Immortal could not bring himself to look upon her so he continued to stare at the fire as he gave answer, "Because before my battle with Aneeku I only ever used such a power once, and I did not use it willingly. Not long before I came to your kingdom, after I could find nothing that could free me of my existence in Uldaween I looked back through my own memory, trying to remember the very moment when my humanity became lost. But it is a memory that never formed; I simply cannot remember that moment...." He fell silent once again but none of his companions pushed him to continue, they waited until he was ready to do so. "In that moment when I realized I could not remember, all I could feel was the memory of anger and that is when it happened. The air changed around me and became filled with a hot red light. I almost incinerated a room filled with one of a kind documents before I realized what was happening."

"So when you used that power against Aneeku you did not know whether it would withstand those foul blasts?" Hazum Ka-te asked with admiration in his eyes.

Cada Varl nodded as he looked upon his hand, though it was still clear to see, the wound was almost completely healed.

"What is the first thing you remember after you became who you are today?" Zova asked gently. Now Cada Varl was able to look upon her but he could do so for only a moment before looking back at the flames.

"The light of the full moon..." he said slowly as if such words were too heavy to be spoken normally. "The next thing after the moon a town called Berexe...."

More words seemed about to be said but the fire then diminished and burnt out. No wind had fallen across it, but the kindling they had gathered had been hindered by the wet weather and had proven itself to be poor.

Not long after the fire had went out Tanagy stood up, simultaneously taking a short cutting blade from his pack. All eyes were upon him as he did so for he had yet to say anything. His eyes had almost a glow to them, summoned from the inside, showing that his soul was hurting.

"I will go and get more wood for the fire," he said in the most somber of ways.

The group watched as he moved away from them towards a line of trees where he soon vanished from sight. Though all of them were burdened by Leannol's death Tanagy was the most visibly distraught.

As others looked back to the burned out fire Cada Varl kept his eyes upon the last place he had seen Tanagy, silently blaming himself that he had not been there when Aneeku had first arrived. "He is always like this when he loses a fellow Helluvan in battle."

The words had been spoken with a quiet pride by Hazum Ka-te. Cada Varl looked towards the wielder of the Cloud Cutter. Clearly Hazum Ka-te could tell or at the least had an idea of what Cada Varl was thinking. "It is what makes him such a great warrior, that in place of becoming cold and numb to death he still hates it as much as he ever did." The look in the eyes of Hazum Ka-te was the same look a father possessed when speaking about his proudest son. Such a look made Cada Varl want to ask if Tanagy was indeed his son. It seemed unlikely for the two bore little in appearance physically. " It shall do him good cutting down fuel for the fire...." Hazum Ka-te added.

Cada Varl was about to speak when Zova then said, "Still he should not be alone in an unknown place." Before anyone else could volunteer to do so Zova stood up and took two steps away from the others.

"Zova," Hazum Ka-te said softly bringing her attention upon him. "Speak to him with soft words." Zova gently nodded but did not say anything in response. The group did not watch her leave but instead looked back towards the burnt out fire remembering what it had once looked like.

In silence Tanagy walked quickly but without direction through the forest like area, his hand gripping the handle of the cutting blade so tightly that it trembled slightly. Now alone away from the others, a single tear fell from his eye, one more powerful than ten thousand of its kind combined. Consumed by dark unwanted thoughts he walked aimlessly until he was out of the forest. He had walked right out into a large open area where something out of the corner of his eye brought him out of his thoughts.

He stopped completely though it was too late, for what he saw was a mass of gray fur and enemy armor. Being so consumed by his own sadness he had failed to realize that he had just stepped onto an enormous trail, one a small army of 5,000 werewolves chose to move through. They seemed as puzzled by his presence as he was of them, but they were not outnumbered and he certainly was. It was not fear that consumed his eyes but a sudden realization of what he had literally stepped into. His eyes wandered away from the thousands of enemies before him and towards the sky, then to the path behind him. There was no way for him to escape, if he tried to run the enemy would easily catch him. His thoughts now were not of himself but of his companions, the fact that he may have just endangered them consumed his mind. The only thing he could think of now was how he could rectify this mistake, not for himself but for his countrymen and Cada Varl. Truly Tanagy was a selfless man.

His eyes searched the sky once more as he looked for some kind of omen from the gods above. The sky remained as it always had in this part of the world, dull and full of white. 5000 sets of monstrous eyes were now upon him but he was drawn to something back into the forest of which he had come from. He looked and saw Zova standing in the forest, looking out upon him with eyes widened by an intense dread. Tanagy stared into her eyes for a moment, his own vision, strangely peaceful. He closed his eyes and shook his head so slightly, only Zova could know what he meant. As he opened his eyes once again he saw Zova as she pressed a trembling hand to her lips before extended her hand to him. He smiled ever so slightly but she could not bring herself to return such an expression. She knew that there was nothing she could do to help him but such knowledge did not make it any easier to turn around and quickly leave. Tanagy only looked away from her when she could no longer be seen.

Such knowledge brought a comfort to his eyes knowing that she now had a chance to get somewhere safe and warn the others. Tanagy now looked back to the mass of enemies before him as they glared their teeth and snarled. Werewolves hated Helluvans as much as Helluvans hated them, but in the scheme of things Tanagy was nothing but an annoying insect that needed to be squashed and forgotten about. The werewolves did not attack just yet as if they were consumed by confusion that a human could get so far into their lands. Tanagy dropped the cutting blade paying no attention to it as it fell.

He reached his hands up and took his twin swords from their sheaves. As he lowered his hands he felt the weight of the weapons that had served him so well. It reminded him of just how great they felt in his hands. Slowly he looked back to the mass of werewolves and without a trace of fear in his eyes or in his voice he said, "There has always been a question that I have wanted answered...." Some of the werewolves continued to growl and snarl as Tanagy said, "How many werewolves does it take to kill a Helluvan?" His question was only answered by more snarls and other such sounds of hatred and malice. Tanagy raised his swords in front of him as he said "Guess I am about to find out," With these words spoken the werewolves finally attacked looking like some giant serpent striking upon a lonely ant. Tanagy did not hesitate; he slashed his swords across the air slicing deeply into the closest enemy's neck.

Before they could see her, the group knew that Zova was hurrying back towards them for they could hear her armor banging against the branches that were in her way. They all stood up reaching for their weapons as Zova came into view. The armor had done nothing to slow her down for she had arrived back quickly. With eyes still filled with dread that the others were painfully aware of she said, "An advance party of werewolves is close by."

The group looked away from Zova but they could not see through the thick of the trees.

"Where is Tanagy?" Hazum Ka-te asked desperately.

His eyes soon matched those of Zova's as she said softly, "He accidentally walked out in front of them." The entire group now looked upon her with dread filled eyes and shocked expressions. Hazum Ka-te looked back to the forest taking a single step forward before Zova grasped her hand upon his arm. He stopped immediately but could not bring himself to look into her eyes. With a quivering lip she forced herself to say, "There are at least 5,000 of them."

The once powerful eyes of Hazum Ka-te began trembling violently as he could feel his knees weaken. Though shocked by Zova's words the rest of the group knew they had to move quickly and get as much distance from the enemy as possible.

They grabbed their packs with Gokkus grabbing Tanagy's as well. Zova kept her arm upon Hazum Ka-te knowing how weak the shock was making him.

"Hazum Ka-te," she almost whispered "We must move...we must."

Hazum Ka-te nodded his head but it was clear he was possessed by dismay. He seemed almost like a zombie as he slowly looked away from the last place he saw the Abider. He grabbed his pack and quickly followed the others into parts unknown.

### Chapter 14

Since the very first second Zova had returned and said the terrible truth the group had wanted to stop and allow mourning its time. But they had no other choice but to stay on the move. The advance party Zova had spoken of would have been a part of an army at least 200,000 thousand strong. 200,000 thousand enemies that would now know that Helluvans were in the area. For an army that large to be in such a place they must have been preparing for conflict with another werewolf army at least the same size. At least 400,000 thousand werewolves would soon be in the area and each one of them would think nothing of ripping the Helluvans and the Immortal to pieces.

They moved non-stop for a total of three days without so much as a single word spoken. As always the Helluvans proved their fitness and toughness for when the group did finally rest, it seemed more to rest their mind than their bodies.

Upon nightfall they had made camp on highlands with trees protecting them from view on three sides, with multiple paths of retreat in case they were discovered. The first thing that the group did was form two fires, the first was normal and would be used for its light and its warmth. The second fire was much more unique and in many ways important. Placed near the rocky edge of a close ridge, the fire first began by sticks being placed in an unusual pattern, one that did not seem ideal for burning. From there both Gokkus and Zova poured a number of strange powders into the unlit fire, ranging in colours from blue to black. After taking what seemed to be the pedals of strange dead flowers from a jar Imbaka, one by one, allowed them to fall over the unlit fire before Gokkus placed a perfect square of pink powder around the fireplace. Imbaka handed Zova a small item shaped like a rock that did not quite resemble gold and a small knife. Zova held onto the knife and the shape as Hazum Ka-te approached carrying before him a Vorig from Tanagy's pack. He held the Vorig across both hands with the care of holding a newborn baby. He knelt down beside Gokkus and placed the Vorig into the heart of the unlit fire, laying it down carefully. Zova held her breath as she took the shape and held it over the unlit fire. She cut down upon the shape with the knife cutting it perfectly in two. They all watched as the pieces of the shape fell onto the fire and immediately it lit up, like some great breath from the underground. It was the colour of a dark purple and was eerily beautiful to look upon. There was also a pleasant scent that Cada Varl could not smell coming from the purple fire. The Immortal had never seen anything quite like it or the equally as eerie green smoke that rose off of it. With hand gestures not words Imbaka told Cada Varl to kneel with her alongside the others. They all sat in silence watching the beautiful flames burn.

This was a funeral ritual that took place when the body wasn't available to look over. The dead flowers were called Nisos and according to legend were grown straight from the afterlife into the world of the living. They along with several of the powders were to ensure that the flames would burn into the afterlife and carry with them the Vorig, so it could be given to Tanagy. To ensure that the Vorig had made it to the other side the group had to wait for the flames to burn out on their own and check the remains. If not a trace of the Vorig was found than that meant that Tanagy had found the weapon in the afterlife. If remains were found then he would have to do the Black Wandering unarmed. The group had to remain silent so that the angry spirits who would stop the Vorig's passage couldn't hear them and then know of what they were doing.

The pink powder made into a square on the outside of fire was Bururu, a mixture of things that only the angry spirits could smell and were afraid of. It was a hauntingly beautiful thing to be a part of but there was no joy in such a ritual (nor should there have been). Apart from its smell, smoke and colour the funeral fire had something else different to the normal campfire, it burnt a lot quicker.

After about an hour of staring into it, its flames had weakened considerably. A harsh wind then picked up that moved across the fire and distinguished it completely. The wind then vanished with the flames almost as if the very gods themselves had summoned it for this specific task. Not so much as embers were left and if the fire place was still hot Imbaka showed no sign of it. Carefully she looked through the remains of the fire looking for any sign of the Vorig. Cada Varl could soon see that there was no trace but didn't know if he was allowed to yet talk. The softest of smiles appeared on the face of Imbaka vanishing almost immediately after it appeared.

The group now stood up keeping their heads lowered in mourning. As they had done with Leannol they silently mouthed the last words they wanted to say to Tanagy. As he had said over the body of Leannol he said sorry to Tanagy for not being there, for not doing something to avoid all of this. He knew that he couldn't speak with the other Helluvans about it, but he felt incredibly guilty for the deaths of both Tanagy and Leannol.

When everyone else had finished their messages Hazum Ka-te was still mouthing words and the rest of the group wanted patiently for him to finish. They all moved slowly away from where the purple once was, soon the winds would carry off what remained and there would be no trace left of it. Hazum Ka-te moved the slowest out of all of them as they sat around the campfire.

Seemingly out of nothing more than instinct the group ate a meal though none of them felt hungry. In place of cooking some kind of stew or meat the Helluvans ate dried biscuits called Juiasede. Taste wise they were terrible but would give the group all the protein and energy they had lost over the last several days. The group ate slowly and silently, as their minds remained heavy with the loss of both Tanagy and Leannol. Like with Leannol's death their sadness was genuine, Helluv may have lost two of its greatest warriors, but these Helluvans had lost two of their closest friends. Though the ritual was now long over the group had remained silent the entire time, allowing the winds and other soft sounds of night to roam freely through the darkness.

After more than three days of not saying a single word, Imbaka spoke, "How many of them do you think Tanagy killed?" Her voice matched her eyes, heavy with sadness. Slowly she looked to everyone else around the fire ensuring that they knew it was an open question.

Hazum Ka-te answered her after several moments, staring into the burning fire he said, "A number too high for any of those damn creatures could count to." His eyes then shone in such a way as to reveal many thoughts were struggling to be heard in his mind. He glanced up to the sky and saw that the moon was nowhere to be found on this night almost as if Elfanya was too afraid to show her face to the Helluvans. He glanced back to the flames as he said, " He would have given his swords a new coating of blood, that is a good thing for they were starting to fade."

To an outsider such a comment may have seemed strange but the other Helluvans showed no sign that they felt it so. Something was stirring in the mind of Hazum Ka-te, something that only he completely knew. "Imagine dead rotting corpses on all sides of you, slain foes that are a sign of what is going to happen to the enemies still not dead. Can you imagine the fear in the beasts' eyes?" Imbaka and Zova slowly nodded now understanding what Hazum Ka-te was thinking of. They may have been mourning their loss but they were a warrior people, from a warrior country who had devoted their lives to killing werewolves.

Ultimately to a Helluvan there were few better ways to die than in battle against their hated enemy. "Those beasts that survived against Tanagy would envy their dead brethren, knowing that they were other Helluvans in the area...he made sure that the werewolves knew of his power and made them regret ever crossing his path." Hazum Ka-te may have been staring into the fire but his focus was upon his own thoughts. It was almost as if Hazum Ka-te was thinking up a story, the legend of Tanagy's last stand. No, that was exactly what he was doing. He had always been close to Tanagy and Cada Varl was sure that he had had played a major part in shaping Tanagy into the man he was. Hazum Ka-te wanted to solidify Tanagy, not just in his own memory, or in the memory of Helluv but the memory of history. Tanagy had earned his title of the Abider through countless battles against the werewolf, he deserved to have legends spoken about him and Hazum Ka-te would make sure of that.

Silence returned and the air remained thick with mourning but there was a lining to it, a small ray of warmth as Hazum Ka-te placed the legend together in his own mind. Finally and if only for a moment Hazum Ka-te smiled, showing without words he had finished the legend in his own mind. The group listened intently as Hazum Ka-te told his story, emotions may have been high but even if the other Helluvans had never met Tanagy they would be completely immersed in the story. Hazum Ka-te proved himself to be a hell of a storyteller and when he had said the last word the entire group including Cada Varl bore a serious smile. In perhaps the strangest of ways the entire thing had been an effective coping exercise to deal with Tanagy's death. The group may have stayed silent for another hour, but it no longer felt so heavy.

Tanagy's death did more than make them sad it reminded them of something. Though there was no blame to be had Tanagy had ultimately died because he had allowed his emotion to get the better of him. Helluvans may have deserved their reputation as fearless, highly skilled warriors commanded by a king that monsters feared, but they were still human. Emotion was a powerful thing, it could be the most admirable quality humans possessed, but it also could cloud their judgment. Tanagy's death did not change the fact that there was a reason why they were so far west and if anything only reminded them of their goals. If they were to fail not only would Helluv stand to fall, but also the deaths of Tanagy and Leannol would be for nothing. Dying pointlessly was perhaps the worst way to die and with this notion filling their thoughts Gokkus spoke,

"I wonder just how far west we are?"

It was the man dressed in black's attempt to get the group to focus on the task at hand. Everyone did not look around to the trees and paths around them but rather to the night above. The moon may have been nowhere to be seen but the stars were out in full as if they were trying to compensate for the absence of Elfanya. When silence had stayed far too long the group looked upon Imbaka who kept her head raised.

As if she could feel their eyes upon her she said, " I cannot find a star that I recognize."

Though the ramifications of her words were great her voice remained clear, tainted only slightly by mourning. The group looked up the night sky, aiding Imbaka as best they could to find some sense of direction. They all knew that if Imbaka couldn't find a recognizable star then they wouldn't be able to, nevertheless that did not stop them from trying. When Imbaka finally lowered her head the others knew to stop searching. Cada Varl kept his head raised a fraction longer than the others, realizing just how alien the sky looked and reminding him of just how far from Helluv the group was.

Effectively they were lost, such a fact felt like another rock placed onto a pile that sat upon their chests. For all the danger the west had provided to the group it now showed it possessed yet another knife to hold at their throats. The group could have remained around the fire asking each other questions that they knew no one could answer, or they could do the practical thing.

Not long after they had lowered their heads Gokkus had stood up and using a stick took embers from the fire. Tanagy had usually performed such a task but sadly it was something he could no longer do. Unlike Tanagy Gokkus took great care in creating the rectangles of embers like he was doing it in tribute to his fallen friend.

When the group laid within the rectangle preparing for slumber Cada Varl could not help but think just how troublesome their sleep was going to be. Tanagy's death, the fact they were utterly lost in a hostile land and that Leannol's death still had not left them were perfect ingredients for creating nightmares. It could only be imagined what kind of nightmares haunted the dreams of such brave people. When Cada Varl said goodnight to them no one responded with words, they all simply waved their hands before becoming still and silent.

As he had done every night when the group had made camp the Immortal stood guard over the Helluvans. He peered out to the darkness the night had to offer making sure enemies were not close. For the time being he saw no sign of movement and his vision was soon drawn to where the ritual fire had taken place. He walked over to it and noticed that there was now no trace of its existence, only a memory. Cada Varl looked beyond the ridgeline and could see fields were ten or so feet below it. He looked out into the fields unsure exactly of what he was looking for (apart from enemies). He thought about the last time he had seen the Abider and how quickly everything had changed seemingly in moments. He felt guilty over his death even though he knew that even with his powers he would not have been able to defeat 5,000 werewolves.

To a simple or greedy man, Cada Varl's powers may have been seen as a blessing. There were countless kings who would have done anything to possess such powers to rule over their kingdoms unchallenged. But for all of his power it still wasn't great enough to change the world, to correct the mistakes, to absolve his sin. Emotion and reason or rather the memory of them clashed violently inside of him as he continued to stare upon the fields. No human had walked through them in thousands of years, a fact that Cada Varl was responsible for. The continent of Noonsva was what was because of him; he was horribly aware of this fact. He was also aware of how many lives he had destroyed, how many families had died or become monsters because of him. It was a figure too high to count but one that would make genocide look unremarkable.

He looked back to the sleeping Helluvans, noticing that the rectangle Gokkus had forged was large enough for two more bodies to lay in. Leannol and Tanagy may have been dead but they were far from forgotten in the minds of the Helluvans. They seemed to have fallen asleep and showed no visible sign of trouble in the land of slumber. Cada Varl had never stopped admiring these humans and in many ways he was jealous of them. With all that had happened they had still managed to fall asleep unsure of what the following day would bring. Cada Varl looked away from them remembering his duty. He looked back out into the night demanding of himself not to let any more of them die. He had already broken his Gyu to Granzool twice, he wanted to make sure it did not happen a third time.

### Chapter 15

If the Helluvans had suffered nightmares than they showed no sign of it, waking as they always did just as the sun came up. There was a chill in the air that did not seem to belong in this part of the world that the group paid no attention to. In place of having a quick breakfast the Helluvans took the time to rebuild the fire and cook something Cada Varl had never seen them eat before. Using a variety of ingredients, including powders that really didn't look edible Hazum Ka-te cooked within a single pot. Every now and again the wielder of the Cloud Cutter would stir the ingredients but he really just seemed to be waiting for something to happen. Cada Varl did not recognize the smell that came from the pot so to him it was odorless. The group sat around the fire saying nothing with only the sounds of the morning air to prevent complete silence. Whatever Hazum Ka-te was cooking it took over an hour to be done so.

Signalized by the fact steam no longer rose from the pot the Helluvans knew it was ready to be eaten. Gokkus went to his bag and took out 5 bowls, at first Cada Varl thought Gokkus had made a mistake, that his mind had temporarily forgotten that Tanagy was no longer with them. But as he passed the bowls to Hazum Ka-te no one else made any mention of it. Whatever had been cooked, it wasn't stew, for the entire pot was filled with a strange light blue substance that was thick and solid. The food offered little resistance as Hazum Ka-te scooped it up into bowls and passed it around to his other Helluvans. A bowl was even given to Cada Varl though the group was already aware that he did not need to eat. Regardless Cada Varl offered no protest as Zova handed him the bowl with a silent nod. He waited until everyone else had begun before he ate the food. Unlike the Helluvans who had mastered how to eat almost anything without utensils, Cada Varl had not tried to eat anything in a thousand years. He had great difficulty preventing the food from falling onto his lap or chest. He possessed no memory of whatever the food was so to him it had not taste. He looked around to the faces of his companions but none of them showed any sign of whether the food tasted good or not, such things didn't matter to these kinds of people.

When the food was eaten the group was quick to pack up and continue on their journey. It was not long after the fire had been put out Zova explained to Cada Varl that they had eaten Lyzen, a kind of porridge like food mixed with potions and remedies that were suppose to cleanse the soul. Cada Varl wasn't even sure if he still possessed such a thing but he understood why it had been eaten. Even if the Lyzen had no actual effect it was a good ritual to help the group deal with the loss of Tanagy (and Leannol).

The group did not enter the nearby fields but instead stayed within the relative protection of the forest. They had no idea where they actually were and for all of their knowledge it was just as likely they were in the middle of a place rife with conflict than somewhere isolated. As they continued moving through the forest each grew uneasy for there was a thick smell in the air that Cada Varl easily remembered. It was the smell of death and judging by its stench, a genocide of death had taken place somewhere nearby. At first it could only be smelled when the wind would blow across them but after an hour or so of walking it remained within the air. Each member of the group kept their eyes sharp for any sign of enemies, but they couldn't see so much as a bug scurrying across the ground. Such a thing did not put their minds at ease but rather haunted them, like they were walking into a place where all life had been extinguished.

Soon even the trees disappeared from sight and the group was left out in the open for the whole world to see and the smell of death was getting even stronger. They were very careful when they left the shelter of the last line of trees, ensuring that there was not any werewolves around, at least in sight. They entered a series of fields that slopped just enough to keep what the next field had to offer hidden from view. It seemed that Mature Nature was up to her old tricks again. There was still no sign of where the reek of death was coming from; all they knew was with each step that they took the smell was getting stronger. They were completely exposed upon those fields, each of them horribly aware of just how easily seen they could be. Each member of the group may have walked in one direction but they were looking all around them for any sign of movement. Field after field offered nothing more than silence and shallow grass until they came upon a sight that made the entire group stop without command. They were still looking at fields but now they were no longer bare, they had found the source of death's smell.

Before them lay a massive field, almost every square inch of which was covered in the eviscerated bodies of werewolves. Thousands and thousands of the creatures lay dead rotting out in the open. By the simple number of corpses a tremendous battle had taking place here. The group at first were hesitant to enter the field, not because it was full of death but rather they wanted to be sure that no survivors were about. The group panned the field for some time looking across the tens of thousands of corpses.

When they could not see any movement they cautiously entered. The sky remained free of anything but sporadic clouds; there was not a single bird in sight. The battlefield was as silent as the dead were motionless; no scavengers had yet to take the feast provided to them. As far as the group knew there weren't any scavengers or birds of death in the west. Like most things there were many legends attempting to explain why. The most common belief being that the werewolves had long ago wiped out any type of scavenger in the west. But maybe even scavengers would not taste cursed flesh.

However if this was true than Helluvans would do something that scavengers wouldn't and soon Gokkus and Zova were cutting prime pieces of meat off of several of the werewolf corpses. The battle must have taken place only recently for rot had yet to take effect upon the many corpses. As Gokkus took the forearm of a werewolf and wrapped it some kind of cloth Cada Varl found himself asking, "Does werewolf flesh taste any good?"

To this Gokkus replied simply, "As long as you add the right kind of spices."

While Gokkus and Zova were thinking of ways to cook their new found delicacies Imbaka and Hazum Ka-te were interested in something far different. Imbaka studied the colours and shoulder symbol of several werewolves that lay dead before her. The shoulder symbols were well detailed, consisting of a number of shapes and lines. The colour upon the armor was a dark white as simple as it was strong.

"Troops of Baras the Broken fought here," She said loud enough for the others to hear her clearly. Her eyes were then drawn to another werewolf body, which stood out amongst the others around it. The colours upon its shoulder armor were light green but more importantly its symbol was different. "They were fighting against Metamok supporters," she said.

It did not take someone with her expertise to know who the victor of the battle had been. For every body of a Metamok supporter there were 80 to a hundred bodies of Baras' troops. The group had always known that Metamok was far from the only would be usurper and Baras the Broken was one of the few others known about in the east. Judging by the sheer scale of numbers Baras had suffered a heavy defeat in these fields. To the group it served as a reminder of how close Metamok was becoming to having complete rule over the west. Apart from Metamok Baras had been one of the most powerful rivals for the throne of Gorgoza. The most important question that they now had to answer was just where had the survivors of the battle gone to? The air wasn't filled with the sound of marching and surely armies of such size would easily be seen. But the battle hadn't been fought that long ago and even with werewolf speed the survivors wouldn't have been a world away.

"One force went east," Zova said seemingly suddenly compared to the silence that had ruled before her words. Every eye was upon her following her vision eastward. The sheer amount of bodies almost stretched to the very limits of their vision. The others moved to be close to Zova as to get a better view of whatever had told her of such information. When none of the others spoke Zova explained, "The fields beyond the battle are tattered by heavy footfall in the east, only an army worth of beings could do such a thing." Cada Varl looked closely and could see that her words were true. Though he was quite impressed by the fact Zova, a human was able to see such detail from so far away. Then again there was a reason why she was also known as Infinite Eye. The forces of Baras may have been on the losing end of this battle but it was doubtful that they had been annihilated. There may have been tens of thousands dead in this place but Baras commanded at least a million warriors. The group had come from the north, meaning either the troops of Baras or Metamok had traveled south or west. It was an important question to be answered for the group did not want to follow either surviving army. As they looked in all directions for more signs of where the other army went they stopped searching when they looked south.

There may not have been any sign of a leaving army but there was something even a blind man would struggle not to see. In the great distance beyond even the mountains was a structure of some kind, so tall that its top literally disappeared into the clouds. The structure was simply too far away for any real detail to be confirmed with the exception that it was not a creation of nature.

"The tower of Fokusuman," Imbaka said softly yet loud enough for the others to her. All eyes fell upon her for a moment before the group collectively stared back at the tower.

Fokusuman was maybe the most well known werewolf that was not some kind of warrior or tyrant. She was an architect, it was not known whether or not she held such a profession before being cursed but it was a well-known fact she was responsible for some of the most iconic structures in the west. Gorgoza had recognized her genius for imaging such magnificent structures and the tower of Fokusuman was one of her greatest achievements. The tower was created when Gorgoza wanted something so magnificent that no other ruler would ever be able to build something to rival its greatness. According to legend even the very gods themselves were jealous of the craftsmanship of the tower. There were an equal number of legends of what the tower held, including the tormented spirits of everyone Gorgoza personally killed, to treasures that only gods could value. But the group had little desire to know what was within the tower or why it was built. The most important thing out of seeing the tower was it allowed the group to know where they were.

Imbaka did not hesitate she took out her maps and began looking over them. The group waited patiently for her to do what she did better than anyone and come up with a new course of direction.

" We must be somewhere north of the city of Mutamut..." She said not taking her eyes off of the map in her hand. Her fingers gently moved over the map as she thought about several paths they could take. After what must have been careful consideration she looked up from the map and said, " There are two options that we could take, both offer both problems and solutions." She paused for just a moment to ensure that her companions had heard her before she continued, "We could head south, towards the tower, the path will be fairly direct but will take us even closer to known areas of large werewolves populations.... Or we could go west, which will eventually take us into wildernesses that we know little about. Going west would take longer but it will keep us away from enemy hotspots, but we cannot be truly sure of what other problems we may run into if we head west."

The look in her eyes revealed that she wanted the opinion of the group. It was a slightly twisted version of what they first had been faced with when they began their journey. The option was either remain close to places where werewolves would be fighting or to go back into the mostly unknown. The two biggest challenges were either Mother Nature or the werewolves themselves. It was a decision the group did not take lightly and each member took the time necessary to think about their answer. Ultimately the group decided to head into the west, for although the wilderness had almost killed them before, they had lost two companions because they had traveled so close to enemy populations. The decision was unanimous and they left the fields of death behind heading into the west. There may have been no physical sign of it but their spirits had been lifted. In less than a day they had gone from being completely lost to now having a sense of direction. Many challenges would remain ahead, but at the least all hope wasn't lost.

For the entire morning and an hour of the afternoon the fields remained in their path until eventually the landscape changed. In place of continuing on in this new land however the group came to a stop right at its edge for the terrain was peculiar. Gone were the lush fields of short grass replaced by plain white sand where bizarre shrubs without leaves grew up out of the ground. Stranger still was exactly how the shrubs had been grown, in perfect lines that appeared to be the exact same distance from one another. They stretched further than even the Immortal could see and appeared well kept as if someone or rather something had taken care of each shrub as it had grown. Only Cada Varl seemed worried by it for the Helluvans knew what this place was.

"The Garden of the Gods," Hazum Ka-te said as if it was almost a boring thing to say. In spite of the name there was nothing sacred about this place, it was named simply due to the way the shrubs grew. It just seemed so unnatural as if the gods themselves had to have intervened to get the shrubs to grow in such a way. Not to mention the fact the white sand of the ground didn't really seem an ideal place for such shrubs to grow.

"Be careful not to let the tips of any shrub touch your skin," Gokkus reminded his other Helluvans and informed Cada Varl of.

Keeping his hands under the protection of his cape Cada Varl followed the others after Imbaka had carefully chosen a specific path to move down. The shrubs were only about two and half feet tall keeping the group easily seeable as they made their way through. Soon Cada Varl could see why Hazum Ka-te had shown little interest in the garden of the gods. Apart from the way they grew there was nothing interesting about them and before long Cada Varl didn't even take any notice of them. Because of the shrubs the path of the group was direct and straightforward, however they never let their guard completely relax and were also sure to keep an eye out for any sign of trouble. Moving through the Garden of the Gods was uneventful, they didn't see so much as a bird in the sky and reached its end in late afternoon.

Beyond the Garden of the Gods was perhaps half an acre or so of flat ground that quickly lead into a massive forest where relatives of the garden's shrubs could be seen consuming it. There was a large clear trail that the group could easily walk through in sight of the forest's entrance but before they could even step towards the silence of the air was shattered violently.

A howl consumed by the greatest of pain rang out from somewhere deep inside of the forest. The group stood perfectly still as if their instincts believed it would keep them from being seen. The howl was undoubtedly from a werewolf, but what wasn't clear was what was the reason for the beast to make such a sound? The group was not into the unknown wilderness yet and it was quite likely that werewolves were somewhere close by. The path now was far less desirable to take for it would leave them too exposed to whatever was lurking within the wounds.

In place of moving through the path the group decided to move through the thick bush off of the path. The bushes were so overgrown and twisted that they would have to crouch and crawl through them but to Helluvans such an annoyance was not overwhelming. Lead by Imbaka the group literally crawled on their bellies through the thick bush. Moving at a quick pace proved difficult but amazingly the Helluvans were able to remain silent. They moved in such a way that the twigs and other things the bushes had to offer did not break or snap as they moved through them. Cada Varl was the second last in line and he tried his best to mimic every single movement Zova made in front of him. He did not want to be responsible for them being discovered by whatever had made the werewolf howl. In any direction it was difficult to see clearly, the group were forced to look through the tiny spaces and breaks of the shrubs.

Their vision was so hindered that they only noticed something crashing upon the trail near them when it hit the ground. Only a foot and a half or so away from Zova the severed head of a werewolf had fallen, its large eyes lifeless but still full of fear. The group stopped moving completely as each tried to see what had killed the werewolf and more importantly why did it look so afraid. Hazum Ka-te, who was the second in line of the group, had the best view. He watched as another werewolf drenched in its own blood came sailing through the air as if it weighed no more than a common pebble. It landed beyond where even Gokkus could see, but they were all sure that it was dead. The air remained in a horrid silence revealing no clue that some kind of battle or skirmish was taking place within the woods.

Through a gap in the bush large enough for Imbaka's left eye to see through she witnessed what appeared to be a man holding a werewolf by the throat. It appeared to be a man for not a single spot of his skin was showing. He was dressed in garments of the darkest of black and the lightest of red. His clothes did not really appear to be a uniform of any kind nor were their origins obvious to look upon. They fitted him perfectly and must have been stitched for his body and his body only. He wore a cape that was slightly too long and slightly too large for his 6 foot frame. It was red, the same colour as the long gloves that were worn upon his hands. His head was covered either by some kind of mask or helmet for its material was unknown. Chain mail armor, the colour of black could be seen underneath the helmet/mask falling several inches down his neck. There was something in the air that told the group this figure was something terrible.

Though the figure's height was comparatively smaller than the werewolf it held, he showed no sign at all that he was struggling to keep the werewolf pinned to the tree. Morbidly the figure held the werewolf with only one hand, keeping his other hand lowered but the werewolf was doing nothing to fight back. It was as if the figure was holding onto it so tightly that it was paralyzed and helpless to defend itself. A moment later the figure grabbed its other hand around the werewolf's leg and with a movement as swift as it was violent teared the werewolf literally in two. The werewolf didn't even have time to howl as tendons, bones and flesh were ripped apart effortlessly. It was a gruesome sight to behold but what happened next was truly shocking.

The cloud of blood, bone and entrails that filled the air before the figure seemed to pause for a moment before falling onto the ground before it. Not so much as a single speck of blood landed on the figure almost as if even it was afraid to get anywhere near the figure. The figure held the two bloody and lifeless pieces of its victim for a moment before throwing them an impressive distance to either side, like they were nothing but unwanted rubbish. The figure then lifted its head slightly as if in thought before suddenly turning and revealing the mask upon its face.

Each member of the group held their breath, unsure if the figure had somehow become aware of their presence. The mask he wore was twisted and white, with dark black circles that mimicked eyes and a twisted shape that almost resembled a mouth. What the figure was staring at the group did not know as each thought of how best to defend themselves in such a vulnerable situation. Finally the figure looked away morbidly turning its head to scan the tree line before it. After another long moment the figure was gone from sight moving off of the path, fortunately away from where the group was. For a time none amongst them moved staying perfectly still and silent. The masked figure had shocked each of them with both its presence and its strength. They all wanted to ask one another if anyone amongst them had any idea who or what the figure was. But they each soon realized this was not the time or place for such things.

When they were sure that the figure was nowhere close by the group continued crawling through the bush. By the time they had gotten out of the woods night had fallen, though they continued on walking for another hour before they decided to make camp for the evening. The sighting of the masked man had put them on edge, they did not want to ever have an encounter with any enemies on this night.

After a fire was made and the evening meal had been eaten Zova was the first to mention the figure. "The masked man in the woods, I did not recognize his clothes, or the mask he wore as belonging to any ruler of the west."

The other Helluvans nodded as confused as she was. Cada Varl was surprised by this thinking the figure would be explained as the sighting of one of many legends like the Yonga Ponday or the Beret Onoon.

"How many werewolves in the west remain in human form, especially when they are fighting other werewolves?" Hazum Ka-te had asked this like a question but he already knew the answer. Gokkus seemed just as baffled, "I do not know of any except...."

He forced his own words to stop as a thought struck him. He looked around the group and could see the others were thinking the same thing, "Except Aneeku." Their troubled thoughts became dark as they remembered the red masked warrior who had transformed into an unrecognizable monster.

"Aneeku did say something about another who had told him about the powers he possessed." Imbaka stated while looking into the fire. The group thought about the figure, the sheer strength he had possessed and most importantly how the blood did not touch him. Cada Varl could feel the eyes of Zova upon him, he looked back but neither said anything.

"Perhaps Aneeku wasn't as unique as we once thought," Gokkus said in the same way someone spoke about how a disaster could have been prevented after it had happened. The group became silent as they contemplated such a possibility and frustratingly it seemed to make sense.

Cada Varl then spoke, "I did not get as good of a look at him as I would have liked but did the masked figure wear the same shadows and cross symbol as Aneeku did?" The group now looked around to each other searching for an answer to the question.

Each of them shook their head with Imbaka saying, "The only thing I saw was some kind of simple ring held by a simple length of black around his neck."

"Doesn't prove anything either way," Hazum Ka-te said clearly still trying to figure it out in his own mind. Other possibilities were discussed but none could be proven and after several hours of unfruitful discussion the night came to an end. The Helluvans slept surrounded by a rectangle of embers as Cada Varl stood guard, wondering who exactly the masked figure was.

### Chapter 16

Thankfully there was no sign of the masked figure during the night, who or what he was would remain a mystery that the group did not dwell on. They had far more important matters to deal with. For the next three days they moved through simple fields and other such places before the landscape changed completely. Gone were the leafy forests and strange twisted bushes replaced by miles upon miles of flat muddy ground.

They had reached what was known as the Mukinia Mudflats. The only thing that grew out of these mudflats were short black trees that possessed many branches but not a single leaf. The sun ruled the sky of this landscape without a single cloud for company. The ground was wet as if it had been raining recently although there seemed no sign of it. It was also strong and sturdy, barely sinking under the weight of the group's feet. There was a very hostile feeling in the air, a feeling the group had gotten used to being so far away from home.

As the group walked across the flats each of them looked in every direction. They saw only more flats and leafless black trees. They did not have to worry about coming under attack or being discovered by any werewolf enemy here. The Helluvans had gathered a lot of information about the Mukinia flats but it wasn't necessary to come to such a conclusion. The flats offered nothing more than what the group could see around them, there was nothing of value in such a place. Any werewolf, who wanted to call this place home, they were entilted to it; nobody would fight them for such a horrid place.

The elements would return as the group's biggest nemesis here. They had possibly been walking for perhaps an hour or so before Cada Varl realized just how isolated of a place this was. He looked in all directions including the direction from which they had came, not so much as a single mountain could be seen anywhere in the distance. It would take far more than a day or a week before they were out of the flats.

The terrain however offered something of value, Imbaka with a cutting blade in her hand easily cut the end off one of the many branches of a short black tree. Water as clean as any of them had ever seen poured out of it like it was the end of some kind of kettle. Imbaka drank deeply from the opened branch, even filling her water skin fully. When she had finished her fill the other Helluvans drank as well. Even when Gokkus drank at least two skins full the water continued to pour out, like the stream was endless. As Cada Varl past the broken branch he noticed that the water shone very strongly in the light of the sun, an indication of its purity. He didn't bother drinking it himself; he saw no reason for such a thing and followed the others onward.

The water may have been tasty but it could do nothing to solve a problem that eventually showed itself. When the day turned into dusk as it always did the air, which had remained thick with heat during the day became only slightly less cold than ice. Helluvans were used to the cold and in fact had been bred to deal with it if they had to. But if a fire could be born than it would be most welcomed. The branches of these black trees, which Zova told Cada Varl, were called Usterax Trees, were useless to start a fire with. Having so much water constantly running through them had made them almost immune to the powers of flames, at least any kind of flame the group could get started.

The ground also remained wet and the group knew if the mighty sun couldn't dry up the earth then they didn't have a chance either. But the Helluvans had come prepared for such a thing and worked with items they had brought in their own packs to soon start a fire. They placed a strange hide down onto the ground before adding several potions and other things the Immortal did not recognize, it was not before long when a fire began to roar powerfully. Not only was its warmth welcome so was its light, neither the moon nor the stars had bothered to show themselves over the flats. It was as if they knew how boring such a place was and had no desire to look over it anymore.

The group chose a quick dinner of Juiasede over cooking anything. Gokkus explained to Cada Varl that the fire they had forged was not ideal for cooking. Cada Varl didn't know why exactly but he didn't push the matter further. When it came time for the Helluvans to fall asleep Imbaka pulled out a long and wide piece of hide large enough for seven or eight people to sleep upon. This hide seemed to be of the same type as the small hide that had kept the fire off of the ground. A rectangle of embers was placed upon the hide, seemingly there was no threat of the embers burning through it.

The flames on the main fire still burned strong as the Helluvans said goodnight to the Immortal. This was perhaps the first night that Cada Varl did not stand guard, there was no reason to. More importantly it was the first night in a long time that he missed the ability to slumber. He had always missed the ability to dream, but now he was all alone with his thoughts with no vision to distract himself with. When the fire eventually burnt out, Cada Varl was left alone in a darkness that was as silent as it was cold.

When the sun rose the following morning Cada Varl was grateful for its presence for it brought the Helluvans back from the world of slumber. They ate a breakfast of more Juiasede before packing up and starting their journey once again. This is how the days played out, with almost nothing to differentiate one day from the next. Weeks turned into months and the entire venture became almost a race. Each night when they bore a fire they were burning through more and more of their resources. Until they left the flats there was no way of gathering any kind of supplies. Even the werewolf meat Zova and Gokkus had taken had to be abandoned for its rotten smell was starting to become overbearing. They had known all along this path would stretch them to their limits, it was the price they had to be pay to stay away from large werewolf populations. As tough and boring as things were there was not a single complaint from any of the Helluvans. Even such harsh circumstance would not break them. The Mukinia Mudflats may have been enormous, anyway they were measured but they were not endless.

Proof of which could be soon roughly midday through yet another day. In the distance they could be seen, a gathering of mountains that were no illusion. Their presence meant that an end to this terrain was attainable yet the group made no such indication they were happy to see them. It would take a day and a half before the group had reached the mountains but at least the mudflats were now behind them.

Better still was the fact Imbaka knew what the mountains and their surrounding terrain were, the Esigo Highlands. A place of lush dark grass and crisp mountain air that was a very welcomed change from what they had endured for the past several months. There was still a handful of daylight hours left so the group did not make camp straight away. The air may have been cold but it was nothing that the Helluvans couldn't deal with as they descended and then ascended through the landscape looking for the best place to camp. The Eisgo Highlands like the flats before them were part of the wilderness, which hadn't been well explored by werewolf kind. Though with all of the turmoil in the west these highlands would not have been forbidden for an escaping army or exiled ruler to call a temporary home.

The first other living thing the group came across was not a werewolf but a four legged creature, roughly the size of a deer. Its four legs were thick like stone as its shoulders and torso were brimming with muscle covered by a dark blue fur. It possessed a total of four very long and very straight horns that rested not on top of its head but closer to the nape of its neck. A pair of large black eyes dominated its short flat face as it opened its mouth to reveal a set of flat teeth. The group watched silently from a distance as the creature feasted upon the lush dark grass the highlands were covered with. The creature hadn't spotted them and seemed consumed by the need to fill its stomach with food. It was far from a spectacular sight to behold but the group watched the creature intently for one very good reason.

Never had they seen a creature like this before, nor had they even heard of it. In their eyes this was a brand new beast and its existence only solidified the fact there was much about the west the group did not know. Even Cada Varl had no idea what kind of creature it was, either he had seen it back when he was a normal man and had forgotten it or he had never come across it before. Zova may not have known what the creature was but she knew what use it could be to the group.

Silently she took out her bow and arrow, aiming carefully to kill the beast with a single arrow. It was not a hard shot to make and someone with a quarter of her skill would be able to do it. The wind was still and the creature remained oblivious to their presence. Zova struck the creature with her arrow through both lungs and its heart, killing the animal instantly.

The group had only taken a handful of steps towards it before the silence of the air was broken. A powerful roar boomed into the air, one that was completely different to anything a werewolf could produce. They did not have to search for long or far to see the source of the sound as only 30 foot or so away from them a Moelekke bear stood. It matched the description of its kind near perfectly, standing at least 15 feet perhaps even taller, covered in blackish gray fur and claws even larger than a werewolf's were. Its mouth was opened wide as it growled continuously. Zova quickly placed another arrow in her bow but did not fire it. As terrifying as the bear was the group were brought to silence more for the fact that they had never seen one before. There were plenty of records and other evidence to prove its existence, so it was not a mythical creature. Nevertheless it was an impressive sight to behold. It was much bigger than any werewolf (except Aneeku) the group had ever seen before. They could now see for themselves how this breed of bear could fight off a werewolf attack.

The bear continued to growl for a moment or two longer but then suddenly stopped. It was almost as if the bear realized that its roar was not enough to make the group leave. It seemed Zova had killed the creature before the bear had had a chance to. The bear went down on all fours but remained a large presence as it looked upon the group. The accounts of it were true; the Moelekke bear saw the world through pink eyes. It continued to growl but much softer than before as it seemed strangely reluctant to charge the group. This did not fit what the records said about these bears, they were meant to be highly aggressive and territorial. The bear then stopped growling completely and simply stared towards the group. Eerily it was not looking towards Zova or her bow and arrow, but directly into the eyes of Cada Varl. Mesmerizing pink stared into powerful red for only a moment before the bear quickly ran away from the group, disappearing from sight.

Zova lowered her bow, for whatever reason she had decided not to kill the bear (or at least tried to). No one said anything about it but clearly the bear had run off so suddenly because of Cada Varl. Perhaps it could smell that there was something not right about him, instinct often made things weary of the unknown. In any case the group was now free to claim the carcass of the unknown creature for their own.

Hazum Ka-te carried the dead creature across his shoulders as the group continued moving until they found a good spot to make camp for the night. Dusk was perhaps an hour away from falling but the group had more tasks to be done than most other nights. As Zova prepared the carcass to be cooked the other Helluvans emptied out their packs and took count of what supplies they had. Their time in the Mukinia flats had taken a great toll on their rations, more than anyone of them could have predicted. It had now been a number of months since they had left the Helluvan border and the journey all up had taken a lot from them. The Esigo Highlands had already proven to be fruitful, but the group was still a considerable distance away from their destination. They all knew that there was much terrain still left to cover and they were unsure of what, if anything they could gather beyond the highlands.

Still the group did not wallow in despair, instead they bore two fires with one to cook prime pieces of the slain creature while the other was used to cook dry foods, forged from ingredients the group had carried with them. It was now a matter of maximizing their minimums. Certain slabs of meat from the creature were not cooked but salted and preserved as best as possible. Cada Varl helped where he could but by gathering fuel for both fires, apart from that there was little that he could do.

The whole process took a number of hours and it was well into night by the time the group sat for their evening meal. Judging by how quickly the Helluvans were eating, the meat of the creature was delicious. The evening meal served as a small comfort after a long time of nothing but discomfort.

As they finished the last of the cooked meat they each noticed how brightly the moon shone even though it was not quite full. The stars had also returned and several Helluvans were surprised just how much they had missed them. There was silence for some time after the meal had been eaten, but unlike a lot of nights this silence was not thick or heavy, it was peaceful.

The group took the time to merely admire the stars and the purity of the highlands before the silence was calmly ended.

"Cada Varl," Hazum Ka-te said gently yet with a firm conviction in his tone. "May I ask how we will enter the underground chamber?" The question brought every Helluvan out of their own heads and back into the real world. Though opening the chamber had been a major point of this journey Cada Varl had never once been asked about the actual chamber itself. The question did seem to come out of nowhere but as the Immortal thought about it for a moment it did not seem so wild. The group, in a way of dealing with the deaths of their companions had refocused themselves upon the whole reason why they were in the west in the first place.

Cada Varl did not hesitant in giving answer. "The chamber will open when a specific word is said upon it, a word that must be spoken in one breath without hesitation and every syllable must be correct." Briefly Cada Varl glanced into the fire before looking back at Hazum Ka-te. " That word is Najukuiomysserlnemcoraskasmeatonevaaaasagofuiklefdoyedamuzoxxqoolergufellnaratubentemensiadogkullfanusattreelmbianatajullonnmentearacovensakullogoraisisisisiszzzbauta."

As soon as this bizarrely long word had left his lips a wind was summoned from places unseen blowing upon the roaring fire so harshly that it almost blew it out completely. The wind then vanished almost as soon as it had been summoned; it left a strange smell in the air one that told the group that it was not entirely natural. Everyone including Cada Varl looked away from the fire for something that they were not entirely sure about. When only the darkness of the night could be seen around them they looked back to Cada Varl who said, "That was strange...."

### Chapter 17

The group's time in the Esigo Highlands was uneventful, they came across a few other strange horned creatures, each of which were just as delicious as the first. They had no more encounters with a Moelekke bear though they did see several of them on occasion.

Beyond the highlands they came to a place known as Huzuraa, a landscape of lush uneven fields where the grass grew tall and orange. The reasoning for such colouring had to do with the amount of werewolves who had been killed in Huzuraa. When their bodies decomposed into the ground it turned the grass orange. Such a thing only occurred when an incredibly high number of werewolves die in a select area over a long period of time. Roughly three thousand years ago Huzuraa had been a place of constant conflict as rival warlords had fought for control over the deep silver mines that once could be found in the land. In the present day however Hazuraa had been mined clean of any silver and had been abandoned to the wilderness. The fact that the grass still grew orange was an indication of just how much death had occurred in Hazuraa all those centuries ago. The group had little idea what they would find in such a place for the only thing the werewolves they had interrogated over the years really knew about this place was its name. The sky had remained heavy with rain clouds for the entire day as thunder roared somewhere off in the distance, but a single drop of rain had yet to fall. It did not matter to the group for Hazuraa showed no sign that it was regularly flooded.

As they made their way through the fields Hazum Ka-te bent down and ripped a blade of grass into his hand. After sniffing it he made the comment that there was a very faint smell of rot to the grass, a small token of the bloody and violent past of this land. Zova who had been leading the group through the fields suddenly came to a stop gesturing her hand for the others to do the same. Nervously they looked towards Zova as Cada Varl and Gokkus found themselves reaching for their weapons. Apart from Zova none amongst them could see anything that would cause them to stop and when Zova lowered her hand Imbaka carefully stood alongside her.

"What is it?" she whispered so softly only Zova could hear her. Zova shook her head before replying in equally soft words. "The grass moved as if something was moving through it."

Both Helluvan women looked upon the spot where Zova had seen the grass rustling, at its tallest the grass barely touched their knees. Still some kind of animal may have been moving through the fields. The grass had stopped moving but that did not put their minds at ease, because Zova was sure she had seen the grass move. Thunder then roared far louder than the group had heard since entering Hazuraa and yet they still could see no lighting anywhere around them. The thunder did draw their attention west and immediately they were surprised by what they saw.

No longer were they alone for in the short distance from them they could see 3 people, or rather three things that looked human approaching them. It was a surreal sight to behold for the group felt confident the approaching beings had not been there moments before, almost as if the thunder had somewhere summoned them. The group quickly gathered together reaching for their bows and arrows as Cada Varl placed his hand firmly onto his sword. They would find no allies in the west, a fact they had known all along, but the intense look in each of their eyes was because the three approaching figures had something they recognized. Identical to the armband that Aneeku wore the three figures possessed one each of the strange twisted shadows and crosses carried upon their right upper arm.

The approaching figures had already seen them and seemed to be approaching because of the Helluvans. The approaching figures were well armed and looking directly at the group, like hungry wolves looking upon prey. Out of the figures two were female, the other male. The first of the figures was a woman with long hair so dark it made black seem white, she wore strange clothes of black, stitched thickly with some kind of gray. The material covered almost everything, with the exception of her stomach, revealing it to be inhumanly well toned. The material continued beyond her neck reaching up to the bridge of her nose and creating a kind of mask that hid the lower part of her face from sight. Like her two companions she saw the world through large yellow eyes that were haunting to look upon. She was armed with a strange kind of spear that was not quite as large as the Cloud Cutter but was equally as impressive. Its tip was more like the blade of a very squared sword ending in a severe curve. Upon her right hand was some kind of curved blade seemingly growing out of the material itself just over the knuckles.

The male of the three stood next to her and wore tattered and torn garments of white. The shirt he wore was so old and ripped that most of his chest and arms could be seen. The pants he wore were so tattered that his legs beyond the top of his knees were completely bare and he wore no shoes. Even his blonde hair that sat like wild grass upon his head looked old and weathered. The blonde of his hair had been infected by filth making it appear a much darker colour then what it actually was. In his hand he held a curved blade that was even more beaten up and weathered than the rest of his appearance, there were quite a number of large chips and imperfections within the sword he held.

The last figure of the trio was the other female. She had dark white hair that fell just above her shoulders; within her ears were a total of 8 earrings, none of which could be called a pair. She wore garments of dark purple, buttoned at her waist as if she was wearing some kind of coat that kept her arms covered. A pair of strange red boots was upon her feet that stuck out compared to the rest of her appearance. She wielded a pair of clubs that were covered by short yet sharp spikes running down the length of her weapons in a circular fashion. Together the three were a menacing sight to behold.

By now the Helluvans had strung their bows, each aiming carefully to kill the trio at a moment's notice, yet no one fired. The approaching figures seemed indifferent to the fact silver arrows were being pointed at them as they stopped ten yards or so from the group. All three sets of dark yellow eyes looked upon the faces of the Helluvans and the Immortal, searching silently for something. The air grew thick with tension as the Helluvans kept their bows well aimed. After a moment so intense it felt more like a passing century the half-masked women spoke.

"Which one of you killed Aneeku?" Her voice was just as unnatural as it was dark, like she was something that was not suppose to be able to speak but did so. The group did not answer at first, confused greatly that this woman had knowledge of Aneeku's passing. Then the group remembered the weird flash of light that had come from the corpse of Aneeku, could it really have been seen from this far away?

"I did," Cada Varl said loudly as if he wanted the entire attention of the trio to fall upon him.

As he had intended all three sets of dark yellow eyes fell upon him, they looked over his frame as if he was the unexpected answer to a question they had long been trying to solve.

"So you must be the legendary Cada Varl?" It was clear from the masked woman's tone that not only did she not believe Cada Varl should be considered legendary but in fact was disgusted by it. Cada Varl and the Helluvans were shaken by her words, they had no idea how she knew Cada Varl was even in the west. It had to be far more than simply a lucky guess; something powerful and unknown was at work here.

"I am," Cada Varl answered feeling his grip upon his sword tighten.

"So you're the man that twisted the course of history all those thousands of years ago?" asked the unkempt man in white. Surprisingly his voice did not much his appearance at all, his words were elegant and highly spoken as if he was a nobleman. Cada Varl looked into the eyes of the blonde haired man and could see genuine hatred within them, even though the Immortal was confident that they had never met before.

" Solloc, Nara," The half masked woman said, "You two see to it that Cada Varl does not leave these fields alive, I will make sure that these others do not interfere."

" Sounds perfect, Yorow." The other woman replied in a tone that carried a hint of brashness.

The Helluvans acted faster than even Cada Varl did firing their arrows at the trio. With a speed almost that of a mechanical blade the woman who had been called Yorow spun her spear 360 degrees in one hand, easily blocking the arrows of Zova and Hazum Ka-te. Solloc the male figure tilted his head to the left far enough so that Gokkus' arrow flew passed him harmlessly. Nara who was the other woman crossed her clubs in front of her causing the arrow of Imbaka to bounce away onto the ground.

Cada Varl now leapt away from the Helluvans, but in place of moving directly towards the trio he leapt off to the side gaining considerable distance in only a single leap. Solloc and Nara chased after him both leaping almost through the air towards him. Though they were moving at awe inspiring pace, Cada Varl was able to take out his sword before either of them reached him. Solloc who had leapt higher than Nara had reached the Immortal first, smashing his own weathered sword down upon that of the Immortal's. The grass around them bent severely as a violent gust of wind was created by the impact of their weapons. Amazingly in spite of the way it looked the sword of Solloc did not break or even chip upon impact.

Cada Varl forced him away turning his body ever so slightly to face the oncoming Nara. He blocked her first club and then her second as she wielded them like two giant hammers. Cada Varl stepped back to block her third blow whose impact was even greater than the thunder the dark sky had to offer. Solloc ran forward slashing his sword across the air with such precision that it literally seemed to cut the air in half. Cada Varl however easily blocked this attack before going on the offensive. He blocked both of Nara's clubs before turning slightly and slashing his own sword horizontally where Solloc blocked it. Now with his enemies on either side of him Cada Varl leapt back blocking the oncoming attacks of both Solloc and Nara before he had even landed. His enemies would not allow him any distance keeping up their onslaught ferociously. Though he was literally outnumbered two to one the Immortal showed no sign that he was struggling to block and counter the enemy strikes. He even managed to bring the brunt of his handle into the face of Solloc, temporarily removing him from the fight and allowing Cada Varl to briefly concentrate upon Nara.

She was highly skilled with the weapons she wielded easily both attacking and counterattacking as Cada Varl tried to finish her off. The Immortal could feel the strength she possessed in each blow she delivered, it was a strength that may have even surpassed that of Aneeku. Before Cada Varl could take full advantage of the situation Solloc returned to the battle, effortlessly leaping over both of them and landing without fault on the other side of the Immortal. Cada Varl saw him in time to bring his sword across to meet the enemy blade. For a split second the two of them stared at one another, Cada Varl could see the great determination Solloc possessed in ending his life.

Solloc disengaged leaping back far enough in time to allow Nara to attack unhindered from the other side of Cada Varl. She attacked almost like she wielded a pair of enormous scissors bringing her clubs from either side across in a kind of cross. The attack would have crushed his skull if Cada Varl had not raised his sword in time to stop the clubs. Using some kind of sense that humans simply did not possess Cada Varl knew of Solloc's next attack quickly leaning his head forward and stepping back as Solloc's sword slashed harmlessly over his head. Solloc's sword smashed into the clubs of Nara with considerable force though none of the weapons buckled under the impact. Instantly Solloc leapt into the air turning his body several times before clashing his sword back into the blade of the Immortal. Cada Varl raised his own weapon to meet the attack and was dumbfounded when Solloc remained in the air as if the laws of gravity didn't apply to him.

Nara charged back into the battle keeping her clubs lowered for an attack. In the split second before her clubs were brought across his torso Cada Varl managed to ground his sword against Solloc's, lowering it just enough to stop the clubs from smashing his ribs to pieces. Quickly Cada Varl leapt away with Nara following him immediately. Solloc took a second longer for he had to land back onto the ground before he could continue his attack. While Cada Varl was still moving backwards Nara reached him unleashing a series of heavy blows one after the other. Cada Varl managed to block them all but the speed with which they were performed was shocking.

A second or two later and Solloc had reached him as well attacking from the left. Even with Nara and Solloc working together Cada Varl was able to block every single one of their strikes before he landed. The conflict continued on with weapons moving almost too quickly for the human eye to follow.

The sudden blur of metal and wood came to an end when Cada Varl managed to block all three enemy weapons at once. Getting his own weight behind his weapon he pushed Nara and Solloc away from him, instantly leaping after them and unleashing powerful strikes of his own. From the very first maneuver he had performed Cada Varl had distanced himself from the Helluvans, he wanted to make sure that they were not caught in the middle of this battle. The entire time he fought the memory of Leannol flashed in his mind, she had died at the hands of Aneeku, because he was not there in time. He couldn't afford to so much as glance towards the Helluvans as they fought Yorow but he did not want another one of them to die. He was trying to end the fight quickly but even with his skill and power Nara and Solloc were proving their own combative skill, as much as he didn't want to Cada Varl would have to be patient if he wanted victory.

As much as Cada Varl was worried about them the Helluvans were holding their own in battle. They had quickly traded their bows and arrows for their held hand weapons after Yorow had proven she could block projectiles so easily. At first Yorow had tried to go after Gokkus only for Zova to attack before she could. Holding her spear single handed Yorow countered the strikes of Zova but did not have time to counterattack for Imbaka was already upon her delivering a number of powerful strikes. Spinning the spear in one hand Yorow blocked every single one of Imbaka's attacks before effortlessly moving her weapon slightly to stop the attacks of Zova as well. Hazum Ka-te charged from another direction keeping his spear lowered and his breaths as silent as possible. While still spinning her spear Yorow turned to meet him stopping the Cloud Cutter with remarkable ease.

Before Zova and Imbaka could surround her Yorow flipped into the air over her own spinning weapon so that she was now facing all three of them. Gokkus had not abandoned the cause he was waiting for his opportunity, hoping he could put an end to this fight with one careful attack. But his plans were quickly put to an end when he saw Zova stumbling after blocking Yorow's counterattack. Using a small knife he had taken in hand he threw it with great skill towards his enemy. Yorow however raised the strange hook blade upon her arm in time to ensure the knife did nothing but bounce onto the ground. With her attention upon Gokkus Hazum Ka-te tried to capitalize thrusting his spear forward hoping to pierce it through the back of Yorow's skull. Yorow sensed his presence, shifting her body and bringing her spear across easily before the Cloud Cutter could penetrate. She looked into his eyes briefly, taunting him as if to say 'Yes I see you'. She pushed him away in time to bring her spear back the way it had come; spinning it once more to block the attacks of both Zova and Imbaka.

Gokkus now joined the combat directly, trying as Hazum Ka-te did, to catch her off guard. She easily blocked his weapon with the hooked blade over her head before kicking him squarely in the stomach. With violence Gokkus had never felt before the air was stolen from him and he was thrown onto the ground like he was nothing more than a pebble. As the man dressed in black staggered to his feet Zova and Imbaka tried a combined attack, striking Yorow both high and low. Yorow simply held her spear vertically blocking both attacks easily before she began to spin her spear once again, this time in an aggression way. She forced the swords of the Helluvan women away from her before she almost spun the blade of her weapon into the face of Hazum Ka-te. He was able to quickly raise his own spear in time to stop the attack from being fatal, the enemy blade stopping an inch or so away from his face. She turned her spear the other way striking Hazum Ka-te in the torso with the other end of it. Though his armor was more than enough to stop it, the blunt force it delivered was tremendous. Yorow may have fought with similar strength and speed to Aneeku. But there was not a shred of arrogance in her movement, making such a thing impossible for the Helluvans to exploit.

As Hazum Ka-te stumbled back Yorow brought the killing end of her weapon forward intending to impale Imbaka with it. Zova managed to strike her sword down upon it with just enough force to stop it from connecting, but only barely. Imbaka leapt up hoping to get the attention of Yorow before she could counterattack on Zova. It worked and Yorow raised her eyes to look Imbaka squarely in the eyes. Zova took her chance thrusting her weapon forward only for Yorow to bring the hook over hand down upon the blade stopping it.

At the same time she stabbed her spear into the air forcing Imbaka to block it and quickly lose any useful momentum. As Gokkus charged forward he brought one tip of his own weapon forward like it was a spear. Easily Yorow brought her hook and arm across effortlessly redirecting the tip away from her. For his trouble Yorow smashed her fist into his chest causing him to fall onto the ground with so much force that the grass he fell upon seemed to rip apart completely. Before she could finish him off Hazum Ka-te bellowed bringing her attention upon him as he struck his weapon down. She blocked it, but that was not the point, for it gave Gokkus enough time to return to his feet and continue the fight. Yorow swiped the hook towards Gokkus who was aware enough to step back to avoid it before she swung her spear in the other direction forcing Zova and Imbaka to stop their charge.

Hazum Ka-te tried a series of powerful thrusts both high and low, attempting to lock up her spear so the others could deliver a death blow. But such a tactic proved useless for Yorow simply spun her spear in one hand blocking not only his attack but also the attacks of the Helluvan women. When Yorow spun her weapon back the other way she did it so quickly its tip ran across the left shoulder of Zova. On instinct Zova quickly stepped back as Imbaka rushed forward. The tip of the weapon had not pierced her flesh but it had cut through her armor like it was no more than air. As Imbaka struggled to block Yorow's spear Hazum Ka-te rushed forward only for the enemy to free her spear and stop all of his well aimed attacks. After forcing Hazum Ka-te back Yorow spun her spear over her head with so much speed and velocity that every Helluvan was forced to step back to avoid it.

Before her spear had even stopped spinning Yorow drove her foot into the chest of Zova, the blow knocked Infinite Eye off her feet where she quite literally bounced off the ground several times before she lay motionlessly. The Helluvans had no time to respond for Yorow was not yet done. Now holding her spear with both hands she smashed it into the sword of Imbaka. Though the blow did not shatter the sword, Imbaka buckled under the weight of the attack before she was kicked back as well. Hazum Ka-te faired little better, he was able to block the oncoming spear but simply could not stand against it, falling back and hitting the ground hard.

Before Gokkus had time to comprehend what was happening, Yorow spun her spear vertically behind her. Its tip came so close to cutting his face in half that the rush of air it created was painful to feel. It had been from nothing more but sheer dumb luck that Gokkus had not been cut by the weapon. Quickly she turned to face him bringing her weapon up and then down. Gokkus blocked the attack but had enough sense to step back in order to avoid the full brunt of the blow.

While the Helluvans struggled against Yorow Cada Varl was in a struggle all of his own. Nara and Solloc were fighting in perfect sync with one another; so much so Cada Varl seriously thought the two possessed some kind of telepathic link. Together they were a force to be reckoned with, one that even the Immortal was having a hard time dealing with. He simply could not get the seconds he needed to deliver a deathblow to either of them. Every time he saw an opening on one the other would either attack him or block his attack. From a unison point of view, Solloc and Nara rivaled the Helluvans. They came at him with a series of powerful and quick attacks that he managed to block but with no space or time for error.

Before he had a chance to return any attack Nara and Solloc disengaged from him leaping back a considerable distance, opposite to one another.

"Watch him Nara," Solloc declared through gritted teeth, "I can see why you were able to defeat Aneeku." Solloc added raising his voice to ensure that Cada Varl had heard him. The Immortal said nothing in response, caring not that Solloc's words were actually a compliment. Thunder roared somewhere in the distance as if the sky itself was demanding of them to continue this amazing fight.

"You know what to do Solloc," Nara said.

Before Solloc even had time to nod Cada Varl was upon him, he did not know what his enemies had planned, but he had no intention of giving them enough time to do it in. Solloc smashed his sword forward meeting the blade of the Immortal, the collision between the two weapons seemed to summon another roar of thunder, almost as if the clouds were in awe of the two warriors' power. Cada Varl did not let up he struck and struck again trying to use his chance to kill Solloc so he could focus on Nara without worrying about being attacked from behind.

But Nara acted quickly enough to prevent such a thing from happening. Seemingly she was attempting to shatter the leg bones of the Immortal as she darted forward and brought her weapons down then across. Cada Varl had enough sense to know she was coming and so jumped back. He may have avoided her attacks but Solloc was far from out of the fight. He leapt up into the air and as he had done before twisted his body, using the momentum of such movement to smash his sword across Cada Varl's a total of four times. Cada Varl quickly stepped to the side in time to meet the clubs of Nara with his own weapon before he unleashed a quick but precise counterattack upon her. Adding to his predicament was the fact he had never seen the fighting styles Solloc and Nara were using. Solloc was twisting and moving his body almost as if he was dancing to a tune that only he could hear. While Nara was fighting almost the way a boxer would, with her clubs acting like artificial fists.

Cada Varl may have been holding his own but the Helluvans weren't. Yorow seemed to have grown bored with the fight and wanted to end it as soon as possible. Wielding her spear with both hands added power to each of her blows, something that the Helluvans struggled to deal with. Any attack that they managed was quickly blocked with enough force to rattle their very bones. The fight was soon becoming little more than a desperate struggle for survival, nothing more and nothing less.

Zova blocked an overhead strike of Yorow's spear but was almost immediately brought to her knees. She was saved only by the fact Gokkus managed to draw attention upon himself, where he stumbled as he blocked another of Yorow's strikes. Imbaka didn't even manage to strike before she was forced to block the spear of her enemy, stumbling forward as she did so. Like he had done before Hazum Ka-te yelled as he charged forward making sure Yorow was drawn to him instead of the stumbling Imbaka. He brought his Cloud Cutter upwards attempting to stab Yorow through the throat. Not only did Yorow see him in time she slammed the edge of her spear onto the tip of Hazum Ka-te's weapon. Incredibly Hazum Ka-te managed to stay on his feet but at a terrible price.

The head of the Cloud Cutter spilt from the impact creating a large and horrible crack through the metal. His eyes were drawn to this damage like a vampire seeing the light of dawn. He was so consumed by the sight of his weapon cracking that he almost did not move back in time to avoid Yorow's weapon as it was swung across where he once stood. Imbaka then attacked Yorow from behind forcing the half-masked woman to look away from him. Hazum Ka-te took another step back his eyes looking at nothing but his damaged weapon. He had every right to be shocked for the Cloud Cutter was considered a legendary weapon, one that had been wielded in hundreds of battles and had not once received so much as a scratch. The weapon could still be used but far less effectively. Hazum Ka-te looked upon the spear as if he was watching a legend unravel before his very eyes. In a way he was doing exactly that, for his weapon in some ways was even better known then he was. Seeing it damaged to him was like a father seeing his child bleed.

He looked back to Yorow and the Helluvans who were still fighting ferociously. No one could deny that Yorow had the advantage in the fight showing not so much as a hint she was being overwhelmed or frustrated by their attacks. The Helluvans now seemed to be fighting with nothing but passion alone, and passion may have been a powerful thing, but not powerful enough.

Imbaka was thrown completely off her feet by a simple blocking maneuver of Yorow's spear as Zova attempted to come to her rescue. Hazum Ka-te glanced over to where Cada Varl was fighting Solloc and Nara, the three of them seemed locked in a kind of stalemate that would not be ended anytime soon. Hazum Ka-te looked back to Yorow as she blocked the attacks of all three other Helluvans with her spear before counterattacking and knocking all of them to the ground. With her wielding the spear with two hands, there seemed little the Helluvans could do to gain the advantage. An expression as powerful as humanly possible appeared on the face of Hazum Ka-te as he looked down upon the Cloud Cutter and slowly felt the weight of it in his hand. He looked back to the fight in time to see Yorow block an attack by Zova before spinning her spear so its blade cut across the leg of Gokkus. The man dressed in black fell to one knee and received a powerful kick to his chest that bent his armor like it was weak clay. He was thrown back with great violence landing several feet away from where Hazum Ka-te stood.

Amazingly Gokkus was able to get back to his feet quickly, his eyes filled with determination as he took a step forward, ready to get back into the fray.

"Gokkus," Hazum Ka-te said drably instantly bringing the eyes of the man dressed in black upon him. Hazum Ka-te watched for a split second as Zova and Imbaka continued to fight Yorow, in vein. "Have your bow and an arrow ready," Hazum Ka-te said just as somberly, daring not to take his eyes off of Yorow. Gokkus glanced back to the fight but his eyes were drawn back to the wielder of the Cloud Cutter.

The man dressed in black had barely a chance to say a single word before Hazum Ka-te yelled so loud and deep his cry was heard by the entire world. He raised his spear holding it firmly with both hands as he rushed forward, an undeniable strength dominated his eyes. Yorow easily heard him coming as they all did, swiping her spear across both weapons of Imbaka and Zova forcing them to stumble and fall away.

As Yorow turned to face him Hazum Ka-te launched the Cloud Cutter like it was some kind of gigantic arrow directly at her. Yorow brought her spear up easily knocking the Cloud Cutter out of her way. But Hazum Ka-te did not stop his charge he continued on as if he was still armed. Yorow plunged her spear into his chest, cutting through his armor like weathered parchment, his flesh and bones stood no chance. The blade went all the way through, bringing Hazum Ka-te to an awful stop and a dreaded silence.

Blood, all shades of red, poured out from all sides of the spear as blood spewed forth from his mouth underneath his helmet. Yorow looked him directly in the eye as the light of his soul slowly began to diminish. His legs began to tremble as strength was stolen from them, yet he remained standing. He coughed, bringing up another splat of blood that now began to ran down his chest and join its brethren around the tip of the spear. He gasped loudly only to swallow his blood, causing him to violently spit it out. With his eyes hollowing he looked into the eyes of Yorow who seemed perplexed by what he had done. Why did he continue to charge if he had thrown his spear away?

"So," Hazum Ka-te gasped out with a tone so eerie and otherworldly he sounded almost like a ghost hell bent on haunting Yorow. "That is what my own blood taste like." His words sounded so unnatural that Yorow could not bring herself to look away from him as if in doing so would somehow ensure he would haunt her for the rest of her days. A smile more morbid than anything Yorow had ever seen appeared on his face as he said, "I kind of like the way it tastes."

He may have become delirious because of his blood loss but his words nonetheless were powerful.

"You are a fool," Yorow said sternly.

"Am I?" Hazum Ka-te replied before he coughed out another splat of blood, decorating the gray of his armor with an unwanted crimson.

Before Yorow could answer Hazum Ka-te summoned what strength he had left to seize her by the wrists. She glanced down as he trapped her hands upon her own spear before she was drawn to the sight of Gokkus. The man dressed in black had done what he had been told to do, he held his bow with an arrow strung and ready to fire. Zova and Imbaka did not allow the shock of what they were seeing to override their instincts, they thought the same thing, taking out their bows and stringing arrows. Yorow looked back to Hazum Ka-te with hatred in her eyes as she realized what he had done. He smiled back knowing that he had succeeded. Yorow grunted like some kind of feral thing before she forced her hands off of the spear in turn causing Hazum Ka-te to let go also.

But it was too late the arrows had been fired and not even her speed would be enough to stop them. From three angles the arrows pierced her heart, through the top and one either side. She let out a gasp as her body realized what was happening to it. With this cold realization she fell backwards, dead before she had even touched the ground.

Amazingly Hazum Ka-te remained standing, even managing to move his faceplate so the blood that fell from his mouth could do so freely. Gokkus, Imbaka and Zova rushed over to him, their expressions twisted in shock and horror. Gokkus stood behind him placing his hands upon his shoulder and back while Zova and Imbaka rushed to his sides. Together the Helluvan women removed the spear from his wound, throwing it onto the ground away from them. Gokkus could feel the strength leave Hazum Ka-te and very slowly allowed him to fall onto the ground, where Gokkus kept his head raised ever so slightly. Zova and Imbaka knelt by his sides, placing their hands in his to let him know that they were there. The colour of his eyes was almost gone now as the blood flowed freely from his mouth. Gently Imbaka brushed her hand across his face; there was no warmth to be felt within his skin. Her touch didn't even seem to register as Hazum Ka-te stared into the dark angry sky. None of the three dared to look away from him, knowing if they did they may miss the final second of his life.

There was no point in fooling themselves, not even someone as tough as Hazum Ka-te could survive such a viscous wound. His sacrifice touched them all deeply, never before in battle had he received so much as a single wound. He proved the legends about him a myth, all to ensure that the other Helluvans would survive.

"Gokkus, Zova, Imbaka," Hazum Ka-te forced out weakly in his now ghostly voice.

"We are here Hazum Ka-te," Gokkus said unsure if the once wielder of the Cloud Cutter could still see them.

"Is there anything you want me to tell Tanagy and Leannol?" Hazum Ka-te asked weakly.

If his sacrifice had touched them all deeply than this question pushed the feeling even further. With a trembling lip and glass like eyes Imbaka said with a forced calm. "Tell them that they are not forgotten...and neither will you be...."

Hazum Ka-te made no visible response but they knew he had heard them. The blood that had been flowing from his mouth seemed to stop if only long enough for him to whisper.

"Until we meet again...."

" May you be immortal in memory," Zova and Imbaka said at the exact same time with the exact same sadness.

There was no final breath, no final light that vanished from his eyes but Hazum Ka-te, the greatest Helluvan warrior of history was dead. Gokkus gently closed the eyes of his companion with a brush of his hand.

"Thank you my friend," he said somberly.

Zova and Imbaka continued to hold his hands even though they could feel nothing but his cold dead skin. They were so consumed by his selflessness and his passing that none of the remaining three Helluvans looked up as a light identical to the one that came from Aneeku sprang forth from the corpse of Yorow and covered the sky in its unique light.

The Helluvans may not have paid any attention to the light but Solloc did, after blocking the strike of Cada Varl his attention was drawn upwards as the light indicated that Yorow was dead. "What?" Solloc gasped out as if he was convinced his eyes were showing him an illusion. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the dead body of Yorow for himself.

"Solloc!" Nara screamed realizing he had taken his eyes off of his enemy.

Just as Solloc turned his head around Cada Varl was already upon him, slashing his sword through the air so quickly that he continued moving forward after his blade had cleaved flesh. The head of Solloc spun off of the shoulders as blood exploded in all directions into the air.

Cada Varl had seen his chance to end Solloc's life and he did not hesitant in doing so. The head of the blonde haired swordsman continued spinning through the air before it landed with a heavy wet thud. It had happened so swiftly that Solloc's expression remained frozen and twisted in shock of Yorow's death. The dark purple blood that now was oozing from his headless corpse was enough to prove that Solloc was indeed a werewolf.

As light left the body of Solloc, rising and blinding the sky Cada Varl turned to face Nara, who was now all-alone. The expression upon her face was one of utter shock combined with the greatest of saddest. It was easy to see simply by looking at her that out of all the ways this day could have ended, this was one scenario she never thought of. Her eyes were fixated upon the lifeless eyes of Solloc almost as if she believed if she stared long enough than he would return from the world of the dead. The Helluvans now silently said goodbye to Hazum Ka-te and Gokkus gently placed his head onto the ground. As they stood back up their eyes fell upon Nara and like arrows readied to be fired she felt them upon her.

She looked away from Solloc, towards the lifeless body of Yorow. The Helluvans now stood alongside Cada Varl, their eyes consumed by the idea of vengeance. Very slowly Nara looked upon them as all three took out their bows and strung arrows. But her eyes were drawn to the red eyes of the Immortal, the one who had killed Solloc. Nara remained in shock but her eyes slowly appeared to be returning to the moment at hand. She was outnumbered and knew there was no line of retreat. Even if she could stop the arrows of the Helluvans Cada Varl could easily catch her. She looked into the eyes of each of her enemies ensuring that her eyes rested upon Cada Varl as she said, "My chance for salvation has come to an end, but my usefulness hasn't."

To the group her words didn't make sense but to her they were all too clear. She lowered her head as the clubs dropped from her hands sounding as loud as thunder in the otherwise silence when they struck the ground. The long blades of grass around her slowly bent as if they were being swopped upon by a powerful wind, yet the air remained still.

"She's transforming!" Imbaka bellowed with a tone that was uncharacteristically unrestrained. The memory of Aneeku flashed in all of their minds as Cada Varl leapt forward bringing his weapon to the forefront.

Just as he was upon her a light shot up seemingly from the ground itself before her. Instantly the light formed a cylinder around her like an almost transparent wall of metallic pink. When Cada Varl touched this strange light he could feel an unseen yet powerful force strike every inch of him. Involuntarily he was forced to leap backwards as pain struck him. He had never felt anything quite like it but the memory of pain was something he would never forget. Nara raised her head revealing that her eyes were now glowing the shade of pink of the cylinder around her. Thunder now could be heard repeatedly, one after another, angry roars echoed throughout the land, none of which seemed to be summoned from the dark sky.

Nara opened her mouth revealing that the pink light of her eyes filled her mouth as well. Her face twisted as if she was screaming in agony yet no sound came from her. Cada Varl had been shaken by the force of the strange light feeling his own hands tremble in agony. The cylinder of light around Nara continued to ascend all the way into the sky and as it touched the clouds they separated, revealing the light of the sun to shine down through the cylinder. It almost looked like an act of divinity, but there seemed nothing sacred about such an act.

The Helluvans, realizing the consequences if Nara transformed fired their arrows simultaneously. As soon as the arrows came into contact with the light they froze in midair for a single moment before they disintegrated as if burned by some invisible fire. As the Helluvans remained in a dark silence the Immortal kept his eyes upon Nara. Her body now was completely engulfed by the light but it had yet to change shape.

"Get back!" Cada Varl bellowed with words strong enough for the Helluvans to look upon him. He did not return their gaze keeping his eyes transfixed on Nara. The Helluvans did not wait to be told twice they turned and moved quickly towards the body of Hazum Ka-te. Between them Gokkus and Imbaka picked up his body as Zova took the Cloud Cutter in hand. They did not look back to the Immortal for they knew what he was doing. The red light he had summoned to defeat Aneeku with slowly was returning as the air around him began to twist and turn unnaturally.

It now was a race to see who would transform first, and Nara had a definite head start. Cada Varl could see Nara's body begin to change rapidly. It was not long after she had began to change that Cada Varl saw that it would be far different than the transformation Aneeku went under. She grew in height but only by a foot or so, not triple the size like Aneeku had. Her arms bulged with new and terrible muscle that then elongated itself. Fur began to grow but it was of different sizes depending on where on her body it was grown. Her face changed but did not become elongated; rather it stayed a similar size. Her fingernails grew like claws as strange flat lengths grew out of the top of her wrists, which resembled sword blades over anything organic. Her ears grew until they were half the length of her head, finishing off in points sharper than even the tip of a spear. A tail that was almost longer than her entire body then spouted, covered with a fur so fine it looked more like pink skin. Her once fine clothes ripped and tattered before falling away from her new body onto the ground before her. Her mouth became covered in 4 rows of sharp teeth with each tooth looking more like a fang.

As she was nearing her completion the air around Cada Varl continued to increase in both light and heat. As the light and heat expanded the blades of grass around him soon ignited in flame and it took only a second before an inferno had covered the field. The Helluvans who had already moved away a considerable distance now hurried to escape the wrath of the flames. Cada Varl was so focused on Nara he did not even seem to notice that the field was engulfed in an inferno that he had created.

Now the scream that had silently been leaving the body of Nara could now be heard. It was a sound so powerful the clouds above began to crack like glass. The Light that had consumed her body now disappeared causing the cylinder to then vanish. As it did so it summoned a wind so powerful that it instantly put out the flames of the inferno Cada Varl had created. What once was orange was now a deathly black as Nara completed her transformation.

The only thing upon her face that resembled a wolf was her nose, apart from that she looked like something else entirely. Her skin and fur was mostly pink with several stripes of dark red, as her claws, being the same crimson in colour, a shade darker than red. The blade like things that came out of her wrists were the same colour as her claws. Her eyes remained large and yellow, filled with something that Cada Varl didn't recognize, but certainly didn't like. The light of the cylinder had blown out the inferno like it was the flame of a single birthday cake candle. This was a troubling sign when comparing their power.

As Cada Varl looked upon her with a faint glow of red around him and his sword Nara was looking upon her hands. She was looking at them like she had never seen them before and chances were that she had never seen them quite like this. Slowly she clenched her hands and then released them several times over as if ensuring that this new body did as her mind commanded. Even the very air around her felt different, heavy with something that could not be seen but was definitely there.

As she looked upon her hands her newly created tail began to strike the ground with so much strength that the ground cracked open, deeper and deeper with every crack of her tail. The sound of such a movement was louder than even thunder as her tail continued to crack against the ground. She seemed transfixed by her new body so much so that she paid no attention to the Immortal as he looked upon her intently. If he had been able to summon the red light a moment earlier he would have been able to attack her before her transformation had been completed. Not only was her transformation far different than Aneeku's Cada Varl could sense he was dealing with something far more sever. Invigorated by the red light Cada Varl rushed forward moving far faster than even the sharpest of human eyes could see. Nara still seemed transfixed by her own hands as Cada Varl leapt towards her.

Then she moved, bringing the blade of her right wrist up and instantly putting a stop to Cada Varl's movement. The Immortal had moved so fast that the wind took a moment to catch up with him, summoning and then disappearing in one horrible moment. An attack that had so easily killed Aneeku had been stopped by Nara with disturbing ease. She didn't even have to look upon Cada Varl to stop him as she continued to open and close her left hand.

As Cada Varl's feet touched the ground Nara slowly looked upon him with those strange powerful eyes. How they now taunted the Immortal as if Nara was silently asking him 'Is that the best you can do?' Before Cada Varl could do anything else Nara pushed her arm forward forcing Cada Varl to leap back. Her tail continued to strike the ground as she turned her body fully to face him. Cada Varl kept his sword raised and his expression hardened, unsure exactly of what he should do.

Nara looked upon him a moment more then she attacked. She moved so quickly that not even Cada Varl saw her movements completely. But he saw enough to raise his sword in time to stop her. The wind that was summoned by her movement was so powerful it rivaled the wrath of a hurricane. Cada Varl could feel his knees buckle ever so slightly as the blades clashed. Nara had moved so quickly it truly seemed that she had somewhere disappeared from one spot before reappearing in front of him.

When she saw the concern in the eyes of the Immortal her face twisted to resemble the darkest of smiles. Suddenly she brought her other blade forward and Cada Varl struggled to block the strike. Undeterred Nara struck again and then again, in a pattern of direct and incredibly powerful strikes. Cada Varl managed to block them but he had to take a step back every time he did so. There was little technique to Nara's strikes; she seemed simply amused that Cada Varl was struggling to avoid them.

When Cada Varl was pushed more than halfway across the field he managed to deliver a counter strike that Nara easily blocked with a single blade. She smiled again as she drove her other blade forward causing the Immortal to disengage and step back. He delivered two quick strikes, both of which were easily blocked. They had been performed as if simply to give Cada Varl some kind of offense in the fight. He did not allow the fact Nara had so easily blocked his strikes to overwhelm him, he forced himself onto the offensive. Swinging his sword more like it was an axe he hammered his blade down repeatedly shifting the direction slightly with each strike. Nara blocked every one of them with a single blade before she struck back with the other. The sound of each strike was delayed because of the speed with which each strike was being performed.

The sound was poison to the ears of the Helluvans who were now watching from quite a distance. They had placed the body of Hazum Ka-te onto the ground as they could not take their eyes off of the sight that was befalling them. It was painfully obvious that the power Nara possessed was not only greater than Aneeku's; it was an entire world beyond it. Even with the red light around him Cada Varl was making no ground, he was locked in a struggle that he saw no way out of. Nara was like a cat playing with her prey, it would not be long before she grew bored and ended this. Cada Varl was managing to block each of her attacks but they were getting closer and closer to cleaving his flesh.

After barely blocking one such strike Cada Varl tried to bring his weapon up, hoping he was quick enough to bypass her blades. But she saw his movements and brought both her weapons down upon it, crossing one over the other. Easily she forced the tip of his sword upon the ground, effectively trapping it from any kind of movement. She barely gave the Immortal a moment to look her in the eye before she brought her tail over her shoulder and towards Cada Varl.

She had moved her tail like it was some kind of organic spear, aiming to strike the Immortal directly between the eyes. Cada Varl violently jerked his head out of the way of the tail, but still its fur brushed against his face so quickly, it broke the skin of his cheek and caused it to bleed in tiny places. This was not an isolated movement for Nara repeated the strike of her tail again and again, seemingly trying to simply overwhelm him. He was moving his head so violently from side to side that if he was a normal human his neck would have broken like a twig. The two combatants became little more than a blur even in the sharp eyes of Zova. As Nara tried to literally bludgeon him to death Cada Varl struggled to get his sword free. He had to get away from Nara, he had to, but without his weapon such movement would accomplish nothing more than a delayed death.

If through nothing more than sheer determination Cada Varl pulled his weapon free, much to the anger of Nara. She had overestimated her powers and was infuriated to see that the Immortal was not utterly hopeless against her. She would make him pay for his defiance, bringing her own weapons up while still trying to strike him with her tail.

She tried to trap his blade again but he saw through her tactics, smashing his weapon against hers in such a way his blade remained free of capture. Nara struck her tail forward yet again but Cada Varl leapt back to avoid it. Nara then unleashed a tirade of attacks using both of her blades and her tail, keeping Cada Varl struggling to block the onslaught. Somewhere amongst the melee Nara attempted to trap his sword the way she had done before. But Cada Varl learned quickly and leapt back before she could do so. Nara turned bringing her tail like a tree trunk across the face of the Immortal, bypassing his sword. The tail smashed into his mouth causing blood to splatter out like steam from an overheated fire. Cada Varl stumbled unable to keep his footing, but before Nara could end his life he regained himself and blocked both of her blades. He tried to leap back but Nara followed him attacking with all three of her weapons. As Cada Varl hastily moved his sword to block them the air around him began to twist and turn as it had done before.

Nara quickly sensed what was happening around her and for the first time she leapt back. The light that had been outlining the Immortal now grew the opposite way to how it had shrunk, returning to what it once was. Nara watched on with narrow eyes soon realizing what the Immortal was doing. He had finally found away to break her attack even though he knew that it wasn't a permanent solution. Nara then leapt forward utterly unfazed by the returning heat and light. Cada Varl blocked her strike and remained on the defensive as both the heat and light intensified around him. It reinvigorated him and allowed him to block her strikes with slightly more ease. He was even able to leap back from her and place distance between the two of them. Light the same colour as what surrounded him flashed in his eyes before he raised his sword, commanding all of the light to engulf the blade with its power. He yelled as he swung the sword down causing the energy to leave the blade and move towards Nara like a mighty wave from an angry ocean.

In response to this new attack Nara opened her mouth raising her head as she placed her hands out to either side of her. The cylinder of light that had formed while she was transforming instantly reappeared, becoming almost like a cliff that the red wave came harmlessly crashing onto. As the red light disappeared from sight Nara lowered her head and peered directly into the eyes of the Immortal. Cada Varl summoned back the red light around him as the pink cylinder of Nara suddenly broke apart, eerily like glass. The shattered pieces of the cylinder did not fall but rather changed, quickly transforming into spheres of various size.

Now looking like frozen drops of some kind of strange rain the spheres stayed still in the air before suddenly rushing forward directly towards the Immortal. The spheres now more resembled shooting stars, moving at a similar pace as well. Cada Varl then began to grunt and for the first time since the Helluvans had met him; he sounded more like a beast than a human. His grunts served a purpose for the red light around him became darker and far thicker, to the point that he could no longer be seen. The pink shooting spheres struck upon the red light but even their speed and power was not enough to break through. Soon the spheres had vanished completely as the red light then fell from around the Immortal crashing like waves sucked up by a cyclone that had suddenly come to an end.

The red light didn't vanish however but stayed close to the ground around him as his eyes now glowed, filled with the crimson colour. Nara looked on and was about to charge when Cada Varl summoned part of the light around his sword once more and again unleashed a wave of power upon his enemy. Nara reacted quickly bringing the cylinder of pink around her once more. The attack ultimately appeared pointless as the wave of red vanished as soon as it struck the pink. The red energy continued to move close to the ground around the Immortal as his eyes remained glowing and powerful. As it had done before the cylinder shattered as the spheres returned to fill the air.

Then without the Immortal moving so much as his finger the remaining red energy rose up in four great columns around him. Just as the spheres began to transform into shapes resembling shooting stars the columns of red leapt forth like the four hands of some twisted giant. Against this surging columns the spheres could do nothing but be absorbed by them, leaving Nara wide opened to attack. The surging red columns struck her from all sides causing her to scream in an excoriation even the gods would struggle to imagine. Like fire the columns engulfed her ascending into the sky and burning even the surrounding clouds. It was a horrible sight to behold that was over almost as quickly as it started.

In the most sickening of a sense, Nara had been cooked alive, her once red and pink skin was now a charcoal black as every strand of fur had been burnt away. The smell of her cooked flesh dominated the air as she stood ever so still. It had happened so quickly that there was still life in her eyes even though she was surely dead. A single tear fell from her eyes that became steam a second after it had fallen. She then fell to the ground in silence.

The entire ordeal had been a surreal sight to behold, one not even found in the darkest of dreams. The dark sky finally unleashed its rain upon the world below as if the gods were terrified Cada Varl would summon the red light to engulf the entire world in fire. The rain that fell was so thick it was difficult to see through but even its strong scent could not cover the smell of cooked flesh. Cada Varl looked away from the falling rain to his companions with eyes still glowing in red. In that moment he looked more terrifying than any monster of Helluvan legend.

### Chapter 18

The rain fell so heavy it was as if it was trying to wash away any trace of what it had just witnessed. The Helluvans were cautious as they approached the Immortal bringing the body of Hazum Ka-te with them. Cada Varl continued to stare at them with eyes glowing with red power but he did nothing else. The moment became so intense that Imbaka kept her hand upon her sword as she said clearly, "Cada Varl?" She said it several times waiting for the Immortal to respond. Finally after moments that felt like days the strange red light faded from his eyes and he looked normal again. He glanced to Imbaka as if to show her that he was still the man she knew, before his eyes fell upon the corpse of Hazum Ka-te.

They buried him right then and there, using the soft earth the rain had created to make the task easier. It seemed fitting that as they performed the ritual that the heaven themselves were weeping at the loss of such a great man. Hazum Ka-te had made the ultimate sacrifice and for that the surviving Helluvans were beyond grateful. As he had felt with the passing of Leannol and Tanagy Cada Varl felt guilty, he should have been able to kill Solloc and Nara far sooner, so he would have been able to kill Yorow without Hazum Ka-te having to resort to such desperate tactics. The guilt as always was his own to carry, the Helluvans would never blame him for Hazum Ka-te's death. Before the final clumps of dirt were placed upon him the group silently said their final words to the wielder of the Cloud Cutter. They left the bodies of their three enemies to rot, they had no reason to show them any respect.

When it came time to camp that evening the rain still had not broken, making the forging of any kind of fire impossible. The fields of Huzuraa offered no natural shelter either making the night even more miserable and unpleasant. With memories of the great Hazum Ka-te running through their minds the Helluvans fell asleep, lying closely against one another.

By the following morning the rain had stopped leaving the fields drenched in water. The group ate a quick breakfast before forcing themselves to continue onwards. There were many questions still to answer, beyond the obvious of who or what Aneeku and the others were. Solloc had mentioned that he was aware of Cada Varl's presence in the west and yet the group could find no obvious way of how he knew such knowledge. the Immortal looked through his own memory, at how Solloc and Nara had fought almost like they knew what the other was going to do. _Was it possible that they possessed some kind of telepathic ability?_ Both Nara and Aneeku had proven they possessed powers beyond anything the Helluvans had ever seen. Before Nara had transformed she had said something about it being too late for her, but that she still could be of some use. _To whom?_ Was the question that kept demanding itself be answered in the mind of the Immortal. _How many more of them were out there?_ Nara was far more powerful than Aneeku; _did that mean that there could have been others that were even more powerful than her?_ The thought made Cada Varl's knees go weak. There was also something else, something that could not be ignored that was clearly bothering Cada Varl, but it was something that only he knew.

Huzuraa offered nothing more than fields of the orange grass but the group remained weary, unsure of what they might have come across. After a fortnight or so of nothing but these orange fields the group finally left Hazuraa, into quite literally the unknown.

The group was not lost; there was simply no name for the wilderness they had entered. It was a low lying terrain that was the very epitome of the word wilderness, for the trees, shrubs and grass that grew here were all overgrown and messy. The whole place really did look like it had been both abandoned and forgotten by the world. The undergrowth was that thick that each of them had to continuously cut through it with various cutting tools. In many places it was like a wall of wilderness not allowing even the eyes of Cada Varl or Zova to see through it.

Eventually the wilderness became less wild but only slightly, allowing the group to move through it quicker. Strangest of all however was just how silent the wilderness was, without so much as an insect to be seen anywhere within it. For over a week the group saw nothing else but over grown branches, grass and trees. They were making reasonable progress, for though there was much hacking and slashing needed to continue, it was mindless work. Every time night fell the group managed to find a place just big enough to make camp. They had to keep watch over any fire they forged, to ensure that it did not set the whole place alight. Overall the terrain may have been far from welcoming but it did little to try and hinder them.

Then one morning it all changed, the landscape may have remained the same but Imbaka came across something that changed the course of the journey. The group kept silent as they gathered around her seeing before Imbaka what had made her so suddenly stop. It was the unmistakable mark of a werewolf footprint and it was not alone. Before them the grass had been flattened and twisted in such a way that it couldn't be anything else but heavy footfalls. They were no longer alone in this wilderness. The problem however was the tracks led straight into the thick shrub and undergrowth, keeping it a mystery just how close potential enemies were. The group had always known of the chance that rebel factions may have fled into the unknown parts of the west, and lying before them now was proof of it.

Each of them scanned the tree line but could see no indication of exactly where the werewolves had gone. Adding to their frustration was the absence of wind in this wilderness; the tracks may have been a month old or a day. In any case the group stayed close to one another and allowed Imbaka to lead them onward.

That very night the group did not trouble with making a fire, the temperature of these overgrown lands remained constantly humid even though the sky seemed to remain a full bright blue. As the Helluvans slept Cada Varl kept his eyes upon their surroundings. Even with eyes such as his he could little else but the trees, shrubs and grass, for all he knew enemies could have surrounded them and he would not even know it. Because of this Cada Varl always kept a hand upon the handle of his sword.

Morning came with no sign that there was anything out there but more wilderness, the group however never let their guard down. This made the following days as long as they were tense, the group became frustrated by the fact that they could find no more footprints, even though they were sure werewolves were someone out there. Another 3 weeks went by and still there was no change in the terrain. Upon each night Imbaka would study the stars ensuring that they were still heading in the right direction for during the day there was simply no such indication.

After another week the landscape did change somewhat, with clearings becoming a little bit more common. There were even a handful of streams to be found randomly through the wilderness, which the Helluvans were grateful to drink from. But overall the wilderness remained without end.

Then another discovery was made, this one even more concrete then the footprints. Imbaka who had been leading the group now stood very still leading the others to believe that she could see an enemy that they could not. Following her hand gestures the others closed in and tried to walk the same steps she had taken before they could gather at her side. As soon as they approached her they could see it for themselves. Literally half a foot from where they stood was a huge pit that did not resemble any known shape. Inside the pit was the eviscerated body of a werewolf, impaled upon a number of long silver spikes that had been stuck into the underground. The fallen grass that could be found in the pit indicated that this had been some kind of trap, whose lethality was proven by the dead werewolf. It had been cleverly dug into the ground and covered with grass. Even when it had been set off the hole could not be seen from 3 foot away in any direction as the grass worked perfectly to hide it from the world. How exactly the trap had been set off was not known, the most obvious choice was the werewolf had stepped upon it. The way the silver still shone so brightly in the light of the sun showed that this was not a relic of some forgotten conflict, but this trap had only recently been made. There was virtually no chance that this trap was an isolated thing either. Imbaka and the others closely scanned their surroundings but the trees and grass remained frustratingly secretive. From where they were their eyes could not aid them and so Imbaka took the initiative.

With whispered words she told the group, "Watch every step I take and then take them after me." The others watched with held breaths as she very slowly took a long step, carefully placing her foot onto the ground after she was satisfied it would not set off another trap. As they had been told to do the others followed her every step with each one in line ensuring those behind them had seen their footing before moving onwards. Moving in such a way slowed progress down considerably, but the risk of injury and death had now increased a 100 fold.

In times of war in both the worlds of men and monsters, booby traps were an indication of just how desperate one side had become. The only positive thing to come out of all of this was it reminded of the group of what they needed to accomplish, in order to save their kingdom and the east from conquest. In two hours they had made very little progress but at the least they were all still amongst the living.

They came to a clearing that was surrounded by thick under bush and stalking trees. The group was rightfully hesitant for this seemed the ideal place to set pitfalls and other such nasty traps. Even the grass seemed to grow that little bit longer in the clearing as if it wanted to be that ideal place. Keeping as silent as possible Imbaka gestured for the others to wait as she found a sturdy branch to hold onto. She then held her breath as if to ensure she weighed as little as possible before she carefully placed a foot into the clearing. Slowly she placed weight on her foot and held onto the branch even tighter. When she was sure that the ground would not fall away from under her she took another carefully placed step. With fluid movements she let go of the branch but kept her arms raised as she took another step into the clearing.

The ground remained strong when she took her third step, satisfying her just enough so that the others could follow. With as much care as Imbaka had taken the rest of the group stepped into the clearing, ensuring to follow the steps of whomever was in front of them. The clearing was not that large by any measurement, but each stepped carried with it unpredictability, too powerful to be ignored. Imbaka reached roughly three-quarters of the way across the clearing without incident; she was so close yet felt so far. With every step the group took they would stop and look around in all directions, their instincts demanding of each of them such awareness. As Gokkus, who was the third in line, looked around to the surrounding trees his eyes focused upon something. He hesitated for a split second before his mind knew what it was.

" Look out!" he bellowed taking his weapon in hand. The others did not even have time to look at the man dressed in black as gray masses of monstrous flesh leapt from all sides into the clearing. The clearing was an ideal place, ideal for an ambush and the group had just walked straight into the middle of it. Using Gokkus' warning Imbaka unleashed her sword cutting it into the throat of an attacking werewolf as it leapt. Zova had just enough time to remove her sword from its sheave before a werewolf was upon her. Acting quicker than most people could think she thrust the tip of her blade directly into the thing's mouth causing it to wail in pain as it fell back hard. The ground then collapsed around it and it fell onto the silver spikes of a trip fall. As the group had expected the clearing was not free of traps, but they could do little about it now as they were stuck in the ambush.

As Gokkus used both blades of his weapon to block the claw blades of an oncoming enemy he took a step backward and heard a sound he did not know. His instincts possessed him and he quickly stepped sideways before the ground opened up and silver spikes sprang forth from it. Cada Varl managed to decapitate two such enemies without setting off a single trap, but as he took a step to meet another werewolf he could feel something snap underneath his foot. His vision was drawn to something large and moving quickly towards him. He only realized it was not a werewolf when he managed to step away in time.

Somehow a boulder had been strapped to the top of the trees and now had fallen in between Cada Varl and his closest enemy. The boulder failed to hit anything living, but it did cause the ground to break wide open and reveal another pit fall. Cada Varl looked over to the werewolf who stood with snarling teeth and blood hungry eyes. It wanted to kill the Immortal, the question was whether or not it would take such a large risk by jumping over the pit. Cada Varl wanted it to task such a risk, but the werewolf was smarter than that. Cada Varl was forced to look away from the first werewolf as another of its kind came for him from another direction.

It barely had time to flash its teeth before Cada Varl severed it in two bloody halves. He looked back in time to see the first werewolf take its chance, leaping over the pit towards him. Easily Cada Varl slashed his weapon through the air cutting through its flesh like it was boiling butter. When another of these beasts tried to come at him, only to be killed by a lethal trap, Cada Varl developed the strategy of standing where he was and allowing the beasts to come to him.

It was truly a chaotic conflict with traps being set off all around them as the two sides fought each other viscously. It came to an end just like it had started, quickly and suddenly. In total the group had been attacked by no more than 20 of the damn things, many of who had fallen prey to the traps. By the light green of their armor they were troops of Metamok, which would explain why they attacked. They had not been the ones to set these traps; those responsible wouldn't have attacked the group. It had been a violent but brief encounter and as all enemies lay dead the group did what they always did after an enemy encounter. One by one they called out their names, Imbaka spoke first followed by Gokkus followed by Cada Varl who was followed by silence, that awful soundless thing.

A chill greater that anything the strongest of winter's could produced filled all three of them as they looked across the clearing and saw Zova. Blood that was unmistakably hers soaked her arm as it gushed forth from her torso. She was standing with hollowed eyes staring at her hand as her legs struggled to keep her upright.

"No!" Gokkus bellowed, a cry that even the heavens were shaken by. Without care for any traps or other dangers Gokkus ran to her dropping his weapon like it was worthless as he did so. To see a Helluvan do such a thing was absolutely shocking to the Immortal, but he would soon known why. Even before he had reached her the eyes of the man dressed in black were filled with dreaded water. He was able to place his arms around her before she began to fall, making the act as peaceful as possible. She continuously swallowed but air was not getting into her lungs as her lips trembled softly. Gokkus held her tightly as he forced his eyes to look upon where the blood was coming from. Greatly shaken he tried simply to pull her armor off as if he had forgotten everything he knew about his own people's armory.

On instinct Cada Varl took a step forward but instantly felt something cold and wet upon his chest. He looked down and saw the sword of Imbaka blocking his way. He looked over to her but she did not return his gaze, her eyes forced to remain upon the sight of Zova and Gokkus. With a voice as hollow as her eyes she said simply, "Let the man be with his wife, one last time."

This revelation made Cada Varl snap his head back to Gokkus and Zova as a great shock filled him. Not once had he seen any sign that the two had romantic affection for one another let alone that they were husband and wife. He then remembered who these people were and how the greater good of Helluv came before everything else.

Gokkus was able to gather enough of his sense to remove the chest plate of Zova, tossing it to the side as soon as he was able to. Her undershirt was now soaked in her blood, leaving not so much as a spot untarnished with the disturbing red. He could see the source of the wound, the blade of a Gortanik glove had broken off inside of her, striking deeply through a number of organs. Gokkus quickly wrapped his hand around what he could of the blade but before he could remove it Zova's hand gently grasped his. Instantly he looked back into her eyes and could see she was looking right him.

"No," she whispered, no longer capable of talking in any other way. "Do not blind me with pain...I want to see your beautiful face...."

The weakest of smiles appeared upon her lips but it did nothing to comfort the man dressed in black. Gokkus stared into her eyes, unable to accept the reality of what was happening. "Please...." Zova forced out in a whisper. Gokkus slowly moved his hand, that was now involuntarily trembling, towards his face. Not even the gods could make him look away from Zova as he removed his helmet and the black around it with one quick violent jerk before tossing it aside. For the first time Cada Varl could see his face completely, he was younger than first thought and had short black hair as dark as the clothing he wore. Zova tried to raise her hand to his face but such a movement was now impossible for her to accomplish alone. Slowly Gokkus guided her hand embracing it upon his cheek. With the weakest of smiles upon her lips she whispered, "There is the face of the man I fell in love with." Gokkus could not bring himself to talk, as much as he wanted to, he remained silent.

Tears now fell freely from his eyes, like the raindrops of the world's saddest storm. Husband and wife now just stared into each other's eyes, there was a very rare peace to the silence that now fell, and in their minds the world around them vanished. All that mattered now was the moment, the last moment they would have together in this world. As the tears of Gokkus dropped onto her cheek Zova gently stroked her finger upon his hand. Each second that went by took more and more warmth from her touch, warmth that couldn't be reclaimed. Imbaka and Cada Varl watched on in a terrible silence as eventually the warmth of Zova's touch disappeared entirely. There was no final breath, no violent jerking of limbs, even death would not break the peace the two of them had in that moment. Zova's eyes closed over like she was entering some beautiful and endless dream.

"Zova," Gokkus finally said when he realized that the moment was at its end. "Zova," he said again knowing that she could no longer hear him. His voice broke like fragile glass as he whispered, "Please do not leave me," his breathing became erratic and involuntary as he looked up to the heavens and said, "Do not take her from me." A sound then came from the sky; the roar of thunder yet there was not a single thundercloud to be seen within the blue. It was like the heavens felt his pain and made such a sound as if to say they were sorry, that there was nothing they could do to bring her back. Gently he brought his lips to hers and kissed her cold lips caring not for the blood that now covered his chest. He sat back up and simply looked upon her beautiful face one more time. Gently he placed her hands at her sides before he rested his head in his own.

The moment would not last for his hands moved to the top of his head, grabbing tight fistfuls of hair like he wanted to rip them out of his scalp. His head fell forward resting on his elbows as he closed his eyes and the tears continued to fall. After the longest moment ever taken upon the earth Gokkus opened his mouth and the sounds that came from him were inhuman. They were sounds of anger and fury, the kind that made the whole wide world tremble in fear. He sat up rocking back and forth as if he was trying to stop the anger from possessing him like a demon.

While still making these inhuman sounds he looked over to the body of Zova and towards the corpse of the closest werewolf. He could see that on its left hand one of its Gortanik blades had snapped off, he looked into its dead eyes, knowing it had been responsible for Zova's death.

His hands slowly released his hair as his chest moved so quickly it looked like he was convulsing. Upon the werewolf's armor he saw a blood filled hole, Zova had already avenged her own death. The fact her killer was dead was not enough for Gokkus as he leant over the body of his wife and began pounding his fists upon the hole. His actions were violent and hindered by rage as flesh smashed into steel. The pain of such actions must have been agonizing but Gokkus showed nothing but rage. Cada Varl wanted to walk over and help the man in black, believing the only thing he was going to achieve was broken hands. Incredibly the armor did bend after being repeatedly struck upon, but remained strong. Gokkus was then able to gain enough sense to quickly remove a long bladed knife from his boot and began using it to cut through the armor and flesh of the werewolf corpse. Dead purple blood splattered all across his face yet Gokkus focused only on this grizzly act. Sickening wet sounds came from the corpse as Gokkus violently jerked the thing's heart into his blood soaked hand.

Cada Varl gasped upon seeing this; unsure of what his companion was planning to do with such a thing. Gokkus forced the large cursed heart into the pack on his back before he gently got his arms underneath the body of Zova. Revealing his great strength he lifted her off the ground and stood up at the same time. Her right arm and head hung lifelessly as Gokkus turned around. At first the man in black appeared to be staring directly into the eyes of Cada Varl, the Immortal would be lying if he said he was not afraid of what he saw in the eyes of Gokkus. The man dressed in black walked forward and the Immortal soon realized he was not looking at him, or Imbaka or anything else. Gokkus was simply moving away from this dreadful place where his wife had died.

As Gokkus passed her Imbaka said nothing but kept her head lowered in a sign of respect. When Gokkus was no longer in her line of vision Imbaka walked over to where Zova once lay, taking in hand her sword, her pack and Gokkus' black helmet that had been left on the ground. Cada Varl without command walked over to where Gokkus had dropped his weapon and picked it up. The Immortal looked to Imbaka who said nothing before she followed Gokkus out of the clearing with Cada Varl behind her.

The Immortal and Imbaka kept their distance from the man dressed in black as he walked seemingly aimlessly through the wilderness. Cada Varl wanted to speak just so he could get rid of the silence in the air, but he remained wordless. The fact that traps could easily still be in the air seemed irrelevant to Gokkus as he moved through the terrain.

Just under an hour later the man dressed in black came to a stop in another clearing, which was not only smaller than the first but was not covered in grass. It was like the wilderness had heard his sounds and was afraid of what would happen if he did not find such a place. Now he stopped, gently placing the body of his wife onto the ground. While he still crouched over her Imbaka approached him carefully placing her pack down and her sword by her side. Imbaka placed her hand on the shoulder of Gokkus who slowly placed his hand over it. A moment later Imbaka stepped away placing his helmet onto the ground and gesturing for Cada Varl to follow her. The Immortal looked back at Gokkus who remained still looking upon the body of Zova. While ensuring he stayed in sight Cada Varl and Imbaka moved as far away as they could from the man dressed in black, which was upon the other side of the clearing.

Imbaka began stripping away bark and sticks from surrounding trees and Cada Varl watched on. As Imbaka began placing these twigs and bark in a specific pattern Cada Varl realized she was preparing some kind of funeral ritual. Most of it was the same as the ritual that was performed when Tanagy was killed, using certain potions and powders from jars to fill the unlit fireplace. But instead of burning a Vorig Imbaka took out two finely decorated clay jars with lids. Quietly she informed Cada Varl to silently whisper the last words he wanted to say to Zova into the jar and quickly close it to ensure the words did not escape. He was also told not to speak if the wind picked up for that would carry the words away from the jar. With great sadness in his mind Cada Varl did what he was told, mouthing everything he wanted to say before quickly placing the lid over the jar. From there both jars were placed into the unlit fire and a strange rock shaped golden item was cut over it, causing flames of purple to suddenly rise up. As they had done with the ritual for Tanagy, Cada Varl and Imbaka had to wait in silence until the fire had burnt away.

Gokkus was performing a ritual all of his own, one unique to a man or woman who had to bury their partner. All alone he had to dig her a grave and say certain words in the correct sequence. The words he had to say were the same words Zova had told him on his wedding night called 'Teuawok' or the oath of love. Gokkus had to keep the words perfect in his memory, if he said so much as a single word wrong or out of place he would never see Zova in the afterlife. In her life Zova would have memorized specific words Gokkus had said to her as well, words that she never would have forgotten. Each Teuawok was different and unique, it was meant to represent the true words of a person's heart, their love for their significant other. He also had to perfume her body with a perfume that he and Zova had mixed on their wedding night. This was to ensure that in the afterlife their souls could recognize each other by all senses, including smell. The final piece of the ritual was the devouring of the enemy's heart. It was a way to ensure that he had gotten revenge for his fallen beloved. If he did not devour the heart then the ancestral spirits had the power to stop him from ever seeing Zova again in the world beyond the living.

This is what made Helluv different from the warrior societies of legend. Marriage was not simply a way to ensure the bearing of strong children by strong parents, marriage was what it should have been, the ultimate declaration of love between two people. Cada Varl admired this greatly for all the things the tiny kingdom of Helluv had to do to survive not once did Granzool or his people lose sight of their humanity.

Night was almost upon them by the time the purple fire had burnt itself out, Imbaka checked and saw that there was no trace of the clay jars meaning their words had reached Zova. Cada Varl helped Imbaka forge a normal fire several feet away from where their ritual had been performed. Gokkus had completed his ritual an hour or so after they had, Zova had been buried with both her sword and a Vorig. Gokkus had cooked and devoured the heart of the werewolf leaving him now staring into a fire of his own. Even from where Cada Varl was sitting he could see the heavy sadness in the eyes of the man dressed in black. There was a big part of the Immortal that wanted to go sit with him, just so he wasn't alone. But he knew that wouldn't be proper and so sat staring into the flames of the fire. Imbaka seemed more shocked than sad as if Zova's death was simply too much too take and her mind had shut down just to cope with it.

For hours they sat staring into the flames of their fires, without so much as a loud breath taken. For a reason that only she knew Imbaka slowly looked away from the flames and towards the Immortal that sat staring into the fire. In the light of the flames her eyes were drawn to the back of his hand where she could see a sore redness. It looked almost like some insect had bitten him but there was something just not right about its colour, like a bug that existed in the next world and not this one had bitten him.

"Your hand Cada Varl?" Imbaka said with a tone still clearly in mourning.

Cada Varl looked down to his hand moving it slightly in the light of the fire, he looked back to the flames as he said, " It has been that way since my battle with Nara."

Imbaka now looked concerned and the Immortal could feel her eyes upon him.

He looked to her as he said, "I believe it was caused by that primal power I summoned to defeat her." He looked to the fire and immediately Imbaka could sense he was troubled by his own thoughts. "I remember thinking that I had to hold onto the power, that I couldn't win the fight without it and then...." Cada Varl fell silent but Imbaka could not let it rest

"But then what?" she said leaning forward to ensure she heard his answer.

Cada Varl dragged his vision away from the fire and into her eyes as he said, "The next thing I remember is you and the others approaching me, carrying the body of Hazum Ka-te."

Imbaka leaned back clearly uncomforted by what the Immortal was telling her. "This power that I call upon, is born from something that humans once possessed but has now long since been forgotten. I think because I held onto the power for so long that I forgot even the memory of being human, it was your voice that brought me back, that reminded me of who I was...."

Imbaka searched his eyes and could see nothing but truth within them, she looked back to the red upon his hand and asked, "Do you have any idea what the red marks are?"

Cada Varl sat staring into her eyes, seemingly afraid of what he said next, "I honestly do not know."

### Chapter 19

When Imbaka feel asleep Cada Varl was suppose to stand guard, but no matter what he tried his eyes were drawn back to Gokkus, the man who had been shattered by reality. The man in black was oblivious to the world around him staring into the flames of the fire as memories both old and new played in his mind. Long into the night he simply sat there staring and doing nothing else. Even when the flames stopped burning and he was left in near darkness Gokkus did not move from the spot. Eventually the man dressed in black did fall asleep, but at best it was only an hour before the sun rose upon the world once more. Chances were the little sleep he had would have been an awful slumber filled with terrible visions.

He stood before the grave he had buried his wife in still saying nothing. Imbaka had woken up and eaten a silent breakfast before the man dressed in black walked away from the grave and approached Cada Varl and Imbaka. The Immortal bowed his head, wanting to show acknowledgement and respect for Gokkus' loss but was unable to find any suitable words. Imbaka placed her arm around him and Gokkus embraced her for a moment but neither said anything.

The three of them moved onwards with Gokkus following Imbaka's every step, like a machine that was programmed to do so, devoid of any feeling. Cada Varl was the last in line making sure the man dressed in black was not left behind for his mind was still consumed with grief. As Imbaka made sure that they did not succumb to any traps Cada Varl continuously kept a look out for any sign of the enemy. The troops of Metamok they had encountered must have been searching for rebels, meaning they had to be out here somewhere and would have been much more inept at using traps to their advantage.

When they made camp again and the Helluvans ate a simple dinner, they went to bed earlier than normal. Imbaka placed Gokkus' arm around her allowing him to know her warmth. There was nothing sexual or erotic about it, Imbaka was simply helping Gokkus' imagine he was holding Zova as he closed his eyes and entered the world of dreams. Gokkus needed it; he seemed to have lost any desire or will to continue onwards. It was like the largest part of who he was died with Zova and what remained was little more than a shell dressed in black.

The wilderness remained for several more weeks, but with each day that passed the trees grew further apart and the grass did not grow as tall. It was finally coming to an end and the group, what was left of it, did their best to focus on the task at hand. Knowing what lay beyond the wilderness Imbaka, Gokkus and Cada Varl focused on preparation, using whatever they could in the wilderness to supply themselves as best as possible.

When the group camp across a small batch of rebel soldiers they actually considered it a blessing. It was clear that Gokkus still possessed great rage and took a great pleasure in firing arrows into the hearts of the unsuspecting rebels. The enemy had been caught completely unaware and those that were not killed by Helluvan arrows were finished off by Cada Varl's sword. Gokkus and Imbaka both helped themselves to the corpses of the fallen enemy, skinning a number of them and carving meat right off of the bone. The reason why they kept the meat was obvious, but Cada Varl had no idea what they were planning on using the bones and hide for.

It was only mid-afternoon when the quick skirmish had taken place but Gokkus and Imbaka quickly forged a fire. Unlike a normal fire however this one was placed in a very long rectangle, literally 8 or 9 feet long. Cada Varl watched on, wanting to help but unsure of how he could. He simply put it on himself to gather firewood for the Helluvans, unsure even if they needed it. He watched on as Imbaka placed one of the hides upon the fire so that its fur would bear the brunt of the flames. The fact that it was still covered in the monster's blood did not faze Imbaka as she spread the fur out as much as possible.

While Imbaka was burning the fur off of the hides Gokkus was piling bones together, choosing certain ones, most of which were the large leg and arm bones. Using the vines of nearby trees Gokkus began making some kind of rope out of them, twisting and turning them together. When the man dressed in black began to make a fire of his own the Immortal was quick to bring over the firewood he had gathered. Cada Varl watched on as Gokkus dipped the ends of the ropes he was creating into the flames, to ensure that they were burnt together.

When the fur of a hide had been burnt off completely Imbaka quickly removed it from her fire and placed it upon the ground, where she dipped water across it in order to cool it down. Cada Varl did what he could to help as Gokkus began placing werewolf bones onto the ground in a kind of structure, using the ropes he had made to tie them together. When Cada Varl couldn't figure out what was going on, he simply asked the Helluvans for an explanation.

"We're making water drums," Gokkus answered keeping his eyes upon what he was doing. It was obvious to the Immortal that Gokkus was not in a talking mood and doing so would only anger and annoy him. So Cada Varl stood silently and simply watched as the water drums were put together. Now knowing what they were the Immortal easily figured it out for himself what every piece of bone and every rope was needed for.

The werewolf hides were to be used as layer around the bone structures and two hides were used for each drum. Gokkus tied tens of ropes around the drums to ensure they would be as sturdy as possible. A simple lid was made out of a third hide to cover the tops of both drums. In the eyes of the Immortal the drums now looked complete but there was one more thing for the Helluvans to do.

Using great skill and patience Imbaka and Gokkus each took a long vine and then managed to hollow it out completely without breaking the outer skin. These vines were going to be used as a kind of straw that they could hold in their mouths and drink while keeping their hands free. When they were finally finished Imbaka tapped the top of one of the drums, causing a slight echo within its structure to be heard.

"They should be ready by tomorrow morning as long as they are not moved," Imbaka said seemingly for Cada Varl's benefit only.

It was not quite dusk by the time they had finished making the drums but the rectangle like fire was put to another use. Using two tools that looked like long pokers Gokkus pushed pieces of werewolf meat onto both of them while Imbaka appeared to be mixing spices together in a large clay bowl. When she was finished mixing the herbs and spices Gokkus held out the pokers so that she could cover every piece of meat with what she had created. The spices did give the meat a far more appealing look, for it stopped the purple blood dropping from the cursed flesh. Cada Varl was extremely curious about how werewolf meat was cooked, he knew that the curse could only be transferred by werewolf bite and not the other way around. But he also knew how superstitious men were and the Helluvans had proven they were not the exception.

When each piece of meat was covered in the mixture Imbaka took one of the pokers and placed it within the fire, keeping both hands upon the handle and holding it at a very acute angle. Gokkus did the same and both sat in silence watching the meat cook. Cada Varl wondered if the spices and herbs were actually more suited to the items of a shaman rather than a cook, that there was some Helluvan belief that these herbs and spices would protect them from becoming tainted by eating cursed flesh. It turned out however that the herbs and spices were used in the most obvious way, to make the meat taste nicer. Apart from the sheer length of time needed to cook the meat, there was no difference between cooking it and any other kind of meat.

When the Helluvans removed the meat from the fire, it was a dark rich brown and looked rather quite tasty. Gokkus and Imbaka took no time for the meat to cool down, they were hungry and something as trivial as burning heat was no much for a Helluvan stomach. They took mouthfuls from their water skins every now again as they ate the unbelievable chewy flesh of their enemies. They ate it like it was nothing more than pieces of deer meat. Gokkus even offered a piece to Cada Varl, seemingly forgetting that he didn't need such nutriment. Gokkus' remained clouded by his terrible sadness and seeing this Cada Varl took the piece of meat. Though the meat itself did not taste like anything in his mouth because it did not exist in his memory, he could taste a particular herb as if he was eating a whole bushel of it.

He looked to Imbaka knowing Gokkus wasn't in a talking mood and asked,"Did you use Boldo weed in this?"

Imbaka offered him her gaze but did not say anything immediately; she was right in the middle of devouring a large piece of meat.

She shook her head, " I don't even know what that is," she said truthfully.

"I think he means Netanum," Gokkus said flatly before continuing his meal.

Imbaka looked back to Cada Varl and thought for a moment before nodding her head.

"That is what Netanum would have been known by back before..." Imbaka paused her words realizing the weight they would have carried with them.

Cada Varl gently nodded his head indicating that he had not been offended and was grateful she had acknowledged his past. "Were they really considering a weed back then?" she asked with a genuine curiosity in her tone.

Cada Varl nodded, " They were known as the useful weed, because they could be used as an ingredient in just about any stew." Cada Varl glanced towards the fire using its flames to enhance the visions of memory in his mind. "I ate them with almost every meal, couldn't be choosy when you were away from home, dealing with your hunger before you went onto the battle field...." He fell silent but his red eyes hid no secrets, he was remembering his home, the now forgotten kingdom of Gatavoi. Imbaka did not push the matter further and returned to eating her meal. Cada Varl glanced down at the meat in his hand, wondering whether or not he should finish eating it. The meat would only serve as a reminder of what he once was or rather what he had become. Imbaka's question had been a small shed of light in a world that had been consumed by the darkest of loss and death.

Cada Varl now hated the silence and what it represented so his forced his mind to the road ahead and he asked, " Why do we need the water drums?"

Before Imbaka said anything Gokkus raised his arm and pointed to something in the distance but continued eating his meal. The man dressed in black wanted to find some sense of himself, to return to being a proper member of the journey, but his mind wouldn't grant him such a thing. Imbaka pointed in the same direction quickly swallowing the meat in her mouth. As the Immortal followed the direction of her finger he looked beyond where they were towards the distant part of the night sky.

"Do you see that star?" Imbaka asked, the place where she was pointing was literally covered in stars but Cada Varl easily guessed which one she meant. This particular star unlike all the others around it was much larger and had a very faint yet distinct purple to its light. Cada Varl nodded and Imbaka continued, "It is the star of Uleosis, it can only be seen when someone is close enough to the Barcsere Desert."

"That is where we are going?" Cada Varl asked looking towards Imbaka who nodded in response. Cada Varl had never heard of a star that could only been seen in certain places, and he couldn't recall the catacombs of Uldaween possessing such knowledge either.

"It's a warning," Imbaka said sensing the trouble Cada Varl was having with the notion of the star. The Immortal looked upon her before she said, "According to werewolf legend the star was created to warn people to stay away."

"Why?" Cada Varl asked with great seriousness.

"Because," Imbaka said sensing the Immortal was still troubled. "There is nothing in the Barcsere Desert but dead sand and the full wrath of the sun. But it is the quickest way from where we are to get to where we need to be."

Cada Varl studied the eyes of Imbaka, she showed no fear or concern. Slowly Cada Varl looked back to the star and sat silently as his companions finished their meal.

The following morning Cada Varl asked further about the Barcsere Desert, Imbaka told him that legend stated that it was once a beautiful lush wilderness, but so much death had occurred upon its soil that it caused the grass and the trees to erode, leaving only useless sand behind. It didn't exactly sound like an ideal place to travel to, but Cada Varl agreed with the Helluvans that they would deal with it when they arrived. In the two days it took them to finally escape the wilderness Gokkus and Imbaka filled the water drums, from whatever small streams they could find, such a task wasn't difficult but timely to accomplish. When the drums were filled they tied them to their backs leaving Cada Varl to carry everything else they needed, with the exception of their weapons of course.

When they came to the edge of the desert they could see for themselves why a star had been made to warn travelers. The word barren seemed a gross understatement to what lay before them, a terrain of dead sand and nothing else. Even the clouds had not bothered to appear in this part of the world leaving the sun as the sole ruler of the sky above. None of the three looked up to the sky; the sun seemed to be hell bent on exploiting its monarchy in this place. The edge of the desert really did look like an edge, a perfectly straight line separating the two alien worlds of the wilderness and the barrenness. It all seemed a little too flawless to be the work of nature alone. Yet the Helluvans showed no sign they were overwhelmed by the place but rather it was just another part in a journey that needed to be taken. They placed the straw vines they had created into the sides of their mouths and entered this hellish place. Only in a matter of hours, the hostility of this great nothingness made the Mukinia Mudflats a paradise in comparison. Even the air itself seemed long since dead making it much harder to breathe. But there was no complaining to be had by any of them; they had known all along how difficult this place would be to conquer. They kept themselves in a perfect routine, walking through the day and quickly resting at night, eating rations and forging fires from whatever they had brought with them.

For the month that they were in the desert they saw nothing on the horizon, not so much as a single mountain. The only thing that they worried about was running out of water, there was simply nowhere to replace the life giving liquid in such a landscape. It was only when there was not a drop left to be drunk that the Helluvans began to worry, realizing that it had become a race against Mother Nature who had already proven she was not in their favor. For almost three days the three traveled without so much as a drop to be had but they would never give up, they wouldn't grant Mother Nature such satisfaction.

When they did finally reach the end of the desert Imbaka could not hide her pride that Helluvans had accomplished something no werewolf ever had. Even the earth itself seemed amazed by such an accomplishment, rewarding them with a nearby landscape filled with lush cool trees and many rivers and lakes. They had entered Kajudo a land well known for its natural beauty.

As Imbaka immersed herself completely into the first river they came across, splashing the water all across her face and hair as she drank deeply Gokkus was much more mundane. He drank the water as well but showed not a hint of happiness or relief that they had conquered the desert. His actions were completely from instinct; he needed water to survive so he drank it, nothing more and nothing less. Cada Varl watched the man dressed in black, knowing what it felt like to lose all sense of one's self. Seeing how Gokkus was acting it reminded Imbaka not just of his loss but of hers as well, she had lost yet another companion, _all because of Cada Varl_ , at least that is what the Immortal thought.

After filling their water bottles the group found a small clearing that was well protected by a tree line to make camp for the evening. As far as they knew Kajudo was not a place where battles were regularly fought, but the same thing could have been said about the wilderness that had claimed the life of Zova. By the light of a fire Imbaka took stock of the resources they had left. Little food remained, enough for perhaps 6 meals each, they would have to gather what they could from Kajudo. But their bodies were only just being refreshed by water; they now needed rest more than they had ever before since the start of the journey.

As Imbaka packed up the supplies Gokkus sat staring into the flames of the fire, his mind haunted by the memories of his dead wife. Every now and again he would take a drink from his water skin, an act that appeared so mechanical. When she was finished Imbaka sat next to the man dressed in black, saying nothing but letting him know she was there for him. He paid no attention to her or to the Immortal who shared her sentiment. He simply sat staring at the fire, mechanically taking swigs of water.

Sometime later the man dressed in black tried to take another swig, only to find he had drunken all of it. For the first time since sitting down he seemed brought back from his trance but it was only for a moment.

He stood up and said flatly, "There is a lake nearby, I am going to fill this up."

Without waiting for a response Gokkus turned and took two steps until he was stopped by Cada Varl's words, "Gokkus."

Upon hearing his name Gokkus stretched out his hand behind him and without looking back he said, " I will be careful Cada Varl." With that he walked beyond the trees and out of sight. Cada Varl eyes stared at the last place he had seen the man in black as he remembered what had happened when Tanagy had decided to walk off by himself. The Immortal couldn't get the memory out of his head and when he saw that Gokkus hadn't even taken a weapon with him he quickly went to stand up.

"Let him be Cada Varl," Imbaka said sternly yet without aggression.

Cada Varl looked upon Imbaka who sat staring into the flames, looking almost like Gokkus did as if his sadness was a disease that she had just been infected with. "He is the leader of the Emuge Mura...an enemy would have a better chance of sneaking up on you than him...."

A large part of the Immortal was telling him to stand up and follow the man dressed in black but he did not, he sat back down as he had been told to do. Gokkus may have been a master of such things, but he had become a shadow of his former self and it was doubtful that even his instincts would be able to override his sadness. The sheer fact he had walked off by himself was proof of this. Cada Varl kept staring at where Gokkus had left his sight, not wanting to miss the moment when he returned.

"I danced at their wedding...." Imbaka said softly yet Cada Varl heard her clearly. The Immortal looked back to her and saw only sadness in her eyes. He stayed silent knowing there was nothing he could say that would comfort her. She forced her gaze from the fire to look into his powerful red eyes. "Do you know that is the only time when Helluvans dance, at weddings?"

Cada Varl knew Imbaka was not looking for an answer so he remained silent and listening.

"I have never seen a more gracious dance, than what Zova and Gokkus performed at their wedding." Slowly she looked away from him back into the fire. In her mourning she just needed to say those words out loud, for somebody to hear her. Cada Varl looked upon her waiting patiently for her to speak once more. When she kept silent Cada Varl returned staring at the last place he saw the man dressed in black.

The lake Gokkus had spoken of was not far from where they had camped; only a few minutes' walk down hill. It was a beautiful clear lake that reflected the light of the full moon above perfectly. But to him it only served as a reminder of the beauty of Zova and it mentally crippled him to look upon. Returning to a mechanical way of moving he opened his water skin and placed it into the lake. When the bubbles had disappeared he removed the water skin and had placed its lid back on.

Before he had a chance to stand up however he could feel the unforgiving coldness of steel against the side of his neck. This awful feeling violently pulled him from his trance as he heard an unknown voice. "Where are they others? Take me to them!" The voice was dark, strong and vaguely feminine. With eyes widened by panic Gokkus slowly looked towards the lake where he could see a perfect reflection of himself and whoever held a sword to his throat in the moonlight. Her yellow eyes instantly ensured that Gokkus knew she wasn't a human, dressed in garments of overlapping green she bore the same symbol as Aneeku and the others upon her left arm. Gokkus looked upon her face, seeing her skin was as pale as the moonlight with curling strands of brown hair all across her head. He looked into the reflection of her eyes and noticed how intense they were, he could almost feel them burning through the back of his head. She said something else but Gokkus was not listening to her, he was silently cursing himself for allowing this to happen to him. There was a good reason why he was the leader of the Emuge Mura, he could move like the night itself and detect werewolves before they could even smell his scent in the air. This wasn't just another enemy either; this foe would have possessed powers similar to Aneeku's and Nara's.

"Stand up," the non-woman demanded. Gokkus dropped the water skin onto the ground as he did what he had been told to do. He could feel the edge of the sword just itching to cleave his skin but all he could think about was his companions, only minutes away. The enemy turned her blade ever so slightly ensuring that the man in black knew it was there, "I know you are not alone," she demanded slowly, "Where are the others?" Gokkus quickly glanced towards the reflection in the lake seeing that the non-woman was just out of reach of any kick or punch he could perform. A calmness that did not suit the situation filled the eyes of Gokkus as his thought more deeply than he ever had before. Gokkus placed his right hand around his left wrist before the woman said, " If you make any move at all I will kill you!" To this Gokkus smiled so broadly that it could be seen underneath the black that covered his face.

"You know," he said calmly, "I could say the exact opposite to you." With that he turned the material on his left wrist with his right hand. Instantly a loud clicking sound was heard before a violent cloud of dust and fire consumed them both.

The sound the explosion made boomed through the air, quickly reaching the ears of Imbaka and Cada Varl. Startled by the sound both quickly leapt to their feet. With a face harder than even mountain rock Cada Varl ran forward smashing through the tree line and drawing his sword with Imbaka following. The Immortal was moving as fast as he could fearing the worst. He reached the spot where the explosion had taken place, the air was still unsettled by dust but he could see the motionless body of the non-woman. Much of her skin was either burnt black or covered in purple blood, something had ravaged her flesh beyond anything Cada Varl had seen in his 4,000 plus years upon the earth. But where was Gokkus? He could see no sign of the man dressed in black. He looked into the distance and even into the lake but saw no indication of where Gokkus had went.

Then he saw it, the bottom of a boot charred and scarred sitting several feet before the non-woman. Cada Varl shook his head bewildered by what he was seeing.

"Reon," Cada Varl looked over his shoulder to see Imbaka standing there with hollow eyes and an empty expression; she was looking upon the bottom of the boot, the only thing that remained of Gokkus. "Difficult to make, the Emuge Mura carry it to make sure they are never taken alive by the enemy...." Her voice was monotone as if her soul had left to hide somewhere unseen. Cada Varl looked towards the body of the non-woman seeing the black armband she wore that remained completely intact. Something cold and terrible filled him as he realized that Gokkus was dead. He looked away from the body of the non-woman turning his head ever so slightly as he looked towards something that only existed in his own mind.

"I should have been here with him." There was a flash of red in his eyes, something that the light of the moon wasn't responsible for. It was the same light he had used to kill Aneeku and Nara and its presence brought Imbaka out of her shell. A thought then occurred to Cada Varl a sense of reasoning that struggled to be heard amongst the shock that filled him. "If this woman is dead, then why hasn't the light left her body." Before he could even look an arrow came passed him, burying itself right into the heart of the non-woman. Imbaka had gathered her senses before he could, ensuring that the enemy was dead.

The non-woman suddenly opened her eyes for a shard of a moment taking one last breath before that all too familiar light left her body and consumed the night sky. Imbaka lowered her bow, as her eyes remained large and hollow. She was now the only Helluvan left in the west, this combined with knowing Gokkus was now dead left her empty inside. It was up to Cada Varl to take her back to their camp but not before he softly thanked Gokkus for his sacrifice. Cada Varl tried to perform a funeral ritual but when he was not doing it correctly Imbaka regained enough of herself and took over. With his Vorig within it a purple fire was burned for Gokkus, Imbaka was so shaken by his sudden death that she had to lean slightly on the Immortal to remain sitting. They said their final goodbyes to the man dressed in black and waited for the fire to burn itself out. The silence of waiting for the fire to burn out was an awful thing to endure.

When the fire did eventually die out a great wind followed it. Imbaka checked the fire to see if the Vorig had completely burnt away, it had.

She looked up into the night and said softly, "At least he will be reunited with Zova."

Even such a powerful thought was not enough to bring strength back to her legs and Imbaka laid down right there trying to conjure up a dream of a better time. Cada Varl stood near her his sword drawn and ready for anything that dared to come anywhere near him. Even the gods would not take Imbaka from him.

### Chapter 20

As Imbaka slept she resembled a corpse, lifeless and still, where even the breaths she took were silent. Cada Varl could not blame her for the way she must have been feeling, but he had to keep her motivated somehow. Gokkus had been killed because he had lost his will, Cada Varl promised himself that he would not let Imbaka out of his sight for anything. In those moments he cursed the world he had been responsible for and the power he now possessed, for it was not enough to keep the world safe.

For their remaining time in Kajudo Cada Varl talked excessively, about every little thing he could think of. He hated the silence and wanted to do everything under his power to prevent it. Imbaka however talked very little, it was clear she was listening to the Immortal and may have even been grateful he was talking so much. But she could not ignore the reality of her predicament. Every time they made camp Imbaka would bury her head in the various maps she had carried throughout the journey, focusing on where they had to go and the reasons why they were in the west in the first place. With only Imbaka needing water and food, supplies were easily attained, from water to various fruits, none of which Cada Varl or Imbaka had ever seen before.

From Kajudo they traveled through the lowlands of Meserk and then onto the plains of a place known as Kulhoth. The entire time they saw no enemies, Imbaka ensured that they only traveled through areas known for their low populations. As they progressed the landscape always seemed to become more and more opened making the two of them feel more isolated than they ever had before in the west, like the very world itself no longer wanted to have anything to do with them. Through these months Cada Varl always followed closely behind Imbaka, he wanted to make sure he kept his promise. Imbaka had proven herself a strong individual so it certainly wasn't that she needed the Immortal to protect her, but rather the other way round. Cada Varl hadn't lied when he said he admired the Helluvans and over the course of these violent days of the west he had genuinely grown affection for them. To him Imbaka represented something that he had always missed, the power of the human spirit. Not only did he need her to survive, he wanted her to survive, to be able to tell stories about the other Helluvans and the brave sacrifices they had made to protect the humanity of Noonsva. They were heroes, each and every one of them deserving greater legends than anyone or anything the Immortal had ever heard of.

When the two of them entered the lands of Balkeg they knew they had entered a place that would be occupied by some kind of enemy and they were right. Thankfully far in the distance they could see a sight they knew was coming in the west but had yet to see it for themselves. A massive bulk of monsters, numbering as high as a million was moving through the landscape. It was an awe inspiring sight to behold even from such a distance, as their armor shone in unison in the light of the sun causing them to glow as if they possessed powers unknown to humans. More impressive than the sheer size of the army was how unified and organized the march was. Divisions of various troops, from heavy infantry to skirmishers all could be seen in this great mass of armor and dark fur. Machines of war, created from designs humans would think too complex to actually be built were common amongst this army. What all the various purposes of the machines were could not be told from such a distance but there was no doubting they were instruments of destruction. The only thing that could be told about this armor was who they fought for; the light green that signified Metamok could be seen amongst the shining armor.

The possibility that Metamok himself could have been leading them was not overlooked either as Cada Varl and Imbaka watched them like an ocean moving through the landscape.

"They must be heading to the grand city of Dolovis," Imbaka said her words weakened by the awe of seeing such a sight.

"Do we need to go anywhere need there?" Cada Varl whispered even though there was no chance the massive enemy army could hear them from such a distance.

Imbaka shook her head, "Thankfully no," with this revelation Cada Varl felt more at ease.

He looked away from the sight of the werewolf army towards the east, where he could see something flash in the light of the sun. He gasped loudly drawing the attention of Imbaka upon him as his eyes became fixated on something in the distance. The light he could see remained long enough for him to know that it was hadn't been an illusion of his own mind. He raised his arm and pointed, "We have to head in that direction." Imbaka was hesitant at first for she had never seen Cada Varl so animated before. She followed the direction of his finger and narrowed her eyes as she looked upon the strange almost golden light somewhere in the distant mountains.

"What is that?" she said more to herself then to her companion.

"Hegadakore," Cada Varl said as if he was looking at something divine. "I remember that glow well." Cada Varl waited for Imbaka to begin walking before he did but it was clear the golden light had reminded him of his homeland, a place they were now only a few days walk from.

For the first time in a long time Cada Varl remained silent, his mind consumed with memories that had not been thought about for many a year. There was renewed vigor in his walk, moving faster than he ever had in the west, excluding the times he was in the heat of battle. Imbaka even allowed him to walk ahead of her putting the responsibility upon herself to keep up with him. Not once did Cada Varl take his eyes off of the near golden light he saw. Even when the terrain changed levels under his feet he kept his eyes upon the last place he saw it.

In spite of how quickly Cada Varl's desire had made them move they still did not reach the mountains by the time the sun had gone down. The Immortal had to focus hard on putting his frustration aside and do what needed to be done. They had been moving mostly through opened fields that offered no protection from a hostile eye and were forced to remain in the open. Because of this Imbaka did not bother to forge a fire believing it would be too easily seen. The blankness of the night sky made it difficult for her to see, for there was no light source that her eyes could draw from. As she eat an evening meal of dried fruit and salted meat her chewing seemed to sound like thunder, at the least to the two of them. Though the near golden light had vanished with all the other light of the world Cada Varl continued staring towards the last place he had seen it. He remained silent, which concerned Imbaka little for she had her own powerful thoughts that could not be ignored.

Later that night when she fell asleep she reminded Cada Varl to keep a look out in all directions. She had every right to remind him of this for his mind was so consumed by just how close they now were to his homeland that he would easily have abandoned his nightly duty. In a bid to keep his mind away from such thoughts, he stood up and placed his back to the direction of the mountain. He stared out upon a rather quite boring landscape of fields and little else. He had to keep reminding himself that at any time an enemy could come within sight. Lands that were so opened had already proven themselves to be ideal for a large army to move through, an army of far too many enemies for even Cada Varl to defeat.

This thought reminded him of the strange redness that had covered his hand. He glanced down and through his eyes he was able to see it, he was glad that the redness hadn't increased in any measurable way but that did not completely put his mind at ease. Whatever power it was that had awakened after he had lost his humanity was something he was not certain that he could control. Because of that power he had survived to this point, he knew he wouldn't have been able to defeat Aneeku and Nara without this unnamed power, yet it was frightening to think about.

Slowly he lowered his hand and looked back out into the dull night. They were now so close to the underground chamber, a simple matter of several days at the most. He just hoped that in those days he would not come upon a reason to need the unnamed powers.

When dawn broke the next day Cada Varl was eager to see Imbaka wake up so that they could continue onwards.

Remembering his manners Cada Varl asked how she slept to which she replied "Coldly,".

Her tone was dark but Cada Varl did not pursue it knowing what terrible dreams she surely must have been suffering through.

After Imbaka had eaten a quick breakfast they were on the move again. They could see the near golden light had now grown in size, meaning there would be only a matter of hours before they reached the lands Cada Varl once called home. Those hours seemed to pass like minutes as both Imbaka and the Immortal stayed silent, consumed by thoughts of a vastly different nature to one another. After ascending a steep slope that rivaled the height of any hill the two of them reached the edge of the mountains, in the valley before them they could finally see the source of the near golden light as rock faces covered the landscape on all sides. Cada Varl was so quiet he made regular silence deafening as he looked upon the gathering of Hegadakore. He had not been here in for thousands of years and the realization of where he was standing now struck him like the most brutal of blows. Memories once thought forgotten resurfaced in his mind clearer and stronger than they had ever been. He could see his old kingdom of Gatavoi in his mind's eyes, the fields of crop, the houses of his fellow men and women, even the great castle that his once king had called home. He could even smell the flowers of Gatavoi, those rare breeds that only grew in his homeland.

He did not embrace the memories that played out in his mind but rather felt haunted by them. They were the ghosts of a past that he could never relive, no matter what he did. He could see the Hegadakore, the gold like metal that had been the lifeblood of his kingdom beyond the valley and other mountains glowed exactly the way it had all those thousands of years ago.

"Imbaka," he said very softly after an era of silence. Imbaka could see the trouble in his expression and responded gently.

"Yes Cada Varl," Imbaka replied.

The Immortal did not answer right away as the ghosts now felt like they were trying to destroy him from the inside out. "What is this place now called?"

Imbaka slowly looked out to what lay before her with eyes that revealed she was hesitant. She looked back to the Immortal and spoke as if she was breaking the truth about a fictional hero a child admired. "This whole area is known as Zermuet, what lays before us doesn't have a specific name."

Upon hearing this the shoulders of the Immortal rose as he could feel something inside of him demanding that he fall down.

His memory then told him something and so he said, "Are these not the Deupenddous valleys?" to this Imbaka took a long breath as she remembered Cada Varl would have heard her speaking of them back in Helluv.

"Cada Varl," she said gently wanting to ensure her words were as peaceful as possible. "Deupenddous...means nameless."

He managed to remain standing as the ghosts of the past changed to demons of the present. Nothing was left of his kingdom, not so much as a single ruin anywhere to be seen. The werewolf king Gorgoza hadn't even bothered to give this place an individual name; werewolves had little use for gold let alone something that only looked like it. This is what his kingdom had become, a faceless terrain of a nameless place. Perhaps for the very first time since he lost his humanity, he cursed his own memory, the one thing that had kept him going for all these years. He could feel the hand of Imbaka being placed gently onto this back, a simply way to let him know that she was there for him. Cada Varl slowly looked upon her and she looked back. He searched her eyes perhaps knowing for the first time just as beautiful they were. They did not remind him of sexual desire but the beauty of humanity, and that was enough to bring him out of his own head and back into reality. He looked back to the landscape doing his best to ignore the ghostly visions of Gatavoi burning to the ground.

"The underground chamber is somewhere out there." He looked to Imbaka as he said, "Let us go and find it."

To this Imbaka gently nodded and allowed Cada Varl to take the lead as they entered the valley. As he moved through it he could not rid himself of the visions in his mind as his imagination worked with his memory to torment him. He could even hear the screams of child, men and women as they were brutally ripped apart and devoured by the monsters he had created over 4,000 years ago. He could even hear the voices of people asking him why this was happening, why couldn't he have stopped it when he had a chance? He tried to tell himself that the whole mutation of Noonsva was something that not even the gods would have been able to stop. He had to force all of this out of his head for his eyes were needed to be concentrated on the ground, for somewhere in this place the underground chamber could be found.

Snow had fallen recently in this place, not heavily but enough to cover the ground in its white purity. It seemed strange that the mountains showed little sign of snow on their heights, like it had only fallen in certain places. Stranger still Cada Varl had no memory of snow ever falling on Gatavoi. But as he was now horribly aware this was no longer Gatavoi but simply a part of a landscape the werewolves barely bothered with.

Cada Varl and Imbaka searched for the remainder of the day but they could find nothing, leaving the first valley and entering a second. The fall of night forced them to make camp as the stars and the full moon returned to their rightful place in the black sky. Within the nocturnal light a mesmerizing sight befell the terrain and the Hegadakore all around them shone brightly. It was like nothing Imbaka had ever seen, it was beyond beautiful to look upon. Even to a Helluvan the sight left her breathless as it shone like it was the only light in a world of utter black.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Cada Varl asked keeping his eyes upon the shining Hegadakore.

Imbaka nodded, "I would struggle to think of another such sight that possessed so much beauty."

Cada Varl slowly looked upon Imbaka and in the light of the Hegadakore her eyes shone so brilliantly. The Immortal admired such a sight for a long moment before he said, "Thank you." Imbaka bowed her head as a sign of both acknowledgement and respect. Even though the light of the Hegadakore made it easy to see, Imbaka still forged a fire, intending to cook some kind of stew. Her spirit seemed dampened by the fact that she was cooking for only herself and as she filled a clay bowl, she took a moment to look around the outside of the fire. Cada Varl was not the only one being haunted by memories as the ghostly visions of her fallen comrades sitting around the fire consumed her mind. She ate quickly and seemingly as a way just to distract herself she began to study her maps once again. The entire time she had been eating Cada Varl had been standing staring at the glow of the Hegadakore. It was one of the few more pleasant memories that played out in his mind.

When he was a child they were a beautiful sight to behold but as he became an adult and the magic of childhood left him he had grown use to their glow. Back then he had the chance to look upon it almost every night and had eventually found them no more interesting than the night sky. But now as he looked upon them he remembered how he felt about them when he was a child, they were magical back then, just like they seemed now. The memories however became like a burden on his mind and he soon had to look away from them.

As he took a seat around the fire he looked upon Imbaka who seemed not to notice his presence. "In only a matter of days you will be heading back to Helluv," Cada Varl said doubting why he had said such words in the first place. Imbaka raised her head, her eyes as somber as those of the Immortal's.

"We haven't found the underground chamber yet Cada Varl," she responded calmly yet firmly. "But we will," The Immortal replied looking away from her and towards the Hegadakore.

"Yes," Imbaka replied firmly.

It was like both of them knew where the conversation was heading but both wanted to delay such a direction for as long as possible. Cada Varl looked back to his companion saying nothing. Imbaka then knew she would have to be the one to say, "The journey is almost over...."

"What will you do when it is complete?" Cada Varl asked with unnamed emotion.

"As you said Cada Varl return to Helluv," Imbaka replied. The Immortal now stood up and moved around the fire so that he was sitting right next to her. The look in Imbaka's eyes revealed that she had no objection to this.

"Which path will you take? For the werewolves will be nothing more than a bad memory."

Imbaka studied his powerful red eyes remembering everything she had seen in them since she first met the Immortal.

"The most direct one of course," she said. But she knew that if nothing else Cada Varl wanted to rid himself and her of the silence that had fallen over the camp. If they were successful then silence would be something Imbaka would have to grow use to as she made her way back to Helluv, all alone. This revelation made her want to talk and she explained in great detail the number of paths that she could take. She even talked about seeing certain buildings and monuments she heard of in legend, places she never would have been able to see while the werewolves still existed. To a Helluvan it was a very weird feeling, speaking almost positively about things their hated enemy had built. Cada Varl listened intently, he was genuinely interested in every word she had to say. She spoke for perhaps an hour or so before she fell silent.

Cada Varl however could not bear the silence, it allowed his memories and imagination to torment him too much.

He said gently, "What will you do after you have reached Helluv?"

"Whatever my king needs me to do." Imbaka answered quickly as if she was somehow unnerved by the question. She looked away from Cada Varl and into the fire, "Werewolves are not the only enemy of Helluv and with their presence no longer a reality I am certain Granzool will have to deal with eastern problems."

Cada Varl stared into the fire becoming strongly silent. When Imbaka looked towards him she could see that he was troubled by her answer, as if he was expecting an entirely different answer. Imbaka thought for a moment about what the end of this journey truly meant, whether they succeeded or failed Noonsva would be forever changed.

Imbaka watched the flames for a moment before looking back into the eyes of the Immortal. "When I am not needed to serve my country, I will write...."

Her gentle words drew Cada Varl to look upon her as he asked, "What will you write?"

"About this journey," Imbaka answered slowly knowing the magnitude of the conversation. "I will make sure that this story is known for future generations, not just of Helluv, but the entire east. I will write about Leannol, about Tanagy, about Hazum Ka-te, about Zova and Gokkus and the sacrifices they made to protect all men, women and children of this continent."

Cada Varl nodded as he looked into the fire, her words touched him greatly and he needed a moment longer to absorb them.

"I will also write about the great sacrifice you will make," Imbaka said with firm words. Cada Varl looked back to her, his eyes consumed by heaviness. He could not look her in the eye when he said, "I am only solving all the problems that have been caused because of what I had become."

"Willingly destroying one's own existence is a sacrifice, regardless of the reasons behind it," Imbaka countered. Her words had not been said out of any kind of malice or condescension. Cada Varl slowly looked back into her eyes before looking towards the Hegadakore. He said nothing at first but then raised his finger towards it as he said, " The light of the Hegadakore remind me of many things, but most importantly its light reminds me that I am a relic of a forgotten time. I have one thing left to do, before my time is over, and it is long since overdue."

Upon hearing these words Imbaka placed her hand within his, easily drawing his gaze back to hers. "I am sure that you will never be forgotton Cada Varl and while I cannot talk for anybody but myself, I will remember your sacrifice and do everything in my power to let others know of it."

Cada Varl searched her eyes, he became burdened by many feelings, some of which he did not even know the name of.

"Thank you," was all he could get himself to say; Imbaka then smiled knowing she had comforted the Immortal.

Gently she removed her hand from his and said simply. "Good night, Cada Varl."

the Immortal did not answer right away he merely watched as she placed the maps back into her pack and laid onto the ground next to the fire.

"Good night," he said eventually. He watched her sleep for some time before he stood up and turned to face the Hegadakore. He knew he had to keep an eye out for enemies even though chances were slim of such an encounter.

The night before he had almost been like a child waiting for the night before their birthday to come to an end. Now Cada Varl felt more like a condemned man as he waited for the final hour to unfold. He could do nothing against the thoughts they played over and over again in his mind, so he let them be as he stood staring at the Hegadakore.

When Imbaka awoke that morning her eyes were glazed over, carrying within them a mixture of both weariness and fear.

Cada Varl noticed this immediately. "What troubles you?" he asked greatly concerned, it was the first time he had seen Imbaka looking tired.

Imbaka rubbed her eyes before she said, "My dreams were dark and constant as I slept."

"What did you dream of?" Cada Varl asked, concerned by her words.

Imbaka looked him in the eye as she said, "I only remember that they were dark and fearful, like my waking mind cannot comprehend what they showed me."

Cada Varl became silent, unsure of what he should say.

Not long after Imbaka was about to have a simple breakfast when Cada Varl suddenly insisted that she have a cook meal. Though unsure of why he wanted her to do so Imbaka forged a fire and cooked a hot meal. As she sat their waiting for it to be cooked she sensed that Cada Varl merely wanted to sit and stare at the fire alongside her. They had done this before many, many times but maybe Cada Varl believed the darkness of her dreams was some kind of Omen, that this was the last chance the two of them had to merely sit and stare at the flames of a roaring fire. In that time almost nothing was said and Imbaka ate her breakfast in silence before the two of them resumed their search for the underground chamber.

They passed through another valley, they were certain it did not hold what they were looking for. When they came to the next valley they could see that the snow had not fallen as heavily and pieces of Hegadakore could be seen within the ground. They had only taken a handful of steps into the valley when Cada Varl suddenly stopped, prompting Imbaka to do the same. She followed his gaze and looked upon a fairly large area of Hegadakore within the ground. What made it different than all the other pieces was the shadow of it that formed in the light of the sun was pointing towards the light, not away from it as it should have been doing. The shadow was an unnatural one, meaning only one thing that they were now insight of the underground chamber.

Cada Varl and Imbaka walked quickly over to it making sure that they did not step within the shadow. They looked down and in the eyes of Imbaka she could see nothing more than random edges and indents formed by nature. But to Cada Varl they were something else entirely. Carefully he ran his fingers over the indentations several times and soon Imbaka could envision a series of symbols in her mind.

"What does it mean?" she asked.

Cada Varl stopped tracing the symbols with his fingers as he said, "Only the gods know."

He then looked away from it into the eyes of Imbaka and his said bluntly, "This is the entrance to the underground chamber." Imbaka did not know what to say as a thousand thoughts rushed through her head. The end of this journey was now so near that even the air tasted different. Suddenly they both looked away from each other and towards the direction in which they had come, their eyes widened by concern and bewilderment.

### Chapter 21

Cada Varl stood up, his hand instinctually wrapping itself around the handle of his sword. Imbaka did the same as both of them searched the horizon for something. They were confused for they could feel something in the air, something that neither had felt before. Cada Varl did not possess a memory quite like it, but he could feel some kind of power in the air, the kind of power that made hands tremble and knees shake. It was reminiscent of the feeling a ghost was suppose to create when it walked through you, but much more intense and frightening. The feeling of impending doom was almost overwhelming, like some unseen thing was trying to warn them of what was approaching. Not even a million approaching werewolves from every side could create such a sensation. Both Imbaka and Cada Varl looked in every direction, looking for the source of such a sensation that made the very air itself tremble in fear. Their eyes were drawn back the way they had come and they both then knew it was from that direction it was approaching. They felt completely exposed and out in the open like the only prey trapped in a world of predators.

Without saying a word Cada Varl slowly began walking towards the sensation with Imbaka following close behind. As they reached the edge of the second valley the source of the sensation could be seen, it wasn't what they were expecting. It was a man or at the least something that looked like one. He wore simple clothes of brown, a peasant's uniform. He had dark brown hair that grew just below his ear brushed back with streaks of gray within it. But the gray was not from old age; it was from something that neither Cada Varl nor Imbaka recognized. But they did recognize the symbol upon an arm ban the man wore; it was the same symbol that Nara, Aneeku and the others had worn. His eyes were human in shape carrying within them an eerie calm amongst a bright yellow. His physical appearance was actually rather quite tame but the air around him told otherwise. The air was literally rushing in various directions as if confused about the energy that was coming off of him, which was a vague green in colour. He was the source of the dreaded sensation, possessing so much power that it could not be completely contained within him and he was looking directly at them. Even Gorgoza whose power had been considered secondary to only the gods was not surrounded by such a sensation. With each step he took the snow on the ground parted as if it too was terrified of him.

"Cada Varl," Imbaka said as she almost gasped on her words, the sensation in the air made her sick to her stomach, the power was that great. "Hurry and open the chamber, I will do what I can to hold him off...."

"No," Cada Varl replied with stronger words than she had ever heard him speak. Imbaka looked upon her companion with an expression that was the epitome of shock.

Slowly Cada Varl returned her gaze and said, "You will stand no chance against something like that, I cannot allow you to make such a sacrifice."

"Cada Varl," Imbaka said clearly as she was slightly offended by his words. "I will not break my Gyu with Granzool, not while there is something I can do to stop it."

Imbaka searched for the right words to respond with as Cada Varl slowly looked back to the approaching figure. "Someone will have to tell the stories of the sacrifices our companions made so that we could be standing here now." Like an arrow fired from some spectral assassin his words struck Imbaka. "I do not want the world to never know of their sacrifices," Cada Varl then looked Imbaka dead in the eye as he said, "You must survive so that such stories can be told." Imbaka gasped as powerful emotions took control of her.

Cada Varl looked back towards the approaching figure that seemed in no hurry to reach them. "Wait until I have him distracted," Cada Varl said before looking back at Imbaka. "If you can get a clean shot from here than take it." Imbaka looked into his eyes for a moment but was drawn to his hand as he tightened his grip upon its handle. She could see that the red remained on his hand and she remembered what Cada Varl had told her about his fight with Nara.

Cada Varl removed his sword taking one last look at his companion before he stared back at the figure and began walking down into the valley. Imbaka watched him go strangled into silence by her own emotions and thoughts. It truly rattled her right down to her very soul, the very real possibility that the figure was too powerful for even Cada Varl to defeat. But as he had asked of her she took her bow in hand and took position waiting for a potential moment.

As Cada Varl began to approach him the figure continued walking at a slow pace. It was only when the two of them were close enough for a conversation that the figure stopped his step. From such a close distance the sensation of power coming from the man could be felt tenfold and Cada Varl had to concentrate just to remain standing. The Immortal could see now just how gentle of a face the figure possessed with eyes that were too calm for such a situation. The two of them simply stared for a moment that was more intense and important than a thousand lifetime's worth of time.

"For 4200 years, rarely a day has gone by when I did not think about what I would say if I ever met you." the figure said in a voice that was polite and gentle yet did nothing to put Cada Varl's mind at ease. "I have always tried to remind myself that even though you are responsible for what I am, you had no power over such actions...still it is hard not to hate you Cada Varl." The figure then took a very long breath as if he was struggling to control something inside of him.

" What are you?" Cada Varl asked, ever since he had seen Aneeku transform he had been haunted by the reasons behind such a horrid transformation. He now had a chance for an explanation and even with every other matter of importance he could not miss his chance.

"My name is Gosfear," the figure replied. "Once upon a time I came from the country of Seit, have you ever heard of it?" To this Cada Varl merely shook his head. "Of course not," Gosfear said with hints of emotion in his voice. "Why would someone from Gatavoi know of a tiny country like Seit, even though our two countries were only separated by a few hundred miles." There was a hint of disdain in his voice but he remained calm and mellow. "I am another product of what occurred after you had lost your humanity." He paused for a moment knowing the gravity of his words.

"I once was a simple man who lived a simple life in a peaceful community known as Derac, it was a harmonious place where children were raised by everyone, it did not matter who gave birth to what child, for we all were the children of Derac. I spent my days planting crop and repairing houses. In the evenings I would mediate and find a peace that only can be known in one's soul...how I miss those days." Gosfear looked away from Cada Varl for a moment, the power of his own memories was too much for even him to take. As he looked back he said, "One day I was hunting in the nearby woods, it was my duty that month to ensure there was fresh meat for everyone's evening meal. I came across a wolf, something that was rare in Derac. Its eyes glowed red with hunger, the kind of hunger that could only be satisfied by the devouring of human flesh. I readied my bow and fired at the beast...it was the first time I ever missed."

He became silent once more as the ramifications of his failure echoed destructively throughout his soul. "The wolf took flesh from my arm, but I was able to fight it off well enough to survive its attack. At first I thought that I would by okay for the wound was nasty, but hardly life threatening. Then I could feel that something was wrong, my senses became twisted and a hunger that I had never felt before began to consume me, even my vision started to change and through my eyes the world transformed. I had no idea what was happening to me, so I mediated, remembering everything that I had be taught by elders of Derac. Though I was able to regain control of my emotions the world still looked the same, bleak and distant. Have you ever smelled a kuvu flower?" Slowly Cada Varl shook his head but chose to remain silent. "Then you have missed out on one of the most simple and beautiful wonders the world had to offer. After I got bit, even the smell of Kuvu flowers changed. No longer was the smell beautiful and invigorating, it was rotten and awful. The songs of birds that once were so charming became like the screams of the slaughtered, something I never wanted to hear again. When I had my emotions under control I returned to my community...to find it ravaged by unknown beasts...."

His eyes trembled, shuttering at the vileness of such a memory. "I saw blood and death everywhere I looked, people who I had known all my life had become torn apart pieces of flesh and blood. I could do nothing to stop the creatures, I was helpless to do anything but watch as they slaughtered my people. Perhaps they could smell the curse within me, but the creatures left me alone surrounded by the butchered bodies of family. My brother Hizon was barely alive as one of the beasts had decided his insides were something to be eaten. I tried to ask him about what had happened he only could say two words were wolf." Gosfear then could see the trouble in the eyes of the Immortal, he nodded before saying, "That is where the very word comes from, a bastardization of those two words, were wolf. After my brother had died in my arms I hurried as quickly as I could to Olo, the closest community, so I could warn them of the monsters. But I could not keep up with the monsters; they reached Olo long before I did. It was there that I first saw the transformation, a young man once handsome and full of life, twisted and corrupted into a vile beast. I continued to follow the monsters but I soon realized that I could do nothing to stop them. I had always been a peaceful man and I knew I would be of little use wielding a spear or a sword against them. So I did the only thing that I could. Whenever I came across someone who had been bitten, someone who had not yet transformed I tried to get them to mediate like I once had. Some were successful, but most could not stop the transformation.

Through my eyes I saw kingdoms once thought unconquerable crumble like sand against the spread of the monster's curse. I continued doing what I could to stop those who had been bitten from transforming. My efforts were not as successful as I had hoped but I gathered a following of men and women who managed to stop the curse from controlling them. Through the years as humans fled into the east my followers and I stayed behind, trying to help as many people as we could. But then their came a time when there was simply no one left to help.... We may have been able to stop the transformation, but we still were not human. I knew that we could never find acceptance in the east, the human rulers could never allow such a risk after finally finding safety.

As the werewolves ravaged the west my followers and I went north to the barren lands of Getuki. Each of us wanted more than anything to find a way to return to what we once were, to rid our bodies from the curse completely. We decided that because the mediation had helped in stopping the transformation that it somehow would be the key to a cure. To keep morale up and to give us an identity a man who was once a poet called Ebashu gave us the name Elde Ode, a phrase that meant 'the love of humanity'. Such a beautiful name in an otherwise ugly existence...Every day we mediated trying to find that lost humanity within ourselves, we even went as far as to drink and eat regularly, and we tried to go to sleep every night. Anything that might have reminded our bodies of what we once were. But the curse within all of us seemed to have its own mind, every time we came close to finding humanity again the curse would shift and change.

When Gorgoza rose out of the death inferno the west had become he unified the werewolves and gave them a sense of identity that was far more than a beastly existence of death and instinct. In his bid to reshape the west there was no place for the Elde Ode. He believed us to be a threat...something that could not be tolerated. When Gorgoza set about wiping us from the face of the continent many of my followers abandoned the cause, embracing the beasts Gorgoza wanted them to become. Many of us who refused were killed, forcing us who survived into hiding. From the very first day Gorgoza ordered the extermination of my followers I have hated him. I was of no threat, and neither were any of the Elde Ode, all we ever wanted was to become human again, to enjoy the smell of flowers and the sound of birds singing. But that was too much to ask of the monster king...."

Even in a voice as calm as Gosfear's his disgust for Gorgoza could be heard with each word he said. "Those of us who remained tried to stay strong moving from one hellish place to the next. Over the centuries I heard more and more superstitions created by some forgotten storytellers. Myths and legends about things that lurked in certain places like the Yonga Ponday. I used the news of these myths as best as I could, moving my followers into places that werewolves were afraid to venture. But even that was not enough to stop Gorgoza from pursuing us, even with all the usurpers that he had to deal with Gorgoza simply couldn't allow us to exist. More and more of us were hunted down and killed like some pests. Finally we went to the mountain of Xeunvoa a place considered cursed by the very gods themselves. By that time there were few of us still alive but we held onto the hope that one day we could reach our humanity again."

Cada Varl had listened well to the words of Gosfear and he was shaken by how much he felt when hearing them. Gosfear had wanted the exact same thing that Cada Varl always had, to become human once more. Cada Varl kept silent as Gosfear continued his tale, "We continued meditating, day and night for we had long abandoned trying to sleep...How I miss being able to dream...." Cada Varl knew the feeling. "As the centuries went on even more of us abandoned the cause, choosing to take their own lives over spending another day in such an existence. Those of us who remained were kept focused by two things, a desire to become human once again and our hatred for Gorgoza. I could see the hatred of my followers grow with each day that passed, I worried that I was going to lose them to either the curse or to suicide. So when I was not mediating I was thinking of ways to get revenge against the monster king, then one day a way for vengeance presented itself.

A way to mix molten silver and potions together to form a kind of poison that could kill any werewolf. All we needed was someone willing to betray their king...."

"Thark," Cada Varl said simply, being so drawn into Gosfear's story he had spoken instinctually. Gosfear now tilted his head bewildered by what the Immortal had said.

"The right hand of Gorgoza? I doubt that even Elfanya (the moon) would be able to convince Thark to betray the king he had served for so many centuries. No it was a captain known as Izar, a petty minded and weak individual who only served Gorgoza because he was too weak to take rule of anything himself. Gorgoza trusted Izar, although I am not sure why. In Seit the colours of black and blue were always considered the most mistrustful."

Upon hearing these words Cada Varl's mind rushed back to the day he saw Thark killing another werewolf, a werewolf who wore the colours of black and blue upon their armor.

"To ensure that we were not discovered to be the ones who had poisoned Gorgoza, Izar and I made a deal with Metamok. That he would take the blame for the assassination. Like all renegade warlords Metamok had been trying to take the throne for centuries, the lie that he was finally the one to kill Gorgoza was credibility that he could not pass up. Izar was to receive a high standing in Metamok's court after he had succeeded in claiming rule of the west. As for the Elde Ode and I Metamok agreed that he would not bring us any harm as long as we stayed out of the affairs of his kind. It was a fair and honest deal, but somehow when the assassination occurred, Thark discovered the truth of it all.

With the Maka Vaon at his side he traveled to Xeunvoa and attacked us...only a handful survived the onslaught. Those were some of the darkest days that I had ever been through. There was so few of us left, I tried to keep the others motivated by telling them that we had to continue, we had to find a way so that the deaths of all the other Elde Ode were not for nothing. While Thark set his sights upon tracking down Izar and the other soldiers we mediated night and day hoping for some miracle, which never came. The curse had grown too clever for mediation alone to handle, the curse had long since become something else."

"The thing that Aneeku transformed into?" Cada Varl asked, as his mind remained consumed by the words of Gosfear. Before he answered Gosfear gave a humorless smile, "Aneeku..." he said softly. " He was the exact opposite of me, he had no desire at all to become human, he loved the monster he had become and wanted nothing more than to return to what he called his true state. But no werewolf ruler would allow him to serve them for long. He came to us out of desperation; in spite of our differences I was eager to have him join us. He had survived without transforming in such a hostile world for so long, I considered him ideal to train us in combat while keeping the curse oppressed. He didn't care much for my teachings at all and was going to leave. I needed him far more than he needed me so in my desperation I told him of the power that could be achieved from prolonged time without transforming. The idea of getting even more powerful was what made him stay."

"You knew of such power?" Cada Varl asked not quite sure if he should believe Gosfear. Gosfear nodded, " It was one of the reasons why I wanted Aneeku to train those of us who were left, with each day that passes it becomes more difficult not to transform and when emotions get the better of you it is almost impossible. If we could defend ourselves without transforming then we stood a much better chance at not giving in to our emotions."

Gosfear smiled again but the sadness in his eyes revealed he felt no happiness.

"Emotion, the very foundation of humanity, the thing we wanted more than anything else, was our biggest obstacle to overcome. I first saw such powers thirty five hundred years ago." Gosfear looked away from the Immortal for a moment, his mind consumed by memory.

"Her name was Quarlin, she had been one of the first people I helped...She was so strong and helped so many in times of darkness. But when the troops of Gorgoza killed her son and brother, she could no longer control her emotions. She transformed into a wild beast, something that only vaguely resembled a werewolf, she became a mindless killer that I had little choice but to destroy...." As his eyes lowered Cada Varl then knew how much she must have meant to him. When Gosfear looked back into the eyes of the Immortal his vision remained mostly calm but there was a disturbing sense of anger that could not be ignored as well.

"So many people that I swore to help have died...."

Cada Varl kept silent for a long moment, feeling the weight of Gosfear's words, knowing that he was responsible for the deaths of millions over the last forty two hundred years.

"Is that why your followers came after me? As a way of getting some kind of vengeance for everything that has occurred because of me?" The Immortal said these words with a mixture of both regret and anger.

"Not vengeance," Gosfear replied after another moment of dreadful silence "As I said Cada Varl it was difficult not to hate you but you were not in control of what happened, you were only its cause."

"If you were not in the duty of any of the warlords and it was not from vengeance then why did your people come after me?" Now his voice was full of anger as his eyes glowed brightly for a single second before returning to normal.

Gosfear saw the light in his eyes but remained calm as he replied, "For the exact same reason I have done almost everything I have since the day the curse tried to claim me. A chance to regain my humanity."

The eyes of Cada Varl widened, he was cautious and yet powerfully curious at the same time. "What chance? Do you know of a way to somehow become human again?" His voice was now a mixture of both desperation and darkness as what he had always wanted now seemed a possibility.

"Perhaps," Gosfear said, "It is a chance, that is all...I am not even sure of how it is suppose to work, let alone if it will or not...." His words greatly frustrated Cada Varl but before the Immortal could speak Gosfear seemed to understand what he was feeling and spoke once more. "Before you returned to the west, there were only 6 of us left including Aneeku. 6 souls, only five of whom wanted to become human again. Thousands of years living in torment with no end to it in sight. The word desperation doesn't even begin to describe what we were feeling. How lost we had become. How long could the 6 of us really survive for? There was no guarantee that Metamok would have kept his word, especially when Thark discovered who was actually responsible for the death of Gorgoza. My hair was once nothing but brown, these streaks of gray are not the result of my many years...." Cada Varl glanced towards the gray in his hair, it indeed resembled werewolf fur. Gosfear glanced down to his own hand watching the green tinged air hurry confusingly around it. "Time was growing short and we were willing to try anything that would even give us the slightest chance to regain how humanity, even if that meant facing you...." His voice now was ripe with emotions, each more powerful than the next as he said, " Solloc, Yorow, Nara, Killeen and even Aneeku attacked you because of one final hope, that your blood could be used to somehow destroy the curse and give us back our humanity...."

The rage in his eyes subsided like the eerie calm that falls after a tornado has swept through the lands. "I am the last of the Elde Ode, the last one who carries the hope to become human again...."

"You are not the only one that wants such a thing," Cada Varl said softly yet his words seemed incredibly powerful.

"They're all gone," Gosfear said coldly about this dreaded fact. "Each and every one of my friends are gone...." His eyes hollowed becoming empty of all emotion except sadness.

"You are not the only one who has lost his friends!" Cada Varl declared, as anger became the strongest part of him. Gosfear looked down upon the sword in the hands of the Immortal and noticed how tightly he was gripping his weapon.

"Then it is agreed," Gosfear said as he looked back into the eyes of the Immortal, "We both now have a proper reason to hate one another."

When a wind more powerful and violent than any the Immortal had felt before began to blow towards him he knew Gosfear was done with words. Cada Varl held his sword tightly bracing himself to stand against the overwhelming power of his enemy. With an eerily calm expression Gosfear raised his left hand towards the Immortal with his three middle fingers pointed towards him. A second later and an emerald light formed on Gosfear's three finger tips before striking out in a great tunnel of destruction. The energy moved faster than lightning with the accuracy of an arrow directly towards Cada Varl. The Immortal did the only thing that he could, he raised his sword to intercept the straight stream of energy. It collided into his blade with ungodly force, instantly dragging him back across the ground as his arms trembled under the strain of the energy. It soon became too much for him to stand against and his feet gave out from under him causing the Immortal to fall onto the ground violently. The stream of energy continued onwards until it struck the side of the valley, where it caused rocks and earth to disintegrate like flash paper. Cada Varl did not have to look back to know the damage the blast had caused, he quickly leapt to his feet his mind and heart racing over what had just happened.

He had seen Nara and Aneeku use similar attacks, but only when they had transformed. Gosfear had performed the blast as if it took no more effort than raising one's hand. Cada Varl stared into the eyes of his enemy, but could not tell what Gosfear was thinking. When the emerald light began to appear again however Cada Varl knew he could not simply stand there. A second stream of energy, identical to the first was fired at Cada Varl who carried enough sense to change his direction as he leapt forward towards his enemy. Though the stream of energy did not strike him he could still feel it as it rushed through the air, seemingly obliterating every element the air had to offer in the process. Cada Varl could hear a noise that made thunder sound like a whisper behind him as the second blast exploded through the valley wall. Gosfear launched a third stream that Cada Varl dodged as he continued leaping towards his enemy. Gosfear met his gaze with onetime as if the Immortal was of no threat of consequence to his existence. Such a look haunted Cada Varl for he knew as soon as he had spoken that there was not a trace of arrogance within Gosfear.

As the light faded from the fingertips of Gosfear, Cada Varl reached him slashing his sword down in what should have been a tremendous attack. But in response Gosfear simply raised his right hand and grasped his fingers around the blade like it was no more lethal than a child's toy. Cada Varl openly gasped at this sight of a werewolf stopping a silver sword so easily. When Gosfear rose his left hand and began to summon the emerald light again. Cada Varl did not even have time to struggle free, instead he violently jerked his head out of the way of the stream of destruction. The Immortal tried to force his weapon free but Gosfear's grip seemed like an unbreakable vice. Gosfear moved his hand slightly and began to summon the light again when the Immortal stomped his foot into the right knee of Gosfear. Though he did not buckle it was enough to loosen his grip enough for Cada Varl to pull his weapon free and leap back. Cada Varl had just enough time to raise his weapon before the stream of emerald light was upon him. Still in the air Cada Varl could do little against the energy save for keeping it at bay as he moved quickly through the air. Before the stream had even faded Gosfear leapt forward moving through the air like he had the power to disobey gravity entirely. Cada Varl saw him coming and tried to stop him by slashing his sword across and before him. Gosfear met the blade head on, using only his bare fist, he smashed his hand into the blade, causing air to rush like hurricane wind from the combatants.

Fist and sword disengaged as Cada Varl touched back onto the ground with Gosfear following him. Gosfear drove his other fist forward where Cada Varl blocked it with his sword. The Immortal pushed the hand of Gosfear away before swiping his sword across the air one more time. In response Gosfear grabbed onto the sword with his right hand before thrusting his left forward, summoning the emerald light in the process. Cada Varl's instincts took over, they had to if he was going to survive the next several seconds. He let go of his sword with his right hand and threw his own body sideways avoiding the powerful stream. Immediately after the blast was out of his way he drove his fist into the side of Gosfear's face, Gosfear did not so much as flinch. Gosfear then slammed his own fist into the chest of the Immortal, striking him with strength more devastating than the Immortal had ever felt before. Forced to step back Cada Varl could feel pain surge all throughout him as Gosfear stepped towards him attempting to strike his face. Cada Varl jerked his head to avoid the punch before he swung his sword dead vertically.

Gosfear merely had to arch his back to avoid the strike but it did put more distance between the two of them. Cada Varl went on the offensive bringing his sword forward in a great swinging arc. Gosfear with disturbing ease avoided the blade by ducking under it and summoning the emerald light back to his three middle fingertips. The two combatants stared into each other's eyes for a split second before Gosfear stood up in between the Immortal and his sword driving his hand up and unleashing the stream of energy straight up into the air. Cada Varl jerked his head back avoiding the blast by mere millimeters. He could feel the tremendous power of the blast upon his face as he watched, as in a second it ascended into the sky and literally destroyed a group of clouds.

Cada Varl leapt back knowing that Gosfear would follow him. Gosfear brought his left hand back and began to summon the light again as Cada Varl lunged forward hammering his weapon down. At a time too close to be differentiated Cada Varl finished his sword strike and Gosfear unleashed the energy once again. Both combatants avoided one another's attacks by jerking their heads sideways. Though neither had found their mark it was dreadfully obvious which attack was the more powerful of the two. Both leapt back but neither had any intention of taking a break. In this instance Cada Varl was slightly faster on his feet rushing forward with his sword raised. He swung it down only for Gosfear to turn his body, easily avoiding it completely. In that second Cada Varl's vision was drawn to the light of Gosfear's finger tips as he raised his hand and unleashed another stream of energy. Cada Varl ducked the attack, seeing the glow of the energy in the corners of his vision.

As he stood up to full stature he stepped forward bringing his sword up in a powerful strike. Gosfear stepped back to avoid this strike and blocked a secondary one with his bare forearm. Gosfear took not a split second to admire his own strength; he bought his other hand as a fist straight into the face of the Immortal. Cada Varl was thrown off of his feet as his vision blackened for a long moment after the impact. Before Cada Varl could recover Gosfear stepped forward and brought his other fist into the torso of his enemy. Cada Varl actively could hear bones breaking inside of his chest; it was a painful thing to endure as blood spewed forth from the corner of his mouth. The Immortal could do nothing as Gosfear struck him a third time across the other side of his face. If through nothing more than sheer determination Cada Varl regained himself before Gosfear could strike him for a fourth time. Cada Varl pushed off his left foot barging all of his body weight into Gosfear. Though this did nothing to move his enemy Cada Varl exploited the momentum of his own body, turning so skillfully that he was now standing behind Gosfear.

The movement had been done with such quickness that even a lightning bolt would be envious. Cada Varl hammered his weapon down, hoping to catch Gosfear off guard, but it was an unrealistic hope. Gosfear half turned bringing his forearm up and stopping the blade instantly upon contact. Gosfear then brought his left hand up summoning the emerald energy once more. Cada Varl barely was able to lower his weapon enough so that it intercepted the emerald energy. Again Cada Varl was forced back, helpless to stop his own movements. He did manage however to redirect the energy just enough so that he could turn his body and leap well out of its path.

Before he had even looked back to his enemy Gosfear had summoned another energy stream. Cada Varl managed to avoid this one as well but only barely. Cada Varl had only taken a single step forward when Gosfear leapt up straight into the air. The Immortal stopped his steps immediately, almost terrified by what Gosfear possibly could have planned. Cada Varl kept his sword raised, his grasp tight as Gosfear now seemed almost floating high above him. Gosfear raised his three middle fingers once more and unleashed yet another stream of energy, although this time he did separate his fingers from one another at the last moment. Cada Varl quickly changed his stance and turned his sword slightly, as he wanted to block the stream. Just before the energy would've struck his head, it split in two, missing the blade and moving around either side of Cada Varl.

It had all happened so fast Cada Varl barely turned his head in time to see what was happening. The two streams had suddenly turned inward becoming whole again as it moved towards him. Cada Varl leapt back bringing his sword before him, but the stream was moving so fast that his blade did not meet it front on but only partially. As he was thrown back through the air the stream redirected off of the blade and just above his right shoulder. The attack was so close that the energy caused the material of his clothing upon his shoulder to burn away into nothingness revealing his bare skin and black scars. Cada Varl could feel shock consume him as it took a moment for him to understand that he had not been wounded by the attack.

The light of the stream faded and Cada Varl's eyes were drawn upwards as Gosfear came back down to the earth with the speed and destructiveness of a meteor. Thinking quickly Cada Varl avoided the foot of his enemy as they both landed with Gosfear standing over him. The ground could not withstand the force of his power, breaking and smashing apart like clay. Cada Varl, still on his back tried to bring his weapon across the face of his enemy. Gosfear without even taking his eyes off the Immortal grasped onto the enemy sword, at the same time he knelt over Cada Varl and struck his feet down. Cada Varl jerked his head so violently it was amazing that his neck did not snap as he avoided the strike. Again the earth had to suffer Gosfear's power and it broke apart easily. As Gosfear went for another downward punch Cada Varl brought both of his feet up into Gosfear's back as hard as he could. It did not seem that the kicks brought him any pain but they were strong enough to force Gosfear forward over the body of Cada Varl.

Quickly the Immortal tried to get to his feet turning in time to see that Gosfear was already upon him. With his hands clasped together in a prayer of battle Gosfear drove his fists into the side of Cada Varl's face. The attack was viscous and forced the Immortal from his feet and through the air. Gosfear turned slightly in the direction of the now thrown immortal; he raised his fingers and unleashed another emerald stream. Cada Varl did the only thing he could, something that a normal human would find nearly impossible. As the stream came towards him he contorted his body ensuring that the energy did not strike him. He could feel the material of his clothes upon his other shoulder deteriorate and the power of the stream upon his face.

When the light of the stream faded from view he could see Gosfear leaping towards him, his fist ready to deliver another powerful blow. Cada Varl was able to place his feet onto the ground and bring his weapon up in time before Gosfear had reached him. Gosfear brought his hand forward changing from a fist to an open palm and he grasped onto the sword of his enemy. Instantly Gosfear brought his leg up striking the Immortal in the stomach with the power of a war hammer. Cada Varl was forced to lean forward as Gosfear stepped and turned driving his other arm into the back of the Immortal. Cada Varl struck the ground with more than enough force to crack it in several places. As Gosfear literally kicked Cada Varl up and through the air Cada Varl's face was drenched in blood from a wound that he suffered between his eyes and across his nose. Cada Varl now saw the world through eyes tainted by his own blood, the smell of which was nauseating.

Gosfear did not admire the blood of his enemy; he leapt forward intending to end this battle as soon as possible. While still moving through the air Cada Varl was able to block the thrusting strike of Gosfear with his sword. It caused him to move even faster through the air backwards. As he landed he tried to mount a counterattack but Gosfear was already upon him. Gosfear unleashed another stream of energy that was so close to striking the Immortal that it quite literally evaporated the blood upon his face. Cada Varl blocked another strike of Gosfear's but could do little else. Now using both fists Gosfear unleashed an array of strikes, both fast and slow, both high and low. Cada Varl met each strike head on with as much strength as he could muster, smashing his sword into the fists of his enemy. He could literally hear the air around him make sounds it was not suppose to make as it was confused by the energy Gosfear was placing through it. Cada Varl was horribly aware of just how much trouble he was in, Gosfear was unlike anything he had ever faced before.

As Cada Varl struggled more to block each strike he seriously questioned if even Gorgoza had possessed such power and strength in his lifetime. Cada Varl was hurt and bleeding while Gosfear wasn't even breathing heavily. All the strength and skill Cada Varl possessed in his current form would not be enough to gain victory. Gosfear was simply too strong and too powerful to be stopped so easily. Cada Varl chanced a look downward upon his own hand and saw the red that had consumed the back of one of them. It was a mark of the power he had used to defeat Nara and Aneeku, _but at what cost?_ During his fight with Nara he had lost all memory of humanity. He knew if he called upon this power again he would forget again. He had needed the power for far longer than a few moments to defeat Nara. _How long would he need it for to defeat Gosfear?_ Gosfear hadn't even transformed and yet he was stronger than Aneeku and Nara combined. Then a thought as dark as any appeared in the mind of Cada Varl. ' _What if Gosfear does transform?_ ' that kind of power was sickening to think about and almost too much to even comprehend.

With this knowledge Cada Varl was left with no other option but to call upon the ancient power. He may have feared what it could turn him into, but if he were defeated than all that he and the Helluvans had been through would have been for nothing. He had to wait for the right moment to try to call upon it, for all he knew Gosfear might have been able to withstand the heat and power it produced. Cada Varl saw his chance for a quick strike, he swung his sword forward and Gosfear easily avoided it. It did not matter though; Cada Varl did not believe it would have actually made contact. Cada Varl swung his sword again this time horizontally where Gosfear brought up the bottom of his foot to meet it. Using the momentum of the swinging blade Gosfear pushed himself back and away from Cada Varl.

Now was the Immortal's chance and he did not waste it. He called upon the red light and just like it had done the last time it caused the air to shift and twist around him. Unlike the previous time however the energy was summoned far quicker, if the red light had outlined his body any faster than it would have been instantaneous. The snow by his feet and around him quickly melted under the pressure of his power, turning into water before evaporating entirely. The red light filled his eyes for only a single flash, but it was an intense moment.

Cada Varl rushed forward moving at a considerably faster pace. Gosfear raised an opened hand to block the blade but his eyes widened in awe of how much stronger Cada Varl had become. Gosfear kept his hand grasped around the sword as he brought his other fist through the air. Cada Varl quickly grasped his own hand over it preventing the punch from striking his face. He had struggled greatly to stop the punch but the point of the matter was he had stopped it. The energy around Cada Varl began to intensify as it began to grow upon the ground before him. Not knowing what this new power was Gosfear voluntarily leapt back. As he landed Cada Varl dipped his sword into the energy before him, through his sword he took control of it as he raised his blade and then swung it down creating a wave of the energy that rushed directly towards Gosfear. In spite of how the oncoming energy evaporated the snow Gosfear showed little sign of panic as he raised his hand and summoned the emerald energy around his fist. As the red wave fell upon him Gosfear slammed his fist into it soon facing it away from him and off of the ground where it hurriedly sliced through both the snow and air, smashing into a wall of the valley. The damage it produced was severe but nothing compared to the power of Gosfear's energy strikes. Gosfear unleashed another stream of energy as if curious as to what Cada Varl would do in response.

Increasing the output of red energy Cada Varl summoned it around him and then absorbed it into his sword as the emerald stream came towards him. He hammered his sword down upon the energy where only after a brief struggle he redirected the blast away from him. Gosfear summoned the emerald energy around the fist of his left hand but in place of launching it he kept it there as he lunged forward. Cada Varl did the same meeting the fist of his enemy with his sword. This time when the two met the air seemed to disintegrate around them. The impact caused a sound no human had ever heard before. The sword of the Immortal was pushed back but he was able to remain standing with a strong grip upon his weapon. Before Cada Varl could summon more energy Gosfear increased the emerald power around his hand, completely incasing it inside a sphere of power. Cada Varl leapt back and summoned the red light before him in preparation for unleashing another wave of energy.

As he did so Gosfear launched another stream of energy, more powerful than any of his previous attempts. Cada Varl swung his blade commanding the wave of energy forward as the emerald stream came towards him. When the red and emerald met it was obvious which was more powerful. The emerald cut through the wave like it was nothing, rushing towards where Cada Varl stood. Calling upon the energy from somewhere deep inside of him he struck the emerald stream with as much power as he could muster. He was forced back but it was hardly a lopsided conflict. He had only been forced back several feet before he was able to push the stream away from him moving so fast it was difficult to see his actions with the naked eye. While the stream was still projecting from Gosfear's hand Cada Varl rushed upon him from the right. Gosfear saw the Immortal coming, breaking free of his own energy attack he turned and raised his forearm to meet the blade. Gosfear blocked the attack but it was clear that it was a painful maneuver. Gosfear pushed Cada Varl back before striking his other fist forward attempting to shatter the jaw of his enemy. Cada Varl brought his blade up and blocked the fist of Gosfear before stepping back and lunging forward. He brought his weapon across in a powerful arc before him seemingly cutting the air into the pieces. Gosfear blocked the sword with the back of his hand quickly summoning more emerald energy to help deal with the increase in enemy power.

The two combatants then went back and forth blocking and striking, attacking and counterattacking in an awesome fury of power, skill and speed. Gosfear was still the stronger of the two but the gap between their powers seemed to be closing rapidly. Wanting to break away from his enemy Cada Varl began running in a hurried side step with Gosfear keeping up with his every movement. The human eye could not fully comprehend their movements, appearing almost as a blur as Cada Varl and Gosfear tried to kill one another. As they ran their eyes locked onto one another's' and Gosfear could see that the red light was now flashing in the eyes of Cada Varl. It was not fear in Gosfear's eyes but rather awareness that Cada Varl was becoming stronger and faster with each passing second.

The running engagement came to an end when Gosfear managed to deliver a powerful fist to the jaw of Cada Varl. The attack was enough to force Cada Varl off of his feet but he quickly recovered before Gosfear could do anything. Now Cada Varl was making noises, noises that humans simply couldn't make. He was grunting and growling like some kind of creature as Gosfear launched another stream of emerald energy towards him. This time the eyes of Cada Varl glowed red and the look upon his face was one of a dark eagerness.

When he struck the stream of energy with his sword this time he did not move so much as an inch. After two long moments he forced the energy into the sky where it ascended and devoured more clouds in the wake of its explosion. Cada Varl screamed like some ancient thing had possessed him as the red light sprang up from the ground all around him. Gosfear watched on with cautious eyes as the red around him broke into four pillars of energy that seemed to touch the surface of the sky. Before Gosfear could do anything else one of the pillars came crashing down towards him like a mountain suddenly falling after a million years of existence. It would be difficult for even the most skilled of beings to avoid the falling pillar but Gosfear did it easily. He leapt back out of its path and it decimated the area where it fell. Snow evaporated instantly and the ground was left a charred black, like an inferno had been raging across it for centuries. Gosfear had little time to do anything for the second and third pillar then fell towards him in quick succession. Though he dodged both of them he could feel their intensity upon his skin causing him to narrow his eyes to deal with the pressure he felt. With the ground around him charred and in ruin Gosfear looked towards his enemy as the fourth and last pillar came falling towards him.

It was moving much faster than its three predecessors as if angered by its brethren's failure. Gosfear thought better than to try and block it so he hurriedly leapt to the right where he avoided its destruction completely. Before the light of destruction the red pillar had caused had disappeared Gosfear launched another emerald strike trying to catch his enemy off guard. Cada Varl not only saw the attack coming but an inhuman smile was now upon his face. He dodged the stream of energy completely and lunged towards his enemy. He moved so quickly that Gosfear was only able to raise his forearm and block the strike at the last moment possible. As the blade and flesh met blood exploded into the air as the blade sank to the bone. The look that could now be seen in the eyes of Gosfear was more shock than pain even though it must have been a painful thing to endure. That inhuman smile returned to the face of the Immortal as he pulled his sword from Gosfear's flesh and unleashed a furious series of strikes and stabs.

Gosfear dodged these attacks so quickly that there appeared to be four of him at one time as he hurriedly rushed backwards to deal with such an onslaught. The eyes of Cada Varl were fully consumed by red now; any trace of what he once was could no longer be seen within the red. Gosfear could feel it in the air as Cada Varl's power continued to grow and grow. Gosfear still seemed the stronger and more skilled but even he had to wonder for how much longer that would be.

As Gosfear dodged the attacks he kept his eyes upon those of the Immortal's, there was a look of both concern and bewilderment in his eyes. Cada Varl no longer seemed the calm and collected warrior but a beast inside the shell of a man as he continued striking and stabbing his sword in ways and directions that did not seem possible. Gosfear proved he still had some control over the course of the battle when he lowered his hands all the while dodging the enemy attacks. The emerald light now covered both of his hands as he instantly rushed them forward like he was clapping. The sudden movement caused a great sphere of powerful energy to appear before him. But as fast as Gosfear was Cada Varl easily leapt high into the air, avoiding the blast entirely. Gosfear almost snapped his head up; he looked that quickly as Cada Varl intensified the red light around him before summoning it in a wave through his sword.

Gosfear leapt up over the red wave summoning the emerald energy upon the middle fingers of both of his hands. As the red wave passed under him he fired a blast from his right hand in a counterattack. Cada Varl twisted his body avoiding the first blast as Gosfear suddenly fired a secondary one. Using both hands upon his sword Cada Varl smashed it into the second emerald beam causing it to deflect away from him. Gosfear took his chance and flew forward smashing his fist into the side of Cada Varl's face. The impact of the fist caused the air around them to shudder as if terrified of the power Gosfear possessed. Cada Varl however barely flinched; as blood began to trickle from his mouth he swung his sword down instantly summoning another wave of energy that concealed Gosfear from sight.

Cada Varl watched with a twisted smile that was not his own as the red wave crashed through the air and onto the ground. In a moment it had disappeared after turning the ground a scorched black. Incredibly Gosfear had managed to cross his arms in front of him stopping the wave from killing him. However he was not completely unscathed, steam rose from various parts of his body as the wound upon his arm was now sealed from the intensity of the red wave. The simple shirt he was wearing now had completely been burned away leaving him with a bare chest and slovenly in appearance. As close as the attack had come to destroying him Gosfear kept calm as he looked upon the Immortal who continued snarling and growling like some kind of creature.

Cada Varl leapt back down towards Gosfear summoning another wave of energy as he did so. Gosfear leapt to the side in order to avoid the wave while opening his right hand towards the sky. Cada Varl snarled almost like he was being strangled by something as he hammered his weapon down. Gosfear avoided the attack as the emerald light appeared now in the palm of his hand. He kept eye contact with the maddening Cada Varl who was now drooling from the mouth. As the emerald light in his hand slowly began to intensify Gosfear avoided another red wave. Cada Varl's aggression seemingly was increasing two fold with each moment that passed. He was also getting stronger as the energy inside of him began to take control. Gosfear continued to dodge wave after wave of red destruction as Cada Varl now seemed to be able to summon them effortlessly. As the ground and valley walls suffered the full wrath of these waves Gosfear noticed that the red flesh that had once been only on Cada Varl's hand now covered his entire forearm. He was becoming something that not even the likes of Gosfear had ever seen before.

As Cada Varl continued his onslaught of pure aggression the light in Gosfear's hand became a sphere, one that burned so brightly it was like he had stolen it from the very sun and had coloured it to his liking. As Shadows appeared on his face Gosfear's yellow eyes seemed to indeed burn with the intensity of the sun. Gosfear dodged one more swing of his enemy's sword before he thrust the sphere forward. At the exact same time Cada Varl summoned another wave, this one far more powerful than any he had summoned before. The heat and intensity of this summoned wave was so great that it burned what remained of his cloak and most of shirt. The red wave was almost twice as large as its predecessors before it collided into the emerald sphere.

Upon impact the emerald sphere seemed to absorb the wave growing many times its size in a matter of seconds. The light and power of this amalgamation was so great that Gosfear and Cada Varl could no longer see one another as the sphere grew enormous.

A second of silence whose source was not known then fell across the landscape before the sphere, powered by the wave, exploded, covering everything in its light. The blast it caused was greater than anything the two enemy's had conjured on their own devouring the entire valley in its wake. Mother Nature could do nothing to stop the explosion as its power seemed to light up the entire sky as well.

When the light of the explosion cleared its full destructiveness could be seen. The valley that was once covered by snow and rock was now completely black, filling the air with a dreadful smell of oblivion. Amazingly Gosfear still stood, with wounds ranging from cuts to gashes across his arms, chest and legs. Though his cheeks were now covered by ash his face remained uncut. He breathed heavily as his body worked overtime to rid itself of the shock and awe it had just been put through. He looked across the valley before him but he could see no sign of Cada Varl.

The disappearance of his enemy did not bring relief to his expression but rather concern. Gosfear was not an arrogant fellow, if he survived the blast than he was sure his enemy had. He even looked towards the sky to see if Cada Varl had not somehow leapt high enough to avoid the god-awful blast. But the Immortal was simply nowhere to be seen in front or above Gosfear. Gosfear took control of his breathing, expecting that silence would replace such a sound. But another sound took its place, one that was awful to hear and coming from right behind him. He turned and raised his arm, summoning the emerald energy to cover it as Cada Varl brought his weapon down in an attack. As their eyes met Gosfear could see that Cada Varl had not escaped unscathed, he was now completely shirtless revealing a torso of fine toned muscle tainted by black scars. Blood from many wounds oozed across many parts of his body. Not only did the Immortal not seem to care about these wounds but also he seemed to be enjoying the pain they were giving him. Cada Varl chuckled a laugh that even made Gosfear want to cover his ears, it was that ungodly.

As Cada Varl pulled his weapon away Gosfear fired another stream of energy from his hand. In his haste his aim was slightly off and the stream of energy passed Cada Varl's head, but not before it disintegrated some of the hair that grew on the right side of his scalp. Cada Varl stopped chuckling and returned to growling and snarling like no other creature that had ever walked on the earth.

The two enemies both unleashed a melee of punches and strikes upon one another, Cada Varl's strength and speed now seemed to match Gosfear's exactly. But Cada Varl no longer seemed to be fighting with an active mind, every tangible thought had fled his mind and what remained was purely fighting on instinct. In order to block every blow of his enemy Gosfear had to step back each time their chosen weapons met. Now Gosfear was fighting with gritted teeth, as his power was no longer obviously greater. Gosfear became possessed by the red of Cada Varl's eyes; there was only anger in them, the kind of anger that could change the world if used correctly.

As Gosfear continued to avoid and block the attacks of Cada Varl he soon noticed a pattern in his strikes and began to study them closely. When the time was right he successfully brought his foot up into the chest of Cada Varl causing the Immortal to fall backwards and bounce off of the ground several times. Immediately after the final bounce Cada Varl leapt forward and resumed his attack as if the kick had not affected him at all. Now Gosfear openly gasped, bewildered that his kick had had so little effect on his opponent. Gosfear was struggling now to avoid the Immortal's attacks; he didn't dare to try to block them. He followed the pattern of attacks his enemy was using against him delivering another kick to the chest. Again Cada Varl fell back and bounced several times before instantly returning to his onslaught. Now only avoiding the Immortal's sword by mere inches Gosfear began summoning the emerald light onto both of his hands. He watched the attacks of his enemy more closely than anyone had every watched anything before him. He knew that at this rate Cada Varl's speed would become too much even for him to overcome, he had to make his next attack count.

With as much strength as he could muster he kicked Cada Varl once again, this time instead of bouncing across the ground he was merely thrown back. Seeing his chance to potentially finish his enemy off Gosfear put his wrists together as the light in both of his hands fused into a sphere, in what surely would have been a tremendously powerful attack. But as quick as he was Cada Varl was even quicker, in a shard of a moment he raised his sword arm and the red completely consumed the limb's flesh. He summoned another wave around his sword and hammered his weapon down.

The attack caused the ground to open before him, like the effect of an earthquake. The red wave of energy fell upon the left shoulder of Gosfear before vanishing as quickly as it had been summoned. The emerald light that was in his hands now vanished as Gosfear looked towards a horizon that only he could see. Time seemed frozen in that moment, like existence itself needed time to fully comprehend what had just happened. Gosfear then gasped, it was a horrid sound to hear as a massive cut exploded across his left shoulder and down his chest. As Gosfear felt his own blood dripping across him he fell to one knee and looked towards Cada Varl.

The Immortal was staring back and making strange sounds that were a mixture of gasping and panting. Gosfear began blinking his eyes rapidly like he was sure that he was stuck in a nightmare that he could not awaken from. Cada Varl had moved so quickly that not even Gosfear had seen his movements, but the blood and the pain he was feeling was enough to tell him that this was bitter reality. Gosfear now had a look in his eyes that could often be seen in the eyes of those who are moments away from death. It was the look of someone racing through their memories trying to discover where they had gone wrong in their life and what they could have done to prevent their death.

After a terrible moment the look in his eyes changed, now resembling the same look that both Nara and Aneeku had possessed before they transformed. The air who had once felt obliterated by the combined blast now sprang to life once again, rushing in all directions away from Gosfear. Even the very sky that had become cloudless seemed to tremble at the idea of Gosfear transforming. Then the wind suddenly stopped, becoming as still as death as Gosfear began to breathe loudly. The look in his eyes also vanished replaced by something that only Gosfear himself could truly describe. He stared into the glowing eyes of Cada Varl for a moment before he said through heavy breaths.

"The love of who I was once will always outweigh the hatred of what I have become."

As soon as Gosfear had spoken these words Cada Varl stopped panting and for the first time in a long time seemed to have actually heard what Gosfear had said. The red light around him vanished as the glow in his eyes slowly faded, returning to what they once were. Cada Varl now looked into the eyes of Gosfear with his true vision. The words of his enemy had brought him back from possession. Neither man said anything and for two beings who had only recently met, they both shared many lifetimes of history, the cause and the effect of one another.

Eventually Gosfear stopped breathing, becoming silent, but it was a peaceful silence as his eyes changed once again to the eyes of a human being as he fell face first onto the scarred ground. Cada Varl took a step towards him, his mind torn apart by powerful emotions. He stood over the body of Gosfear and in that moment he could not help but greatly admire him. Even to save his own existence Gosfear had refused to become a monster, a feat greater than anything Cada Varl believed he could accomplish. As the strange light left the body of Gosfear Cada Varl raised his head and watched as the light consumed the sky.

"I am sorry Gosfear," Cada Varl said quietly. Cada Varl watched as the light faded from the sky returning it to what it once was. Troubled by Gosfear's life and death but relieved the battle was now over Cada Varl turned as his mind focused on Imbaka.

Now seeing the destruction his battle had caused within the valley a dark thought entered his mind, _had Imbaka been caught in the path of destruction?_ His mind now raced as he looked in every direction and yet he could see no sign of her. Then his attention was drawn to the sound of a woman screaming.

### Chapter 22

There was no doubting who had made the scream and as Cada Varl rushed to reach the next valley the only thing he could think of was _'What could make an Helluvan scream?'_ It was a wretched sound, the emphasis and meaning of pain and horror.

Instantly as he came over the slope his eyes were drawn to the valley down below. The masked figure that the group had seen just beyond the Garden of the Gods was standing with his hand around the throat of Imbaka, holding her like she was some rodent who had dared entered his house. Cada Varl glanced to Imbaka whose feet were not touching the ground as her eyes seemed hollowed and unaware. Rage and reason worked hand in hand as Cada Varl raced down the slope screaming as loudly as his powerful lungs could produce. He moved quickly with eyes now glowing red as the masked figure slowly looked upon him. The masked figure seemed entirely non-phased by the presence of the Immortal as if he was nothing to be worried about.

As Cada Varl reached him, his sword ready to strike, the masked figure brought his left foot up into the torso of Cada Varl. The blow was as powerful as it was swift sending Cada Varl through the air like he was nothing more than a pebble. Cada Varl's body literally smashed into the wall of the valley and instantly the earth and rock gave way under the pressure it had been struck by. In an instant Cada Varl was swallowed up as the rock and earth collapsed upon him. Cada Varl could feel the air rush from his body as his mind tried to comprehend what had just happened to him. He could see nothing but a black brought on by the collapse of the valley wall. He was in great pain but that was irrelevant, he couldn't lie there covered in ruin.

With the aid of the ancient power within him he forced himself to his feet, sending rocks and boulder size pieces of the earth into the air around him. His eyes were drawn back to where he had last seen the masked figure but he was no longer in sight. Cada Varl could see that the underground chamber had been opened, opening the doorway to the darkest of possibilities. But in that moment Cada Varl could have cared less for he could also see Imbaka lying on the ground and deathly still.

The anger Cada Varl had felt quickly evaporated like a raindrop against the wrath of an inferno. He hurried to be at Imbaka's side but he knew from the mass of blood all around her what had happened. He could see that her insides had been ravaged, pulled out in some horrible display for the entire world to be disturbed by. He knew even before he looked into her eyes that she was dead. Slowly he knelt by her side, an instinctual action as he peered into her eyes. All the strength, power and heart he had always admired about her was now gone, nothing but emptiness remained. Even the autumn brown of her eyes had faded like a beautiful portrait that had decayed over time. The glow of his eyes had long since gone replaced by a look of tremendous sadness mixed with shock. A tear as black as black itself fell from his eyes landing on the ground and forever staining it. Cada Varl paid no attention to the tear in spite of the truth it had been the first he had shed in over 4200 years.

Slowly he reached his hand out with great reluctance as if his vision and sense of smell had suffered enough to know Imbaka was dead without this third sense knowing such knowledge. He was reaching for the organs that had been spilled out, even though there was nothing he could to fix them. Seemingly he realized this and gently raised his hand to close her eyes. She looked far from peaceful with so much blood around her but Cada Varl did his best to simply focus on her face. He realized just how beautiful she was and just how much she had meant to him. He looked away from her but not towards the opened chamber, his eyes were drawn to the pack she had carried throughout the journey. It was upon the ground perhaps 6 or so feet away from him and slowly he stood up and went over to it. Without care of delicacy he ripped the bag opened with one hand, showing just how physically strong he was.

With the effects of the bag now scattered across the ground he took in hand, her Vorig. He admired it for a moment, not knowing completely why, before he went back and knelt by her side. Placing his own weapon within the snow he carefully placed her hands upon the handle of the Vorig. As best as he could he reenacted the funeral ritual he had seen now far too many times. With silent words he thanked Imbaka for showing him why in all his thousands and thousands of years he had never once stopped desiring to be human once again. Gently he placed his hand on her forehead; already she had grown rather quite cold. He didn't want to leave her side, he wanted to stay, to somehow ensure that she would reach paradise successfully. But he knew that she of all people didn't need the help of anyone to conquer the Black Wandering. With one last look at her now pale face Cada Varl stood up and turned towards the chamber.

The masked figure must have opened the chamber, but the better question was how did he know what word to speak? Imbaka wouldn't have told him, Cada Varl knew Helluvans could not be persuaded by something as trivial as torture. Even if she had wanted to tell him, human lungs were simply not powerful enough to say such a word properly. There could be only one reason why the masked figure had entered the chamber, to become god-like and that was something that Cada Varl could never allow to happen.

Without hesitation he jumped down into the chamber and immediately he had entered what seemed an entirely new world. When he landed on his feet he could no longer see the light of the outside world as the fall itself felt like it had taken an eternity and yet was over in a single moment. Before him laid a passageway that appeared natural for its walls were jagged and random. The walls were made from Hegadakore and shone from a light source that could not be seen.

With shadows dancing across his frame Cada Varl entered the passageway. There was only just enough room for Cada Varl to move through the passage as long as he went with his shoulders turned. He could hear in the distance within the chamber a booming sound like something was repeatedly smashing upon something else. By the sheer intensity of the sound it made who or whatever was making the noise possessed unbelievably strength as even the passage walls trembled upon each and every impact. With his sword lowered but at the ready Cada Varl moved through the jagged and twisted turns the passageway had to offer until he came to its end.

The passage way opened up into a moderately sized chamber where the masked figure was standing pounding his fists into something that was not quite a cave wall, not quite a door but something in-between. Vague patterns that Cada Varl recognized as the language of the gods had been etched all across it, speaking of things that even Cada Varl could never understand. The masked figure continued to pound his fists upon it, causing the entire chamber to shake under his strength, but it did nothing else. Then the masked figure suddenly came to a stop filling the chamber with a cold silence.

Slowly he turned halfheartedly and looked towards Cada Varl revealing the red of his eyes, deep within his strange mask.

After a moment he turned fully and spoke, "Do you know how gods bleed?" he asked in a voice that was youthful yet unnatural. Cada Varl kept his silence possessing little desire to know who or what this figure was. "The same way as everything else," the figure said seemingly not caring whether Cada Varl asked him or not. "That is what bides us to them, the one commonality that links all life that has ever been, or will ever be." The masked figure fell to silence only to see if Cada Varl would speak to him but the Immortal remained silent. "Everyone knows that all life on the earth was born from the blood of Kerceeria when she fell from the heavens to the earth...but so few know why she fell in the first place." The masked figure paused again but it was clear he was not looking for any response. "She committed suicide," he added with disgust in his voice "Seeing how foolishly the other gods acted she could no longer bear to be of their kind. All life was born from a tragedy; a tragedy is the reason why life exists on this earth." The masked figure fell silent his words too powerful not to hang in the air for a moment. "It really is disturbing how it takes tragedy to change the world."

"You killed Imbaka!" Cada Varl snarled as his eyes flashed red, he had quickly grown tired of hearing the figure speak but what the figure said in response brought him to silence.

"And you killed my mother!" The red light vanished from the eyes of the Immortal as he focused upon the words he had just heard. The eyes of the masked figure then flashed red just as Cada Varl's eyes had once flashed. The figure slowly raised its hands and removed the mask and helmet that it wore.

As the figure dropped the masked helmet onto the ground its face could be seen clearly. He was youthful in appearance perhaps no older than 20 years but his eyes seemed to possess an eternity of emotion. His spiking hair was white save for a grouping just right of the middle of his scalp, which were apple red. Though his red eyes were his most haunting feature Cada Varl was drawn to the horrid cut on the right side of his face that began at the end of his lip and ran across his cheek. The cut was not bloody but it was far from healed, with that part of his face being held together by black rings that pierced through his skin. His nose was narrow and sharp, well suited to his dark red eyes.

"Do you remember this face?" the figure asked with a voice consumed by too many emotions to identify. Cada Varl kept silent still reeling from what the figure had said to him. "No," The figure said as anger became dominant in his tone. "Why would you remember me? You are responsible for so many deaths and the tragedy that formed the world into what it is." The figure intently shook his head as the red flash reappeared in his eyes before disappearing. "I would ask you how is it that the nightmares of the genocides you have caused have not devoured you, but I know that you do not dream that is right is it not?" Again Cada Varl did not answer as his very history now felt like it was being retold to him. "I no longer dream...." the figure said, "Nor do I slumber, but why would I? I am living in a nightmare that you put me in all those thousands of years ago" He fell silent not because he wanted to but because his rage made it difficult for his mind to decide what he should say next. Moments as intense as an eternity came and went before the figure spoke again.

"I was born in Belrondia," he said with almost choked words. "I know you have heard of that country...my father was a farm worker, he would work from sun up to sun down ensuring that my mother and I had a warm place to sleep and food in our bellies. Because of how much he had to work I didn't see my father much...but I knew he loved my mother and me...my mother would spend her days singing...she had a voice that would make even goddesses envious. Like any loving wife she wished that her husband, my father could spend more time at home. So when she heard that there may have been a way to turn base metals into gold she began dabbling in alchemy and potion making. It was a completely harmless thing to do, all she wanted was to find a way where her husband would not have to work so much."

The figure paused, as his eyes looked into the distance of memory. "But the superstitious people of Belrondia believed she was doing something far darker and more evil. My mother was accused of witchcraft and ridiculous stories began to spread of her powers by overzealous gossips and fear mongers. How quickly once loyal neighbors turned on my mother; like sheep they flocked to this stupid idea that she was evil incarnate and yet my mother never so much as killed an insect.... Then one night when my father was home a mob, steered by the madness of hysteria came to our house, demanding that my mother offer her throat to them. My father, who loved my mother more than any man had ever loved a woman, refused to let the mob take my mother. While my father single handily held off the mob my mother and I fled....I heard my father yell before he died after he had taken down seven of the wretched mob.

We fled to the woods and that very night knew that we could never return to Belrondia, knowing that we would be killed by any Belrondian we came across. The only other country that we could reach was Gatavoi the kingdom that my country had been fighting for more than two and half decades...such a place was simply not an option for us. So we fled into the mountains of Vastis, a cold harsh place but one that would keep us safe from the outside world.

Soon we settled into a simple yet peaceful life dealing with the cold winters and lack of food as well as we could. My mother and I never complained about our lives, it seemed pointless. Though my mother never did sing again after the night my father died...it was just too painful for her...." The figure looked away from Cada Varl unable to keep his memories in check. As he looked back to the Immortal he said, "For years we saw not an another soul, but it did not matter. To us the small hut we had built to live in was like a castle because we had each other and the outside world left us alone...."

Before he spoke again the red light flashed in his eyes once more, "Then one night we were visited by an unwelcome guest...." Cada Varl could feel his hands tremble slightly as he feared just who this guest might have been. "I remember in the days prior to this visitor, that I could hear the sounds of battle in the wind, though I could not see it with my eyes." The figure looked away for a moment of weakness before he looked back to the Immortal and said, "The sounds I heard were the battle of Marga!"

Upon hearing these words Cada Varl could feel something cold and unwelcome fall across the breath of his soul. The battle of Marga was the battle that had cost him his humanity and was the cause of what the world had become.

"I remember my mother and I were gathering wood for the fire, as I said before the winters were harsh in that small hut of ours...." The figure paused; he had to stop in order to get control of the anger within him. Through teeth so clenched his gums almost bleed he said, "Then you appeared in the distance, staggering aimlessly...." As he said these words a black tear identical to the one that had fallen from the eyes of Cada Varl fell onto the cold ground. He took a sharp breath before he bellowed, "My mother tried to help you!" His words were so strong that they seemed to make the whole chamber shudder at how powerful his emotions had become. "It did not matter that your eyes were red, or that you were covered in blood or that you were a Gatavoi soldier. For all that had happened to my mother, for all the darkness she had witnessed never had she lost her desire to help those in need...." Cada Varl did not take his eyes off of the eyes of the figure but he noticed how heavily the figure was clenching his fists together.

"You attacked her like some feral animal and all she was doing was trying to help you...." His voice now had become so consumed with emotions that his words were difficult to hear but Cada Varl understood them all too well. "You placed your hands around her throat and took the life from her...." Another tear fell as he said, "I was a mere child, there was no way that I could have stopped you but that didn't prevent me from trying....I was simply too weak to pull you off of her so I bit into your arm as hard as I could...I am glad to see that my bite left a scar on your arm...." Cada Varl didn't bother to look at the black scars upon his arms, it would change nothing knowing which one the figure had given him. "I bit down so hard that I took a chunk of your flesh...." The figure then rose a finger to the strange cut upon his face. "You did this to me when you ripped me off of you, digging your nails into my skin like claws, causing me to swallow your flesh. You hit me so hard that I was knocked unconscious, do you know what was the first thing I saw when I awoke...."

Cada Varl did know the answer but he could not bring himself to say it as his eyes filled with shame.

"The lifeless face of my mother!" The figure snarled out. "You killed her!" the figure bellowed in a tone that only Cada Varl could understand. "As the curse of your flesh consumed me the first thing I remembered was how to cry, as I sat there over the body of my mother tears of black poured from my eyes...no matter how hard I shook her I could not bring her back from death...." The figure fell silent once again this time for a long period Cada Varl had no desire to force him to continue as he was consumed by dark thoughts of his own.

When the figure spoke again he said these words, "I had become reborn from a tragedy that you created...my humanity had been taken from me and there was nothing I could do about it. I had to rely on memory and memory alone, and the memory that I will never forget is the memory of you, killing my mother! I could think of nothing else but your damn face....I remember sitting there knowing that I had to find you, that I could not allow you to exist knowing what you had done!

As the world literally shattered around me and lives that you destroyed were reborn as monsters I looked for you. It is all that I could think about, but no matter how hard or how long I looked for I could not find you. As the west became reshaped in the image of the werewolves I realized that you must have fled into the east. But by the time I had realized that I had become trapped within the west. There was no way that I could have made such a journey and survived. I could not risk dying before I had my chance to avenge my mother...so I fled to the one place I knew that the werewolves would never dare tread.

The mountain of Xeunvoa which is the tallest mountain in the west. By the time I went to the mountain the werewolves had already forged a legend that the only reason why someone would travel there is so they could be close enough to the heavens to challenge the gods. In spite of what they had become the werewolves still held the superstitions of the people they once were. I knew that the werewolves would never dare go to such a place. Much like my mother and I had fled to Vastis I traveled there hoping to escape the world. When I reached its summit I discovered that part of its legend was true that it was so high up that you could see all of Noonsva. With the vision your curse bestowed on me I could even make out fine detail, such as someone's eye colour. It became the perfect place to look out on the continent and search for you.

For centuries I sat watching the world pass by and yet never once saw you. I spent so long up there that I learned the language of the winds; they actually speak if you listen long enough. I began to hear the stories of you, Cada Varl the Immortal and the songs werewolf sung thanking you for their creation." The hands of the figure began to shake as he said, "They actually thanked you for what you turned them into. How disgusting!" The face of the figure twisted like he had just smelled history's nastiest odor. "How could anything ever thank you for what you have done?" His words struck the Immortal deeply as he felt like the entire world was preparing to fall down upon him. "For years and years I was haunted by such songs as every day I continued to search for you. Nothing ever changed from day to day; all I could do was search for any trace of you.

After centuries of isolation and nothingness someone else came to Xeunvoa. The Elde Ode led by a man called Gosfear, even before I became what I am today I had lost trust in everything. I had grown to hate the werewolves because they praised you so highly. But I soon learned that Gosfear and his followers were different, they hated their curse as much as I hated mine. Even though I was different Gosfear welcomed me with open arms, for all he had been forced to suffer he never forgot who he was. I told Gosfear everything that had happened to me and my hatred of you. Gosfear told me that he understood my hatred and even tried to help me to stop it from consuming me. But not even someone as wise and as sincere as Gosfear could stop my hatred, even with his teachings and meditation techniques I could do nothing else but think of you, your face, your hands, the hands that killed my mother. I soon realized that I would never find you in the west, Gorgoza surely would have discovered you. You must have been somewhere in the east but I had no way of finding you.

Then it came to me, how I could draw you out. In a bid to help me deal with my anger Gosfear would often speak about his own frustrations and hatreds. He told me about Gorgoza and what he had done to the Elde Ode. He told me of how he wanted revenge against Gorgoza for what he had done but did not know how he could possibly accomplish it. It was then that I realized that if Gorgoza died his throne would be up for grabs by any number of usurpers. If one of these usurpers was successful than they would look towards the east for conquest and if that happened, if the monsters rampaged through the east I knew that there was a good chance that you would come out of hiding.

So using the techniques of alchemy my mother had taught me all those years ago I discovered a way to melt silver down in such a way that it could not be detected if mixed with another liquid. It took many years to make such a discovery but when I did Gosfear did not waste time as he set about getting his revenge on Gorgoza. At first it went mostly to plan, Gorgoza was dead and the west fell into turmoil. Then I saw something that I had been thinking about since the first day I was reborn. I saw you with a group of humans entering the west."

The figure paused for a moment as his eyes fell away from the Immortal's before he looked back and said, "I have no memory of a similar sensation so I could not truly feel the way I should've when I saw you. Finally I thought the gods must have been smiling down at me. I once thought it would take a number of years for the werewolves to draw you out as they rampaged across the east but you decided to come out of hiding all your own. As Gosfear and the others became worried about Thark finding them I kept my eyes upon you and your group. As much as I wanted to kill you I forced myself to be cautious, I had waited so long for vengeance that I had to think of the best way to kill you.

I listened to the winds and discovered the reasons why you were in the west, to find the blood of the goddess. I heard you mention the power that it could bring someone if they drank it and that is when I knew I needed it for myself. To ensure that I would have enough power to kill you I continued listening to the winds waiting for you to speak of how to enter the chamber. But there was always the chance that you would reach it before I could have; I could not rely on a single chance...not after so long. I needed to know exactly how powerful you were...."

The figure fell silent for a moment as his eyes became filled with the memory of shame.

"So I lied to the Elde Ode and to Gosfear that if they could bring me your blood than I may have been able to make them human once again. I had gained Gosfear's trust because of the poison that I had created so they were willing to hunt you down and attempt to spill your blood. I was worried at first that they may have been able to kill you before I had a chance, but after you defeated Aneeku so easily I realized just how powerful you really were. As the Elde Ode continued their attempts on your life I journeyed to this land just in time to see the light leave the body of Gosfear...he was a good man...."

There was a part of the Immortal that wanted to blame the figure for the deaths of the Elde Ode and the Helluvans. That if he had not said such a lie than almost all of them would still be alive. But Cada Varl stayed silent knowing that ultimately he was to blame for everything, including what this figure had become.

" The fact that even Gosfear fell by your hand just shows how powerful you truly are...As I kicked you away from me and saw the rubble collapse upon you I thought I had enough time to get the blood of the goddess. But I see that there is more to this chamber then what you told the people that came with you into the west...."

The figure studied the eyes of the Immortal searching for some kind of answer within them. When Cada Varl did not say anything the figure said, "There is another word that opens the door behind me isn't there?" Again Cada Varl stayed silent but the figure knew his words to be true. "As a way to keep it safe you did not tell anyone, even your companions.... Now I realize that even with my strength this door could never be forced open because it was created by the gods."

Slowly the figure took off both of his gloves dropping them onto the ground next to the helmet as he stretched and bent his fingers. "But my cause is far from lost...You may have defeated Gosfear but your victory was hardly flawless. Your injuries have weakened you...it is as plain as day...." The figure stopped stretching his fingers, holding them perfectly still as he placed his right hand out to the side.

Cada Varl watched in silence as the blood suddenly spat out from the figure's palm as he gritted his teeth tightly together. From his hand something began to appear, but unlike the light Gosfear had used this was not energy, it was something solid. The entire arm of the figure trembled violently as whatever it was grew in length literally pushing itself out of his hand. In a moment it was complete and the figure was holding what appeared to be some kind of crimson metal, shaped almost like a sword. Strangely the red that covered the blade was not his blood but some other kind of material. Cada Varl had shock in his eyes, as he looked upon this red blade, utterly bewildered by how the figure had come to possess it. As the figure moved the blade so that it was pointing towards the Immortal, the blood that covered his hand fell so quickly it seemed almost to jump off of his flesh.

"This," the figure declared proudly, "Is a weapon the embodies all the hatred for you that I have carried for all these centuries. I have waited so long but finally my vengeance is at hand!"

With those words the figure rushed forward hammering his weapon down. Cada Varl quickly raised his own sword and blocked it.

"Listen to me!" Cada Varl said. "You have every right to hate me, I do deserve to be destroyed for what I did."

There was a flash of red in the eyes of the figure as he said "And so you shall!" He lifted his sword and smashed it down again, this time as the two swords met the chamber shook. Cada Varl already could feel the immense strength this figure possessed as he said, "If you listened to the winds than you know what will happen if I drink the blood of the goddess, I will be destroyed, along with every werewolf. The world can be freed of this nightmare!"

"Not for me!" The figure bellowed, "This nightmare will only end when you're dead by my hand!" As the light grew in the eyes of the figure it stayed there and the air began to heat up. As their swords clashed for a third time they came face to face and the figure said, "I heard your name from the whispers of the wind, you shall hear mine from my own lips...." Cada Varl struggled against the strength of the figure as he bellowed, "I am Rojohitshe!" His words were so passionate that they shook the chamber once more as Rojohitshe raised his sword and almost instantly the air around him changed from clear to a blackish red.

Disturbed by how quickly the energy had been brought forth Cada Varl called upon the red light as he raised his sword. As both combatants hammered their swords down the red and blackish red smashed together in a collision of terrifying power. The Hegadakore around them shattered like it was nothing more than glass, but the destruction did not stop there.

While their energies expanded both Cada Varl and Rojohitshe leapt up causing their energies to concentrate as they ascended. The roof of the chamber could offer no resistance to their power and quickly fell to pieces. As rock and earth exploded into the air the two enemies ascended above ground clashing their swords together in an ungodly display of skill. Both leapt back with great speed avoiding the large hole that they had created in the ground. Rojohitshe, with eyes still glowing red, raised his sword causing the blackish red energy to move around it before he hammered his sword down and summoned a wave of destruction. Cada Varl did the same and as the two waves smashed into one another over the heavily damaged chamber they seemed of equal power, sending shock waves to reverberate through the air around them.

Rojohitshe leapt over the massive hole bringing his strange sword with him as Cada Varl leapt back to avoid his blade. The snow on the ground began to evaporate, as both combatants would not relinquish the energy that they had summoned. As their swords clashed the air continued to reverberate, as it had no way of dealing with such power. Each collision of their blades sounded louder than anything an angry storm could produce.

After a melee of hurried attacks by both warriors Cada Varl pushed Rojohitshe back. In response Rojohitshe bellowed as he charged forward and the two weapons smashed together once again. "You took everything from me!" Rojohitshe bellowed in a voice consumed by pain and anger. Cada Varl said nothing in response but pushed his opponent away once more. Before he had even come to a stop Rojohitshe summoned the blackish red energy around his sword. This time however he did not unleash it in a wave and the energy remained spinning around his blade. Before Cada Varl could attack him Rojohitshe unleashed the energy in three lightning like streams. Cada Varl dodged the first two jumping quickly out of their destructive path before he summoned the red light to act as a kind of shield before him as he smashed his sword into the last of the lightning like attacks. The blackish red energy quickly flew away from him landing and exploding somewhere in the far distance.

Cada Varl unleashed a wave of the red energy in response causing Rojohitshe to leap directly up in order to avoid it. The Immortal was about to summon another wave when Rojohitshe rushed forward from the air and down upon him, causing their weapons to smash together once more. Now being so close to one another Cada Varl could see how intense the red of his enemy's eyes had become. They disengaged and Rojohitshe struck again. Cada Varl blocked it but he had to step back in order to do so.

Rojohitshe stayed on the offensive hammering and smashing his sword down like he was trying to simply hammer Cada Varl into the ground. His strikes were not the most skilled but they were fast and powerful. Cada Varl continued to step back blocking the strikes of his enemy as he summoned the red energy around him once again. Without missing a beat Rojohitshe did the same. Cada Varl went on the attack countering an enemy blow before he hammered his weapon down Rojohitshe did take a step back but was able to block it easily.

As the two of them now smashed their swords together over and over again their energies met like two expanding walls that were forced to tolerate one another. The energies expanded both left and right as if trying to outrun each other. As the eyes of Rojohitshe continued to glow the eyes of Cada Varl began to do the same. Quickly the two energies were expanding to cover the entire breath of the valley causing the air to shutter violently as the snow began to evaporate in mass.

As their swords clashed again the air fizzled like it was being cooked from the inside out. Then Cada Varl managed to push Rojohitshe back and as he did so the energies reached boiling point. The red forced the blackish red back where it soon dissipated causing Rojohitshe to cover his face as a way of dealing with the sudden power that was forced upon him. He lowered his arms in time to see that Cada Varl was summoning another wave and quickly leapt to the right in order to avoid the oncoming destruction. Rojohitshe responded with a wave of his own that Cada Varl stood and met with a mighty swipe of his blade. Cada Varl may have been injured during his fight with Gosfear but he was proving that he was far from incapacitated.

Cada Varl cut the enemy wave in two causing its energy to fall apart from itself and scorch the ground around him. The Immortal felt like he was fighting a distorted reflection of himself, someone that fought a lot like him but not quite. Rojohitshe began to scream and as the two of them clashed swords once more the screams slowly began to turn into something far more animalistic. Cada Varl knew that the power inside of him hadn't settled from his fight with Gosfear. He was worried about what would happen if he continued using it but he also knew that in order to defeat this enemy he would have to increase the intensity of his own power.

Cada Varl went on the attack moving his sword with incredible speed and strength. Rojohitshe blocked each of these attacks before going on the offensive himself with a series of thrusts and swings. As their swords collided again and again in a tremendous display of inhuman power the hands of Rojohitshe began to turn dark red and not with energy. Whatever had once happened to Cada Varl was now happening to his enemy and the Immortal could feel Rojohitshe's power growing with each collision of their swords. It was happening much faster than it did with Cada Varl but from the beginning of this fight Rojohitshe had been fueled by rage and this kind of power fed on such emotion. The increase in power was instantly felt as Cada Varl blocked a total of seven enemy strikes in quick succession before going back on the attack himself. Their blades met but neither one of them were able to push the other back, forcing them to simultaneously disengage. They repeated the same blow and achieved the same result. As they pushed down on their swords their faces came closer together and Rojohitshe began to snarl like some feral animal. Cada Varl pushed the weight of his entire body upon his sword forcing Rojohitshe to disengage from him.

Quickly Rojohitshe slashed his sword back down where the Immortal leapt back to avoid it. Rojohitshe followed his enemy swinging his sword wildly in a number of directions. Cada Varl ducked and dodged several of them before bringing his blade up to block the last of them. Cada Varl turned his body, skillfully placing himself behind his enemy. As he swung his sword across, Rojohitshe leapt into the air contorting his body and flipping over Cada Varl. The Immortal quickly stepped forward turning around as he did so. Their swords clashed briefly before Rojohitshe intensified the energy around him. Knowing the power his enemy was summoning Cada Varl did the same but also leapt back in order to put distance between the two of them.

Rojohitshe called the energy upon his sword summoning and then delivering three more lightning like strikes of black red energy. Cada Varl dodged the first two and then ducked underneath the third, running forward with his weapon at the ready. Rojohitshe lowered his blade in time to block the blow of his enemy before leaping back and summoning a wave of the blackish red. Cada Varl quickly ran in a sidestep moving quickly across the landscape and summoning energy around his own sword. Rojohitshe watched his enemy for a moment or so until he believed the time was right and he unleashed an energy wave. Cada Varl easily predicated its movements, moving out of harm's way before he unleashed a wave of his own. Rojohitshe avoided the wave, but only barely before both of them leapt through the air towards each other. While in the air their swords must have clashed twenty times before their feet touched the ground once more.

Without missing a step the two continued clashing their swords, going back and forth. It seemed almost a stalemate as neither could force the other to remain on the defensive for long. The engagement came to an end when Cada Varl successfully landed a powerful kick to the torso of his enemy.

Rojohitshe fell to his knees but easily blocked the sword of Cada Varl and rose to his feet before the Immortal could take any kind of advantage. In the same movement, as he smashed his sword into the blade of Cada Varl, Rojohitshe rammed his shoulder into the Immortal trying to put him off balance. Cada Varl however stood his ground causing the eyes of his enemy to intensify with rage as an animalistic cry left his lips.

The red that had covered his hands was slowly spreading as the two of them fought on. Now Cada Varl could get a true glimpse of what he had turned into during his fight with Gosfear. Cada Varl blocked another strike of his enemy before intensifying the energy on the ground before him. But in place of summoning it in a wave he kept it there in front of him. Rojohitshe paid no attention to the energy, he leapt over it and continued his onslaught of enraged sword strikes. Now with his enemy so close to him Cada Varl summoned the energy into his sword but astonishingly Rojohitshe seemed to know what he had planned immediately. Rojohitshe leapt back and as the energy wave was released he leapt back again calling upon his own energy to form around him. Instead of unleashing it through his sword Rojohitshe raised his hands up and let out a devastating bellow. It sounded more like the roar of some beast as the energy he had summoned suddenly rushed forward in a wall of protection.

As the two energies met the wall caused the wave to rush back the way it had come, to the disbelief of the Immortal who hurried to move out of its path. The Immortal reached safety but could not take his eyes off of the two energies as they rushed into the wall of the valley turning rock and earth into dust.

As he looked back he could see that both arms of his enemy now were consumed by dark red flesh. Rojohitshe now possessed a hideous smile as the darkest part of him enjoyed having such power. The eyes of Cada Varl now were burning red as he summoned the red light around him before he rushed forward to engage his enemy. Rojohitshe stayed in one spot waiting for his enemy to come to him. Cada Varl was moving so quickly that his feet no longer were touching the ground as his sword smashed into his enemy's blade. The force of his attack caused the wind to flee in fear of him yet Rojohitshe did not so much as move an inch from the spot. This show of defiance to his power rattled the Immortal as Rojohitshe chuckled inhumanly.

The light in the eyes of Cada Varl intensified as he willingly leapt back and increased the energy around him. The noise that was made as he did so was actually faster than how sound normally traveled. Such a thing caused something like a sonic boom to rattle the air around him as the energy ascended like a fiery spiral. Now the other arm of the Immortal began to turn red as he allowed the energy to take more of him. He bellowed as he unleashed another wave of energy towards his opponent.

Responding to this Rojohitshe leapt into the air, completely ignoring any law that gravity had to offer. He easily avoided the oncoming wave and then responded with one of his own. The Immortal leapt out of his way but before he could do anything else Rojohitshe summoned another wave down upon him. Cada Varl turned his body sharply avoiding the oncoming attack before he caused another wave of his own to launch into the air. Rojohitshe, while still in the air turned his body as well, avoiding it only barely, but remaining unharmed.

As the energy intensified around him Rojohitshe swung his sword on either side of him creating two additional waves, one after the other. Cada Varl leapt one way and then the other before launching an empowered wave of his own. This wave was moving so fight that Rojohitshe simply could not avoid it. Instead he raised his sword horizontally in front of him and met the wave head on. Though he was forced back violently onto the ground he was able to prevent the wave from doing him any harm. He forced the wave into the air where it ascended and then fell somewhere behind him.

As the wave struck the ground causing a devastating explosion behind him Rojohitshe leapt forward towards his enemy who rushed forward to meet him. This time when their swords clashed the energy was so great the ground directly beneath them began to crack. As both of them leapt away from one another the ground that they were just standing on fell to pieces. Both of them snarled at one another as infection upon their flesh now began to spread to their torsos. They clashed again moving their swords so quickly that their movements couldn't be seen by the naked eye. Their arms and swords seemed nothing more than a blur as strange sounds echoed throughout the air. They stared at one another like they were the last two predators left in the world and only had one another for potential prey.

As they disengaged they both called upon the energy around them to intensify even further, causing the entire valley to tremble in response to such power. Cada Varl was the first to leap back summoning the energy in another wave and unleashing it downwards. Rojohitshe did not move from the spot, he met the wave head on with his sword. Incredibly his sword easily cut through it as if it was nothing more than an actual gentle wave summoned from the calmest of oceans.

As the energy of the Immortal fell harmlessly around him Rojohitshe launched a total of 9 lightning like strikes. While he was still in the air Cada Varl twisted his body in ways that were humanly impossible before smashing his sword down upon the third lightning strike. Almost instantly he forced it to smash into the ground which was no match for his power. For the next two strikes Cada Varl swung them away with his sword before dodging the next and hammering down the one after that. As the last two came towards him he quickly turned his body dodging the first before he placed his sword directly into the path of the last one. He turned his sword so swiftly that he was actually able to deflect the lightning like strike right back at Rojohitshe. It happened so quickly yet Rojohitshe was able to turn his body in time to avoid the attack. As he looked back he seemed disgusted that Cada Varl would dare turn his own attack against him.

Rojohitshe snarled at his enemy before he raised an open hand towards the Immortal. He summoned the blackish red energy in the palm of his hand and as he did so the red infected his flesh further. He launched a stream of energy towards Cada Varl. The Immortal seemed perplexed by this sudden ability as he raised his sword to intercept it. Cada Varl was forced back across the ground as the energy intensified. As he gathered all the strength he could to prevent the attack from consuming him the red began to infect his entire torso. When the energy disappeared Cada Varl bellowed an ungodly cry as he summoned the energy around him.

This time the energy ascended at an unbelievable rate reaching the heights of the sky in no time at all. The sheer power of the energy was that incredible that it made every single cloud in the sky glow red in tribute to it. The pillar of energy surrounded itself around one of these clouds and instead of causing it to deteriorate the cloud seemed to draw on the energy and grow larger. As the Immortal summoned the energy into his sword and hammered it down the energy brought the cloud with it literally ripping it from the sky. As the sword struck down, the energy followed, causing the earth to break and crack open in a massive path before him. Rojohitshe watched the ongoing path of destructive bringing up his sword to meet it as his own energy intensified around him. Cada Varl's energy finished its ascent by smashing the red cloud into the ground instantly causing it to separate and form a strange kind of red mist on one side of the valley.

An explosion of such power was terrifying yet Cada Varl stood in one spot snarling and breathing heavily as he searched for any sign of his enemy. The mist that the Immortal had inadvertently created was so thick that not even his powerful eyes could see through it. He kept his sword raised before him not knowing what the mist hid. He stepped forward but did not rush keeping his eyes darting back and forth for any sign of Rojohitshe.

When his enemy did appear from the mist he emerged as something new, something terrifying. Their swords clashed once again and Cada Varl saw that the red had infected Rojohitshe from head to toe. His cape and upper garments had vanished completely perhaps incinerated by the explosion. Even his hair now seemed more a dark purple than the white it once was. Rojohitshe snarled and this time there was no trace of anything human inside of his tone.

He pushed Cada Varl back forcing the Immortal to stumble and almost lose his balance. As Cada Varl summoned another wave he called upon so much energy that he too began to transform into something inhuman. He launched the wave only for Rojohitshe to block it like it was nothing more than a gentle breeze. The two enemies rushed towards one another, their weapons becoming little more than a blur as they clashed violently. The sky now began to roar with thunder though no lightning fell, like it was angry that Cada Varl had stolen one of its clouds.

Blow after blow the red continued to infect the Immortal as his hair began to turn a dark purple. It was only a matter of moments before he had become something similar to Rojohitshe. They may still have been shaped like men but they now were anything but. After what could only be described as a shuddering display of raw power both leapt back from one another. As if he was a reflection of his enemy Cada Varl raised his hand and instantly unleashed a concentrated stream of red energy. Rojohitshe did the same causing the two streams to smash into one another at the exact same time. As the air became filled by an explosion greater than any the gods had ever witnessed upon the earth, Cada Varl and Rojohitshe were thrown back with disturbing violence.

The valley now became covered in rubble and scorched earth but neither enemy took any time to notice this. Both of them had received injuries from the explosion but seemed indifferent to their own pain as they quickly rushed forward to clash swords once again. They snarled and growled as their swords repeatedly hammered against one another. Any trace of skill or training now had vanished, they seemed like two wild beasts literally trying to bash one another to death.

After their swords had clashed at least 100 times in a matter of only a few seconds they smashed their swords together yet again. Instead of repeating the blow however they continued to apply pressure upon their individual weapons. Like two bulls locking horns they now both simply tried to force the other back. When neither could accomplish this through sheer strength they began snarling out one another as if trying to frighten the other to summit.

After several moments of this strange contest of sounds Rojohitshe raised his head back and glared his teeth before biting into the shoulder of the Immortal. Blood exploded out from the corners of Rojohitshe's mouth, Cada Varl bellowed in pain before he pushed his enemy away from him. Rojohitshe spat the blood out of his mouth before he leapt forward causing their swords to smash together once again. Quickly Cada Varl took his left hand off of his blade and swiped it across the face of his enemy.

His nails proved as sharp as claws as they tore flesh from Rojohitshe and covered his face in horrible gashes. Rojohitshe snarled in pain as he stepped back and then rushed forward barging his shoulder into the body of the Immortal. Cada Varl violently fell back and Rojohitshe followed him. Before his enemy could swing his sword downward Cada Varl morbidly leapt up off the ground and brought his feet into the chest of Rojohitshe. The blow was powerful and forced Rojohitshe to fall back onto the ground with a loud thud. Cada Varl leapt high into the air stabbing his sword down towards his enemy. At the last moment possible Rojohitshe threw his body to the right saving himself from Cada Varl as he smashed into the ground with so much force that it broke from under him.

Cada Varl was so fast however that he was able to leap into the air before the ground could swallow him up. Fearlessly Rojohitshe leapt up bringing his sword in a powerful arc before him. When the two enemies struck each other this time it was more like a crude tackle than a collision of titans. As they fell with Rojohitshe on top of the Immortal they continued to snarl at each other like wild beasts. They struck the ground with the power and force of two boulders thrown from heaven.

Instantly Cada Varl threw Rojohitshe off of him and leapt to his feet. Rojohitshe hit the ground but did not stay there, quickly rising and turning to meet his enemy in combat. As soon as their swords met once again they both roared ferociously as they tried to push the other over. When they realized that this would not work both of them threw their heads back and then forward smashing their faces and foreheads together. The sound of such a contact was a sickening thing to hear and would have brought immense pain to both of them. However they repeated the action again and again and as they did so blood from both of their faces exploded in their air as bones in their faces began to crack and break. It was nothing more than sheer force by both of them desperate to destroy the other.

Rojohitshe was the first to break away from this strange display of brutality leaping forward before Cada Varl could follow them. What followed next was as brutal as it was desperate. Neither seemed too concerned in stopping the other from hurting them as they used sword, claw and teeth to cut and bite into one another. Pieces of bloody flesh flew into the air all around them as they literally began dissecting each other. There was no regard for their own well being as they both became covered in viscous wounds. Instinct stepped in; it had to in order to save them from such horrible deaths.

Both of them leapt back and summoned the energy around them. The summoning of the power was incredible as the entire world felt like it was trembling, terrified that it would be destroyed by their next collision. The entire valley, including the sky, was covered in either red or a black red light. Like mirror images of one another they called all of the energy into their respective swords and leapt forward snarling at their enemy. Their cries were so loud that they silenced all other sound.

In a shard of a moment they were far behind one another with their backs turned, everything had been blown away by some powerful wind, including even the angry clouds in the sky, covering the valley in an eerie calm. With nothing to hinder it from view the sun shone once again like it hadn't done in over a million years. Cada Varl was breathing so hard it sounded like he was panting as the sword in his hand shattered into pieces so small that they could not been seen by even the sharpest of eyes. Rojohitshe was breathing as well but it was far less violent as his glowing red eyes stared up into the now beautiful blue sky.

A moment passed and then the red that had covered his body disappeared like it was being sucked back inside of his soul. His eyes turned back to what they once were, as his hair became white once again. There was a look in his eyes, one so deep that it would haunt even the bravest of men. He was looking at something far in the distance, something that only his eyes could see and his mind could comprehend. It was the look many a man carried in his eyes when at his final moment. As he continued looking upon something that only he could see a cut began to spread across his face, growing deeper with each instant. As the blood consumed his face his eyes stood out as if they were somehow immune to this horrible liquid. There was a quiet rage in his eyes as he said softly, "Damn you Cada Varl."

### Chapter 23

As Rojohitshe fell to the ground, never to rise again it was doubtful that Cada Varl had even heard him. The power had consumed him utterly turning him to a creature that was now struggling with its own existence. Cada Varl fell to his knees and even this simple movement appeared violent and painful. The sounds he was making now were more like gasping than anything else as with every strange breath he took his body convulsed like it was trying to deal with the world's most powerful poison. A battle was raging inside of him for control over his being and it was clear what had the advantage. Whatever was left of what he once was it was the equivalent of a single soldier trying to defeat a thousand legions of monstrosities.

As he continued convulsing and gasping his hands began to claw at the scorched earth before him. The action seemed mindless as if his body was moving on its own accord. Or maybe as the battle within raged on, his limbs were simply ensuring that they could still move. Moments passed with the speed of a mountain as Cada Varl continued gasping horribly. The light in his eyes grew in intensity, an indication that whatever this power was it was winning the battle. His tongue began to squirm inside of his mouth as if trying to escape the violence of the inner conflict. The convulsions of his body now were becoming so violent they seemed powerful enough to break bones. The ancient energy was not only winning the fight it was on the brink of victory as his hands continued to claw into the ground before him.

Then his eyes were drawn upward to something in the sky. It was not the sun that he saw but the faint vision of the moon, it was a rare sight to see during the day but not unheard of. Even though it could barely be seen Cada Varl fixated upon it and slowly but surely his breathing quieted. The moon had been the very thing that had reminded him of his humanity all those thousands of years ago. His body still convulsed violently but he paid no attention to it thinking about nothing but the moon and what it had once meant to him.

As he stared into the sky something else came into view, a bird whose sheer size must have been enormous for it could be seen clearly in spite of how high it was flying. Apart from its size there seemed nothing special about the bird and yet it reminded Cada Varl of something important. The bird he was looking at was a Serrube, a bird normally only found in Gatavoi, his home country. He watched as the bird passed over head into the light of the sun surveying the destruction Cada Varl and Rojohitshe had caused. His body stopped convulsing and he became very still as memory gained control of his mind. He was once human, once a proud soldier of Gatavoi. This thought repeated itself over and over in his mind causing the memory of his humanity to grow strong inside of him.

He became peaceful for a moment but then just when the light in his eyes was about to fade they burned brightly once more and Cada Varl quickly sat up grasping his hands around his sides. His skin may have still been red and his hair purple but now he was acknowledging the pain and trying to deal with it. The ancient power inside of him would not go quietly and he could feel the battle inside intensify. After moments that felt too long to comprehend Cada Varl threw his hands out to either side of him as a scream boomed from his mouth. The scream was that loud even the gods would have heard it.

He screamed for what seemed an age but slowly the red of his skin began to shrink back inside of him returning from whence it came. His hair then changed back to what it once was. Now the ancient power seemed to be making its last stand inside of his eyes. His scream grew louder as he demanded that control of his own body be given back to him. Then the scream stopped and the red light faded from his eyes.

Cada Varl had regained control of himself once again, he continued to breath heavily but it was no longer violent, like his body was just ensuring that it had returned to normal. He looked down upon himself taking note of the many cuts and gashes that continued to pour blood across his face and body. He looked back up into the sky and was bewildered that he could no longer see the moon or the bird of Gatavoi. He then wondered if he had actually seen them or they had been some kind of illusion forged by his own mind in an attempt to wrestle back control. Ultimately it mattered not whether they were illusions or truth because the end result was the same.

Cada Varl stood up as new deposits of pain filled him while blood dripped from every limb and even down his face. When he turned around his eyes were drawn to the corpse of Rojohitshe who lay motionless with the sword still in his hand. Cada Varl took the painful steps necessary to be standing over him. The Immortal looked down into the dead eyes of Rojohitshe and was struck by their colour. No longer were they red but a very human green. Even though he had killed Imbaka Cada Varl could feel no anger towards Rojohitshe. Everything he had done was ultimately because of the Immortal and Cada Varl would be lying if he said he blamed him for any of this. "May your mother find you in the world beyond this one," Cada Varl said gently. With that he took one longer look at Rojohitshe before peering around the valley.

The amount of destruction and decay their battle had caused seemed like terrain plucked from the darkest of nightmares. In their battle they had destroyed almost everything, almost. Cada Varl could see the underground chamber clearly, which was no longer underground. The passageway and the original entrance may have been no more but the inner chamber, the one that held the blood of the goddess still stood strong. It was proof of the power of the gods that the inner chamber had remained completely intact. Cada Varl knew what he had to do now there was nothing left to stand in his way.

As he walked towards it he discovered his steps were not only painful but heavy as the reality of what he was about to do consumed his mind. A new struggle played out inside of him. Imbaka had been right; coming face to face with his own destruction was not an easy thing to endure. He did his best to block out these thoughts as a wind swept through the valley. It sounded almost like it was whispering something important, but speaking such secrets in a language the Immortal did not understand. He felt alone in the world, a feeling that was always fresh in his memory but now it felt so heavy upon his shoulders.

As he stood in front of the inner chamber he gently ran his hands across its engravings as if his touch could reveal what his sight could not. He admired it for a moment knowing he was doing nothing but delaying what had to be done.

"Samudendi," he said softly and watched as the chamber silently opened before him.

Inside the chamber the walls had been built close together, forming a kind of circle around a stand made from a material Cada Varl did not recognize. He could see upon the stand what he had traveled so far to obtain. The blood of the goddess was inside a long clear jar that glowed a very faint yet powerful blue. As he stepped inside of the chamber he could tell just how fresh its air was, pure and flawless. He looked down upon the jar and soon realized that it was in fact clear and the strange blue light was coming from the blue liquid. Slowly he picked it up and could feel the weight of it in his hands, its size did not match its sheer weight. There was nothing stopping him now, the journey had come full circle. Yet in that moment he wanted something to stop him, some reason for him to stay within this world. He looked back through his own memory, it had been the only thing that had still served him for over forty centuries. Through all that time he could not find a single reason. He was alone, surrounded by the destruction that he had caused.

The lid of the jar offered little resistance as he pushed it off using only his thumb. He placed it under his nose if only to delay the action further. He was sure that it must have smelled but his memory could offer no answers. In doing so his memory served as the ultimate reminder of the very reason why he was in this place. He did not think about all the lives that had been destroyed by him but all the lives that were going to be saved by this action. He thought about the Helluvans, those brave human beings who all had made great sacrifices just so he could complete this moment.

He was about to bring the jar to his lips when his eyes were drawn to the world outside. There standing only several feet away from the entrance to the chamber was a group of werewolves, each clad in the armor and colours of a warlord the Immortal didn't know. Though it was unexpected to see this group of ten werewolves it was hardly surprising. The devastation of Cada Varl's battles with both Gosfear and Rojohitshe would have been seen for at least a hundred miles in any direction. Cada Varl looked at each of them, studying their hideous features. His eyes rested upon the eyes of the closest of them that stared back at the Immortal with great bewilderment.

"How fitting to meet my end in the company of that which I have created," Cada Varl said simply. Before any of the werewolves had any time to respond Cada Varl jammed the jar into his mouth and drank all of the blood in one gulp. He did not bother to savor it in his mouth; he swallowed it entirely before he looked back into the eyes of the werewolf. At first nothing happened and if for a split second there was doubt in his mind that would have any effect at all.

Then his head suddenly snapped back as if he had been struck by something powerful. His hand clenched around the jar so tightly that it soon shattered, cutting bloodily into his skin. Sounds of pain came from his mouth as a strange blue light filled his eyes, one more powerful than the red ever was.

Cautiously the werewolves took a collective step back but dared not to take their eyes off of the Immortal. He fell to his knees as every kind of pain imaginable filled him. The light that had consumed his eyes now could be seen within his mouth as the sounds of pain turned to screams of agony. The blue light covered him from under his skin like some kind of infection that was as terrible as it was swift. His muscles began to twitch in ways muscles weren't suppose to be able to before a loud cracking sound came from him. The cracking sound was like something powerful had snapped his back like a twig as a series of similar cracks haunted the air. He continued screaming as his muscles and flesh violently began to rip apart and shrink like they were being eaten by something inside of him. He could no longer see or hear anything, trapped inside a world of silence and darkness.

As his body began to disintegrate with shocking speed and violence memories flashed through his mind, beginning from the night where he had regained his memory through thousands of years, right up to this very moment. One last look over an existence that he had never wanted. He knew then it was finally over, that this horrid existence was coming to a swift end for he suddenly stopped screaming, making the world outside as silent as the world inside. His final thought however was not about this world, but the world beyond it and whether or not there would be a place for him there, he was about to find out.

The blue light that had devoured him now changed, becoming a solid shape transforming yet again into a mist that was so thick it looked like blue tainted clouds. Cada Varl was no more every piece of him disappeared from the earth as the blue mist now moved out from the chamber. The werewolves outside had been so bewildered by what they were witnessing that they made no movement as the mist fell over the first of them. The werewolf barely had time to sniff it before it suddenly began convulsing violently as its limbs began to flail to the point of breaking. The werewolf opened its mouth wide as if howling yet no sound came out. It was able to turn and show the others what it had become before its horrid flesh and fur began to fall off of the bone. Even in the eyes of a monster it was a disgusting thing to look upon and the other werewolves were clearly terrified by what they saw. But the mist was moving so swiftly that most of them were caught by it before they could do anything, suffering the same horrible fate as the first.

The farthest werewolf from the chamber had enough instinct to turn and flee, rushing down on all fours and running as fast as its legs could take it. The mist continued to grow and ascended into the sky as the running werewolf was suddenly caught by it and forced to stop as it met a terrible end.

In a shard of a moment the sky was covered by the blue mist, which showed no sign of stopping. In only a matter of minutes it had grown so large that it covered every inch of sky in the west of the continent. Every single werewolf whether they were on the battle field or in some dark cave could not escape the effect of the mist as they died horribly in the tens of millions. It was an apocalypse as swift as it was brutal.

The mist covered so much of the sky that it could be seen even in the furthest reaches of the east. Everyone from beggar to king now stood outside watching the mist in the distance as it stopped right at the border between the two halves of the continent. Even the dark king Granzool could not hide the awe in his expression as he stood in a courtyard looking upon the eerie mist.

"It is finished," he said coldly.

### Epilogue

Granzool was not alone in staring up at the sky; the two guards that were always at his side and the rest of Helluv were doing the same. The guards were utterly mesmerized by the mist for it was more impressive than anything they had ever seen or heard of before.

Slowly Granzool looked away from the sky his thoughts elsewhere as he slowly moved through the courtyard. Even at such an historically important moment the guards did not forget their duty and followed their king as he went in doors.

Even though it was day out the castle remained dark and gloomy, the way the Helluvan king liked it. They walked in silence as they made their way down to the underground dungeon. Without so much as a single word but a hand gesture Granzool ordered the guards to open the door to Yakarzin's prison. The king waited in silence as the four guards opened the door revealing Yakarzin. Like every other werewolf he was not immune to the effects of the goddess' blood. The once proud prince now was little more than a steaming pile of flesh.

As all the guards gasped Granzool looked upon such a sight with a twisted smile.

"What happened?" one of the dungeon keepers gasped out, unable to control himself.

"The best thing ever to happen to Helluv," with those words he slowly turned and took a single step when he was stopped by the words of one of his guards

"My lord," he said clearly. Granzool simply looked upon him but said nothing. "Do you think any of the Helluvans that went into the west survived?"

"It is my sincere hope," Granzool said genuinely. "But if they didn't then they died better than any of us will...."

"My lord may I suggest we hold some kind of celebration for what they have done for Helluv?"

a guard asked cautiously.

Granzool nodded and closed his eyes for a moment before he said, "Of course, anything less would be an insult to what they have achieved."

A tense silence fell across the chamber as each one of them realized just how radically their lives were going to change.

"What now?" one of the guards gasped, so consumed by his thoughts that he forgot his place. Granzool quickly looked over to him before slowly looking towards the rotten remains of Yakarzin.

A smile even more twisted appeared on his face as he said, "We shall reclaim the west." With those words he left the underground chamber, his smile remaining, as visions of empire played out in his mind.

The End

