Fairbourne here has taught me how to fight, how to kill, and I’m very good at it.”

Balto looked to his left and saw a kerosene lantern burning attached to the wall beside him. He suddenly sprang up, hooked his paw on the lantern and threw it at Jason.

The younger wolf ducked the flying glass object and it hit the far wall, exploding into flames.

Jason stood up as Balto landed back on the floor. He snarled. The wall behind him quickly caught fire and his visage glowed with the blazing background. “Enough!” He screamed. “Now is the day of retribution. Now is the day you die!” He snarled again and leapt at Balto, teeth flashing.

Chapter 14:

Lytion looked behind him and saw the mass of black wolves gathered in front of the Origin of Aniu. He smiled gleefully and looked down at the soil, his long black locks falling across his blazing red eyes. “It is our time now father.” He thought. “Hers has come and gone, now our reign begins.”

He raised his head and jumped up on the rock that marked the birthplace of all of the wolves of the world; the point of Origin for the greatest of them, Aniu. He looked out over the wolves and an evil smile split his muzzle. “Do you see how far I have brought you?!” He screamed. His voice echoed off the many trees surrounding the sacred clearing and came back at him twice as strong. “Do you see what I have accomplished!? I have paved the way for this moment! This time of equality for all of us!” He scanned the crowd of black wolves. “Look around you! When you started you were all the colors of the rainbow, members of other packs and clans, subdivided, told that you were better than others of your own species! Now look around! As you have accepted me and pledged to follow me you have all turned one universal color, have become one mind and one spirit. What is great to me is great to you. What I loathe, that you do also. We are one! Look around you! What was your life like when you entrusted yourselves to that angelic ***** Aniu?! She was constantly at war, war with no end. A war against those who were unafraid to be themselves, to stand up and speak out about her oppressiveness and the ridiculous expectations of her “God” that shows us all the sweet things that life can give us and then sets the rules in opposition to those longings. Who would have you struggle all your life to meet his unattainable standards, look around! What have I asked of you that was ever unattainable? What have I expected of you that you have not already wanted to give? I come here, not to save you, not to give you hope that you may one day, despite innumerable stumbling blocks that I placed in your way, attain my love and respect. No, I come here to offer you a way out, to tell you that you are fine the way you are, that you need not struggle, you have my support, my love, and my respect just by agreeing to follow me; nothing else has been or will be required of you. You will always be acceptable to me, regardless of how ugly or blackened your spirits are. We are fallible creatures you and I, given to jealousy, deceit, murder and all kinds of evil. I know that, and I don’t ask you to contradict it. I ask instead that you channel it. A time will come when all those that oppose us will be dead and destroyed. How great is that God? He allowed his own “angel of mercy” Aniu to be destroyed by me on this very rock. She was faithful to him for how many thousands of years? Yet in one moment, with one action, his love was directed away from her and he turned his back on her and I, Lytion, killed her on this very rock. Now, I will use this rock to bring armies of destruction upon our enemies. When the dust settles and the last of our enemies’ death rattles can be heard on the battlefield, then there will be peace. Then will I free you to your own wims and wishes, whatever they may be. You will be truly free, able to do whatever it is that your black hearts desire without reprisal from me, without me telling you how evil your actions are, without me turning my back on you. This is my promise, and solemn vow; that I will never forsake you, that you will always be welcome in my house, and that you will be free!”

The black wolves all cheered.

Lytion stopped speaking for a moment and silence filled the clearing.

Lytion looked down at the rock. “Father, I ask now for your assistance. You sent me into this world to gather for you an army to add to those you have mustered in hell and I have done this. I ask now that you would add that army to our number, that we might crush all those that oppose you. Father Shade you have guided me in the destruction of Aniu, and the desecration of all she stood for. For this guidance I thank you. I know that you require a payment for your assistance. One part of that payment was the blood of an angel, spattered here on this rock. The blood remains of the greatest of angels. The other part of the payment is the blood of a demon. I offer it now, the blood of a prince of demons.”

Lytion raised his paw and tore into it with his teeth. Blood poured from the wound and fell to the rock where the bloodstains from Aniu’s violent death remained. As the Lytion’s blood struck that of Aniu the ground shook. A few of the trees on the outlying edges of the clearing toppled over, and the sky became dark as night. Rain began to fall and lightning streaked across the sky.

Lytion raised his head. “It is begun.” He said. “The end of days, the reign of him who was cast out.” An evil grin split his face, exposing his daggerlike teeth. “…the beast has returned to claim his crown.”

The earth rumbled and shook as if in great turmoil. The ground behind the origin split open and a great orange glow emanated from it. Over the sharp clap of thunder could be heard the howls of pain from ten thousands of souls trapped in the fiery pit. Suddenly blackened and burned wolves began to leap from the pit, growling, their fur steaming in the falling rain.

Lytion turned to face them. “This is my army.” He said. “Join them.”

The torn and tattered visages of the demon wolves moved to stand beside the black wolves already gathered there.

Lytion grinned. “If this God is so great, if Aniu was his angel, why does he remain silent? Where is his champion?” He grinned. “Who will stop me?”

The voice that answered Lytion surprised him. “We will!”

Lytion turned to see an orange wolf flying at him. He tried to fend off the attack, but he was too surprised to react quickly.

The wolf slammed into him and toppled him off the rock.

Suddenly the clearing was filled with screams of battle as the wolves of the Talbourne slammed into the back of those gathered at the origin.

Soon howls of pain, of anguish, of suffering could be heard over the growls and snarls.

The war had begun.

Blaize looked up at the road sign on the corner of the deserted street he stood on. The wind blew and snow filled the air as he saw the words on it.

Joyce.

He looked ahead of him and saw a decaying billboard of a fish and an aluminum can. He saw a dog standing outside the building and quickly sprinted across the road into an abandoned and burned out building. He ducked under a fallen rafter and hopped over an overturned table. He jumped from this to an ash covered sofa which he ran along until he came to a glassless window. He jumped through it and landed on the snow outside.

Blaize looked around and once he was sure that no one had seen him he ran across the street and ducked behind a stack of crates outside an abandoned warehouse. He walked among them for a moment and then sprinted across an alley to the side of the cannery.

He paused here to catch his breath and edged up to the corner of the building.

A second dog had joined the first guard since his strategic approach. He stayed his ground and simply watched.

The new arrival turned to the guard and laughed. “Wow, you pulled a fun detail.”

The guard scowled. “Tell me about it. I’m freezing my tail off out here.”

The new arrival laughed again. “…just glad it’s you instead of me.”

“…whatever.” The guard said.

“Well, I’m going to check on our guest.” The new arrival said. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes to relieve you.”

“Then it will be your tail that’s freezing off out here.” The guard said.

“Yeah, yeah.” The new arrival said. Then he turned and walked back inside the building.

Blaize closed his eyes and counted to thirty, giving the dog enough time to get far away from the guard, then he snuck around the corner. The guard had turned to look down the street. Blaize sprinted at him, keeping low. When he had closed the distance between them to five feet he leapt.

The dog never new what hit him.

Blaize landed on his back and simultaneously sunk his teeth into the dog’s neck. The dog fell to the snow and Blaize went with him as the dog tried to kick and squirm away. He tried to scream, but all that came out was a wet gurgle.

Finally the dog went limp and Blaize released his grip on the him. He stood up and spit, trying to get the coppery taste of blood out of his mouth.

He hated the taste of it.

Blaize sighed. He knew that before the night was over he’d probably taste it again.

He looked around and made sure that no one had heard him or the guard in their scuffle. When no one appeared through the door he snuck up to it and looked inside, keeping low.

The dog was coming back.

Blaize withdrew his head and stayed at the side of the doorway.

He closed his eyes and listened to the paw-steps as they drew closer, getting louder with each passing second.

The paw-steps paused in the doorway as the returning dog saw the downed guard and the blood on the snow.

Blaize opened his eyes and leapt.

He grabbed the dog at the side of his neck