Character limit OP. Please nerf.
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{slide=Part Six - The Wolves|center}Ocelot had been waiting outside for brother Korin to come out of the building. He was simply lounging, leaning against a tree on the far side of the cobbled street. He heard the chirp of a bird and he looked around for it, longing for the skies. He felt the vibrations of the earth beneath him, longing to be underground. He heard the sound of footsteps inside, longing to be inside.
After a few minutes, a new sound appeared, one that shouldn't have been there. People inside were shouting about a thief. Ocelot forwent all of the other sounds, dropped to all fours and sprang inside. The scene was already bad when Ocelot got inside. Blood, both fresh and old, spattered every wall. A thick mass of bodies formed a ring around two creatures: One a bear, there other a wolf. The animals were really tearing into each other with tooth and claw, nothing was held back.
There was another creature lying near the edge of the ring, this one appeared to be some sort of large lizard. Its throat showed three crimson lines that had barely bled yet. Korin saw him enter the room and screamed for him to run, and just as soon had a massive paw slammed into his canine jaw. Ocelot stared in horror as he saw his older brother take the blow. In a fury, half at his brother and half at his opponent, Ocelot pounced forward and sunk his teeth into the bear's neck, holding firm until it ceased its struggle.
Korin, bruised and bloodied, was impressed, but there was no time for that now. He reached down and took Ocelot by the scruff of his neck and practically drug him out of the building and down the street. It was quite a sight to see a sprinting man dragging a wolf behind him, though the humor didn't override their contempt for the mutants. It didn't take long for the crowd inside to give chase.
Korin literally threw his little brother into the air and dropped to all fours. Ocelot rolled during his transformation and followed his brother. He knew exactly where his brother was going, but needed to catch up to speak with him on the way.
"What the hell, Korin?!" Ocelot was livid the his brother had been taking part in an underground fighting ring, fighting his own kind no less!
Korin knew there was nothing he could say that wouldn't further infuriate his brother, and so he remained silent. Ocelot had to calm down eventually.
They ran in silence for a few minutes, while Ocelot gathered his thoughts. "At least tell me what happened in there. An underground fighting ring, really?"
"It's not what you think. The Basilisk- He stole something from someone, so I took action against him. Apparently death is too harsh a punishment punishment for a thief, and 'an eye for an eye' they said. Since I had killed someone, I had to be killed. The bear was the first to attack me, and so I was fighting him. Now I must ask, why the hell did you come in?!"
Ocelot was unconvinced. Korin had no reason to have left him outside unless he was doing something illegal. Thieves were almost always sentences to death, especially Foresters, as their race had come to be known. And then- "What is the purpose of that building if not for underground fights? The walls were covered in blood!"
Reluctantly, Korin had to give in, he knew there was no excuses for this one. "Alright, alright. I was fighting illegally with other Foresters. Happy now?!"
"Not quite. Why?"
"Look, Ocelot, I'm a fighter. The two of us living alone all the way out here is boring. There's nothing worthwhile to hunt!"
Ocelot understood his brother's position perfectly. He, too, was growing bored of the mundane creatures around them. He didn't need to say anything, his silence spoke for him.
Nearing the Den, the brothers slowed. Their race was always looked down upon because people feared them. Naturally, there would be times when they simply couldn't stay in town. The Den was a place for just that occaision, all foresters were welcome when they needed a place to stay. Korin, now humanoid, tapped on the wooden door with his ever present claws. He knew Boaris would admit them, but he while they may look like them, Foresters aren't beasts.
A burly man with small tusks opened his door. No one ever asked what beast he was, or where he got his name. He was smiling, but it faded a small bit when he saw them. The wolves were porbably his most frequent guests. He was worried for the boys. Being Foresters was bad enough, but having no parents to speak of surely didn't help their status. He greeted the brothers as he would anyone else, with a hot meal and a warm bed. He knew they'd talk bout it in the morning, they always did.{/slide}
{slide=Part Seven - Union|center}A slightly build man with wild eyes awakened among the clouds. For some reason beyond him, he was equipped with full armor and a personal arsenal of weapons: A spear, a hammer, and a wicked looking dagger. He could hear voices all around him, and every one of them seemed familiar, as if he knew them all, but he could pinpoint none. He could make out no words, but the message was clear: Cleanse.
He looked up, and all he could see was a clear blue sky. He looked to the sides, and it appeared as a plain had been swept by snow, but some parts were left untouched. He looked down, and his vision of himself stopped at his waist; he was standing in a cloud. He tried to take a step and he lost all feeling. He was falling out of the sky. In the split second of his fall, he noticed a familiar landscape: Tall pines, a circular-walled city, and a small log cabin.
Panicked, he shot up in his bed. The bed wasn't exactly his, he had offered a room in a place called "The Den." He knew the place was mostly reserved for members of a race of shapeshifters, Foresters some called them, but after explaining his situation to the tusked owner, he was told to stay as long as he needed. There were only two other guests at the time, two Foresters who's beasts appeared to be wolves.
The guests conversed over a kill that the wolves had brought in, a small deer. With the other guest in mind, they brought it back to be cooked instead of simply digging in on the spot. They talked about a variety of things, but it was mostly introductory. The older wolf asked the knight what a human was doing in the Den, and he was obligated to answer. He told his story, it wasn't exactly a happy one, but it was a story nonetheless. He shared every detail from when he killed the king, to when he killed the man who made him do it, to his quest for redemption with the Redimet, and finally the standoff between him and his somehow-still-alive 'partner.'
The wolf, Korin, was engrossed in the tale, and was tempted to ask the man to join him and his brother Ocelot. But join them where? They didn't have anywhere to go, that's why they spent so many restless nights in the Den. Boaris had always treated them like sons. They saw him as a father. They'd miss him if they left. But Boaris felt that way about all of his guests, that's why he opened the place to begin with. He'd seen hundreds of Foresters come and go, but never before had a human requested to stay in the Den.
Obelis sensed that his story was not complete. He had yet to mention his dream. Perhaps these wolves would know something he didn't? After much internal debate, he brought it up, making it sound like an afterthought. "I also had a dream this morning. I woke among the clouds and a thousand voices seemed to be telling me to 'cleanse' something. I tried to move and everything came crashing down. The voices stopped, and I was falling from the sky. I could see Glaend, I could see the forest, and I could see the Den."
Korin was the one to respond, but he seemed lost in thought and his voice was muddled. "Cleanse...." As he said the first word, his animal instinct alerted him to a presence outside. He continued speaking, or rather making noises that grew gradually more gutteral, as he moved slowly toward the door. The presence was around the side of the wooden building, and Ocelot felt it, too. Obelis watched on, amazed as the brothers' faces seemed to elongate seamlessly, their spines hunch, and their limbs shorten. He'd heard tales of Foresters, but he'd never seen one transform, or at all.
The front door had no lock, and Korin simply nudged it with his face and it opened effortlessly. All growling had ceased, and as soon as the wolves were outside, they were around the corner in a lightning sprint. Obelis tried to follow, but couldn't compete with the speed of these creatures. He caught only a glimpse of shadow fading away as he turned the corner. When he arrived, the brothers had been wolves, but by the time he realized what had happened, Korin was humanoid again, slamming his fist against the wall, angry that his quarry escaped him so easily. Ocelot kept a cooler head and spoke. "I think we found whatever it is you're supposed to cleanse."{/slide}
{slide=Part Eight - Interrupted|center}The trio had regrouped back at the Den, and Obelis explained to the wolves the significance of what had happened. He filled in all the gaps in the story he'd told them that morning, every last detail. He was in the process of drafting a map of previously visited altars when a man and a woman, both with leathery skin, burst through the door, unhinging it.
"Found you, wolf." The apparent leader's forked tongue darted quickly in and out of his mouth as he shouted venomously at the elder wolf. His last word was particularly vicious. The wolves bolted upright, flinging their seats across the room. Instantly, the bulky form of Boaris was imposing itself between the two parties.
The innkeeper's voice was guttural, and his tone was none too welcoming. "How many times have I told you three not to start fights in my inn? You know the rules: Anyone fighting in my building gets impaled."
The belligerent basilisk was uninhibited. "Impaled by what? Those twigs you call 'tusks'?"
Before Boaris could respond, Obelis thought it'd be best to diffuse the situation himself. "No. By this." He took the spear from his back and brandished it threateningly.
Boaris glared at Obelis, but did not try to stop him. The female basilisk however, jumped at him and swatted his spear away. From his position under the giant lizard, Obelis could feel huge razor claws piercing his armor and digging into his shoulders. "What are you going to impale me with now, human?"
Korin was in wolf form now, ready to pounce. He recognized these beasts from his last minutes in town. He knew why they were there, but he didn't know why Obelis was so quick to his defense. Ocelot, on the other hand, was standing by, puzzled. He didn't have a clue as to why the basilisks showed up, why his brother was so on edge, or why one of the lizards attacked his new friend.
Although it was painful to do so, Obelis could still move his arms. He reached for the right side of his belt, where his dagger was. As he did so, the claws that were gradually progressing through his armor and into his flesh sunk deeper. Obelis was losing a lot of blood, and with enormous effort he worked his arm between the beast's body and his own and drove the knife upward. The kris found its mark through the soft underbelly of the scaly creature and into its heart. Obelis struggled to rise as the deceased basilisk went limp on top of him.
Seeing the corpse of the lizard, something clicked in Ocelot's mind. He'd seen this before. This was the same sort of scaly creature that he saw dying before. These basilisks were here to avenge their fallen kin by slaying the wolf who ended his life. Instantly, Ocelot was on the attack. He would bring the fight to the lizards before he'd let them touch his brother. He lunged forward with a snarl, aiming to tear the leader's throat out, but neither teeth nor claws could pierce the basilisk's stone skin.
The reptile merely smacked the young wolf away with its heavy tail and threw itself at Korin. Korin pounced as well and the two creatures collided. The lizard was twice the size of the wolf and had the weight to match. Korin didn't stand a chance; he was pinned to the ground just as Obelis had been. Unlike the human, however, Korin had no armor to protect him from the talons of the beast.
Bleeding heavily and on the verge of death, Korin had given up struggling. He accepted that it was time for him to pay for what he'd done. He'd killed out of cold blood. Before he lost consciousness, he muttered two simple words: "I'm sorry." He knew it was too little and too late, but he felt better for saying it, as if an enormous weight had been lifting off of him. No, not lifted. Torn. The basilisk was flying across the room, propelled by a ball of snarling brown fur.{/slide}
{slide=Part Nine - Em|center}"It's a package deal with these two," Boaris was saying, "You take them in, you take in their past. I couldn't count the number of times the two've stayed here. Every time a different reason."
Obelis was quiet for a moment, connecting bits of information he'd learned about Korin. "I see...He may have omitted the part about Basilisks wanting him dead. He's going to pull through, right?"
Boaris looked his guest straight in the eye, knowing that the outlook was grim. "I couldn't tell you. Em's doing all she can."
As if on cue, a tall, thin woman with pointed ears and long green hair came upstairs. Boaris and Obelis were afraid to take Korin upstairs to be treated, so they'd gone themselves. Ocelot stayed down to see his brother through until the bitter end. "Korin should be fine. I've stopped the bleeding, but he's lost a lot of blood. I'm just glad I'm here to clean his wounds and not the bar."
Boaris was immediately standing and embracing the dryad who had saved the wolf that he saw as his son. His smile was wide and curled around his tusks in a way that looked more serious than he felt. "Thank you, Em. I knew you'd pull him through. You always do."
Emilia smiled and subtly disengaged herself from the burly man holding her hostage in his arms. "He wouldn't have had a chance if you hadn't intervened. Don't you have rules against violent contact in your bar?"
The barkeep took a step back and rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I...Made an exception."
Led by Emilia, the trio headed downstairs to see the wolves. Ocelot had received only minor bruises, but Korin had gotten severe wounds in each of his shoulders and a large gash across his chest. He was lying on a table, his upper body almost completely bandaged.
Upon seeing the others arrive, Korin propped himself up on his elbow, wincing only slightly. "Thanks, Em. I feel a lot better." Ocelot's reaction was a bit unenthusiastic considering his brother was lucky to even be with all of his limbs; he simply sat and stared.
Emilia simply smiled at the wolf. Adolecents can be so resilient... "If that will be all, I bid you four farewell, unless I am needed for anything else." She shifted her gaze around the room, looking to everyone for a response.
Emilia started to to turn and Obelis threw out his arm on her shoulder. "Actually, there is something I need help with." The dryad spun around and smiled, pleased that she could still be of service. "Have you ever heard of something called the Redimet?"
At the name, Em's eyes closed and every muscle in her body relaxed, as if she was searching every crevice of her being. Without opening her eyes she asked, "What is it you wish to know?"
Obelis payed no mind to the woman's strange behavior, she had information, and he needed it. "Rituals. Do you know if they do any sort of sacrifices? What are their methods of recruiting? Do they do anything specific with altars?"
Her voice was cool and smooth, as if she was speaking not with her voice, but with her essence. "Sacrifices, yes. They drain the blood of the sacrifices into altars to commune with their godess, Chaurum. As for recruiting: They find someone who has done something wrong, make them feel endebted, and convince them that the Redimet is the road to redemption."
Obelis listened intently to her every word. "And is it? The road to redemption, I mean."
The dryad opened her eys and shook her head. "I can only tell you what is solid fact. That answer varies, and thus I cannot know it. I'm sorry."
Obelis smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you," he said simply, "You have helped me a great deal." Emilia smiled, nodded, and exited the building through the still shattered door frame.{/slide}
{slide=Part Ten - The End.|center}A week had passed and Korin had made a full recovery, if a little scarred. In the meantime, Obelis had spoken with Boaris and Ocelot about all manner of things. Most of it tribial, they were just passing the time. Obelis had grown fond of the young wolves and dreaded the possibility of leaving them behind. He wanted desperately to take down the Redimet, but just as important to him was the company of the brothers.
The trio set out once more, their destination clear. They were heading to the fourth and final altar. During the time of Korin's recovery, Obelis had drafted a map of Glaend and the surrounding area. The altars he had previously visited were all equidistant from the city walls and at even intervals. If the region was a clock, the previous altars would be at the two, five and eight o'clock positions. Through reasoning, Obelis concluded that it'd be only logical for the fourth and presumably final altar to be at the eleven o'clock position to the northwest of town.
The party passed through town, garnering dirty looks from the people who had all but forgotten what they had done. Well, one of them. No one could forgot the man who murdered King Turkin. As for the others, they were simply Foresters, and that alone was sufficient reason to stare. The group was then faced with the familiar scene of forest, after all, it surrounded the city entirely. They went through the forest unbothered. Which is to say, there was nothing there to bother them. There was no birdsong, no chirping crickets, no anything. It was just them and the sound of their boots crunching the fallen leaves.
The party eventually came upon a clearing. Naturally. They'd reached the destination they'd set out to. But something was missing. Obelis had grown used to the lack of natural sound; it was something else. It was as if he could feel a presence, but nothing was with him but the wolves. That was it! There was nothing! The altar wasn't there! This was clearly where the altar should have been, but why wasn't it there? He remembered when he had struck out at the 'angel' that spoke with him, Chaurum they called it. He'd just been floating there, suspending in time. But even then the altar was there. The altar was the only thing there.
Unconsciously, Obelis reached for his ever present kris and approached the center of the clearing. Unaware of himself, he extended his left hand, and grasped the dagger in his right. He felt the blade cut his skin, he felt his hot blood run down his palm. And he felt. He could actually feel again. He looked around incredulously, and saw that nothing was moving. He could move and see and feel, but...Nothing else could. He was left to wonder for minutes until he'd bled enough to allow Chaurum to come down.
"Godess," he said, "I have come to offer you my final sacrifice."
The floating being glared down at him imperiously. "That is good, child, but it is not your final. You're nearing the end of your quest. Soon you'll finally be able to call yourself 'Redeemed.'"
"Tell me. What must I do?"
"Come." For the first time, Obelis saw the ethereal being leave an altar. "I will guide you."
Obelis could not remember the trip, or that he had even left the clearing, but he was standing in the center of town with the Goddess and the wolves. There was no one to be seen, and the world around him seemed dull and grey. The only thing he could see in detail was the marble fountain. It was the centerpiece of the city, admired by all of Glaend's inhabitants. The walls of buildings formed a near perfect circle around the fountain, broken only by roads.
The world spun and Obelis saw double. The next thing he knew, he was standing at the edge of the fountain, elder wolf bent over the side of it with a knife at his neck. Obelis could feel the Goddess, no. The demon. Pushing him to murder his friend. In the silence, Obelis could hear the knife slice into flesh, hear blood start to drip and mingle with the water of the fountain. He pulled back, resistant, and threw his bleeding companion away from him. As he did so, Ocelot was thrown to him, but he caught the juvenile and restrained the the urge to slice him open.
Obelis turned to where the boy was thrown from and saw her...It. The beautiful being that had once talked to him so sweetly had been replaced by a snarling beast. It was hunched over and bipedal. Long talons protruded from its fingertips, and odd tufts sprung haphazardly from its body. Without hesitation, Obelis charged. He didn't bother to change his weapon, he knew the kris would suffice. The demon lashed out at him, and caught him with its claws, leaving deeps gashes. But it got in no further hits. Obelis tackled it to the ground and plunged his knife mercilessly into it. The throat, the chest, the shoulder, he didn't bother aiming, he was just stabbing.
The world around him cleared. Slowly, he heard screams rising in volume, as if his ears had been covered. He saw fleeing people come into focus. The air smelled metallic and think with the stench of blood. The fountain in the center of town: Running red. Those who weren't running at top speed away from the murderer going on a killing spree in the center of town were lying lifeless of the ground, they couldn't run fast enough. Obelis recognized some of the faces lying still. Among them: Korin. Ocelot. Emelia. In fact, Emelia was lying under him, mutilated. He realized in horror that he'd not been redeeming himself, but playing himself into the hands of a demon.
As he saw it, he had only one option. He clenched his dagger in both hands, pointing the blade towards himself. He squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself as the dagger found its mark. Obelis fell as the crimson stream flowed steadily from his neck.
A familiar voice spoke to him. "Welcome. You've done well."{/slide}[/accordion]
