Lycantis: Rage of Wolves by Malaena Medford (ebook pc reader TXT) 📖

the first time this has happened in our history. Everyone should remember Amatarusk Bear Claw… He left claw marks on all of his victims.” He looked at her over his square spectacles - smoothed glass panels held by metal wires, his own invention - and said, “You may very well be just like him, the time is right for the–”

“Eh’Atris! Not now, this is not the time for that,” Urdes shouted from behind the old healer.

The healer jumped, then nodded at him and turned to help three others in the room, one looked like he had bruised his fist from punching the other intruder too hard.

Urdes looked at Milavenai curiously, and then he smiled and left the building. The two men who had brought the corpse in followed him. Eh’Atris turned to look at the door, and then walked over to his stove. He put some powder in a cup then added a white liquid, then took it to Milavenai.

“Drink this, it will help you rest,” he said.

She drank the steaming liquid, which tasted sweet and strong. The room darkened, swirling into nothingness as her eyes glazed over. Phiuri caught her as she fell forward, then he set her on the bed properly and laid her head on the pillow.

All was dark.

 

 

 

*          *          *

 

The Chosen

 

II

 

 

Milavenai woke in a grassy field; there was a breeze blowing in the velvety bluish trees. She stood, hearing children laughing and a woman speaking. Over in the distance she saw a young she‑elf surrounded by a small group of elven children. Milavenai slowly made her way toward the circle, feeling every blade of soft grass beneath her feet. She neared the she‑elf, glancing around for a moment.

<Welcome young one,> the elf said without speaking aloud. <You are meant for great things, terrible fates, a sinister plot that could unwind the very fabric of time and space.>

“What? How? I’m a nobody…I can’t do anything special–” Milavenai started.

The elf continued after raising her hand and smiling, <That is why we chose you. No one would ever suspect anyone without significance, and you are safe as long as you remain a ‘nobody’ in the eyes of the Order.> She lowered her head, then spoke again, an expression of utmost horror upon her face as she looked up again. <You must endure sorrow which you cannot compare, hatred you have never felt, a fury inside must be awakened. If you do not accept these things, you will lose everything you hold dear, and all will be lost to the tyranny of those who wish to have all power in the universe.>

Milavenai stood there, her mouth slightly open in wonder. “What is a ‘universe’? And what is the ‘Order’?”

<The universe is everything, all the stars, worlds, and your world as well. If the Order controls it, everything will be as they want it, as they see the world to be. As for the Order, you will know in time,> the she‑elf said as the world around seemed to tense up and pull away from Milavenai. Everything twisted and contorted away, finally into nothing.

Everything went dark again.

~

As Milavenai awoke, a sense of complete rest and rejuvenation enveloped her. Her father was humming something and Eh’Atris was talking to a patient. Was it a dream? She thought to herself. It felt so real, yet almost like it never happened. The Order…what was that about? An image of the men in robes flashed through her mind. But, weren’t they just bandits? Her head was swimming with questions, but yielded no answers back.

“Phiuri, shouldn’t you be out with the hunting party? The leaders of those men chased away most of the game and you should be looking for more in the western regions,” Eh’Atris stated calmly.

Phiuri let out a sigh. “I’m staying where I’m needed. She is my only child, Elsys and I haven’t been able to have any more.”

Eh’Atris hummed in thought, then extrapolated, “Perhaps she is stronger than you think? You need to start letting reality course in and look at the signs.” He paused a moment. “I know Urdes would be angry for me to mention it, but it is coming true…there is not a doubt in my mind about it. We need to be more careful in our dealings with fate. We are pushing our luck hunting when it is strictly forbidden, as it is.”

“Yes, I know,” Phiuri said. “I just want to make sure all that was said can happen. If I lose her then what I saw will not become a reality and then what? We will all be finished.” They both remained quiet for some time, then Phiuri stood. “I will hunt with the others to feed the village, she will need to rest until we can send her to Lunas Cainus…but in time, my friend. I will go first to ensure a safe passage.”

The thought swam through her mind.

Lunas Cainus…

~

The setup for Milavenai’s initiation was moved to the lake that evening, as it had been so violently interrupted. A grand feast was prepared around a bonfire, and the intruder who was still alive was chained to a stake in the ground with only his undergarments to cover his loins. His comrade was beside him, reeking of rotting flesh. A band played music as the members of the Elite Blood Claw set everything up.

Phiuri walked through the arrangement with Milavenai, examining the food and décor. Skulls and various bones of animals she had hunted were displayed around the camp. He eyed the robed man malevolently. The man had been placed in the one spot where everyone could watch as Koor and Tanix, Milavenai’s kadakas, ripped them apart.

Milavenai walked ahead of her father, straight to Pip, who was tied near her seat. He was trying to get to the various fruits and vegetables on the table. She retrieved some peria and placed them in front of him, and he happily munched away at them.

Phiuri walked up to Pip and patted him. “Mila, I need to speak with Urdes. Just stay here, I will be announcing something as soon as those men are nothing but bone.”

“Yes, Father,” she said.

She was not in any mood to sit, so she helped with the arrangement. She also wondered what her father was going to announce.

Arktus walked up to her and expressed gratuitously, “Your father is truly the bravest man here… You, in my opinion, must be the bravest and strongest young woman in the village.”

Milavenai blushed, but felt good about being complimented so.

“Thank you,” she replied. “Those men will never stop raiding, but we will never fall by their hand nor anyone else’s. What my father is going to do to them is not cruelty, it is justice that fits them perfectly.”

He smiled and helped her heave a pole with a banner into a pre‑made slot in the ground.

The celebration was finally underway as two men brought out a huge roasted beast on a thick stave of oak wood. The smell reached everyone’s nostrils as they passed, causing a wave of delighted comments from the villagers. They set it near the bonfire and walked away as Phiuri walked in front of it.

“Everyone, please listen,” he said, and the noise died down. “Last night the festivities in the hall were delayed by those men.” He pointed to the man and his dead partner. “And so, we will enjoy tonight in its full bounty with a kadaka‑driven execution. Let the celebration commence!”

An enormous man - wearing a thick leather harness, bracers adorned with claws and teeth, a horned helm, loincloth trousers, and horn‑spiked boots - led two large, spiked hyena‑like animals into the middle of the area, where the assassin stood petrified with terror. The animals wagged their tails happily and their tongues lopped to the sides as they panted and looked around at the celebrants. He shook so badly that he could hardly stand at all, and he tried to get the stake out of the ground. The kadaka trainer released Milavenai’s pets to the men. Everyone watched as they were both devoured, the live one screaming out in sheer pain and terror.

As the screaming stopped with a violent crunch, the people started getting up to serve themselves from the vast amounts of food on the tables. Milavenai immediately bee‑lined to the rare meats and grabbed a small beast leg and ribs. She was so hungry she felt as though she could eat a whole deer. She grabbed more peria and a vine of smaller, grape‑like fruits. The vegetable section didn’t look too bad. There were blue potato things and red carrots cooked with odd‑looking whole bean pods. She helped herself to a heaping plate and sat down next to Pip. He was gorging on raw fruits and vegetables that people were giving him on passing.

The meal was excellent and everyone was enjoying themselves thoroughly. The drunk from the night before was drunk yet again and telling outlandish tales from his former days. Some children were causing trouble at the edge of the lake, making Milavenai laugh as their parents tried to keep them in line.

The bonfire was surrounded by the musicians and two bards Milavenai had grown up around, and the crowd of villagers sang with them. She trotted over and joined in, laughing at how silly some of the songs were, and thinking of how nice it felt to be part of her village.

Nearing the end of the night, Phiuri caught everyone’s attention again. “Everybody, I have an announcement to make,” he said.

As all of the villagers ceased and gave him their attention; they realized he was gravely serious.

Clearing his throat he said, “The last few raids on our small town have caused us to lose three of our own only in the last two weeks, may they rest with peace in their hearts. We need to take action, but this will not be any simple fight. The Ancients left us with a prophecy, one which became a legend and to some a myth. We are all descendants of Ayr, though we do not speak the name so we may protect ourselves.” Milavenai was very confused, however listened intently as Phiuri continued, “We have been discovered somehow, no one here can deny this. The men who are attacking us were mentioned in the scrolls and tablets translated for us, even the mark they bear on their backs and pendants. A messenger must go with a pure blood to the island of Lunas Cainus. There our fate will be decided–”

One man interrupted, “But…that’s where the lycans are! They would kill us all if they knew we sent our own people there!”

Phiuri held up his hands. “Yes, there are lycans, but they are not as dreadful and vicious as said in myths. They are people like us, villagers with homes and families, with loved ones and beliefs. But they can change themselves into a terrible beast form that humans fear because it is different. What you all have been kept from knowing – what Urdes’ family line was sworn to keep from you – is that we are connected to them as a family, we as the Ayrs came from Lunas Cainus by the blood of our