Chapter Four
Nox came to Echo's quarters often over the next three days. Sometimes, all he did was just step in, without a word, and take her, sometimes under protest, but never strong enough to stop him from having his wicked way, because Echo wanted the brutality. She wanted to be taken, to be dominated by this werewolf.
In the times when they did communicate, Echo admitted she was planning to go back to the chasm at a point and check something. With everyone from the expedition significantly recovered now, Helena and Erlandur were preparing to send the expedition back to allow the werewolf army to cross over.
Echo wanted to explore the pipeline before she escorted the chosen ones back to the Spine base.
“If it's a pipeline, it shouldn't be anything special, right?” Nox lazily trailed his fingers over her arms as she lay down, but she pouted stubbornly.
“That's what I hope. But I'm not sure if the system stretches that far out from the city. Part of me wonders if it might be something else. Don't forget,” she said, flicking his nose, “we still don't know how the Shadows are making it so far. The Lunar Wastes should be hindering them. Helena says this as well. And I think she ought to know, being, you know, a Supreme.”
“How old is that one, anyway?”
“Old,” Echo replied, not wanting to elaborate. She didn’t know herself, really, but suspected it might be edging into a millennium.
“Hmph.” Nox examined her, gauging the intent in her expression. “Shall I come with you? It won't take too long, right?”
“It shouldn't. I'll need to inform Helena, so she doesn't have a heart attack if she finds me missing.”
Nox leaned over to nibble at her eyebrow, before kissing her on the lips. “Alright. Wrap up warm.”
She did so and sought out Helena, who was in heavy conference with Erlandur, Loras, and two other Supremes, Jael and Deyna. Jael had blonde, short hair and oddly blue glowing eyes in dark skin. The male Supreme, Deyna, had short hair as black as midnight, with white streaks through it. The Supremes struck an impressive presence, all clustered in the room.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Echo said, when she drew their attention. “There's something I want to inspect before we leave. It's an investigation into how the Shadows are able to get around the wastelands.”
Jael glowered at Echo. “Don't you think we've already tried everything on that?”
“What's your suspicion, child?” Helena said, interrupting Jael's gruff tones.
“A sewer pipeline.”
Now Deyna spoke, his voice soft and measured. “We already thought of that. We've scoured the systems under the city. There's nothing there.”
“It's a pipeline in the chasm.”
The Supremes fell silent a moment. Erlandur raised his eyebrow.
“It might not be anything,” Echo added. “But I'm not sure if the system extends so far out from the City. I'd like to check it.”
Jael nodded slowly. “Forgive my tone, child. You're right to follow up on any leads. Will it be just you going?”
“Me and the werewolf, Nox.”
“That should be alright,” Deyna mused. “You can defend yourselves well?”
“Deyna, she's the one who can split her soul into two,” Helena said.
“Ah.”
“Five hours,” Erlandur said. “If you're not back in five hours, we're sending a search party. We need you to take us back.”
Echo nodded. She would have said as much in Erlandur's shoes.
A few minutes later, she loped out of the underground to the snowy surface, holding tight to Nox's back. The notion of the pipeline kept nagging at her, calling to her. Surely she must have passed it many times before, without thinking about it, or considering the fact that it was so far removed from the Fractured City.
A mistake on her part. Now it nagged at the back of her skull. Nox whined questioningly, and she patted him behind his ear. A good man, really. They'd probably all die by the time they engaged in the war – Echo held herself under no illusions the takeover would be anything but easy. She planned to squeeze in a lot more sessions with him. She liked being able to feel something physical, when sometimes her emotions were dead inside. She liked that he didn't care about the danger he smelled from her – rather, he emulated it, and drew it out of her, encouraging her with his aggressive passion.
Monster growled in her head now, tumbling over her emotions, dampening the human part of her. She adjusted her goggles and watched the world roll by, the only place she'd ever known. She wondered sometimes what the south must be like, where they said the day lasted longer than the night, and the people were all blonde like Erlandur, with blue and green eyes, with darker skin tones, rather than the pale ghost white of the Lunar Wastes.
If we survive all this, I'm gonna look into retiring into the south so I don't have to deal with this moon-cursed cold all the time.
Soon enough, they reached the area where she thought she spotted the pipeline. She dismounted and summoned Monster, and they both hitched a ride on her darkness, gliding down the chasm into the gloom, pausing at the glint of metal that jutted half in and out of the rock.
The pipe looked tough, but Monster had a few tricks up its sleeve. Both Nox and Echo stood at the bottom of the crevice, as Monster transformed into a whirring, circular saw about thirty inches wide that spun around the pipe at dizzying speeds. Nox morphed into his human form.
“Wow,” he said. “That's a pretty versatile Shadow you got there.”
“Yes,” Echo agreed through clenched teeth. Precision work like this required a lot more energy than normal. Her head already throbbed hard within a minute of the sawing, but Monster managed to create a sizeable gap that they could squeeze into. The metal itself appeared to have been devoured.
Nox whistled, impressed. “Remind me to not get on the bad side of you.”
Echo smirked, before surreptitiously rubbing her temples. She advanced further into tunnel, instantly noting that there was no sludge or grime. If anything, the piping appeared immaculate, and big enough for several people to walk in it side by side, though the sewer systems and cisterns had always been massive within the Fractured City.
Absently, she reached for Nox's hand and held it, endorsing in his warmth, happy to not be alone. Without the light of above, they ventured into sheer blackness, and had to be careful with their process, in case any unexpected obstacles blocked their ways. Bit by bit, they made progress. Slow as it seemed at times, they kept silence, only their breaths and faint clanging sounds echoing through the metal corridor.
Presently, after a considerable amount of time passed, Nox whispered, “I hear something.”
Echo heard nothing at all, and fumbled for Nox, encouraging him to go in front, to follow what his senses lured him to. “I smell Shadows...” he growled. His voice echoed slightly, and she motioned by tapping his back for him to keep going, and stop talking.
Her heart pulsed faster when she too heard noises. Something awaited them, something that might not be so friendly upon seeing a werewolf and Shadow tag teaming together.
Now she saw a flickering light in the distance, and suppressed a gasp.
Something was definitely there. Something ominous.
Close enough to hear it, Echo's ears picked up the sounds of guttural moans. Hisses. Screeches. The light brightened enough for Echo to see Nox's face, and she saw a deep loathing in his eyes.
That meant one thing.
Shadows.
She placed a hand on his shoulder. The tunnel only led one way, and silhouettes were cast upon the walls. She whispered into his ear, “Let me go ahead now. I will look more in place than you. You stay here.”
He nodded, swallowing his rage. “Be quick.”
Echo now ventured ahead, her hands pressing into the walls. Emerging from the end of the tunnel, she dropped into a wide, expansive corridor.
She gaped as she took in the sight of an enormous underground network.
This is it! This is how the Shadows have been making it so far in the Lunar Wastes!
The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, disappearing into darkness. She almost jumped when she saw several mindless Shadows turn a corner from her right, and shuffle aimlessly down. They completely ignored her, but hesitated near where Nox hid, sensing him. After confused milling, they continued on with their primary directive, shambling into the murk.
Echo watched them go, closing her eyes for a moment.
This explains everything. I have to get back and let them know. The Fractured City has been building an underground that likely extends to near the end of the Lunar Wastes.
She inhaled sharply upon approaching a door made completely out of metal and... charcoal. A slit existed within the door. Her instincts told her something awful lurked behind it. She slid it open, and peered into an unlit room.
Growls and shrieks permeated the room at the light that beamed past her. Forms, black forms spilled over one another, and a myriad of blue, gleaming eyes stared at her like lanturns.
With a start, she snapped it shut again.
There were more doors like this one. All made from metal and charcoal.
More of those things.
Echo began to curse under her breath. She heard footsteps, and hastily retreated back into the tunnel, scrambling through until she reached Nox.
“Let's get out of here. Now.”
“What did you see? You look panicked. What happened?”
“Not now. Go! Someone's coming.”
They both scrambled through the tunnel. It occurred to Echo, dimly, that someone might approach them from the other direction.
Ah well.
Luckily, no one did, though the gigantic hole where the pipe once lay would not go amiss from the Shadows. She summoned Monster again to help them clamber up, then chose to chasm surf and explain to Nox.
“They have a massive set of tunnels going underneath the Lunar Wastes. It's how the Shadows have been reaching so far. They just go along the tunnels then emerge up from it into the wastelands.
Nox gasped. “That's it!” He frowned. “How were the tunnels built?”
Echo shrugged. “Pretty sturdy. I saw some Shadows pass. They ignored me – they were using the tunnel I was in. I let them go. Their controller can usually sense if they die.”
“Right,” Nox nodded, excitement pouring out of him. Echo mimicked it, riled up by the discovery.
“There's more. They... must have several animators. Like Erlandur. There's a bunch of cells in the tunnels that are completely stuffed with resurrected corpses. Werewolves, humans, you name it, they're there. There's even some which are like Monster here. The amorphous entities that can wreak destruction if used in the wrong hands. Blasted skies, we must warn them at the base. This changes everything!”
Nox gripped her tight. “You were right to be suspicious. But what do you mean it changes everything? Didn't your lot have a plan before?”
“Yes, well. But the more information, the better, you know? And although the tunnels look sturdy – if we can destroy them, we can likely delay their progress massively.”
“Or you cause a schism in the Lunar Wastes that makes it easier for them to travel.”
“Ugh.” Echo frowned at him, annoyed.
He grinned at her. “Don't worry. We have something tangible here.”
They rode the rest of the way back to inform the Supremes of the location. Helena appeared troubled, and the others, including Erlandur, didn't look happy at the turn of events. Even though it meant an answer to the mysterious progress of the Shadows.
“Thank you for this, Echo. Seriously.” Helena held out a hand to shake. “It does mean we may need to revise a few of our plans. There's more problems to deal with than we initially thought. If we go into the Fractured City with our full forces now, we risk being pincered by the undead in the network.”
Jael and Deyna nodded, disturbed.
Having given them the news, Echo went back to her chambers, with Erlandur informing her that they would leave for the Fractured Spine in a few hours, when the moon lay highest in the sky.
Nox followed her, and they sat in silence for a while.
“We're in trouble,” Echo said.
“Yes,” Nox agreed. Then, they smiled at one another.
“But less than before.”
“You did good,” Nox said. “Brilliant, even. I look forward to being able to fight with you by our side. Among... other things.”
“Likewise.” Echo sat beside him, for once forgoing her usual lustful urges. She preferred to sit comfortably beside him, and visualize a future where they all survived. Where she might be able to persuade this white furred werewolf to come with her to the south, though that did mean abandoning his position as next in line for leader of the Spine.
Well. They'd cross that bridge when they came to it.
Perhaps, Echo thought, reflecting on the monster inside her, it was good to feel emotions. To not let the darkness constantly take over. Someone like Nox could offer a good moral compass for her. To help her tackle the cruel Shadow within, and to balance it out with the human empathy her shell contained.
First off, they needed to survive the blasted mountain and the trip back with a huge army without being discovered.
Echo rested in the crook of Nox's arms, and closed her eyes.
Sleep came. She needed it. She had a lot to do when she woke.
The End
Loras’s Rescue
Guardians of Lunar Wasteland
(Book 6)
Chapter One
Kell watched the moon with an air of interest. Red and pink swathes of color filtered through the atmosphere, tingeing clouds crimson, and dying trees with the faint slash of blood. A frozen sea stretched past her vantage point, down from what was once a sanded beach, now covered by layers of permafrost. In the far distance, she saw the spires of the Fractured City, including the Black Tower that reached higher than the highest mountains. An impressive feat, given that a third of the Fractured Spine reached heights where no living being survived in for long, with the lack of oxygen slowly suffocating them into cold, breathless deaths. That was, if the cold didn't freeze them like an iceberg, or the screaming wind slipstreams knocked them off to their dooms on the hard ice ground below.
Kell had only left the Island a few times in her lifetime, to complete the holy Pilgrimage to the Broken Peak, a discolored mountain in the Spine chain, where the bones of the First Wolf lay buried.
The petty bickering of the clans beyond the sacred Island meant nothing to Kell. Neither did reading the stars, though most on the Crescent Island practised this ability. Kell didn’t believe in the stars. It didn’t make sense for her to have the fate of the world written in them, though many believed otherwise.
The stars were merely symbolic at best, allowing people to attach their meanings to events that shifted within the world's surface.
Kell at least memorized what the stars were supposed to mean, so she didn’t feel too left out.
Jalron stepped up beside her on the windy rock, wrapping himself warmer to protect against the blasts of cold.
“I see you out here more often than not,” he said, staring at her with amber eyes, like all others born upon the Crescent Island. “Who do you wait for? We're all curious to know.”
Kell shook her head, squinting over the icy tundra. “I'm waiting for our shadow knight to return.”
Her companion sighed. “Child, he already has what he came for. There is nothing else we can offer. That armor belonged to the Cursed's Queen's knight. It was our most sacred treasure.”
Kell shook her head. “He might attempt the ritual again.”
“Unlikely. If you fail the first one, you'll fail the rest. He has already shown he is not fit to be of the blessed race.”
Kell tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. “They're coming. I feel it. Helena will be back.”
Jalron hissed. “She is not welcome. We do not suffer her kind upon where the Gods walk. Come, child. You'll only be cold here. Attend to your duties.”
Duties, Kell thought. Things we do to stop ourselves going snow-blind and mad. She picked herself up and followed Jalron back through the woods. The glimmers of spirits flickered their hazy blue nimbus as they paced the woods. Some were shaped like wolves, waiting for a worthy body to infuse themselves into, to begin the blessed bloodline. Others drifted, faint wisps upon the wind, the last memories of their ancestors who were buried in their thousands upon the island. One of the living wolves crossed their path as they walked, a huge mountain of a beast with spirit blue eyes, stopping to watch them pass, before continuing on his way.
We walk among the Gods, Kell thought, but they pay us no heed. Some islanders tended to the main cemeteries that extended over large, flat patches of carefully cleared ground. Stones with markers and sculptures hovered over the most important of their ancestors, werewolves and humans alike. There were many more, of course. All the seers did nowadays was tend to the memory of the ancestors, and pass on the tales to any werewolves or witches, curious to know some of the lost history of their world.
Like Erlandur and Helena. Helena. The one Shadow who did not suffer the wrath of the spirits. The spirits left her alone, something unheard of in their history. Normally, any Shadow within setting foot upon the island would be devoured by the myriad spirits that infused the sacred earth.
She told Jalron to keep walking, she'd return to the town shortly. He agreed and went his way, shuffling through the evergreen trees and the crackle of pine and crunch of snow.
Something prickled at her senses. Her intuition never steered her wrong, and it told her now to head towards the south, to the place where she once watched Erlandur's expedition leave, hoping to return to the rebel faction outside the Fractured City, with him donning the knight's armour.
She paced over, allowing the pull of her magic to bring her forward. She walked past trees with crystalline patterns in them, the familiar blue glow of a place filled with spirit energy. The Crescent Island was most beautiful at night, and since the night lasted a long time, it meant their Island was always shining.
When Kell finally made it through the sapphire woods, she almost walked straight into a white and silver furred werewolf.
The wolf growled, hackles rising, and Kell recognized it instantly as a member of the Spine clan. A fine specimen – the spirits were already sniffing at him, enjoying his company.
And if there was a member of the Spine clan here, then surely...
Behind the growling wolf came five other people – and Kell gasped. Three Shadow tainted humans. Kell examined each of them in morbid fascination. Behind the three witches followed Erlandur at last, returned to them after so long, and the Supreme known as Helena. The spirits probed at her cautiously, along with the other Shadow incarnate.
“Oh,” the Shadow human said. “This one looks normal. I thought you said this island was for caretakers?”
“They live their lives here,” Helena answered, patting the speaker upon their shoulder. “They have to pass their legacy somehow. Not everyone gets to be immortal. I recognize you, actually,” Helena said, squinting at Kell. “Cal or something?”
“Kell.”
Introductions floated around. The white, silvery wolf held the name of Loras. His lips no longer curled upward, and the hint of threat vanished. Erlandur and Helena aside, the two witches fascinated Kell. Immediately she asked for their abilities, wanting to know the kinds of magic they practised in the wastelands.
“I'm a combat witch,” Faith said, holding her head up high.
“Wow,” Kell replied. “I always wanted to be one. They're the best.”
“Don't make her head too big,” Erlandur murmured, removing his visor to reveal a wry face. “Her clan's glorified her since she returned to the Spine and told them about the Supreme she killed.”
“Really? A Supreme? How?”
“Blasts,” Erlandur said, as Faith preened herself, beaming widely.
“I'm not useless myself,” Yarrow said, coughing. “Given that I can tell Shadows to go and kill themselves. I used to be a lightning witch,” she added to Kell, then tapped her head, “before I became this. Gotta use what we can, right?”
“We have some strange talents here, it seems,” Kell said. “My clan people believe the stars have foretold your arrival.”
“Ah yes. Your stars,” Helena said, her voice flat. She examined one blue wisp floating in front of her. She reached out a tainted hand to touch it, and it curled around her hand.
Whoever this Helena was, she meant something big in the spirit world.
“What about you, Echo?” Kell smiled at the smallest woman of all, who had a strange, dark expression on her face.
“I create a monster.” She demonstrated, letting a huge, dark form whirl out of her fingers. Blue eyes glowed from its fluctuating, amorphous shape. The wisps went crazy around it, not devouring, not attacking, just spinning around in orbit, aggravated or fascinated. Kell could never quite tell which.
Kell let a fragment of her own magic guide her, the magic that told her that all of these people were important, all of them had parts to play. She also demonstrated the physical side of her magic by cheerfully elevating the werewolf, Loras, who stared at her with bug eyes, clearly unimpressed at what she was doing to him. With the levitation came the headache, followed by peals of laughter from the other women.
“He's not impressed, is he?” Echo walked underneath him, amused as he snapped, apparently in a foul mood.
“He's already been carried across the tundra with Monster,” Echo said. “I think he's fed up of magic messing him around.”
“Shame.” Kell yawned. “It's so rare we see werewolves from the inland, though. Just the occasional pilgrim seekers who are looking for the whole history experience.”
“What are these, though?” Yarrow pointed at the blue wisps, then gaped as a blue-eyed wolf spirit stepped into view. “What is that?”
Kell afforded her an enigmatic smile. “The werewolves had to come from somewhere, right?”
She noticed how Erlandur and Helena exchanged glances. Something about Helena, even if the wisps left her alone, unnerved Kell. Still, she kept up jovial conversation, and led the small group back to the town.
It seemed Erlandur had succeeded in gathering his army. Combined with the underbelly rebellion, their numbers reached around twenty-three thousand. Impressive, except the Shadows had four or more times their numbers.
At the behest of the werewolf, Loras, Kell led him to one of the cemeteries, allowing Helena and the witches to make their introductions to the town elders.
“Sorry about earlier,” Kell said, smiling at the werewolf, who in human form, looked rather striking. Aside from the usual yellow eyes, he was also tall, with refined, sharp features, with the usual dark hair colors of the northern people. “It's not so often I get a chance to show off.”
“I can imagine,” Loras said, kneeling beside her to examine one of the gravestones, and the beautifully tended patches of blue-green mossgrass, which had survived the colds of the north. “Have you lived here all your life?”
“Most of it,” Kell said. Although she tried keeping up her friendly attitude, something quavered. A little pang of jealously hit, thinking about the exciting lives the werewolves led. The fight Erlandur and Helena so painstakingly organized to try and beat the Shadows before they extended their influence south, ravaging the world. “I've been to the resting place of the first wolf in the Fractured Spine as well. I've sometimes gone inland, but not for long. Usually the best thing to happen is when we get visitors. Then our purpose is realized again, and we can show you our home.”
“Hmm.” Loras examined Kell for a long time. He then reached over a hand to cup her chin, making her freeze in shock. “What a strange eye color you have. It's almost purple right now.”
Kell flushed red, self-conscious because of his sudden scrutiny. “That would be because of the blue. It changes them from their usual amber.” Her heart twitched a little faster. Truth be told, ever since her initiation ceremony a while back, with the pure form of a wolf spirit – Crescent Islanders got to unlock their magic in a simpler and less intimate way than inlanders. Kell didn't exactly have much experience with relationships. People found her odd.
Loras lightly trailed his fingers away from her. A teasing smirk pierced his lips, and her eyes followed the motion. The werewolf then took the time to check her over, deliberately lingering over her body, undressing her with his eyes. “You're pretty. Perhaps when we've finished some of our business here, we could get to know one another...?”
Oh my, Kell thought. He wasn't exactly hiding his intentions, was he? Not that she minded. Her few forays into the wonderful and delightful world of sex left her with human lovers, ones more obsessed with watching the stars and trying to figure out signs or protecting their Island from the Shadows, and boasting about how much historical knowledge they contained, than in delivering excitement in bed.
She'd never tried it on with a werewolf, before. Loras's yellow eyes gleamed in lust, and he allowed his hands to trail over her arm, sniffing appreciatively at her scent. She flipped her lustrous hair, standing tall and proud, happy to receive the attention. Echo noticed the interaction with sly, calculative eyes. Helena seemed unbothered.
In fact, the ones most alarmed by the interactions were the people of the Island town, wary of the outsiders.
Most of the negative reactions came because of Helena and the two tainted witches.
“How are they not being killed?” Arno, one of the gravekeepers, scowled and folded his arms as the procession passed.
“Because they’re about to make history,” Kell replied simply, infuriating him with her trademark enigmatic smile. Not that she knew the history they planned, but they obviously were all here for a reason.
Loras stepped beside her, maintaining his human form, admiring the simple town, the rustic huts all made out of stone or hardwood, all designed for a life on an abundant island that provided for their every need. A farmer herded goats through the main cobbled square, and another walked along, carrying a cage with three chickens clustered inside it.
Kell showed them to their guest quarters first, an empty section of town reserved for the travelers they expected to see visit the Island over their lifetimes. A maid swooped around the premises, quickly dusting off the worst of the mess and helping to pile some logs on the fireplace to provide them with warmth later on, and rest.
Kell then left the group with the elder council, knowing she wouldn't be allowed to eavesdrop, but not before Loras seized her arm.
“If you're interested, Kell, you obviously know where I am. Am I wrong to think you're interested?”
Her heart lurched. She shivered slightly, and not from the cold outside. Intuition told her that she'd be a fool to refuse Loras. But if she did, then her life would be in danger, intertwining deeply with a werewolf. They led active lives.
Where Loras planned to go, not many people would survive.
“You're not wrong, werewolf. I do want to know you... further.”
He smiled, before striding off, his words lingering in her ears. “I'll be waiting.”
The red skies above them had by now turned to sheer darkness, leaving the Island in an ethereal blue glow, from the trees and the spirits.
Sometimes, they tried to whisper to her, but Kell rarely understood the words they uttered.
A wash of cold drenched her bones when she entered the graveyard where her grandparents were buried, stepping over the blue moss that coated the otherwise frozen ground.
Her intuition gave a sense of unease, and a wave of distress and screams, though she didn't understand the source.
It wasn't uncommon to be hit by the aura of the baleful dead, but this time, Kell wondered if it had anything to do with the newcomers. If they had brought the danger to her doorstep, disturbing the peace of over a thousand years.
She shut out the screams, and left the graveyard to warm up in her home, and eat.