Howling Thunder 20.5 The Story Begins

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The Elder Son of Fenrir

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“Hey little Walty, who looks better, little Sassa or me, and why is it me?”

Seriously woman, please let go of me already!

Ignoring her I take another fork load of pheasant.

Nox is lucky, he pretended to be drunk and snuck off soon as he accomplished what they wanted out of him tonight. The brat even managed to deflect one of those girls my way.

Igor tosses a lifeline to the awkward bear girl just standing nearby, “Miss Artio, come have a seat.”

As he slides over to make room between us for her I nod towards the girl’s somewhat confused and self depreciated expression.

Olga gets the hint, “Don't worry little bear, my little sisters have told me all about these royal puppies. This one doesn't like to talk and that rascal earlier was probably just playing in order to get out of this dinner faster. Ah, that's right, Granny I’m surprised you played along!”

Grandmother Hyndla scofs, “Hmmf! That black monster had already picked the girl on his way in the room.”

The bear jumps in her seat a little before also giving a “Hmf!” And digging into the food.

Hyndla viciously stabs her plate with her fork, “If it wasn't for that evil goddess I wouldn't have let that beast be seen in the castle!”

Is that so? I’d like to see how Mother would react to such an idea.

Mother’s voice actually enters my ears, “If she even tried such a thing I’d strip her and have her march her proud tail into the throne room naked.”

Grandmother visibly pales, apparently she heard that as well, “Regardless, him dashing out early diminishes the venom of some of the snakes out there. I’m sure the fellows behind the climate in the city currently would have loved to make a scene tonight. With the center of focus missing any of their ideas lack the needed impact.”

When I’m Fenrir, those snakes will be skewered and roasted alive by Akane for the mountain beasts to devour.

I scratch my chin, I don't like feeling scruffy, it’d be nice to call it a day. We didn't even get to see the twins.

Looking at Igor, “Sassa?”

He opens his mouth to speak but I hear Olga from my other side instead, “Sassy and Asta are staying in the academy tower, on the floor just under Granny's. Sassa’s window is on the north side, use that information how you please. Those two happen to be in the middle of their heat so Ganny locked them in a tower like proper princesses!”

Hyndla slams a fist on the table, “You brat, have you ignored all my lessons of edicate?!”

She tilts her head, “I thought that was obvious?”

Igor pretends to find a tough bone in his meat as the bear girl turns bright red in embarrassment.

Artio nervously looks to Igor, “Um, if I’m not mistaken, you two are supposed to be the same rank as my father correct, captains?”

Olga crosses her arms and smiles smugly, “Don’t let Igor’s timidness fool you, either of us could seperate your head from your shoulders before that fork reaches your mouth!”

Somehow timid doesn’t feel like the right word. More like exhausted from dealing with his sister’s personality. Whatever, these two should be able to teach me some nice stuff despite their attitudes.

Once more I hear Mother’s voice, “Relax pup, Olga and Igor are extremely talented warriors and quite gifted leaders. They have risen ranks quickly by their own ability so don’t think for a second they live off a silver spoon. I imagine you’ll be under them directly once your military rank is official. Now I’m going to call it a night, sleep well dear.”

As she gets up to leave the Golden Queen Emese smiles, “Retiring for the night Vulpi? I was hoping you’d join us tonight, I know hubby would love it!”

Father sprays his drink and coughs, “Emese, the Inari surely has no desire for more entertainment tonight.”

Miss Klea rolls her eyes and adjusts her dress, “I wouldn’t bet on that, Skoll.”

Mother covers her mouth to hid her grin before walking over and giving Emese a gentle hug, “No dear, you can have this brute to yourself. We can catch up over tea tomorrow. Skoll, we’ll have a chat in your office tomorrow with Hyldy and Hevel.”

She leaves, Klea at her tail, both seemingly in a hurry.

Olga sighs, “I’ve always wanted to know how Uncle managed to marry the Kitsune Goddess.”

Grandmother laughs, “You’d be amazed what drinking and gambling can bring about.”

Hello? The offspring of that pair is seated right here! I’m so done, next time I’m escaping early, I’m going to have a sore neck from so many polite nods tonight.

As I stand the bear girl seems nervous as if she should leave or not, “Miss Artio, it was a pleasure meeting you, I look forward to our lessons together.”

Once more Olga chimes in, “Damn right you should look forward to it!”

I’m doomed…

Ulfa gets up, bows to the Fenrir, then offers to escort Akane to her room.

The room quiets slightly as we walk out, Ulfa whispers, “You two need to be careful of everyone in this room. Trust no one but family, of course that includes myself and infact, I’d trust the jackals more than even the palace guards. They at least view you as sacred children of the Inari.”

A short while later we part ways, a guard takes me to my own tower. Theres many extra rooms, some large enough to train in. One room in particular, a study of sorts, line with a few sparse bookshelves and the mantle seems to have plenty of space. At one end the mounted head of a dire bear from my naming ceremony.

The guard grins and points at it, “You should've seen how happy the Lord Fenrir was when this trophy room was finished, he hung your bear head himself.”

It might not be so bad here…

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A Man with No Name

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A pinging sound wakes me, “Please remember to stop by our gift shop on your way home today!”

...What?

My eyes fully open as I sit up from a blue bench, my head protesting in a sharp momentary pain as if I had been upside down too long.

A soft BGM plays over speakers somewhere. The walls are painted blue, as is the ceiling. Looking Ahead I see an extremely large window taking up at least 50ft of wall space.

I get up and walk forward, something feels wrong… Reaching the glass I can see my reflection and as I put my hands forward it becomes obvious, I’m a kid, no, a teenager? That can’t be right, but my joints feel fresh and young, wait… No, this is right, what was my name?

Saying it to myself as if that will help me be sure, “It’s Nox now, isn’t it.”

Suddenly a shark swims past me in the window, a young great white, the apex of predators… I know where I am.

Deeper in the aquarium hundreds of fish can be seen swimming about. The occasional hammerhead, a few large tuna, finally the spirited green turtles. I can’t help but smile as they nip at the sharks daringly to get their share of the food as it drifts down from the surface.

A cheerful girl’s voice from behind, “Where are we my pup?”

That slightly british accent, we meet again.

I look back with a charming grin, one which always got the job done.

“Miss Freki, we are in a lovely town on the sea side, and this is an aquarium.”

She frowns for a moment, “Well, this is a bit surprising, you shouldn’t be awake like this...It must have been the damn axe.”

The sight of her caught off guard make me feel like laughing, “Relax, I’m actually quite happy with my new life so it’s not like I’ve reason to be mad at you over anything. A set of lovely young wives, a private tower, and magic has been very fun to play with.”

A look of confidence returns to her demeanor, “See, I told you you’d thank me!”

“Oh, I’m not so sure, perhaps I was wrong to suggest you relax.”

I give her a stern look before gazing back out at the denizens of the open ocean, it’s incomparably calming.

Going on as she steps up to my side, “You plopped me in the middle of a country on the brink of what is most likely a political coup, and a war to the south that threatens to escalate into a large conflit. I don’t really mind that you know, I have my own experiences in war. No, what you should worry about is that I recognise who you are exactly now.”

She arches a brow at me, “Is that so pup?”

“Yes, you are one of Odin’s pets from norse mythology if I’m not mistaken.”

A soft laugh, “The only mistake is using the word myth.”

“Apparently. Now my concern is with why you made me your champion. If you say something ludicrous like asking me to do battle with Loki I’m afraid our relationship is going to be a bit ruff.”

As I finish I reach over and grab her wrist, pulling her in front of me and pinning her to the glass.

I notice my hands returning to the slightly clawed appearance and I can once more feel my tail shifting side to side between my legs.

She excitedly grins at me, I can feel her pulse in her wrist quicken as her chest raises up and down in front of me, “I saw you do this earlier to the Nico girl. I admit I was a little curious about the aggressive behavior, and maybe a bit jealous.”

“Honestly I’m not sure how to take that considering our relationship.”

I trace a finger from her lips down before grabbing her by the throat, “So, what does miss pet of a god want with my soul.”

Her smile doesn’t even quiver for an instant, “Don’t be so worried, big shots like Loki aren’t allowed to interfere with the realm called Terra, although I can’t say he’s completely irrelevant. I say, I am still a minor god, and you're being awfully cavalier!”

She bursts into a dark cloud, shifting past me then reforming at my back and slamming me against the glass, cracks web out as the fish scatter away. I can feel her breath on my ear as she leans in.

With a laugh I ignore the pain in my chest and egg her on, “I guess it’s just the nature of my soul.”

A sharp pain stings my ear as she chomps down with those ever tempting lips, the fang that always escapes her grin punctures a new hole in my ear.

“My darling Fuzzy, you just have to make lots of little puppies, oh and find my traitor brother Greki. The sly bastard went and had himself reborn in the mortal plane of Terra to raise havoc and start a little world war a few hundred years ago. Grow strong, find him and kill him so that he may be properly punished by the high gods.”

Once more she clamps down on my ear, then wrestles me to the ground. The surroundings become unclear as my consciousness drifts hazely to the tune of soft moans...

A bit later, I suddenly can’t seem to understand where I am. For some reason I feel exhausted but then everything fades to black.

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Shelter from the Storm

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All night I wandered in the snow, the occasional berry bush being my only source of food.

Even now I keep my sharp ears perked for the clomp of the dullahan's hooves in the snow.

Father always said the hunt was just a sport of some old ghosts, that there were far worse things this far north.

I suppose that even if he had told me what could be worse, there is nothing a child like me could do about it past lie awake at night in fear.

But now he’s gone, mother is gone, they’re all gone. The village was nothing but a smoking field sinking into the snowdrift by the time I managed the courage to peek my head from hiding.

South east by the light of the stars is now my only hope.

My ragged cloak is soaked through with the melting snow and mud, at some point I staggered into a mire.

Steam rises from the ground, the will o wisps are trying to lead me astray.

Through the old, black moss willow trees I see a faint light. Not a ghost light but one from what should be a lamp.

Carefully, quietly, ever so slow, I come to an earthen hut.

My small, reaching hand hesitates before knocking. Who would live in a bog?

The door opens shedding light onto me, I can only hide my face in fear with my dirty cloak.

A female voice, old and hoarse, “A child has come, what fun, what fun. Come show me your face and enter from the cold.”

She must be a witch, in which case I’m already good as dead.

I lower my hood, I will not behave as such a coward ever again. If I die it would only allow me to see my family sooner.

But that hope escapes me, fast as my breath.

The voice, although female, belonged to a cat, tall as a hound, and standing on its hind legs a bit taller than me.

Its bristly fur gives it the image of having a hunchback, white spots on her chest contrast her inky black fur.

She speaks, “An elf I see, I see. So the smell of fire last night ago was from an elf village. The spirits have been rowdy this moon. Sit down child and listen to my offer.”

The hut is quite warm in fact, a small bed, many cupboards, a large clay fireplace with an immense black pot.

I do as instructed and take a seat on a large toadstool growing near a stump in the middle of the hut.

The cat makes another toadstool grow across from me and also takes a seat, “Elf child you now fear for your life I would think , I think. Normally one would, but you are no simple human child, the likes of which are too common just south of here.”

I remain silent as she stares at her southern wall with disgust.

The cat strokes her whiskers and continues, “I am old and on my ninth, give my last life in this realm meaning as my student and in exchange I’ll grant you my power when I die.”

A cat sith as I expected, they're witches who draw power from people's souls…. “This sounds too good, my father warned me of such deals.”

She laughs joyfully, “Blessed you were, you Were…”

A crooked smile lingers on her feline face as she holds on that last word before continuing.

“Such a good father is rare round here. True this offer seems one sided for you. My time is running out, in the last twenty years only old humans I’ve seen, I’ve Killed!”

The emphasis and vicious tone she gave makes me swallow my breath.

But she smiles once more, “An elf however, is capable of learning my trade indeed , indeed. You should be better than me in fact. If a downside is what you need in order to agree than I shall oblige.”

She stands, fetches something from a small wooden dresser and returns, handing me a pocket mirror.

This is the first I’ve ever been handed a mirror, mother would scold me when I played with hers.

My blonde hair is a mess, red stains of blood still taint my image. My skin dirtied, my gold eyes faded, my ears even drooped. Why am I cursed to look in such a sad state.

The cat touches the top of the mirror, “While sad you already look, yes look, here is your downside should you learn from me.”

In the mirror my hair turns white and sharp, my skin goes pale as snow, my eyes turn from gold to a bewitching yellow and cat like, fur creeps onto my ears, my nose shrinks slightly, and lastly a pair of feline fangs protrudes from my upper lip.

I see, should I look like this then I too will be mostly bound to this hut.

“So child, what shall it be, it be? Should you decide to leave here, I’ll allow it. If you don't starve then the humans in the only town near here will surely make you a slave. Oh and one more thing, should you inherit my power...Revenge is a lovely word, yes?”

Revenge?

As the shudder spreads down my spine I can feel it pass through every bone in my body.

Nothing more need be said, “Yes.”

A toothy grin, revealing many sharp fangs, “Excellent, your name elfling, your name?”

She puts forth a paw to which I shake, “Holly”

A small popping sound behind me was the only warning before looking back to see a fresh, white cat tail coming from myself.

“Well Holly, I shall be your first soul.”

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A/n: Thanks Wolfsnow for the review and vote. As a result I spent 10 hours proofreading this weekend....thanks. lol

I'm excited folks, we're hitting new territory here, a great whopping divergence from the original howling thunder about to kick off. New characters! Plot reveals! Off the sidelines and into the game! My project for this week includes the nailing of the meeting between Lupa and Patra along with getting back into some action possibly.