Greywolf - Asena's Revenge

Over our heads, the golden moon flared as if a second sun had just appeared in the sky. Then a ball of golden fire shot out from its surface. A loud clap of thunder rolled over us as it streaked downward, with a second and a third golden fireball right behind the first. Two more claps of thunder echoed off the hills as the first fireball dipped beneath the tree line.

A massive explosion erupted to the north as the earth threw us off our feet. Men began shouting in fear while their Warghorses screamed in panic, the beasts throwing off their riders and fleeing as the second, and then third fireball struck. More massive explosions shook the earth as a huge cloud mushroomed up into the air. As it rolled out and spread its grey cloud across the sky, the golden moon returned to normal and winked out as if it had never existed.

I stared at the place the moon had been as horror threatened to overwhelm me in a dark wave. Wysper isn't dead. Wysper wouldn't kill herself, even to save her people; she must've found a way to bypass the bad effects. I need to find her. Grabbing the tree trunk beside me, I staggered to my feet as Castor gave me a questioning look. "I need to leave and find Wysper," I told him. "Tell Hypam I'll be back as soon as I can."

Before I could take a step, a large hand clamped itself on my armored shoulder. "Greywolf," Asena growled, "we need you to come with us."

"What are you doing here?" I said as I glanced over my shoulder. Asena was in armor but without a helm, her sword and fighting axe at her belt. Papa stood beside her as I added, "Has Attila's army arrived?"

Papa shook his head. "When the satellite moon began charging, I grabbed your mother and we entered the Grey. I knew you'd be somewhere close to the vanguard."

I tried to slip from Asena's grasp. "I've got to go back to Ebora Castle and find Wysper."

Asena's grip only tightened. "You're not going anywhere near there."

"But-"

Asena put her hairy face next to mine. "Whether she's alive or dead, there's nothing you can do for her. But the two Celestials who forced her to make this choice are still alive, and if we don't go kill them immediately, they'll run home just long enough to raise another army and try again. This has to end now."

Castor staggered to his feet. "How could they still be alive after that."

Asena growled, "Because Attila received a report that they'd moved their command tent, putting it further away from the main part of the army."

"And since I led the scouting party," Hypam said as she walked up, limping slightly, "I can tell you exactly where they are." Warriors were chasing after their Warghorses or standing around in a daze, and she shook her head as she looked around. "I need to organize my men, but I can send one of my scouts who can show-"

"We don't have time to spare," papa said, interrupting, "and it has to be you. Attila trusts you completely, right?"

"As far as I know," Hypam replied, her expression becoming puzzled, "but what-"

"Tell your second-in-command to get the men together and get ready. When we finish off Balor and Camulos, whatever remains of the Gaul's army's going to be fleeing straight towards the vanguard."

Hypam muttered something which sounded like cursing, then turned towards a warrior staggering towards us. She began yelling out instructions in their language, the man's dazed expression quickly becoming focused, and he tapped his fist to his chest when she'd finished. Hypam turned back around. "I'm ready, but my fool Warghorse threw me off and carried my sword and bow with him."

"We just need you to lead us to the command tent," papa said. "We'll do the rest."

Hypam gave him a dubious look, but only said, "Alright then, let's go." Papa made a large gate, and all of us made sure we were touching him as we stepped through into the Grey.

Katanas in our hands, papa and I did our fast circle as the smells and colors of the world bled away. Nothing stirred, so papa nodded to Hypam and she took the lead. Her leg muscles must have be easing, for her slight limp vanished as she broke into a trot, the rest of us matching her pace as we raced through the detailed shadows of trees, bushes, and warriors chasing down fear-maddened Warghorses.

We continued on, up and down the ridges and small hills, Hypam slowing occasionally to check her bearings before resuming the pace. As we got close to the Gaul's encampment, the trees were becoming shrouded by a dark greyness. Hypam looked over her shoulder. "Ghostdog, is this smoke we're running through?"

He nodded. "The forest's burning. If either Camulos or Balor was anywhere but in the rear with the gear, we won't have to worry about them. Nothing survives a ghost-moon strike."

Asena snorted. "Balor was born a coward, and Camulos just wants to drink. If their command tent was out of the field of fire, we'll find them still alive."

As we crested a rocky hill with only a few scraggly trees on top, Hypam stopped to catch her breath as she pointed towards another hill farther off. "That's where they are." I stopped next to her and gazed outward. The hill was bare of trees, its sides covered in collapsed shadow tents and still intact wagons, with the shadows of horses galloping madly south. A few people seemed to be chasing them, but most appeared to be staggering around or sitting on the ground. The top of the hill was covered in the ruins of an old fort or castle, without any roof or even an intact wall. A giant collapsed tent was in the center.

Castor stopped beside me and gripped my shoulder. "Greywolf, the army..." As his words trailed off, I looked towards Ebora Castle off to the right.

I gasped. The Gaul's army was gone. The catapults, soldiers, and all their tents and gear had been blasted to bits, with a massive crater in their place, the air filled with smoke because the outline of the castle and the town were hazy. Yet still intact. "The Gauls must've been ready to start their own bombardment," papa said. "I estimate it's about half a league to that hill, so let's drop to a walk so we'll be fresh when we find them." He glanceed at Asena. "They won't have enough time to escape, even if they're in the middle of doing so."

Asena nodded as I said, "Papa, once they're dead, I'm going back to Ebora Castle and find Wysper."

Motioning with his hand to keep Asena from speaking, papa moved in front of me. "Depending on how things go, I may not be able to let you return there right away. However," this time holding his hand in front of me, "once everything is over, you and I will travel to Ebora Castle and look for her." My eyes narrowed, and he added, "Word of honor."

"I'm holding you to that."

Asena snorted, but papa ignored her as he nodded, and started down the hill at a brisk walk, the rest of us following behind. As we began climbing the hill, moving through the shadows which had hardly moved at all, he pointed with the tip of his sword up the hill. Standing between two stones was the shadow of a large man in armor raising a jug to his lips. "That's Camulos for sure."

"Balor won't be far off," Asena snarled. "He's the one I really want, but Camulos needs to die as well."

"Agreed," papa said as he led us through a different gap into the ruin. The shadows of men and women, in simple tunics and dresses, were beginning to pull chests out from underneath the collapsed fabric and place them on a cart. But there was no other warrior except for Camulos, whose back was now towards us as papa stopped. "Greywolf, give your sword to Hypam, and the moment you touch the real world, summon your Shadow Wolf."

"What?" I whirled on him. "This is my fight too."

"Of course it is. That's why you're summoning the creature that's already hurt a Celestial badly, and has grown since then. Hypam will keep any random soldiers off you until Camulos is dead."

"But...Ow!" I said as Asena cuffed the back of my head.

"Don't argue with your father," she growled, scowling at me when I gave her a dark look. "I need to focus on killing Celestials, and not on worrying whether you're safe or not. Am I clear, or do you need another smack to unscramble your brains?"

Rubbing the back of my head, I gave her a scowl of my own. "Someday I won't have to summon anything to help, because I'll be bigger than you and just as tough."

To my surprise, Asena gripped my shoulder as a savage grin seized her face. "Wotan's blood, I wish I could be there to see it. You'll be taller than Titan, and strong enough to wield one of his Greatswords in each hand. Famous warriors will piss themselves at the sound of your name." She gave my shoulder a rough squeeze. "On that day, you won't need your Shadow Warg. Today..."

She left the words hanging and I grumbled, "You don't have to rub it in."

Asena went to mock cuff me and I instinctively ducked, Hypam covering her mouth to hide the smile as I handed her my katana, hilt first. "Asena," papa said, "I need to find Balor while you and the Shadow Warg handle Camulos. Be careful; even dead drunk, he's a good fighter."

Asena snorted again. "We'll see. Create the gate, but if you find him, don't kill Balor." She thumped her chest. "I want that pleasure myself." Papa nodded, and as he created the oval gate a horse-length away from Camulos, she turned towards Hypam and Castor. "Both of you keep my son safe, and warn me if Balor shows up. He's tricky."

"We will" Castor growled. "Whether she's alive or dead, avenge Wysper." Asena nodded and took off at a run, with me, Castor, and Hypam right behind her as we raced through the gate.

Color returned to the world, the air acrid with the smell of smoke, pierced by the screams of men in pain and fear. "Camulos," Asena roared, "vengeance for Wysper!"

Wysper's not dead, but now is not the time. I slid to a stop, preparing myself to become the gate as the large warrior in leather and steel whirled around and flung his jug at Asena's bare head. As he drew his sword, the jug flew past her and smashed on a fallen stone as she rammed him with her shoulder. Both of them staggered, Camulos almost falling as Asena recovered and drove her fighting-axe into his armored thigh. It bit deep through leather and metal rings into the flesh beneath, Camulos bellowing in pain as blood spurt. He swung wildly, Asena blocking with her sword blade as she ripped out the axe from his leg and looped it around to swing again.

Behind us, voices were shrieking, and Hypam turned with my katana in both hands as I became the gate to the Shadowlands. The Shadow wolf leapt through as it took my strength... no, it's not a wolf anymore. My Shadow Warg's as big as a Warghorse now, with a Warg's face and body. I collapsed onto the ground, and its rounded head turned to give me a feral grin before its long claws dug into the dirt. Then the Shadow Warg bounded away towards the fight.

Castor and Hypam knelt beside me on the ground. "You okay?" I nodded, and Hypam propped me up as she said, "That creature's grown so much I could ride it into battle."

I nodded again as the Shadow Warg darted past Asena, who was blocking Camulos' frenzied swings, and savaged his injured leg. Camulos bellowed as he fell, his elbow striking a fallen stone as he landed on his back. He bellowed again as his hand opened and the sword flew away. The Shadow Warg grinned at Asena as it stepped back, and watched as she planted her booted foot on Camulos' chest. "Move, and I'll gut you like a fish," she snarled, the tip of her sword a finger's length from his nose. "Where's Balor hiding?"

"Right over here," a man's voice said as he stepped out from behind a standing stone. Dressed in armor with his head bare, he held in his hand a small ceramic pot the same shape as the one Castor and I had caused to explode in the Gaul's camp. "Sorry, Cam."

"Balor," Camulos yelled as the other Celestial hurled the pot towards them, Castor pushing Hypam down on top of me, "you bast-"

The pot shattered on the fallen stone and explodeed. Asena and the Shadow Warg were blown backwards as fire erupted for a moment, raining dirt and small stones on our backs before black smoke rolled over us, making us cough. It cleared, and rubbing my eyes, I could see that Asena had landed only a few feet away from us, the leather of her armor smoldering and her face blackened. Her eyes stared unblinking at the sky.

The Shadow Warg's lay in a crumpled heap on its side a short distance away, and as Balor drew his sword, he kept glancing at it as he cautiously walked towards us. "Greywolf, I've been expecting you. Though I didn't expect you'd arrive with so much company." He stopped beside Asena's still smoking body and glanced down. "Even the fiercest will finally fall, at the end."

It felt like someone had taken a knife and carved out my insides, leaving a dark, hollow place with nothing to fill it. Asena's dead. I can't believe it, yet I have to. She doesn't even twitch. Castor moved off us, remaining crouched beside me as Hypam rose with my katana in one hand. "You fight without honor," she snarled, gripping the hilt with both and holding the blade towards him. "Asena could've slain you without the Shadow Warg's help."

Balor chuckled. "Why do you think I used explosives? There is no honor in war... nor do you have any skill with that sword, judging from the way you're standing. Once I've taken my trophy from Asena's body, I'll take that sword away and you with us, so I can break you down slowly."

Hypam took an uncertain step backwards as Castor got to his feet. "You'll have to go through me first."

Balor shrugged. "If you wish. However, wouldn't you rather remain as Greywolf's bodyguard? I plan to break him down as well, then mold him the way I want him to become. But I can add one of your fangs as a trophy, if you insist. Would you like to see my collection?" Without waiting for an answer, Balor reached underneath the collar of his armor and pulled out a necklace of white pearls... no, not pearls. Those are teeth.

Some looked human, while some were different kinds of fangs. He held them up. "Whenever I kill a dangerous enemy, I take one of their teeth as a trophy. Kings, Khans, monsters... even a few Celestials." He drew his knife as he knelt down next to Asena's body. "I've wanted one of the Wolf-mother's fangs for a long, long, time." I stared, frozen in horror, as he bent over her head, setting the knife down on her chest as he moved to open her mouth.

Asena grabs Balor by the collar of his armor and pulled his throat to her lips, baring her fangs as she bit down hard, before pushing him away with all of her strength. Blood sprayed as she ripped out his throat. He fell backwards, surprise and horror on his face as he tried to rise with his hands at his neck, blood spraying out between his fingers a moment before he collapsed. Hypam rushed over as Asena rose up just enough to spit Balor's flesh back in his face, before collapsing herself.

Castor helped me over to her as Asena laughed with bloody teeth. "I always wanted to die," she gasped, "with my teeth... in an enemy's throat."

I sat down beside her, and Castor helped me put her blood covered head in my lap. "You finally got your wish." I couldn't help the tears flowing from my eyes, and even though I tried, I couldn't stop them. "Asena-"

"Hush." Asena raised a hand as if she was going to cuff me, but it faltered and I grasped it instead. She gasped, "You're finally... off the leash... what?" Asena looked past me, as if someone was standing at my shoulder. "Yasataar is here. She says... when the war... is over... come to... Ebora Castle. Wysper... will be... waiting, what?" Asena's expression becomes puzzled. "She says... when you do... I will get... my other wish... but won't remember... ever making it."

"Can't I go to Ebora now?"

Asena squeezed my hand. "Too soon," she gasped. Then she gripped my fingers tight as her eyes focused on my face. "Win this war. Kill... them all... for me."

"We'll win it together," papa said as he knelt down on Asena's other side. He took her free hand with both of his. "Greywolf will merge with his Shadow Warg, and Hypam will be holding him while he does, so she can be part of the transformation as well."

"I'm going to what?" Hypam's eyes narrowed as she glareed down at him. "Ghostdog, what are you planning this time?"

Papa looked up at her with a mysterious smile. "Greywolf listens to you, and if you're part of the transformation, the Shadow Warg he's going to become will listen as well. Attila's warriors will see you as an omen of victory."

"If they don't burn me as a witch, first."

Papa shrugged. "I don't plan to let Greywolf remain merged for too long, just long enough for Attila to help the Brittani kick the Gauls off the island. But it's important the Khanate accepts you both this way, for in the months to come, Attila's going to need all the help you both can give him." Papa's weathered face grew solemn. "I cannot predict with any certainty about what lies ahead, yet at times I can see signs in the Grey concerning the future. Right now, they're showing me a great evil bubbling up from the east, and Attila as the only one who can stop it."

Hypam stared at papa with a suspicious expression clouding her face. "Could you at least be a little more specific? What evil?"

Papa shrugged again and Asena weakly laughed. "Welcome... to my... world." She let go of papa and reached up to pull my head down. "Remember what... I've taught you. Titan-"

"Once the Grey Warg Khanate has accepted them and your son returns to normal," papa said, "I'm going to have Titan take over Greywolf's training. He will be in good hands."

"The best... better than... mine. Ghostdog?"

Papa caressed her hairy face with his hand. "I'm here."

Asena drew a shuddering breath as she pressed my cheek against hers. "Tell Titan... today is... a good day... to die."

She exhaled, and when she didn't inhale again, papa reached out with a gentle hand and closed her eyes.