The room is still silent. Erik is trying to break free from Thane’s grip. Turning from side to side, grabbing Thane’s arm, and attempting to push it away. Thane, being as big as a mountain, isn't budging. Erik eventually settles down and says, "I'm good, I'm good, I won't do anything." Thane looks at him and then to me, loosens his grip and lets go of him. Erik stumbles off to the side and turns his back to me. He runs his hand through his hair and lets out a long sigh.

In that time I push myself up to a standing position and say to him, "I don't know who you think I am, but I haven't done anything."

He snaps back at me, "Then explain why I saw a group of soldiers leaving behind a field of dead people on Kheran. I recognize your face, I know you were there." As he continues speaking his voices gets more and more angry. "No one else was there." Now he's yelling. "I know what I saw! You killed her! You took away everything I've ever known!" Each accusation he makes at me is followed by a stab of his finger in my direction.

Thane interrupts, "He didn't do it,” in a stern and confident voice.

Erik responds, still angry, "How can you be so sure?"

"We had a long talk and I investigated the situation. He's not responsible for this."

Erik’s now pacing back and forth. "No, no I don't believe that!" His blood is boiling. Looking down at his hands, I can see one of them clench into a fist. "He's a murderer and my people deserve justice. That includes my wife, you cold-hearted bastard!" With that, he shifts his weight and throws a punch in my direction.

I'm ready for him this time. Before his fist gets within a foot of me, I snatch it out of the air. His wrist is in my hand and he looks over at our suspended arms. He sees my marking. "Lunis..."

His face goes emotionless briefly, then back to anger.

"He belongs to Lunis and yet you believe he's innocent?!" Looking in Thane’s direction, he says, "This is all the proof you could ever need. I say we hang him on the spot." His eyes are locked with Thane’s. "Before you left Kheran you said Lunis was behind this."

His attention has now turned to me. "One of their dogs sits here before us, just waiting to pay for his crimes. What are you waiting for?"

Bong, bong, the bell outside can be heard in the distance. No one pays much attention to it. Erik continues on, “I say we tie the noose and be done with him. Guilty or innocent, it would be a pleasure to watch one of them squirm.”

Bong, the toll can be heard a third time, immediately after the last two. Erik continues, “You say this is the birth of something big. Your rebellion will destroy the council of Lunis, bringing peace to this world for the first time in 30 years.”

Again the bell tolls, bong. Four times now. Erik looks at me briefly and then back to Thane. "Here's your chance to stay true to your word. Justice could be served here."

It's clear both Thane and Ric aren't paying attention anymore. Something is keeping them occupied. Bong, a fifth toll of the bell ripples through the air. Thane and Ric look at each other in shock. Thane quietly mumbles, "No..."

Ric stammers in denial, "This can't be happening."

Confused, I jump in and ask, "What, what is it? What does that mean?"

Thane looks at me. "We're under attack."

Ric calls out to everyone, "We need to hurry," and leaves the room.

Erik steps back a few steps. "What do you mean, ‘under attack’? Does this happen often?"

Thane shakes his head, "No, this has never happened before. We've been discovered." He waves us to the door all while using a voice of authority, "Follow me, we need to get to the armory."

We follow him out of the room, through the hallway and outside. He's running at full speed. His long strides send him forward very fast. I stay close just fine, but Erik struggles to keep up. We sprint past several buildings as we head toward the armory. There are paths leading off in different directions. Each one is filled with men, each scrambling in all directions. . Everyone is shouting out a million things at once, I can't make out what they are saying. With all of this commotion, it sounds as though we're right in the middle of Moorhall’s trade center. We make it to the center of the base where there is a large open area all around what looks like the armory. Off in the distance I can see Ric. He's holding up a device to amplify his voice. Loud and clear you can hear him shouting, "I want everyone to their defensive posts right now!"

Men are running in and out of the armory. Those who go in come out armed and ready for battle. We break through the crowd at the door and get inside. All along the inside walls there are weapons hanging. Everything from swords to axes, some large and two handed, others small. Spears and pikes rest in the middle of the room while bows and arrow-filled quivers have their own racks around them.

Thane pushes through the dozens of men and makes his way to the back. He turns back to us and shouts over the crowd, "Arm yourselves with your preferred weapon."

Erik snaps back, "You can't be serious about arming him."

Thane cuts him off before he has a chance to say anything else. "This isn't up for discussion, now move!"

Erik stumbles around trying to find something, he seems lost and doesn’t know what to grab. Just when it seems he has made up his mind and reaches out for something, one of the many soldiers in the area snatches it up. I, however, know exactly what I’ll choose. On the right wall sits many longswords. Simple, but effective. They have always had a natural feel to me. I pick up a few and feel them for balance. Trying to move quickly and not waste too much time on this, I find one that suits me and grab a scabbard along with it.

A few steps behind me I see Erik still hopelessly lost. I look around to find him something to use. I pick up a weapon he could use easily and head his way. When I approach him I say, “Here, take this short sword. It doesn’t look like much but they are easy to use.”

He looks at me, still not wanting to trust me. Reluctantly, he reaches out and takes it from me.

I continue on, “I take it you’ve never had to fight before.”

He shakes his head. “No, never.”

Being as quick as I can I give him a few pointers and show him the proper way to use a blade.

Through the crowd comes Thane, wielding a sword of colossal size. The blade has to be at least five feet in length, and that’s just the beginning. It’s single edge and roughly two inches thick and a foot wide. It dwarfs any sword I’ve ever used--comfortably, that is. My sword is a little over three pounds, a good balanced weight. His sword, however, has to be no less than thirty. Only a Desarian could ever hope to wield something like this. I swear there is something in the water where they live that causes everything to grow to such great size.

He looks at us both while effortlessly holding this enormous sword in one hand and asks, “Are you guys ready?”

I give a slight nod and respond with, “Yes, how much time do we have?”

“I would guess only a few more minutes. One of our northmost outposts have seen the incoming attack and signaled us.” He goes on to say, “Let’s keep moving. We can find some armor next door.”

The three of us leave the building and head outside. Thane leads the way toward another structure not too far-off. There isn’t as much commotion going on outside anymore. Everyone must have taken their positions by now, awaiting the attack. We arrive at the next building and go inside. No one is in here and it looks as though a tornado blew inside. Wooden mannequins that once held pieces of armor now lay on the ground. Various pieces are scattered about the place. Helmets sit crooked upon the mannequins’ heads while everything from gauntlets to grieves sit on the ground beneath them. There isn’t much left to choose from. Thane already has the armor on that he was wearing from before. Erik and I look for something that fits us. All that’s left is hard leather. It doesn’t look like much, but can prove to be very useful. The two of us are able to find something that fits us fairly well. We both come out with greaves, bracers, and breastplates. I was able to find one last pair of pauldrons and as luck would have it, they fit me.

Thane directs us outside and says, “We need to get to the main gate. Everyone else will be stationed there.” He takes off running in that direction and we follow. We pass by several buildings--the empty horse stables and the bell. I can see the top of the main gate above everything and it’s not too far-off. Everything clears open and now we stand at the back of a big crowd in front of the gate. Everyone is armed and ready for battle. They all stand quietly and wait for instruction. All the men in front sit on horseback. Along the top of each fence line is a row of archers. Everyone in the entire base is here. I can even see Horace on the side of the crowd.

Thane whistles with two fingers to get everyone's attention. They all turn and listen in for what he has to say. He stands in momentary silence before speaking. “We all hoped this day wouldn’t have come so soon, but none the less, we stand here ready to crush anything Lunis sends our way. Our enemy is fast approaching, but we’re ready. So what say we show them we are not to be trifled with?”

The crowd cheers and shouts.

“For honor and for justice!” he yells, holding his sword high in the air.

The crowd yells back at the top of their lungs in confident battle cries. Everyone is filled with energy and ready to die in battle if necessary. It’s obvious these men trust and respect Thane. I haven’t known him for long, but he is certainly someone you would want to lead you into battle. I look over to my left and see Erik. His head is bowed, eyes closed and his whole body is quivering. He has never seen battle before and is terrified of what’s about to happen. There is still tension between us, but we both have an understanding that there are more important matters at hand. I don’t say anything to him and leave him be.

Two men stand at the top of the gate on each side of it. Together in unison they blow their war horns, sending an echo that can be heard through the entire camp. Thane shouts out to everyone, “Get ready!” Hundreds of swords can be heard ringing in the air as they are pulled from their scabbards. The sound of the horns fades out of the air, leaving a deep silence as everyone waits. The only sound to be heard from here is the sound of arrows being nocked. All archers hold their positions ready to fire at a moment's notice. Then, something strange happens. They all put their bows in a resting position and look at each other in confusion. One of the men handling the horns walks over to his side of archers and speaks to them. I can’t make out anything that’s being said. I can only see them shaking their heads and giving shrugs to him as they speak. What’s going on out there? They wouldn’t have blown the horns if the enemy wasn’t in view. So what is it? Did they stop, or possibly turn back?

Thane calls out to them up there, “Hey, what do you see?”

The horn blower looks out, then to Thane. “I’ve never seen this before. It’s an army of wolves, sir.”

Thane responds back in confusion, “What?” He starts moving forward, breaking through the crowd.

“Come see for yourself, sir.”

I follow closely behind him as he makes his way there. His men respectfully move out of his way as he comes through. I don’t have the same treatment, one of them tries to stop me and says, “Get back to your spot.” He puts his arm across my chest as I try to walk by him. I push him off me and keep going. No one else seems to be paying enough attention to me to worry about it. Thane walks up the stairs to the top of the fence and I follow right behind him. I climb step by step until finally I can see over the top. Off in the distance on top of a ridge I see all the wolves in a line, just standing there. Tall trees cover the area, leaving shadows below and making it hard to see clearly. The wolves stretch far off on each side and disappear into the dense forest. There are too many to count.

My heart drops into my stomach, I know what’s going on. These aren’t ordinary wolves.

Just then, a single wolf comes over the ridge and stands in front of the formation. He bears a silhouette of a rider on top of him. This confirms my fears and I realize these things are massive and make any ordinary wolves look like pups. To carry a full grown man in heavy armor makes them just as big as horses.

I step back and quietly mumble to myself, “Alphas…” Thane hears this and looks at me. I look him in the eye and say, “We need to leave now. Your men don’t stand a chance. Evacuate everyone.”

He responds, “Why? What are these things?”

I look out and see them all still standing in place, waiting for their leader to give them direction. He sits out in front, not moving, eerily watching us.

I say to Thane, “There isn’t time to explain.”

He snaps back in frustration, “I am not doing anything until you explain to me what I’m looking at!”

I don’t have much time to give him the full details so I shorten it a bit. “They’re called alphas. Genetically enhanced super wolves. Lunis’ latest weapon to add to their collection.”

He looks out at them and back to me. “They can do that?”

I reply back, “Yes, I’m afraid so. You don’t know what these things are capable of. You need to listen to me and--”

Before I can finish I’m cut off by the sound of a single howl coming from the shadows. The one out front has his head lifted high in the air, communicating to the others. All at once they respond with howls of their own. They harmonize as if in song. The sound sends a chill through the air that pierces down to the bone.

I look at Thane. “It’s too late,” I say, and before I can add any more, the pack starts moving. At a full sprint they come at us. The rider still sits in the front, not moving, just watching. As they get closer to the front gate they split and some go left while others go right. They wrap around the corners of the base and disappear. Just as a pack of wild wolves surround their prey as they close in, so do these. They want to see to it that we don’t have any way to escape.

The archers send out their first wave of arrows into the sky and they rain down, killing only a couple of the beasts still running toward us. They keep shooting, now aiming for specific targets. One goes down here and there, but it’s not enough. They'll run out of arrows before they can even make a dent in how many there are. I ready my sword and Thane does the same. They have us completely closed in, and that’s when one of them leaps a tremendous bound right onto the gate, landing on one of the archers down the line to my right. He kicks and screams, trying to push it off him, but it’s too late. Its paws are as big as a bear’s, pinning him down. It lets out an explosive bark and more quickly than lightning its teeth rip into the archers throat. His screams cut away, he’s gone. More start making the leap onto the fence and taking more lives. Just to my left one of them comes flying at Thane. He steps to the side and takes one swing with his tree trunk of a sword and hits it right between the chest and the gut. The crushing sound of bone can be heard as its body folds in half from the impact. It lets out a loud yelp as it topples over my head and onto a roof behind me. It slides across the wood surface several feet before coming to a stop and lying there motionless.

All of the archers have begun to retreat off the fence and down onto the ground. More wolves flood over. They stop landing on the fence, instead they are clearing it entirely and landing in the base directly. The small army begins fighting them off as they come pouring over the side. I look around at the entire base and can see them coming in from every side. The ones far-off on the other side begin using their size to break down the walls of buildings. They come crumbling down onto themselves leaving piles of rubble behind. Some of them catch fire as the lanterns hanging outside of the doors shatter, spilling oil and flames everywhere. Smoke begins to climb high into the sky as one by one each building inside the base is destroyed.

I turn around to show Thane how we’ve already lost. Before we even had a chance to fight our fate is set. But before I have a chance to say anything, one of the beasts flies into me, sending us falling off the fence toward the ground below. The time spent in the air feels like an eternity, time moving at an unbelievably slow pace. The wolf is above me, pushing all its weight down onto my chest and sending its fangs toward my throat. It wants nothing more than to rip me apart. I don’t give it the chance and instead give him a mouthful of my bracer. One arm is being used holding him back while the other still holds on tightly to my sword. I shift my weight, spinning us still in mid-air. I have the dominate position now as it falls down backwards. I take my sword and drive it into it’s heart. I ready for impact and we slam down, sending my blade clean through his chest and into the ground on the other side. Its jaws open, freeing my arm and allowing me to stand up. It lies there, lifeless, with my blade resting in its chest. I place my foot on it and pull the sword out.

I look up and see everyone fighting off countless wolves. They are no longer fighting a battle for justice but a battle for survival. Fear and terror consumes the eyes of all the men around me. The beasts push their weight around and pounce on any soldier that has his back turned. Each one going for a quick kill and moving on to its next victim. The men fight with every ounce of strength they have but it isn’t enough. One by one they fall prey to their enemies. As the numbers continue to fall, soldiers start to flee in fear. They sprint to cover inside buildings and around corners. The wolves follow closely behind, crashing through walls if they have to. Screams come out of all directions from the ones trying to escape. There is nowhere to run that they can’t follow.

The sound of a war horn can be heard calling from above me. It has a higher pitch than before. I look up and see Thane still standing atop the fence hacking away at wolves that try to come his direction. He’s the one blowing the horn. As he finishes he drops the horn and leaps off the fence. He lands firmly on both feet, crouching down to absorb the impact. This guy is as tough as they come. He shakes it off as if falling thirty feet is a simple task.

Suddenly, I find myself under attack. Two wolves approach me and simultaneously leap in for a kill. I dodge to the side and slice one across the neck. The other lands behind me, turns around, and strikes again. I drop down onto my back as he soars overhead, snapping its jaws at me. Before he completely makes the jump, I plunge my sword upward into his gut. He lands behind me and turns around. It didn’t even phase him to be run through like that. He growls with his hair standing straight up and crouches down, readying another attack. This time I don’t give him the chance. I run straight toward him and he counters by jumping back on his hind legs, standing upright. Claws are ready to strike. As I close in, his shadow completely blankets me in darkness. The sight of one these things standing at its tallest is a terrifying sight for any man. I don’t let it get to me, though. In one swift motion I send my blade past his front legs and right through his lower jaw and out of his skull. The beast falls and I stand victorious.

I run over to the last place I saw Thane and fight my way through all these monsters. They are much easier to kill when they don’t see me coming. One, two, three, they drop like flies as I barrel through from behind. I clear through the ones standing in my way of Thane and our eyes meet. He nods, looking relieved to see me alive. I make my way up to him and we stand side by side weapons ready. He holds his firmly with two hands, eager to give it some more use. His armor is ripped and his flesh is torn along the arms and chest. What he has in raw, unparalleled strength, he also lacks in finesse. These things are just two fast for him to get away unscathed. His size surely helps keep him from getting overwhelmed, though.

More wolves filter into our area and surround us, forming a perfect circle. They left us no way out and we are left with only the option to fight. We stand now, back to back, each facing a half-circle of snarling, bloodthirsty abominations. Trapped like rats, I am left with the same thought that keeps running through my mind. We’ve lost, sure we could make it out alive from what’s in front of us right now, but what about the other hundred that we haven’t faced yet? The more time we spend fighting, the more we lose. Cries of men can still be heard coming from all around us. None are able to stand up against the beasts and men are dying left and right. I lean back to Thane and say, “This looks like the end.”

He responds back to me, “I have a plan, don’t worry. We may still be able to make it out of here alive and save a few of my men.”

Not sure how this is even possible, I ask, “Well, what’s your plan?”

The wolves don’t give us any more time to converse. One by one they attack. The two of us fight them off and hold our ground well. Thane more than I is the one doing all the work. I get in a few respectable kills here and there, but he tears them apart like stuffed animals. Bones crunching and cries of pain flood my ears, along with the sound of countless bodies dropping behind me. Time passes by and the all too-familiar muscle memory of battle kicks in. Before I have a chance to think about anything, it’s over. We stand surrounded by death. A sickening mixture of man and beast lay on the ground lifelessly. Very few battles I’ve been in compare to the carnage of this one. It’s sad for me to admit, but each and every one of them were just as exhilarating as the last. I was born into battle and raised in violence. This is my life, and, sadly, my passion.

The two of us look at each other almost breathless, but ready to move on. Thane begins to explain his plan to me now that the area is clear. “We may have a chance of escape through the underground tunnels.” I listen in closely and don’t say a word, he continues, “Beneath your feet lays a vast network of tunnels that was made for situations like this. As they lead further outside the base they begin to get more and more narrow. There won’t be enough room for the wolves to follow us through.”

It sounds like a good plan except for one flaw. “Won’t they just turn around once they’ve realized they can’t follow us? Eventually they will get out and come find us. We certainly don’t have enough time to get very far before they catch up. In case you haven’t noticed, these things are huge--they can travel just as fast as any horse, maybe even faster.”

He nods his head in agreement and pulls out a pendant from under his breastplate. “That’s what this is for,” he says as he holds it up into my view. It’s a rough stone of a very deep red color, one I am very familiar with. “Scorch stone,” he says. “The tunnels are lined with it, and in my quarters sits a detonator. This stuff is highly explosive. Once triggered, the chain reaction will completely wipe out anything alive down there and bury the entire base.” He looks around and continues, “Well, at least what’s left of it. Now we must hurry, there isn’t much time left.”

Thane turns and sprints toward his quarters. I follow, matching his pace directly behind. His long legs shoot him forward with explosive bursts of momentum. It’s difficult to keep up, but I manage. As we pass by demolished buildings and burning wreckage, wolves start to discover us. They leap at Thane but he cuts them down without slowing down one bit. One strikes, hiding around a corner, and another flies from a nearby roof. Both of them are crushed and turned into corpses after Thane is done with them.

Before we are able to make it to our destination, Thane makes a stop by the bell. He runs under it and grabs the rope shouting out, “Cover me!” The bell rings and sends out a deafening rumble. He rings it again and again with no sign of slowing down. Four rings, five rings, and six -- he isn’t stopping. Barking can be heard coming in the distance. A pack is approaching and a seventh ring strikes. Three wolves make their entrance into the area and howl into the air. I look down and see the body of a fallen soldier on the ground. Beside him is his sword, dropped inches away from his fingertips. I reach down and pick it up. “I hope you don’t mind if I borrow this,” I say as if he can hear me. I stand back up, firmly readying for the battle. A sword in each hand and a fire burning in my gut. I’m ready for this. The pack makes the first move and sprints forward. I copy and meet them halfway. We dance in a circle as I block every attack they send at me and counter with my own. An eighth ring strikes, followed by a ninth. The wolves are dealt with and a loud final ring strikes, that makes ten.

I turn and see Thane coming out from under the bell and he waves me to follow him. “Come on, I just signaled to abandon camp.” I look back out and see more wolves approaching from several places in front of me. Thane calls out to me, “There is no time, leave them.”

I follow, knowing there are too many to take on alone. Again we find ourselves in a sprint, this time being chased. The closer and closer we get to our destination, the smaller and smaller the gap is between us and the wolves. We finally make it to his quarters and close the door behind us. Loud pounding can be heard coming from the other side as the wolves throw themselves at the door, trying to break in. I watch, ready for them to come crashing through.

Thane walks away and says, “Don’t worry; it’s reinforced. It’ll hold, but not for long. We have to keep moving.” I can barely see anything in here. The only light is what’s shining through the cracks of the door. It’s not long before Thane pulls out the scorch stone pendant he has, which, like all scorch stone, gives off natural light when exposed the darkness and now illuminates the room in a soft, red glow. He moves to the back of the room and opens a big trunk sitting on the ground by his bed. Once the lid is lifted it exposes a single slot and Thane inserts the pendant like a key. He twists it around completely and lets go. It begins to slowly unwind backwards and gives off a clicking sound. Just then, a hatch door springs open behind us, revealing the entrance to the tunnels below. Thane walks over to it and kneels down. “Hatches like this one are now open all around the base. Everyone knows to use them to escape.”

As we are about to jump down into the tunnels we hear a voice: “Wait, I’m coming with you.” A man crawls out from under Thane’s bed. It’s Erik. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

I ask him, “What were you doing under there?”

He drops his head and sighs. “I was hiding.” Ashamed of what he did, he continues on, “I’m not like you guys. I’m just a coward. When I saw everyone around me being mutilated, I ran and found this place. I’ve been hiding in here ever since.” I can’t imagine leaving behind fellow soldiers to die as I cower in a corner. How could he possibly do that? Fighter or not, he still should have done whatever he could.

Thane stands up, puts his hand on Erik’s shoulder, and says, “Don’t dwell on it anymore. You were never meant to be a part of this. I’m sorry for putting you in front of danger.” I can’t believe he is so forgiving toward him. I surely wouldn’t be.

Erik replies, “It’s still no excuse. I could hear men outside screaming as they were being torn apart and I couldn’t bring myself to help them.”

Thane responds, “I understand. However, now is not the time for grieving. We have very little time left.” With that, he turns and jumps down through the hatch. “We must hurry!” he shouts up to us and runs out of sight.

I look at Erik, and he back to me. He says nothing to me and jumps down to follow Thane. I grab onto the hatch door and get ready to shut it behind me. Suddenly, the wall bursts open, sending wood splinters and dust into the air. A wolf comes crashing into the room and pounces on me, pinning me to the ground. I drop one sword and hold onto the other. All this weight on my chest is preventing me from moving. The wolf lets out a loud bark, opens its jaws, and goes right for my throat. With the one sword I have left I raise it up above my head and block the attack. My blade is wedged sideways between its jaws, preventing it from closing in on me. It snarls and tries to snap at me. A mixture of spit and blood drip from it’s mouth as it fights back. I look over to my left and see my other sword laying on the ground inches away just out of reach. Still holding back the wolf, I stretch my arm out for the sword barely grabbing it with my fingertips. As soon as I have a good grip on it, I plunge it deep into the beast's heart. It stops moving and falls over sideways. I stand up and more come crashing through. Each wall has a massive hole in it now and the entire building becomes unstable. The roof begins collapsing and debris falls, covering the hatch. The entire place falls apart piece by piece on top of me. I waste no time and jump through the only wall that doesn’t have a wolf guarding it. I make it outside and Thane’s room comes crashing down on itself, burying everything inside.

I need to find another hatch. I don’t know how much time is left but I know it’s not much. Behind me I can hear the pile of rubble begin to move as the wolves underneath try to break free. I look all around and see a hatch open not far off. As fast as I can I sprint over to it and jump in. Once inside I can see far into the tunnel, it goes on forever. In the dirt walls are hundreds of small scorch stones giving off light. It’s eerie knowing that at any moment the timer could stop and these could all blow, killing me instantly. I don’t give it a second thought and move forward. As I run down the paths I can see dozens of men running through the tunnels connected to mine. There were more survivors than I thought. Not knowing where the exit is, I follow far-off behind one of the crowds.

All of a sudden, we are cut off by a pack that followed us in. They attack one of the men in front and pull him away. Everyone else scatters and runs down different paths, trying to escape. No one seems to be sticking together and they all disappear before I can see which way they went. This place is like a maze and I am completely lost. The wolves see me and try to make me their next victim. I don’t waste any time fighting. Instead, I run. I pick a tunnel and dash through it as fast as I can. Following behind are several wolves hungry for blood. I don’t look back and keep running. The walls begin closing in, getting smaller and smaller. I must be heading in the right direction. Thane said they would do this as they got closer to the end. I keep moving forward and run into an intersection of six tunnels. Great, now where do I go? I look around trying to pick which way to go. I can hear barking and growling fast approaching from behind.

Just then, Thane and Erik come running into the intersection. Thane nods. “It’s good to see you alive. You had me a little worried back there.”

Multiple loud barks echo through the tunnel. Thane hears this and says, “Come on, this way. We are almost there.” He runs forward through one of the six tunnels and I follow closely behind, with Erik following behind me. We are getting closer to the end. I can see the light of day breaking, shining at the end of the tunnel. The walls begin to close in on us as we make our way through.

Suddenly, I hear a loud thud hit the ground behind me. I look back and see Erik on the ground. He must have tripped. As he stumbles to get up I get a clear look at what’s behind him. A single wolf is scratching and clawing its way through the tunnel, just slightly big enough to let it through. It closes in on Erik and grabs his heel with its jaws. Erik slides backward as he is dragged away. Immediately, I run towards him. He kicks and screams, reaching out for my hand, desperately wanting to get away. I take my sword and drive it through the unsuspecting wolves skull. I reach down for Erik’s hand and pick him up. I push him forward. “Get moving!”

The two us run toward the light. I can see Thane standing outside, waiting for us, roaring, “Come on, move it, they’re right behind you!”

I glance over my shoulder and see several of them within feet of us. We reach the end of the tunnel and jump out. Inside I can see paws trying to dig their way out and snouts pushing through the small opening. Thane pushes us away and says, “Get back!”

That’s when I hear it. A single explosion erupts from within the base. Following closely behind is another, and another. A chain reaction crawling through each and every tunnel. The ground begins to shake and a pillar of fire spits out from the tunnel high into the air. The wolves whimper and cry out as they are trapped inside the flames. The heat is intense and brings the surrounding air to the extreme temperature of the hottest desert, and just like that it’s over.

All three of us stand looking out at what once was an impressive fortress. Now reduced to smoldering piles of rubble and ashes. Erik asks “Are we all that’s left?”

Thane shakes his head. “I’m sure a few managed to make it out. They were all trained for this.”

I avert my attention away from the wreckage and look out into the forest. Far off on top of the ridge in the distance I can see that lone rider sitting atop the last remaining alpha. Still he watches us. He just sits there, and though I can barely make out his silhouette, I can feel his eyes on me. It’s an uncomfortable feeling. He won’t be happy knowing that we survived. Though he doesn’t do anything, instead he turns around and disappears over the ridge.

I can hear the sound of movement coming from the tunnel. All of us ready our swords in unison. It sounds as though a wolf survived and is pushing its way through the exit. Thane walks forward and says to us, “I’ll take care of this.”

Then, suddenly, a hand breaks free from the darkness and out into the light. It’s not a wolf -- someone didn’t make it out behind us. Thane drops his sword on the ground and sprints toward the tunnel. He grabs onto the hand and pulls the man out. The man lets out a loud, wheezy groan of intense pain. As he is pulled into the light we get a clearer picture of him. His entire body is black and red from head to toe. Severe burns cover him, leaving behind what can barely be recognized as a person. Every strand of hair has been singed off and his eyes look as if they were boiled dry. He is unable to see or even speak. Instead, he keeps letting out cries of pain.

Thane is holding him in his arms and grabs onto his hand. In a quiet voice he says to the man, “It’s ok, it’s ok. You’re going to be alright.” It’s very clear no one could survive that. I think Thane wants to give him a few final moments of comfort. The cries fall silent and his body goes limp. Thane lets out a very troubled and hurt sigh. He is still kneeled down holding the body and says, “He gave his life in service to me and I don’t even know who he is…” Not letting go of his hand he says, “Your life will be avenged, brother”.

End of Book One