Lets keep rollin them out! here is the ruff post ch14!

Howl 14

-----------------------

I open my eyes in this strange world again.

The ceiling is painted white, strange long lamps hang from it.

Getting up, all I see in this odd white room are these sad small beds on metal frames all lined up in two rows facing each other. Each bed has matching white sheets and a grey wool blanket, all perfectly made in an identical neat way. At the foot of each one is a dull green metal box.

In the distance I can hear what sounds like soldiers marching.

From under all the beds a black fog rolls out and Freki takes form accompanied by a warg I know to be Ulfa.

Freki gives me a stern look, “I told you not to play with your own dreams like this, and we should never have let you learn this. Why must you be such a trouble maker all the time?”

I rub the back of my neck and grin at her, “If I wasn’t, would you like me as much?”

She sighs with her hands on her perfect hips, “That evil smirk of yours won't get you out of trouble darling. What did you hope to accomplish by doing this?”

It’s hard to think of an immediate answer, “I guess I just had a feeling it was worth a try? Like something in these dreams could help give me an edge tomorrow.”

She walks up and flicks me in the nose.

It stung a little but I won't complain over the feeling I get when this goddess gets so close to me in her ever revealing, one piece corset leather armor. Even more enchanting are her shocking green eyes that contrast so perfectly with her glassy black hair.

Finally, she smiles, “You are such a dog.”

Freki moves in even closer, putting one hand on my hip, the other on my chest. She leans up on her tip toes and licks my neck.

Whispering softly into my ear, “But bad dogs need to be kicked sometimes!”

She wickedly bites my left ear, teeth easily sinking all the way through.

I wake up with a start; the pain in my ear is still there. Reaching for the left side of my head I can feel it is wet with blood, a small hole is left at the bottom of my ear.

“The hells, she actually pierced the damn thing!”

I look around the room, everything is exactly as it was.

Mora is asleep in the bed while Ulfa is in warg form lying in front of a still lit fire place.

Looking closely I see her sneaking a peek at me.

I whisper to her, “Traitor!”

She quietly cackles and turns her head away to go back to sleep.

Getting up to clean off the blood, I can't help but feel like this was a waste of time and I should be trying to get as much rest as possible right now.

That was a strange place though, the room in my dream.

Before I can dwell on it I hear Ulfa whisper, “Go to sleep pup, nothing good will come from thinking about what you saw. Those are the mistress’ words.”

-------------------------------------------------

In some ways I should have expected as much of this amphitheater when I think of how everything else in this city is just so ridiculously overblown.

Situated against the east side of the castle, cut out from the hillside, it looks like a gigantic reimagining of the throne room.

We even entered from the castle onto a platform pouring water to the sound of thunderous cheers from the many thousands perched along the ring platforms.

From our spot in the middle of the fifth ring up I can see how each ring encircles less of the pit below, like two curved staircases meeting at the top. There looks to be another five rings above us.

Each ring is supported by immense white pillars as they curve out from the hillside, all in the shadow of the castle.

The pit below is just like the center of the throne room in that it is made up countless white slabs spaced tightly in an enormous pool of crystal clear water.

People of various races are clamoring for good spots, some of the bird clans are even flying in and perching on the railings.

As Akane, Walt, and I step aside from the entry way to make way for Father and Queen Emese the crowd quiets down to a silence.

The two queens come out first and gracefully take their seats in unison on their respective thrones one either side of the great wolf’s head throne of the Fenrir.

Finally Father enters the stadium to the loudest roar of the crowd yet. He steps to edge of the platform, The Lord Alpha and ruler of all the Middle Continent.

He raises a hand and taps down the hilt of the great black axe. The sound of metal hitting finely polished stone echoes throughout the instantly silenced amphitheater.

He speaks so loudly that surely the entire city can hear him if not even the farmlands on the other side of the walls.

“Welcome everyone! Once again I am thrilled to stand amongst you to enjoy our annual celebration of prosperity. In the coming days may your hard work bear fruit, your trade thrive, and your belly stay full. Let us now welcome the newest generation to our city. Let us have them earn their right to lead the greatest city in the world! Yoden! Let the games begin!”

With another slam of the axe hilt the crowd erupts so loud the earth must shake clear to the mountains.

Water blasts forth from the pipes in the platform we stand on as well as points along the rings surrounding the pit.

The stone slabs begin to rise as if they were made of wood and slowly begin to rotate within the pit.

Around thirty females begin to make their way onto the slabs as they pass close to the sides of the bottom ring which circles nearly the entire pit.

Among them I manage to spot Asta and Sassa enter from right below us. Apparently any pup of the appropriate age may enter the fight as a means to raise the status of their family with their performance.

Father signals Akane forward to his side. She’s dressed to impress in a red with gold trim, silk gown that barely covers her shoulders, chest, and waist. It’s flashy, but it won't impair her movement in any way and I'm sure that’s what she had in mind.

Once she’s beside him, he says, “Three rules of sorts. First: No powerful magic. Second: you pups are not allowed to use any weapons thrown into the pit. Third: avoid killing them, which is the only mercy you will show.” He looks back to Walt and I, “You pups get all that?”

We nod, he pats Akane’s back, “Go earn yourself a day in the city with your brothers.”

She gets a ridiculous smile on her face as small flames instantly flare up in her short , spiky, red hair.

With a leap that would do Father proud and the cheers of the crowd, she flies out from five stories up clear to the center of the pit below.

The slab she lands on only slightly dips under the surface, rising back up before her feet even get wet.

Immediately a javelin flies from one side of the pit only to be caught by Akane and snapped like a twig in her left hand, I can see traces of burnt wood where she held it.

She leaps again in the direction it came from landing with a slam on the platform of a poor weasel clan girl sending her sailing through the air and into the water.

I can see Akane laughing as if she's having the time of her life hopping from slab to slab sending poor girls flying.

To my side I see Walt staring down below us to the closer side of the pit.

The twins are down there putting on an extraordinary display of coordination. They are working together as if dancing to create weapons of ice by drawing the pits water to float in the air around them like a beautiful fountain. The graceful flow of water jets around them in their matching, skin tight, white battle dresses.

They are steadily prancing along the slabs, drawing ice spears from their water jets and easily dispatching any who do not run away fast enough. A trick Mora was more than happy to teach them.

Back to Akane I see that she’s come to a slight obstacle in the form of the other pair of twins from the den, her fox friends Chiyo and Kana. I had nearly forgotten about them, they’re related to us on mother’s side so of course they would be here.

Akane doesn’t say anything but bows in apology before taking a fighting stance. These two she will not shame by simply bouncing them away.

They like wise bow before completely disappearing, Akane looks slightly flustered at the surprise.

They reappear coming together behind her to hold hands as if they had split and passed Akane on either side. In their other hands a rope of orange fire appears and quickly encloses in a ring around Akane.

She does nothing as the fire rope wraps around her and simply dissipates.

Of course, let alone fire element, Akane’s blessing is that nothing may ever impede her, to include rope bindings.

Trying to bind her wasn’t a bad idea if she was anyone else who is primarily an agile brawler.

The fox twins disappear once more before Akane can take a step towards them.

This time they appear a decent way above her head and come falling down as if the plan to sink her into the water along with them by tipping the entire slab.

Akane spots them in time however. She instantly vaults across the platform in a bounce with such force that when she hops off and away the slab flips vertically into the air hitting the falling twins and crushing them underneath it as the entire slab flips over, prompting the roar of the crowd.

Huh, so the slabs are made from enormous cuts of the giga pines.

Chiyo and Kana surface and make for the side, at least they made a solid effort. They really are a bad match up against Akane who practiced all the same spells as them and far surpasses them physically.

As with the other fighters, the crowd whistles and howls at the sight of the young girls exiting the water. For whatever reason I’m not overly fond of it, the fighters are all putting everything out there for their families and honor.

Back on the other side of the pool Asta and Sassa have run out of opponents and are quickly making their way towards Akane.

I know Akane was looking forward to this part the most. Her chance to finally have at the girls who take up so much of her brothers’ time.

In a move to straight forwardly embarrass the twins, Akane leaps to flip the next platform between them like she did the other girls.

The twins halt early however and as if mirrors of each other, send forth a wave of water from around them which freezes at its tallest height. It catches Akane off guard as she hits the high of the slop at just the right angle to begin sliding down its back side out of control, straight towards the twins.

Sassa casts more ice at the solidified wave creating a ramp at the bottom.

The whole of the city can only watch in awe as Akane goes flying once more towards Asta standing ready with a ridiculously large, conjured, ice mallet. Asta brings it in a full downward swing to hit Akane in midair.

I guess the rules only applied to our litter.

Akane, however, seems displeased at the ending of her ride and instead creates a vibrant, crimson flame around her arms.

She meets the mallet fists first, crushing through it with a spray of melted ice.

There is no unfrozen water for her to worry about landing in as a result of the wave earlier.

Regaining a slight level of composure, Akane begins to slowly walk towards Asta and Sassa.

All other fighters have abandoned the pool, none wish to be part of this.

The twins raise their arms slowly from their sides in unison. Thunderous cracks can be heard as the entire pit begins to turn to a frozen landscape.

Snow flurries into the air above the girls and forms into hundreds of large icicles.

Asta and Sassa point their arms forward and on command the ice begins to cut through the air towards Akane in wave after wave of frozen daggers.

Their performing the same method of joint spell casting as Walt and I used with Maug in that cursed human fort.

Akane isn't agile enough to dodge so many small projectiles concentrated at her. Instead she begins to dash forward with her arms covering her face. The effect of the charge creates the image of a fireball heading straight across the field at the twins.

Once within a short distance Akane leaps once more, only this time it’s only a short way as she slams her fists down on the ice creating a rupture the splits the field directly between the twins disrupting their casting.

Another short hop and Akane catches the twins, one in each arm at their waist.

A third hop and she crashes back through the center of the first frozen wave with the twins in front of her.

As she falls to a slab on the other side she drops the twins in unfrozen water before landing.

Walt and I are standing at the edge of the platform waiting for Asta and Sassa to resurface.

Akane, seeing that she is indeed the last one standing and therefore winner, dives in and pulls the twins out of the water.

They cough a little and shiver but otherwise seem fine.

The whole of the audience roars with cheer and applause for the girls’ battle.

Father stands up and gestures towards the mostly frozen pit, “Your champion, Akane!”

More cheers erupt, he continues, “A brilliant fight from my nieces Asta and Sassa as well if I may say so.”

The applause continues, as does he, “Now, Akane! Fix the pit!”

Wait, what? The crowd also seems confused.

Down below Akane jumps over the wave once more and in a flash of blinding white flame she slams down with a heat wave, the force of it being far beyond anything she has used fighting me previously.

The bottom row of spectators looks to have had the air knocked out of them as the pit almost immediately thaws back to its original state.

The smirk on the Fenrir’s face tells me he expected at least this level of ability from Akane.

Unable to stay quiet, I mumble to father, “You stand there grinning but not a single male in the continent who just saw that will even dream of trying to become her mate.”

A pained look crosses his face and I hear Mother laughing.

Father sighs and scratches his beard before saying to Walt and I, “I expect you both to beat that performance, but first some business.”

Since when does he expect anything? I wonder how he fights with one eye. If I lose an eye do I get a cool patch? Has Patra ever made one before. Ah, Mother is looking at me… annoyed? If I had to guess, ha Ulfa isn’t here!

Mother whispers back from her seat, “Darling it will be more than a spoon next time if you don’t focus right now.”

Fine, what business now?

Father’s grin returns as he once more addresses the crowd, “Now my people a small order of court business.”

As he speaks the wooden slabs close in a line from somewhere below us.

A small troop of guards march out two women in chains, two women I can’t forget.

The first in line is the crazy, human bitch, Duchess Zenazla of Polatsk.

The second is the female, Turul assassin.

Both are dressed in nothing more than grey shirts and matching pants. Once the troop reaches the center of the pit they halt and turn around to face the throne. The two women are placed on their knees.

I look to Walt, he looks back just as surprised.

The Fenrir takes up his axe and tosses it to me.

Even with all my training it’s still barely lift able. Resting the pommel gently on the floor I carefully stand it upright. It is almost an entire head taller than me. The black head looks rough yet shines strangely in the sun, too dark to see a reflection.

Father speaks to the crowd, “Twice my eldest has shown mercy to women who would still now take his head given the chance. This cannot be allowed to become a habit for one who may someday rule. Strength, Wisdom, Family, Courage, Integrity, these qualities are what the Wolf Clans represent, and why the world follows our lead.”

He looks back to me and beckons me forward, “Go, bring these matters of your past to a conclusion lest they come back to haunt you.”

As I walk to the front of the platform I can't help but think his speech sure sounded grand for a bold faced lie. Our blood is Warg, it may have been watered down with the Wolf clans, but our history is one of violence and deviance.

I spare a quick glance back at mother.

She is lounging on her red, bench like throne, as always. However she currently has a small wisp of black fog playing about her fingers.

She looks me right in the eyes and softly whispers in a voice echoing Freki, “Do it.”

Fine, I’ll make them all happy by pointlessly killing two women in front of the entire nobility and tradesmen of the continent and the people of Yoden.

I jump, the axe makes me plummet like a stone straight down.

Just before hitting the wood slabs I disperse into fog for a second to break my fall. The cloud might be the darkest it’s ever been, and instead of openly crackling with sparks it dimly flickers and lets out a low rumble like distant thunder.

Even my damned fog shows that inwardly I'm not happy with this.

I reform already walking the way towards the prisoners, the guards part as I approach.

Zenazla immediately greets me, “Forced to take my head yourself after all, huh fuzzy wargling? I must say, I'm not surprised, you should have left me rotting in that fucking fort.”

She looks half rotted already, dark eyes, pale skin barely hanging on her bones.

I didn’t miss her mouth, “Seems you gave birth, the child?”

She laughs quietly, “You should have been there pup. The cursed thing came out and immediately bit one of the nurses. She was a pretty young human girl, might have even had children of her own. Both her and my feral child had to be killed, that is Your fault.”

She laughs more, a little less quietly.

I hoist the axe up roughly but swing it down in a fluid, arc motion. It cleanly removes her still laughing head from her shoulders.

I shouldn’t have spoken to her.

The Turul woman speaks quietly, “That woman was sick in the head, good thing it was removed.”

I sigh, clever comment though, wish I had said it.

I look at the bird woman, “I suppose you have some wonderful things to say as well?”

She looks me in the eye, much the same way as mother just did, “Take this moment to heart young prince. My heart wants nothing more than a strong and unified Yoden… by Any means. In this case that means you learn from why your father is making you do this. Let my death be marked as a stepping stone towards your prosperity, instead of a failure in the rebellion.”

She bends down in a ready position by her own will.

“Become the storm of change for this world Lord Nox.”

Her final words feel both greedy and sad, I wonder if she had been hoping for rescue. Perhaps her rebellion was not as noble a cause as she originally thought. Yet she still said words for her city.

Raising the axe once more, I tell her, “May your god be proud in this moment.”

I bring it down plainly and swiftly, I wouldn’t dare risk missing the mark for this woman.

Unable to look where the heads lie, I turn to face the throne and The Lord Fenrir.

But he has already leapt and after an instant lands right in front of me with his hand held out for the great black axe, an almost anxious look in his eye.

As I move to hand it to him he roughly snatches it up, I could swear I see a look of relief in his face.

He then sighs, his ear twitches same as mine.

As he looks back up to the throne he mutters just loud enough for me to hear, “Pup, one day you’ll understand, when you’ve gained enough enemies. That is, provided you survive that long.”

He sets off towards the exit, the guards fall into formation behind him.

The crowd is silent up until the moment the last guard steps foot out.

With a tremendous cheer from the audience, too many fighters to count begin pouring into the pit.

Walther jumps down and actually makes it all the way to me.

It must be a sight, one black, one white, side by side against a small hoard of beast race.

I look to Walt, “Meet back here for the finale little brother?”

He smiles as he stretches his right shoulder, “I’ll be waiting.”

Oh please, ….but before I can get in a word he takes off for the north side of the pit.

Damn it! I’m so going to do that to him one of these times. I’ll start by clearing my side in half the time! We’ll see who is waiting for who … shit, I’m letting it get to me.

I jump to the next slab south, it rocks slightly as they are beginning to move with the water flow as the pit fills once more.

Not really in the mood to lose I slightly shift my hands into claws, to the audience it should only look like black gauntlets.

The first attacker is a weasel pup, he dives straight for my chest with a dagger.

Catching his thrust with my right arm and pulling him in close I nail his face with a bone crunching left hook. He goes flailing across the slab and stays down, I’m fairly certain I just knocked him out if not broke his jaw. The crowd gave a cheer in reaction.

While I consider easing up a bit a spear lands near my feet stabbing into the wood. Oh so tempting to grab, damn these rules.

I settle for breaking it in half and throwing what amounts to a stick at my next assailant. He bats it away slightly confused. In that moment I give him a nice flying knee kick to the chest. Again the audience roars with applause.

Alright, I might have some fun today after all.

Deciding I should pick up the pace, I leap to the next platform and slide low past two brown wolves fighting each other. The first I grab his leg and flip him into the water. The second I duck his punch and round kick him right to where the first fell in landing on top of him. I can hear laughter mixed in with the cheers from the crowd.

Must go faster.

I dash to the next slab leaving bits of black fog in my wake. Another wolf pup is charging to meet me, a sword at his side ready to be swung.

I beat him to the punch, literally jumping before he was ready and slamming my right fist into his nose.

He collapses, clutching his face, attempting to stem the blood pouring out. He’ll be fine but his fight is done.

I can’t help but pour some salt, “Hey pup, you’re making a mess.”

He mutters some response after me as I’ve already jumped ahead again.

Not really paying attention I get tackled from the side, fighting my instinct to fog form the hit. I instead roll with it and kick whoever it was over the side of the platform. At the least, I know they were orange ish.

Not much reaction from the crowd either this time. On the other side of the pit I hear a loud round of applause. Walty must be putting on a good show.

I hear a yell.

From my right at the next slab a black furred pup comes charging at me with some sort of polearm. At the edge he makes an impressive vault using the haft that clears the water gap and brings him falling towards me with a vertical slash of his weapon.

I side step the strike and in the moment see he’s using a halberd. No time for more as he switches to a side sweep for me to duck, using the momentum of getting up I uppercut the pup off his feet.

The crowd is going crazy now, the black pup is getting back up. I now see he has brown on his ears and tail, they’re sharp… he must be from the Jackal Clan.

The jackal boy begins a series of precise thrusts that I can only back off from until I realize my back has reached the edge of this platform.

Out of options and running low on time, I catch the next thrust as it narrowly misses my gut. I rip the halberd from his hands and toss it into the water before putting all my weight into a fast jab just below his ribs. He collapses to his knees, barely catching his breath before blacking out.

I walk past him, “Walk it off for a few days.”

The number of opponents has significantly dropped, a few are locked in melee with each other just north of me and beyond them in the center of the pit I see Walt simply standing there waiting for me. Shit.

I attempt to do as Akane did and jump to the edge of the remaining fighter’s slab to flip it but I only succeed in rocking it a bit. Common is she really that much stronger physically than me?

My ear twitches and discharges a small bit of static. In a boring turn of events the remaining fighters bow out to me and begin to walk to the side.

I remember the line about not killing them being the only mercy allowed.

Not really satisfied, I call out to them, “Turn around and come at me together or I will attack you even with your back turned.”

The two foxes and single weasel nod to each other before simply charging straight for me with their axes and sword.

“Stupid.” is all I can say.

I spin away from them on my heels to face Walt. As I do so I release a small charged fog bank from my tail with a whip like motion. It catches all three attackers just behind me and leaves them stunned on the ground with a couple small burns. The crowd boos a little, it seems they too wanted more from the three versus one.

As I approach Walt he looks past me grinning at the three failures.

I shrug, “Sorry to keep you waiting little brother.”

He also shrugs before making a serious face, “Winner gets Asta.”

Really I should have known, “No. Asta is already mine, how about if I win, you have to sing for the court at dinner tonight.”

He growls in anger before dashing towards me, he flickers slightly in my vision. He is still trying to hold to the rules if only just a little.

I use my static similar to the past as an extension of my reflexes.

Just as the sight of Walt running at me suddenly fades, I feel a tingle from the back of my neck.

Spinning around I just barely catch Walt’s punch and twist his arm behind him and kick the back of his knees to bring him down and in my control… or so I thought.

He solidifies his silvery hair into needles of metal fur and thrusts his head back towards me. This forces me to step back and release him.

“Hey now Walty, that might be a stretch past Father’s rules.” I wait for a response as I think.

I won’t win in speed, there was a small chance for technique based on that spontaneous move I pulled out of my ass a moment ago… I have to bait him back into a straight forward brawl, perhaps I’ll get lucky again and try to stun him.

Again all I get is a growl before he prepares to charge at me on all fours, his silvery hair beginning to look sharp and dangerous.

I try to raise some sort of counter measure but the wooden platform surrounded by water isn't letting me come up with any grand ideas.

As if following the same pattern of thinking as me, Walt begins to raise daggers of ice from the water. A smaller scale version than the twins, but still scary.

He makes his move, gone in a flash, the trailing ice giving away he’s headed for me.

I feel him in my field, too fast to dodge, I finally give in and fog shift away to the next platform. As I reform I can see a look of frustration on Walt's face.

The crowd is going wild at the fight, various weapons from side racks begin to fall on our separate slabs from members of the bird clan swooping above us.

Walt grabs the first thing within reach, and I do the same. I want to win this little game fairly so I won't break a single rule until he does first.

I hope we can end this today at some point however...Walt is holding a halberd and I, a large sword.

----------------------------

A/n I know I know, sorta cliffy there but common i was already 100 over my usual chapter length and trust me would have been so much worse a cut off at 5k.

Other notes, i really hope the action is improving for yall, it's really hard for me to wrap my head around writing wise.

New royal road website hype!

Screw asshole reviews.

And lastly thanks as always for the comments love talkin to yall.