Wargs of Fire and Blade: Book II

by One of Nine

7. Defiance

“Well? Is my little gem going to answer or keep drooling?” Ihkerah asked, trying to keep her smirk and giggling at bay.

Havaak clenched his jaw, his anger flaring. “You were right there, why didn’t you stop him?!”

“Like I said before, I like a good twist.” She glared down at him.

“Pardon?” His brow lifted, angrily confused. “You let us get beaten up for a laugh?!”

“No. I agree with him, as much as I hate to admit, you need a rival. And so does he. Without a rival, we can’t measure our success or strength. We become stagnant. Weak. And you don’t want to be known as the Alpha of Weakness, do you?”

Havaak snarled softly. He didn’t want a rival. He wanted a peaceful life and rule. No war. No suffering. No loss. Not again…

But then… why not grow stronger, simply to prevent loss and war? He could be strong enough to fight and protect his people from suffering and war.

‘A naive goal… but one nonetheless…’ Havaak thought, breathing deeply and clenching his fist. He would grow stronger, beating all rivals and dangers. He would leave only destruction in his wake. Desolation. For he was the Alpha of just that. ‘And besides, I hate being stagnant.’

“Duume wants a rival?” Havaak glared at Ihkerah, his Mistress and one of the oldest dragons in the world, with solid determination. “Then I hope to meet his expectations.”

“You won’t meet them…” She smirked, eyes crackling with energy. “You’ll surpass them.”

“Speaking of power.” The Spindled Harald spoke up as she skittered closer, making Havaak jump. “Let’s see how much~”

Havaak watched as she flicked her hand upwards, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets. She seemed to scroll through an invisible screen, mumbling to herself. After a solid minute of chewing on her claw, she looked down at the Wargs.

“Well, Havaak doesn’t have all the Chromatics or Elements, but his absorption ability will be very handy.” She looked down again, her red eyes scanning the air. “Damian has more connections with his magic than the average Warg, possibly pointing to potential Alphahood?”

The grey Warg in question looked up at her incredulously, glancing at Havaak, who shrugged. “Up to you dude. Stay a Beta or be your own boss.”

Damian crossed his arms, thinking deeply. After a long moment, he shook his head. “Maybe at some point, but not now. We need to stick together, now more than ever if we want to escape this nightmare.”

Havaak nodded and turned back to the Harald, she seemed to smile. “Unity is best when facing dark times, as I’m sure you’re very familiar with.”

“Unity, Duty, Destiny. Yep, I know.” Havaak sighed.

“In any event, I suggest fighting against any Displaced you come across.” The arachnid suggested, folding her two sets of hands together. “They will be easier targets than dragons or other Wargs.”

“Work our way up? Who’s the final boss?”

She smiled. “Who said there was a final boss?~”

Both Wargs gulped.

“Now, off you go.”

“Uh…” Damian chimed in, looking uncertain. “After what you just said, I’m not too keen on going out there.”

“Fine then…” The Harald looked to the Wargs’ Mistress, smirking. “Ihkerah, would you permit me to use the same motivation I gave you all those years ago?”

The Dragoness smirked, biting a laugh down. “You may.”

Havaak and Damian didn’t have time to react as they were strung up in webbing and pulled back by the scruffs of their necks. They looked at each other and began protesting. Damian began barking all the curses he knew as he saw where they were being aimed. The window.

“Oh, before you’re sent into the cursed wilderness…” Ihkerah smirked, snapping her claws as the Wargs’ clothes shift into battle-ready clothes and medieval-style armor. “Alright, send them~”

“WHAT?!?!” Both Wargs shouted before they were released and flung through the window, the glass rippling like water and beyond.

“I sent them very far… think they’ll be fine?” The Harald asked, exercising her power and controlling the webs to reform into a new nest high above.

“As fine as I was when you flung me out there, my old teacher.” Ihkerah reminisced, patting the subspecies of Changeling on the thorax.

Havaak and Damian were sent hurdling through the air, coughing out the poisonous clouds and trying to steady their flailing bodies. Webs restricted their movements as they struggled, all the while sailing straight for a mountainside. Crimson dirt and rock were sent flying as they landed, creating a crater that the webs wouldn’t allow them to leave. They shook their heads as best they could and continued their struggle against the cobwebs, but even their immense strength was of little help.

“Damian, I’m going to try something.” Havaak warned, gathering his hellfire as he slowly began burning the webs, desperately trying not to burn them along with their confines. With careful consideration, they were soon freed.

Damian breathed a sigh as he stood. “What was with those webs? I’m stronger than you and even I couldn’t break them.”

“Best guess? The maker of the webs outranks us in power, so… we were too weak to break them. That, or they were magically reinforced.” Havaak shrugged in his new armor, now having a chance to looked himself over. “Not too bad, actually…”

“Did you want a body mirror with your ego stroking?” Damian deadpanned, glancing over his own overly bulky armor. “And why does mine look like something out of 40k?!”

“Maybe she read our thoughts and determined our armor preferences through that?”

“Maybe… I was a fan of 40k in my teens.” He then looked at Havaak’s armor, and groaned. “And you were a medieval nerd, weren’t you?”

“Why? Did you pick on kids like me?”

Damian shrugged nervously. “A little…”

Havaak deadpanned, sighing as he looked around the area. “Well, we need to find some Displaced. Any thoughts?”

“If I remember, they’re usually in their teens or slightly older. Meaning, mostly emotionally unstable.” Damian was glad that Havaak had dropped the previous subject. “Emotional teens given magical powers? I doubt that’s a good mix.”

“They’re still kids.” Havaak sighed, eyes hardening. “Don’t kill them unless there is no other choice.”

The hazel rings in Damian’s eyes pulsed, both his and Thorkell’s voices in sync. “Yes Alpha.”

“Now… where to find them?”

An explosion and several excited shouts answered Havaak’s question, sounding somewhat close, smoke rising from beyond the mountains.

Dragneel’s Beta smirked. “Speak of the devil…”

They soon made it down the mountain, rounding a bend to find four humans dressed in various attire. The first was a knight in grey armor with golden trimming, a big red cape flowing from his shoulders. He held a massive greatsword in his gloved hand, alight with blue sparkles.

Second was a young woman dressed in ragged grey and black robes, a large-brimmed hat sitting atop her waist-long blue hair, the hat ending in a crooked point. Her skin was a greyish blue, looking much like a stitched doll.

Third was another witch themed woman, but dressed in a Victorian style garb, wearing a long black trench-coat. A large witch hat sat atop her silver locks, several trinkets dangling from the brim of her hat.

The final person was someone in a large black mech suite, a very science fiction vibe as the five-foot barrel of a cannon extended from their arm. Or maybe, the cannon was their arm? Their head was hidden by a black helmet with a green visor.

The four sat around a fire, the knight seeming to brag about his power.

Havaak closed his eyes and took a breath, looking down on the humans at the mountain’s feet, speaking to Damian with his eyes still fixed. “You want to knight?”

“Yeah… but, you don’t want to fight the others, right? All of them look like chicks.”

“If fighting them gets me back to Luna, I don’t care.” The Alpha said solemnly.

“What happened to ‘unless no other choice?’”

Havaak looked at Damian, a stoic vale hiding rage and pain. “My mate is pregnant with a litter of six. I lost my first daughter fifty years ago, who I still miss. Do you honestly think these facts won’t affect me?”

Damian didn’t know how to answer, so he stayed silent as they moved forward, hearts aching for his friend. Peeking around a large boulder, they observed their quarry.

“You’re fighting to get power, so I’ll just be the distraction.” Damian offered, rolling his shoulders in the bulky armor.

“Think you’ll be able to do it in that armor?” Havaak asked, starting to cut the leather straps with his claws.

“You have the same thought?” The muscular Warg began to do the same.

“Yes.” After each plate was removed, the two were left with worn leather pants that were slightly baggy around the thighs, their shins wrapped in tight cloth. Their torsos were covered with vests of a similar material. Havaak checked himself over before looking to his Beta. “Ready to make an entrance?”

“You had to ask?” Damian smiled.

The two Wargs stepped out from behind cover, Havaak in front and Damian following behind. They came to a cliff that overlooked the group of humans, the Alpha’s power over earth commanding the ground to rise and meet their steps. Havaak stepped out into air, only for pillars of stone and red dirt to shoot up, catching his footfalls. Hands folded behind his back, Havaak glared at the humans as they spun and gaped.

They looked on the approaching Wargs with gloom. The clouds above grew dark, crackling with lightning. Havaak’s eyes shown with red fire, thunder boomed overhead.

Speaking to Damian, the Alpha of Desolation kept his flaming eyes on the humans. “Take them.”

Grinning, the Beta’s eyes shifted to hazel as frosty mist poured from his jaws. He jumped from the peninsulas, red lightning crackling around him as he landed on all fours. He snarled loudly at the shaking humans.

“We take no pleasure in this affair.” Havaak lamented as massive walls encircled them all, creating a basic arena.

“You freaks!!” The knight roared, pointing his sword at the Wargs. “I’ve defeated a dragon. You’re no match for me!!”

“What type of dragon?” Havaak asked, signaling for Thorkell to halt with a raised hand.

“W-what? Type? It’s a dragon, it doesn’t matter!”

“So you say.” He snarled back, even toned. “Any other reason you think you’re strong?”

“I-I killed a dragon! Isn’t that enough?!”

Havaak grunted in annoyance. “Not here. Not in this world. Here, you’re weak. The stench of death doesn’t coat you like a second pelt.”

“What? Like you?” The knight sneered, readying his sword. “A monster bent on killing a bunch of people?”

“People? As in, humans only?”

“What else is there? All I see when I look at you is a stupid boss monster!”

Havaak sighed and lowered his hand, allowing Thorkell his hunt. The muscular Warg grinned, fangs flashing in the growing clouds’ shadow. The humans glanced up to Havaak, seeing his eyes alight with red fire. Seconds later, the ground cracked and splintered, fire and lava gushing forth. The Displaced either yelped or shrieked as lava spilled close, having to dodge to not get burned.

Jagged thorns of stone rose from the ground, hot magma scattered around the arena. Havaak stood atop the neck of land, arms crossed as lightning flashed behind and above. He watched as Thorkell charged the knight, freezing the large sword before it struck his hardened fur. The knight’s sword cracked on impact; several shards sent flying. The Warg grinned.

“Aw, did your toy break?” Thorkell smirked, grabbing the knight’s helmet and shoving him face-first into the dirt.

“Randy!” The blue-heired witch shouted in dismay; hands clenched over her chest.

The mech user gazed down at the side of their canon and began typing on a small screen, punching in a code. Seconds after, a slot next to the screen opened and expelled a silver ball with a blue light. She threw the ball on the ground to her right and put in another code as a blue beacon emerged from the silver ball on the ground. Havaak watched as she threw another ball to her left. He blinked as the sound barrier was broken overhead, a large pod landing where the first ball had been, the barrel of a gatling turret extending out. Another sentry landed. Havaak found himself smirking, knowing that she was preparing for a boss fight.

The two witches began muttering in a strange language, circles of light appearing blow their feet. The Alpha’s gaze shifted skyward as the twin suns set and all five moons arose. The moons began glowing with a pale light, their chanting increasing still. The moons’ light suddenly went out like a candle that was blown out, the two women looking at each other in confusion. The rings of light pulsed as chains of blue fire erupted from them, wrapping around the witches, leaving everyone else in shock.

The rings pulsed again, this time a commanding and familiar voice emitting from unseen depths. “You dare attack my beloved with what is mine? Stupid children.”

The two women were then set ablaze, blue flame swirling around them as all five moons shimmered with a blue-green light. The moons began moving into position, a single line, their light brightening within the heavens.

Moon’s voice thundered from all around. “I have always been the Lancer of the Stars. Holder of the Cresent Moon... The Queen of Stardust.”

Before Moon’s surprise attack triggered, Havaak thought it best that the Displaceds’ skills not go to waste. He opened his flaming jaws and breathed deep, a vortex depleting them of their power. Seconds later, the light of the moons collapsed atop the women, turning them to ash as they hit the ground.

The remaining circle of light slowly faded as the moons returned to their original positions, a faint whisper reaching Havaak’s ears, a spark of green fire floating next to his ear. “Be safe, our love~”

“You too, but… did you have to kill them? They’re just kids. And… how are you reaching all the way out here?” Havaak asked, his hearts aching for the two young women.

“Children who were bent on killing you. Besides, they’re not dead. They’ve been revived elsewhere. As for how I’m doing this, without Luna’s knowing… it’s a secret~”

Havaak raised an eyebrow.

“Without their magics…. Which I sense broiling in you.” She seemed to hum and purr. “I see a few powers that I quite fancy. Star Sight: granting its wielder to see the world’s surface through the stars. Moonlit Theft, I’m taking that. Moonshine? Ooooohhhhh~”

The Alpha of Desolation felt a small part of his power stretch across thousands of miles, reaching his mate’s alter. “How did you do that? Taking that power from me?”

“Don’t you remember? Our father said that once an Alpha spreads his power throughout his pack, they share and boost the Alpha’s power. I, for instance, just took a few skills that I felt you wouldn’t use. And you, nor Baldur, resisted me.”

“Yeah…” Baldur chimed in. “I have a few more that we could share.”

“Can’t Alters not communicate with each other directly?” Havaak asked, confused.

“Not without Spell Chroma.” Moon stated, sounding a little haughty.

“And you being hundreds of miles away?”

“This again? You doubt my power?~”

“Not in bed~”

“Are you done making love to your wife?” Damian asked as he fended off an enraged knight and backhanded a ballistic space soldier.

“I need to go.” Havaak said, his voice hardening as he stepped off the peninsula and landed on all fours, claws burning.

“I’ll be watching through the stars. Be safe.” With those words, Moon’s green spark dissipated.

Havaak stood, folded his hands behind his back, and walked forward. His pace was slow, and he took his time. He stood tall and imposing, approaching the Displaced as they fought Damian. Havaak knew that his Beta was stronger in physic than himself, and he was using Ward to fend off the humans. Havaak felt that he didn’t need to worry for his friend.

Jenna knew only one thing; life wasn’t fair. From being homeless to dying in a gang war, she had been picked up by a mysterious god calling himself “the Merchant”. Given strength via the weapons used to end her previous life, she would rain destruction down on anyone who presumed to be stronger.

But the world that she had been sent to, beyond the Faustian bargain, she was denied her pledge.

The werewolf monster loomed over her, boredom in its disgusting eyes as its hands were behind its back. The monster hummed, its brow furrowing, those evil scars wrinkling. It spoke in that devilishly handsome voice, deep and strong. “Your power isn’t one I can absorb.”

She flinched as he unclasped his hands, crossing one over his chest and resting his chin on his hand. He sighed, sounding troubled, looking at her with an emotion resembling pity and regret. “How old are you? In your teens, I imagine. I offer you this; leave and you can be with your friends who’ve returned from the grave.”

Jenna’s eyes shot wide behind her visor. How did this thing know that they could respawn?! She gritted her teeth, growling in her chest. “No! You killed them! You have to pay!!”

“Kid, I—”

“Shut up and die!!!” She took aim with her canon and opened fire. Bullets flew at breakneck speed toward the monster.

He sighed as his hand left his chin, holding it up as a wall of yellow fire separated him from the bullets. Sparks flew as they stopped. Jenna growled again, pulling a small lever on her cannon, alternating its fire. An explosion erupted from the barrel as a rocket was sent the monster’s way.

It passed through the yellow fire, spooking the beast as he dodged in a flurry of green embers.

The monster’s head slowly turned back to Jenna, shock, fear, and anger in his eyes. “What was that?”

Jenna didn’t answer, she took aim again and fired another rocket as the first exploded in the distance. The monster dodged to his left, rolling away from the second rocket. In seconds, he was in her face, shoving the cannon down towards the ground. She pulled the trigger out of sudden fright, glimpsing his eyes that shone with a cold light, firing between her feet. The world went black for Jenna.

She gasped awake in a pod, outfitted with a small armory. She shook her head. She’d died again. Ten more lives to go…

She selected her weapons as the pod crashed into earth. The door burst open, revealing a shocked Warg.

“Y-you have multiple lives?” It asked, staring with its hideous eyes.

“Yeah!” She snarled, aiming her minigun at the monster. “And I’ll keep coming back until you’re dead!”

“Hm.” Was all he had to say, drawing his Crystal sword from his Domain, the rippling gold portal closing seconds later. “From now to your final expiration, will be very short.”

She cocked her canon, reloading it as she gave a vicious snarl. The monster chuckled.

Author's Note:

Been a while, hasn’t it? I expect you all to wonder as to why I’ve been quiet. Allow me to fill you all in as life’s been tossing me through a storm. I moved out and got my first apartment. My truck got hit by a drunk woman at one in the morning after a long day at work, had to fix the flat tire and am waiting to order a new bumper. Got sent out of town for work, caught hypothermia several times, and got sick for an entire month. After that, I slowly regained my ambition to write. I will do my best to get back on a regular schedule as I search for a new career.

Comments

[InfernoRage008]

Sorry to hear about that, I hope you’re doing better.

[One of Nine]

I am, just been taking it day by day

[DeathWolf06]

Good to see an update here and man that suck bro sorry you went threw that and hope things go your way and get better soon

As always good work here and interesting with the two fighting displaced teenagers. And yes kids like them shouldn’t have those kind of powers without being guided to a degree and without a level of maturity and level headed

Looking forward to see where things go from here and how long the two will be at this place until they get back and what they will face later on

The song at the end is a banger nice pick