A Feral Mind

by Desperate Dawn

Chapter 2 (Rewrite)

3 Months later

Resilience never liked Council Meetings, one of the reasons why is that she saw no use of them except during War times. However, this one is different as the leader of the Order, Benevolence, called upon all the founders to discuss something.

She technically could refuse, but how can she, when this particular Great Wolf is the one that led the five during old times? All five, including Resilience, respect him considerably. He is, after all, apart of the King advisors, and one, if not the wisest of them all.

Still, she did not like the topic of the upcoming discussion, particularly about the recent rebellion that broke out. Even if she could pull the others away from that topic, it would come up eventually. So she shall confront it head-on.

“My lady Resilience, are you alright?” She turns to her retainers on her right, almost matching in the Great Wolf's height, coating a fur of light gray with an orange symbol on his upper muzzle. A look of concern etched across his feature.

The symbol itself is a circle with six waves, almost akin to a sun symbol. The center of the circle bare, only decorated with a wolf's head baring its teeth.

Resilience smiled, “I am fine, Leichte, just a little worried.”

“Is it about the rebellion?” The retainers on her left asked. Resilience turned to see the dark brown Dire Wolf with a cyan symbol on her lower muzzle. She was the smallest within the two, but still larger by a slight margin on the average.

“Well, sort of,” Resilience sighed. “I’m worried about Ark. After all, the mastermind behind that rebellion is a Werewolf.”

The two retainers looked at each other, their face etched in worry as the three continued on the hallway. Before long, they’ve finally arrived on a door marked with the symbol of the Order. Resilience took a deep breath and opened the door.

The room was spacious, a long table stood at the center with six seats, and up above, hangs a single crystal chandelier. At the edge of the table, sat an old, but fit gray Great Wolf. His features spoke wisdom and experience as he gazes upon Resilience with a warm smile. Unlike any other of the founder, he had two indigo-colored symbols engraved on his muzzle side by side.

On his right, sat Brilliance, a dark orange Great Wolf with golden-colored symbol on his muzzle. He stared at Resilience neutrally, not a single emotion visible, yet, behind all that, hides his thirst for knowledge, and held an unsurmountable amount of ambition on his eyes.

Beside him, sat a crimson Dire Wolf with a dark blue underside, Courageous. He had an orange symbol on his muzzle, and he was one of the few who proudly showed their scars. One that truly stands the most was the large gash etched horizontally across his muzzle.

Sitting across, sat the most notable scholars of the Kingdom, Illustrious. He was midnight blue Great Wolf with shades of gray, and a cobalt symbol decorated with a few runes on his forehead. He was, and by far, the greatest the Kingdom has to offer as he is the leading figure on technological research. Resilience never once met him on a personal level. Only Brilliance and Benevolence had met him personally in his quarters.

“Ah, Resilience, I am glad that you could make it.” The Great Wolf Benevolence, greeted.

Resilience returned his smile. “It has been a long time, Benevolence, how are you?”

“I am fine, my dear,” he looked around the room, “Faith is the only one who hasn’t come yet it seems, however, I’d like to start this meeting swiftly and delay no longer.”

Resilience silently took her seat beside Illustrious, who greeted her with a nod, hers doing the same as she sat down, her companions standing behind her.

“What is need to be discussed, Benevolence?” Brilliance asked.

“Have all of you heard of the recent rebellion?” All four nods. “Well then, as all of you may already guessed. The rebellion incurred because the Werewolves leading them hates our government system. Therefore, to prevent further defiance, harsh punishments and precaution are enacted.”

Benevolence looked at Resilience, studying her reaction, and, as he expected, she was distraught. She skillfully hid it, and only those who searched for it that could see through her mask. He let out a sigh as he continued, “However, two had evaded capture and quite possibly already in hiding, either within the Kingdom, or has fled the borders. Either way, the King does not want to take any chances.”

“As such, all Werewolves were to be detained and placed on temporary holdings until this crisis is over. I ask for all of you to participate, in case of…unforeseen insurrection.”

“Great Benevolence,” Resilience suddenly spoke out, “I have to object to this decision, surely there is another way.”

Benevolence nods in understanding, “There is a way, however, I cannot do anything as the King’s orders are final.” Resilience looked down with a flattened ear. “I understand your concern, Resilience, as it directly involves your ward, and believe me, I do not want any member of the Order to be apprehended as well.”

“Still, it is interesting to have a Werewolf within our ranks.” Illustrious thought out loud, earning quite a paw-full of hums from the others.

“Be that as it may, but he is not yet a full-fledged member of the order,” Brilliance stated firmly.

“A member or not, young Ark might be, mind that he is under the guidance of one of ours,” Benevolence interrupted, Brilliance opened his mouth to argue, but no word came out of him. Begrudgingly, Brilliance crossed his paw in defeat.

“Now, is there any of you who wishes to speak your mind?” None answered him. “Very well then, this meeting is concluded.”

---

Ark tapped his paw on the ground, growing anxious as he waited in front of Resilience’s chamber at the Castle. He never went to the King’s Castle before, but he knew something must have happened, Come on, he is IN the Castle, and the Castle is such a big deal. Only important wolves or those with connections can enter. Well, he is under the tutelage of one, but he cannot help to feel that he’s unworthy of even stepping a paw on this wondrous hall.

As he waited, he heard the sound of heavy steps coming from beside him, looking over, he saw two heavily armored guard approaching him and taking position behind him. He first assumed them as one of the Castle patrols, but they stood there as if guarding him.

Before Ark could even wonder why, the door of her chamber opened, revealing his mentor and very well familiar gray wolf he comes to an acquaintance in his months of training.

“Ah, you’ve come at last,” Resilience said, her words somewhat bitter and grim. Ark had to wonder why she sounded like that, something is wrong, and he can sense it.

“Master, what’s going on? I’ve come as quickly as soon as you called,” Ark noticed that the guards around him took a battle stance as if preparing something to happen.

“Please Ark, come with us peacefully, and I’ll explain everything,” Princess Freya said, with an unusually sweet voice, almost sultry in tone.

Ark cringed, something truly is wrong, he turned to his mentor for answers yet, she remained silent. “Do what they say, Ark,” she emotionlessly said.

Ark relented and nodded at his order. “As you wish.”

“Great,” Freya exclaimed happily, too happy for his taste. “Now, just be a good wolf, and I’ll explain everything when we arrived.” She, along with the two armored guards, escorted him along the halls. He looked back to stare at his mentor’s. She was staring blankly on the ground before she closed the chambers.

The group continued, heading to an even unknown halls of the castle. The way they positioned themselves indicates that they weren’t protecting him, but instead limiting him. Ark remained silent as the Freya hummed something about her plan being perfect for a wedding.

Before long, they arrived on an old oaken door, the hinge's corroded as to indicate its aging condition. When Freya opened the door, there Ark realized what was happening. They were on the dungeon, six cells sprayed across on the dark hallway with a door that lies at the end of the hall. One has an occupant. It was another Werewolf, one that he recognizes the most.

“Brother!” He exclaimed, running past Freya as he stops in front of his brother’s cell.

“You’ve come willingly?” he snorted in disgust, “I know you’re a weird one, but I did not expect to know that you’re foolish as well.”

Ark, with a restraint growl, turned to the Princess who led him here. She smiled, ever so sweetly as the cell door across his brother’s opened. “I meant no offense, my dear, but I assure you I have my reason,” she gestured for Ark to enter. “I explain once you get yourself settled.”

Begrudgingly, Ark entered, turning to face her as the cell door closed. “Okay, talk.”

“I cannot believe you foolishly believe that she would talk,” the Werewolf opposite of them said. One of the guards then smacked the iron bars with his iron bracelet.

“Be silent!” He barked, on which the Werewolf complies.

Freya rolled her eyes as she fixated herself on Ark, still with her sweet smile that bothered Ark’s nerves. “I must say, Ark. Your brother, Cruise, is such an interesting fellow.”

“You can stop with your advances, Princess, he is rather far too dense to acknowledge yours.” Cruise snarked, earning him another smack on his cell bar.

Freya turned to give him an annoyed glare. She then returns to Ark shortly after, ”Now, where were we?”

“The explanation of you putting me in the dungeons?” Ark inquired with a slight hostility.

“Ah, yes,” Freya clapped her paws. “You see, Ark, it is because-“

The oaken door slammed open as a guard entered, “Princess Freya, the King needed your presence in the throne room immediately.”

“Never a dull moment,” she muttered, “I’ll be back, my dear, sit tight.” She turned to the guard, exiting the room followed soon after with her guards, leaving the two Werewolves to contemplate their fate as the door slammed shut.

“Well, isn’t this fantastic, Ark?” Cruise sarcastically said, moving closer to the edge of the cell. “Are you still foolishly believe that wolves like them can be trusted?”

Ark looked around in his cell, like Cruise, it only had a bed, three bookshelves, a table, and a toilet, all of which have seen a better day. Ark started to wander around the cell as his brother continues on his rant, each insult or mock he didn’t heed.

Cruise stopped on his rant to stare at his brother's bizarre behavior. "What are you doing?"

“Looking for a way out,” is his answer. It doesn’t convince Cruise in the slightest. He had already looked for a way out, a vulnerable part of the cell, but nothing that he can use to escape.

“I already looked for one, the bars enchanted to hold out against a Werewolf, your efforts are futile Ark, give up.” As his words are left ignored, Cruise snorted and head to his small bed.

“If we can’t find a way, then we’ll make our own,” he heard Ark said, turning around just in time for Ark trying to dismantle a piece of iron from the bed.

It wasn’t long for Ark to rip out a piece of iron bar from the bed frame. Its old age made it considerably weaker than it was supposed to. Ark grabbed it on his mouth, heading over on the cell door lock, placing it on the keyframe.

Cruise can only raise an eyebrow on what he’s doing, observing him as he measured the position of the bar at the keyframe. He seemed to also look inside the lock for a reason Cruise couldn’t comprehend.

CLANK

Ark rammed the iron bar at the lock as hard as he could, resulting in the lock to forcefully unlock itself. He grinned in triumph of what he had achieved. As he was about to help his brother, he heard him growl.

"Not. Another. Step!" Cruise barred his teeth.

Ark flattened his ear, "Bvuh whay?" His sound muffled by the piece of iron on his mouth.

"I will not be helped by the noble's lapdog, even if they were once family. I will escape on my term."

Ark spit out the bar to the side, "Brother, forget your pride. We can help each other." He pleads.

Cruise scoffed, turning around and sat on the corner of his cell, ignoring Ark's offer. "Just leave me be, Ark."

The young Werewolf undoubtedly heartbroken by his brother, alas he cannot convince a stubborn, determined wolf like him. Ark moved the iron bar closer to Cruise's cell, in case if he changes his mind. "If you need to find me, I'll be heading east."

Ark walked up to the opposite end of the door, looking back for a moment before he opened it.

It led to an open yard, which is unexpected. He previously assumed that he was underground. He needed to pay attention to his surroundings more. To his luck, it leads to the partially garrisoned section of the wall.

The castle built around a series of forest, to the east of the castle lies a vast forest that stretches further into the horizon, a perfect place to evade his pursuer. With any luck, he may be able to avoid them since winter should come soon in a few days.

Ark didn't think long to move. With a burst of speed, Ark raced towards the stairwell, ignoring the shouts from the guards. Two stood on his way, but with a mighty jump, he went over them and the walls. He looked down to realize that he miscalculated the height of the walls, but in conclusion, it was too high.

"Oh, Fenrir, give me your strength to survive this," was his last word before screaming as he fell to the depths of the forest.

---

The door to the dungeon slammed open, a somewhat happy expression of the Princess confirmed Cruise suspicion. However, as she rest her gaze upon him, her eyes widened, and anger quickly replaced the previous one.

"Inform the Guard Commander that a very important Werewolf has escaped. Tell him I need his best tracker, this instance!" The voice of Princess Freya died down as she left the room after realizing that one werewolf remained in his cell.

Cruise chuckled in amusement. He was rather glad that his intuition was correct when the blasted Princess put him on the dungeon specifically made for political prisoners. Then, not long after, a familiar Great Wolf entered the dungeon. He recognize her as Resilience, one of the greatest huntress the Order of Northesfur could offer. And, one of his old friends.

She looked around the dungeon for a moment, noticing the opened, empty cells then, to the not empty one.

"He did not release you?" She asked Cruise, one that he answered with a smirk on his face.

"I'll do anything to save my siblings, even if I elected to stay behind to rot."

"How noble of you," Resilience said, stepping forward to inspect the iron bar lying on the ground. "So you knew all along?"

Cruise shrugs, "When you lots sedated me by the time of my relocation here, so, yes, I do." Then he glared at her, "I expect that Illustrious fellow had his first Werewolf as a test subject?"

"I highly doubt you could feel that rune," she said with a frown.

Cruise once again shrugged. "I may not be able to feel it, but I am capable of smelling a runic works at play."

"You do realize what would entail, yes? After all, you accepted the deal with the Princess, and she most likely would not take it lightly."

Cruise simply rests his body on the floor, still with his smug smile of his as he held his head high. "Well, we Werewolves values Loyalty, after all. Family comes first."

Resilience shook her head, "You still are calm as always, even in the face of imminent death. You still haven't changed, huh, old friend."

"Hey, I still owe you for saving my fur back at the battle of Fostfallen. It is the least I can do to enhanced Ark's survival. For both of our sake."

Resilience closed her eyes, placing a paw on his cell bar. A solemn and saddened expression on her face as she express her final exchange, "Farvel for alltid da, gamle venn."

"Farvel for alltid, Indrid." He replied, connecting his paw with hers.

Author's Note:

The words at the end are Norwegian, which respectively meant:
"Farewell forever then, old friend."
"Farewell forever, Indrid."

Do apologize that I use Google Translate on this to capture the somewhat nordic settings. I don't know, it sounded appropriate in my head.
And yes, Tracking runes is a thing.

-Desperate out

Comments

[AstralFlare42]

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