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Hunters Moon series Characters Pelnak and Cassiopeia are © Cederwyn Whitefurr used with permission written by Possum and Cederwyn Whitefurr

Hunters Moon New Moon Rising Chapter Twelve

"ALPHA TEAM URGENT DEPLOYMENT ALL TO TRANSPORT IMMEDIATELY!" Comes the voice of the mansion PA systems.

At the base an alarm sounds as the Grand Witch herself exerts her authority, and countermands the leader. She demands the best, and she gets it - after making several grisly examples of the senior officers with a flick of her hand. Her body shakes and even her face shows the fear as she watches them gear up - nobody living, has ever seen her this close to cracking before - so great is the stress and fear that gnaws at her twisted flesh and bones.

"We are struggling with the locks on the armoury mistress." Speaks a young officer, his face white.

"We don't have time! Echo team is in dire trouble if we dally they will perish! Take the remaining of the old weapons they will serve us well enough I am going with you on this one there is one there that I thought long dead."

She continues past him he has known her many years if she says it's serious he knows it to be so.

"Do it, you heard her, move!" He commands to the rest of the team as they forget the modern armoury and take the weapons of old.

*

The battle won the three take stock and examine each other - other than Cassiopeia's torn ear, their wounds are remarkably few. As they shift forms to their human and in Ely's case, his anthromorph form, the dispose of the bodies, intending to leave them for the forest denizens. Ely handles the weapons with extreme care, before piling them together and standing in a circle he inscribes on the ground. Kneeling down, he begins to mutter the words of his people, as the pile of weapons and gear begins to glow with an emerald light - crumbling to their base elements before then sinking into the earth where they will never harm another again.

When he is done, he pants and shudders, sweat soaking his body, as he dispels the magick circle and weakly walks over to where Pelnak and Cassiopeia are crying in relief and joy.

"It's...not - " Ely begins, then his head snaps up as he shifts in a blink of an eye.

Pelnak frowns, then Cassiopeia, before she moans softly.

"No...not again - "

"Run, hide!" Ely snaps at them, then watches as they flee into the forest once more. Ely's ears twitch and he shudders before taking the opposing path, melting into the forest as well.

"What should we expect" Cassie calls out to Ely.

"I doubt that what we faced was their best - far from it. This time, as we've killed that group sent for us - they're not going to pull punches. This time, they'll send their most experienced Hunters. Do not take unnecessary risks! These ones are experienced, dangerous even unarmed, and deadly and skilled! I will do what I can to provide opportunities for an counter attack - but even I will be hard pressed. I suspect they will try to test your endurance and your skills to assess you, before they openly commit themselves."

"Will we survive?" Pelnak sobs, his fear starting to show in his voice.

"Be strong, trust in yourself and your mate - and truthfully? I do not know..."

*

Again, the team fast rappelled in, but in another clearing this time. Even Ely was struggling to pin down their location, as he turned and turned, trying to pinpoint the sound of the helicopter.

Last one down, dressed in thick, heavy chain mail made of silver, was the Black Witch herself. Surprisingly, she slid down the rope with ease, stepping off at she ground like the heavy armour weighed nothing. Her dark eyes glinted from beneath the dark hood.

"I want that stags head!" She snarled, as she crouched and touched the ground - where her withered hand touched it, the grass wilted and died, the black miasma spreading in a concentric circle until it started to wither the trees themselves, their leaves turning and dropping.

"I sense powerful magicks...excellent, yes, I fea your fear young Stag - give yourself to it, let me drink deep of your blood and magicks!"

Ely gasped and dropped to his knees, as it felt like his very entrails were being torn from his body as he bit his lower lip, tasting blood and fought the black magicks that swirled over him.

"I will not...submit...to you..." Ely ground out, as he drew upon his reserves, and shattered the magicks that threatened to envelop him.

"Strong...very strong..." Hissed the Crone, as she snatched her hand from the ground. "Worthy prey..."

At her gesture, the Hunter's fanned out, but maintained a tight perimeter.

From the forest Ely watches intently, then his thoughts turn inwards for a moment.

"They will not make the same mistake they will wait for us..."

Ely moaned quietly, hearing other helicopters coming, realising that they're really not pulling any punches this time - and bringing everything they have...and cutting of their only hope for escape.

"Hear me Therian's!" Comes the loud voice of the Crone, the words snapping like summer thunder through the air. "We know you are here! Why do you hide like little, weak Fawns? Why will you not come and face us? Are you afraid? Come out - so we can offer you a quick, merciful death - it is far better than the likes of your kind would offer humanity!

Pelnak trembles, then starts to move, the magicks in her voice compelling him, before Cassiopeia snarls and sinks her teeth into his neck, biting deep and making Pelnak cry out in pain, but it restores his self-control.

"Afraid?" Cassiopeia snarls. "Of you? You must be misguided! I would not fear the likes of you, you're pathetic, weak and insignificant - "

"Cassie..." Pelnak whimpered, as he felt blood run down his neck. "What are you doing!"

'Shut up!" Cassiopeia growls at him, before lifting her head again. "You're a liar, why won't you come fight us, one on one? Instead of relying on your pitiful magicks? Afraid to face a real challenge?"

Cassie suddenly steps backwards, as she feels something that feels like Ely's paw slap her sharply across the cheek - it snaps her head to the side, then his voice comes to her in her mind.

"Cassiopeia, please, child of the forest - you're meddling in affairs beyond your ken. Let me handle this, I am trained, older than both of you, and experienced - please, protect your weak willed mate - let me handle this threat..."

"Ely...NO!" Cassiopeia squeals in fear.

*

Ely sighed as he stepped from the edge of the wood, the second he touched the edge of the glade, his cloven hooves sparking with emerald fire as he stepped into full view.

Raising his proud, noble head, Ely tossed it in challenge, before he roared like the strong, dominant Buck he was. "I will say this only once - leave - and never return, this is your first and last warning!"

One of the young, self-confidant Officers steps forwards, getting within two feet of Ely, then stares into the snorting Stag's eyes. "Or what Therian?"

Ely sighs, then closed his eyes. "So be it..."

He bows his head, then touches his antlers to the human...

With a blood curdling scream of unimagined fear and agony, the human promptly collapsed. He began frantically clawing clawing at the armour and clothing. His bones writhed and crackled, muscles tore and shredded, as the human body began to twist and writhe in excruciating agony.

Ely looked up at the others, then snorted and stepped backwards, watching the horrific transformation.

Combat boots tore and split, as the once human foot morphed into a black, cloven hoof. Trousers split and shredded as a furred shin, then thigh appeared, His fingers twisted and warped, likewise forming a cloven hoof. Quicker and quicker, the transformation seized the tortured human, as his face grew and stretched, the muzzle forming, then the ears and as the buckles snapped and popped, the chest plate fell to the ground as the white fur of a feral stag shone through.

It lay on the ground, gasping and convulsing, before it tried to struggle to his hooves and with a started bleat, it turned tail and fled into the forest.

"Whose next..." Ely snorted, then shook his head.

"Capture him, bring him to me alive, you hear me!" Screams the Crone, as she gestures at Ely.

"Really? - " Ely sighed, before he snapped a word of magicks and suddenly vanished from sight.

They paused and looked at each other, before one screamed and was tossed through the air, his broken body landing with a sickening crunch. Another was trampled, ghostly hooves crushing his chest and skull, a third was impaled and disembowelled, the ghostly Stag's antlers passing through the polymer armour like it never existed.

"Kill him!" Shrieked the enraged Crone, as she started weaving her magicks, pulling black, gelatinous like magicks from the corrupted earth on which she stood.

Crossbows twanged and bolts flew, but they passed through Ely's ethereal form without touching him.

Ely tore through the Hunter's like a wilful child throwing a tantrum, his antlers sparkling with emerald green light, but soon glistening with blood and viscera as he continued to slaughter them like mere animals.

"So one has learned of Magicks. Should I be impressed now?" Comes the voice of the Crone, and she gestures, before Ely screams and re-materialises, stumbling and crashing to the ground as he screams in agony.

"Ely!" Cassiopeia shrieks in grief.

"Stay...away..." Ely gasps, as he struggles back to his cloven hooves, and shudders.

"You've grown young one - " Cackles the Crone, as she tosses back her hood, to reveal her scared and withered face.

"No..." Ely moans. "You died...I saw it right before my mothers magicks -"

"No, you killed my Mistress - I was far enough away not to be annihilated like she was...pathetic creature she was...I had already learned all she could teach me anyway, now - shall we play?"

Ely screamed, as eldritch black magicks slashed at his shoulder, spectral claws tearing open fur and flesh, the wound bleeding and burning like he'd been sliced open with silver.

"That...all you got?" Ely grunted, as he slowly got to his hooves again, then shuddered as his body glowed with the Fèidh! magicks and healed itself - but she saw how much effort it took.

"That's not even a taste of what I'm going to do to you little one...will those Whitetail's prove to be as weak and apathetic as you? Maybe I'll torture them, pass them around to my men...treat them like the beasts they are..."

Ely flinched, feeling the taunt strike home, as he remembered the agony and humiliation that was done to his mother - and to him - at the hands of the hunters, whilst he was helpless and powerless to stop them...

His anger rises, as his emerald green glow vanishes, replaced with the black, violet and crimson of the Lupid magicks.

"You! I remember what you and your bitch of a Mistress done! How could you? I was but a Fawn!..."

"No, you were a beast...and were tortured and humiliated why? Because it pleased my mistress and I! How, how you screamed and pleaded little one...your suffering and tears gave us such power! If only we had been able to prolong the suffering of you and that bitch who fawned you!"

Ely screamed, as he dropped to his knees, tears streaking down his muzzle, before he snarled and stood back up, shaking himself as the black magicks shattered and crumbled to dust, falling from his pelt.

"NO - you will not use that against me!" Ely screamed at her, his voice sharp like a knife. "I remember you! You were there when they killed my father tortured me! Broke my mother...You should be dead!"

"Me? I must admit I was equally shocked to learn you also lived! When you killed my apprentice, impetuous as she was though I must finish what we started all those years ago. Mayhaps I'll keep you alive, so you can watch as you suffer under my magicks, as my men take their pleasures with your friends... "

She snapped her hand up, the magick unleashing at the gesture. Ely shuddered and felt it impact his wards, his anger burning hotter within him and deflecting the magicks away harmlessly.

"Impressive...you're not the weak, crying fawn anymore... I can sense your power Fèidh! Powerful magicks you think you command do you? Oh, my sweet, misguided little stag - you know nothing of power - of control! Your magicks are pitiful parlour tricks, compared to that which I have at my call!"

Ely's fur glows green as electric blue tribal tattoos and runes flare and spread out from his head to his cloven hooves. "Show me what you got Old One..."

"Indeed..." She cackles, then launches a torrent of black magicks at Ely.

He grunts at the barrage, yet still stands unmoving the attacks hit his wards the Black magicks hitting the light of the wards before both shatter together

Snarling with rage, the Witch raises both hands, unleashing her full power on Ely, who flinches taking a step backwards doubling up the wards against the assault this time both hold, The wards blocking the attack of the black magicks tearing at the wards to no effect

"Stupid Stag!" She snaps breathing heavily as both magicks finally cancel each other out.

Ely smirks also short of breath "you look better now... than the last time... I saw you... my mother did your face a favour."

Enraged the crones eyes turn to deep pits of inky black as she draws the dark eldritch magicks unleashing them at Ely, as his wards go up a Silver bolt tears into his thigh embedding in the bone, breaking his concentration. He looks past and sees the crones left arm exposed from her sleeve a pistol crossbow mounted to her gauntlet as she brings her full power to bear.

He grunts at the barrage, slowly forced to step back again and again. Emerald sparks fly from him, as his wards struggle against the torrent of magicks that try to sink their claws into him. Here and there, his wards fail and Ely screams and flinches, as his fur and flesh is torn open and he bleeds profusely, yet can not risk dropping his wards even for a second, to heal himself.

Snarling with rage, the Witch raises both hands, unleashing her full power on Ely, who stumbles backwards and crumples to the ground, as the emerald wards protecting him weaken further. More deep slashes tear through and into him, as he screams and thrashes like he's being electrified.

Just as he feels his wards about to completely collapse, she stops and walks over to him, grabbing him by the chin and lifting his head up to stare into his eyes.

"Stupid Stag!" She snaps. "You fight against me with everything you have - you're weak and helpless...pitiful... Only now, at the end of your miserable existence - do you realise the _true_power you could have had..."

Pelnak stood beside Cassiopeia, his body shaking with rage and anger, before he broke into a flat gallop, streaking past two Hunters. One he disembowelled with his sharp antlers, then second he crushed his chest with a powerful backwards kick .

"Pelnak, no, don't - its a tra - " Cassie screamed

Pelnak heard her, but as he locked his front legs to come to as top, the Crone cackled and snapped her hand out and Pelnak screamed in fear, then he began choking as she slowly closed her fingers into a fist.

Cassiopeia runs into the clearing, blinded with tears, before she screams as a dying Hunter slices at her side with a silver sword. Cassiopeia shrieked and stumbled, falling to the ground, the agony almost paralysing her.

"Silly, silly fawns - " Cackled the crone, as she continued crushing Pelnak's neck.

Pelnak gags and chokes, feeling and hearing his neck vertebrae begin to crack and twist - but he's unable to do anything except gasp for breath then he feels himself lifted off all four hooves as the Witch raises her hand and leaves him hanging and strangling.

"Let him go!" Cassiopeia gasped, as she struggled to her hooves.

"Why should I?" Come the disinterested voice of the Crone, raising an eyebrow. "You'll do as entertainment enough for my men..."

Cassiopeia squeezes her eyes closed, then she whispers something and Ely senses the magicks flowing from her, and into Pelnak, as she tries to keep her beloved mate alive.

Remaining Hunters lift their crossbows, a the Crone holds he hand up.

"Submit to me...or your mate will die - and what will happen to you little Doe...oh, you think you suffered at the hands of your father? That will seem like a vision of heaven - compared to what you will suffer at my hands..."

Ely grunted, then he struggled to his hooves, bleeding badly, as he snapped at Cassie.

"Submit!"

Cassiopeia shudders, then kneels slowly on one knee, the other stretched out and she lays her neck and head along the outstretched leg in submission.

"Yes...wise choice little..."

Ely shudders, then as Cassie moves fast - very - fast, there comes the snap of the crossbows and Ely lunges, driving Cassiopeia head over hooves as the crossbow bolts slam home into his body.

"Ely!" Cassiopeia screamed, then she moaned as Pelnak fell to the ground, the sickening snap of his front left leg as it shattered.

"Filthy, Fèidh!" Snarls the Witch, as she turns back to Ely, then gestures.

Ely screams in agony, as the crossbow bolts are twisted within him, hurting worse than anything he'd ever experienced.

Cassiopeia was torn between her crippled mate, and the agonised, screaming form of Ely. As the other Hunter's struggled to reload their crossbows, winding them furiously, Cassiopeia closed her eyes and shuddered, before she began to shriek words of Therian Magicks.

"Cassiopeia - NO!" Ely gagged, choking up blood.

Cassiopeia is lost, as her body begins to shake, drawing on power beyond her capability, as dark storm clouds begin to boil out of the cloudless sky. They churn and grow, forming and tumbling over themselves, quickly spreading from one horizon to the other.

"What are you doing!" Snarls the Witch, ignoring the half-dead Ely, as she snaps her hand at Cassiopeia.

A whip like chain comprised of black Magicks streaks towards Cassiopeia, before it is dissipated harmlessly before it touches her and the Witch recoils in agony and fear.

"No...!"

"Yes..." Cassiopeia snarled, as she lifted her head and spoke the final word...

Brilliant lightning speared down from the heavens, striking a Hunter and killing him with its power, before it arced to another and another and another - all of them jittering and shaking, before they burst into incandescent flames.

"What have you done!" Screams the Crone.

Cassiopeia glares at her, before stamping a hoof and there's a ear splitting bang as the helicopters are struck by lightning and explode, the other hunters likewise incinerated by the lightning as Cassiopeia gasps and drops to her knees, convulsing and choking up blood.

Her attention deflected to Cassiopeia, Pelnak gasps and chokes, but Ely's rune covered body suddenly flares like a supernova as he summons the Fèidh Magicks and the crossbow bolts are torn from his flesh and dropped to the ground, as he starts to heal himself.

As he rises, his eyes glare at the unprotected back of the Witch who tortured and hurt him - and more importantly - his friends...

"Ely...no!" Pelnak squeals.

Ely charges, slamming his antlered head into her body. His tines shear through the silver chain mail and deep into her back, puncturing her lungs and other internal organs as he snaps his head up and back, tearing the wounds open horrifically. Shrieking, the Crone crumbles to the ground, as Ely gores her again and again, crushing bones and tearing at flesh.

"Ely...Ely!" Pelnak gasped.

Ely was lost in his rage and anger, his antlers dripping blood, before he began to stomp and pound the corpse, shattering bones and internal organs. Finally, his rage sluiced away, and he staggered, then fell to his knees, choking up blood and bright green sticky bile.

"It's...done - " Ely gasped, before his eyes rolled back in his head and his head slammed against the ground.

*

Cassie grunted, feeling weak and exhausted, her body ravaged and torn externally and internally, by the powerful magicks she had summoned. Now she truly understood what Ely had suffered. Turning her magicks on herself, she healed her wounds as best she could, before gazing at Pelnak.

"Heal...yourself - " Pelnak sobbed, the agony of his broken leg excruciating.

"Shush..." Cassiopeia grunted, as she summoned her magicks again, using what Ely had taught her to re-knit the shattered shin of Pelnak.

When he stopped shaking and sobbing, then experimentally rose and gingerly touched the leg to the ground, he blinked and took a step.

"It...still hurts..." Pelnak whimpered.

"It's not fully healed - I need to save something to help Ely, he - is hurt terribly..."

Pelnak hobbled towards Ely, who lay sprawled on the blacked ground. Pelnak rushed through his change, turning himself human, before he knelt and placed a hand against Ely's throat, feeling the pulse weak and thready.

"Don't..." Ely gurgled. "Waste your...magicks on...me."

"Ely, don't say that!" Cassiopeia sobbed, as she hobbled over and lay down beside him. "Please, you've got to hold on!"

"It's too late...for me - " Ely gurgled, and choked up more blood.

Ely lifted his head, and even Pelnak could see the monumental effort it took, just to do that.

"Cassiopeia, Pelnak, please listen carefully there is little time."

They both perked their ears looking attentively, tears forming in their eyes.

"I... I am sorry..." Ely gasped, as he shuddered in agony. " Please... Forgive me for what I must now do! For I can see no other way for the three of you survive but survive you must..."

'Ely, no..." Cassiopeia pleaded, as she rested her head against his shoulder, then she trembled and screamed as her magick lashed back at her.

"Stop...this!" Ely choked piteously. "I will...not let you kill yourself, for this stupid, selfish Fèidh! I...know this will cause you both much grief and for that I am deeply saddened. Your love for each other is strong never forget that, it is a strength that can sustain you through the grief of my passing."

"Ely, no, please...we need you, Cassiopeia and I love you...we need you to help teach her..." Pelnak pleaded piteously, the tears streaking down his muzzle.

"No! Ely please there must be another way!" Cassie begged him.

"Young ones I am sorry but there is not." Ely shuddered, then let his head fall to the ground. "Remember what I taught you and teach those lessons to the others that will come! I thank you for the care and love you have given me during my time here, Know that I would have lived the rest of my life here happy with you both at your sides..."

Ely lifted his head, weakly touching noses to Cassiopeia, then Pelnak, licking at their salty tears and giving each of them a weak smile from his blood flecked lips.

"Ely...no, please!" Cassiopeia begs, as again she tries to use her magicks, but Ely's own flickering magicks lash her horribly.

"Aye... Lass... As I do you both. "I...have one gift...left to bestow..." Ely gurgled, as another spray of blood made him cough and retch horribly.

Ely sniffed, then rose. How, neither Pelnak nor Cassiopeia knew. He looked down at Cassie, then closed his eyes and gently touched his nose to her belly. Something happened, and Cassiopeia gasped, her eyes widening in fright and surprise.

"A...life...for a life..." Ely wheezed Sniffs eyes closed looking down with a weak smile, before he staggered and fell, his body shuddered once...and was still...

Ely's blazing tattoos on his body flared once, then faded from his pelt, even his antlers crumbled to dust.

"No..." Both Whitetail's screamed in grief, as Ely's body lay still and quiet.

Epilogue:

Seven years after Ely's death, in a lush, verdant valley, Five Therian's are spread out across the large clearing. Two are only young adults, others are fully mature and all of them watch over the young Whitetail Doe and a young Red Deer Stag.

Cassiopeia stand in her feral form, surrounded by the protective circle of magicks, as the Whitetail Doe squeals and hides behind her father, Pelnak.

"Its alright little one - " Pelnak murmurs, as he moves to stand beside her, nuzzling her cheek gently.

Standing beside Cassiopeia, is the Red Deer Stag. He trembles also in fear, his psychic bond to his sister strong, as is hers to him.

"Concentrate - " Cassiopeia nips her errant son on the left ear, then sighs.

At his hooves is a small stick buried in the centre of the circle.

"How do I..." He frowns, then ass Cassiopeia nips him again, he shudders, draws a deep breath and focuses his attention on the stick.

At first, it does nothing, then as he frowns and thinks harder, it begins to smoulder, then finally, bursts into flames. He squeals and steps back, but Cassiopeia snorts and nips him again.

"Well done, but never ever, turn you back on magicks you've summoned! It could easily get away from you - endangering yourself, or others! Now, use what I have taught you, and put it out - safely this time! I don't want you burning your leg again!"

Shuddering, the young Buck nods and whispers something in the language of the Fèidh that he had as a genetic memory, then the stick is put out by a burst of arctic snow that forms out of thin air.

"I did it!" Squeals the young Buck in excitement. "I really did it!"

Nuzzling him, Cassiopeia smiles with love and pride. "Yes our son, you did - "

*

At the centre of the valley, is a beautiful stone monument - carved from the will and the wish of a Therian Doe. A stone sculpture that looks like the anthropomorph Ely with his proud, noble head upright, gazes off into the distance. Two crossed antlers are gripped in the paws, faint golden runes glisten upon them...

END?