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Chapter Three: From Ashes

Kaenis closed the heavy oak door behind himself after entering the quarters of the king, unclasping his fur cloak to toss onto the rack nearby. The wolf strode over to join the man at a stone-slab table, tugging out a chair to drop with a grunt.

"Thank you for this private meeting, I know time is short for many things, but this I promise surpass all other concerns." The Canai stared at the emerald eyes with blue, his gaze as serious as the tone he used even for the ruler of another kind.

"I trust you, neither you or Kana have given me reason not to, so if you say it's this serious please go on." Andulus poured himself a goblet of wine, draining it quickly enough before refilling it for a slower sip afterward.

"I have a feeling...about what happened to her. Did you notice the change to her hair, fur?" Kaenis sighed, looking weary for the first time since Andulus met the large wolf, who thought the Canai had almost endless reserves of endurance, at least before the immense act he saw performed outside the walls.

"I did, but as I don't know all that much about your kind and their traits...I assumed she was just exhausted? Perhaps that ray of light taxed her more than she knew?" Andulus watched the wolf closely, seeing a sense almost of dread in those usually calm eyes.

"No, although calling on the All-mother saps much of our strength, we can recover within a day if need be. This...what I am about to tell you, is hard for me to even utter aloud, Andulus. You must swear on your life, whatever you hold most sacred, it does not leave this room." The black wolf leaned forward, both muscled arms resting on the cold stone to clasp two great paws together in a posture not threatening, but to show all intent was focused on the reply.

Andulus sat his cup down, rose from his seat and reached into his tunic from the neckline, pulling out a small silver trinket on a slender chain. He thumbed open a clasp to reveal a small portrait inside, "This was my mother, rest her soul, who instilled in me all good things. I swear on her love and memory, no other hears what you say now."

Kaenis nodded firmly, satisfied with this oath before he exchanged a breath, "Kana is neither my sister, nor a true-born Valkyrie. She was adopted into my care, my pack, and was given this identity long ago." Now his tone was low, as if speaking these truths pained him, that it somehow eroded the bond and love between them.

"I'm not sure I understand, forgive me. She's...Kana isn't anything I've seen, or been told she is?" Andulus's features furrowed in confusion.

"The Canai aren't the 'Gods' of your tales, but we knew them, loved and married them. But, the tale of the Sundering, the Final Days, or Ragnarok as your books call it...was the greatest fear, our duty to safeguard the world against." The wolf shrugged his broad shoulders, shaking his head as days he'd tried to bury surfaced in his mind, "We half succeeded, half failed in this task."

"That doesn't make sense, we're all still here alive and the realm left behind by the Gods is what man inherited. How could that be a failure?" The king leaned forward, both hands placed atop the table as his interest, his unease about this confession gripped him.

"The Canai came from two areas in the north, a great mountain range, a vast forest. Mighty packs of wolves called Jotunn in your tongue, each gifted with a deep bond to nature in our creation." Kaenis shook his head with a dry chuckle, "The packs fought amongst themselves over land or who was strongest, but never with any real malice...except for the pack of fire."

Kaenis went quiet for a moment, eyes glazing over as Andulus watched him seem to detach from their talk, but in his mind memories rushed to the fore. Trees ablaze, smoke burning the eyes and lungs, screams of those unable to defend themselves.

"My friend, are you alright?" Andulus spoke quietly, then leaned forward a bit more, "Kaenis."

The Canai blinked, snapping himself back to the present with a shake of his head, "Forgive me. Speaking of this makes it fresh again." The wolf sat up straighter now, "Kana is the daughter of Serakh, former alpha of the fire clan. His entire purpose it seemed, was to see creation burn. He was born with it, and poured that same desire into his only child."

Things began to slide into place for Andulus, the bigger picture being exposed as the kindness of bedtime tales fell away to cold reality. He sat into his chair with a slight stumble, hands still flat on the stone table, "She's not aware of this, is she?" The king asked quietly.

"No. When Serakh declared open war, when he began kin-slaying and burning ever outward into the world...it threatened everything, it seemed Ragnarok would happen. Of course, we sided with life, with our loved ones that were mortal or God alike." Kaenis glared down at his clenched paws, gripping his digits together firmly, "All that matters now, is that it took everything to cease the war. So much sacrificed, to slay Serakh and what he'd become, steeped in dark magic."

"But, that doesn't explain why you're telling me any of this. What...why are you telling me about Kana if that's all ended?" Andulus said in almost impatience.

"Because, that cause wouldn't end with his death. Kana took up his blade, his hatred, and tried to finish what he nearly accomplished. The fires they inflicted only ended when my father caused the first Long Snow, or Fimbulwinter as you say." Kaenis finally released his paws, waving one off at the man and at the end of the tale, "The world went to sleep beneath a blanket of cold to heal from such harsh burns, except for her."

The wolf sighed and sat back against the backing of the sturdy oak chair, "She came for who remained, all too exhausted to fight. Zelna, whom we call All-mother, made the greatest sacrifice. She spent her physical form to draw out, trap the evil of the world in a new body...our Moon. She watches over us now, as the realm of the Gods, who went there to live in peace."

Kaenis lifted a paw to place a finger at the golden mark beneath an eye, "The loss of our loved ones...of the Goddess Zelna pained us so greatly, we wept and howled even as she became the glowing protector in the sky. The Moon is the most sacred symbol we have, and with her final breath of life...she bestowed Kana a new one."

Andulus leaned back into his own chair, staring at the wolf, "What does that mean? The Kana I know isn't real?"

"She is as real as you or I, but made free of her father's cruelty. Those memories were sealed, body made new and given a purpose among the packs. One not of blind hatred or war, she has been able to live a long time as our guardian."

"You've said all of this as though it were bad, Kaenis, why the secrecy over this? Shouldn't she know where she came fr-" Andulus jumped back in his chair when the wolf lunged up from his own, slamming his paws onto the table.

"NO! She must never be told of it, never can she hear the truth!" The wolf sighed to relax, "Forgive me, but this is why I have come to you, friend. If she is told, the seal on her memories could be undone, and the daughter of flame could consume Kana. She would be compelled to resume her war, to burn all life to ashes."

Andulus went pale, a hand going to cover his mouth as his mind tried to sort what he'd been told. The snow-white wolf held a terrible destiny inside, a curse by birth she wasn't even aware of. His hand dropped to his lap, "Does this mean, you think something happened to her, why her hair changed?"

"Aye. Someone has done so to her, it cannot be any other way." Kaenis growled in thought, the idea of anyone causing harm to Kana making fur bristle and temper rise, "When I find who it is, they will suffer greatly for this."

"Whatever resources I have are yours in this matter, find them, bring them to justice." Andulus stood once more, resolute where he felt weak before, sick even to find all this out; but, the feelings he had for Kana outweighed any fear, and who she was now had to be protected.

"Thank you, friend. I knew my trust in you was well placed, that you would stand by her even knowing these dire secrets." Kaenis stood with his first smile of the day, "You truly are a worthy leader of your people, Andulus."

"We'll see, there's much to be done. We haven't resolved our conflict with the drakes, now this has risen up. Let's keep a close eye on anyone that hovers about Kana, perhaps they're nearby and we can catch them before further damage happens." The king said while walking about the table to offer a hand to the wolf, "We'll keep her safe, just as she has us."

Kaenis grinned brightly when he clasped arms with the man, "Aye. Now, let us get this matter with drake-kind settled and peace restored to your realm."

-

With only three hours of daylight left, the council resumed with all members, although Beyron had joined them with a crimson hood up as part of his silk robes, giving a shadowed look to his features that made his eyes seem bagged, more tired than he'd appeared before.

"Thank you all for returning, I'm sure we can find a solution together." Andulus said with a glance to each of the assembling members, both Canai and Nemean beside him with Beyron across the war map. "Now, my scouts confirmed what Kaenis said, the drakes entirely avoid the large cavern at the back of the valley. I move we take a small force there immediately to investigate, see what keeps them from retreating or holding up there."

"I agree, let my brother and I move ahead of your force. We will keep watch and can fend off any desperate or early attacks, should we linger too long before sundown." Kana seconded the king with a confident grin between both males."

"A wise strategy. Of course, I'll remain behind and have the tower sentry ring the bell should we not see any signal from you as the sun dwindles. I can have my Godsworn reinforce any front you require." Beyron added with a tone of positivity that saw everyone exchange brief glances.

"Excellent, let's move out on the double then. Nemean, have our vanguard muster quickly, and we'll follow behind our wolves' lead." Andulus drew in a deep, hopeful breath as he looked at each of them, "This could be the end of this conflict, and we can at last have peace in the realm again."

The Canai gave a single firm nod at the king before departing together. Nemean and his two attendants followed the king afterward as Beyron turned to address his nuns.

"Go back to the chapel, prepare my mediation as before but place a large candle in the center of my table." The high cleric instructed quietly once others were out of earshot, leaning to Jana, "And ensure there are no mirrors."

The two women bowed then went to obey before the cleric left to join the mustering at the gates. Beyron went by the small groups of knights with blessings, offering them personal words of empowerment, bolstering them with zealous scripture that made the nearby wolves give one another a look.

"Do you think it is a form of magic? Perhaps he really can embolden them by his words?" Kaenis postured to his sister with his arms folded across his chest, nudging her with an elbow, lifting his chin toward the attending cleric.

"Utter nonsense, nothing more than fanatical gibberish." Kana scoffed at the idea, one paw on her hip as the other held about the leaning spear at her right, "The only such magic is practiced by the fox kin, and they are as likely to bless you as curse you."

"Hmm, true enough." The male wolf shrugged, satisfied with the answer as Beyron finished tending to the knights, only to surprise the wolves by approaching them with hands hidden within the long sleeves of his robes.

"I'm afraid I owe you an apology for my actions before, Lady Kana. I am under a great deal of pressure to see this conflict ended, as our King is. The Church has promised an end to the bloodshed, so less of our strong young men are sent off to possibly die." The man bowed his hooded head, "Nevertheless, it doesn't excuse someone of my station acting as such."

Kana gave her brother a puzzled look, a brow lifted before her free paw gestured at the man to lift his head, "You expect me to believe this sudden change of heart, priest? Why care about such now?"

"Because, in the eyes of God more is expected of me, and my admitted prejudices against other-kind are...unbecoming. You of course need not forgive me, but I'll improve my behavior all the same. May your expedition today go well." Beyron rose and offered a smile to each, then went to address his king.

"That was...odd." Kaenis stated with a blink before shaking his head with a chuckle.

"Quite." Kana snorted with a heft of her spear, letting its weight fall against a shoulder to rest as the wolves moved to walk past the gathering and out of the opened oak doors. The she-wolf gave the king a warm, passing grin before they were outside the bastion, and met their companion mounts.

Immense wolves, easily the size of a great horse, stood in a pairing and had obediently waited for their rider to return to them. Both were a mix of black, white, and gray coating, with cloudy blue eyes so much like the Canai approaching them.

"Such a shame those dumb men refuse you inside, you would not hurt them, right?" Kana walked up to place a paw on either side of her own mount, ruffling fur with a playfully mushy voice to her canine familiar, "Not unless they deserved it!"

"You give Kanesh more affection than your own brother, for shame." Kaenis snerked at the doting manner of the warrior as he patted his own wolf, "Kaeneth and I could be jealous, always getting so little kindness."

"Oh be silent, you males need no such attention. Are you not 'strong brave warriors!'" Kana mocked in a deepened tone, puffing her chest up before sticking out her tongue as her wolf growled in agreement at the two across them.

"You wound me sister! Did you hear that, Kaeneth? We deserve no affection!" Kaenis laughed and hugged about the mane of his dear canine, giving an exaggerated nuzzle before he shifted into a swing to clamber atop the leather saddle of his mount. The wolf shook himself some, giving a whine toward the females as he was turned toward the mountain peaks ahead, "See? You hurt his feelings, which we -do- have, sister!"

"Pardon me, I shall remember how fragile you two are and ensure the maidens coddle you when we return home!" Kana laughed with a toothy grin, smoothly climbing atop Kanesh with another petting ruffle of fur afterward, then nudged along to join the males in a swift stride.

"Ha! That was cold for someone of such fiery nature, see if you can keep up then!" Kaenis chuckled before goading his wolf, breaking him into a doubled pace that shot them forward across the open field.

"We both know I am far more agile, let us show them our speed!" Kana barked out, clutching in tight to her own wolf as they charged forward in return. The pack sped onward toward the dark, clouded sight of the craggy valley in a race against the dying light of the sun.

-

The wolves soon enough entered the bleak area, the land a barren scape of rock mixed with ash, rising up into several large peaks about the valley they stood in. They were a good distance from the entrances to many caverns, each dark and howling with cold wind, but four noses twitched at the odor of the drakes within.

"This feels wrong, brother. Why not swarm us when we drew close? I do not trust this at all." Kana shivered at the strong, cold wind that ruffled fur, and frowned as Kaenis seemed unaffected thanks to his icy lineage.

"Come then, sooner we explore this the faster we return with hopefully good news." Kaenis slipped from his wolf, patting a large shoulder, "Keep watch, friend. We will not be long."

The Canai drew close to the yawning opening of the lightless cave, entering with a final glance back to their wolf-mounts to delve into the dark together. The stone had been savagely hewn they saw, battered away in what would have taken ages even for the brutish drakes. On it twisted along in rough passages, reeking of the creature's scent to their canine snouts. After a few turns of the winding tunnel, the wolves came to a set of iron doors, latched with a ridiculous amount of locks from top to bottom.

Kaenis gave a tilt of his head as he came up and placed a paw on the cold metal surface. No indentations or icons, any sign of importance save the obvious need to keep it locked.

"Strange. Someone had to know, this just begs to be opened looking like this, no?" The wolf grinned before stepping away, bringing up his right arm into a prepared, clenched fist to strike it. With a swift strike and a resounding slam back into the caverns, the doors shattered inward and off their metal hinges to clatter loudly into a vast chamber.

"Do you know no subtly, you oaf?" Kana rolled her eyes with a scowl at the noise, only to walk past the male who shrugged with a slightly embarrassed laugh.

Inside was barely visible to even their adjusted sight, but Kana spotted something on the far side of whatever the area was. It was faint, but a dimly detected spirit of some living creature across the wolves.

"Brother, someone is there, but they barely live." She quietly barked, then lifted a paw into the air to conjure then fire off a flare of flame that soared up into the now more easily seen space. Vast it was, a dome of chiseled stone about a dug out area full of tools, vials, and a few sophisticated looking setups the wolves didn't recognize.

On the far side was a shackled figure, a female drake with her arms bound above her horned head. She lifted her crimson head with effort, eyes of amber squinting at the sudden light.

"Who...how did you...find me...here?" She spoke with rasp to her voice, dry without water for too long as the wolves glanced to one another before swiftly making their way about the round chamber, coming to the drake on either side to kneel and exam her.

"It matters not, can you tell us why you are held here? What is this place?" Kana questioned as her sight peered over and within the female, finding a severe lack of life force, as well as countless puncture marks across her limbs and torso.

"I...the man, he keeps me...here to take...my blood. He makes...my children...a war." The drake whispered, barely able to keep her focus let alone head up to try and see the wolves about her.

"We need to get her out of here, back to the bastion and to the care of a healer. She is almost out of time." Kana said to her brother, "She has been kept alive just enough to use, and I have a worse feeling about this."

Kaenis nodded, "I am going to carry you out of here, all right? Hang on as much as you can." The wolf reached up, freezing the iron bonds enough to snap apart before enclosing both arms about the drake to lift into a cradle.

The Canai swiftly retreated out of the core, back down the dark tunnels with Kana leading the way with a fire-lit paw. Quickly enough they navigated the winding passages, only to come out of the maw to the sight of their two mounts backed up to the entrance. An array of drakes stood about the pack, gathering by the dozen as they clambered out of the other caves.

"A trap, of course." Kaenis sighed, then stepped up to Kana to carefully handle the drake into her care, "Take her and the wolves, get her care. I shall be right behind you."

Kana nodded, sprouting fiery wings to launch up into the air and towards the oncoming horde of creatures as the two wolves darted after her on the ground. She looked below as her brother dropped to a knee and slammed both paws upon the cold earth.

"Make way for the Valkyrie!" Kaenis roared as fangs of ice shot from the ground, sprouting rapidly toward the mass of drakes, increasing in size and angle to part them for their mounts to safely pass between rows of icy pillars as the beasts were tossed aside.

Seeing the three retreat and also not pursued, Kaenis exhaled a chilled breath, "A chance to see your worth for myself, at last. Do not disappoint me." The wolf rose in a charge toward the drakes as they in turn hurled themselves forward to their new foe.

Any that drew near the wolf found their footing planted in a clasp of ice from the ground, costing them momentum, stumbling or flailing forward so Kaenis could hammer home a blow. Ice shattered as drakes were sent crashing into their kin, the air dropping swiftly in temperature about the Canai as he leveraged their cold-blooded nature to rob them of ever more leverage.

Even with these measures, the sheer amount of the creatures soon overwhelmed his position, and Kaenis found himself using fist, elbow, and even shoulder to counter the masses. Two managed to get around him, then four, and within moments he was covered in scaled bodies.

"Tch! I do enjoy stacked odds...but this...might be pushing it." He grunted under the increasing weight of the piling drakes about him, unable to see outward past their forms. The wolf heaved upward with a shove of both arms out to his sides with all his strength, knocking away dozens of the creatures that didn't have solid purchase on him.

Like some creature emerging beneath a pile of leaves, Kaenis shed the drakes in a cascade of collapsing bodies outward. With a swift look about, he spotted the small shapes of his pack far past the mouth of the valley, "This was fun, I look forward to our next bout!"

The wolf grinned as the drakes clambered back up or over themselves to launch a new attack, to bury their prey once more but only found a cold mist in his place. The creatures angrily swung or gripped at one another in confusion as the wolf vanished in a wisp of icy air.

-

Andulus, along with his compliment of knights, had managed only to make half the journey before he spotted the flickers of light in the dark sky ahead. Kana soaring somewhat above the ground with two large wolves in tow at a swift, earth-pounding pace. He sighed with relief at the sight of the Canai, then frowned at what seemed to be a drake in her arms.

"Hold!" The king held up a fist, halting the formation of men on horseback as the wolves approached rapidly, coming to a stop a few feet away so Kana could drop to her feet and settle the drake on the ground for now.

"Fear not, she means no harm, being a victim in this herself." Kana called out with a paw held up to the men whose hands rested on sword hilts, "I take responsibility for her, and anything that comes from my bringing her, but she needs water."

Andulus stared into Kana's eyes for a long moment, brows and lips firm in debate before he nodded, "Bring water to the Lady!" Another arm gesture called up their apothecary, who dismounted and brought a water-skin to the kneeling wolf.

"Thank you." Kana nodded at the man, taking the pouch to quickly uncap with one paw as the other clasped and lifted the drake's head upward slowly, "Drink, you need to drink."

The creature weakly opened her maw, allowing water to pour inside to choke on at first before gratefully intaking more as Kana held up the satchel.

"Lady Kana, what happened? The sun is nearly set, did you find what we needed?" Andulus pressed for answers as daylight faded behind the dark peaks, bleeding light through oppressive cloud cover.

"A moment, has anyone seen-"

A swirl of cold flurried behind Kana to interrupt, Kaenis appearing from the plume of ice with a shake of himself.

"The drakes come, all of them. We need to return to your bastion in haste, ready any defenses we have left." The black wolf barked out, reaching down to grasp then hoist the female drake to carry.

"Be easy, she has little strength left!" Kana growled, ears pinning when her brother gave a stern look for once.

"This is their final push, all or nothing now that we have taken her. This was planned, she was meant to be found and us to be out here." Kaenis snarled, glaring back towards the shape of the bastion.

Kana rose alongside her kin, "Then we end it here, tonight. Time we stopped holding back, brother." The siblings grinned at each other much to the confusion of Andulus, who stared between the pair.

"What, you mean to say you haven't been trying this whole time?" The king scoffed at the idea the wolves hadn't been taking the war seriously enough.

"Of course we have, but without knowing the full extent of the enemy, it would have been unwise to show our own might. No, we waited and now will put an end to this threat for good."

The wolves both raised their paws outward as if to grasp something, when fire sparked between Kana's paws, and cold snapped within Kaenis'. Weapons manifested in their grip now, a spear and shield forming from molten air for the Valkyrie. Twin axes with edges of razor-ice were held in each fist of her kin.

"Wh- How did you do that?" The nearby apothecary fell onto his backside by the drake he was attending, eyes wide at the sudden appearance of weapons from nothing.

"These are bound to us, made by our own skill, they will answer where and when we call!" Kana smirked with a heft of her heat-radiating spear, the tip an elegantly fierce blade. She tapped the shaft against the round, heavy shield on her left arm, "Now we fight for real."

Kaenis hefted his twin axes with a nod, "Aye, but we need you and your men clear of the area, good king. See to the care of that one, for me?" The wolf nodded at the weak female drake.

"Uh, right...right, let's move! Back to the walls and to ready the defenses." Andulus caught the snout-wrinkling looks from both Canai with a grin, "Just in case our friends bark too much in boast."

Kana huffed with a bristle of snowy fur, muzzle pointing up into the air from the insult, then turned on her heel to launch into the air with a gust of warm air as fiery wings unfurled from her back. Kaenis winked at the king before he joined the soaring Valkyrie on foot, dashing toward the oncoming storm of drakes, feeling the amount of them rumbling in the earth.

"This will be a good addition to our Saga, sister! Be sure to keep up, I shall leave plenty for you!" Kaenis called out to the grinning wolf above him, who shot forwards in a hot beat of molten wings.

"Ha! If there are any left by the time you make it!" Kana laughed as she got ahead easily, but felt a fire in her heart that drummed from chest to ears, this is what it meant to be alive. To fight without restraint alongside her wolfkin, her brother Kaenis.