FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Alrighty, this is the first story I have written since I came back from vacation. Thanks to everyone who was patient. Anyway, hope you enjoy it.

As always, comments are appreciated.

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Continued from 'Rememberances'...

The night wind was cool upon my skin as I lay on the outside of the soft covers, my body charged with a strange energy that would not abate, no matter how relaxed my mind was. Carrie slept easily in the bed beside me, the broad sunburst tattoo that decorated her back from shoulder to hip glowing slightly in the darkness of the room. The flashes of lightning from the dark storm outside danced across the ceiling and deep peals of thunder drifted through the opened window. After another few moments of laying there without sleep, I sat up and stared out the window at the dark world outside the room. The clouds were so dark that the moonlight could not penetrate it, leaving the world in near total darkness. Only the lights of the village illuminated the world. The darkness signaled that this was one of the strange maelstroms that plagued this area of the world. These storms lasted for days and their fury lit fires that consumed vast swaths of the forests, and filled the rivers far above their banks, flooding out the low country and river deltas to the south of the mountains. My home was high enough to avoid the disasters, but the storms were still not fun to be out in.

Sighing to myself, I slipped my legs to the side, off the edge of the bed. As I rose to my feet, the sound of the coming rain drifted to my ears, and I walked to the window, looking out at the storm, watching the endless sheets of rain approach the village. A cold blast of wind pricked my flesh and I shivered. I didn't know what it was, but out there, in the inky blackness of the coming storm, something malevolent held off blessed rest. And, just as the first drops of the rain came down into the town, another chill wind stirred the air, bringing with it a faint sound. I cocked an ear and listened, but the sound did not come again. Once was all that was needed though. I shivered again and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. The sound had been a wolf's howl, but not that of a true wolf. It had a deeper, darker sound, a sound that could belong only to the throat of a werewolf. It had come from a great distance, out of the storm tossed trees to the west. As I stood there at the window, gazing out, an image coalesced out of the ether, appearing before my minds eye.

Redamarc stood in a clearing, soaked by the rain. A single werewolf, taller, broader and far stronger than the others I had fought, stood beside him, rain making its black fur stand out like spines. The vampire smiled, showing his fangs and I heard his voice in my mind. 'Galen, son of Anton, I stand waiting for you with my chosen champion. You are the strongest of the hunters arrayed against me. If you have the courage to come, young hunter, I stand waiting.' With that, the image vanished. I did not hesitate, donning my officer's garb and grabbing my weapons. I paused only long enough to give my lover a light kiss on the lips. She stirred, but did not wake and I smiled. Tonight was mine alone. Tonight, I would be the first to slay a vampire lord.

Smiling broadly, I slipped out of the silent house and strode away into the rain, heedless of the storm and its fury...

***

The clearing was surrounded by a ring of standing stones that created a space framed by the dark branches of a stream. The only way in or out were two thin spaces between the rocks, but to enter through them, you had to first cross the dark stream. It was frighteningly similar to the place where I had so nearly perished at the hands of a lesser vampire. But that was before I had unlocked this mysterious power that allowed me to fight better than any hunter before me. I smiled eagerly and plunged into the frigid, fast flowing stream, crossing into the arena from its southern edge. The moment I crossed the boundary of the stones, the curtains of the rain seemed to part, revealing Redamarc and his hulking servant. I stopped at the edge of the clearing, my hand going for my sword and the vampire spoke once more.

"So you have come." He said, a faint ruby glow suffusing the rain about him. His grin was malicious and demonic, making my skin crawl. Fangs glittered with the flash of a lightning bolt and a roll of deafening thunder shattered the quiet between the raindrops of the storm. "I must commend you boy. Few have the courage to come alone to face me in a place of my choosing. You are certainly brave; Brave, but very foolish." With that, the vampire vanished and demonic laughter filled the clearing. From all around and above me, demons appeared, eyes bright red and leering. For a moment, all were still and staring at me. Not one demon was smaller than nine feet tall, not a one; but I was unafraid. Carrie's face entered my thoughts and I drew my long sword. Its edge shown keenly in the lightning that flashed overhead, and I smiled as the jade set into the blade began to glow in the presence of the evil beings. As the demons started forward, I felt the familiar confidence radiate out from my heart like the rays of the brilliant sun at dawn and I was ready.

I darted to the side suddenly, instinct finding weakness there and a two handed stroke of my sword hewed the head from a towering Oni. Bright green jade fires lit the rain drops, turning them brilliant green. Another demon swung a cleaver like blade at my head and I ducked under the clumsy stroke, stabbing up from below. The blow was well aimed and a second demon fell to the jade in my sword. A third demon swung at me with dark claws and I caught them with my blade, at the same time drawing one of my daggers and turning slightly to throw it across the clearing, catching a fourth demon before it could take another step towards me. I spun my sword in a circle and sliced off the third demon's hand before chopping hard with the blade, bisecting the demon's torso with ease. Two demons came from opposite directions, claws flashing and I leapt high into the air, arcing over them both and landing before another demon, stabbing it from above before it could strike at me. Time seemed to be moving slowly, so slowly that I could count the beat of my heart. A beat and I stabbed backward, killing another demon.

Another beat and I was face to face with a tan furred werewolf, its sharp claws going for my neck. A quick parry passed the strike to the side and I stabbed with the silver knife. The blade bit home and another corpse joined those falling in the clearing. I fought hard for a few more moments and suddenly I was alone with the vampire's champion in the clearing. We stood for a moment, perfectly still, facing each other through the rain and then the huge werewolf drew a long sword much like my own from a hidden sheath at its back, but its blade was black, staining the rain around him with dark corruption.

I placed my sword between me and my foe, waiting for him to make the first move. It wasn't long in coming, for it's outline blurred a moment later as it moved on the attack. Steel clanged in the silent clearing as our swords met, spraying raindrops from their lengths. I staggered from the force of the blow and barely got my sword in the way of the second one. Even though I used both hands and all the strength that my arms could give, the werebeast was bearing me backward. Even as fast I was, it was faster than me and I began to fear. Strike by strike, blow by blow, I was born backward in the clearing, until at last I was almost against the rocks, a place from which there would be no escape if I was forced against them. As another blow bore me off my feet, I realized that I had made a costly mistake. I had assumed that I was stronger than my foes, an assumption we were warned against from the beginning of our training and now, I would die proving my instructors right.

The werewolf's next blow sent my sword flying, but, before it could take its last victorious swing, I suddenly grabbed the beast's wrists. We struggled for a few brief moments, my desperation lending me a strength equal to the werebeast's for a few crucial seconds. And then, my chance came. The creature bore in at me, snarling, its jaws opened wide to bite me and I lunged forward, my head connecting with its sensitive snout. The beast reared back in surprise and I used the moment's distraction to dive past it, my hand seeking the hilt of my longsword. I found the blade and whirled around, intending to continue the fight as long as I could, but my fantastic luck ran out.

The beast leapt full upon me before I could react, and a viciously sharp pain exploded from my shoulder as its teeth closed on my flesh. I screamed into the thunder of the storm and fell back with the weight of the enemy on me. A strange burning sensation was spreading rapidly through my body with every beat of my heart and I fought through the pain, bringing my sword up and stabbing with it desperately. The strike was true despite the pain and the werewolf's teeth gritted suddenly and I shrieked as its fangs were driven that much deeper into me. But then, as I lay on my back, the werewolf stopped moving, its corpse rapidly becoming that of a human again.

Forcing my burning limbs into action, I pushed with all my strength, shoving the corpse to the side and off of me. When I was at last free from its weight, I looked at my shoulder and cried out in frustration and pain. The last flecks of venom were still visible in the wound as the rain washed it. The werewolf's had its final revenge on me after all. The venom was coursing through my blood now and I knew that no matter what I did now, the curse would come on the next full moon. I tried to get to my feet and only got as far as my knees before a wave of exhaustion washed over me. I managed to crawl under an overhang in the rocks and there I lay down, trying to regain what strength I could.

Without hope, I lay beneath the hanging rock and wept bitterly. For hours, I lay there, the storm cascading down around me, all the while the burning of my flesh grew ever worse. And then, at last, the face of the woman I loved came back to me and I crawled from my shelter, rising back to my feet. If only to see her face one last time, I would not die here in this clearing, weeping like a child. Steeling myself from the burning of the venom, I staggered out of the clearing, through the waist high stream and back towards the village. My vision was clouding with the pain and I wandered for what felt like an eternity in fevered delirium. Agony seemed to be consuming the entire world. The burning had become so intense that I felt as if I was standing within a blacksmith's forge. Every raindrop that fell onto my body felt like a drop of burning fire when it hit my skin and every step sent needles of pain through my body. Finally, I could stand no more and I fell, landing face down in a puddle. I managed to roll over and stare up at the sky for a moment.

I could go no further. For all I knew, I had been wandering in the opposite direction as the village. There was no hope for me and I might as well let myself die now. But there it was. I knew that I would not die until the curse took over, as its power would keep me alive, sustaining its vessel until it could force me to serve the dark powers. A fresh resolve suddenly gripped me and I tried to lift the sword that I had somehow managed to keep hold of. I meant to drive it into my heart, which would finish me off and end the curse before it began. But, my arm only twitched feebly and I gasped in despair. I could not even end my own life. I was doomed to the worst fate imaginable to a hunter. I would be forced to be a slave to the dark will of the demons. I lay there for so long as the rain came down, wondering how long I had to live. The burning of the venom at last faded away and I smiled slightly. This was it, I was dieing. I began to shiver. In the wake of the fire fading, icy cold closed in around me. It was just as bad as the fires had been and I shivered once more. The sky began to brighten above me and I knew dawn was coming. But no dawn could warm me now. I just felt so cold...

And then, darkness began to claim me. My last thought before I drifted away was of my lover, who would be waking soon to find me gone. A last hot tear of sorrow fell from my eye and darkness overran all...

***

Warmth. It was all around me, a fuzzy, soothing warmth. The dark muddle of my nightmares had faded and I could hear two voices arguing loudly nearby. But I could not lift my heavy lids to gaze on their owners.

"Father, he can't be allowed to live!!" The first voice shouted, and I recognized it as one of my brothers, probably the eldest. Only he had the rank to argue with a Master Hunter. "He is not your son anymore!"

"He will always be my son," My father replied, his voice calm. "And besides that, he is an officer of the Slayers of Auré. For that reason alone, he will not be slain until the curse takes him. You know of our traditions."

"Yes I do, but he is dangerous!!" My brother replied. "He could turn against us at any moment."

"There are three days left before the full moon and those are three days we will give him." My father stated, the tone of his voice giving no sign that he would compromise on that point. "If it was you who lay there in agony, knowing that you were doomed, wouldn't you want every moment you had left as a human?" There was a pause and then the first voice came back, subdued and calmer.

"Yes." It said and there was a sigh. "Do we keep this secret? What if the council found out?"

"We will not notify the council until after the full moon." My father replied. "And when we tell them, it will be to tell them that Ensign Galen died in battle with demons."

The two voices faded away and I managed to force my eyes to open slightly. I was lying in a beam of sunlight and the storm seemed to have faded. I was staring up into the skylight at the center of a sunburst in the ceiling. The faint scent of incense wafted over me and I realized I was laid out in the center of the Temple to Auré. Soft pillows were beneath me and I was naked to the waist. I managed to lift my head a little and noticed soft white bandages spotted with red blood covering the werewolf bite. I started to rise to a sitting position, but I didn't get far before a burning swelled within my muscles, and I fell back onto the pillows. My body left my control and darkness filled my sight again. I had not the strength to fight it. As I drifted into nightmarish visions again, I heard the vampire lord's dark laughter rolling in my head...

***

What followed next was a time without end in the dark realm of nightmares. I saw horrific images of death, of horrible demons dancing around a skeletal pit of black flames. I saw Redamarc slaughtering countless victims and drinking their blood; and more, much more, an endless parade of horrific images, most so terrible that I would never remember them, only remembering their terror. During this time, I would wake for brief moments to the temple. In daylight, it was to fevered images of priests and priestesses praying over me; sometimes Carrie was there and I longed to reach out to her, but my body refused to rise at my command. Once, I woke screaming in the night to find someone dabbing a wet cloth on my forehead. Carrie's voice spoke soothing words I could no longer understand in my madness until I fell into fevered dreams again. But finally, I awoke to a sky of brilliant gold as the sun set. Somehow, I could sense that tonight was the full moon. But I no longer remembered why that was important.

My family sat around me, each speaking words of prayer. Their voices no longer seemed to make sense, as if they were speaking a language I had never heard before. Tears coursed down my sister's faces and I needed no words to understand what was going on. They were saying goodbye.

The slayers in my family each had a naked weapon of glittering silver in hand and I knew what they were going to do, what they had to do. Oddly enough, I felt peaceful in that knowledge, but I no longer understood why. I was lost within my own mind, confused and beaten down by the curse that was beginning to awaken. With every sliver of the sun that vanished beneath the rim of the world, I could feel the curse growing stronger in my blood and I knew that soon I would begin to change. And then, I felt rather than saw Redamarc coming with demons to attack the temple. These demons were huge, larger even than oni and somehow I knew what they were. They were Felguards, gifts from the greater demons to their servant, the vampire lord. No hunter had ever faced them before and I knew that they would easily kill my family.

Out of that thought rose a moment of clarity and I tried to open my mouth to call out a warning, but it was no use; my voice no longer belonged to me. I struggled against the curse that consumed my voice but I could make no headway against its power. It was like trying to break a mountain with my fists. Seeing my struggles, my father suddenly took his sword in hand and poised it above me, the cold metal of its point resting on my sternum. Just as his arm tensed to drive the blade downward, a stroke which would forever end my life, a shattering roar that lit the dark fire of eagerness in my heart filled the temple. The demons were coming for me, coming to claim their new servant. My entire family rushed away to the defense of the temple and suddenly, the last sliver of the sun sank beneath the mountains. And with that came a ripple of dark energy through me. My blood pulsed with it's power and I writhed against the ropes that bound me as pain slammed every fiber of my being. My body began to swell, growing too large for its skin. Bones shifted within me and I let out a cry of pain that changed midway through into a wild wolf's howl as my body began to assume the transformed wolf's form. Then, without warning, my skin shredded, the ropes splitting with force of my growth.

I rose to my knees and slammed the temple floor with my fists as my spine grew suddenly longer, a tail sprouting from my back. And then, I heard Redamarc's voice in my head. 'Rise my servant, and join us.' I did as I was commanded and rose to my feet, grey fur rippling in the dancing torchlight. I began to step forward and suddenly, unbidden, a beautiful face appeared in my minds eye, a face that was very dear to me. And with it, came a strange light, filtering through the curse. When the light lit my mind, the bonds holding me imprisoned within my own mind slackened. I knew who the face belonged to and I knew that I could do no harm to her. I fought against the bonds and my foot steps faltered on the steps of the temple. And there, below me, in the village square, slayers brawled with Felguards while priestesses cast magic spells, their effect diminished in the full moon's light.

Then, I spotted Carrie. She was in the center of the courtyard, casting a spell directly at Redamarc and the vampire was striding towards her, a long bladed dagger in hand. I struggled harder against the curse that held me and watched helplessly as Redamarc struck her with the blade, her spell never completed in time to stop him. Time slowed to a stop and I saw every horrific detail of the cruel stroke of fate. Carrie's bloody body falling to the earth, her red blood spilling onto the courtyard's flagstones. The image of Redamarc's blade piercing her flesh filled my whole sight and I felt the bonds holding me break. A howl of pain and rage escaped my lips and I sprinted towards the vampire. He looked towards me with shock and his voice spoke to me, but its words meant less than nothing to me. Before I knew that it had happened, I had picked up a dropped longsword from the ground and stabbed the stunned vampire through the heart with it. It had no visible effect, and Redamarc tried to raise his dagger to strike me down with it, but then a thing happened that I had never expected. The golden light that Carrie's image had brought into my mind suddenly flowed into the blade I held. My blade lit suddenly with golden fire, the light of the sun itself shining from the blade. Redamarc screamed and his body dissolved. But his words filled my mind for a moment as he vanished.

'You may have defeated me today Galen, but someday soon, I shall return.' He said and I turned suddenly to the battle around me, my eyes flashing green with a strange light. I stretched out a hand and the Felguards shrieked painfully as a beam of light shot from my palm speared each of them. They dissolved into ash, but I saw none of it. I knelt beside Carrie and cradled her ruined body in my powerful wolfish arms. She looked up at me sadly and smiled. She tried to speak to me, but no words would come. Instead she reached a hand up, touching the side of my muzzle gently. Her touch brought forth a river of tears from inside me and the light in her eyes faded away, her hand falling from my chin as she died. Oblivious to the world around me, I held her body to my chest and cried...

***

I stood in the temple before the alter, my mother standing before me and my slayer brothers around me, weapons drawn. It was just after dawn and my mother was praying to Auré for help and guidance. My father had decided to let me live after the fight because I had destroyed the demons and killed Redamarc, but he knew that the council would order me destroyed when word reached them of the incident. It had been my mother who had suggested I be brought before the sun god for judgement. She had come up with the idea because the spell I had used to slay the Felguards was one that only the priesthood of Auré were supposed to be able to use. So, with a jade amulet settled around my neck to monitor the presence of evil, I stood before the alter and waited for something to happen. And then, suddenly, when my mother completed a final prayer, something did happen.

The alter began to glow with golden light and then, all at once, there was a man standing there. But, as I stared at him, I realized that it could not be a man. The face was too perfect. The man stepped down off the alter and all the slayers and the assembled priestesses stood and stared at him. But I knelt down on one knee with my head bowed because the sight of my cursed body allowed me to see the golden aura around him. He spoke when he stood on the top of the steps leading up to the alter.

"I have come." He said and his voice echoed with such power that there was no doubt in my mind that we looked upon Auré himself. The others bowed as I had and he spoke once more. "Galen, son of Anton, look at me."

I lifted my head slowly and found my gaze locked to his. He was wearing robes of bright yellow and jade green. His skin was pale and his hair looked like spun threads of gold, but it was his eyes that were the most arresting feature. They were pale gold in color, the exact shade of the sun and they held such power that I could not remove my gaze from them. For a moment, he stared into my eyes and then he turned to the others around me.

"Rise my slayers." He said, then looked at my mother. "Rise, priestess. Your son has suffered a grievous fate. But take heart, for a last, a wolf has set himself free from the demons."

"Is that even possible?" One of my brothers asked and my father nodded.

"It is an old tale that only the master hunters know." He commented. "The tale tells that it is possible for a werewolf to break the possession of its demon masters and that such a man would be a champion of our cause. But we never expected it to be real. Even warriors possessing the strongest of hearts have fallen to the control of the demons. I don't know why Galen was able to break the possession, but I see know that he has done so."

"And, as such, I grant you my favor." Auré said, striding down so he was standing before me. He touched my shoulder and the spot he touched became human again. Like a wave, it spread all over my body and I looked up in amazement. He smiled and looped a cross medallion around my neck. "I cannot remove the curse totally, for that is beyond even my power. But while my eye watches over you, you shall be human. But be warned, you will still be vulnerable to the powers of Redamarc and his ilk. So take care, Galen, son of Anton." And with that, he vanished.

***

"All that day, I rejoiced, for I was human again, and I mourned my love." I said, finishing my long tale, "But it wasn't until the curse came again at night that I realized what I had been given. A lifetime of penitence for my mistakes. My father gave me my rune clothes and I left the world of men to hunt on my own. That was twenty years ago now and not a day goes by that I don't wish I had never left the house that night."

"You seem to have done everything you could..." Julianna began, but I shook my head.

"I was arrogant, and I thought myself invincible." I said, whipping away a tear, "And every night I pay the price for it. Dronan and Arden were killed fighting the Felguards. Carrie died in my arms that night and I lost my only chance for a normal life. Since then I have fought ceaselessly to punish the dark powers for what they took from me. So now you know princess. Now you know why I am what I am."

"I am sorry for the pain that you have endured." She said and I nodded my acceptance of her answer.

"I am just so tired of this pain." I stated, looking down at the earth once more. Tears began to run down my cheeks again as all the memories came back. "I am tired of never sleeping, I am tired of paying for that mistake. So many times I have tempted to end all with my silver knife, but every time, I can't do it."

Julianna wordlessly put her arms around me and hugged me. At first, I was surprised, but then I returned her embrace and we sat together beneath the stars, holding each other while the golden trees danced with breeze of night...