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Bloodtails

Written By: Spudz

Koov tried to gather himself. He could not believe what he was seeing. This was a wolf, a fabled creature of myth and legend long thought extinct.

Across the room from him, Araki gave the creature a pat on the head. "His name's Doko. Don't be afraid, he's not gonna hurt you." She kept petting him, making his pointy black ears splay as he looked up toward her. "He's actually more afraid of you, really."

The malinois blinked. "I find that hard to believe. I'm pretty terrified myself."

"I had to do a lot of convincing just to get poor Doko to bring me here, and even more to meet you like this."

Koov could see for himself now. Beyond that menacing outward appearance, the wolf was visibly uneasy. He was watching Araki closely, letting the husky comfort him with her gentle strokes between his pinned ears.

"He can understand," Araki went on, keeping her gaze on the lupine at her side. "He already knows our language. He's quite an intelligent individual."

Koov canted his head with an incredulous look. "He can understand?"

She gave the wolf... Doko, a little nudge against his side. "Well go on, introduce yourself. I promise Koov here doesn't bite."

The black wolf hesitated, looking back to her. At her subtle nod of encouragement he ventured a step forward, freezing with a paw held in the air.

Behind him, Araki chuckled impatiently. "You're such a shy little fuzzball." She bumped him on the rump with her knee, pushing him forward. "Go on, you're representing the mighty lupine race."

Koov thought he caught a look of... annoyance? The wolf shot her a sidelong glance with those keen golden eyes of his, and then finally seemed to work up the courage.

The room grew deathly silent as he warily crossed the open distance to stand just before the malinois.

"How do you greet him?" Koov asked, feeling his fur bristle.

"Ah you just..." Araki suddenly looked awkward. "...lick each other on the muzzle. Or rub bodies. They are an affectionate race."

"And if I can't?" Like hell I would even try something like that.

She shrugged helplessly. "Shake hands?"

He sighed. She was always one to joke at the most inappropriate of times. After a moment of indecision, he had an idea and brought his hand out, palm up, as a show of trust. It was just like greeting a dog... a huge, menacing dog that could probably kill him in the blink of an eye. He forced himself to remain calm.

The moment dragged on uncomfortably as the lupine sniffed at his outstretched hand. His muzzle parted, showcasing a formidable set of fangs. Koov had to resist the urge to pull his arm away.

Wet sloppy warmth enveloped the fur of his hand as Doko gave a nice long lick. The sage twitched at the tickly sensation of a broad canine tongue washing across the sensitive pads of his hand. He felt a smile touch the corners of his muzzle. Just like a big dog.

"See, now was that so bad?" Araki quipped.

Koov ventured a gentle scratch between the wolf's perked ears and was rewarded with a soft murr. "This is simply unreal. How have we not known of these creatures for so long?"

"They have quite a secretive culture. You'll be amazed when you see what they've hidden from our eyes."

Doko was leaning into his massaging hand now, begging for more attention as his black ears folded, his eyes closing in delight. "Are they always so... easy to pet like this."

"I told you, they're very affectionate. Doko will let you do that for hours if you had the stamina for it. He's a loveable guy." She was folding her arms now, grinning at the two of them.

<Oh... he's almost better than you, Araki.>

The masculine voice in Koov's head came as a surprise. He pulled away from the wolf. That was not Araki... who? Another person? No, no it was Doko! "Marlois's wrath! You can mindspeak!"

"Don't invoke that name in vain," Araki cautioned, fixing him with a careful look. "Wolves don't like it when you speak of their god like that."

"They even worship our gods?" Koov asked in disbelief. He had to sit down on the edge of the bed.

Doko looked to her. <It's ok Araki. He didn't know. I take no offense.>

"Forgive me if I'm having trouble taking this all in," Koov managed. He was exhausted; it was the middle of the gods-forsaken night. "This is all becoming too much."

Araki joined him on the bed. "I'm sorry. There was no easy way to do this. I had just as much trouble coping as you are now."

Koov buried his face in his hands, trying to block it all out, failing. Everything came rushing back.

Araki didn't know, couldn't know that he carried with him a terrible burden. These past few days had been nothing but the purest of hells. How could he tell her what had happened?

She was different, somehow. The husky had a certain radiance to her, a spark he had never seen, not since the war had broken out. This discovery of wolves was extraordinary, certain to shake the modern world to its very core. Things were already bad enough. How was he supposed to deal with this?

Now... why now of all times? The gods were mocking his plight.

"It was lucky you were the one who came looking for me," Araki went on, oblivious. "I didn't expect you here so soon. I shouldn't have been missed no more than two days ago. How'd you make your way out here so fast?"

He drew a heavy breath. Focus Koov, take a moment and think. You haven't gotten this far by letting yourself get overwhelmed. He had found Araki. There was no longer any reason to stay here now.

"Koov?"

The malinois brought himself back with a quick shake of the head. A sense of urgency seized him. He did not know entirely why. Something told him to get as far away from this village as he could, as fast as possible. "We need to go, Araki."

She stood, taken aback. "What? Why? What's going on?"

"No one can know that you came back." He got up. Where was his equipment? He had to get everything packed. Where did he put his armor!

"Koov, what's wrong? I've never seen you like this before." Araki watched with concern as he moved about the room, throwing together foodstuffs into a knapsack Shishu had given him.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I should've just kept going, never step paw in this village to begin with." His mind was clicking, running through all the possible scenarios, Doko's presence all but forgotten. He had let his exhaustion cloud his judgment over the past day. "Never should've stayed here."

A firm hand grasped his shoulder, forcing him to face Araki's worried look. "Koov. Tell me."

"You said you were waiting for someone to come looking for you. Why? What were you planning to do after you introduced me to him?" He motioned vaguely at Doko, who was sitting on his haunches with a puzzled look.

She opened her muzzle to reply, but faltered.

He took the opportunity to summon his armor, holding out his hand toward the stack of black leather protection in the corner. All of the pieces took flight at once, sailing across the room to wrap around the sage where he stood, molding together to form a seamless layer of protection. He stood still until the last piece snapped together around his abdomen, before flexing his body to ensure everything was locked in place.

"I was going to take you to the wolves' den," Araki finally managed. "Introduce you to the alphas. I've been given a task of building a relationship between the lupine and the sages, the first of its kind." She watched Koov move back to packing the knapsack. "I spoke with their Circle. They are willing to open a dialogue with the Rajo Order. Only the Rajo Order. Do you realize what this means, Koov?"

The malinois stopped, her last words hitting him like a punch in the stomach. "The Order?"

"Yes. To them we're the best representation of the anthro world. It's a test, Koov, to see if the lupine race can coexist with us. We may not represent the greater will of the Kaowyn realm, but the wolves don't care about kingdom and rule." A bit of emotion crept into her voice. "We need this to work, for the Rajo Order to take the next step. Koov, I need you more than I ever have. Without you, the Order would never believe me."

He had to bite back a curse. His words came almost as a whisper. "There is no Order."

"What?" She cocked her head. "Koov?"

"It's gone." He drew a heavy breath, hoping it would steady his faltering emotions. "We lost the war." Her muzzle fell open as he pounded a fist against the wall, not caring if it woke anyone. "They sneaked in, penetrated the city's defenses like they were nothing. We had no warning. It was... there were so many. The Tukor army was vast. We had no hope."

He watched as his words hit home. She blinked. "But Adro... the capital was our best defended city. How did they get past the front? How did they defeat the protective weaves guarding the city?"

"I... don't know." The room grew quiet for a pregnant pause. "Somehow the Tukor managed to port an entire army right into the capital. The local garrison had no chance." He felt his fists clench, claws digging in painfully. "The sages that came to the city's defense were slaughtered. I barely escaped with my life."

All of those terrible events came flooding back. All the death, the destruction, the killing of innocent civilians...

"We need to move," Koov asserted again, shaking it off. There was a time and a place to grieve. His fur was bristling. Something was wrong, he had to get away from here.

He padded toward his longbow and curved wakizashi blade... but something stopped him mid-stride.

Araki and Doko felt it too. The mana patterns, invisible to the naked eye yet clearly perceptible to a spellweaver... something had disrupted them.

Koov locked eyes with the husky. "Araki?"

"No... not me. Doko?"

<I haven't woven anything.>

Koov forgot about the wolf. He reached out with his mind for the threads around him. They slipped right through his grip, whipping about wildly in a confused mess of weaves and flows. He recognized this phenomenon. This was not a natural occurrence!

"The patterns are being scattered!" he exclaimed. It was too late.

An immense pressure built up in the disrupted mana. He had only an instant to react.

He dove headlong for the side of the bed. The surrounding room erupted in chaos.

Suffocating heat punched through the diving dog's body, flinging him cruelly back to crash into the wall. The deafening report of the blast never registered as everything went black.

Ringing... there was an incessant ringing. He came to on the floor, covered by something... the bed... upside down, torn to shreds.

He was hurt badly.

It took some effort to move his arm, pushing a pile of splintered wood off himself, his medical training instinctively kicking in.

The malinois's fingers reached over to a symbol etched into his chest armor, touching the pattern with his four fingers in the proper points. The pain came then, inundating his mind, making him grit his teeth.

A twist of his hand activated the weave stored within the armor, flooding his body with the autonomous healing pattern. The spell, carefully crafted by the sage some time ago as a safety precaution, began working quick to mend the serious internal injuries that the explosion had caused.

He had to get up. There was a threat out there!

The malinois grunted with the effort of pushing the destroyed bed off his prone form, straining to free himself. Any second another blast could be targeted on the room.

With a satisfying crash, the bed flipped over off Koov. He bolted to his paws immediately, glad for the healing spell that was working to keep him alive. The floor of the room had partially collapsed, the outside wall where the window had been simply gone. Charred debris was littered everywhere, several small fires burning to fill the space with smoke. The house was in serious danger of completely collapsing.

Araki and Doko stood right in the middle of the carnage, enclosed within the protective sphere of a shield weave. Koov let out a breath, happy they were still alive. The wolf was the one maintaining the weave, drawing on his own internal energy with the scattering still dispersing the mana threads around them. Thank the gods.

The husky caught him out of the corner of her eye. Her hands were held in a focus seal. "It came from the mountain slope to the east!" she yelled. "I'm going to suppress, retreat when I do!"

Her body suddenly became alight with arcs of electrical current. Doko dispersed his shield at that instant, just as the sky through the ripped open roof came to hellish life.

Numerous lances of wicked lightning struck down onto the wooded mountain slope, followed instantly by earsplitting cracks of thunder that pounded right through Koov's body.

The lightning barrage was merciless, cutting sharply across the entire slope, splitting trees in half, rending branches into charred bits. The malinois's fur stood on end, the air becoming charged all around him. The power of the gods was on full terrifying display, assaulting all of his senses.

And then it cut off just as abruptly. "Go!" Araki screamed. She was running toward the shattered door with the wolf in her wake. Behind the retreating husky her armor and katana floated, carried by the same summoning spell Koov had used earlier.

He called up his own weapons with a twitch of his finger. On the far side of the room, a pile of rubble broke apart, revealing his bow, quiver and blade. He paused only long enough to make sure they would follow him, before sprinting to catch up, bursting through the battered door frame into the adjoining hallway.

The rest of the home was mostly intact, save for the blown out windows. He could hear screaming now, yelling all around him. There were others in the home, but he had no time.

The malinois vaulted down the stairs, and nearly threw himself through the front door that had been torn partially off its hinges.

Outside Araki and the wolf waited for him in the open street. The husky's armor was presently fitting itself to her body while she scanned about nervously. "I felt one or two bolts connect, I think."

Koov snatched his bow and quiver out of the air to attach them to the hardpoints on his back. His wakizashi came next, its hilt clipping onto his waist. "There must be more. The scattering is still there." He had forgotten that Araki worked her weather threads on a wholly different plane of mana, one that most spellweavers could not sense and thus could not disturb. This was a lucky break. "Come, we need to get away from here."

He moved off, looking back to make sure the husky and wolf were following. After a hurried sprint, they came to a stop between two thatched homes, concealed mostly from the surrounding mountain slopes. The two anthros were panting now.

"Who's attacking us?" Araki huffed. Her gaze was distant, a sign that she was weaving threads. Above the village, gathering clouds concealed by the night began to announce their presence with distant flashes of lightning.

"I don't know. Is it wolves?"

Doko's voice was confident in his head. <No. My kind was not behind that attack. We do not attack anthros, and we do not attack our own.>

"Then who is?" Araki breathed. Her hands came together in a focus seal again. "I'm preparing the sky. If this is a fight, I will be ready." Above them, the sporadic lightning became more intense, closer. The heavens quickly grew angry.

"Can you give us some cover?" Koov asked.

Before Araki could reply, an explosion rocked Northpoint. The malinois poked his head around the corner, only to have his heart skip a beat. The house from which they had just escaped had disappeared behind a fiery blast. When it cleared there was nothing left but an empty burning shell. Gods... there were people still in there!

He forced himself back around the corner of the home. A quick look to Araki was all she needed to know what had happened. "Fucking hell," the husky cursed.

"Keep a level head," Koov warned. "We're up against at least one powerful spellweaver." The light from the raging fire cast an ominous glow across all the nearby structures. With the patterns still in disarray, he couldn't pinpoint where the attack had originated from. Villagers were coming out into the street. There was confusion, everyone was looking toward the burning home, the home of their leader. "We need to take this away from the village. There are too many people around."

Araki looked to Doko, who sat at her side nervously. "Can you port us?"

The wolf dipped his head. <I can't work the threads. Someone is blocking me.>

"Then we have two options," Koov spoke. "We either fight this out, or retreat."

The husky was pissed. "These bloody bastards attacked us without warning and killed innocent people. They need to die!" The gathering storm mirrored her rage.

"Calm yourself, Araki."

A sudden flash off in the distance drew his gaze to a small ball of light soaring through the air. The radiance followed a ballistic arc, until it disappeared behind a nearby structure.

The ground shook with the resulting explosion, which gave way to terrified screams on the other side of the village. "Gods above, they're attacking at random." Trying to flush us out.

He scanned the surrounding slopes, looking for any indication of the weaver's location... there! A brief flash of light silhouetted a grouping of trees. "I got him, west slope, just under the ridgeline." The malinois went for the longbow on his back. "Araki, I'm going to need that cover in about ten seconds."

The second explosion shook the ground as he withdrew an arrow from his quiver, one of only a handful he had. There was no fletching to give the projectile the distinctive appearance of a typical arrow. It didn't need the stabilization.

The blood seal on the shaft glowed faintly in the darkness as he nocked the arrow on the bowstring. The malinois only had enough reserves for two shots. Hopefully he would not need more than one.

With fluid grace Koov stepped out into the street, angling the bow toward the target mountain slope. In that moment, he channeled energy into the arrow, energizing the projectile's patterns, arming the spell woven into its construction.

He drew the bowstring tight. The longbow glowed in his grip. The shot was charged. "Fly fast and true," the sage breathed.

The arrow discharged from the longbow with a thunderous report, the bowstring snapping from his fingers at incredible speed.

In a mere instant, the arrow traversed the great distance to the target, flying perfectly straight. The distant mountain slope disappeared behind a brilliant ball of fire, which expanded rapidly outward, destroying anything in its path. The glow of the blast temporarily illuminated the entire valley, before winking out of existence.

The piercing report of his handiwork reached the malinois's ears seconds later. He threw himself back behind the wall. "Araki, need that cover."

The husky changed the position of her clasped hands, altering the focus seal. "On it."

Beneath the threatening storm, the valley became awash in thick choking fog, blanketing all of Northpoint. The fog was followed by a heavy snowfall as the storm itself opened up. The husky was maintaining several weather weaves now, no doubt stretching her abilities to the limit.

Koov didn't like this one bit. They still had no idea how many spellweavers they were up against. One thing was for sure though; the scattering was still active. Either there was more than one opponent out there, or whoever they were up against was on a level far above their own. Either likelihood carried with it grave implications.

"We need to regroup outside the village," the malinois spoke, quietly enough not to draw the attention of anyone who might be nearby. All of Northpoint was caught up in chaos now, with the locals all running about, unable to see through the thick fog and snow.

Araki's silhouette nodded. "Agreed. Doko stick close to me. When you can port, do so to get us away from here."

The wolf's confusion was clear in his mindspeak. <Why are we being attacked like this? I don't understand.>

"I don't know," Araki spoke, gritting her teeth some as she struggled to maintain her weaves. "We'll worry about that later. Just stay close to me. I won't let anything happen to you."

Koov reattached the longbow to his back and drew his blade. With the fog, there was no use for long range weapons. If this was going to become a fight, it would be a close quarters duel with sword and steel. The scattering would make sure of that. "Let's go."

They kept away from the main thoroughfare of Northpoint, avoiding the locals who ran about in a panic. It was distressing to leave them to their own devices, but Koov had no choice. He had to get out of this alive.

Another row of thatched homes loomed before him, and after a moment's hesitation, he set out across the open path with Araki and the wolf following. There was no telling how much further they had to go before reaching the relative safety of the forest.

A shadowy figure phased into existence through the fog and snow, barring the way.

Koov stopped, his grip tightening around the hilt of his drawn wakizashi. The distinct sound of Araki's katana sliding from its sheath came from behind him.

The figure wore a hooded cloak, draped in thick furs, his features still mostly veiled by the fog. This was not a local accustomed to the harsh cold of the region.

Koov shot a quick glance over his shoulder. "Araki."

The husky wordlessly stepped up to his side, her katana held before her in a defensive stance. They didn't need to communicate, both sages knew the other's strengths and weaknesses, drawing on months of mutual combat experience.

The veiled figure before them moved. His hand came out to his side clasping a small sickle, the other holding a coiled chain attached to the end of the weapon. A chain-scythe. There was no mistaking who they were up against now.

Koov set his stance. His opponent's hand moved in a flash, throwing the long chain into the air, spinning it around above his head in a dizzying blur.

The menacing whirl of the weighted chain piercing through the air was all to recognizable. The malinois snarled. The bastards had tracked him all the way here.

It came out of nowhere. He felt Araki suddenly react, her blade coming up. The tang of metal on metal contact rang out. Another chain appeared through the fog from his side, slamming down into the snow right in front of him with terrible force, only just deflected by the husky.

The ground beneath the sage reeled from the blow, crumbling beneath his paws. His balance was lost, just as a second cloaked figure appeared overhead through the fog, careening down upon him, scythe slicing out for a killing blow.

His wakizashi came up in a desperate effort, meeting the cutting edge of the enemy's weapon scant inches from his face. He fell backwards, his adversary disengaging to slide away from the sage, the embedded chain of the scythe uprooting itself to coil back into his enemy's free hand.

Koov had no time to think. He used his momentum to roll backwards into an awkward kneeling position, bringing his weapon up to face this new threat. The other adversary was gone.

The clang of weapons angrily meeting each other reached his ears. He couldn't afford to look. He had to trust Araki was engaging the other enemy.

His opponent was spinning his chain overhead now, facing him down. The fog and snow made it difficult to see, to read his eyes.

Koov tightened his grip on his hilt, bringing the black metal of his weapon to life in an angry blue glow. The falling snow hissed as it contacted the bare steel, evaporating away.

His opponent did the same, channeling energy into his chain-scythe. The whirling chain took on a sinister crimson glow, leaving a wicked afterimage in the air. It would be an even fight.

The chain suddenly lashed out, slicing in low from the side. Koov jumped, just barely clearing his opponent's attack as the chain dug into a layer of snow, creating a curtain of steam in its wake. The weapon lashed out again, coming down from above in a powerful strike.

He threw himself to the side, just as the extended chain slammed down. The force of impact was immense, shattering the ground beneath the snow, unsettling the dog's balance once more.

He reeled away, only to see the next attack coming in high from the side. His blade shifted in his grip, angling for a deflection.

The chain impacted the broadside of his wakizashi, slicing off sideways, changing the angle of attack just enough for the malinois to duck beneath it. All he could do was dodge. He had to get on the offensive!

An earsplitting clap cut through the air, making him cringe where he stood. His opponent faltered, clearly taken aback by the sudden assault on the senses.

Now!

The sage threw his blade with everything he had, bringing his hands together in a focus seal in the next instant. The weapon flew straight and true, reaching out toward the target whose momentarily lapse in focus had left him open.

His opponent tried shifting his scythe in a vain attempt to protect himself. It was to no avail.

The wakizashi pierced directly through the fur covered armor, burying itself to the hilt in the target's shoulder. Koov didn't give him time to react as he reached out, weaving a pattern to connect his will to his weapon, spinning a paralysis spell that was quick to immobilize the target.

The whirling chain fell harmlessly to the snow as the cloaked adversary collapsed backwards, crying out in pain. The threat was neutralized.

Koov wasted no time, spinning about to help Araki. To his relief, the husky clearly had things under control.

She stood with an arm raised to the heavens, her katana pointed toward where her opponent had fallen. The fog had begun to dissipate, allowing Koov to glimpse the carnage she had wrought.

The cloaked figure lay unmoving in a crumpled heap, his clothes smoldering. There was only one attack in Araki's arsenal that could do that.

She had called lightning down onto herself and redirected its power through her katana toward her hapless opponent. It was hard to imagine the husky could do such a thing without killing herself. You could not defend against that awesome power.

Their eyes met and a collective breath of relief was exchanged.

They weren't out of danger.

A shadow exploded forth through the receding fog, chain-scythe striking out at Araki. She was caught completely by surprise as the chain wrapped around her weapon, pulling it free, disarming the husky.

Her attacker barreled in, going for the kill as his scythe came up. Koov could do nothing but shout in horror.

Another blur of motion streaked in. The attacker slammed into an invisible force, his body going spread eagle as his forward momentum was halted abruptly. Doko was suddenly there, sprinting right past Araki, leaping into the air, fangs and claws bared in a nasty snarl.

The wolf's jaw closed around the attacker's exposed throat, claws digging into the armor, knocking him back away from Araki.

They both landed in the snow with a thud.

The attacker's surprised scream was cut off by a sickening crunch. His body went still beneath the lupine.

When Doko removed himself from his victim, he growled, his fangs dripping with blood. The sight made Koov's breath catch. <No one threatens my pack sister!>

Araki was equally taken aback by the grisly sight of the wolf's dispatched victim. It took her a long moment to come to her senses and retrieve her katana from the snow, unwrapping the chain from around the black steel.

The scattering was no longer active. Koov reached out and grasped the surrounding mana threads, allowing the patterns to flow into him, reinvigorating the malinois. He wove a sensing ward, making sure they would not be surprised by any more opponents.

"Are you alright, Doko?" Araki asked, moving to where the wolf stood.

He seemed to come back to himself. <Yes... yes, I'm fine.>_He leaned down and took a mouthful of snow into his muzzle and spit it out, cleaning the blood from his maw. _<I will never let anyone hurt you.>

She gave him an appreciative pat on the head. "You did wonderfully." The husky turned to Koov. "I never thought we would fight these bastards out here."

He felt her tap into the ward he had woven, pushing its radius out further to cover the entire valley as she augmented the weave. There were no other active spellweaves in range. "I don't know how they followed me. I made sure to cover my tracks."

Koov turned his attention to the opponent he had pinned down with the paralysis weave. The cloaked spellweaver still lay frozen in the snow, the wakizashi blade protruding from his shoulder. He was the only enemy that was left alive.

The malinois used a booted paw to peel back the cloak, revealing the pained look of a dingo. He was young, probably no older than eighteen years. Why were they always so woefully young?

"Is he Tukor?" Araki asked as she came up alongside Koov, panting for breath.

He rolled the soldier over to expose his tail, provoking a pained groan from the dingo. Sure enough, the fur was dyed a dark red all along the appendage. "Yes, a bloodtail. All of them are probably bloodtails." Koov relaxed the paralysis weave a little, letting his captive speak. "Why did you attack us? What were your orders?"

The dingo looked up to him, realizing the sage had spoken Tukor. He smiled a cruel wicked smile. "I'll never talk to the unclean. Your filth is beneath me."

The malinois sighed and leaned down to grip the hilt of his embedded blade, twisting it a little. "You're not really in a position to make such a claim."

His captive clenched his teeth, not letting the pain get to him. "The Tukor will conquer all! Only the purest of blood will rule this land."

"All of these bastards are the same," Araki remarked, spitting onto the ground beside the dingo. "Brainwashed fodder."

<These are the ones who attacked us?> Doko asked. He had joined the sages, and was eyeing the captive dubiously.

The husky gave him a reassuring caress of his ear. "Yes, they are agents of the Tukor Empire. Nasty spellweavers that kill without remorse." She sheathed her katana. "We've been fighting their army for some time now."

<But why? I don't understand why. Why try to kill your own kind?>

"Because the Tukor are bent on conquering all," Koov spat, switching to his own language. "They believe they are of the pure blood, that all other races are beneath them." He pointed to the dingo. "Those that can spellweave are considered the purest. Bloodtails. They will kill anyone that stands in their way of conquest."

The wolf's head lowered, his ears pinned. <I had no idea this conflict existed in the anthro world.> He looked down to the captive, and seemed to make up his mind. <You need information from him, yes?>

Koov kicked the dingo in the side. His captive had started muttering to himself. "It would certainly help us out. But these animals are conditioned to resist interrogation. I doubt we'll ever get anything out of him."

Doko drew a deep breath. <I will get that information for you.>

"How?" It was easy for the malinois to forget he was talking to a wolf.

<Araki, I'll need you to help.> The husky wordlessly moved to kneel beside him. <Bridge your mind out toward me through the link. I will do the rest.>

Koov wasn't sure what they were doing, but he decided to trust in the wolf. There were no villagers around the immediate area thankfully. With the fog nearly gone, only the heavy snow provided any sort of concealment.

Araki and Doko were still for a long moment, until the lupine finally looked up to Koov. <Remove your weapon. I'll take it from here.>

He hesitated. There was a sureness in those golden eyes. He had no reason not to trust Doko.

His blade came away from the dingo smoothly. The bloodtail looked confused, until Doko suddenly straddled his prone form, eyes focusing in on the hapless soldier.

Araki was touching the wolf's shoulder. Koov was about to ask what they were going to do, when he saw the dingo's eyes go wide as saucers.

Doko held him in an unflinching stare, his body unmoving. The dingo's muzzle fell open.

Koov was taken aback by the blood curdling scream that tore itself from the bloodtail's lungs. His body twitched, convulsed, his gaze became unfocused. It was a piercing cry of pain and distress, drowning out the rumbles of thunder that still echoed overhead.

He had to look away. The screaming continued for what felt like an eternity. He didn't want to know what was happening inside the dingo's head.

And then it mercifully stopped. Doko removed himself from the bloodtail, and Araki brought herself to her paws. "That was not pleasant," the husky spoke, shaking her head.

The black wolf sat down on his haunches and stared off into space. <I'm sorry. I've never done that before. I wasn't... delicate.>

"What did you do?" Koov asked.

Doko looked like he was going to puke. <His mind tore itself apart.>

"Gods' wrath..."

"We couldn't be subtle," Araki spoke, looking visibly shaken. "Only way we could learn anything."

<His mind was a labyrinth of defenses. I tried to be careful... I did not mean for that to happen.>

Koov grimaced. "You activated a fail-safe spell. The Tukor use such barbaric spellweaves to prevent interrogation. They keep their agents under tight control." He looked over toward the dingo. The bloodtail was drooling, his eyes unfocused. He wasn't moving at all, hardly breathing. "What did you learn?"

Araki sat down beside Doko. "The Tukor have taken the capital. The Rajo Order is gone. The masters have all been executed."

Frustration consumed Koov. He sheathed his blade and threw the scabbard into the snow, choking down a curse.

"The High Council has been taken prisoner," Araki went on, emotionless. "The Kaowyn armies have already surrendered. The war is lost."

It was hard to hear. He had held out hope since fleeing the capital, that maybe, just maybe, the garrison would regain control, or some miracle would happen. It was a fool's hope. He stared at his weapon, which protruded out of a snowbank. "How many bloodtails were after us?"

"Eight. We killed all but these three in the initial attacks. The Tukor have dispatched several of these hunter-killer squads to track down the remaining sages. This one picked up your trail just outside Jakao Crossing."

Koov looked toward the two motionless bloodtails. The snowfall was already covering the bodies. Another few hours and they would be nothing more than indistinguishable lumps in the snow. "Gods, I hope the other survivors fared better."

He picked his weapon back up and clipped it into its proper place on his hip. Don't dwell on the past Koov, look to the future. "Come on. We need to see if there are survivors back at the house." Araki got up to follow him, but he motioned her ahead. "I'll catch up when I take care of one last thing."

The husky nodded, and set off with Doko at her side. When she was gone, he turned his attention to the surviving bloodtail, now nothing more than a broken mind.

He unsheathed his blade and moved to finish the job...

Two minutes later the malinois caught up to Araki at the village head's home, what was left of it. The fire from earlier had died down, leaving nothing but a burnt shell of charred wood. The husky was hurriedly shifting through debris with a few of the locals, searching for survivors. Koov wasted no time joining the effort.

"Asico is trapped with his wife!" she exclaimed when she caught sight of Koov. "Shishu and her son are also not accounted for. Gods I didn't know she was in the house!"

Some muffled cries for help could be heard under the pile of debris. Koov mounted the rubble, assuming charge. "Everyone step back!" The locals cleared out at his command. "Araki, help me."

Both sages stood together, forming focus seals. Araki conceded the lead to him, letting Koov work the patterns while she focused her attention on keeping the weave stable.

All in front of them, the pile of debris began to levitate, slowly peeling off the ground piece by piece. Two survivors soon emerged, that of Shishu and her son Rehato, both thankfully still alive. Koov carefully levitated the injured over to lay gently in the street, before turning his attention back to the task at hand. A minute later they recovered the bodies of Asico and his wife. They were not so lucky.

The rage built inside Koov as he turned his attention to the survivors. It wasn't fair. These people were just trying to live their lives, keeping away from all the troubles of the world. And now he had brought that trouble to them, and they had paid the price for his mistake.

Rehato had made it out with just scratches and bruises. His mother had more serious injuries. Koov set to work mending her broken femur and cracked ribs, making sure to keep her nice and comfortable as he did so.

The cheetah watched him silently with concern in her eyes as he wove his healing patterns on her, until she reached up and touched him lightly on the cheek. "It's not your fault," she whispered, only loud enough for him to hear. "Don't burden yourself with that guilt."

He looked to where two blankets lay draped over the motionless bodies of the village head and his wife, hastily brought out by one of the locals to ensure the deceased received the respect they deserved. It hurt... it really did.

Shishu kept her hand pressed against his cheek. "I don't want to see that sadness. Please, for me, don't be sad."

He finished his weave, sighed, and then gave her a slight nod. "You'll be weak for a while. Stay here. I'll come back to look after you."

The cat tried to smile. "Ok."

He stood, finding Araki waiting nearby. The husky was concerned. "Koov something's wrong. The locals are upset. This might get ugly."

"Where's Doko?"

She motioned with a slight jerk of the muzzle. "He's hiding over there in that shed. I told him to remain out of sight."

"Good, we don't need this to get any worse than it already has." But he already knew things were hopelessly out of his control.

His fear was justified a minute later when an angry mob suddenly burst into the street, flooding toward the burned down house. They were armed with farm tools and crude weapons. Almost the entire village was caught up in it.

"Koov, you need to run," Shishu called out, holding herself upright where she lay with difficulty. Rehato gave his mother a hand. "The villagers will want blood. Enough has been spilled already. Go!" She motioned vaguely to the mountains. "Get away from here."

The cheetah's last words were drowned out by the angry shouts of the mob, which was quick to surround the two sages where they stood. He didn't go for his weapon yet.

"See what your ilk has done to our village! Justice needs to be served! Bring them to justice! For Asico!" The crowd closed in ominously.

"What should we do?" Araki asked. Her hand went to the hilt of her katana.

There really was no other way out of this. Koov brought his hand down to do the same. This was not what he wanted. Was his life even worth saving?

Doko leaped into view out of nowhere, coming to stand between the two sages with fearsome wrath. His lips were curled back, sharp fangs bared in a threatening snarl. He almost blended in with the surrounding night, giving more emphasis to his piercing gaze.

The encroaching mob recoiled away, taken by surprise at the wolf's sudden appearance. He ducked his head with tail held high, keen yellow eyes scanning across all their surprised faces, inviting anyone to come forth and challenge his fury. The street became utterly silent save for Doko's ominous growls.

<You will not harm them!> His mindspeak boomed, washing across the entire crowd. The lupine began pacing back and forth, teeth glistening in the pale light of the few torches that were nearby. His eyes picked out individuals amongst the crowd. <If anyone comes any closer, I WILL rip your throat out!>

The wolf's actions had caught Koov off guard. His hand wavered on the hilt of his weapon.

No one in Northpoint had ever heard mindspeak in their heads before. They all stood, mouths agape. Many recoiled away clutching at their ears. The anger of the mob had vanished into muted shock.

Araki was suddenly at Doko's side, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. "Port us."

Her words shook the wolf out of his fury. In an instant, Koov felt the weave forming, the patterns coming together. He braced himself, knowing what was to come.

Doko's consciousness reached out and seized the malinois's aura, pulling it into the pattern. The world collapsed into itself, giving way to the unsettling sensation of his body being broken into many tiny pieces. Everything went wrong for an instant... and then it was over in a flash.

The village and mob were gone, replaced instead by a sweeping view of a valley from the high slope of a mountain. Here there was no artificially crafted storm overhead, the stars and moon standing out against the night sky in all their marvelous glory. It was decidedly colder up here.

He wove a manalight to give his eyes some help. Araki and Doko were standing nearby. She was clearly upset at the wolf. "Why did you do that?"

He shrank into the snow at her words, tail tucked between his hind legs.<I... I had to protect you,> he stammered. <I couldn't let them hurt my pack sister. I couldn't stand there... and do nothing.>

The husky visibly deflated as she unclasped her weapon and dropped it forgetfully at her side. Her leather armor protested as she knelt by Doko.

She reached up to pet him gently between his lowered ears. "It's ok. You did good." She shook her head in amazement. "You're always full of surprises."

Koov watched silently as she comforted the lupine. Doko's legs splayed out to the side as he lay down at her flank, accepting her caress with a submissive quiet, taking comfort in her calming touch. He was clearly exhausted as he panted lightly. She followed his lead and moved to sit, allowing him to drape his head in her lap.

Koov, himself, found a bare rock and sat awkwardly atop its weather-worn surface, exhaling as he did so. His bow and quiver were leaned carefully against another large stone with care. They all needed a rest... just a moment to collect themselves.

Only minutes ago the wolf had been intimidating an entire crowd with wicked fangs and a nasty snarl. And now here was this meek lap dog, unbecoming of a mythical creature fantasized in legend and lore. The change was shocking.

Araki caught Koov's regard. "We're lucky to be alive." She looked down at the lump of black fur at her side. "I owe him my life. Thank the gods he was there."

She was right. Without Doko, the husky almost surely would've been killed. And Koov would have been helpless to do anything, forced to watch as another of his colleagues was brutally cut down in front of him... he shook the image from his head. Luck had been on their side tonight.

"He called you his pack sister. What did he mean by that?"

Araki winced, as if struck by his words. She faltered, but then seemed to gather herself. "I suppose there is no point in me avoiding it any longer." Another pause to draw a breath. "I'm part of Doko's pack. An omega, just like him."

Koov tilted his head. "What does that mean?"

"It's a bond, similar to our link as sages. I'm part of the Three Peaks Pack. They are like my kin now."

"Araki..."

Her ears were pinned, the shame clear in her expression. "I abandoned my oath as a sage. I know what I did was wrong... I couldn't help myself. I was stupid, naïve."

Koov couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How... why?"

"I was overcome with emotions." She wasn't looking at anything, staring off into space. "I was reckless, go on... say it. I know what I deserve."

"Can it be broken? How did this bond form?"

"No, the bond is permanent. I cannot break it."

Koov stepped forward. "How was it formed?" he reiterated, anger in his voice.

"I..." she wavered again. Her whole body shook as she fought to steady herself. Her head fell. "I... mated with Doko."

He opened his mouth and closed it. Had she just said that? Hellfires, there was no way...

Doko was licking her, trying to comfort the husky as she buried her face in her hands. No... Araki was not one to lie. She was telling the truth, she always did.

He turned away from the scene, unable to look at her, unable to come to terms with the shock that overtook him. She was like a daughter to him, always looking up to him, one of the youngest and brightest sages to ever grace the Order.

A sheer rock wall loomed before Koov, steadfast and unyielding. He felt it then, all the pain, the anger, the suffering, the days of torture and grief, it all boiled over, consuming him all at once.

He let it all out, screaming with everything his lungs had. The wakizashi was suddenly in his hand. He swung at the wall, his emotions raw and torn, the blade slicing cleanly through the rock, hissing a sinister cobalt.

He lashed out again, pouring all his strength into his weapon. Another slice, and another. The wall crumbled before him, yielding to his fury.

One last effort took him. He stabbed forward burying the blade to the hilt. The glow of the steel faded, leaving the wakizashi embedded in the rock. He held on to the grip, feeling his strength leave him.

His body gave out. He dropped to his hands and knees, staring at the snow beneath him.

In that moment the malinois wept, crying out into the still night as he fell onto his side. His whole body racked with his sobs... his friends, his mentors, his colleagues... he mourned for them all, the raw emotions, bottled up for days, flowing forth without respite.

A warmth suddenly enveloped him, a tongue licking at the tears that streamed readily from his eyes. He looked up, catching Doko's concerned gaze. Without a word the wolf curled himself up against Koov's side, letting him reach out and grasp at his black fur.

Koov held the lupine, not caring anymore, his wail of anguish diminishing into a choking sob.

It was some thirty minutes later when sleep finally, mercifully, overtook him.

***************

The malinois woke all at once, sitting up with a sharp intake of breath. The first rays of the rising sun were only just peaking over the mountains to the east, casting the valley below in shadow.

A lump of black fur made its presence known at his side. He looked down, surprised, at first, to find Doko looking back up at him.

It all came back in a rush. He was suddenly short of breath. What had happened? How long had he been asleep?

<Calm.>_A soothing tranquility overtook Koov, washing away his growing panic like a gently flowing stream. _<Relax.>

The sage blinked, remembering to breathe again. What was going on? He took a moment to gather himself, the last of his anxiety washing away. This was...

Doko was still regarding him, his golden eyes oddly mesmerizing. <Nice easy breaths.>

Now Koov understood, although he never would've believed it.

The wolf dropped his gaze; the soothing calm that had enveloped the sage evaporated away. <Your thoughts were worrying. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that.>

"No..." Koov brought a hand up to touch his own cheek. "No, it's alright. I just..." He trailed off. "You're an empath?"

Doko dipped his muzzle, remaining silent.

"I... how?"

The lupine looked up at him again. <It's my affinity, passed down to me by my father.>

Koov exhaled. It was a moment before he managed to speak again. "Last night..."

<...was a necessary release,> Doko finished for him. <You have so much pain within you. I can feel it, even now. It was only a matter of time before it all came bursting forth. I had to do something.>

"I don't know what to say." He felt... strangely better. It was like a weight had been lifted from him. His emotions from last night were like a distant, almost unrecognizable, memory. This was the power of an empath...

<You don't need to say anything. Even the strongest of warriors can be pushed to the breaking point. We all have our limits. It is enough to know that I can help, at least in some small way, to alleviate some of that pain.> The black wolf sighed, and placed a paw in Koov's lap. <You share the same haunted anguish as Araki. I am truly sorry for what has happened.>

"Oh Gods! Araki!" The husky was nowhere to be seen when he looked about in a panic. "Where is she? Gods above, I cannot believe I was so stupid."

Doko's ears flicked back. <She needed to be alone. The news of your colleagues was hard for her to come to terms with. She wouldn't let me help her.>

And Koov had turned his back on her at the worst time, getting angry over something so stupid. He was supposed to be her mentor.

He stood, immediately regretting the sudden motion as his stiff muscles protested the night spent sleeping in his armor. "Is she ok?" A distinct set of booted paw prints in the snow led down the side of the mountain.

<Yes, she is fine. Her mind... it is a turbulent sea of emotions though. She is best left alone I'm afraid.>

The malinois fell back against the rock wall. "They were her friends and colleagues too," he whispered to himself. He had been so bloody selfish and judgmental. Who was he to call himself a sage?

The butt of his blade stuck out of the rock at his side from the night before, mocking him pitilessly.

"Tell me, Doko, what does it mean to be part of your pack?" Koov eventually asked, looking up to the clear sky above. "What does it mean for Araki?"

The wolf perked his ears slightly as he came to sit on his haunches. <It is our family. We care for one another, protect each other. The pack always looks out for its own no matter what. Araki may not be lupine, but she is as much a part of our bond as any other; an adopted sister.>

"To find something like that... she's always had that affable personality of hers."

<She is a welcomed addition to the pack. Never before have we accepted an anthro. She will bring great change, for the better.>

Perhaps it was by some grand design outside Koov's understanding. He would never know. He may not have agreed with the circumstances that had led to it, but he found himself respecting what this wolf pack was for Araki. It was all she currently had. Sometimes, things moved with quick unfaltering purpose.

"I have not met this pack of yours, but with you here, I know she is in good care," Koov spoke, provoking a head tilt from the lupine. "Whatever happens from here on, please look after her, just like back in the village."

Doko puffed his cheeks in what Koov took to be indignation. <I would give my life for her.>

The tired malinois gave a wan smile. The situation had taken a turn for the worst. And yet in this moment of adversity, he had met a new ally. "I'm glad to have you on our side." He really was.

A grumble resonated from his stomach just then. He was suddenly aware of how hungry he was. The chaos of last night had depleted his body's stores substantially.

<I suppose I am not the only one who is famished?> the wolf ventured with another inquisitive tilt of the head. <We should embark on a hunt.>

"A hunt? Now?"

<Is it not necessary to sate our hunger?>

"Yes... but..." They had no rations, nothing in terms of supplies. There really was no choice. They all had to eat something. He sighed and looked around, deciding the distraction of food was what he needed right now. "I guess you're right. Will Araki be ok?

<Her distress has calmed a little. I fear she still desires to remain alone. I wish there was something I could do for her.>

"I wish there was something I could do too," Koov sighed.

<S_ometimes you need to be alone to understand your pain. When she wants company I will be there for her.>_

Koov steeled himself after a moment of indecision, and then faced the wolf. "Come with me." He summoned his bow and quiver with a raised hand, and, after fastening the weapon to his back, started making his way up the slope of the mountain.

Keep looking forward.

Doko's confusion was apparent. <Where are we going? The prey is down there in the forest, not up on this barren slope.>

"This is how I always hunt."

<There is still much I don't understand about anthros.>

It took a few minutes for the two of them to reach a desirable vantage point. When Koov found a good outcrop, he carefully moved himself out onto the ledge, crouching on his paws. The forest opened up below him, a seemingly endless expanse of trees. There was hardly any green to obstruct his view. Most of the trees had long since shed their foliage for the winter. It was the perfect conditions to find a suitable target.

Doko plopped down onto his haunches at the sage's side, watching him with curiosity. <What are you going to do?>

"I'm going to find us food," Koov spoke dispassionately. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The world around him gradually came into a heightened focus.

His eyes searched the expanse of wilderness below, carefully, methodically, looking for movement, waiting for something to disturb the peace. His vision was augmented by a carefully crafted spellweave, letting the malinois see clearly for kilometers.

Doko had gone perfectly still at his side.

After a minute, something caught his eye. A shadow moved through the bare tree trunks at a gentle pace... a large body, antlers, a prominent stature. A good kilometer at least.

<There is a large deer, to your front and left, a short sprint away.>

"I see it," the malinois whispered, even though the prey was well outside earshot. He unfastened his bow, still crouching on his paws. A regular arrow, with its distinctive black fletching, was selected from his quiver this time.

<You're going to use that... bow?> Doko questioned, stumbling over the last word like he was trying to recall it from memory. <You will take your prey with it?>

Koov nocked the arrow, keeping his eyes on the target as the bowstring remained slack. "Yes," was his simple distracted reply. He was in his element now. This was what he excelled at, a pursuit that he had undertaken since he was a young pup. He could let his worries fall away when he hunted; everything else was always forgotten. It was just him and the prey.

<Why don't you hunt like nature intended?> Doko continued, miffed. Koov ignored him. <You have claws, and teeth... why use artificial tools?> Contempt seeped into his mindspeak. <There is no sport in a hunt like this.>

Koov stood as he brought his longbow up. He drew the bowstring tight, sighting in on the prey.

He didn't weave an augmentation spell into the shot, instead letting the arrow sail up high and away with the familiar twang of release.

An invisible mana thread trailed out behind the projectile, tying it back to the malinois. His fingers twitched and contracted on the grip of his bow, guiding it. He never blinked.

The arrow changed its trajectory at his command, honing in, sailing silently in the clear morning air.

A sharp reverberation through the thread gave Koov all the confirmation he needed, a good clean hit right on target. He exhaled, satisfied. "I'm sorry, I just don't have the physical prowess to accomplish something like that," the malinois finally replied. "Do wolves hunt as you say?"

Doko stood proudly. <Of course. It is tradition, and preserves the balance of nature. We only take what we need, and only just.>

"I understand," Koov spoke solemnly. "This is a philosophy I try to follow as well. Nature's bounty is not limitless. That is why I still use my bow in this fashion. One shot, one kill, nothing more."

The wolf was silent for a long pause. <There is honor in that.>

With a flick of his mind, Koov wrapped the arrow's mana thread around his kill, enveloping the carcass in a levitation weave. It took a few minutes for him to subsequently float it back to his position on the mountain slope.

The kill turned out to be a twelve point buck, a nice haul for so little time spent. It only took a minute to remove his arrow, clean it in the snow, and store it back in his quiver, ready to be used again. With that done, the kill followed them back down the mountain slope, hovering just behind the malinois.

Araki was waiting when they returned to their makeshift encampment.

Koov noted her conflicted expression as he dissolved the levitation weave, letting the deer drop unceremoniously into the snow at his side.

She had trouble meeting his gaze. "Koov..."

He bounded to her, taking the husky into his arms without pause. "Araki, whatever was said, implied, I apologize. It was not my place to pass judgment on you." He held her as tight as their armor would allow. "We've both lost so much. It wasn't fair for me to make the burden any greater. Can you forgive me?"

She pursed her lips, trying to hold back her welling emotions. "I didn't know what you'd think. I know it's taboo..."

"I don't care about that anymore," the malinois interrupted gently. "I was being narrow-minded. I see now that Doko is much more than what I had believed. He's no different than you and I, and that realization has opened my eyes. Don't worry yourself. I hold nothing against you."

She allowed herself a slight smile. "Thanks... Koov. That means so much coming from you."

"We just need to work on that impulsive nature of yours some." It was a poor stab at humor, and he regretted the words as they came from his muzzle.

Araki's smile grew a little. "You've always said that you old dog."

He pulled himself away from her. "I'm not that old yet."

Her smile disappeared. "I... still can't believe what has happened to the Order. How many of our colleagues escaped?"

"I don't know. When the enemy was threatening to overwhelm the college, it was chaos." The memories were terrible, but he found himself able to recount it all with surprising calm. Was this what an empath's power really was? "Some of us tried to save the archive, or burn it all to the ground before the Tukor captured it. We all ended up scattering."

"What happened to the young ones?" Araki asked in a quiet voice.

"They all fled home to their families. No way for the Tukor to trace their whereabouts." This was one bit of good news, something he had personally helped see to. "We made sure they were safe before saving our own hides. I was one of the last to escape through a port gate before they were destroyed."

"Oh... well there is hope at least."

"I'm sure many managed to find their way to freedom." The actuality was probably far grimmer. He was still surprised how easy it was for him to talk about it all. "Maybe, in time, we can link up with other survivors. But for now, we need to operate under our own initiative."

Araki nodded soberly. "It would seem we have no choice."

The uncomfortable silence that followed her words stretched on, until Koov couldn't stand it any longer. "Let's not worry about that for now. I managed to snag us some meat for breakfast. I can't think well on an empty belly."

Koov's wakizashi was still embedded in the rock. He thought it would be hard to pull free, but the blade came out effortlessly to his surprise.

He set about cleaning the kill, while Araki used her katana to lop off the top portion of a nearby exposed rock, creating a flat surface for them to cook their meat on. Doko, meanwhile, watched from nearby, not sure what to make of their efforts.

As Koov started cutting away at the deer, he paused periodically to infuse the raw cuts with a simple medically-derived spellweave, altering the structure of the protein to tenderize the meat. Once that was accomplished, he tossed the cuts over to Araki, who placed them carefully on the cooking surface, her own crafted pattern already heating the rock to temperature. They worked as a team, just like old times. But it wasn't to last.

Both Doko and Araki perked up at the same time, looking off into the distance. Koov paused in the middle of slicing away another piece of meat. "What's wrong?"

<The pack,> Doko mindspoke. <They are coming here.>

"What? Your wolf pack?"

<Yes, they have sensed our presence.>

Koov felt the fur on the back of his neck rise. He had somehow gotten comfortable with this one wolf. Now there were going to be more? He didn't like the notion one bit.

Before he could even begin to guess at what was in store, the sound of paws crunching in snow around a bend announced the arrival of the lupine contingent. They came into view all at once; the dog found himself overcome with a pang of fear.

There were sixteen of them, all walking in pairs. The two at the front, one of black fur and the other a blend of grey, seemed to hold themselves with the highest esteem. All their fearsome yellow eyes were locked squarely on him. Gods, was it a terrifying sight.

Araki and Doko moved to the two leading wolves, and Koov was surprised when the husky knelt down and dipped her head to lick both their muzzles, following Doko's lead.

He didn't know what was happening. It was almost like some sort of ritual. Both Araki and Doko literally cowered in the presence of these two other wolves, looking to them expectantly. He got the sense there was a conversation of some sort happening, but he heard nothing, not even mindspeak.

Finally, Araki gave him a sidelong glance. "I'm afraid that he doesn't comprehend the lupine dialect."

The smaller grey wolf of the two stepped forward to scrutinize Koov.<Very well, then we will speak in your language,> a masculine voice mindspoke.

The black one went a step further and padded directly toward to him, sizing him up with a shrewd look. <And what do you call yourself?>

The new feminine voice carried with it the same authority as the masculine counterpart. Koov took a cue from Araki, and knelt down onto the snow, keeping his expression disarming. "I am called Koov."

<And are you of the same Rajo Order as Araki?> the black wolf inquired, canting her head slightly. <I see that you wear the same... armor, is it? Such a strange thing.>

"I am."

<So this is the one you wish us to meet, Araki?> The black wolf turned back to the other sage, who was still kneeling, although she had picked up her head at least.

"He is. One of my mentors, and a strong warrior. He possesses a medicinal affinity."

Now the grey wolf stepped forward. <A healer who fights as well? You anthros are a unique sort.> He came to stand with regal poise. <You may call me Tolum.>

<And I am Lynua,> the black wolf added. <We are the alphas, and you will respect our authority. Is that clear?>

Koov knew when he was outmatched. "Yes, ma'am."

<Ma'am?>_She gave him a funny look. _<No, just alpha, or Lynua. None of that strange anthro stuff.>

Tolum made his way over toward the deer carcass, shooting Koov an imposing sidelong glance. He didn't say anything, just simply walked up and began tearing savagely into the kill with his teeth. Lynua was right behind him, joining the alpha male in the feast.

Their ferocity, coupled with the casual way they had essentially stolen his food, left the dog speechless. What was he supposed to do?

The other wolves joined in pairs, the lupine that remained back seemingly waiting for their turn. Soon the entire pack was setting upon the carcass with savage gusto. There was no hesitation. They tore into the meat like nothing he had ever seen before, snarling and growling, flashing fangs at one another.

Only Araki and Doko kept back from the fray, the former subtly tending to the slices of meat that were still cooking on the rock, flipping the cuts with a quickly woven spell. He slowly made his way over to them, warily watching the feeding frenzy out of the corner of his eye.

The husky dropped her voice to a whisper when he approached. "It's not as bad as it looks. It's all posturing. One of the ways the pack shows rank. They don't usually set upon a kill like this unless there's a motive. In this case, it's a way for the alphas to assert dominance over you." When she caught his scowl, she shook her head. "Don't take offense. It's a wolf thing. They all have rank, and everyone is beneath the alphas."

Koov had to look away from the carnage, electing to keep his peace. One false move, and he could end up as that deer carcass. That thought was sobering.

After a few minutes of awkwardly waiting, Araki slipped him a cooked piece of meat. Along with her and Doko, he quickly scarfed his procured morsel down, sating his hunger. At least they had still managed to eat something.

The deer was soon all but gone. There was hardly anything left of the kill. Koov was stunned. Wolves apparently were not picky about what cut of meat they would eat. And it had been so quick and brutal.

Both Tolum's and Lynua's muzzles were covered in blood as they removed themselves from what was left of the deer. It gave new emphasis to their menacing appearance.

<Your kill was most appreciated,> the alpha male noted, licking his chops. He took a moment to clean his muzzle in a drift of snow. <Now then, let's get down to the issue at hand.>

Lynua, after following Tolum's example, took up the conversation. <Young Araki has asked that we open a dialogue with your Rajo Order. We assume you will be the representative?>

Koov bit his lip.

Araki spoke up instead. "I'm afraid... the situation has changed for the worse."

She launched into a lengthy explanation, describing what had happened last night and the events that had brought Koov to Northpoint. She was able to keep a steady face, her voice never faltering. Doko was right at her side, helping her through it all.

When she finished, the alphas sat in silence, flanked by a semicircle of their packmates. It was Lynua who spoke first. <This is troubling news. We had felt the ominous disturbances in the bond, but did not know how bad the situation was. Doko never signaled his distress.> She shot the wolf in question a brief look, making him wilt under her angry gaze.<You know what you're supposed to do when threatened. The pack always defends its own.>

"We could not weave patterns," Araki protested, keeping her tone level. "The enemy had scattered the threads. Howling would've only given our position away at the worst of times."

Lynua relented, a little. <I've always trusted my son's judgment. I have no reason to doubt it now. He is a strong warrior, just like the rest of the pack.> She turned back to the husky. <You are saying that your Rajo Order is no more?>

Araki grimaced. "Yes."

<The anthro world's violence upon itself is inexplicable,> Tolum added. <Why does your kind feel the need to commit monstrous acts like this?>

Koov had no real answer, and Araki did not speak up either.

The alpha male drew a breath. <No matter. We will forgo our plans. It is obvious now that this was a foolish idea. There is just the matter of what to do with this anthro now.>

The way Tolum sized up Koov as he mindspoke put the malinois instantly on guard.

<Yes, what should we do with... Koov was it?> This was from Lynua.<We cannot let him leave. If the anthro world is to be kept in the dark of our existence, that is an unacceptable option.>

Koov felt his fur stand on end. He tried to maintain his composure. What the hellfires was he supposed to do now? He had no hope of defending himself.

The alpha female got up and slowly padded her way around him. <Well there really is one option. He must become part of the pack.>

This made both anthros present recoil in surprise. Araki looked to Koov. "He must? Why? The plan was to establish Koov as an ambassador outside the fold of the pack."

<This was before the plan was changed,> Lynua mindspoke bluntly.

"Is there any other option?" The husky asked.

<Yes. We can erase his memory. No anthro outside of our pack can know of our race. You know this, we know this. It was hard enough convincing the Circle as is.>

All eyes focused on Koov. His muzzle fell open. What was he supposed to do? Araki wasn't giving him any help. She looked as stunned and helpless as he felt. He remembered what Doko had said earlier, about what it meant to be part of a pack. Could he go through with something like that?

Tolum remained sitting on his haunches, looking very stoic. <I do not necessarily like the idea of growing our numbers again. But the circumstances leave little choice in the matter. We've already broken the rules when Araki was accepted. If this Koov is a dear friend to her, then we can break them one more time. I would rather not erase his mind as the edicts state.>

Koov couldn't find his voice.

<What will it be?> Lynua asked, still slowly circling around him like a predator stalking its prey. <Decide quickly. Will you become part of the pack?>