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Lykos Redemption

\\\\\** \\\\\Act V**

Le Roy Est Mort; Vive Le Roy

The feeling of pain that emanated from the creature's belly as he limped into the shadows was immense. His bloodied abdomen smoked and sizzled as he finally collapsed under a tree. His mouth curled in a snarl and his ears plastered to his head. He would have looked for all the world a scared and innocent pup. If not for the fact of his size, deep, blood-red eyes and blood-soaked fur. His breathing grew rather faint and the lupine began to submit to the angel of death.

He was ready to die. He had surrendered and slowly but surely his breathing shallowed, his vision narrowed and darkened. He felt the comforting warmth of sleep befalling him as slowly the last of his tainted, blackened blood oozed from his body and he passed from the earth.

He would have had the sun not risen above the mountainous horizon the moment he had taken his last breath. As the sun rose and the day began anew, bloody fingers gripped the stab wounds from the inside of his abdomen and they violently clawed at the skin slowly but surely widening the wound into a gaping cavity. From which Demeas emerged. As he stood nude in the forest outside Athens, his eyes flashed the same blood red as had been the beast's eye color. "Finally I am rid of that gods-be-damned weakling who called himself my brother. This is not over, Nyctimus. I will get to you. And my brothers will come to see reason. I will be king of Lycans if I can help it." He grumbled to himself. He let out a loud cackle. And walked into the shadows of the forest, leaving behind the gigantic corpse of his previous night's wolf.

***

Nyctimus walked behind the procession of wolves, head held low, thinking. They had survived the night. Something he'd hardly thought possible. He had believed it would be a slaughter. It hadn't been. They'd held their own. His left hand held Apollo's right and his right held the Shepherd's Crook. His life had changed so much in such a short while. He knew not what was to come, yet he did know that Melaeneus' death was not in vain.

These thoughts continuously flowed through Nyk's head as they walked up into the funeral pavilion that had been set up for just such an occasion. It was typical for the wives to prepare the body for their journey to Hades, yet every time Agape came near the body of her mate she became immobile with grief. It had been Nyctimus who had prepared his brother's body for this funeral. He had sewn Mel's decapitated head back on to his neck. He had placed the drachma on his lips. He had done all of this in Agape's stead.

He had grieved his grief the night before. Apollo at his side, he had wailed for a goodly long time at Mel's side. Wailing loud and long, wailing until his voice would no longer obey his commands. He sobbed quietly then until Apollo had helped him to his feet and before too long he had been laid down to rest on his bed. Now he looked at the pallid body of his eldest, kindest brother; the one man above all whom he idolized lay before him in body and yet he knew he would see him again. They would all be reunited in Hades' personal lycan petting zoo.

He came before the gathered grieving and those who had already come to terms with their alpha's death and stated, "We have lost a great man on this day. A man who can never be replaced and yet we must replace him. Not in our heart of hearts, never there. Yet someone must come forward and lead us into tomorrow. Many still mourn and grieve. I know. Yet we must put away those worn, beaten down faces and only show the world our strength of will. Of character. Just as our brother, our Alpha would have wanted it. He may have left us physically. Yet he will never leave our hearts. Keep him in yours. Let his journey through the waking world guide your own. He was that great of a man."

He left the front of the room to retreat to his lover's arms. Phineas came before them all. He spoke. "To lead is to listen and then to act. To lead is to keep a calm and level head about you when all around you breathes Chaos. These were lessons that Melaeneus had taught me. And yes I had forgotten much of his teachings in my grieving for my lost love. Yet here I stand before you ready to take his mantle. Never his place. Those are too big of sandals to fill. I will lead you as only Melaeneus would have done."

As Phineas left the front. The six pallbearers came to the front and grabbed the gurney upon which Mel lay. They left the pavilion and headed to their newly purchased plot of land. They lowered Melaeneus' body into the excavated hole and preceded to bury him in the earth. Mother Gaea.

***

Zeus awaited them at the house. He hated having to do this. He loved his son. He loved in some small way Nyctimus. He knew that tearing them apart was akin to murder. Yet there he waited with Apollo's bow and quiver. His laurel of golden olive leaves. He waited knowing that his uncle was likely to take off his head for his offense. Aphrodite may never talk to him again.

***

As they came upon the house, Apollo saw his father standing there. He was holding Apollo's godly vestments and accoutrements. He stood there silently waiting. Apollo turned to his love. Turned to Nyctimus who had a small smile on his face. "Go love. Know that whether it be here or in Hades. I will always love you." Nyctimus said quietly. A tear streamed down his cheek. He tucked his chin to hide the oncoming crying from his love.

Apollo lifted Nyk's chin and kissed him on the lips. He did so with such affection that Nyctimus went a little weak in the knees. "And I will never forget you my love. You will always be at the center of my heart," Apollo replied, grasped and squeezed both of Nyctimus' shoulders tenderly before walking the rest of the way to Zeus. He stood there awkwardly. As if not quite knowing what to do. "Milord Zeus. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Apollo questioned, though he knew the answer.

"I need you to return home. I need you to return to Olympus." Zeus answered tightly.

Apollo held out his hands and nodded. He may not have appreciated it, but he knew his father would not have called him had it been unnecessary. Zeus handed him his bow, his quiver, his laurel wreath. He donned it and he began to glow with godly light yet again. He turned to Nyctimus and saw that he wore only a smile of such extreme happiness he appeared to glow brighter than even Zeus. Apollo mouthed the words 'I love you' before he and Zeus disappeared with a loud clap of thunder and a few piercing rays of sunlight.

A single tear fell down Nyk's cheek. He knew he'd see Apollo again sometime in the future. Yet he couldn't help the feeling of his heart ripping out of his chest. He fell to his knees before beginning to bawl in earnest.

A hand set upon his shoulder made him turn. Phineas stood and by his side were Agape and her infant pup. Agape's eyes shone with tears. The infant in her arms slept silently swaddled in a himation*. "You have done well, Shepherd. Indeed your love for this family has protected us more than you yet know," she knelt down and shifting the pup into one arm, grasped Nyctimus' shoulder gently, "Apollo is not gone, dear Nyctimus. Indeed his love for you still shines as bright as the morning sun around you. He has a duty to the rest of the world. Helios cannot be trusted to guide himself across the heavens. It is your husband who has taken up that mantle yet again. He will be with you again. That, I promise you."

The bawling became weeping became sobbing. Nyctimus nodded his head. Knowing that the wolfess spoke the truth, he stood once again. He picked up the Crook and before long had a bright smile across his face. "A great future is ahead, Agape. Your child will find a mate and his child will find a mate. So on and so forth. The line of my eldest brother--indeed the line of Lycaon--shall not disappear from this earth." He grasped her upper arms tenderly before kissing her forhead.