Embers In The North
31

Reyna descended the spiral stairs and navigated through the familiar passages, guided by memory toward the hidden entrance in her wing. Stepping out of the Citadel, she was met with a blast of heat instead of the usual sweet cold, almost cursing at the unexpected change.

Looking around the area, she was mystified by how the dome was disintegrating. Now, they were able to see another world that seemed similar to Greenpeak Territory, but there were no visible inhabitants. But there was no visible border or crossing between the realms.

After a while of taking in the vibrant green vegetation and the brilliant blue sky, she pushed on toward her sanctuary behind the Hare Thicket. Pushing aside the vines that concealed the entrance, Reyna was taken aback in shock.

The once beautiful cave had vanished, replaced by a pool of melted snow, much to Reyna’s annoyance. She lingered, captivated by the mysterious soft glow emanating from a crystalline wall where the cave had once stood. Squinting at it, she noticed it seemed like a part of the dome disintegrating, but it resembled more of a vortex.

“A doorway?” she wondered aloud.

It made sense. The cave had always possessed an enchanted aura, especially during the solstice, so it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if it served as a doorway.

Reyna walked closer, and as she approached, the veil cleared enough for her to see through the glimmer between the worlds. She came to a standstill as she stared.

On the other side was an entire Fleet. By the gods, Roth was right about the need to prepare for war. The Fangs at the front of the line stepped forward as if they could see her. Were they humans? Wolves? What were they?

They weren’t dressed like the typical Fleets she’d seen around Aupheadia and even though there was…

A Fang positioned at the forefront stepped forward. Clad in a white wrap, a skirt-like garment draped around his waist, his bare torso, oiled and toned. Pitch black hair poured gracefully over his shoulders, and a red scarf wrapped around his head, its woven strands falling to subtly veil his face. In his hand, he wielded a black staff Reyna thought was peculiar.

“Reyna,” Roth called.

His voice startled her, and she spun around to replace Roth, Decker, Seth, and her father making their way towards her.

“What are you doing here?” Reyna questioned. They were supposed to be in the war room.

“What is this?” Bandos demanded, walking past her to scrutinize the Fleet on the other side. “How did you replace the doorway?”

“I don’t know,” Reyna replied, nonchalant.

“She’s a Luna. It shouldn’t surprise you anymore,” Seth chimed in. “That is a sizable Fleet.”

“Are you okay?” Roth asked, his hands cradling her face. “This was your spot, wasn’t it? The cave from before?”

“Yeah. I just wanted to see it before it vanished, but I found this instead,” Reyna replied with a smile. “Any idea who they are?” Roth nodded to her, signalling his understanding of the oath. “Do we stand a chance? I mean, if we were sealed off away from them, I take it we’re no match for them.”

“I see your puny gods have forsaken you,” the veiled man said, capturing their collective attention.

Reyna pivoted to face him, Roth stepping forward. It was unmistakably him—the fourth Alpha from her nightmare. That voice, she wouldn’t, couldn’t, forget it as much as she tried. She needed to see his face to make sure.

“It is only a matter of time before we’re finally standing face to face, Redfall,” the fourth Alpha continued.

“Not to worry, infidel, we’re ready for you,” Roth retorted.

“Without your gods? Why even bother?” the stranger continued to taunt.

“Take that veil off,” Reyna demanded, stepping to Roth’s side.

He turned his head towards her, his voice dripping with condescension. “Why is this female speaking to me?” he asked with a dismissive tone, and she fought the urge to walk through the doorway just to give him a resounding slap.

“Because I can.” Reyna shrugged. “Surely you’re not deeply rooted in archaic beliefs, thinking females are beneath you?” It was a wry comment, acknowledging the irony in her words given the prevailing customs of Aupheadia.

“A female’s purpose is solely for breeding. Keep your mouth shut unless spoken to,” the haughty stranger retorted.

Roth growled in response. “Do not speak to my mate with such vile disrespect, or you will face the consequences!”

The male advanced, driving his staff forcefully into the ground. She noticed the other Fangs surrounding him, all wielding identical staffs. Her attention fixed on his staff with a black cobra head, and a sudden twinge of pain shot through her eyes when the cobra’s azure eyes glowed, forcing her to avert her gaze with a wince.

Now, he raised his face with a deliberate motion, casting off the red scarf to unveil himself. Luscious black hair cascaded over his shoulders like a stream of darkness, and his intense brown eyes locked onto hers. She smirked; it was him.

“Who are you?” he asked her.

“The audacity to believe you can command me,” Reyna hissed. Then, she turned to Roth, steadying herself to whisper in his ear. “He’s their Alpha, and I saw him in that dream.”

Roth’s arm cradled her waist as he regarded her with both curiosity and concern. “Did you see anything else?”

“No,” she shook her head.

Roth tightened his grip around her waist, and she turned back to face the strangers. Only a quarter of the veil remained, and Reyna felt almost suffocated in the escalating heat.

The Alpha, now unveiled, continued to stare at Reyna with a curious intensity that seemed to pierce beyond the physical, searching for something hidden. Despite the dangerous aura he exuded, Reyna met his stare head on, unwilling to yield to the dominance he projected.

Around him, the Fangs stood armed with distinctive staffs, awaiting his command. Decker, Seth, and Bandos, in their own way, mirrored the posture of waiting on Roth’s orders. She pondered why the Alpha was watching her so intensely—did he recognize her?

“Here’s the thing.” The Alpha redirected his gaze to Roth. “Once that dome disappears, your kingdom will be exposed. You won’t have time to rally them together, to stand against us or protect them. You have a chance to end this fray before it even begins.”

“What’s the catch?” Decker asked.

Roth released her, stepping in front of her as the other Alphas aligned, and she walked toward her father. Bandos looked her over in surprise; she rarely wore dresses, and the unexpected sight seemed to catch him off guard. Almost smiling at the astonishment in his eyes, she joined him, looking back at the unfolding standoff.

The Alpha on the other side picked up his staff and pointed it at her. Reyna’s eyes narrowed at him. “The unmated, unsullied Icehelm comes with me.”

“Not on your life!” Bandos growled.

She watched him, a bit worried about what he and his kind were capable of. If her dreams were any indication, they were wolves and they were equipped with mysterious magic that made them unbeatable. He held a power that surpassed anything she had ever witnessed. It was as if the very fabric of reality bent to his will.

With a gulp she stepped forward. “You’ll let all the Aupheadia wolves be?” she asked.

Roth’s jaw tightened, and his eyes flickered with rage as he faced her. The Alphas flanking him, her united front, turned to her too.

“What the hell are you doing?” Seth cursed.

“You’re not really thinking of going with them, are you?” Decker asked her.

“She is because she’s smarter than the rest of you,” the other Alpha answered. “We don’t have all day now.”

“Reyna?” Roth asked.

“I only asked a question.” She huffed and moved to stand boldly in front of them. “A question you haven’t yet answered. If I go with you, will you leave them alone? March your Fleet out of here?”

“Fleet?” His brow furrowed in confusion, and Reyna gestured subtly toward the Fangs standing resolute behind him. “My warriors?”

“Yes,” Reyna answered.

He chuckled at the misunderstanding. “No need to worry about that, Reyna. We’re not here to wage war on your kingdom. Our concern lies elsewhere, beyond the reaches of Aupheadia.”

Reyna shot Roth an apologetic glance before refocusing on him. “Then what is it that you want, if not war?”

His eyes gleamed with a strange, devious look. “Answers, domination too. The truth hidden in the ancient prophecies and scrolls currently in the vaults of your Alpha.”

“So, Reyna, will you come with us willingly, and in return, we’ll ensure the safety of your kingdom?” he asked, his brown eyes boring into hers.

“You’re not exactly trustworthy.” Reyna shrugged with a small smile. “Besides, there’s no way I’m walking away from my mate willingly.”

When he didn’t respond, she turned back to Roth. The Alpha acted so quickly that Reyna didn’t even have a chance to defend herself or even see it coming. Before she knew it, he had breached the barrier and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards his side. The sensation of passing through the boundary was disoriented her for a second, and within moments he pinned her against him, with his hand gripping her throat and the other twisting her right arm behind.

Roth, Decker, and Seth charged forward, but that invincible barrier stymied their pursuit. The force threw them backwards and she swallowed a gasp while struggling to get away from the male who was remarkably strong. When his warriors began to move, she strained her neck to see them plant their staffs into the ground with powerful thuds. A faint whistle rang in her ear as a luminescent shield appeared over the citadel like a cocoon.

These males, whatever they were, were stronger than the typical wolf and could wield some sort of magick with their staffs.

Snarling, Roth stepped up to the cloak separating them. “Let her go,” he demanded.

“We will be taking her,” he whispered, sniffing her hair with a low growl.

Roth’s eyes fixed on hers as her heart pounded and she could see his anger crystallizing as he inspected the barrier.

The demon of an Alpha, who still had his hand on her throat, released her arm and turned to face him as he said, “You should have come willingly.” Those brown eyes pierced her soul in a very frightening way as he grinned. “Behave or I’ll make you.”

Trying to time her breakaway perfectly, Reyna kept her gaze fixed on him and her eyes followed his every move as he picked up his staff. In the instant his grip relaxed on her throat, she moved towards the shield. Much like Roth and the others had experienced, Reyna too was blocked out and thrown back by the barrier.

In a chorus of voices, they called out to her from the citadel, “Reyna!”

With a grunt, Reyna rose back up staring at the Mithril Obelisk as pounded her father against the veil. She knew, however, that it would be futile to try to do so. She could feel the power of their magick and it was powerful in a way that terrified her.

“I told you to behave,” he said, eyeing Bandos as he struggled to break through the barrier.

“I’ll rip you apart if you touch her!” Bandos roared.

“What do you want from me?” Reyna asked.

For a while, he did not say anything. “Take her back to the tower. I’ll deal with the others,” he said to his warriors.

When he turned away, the cobra’s crystal eyes flickered at her once more, and she grabbed his wrist. Over his shoulder, he glared at Reyna, and she reached for his staff, feeding her frost into it to shatter it. Perhaps breaking one staff would weaken their barrier around the citadel.

Instead, his staff awoke, turning into a cobra to coil around her arm. She backed away from him with a shriek.

“Cridius, she woke your staff,” one of five warriors flanking his said.

Reyna stood frozen, watching the cobra winding up around her arm to hang directly in front of her face. Her gaze locked with its eyes, and she was unable to look away or even draw a breath, riveted by its gaze.

“Get it off her now!” Bandos bellowed at the top of his lungs.

The cobra turned towards her father, hissing viciously, and her eyes shifted to Cridius, as he’d been called. A sly smile now adorned his face, fuelling her desire to claw his eyes out.

“Lydia,” Cridius called, and the cobra turned toward him. “Come here.”

But Lydia turned her attention back to Reyna, drawing closer to her face. As she instinctively pulled her head back, she noticed it mimicking her movements. When Reyna leaned in for a closer look, Lydia’s eyes glowed azure, and a soothing sensation spread over her.

She wouldn’t hurt her.

“Lydia!”

Cridius’ sudden call startled them both, and as he grabbed Lydia, the creature transformed back into a black staff in his hand. What kind of magick was this? Did it resemble the bond between wolves and their Shadowbeasts?

By the gods, Ator! But she couldn’t summon Ator if there was a risk that these wolves might harm her.

Seizing Reyna by the throat once more, Cridius hoisted her into the air and shouted, “You!”

Ember erupted within her as she desperately clung to his arm in panic. Strangely, her fire barely singed him or inflicted any damage. It flickered along his arm and flambéed almost immediately. Cridius’ eyes widened at her before he gently lowered her to the ground.

Laughing, Cridius said, “You’re a Luna.”

She coughed heavily, trying to catch her breath, bewildered by how someone could possess such strength and power that her ability barely made a dent.

“By the gods, Cridius, you will regret ever laying hands on her when I get my hands on you!” Roth thundered.

Cridius laughed. “What gods?” he scoffed, then crouched down to Reyna, who sat on the sandy ground, watching him. “Redfall, even if your feeble gods managed to rescue you, it would still be too late to reclaim your Luna.”

With a big smile, he leaned closer to Reyna, and she snarled as she stared at him. “Finders, keepers,” he whispered.