I Claim Your Love
The Pit Of Death

It had been a pensive morning for Callan. He took long strides but he was in no hurry. The distance to the alpha house was short but still the man took his own sweet time. The chirping of birds and their melodious singing was making Callan content. However his heart was more joyful as he remembered the conversation from a couple of days back.

He was happy that he cleared things up with Daragor. The night had made him comfortable and he now was no longer afraid of the spirit neither was he dubious about him. He could now be unguarded when in close proximity of the demon.

In a way Callan felt apologetic for the spirit. He was always fed with fallacies that he wouldn’t have any mate. His friends on the other side encouraged him to not lose hope and replace love on his own. He did exactly that but his endeavours never succeeded.

Moreover he was angry at Aurora. Though the witch had good intentions for the man still she should have trusted him. She could have at least hinted him about his mate. But she kept it all to herself and let blew the matter out of proportion. A lot of damage could have been averted had Aurora revealed everything.

Callan exhaled a breath of exasperation. He knew that the demon was on his side. He now had to take in the wolf and the human. But how was he supposed to do that? Einar was mighty stubborn while the wolf was another challenge altogether. The fragment of memories Callan had of Orcus were all related to his anger. He remembered his occasional growling, his fit of rage and his murderous glares. Never once had he seen him calm and composed.

Callan’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard distinct footsteps marching in his direction from the front. He could see a large group led by Garrick, Peter, Richard, Aldous, Marden, Tusker, Arthur and his father. Arthur and Justus seemed worried for some reason while the rest of the members were angry. Their eyes full of rage were directed at Callan. But why?

Soon the group reached the man in a rush as Richard fisted his hand and swung it with a force right at Callan’s jaw. The handsome man faltered in his stance as his lips were cut and it oozed the rid liquid. He bent sideways with the power of the punch. Richard held Callan’s shirt and brought him up to level him face to face. He again curled his fingers and hit Callan’s jaw with his brute strength. This time though the impact was greater as Callan fell down flat on his back. In the next instant Richard sat on Callan’s torso to hit his iron fist, blow after blow to the puzzled man.

It took three men to detach a ferocious Richard from Callan. He clutched the shirt of the handsome man with such a force that that the fabric ripped up from its collar while the other people were struggling to detach the two men.

“LEAVE ME. I WILL KILL HIM..!” Richard’s voice trembled with outrage.

Arthur helped Callan stand up as in the next instant Richard landed another sneaky blow. He wasn’t stopping. His friends were trying to control him as his wolf was showing prominence.

“That is enough Richard.” Garrick roared in his authoritative voice.

“HAND HIM OVER TO ME. LET ME KILL HIM.” Richard reached for Callan again as this time he managed to release himself from the clutch while he kneeded his leg right to the stomach of Callan.

“I said STOP....”

Richard’s action came to a rest abruptly. He huffed in annoyance and spit on the face of the puzzled man.

“Let the council decide the matter.” Garrick ordered in his stern voice. He then turned his attention to a bloodied Callan who was holding his abdomen in pain “You always have a knack for trouble Ashton.” Garrick sighed derisively.

He looked at a dejected Arthur and ordered him “Bring him to the open ground.”

Arthur reluctantly agreed and helped Callan to stand on his feet and compose himself. On the other hand Callan was left confused for he was unaware of the situation which was going on “What is happening?” he asked Arthur.

“I am not in the liberty to tell you anything..” He lowered his eyes “But it does not look good for you.”

Callan roamed his gaze around “I need to see my father.”

“He is with Peter. They both are discussing the matter.”

Callan nodded and silenced himself after that. He released the square woven fabric from his shoulders and cleaned himself of the blood; of the spit; of the humiliation. He realised that Arthur wanted to reveal much more than his words but he was not in a position to say anything. He looked around to see a number of people eyeing him with disgust and animosity. However the one look which stood out from the rest was that of Richards. He was mighty furious! His nostrils flared and he occasionally snarled looking at a bewildered Callan.

The group of people travelled together to the open ground. As soon as they reached the place Arthur came up with a chain with shackles and bound Callan’s wrist. He apologetically looked at him before parting ways and leaving the man standing all alone in the entire crowd. Callan swept his gaze where his eyes could see and saw that almost the entire main village had joined him and people had the same look; anger.

Callan noticed the absence of Einar and Rosaline. He knew for a fact that the Alpha was reeling heavily from the resistance of Daragor to his locket. It had already been three days since the full moon and Einar was still unconscious. While Rosaline was nurturing him in his unhealthy state. But even if Einar was in his senses would he come to Callan’s rescue? Would Einar’s presence make the situation any more better?

Callan huffed at his thoughts for the lack of trust in his mate.

He again roamed his eyes to the centre of the ground where he could see a wooden platform and a large chair on it. He saw Marden, Justus, Richard, Arthur and Peter standing on the dais. However his eyes widened as saucers when he looked right behind Peter. Glancing from the side of his body were two eyes who looked sad, who looked apologetic and in that moment Callan understood the entire situation.

The murmur of the crowd was silenced at once when Garrick stood up from the chair and raised his voice “Thank you for joining us. I assume that the matter has reached every wolf by now.” He gestured his hand at Callan “The man in front of you is said to have broken a very sacred law. In the absence of alpha Einar the previous high ranks have given me responsibility to carry out the proceedings.”

Garrick looked intently at the Elemental “Callan Justus Ashton do you agree to the allegations put on you by Richard Foreman? Do you agree to have broken the laws and dishonoured the moon?”

Callan again side-glanced at the person behind Peter and exhaled in defeat. He slowly raised his chin “I agree.”

Garrick gritted his teeth “Then by the powers vested in me by the holy spirits of our land I pronounce you guilty. Since you have wronged Richard, it is his right to choose the punishment deemed fit as per our traditions. You have no right to object or deny to any of the decisions made.”

Garrick gestured Richard to come forward. He blew out the angry air in petty annoyance as he kept looking at Callan intently with utter hatred “For a heinous act as such the punishment should be of the same measure.. I want Callan Justus Ashton to survive the pit of death.”

Simultaneous gasps echoed the arena while Callan’s mouth was left ajar in shock.

****

The sky above was more bluish than charcoal yet the road ahead still had the black look of the night. In the freezing wee hours of the morning the people of the blue moon pack had assembled around a large hollow ground dug in the open space of the eastern borders. They were waiting for the excruciating ceremony which was destined to end the life of the human of their pack. For the first time in their existence the people of the pack had a pinch of sympathy for the man as he was about to face one of the most harrowing punishments there was in the werewolf world.

Callan on the other hand was accompanied by a few warriors of the pack. His hands were tied by the tight metal rope around his wrists. He looked ahead and saw his destination. The large hollow ground also known as the pit of death.

The punishment was carried out through ancient times in the werewolf history. The culprit was forcefully thrashed into the dig. The pit was then encroached with various atrocities either designed by the wolves or normally found in nature. The prisoner had to survive the death hole from sunrise to sunset. If he was able to breathe till the end he used to be rescued. He was considered blessed for it was believed that the Luna had showered her mercy on him. In reality though, no one ever came alive from the dug hole. The large hollow ground that was dug was meant only for one purpose; so that the prisoner had no way to escape.

Death was inevitable for him.

Callan knew Richard was no friend of his besides he could never have good intentions for the man. So whatever surprises lied inside of the pit were sure to be horrendous. It definitely was not pleasing. He knew that he had to suffer in silence for indeed he disrespected the moon. In his heart he knew he was right and hence he wasn’t regretful but he also acknowledged the fact that he had wronged Richard.

The beat of the drums matched the heartbeats of the poor man. He looked around to see a few faces which were worried for him while the others were nonchalant. He could also see people of power standing in a line with Garrick at the centre and the others surrounding him. He gave an encouraging smile to his father who slumped his shoulders with anxiousness, worry and dejection. He then moved his gaze to his mother who was standing near the healer portraying a brave front but failing miserably.

He was pulled from his stationary position more closer to the pit. A wooden set of steps was adjoined from the hollow ground to the surface above. With chained hands the handsome man carefully carved his way to the land below through the steep and dangerous staircase.

As soon as he stepped foot to the ground, he marched ahead and positioned himself in the middle. He could see large containers made from interwoven strips of cane kept inverted in twelve different corners of the pit. Every upside down container was attached by a rope whose end was held by a member of the pack on the surface above. The light was yet to fall on the ground below therefore the contents of the basket lay hidden from Callan’s view.

However Callan could feel a surge of panic rushing through him.

He knew for a fact that Richard would never keep it easy. The hatred in him would devour his rationale thinking and he would arrange the harshest punishment there could be. However his concern right now was more on the baskets which were kept all around him. He was becoming quite tensed as something inside them was making eerie noises while the baskets were trembling a little. He kept pacing from side to side checking over his shoulder way too often.

Soon the torturous moments were over as the sun started radiating its glow and reaching for the place below the surface in a slow anxious way. Every wolf on the ground above thumped his foot heavily and arched his neck to howl in unison. The continuous doleful cry soared the anxiety in Callan as the moment of reckoning was near. The wolves holding the end of the rope slowly edged backward while they pulled the baskets leisurely.

Callan lay stunned as his eyes flew wide. He rotated around his feet and scanned the area around him. He gulped in fear.. It was as if a nightmare had come to life!

The hooting and howling was silenced when another voice creeped through the veins of the people as they were injected with fear. The chatters and murmurs were replaced by the unusual, deadly whispers.

Multiple bodies each having a smooth column of armoured muscle moved with a twisted and oscillated motion in the light of the dawn. Every figure was entangled into another body as they tried to release itself from the knot and roam independently from the once confined space of the basket. Pale bellies glided through the soil while they yawned and showed their black mouths. They slithered and roamed the open ground. A hissing sound filled the sudden silence of the air. Every creature moved around one another before replaceing its liberation.

Callan witnessed the horror unfold. Slowly and tenaciously the snakes crawled on the ground to fill the empty space and cover it by black and brown bodies. A dark tongue flitted into the air every now and then. Tasting the air; tasting the sweat; tasting the fear..!

All of a sudden the reptiles lifted their heads in a universal direction; to the centre of the ground..!

Callan’s heart drummed at a faster pace as he looked at the frightening scene in front of him. Large snakes surrounded him wherever he looked. His sweat glands percolated the beads of precipitation successively. His body wanted to run fast to the upper ground or use his powers as his weaponry. Instead he stood there still, unable to formulate a thought; unbale to go through any further course of action. His though process was interrupted when he saw the snakes crawling and slithering their way towards him.

He was cornered... He was trapped... He had no way to escape... !

Callan was conscious of using his powers as a number of people had circled him to witness the harrowing tale. He was dubious to use his last source of knowledge but he had no other option left. He slowly fondled the golden heads of the metal wrist as they glowed. In that moment of distraction a snake rose from the ground before him. From the floor to his head it stood at an equal height of the handsome man while twice of this length was shadowed behind him. The snake’s gaze was fixed at Callan as it hissed and slowly opened its mouth to show its deadly fangs.

By the looks of it Callan could deduce that the snake was famished. Its flat belly pumped air in and out while the tongue whiffed the aroma of its food. The snake looked ready to devour its meal, the hunger in his stomach was evident. The hissing intensified when multiple heads rose from all the sides where Callan stood. Deep piercing pair of eyes ready to graze their venomous fangs into the skin of the elemental.

They were ready to strike; they were ready to eat.

Callan had to act and he had to act fast. He gathered a deep breath of confidence and before the first strike of the snake, he rotated his wrist as a powerful gush of wind slapped the body of the creatures and they faltered. The snakes fell back on their sides. However they were replaced by the other heads who were waiting for their opportunity. Callan circled his hand again and the wind pushed the spineless bodies backwards.

His methods to subdue the snakes were not working as snake after snake stood up from their position and slithered their way to the centre of the ground, never quitting. He modified his strategy and used his earth element. His shackled wrist restricted his movement as he tried to rotate his fingers aiming at the ground. The land beneath trembled a little. In the next instant, he created a mini whirlwind inside the pit while the sand raised itself and circled weakly.

The crawling creatures were misdirected and they stationed their bodies heavily to the shivering ground. Callan’s mental strain increased as the mini calamity he created had minimal affect on the snakes. Soon the shivering of the ground stopped and the reptiles were composed yet again. They raised their heads and hissed in annoyance at the man. The hunger in them was making them furious. They wanted to devour the man at the earliest.

With an aim to attack their prey the snakes bowed down and glued their inner bodies to the ground. They slowly and menacingly moved to the centre of the land.

The spectacle left people speechless. It wasn’t anything they had seen before. They sympathised a little with the man for he was about to be killed in the most pitiful way. A death which people would never want to be reminded of yet would always be unforgettable.

Callan was about to be devoured as a meal..

The snakes had gathered all around him as they marched their way from all the sides of the earth. The sea of snakes piling one over the other were racing their way to Callan. The man frantically moved his feet to keep his distance from the reptiles but it was proving to be of little help. He kicked and jumped and even stomped over the creatures but the crawlers were too many for him.

The snakes had now spiralled his legs and were slowly crawling their way through the torso to the skull. Slithering upwards, hissing venomously, dashing their muscular organ in and out while some even flashing their fangs at him. The handsome man was soon dressed in black and brown from foot to shoulders. They were restricting his movements and squeezing his body. Callan’s throat was constricting the air supply as the handsome man was loosing his senses. His face was pale as he saw that one of the snakes was staring at him in the eye, pushing its tongue out and stretching its mouth wide open to take in the entire skull of the man at one go.

Just as Callan thought that he would be strangulated to death, the movement of the snakes halted abruptly.

A hoarse high pitched scream boomed the sky. Every wolf on the ground covered his ears while some trembled in their feet. Callan looked to the sky and crackled a smile as help had arrived. The entire blue mass was covered with fleeting long width wings. With angry eyes and sharp features the sea of birds hovered above the pit as the crawling creatures beneath made a sharp sibilant sound in retaliation. The snakes withdrew their movements and strode backwards to replace a hiding place. They hissed and showed their fangs to create fear amongst the winged animals but the birds did not budge.

It was a mixture of feathered animals ranging from grey to black bodies. Each bird had a long tail. Their inconspicuous shoulders and flashing rump made them unique. They were powerfully built birds of kill with heavy heads and strong beaks. Their feathers spread wide as if they wanted to cover the entire earth below and shadow it from the sunlight.

With sharp angry eyes each bird descended its pointed claws and lowered their height with a target set in their minds. With a final piercing cry, the birds elongated their claws and pierced their powerful talons right through the skin of the snakes.

The predators had become prey.

One by one every heavenly creature dived in with determination and rose with their prey gripped firmly to their legs. They circled around the horrified people before releasing their claws above the wolves. The already fearful pack was left astonished to the surprising behaviour of the birds. People screamed in fear as they ran helter-skelter to save themselves from the raining snakes. In the moment of panic, a few snakes landed right onto the shoulders of Richard, Justus and Peter. The beta was desperately trying to bring the situation under control but it was too much for him to handle. The dire situation asked for stringent action and Garrick had no other choice but to order his people to retreat. He commanded every wolf to fall back and hide in a safe shelter.

Soon the entire ground was left wolf less. The snakes in the pit were either killed or thrown to the upper ground. The birds hovered to the sky a few more times as they surveyed the area for any potential threat. Every of the bird circled the man and humbly landed themselves, stationing right in front of him. They bellowed their voice one last time before a white mist surrounded their bodies. Callan was left speechless as the once predatory birds were slowly transforming into human figures. Each person stood on his same position with his head bowed down and hands crossed in the front.

Callan could see men, women and even some juveniles. Every single one of them had metal arm wrist and head band. They wore delicate woven fabric which gleamed like the stars of the night. However one of the men stood out from the rest as he approached Callan. His arm and head band shined in pure gold.

All of them kneeled in front of the Elemental as the supposed leader of the bird bowed before Callan “It is a privilege that you considered us worthy of your service Supreme Master.”

Callan was about to thank his saviours when his eyes landed on a particular someone standing aloof from the crowd as his eyes widened and he exclaimed “How is this possible!”

********

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