Apollyon

First wolf: Apollyon, Becomes the reigning second in command.

A silver of light, the moon is hidden from the sight, high up in the sky, peeking just enough to witness the horrific atrocities of her children.

As if she could turn away and ignore the massacre.

Breeze waddled restlessly in the battlefield, yet eeriness settled over the bloody wounded survivors on the winter's night. On barren highland, the mangled bodies littered as death hung heavy in the air.

My den-mates had fallen and were on their way to Eius Imperio where they would feast with the Moon Goddess and their loved once. Hounds and the eagles were here to receive heroes slain in battle.

Saddened and angered by all, I witnessed it all. The battle was lost. The waddling wind ruffled our fur. The raiders had defeated us with claws and teeth, brutally. We were the last hand-full survivors left of what was once a glorious pack—The Oak Pack; now cornered behind our alpha facing the Warlord. Our Alpha, Hervis Daubery, alone stood battered in skin and rest of us, in fur, behind him.

"These warriors don't have to die! Trial by combat! Right now!" warm fog trailed behind the words.

"Fight you?" Hervis scoffed. "That's no trial, it's an execution!"

"Fight my second."

"My second will be, Apollyon." Alpha Hervis called me out. Lips pressing together in a slight grimace, I stepped up but refused to move; my hind leg was probably broken. If I refused, there would be a mad-house slaughter. But fear tarnished my courage. I avoided eye contact. I did not wish to die, but I had sworn—

"Of course, however not before I take care of you." I heard him shuffle closer to Alpha Hervis.

In an unseen and unheard action, simple as a swipe of the claw and the head rolled down to my paws.

I stepped back, a pounding heartbeat grew louder in my ears and my belly tightened and hardened. My shaky legs wobbled. 'How?' Hervis Daubery was an Alpha, how could he- a deviant heathen- with a swipe of claw kill an Alpha? I looked at my Alpha's human head, eyes wide open, with mouth open in shock... fear slithered up my spine and guilt clawed at my inside- I couldn't look at him any longer, I was supposed to protect him. I was supposed to protect my brother.

He spat on the corpse of my brother, insulting "Coward."

My lips pulled back and a warning growl rumbled in my chest, nose flaring. My human skin wanted to kneel and bare my neck in submission, but my fur side growled.

That was the day I finally met the infamous Warlord. He called himself the Warlord but by the Moon, he was nothing but a scoundrel.

My wolf saw no reason to submit to a miscreant heathen. There are rumours that when wolves howl to the Moon, he growls at her.

Blasphemous heathen!

Instead of attacking as my wolf desired, I chose ambivalence show of dominance. My wolf crouched down preparing for a possible attack, bristling his pelt to appear larger and more threatening, at the same time the eyes took an angry wild expression and the lips curled back to expose the fangs and gums. Ears perked up, alert. It was a defensive threat position during a dominance display.

From here it could go either way, in a snapping attack, he could kill us for not submitting or he could submit to us; former one more likely. His den-mates circled us while he stood inside the circle in front of us in his skin and not his fur—neither bothered nor fazed as he observed me, I continued growling at him; if he wanted our pack he'd have to kill me. The wind ruffled our bloodstained furs.

"Do you know what kind of creature awaits their slaughter?" he barked at us, disgusted. I growled at him in detest, now a heathen would teach us?

One of them stepped forward, growling at me, moving into the circle as I disrespected their Alpha. For me he was no Alpha, he raided for women and plunder.

I regarded the she-wolf with caution for she radiated power and I was sure she was the second beta of her pack and my competitor. I had never seen a female in a battlefield let alone a beta of any pack. It surprised me when I saw her crouched low like me progressing towards me with her ears pulled back just as her lips exposing her fangs and gums.

How was a female allowed on the battlefield was beyond me. Meeting her challenge, I limped but stood tall on my fours; and she rumbled a fiercer growl at my challenge.

"A sheep!"

Enough!

Red clouded my senses as I bolted at him. My actions marked the beginning of chaos; his den-mates charged at mine. I will teach him a lesson. Before the manifestation of my attack, his hand reached forward and grabbed my scruff and threw me off him, like addressing a misbehaving juvenile.

Landing on my bad leg, I whined and swiftly stood up, shaking off the insult I circled him ready to charge again. Before I could reach anywhere close to him, a wolf rammed in me throwing me off my trajectory and pinned me. I landed on my back injuring my hind leg further; whereas she stood tall caging me between her fours. Growling at her I snapped my jaw trying to scare her away. At my challenge, she clamped her jaw on my neck. We too did the same to the misbehaving juveniles—biting them to submission. But I rather die than submit to a female and so I thrashed in her grip. She ploughed her canine deeper. I stilled, and she continued snarling.

Death smelled sweet up close, a sense of calmness rolled over me. Eius Imperio, the doors opened to receive yet another brave soldier dying on the battlefield. I shall indeed join Her realm and feast with my den mates, I could feel the Moon Goddess nearby smiling at me, awaiting me. She was here to take me with her but didn't approach me, just stood close. Her smiling face reassured me, her kind gaze, mother-like, full of love. She-

"Apollyon," I could hear him.

Puzzling me the most was, why she hadn't reached out to receive me, I would embrace death with open arms and a smile on my face, but Moon, She stood unfazed by my suffering. Her smile now bothered me; I was desperate for my salvation. I was undone.

Hail Moon, full of grace, blessed are those who bear your justices. Holy Moon, Mother of me, I pray for my sins and beg you, do not abandon me now at the hour of death.

"Welcome to Black Legion."

A deep growl rumbled my chest at Ignatius' words and the she-wolf packed down her grip on my neck as I trashed to get rid of her. I will eat Ignatius' liver! Influenced by the rage followed by Ignatius' words, I raised my hind leg with claws out and rammed them in the she-wolf's delicate underbelly. She jumped off yapping and releasing me. This is why she-wolfs should not be allowed on the battlefield!

I struggled but stood up, planting my paws wide apart. In a tunnelled vision, like a bull I charged at Ignatius, all pain from my bleeding neck and the broken hind leg suspended until later.

How dare the heathen propose such a ridiculous thought! Oh by Moon, I would not stop till I dance in his blood.

I pushed forward and jumped on him, clawed paw striking out I aimed for his throat. Ever so slightly I saw him move aside, my claw grazed his face; with a thud I landed on the land, skidding on the wet snow as I tried turning in the ongoing motion. He had fallen. I bound back at him, this time snapping at the neck. Only this time he was ready, I climbed on him reaching his neck, he grabbed my snout holding off his death. Pushing me back he stood up on his legs, pursed lips with a disappointed look on his face. His human face bleed, a clawed open wound ranging from his forehead up to the base of his nose. Unfortunately, his eye was saved, but next time I will claw it out!

In a fit of aggression, he shows me his intention, sharp canine jutting out, fur reading to take over but he resists, although fingernail gives way to claws, managing his grip on my snout. I growl, aiming to shake off his grip and pull back, I vigorously shake myself. Yet his grip doesn't flatter, it's a show of dominance as his wolf's ominous golden eyes regard me with caution.

My chest rumbles low and deep, I defy him keeping my gaze locked with his. But somewhere in the corner specks of fear rots in my mind and heart...and my rage withers.

His wild fur side surges forward to deliver me my end, yet he remains predominantly in his skin.

His other hand reaches my ear and I anew my struggle knowing what he's about to do. I pull and pull away from him, paws sliding in the wet snow offering me no help but with a strong pull on my snout he sets me right within his range. Rabid madness descends in his dilated eyes. One simple warning growl has me still but my chest still rumbled. Pinching my ear between his fingers I am trapped in helplessness.

"I said welcome to Black Legion." His patient tone, as well as his words, disturbed me; for still water runs deep. There's a madness clinging to him.

"Alpha," one of his warriors whined, ashamed of the situation I didn't bother locating the warrior.

"This-this priggish brute killed twelve of our warrior and look what he did to Alva!" he growled at no one in particular. I believe she's his bondmate. his eyes moved as did mine, to the she-wolf who lay nearby tending to her torn underbelly, panting. The one who had challenged me.

"Yoba, now run along and lick her wounds, if she can't handle battle trophies she should have stayed home rearing pups!"

The words were meant for the warrior but it seemed to bother the little runt, she growled back.

"Shhhh! Can you tell a predator from prey?" Silence met him in cold waves of water. "You can't of course unless you see them on the field."

Directing his gaze at me he ordered, "Shift." And I did. Kneeling in my skin, as my fur receded with rage only simmering below shame.

"Every army needs warriors who specialise in the victory. Every great ruler needs formidable warriors as their wills and courage sharp like claws." he had spoken words of great wisdom uncharacterized for a deviant like him.

And I had my answers why Moon hadn't received me that night and hadn't welcomed me to Eius Imperio.

I had found myself speaking without understanding. "I swear my allegiance and fealty to you and your family." The acidic words seared my tongue. I bared my neck in submission; I did not submit because I was scared for my life, but because it was written and so it had come to pass.

The judgment day had come to pass. And that day sun shall darken and the Moon shall not give her light and all the stars would fall.

I smirk, the sun hadn't shown that morning hiding behind the clouds, at night the stars hid behind clouds as did the moon, the Moon had abandoned Eius Imperio- the sky and graced the earth, breathing among the mortals. I stood on one side and saw a beast rise from the ground and she aids him.

She stands with this beast.