Temple

The civil war involving the lycan clans was devastating to the population and so there was a great need to bolster ranks with new recruits if there was to be a continuation of the war. A war that the first matriarch and first alpha were still trying to stop, so far with no success. The lycans fell not only into to bloodshed but into wantonness, taking mates that were not in the proper way, enslaving their brothers and sisters to all kinds of based lifestyles. The whole realm was a den of misery and debauchery.

So, when the Lycian lineage began to falter, the wolves began to introduce new lineages into the fold. Humans of every kind were kidnapped and changed into a new creature, the werewolf. These are not naturally born as the lycans and through a different blood sacrifice, they were grafted into the covenant. Werewolves are subservient to their changers, bound to them the same way the lycan race is bound to Tetriel.

All this time, the matriarch and her faithful followers lifted up their voices to Tetriel, their patron, but there was no answer. It seemed they were on their own.

After a century of stagnant battle lines, the lycan leaders began to consort with human provinces for extra military support, promising that if they supported their cause, that their children would be protected from the mandatory abductions.

Many humans resisted, justly angry at the deaths of so many of their kin because of a senseless war that had nothing to do with them. Some, however, joined their ranks and so the fighting went on, not waning, but instead growing more fiercely as more and more nations got involved.

One of these were the people of Sycadia, whose power in those days was nothing compared to the might of the lycan clans. Yet what they lacked in military strength, they made up for in cunning.

Sycadia had no interest in ever letting the lycans flourish. The Sycadians, mere mercenaries in the beginning of the war, spent more time negotiating with political prisoners than fighting on the open field. They wove friendships with the disillusioned, the beaten, the forgotten chieftains of broken clans. They networked these disgruntled and rebellious warriors into their own coalition and when the time came, they banded together and swept over the fighting factions, former friend and former enemy alike. It was chaos. No one knew who their real friend or foe was anymore, and the new faction took advantage of the confusion, sweeping through the battle fields like a sickle through wheat.

Soon the battle was at the very steps of Lycia's capitol, the seat of the Matriarch and the Alpha. There the last battle was fought and the lycans almost all perished on the battlefield.

In the end, it was the Sycadians who ended the war, becoming so much stronger than their lycan allies or foes, they betrayed those they fought beside and executed the Matriarch and the Alpha, taking the land for themselves, erecting the realm of Sycadia over the bones of Lycia.

Still, a few lycans did manage to escape and so are among the world, losing all hope that there can ever be new lycans, until they received word that the covenant of Tetriel still held onto the Lycian lineage. Because the woman who became the first matriarch had a sister and that sister's generations remained human. Every generation that has a girl, has the potential to change into a matriarch through the blood sacrifice. When the Sycadians learned of this, they stopped at nothing to purge the world of the Lycian bloodline.

Cayna began to understand in her heart all that she was reading as she tried to decipher the letters and meanings of the passages. Yet, she didn't want to admit it out loud quite yet. It would make it all too real.

The light that had emanated through the tunnel grew strong suddenly and then, as they rounded a blind corner, a structure came into view. Cayna's father stood to the side as he let her, and her mother walk past. Cayna stopped, unsure of what was happening. Her mother kindly took her hand and lead her forward.

"I never wanted this for you, my love." Her mother said in voice full of sorrow. They walked towards the glowing structure in the room. It was a stature of an arch-light, just like the depictions she used to grow up with. But they were holographic models, and this was not that. It was real, tangible. It was also huge. It rose above them, towering overhead. Cayna guessed it was around thirty stories high and it reminded her just how far underground they were. It also seemed that there was power here and perhaps that was what was keeping the soldiers and drones away. Maybe they couldn't enter this place.

Of course, this also made Cayna wonder why her, and her family could. What made them special?

"Mom, what's going on?" she said. "I'm scared."

Her mother pulled her all the way to the bottom of the glowing statue and turned around, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders. She looked like she was about to say something when there was a howl from where they came. They all were startled, Cayna's father appearing shook for what seemed like the first time in his life. An expression of fear came over her mother's face. She turned to her daughter.

"Stay here." She looked into her eyes. "Whatever you do, do not leave this light. It will protect you." She bent forward and kissed Cayna on the forehead. "The rest is up to you, dear daughter, but there will be aid along the way. Remember that you are never alone and that, no matter what, stay true to the covenant."

With that she left her side to stand next to her father. The two of them took positions at opposite ends of the cave entrance. Cayna was about to shout and run over to them, not caring about listening to the words of her mother when the loud howling returned, this time closer. It made her blood and limbs freeze. She had never been more terrified, even after all that had happened.

Something appeared from the gloom, moving fast. Then there were multiple forms, moving in a large group right towards them. They were low to the ground, seeming to be on all fours and they each had piercing yellow eyes that gleamed in the dark.

"Are those wolves?" Cayna said. No, they weren't wolves, they were bigger than regular wolves, they moved strangely, as if they loped on long arms rather than on four legs of equal length. Yet the fur and snouts were unmistakable. They were wolf-like.

The creatures swarmed forward, coming to the mouth of the entrance, they blew past Cayna's parents as if they were nothing more than statues themselves. They went on, surging forward at monstrous speeds, snarling and snapping at Cayna who stood out in the open and defenseless. She screamed and covered her face from the awful sight. Then, as the wolf-like creatures neared her, she heard sudden cries of pain and dismay. The beasts threw themselves in the air but were repelled as they came into contact with the dense light that surrounded Cayna.

Their bodies were not only repelled but they began to deteriorate. Their hair fell off their skin in so many clumps and their skin receded, as if it was being peeled back by a blazing heat. The miserable creatures tore at their faces as they howled in utter pain. Their insides fell to the floor in a gush of gore and steamed before seeming to melt and then go black until it was nothing but ash. The last thing to disintegrate were their bones which blackened and became brittle, shattering into dust. The black piles were the only testament that these creatures ever existed.

Without much reprieve, another sound came from the tunnel. The sounds of marching feet.

"They're coming." Her father said. Her mother nodded and they both unpacked their bags and produced weapons and armor. The donned these items and checked their gear.

"Mom, dad!" Cayna cried.

"Honey, stay back!" her father said with a roar, motioning her not to approach. "Stay there like your mother told you!"

Cayna began to cry. She wanted to go to them, to pull them into the light with her. If it could protect her, then why not them too?

For the first time in her life, Cayna began to pray in her heart. Perhaps it was being in the presence of something so awesome that made her think to do it. Her parents had never taught her to do any such thing. They only taught her how to keep her head down and follow instructions. This was to survive. This was different. Everything about this felt so final. She didn't want to lose them and somehow, in her heart of hearts Cayna felt as if she never even really had them.

"Please, help us get out of this." She said, her cheeks quaking and her tears falling. "Don't let anything bad happen to my family. Please."

As if in answer to her desperate prayers, a voice as cold as the stone of the tunnels echoed towards them.

"Remnants of Lycia, prepare to die." A man's voice said.

Her parents looked perplexed for a moment.

"What is he doing here?" her mother said. Her father shrugged.

"This should be impossible. They should not be able to withstand this place." He said.

"How dare you insects defy the will of Sycadia." The man said, still unseen but somehow his voice carried as if he were right in the room.

Her mother turned to her father and they both nodded to each other. They turned into the mouth of the tunnel, guns leveled and let a barrage of gun fire spew forth. The air was lit by the fired projectiles. Forms in the tunnels were torn apart and exploded. Cayna couldn't see too clearly but the screaming said it all. Many were now dead or dying. The gunfire ceased and her parents returned to cover.

"Lycians, you are remnants of an unwanted past. A plague on the world. Had you any decency, you would have slit your whelps throat upon exit from the womb." The man said, now sounding even closer.

"Get ready." Cayna's father said. They each loaded a new ammo clip into their guns and primed them. The ammo made the gun glow an electric blue, the air around the weapon crackled. Her mother also whipped out a black object in one hand and clicked a button. It began to pulse red from the center. After a few seconds, she tossed it down the tunnel and it bounced and rolled but it didn't stop. Lasers shot out in every direction, mapping out the tunnel surface and identifying a single shape.

The two of them turned and fired their charged guns. The blue energy zoomed over to the figure and exploded on contact. The air was filled with explosions that shook the whole place. The tunnel then collapsed, throwing tons of rock onto the ground, the sound like thunder as it echoed in the air.

Cayna almost shouted with joy. Surely no one could survive such a thing?

There was a blinding flash and the rocks were immediately vaporized. The figure still stood there, seemingly completely unharmed.

"Your efforts are futile." He said, throwing his arms out and taking a low stance. Then he shot forward, blasting past the tunnel entrance right towards Cayna who didn't even have time to scream.

Her parents leaped into action. Moving faster than she had ever seen, them do. Her father grabbed the cloaked figure around the shoulders and with incredible strength and agility, he flung the figure back, sending them flying into the wall, the rocks cracking under the impact.

Her mother crouched and then leaped forward, flying feet first into the figure's chest, pulverizing him into the rock so hard that his body became encrusted inside the stone. The figure's head hung loose on his neck. He seemed to be dead. How could he not be after that devastating attack!?

"When are you going to learn?" the figure said. Cayna simply couldn't believe it. How could this man still be alive, let alone talk? His limbs strained against the stone. It cracked and then exploded as he freed himself, landing on the ground and standing erect again, seemingly unscathed. He extended an arm, gesturing towards Cayna. "The Children of Tetriel can never return. It must not be so. Why do you resist?"

Her parents didn't answer, only glaring at the figure, their bodies tense and poised for another attack.

The figure stepped forward and put their palms together as if in prayer. A light appeared behind him. The light became a series of lines that formed a pentalpha. Inside the symbol were many floating signs and letters that moved and changed constantly.

"Don't let him!" Cayna's father said, desperation in his voice as he and Cayna's mother leaped forward again.

The figure moved with blurring speed. His hands caught each of their throats. They tried to wrest themselves from his grip but he was too strong. They kicked at him with their legs but it was pointless. He was like hardened stone to a feeble child to them now.

Cayna screamed for him to stop. "Please just let them go!" she said, falling to her knees in supplication. She couldn't lose them. She called on the light protecting her to come to the aid of her parents but nothing happened. Tears fell to the ground before her.

"Remember," her mother said, voice choked as she tried to breathe. "You are not-" there was a snap as her neck was broken and she immediately went limp in the figure's grip.

"No!" Cayna's father roared and somehow new strength welled up inside him, turning to a red aura. A pentalpha appeared behind him, also with symbols and letters that changed and moved. He burst out of the figure's grip and charged at the man. With a series of blows he wailed on the figure who, despite falling back a few steps, blocked each and every attack with ease.

Cayna could barely comprehend what was happening. Her mother, the woman who had raised her with as much love as she knew how under the circumstances now lay dead. The void that appeared in her heart was impossible in that moment to fathom. She would never hear her voice again. She would never see her smile again, despite a long and hard day where they would barely get by. She would never feel that reassuring warmth of her hand as she gave her a squeeze to let her know everything was going to be okay. That woman, her beloved mother was now gone.

Cayna felt something bubble inside her, a rage she never knew she had and without warning, she began to glow.