The Hour of The Wolves

Chapter XXV (Theodor)

He woke up on a stone table with no idea where he was or how much time passed since they finished whatever they did. It started out as torture for sure, he got used to that par a long time ago, but then they turned it into something weird. Lord Vesphar left and he bishop and his apprentices took his place. They started to chant above him and drawing weird symbols on him. He must have been hallucinating because his blood started to flow towards the ceiling and form a ball. As they chanted the blood changed its color from red to glowing white. From that point all he remembered were pictures. The blood turning into a crystal. The bishop putting it away in a box. Some weird stone being hold over his body. Darkness enveloping the chamber. A moonbeam illuminating the stone making it shine. Where the beams touched his skin, it ripped apart and that’s all. He looked down now but couldn’t see anything of that sort of damage. In fact, there were no visible mark even from the tortures, but that part was real for sure. What could have happened he wondered. He tried to sit up put the chains restraining didn’t give in.

“You should stay put my dear.” He heard a tired rasping voice. “ You must be out of strength anyway from the ritual.”

“What have you done to me?” Demanded Theodore.

“Nothing just made sure you are indeed we think you are. “ Said the old voice. Theodore could hear the sound of a chair being pushed and the shuffle of feet. The face of bishop Alexander appeared in his sight. He gently stroked Theodore’s forehead with one of his bony fingers. “Alas yes you were. What a found, what a treasure. It is a pity that we must waste you, but poor man should not be picky eh? “

“You crazy old man. Why are you doing this?”

“Multiple reasons, but firs and foremost to satisfy the hunger of my god.”

“That crazy wolf god yours again.”

“What? Oh, no don’t be silly. That’s not a god or not in that sense. It is the just a foolish celestial beast bonded with the Fenris family. Of course, we needed to build a religion on his name to properly utilize it’s power locked away in the stone. But my god, he can’t even be mentioned on the same page as that pup. The lord of the dark is powerful and just thought I have to admit that he can be demanding form time o time. “ He nervously stroked his right arm with the left. Now as Theodore saw he motion he realized that the arm was dead, dried and black. “Yes, I made a mistake with letting Liam Fenris get away after the trap on the market square. But my reward will also be great. “ His eyes sparkled with fanatism and unshakeable belief as he spoke. He disappeared from the sight and did something around the manacles for a minute. “It is good plan this time , a way better one. The only thing is I have to do something to that annoying Vesphar. Luckily, I managed to lure him away from this chamber so we can have a little time together. You see my little general I have plans with you. Let say I offer you a chance to change your situation. We gave you the power of the wolf, but it is not yet awakened. Now, here get hold of this. “ Theodore felt something round was pushed into his hand. “ There will come a time when you will see that dreadful little Vesphar and if you use this you might be able to have a chance to kill him.”

“Why should I help you with your plan Alexander?” Asked Theodore in total disbelief. “I will die at the end of the day anyway.”

“Oh, don’t be like that you won’t die. Yes, you will turn into a brainless wolf with only one purpose, but I am giving you here a choice to decide what’s that purpose should be.”

“That’s nice and all but why shouldn’t I go after your life?” Thought he argued with the priest, the words of Endrolin resonated inside him. “This might be the choice he has to make, that would change the outcome?” He thought.

“Why I have to spell out everything for you?” Asked the bishop in an annoyed tone. “ First and foremost, why do you think I will be around when you get a chance? I won’t be, for sure. As for the second reason I would think that you have a lot to pay back to the man who captured, poisoned and oh, yeah tortured your dear daughter.”

Theodore could feel his blood boiling.

“What have they done to my dear Lissa?” He asked in a rasping voice.

“Nothing much. Nothing much. Just a little cutting here, a little beating there. She is as okay as can be thought.” He hummed understandingly.

“Oh, don’t give me this fake understanding grandfather.”

“But I do care. You both are priceless resource for us. Hell, maybe you are the only ones we can use, not much of our line is still alive.”

“What are you talking about man?” Asked Theodore in disbelief. From the corridor the sounds of approaching steps could be heard.

“Hush now. I have to go, before they figure out our little secret.” The bishop disappeared from his sight. There was a sound of stone rub against  stone then for a moment silence. From the main door. Two guard in wolf mask came in. They open the manacles of Theodore and started to pull him.

“Where are you taking me?” He demanded, thought he did not expect an answers.

“ To the sacrificial chamber.” Came the response to his surprise, but they didn’t talk more, just pulled him through the different corridors and chambers. Theodore did not know where they were anymore. He knew most part of the cathedral, but these places were unfamiliar to him. There were some opening on the ceiling and blood was dripping down from them. They must have been sewer opening from the street, but why blood came from them he wondered. What could be going on above them? His hearth started to fill with worry for the citizen who trusted him with their safety. As he was brooding over his failure and how he let down the people the guards started to slow . They reached an enormous chamber illuminated by the moonlight. There were thick obsidian columns holding the ceiling, among them stone benches spread from one wall to the other with a corridor leading up to the altar in the middle. The altar was shaped from one block of stone with pictures craved in it. They showed how Jhonas found little wolf pup in the depth of the forest when he got lost on a hunt. How they fought over every bit of food they managed to find. How they got stuck in a pit and need to work together to get out. How they slowly formed a bond and a friendship lasting even after one of them is dead. How the fought through many battles under the banner of the light. On the middle of these pictures was one illustrating a warrior in plate and a giant sword sitting on a throne. Behind him an enormous wolf sleep, his head resting at the feet of his friend.  The whole altar looked strange in a under earth temple. Behind the table there stood the statue of the wolf carved out of the wall, a black shining stone with runes in it embedded in its chest. There stood two pillars in each side of the table. As Theodore looked upon the left one, he saw master Endrolin hung down from it. They chained his hands to the ceiling, and they put a nail through his legs to fix it to the pillar. He thought the old master artist was dead but as they approached, he looked down on them and spoke as they started to fix Theodore to the other pillar.

“Alas here they bring the last piece of the puzzle making their doom certain and inventible. I pray for your souls, foolish thugs. A storm is coming, and it way sweep away everything standing in its way. “ They finished with the ex-general and headed out the room, but one could see the effects of those words. Their posture was less confident, their movements began to contain uncertainty.

“When it arrives fire and steel will decimate your ranks and the souls of your comrades will rise and stood against you. If you look into the eye of that storm, he will look back at you with righteous fury in his eyes burning down to your souls and justice will be his strongest weapon.”

The voice of a prophecy boomed through the corridor shacking even the obsidian columns of the chamber.