Chapter 4

[2 weeks in the past]

FALSUM IGNIS

"Let me go this instant, I demand you let me go this instant". The travellers that were caught by the Werewolves scouts had been screaming and shouting from Burnt Side Forest all the way to Werekult.

Damon, the Second-In-Command of Werekult who was speaking to one of the werewolves guards had swiveled his head towards the source of the screaming and began marching there.

"Venus, report!" Was the harsh sound of Damon's voice as he got to the holding pens for the prisoners.

Venus, the Beta Wolf in command of the Wolf scouts, handed over one of the prisoners she was holding in chains to one of her subordinates and walked over to where Damon was standing.

"My Lord, these humans were caught roaming close to the edges of our borders in Burnt Side Forest. I had them captured and brought back for interrogation".

Damon with a nod signalled to Venus to move aside for him to inspect the human prisoners.

Damon walked with an inquisitive look in his eyes as he approached the prisoners.

"Who sent you and what were you seeking for just beyond the borders of this kingdom" were the words that flowed out of Damon's mouth as he grabbed the neck of the most vocal of the prisoners who happened to be a richly dressed merchant.

"Let me go this instant you overgrown dog", a little flex of his hand and Damon broke the neck of the merchant who had abused him.

"Now", Damon looked down upon the rest of the prisoners who were now cowering with fear.

"I suppose that was a mistake on his part, does anyone here care to repeat such a mistake again?".

All the prisoners shook their heads and Damon smiled with his fangs showing from the side of his mouth.

"You there", Damon pointed to one of the youngest prisoners who was dressed in simple clothing.

"Tell me, what were you and your cohorts seeking for within the Forest of Burnt Side?, Tell me the truth and I'll let you and your kindred go...lie to me and believe you me....I have many very painful ways which I would love to use on you to extract information".

The youth whom Damon was talking to, immediately straightened up his garments and was almost fumbling as he spoke to Damon.

"I swear to you oh mighty creature of the West, I was only told that we were embarking on a trip into the forest to gather some herbs to protect our people from foreign attacks".

With a tear riddled face, the youth continued speaking with his hands shaking out of fear.

"I never knew how far West of Burnt Side Forest we had ventured until your scouts captured us...*sobbing*..."

Damon, who was listening carefully to the youth's speech, then came closer to the boy and asked.

"What herb do you speak of...and how important is it that you and your folk had to risk your lives for it....do tell me".

"My people called it ACONITE, this is the only name I've known it by and my people used it during the last great war to break the stalemate".

Damon upon hearing the name "ACONITE" swiftly turned to Venus the scout Commander and ordered her to go fetch the Chief Healer and Shaman of Werekult, Amarok The Grey.

Venus immediately bounded off to a secluded part of Werekult and proclaimed her presence when she reached Amarok's lair.

"Great Amarok, it is I Venus, scout Commander of Werekult who enters your lair this day. Damon, the right hand of Lucian has demanded for your presence concerning a pressing matter."

Amarok The Grey, as wise as he was aged, walked out of the darkness of his lair while holding his staff and nodded his head to Venus.

"Tell Lord Damon that I shall not keep him waiting, I shall be behind you".

With these last words, Venus turned and began walking out of Amarok's lair.

Amarok then felt a sudden cold in the air and shivered a little while the skulls that adorned his staff rattled one by one.

Amarok then shook his head and began strolling down to meet Damon.

"Young Damon, i heard that you summoned me... what could be so important that you had to drag me out of my lair just to come down and gaze up this week beings I see before me"

Amarok had approached Damon who was barely an inch taller than him and bowed a little.

"Amarok The Grey, your immense knowledge is needed to understand a matter of utmost importance".

With a flick of his finger, Damon pointed to the human youth with whom he had been speaking with earlier.

"This boy speaks of a herb called ACONITE, it rings a bell but my memory is a quarter of a century too young to remember it's true meaning."

Amarok with a step back looked Damon in the eyes and whispered..

."Wolfsbane..."

All the werewolves who were in earshot of Amarok immediately growled and transformed into their true forms, some of them clad in brown furs and some of them clad in black furs with fangs bared and viciously sharp claws extending out of their hands.

Damon, who immediately noticed this change, bared his fangs and told the werewolves to stand down.

"My kindred...calm down, this is not the time and place to show how brave and fierce you truly are. A time shall come for that but now we need to know more about our enemies".

"Amarok, tell me...why would these humans be seeking such potent weapons in such times as this that we face no open hostilities from any of the races?".

Amarok with a swivel and his back to Damon and the humans began to speak gloomily.

"It was ages ago, the Great War upon the plains of Grenalia.

We had fought so hard and viciously against the human race that we were held to a bloody stalemate with the warm-blooded."

Amarok with a sigh then continued speaking

"The battle was tough on that day, many men and sons of Lycan had fallen on both sides....then the humans introduced a new weapon to the theatre..

..in local parlance it's called Wolfsbane..... I lost many brothers that day, even our current Alpha Wolf's father Loki also perished on that day...

. I survived due to the fact that I was versed in the affairs of nature at that moment. I raced into Burnt Side and searched for the cure while my very skin was peeling before my eyes..

..I saved myself...at the cost of my agility...I and a few others were the only survivors of the onslaught of Wolfsbane that day".

With this, Amarok turned his head towards the setting sun and gripped his staff tight.

Damon who had been attentive then turned to the human youth and swiftly brushed his feet off the floor.

With a yank and screams of pleas of mercy from the human youth, Damon dragged the boy off to the palace to present to Lucian the Alpha Wolf.

"What shall I do with the remaining prisoners, my Lord?" Venus asked Damon as he walked away.

"Drain their blood into cylinders as paint for the outer walls and hang their bones from the broken ships that litter the Valed River".

The rest of the Human prisoners began screaming and shouting for mercy while Venus and the Wolf scouts began dragging them in chains to the outer walls.

Meanwhile, a hooded figure who had been watching these events from behind a building as they unfolded slipped back into the shadows with a grin upon it's pale face.