Joining the Pack
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 6:33 am
♅ Joining the Pack ♅
3rd of Glade, Year 120, Age of Steel
3rd of Glade, Year 120, Age of Steel
"Common Speech" ♅ "Silvain Speech" ♅ Thoughts
♅ The sounds of his horse galloping was all he could really hear, and the thumping of his heart was clouding his ears. How in the world did he get himself into this mess? His journey from Lorien was peaceful, and once he got near his destination his troubles began.
His poor horse was being pushed to the limit, but it was better than the alternative. Taking a moment he looked behind him, cursing as they were still chasing him. He was regretting stopping to get his horse water. It almost seemed as if they were waiting for him as if they had been watching him for some time.
Now he was running for his life, a pack of starving wolves in hot pursuit behind him. He wasn't certain the horse he was riding could outlast them, it was only a matter of time before the horse gave out and he knew it. He was sure how long, be he needed to make sure he made it to the rendevous point with Vehlaine's friend.
He was running plans through his mind when one of the wolves took the horse by his hind leg. Being tossed from a horse was a level of pain he had no clue existed, but it hurt like hell. He watched, pain wracking his body, as the wolves tore into his horse.
Fighting to his feet his halberd quickly found its way into his hand, his aether flowing around him. He watched the wolves that had had their fill turned their attention to him. Five snarling fangs filled mouths were directed at him, five threats that could tear him limb from limb.
With no hesitation one of the wolves was first to act, charging him, but it was in for a surprise. The moment it got into range he lifted the beast into the air, using it was a bludgeon as another came at him, using the levitating wolf to smack the other. Another came barreling around them and had no choice but to fend it off with his halberd.
As he wrestled with it he found a sharp pain coursing through his leg, looking down to see another one on it. How did he not feel it initially? He was so confused, but he figured it was the adrenaline as to why he never felt the initial bite.
It was pissing him off and he needed to get them off of him. The aether pooling around him he sent a ripple forward in the flux pushing the beasts off of him, more like ripping them off. He watched as blood bled through his pants, looking to the wolves as they began to regroup around him.
This wasn't good at all, as they greatly outnumbered him. Gripping the hilt of the halberd, He prepared himself for a daring escape. "Out of my way vermin!" he snarled, watching as the group of wolves came charging at him. Quickly he forces as many as he could away with a push in the flux, backing away just as quickly.
The ones that got around the first push, he waited for them to get close enough for him to lift them up and away. Now all that remained was to fend them off, killing them one by one. It was working, using his kinetics to repel as many as he could, allowing the sharp end of his halberd to gut them.
It was all he could do, holding his ground against them. The sound of snarls and wounded whimpers by the wolves. He broke one's neck by pushing it into a tree, the snap sounding as if he had done so in his own ear. Another he used pull to force it into being cut down by his halberd.
He was starting to thin their number, though he was accumulating too many wounds from the wolves, they were adapting to his tactics. Then there was a howl, loud and aggressive, fear-inducing even. On the hill, Constantine saw it, a large beast peering down on them. In a single breath, it sprinted down to him, leaping to take a bite from his throat.
The force from its mouth biting down on the halberd staff put him on the ground. Reaching out to the flux around the larger wolf, he sent it flying backward. The wolves formed a barrier around the two of them, and it was clear to Constantine that in order to make it out alive he would have to kill this wolf. It must have been their alpha.
Narrowing eyes glared as the larger wolf came charging at him, fangs bared and poised to take a bite of him, only to get slashed across the ribs by the halberd. Both went tit for tat with each other, the feeling of claws carving into his flesh, the primal sounds of wolves barking and growling in the background burned into his ears and memory. The strength of the alpha clear as day but there was no time to draw this out any longer.
Just as he was about to pull the alpha into the tip of his halberd another beast, around the same size, if not a little smaller, came from out of now where. Diving into the fray, the latched onto the wild alpha's neck and tore a chunk of it off. Looking at Constantine it let out a howl causing the other wild wolves to flee.
Falling back onto his ass, he watched as the wolf inched closer, snarling and teeth visible for the half-elf to see. He truly expended most of his energy fending off the wolves, not to mention the blood he lost from his wounds. He had fought off one pack of wolves just to get mauled by another one.
He prepared for the worst as the wolf was within arms reach of him. The look in its eyes was intense as if the beast was looking into his very soul. Its snow-white fur was offset by the piercing blue eyes it had. He could feel its breath on his face with how close it was, and he thought it was going to take a bite of his neck, only to be halted by a whistling sound, one that would be used as a signal.
Looking back behind him, he could see two figures standing on the hill. They were silhouetted by the sunlight, and his vision was blurred due to his injuries. He could see them approaching, but their voices were inaudible, as he was passing out. He honestly believed he had died, but that wasn't the case.
Sometime later, he found himself on a horse, leaning on somebody as they rode to who knows where. "Good morning sleeping beauty". A voice called to him. it held a distinct accent, which caused him to look around till he saw him, a man with jet blade hair and a domineering gaze. The sheer presence of this man was unbelievable, he held a countenance of a man that feared nothing,
His gaze fell upon Constantine, and his eyes immediately averted from him. "I'm glad to see you survived. I was expecting to find a mauled corpse when you never showed up at the rendezvous spot." he mused with a quick chuckle before returning to silence. Even dazed Constantine had questions that he planned to get answers to.
"Who....who are you?" he stammered, shaking off the disorientation as best he could. The man never looked at him but he answered him in a calm tone. "I'm the contact you were to meet, my name is Gregorio......Gregorio Alvarez. I'm to be your new magical mentor while you are living within Daravin." he answered, "The man you are riding with is Elios Vandrau, he tended to your wounds as best he could but you need actual treatment, so we are headed back to Noir Manor. I promised Vehlaine I'd instruct you and keep you alive, and unlike most, I am a man of my word."
With those words Constantine's head fell back onto the man's back, slipping back into unconsciousness for the rest of the ride. The next time he would come around it would be to sound of wolves barking, which startled him, his heart feeling as if it was about to burst from his very chest. To add to his shock the larger white wolf from before was eye to eye with him, causing him to fall out of the bed he had been placed in.
In his panic he heard laughter coming from his left only to see that man once again, seated in a chair across from him. "Now is that any way to treat the wolf that saved your life?" he asked, calling the wolf over to his side. "Welcome to Noir Manor, and for your first lesson, I want to make very clear how things will work upon your stay here. For starters, you are under my direct care, meaning whatever I say goes no questions asked. Secondly, if you don't work you don't eat, which means you'll going to be joining my Jaegers. They are a hunting party that ventures into the Imperial Badlands. If you can handle that then we won't have any issues. Now you should find your way to the main dining room, I'm sure you are famished. Your training will start bright and early in the mourning."
He stood and didnt utter another word as he left the room, the wolf following in his footsteps. Constantine found his strength to stand, looking out the window at his new home. ♅