Zodiac Chronicles: "Wolves"

(Closed to Sir Artemis.)

*

Year 1816, Winter Descending

Salvic winters. Men shiver at the words alone, imagining icy wind that cuts like knives through the thickest furs. Snow drifts pile a dozen feet high overnight. Trees crackle in the deep, deep cold of nights that stretch for weeks. With the wisest northerners tucked safely away, only the most foolish braved the ice and darkness and wolves.

Wolves. Elijah Belov barely heard their howls through the wind. Snow caked his entire fur-clad body. Only his eyes peeked through. After days lost in the blizzard with no sun or stars, with only a vial of blood to guide him, the sorcerer was all but spent, his magic sapped to ward off the elements. A single glass orb glowed white to light his way, but even it flickered and faded like a guttering candle. Chilled bone-deep and starving, he could barely place one foot before the other, barely focus his mind enough to remain conscious.

One of the most powerful people in the world, and I'm going to get eaten by wolves. They emerged from the swirling snow. Six pairs of blue eyes gleamed in magelight. No ordinary wolves, they stood at shoulder height with long snouts of teeth bared in vicious snarls. Direwolves. Among Salvar's most feared predators, even in favorable conditions, a pack of them would pose a real threat.

But here... the sorcerer was exhausted, weak. This was their domain.

He tried to draw his sword, but his frozen limbs refused to obey. He tried to conjure a spell, but his mind would not focus and the winds of magic ignored his call. The direwolves circled him, pearly white fur bristling as they waited, watching to see if the sorcerer would present a challenge. His legs gave out. He collapsed into the snow as the beasts closed in.

As the man lay helpless, one of the wolves broke from the pack and began to hesitantly approach. It snarled as saliva dribbled from its hungry maw, eager for a rare feast of human flesh. Just a meter away from its delectable treat, Artemis knocked an arrow of black mist using his sentient bow. He let fly with a rapid trio of magical projectiles, and as they struck almost simultaneously, the beast silently collapsed to its side.

The pack immediately went on alert, yapping wildly in search of what had struck their ally. Seconds later, a second barrage went out and another wolf dropped into the snow, cushioned by its cold embrace. The wolves began to huddle in fear, not sure how to handle this new and invisible threat. As they did, a single crimson arrow slammed into the powder beneath their feet and erupted explosively with a burst of energy. The surprised wolves jumped away in fear, running off into the storm and scattering into the white haze of the blizzard.

The bow of raw energy reverted to its passive form as a bracer upon Artemis’ wrist, and he began to approach the fallen man. The poor fellow simply lay there as the wind whistled on with its song, indifferent to the struggles of man – any man.

By the time Artemis had reached the figure, it seemed the strength had all but left him. His eyes could barely stay open. Artemis picked him up like a bride on her wedding day. Almost immediately, fatigue overtook the man and his eyes fell shut.

’Judicis, let’s get him to shelter. We need to warm him up.’

---

The man opened his eyes hours later. The small cave glowed with the dim light of a small fire set just arm’s length from the sleeping man. The flames burned in flickers of green and blue, giving a strange and almost celestial atmosphere. He glanced outside through the small opening of the cave where the blizzard roared on.

Artemis sat across from him, clad in all black, though he’d removed his mask and gloves for the time being. With his back to the cave and knees pulled in, he watched the figure stir. The man lifted himself up, using his elbows to push up so he could sit.

“How are you feeling?” Artemis asked, his bright blue eyes almost glowing in the small cave.

“Fine. Where am I?”

“Good. Rest. Otherwise you’ll end up dead out there. And you're in a cave, not far from . . .” Before Artemis could finish, the man rolled back onto his side, falling unconscious once more. " . . . From where I found you," he finished with an exasperated sigh. "Never a normal day."

For an hour, Elijah tossed and turned in feverish sleep. His skin, hot as desert sand to the touch, steamed, ice and snow melting and boiling away. Steam soon turned to smoke, billowing up from the folds of his clothes.

“You're burning, wake up!” He awoke to his rescuer shaking him.

“Ah! What?” The sorcerer jolted up, glancing about with wild, fiery eyes. Licks of flame danced across his fingertips. He looked down to his smoldering clothes, coughing as he breathed a lungful of smoke. He peeled off his cloak and shirt, tossing them aside, where the stranger quickly stamped them out.

Long scars webbed across Eli's shirtless arms and torso, all glowing bright orange like little rivers of lava. Like heat spilling from a cracked forge. He could feel the heat inside him now, a roiling storm of power, ready to burst forth and consume everything in that cave.

The stranger approached with the slow caution of one used to things unexpectedly exploding. “Are you--”

“I'm fine. Just need... to...” Breathe. Calm. Just... breathe. Elijah let out a slow, measured exhale and the blazing lines across his body faded back to angry red scars. The fire in his chest cooled. “Apologies. Bad dream.”

The stranger gave him a long-suffering, arched-eyebrow sort of look that would have looked at home on Eli's own face. “That a... frequent problem?”

“Sometimes.” He smirked back. “Wreaks havoc on my love life, let me tell you.”

In response, a grunt that was almost a laugh. In a more serious voice, he said, “So, you're him, then. I saw your sword, and now this.”

My sword! He tensed with sudden alarm, eyes darting side to side. His sword stuck out of his back two feet to his left. He slowly inched his hand toward it.

“Be at ease. I'm not with the Sway, Belov. But when you travel as much as I do, you hear things.”

He let himself relax. “I can imagine. I started some of the rumors myself.” He rubbed his eyes, scooting over to lean against the cave wall. “I've had a bit of a rough journey myself. Things are still a little hazy from... last night? How long was I out? What happened? Who are you?”

“I find you wandering alone in a blizzard, a hundred miles from anything, and you're the one with questions.” The man sighed, fidgeting with the black bracer on his arm. “Fine Short version, I’m a ranger living in Knife’s Edge who has a tendency to wander. Not exactly one to pledge allegiance anywhere, I just try and do the right thing, even if unwise - like saving you for example.

“You’ve been out for some hours now, nothing too extreme. As for the what happened, I’d like to ask you that question. What the hell were you doing wandering in a snowstorm like that? If you have a deathwish, let me know now and I can drag you back to where I found you and let you die. Though I’ll keep your sword,” he finished with a smile.

Elijah rested his hand on the scabbard. “I’d much prefer to be buried with the thing.” He forced a smile, but it came out strained and crooked. “As to your question…” His other hand drifted to the vial hanging by a chain around his neck. “I’m looking for someone.”

“Whoever it is must be very important to you, to go to such lengths.”

“That remains to be seen,” he replied with a shrug.

The stranger furrowed his brow. “Then why--”

“Forgive me.” Eli raised a hand. “You’ve given me no reason to distrust you, but I must be very careful. Discreet.” He sighed. Secrecy was not his strong suit. “Now, the beasts that attacked me… were you able to kill them?”

The stranger shook his head. “I drove them off.”

“Pity.”

“That was by design, mind you. They were not longer a threat to us, so I saw no reason to kill them.”

“...lovely.” Elijah ran his hand over his face, exhaling with a groan. “Look, Salvar isn’t a kind realm. Mercy is rarely reciprocated. Those beasts were no normal wolves. They were direwolves. As far as I have learned, they aren’t even a natural creature. Something dark in the far north created them millennia ago. Think of them as an invasive species. Ancient Salvarians hunted them, not for food or fur, but to keep them from killing entire villages.”

Artemis looked upon Elijah, unsure what to feel for the man. The tendency to see the world in black and white struck a familiar chord with the ranger, and much of his life tended to be an ongoing struggle with finding a balanced gray in between. Unfortunately, his instincts didn’t make that easy. The surety of Elijah’s words, and his claims to know the truth of the past and the source of the direwolves, admittedly surprised Artemis. So much of his experience had left him doubting so much of what he thought he knew.

The strangeness only felt exacerbated by the fact that Elijah had warned of the dangers of Salvar, especially after nearly dying by their influence. Not to mention how much time the ranger spent wandering its vast reaches. His steps had led him to every corner of the northern region, and he would be surprised if the mage could say the same.

“I’ve come across all sorts of beasts in these lands, and beyond . . .” Artemis began, dropping his gaze to the comforting blue and green flames once more. “I have been surprised by what lives out there, wondering how they survive, where they come from, but most of all, what to do about it.” He sighed heavily, closing his eyes as his hand once more found its way to his bracer. “Truth be told, though I’m not a man of faith, it is hard to know when to stay my blade and when to strike out. As I’ve looked upon the direwolves I’ve crossed paths with, and many others, their inclination toward evil is not as deep as you might think.”

“Not evil, per se. Only free thinking beings like us can be called evil. Direwolves act according to their nature. They simply do not fit into the natural order. Then again, the same can be said of many things.” Eli’s gaze looked right past Artemis, past the small cave they were in, as though seeing something many miles away. “Feels like the world is full of monsters sometimes, doesn’t it?”

“Aren’t you and I monsters as well?” Artemis couldn’t help but smile as listened to the mage. “I’ve learned to accept that no matter my intentions or actions, to someone, somewhere, I’m no better than those direwolves.”

“I used to think so. Gods know I've left my share of havoc in my path over the years, despite good intentions. But... I like to think I've grown wiser...” He chuckled. “Not wise enough to travel more safely in the winter, mind you, but wise enough to look back and see how I made conscious choices that led me down dark paths. We're not mere beasts, acting on our natures.”

“I’d like to think the same, but I’m not as sure as you.” Artemis sighed again, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he opened his eyes. “Over the years I’ve gained so much. In power, in ability, in awareness, and in experience. I can’t say I’ve gained so much surety. I do what I feel is right in the moment, as I said. Looking back, it’s hard to measure. Maybe my mistake was saving you from those direwolves, or maybe the mistake was in letting them live. The best I can do is make a choice in the moment and not dwell. Time will tell,” Artemis laughed before looking back at the mage. “This person you’re searching for . . . perhaps I can help. I have certain . . . talents in tracking, to say the least.”

“Yes, well, as far as moral philosophy, I prefer a code of ethics that involves me always surviving. In any case...” He hesitated a moment, settling his gaze firmly on Artemis. “Again, I must be cautious, but you didn't try to murder me in my sleep, so I suppose I can tell you a little bit. My... query has been gone for a long time. He's crafty and... powerful. More so than me, I'd wager. Tracking him down when he doesn't wish to be found is nearly impossible.”

“And yet, here you are, trying anyway.”

“Nearly impossible. I spent months and a small fortune to acquire this.” He held out the vial, filled with a thick red liquid.

“Fair guess is blood?” Artemis asked with a nod.

“You know your thaumaturgy? It’s not my strong suit, but I’m a quick study.” He gave a sly grin. “Don’t ask me where I got it.”

“Not a question I want an answer to. As for thaumaturgy, I was born into it - quite literally. Still, just a guess. I might be able to use it to scan the region. I may not be able to find him, but with enough time and a general area, I can find some points of interest. That is, assuming he has protection against my sort of magic, which isn’t particularly . . . normal. Or even maybe magic. I couldn’t tell you,” he finished with a shrug. He ran a hand through his hair, letting the short strands fall back into place with a certainty that he lacked.

“This thing has gotten me this far, which is something. Still, the best I can get from it is a tug in the general direction, though whether that's my lack of skill or my query's abundance of it remains to be seen.” He shook the trinket, watching the liquid swirl about. “Perhaps if we work together, we can get a better read on his location, maybe figure out how far away he is and where he's headed. Sooner the better. I can’t say too much, but rest assured it is of crucial importance.”

“Well,” Artemis began as he moved to stand, “let’s continue where you left off. We can go back to where I found you, and with ten minutes of focus while holding that little vial, we can see if he’s up to fifteen kilometers from that point. If not, we’ll have to go from there.” He pressed a small cube in his hand as the green and blue flames spiraled inward and collapsed. Picking up the parent cube and pocketing it, he made his way out the cave entrance. The snow had eased, leaving a thick new layer of immaculate white coating the Salvarian lands. “That is, assuming you’re feeling better?” he asked as he gave one last look back.