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| Chapter Seven: The Get to Fenris | |||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||
| The howl of the wolves echoed across the forest as the sun began to set on yet another day. And once again - Calloway began to wake in another uncomfortable - makeshift haven. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. He tried to move around - but the space was too confined. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Where am I?" he muttered to himself. It was then that he remembered. He saw a rather large burrow that was within the entangled roots of a large old tree. "Oh yes - the country. If I never spend another fucking night in the great outdoors," he began as he slowly made his way out of the burrow that was barely big enough for him to fit through. Once he was out he gasped. "I will be ever so thankful to Set," he added. The girl scurried out and stretched her arms out as though nothing was wrong. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "What a wondrous night," she stated. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "To some - possibly," he replied. He looked over at the girl and could hear her heart pounding. He shook his head and stepped away. "Stay put - I have to get some grub," he stated seriously as he leaped away and vanished into the shadows of the forest. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "How rude," she muttered as she leaned against the tree they had slept under and waited. "I was expecting him to break by now. He is proving to be as stubborn as the damn wolves," she muttered to herself. | |||||||||||||||||||
| About ten minutes passed... | |||||||||||||||||||
| "You still out there Calloway? Or did the wolves get you?" she called out. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "They didn't catch me yet - but thanks for yelling out like that. Nothing quite like giving away our location like screaming out," he replied. She looked over her shoulder and saw him standing behind her. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I never heard you coming," she stated. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Remember that," he replied as he gripped her hand and continued through the forest. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "So what did you kill?" she asked eagerly. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Not a damn thing. How the fuck do Gangrels live like this?" he muttered in modest disgust. The girl frowned. "I don't know why you are so intent to have me kill the animals and the werewolves - but as you are so hot on the notion - I promise - I will do my best to disappoint you," he replied and added spitefully. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "We'll see about that. I could feel it in you in that last fight. You were so close to giving in. You wanted to twist the knife into that dumb dog's fucking throat. You wanted to rip its head off," she mused with a sadistic smile. "You can lie to yourself if you wish - but I can see what lies within. A killer born - a killer raised - a killer stays. You can not change what you are anymore than a leopard can its spots," she added. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I kill for a cause - a purpose," he rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Survival doesn't count?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I kill those that oppose the will of Set. I kill those that fail the cause. I kill those that betray me - or the cause. I - will not - kill for your amusement," he explained coldly. The girl quietly laughed as she clapped her hands together. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I guess you told me huh? But - how long before your control slips? I can see it in every move you make. You are pulling your punches. Your instincts are very throat aggressive. You see an opening - you take it," she stated observantly. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "It hasn't slipped yet," he replied seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "What hasn't slipped?" a voice asked. Calloway looked around and saw a lone figure standing in the forest before him. "Your madness caused by the taint you carry must have addled your brain," he continued. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "They can't hear you?" Calloway asked under his breath. The girl shrugged her shoulders. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "It's a gift," she replied. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Why do I get the feeling - you aren't going to be reasonable?" Calloway asked - focusing on the stranger before him. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Does a wave - reason with the shore it crashes against? Does the storm - reason with the land it batters? The taint of the Wyrm is strong in you - it must be for you to have made it this far unscathed," the stranger stated. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I have come to speak with Gailwind - but why bother as it is clear that you aren't listening to a word I say," Calloway remarked. The stranger smirked and nodded. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "To listen to the Wyrm - is to invite it into your heart and soul - is to let it consume you and taint all that Gaia has left for us. Spare your deals - your offers - they will not serve you here - nor will they aid you - where you are going," the stranger warned. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Are you alone?" Calloway asked. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "I need no help taking down a lowly leech like you. For decades I have protected the green from the taint your kind brings. Learn - vile one - the fate of those that challenge - Thorne of the Get to Fenris," he concluded as he began to mutate into a werewolf larger than the ones he had faced before. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh my - that is a big one," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Think you will be able to talk your way out of this one snake boy?" the girl asked. Calloway rolled away from the girl and had his knives ready - although against a beast such as this monstrosity - he pondered what possible use they could serve | |||||||||||||||||||
| "This is going to hurt," Calloway muttered as the frenzied beast charged at him. He attempted to leap out of the way but was batted out of the air. The girl watched with sincere amusement as Calloway was sent smashing through a tree. Calloway staggered up to his feet. He could feel the blood escaping from the gaping claw marks on his back. | |||||||||||||||||||
| He concentrated on the wounds as best he could - due to the aggravating nature of the wounds - all he could do was stop the bleeding. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "One more hit will finish you off vampire. Still think you will walk from this clean?' the girl mocked. Calloway growled - the girl was turning out to be as annoying - if not more so than Luther! | |||||||||||||||||||
| He could hear the werewolf racing in - to finish what it started. His flesh shifted to that of scales. His eyes shifted to those of a serpent. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "Hey poochie!" he called out getting the werewolf's undivided attention. The wolf looked over at him and found itself hypnotized by the undead creature's eyes. It found itself unable to move as the vampire stalked closer. "I didn't want it to be this way," he stated calmly as he tongue slowly elongated and coiled around the neck of the werewolf. It tensed up a bit as Calloway began to feed. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "That's the spirit - soften him up. put the puppy in the dog house," the girl mocked. Calloway gasped as he channeled the potent vitae into what wounds he could heal - increasing his strength - anything to keep the vitae from welling within him. The werewolf whimpered as it fell over taking Calloway down with him. | |||||||||||||||||||
| The vampire staggered away from the werewolf holding his head. A madness was overpowering him almost driving him to frenzy. It was then that he saw the girl looking at him. she was saying something but he could not hear her. All he could hear was his heart jack-hammering in his ears. | |||||||||||||||||||
| He staggered up to his feet and stumbled over to where the gasping werewolf was. He reached in his pocket and took out the gun the Gangrel had given him. He cocked the trigger as he glared at the beast that tried to kill him. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "There are six silver bullets in this baby you fucking fur ball," Calloway began as he knelt on the chest of the werewolf and pushed the barrel against the beast's chin. "I can tell that even now you are fucking healing. Tell me! You think you could survive six shots in your state?" he screamed. The werewolf didn't move - not taking his eyes off the vampire's. It was then - as he was about to pull the trigger - that the madness began to pass. He blinked and looked down at the werewolf he was about to kill. Thorne watched as Calloway sat up - and popped each bullet out. Dropping them on either side of the wolf. "This fight is over. You want to continue this - that is your choice," he muttered - tossing the gun aside. "We are leaving," he called out. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "You are letting him live? He will follow! He will kill you!" she stated seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||
| "That," he began as he looked at the panting tired near blood-drained werewolf. "That is a chance I am willing to take," he concluded as the two slowly walked away - leaving the Get to Fenris in their wake. | |||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Concluded! | |||||||||||||||||||