The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 16

He had grown used to hearing Oren's inner dialogue, and admired the older man for the way he thought. There was a beauty and joy in the way Oren dissected a problem, and humility in how he found a solution. But all of that was lost to Wilcox, who was forced to stand there blanketed in the cold quiet of the large room.

Ironically, it was in that silent moment that Wilcox realized just how unnaturally quiet the room was. The waterfall, which cascaded just fifty yards away, made not a single noise as the powerful flow of water dropped from the ceiling to the floor. There was a rainbow that spanned across the water's surface, dancing between the descending drops, and as Wilcox studied the shifting face of the colorful spray, he began to notice how the colors seemed to be out of balance.

"The question is," Desmond began, breaking Wilcox from his errant thought. "Why would the Celestial agent care about someone being murdered by a Therian in the human world. They haven't cared about us since before The Accord, so why would they start now?"

Having the Director of Scholomance consider his story made Wilcox less concerned that he had wasted the great man's time. The fact that Desmond recognized his reason for worry with such ease helped him to understand how the old wizard had risen to his rank — not many were wise enough to recognize insight from outside sources.

Caili was a powerful and dangerous warrior, and the sheer anger she had shown-

"Tell him that," Oren stated, interrupting Wilcox's inner dialogue.

Wilcox glowered at his master, being reminded just how one sided their relationship had become.

"I didn't ask you to keep your mind unshielded, though I'm glad for your lapse in judgement. Now, unruffle those feathers, young man, and share your thoughts."

As much as Wilcox wanted to be upset with Oren, he knew he had failed as he smirked at his teacher's remarks.

"Sir, I'm sure you know how boring that posting is. There's but that one agent who comes through the gateway, and she is... Well, she's a soldier if ever there was one. Everything about her screams efficiency and business. I'm not sure if it's an aspect of her people, or just her, but until last night I had never been able to read her mind.

"Whoever that person was, the one that was attacked, she was angry at what she had been forced to watch, and I could feel her desire to save him. I think that he is the reason she has been coming to our world, and while I can't imagine he survived, she seemed convinced that he would be all right.

"It was a brief contact, and she shut me out the moment she realized her mistake, but still, whoever that person is, they seem to be vitally important to the Celestials."

Again, Wilcox turned his attention on the skull, its hollow eyes seeming to stare into his soul.

"Someone is destroying the gates to the Celestial Realm, and the Celestials are spending their resources studying this boy? It doesn't make sense. Either he's involved, or... Hell, I don't know what."

Desmond cast his gaze on Oren, raising an eyebrow as the two men seemed to share a silent conversation. A moment later the Director sunk back into his chair, fatigue seeming to weigh him down.

"Thank you, Wilcox. As always, you continue to impress."

The tired seeming man took a small gulp from his cup, downing the last of the brownish-red liquid, the flavor that he should have savored was lost as the fluid made a direct journey to his stomach.

"You are dismissed, young man," Desmond stated.

"But... What abou-"

"Wilcox, you have given us much to consider, but we need you at the Seattle gate. Not many doors to the Celestial Realm remain, and with your presence, we hope to save at least one."

"Yes, Master Oren, I apologize for my outburst."

And with that, Wilcox turned and walked out of the room.

There was a smile on the young wizards face as he followed the standard that had been set by the wizards and witches who had left before him, and scurried from sight. Oren, the old and willy wizard had left a window into his mind, a memory framed for Wilcox to see.

Through that gap, Wilcox gained an appreciation for everything that had been happening, and for the horrific decisions the Director was forced to make. The skull was the only piece of evidence found from the latest attack. A massacre that had resulted in the destruction of yet another gateway to the Celestial Realm.

Four dozen witches and wizards had been lost in the assault, and no survivors had been found. The skull had been discovered within the rubble, surrounded by the immolated corpses of those charged with protecting the bridge between realms, each of them frozen in a silent scream of agony and despair just before unnatural flames had claimed their lives.

The face of one of the students he had seen exiting the room came to mind, and he heard the woman say with near reverence, "This is a work of art, sir. While it was most certainly an undead construct, it was made with talents that I cannot comprehend."

Oren could sense her thoughts, and knew that her wonder at the skulls construction was shadowed only by her fear of what the thing must have been capable of.

Wilcox was then gifted by Oren with the silent conversation the two men had shared while he had waited just moments before.

"What do you make of this, Oren?"

"I have seen that which has the boy so concerned, and I trust his judgement. Caili is perhaps the most dispassionate of all the Celestials we have met, and for her to be risen to such anger... Well, that is something I would like to understand."

"I see your point, but you know what other concerns we face. We need to protect the Seattle gate."

Wilcox could sense within that statement a deep fear, as if losing the gates would spell their destruction.

"Oren, we must remain focused on keeping Acheron at bay."

His master measured what the Director had said, before responding, "What if the Celestials are watching this boy because he is the key to exactly that?"

"If they were protecting the boy, I would concede your point, but Caili was upset because of the danger he had been placed into, and her inability to protect him. That could only mean that she had been commanded to watch, but not intervene. If they are willing to allow him to die, how important could he be?"

Oren had wanted to dispute Desmond's point, but it was impossible — his logic was just too sound.

Sensing his victory, Desmond concluded, "We will leave this in the Celestial's hands, and continue trying to protect the bridge between our realms."

There was uncertainty in Oren's heart, and with a hint of trepidation he said, "This seems like a matter we should at least investigate. Beyond Acheron, we must maintain our anonymity, and if Therians are killing humans, that endangers us all. Alex has been vying for every opportunity to explore the Olympic National Park for years, and I think we finally have a reason to grant his wish."

"Why does he want to..." Desmond's thought trailed off as the image of a curly haired brunette came into his mind, her face gaunt and pale, malnutrition distorting what Wilcox knew was a beautiful face. "She is the last person to help us. Even if she knew anything, she would never-"

There was the whisper of a laugh behind Oren's thoughts as he interrupted the Directors statement. "If she will talk to anyone, it will be him."

"Fine, send him."

***** Strength Of Arms *****

For longer than the memory of man, the Olympic National Park had been a place of relative peace, the monsters that had once roamed its shadows long forgotten by the animals that called it home. That was, until recent events, where memories written in the blood of all things were stirred, reminding all of the horrors that once lurked in dark places. Fears that had been relegated to lore, were once again given voice by the otherworldly howl that pierced through the silence that had once shrouded the forest.

All who heard the skin-tingling sound were reminded of their place, their bodies shuddering as they looked off into the distance, fearful of what their eyes might find. Terror clawed at the hearts of all who heard the noise — all except two, who moved with frightful purpose towards the fearsome sound.

The dark places held no fear for Sara, whose sleek and agile body sprinted through the shadows on silent paws, her claws keeping her footing sure while her spots shrouded her form. What forced animals for miles in all directions into hiding, drove her towards her adversary with renewed vigor, the creatures howl adding life to her hunt, and reminding her of what she was stalking.

Tani'm knew the dangers that stood before them, having almost perished at the teeth and claws of the beast that they rushed towards. Her legs did not falter as she sprinted towards their adversary, any attempt at stealth lost in her eagerness at vanquishing their foe. She was confident that what had began a few weeks before, was sure to be concluded on that night.

Thunderfoot kept pace with Tani'm without issue, though his steps were made timid by the fears that welled up within him. The haunting wail of the fearsome wolf was a familiar sound to the magical creature, who knew it for what it was — the wolves were on the hunt, and all that heard their declaration must run or hide. His body ached to fulfill that edict, and it took almost all his might to ignore that lifetime of practice.

The thin cloud cover muted the moonlight that filtered through the trees, causing the ordinarily vibrant colors of the forest to appear pale and dark, adding to the sense of foreboding that threatened the three companions as they hurried towards their prey. Thunderfoot alone held onto his sense of caution, the two woman speeding headlong towards their destiny.

It seemed as if the howl hung in the air, and despite the sound having faded minutes before, Tani'm had a sense that the wolf was nearby. Their journey to the source of the sound did not take long, and while Tani'm stopped and searched for any signs of tracks, Sara emerged from the shadows, her mottled spots shifting and playing tricks on all who tried to study her, until her body entered the small space between trees, and everything settled.

Tani'm was not surprised that the wolf's tracks were nearly non-existent. The beast had a knack for obscuring its trail, and even after all her practice, she still struggled to follow it. Instead, she listened to the forest, and looked for guidance from the place she loved.

Sara, with gleeful purpose, sniffed the area, quickly finding a subtle and confusing scent, the tone of its fragrance was difficult to place and seemed to change with every moment. She recognized what was happening, and wondered if perhaps her own scent played such wonderful games. Even with her gifts, the trail would not be made clear, the path which a scent would show her faded away only a few yards away from her, obscured by the nature of their prey.

She could track the wolf, but it would be a slow process, and as Tani'm opened her eyes, her commune with the forest having concluded, they both headed off in the same direction. It seemed, for the moment, that the two women's gifts were in agreement. So, with confidence, they headed off.

Thunderfoot stayed back, studying the forest and trying to ensure that the wolf was not waiting just out of sight, every shift of his gaze made frantic by the worry that sat behind his eyes.

Another ten minutes passed, every moment making Tani'm want to rush in the direction her gift was pointing her. The only thing that stopped her was Sara, who insisted on following the wolf's track, the shifting and difficult scent slowing them to a light jog. Thunderfoot was happy by the shift in pace, and was confused by the emotions he felt from his companion, the magical woman growing more impatient the longer they hunted.

The small woman felt like a spring, her anticipation of the fight to come slowly building with every moment, and just as she feared that she could not take it another moment, they heard it.

A yelp of pain cried out from the direction they were heading, the deep sound echoing between the trees and making it clear that the wolf had just been injured, for no animal save for one could have made such a loud and guttural noise. While Sara and Thunderfoot raised their eyes, trying to see what they may find off in the distance, Tani'm took off.

She was not reckless, her feet took her far, but she tempered her speed, ensuring that her companions could catch up to her. As the cadre gathered back together, rounding a large tree, they could see the source of the wolf's distress. Off in the distance, within a small break in the tree's they could see a large smooth rock and a fallen tree on the far side.

By the time they got close, it became apparent what had happened. A tall and mighty pine had fractured and splintered many of its limbs as it came crashing down days before, and it seemed that the wolf had discovered just how dangerous those severed limbs could be. A large rock stood before the tree, bathed in dull light, providing plenty of detail for the magical women to tell the tale.

The wolf, in its flight, had jumped up onto the rock, and upon cresting the peak came face to face with the fallen tree, its jagged limbs reaching out toward the beast in hopes of a dangerous embrace, and while the wolf had tried to deny the tree its desire, it had failed. Deep furrows on the moss covered rock showed the clear sign of the wolf's attempt, its claws having pulled large chunks from the solid stone, but they did little to prevent the wolf's momentum from carrying it forward. Large amounts of viscous blood dripped from several of the trees limbs, declaring just how damaging the mistake had been.

While the fresh scent of copper made the beasts trail clear to Sara, Tani'm needed no such gift. They turned their gaze and saw the wolf running with a limp as it leapt over another fallen tree, landing with a whimper before scurrying further away. The massive creature was obscured by the few-hundred yards of thick vegetation that separated them, but Tani'm was certain she saw a wide laceration running down the side of the large animal.

The wound would be healing, they all knew that, but the wolf's mistake had given them a golden opportunity, and as much as Thunderfoot hated what they were doing, he began to believe that his instincts had been wrong.

Thunderfoot dashed off with surprising speed, not heading towards the wolf, but at a perpendicular angle, his intent to circle around and converge on the wolf was clear to Sara, who vanished into the shadows and circled out in the other direction. Tani'm took off like a spear, following the clear trail of blood the wolf had left behind, quickly cresting the fallen tree where they had just seen the beast. The trail was obvious, the wolf's efforts at healing seeming to make his path stand out.

It took just a few seconds for the thick splashes of blood to turn into much smaller spots, but as Tani'm entered a clearing she knew the beasts accident had just brought them face to face. A gap in the clouds caused a swath of bright full moon light to dance across the field of moss and grass, the vegetation moving up and down in rolling mounds of loose soil and sturdy rocks. The spots of blood ran in a clear direction, and within the beauty of the clearing she could see it, a mound that seemed out of place.

The wolf had been so good at hiding itself before, but it seemed in its haste it had failed to blend in as well as it used to. So, with hatchet and knife in hand, she patted the glyph on her side and sprinted towards the foreign rise in the otherwise pristine clearing. The cloth and leather that hugged her body felt different as the ward came to life, as if it was somehow thicker, the places where it would normally fold and crease were now fighting the movement.

After only a few steps, she became used to the way it felt, and realized that in a strange way it was a comfort — it told her that the spell was working. Her movements seemed different, but remained agile and fast, the material yielding to her will and allowing her actions to take place unhindered.

Her heart soared as she neared her target, a swath of moonlight passing over the fake mound as she leapt into the air, her hatchet held high above her head, ready to give a devastating blow. Just as she started her swing, she could hear Thunderfoot off at the edge of the clearing, chirping a warning that she felt in her gut, and while she could not understand the creatures tone, in her mind she saw what she was about to do, and knew what Thunderfoot had realized a second too late.

As her hatchet dug deep into the solid earth mound, providing truth to the vision she had just been provided, the gravity of her mistake was made all the more real by the deep bark that was released off to her side. The wolf lunged forward from where it had been hiding just a yard to her right side, its loud bark reverberating with excitement as its wide open maw closed in on Tani'm's face.

It was a small miracle that she had decided to bury her hatchet and not her knife into what she had thought was the creature, because that choice had left her dominant hand free to react. As she moved away from the cavernous mouth, full of razor sharp teeth and foaming saliva, she brought her right arm around in an arc, hoping to bury her knife in the side of wolf's head.

Wildfang wanted to howl with satisfaction at how well his plan had worked. In a single move he had managed to get his formidable opponent into the same position that had almost cost the guardian her life during their last encounter. The look of horror that crossed her face as he turned his head and captured her arm in his powerful jaw caused him no end of joy. His satisfaction was short lived though, as he felt several of his teeth crack or shatter as his tremendous strength was brought to bear.

What should have caused the frail woman's arm to be crushed within his maw, was instead met by unyielding force, his frightening attack being blunted by some unknown power. His jaw ached, and pain radiated into his skull from the unexpected resistance. While he struggled against his own anguish, he managed to maintain his grip, and was pleased as he felt the soft yet impenetrable material begin to collapse as the force of his bite continued to compress her forearm.

Tani'm had been thankful for the ward that Andrew had placed on her armor, and regretted having to rely on it so soon. The force of the attack had been stunning, taking a tremendous toll on her magical reserves to deflect, but even through the pain, the wolf would not let go, and the exaltation she had felt a moment before was lost as the wolf whipped its head while continuing to crush her arm within her invulnerable armor, the violent movements causing her to lose her footing and threatened to separate her arm from her shoulder.

The hatchet remained buried in the earth, the force of her strike embedding the steel weapon deep into a large rock that rested just below the surface. While Tani'm had the strength to pull the tool from where it had been lodged, she lacked the leverage to get the job done, and almost cried out in fear as the weapon slipped from her grip.

In that moment, the wolf used all of its might to yank Tani'm off the ground by her arm, dislocating her shoulder as he jumped backwards. Tani'm sailed through the air, screaming out in pain as she felt her muscles and ligaments tear, and realized why the wolf had suddenly moved. She was suspended above the ground, unable to change course as she saw Thunderfoot leaping through the air, his legs heading directly for her.

By the time the jackalope realized that the wolf had pulled Tani'm to where he had just been, it was too late, and the sound of thunder rang out through the clearing as Tani'm was sent sailing a dozen yards away. Thunderfoot landed and was about to bound away when the wolf caught him by a hind leg, the orchestration of events having gone better than the wolf had even planned, and as the mighty beast prepared to ripe the limb from the frightened rabbit, something went horribly wrong.