The Vampire's Harvest

169

You came out here to support your sister and the future she dreams of. If you stand by while the others discredit her abilities, then you might as well as stayed home.

"Gianette is perfectly capable of both proving her muster in battle and fulfilling her duty to the pack by luring out the vamps." You take a deep breath as the wolves turn to face you, many with surprise in their eyes. So hypnotized by their lust for battle, they failed to notice the second human in their midst. "You may not trust her or her abilities, but what about your alpha? He wouldn't endanger your mission if he didn't trust her. If the alpha thinks she can manage to serve the pack, then where does anyone have room to question him?"

The accusation against their loyalty sends many wolves back to facing Colin. They give him a nod of approval, though a few still send wary gazes out towards town and the great hall that looms within it. As for the wolf who had voiced his concerns, he cowers and whimpers in response, but still raises his chin in one last effort to sway his leader.

"How is this human to know what is best for the pack?" he asks, gesturing towards you.

"The human is Gianette's sibling and only reiterates what I have already stated," growls Colin. "So how is it that you doubt what I say is best for the pack?"

At this point all of the wolves howl and hoot in unison, backing their alpha unconditionally, while the lone wolf bows low before granting his leader a nod and falls silent. As for Gianette, she looks to you from the corner of her eye and the corners of her pinched lips flicker upwards for mere seconds to flash you a subtle smile before turning to face Colin in full.

"We shall continue and I want no further interruptions as we do not have the time to spare."

And so the trial begins.

Colin throws heavy swings that could break a jaw or shatter a bone. His clenched fists produce shockingly white knuckles and you imagine how easily he could crush your sister's windpipe if he got a hold of her throat. With each swipe and punch, you shake and cringe, but with each successful dodge of Gianette's nimble figure you grow more confident in your sister's survival.

Not to say she doesn't suffer any injuries. Though, large and lumbering, Colin still has supernatural speed and he manages a few passing blows that result in purpled welts along Gianette's skin. But your sister grits her teeth and bites back the pain until finally, Colin's attacks grow more sluggish. They still would put any barstool brawler to shame, but with Gianette's quick attacks, all she needs is that moment of hesitation.

He stumbles forward, just slightly after another dodged swing. His arm rises up more slowly than it should, his balance off center as he does. Side stepping, she pulls back her arm and lands her first strike, shooting her fist out and slamming the side of his neck. He chokes and sputters, gasping for air. Once he regains his breath, he stands up and looks over the others.

"The trial is done. Gianette earns her place in the pack."

No one, not even the cowering wolf, questions the decision. Instead they howl and applaud as Gianette goes down on her knee, raising her arm as her chest heaves for air and her body shakes with exhaustion.

Colin then roars as his limbs stretch and contort, his jaw elongating and his hair spreading over his skin until he's coated in thick dark fur. Transformed into a towering wolf, he sinks his teeth into Gianette's extended arm. He then pulls away and shifts back into a human. Though he stands over Gianette, watching her with ease as if his body had not realigned itself twice in a matter of seconds, Gianette's pain seems to increase ten fold. Her hands ball into fists and she screams out her pain, her eyes wild and her mouth stretched to reveal every single tooth.

You worry that the transition for Gianette has gone awry, but the wolves only look on with sympathy rather than concern. After a few minutes, your sister's breath calms, though her shoulders still shutter with each raking inhale and exhale. You want to run forward and comfort her, to ease her pain, but now that she's regained control of herself, she gets to her feet and without a word, darts through the circle of bodies and races down the hill towards town.

"Our new sister has already accepted her role in our pack," says Colin, looking to the others, his naked body gleaming beneath the moonlight. "Now we must prepare ourselves for our role. Micah..." The wolves turn to face you, spreading out so that Colin may step forward. You blush before his stark nudity, but you notice that none of the wolves even notice. You realize that it must be a common occurrence amongst the werewolves thanks to their constant transformations. You swallow and compose yourself, looking to Colin with a serious expression placed upon your face.

"Micah, if you wish to join our pack, you'll have to wait until after the battle to take on the trial. We do not have time for another."

"Of course," you reply.

"However, you can prove your might by serving us on the field. Keep to the back and provide us what defense you can and you will earn the right to be among us as your sister has."

"Yes, alpha."

He then turns to a nearby wolf.

"Fiona, show Micah the stash of weapons in the mill. We don't want to send our new sister's sibling out into battle completely defenseless." He then turns to the remainder of the pack. "The rest of you, head for town."

With that, Colin and the others transform and race towards the street. Only Fiona stays human as she guides you to the mill and reveals a small armory.

"We generally don't need human weapons, but it's better to be safe than sorry," she admits. "We don't have much, but hopefully something in here will be to your liking."

The collection is an assortment of dusty and rusty weapons. You consider a shotgun, but worry the wide spray of the bullets would endanger the wolves. You also notice a quiver with a few arrows and a ragged bow. Even if it was in better shape, you've never used one and would be as good as if you grabbed nothing at all. Finally, you settle on an iron knuckle-duster tipped with spikes.

With a weapon selected and Fiona's job done, she transforms into a wolf and sprints out across the lawn, becoming a flash of auburn fur flying across the hillside. You know you can't hope to keep up, but you also know you don't want to be missing once the battle starts. So you take a deep breath and race towards the street.

By the time you enter the town and draw up to the back of the pack, who loom in an alleyway just out of view of the great hall, your legs are burning and your breath is short. You try to straighten up and present a firm, sturdy exterior, but the wolves only have eyes for the ornate double doors a couple blocks away. There two drones remain ignorant to their presence and guard the door with blank stares and stiff postures.

Somewhere inside, Gianette is doing whatever it is she planned to do to lure the vamps out. You shiver at the thought of it, swallowing hard as you picture just how many vampires and drones are inside and how all of them would be facing the pack of werewolves in front of you. You begin to wonder how you are supposed to help at all.

You lean against a nearby brick wall and look over the dark shadows in the alley the pack has found refuge in. You've taken up shelter not too far from the tavern and you consider slipping out for a second to get some liquid courage. That's when you recall that someone had been expecting you at the tavern that night.

You jump to your feet, remembering that it isn't just the wolves looking to kill the vampires tonight. Ferris had also been making plans to thwart the ball. Perhaps he and the coven were still in the tavern cellar working on their enchantments. You could potentially do more good hunting down Ferris and seeking his aid, then watching the wolves' backs. Of course, they may not appreciate you leaving the battlefield before the battle had even begun.

But, how else were you to prove yourself? What good could you do against a horde of vampires when there was an equally terrifying pack of werewolves between you and them? Maybe what you should do is make your way to the front, to show you are just as brave as Gianette. Or maybe you should learn to simply listen to the alpha and do as you're told.

- Find Ferris: ch 172

- Move to the Front: ch 173

- Stay Put: ch 174