FOREVER KNIGHTS: #5 Subjugation of Beasts

She looked harmless wearing men’s breeches, boots and a billowing blue shirt the same light shade as her strange eyes. A ribbon wound through her tresses to hold them from her face. She was tall, but slender enough to appear non-threatening. Her efforts to look drunk made her an even more tempting victim.

The orange eyes flicked over her moments before it lurched toward her, loping on all fours. Hunkering like an animal. Its movements disconnected as he rolled his legs over his shoulders to run at an inhuman speed.

Like a spider. It took all of Teverius’ willpower not to intervene.

Serdephe stood motionless, watching its approach. Just when it was near enough to leap on her, she lifted her hand in line with her shoulder, and dropped it like a falling flag. A sign for her hounds.

The dogs tore from the foliage, snarling. Spikes along their backs rattling like snakes as they attacked.

Serdephe drew her dagger from her belt. A long, curved blade glinting in meager light.

The creature stopped. Skidding on all fours. Head whipping to assess the half-bull, half wolf dogs. And the muscled sinews of their shoulders and back.

Meet her demon dogs.

The Firoque’s eyes moved to Serdephe, thin lips curling. “You’re her.” Its high voice echoed.

Now he knows his mistake.

But it’s too late. Tev admired her technique.

The Cimmerii man’s flesh hardened until he was covered in dusky black skin. It rose, rolling its shoulders. Making them widen and arms thicken.

Serdephe moved first. Rushing the evil creature, blade aloft.

Her pack matched her step, moving as a unit to descend in a violent wave. Razored teeth and rending claws shredding the man-beast.

Serdephe sunk in her dagger at the base of his skull.

Precisely where I’d told her to. He’d never realized how avidly she’d listened.

Immediately the bond between demon and minion were severed. The telepathic link gone in an instant.

Painfully for Radix. Tev thought proudly.

Life drained from the creature without the magic to power it. Becoming a hollow shell, all remnant of life absent. Rising, she spun on her heel.

The dogs fell into step with her. Groomsman stood closest, looking up with pale blue eyes glowing in the night. He whimpered, and she patted his head.

When she touched him, an echo of that light blue slid vertically over her irises like a shimmering strip of lightning. Where her hand touched Groomsman’s back, his fur rippled in a dark wave. Straightening into dense armor.

He gave a contented rumble.

Tev instinctively gave a low purr in response to the dog’s sound. Reflexively returning his sound of friendship.

Seeing the dog’s head turn to where Tev crouched, he strode deeper into the forestry. His shoulders sweeping bushes from his path. Meager moonlight glistened over the panther’s alabaster coat. Sleek muscles rippling.

As he moved from sight, he straightened. Large paws elongated and smoothed. Until the contours of his animal body changed. He walked on hind legs. When finally he was done changing form, he was an unclothed man walking barefoot through the forest. Long white hair trailing branches behind him. Blue eyes flicking over his shoulder to verify he wasn’t followed.

Black cloth materialized around his ankles and wound the back of his legs. Forming a cloak that climbed his shoulders. He caught the hood and lifted it. Pants formed up his legs. And a shirt molded his shoulders and lithe torso. As a leather chest plate simultaneously formed around his sides and abdomen. White hair lifted like fingers to stretch from its path. Cinched down by the carved leather band circling his crown.

More silent then even the huntress, he vanished into the dark.

First to see why a woman named Bronwynn has been searching the Netherlands for me. If she knows me, she’s definitely elven.

And secondly…Even as secluded as he was, he’d gotten word the Fallen was found again. I only wish to see she’s okay before I return.

It’d take several days to travel across Grier on paws, from the Netherlands. And longer to summon the will to face his brethren…I have the time it’ll take to get there to come to terms with it. He comforted himself. He’d avoided them all since his self-exile.

Serdephe had caught the glint of white in the distance. Seeing her dogs watching the movement, unalarmed she whispered with a half-smile. “You’re always watching over me…”

She dropped a hand and opened it. A sign for the dog next to her, to approach. She felt his warm bristles slide under her hand, rising to her touch.

She knelt next to him. “Follow him, Groomsman. Watch over My Wolf.” She gave his back a pat which sent him slinking through the bushes, step soundless, as he wove the same path the white feline had trekked.