Marrok, The Wanderer (Open)

Marrok watches as his mate takes to the woods. His heart is heavy with worry, but he knows she is strong. He should worry more for the Balkers. As her light becomes nothing more than a distant star, Marrok readies the second wave. *Get Ready! We are going to take out an Balker stragglers that come running out of the camp. Attack in groups of 3 or more. Most Balkers have abilities and will use them. If you find yourself overwhelmed call for help and others will come. Some will die today. But we fight not for our lives, but for those that cannot fight; those that need our protection.* The wolves howl in anticipation. Many are ready with fangs shown.

Several Balkers come running towards them. Two led by a larger male. *Take the two. The big one is mine.* As they approach wolves flank them and engage the two smaller Balkers. Marroks eyes burn bright blue. The big one gets to Marrok and stops. He is almost as big as Marrok. He has brown fur with black flames along his legs and back. With a howl he lets out a fiery storm of fireballs. They land all around Marrok engulfing him. The Balker laughs with satisfaction. Through the flames two blue eyes can be seen. Followed by a grin.

Marrok steps out of the fire, not even a single on fire. The Balker is taken back. *I guess that Hermit wasn't crazy after all.* In an instant he charges the still confused Balker. Knocking him down and circling he leaps for his throat and kills the Balker within seconds. The taste of blood in his mouth is exhilarating. Looking back, the group managed to kill the other two with only minimal casualties. *Good job. Keep scouting the woods for other traitors. Let none of them pass.*

Marrok knows what must be done. What will end this bloodbath. In a flash he is gone. Appearing deep in the Balker camp in human form, he quickly dispatches the two guards and enter the dark, death filled cave. Upon entering he sees Makis, staring into a pool of water, watching the fight. Marrok just stands there. Blood dripping from his mouth and blood dripping from his sword. His eyes are so bright. He only utters two words.

*Hello Father!*

Athena lifted her head from the Balker she just killed, her flank was covered with fresh blood, snarling she watched as an elemental overwhelmed a Balker, they were gaining ground quickly, lifting her head fear whelped in her heart, they were gaining ground to quickly something was wrong.

Then it happened, Athena felt the rumble beneath her feet, Makis howl filled the air, the death call...wildly she flung herself, knocking a Balker off his feet, her head shot in the air, yelling she ran in front of the elementals, "Hold your ground!" Standing in front of them engery swelled around her as she called all her powers, the silver dead were heading straight for them, snarling Athena swelled with power, her fur lighted with blue flames, spreading her feet Athena snarled as the sliver ones came over them. She felt the fear in her friends, looking up she watched as the sky bleed and the moon turned red, claws and fangs swiped through the air, some ran into the woods trying to escape the cold dread.

Athena planted herself inbetween them, the cross on her forehead shinning brightly, "The living command you! Stop!." The sliver ones stopped inches from were her forehead cast its pure white light, suddenly a dark shape knocked her off balance, snarling she lifted her head to attack whatever hit her. Her concentration broken the silver wolfs snarled as one and cried out, "Wolfbane! Wolfbane! Wolfbane!."

Athena watched in horror as they ran past, snarling Athena lifted her head and called with all the energy she had in her, her voice rang shaking the trees and hanging in the air, the call caused the silver spirits to stop and listen, suddenly her voice died out, her throat was still moving but no sound came out. Around her other silver wolves began to appear one by one, snarling she lowered her head, "Hold them at bay this will be over soon." Athena breath came hard and fast, the energy it took to call the dead was overweleming, looking at an elementals as her silver wolves attacked Makises, "Hurry!"

Leaping out in front they quickly cleared the forest, Athena felt her powers beginning to tire, lifting her head, her paws flying across the ground, snarling her group burst through the forest, shocked to find an empty camp, some of the elemental's rushed forward to free the small pups that sat in many cages surrounding the camp. Pausing Athena looked around, Makis was knowhere in sight and neither were the Balker, lifting her head she shouted, "Search the area."

Suddenly the voice she hated most filled the air, snarling Athena turned to face the stone cave, standing on the top Makis looked down at her, his black fur was laced with the blood of all he killed, laughing he looked at her with his blood red eyes, the blood moon above shown down casting a red hue on the ground, stepping forward Athenas fur bristled, "Were is your Wolfbane?" Makis jaws split in a wide smile, "Why he is right here." Lowering his head, his muzzle pointed down below him, around her the elementals gathered, they trembled as a horrific cry filled the air, a large dark shape appeared at the entrance, Athena snarled and lowered herself slightly getting ready to attack, but what she saw made her stop, as the dark shape appeared it seemed to Athena that the whole world suddenly stopped. Athena felt her heart sezize in her chest and her legs begin to temble not out of fear, as her golden eyes watched him, lifting her head she looked into his gray eyes and whispered, "Sero...."

Makis just laughs. *Well look who has returned. The prodigal son. You are too late however. He is ready. There is nothing either of you can do.* Makis continues to laugh. Marrok's anger consumes him and he lunges at Makis, but hits only dirt. Makis is gone. It was just an illusion. He can still hear the echoes of his laugh. Marrok screams with anger, *MAKIS!!!* Running outside he sniffs the air to pick up the scent. Suddenly he hears the call. The howling call that brought on the plague of death last time.

Marrok quickly teleports back to his group of wolves. They are still holding the line, but several are wounded. *Take the wounded back to the healers and the rest form up to protect them. The plague of gray wolves will be upon us. Everyone get into a circle.* With all his focus Marrok calls for the element of water to his aid. A spiral of water begins to circle them. Another circles them and another until they are completely encapsulated in a dome of swirling water. Just as it is complete, the stench of death and decay is upon them.

All they can see is a sea of red eyes approaching. Soon their barrier is engulfed in a dark mist with scratching, growling and hissing all around them. The wolves are scared and Marrok is suing all of his power to maintain the barrier. As the mist fades and the noise subsides, the gray ones disappear into the forest. Marrok releases the barrier and falls to his knees in exhaustion. The wolves are grateful to him and lick and howl for him.

"Sero," Athena cried, gasping for breath again and almost staggering. "It can't be you..." She felt as if her whole world was tearing apart. This. She couldn't face this. Looking into his gray eyes she stammered, "Sero? its me Athena. Don't you recognize me?"
"I am Wolfbane," growled Sero coldly, "The Evil One. I have been waiting for you."

Time seemed frozen in place as Athena stepped forward saying in a stricken voice, "No, it can't be....!" Above them Makis laughed hatefully and said, "The sweet bonded couple is reunited." Shaking her head, trying to clear her thoughts Athena yelled, "What have you done to him!?" Baring her fangs Athena lunged for Makis, she could almost see the life leaving his eyes under her fangs, but just as her fangs would have been around his throat, she felt herself get knocked sideways, the breath she had been holding shoot out painfully as her chest hit the ground.

Sprawling in the dirt, Athena struggled to rise, in front of her Sero stood watching intently, above her Makis laughed again and said, "Is that the best you've got, Chosen?" Snarling he bared his long, sharp gangs and smiled, "You will have to do much better." Shaking his head as Athena rose to her feet, her breath came out in pained gasps, she had hit the ground hard, a sharp twinge of pain entered her chest, a broken rib.

Snarling she stared up at Makis, "But I have no time for you right now, I must take care of other business, have fun you two....." Athena growled as Makis left, running into the woods. Suddenly she saw Sero dart from his position to her flank, jumping back, off balanced, Athena landed just a few feet from him, avoiding his sharp teeth, gasping in shock Athena opened her jaws to speak but was quickly silenced. He moved as the wind, jumping around her, lunging at her, it took all of her skill to just avoid. Snarling Athena jumped far away, "Sero, why are you attacking me?"

Lowering his head he growled and said, "Because I am Wolfbane, keeper of the night, and friend of the dead, while you are the daughter of Fenris, born from pure light itself." Baring her fangs she screamed, "No! Your name is Sero, you are an Elemental." Staring into his eyes she whispered, "You are not Wolfbane." Lifting his head and looking at her thoughtfully he said in a harsh voice, "That name died for me many years ago, before I was reborn by my father." Athenas eyes widened, "Your parents thought you were dead, I know not what has happened to them." Sero opened his jaws in a wide smile, "I speak not of my den parents for that is a memory long since dead, Makis is my true father, he has shown me my destiny."

Athena shuttered and said, "Destiny? Nobody knows there destiny." Looking into his gray eyes she added softly, "Is that how you survived the fall off the cliff when we were young?" Drawing his ears back he said in more gentler voice, "I was saved by him, the Sero you loved so dearly died that day over the cliff, and his rage was reborn into me." Lowering his head into a snarl he added, "And now you die to join him in the Red Meadows." Snarling he lunged at her, Athena fell back unable to draw the will to attack him.

The love from his pack is warming to his heart. Picking himself up he tells them, *Let us head out and search the perimeter of the camp. Do not trek too far from another group, but spread out. We need to continue to hunting.* With that, the pack scatters to the woods. In a flash of blue Marrok calls forth the wolf within. His silver fur shining brightly in the moonlight. He takes off into the woods followed by two others. As they run, Marrok picks up a familiar scent. *Makis!* He tells the others to hang back and give them space. He does not want anyont to get caught in the crossfire. This was his fight.

The other two hang back but keep Marrok in sight. Ready to help if need. Marrok speeds ahead, slowing as the scent gets stronger. Makis approaches from the east. Marrok waits and then jumps out knocking Makis off his guard and slamming into a tree. Makis quickly rises, with his blood red eyes. *You hid you scent well my son. I did not sense you until the last minute. Do you really want to fight me? You know you will lose.* Marrok growls and circles Makis keeping him dead in his sights. *You are not my father. You are a coward and you have no honor. For this and what you have done to us, I will kill you.*

The sound of electricity and thunder fills the air, two figures are seen jumping high in the air, great balls of energy fly from the dark colored one, aiming straight for the white she wolf. Yark watched overhead, his eyes filled with worry, frantically he called to Athenas mind, "You must fight back!" Roaring the black wolf charged at Athena causing the earth to shake and shift, great trees suddenly lost their roots and went flying toward her.

Jumping into the air Athena narrowly dodged his earth attack, landing on a large rock, she jumped to meet him in the air, the two wolves snarled snapping and clawing at one another, as gravity sent them plummeting to the ground. Breaking away at the last second Athena landed a short distance away, snarling Sero summoned great blocks of sharp ice around him, it circled him with a deadly purpose. Lowering her head Athena summoned her barrier, a great white light surrounded her, lifting her head she watched as the sky shinned with lightning, a wild fire had caught and surrounded them. Her own blue flames shinned behind the barrier.

Looking at him her eyes pleaded, while his burned with anger, "Fight me she wolf." shaking her head she replied, "I will not!" The sharp blocks of ice shatter against her barrier, suddenly he vanished. Looking around, her sharp golden eyes quickly assessing everything, "Sero?" Behind her, the sound of water, suddenly a great ball of water surrounds her, covering her barrier. Frantically she looks around, just outside the barrier she hears a laugh, "Will you stay hidden and suffocate or will you come meet your fate." The blue water swirled and held firm, the weight of the water made holding the barrier difficult, the words he spoke were turn, already the air inside her small protective space was starting to thin.

Overhead she heard Yark come soaring in, "Athena!"