Chapter 20: The Howling Fires

The wind picked up, flushing up stray leaves and rattling the limbs of trees and their branches like a bunch of rattlesnakes. Near a cluster of trees, a brisk jog away from where a large number of people were enjoying an out door Halloween party; four men stood towering over Jake and his friends. One of them, his maw filled already with sharpening fangs and a slowly distorting jaw snarled down at the young teens; "For you punks, this is going to be painful, slow, and cruel ending to your lives. As for you pup I don't think we can do anything to these guys that would equal what the Alpha will do to you for this betrayal."

Jake however, didn't even flinch at the threat; instead he calmed walked halfway between his friends and the four werewolves, who were already starting to change their normal human cloths shredding as their bodies twisted and bent to become beast of power and savage fury. "I just want you guys to know, that if you had pulled this a year earlier you might have had a chance." Jake said calmly, the wolves only now noticing that the young man had not cowered like they expected. Instead he slowly rested an armored hand on the hilt of his sheathed katana, slowly taking a practice stance to draw it if he had to. "But you didn't, and I just want to say you guys really should just surrender."

One of the werewolves, his fur bristling at the audacity of the young man in his cheap samurai costume to try and suggest they would lose to a meer human; lunged forward with all the natural speed and savagery that were the hallmarks of lycanthropes. Jake drew his katana, it's blade polished and forged with care and an eye for beauty had a blade that was completely dull as a rod. The instant it was out of its sheath the sword became enveloped in a soft blue glow and in a single move; Jake strafed to the left of the charging beast, and slashed across its exposed gut.

"I-Impossible!" The beast gasped, it's body feeling like it had just been punched in the gut by a minotaur. Looking down just before it's vision blacked out, he noticed that Jake's sword was resting against his stomach. "I bet you're going to be feeling that one for a while." Jake said with a confident smirk as he allowed the wolfman to collapse to the leaf litter below with a soft thump. Turning his attention quickly to the other wolves Jake raised his sword up and readied himself again. "Yo you said you guys could take on the AmDrag, why don't you prove it?"

In that moment the other wolves charged forward roaring as they did so, "DIE!" they howled as they raced forward with all the fury and rage they could muster. A year or two earlier the fight would have been no contest; the old Jake Long even if he did go dragon for the fight would have lost. He would have had no way to protect his friends from all three wolves; one of them or all of them would have been killed. Tonight, the wolves found they were facing four young people who had been getting trained to face down everything from a small rabid fairy to a full-blown windigo. Jake, Ron, Trixie and Spud fought close together, shoulder to shoulder; as a team, as only friends can in a uncharted moment.

Jake took on the leader of the four wolves; repeatedly slashing out at wolf's muzzle, paws, and gut. Each blow making the shape-shifter feel like an orc or dwarf was beating him with a cold metal rod. Beside Jake; Ron and Trixie took on another of the three remaining wolves, Ron's new-found speed and strength showing itself as he laid into the beast; lashing out in lightning swift strikes aimed for the beast's muzzle and head. When ever Ron backed away or shifted back after delivering a jab, or kick, Trixie would rush in. Despite her outward appearance she wielded her double-handed long sword like it had been apart of her for her entire life.

Where Ron's attacks left bruises and faint rends in the fur; Trixie's blows left larger versions of what Jake's attacks did, deep bowled wounds. The wounds she and Jake left were similar to what one would find if while wearing a soft armored vest and was shot by a magnum pistol. Each mark leaving caved-in but unbroken skin behind that, bruised and became black like coal as the skin and fur folded around the impacting steel. Spud however was having a different time of it; his armor, and shield were heavy, almost to heavy to be dealing with something as fast and powerful as a full-grown werewolf in its prime.

Spud however, was nothing if not inventive, and while he wasn't delivering any of the clean or savage blows of his friends; he was still getting his licks in with combination shield bashes to the wolves' snarling face and sharp thrusts and slashes with his blunt gladius. This however, was not doing anything more than holding the third beast at bay and off balance. Jake suddenly cried out "SPUD!", causing the boy to look towards his friend, only to see the wolf Jake had been bludgeoning now looking straight at him as his muzzle opened in a savage snarl inches away.

Spud didn't even cry out in pain, only gasped in shock when he felt not the sharp pain of fangs punching into his skin where his neck met his shoulder, but the bone breaking pressure coming down on his shoulder and neck. The wolf and teen fell backwards together; fangs still pressed into flesh, claws grasping and trying desperately to rend into the teen's arms and chest. When they landed, Spud's armor rattling like harsh metal pans against itself, the wolf only pulled back to look at it's prey in some semblance of surprise and confusion. Spud felt the wolf's fangs leave his neck, and now he felt the pain; it burned, it burned and ached like nothing else in his life.

As tears began to blur his vision Spud glanced up at the wolf, part of his fogged mind wandered 'Why? Why aren't you tearing me apart?' he thought.

Kneeling over him, the werewolf also looked at him, confusion and now shock clearly visible on its muzzle and face, only it wasn't looking at him. Slowly its eyes rolled back into its skull and the beast slowly slumped over onto the ground. Standing behind it and now over Spud was one of the scariest things the boy had ever seen, perhaps even more so than anything he will ever see. At least he hoped he wouldn't see it again; it was Trixie and she was pissed.

"DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY SPUD!" She snarled as she swung her long sword with all the vicious murderous intent of a girlfriend protecting what was hers, in one swing she smashed the dull sword blade into the second wolf who had tried to lunge at her while she clobbered their leader in the back of his skull. The second wolf only had enough in it to gasp and yelp weakly as Trixie nailed it clean in the head; the blow ringing out with a firm 'thrak' sound and the cracking of a another skull. The last wolf didn't have a chance as Ron flipped effortlessly onto the creatures shoulders and wrapped his legs around its neck. With a firm jerk of his body over the beast's head he brought the unbalanced beast to the ground. Unhooking his legs and rolling away; before the beast could finish getting back to it's feet Ron slammed both of his wakizashi's tips into the beast's temples. Bone once more sounded as it cracked and the force of the blow combined with some of Ron's inner chi and rendered the wolf unconscious.

Panting Ron quickly looked to where Spud was and as he and Jake rushed to their friend's side Trixie was already holding him in her arms, trying use some of the chi healing techniques they had been taught. There was blood all over Spud, and his color was fading from his body. "Dudes, that was insane." Spud whispered obviously in pain but still as always; he was more worried about them.

Trixie frustrated that she couldn't focus enough to try to heal him cradled his head in her arms crying "You big duffus, what am I going to do without you?" she asked as Jake knelt and after taking a deep breath, fought with all his might to focus himself to allow his chi to allow his will to heal his dear friend. Nothing happened, and Spud smiled weakly at him, "Who would believe it took a fight with werewolves to finally get one of us?" Ron knelt beside his mate and took his hand in his, and placed them firmly on Spud. "Nobody, because you are going to make it Spud." Ron said in fact, calmly, and with a firm smile. Turning to Jake he nodded and said "We can do this, together." Jake feeling as if everything was suddenly going to turn out okay nodded and after wiping away the tears he hadn't realized were gathering in his eyes looked to his friend with renewed focus. "Together." He said firmly.

From their hands a visible almost green fog began to appear and slowly it pour over and ran up to Spud's shoulder. As soon as it touched the wound, Spud tried to scream in pain, only for Trixie's hand to swiftly silence the cry as the fog poured into the open gashes. He writhed in pain, his eyes open in horror and fear, his body contorting and straining against his friends to stop this to stop the pain. Only when Bishop joined them, the boy holding firmly on Spud's arms and sitting on his legs did Spud's struggle lessen, but it was obvious he was still in a tremendous amount of pain.

Bishop looked to Jake and Ron with a sad look "You do know even if he lives through this, his life won't be the same."

Trixie shook her head as she held tightly to Spud's screaming head in her arms. "We know, hell after some of the crazy shit we've been through together you'd figure something like this would have happened sooner." She smiled though as she looked up to Bishop. "We will make it through this, together."

Suddenly Spud's thrashes ceased and his left out a meek groan, looking down Trixie and Bishop noticed despite the tears that had run down his face he looked relived and gave a weak nod before holding a thumbs up. Trixie gently pulled her hand away from his lips and after a small gasp and a weak cough he looked to her and smiled "Dudet that was wickedly uncool...Trix try to not let something like that get a bit into you." The girl who had single-handily downed two of the wolves, smiled confidently at her boyfriend and leaned in and kissed him gently on the forehead. "You big dummy, don't scare me like that."

Spud smiled and gently brushed a hand against her cheek affectionately before he said; "I'm serious Trix, I get life is going to be different, I don't want you to have to deal with anymore than we are already going to be stuck with." Trixie only shook her head "I can't promise anything, we both knew this could happen."

Jake nodded and as he stood up smiled apologetically to his friend "You sure you're going to be okay Spud? We could try to have Bishop and Trixie here get you out of here." Before anyone could respond, Ron held up a hand as Rufus poked his head out from his cowl. "Uhhh does anyone else here think it is weird how quite it has gotten?"

All of the friends looked up and around them, it was quite; say for the wind, the rustling of leaves.

The five friends crept over the edge of the knoll and gasped in surprise; the party goers were all standing still, their faces unmoving as if in a trance. Their eyes glowed with a haunting light as they gently swayed in place.

"What is going on?" Jake wondered aloud, only for Bishop to sigh sadly "It's the ritual, the first blood. It is how the Alpha introduces young werewolves to human meat."

Ron looks to him with a surprised and confused look "I thought you said this was supposed to be your first hunt." Bishop frowned shaking his head "No, it was just to be my first time to make a kill, and to eat that kill. Alpha has never cared how one makes a kill, only that they are willing to. He tries to make sure we are all willing killers that we want to do it and that we will enjoy doing it."

Trixie looked to him with a frown "What about you?" the other teen gave a defeated sigh as he looked down at the autumn grass and leaves beneath them. "I-I never asked for this. I simply survived the night at one of their events, I even...I even killed one of their members."

Jake and Ron shared a concerned but knowing glance, Ron nodding as he glanced back to their new friend "You were made into one to make up for that death."

The young man nodded looking away in disgust "You could say that, a place here amongst them, that I'd get to live but if I refused they could still just shot me."

"Dude, that's cold." Spud said with a frown before he rubbed absently at his own shoulder which only some faint scar tissue spoke of his close call just moments ago. "Well what should we do Jake?" He asked looking to the other teen in his red armor.

As all eyes fell on him, Jake looked back to where he could see some of the wolves starting to look and pick who was going to be their meal. "I say it's game time, you guys with me?" He asked confidently holding his hand out to Ron.

Ron only smiled confidently as he firmly took his boyfriend's hand in his and glanced to their friends. Spud who had just nearly been mauled to death, Trixie who had almost just watched her boyfriend bleed-out, and finally Bishop a reluctant werewolf; all of them nodded in agreement and placed their hands on each others. "Together."

Bishop looked to Jake with a concerned and troubled look; "So how do we do this then?"

Jake glanced over the knoll again his eyes swiftly sweeping the forest, the werewolves, and the entranced humans. "If I knew a way to break the entrancement, I'd say we focus on getting the people out." He looked to his friends with a look that at once spoke of his confidence in his next words, but also showed how grim the situation seemed to be.

"But I gotta say fifteen and some change of werewolves means we gotta take them down first." Jake said firmly looking to Ron before turning back to Bishop. "Bro, can you transform and not go nuts?"

Bishop looked at him in both shock and horror before he looked away, shaking slightly, "I've...only transformed a few times."

Jake nodded before he repeated "Can you control it?" and with a shake of his head Bishop replied "I don't know."

Trixie pointed over the knoll looking to the others "Guys we don't have time for this." Spud nodded before he raised his sword up "We best hit them now and together."

Jake and Ron looked to each other before looking to their friends, "Okay Bishop stay close to Trixie, and Spud me and Ron will take the lead." Ron smiled "Guess you guys get to see the surprise anyway." Before their friends could figure out what the blond boy ment he and Jake were both pushing up over the top and both roared together as one.

"DRAGON UP!"

As the roar of two dragons rang out; high above in the tops of the trees a large cyclopean eye glowed a bright angry red and watched with great amusement at the proceedings below. A pair of hooked metallic mandibles were creased by a long serpentine tongue as it slithered across their surface from a cruel metallic beak full of fearsome fangs.

"Finally the real show seems to be starting."

XxX

Author Note:

Okay well with this I let you all know I'm alive still. I do intend to continue working on this story for the foreseeable future. I have sadly just been kept busy with life and it has done a lot to sap me of my creative will and drive to write. Thankfully some of the drive was reignited and I can say a few more chapters will probably be up before the end of this year.

To those who enjoy my work; Thank you.