The Adventures of Iron Wolves: Book 1 - Alpha
Chapter 4: Fight or Flight

Stykes leapt and came crashing down towards the dwarves feet first. He stood on the shoulders of the tallest dwarf and crouched bringing his daggers around and through its neck. Mariel darted out and began slicing short, quick and furious strikes against a Dwarf carrying a long sword with a curved blade. Stykes leapt up to hover, momentarily watching her in amusement.

She’s truly Anima’s teacher in swordsmanship. Her style is the exact same as Anima’s. He flew back down and struck the remaining two dwarves with his feet to send them sprawling over their already dead buddy.

Hearing a thump then a squelch behind him, he flew backwards and landed lightly next to Mariel. Mariel held the Dwarf’s heart in her hand, its blood dripping through her fingers onto the dead body it had came from. Stykes recoiled slightly at this sight. Definitely Anima’s teacher. Their similarities are scary.

The remaining two dwarves advanced upon them, their eyes not looking at the heart Mariel held in her hand. The sight had unnerved them. Stykes could tell that his blood stained jacket was affecting them as well.

“You really want to mess with me?” she asked them squeezing the heart until it fell to pieces onto the dead body, a silver bracelet sending silver light over the blood covering her hand. “I can do worse to you and you won’t necessarily be dead when I start.” The two dwarves took one look at her and ran.

Stykes took back the dagger and handed her his bow. “I hope you’re as good a shot with a bow,” he said taking a hold of her around the waist and flew out of the dungeon to hover at the bottom of the deep spiral ramp pit. “As we fly up, we’re going to be very vulnerable to airborne objects they throw at us.” Mariel tested the bowstring and then reached into the quiver hanging from his right hip for an arrow.

“I’m a master at all weapons,” she told him quietly. “Anima chose me, Miyako and Chiae as her personal bodyguards because of our skills in weaponry or our ability to protect her if she was unable to protect herself.” She pulled the bow taut with the arrow nocked and ready.

Stykes smiled. “Nice to know,” he said and flapped his wings hard once, and they shot upwards through the pit. Mariel’s eyes scanned the ramps for danger. Something tugged again; he looked at Mariel who shook her head. “Another imprisoned elf?”

Hours earlier, Anima asked Rue if they could rest for the night before heading to Lunarias in the morning. She could see he was tired from flying such a long distance twice in one day.

“Besides,” she added sitting on a large branch, her back against the trunk of the tree they had landed in. “I don’t want to risk you falling out of the sky from tiredness.”

Rue gave her a withering look before floating down to one of the lower branches to replace his own branch to rest on. He was still searching when a shriek sounded above him.

“RUE!” Blue fell past him fast. His eyes widened and released the air in his wings allowing gravity to speed his descent. His speed wasn’t fast enough.

Anima hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Blood pooled quickly from the side of her head. Rue landed hard into a crouch and turned her over.

Despite the seriousness of her injuries, he breathed a sigh of relief. Her head, the skin torn and bleeding, wasn’t dented. He felt certain her skull wasn’t broken. His eyes briefly fell onto the stone cuffs binding her wrists.

She’ll survive with just those cuts, Rue thought beginning to tear his shirt. Those were his last thoughts before something hard and metallic smacked into the back of his head.

“It’s Anima,” she said touching her chest. He could only just see the crescent moon insignia tattooed just over her left breast. “She’s calling me. I didn’t know that you could feel her calling as well.” Stykes stopped and hovered listening to the sounds above them.

“Normally I can’t,” he said noticing a few ash coloured feathers falling nearby. Looking up, he saw a ball of ash feathers laced with red falling past them. “Can you hold onto me? I’m going to slow Rue’s descent.” Mariel nodded and held on as tightly as she could.

Stykes dived downwards again, hand outstretched to grab a hold of Rue’s bloody hand. “RUE!”

Rue looked up in a daze when he jerked as Stykes caught his wrist. “Stykes…” he said weakly. “Anima’s…”

Stykes continued to descend until they stood at the bottom of the pit once again. Rue’s breathing rattled loudly in his chest as he struggled to speak. “The statuette Anima took was a trap. It bound her wrists and ankles together as soon as she opened it. The Dark Dwarves want to hold her for ransom.”

“Where is she now?” Stykes and Mariel asked at the same time. They looked at each other warily knowing the battle ahead would be bloody.

Stykes focused his power into Rue, slowly healing what he could. “Was she hurt?” he asked quietly.

“Anima is hurt,” Rue said sadly. “She fell out of the tree we were resting in.” He sat up and worked his joints to test his strength. “She’s going to be brought down here to the Grand Hall. We just need to wait.”

Anima opened her eyes, her vision red and blurred. “Where…?” she asked thickly as she found she had bit her tongue when she had fell. She could feel blood draining freely down the right side of her face. Someone roughly sat her up causing her to wince in pain.

“You’re in the Runes Headquarters,” A voice spoke in her ear. A blade traced lightly over the bare skin on her legs. “You’re our bargaining chip with King Neflyte. Our mining of Hinore is dwindling and we need money or mages to revive the mountain.”

A pair of hands roughly picked her up and threw her onto a carpeted piece of the floor. The back of her head fell hard against a metallic surface. She lost consciousness once more not knowing the three she wished for were in the room.

Stykes, Rue and Mariel stood at the entrance to the Grand Hall. Stykes flicked his daggers around so the blades faced back to his wrists. Rue held his broad sword in front of him, fire danced over the blade. Mariel had removed Stykes’ quiver and attached it to her own belt, nocked a new arrow and stood between the boys.

Before them stood over forty Dark Dwarves, all armed and ready. Behind those dwarves, Anima laid on the carpeted dais near a large metallic throne. Upon the throne sat Tokan, Leader of the Runes. The three nodded to each other, knowing if one reached Tokan they could end this quicker than killing all the dwarves, and leapt into battle.

Far from the battle, Anima awoke to the sound of fighting. Opening her eyes, she tried to look through the dark red haze in her vision.

A hand pulled her up by her shirt. She could feel his sour breath on her face as he spoke. “You’re awake again. I didn’t know you have such resources at your hands. You have a full elf, a part-elf and a part-angel trying to rescue you. They aren’t doing too well though.”

Mariel, Stykes and Rue. Anima thought dimly, her head swimming in its clumsy attempt to keep consciousness.

“Father won’t answer to your demands. He’s dealt with ransom before. He knows that those who use ransom as a means to get what they want use ransom again and again until either he stops folding or they run out of things they want.” Her skin grew cold as the voice laughed cruelly.

She could feel the person holding her stand, pulling her up with him. Her feet hovered just above the carpet letting her know he was very tall for a dwarf.

A blade pressed against her neck, and a voice whispered in her ear. “Thanks for the idea. You don’t have to be alive when we deliver you to him.”

His voice grew louder, causing all fighting to be silenced. “Stykes! Halt your pointless fighting.” He pressed the blade harder against Anima’s throat.

A flutter of wings and Anima could sense Stykes had landed in front of them. “You’re seriously stupid old man,” Anima clenched her teeth at his statement, sweat rolled down her forehead. “What makes you believe that I care whether she lives or not? I’m Guild Master of the Iron Wolves. I’m only here because King Neflyte asked for aid from my guild to rescue his sorry daughter.”

Tokan felt Anima’s body tense and smiled. “Then,” he moved the dagger slightly cutting deeply into her neck, blood trickled down her chest and staining her white shirt. “Just like me, you don’t care if she is alive when you deliver her to Neflyte. But what about the other two? They’re retainers to the royal family of Lunarias. I’m sure they won’t be as uncaring. I bet if you want to get paid for this job you’d have to retrieve her alive with glowing reports from them.”

He gave Anima a little shake, and then smiled. “What’s wrong little princess?”

Stykes looked at Anima’s face, tears streamed from her eyes. Blood drained freely down her face from several cuts along the hairline on her forehead. With his elven blood active, he could clearly sense a hurt feeling coming from her. He looked back to Tokan, his eyes narrowed and angry.

“Is this how you want to be remembered to your clan?” Stykes took a step forward forcing Tokan to step back. “A coward?”

Tokan’s eyes darkened angrily. The blade on Anima’s neck moving, creating a longer, deeper cut. A loud squelching sound interrupted them and they turned to stare at Mariel.

“I’m sorry,” she said holding four hearts in her hand and squeezing them until they were just red pieces of pulp lying on the ground. “I had a sudden craving for blood.”

Stykes smiled and turned back to Tokan, who looked very pale. “We all are actually quite blood thirsty,”

Tokan dropped Anima and backed away from Stykes, his eyes wide with fear. Anima felt Stykes move forward and kneel near her head. His cold hand touched her forehead gently. He stood again, spinning his daggers in his hand until the blades faced away from his wrists.

Sounds of fighting picked up again with the occasional squelching sound. Anima laid still on her side, her mind crudely holding on to consciousness. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed but when the fighting died down, she prayed to the Dove God of Luck that her friends were still alive.

Strong arms picked her up and cradled her gently. Smaller hands, she knew were Mariel’s, cut the stone bonds away from her wrists and ankles.

“Mariel?” Anima asked reaching out a hand. The smaller hands enclosed her hand and drew it to her chest. “Mariel, I…” She couldn’t say it. As far as she could tell, the one holding her was Rue. She didn’t want Stykes to know what she wanted to say.

“I can feel it,” Mariel said quietly still holding Anima’s hand to her chest tightly. “I’m full elf remember. I can sense your emotions clearly whether you want me to know them or not.” She paused and then added. “Stykes can feel them too.”

A cold hand touched her forehead again, and then took her from Rue to carry her gently in his arms. The one holding her now stood and, she guess Mariel and the one who was holding her before stood as well.

“Let’s get out of here.” Stykes’ voice said sounding very close and loud. “I don’t want the guild attacking us when they replace out Tokan is dead.”

The sound of wings and the four were airborne again, making their way down the hall and to the spiral ramp pit. Anima felt warm against Stykes’ chest and held on tightly.

“I wanted him to let you go.” Stykes murmured to her. “I didn’t want to hurt you in the process.”

Anima didn’t reply. She felt him move slightly to fly down another hall, upwards again to the gate, and out into the sun.

After a while in the sun, she said. “Of course it would hurt. Something I always wonder about is what I am to you. Hearing something like that makes me feel like you see me as less than an ally. Convenient asset until I’m unneeded.”

“You’re not like that to me,” he said softly, looking back to make sure Rue and Mariel were still following behind him. He took a deep breath, paused, and released it slowly. Anima could feel wet drops fall onto her cheeks and wondered if it was beginning to rain. The thought of Stykes crying seemed surreal to her. “I almost lost you twice this past month. How many more times do I need to come rescue you before you realize you’re too important for me to just throw away like yesterday’s rubbish?”

Anima raised her hand upwards slowly to touch his cheek. “Are you crying?” she asked causing him to stop flying and just float in the air. Rue and Mariel slowed and stopped near Stykes. His cheeks felt wet under her hand.

“What’s wrong?” Rue asked realizing Stykes was crying. Mariel reached out and waved her hand in front of Anima’s face. Anima didn’t respond to Mariel’s hand, or even noticed the two were next to them again.

“Anima…” Stykes swallowed hard then forced his voice to be calm. “Can you see me?” Anima shook her head and withdrew her hand to let it rest on her chest. “For how long?”

“Since they hit me,” Anima replied quietly. She wondered if Stykes was trying to avoid answering her question. “All I see is a haze of red. Like blood I guess.”

She gripped onto Stykes hard as he took off fast towards Lunarias. Rue and Mariel following close behind. He wasn’t avoiding. She thought in amazement. He’s worried about me. Comforted by this thought, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Anima awoke to the feeling of fresh clean sheets. Her head felt heavy from the bandages that were wrapped around her head and neck. On her right she could feel two people. One held her hand tightly in their hands and pressed against their forehead. The other laid with their head resting on her leg.

The haze of red still dominated her vision. She waited for a while before wondering who was there with her. She started with the one holding her hand. Large hands told her it was definitely not Mariel. She sat up, feeling the one on her leg move, possibly sitting up as well. She moved her left hand to touch the person’s head.

Male… I think taller than me so not Father. The person lifted his head but didn’t speak. She moved her hand slowly over his face and then down to his shoulder. She felt skin where sleeves would normally be. Stykes watched her expression change from curiosity to confusion. He waited, letting her lean closer to run a hand over the top of his back. He could feel her fingers slipping between the slits on his back.

“Stykes?” Anima asked uncertainly. He didn’t reply, his smile growing every second. She brought her head down close to his until her lips were near his left ear. “If you don’t answer me, I’ll bite.”

“You should be more confident,” he said softly, his voice unable to hide the fact that he had a huge smile on his face. “You touched my face, felt the missing sleeves on my jacket and even the slits on my back. There’s no one else you know who would wear a jacket like that.”

“Stop teasing her,” Mariel’s voice said with a snap. Anima guessed by the distance of her voice that Mariel was the one who was resting on her legs earlier. “She’s still not able to see. Even you would know that if you left your elven blood activated.”

Her voice softened and added. “You’ve been out for almost a week. We were beginning to worry whether you were going to wake up at all or not.”

Anima opened her mouth before shutting it. A week… Stykes took the opportunity to reply to Mariel instead, realising Anima wasn’t going to.

“And broadcast to everyone that I’m half-elf?” Stykes asked slightly annoyed. “I would rather keep that a secret for as long as possible.” Feeling Anima’s hand touch his cheek, he turned to look at her.

She moved her hand away and raised her finger with a cheeky smile on her face. “Your second task,” she said causing Stykes to almost fall off his chair. Not seeing this, she continued on. “I need you to rescue Miyako. You won’t be able to fly with her as you could with Mariel because… well… she’s a centaur.” Stykes glanced at Mariel who nodded with confirmation. “You can take either Rue or Mariel. Whoever you don’t take will stay here with me.” Stykes was glad she couldn’t see the expression on his face.

Rue broke the silence and got up from his corner. “You need to rest Milady,” he said pressing her shoulders down lightly. “The Healers only healed you as much as they could without overstraining your body.”

Stykes kissed Anima’s hand before motioning to Mariel to follow him. He looked back at Rue and Anima before closing the door behind him.

Stykes rounded on Mariel bristling at Anima setting another task for him. “What the hell?”

“Those who start the Knight Challenge are meant to finish it,” Mariel replied calmly. “Anima knows this which is why she was smiling like that when she gave you your next task.”

Stykes pressed two fingers to his forehead. “So where is Miyako then?” His eyes set on finishing his tasks. “Please tell me she’s being held in a place where I don’t need to use my elven blood.”

“Miyako is being forced as a bodyguard for the King of Auraeus,” She ignored Stykes’ exasperated sigh and continued. “I was the last to be captured so you made the right choice in whom to take with you.” This didn’t improve Stykes’ mood and Mariel let out an exasperated sigh of her own. “Miyako was captured by the King when one of his Assassins snapped a red collar around her neck. Miyako is skilled in archery and her running speed is practically unmatched.”

“Red collar…” Stykes’ eyes narrowed. “Red is the colour of the Keeper God of the Elves.” Mariel nodded and looked at him with a look that confirmed his suspicions. “And the third person that Anima will send me to rescue…”

“Is also caught with a red collar,” Mariel confirmed sending chills vibrating through Stykes’ body. “Someone of the royal family of the Elves is selling artefacts that were originally used to bind prisoners.” She gave Stykes a look that he never wanted to see from her. “You can’t avoid it anymore. It’s your duty to retrieve those items and replace out who it is that’s selling them.”

“And I was hoping I didn’t have to return to the royal family ever again,” Stykes leaned against the wall, his memories of the white halls of his youth flooding back to him. Mariel knelt before him and he recoiled trying to press deeper into the wall.

“You need to,” She said softly not lifting her head to look at him. “You’re the Crown Prince of the Elves. It’s your duty no matter how much you deny it.” Not hearing Stykes say anything, she cautiously looked up. Stykes looked frozen, staring at something behind her. She stood turning to see Rue standing there, his eyes wide in shock. “Anima will replace out eventually.” She said back to Stykes with a level voice. “Whether you tell her or when you marry her and she replaces out that way, she will know.”

Stykes shook his head. “I won’t tell her now,” he said slowly making sure Rue understood what would happen to him if he told her. “There’s no threat to her just yet. She probably already has suspicions because I carry the red scroll that only the Elven Royal Family can carry.”