U.O.T.W. Chapter 111 Omega, The Lowest Rank

• Posted by Sotek March 26, 2016 - Filed in TSC: CB Story - 1,231 views

   

  Sotek was still feeling a bit stunned from Aela’s actions let alone the atmosphere which seemed to follow her like a dark trailing cloud of depression as she passed through the trees on her route back to the camp. He didn’t know what was going on but what he did know was he didn’t want the rest of the day to be blighted by Aela’s mood. Acting on impulse, he ran after her and yelled out in an attempt to draw her attention.

  “Hey, wait up!”

  She stopped by a tree and rested her back against it but instead of turning around to face him, her gaze stayed fixed on her boots, forcing him to move in front of her. As he stroked the top of her head, she felt his fingers flow through her hair to the base of her neck just as if he was stroking a dog. She couldn’t help herself, despite how she felt, her body reacted to his touch like a faithful hound and lightly pushed her head against his hand, intensifying the sensation to finally roll the side of her face in his palm.

  As he held her cheek, she smiled and found herself caught in his bright emerald green eyes. His tail snaked across her boot distracting her. She looked down at the tip as it flicked about to finally rest between her feet. Sotek pulled her away from the tree and set off towards the camp with his mate in his arm.

  “Come on you, we can’t go back to camp with that face”.

  She took a deep breath then held it for a few seconds before wrapping her own arm around him.

  “You’re right, again.... I’m good, I’m ok…”

  Kodlak, who happened to be acting as the unofficial umpire for the sparring match between Farkas and Vilkas as they duelled with each other, felt a presence and quickly turned around in his chair to see Aela and Sotek as they drew near.

  Aela’s eyelids closed to narrow slits and her hand slid across her hip to rest on her dagger. Without even looking at him, she whispered to Sotek and seemed to quicken her pace.

  “Great, training. Farkas is mine, you got Vilkas!”

  However, almost as if he knew what Aela was planning, Vilkas intercepted her by cutting her path with his great sword.

  “You wait a second. Sword and shield. You haven’t practised with them for ages. Daggers don’t give you no defence”.

  Aela stuck her tongue out at him and kicked the blade out of her way.

  “That’s a double negative, they cancel each other out. Besides, I don’t happen to have my shield or a sword, do I?” As she spoke, her face scrunched up.

  Kodlak started laughing, drawing Aela’s attention to him. A round steel shield rolled from the side of his chair and settled on the ground by Aela’s feet. The Harbinger then lightly threw to the ground a scabbard which held a Skyforge steel blade.

  “You do now, shift yourself”.

  The shield looked no different to any other steel shield but Sotek recognised it immediately. He knew it from months ago when Aela returned to the hall after he nearly killed her. Every little nick and dent sang to him, every scratch and indentation. This wasn’t a shield; it was Aela’s shield.

  Begrudgingly, Aela snatched the weapon and shield off the dusty ground and secured the shield to her arm. The sword seemed to effortlessly swish in the air as she tried a few practice swings despite her words of protest.

  “I don’t need these to best you. Red’s claws are far better”. She then advanced upon Vilkas whose own large muscular form was bearing down on her.

  Sotek watched as Vilkas helped Aela with some basic moves. While they trained, Sotek couldn’t help but notice how the three members of the Inner Circle interacted with each other. He moved towards the Harbinger and knelt by his side while he observed each move and counter move the two Companions made.

  “She’s really close to you all isn’t she?” Sotek stated to the Harbinger in a hushed whisper so he wouldn’t put Aela off.

  The Harbinger knowingly nodded in response although he too kept his voice down low albeit for different reasons.

  “Yes, we’re the only family she has here. Has she talked about her mother and father to you yet?”

  Sotek felt his own heart’s beat quicken. Earlier, Aela’s mood turned for the worse and now after months of silence, her father and mother have been mentioned. He tried to work out the connection but ended up having to satisfy himself by shaking his head. There were just too many holes; too many pieces were still missing.

  “No, not yet. She will he hopes, but that’s for her to choose and in her own time, he expects she will when she feels able to”.

  Kodlak gave Sotek a puzzled glance and thought about what he had said.

  ‘He? Sotek’s dropped his speech again. The poor bastards troubled and he don’t even know why. You can’t keep it all to yourself Aela. It’s about time you realised girl that your life’s circle is somewhat bigger since Soteks come along’.

  Before Sotek and the Harbinger could talk any further, Farkas interrupted them by tapping on Sotek’s shoulder with the tip of his sword.

  “Oh look, a lizard is hiding in the grass. Grab your axe”.

  A loud reptilian groan caused Aela to chuckle, causing her to fumble her strike.

  “Damn it, Sotek shut your whining. If I got to train, then you have to as well”.

  Sotek drew his axe and weighed it in his right hand. His left shoulder already ached yet Farkas seemed to be in no forgiving mood. He was going to push, and push hard. Turning back towards the Harbinger, Sotek rested his axe on the ground and chose a short club like stick and swung it about in front of himself. He declared his intensions with more gusto than what he actually felt.

  “Ok let’s do this”.

  Not being prepared to face Sotek and his stick with his own weapon, Farkas opted for a long thick branch and hacked off the few spindling twigs which split off in a multitude of directions so he was similarly armed against his foe.

  Within a few minutes, Sotek and Farkas faced each other. Initially they both probed the others defences looking for a weak point. As they sparred, Both Aela and Vilkas stopped their fight and watched.

  Farkas was quick to notice how Sotek reacted against specific attacks, especially when he failed to protect his weaker left side. Both Aela and Vilkas saw it as well but it was Vilkas who yelled out at him angrily.

  “Hey!!! You’ve got to watch your left side!! I know your shoulders bad but you’re leaving yourself open”.

  To illustrate his point, Farkas feigned an attack then quickly struck out, completely bypassing Sotek’s defences. The blow struck him perfectly in the side of his chest giving Farkas an easy victory.

  “Sorry, you’re dead”.

  Sotek shook his head and cursed himself while his tail swiped about angrily.

  “Damn it. Again”.

  He barely formed his stance when Farkas instantly went on the attack. Sotek fought off three charges as best as he could. The fourth blow yet again swiped past him and hit him in the torso.

  Vilkas came over and stood between them both. His finger was almost shoved in Sotek’s face as he ranted at him.

  “Look, you got to keep that side away from the enemy, they will exploit it”.

  Sotek grimaced due to the pain but more so from Vilkas’s tone of voice. He knew Vilkas was trying to help but he couldn’t shake the disappointment, especially when he could see it so easily reflected in Aela’s eyes.

  Sotek didn’t have to look hard at Aela to know she was worried. He could smell it in the air as surely as if Aela’s skin secreted pheromones of fear. Sotek could almost taste it, except his mouth was dry and his lips felt like sandpaper against his tongue as he licked his lips in an attempt to moisten them.

  “I’ll be ok, honest. Sticks are one thing, but a proper fight is another”.

  The Harbinger gave him a reprieve and handed him a potion to drink.

  “Here! This is from Arcadia; she hopes this particular brew will be of more help”.

  Sotek took the potion and drank it without question in the vain hope that it would wash away his parched throat. As the liquid coated his mouth and poured down his gullet, a warm sensation filled him. Although the remedy seemed to ease the stiffness in his shoulder, it did little to quench his thirst so he settled for three large mouthfuls of water from Aela’s flask which lay by the fur she was resting her haunches on earlier.

  “Well I’m dead. Aela, it’s your turn. Avenge my death, make them suffer”. Then he sat down and watched the three Companions carry on without him.

  Faced with her mate’s untimely death, Aela growled out and her knuckles turned white as her grip on the short sword tightened.

  Cursing out she snarled at Sotek and closed in upon her target.

  “I’ll do more than avenge it, I’ll kill the bloody dogs”.

  Farkas chuckled and prepared for her assault. She suddenly screamed out and wildly attacked him with her sword like a demented creature from the plains of Oblivion.

  “Yeeeaaaarrr!!!”

  Her unfounded frenzy caught Farkas completely off guard and he found himself desperately trying to hold her off. Aela’s strikes had no finesse or control, they were wild and unrestrained. Farkas stepped back to open a bit of ground between them but he tripped up and fell on his backside.

  Sotek jovially called out and applauded Aela for her victory.

  “Hooray for my side”.

  Feeling somewhat surprised at her seemingly easy victory, Aela caught her breath back but she couldn’t refrain from grinning broadly.

  “Your deaths avenged, my sweet”.

  Farkas pulled himself up off the ground and picked up his sword. He swung it about a few times then took a new stance. Turning his head to the side, he scowled at Sotek.

  “You shut up, you’re dead”.

  As Aela and Farkas prepared to face each other a second time, Sotek pointed to her and commented in such a way that everyone could hear what he was saying.

  “Last night it was, ‘I need you’. Earlier it was ‘go back to that hell you came from lizard’. And now she fights to the point of avenging my untimely death”

  Aela kicked a stone towards him. He watched it roll past his boot and chuckled at her vain attempt to shut him up.

  “OI, watch it. She’s quick to change sides isn’t she”.

  After watching Aela’s sword play, or rather Aela’s sword ‘reality’ Vilkas decided she took Sotek’s sparring session to heart. Wanting a piece of her ass, Vilkas joined in, effectively doubling up against her.

  Aela initially looked somewhat confused until she cottoned on with the fact that she now had two opponents. Her words of protest fell upon deaf ears and she felt more nervous than ferocious.

  “Hey, this isn’t fair”.

  Both brothers stood either side of her then they casually approached her with their swords at the ready. Farkas smiled and his voice had an air of cruelty to it.

  “Sotek can’t help you, he’s dead”. Vilkas grinned and closed in with his great sword as the color drained from Aela’s face.

  A blue glow shone from behind the tent then all of a sudden, much to the Harbingers amusement, Sotek's familiar joined in from nowhere and launched himself at Vilkas. Stumbling from the surprise assault, Vilkas bitterly complained to Sotek who was too busy laughing to care.

  “Hey you’re dead, you can’t help”.

  Sotek composed himself and laid out a simple fact which caused Aela to roar with laughter.

  “Don’t you know? I’m a werewolf, that’s my wolf spirit”.

  Because she wasn’t paying attention on him, Farkas easily caught Aela in the chest with the side of his sword. Smugly he called out to the group.

  “Well you’re too late… she’s dead”.

  Sotek’s familiar shoved its head under Aela’s hand, forcing her to stroke him. He led her back to Sotek and when she sat on his lap, the familiar started howling.

  Aela smiled warmly at it and shrugged her shoulders.

  “Well at least we’re free to hunt”. As the familiar continued howling, both Sotek and Aela joined in making it all the louder.

  Farkas laughed and pointed at the spectacle in front of them.

  “By the nines, he’s as much of a wolf as she is”.

  Vilkas burst out laughing and slapped Farkas’s back.

  “Yes but Omega isn’t. Hey, Harbinger! Can’t Sotek show you his werewolf form? Honestly I know it’s forbidden but wow… you got to make an exception here”.

  Aela quickly butted in and shot down Vilkas’s suggestion.

  “Nope it’s not allowed, we gave our word. Besides, you just want to take the piss”.

  Farkas joined in with Vilkas and pleaded alongside him.

  “Oh shush. You’d change within ten minutes if the Harbinger headed back to Whiterun. Harbinger? Go on, we’re not near anyone. He’s cool, we won’t take the mickey we swear”. As he spoke he quickly looked around although he wouldn’t have seen a mammoth if it was next to him.

  Aela shouted at them both defensively. She knew Sotek was thick skinned but she couldn’t help herself. Even Red felt protective when it came to Omega.

  “Yes you will, you both know it. No, he’s not going to”.

  The Harbinger couldn’t help but wonder why they were so pushy to get him to see it and why Aela was so adamant that Sotek shouldn’t change.

  “Well this one time won’t hurt I suppose, if Sotek's willing. It’s not like you won’t change if I wasn’t around…”

  Aela turned to Sotek who up to this point just sat there silent. Her finger jarred him in the forehead, pushing his head back.

  “Don’t you dare. You got nothing to prove”.

  Sotek gave her a reassuring hug and explained his reasons.

  “I know you’re looking out for me but he has to see it sometime. Besides, once it’s out of their system, they will be easier to deal with. It will be better for us in the long run”.

  She then glanced back at the Harbinger and whispered across the camp at him.

  “You’re wrong…”

  Kodlak cast a bemused expression which quickly changed to one of concern as Sotek screamed out and fell on his hands and knees. Aela knelt alongside the changing writhing form and tried to coax Omega along as he transformed. After what seemed like an eternity, he rolled on his back. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were wide open, staring at Aela. The white werewolf felt confused and disorientated but her touch seemed to settle him down.

  She got up and was quickly joined by Omega as his wits returned. For the first time he glanced across the camp and studied the Harbinger who was a foot taller.

  Kodlak’s mouth went through the motions but not one word managed to escape. Omega cautiously advanced towards him and inquisitively sniffed his chest, taking in his scent, adding it to the other pack members. He stood upright and lifted his head upwards, causing Farkas to immediately burst out laughing.

  “He’s only up to the Harbingers shoulder”.

  Vilkas shouted out hysterically and joined in.

  “Quick someone find a box so Snowball can look the Harbinger in the eyes”.

  The Harbinger was stunned. He honestly believed they were leg puling. But to see Sotek’s werewolf form for himself… he actually found he had to look down at the pure white werewolf who stood in front of him. Stupefied, he glanced at Aela and compared her own height to Omega’s.

  “Oh my ermm, he’s the same height as you”.

  Farkas, ignorant to Aela’s seething rage, called out to everyone.

  “I know, I know. We can get leather straps and make him a harness for our backs, then we can take turns to carry him where we need to go”.

  Omega howled out at him, which did little except to give Farkas cause to laugh even more.

  Vilkas stood in front of the werewolf. He sarcastically cupped his hand around his ear.

  “Sorry, I’m sorry, I missed that. Farkas was breathing too loudly”.

  The Harbinger looked Omega over and tried to think of something to give him encouragement. No matter what Kodlak tried to say though, it was only the inevitable which came to mind.

  “Ermm he is a bit short isn’t he”.

  Farkas continued cackling like a drunken oaf and pointed at the unfortunate werewolf.

  “It’s like a tiny troll, can’t we keep him? There’s a box somewhere, we can sit him in it”.

  Vilkas sniggered and shook his head at the suggestion.

  “No, no we can’t keep him in a box! He needs it to stand on. Poor snowball hasn’t got a home”.

  Farkas replied as he wept tears of joy.

  “We… we can keep him in Jorrvaskr. If anyone said anything we can say he’s a troll runt”.

  Vilkas laughed even harder as he thought of Jorrvaskr.

  “No, that won’t work he’ll need ladders to get up the stairs else he won’t be able to climb the step”. He chuckled as he imitated Omega by jumping up pathetically.

  “Aela! Aela! Help, I can’t reach the top of the step”.

  Farkas cried out even more.

  “No wonder he’s called Omega, nothing's lower than he is”.

  Aela couldn’t help herself, her temper raged out of control like a fire deep inside her. Without even thinking about it, she changed into Red. Thinking didn’t come into the equation with Red, she just reacted.

  A loud howl was quickly followed by an angry snarl which drew a blanket of silence across the campsite. She howled out once more at both Vilkas and Farkas but this time around the cry failed to have the desired effect. Unfortunately, she had moved next to Omega. Even the Harbinger had a hard time containing his laughter as Red stood a foot higher than her male counterpart.

  Kodlak tried once more to give some moral support but he failed in the noble goal and just ended up adding fuel to the fire.

  “Well, you’ll have good camouflage in the mountains”.

  Farkas shouted out joyfully, dismissing Red’s attempts in protecting the white werewolf.

  “No, no he won’t. Aela! Aela! I can’t see over the snowdrift”.

  Red had enough… she stepped towards Farkas and howled at him while her claws swiped through the air as close to his chest as she dared to, forcing him to back away. Omega fell to the ground and doubled up as he howled an ear piercing scream, forcing the others to block their ears. Red, momentarily distracted, came to his aid and lightly rested her paw on his chest while he transformed back to his Argonian form.

  Sotek slowly opened his eyes and rested a hand on Red's paw which was still on his chest. He tapped it a few times then pushed it away from him so he could get up. Red sat up and just stared blankly at him until he stroked the side of her face.

  “Hey, come on you. Behave”. He blinked heavily for a few minutes until his eyes became accustomed to the suns glare until Red shoved her snout into his chest knocking him back a few steps. “Oi!!”

  She stepped away and gave Sotek a final look before she transformed back into Aela. Her transformation was quickly over, leaving Aela standing on her own two feet, solid as a mountain but her temper raged like a storm. She glared across at Vilkas while her arms wrapped themselves around her mate. Sotek’s hands caressed her back but her eyes fixed on Vilkas as her rage burned inside, a seething anger rising up to the point of eruption.

  She shouted at them both, her temper clearly went off the scales.

  “You pair of bloody bastards!!”

  Sotek slapped her backside, and pulled her around to face him, moving temptation away from her gaze.

  “Hey, that’s enough”.

  Needing some release from the writhing emotions, Aela shouted back at him. She couldn’t help herself. There was too much anger, too much restraint and pressure put upon her. Aela’s rage was like a wolf kept in a cage… it needed to be free.

  “What is enough? They just ripped into you constantly and you are too bloody dumb to see it! I said don’t didn’t I”.

  Sotek held her tight in his arms and tried to ease the situation. Had he chosen his words more carefully then he might have succeeded, instead he made matters far, far worse.

  “Aela, just see Omega as you did that Argonian for the first time all those months ago. Give him a chance to grow.…. Aww crap”.

  Both Vilkas and Farkas rolled on the floor in hysterics, Farkas shouted out laughing once again.

  “A chance to grow? It’s a good job Aela isn’t that little girl, she would chase him on her knees!! I can imagine the Harbinger… ‘Where’s Omega gone? Aela spit him out at once!’”

  Even the Harbinger laughed at the thought which proved to be the final straw. Sotek held Aela tighter as she tried to break free of him while she ranted.

  “You bastards!! Haven’t you had enough bloody fun?”

  Her foot slammed down on top of Sotek’s tail causing him to squeal in pain, thereby releasing her. She pushed him away and turned to face the two brothers directly.

  Upon seeing her dagger like glare, Farkas moved alongside Vilkas with the mind-set that Aela wouldn’t tackle the pair of them together.

  Aela walked up to them with an eerie calmness that made the Nord's eyes twitch in fear. With every step her hips stuck outwards in an almost seductive manner but her whole demeanour was far from sultry. Before either of the brothers could react, her hands formed two fists and swung upwards.

  If Farkas and Vilkas were wearing armor then the two blows would have done nothing as their greaves protected a certain weak spot in a man’s anatomy but all they were wearing was two pairs of worn trousers. Protection was needed, but it was found to be severely lacking.

  Both their worlds exploded as a red hot eruption of pain tore throughout their bodies. The fiery haired Nord's fists left them doubled over and on their knees. Their stomachs twisted and turned like wild rough seas, threatening to spew their guts while they held their groins in agony.

  Neither of them cried out, they couldn’t. All the two Nords could manage were soft groans as pain flooded their senses while they gasped for air.

  “Now who’s the bloody short ass you bastards”.

  Only now did Kodlak realise what Aela had done. He yelled across at her hoping to bring her to heel but she was too fired up.

  “Aela!!! Get your ass over here!”

  “What?? They went too far. And all you did was provoke them!!” She just shouted back at the Harbinger then stared at him. Her eyes shone with open defiance.

  Sotek stepped in and pulled her to the side.

  “I’ll take Aela and cool her off while you ermm… help them”.

  He gingerly took Aela’s hand and lightly tugged her arm, pulling her away from the others so she had a chance to calm down.

  Only when they were alone did Sotek bring her to a stop. He pointed to a large rock and motioned for her to sit on it which she did although all her fury was still evidently there.

  “Hey, you ok?”

  “No I’m bloody not. I’m bloody angry”.

  He held her in his arms and tried to sooth her soul. Inside a question burned which he dreaded asking lest he set her off again but he felt it needed to be said.

  “Be honest with me. Are you angry or are you frustrated with the fact that Omega’s so small?”

  Aela seethed and her knuckles turned white as they formed two tight fists.

  “I swear I’ll slap you. You know how I feel about you, about Omega. Do you seriously think Red let him take her out of sympathy?”

  Sotek quickly shook his head and tried to backtrack a little.

  “No that isn’t what I meant. You know, the whole situation still seems strange to me”.

  Aela’s eyes stared in the distance. A rabbit around a thousand yards away was chewing on something. She wanted to kill it.

  “What does?”

  “Talking about us, as in them, Red and Omega. No I don’t think Red let him mate with her because she felt sorry for him”. He inadvertently started laughing. A nervous laugh rather than one of amusement. “I’m sorry, this conversation feels weird”.

  Aela chuckled back at him in response.

  “Yes, it is a bit odd isn’t it. I’m damned if I’m saying that Omega screwed me though. It was Red he went with”.

  He gave her a hug then he looked back at the camp.

  “Are you ready to go back?”

  She nodded then cast a final glance at the rabbit.

  “Yes, but I’m not bloody saying sorry”.

  He led her back where the two brothers were sitting in their chairs. They both looked sorry for themselves and it was obvious the Harbinger had words with them both.

  A nudge from Sotek egged Aela into enquiring about her siblings wellbeing.

  “You two ok?”

  They just nodded, both of them deciding not to say a word lest the situation became worse.

  Sotek studied the three of them. There was an atmosphere between the three Companions and he knew it would take a while for it to clear. Despite that though he couldn’t help but add to the misery.

  “Rest up. We’ll start early in the morning. If you’re both able to, that is”.

  Kodlak shook his head and had a quiet word with Aela.

  “You can stop smirking now”.