U.O.T.W. Chapter 127 With Every Ounce Of Strength

  •  

    Author’s Note: Adult Themes

     

    As soon as Sotek stepped inside the cave, a familiar scent hammered his senses. Such was the dramatic effect, he was forced to stop walking and clung onto the wall for support. Aela didn’t have time to react; she ploughed into the back of him, nearly knocking him over in the process.

    “What on? Why the hell have you stopped? Are you ok?”

    Sotek gazed along the tunnel, his senses totally over whelmed him, causing him to become sluggish and groggy until he managed to regain control. He knelt down where he was and whispered in a delicate voice lest he would inadvertently shatter the sensation.

    “She’s here”.

    Aela, feeling confused, turned around to face the entrance but she couldn’t see anyone. Facing the only tunnel ahead of them, she sniffed at the air, allowing Red’s senses to try to distinguish anyone in particular. Where the air was heavy with so many different body smells, such a task was impossible.

    Having no other choice, she knelt down next to Sotek and whispered in his ear.

    “Who is?”

    Sotek had a far away stare, as if he was somewhere else, some other place or time. He spoke in a hushed whisper as he replied.

    “Red is. Red, Aela’s Red”.

    Aela couldn’t help but groan. She gave him a funny look as a thought occurred to her. ‘Maybe I hit him too hard. I must stop doing that”.

    “So Red’s here is she, good I would love to meet her. Oh wait, she’s me! Well a part of me at any rate”.

    Sotek stared back at her in disgust as if she was a blasphemer. His reprimand seemed at least to her way over the top especially when he seemed to talk nonsense.

    “What the hell are you on about girl? No, you’re here, Red’s here. She’s in the cave! Her scent is everywhere”. Sotek reached over to a plant and smelt it, and then he scooped up a handful of earth and sniffed it heavily as if it was some sort of drug. The soil was dramatically shoved under Aela’s nose while Sotek tried to explain to her what he smelt.

    “She’s in the very ground itself”.

    She peered down at the earth and sighed. With a goofy expression she glanced up at him and slapped his hand away, spilling the soil on the ground.

    “It’s dirt!”

    Sotek cried out despairingly. Aela’s lack of insight was infuriating him and every attempt he took in trying to explain himself was just winding him up even more. As he pointed to a small rock which in itself was completely innocent of any crimes and insignificant to everybody, Aela pulled his arm, causing him to focus on her instead.

    “Right, I’m sorry. I promise no more slaps to the face. Obviously it’s too much for you; I’ll just have to hit you in the chest in future”.

    Sotek sighed in defeat and started walking along the tunnel.

    “You don’t have to hit me at all. Have you considered that?”

    Aela grinned as she nodded in response.

    “Yes, but I gave that idea up as needless and fanciful. One has to keep her pet under control”.

    Sotek stopped and peered over his shoulder at the Huntress who was grinning like a cat who got the cream. Shaking his head at her shameless response, he tried to counter it but he failed at the very start.

    “I’m not your pet”.

    “Yes you are. Heel”. She stated as she slapped her thigh, beckoning him towards her. For some reason unbeknown to himself, he obeyed and moved alongside her.

    He gave her a playful shove then strolled off, leaving her to follow from behind.

    “I’m not your pet, nor your hound. Come on you, down here”. He then led her off along the passageway as quietly as he could while Aela giggled to herself.

    The tunnel opened out to what seemed to be a large clearing. However it was far from being ‘clear’. Several bodies from a big fight that happened an hour or so before littered the rock bed and blood stained boulders surrounded a central stone platform where the main battle seemed to have taken place.

    A single survivor, a Khajiit was leaning against one such rock that supported him. His hand clung on to a wound in his side but it was insufficient to prevent blood from oozing out between his fingers.

    Sotek knelt down next to him as he prepared to cast a healing spell.

    “What happened here?”

    The Khajiit’s cat like eyes opened wide as if he recognised the Argonian who stood over him. He grinned as he felt Sotek’s spell start to take effect, binding his wound, saving his life.

    “You had the dream as well? Of the hunt? We all did, all of us. Then they showed up, they attacked us but we were better than those scum. They were only fit to be called base prey”.

    Aela felt something, a niggling sensation like the furs on the nape of Red’s neck rise up in warning. Werewolves were called to the hunt, werewolves, werebears, they were all Hircine’s yet something else had gathered here, something other than Hircine’s hounds.

    “Who were ‘they’ may I ask?”

    The Khajiit’s eyes closed as the last of the wound sealed up. He still felt weak, his strength was drained and his usual boundless energy had been diminished from his injury. Despite how he felt, he turned back to Aela and answered her question as best as he could.

    “Silverhands! They accused Greymane of being Scarface! He went livid. He killed them, all of them, by himself!! We thought that was the end of it but then he started shouting and screaming about an Argonian. He sent out assassins against him, this Sotek character. He doesn’t know who he’s messing with, the poor sucker”.

    Sotek nodded as he drew his axes. Hircine’s words rang through his mind like a vision. ‘It shouldn’t be too long now; everything’s falling into place’. Nodding to himself, he knew what had to be done. The Khajiit sitting in front of him was no longer a friend, he was the enemy and there was one thing to be done when faced against such an enemy.

    “Oh don’t worry he knows exactly who he’s messing with. It’s a shame, such a waste of a spell”.

    The Khajjit looked up at the Argonian standing over him then as a flash of recognition hit him, he started shouting out in a desperate attempt to alert anyone else in the vicinity.

    “You’re Sotek? Oh Hircine, he’s here. He’s here!!”

    Before Aela could understand what was happening, Sotek’s axes swung down simultaneously; both edges of the axe heads sliced past each other, severing the Khajiit’s head between them. The head flew upwards by a foot as blood sprayed outwards before the body slumped to its side. Red life giving liquid covered the fur as the head landed with a soft ‘thump’ on the ground.

    Stunned by Sotek’s seemingly heartless actions, Aela watched in disbelief as the head rolled across the floor. It ended up staring back at her as it came to rest in a large yet shallow crack in the floor.

    “What the hell did you do that for?”

    Sotek wiped the axe heads on his greaves, smothering them in the blood of his prey before he even considered giving Aela the most basic of replies.

    “He was my prey. One of Greymane's minions”. He then reached down and picked up the head by the fur and held it in front of himself to examine it.

    “You’re not the one I’m after. He’s here though, isn’t he? Hmm?”

    At that very moment a big muscle bound Nord came around a corner and entered the clearing. The moment Sotek saw him, he gulped. He always thought Farkas was strong but the specimen standing in front of him was nearly half a foot taller and was coated in muscles.

    Despite never seeing him before, Sotek knew exactly who it was that stood before him. Sotek tried to push the fear aside but the odds were stacked against him and he knew it. The two handed Greatsword was old and worn, that was never a good sign.

    Most would look at a weapon and fear the clean, shining new blade but Sotek knew better. Such weapons were either not used often or they had replaced older blades. Being a blacksmith himself he knew each blade was different, a slight difference in thickness or weight balance, even armor was the same. Whenever you had a boot made or a gauntlet, you should always have both replaced. All blacksmiths knew it. That was why you could never buy one boot or glove. They were made in pairs, sold in pairs.

    The blade the Nord wielded was old, worn. It was a weapon to be feared for he knew its reach perfectly; he knew its weight and how fast it would flow around him. He knew his weapon and he loved it, like a woman by his side as he sat by a fire. It’s touch, its voice.

    Sotek was in trouble and fear gripped his heart. He tried everything to fight it, but he knew it was too late, fear had him. He knew it and so did his tail. He looked down at his feet and saw the tip of it lay in a straight line as it slid between his feet. Shame facedly he turned to Aela. She was counting on him and he had nothing to give.

    Only once before had he faced such overwhelming odds. On that particular day he lost himself to fear. Many years ago he faced someone; an old adversary, someone who he finally called his master. She was a Tsaesci, one of the serpent races. Sotek knew very little of them before he met her but he quickly learned respect. Aruzzel had taught him to fight with a spear but it was she who taught him the way of the spear. It was a sacred path of training. Only the Temple Guard of Black Marsh learned of this path of training. Only the Naga were trained as Temple guards if they were young enough to curb their lack of lawfulness. Their brutality was harnessed and fed just as much as their bellies.

    Sotek, being a nothing more than a basic Argonian often wondered why she had chosen him to teach. Maybe she saw something in his future, maybe she saw something inside.

    He swallowed every drop of saliva in his mouth and cast his mind back to one particular training session. Her words played through his mind as she taught him the danger of fear. He knew it ends fights and battles the moment it takes hold. For three days she worked with him forming his defence against the black force which claimed men so easily as it just as easily claimed him now. At least it would have, if it wasn’t for her.

    Sotek closed his eyes and pictured a darkness flooding over him. He envisioned himself smothered in a black void but then a small tiny flame burst into life in his hand. He focused on it and concentrated. All of a sudden the horizon exploded in fire, burning away everything around him, cleansing him from the life taking fear.

    Sotek’s eyes snapped open and focused on the Nord. He no longer saw a foe to be feared, all he saw was prey to be killed. Sotek whispered his prayer of strength, fortifying himself again fear, calming his soul.

    “I have no friends, no family, no mate. Behind me lies the void, before me, all I see is you, my prey!”

    Now feeling far bolder, Sotek cast the head to the floor and watched as it landed by the Nord’s feet.

    “I’ve dreamt over a hundred nights of a thousand ways on how I’m going to kill you! You murdering rapist son of a bitch”. As he spoke his tail slammed down, scattering debris as it formed a cloud of dust.

    Aela stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes fixed on the grey haired Nord and for the first time she saw her nemesis.

    “Greymane? You bastard!!”

    Greymane snapped back as he pointed straight at her, singling her out as if she was nothing but a piece of property waiting to be claimed.

    “Don’t call me a bastard, you bitch. You’ll soon learn respect when you’re on your bloodied knees”. He started walking towards her but Sotek moved in front of Aela, blocking the Nord’s path.

    Greymane laughed at Sotek’s grand gesture. He didn’t know of Omega’s size but then he didn’t need to. His own werewolf form stood superior to all other lycanthropes. He knew of Red and her hunts and the boons she had been granted but he himself wasn’t without such gifts. He had five such boons. His own speed was near equal to Red’s but his strength far exceeded her capabilities. No one’s werewolf form could stand against him.

    “What is this? Defiance? Hahaha..... Oh please, back off. Your forms nothing compared to mine. Now, be a good little doggie and stand aside, you’re in my way. You never know, I might actually be gentle with her, then again I do have to break the bitch!!”

    Greymane stood right in Sotek’s face and shoved him backwards into Aela who he tried to protect.

    As he stumbled backwards, Greymane laughed even louder and grinned evilly at Aela.

    “By the gods, he’s pathetic. You were giving yourself willingly to this miserable creature?”

    He grabbed one of Sotek’s bone spikes and pulled him close to his face.

    “You have to understand, she’s mine. She always was, she always will be! She’s my whore to use as I see fit! Watch and learn little frog!”

    While he maintained a tight grip on Sotek’s bone spike, he pointed to Aela and hollered at her.

    “On your knees, bitch. Now!”

    A white flash blurred his vision and blood poured from his nose from Sotek’s elbow as the Argonian lifted it up catching Greymane full in the face. Finding himself free, Sotek punched the Nord in the stomach twice in succession but for all his strength, such blows were worthless. He looked up at the Nord who had already recovered. A single fist slammed into Sotek’s face, knocking him backwards off his feet. He slammed into the ground feeling dazed and shaken. He pulled himself up on all fours to see Aela backhanded by the giant of a Nord. She fell to the floor curled up in a ball in tears. Her senses spinning wildly and pain flooded her mind. She couldn’t stand up if she wanted to.

    Sotek knew Greymane was too strong for her, this was his fight and that was exactly what he intended to do, fight. He shook his head and ignored the blood that dripped from his nose and mouth. With bloodied spiky teeth, Sotek hissed his defiance and drew his axes.

    “Come at me you bastard, death calls for you!!”

    Greymane charged forwards without even bothering to draw his own blade. As Sotek swung his axe, Greymane spun around and a heavy boot thudded into Sotek’s chest. Blood spurted out of his mouth as he was sent hurtling backwards by several feet. He slammed onto the rocky ground and visions of Aela in the training yard filled him with dread and fear. He found it hard to breathe. Every short breath felt like he was being stabbed. He knew he had broken ribs; he slowly traced his hand along his chest which seemed to burn like fire.

    A bright light burst from his hand coating his body while his mind fought back the pain. From somewhere in front he heard Aela scream as Greymane grabbed her by the hair and lifted her up off her feet.

    Sotek stopped casting the spell, he knew it wouldn’t fully heal his wound and he was out of time. Aela needed him and he wouldn’t let her down. Before he could move towards Greymane, the Nord shouted out, calling his men to him. All the while he held Aela by the hair. Every so often he shook her, causing tears to flood down her face as she barely stood on her tiptoes to try to counter her own weight.

    Twenty people came out from cover. Some were in their werewolf forms while others were all armed with weaponry. Sotek helplessly gazed at the ranks of men and women who chose to stand against him, Nords, Imperials, Khajiits.

    Greymane knew what was going through Sotek’s mind. After all he had seen it before on many an occasion when someone had something he wanted. They never had it for long, everything belonged to him.

    “These are all my people, all she has is you. You desperately fall short of her needs... it’s not for you to worry about, I’ll fill her needs. I know she’s feisty, I like that... but she won’t be once she learns to do what she’s told. I’ll break her though. I’ll break her every bloody night”.

    He yanked Aela’s head around so she had no choice but to look at him. All she could do was spit at his face which earned her a slap across the check, cutting her mouth even further. Blood covered her from where her lip had split. Greymane laughed and ignored the spittle which covered his face. He forced her mouth to his and kissed her brutally smearing blood over her. With a bloodied wide grin he pointed at Sotek as he whispered to Aela.

    “Say goodbye to the last remnants of your past life. You are no longer a Companion; your new title is whore!”

    Sotek thought back to something Quentarii always told him. ‘If you can’t fight then find someone who can’. With that in mind, he gave up the fight and passed it on to someone else. Screaming out, he fell to the floor as he started transforming. White fur smothered his scaly skin and he stretched out while he cried as Omega took full control.

    Greymane threw Aela to the wayside and pointed at the specimen which moved towards him. As he spoke, all his men laughed at the pathetic creature who seemed dwarfed by even the Nords who hadn’t transformed. The Nord leader laughed and jested while Aela tried to pull herself up to help Omega.

    “What the hell is this? Oh no, mercy, it’s going to eat me. Oh no, wait. It’s a mop head. Lad’s for a moment there I thought we were in trouble”. His eyes cast down at the Huntress and savagely kicked her in the stomach, sending her sprawling across the floor.

    He yelled out his orders, leaving everyone under no illusion that he was to be obeyed.

    “Leave him to me. Make sure the bitch sees this. I want her to remember this moment”.

    Greymane started transforming himself and within a few seconds any feint chance Omega had was lost. Omega knew it and so did Aela. She cried out in pain from her face and her stomach but more so for Omega who now stood dwarfed by the monstrosity who stood before him. Even the other werewolves who stood over seven feet high seemed so small and insignificant at the behemoth who so willingly claimed Red for his own. Greymane’s werewolf form stood at eight feet and was vastly superior to the other lycanthropes.

    Red’s rage burned deep inside and Aela whispered to her, begging her to aid in the fight.

    “Help him, please! For both our sakes!”

    Red took over as Aela transformed, freeing the she-wolf inside. Despite having the four boons, Red knew she was out matched by Greymane, regardless of this fact, she howled out in a frenzy of fangs and claws as she launched herself against her prey.

    By now Omega had charged towards Greymane’s werewolf form that blatantly stood there waiting for the white werewolf to reach him. With a flurry of claws, Omega tore into Greymane’s chest, slashing wildly like a demented creature from the realms of Oblivion. His claws however weren’t up to the given task and made little impact against his prey. He wasn’t in the same league as Greymane and it only took a single blow to prove it.

    In one single swipe, Greymane ripped out chunks of flesh and fur, causing Omega to howl out in agony. As the white werewolf fell back from the pain, Red leapt at her target. A large grey paw walloped her in midair, catching her in the side of the head. The colossal blow sent her crashing to the ground where she lay too stunned to move.

    Full of rage yet relatively unhurt or unflustered, the grey werewolf seized Omega by the throat with a single paw and wrenched him skywards. Omega’s legs dangled in the air as he struggled to breathe while he looked into the cold heartless eyes of Greymane.

    Greymane howled out aggressively as his claws dug into Omega’s chest giving Greymane the grip he wanted. With as much force as he could muster, the grey werewolf threw Omega into the cavern wall, spattering him against the rock face.

    Omega fell down in a heap of bloodied fur. His face was smothered in his own blood, blinding him from his surroundings. He could just make out the whimpering of Red who herself was in no position to help him.

    Red looked up half dazed to see Greymane, the alpha werewolf, pick up Omega by the legs and swing him around, smashing his head against the wall. In complete overkill the werewolf hurtled Omega a second time against the rock face then he gloated over the body.

    Red phased out, allowing Aela to transform back to her Nordic form. She crawled on her hands and knees crying out for Omega as the grey werewolf growled at her in contempt. Greymane’s werewolf form looked down at the white werewolf with eyes of burning hatred. Blow after blow rained down, annihilating Omega’s body, smashing bones and splattering blood in waves of destruction.

    Aela screamed out and fell to her knees distraught and unable to breathe. Her chest felt tight and she struggled to draw the slightest of breaths. She tried to shout but she couldn’t even whisper. All she could do was watch the callous and unnecessarily brutal attack as tears flooded down her cheeks.

    Aela screamed out and ran blindly at the grey werewolf. She didn’t’ even have the presence of mind to draw her daggers. A hefty paw slammed into her, quelling her rage with ease.

    Greymane changed back to his Nord form and stood over her and pointed to the other end of the cave.

    “The master’s come for his prize. Look you filthy bitch; watch what happens when one of our kind dies. You are mine, forever... Rahahaha”. With an evil laugh, he pointed across to where a light blue humanoid appeared.

    Hircine walked slowly forwards and glanced towards the bloodied lifeless corpse of Omega. No longer could the white fur be seen. He was nothing more than a bloodied broken corpse. Hircine placed his hand to his mouth and whistled out, calling the wolf spirit to his side.

    “Wheeww….weet!!”

    From the corpse of Omega, a large dark spectral wolf arose. Aela had seen them before, in her dreams but this one seemed larger. It growled at Hircine, disobeying his command and having recognised Aela easily, it trotted over to her. She sat up on her knees and watched as it moved towards the one he loved with every single beat of his heart. Her trembling hand was forced up due to his snout nudging it, making her stroke him. He licked the side of her face, wiping away the tears but they ran down her cheeks in a constant stream. Aela hugged him tightly as she whimpered in his ear.

    “I’m so, so sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here. Please, don’t go, stay with me, please. Hircine please... don’t take... him... please...”

    Hircine’s hand rested on Aela’s shoulder in empathy but his words did little to console her.

    “It’s the circle of life and death and for him, his time is over. Did I not warn you my hound? Red doesn’t belong to Omega, she never did”.

    He banged the end of his spear into the ground then walked away, calling the wolf spirit to his side. Aela screamed out at Hircine, as she watched Sotek’s wolf spirit head towards the Hunting Grounds.

    All the while Greymane’s sickening, twisted laughter dominated the caverns.

     

     

Comments

14 Comments   |   Hasir likes this.
  • Exuro
    Exuro   ·  May 2, 2016
    Nooo! First Lissette was killing puppies now Omega's dead and Alea is in a very bad position. I think we just hit that part when the roller coaster dives on your ride. I thought for sure Sotek was going to be the prey of the hunt the last few chapters. Th...  more
  • Ben W
    Ben W   ·  May 2, 2016
    Is okay, Aela *hugs* 
  • Aela The Huntress
    Aela The Huntress   ·  May 2, 2016
    I understand why this had to happen, but I don't like it.
    Poor Omega
  • ShyGuyWolf
    ShyGuyWolf   ·  May 2, 2016
    it's alright, it is just really good story arc.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  May 2, 2016
    I don't actualy have a picture of Greymane but I've a day or so spare so maybe I can come up with a Greymane char.
    Sorry about the emotional ride. I'm sure Aela's feeling it too.
  • ShyGuyWolf
    ShyGuyWolf   ·  May 2, 2016
    Dang this is so Emotional.
    I hope Sotek comes back. Greymane in his human form, got a picture of it? Or is that spoiler?
  • Ben W
    Ben W   ·  May 2, 2016
    Hmmm.... 
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  May 2, 2016
    *gives Aela hug of support* 
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  May 2, 2016
    Hell Axius... You're killing me here.....
    Aww crap sorry....
    To be honest this chapter came close to being the reason for a divorce. Aela is not happy what so ever about this one, at all.
     
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  May 2, 2016
    Then go with bulldogs