Chapter Two
Beware Of The Fox

In the east, the Jackals are now very alerted to the presence of an uprising. The royals set a curfew and send Hyenas to enforce it. As the seven hyenas roam the streets, laughing and talking of nonsense, in the shadows lurk a group of Fox thieves, bent on taking from the Hyenas. The Hyenas sit at an open cafe, laughing and talking, not caring that the cafe was closed. Then upon them falls three foxes, armed quite literally to the teeth, with inserted steel fangs, blades, swords, batons, and maces. The Hyenas jump to their feet, drawing their weapons, ready for a fight. But with the power of lightning, flashing blinding light and zipping quickly from point to point, the Foxes take the weapons from their hands, biting the necks of the Hyenas. As the steel inserts tear away the flesh, the Hyenas are doomed to bleed to death. In less than sixty seconds, the foxes robbed and killed the Hyenas.

The Foxes flee to their den, entering and unloading their haul and equipment. As the three report to Sariis in the war room with Icarus. “Captain Daseron, the attack was successful.” Sariis looks up and nod, then looks back down before looking up again. “Arvik, clean your face, the blood stains are unbecoming of you. You look like a crazed Jakal. Remember to clean the steel fangs as well.” Arvik nods, proceeding to the washroom. But in the dimly lit den, shadows are prominent. He walks down the hall, waving to his brothers as they go to bed down. In the dark hallway, a crack in the ceiling filled with moonlight suddenly go dark as a dark mist pours in and forms into a hooded figure. Luminescent red eyes shine from under the cloak, and the figure silently follows Arvik. 

Arvik dips his hands in the bowl of warm water and splashes his face, then he takes out the steel fangs and bends down to splash his face again, while in the mirror, appears the dark figure. Arvik looks up and sees the mirror, then turns quickly to see he’s standing in an empty room. “Hello?” He shakes his head then shouts out the door “Aha, very funny Mailo.” He shakes his head and turns back to the mirror, suddenly facing the lord of darkness himself. Arvik, gasps to yell, but Decosa simply holds out his hand. Arvik starts to cough and gasp for air. “I am not here to kill you. I am here to grant you power. Take this ability and use it to battle the Jakals. You will be the first of many, lycan. When the time becomes just, you will know what to do with this power.”

A swirl of darkness centers in front of Arvik’s chest and enters his body, this painful process is so overwhelming that Arvik loses conscience. A few moments later, his brothers are both around him, helping him up. “We heard you shout. What were you yelling about, and why were you asleep on the floor? What exactly happened Arvik?” Arvik stands and looks in the mirror expecting to see Decosa, but only seeing three foxes in the mirror. “I thought I saw… I guess I just got light headed. Perhaps our raid tomorrow needs to be postponed in light of a day of rest?” Maihlo nods and stretches, cracking his back. “I could use a long bath, and a day off is just what would help this knot in my back.” Pinwae collects the steel fangs from the table and puts them into Arviks hand.

“We all need a day off. I say we collect our bonus from tonight’s raid and have a day in town. Perhaps have some fun with the strumpets?” Maihlo nods and grins. “That’s a good suggestion. Sleep late, early lunch, drinks till sundown, and strumpets until lights out.” Arvik rolls his eyes but nods. “Sounds like a plan, I’ll go inform Sariis.” Arvik proceeds to the war room where Sariis and Icarus are having a late supper. Sariis looks up and points to the boiling pot in the corner. “Would you like some soup? Icarus is a very good cook.” Arvik licks his lips and grabs a bowl, then ladles a helping into it. “My brothers and I have decided to postpone our raid tomorrow in favor of a day of rest and relaxation. Although Mahlo and Pinwae will do less resting than I will. May I collect our bonus now?”

Sariis lets out a hearty laugh and leans down beside his chair and picks up a small sack of gold. “Sounds like those two have plans for the brothel.” He tosses the sack of gold down beside Arvik's chair. Arvik takes a spoonful of his soup and chuckles. “Yes while I plan on retiring early tomorrow. Also this soup is fantastic.” Icarus turns and smiles, then speaks with a partial lisp. “It was my mother’s recipe.” Icarus turns back to the fire pit and puts the bowl up to his lips, his steel fang clinking on the bowl, he drinks the remaining broth. Arvik looks at the scar on his face, Icarus’ steel fang is always visible through the fissure separating the back of his mouth and the front of his lips. The long fissure runs  across his cheek and up the side of his nose. It was completely healed but the fur cannot grow over the scar. Icarus’ lisp comes from his metal replacements being slightly larger than the original teeth.

Arvik looked into his bowl and put it to his lips, drinking the warm broth. A unique flavor, garlic with beef, salt, parsley and something else. It tasted lightly of honey, Arvik licks his lips. This was the best soup he had ever eaten. Arvik stands and sets the bowl down, then he picks up the sack of gold. “Thank you for the food, it was magnificent, goodnight, my friends, may we see each other again.” Sariis stands and tosses his empty bowl next to the fire pit. “Sleep soundly my friend.” Icarus douses the fire with a pan of water. “Let us all sleep soundly. The Jakals will not let us rest when the war starts.” The three part ways and go to their beds to sleep.
 

The next morning, Arvik awakes to a splash of water. He gasps and shakes his head, then wipes his eyes to see his brothers standing over him. “Gah, damn you both. I’m going to throttle you sods.” He jumps out of his bunk to fight as his brothers laugh. Pinwae sets the bucket down and grabs Arvik’s bag of gold and tosses it to him. “You’ve slept long enough, we’re ready for food, drink, and women.” Arvik begins changing from his sleepwear. “You two are only interested in the women.” Mailo slaps Arvik on the back of his shoulder. “Yet you are only interested in the food. I sometimes suspect you’re a queer”  Arvik hits Mailo on the front of his shoulder. Being the eldest and largest, he hits harder than he realises. Mailo laughs as he rolls his shoulder. “You are well taken, but your hits are strong and painful.”

Later, in the town of Kandt Oris the three brothers make their way down the market road. Arvik, who had been very quiet the entire trip, suddenly turns to his brothers. “What in Tartarus does Kandt Oris mean?” Pinwae, the youngest and most proficient in foreign language laughs “It means Camp Oasis, you sod! It was formed around the lake. Why have you been you so quiet until now? Are you feeling well?” Arvik lets out an exasperated sigh. “No, I keep seeing that thing! The shadow in the mirror, it came at me. I’m different now, I don’t understand why.” Arvik takes a bite of a fruit he bought. “I need a drink. Are you coming?” The other two are shocked by his confession and nod, then after a short silence, Mailo hugs Arvik and holds him by the shoulders at arms length. “We’ll take a drink with you, but why the silence about the shadow? It could be news of the dark god.”

Arvik turns and starts walking, waving off the question. “It means nothing, simply exhaustion.” As the two follow closely behind Arvik, he throws the bar door open. He marches in and takes a seat directly at the bar, throwing out several gold coins. “That bottle, no glasses.” The bartender gives him the bottle of rye. Mailo and Pinwae sit on either side of him. “Glasses, please. Arvik, don’t kill yourself, take a glass.” Arvik pops the cork with one claw. “Fine. Glass please, chilled.” The bartender opens a barrel and pulls a glass out of the ice and scoops up some ice before sliding it down to him. Arvik pours the glasses for himself and his brothers. “To life, may the Jakal fall and Foxes live on.” They toast their glasses and all take a drink, Arvik, continues with his glass until he empties it, then pours a second.

Mailo takes a sip and looks over. “Slow down mate.” As they all share a few more drinks, the doors get kicked open by one of three large Hyenas, they laugh as they flip a table onto a young couple. The fox brothers face straight forward as the hyenas make trouble. The bartender silently slips under the bar to hide as Arvik reaches in his pocket and gets out the steel fangs, putting them in. Then he pulls up his scarf over his mouth and nose, his brothers do the same as the Hyenas stand behind the brothers. “Lookie lookie, dumb fluffy puppies! Wanna play?” The hyena reaches for Arvik and pulls him off the stool, then the Hyena is surprised by a blade across his throat.

As the Hyena grabs his bleeding throat, choking and trying to keep his throat from bleeding. The other two hyenas grab Pinwae and disarm him, taking his dagger. Arvik and Mailo snarl as they pace around the two hostiles. The hyena on the floor coughs and spits out blood, taking his last breath. The two hyenas back towards the door with the dagger to Peinwae’s chest. Pinwae reaches into a concealed pocket and pulls out a spring knife and puts it straight into the back of the Hyena’s elbow. When he gets free, the other two lunge at the hyenas. Mailo gets hit with a chair and gets knocked into Pinwae, Arvik takes the dagger and swings it at Mailo’s attacker. The other hyena takes the knife out of his arm and buries it in Arvik’s back

Mailo and Pinwae rush to him as he collapses. The Hyenas take a step back to take a breath from the fight. Arvik blacks out and his breathing becomes deeper and his fur starts to grow, Pinwae and Mailo step back as Arvik’s body starts growing, becoming a feral monster. The blade falls out of his tightening muscles. The hyenas see the monster growing in the corner. The monster growls and flips a table, making Mailo and penway flee across the room. The beast turns to the reeling hyenas and stares with it’s feral eyes. It lets out a guttural roar, shaking the building. The hyenas start to scramble and the beast runs after them, he grabs one by the leg and it yipes. The beast grabs his head and pulls the hyena in half.

As blood sprays everywhere, the beast catches the other one by the throat before he can escape through the door. The beast takes a bite out out of his head. Mailo and Pinwae are hiding behind the counter with the bartender. Out of the shadows, a gryphon female dressed in meditation robes emerges, the beast turns and crushes a bloody skull in its mouth. It starts to walk towards the woman and a flash from her hand blinds the beast. “In the light, evil cannot live.” After the words are spoken, she approaches the beast and puts a glowing hand to it’s chest. A powerful light blasts through the beast and reverts the beast back into Arvik. The woman takes off her outer cloak and puts it around him as he falls to his knees. “You cannot stay here, you need to come with me to learn to control this beast inside you.”

Arvik holds the cloak to cover himself, dizzy and disorientated. “What happened?” Pinwae and Mailo peek over the bar at the gryphon helping Arvik up and walking him out the door. Mailo stands and shouts. “Where are you going?” The two continue outside and into a covered wagon, the gryphon lays Arvik down in the back and jumps into the front as Mailo and Pinwae run out to the Wagon as well. “If you’re taking him, you’re taking us.” The gryphon whips the reigns and shouts to the horses Mailo and Pinwae jump on just in time.

Hours pass like days, luckily Pinwae grabbed his dagger on the way out the door. He had been cleaning and sharpening it the entire trip. Mailo moves up front beside the Gryphon woman. “Where are we going? Who are you? What the hell did Arvik turn into? What did you do to him?” The Gryphon looks over. “I will tell you all you need to know when we are at the temple.” Arvik starts to stir and Pinwae sets his dagger down. “Are you alright? Would you tell us what the hell that thing was.” Arvik sits up, feeling nauseous “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mailo looks back at arvik then to the gryphon. “Seems he’s up now.” The Gryphon points  up the hill to a gate. “Good, because we’re here.” She stops the wagon and looks at Mailo.

“Would you mind taking the reins whilst I open the gate?” Mailo looks confused on why this mysterious woman would trust him. “Y-yeah, sure. What is all this?” She doesn’t say anything and goes to open the gate, Mailo pulls the wagon through when she does. He stops the wagon after the gate and the Gryphon closes it. Mailo sits in awe of the marble temple. Built like a town in itself, there is a courtyard and several buildings surrounded by cliffs, on top of the cliffs there are ten foot walls, this place was secret, all except the canyon disguising the entrance. To the east were the residence, to the west is the training room, to the north is the temple, The entrance extremely tall. The front of the marble palace is lined with columns. In the center is a large fountain with water that seems to glow. 

Pinwae helps Arvik out of the back of the wagon while the gryphon walks over and takes a steel cup from the side of the fountain and takes a drink of the water, then she fills the cup again and brings it to Arvik. “Drink this, it will make you feel better.” She tilts it up for him and he gulps it all down, letting out a cough when she pulls it away. “Next time let me drink it myself.” Arvik smacks his lips and stretches his back, then ties the cloak around his waist. The gryphon looks at his very tightly muscled upper body and seems unattracted. “I think we should get you some clothes” Pinwae and Mailo stand next to Arvik as the Gryphon turns to the barracks. Arvik follows after her. “Aren’t you going to tell us your name?” She opens the sliding door and lets them in, “My name is Maria Synclair Temlin. You can call me Maria… Or Synclair… Or Indigo, you could even call me lady. Just don’t say ‘hey you’, I hate that.”

Arvik cracks his neck and shakes his head. “What was that water? I feel better already.” Maria gives each of the brothers temple robes, blankets and towels. “The Water is something I am not fully capable of understanding. These are yours to take care of, from your looks you are used to military life, so first thing in the morning report to the temple for training. We may yet be able to keep you from becoming a soulless monster.” Arvik sets his stuff down on the first bunk. “I hope they can fare without us at Headquarters”