00
A solitary wolf entered the cavern, its gray fur and green eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness.
It walked down a narrow passage and into a large cathedral like camber.
In the center of the enormous room stood the crumbled, fragmented remains of a stone alter and the bodies of several humans. The wolf noticed the faint smell of gunpowder, the smell was old and beginning to dissipate. It pawed at the rubble and whined as second wolf appeared and joined his side.
It was a large black female,
She sniffed the rubble the pair howled, it was a dreadful, somber cry.
Hundreds of other wolves that inhabited the surrounding woods chimed in.
The resulting chorus could be heard for miles...............................................

01

Nicodemus and Iantha ran through the snowy darkness. The young lovers had fled at the worst possible time, it was a new moon and it was exceedingly dark.
The snow must have knocked out the kingdom's electrical grid, all of the street lights were out.
They had been running for what had seemed like an eternity.
They paused under an awning in the deserted marketplace, the steely taste of adrenaline lingered in their mouths.
"Nico, why didn't we leave earlier?" Iantha panted as she shook the snow from her long ebony hair and ermine cloak.

"Lord Morrisaux, my great uncle has been threatening me for years and I never took him seriously.
It would appear that I have underestimated him. It all started when my grandfather, Marran Varou the previous lord of the First Nation was executed for treason. My entire bloodline was disenfranchised from the throne," Nicodemus pulled a small rusted dagger from his coat
"That butter-knife won't protect us if we are found" Iantha said
Nico looked at his fiance's doleful steel gray eyes and said,
"It's the only protection we have. One way or another I will protect you, even if I die in a hail of bullets doing so."
Iantha looked into her Fiancee's hazel eyes snow was beginning to cling to the steel beads interwoven into his shoulder length ochere hair. A look of sheer desperation spread across his scarred face.
He had fought several campaigns against the Third Nation headed by the ever so violent leader
Lord Talavar. He had emerged victorious, but not unscathed, underneath his hardened exterior lay a warm and loving heart. She knew his words were genuine.
They embraced momentarily, then continued to run through the deserted streets.

Suddenly there was a deafening hiss of a steam engine from behind them, an enormous armored
Land-Ship plowed through a nearby fence its mounted gun roared shattering the still, snowy silence of the night. Windows rattled and the ground shook as nearby shop exploded sending shrapnel every which way.
"IT'S HIM Run!," Nicodemus barked.
They raced across the square, their breaths fogging in the frigid night.
The ground trembled as the Land-Ship advanced, its thick dread-knot wheels rumbled on the cobblestones crushing everything that stood in its path.
They passed by the iced over reflection pool suddenly the gun roared again and chunks of ice flew everywhere.
The noise roused other townsfolk from their slumber, they emerged from their dwellings clad in thick coats.
"If we don't watch it the entire city will be after us Nico " Iantha shouted
"Wonder how large of a bounty Morrisaux has offered on our heads,"

They passed by a narrow alleyway between the haberdashery and scissor smith's shop.

Nicodemus paused, and looked back, the Land-Ship was getting closer the next round would certainly reach its intended target.
"I'tha, wait a second, there is no way he can fit that behemoth through here"
They darted down the ally hand in hand.
"where are we going "
"I think I know someone who can help us,"

Nicodemus whispered
they emerged on the other side of the alleyway and ran down another deserted street. They still could hear the Land-Ship hissing in the distance.
They stopped in front of three abandoned storefronts all in advanced stages of decay and decrepitude. The first had been a bakery, all of its windows were shattered and she could see the hearth oven behind the counter. The second had been an apothecary bundles of dried herbs were heaped on the front display case. The third and final shop was a bookstore, the wooden sign on the door had a picture of an open book with unicorns dragons and other fantastical beasts emanating from the pages. Nicodemus knocked on the door three times and an old gnarled man wearing a crimson robe opened the door.
"State your buisness,"
"Xaphies, it is I Nicodemus, grandson of the once Lord Varou, my fiance and I seek refuge."

The old man blinked his rheumy eyes and put on a pair of spectacles.
" By the darkness of night! it IS you, by all means come in." The old man ushered them inside the confines of the abandoned shop.
The place had a strange aroma, mildew, mold and a strange smell much like cinnamon.
"Iantha, this is Xaphies who was my grandfather's squire,"
The old and decrepit squire bowed
"you will be safe here, so how did you two lovebirds meet?"
Iantha grinned
"I met Nico at the fall festival two years ago, he was sitting alone by the reflection pool surrounded by other young couples, "
" I was in shock, from what I experienced in the Third Nation. My mother had died from tuberculosis three days after I returned from my last tour of duty.
My father had died fighting in the Third Nation two years before, I was alone and crushed" Nicodemus said he shed a single tear.

" You had looked so looked lonely and dejected so I joined your side. "
"We met for coffee the next day and we never really did stop seeing one another, the rest is history." Nicodemus smiled
"Xaphies, why was my grandfather charged with treason?"
"Nico, what do you know about The Order Of Varou?"
" All I know is it was apparently an organization headed by my grandfather that plotted against the emperor "
Xaphies laughed
"not quite, The Order Of Varou is a secret militia founded by your grandfather, not to attack the emperor but to defend our borders when the Third Nation succeeded. "
There was a loud hiss from outside
"Its Lord Morrisaux, No time to explain, follow me." They quickly scurried down a stone spiral staircase and into a catacomb like cellar festooned with cobwebs. A second stairwell lead them into a enormous ans dimly lit cavern with a cathedral like ceiling. There were ten others of varying ages standing around the chamber all clad in similar hooded robes.
In the center of the chamber there was a large stone alter covered in a large bear fur throw.
There were also several wolves in the room, two were guarding the bottom of the stairs none of them were tethered or leashed.
Iantha gasped.
One of the cloaked figures, removed his hood it was a man, about Nicodemus' age with jet black hair.
He had mustache and goatee, there was a strange geometric tattoo under his left eye, it appeared to be some sort of sigil.
"Don't worry they won't hurt you,"He said

A large gray wolf with large scar on muzzle approached her and licked her hand.
Hello and welcome to the Order of Varou, my name is Fazar.
Iantha cautiously stroked its head.
"So Xaphies was telling me you are some sort of militia," Nicodemus said
"If that is so, why all the secrecy?"
Fazar gave Xaphies a nervous look
"Do I have permission to demonstrate?"

"Lord Morrisaux has charged them with treason, just like Marran. It may be their only means of survival."
"So it begins " Fazar said
The others stood in a circle around the room holding hands while Fazar clamored onto the alter, he laid down on the alter and closed his eyes.
"MAY IT BE SO!" he shouted the room began to shake, several candles hit the floor their lights extinguished. Fazar's form wavered and blurred suddenly a huge black wolf stood in his place. It leaped

from its perch and joined Xaphies' side.
"As you can see these are no normal wolves " Xaphies said grinning form ear to ear.
The black wolf jumped back onto the stone table, its form blurred then there was a bright orange flash and Fazar stood in its place.
" In your grandfather's day we would turn into wolves and patrol the borders dispatching would be invaders." one of the other members said, it sounded like and old woman

"Are you sure about these people? " Iantha whispered,
"It could be an illusion, you know the old cliche about smoke and mirrors "

"I remember the first time I saw Xaphies awaken," Fazar said.
"I thought it was a magic trick too. I can reassure you this real."

"How does it work?" Nicodemus asked
"There are more worlds then just the one WE live in, this stone alter is not from here. "Xaphies said, Iantha approached the stone alter and examined it closer.
"From another dimension?"
"Yes, and it has a blatant disregard for everything we know about physics." Fazar added
"It is all about mental projection, visualizing yourself as a wolf."
"So now the only question left remaining is are you in? " The old woman said.
"I don't think we have much of a choice," Iantha said
"we are in," Nicodemus said
"But before you join, I must tell you of our laws, there are only three and they are very simple,

ONE:We don't use our abilities for personal gain or selfish reasons
TWO: We do not kill for reasons other then food or self preservation
THREE: We never speak of the order, or its members beacause there is an enormous possibility that we could all die if the outside world discoverer this place.
Do you agree to these terms,
"Yes" They spoke in unison
"Let's have a toast to our newest members," Xaphies beamed
Someone produced a decanter full of apple wine, glasses were passed around.
"To Nico and Iantha" Fazar said.
The wine was incredibly sweet yet potent.
Xaphies set down his glass
"Are you ready?" he asked
"Yes,"
"Let it be so " Fazar said
They were helped up onto the stone table, they laid down hand in hand and closed their eyes.
"The stone slab you are laying on gives off energies," Xaphies whispered "energies that science can't quite explain, do you feel it? "
"yes" they said there WAS a strange energy flowing through the stone alter, it was a low steady vibration and a low pitched hum much like electricity
" relax and visualize yourself as a wolf, let the energy flow into you "
The buzzing intensified and suddenly they were floating above everyone looking down at their bodies still lying on the table, a thin silver chain ran between their hands and back to their tangible bodies.
The chains snapped and they flew upward. Birds and other spectral animals bounded around them suddenly they parted and the cloud-like spirits of two wolves approached, they were rapidity disintegrating like windblown clouds, they pounced and collided with Nicodemus and Iantha's spirits
Suddenly a deafening voice that was neither male nor female young nor old spoke a single word

BE

They both snapped awake at the same time and hopped down from the alter
Nicodemus looked at his fiance she was now a snowy white wolf with sea green eyes. He was a large gray wolf with gleaming verdant eyes. The wolf who had licked Iantha's hand approached,
"hello" he said
"wait a second we can speak?" Nicodemus asked
"not speak, understand. We are not talking like humans do my friends, this is something far more primitive more like reading body language and barking at one another. Anyhow I digress I am Sabin , Xaphies told me to tell you that all you need to do to change back is lay back down on the table and repeat the process. Go out into the wild and for a couple of weeks, I recommend avoiding all of the local wolf-packs their alphas are all in a territory war with one another. I am sure you noticed the scar that is no thanks the alpha that leads the pack that lives in the woods outside of the second nation. There is a cliff in the woods behind the training fields, that entire woods is neutral territory, you will be safe there.
I will come and check on you in three nights. We will try to appeal your case, when you come back I am sure that things will have simmered down."
"Thank you, " Iantha said."

"It is both my duty and pleasure to aid you, good luck and godspeed "

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02

They scrabbled up the stairs and into the bookshop, it was the perfect hiding place for a secret order. No one would ever think to check a seemingly abandoned property. The two wolves cautiously emerged outside and ran through the streets, the snow had finally stopped the entire city was blanketed in white. They came up from behind the Land-Ship that was still chugging around looking for their human counterparts. They darted past and between the bars of the city gates. They passed through the training fields where Nicodemus had completed his basic training before going of to fight in the third nation, it felt like a lifetime ago.
It was quite dark but their newly acquired lupine senses helped considerably. They heard the howls and barks of other wolves in the distance, it sounded like they were fighting. They quickly found the cliff that Sabes had mentioned, it overlooked a small brook. On top of the cliff several fallen trees had created a large dead-fall that would, make a perfect den. They were both exhausted from their ordeal they curled up inside the fallen boughs and immediately fell asleep.

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04
They awoke the following evening, the sun a crimson orb that cast bloody light through the bare defoliated trees.
Nicodemus had gone hunting and had nabbed a raccoon, they feasted on its carcass as the moon began to rise.
"You think that I would be grossed out by what we are eating " Iantha said,
"but it doesn't taste half bad. "
"Then again we ARE wolves after all," Nicodemus said gnawing one of the racoons ribs. The woods where quiet and stagnant.
Oh the tedium of being a wolf, nothing to do besides eat and sleep.
The sun slowly began it's ascent in the east, daylight, the dawning of a new day that they spent sleeping occasionally they would get up and walk around, that evening they found that the stream lead to the foundation of an old watermill, the large stone foundation was covered in human blood. The stains were old and fading.
"Iantha, I thought that this place was just a legend," Nicodemus said.
"What happened here, is that human blood? "
" This is where my great uncle executes his enemies....this is where my father died."
The entire area around the mill's foundation was covered in strange blue and orange flowers that seemingly glowed in the twilight. Nicodemus plucked one from the ground and slid it behind one of his fiancee's ears.
She giggled
"you silly mutt you, Lets go," Iantha said nuzzling her husband to be
" Good Idea, if I stay here any longer I will loose my mind "
That night a deer walked by their den, through a joint effort they managed to dispatch it, it put up quite a fight, Iantha snapped one of its legs and Nicodemus bit through its throat.
The deer would offer enough food for several days. The sun began to rise and once again they decided to sleep through the day, several times they thought they hear other wolves passing through nearby. That night Sabin was supposed to come and check on them, he never arrived.
Another day passed,
"Something is wrong, " Iantha murmured, "even if Sabin wasn't able to make it they should have sent SOMEONE to check on us, we are out her on our own.
"We will go back to the order tomorrow and see what is amiss."
They had trouble sleeping that day, they had polished off the remainder of the deer carcass, Nicodemus growled,
"I have a bad feeling about this," he grumbled"
They both sat up and watched the sun set
"So beautiful," Iantha whispered, "I wouldn't mind changing into a wolf from time to time and coming out here for the express porpoise of getting away from it all,"
"Nicodemus laughed, "aside from the horrendous ennui it is an amazing experience"

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05
That night it began to rain they walked through the deserted streets, the smell of smoke was fresh in the air, several buildings had burned down in their absence
"What the hell happened here?" Iantha asked shaking the excess water from her fur
"Lord Morrisaux happened " Nicodemus roared, I wonder how many innocent people he slaughtered this time. They passed through a burned out restaurant and through the back ally that lead to the bookstore. The door was hanging from it's hinges and the smell of death was in the air.
They careful entered the bookstores derelict lobby. They climbed down the stairs and into the alter room. To their combined shock and horror the alter had been destroyed. Xaphies bullet riddled body lay sprawled out in one corner.
"Iantha pawed the rubble, the otherworldly energies that had once permeated the stone slab were gone, it was dead and useless. Much like the stripped deer bones they had left on the cliff.
"D-does this mean we are stuck this way, " Iantha gasped
"I don't know...i just don't, " Nicodemus said.
They both let out a disparaged cries
Outside hundreds of other wolves, other member's of the order that had survived.
Their time had come.
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They solemnly climbed the stairs. The rain was coming down in sheets, the wind had also picked up. A war was coming to the first nation, not against the third nation but against the wolves of The Order of Varou that had struggled for nearly a century to protect the empire. Now branded as either heritcs or traitors. Their country had abandoned them. They and returned to the woods and partook in a ritual as older then time, they chased one another through the woods and play fought. They consummated their union on the cliff where they had long awaited Sabin's arrival. Sabin would never arrive now he was dead. There was only one rule of the wild: don't die.
They both howled in ecstasy. There was a lightning strike nearby and a deafening crash of thunder.
IT WAS TIME

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Fazar and thirty other members of the order that had survived the onslaught. They had assembled by the stream below.
"look more of our pack-members!" he shouted
"Glad to see we aren't the only ones stuck as wolves. " Iantha said
Fazar laughed,
" I always wanted to die as a wolf anyways, what better time then to make a final stand. I never got the chance to meet your grandfather but from what I have heard of him I am sure that he would be proud of us."
"Let's go," Nicodemus barked.
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06
They silently charged through the deserted streets towards Lord Morrisaux's castle. The castle itself was a stone fortress in the center of the city. Its lightness windows seemingly glared down at them much like dead eyes. They charged up the steps and clawed their way through the first guard who had his back turned at the time. The second one loaded his gun to shoot but Nicodemus pounced on him from behind. They smashed through the flimsy first gate that was mostly for show, the second gate was solid steel. By this time the commotion had roused the other guards inside the second gate began to slowly open. The wolves charged through, into the main hall. Only some of the guards had loaded their muskets most of their shots missed, Fazar's ear was grazed by a bullet. Blood tricked down his head.
"ouch that tickles," he laughed and pounced the guard that had shot at him. They tore through all of guards before they had the time to Reload. The commotion had roused Lord Morrisaux, he stood at the top of main staircase, holding a rifle. his shoulder length black hair was interwoven with platinum beads. In some ways he bore a striking resemblance to his great nephew. He was much older, his hair was striped with gray and he walked with a slight limp. His eyes were a lifeless gray, they were the eyes of a dead-man, a corpse. As he took aim Nicodemus' pack charged and pounced him. Both shots missed one hit a chandler shards of crystal rained down from the ceiling, the other shot hit a suit of armor causing it to fall off its stand with a loud clatter.

Lord Morrisaux was dead, the wolves had overrun his castle it was their time.
In the cellar hidden in a dark corner was a stone alter.
"The rubble we saw in the chapel wasn't the real alter? " Iantha asked.
"Why only steal it and replace it with rubble " Nicodemus asked.
"Most likely greed " Fazar said.
"And probably scared of us" one of the wolves said.
"We never speak of this, no one in the outside world ever needs to know what happened tonight. For all intensive purposes he was killed by wolves," Fazar growled.
"Who is going to lead the country," Nicodemus asked

"leave it up to parliament our work is done here." one of the other wolves said.
One by one they laid on the table and returned to their human forms.

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Nicodemus and Iantha walked hand in hand through back to her house. The sun was rising scarlet in the east,
a new day.
a new era.
a golden age.

07
The following day the stone alter was returned to its rightful home where it remains to this day

08
Parliament had decided in Nicodemus' favor he was crowned as the the new lord of the first nation.
His marriage to Iantha was a national holiday. The streets were full of merrymakers.
Fazar stopped by and delivered a bottle of apple whine, they sat on the castle's veranda and had a toast
"to the new lord " Fazar beamed.
Nicodemus bowed

"To better times " Iantha said. They downed their wine and joined in the merrymaking on the streets.