《Beast of the Mountains》


 Death and Rebirth

    ¡®Why did I run¡¯ Dustin asked himself as he moved through the trees like a shadow. As a werewolf, moving through the forest should be easy, but it was agonizingly slow compared to what he was used to. But that¡¯s what happens when you¡¯ve got two crossbow bolts sticking out of your back. It wasn¡¯t helping that they were coated with wolfsbane. He wasn''t sure how long he¡¯d been running, but now he was sure that his pack was dead. He could remember he¡¯s Alpha telling him to run, but he could help but feel like he should have stayed. Maybe he could have helped. ¡®No¡¯ he thought to himself ¡®don¡¯t go down that road.¡¯


    He was suddenly brought out of his thoughts as a sharp pain exploded through his left side. He instantly knew he¡¯d been shot. He fell to the moss covered ground. He cough and black blood covered the ground. The wolfsbane had reached his blood stream. Soon, he told himself as he felt the poison spreading. As he forced himself to his feet, another bullet hit him in his back. Normally he would heal from this but the poison was making it impossible. He silently cursed the Hunters. He had no idea why they hunted his kind, but they always did. As he rolled onto his back and looked at the sky. He couldn¡¯t help but think the stars looked beautiful that night.


    He felt his mind fading. Whether from the poison or blood loss he didn¡¯t know nor did he care. As he felt the cold embrace of death, he smiled at the female hunter that moved toward his dying body. She had her rifle aimed at him.


    ¡°Do you ever wonder why you hunt us?¡± he asked as he lost himself to the dark clutches of death.


    The darkness. It was peaceful. Dustin just sat there in the dark. He didn¡¯t know how long it had been, but he didn¡¯t really care either. Within the darkness, he felt peace and within that peace he gained an understanding of what it truly meant to be a dead. He¡¯d thought he understood well he was alive, but he¡¯d barely scratched the surface.


    Suddenly he felt something coming. Like a heartbeat, but he could see in the distance he could see light. It was a welcome change. It seemed like an eternity before the light arrived before him. As he looked at the light, he realized that it wasn¡¯t a light but a woman that gave off a soft white light. To call her beautiful would be an injustice. She was perfection. Moonlight white hair and eyes like stars. Her figure was alluring. She watched him with an alien interest. But like the rest of his time in the dark, he didn¡¯t feel anything. They sat there watching each other.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± she said in a voice that could put angels to shame.


    He tried to respond, but he realized that he couldn¡¯t make a sound. Not that he¡¯d ever felt like trying. He didn¡¯t have a body so he wasn¡¯t surprised. The light woman seem to realize this as well. As she quickly continued speaking, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not coming sooner, but I was busy with other things. But I¡¯m here now so I¡¯ll make this quick.¡±


    She paused for a moment then continued, ¡°My name is Lystra. I''m the goddess of the moon. Wolves have always been my children and werewolves even more so. I¡¯ve been watching you for a long time. You have the qualities of a true wolf. You¡¯re loyal and strong. You¡¯re prowess in battle is truly one of a kind, but you can be gentle when you need to be.¡±


    Dustin was at a loss for words. Even if he could speak, he wouldn¡¯t know what to say to that. He was in the presences of a goddess. As she complimented him, he felt a sharp pain flare through him. He could still remembered how he¡¯d run and left his Pack behind. Left them to die.


    Seeming to sense his thoughts, Lystra spoke again, ¡°and because of this I¡¯m going to send you to a new world. It¡¯s much younger than your old one. That means that Magic will be in the air and so you¡¯ll be much stronger there. But with the new power there will be new danger as well.¡±


    At the thought of being able to live again, Dustin could help but be excited, and adding the promise of more power made it even more so. He wondered what she meant by magic in the air, but didn¡¯t think on it too much because he find out soon enough.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already picked the family you¡¯re going to be born into. I think you¡¯ll like them. Our time is coming to a close, but before you go I have to warn you that in this world Werewolves don¡¯t exist. So you¡¯ll be one of a kind. Fair well my child, and live well because I¡¯ll be watching.¡±


    With that, he slipped back into the darkness. But this time he could feel himself moving through it, and when he stopped he felt, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, warmth. As he oriented himself, he remembered that the Goddess Lystra had said he would be born into a new family. He quickly put together that he was in his new mother¡¯s womb. He had no idea how long he¡¯d be in there or what awaited him on the outside, but he was sure that he would face it head on. Never again would he back down. Never again would he be afraid. Never again would he run from those who depended on him.


    After so long, he felt like he was being crushed. It took him a moment to realize what was happening. His new mother was going into labor, and he was soon gong to enter his new world.


    It was a long time before he felt the shocking cold of the air. He felt strong hands under him. It took every bit of his self-control not to growl at whoever was touching him. Then came the noise. It battered against his sensitive ears. He could smell blood, but he guess that he had just been born sothat smell was normal.


    As he focused on what was going on, he heard someone panicking and screaming that he wasn¡¯t breathing. He wanted to laugh until someone slap him on his behind causing him to yelp. It was a pitiful sound that made him want to laugh. He want to know who had dare hit him, but then he heard an enchanting voice.


    ¡°Give me my son,¡± the voice said as he opened his eyes. He felt himself being moved around, then he found himself looking into the eyes of the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever seen. Even though she was covered in sweat and looked pained, she was stunning. He instantly knew that this woman was his mother.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    He had long black hairat thatmoment was in disarray that made her ocean blue eyes all the more alluring. She smiled at him as he looked at her in awe. He wasn¡¯t sure why but he raised he baby hand and touched her cheek.


    ¡°Hello my son,¡± she said with a voice that could melt the icy heart of the devil himself. As she spoke, he could hear a commotion coming from behind him. He was curious as he tried to turn toward it, but his mother had his head securely held.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± a rough voice came from behind him. Suddenly, a man¡¯s face appear in his line of sight. The man looked to be his mother¡¯s age with light blond hair and piercing grey eyes. As the man looked at the baby, his demeanor change completely. His sharp gaze softened and he seemed frozen with emotion. It wasn¡¯t a huge guess that his man was his new father. His father was well built with large but lean muscle.


    His father reached out and stroked his hair. He was a gesture that if Dustin had to guess was something that he rarely showed and when he didn¡¯t it was toward his wife.


    ¡°He has a powerful gaze just like you, Morzan,¡± his mother said as she looked into the softened gaze of her husband.


    ¡°That he does,¡± the man known as Morzan replied as he watched his son stare at him.


    Suddenly, an elderly man entered behind Morzan. Held out a small stone the size of his son¡¯s fist. It was an identification stone. With it his son would be given a name from the gods. Morzan being a warrior by trade hope his son like him would be named by Ronan the war god. Quickly, he held the cold stone to his son¡¯s forehead. Then the stone did something that no one in the room had ever seen before. Even the priest that had brought the stone, watch in shock. Normally the stone would glow softly and show the name of the child before reshaping into the crest of whatever god had named them. Morzan¡¯s stone was in the shape of two swords crossed over a shield. Well his wife¡¯s was in the shape of a bloomed flower. But the newborn boy¡¯s didn¡¯t just glower. It shined like the sun with silver light, and from the light came a figure of a woman. As the people save exhausted mother, realized what stood before them they all drop to one knee. Never had anyone there in their wildest dreams imagined that one of the divine would personally come to name a child. But the priest was even most shock because he knew first who the goddess that stood before them was.


    The goddess looked at the child and the child looked back. To everyone¡¯s dismay, the goddess smiled at the child as he watched her and smiled back. She reached out and touched the child¡¯s stone after that she turned toward the people in the room and spoke, ¡°treat him well.¡± And with those words, she disappeared and with her the stone hung around the child¡¯s neck by a small silver chain.


    After a few minutes, Morzan moved toward his wife and son. His wife looked a shock as he felt. He pushed his thoughts aside as he touched his son¡¯s stone. What he saw within made him to gasp in surprise. As his wife watched his expression go from shock to pride then to confusion, she could get over the fact that the goddess Lystra came a personally named her son.


    ¡°What is it, dear?¡± She could barely contain herself, but she knew that it was tradition for the father to see his son¡¯s name first where as if it was a daughter she would see it first.


    He looked at her with wide eyes and said, ¡°His name is Lycan.¡±


    She knew there was more, but from the look in her husband¡¯s eyes she knew that he was trying to understand something he¡¯d found in the stone. As he gestured for her to look, she couldn¡¯t move fast enough. As she looked within, her son¡¯s identification stone she understood.


    Lycan Snow: son of Lord Morzan Snow and Lady Lucinda Snow


    Race: Werewolf


    Age:???


    Strength:??? Speed:??? Agility:??? Stamina:??? Endurance:???Intelligence: 211 Wisdom: 283


    Chosen heir of Lystra Goddess of the moon


    Both parents looked at their son with both pride and question. They had the idea that he could understand them. And the fact that he was one of the Chosen was something that would shock the world. One thing that scared them was that he wasn¡¯t human like them, and they had no idea what a Werewolf was. Morzan had traveled most of his teen and young adult life. In that time he had never heard of such a thing. But he could guess it had something to do with his physical stats being blocked.


    He looked at his wife who gave his a smile, but he could clearly see she was exhausted. He took a moment to admire her beauty. As she sat feeding their son, she had gain a motherly aura that to him made her all the more beautiful.


    He quickly ordered everyone to hurry up and get out except for the priest. As the room fell silent, he looked into the priest eyes. The priest was his uncle and looked back at him with the same grey eyes.


    ¡°I hope you know what just happened,¡± Morzan asked with a tired voice.


    ¡°I know that your son is the first to be named by the Goddess Lystra in over a thousand years. And from the look on your face, I take it he is one of the Chosen. But his stone looks wrong,¡± the old priest answered as he looked at the stone that hung around the sleeping child¡¯s neck. Well most stone¡¯s where in the shape of the Divine¡¯s seal. But the child¡¯s was in the shape of a snarling wolf head.


    ¡°I think that the change of the shape is because of his race,¡± the priest looked at Morzan in shock, ¡°his stone says that he isn¡¯t human, but it says that we are his parents. How is that possible?¡±


    The distress was plain in the voice of the young lord¡¯s voice. He look to his uncle with pleading eyes. He knew well that his wife had been faithful not only because the stone said that he was the child¡¯s father, but because his wife had been a maiden when they had married only a year before his son was born. He had the scars on his back to prove it.


    ¡°What do you mean,¡± the priest asked softly as he looked at the child sleeping next to his nephew¡¯s wife, ¡°if he isn¡¯t human what race is he?¡±


    ¡°His stone says he is a Werewolf,¡± Lord Morzan replied as he looked at his sleeping wife and son, ¡°in my travels for father, I never once heard of such a thing.¡±


    As the priest thought about it, he cast a series of healing spells on the Lady of the house. He was always fond of Lucinda more so then his nieces. She wasn¡¯t just beautiful, but she was gifted in management. She had a charm around her that made it almost impossible not to get along with her.


    ¡°I know in the old tongue,¡± the priest said as he looked at the child, ¡°¡¯Were¡¯ means man. So it stands to reason that he is a man-wolf. Although, I also have no idea what that means. Only time will tell I guess.¡±


    With that, the old priest told Lord Morzan that he must inform the King that a Chosen had been born, but warned him to keep the child¡¯s race a secret until they knew what it meant.

 Death and Torment

    Sophia watched the boy as he took his last breath. His dying words replayed in her mind. ¡®Do you ever wonder why you hunt us?¡¯ In her whole life had never had one of her kills speak let alone question her. They normally would growl or make some animal like noise. But not this one. No he had questioned her mission. Her purpose. She quickly realized that she had never really thought about it. Ever since her family had been murdered by Werewolves, she had become a machine. She was considered as prodigy among Hunters. She never missed her targets. When her team had started the raid on a Pack, it was going as planned up until the Alpha had shown up. She had sworn that he had been led away, but as soon as he showed himself everything turned to shit.


    All Hunters were trained to lead a Pack¡¯s Alpha away then kill that Pack cutting off his power and sanity. Even though he would still be stronger than the others, without them he would be driven mad by loss. Sophia had always loved that. Seeing the big men loss their minds. She loved seeing them in pain. To make them feel her pain as they lost everything.


    But that night something was different. That night the Alpha knew what was happening and had faked leaving. As the Hunters opened fire on the Pack¡¯s house, he came charging out. Wolfsbane bullets didn¡¯t affect Alphas like it did the others. To Werewolves under that rank, it poisoned them turning their blood black and tar like. But to an Alpha, it was just annoying. Sophia watched in horror as he ripped Jason in half showering the ground with blood and guts. The sight had been horrible. Next he moved to Jessie. With a quick swipe of his three inch claws, he ripped out her throat. He continued like that for a few minutes. The once assured victory over these monsters had turned into a one sided massacre. And not in their favor. Not long after, the rest of the Pack stormed out of the house. Howls of wolves intertwined with death screams filled the night.


    Sophia had watched all of this from her ATV on a ridge not far off. It had been a stroke of luck she had noticed that had single Werewolf had took off into the lush green forest. She fired up her ATV and went after it. The chase had gone on the rest of the night. She knew that Werewolves could run forever and she was starting to run low of fuel. So she quickly made the choice to take a shot. She slammed on the brakes and took aim. Looking through the high powered scope of her AR-15, she could just barely make out his back. She had to admit he was faster than any wolf she¡¯d ever hunted. He was like a bullet moving through the trees. She could make out that he had two crossbow bolts sticking out of his back. Michael. He was the Hunter that had been adamant about having a crossbow. This surprise her even more. There was no way he could be moving this fast with those stabbing into him.


    Forcefully pushing her thoughts away, she took a deep breath and held it. Lining up the shot, she gentle squeezed the trigger. The sound of the shot was like thunder in the still night. Through her scope she saw him fall. Her shot had hit its mark. But she was shock to see him slowly get back to his feet and start to move again. She couldn¡¯t hold it back. She was impressed. He had to be in agony, but he just kept on going. Once again, she took aim and fired another round. This time he went down to his knees. Quickly getting back on to her ATV, she drove over to where he lay leaning against a tree. Black blood pour from his mouth as he looked up at the sky. She could see the pain in his eyes. He looked at her and smiled. For the first time in her life, she looked at a Werewolf and felt that they really where at the top of the food chain. Even as he stared death in the face, he showed no fear. Werewolves were called Apex predators. She had believed as the Alpha tore her friends apart.


    Ask he asked her such a simple question, she felt floored. Like a flood gate being opened, the memories that she had suppressed the last ten years flooded her mind. At age seven her family had died. She was taken in by a group of Hunters that had been nearby. As she relived that night for the first time, she had always thought the sounds coming from outside her room had been the growls of a Werewolf. But now from something the boy had said made her remember. She hadn¡¯t heard growls that night. She had heard the sound of suppressed gunfire. The Hunters took her and gave have her an orange drink. She remembered that it had made her feel really hot. She had passed out after that. But now she remembered what she had seen as she had come out of her room. Her mother on the floor riddled with bullet holes in puddles of blood. Her fingers had ended in short claws and her face was stuck in snarl with her fangs showing. Her mother had been a Werewolf and had died protecting her. Her had begged for mercy for his daughter but got a bullet through his skull.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    As she was lost in her memories, she fell to her knees. Her whole life had been a lie. She remember the pills she¡¯d been taking ever since she turned ten. They¡¯d told her they were for her panic attacks that came from her childhood. But they were really to suppress the wolf with inside her until it died.


    Sometime later, the Alpha showed up. His face was filled with pain as he saw his young Beta died. As he saw the Hunter kneeling next to him, he was filled with rage until he caught her scent. She was filled with grief. He quickly realized that Dustin had shown her something. That boy had always been able to bring out the best in people. The Alpha had no idea what could make a Hunter drop to their knees and weep like she was, but he got the feeling that it was something that had change the way she viewed the world. Dustin was a rare wolf. Gifted really, and that¡¯s why he had told Dustin to leave.


    Slowly Sophia unbuckled her weapons. Tears flowed down her cheeks unchecked. She felt like a traitor. Not to her self-proclaimed saviors. But to her mother. For the last ten years she had killed a total of two hundred twenty-three Werewolves. She knew she deserved to die. She took her side arm out causing the Alpha to tense up.


    ¡°Please forgive me mom,¡± she said as she pulled the trigger ending her worthless life.


    She found herself in a world of darkness. She was cold. So cold. There was no light. She tried to shout out, but found she couldn¡¯t make a sound. So she cried silently. She silently begged for forgiveness from her mother and the hundreds of lives she had ended under a false sense of justice. She did this for an unknowable amount of time. She couldn¡¯t tell how long she had been begging before she heard a voice. She tried to cry in joy of hearing something.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry child,¡± a woman of silver light said as she appear in front of her.


    Sophia was shocked by the woman beauty. In life she wasn¡¯t bad looking. She just never put in any thought into her appearance. She was always busy. But this woman that stood before her was stunning. Just her voice was enough to make minds turn to mush.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re in pain,¡± said the woman sweetly, ¡°but you will be given a second chance. The boy you killed as while. Although he has already been set on his path. Soon you will join him, but first I¡¯m going to tell you your punishment. You see my name is Lystra. I¡¯m the Goddess of the Moon. Mother of Wolves. I can¡¯t say that all you did was your fault. You were a child that was misled. I personally have taken your soul and bond it to the one you killed. In the world you¡¯re going to, he is called Lycan Snow. He is the first Werewolf in that world. I am going to make you his wife.¡±


    Sophia was shock by the goddess. She had thought her punishment would be painful, but being wed to a Werewolf even one that she had killed didn¡¯t seem that bad.


    ¡°Oh you mistake that as your punishment,¡± the Goddess Lystra commented as the thoughts crossed Sophia¡¯s mind, ¡°that is you gifted for seeing the error in your ways. No your punishment is for the next eighteen years as Lycan grows is to watch as I destroy the Werewolf Hunters on Earth. When those years end I will make you a body. It will be something to marvel at. I¡¯ll make gifts for it. But let¡¯s not wait any longer. To your punishment.¡±


    With that,her torment began.

 First Shift

    Twelve years later


    Lycan sat on his bed staring blankly at the ceiling. In his time on this new world, he¡¯d learned a lot. He learned that his old world was about a third the size of this one. He found out early one that he was born into a noble family of warriors. It suited him. His family lives the northern continent. And his family lived in a castle that sat on the side of a mountain. He learned that Lystra had not only given him a new life, but had also made him her heir on this world. They called him a Chosen. He still wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, but he guess that since his father was called to the Royal city shortly after he turned three because of it that being Chosen was a big deal. His father was Lord Morzan Snow and the first and foremost leader of the northern army. Well his mother was Lucinda Snow but was born Lucinda Clearwater. She managed the logistics of the army. When he turned two he got twin sisters. Unlike him, who was named by Lystra, they were named like they¡¯re mother by Isra the Goddess of beauty. They were identical in every way except for their eyes. Well the first, Malia, had green eyes like they¡¯re grandmother. The second, Lara, had deep blue eyes like they¡¯re mother.


    In the last twelve years, he realized that his wolf was still maturing within. If his guess was correct, he would have his first shift in four months if things remain peaceful. But he could already feel that the magic of his world was affecting him. At twelve years old, he was already muscular for his age. He knew from his past life that Werewolf children were always bigger than others. Last year, his parents had sat him down and asked him about what he was. He had just replied that they would see in time. They had been disappointed but they accepted it when he told them that he would show them first when the time came.


    He learn that this world had six races on it. Human, Elf, Dwarf, Orc, and Demi-Human. Each lived on their respective continent. His mother had taught his sister and him about the world as part of their basic education. His sister¡¯s didn¡¯t learn as fast as he did, but he didn¡¯t mind because it gave him time to dive a little deeper into the races.


    As he thirteenth birthday was approaching, he became more restless. Although he knew it was the wolf beginning to stir from its slumbering he could feel its new strength.


    He slowly got up and moved to his wardrobe. As he dressed, he heard someone coming down the hall toward his room. As he took a deep breath through his nose, he smile as he recognized the scent. He moved to the door and opened it as Malia was about to knock. Faster than anyone in the house could see, he moved in and scooped up his little sister. She squealed in delight as he spun her around before setting her down right where he¡¯d picked her up. Her green eyes looked at him with sheer joy. Well both of his sister loved him. Malia had started to try and sneak up on him a few weeks ago. Although he always knew she was coming, he would sometimes let her jump on him without moving to stop her.


    ¡°What are you doing up here?¡± he asked kindly as he listen to her heart beat slow.


    ¡°Mama said to come get you for breakfast,¡± his little sister answered with her normal sing song voice that she shared with her twin.


    He took another deep breath and found that there was a meal waiting for them in the family¡¯s private dining area. He could tell him mother was sitting with Lara and he could hear his father coming up the stair too.


    He reach out and took Malia¡¯s hand causing her to beam with joy and headed down the stairs. As they ran into their father. Malia smiled ear to ear as she explained how she¡¯d tried to sneak up on him using the thing that their father had thought her. Although she looked down as she told him that it didn¡¯t work.


    Morzan Snow looked at his daughter and listened to her chatter. Although he knew that his son was never unaware of his sister trying to sneak up on him, but never grew annoyed with her and would sometimes play along. Lord Morzan waved them to follow. As they descended the stairs, Lycan caught a scent coming from his father that he hadn¡¯t smelled in a long time. Anxiety. His father knew that the time was coming for him to learn what his son was. Although he had never held back his love for his son. In the back of his mind, he always wondered. In the last few years, he¡¯d watched his son grow, but the boy never acted his age. He always seemed too mature. Not that it bothered him.


    They entered the dining room. Lycan looked at his mother. The last few years hadn¡¯t changed her in the slightest. She was still stunning. The only difference was the way her eyes seemed to have gathered more wisdom. As she looked at her son, her face lit up. She couldn¡¯t help but notice that he was becoming handsome. Although he had never been a fat baby, he was becoming a man. He had the bearing of a noble. But even though he hadn¡¯t hit his growth spurt, he was already as taller than her.


    Lycan walked over and sat next to Lara after giving his mother a kiss on her head. As Malia sat across from him, their father sat at the head of the table. As he took another breath, the aroma of anxiety was thick in the air coming from both of his parents. As they ate it just got stronger. It was almost like he could see the tension in the air. He didn¡¯t know what was happening but he could tell it was big. Finally, as everyone finish except for Lara who always took longer to eat. Lycan could take not knowing.


    ¡°Father,¡± he said in a serious tone that caught his father¡¯s attention instantly, ¡°what¡¯s happening? Mother and you are extremely tense.¡±


    His father shot a glance at his wife and as she nodded. After taking a deep breath explained, ¡°Son I¡¯m not going to sugar coat this, the Royal family is coming here to meet you formally. Because you being the only Chosen in the Kingdom they want you to join their family. The king has three daughters. Two are about your age. He would like to betroth you to one of them.¡±


    Lycan stopped listening after that. He wasn¡¯t surprised by any of it. He had expected it to happen eventually. But knowing it would happen and it happening were to different things. In a sudden flash of anger, the beast stirred more than ever before. He felt the heat in his eyes that he remember from his last life. He shuttered at the pleasant feeling. He felt the heat settle. He had his eyes closed but he knew that he had the eyes of a wolf at the moment. He didn¡¯t know what color they were, but he could hear his mother asking what was wrong. A smile spread across his face as slowly open his eyes and looked into the eyes of his parents.


    Lucinda was shock when her son seemingly shut them out after hearing about what his future held. She herself wasn¡¯t happy about it but being one of the queen¡¯s childhood friends she had met all of the girls that were coming. They were good girls although a little arrogant. They both were gifted with magic. She could feel her son held a monstrous amount of magical power. But as he shut them out, she notices his magic flexing within him. As she felt it, her son shook himself. As she asked him if he was alright, a smile crossed his face. Slowly, he turned toward Morzan and her and open his eyes. She gasped as she looked into those amber eyes. They glowed like twin lanterns. They were both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. She quickly realized she was looking into the eyes of the first Werewolf.


    Morzan looked at his son. Those eyes were that of a wolf. The only difference was that they gave off an otherworldly glow. They looked like they was a fire burning within them. He had felt his son magic was powerful, but as he stared into those eyes he realized just how powerful his son was. He remembered his son saying that he wouldn¡¯t be able to use his full power until he started doing something called shifting. He felt his pride for his son grow a little more.


    Malia and Lara looked at their brother as his eyes started glowing. Being the innocent children they were they thought it was amazing and started to ask him to teach them to do it to.


    Lycan watched all of this before his own curiosity got the better of him and he looked at the first reflective thing he could find which happened to be Lara¡¯s spoon. When he saw the color of his eyes, he gasped in surprise. He was already half way to becoming an Alpha.


    ¡°High Beta,¡± he said before turning his attention to his parents well willing his eyes back to their normal grey.


    ¡°What?¡± his father asked as he heard the unfamiliar word. His mother had the same confused expression.


    ¡°Werewolves can have three different eye colors,¡± he explained, ¡°Normally, they start with ice blue eyes. They are at the lowest rank known as Omega. Next comes a molten gold the middle rank: Beta. Last is the highest rank Alpha. They have crimson eyes. At the moment, I¡¯m somewhere in between Beta and Alpha.¡±


    His father seemed more interested in the rankings then his mother. He flared his eyes up as he spoke getting a feel for it again. As his eyes died back down, his mother spoke, ¡°I can feel something inside you. Like something is sleeping within you. It¡¯s always been there, but before your eyes change I felt like it was about to wake up. Whatever it is, its power is enormous.¡±


    Lycan smiled as the comment before explaining it, ¡°what you felt mother was the being that I will become soon. Actually it is going to be sooner than I thought. Maybe a few days a most.¡±


    He pause for a moment before adding, ¡°how far out are the royals?¡±


    Morzan understood his son¡¯s question. He didn¡¯t want anyone but family to be present for whatever was going to happen. Luckily, He had just gotten the letter telling them the date that I royal family would arrive.


    ¡°How does three week sound?¡± he said as he stood up and walked to the window that overlooked the mountain valley.


    As Lycan turned his attention to the beast within and gaged its growth speed. His face paled as he realized the small shock of hearing that the Royal family was coming to engage him to one of their daughters had cause him enough stress to cause the wolf to be on the edge of waking. The shock hadn¡¯t been enough to upset him, but he had been annoyed. He knew he was much stronger than he¡¯d been in his last life, so it made sense that his triggers would be more sensitive. As long as he didn¡¯t get over excited, he¡¯d have until nightfall. As he told his father this, he didn¡¯t miss the excitement in his Lord father¡¯s eyes. His father like him didn¡¯t like not knowing about the things around him.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    His mother was just as exited but for a different reason. Of his parents, his mother was the better magician and as she¡¯d said she feel great power inside her son. Power that out shined her own by a great margin.


    Quickly, Lycan told them what needed to happen. He need a large open area outdoors. And he need all the servants to be kept away. He need a clear path into the forest. At first his parents were against him running off into the forest the half surrounded their home. But he quickly explained to them that of everything that with in the forest, he would be the most dangerous.


    The day was slow for the Snow family even though they were having everything prepare for what was going to happen. Lycan could be seen pacing in the northern courtyard. He was notably frustrated. Every once and a while the servant could see steam rising form the young lord¡¯s shoulders. His sisters watched everything with great interest. They didn¡¯t have a clue that soon they were going to watch the birth of a legend. In fact no one knew that what was going to happen that night would change their lives forever.


    As the sun met the horizon, the Snow family gathered in the northern courtyard facing the forest. Everyone was tense, but none more than Lycan himself. He knew that this shift would be different from the ones in his old world. Slowly, he turned inward and looked at the beast. But for the first time in this life, the beast looked back. It like in his last life was just a shadow. As the moved toward him, he felt him real body heat up. He reach out to the beast and as it closed in Lycan took a deep breath and embrace it. He felt as the power flowed through him like ice cold water. It shocked him. He knew that his new wolf was stronger than his last, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this strong. Then came the shift. It was much different than in his last world. There it had been a painful experience, but this time it was liberating. As the power buzz died down. He found himself crouched down. Slowly he stood and on impulse throw his head back and howled.


    Morzan watched his son as an otherworldly power that had manifested as black mist engulfed his son. He could hear bones snapping and a labored breathing that soon turned into a deep growl that he could feel in his chest. Suddenly a dark mist disappear as quickly as it had appeared revealing something that he had never seen before. The being that crouched were his son had been was like a wolf that seem to be built to stand on its hind legs. The head was that of a wolf, but what caught his eye next made him freeze. He had expected to see the same amber eyes he¡¯d seem that morning, but instead were two crimson eye that glowed much brighter. As the beast that was his son stood, it stood about the same height as his son. Suddenly, it raised its head and howled. The sound reach into his bones and caused him to shutter. In all his travels, he never once heard a sound so nobly monstrous.


    Lucinda had cringed at every snap of bone but she was didn¡¯t mind as she could feel the power that was being unleashed. She had never felt anything like it. Not even at the academy from the arch mage. It was primal. Suddenly, the inky mist that had covered her son disappear reveal the source of the power that overwhelmed her senses. The being that stood before her was majestic. It had long arms making it appear as it stood on its hind legs it could switch to all fours and be just as comfortable. Then it howled. She could feel the power within it. It reach into her making every part on her body hum with her own magic.


    Suddenly, as Lycan stopped his howl. He turned toward the forest that had called to him his whole second life. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he took off sprinting into the forest. To everyone who a witnessed it only saw a blur disappear into the darkness


    He felt amazing. Never before had he felt so free. The sailed through the forest with ease. It wasn¡¯t long before he came across a herd of elk. In the blink of an eye they¡¯re heads were on the ground and a fountain of blood sprayed from the bodies. Lycan was already moving again. He was circling to the west. He knew that was the direction of the Royal family¡¯s caravan. He want to see how fast he could go. As he pushed his body pass his previous limit, the air that he passed rippled. Before long, he had to stop. In the distance he could see camp fires. And on one of the post was the royal banner. It was just after dark. He drop to all fours and began to move silently toward the camp. He easily avoided the sentries. As he crouched just out of the fire light. He knew if someone were to look in his direction they¡¯d see the reflection of his eyes. But one no did. Too much faith in the sentries he guessed. Before long he saw a man that could only be the king himself.


    The king was a big man. He was a little bigger that Lycan¡¯s father, but not as muscular. He had a strong aura of nobility. Next to him was a woman that matched his mother in beauty was the queen. Both had blond hair. The King¡¯s was dark well the Queen¡¯s was light. Lycan watched them for a while, but got bored and was about to leave when he heard a scream.


    It was female and young. Everyone on the camp began to move toward it. But Lycan was already there. Next to a small stream was a girl that was no older that seven back paddling as fast as she could as a mountain cat moved toward her. He watched for a moment as the King and all his knights arrived. But as they moved closer, they saw what was moving toward the girl. It didn¡¯t take him long to realized that the cat was a magical beast. Every step it took the ground beneath it would freeze. Lycan also notice that the girl had to be one of the princesses because she looked like the king.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a choice for him as he shift back to human. The only thing that had change was he looked just a tad older and he was shirtless showing off he well develop muscles. Just as the cat was about to pounce, he appeared and grabbed it by its throat. As he held it off the ground, he motioned with his free hand to someone to grab the princess. It didn¡¯t take long for one of the knights to rush forward and carry the princess back. The whole time the mountain cat struggled. It scratched him a couple of times, but he didn¡¯t feel much. After he was sure that the girl was moved, he growled at the cat. The sound was deep and monstrous. His crimson eyes glowed like to gateways to the pits of hell. In the mountain cat¡¯s mind it realized that it was at the mercy of an apex predator. It slow resigned to its fate.


    The young Werewolf looked at the creature he held. He had to admit that it was a beautiful creature. Its fur was white as fresh snow and eyes like glacial ice. It was a pity that it had to die. With a sigh, he squeezed the cat¡¯s neck until he hear a snap and the light of life slipped from its ice like eyes. He focused for a moment making his eyes human again before turning to look at the King and his Knights. The Queen was holding the sobbing princess well looking at him in awe. The King also was shock at the turn of events.


    The King had hunted Ice Lions before and knew just how strong they were. He had all but lost hope of saving his daughter. He would have tried with everything he had, but he knew he was too far away to keep her from harm. But his boy that stood before him had moved with speed that the King couldn¡¯t began to understand. And he had heard the Lion¡¯s neck break and the boy had done that with one hand well make it look easy. The King had no idea who this young boy was, but he when he had to find out.


    The Queen on the other had wasn¡¯t too concerned with the boy¡¯s speed or strength like her husband. As soon as she saw his hair, she knew who stood before them. She hadn¡¯t seen the boy for seven years, but there was no mistaking that black hair. Black hair was a rare thing in this part of the world, and as he turned too looked at them she could see his grey gaze was filled with curiosity. But she could see there was a wisdom that didn¡¯t belong to a child in his eyes. The grey eyes were exactly like her best friend¡¯s husband, and her husband¡¯s war adviser. She realized that the boy that had saved her daughter was the very boy they¡¯d come to see.


    ¡°Lycan?¡±She said softly as she took as step forward. She was greeted with a mischievous grin. It reminded her of her friend when they were younger. As she studied the boy closer, she quickly realized that he was dangerously handsome. Even at this age, she could tell in the future he would be a heart throb. He was bare chested which surprised her, but at twleve years old he was extremely well muscled. As her husband heard her say the name of his adviser¡¯s son, he looked into the boys eyes and instantly recognized that raptor gaze. If that wasn¡¯t enough, the grin was. The King wanted to laugh at his luck. But as the boy spoke, he was frozen in shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure,¡± Lycan said in the most formal tone he could muster, ¡°but I must he heading back. I¡¯ll see you in a week or two.¡±


    As Lycan was about to turn to leave, he stopped as an idea popped into his head. Looking over his shoulder at the teary eyed princess, he could see she was still in shock. So he decided to try and cheer her up.


    ¡°Oh and princess,¡± he said as another mischievous grin appeared on his face, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that this cat makes a nice coat.¡±


    As the young girl looked up at him, he let out a chuckle. To the King and Queen, the boy¡¯s voice was confident, but as he spoke to their daughter it softened to the way a parent would sooth a child. Without warning, Lycan shot off in a sprint leaving with the Ice Lion over his shoulders leaving the Royals and their Knights to stare in awe.


    As soon as he was sure that they couldn¡¯t see or hear him, Lycan shift back into his Werewolf form. He liked the new look it was much easier to move in. From what he could see of himself without a mirror, he was lean built for speed and agility. He also had a bushy tail unlike his last life. He moved through the forest with ease. Jumping into the trees at one point just to see if he could. At first it was difficult, but after a couple tries he was moving through the branches as easily as if he were on the ground. It didn¡¯t take him long to arrive back at his home to find that his family was still out in the courtyard.


    He moved toward them. The first to notice his return was his mother. He guessed she could sense him with magic. She looked at him in his beast form and smiled. Then his father and sisters saw him. He could see his father¡¯s eyes go to the frost cat on his back. There was surprise then fear that as he realized that it was dead turned to awe.


    With that, he shift back to human and quickly explained to her parents what had happened. They were amazed by was he told them. He was very adamant that he hadn¡¯t let anyone see his shift. He told them that the Queen had recognized him right away. To that his mother explained that having black hair like her was extremely rare. So it would have been easy to guess who he was. He also told them that he wanted the cat made into a coat for the princess. His mother smiled at him and told him that she¡¯d have the servants skin the beast then have the tailors start on it. His father told him that the cat was called an Ice Lion. He explain that they were one of the top predators in the mountains. Lycan laughed to himself think that was going to change. That night he stayed up reading his father¡¯s book on the beast of the mountains. For the next two weeks, he was going to sweep the area clean of them. Late that night he sense someone had entered the castle. After a moment, he remember the aura of power and smiled.


    As the Snow family went to sleep that night, deep in the forest the King and Queen sat with their children. The three princesses slept in part of the large tent that was closed off. The oldest Jennifer was awake and thinking about what she¡¯d heard about the boy that had saved her little sister. She at age twelve was restless to meet him. From the little she could get out of her sister who was still in shock along with her Knight friends, he had killed an Ice Lion with one hand. The knight seemed a little jealous of the boy, but decided to say it was because he was a noble. No one but the King and Queen knew that he was a Chosen. Across the tent, Prince Edwin lay awake. He was in his sixteenth year and was truly troubled by what he¡¯d heard. If even half of it was true, this noble boy of the mountains was even more powerful than the king. If there was anything absolute about this world was that the only thing that was respected above all else it was strength. Prince Edwin wasn¡¯t weak but he could even began to understand the power Lycan Snow wielded.


    King Nathan unlike his son was over joyed at the thought of someone with that power living within his borders. With someone like that being the son and heir of his greatest military commander on top of the fact he was a Chosen. That boy had to of just step into his power, and with his raw power was like this the King couldn¡¯t comprehend what he would be capable of in the future.

 Questions?

    Thank you all for your comments.


    Ok to answer some questions,


    The biggest question I found was why I only showed five but stated six races. Well that''s because the sixth is rare and is going to have a majer part to play. I just havn''t decided on what I''m gonna call them.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    There will be no Harem, but that doesn''t mean there won''t be some messing around. Will that be how Lycan''s relationship with the Royal family goes to shit??? Well we''ll just have to wait and see.

 Tradition

    The sun had just started to rise over the horizon, but within the vast halls of the Snow castle a beast was stirring. Lycan stood in his room in his full Werewolf form, and was admiring himself in his mirror. He couldn¡¯t help but find his new form to be beautiful. His pitch black fur was sharply contrasted by his nightmare red eyes. He looked at his claws. They seemed to radiate some sort of energy. He couldn¡¯t wait to test them. Thinking about the night before, he couldn¡¯t wait for nightfall.


    With a sigh, he lost himself in the ecstasy of the Shift. He returned to his human form then dressed. He was about to open his door when he heard a slow heart beat coming from the other side of his door. Testing the air, he was surprised at the scent that came from the other side was his mother¡¯s. After shooting a look over his shoulder to check his appearance. He couldn¡¯t help but groan inwardly at the fact that now his appearance was now much more attractive. Opening his door, his mother was standing there with her eyes closed and a stupid smile on her face. He knew that she was sensing his magic.


    ¡°Good morning, mother,¡± he said as he tried to hide his irritation.


    His voice seemed to surprise her because she jumped a little before collecting herself. As she looked at him he could see that she was trying to gauge his power.


    ¡°Lycan,¡± she said with a hint of amusement in her voice, ¡°don¡¯t do that.¡±


    He looked at his mother and once again was taken aback by her absolute beauty. After think back about how the Queen looked, he couldn¡¯t tell who would look better. He was drawn out of his thoughts by his mother¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she said with a smile, ¡°your father wants to talk to you.¡±


    Lycan was a little surprised. His father was supposed to be out, overseeing a bandit problem on the mountain. He nodded and followed her to the family study. As he stepped through the doorway, he felt a powerful aura above him. It was an aura that he knew all too well. He just couldn¡¯t tell what she was doing.


    He looked at his father and reached out with his mind. ¡®Lystra what are you doing here? I thought you weren¡¯t coming by for another two weeks?¡¯


    The voice that entered his mind was soft like cotton and had that sound that she was holding back laughter. Well I felt someone was Shifting. So I came early. What does my little wolf not want to talk to me?


    ¡®No you just surprised me¡¯ he had long ago learned that his goddess was extremely bipolar. ¡®So what¡¯s up?¡¯


    He could feel her smiling at him. Oh you know the normal. Watching you, going around playing pranks on my siblings, tormenting my father and the like.


    Lycan smiled as he tried to think of how one would pull a prank on a god. What did she do drop an ocean on her sister Nyx goddess of night or stealing her Aunt Isra¡¯s cosmic make up? He hadn¡¯t the slightest idea.


    Oh but I do have a surprise to give you. And spoiler alert, your parents are about to send you on tour of the world. It¡¯s a family tradition that every heir of the House of Snow has to tour all of this nation¡¯s allies. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. You need some magic. Well let¡¯s think here. My Chosen already has power until anyone else in the world. But you don¡¯t have magic in the sense that most do. So I have to think of one to give you.


    Lycan had no choice other than to wait for her to stop rambling to herself. He just hoped that this wasn¡¯t going to take as long as last time. Even if every time she came to visit him time seemed to slow down. Sometimes he couldn¡¯t believe that she was a four thousand year old goddess. She normally acted like her appearance. A young woman in her late teens or early twenties.


    I could give you power over water, but that would be expected. Or maybe fire. No that doesn¡¯t matched your personality. He heard her growling to herself. He sometimes wondered if she knew that he could hear her. No she most likely didn¡¯t care.


    ¡®Lystra,¡¯ he asked trying to get her attention, ¡®can I make a suggestion?¡¯


    She turned her attention to him with a sudden surge of her aura. He had to force himself to breathe. He could tell she had forgotten that he was still there.


    Yes her voice was stressed like she was about to loss herself in her thoughts again.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡®Well back on my old world I had always imagined having telekinesis.¡¯


    He could hear her humming as she pondered the idea. He again felt like an eternity had passed before she spoke.


    I like it. It already exist on this world. It isn¡¯t the most widely known ability. To those that have it, it is an evolving ability. It doesn¡¯t rely on mana. The only limit that you have is your ability to concentrate. Well let¡¯s make this official.


    Suddenly, Lycan felt an explosive pain exploding through his skull. It was enough to drive him to his knees. It was a madding pain that seemed to last forever. He heard Lystra tell him that is would be over soon and that she had to go. She wished him luck and told him that she¡¯d be back soon. Her presence faded and time returned to normal as the pain stopped. He was dizzy, but he stood and looked around him. He felt a little different. He would have to look into it later.


    He turned his attention back to his parents. He looked at his father than his mother. He wanted to smile. He already knew what they were going to say. But he had long ago made a deal with Lystra that he wouldn¡¯t talk about her visits.


    ¡°Well son,¡± his father said with a tired expression, ¡°it¡¯s time for you to become a man.¡±


    Lycan wanted to laugh. He hadn¡¯t thought that would be the opening statement for this conversation. He thought it was corny, but his father wasn¡¯t from another world that had what they would have thought was an absurd amount of literature.


    ¡°Our family has a long standing tradition,¡± Lord Morzan continued as Lycan looked into his eyes, ¡°Every heir most travel to each of our allies. The Demi humans or Beastmen as most call them. The Elves. And the Dwarves. It is a two year long trip if everything goes as planned. I¡¯m starting the preparations. Be prepared to leave after the Royal Family has departed. I¡¯m going to send you to the west continent first. The Land of the Beastmen, then the south to the Elves, after that you¡¯ll go to the east to the Dwarves, and you¡¯ll finish at the port city of Mora. Then you¡¯ll be enroll into the Royal Academy of Magic. I¡¯ll have you in military training classes for all four years, but I¡¯ll leave all the other class choices to you. You¡¯re mother tells me that you have tremendous magical potential. I don¡¯t have much magic myself. I trust her judgement on such matters. And on your journey I¡¯m sending a blade master with you to train you. He¡¯ll be here later today to study you to determine what style will fit you the best.¡±


    As Lycan listen to his father, he could help but to be excited. In all twelve years of his life, he hadn¡¯t been permitted to leave his families lands. It had annoyed him to no end. The idea of being about to travel not only outside of their lands but off of the Human Continent. He could help but smile. He had to control his excitement. He could feel his eyes starting to tingle. He knew that his eyes were started to glow. He forced them not to shine.


    POV change Lady Lucinda Snow


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad at the thought of her son leaving so soon. She knew that this day was coming and after they had seen him carry a high ranked magical beast back the previous night. Her husband decided that it was time for him to go on The Journey. She had heard about it from Morzan. She was a little scared for her son. The trip would without a doubt be full of dangers and hardships. But it was part of being a Snow. As a girl she had listen to the stories of the heroic deeds of the House of Snow. They were called the Crimson Tide in battle. They would be painted in the blood of their enemies. And with tensions among the Human nations. She knew that war was coming and that her son would without a doubt be at the front of it all.


    Raising him she could tell he was a nature leader. He was kind to all the servants that lived and worked in the castle and would give rewards for hard work. And they all loved him for it. She had asked him about it once. He had told her that every one of the servants had needs. They all had dreams. He told her that it you reward the hard working people they will take pleasure in their work, and the lazy ones will see it and will work harder in order to receive the same.


    But she had not long ago noticed that the younger female staff had started to look after him with longing. It was a surprise because most of them had long ago been taught that it was wrong to look at any noble man with any amount of lust. She had wanted to have them punished, but was stopped by Lycan. He told her that everyone is entitled to their fantasies. As long as they didn¡¯t take any wrongful action, they should be left to their thoughts.


    She had watched his expression as she listened to the news of where he was to be traveling, and she could see the excitement in his eyes. As he heard more, his eyes started to glow. To some those red eyes would be like a nightmare, but to her all she could see was his power. Those eyes were filled with hunger. A beast like hunger that wanted more. She didn¡¯t know what he wanted, but she knew that those red eyes would one day be know everywhere.


    POV change Lycan


    After being dismissed by his father, Lycan went to the kitchens to grab something to eat. As soon as Cook Jarvin saw him, the big man¡¯s eyes filled with joy. The cook was an old man that had a deep love for food. When Lycan was seven, Jarvin¡¯s daughter had gotten sick with a horrible fever. The old cook¡¯s fear for her had started to affect his cooking. When Lycan had gone to check on the old man, he had caught the scent that reminded him of the avian flu. He had asked it Jarvin was ill. His question has caught the old cook off guard. And after being pinned in place by Lycan¡¯s raptor gaze, Jarvin had told him about his daughter who had been about Lycan¡¯s age at the time. After hearing about it, Lycan had called a healer to the cook¡¯s home. The girl had been saved and now the cook always gave Lycan his best.


    After being given a few strips of jerky and a brief conversation on how Old Jarvin¡¯s family was, Lycan went out as he chewed on his breakfast. It was time to see want telekinesis could do.

 Blade-master part 1

    Lycan stood at the far end of his father¡¯s training field. He tried to think of how his telekinesis would work. He could feel it. But all he could manage was to make a small stone on the ground shake. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t make it work. He remember watching movies where people with the power of telekinesis to rip other people apart or shake the world. He was annoyed with how useless it seemed. Thinking about his overall power. He couldn¡¯t really complain much. His physical power was higher than anyone on the Human continent.


    So with that, he decided to practiced is hand-to-hand. In his last life, he had been average for his rank. But now he wanted to be peerless in unarmed combat. His wolf like pride was as many on in this world would call dragon like. Taking up his stance he lowered his center of gravity. He imagined a hunter standing in front of him. With graceful yet overwhelmingly powerful movements, he punched his invisible opponent and with fluid grace movement he continued his fierce assault.


    The men training where shocked at what they saw once they heard the sound of air being torn. They watched as the young lord punched, kicked, elbowed, and kneed his imaginary enemies. To them his movement were almost like a dance. The veteran soldiers could see that every one of Lycan¡¯s strikes would end a life and if not would cripple them for life. It sent a shiver down their spines.


    For over an hour, Lycan continued moving through every form he could remember. By time he was done, he was panting. No from exhaustion, but from excitement. He could tell that he was at least three times as strong as he was in his last life. And many times faster.


    After a moment, he heard two people coming toward him. By the sound of the heartbeats, one was just as excited as him well the other was somewhat calmer. Lycan turned to them. The excitement was coming from his father. And next to him was a red haired man that gave off the aura of someone that had seen many battles, suffered many losses, and been praised for his victories and failures. It was the aura of a true warrior. Lycan could feel he was being analyzed by the man¡¯s emerald eyes.


    ¡°Well that was interesting,¡± Lord Morzan said with pride that wasn¡¯t well hidden, ¡°What do you think Lukus?¡±


    The warrior Lukus looked at Lycan for an extra moment before answering.


    ¡°He is strong, fast, and well versed in his movements,¡± Lukus¡¯s voice was like two stones being ground together.


    ¡°If I had to say what weapon would suit him,¡± Lukus continued, ¡°I¡¯d say it was be two. Given the facted that he used his hands equally. He could be a dual wielder. That would be a good fit if he would to be challenged for duals, but dual wielders aren¡¯t battlefield fighters. So, if he were to be in the field, I would say once he¡¯s grown he could move to a two hand battle axe or a great sword. Hell if I had to say, he could most likely handed one right now with his strength. But it would be awkward with his height at the moment.¡±


    Hearing what Lukus was saying, Lycan couldn¡¯t help but agree. He wasn¡¯t completely sure how he felt about using any weapon. He was armed without them. If he had to guess, his claws were most likely harder and sharper than any weapon they could give him. Deep within his mind, he remembered that it was because he didn¡¯t know much about weapons that he had died. He had underestimated the range of the hunter¡¯s rifle and had paid the price. He wasn¡¯t going to make that mistake again.


    POV change Lord Morzan Snow


    After Lycan had left his study, Lord Morzan had started making the arrangements for his son¡¯s departure. He had seem the excitement in the boy¡¯s eyes. After seeing his son¡¯s power, he knew that Lycan was ready to go. Morzan knew that King Nathan would try to change his mind, but The King knew how much the Journey meant to the Snow family.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be a great heir,¡± he said aloud.


    His wife looked at him. Her deep blue eyes were filled with sadness. He knew that she didn¡¯t like what was to happen and had fought with him over the decision deep into the previous night, but had relented after find no other agreement than he was too young.


    He was going over the parchment with Lucinda when one of the servants pocked his head in and informed them that the Blade-master had arrived. Morzan had been trained by Blade-master Rohad, Lukus¡¯s father. Lukus and him were friends in a way that could be made by two people that had been pushed to their limits together, fought together and against each other, and had become an indomitable force together.


    As Lukus entered, he bowed to Morzan.


    ¡°My lord,¡± Lukus¡¯s deep voice was as empty as ever.


    ¡°Come now Lukus,¡± Morzan complained, ¡°we¡¯ve been like brothers over half our lives. No need for the formalities.¡±


    After the Blade-master straightened, a devilish smile crossed his face. That was the Lukus that Morzan remembered. A man with a seemingly careless nature who was as quick as with his tongue as he was with his sword.


    ¡°It¡¯s been too long,¡± Lukus replied and as he saw Lucinda standing off to Morzan¡¯s left he bowed again, ¡°Lady Lucinda as enchanting as ever.¡±


    Morzan saw his wife roll her eyes at the Blade-master. Like Morzan, Lucinda was family to the blade-master.


    ¡°Lukus,¡± she said with a light chuckle, ¡°still a charmer. I thought you had married.¡±


    The Blade-master smiled innocently, ¡°That is true. And had a daughter to prove it, but I¡¯m an honest man and must compliant beauty when I see it.¡±


    This was news shocked both Morzan and Lucinda. They had been to their friend¡¯s wedding, but neither had heard about a child.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s great news,¡± Lucinda said with a smile having recovered from her surprise first, ¡°you¡¯ll have to bring her one of these days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, and more.¡±


    At those words, Morzan could see a hint of sadness flash in his friend¡¯s eyes. In all the years they¡¯d known each other, he had only seen his friend sad once and that was when Lukus¡¯s father had died. Not knowing what to do, he choose to change the subject.


    ¡°Well you know why I sent for you,¡± Morzan said with a sigh.


    ¡°Yeah something about your son needing some training,¡± Lukus had moved to sit on one of the lush chairs.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Morzan¡¯s voice soft as he looked at his friend, ¡°and also in my letter I told you that I¡¯m sending him on his Journey in a month¡¯s time.¡±


    Lukus gave a look that betrayed his confusion.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he a bit young? Last I heard he was twelve.¡±


    ¡°True he is young but once you see him you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Lukus didn¡¯t agrue.


    With that Morzan asked one of the servants to lead them to where Lycan was. After hearing that his son had gone to the training field, he was confused. He didn¡¯t know what the boy was up to. Maybe hearing that he was going to be learning combat made him want to see some before learning it himself.


    As they drew closer, Lord Morzan saw a crowd of his men looking toward the corner of his training field. That spot was where he normally trained. They pushed their way through the crowd until they saw what everyone was looking at.


    There across from them was Lycan. The boy was fighting in a way that he had never seen before. It was as graceful as it was brutal. He could hear and see the air ripple with every strike. His son moved with purpose. Like any trained warrior he could see that his son¡¯s strikes would be deadly to anything that they hit. After sometime Lycan stopped and Lord Morzan looked to his friend who looked like he was going to need to pick up his jaw off the ground. Slowly a smile creeped onto Lukus¡¯s face. It was a smile that he could tell that the Blade-master was looking at a prodigy. Once again, a sense of pride swelled up within him as he looked at his son.