The trial of Cole von Crion_dm459 ================================================================================ Kapitel 1: ----------- The gentle crackling of the bonfires as the night began to change to twilight was the only sound that was heard in the hushed forest. All of the animals, from the lowly rats to the largest hawk, had all fled from their respective homes when they arrived. They were the hunters. Not just any hunters. Wolves. The field was cleared days ago, prepared for just this situation. Cole would not have been able to guess how many wolves had spent these past few days and nights clearing enough of the brush for this to be used for the camp of the pack, but he did not want to know. For once, he really did not know how many enemies he had. The situation tonight was not a first experience for him, but it was something that he would rather have not had the experience to face once again. This was his second trial. His own family was crying for his blood, and his adopted pack were the only ones willingly to save him. When they bothered, that is. Cole wasn’t like them. He never was, and was damned proud of it. He wore his silver-grey coat like a badge at times and as a coat at others. The color meant nothing to him. It was just the color that he was given by the great Mother. Bloodlines? Packs? Tribes? What did it mean to him? Nothing. The fires were stocked, casting shadows of the moving creatures, both man and wolf, across the fields and the trees. But this wasn’t daunting for Cole. The others believed that due to his nature that he feared fire. If anything, just seeing the flames reminded him of how much he wanted a smoke. He moved his hands slowly, hearing the sound of the silver chains rubbing against each other. Silver was something that was still the bane of his existence, no matter what blood he possessed. Blood, he thought to himself as he studied the opening rites, what does it mean? To his side, his great nephew grunted. Cole had only met him once, at his last trial fifty years ago. At that time, Running-on-Winds was only considered a pup, and Cole was only reaching the age of 142. But, Cole had only looked as if he was eighteen at that time, and Running-on-Winds was just reaching into his early twenties. Now, things were much different. Cole, who would be considered an elder if they treated him fairly, was now 192 years old; much older than any werewolf could boast. His body, on the other hand, appeared to be in his twenties. His great nephew, now in his seventies, was still a large man but was showing signs of age with his graying hair. While Cole only bore a few scars from his recent scuffles, Running-on-Winds had an apparent limp when he walked as a wolf from a dislocated shoulder, and he also had some other scattered scars. Cole never bothered with the scars. They did not bear any great meaning to him, and he forced his body to heal them as soon as he could. This, apparently, was a shock to those of his kind, and they quickly began to call him an honor less dog. Just like they did since day one. “Is there a problem,” Cole muttered, trying the chains once more. Again, they didn’t show any signs of breaking. Running-on-Winds didn’t answer. “C’mon,” Cole muttered, “no respect for your elders?” “Elders,” Running-on-Winds muttered, his voice showing a trace of sarcasm. “When elders are tainted the way you are is the day I decide to eat off of a silver platter.” There was no way to mask the scorn in his voice. Cole knew that something like this would happen, but it didn’t matter anymore. He knew that they hated him. He was “different” from the others. His “blood” was “tainted,” even though it was outside of his control. “Alright,” Cole muttered through clenched teeth, “we can play that game. You want a steak on that silver platter, or just the plate?” Running-on-Winds was not amused, and said nothing as he stepped away. “C’mon,” Cole called out, trying to move his hands on more time in vain. “Can’t you at least give an old guy a smoke?” Of course there was no answer. Cole didn’t exist to them. He was too different, and after a while, he just didn’t care. He eventually just leaned his head against the tree and closed his eyes, allowing his memories to wash over him… Cole couldn’t remember too far back, but he knew something was odd about his childhood. His mother was considered “odd,” even for a gypsy, and his father would only be awake at night. This wasn’t a problem, since Cole found it odd that he never needed to sleep. His mother claimed it was a blessing from her grandmother, may her soul rest peacefully. The others in the village never bothered to ask about the boy’s father. In fact, Cole even knew very little about him. The man was kind to him and to the other villagers. Cole learned quickly that he was a healer, much different than the wise women of the village. No, he could truly heal with his hands. What made him so odd was that strange scar on his head… It took Cole years to finally realize what had happened. Cole, upon entering puberty, saw his father for what he really was. The man was stained with blood at all times. Cole never understood why, but his father appeared to be the scariest thing he had ever seen. This continued until it finally came crumbling down. Cole had heard rumors that something was amiss with his father, and the wise woman claimed that he was a vainpyre, a creature of the night. She also swore at Cole, claiming that he was a half beast as well and should be destroyed himself, should he dare follow in his father’s footsteps. But he did follow in his footsteps. One night, Cole saw with his own eyes the act of feeding that his father performed every few nights. The idea that his father, a man of great healing powers, was taking the blood from a sleeping victim was far beyond anything he could grasp. And the fact that he was the son of such a creature…how could it be possible? But it was. There was nothing that Cole could change now. He learned the secret, and now had to bear with it. His parents tried to reason with him, but he refused to listen. He saw the monster in his father, and was placing the threats to kill him. It was an odd situation. No matter how many threats were made, his father never acted. He never threatened with violence, and never retaliated to the scorn. Instead, he offered to leave the next night. This was acceptable. The next night, on the other hand, had other plans. Shortly after nightfall, they prepared his bags that he had brought with him so long ago when he first decided to settle down. He began to walk away from the house. But no, he could not get far. There was a scream from a house. Cole and his father, acting in unison, charged for the house. The house was ablaze. Cole did not understand why such a thing would happen, but he did see the shapes in the shadows that were fleeing. As Cole prepared to charge, his father held him back. Looking into his face showed the most disturbing thing he would ever see. The scar upon his father’s head was open, revealing a third eye. It glowed with a warm, golden light, and Cole quickly fell asleep. A few hours later, he awoke. The village was still burning, and his mother was holding him in her arms, rocking back and forth while watching the village burn. There was nothing more to do…his father chose to sacrifice himself for the village. It wasn’t like it mattered. They wanted to destroy the village, whoever they were. They had dark powers, ancient magic, and were not afraid to use them it seemed. Cole stood on his own, watching the destruction of his home. He could not make out the image of his father, meeting his final death peacefully at the hands of his hunters. His mother, on the other hand, struggled for just a moment behind him. He turned, and saw the blood sucker end her life with just a single bite. Her throat was torn out, and the creature seemed to have a perverse pleasure in drinking her blood. At first, he looked hungrily to Cole… A few hours later, Cole woke up once again. He could not remember the night; it was all a blur. A blur of silver fur, red blood, and orange flames. Looking into his reflection in the lake showed his new appearance; a small scar along his forehead and facial hair for a young age. From then on, he began to move, hunting until he reached the new world… “Get up,” a gruff female voice said. Cole slowly opened his third eye. The eye, a glowing blue canine eye, looked at the aggressive female. She was dressed in very little for the occasion: a torn skirt and blouse, barefoot, and her hair a mangled mess. She was obviously part of the cleaning crew from earlier in the day. Cole raised his hands to brush the bangs away from his eyes and opened them, closing the third. “Is there a problem?” “It’s beginning,” she said. Cole found the woman to be rather rude. She never introduced herself to him, never addressed him as anything more than “it,” and was always giving him the stare that would pierce a hole in his heart if he wasn’t careful. Cole stood cautiously. The chains were well forged and would keep him from running. Even if he transformed (even if he could with all of this silver), they would match his size. Escape was impossible. Essentially, this trial would be sink or swim. The elders had already taken their places in their respective seats by the fires, and each let out a howl, starting just a moment after the other. The three voices were then joined by dozens of others in attendance. But one voice was silent. Cole silently took a step forward, entering the light of the fires. He continued to walk, his steps cautious and strict, as if he had practiced them for hours before. At a certain point, he stopped. He held his head high and looked at the three elders of the tribe, not showing any sign of fear. The first elder spoke in the tongue of the wolf, using his given name from the tribe. The name, like is fur, was a badge that he would have to wear. “To stand trial of the accusations that stand against me,” he coolly responded. the second elder asked. Cole nodded before speaking. “My crimes against the nation are great. I have destroyed an ancestral artifact in 1846 while using it for my own goals. I have killed those of my tribe in duels that were not to be fought to the death. I refused to become a mediator in times of need, disgracing my birthright under Luna.” Many of the tribe began to growl in unison. If Cole was not prepared for it, or if he was a normal person, surely he would have been afraid. But many of the wolves here were proud. Attacking an unarmed and bound opponent, even one as “low” as himself, would surely lead to dishonor in the tribe. the third asked. Cole shook his head. “I have been accused of trafficking with the demonic forces. I am placed to blame for the corruption of our holy lands by the tainted blood that rests within me. I have been associating with a mortal enemy of our kind: the Vampire.” Many wolves began to growl louder. Some even began to howl. One such howl was from his own blood relative, and it shouted higher than the others. It called for death. Before the council could speak again, Cole continued. “I have destroyed ancestral spirits and refused to defend them against destruction. I have allowed a pack to walk to its demise in the pits of the darkness, and discarded my pride as one of the tribe.” Now, the howls had risen from the throats of the elders. the first said, showing his teeth in a menacing growl. Cole knew this elder as a great warrior, and knew that he would rather have Cole’s still beating heart within his jaws. the second replied. Cole had also had experience with this elder as well. He was the storyteller, recounting the brave that had fallen before any of them were born. He was known to always remind Cole of his place, as an “adopted pup” in their tribe. It was a role that Cole despised. the third began, living to his nature as the sage, This elder was always to the point, which was a character trait Cole respected. Cole looked around the fires, seeing many hungry wolves who were preparing to move in for the kill. All were silver or grey in color, and all were known for their prowess to lead or to kill. Cole would need to be careful for what was to come. He took a breath and held it for a minute. There was nothing that his blood could do. Only this side, this bestial side, could save him now. He calmly let out the breath, allowing his spirit to reside into his words. “For over a hundred years,” he began, meeting the gaze of each wolf in turn, “I have been an outcast of this tribe. Each of you has accepted me as a ‘brother,’ but this is only in name. I share the blood of our great ancestor wolves. My coat is a constant reminder of the weight that I bear. “But no, I am not your brother. I am the bastard child that no one wishes to account for, the bastard child that all of you would rather see in a pool of his own blood, dying alone and in agony.” But no one moved against him. The elders made a glance to the younger, hot blooded wolves. They quieted themselves, and the eldest of them nodded for Cole to continue. “No, I am not your brother. I am no more your brother than a wolf is related to a mangy dog. I am no more related to you than a human is to an ape. You call me ‘brother,’ a name of scorn, distrust, and furthermore: regret. “My given name among you is ‘Blood-of-Fallen.’ But what have I done to deserve such a name? My mother was one of your kind, one of the blessed by our great Mother, and she was the one who bore me. It was she who mated with the dead thing, causing me to be born. “But no,” Cole continued, shouting over the growing growls, “I cannot blame my mother. She was but human, just as every one of us is.” This led to another uproar, even from the elders. “You all claim,” Cole continued confidently, shouting over even the loudest young pup, “that you are the blessed of Luna, the defenders of Gaia. You have told me that I am the one who is tainted and corrupted, yet it is I who stand at the ready and the first to enter the fray. It is I who must save the lives of the humans that you all wish to save. It is I, who tread the line between the three groups, who is trying to discern who among us is truly evil. “I am not blessed. No, I have been cursed. I am not a human, for I am a wolf. I am not a true wolf, because my father was a vampire, one of tainted blood. What does that make me then? I am lesser then you all because of a birth outside of my control. Yet I am greater than all of you, because I am the only one here who can honestly say that I have lived to my birthright.” Cole paused for a moment, to give his words some time for their impact, and allowing the elders to quiet the pups again. “My name was not my choice, and neither was my birth. My crimes, as you call them, are my own. I will stand by them. Yes, I have destroyed those of our kind when the need arose. I will choose the life of a human over one of our kind. You claim to be the protectors of this world, yet you would quickly destroy all life that did not match what you wished. “And yes, I have ‘disgraced’ my birthright. I claimed to have lived by it, but yet I disgraced it. How can this be? I lived by it, even in my disgrace. Luna had chosen me for a task, and I performed it. Because I turned away from a tribe that would rather see me dead and save the lives of a human tribe, I am to be tried for disgracing my birth? Surely, you are running out of complaints against me. “And yes, the artifact’s destruction was of my own doing. But what of the result? The mountain was removed of the taint because of the creatures I destroyed, and the spirit that was released from the artifact brought the mountain back to life. I destroyed an object, and saved an entire section of our beloved Gaia. Is there no price that should be paid to rescue her?” At this, many of the younger pups looked ashamed. Before an elder could break his stride, he continued, gesturing with his chained hands. “Now, you claim that because of my blood, I taint the ground where I walk? Why is it that I, with my tainted blood, have been known to restore the lands that you reckless pups have destroyed? Why is it that I, with my tainted blood, am put to blame when the young and reckless run to their deaths in the pits and balefires, allowing themselves to be corrupted far worse than I ever could become, and spread their taint across more lands? “I have become your scapegoat over the years; that is why. I save the last vestiges of a spirit by granting it a deserving death, and obey the last orders of an ancestor for watching and mediating his final confrontation, and am blamed for their destruction as if it has been willingly by my own hands. I too am bound by tradition, and will not allow it to fall because I am of ‘impure’ blood. “And now, my final charges. I have associated with vampires, and daresay, made allies among them. I have also been accused of trafficking with demonic forces.” With this, all present howled. Cole’s eyes glowed blue in the shadows, his anger growing. They were not going to allow him out of here alive if he did nothing. He forced the third eye open, turning to face all of those present, but to no avail. None were cowed in fear by this show. His time was apparently almost up. But, there was one howl from outside of this circle. Most grew silent and looked. The wolf that entered into the light of the fire was not one of their tribe. No, she was different. While the others present were of a proud stock of silver, her fur was brown with traces of black. An odd appearance for a wolf, but there was something more striking about her. While the other wolves were giving an aura of fear and anxiety, her demeanor was calm. It was almost as if her presence brought the leveling effect into the pack. the sage asked. she replied. she replied. Most elders would have prepared to move against her, or forced her out with threats. But, her words spoke the truth. The elders were biased, due to his blood. This wolf, on the other hand, was truly a mediator, like himself. She would hear the tale, and help pass the final judgment. A small glimmer of hope rose in his chest, but he did not show it on his face, nor did he close his third eye. “The accusations are true. At least, to an extent. If you great elders were not so concerned with your fleas, you would realize that the end is drawing upon us. The vampires have begun to summon a great destroyer, and there is little that you have done to halt it. I, unlike the rest of your proud creatures, have. “At a time of need, I befriended a vampire. I used the half blood within me to pass for one of them, and made myself indispensable. In time, I was trusted and continued my search. Of course, I eventually made friends among their kind. “Which, is something none of you understand. All you do is smell them, and assume that every one of them is tainted. Just as you assume that I am tainted… “Yes, they are tainted. Many carry this curse the same was as many of your carry your blessing; as something that came to you unwillingly. I have met the ugliest beings of the body, but the most noble of hearts. I have met a dead man who walks and tells the tales of ancient history, and I have met a woman who would make your heart stop just by looking at her eyes. I have been nursed back to health by their kind while you would let me rot under a tree to die. “You claim that all of them are tainted, but it has been you who have been tainted. You are the ones who have turned away from your goals and your duties. And even now, you continue to sign the death of our beloved Gaia. “Our time is almost up,” he said, closing his third eye. “If you wish to complete this trial, you are free to attempt to take my life. But a fall of grace upon anyone who would disgrace themselves to defeat me in this condition, wounded as I am. A life of disgrace to one who does not heed my warning of what is to come, who would silence a voice of truth who tries to save you fools before the end comes. Finally, a curse upon the wisdom of those who do not take my advice, and believe that all things that bear this smell, the smell of my noble blood, and believe that we are all tainted.” Cole’s final words echoed in the grove, just above the sound of the crackling flames. His black hair moved gently in the wind, as did his long coat. The sage, who was the first to break the silence, looked to the newcomer. the warrior stated, his eyes meeting Cole’s. “No,” Cole said, silencing the yet to come howls. “I refuse to do this again.” The warrior growled again, but the mediator stepped between them. If the elders wished to disgrace themselves, they would have moved against her at this moment. But, none did. All stood, unable to argue with her words. The mediator had spoken, and once again, had spoken the truth. Cole noticed the key to his bonds at his feet, and noticed a not from his great nephew. He knelt to lift the key, and quickly removed the shackles. The elder’s expression showed no signs of mockery. “Maybe that will be soon enough.” Cole sat on the hill, watching everything from within the spirit world, as the sun was rising. The wolf from the night before found him easily, and sat beside him. “None.” Cole laughed to himself. “If I survive this, and she doesn’t threaten me with another visit to the vet, I’ll keep it in mind.” She did not understand the joke, but did her best to smile. Cole, unconsciously, patted the wolf on her head. “You know, I owe you my life.” The wolf shook her head, escaping from Cole’s hand. Cole stood up, and unconsciously brushed himself off. “But,” he said, looking at the wolf one last time, “I have one request before I go walking off to save my lovely friend from damnation.” The wolf gave him a questioning look. “Stop calling me ‘Blood-of-Fallen.’ Just call me Cole.” With that, Cole allowed himself the pleasure to enter into a form best suited for travel in this world, one of a four legged variety. He had a few places to go to in preparation for the next night. The end was only beginning… Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)