The Northern Kingdom

Prologue
Endymion crept slowly over the snow covered rocks. The smallest crunch of ice could alert his targets. He looked for the sun but the clouds blocked it from the sky. He was travel worn and his body numb, but ever on he hunted. The monster Fenrir had captured and killed their people for too long. It was his time to slay the wolf king.
Through the thick of trees he noticed a small cave entrance further up the mountain. At long last shelter he thought. Just outside he peered in. The air was strangely musty and thick with humidity and it reeked of death. Fumbling through his pack he produced a small torch which he lit by striking the cavern walls. The torch produced only enough light to see several yards in front of himself. So this must be an entrance into the packs domain, so much for shelter.
Moving forward the stench grew stronger and soon flies and gnawed bones began to litter the floor. It took everything in himself not to hurl. Maggots were everywhere. Endymion couldn’t step without squashing hundreds. “This cave reeks of the taint,” he muttered. Pressing forward he could hear a low and deep growl further in. Not ceasing his advance he drew his blade. The hilt felt good in his hand, the weight was well balanced, and will look quite nice protruding from the beast’s stomach.
His body surged with adrenaline, his target and he, knew of each other’s presence. He was at the disadvantage in the dark cave however he had planned for this already. “Come forth beast! Face me like a man would! A one on one duel.”
Light paw steps could be heard moving from all over. It seemed the cave had many branching tunnels that remained hidden in the dark. The sound was distant but soon it came closer and ever growing in number. Endymion stood fast unwilling to falter now. He was the champion of the Sleuthon knights. He bore his house crest proudly on his shield and would return a hero or not at all. “Come on! Show yourself!”
No sooner did he raise another challenge did razor sharp claws come speeding past him rending armor and flesh alike. With a cry of pain Endymion stumbled sideways losing his torch and light. His breastplate was slashed as easily as butter. Catching his balance he struck out where he could hear another attacker’s approach. With a howl and a splay of blood his enemy fell. He reached for his shield, he had fastened to his back but was too slow as one after another he was assaulted in a manner similar to his first assailant. Arms, legs, face, back, chest, arms again, the attacks came again and again until he could take no more. Falling to his knees he felt cold. His body was covered in his own gore. So soon; he had hardly gotten to their lair and already he was dying. No hero’s welcome, no hero’s burial, he was to die in some smelly cave full of maggots and his corpse devoured by the wolf-men.
Not yet, at least he had to meet his target. The Wolf Fenrir. To die before then was not enough. “Fenrir!” Endymion called, a man possessed, he rose and stood to face the leader. Straight ahead he could hear a deep and cynical laughter.
“You humans aren’t a very tasty lot, but here I suppose you’ll do. After all who are we to refuse a free meal when it comes violently onto our door step?” Fenrir taunted Endymion, to him he was nothing but a snack.
“You monster! You kill our animals and people. Destroy our work and even the few crops we can manage to produce you leave in ruin. You took from me my wife and son! I cannot allow you to live!” Endymion began to chant to himself with words of power.
“You came with enchanted tools to face me? Your kind has grown a bit smarter but not enough.” Fenrir lunged forward and bit into Endymion’s torso, chomping into his chest and left arm. Endymion’s armor had proven useless and merely slowed him.
Breaking from his chant Endymion fell back tackled by the overwhelming strength and weight of the wolf-man. This was the end, everything he had proved worthless. His tools, and nature was not on his side. He stopped fighting fate and readied himself to meet his wife in the next world. He could hear a mighty arm raise high, followed by a deep growl and then, nothing.

*
The great oak doors of the warrior’s hall suddenly came crashing down. The half-drunken knights all rose with a start, some falling and others drawing their blades. Tens of dozens of wolf-men came spilling into the hall. The warriors were quickly surrounded and outnumbered.
“What, what is going on?” cried a knight. It was clear, their hero had failed and now they would feel the wrath of the victors.
The wolves in the entrance moved for their king as Fenrir entered with all the menace of Hell behind him. His muzzle and fur were bloody and filthy. In his right hand was the head of Endymion. His eyes were plucked out and it was dripping with blood. “The toy broke too easily,” the king mocked. He threw the head on the table and let it roll over plates until it came to a halt. “That man took from us one of our pack! So now all of you here will be the sacrifice we give him to offer God when they meet.” the knights, servants, and even children were overwhelmed and slain by the pack without mercy. The corpses were taken as prizes by the wolf-men for feasting and sacrifice with only the head of their ‘hero’ left as a message of warning and dominance. The day would come to be known as The Blood Harvest.



Chapter 1: A celebration turned…
Sixteen years had passed since the events of the Blood Harvest, and the kingdom of Sleuthon had been harassed by Fenrir’s men since. There hadn’t been another attack of the same scale but entire farms and noble house’s occupants vanishing over night was a common occurrence. The people lived in fear and the new generation was raised as such.
One young woman did not fear the wolf-men however and felt not but hatred and contempt for the beasts. They had robbed her of a childhood, she had no father, nor mother, nor brother. They had all been slaughtered. Daily she would be reminded of her father’s bravery and told how lucky she was to be alive. People did not see her, they saw a shadow of her father, the champion Endymion.
She told herself she didn’t mind. The name was a badge of honor, her house crest, now only remaining upon her ring, a sign of bravery. Her name was the first and last gift given to her by her parents.
“Vanessa!” she heard her friend call. “Vanessa, come out already. I give up on this game of hide and seek.” She felt clever. She knew Darius had something to tell her but she enjoyed teasing him. She’d done it since they were little but he never got any better at finding her. Or was it she got better at hiding? Either way she always told him she was helping to train him. “When are you going to stop this and start acting like a proper woman? Like Alice.”
There he went again, mentioning how she wasn’t feminine enough, how Alice was so much better, so much more beautiful and elegant. She grew tired of it and found herself resenting Alice despite the fact the girl was without blame. It wasn’t that she didn’t like being a girl, quite the opposite, she enjoyed the formalities, dresses, hair-dos, and even the makeup; but on the other side of things: she also enjoyed fighting and spending time with boys while not being expected to court them. For this she rarely acted, as they saw, like a proper lady.
Darius sighed, “I know you’re around here somewhere. You dropped a shoe; and it smells.”
Darn it, he was right. She should have grabbed her shoe. Peeking her head out over the building’s roof she waved down to Darius in the garden courtyard.
Darius looked up and mindlessly waved back. “Come on, and get down here. I really don’t want to climb up.”
“Just tell me what it is from there. If it’s of note I’ll come down and let you elaborate further. If not, I’m staying up here and you will either join me or toss me my shoe.” Vanessa now sat, legs dangling over the roof’s edge.
“It’s really not that important but it is good news.”
“Alright, get on it then, don’t make a woman wait. I’m dying with anticipation.” The sarcasm seeped from her.
“Okay so, you know how Alice, Lucy, and Carla have been in my sights for a while now?”
“Yeah, along with every other maid from here to Mazgoth, what of it?”
“Well, I have made progress with all three of them, at this rate they will all be fawning over me. Hopefully though the first to fall will be Alice. Ah, Alice, she’s so beautiful and actually looks like a woman. Plus she is in training with the Council of Magic. The greatness that is her is amazing.” Within moments of his finishing he found himself in possession of a matching pair of shoes, one in hand, and the other hurled at his face.
“What makes you think I care about your flirting?”
“You are the one who told me I should start talking to girls,” Darius argued. Growing up Darius was awkward around others until Vanessa forced the two into a friendship. Slowly he grew comfortable with people but when Vanessa found out Darius had liked a girl she forced him to talk to her. From that day, like a strange mystical power, he had pursued numerous girls around the village, courting many of them and making a name as a heart breaker. Of course Vanessa still saw him as the timid little boy.
“Yeah, but you blew it way out of context. Anyway don’t you have some sort of knighting ceremony to prep for? You know, for your brother maybe?” Darius and his brother were squires and highly competitive. The difference between the two however was drastic. Compared to his brother Darius was like a clumsy peacock; great to look at but at the core, not worth much.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m not even a year younger than him but my master says it’ll be at least three more years before I’m ready. I don’t really feel like going yet. Everyone will be saying, ‘it’s your turn next, I knew he’d be great, quite the act to follow,’ blah, blah, blah, but what do they know? I’ll go, but maybe five minutes-till.”
Vanessa shook her head at Darius. “Fine, do what you want. At least you can be a knight.”
“Don’t start that again. You know you can’t be a knight. You’re a woman, besides, you’re already really good just from what I taught you.”
“It’s not enough though. Beating you isn’t a great accomplishment. You have a chance at greatness. I however can’t use magic, so my options are limited to marrying a noble and pumping out babies.” Vanessa gave a shrug of sorts. “Let me know how the ceremony goes.”
“No, I won’t. You are going to see it yourself.”
“How? I’m not a knight or family.”
Darius threw Vanessa’s shoes onto the roof and began his climb. “You see, I found a way onto the beams of the ceremony room. There is a broken wall you can use.” At the top he struggled getting his legs over before sitting next to his friend.
“That sounds really, suspicious.”
“Yeah, it kind of does,” Darius admitted with a shrug. “But I’ll show you the way if you like.”
“I didn’t refuse did I?” Vanessa grinned widely. The two spent years sniffing out dozens of secret passages. It seemed Darius was able to surprise them with one more.
“No you did not. So the hole is inside that second floor store room. Go in and up the loft. I marked the hole with three crates all stacked against a wall. Move them and you have your way in.”
“That’s odd.”
“Isn’t it? It must be new. It’s such a simple spot I can’t believe we never saw it before.”
“Well, I’ll be there.”
“I count on it.” Darius and Vanessa both went their respective ways; Darius went to prep himself, and Vanessa put her shoes on and headed for the storage room.
Jumping from rooftop to rooftop was a game to her, one she had become an expert. Vanessa ran without fear and leapt from heights most wouldn’t dare. Along the way one of the bakers saw her and asked where she was off to in such a hurry. Vanessa told them she was off to see something she’d always dreamed of. The baker pretended to understand and went about his work.
Outside the storage room Vanessa thought she could hear voices. She stopped and pressed her ear to the door to listen.
“Quiet you. Fenrir wants the king dead. Now don’t blow this because you can’t keep your sniveling trap shut!” Fenrir? As in the Fenrir? Who were these people?
“I’m just saying that our hole was blocked with man goods. I don’t know, what if it’s a sign they’re on to us?”
“Even if they are, there are two of us. We’ll be fine. They start their little ritual thing, we hop in and rip the head off their king, simple.”
“Good plan.” Was it possible these were wolf-men? Either way they were planning to kill the king. She had to tell someone. No, there is no time. She has to stop them.
Sneaking inside she found the two assassins had already entered their passageway. What would she do? Maybe she could just run in and yell assassin, but then why would she be there, and what if the assassins turned on her? Why was she hesitating? There was no time to think. She ran through the hole and onto the beams screaming, “Assassins! Look out!” Vanessa looked and saw two large and brutish wolf-men snarling at her. She leapt at the closest enemy and found herself slammed by a great hand and falling to the ground below.

*
“I’m glad you asked me to be your guest, Darius. I’ve always wanted to see a knighting, and if it’s Damian, it’s even better.” Alice stood by Darius’s side waiting for the ceremony to begin. “I am actually really surprised you’d ask me instead of Vanessa.”
“Why’s that?” Darius had considered it but he thought asking Alice would have better benefits.
“You two are very close and I know she wanted to see this far more than I did. But I’m glad you picked me all the same.”
“So am I,” Darius gave Alice a charming smile but found her focused on the ceremony rather than him.
The ceremony was beginning and the king stood at the end of a long red carpet lined with knights and other guests. With escort, Damian came walking in tall and proud. On his head was a lightly decorated circlet of silver, matching his hair. He wore a long deep red cloak around his body, one used only for this ceremony.
“Wow, one day that’ll be me.” Darius boasted. Darius looked to Alice to see her thoughts but she’d paid him no mind.
When Damian was halfway to the king they suddenly heard someone cry out from the rafters, “Assassins! Look out!” Everyone looked just in time to see an odd blond haired girl getting knocked off the beams above.
“Vanessa!” Darius cried out. The girl came plummeting down quickly. He tried to push through the crowd but he was too far away, and was helpless to save her. Darius turned his head away unable to bear witness to her end.
“Are you alright?” Damian urged. Darius looked up relieved to see his brother rescued her.
“I’m fine,” Vanessa managed. Thank goodness she was alright. Darius sighed with a moment’s relief.
The soldiers had mobilized ready to fight the two assassins. “Wolf-men? Wolf-men here? For my life?” the king was furious and equally terrified.
“Brother, we should leave,” the smaller wolf-man advised.
“The odds are against us, but Fenrir has a demand and we must meet it!” The larger brother leapt with inhuman force, shaking the rafters and heading directly for the king. One of the knights tackled his majesty barely escaping death from the wolf-man’s attack.
“Kill it!” cried the king hitting the ground.
The elder wolf-man began to fight back the attacking guards, slashing, and biting as the younger joined the fray. Seizing the moment Darius ran to Vanessa, and taking her by the wrist pulled her away from the conflict. The assassins were vicious and tough but the numbers of soldiers were too many. The younger, saw their disadvantage and throwing back a group of knights fled from the hall.
“Brother! Come back!” The elder wolf-man was distracted, giving Damian the opening he needed.
“Die beast!” Damian cried thrusting his sword and plunging it deep into the beast’s belly. The wolf-man howled in pain, it was a terrifying sound that echoed through the hall. Slicing upward Damian cut from naval to sternum, ripping his blade free. The beast fell to the ground dead, blood and innards spilling onto the carpet.
“Do not let the other escape!”
“Yes, your majesty!” Damian and five other knights gave chase for the smaller brother.
Vanessa looked Darius in the face, “You alright?”
“You’re asking me? I’m not the one that was thrown from the rafters,” Darius and Vanessa exchanged grins.
“Well, it worked out for the best but I think I now see why Darius asked me to come instead of you,” it was Alice.
“What do you mean?” Vanessa looked from Darius’s guilty face to Alice and back to Darius.
“Uh,” Darius knew he was in a bind.
“It doesn’t matter right now. At least everyone is alright,” Vanessa gave Darius a look that told him this conversation wasn’t over.
As the knights ensured the castle was secured no one was allowed to leave. Least of all Vanessa. “What in heaven’s name were you doing?” Drake, Darius’s instructor glowered vehemently at the girl. Alice, not wishing to be a part of the inevitable argument decided it best to leave now.
“I just wanted to see the ceremony,” Vanessa defended.
“I don’t care what you wanted. The fact of the matter is you were here for a sacred ritual for knights and family only.” Drake would have continued if it wasn’t for a firm hand on his shoulder. The king had quieted the two with one touch.
“Let her be. I can pardon her this time on account she saved my life. Did you overlook that factor?” Drake stepped aside unable to argue as Vanessa and Darius bowed low. “You may rise. Young lady, I thank you for your bravery and would ask if there is something I could do for you?”
Vanessa looked up into the king’s hairy and fatherly face, firmly. “I want to become a knight.”
Drake scoffed and resisted speaking. Darius smirked at her determination. She could ask anything of the king and she asked to become a warrior.
“That is a tall order given the circumstances. However I may be able to help.”
“Really?” both Drake and Vanessa spoke.
“Your Majesty I must remind you that despite her brutish appearance she is a woman.” Vanessa glared at Drake vowing he would regret his every word.
“Yes, I am well aware, but I have an announcement to make tonight in regards to today’s events.”
*