There, a cavern, an entrance to the ancient mountain. I used to play here as a kid, it had been such a long time. We stopped when Mom warned me away, saying that spirits lived here. Well, right now, I would rather take my chances with spirits than with the Night Fangs. I slipped into the entrance of the cavern, running in darkness for a few moments until my sight adjusted. The path was narrow and cold, but I kept running, hoping that this place might hide my scent for a little while at least, although I could hear them outside, sniffling and snuffling, unrelenting in their pursuit of death.
I was looking behind me when my feet caught and I tumbled down, crashing through rubble. Pain scratched my body and I shrieked, which only helped alert them. I could smell them coming, rushing towards me. I looked up and righted myself. I was in some sort of chamber with strange markings on the walls. I didn’t have time to figure out what they were. Hell, maybe this was where the spirits lived. I was more looking for a way out than anything else, but the chamber seemed sealed. I didn’t understand how. Why would anyone build a room without an exit? In my panicked state I ran around the room, pressing my nose to the walls, slamming my paws against the ground. In the end, I shifted back into my human form so that I had better reach. I curled my hands into fists and beat them against the hard stone walls, not caring about the pain because soon enough pain would be the last thing I ever felt.
Then something happened. I don’t know what did, but there was a grinding sound and then something shimmered, some part of the wall. It looked like a doorway I suppose, although it wasn’t like any doorway I had ever seen before. It was made of this… liquid energy is the best way I could describe it. It was warm to the touch, and it made my hand tingle. I was so shocked at its sudden appearance that it actually distracted me from my plight for a moment. Then I heard the Night Fangs coming. If they found me here, there would be no escape. I did the only thing I could do. I walked through the doorway.
As I turned back, I saw the Night Fangs approach. There was a watery sheen separating me from the room. The Night Fangs dropped down and prowled around the chamber, sniffing the air. They traced my steps around the room. I backed away, keeping my breath shallow, hoping that they wouldn’t be able to hear me. Then they came right up to the doorway, sniffing away. I looked into the pits of their eyes, coal black and filled with death. I held my breath, certain that they were going to lunge for me and attack me, but instead they turned away, confused.
They prowled around the room for a while longer, sticking their noses into every corner, but eventually they left. I waited until I thought it was safe to come out and then I stepped out of the doorway… except I couldn’t. It was as though an unbreakable pane of glass was in front of me. I staggered back, unsure of what awaited me. I was trapped in this different place, in this new world, but where was I, and was there anyone waiting?
Chapter Two
Axanar
I stood in the throne room, my back to the golden dais that gleamed with the majesty of power. The throne had been possessed by great lion after great lion, and now I was the one who held it, Axanar the Bloodbringer. But the throne was not the subject of my attention at this moment. Instead, I stood at the window, gazing out at the panoramic view of the world. The single sun was high in the sky, the firmament a swirling mix of blue and purple shades, casting a mist in the horizon. The world went on forever, and I wondered if I would ever see it all. Probably not, but that was the way of the world. We were only ever given a glimpse into eternity, and a glimpse was a blessing. This tower had been built many generations ago. It had withstood assault, hurricanes, storms, and quakes. It was a testament to the might of my people, and anyone who came upon it was made aware of our power, our right to reign over this cruel world.
Below me was the town, a thriving hub where people busied themselves. Beyond that were paths that stretched out across the world like strands of a spider’s web. They went off in all directions, each one leading to somewhere new. There were thick jungles, filled with poisonous frogs and venomous snakes and other grim beasts that lurked in the shadows. There were jagged mountains, rising high in the sky like daggers waiting to rip the heavens apart and wait for it to bleed starlight. There was the forest, by day a magical and beautiful place, a lush verdant area filled with chirping birds and babbling streams, but by night a dark place where demons emerged and cackled as the pale moon shone upon them.
And then, there were the plains of Orestes, the vast swath of land that stretched upon the world like a blanket. The mere sight of it filled my heart with emotion as I was reminded of the place of my birth, and the place where I claimed my right as Alpha. Like so many others, I had been merely a cub, but in those plains, I had forged my muscles, I had channeled all my emotion and energy into my strength, making myself a living weapon. It was a place that was alive with herds galloping, waiting to be hunted, but so many never made it out of there alive. It was a test to ensure that only the strongest made it into our pride, for otherwise, we would be weak, and weakness could not be tolerated.
“It is going to be a fine hunt this season,” I remarked, my voice brittle like stone. I did not move my head, although Volkan came to stand beside me. He was younger, and had always followed my lead. Often, we were of the same mind. I trusted him with my life. He was tall and lean, his skills were of a scout, his pace swift. He excelled with a spear, or a bow and arrow. His skin was as dark as obsidian, while his eyes shone brightly. His scalp was smooth, but he had a thick beard. I was tanned by the sun, my skin leathery. I had a mane of blonde hair that cascaded to my shoulders, and unlike Volkan, I was made for battle. Every muscle was honed to swell with brutal strength. My body was lined with scars from where blood had been spilled in close combat, and my weapon of choice was a sword. It was simple, yet effective, and so far, in all my years, none had been able to wrest it from my hands.
I was beginning to believe that nothing ever could, although I was wise enough to know that complacency was a warrior’s greatest enemy.
“I’m sure it will be, as all the others have been. Once again, you will prove yourself mightiest, and songs will be sung of your valor,” Volkan said.
I smirked. “And what songs they shall be, although I do wonder if we have plumbed the depths of this world. I find myself looking out here day by day, wondering whether there is something we are missing.”
“What do you mean?”
I turned to face him. “We are the dominant species here. We have conquered them all. Occasionally, there are monsters that have no sense, but every sane individual recognizes our position of power. Sometimes I can’t help but feel that I was born in the wrong time. Imagine living in the great age of war, where the clans clashed in every part of the world, and the air was thick with the stench of spilled blood. That was where true warriors were made. I shall never be able to test myself against them, not until I die and I meet them in the Eternal Plains.”
“But they fought and died purely so that we could have these lives. This tower would not have been built without the world having order. It was chaos, utter chaos. Surely you would not wish to plunge us back into a world like that?” Volkan’s voice trembled with panic.
I just laughed and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Sometimes my friend your mind is as swift as your feet. You do not need to worry about me undoing all that our ancestors accomplished, I simply mean to say that I wish there was one grand task for me to achieve. I look to the horizon and wonder whether there is anything else out there, anything that could test me in a way that I have never been tested before.”
There were occasions when life was prophetic, when a chance occurrence seemed fated to happen. This was one of those moments, for as Volkan and I were speaking the door to the throne room opened. One of the younger lions, a fresh-faced cub called Marrin rapped his knuckles on the door and came in.
“I am sorry to disturb you,” he said, bowing his head sharply, as though it had been jerked down by a leash, “but an alarm has been triggered from the shrine.”
I furrowed my brow and glanced at Volkan. “The shrine? Why would the alarm be triggered in the shrine?”
“Perhaps there are rats again,” Volkan said.
“If they have desecrated our shrine again then I shall make sure to eradicate all the rats from the world,” I muttered, half in jest. A war against rats was not the kind of battle I had in mind. I walked to the throne and clasped my sword. It was held in a jeweled scabbard that gleamed as it caught the light. I wrapped it around my waist. The weight felt comfortable there. I often felt incomplete without my weapon. My heavy boots thudded against the ground as we stalked out of the throne room, heading towards the elevator that thrummed as it carried us down to the bowels of the tower. The shrine was the oldest part of the building, in fact the oldest part of the village itself. Everything had been built around it, for the ancient ones had been a superstitious lot. In our modern age, there was not much room for these legends, although the stories had been ingrained in our cultures, stories of other lions having embarked on adventures to another world. How I wished that it was possible. A new world to conquer… I relished the thought.
The doors to the elevator opened with a rush of air. The sleek, smooth texture of the building gave way to old, rough stone. It had been a long time since I had descended to these depths, my duties as Alpha filling my days and preventing me from fulfilling my ritual obligations. I took a moment to press my hand against the cold stone, feeling a connection with the ancient world. It was said that arcane energy ran through this place like blood. My skin tingled, perhaps in response to this. We walked through a narrow hallway, our eyes darting about in every direction before it opened into the main shrine.
The room was large and square, with various pictures and carvings on the walls. The air was cold and stale, and it almost made me cough.
“I don’t see anything,” Volkan said.
I sniffed the air. It took a moment, but there was most definitely something there. Towards the back of the room there was the main feature of the shrine, a statue of a proud member of our pride. It was a place where offerings had been made, although in recent times it had been neglected. It was carved to be in our noble form, with a thick mane, sharp teeth, a tail like a whip. I walked up to it and gazed into its cold, stony eyes, before descending to my knees, as was the way of things. Even though I was Alpha, there were still some things above me. I closed my eyes and pressed my hand upon the stone, but I could not sense anything.
“Perhaps the alarm malfunctioned,” Marrin said. “I’m sorry for wasting your time, Alpha.”
“You were alert, that is never something to be worried about,” Volkan reassured him. I shushed them, for I could sense something. I frowned for, on the air, I could hear something quiet, something mewling.
Help me.