Denizens of the Labyrinth

“Your father?” Jazmel exclaimed.

“How?” Mirroring his thoughts, Sadé asked Bannerman, the man who had helped them with the wolves.

“I was raised with the wolves in this forest, my family and the rest of my village were killed by a plague. I had a better immune system than the others, but I was so young I still could not fend for myself. So, when my father died, my mother told me to go into the woods and keep walking till I found help. She knew she was going to die but did not want me to have to see her die.” He said, his tone even and emotionless.

“Wolves found me when I was little, and they took me in. I lived with them, hunted with them, and even fought with them.” He told them.

“Is that why your eyes are like that?” Jazmel asked, he looked at Jazmel before offering a wry smile.

“Not much different to your own though, no?” he countered, and Jazmel stumbled, his eyes?

He looked at Sadé and she did not move but her own eyes told him, that Bannerman was correct.

“What colour are my eyes?” he asked her.

“I thought it was a skill. Sometimes they are ghost blue, like Mana. But normally they are just brown.” She spoke.

“They are usually brown. Deep brown.” He explained and she looked at him confused.

“I got a gift from a friend when I passed the Seeker trials. My eyes must have changed because of that.” He offered, truthfully but he had not thought his eyes would change much.

“So, you are both Seekers?” Bannerman said, scratching his arm.

“Aren’t you?” Sadé asked him.

“I had not given it much thought if I am honest. Why would I leave my forest?” he asked, and she did not answer him back.

“Let’s go, time is short, and it will be a full moon tonight.” He told them and began to run through the forest towards the mountains. To say he ran was different from Jazmel and Sadé. He darted through the woods like a wolf, on all fours bounding around. Though it looked wild, there was a grace to it and Jazmel could tell it was easy for him to move this way.

They ran in silence besides the sounds of the woods. But Jazmel was fine with this, it was peaceful, and he was happy to continue. Sadé kept up with him effortlessly and they rushed to keep up with Bannerman who led them.

Within an hour they made it to the end of the woods, a loose throng of trees that opened to gravel and mountains tall as the eyes could see, even Jazmel could not see them with his Mana imbued sight.

They had not even made it to the mountain when a howl rang clear and true. It was loud and far reaching. Something that told Jazmel this was dangerous.

THE DARK WOLF HAS BECOME A BLOOD WOLF BENEATH THE FULL MOON

DEFEAT THE BLOOD WOLF AND SAVE THE WOODS FROM THE TAINT

REWARDS VARIED.

Jazmel turned and noticed Sadé must have also received the same words. Bannerman too, he was looking around but not for long. Wolves bounded into the opening, many wolves. More wolves than had been in the caverns these were riddled with the taint though. Froth and slather hung from their jaws, and he could see that their Mana was not even dark anymore, it was blood red. They had fully given themselves over to the taint.

Another wolf trotted slowly into the opening. The wolves parted ways for it and Jazmel could see why. The dark wolf was the double the size of the wolves present. Its coat thick black fur, tinted at the edges with red as dark as blood. Its snout was scarred from years of challenges and his jaws sharp with teeth.

“We cannot fight all these wolves.” Sadé whispered and not taking his eyes off the wolves, Bannerman agreed.

“I CHALLENGE YOU! FATHER I WILL RID THE ROT YOU ARE RIDDLED WITH.” Bannerman called out and the wolves howled excitedly, baying for blood.

CHALLENGE OFFERED

STAND WITNESS TO THE CHALLENGE

Bannerman VS THE BLOOD WOLF

The system chimed in his mind and Jazmel immediately knew they all had heard the same thing.

The blood wolf stepped forward and Bannerman mirrored this, showing the challenge had been accepted.

“Wolfhunt.” Bannerman uttered and his Mana grew denser before expanding and then encasing him in pale white Mana. He rushed forward and met his father; Mana claws had manifested, and he slashed out at the blood wolf. It bit out and tried to get through the Mana that shrouded its once upon son.

The blood wolf was battered and scratched by the many attacks from Bannerman but not before getting a good bite on his forearm. The wound bled immediately and would not stop, maybe something of a skill from the wolf. Jazmel kissed his teeth; it was a bad skill. Blood was tied to stamina and Bannerman was losing it twice as much due to the condition affliction.

But for the moment Bannerman seemed unfazed he kept attacking, punching, and clawing at his wolf father with his Mana created claws. Wrestling with the wolf his muscles straining beneath his skin. Jazmel watched in admiration, proud to see this feat of strength.

They split, creating distance and both breathing deeply, the blood wolf was haggard, its jaw slack and its eyes duller than before. Its sides heaved with effort and Jazmel wondered who would win. If the wolf won, Jazmel was determined to survive somehow against the horde of these wolves. Bannerman had rested enough, he howled, and his opponent bristled from stress.

HOWL, a taunt of an equal enemy. Will cause the weaker to flee.

The system fed into his mind, as it said it. Some wolves on the outskirts broke off, running from the call Bannerman had rung out. But that did not stop the blood wolf instead it rushed him, and Bannerman gripped around its head to stop it from biting him.

He had the posture, gripping his own wrist. He strangled the wolf until it was whimpering and wheezing.

“YIELD.” He cried out.

The wolf did not.

“Yield.” He huffed, tired himself.

The wolf would not, it fought him. Just a little, trying to get out of the headlock.

“You leave me with little choice.” Bannerman concluded and with a last twist, he broke the neck of his father. Letting the wolf fall to the ground, he stood over it for a moment before pulling his head back and howling, it felt more like a roar. But even Jazmel knew wolves did not roar.

He was bleeding from cuts and scratches, but he did not show discomfort. Instead, he turned to face the wolves.

“I am the strongest wolf here.” he growled, some snuffed and huffed but none met his eyes.

“I rule here! you are all beneath me.” He shouted.

“You are banned from the woods. Banned! I exile all of you, until you have cleared your own taint. Do not return here!” he bellowed, and with that. Many of the wolves took off running, towards the mountains. Some stayed a fraction longer than the others. But they ran after a moment’s hesitation. They did not look back and ran from the challenge of the new alpha.

Bannerman turned to them and that is when he finally let the exertion of his feat fall on his shoulders. He fell to his knees beside his father and somehow the wolf melted away. As was the way of the monsters of the labyrinth. Jazmel wondered how great his exp rewards would be and he and Sadé waited. Watching.

CHALLENGE WITNESSED.

The system chimed and Jazmel dismissed it.

“Oh wow, I did not think I would see it so soon. He is undergoing his tier tribulation.” She said and at her words, Jazmel turned to witness what was so surprising for Sadé.

At first it looked like nothing, as if Bannerman were meditating. But before long he was breathing deeply and still as if catatonic. The blood wolf that had melted away seemed to swirl towards him before folding into him and as Jazmel watched he saw it join with Bannerman’s own Mana and strengthen it. Bannerman put on more muscle too, his arms thickened as well as his neck. This was something Jazmel had not even heard of, but he was shocked.

“A tier tribulation is how a Seeker moves through tiers. Only after overcoming one can your body better prepare itself for the oncoming trials of the labyrinth. To think that he was already level 15, he is strong.” She explained and Jazmel smiled, Sadé seemed to know a great deal about the things of the labyrinth.

“Have you had your tier tribulation yet?” he asked, suddenly curious about her level.

“I am not ready for that yet, but I am not too far.” She said with a mysterious smile.

He decided he would try to level up faster, he could not be left behind.

Bannerman stayed like that for almost three hours and during this time, Jazmel and Sadé simply spoke about things of the labyrinth, and he asked her questions that he had about the tier tribulation currently happening.

“Thank you.” Bannerman finally said as he came out of his haze.

He was bigger, muscles rippled beneath his vest. As if magic, appearing out of thin air, a new vest appeared. Twilight black with thick black fur lining the collar. His leather pants changed too, and he was no longer barefoot. Instead, he modelled black leather boots, fur lined these too.

“You have done me a great service in standing over me while I went through that tribulation. I am now a tier I Seeker.” He explained to them.

“What will you do now?” Jazmel asked him.

“I am not sure, I never thought to move through the labyrinth. But now I feel like I would disrupt the woods if I stayed.” He confessed, suddenly pensive and quiet.

“Join our party! Or our pack!” Sadé hollered and Jazmel jumped at her added excitement.

“You are a pack?” Bannerman said and for the first time, he showed a genuine smile. Something that made Jazmel smile too, his fangs were sharp and made him look wolfish, which in truth he was.

“We are a pack.” Jazmel said and this made him smile too.

“What will you do?” Bannerman asked.

“Go as far as we want to!” Sadé said with a wide grin.

He sighed and then nodded.

“Put your hands over each other.” Sadé told them both. It was weird but she rarely said anything for no reason.

She placed her own hand over Bannerman and spoke.

“Party.” She spoke.

PARTY HAS BEEN FORMED

PARTY WILL NOW MOVE THROUGH THE LABYRINTH TOGETHER.

This was something new to Jazmel again. He did not know parties could be formed or that they could move through the labyrinth together, he had been led to believe that each floor was randomised. But as a party they could move forward mutually.