The LoST 11

The Lone Shadow Templar

11: Infinite White

The souls of infinite demons buried amidst the chaos and fire. The sins that could never be drowned away. The blood curling screams as their bodies burned for an eternity.

I felt something warm and sticky run down the back of my neck. As my vision came back into focus, I found myself looking at my foot. Rubble surrounded my body, the scene showered with a curtain of grey dust. Slowly, I staggered up, stumbling forwards a few steps.

Sporadic gunfire resounded through the broken hallway, distant yet so close at the same time. The throbbing in my head pounded like a hammer against my brain. Tears welled up in my eyes, and not just from the pain.

A blanket of death. Suddenly, a great furry figure loomed up against me. With a swift motion, its head stuck into my stomach, making me keel over onto its back. Instinctively, I grabbed on to its fur and it bolted through the hole in the wall. I felt a cool blast of air as we dashed into the night.

Orbis, the pearly white city on the island of Ossyria. A city of story, of history, of untainted good will. I coughed a stream of blood.

The lupine figure set me down in a dark alley, propping me up against the side of a building. I looked up at his large black eyes. He was studying me; I could feel his breath flutter my hair.

“Who are you?” I asked, straightening myself up. An intense pain shot through my brain, making me wince.

The wolf growled lowly and took a step back. It then stood up on its two hind paws and howled at the full moon. Little by little, its snout started to grow back in, the hair on its body started to recede, and in a moment, I found myself staring at a grown man with shaggy brown hair.

“Agh,” he sighed, slowly rolling his head around, “That’s much better.” He knelt down in front of me and reached out with a hand, “The name’s Wolfe. I’m assuming the Dominion’s after you for some f***ed up reason as well eh?”

“You could say that,” I replied quietly. I coughed again and tasted more blood. “Nice original name,” I added with a slight grin.

“Whatever, Night,” he retorted.

“Touché,” I rolled my eyes. I took his hand and he pulled me up. “What did they want with you?”

“Well as you can see, I am a shapeshifter,” he said as he looked around the dark alley. “Guess they wanna be too.”

“Join the club,” I scoffed and pointed at my brain, “apparently, I have Shadow Templar blood.”

“Ha,” he laughed once, “I’ve heard about your kind. Died out a long time ago. Guess I should be careful around you, with your mind reading crap…”

I wiped the last bit of blood from my lips, “What do you mean we?” I asked.

“Hmm? I didn’t say…”

“You thought it,” I interrupted, “What do you mean we?”

He paused for a second, then replied, “Well since we escaped together, I thought…”

“I didn’t want to escape,” I spat, “I was right where I wanted to be, and you made me lose my chance!”

“You’re chance to do what?” he asked cautiously.

“To kill Nass, False, and every one of those mother fu**ers in there,” I fumed. “I was going to kill… them… all…”

“Well I’m sorry…”

“You ruined it! I was not going to leave until all of them were dead! There’s no reason for me to live UNLESS THEY ARE ALL F***ING DEAD!”

“WELL I’M SORRY I SAVED YOUR LIFE!” His voice was feral and animalistic.

“HEY” I screamed. I grabbed his neck and instantly forced him into the opposite wall. “There is no reason for me to live… unless… they… are… all… dead!” I could feel his throat strain at the pressure.

His hand suddenly grabbed mine. Slowly and with surprising strength, he took mine off and pushed me back. Massaging his neck, he replied, “Then I’m sorry I didn’t let them kill you… bitch.”

“How did you…”

“I’m a wolf hybrid. It doesn’t take a telepath to underestimate me.” He sneered. “I suppose asking you to join me would be out of the question now.”

“Join you?” I asked.

“I have friends,” Wolfe explained lowly, “Connections, the works. I’ll help you with your quest, if you help me with mine.”

“And what might that be?”

“They took something from me and I want it back. No questions asked.”

6 hours later…

The raging blizzard grew with a frenzy, making it impossible to see more than ten feet out. Our footsteps were immediately covered with a fresh layer of white. We tread through the frozen deserts of Ossyria towards the little village of El Nath.

“Who is this friend of yours?” I yelled at Wolfe through the howling wind.

“His name is Pyrk,” he hollered over his shoulder, “Used to be with the Dominion before he rogued out and disappeared.”

“Why is he so important?” I replied. The snow lashing at my face could almost bleed me.

“You’ll see!” Wolfe screamed. Through the blinding white, I could just make out his sly smile.

All of a sudden, his body disappeared. I heard his surprised yell followed by an enraged, savage roar. Something smashed down in front of me, sending a flurry of snow into the air and making me fall backwards. As I scrambled up, I heard it charging, and suddenly I was flying through the air. The snow softened my impact, but the thudding pain from where it hit me made me keel over in agony.

Its snarling crept closer, almost as loud as the howling wind itself. A single massive furry forearm slammed into the ground as the Yeti emerged into view. The massive salivating mouth breathed its putrid smell into my face.

Just at it lunged, something else collided into it, sending both of them flailing into the side of a snowy cliff. Wolfe had transformed once more. Two separate roars emanated through the white out, followed by the sickly sounds of combat.

There was a sudden sickly crunch and a low moan, then the roars ceased.

“Wolfe?” I yelled, being cut off by a cough. “Wolfe!”

My call was not returned, save for the wind. A deafening silence.

Then, his hand touched my shoulder. I wheeled around to face Wolfe; he had a large clash across his chest. His voice asked if I was alright, but I could not seem to focus. As I watched, the gash slowly started to heal itself. Within ten seconds, there was not more than a faint scar. I looked up at him.

“Neat trick eh?” He grinned and helped me up, “Are you ok?”

“Yea…” I did not know what to say. Even though I could read his mind, there was so much that I could not see.

“We best get to Pyrk fast,” he muttered, pulling me along. Out in the distance, the slightest hint of lights started to peek through the snow.

His hand gave me a sharp tug.

Suddenly, a flash dazed me and my eyes could not see anymore.

He was there, standing right in front of me, yet I could not reach out for him. His face smiled, but I could not move. I was frozen in some sort of purgatory.

He was talking and laughing at me… no… past me. There was someone behind me, someone invisible. He was not the Aaron I remembered, my Aaron.

Then, his face became distorted. As the images swirled around, False’s black mask wrapped itself around his face. I was staring down the barrel of his L96. His deathly voice penetrated deep into my mind.

…Forever and always…

My eyelids flashed open and I let out a blood curling scream.