The Howling War: An Introduction.

The Flight fell in behind Baron, strapping their weapons down, stretching their colossal wings, checking edges and blades. He threw a glance over his shoulder and smiled wolfishly. 1

Seven. 2

Seven bloodletters.3

It might as well have been a horde. These were, he knew, the best ever to spread wing, the best to bare fang, the best to darken the skies or draw blood.4

And they were his.5

And he belonged to no one. This was shaping up to be a grand day indeed. He settled down on his colossal haunches to wait. The others followed suite, furling their wings and shutting their translucent eyelids against the last melancholy beams of the dying sun. Soon, the signal would come. Soon, they would have blood and battle. Soon, they would slake their bloodlust.6

A grand day indeed.7

-------------------------------------8

Jyce twisted away from the spearhead, ignoring the gash it drew across his shoulder, focused more on the riposte as he dug his blade into the now exposed throat. His aim was true, and he blinked as a fountain of blood erupted, coating him. The giant Norseman collapsed to the trampled ground with a gurgling scream as his lungs filled with blood. Jyce was in a generous mood, so he clamped his hand around the man’s head and wrenched viciously, eliciting a staccato series of crackling pops as the neck vertebrae yielded. The limp form dropped to the bloodstained grass soundlessly, just one more corpse on a battlefield rife with them. Jyce turned on his heel and left to rejoin his pack as a last lonely golden beam peeked over the Howling cliff. A lone figure was perched on the edge, a noble silhouette framed by a melancholy golden luminescence.9

10

Janson shifted his weight uneasily from foot to foot, as he always did, much to the undying, though unvoiced, chagrin of his lieutenant, Tamalay.11

Left, Right, Left, Right…12

The two were standing on the edge of the Howling Cliff, watching the melee and gore below. The Norse had landed some 43 days ago, unannounced. There was no warning, no scouting party, just a flotilla of longboats beached on the shore and three thousand screaming savages dedicated to slaying and pillaging the local fauna in the most gruesome way possible. 13

The Nine convened without delay, all of them meeting at once for the first time in living memory. Janson, as the eldest, presided over the meeting in the catacombs, the traditional site of convening. A poor end greeted the few Norseman to find their way into the caves that night, a last glimmer of flashing fangs and blood speckled fur, one last blood-howl as the darkness of death eclipsed reality. 14

A poor end indeed. 15

Left, Right, Left, Right…16

Janson was the only one who remembered the original accords, some 1200 years ago, and even he was but a pup then. He was finally growing old, Even for a Were. Both forms of his duality were showing the signs. A paunch had replaced what was once a slender and solid core, both fur and hair were graying. But worst of all, his teeth were wearing. Too many years of rending his enemies, of gnawing bone and tearing flesh. He was old…17

Left, Right, Left, Right…18

The Nine had come to their decision in four hours of heated, though always cordial debate. Unanimously they came to a single conclusion: the Weres would fight this invader. And so the packs were drawn together, weapons were sharpened, and fangs as well. The site for the battle was chosen, The Baying-Plains, and preparations were made. Stag and boar were slain in great numbers, salted and laid up for the inevitable wounded…19

Left, Right, Left, Right…20

The packs were formed up into clans, two-score to a clan.21

Seven clans of Whitewolves from the distant northern tundra.22

Twelve clans of Timberwolves from the endless black wood.23

Four clans of the hulking, though thoroughly intellectual Darkwolves, from the crags of the northern ranges.24

Six clans of Redwolves from the jungles far to the south, just arrived that morning.25

And lastly, three clans of Princewolves under Janson himself. These were the Weres Janson had raised and known and loved since they were but children. And they would lead the Battle-charge, the fore-claw that was to break the Norse lines.26

Left, Right, Left, Right…27

Though his pack, Janson had determined that he could not lead the Princewolf clans into battle. The warriors were young and lean, solid packed muscle, speed, and potential violence. Their fangs were sharp and their jaws were strong. Janson would only slow them down. 28

Left, Right, Left, Right…29

And so he had appointed his nephew the captain of the Princewolf clans. Jyce was young -for a Were at least- only some thirty-seven years of age, but his head was level, and he was arguably the fiercest wolf alive. Janson had seen him chase a young stag to ground on the moors in his darker form, a display of speed that Janson couldn’t have hoped to match, even in his prime. He was an undefeated swordsman as well. In fact, he had once admitted that he would rather engage in swordplay than wolf-fighting. Though he would deny it, he was possibly the single best warrior the Clans had to offer. And he was somewhere down there, amidst the clashing harried figures and screams and howls of pain.30

Left, Right, Left, Right…31

And thus Janson found himself overlooking the precipice, his eyes, still sharp, focused exclusively on the maneuver of battle far below. The Norse were flanking, sweeping up the eastern ranks in a tactical maneuver that would never have worked without the berserk strength that coursed through the Viking veins. For the first time so far, Janson saw a danger to the Covenant. 32

If the Norse were victorious here, if they defeated the Were, or even drove them back, more would come. People would find this place, settle it. The Were were strong, but in a war of attrition, their slow to reproduce people would be annihilated for all time. It fell to Janson to avert that fate, to divert the unstoppable flow of humanity.33

The fidgeting ceased. It seemed the decision had been made for him. 34

He turned to Tamalay.35

“the time is now. Send the message.”36

Tamalay nodded wordlessly producing the signal arrow, inspecting it closely. A single shaft of the straightest Ash possible, completely devoid of flaw or knot. It was fletched with the pinions of a Great Hawk. Rather than a hunting or war tip, it was bound about with oil soaked cloth, embroidered with the crest of the Princewolves. She couldn’t help but see the poignancy, the encasing resin turning the tip of the shaft into a giant, golden, teardrop. 37

“How fitting.” Tamalay mumbled,38

She dipped the arrow head into the fire and held it there while the resin began to melt and ignite.39

“has it truly come to this?” she thought, “three thousand years of independence, and auspicious affluence, and now we rely on mercenary steel? Will I be remembered as the one who shackled my race to the Vampyr? Will I forever be known as the one who signed the pact in the blood of my people?...” 40

But there was no time to reflect further. 41

She took the arrow from the flame, drew it back upon her bow, and sent it streaking into the atmosphere.42

-------------------4143


The flare of the arrow was miniscule, even to Baron’s keen eyes, as it blazed through the eclipsing darkness of the sky like a tiny comet in reverse. The wolfish smile once again engulfed his face, a grim grin that spoke of joy and pain, bloodlust and fear.44

He turned to his Bloodletters.45

“My brothers, the battle awaits! Fly swiftly now, and obey me more swiftly still. There are enemies to be slain. The battle will be fierce, but we will be fiercer. We will fight. We will fly! And above all else, I promise you this: we will have blood!”46

Author notes

Tomato cookies fry up good.

my favorite song is either "Lullaby For a Stormy Night" By Vienna Teng, or "Love Me Like a River Does" by Melody Gardot.

sorry, i couldn't help it. that's for a contest people, real notes below.



okay guys, a few minor notes.
first off, i need to explain some stuff. the vampyr of this story are practically nothing like traditional vampires. they don't suck blood, they definitely do not turn into bats, and they're nothing like the hyper-slender backflipping Kate Beckinsale "Underworld" style vampires. they're big, between 7-9 feet tall. the wings are permanent,as well as big. we're talking bat-style wings on the order of some 9 foot on either side, or roughly a 21 foot wingspan (3 foot for shoulder width). they are hulking, impossibly muscular, and they live for battle. they don't drink blood, but they are obsessed with it. they're also fewer than the Weres and traditionally mercenaries.

as for my werewolves, or "Weres" they aren't quite the norm either. they are average sized, typically slender, freakishly fit, and highly cultured. they live in manors and mansions, not caves. they are adept at traditional warfare as well as the whole "rip-your-throat-out-and-eat-you" thing. they have perfected the tactical and strategic implications of the increased mobility and unarmed combat ability provided by shifting to the furry form.

the norse have landed on this wierd landmass... hmmm, when did the vikings land on an un-discovered continent, and why did they leave again?... just a tidbit i threw in for fun.
(in case someone doesn't get it, a viking, (eric the red i think) was supposedly the first person to discover america, trumping columbus by a longshot. then the vkings left. (in this (purely imaginary) case, cause of a cozy reception from the locals.))

anyways, i wrote this just for the contest, and had a blast. hope you like it.

(BTW, though it's called "an introduction" it's actually a standalone, completed piece. i'm not going to continue it. it is fin!

In a list

A contest entry

please read the author's not before commenting, and consider it in the context of the story.

    : , Your review:

    Comment Suggestion: What is your your first impression?
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Comments

1 - 18 of 18

  • Shadow Pixie
    September 18

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    This was interesting, and I liked the original take on vampires and werewolves. I liked it, it was definitely something else.
    Thank you for your entry!

    ~ Lí-Lí


  • Night Terrors
    March 22

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    I liked your veiw of the werewolves and the vampires but I had kind of an issue with the little stanza like things following almost every paragraphs. That was kinda annoying to me. Great job on the whole. Thanks for entering.

    beginning: 1, language: 2, plot: 4, ending: 2, dialog: 1, characters: 1.


  • sberendt gold member
    March 1
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    I liked how you portrayed the werewolves and vampires in your story; they didn't follow the stereotypical views. Another thing I would like to mention is the repeated "Left, Right, Left, Right". I think that was a nice touch. I also loved how you added a lot of history of the clans and such while tying it back to the current action. Great story!


  • Lois.Stone
    February 28
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    cool!

    loisx


  • Atticus Unanimous
    February 27
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    I'm really nervous and really tired so I'm going to try to keep this short. I loved your plot, characters, vocabulary, setting, and sensory details. You've got a great imagination, but more importantly, an articulate voice. I think you are aware of general grammar rules and that always makes it easy to read. Nice spin on a usually heavily cliché species.


  • geonigma
    February 20
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    cool story

    nice work

    beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.


  • geonigma
    February 20
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    cool

    beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.


  • imagist
    February 17

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    Extremely rivating, and interesting take on the vamps and weres. I liked that the weres wereof military discipline. Seemed very realistically fitting.


  • FortuneCookie
    February 17

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    im very grateful for the authors notes (sans tomato cookies (O.o) because while the story is riveting, there are a lot of characters to keep track of. i have a feeling that this is one of those it-becomes-clearer-as-the-story-goes-on kinda things, so no biggie.
    as far as content, i love it! please write more. your vocabulary is astounding; refined but not stuffy, well excercised but not over the top. anywhoodle, i like it.
    Daidra


  • amanda vampiress silver member
    November 3, 2008

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    Wow!

    I love how you use multiple character's P.O.V within your story. I think it gave it a little something extra, as well as made it unique.

    I like how you started off the story, and then switched to the main character. It was a bit confusing at first trying to figure out what you meant by wings, but I re-read the beginning a second time and it clicked! It did not take away from the story in any way either.

    The part of your plot structure that you have presented the reader with so far was amazing. It kept me entertained and interested through out the entire story.

    I think the tid-bit with the Vikings was an interesting touch, as well as the repetitive left, right, left, right.

    As for the descriptions, they were very well written. I could tell right away that your story was taking place in the past, but I felt you captured the "feel" of the story perfectly. I also did see one or two grammatical errors, but that is common in almost every story.

    I do hope you decide to continue this one day. It was a joy to read. Good luck in my contest and keep up the great work.


  • AleMor
    October 27, 2008

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    Very good!

    This has a really awesome opening. "The best to bear fang," I like that. It definately drew me in.

    I like the way you word everything. It's smooth and believable. You have very good descriptive language. I really like the last sentence in paragraph 13. I like the way you kept repeating " left, right, left, right...," so that not only was the opposite character annoyed, but so was I, the reader.

    You don' t seem to be struggling to use the right terms to show that this story is set in the past. Your words don' t interfere with or take away from the setting.

    A few grammatical errors, but I'm sure you could pick up on those if you just went through it yourself. Very, very good use of language. It's an intriguing story. I didn't believe that this would be a non-clichéd story but you have good ideas.

    Please don't tell me that this is all of the story because this was fantastic.

    beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 4.


  • SchizoMatt
    October 25, 2008
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    Very Impressive

    You definitely have a way with words. I noticed you used a rather large vocabulary. But, unlike most stories, the extra big words were well placed and NOT confusing. The story has a nice flow to it and is actually very enticing. I look forward to reading more. Very original and entertaining.

    beginning: 5, language: 4, plot: 5, ending: 4, dialog: 4, characters: 4.


  • lavanya
    October 24, 2008

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    nicely done and intresting stuffhave my compliment dear this one is my first werewolf story and i found it intresting,flow was good ,so keep it up you have talent thereneed litle bit polishing.good luck


  • Celestial Rose
    October 24, 2008

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    The begining was a little hard to understand, though the flow of the story was great. Good job.

  • archdraconis
    October 5, 2008

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    That certainly was an interesting read. I definately enjoyed it. Good weaving of the history. It got kind of "explainy" at times, but a rewrite or slipping more dialogue in should work thru that.

    You might want to remove some self identifying "weres" , it would be like self identifying yourself as human. As they are clan, they would identify that first, and even think like that, less, don't mess with the weres, more, "don't mess with the Timberwolves." Like that line (after paragraph 28)where you say that "He was young -for a were- " We know what he is, how about young, for his clan or to be out in battle, or something like that. Or just plain young -compared to humans-


    beginning: 3, plot: 4, ending: 4, characters: 5.


  • Raeyle
    October 5, 2008

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    This was an interesting take on things, for sure. The way you weaved the story was a tad stilted in a few bits but for the most part it developed quite nicely;

    the characters- there are quite of few to take note of- I think were are the starting phase of development as well and I think with more writing they could become very 4 dimensional, or at least 3;

    One word of caution: be very careful with how you move from one scene to another and from one point of view to another. The reader should be able to tell if not from the first sentence of the new scene, at least by the end of the first paragraph or by putting a divider in.
    You have such in paragraph 9,10,11- because there is a big jump from scenes as it were it's a bit choppy.

    You seem to have made a good choice by putting in that Left, right, left right repetition.


  • moonwriter
    April 29, 2008
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    This was a really interesting story.  Definitely one of the best werewolf stories I've ever read.


  • MoonRoseWolf gold member
    March 5, 2008

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    I really liked this!
    There was the odd capital letter missing of some sentence beginings, and a few grammer errors, but not enough to detract form the story. I love how you made the were-wolves into different clans, and also how you made them both human and wolf.
    I also loved how you took a 'tidbit of history' and turned it into something much more interesting.....that was inspired
    Overall, well done and good luck in the contest!

1 - 18 of 18