Chapter 6: The Master

After two days of non-stop walking, the wolf had finally led alexander to their destination: Mount Vargen Ylar. Where he said the master resided. At the foot of the mountain, there was a forest that seemed to be absent of all life aside from the plants and trees. In all his life, alexander had never seen a place so quiet; even the frozen tundra had more life. The wind itself dared not to stir the trees. It was as if time stood still.

But Alexander knew that was not the case. He could feel it in his bones. Ahead of them, there was something unfathomably dangerous, something no mortal mind could ever hope to comprehend.

His whole body was in a state of fear, and he struggled to find his words. He finally managed to blurt out. "W-what?"

"You can sense it, can't you? The master, he waits for us," the wolf said as he rose from all fours. "Come, we must not keep him waiting."

The wolf did not hesitate to cross the threshold into the forest. The ominous presence did not seem to bother him at all. Alexander, on the other hand, stood just outside the verge of the forest.

Alexander's body refused to move past the threshold, but he had to; it was the only way to gain the power he needed. He forced his body to move, one leg at a time, ignoring his instincts' screaming. How could this soul-crushing aura belong to any living thing, natural or otherwise? This power should be reserved for the gods.

As he slowly progressed towards the mountain base, his body rebelled harder. Every bone screamed of danger, and all he wanted to do was run away as fast as possible.

"No! I have come this far! I refuse to turn back now! Even if it kills me, I will see this through! For the sake of my beloved!"

He managed to move, ever so slowly, and reached the end of the forest after several minutes. What he saw drained the blood from his face. Not only was the white wolf there, but before him stood a truly gigantic wolf. A raven black beast that was chained to the mountain.

"It seems his will is strong enough to approach me," the monster said in a cacophonous voice.

The beast's voice alone caused the earth to shake, and Alexander could not stop his body from trembling.

"Yes, I had a feeling he would be different from the others," the wolf said with a broad smile.

"I will be the judge of that," the great wolf turned his attention to Alexander. "What is your name?"

He could not find the words to speak. The confidence had vanished when he played eyes on the great wolf. The words he wished to speak eluded him. He closed his eyes for a moment and collected his thoughts. Evelien, my love, give me strength.

When he opened his eyes, he spoke proudly and confidently. "My name is Alexander, and I will be the one to kill Sidero."

He had expected that his answer would be accepted or even praised. But the great wolf burst out in laughter that shook the earth.

"A pathetic creature like you cannot hope to defeat him. However, if you manage to survive the Trial by Blood, there may be a chance."

Alexander clenched his fists as if holding on to his fleeting courage. "I will do whatever it takes, even if it kills me."

"Be careful what you wish for," he said before looking back at the white wolf. "Arkin, bring the ceremonial item."

Arkin disappeared from sight for a short while and returned with a stone bowl. It was engraved with strange glyphs Alexander did not recognize and was painted gold around the rim.

Without a word, the great wolf held out its forepaw. Arkin brought the bowl underneath and used his claw to cut a horizontal slit. The bowl quickly filled with blood. After the bowl had filled, the slit healed in an instant.

"Now, drink," Arkin said, handing the bowl to Alexander.

"Drink his blood? But why?"

"Why? did you not say that you would do anything to gain power?" The beast said as he laid down. "Besides, drinking blood should not be anything new to you. You are a vampire after all."

For a moment, Alexander had forgotten what he was. It had been so long since he had drunk blood from anything other than deer. It seemed almost taboo to drink the blood of a monster. But he had little choice. If it gives me power, I will do it.

He took the bowl from Arkin and, without hesitation, brought it to his lips and drank from it. It tasted strange. Unlike human and animal blood, which had a metallic taste, this blood was sweet and earthy, and he even enjoyed it for a moment. But the pleasure was short-lived. Mere moments after drinking the last bit, the pain set in. It was worse than anything he had experienced before, as if his blood was set ablaze and his body was tearing itself apart from the inside.

The pain was so great that his legs gave in, and he collapsed. Despite his best effort, he could not move; his body was paralyzed by pain. Before his vision went dark, he heard the great wolf's words.

"It seems this one won't last very long either."