Kingdoms of Ohm: The Dark Inferno #2

Plague

"What is it?"

"A mark of death. But, in this age of man, most call it witchcraft."

Witchcraft, growled the voice in my head. My slitted eyes drew toward Luna's underbelly, watching a string of black tendrils snake through her flesh and under her silver fur like a parasite. It moved slowly, maybe a grain of sand per minute if I were to guess, but still enough to be noticed by all. I rested the back of my claw upon Luna's forehead; a rush of heat radiated into my sapphire scales, hotter than a summer sun at high noon. Even from a distance I could smell the stickiness of her sweat trying to cool her down, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference to fight the rising fever within.

"So it was a witch that sent those shadows after us," I then growled.

"Precisely," Vulkar flapped his white wings twice. "Though I assume she sent them after you."

"But they bit me, too," I grunted, lifting my wing to peer at my scabbing wound. "Those shadows... Why has this not happened to me?"

"Perhaps for the same reason my species needed your blood to survive," answered the vampire. "Ancient blood is a powerful thing. Though I... should double check your wounds in case I am wrong."

"If you must," I flared my nostrils, lifting a paw up for Vulkar to sneak under. "Seeing this doesn't make me any more confident that I'm safe-"

"It's not just her!" Lykaios suddenly barked, appearing from nowhere as it seemed. His black ears had draped against his head, both by worry and by fright. And, by the sullen look in his eyes, I could already tell something was afoot. "It's not just her... Whatever those wretched things were... it's hurting my pack."

Vulkar's three eyes bulged. "How many?"

~ ▬ι═══════ﺤ ~

"I promise you, he's never had seizures before..." a female werewolf whimpered, nuzzling and licking the trembling tuft of her mate. The male beneath her reached up to embrace her love with a soothing lick, then grimaced once a flare of pain spiked in his abdomen. His tired green eyes noticed the three of us, and he groaned. Seemed like the werewolf expected this...

"Oh... great. Dumb, dumb, and dumber-" he pointed his snout to Lykaios last with a defiant hiss. "Come to watch me writhe like a helpless-"

"You're not that," I growled softly, coiling my tail around just to get a better look. "Just hurt... and that's okay. We're going to help you."

"Is that right?" The werewolf's eyes narrowed. "Hrrr.. I don't need you to counsel me, dragon. Not even an ancient's words of comfort will make me feel any better."

"Being negative wouldn't do much to help, now, would it?"

"Hush, both of you..." Lykaios greeted the male with a head bump, then backed up to give him space. "Just tell us what's happening to you, Alakon."

"Sure, Lykaios. It's like I know everything..." he snarled sarcastically. "I know full well that wasting my breath to be your pain receptor won't do-"

Alakon suddenly went stiff. A faint gasp left his maw before the wolf collapsed to the ground, growling in anguish as he started to twitch. His mate stepped away quickly, as did I, horribly watching the werewolf gasp and cry out his pleads to the wind. I noticed it for a second, that terrible black tendril suddenly darting up his leg where he was bit and coiling around his veins. It paused just short of his hip bone, just as the werewolf's trembling ceased. A breath of relief left his maw, then a whimper.