Blood and Gold

Final Trials

I had been given minimal information, I assumed that this was a sort of final trial that I had to complete, but I was lost on where to even start. There was dry, tan grass that was flowing in the wind, it reached just below my knees. I took a deep breath, the air smelled clean, carrying the scent of future rain.

Okay Theron, you're alone, don't freak out. Follow that killer intuition you've always had. For some reason, my sarcasm didn't make me feel any better.

I decided I'd pick a direction and head that way. The only question; which way do I aimlessly wander until I find something? I hadn't moved my feet, so I started off in the direction I had been facing when I found myself here. It seemed the most logistical.

It felt like it had been hours by the time I found the tree. It was an acacia tree, its long limbs providing unneeded shade for the small pack of wolves that gathered around a man. No. He turned to me, there was no emotion on his face, just an emotionless stare.

"Hello, Theron." Aston spoke, his voice wasn't cold, he didn't seem upset.

"Aston." I responded.

"So, you killed me. Now you're here, I can't say I'm not impressed."

"Where are we?"

"This is the endless plains. Where souls reside before entering the afterlife."

"I'm dead?"

He let out his booming laugh as the wolves stood up and shook off the dust from their coats. "No, you're here to release me." He sighed, "I doubt I'll get to join my mother in the heavens."

"I'm sorry." I half-heartedly mumbled. Truth was, I did feel bad for killing him, taking the life of someone who I knew had friends and family was much different than killing the soldiers sent after me. But I found it hard to take any sort of pity on the man who'd violated me.

"The only thing you did was your job." He itched his chest before stroking the fur of the big gray wolf laying beside him. "I'm sorry about the way that it had to happen. I was drunk, but I know that won't change anything."

"I don't forgive you." I hoped he didn't notice the slight shake in my voice.

"I know, I didn't expect you would. And before you ask, I have no information to give you about The Fang."

"Nothing about my sister?" I tried to hide my disappointment when he shook his head. "How do I get out of here?"

He stood, handed me his knife, then knelt in front of me. "Stab me through the heart, release me, then I think a path will appear."

"You sound so sure." I said flatly, grabbing the knife. "Any other advice before I kill you again?"

"I'm sorry, for what I put you through." He started as I set the blade on his chest.

"Nothing even happened." I muttered as I pushed it into his skin.

His blood spilled over my hands again. The wolves surrounded him, forming a sort of circle around him. Aston glowed for a moment before vanishing into a pool of blood, I reluctantly reached into the pool to grab the glowing, floating object. It was made of bone and carved into the shape of a wolf's head. I stood, ruffling the fur on the big gray wolf's head.

I watched as the metallic smelling liquid lifted from my hands and the pool, and formed a line in one endless direction. It was the only lead I had, so I followed it. Once again walking through the plains felt like it took forever. My feet hurt and doubt had started creeping into my mind. What happens if I don't get out? I almost waited for Soros' response.

When the blood trail stopped, I was greeted with a monster, unlike any I'd ever seen before. It was surrounded in glowing bright green fire, which stuck out from the tan grass and purple streaked sky. In the shape of a giant leopard, but it had a snake for a tail and six, spider-like legs.