The Eternal War: The Dragon's Valkyrie

The Wolf Queen

The sound of weapons clashing was eclipsed only by cheering. A young oni stumbled over the cobblestone road as he ran toward the arena in the center of Reich. Yrden flicked his finger, causing the boy to trip and smash his face into the road this time.

He chuckled as he let the cobblestone return to its resting place. He seldom visited Reich; however, when he did, it was always at the behest of the queen.

The Dread Keep—a castle so enormous, it threatened to pierce the shroud of miasma that hung over The Abyss. He meandered towards it, taking pleasure in the screams of agony coming from the arena to his left. He'd only seen the pit once to observe a slave he'd taken a particular interest in.

This slave was an artist of carnage and a master of the color red. Normally, the queen of the oni would be watching the fights alongside the rest of her people, but today she awaited Yrden in the keep.

He pulled his hood further over his face. He couldn't risk exposing himself beyond the black veil that masked him—even though the streets were barren today.

Massive black stone walls surrounded the keep, reaching nearly half the castle's size. Yrden found himself standing in front of The Black Gate which was half the height of the wall. A guard approached him—wearing black plate armor. His helmet was made to imitate a wolf's and covered his entire head, save for the crimson eyes that peered through the wolf's eyes.

"Halt!" The guard held a hand up as Yrden approached. He met him, placing himself between Yrden and the gate. In his right hand, he held an elegant spear whose blade was much like a crescent moon. "State your business."

"I've been summoned by her majesty." Yrden handed the guard a piece of parchment with a black wax seal embossed with a wolf's head.

The guard examined the seal and the letter for authenticity. After a moment, he glanced back to his partner and gave him a nod. The other guard turned and pulled a lever as the sound of massive gears reverberated within the wall, and the gate began to slowly swing ajar.

"Right this way, master necromancer," the guard said as he led Yrden into the courtyard.

A boisterous metallic click came from behind Yrden as the gate locked into its open state. The courtyard was vacant save for the red oaks that grew in manicured form around the yard. The roar of water could be heard crashing over rocks behind the castle, and the top of a fall was visible between its spires that stretched like sword tips into the sky.

"I can find my way from here," Yrden said.

"I must esc—" the guard turned to see that Yrden was no longer behind him.

He reared his head around searching for the necromancer, but Yrden seemed to have vanished.

***

"Please, your majesty! I beg you!" A lowborn oni groveled at the foot of a black iron throne covered in fur pelts.

Atop the throne sat a woman who seemed more interested in her manicure than the pleading of her subject. In the red hue of the miasmic air, her skin looked nearly as pale as snow. Silk pink lips adorned her face, overshadowed by her crimson eyes. She wore a crown of severed hands that bled onto her hair, staining her silver locks a vibrant rose color but only where the blood seeped. Her hair fell in long waves over her shoulders with a perfect part down the center of her skull.

On either side of her, two wolves, the size of thoroughbred horses laid on the raised platform. Their fur was the color of smoke and each had a red stripe painted down their center.

"I don't care what you beg for, worm, you violated onian law by seeking to join the false oni!" Her voice softened from a lyrical alto to a low soprano. "The punishment is absolute," she said with a chirp at the end. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the oni writhe before her feet. "Fetch the wraith whisperer and condemn him to the Red Forest!"