Unto the Shadow (Completed)

(Ch.33) The Red Hand

The group had fallen disturbingly silent, the man's life-ending grunt still echoing through the woods around them.

As the sound finally faded Stephan went back to rewrapping his arm, it was no longer broken, a Healer had taken care of that, amongst other injuries he sustained from his 'training session'. But his bones still ached from the exertion of using a bow. He was livid that he had missed so many shots, the roof had been a perfect vantage point. This all could have been over if that last arrow had not been diverted from its mark. He wouldn't have to be here right now with this wretched company if he had shot that bastard. He could have been in a plush bed with a girl who was willing enough.

He focused on his arm, wanting to find any distraction to keep from looking at the giant abomination of a man that stood at the edge of the firelight, eating the leg of a rabbit like a barbarian, the juice running into his thick red beard. Kaska acting as if nothing brutal had just happened, acting as if he had not just killed one of his own men with his bare hands.

Stephan spat at the flame in Kaska's direction, it sizzled. Stephan despised Kaska, always had. He had never understood why his Master allowed such an empty waste of life to continue to breathe, let alone trust him. Allowing him to be part of such an elite task force. Kaska was a worthless, psychopathic blank, who would kill anyone in their group for looking at him wrong, let alone openly disagreeing with him. Just as Toa had done.

Stephan gritted his teeth, he had never liked Toa, the fool had not even been a true believer. He had caught Tao more than once swooning over a Prosaic woman, with more than just lust, he would secretly court them. Stephan felt his lip twitch at the blasphemy, but at least Toa had been a Water Daemon, worth something, Kaska was about as worthless as the Prosaic women Toa had fancied.

Kaska was a brutal beast of a fighter and stood a head taller than a tall man. He was double the width of Stephan's narrow build. He was fast too, which was most people's downfall when they faced him, underestimating his speed.

Stephan had seen Kaska crush a man's skull with his bare hands. An unwelcome shiver ran down his spine at the memory of the sound the man's skull made when it shattered like an egg, while Kaska laughed with enjoyment at the man's blood curdling screams. Despite how much Stephan loathed even being in the company of the waste of life, he was smart enough not to challenge him, Toa had been too stupid to remember that.

Kaska had not been with the group when they had attacked the large estate house, the Dakawolves had ordered him to stay with them on the outskirts. The strange wolves rarely went near towns or homes, they were keen on maintaining their anonymity, feeding their myths of being ancient devil dogs that only came out when death was coming. The myth kept the fear of them alive, while at the same time allowed them to lie dormant and not be actively hunted. It was one of the reasons Searian was keen on them, they were cunning, loyal slaves, that struck fear into the hearts of his adversaries at the proper moments.

But Kaska was held back for another reason, the man was like a bull, running into everything he could see. Searian had wanted the mission to be covert, and Kaska was anything but. Now with the covert mission's failure, Kaska wanted to take control, and do things his way. The only thing stopping him from smashing through the forest until he found the girl was Ikla, the Alpha Dakawolf. Ikla was the only creature, other than Searian, that Kaska would submit to.

It was possible that Stephan hated Ikla more than Kaska. He was jealous of the creature, and the favor their Master rained down on him. Story had it that Ikla had been one of Searian's greatest adversaries, a powerful Souladeux. Who nearly ruined everything Searian had been working towards, bringing back true balance to Esera and the Shadow realm. But Searian had captured Ikla before he could fully expose him, and with a dark, ancient sacrifice, ripped Ikla's soul from his body and enslaved it in the earth-form of a Dakawolf.