Chapter 122

Battle of Aftermoon

Joaquim Brown, Felix Fire, and the soldiers

The men moved along the corridor, already aware of the trap; they walked cautiously.

Felix paid attention to all movements knew; he wanted to be sure of where each human was before attacking.

The wolf knew that the humans had knowledge of the Onyx stone; he had gathered the information when he attended the castle party months ago. Everyone there had to be as careful as possible; their lives depended on it.

They walked for a while down the corridor until the wolves noticed strange movement ahead.

"There's a human just ahead."

Fabrício whispered to Joaquim, who had no idea what was happening around him; only the wolves could sense it.

They slowed down; they decided to enter the room next to them.

Felix tried to hear something, but it seemed like the human was alone, probably a guard waiting for them to pass to warn the rest of the soldiers.

"And now?"

Joaquim asked, not knowing what to do; he was the only human among the wolves, and there weren't many things he could do.

"I know the Lords know about the Onyx stone, that's why we can't cross the line. I'm sure they're prepared to kill us with poison as soon as we appear."

Felix spoke softly. Unfortunately, he couldn't risk being poisoned again by the Onyx; he was still unwell and slowly recovering. It was very challenging for a werewolf to endure.

"That's why I ask you to be strong, Joaquim. We'll leave the Lords to you; we'll focus only on the soldiers. I'm sure they won't have enough poison to distribute among them. We need to act fast."

Felix spoke resolutely. Joaquim needed to act alone. Could he manage it? The wolf was hesitant about whether he could trust his brother-in-law.

The corridors and rooms were low and narrow, making it difficult for the wolves to transform there. They needed to fight outside; only then would they have an advantage.

"We'll draw their attention outside. Can you manage the rest?"

Felix asked Joaquim, wanting to know if the Lord was prepared to end it all there once and for all. If necessary, he would have to kill his father and brother.

Would Joaquim have the strength for such a thing? Felix had his doubts, but he had to trust the man; Joaquim would be the next Lord of Aftermoon, and he needed to have a steady hand.

Joaquim didn't say anything, just nodded in agreement. It was hard for him to say he would kill his family, but he would do it, even if it hurt his heart.

Fabrício was the first to go out and make noise; he would be the bait to lure the soldiers outside. Joaquim would remain hidden, waiting until the area was clear. Dirce had informed everyone that the soldiers were waiting for them, hoping the humans would fall into the trap.

The wolf pretended carelessness, making a loud noise as he walked. He had the exact location of the human due to his sharp hearing; he felt the man's heart beating strongly as he walked, increasing the strength in his steps. Fabrício knew that the fight would begin at any moment.

The rest of the wolves were waiting; every second was precious.

When Fabrício arrived in front of the door to the room where the man was hidden, he was not faced with an ordinary guard or soldier, but rather with a huge, dark-skinned man in strange clothing. He advanced towards Fabrício, attacking him frenetically with a dagger.

He seemed to be a foreigner, who could he be? Had Helton mercenaries? Fabrício didn’t have much time to think. He defended himself against the man’s blows, but he was too strong for a human. Some of the man's attempts lightly struck Fabrício, making the wolf in him start to get angry at the figure in front of him. The man grinned, wanting to attack further.

Certainly, they weren’t the same soldiers the wolves fought during the siege around Joaquim's Castle.

The man in different attire began to shout, alerting the rest of his allies.

Felix concentrated on listening to what was happening around him, trying to locate the soldiers. He felt several people approaching from different corridors; their hearts beat strongly like drums. Unfortunately, Felix couldn’t focus and tell how many or from where they were coming. His head began to ache; there were too many.

"Damn it! They're confusing me."

Felix shouted angrily, clenching his fist tightly and gritting his teeth in hatred. Joaquim was in another room hiding, and Fabrício was in the room in front of him fighting. Should he try to save his allies, flee, or attack with all his might? He was lost.

Men started coming from all sides. Felix knew that if he stayed within that cramped room, his allies wouldn’t be able to transform, and they would lose because of the disadvantage.

"Half of you, transform and run outside! Draw as much attention from the soldiers as possible! Do whatever it takes to deal with them."

Felix roared fiercely, and they did as instructed.

The other half stayed with Felix. His friend Tomas stood by his side, ready to help in any way necessary. They would defend Joaquim and try not to attract too much attention until their transformed allies could take out as many enemies as possible from inside the Castle. The wolf prayed that none of them would be struck with a poisoned sword or with traces of Onyx.

Fabrício, who was fighting in front, realized that it would be necessary to use his abilities to win that fight. He didn’t like to cheat, but there it was a matter of life or death.

The wolf underwent a partial transformation; the muscles in his arms and legs grew, making him strong almost instantly. Unlike the full transformation, which completely painfully changed his body, this transformation was simpler, just to enhance his muscles and make his claws grow, making it easier to attack humans.

The strange man took a few steps back, noticing the difference in strength, but he didn't lose heart. He draws another dagger from the sheath at his waist and rushes at the werewolf, trying to strike it in every possible way. Fabricio smiles, showing his teeth to the human, revealing his enlarged fangs. The mercenary tries not to stare too much at the half-beast in front of him and continues the attacks, feeling his blood boil. He wants to end the beast, while Fabricio defends himself using his claws, cutting the human as best he can. The mercenary steps back for a moment, feeling his arm burn and blood trickle down. The wolf howls with adrenaline and lunges at him... He wants to end it soon.

Felix was worried about Joaquim; he was still weak from everything he had been through. While Felix was contemplating, one of the men came running towards him. There was hardly time to react; the wolf dodges, but the enemy is skilled, he knows how to fight, unlike the bumpkins Helton had as soldiers. The fight begins, and every one strikes intensely. Even though the mercenaries are strong, they are still no match for the werewolves. The only thing keeping them at an advantage is their sheer number; many come rushing towards them in a frenzy.

Felix continues to defend himself; the human pushes Felix, causing him to stagger backward. He then roars in anger, looking at the human with his red eyes. He allows a part of the transformation to show, his claws and muscles. He grows in size, making the other tremble in fear. Felix lunges forward, attacking fiercely with his claws, plunging them into the abdomen and tearing the man, who screams in pain... There was no chance for the other as he fell to the ground after the attack, clutching his stomach and crying for help, but no one would aid him there. Felix watches the blood flow onto the ground and the man continuing to scream in agony. The werewolf wipes his claws on his pants and looks around, seeing his allies fighting fiercely against the humans.

Some of Felix's men run for the exit, trying to draw the mercenaries' attention. Felix knows they've managed to reach the outside when he hears a loud howl. Some of the bloodthirsty men, upon hearing the sound, run after the source of the noise, just as Felix had planned. But even with a large part leaving, there are still many remaining. The wolf doesn't know if they'll have enough energy to last until the end of the battle. He'll do his best to remain strong until the end.