The First Ones Read online

  Jet felt the rapture fade and a sense of… something else replace it. Outrage. The earth mother was outraged by what Kaylanna had planned. The idea that the Ancient was going to steal HER power to corrupt HER body and create a poison that would kill HER children was an unforgivable act. Jet felt himself extend further and further into the earth, becoming part of the earth mother in the process, until he was part of the very volcano that Kaylanna and her brood stood upon. The tremor started slowly but grew in speed and force until the ground beneath Kaylanna’s feet vibrated violently.

  Sudden understanding dawned on Kaylanna and she shifted her form to the horrible winged creature before lifting Aurora off the alter and took to the air while shouting to her brood, “Run for the base!”

  The beasts that were her children hesitated at both their mother’s words and the strange manner that the ground seemed to undulate like water beneath their feet. Kaylanna was about to shout another command when a loud cracking of ice came from the volcano’s precipice. What must have been several acres of snow and ice broke from where it had frozen and, almost lazily began sliding down toward the sacrificial alter and collection of Kaylanna’s brood.

  The creatures ran from the oncoming avalanche but never had a chance to avoid the rush of ice and snow that had accelerated to a lethal speed as it blasted over and through the center of the massive pack of creatures. Those on the edges of the group were able to dart left or right to avoid the frozen waterfall of oncoming death but, in the end, nearly two thirds of their numbers were now either dead or buried beneath tons of ice and snow.

  Jet relaxed his focus, as he pushed gratitude into his emotions toward the earth mother, and returned his senses back into his body. He opened his eyes to survey what damage he had done to the enemy and, although pleased with the results of the avalanche he had asked for from the earth mother, he was distressed to see that so many of the beasts had managed to avoid his attack.

  Turning away from the volcano to look behind him, Jet raised his spear and waved it overhead before slowly turning back to watch as Kaylanna dropped from the sky and screeched out commands to her remaining children. Some burst out from the snow where they had only slightly been covered, while the others regrouped and awaited their mother’s next command.

  Jet planted the talon end of his spear on the ground and peered down on the masses that accumulated against him in the distance. He stood tall and defiant against a diminished but still insurmountable number of creatures.

  Then, slowly, silhouettes began appearing in the swirling mist and smoke around and behind Jet. The angry snarls and growls in the distance quieted at the sight of each shadow behind Jet grew in size and clarity until they materialized to stand next to Jet in the swirling white cloud of smoke and snow. No longer silhouettes or shadows, the forms materialized into two rather large people who stopped to stand in unison Jet and together they glared angrily toward Kaylanna and her brood. These new arrivals were wearing only what appeared to be thick fur robes draped over their bodies like heavy blankets as the intensity of their stares toward Kaylanna were unmistakable in its meaning.

  Another cry came from Kaylanna, but this time she sounded different.

  Her voice was almost in a panic and, in response, the entire mass of remaining werewolves shifted and charged toward Jet’s position in a great wave of grey and black fur, with claws out and their fangs bared.

  A third shadow appeared directly behind Jet, this one even larger than the rest and it was clearly moving with greater speed. By the time it reached Jet it looked almost as though something as massive as a bull or buffalo might run Jet over when, at the last moment, the oncoming creature leapt completely over Jet with its mouth open and teeth flashing. A terrible roar exploded from his throat as Benjamin, alive and in full bear form, landed in front of Jet and charged down from the outcropping toward the oncoming werewolves.

  The duo standing at Jet’s side shouted as well, but their screams were no more human than was Benjamin’s. The woman, tall and blonde with skin almost as fair as the snow threw off her furs and leapt from the outcropping to land on all fours before her body began blending in with the snow and shifting in size and girth until she was charging down the incline as a pure white Polar Bear. The remaining man turned to Jet, and in a manner completely out of place for battle, smiled wickedly before jumping from the snow mound and rolling over and over down the decline, only to come up to all fours in a full run, his body having shifted into a massive, prehistoric cave bear.

  Jet felt exhilaration overwhelming him, as the remaining three original Spirit Bears charged into the oncoming pack of werewolves and smashed their lines completely apart.

  Chapter 31: The Final Battle

  Kaylanna could only watch in disbelief, as the Spirit Bears ran to meet her brood head on.

  “It’s not possible,” she whispered.

  Aurora spoke in a mocking tone, “It would seem that the boy has had an awakening.”

  Kaylanna looked down on Aurora, the fury on her face chilling, “It is still too late for you, First One.” With the dagger still in her free hand she pointed to the darkening sky, “As soon as the first light illuminates the night I will kill your vessel and steal your power. After that I will be unstoppable, my plan will be unstoppable, and all humanity will die!”

  Ursula and the pair of Akhlut restraining her had bolted for the cave as the avalanche fell. They had survived, but now Ursula wasn’t restrained and, ignoring her weakness and injuries, she thrust her body into the first Akhlut. Surprised, the thing couldn’t react in time, falling away from the impact. The second had been slow to recover from the dash for the cave and acted too late to stop her attack. It tried to tackle Ursula, but the daughter of the Spirit Bear Benjamin found a renewed strength in the turning of the battle and fought the beast with everything she had.

  Kaylanna watched as the Spirit Bears tore into her children and smiled slightly at the way their approach began to slow as more and more of her children reached the fray.

  Then another sound began to resonate in the distance and the Ancient lost her smile as a deep thumping bass sounded over and over in rhythm. It was not unlike a great heartbeat and Kaylanna looked back to where the grandson, the Shaman, stood on the snow mound and noticed how several other figures had joined him on the outcropping. The newcomers were beating drums and chanting along with Jet as a huge black cloud flew over their heads, rising quickly into the sky before arcing down and hurling toward the midline of her attacking werewolves.

  Kaylanna gasped as she realized what the cloud actually comprised as it fell down upon her descendants. Hundreds of arrows fell into the middle mass of her pack, finding purchase in their bodies, as cries of pain erupted from a hundred maws. The obsidian arrowheads carved mortal wounds into the unsuspecting beasts’ flesh and they flailed about randomly before falling to the ground, tripping up those not wounded and still blindly advancing from behind. Upon seeing the others of their pack fall and die, the pack began to break and scatter as yet another volley of arrows crested the sky and flew toward them.

  Kaylanna screamed her anger and frustration at the sight, helpless to do anything but watch as her children died by the score. A third volley of arrows landed, and more of the pack hesitated, just as the Spirit Bears barreled into them, with huge claws slashing and large teeth wrenching flesh away from their ugly bodies.

  No more arrows flew after that as the Spirit Bears were within the ranks and range of the arrows now. The remnants of the wolf pack seemed to realize this as well and the retreat turned into a regrouping, when the hum of an engine broke through the sounds of the battle being contested on the snowy plain. Kaylanna looked again at the Shaman as lights, man-made and brilliant lights, pierced through the darkening day.

  The headlights of snowmobiles, numbering perhaps in the hundreds, spread across the horizon and sped past the rocky outcropping that Jet was standing upon. With a mechanical growl of their own the mass of snowmobiles launched forw
ard toward the wolf pack. Riding each machine were two figures, one driving while the other nocked arrows onto his or her bow. The tribes of the New Life, of the First Men, had joined the battle.

  Jet smiled with pride when the snowmobiles sped past him as the final stroke of Grandpa George’s plan was set into motion. It was why Grandpa George had been wearing the ceremonial robes and accouterments when they had visited. Bringing the remaining Spirit Bears together, the coordination of the attack and the arming of the tribes of the First Men had all been part of his plan. He had made all the arrangements, unified the tribes under the common cause of fighting Kaylanna and her brood, and all that had been left for Jet to do was discover the location of Kaylanna’s ritual. That answer had come to him in his awakening vision at Grandpa George’s house, which was then confirmed by the call from the Global Positioning and Rescue service regarding the signal having been tripped on the watch Grandpa George had given Ursula. The last snowmobile stopped next to Jet and he quickly climbed aboard as the driver sped over the edge, following the rest of the First Men into battle.

  Chapter 32: The Battle Rages On

  Blood flowed as if from a fountain, springing from throats and bodies as they were wrenched apart by tooth and claw or arrow and spear. Even with their advantage of numbers, the werewolves were falling easily under the power of the Spirit Bears and the obsidian tipped arrows of the First Men.

  Kaylanna’s eyes darted from the sky to the battle being waged upon the snowy plain in front of her. Seeing her wondrous children fall like wheat in front of a scythe, she screamed in frustration and grabbed Aurora more tightly with her hand.

  Sounds of her children in battle close by caused her to turn her head in the direction where Ursula fought with the two Akhlut tasked to hold her.

  “Kill that bitch and help your brothers!” Kaylanna shouted to the pair of her children, before she abandoned any attempt to uncover the snow laden alter and flew up the side of the volcano with Aurora still in her grasp.

  Ursula thrashed against the pair of arms now holding her fast as one of the Akhlut shifted into a tentacle monstrosity not dissimilar to the ones she had already faced twice before with Jet and her father. The slimy appendages wrapped around her body like a constrictor, enabling the second Akhlut to release its hold on her and gain some distance to strike freely at her immobilized form. The second creature’s hands shifted into something more feline, with great elongated claws that reared back for a lethal strike at her neck or abdomen.

  Ursula tried to raise her arms to protect herself but, as hard as she strained with her considerable strength to break free, the tentacles held her pinned with her arms at her sides. It was all she could do to watch as her whole world slowed and the elongated claws began a downward swing toward her... just as a terrific roar came from one side of the Akhlut.

  In a blur of fur, and the sound of heavy impact, the Akhlut with the clawed hands disappeared from view. It was as if in one moment the claws were coming for her and the next only empty space fell before her eyes. The sounds of a struggle made Ursula turn her head and she felt a shudder come from the Akhlut holding her as a few feet away one of the Spirit Bears held the clawed Akhlut in its mouth by the neck.

  It was the Polar Bear, and she was now so saturated with blood that she appeared to be a brightly colored crimson bear, with a few spots and streaks of white fur. The bear whipped the Akhlut around in its mouth like a dog might whip a large rope or chew toy, breaking its neck before ripping the head clean off the body.

  The other Akhlut screamed, throwing Ursula to the side, before starting to shift itself into another shape. Ursula landed hard and felt something much denser than snow strike her back as she landed. The wind was knocked from her lungs and her body wouldn’t respond when she tried to sit up. Instead, she managed to roll to her side in time to see the Akhlut assume the shape of an enormous saber-toothed cat that leapt at the Spirit Bear, which was still focused on the Akhlut it had just killed and didn’t seem to realize the danger.

  Ursula tried to shout a warning but her lungs were still in a spasm from the impact and wouldn’t obey her. She could only watch as the Spirit Bear seemed to realize the attack was coming just a moment too late. The Polar Bear let out a grunt of surprise at the oncoming elongated fangs of the saber-toothed cat bearing down on her.

  Then something flew into view, striking the Akhlut before it could close its jaws around the Polar Bear. It was another of the Spirit Bears, the Cave Bear was driving its back and shoulder into the side of the Akhlut in a flying, spearing tackle, crushing the entire left side of the cat-like Akhlut. The pair slammed into the snow, with both rolling to their feet, and the Akhlut slashed with one of its claws at the Spirit Bear’s face. The sharp claws connected, causing the Cave Bear to cry out, before somersaulting down the incline of the volcano and out of the Akhlut’s reach.

  The saber-tooth cat was still on its feet in pursuit of the rolling Spirit Bear when it suddenly realized that it too was being pursued. The Akhlut pivoted to meet the attacking Polar Bear head on as blood stained teeth flashed before sinking deeply into each opponent’s flesh while powerful claws ripped at the other as their battle ensued.

  Not realizing the Akhlut had stopped chasing it, the Cave Bear kept rolling until it reached the base of the volcano. Then it stopped, realized it had retreated too far, and turned as if to run back up the incline. It hadn’t taken a step before the Cave Bear spied several werewolves running to support the Akhlut against the Polar Bear. The Cave Bear sprinted after the additional werewolves and tackled the beasts as a whole as it reached them and prevented any interference as the two great beasts battled each other.

  Ursula finally managed to pull a breath in and looked down onto the snow plain to see that the remaining werewolves had scattered in every direction, their dark furred bodies still visible on the white snow plane in the waning light. Snowmobiles pursued the beasts to some degree, but most of the First-Men were circling back toward the volcano, picking off any werewolves that had thought to retreat to Kaylanna for safety.

  The thought of Kaylanna suddenly made her remember that the Ancient had taken Aurora with her as she flew up the side of the volcano. Ursula got to her feet and, in a panic, climbed recklessly after her daughter.

  Chapter 33: Resolution

  For the first time in a millennium Kaylanna felt fear grip at her. She could feel her legs weaken from that fear and feel her breath run short as she desperately tried to gain distance between herself and those who would try to steal her final moment of triumph.

  Aurora squirmed in her grasp, which caused Kaylanna to inadvertently drop the dagger she held in her other hand in order to maintain her balance. The Ancient screamed in frustration and soared even higher into the air, not bothering to search for the blade that had just disappeared into the snow. Instead she, with her powerful membranous wings, carried herself and Aurora onto the pinnacle of the volcano.

  The temperature began to rise from the steam pluming from the uppermost vent and, despite the fact that there was no lava flow near the surface of the crater, the volcano was indeed active with a magma chamber deep inside the depths of the earth. Kaylanna landed at the edge of the crater and peered over the lip to see a just few feet of snow and dirt, funneling down and away into the darkness of the large gaping vent that had spewed forth lava so many times since its creation.

  The sound of the snowmobiles rising in volume as they raced up the side of the volcano told Kaylanna that her children had been defeated. Feeling more fury than loss, Kaylanna raised Aurora over her head in preparation for the sacrifice, when her vision suddenly turned toward the horizon, and saw the first of the blue and green streaks of light flowing over the sky as the Northern Lights flashed across the horizon.

  The sight of the Northern Lights did something to Kaylanna. Her body felt rejuvenated, and the strength that had been sapped by her fear suddenly flowed back into her limbs. She bellowed in triumph and reared back to throw Aurora into
the volcano’s vent, when the sound of crunching snow alerted her in time to see Ursula leap at her.

  Ursula slammed into the witch before she could take flight. The impact was awkward and Ursula’s right shoulder popped out of its socket, which pulled a scream of pain from her as she rolled to a stop with Kaylanna and Aurora coming to rest on the ground beside her. Ursula tried to right herself, but the dislocated shoulder couldn’t support her weight and she dropped back to the ground as Kaylanna righted herself and landed a savage kick into Ursula’s side. Ursula’s ribs shattered under the force of the kick and, although she had no sense of being tossed, did feel her body land hard on the ground before sliding painfully to a stop on the slope of the volcano.

  Kaylanna looked to the volcano’s vent and began to chant the words that would cast the spell to release the plague. The sound of the snowmobiles engines grew even louder and, in response to her dwindling time table, the Ancient hurried through the words of the spell. She finished and was about to throw Aurora into the volcano when something entangled her foot. Aurora’s little body fell awkwardly out of Kaylanna’s hands, more dropped than thrown, and Kaylanna looked down to see Ursula grabbing at her ankle, even while blood was leaking from the woman’s mouth.

  Kaylanna looked back to the child and watched as Aurora was sprawled out on her stomach halfway between the edge and the vent opening. Kaylanna screamed and spread her wings as she kicked again at Ursula, but this time the child’s mother would not let her go. Kaylanna kicked, thrashed and even took into the air, but nothing she tried could get Ursula to release her grip. Kaylanna flapped her wings more, and ascended with Ursula clinging to her leg, rising several stories into the air, with Ursula dangling from her limb, until she hit the apex of her flight and arced into a dive as she dropped back toward the volcano’s mouth with Ursula being pulled along behind her. At the last moment Kaylanna spread her wings and arched her body in such a way that she didn’t hit the ground, but Ursula’s body became the end of a lash, and was whipped into the earth to finally be dislodged. Kaylanna’s breath was coming in gulps of air as she landed to stand over Ursula’s unmoving body, before she turned her head to the night sky to see that the Northern Lights were still glowing in the heavens. Knowing her moment was at hand, Kaylanna spun toward Aurora, about to take flight again, when Benjamin slammed into her, knocking the two of them over the edge of the crater, tumbling toward Aurora and the volcano’s dangerous vent.