Chapter 10 The Thing Beneath the Throne

The ground exploded. A deafening crack ripped through the clearing as ancient stone shattered beneath the throne.

Vincent stumbled backward. The wolves scattered instantly. Silver wolves, corrupted wolves, even the Executioner moved. Everyone moved.

Because something was coming out. Something enormous. The hidden temple shook violently.

Massive cracks spread across its black pillars, moonlit runes flickered wildly. The silver flames surrounding the throne erupted higher into the sky.

The heartbeat thundered again.

BOOM!

The sound no longer seemed to come from Vincent, or the temple, or the throne. It seemed to come from everywhere. The Shadowlands itself was alive. And it was waking up.

Dust and stone exploded upward. The clearing vanished beneath a cloud of debris. For several seconds, Vincent couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything, only the heartbeat.

BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!

Then the dust began to settle. And everyone saw it. The thing climbing from beneath the throne, silence consumed the clearing.

Not a single wolf made a sound, not even the Executioner.

Vincent stared. His mind struggled to understand what he was seeing.

A claw, that was the first thing to emerge, a massive silver claw larger than a carriage.

Ancient symbols glowed across its surface, the claw gripped the edge of the broken earth.

Then another appeared, and another. Slowly, deliberately. A gigantic creature pulled itself upward.

The silver-eyed being inside the temple stopped laughing. For the first time ever.

The guardian looked horrified, the Executioner looked furious. The creature finally emerged.

Vincent's breath caught, it was a wolf, or at least it had once been. Its body dwarfed the guardian. Silver fur covered its massive frame, ancient runes burned beneath its skin, broken chains hung from its limbs.

Its eyes remained closed. As though it were sleeping. Yet even asleep, it radiated enough power to make the air vibrate.

The giant guardian whispered a single word.

"No."

The silver wolves immediately lowered themselves. Not from fear, from reverence. The corrupted alpha took several steps backward.

Fear was written clearly across its face. The Executioner's grip tightened around his sword. Vincent looked around.

Nobody seemed surprised that a giant wolf had emerged from beneath the throne. Nobody except him. The heartbeat echoed again.

BOOM!

The giant wolf's chest rose, a breath.

The creature was alive. Vincent's pulse accelerated. The silver-eyed being finally spoke.

Its voice sounded different now, cautious.

"That wasn't supposed to happen." The guardian rounded on the temple.

"Your prison is breaking." The voice remained silent.

For once, it had no answer.

The giant wolf continued breathing;  slowly, steadily.

Each breath shook the ground. The silver wolves stared with wide eyes. The lead silver wolf looked close to tears.

Vincent frowned. He knew that expression, hope. The wolf looked hopeful. As though seeing something impossible.

The Executioner clearly noticed too. His face darkened immediately.

"Stand down." Nobody moved.

His voice sharpened. "I said stand down."

The lead silver wolf slowly raised his head.

"No."

The single word echoed across the clearing, the Executioner's eyes narrowed. The silver wolf stood. Then another stood, then another.

Within seconds, every silver wolf was on its feet. The atmosphere changed instantly. Not fear, determination. The Executioner saw it.

And for the first time, he looked genuinely concerned. The giant wolf beneath the throne moved, its paw twitched.

The clearing froze. Every eye locked onto it. The heartbeat thundered.

BOOM!

One enormous silver eye opened. The world stopped. The moment that eye opened, Vincent felt something snap inside him.

A connection; ancient, powerful, familiar.

The giant wolf looked directly at him, not the Executioner, not the guardian, not the throne, him.

Vincent's chest tightened. The creature's gaze felt familiar, terrifyingly familiar.

Like looking into a forgotten memory. The giant wolf slowly tilted its head, studying him, recognizing him.

The silver wolves immediately dropped to one knee, every single one. The lead wolf lowered his head. Tears ran down his face.

"My King."

Vincent's stomach dropped, again. That title again.

The giant wolf blinked. Then something unbelievable happened.

The creature lowered its head toward Vincent; submission. The entire clearing gasped. The guardian froze. The silver wolves looked stunned, even the corrupted alpha stared in disbelief.

Only the Executioner reacted instantly. His sword flashed. Silver light exploded across the clearing. The attack was aimed directly at the giant wolf. The guardian moved, golden light erupted, the two ancient beings collided. The impact shattered the ground. Trees exploded, the throne trembled.

Vincent was thrown backward. The black wolf caught him before he hit the earth. The battle erupted instantly. The Executioner's sword blazed.

The guardian answered with silver fire, shockwaves tore through the clearing. The silver wolves retreated, the corrupted wolves scattered.

Nobody wanted to be near that fight, because both combatants were monsters. The giant wolf beneath the throne remained still; watching, waiting as if the battle didn't concern it.

The silver-eyed being inside the temple laughed softly.

"The cycle repeats."

The Executioner roared. "Shut up!"

His sword slashed downward. A wave of silver energy raced toward the temple.

The hidden structure shook violently. One of its pillars collapsed. The silver eyes narrowed. Anger flashed across the darkness.

For the first time, Vincent felt genuine hostility from the thing inside, not toward everyone, toward the Executioner. The hatred between them felt ancient, personal.

The guardian slammed into the Executioner. The earth erupted beneath their feet. The battle moved deeper into the forest.

Explosions echoed through the night. Still, Vincent couldn't stop staring at the giant wolf. Something about it felt wrong, not dangerous, familiar.

The creature's gaze never left him. The heartbeat echoed again.

BOOM! 

A vision flashed, a throne room, moonlight, silver banners, a giant wolf sleeping beside a black throne; Guarding, protecting it, waiting.

The vision vanished. Vincent staggered.

The giant wolf blinked. And suddenly he understood.

Not completely, but enough. This creature had been waiting, waiting for someone, waiting for him.

The realization sent chills through him. The lead silver wolf approached slowly, carefully, respectfully.

"Do you see now?"

Vincent looked at him.

"See what?"

The wolf swallowed. Emotion filled his eyes.

"The Guardian of the Throne."

Vincent turned back toward the giant wolf.

The Guardian of the Throne, not the giant chained guardian fighting the Executioner, another guardian; older, stronger, sleeping beneath the throne itself.

The giant wolf slowly stood. The earth cracked beneath its weight. The Shadowlands trembled.

The creature towered over everything. Then it took a single step. Toward Vincent.

Every wolf lowered itself immediately. The giant wolf stopped directly before him.

Vincent couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The creature lowered its massive head. Until one glowing silver eye filled his vision.

For several seconds, neither moved. Then the giant wolf opened its mouth and spoke. Not through thoughts, not through magic, with its own voice.

A deep, ancient voice that echoed across the entire Shadowlands. A voice filled with relief.

"My King."

Vincent's heart nearly stopped. The giant wolf closed its eye briefly. As if overwhelmed.

As if completing a duty it had carried for centuries.

Then its expression changed, instantly.

The relief vanished, replaced by alarm. Its head snapped toward the northern horizon.

The giant wolf growled. The sound shook mountains.

Every wolf froze. Vincent turned.

Something was coming, again. But this time it wasn't a hunter, it wasn't Fenrir, and it wasn't the Executioner.

The giant wolf's voice thundered across the clearing, a warning, a desperate warning.

"Run."

The single word silenced everyone. Because terror filled its voice. And if a creature like this was afraid...

Then whatever was approaching was far worse. Far beyond anything Vincent had faced so far.

The giant wolf's eyes widened. The horizon suddenly split apart, a line of crimson light tore across the night sky, the clouds parted, the earth shook.

And a gigantic crimson eye opened above the Shadowlands, watching, searching, hunting.

Then it locked onto Vincent.