Jon Talbain had intended, upon arriving in Tokyo, to immediately start searching for Morrigan's daughter. Although he had no great love of Morrigan, he definitely preferred her to Maximoff, and the idea of the Vampire Lord getting his fangs into his daughter... perhaps literally!... made him shudder.
After all... Morrigan had a sense of honor, after a fashion. She could be reasoned with. Demitri broke his words and trust almost out of habit.
But, when he had arrived, his plans got sidetracked. Something, some kind of primal calling, was drawing him in. Rather than resist it, he wanted to figure this mystery out, and so followed this call.
Which is how he found himself in a city park after sunset. And he didn't need to have his enhanced sense of smell to tell that the park was just crawling with other werewolves.
Jon snorted. He knew of these werewolves. Pathetic things that acted tough, but cowered beneath anything that proved to be stronger than they were. Even if they all attacked together, Jon was certain he could send them packing.
The pack was circling around him, but he was more concerned with what had called him. Certainly something was compelling all the werewolves in Japan to come... what could it be?
Then something moved out from a small grove of trees, and Jon had to suppress the urge to swallow.
Comparing this newcomer to a normal werewolf was like comparing a bobcat to a Bengal tiger. Sporting black and red fur, this hybrid-form was at least two feet taller than any other werewolf Jon could recall seeing.
But more than just size, there was this... aura around him. Something about him just screamed, "I am more than a Werewolf. I am that which defines you and inspires you. I am your ideal form, what you all aspire toward... but can never attain."
Jon shook off the urge to cower before this one. He was not about to recognize another werewolf as Alpha just because of some... feeling.
The other werewolf looked him over and then smirked. "Well... you're tougher than those useless cowards there." He said, motioning to the other wolves.
"Who are you?" Jon asked, straight and to the point.
"I am Endymion," The other one said, "But you can call me your King."
Jon snarled at the audacity of this young pup... when something clicked.
Long ago, the werecreatures, of all tribes and packs, were united beneath a form of royalty, who were in turn led by the Wolf King. During that time, there Werecreatures ruled an empire in the Makai that rivaled that of the Aensland. At least, until a coalition of powerful beings gathered, and slaughtered the Wolf King and most of the nobility. Unlike the destruction of the Earthspiders, this hadn't been motivated by fear, but by simple greed, by beings that wanted the power the Weres had. Since then, the werecreatures had been a lost people, with no lands to truly call their own.
But what was most important was the description of the Wolf King: that he was a werewolf and more, a paragon of a werewolf... a being of such a charisma that other werewolves were drawn to him simply because of his sheer presence...
Just like the pup before him.
"I don't call just anyone my king, boy." Jon said at last. "You'd have to earn it. And I don't mean just proving you're stronger."
Endymion actually nodded at that. "Good. If you did, then you wouldn't be the kind of person I'd want by my side."
Jon blinked, surprised. In the Makai, the strongest ruled. That was the way things worked out, there. Meeting another Darkstalker that didn't believe in that was rare.
Jon shook his head. He had a job to do. At the same time, he knew he needed to talk with this Endymion more. "Look... I don't have all night. Is there any way I can contact you?"
Endymion gestured, and a rose vine grew right from the ground next to him. From it, he took a singe, red rose, and handed it to Jon. "When you wish to see me, call my name into the rose. And then, I will find you."
Jon took the rose with trepidation. He'd never heard of that kind of magic before, nor had he encountered anything like it in the Makai.
"Now if you'll excuse me," Endymion said with a bow, "I have a feeling that my mate is going to do something foolish again." He shrugged. "These things have a way of working out anyway, but it never hurts to be watching her back, you know."
Jon grinned, thinking of Felicia. "Yeah, I think I can sympathize."
Then Endymion turned into a huge wolf, and raced off. Several of the other werewolves transformed and chased after him as well.
Jon just pocketed the flower. He had a succubus to find...
(Posted Mon, 17 Feb 2003 00:49)
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