The “Lupine Breakers” Union - Pt 2
Vic Hëlix Unchained.
The young Garou shook off the sustained effects of the silver-lined shackles that were removed, thick iron bracelets that had been the difference between her vampire captor’s survival or their bloody demise. It chipped away at the foundation of her will and strength, replacing the resistant beast with an otherwise huge lethargic dog, one of which they hoped to keep at arm's length for as long as possible. Her spiritual connection to the Umbra was unattainable in this state, as the silver took it’s course in the worst way among the Garou. While it didn’t cause the young girl physical damage -as her natural
Metis breed resisted it’s wounding effects- the results were still debilitating on many levels. It had been one of the only ways the Sabbat anarchs could control the uncontrollable, to regulate her reactions, to remove any variables that would stand in the way of training such a species of violence. The vampires were afraid, and Vic knew this, or they would not have taken such measures to ensure their own safety.
Victoria winced at the harsh overhead spotlights that were switched on and beaming down into the arena, stinging her eyes, and all the while her heightened senses picking up the smallest of nuances within a wide radius. Past the stench and noise pollution of the raging crowd, the language of her kinfolk echoed through the darkened corridors, their cries of retribution piercing the young Furies’ rapidly beating heart, urging her to seek vengeance due her tribe and Nation. But it wasn't enough that the vile vampire Sect destroyed her world, they aimed higher than that, in an attempt to crumble the last vestiges of pride, hope, and the deep rooted spiritual connection to Gaia that fueled their very being. To top it off, the Black Spiral Dancers, those wolves most tainted and enslaved by the Wyrm, were employed to facilitate the Sabbat’s game of tearing down their Garou brethren and rebuilding in the image of their choosing.
For all intents and purposes, they were building an instrument of pure destruction...
“C’mon freak, get with the bloody program!” The snarls and barks of the three instigating Garou filled the fight ring with their native tongue, the raspy, bassy sounds bouncing off the walls and carrying to the ceiling high above. “These leech bastards are nothing but cannon fodder and you know we'll teach you what your true purpose is in this disgusting & wretched world!”
The hypocrisy of their words did not go unnoticed, as those involved with the Wyrm
were the very reason for the “disgust” and “wretchedness” of the world, it was their passion to be greater than that of their creator, much like their vampire comrades. To have such selfish ambitions was not the Garou way, therefore, the young female only stared at them with fiery eyes, but pitied them as well for their foolishness. No doubt to them, it was all a matter of perspective.
“Fuck it!” One of them suddenly barked, breaking from the other two and launching itself at their larger opponent, whose initial reaction was still slowed, just nearly missing the brunt of the attack, but being left with a nasty claw across her face. Victoria roared something fierce, balling up massive hands into fists and hammering down onto the Hispo (Dire) wolf, causing it to yelp as it’s head cracked against the stone floor, only to be picked up by the neck and flung across the arena. The other two attacked as one, knocking the female Metis off balance enough to take her down, the Crinos wolf grappling her in a chokehold while the other -in Hispo form- locking down onto her massive thigh with it’s mighty teeth. She let out a terrifying howl from the sharp pain of the bite, doing her best to pull the culprit from her body, while struggling with the other’s grip on her neck. In a single pivoting move, Victoria twisted and contorted her body enough to break free of the flanking Crinos, raking her thick claws across it’s face, causing it to stumble back covering a bloodied eye.
The young Garou, with both hands free, wrapped it’s mighty fingers around the muzzle of the Hispo wolf still clamped down on her leg, and slowly pried apart the clenched jaw, it’s bone and cartilage cracking under the pressure of the beasts renewed strength. It's attempts to wriggle free fell short, as the female Metis let out a piercing howl that caused many of the vampire onlookers to wince, and vigorously pulled the muzzle apart, tearing through the Hispo’s thick skin, dislodging and snapping the bloodied jawbone off of the skull, only to jam the sharp tapered edge into the wolf's exposed eye, driving and turning it deep enough to penetrate the creature's brain tissue. It fell to the ground gurgling a pathetic whimper, followed by snarling and muscle spasms, incessant bleeding, and finally howling through its final last moments of life. A split-second decision later, Vic made a great leap across the arena, putting as much space as possible between her and the remaining two Spirals, one of which she noticed shape-shifting from Hispo form to that of Crinos, barely paying attention to its fallen brethren while rushing forward on all fours. Fortunately, Vic’s recovery was taking less time than she thought as the effects of the silver subsided and a surge of adrenaline was developing, knowing full well that the innate Rage within would soon unleash to empower and augment her vengeance.
“This ends now bitch!” The charging Crinos barked and spat in the Garou tongue, as it came low toward Victoria's legs and quickly circled around behind her for a sharp bite along the side of her torso. She retaliated by slamming down her large elbow several times against the attackers head, and all the while ignoring the sharp teeth digging into her ribcage. The other Crinos -enraged at this point by not only seeing his other kin lying dead, but by being humiliated as well by the young female werewolf- charged full on, ramming the Metis into one of the four support beams, despite his partner still latched on tightly. The ceiling above cracked and crumbled slightly as it’s load bearing support took a solid hit, sending large stone fragments and rock dust down onto the combatants. The Crinos relentlessly wailed onto it’s target, slashing curved claws wildly across various body parts, even as the other held firm with it’s teeth locked onto the beast’s side, keeping her in place while the beatings commenced. Victoria’s size and weight allowed for longer survivability, her wounds healing at an accelerated rate, and corded muscles protecting many vital organs from the irreparable damage of tooth and nail.
An attack of opportunity presented itself, as a large enough piece of ceiling stone came crashing down onto the attacking wolf’s head, stunning it long enough for Victoria to pivot to the side, and bash the back of the wolf’s head, sending it into the steel beam. Another swift elbow shot to the other Crinos finally hit hard enough to cause it to release its muzzle grip, allowing Vic to spin and free herself from being sandwiched in between the two Spirals. She took off on all fours, circling the perimeter of the arena as the crowd booed and hissed at her
assumed cowardice. Yet, her goal was to bide time, enough so that she didn’t feel as handicapped as her captors would like. A Garou never backs down from a fight, fair or otherwise, but they also know when to hold or when to fold in hopes of fighting at another time. In this case, the Sabbat want to control her, yet you can’t control something you don’t fully understand, and she’d hoped that a change in tactics would confuse the lot of them as well as allow for recovery.
“Send in the scraps!” A raspy, heavily accented voice from somewhere shouted, eliciting yet another round of cheering from the crowd, as two figures were shoved in through the narrow gate leading into the arena, one a barefoot young man dressed in a dirty t-shirt and jeans, and another much shorter figure, with long hair, whose thin frame and facial appearance was that of a…
...child. No!...Victoria growled in heated anger as she saw the little girl emerge, her clothing nothing but a tattered pink floral-patterned pajama nightgown that hung down just below the knees, her face soiled with dirt, dried blood, and whatever else this place had done to her. Wide eyes full of fear, and countless tears streamed down her red cheeks as she remained pressed up against the gate, murmuring something to the man next to her, as he too had nothing but fear in his watered eyes, a guarded arm covering the little girl even as he tried to be brave himself. Vic’s muscles clenched as she snarled at her Sabbat captors. She then turned her attention toward the sobbing human girl who couldn’t have been any more than ten years old, her still developing heart beating at a rapid pace, and a terrified expression mixed with confusion and a severe lack of understanding the situation she had been thrown into. Several times, her tiny voice pushed out the words
”Please! I want to go home! I want my mommy and daddy!…”, yet each time her futile cries were quickly drowned out by the heckling crowd, their sarcastic and vile remarks toward the two humans, knowing full well that entertainment would be had at the expense of one of the lowest species on the food chain.
The two Black Spiral Dancers were roughly equal distance from the humans, as they too began stalking them, playing a game of “hound and fox”, paying less attention to the real threat across the arena and allowing their own thirst for flesh to get the better of them. Vic seethed in hatred as the predictable scene unfolded, both Crinos morphing simultaneously into their Hispo form and pumping their legs to run toward their newly given prey with a gleam in their eye.
Their mistake.
The female Metis charged as her powerful legs pushed the boundaries of innate supernatural speed & reflex, carrying her massive bulk from one side of the arena to the other in what could only be described from an onlookers perspective as a “large blurred shadow”, eyes illuminating more intensely, breathing heavily with each long stride and push-off from her hind legs, and thick, hardened claws ready to carve up it’s prey. The
Rage she’d longed for since captivity surged through her blood, fueled every part of her physical makeup, and healed lingering wounds, restitching and sealing tissue as easily as wiping away a stain. The Spirals could feel a change within the young wolf, as one of them stopped short, hoping to intercept their charging opponent, but it had little effect, as the simple laws of physics took over and the defending Spiral was easily knocked to it’s side with a strong, swift stroke of the Garou’s horned head. The other, within just a few feet of the humans, was quickly intercepted by a thick, clawed hand that hooked onto the Spiral’s neck, and broadsided the beast, slamming it into the adjacent wall.
An intensely quick and violent struggle of power persisted, as Victoria unleashed a flurry of tooth and claw attacks that tore through the thick hide of her target, fragments of skin, black fur, flesh, and sinew scattered about, blood splattered against the brick and steel walls, and the shrieks and snarls of the wolf pinned under the mass of its attacker filling the arena. The female Garou was relentless as her resolve grew with each deadly strike, fueled not only by the hatred for the Black Spiral Dancers, the Sabbat, and this whole ordeal of slavery to the Wyrm, but her instincts to guard the two humans who were pulled into a game they should have never been part of. What followed, however, caught the young Fury off guard as her physical structure began to reform, breaking down from its massive Crinos form to that of a much smaller human-like shape, it's wolf head changing to a monstrous and scarred version of a human face, as fur shortened in areas, and dark skin surfaced, along with long locks of thick, wild, black dreaded hair. The mythical “hollywood” she-wolf manifested itself...not quite wolf or human.
The
First Change had finally come…
Victoria’s body screamed in pain as the sheer mass of her natural Crinos form disappeared, bones, cartilage, and muscle tissue transforming at a rapid pace, and the Glabro form taking its place, a somewhat cruel joke it seemed considering she was now at a physical disadvantage. Although with the Hispo still pinned under her weight, mauled and worn out, it eventually slowed its struggle while bleeding profusely through countless open wounds that failed to heal properly. It’s partner, however, back on all fours and shapeshifting into the “war-form” Crinos, leaped at the newly changed female Glabro, catching her off balance, and causing her to tumble over on her back as the massive attacking wolf straddled her torso and followed up with a series of bites and claws to her face and neck, opening new wounds on her shoulder and blinding one eye as blood seeped from her brow.
“The tables are turned little pup!” The Spiral snarled, barked, and drooled in Vic’s face while thrashing the smaller, weaker creature relative to his Crinos form.
The two humans, fearing for their lives as the vicious and bloody scene unfolded, thought to run to the other end of the arena, wanting to put enough space between them and the “giant dogs”. The sobbing little girl hid her face, unable to move on her own, all the while shaking her head in disbelief as she begged for the monsters and the noise to stop, to disappear so she could wake up from the nightmare that her mind trapped her in. The young man lifted her up and ran as fast as his tired legs could carry them both telling her it would “be okay” over and over again, even though he scarcely believed it himself. The crowd continued to heckle the humans, shouting out vulgarities and chanting “death to the blood bags!”, cheering louder as four Sabbat “enforcers” entered the cage dressed in SWAT issue body armor and wielded crude spears tipped with long silver heads that tapered to a fine point.
Meanwhile the quick and powerful struggles of both werewolves on the other side of the arena continued, with Victoria managing a swift strike that gouged her attacker’s eye, momentarily giving her the opportunity to wriggle free from under the Spiral, roll out and come to a stop on hands and knees. Panting heavily, broken, and still reeling from her sudden and unexpected transformation, she turned her attention to the fleeing humans, as well as the armored Sabbat, one of which quickly swung his spear wide, knocking the young man in the back of the head, causing him to fall and the little girl to go flying from his arms and land hard onto the ground. The crowd’s cheering and laughter once again filled the large space, their mocking echoes carrying throughout the entire building as the demand for a blood sacrifice was on the lips of every vampire present. Victoria tried to run, hoping to help the humans, but was caught from behind by the remaining Spiral, it’s strength superseding that of her own, enough that she was held in a choke hold.
“NO!” Vic growled, her new form lending itself to a slight human language. “I’ll...kill...you...all!” Struggling to break free, she watched the vampires lift the young man to his feet, cut the clothes from his body, and push him out into the center of the arena, cold, naked, and fearing for his life as well as the life of the little girl. He tried to run to her, but was immediately intercepted and held by one of the vampires, a knife put up to his throat and slowly slid across his skin as the thick lifeblood of the human poured down his bare chest like a waterfall. The little girl screamed to the top of her lungs, as she too was being held by a vampire and forced to watch as the man collapsed in a pool of his own blood. The female werewolf continued to struggle, clawing and biting at the arm of the Spiral that firmly held her, the Rage within that called her to explode and tear apart every Wyrm-tainted mother fucker in the entire building was subsiding. Where had her strength gone? Had her
spirit animal vanished? Where was her revenge? Another pang of fiery agony surged through her body, as one of the Sabbat thrust a silver-tipped spear through her torso, and another after that, and a third from a different direction, eliciting a piercing scream mixed with the yelping of a wolf.
“Let her go, mongrel!” One of the vampires demanded of the Spiral, causing it to release his grip on Victoria, as she fell to her knees, holding onto the spears that protruded from her body.
The effects of the silver coupled with continued blood loss began to wear her down greatly, yet she wanted to ignore the pain, to lash out, to kill. But she could not. Her amber eyes stared across the arena, the sounds of the raging crowd, the snarling Spiral behind her, and the mocking vampires were suddenly pushed away as her mind focused solely on the little girl. The little girl whose hope had dwindled as she looked upon the bloodied and bruised corpse of the young man, a little girl who had no idea what was going on, and no recourse but to bury her face into her hands. Victoria felt a single tear form and slowly run down her furry face, as she reached out an arm wanting to hold the child, to comfort her, and take her away from all of this evil...
“Fuck this shit, just kill the little girl already!” One of the vampires yelled.
“No! Not just yet.” Another retorted, walking over to Victoria with a shovel in his hand and a smug expression. “We have plans…”
The shovel came swift and hard, knocking Vic along the side of the head, and causing everything to go dark.
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