My name was Captain Noble. I was a superhero who worked for the US government, before becoming lost at space. After being consumed by the universe, I am now Cosmic Noble, and this is an excerpt from my new journal.
Year 11, Day 324
THE STORY
As I watched Astor stand in the middle of the arena, I could also see Max pacing through the group of his fellow werewolves, who stood behind him at the log cabin when we first met. He was infuriated and visibly unstable. I had killed his brother, Chandler Luso, in combat, and it was something he planned on avenging. There was no question about it. I did not know how he would, or when. At any moment he could send the whole lot at us, and we would be surrounded by ravenous beasts. I walked up to Astor. I wanted to be by his side, in case all hell broke loose, but when I arrived next to him, he motioned for me to step back. I told him I would return to the sidelines, once I knew Max would not try anything underhanded. Astor informed me that he was certain Max was looking to find someone he could trust to kill him, and that he was not looking to start a riot. There was no way to tell if my vampire friend was right, but he had not been wrong since we were discovered in the woods. Thus, I trusted in his words.
After a few more minutes, Max stopped pacing in front of one man. I asked Astor who he was, and he informed me it was Victor Raven, the family patriarch of the Raven bloodline. Victor was an experienced warrior from the looks of him. Astor said he was a leader in the army of the Didymo Kingdom of Friki. For ages, Victor led troops in combat, both against and alongside vampires. His ancestors were key proponents of the treaty between the werewolf people and the vampires. Thus, when the vampires turned their back on the werewolves in their time of greatest need, after the Rathegalias and most of their troops were defeated, Victor took it harder than most. His ancestors and current family had dedicated their lives to forming the history of Friki up until that point, and to be abandoned by the people they swore to fight with, and to protect against the tyranny of the evil warlord, was an unforgivable act.
Birth Name
Aliases
Species
Birth Details
Victor possesses enhanced strength, speed, agility and durability.
It was obvious Victor relished being selected, as he exuded rigor and power, once Max placed his hand on his shoulder. The two werewolves touched foreheads and embraced one another, before Victor stepped into the arena. I asked Astor once more if he wished for me to fly us out of there or not. The vampire told me he did not, and asked me to retreat back to the sidelines. I inquired how he planned on defeating Victor, to which Astor simply said Victor will defeat himself.
As I walked back to my seat on the side, I contemplated what Astor said. What did he mean by Victor beating himself? I could not figure it out. Alas, I did not have to wait long to find out, for as soon as I sat down, the battle commenced.
Victor transformed into a mighty werewolf. He was not as big as Chandler, but he was much bigger than Astor. His fur color was a deep, dark purple. He almost appeared black, but the way the light from the fire reflected off his coat accented the purple undertones. This colorful display continued to jump out at me, as the two circled one another. Victor was being much more careful than Chandler was. Max’s brother had underestimated me, and Victor was not going to do the same with Astor, even though the vampire was visibly beaten and weak.
After a minute or so, Astor jumped in and feigned towards Victor. The werewolf leaned back in anticipation of an attack, but none followed. The vampire feigned again, and then once more, faking out Victor each time. The werewolf was becoming frustrated, so after a few more feigns, Victor attacked!
The werewolf jumped forward, and swiped like a mad beast. His strikes were non-stop. His aggression was unrelenting. Victor was seeking to rip Astor to shreds. The crowd applauded and cheered their peer’s every move, looking for him to land a seminal blow. However, Astor was able to employ what vampire abilities he had left. He was fast and quick to move and dodge everything. He continued to feign in and out of Victor’s guard, antagonizing the werewolf to continue attacking. Then, when the beastly enemy slowed a bit, Astor landed a few punches and kicks. Once again, my vampire friend was surprising me.
The fight continued this way for a while. Astor would use a lot of movement and retreating, forcing Victor to pursue him. When the werewolf would get close, Astor would fake an attack, and wait for the werewolf to strike. Then, the vampire would retreat again, countering occasionally, and landing his own blows. The only problem was, Astor had lost a lot of energy, and considering he had little to begin with, things did not look well for him. He was moving more slowly, and his footwork was sluggish. His power was dwindling, and the strikes he did land seemed to be less effective. That was not the worst of Astor’s worries, though.
What I did not know was that Victor had a trait known as “berserker blood”. It was something particular to the Raven bloodline, and it meant that if Victor felt his life was ever in mortal danger, his brain would trigger an automatic release of hormones into his system. This would give him a massive burst of energy, exponentially increasing his physical abilities and threshold for pain. Thus, after Astor continued to wear the werewolf down and land calculated strikes, Victor flew into a berserker rage. He was much too fast and much too strong for Astor now. No amount of dancing, moving, or feigning was going to work anymore, and Astor began losing badly.
Victor slashed and pounded Astor into the walls. The vampire was able to put his arms up and use his legs for defense, but he was taking a beating. Every opportunity he had, he would slip away from the werewolf, and move. However, Victor wasted no time in pressing Astor up against the wall, and going to work once more. I winced as I watched the werewolf pummel my vampire friend into oblivion. Blood was flying everywhere with each landed claw strike and bite. It was flying into the stands, splashing on people, and the nearby werewolf fans loved it. Yet, Astor never quit. He continued to work to get Victor off of him, and to move away. Astor was greatly wounded, and even slower than before, but he still managed. His heart and will to fight was unparalleled. I did not believe that would be enough to see him survive, though. So, I moved closer toward the two, with the more punishment Astor took. He made eye contact with me, whilst being pinned against the wall, and fending off more of Victor’s attacks. He shook his head for me to remain still. I thought him to be a raving lunatic for wanting to die, but then I realized something. Everything that was happening was what Astor wanted. He knew about the berserker rage, and he also knew that when it wore off, Victor would be vulnerable. Astor was letting Victor beat himself.
In the next few moments, Astor succeeded at shoving Victor off of him again. This time, however, the werewolf did not immediately jump into attack mode. Instead, he staggered backwards, and shook his head. It appeared the adrenaline rush he was experiencing subsided, and his body was crashing. A silence came over the crowd, and when it did, Astor looked at me and winked. Then, he moved in, and kicked Victor in the back of his knees. The werewolf fell to the ground and gasped loudly, while trying to gain his breath. My vampire friend had no intention of letting him recover. Astor grabbed Victor by the top of the head, and began punching his enemy in the face repeatedly. He was pounding the werewolf’s snout into his skull, and before we all knew it, Victor was motionless. Finally, Astor let the werewolf drop to the dirt, before stepping on his throat, ending his life.
Breathing heavily and dripping blood, Astor looked directly at Max. The werewolf leader roared once more, and destroyed his surroundings. Another great werewolf had met their end at our hands, and it was all Max’s fault. He looked angrier than any being I had ever seen. However, this time, there was no deliberation in who would fight next. Victoria Raven screamed that we would both die, and in a flash, she jumped into the arena. I ran up to Astor, and moved him back with my arm. Then, I asked who the woman was. He told me her name, and said she was Victor’s sister. Victoria was more than ready to avenge her brother’s death, but she would have to go through me to get to Astor.