Chapter - 6

 North Eire Winter of 1501Redd walked through 2ft of snow covered mountainous terrain, with a continuous snowfall and harsh winds. He thought to shift into his wolf to better handle the cold and terrain but knew better, the Divine Sage would take offense to it if he got too close in his wolf form and probably kill him. Pulling his pelt scarf closer to his face he reached the last plateau and glanced up to search for the mouth of the cave, and spotted it a few feet up and to the left. Covering his face again he closed the distance and stepped inside the entrance. As he walked along the narrow corridor the air gradually became warm and crisp.Redd dropped his scarf to his shoulders and slowed his pace as he came to the cleansing barrier. The barrier cleansed the troubled soul or outright killed anyone harboring evil or who had malicious intent. Even though he knew he harbored no ill will and no evil that he knew of, whenever he ventured here he was always hesitant to cross the barrier. Instant death never sounded good on any day and the fact that you wouldn't even know what happened until you woke up dead never sat well with him.Shaking off his trepidations, and saying a prayer to the Gods, he squared his shoulders and walked through the barrier. The fire light reflecting off the black and gold marble pillars and floor stung his sensitive eyes as they tried to adjust from the dark cavern he had just emerged from. The hum of magic gave an ominous vibe and made his skin vibrate with power."Welcome Redd, son of Calidore, Chief of The Adalwolf Clan" The Divine Sage said in a disembodied voice. Instantly the cave went from empty to having four occupants, including Redd. "Welcome Young Chief" the Sage's twin surrogate oracles said in sing-songy unison. While the Divine Sage's power felt overwhelming at times, the twin oracle's power was downright terrifying and eerie.Everything they said was like an insulted taunt or a curse. So as a result they rarely spoke unless spoken to and no one wanted to incite their voice. No one knew who had sired them either, although the Sage staunchly defends that she is their mother. Giving a curt nod to the three of them Redd turned to the Divine Sage, "Greetings Divine Sage and Oracles." he said."Why do you come to my sacred hall young Chief?" Asked the Sage, her voice still sounded disembodied and soft like a whisper."My Goddess I have come to seek your counsel and guidance about my people and our future. For I am worried about Haerik and his threats to our clan and my Queen." He replied."Are you worried he may act upon his threats, or that the words of his cursed prophecy will come to pass Little Chief?" Asked the Sage, his title said in a sneered haughty tone. Lowering his head he replied, "Both, Goddess."The Sage gracefully walked towards him, on a gliding wind. As she approached, she raised her hand as if to touch his face, only to stop just before contact and circle him, moving her hand in a fluid up and down, side to side motion. "There is a curse upon your bloodline, ignored it will bring about a great calamity and ruin to your family. However, met head on, it could bring your family and clan great fortune." She said walking away from him and towards the pit of fire in the center of the floor. "And how am I to meet this curse head on, Goddess?" He asked."So many questions, the poor little King asks, but what are you willing to give in return for the answers, Mac tire carne mea?" Wolf of my flesh, she asked mockingly.He knew it would come with a price. The Divine Sage never gave anything for free, and he knew of only one thing in his possession that could get him the information he needed.It was said that the hair of any were-animal was imbued with raw magic power, in the wrong hands a person could control your fate and mind, it was how Haerik had cursed his bloodline to begin with. One could also weave some of the most powerful magic, spells, or even creatures from a simple lock of hair, depending on the caster and the magical properties of said hair."I will give you Five inches of my hair," he said. The twin Oracles began to whisper quickly and became giddy."Such a heavy payment you offer Madadh Beag" Little Wolf, she said with a light laugh. "Surely you know that you are in this position in the first place because of a witch, and your father's hair." she said circling the fire pit while running her hands in and out of the flames methodically."Are you implying that you are an untrustworthy witch, my Goddess?" Redd asked with a smirk. Faster than he could blink she was behind him and struck him in the back so forcefully he dropped to his knees, and the air rushed out of his lungs."How dare you insult me in such a way you worthless pìos cabhaig" Piece of shit, she said, placing her foot at the back of his neck, keeping his face kissing the warm marble floor. Sucking in a little air he placed his hands beside his face flush against the floor, "F-Forgive me M'Lady I merely jest, I-I know you for the Goddess you truly are." He said wheezing in harsh uneven breaths.It felt as though an eternity had passed before she finally eased her foot off his neck and made her way back to the fire pit. Not daring to stand again Redd kneeled bracing his hands on each side of him, head bowed."Apologies for any insult I foolishly spoke, Goddess, truly I meant Ni' harm. Please find it in your heart to forgive me." He said head bowed so low it touched the floor. "You will not be forgiven until I am fully appeased. You have insulted divinity and I will not tolerate such hubris slights." she said as the flames from the pit rose with her anger."First we shall test the strength of your magical properties" she said disappearing then reappearing in front of him then yanking out a few strands of his red and black hair. The pain consumed him and blurred his vision temporarily, while leaving him with a raging headache. As she walked back to the fire she braided the strands together and dropped them into the flames. As soon as the hair hit the flames a tornado of pure blue flames shot up from the pit and crashed into the ceiling of the cave. The heat and wind were so intense it ripped at his clothes and their robes with a fierce fervor. Gasping the twin oracles took a step back and held each other's hand.The Divine Sage snapped her fingers and the fire was sucked back into the pit and resumed its reddish-orange warm burn. Redd looked up at the Sage, the wind had forced the hood of her robe down to her shoulders. She truly was divinity, her face a glowing porcelain white, long flowing golden hair and honey green eyes that glowed. The look in her eyes was ominous and sinister, but also full of wonderment. She slowly raised the hood of her robe with a smirk on her face that made his stomach tighten and his hackles rise.Standing up on his shaky legs he forced his mind to quiet and squared his shoulders with a calmness he certainly didn't feel, "Do we have an accord, my Goddess?" he asked. "Yes wolf, we have an accord. Five inches of your hair for the answers to all your questions, no tricks, no hidden meanings, and no innuendos." she replied in a tone that made his wolf uneasy. "Listen Chief and listen well, for I will not repeat myself. To meet the curse head on, you and your family must leave your homeland. . ." for a full second he couldn't breathe, no one ever left the homeland. There was never any need.Despite his inner turmoil she continued without pause, "To stay in Eire is to doom your people to slavery and death. Every 550 years, The Five Supernatural Gates align, and every 550 years, the war of all wars ensues. Creatures from all walks of life are temporarily connected by an unknown force. There are Five Gates but 10 Gateways. It will happen in waves and stay open indefinitely if left unchecked. The 10 Gateways will open first connecting each species to the lands of their brethren.Then The Five Supernatural Gates will form one portal for each Supernatural plain; The Shifters, The Dragons, The Demons, The Vampires, and The Hidden Realm of Lore. The Gates have always had a Keeper, a being to close the gates and seal them again. It is no easy or simple task, and should the Keeper die before they seal their assigned Gates the world will be thrust into chaos and darkness.You will go to the lands to the west, in time they will come to be known as the American lands, and YOU my precious Chief will become the Keeper. Tell no one but your Queen. If your pack is loyal, you will have followers and when the time comes you and your children will take ahold of your destinies in the Great Supernatural Wars"Redd's head was reeling at all the information. He felt as though his brain would hemorrhage any second. Five things circled his mind, like water circles a drain. Leave Homeland, Gates, Keeper, Wars, and Children. They say be careful what you wish for and he definitely regretted that cold walk up the mountain side now. There was one thing that was more unclear than anything else though,"How am I to close the Gates Goddess?" He asked."I do not have the answer to that question, as it has been different each time. I can say you will know the answer when your full powers as the Keeper arise." She said walking over to him once more. She held out her hand palm up and he braided a thick braid down the front of his overgrown bangs. Once he got to the end he took out his makeshift dagger from his belt, cut his braid and laid it in the palm of her hand. Smiling. she fisted the strand and closed her eyes as if savoring the power to come, then it was gone from her hand.Opening her eyes and leveling them at him, her honey-green iris started to swirl like a serpent chasing its tail and a sense of dread went through him. "Leave us!" she yelled at the Twin Oracles, who wasted no time getting the hell out of dodge.Redd tried to take a step back but was held immobile by an unseen force. It wasn't until she moved her hand in front of his face, that he realized she was holding him transfixed with her power.Panic rising, he fought her hold with everything he had to no avail. "Goddess, what is the meaning of this?" he asked, becoming fearful of that look in her eyes. "I've been trying to figure out how you could appease me for the insult you dealt earlier. It wasn't until I dropped your locks into the fire that I knew what to do with you."Panic and fear swirled around his gut until he was sure he would retch the contents of his stomach. "Little Chief. you will give me a child" she said, grabbing his hair in a fierce grip and wrenching his head back. Granted he felt nauseous and his head hurt like hell, but surely he hadn't heard her correctly. "I'm sorry Goddess, did you say a child? I have Ni child to give, and I'm sure my Queen would end my life if I asked her to carry and conceive a child just to give them away." He said nonplussed."Silly little King, you will give me your body and impregnate me with your child. They will be a powerful child indeed. One prophetic and strong." she said as she ran her tongue up his neck while her free hand made its way down his body. His scalp was on fire, he was amazed she wasn't ripping out his hair at the roots, and that his scalp wasn't bleeding, because it sure felt that way."While I am honored that you'd chose me, I must ask that we come to another arrangement. I would ne'er betray my Queen in such a way, Goddess." He said swallowing audibly, he could never step out on his Queen; he had no desire for other women. He could have a woman fully naked on top of him, stroking his cock, and his body would not react in any way to her. It was a perk of being a mated male of his species, no desire for another meant literally that, forever.She let go of his hair and seized him by the neck in a grip more fierce than the previous grip on his hair, "I'm sorry, you seem to think that this was a request, and not an ordered demand!" she said throwing him across the cavern, and into a marble pillar with so much graceful ease and force, a lesser male would have surely pissed himself and died of internal bleeding.As it was he simply had the wind knocked out of his lungs for the second time tonight, and was now in excruciating pain. Redd tried to summon his strength and will his body to move but it was no use, if he didn't know any better he'd have thought she broke his back.Unfortunately he could still feel the pain in his back and his limbs so he knew that was not the case. She appeared in front of him and gripped his jaw in her grip of death, "I know what you are thinking, that just because you are a mated male you will remain flaccid for anyone other than your mate, but I think I will teach you a thing or two about true divinity." She said as her robe fell from her body, unassisted, to show her full naked glory.Redd's eyes went wide at the sight of her. She was supremely beautiful and no words seemed sufficient enough to describe her. She truly must be a Goddess. And I frickin pissed her off... Beautiful. He said to himself mentally rolling his eyes. However no matter her beauty his body remained the same and unwavered.Then, she lifted him up with just her hold on his jaw with an unnatural ease as if he weighed nothing at all, with a snap of her finger his clothes disappeared. She lifted him up until he was eye to eye with her and then kissed his lips. In an instant his body felt as though he was being slowly engulfed in flames. When the heat reached his groin he became fully erect. She smiled a smile, that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and his stomach churn. His wolf had long since given up the fight recognizing her power."My, my, my..... dear King, I had no idea how firm and robust you were, your muscles could rival those of a God. And your cock, is truly a gift from the Gods. If I didn't know any better I would say you were part God, well your cock at least." She said waving her hand through the air, ending it with a snap of her fingers. As she did so, the room began to spin and change. Closing his eyes against the visual onslaught to his brain, he wished and prayed to be anywhere but here, feeling this way towards a woman, that was not his mate.It didn't make it better knowing that she was actually and truly a Goddess, if anything it only made things worse. Of all the strength he possessed, none of it could help or save him from his fate. He held his eyes closed tightly until he felt something soft and lush against his backside. Slowly opening his eyes, he realized he was in a bedroom that looked more like a dungeon than a bedroom.Whips and wooden floggers lined the wall in all shapes and sizes. Then he felt the cold bite of steel around his wrists and ankles, the full weight of the horror that awaited him crashing down on his chest. His breaths became short and ragged. She let go of his jaw and he felt the pressure of her powers subside. He then struggled anew at his chains, trying with all his strength to break free. Then, he tried to shift. The moment his body tried to contort, the cuffs and chains electrocuted him. She back handed him so hard she knocked a few teeth loose and blood filled his mouth."If you ever think to shift in my presence again I will torture you in ways you could never dream of, and once I'm done with your pathetic body I will take your cock as a consolation prize" she said into his ear, while putting his bullocks in a vice grip. Spitting the blood from his mouth he glared at her with so much hatred, he wished she would catch fire from it."Oh my dear Wolf, don't look at me with such disdain, I intend to enjoy you and your body for the days to come." DAYS!? What would happen to his people or his queen if he was gone for days? He thrashed even harder against his binds praying that someone, anyone would save him from this fate, but he knew in his heart there was no escaping this hell.