"There is an art to extracting information. No matter if that is by casual conversation or more involuntary means, there has to be a give and take. In this case, I am giving them the gifts of fear and uncertainty. Fear at what I will do and uncertainty of if it is all I will do." – Jay explaining his methods to Order interrogators.

The sight of the twilight woods greeted Kurt as he became aware of his surroundings. He was once more in the strange dreamscape that he came to for learning. As usual, the other wolf was there, waiting and watching as Kurt climbed to his feet. They began the walk to the cave but this time when they got there, Kurt decided he had enough silent study.

"Who are you?" He wondered aloud to the wolf as it sat just inside the entrance. He almost jumped in surprise when the normally expressionless wolf revealed its teeth in a very lupine smirk.

"So, the pup wants to finally greet his other half." It commented in a melodic voice that seemed to be halfway between joyous laughter and raging shout, covered by a thin layer of decorum spread over utter insanity. "I was beginning to wonder how long it would take for you to ask."

"Wait up." Kurt said. "I thought you were the Avatar or Origin or whatever." He was stunned at the clarity with which it spoke.

"Yes and no." The wolf said. "I am only part of him, a fragment that will either succeed in surpassing him or fail. But matters of true divinity are for a later time."

"Divinity? He mentioned that before."

The wolf tilted his head and blinked slowly at Kurt. "I suppose he does talk in that strange way. All things and one thing at the same time is rather taxing." He huffed a breath. "That wolf exists as a few steps above you. Where you are Lupus Rex, the Avatar is Deus Lupus Spiritus. It is a sidestep from the true pinnacle and the path which you climb to become Lupus Deus."

"Ugh, why Latin?" Kurt groaned. The groan of frustration came out as a sort of whimper which surprised him. He didn't really expect that noise and was wondering how other expressions translated.

"Because that was the language used when he was banished and broken." Answered the wolf, a growl rumbling in its chest.

Kurt stared at the wolf. "What do I call you then?"

The wolf shrugged. "It matters not, I am you now. That rampant and wild fragment of your being that runs your instincts."

Standing there, Kurt debated his next question and decided to see if he could bait some more information from the, no, HIS wolf. "What is your purpose here?"

A twinkle seemed to cross the amber eyes of the wolf. "Wiser than I gave you credit for." It said with a hint of manic laughter coming to the surface. "I am to keep you on track, to give you strength and guidance. But I am also a trap waiting to be sprung."

"A trap?"

"Indeed, because if you fail and succumb, going feral, I will be the one that takes over." The glint of light off fangs told Kurt everything he need to know about how that would play out. "But you shouldn't worry too much. I have tried on several occasion to take over and you have easily handled me every time. But you never know what the future holds."

"Why? Couldn't we cooperate and work together?" Kurt all but shouted. "I didn't have problems before with any of my instincts." He was pissed that this wolf was actively trying to take over his body.

His wolf snorted and licked his chops. "Because you asserted your dominance over that lesser version of me rather quickly. You will have to gain dominion over me again if you want cooperation in all things. Perhaps I will have learned my place by the time you finish filling out. In either event, it shouldn't be much longer now."

Kurt was about to ask more questions, but the wolf just settled down, propping his chin on his outstretched paws and watching. "Go now and see what you are to learn tonight. We will have more time to talk in the future."

It seemed that was all Kurt was going to get from his wolf at that moment and turned to the scenes before him. The section he left at last time was still in its strange half motion, so he moved from the scene with encroaching darkness and turned to the next panel.

The battle hinted at in the last scene was now fully realized as werewolves met monsters on the field outside the village. The lycans rushed to meet undead, wendigo, leshy, giant spiders and even some lesser vampiric species. Behind them stood a few men from the village with spears in hand but not moving from the safety of their fire's light.

After the battle scene there was another of the werewolves once more in the village as humans, working their fields in the day. Villagers came and went from them, giving the impression that it was going back to the routine that they were so used to.

Third in line for this section was another nocturnal struggle. Unlike in the first scene, the monsters faced by the werewolves gave as good as they got. The wolves had broken from each other, wading into battle alone and more than one of those lycans were taken down by the tide of monsters. As Kurt watched the scene, he felt a twinging pain in his chest at each death he saw. The sight angered him beyond what he normally should have been. Behind him the wolf stirred, and he saw the amber gaze locked on him as it approached.

Kurt snapped his fingers and pointed to the ground. "Sit!" He commanded. To his surprise the wolf stopped in its tracks. "Down." Kurt growled, using an instinctual power within him and ordered the wolf to lay. With his wolf taken care of, he turned back to the scenes before him.

The next scene showed the village again. This time the lycans were all kneeling before a man who Kurt recognized as the Origin. He stood before the bodies of the fallen lycans as they laid beside graves with intricately carved wooden headstones. Behind the line of lycans stood the villagers, heads bowed as they shed tears. The Origin also shed a tear, though he caught it in his palm before spreading it on the body at his feet.

Not sure what to make of that scene, Kurt moved to the next one and saw the Origin holding court over a host of lycans gathered in a forest clearing. He got the impression that they spoke of their fallen and the Origin comforted them while chastising them for their departure from the ways of the pack. The scene played out as the Origin brought the blame on himself for not being a better steward and teacher.

He could feel the emotions of the pack in the scene and feel the sorrowful rage that lurked in the shadows of their hearts. That shadow retreated as they looked on their progenitor, in some cases vanishing completely. It was a feeling he was all too familiar with, having overcome the presence on two occasions. In that moment, he recognized that it was the same thing that caused werewolves to go feral.

Quickly looking to the next scene, he saw the Origin selecting wolves from the gathered packs. Each was unique amongst their brethren, not always the largest but unquestionably each had an advantage over the typical werewolf. Both sexes stepped forward to attend the Origin, men and women of varying skin tones. Kurt was beginning to wonder if this was all he was going to get for this trip when a third section lit up and he moved over to it.

In the first scene he saw the gathered wolves and those that had been selected now standing before the Origin in his werewolf form as he towered over them. One by one, those selected stepped forward and were bitten where the neck meets shoulder. Every one of them suddenly shifted and grew in size to the roughly nine-foot-tall variant and matching the Origin in height.

Kurt realized he just saw the birth or rather rise of the first of the alpha strain of werewolves. It seemed that Val was right and there was another type of wolf at one point, and he wasn't a new abnormality. He would have to remember to tell her when he woke but for the moment wanted to see what happened next as he moved to the next scene.

As one, the various packs gathered before the Origin all bowed and offered thanks to him. Then they offered more. Kurt felt a swell of… something as he watched a light emerge from the bowed masses and move to the alphas. That light went from dozens of thin beams to a single, concentrated line, connecting to the Origin.

When the light reached the Origin, it infused his body and caused it to swell, once more growing to be above the alphas. The light receded and revealed the howling figure of the Origin as the masses all howled in return.

The third panel showed the wolves once more in the village, or rather outside, as the monsters came once again. This time the alphas towered above the roofs of the simple homes and directed their smaller kin in battle. They controlled the ebb and flow, directing their pack to strike at the most vulnerable points.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

What surprised Kurt was that there was one more player in this scene. Among the feet of the werewolves were normal wolves that joined the fray and picked at the smaller monsters. He got the impression that the alphas acted as champions, dealing with the largest of monsters and organizing their packs. While that was happening, the normal werewolves did the same with the smaller monsters while the mundane wolves took care of the lowest tier of monster.

He had to admit that it was a rather neat breakdown of duties. The mundane wolf was a fast and far roaming creature that acted as a patrolling force. They could range and circle at a distance while the larger and stronger werewolves were the close defense in case the scouts reported trouble. Then the alpha acted as the heavy hitter, dealing with the serious problems and organizing the pack.

Kurt's ears pricked up as he heard the soft padding footfalls of his wolf approaching. He turned to look into its eyes as it came to stand next to him and look at the mural made of tiny flecks of colored tile and stone.

"So, what did you learn?" The wolf asked as it bumped against him. The gesture seemed like it was friendly, almost a form of camaraderie.

He considered for a moment before responding. "That the Origin or Avatar, whatever you called him, made the alpha strain and the… normal strain?" He wasn't sure what to call it and the confusion in his voice was enough for his wolf to chime in.

"Common. We call them commons and we call the regular wolves mundane since they have no magic, well, not like we do."

"Right." Kurt said, committing the name to his memory. "So, he made the alphas. Then the alphas made him the king? Am I getting that right?"

His wolf nodded his giant head. "Mostly, yes. But do you know how?" It seemed that he was baiting Kurt into a particular line of thinking or logic.

"Theeeeyyy… swore fealty?" Kurt said as he studied the scene again. That was the feeling he got from the light that was absorbed by the ori-avatar, he really needed to pick one. It seemed that he took a sort of oath from them.

"Good. But what did they swear on? What did they give to form their 'pact'?" Asked his wolf, its eyes seeming to glow all the brighter as it waited for the answer. The extra emphasis on 'pact' was very clear.

Kurt returned to studying the scene as it replayed over and over. He saw it, the selection, the bite, the… the bite. "The blood. The infection." Kurt answered then specified.

With another signature lupine smile, his wolf nodded. "Close enough. They swore on their blood when they made the pact. But if you call the gift an infection again, we are going to come to a very violent understanding." His wolf growled the last part.

Nodding his agreement, Kurt watched the scene play again. "What if they break it?" He whispered, barely wanting to voice the question.

His wolf whined and its ears laid back as he ducked his head. "Then they lose themselves to their wolf. If they break the pact, they break the bond to the Avatar. It is a fate worse than going feral as they go absolutely mad from the backlash." His wolf shuddered and shook itself. "I will not speak of it further."

Taking that as the end of that line of questioning he moved to the next one burning in his mind. "So, I can raise up a commoner to be an Alpha?"

"Yes, but it is not so simply done." His wolf explained. "You will know when you meet them. Some are suited while others are not."

"How do I know?"

"In time you will feel it, I will feel it. Our blood will tell us since we share the gift."

Kurt thought about that for a moment. He really wished there was some specifics or a checklist of criteria that he could use but figured he would just have to wait and see. With no other questions to ask, he made use of the extra time he was having in the dreamscape and went to the first scene again.

He began to review all the previous panels, all the scenes that played out before him in an unbroken chain. Once more he marveled at the artistic style that morphed and shifted from each panel. It was truly an example on the history of art, progressing from a cave painting to something seen in middle eastern ruins.

The second pass over the scenes also showed some things he missed or had overlooked. The light that he first saw the Origin interact with was repeated in a later scene but only on the outskirts. Then when he ascended, it was a similar light but did not have the same feeling. There was something different that he couldn't quite place or, at least, couldn't place it yet.

As much as Kurt wished he could stay, he felt himself fading from the dream and waking up in the real world. He made eye contact with his wolf, giving a brief wave before he found himself lying in bed, snuggled up behind a still sleeping Val. He was surprised that he hadn't woken them with his usual thrashing and other movement.

Kurt glanced at the clock on the dresser, seeing that it was about time for him to start his day. With a little wiggling, he extracted himself from between the girls and got up to start the day. It seemed that there was a new normal when it came to his entering the dreamscape, one that was hopefully easier on his lovers.

*****

David Gelman woke with a start as the door to his cell slammed open. He squinted his eyes as a harsh light penetrated the darkness and burned at his retina. Holding his hand up in front of him, he was barely able to make out the movement on the other side of the doorway.

"Up." Said a voice. "Step to the door."

Groaning but immediately moving, David did as the voice said and shuffled his way from the slab that was his bed to the door. The voice sounded neutral, but he knew better than to mistake that disinterest for being forgiving.

Upon reaching the door, a bag was placed over his head, mercifully blocking out the light. He was then led by the shoulder down a long hallway. They made several turns, seemingly at random. The nature of the turns made him think that they were meant to confuse him and prevent him from knowing which way they went in case he tried to escape. Afterall, it's what he had done over the past several months as they tortured him every day and healed him every night.

After several long minutes of being led through the halls, they stopped, and he heard a door open. Then he was pushed inside. The voice told him to stay and look straight ahead as the bag was removed.

Blinking, David took in the sight of the room he now found himself in as the door shut behind him. The room was dimly lit and small, only a ten by ten with a table and two chairs in the middle. On the opposite side of the table was another door.

David stood still, not moving a muscle until he was told otherwise. He had been in this situation before over the past… however long it had been. He knew better than to move before the other party entered and gave him a command. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that doing anything that wasn't ordered resulted in severe and sudden consequences.

After only a minute of waiting, the door on the other side of the room opened and a man stepped in. This man was unfamiliar to him, not one of the half dozen interrogators he had seen in the past. This man was tall and handsome, wearing a bespoke navy-blue suit that seemed to compliment his figure in an almost magical way.

"Sit." Said the man. His voice was rich and smooth in a way that clearly wasn't human, something that he had come to expect from his stay. His face was graced with a warm smile and his eyes had an enticing, friendly quality.

David sat in the chair, having to take a couple shuffling steps to get around it while wearing manacles around his wrists and ankles. He didn't adjust the simple wooden chair, he didn't place his hands on the table, he didn't do anything but sit and stare at the metal tabletop before him.

"Mister Gelman." The man began as he produced a folder from… somewhere. "In your time with us you have been startlingly stubborn in providing any answers to our questions. Is there anything you would like to tell us before we proceed?"

David shook his head. "No."

"Are you certain?" The man raised his eyebrow at the refusal. "These are very serious matters that you have been caught up in. Any information you provide could be beneficial as we move forward."

"You haven't been able to break me, and you never will." David said, careful to keep his voice low and neutral. "After what that animal did to my daughter, I will take my knowledge to my grave."

"We can make things very uncomfortable for you, David." The man said, still affecting a light and pleasant tone in his voice despite the nature of the conversation.

"It has been months of near constant torture and interrogation." David began. "If you haven't broken me yet, you never will."

The man on the other side of the table smiled and chuckled a little. "Oh, Dave. Can I call you Dave? Eh whatever, Dave, we haven't even gotten started with your interrogation yet." He closed the folder, and it vanished from the table. "So, how about it? Care to share?"

"No." He wasn't about to fall to any lies. They had done so many horrible things to him that he knew there was nothing left to try. They would likely be killing him soon and that would be the end of his suffering. He looked the handsome man straight in the eyes, his only available act of defiance.

The expression of friendly and welcoming suddenly vanished and his face became a neutral mask. The man then looked to the wall on his right, staring at the middle of the blank concrete surface. "Wake him up, please."

A sudden and persistent ringing filled David's ears as the scene in front of him blurred and morphed into a bright light accompanied by extreme vertigo. There was the sensation of something brushing his forehead, causing him to realize there had been something resting on it. He tried to move, to shield his eyes from the light but found he was completely restrained. He blinked the blurriness from his vision and discovered he was lying almost flat on a hospital bed.

Standing at the foot of the bed, with his hand on a metal orb, was the man he was just talking to. "You see, Dave." The man said his name with a sudden harshness that hung in the air and made him flinch. "We haven't even begun to try extracting information yet. I am sure you will remember the last couple weeks fondly in the very near future."

"N-no. Y-you are lying! It was months!" He screamed and thrashed, barely moving an inch due to the restraints holding his arms, chest and legs. "This isn't real! None of this is real!"

The man smirked and leaned forward, propping his chin in his hand and elbow on the orb. "Look around, tell me if you recognize anyone."

David did just that, glancing from side to side. He saw the other members of his coven, all of whom had a metal band over their brows, wrapping from one temple to the other. He saw most of his senior coven members and all the junior members of the inner circle, well, all the ones that survived the monster and his whores.

"Now, Dave. I want information, but…" said the man as he paused and made a 'come here' gesture to someone that David couldn't see. "…you have pissed me off a little. So, while I want answers to my questions, I very much want to teach you a lesson on suffering."

David saw a scale-kin in a green uniform with bright blue scales step up to the man. "Yes Jay?"

"Kinsdt, please bring mister Gelman to room seven." The man called Jay said. "I will be along shortly with my tools."

"Right away, Jay." The scale-kin said and moved to behind the hospital bed.

The tell-tale clank of the brakes releasing as the foot pedal was depressed echoed in the nearly silent room. "Wait-wait-wait!" David yelled as he was being wheeled away. He didn't know what he wanted them to wait for, but he was desperate to try anything.

"Oh, Dave, I have waited long enough." Jay said with a heavy sigh. "Perhaps you will be more inclined to answer my questions when you are done visiting room seven." Then he smiled. It was the terrifying smile of a predator, one who had haunted mankind for millennia. It was at that moment he realized what the man called Jay actually was.

"NNNNOOOOOOOooooooooo" David howled as he was wheeled out of the room, the maddening, fang filled grin burning itself into his mind as he thrashed helplessly on the bed.

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