Lykos Redemption

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\Act V

Le Roy Est Mort; Vive Le Roy

The feeling of pain that emanated from the creature's belly
as he limped into the shadows was immense. His bloodied abdomen smoked and
sizzled as he finally collapsed under a tree. His mouth curled in a snarl and
his ears plastered to his head. He would have looked for all the world a scared
and innocent pup. If not for the fact of his size, deep, blood-red eyes and
blood-soaked fur. His breathing grew rather faint and the lupine began to
submit to the angel of death.

He was ready to die. He had surrendered and slowly but
surely his breathing shallowed, his vision narrowed and darkened. He felt the
comforting warmth of sleep befalling him as slowly the last of his tainted,
blackened blood oozed from his body and he passed from the earth.

He would have had the sun not risen above the mountainous
horizon the moment he had taken his last breath. As the sun rose and the day
began anew, bloody fingers gripped the stab wounds from the inside of his
abdomen and they violently clawed at the skin slowly but surely widening the
wound into a gaping cavity. From which Demeas emerged. As he stood nude in the
forest outside Athens, his eyes flashed the same blood red as had been the
beast's eye color. “Finally I am rid of that gods-be-damned weakling who called
himself my brother. This is not over, Nyctimus. I will get to you. And my
brothers will come to see reason. I will be king of Lycans if I can help it."
He grumbled to himself. He let out a loud cackle. And walked into the shadows
of the forest, leaving behind the gigantic corpse of his previous night's wolf.

***

Nyctimus walked behind the procession of wolves, head held
low, thinking. They had survived the night. Something he'd hardly thought
possible. He had believed it would be a slaughter. It hadn't been. They'd held
their own. His left hand held Apollo's right and his right held the Shepherd's
Crook. His life had changed so much in such a short while. He knew not what was
to come, yet he did know that Melaeneus' death was not in vain.

These thoughts continuously flowed through Nyk's head as
they walked up into the funeral pavilion that had been set up for just such an
occasion. It was typical for the wives to prepare the body for their journey to
Hades, yet every time Agape came near the body of her mate she became immobile
with grief. It had been Nyctimus who had prepared his brother's body for this
funeral. He had sewn Mel's decapitated head back on to his neck. He had placed
the drachma on his lips. He had done all of this in Agape's stead.

He had grieved his grief the night before. Apollo at his
side, he had wailed for a goodly long time at Mel's side. Wailing loud and
long, wailing until his voice would no longer obey his commands. He sobbed
quietly then until Apollo had helped him to his feet and before too long he had
been laid down to rest on his bed. Now he looked at the pallid body of his
eldest, kindest brother; the one man above all whom he idolized lay before him
in body and yet he knew he would see him again. They would all be reunited in
Hades' personal lycan petting zoo.

He came before the gathered grieving and those who had
already come to terms with their alpha's death and stated, “We have lost a
great man on this day. A man who can never be replaced and yet we must replace
him. Not in our heart of hearts, never there. Yet someone must come forward and
lead us into tomorrow. Many still mourn and grieve. I know. Yet we must put
away those worn, beaten down faces and only show the world our strength of
will. Of character. Just as our brother, our Alpha would have wanted it. He may
have left us physically. Yet he will never leave our hearts. Keep him in yours.
Let his journey through the waking world guide your own. He was that great of a
man."

He left the front of the room to retreat to his lover's
arms. Phineas came before them all. He spoke. “To lead is to listen and then to
act. To lead is to keep a calm and level head about you when all around you
breathes Chaos. These were lessons that Melaeneus had taught me. And yes I had
forgotten much of his teachings in my grieving for my lost love. Yet here I
stand before you ready to take his mantle. Never his place. Those are too big
of sandals to fill. I will lead you as only Melaeneus would have done."

As Phineas left the front. The six pallbearers came to the
front and grabbed the gurney upon which Mel lay. They left the pavilion and
headed to their newly purchased plot of land. They lowered Melaeneus' body into
the excavated hole and preceded to bury him in the earth. Mother Gaea.

***

Zeus awaited them at the house. He hated having to do this.
He loved his son. He loved in some small way Nyctimus. He knew that tearing
them apart was akin to murder. Yet there he waited with Apollo's bow and
quiver. His laurel of golden olive leaves. He waited knowing that his uncle was
likely to take off his head for his offense. Aphrodite may never talk to him
again.

***

As they came upon the house, Apollo saw his father standing
there. He was holding Apollo's godly vestments and accoutrements. He stood
there silently waiting. Apollo turned to his love. Turned to Nyctimus who had a
small smile on his face. “Go love. Know that whether it be here or in Hades. I
will always love you." Nyctimus said quietly. A tear streamed down his cheek.
He tucked his chin to hide the oncoming crying from his love.

Apollo lifted Nyk's chin and kissed him on the lips. He did
so with such affection that Nyctimus went a little weak in the knees. “And I
will never forget you my love. You will always be at the center of my heart,"
Apollo replied, grasped and squeezed both of Nyctimus' shoulders tenderly
before walking the rest of the way to Zeus. He stood there awkwardly. As if not
quite knowing what to do. “Milord Zeus. To what do we owe the pleasure of your
company?" Apollo questioned, though he knew the answer.

“I need you to return home. I need you to return to Olympus."
Zeus answered tightly.

Apollo held out his hands and nodded. He may not have
appreciated it, but he knew his father would not have called him had it been
unnecessary. Zeus handed him his bow, his quiver, his laurel wreath. He donned
it and he began to glow with godly light yet again. He turned to Nyctimus and
saw that he wore only a smile of such extreme happiness he appeared to glow
brighter than even Zeus. Apollo mouthed the words 'I love you' before he and
Zeus disappeared with a loud clap of thunder and a few piercing rays of
sunlight.

A single tear fell down Nyk's cheek. He knew he'd see Apollo
again sometime in the future. Yet he couldn't help the feeling of his heart
ripping out of his chest. He fell to his knees before beginning to bawl in
earnest.

A hand set upon his shoulder made him turn. Phineas stood
and by his side were Agape and her infant pup. Agape's eyes shone with tears.
The infant in her arms slept silently swaddled in a himation*. “You have done well, Shepherd. Indeed your love for this
family has protected us more than you yet know," she knelt down and shifting
the pup into one arm, grasped Nyctimus' shoulder gently, “Apollo is not gone,
dear Nyctimus. Indeed his love for you still shines as bright as the morning
sun around you. He has a duty to the rest of the world. Helios cannot be
trusted to guide himself across the heavens. It is your husband who has taken
up that mantle yet again. He will be with you again. That, I promise you."

The bawling became weeping became sobbing. Nyctimus nodded
his head. Knowing that the wolfess spoke the truth, he stood once again. He picked
up the Crook and before long had a bright smile across his face. “A great
future is ahead, Agape. Your child will find a mate and his child will find a
mate. So on and so forth. The line of my eldest brother—indeed the line of
Lycaon—shall not disappear from this earth." He grasped her upper arms tenderly
before kissing her forhead.