NOVEL NEXT Chapter 183: Werewolf
Seeing the goblin corpses he'd killed becoming nests for evil spirits to inhabit, Kael frowned deeply.
He snorted coldly. "Think you can hide in shells and I can't do anything about you? Let's see how you hide without shells!"
He waved his wand, summoning Fiendfyre that burned toward the spirit-possessed goblins.
Blue Fiendfyre formed fire tongues attacking both spirits and goblins. Every goblin touched by Fiendfyre was instantly reduced to ash.
The spirits possessing the goblins were directly exposed when their shells burned away.
Spirits were essentially fallen souls. Though Fiendfyre couldn't destroy souls, it could break the evil power on them.
Under Fiendfyre's burning, the spirits suffered terribly, their evil aura dissipating like smoke as they grew weaker.
But Fiendfyre wasn't unstoppable. It could burn almost all combustible materials, even the hardest metals, but couldn't burn earth and stone.
Since spirits lacked physical form and could pass through solid matter, they fled underground to avoid continued burning.
The spirits were fine, but the goblins weren't.
Facing terrifying Fiendfyre, goblins fled everywhere in panic, some cleverly hiding back in tunnel caves.
But Fiendfyre was like a fire snake smelling blood, following cave openings inward, pursuing the goblins throughout.
The North Downs didn't have too many goblins. After the Witch-king of Angmar destroyed Arthedain and was defeated by the combined army of elves and men, his main orc forces scattered. Only scattered orcs remained in the North Downs and surrounding wilderness, using former Arthedain ruins in the mountains as caves to raid travelers.
But unexpectedly, a harbinger of doom had come, bringing utter disaster.
Under Fiendfyre's pursuit, goblins had nowhere to flee, all turning to ash. Even those hiding in the deepest caves couldn't escape.
When the last goblin was consumed by Fiendfyre, Kael still didn't extinguish it. Instead, he made the Fiendfyre-formed Balrog attack a half-ruined watchtower on the hill.
The Fiendfyre Balrog radiated scorching, terrifying heat, even condensing a Fiendfyre whip that lashed the watchtower heavily.
Countless stone bricks shattered instantly. Though Fiendfyre couldn't burn stone, it could heat it until it cracked and exploded with popping sounds.
"Hmph! Sneaky creature, think I didn't notice you hiding?"
Kael sneered and cast a Blasting Curse, directly exploding the watchtower.
With a tremendous explosion, debris flew and dust filled the air.
The thing hiding in the tower was finally forced out.
A giant wolf shrouded in black mist leaped high, dodging Fiendfyre's attack like a swift wind, reaching a deep pool a kilometer away in several bounds.
It was a bull-sized black giant wolf with blood-red evil glowing eyes, radiating an intense dark magic aura.
"Warg?" Kael wondered suspiciously, but immediately dismissed his guess.
Wargs weren't this large or powerful.
Wargs were essentially intelligent giant wolves corrupted by darkness. Aside from size and intelligence, they weren't much different from ordinary wolves.
But this black giant wolf was filled with a dark magic aura, its dense black mist threatening to devour all life, its dripping saliva hissing on the ground like acid.
In Kael's magical perception, this giant wolf was completely a demon wearing wolf skin, dozens of times more dangerous than wargs.
What surprised Kael more happened next.
The black giant wolf looked at Kael and suddenly spoke. "Black-robed wizard Kael, I've heard of your deeds and know your methods. I have no intention of being your enemy."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "You know me?"
"The famous black-robed wizard, master of dragons, Balrog-slayer, bane of orcs. Even in the dark world, your name thunders." The black giant wolf said.
"Then what are you? Different from the wargs I've seen."
"Wargs? Pfft... Just beasts ridden by orcs!" The black giant wolf showed disdainful mockery, then proud expression.
"While I am the werewolf Scuul, descendant of the great werewolf ancestors Draugluin and Carcharoth, once mighty guardians of the Dark Lord Morgoth!"
Werewolf? Kael recalled a record he'd seen in Rivendell's library.
He remembered this was a dark creature created by Morgoth.
Unlike wargs, werewolves had evil spirits implanted within them. The werewolf ancestor Draugluin was even fed Morgoth's blood, making it a more powerful dark creature.
This werewolf ancestor was also closely tied to Arwen's ancestor, the fate of the elf princess Lúthien and the human hero Beren.
Arwen had told Kael the story of Lúthien and Beren's love:
Human hero Beren fell in love with elf princess Lúthien, but was challenged by her father, Doriath King Thingol, who required him to take a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown as a bride-price.
Beren went alone to Morgoth's fortress Angband but was captured and guarded by werewolf ancestor Draugluin.
Learning this, Lúthien disguised herself as a vampire with divine hound Huan to rescue Beren.
During the rescue, Draugluin intercepted them, battling Huan fiercely before being killed.
Lúthien used magic to wake Beren, and they escaped with a Silmaril Beren had hidden, but encountered Draugluin's descendant, the fiercer werewolf Carcharoth.
It was given power by Morgoth to devour elves and men, guarding Angband's exit.
Human Beren was killed by Carcharoth, but Lúthien exchanged her immortality to Mandos for Beren's brief resurrection.
Carcharoth swallowed the Silmaril but was burned by its holy power, becoming mad and rampaging until killed by Beren, Lúthien, and divine hound Huan.
But Huan was mortally wounded fighting Carcharoth and died.
Huan was the hunting hound of Oromë among the Valar, a true divine beast that even faced Sauron in wolf form and forced his retreat.
That Carcharoth could kill Beren while surrounded by Huan, Lúthien, and Beren, then die together with Huan, showed werewolves' strength.
No wonder this werewolf, descendant of Draugluin and Carcharoth, was so proud.
Though he knew wargs were products of werewolves breeding with ordinary wolves, essentially close relatives.
Unexpectedly, this werewolf's tone showed contempt for wargs and disgust for orcs.
Seeing Kael's silence, the werewolf continued. "Wizard Kael, we werewolves are few now. I've long lost interest in conflicts, hiding in the North Downs and accepting those goblins' tribute.
Earlier conflicts were misunderstandings. If you're willing to stop and negotiate, I guarantee never to invade your territory southward. I could even ally with you, secretly becoming your enforcer, clearing obstacles, especially those northern Dúnedain, and making you ruler of northern lands. How about it?"
Kael looked at this silver-tongued werewolf with amusement.
"Oh, a wolf has such ability? Can help me rule northern lands?"
Seeing Kael seemingly tempted, the werewolf quickly promised.
"Not just me. I can contact kinsmen. We werewolves follow only the strong. You've subdued mighty dragons and killed Balrogs. You're undoubtedly the strongest. We'll follow you.
Our fur resists elven blades, claws pierce dwarven armor, poisonous fangs kill orcs, and we can summon undead to fight. We'd be your elite army, sweeping continents!"
"So those spirits in Fornost are under your control?" Kael asked.
The werewolf nodded and howled.
The spirits hiding underground emerged uncontrollably, surrounding the werewolf as their leader.
"Wizard Kael, what do you think? Will you cooperate? These undead are just a small part. With cooperation we can summon endless undead armies. No one in Eriador could stop you!"
The werewolf was very confident, its voice carrying temptation.
Kael looked at the ghostly spirits and werewolf, suddenly chuckled, and shook his head.
"I don't think much of it."
"Uh... what do you mean?" The werewolf thought it had convinced Kael but was stunned by this response.
"Because I don't believe a word of your lies!"
Kael sneered at the werewolf.
"They say wolves are cunning. I've finally seen it today. Did you learn this sweet talk from your master Sauron?
Unfortunately, he didn't tell you I've dealt with him before. That stench you can't hide reeks exactly like his!"
"Avada Kedavra!" Before finishing, a brilliant green curse struck toward the werewolf.
The werewolf reacted quickly, dodging the Killing Curse.
But without respite, Fiendfyre had already spread around it, instantly blazing higher in a circle, completely surrounding it with no escape.
Kael never intended to spare the werewolf. Listening to its nonsense was to completely block escape routes.
With the trap complete, it was time to corner the prey.
Seeing approaching Fiendfyre, the werewolf showed wariness and anger, dodging at wind-like speed while seeking escape.
But the high firewalls blocked all paths.
When cornered, the werewolf suddenly stopped, opened its mouth wide, and inhaled forcefully.
The spirits uncontrollably poured into the werewolf's mouth, being swallowed.
The werewolf's aura surged rapidly, surrounding black mist growing denser, forming thick black barriers blocking Fiendfyre.
Though constantly consumed by Fiendfyre, this gave the werewolf breathing room.
The werewolf seized the chance to become a black shadow, quickly breaking through Fiendfyre's encirclement.