Part 1: Hera the She-Wolf of Transylvania

Reina was a shy and mysterious young woman, who grew up in Transylvania, near the city of Targu Mures, on a small cattle farm with her grandparents. She was indeed a lover of animals and yet, always felt an internal conflict somehow. She felt torn between wanting to care for them, but at the same time, she felt she had an inner hunter instinct that she could not explain, and showed little or no remorse when they were slaughtered for food purposes.

One day, she confided in her grandfather, Nicolae, a former soldier in his youth. She described having dreams, that scared her, in which she was a she-Wolf, hunting prey with ruthless efficiency.

Bunicule, sometimes I have nightmares that I am a grey wolf, prowling the forests around the Calimani mountains in the night. When I see the moon, it fills me with joy and causes me to sing. I am the alpha female, and along with my mate, the alpha male, we are the only ones in our pack with the right to breed. I spend my time caring for, teaching and organizing the pack, determining who eats first, who runs at the front, who stays at the back, and on rare occasions, who should be excluded from the pack. Each spring, I give birth to new pups, and the entire pack are responsible for raising these offspring. Usually, there are from each litter, some cubs with strong personalities and great strength of character who after 3 or 4 years, leave us to become Alpha wolves of their packs, and others who are weaker, who become the Omega wolf, the weaker one, who is usually the scapegoat of the group, who instigate play, but they eat last and remain on the fringes of the pack.

Her grandfather, Nicolae listened intently, his wise face and kind smile were comforting to Reina, and he showed no signs of judging her wild imagination, so she continued.

I have a torment, but I don’t know if I can express it fully. My wolf personality has 2 sides. A cruel one, jealous, bitter, suspicious of all, and vengeful. The other side is a strong and fair leader, kind, protective, loving and supportive. It confuses me and I am often sad because of this conflict. I think I am comfortable with these dreams but I wish I could choose the good side over the other. Sometimes I see the evil side gaining power within me, and other times, the good side wins my internal fight. How can I resolve this conflict within me, because it consumes me? Her grandfather reached out, took Reina’s hands and said simply, Just like your wolf pack, whichever wolf you feed the most will be the strong one and will grow to dominate all around it. Whichever one you starve, will die.

This helped Reina enormously and she began to daydream more positively about her wolf character and even more vividly. She could seemingly transport herself to the forest in her dreams within just a few moments of closing her eyes. Reina would wake with a head full of thoughts and note them down in a secret journal.

In her dreams, Reina’s wolf name was Hera, after the Greek Goddess of Women. Her Alpha partner was named Torak, Torak and was no ordinary wolf. His colours and temperament were different from the native grey wolves of Transylvania. Somehow, he was a descendant of the North American, now-extinct species, Canis Edwardii.

Reina’s journal was overflowing with stories, memories, anecdotes and sketches. She would try to organize them to formulate a pattern, a story, to make sense of it.  One day, she woke from a vivid dream and was able to recall the whole story, and she put pen to paper to recall the following events.

Hera and Torak were out hunting with the pack in early spring, high up in the foothills of Calimani mountains near Targu Mure. Left behind in the den were the cubs, safely hidden several meters deep in a clearing at the base of the den. It seems that while they were gone, the Omega cub, Seiko, became restless and went exploring playfully, but alone. Unguarded and unwise, he ventured into an upper region of the forests of the Calimani mountains known as the Zaspas Peak, an area that even the fearless Alpha wolves would never go. It had strange mysterious energy about the place, like a smell, a feeling, but in truth, it was a sense not of the usual five. It just gave one a feeling that could not be described in words.

Ardelean folklore writings of this area, say that there existed a truly evil place, The Celestial Hollow of The Burdened. It was rumoured to be guarded by beasts of the underworld, and at its centre, was An-Ona, the Grove of the Devout Demon.  Indeed, many strange happenings of slaughtered cattle were found by farmers and shepherds over the years, but always the wolves were blamed for these occurrences. As a consequence, locals hated wolves and would hunt them for trophies, hanging their corpses on trees to ward off others. In turn, this angered the wolves of the region greatly and they were known to attack humans at any opportunity.

Upon returning from the hunt, Hera and Torak could see that Seiko was missing.  Normally, Hera would have not cared so much about the missing Omega cub, blaming him for his stupidity and lack of sense, since it was the weakest and least valuable, but she remembered her human reasoning to feed the good wolf, not the evil one. With this state of mind, she instructed Torak to go looking for Seika.

Quickly, Torak followed the still-warm trail, using his incredible sense of smell, high up into the forests, just below the snowline. After some time, Torak found fresh traces of blood, wolf blood and his warrior instinct took over. His fur bristled with anticipation, his muscular form contracted, his eyes narrowed, and his senses were all heightened. Now, Torak was in hunter mode.

Hera meanwhile, was tending to the pack, organizing the feeding in pack ranking order. Suddenly though, there came a scream like no other, an agonizing wolf cry, mixed with fearsome noises of battle. Hera soon realized this was the screams of Torak. Immediately she set out to aid him in battle, followed by the pack.

Upon arriving at Zaspas Peak, she too found the blood-stained tree debris. Hera was surrounded now by a strange green fog, and she seemed to lack the strength and energy to enter it, but she pressed on, fighting for her breath. The putrid air smelled of Sulphur and flesh, like the gates of an evil place. Frantically, she searched for Torak, howling in her unique voice, but nothing, no sign of Torak. Only bloodstains, and strands of fur, which appeared as if something had put up a strong fight. After some time, she discovered part of a back leg. As Hera sniffed the still-warm, bloody limb, she realized it indeed belonged to Torak. He had been mutilated by something far more vicious and strong than the warrior wolf.

When Reina woke, she wrote this all down. She realized that she was indeed devoted to Torak, and she was heartbroken. Reina became obsessed with the Romanian mythology surrounding the area of Zaspas Peaks. Some years passed and Reina always carried with her, an inner sadness she could not quell. She wanted revenge. But who to fight and how to compete with something much stronger than her? How to vanquish a demon?

Reina researched every possible topic surrounding her dreams. Geography, mythology, religion, and even the dark arts of magic and witchcraft. She aimed to be able to program her dreams with the knowledge required to seek virtual revenge, within her dream. She became something of an expert on The Celestial Hollow of The Burdened. and An-Ona, the Grove of the Devout Demon. During her research, Reina stumbled on some alleged witches from Targu Jiu, an area of Romania famed for them. Reina ventured there one day, and after much searching, met with a seemingly innocent old lady, perhaps in her eighties, who lived alone in the old part of the city. Andromeda was not all that she appeared though. With her deep, gravelly voice, bony long fingers, long grey hair, long sharp nose, pointy chin and slight frame, Andromeda had a strong presence about her, one in which you knew she had strong powers. Reina simply knew this lady was a Black Witch, and confided her whole story, sharing the contents of her journal. Reina asked her directly do you think you could help me avenge my true love, who was probably taken by demons in a recurring dream I have? Andromeda shivered forcefully and involuntarily as if chilled by a sudden wind, before responding. My child, this is no ordinary foe you wish to challenge. And there can be only one winner in such a fight. It is well known when you go after revenge of this kind, you should dig 2 graves because almost certainly, it will not be you who is the victor. But, if you truly believe you have nothing to lose, and you are willing to sacrifice your life, then I will help you. Reina remained unmoved, for she knew, she must vanquish this demon within her dreams.  

Andromeda could see her warning had little effect on deterring Reina, so continued, I want you to return home and I want you to carry out some tasks for me. You will need to have a soul that is whiter than white, and your body and mind must be in perfect health and peak performance. I can see into your thoughts and you are not ready for this right now. Come back to me when you are ready. I want you to perform 6 acts of heroism, on 6 days where that night is a full moon, to save the 6 souls from perishing. It is up to you how, where, when and why. For this is the number of the beast, 6 6 6, and carrying out selfless acts of bravery, for the benefit of others, will cleanse your Karma. I want you to make notes of every negative act, gesture, comment or deed that you perform, and to make amends by carrying out 2 good acts for every bad one. Do this, until your list is empty, and you have become a naturally good person. This is the antithesis that will be used to carry out an evil act, for good purposes.

If, and when you return, bring to me 3 types of flowers that you picked with your own hands. 6 of each. M?tr?gun? (Mandrakes), Lavand? (Lavender) and Trandafiri (Roses). I will need these for a potion, but I will explain more if that time comes. But do not waste my time by returning sooner than you deserve to.

Reina was alive with enthusiasm. For the first time in her life, she had a real purpose and real determination. She became a new person. At every spare moment, she would read avidly, novels, history, philosophy, geography, literature and poetry. Her mind was becoming sharper by the minute. She became less judgemental of others, less suspicious, more kind and charitable, and forgiving whenever she had the opportunity. She changed her diet and started running around Herastrau Park during her lunchtime break as well as after work. Reina took up yoga, swimming, and circuit training. Although small in size, her body was transformed into a lean mean fighting machine. The months passed quickly, summer ended, and then came a very short autumn and a long dark winter, but still, Reina relentlessly trained her body, mind and soul. A single vision remained at the front of her mind. To avenge the loss of Torak in her dreams.

Reina also studied the Lunar calendar and planned her acts of bravery on days coinciding with full moons. She volunteered at the local emergency ward, and weekends, joined mountain rescue teams. During the summer she would visit the seaside and volunteer as a lifeguard on Black Sea beaches such as Neptun, 2 Mai, Costinesti and so forth. In short, within a year, Reina had fulfilled 6 acts of bravery demanded of the Witch.

Early the next Summer, Reina returned to Targu jiu to see the Witch, having completed all her tasks diligently. She stood taller, straighter, stronger, more confidently in front of Andromeda, and she carried with her, the 18 flowers requested of her. Andromeda was surprised to see the wolf-like spirit in Reina but was soon convinced, she was very much ready for this fight.

Andromeda explained to Reina that the only way to challenge the demons in her dream was to transform herself physically into a wolf, the process of lycanthropy, and to confront the demons head-on, in reality, not just in dreams. Few believed this idea of transformation of a human into a wolf was anything more than myth and legend, but Andromeda told Reina, she had the power to do this. However, she had no power to make Reina be accepted by Wolves once transformed. If they didn’t accept her, they would devour her in seconds, for they did not trust, or like humans. If they accepted her, however, she would have significant powers over them as she could think both as a smart human, and as a cunning wolf, and would therefore quickly gain the respect of any wolf pack. As you can imagine, Reina was both shocked and spellbound at this point, never imagining for a moment she would be doing anything other than resolving her torment within the safety of a dream. But she had come this far and her determination was ever strong.

Andromeda gave Reina the greatest challenge of her life, and possibly death, at this point. She instructed Reina to visit the Calimani mountains and to befriend the wolves. If they accepted her, then she had a good chance of success in the next phase of the mission. If not, well, she would simply not be around to tell the story. Reina was instructed to return with a clip of hair from the Alpha wolves, as proof to Andromeda that she was both accepted by and trusted to get close enough to the wolves.

Reina returned to Targu Mures with trepidation, fear, and uncertainty, but at the same time, an inner voice told her she was getting closer to her goal. She waited for fair weather one weekend, and set out on a hike into the forests around the Calimani mountains, taking with her, a tent, sleeping equipment, fire-making materials, a knife, weatherproof clothes, a torch and dry foods for herself, as well as wild boar meat as bait to attract the wolves to her She didn’t tell anyone where she was going, not even her grandfather.

Reina took the usual walking trails from the lowlands until she reached the forest. Once there, she made her path into the higher areas, where the fauna was densest. Here, she made her camp, applying the skills learned in Mountain Rescue training.  First, Reina found a hollow, below-eye line of trekkers. Then she cleared all rocks and sharp objects where the tent would sit, then placed the tent ensuring the head end was slightly uphill to avoid waking with a headache. Then she made a firebase from rocks and prepared it with dry leaves, kindling, and dry wood.  Reina allowed herself a smile, at her achievements. She felt confident, strangely unafraid of the wild as if she had experienced it many times before. As darkness began to fall, Reina lit the fire and sat down to warm herself. She felt a strange ease fall over her. After a short while, she retired to the tent to wait. As she lay listening to the many animal sounds washing over her subconscious, she thought about Torak.

Time seemed to drag on for eternity, as she waited to hear the wolf's cries. But sure enough, at around 3 am, the distinctive cry of distant wolves could be heard. She unpacked the freshly cut wild boar meat that she had brought with her and went walking around her camping area. She laid cuts of meat every ten paces or so, in a circle around her tent. Then she waited, both afraid and excited at the same time, like being on a first date, knowing this was something she wanted badly, but also completely unsure how to react if her bait was successful in attracting the wolves.

In time, the howling grew louder, and at around 5 am, in the first morning light, she was awoken from her sleep by the distinct sound of animals sniffing around her closed tent. She rose, and unzipped the tent, but the animals ran for cover and by the time she had scrambled outside, there were no wolves to be seen. Daylight came, and Reina realised it was pointless remaining there during the day. So she left her camp, made up, and returned down the mountain to the town, to fetch more supplies of wild boar, favourite meat of the carnivorous wolf.

The following evening, Reina returned to her camp, finding it undisturbed. Again, she carefully laid the same bait but this time, she kept some back, so she may be able to feed the wolves by hand, should they approach the tent. Again, she retired to sleep, more at ease this time, and trying hard to stay awake, but alas, fell asleep sometime before midnight. She was awoken by the distant wolf pack cry once again, but this time, much earlier, and approaching her tent much sooner than the previous night. She even tried wolf cries to encourage them. Soon enough though, the familiar sniffing around her tent reappeared. This time, Reina had not zipped her tent and was able to crawl out slightly without scaring the wolves. She managed to throw out a piece of fresh boar meat in front of the tent, Soon enough a huge grey wolf appeared from the bushes in front of her, standing 90cm in height, weighing maybe 80 to 90 kg. It was the Alpha male of the pack, and behind him, she could see a faint outline of the rest of the pack, pacing side to side. Reina repeated the gesture of throwing meat at the Alpha male, taking care not to look him directly in the eyes to avert confrontation. She repeated this several times until all the meat was gone. At which time, afraid she would become the next meal for the wolves, she reached inside and took out 2 metal camping cups, clapping them rapidly together to create an unpleasant clanging noise, which indeed worked, as it scared the pack away.

Reina was delighted, and scared but relieved to have come through this first interaction unscathed. She waited a few more hours until the first light, then hurriedly packed up camp and left for home. The following weekends, she repeated this exercise, each time drawing the pack to her camp, and each time feeding them. After a few visits, she no longer needed to scare them away when the food had gone. They merely retreated.

Over the coming months, Reina would repeat this as often as possible until finally, she was able to feed the alpha male and female by hand. Indeed a privileged status. Reina had finally gained the trust of the wolves. It had taken many weeks and a lot of patience, but now she was able to caress the head and shoulders of the alpha male. The alpha female, however, would not allow Reina’s touch, snarling when she tried to reach. However, after one feeding, the alpha male sat down in front of Reina’s tent, allowing her to brush his thick main with her fingers. Although she had brought small scissors with her to take a cut, she did not dare to reach for them, in case the shiny unfamiliar material would startle the wolves. Instead, she just grew braver in her caresses, pulling at the fur in the back stoke of her caress. Alas, she was able to gather a few strands of hair. She carefully placed this hair in her left hand, and from there into a small plastic bag nearby, while continuing to stroke the wolf with her right hand. Then she offered a piece of wild boar meat to the Alpha female, who stepped forward. With one hand feeding, she raised the other to caress. As the wolf backed away, so Reina removed both hands at the same time, making it clear to the She-Wolf that if she wanted the food, she had to allow touch. Both hands or none, that was Reina‘s offer. Eventually, the wolf stepped forward and allowed to touch her. She repeated the same technique, albeit much more gradually, to win the female’s trust, and to take some fur strands.  Reina could hardly contain her excitement at her success. She gave the last of her food away, and the wolves left her voluntarily. She de-camped and returned home. The following weekend, she returned to see Andromeda in Targu Jiu with the hair samples. 

Andromeda told Reina to wait in her living room, while she disappeared upstairs to a back room. She retrieved the now-dried flowers from Reina’s previous visit, as well as some raw materials to concoct a strange mixture. From a cupboard, she retrieved an old stone mixing bowl into which she added dried Roman chamomile, ginger plant extract, garlic cloves, turmeric, white vinegar, and the wolf hair, which she clipped into tiny pieces. She mashed this into a paste, adding rainwater from a glass container that she kept for such rare occasions. It was hard work for the old lady to mash the contents into a paste, but with persistence, she produced a fine, brownish-yellow paste. She scraped this mixture into a small bowl sealed it with plastic film, and returned downstairs to Reina.

Andromeda gave the bowl and a small bottle of rainwater to Reina, explaining you should take this potion with you to the mountains, but ensure it does not dry out fully. If it does dry up, just add some of this rainwater, if required. Once you arrive, in daylight mind you, to the area where you know the Wolves frequent, you should eat all of the mixture. Make sure you are not followed, nor can be discovered, and do not take anything that will draw the Wolves to you before you would want, so, no food, no perfumes or makeup, and wash well with simple unscented soap. Before dusk, take the potion. You will feel dizzy, probably you will fall unconscious, and you will undergo a physical transformation, lycanthropy. This will take anything from half an hour to several hours. When complete, you will be a fully grown female wolf. I cannot determine if you will be the Alpha wolf of the pack that you join, or if they will reject you and attack you. But you probably will not be rejected.

Once you have become a she-wolf, you are on your own. I cannot guide you further. I do not know, nor power, over the demons you seek, nor do I want any involvement in your fight. I simply refuse to be involved in that battle.

 

Part 2: Hera, and the 7 Deadly Sins

Reina returned home from Targu Jiu with the Witch’s potion safely stored away. Upon arrival, she made efforts to organise her affairs for her trip, knowing she might never return, so she was careful to leave easy-to-find clues at home, to explain her story, and her mission, and of course, she left her diary explaining the vivid dreams.  She also wrote a letter to her grandfather, Nicolae explaining everything, in the event she should never return, explaining she was sorry for leaving him, and that she loved him dearly, but this was a mission that went to her very soul, and she was not able to live without at least attempting to complete it.

She took emergency leave from work for a few weeks and set out, this time to Bistrita, northern Romania, complete with her trusty camping gear. From there, she made her way to the foothills of the Zaspas Peak and made camp. That night, she stripped off all her clothes, and sitting in her tent, took out the magic potion, then consumed it all. She began to feel dizzy, and somewhat unwell, with a strong headache and loss of vision, so she lay down to rest. When she woke, she woke as Hera, the She-Wolf. The Witch’s mixture had indeed worked. Hera wasted no time and set out on her mission, climbing up the foothills almost vertically, with a ferocious speed in her legs, and death in her eyes, for she sought one thing. Revenge for the death of her mate, Torak.  Hera knew her destinate, from her dreams. She needed no pause to choose the route. It was as if she had made this trip many times.  For Hera was headed directly for The Celestial Hollow of The Burdened, the alleged cave system of the underworld, only accessed through a single entrance, beneath an overhang on the Zaspas Peak,

Upon arrival at the cave mouth, she again encountered the hideous strange green fog from her previous visit in her dream.  At the entrance, she was met by two enormous Demon warriors. Hera explained, My fight is not with you. I seek the place of An-Ona, the Grove of the Devout Demon. I want revenge from this Demon for taking my mate from me, Torak, the great warrior wolf.

The two Demon warriors looked at each other, with a mixture of disbelief, respect and surprise at the same time. Finally, they simultaneously laughed. Surely this lone Wolf, although almost a meter in height, did not think she could challenge the Devout Demon of An-Ona Grove? Finally, one responded ‘Very well, brave one. You may pass into The Celestial Hollow of The Burdened. Follow the path, but as you make your way to An-Ona Grove, you will encounter 7 chambers of Sin. Within each of the 7 chambers is a Demon, one for each of the 7 deadly sins. You must win the battle over each Demon to pass to the next chamber. If you do not succeed, you will remain in that chamber for eternity, in an undead state, in unending agony. If you wish to turn away, now is your last chance, or be forever damned and remain here in this Grove of the underworld. For no man, nor beast, nor creature, nor alien, has ever succeeded in reaching An-Ona of their own volition, although many souls remain imprisoned there. For the only way to pass each chamber, is to be clean of that particular sin, and to conquer that demon. In the unlikely event that you succeed, you may pass to the next chamber, until you reach An-Ona. What you find there, we cannot speak of, but that matters little because you will never reach that point.

Hera was grateful for this surprising act of empathy on the part of the demons. She had not expected it but did not let it soften her heart. She was not, in fact, sure, if it was a trap, a deliberate deception, for this is the very essence of how evil works. She was determined, however, to continue. She had nothing to lose, and as the Witch had advised, she was indeed willing to dig 2 graves.

Along the dimly lit pathways in these catacombs of limestone, she found littered along the way, the bones of various creatures, brittle and decayed, that crackled as she walked on them.  It was cold, and damp and had the same strong smell of sulphur. Waves of Bats flew past violently as if to scare Hera, but she remained fearless, determined to find her foe and devour it.

Further along the corridors, Hera entered an enlarged cave, and above the entrance, was written Golem’s Gate, Chamber of Lust, within which were many sumptuous comforts, rich cloths of silk and satin, and rich carpets lay around the space, and beautiful, sweet perfume scent hung in the air. Seated on a chaise lounge,  Hera found Sizranoz, Demon of Lust, a beautiful creature, part man, part woman, part beast.

As she entered, Sizranoz rose, somewhat surprised to receive a visit unannounced. Only those dragged screaming for their life, arrived here. It moved with a seductive sway but had the hiss of a snake and the eyes of the devil. Hera snarled at the Demon, teeth bared, for she was here to avenge the loss of her mate, Torak.

Sizranoz merely laughed at Hera and said, you cannot win a fight with me, for in every living being, is the force of lust, an all-consuming and destructive force, and it resonates with me. Anyone that fights against me also fights on my behalf, and with lust in their hearts, can never leave this space, and will be forever damned.

But Hera was not afraid, because she knew Torak to her was much more than simply Lust. For Lust would not fill Hera with sufficient power to come this far, this determination. It is a weak force that loses strength quickly when it comes to the affairs of the other person. And so the fight began. Sizranoz lashed out at Hera, but Hera simply leapt straight at the bosom of Sizranoz, and with enormous ferocity, she sunk her teeth into the soft, satin flesh, and blood poured quickly. Sizranoz collapsed, wailing and screaming in such a high pitch, it was hard to bear. It was a quick fight, very easily won.

Hera stared at her prey for a moment and watched the demon die, yet felt no remorse, only the taste for more fighting, more revenge. She left the sweet-smelling cave and returned to the catacomb’s corridors, venturing deeper into the cave system, amid the green, putrid fog.

Next, she came across The Devourer’s Graveyard, Chamber of Gluttony, and within was seated Degdrol, the Demon of Gluttony, and within which were seemingly endless tables of food, and drinks, such an amount would take forever to consume and many half-eaten items lay everywhere as if tasted and discarded. Hera appeared at the chamber door, blood-stained teeth bared, and death in her eyes. Degdrol looked at Hera and declared, you cannot win a fight with me, for in every being, is the instinct of Gluttony, an all-consuming and destructive force, and it resonates with me. Anyone that fights against me also fights on my behalf, and with Gluttony in their hearts, can never leave this space, and will be forever damned.

Hera was not moved by these words, because she knew she possessed no gluttonous instinct. When she hunted with the pack, they ate only the food they needed to survive and not more. And Wolves did not over-eat, only consuming enough for peak performance. Gluttony would make Hera fat, and lazy, too comfortable for the fight of her life, something she wanted more than anything right now.  And so it began. Degdrol moved into the fight like the wind. Hera pounced on the Demon, knocking him backwards with her force, and sunk her teeth into the stomach of Degdrol, who bled profusely. After only a few moments, the demon was unable to run, and collapsed on its knees, holding his gaping wound, but the blood poured rapidly and it lost consciousness. Soon after, it perished. Once again, it was an easy fight. Again, Hera watched over the demon until death came.

Returning to the corridors, Hera continued down, through the green mist, until she came across the next cavern. The Chapel of Honde, Chamber of Greed, and within was seated Var’id, the Demon of Greed. The chamber was full of objects, riches of every kind, flowing from tables across the floor. It appeared as if the wealth of many kingdoms was hidden here. Hera entered the chapel, at the door, again, blood-stained teeth bared, and death in her eyes. Var’id leapt at Hera, how dare you enter my Chapel?, said Var’d. Hera responded only with another snarl, interrupting the demon’s words. You will not win a fight with me, for in every being, is the instinct of Greed, an all-consuming and destructive force, and it resonates with me. Anyone that fights against me also fights on my behalf, and with Greed in their hearts, can never leave this space, and will be forever damned.

Hera again was unimpressed by these words, for she knew she held no such greedy instinct. When the pack hunted, they took only the food needed to survive a few days and did not kill needlessly, unlike hunters. No trophy kills no killing for sport, or killing of anything that was not to be eaten, except humans, who they killed for revenge, or maybe for survival. Hera had a sudden moment of doubt about that. Was revenge a sin? Would she become trapped in one of these chapels? But she quickly cast it from her mind. It was not relevant to this particular fight. The sin of Greed, should Wolves possess it,  would only expose them to unnecessary danger, venturing into areas regardless of risk, only to have more food than required, and Wolves did not suffer from that temptation.

Hera’s thirst for a fight was undiminished, and she fronted up to the demon. Both Hera and Var’id engaged, lashing out, claws and teeth sinking into each other's flesh, but alas, Hera slashed the eyes of Var’id, and he could no longer see her. She circled him one way, then the other, before finally delivering a fatal bite to its shoulder, causing rapid blood loss, collapse, and finally, amid squeals like a pig, death came. Again, Hera witnessed the final breaths before leaving The Chapel of Honde and returning to the catacombs.

Further down the gallery, was a branch in the pathway. Hera paused for a moment, trying to sense the danger in either branch. Finally, she decided on the left branch, because it had a stronger smell of sulphur. From the right branch, she could hear the screams of trapped souls, pleading for mercy.  As she took the left path, it grew darker, and harder to navigate, leaving Hera to use her sense of smell more than her eyesight.

Hera soon came across the next cavern. Thargo’s Den, Chamber of Envy, and within was seated Lucius, the Demon of Envy. Hera arrived at the door, as always, blood-stained teeth bared, and death in her eyes. Lucius glared at Hera in mild shock, well, well, how did you reach here? Said Lucius. Hera responded with heavy breathing and a death stare. You will not win a fight with me, for in every being, is the instinct of Envy, an all-consuming and destructive force, and it resonates with me. Anyone that fights against me also fights on my behalf, and with Envy in their hearts, can never leave this space, and will be forever damned.

Hera knew she possessed not, the sin of Envy. For wolves respected the territory of other creatures and did not covet what was not rightfully their territory. Nor did they seek what was not essential for their survival, nor resented the good fortune of others. The sin of Envy, should Wolves possess it,  would mean they lacked the superior skills and evolution of other creatures, yet they did not. Wolves possessed all the skills they needed for survival and wanted one.

Hera’s desire for a fight remained strong, and she launched herself at Lucius. Again, Hera’s purity of soul, and sheer determination, gave her the upper paw in this clash. Hera bit hard into the feet of Lucius, so he could no longer move freely, then gradually, she attacked it from every angle, pouncing on its back and sinking her strong jaw into its neck from behind, causing fatal loss of blood once again. Hera had proved herself to be a master predator.  Hera waited for all signs of life to fade, before leaving Thargo’s Den and returning to the catacombs to continue her mission.

Hera soon came across the next cavern. Gates of Vameth, Chamber of Sloth, and within was seated Rhazien, the Demon of Sloth. The chamber itself was a complete mess, in disarray. Nothing was in place, it was dirty, and disorganised, even for a cave, with debris and bodily waste everywhere. Hera arrived at the door, once again baring a look of death, with blood-stained teeth exposed. Rhazien was pleased to see Hera, welcome to my Chapel, relax, make yourself comfortable, said Rhazien. But Hera returned only a look of war. You will not win a fight with me said Rhazien, for in every being, is the instinct of Sloth, an all-consuming and destructive force, and it resonates with me. Anyone that fights against me also fights on my behalf, and with Slothin their hearts can never leave this space and will be forever damned.

Hera knew she was the very opposite of a Sloth. For wolves worked hard for their existence, and kept in peak performance at all times, developing each of their senses to the very optimal state. The sin of Sloth, should Wolves exhibit it, would mean they would be hunted to extinction in no time. Wolves, put their every talent to work until they were too weak to live any longer, Hera’s instinct to fight was ever-strong, and she launched herself at the seated Rhazien, who had not even bothered to stand. This was to be her quickest battle, and Hera devoured the idle Rhazien in a flash. Not taking their eyes off the Demon until she was sure there were no signs of life before departing from the Gates of Vameth and heading back into the catacombs for the next fight.

Hera came upon The Grieving Stronghold, Chamber of Pride, within which was the Demon of Pride,  Autar. The chamber itself was neatly arranged, with many trophies, medals and self-images of Autar around the cave.  It is said that Pride is ruled by the celestial sign of the Sun. It is the mother of all sins and leads to all other sins. The act of self-love, the excess belief in one’s abilities and the thin line between righteousness and self-righteousness.

Autar saw Hera appear at the door but barely bothered to look around. The demon had heard Hera’s growling and gnashing of teeth,  but said in a slow, bored voice, you will not win a fight with me, for in every being, is the instinct of Pride, an all-consuming and destructive force, and it resonates with me. Anyone that fights against me also fights on my behalf, and with Pride in their hearts, can never leave this space, and will be forever damned.

Hera momentarily was confused.  Did she possess Pride? A self-arrogance just as Autar was displaying? For if she did, she would not leave this chamber. Her mind was racing, examining her, and her pack’s behaviour. Did their purposeful, confident stride represent pride? She hoped not. She reasoned that each Wolf had its position in the pack, and respected the next in line of authority, so the pack for sure had no unwarranted pride. They knew their place in the pack. But the Alphas, what about them? It was their job to lead firmly but fairly and to guide, and without strong confident leadership, the pack would descend into chaos and be destroyed by lack of solidarity. For only as a unit they stood the best chances of survival. Hera had convinced herself she did not carry the sin of Pride, but only the fight would determine this. She set to it, leaping from the entrance into the centre of the room, engaging Autar. Indeed, this Demon was a cunning and skilled fighter. Hera took several deep slashes to her chest, but she managed to sink her teeth into the upper arms of Autar, weakening his swipes considerably. The fight raged on for some time, but gradually, with many small victories, Hera was getting the better of Autar. Finally, after she had weakened his ankles, slowing his movements, and his arms, reducing the force of his blows, Hera was able to deliver the deep bites into his upper thighs, causing fatal blood loss. Again, Hera waited for final breaths, before leaving The Grieving Stronghold and seeking out the last chamber in her mission before tackling the ultimate demon.

Hera soon came across the next cavern. Shadowbone’s Cellar, Chamber of Wrath and within was seated Otto, the Demon of Wrath. The chamber itself was by far the most intimidating, a cavern of death and misery, or pain. Hera arrived at the Chamber door, wounded and tired now, but with her, she brought the trademark look of death. Otto was angry, seething in fact, You must have come to die here?, said Otto. But Hera returned only a look of battle. You will not win a fight with me said Otto, for in every being, is the instinct of Wrath, an all-consuming and destructive force, and it resonates with me. Anyone that fights against me also fights on my behalf, and with Wrath, their hearts can never leave this space and will be forever damned.

Hera knew this would be a hard battle. How can she fight the demon of Wrath, without exhibiting Wrath itself? But she remembered the teachings of an ancient Dacian warlord. Do not confuse my desire to quell evil, with hatred or Wrath. This was the answer to her confusion. Hera determined that she was not, carrying the sin of Wrath, evil for the sake of evil, but the righteous desire to bring to an end, an evil that plagued her fellow wolves. Local hunters were blaming wolves for the slaughter of cattle, when in fact, it was these demons causing the deaths, with their hideous and needless thirst for blood, and more souls. Fighting this Demon was not driven by the sin of Wrath but by Justice, a force for good. With her mind clear, Hera was ready to engage. And so she did. Otto moved upon Hera with a ferocity she had not seen before but flashing in her mind’s eye, were images of Torak being mutilated, and of her kind being hunted for no reason.  These thoughts steeled her nerves and her determination. Each creature scores blow after blow. Hera knew she would have to use her brains as well as her strength in this fight. She had to explore Otto’s weaknesses. His temper and aggression could be used against him since it reduces rational thinking. Also, since the Demon was much larger than her, she could use its size against it. Hera determined to wear the demon out by mocking it to enrage it, by simulating uncertainty, appearing to run away and then change her mind, repeatedly, making half-hearted bites that served to annoy Otto rather than hurt him, boosting its anger, and reducing its rational thinking. Hera kept this style up for some time, running all about the cavern, this way, then that, faining confusion and cowardes. As Otto began to tire, so Hera had her chance. With almost unnatural force, she switched from a confused cub-like wolf to a determined Alpha hunter and dived straight for Otto’s throat, sinking her razor-sharp teeth, all 42 of them, into Otto’s soft windpipe. Death followed surprisingly quickly, to Hera’s relief.

After Hera was sure Otto was no longer alive, she sought refuge. She would need to rest well, to lick her wounds to recover. For sure, the next fight would be the greatest of her life, to fight the Devout Demon, seated in the Grove of An-Ona, the very very bowels of The Celestial Hollow of The Burdened.  Hera had studied long and hard about this place, or rather Reina had and knew about the myths, superstitions, and folklore. The Devout Demon was rumoured to be the evilest entity to walk the earth, although there were no claimed encounters or physical descriptions in all that she was able to read. So Hera was walking into the unknown depths of Hades.

 

Part 3: Hera and the Ultimate Battle

After Hera had rested and recovered from the exertions of the 7 victorious battles, she replenished her energy with food from the chamber within The Devourer’s Graveyard, in which there was much excess. For ahead she understood, probably lay the greatest battle of her life. But she remained determined, to avenge the loss of her mate, Torak. Not from a desire for revenge, but to bring the evil to an end, and rid her fellow wolves of the curses of being hunted for crimes they had not committed, the slaughtering of farm cattle.

Hera continued down the catacombs, still unable to get used to the green fog with its smell of sulphur. As she walked further, it grew warmer and somehow more familiar. She felt her presence here.  Finally, she found the cave entry in which the sign above the door said An-Ona. She had no idea what to expect, for neither the Witch in Targu Jiu nor the demons at the entrance would give her any hints of what to expect. And she found nothing in her extensive reading, or rather, Reina’s extensive reading, the human part of this werewolf. But this time, the chamber was much more complex, with many rooms and corridors, with many pockets around the edges. It seemed void of any presence, empty somehow. She could see no living entity here. The walls were a dulled silvery finish, reflective of the fire in the centre of the room.

Hera searched angrily for the Devout Demon within this chamber, for this was the ultimate demon. If she could find and devour this demon, she would have avenged the loss of Torak. Hera went from one pocket to another, but the space confused her. She kept seeing her reflection in the walls, like a mirror maze and repeatedly ended up where she had just come from. It was confusing. She could hear a dark, unpleasant voice about the place, whispering to Hera, filling her with doubts, and negative thoughts, and from time to time, it would strike her, but she saw not where the Demon was. It was behind her are one moment, then in front, then at her side, above or below her. In the darkness, she could not see the demon.

Hera began to lose her confidence, for she knew not how to combat this Devout Demon. She heard voices that she recognised and statements that she thought she had heard before. As she travelled deeper into this chamber, slowly she was making progress, making fewer mistakes moving forward, and the reflective walls became clearer, Hera realised that maybe the Devout Demon she was fighting was in fact, herself. For the insults she was hearing, more and more she rere from her own words in the past. The doubts, insults, unkind words, all, they were her own. The more she acknowledged this hard truth, the brighter the chamber became and the clearer her reflection. Hera realised it was impossible to fight this Demon, for it was herself she was fighting.  

It occurred to Hera, that it would be wiser to listen to the Demon’s words than to fight them, and to try to understand why and where they originated. When she heard, for example, you are lazy, weak, and not the leader you think you are. Torak never loved you, your pack never followed you with respect and so on, Hera asked the Demon, who she could not see, and whose voice was identical to her own so was like listening to herself, why she was hearing these things. The Demon replied I did not utter these words, you did. You set your standards so high, that these were your inner doubts speaking back to you, the inverse of your ambitions, motives, and thoughts. Hera realised that, she was now confronting herself, her very being, and if she could not overcome this, she would be consumed.  With each statement from the Demon, Hera was able to now see, that this was herself talking. Her limitations, fears, anger, restrictions and so on, were all created by herself. As she experienced this revelation, she noticed, the green fog and the smell of vapour had disappeared. Hera felt lighter within herself, less burdened, less angry. She made her way back into the centre of the chamber, and the route seemed simpler. Gone was the fire in the centre of the room, replaced by a shaft of daylight from a porthole in the roof of the cave, emitting light. Gone also was any sense of a Demon in the room or of evil energy. Hera left the chamber, venturing back down the path through the catacombs. When she came to the place where Shadowbone’s Cellar was, the last chamber she fought, it too was empty. Nothing. Just an empty cavern. No sign above the door, no Demon corpse or blood on the floor, and no smell of torture and death. Just an empty chamber. Hera ventured back up the path, a little way past Thargo’s Den, or what was, Hera found the branch in the path again. This time, she decided to take the unexplored path to her left. As she ventured down the path, she could smell the distinctive scent of a wolf, strong and musty. And she remembered the screams she heard, but they were gone now also. As she moved forward, the scent grew stronger and she realised, she recognised the scent, but she didn’t want to believe what she thought it was. As Hera rounded a corner, she came to a new chamber, blocked by a ramshackle wooden gate. Hera tore at the construction with her vicious claws, with determination, but still, it took considerable time to break open enough of the cave door to enter.

Now Hera was able to enter, which led to a narrow tunnel, only a meter in height, running downhill, left, and right. At one point, a natural spring was apparent and formed as a stream. The water was warm and pure, She cris-crossed the narrow stream, jumping from left bank to right and back again, all the while travelling downhill.  In herself, she felt lighter, freer, less bound by internal chains, and constraints that bound her heart and soul before. 

Eventually, the cave opened out to a beautiful green grove, with a lake as pure as blue sky, with fish visibly darting around, and fauna so rich that it looked untouched by human hands since time began. The tunnel stopped abruptly 3 or 4 meters above the ground, and she had to leap carefully, to get down, but there was no way to get back up or re-enter that tunnel. She paced around the lake, looking for something, for what she knew not. An exit? Another demon?  She knew not what. Eventually, she discovered a small wooden hut, definitely very old, but well made, and the area around it, was very neat, with piles of firewood, and sacks of some kind of food, grain perhaps, and many fruits stored in hanging baskets. It was late afternoon, and extremely peaceful. With the birdsong and the sound of the running water, she had rested by the wooden house and gradually fallen asleep.

While sleeping, she dreamed that she had returned to her original human form, Reina, and she was turning over the 7 battles in her mind, the lessons she had learned, and how it made her mind very peaceful. Suddenly, she was disturbed by an approaching creature, with a heavy walk, an uneven walk, as if the creature was limping.

She opened her eyes and realised she had transformed back into her human form, Reina. She lay there, naked, covered in many cuts, dirty, her hair thick with dried blood. She felt more like a caveman by her appearance. Now, very afraid of the approaching sound, she waited to see what it was with deep interpretation.

Suddenly, though the fauna, appeared a man, bare-chested, very muscular, but walking with a homemade walking crutch. The man approached, somewhat shocked to find a visitor, not least because it was a beautiful, naked, albeit wild-looking woman. But quickly his shock turned to empathy. He could see this woman was extremely afraid, and vulnerable. He approached her, kneeling, reaching out one hand to gently touch her shoulder. He spoke softly, ‘Please, do not be afraid. I will not harm you. This is my secret retreat, my second home. How did you get here?’ but before she could speak, he silenced her, and went inside to bring her a blanket to protect her dignity. He invited her in, brought her water to wash, and made some nettle tea to warm her. Reina simply lied to this handsome man, and she did not know she reached the spot but was very confused. The man said calmly ‘Please relax, you are in safe hands. We will clean you up, and work everything out. Oh, sorry, very rude of me, I never introduced myself. My name is Torak’.

The end,

 

Please do not use this story in whole or part, without the author's permission. Damian.galvin@whitemountain.ro