Once Banished

Dylan kicked his horse harder, riding with determination, knowing fully well that every minute he spent on the ride was precious.

Behind him, riding with the same fury as their leader, were a hundred fierce warriors. All of them were kicking their horses, holding the reins with one hand while the other was holding a silver spear. They aim forward as if expecting any unexpected attack or ambush. But they were not; it's how Dylan trained them. He had been breeding these hundreds of warriors ever since they were eighteen.

He chose hundreds of hardened wolves from his pack, and trained them himself with combat, becoming in sync with their wolf, and how to use different weapons other than claws. He had been breeding them for a day like this ever since the death of Xavier Knoll, the Alpha that was killed by Sebastian years ago.

Dylan was sure that he would catch his victims unaware. Sebastian wasn't expecting such a seizure; he was certain of it. That's because no one in the middle land, or in the king's palace knows about him. None of them knew that Xavier Knoll had a distant relative.

He heard about the death of Xavier the day he was betrayed by his most trusted beta, Jaiz. The first thing that came to his mind was revenge. The desire to avenge Xavier's death washed over him like a river's wave. It took all his might, advice from the elders, and the help of his mate to stop him from acting blindly. If they hadn't been there for him, Dylan was sure that he would've made the wrong decision. A decision that will change his life forever; a step that he will come to regret and that will affect the fate of his pack for the rest of their lives.

Instead, Dylan remains patient. He picked up a hundred immature wolves, bred them, trained them in all art of war, and made them sync with their wolves. They had grown, become fierce, and unstoppable over the last hundred years. Now, he was riding out of his hiding spot to begin his revenge plan. He had planned everything perfectly. He'd been doing it for a hundred years: making plans and marking the spot where he'd hit Sebastian. Since he already had the advantage of staying hidden and unseen, he will hit Sebastian hard, to the extent that he won't be able to recover on time, especially with the trouble he's going through at the hands of the strange being that was terrorizing his nation.

Of course, Dylan had heard the rumor about the man with red and blue eyes from his spies all around the Middle Land. It's part of his plot. He had men all around the middle land, working as spies for him and reporting every activity in the middle land to him.

Dylan was following one of his forefathers' words that says, "Know your enemy first; only then can you defeat him."

Every three days, Dylan's spies will bring him the news. But recently, all of them have been bringing the same report. A new Alpha has appeared out of nowhere to terrorize the middle land and frustrate Sebastian. It's the reason why Dylann decided that it was time to take revenge for his cousin, Knoll. Sebastian was too preoccupied with fighting the new threat, so he will not notice him approaching or remember to fortify his territory. Even if he later discovered or heard about his attack, it would be too late.

Dylin, a man twice in height and with a hard gaze. He had a broad chest, wide arms, a long chin, and a dagger tattooed on his forehead, the sign of the Black Venom pack. He had bright red skin and scowled as he kicked his horse harder, exposing his two long fangs, which protruded out of his mouth like tusks and included several rows of sharp teeth.

Alpha Dylan had bright orange flesh and skin, and his dark yellow eyes were bigger than his slits. His bald head shone as the first sun rose higher in the sky, a bead of sweat forming in its middle.

After what felt like an eternity that they had been riding, the gate of Moab came into view. It's the first city they will encounter ever since they've been riding.

Dylan smiled-a deadly one that means a lot of things. He had done it. He had been riding since daybreak, before the first sun came up in the sky, pushing his men and their horses hard and not allowing them to take a break. And it has now been paid. They had arrived in the first town of the middle land. It's where he will begin his attack.

Dylan dipped his hand into his front pocket, brought out a compass, and examined it closely. The compass didn't change hands, which could only mean one thing: he was heading in the right direction.

Dylan had a lot of things planned in the last hundred years. His mission isn't about getting vengeance for Xavier Knoll alone; he wants to awaken him, but in the form of a wraith. Once Alpha Dylan and his men raid a lot of towns in the middle land to get Sebastian's attention, he will order them to continue the attack while he ventures deeper into the middle land by following the compass's direction.

Dylan and his men rode further into Moab, and they were now fifty yards away. From afar, he could hear the men of the town screaming, and he could see them running inside the town's wall for protection. Dylan smiled at the sight of them and the panicked state in which he saw them.

Unfortunately, Sebastian was only concerned about protecting his palace, his packs, and the wolf's territory. He failed to provide full protection for the whole kingdom because he thought no one would dare attack him because of his fame and strength. It's quite unfortunate for him to be thinking in such a way.

As Dylan and his men inch toward Moab's gate, he can hear the sound of horns sounding. They need no one to tell them that they are under attack. By now, the soldiers of the town were matching out, forming lines, and stationing themselves according to their rank.

Dylan sniffed the air, his nose searching around for any hidden creatures among the men of Moab, and he smiled when he found none. His spies had already told him that Sebastian only protects important towns with fierce wolves, not a minor town like Moab.

Dylan came to a halt a few paces away from the Moabites, his hundred fierce wolves standing behind him, all clad in bright orange armor, their spear still standing firmly in their hand.

Dylan shakes his head in pity for the men in front of him. All of them were humans, pushed to an unsecured part of the middle land by Sebastian. He wondered how they planned on defeating his hundreds of hardened wolves. Nevertheless, Dylan decided to give them a chance. It's what he always did in every place before he attacked.

"Men of Moab, the smallest town in the middle land without Alpha Sebastian's protection," he screamed, his voice deep and ancient, echoing throughout the atmosphere.

He continued, "I'm not here for any of you, nor do I have any quarrel with you. My war is with Sebastian. Join my men, let me pass through your town, and let's take out Sebastian together."

Dylan looked at the soldiers in front of him one after the other, hoping to find them thinking about his offer; he was shocked when all of them burst into loud laughter. Dylan didn't need a fortune-teller to tell him that they thought his speech was the words coming out of a drunk man.

Slowly, the men parted ways, and a man emerged from the crowds. He's a tall man, but not as tall as Dylan. He had a long, rough, yellow beard and a bald head with a pointed shape, a broken nose, and a stern look. Without being told, Dylan knew he was the commander.

The man stood in front of Dylan and scoffed, "Why should we listen to you, soldier?"

Anger flashes through Dylan's face as the man calls him a soldier. He hated it when people disrespected him or looked down on him despite his height. Some people are just too proud.

Dylan swallowed his anger and said, "Because you and your human soldiers stand no chance against me."

The commander giggled, exposing his brown teeth. Breeze blew the smell of his rotten teeth into Dylan's nose, forcing him to cease his breathing for three seconds.

"Gentleman," the commander called. He shifted his mouth towards Dylan, and whispered into his ear, "Can't you see that the odds don't favor you and your men?" The commander stepped back and said, "Take your men and return to wherever you crawl out." With that, the commander veered around, returning to the midst of his people without turning to give Dylan a second look.

Dylan shakes his head in pity for the man. He has underestimated him and his men. The commander thought that he had a chance of winning because of the number of his soldiers.

Dylan turned to face the pack he brought: "Slaughter them all, burn their city to ashes, and spare no life inside their city," he said, pausing and facing the commander's men. The latter had also faced him; his eyes lit in shock. It's obvious that he heard Dylan's words. He didn't expect Dylan and his men to fight because the commander and his men outnumbered them. It's six against one.

"The commander belongs to me," Dylan ordered his men.

"Yes, sir," they said at once.

Before the commander or any of his men could blink, Dylan's men jumped down from their horses, dropped the spear on their hand, roared, and transformed into full-fledged werewolves. In the blink of an eye, they attacked the commander's men, tearing them apart with their claws.

Soon, the screaming of men filled the air, followed by piercings of flesh. Dylan smiled at the sight of the bloodshed he had just started. Soon, he will revive their worst nightmare: Xavier Knoll, the dead Alpha.

T. b. c

Dylan held a flaming torch in his hand as he galloped out in front of his army and then leaned over to light the thatched roof of the Moabite men. As he did this, the roof caught fire, burning immediately and spreading, too.

The battle between him and the commander didn't last more than fifteen minutes, while his men took care of the Moabite soldiers. Dylan complimented the commander's men. They were skilled and well-trained. Nevertheless, they can't match Dylan's men. His men were faster, brutish, and fierce. They easily cut down the Moab's soldiers.

In a matter of minutes, Dylan had managed to set the entire village on fire. He galloped through the streets, circling again and again, killing those who managed to make it out of their house unharmed.

All around him, his men did the same. They killed every living thing that came in their path and chased those who were running for safety.

Dylan kept circling all the streets of Moab as the screaming of men pierced the atmosphere. The flame kept going higher, and the sight of it brought special rapture to Dylan's heart. He loved it. He cherished every moment he spent here. The screaming of the men and women brought peace to his mind. He felt no pity for them, not even the old or young ones.

Dylan believed that their commander and his ignorant soldiers caused their deaths. If they had accepted his offer and joined his hundred men, none of this would have occurred. But they were just too proud and blind. Perhaps that will teach them a thing or two in their next life.

Dylan couldn't wait to raid a few more villages before he moved to the next phase. He will teach Sebastian what it means to lose a loved one. It will also teach him not to leave his territory in the hands of humans. Maybe it would lessen his pride and his thought that he was invisible and that nothing or no one could attack him. Once he's done with him and the middle land, Sebastian won't have time to regret his action. It will be too late for him.

Dylan smiled at the thought of what he would do to every town he came across. He will offer them a chance, which he is sure they will lose. Even if they meet his terms and conditions, Sebastian will still find a way to break the promise. He will only use them for his gain. Once he was done with them, he would turn against them before they could think of going to safety. He will ruin them all and make sure that nobody survives. That has always been his motto since the beginning, even before the death of Xavier Knoll.

In all the towns, countries, and territories that Dylan had conquered, he had always followed one rule: crush and destroy everything in your path. Take no prisoners. Burn everything to ash. Leave no stone untouched. Spare no beings, either boys or girls, so that no one will revive the town, bring up the old way, plot revenge, or gather rebellion to start a riot or civil war.

Once everything is over, there will be one way. His way. He will go to the outside kingdom, a place where no one knows him-the human realm. It's where he always gathers packs. It's very easy for him that way. All he had to do was promise them eternal life, strength, and beauty. Since humans are greedy, it makes everything easy for them. They will worship him like a god, obey his law, and do everything he commands them to do.

Dylan loved it that way. He can't take the risk of turning humans from the middle land. They already knew so much about the night-walking creature, and that means they would be hard to command. They could easily start a riot, leave his pack, and join another. So, Dylan likes doing everything that will favor him and give him less trouble. And, it always worked for him.

Alpha Dylan and the humans he turned to werewolves had conquered town after town, territories, and regions. He had thousands of wolves at his command. All of them obeyed him and wouldn't dare defy his order. They don't keep him waiting if he summons them, even if they are in the middle of an important meeting in their territory. If any of them dare disobey or rise against him, he will crush them. He has done it many times, and he still loves doing it. In fact, nothing gave him more joy than going to war, killing, and feeding.

Dylan could have conquered the middle land many years ago, too. But he leaves it because it belongs to his cousin, Xavier. The middle land had always been their home ever since the reign of the first Xavier Knoll. But now that the third Xavier is dead, killed by Sebastian, Dylan will seize the opportunity to take control. It had always been his dream from the beginning. It was what he desired. Since they had made the mistake of killing the only being that was holding him back, it was time he acquired everything for himself.

Dylan smiled at the thought of what he would do to Sebastian. He will not just destroy Sebastian and ruin everything he loves, but he will torture them first.

Dylan grinned widely as he imagined how he would cut Sebastian's flesh into different pieces, and send the butchered parts to different places. He wants it to serve as an example for those that were plotting something bad behind him, and also to serve as a warning to everyone that might try rising against him. After that, he will decapitate the heads of everyone that Sebastian cherished, shrink them, and preserve them. Maybe he will even use it to forge a new necklace since the current one he was using was destroyed in the last battle he fought. Dylan enjoyed the thought. He had already imagined the type of necklace he would make with the shrunken's head.

Dylan stopped circling the street and rode to the crumbling wall of the Moabites. A few hours ago, it was standing firm. But now it has been reduced to nothing but ashes. Dylan rode after the remaining villagers who were lucky to escape and ran for safety. He chased them, his hundred men riding fifty paces behind.

Before the blink of an eye, he caught up with them, unveiled his claws, and started stabbing them from behind. His men caught up with him too and joined the killing. He could see their victim's blood filling the earth, and he felt proud of his men. His day is starting to feel awesome. His mission is proving successful.

Dylan veered around, turning his gaze to his men and saying, "Bring me the commander" He hollered at them.

Dylan intentionally let him live. He had already battled him and defeated him. The commander was great and skillful. No wonder he looked down on him. Nevertheless, he couldn't defeat Dylan.

Dylan watched as his men parted ways, and one of his men pushed the commander forward. He was bound with a silver chain, his nose broken, his face battered, and his mouth bleeding. Dylan had done a great job torturing him.

The man who was leading the commander kicked him, and the commander stumbled forward before he was forced to kneel in front of Dylan. Yet he shows no sign of fear.

Dylan circled him and smirked, "I warned you earlier, didn't I?"

However, the commander remained mute. He shows no sign of listening to Dylan or giving attention to all the surrounding men. It was like they didn't exist. Besides, he had no choice. Whether he replies or not, Dylan will still slaughter him. He preferred keeping his mouth mute.

"I said I will make you glimpse as I burn your town to ashes," Dylan continued. "You should've allowed me to walk through your town, and none of this would have happened."

As soon as Dylan stopped speaking, the commander did the unexpected: he split on Dylan's face.

Before anybody could react, the man behind the commander unsheathed his claw, stabbed him in the chest, and brought out his heart.

Dylan chuckled. What one of his men just did showed that they would be loyal to him for eternity. It's exactly what he wants.

t.b.c

Thick smoke filled the atmosphere. The weather was so dark, and great heat filled the surroundings. The high mountain has been scattered and torn down because of the fatal clashes between the two beings.

Rey Reed Smith rolled on the earth, his body healing slowly and his breath rough. His face was filled with dirt. All the bruises on his body were starting to heal, too. He groaned, spilled blood, and cleaned his mouth.

He gathered all the strength in his body, summoned his Alpha power, and yanked himself up. He shakes his head and repositions himself, facing his enemy.

"We can do this all day," the second man said, smiling. "This is one of the reasons why I chose you. You had great endurance. You won't give up easily. You're the perfect vessel for me."

Rey Reed scoffed, "Lord Rey, or whatever you called yourself, you had made a great mistake by messing with the wrong being."

Lord Rey shakes his head to show that Rey Reed Smith was wrong. He knew what he was doing. He will never make a mistake. Only if Rey Reed Smith knew that he had been monitoring him ever since he began his quest for revenge He had known that Rey Reed Smith would be the perfect vessel for him to possess. That's why he took part in his death. He hijacked Rey's soul, and brought him to the Middle Land, so he could free the people from the curse of Xavier Knoll.

"I know what I'm doing," Lord Rey said. "I chose your body because we're related. We had the same blood running through our veins. I'm the first of your kind. I'm one of your ancestors. I am your forefather!" Lord Rey hollered while his blue and red eyes shone brightly. Thunder is clasping in the sky, and lightning flashes.

Lord Rey was getting impatient already. He had tried telling Rey Reed Smith that he wouldn't be in his body for too long. He only wants to possess him and free the people from the curse of Xavier Knoll, the Alpha who was betrayed years ago. However, Rey won't permit him. Lord Rey tried to force himself inside, but Rey's hellhound power was making it hard for him.

Lord Rey has been watching Rey Reed Smith ever since the court case. His spirit had been monitoring him, going everywhere with him, and protecting him when necessary.

He was there when Rey Reed was taken to the Adirondack Mountains and forced to fight in the arena with other werewolves. He was there when Rey fought the twin alpha. He was the one who sent the pangolin to help him. He was there during all the adventures of Rey in New York. He was there when the pink killer wanted him dead. He was the one who made the bullet to infiltrate Rey's skull, so he could bring him to the middle-land and borrow his body to lift the curse of Xavier Knoll.

He was able to force Rey here because of the connection between them. They're blood-related. He was the ancestor of Rey Reed Smith. But Rey won't agree with him because he has no access to his memory.

It's not that Lord Rey wanted it that way, but he had no choice. Things will not go well for Rey if he gains access to his memory. Sebastian will hunt him down quickly. He locked his memories to protect him and unlocked them when necessary. It was his plan all along. He was only hoping Rey Reed Smith would agree with him and stop fighting him. He's just too stubborn.

"I'm tired of your gibberish," Rey said, frustrated. "I've heard enough of your lies. So, let me return to my realm, and all of us can live in harmony."

Lord Rey shakes his head and says, "I'm sorry, son, but I can't allow that. You're the perfect vessel for me. You're the only hope I had to save the middle land once again, and I can't let that opportunity slip by me."

"Then you leave me no choice," Rey elucidated. "I can't let you possess my body anymore."

Rey stomped his feet on the earth and let out a primordial roar. His voice fills the environment, and it shakes the foundation of the mountain itself. Instantly, Rey Reed transformed into a creature with bright red eyes, long fangs, and fire blazing around his body. He transformed into a hellhound.

"Let the game begin, son." Lord Rey smiled.

He unsheathed his two blades, his red and blue eyes shining brightly, and the gauntlet on his arm glowed. All the gems that were neatly arranged on the gauntlet glinted, showing that they were ready for war. The same goes for the two blades, the undead, and the ancient sword.

With immense speed, Rey Reed Smith dived for Lord Rey, his hand folded in his fist, and he brought it down for Lord Rey's head. At the last second, Lord Rey froze him in time by using the time gem and then used the power gem to blast him away.

As Rey went flying backward, he twirled his body in the air and docked. At the same motion, he leaped up again, charging toward Lord Rey once again. This time, Rey Reed Smith folded his fist, kept spinning his body, and aimed for Lord Rey's head to crush his skull.

Despite Rey Reed's speed, Lord Rey saw him coming in slow motion. "Dirty move," he mumbled.

Lord Rey spun around and threw the undead blade. The blade went flying in the air, aiming for Rey Reed Smith's chest. Rey Reed's survival instinct kicked in, and he docked at the last moment to avoid the blade, making him lose his balance. He came tumbling down, and he collided with the earth. Nevertheless, he didn't give up. He stood as soon as he reached the earth.

He tried attacking Lord Rey again, but the unexpected happened. The undead blade that Rey evaded earlier turned back, multiplied itself into three, and lunged at him. After waiting for a few inches for the blade to reach Rey Reed Smith, his hellhound reflex kicked in, and he jumped out of the way. He did a surprising thing by chasing after the undead blade.

Rey Reed grabbed the handle of the blade, and it became engulfed in flame. He doubled his speed, raised the undead blade, which had also become one, and swung for Lord Rey's head.

The latter raised the ancient blade and parried the blow, saying, "You're still slow, son." Lord Rey taunted, a devilish smile plastered at the corner of his lips. "I thought you could do better."

Rey Reed Smith gritted his teeth in anger, at Lord Rey's speech. He pushed Lord Rey backward, tripled his strength and power, and then slashed again. Nevertheless, Lord Rey parried the blow easily. As the metal clanged against each other, it let out a great sound and pierced their eardrums; sparks also flew out. It was a great blow, but Lord Rey had managed to block it without shaking.

"Now, it's my turn." Lord Rey said this and frowned. He pushed Rey Reed backward and swung his blade at him. He slashed at Rey, driving him back and further away. Lord Rey doubled his speed, going faster than anyone in the universe. He attacked at different angles, slashing Rey Reed Smith in multiple parts of the bodies while the time and invisible gems aided him.

Rey tried blocking most of the blow, but he couldn't avoid all of it. It was like he was fighting with an unseen force of the earth. This man was just too strong for him to handle. He had summoned his deepest power, the one he had used to defeat his greatest enemy, but it was useless to Lord Rey. That made Rey Reed Smith conclude that he's indeed a god. Yet he wasn't ready to give up easily.

As Lord Rey keeps slashing him, his body heals. It healed faster than he could even imagine. He tried attacking too, but he couldn't land a blow on Lord Rey. The man could predict his attack, and he would easily block it. Before Rey Reed Smith could think of another move, he would have landed multiple blows on him.

Rapidly, Rey Reed Smith felt himself going weak. He felt his arm getting heavier, his throat getting dry, and he was thirsty. He could feel his body healing slowly and his speed reducing drastically. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. Lord Rey directed a heavy blow to his head, which he managed to block at the last second.

Lord Rey pressed the blade against his shoulder, forcing him to go to his knees. "You still have a lot to learn, son." He paused, "With your current skills, you can't defeat Sebastian, Dylan, and other threats in this land. You wouldn't be able to defeat Alpha Kyle and his commander in this state."

"And who are you to lecture me?" Rey growled.

Lord Rey smirked, "I'm not lecturing you; I'm telling you what will happen in the future."

"You can't tell me what to do," Rey Reed insisted. "I'll do anything I feel is right in my eyes."

"I know," Lord Rey said, and disarmed him. "That's why I'll be taking control again and locking your memory. I'll only open them one after the other whenever it's time."

Rey screamed, "No! You can't do that."

Unfortunately, it was too late. Lord Rey opened his mouth and breathed into it. Rey blacked out.

*************

"Rey!" Gaius screamed, rushing into the room. "Rey Reed, wake up. My brother is in danger. He's missing."

Instantly, Rey jolted up from his bed. He was drenched in sweat, and he could feel a massive heat emitting from his body. He felt as if he was locked in hell.

Rey shakes his head, and it aches. As he tried to stand up, the dream he had flashed in his head. Rey didn't need anyone to tell him that it was reality. Whoever it was that possessed him came to his subconscious. Rey felt himself getting infuriated.

"Rey!" Gaius slapped Rey on the face, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Some bandits crossed my brother's path and kidnapped him." He hollered.

t.b.c