Pantheon Online

Chapter 123 - Skovi

Exile chose to bless the wolf. He had the feeling that cursing it would potentially affect his alignment. Making him appear evil to his followers. 'It should be similar to those old stories, where the gods would curse someone and they would turn into a monster...' Exile waited patiently as he felt his Divine Power flow into the wolf.

The wolf howled softly as its body began to undergo some changes. The wolf grew in height until its head reached Exile's chest. Its fur turned snow white as its eyes turned a golden colour. 'Have I just created a Divine Wolf in the Mortal Realms?' Exile frowned as he studied the beast.

As the transformation ended, the wolf threw its head back and howled at the sky. Its pack soon joined in and Exile let out a slight smile. However, the wolf stared into his eyes as if expecting something.

[You have created a new mythological creature (Divine Wolf Variant). Please select three from the following options for the gifts it will receive.]

[1. Hound of the Gods: The Divine Wolf will establish a link with you, allowing you to summon it to the Divine Realms. The link will allow you to communicate with it while it is in the Mortal Realms at 0 Cost.]

[2. Elemental Hound: Share your element with this creature, allowing it to wield lightning. The creature will be seen as an omen from you among the mortals.]

[3. Protective Hound: This creature will appear to aid your most pious followers in their times of need.]

[4. Hunter Hound: Mark a mortal with a brand that allows this creature to track them down wherever they go. (Those with the brand will be seen as an enemy by this creature.)]

[5. Divine Hound: This creature becomes capable of healing gods and mortals alike with Divine Breath.]

Exile's eyes went wide as he studied the options. 'Oh, this is good!' A broad smile swept across his face as he glanced down the list. 'I'm definitely taking Hound of the Gods. Not only can it then help me in the Divine Realms, but it can be used as a scout to gather information down here as well.' Exile swiftly locked it in as his first choice.

'I should definitely take Divine Hound, that will offset my loss of healing abilities since my change...' Exile hummed as his second choice was locked in. 'Hunter Hound doesn't seem too good of a match for me, so that just leaves Elemental Hound or Protective Hound.' Exile frowned as he considered the choice. 'Protective Hound would turn it into a sort of lifesaving skill for the likes of Ania, Bjorn and Harik....'

'But Elemental Hound will make it more versatile in battles...' It was a tough call, but in the end, he chose Protective Hound. With the way things were going, it couldn't hurt to give a little more protection to those that followed him. The wolf howled as a golden light connected the two, and new spells appeared in Exile's mind.

[(Divine) Summon Familiar]

[Cost: 0 DP]

[Description: Summon your Divine Familiar from the Mortal Realms to accompany you.]

[(Divine) Contact Familiar]

[Cost: 0 DP]

[Description: Establish a link with your familiar allowing you to communicate.]

"Thank you, Lord Exile..." A guttural growl escaped from the wolf as it bowed its head, taking Exile by surprise. "My name is Skovi, I shall serve you as best as I can for the rest of my life."

Exile was so surprised by this development that his jaw almost dropped open. But he managed to keep his composure as he let out a slight cough. "Your welcome, Skovi. This is my gift to you for answering my call when my oracle needed help."

"Hm... The man flesh was an enticing feast. What wolf would not answer that call?" Skovi replied with something that sounded like a laugh. "What can this one do for you now?"

Exile frowned as he listened to Skovi's question. The wolf was clearly seeking a purpose from him. "Do you remember my oracle?"

"I remember her smell... There are still traces of it on the wind." Skovi glanced in the direction that Harik and the others had gone in after leaving Korden.

"Then I charge you with this task. Follow my oracle, but try to remain unseen by the army around her. Soon... She will go into battle, I would have you and your pack aid them." Exile tried to sound as authoritative as possible as he gave his command.

"By your will... Master..." Skovi unleashed a blood-curdling howl as the pack joined him before disappearing into the forest. 

Exile let out a smug smile as he was left standing in the snow strewn forest alone. 'This should cause a bit of a surprise when I first call him to the Divine Realms. My connection with him will make it easier for me to be aware of events happening down here. That way I won't have to pretend like I know what Ania is talking about.'

Exile laughed as he thought about the charade he had to keep up with in front of the NPCs. Skovi would solve a lot of those issues as long as he witnessed them. 'With Skovi protecting them, I don't need to worry too much about some accident happening to those three.' Exile felt slightly relieved at this development. It was always a worry that something would happen to Ania and end his journey in the game prematurely.

With the strange sensation that had drawn him to Skovi gone, Exile decided to return to the Divine Realms and find out how everything was going. A flash of lightning going in the wrong direction appeared in the night sky. Causing a shiver to run down the spines of those who saw it. The name Exile appeared in their minds as the scene was accompanied by the howling of wolves. 

'They are slow...' Skovi snorted as he realised how much had changed from his transformation. His body was practically brimming with power. He could sense that he could go even faster, but then his pack would lose track of him. 'We should eat... We haven't had anything for some time...'

Skovi sniffed at the air and discovered traces of a Divine scent. However, his senses alerted him that this presence was against Exile. A low growl escaped his throat as he sent commands to the pack. 'An enemy dares to tread upon these lands? For my master's sake, they can not be left alone...'

Skovi and his pack ran for almost a day straight. Eventually, the scent drew them to a camp on the edge of a forest. Skovi peered through the darkness to see that all of the people were armed. 'They are ready for war...' Skovi led the pack to prowl the perimeter while keeping themselves hidden. Eventually, he spotted a figure giving off a Divine aura.

The aura was definitely of another god. Except it made Skovi feel disgusted. It was different from Exile's and clearly made him feel as if this god was a threat. The wolves around him began to pad forward softly, but Skovi released a warning growl. His eyes scanned the area around the god and he noticed that a mortal appeared to be talking with him.

'Is that his oracle?' Savage thoughts spread clearly through Skovi's mind. He released a growl to give orders to the pack. They were to distract the warriors while a small group targeted the oracle. He would personally hold off the god.

Skovi waited until a cloud covered the moon before making his move. The pack moved with him as they silently infiltrated the camp. Throats were torn as their owners were unaware of the danger moving between their tents. Silencing them before they could get a warning out.

They had come close to the centre without being spotted, but they could go no further without revealing themselves. Skovi was aware of man's fear for his kind, so he let out a howl that warned them that wolves were already among them!

The camp was thrown into turmoil as fear struck at the hearts of the humans there. They reached for their weapons as they tried to find out where the howl had come from. But the wolves did not give them the time to properly prepare. Skovi's pack pounced on the nearest humans, sending the rest into further disarray.

Skovi's eyes narrowed as he felt Divine Power gathering around the god. A menacing growl escaped from his throat as he revealed himself as he shot towards the god. The player's eyes went wide as the giant wolf collided with him unexpectedly. A series of curses escaped from his mouth as he looked at the Skovi from his back.

"How? You shouldn't be able to touch me!" The player squealed in fear as he checked the damage he had received. It was higher than what he had received from the Divine Wolves outside of Valheim recently.

"This is my master's territory..." Skovi growled in response, causing the player's eyes to bulge. "Beg forgiveness from him when I return you to the heavens!"