Modern Men: Dayton, Son of Hannibal ( Chapter Four) , a short story by McKenzie. Date added: 2012-07-17. Times viewed: 303.
- Please SEND FEEDBACK - Writers love hearing from you. You can view the Authors profile here
- Intro: War has clashed between the Wolves
Over a period of 4 years, Dayton and his father waged war. As the war brewed, the violence was closely monitored by the world. Hannibal Fredrick Ross was next to challenged his brother. He had an army of 1000 wolves. Dayton only had 100. During a raining night, Dayton and his wolves snuck into Fredrick Ross camp. Dayton’s camp ambushed the wolves. All the while, Dayton, Atalanta, and Jason hurried into Fredrick's tent. Dayton slaughtered him in his sleep.
And so Dayton defeated his brother. Most wolves returned to Tricia with tales of Dayton slaughter. Some wolves remained with Dayton. His army swelled from 100 wolves to 600 that night.
Next was the Emperor's twin, Princess Hannibal Vishpala and Prince Hannibal Alexander. They fought for several months until finally Dayton's army got the upper hand. Dayton, Atalanta, and Jason chased the pair into a thick swamp. Dayton followed Vishpala while Atalanta and Jason chased after Alexander. Vishpala horse got stuck the marshy waters, throwing Vishpala to the ground. Dayton's horse trampled over his sister, crushing her. He hopped off his horse and killed her. Atalanta and Jason caught Alexander. They tied him to their horses and dragged his battered body to Dayton. A few weeks later, a package was sent to the Emperor marked from Dayton. Inside was the heads of his Vishpala and Alexander.
Needless to say, Dayton army grew from 600 to 200, 000.
Around the third year of War, Tricia was divided. Many wolves abandon their country colors of black and white for Dayton colors, Red and Black. Many wolves who worked closed with the Emperor abandoned their posts to join Dayton. The Empire was divided. More wolves feared Dayton then they did the Emperor. A year later, Dayton and Atalanta, (same age) reached puberty. They were changing into actual wolves, reaching adulthood. It was a terrible time. They both were vulnerable and weak. Dayton could not lead his men. He and Atalanta were bed ridden.
Only Dayton could use the silver dagger and since he could not fight. He could finally face defeat. They had come a long way and to lose now would be shameful. The Trio tried to hide from the wolves but everywhere they went, they were always found. Rome's shadow had never abandoned them. It will always send reports to the whereabouts of the children. They did not know how they were always found, and Jason invisibility was no help. Dayton and Atalanta writhe in pain in their beds. Should the next prince arrived, they would surely lose. So Jason thought of a cunning plan instead.
He brought Dayton and Atalanta to a small village, concealing the pair in a cottage home. In the fields outside the village, using magic, Jason dug massive ditches when he finished, he covered the ditches with grass and leaves so it looked undisturbed. He did this under the veil of night and warned no one. Three days passed, and Hannibal Leoni came on the third night. The village looked undisturbed, lights inside the home with smoke pumping from the chimneys. Hannibal Leoni and his men crossed the field, only to fall into the ditches Jason created. As soon as Leoni and his men were trapped, Jason sealed the top with bars made of earth that they could penetrate. They could not escape. Jason revealed himself and set the wood undernarthed them on fire.
The magic wood never burned under the fire. Jason left them there for more than a month while Dayton and Atalanta finished puberty. Dayton killed Leoni soon after and sent his body back to his father.
Dayton army grew from 200,000 to nearly 800,000 wolves. By the end of the fourth year of war, Emperor Andrew had only three remaining children, Dayton, Rome and Constance.
In Tricia, the exceptionally few wolves that still supported the Emperor were ridiculed and even shunned. Most wolves believed that Dayton was going to win the civil war, and he would be the next Wolf Emperor of Tricia. One day while after Dayton army camped and settled, Dayton received word that he had become a father. Although some of the soldiers were amused, Atalanta and Jason were furious. At the age of 16, Dayton grew to be a handsome, tall boy. He had broad shoulders and a beautiful face. His child voice disappeared, replace with a grown, smoky raspy voice. Throughout his travels, one of the many things, people especially women and girls whispered to each other when he passed by was, "My! What a handsome man he is!" or many variations of that.
When they learned that Dayton had impregnated a Perfect girl, Atalanta and Jason became outraged. "Are you serious!" yelled Atalanta, "you’re a father!? When did you have the time to become a father?” Dayton scratched his head and smiled wryly, "You have got to understand, sex feels great. It literally blows your mind."
"But a Perfect girl? A PERFECT??? Having sex with a Perfect is like having sex with a COW. An animal!" Dayton shrugged his shoulders, "A cow with a fat ass. You need to see this girl."
"O Goddess!" Atalanta said with irritation.
"Fine, fine, let’s go see my bastard." Dayton said.
A few nights later, the trio went to the township of Dayton's child. They travel unnoticed and snuck into the girl's house. They hide in the dark corners of the home until everyone fell asleep in the house. The little babe slept quietly in his crib in his room. "Why do Perfects give their infants their own room?" asked Atalanta "Shouldn’t the babe sleep with them? Seems stupid that you have to get up from your own bed to walk all the way to another room when you can just bring the crib to your room."
"There Perfects. Perfects are stupid." Jason answered. The little infant was wide awake in his crib. The wolves surrounded the crib, looking at the new child.
"Its fat." whispered Atalanta.
"I never have seen a Perfect baby before. It’s utterly helpless." Jason whispered.
Dayton rolled the baby onto his back. "That baby doesn’t look like me at all. It’s pale!"
Atalanta leaned into the crib and breathed the baby's scent, "but it smells like you. That is your baby." Her eyes were hollow and black. Dayton picked up the babe by its leg and lifts him close to his face. He smelled the baby’s flesh and his eyes turned hollow and black.
"This is my kid." He growled lowly. "But this is a Perfect child." Jason growled, his eyes the same as the others, his teeth were jagged and sharp.
In the other room, the mother heard the sounds of her little babe and thought, her baby needed some milk and a change in diaper. She walked sleepily to her child's room and opened the door. To her horror she found the wolves surrounded around her baby crib. Their faces terrified her, and she shut the door immeadilety. Fearing for her child's life, she opened the door again, but the wolves were gone, and the window were wide open. A bloodcurdling scream escaped her lips. It ranged through the house, "The Wolves took my baby! The Wolves stole my baby! Hannibal! Hannibal! Please! Please return our child!" The girl ran out her house following the cries of her baby into the town until she could not hear her little infant’s cries anymore. She continued to run, screaming in the night for the wolves to return her baby. She ran until she was only faced with silence. Her baby was never seen again.
A week later, Jason spoke privately to Dayton in his tent. "It is not wise to mess with the Perfects." Jason told Dayton. “Don’t tell me what I can or cannot do. I am Hannibal." Dayton replied. "We have managed a great deal in the few years, especially for our age. This is probably one of many deeds we will continue to do all of our lives."
"And?"
"In our pursuit of glory, we should avoid irritating things we have no to business to bother. Imagine the shame should a Perfect be angry enough and actually want to attack you. Worse, should he even remotely succeed." Dayton did not reply, and Jason left. However, Dayton did heed Jason's warning. He never lay with a Perfect woman ever again. Everything must come to an end, including himself and his legacy. He did not want his end at the hands of any Perfects, especially a scorned Perfect woman.
A year ago, the Emperor and Rome found Constance. She married a commoner, a modest merchant who built a home by the sea for his new wife and child. The home was not as beautiful and glamorous as the Trician Palace, but it was lovely and filled with love. They built a comfortable and joyful life together. Constance straightened her bouncy curly hair and changed her eye color. She used magic to remove her tattoos, tattoos that announced what family she came from. Under her disguise, she helped her husband business and raised their child together. They were happy.
The Emperor and Rome arrived unannounced, dressed as commoners to confront Constance. Frighten, Constance grabbed a spear to defend her family, but the Emperor did not come to fight. At the sight of his daughter, the Emperor cried and embraced his daughter. "No more fighting" the Emperor said. "I only wish to see my daughter and her child." Constance and her father embraced. She invited her sister and her father inside the house where she introduced her husband and her Perfect child, a son. She named him Anthony. It was a tearful reunion but short visit. The Emperor did not want Constance to be found by Dayton. Before he left, he gave Constance a large chest filled with gold and precious jewels to give his grandson. Constance and her family were not poor in the first place but to her Wolf family. Her life was much too modest and unacceptable especially since she was a princess. Before he left, He scowled at his son in law, hugged and kissed both his daughter and grandson and left.
Constance was the only child of the Emperor's first wife. She was all he had left of his late wife. The Emperor loved Constance dearly.
Send feedback
- Use for below to send feedback to author - View the Authors profile here
- The following form will send feedback to the author about this short story, please enter your e-mail if you wish a reply (which is obviously at the authors own discretion)