The Lycanwolf

For the many Eons that Tantalus had slept in his prison, he had always wondered what the meaning of it all was. Ever since he could remember, he had fought to survive and live life the way he wanted. But his first memory was of being thrown down a monsters throat, minutes after having been born. He didn't remember his mother, although he knew he wasn't truly like those that he had called brother. Many years, and many children later, not all of who survived, he had finally been freed by his half brother Zeus. He knew they were not fully related, as he bore no resemblance to any of the other Olympians. He was more Wolf than Man, and most even called him Lycan. He had spent his formidable years battling the Titans during the Titan Wars, only to be betrayed by those he fought side by side with. For 75,000 years he had been in this cell that Zeus created, and had watched in horror as it appeared the Men and Wolves he had fought with were driven to extinction by each other. Zeus had ensured that Man and Wolf would never get along as he had other plans for the mortal realm. He had only created Humans to act as a shield against the wrath of the Titans. Zeus and the other Olympians had discovered they were not truly immortal, their life essence only abled to reform in the Well of Souls so many times. Yes, they could be killed multiple times (over 100) but once their life energy disapated they entered the Void. They held no belief of a higher existence as the Humans and Wolves did, they knew they just simply ceased being. And Zeus had used them to protect as many of the Olympians as he could during the war against their parents. He had been surprised that without them he would likely not have defeated the Titans, and was resentful that Tantalus seemed more at home with them. Tantalus had been placed in charge of the Armies of Wolf and Man, as they had discovered even though he was a son of Kronus, he was truly immortal. Unable to die on the field, and capable of rapid regeneration. It was this reason that Zeus had imprisoned him, he wanted to harness the abilities of Tantalus for all of Olympus. But Zeus had only hastened the destruction of the few who volunteered. Humans could survive the venom from his scratch or bite, but any Olympian who was subjected to the venom he carried, died agonizing deaths that consumed their life energies and prevented their rebirth in the Well of Souls. Part of the problem was the venom he released, did not release his complete Wolf genome in the bite, and any Human who was bitten had to endure extreme agony for several years as the venom worked it's way through their system. It was enough to make a good number of men and women who suffered from it, insane. And they had learned during the Wars, that while Wolves carried the venom from birth, it did not become active until their 19th year with the full moon. At which time the venom activated and they had to endure the 3 years of torturous agony. After it had appeared that they had killed each other Tantalus lay in his prison, and closed his eyes for a long time. He had watched for 25 millennia as the Wolves and Humans he loved destroy each other. But his slumber stretched for so long that he had been left unguarded for nearly 40,000 years, and no one noticed him stirring after so long. It had been 75,000 years that he had endured the nightmares of what was happening below, and torture as he could barely move in either form. During his slumber the Men and Wolves that he had led for so long, were finally able to come to a peaceful resolution. The Wolves would isolate the young ones going through the change, and Humans would only hunt and kill those Wolves who violated the laws of the land and the Treatise that protected the peace. For a long time they had managed to continue using Magic of the realm, but for many thousands of years it had weakened, until the point that the only magic left was stored in heirlooms, weapons, shields and other magically forged items. The Men and Wolves could however no longer use it, and many Men theorized that something Zeus had done was responsible. The Treatise when it was signed, established many more things than the laws that they would all abide by, it detailed an incomplete history that would be handed down. The Men and Wolves of the time felt this way that none would be able to use the magic therein against the other if it were to return. Neither side was willing to go to war again, as many great Wolf Packs had been laid to waste, as many of the great Human Clans had as well. It was with this knowledge that Man and Wolf were finally able to reside side by side for the last 15 Millennia, without so much as a spat between the two races. Zeus had begun ignoring the mortal world, as his plans were taking much longer than he thought they would. Without Haphestus, the great Architect of Olympus, they were finding it very difficult to make a master race. One capable of holding their great powers, but not succeptable to the ravages of time or death. And Zeus knew if they were ever capable of it, he would need Tantalus to achieve true immortality. So Zeus kept him locked in the cage, not aware that the Guardians had assigned themselves as protectors of the Mortal Realm after what Zeus had done, and were actively using their combined powers to thwart him. And their plan was about to bear fruit, for Zeus had done the one thing that he never should have, and because he had betrayed Haphestus to the Depths guarding Tartarus, he had no clue how grave a mistake he had made. For the flow of Magic from the higher realms to the lower ones was being absorbed by the crystal Zeus had used to make Tantalus' prison. And the catalyst for this change would be upon the soon. For Chronus had seen a vision of the future, and knew it was only a matter of time before the Venom that Zeus had ignorantly tested on the Humans had left enough pieces to complete the genome of a True Lycan. The werewolves were very powerful, however they did not carry the same genome as Tantalus. And the Guardians were awaiting the day when their plans would come to fruition. And after 75,000 years of waiting for this day to happen, Selene watched as a little girl was blessed from two of the great Packs of Wolves. Each held the opposite pieces of the Lycan genome, locked away in their blood, and this Daughter would be the first born with the full abilities of a True Lycan, just like Tantalus. It was here that his dreams changed, and he was unaware at first of what had happened. He subconsciously sniffed the air from the Mortal Realm, and he could smell her. It was the sweetest scent of Strawberries and Honey he had ever smelt, and knew if he ever saw her it would take everything in his power not to mark her on the spot. "She has been born." Nyx said to Selene and the few others that were involved in the planning. "That she has, and with her Change shall be approaching. It just pains me what will happen with this blessed child." Selene replied knowing what their blessings would do to her. "It cannot be avoided my friend, for too long Zeus' tyranny has ruled the realms, and the time is nigh that he meets his match." Chronus told them. "We must recover the Scepter from his grasp and return it to Phanes. Only than will the balance be restored." As they discussed this, unseen by any other race, Selene watched as Tantalus' ears twitched, heeding what was being said. "Come, let us return to our realm and watch as things unfold. We have 19 years before her change, and the rise of the Second Blood Moon." Nyx said as they all vanished. The Guardians were the only ones who could travel the realms instantly, not even Zeus could manage the trip from Olympus to Earth in a single bound as these beings could. Just before she left Selene pierced the cell of her Son and wept. She knew it was needed, and she granted him her first blessing. "Long have you been gone from their world my Todd, now listen, dream and learn what it means to be of this new world. Let your mate guide and teach you what you must know to survive." she said as a single tear fell from her eye and landed on his head. And with that tear he was connected to his mate in a way that had never been allowed before, and none of the other Guardians would be aware of it. Without another word she disappeared in a quick flash of light, that if he had been watched the Olympians would have seen. So for 18 years Tantalus watched through the eyes of his mate what it meant to be alive in this world. At first he was unaware of the change in his dreams, he only knew what he was now learning. He watched and listened as she grew through time, coming into her great gifts. Unmatched in speed, strength, or intelligence, her parents and the Elders of the Packs knew she was destined for great things. Her gifts were so powerful, even the Human Clans had taken notice, and a decision had been made. As she approached her 16th year, the crystal that made up his prison began to silently vibrate from the amount of power it had absorbed over the Millennia that had passed. It was vibrating as it approached it's pinnacle of power absorbtion and would be overcharged in a short period of time. Yet even with the noise he could hear, the Olympians still ignored him, not noticing his twitching ears as he watched his mate grow.