Victorious Howls

High on a mountain, a man looked out over his army. His wolves and bears and cougars, animals he had tamed and bent to his will.
His son emerged from a cave behind him and grinned. "Awesome. Who are we attacking next?"
The man smirked. "Illingua seems like a good target. Those stupid Giftless worship us. They'll never suspect a war."
Thompson nodded. "Cool. When?"
Kieran considered. "Next week. But we'll reward the creatures tonight. Get the sacrifices."
A flicker of concern passed over Thompson's face, but he ducked his head to conceal it. "Okay."
Kieran faced his animals again, a smile curling his lips. He hadn't even suspected his son's reaction, which was good for Thompson. After all, Kieran was proudly and outwardly anti-Giftless. He believed in the superiority of Gifteds and thought that Non-Gifteds were nearly subhuman.
And Thompson, his beloved eldest child, was in love with a Non-Gifted. He was completely, totally, utterly in love with her.
Sarai was one of Kieran's servants. And this month, she had been chosen as a sacrifice.
Striding down the dimly lit halls of his father's prisons, Thompson ran over his plan again. He would let Sarai slip by him when he collected the sacrifices, and by the time his father realized one was missing, she would hopefully be across the border of Illingua.
Reaching his beloved's cell, Thompson knelt and twined his fingers with hers. Sarai smiled shakily and pulled his hand toward her to kiss it. "I love you," she whispered.
Thompson smiled back and then pulled away, unlocking the doors to drag her out before moving on to the others. By the time he started herding the sacrifices to the animal pens, Sarai had disappeared. He allowed himself a single grim smile and then forced a mask back over his face.
When he reached his father again, the other Giftless were being prepared to flee from Kieran's animals. Thompson sat down and tried to calm his nerves. Everything would be fine. Sarai would be safe soon.
Kieran suddenly leaned forward. "There are only sixteen sacrifices," he said with a frown.
Thompson's heart stopped. He wasn't supposed to notice that soon! "There are? How many are there supposed to be?"
"Seventeen," Kieran said, still frowning. "I selected them myself. One is missing."
Thompson forced himself to shrug casually. "Must have made a run for it when I wasn't looking, then." To make his loyalty believable, he added, "Want me to search for it?"
Kieran shook his head slowly. "No. I'm sure we'll find it easily enough once this batch is done. I asked that visiting Hexer to modify the prison corridors, so any escapee will find it impossible to navigate. It might even find its way here."
Thompson froze. What? "Oh, got it." He forced himself to stay still, while he mentally tried to figure out if his father was telling the truth.
Before he could properly think about this new development, the wolf caretakers started yelling. Kieran and Thompson turned to look, and saw a small figure dressed in brown servants' robes darting between the enclosures.
Sarai, Thompson realized with a twist of horror. Kieran grinned next to him. "Get her," he called.
Thompson watched with a feeling of detachment as the guards surrounded Sarai and knocked her down, dragging her to the center of the animal arena.
Kieran patted him on the shoulder. "See? Nothing to worry about. Chain her up!" he called down. "She'll get a slower death than most."
Thompson felt like his body was lead. As awful as he knew his father was, this was it. He'd had enough. The girl he loved was about to die. He was done.
Kieran waved a hand and the guards opened the animal pens. Wolves prowled out of their cages, weaving between the lumbering bears and brushing coats with Kieran's favorites, the mountain lions.
The animals crept toward Sarai, licking their mouths and baring teeth. The cougars prepared to pounce, and then the wolves froze before loping to surround the girl trapped on the ground, facing the other creatures in her defense.
Kieran frowned. He lifted his hand, but the wolves remained. Several of the bears rolled their heads and then turned to face their companions.
Kieran gritted his teeth, clenching his fist, and struggled to get his creatures to attack. Then, as if just realizing it, he slowly turned to look at his son.
Thompson's hand was extended toward the arena, his face set in concentration. Kieran's grip fell, and instantly the rest of the animals bent to his son's will.
Kieran stared at Thompson in shock. "Why?" was all he said.
Thompson met his father's gaze. "Because I love her," he said. "And I won't let her die."
"But she's Giftless," Kieran protested.
"Only in your eyes," Thompson said. "Who are you to decide what other people are worth? Everyone deserves life and love."
Kieran could say nothing else. His son backed him up against the railing, and after giving him a final betrayed look, Kieran stepped over the edge, landing among the wolves that, up until that moment, used to be his.
Looking up once more, Kieran said, perfectly calm, "You are no longer my family."
"That's fine," Thompson said. "She's my family now."
His wolves lunged and ripped the man apart while his son walked down the stairs, approached his beloved, unchained her from the arena, and wrapped his arms around her.
Surrounded by the howls of victory, Thompson and Sarai were free.