《Chronicles of the Wanderer, Siúlóir》


 - Prologue -

    Blood flowed along the single edge of his sword, tracing the intricate design of the blade before dripping off the tip and pooling on the floor.


    The smell of iron, burned fur, hair and flesh wafted through the air.


    The distinctive smell of a battlefield.


    A smell he had grown so used to.


    A smell that had felt so alien at first.


    In the distance, a cacophony of sounds played a dreadful symphony.


    A concert of steel clashing, arrows slicing through the air and sizzling Mana searching for intended targets. Angry barks and dying howls intermixed, joining the melody of death and destruction.


    His eyes surveyed the chamber. The walls were covered in blood, guts and scorch marks. Almost nothing remained of the majestic marble or the beautiful banners.


    Only white patches on the wall, hidden beneath soot and gore, and ashes on the ground, lifted up and carried away by a gentle breeze, were a reminder of its lost beauty.


    Fire-pans lay overturned on the floor, scattering ash and kindling into their surroundings, setting blood-soaked robes and broken vials of oil on fire, basking the room in flickering light.


    Among the many corpses were enemies and allies alike, most already having stopped breathing. Some still lay dying.


    His attention never truly left his target, lurking behind the altar, its hate-filled gaze locked on him.


    A low growling laugh, originating from the figure, filled the air.


    It drew to its full height, reaching close to two meters. Glistening scales and bulging muscles were visible through the frayed sleeveless robe. The many emblems and ampoules adorning its armored chest shook in response to its laughter.


    A dark hood hid the face, only a pair of bull¡¯s horns, etched with a spiraling pattern, poked out from beneath.


    Two glowing green orbs glared at him, in stark contrast to the dark shadow masking its features, pulsating in rhythm with the snickering laugh.


    The long serrated blade in the creature¡¯s hand reflected the ambient light, its tip pointed at him threateningly.


    Still, his posture was relaxed, the curved, one-edged sword practically dangling from his right hand, his fingers gripping the handle gently.


    Small orbs of Mana surrounded his empty left hand. The glowing balls of energy pulsated in a steady rhythm, almost as if alive, waiting for a command to obey, a wish to fulfill.


    A voice echoed in the large chamber, a mixture of different sounds combined into a inharmonious melody. Low growling beneath a myriad of voices, accompanied by dissonant strings, spoken with one mouth. Amusement, annoyance and fury were mixed into the tone of the uttered words.


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    ¡°So you have made your way here ¡­ ¡±


    This world had offered him many wonders. Awe-inspiring sights. Creatures straight out of fairy tales, landscapes putting any painter to shame and structures that would astonish the most ingenious architects.


    And it had also given him many things. Powerful artifacts, like the sword in his hand and the armor that he wore. Like the medallion around his neck.


    Granted him awesome powers.


    Control over Mana.


    Spells.


    Yes, Magic.


    Even...


    ¡°So, the one known as Si¨²l¨®ir has come to destroy me?¡±


    Yes, even his name.


    A gift from this place. The world he had woken up in. It had offered him solace in his confusion,unsure of how he had gotten there, from where he came, and who he had been before.


    He wanted to see much more.


    So first, he had to protect its peace.


    He allowed himself a moment to remember.


    Remember how it all started.


    That small clearing in the woods, where he first woke up ...


    <hr />


    Don''t worry if this prologue leaves you a slightly confused. It''s meant to. I''m trying to rouse the reader''s interest, hoping that he (the reader) would be interested in finding out who these characters are, and how this situation came about.


    I would appreciate it, if you could leave a comment below, just to let me know what you think, and if there''s something I should add or edit.


    This is pretty much the first original story I''ve ''published'' online, and while I do write mostly to satisfy my own need, I would like to reach you, the reader, and give you something you''re interested in, and wish to find out more


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 Chapter 01 - Arrival

    The smell of pine filled his nose and he tasted dirt on his lips as his consciousness steadily returned.


    His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the level of light in his surroundings.


    Before he awoke fully, he started shuffling and moving, pushing himself up on his arms.


    A heavy, sharp pain assaulted his head, as he pushed against the ground, positioning himself on his knees, trying to ascertain his whereabouts.


    Finally his mind began working as he took in an unfamiliar environment. A cacophony of bird chirps reached his ears. Maybe if he were an ornithologist, he could identify the various species. Shaking the thought from his mind, he removed the leaf stuck on his cheek before scanning the surroundings once more.


    He appeared to be in a forest. How had he gotten here? A series of disjointed images flashed in his mind, but completely out of focus. The pain returned to his head, and only intensified as he tried to single out any of the images. His vision gradually turned white and a high-pitched note drowned out all other sounds, becoming louder and louder.


    The pain was almost unbearable now. He tried to block out the noise with his hands and shut his eyes tight, collapsing again.


    As his forehead touched the ground, his concentration broke, and the sound abated.


    The birds had turned silent.


    Unaware that he was even screaming at the ground, his throat felt hoarse, the high-pitched note only a dim memory. It didn''t take a genius to connect the two events, so he refrained from further inquiry into how he had gotten into this situation, whatever it might be. He judged that getting out of it seemed more important than finding out how he got in.


    For now.


    His joints and muscles ached as he slowly stood up, using a tree as support. The bark dug into his hands as he shifted his weight against it, his feet unsteady, almost as if he hadn''t used them in days.


    Having finally managed to stand and resting his back against the tree, he noticed the indentation in the ground, presumably caused by his body. The grass and moss had righted itself, but several leaves were scattered, leaving a small circular area of free space around the quickly disappearing evidence of where he had woken. His attention, however, was focused on the area around his ¡°napping place¡±, scanning for any footprints that could indicate any direction he should either avoid, or walk towards. Such clues proved elusive however, leaving him without any idea in which direction to start his trek.


    With no clear goal, except leaving the place he found himself in, he decided to take stock of what he had on him.


    Hoping for any clues, he studied his clothes.


    He was wearing sturdy footwear, thankfully. Non-descript black boots, dark cargo pants, a grey shirt, as well as a black long sleeved shirt underneath. A pea coat, reaching his thighs, somewhere between dark blue and black, provided some warmth.


    Not military issue, he surmised, black wouldn¡¯t camouflage him too well in the forest.


    Not black enough for a goth, but too casual for a funeral. Quite casual for work, as well.


    The scarf, looped into a turtleneck, told him that he had prepared for a slightly colder climate.


    It fit loosely around his neck, so no winter climates or any strong winds.


    All of his pockets were empty. His quick search provided no cellphone, no keys, no flashlight, no multitools, no knife and not even a wallet.


    So he had neither money, ID nor a driver¡¯s license ¡­ the high-pitched noise returned, his vision started turning blurry.


    A sudden bright flash stole his vision momentarily, but focused his attention back to the present situation.


    He shook his head, trying to dispel any thoughts that might aggravate the strange phenomenon plaguing him.


    As the pain receded and he could open his eyes again, he spotted a polyester satchel right where he woke up. Not sure how he could have missed it, he made his way towards the unexpected gift on unsteady feet. Inside the satchel, he found two plastic bottles of water, an unused drawing pad and a pencil case with assorted stationery. Again no cellphone, no tablet or a GPS-receiver that could have helped him. Probably wouldn''t have gotten reception out here anyway. At least the watch on his wrist was still working, even if he couldn''t be sure in which time zone he was stranded in.


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    He felt slightly relieved at having some water, at least, as he unscrewed the bottle cap and swallowed a big gulp. He should probably ration what little he had, only about a liter, now a little less, as he couldn''t be sure when he''d find a drinkable source of water in the near future.


    A rumbling sound pulled him out of his musings. He looked up as he heard the birds stop their chirping and flutter away, then turned towards the direction of the rumbling noise, unsure of what to do.


    If he went there, he might find people, maybe even help ¡­ or danger.


    Maybe he should bring a weapon ¡­walk softly and carry a big stick!


    After stashing the pet bottle into the satchel and lifting its strap over his head, he scanned the area with his eyes before grabbing a log and trying to lift it.


    OK, maybe a log was not such a good idea, so he settled for a sturdy branch he could hold in one hand.


    A quick swing, and a slightly unsatisfying swoosh. As the uneven stick cut noisily through the air, the sound it produced seemed off. Wrong somehow. Too low.


    With no other options presenting themselves before him, he started to walk towards the origin of the rumbling sound. He aligned the hour hand of his watch with the position of the sun, then stopped. He had no idea whether it was before or after noon, the sun barely visible through the crowns of the trees. He wasn¡¯t even sure in which hemisphere he was located, although he had a strong sense it was the northern hemisphere.


    Something about the trees.


    As he stumbled through the forest, drawing closer to the possible location of what he heard earlier, his gaze wandered everywhere, taking in the sights, looking, searching for something.


    A trail, some markings perhaps, any signs of people.


    He walked slowly, taking care not to trip on stones or exposed roots.


    Hardly five minutes into the journey, he finally discovered something. A sign of people,  somewhat peculiar though.


    An overturned trap was lying on the ground. Judging by its size, either for rodents or small birds.


    A hunter must have set it up. Maybe a poacher. Possibly a kid, playing around.


    Crude design, probably home-made.


    Suddenly the trap rattled ¡­ he jumped backwards, assuming a batting position ... wait, no, that was wrong, not batting. The posture was wrong, his torso facing too far forward and he held the stick leisurely just below shoulder height ¡­ a word flashed in his mind and he muttered,


    ¡°hass¨­ no...¡±


    The trap rattled again, breaking his chain of thought.


    Slowly lowering the tip of his wooden ¡°sword,¡± he turned over the trap. He thought he saw a small flash of greenish light, but after studying the inside of the trap, it appeared to be empty. Just to make sure he carefully opened the trapdoor and peered inside.


    Still nothing.


    Another flash of light, this time, in the corner of his eye. His head snapped towards the side and he looked at the source of the sudden flare while he started counting.


    Of course, his destination ... 4 seconds later he heard the rumbling sound of what appeared to be thunder again. A little over a kilometer away.


    He studied the wooden trap one last time, stood up and started on his way again.


    ¡°Wind chimes?¡±


    He paused, turned around once more and listened.


    ¡°Must be losing my mind,¡± he muttered, putting the distraction into the back of his mind, and started walking again.


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes:


    Added an edited Chapter 1, the others will follow.


    I want to thank User unice5656 for helping me by editing and proof-reading


    Let me know what you think in the comments.


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 Chapter 02 - Attack

    Ciar¨¢h was searching the burrow while her sister was out.


    Somewhere, the treasure she sought should be hidden; the search was merely part of the adventure.


    With her sister out hunting with the other adults, it was the perfect opportunity.


    Her sister had moved into the furnished room two seasons ago, leaving Ciar¨¢h in a hollow with her younger brother, and had raised the two for more than four winters.


    Such a slob. A better punishment than having to clean her own hollow would be to clean up this mess. The disorder she caused while rummaging through her sister¡¯s belongings would surely not be noticed, simply merging with the existing chaos.


    She was all but certain that her sister kept the ball somewhere in this room.


    Behind the few scrolls her sister called her own ¡­ no.


    Between the clothing carelessly dropped onto the floor ¡­ no. Underneath ¡­ no.


    Maybe below the bed ¡­ again, no ... and only dust, no other objects that could be used as ammunition in later quibbles.


    While searching, she began imagining how the scene would play out, her coming out of the burrow, paws behind her back, maybe a fake sad smile and theatrical shake of her head, telling him she couldn¡¯t find the toy, and then, the little cub¡¯s eyes shining brightly as she presented the ball to him.


    Still, the treasure proved elusive.


    An explosion cut her search short. Her hands sped to the top of her head, covering her ears, as she curled herself up into a ball.


    It roared like thunder.


    A booming sound, louder than any she had ever heard.


    She would have preferred to remain curled up in ball, hiding in the safety of her sister¡¯s room, surrounded by her smell, but her brother was still outside, playing with the other cubs. She had to go find him and bring him inside.


    All Ciar¨¢h had to do was get up and go outside.


    Just stand up and move.


    Come on, come on, come on!


    A scream broke her train of thought. Then another. Someone was attacking the skulk!


    She rushed into the kitchen, past the fire-pit searching for any kind of weapon.


    Wooden spoons? No. Ladle? No! Frying pan? hm... nonono.


    Ah, yes yes yes!!


    Her small hands gripped the handle of an iron knife, a gift for her older sister from the blacksmith''s apprentice, then she hurried to the entrance.


    Another loud bang made her flinch.


    At the front door, Ciar¨¢h hesitated, took a deep breath and opened the door.


    Outside, hell awaited!


    Neighbours were running, screaming, scared, chased by furry males, with long snouts, and almost as tall as any adult in the skulk, barking, growling and howling with the occasional whine that sounded more like snickering.


    They wore simple leather armor, a few reinforced with iron plates, and were armed with short swords, axes and spears, casually slaying the few guards, hunting the men, the women, even children.


    She heard the village elder speak of them occasionally.


    The C?n Nerwnn, the hounds of Nerwnn, as the Great Mother called them.


    Both she and her brother had been warned a few times;


    `Go to bed quickly, or the C?n will steal you away to their dark fortress, Nerwnn,¡ä or


    `Quick, eat up, empty your plate or the hounds will eat you instead.¡ä


    They were supposed to be tales.


    Fiends only existing inside of stories.


    She had to protect her brother.


    But first she had to find him.


    At the village entrance several steel cages atop wooden carriages were being loaded with the captured skulk. Ciar¨¢h watched one of the carriages taking off, straining her eyes to see if she could recognize anyone.


    Just as she made sure her brother was not one of the prisoners, she heard a loud growl.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.Spinning around quickly, she looked right into the pupils of a C?n Nerwnn, just as he raised his arm while snickering, lifting his axe above his head, preparing to strike her down.


    Ciar¨¢h just stood there, her knuckles turning white from gripping the knife with all her strength, staring wide-eyed.


    All conscious thought had left her, there were no images of friends or family flashing through her mind, no stream of memories of her life till this moment.


    She glimpsed a long scar along the hound¡¯s left eye before all her concentration was focused on  the sharp edge of the axe, hovering above her head.


    All the hound was focused on was the anticipation of tearing into the flesh of his next victim.


    A glint of madness flickered in his eyes and across his face, as he flashed a toothy grin.


    Her lips quivered, but her gaze never wavered.


    Then he was gone.


    It took her mind a moment to catch up.


    A furry ball sped by and rammed into the ribs of the hound, lifting its feet off the ground.


    Then the hound was launched with a yelp, bent in half by the sudden impact, before slamming into the ground, almost an entire spear-length away after coming to a tumbling stop.


    Ciar¨¢h was dumbstruck, still gripping the knife, turning her head slowly towards the furry ball that had come to her rescue. The little furball crouched in front of her, rubbing his head with his paws, wincing at the self-induced headache.


    Her eyes started to tear up.


    She was glad he was safe, and even more so because now, she did not have to look for him in the chaos of battle.


    She hugged the little whelp in front of her tightly, and her tension almost loosened.


    A growl snapped her mind back to the present predicament.


    The hound her brother tackled, Scar, began to stir. He looked in their direction and moved to stand up, his hateful gaze transfixed on them.


    As he tried to push himself off the ground, he yelped, and fell to the ground again, holding his right side.


    Ciar¨¢h¡¯s eyes widened. They had no time to rest. They needed to escape, quickly.


    She grabbed her brother¡¯s hand, who was still nursing his headache, and scanned her surroundings, her eyes darting left and right, looking for safety.


    The middle of the village was a no-go, and all avenues of escape in front of her were cut off.


    Her only choice would be the forest behind her. And hope that the C?n Nerwnn, that Scar, wouldn¡¯t track her.


    Didn¡¯t have time to track her.


    Scar, way to close to her for comfort, slowly made to stand up.


    Ciar¨¢h held tightly onto her brother¡¯s paw with her own, tightened her grip on the handle of the knife with the other, and then she ran.


    And ran and ran and ran.


    Behind her, the intermixing howls and screams continued.


    <hr />


    A big thank you for the help at User unice5656 for helping me with the Editing and Proofreading


    The flow of the sentence structure as well as the Comma placement have been improved.


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 Chapter 03 - Meeting

    He had been walking for several minutes.


    His gaze wandered, left to right and left again, scanning the forest for any signs of activity.


    It had been a while since he had heard the `thunder¡ä and so far everything had been quiet.


    A little too quiet.


    He strengthened his grip on his trusty `weapon¡ä, the wooden stick, and continued to move.


    After covering roughly one kilometer, the background sound increased again.


    Straining his ears, he managed to identify a few sounds, mostly the howls of dogs or wolves and the clash of metal.


    He stopped, uncertainty halting him.


    He had no idea how he had gotten here, to this forest.


    No idea where he was going, and especially where he was supposed to go.


    Sure, he had no other clues to guide him, but was it really wise to move towards the sound of thunder?


    Especially now, with howls and presumably the sounds of battle coming from the direction he was moving towards.


    Remaining here would not solve anything, he decided.


    Either forward or back!


    He looked back into the forest, back towards the direction he came from.


    `No sense going back, huh,¡ä he thought and started moving forward again.


    Just then, he glimpsed something in the corner of his eye.


    With a quick lunge, he moved behind a tree. His pulse accelerated and he could hear his breathing quickening.


    It sounded so loud, as if he had just run a marathon and was gasping for air.


    How could anyone miss him if he was breathing this hard?


    His finger strengthened his grip on the wooden stick, as he slowly peered around the tree.


    What he saw confused him. Confounded him, really.


    Roughly 20 meters to his right, two small `children¡ä were running away from a man chasing them.


    The man looked strange. The first thought that crossed one¡¯s mind would probably be werewolf.


    Or more accurately, were-dog.


    His upper body was covered in cream-spotted, dark-gray fur, especially thick around his back and neck. His ears, at least the one he could see, were pressed against the side of his head, long and also blanketed in fur.


    His face sported an elongated snout, open, his sharp teeth visible and his tongue moving rhythmically with his breathing.


    Stranger than seeing a legendary beast walking upright on its hind legs was seeing it armed and clothed. The left shoulder was protected by a leather pauldron, the leather strap stretched across the bare back and chest.


    A large leather belt protected the abdomen and provided room for pouches and a dagger.


    The shins as well were protected by leather guards fastened with straps and buckles.


    In its right hand it carried a single-bladed axe, that was aimed towards the fleeing victims.


    The two `children¡ä were about as strange the were-dog chasing them.


    While they also were covered in fur, its color more akin to ochre, it was neither as long nor as thick.


    In fact, if not for the long ears, pressed tightly against their heads and the long, bushy tails, they could almost pass of as human children at first glance.


    As he was studying the childlike creatures closely, the smaller one stumbled. The larger of the two, holding its hand also fell, but quickly got up and turned towards the pursuer, a knife in hand.


    The were-dog slowed, then stopped, merely a few meters away, relaxed its posture and started twirling its axe.


    The larger of the `children¡ä, judging from its shape and apparel, a girl, jumped in front of the smaller one, taking a stance, both arms extended, holding onto the knife while shaking.


    A high pitch howl and then, words.


    ¡°S-S-STAD! F-FAN AR SHI¨²L!¡± the girl howled, still holding the knife like an amateur.


    The Were-dog stopped, growled and adopted a posture, ready to pounce, swinging the axe from side to side, making sure the girl could see. The little one behind her was whimpering, holding onto a fold from the girl¡¯s dress.


    The pursuer took a tentative step forward. The girl did not move, only shook the knife, and spoke the same words again


    ¡°Fan ar shi¨²l ...¡±


    Only this time, it wasn¡¯t the loud howl from before. It was more of a wail.


    Her anguish was met with a sarcastic snicker, as he once more relaxed his posture and then stretched himself to his full height. Afterore beginning to circle around the girl.


    She followed his movement with her entire body, keeping herself in front of the little one at all times. Definitely from the same pack,  possibly siblings.


    Every time the were-dog fell back into his attacking posture, the girl flinched.


    Bastard was playing with her.


    *	*	*


    Scar, as Ciar¨¢h called him, relaxed his posture again, took a step forward, then stopped.


    He looked at her, and shrugged, closing his eyes and shaking his head.


    As soon as he opened them, he pounced on the two.


    His mouth opened wide spitting saliva, his right arm wound up for a large swing.


    Did he intend to bite them, or slash them with axe?


    Ciar¨¢h flinched, then stumbled backwards, trying to gain some distance, possibly to correct her stance again. Her brother did not expect this and couldn¡¯t get out of the way in time, and so she tripped over him.


    The axe neatly missed her head, taking only a few hairs from her scalp.


    Scar¡¯s eyes opened wide with surprise.


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    *	*	*


    From the safety of the tree, he continued to observe the spectacle.


    His anger grew with every passing moment, with every feint and with every snicker and bark.


    His heartbeat quickened and his senses focused.


    His limbs were filling with strength.


    He had to do something soon, or the adrenaline rush would start to work against him.


    Then, the moment to act arrived.


    *	*	*


    Ciar¨¢h managed to avoid the decapitation attempt, pushed herself off the ground and thrust the knife, her entire bodyweight behind it, straight into the exposed flank of the attacker, burying the knife deep into Scars¡¯ abdomen and shoving him away.


    Without inspecting the damage she had done, she spun around, grabbed her brother by his wrist and, pulling him off the ground, and started running again.


    *	*	*


    The two small children sprinted in his direction. The girl had managed to wound her pursuer, who was thrashing on the ground, whining, yelping and growling.


    The were-dog rolled onto his hands, looked at the knife sticking out of his side before howling angrily.


    His eyes narrowed in hate, fixated on the fleeing siblings. He ripped the knife out of his side and started after them.


    *	*	*


    Ciar¨¢h did not dare turn around. She needed to get away as fast as possibly.


    Only a few steps away and she felt a weight press down on her back, pushing her to the ground.


    She twisted her body and looked into the crazed eyes of Scar, as he started pummeling at her with fists and claws.


    Any thoughts of escape fled her mind and she barely managed to raise her arms to protect her neck and face.


    Scar¡¯s claws were ripping apart clothes and skin and drew blood.


    Her arms felt like they were burning.


    Then the attack stopped.


    Her arms still throbbed with acute pain, as she opened her eyes and saw her little brother, biting the arm of Scar, holding on, clenching his jaws with all his might.


    Scar howled in pain and anger. Shaking his arm violently, trying to shake of the little pub, before punching him repeatedly.


    The cub¡¯s bite loosened, and with one more powerful jolt, her brother flew, before violently crashing against a tree.


    He didn¡¯t get up again.


    Scar looked at the deep bite marks on his arm, and growled.


    His eyes fixated on Ciar¨¢h again.


    All hope was leaving her.


    Her arms felt heavy, and she couldn¡¯t even raise them to protect herself anymore.


    Having been pinned down, with no means of escape, her arms bleeding and her little brother not moving, she didn¡¯t have the energy no the will to even attempt any resistance.


    But, with a loud crack Scar was gone again, the weight pinning her down suddenly lifted.


    Ciar¨¢h pushed her back from the ground. with the bit of force her battered and bleeding arms could muster, to look into the direction Scar was thrown towards.


    *	*	*


    As the girl was pushed down, he dashed out of his hiding spot, straight towards the were-dog that was pummeling his victim.


    The wooden stick at his side, both hands gripping tightly, he swung while twisting his hip, transferring as much weight into the swing as he could.


    The stick cut through the air and struck the beast¡¯s snout dead center, lifting it up a few centimeters, before the wood creaked and broke, the upper part flying off into the distance.


    His target rolled backwards, but came to a sudden stop, as he hit an exposed root.


    It shook its head and tried to look up, only to be greeted by a knee to the face.


    Again it was launched off the ground, but this time it managed to catch its fall and roll.


    Standing up quickly, it turned its gaze at the newest pest that had dared to disturb its fun.


    *	*	*


    Ciar¨¢h had never seen nor heard of the creature that had saved her and now stood between her and the Nerwnn hound.


    It stood taller than any male in the village, with no visible fur on its arms and hands.


    She couldn¡¯t see the face, only the back of its head and shoulder length hair.


    Its right hand was gripping a broken piece of a tree branch, the knuckles turning white.


    The hound stood up quickly, staggered and looked slightly dazed.


    He was bleeding from the snout, out of his mouth and the knife wound on his abdomen.


    Scar drew his dagger swiftly and held it before him, growling at the new interloper.


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 Chapter 04 - Fisticuffs

    His wooden weapon had broken, but the were-dog was not yet incapacitated.


    Right now it was glaring at him with weapon drawn, a dagger.


    Double-edged blade, between 15 and 20cm, a 10cm handle made of wrapped bone.


    It breathed heavily, its chest expanding with every heave of air. Blood spurted out of its snout and its side.  Wooden splinters dotted it scarred face, the one across its left eye being the most prominent.


    The two of them glared at each other.


    `Scar¡¯ lowered his center of gravity, preparing to attack.


    He, on the other hand, relaxed his posture, the remnants of his `weapon¡ä falling to the ground as he loosened his grip.


    As soon as the broken stick touched the ground ...


    `Scar¡¯ pounced.


    *    *    *


    Slashing with the knife, he aimed for the throat.


    He felt resistance, and tried to pull back.


    Before he knew what was happening, a sudden pressure increased on his wrist and elbow. He was accelerated forward, slowing down abruptly and then forced backwards again, his body involuntarily following the movement of his arm.


    Suddenly, a sharp sting shot through his wrist up the length of his arm.


    Sudden pressure assaulting his face, twice.


    Recognition an instant later.


    Fists had struck him, first the brow, then the most sensitive part of the snout.


    Eyes tearing, he could no longer keep them open.


    Another increase in pressure. Lower.


    His right leg buckled as he heard a strange cracking sound.


    Then a loud pop.


    Burning agony flooded the nerves around his right knee.


    The leg gave way, he was buckling backwards.


    He felt a weight on his back, before he was hoisted up, his windpipe suddenly compressed.


    Forcing open his left eye, noticed an arm around his throat.


    Trying to grab the arm, he found his right hand dangling at an odd angle.


    Struggling ¡­ panic ... darkness.


    Not even a howl escaped.


    *    *    *


    Ciar¨¢h had never seen someone fight like this.


    Never seen a fight like this.


    The strange creature blocked Scar¡¯s attacking arm with both of its own, then grabbed his wrist with the long fingers of its right hand, pushing against his elbow with the left forearm.


    Suddenly Scar was stumbling forward in a semi-circular motion, before her unexpected protector twisted his wrist, took a half-step sideways, and obscured her vision with its back.


    A metal flash shot through the air.


    She traced the flying dagger with her eyes as it hit a tree, getting stuck.


    Her attention snapped back to the fight, just as her savior withdrew its fist from Scar¡¯s face.


    Scar staggered, slumped to the side as a kick to the knee broke his balance.


    A crack and a pop then reached her ears.


    In one fluid motion her hero moved to the back of the falling Scar and dragged him backwards.


    Scar flailed about, trying to free himself, but soon stopped.


    As the limp body slid to the ground, the victor suddenly started panting, drawing in big gulps of air.


    Her jaw dropped, the gallant warrior that had swooped in and saved her appeared a mere illusion.


    As the tension faded, she winced as the wounds on her arms heated up and felt like they were on fire. But she didn¡¯t have time for pain, she needed to find her brother. Check on him.


    See if he was still¡­


    Ciar¨¢h looked left and right, searching for her brother.


    ¡°Brother?¡± she called.


    ¡°Brother!¡± she repeated, as she found him lying on the ground.


    ¡°... brother?¡± she whispered, as he did not respond.


    She moved to rise, stumbled a few times before managing to stand on shaky legs and made her way to his unmoving form.


    The creature snapped its head towards her, then followed her gaze.


    *    *    *


    With the were-dog having lost consciousness, tension quickly left him.


    His lungs screamed for oxygen, as he relaxed his posture.


    The fight played out in his mind again.


    Slowing down and catching the attack with both arms, then forcing movement with waki gatame, disarming with kote gaeshi, a quick one-two combination to the face, yoko geri to break the balance, as well as the knee, and finally, choking out the aggressor with hadaka jime.


    Strange words that did not appear to be his native language flowed into his mind, their literal meaning unknown, but strangely familiar. The movements came naturally.


    Practiced.


    Repeatedly.


    His train of thought was broken.


    ¡°Dhearth¨¢ir?¡± a sweet bell-like voice rang out.


    ¡°Dhearth¨¢ir!¡± the voices repeated with urgency.


    ¡°... dhearth¨¢ir?¡± a small whimper.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    His attention focused on the girl, then followed her gaze and before resting on a small immobile shape.


    The girl was making her way towards the little  cub on unsteady legs.


    Moving quickly, he arrived at the motionless body moments before her, scanning the humanoid cub for obvious signs of injury and checking his breathing.


    Fear evident on the her face, the girl started sniveling, repeating the word `dhearth¨¢ir¡ä, carefully shaking the small cub.


    He placed his hands on her shoulder gingerly, then gently pushed her out of the way.


    First he had to check the vitals.


    The cub was lying on its back, unmoving and seemingly not breathing.


    Carefully he examined the it using his tactile senses, checking for any broken bones or swellings.


    Not feeling any signs of damage, he moved on to check breathing and pulse.


    His ear to its chest, looking towards the cub¡¯s face, he listened for a heartbeat.


    The heart was beating steadily, if a little fast. What was the correct pulse for a furry?


    Its chest was rising rhythmically, albeit slowly, as the cub drew in air.


    Everything seemed to be in order, so all he needed to do was to keep the little one warm.


    He took off his coat and wrapped the little cub in it, before gently placing the bundle on the ground.


    Satisfied that the cub was only resting, he turned his focus to the girl, sitting on her knees right next to him, looking up with a terrified expression.


    He smiled and gave her thumbs up, not sure if she would understand the gesture.


    Studying the girl in front him carefully, her relief was evident. As her shoulders dropped low and, after exhaling deeply, her breathing normalized, he noticed the state of her clothes.


    Shredded cotton sleeves soaked in blood. Her attire appeared Asian in design.


    A simple cotton yukata, but her feet ... paws were not covered in sandals, presumably having no need for them.


    ¡°If only I had a first aid kit,¡± he mumbled.


    He heard a little jingle next to him, but after looking left and right, failed to find anything.


    A light flashed from his satchel, and remembering his first experience after he woke up, he quickly inspected its contents again.


    A green bundle with a drawing of a white cross was nestled between the water bottles.


    ¡°I could really use a chicken teriyaki sandwich!¡± he said, slightly louder.


    Nothing happened.


    Mentally slapping himself, he opened the first aid pack. Gauze, dressings, bandages as well as antiseptic spray and a small bottle of saline, various small bottles of painkillers he didn¡¯t dare use and a variety of instruments like tweezers and scissors.


    He could work with that.


    *    *    *


    Ciar¨¢h was looking with interest at the strange contraptions her savior pulled out of his bag.


    The flash of light was probably some form of magic, although she had never seen the old granny ever use such spells. Mostly roasting herbs, smoke in the air and a few incantations, but never direct mana shaping.


    In the stories her sister told her before bedtime, sometimes a magician was included who could weave such spells.


    The heroic magician before her motioned for her to present her arms. Maybe he even knew healing magic?


    Unfortunately he didn¡¯t.


    Merely pouring a strange liquid over her arms, washing away the blood.


    He inspected her arms closely and used one of his strange instruments to rid her arms of pebbles, dirt and twigs.


    Puzzled, she wondered what he was doing. She had to wince as he sprayed something on the wounds that burned. Ciar¨¢h tried to pull her arms away, but he held tightly onto her wrists. Before she could shout in protest, he grabbed some of the smaller pieces of cloth from the pack and arranged them over her still bleeding arms.


    The treatment was apparently finished after he dressed her arms with bandages.


    Ciar¨¢h took a whiff but could not make out their material, the odor confusing her.


    His work finished, he beamed a smile at her, mouthing words she couldn¡¯t understand.


    Probably indicating that his work was done.


    A horn sounded, then howls. Not far from the villages. The hunters had returned, and with them her sister.


    Finally they would be save.


    The last vestiges of apprehension blew away with the sound of the horn.


    Ciar¨¢h started crying.


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 Chapter 05 - The Village

    The small group made their way towards the village.


    The small girl, giving her brother a piggy-back ride, was leading the way.


    Just in case, the `were-dog¡¯ Scar was taken prisoner, hands tied behind his back, the ankle of his unbroken leg fastened to the restraints on the wrists. The dagger sheath was used as a gag.


    It took them more than 15 minutes to reach the settlement. And even before they arrived, the sound of howling and crying reached their ears.


    Worst of all was the stench.


    The smell of iron, burnt hair and flesh wafted through the air.


    A heavy atmosphere covered the area. The grief and pain were almost palpable.


    The group barely stepped into the village when they were immediately surrounded.


    At least ten humanoids, strongly resembling the siblings, had encircled the group, training their weapons at him.


    Spears, short sabers and arrows pointed at him, daring him to make any sudden moves.


    He remained strangely calm. The thought that rose the surface weren¡¯t so much of fear, but of devising strategies and tactics to flee.


    Due to the encirclement, they¡¯d have to worry about friendly fire.


    The weakest one? Most likely that one ...


    The strongest ¡­


    One of the `guards¡ä, armed with two sabers, or more probably cutlasses, stepped forward.


    Two eyes in a white mask lined with red and black markings fixated on him.


    The `guard¡ä in front of him was female, evident by the curves of her body.


    His heart started racing  as he looked at her from top to bottom.


    She was shorter than him, possibly 1,50m or 1,60m.


    The mask she was wearing was flanked by long strands of light reddish, almost orange hair, with strands of black mixed in. Most of the hair, however, was tied into a ponytail and fell between her shoulders.


    Two long fox ears protruded from behind the mask, same color as her hair, with a dark patch of fur at their end.


    Atop her dark robe, or a mix between a short kimono or a yukata that reached her thighs, she wore leather armor.


    A single plate of leather covered the small twin bulges of her breasts. It reached just past the sternum, leaving the area around her abdomen unprotected.


    Her narrow shoulders were protected by laminar leather pauldrons, and her forearms in turn by leather arms guards.


    Her legs were mostly bare, except for another pair of segmented guards across her shins, and along the top of her feet ¡­ paws, similar in style to the ones adorning her arms.


    Behind her shapely legs, a fluffy tail swayed in anticipation.


    Both sides of her waist were flanked by scabbards, slightly curved, that would allow for quick drawing of the the cutlasses. Said weapons were pointed at the ground, leaving the center of the body wide open.


    A trap for sure.


    The entire outfit and posture screamed agility-type. Anyone foolish enough to attack the fake opening would surely suffer.


    The girl next to him shouted ¡°Deirf¨²r!¡± and bolted to the figure standing in front of them.


    The little brother, having gotten off her back earlier, also darted towards the female.


    Happiness radiated from the little ones as the `guard¡ä embraced her in a one armed-hug. However her gaze remained trained on him.


    Apparently `deirf¨²r¡ä and `dearth¨¢ir¡ä were terms of endearment signifying kinship. Probably sister and brother respectively.


    He hoped it meant sister.


    He unceremoniously dropped the captive on the ground, who winced in pain, starting to rouse.


    His eyes swept across the the `guards¡ä surrounding him.


    A mixture between males and females, similarly dressed as the one before him.


    The males were slightly better armored, focussing more on strength. They were moderately, bigger than the females, but none reached his height, the tallest amongst them maybe 1,70m. Their shoulders were broader though, mostly due to bulging muscles barely hidden by their armor and clothes.


    The males were armed with swords and spears, while the females favored the bow and arrow.


    As the little girl talked and gestured, presumably a riveting account of his fight, the `guards¡ä started to relax, lowering their weapons.


    The antics of the little one brought a smile to his face.


    The big sister -he hoped it was ¡®sister¡¯- sheathed her weapons as well, gave the little one another hug, before turning towards him and removing her mask.


    For a moment he forgot how to breathe.


    The face before him was beautiful. He thought so anyway.


    And he¡¯d defend that notion with force.


    Not the breathtaking ethereal beauty that made one hesitate to get closer.


    More the girl-next-door type beauty. The stern look of an `Onee-san¡ä character that couldn¡¯t quite hide the cool beauty under a layer of seriousness.


    The face was heart-shaped, with slightly elevated cheekbones and a tapered jaw line culminating in a pointed chin.


    Slanted eyes, just a little bit, with golden irises flecked with red spots.


    Full lips that were neither too big nor too thin.


    An annoyed jingle of chimes broke his train of thought and he focused on the situation at hand.


    He looked at the older sister as she smiled at the little ones, before directing a stern look towards him.


    She walked over with strong and steady steps, stopped just out of arm¡¯s reach, and started speaking.


    A melodious voice rang out,


    ¡°Enda is ainm dom. Go raibh maith agat as a sh¨¢bh¨¢il mo dearth¨¢ireacha.¡±


    She bowed slightly at those words.


    ¡°Cad is ainm duit?¡±


    He did not understand a word she had said. He tilted his head to the side and just continued to smile.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Cad is ainm duit?¡± She repeated a little annoyed this time. Her thin eyebrows crunching together was kinda cute.


    She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her tail wagged slowly. The expression on her face transmitted her annoyance.


    ¡°Sorry! I don¡¯t understand you,¡± he told her honestly, raising his hands, trying to look non-threatening.


    His movement wasn¡¯t well received, as both her and the others immediately became more cautious.


    She jumped back a little, her hand going to one of her sheathed cutlasses while the some of the female guards drew their bows slightly.


    The male folk just snickered.


    The little girl was talking to her sister in quick bursts, so he couldn¡¯t quite catch what she said.


    Judging by her accusatory tone followed by pleading, she might have been asking her sister if she could keep him as a pet.


    The older one was looking at him again, pointed her finger to her cute little nose and repeatedly said,


    ¡°T¨¢ m¨¦ Enda ¡­ Enda!¡± and while pointing towards him ¡°Ainm?¡±


    The gesture was obvious, but he still couldn¡¯t answer.


    As he tried to recall his name, the high-pitched noise returned and his head started to hurt.


    His face distorted in pain as he massaged his temples.


    ¡°I ¡­ I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    The pain was worsening. Different colored specks dotted his vision and he could hardly keep his eyes open.


    He fell to one knee, the pain quickly becoming barely tolerable.


    Just above the noise, a worried tingling barely registered.


    This time even the men looked anxious. Lost between confusion and apprehension, they didn¡¯t know how to react.


    The girl he had helped, Enda¡¯s sister -he pleaded to whatever gods there were-, looked at him with worry.


    Suddenly a sweet scent wafted through and a clear note resounded in the air.


    The pain was blown away and the screeching high-pitched noise was gone.


    He still didn¡¯t know who he was or how he had gotten there, but a pressure he didn¡¯t realize was there, suddenly lifted from his mind.


    His vision restored, he took in the shape of two newcomers.


    One was an elderly fox lady, with dirty gray hair framing her face, just a tint of reddish brown remaining, her nose resembling a snout.


    One of her ears was shorter than the other, a scar in the shape of a bite mark bringing it to a sudden end.


    She stood hunchbacked, supporting herself on a wooden staff, longer than her height, with bells on its end. The staff looked like a long branch, broken off from a tree.


    Flowers adorned it, although some were only buds.


    A few petals were floating in the air, carried by a non-existent breeze.


    She wore a long grey robe, held together by a wide dark sash.


    A brown fur coat draped over her shoulders.


    Despite her short stature and apparent age, she exuded a strong presence.


    The aged humanoid fox was only half as surprising as the creature standing next to her.


    A giant spider was standing next to her, conversing with her in clicks, hisses and shrill chirps.


    The spider was at least the size of a dog, holding its two-segmented body comfortably half a meter above ground.


    The legs were long, a short segment extending from the abdomen, another upwards almost a full meter, one more almost parallel to the round, another coming down, ending in a claw.


    If it drew to full height, it would easily surpass two and a half meters.


    The laminar shell, so reminiscent of the armor the fox people wore, was dark, with a bluish hue.


    Cyan flesh and membrane were visible between the gaps, as the abdomen expanded with every breath the spider took.


    The air expelled through her abdomen blew fine clouds of dust across the ground in a steady rhythm.


    The mandibles seemed humongous, compared to the head that carried them.


    Another pair of appendages protruded from the side of the head. The spider was rubbing the clawed ends together, almost as if they were hands. They probably functioned as such.


    At least the spider did not look as hairy as a tarantula. The upper side of its abdomen and most of its thorax was covered in short silver fur, contrasting the dark chitin plates.


    Across the thorax, a leather strap was draped, lined with many pockets. At one end, a pair of iron gloves in form of claws dangled.


    The two newcomers talked amongst themselves.


    While the old granny was speaking the same language as the other humanoid foxes, the spider woman uttered in unintelligible clicks, whistles and hisses, before addressing the gathering at large.


    The old granny looked at the group and uttered a single word.


    ¡°Tagaig¨ª!¡±


    Then she turned around, not waiting for a response, and started walking towards one of the dwellings.


    The spider followed first, then the sister -please, gods, please-, Enda, and a few of the guards.


    The little one turned towards him, took hold of his hand and dragged him along.


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 Chapter 06 - Examination

    The group was sitting in one of the dwellings.


    The `house¡¯ - for lack of a better word - was dug into a mound and seamlessly blended into the ground.


    They followed the two leaders, the old fox granny and the spider, into a large round room with a high ceiling.


    It was illuminated through a large hole in the center of the ceiling. A beam of sunlight was shining onto an open fireplace, already stacked with wood, in the center of the room.


    Lining the walls were green stones or fungi, that emitted a faint light, used as light sources in the hallway and other rooms.


    As the group neared them, they turned on, one after another, all except for one. The granny halted next to it, before hitting it with her staff.


    It was presumably beyond her ingenious repair skills, because she cursed under her breath, the intonation being his sole indicator, the words strange and unknown.


    The spider let an amused `hiss¡ä escape. It sounded like a laugh to him.


    Enda berated the granny and urged her onward, looking back at him with a faint blush across her cheeks. Was she embarrassed about the antics of the older fox?


    A smile grew on his face.


    Some things just never changed wherever one might find himself.


    Enda narrowed her eyes at him, then shifted her focus towards her sister still holding onto his hand.


    Now that her apprehension had disappeared and the little girl was certain her siblings were safe, she talked to him energetically. Not stopping. A torrent of words.


    Not that he understood her.


    Not that she cared.


    He did manage to learn her name, he hoped, Keera, or Cira ¡­ Ciar¨¢h, or something along those lines.


    The brother¡¯s name sounded like Aidon, Aidan ¡­  Aodhan.


    They sat in a circle around the center of the room, the spider further in the back, merging with the shadows, and old granny fox in the middle, sitting on a cushion in front of the fireplace.


    Her gaze was fixed on the wooden logs in the center, her staff leaning on her shoulder.


    Balancing precariously.


    The room was filling with an air of anticipation.


    It was almost palpable.


    A snore broke the tension.


    The spider giggled first, Ciar¨¢h soon joining her.


    Enda just facepalmed, before directing her melodious voice towards the snoring granny.


    ¡°M¨¢thair Chr¨ªona!¡±


    *    *    *


    ¡°Granny!¡± Enda repeated.


    Her gaze alternated between the village elder and the strange creature sitting close to her sister Ciar¨¢h, chuckling. This was typical of the old woman. Just one word ¡°Come!¡± before setting off into her burrow. Expecting the others to follow her without complaint.


    Her sister was talking to that creature again. Apparently it saved both her siblings from one of the C?n Nerwnn, the hounds of the dark castle Nerwnn. She was still shocked they actually existed. Her parents had told her stories of course, but they seemed like fairy tales. Supposed to scare her into behaving.


    Her heart tightened and an uncomfortable began festering in the pit of her stomach. If they did not hear that magic explosion, the hunting party might have been too late to return, failing to protect anyone. A large part of the skulk had been taken anyway.


    She wanted to join the scouts sent to follow the tracks at the village gate, after not finding her siblings initially. Despite the elder¡¯s assurances that the two were fine, she needed to make sure herself. Her mother made her promise to look after them, before she ...


    The elder stirred, awoken by Enda¡¯s shout and started speaking, addressing the gathering at large


    ¡°Ah sorry sorry, tis the age, lads and lasses, tis old age ...¡±


    Seriously get on with it! Enda¡¯s thoughts betrayed her agitation. With every moment they wasted, the attackers were gaining distance, and she still hadn¡¯t seen Luchta, the blacksmith¡¯s apprentice that was sweet on her. She was almost of marrying age, and he even gave her a gift.


    Her eyes rested nervously at the knife her sister was carrying.


    She really needed to get that away from her. Ciar¨¢h might cut herself with it.


    ¡°So, WhY ... aRe ... YoU ... HeRe?¡±


    The elder was talking to the creature, emphasizing every syllable loudly. Probably hoping if she spoke slowly enough, it would understand her.


    Enda studied the creature sitting cross-legged. It appeared unarmed, but what it hid under its strange garments, so different than any the traveling merchants had ever brought, remained a mystery.


    From the story Ciar¨¢h had told, it might even be capable of magic.


    As the elder continued ... what was her name anyway? she always had been just `Elder¡¯ or `Granny¡¯ to pretty much the entire village, for as long as Enda could remember ¡­


    Anyway, she continued her attempts at communication, even using her hands and arms.


    What¡¯s with this weird dance ¡­


    ¡°Elder!¡± Enda repeated, over the giggling of her siblings and a snort from the creature.


    There was that gaze again.


    Was it looking for openings? Attempting to guess her combat abilities? Maybe it was preparing a strange spell. A spell using its eyes. Maybe, it was peering into her thoughts.


    Uhm, apples ¡­ rivers ¡­ trees ¡­ playing cubs ¡­ the ball hidden in her armory ¡­ oh sneaky, trying to find out what  kind of weapons she possessed ¡­


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    Her brows furrowed. She was trying to empty her mind, not allowing the strange mind-reading magician creature before her any more glimpses into her mind.


    As Enda¡¯s misunderstanding intensified, the Elder, Druantia, not that anyone actually cared to use her name, was finished with her little deception. The man-creature in front of her was trying hard to suppress its laughter, an action helping convince her it was not dangerous.


    He was not dangerous.


    Proving, at the same time, to have more patience then Enda as well, a useful quality in a mate.


    Hohoho, a mischievous thought struck her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind.


    Actions needed to be taken, and time was growing short.


    Her fun could be had later.


    And the prisoner was already being interrogated by others.


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t speak our language, huh ...¡± she mumbled, more to herself than at him.


    She neared the `guest¡¯, satisfied from the read she had on him so far. She ignored Enda¡¯s protest, warning her of approaching the `deceitful, wretched, mind-reading magic beast.¡¯


    Right, when she had asked for his name, he fell to the floor, obviously in pain.


    There was a clue there, she was sure.


    After giving him a closer inspection, Druantia returned to her seat, resting her old bones.


    She had sensed something. But her friend was more adept at such things.


    ¡°Any ideas, Damh¨¢n-alla?¡±


    Her old friend emerged from the shadows, apparently feeling the need to be theatrically with her growing age, and began studying the man more openly. She most likely learned all she could from observing him before, possibly probing his surface thoughts. The only other path they could take was probably,


    ¡°a dreamwalk ...¡± their voices overlapped.


    *    *    *


    The old vixen, the term felt strangely wrong to him, even if he knew it was technically correct, was studying him, scrutinizing his reactions.


    At first he believed her antics were due to advanced age, but she observed him too carefully for that. The intelligent glint in her eyes betrayed her act. That and a certain presence in his mind. Something foreign. Something he couldn¡¯t quite grasp, just out of reach. Like his memories.


    Her act served to lighten the mood, so he played along. Any attempts of tomfoolery at his part would probably be short-lived, most likely by the spider that was watching him intently from the shadows.


    Ciar¨¢h¡¯s amused laughter and Enda¡¯s embarrassed expression were enough compensation for him.


    Trying not to be detected, he stole a couple of glances at Enda, sitting all serious in seiza. Their eyes met, and his gaze lingered a little longer than it probably should have.


    Her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed slightly, before her cheeks puffed out cutely.


    The sound of annoyed wind chimes resounded next to his ear again, so he returned his attention to the old woman. She had finished her performance and sat back down in deep thought, her fingers rubbing her chin.


    ¡°Mar sin, n¨ª g¨¢ duit a labhairt ¨¢r dteanga, huh ...¡± She muttered under her breath.


    He learned one thing about himself, he did not appear to have an ear for language, the words still strange and alien to him.


    Suddenly she stood back up and approached him. Enda was protesting vehemently. That hurt him a little. Had he done anything to warrant such caution?


    The old woman stopped in front of him, tilted her head this way and that, before moving closer. Her face suddenly filled his vision, peering deeply into his eyes, her fingers parting his eyelids. First his right, then his left.


    He almost threw her on instinct, but the ever watchful gaze of the spider, more so than the fuming Enda, stopped him in his tracks.


    The elder wasn¡¯t finished yet, circling to his ear and inspecting its insides.


    Was she giving him a physical. He¡¯d protest if she¡¯d ask him to drop his pants, though.


    He was quite certain he could communicate that, boundaries had to be established.


    Without warning, she started prodding his head with her staff, before knocking on it with her knuckles.


    Before he could voice his dissatisfaction with the treatment, the old woman had already returned to her cushion with unexpected agility.


    A huge sigh escaped her.


    ¡°Aon smaointe, Damh¨¢n-alla?¡±


    The spider left her hiding space in the back of the room and came forward, its many eyes locked on him.


    A combination of hisses and clicks was overlapping with the voice of the elder.


    ¡°Aisling si¨®l¨²id ...¡±


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 Reader Participation

    This thread is meant for readers to get some input in.


    Questions, spoilers and such things in this thread.


    If you, the reader, have ideas you wish to share, or scenes you''d like to see incorporated, please post here.


    If you have certain gripes, either story, vocabulary or grammar, let me know.


    The best way to improve this story is by letting me know which parts work and which need fixing.


    As mentioned in one of the chapters, I am currently looking for editors, proofreaders and people to bounce ideas off of in general, so, you can apply for a position here.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Hoping for a lively discussion!


    <hr />


    Added a poll for the Fairy''s name, everyone gets three votes, the most popular name shall be chosen. Please no ''Joke Votes''


    If you have a name you think would make a great addition, vote other, and add the name in this thread

 Chapter 07 - Ceremony

    ¡°A dreamwalk ...¡±


    The two elders exclaimed at the same time, before looking at each other, giggling.


    ¡°WE DON¡¯T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!¡±


    Enda shouted at the top of her lungs.


    They had wasted enough time, she thought. A dreamwalk might take hours. Hers certainly didn¡¯t, but she heard stories.


    The hounds were retreating with most of the captured skulk. With every passing moment, they got further away and any trail that could lead her to them might be lost.


    ¡°Silence, whelp!¡±


    Damh¨¢n-alla hissed at Enda.


    She flinched at the pressure radiating from the spider-matriarch.


    Despite being aware that she spoke out of turn, she couldn¡¯t back down.


    Did not want to back down.


    She needed to follow the tracks. Needed to get out of here.


    Enda cursed her impatience. She didn¡¯t need to stay here. Not for the dreamwalk.


    She could leave right now, join the hunting party and start searching.


    Look for the others.


    Look for Luchta.


    ¡°Forgive me. I¡¯m leaving ...¡±


    Bowing once, she prepared to stand up. The strange creature was staring at her dumbfounded, while Ciar¨¢h was looking at her uneasily. Even Aodhan was frightened, hiding behind his younger sister.


    She really did not have time for that.


    ¡°... Ciar¨¢h, take Aodhan and come with me. We¡¯re going home.¡±


    Enda rocked backward a bit, about to use her momentum to stand up. A cold voice stopped her mid-swing.


    ¡°Sit down...¡±


    The elder was looking at her with narrowed eyes.


    Cold sweat was running down Enda¡¯s spine.


    The elder was angry. Really angry. More so than the time Enda messed up her precious herbal garden.It was an accident, she swore, merely attempting to use the nature magic the elder used. Who knew the staff would even amplify her mediocre powers. Leaving them nigh uncontrollable.


    ¡°Ciar¨¢h, go bring your brother home. You need some rest from today¡¯s excitement...¡±


    The voice was gentle now, as if the previous sharpness was but a trick of the mind.


    ¡°But granny ...¡± Ciar¨¢h started. Clearly not having learned from Enda¡¯s previous faux-pax.


    The little one¡¯s eyes shifted to the stranger nervously. So, she was more worried about the creature than her own sister. Anger started to well up in Enda. Then she caught her sister¡¯s gaze. Her concern was clearly conveyed, any doubt blew away instantaneously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little one. They¡¯ll both be fine¡± the old granny assured.


    ¡°Now quickly or ...¡± she stopped herself ¡°... or there¡¯ll be no food prepared. Your sister will be busy.¡±


    Enda was rooted to the spot, cold eyes not allowing her to move. Surely, this was a spell of sorts. No simple gaze should be able to petrify someone this completely. Making sure she hadn¡¯t actually turned to stone, Enda flexed her fingers cautiously, before balling them into fists.


    Ciar¨¢h bowed to the group, her brother imitating her clumsily. Taking his hand, she led him to the exit, before facing them, one last time, and bowed again.


    ¡°Thank you for saving us!¡± she called out to the stranger.


    He looked back at her, and smiled. Maybe he did understand them, and only pretended not to.


    Aodhan¡¯s gazes alternated between his sisters and the stranger. Then he waved his little paw.


    ¡°Thank you, uncle, and bye bye!¡±


    The stranger, that ¡®mind-reading magical beast¡¯ Enda had to remind herself, waved back, giving a small smile.


    With that, the two siblings left, Enda having been forced to remain.


    She knew of the ¡°Dreamwalk,¡± of course, no difficult feat, considering it was part of the coming-of-age ceremony.


    After a series of challenges, mostly ceremonial games and a group-hunt, the cubs that were about to join the skulk as adults, would gather in this chamber. A lit fire, spewing fragrant smoke, and a bowl of herbal soup would be awaiting them.


    The mixture of the soup remained a closely guarded secret.


    After everyone had taken a swig from the same bowl, they were to be guided through a trance by one of the elders, two other adults joining as witnesses, following them into their dream.


    At the end of the ceremony, the pubs would throw a wooden toy into the fire, their childhood name carved into it, before they were given their adult names.


    ¡°Honored elders ...¡± Enda started courteously, to the surprise of both of them ¡°... I am one of the hunters. My time would be best spent aiding the others in searching for our captured brothers and sisters¡±


    The old granny fox was stroking her chin, sprouting a small beard that adorned most of their people when they had reached that age. If they reached that age.


    ¡°No¡±


    The reply was curt, leaving no room to retort.


    Still Enda had to try. As she was about to open her mouth, the elder continued.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who has the necessary experience. I did train you to be my apprentice, remember ...¡±


    Not that she was any good at it. The variety of plants and herbs had confounded her. She once tried to brew a simply tea for her siblings. Luckily the elder knew a good antidote for dragon root poisoning, but it surely wasn¡¯t her fault that someone left the powdered root next to the crushed tea leaves.


    ¡°But the spider-matriarch...¡±


    ¡°Has other duties to attend to¡± the spider hissed, moving from one of the walls. ¡°One of my apprentices shall join you as a witness¡±


    ¡°But ...¡±


    Damh¨¢n-alla turned her body to the other elder present. Taking a deep breath, the older fox focused on Enda. Her lips curved into a strained smile.


    ¡°And what can one more hunter do? This is important as well. Maybe even more so. The timing ...¡±


    Enda wanted to argue. What could one more hunter do?


    She didn¡¯t know, but surely something.


    She couldn¡¯t stand sitting around while her friends were missing. While Luchta and Blanaid ¡­


    Her eyes widened and she started biting her lip.


    Blanaid replaced Enda as the elder¡¯s apprentice, after their respective dreamwalks proved her a better shaman. She became somewhat of a daughter to the older vixen.


    Enda said no more, her eyes resting on the back that suddenly looked so small.


    *    *    *


    He continued to wait, switching from seiza to indian-style after his legs started to tingle.


    Whatever ceremony they were preparing was taking its sweet time to be set up.


    The drama before the preparations even started surely did not help.


    There was a dispute between the two humanoid foxes, the younger clearly wishing to leave.


    After an initial outburst and a hissing reprimand from the spider, Enda¡¯s siblings were sent away. The two children had said something to him, most likely expressing their gratitude, before leaving. He waved them goodbye, hoping he would see them again before he had to leave.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    After a quick back and forth, the proud warrior, Enda, looked surprisingly like a young fox-cub, having apparently been scolded harshly. Some sort of agreement must have been reached, though, as the elder vixen began her work right after. The spider continued to observe for awhile, after striking some sort of string coming out of small hole in the wall.


    The elder fox was fixated on the logs in the fireplace, prodding the wood with her staff.


    Gradually smoke started to rise, before the wood burst into flames. He had not seen her use a lighter or flint, even though some sparks were transferred from the tip of the staff to the timber beneath. How they were created, he did not know.


    The elder began rummaging through several shelves, collecting roots and dried leaves, opening pouches and sniffing their contents, before adding them to the fire. Sometimes, usually when the powdered contents of a pouch were added, a strangely colored flame would erupt, dying the surroundings in the corresponding hue.


    The spider left after a few more hisses and clicks, the only responses being grunts from the older vixen.


    Thick wafts of smoke began filling the room, before another spider creature arrived, looking almost exactly like the other, only ¡­ younger. Less regal.


    She bowed deeply before the old fox, who mostly ignored her, and gave only a curt greeting to Enda.


    At least, he interpreted it that way, judging by the considerably short hisses and clicks she uttered.


    The feeling was apparently mutual, as only an annoyed and equal short reply resounded in response.


    Preparations for the ceremony were seemingly finished, as the elder was starting to fill up a large bowl with a thick soup, smelling very much like medicine.


    The smoky fragrance filling the air was doing its part to making him feel dizzy, so the smell did not help.


    His vision started to blur, and making out the contours of the others became increasingly difficult.


    He was nudged with a bowl that was thrust at him. Wondering if he was supposed to drink it, his hands reached for it.


    Unable to muster any resistance, he took the offered bowl and swallowed a big gulp of the almost pungent liquid.


    The room was starting to spin.


    Interrupting her throaty chanting, the older fox said something he didn¡¯t quite catch, as usual. He wondered briefly whether the soup was meant as babel-fish analogue, because if it was, she must have gotten a bad batch. It wasn''t working. The words were not directed at him, he discovered, as a sudden and very surprised sounding jingle resounded next to his ear.


    He stared at the bowl still in his hands, and a sudden dip in the liquid surprised him.


    The tinkling chime resounded again, and he felt a pressure on his shoulder.


    Unable to rotate his head, he could not figure out what was perching next to it.


    That and his eyelids felt increasingly heavy.


    He blinked a couple of times, trying to fight of the drowsiness. He didn''t see any stone statues he might have to worry about, so he doubted that closing his eyes would be a bad idea.


    The other two participants moved closer, taking a sip of the soup as well.


    The room began spinning faster, and the heavy feeling between his brows intensified.


    The smoke was growing thicker, covering more and more of his vision.


    Something flickered across the wafts of smoke.


    An image?


    His closed his eyes once more and darkness followed.


    *    *    *


    His eyes opened, but he was greeted only by grey smoke.


    A gentle breeze from out of nowhere removed the visual obstruction, granting him a wider field of view.


    Fog was blanketing an unseen floor, wafts of smoky vapor spiraling into the air.


    One of those spirals flashed brightly before dispersing in every direction.


    A glowing figure with long pointy ears, the size of a small girl, was left in its place.


    Wearing a dress that reached her thighs, some threads falling ¡­ floating in the air, almost like tentacles. The dress was made up of the same bright light as her skin, so he couldn¡¯t even be sure she actually was wearing anything. It could have been as much part of her as the strands of hair gently flowing in the air, carried by an unseen breeze.


    Her features remained mostly a mystery, only faint lines of greenish hue offering any hints at her contours.


    She did a quick pirouette, the flowing dress and long strands of bright white hair emitting sparkling spheres and fractals, floating short-lived in the air before disappearing.


    Her face turned towards him, the pulsing green orbs located at eye-level being the strongest indicators of what he was looking at. She tilted her head cutely to the side, before doing a curtsey, the glowing orbs vanishing briefly, as she closed her eyes. When the orbs reappeared she slowly reached towards him, hesitating briefly, before offering her hand.


    He could sense no deception, not sure how he should even know, trusting her more on instinct than actual reasoning.


    Possibly because her entire figure radiated happiness.


    A thin green line appeared below her eyes, where he expected her mouth to be, and grew bigger, as lips of light parted, and a voice echoed in the darkness.


    He winced at the sound of a sped-up recording, accompanied by wind chimes and small bells.


    The smile on the being fell, the glowing green orbs facing downwards, and a sudden sadness overcame him.


    He apologized on reflex.


    The being shook her head, the bright strands of hair following the movements almost lazily, before looking back up, her smile restored, if a little sad.


    Her small hands enveloped his and a refreshing coolness spread from the point of contact, filling his entire being.


    A sudden image of a gentle summer breeze flashed before his eyes.


    The light-being led him by the hand, dragging him onwards, navigating around pillars of smoke, before stopping in front of one.


    Her head turned towards him once more, nodded once, then pulled him in.


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 Chapter 08 - Dreamwalk

    Herbal smoke tickled his nose, and an intermixing smell of charcoaled meat, sizzling on a grill, would have reminded him of a mouth-watering barbeque, if not for the sulphuric hint of rotten eggs, so characteristic of burnt hair.


    The curtain of smoke parted, and the scenery had changed.


    No longer in that room with the billowing smoke vortexes, he found himself back at the village entrance.


    Watching from a distance, he could see a group of familiar looking guards encircling a figure made out of smoke, two small children by its side.


    One of the guards took a graceful step forward, in slow motion, the pair of shapely thighs disappearing beneath the dark hems of a robe, not allowing a glimpse further up.


    Taking of the mask, the guard, Enda, parted her glistening lips, forming words, but no sounds came out.


    He was staring at the scene of his arrival.


    If only he could see his own face, maybe it would spark some memories.


    He walked towards the surrounded trio, barely noticing his brightly glowing companion looking up at him, her green eyes filled with worry, before stopping in front of a nebulous figure.


    The tallest one.


    Judging by his recollection, this one should be him. No face stared back at him, though.


    Only shapeless smoke.


    His jaw clenched and his grip tightened. Would he be denied even this? Surely, just a glimpse of his face wasn¡¯t too much to ask.


    How thick were his eyebrows? Did he have any identifying scars? Could they tell him a story, like, if he¡¯d been in many fights? Did he win them often, lost some, or even most?


    Strength left his face and his fingers loosened.


    What color were his eyes?


    Something tightened around his hand, and his eyes darted to the side. Two half covered orbs of green light, twinkling worriedly, peered up into his face. He returned the gesture, squeezing her hand gently, before refocusing his attention to the amorphous figure of smoke in front of him.


    Just then, the girl of light began pulling on his hand, urging him onward, away from the unhelpful clouds of murky vapor.


    Puffing up her cheeks, an annoyed twinkle adorned her face. She started yanking forcefully on his arm, trying to lead him into the forest. Did she want to show him something, or simply wish to lead him away?


    A sudden bark stopped them. The light-being sighed before turning towards the origin of the sound. A young fox stood before the two, barking and yelping at them.


    The girl tried to ignore it, and urged him on insistently. This only helped to infuriate the fox and she began jumping up and down.


    He found it kinda cute. The little fox vying for his attention. He felt like picking it up, and scratching it behind the ears.


    The girl halted, turned towards the fox and said something in that sped up voice of hers, an annoyed tinkling of the wind chimes echoing along.


    The fox replied with barks and yelps. The girl just shrugged her shoulders, before crossing her arms, finding the vaporous sky suddenly intensely interesting.


    After looking back towards the three figures surrounded by the guards, the fox trotted towards him, nudging his leg with her snout, pushing him onward, towards the forest.


    Could that fox possibly be ...


    The girl was sporting a vexed glare, the green orbs he identified as eyes pulsing angrily as they bored into him. Shaking her head, she grabbed his hand again and started leading him into the sea of trees.


    His vision was covered by smoke again, but it was blown away even before he could dispel it with his free hand.


    *    *    *


    He was back inside the forest, looking at a man-shaped cloud of smoke bending over a wooden trap.


    The warmth around his hand disappeared, and the girl was speeding towards the scene.


    One moment standing next to, then dancing, twirling around the foggy shape, her eyes sparkling with an overjoyed twinkle.


    Clearly she saw something he didn¡¯t.


    Couldn¡¯t see.


    She turned towards him, a beaming smile on her face. At least he thought so, before he had to shield his eyes from her blinding light, the dissonant melody of her sped-up voice and the wind chimes reaching him in waves.


    ¡°So this is where the two of you met ...¡±


    A female voice mixed in. This one somewhat sultry and a little mysterious, but clearly understandable.


    From the vaporous ceiling a shadow descended, landing before him in swirling vortex of smoke and fog.


    The shadow increased in height, the shape becoming more and more recognizable.


    Or not, as it remained an amorphous blob, supported by eight tentacles.


    He tried to raise his awareness, focusing his concentration on the intruder, but the dull headache between his eyes cut his efforts short.


    It was a weird feeling, trying to identifying the shadowy blob in front, connecting it with the almost sultry voice from before. The voice appealed to him. The shadowy blob, not so much.


    It became even harder with said blob adopting an arachnid form.


    The once sultry voice suddenly turned high-pitched. Rapidly rising thoughts weren¡¯t terribly helpful; girls-concert-bleeding ears.


    ¡°Oh ¡­ so this is how a fay looks like in a dreamwalk ¡­ so interesting ... ¡±


    The spindly legs turned back into tentacles and started prodding the glowing girl. She tried to dodge as best as she could, but the ¡®attacks¡¯ came too fast. Catching two of the tentacles with her hands, she tried to push a third away with her foot.


    It was an unreal spectacle, to say the least. Almost like a childish fight between one being of light and one of darkness. Slowly darkness was overpowering the light, but, ah, the tides were turning when ...


    The fox barked loudly, jumping between the two combatants.


    The momentary distraction was enough for the brightly shining girl, and she fled, hiding from the shadow behind his back.


    Her sped-up voice called out angrily at the shadowy blob, slowly returning to solidity, resembling more and more, the spider that came for the ceremony.


    The arachnid looked saddened, her ¡®shoulders¡¯ drooping. She started mumbling in her slightly higher pitched voice.


    ¡°First time I see a fairy ¡­ just had to study her ¡­ only a few prods ¡­ not like you get many chances ¡­ especially their astral body ¡­ so pretty, hehehe¡±


    A sudden image of a drooling arachnid flashed before his eyes.


    OK, he decided, this had gone long enough. He needed some answers.


    The consistently yelping fox, probably Enda, wasn¡¯t helping.


    ¡°Can you understand me?¡±


    ¡°yes yes ¡­ dreamwalk ¡­ different plane ¡­ not actually speaking ¡­¡±


    He opened his mouth, trying to get a word in. The spider continued unabated.


    ¡°more like ¡­ telepathy, strange word, telepathy-telepathy-telepathy-tlepath ¡­ outh, bid ma dongue ¡­ wait I don¡¯t have a tongue¡±


    OK, this spider was crazy. Where¡¯d that sultry seductress from before go?


    ¡°Where are we? What is this place?¡± Her momentary distraction with her anatomy, missing anatomy, allowed him to address her sternly.


    ¡°Told you ¡­ dreamwalk ¡­ memories ¡­ yours, I think ¡­ or hers ¡­ more likely yours ¡­ definitely yours¡±


    The girl next to him started tugging on his sleeves ¡­ he had sleeves in a dream? ¡­


    The sound of wind chimes returned, accompanying that sped up voice of hers, sounding slightly slower than before.


    ¡°thkufsvinm¡±


    ¡°Fairy ... wants to thank you ... freeing her from that trap, most likely ¡­ wooden trap ¡­ ¡°


    The arachnid was circling around the scene of the nebulous ¡®him¡¯ opening the trap, prodding the wooden structure with her appendages, using them more like tentacles again, rather than legs. Somehow her shape seemed different, less like a spider and more ¡­ humanoid.


    ¡°¡± probably kids ¡­ shoddy work¡±


    She was standing mostly on two legs now, thicker and more shapely than before. The other appendages, visibly thinner, switched between helping support her weight, and, occasionally,  studying the surroundings, nudging this and prodding that.


    The fox, larger than a dog now, started barking and howling again.


    ¡°Ke-t Ha-ew--vin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine¡±


    The shadow waved one of her arms, whirling up smoke, the scenery changing almost instantly.


    *    *    *


    They were back at the forest clearing he initially found himself in. The fox, the shadow and the girl all standing close to him. The girl, still hiding behind him, stuck out a light green tongue at the shadow woman.


    The shadow spider ¡­ woman started speaking in her sultry voice again.


    ¡°Together, we shall ...¡±


    Her voice rose sharply, into quirky fan-girl mode again.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Oh ¡­ interesting ¡­ circle ¡­ must ask the Matriarch ¡­¡±


    Maybe he could find a long needle to rupture his eardrums? Or better, suture and needle, sew her mouth shut ¡­ great, she didn¡¯t even have a mouth.


    ¡°... or maybe ... yes, Druanta would be better ¡­¡±


    The shadow woman was stroking her chin with one hand, while one of the long appendages, now growing out of her back, scratched at her temple. Then she returned to studying the surroundings, the four spindly arms ¡­ or spider-legs? ... growing out of her back moving about the grass, prodding the trees, brushing off leaves and even digging at the moss covering the ground. The foliage had covered a large circle, carved into the ground.


    A figure of smoke was lying atop it, but as soon as the woman ran one of her ¡®arms¡¯ through it, it turned into whirlwind, joining the murky clouds hanging overhead, before being sucked into them.


    ¡°Quickly¡± the fox, now walking on its hindlegs, shouted excitedly, the scene starting to change just as she uttered the word.


    The spider woman was less enthused, probably wanting to linger.


    ¡°Bugger, I was studying that.¡±


    The girl on his side, the being of light, tugged at his sleeve again, looking up at him with green orbs twinkling worriedly. She was shaking her head emphatically. Something seemed to have spooked her.


    ¡°Dontgodangerous¡± accompanied with the familiar sound of metal wind chimes.


    *    *    *


    Everything went dark. The fog strangely absent this time. Something felt ¡­ changed.


    Somehow, more lucid.


    ¡°This is ¡­ different...¡± The spider woman, sultry voice restored, uttered apprehensive.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Enda asked, now looking far more anthropomorphic, her curves having been returned almost completely, fox fur still covering her body.


    ¡°Took you long enough...¡±


    Only the girl kept her lips tightly sealed the entire time, looking worriedly left and right. She flinched when the sound of bolts being locked reverberated loudly.


    Lights flickered into existence, marking a path in front of the quartet, erupting pair by pair along a wide hallway, illuminating a myriad of doors.


    Some looked ancient, like moss-covered stone, others resembled heavy steel doors, and still others like ¡­ plywood office doors?


    He started to move forward, but stopped, feeling a sudden tug, pulling him back. The girl¡¯s light was growing dim, the only brightly glowing part, her fingers, desperately clinging to his wrist.


    His free hand moved to her head, gently patting it. She looked up at him with widened green orbs, before staring at the floor again.


    She was the only one of the three who didn¡¯t change much since the beginning. He wondered if she knew this place, had any connections towards it. She knew something.


    Bad memories, perhaps.


    He moved his fingers from her head to her hands, before kneeling in front of her.


    Just continuing to smile at her, caressing the back of her hands gently. He wanted to reassure her. Was there something he could say? Some magic words to make her feel safe?


    After what seemed like forever, she nodded weakly, and the group set off.


    *    *    *


    They kept on walking through the hallway, trying various doors, all of them locked.


    All but one. Forcing it closed again, they agreed to never mention it again.


    Ever.


    Reaching the end of the dark hallway, they stood before a huge double-sided door.


    Almost two and half meters high, the door appeared to be made from solid wood, oak perhaps, reinforced with wide iron straps, fist sized nails securing them on the wood.


    A huge lock, held in place by chains, was keeping the door shut tightly. Its keyhole was surrounded by what looked like two hooded figures, carrying long scythes, one held normally, the other upside-down. The blades reached from one figure to the other, completing the encirclement.


    The chains appeared to grow out the Reapers¡¯ backs, lodged between two lumps that might once have extended into wings.


    As he moved closer to the door, the high-pitched noise returned. An unwanted companion.


    An almost forgotten pain.


    Only this time, even the others could hear it.


    The girl of light kept shaking her head, whimpering something, but it was drowned out by an ever increasing shriek.


    Like a warning. Telling them to stay away.


    Covering his ears, he tried to back away, but stumbled, his sense of balance suffering from the sound. Tumbling backwards, he overcompensated forward, and trying not to kiss the floor, his hand touched the lock.


    With an audible click, the lock sprung open, the scythes retracting into the Reapers¡¯ robes, the chains that held it in place falling to the floor.


    ¡®What¡¯s the keyhole for then¡¯, he intended to scream loudly. But other sounds muffled his voice.


    The echo of the rattling chains, and the sound of the lock smashing into the floor, traveled down the hallway.


    The humanoid spider and fox were looking at him accusatory, while the girl was cowering behind him, holding onto his back with quivering arms.


    The door swung open and the quartet was bathed in light.


    *    *    *


    In an instant, they found themselves transported to a meadow. The sun up in the sky, sending warm rays of light at the group. The chirping of birds echoed in the distance.


    Their mouths agape, the group was left confused.


    They had expected something else. Someplace darker. Maybe some flames. Definetly no birds.


    A gentle breeze blew from behind.


    His gaze followed leaves and dandelion snow floating in the air, blown towards a solitary tree in the middle of the idyllic meadow.


    A large crystal was standing in its shade. Something was circling it, a large creature of pure light, with several tentacles trailing behind it.


    Something was trapped within the structure.


    No ... someone.


    The person looked strangely familiar.


    The creature noticed them.


    Enveloping the structure with its body, its tentacles drilled into the ground and its head turned towards them.


    An almost earth-shattering shriek was sent their way.


    It stopped just a suddenly. Its head staying locked on the quartet.


    He felt like it was looking at him.


    Staring at him.


    One of the tentacles was pulled out of the ground and moved towards him gingerly.


    Quivering even.


    Like it was reaching for something precious.


    Then smoke erupted around them, covering them, shielding them from the creature.


    Everything went dark.


    He opened his eyes, back in the village-chamber, the room still swirling before his eyes. Everything felt slightly out of focus.


    His head felt like it was splitting apart, something alive trying to worm its way outside.


    If this was how hangovers felt like, he probably was not a heavy drinker.


    The spinning came to a slow stop, and he began recognizing shapes again.


    To his right a coughing Enda, in front of him the worried face of the old granny.


    He looked to his left and a small shriek almost escaped him.


    A large cocoon was standing next to him, covered in webs, long strings connected to the walls and floors.


    <hr />


    Author''s Note:


    Don''t worry if this chapter leaves you a little confused. It''s meant to. Although never having drugs myself, I have been informed that such trances can be quite disorienting and almost nonsensical, although this one appears to be quite lucid.


    There''s some hints and such for future developments and even arcs, but I hope I''m not too ''spoilerish''


    As always, your input is greatly appreciated, either in the comments here, or the reader participation thread!


    <hr />


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 Character Sheets

    I have decided to post Character sheets to this here thread, you see.


    If you have any questions, of feel like something should be added, just post a comment.


    In case you are more artistically inclined, I invite you to draw a picture of a Character and post it.


    As a bonus, I might add the best Pictures as ''Official Art'' to the story!


    Here''s the first:


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Character Sheet</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''1''>Name</td><td colspan=''1''>Si¨²l¨®r (Wanderer)</td><td colspan=''1''>Race</td><td colspan=''1''>Human</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''1''>Type</td><td colspan=''1''>Magic Swordman (WuXia)</td><td colspan=''1''>Alignment</td><td colspan=''1''>Chaotic Good - The Wanderer</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Characteristics</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Height</td><td colspan=''1''>1,79m</td><td width="25%">Weight</td><td colspan=''1''>74,4kg</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Eye Color</td><td colspan=''1''>Green</td><td width="25%">Hair Color</td><td colspan=''1''>Dirt Blond</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Body Shape</td><td colspan=''1''>athletic, Muscular, Square</td><td width="25%">Face Shape</td><td colspan=''1''>Square</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Clothing Style</td><td colspan=''1''>dark, light armor, Pea Coat, Mask</td><td width="25%">Mannerism</td><td colspan=''1''>curteous, distant[/td1/]</tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Attributes</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength</td>[td1]Medium</td><td width="25%">Agility</td><td colspan=''1''>Medium</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td colspan=''1''>Medium</td><td width="25%">Intelligence</td><td colspan=''1''>High[/td1/]</tr><tr><td width="25%">Perception</td>[td1]High</td><td width="25%">Willpower</td><td colspan=''1''>High[/td1/]</tr><tr><td width="25%">Luck</td>[td1]High</td><td width="25%">Magic</td><td colspan=''1''>High[/td1/]</tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Mental Characteristics</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Motivation</td><td colspan=''3''>Curiosity: Amnesia, Transport, World</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Likes</td>[td1]kids; lazing in the sun; sightseeing; ¡®his ladies¡¯</td><td width="25%">Dislikes</td><td colspan=''1''>Slavery, Bullies, unflavored food</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Reactions</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fear</td><td colspan=''1''>Fight Instinct</td><td width="25%">Loss</td><td colspan=''1''>Solitdue</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Anger</td><td colspan=''1''>cold, analytical, desctructive</td><td width="25%">Affection</td><td colspan=''1''>hesitant, observant</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Unknown</td><td colspan=''1''>curious, careful</td><td width="25%">Embarassment</td><td colspan=''1''>blush, stammering</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Other</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Style</td><td colspan=''3''>Loose fitting, easy to move in</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Skills</td><td colspan=''3''>Martial Arts, First Aid, Magic (Summoning, Magic Swordsman)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Siblings</td><td colspan=''3''>unknown</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Hobbies</td><td colspan=''3''>Observation, Martial Arts, Peeking</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Greatest Flaw</td><td colspan=''1''>hesitant to seriously Injure, or kill</td><td width="25%">Best Quality</td><td colspan=''1''>analytical/strategic mind</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <hr />


    Second Character Sheet:


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Character Sheet</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''1''>Name</td><td colspan=''1''>Enda (Irish Gaelic: Fire)</td><td colspan=''1''>Race</td><td colspan=''1''>Homo Vulpis</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''1''>Type</td><td colspan=''1''>DPS, Agility-Tank</td><td colspan=''1''>Alignment</td><td colspan=''1''>chaotic neutral - Free Spirit</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Characteristics</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Height</td><td colspan=''1''>1,58m</td><td width="25%">Weight</td><td colspan=''1''>56,1kg</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Eye Color</td><td colspan=''1''>Gold, Red Flecks</td><td width="25%">Hair Color</td><td colspan=''1''>Reddish Orange, Black Tints</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Body Shape</td><td colspan=''1''>athletic, muscular, Peach</td><td width="25%">Face Shape</td><td colspan=''1''>Heart Shaped</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Clothing Style</td><td colspan=''1''>dark, light armor, Yukata(Asian), Mask</td><td width="25%">Mannerism</td><td colspan=''1''>hot-headed[/td1/]</tr><tr><td width="25%">Sizes</td><td width="25%">74 B</td><td width="25%">56</td><td width="25%">79</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Attributes</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength</td>[td1]Medium</td><td width="25%">Agility</td><td colspan=''1''>High</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td colspan=''1''>high</td><td width="25%">Intelligence</td><td colspan=''1''>Medium[/td1/]</tr><tr><td width="25%">Perception</td>[td1]Medium</td><td width="25%">Willpower</td><td colspan=''1''>Medium[/td1/]</tr><tr><td width="25%">Luck</td>[td1]High</td><td width="25%">Magic</td><td colspan=''1''>Low[/td1/]</tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Mental Characteristics</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Motivation</td><td colspan=''3''>Protection of the Skulk, Being a good Sister, later: Love</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Likes</td>[td1]Luchta (Pre-Rescue), Gifts (Useful)</td><td width="25%">Dislikes</td><td colspan=''1''>MC (Pre-Rescue), weak man, Betrayal, Tamela</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fears</td><td colspan=''3''>Solitude, Losing her siblings, Ghosts</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Reactions</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fear</td><td colspan=''1''>aggresive</td><td width="25%">Loss</td><td colspan=''1''>sadness, seeks comfort</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Anger</td><td colspan=''1''>growling, aggressive, attempt to remain calm</td><td width="25%">Affection</td><td colspan=''1''>shy, uncertainty</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Unknown</td><td colspan=''1''>hidden curiosity, prodding with stick</td><td width="25%">Embarassment</td><td colspan=''1''>deep blush, shy</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Other</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Style</td><td colspan=''3''>athletic, practical, Asian</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Skills</td><td colspan=''3''>Iaido, Stealth Kills, Quick Step, Counter, Battle Sense</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Siblings</td><td colspan=''3''>Ciar¨¢h (Sister:8yrs), Aodhan (brother:4yrs)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Hobbies</td><td colspan=''3''>Training, Housework, Singing (bad)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Greatest Flaw</td><td colspan=''1''>poisonous brewing, hot headed, inexperienced</td><td width="25%">Best Quality</td><td colspan=''1''>Loyalty, speedy fighter</td></tr></tbody></table>


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    <hr />


    Third Character Sheet


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Character Sheet</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''1''>Name</td><td colspan=''1''>F¨ªod¨®ir(Weaver)</td><td colspan=''1''>Race</td><td colspan=''1''>Arachnea</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''1''>Type</td><td colspan=''1''>Rogue</td><td colspan=''1''>Alignment</td><td colspan=''1''>Chaotic Neutral - The Seeker of Knowledge</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Characteristics</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Height</td><td colspan=''1''>1,76m</td><td width="25%">Weight</td><td colspan=''1''>55kg</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Eye Color</td><td colspan=''1''>dark-white</td><td width="25%">Hair Color</td><td colspan=''1''>Silver Hair, olive chitin plates -cyan skin</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Body Shape</td><td colspan=''1''>Hour-Glass, muscular legs and abdomen</td><td width="25%">Face Shape</td><td colspan=''1''>heart shaped</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Clothing Style</td><td colspan=''1''>punk-loli</td><td width="25%">Mannerism</td><td colspan=''1''>inquisitive, attempting seductress[/td1/]</tr><tr><td width="25%">3-Sizes</td><td width="25%">85 D</td><td width="25%">54</td><td width="25%">86</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Attributes</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength</td>[td1]Medium</td><td width="25%">Agility</td><td colspan=''1''>High</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td colspan=''1''>Medium</td><td width="25%">Intelligence</td><td colspan=''1''>High[/td1/]</tr><tr><td width="25%">Perception</td>[td1]High</td><td width="25%">Willpower</td><td colspan=''1''>High[/td1/]</tr><tr><td width="25%">Luck</td>[td1]High</td><td width="25%">Magic</td><td colspan=''1''>Medium[/td1/]</tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Mental Characteristics</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Motivation</td><td colspan=''3''>Curiosity, Learning</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Likes</td>[td1]New things, Books, Knowledge, Spirits</td><td width="25%">Dislikes</td><td colspan=''1''>Boring things, Reptilians</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Reactions</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fear</td><td colspan=''1''>stuttering, wide eyed, maniac laughing/ mumbling</td><td width="25%">Loss</td><td colspan=''1''>Solitdue</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Anger</td><td colspan=''1''>cold, analytical, deadly</td><td width="25%">Affection</td><td colspan=''1''>sultry - shy(when returned)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Unknown</td><td colspan=''1''>high-pitched chatter, prodding, inquisitive</td><td width="25%">Embarassment</td><td colspan=''1''>high-pitched giggles - sultry voice</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Other</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Style</td><td colspan=''3''>punk loli; goth</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Skills</td><td colspan=''3''>Sneaking, Spider Silk, Weaving, Ancient Knowledge, Literate</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Siblings</td><td colspan=''3''>Hive</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Hobbies</td><td colspan=''3''>Reading, Studying, Potion Brewing</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Greatest Flaw</td><td colspan=''1''>forgets herself when something interests her</td><td width="25%">Best Quality</td><td colspan=''1''>Wisdom, Rogue</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 09 - Companions

    The sudden appearance of the cocoon had shocked him.


    Startled, he pushed himself backwards, frantically trying to create a safe distance. Varied thoughts raced through his mind, still hazy from the smoke; the most prevalent one ¡®How¡¯d that get here¡¯.


    His eyes searched left and right, looking for answers he would surely not find lying on the ground. To his right, Enda was hunched over expelling whooping coughing sounds.


    Wishing to help, he stood up quickly. Or at least tried to. No strength filled his legs, only tingling pricks traveled from his feet up his calves. Swaying unsteady, he fell to his knees, a dull pain spreading on impact. Still his feet remained asleep, only a dull pressure convincing him that they were still connected. His apprehension flared, and his gaze snapped back at the cocoon.


    First, create some distance, then assess the situation. If necessary, kill it with fire.


    Enda¡¯s coughing returned his attention to the situation in front of him. His head spun to the right, and his hand sped forward with determination, but stopped suddenly.


    She looked so ... vulnerable. His mind was filled with ... white cloth?


    Confusion spread. He wondered briefly how part of the cocoon had managed to get stuck at that place, just before recognition hit. This was no spidery cocoon but an enigmatic cotton cloth, covering a stimulating shape. Something that intrigued the minds of men and adolescent boys everywhere. Anywhere.


    His heart rate sped up at the unexpected ¡®gift¡¯ even as his emotional state was rapidly approaching turmoil. Conflicting emotions of excitement and guilt washed over him.


    No, this wasn¡¯t the time for this, he forced his mind back to the ¡®Elephant¡¯ in the room.


    A voice within protested, but he knew the cocoon proved the more important issue,


    Ok, change of plans. Create some distance, drag Enda along, assess the situation, maybe cop a feel. Don¡¯t get dead. And then, if necessary, kill it with fire.


    Taking a big gulp of spicy, smoky air, his fingers dug into the floor, and he pushed himself forward. His legs were waking up slowly, too slowly, only the feeling of tiny needles stabbing into them as proof that something was even happening.


    A sudden noise broke his concentration.


    His head spun back to the cocoon. Nothing. Just like before. Would his neck survive this constant shifting, rotating?


    The noise? A shriek.


    Now, a groaning sound, too high pitched for Enda though.


    His hand felt something squishy.


    A probing squeeze was answered with a cute ¡®Kyah¡¯, followed by a moan.


    What the hell was going on here? The situation was developing into a never-ending mess.


    Looking at his hand, a misty figure was trapped beneath his palm, about the size of a fashion doll. What the hell was Monster High? The milky-transparent female shape was barely visible, but cast a gentle lime green glow on its immediate surroundings, namely his hand and floor. Her futile struggle to break free only helped to gently massage the insides of his hand.


    Her wriggling stopped only after she noticed him staring at her.


    With a blinding flash of light, her whole body became visible.


    A familiar shape. The image of a recent acquaintance floated to his mind.


    The girl trapped underneath his palm, was the same girl he met in his vision, only shining less brightly. Her contours were clearly visible this time, an adorable face with a pointy nose looking back at him. Her bright, almost glowing, green eyes peered into his, before her line of sight darted to the side.


    Her cheeks flushed green, and her long ears lowered in embarrassment, before she started twiddling with her fingers and mouthing words.


    What was supposed to be OK if it was him?


    Trying to move his hand away, her ears twitched nervously and her blush intensified.


    A sudden whack assaulted his head, followed by a dull pain.


    His hands flew to the aching spot on the top of scalp, caressing it, and he turned to face his attacker.


    Two voices overlapped, thick with an Irish accent, muttering annoyed,


    ¡°Foighne ort!¡± - ¡°Get a Grip¡±


    But what truly puzzled him was that both voices sounded the same. Like some recording of the same person speaking two different languages and then playing both at the same time.


    With unbelieving eyes, he mouthed words, no sounds escaping, staring at the old granny.


    ¡°Ni getting any ¨®g ¡­ spit it out!¡± The twin voices began overlapping, being almost in sync.


    ¡°Why are you speaking English?¡± ¡­ the ¡®almost¡¯ he swallowed.


    ¡°Eengriish?¡±


    What? His confusion intensified. Just now he heard her speaking almost perfect English. But this she wasn¡¯t getting? Annoyance mixed into confusion. He was about to speak ...


    ¡°Oh, means te DreamWaw¡¯k, prrobable. Makes ye fanny in te head forr a¡¯vail¡±


    One eyebrow rose almost reflexively, his annoyance outgrowing his confusion. Was she doing this on purpose now? It sounded almost like an Irish accent¡­ his tirade stopped momentarily.


    What¡¯s Irish? Must be a language, if it isn¡¯t an accent. His eyes widened with a late realization. What was English? Also a language, obviously. A language he spoke. And Irish ¡­ as well? Probably, maybe? Was he really able to speak it? His initial instinct, no.


    Unsure at the end of his discovery, uncertainty began winning over annoyance again.


    Was Irish a language, or merely an accent for English speaking people? How did he know ¡®English¡¯ and ¡®Irish¡¯ but not of ¡®Englishland¡¯ or ¡®Irishland¡¯ ¡­ no, the words felt wrong, somehow.


    His thought process sped up again, trying to connect dots he wasn¡¯t even sure were there.


    Englishland ¡­ Irishland ¡­ England, there that felt better. Iriland, no, also wrong. Irland? that also felt wrong ¡­ close, but wrong¡­ maybe Ireland? Yes, that felt finally right.


    England and Ireland. Two ... countries, maybe? Was one of them his home?


    He couldn¡¯t be sure, but he did not feel like they were. But they were connected, somehow ... If only he could find out how ...


    ¡°Oye, brroke any marrbles? Wan¡¯ me t¡¯hit ya again?¡± The older fox asked him, amusement prevalent in her voice. And just a tinge of concern?


    ¡°Have you heard of ¡®England¡¯ or ¡®Ireland¡¯ by any chance?¡±


    The granny scratched her chin pensively. Her eyes grew distant, searching for any memories connected to the terms. She found none apparently, shaking her head, before addressing him again.


    ¡°Nope, ne¡¯er heard of Eengland or Eyerland. There¡¯re some islands in the seas to t¡¯e west of ¡®ere. Or so te merchant claims...¡±


    ¡®Now that was a bust¡¯ he thought dejectedly. Well, the islands to the west could be a possible clue, but it felt wrong to him. He did connect Ireland with islands in his mind, but something still felt off.


    He surveyed the room again, still under the watchful gaze of the old fox woman.


    Something felt different.


    When he first arrived, he felt almost nothing. Now, however, the room, although spacious, seemed simple, quaint even. Like something from older times. Much older.


    But that was not what surprised him. No the sudden feeling was. Nothing when he came here, something after the ¡®Dreamwalk.¡¯


    It felt weird to say it, even if only in his thoughts, but now, he felt ... warmer. As if he was trapped in ice before, but now he was thawing out. And with it, his feelings began bubbling to the surface.


    ¡°Oye, focus, som¡¯tin¡¯s happinin¡¯ to te Cocoon!¡± The old vixens expectant voice pulled him from his thoughts. Even if he knew he was on to something, he needed more information first.


    Besides, the Cocoon was the more pressing of his concerns.


    His attention returned to the ¡®Cocoon,¡¯ something indeed was happening to it.


    Whatever was inside was trying to break free. Two spiders, one small, one slightly larger, had entered the chamber and were flanking it. Two spiders? His mind began connecting the pieces. In his haste, he had forgotten one important piece of the puzzle ...


    The oval structure was beginning to show cracks.


    Liquid and steam escaped from the growing fissures, creating a hissing sound.


    A large chunk of the cocoon suddenly broke away.


    Four fingers, or more like claws, grabbed the side, exerting strength, cracking the shell even further.


    At first only silver hair was visible, but it quickly gave way to olive skin.


    The darker parts reminded of the chitin plating of the spider¡¯s original from, cyan veins were pulsating strongly in rhythm of her heartbeat, he guessed.


    Her heart rate appeared to be elevated. But then, how could one tell, with a giant humanoid spider. No, arachnid human?


    Her wet silver hair, shoulder length, clung tightly to her face, only the full iris-blue lips and a pointy chin were uncovered.


    Parting it with her three-clawed hands, the heart shaped face became visible.


    Three claws?


    A second pair of arms extended from her back, over her shoulders, and a third brushed past her hips. The dark chitin plating glistened in the artificial light of the Mana Stones.


    On each side of the face, three eyes were arranged in a triangular fashion, one large and two smaller ones at its side, for a total of three pairs.


    Almost entirely dark, only the irises were white, dotted with rounded pupils.


    Thin brows arched over the the three pairs of eyes, ending just with the brow bone.


    Chitin ridges grew out of the temples, snaking their ways along the sides, just above the ears.


    It looked almost like a tiara made of dark glistening bone, or chitin.


    The breasts were bare, and just the right size for the frame. Not too small, but certainly not too big. Even her nipples ...


    He blushed as she noticed him staring, equally glad and regretful that his gaze did not wander lower, past her shapely hips and thin, long, yet muscular legs and hidden between the thigh gap ...


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He had to wince, as a sudden pinch assaulted his right ear, before an annoyed metal chime was heard.


    Ok, so he did look, but he didn¡¯t get a good look!


    The two spiders flanking the cocoon, the smaller male and the larger female, quickly stepped forward and presented the changed spider, now a spider-woman, with clothes.


    A silk lace camisole dress was held out, which she leisurely changed into.


    It barely reached her thighs.


    Another item was handed to her, a black frayed asymmetrical skirt, heavily favoring the right side.


    A dark red leather underbust corset pushed up her twin bulges, barely hidden by the lace of the camisole dress.


    With every breath she took, the breasts moved in rhythm, and the lace top expanded slightly.


    A leather belt finished the sensual assemble, lined with pockets and pouches.


    With a sultry voice, she introduced herself,


    ¡°Greetings Traveler, my name is ¡®F¨ªod¨ªor¡® we met previously ...¡± then her voice turned high-pitched, ¡°... oh the fairy¡¯s here, goodie, come here little one, I won¡¯t bite ¡­ hehehe ¡­ oops, I¡¯m drooling again ...¡±


    ¡®The shadow woman?¡¯ The arachnid creature in the ¡®Dreamwalk¡¯? His guess was right. The spider-woman in the dream had indeed been the same spider from before. But how had she changed forms? Was this something all spiders could do? His gaze swept over the other two, half expecting them to weave cocoons around themselves and begin a similar change as well.


    Her sultry voice resounded again. She must have managed to regain her composure.


    ¡°Well, this was unexpected. I have only heard of such transformations ... must have been centuries since ...¡±


    Her pitch was returning to the ¡®annoying¡¯ frequency.


    ¡°Oh ... yes ... the spiders of old ... if enough Mana was present ¡­ yes, yes ¡­ but with just a Dreamwalk? ¡­ maybe that last place ... ?¡±


    So, his ¡®Dreamwalk¡¯ was the cause of it. At least it wasn¡¯t a singular event. Past occurrences hopefully meant someone had studied the phenomenon.


    ¡°So, that last place, huh?¡± He added, trying to sneak it into her thought process.


    ¡°yes yes ¡­ that was almost certainly ¡­ but no, it couldn¡¯t have been ¡­ but that¡¯s the only ...¡±


    ¡°The only possibility yes, but what was that place?¡± Come on, throw me a bone here.


    ¡°The Space in between the Planes ¡­ but only ...¡± Finally, answers were leaking out!


    ¡°Only ¡­ what?¡±


    The spider-woman stopped her ramblings. He wanted to shout at her to continue, but an aggressive attitude would possibly have the opposite effect, so he swallowed his dissatisfaction.


    Her eyes turned to him, and she began to study him, as if she just realized he was here.


    ¡°Yes? How may I be of service?¡± He asked with a polite bow.


    ¡°Undress?¡± She asked hopefully.


    ¡°Hm, let me think ¡­ here¡¯s a clue: NO!¡± What was up with that spider-woman? Offer some dinner first. Some mood would be good. He wasn¡¯t some wild animal that would jump ...


    His mind returned to the scene of her awakening.


    The reflection of the green light from her skin. The supple breasts, her curvaceous waistline down to her wide hips.


    He tried to shake the excitement from his mind. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She wasn¡¯t human and yet still, her bare body kept popping up in his mind.


    ¡°Tis te ¡®Dreamwalk,¡¯ youngling. Messes wit ya head, I told ya!¡±


    The old female fox seemed to have read his mind. So he wasn¡¯t some Furryphile, only drugged? That would make everything better ... well, a little.


    ¡°So how long will this last?¡± He was frightened he might make a mistake he couldn¡¯t quite undo.


    ¡°I can make it go away real fast. First time I had such a body ¡­ feel like experimenting!¡± The sultry voice returned.


    Something was tugging at him. His reason as well.


    But mostly, it was the small fairy, floating about a meter above ground. Her cheeks were puffed up angrily.


    It looked more adorable than furious.


    His eyes locked with Enda¡¯s. Her cheeks flushed red, embarrassment apparent. Her hands moved between her thighs, protectively. Her face turned away, flustered, trying to avoid his gaze. Was the idea really so uncomfortable?


    ¡°D-don¡¯t even t-tink about it! I-I have someone t-tat I like ...¡± Ah, even she had an Irish accent ...


    She was cute, after all. For all her hotheadedness, could she be weak to frontal attacks?


    ¡°Well, he was lookin¡¯ at yer panties earlier¡± Why¡¯d the old woman only have to butt in with that.


    ¡°Oh ¡­ looking up my dress? ...¡± Enda¡¯s voice was cold. Icy cold. The furious voice of wind chimes didn¡¯t help. A cold shiver ran down his spine. She didn¡¯t have a dagger or some other weapon tucked in her sleeves somewhere? Tsundere¡¯s are uncool, you know!


    Another round of whacks. First Enda¡¯s then his. The spider-woman chuckled, as if she was not involved. Well, she was partially innocent anyway.


    ¡°Te most important part¡¯s still waitin¡¯. Or don¡¯t ye want yer name, lad?¡±


    Lad, seriously? Was he some kid ¡­ how old was he, anyway? He guessed older than Enda. She seemed younger than him. The spider-woman? ¡®F¨ªod¨ªor¡® as she introduced herself? Somehow she seemed about the right age.


    ¡°F¨ªod¨ªor, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°Eight.¡±


    OK, maybe not. Eight, really? Forget Zoophile ... Furryphile? ... had he drifted into another forbidden area of deviancy? He looked at the fairy.


    No, nothing.


    Maybe he was still alright.


    Children, huh? Somehow the thought angered him. Made him furious actually. It wasn¡¯t OK to even joke about this. But death was too quick a release ...


    ¡°Enough about tat, we have to get movin¡¯¡± Enda had been quiet for awhile. Made sense she wanted to get a move on. She did have someone she liked ¡­ He ignored the tightening in his chest. These ¡®Dreamwalk¡¯ side effects were starting to annoy him.


    ¡°So what am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Well first, ye get yer name!¡±


    His ears perked up at that. His name? Had the old woman discovered his? Could this be on step towards figuring out what was going here.


    ¡°So, what did ye learn in te Dreamwalk?¡±


    ¡°He appears to be an exile,¡± F¨ªod¨ªor added.


    An exile? ¡°An exile from where?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know ¡­ not important ¡­ but what was that light spirit?¡±


    That¡¯s what he wanted to know!


    ¡°And where¡¯d ya think yer going, Enda?¡± An angry voice reverberated in the chamber.


    The groups attention focused on her, Enda appeared to be sweating buckets. She had hoped she could steal away, but the old vixen had spotted her.


    ¡°I must prepare for the hunt! Every minute ...¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll take the exile wit ya.¡±


    Wha¡­?!


    ¡°What? Why do I have to...¡± Enda¡¯s furious outburst mirrored his sentiment. Maybe less on the furious part.


    ¡°Surely his arrival was no coincidence ¡­ he has a role to play ¡­ and you¡¯ll see to it he plays it¡±


    Doesn¡¯t he get to have a vote?


    ¡°So Exile? Is that OK with you?¡± Ah, arachnid goddess, at least she wished to know whether he even wanted to fight.


    ¡°Is the name alright with you?¡±


    His shoulders dropped dejectedly. He should have known. Oh spider, why must she wound him thus?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t ¡®Exile¡¯ kind of ¡­ you know ¡­ sad?¡± Enda mumbled under breath. She had returned to her seat, plopping back down in seiza. Had she given up on leaving early? Or merely recognized that sometimes, the way of least resistance would lead to survival?


    ¡°Ye¡¯re right lassie.¡± What was this vixen planning?


    An excited jingle of wind chimes erupted next to him. All the sudden developments had stopped him from noticing, but why could he not understand the little fairy?


    ¡°Hm, Wanderer? Sounds ...  hopeful ...¡± F¨ªod¨ªor added glumly, lacking any ¡®hopefulness.¡¯


    ¡°Well Ah don¡¯t like it¡± the old granny wasn¡¯t amused. She preferred ¡®Exile,¡¯ huh. Why did he feel the sudden need to get a long beige robe and a lightsaber? ¡­ What was a ¡®lightsaber¡¯ anyway.


    ¡°Ah, a¡¯right,  Wanderer it is ...¡± She conceded unhappy.


    ¡°So, time to prepare for yer journey, Si¨²l¨®ir¡±


    <hr />


    Author¡¯s note:


    And finally we have the name. For those of you wondering why the chapter is titled companions, while it ends with his Name ¡­ because it developed as such as I was typing? And we do get to meet the companions? Most of them ¡­ right?


    In any case, hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think of it. I tried to be a tad bit more humorous in both this and the Arifureta Fanfic in this week¡¯s chapters. Let me know whether a.) I succeeded and b.) I should attempt it in future chapters.


    Next chapter will be ¡®Preparation¡¯ and I will refrain from trying to write an ¡®Irish accent¡¯ because a.) it isn¡¯t easy and b.) it probably reads weirdly.


    <hr />


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 Chapter 10 - Preparations

    ¡°So, time to prepare for yer journey, Si¨²l¨®ir¡±


    ¡°Now, wait a minute...¡± Enough was enough, and things were already moving a little too quickly for comfort. He had been too off-balance due to the sudden chain of events.


    ¡°Before you send me anywhere, I need some answers!¡± He added forcefully.


    ¡°Hold yer horses, lad. Done everyt¡¯ing I can for ye here.¡± her eyes narrowed angrily.


    ¡°Even let ye do a ¡®Dreamwalk.¡¯ Ye¡¯re not actually part of the skulk!¡±


    He swallowed his next words. She was right, yes. Rituals such as these were usually reserved for members of the tribe. And judging by the amount of spices and dried herbs she threw into the fire, the preparations of ingredients would have taken considerable time. Surely the old vixen hadn¡¯t planned ¡­


    ¡°D¡¯ye have any silver coins? Looks like ye have nothing but the clothes on yer back ...¡±


    Of course she did ¡­ how ¡®foxy'' of her.


    ¡°I never asked ...¡±


    ¡°Oh, hold yer drakes ¡­ not like I plan on asking anyting unreasonable¡±


    Oh, he wouldn¡¯t bet on it. She would, he was all but certain of it. She couldn¡¯t have his first-born, though!, he silently decided. His eyes glanced at Enda.


    The ¡®Dreamwalk¡¯ side effects were still getting to him, he protested angrily in his mind.


    ¡°So what do you want from me?¡± Just listening wouldn¡¯t hurt. Maybe he could learn something. Something he could use, later.


    ¡°Not¡¯ing much. Just go wid¡¯ Enda, and F¨ªo over t¡¯ere, and rescue me skulk.¡±


    With a wicked grin on her face, the older woman said leisurely.


    ¡°And in return, t¡¯ey¡¯ll help you until d¡¯e next village. From d¡¯ere, best make yer way to a seer or a wizard. T¡¯ey might be able to help ya.¡±


    He eyed her suspiciously, before massaging his chin in deep thought.


    So only until the next village? He wasn¡¯t certain whether the offer was good or bad. He did not know the lay of the land, so stumbling through the forest looking for civilization seemed dangerous. Judging by the attack on the village, ruffians and bandits roamed as well. ¡®Scar¡¯ was injured, so he managed to take him out fast, but should he happen on a group, maybe even better armed.


    He shuddered at the thought.


    Certainly, the offer would be useful. But rescuing a large amount of people? He didn¡¯t even know how many were-dogs attacked initially.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do much with only three people ...¡±


    And he couldn¡¯t believe he was actually considering it. But sitting around lazily while people were in trouble? Somehow it didn¡¯t feel right to him. Another shiver ran down his spine. Had he been a goody-two-shoes? Was that the reason he was brought to this place?


    ¡°We don¡¯t need him! I can ...¡± Enda wasn¡¯t too taken with the idea.


    F¨ªod¨®ir ... F¨ªo chose this time to intervene.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been on the Dreamwalk with us. Even you should realize that ...¡±


    ¡°I ... DON¡¯T ... CARE!¡± Enda emphasized every syllable. If this continued he might actually feel hurt!


    The tightness in his chest proved him too late. Seriously, had he done anything to warrant such animosity? Searching Enda¡¯s expression for an answer, their line of sights overlapped.


    He looked into her golden eyes, some red flecks within, and intensified his gaze.


    Neither wanted to look away, each for different reasons.


    The ¡®Dreamwalk¡¯ was apparently still wreaking havoc with his emotions.


    Enda broke eye contact first. A faint blush on her cheeks, before he could only see the ponytail tied on the back of her head. His gaze wandered towards her exposed neck, the skin almost white. She had some fur there ¡­ truly not human.


    ¡°H-he looks weak. A-and he¡¯d ¡­ he¡¯d only slow me down.¡±


    ¡°Enda ...¡± the old vixen voice sounded almost motherly, ¡°dis is not a debate. Don¡¯t make me order ya to do it.¡±


    Enda growled. After taking a deep breath, she turned towards the old granny, bowed deeply and answered in a subdued tone.


    ¡°If that is what t¡¯e elder wishes... Please allow t¡¯is one to prepare for d¡¯e pursuit. And give me a chance to explain to my siblings¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Send d¡¯em to me afterwards. I¡¯ll take care of d¡¯em while yer gone.¡±


    Enda did not answer, simply bowed again before standing up to leave. S¨ªul¨®ir watched her warmly as she left in a hurry, before returning his attention to the old vixen, sitting comfortably on her cushion. The dying fire bathed her in reddish glow. A smile was on her lips and her eyes betrayed her anticipation. What was she planning now?


    F¨ªo, who remained partially hidden in the shadows, waited for Enda to leave before recounting the events of the ¡®Dreamwalk.¡¯ It was the first time he learned the old female''s name, Druanta.


    Not that it told him anything useful, not that he was expecting it to.


    Old granny Druanta was listening intently with eyes closed, probably imagining the scenes in her mind.


    When the story reached the forest circle that must have appeared with him in the clearing, it was quickly drawn into the ground. The both of them studied it for awhile, before giving up, shaking their heads in defeat.


    While they were busy discussing the potential origins and implications of the design, he committed it to paper, glad the satchel had provided it for him.


    It took him a full minute to explain to a highly excited F¨ªo that the tools he were using were called ¡®pencil¡¯ and ¡®paper¡¯, but that he couldn¡¯t provide her with more information, unsure he would have known even with his memory intact.


    Dangerous thoughts raced through his mind as F¨ªo¡¯s light blue tongue licked the tip of the pencil. He buried them deep in the back of his mind, hoping the effects of the ¡®Dreamwalk¡¯ would leave him be, soon. A small annoying voice taunting him hungrily in the same area of his mind was promptly ignored.


    Her rather annoying sounding high-pitched school girl voice helped fight down any improper bodily responses from embarrassing him further.


    Plus, repeatedly explaining that, even if he knew the pencil wasn¡¯t made from actual coal, but from a material known as graphite, not being able to reveal what exactly it was or how it was made did wonders to cool any excitement.


    He would have thanked old Druanta for forcing F¨ªo back on task with one skilled whack to the head, but Si¨²l¨®ir was wary of any attached price tags. Instead, he focused his attention on the little fairy next to him, showing him a variety of expressions.


    She wore her emotions on her sleeves, so to speak, as every time the Arachnid came close to him, she would puff up her cheeks angrily, trying to get in between the two, and after F¨ªo left, the fairy would wear a triumphant smile. At some point he suspected F¨ªo of doing it intentionally, just to get a rise out of the little one.


    ¡°Do you have a name?¡± S¨ªuli¨®r asked the floating girl during one of her ¡®victorious¡¯ moments, trying to distract himself from both the flirtatious Arachnid and his own feelings of uselessness. And that other one, fighting to get out of the ¡®prison¡¯ he had forced it into. Unfortunately he still couldn¡¯t understand the series of jingles and chimes she used as a language, but the old vixen provided translation, even if with a bored tone.


    ¡°Says she doesn¡¯t have a name¡±


    Her interest rose when the little fairy probably said something audacious, judging from her flushed cheeks. ¡°Wants ya to give her one ...¡±


    Just as he promised her he would think of one, Enda returned, the two siblings in tow.


    The young boy, Aodhan, was still somewhat subdued, but Ciar¨¢h beamed when she saw him.


    Her excited approach was cut short when the little spirit sped towards her, stopping right in front of the girl¡¯s face. An angry exchange occurred between the two, which came to a sudden pause as the two eyed him suspiciously.


    He felt a sudden chill as they nodded towards each other, having come to some sort of agreement. Then the two flanked him, throwing angry glares at both F¨ªo and Enda, much to the surprise of the older sister. F¨ªo merely let loose an amused giggle.


    The comedy routine was broken when the spider-Matriarch returned with an young fox male, breathing heavily.


    Like Enda, he was only lightly armored, and carried but a single short curved blade in a sheath fastened to his lower back. A scout, S¨ªuli¨®r guessed, returning with news of the assailants and the captured skulk.


    His expectation were not betrayed when the scout began to inform them of his findings.


    Three carriages filled with their skulk had been traveling westwards, and a large number of were-dogs, C?n Nrwnn as the the scout called them, were guarding them. Four hooded strangers were part of the group that was keeping watch over one of the carriages. They did not appear to be part of the ¡®hounds¡¯, even if the C?n would carry out their orders.


    They were about half a day away from some river that appeared to be a border of the foxen territory, so the scout urged the elders to send reinforcements quickly, in the hope they could free their skulk.


    ¡°Guthrie, you have done well, rest up, and join de ot¡¯ers when dey set off.¡±


    Guthrie, the scout, bowed quickly before he left, and a pensive mood enveloped the group, as they digested the information. Ciar¨¢h and Aodhan looked worriedly at their sister, who could hardly contain her eagerness to leave. The spider-Matriarch and Druanta were deep in conversation while F¨ªo continued to observe him.


    He expected he would come to regret this, but somehow, he had to do something, anything to help. An inner pressure almost compelled him to. Was he really the ¡®goody-two-shoes¡¯ he expected? Hoping it would not get him killed in the long run, he broke the heavy silence.


    ¡°Fine, I get it. I agree to help!¡±


    Although he couldn¡¯t be sure, but he expected the old vixen to be smiling, maybe even thinking ¡®Gotcha,¡¯ before she turned to him slowly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, lad, as I said before, d¡¯ese two ...¡± she motioned to both Enda and F¨ªod¨®ir, ¡°as well as some warriors will join ya.¡±


    Enda growled at that, clearly being less than enthused at his participation, while F¨ªo simply accepted it like a forgone conclusion.


    ¡°And after, d¡¯ey will lead ya to d¡¯e next village. Maybe someone d¡¯ere will be able to provide ye wid¡¯ some help!¡±


    The spider-matriarch threw a suspicious glance at the old vixen, apparently not having been privy to this detail before. But she did not disagree openly, having most likely come to a similar conclusion.


    ¡°D¡¯e merchant says d¡¯at t¡¯ere¡¯s a large tower deep in d¡¯e lands to d¡¯e south-west, where wizards gather, studying t¡¯eir craft. You should find clues there, if not in t¡¯e village.¡±


    She stopped for a moment, and added cautiously.


    ¡°Best keep t¡¯e meadow spirit to yerself at first. And d¡¯at little wind fairy over d¡¯ere as well.¡±


    He looked worriedly at the little spirit next to him, and she nodded enthusiastically. She stopped suddenly, staggering. Apparently she could get dizzy. A grin forced the corners of his lips to rise, much to the chagrin of Ciar¨¢h, who looked at the little fairy menacingly.


    ¡°We prepared some weapons for ya to use, but we had no armor in yer size.¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ciar¨¢h jumped up at that, and sped quickly to the elders. She came back carrying a curved sword, maybe 60cm in length. The term o-wakizashi flashed before his mind, but even if the blade was curved, the hand guard seemed off.


    A lacquered sheath, similarly curved, was presented to him alongside the blade, by a beaming Ciar¨¢h. The little wind fairy started hovering over it, inspecting the blade with great interest.


    He gripped the handle tentatively, before inspecting the curvature and the weight of the blade.


    Almost stopping himself, unsure of what exactly he was doing, he allowed his body to move by whatever instinct moved him.


    ¡°Does the blade have a name?¡±


    ¡°Uhm ¡­ no¡± A disappointing answer from the old fox, tilting her head in confusion, as if he just asked something foolish.


    ¡°Maybe ¡®Pointy stick¡¯?¡± Druanta added after short consideration.


    ¡°Nevermind.¡± He answered while sheathing the sword in one swift motion, careful not to force the blade into the sheath. He suppressed the urge to inquire as to how the act felt so practiced. Hopefully he would find some sort of answers in the next village. Or in the ¡®Wizard¡¯s tower.¡¯


    Both Enda and F¨ªo were casting interested glances at his practiced movement, Enda because she hadn¡¯t seen anyone sheathing a sword like that, and F¨ªo ¡­ he really didn¡¯t wish to know.


    The lustful glint in her eyes made him fear for the safety of his loins. Those claws could do some serious damage ¡­ She licked her lips seductively, the light blue tongue running slowly over them. An angry growl in front and an annoyed jingle of wind chimes at his side helped him focus.


    Ciar¨¢h had fetched some leather arm guards for him and offered to help him put them on, much to the annoyance of Enda. F¨ªo ¡­ remained in the background, while the old vixen barely contained a snicker.


    ¡°Fine t¡¯en, but if I have to take you with me, I have to know you can fight!¡± Enda suddenly interrupted the merry gathering.


    Both elders eyed Enda suspiciously. Druanta had some vague idea of what Enda was planning. If S¨ªul¨®ir could not walk, he would have to stay and could not slow her down.


    The old vixen inspected the stranger, finding a dejected look on his face.


    Druanta had certain suspicions about him, and some of his emotions, and if they proved correct could lead to some interesting developments in the future.


    She did prefer him over that blacksmith¡¯s boy in any case. If he could only prove his strength.


    ¡°Fine d¡¯en, but no weapons! Is t¡¯at a¡¯right wid¡¯ you, lad?¡±


    He heaved a big sigh. Of course, any unknown elements could prove disastrous in future engagements, he understood that. Still, the blatant distrust Enda had displayed so far had hurt his pride. Maybe he could score some points if he showed off his prowess. He did have some prowess, right?


    The sudden thought gave him pause. ¡®Scar¡¯ had fallen pretty easily, but then, he was already panting and injured when they fought. No, a defeatist mindset would surely lead to defeat in the end. Besides, it would do him well to test his fighting skills. Know thyself as you know thy enemy.


    But he didn¡¯t know himself. Time to get acquainted. Partly.


    But for that he needed to fight Enda. Even better if he won.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    *    *    *


    The two combatants stood face to face. Enda crouched low, ready to pounce on her ¡®enemy.¡¯


    The elder knew what she was planning, of course, judging by her not allowing weapons. Still, she could do some damage even with just her fists and claws.


    She studied him.


    Looking for any openings. Too many.


    He just stood there, feet shoulder-width apart, and his arms dangling by his side. Even his face seemed vacant, the light in his eyes merely an illusion.


    It was her idea to fight, and she would show him he wasn¡¯t needed. During a hunt, no one would call to start a battle with the prey, so neither would she.


    She took a breath and ¡­ pounced.


    Her clawed hand sped forward, aiming at his head. She was certain of her victory.


    Until her back slammed into the floor and the air was forced out of her lungs.


    Stars were filling her vision when a sudden pressure on her elbow forced her to roll onto her stomach.


    Then pain.


    Between her shoulders and worse ...


    A stabbing pain traveling from her wrist along her elbow.


    A bored voice asking ¡°Do you give?¡±


    *    *    *


    Enda attacked first without waiting for the signal.


    The hotheaded agility type proved to be as predictable as expected.


    Had he not mentally prepared himself, though, he might have actually lost. Her speed was honestly awe inspiring. He actually lost sight of her as she jumped up from her crouched position, another indicator of her attack pattern.


    Her outstretched left hand almost reached his face, had he not sidestepped in a small semi-circle. Tai-Sabaki, another one of those words tried to force itself to his conscious mind, but he suppressed it, the momentary distraction could have proven disastrous.


    While turning towards, and further, the approaching Enda, his right hand grabbed the outstretched wrist whizzing past his face, while his left hand moved to her stomach. Now it was a simply push and pull. Pull with the right and push with the left.


    Enda somersaulted in the air, as S¨ªol¨²ir used the force of her forward momentum combined with his pushing motion to twist her in the air.


    Fighting every instinct in himself to simply let her go careening into the ground, he pulled a little more forcefully on her wrist.


    Thus Enda ¡®landed¡¯ on her back, mostly, the sudden pressure to her lungs forcing her to expel the breath she took earlier.


    His hand did not let go of her wrist, though, even as his knee pushed against her elbow, turning the stunned Enda on her stomach.


    After that, he let his knee fall between her shoulder, pinning her to the ground.


    And now, to control the opponent, a twist of the wrist, clockwise and ¡­


    ¡°Do you give?¡± he asked regretfully.


    *    *    *


    A few minutes later, they had finally managed to finish their preparation, most of them already done by the spider-Matriarch during the ¡®Dreamwalk.¡¯


    His satchel provided space for some rations and he managed to refill the plastic bottle he had emptied.


    The first aid kit, although already opened, could still prove useful, as enough of its contents remained.


    From what he could find out about their level of technology and medicine, especially the concoction Enda was forced to swallow, he would probably prefer that over any ¡®traditional¡¯ remedies they could provide.


    Ciar¨¢h and the wind fairy, having bonded over something he did not wish to guess, were playing out their tearful goodbye, while Aodhan hugged his eldest sister tightly. Only after Enda promised him that she would return safely, did he finally relent, joining his other sister with granny Druanta. She looked surprisingly like a grandmother, being flanked by the two children.


    F¨ªo¡¯s farewell was more ... subdued. She merely whispered something to the Matriarch before joining S¨ªul¨®ir and two other male warriors at the front ¡®gate¡¯ of the village.


    While studying the wooden structure, just two thick wooden poles connected at the top by two rectangular beams, the term ¡®Torii¡¯ flashed before him, sounding similar to several of the other words that had surfaced in his mind.


    They were not English, presumably not Irish either, some other language from the place he came from. They were heavily connected to the skills he had shown, he knew intuitively. If he could place that language, maybe some other pieces would fall into place.


    Guthrie joined the group shortly thereafter, saying his farewells to single elderly fox, streaks of dried tears on his cheeks. A cub stood behind the old ¡®man,¡¯ trying to remain hidden from view, but stealing furtive glances at the group. Guthrie looked back, whispering a promise to return their sister.


    The ¡®Wanderer¡¯ stopped his investigation of the gate to survey the group. They were six in total, him, Enda, F¨ªo, Guthrie and two unnamed warrior. Seven if you counted the little wind fairy. He really should give her a name already.


    The warriors, more heavily armored than the scout, as they were actually wearing laminar armor around their stomach and chest. He scanned its segments curiously. Leather ¡®scales¡¯ were tied together with string, probably provided by the spiders, an easy guess, considering the symbiotic relationship the groups seemed to have.


    His focus shifted upwards, to the many webs and colonies that dotted the trees. Some were scorched, a testament to the earlier attack, the smell of sulphur still lingering in the air.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get *cough* moving!¡± Enda exclaimed impatiently, coughing once.


    One last look back, one more check of the arm guards Ciar¨¢h had given him, and on last tug at the o-wakizashi that was fastened to his left hip, and S¨ªul¨®ir set off with the group.


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes:


    This was originally meant as a chapter titled "Pursuit" but as I was writing it turned more and more into a preparations chapter, hence the title change.


    And in any case, due to the necessity of speed in the pursuit, I didn''t wish to spent between 2.000 and 3.000 words to draw it out, the standard length of a chapter so far.


    Also, after reading one of the comments about the ''wishy-washy'' nature of harem protagonists I realized that, although it fit into the narrative and I thought it was funny, the MC being pushed around by the girls could prove dangerous in the long run, as I don''t particularly enjoy the weak harem protagonist either. So I added the fight scene near the end. I thought it kinda belonged, especially since Enda would surely not allow S¨ªul¨®ir to join her if she thought of him as dragging her down.


    I only did a ''quick-edit'' by reading through the chapter out loud and correcting any mistakes I found, so if you discover any I missed, let me know in the comments.


    The reader participation thread is meant for discussions of the story, such as gripes or wishes, while the character thread is meant for, you might have guessed it, discussing the characters, I strongly recommend,-and secretly hope that- you use them.


    They''re not only meant to give you a chance at a discussion, but to help me improve the story and the characters.


    Plus the tables were a lot of work.


    <hr />


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Main Page</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Previous Page</a></td><td colspan=''2''>Next Page</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Reader Participation</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 11 - Battle

    The folowing contains scenes of violence and some ¡®gore¡¯ so be warned as some people might find such scenes disturbing, even if they are merely written down.


    It starts slow, before the action rises and stuff happens, and personally I find it rather tame, but ...


    <hr />


    The group moved quickly, or so S¨ªuli¨®r thought.


    All except for him.


    Despite being the tallest, and thus having the widest stride, the others moved much more quickly through the thicket, or in F¨ªo¡¯s case, along the tree tops.


    Images of a red and blue spandex wearing teenager flashed before his mind, but after nearly tripping over some roots, he tried to keep such memories from surfacing.


    Reluctantly, because amongst those repressed memories, a key piece could be hidden.


    Enda wasn¡¯t too happy, having to slow down to accommodate his slower pace, but begrudgingly acceded to the necessity, following her shameless defeat.


    She still could neither accept how quickly, nor how easily he had subdued her.


    It was like he could foretell the future, and knew exactly how she would act.


    Her initial notion that the ¡®Wanderer¡¯ was some sort of mind-reading magical beast had been reinforced, but as long as he was on their side, she might as well get some use out of him.


    She would just have to watch him closely.


    Her gaze met his, and after what seemed like an eternity to her, she broke the contact, blood rushing to her cheeks. That mind-reading beast was playing with her again!


    She chanced another look, before promising herself not to glance at him again, at least until they arrived.


    A promise that would be routinely broken.


    Guithre led the group with haste, even if he tried to strike up a conversation with the newcomer.


    He wouldn¡¯t it admit it, of course, but even he fancied Enda a little, though he knew she had her eyes on Luchta, the blacksmith¡¯s apprentice, but he respected her still more as a huntress.


    So when he heard that the ¡®Wanderer¡¯ Si¨²li¨®r managed to best her with only one attack, he was naturally intrigued. Especially now, that he witnessed how superior his own physical abilities were. And Enda was still better, faster, he had to painfully admit. Better than most scouts actually. And probably most warriors, both female and male.


    It took them more than two hours before they ran into a female scout, armed with bow and arrows.


    F¨ªo had spotted her first, and alerted them to her presence. Guithre seemed surprised the most, as he had expected the scouts to be still further ahead. The puzzle was supposed to be answered shortly, after they had reached a makeshift camp. It was located just at the bottom of a ridge, one scout waiting down below, another already at the top, hiding just beneath the edge. He was observing something, watching it carefully. Something just beyond the ridge.


    Si¨²li¨®r was sweating and the hasty trek had drained his stamina quickly. Even though they did take breaks in between, the others were anxious to catch up. So the breaks remained short and the pace still quick. After finally reaching the scouts, he was finally allowed an actual breather.


    Still heaving, he joined Enda and company at the edge of the ridge, overlooking part of the forest.


    Maybe two or three hundred meters in front, a dirt road stretched from south-east to north-west. On it, further ahead, a large group was gathered around a carriage, stuck just off the road.


    ¡°T¡¯ere should be eighteen of d¡¯em left. We managed to slow d¡¯em down, but the od¡¯er two carriages have gone fur¡¯der ahead.¡±


    ¡°How did you slow them down?¡± Enda asked surprised.


    The female showed a wicked smile before answering,


    ¡°Managed to aggravate d¡¯e drakes wi¡¯d a pheromone trap on d¡¯e road. Once we figured out d¡¯eir route, I managed to overtake d¡¯em and plant d¡¯e pouch ...¡±


    Her face fell.


    ¡°I only managed to stall one of d¡¯em though, one of d¡¯e drakes started t¡¯rashing about and knocked d¡¯e pouch away. Probably broke d¡¯e axle though, t¡¯ey haven¡¯t moved for hours since.¡±


    Si¨²li¨®r spied beyond the the ridge, looking for the enemy.


    The drakes she mentioned were probably the pair of large reptiles, resting close to the carriage. The term ¡®komodo dragon¡¯ floated to the top of his head, but surely they couldn¡¯t be that big? Almost 3 meters in length and almost as tall as Enda, so around 1,50 meters, the ¡®drakes¡¯ seemed to serve the role of horses in this place.


    A dark hooded figure, taller than the drakes by about a head, was actively engaged with it, probably trying to keep it calm. Two other robed figures were staying close, while a fourth, much larger than any of the others, was gesturing threateningly at a gathering of C?n, standing next to the crashed carriages.


    He counted four of the ¡®hounds¡¯ in animated discussion with the hooded figure, another four at the carriage, attempting some sort of repairs. Two more were staying farther away from the group, one ahead of them on the road, the other on the opposite side further down. Presumably sentries.


    That left four unaccounted, probably stationed in a perimeter around the carriage.


    They could, of course, just charge straight in, hoping to take them by surprise. But they were outnumbered two to one, so they would most likely be overwhelmed quickly.


    No, the better option would be¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll rest for awhile, and then rush them!¡± Enda decided simply.


    Oy, wait a minute!


    ¡°Sounds good, I can take out two of t''em before t''ey even figure out what¡¯s happening,¡± the female Scout joined in.


    Seriously? ... bad idea, what about the other 16?


    The other fox warriors and scouts shared her simplistic view.


    Turning towards F¨ªo, he hoped she could talk some sense into the group. That hope was crushed quickly, as she simply returned his gaze, and shrugged her shoulders.


    Had she no stronger sense of self preservation? This wasn¡¯t some video game where you just charge into a horde of monsters and hack at them, drinking some potions that makes everything better. What if they slashed off the hand you were about to drink the potion with?


    Did they even have such potions?


    He guessed not, well then, the only other choice would be¡­


    ¡°You know, sound plan and all, but how about we try it my way?¡±


    Enda raised one of her brows, but, with some urging from F¨ªo, decided to at least hear him out.


    *    *    *


    The C?n did not have names. Only ranks. And their position in the pack.


    He was one of the lower ones, an ¡®Omega¡¯, tasked with keeping watch while the others repaired the carriage transporting the prisoners.


    A boring task, he thought while yawning widely. They had been stuck here for almost an entire quarter of a day.


    His anger flared.


    He thought back to earlier of the day when they had attacked the village.


    His thirst for blood was not satisfied however.


    Not by a long-shot.


    They had orders to take as many of them alive as possible, and the guards were too few and too unprepared to offer much resistance.


    He only got to cut one lousy old fox.


    The C?n were great warriors. They strived for battle, but now ¡­ now they had been reduced to mercenaries, hounds for hire. For that little spoiled ¡­


    Something struck him in the throat, and suddenly he couldn¡¯t breath properly.


    A warm sensation, growing hotter and hotter with every beat of his heart, began spreading.


    His vision started to fade.


    His claws found their way to his throat, touching a long narrow object lodged deep within, no, piercing through an through. He felt the blood forcing its way out, oozing down his neck.


    With his failing vision, he also lost the feeling in his paws and claws.


    The only smell in his nose, the scent of blood.


    And on his tongue, the taste of iron.


    The only sound, the beating of his heart.


    Badum, Badum...Badum, Ba-dum ¡­ Ba- dum ¡­ Ba - - dum ...


    Falling to his knees, he never even heard one of the C?n Sentries excitedly shouting out, ¡°PREY!¡± as his vision finally faded, and he breathed his last.


    *    *    *


    Their ears perked up at excited shout of one of the sentries to the east. Someone was attacking them! Finally some actual battle.


    The C?n howled in response, their tempers flaring.


    There, within the eastern forest, two fox males, covered in light armor. Not many, but they would have to do.


    No thoughts were wasted on trying to capture them. Too long have they stayed their hand. Too long where they forced to hold back. The first ones to catch them would be the ones to bathe in their hot blood.


    The whole pack moved as one, rushing restlessly towards the two shapes in the forest to the east.


    The hooded figure near the drakes hissed angrily, and the largest one, either having understood the hiss, or having come to the same conclusion, shouted angrily,


    ¡°AMBUSH!¡± while grabbing one of the excited C?n by the thick neck fur, yanking it back.


    The angry shout, ¡°BACK to your POSITIONS!¡± followed right thereafter.


    But it was too late. Almost half of the present ¡®hounds¡¯ had chased after the two fox people.


    The ¡®repair group¡¯ had raced towards their perceived prey in its entirety, and even the eastern sentries had made their way to the dirt road, leaving their duties unattended.


    The large figure¡¯s hooded head swiveled left and right vigilantly, scanning the forest for the coming attack.


    Neither of the two fox males carried a bow¡­ he halted, only 3 returned from the eastern side.


    Just as its attention focused to that side of the forest ¡­


    *    *    *


    Si¨²li¨®r had barely managed to get into position when he heard an excited howl from the road.


    That was the signal!


    He rushed forward, glancing to the south. Enda had already pounced on her target¡¯s back, one hand covering its snout, the other gripping the hilt of a cutlass, its blade buried within the hound¡¯s throat.


    Blood was gushing out like a geyser, dyeing the ground and a tree in red.


    The corpse was falling forward slowly before abruptly slamming head-first into the ground.


    Enda was half-running, half-flying through the air, having used the falling C?n as an impromptu ¡®springboard.¡¯


    The treeline was coming closer.


    As he sped past it, his field of view expanded, now covering almost the entire section of the dirt road.


    The two warriors were already engaging two C?n at the southernmost section, while Enda had also emerged from the forest, jumping around one of the hounds, dodging its heavy axe swipes.


    He saw the large hooded figure speeding south, towards the two warriors and ¡­ Guithre, who was pulling his blade out of the neck of his assigned target.


    His eyes searched left, seeing another C?n running towards him along the treeline, its hungry eyes locked onto him.


    An unusual glint flashed in the air, and the hound was hoisted, flying upwards, its clawed fingers reaching towards its own throat.


    Then it floated. Struggling, thrashing ¡­ twitching.


    F¨ªo, holding onto her thin spider thread, remained unseen. Only a shadow, high among the treetops.


    His charge continued, towards the group of three hooded figures, only one had noticed him.


    Throwing off its cloak, the reptilian appearance surprised him, but his concentration did not waver. His mind started racing, noting details, sorting out the unneeded information.


    Metal scales ¡­ atop leather ... scale armor!? ¡­ curved blade ... sickle?, no, Khopesh! ¡­


    attack from ¡­


    He shortened the distance with a quick burst of speed, blocking the attacking right arm just below the wrist with his left forearm.


    His right fist thrust at the reptile humanoid¡¯s throat, barely missing the Adam''s apple.


    It did its due, though, as the Reptilian staggered backwards.


    Si¨²li¨®r didn¡¯t stop.


    His left fingers snaked around the opponent''s wrist, and while his whole body ducked under the left outstretched arm, he twisted, then pulled.


    Right knee smacking into the armored sternum, he struck its chest just as the Reptilian¡¯s torso sped downwards, passing by his own, the movement forced by the wrist lock.


    The hilt of the Khopesh was exposed, and Si¨²li¨®r managed to disarm the enemy easily, his grip on the wrist transferred from the enemy to the hilt in one fluid motion.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t done.


    With an one-armed swing, the Khopesh blade dug deep into the Reptilian¡¯s ankle, dragging the whole foot upwards as Si¨²li¨®r spun around, continuing his forward motion after one turn, Khopesh still in hand.


    No blood on the blade, struck with blunt side?


    He continued dashing forward, and the other Reptilian approached, its robe flying, almost floating away, tracing an arc through the air.


    It raised both arms high, its own Khopesh gripped with both hands.


    Si¨²li¨®r¡¯s mind continued racing, weighing option; dash inside reach or ¡­


    The Khopesh cut through the air, tracing a downward-arc.


    Dodge!


    He sidestepped, the blade passed by, digging harmlessly into the ground.


    He swung his ¡®borrowed¡¯ weapon, striking the center of the Reptilian¡¯s armored chest.


    Although sparks flew, the blade bounced off without causing damage.


    No blood? - Then distance! He thought, throwing a spinning back kick.


    It connected with the armored abdomen, launching the Reptilian in a ¡®>¡¯-shape through the air.


    It flew parallel to the ground, before hitting dirt and rolling to a stop, just shy of 3 meters.


    Still, Si¨²li¨®r did not stop.


    But he skidded to halt before the last hooded figure, borrowed Khopesh gripped tightly.


    Then he hesitated.


    It wasn¡¯t the regal beauty of the face beneath the hood.


    It wasn¡¯t the full red lips either, that kept muttering something.


    It wasn¡¯t even the knife, held tightly with both hands, so tightly that blood ran down the blade.


    It certainly wasn¡¯t the barely covered breasts or the shapely thighs peeking out besides the leather loincloth.


    No, it was the quivering fear in her yellow slitted eyes, boring right into him.


    A memory fought its way to the surface.


    The memory of a small fox girl, protecting her little brother, knife in hands, against a raving were-dog. Only this time, the small fox girl was a Reptilian beauty and the were-dog was him.


    The ¡®woman¡¯ seemed so scared.


    Calling to some deity, accidentally cutting herself with her own knife.


    And the fear, so apparent in her eyes.


    Si¨²li¨®r wasn¡¯t sure whether it was the fairy pulling at his ear, or the unexpected ¡®sakki¡¯ -bloodlust- he felt from the side.


    It could have been the approaching shadow he saw reflected in the Reptilian¡¯s eye.


    He jumped, desperately, to the right with all his strength. The Khophesh held protectively to the left, Si¨²li¨®r attempted to turn in the air.


    A sudden pressure pushed him further sideways, lifting him upwards, before launching him in the air.


    A hot pain in his left biceps and the feeling of blood flowing down his arm helped him focus.


    He landed, his feet dragging dirt, coming to a skidding stop shortly after he was sent flying.


    He held the curved sword, slightly bent now, before his body, glad that his left arm still continued to listen, and trained his eyes at the newcomer.


    The huge Reptilian male, the hooded robe long discarded, allowing free view of the bulging muscles hardly being held in check by a metal breastplate and leather straps. In his hands, a gigantic double-sided axe, one of its blades bathed in blood.


    Too much to be his.


    Someone must have fallen! Maybe one of the other warriors¡­


    His vision was rapidly filled with bulging muscles, the gigantic form belying the Reptilian¡¯s speed.


    Si¨²li¨®r crouched low, his knees protesting the unexpected strain.


    The large axe sped just above his head, the air pressure his only clue of the danger he just avoided.


    He prepared to rise, but an acute heavy pressure to his legs broke his balance.


    Alarming surprise flooded his mind, as Si¨²li¨®r looked at the word sideways.


    Did he just use his tail to sweep ... The thought was cut short as a quick, large fist dug into his stomach, propelling him further back.


    He flew, spitting saliva, tasting iron, before crashing into the ground.


    His body hurt, and he found himself unable to stand up.


    His lungs screamed for air, and he barely managed to turn his head towards the hulking mass of muscles ...


    Not approaching ...


    The large Reptilian was swatting air, fighting against the fairy, whizzing around his head, blasting him with air pressure and wind sickles.


    A snicker above him forced Si¨²li¨®r to look up.


    The second Reptilian towered above him, the Khopesh raised high once more, its tip aiming straight for him.


    A flash of metal and the sound of flesh being pierced.


    Two pairs of widened eyes continued to be locked onto each other.


    A curved cutlass was protruding out of the still smiling Reptilian¡¯s throat.


    A shadow flew above Si¨²li¨®r face, and clawed feet dug into the staggering enemy.


    The corpse was blasted away violently, as Enda pushed herself off the still heaving chest, pulling out her thrown blade, and, after a somersault, landed on the ground next to him.


    Their eyes met briefly, and he barely noticed the disappointed look in hers. And maybe, just a hint of relief ¡­


    The surge of adrenaline weakened his sense of pain, and he finally managed to get up.


    Wind chimes resounded next to his ears, and Si¨²li¨®r focused his gaze back onto the giant Reptilian. He stood protectively before the still hooded female.


    Her dripping blood pooled into a puddle on the ground.


    The enemy ¡®Hulk¡¯ surveyed the battlefield before clicking his snake-like tongue.


    Expanding black smoke exploded from the puddle of blood, enveloping the area around the female, growing thicker and larger.


    Their eyes met one last time, before the hulking Reptilian smiled, then merged with the smoke. Angry hisses and the stomping of the drakes were the last sounds of this engagement.


    *    *    *


    The battle was not over however. The C?n that went chasing after the scouts as planned were returning. Had it really been only a few minutes?


    It felt so long now ¡­


    Si¨²li¨®r was angry. Furious actually. Mostly at himself.


    This was a battlefield! He thought he knew that. One momentary lapse of judgment could cost him his life.


    He was lucky this time.


    Lucky that the axe didn¡¯t cleave him in two.


    Lucky that he managed to block with the Khopesh.


    Lucky that the little fairy stopped the hulking monster from finishing the job.


    And lucky that Enda had noticed his dangerous situation and decided to help so quickly.


    She threw a questioning gaze at him.


    He barely turned towards her, his eyes focused on the approaching C?n. There were six left. One was approaching him rapidly.


    Enda sped past him, having found her own prey.


    He just continued to stare at the figure of the raving mad were-dog.


    The pain in his leg was all but forgotten and even the aching of his side was suppressed.


    His mind focused.


    His emotional turmoil calmed. Just a silent serene pond in his mind now.


    His brain flooded with information.


    One were-dog - 12 meters - lightly armored - exposed areas? biceps, inside; neck; legs -


    Armed? - one axe, single blade - predicted Trajectory? 10 towards 5 - 9 meters - safe area? close - own weapons? Khopesh? bent; only ¡®Pointy Stick¡¯ - 6 meters -


    Conclusion: extreme close combat!


    The tips of Si¨²li¨®r boots dug into the ground. His legs bent slightly, waiting for the right time to exert their strength. His left hand moved to the lacquered sheath while his right moved to the grip.


    5 meters ¡­ 4 ¡­ 3 ...


    Dirt was thrown backwards as he dashed forward explosively. The C?n¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, the sudden speed confused it. Only momentarily, as it forced strength into its weapon-arm, preparing to strike at the foolish prey.


    The two met halfway, before the C?n could even begin its swing.


    Si¨²li¨®r¡¯s sword hilt pummeled into the hounds throat.


    Its larynx was crushed, only an astonished gurgling sound escaped its snout.


    In one swift motion, Si¨²li¨®r finished drawing his sword ¡®Pointy Stick,¡¯ tracing an arc through the C?n¡¯s barely covered biceps. The blade dug deep, severing muscle and sinew, even chipping bone.


    The blade continued on its arc, even as he ducked beneath the bleeding arm, passing by the snout harmlessly, before coming back down on the other side, not hitting the right leg but cutting into the left.


    Deep into the thigh, the muscle barely offering resistance.


    The aorta along the leg was opened, judging by the geyser of blood that gushed to the floor,


    as Si¨²li¨®r continued moving under the arm, dragging the blade along, before reaching the back of the gaping, croaking C?n.


    Its eyes glazed over from sudden blood loss and resulting shock.


    Using the forward momentum, he spun in place, reversing his grip on ¡®Pointy Stick.¡¯


    -Correcting thrust; 2 cm above shoulder; trajectory: downwards 7 o¡¯clock-


    The blade struck true, if a little too close to the throat, digging past the clavicle, between the ribcage, finding its way to the heart, all thanks to the force of his momentum.


    Surely the pulsing resistance he felt through the blade, even up to the hilt, must have been an illusion.


    Ba-dum, ba--dum, ba- - -dum.


    One quick twist and the resistance stopped.


    He reversed his grip again, this time taking the ¡®correct¡¯ one, thumb pointed towards the blade.


    With a squelching sound, Si¨²li¨®r pulled the blade free, turning around as he cut an arc through the air, splattering blood from the blade, leaving it surprisingly clean.


    He surveyed the battlefield, not giving the plopping piece of meat behind him another glance.


    The others were done as well.


    One of the attackers was riddled with three arrows, the one through the eye being the most likely killing shot.


    One of them was still twitching, hanging from a tree by a thin spider thread, joining one of its brothers in a lofty death.


    Enda was already cleaning her blade on the leather armor of her downed prey.


    The two warriors, one of them bleeding profusely out of a deep gash on its chest, had downed the one each.


    Guithre was nowhere to be seen.


    The stench of iron assaulted his nose, and bile was forcing its way up his throat.


    He refused to turn around.


    Refused to look at his handiwork.


    The meat behind him was of no interest.


    He didn¡¯t care.


    He didn¡¯t care, he repeated in his mind.


    Maybe if he repeated it often enough, he could convince himself.


    When he saw Guithre¡¯s lifeless body, hacked in two, presumably by the blades of a gigantic axe, his resolve finally gave, and he barely rushed behind a tree to throw up.


    The air was thick with the stench of blood.


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    Ok, this chapter is the ¡®climax¡¯ of the introductory volume, I hope you liked it.


    Lemme know if it was too graphic or too detailed.


    I do enjoy writing battle scenes, but since action plays like a movie in my mind, it may sound a little too much like I¡¯m merely describing it.


    So constructive criticism! Which parts did you like, which parts need more work, what can I do better in future chapters?


    Just gave it a quick edit myself before posting, so if you discover any errors, let me know, and I¡¯ll try to correct them asap.


    One more chapter and the introductory volume is complete!


    I added a Poll for the Fairy''s name at the Reader Participation thread.


    I encourage you to vote!


    <hr />


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 Chapter 12 - Aftermath

    The battle was over.


    Si¨²li¨®r and his companions had been successful in their rescue attempt. But it had not been without price.


    One of the warriors was injured badly, and F¨ªo was doing the best she could to administer first aid. He had offered her the use of his First Aid Kit, of course, but she had refused politely.


    She felt more comfortable with whatever was produced from the pouches on her belt.


    Vials and ointments were forced upon the injured. He did manage to convince her to at least use the dressings and bandages, as they were cleaner than any she had.


    He had tried repeatedly to conjure up some more medicine, but there were no flashes of light from within the polyester bag and no new First Aid Kits.


    Was there some trick he had to use? Some incantation or magical gesture?


    He tried to remember the times the satchel had produced something from, presumably, whatever place he came from, but his efforts proved fruitless.


    He couldn¡¯t think of anything special he had done at either times.


    So, for now, the satchel remained only as the container it was intended to be.


    His gaze wandered, just as his mind did, and he saw Enda breaking the lock of the carriage.


    The cage door opened wide and the occupants hurriedly scampered out.


    There were mostly children among them and only a few older fox people.


    The kids were crying loudly and Enda was desperately trying to calm them down. She failed miserably at first, but her ¡®older sister sense,¡¯ cultivated by caring for her siblings, won out in the end. With the help of two of the female prisoners, she managed to gather the children further south.


    Away from the carriage.


    Away from the battlefield.


    And away from the scene of carnage.


    The pungent smell of death and decay followed however.


    Si¨²li¨®r couldn¡¯t stop himself from looking at the remains of the fallen Guithre.


    Even if he spent little time with him, Guithre tried to be friendly. He actually felt relieved at that, even if the quick trek left him little opportunity to respond.


    As he wondered if the sister was part of the rescued group, one of the female foxes whined out loudly while running towards the corpse.


    The female scout, tears in her eyes, stopped the approaching mourner before she could reach the corpse.


    Maybe the scout wanted to spare Guithre¡¯s sister the sight of her bisected brother?


    They exchanged words before the ¡®sister¡¯ fell to her knees, openly weeping. The scout was crying as well, but supportingly embraced the other mourner.


    Life was short, huh? He almost would have been dead as well.


    He looked towards Enda, and found her staring back at him. There was something in her eyes he couldn¡¯t quite place. Regret, maybe? A tinge of despair? A hint of guilty relief?


    An annoyed tinkle of wind chimes before his vision filled with white.


    Small hands pushed his cheeks together, and the wind fairy was looking at him with her own puffed angrily.


    Her standard expressions somehow.


    He smiled wryly, before forcing the corner of his lips down. This wasn¡¯t the time for smiles, even if they rescued part of the skulk.


    Two carriages were still missing, and they had no real clues of their destination. If only any of the C?n were still alive or the Reptilian hadn¡¯t made off with the injured one. They could have interrogated the prisoner. Or they could have found out something about the origin of the Reptilians.


    He had asked Enda and F¨ªo, of course, but neither of them had any ideas what these creatures were or from where they came from.


    F¨ªo had heard the merchant mention the lizard tribes far to the south, but he came by only twice a month to buy fur and spider silk, and it was difficult to distinguish truth from tall tale.


    Should he not have believed the old vixen when she offered him the path to answers?


    Would there actually be a tower filled with wizards that could help him?


    Didn¡¯t matter, not like he had any other clues. He had to trust her on this one.


    Besides, the only way to find the rest of the people was to keep moving forward. And the only answers he could hope to appeared to lay in the same direction.


    Might as well join them on the journey.


    *    *    *


    Enda watched Si¨²li¨®r from afar, stealing glances while he was deep in thought. He seemed dejected, she could tell. A mind reading beast he was surely not.


    Probably.


    She became intrigued with the ¡®Wanderer¡¯ who did not know himself. His mentality seemed too weak for this world. How could he survive here, if he hesitated striking down his enemies.


    Such skills! And yet ¡­ was it because it was a female? She noticed the smell of the female.


    There was fear in there. And a tinge of excitement. Was it maybe his? Did he hesitate because of that? Some foolish code about not hurting females? They weren¡¯t any less of warriors or hunters than the men. The skulk knew that. Luchta knew that.


    Besides he didn¡¯t hesitate knocking her down before.


    The injured warrior, all patched up by F¨ªodoir using the strange dressings and bandages used on Ciar¨¢h¡¯s arms, had made his way to the ¡®Wanderer.¡¯ He handed something to the stranger ..


    His hunting mask?


    This was a sign of great respect! Giving someone your own hunting mask meant that the warrior, once a hunter himself, handed his responsibilities over to the new owner.


    Si¨²li¨®r had managed to earn his respect at least.


    Enda continued to watch him.


    *    *    *


    F¨ªo found her thoughts circling around the ¡®Wanderer¡¯ as well.


    He was a riddle wrapped inside an enigma to her.


    Where had he come from? How had he gotten here?


    The circle was clearly the work of powerful magic, but none of the elders had managed to sense. Didn¡¯t even know it existed. Was it perhaps a recent carving? Was it created when the ¡®Wanderer¡¯ appeared? Granted, they all were preoccupied with the attack at the time, but still to not have noticed anything? Some of the runes seemed familiar, but so many were unknown. And ancient, if she would have to guess.


    Maybe even from the time of the War of the Gods.


    Her mind drifted back to the ¡®Dreamwalk.¡¯ It started normally enough. Just a simple walk through the memories of the participants. But not only were there only recent ones, but they all belonged to the ¡®Wanderer,¡¯ overshadowing all others.


    And don¡¯t even get her started on the fairy. They must have powerful Astral body, sure, as they mainly exist as Mana given form, but the discrepancy between the size within the ¡®Dreamwalk¡¯ and her actual size.


    And since when could they take on visible form?


    Spirit Kings and Queens in tales of old, maybe. But she didn¡¯t appear to be royalty. Not that F¨ªod¨®ir would have been able to tell.


    The fairy simply lacked what F¨ªo expected of regal behavior.


    So, where had that excess Mana come from, if not from him?


    Excess Mana ¡­


    She had sensed it during the trance as well. She managed to siphon some of it. As much as her limited spirit sense allowed.


    And it had granted her this form.


    She had her suspicions, especially after she that giant spirit. That could have been a Queen. Maybe even ¡­ No, that would be preposterous. But then, that crystal? And why would she ¡­


    F¨ªod¨®ir had a shuddering premonition. And not because of fear.


    She had to make sure of her suspicions.


    Had to make sure that she wasn¡¯t just imagining it.


    Truly a riddle. Wrapped in an enigma. Locked inside a magic box.


    She would enjoy finding the key.


    Would enjoy unwinding the enigmatic knot.


    Finding out the mystery hidden behind him.


    And everything she could about this new body of hers.


    And she would surely enjoy finding out everything about his.


    Licking her lips hungrily, she felt an unexpected warm sensation between her thighs.


    This was going to be the most fun she had in ages ¡­


    *    *    *


    Shanahz was looking back towards the road.


    Her eyes were searching for a male figure.


    Hoping she could spy that strange form again.


    Who was that stranger that bested two of her guards so easily.


    What was that creature?


    She had traveled far from the deserts of her tribe.


    She had seen a myriad of races.


    Fishfolk at the ports, dripping water from their scales.


    Elves so old, their bark was covering most of their bodies.


    Avians covered in feathers, their wings wider than a merchant¡¯s tent.


    Dragons switching forms between hulking giants and the size of one of her guards.


    Wizards, many of differing races, studying their craft in that accursed academy of theirs.


    Even these brutish hounds, stalking the decrepit ruins they called home, weren¡¯t all that strange.


    These fox people, though prized beasts for their lack of fur or scales, weren¡¯t as interesting as that never-before seen stranger.


    How much would he be worth, if these fox people could bring her so much coin?


    No, she wouldn¡¯t share him!


    The thought surprised her.


    Only a little bit.


    When he stood before her, she was genuinely afraid.


    She was busy casting her spell, rooted to the spot, forcing Mana into her hand.


    But she watched him.


    As he sped towards her.


    Past the failures she had to take as guards.


    The ease with which he had disposed of the two was breathtaking.


    Almost artistic even.


    Almost like the sword dancers of the greatest of sheiks.


    He had stayed his hand as he locked gazes with her.


    Maybe he felt the same thing she did.


    Her stomach tightened as she remembered her feelings when that male, even taller than herself, stood before her.


    Blade in hand, ready to bring certain death to whatever enemy stood in his way.


    And then, like an assassin in one of the stories she loved, their eyes looked deep into each other, and no thoughts of slaughter, only ...


    Her heart rate sped up and the knot in her stomach moved downwards.


    He would become her bandit knight and she his princess.


    And they would share a passionate night together ¡­ her first ...


    She felt a dampness between her thighs and her long split tongue snaked across her lips.


    After a long and arduous journey, he would bring her home and present her with the throne. Not just leadership of her tribe, but her own kingdom.


    And they would ¡­ again and again ...


    Now wasn¡¯t the time for this ...


    Her sight moved back to the large brute that was supposed to become her mate, Mueez.


    He was strong, sure, but his hulking body did not arouse her.


    The opposite actual, the effect she need right now, lest she embarrassed herself in front of her guards.


    She squirmed a little on the drake, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.


    That pressure wasn¡¯t helping.


    Luckily she could ride one by herself and Mueez was too far away and far too occupied with keeping the injured guard on the drake¡¯s back.


    They had to get to the port. Where the other carriages were heading. If she could not sell some of the slaves there, maybe she could find a captain willing to work on the principal of debt. Somewhere farther south, she could surely find a trader that would pay good coin for these beasts.


    And, the great serpent willing, maybe she would meet that stranger again.


    And then he would fulfill that unspoken promise, even if he had never made it.


    Didn¡¯t have to make.


    Shanahz was sure it was destiny.


    Just like in her stories.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    *    *    *


    Unaware to the dangers to both his freedom and his chastity, Si¨²li¨®r was busy trying to distract himself from the memories of the battlefield.


    He needed to avoid seeing the pile of bodies thrown on top of another.


    It made sense, in a twisted way. They couldn¡¯t just leave a pile of bodies rotting in the woods. Well, maybe they could, but it would attract predators, and most likely lead to problems down the line.


    He couldn¡¯t be sure what kind of other predators stalked these woods, and maybe the corpses could even turn into Undead.


    No, he needed to keep his mind occupied with other things.


    Maybe thinking of names for his little fairy friend could help. She had earned at least that much for saving him.


    Only what name should he giver her?


    Y¨­sei? Right, and the next frog he meets would be ¡®Froggie¡¯


    Kazeko? Sure, and if he meets a fire fairy, he could name her ¡®Hazeko.¡¯ That sure wouldn¡¯t get confusing fast.


    Navi? Hey, listen ¡­ maybe not. Even if the name didn¡¯t irritate him that much.


    Sylphie, maybe? It also meant wind ¡­ and it rolled easy off the tongue ¡­


    Aira? Aura? Aeo? He couldn¡¯t make up his mind ¡­ surely somewhere in this empty noggin of his should be a good name?


    While Si¨²li¨®r was wondering about a name, Enda was in deep discussion with the other warriors.


    She was eager to set off after the fleeing Reptilians, while the warriors wished to lead the rescued back to the village. F¨ªo wasn¡¯t being very helpful, preferring to study the corpse of the dead Reptilian. Prodding it with her spidery legs coming out of her lower back.


    Not being able to think of a name for the fairy, Si¨²li¨®r decided to get involved in the discussion. The answer was quite simple, really. The scouts would continue on with Enda while the warriors would lead the others back to the village. Enda¡¯s eyes opened wide with surprise at the simple solution ¡­ had she really not considered the possibility?


    And the other warriors?


    He began fearing for the future for the fox people if most of them did not possess the attribute the species was known for, cunning.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so smart, you should probably know where to look for the rest of d¡¯e skulk?¡±


    Enda asked, her arms crossed, looking at him angrily.


    He started stroking his chin, turning his attention inwards.


    Where would they go? They needed to stay on the dirt road with the carriages, didn¡¯t they?


    It made it easier for the carriages, as the trees would be in the way otherwise, and they wouldn¡¯t risk running into something that could potentially scare the horses¡­ drakes.


    But would they try to unload the captives here? Would someone even buy them, or are the fox people so integrated into society that buying one as a slave would be strange, unnatural even?


    Wait ¡­ would they even care?


    ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest village?¡± he asked tentatively.


    ¡°About half a days journey northward ...¡± Enda answered. ¡°But t¡¯ey wouldn¡¯t buy ...¡±


    She stopped herself, unsure of her supposition.


    So the villagers might ¡­ Still, they had two more carriages, that meant at least 30 more prisoners. They couldn¡¯t hope to sell all of them at the same place. How many people could even afford a slave. His lack of knowledge of this world began to irritate him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the average Income per ¡­ nevermind.¡± Enda tilted her cutely, and although he felt like scratching her behind the ears, he had something else to do.


    ¡°Are there any ports around here?¡±


    ¡°Ports?¡± Enda asked confused.


    Finally F¨ªo decided to join in.


    ¡°Not the next village, I believe. There should be a larger one, three days from here, at a large river. We¡¯d need to pass the closer one in either case.¡±


    ¡°Oh, for boats and t¡¯ings ¡­ I¡¯ve never seen a boat ...¡± Enda muttered that last part under her breath.


    ¡°So in conclusion: the most likely scenario is: they will move to the closest village with a port, sell some of the captured, to pay off the mercenaries, possibly pay for a ship, and travel towards a larger town where they can sell off the rest of the villagers ...¡±


    ¡°Then we must hurry!¡± Enda¡¯s tone betrayed her agitation. Her people weren¡¯t livestock!


    ¡°Won¡¯t they cut straight to the river? Don¡¯t you think they might already have a ship ready for transport?¡± F¨ªo interrupted


    ¡°Possible ¡­ are these ¡®hounds¡¯ known to have seafaring skills?¡±


    F¨ªo shook her head no. As expected. Something told him that the ¡®hounds¡¯ had little to no sea-legs.


    He had to admit, the theory had holes. But at least with this one, they had more time. He just had to hope that the kidnappers needed time to reach the port city. Needed time to prepare an auction. Needed time to find someone with the resources and/ or capital they required.


    Gave them time to reach the others.


    The warriors were now more anxious than ever to leave.


    Their grisly work complete, they only needed to set fire to the pile, and then, lead the rescued home. The scouts had already left, searching for any clues they could find.


    They would most likely arrive at the port town long before Si¨²li¨®r and his group.


    Any intel they could uncover before his group arrived would surely prove useful.


    Looking back one last time, the others were getting ready to move out as well.


    Time to take next step.


    Time to get started on this journey.


    *    *    *


    Earlier that day, just after dawn.


    A hill was shaking. A hil made out of blankets.


    Peeking out from beneath, two tired eyes were looking at a colored window.


    They blinked, several times, blinded by the morning sun shining through.


    A muffled yawn escaped the pile.


    It took a few moments for the person underneath to even attempt to leave the warm sanctuary.


    First, long white fingers snaked their way out from under the depths.


    Then two ivory arms followed reluctantly.


    Wavy white hair emerged, then shook suddenly.


    The exposure to the freezing room sent a cold shiver down the head of wavy hair.


    The pile of blankets were quickly thrown to the floor, a figure rising up abruptly, before staggering on top of the bed. The ¡®jumping in the cold water¡¯ approach.


    Shoulder length wavy white hair fell past two long elven ears, ending on top thin straps of the female¡¯s white nightie. The white cotton cloth flowed past the ample bosom, so out of place on the teenage body, past the buttocks, barely covering the ivory thighs before ending just shy of her knees.


    The cool temperature of the room helped wake up her sleepy body, quickly turning pink due to the chill, but still, she could only make her way groggily to a desk.


    Flopping down heavily, sleep still desperately clawing at her consciousness, the girl looked at a small mirror, the last memento that remained from her mother.


    A small wooden brush was quickly put to use, as the girl was fighting against her curly hair, unsuccessfully. She was already dreading having to fetch water from the well, the temperature outside surely being lower than in this room.


    It looked to be a typical morning for the teenage girl, until, suddenly, pain assaulted her right eye, and with it, a pressure in her head appeared. She knew that feeling, but never with such intensity.


    She turned her head towards wall opposite the door, her eyes fixating on the single window. But she was looking past the murky colored glass, past the village houses and past the forests to south east.


    There, in a distance her eyes should not be able to cover, a vortex of light appeared in the air, snaking its way to the ground. Something within was moving downwards, falling to the forest floor.


    Then it was gone, just as quickly as it appeared, only vaporous remnants of Mana remaining.


    The girl had seen Mana before, but never in such quantity or with such turbulence.


    Something warm was making its way down her cheek.


    She turned towards the mirror again, staring at her reflection.


    Her emerald green left eye was normal, no tears flowing from it.


    Her right eye however proved to be a different story. Against a black eyeball, the iris glowed an eerie ruby red. A tear of blood was oozing out, flowing down the cheeks, just past her full lips.


    Something was happening, she was sure. She just hoped it had nothing to do with her.


    Or her heritage.


    <hr />


    End of Introductory Volume


    Up next:


    Still in pursuit of the captured Fox people, Si¨²li¨®r and his three companions stumble upon an attempted crime in the forest. They rescue the victim and bring her to her home. A monastery near the village that was supposed to be a mere stopover.


    But something dark is haunting the village.


    And the girl they rescued has secrets of her own.


    Secrets that our heroes will be forced to confront, if they wish to continue on their journey.


    Or will they fall, during:


    The Tale of the Half-Blood Miko.


    <hr />


    - title is subject to possible change     -


    <hr />


    Author''s Note


    Hope you enjoyed the first installment of my original story.


    As I am an amateur author, and this is my first original story that I actually went to the trouble of writing, I am aware of the myriad of errors in spelling and grammar and the potentially problematic pacing of the story.


    I do hope that you, the readers, will use the comment section as well as the Reader Participation Thread to inform me of any such problems, and hopefully, help me with any constructive criticism you can provide.


    I am open to suggestions from your side, and if I find something worthwhile, I will attempt to incorporate it into the story. And of course if you enjoy certain scene, e.g. battle scenes, I will attempt to include more of them in future chapters.


    At the Reader Participation Thread, you will also find a Poll for the Fairy''s name. I intend to use the most popular one for her, but if you should wish to add your own ideas, feel free to do so, and just vote "other."


    Everyone has three votes, so you do not have to choose a singular option.


    I will also post a thread, with a poll, in which you can rate the story, and hopefully add you insights in comments.


    The idea of the next installment is to make it more of an fantasy mystery,


    with action, romance and even magic playing an important role.


    While I¡¯ll attempt a ¡®Who-dunnit¡¯-style, I am afraid my hints might be a little too obvious and too on the nose. As such I hope to get lots of feedback from you after I post the first and consequent chapters.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Main Page</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Previous Page</a></td><td colspan=''2''>Next Page</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Reader Participation</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 How do like the story so far?

    This thread is meant for you, the readers, to vote on the story, and tell me your gripes/problems with the story.


    I do hope you will take advantage of it, as it would surely help me as well.


    So I humbly ask you to use this opportunity to tell me what you liked, what you didn''t and what I should change in the future chapters!


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    For the poll, everyone has six votes: 1 for like/dislike; and 1 for each ''category'' (Pacing, Battles, Romance, Comedy, Chapter Length) and I do hope you take advantage of the comments section

 Chapter 13 - Damsel

    My beautiful little angel.


    How I love watching you.


    Drinking in your form against the backdrop of the sun.


    Surely Nur himself must look at you and find you as beautiful as his wife Io, the moon.


    Especially when you bathe in the the pond, washing your ivory skin in the cold waters.


    And your beautiful hair, even if you take of that eye patch.


    Especially if you take of that accursed eyepatch.


    Even Alva, the mother of all the Elves, would cower in front of your beauty.


    How I love to watch the glistening droplets running down your beautiful curves,


    dripping from your hair to your shoulders,


    along the ample bosom,


    down the stomach


    past the divine wonderland between the thighs,


    along the shapely legs,


    alas,


    too bad most of your beautiful legs are hidden in the waters.


    Surely your calves must be just as beautiful as the rest of you.


    And most likely her little feet as well, with her toes.


    Ah if only I could see you in all your divine glory.


    If only I could touch you.


    If only I could caress you.


    If only I could kiss you.


    If only I could lick you.


    If only I could bite you.


    If only he could plunge into you.


    If only ¡­


    Maybe soon ...


    *   *   *


    Run.


    Run.


    Run.


    Don¡¯t look back.


    But she did.


    The three boys were still chasing her.


    Chasing her like an animal.


    So she kept running.


    Until she stumbled.


    Her foot had caught onto an expose root and she fell.


    Face first into the ground.


    Her wooden basket along with her sickle left her hands, landing somewhere out of reach.


    Tasting dirt and iron on her lips, she was dazed.


    She wanted to scream. Wanted to hide. Wanted to ¡­


    Wanted to be left alone. Why couldn¡¯t these boys just leave her alone.


    She never did anything to them, so why did they have to torture her so?


    Propping herself up, she looked around again, panting heavily, her lungs screaming for oxygen.


    The boys were gone.


    Tears started to form in her eyes.


    Had they finally given up? Was it enough for them that she fell down, her wavy brown hair covered in dirt, leaves and twigs. Was it enough now, that she had a bloody nose and cut her lips?


    A twig snapped to her right.


    Her blind spot.


    The patch covering her right eye left her with no vision on her that side.


    A fact the children of the village routinely took advantage of.


    Took advantage of to sling mud balls at her, frequently with little surprises hidden within.


    The dung smelled the most ¡­ the stones hurt the worst.


    Her head snapped to the side, finding a large shadow towering above her.


    A large, gangly shadow sporting a vicious grin.


    Panting heavily the large shadow spoke in a sarcastic voice.


    ¡°Now ¡­ now, *cough cough* why¡¯d you ¡­ go ahead ¡­ and made us ¡­ chase after you ¡­ like that ...¡±


    She tried to gain some distance, scuttling backwards on all fours. A tree cut her escape short.


    ¡°Why ... are you trying ... to run away, huh?¡±


    Her right arm was grabbed and someone lifted her up, almost ripping it out of the shoulder socket. The right sleeve did indeed rip, only a few threads remained, connecting it to her cotton blouse. Her tears now fell freely, and all she could do was stammer.


    ¡°Please, please just let me go ¡­ I won¡¯t tell *hic* anyone ¡­ just let me go home¡±


    ¡°Nah nah na-ah!¡± he was waving his left finger, and the person to her right was tightening his grip. She winced at the pain, but all it did was make the leader of the trio widen his grin.


    ¡°You hear that boys? Says she won¡¯t tell anyone. So, what say you? Should we let her go?¡±


    Sadistic laughter erupted around her.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a no ¡­¡±


    Her shoulders dropped and she was close to wailing. The only reason she didn¡¯t, probably, was out of spite. He might like it too much. Even more so if she struggled. She had heard the stories.


    But her tears could not be stopped.


    Suddenly she felt a pressure on her chest. Warm, sweaty fingers snaked their way into her blouse, before ripping it off violently. Despite her attempts to stay quiet, a small shriek escaped her. Much to the amusement to the leader of the boys.


    Cold air assaulted her chest, now only covered with the white linen wrapped tightly around her breasts. The leader clicked his tongue, angered that he could not see the ¡®prize¡¯ he so desperately wanted.


    Than he laughed.


    ¡°And here I was thinking you were underdeveloped!¡±


    Her arm started hurting again as the boy to her right tightened his grip. He swallowed loudly, before pushing his hardened loins on her thigh. His ragged panting became even louder as his face drew closer to her ear. She came to believe it was a blessing she couldn¡¯t see his face, especially the mad lust that must surely fill his eyes.


    ¡°Come on ¡­ say something ¡­ try to fool us with your mock-crying!¡±


    She closed her eyes, praying someone would come by ¡­ but who would? So deep in the forest?


    Maybe a hunter? But wouldn¡¯t he simply join the boys in their ¡®game¡¯? Would someone in the village even care? Would they even believe her? All the boys had to do was deny everything ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it ¡­ you¡¯re a slut anyway, right? Just a dirty little whore!¡±


    Something fell to the ground. She wasn¡¯t sure what it was. Wasn¡¯t sure she wished to know. Did not wish to open her eyes. Maybe he¡¯d finish quick and left her alone ...


    The third boy finally opened his mouth, but he sounded far away. Apparently a few meters away, likely keeping a lookout.


    ¡°I-I¡­ I can have a g-go, too ¡­ right?¡± came the nervous question from him.


    Her heart sank. Why did this have to happen to her?


    The sweaty fingers pressed against the skin of her almost exposed chest, tracing their way to her throat before stopping at her chin. She fought against the bile trying to force its way up, regretting the action almost immediately. Maybe they would have stopped if she threw up on him. Stopped after beating her.


    Stop after their customary kicking and spitting.


    Like two days ago.


    Or the week before that.


    Squashing her cheeks together with his disgusting fingers, the leader continued his verbal assault, trying to get a rise out of her. Trying to get her to participate in his sadistic game.


    ¡°Come now, little slut! Give us a little show! ¡±


    His fingers moved back down to her chest, fingernails digging into her white skin. Digging into the cotton cloth wrapped around her chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just cry there like a little girl ¡­ we all know you¡¯re not some innocent little ¡­ you¡¯re just a slut, begging for a good poke ¡­ or three ...¡± She could imagine the sadistic grin on his face.


    ¡°Open your eye and look at me!¡±


    Something impacted on her cheek, and burning pain spread from the assault.


    He had slapped her.


    ¡°I told you to open your eye, bitch!¡±


    Pain erupted on her other side.


    He had slapped her again.


    ¡°Fine! You¡¯ll open your eye soon enough.¡±


    More rustling of clothes announce his trousers falling to the floor, joining the leather belt with a dagger attached.


    ¡°Hold her tight! I want to try doing it standing! You get her afterwards!¡±


    He commanded, and the other captor obliged, grabbing both her arms and pushing her against the tree. She could feel his breath on her ear again, but at least his grinding had ceased. Cold air blew past her ankles as the leader lifted his skirt.


    She felt his disgusting eyes on her legs, his gaze crawling towards her nether regions.


    ¡°Not only do your hide your cow breasts, bitch, even these legs look damn fine. And here I thought I might not get to enjoy this!¡±


    Her tears welled up again, even her eyepatch was getting damp, the tears forcing their way out of the linens, covered with writing, wrapped around her head, keeping her right eye sealed.


    ¡°Be honest, bitch, you¡¯re actually enjoying this, right? It¡¯s in your blood! ...¡±


    Her right eye started to hurt.


    Throbbing pain pulsated in beat of her heart.


    Turning into clawing, like something was trying to break its way out of the eyeball, fighting against the written seals and scriptures.


    Trying to get away!


    ¡°You¡¯re just a little demon whor...ugh!¡±


    Both her eyes opened wide, but had to close almost immediately due to the bright whirlwind of light before her. Whatever was trying to escape her right eye suddenly became really still.


    When she opened her left eye again, a creature wearing a strange mask was standing right in front of her.


    *   *   *


    Aodh was the second youngest of four brothers in the village. His two older brothers were already married and enjoying their wives every night, or so he believed at least.


    The youngest was only 6 years old, so he did not have a sweetheart, but was doted on by his mother. A stern woman, but with big breasts. Not that he felt anything from watching her take a  bath with his younger brother or anything. It was his mother and she was already past her prime with her 30 years or so.


    At least to Aodh.


    But Aodh was only 14 years of age, and beginning to discover the joy of the female naked body.


    And unlike the other two boys, the big brute Carbey, 16 years old, or the village chiefs son Gilroy, the oldest with 17 years, he never had any spare coin to waste on the one village prostitute. Not that he wanted to, of course. She was old as well, even if she was younger than his mother. Besides too many men and boys had had her. He didn¡¯t want to be the sloppy fiftieth or however many bedded her.


    But he could stomach being third.


    He knew that the girl from the monastery was still a virgin. At least he believed so.


    Her white skin and her big breasts, not as big as his mother¡¯s, mind you, were a welcome treat, whenever he managed to sneak a peek at her washing herself in the pond far away from the monastery. Washing herself, hoping no one would be there to see her.


    As she cleaned herself in the water. Washed her hair, and her ample bosom.


    The ivory skin turning pink due to the cold water.


    He¡¯d relieve his ¡®tension¡¯ from having to watch his brother soak up all the affection from his mother, and her weekly baths, while he watched ¡­ the girl.


    He didn¡¯t even know her name, he noticed. She always was just ¡®the girl¡¯ or ¡®half-breed¡¯ or even just ¡®demon.¡¯ But she must have a name, right?


    His thoughts were cut short when he heard the ripping of clothes. Not wanting to miss the show, Aodh turned around to maybe get a glimpse at her breasts. Too bad she covered them with linen. Wrapped them tightly around her chest, squashing those impressives lumps of softness, making herself appear smaller. He wasn¡¯t sure why she did that.


    Licking his lips, he began to wonder how things turned out like this.  His excitement suppressed his regret. Was there even any guilt?


    Why did he have to go and tell the other two of his secret past time? Well, they did tease him about not having seen a naked woman before. His mother and her big breasts didn¡¯t count, he was sure, so he blurted out that he saw the demon¡¯s body. That he saw how she washed herself regularly in the pond just outside the village, at least three times a week.


    The boys eyes changed at that, and he was unused by the sudden interest. And the hunger in their eyes. So he told them that he sometimes walked past the pond ¡­ not like he sought her out or anything ¡­ and happened to see her naked once or twice ¡­ ok since he discovered how regularly she washed, three times a week for the last 4 weeks or so ¡­ that would make it ¡­ he didn¡¯t know¡­ a lot, OK. (Basic Arithmetic: 12 times)


    But he had never been so close to her while she was exposed. Gilroy was busy playing his mind games now, something he was known for by pretty much the entire village.


    His mother had warned him, naturally, but he didn¡¯t care.


    Didn¡¯t listen actually. Something kept taking away his focus.


    A jingling sight ¡­ two actually hidden behind ¡­ Why did he have to tell the both of them of his little discovery? Now his beloved soft valleys would be tainted by others ....


    Something happened behind him, and Aodh quickly spun around. Something was there, drawing closer.


    A shadow disappeared behind a tree, reappearing and drawing closer, only to be suddenly gone again ¡­


    A white face stared at the group from afar, approaching at incredible speed. Flying through the forest , avoiding trees, ducking under branches, then, suddenly flying above a fallen stump. Billowing behind it, a white cloak.


    Aodh¡¯s voice was stuck in his throat. He couldn¡¯t utter a peep, even as the white apparition drew closer and closer, flying through the forest, disappearing and reappearing.


    He should warn the others, he knew, but his knees started shaking.


    Had the girl summoned a demon helper to defend her? Would it rip them apart before he even had a chance to taste those sweet lumps of flesh? Before he could spill his seed on her exposed breasts and in her face? And then inside?


    Suddenly the apparition disappeared. It had come less than a stone¡¯s throw away. Only now did he notice, that the strange apparition had produced no sound. No noise. No breaking of any twigs ¡­ of course, it was flying ¡­ but not even a ¡®whooshing¡¯ sound as it cut through the air.


    A smack behind him made him linch, and he spun around. There, in front of his ¡­ right in front of the girl stood the white ghost, drawing to its full height, as if it just emerged from the ground.


    Gilroy was gone, swallowed by the white demon spirit the girl had conjured ¡­ no, that was wrong, he landed almost a spear-length away, clutching his head, trying to stand up. But with his pants down between his ankles and exposed nether region, he merely looked foolish, as he repeatedly fell down.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Carbey looked stunned, unsure what to make of the situation. Gilroy was suddenly gone and instead this white ¡­ thing appeared. As if out of thin air ¡­ no, that was wrong, he had merely been preoccupied by the exposed flesh and his anticipation. He had noticed the approaching white shape from the left, where the little twerp was supposed to keep watch.


    A quick glance told him all he needed to know, the twerp was sitting on his ass, quivering in fear. He was surprised not to find a puddle of piss soaking into the soil. Only slightly surprised,


    he knew not to expect much from a 14 year old pervert that liked to watch girls wash themselves. Even his own mother.


    A little pervert that peeked.


    And only watched.


    If he had managed to find the monastery girl alone in the woods, naked, he wouldn¡¯t have been content just looking. Not like anyone would believe her when she¡¯d come crying ¡­ well, maybe that priest.


    Carbey had no more time to waste on his musings, as the figure in front turned to face him.


    Its long cloak was reaching all the way to the floor, and the figure was wearing a strange mask. Mostly white but with a few markings and lines of red and black.


    Two dark holes bore into him.


    Reading him.


    His intention.


    Dissecting his every movement.


    Like some sort of mind reading demon.


    But demons weren¡¯t real.


    Even if most of the village believed in them. Just fairy tales like the fox people ¡­ ah yes, that was what that mask was meant to represent. One of the fox people of the southern forest. In his mind he connected the fox mask with the sudden rumor of the reemergence of the fox people.


    Pushing the girl to the ground - he would enjoy her later with Gilroy - Carbey took a fighting stance.


    At least what counted as a fighting stance in this backwater village.


    The figure was as tall as an adult, so not much bigger than him, but Carbey was wider, stronger, more muscular, he was sure.


    Toiling the field and that mandatory spear training had given him great strength, and hardly anyone in the village could best him.


    Not even most of the adults.


    Especially not the pompous Gilroy, or the little pervert Aodh.


    And surely not this cloaked interloper that dared to ruin his fun.


    A noise from the right, Gilroy trying to stand up again, hopefully this time not swinging his pathetic excuse of junk around, but that was the moment Carbey was waiting for.


    He lunged.


    *   *   *


    She was stunned.


    The whirlwind of light that blinded her just moments ago, was standing in front of her.


    Her eye never left the white figure before her, even as she was violently pushed to the ground.


    The pain in her ankle felt a million miles away. All she could do was stare at the white ¡®knight¡¯ in front of her.


    The Mask belonged to the Homo Lupus, the fox people rumored to live south-east of the village.


    Sometimes a merchant would travel by and regale the children with tales of his many meetings with strange peoples and even stranger wares, among them the ¡®Vulpus¡¯.


    Most of the villagers believed they were just tall tales, but she knew better.


    She had read the scrolls and the books in the monastery.


    Books detailing not only the Homo Lupus, but other stories as well.


    A collection of traveling accounts. Details of strange lands and strange people.


    Sights she would never get to see.


    The boy next to her, attacked the ¡®Vulpus¡¯ before her, lunging at him with his huge frame and his arms spread wide.


    The white cloaked ¡®Vulpus¡¯ disappeared.


    No, it merely ducked, avoiding the attack with a crouch, the cloak creeping along the ground like a living thing, before suddenly retracting.


    The masked ¡®Vulpus¡¯ pushed himself off the ground. Something dark shot out of the clock, burying deep into the attacker¡¯s gut.


    Lifting the boy up and throwing him over the cloaked figure. Its opponent crashed face first into the dirt, because the figure increased in height and ¡®guided¡¯ the boy¡¯s flight into the soil.


    The white mass in front of her had erected itself to its full height again, the dark ¡®arm¡¯ having disappeared beneath the cloak. The mask on its face was turned away from her, the two black holes for eyes fixated on the big boy that had attacked.


    He was writhing on the ground, covering his face. Blood, tears and snot oozed out between the fingers.


    Fingers that had gripped her arm only moments before. Fingers that had left marks on her skin. Hands that wanted to push her down and hurt her.


    Relieve was starting to spread from the core of her being.


    Someone was saving her.


    Someone had come to save her.


    Hadn¡¯t ignored the deviants trying to do her harm.


    Somehow good people still existed.


    A noise drew her attention to the third boy, who had managed to stand up, a crazy look in his eyes. He had drawn a dagger from somewhere, holding it with both hands in front of his chest.


    He screamed loudly as he sped towards them, spit and snot flying through the air.


    The cloaked ¡®Vulpus¡¯ turned towards the new attacker and moved maybe half a step back.


    But it did not retreat, the holes in its mask remained trained on the attacking boy.


    She wanted to close her eyes, wanted to look away, already imagining the scene of carnage. The dagger plunging into the white cloak, drawing blood, killing her would-be-savior.


    But she couldn¡¯t.


    The third boy sped into the white cloaked figure, no past him, as it narrowly moving out of the way. More like precisely moving just enough.


    The boy remained undeterred however, and began slashing from left to right. None of his swings hit though, the dagger only cut air.


    His target kept dodging skillfully.


    Almost beautifully.


    To her it looked almost like a dance, with one very unskilled partner and a graceful white spirit.


    The boy was panting hard now, having wasted a lot of his stamina in useless big swings with his weapon. He swung once more, but this time the white cloak drew close, one dark ¡®arm¡¯ shooting towards the attacking arm, blocking it, no, catching it while another shot to the boys face.


    A bright red bruise remained in the center its center. The nose looked squashed, blood was leaking out and the eyes clamped together in pain, tears forcing their way out of the tear ducts.


    But the white cloaked ¡®Vulpus¡¯ wasn¡¯t finished.


    The black ¡®arm¡¯ shot out in quick succession, striking different areas of the boy.


    The head, the chest, the shoulder, the head again and once more the chest. By the time she noticed what was happening, the series of attacks were already over, the dagger wielding boy was slumping slowly to the ground, his wrist following shortly thereafter.


    The white cloaked ¡®Vulpus¡¯ was now armed with the boy¡¯s dagger, and crouched down slowly, purposefully. The gangly first boy was trying to stand up, the second was still writhing in pain while the third boy was sobbing.


    They seemed so big before, so dangerous, so inescapable. But now?


    They looked just like three little boys that had attacked someone stronger than them.


    Somehow she knew her savior was preparing to end the three, but a voice deep within her told her to stop him. He shouldn¡¯t become a murderer. The villagers would hunt him down.


    Especially since the gangly one was ¡­


    ¡°d-do-DO YOU know WHO I AM?¡± the gangly one shouted, trying to sound intimidating. The quivering knees and the still exposed loins foiled any such attempt.


    ¡°I-I-I AM THE MAYOR¡¯S SON! ONCE I TELL EVERY¡­ eep!¡± the threat was cut short as the cloaked figure appeared in front of him. Gilroy fell on his exposed ass again.


    How did he get so close so quickly, she wondered briefly, before noticing that the figure was brandishing the dagger menacingly. No words were required, the message clear: ¡®And who do you think is going to be able to tell anyone anything?¡¯


    She had to stop her savior, quickly!


    ¡°N-no, please stop!¡± she exclaimed weakly.


    But the figure had heard her. He turned towards her briefly, before looking down on the gangly mayor¡¯s son Gilroy.


    Metal flashed briefly as it sped through the air, burying itself into the ground.


    Just between Gilroy¡¯s legs.


    As everyone¡¯s attention was glued to the dagger embedded between Gilroy¡¯s calves, her vision was filled with white. The ¡®Vulpus¡¯ had taken a stance in front of her, shielding her from the three boys.


    The rustling sound to the side informed her that the bulky boy, Carbey she believed, was beginning to rise, finally having shaken off the pain. He dragged the other boy, whose name she didn¡¯t know, along with him, and the trio looked towards them.


    ¡°N-now, if you leave, now, we ¡­ we might show you mercy!¡±


    Having two others on his side gave the mayor¡¯s son Gilroy courage. Especially now that Carbey, the brute, was by his side.


    Had he truly already forgotten how easily the other two were bested?


    ¡°We ¡­ I have two more on my side ¡­ So run along now ...¡± the last part was almost pleading.


    Two thuds next to her and a gasp from the trio told her that things weren¡¯t as simple as GIlroy had hoped.


    Two more cloaked figures appeared next to the first. One to the left, smaller than the first by a full head, wearing a red cloak while the one to the right wore a dark one.


    ¡°F-fine ¡­ we will l-leave for now ¡­ b-but don¡¯t ¡­ don¡¯t think this is over¡± Gilroy spat out.


    His hysteric cry was followed by footsteps, but still the white wall in front of her did not move.


    Was it truly over? Was the fright all she would have to remember this by? No, blood flushed to her cheeks, her dress was still in disrepair.


    Just as she thought of this, her vision turned white.


    She hadn¡¯t lost consciousness, she was sure. The white ¡®Vulpus¡¯ had taken of his cloak and in one swift motion draped it around her, covering her exposed chest, surrounding her with warmth.


    She looked up at the ¡®Vulpus¡¯ with tears in her eyes, only to be shocked.


    The figure in front of her did not have the typical foxen ears on top of its head. No, its ears were on the side and not pointed at all. Not like the any of the people in the village. Confusion spread in her mind.


    She had never seen a creature with such round ears. Her eyes drifted to the smaller red cloaked figure. That person had the typical foxen ears, and apparently was female, as well as a mask covering her face. She turned her attention to the black cloaked figure to her right, also a female, but almost as large as the one in front of her. Then the figure in front, now dressed in dark clothes, a style she had never seen before, addressed her.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± the voice was muffled by the mask, but definitely male.


    She stared at the man in front of her with wide eyes. Was he not a ¡®Vulpis¡¯ after all? The woman to his right was ¡­ and they were wearing the same cloaks, albeit with differing colors. Even their masks seemed similar. Just when she thought so, the female took of her mask, revealing her face. She looked cute, with a heart shaped face and golden eyes, small specks of red on her iris.


    The dark robed figure turned towards her, revealing her face. Unlike the other two, she was not wearing a mask, so the view was unobstructed. She seemed to be a different species than the ¡®Vulpus¡¯ with three sets of eyes and silver hair. The brows extended into ridges, growing along the side of her head, making it look like she was wearing a ringlet, or a crown.


    The last one to take off his mask was the ¡®white savior¡¯ that had rescued her. An almost square face, with a chiseled jaw and deep green eyes that looked at her with great concern.


    It felt warm, somehow.


    Warm and safe.


    She nodded.


    ¡°Can you tell me your name?¡± His voice was deep, but not too deep.


    Not like the voice of the priest in the monastery she lived at. Not even like the merchant that came by every now and then. More like the voice of a man that had just grown out of boyhood. Still so much more mature than even the brutes Garbeys, the oldest of her assailants.


    ¡°I-I am Keriana,¡± she introduced herself shyly.


    ¡°Hello, Keriana, these two are my friends Enda ...¡± he motioned to the ¡®Vulpus¡¯ to his right, who only snorted in response, ¡°... and F¨ªo.¡± The long female to his left did a curtsey, nodding her head ever so slightly.


    ¡°And I am Si¨²l¨®ir¡±


    <hr />


    Author''s Note


    Ok, first chapter of the next Volume: Tale of the Half-Blood Miko


    I have increased the chapter length to more than 4600 Words, I''ll try to stick to the longer size,


    unless you, the readers consider it too long.


    Next chapter we finally learn the Name of the Fairy, so vote quickly.


    Hope you enjoyed the beginning of the story arc.


    As mentioned previously, it''s supposed to be more along the lines of a ''Who-dunnit'' Mystery Story, with magic and fighting and stuff, so lemme know what you think of the idea in the comments.


    In fact, let me know what you think of this chapter in any case!


    I only did a quick edit after a read-through


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 Chapter Delay

    OK, sorry I haven''t been posting new chapters, but unfortunately, Real Life has been keeping me busy.


    My last project will be finished next weekend, and after that, i will finally have some time to start writing again.


    So I will have to ask for one more week of patience at least.


    Thank you all for following me so far, fear not the series is not dead, just stalled!


    <hr />


    Time for an Update:


    My final "Class-Project" is now done, although unfortunately unfinished. I had been to complacent in the creation of Assets (3D). But in any case, I have finally started writing again, and I can confirm that the next chapter is about half finished.


    Tomorrow I will have my final practical Test (small Task involving Modeling, Texturing, Rigging and Animation) and then I can finally start writing again in earnest.


    In other news: I will also continue my story on Japtem, the Arifureta Fanfic</a>, the chapter also almost half finished.


    Starting next week, I might actually start a third series, a FanFic set in the world of "Life in New World (LNW)</a>," for which I have already received permission from the Author. I plan to work closely with olyver so as to keep the nature of the World consistent. The Protagonist in that Fanfic will be a User playing a Mage that learns how to cast Spells without System Assist and his trials and tribulations trying to both enjoy the game and become one of the most powerful players.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.There will be Cameos of olyver''s Characters.


    Well I''m off to study/practice for Wednesday!


    Let me know in the comments what you think about my plans, any wishes for the story, and please don''t forget to rate the story (the five stars just above the upper right of the thread) and/or review it at the Fiction Page!


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 Chapter 14 - Monastery

    Ah my beautiful fallen angel!


    How close you were


    to experience such sweet pain.


    But alas not by my hand,


    so I am thankful to that stranger


    for saving you, at least.


    You are still unblemished,


    for now.


    What would I have done?


    What if your purity had been stolen by someone other than me?


    I would have loved you still, I¡¯m sure.


    Whatever pain they might have inflicted


    will surely pale in comparison of my love for you.


    Again, I must thank the stranger.


    Now I will not have to share you with others.


    Your firsts shall be taken by me.


    Your first kiss.


    Your first ¡®blood.¡¯


    Your first scream


    in blissful agony.


    *    *    *


    The three deviants had run away in a hurry, with the biggest turning to look back a few times, presumably checking whether Si¨²l¨®ir and company would give chase.


    They had no plans to.


    Instead he wanted to focus on helping the young woman behind him.


    His two companions had already stopped observing the fleeing trio and started looking after the girl.


    Once he turned around, the state of her clothing clothing could not escape his notice.


    Her blouse was ripped and the only thing keeping her breasts in place was a tightly wrapped linen around her chest.


    His fairy friend chimed angrily at him, and should he turn his head towards her, he was sure she¡¯d puff out her cheeks and cross her arms over her chest in any angry pout.


    While the girl was visibly relieved, she could do little to suppress her shivers, either due to shock or the cold, Si¨²l¨®ir neither knew nor cared.


    Seeing the girl in her current state roused his anger, making him regret his decision to let her assailants go so easily.


    At least he knew who one of them was, even if he did not intend to run into them again.


    His eyes rested on the girl. So young and yet she had to live through such a harrowing experience ...


    Maybe he did want to meet the three again, preferably alone and in a dark alley.


    But first he needed to take care of the situation in front of him.


    Untying the knot that kept his cloak in place, he draped it over her shoulders in one swift move.


    Better to keep her warm, and his fairy friend happy.


    Besides, he really didn¡¯t know where to look while the young woman in front was so exposed.


    His two companions had unmasked themselves and after a brief surprise reaction, the girl studied them with eyes alight with curiosity.


    One eye actually, as the other was covered with a white eye patch, adorned with various scribbles and writings.


    Had she lost her eye to a previous attack, he wondered. The young was proving to be quite the enigmatic personality.


    Despite the personal and vicious nature of the attack against her, she chose to spare them, or asked for them to be spared. What could have let her to be such a selfless person? Si¨²l¨®r became more and more intrigued with the young girl.


    Studying her face closer, he was surprised how human she looked. The skin was dirty from the fall and although slightly tanned, her face was turning red, and not just from the fresh winds of the evening.


    If not for the long ears on her side, almost completely covered by her wavy brown hair, he''d have considered her a human, like himself. If it weren¡¯t as disheveled he might not have noticed, actually.


    It might be some form of fashion statement.


    Her face was, in a one word, cute, he had to admit, and unlike Enda''s or Fi¨®''s, her face was almost oval-shaped, with a pointy chin and a straight, yet dainty nose. Her cheeks were full, and although they had an almost child-like quality, the form of the beautiful woman she might become was beginning to show.


    His eyes met her emerald green one briefly, before her gaze darted left and right, returning to the intense study of his companions, only briefly sneaking glances at him.


    Chiding himself for his starring, he promptly asked for her name, before introducing his companions and himself.


    She introduced herself as Keriana while trying to stand up, failing to put strength into her legs. They had to wait a few more minutes before she actually succeeded to struggle to a shaky standing position. Even before she could try to take a step, she almost collapsed again, only managing to avoid the ground as Si¨²l¨®ir caught her deftly, earning another angry chime from the invisible fairy and small chuckle from F¨ªo.


    Enda merely scowled.


    It took Keriana a while before she could walk on her own again, the experience having been more harrowing than she would care to admit. Si¨²l¨®ir had caught her again after another near tumble, causing another flush of red cheeks filled with embarrassment.


    She thought she heard the sound of a whistles or wind chimes while he helped her, but she ignored it over the loud beating of her heart.


    She couldn¡¯t remember the last time someone held her so gently.


    Even the priest of the monastery she lived at, although nice in his own way, kept a healthy distance from her.


    Keriana searched for the sun through the thickets of the tree. Unnoticed by her, it had grown quite dark as sun was setting behind the tree line. She had to go rush back to the monastery and begin preparing the food with the herbs she had collected. Her gaze swept across the ground, looking for her basket. The spider-woman, F¨ªo, had already collected everything and held the basket in front of her.


    Tears of a different sort made their way to her eyes.


    These people were so nice.


    So warm.


    What would they think if they knew the truth? If they learned who she really was? What she was.


    Would they still be so kind towards her?


    Her eye searched Si¨²l¨®ir¡¯s face. What would his reaction be?


    She could already imagine his face contorted in disgust, his eyes narrowing the same way as the villagers''.


    Her chest tightened at the thought.


    Her breathing quickened and her vision narrowed in panic.


    Even her temperature fell a few degrees and cold sweat covered her spine and hands.


    Should she tell them now? Or hope they¡¯ll never find out?


    Uncertainty spread and threatened to drown her.


    Suddenly she felt a warmth on her back. A warmth that chased away all her fears and dark thoughts.


    She looked into the face of the man that began rubbing her back supportingly.


    She should tell him ¡­ them.


    She should do it herself. Maybe if she was honest right from the start, they might forgive her for being what she was.


    Her mouth opened to speak, but she was cut short by the growl of a hungry beast.


    She blinked a few times, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, unsure of what she had heard.


    She first looked towards her own stomach, just to be sure.


    No, she wasn¡¯t hungry, well not that hungry.


    Then she looked towards her savior, doubting that such beastly sounds could have come from such a knightly person.


    His eyes however were focused on one of his companions, so Keriana followed his gaze, before coming to a stop at the Homo Vulpus, Enda, who quickly turned away ashamed, her head dyed almost completely red from embarrassment.


    The female vixen quickly hid her face behind her mask after their other companion, while F¨ªo, started to chuckle.


    She could swear she also heard the amused jingling of a wind chime.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t laugh ...¡± Si¨²l¨®ir started to berate the laughing spider-woman.


    But he was cut short as well when another grumbling sound echoed through the forest, and although not as loud as the first, still at a noticeable volume.


    This time the source was surely him and he blushed as well.


    ¡°W-well, we haven¡¯t eaten anything since ... you know...¡± He struggled to explain. ¡°Maybe, you could tell us where we can find an inn or tavern for some food?¡± He looked nervously at her.


    Was this a chance for her, after all? The scene had almost blown away her worry, even if that nagging fear remained. At least she could now do something for her saviors.


    ¡°T-the monastery ... where I live ... is close ...¡± she stammered, ¡°I was ¡­ about to make dinner anyway.¡± She looked up at him hopefully, yet still hesitant to ask them directly to join her. Luckily F¨ªo read her intention and asked if they could accompany her and join for the meal and, maybe, a place to sleep. Not as if Si¨²l¨®ir could have refused her upturned eye and puppy face.


    Thus their next destination was decided.


    *    *    *


    ¡°I-I ¡­*huff*... will KILL ... *cough cough* ¡­ kill them!¡± Gilroy shouted at no one in particular.


    They had run a good distance, leaving the interlopers a fair distance away. A safe distance.


    So they hoped.


    Aodh had no breath to speak, and Gilroy was panting heavily.


    Only Carbey felt okay, having the most stamina of the trio.


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll kill that bitch, then rape her, then I¡¯ll kill that freaking spirit or whatever that was...¡±


    Gilroy had started on one of his tirades, and Carbey knew better trying to stop him for now.


    Besides, sometimes there were good ideas thrown out amidst the crazy banter.


    ¡°No, first I¡¯ll kill that spirit, then I¡¯ll rape that whore ¡­ and then I¡¯ll burn her ...¡±


    Aodh was far less relaxed than Carbey and begin to shiver when he realized how disturbed the other boy truly was.


    ¡°No no, first I¡¯ll stab him, then I¡¯ll rape her in front of him, and then¡­ then I¡¯ll torch her hair, and ... and break her fingers and her toes ¡­ and cut open her stomach ...¡±


    Gilroy¡¯s eyes were filled with a mad glint. Even Carbey shuddered at the darkness his ¡®friend¡¯ was planning.


    He could go with having some fun with the girl, maybe taking a few extra measures afterwards to ensure her silence, but the deeds Gilroy was planning ¡­ he shivered slightly.


    ¡°Nonono, I¡¯ll set fire to him, right in front of her, then I¡¯ll ¡­ no we¡¯ll rape her in front of him, his dying screams mingling with hers. And then, we¡¯ll chain her up in my father¡¯s basement. We can enjoy her thoroughly for days, maybe even weeks. And after she¡¯s so broken she can only beg for more ¡­ then I¡¯ll slice ¡­ no, then we¡¯ll sell her at the next city ...¡±


    Gilroy began calming down, his crazy rant growing more focused and his voice icy cold.


    The other two weren¡¯t certain whether his last idea was crueler than the first of more merciful.


    They opted for the former.


    Aodh just wanted to leave for home immediately. Despite his initial doubts, he finally understood why his mother forbade him from associating with the Mayor¡¯s son. If only he could bury his head in her...


    He¡¯d listen to her now, he swore.


    Carbey¡¯s reaction was slightly different. The first two ideas were pure madness and of little actual worth besides stroking the already inflated ego of Gilroy. The last one however held merit and a small voice in the back of his mind responded with glee at the possibilities.


    He wouldn¡¯t have to waste any money on wooing any of the girls, or pay the prostitute, as he could relieve himself of any stress he had on the demon bitch. There were a few things he did not dare do yet.


    Too many would see his handy work on the whore.


    If she even let him.


    But the bitch from the monastery had no way to refuse, and once they grew tired of her, they could make some coin at the slave market in the closest town.


    As long as they refrained from leaving any scars or actually cutting off any limbs, the girl might fetch a high price.


    So he had to hold back a little, but the potential payout was worth it.


    Not only was she a rare breed, but her breasts were big for her small stature and her skin was alluring as well.


    After enough time in the cellar her tan would surely be gone, leaving snow white skin.


    It depended on how long they kept her, and how they treated their merchandise later.


    ¡°But first, I need to vent my anger on something ...¡± Gillroy interrupted Carbey¡¯s musings with another outburst.


    The lanky boy was eying Aodh dangerously, and Carbey was about to nudge him into a different direction.


    With what he had planned, he didn¡¯t need Aodh¡¯s family and especially the Watchmen on their asses.


    ¡°Ah, just the things to relieve some stress ...¡± Gilroy continued, looking past the young gofer they had brought.


    Carbey saw the same thing, but was uncertain.


    He had heard the stories. The constant warnings. He might not believe in Shadows and Demons, but this?


    Well, as long as they weren¡¯t caught.


    The sadistic smile on Gilroy¡¯s face and the mad glint in his eyes told Carbey all he needed to know. It wouldn''t matter whatever he might say, the other would not take no for an answer.


    As if he would bother to ask for permission in any case. Best to humor him for now.


    He needed the sadistic prick.


    But maybe later ¡­


    The two boys moved towards the new source of amusement.


    Aodh watched in horror, before he standing up and turning towards home.


    But fear stopped him.


    If he left now, what would the other two do to him later?


    For now he should follow them, but soon he had to get away.


    Why, oh why did he have to tell them about his favorite past time.


    Why couldn¡¯t he just keep his mouth shut and enjoy it for as long as possible.


    The voice hidden in the deepest recesses of his mind was promptly ignored. Even if it''s whispers were almost sweet to his ears. Even if it taunted him with the prospect of sucking, licking and biting into the girl''s fleshy mounds.


    And maybe something tasting something completely unknown much further down.


    No he chose to ignore it for now.


    But it remained, hidden behind fear and apprehension.


    Waiting for that momentary weakness it could prey upon.


    *    *    *


    With the promise of food and warm shelter, the group arrived quickly at the monastery after only a short ten minutes.


    The monastery, if it could be called that, was more of a stone tower connected to a half timber framed house. It was bigger than any building in the fox-people¡¯s village, but Si¨²l¨®ir somehow expected something grander.


    Bigger.


    The tower was maybe 5 meters high, and judging by the construction on top, housed a bell. The stones were covered in ivy or moss, only a few small windows of stained glass were free of foliage.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.The walls of the house were also partly plastered with the same stones as bell-tower, giving the structure a merged look. If you looked closely however, it became evident that the wooden structure was not as old as the stone tower, even if the same stones were used to cover the walls.


    An oaken door barred the way into the tower while another door led into the interior of the house.


    There should be another entrance to the tower within the house as well, as the house was built as if to merge with the bell-tower.


    A little further from the building was a well, presumably the primary source of water, and a little closer to the house, another smaller wooden structure. S¨ªul¨®r shuddered, as he realized the purpose of the other building. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he believed that he was accustomed to another way to relieve himself, within the comfort of his home. Another shiver ran down his spine when he realized that ¡®no toilet¡¯ meant ¡®no shower¡¯ and possibly ¡®no bath¡¯ as well.


    As they arrived, they were greeted by an older man, already standing at the door of the wooden house. His anxious expression disappeared quickly before he narrowed his eyes with suspicion.


    Keriana made her way to the robed figure in a hurry, fighting back the tears in her eyes.


    The man¡¯s face turned from surprised to angry as she started to recount what had happened to her, and Si¨²l¨®ir was almost certain the man would storm of after the youths and rain down judgment down upon them. He felt the same, but acquiesced to the young woman¡¯s pleading.


    While the three of them would hardly remain in the area for long, Keriana lived in the village, or near it to be precise, so actions shouldn¡¯t be taken to hastily.


    He couldn¡¯t be sure how the villager would react if three of their own would be seriously harmed or even killed by strangers, whatever their reasons might be. His thought process was interrupted as he felt a sharp gaze on him. Searching for its origin, Si¨²l¨®ir¡¯s eyes focused on the man that was ushering Keriana inside.


    Something felt strange about the man, although S¨ªul¨®ir couldn¡¯t quite place it place it at first. The man had a medium built, as far as one could tell beneath the brown robe. The attire screamed piety, as the outfit radiated ¡®monk.¡¯ Even the bald spot on the top of the man¡¯s head added to that effect, the brown hair on top of his head having been shaved off in a tonsure style.


    Pale brown eyes scrutinized their group intently, presumably trying to gauge the unexpected visitors.


    As Si¨²l¨®ir studied the face coser, he believed to have found the reason why the man felt familiar yet so alien to him.


    It was the ears!


    His ears were long and slightly pointed as well, though not as long as Keriana¡¯s. A term was no the tip of his tongue, but he felt it did not apply to them. Their features were not as fair or beautiful as the term ¡®Elf¡¯ implied. Maybe all they truly shared was the shape of their ears? A baritone voice interrupted his thought process.


    ¡°It is late, let us go inside...¡± the voice offered in an almost demanding tone.


    Even if he was somewhat irked by the intonation, there was no real reason to refuse, so the trio complied. Continuing in the dark through an unknown forest did not appeal to Si¨²l¨®ir, even if he believed both of his companions could easily continue on. On top of that, he had been on his feet for almost the entire day.


    It had been a long day.


    Walking to the Fox-village, fighting against a werewolf like creature, the ¡®Dreamwalk,¡¯ the pursuit and  battle against the kidnappers. After that, a brief mourning period for the fallen and continued pursuit.


    Barely any rest in between.


    It had been a long day.


    Lost in his own musings, Si¨²l¨®ir took a seat at a wooden table, only now taking in the room he was in.


    Certainly quaint, it still was radically different from the Elder¡¯s hut in the Foxen Village. The walls were made of stone, the floor laid out with wooden planks. The walls were lined with the glowing stones, emitting a weak white light that still managed to illuminate enough of the room. There was on window outside, but it was shut tightly with wooden shutters. Minimal amounts of glass, not pure enough to allow seeing through. Keriana disappeared into the back and the sounds of food preparations soon followed.


    The room was draped in silence for quite awhile before the man decided to begin asking questions.


    ¡°First I would like to extend my gratitude to you ...¡± he hesitated, unsure on how to continue.


    ¡°... for saving, Keriana. I have been raising her her whole life, so she is important to me. Even if I am a priest.¡±


    This confirmed Si¨²l¨®ir¡¯s suspicion. Judging by the coat and the hairstyle, he had expected the man to be of the clergy, he was just unsure on how to proceed from there. Any questions that would be obvious to most were still completely new information to him. And asking for the information could lead to unwanted attention. But he did receive a warm reception from the fox-people, so maybe he should risk it? And he did save Keriana, who the man said was like a daughter to him. Just as he was about to begin asking question however, F¨ªo spoke.


    ¡°We were just stumbled upon the scene by accident, so there is no need to be too gracious!¡±


    The man turned towards her to respond.


    ¡°Nevertheless, not everyone would have gone out of their way to help. Unfortunately the shadows have clouded the hearts of many and thus dulled their sense of righteousness. But as you are a greater Arachnea, you are surely aware of that.¡±


    F¨ªo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise barely managing to retain her composure. Si¨²l¨®ir¡¯s interest was roused, not only because the priest seemed to know of other races but mostly due to F¨ªo¡¯s shock. As he had guessed, the humanoid form of the spiders was indeed special, and now he even knew their names.


    ¡°No need to be so surprised! Or alarmed. The church of Nur always prided themselves with their extensive knowledge. The sun sees all after all.¡± the priest said while laughing.


    ¡°You are indeed correct, I am a greater Arachnea. I am just surprised the knowledge of my people remained intact outside our tribe. I am F¨ªod¨®ir and my companions are Enda of the Vulpis and Si¨²l¨®ir, a wanderer.¡±


    ¡°A wanderer, huh? Excuse me if I may seem rude, but I have never seen someone quite like you, even during my training journey. Pray tell, from whence do you come?¡±


    ¡°I am not offended,¡± Si¨²l¨®ir began, ¡°but unfortunately I cannot answer you...¡±


    The priest¡¯s eyes narrowed in suspicion, so he added quickly, ¡°but only because I don¡¯t know myself.¡±


    F¨ªo quickly stepped in.


    ¡°While we were rescuing members of our skulk captured by C?n slavers, we liberated him along with a few others¡±


    Enda raised an eyebrow in confusion. Luckily the priest did not notice.


    ¡°C?n Nerwnn? Hardly more than mercenaries nowadays ...¡± he mumbled before continuing,


    ¡°forgive my rudeness, it surely must have been difficult, being caught as a slave without knowing who you are.¡±


    Suddenly the priest stood up, having come to a late realization.


    ¡°Where are my manners? I have yet to introduce myself!¡±


    And while bowing slightly,


    ¡°they call me Domenico, and I have been the priest of this humble monastery for the last 15 years.


    Although I am uncertain if we can still call it a monastery, as I am the only brother here.¡±


    He paused briefly, glancing towards the door which Keriana disappeared through and continued,


    ¡°... in any case, I would welcome you to rest here for the night and eat with us. It is not safe during the night for ¡®outsiders¡¯ to travel anyway.¡±


    ¡°We can handle anything these forests can throw at us!¡± Enda exclaimed pridefully.


    ¡°I am sure you could most things, but these woods are protected by powerful guardians. Alva wolves stalk the forest at night ...¡±


    ¡°Divine beasts?¡± F¨ªo asked surprised.


    ¡°Aye, and they attack any they do not recognize, especially at night.¡±


    After such a warning even Enda saw the wisdom of staying for the night. And the other two welcomed the chance for a break, embracing the chance for a much needed rest.


    ¡°Domenico, while we wait, would you mind telling me about your faith?¡± Si¨²l¨®ir asked, trying to find out more information about both this world and the priest in front of him.


    ¡°Of course not, I would welcome the opportunity,but I¡¯m afraid most people find it tedious.¡±


    So while waiting the priest began to explain about the church of Nur and the various Gods and races. Enda, at first disinterested began to listen attentively when the priest began describing the other races.


    He began with the Creation of the Cosmos, the birth of the Gods from Mana, continuing with the story of the Shadow War</a>. Lacking details he briefly summarized how the darkness and its messenger were pushed back before the world was formed.


    The priest had just finished a shortened version of the creation of the different races</a>, mostly through the workings of the Nature Goddess Alva, but not without help from the Sun God Nur, at least according to his church¡¯s doctrine, when Keriana had finished preparation for dinner.


    As she began bringing out the food, denying Si¨²l¨®r¡¯s offer to help, the priest had mentioned the Ice Goddess Eira. Something stirred within Si¨²l¨®ir when he heard the name, but he could not place it.


    Searching for answers he looked at both Enda and F¨ªo but learned nothing of their expression.


    Enda shivered slightly at the mention and uttered a small chant under her breath while F¨ªo narrowed her eyes in deep thought.


    The meal was a simple vegetable stew, garnished with some of the herbs Keriana had picked, accompanied with some bread. And although the ingredients were fresh, the taste seemed somewhat bland to Si¨²l¨®ir.


    He still ate it hungrily, only now realizing how famished he truly was. But next to Enda, who was wolfing down her stew while grumbling about the lack of meat, he looked positively well-mannered.


    Once Enda realized she had become the entertainment for the evening her face blushed crimson, earning her a hearty laughter from the priest, who merely shrugged and thanked her on behalf of Keriana for enjoying the meal so openly.


    This in turn earned an embarrassed blush from the young girl, who turned her head to the side in a hurry, trying to hide the tears forming in her eye.


    F¨ªo was more subdued, eating slowly and with trouble at first, clearly unused to the need of tools. Luckily the spoons weren¡¯t hard to figure out and mostly copying the others, the ¡®infernal tools for torturing unwary souls¡¯ proved little distraction.


    Every now and then she marveled at the taste, her tongue being a new addition to her physique.


    ¡°I have much tasting to do!¡± she whispered seductively in Si¨²l¨®ir¡¯s ear, causing him to almost choke on a piece of vegetable. She withdrew giggling and gave him a quick wink, which luckily remained ignored by most of the others, thanks to Enda¡¯s antics during the meal.


    A warm feeling spread from his stomach, and he was certain it wasn¡¯t just the stew. The atmosphere seemed strangely unfamiliar and yet filled him with happiness. Did he have people to spend the evenings with? Did it involve the same merrymaking? Perhaps he even had a family? Surely he must have. Then why did this seem so alien to him, so unfamiliar?


    Suddenly the door burst open and a man rushed into the room, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Priest, we ¡­ need your ¡­ help¡± the man spat out between breaths.


    Alarmed, Domenico hurried to the man while Keriana prepared a mug with water. He took it with hesitation, giving a suspicious glare towards the helpful girl. Keriana withdrew once the mug left her hand, a sad smile on her lips, the situation oh so familiar to her.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°The wolf mother ¡­ her pack surrounded the village ¡­ and she ¡­ she injured one of the guards ¡­ nearly ripped out his arm ...¡± the man was visibly shaken, but he soldiered on.


    ¡°She dragged him ¡­ dropped him in the village square ¡­ demanded to speak to whoever¡¯s in charge ¡­ the village chief ¡­ he sent me ¡­¡±


    The man pleaded with tears in his eyes.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what to do ¡­ please¡­ you must help us!¡±


    <hr />


    Author Notes:


    Let me begin with apologizing for the late release. I had been busy with real life issues, and although they finished last week, I had some trouble getting back into the rhythm of writing. Didn''t help this chapter was kinda boring to write, although there''s some plot relevant information inside. Trying not to be too obvious hopefully won''t backfire on me. I am interested in seeing who notices the plot-important details, so I encourage you to use the comments.


    As I wanted to release speedily, I did not have the chance to do much in terms of editing and correcting, which will be done over the weekend, I hope it''s not to bad. In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter of ''The Wanderer'' even if it''s more on the boring part. The next one will be much more entertaining and will include fight scenes!


    I added links within the text to the Creation Myth according to the Church of Nur, which while not necessary to understanding the story, should help in piecing a few things together. I do hope it''s a not too unpleasant way of Info-dumping back-story. Don''t be surprised by the weirdness of the sentence flow, as it is meant to represent a religious text such as the ones we have here.


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 Creation Myth - The Shadow War and the Birth of the Gods

    In the beginning there was no Mana, no Time and no Life.


    Only Darkness, in all planes of existence and through it, connecting them all.


    But Mana, the energy that governs all, came into existence in the form of Light.


    The Light was weak and far between, so Darkness took it, extinguishing it, returning everything


    to Darkness.


    But the Light could not be stopped.


    Mana returned, again and again, and in every plane.


    And with Mana came Time, and with Time, Mana began to flow, meeting other sources of Light, connecting and fusing together.


    Then the intermixing Mana created Life.


    Life in the form of Beings of Energy and Light.


    Darkness watched and tried to extinguish the Light of Mana wherever it formed. But with increasing sources of Light, Darkness was pushed back.


    So it began to fear the light.


    Always returning, bringing with it, Life.


    And with Life came Chaos.


    It was too much for Darkness.


    It yearned for the state before the light existed, before Mana came into being.


    Unbeknownst to Darkness, with every light it extinguished, sparks of Mana gathered within it as well.


    And with Mana came Life. And with Life came Chaos.


    Darkness realized it had changed.


    No longer Darkness, only Shadow.


    Realization turned to anger.


    And with anger came a purpose.


    ''Shadow'' began to hunt the Light.


    This was the start of the Shadow Crusade.


    ¡®Shadow¡¯ took many, extinguishing their lights, bringing Darkness back into the Planes.


    But it was no longer part of Darkness, so close yet cursed to always remain separate.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.So it continued on, feeding on the sources of Light, consuming Mana, turning further away from Darkness, yet always yearning for it, and thus fueling its hatred.


    The many sources of merged Mana Light began to fear their individual ends, so they began to gather in a single Plane to better prepare their resistance.


    Thus they merged together forming into powerful beings, the first Gods.


    The First Gods learned to wield their Light, their Mana within, and created the Prime Magic.


    And they were powerful, but only together equal to ¡®Shadow.¡¯


    With their combined powers, they banished it into another Plane, sealing all access.


    ¡®Shadow¡¯ raged against its confines, having grown so large, one Plane could barely contain it, but the seal was too strong, and so it retreated, waiting, biding its time.


    And thus, the Shadow War had ended, with the first Gods victorious.


    Thus it is written in the Books of the Church of Nur, God of the Sun and bringer of Light into this world.


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 Creation Myth - Genesis of the World and the Races

    After the Shadow War, the Gods went wandering across the Planes.


    They realized that the Mana within them had differences, granting the Gods a variety of Powers.


    So they searched through the Planes, looking for places they could study their Magic.


    And places to call home.


    One of these Gods was Alva.


    Her Mana was unique even amongst her siblings.


    Attuned to Nature, she was able to create Life itself.


    Wandering, she found a Plane to call Home and wished to create a Garden. But the flowers she created did not flourish, withering quickly.


    One of the older Gods, Nur, with the Power of a Sun, saw what she had attempted, and granted his blessing to her Plants. With his Power, they grew and bloomed, dyeing the land with colors.


    Other Gods observed and soon began to create things of their own. They made mountains, rivers and all other non-living things.


    Soon the world was filled with beauty, but the Gods felt something missing.


    They consulted with Alva, and she realized that while the mountains, rivers and plants were beautiful, they lacked the Life of Gods, being majestic but always at the same place.


    So Alva made Spirits, granting them some of her Mana, so that they would gather at her Garden, and then told others of her creation. Upon hearing this, the Gods were overjoyed, creating Spirits of their own and watched over them.


    But the Spirits could hardly interact with the world, and the Gods soon fell into melancholy.


    So Alva began wondering again what to do, until Nur came to her and told her,


    ¡°Your Spirits are beautiful, just like your Garden, but they simply exist. Just as I give Light to your Plants, let you plants give Life to others!¡±


    And Alva began to create animals that would tend to her Garden. The other Gods observed what Alva did, and began creating Animals of their own.


    Thus the animals increased quickly and there were many kinds.


    But with Life comes Chaos.


    The Animals became beasts and began to wreak havoc on her beautiful flowers.


    And Alva felt that they were a great blight upon her Garden.


    Then Nur came to her again and told her,


    ¡°Shadow was a great danger to Light, then the Light made us, so that we may confront it. And we have confronted it and brought Peace to the Planes. You should make Guardians to confront the Animals and bring Peace to your Garden¡±


    And so Alva looked to her creations.


    And she understood.


    Just as Mana fused to bring Life, making the Gods, so they may confront ¡®Shadow¡¯ and bring Peace to the Planes, so her greatest wonders, the great trees and the spirits, should fuse to become Guardians, confront the beasts and bring Peace to her Garden.


    And she combined some of the trees with some of the spirits and created the first Race, the Guardians of the forest. And the Guardians of the forest began to herd the animals and tend to the Garden and Alva saw that all was well.


    The other Gods saw that Alva had created something unlike before, and they begged her to show them how to create Guardians for their Gardens and Mountains and Rivers, to be Shepherds for their Animals.


    Alva relented and taught whoever would come to her.


    The youngest of the Gods, Bryg, who had made many of the Weapons used in the Shadow War, had great difficulty in creating Guardians of her own, so she begged and begged Alva to help her.


    Alva wanted to play a little trick on her youngest sibling and teach her to depend on herself.


    So she used stones from the mountains and fashioned them into little shapes of people.


    Then she called to Bryg and told her


    ¡°Little Sister, these are your Guardians. So that you may not feel small, I have formed them to your height!¡±


    Bryg was angered and saddened by her sister''s prank, but as she could not create any better, she took the Forms Alva had created to her mountains.


    She did all she could to alter them.


    So Bryg made them sturdier and gave them great beards, but she could not make them taller.


    Hoping that with the help of the fire spirits, her Guardians would grow, she granted them life, but they did not increase in size.


    Bryg was saddened by this and hid deep within the mountains.


    She raged with great fervor, so the mountain opened up and spew fire.


    Her Guardian saw that their Goddess had hidden deep in the mountain and was raging within, so they dug tunnels so that they might find her and calm her down.


    Along the way they found precious stone and ores, which they presented to her.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.This helped calm her anger and she was thankful for their gifts.


    To thank her loyal Guardians, she taught them how fashion jewelry from the stones and forge the ores into metal.


    Her guardians were greatly impressed by the skillful hands of their goddess and praised her.


    But Bryg became solemn, apologizing for not being able to craft her guardians as beautifully as the jewelery and metals, and she told them of Alva''s prank and how she tried to improve them.


    But far from angry with her, they rejoiced in knowing what their goddess did for them, and they took pride in their stury bodies and their great beards.


    But towards Alva and her guardians of the forests they felt great anger.


    Alva wanted to apologize for causing her sister such grief and wondered what to do. One day Io, the goddess who governs the Light of the Moon, came upon her, sitting in her garden pondering.


    Thus Io advised Alva,


    ¡°I have seen that Bryg enjoys the Guardians you have made for her. So surely you only need to give a small gift as recompense. I have seen a grain in your Garden that you could fashion into drink that should please both her and her guardians.¡±


    Alva knew of the plant Io spoke of, and she gifted Bryg the brew she made from its grain.


    Bryg forgave her sister with the brew, but to this day, the Guardians of the mountain hold onto their animosity, even if they continue to enjoy Alva¡¯s Gift.


    Alva¡¯s Guardians saw that Bryg had taught her Guardians how to fashion jewelry from precious stones and forge ores into metal and they discussed amongst themselves.


    After Bryg and her Guardians were granted Alva¡¯s Gift, they went to her and asked,


    ¡°Alva, who we call great Mother for you have given us Life, we ask of you, are we not your chosen Guardians? We see you have spent much time with you Sister Bryg and taught her Guardian the secret to your Gift. So we ask, have we done something to displease you?¡±


    And Alva realized that her Guardians, too, deserved a gift, for taking care of the animals and protecting her Garden. So she granted to them the knowledge of Farming the Field and how to fashion Tools from Wood. And after seeing her Guardians content, she spoke,


    ¡°You, who are my Guardians, who keep my Garden safe tend to my Animals and keep the beasts in check, I grant you the right to call yourselves by my name¡±


    And thus the Guardians of the Forest became known as the People of Alva, the Elves.


    Nur watched all this high from the sky and as he looked to his wife, Io, he saw that she enjoyed looking at the industrious hustle below. But there was a strange sadness within her gaze.


    So Nur went to Alva and said,


    ¡°Alva, who her people call the Great Mother, I have given Life to your plants, as well as advice with your Spirits and your animals. And my wife Io, who governs the light of the moon, has given help to you and your sister Bryg.


    Now that most of the Gods have Guardians of their own, I see my wife, Io, is saddened by not having some of her own.¡±


    Alva was pleased that she could repay Nur and his wife Io and began to create Guardians for both of them.


    And so she made the people of the meadow, so that they may bathe in the greatness of their God Nur and his Wife Io.


    And she taught onto them the secrets of Farming the Fields and of Keeping of Animals.


    She asked Bryg to teach them as well, so they may fashion jewelry from precious stone and forge ore into metal.


    The other gods also wished to be of use to Alva and asked her if they could give Gifts to the people as well.


    Among them Lugh, who taught them Arts and Music, Ptah, who taught them Architecture, Enki, who taught them to build boats and fish as well as Dagda, the god who uncovered the secrets of Magic, and many more.


    Only one Goddess did not give her Blessing.


    Eira, the goddess who governed Snow and Ice.


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 Delay

    First and foremost, let me apologize for not updating the story.


    For those still interested in the Chronicles of the Wanderer,  allow me to alleviate your concerns:


    The story is not dead.


    I have this and the next arc pretty much planned out, I just have to commit it to proverbial paper.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.Alas, I have not had the drive to write. Something akin to writer''s block, if you will.


    In order to force myself to actually finish the next chapter, I will make every attempt to release it during the course of the next week.


    Again, I apologize for the long delay and I wish to thank everyone who is eagerly awaiting the next chapter.