Velona, City in The Kingdom of Stilyra- Mid Spring 15 years AR

“Hey, it’s me again!” Dani yelled down into the hole but no one answered. She looked at the cart laden with food and wondered what to do, it was already late in the afternoon and she still needed to get the cart she rented back to the market. Well, there was only one thing she could do. She got up and started dropping the food down the hole as carefully as she could. She didn’t want the jute sacks to tear open when they hit the ground so she even laid on her stomach to lower them as far as she could before she let go.

Soon enough all the food was laying in a pile but it still didn’t seem right. She’d been there several times to drop off things and there had always been someone watching the entrance. They never really spoke to her but there'd always been someone there.

“Should I go down and check on them?” She said aloud. She furrowed her brow, ”eh, may- no, there’s no reason to… Hey, I’ll see you guys in a few days!”

She might have just been lucky before or it was possible the one watching was just shy that day. She pulled the grate back over the entrance and started walking away. She only made it a few steps before she heard movement echo up from the entrance. She looked back and smiled, there was someone there. She thought about going back but decided against it, she didn’t want to scare them away.

She pulled the cart back to the market and tried to ignore the guards that stood watch on the expanding quarantine zone. The pox was spreading and things were getting worse in the city, just the thought made her decided she needed a drink. She made her way out of the market heading towards her next destination, the Riverfront Tavern.

“Still feeding the orphans I hear,” the barkeep said to her when she entered. Dani wasn’t sure who was telling him that, the place was empty but he likely had other sources than criminals. She looked at him worriedly, he was losing weight, “How are they lookin'?”

“Not sure, there wasn’t anyone there to meet me today,” She informed him.

He nodded to her and looked around the empty tavern, “Just a warnin’ my usual lot decided they wanted their spot back and went down there yesterday. I wouldn’t be droppin’ food down for the children unless you know it’s them gettin’ it. Those bastards hadn’t come back out and wouldn’t want you to go through the work of feeding that lot.”

Dani felt worry spread through her. She wondered if that was the reason for the lack of a watcher… it could have been a gang member that had come up when she left. She might just have to go down there next time if the children didn’t meet her.

“I see that look… Don’t you be goin’ down there. I doubt even as rough as they are they’d hurt children… It's not their style,” He said but his expression started to change to a false smile while handing her a round, “They’re probably trying to recruit a few of them and extort whoever’s running the place. They wouldn’t pick a fight with that many.”

She nodded at that. From what she’d gathered, there were upwards of two hundred children in the old sewers and most of them were near adulthood. Even if the low-lives decided to try something they didn’t have the numbers.

Dani made small talk for a while and only drank the one before she placed a few coppers to pay. He protested but she just smiled and walked away. She thought about bringing him a meal as well, the man was obviously not eating. His business was hurting as people stayed inside, worrying about the disease.

The streets were nearly deserted but she left to walk the riverfront. She watched the guards on the riverboats in the failing light for a moment, and the people on the docks trying to communicate with those across the river. The water had gotten warmer and more people had tried to swim to Saena. Now it was even more dangerous to do anything more than wash clothes in the river. The guards would draw an arrow at the sight of anyone getting into the water.

Not that she could really blame them, the pox had spread to nearly one out of five in Velona but some said that was actually the death toll. Either way, Thousands had died and thousands still lay suffering in the growing slums. Dani had pointed out that it didn’t make sense why the pox was spreading if the quarantine worked, it had to have a different cause. Tainted food, vermin, something in the water, something in the air… all ignored as far as she could tell. She just wanted people to do something other than throw people away to die.

She even went to city hall to point out that none of the Elvanni in the city had been affected by the pox and they should request aid from the Elvan or Ederath. She knew her homeland would send people without question. The gods wanted everyone to get stronger, so they wouldn’t let an entire city perish if they could help. Between the Elvanni being immune and the lycan’s constitution, they could help with little risk of spreading it further! The only outcome of her suggestions was an investigation of the Elvanni in the city to see if they were hiding a cure or were the ones spreading the disease in the first place.

As Dani walked home, she stopped and turned to go back to the alley. She wasn’t going to go down into the sewers, having promised the barkeep as she left but she wanted to see if there was anyone there. She just wanted to ensure the food she was buying, using borrowed coin, went to feed orphans, not criminals. Both because she didn’t want to feed scum but also because she’d already spent a good amount of the coin Jaesmin had lent her and hoped she’d be a bit more lenient about paying it back if it went to orphans.

It was dark so she walked down the alley with a [Light] spell and looked at the grate. It was off! She glanced around and spotted a shivering figure near some old crates. Dani approached carefully. She could tell it was a young woman and could see blood on her clothing, “Are you okay?”

The woman crouched down and cried. As Dani got near, she looked down into the entrance and nearly jumped. Only nearly, being from Lindum she was familiar with lycans but she hadn’t expected to see someone looking up at her. As soon as the light hit the female lycans eyes she jumped and tried to pull herself up the shaft that led down to the sewers. She dug her claws into the cracks between the stone, digging out centuries-old mortar. Dani looked at her in surprise, then realized what she was seeing. Lycans often had no problem wearing little clothing but they didn’t run around with their breasts exposed. They also took care of themselves and would never let themselves get to such a filthy state. Finally, they didn’t growl and look at people like that, while slobber dripped from their mouths.

Dani’s eyes went wide as the werewolf continued to struggle up the shaft and a hand grabbed hers. She looked over to see the girl she’d the first time she brought food pulling her arm. Dani took one more look at the approaching werewolf and the two ran. She yanked the girl hard and pulled her towards the center of the city, to the highway.

“They found ways out, the people opened them! They’re coming! Get out of the city! RUN! WE need to warn everyone, run!” The girl beside her started yelling in a panic.

“What? Who found a way ou-” Dani stopped and held the girl’s shoulders but was immediately cut off by her words.

“They bit us! We wanted to get to the lycans! It’s too late…” She started sobbing heavily. The wails made it harder for Dani to understand the girl, “We… we started turning into…. Last week... now only a few… -aven’t yet. I’m… the… the youngest... the last! I don’t… want to be… a monster!”

Dani took in what she said and after a moment grabbed her face and pulled apart her lips... Wolven canines! Dani quickly backed away, she wasn’t sure what to do! She needed to warn someone… or a lycan! The girl wanted a lycan to help, she knew lycans!

She took the girl by the hand and pulled her behind as she started to run through the city, trying to decide where to go. The city hall to send for Arn, Cara, or Jaes? It was closed. The guards would kill the girl without a thought if they believed her and threaten to put an arrow in them if they didn't. Dani ran aimlessly, she wasn’t sure how to get word to her friends. She looked at the girl running beside her, they’d be full of arrows if they tried to swim for it.

She turned and ran to the riverfront. Not the tavern, the actual docks. Once there she spotted people from Saena on the docks across the river. She got to the end as guards notched arrows on the riverboats and stopped to catch her breath. It took a moment as she looked across the water before casting [Amplify] on herself. It wasn’t ideal but it was her only choice.

“GET THE SHIELD MAIDEN! GET MAGUS ARN OR MAGUS CARA AT THE ACADEMY! THERE’S WEREWOLVES IN THE CITY! IN THE SEWERS! SOUND THE BELLS! GET THE GUARDS…” She continued yelling as she heard a scream from deep within Velona… it was the best she could do.

**********

The night prior in the city of Velona, werewolves came from beneath the streets of the city. Hundreds came pouring out, let out by unknown cut-throats and thieves that became the first victims. It was not a great battle but more of what you’d expect when hundreds of monsters ran around a city with tens of thousands of people running around in a blind panic and an even larger city right next door, which the monsters took notice of and spread to... Even with Dani's warning, no one was prepared.

By morning, the werewolves had been put down. They numbered below two hundred but the damage they had wrought on the city of Velona and the city of Saena was massive. Over ten thousand lay dead and double that injured.

Many died at the claws of werewolves while some burned in buildings. Hundreds tripped and were trampled by their neighbors and either left as injured prey or crushed to death in the streets. That wasn’t even accounting for the thousands of corpses making their way down the Varna, the people who drowned while trying to escape. Hoping to learn how to swim at the moment or plunging into the water as riverboats capsized from the weight as those in the water tried to crawl aboard already packed vessels. Nor did it include the hundreds that died from stray arrows and spells along the riverfront and the bridge, loosed or cast at monsters running through throngs of people by frightened people more concerned with killing the monsters than collateral damage.

There were even dozens of citizens that had committed suicide or had been murdered by unknown assailants taking advantage of the night. Their bodies were found in the wake of the massacre as the guards and soldiers of both cities combed every nook and cranny of Velona and Saena to ensure that there wasn’t a single wolf still alive, those that went to search the sewers were the final casualties, fighting through a maze of pitch dark tunnels. It was a dark night in the history of the two sister cities.

“First that fucking pox and now this!” Jaesmin flinched as the Duke yelled. She would have rather been with the soldiers ensuring the city was secured but she along with Arn, Dani, Stoki, and Freya had been given different orders. They had a part in the fight the night before, three of them were lycans, plus two were veterans of the Dain and the others were Legion Cadets. For that, they stood in the Academy’s main hall in the presence of the Duke of Saena and the Count of Velona but it wasn’t for their actions in fighting the monsters. Well, not just that.

“Okay, recount that again… you said that an orphan girl warned you? And that she said she was sent to the isles, to Everlight, by a werewolf... lord after being bitten? and this is the girl in question?” Jaesmin stood by while the Duke questioned Danielle Yelhanna about the night prior. Dani nodded to each question. The girl he was referring to stood in chains off to the side like she’d become dangerous without a moment's notice. He looked over at Jaesmin, Cara, and Arn, “And there’s nothing that lycans can do for her?”

Jaesmin looked over at the other two. She had no clue for sure but she had an idea, the girl was too close to her sixteenth birthday. They could try to old way but even with months of it, Ser Afgheir wasn’t sure it worked on Leo until he spoke and turned back into his human form. No one else answered, so she did, “I’m not sure your Eminence, the old way might work but I’ve only been a lycan for less than a year… I’ve never heard of someone starting their training this late. I’d be willing to try but…”

“But?”

“But… It’s…” Jaesmin couldn’t quite say the words. The girl was standing to the side looking at her with tearful eyes.

“It’s probably too late for her,” Arn sealed the girl's fate by finishing for her. She bowed her head. It was the truth, they could still try but Jaesmin thought it would take the gods' intervention to save her. The Duke for his part looked saddened by the revelation and the Count looked indifferent, but it was common knowledge he didn’t like northerners.

“My dear, we’ll make you comfortable…” The duke started as the girl collapsed to the floor. Jaesmin saw her eyes rolled into her head, she had fainted. The Duke looked at her for a moment and sigh before his demeanor changed, “Take her away and ensure she doesn’t hurt herself. We need answers about this werewolf lord.”

He snapped his fingers and two guards lifted her up and started to carry her out the door. Jaesmin just watched, was the compassion he’s shown just for show, or was he trying not to scare the girl. He could have just been unsure how to sentence the innocent girl to death. She still felt sick knowing that the girl would be dead within the week. Never having done a thing wrong other than being turned into a monster against her will. It was the fate that had almost taken Jaesmin.

“I believe next we should discuss the others. Tell me Miss Shieldmaiden, what is this old way. Will it prevent the others from turning into monsters like… well, you?” The count stood up and paced. Jaesmin stared at him but looked away after a moment. She’d gotten too used to speaking to a Prince. The others he spoke of was of course the ones that had been bitten during the night. While some of the monsters had gone on a rampage to kill everyone in reach, others had run through and bitten anyone they could sink their teeth into. The result was at least 400 people standing outside in the Academy’s courtyard… and one inside while it was expected that others may be hiding or have fled the city entirely. Jaesmin looked over at Freya, her arm healed perfectly like the monster hadn’t nearly bitten it off.

“They can become lycan… Most of… some of them should be able to if they start training immediately. The children can start learning the new way, which I do not know but the adults must submit to the old way… They would have to learn how to meditate. That is to say…” Jaesmin began to explain in the most diplomatic tone she’d been taught as a noble the process of meditation and savage beatings. She left out the details and informed them that key points were missing, those points being secrets of Ederath she wasn't allowed to give away. Though, the two nobles seemed content with the basics of the cycle of meditation and beatings.

“My, my. And you’ve been through this… old way?” The Count asked while looking at her with disdain like a pompous noble would look at a barbarian, an analogy that was basically how he probably viewed the situation.

“I’ve been beaten half to death nearly every single day from the day the knights and Rangers marched through Saena on the way south to a month ago when Dame Helga left for Jorvik. I’ll have to go through it again when I near my sixteenth birthday,” She said with a little more resolve in her voice. She’d paid dearly for the right to be proud of that fact, with countless bruises, gashes, and cracked bones as the currency. She’d literally been tortured for months but she made it through, “The only days I can think of where I wasn’t was after I killed a wendigo by myself and for a couple of days after fighting in the Battle of Willow’s Point.”

The last part was more of bragging to the noble that hated her kind, a mention that she knew how to take a hit and give it back. The Count just sneered at her a moment but he seemed content. She got the impression that he didn’t like lycans but the idea of lycans having to be beaten he could approve of. The Duke however ran his hand across his face and shook his head.

“Will it be possible with that many? And how many will likely be saved?” he asked after a moment. Jaesmin thought he’d been foolish for bringing werewolves in the city but he did seem to care for the people. Even when the majority of those bitten were from Velona. So she pushed his past transgressions aside, at least he was taking it seriously now.

“Milord, it would be best if they were sent to Ederat-” Arn started to explain the only real option. Even if he tried to handle the new way with Jaesmin and Cara teaching the old, none were trained to teach either method and it was just the three of them. They needed help.

“To Ederath? Why would we send citizens of Stilyra to Ederath?” The count spoke up sounding outraged at the idea.

“Milord, they’re either doomed to become… wolves or they’ll become lycans. If the former they die, I’ll not argue against that. If the latter they’ll be a part of the lycan pack, citizens of Ederath and nowhere else,” Jaesmin explained while trying to speak like a noble and having to stop herself from referring to the wolves as mangy-fucks. It was the same as what she was told, all lycans belong with the pack. She fidgeted while both nobles looked at her. One with contempt while the other studied her. She wondered if he would have been more abrasive if he hadn’t spent a few days being humbled by a foreign prince and a certain Legion officer.

“Very well. I’ll not have it said that I allowed these people to turn to monsters only to be executed without trying to save them,” The duke got up and looked over at his retainers, “Have riders sent north and prepare those bitten to march. Spread word through the city, if any have yet to come forward they must or it will be their heads. They’re bound for Jorvik!”

“Duke, there’s no possi-” The Count started to speak but the Duke cut him off.

“Enough! I’ll send word to the Duchy of Vayla of what has happened here and that the pox is now in Saena. I’ll be taking control of the quarantine of both cities as well as this situation. I’ll also be sending word to his majesty himself that your incompetence led to not only a fifth of your city dying from pox but another fifth dying from having werewolves beneath your very feet! Do you wish for me to add the execution of innocent civilians as well!” The Duke ended with a yell. The threat was very much received by the Count as he stepped back and bowed his head in submission. The Duke looked at his audience, “Miss Jaesmin, Miss Freya, Mister Arn. I believe it prudent you journey with them. The Academy will soon be closed due to the pox, so I assume your companions will join you as well. You and all students will be granted a hiatus from this establishment and be able to pick up your education at a later time. I’ll also send word of the situation to the legion liaison at the capital… They’ll want to know about this regardless. So first you must tell me if I am to inform them that you’re in Ederath?”

“Yes, Duke!” The legion cadets sounded in unison. Jaes held back a smile at the Duke's surprise at their unified answer.

“Very well… Now of last night. I’ve been informed Miss Dani was the one that sounded the alarm and that you all managed to cross the Varna and fight the wolves on the other side. My sources say Miss Cara and Miss Jaesmin both killed multiple on their own and while together, you six brought down at least 20 of the monsters combined. For that I’ll be sending a recommendation for recognition from the legion for the four of you while a sealed letter providing my gratitude to Ederath on behalf of all six mages of Saena Academy,” The duke informed them. Jaesmin noticed a smug look the Duke directed towards the Count when he mentioned the fact that a sizable chunk of the monsters had been dispatched by those there, all students of his academy. Most of it was because of stories from Cara and Jaesmin that informed their friends on how to fight the monsters and not the Academy. It also wasn’t actually true that Jaesmin had killed multiple herself. Even before meeting with her friends in the chaos, she still fought alongside guards and soldiers. She wasn’t going to correct him though because she could tell that it was politics.

An hour later they were all walking out of the Academy with their belongings. The location had been chosen as a meeting place mainly because it was an enchanted, ancient fortress and one of the most heavily defendable positions in either city. Which made it the prime location for the two noble families to relocate to now that the pox had spread and there was the threat of werewolves in the isles again. It hadn’t been that long but there was the difference between monsters running free in the Dain and monsters running in a major city.

“Pretty sure it’s going to be a while till the Academy reopens,” Jaesmin said when they were well away from the guards of the two noble houses.

“Think the pox will last that long?” Stoki asked looking back at what had been their home for months. Dani looked back as well and Jaesmin could see the pain on her face. She knew that Dani had dreamed of going there for years. She looked back to face Stoki.

“No… well maybe, I was thinking politics.”

“Pretty sure she’s talking about how the Duke just seized control of Velona,” Freya said and attempted a laugh but it didn’t come out right. It was exactly what Jaesmin was thinking. The duke had just said he was taking control of both cities. That he was telling, not asking, the Duke of Vayla whose domain the Count fell under that he was doing so. He even brought up how the Count… and most likely his rival Duke, had botched the whole thing, resulting in the death of thousands. He even referred to the two cities as a singular 'city' and not once acknowledged the name Velona. The sister cities would be crippled with pox for a while and Jaesmin wouldn’t be surprised if Velona didn’t even exist as a separate city after the Duke finally viewed it as safe enough to end the quarantine. Or at least viewed his control stable enough to reopen.

“Huh…”

“Nevermind,” Freya grumbled. She was taking the bite hard and Jaesmin couldn’t fault her, she’d been there before.

“So, should we head to the gate before they close it? I mean they’ve got to let us through but ahh….” Stoki said, pointing around at the general mess around the streets. That part of the city hadn’t been hard-fought but it was hard-looted, “I doubt we’ll be going to the tavern.”

“Speaking of fucking tavern, isn’t that the barkeep from the riverfront?” Freya said, once again trying to sound cheerful but failing.

“Fuck, he’s was bitten?” Dani exclaimed sounding worried. She knew him far better than the Jaes from her time stranded across the river but after a moment she seemed to realize that one of her closest friends was feeling down about her own bite, “… sorry.”

“Hey…” Jaesmin tried to call him over but he was being escorted by guards. He walking alongside a soldier that looked like he’d been in the thick of it and a young woman with a chunk of her dress torn out. None of them looked very happy and Jaesmin wondered if they’d been informed they were going to Ederath or if they thought they were going to be executed, “Well I guess we’ll see him on the road.”

“Thinkin’ of taverns? Where’s Solara?” Arn asked, looking around for the fairy.

“Not sure, I was at the Eagle Head to pick up some food when the fighting started and she was with me. she stayed away from the fighting and eventually told me that ‘the fae only fight to protect or avenge our own now’,” Jaesmin explained, she hadn’t seen her all day. She half expected the fae to show up while they were being questioned by the duke but not a single flutter of her wing was seen.

“Now? Like they used to fight for others before?” Dani wondered aloud. Jaesmin decided to answer anyways.

“I dunno. I was running between fights and she disappeared after that… she seemed sad though.”

“Our poor tiny alcoholic stripper…” Freya said with a genuine smile even if it was barely there. Her heightened mood didn’t last more than three steps before she stopped and looked up at nothing before she added in a slightly appeasing, slightly mocking tone, “who is a mighty fae that could kill me in a single heartbeat... and I don’t mean any offense ta her or her kind neither. I’ve already got enough fucking problems.”

“You’ll be alright, we’ll just have to have Arn beat the snot out of you,” Jaesmin said rubbing Freya’s back. She thought of how much said snot she'd had on her face after training, especially the first few times. It was a valid saying.

“Why me?”

“Needs to be someone with the strength to put her in her place effortlessly. If Jaesmin does it, it’s a fight, it needs to be a beating,” Cara explained. Arn had never suffered the old way so had no clue.

“Then why not, I don’t know… you! I don’t want to hit Freya,” He made a good counterpoint. Cara was a grown lycan as well.

“It’s for my own good big guy, I’m sure I’ll like it a little rough. I’m a big girl after all,” Freya said with a halfhearted wink towards him but even though she was flirting lightly for the fun of it, her face didn’t look like she was having fun at all.

“Please don’t start that, it’s weird,” Stoki said from behind as they finally made it to the gate. Sure enough, there was a crowd there as people wished to get out of the city before the pox ravaged it as it had done in Velona.

“No one leaves!” A guard yelled out as they approached, “Only those bound for Ederath!”

“We’re supposed to escort those that were bitten north,” Dani was the first one to squeeze through the people to the line of guards standing in front of the open gate. She turned and pointed to Jaesmin and the others.

“And I supposed you-” the guard rolled his eyes. Jaesmin had already heard others claiming to be bitten to get out of the city but Cara and Arn both shifted into their lycan forms. An act that both convinced him immediately and opened a wide path for the two to walk through. With Jaesmin, Cara, and Stoki taking full advantage of the sudden ample space, “f-fair enough.”

“I’ll catch up,” Jaesmin said to the others while she looked at the crowd. There were a lot of people there and quite a few were claiming to be bitten or demanding to be let through because their loved ones were already outside.

“Where ya goin'?” Arn turned to look at her.

Jaesmin didn’t explain and walked up to one of the more senior-looking guards. She explained who and what she was before she suggested they question the people and have them tell the guards what it was like to be bitten. She described a few things that she and her friends had experienced, Freya included. Burning sensation in the stomach, it spreading, feeling of being on fire while joints twist and bones shatter and rebuilt. Things that only those that have experienced would even think to imagine. Besides that, the lack of coordination of the body when they woke up and eventually the teeth if someone had them. They were already making a list of those bitten and letting their families out, it just took time to verify. So Jaesmin didn't worry about that.

He seemed skeptical at first but soon had her explain it to other senior guards after a single person who claimed to be bitten described the feeling exactly. They quickly started pulling anyone claiming to be bitten out of the crowd to question them. Jaesmin stood next to him and smiled as a woman described it correctly and was sent outside the gate… then frowned as a man failed to describe it. Saying it was like having cold water poured through his veins and an urge to eat human flesh. That man was passed to a different guard and flogged on the spot. It was harsh but after that, fewer people were claiming to be bitten. Jaesmin was sure that there would be a few that were neither bitten nor family members that would sneak through but it was better than someone who needed to leave being left in the city.

There was the worry of the pox but anyone showing symptoms of that was being held in the city regardless, the wolves had seemed to ignore the sick when biting. Even if there were some in the group with it, Dani had already mentioned that Elvanni seemed immune and Jaes knew at least Prince Erik wouldn’t let bias stop him from seeking aid. Feeling she did something good, she walked through the gate after a few more people were sorted and one more flogged.

“Well, isn’t this familiar,” Jaesmin said as she walked out of the city a little disturbed but the sight of their old wagon brought a slight smile to her face. She walked alongside it, running her hand along its rough plank sides, and looked at the new group of misfits that would call it home.

“Asked one of the guards to move it out while you were packing,” Cara smiled crawling up and taking Jaesmin’s bags to stow them away, “Well, asked… bribed...”

That night, Jaes lay next to a groaning Freya. She knew the feeling and Freya looked bad, with swollen eyes and split lips. Jaes was tempted to heal her friend but knew she couldn’t. She also lay next to a groaning Arn and Cara, both tired from training in the old way and had bloody knuckles. In total, they had each managed to train four people apiece. Just a fraction of what was needed.

Although, Jaesmin hoped it would be just like their trip to Saena… that the others would have time and the riders would reach Vanheim. Meaning they’d have knights marching south before they were even halfway there. They would do what they could until then but Jaesmin wasn’t looking forward to the morning though. Trying to explain meditation was hard enough. Trying to explain it to hundreds… she sighed.