“You tryin to pick a fight?!” asked a muscular furry boy with grey animal ears on top of his head and golden eyes. He was currently inside a shop and was shouting at a boy with another furry boy with brown hair on his head.

Actually, almost everyone was either furry with the exception of a few chimeras and were-creatures, who could only transform during the night.

“Of course not, why would I pick a fight with you.” said the little boy with a kind face.

“At least you know your place.” said the wolf boy as he put him down. He wasn’t a ‘noble breed’ like Tulga, but was instead called ‘shifter’, so he wasn’t a beast turned human, but a human turned beast.

Shifters possessed the ability to turn into a stronger version of their beast counterpart. By how one looked at ‘noble breed’ and ‘shifters’, the shifters would seem more powerful.

But that wasn’t the case. While the ‘noble breed’ gained superior powers in human form, ‘shifters’ could only use their [Beast Form] to access that power. However, their physical strength was already better than normal humans.

Then he continued “Why should I pick a fight with weaklings.”

“You dare!!!” shouted the wolf boy as he pounced at Grimgal, the one with the brown fur. He turned into his [Beast Form] mid-air, which was a giant wolf.

Then Grimgal also turned into his [Beast Form]. His body size didn’t change, but he became a little more slender.

What was standing before the wolf was a weasel half or maybe quarters its size.

He then pounced at the wolf, but he didn’t clash. Instead Grimgal circled his body.

They resembled a vine around a tree, but the vine was alive and was attacking the head of the wolf.

He bit off the back of the wolf’s neck as it fell lifeless to the ground and turned into a human.

The crowd then dissipated and didn’t pay any mind to the corpse as if it was nothing strange. In fact, it wasn’t.

Desolate East was home to many, if not every possible supernatural creatures, as those from Earth would call it. Actually, they were seen as occult or strange on Terra too.

Soon enough, a man with a black robe came pushing a cart and put the corpse on it. He, or is it she, walked back. They were called Cleaners and would clean the city, specifically the corpses.

Some thought that they worshiped The Reaper, some thought that they were cannibals.

“You killed another one, didn’t you?” asked a man with similar features to the boy, but a little taller.

Grimgal turned his head and looked at the man “Yep, don’t you think we look a little weak?”

“That’s why we are so good at killing.” said the man while narrowing his eyes.

“You have a point, bro.” agreed Grimgal.

After a little pause, his older brother continued “So, what did you fight for?”

“This.” he said and picked something from the pouch on the left side of his waist. Upon further inspection, Brimgal, his brother realized that it was an Ancestry Stone. When devoured, it would prolong the time of a ‘shifter’ in his/her [Beast Form].

...

Grimgal and Brimgal were standing before a big mansion; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it looked like a palace.

This was The Assassins’ Guild and was mostly composed of their family. There were few ignorant enough to mess with them, and that wolf boy was one of them.

Grimgal kicked open the door and entered. The interior wasn’t luxurious, like the exterior.

The walls were covered with red paint, a little bit of blood, or maybe a lot of it. The entrance showed a narrow corridor, leading to a counter, which could be seen below The Assassins’ Mark drawn on a white carpet like thing, which was hanging from the ceiling.

It is said that once someone outside of the guild finds that mark, they would be killed within a day without fail.

The 2 walked towards the counter and the receptionist looked at them. “May I know your names?”

“Grimgal and Brimgal Nevestulka.” said Brimgal.

Suppressed horror came to the receptionist’s face as she pointed her palm at the stairway “T-This way.”

The reaction wasn’t that strange, after all, the family name Nevestulka would probably make the bravest men piss their pants, and it included the ones who work at the guild too.

Over the stairway, there was a giant door which opened at their sight, as if fearing them. But that wasn’t the case.

“You’re here.” said a man with similar features to the brothers, but his fur was a little darker and he had a black eye patch over his right eye. He was currently smiling.

“You just abandoned us for several years and suddenly call us? Can you even do that?” shouted Brimgal.

“I can and I just did.”

Grimgal then ushered his brother to listen to him “Please go on, father.”

“That’s my Grim for you.” said the man with a sweet voice, but suddenly his tone turned cold “As you might know, there is a new kingdom rising. I fear that only I can possibly have a chance at infiltrating and murdering the king.”

“And what of it?” asked Grimgal.

“I fear that I can’t come back alive.”

“Does that have anything to do with us?”

“I want you to replace me.”

“No thanks.”

“Isn’t it alluring enough for you? Then how about I let one of you go?” asked their father with a mischievous smile.

Grimgal and Brimgal had always dreamed of crossing over to the Main Continent, but some assassins would always bring them back from the shore. It was this man’s doing.

Even if he died, rules were the rules. The rule was to never let ones from the direct bloodline of a former or current guild master leave the continent.

But if a guild leader was to give them permission, they would be allowed.

“I accept.” this time it wasn’t Grimgal, but his brother.

“But brother, you promised me to go together.”

“Listen, if I don’t take old man’s place, both of us will likely be killed.” said Brim as he put his hand on his brother’s head and patted it. This was true. Ringal, their father, had an uncanny potential for killing, so the next leader might kill them in fear.

“Good child, that’s exactly true. But if you take my position, you might survive.” This was also true, as the guild master, he would have to do a blood pact with 7 assassins of his choosing. They would never be able to betray him.

…

“Take care.” said Brimgal as he saw his brother slowly leave the continent on a ship. This ship took a detour, but he wouldn’t fall into the clutches of other assassins, or the vampire kingdom for that matter.

“You too.” said Grimgal as he looked back at his trashy excuse of a hometown and his only friend in this cold world. A 14 year old Grimgal left the Desolate East just like this.