The one thing Lilac felt disappointed about was the fact that they hardly had any time to wind down in a pleasant seaside resort town, but she could respect Nergora and Sovarn’s decision not to burden the townspeople with their problems. Still, at least she got to see the sea. It also made her wonder. She was aware that her brother, Hans, was still on the other side of the sea, possibly working as an ambassador to the new continent they found.

The news about her brother came several months after they reached Summinat. Lilac read the news about the successful return of a group of intercontinental travelers from their arduous and risky journey through the unknown ocean, which was described as a dangerous sea with a raging storm that threatened the ship. As she continued reading it, she learned that the explorers braved the sea with the state-of-the-art riveted steel steamship, originally intended as a passenger liner, to reach a new continent called Main. It was a land of magical technology and dragons, apparently more advanced than Ternor’s purely engineering marvels. While Main was far and travelling there was relatively risky, Lilac was content that there were still oddities close to Ternor, namely the Raptors of Raptor Island, named Isola by the explorers and the general mainland media. She was even amused by how the Raptors were depicted, as they looked mostly reptilian, but covered in feathers. They were described as colorful, but Lilac couldn’t tell with the black-and-white photo that was also blurry.

Hans wasn’t part of the return crew, though his contributions and his survival was noted by the captain of the ship. They owed their survival to a dragon that they met in Isola. To Lilac’s delight, the three Lycans that convinced the dragon were mentioned in the article. They were Ulster Baldwin, Adeline de Rochefort, and, most importantly for Lilac, Hans Rezmirn. The three chose to become ambassadors for the whole Ternor continent despite of being Tragorian Lycans. The ship’s return journey was smoother due to the upgrade from Main and the ship returned to its original role as an ocean liner. However, barely a year later, the Hellish Incursion hit Angla, forcing the ship to change its port of call and was also turned into a refugee ship for those wishing to escape to Pol Hain, the usual destination for the ship.

The news were quite the talks of the people who were interested in adventure and daring tales. While Lilac was glad that her brother finally got the recognition he wanted, she was even more glad that many did not brush off or condemn the exploration team for being mostly Lycans, plus a Raptor and a dragon. Given that the sponsor of the expedition and the ship’s captain being Lycans, it would make a lot of sense for the crew to be mostly Lycans, pureblooded or turned.

Her mind started returning to Hans and whatever he was doing on the other side of the continent. Did he ever know that she was travelling about and not staying in Sidve when the hellhounds attacked? Probably not. In fact, he might be too busy to even receive her wire. She wondered if it ever arrived. The ocean-faring ship, the Blackjack, wasn’t exactly a mail ship. It could still be in the post office, for all that matters.

Then again, not getting a reply after almost three years made her worry. What if, instead of her being in danger, it was he who got into troubles? There was no way to tell. With the incursion getting worse each day and the ship busy ferrying refugees, a wire from a concerned sister would be the least of the ship crew’s worries.

And it wasn’t supposed to be her main worries, either, for now, she finished her mission, and was then on the way back to Summinat.

“I suppose it’s customary to know each other first,” said the old hellhound. “You already know the young master’s name, and he has mentioned me a couple of times. But I prefer what you surface dwellers called ‘formality’. My name is Sovarn Greshkel, personal butler to Nergora Schelkz, the young master.”

“And you already know my name,” said Nergora. “What’s yours?”

“I’m Lilac Rezmirn,” said Lilac. “The human’s Albert Schafner and the fox’s Eshdar Winsel.”

“And now that we’ve known each other,” said Eshdar. “Maybe you can tell us why you are so elusive. I mean, granted, we were the only ones who actively seek you for the past two years, but surely our paths should’ve crossed earlier if you stay in Idrisham for a certain amount of time. You don’t even bother trying to contact the Council.”

“I know this may sound like an inconvenience for you,” said Nergora. “But we can’t afford to start an alliance until we know you’re not just leading us into a trap.”

“And what changed your mind?” asked Albert.

“The three of you are not hellhounds.”

Eshdar pointed at himself, wondering if they did not consider him a hellhound despite his obvious, non-werefox features.

“You may not think of it much, but Hunters of the Outer Realms don’t exactly call themselves hellhounds,” said Nergora. “I mean, you’re a fox, not a hound.”

“I mean, if you put it that way, sure.”

“Also,” added Sovarn. “Even if we are aware that you’re an Underworlder, you work well with a human and…whatever you call yourself, young lady. The hostile ones grew bolder after they sold their souls to the devils, not realizing what they got themselves into. Kind of ironic, isn’t it?”

“Ironic is quite an understatement,” said Lilac. “And while I don’t have an endearing word other than ‘snake-wolf’, I once considered myself a Lycan.”

“Snake-wolf sounds rather nice, really,” complimented Nergora.

“Thanks.”

“Also, we chose not to make alliances, or at least the young master did,” said Sovarn. “With potential enemies around you, one learns how to be cautious and…stay out of someone’s life when necessary. It’s better if you have no attachments if you wish no harm to come upon them. We chose to live as vagabonds, with no attachments, so we won’t have any burdens. Every death of the people we met became our responsibilities. I agreed with him on that one. This is not our land, yet our problem became your problem instead.”

“But you can’t make an impact if you’re all alone,” reasoned Lilac.

“I don’t need to make an impact, Lilac Rezmirn,” said Nergora. “I prefer to work as a free agent, without the ties that binds. You get what I mean, don’t you?”

“I see what you mean,” said Lilac with a smile.

“Forgive me for asking, young lady,” said Sovarn with the most gentlemanly tone one could ever hear. “But I wasn’t very courtly earlier. However, I must ask why you have such peculiar appearance. What happened to you?”

“To me? Oh, you mean my present form. It’s an accident. It was partially a…very passionate accident. The other half would be what you expect.”

“Passionate enough to risk your life with a demon?” said Nergora. “Not that it’s my place to judge, but…”

“He’s not a demon. It’s Ifrit.”

“Ifrit? My brother, Ifrit?”

“We loved each other, but I underestimated a hellhound’s ferocity. He didn’t make me pregnant, but…I don’t know a good word to say aside from…”

“Corruption,” said Sovarn with a sigh. He turned to Nergora and said, “(I know it is your conviction to leave her alone, Nergora, but I suppose it’s the right choice in the end. If she ends up corrupted, she might not be as accepting as her).”

“(Maybe so),” said Nergora with a sigh. “(But I didn’t think my blood can corrupt. Wait…did she say something about Ifrit)?”

“Sorry, but I can’t understand Hordo,” said Lilac, interrupting their conversation. “I know this is a demonic corruption, but please, don’t blame Ifrit for this. He didn’t know. And besides, my current appearance is not caused by him.”

“I see,” said Sovarn. “We won’t judge, but again, you should be careful.”

“Thank you for the concern.”

“Back to the topic at hand, we chose not to associate with your group and did our own work, but we soon realized that it’s not working and it’s just getting worse. However, there are things you find if you’re working independently.”

“And that is…?”

“What the hellish incursion really is, and why it’s going to make things not only worse, but dreadful,” said Nergora. “And…what the hellhounds have done to make it possible.”

“Selling their souls to the demons.”

“And causing an uprising based on lies and deceit, all to throw everything into chaos before the ones in charge take over. We’re talking about the demons that planned this, and the one hellhound that became their voice for the masses. He was the first of the fallen.”

“You know their leader?” asked Eshdar.

“No, not yet. He could be any hellhound out there. The fact that he’s so elusive means that he does not like your typical leader. He will be very smart and very dedicated, and possibly even cause discord among us. He has a conviction, and that makes him more dangerous than the unfortunate hellhounds following him.”

“That doesn’t really help us.”

“How about strategic positions in Tragoria that will cripple their efforts?” said Sovarn. “Do you have a detailed map of Tragoria?”

As it happened, Lilac bought one on Albert’s recommendation so she would be able to find her way home. Seeing the lush green meadows and farm that bordered the horizon felt nostalgic for Lilac. However, all those were gone, taken by the hellish incursion. She knew she lived in the present, and she would need more effort to take all that back.

She opened the Tragorian map for the passengers to see. Sovarn and Nergora looked at it in detail before Sovarn asked for a pencil, which Lilac gave. He then proceeded to circle several towns and areas in Tragoria that were strategic positions. Lilac knew most of them, but then she also found one to be close to home: the village of Sidve, where she grew up. It was listed as the ‘entrance’ for some reason, prompting her to ask.

“Entrance?” asked Lilac.

“A permanent gate linking the surface world and the Underworld was established here. One of them, at least,” said Sovarn. “Many more would come as the year went by. We both managed to destroy some of them and mapped many of them, but we couldn’t get to Sidve. It is too well guarded. You need an army armed with all the anti-demonic weapons you know.”

“You also need to establish a forward base in a town near the border where you will and must coordinate your efforts,” said Nergora. “From the look of it, you managed to find supports from the surface, which is good, since this is their fight, too. Now all you need to do is to coordinate the efforts and make the alliance work. What is your situation on that end?”

“For that, you need to ask the Council,” said Eshdar. “We’re out here to find you, so now that the mission’s a success, we’re off to Summinat.”

But Lilac noticed that both seemed reluctant to go to Summinat. They were not hiding something, but clearly, they did not wish to work with the Council and chose to go as themselves. It could’ve been due to a particular reason for the reluctance.

“Look, I understand if alliance can be shaky,” said Lilac. “I can’t claim to know anything about alliances. Just three years ago, I was a Lycan barmaid who had no idea things could turn to the worst. However, right now, it’s better if you know who to trust and who to ally with.”

“Oh, we already know who to trust,” said Sovarn. “Anarim Winsel is an acquaintance before the uprising, and I can tell he becomes wiser as time goes on. Our problem, however, is not the alliance.”

“It all comes down to politics,” said Nergora. “We’re worried that they want to restart the monarchy system.”

“And the whole thing will restart once again,” continued Sovarn. “Someone would be disgruntled by the royals and started another demon-supported uprising. Anarim would not want that since he chose to abandon his title after knowing about the incursion. Why do you think they are tasking you to find me? Even if I am a bastard prince, I am still the best claimant to the throne.”

“At this point, after hearing a lot about the house of Schelkz, I don’t think they’d want a Schelkz to be back in power,” said Albert.

“Also, do you really think they’d want to go back to the old days?” asked Eshdar. “The age of kings and queens are becoming a thing of the past. At this point, it’s more of a heritage and a title than a government. Worse, it’s just something to gossip on in a ball or something, like a costume drama, at least for the surface dwellers.”

“Oh, don’t bet on that,” said Nergora. “There are hardline Royalists out there who wanted a semblance of tradition after it was gone for 20 years. In fact, if the former princes, princesses, kings, and queens were to become the hero of this war, their return of power will be justified.”

“Even if he’s not of legitimate blood?”

“Even if he’s not of legitimate blood,” confirmed Nergora.

“And we don’t want to become kings and queens, or even a prince for that matter,” said Eshdar. “We do this our way. That’s what you want, right? No need for all that bullshit. Then again, that bullshit is the best chance we got right now. You with me on this, right? It’s either this or not having any progress at all. So, how about giving us a chance? You know how to fight with that ice of yours. At least you know you won’t be a figurehead.”

Nergora nodded in approval. He was still reluctant, but in the end, he decided that it was better to ally with those that had more chance than two hellhounds. While his ice powers were strong enough to protect himself and be a one hound army, it would not be enough to win the war. He may have reservations with making allies, but he should set it aside and focus on the more immediate problem.

After driving for five hours, they had a chance to stop and rest while Albert refueled the car. Lilac used this time to see Nergora’s features. She was already aware that, being a son from a different mother, he would not resemble Ifrit at all. She knew he was different from Ifrit in many ways, especially the way he shunned personal connections to protect others. She still had trouble believing that Nergora was Ifrit’s brother due to his ice powers and his snow-white fur and icy blue eyes, which contrasted with Ifrit’s black fur with red markings and fiery crimson eyes. Only his horns, curved to the back and black in color, was the identical one. It could possibly because they had the same father.

But the most surprising thing she found of him was his interest in culinary, another contrast with his half-brother. After refueling, they decided to rest for the day as the night was coming. Lilac decided to use the rabbit meat Eshdar provided to make a stew for dinner. She started by boiling the stew in a pot while she prepared the vegetables. As she was working, Nergora approached her and looked into the stew pot while sniffing in the stew.

“Rabbit stew, huh?” he said while looking at the meat inside the stew pot. “With the general stew assortment and herbs, no less. Did you simply throw in the meat, or did you brown it over the fire first?”

“Is it different?”

“Well, for starters, roasted meats have more texture than boiled ones. It also brings out the charred taste in the soup, enhancing the meat’s broth among the vegetables and herbs. Oh, and you don’t need to cook it for too long, especially with a portable gas stove. I much prefer cooking over a firewood stove, but for that, we’d need a whole day.”

“Huh. That’s a good idea,” said Lilac. “Maybe I should try that next time.”

“It’s not entirely my idea. Sovarn is the expert between the two of us. I simply like asking him questions about the food I eat. In time, I became fascinated by the culinary arts and wished to learn more. Soon, I learned how to cook, and Sovarn the judge. I can confidently say that I have improved a lot since my first attempt.”

“Your first attempt is not bad,” said Sovarn, who happened to be nearby and listened in. “But you really should’ve kept your eyes on your food.”

“Because timing is everything,” said Nergora with a smile. “I always keep that in mind, my friend.”

Their talk about food soon turned into a different topic. Lilac used this moment to ask the elder Schelkz about himself. She assumed that the butler might not like her butting in on their lives, but when Lilac asked Sovarn about it, the hellhound said, “I don’t mind. You are already involved with a Schelkz and I regarded Nergora as a friend. I am also aware of the curious nature of people.”

Lilac thanked the hellhound, who simply nodded and walked away to help prepare the dining table.

“Well, we should’ve crossed paths a couple of times in the past, but for some reason, we aren’t,” started Lilac. “You passed through Snohand, didn’t you?”

“I never told them my name, only a passing remark that I’m going to Adaline, and I am searching for my brother,” said Nergora. “When was this? 1911?”

“Then again, your features are too striking for them to just forget. I have never met a white-furred hellhound like you before.”

“But for some reason, no one seemed to care,” said Nergora. “So, how do you know it was me and not just some other white-furred hellhound?”

“Sammael told Ifrit, then he told me.”

“Sammael? Oh, the Barghest.” Nergora chuckled. “For a demon, he is a sweet one, isn’t he? I only found out from Sovarn that Sammael was forced to behave like that because my father wanted to brag that he could subdue a demon. It was a very unfortunate fate, but we have no way to reverse it except with the extinction of the Schelkz bloodline, provided he did not sire more children out of wedlock.”

“Including…you?”

“Believe me, I don’t like it either. Good thing he was being honest about it and told me that I am not going to be his heir.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, he is not the kind of hound who’d mince words.”

“So, how did you react?”

“Throwing a tantrum and swore vengeance upon my brother?” Nergora chuckled. “I accepted it rather well, surprisingly. Not having the expectations and the ego of a would-be king would do that to you. I don’t even want to inherit the throne of a tyrant. I know that is the reason of his downfall.”

“Have you ever met your brother, then?”

“I did, but not for long. Father declared Ifrit a legitimate heir and…well, I got kicked out of the house. Officially, I was on a journey, but there is no secret in the court. I would be angry, but thankfully, I already knew he’s not a good father, nor was he a good king. While I don’t agree with the Uprising, father had it coming. Hynorsi Schelkz was a very ruthless hellhound, and he had more enemies than a king or queen should. I almost felt glad that I was never a prince for being illegitimate. Even then, I went past the whole thing and only sympathized with Ifrit when the Uprising happened. I was glad that he survived and grew up not as a ruthless king. I wanted to meet him and tell him that I’m his brother, but I didn’t, unfortunately. And now, he’s dead. I regretted it.”

“Do you ever hate your brother for it?”

“Now, where did you get that impression from? Ifrit?”

“It’s just an assumption. He never even knew he had a brother.”

“That’s not surprising. Father never bothered raising me. Sovarn did. In many ways, he is more of a father to me than Hynorsi Schelkz did. You assume that because I’m born out of wedlock, I’d be jealous to my brother. Well, I would, if my parents ever had a chance to properly raise him. Instead, the uprising happened. The irony is, I had a taste of what luxury was, even a proper childhood education. Ifrit’s foster parents did raise him as a commoner, but he grew up in the streets. Between the two of us, I’m closer to a prince than he was.”

Lilac continued with her cooking as she listened. After he finished, she said, “Is there a reason for your white fur and that ice magic?”

“Hynorsi had an affair with an ice demon. I know that sounds stupid, but frozen hell is real. As a result, I was born with a freezing aura and white fur, along with the ability to naturally produce ice. While you may think it is magic like what the papers claimed our neighboring continent uses, it’s not. Demonic powers came from our connection to the hell circle we have a link to. Magic came from conversion of a natural energy called mana.”

“You know a lot about these things, aren’t you?”

“I traveled,” said Nergora. “I met the Raptors and their knowledge of shamanistic magic along with the mana-based one. In fact, I was even more surprised that they did not look surprised when I showed them my ice. They said they had a ‘powerful guardian’ that could freeze ocean and turn the mountain summit into a permanent winter. Even I was amazed.”

“Was it the dragon?”

“The very same. They were the reason why that ship’s still here. I’d really like to meet her, but unfortunately, she’s…wait, now that I think about it, your name is Lilac Rezmirn. Are you related to Hans Rezmirn?”

“He’s my brother.”

“Wow. Coincidence upon coincidence. I never thought I’d meet her sister first. Tell me, Lilac. How is he?”

“He’s easy to talk to,” said Lilac with a smile. “And kind. He does have this…boyish need for an adventure.”

Nergora chuckled. “If he isn’t, he’d not be on the other side of the Ocean.”

“Quite so.”

She continued her cooking before continuing with the conversation as Nergora looked on the stew.

“So, did you meet someone while travelling? Like…a lover? Lycans do love white-furred wolves, after all. It’s pure and beautiful and….”

Nergora did not immediately answer. Lilac noticed his appearance seemed sad, which made her realize that she might accidentally touched a sensitive matter.

“I did, but I chose to leave her,” said Nergora after a moment of silence. “For her safety, and for the knowledge that we can never be together.”

“Is she serious about the relationship?”

“I can tell she is, but I can’t, especially because I’m a half-demon. You know what happened to you, right? You’re fortunate the corruption did not change you more than your appearance. I’ve seen worse things happened to someone corrupted by demons. If their appearance did not, then their personalities became so warped that they lost all semblance of what they were.”

“My case is different. You always know that you are a half-demon, so you can take precautions. Ifrit never even got the chance to know. I only know because the Demon Hunters told me.”

“I was wondering about this ever since you talked about it before. Are you really sure Ifrit’s the one corrupting you?”

Lilac looked away, embarrassed, before saying, “I knew he was the only one I had, uhm…sex…with. The Demon Hunters told me that I was a Tainted, and later, their doctor traced the start of my corruption in…uh, well, you know what I mean. He wasn’t sure if I could end up become even more corrupted if we continued our relationship, but we’d never know.”

“And one sex caused you to look like…this?”

“This? No, this is because of another demon.” Lilac sighed. “I was in a bad shape. Turned out Ifrit’s death weighed so heavily in mind. I became reckless, and that recklessness almost cost me. The demon used that vulnerability to try and possess me. He almost succeeded.”

Nergora could only nod as Lilac talked about her experience. Whatever it was, the demon had an appearance that made Lilac no longer a Lycan that she was supposed to be. She looked like a hybrid of a snake and a wolf, though she retained most of her lupine appearance and only had her hands, paws, and tail turned into something more reptilian. Her paws became claws, and her tail had a rattle at the end. He started to sympathize with her, knowing that her life could no longer be normal after her transformation.

“I’m sorry,” said Nergora. “It must have been hard.”

“It was hard accepting the fact that my wish to stay in one form turned out to be something more sinister. It’s much better than becoming a slave to the demons, I suppose.”

“But if Ifrit’s also a half-demon, then that means….”

“Unfortunately, he is, Nergora,” said Sovarn, who had been overhearing the conversation and, sensing that it would lead to that, slowly walked to the two. “He never loved the queen. She never wed him out of love, either. She was always his equal in terms of ruthlessness.”

“Then would he toss him away like what he did to me? Was that always the case, Sovarn? What else do you know?”

Sovarn could only shake his head and said, “That is the only secret I was aware of. I feel even the king doesn’t even know I was aware of it.”

“(Shit. How fucked up can our family be)?”

“Does all that really matter?” said Lilac, trying to comfort the white-furred hellhound. “Nergora, you are no longer burdened by the responsibility of a prince. You are free to make your own story. Who cares about all the bloody business, anyway?”

Nergora looked at Lilac, wondering how she could say those words without ever wondering how badly it was to realize that he belonged in a Royal House that did not consider their members as family, but tools. She was a Lycan who only started her own journey two, possibly three years ago.

But she did say something important; this was Nergora’s story. He made his own legacy, after all. He had no attachment to the family that threw him away. He may have their name, but he also knew that he could change the perspective of that name if he did the best he could to help, not to be a ruthless hellhound.

Nergora smiled to Lilac and said, “You have a point, Lilac. I think I can see why Ifrit’s drawn to you.”

“You know…that wasn’t the case, really.” Lilac once again looked away. “It’s more like…I was drawn to him.”

“You’re drawn to each other. I think that’s the right answer,” said Nergora with a chuckle. “Also, it looks like the stew’s ready. Shall I call the other two?”

“Please,” said Lilac. “And thank you, Nergora.”

Lilac started considering her relationship with Ifrit and how it could end up differently. She held on to the first love of her life, even if everyone tried to convince her to move on. It could end up making her delusional, but she wasn’t ready, at least not after she ended the incursion that killed the first hellhound she loved.

As she served the rabbit stew to her traveling companions, she started thinking of her life, now that she knew what Ifrit did to her. Demonic corruption was never beneficial, and she wasn’t even sure if things would change for her going forward. What would happen to her? Would she be shunned by society because of it?

Only time would tell. She was not prepared for it. Not yet.