“Wait. Are you telling me that werewolves aren’t exactly foreigners?”

Elyse’s statement came after her father told her and everyone who were recovering from their recent battle about the werewolves. This also surprised Hans, who never thought that his kind originated in a temperate forest beyond the Ocean, which made him wonder how his ancestors even get to Ternor if a modern steamship had difficulties doing so. Magicites could not protect the ship as much as the steel and rivets, only making it easier to sail, as Jamie once told him.

“The Forest, before it became what it is now, was once populated by tribes representing different kinds. You already know the elven tribes and the satyr tribes, especially those representing the Plant Whisperer, like us, and the Commander of Trees, such as Udvik. However, there was once a tribe that was lost. It was the Spirit Walker tribe,” said the king. “They were our neighbors, long before the Bracken Woods became a forest like it is now, and they are certainly not wolves, but wood elves.”

“I guess that explains why we have human forms,” said Hans. “But why did we lose our pointy ears again?”

“Let me explain, satyr king,” said Fenrir, taking over. “Some history can be distorted too much you end up vilifying me.”

“The text said it’s justified.”

“I know you have a reason to believe those texts, but let me tell the story from my perspective. The Spirit Walker tribe had always been a tribe most closely associated with forest animals, so it wasn’t a surprise if we happen to be close to our satyr neighbors. Our type of druidic magic involved communing with the animal spirits to find one that represented you the most. In our rite of passage, the trial always involved a spirit possession of an animal that represented you the most, be it a bear, a wolf, a fox, or any woodland critters we find. My animal happened to be a wolf, as you know. Members of our tribe can ‘walk’ the spirit plane, and we always took the form of the animal we chose and accepted.”

“But something happened.”

“Let me continue, please. Now, there were brothers with an imaginative mind backed by the understanding of our spirit walking tradition. One of them was Tyr, and the other was me. We started wondering if, instead of possessing an animal, we could be the animal. An elf with beast attributes and an ability to shift forms would make us be something more than elves and beast races. We could walk the middle path instead and be the best of both worlds. It sounds like a good idea if you ignore how juvenile it sounds.

“We made our study and we managed to design a magic for it, thinking it would not be as hard. Well, our tribespeople did not agree, thinking that taking the middle path would change our identities as elves and we would lose what made us…us. They did make a good argument about the unpredictability of animal instinct and how it would clash with our ability to reason. Being a beast is not only about appearance; it’s about becoming and understanding a perspective and appreciate it.

“Well, I don’t like to say contradictions, but after years of pondering, I come to accept that we’re both smart…but also fools. If you happen to be a scholar, you’d agree that not every experiment is worth someone’s salt. You don’t get to play god and walk out of it.”

“But you two did,” said Hans.

Fenrir sighed. “Yes, we did. What we did was something that would seal both our fates, and those who chose to believe us. It started rather simple at first, but by ‘simple’ I mean dabbling in dark magic involving sacrifice. We both theorized that if we apply our spirit walk to meld with a wolf’s spirit as it died, our souls would become one, creating a fusion of elf and wolf. We did so by sacrificing a dire wolf, which was far bigger than any regular wolves. Bear in mind that back then, this was an experiment. It was not perfect, it was tedious, and before we knew it, we planted the seed of a curse that would ravage our homeland. That would be the reason why you vilified our race, satyr king.”

“Yet, your story starts to become very intriguing,” said the king rubbing his goatee (let me remind you that he had a goat head). “It’s clearly not written in the history books.”

“What would you do if ignorant fools who realized their mistake too late ended up inspiring other Forest people?”

“That’s a good question.”

“Anyway, in regards of our experimental magic. By the end of it, it ended up looking more like a ritual than outright mana manipulation, and by that point, it was clear we were going into the dark magic path. But we succeeded, and just like that, both me and Tyr were the first wolf people of this land. We both considered either calling ourselves Fenrians or Tyrnians, just for the sake of it, but we settle with wolf people.”

“So,” said Elyse. “I guess your tribespeople did not like it.”

“Surprisingly, instead of outright condemning us, reaction was mixed. Some seemed to appreciate our efforts despite the rest disagreeing with the ritual aspect of it. And besides, back then we planned a post-success roadmap, with the next in line being the ability to transmogrify, which again, treaded too close to divine territories. In our beliefs, only the gods of the Forest has the ability to walk the lives of all forest beings, including having the appearance of a deer-headed man who could easily turn into a deer. We were born into a form the gods chose for us, so it was a sin to try and live the lives that wasn’t given to us.

“Well, we weren’t exactly god-fearing elves, or even believe that there was an Age of Gods before the Age of Mortals. If we can, then we can. That’s our thought process at that time, and it turned us…desensitized by what we did. Our experiment started to disturb the forest magic, and by time, the rest of our kin supported us. It took us only three years to turn many of the Spirit Walker Tribe into wolf people, with the belief that we would find a way so we can control our forms.

“Unfortunately, you don’t change your race without causing a lot, and I mean a lot, of ire. Our neighbors, especially the satyrs, started going missing. By this point, no one outside of our little group of wolf people knew what we had become. I think you know the rest of the story, your majesty.”

“The satyrs knew there was a predator in the forest that was more than just dire wolves,” said the caprine king. “This predator was smart and acted like hunters. Gatherers that went missing turned up as corpses with their bones picked clean. They became scared that a foreign animal beyond the Bracken Woods had made a nest near the villages. Then, they managed to trap one of them.”

“At that point, it became clear that, despite or lupine appearance, we were still elves of the Spirit Walker tribes due to our tribal markings. The satyrs became enraged as we chose to become animals that were natural predators to the animals the satyrs represent, namely the wild goats. The satyrs became hunters, and they hunted down the wolf people and also declared war to our tribe. To save face, especially after having a good reason to shut us down, they raided our dwelling in the forest. But they came a little too late.

“By this point, it became clear for me and Tyr that our experiments had a devastating side effect due to how unrefined and how experimental they were. We made procedures and safety rules as we went, but we never did return to fix our mistakes. Due to eating the hearts of wolves and meld our souls with them, their instincts started to become dominant, and we’d become beasts in search of blood and flesh. Again, this whole thing is all experimental and haphazardly conducted. It was already too late. The spirit world and the real world became entangled with each other, and magic all around us behaved erratically to the point everyone became crazed and acted like agitated animals, including us.

“The satyrs, with the help of many other tribes, managed to round us up. The other Spirit Walkers appealed to the Forest Council not to execute us, lest we became an inspiration for those who thought this was a good idea. The curse would also spread uncontrollably unless someone with a high affinity to the curse was to stay and hold the curse at bay. I was chosen to be the curse’s seal as an eternal punishment for almost destroying everything. Tyr, being the more charismatic of us, managed to convince the Council to exile the rest of the transformed. I didn’t expect the Council to agree, but they did. The last time I ever saw Tyr was before I was fettered to keep me from wandering off. And that’s…where I endured my punishment, unable to die, and with only a warning to intimidate those who did me wrong.”

“Wow,” said Hans. “You’re a bit oblivious, huh?”

Fenrir chuckled. “I mean, if you happen to be an angry, young elf who thought it was a good idea to become a god, you won’t just accept that you made a mistake, right? So, I made a prophecy; ‘The wolf children will return home to free their kind. They will either bring calamity, or prosperity. Vengeance is as sweet as redemption, and that choice rests on the child of Fenrir’. Sounds like a promise, no?”

“You’re fortunate the current generation had already regarded it as a scary story,” said the king. “The Cursed Forest is off limits even before I was born, and the memories of the wolf people of Bracken Woods were not recounted unless you specifically wanted to learn about it as a moral lesson.”

“But you know I’m Fenrir, and you called me ‘dire wolf’, which is exactly what I made Hans Rezmirn into,” said Fenrir.

“I learned a bit about it from my stay in the wood elf’s domain. The satyrs may not see Hans as a threat, and they certainly won’t believe Fenrir wolf even existed. But tell me. Should I be worried that your return will resume the curse and bring calamity?”

“Not possible,” said Fenrir. “Like I said, the curse only affected the body, not the soul. In fact, I must admit that I did wander off in my spirit form. That’s why I know the way out of the Cursed Forest. I did try to possess one of the deer in the forest, but my soul is too predatory, so they rejected me. Hans is the first after a very long year that I got a functioning and compatible body. I am pleasantly surprised that Tyr managed to finish the second phase of the experiment and gave us the ability to change forms. I can see you possess a human soul, but with a body of a wolf.”

“I don’t know that’s a thing, really,” said Hans. “And to be honest with you, I am not the person you want to discuss regarding our history. Although, I do know someone who might be able to answer your questions.”

“Just for the sake of interest, what did you do to suppress that beast inside you? Was it years of training, or something else? Also, how can you transform, yet there is no mana reserve in you?”

“I don’t know. I’m just a villager who happened to want something new. I didn’t expect to meet my creator or even question why I am a Lycan. I was born a pureblood Lycan from Lycan parents, so changing between forms is as natural as breathing for me. The only ones who needed to learn how to suppress their animalistic urge were Lycan children and turned werewolves.”

“Turned?”

“Humans bitten by werewolves and permanently transformed during a full moon. I heard from my friend that the transformation was painful. It can be cured, but usually by death. The cure they currently have does not work against purebloods or mixed, and it ravages a turned werewolf’s body to the point of shock.”

“And how did he end up becoming a werewolf?”

“That’s…something you should ask him.”

The satyr king then rose from his seat. “Well, then,” he said. “I believe I’ve heard more than enough. While it is good to know that one legend is history, I still think it won’t convince the council about your innocence, Fenrir.”

“I never said I was going to appeal for it,” said Fenrir. “But I do appreciate if you don’t mind having me out there. I want to see the current world and what happened. I don’t need my body. At this point, my body had gone past its natural lifespan and would not survive. Let it become the seal for the curse.”

“Wait a moment, Fenrir,” said Hans. “I did say I let you borrow my body so we can get out of the Cursed Forest, but I didn’t remember ever agreeing to become your permanent host!”

“Why not?”

“Think of the privacy issues! I have a life, too, you know.”

“Oh. Right. That’s a problem. Good thing your….” He turned to Keeshar. “What’s your kind called again?”

“A Raptor,” said Keeshar.

“Right. Good thing your Raptor friend gave me the idea. Just one thing, though. This form I gave you…I’m afraid it’s permanent.”

“You mean, I can’t transform back into a human? Or be normal-sized?”

“Oh, no, not like that! I mean, if you happen to turn into a wolf next time…I suggest you find a big clearing before you do so.”

“Well, thanks,” said Hans with an annoyed tone. “Humans are already terrified of Lycans, and they got one more reason to fear the night of full moon. How did you even get a form that big, anyway?”

“Dire wolves are massive.”

“Not a good reason, but…at least that’s something. Ah, well. As long as you don’t make my life miserable, I won’t mind keeping you around.”

“Appreciate it.”

Hans sighed and thought, “Now, why did it come to this?”

***

With the Bracken Woods back to normal and the satyrs focused on repairing the damage caused by the conflict, The others decided that they would need to return to Dracokin to resume their primary search for the lost city. Despite having a big collection of materials, there was nothing that could explain Qeveriyt’s disappearance. Elyse could only shrug and sigh, knowing that it was expected.

“Satyrs don’t exactly care about anything that happened beyond the Forest,” explained Elyse. “You might get more about the lost tribes than anything from the desert, provided they let you read about them.”

“Ah, well. I had hopes that we might be able to help find some answers here, aside from saving you, of course,” said Hans with a sigh. “So, what are you going to do now?”

“I talked to my father and Lis about it. They still don’t like me going out there, but for a different reason than taking a risk as an heiress. Lis talked to father and he agreed on that, even though he still think I’m a better fit for a queen. This time, though, he respects my wishes.”

“He’s right, you know. No good parent willingly put the lives of their children in danger, no matter how independent they are. You might not like it, but for him, you’re everything, not just as a successor, but as a proud daughter. I can see he did not mean anything wrong.”

“And I can finally see that.” Elyse chuckled. “So selfish of me.”

“Have you ever considered that maybe dealing with this mystery is not a good idea?”

“To be honest with you, I feel that way, too. But I owed my life to you, Azureath, Adeline, and everyone else. Also…”

“Also?”

“Never mind.” Elyse looked away. “Say, do you think we can rest for the night before we set off to Dracokin? It’s just…I need to tell my family that…I might not…”

“No, don’t say that! Elle, you can’t just assume the worst! We just need to know when to get away from danger.”

“I prefer taking the risk and fight the impossible enemy head-on, to be honest. That is why I want to say my goodbyes.”

“If that is the case, then I won’t hesitate to pull you out of the danger and get our bloody selves out. Risking lives are stupid if you still have people who cared for you. You don’t want to see them sad, right?”

“But what if I need to sacrifice my life for it?”

“Then let’s hope it won’t come to that. Promise me you will not do something like that. I know the glory of being a hero, but I prefer that I can enjoy my life beyond the battle. What’s the point of becoming famous if you can’t enjoy it, right?”

Hearing such words felt so Hans, and it only made Elyse even more amused. The werewolf acted realistically, not like a hero who become blinded by their heroism they forgot they had a life. Some might consider him selfish and cowardly, but not Elyse. She could see past those thoughts to see a kind and caring wolf.

And along with her amusement, came something more personal.

“Hey, Hans,” said Elyse. “Let’s…let’s go somewhere silent. There is something I want to tell you.”

Hans wondered what Elyse wanted to tell him, though he might know what it was, considering that he wasn’t all that oblivious. He cared for her, understanding her personal plights. He had been there when she was in trouble, and in return, they both respected each other.

Maybe it was time if they could escalate their relationship a bit further.

Hans followed Elyse into Anrich’ar, to a place beyond the throne room and into someplace private. A door opened to a courtyard full of green plants and a running water installment, something Hans felt peculiar considering that Anrich’ar, the castle, was an ancient, still-living tree. But considering that magic was a gateway to so many unusual and fantastical things, Hans learned not to think about it much.

“Ah. It’s good to finally be back,” said Elyse. “I never thought I say it, but I really like this courtyard.”

“It’s so serene and peaceful,” said Hans. “I’m not sure your big tree is going to like having smaller trees inside it, though.”

“Oh, don’t worry. A lot of plants grow on Anrich’ar, so this is nothing new.”

“Still amazed on how you can talk to plants.”

“I can only talk to trees. They’re old enough to understand us.”

She then sat on a nearby bench, beckoning Hans to do the same.

As Hans sat beside her, she said, “Hans…I never expected to meet someone like you outside the Bracken Woods. To be honest, you are the first kind person I ever met from outside. And to think you are a wolf man from a faraway land! It’s…so bizarre, but when I’m near you, I don’t feel scared. Even after learning about your history from Fenrir…is he in you right now?”

“He decided to take a spirit walk. Guess he sensed that we need privacy.”

“Ah. How considerate. Anyway, I should be scared. You’re a wolf, and I am a goat. We’re meant to have a predator-prey relationship that won’t work otherwise. But you…you don’t feel like you’re going to harm me.”

“That’s just common sense.”

“Yet not many have that kind of sense. Maybe you’re not that good of being a wolf, huh?”

“Maybe so. But that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything wolfish, right?”

Elyse laughed. “Oh, I never thought you’d say that. Hans…I don’t like keeping my feelings in check for too long, so I’ll just get to the point. I love you, from the bottom of my heart. I wasn’t scared of your appearance and whether you posed any danger to me. I was scared of losing you to…to Aetherium Poisoning. I know you will come through, but there was a moment where I was afraid that you die, and I didn’t get to know you better. But I was glad that wasn’t the case, and I was glad that you’re genuinely kind. I don’t care if my family disagree. It happened with Fritz, and it will happen again. Hans—”

Hans put one of his clawed fingers in front of the satyr’s snout, abruptly silencing her while also shushing her. He then proceeded to caress her and flick her long, droopy ears, causing her to blush.

“Come here,” said Hans with a tender voice. Elyse slowly scooted towards the werewolf as he cuddled with her. Elyse never thought how thick Hans’ fur was, especially with most of it pressed under his shirt. Like when he hugged her before, he was warm, helped by the thick fur he had.

“I love you too, Elle,” said Hans, kissing her forehead. “Though I must say. We made quite an unusual pair, aren’t we?”

“You and me both,” said Elyse.

And thus, the werewolf and the satyr cuddled with each other, savoring the moment as they day drew to a close. They both felt that this could be the last time they ever had peace.

And if that was the case, there was no better way but to make the best of it.