Giliane opened her eyes the next morning, her arms around Maximilian. She looked at him peacefully sleeping, his long coat hiding their bodies.

*Oh yes, he put it on us after we...*

The souvenir of that night made her blushed for a second. Maximilian moved a bit in his sleep, turning on his side and facing her. She smiled as she caressed his cheek, putting some hairs behind his ear.

"Thank you for this night...!"

While she was caressing his cheek with one hand, the other was caressing his back, and that's where she felt something.

*There's something on his spine...what is that? Let's move slowly...*

As discreet as she could, she sat and leaned over him, looking at his back.

..................................................................................................

Maximilian opened his eyes and realised he was alone, Giliane was nowhere to be seen.

*Well...so much for my pride as a lover...did she flees while I was still asleep?*

He stood up and started to dress.

*At least she didn't take my clothes. It would have been strange to go back inside naked...*

The idea made him laughed a bit.

Once basically dressed, his long coat under his arm, he went inside the kitchen/living room where everyone was.

As he entered, he was faced by Gang, visibly not happy.

"You! What did you do to my sister?"

"What?"

Titus, sitting next to his wife, explained.

"When we awoke this morning, she had locked herself in the bathroom, and she hasn't come out since. When we asked her what was happening, she only said your name once...So? Mind telling us what is it about?"

Maximilian scratched his neck, thinking.

"I don't really know, last night when we fell asleep, she wasn't looking hurt in any way...what?"

Everyone was looking at him, Molly and Gara had even stopped making breakfast. Gang was looking even less happy than before.

"You...you slept with my sister?!"

"Well...yes, I did. She wanted to, and I wanted it too...why?"

"WHY!?"

Gang gripped Maximilian's upper dress, his face inches from his.

"You...you soiled my sister..."

Maximilian kept calm, sedately speaking to the excited wolfman.

"Soiled? I wouldn't say it like that. She was willing and I was too so..."

"SO WHY IS SHE HIDING?!"

"How could I know? I just wake up Gang. Maybe if you let me talk to her..."

"Did you raped her?..."

A heavy silence fell on the room, everyone looking at the two men. Maximilian closed his eyes for a bit and sighed.

"Gang...I'm going to make you a favour and act like I haven't heard what you just said. Now, you are going to let go of me and we're going to talk to your sister."

"And what if I don't let go of you?"

"Don't be stupid, Gang...don't upset him. If you do, he could obliterate us all... "

All faces turned in the bathroom door's direction, where Giliane was standing, and everyone gasped when they saw her.

Her hairs were longer, now reaching the middle of her back, silver coloured. Her eyes, yellow the night before, were now silvery grey. Her brown fur was now also silver, although a bit lighter on her front, where her "skin parts" were.

Gang immediately let go of Maximilian, facing his sister, his eyes wide open.

"Gi...Giliane?"

The wolfwoman nodded, a shy little smile on her face. Gara was the next one to talk.

"You...you became a Moonfur ?"

Looking at her hands, Giliane nodded again.

"It seems so..."

"But, how?

"I...I think it's thanks to him..."

Everyone once again looked at Maximilian who pointed at himself with his index, visibly not understanding.

"Me? Sorry but I don't know what I've done."

"I think it's...your blood."

"My blood? What about it?"

"Last night when we were...laying...together. I might have bitten your neck in the action."

"Yeah, you were kind of intense...not that I minded, though."

"Would you please keep that kind of information to the minimum!"

"Sorry brother. The idea is that, when I bit him, I drank a bit of his blood. I think this is what allowed me to...change."

Everyone kept silent for a bit. Gang's eyes were going from his sister to Maximilian, then to his sister again.

"What? How....how can this be? A simple wolfkin becoming a Moonfur his a tale of legend. The only way a family of wolfkin can become a Moonfur is by receiving the blood of another Moonfur or a legendary creature, and not anything less than ..."

"A dragon. Yes, brother, I know the legends as well as you do. That's also why I asked you to not upset him..."

Her look was clear about the meaning of her words. Gang faced Maximilian again, but this time took some steps back.

"You...you are a dragon?"

"No, I'm not."

Maximilian was quick to answer to Gang, before his eyes rested on Giliane.

"May I know what gives you that idea?"

The wolfwoman fidgeted a bit, looking at the ground.

"This morning, when you were still asleep, I caressed your back and I felt something. When I looked, I saw them..."

"Oh..."

Maximilian, naturally, understood immediately what she was talking about. The same couldn't be said about the others. Molly was the one who talked next.

"What? What is on his back?"

Maximilian sighed then looked at Lin-Lin as if asking her advice about what to do. She didn't answer anything. In fact, she wasn't looking pleased about the situation and passed next to him to go out.

"Now what? What is it with her?"

"Really? You don't know why she could be angry at you?"

"At me? Lin-Lin? Why?"

Giliane sighed and passed next to him to follow Lin-Lin outside.

"I'm going to talk with her. You...should explain to them what I saw."

the door closed behind her, leaving Maximilian to face the curious looks on everyone faces.

"Okay...now, where do I begin..."

...........................................................................................................................................................

Maximilian told everyone about him and Dragnïr, at least the general idea as he didn't know how to explain about his death and old world. All here now knew about him killing a dragon alone and getting more powerful than him. Some had trouble believing him at first, but a rapid look on his back convinced them.

Although they didn't fell on their knees like Lin-Lin did when he told her, they took a step back from him nonetheless. Maximilian tried to reassure them.

"Please, don't be afraid. I'm the same today as I was yesterday."

"So...my sister. Is it really you who...transformed her?"

Maximilian shrugged.

"It could be me, even not willingly...Now that I think about it, Octavia?"

The spider straightened herself when she heard her name.

"You have begun to evolve after you licked a bit of my blood in the dungeon, is it the same as Giliane?"

Octavia looked at him and raised her two front legs, doing her shrugging gesture.

"Okay, you don't know either...but this seems to be the most probable explanation...alright, let's say it's because of my blood. What do we do now? Is there going to be problems between us because of that?"

Gang seemed surprised by the question.

"Problems? No, not at all. I thought you hurt my sister, forced her to do things and soiled her. Now I understand she wanted it too...and evolved, thanks to you."

Gang took some steps further, extending a hand.

"What you did will bring honour to my family one day, and for that, I can only thank you."

Maximilian shook the wolfman's hand, then the discussion became somehow lighter. The children asked Maximilian to tell them about the dragon, how he looked and talked, those kinds of things. Afte a while, Giliane and Lin-Lin came back inside. Maximilian came next to Lin-Lin.

"Are you alright?"

"I am, master. Please excuse my reaction earlier."

"You don't have to apologise, but talk to me if you need to, okay?"

"It's not needed, master, really."

Maximilian understood she didn't wish to pursue the conversation and let it go.

After they all ate together, Maximilian told everyone it was time for the trio to go.

...........................................................................................................................................................

While Lin-Lin and Octavia were saying their goodbyes to everyone, Maximilian was checking his equipment one last time outside the house.

"Are you sure you have to go? You could stay here..."

Giliane had come to him while he was getting ready. Maximilian smiled at her.

"I can't. I promised some people I'll go to the capital to help them and...I want to see the world, Giliane. I want to explore the tallest mountain, the oldest ruins, discover secret village and new people...you could come, I'll be happy to have you with me on the way."

Giliane smiled at him in return.

"This is something I would be happy to do...but not now, I have to stay and help my family here, get accustomed to my new form...and I'm still a slave on the run, Maximilian. If I'm discovered in a city, you'll be in trouble and I don't want that."

"You do realise I could defend you, right?"

"Yes...as I have realised you wouldn't want to hurt innocents in the process...no, Maximilian, my place is here for now."

Maximilian kept silent for a bit.

"I understand...but before I go, I have something fo you. I made it earlier, I want you to have it."

She seemed intrigued.

"For me? What is it?"

"Get closer, will you?"

She approached, putting a strand of hair behind her ears. Maximilian took her chin between two fingers and gave her a slight kiss on the lips. When he took a step back, she had a pendant around her neck.

Attached by a small golden chain, the jewel had the form of a Moon crescent, very precisely made in mithril with, all around on the contour, silver runes engrave on it.

"If you should one day face a danger too great for you, this will protect you, be sure to always wear it out of the mist."

The wolfwoman took the pendant between her fingers, looking at it. The slightly shiny metal reflecting in her eyes, then she embraced Maximilian, her arms around his neck.

"Thank you...for everything."

Maximilian patted her back, smiling at the woman reaction.

"You're welcome...don't be sad, I'll come back."

She looked at him in the eyes as if to make sure he wasn't lying.

"You promise?"

"On my soul, my honour and everything I have. Now brush away those tears, would you?"

Giliane hadn't realised tears had begun to fall from her eyes. She laughed a bit as she brushed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to..."

"It's alright, If I wasn't forcing myself, I probably would have teary eyes too."

"Oh you, don't mock me."

She slightly punched his arm, the two of them laughing.

...........................................................................................................................................................

After a while, everyone was assembled before the new house. Molly had prepared some bread the trio had gladly accepted and put in the havenbag.

"Thank you again for everything you've done for us. Be sure we will take good care of the fields for you."

"I'm counting on you for that. Before we go, I would like to give a last gift to the lady of the house..."

Everyone turned to Molly, whose eyes betrayed her surprise.

"To me, why?"

"Well, it's because you and Arold accepted to gave me your land that everything here was possible...and I think this present will be more appreciate by you than Arold."

She stepped further, Maximilian reached in the Havenbag and took out the thing Octavia gave him the day before, giving it back to the spider.

"I think it is fair you are the one who gives it to her, Octavia."

The spider took the fabric with her two front legs and walked to Molly, extending her legs in her direction.

"What is it?"

"A present for you from our eight legs friend, take it."

Doing as told, the woman took and unfold the fabric.

Between her hands was a bridal veil, made by Octavia in one night. Maximilian asked Octavia to create this to replace the one Molly had sadly lost in the fire, and she did it far better than he expected her to.

*I knew she was skilled, but this is magnificent.*

The fabric was a rectangle,nearly two meters long and one meter large. The lacework, perfectly executed, pictured what looked like beautiful spider webs interlaced with each other and, going along the middle, an oak.

Molly had trouble speaking at first.

"Is that a..."

Maximilian nodded.

"To replace the one you gave me. I knew Octavia would give her all to make you something good."

The woman carefully folded the fabric and gave it to Gara. Then, to everyone's surprise, she fell on her knees and put her arms around Octavia, who seemed the most surprised of all.

"Thank you...thank you, Octavia."

"Kash..."

The front leg of the spider came patting the woman's back. After a minute, she let go of her, standing back up. She took back her usual gentle authoritarian face.

"Now hear me, you three. You better be careful on the way, because I want you all to come back and say hi to us."

She looked down at the white spider, smiling at her.

"That means you too, Octavia. Be sure you'll always have a place to stay here, as a friend of the family."

Octavia closed her eyes for a second and made what was the closest thing to a smile she could do.

"Kaaaash!"

And with those words, the trio went on the way, leaving behind their new friends.

...........................................................................................................................................................

On the way again, the trio took a shortcut, not passing by the village , and pursued on the way.

"So, Lin-Lin, you've been on this way before. Can you tell me what await us next?"

"Three days from here, there is a town, Corpsenburg."

"Any important thing to now about it?"

The panda girl shrugged.

"Not really, we didn't stay long last time, it doesn't seem to be an important town. The most impressive things about it could be the cemetery."

"The cemetery? Why?"

"It's big, I mean very big. It is situated outside of the town's walls, and nearly as vast as the town itself."

"That is impressive...but why do a small nonimportant town need a cemetery so large?"

The panda girl thought for a bit, visibly searching in her memory.

"I've heard about it, some soldiers were talking about....a war. Yes, that's it, there has been a war on those lands long ago, and the cemetery was made to win time and not having to bring back the corpses all around the country."

"Couldn't they teleport with them?"

"I don't know, master. Maybe they thought it wasn't worth the work? All I know is a camp was made quickly at first so the families who came to pay respect to their dead had somewhere to rest from their journey. Some came and go, others stayed, and that's how the town came to be. But it never has been an important town, it doesn't even have a teleportation crystal."

That last info was the most interesting for Maximilian.

"Really? Nobody put one there?"

"Put it? I don't understand, Master."

"The teleportation crystal, who put them in the towns and village?"

The panda girl seemed surprised by that question.

"Well...no one, master. They are just there, and it is the people who generally made villages and towns around them."

"What do you mean "they are just there"?"

"All I've heard is that no one clearly knows how they were made to be, they have always been there, that's all."

"Strange...useful, but strange...so that town, Corpsenburg, don't have one?"

"Indeed. Because it wasn't a town made to stay, it was supposed to disappear after a time, but when people decided to stay, well...I don't know much more, sorry Master."

"It's alright, Lin-Lin. Let's advance on the way for now, we'll see when we arrive."

...........................................................................................................................................................

That day on the way was uneventful, no monster attack. They stopped for a bit to ate something at midday, taking a bit from the bread Molly made with some dried meat and cheese. The cheese was something Lin-Lin was tasting for the first time, as was Octavia but she wasn't saying a lot when eating.

"What is this yellow thing, master?"

"Cheese. You've never seen some?"

"Maybe, I don't really remember, but I've never tasted some, that's for sure. It smells funny."

"Indeed, the smell is quite specific, try and taste some."

"That's....yummy. The taste is strange but I like it."

"Good thing, what about you Octavia?"

"Kash."

"I thought you would say that."

After the meal, Maximilian made Lin-Lin and Octavia picked up all the herbs they could all around the place they were while he was doing something all by himself. Lin-Lin tried to know what it was, but he shooed her away.

"You'll see soon enough, lady curious."

After they were done, Maximilian put what he was working on back in the Havenbag and they pursued on the way.

Here and there, they picked up some plants and herbs, but nothing more to say about that tranquil place.

When the sun started to go down, they stopped for the night. They were still on an earth road on the lowland, with some forest hundred meters away from them.

Maximilian pulled out the ingredients needed for the meal and instructed the Pandagirl.

"Lin-Lin, I let you take care of the meal. You know how to do it, I'll be over there. I have something to finish."

"Yes, master."

Lin-Lin seemed kinda down that Maximilian was leaving her alone to prepare the meal, but didn't discuss her master's directive.

Once done, she called after Maximilian who came back to her.

"Well done, Lin-Lin, it is tasty."

"Thank you, Master."

The trio ate silently, no one having anything to say for a while.

Once finished, Maximilian talked to Lin-Lin.

"Tonight, Lin-Lin, I want you to make the shelter for us to sleep in."

"Me, master? But I only managed to move some rock before...I don't know if I can..."

"Let's try and we'll see."

She kept silent for a few second then.

"Alright, I'll try."

"Good, I like your spirit. Take off your gloves, please."

"My gloves? Why? "

"Trust me."

She did as told, taking off her gloves and giving them to Maximilian. While she did so, the man took her hand in his, studying it for a bit. This made the pandagirl blushed a bit, although the man didn't see it, his eyes looking at her hand.

"Good, the size should be fine."

"The size of what, master?"

"Of those."

He reached inside the Havenbag and pulled out new leather and mithril gauntlet. The inside of the hands and arms were in black leather, while the outsides were covered by a whitish mithril plate, forming some kind of exoskeleton, going from the elbows to the fingers, where it ended with small empty emerald claws protecting her own natural ones. On the mithril were runes slightly shining, whose colour was an emerald green.

"I made those so you won't need a magician staff to help you with magic, and also to protect you in battle. Here, let me help you."

Without a word, the pandagirl extended her arms, letting Maximilian put the new equipment on for her. Once done, she looked at them silently. The green of the runes reflecting in the green of her eyes.

"So? How do you find them? I wanted it to be a surprise but I wasn't sure you would like or..!"

She didn't let him finish, embracing him with her arms around his chest.

"I love them! Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Her reaction made Maximilian laughed heartily, he patted her head as he let her there for a bit.

"I'm glad to see you smiling again. You seemed kinda down today and I was worried about you."

She broke the embrace and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm alright now, master. Really, I'm alright. Sorry if I have worried you. Those gauntlets you made for me, be sure I'll cherish them all my life."

"I'm happy they please you. So, let's learn some magic."

"Yes, master."

They went a bit on the side, Octavia looking at them from next to the fire camp.

"The last time, you manage to move rocks. Here, the idea is basically the same, but with earth. What I want you to do is to create a wall. For that, you must visualise it in your mind. Don't try to make anything to complicate, focalise on the quality more than the form. Once you have it picture in your mind, you must aim at where you want it to appear and... EARTH WALL!"

Pointing at the ground before them, Maximilian made a square wall of four meters appeared from the ground.

"Remember, Lin-Lin, it is your concentration, your idea of what you make appear that determine his strength. If you don't concentrate enough, the wall will crumble. Take your time, close your eyes to focus at first, and I'll come back to you later. Will you be okay?"

"Yes, master. I'll make you proud."

Maximilian smiled at her and patted her shoulder before going back to the fire camp where Octavia was silently waiting.

"Now, about you. It wouldn't be fair that only Lin-Lin train."

"Kash?"

"Yep, you and me, we are going to train too. Magic isn't going to be possible for you at the moment, but it doesn't mean you can't become stronger. So, let's fight."

"Kash!?"

How could a spider look worried? Maximilian didn't know, but Octavia sure as hell wasn't looking too thrilled at the idea.

"Don't worry, this is nothing more than training, I'm not going to hurt you."

He went on the other side of the campfire, not wanting to disturb Lin-Lin. There, he took some steps away from the spider who warily looked at him.

"The idea is simple, Octavia. Attack me with all you've got, and try to touch me."

He snapped his fingers and made an ice staff appeared in his hands. He made it slowly turned around his hand, testing his weight.

"Come, Octavia. Let's fight!"

...........................................................................................................................................................

The next hour, someone passing by could have seen a strange scene. On one side, a pandagirl making some kind of wall coming out of the ground before it crumbled and she started over again, while on the other side of the camp was a man parrying a big white spider attacking him, spitting some web at him, jumping around him. The eight legs creature was going as quickly as she could, but could not land a hit.

"Quicker, Octavia. Your movements are too straightforward, I see you coming from miles away. Surprise me, use your legs to change direction..."

Maximilian was giving advice to Octavia who was doing her best, not slowing down a bit for a time.

After an hour, Maximilian made her stop with a hand gesture.

"Good work, Octavia. Let's stop for tonight, go rest near the fire camp. I'll see how Lin-Lin is doing."

"K...kash"

The spider was panting, the non-stop fight finally had taken away her energy. She went next to the fire and simply lay there, quickly falling asleep after a short time.

Maximilian went to Lin-Lin who hadn't advanced a lot, her wall barely reaching two meters high and visibly fragile. She wasn't looking pleased with herself, but more than that, she was looking tired.

"So? How is it going?"

Lin-Lin fell on her knees.

"I'm sorry, Master. I couldn't make it, it is too hard for me."

Maximilian came crouching next to her, he hand on her shoulder.

"For now. Don't be too hard on yourself, Lin-Lin. You managed to make something appear, this is something a lot cannot do. Tonight, you made a wall appeared, tomorrow it will be stronger, the day after it will be higher. To each day his victory, so don't worry...Lin-Lin?"

The panda-girl was sleeping, laying against him. The man smiled at the scene and took her in his arms. With a stomp on the ground, he made walls appeared all around them, creating a shelter for the night. He put Lin-Lin down near the fire then looked at his two companions for a bit.

"Good night, you two."

He stayed awake for a bit, looking at the fire while thinking.

*So...my blood could be a source of evolution...this is interesting...and dangerous. I should be careful to not let a monster or enemy drink it, or it could be a problem. On the other hand...*

His eyes rested on Lin-Lin.

*This could mean more power for those who follow me, who are faithful to me...but I cannot force her to. To be frank, I don't even now if it is really my blood who made Octavia and Giliane evolved. There could be a way to confirm it. I'll have to discuss it with her tomorrow*

...........................................................................................................................................................

"Use your legs more, Octavia!"

The day after, on the road, the trio had the fortune to meet some wild boar, aggressive ones.

Like a lot of things in this world, they were bigger than the ones in his old world. They had fur, brown on all the body, longer and red along the spine. Their defences were longer, with four going up and four going down, doubled compared to the ones in his old world.

Five of them, it wasn't dangerous for the trio, the creatures all having more or less a level ten.

"I'll let you take care of them."

"Yes, master. I'll use my spear and..."

"No, Lin-Lin, I want you to use earth magic."

The panda girl seemed worried about that.

"But, master...I don't know any attack spell."

"Use the spell "earth projectile"."

Demonstrating, Maximilian made a rock appeared and made it flew away at a tremendous speed.

"Don't forget, picture the effect in your mind, focus and aim."

"I...I"

"Octavia will help you. Octavia, I want you to distract the beast, you can kill two or three if you want, but let at least two for Lin-Lin to take care of. You can parry, evade, immobilised. Get it, you two?"

"Yes, master."

"Kash!"

"Very well, go!"

And that's where we were.

Maximilian gave some advice to Octavia, who modified her way of doing. The board were strong, with a thick skin not easy to pierce, but the spider manage to kill one nonetheless. Octavia's legs pierced the beast's neck, killing it in an instant.

While the spider was busy, the pandagirl was standing on the side, her eyes closed.

*Focus...focus...an earth projectile...a stone...yes, a stone. I see a stone.*

She opened her eyes and aimed at the nearest boar.

"EARTH PROJECTILE!"

From the ground came a stone as big as her fist. It trembled a bit before it flew at the animal, hitting it with force. The boar turned, his infuriated eyes resting on her, then he charged.

"My spear!"

"No, Lin-Lin. Use magic!"

"But..."

"You know a spell to protect yourself, use it!"

She faced the charging animal, trembling a bit.

"Focus..."

"Focus..."

The pandagirl closed her eyes, her master's voice speaking with hers.

*I see what I want to create...*

"Aim..."

"Aim..."

She raised her two hands in front of her, the animal less than three meters away. Maximilian felt something as he was looking the pandagirl, a smile appearing on his face.

*Do it.*

She opened her eyes, who shined for a fraction of second and...

"EARTH WALL!"

A square wall of stone appeared from the ground just before the boar, who couldn't stop his charge hand hit his head full speed, falling on the ground unconscious. Lin-Lin jumped in the air, laughing heartily.

"I made it, I made it!"

She turned in Maximilian's direction, smiling with all her teeth.

"Did you see, Master?"

"I did not close my eyes a single time while watching you. Well done, Lin-Lin. Now you should go help our dear Octavia, don't you think?"

"Yes, master!"

She ran around the wall, positioning herself on the beast's side. At that moment, there were only two boars still fighting, two had already been killed by Octavia, the third one knocked out by the wall.

Once again, she closed her eyes, picturing what she wanted to do, then aimed at the nearest boar and...

"EARTH PROJECTILE!"

This time, it was a stone as big as her head that came out of the ground, and it literally dashed at the beast who received it on the head, breaking the boar's skull. Octavia saw that one was dead and finished the last one standing. Finally, Lin-Lin achieved the one knocked out with another earth projectile and it was over.

Maximilian clapped his hands.

"Well done, you two. Octavia, your moves were a bit too straightforward at first, but you rectified efficiently. Lin-Lin..."

The man patted the wall Lin-Lin made.

"...Tonight, I want this kind of wall to protect me in my sleep."

As he passed next to her to go see the boar's body, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm proud of you."

The pandagirl blushed a bit. As she turned to follow her master, she lost her balance, putting a hand on her forehead.

"Master I...I don't feel too well."

Maximilian helped her sit for a bit. He gave her his waterskin.

"It's normal...what you did was using magic in a fight for the first time, it took a lot of your energy. Rest for a bit, Octavia and I will take care of the bodies."

"Okay..."

While the panda girl was resting, Maximilian began to salvage what could be salvaged from the boars.

"The meat is good, with more fat on it than the wolves. The skin will be useful too. Let's not forget the blood for the potions. The inside of the stomach will be good for ointment, what else, what else..."

Helped by Octavia following his instruction, they spend a good hour taking all they could from the corpses. Once finished and with everything put in the havenbag. Maximilian used water magic to washed his hands. Octavia simply licked off the blood from her front legs.

"Okay, let's be on our way. You ready Lin-L..."

As he turned, he saw the pandagirl laying in the grass, peacefully sleeping.

*It sure must have been tiring for her...well, let's carry her.*

He took back the waterskin, then the spear he put in the Havenbag. Next, he took the pandagirl and installed her, riding on his back.

*Even now, she is still so light...*

"Octavia, we're going."

"Kash."

And the trio was on their way once again.

...........................................................................................................................................................

"Octavia, there is something I would like to ask you."

"Kash?"

With Lin-Lin sleeping on his back, Maximilian thought it was a good occasion to speak with Octavia. While walking on the earth road, he started to discuss something with the spider. They had agreed she would "say" one "Kash" for "yes" and two for "no", like that he didn't have to look at her to understand her answer. With Lin-Lin on his back, he preferred to pay attention to the road.

"As you know, I think it is my blood that helped you grow, right?"

"Kash."

"But you and I aren't sure about it."

"Kash."

"I think I have an idea to be sure. You already have drunk some of my blood before, remember?"

"Kash."

"What I want is for you to do it again. Now understand that if I ask this of you, it's only because I know you've already done it and didn't suffer from it. You know I wouldn't hurt you, right?"

"Kash."

"It's just that I can't give some to Lin-Lin, even if wanted to, before I'm sure it's working. If this helps you evolve again, we'll be sure."

"Kash."

"But know that I won't force you. If you don't want to do it, I can always capture some beast and try on it if it w..."

"Kash Kash!"

Octavia ran in front of him, facing Maximilian. She straightened herself as much as she could, showing her determination.

"So, I understand it is okay for you to try?"

"Kash!"

"Alright then. Tonight, before sleeping, come see me and I'll give you some."

"Kash."

Their discussion over, they pursued on the road. On the man's back, a pandagirl was awakened. Her head resting on her master's back, she had heard everything.

*Drinking master's blood...What would happen to me if I do it...what would he think of me?*

She didn't move an inch, but a slight blush coloured her cheeks for a bit.

...........................................................................................................................................................

That evening, Maximilian took care of the meal while Lin-Lin created the walls all around the camp. It seemed that the fight with the boars had unlocked something in her, making her able to create a shelter for the night. Even if the it was far from the ones Maximilian could create, it was good enough.

To train Octavia, Maximilian had created a pillar of stone with staff sticking out of it, turning around and in circles. Octavia had to evade the staff, a thing she was doing just fine, although the continuous effort was tiring her once again.

Lin-Lin finished just before the meal was ready

"If I'm right, we should reach Corpsenburg tomorrow evening, right Lin-Lin?"

"Normally, yes. The town his situated just before the bridge leading to the capital's land, after that, it shouldn't take more than two weeks for us to reach it. We have to pass through the town to go on the bridge. Oh, before I forget, there will be a passing fee to pay, master."

"A fee? Yeah, that seem logical. Well, it's not as if we had to worry about money."

"We don't have to, master?"

"Not in the least...I have found some treasures, so we're going to be fine."

"That's a good thing."

They discussed a bit then went to sleep. At least, Lin-Lin faked it. She was still awake and paying attention when Octavia went to see Maximilian that night, the man waiting for her near the fire.

"Are you sure you're ready to do it? I won't resent you if you don't."

Octavia simply put a leg on his arm, assuring him it was okay.

"Fine then. Here..."

He passed his left palm on his sword's edge, blood filling his hand. He presented it to Octavia who lapped it, drinking Maximilian's blood.

After a minute, the injury was closed and the spider had finished cleaning the man's hand. She nodded at him and went to sleep next to the fire.

"Well, now all I can do is sleep. We'll see how it went tomorrow."

...........................................................................................................................................................

Corpsenburg has never been an important town.

Established long ago so the families could rest when paying respect to the death, it only stayed because some didn't go back. The walls around the town, barricades of wood, had been created to protect the people against savage animals and bandits. It wasn't made to resist an army with siege material, but who would want to take other this nonimportant city?

The town itself had what you could expect of this kind of little place with more or less a hundred souls living in it. A general merchant, a smith, an inn, a herbalist, not much more. The guardhouse could welcome a dozen soldiers at the same time, the minimal number to assure the town stayed calm.

The walls had two exits possible. One was by a large stone bridge passing over a pit several hundred meters deep, and a dozen meters long. The other exit lead to the cemetery.

That place, made so the soldier's corpses would not be let to rot, was nearly as vast as the town itself and gave it a heavy atmosphere. Some tombs were simple wood cross without a name, other were literal vault descending deep in the ground, dug long ago by the richer families, who since then had rejoined with their loved ones.

In the inn was, among others, a group of five adventurers, not looking their best at the moment. The leader, a human man, was speaking to a human woman, a dwarf, an elf and an orc. He was more precisely speaking to the elf mage, visibly not happy.

"Explain to me once again why I woke up on the way to Corpsenburg, transport by a travelling merchant, with you four with me and visibly no sign of that bastard?"

The elf sighed, visibly annoyed by the man's bad mood.

"Like I told you before. If we managed to get out of that inn alive, it's only because he let us. You and Sorco were down in one hit each. Me? I wasn't able to finish an incantation before he did and surrounded the three of us with some ice spell of a level far greater than mine. Kerele and Biryl would have died if I hadn't persuaded them to let it go..."

"Oh please, Filian, don't tell me this Nimer something frightened you..."

The elf hit the table with his palm.

"If you want to know, Berot, I was scared. For the first time in my long life, I was scared by a human using magic....and his name is Maximilian Baltazard Van Nilmerus."

"Why should I care about his name?"

"Because, imbecile, he could have killed us all without pulling out his sword if he wanted to. Think about it for a second, Sorco who is a freaking orc was knocked out with one hit, one! When that man went away, we charged you two on a merchant cart, the merchant had agreed to take us with him until this town. You should care about his name because I sure as hell won't be the one to bother him again, that's for sure."

"Okay, okay. You don't need to get all edgy like that. Tomorrow we will pass the bridge and go to the capital. It's almost certain we won't see him again, so who cares in the end."

The inn's door opened suddenly, letting an injured soldier entered. He still had his sword in his hand, his shield nowhere to be seen. His side was bleeding and the arm who was supposed to handle the shield wasn't moving like it should have, probably broken.

"UN....UNDEAD! EVERYWHERE!"

Everyone in the inn looked at each other. Biryl, the dwarf, sighed with contentment as he prepared his crossbow.

"Finally, some walking corpses to fire at, this will calm us all. Let's take care of them guys."

Confident, the group went out of the inn, passing next to the injured soldier who tried to dissuade them, but to no avail.

The group walked in the cemetery direction, Berot leading the way.

"Alright guys, let's kick some undead asses, then we can have some sleep and tomorrow go aw....!"

The soldiers stationed in Corpsenburg weren't the best, that was for sure. It was why the group didn't pay too much attention to the alert given by the guard, even a simple undead could be a threat to them. But now, seeing the cemetery's state, they suddenly had a certain sympathy for that poor guy.

A dozen undead were already in the village, rotten bodies of ancient soldiers, peasants and other poor souls dead long ago, the flesh partially eaten away by maggots, with old rusty weapon and pieces of armour on some of them.

But it wasn't the smell from the rotten bodies, nor the hideous state they were in that stopped the group in their track. What made them stopped was the dozens of others slowly walking in the entrance direction.

"What the...how many are they?"

"Too much for us. Let's run to the bridge while we c...!"

A sound echoed in the night, a horn.

In Corpsenburg, only two type of horns could be used. The first one signalled an attack at an entrance, wich one depending on the direction the signal came from.

The second one, made especially for one purpose, was the one who could be heard that night, and that could only mean one thing. One soldier who had come to see what was happening, was next to the group when they all hear it. it was him who confirmed the terrible news.

"The bridge...has been destroyed..."

Berot looked at the others, his eyes betraying his fear.

"Now what do we do?"