A/N: Something new, something bestial, something furry, something different...
For those who are reading through 'Thirst for Blood', the setup for the Beast-races are similar. For those of you who haven't, don't worry. I'll go over the changes as the chapters go on.
Another big thing of note: Keaton and Velouria are siblings. A few other lore changes as well, but those will pop up in time.
Canon name = nickname:
Velouria = Vella. Keaton = Keaty.
Oh look, Temporal King: Should you happen by this one, as well. Yes, I ultimately went with F!Corrin, but the pairing will not be KeatonxF!Corrin...
I'm still trying to get your Kitsune version one off the ground, but I guess my preference for Wolfskin just made this easier.
King Garon openly smiled to himself as he and his entourage made their way back from the… 'peace' meeting with King Sumeragi. The King of Nohr chuckled as he could re imagine the Swordmaster being peppered with arrows, allowing him to take the newborn child for his own. With the girl his, he could begin his plan to raise her… ultimately ending in bringing down the barrier that Queen Mikoto holds up. And after that, he'll be able to bring the full might of Nohr down upon Hoshido.
Now, these series of events would have happened, but there were a few unaccounted changes. One is that the trail they were going to take was blocked off by a huge boulder, causing them to take an alternate route. The second is that this route is a place inhabited by the Beastshifters of Nohr, Wolfskin. To Garon, though, they are just that, beasts. He simply had a soldier or two wield a Beast Killer and call it at that. Surely none of them would be foolish enough to attack. All beasts fear the Beast Killer, after all.
But the main problem with this is, King Garon never actually encountered the Wolfskin. So, how would he know that they would pounce from the mountainous hills? That they employ a hit-and-run tactic? So, that is exactly what happened. The Beastshifters were coordinated, and the first set of death cries were of the soldiers wielding the Beast Killers.
The baby started crying.
Angered, King Garon took up his own axe to fend off the shifters. In short, his men were being slaughtered. Despite the lumbering size of the Wolfskin, they proved extremely fast. One by one did his men fall.
"You were a fool to travel this route, human." Another Wolfskin, this one of red and black fur, sporting a far more dangerous aura than the rest.
Gripping his axe, Garon readied himself, "I will cut you down, beast."
"Bravado will only grant you death." The leader charged, deftly dodging Garon's first strike, while the Beastshifter landed a swipe of his own. Another Wolfskin slammed into the King from behind.
The baby's wails became louder.
Currently preoccupied by three Beastshifters, Garon could do nothing else as yet another Wolfskin took his hard-won prize from him. In a fit of rage, Garon lashed out at the leader, scoring his one, and only, hit. It bit deep, and he howled out in pain…
Then fled, as did the rest. "Damn it!" The King cleaved his axe into the ground, "I will hunt you down!" He declares.
Unfortunately for him, Garon won't see that child again for an extremely long time, not until she has already matured, effectively killing off the King's plan.
So, this is the tale that will be shared. Corrin, not of Hoshido, not of Nohr, nor taking a path to unite both. She is Corrin, of the Wolfskin.
In the mountainous hills of Nohr rested the Beastrace of Wolfskin. Packs of them were located across the region, all driven there due to the bane of any beast, Poachers, namely those who had the gold to afford Beastkillers. The Beastshifters were outcasts of human society, further divided into Wolfskin and Kitsune… then even further divided into packs and hamlets, Wolfskin and Kitsune respectively.
However, unlike a Kitsune hamlet's bountiful grass fields, the mountains provided no similar reprieve. As such, the Wolfskin are forced to resort to hunting… or attacking caravans. The alpha of one particular pack is skilled in this regard. His pack has an unbeatable record of successful caravan raids, and has earned one of the most dangerous areas to have a pack. Right next to one of the main roads leading into Nohr.
This alpha has even manage to raid none other than the King of Nohr's caravan, too. And while there were fine food and other treasures to be had, one in particular stood out. This one was a baby girl, whose crying echoed throughout the caravan raid. This baby was taken back with the Wolfskin, and the alpha has raised her alongside his twins: Keaton and Velouria. Unlike the average human, the baby girl sported pointed ears, red pupils, and even sharper teeth…
Almost as if she were part-Beastshifter. Maybe she even was, though the alpha doubted it. Why would a Wolfskin mate with a human? The irony isn't lost on him, though, as raising a human child might end up with her being claimed as another's mate. Or maybe she won't. Corrin, the once baby girl, gives the Wolfskin an unique opportunity. She's human, she can freely travel to towns and cities without fear of being assaulted. The only problem with this idea is simple: The Wolfskin have no idea on what constitutes 'Human' behavior.
And perhaps the alpha would have scrapped the idea altogether, but against 'common knowledge', both the Wolfskin and Kitsune are far more intelligent than what most humans would assume. They are not 'mere beasts'.
"Brother!" Corrin exclaims as she chases down Keaton. Thankfully, however, there seems to be a set of instinctual rules that are simply ingrained in humans, effectively cutting down the amount of work that needs to be done. There were still things to work on, of course. One would be to get her an actual set of clothes that fit. Her clothes are rather ragged, mostly because she loves to get down and dirty…
Even without fur, she still mimics some of the habits that Wolfskin do… and some habits she started on her own. "Hey…" Keaton sighed as his sister tackled him to the ground, giggling as she hugged him, "Hey, cut it out… not in the open."
"You know like it when I hug you!" She rubs up against him, while taking a deep breath of his scent.
"I most certainly do not!" He tries to come out as convincing.
"Then why is your tail wagging?" Corrin never really questioned why she is so different… it's almost as if she doesn't care what she is.
"...It's cold." Keaton pitifully lies.
"Uh-huh." Corrin breaks the embrace, then helps the Wolfskin up. "Guess what?" She didn't wait for him to reply, "I've got something for youuu!"
"Treasure?" His ears suddenly perk up.
"Treasure." From her pants pocket, she pulls out a single ball of assorted… goods. Some hair here, some bits of bone of there...
"Awesome!" Relative to the rest of the pack, Velouria, Keaton, and Corrin, have a large obsession with 'Treasure'.
"I'm happy you like it, brother." She smiles.
Which in turn causes him to smile, "Of course." His smiles shows off his fangs, hers shows off her sharper than average teeth.
How many years has it been since they stolen her from the King? Fourteen? Sixteen? Would it be too out of place if she were to visit a town now? Or would she be considered too young? "And uh, I stumbled on this…" Keaton hesitantly gives her a shred of fur from a small beast, it still has specks of blood on it. "I was going to keep this, but since you got me something…"
...The alpha honestly worries more of how many Wolfskin habits she may end up doing in a town. He can only imagine the reactions she would get if she ended up howling at the moon. Or invaded someone's personal space to sniff them. Then, of course, comes up the issue of how little human habits she does have.
"Aw, thank you!" Corrin eagerly grabs the fur from Keaton, then proceeds to hold it close, both to catch its scent and to rub it.
"...It wasn't like I was actually looking to get you anything." Keaton mutters as he looks away.
"Hey…" And now approaches Velouria, a gentle smile on her face. "You're back, sister." Unlike Keaton, Velouria has actually picked up on some of the human habits Corrin exhibits.
"Hello, Vella." And Corrin is literally the only one who refers to her as 'Vella'. "I was gone for longer than I thought…" Getting sidetracked, no doubt. "I would have brought more treasure, but there were a larger number of traps than normal."
"I can wait. The pack's safety takes a high priority."
"I know, but still…" Corrin kicks some dirt around with her feet. On that, she absolutely refuses to wear shoes… among other things. "...stupid poachers."
"Sister?" Vella asks as Corrin starts to pout, but whether her tears are real or forced is up in the air. Corrin has become almost disturbingly skilled at faking emotions.
"Why can't they just shove those Beast Killers up their rear ends and leave my family alone?! Or any of the families, for that matter!?" It's rare when she actually says 'packs'.
"Humans are greed-driven, that's why." Keaton speaks up, "They just want us for our furs." Despite his anger, a somber mood blankets the immediate area. Just because this pack might be the strongest, doesn't mean there were a lack of deaths. And every time a patrol or raid comes back with one less Wolfskin, it's Corrin that takes it the hardest, regardless of how long that Wolfskin has been here. Young, old, ones she really likes, ones she finds irritating, it truly doesn't matter to her. All Wolfskin are family to her…
Even when she knows she isn't one, herself.
Which is why she, at one point, proclaimed she wanted to learn how to Shift. Unfortunately, that's not something that can be artificially taught… she's isn't Wolfskin, so she can't use a Beaststone. So then she asked if she could have a weapon from the next time a convoy passes by, which has lead to her current sword. It isn't much, and she doesn't have someone proper to train her, but she tries. She's formed some style on her own, attempting to mimic how the Wolfskin fight.
She's more keen on noticing traps, however. So she ends up protecting her family the most by spotting and disarming traps. It's enough to satisfy her, knowing that her contributions beneficially impact the rest. And when she's happy, it seems as if the rest of her family is happy. Corrin simply has that effect on the Wolfskin… maybe even the humans, as well.
"Hey, Vella, Keaty…"
"Yes, sister?" Velouria asks.
"I told you not to call me that." Keaton gripes.
"I looove you." She wraps them both in a hug, which Velouria eagerly returns, but Keaton simply stands there… with his tail wagging. "C'mon Keaty, you know you want to hug us!" Keaton grumbles about being called 'Keaty', before giving in to the two women's embraces and returning the hug. In that moment, Corrin could really care less about her 'real' family. She's satisfied simply being a part of her Wolfskin 'pack'.
The three siblings soon part, though. Keaton will be joining the alpha in part of the hunt, Velouria and a few others are going to scout, and Corrin will be a part of Velouria's group, making sure that none of them end up triggering any traps. With her Bronze Sword at the ready, Corrin eagerly joins her sister's group. "Just scouting?" Corrin asks.
"Human movement has been going up recently." Suddenly, Velouria isn't the Treasure-collecting, hug-giving sister. She is Velouria the Wolfskin, not Velouria the sister. "Which is why there were more traps than normal."
"Are we going to end up fighting?" Corrin hasn't had much opportunity for fighting… though the others make it seem like an enjoyment. She's caught somewhere between just wanting the fights to stop, and being a part of the hunts. Some days she wants to join the alpha's side and strike something down, and others she is truly content just disarming traps…
"We might." Velouria stresses the 'we', as in not the human woman she calls a sister.
"Vella…" Corrin whines.
"The alpha forbids it." She's quick to remind her.
"Then why was I gifted a sword?" She counters. "I want to help."
Velouria takes a breath, "We need to go." She flashes Corrin a sorrowful look. She too, wants Corrin by her side in a fight, but the alpha's orders are definite, not even his mate nor children can do anything about it. As such, her group moves on, with Corrin on a vigilant lookout for any traps she may have missed on her morning route… not that that is likely, but it never hurts to double-check. Corrin is undoubtedly the best when it comes to both finding and removing traps.
A howl echoes out across from Velouria's location… humans. It isn't an urgent howl, it's more of a notification that the alpha's pack is about to attack. Corrin finds herself wanting to join in, but she has a task… and that involves sticking with her sister. She's still never actually seen any other humans. At times, she wonders what they look like. The alpha says she's the only one he ever saw with her pointed ears and sharp teeth. Part of her thinks that's the only reason she was brought in, that she looked part of a Beastshifter.
"Hold." Velouria calls out, causing her small group to freeze on the spot, she then growls, and quickly assumes her Beast form, the others follow suit while Corrin readies her sword. Moments later, a blur comes in and strikes her sister, the blur is gone the next second.
One of the Wolfskin manages to anticipate an attack, slamming one of these blurs right in the gut. It's a man, garbed in leather, small blades in his hands. Velouria slams the head of another one of these leather-garbed men. Corrin cries out as a different blur strikes her, as she simply couldn't keep the speed of her Wolfskin family. She does, though, block the next strike. The man seems surprised, and she uses that opportunity to hit him, though the blow comes out weak and inexperienced. It grazes him at most.
Slightly discouraged, she quickly tries to follow up, but by now, the man has already recomposed himself and he moves out of her reach. Corrin wasn't able to react fast enough for the next strike, "S-Sister!" She cries out, clearly unable to hold her own… this man is just too fast! Why couldn't a slower one target her?! Velouria growls and is by her side in almost a second, quickly crushing the man's skull with incredible ease. Sorrow lines Corrin's eyes, a silent 'I'm sorry for bringing you down', whilst Velouria simply nods.
...No wonder the alpha had Corrin stand back for combat, she simply can't contribute.
Which is why, that night, Corrin took a huge step forward. After the last meal, she approached the alpha, her 'father' on her own. Not even Keaton nor Velouria with her this time. "Father." She normally addresses him as the alpha, 'father' is reserved for the most serious of situations. He doesn't like being referred to as such.
"Corrin." Up close, Corrin can spot that one scar he earned from the night his pack took Corrin here. At the time, it was a terribly deep gash, she's told it's from the axe from the King of Nohr himself.
"I want to train in the arts of swordsmanship." She declares.
He narrows his eyes, "You won't be able to visit freely." More accurately, he won't let her visit freely, he simply can't afford to risk having their pack's location exposed because she simply gets 'homesick'.
"I'm aware." She replies in kind, "But, after today… when I couldn't even fight against one human." She mentally kicks herself, "I want to be useful in more than just traps, I want to be actually be able to defend myself. It… it hurt to see Vella disappointed in me. I need to get better, for the pack… my family." All the while, she avoided eye contact, more out of shame of what she was unable to do. "I need to be able…"
"Pup." One word silences her. "You'll be on your own. You don't know all of the human customs." Does he… not want her to leave?
"I'll learn." She pushes, "I learned how to spot and disarms the traps myself, didn't I? I managed to teach myself how to use a sword. I can learn how to be a human."
For a moment, he closes his eyes, though she somehow felt his gaze was still boring into her. "Very well. If you wish to pursue the blade, then go ahead. But, don't return until you have all the experience you can get."
Corrin beamed, "Thank you!" On reaction, she pulls him into a hug… and for once, and maybe the only time, he returns it.
"You came from Hoshido." He finally speaks, "The King carelessly spoke of how he stole you from a meeting with a King."
"I'm not leaving you all." She quickly declares, "I'll return." The two break the hug, "I refuse to lose you all."
"I'm just informing you." He shrugs it off. "Just… be safe. More so for Velouria and Keaton than anyone else."
She nods almost immediately afterwards, "I will!"
"Hmph." He flashes a smile, "Then sleep. You'll depart tomorrow. I'll give what gold you can reasonably carry."
"Good night, alpha!" She has a spring in her step as she returns to the den that she shares with Keaty and Vella.