Hello there everyone! It's me, Jiro, again. I do hope you enjoyed the previous chapter, as it became a lot more combat centric than expected, but if you know me from anything else I've written or know me personally, that's a specialty of mine, hence why this chapter starts with combat lol. Anyway, I will do the best I can with this story, as it's something I've been thinking about and working on the miniscule details of for a while lol. I do appreciate you stopping by to bookmark, save, read or review this. It means a lot, especially with how much of a pain it is literally and figuratively to be an active author and keep pumping out my ideas on a decent basis lol. But, regardless, I hope you enjoy this and would appreciate any questions or comments in signed reviews, PMs, DMs on Twitter Big_Boss_Flurb, or anywhere else you can find Jiro Uchiha, but those three are the most reliable lol. Thanks, Jiro "The Ghetto Shaman' Uchiha, OTF inc.
"Come get it!" Wulfrukh shouted, the hunter controlling his breathing to avoid growing wildly excited, or at least any more so. Watching the wolf remain still, simply standing and hulking over Wulfrukh, the human grit his teeth as he stood, walking up to the wolf and staring him down as they walked into each other, both men simply glaring at the other through grit, bared teeth, saliva dripping from the werewolf's maw onto his chest, Wulfrukh stepping back and making the first move, throwing a hard uppercut that the wolfman stepped back from, coming down with a right hammer fist, Wulfrukh stepping to the right as he rotated himself, exhaling hard and tensing his muscles as he slammed his right shoulder into the wolf and forced him back, using the distance to turn back to face the wolf, throwing a left overhead elbow into his ribs, the wolf exhaling loudly as he grabbed Wulfrukh by the right arm and lifted him into the air.
Wulfrukh inhaled as the wolf held him in the air with a single hand, using this to his advantage as he rolled his body, tensing himself as he managed to free himself and grab the wolf's long, furry arms and pull, dragging the wolf as he fell and hit the ground, the large therian being tossed over Wulfrukh's grounded body as he rose to his feet in a single, swift motion, watching his opponent closely, unable to pick up any favorite attack patterns or even the wolf's favorite arm to attack with. The wolf exhaled tauntingly with a thin lipped smirk on his golden furred features, bending his knees and holding his arms out slightly, Wulfrukh able to notice that this was a fighting stance, something he always assumed was beyond the normal werewolf's ability sheerly for the amount of coherent thought it took to take a fighting stance and hold it without attacking. Wulfrukh exhaled, rolling his neck.
As he made his way over to the werewolf with slow, careful steps, he watched the wolf take a single step to the left, the beast not taking his eyes off of the hunter, the duo coming to a standstill, the hunter simply watching the wolf's eyes and vice versa, the two trained warriors as still as the trees surrounding them, only the nighttime breeze moving their bodies as it blew by, shifting their body hair as they remained continuously frozen. Wulfrukh's heart throbbed against his ribcage, his instincts screaming at him to attack, to run, to call out, to do something other than stand still. Thankfully for Wulfrukh, Guillermo made the first move, jumping into the air and in his direction, keeping Wulfrukh alert as he slammed to the ground, Wulfrukh feeling the shockwave in his feet as the ground caved under his feet slightly, Wulfrukh throwing a hard left cross that struck the wolf in the eye, knocking him over onto his back, where he capitalized.
Jumping on the wolf's chest, Wulfrukh threw a right hand into the wolf's snout, a left jab striking the wolf in the eye again, the wolf flailing madly and shoving Wulfrukh off, Wulfrukh flying through the air in a fluid motion as he unbent his legs to land on his feet, watching the wolfman vault to his feet and run at him, Wulfrukh ducking under a wild right, Wulfrukh almost able to see the path of the wolf's attack as he rose back to his full height, the wolfman spinning around with a wild left backfist that Wulfrukh barely managing to step back from. The hunter stepped forward, around the outstretched arm, watching the wolf's muscles as he closed in, the wolf turning as Wulfrukh swung his arms out, the wolf unable to attack as Wulfrukh clamped his arms around the chest of the large wolfman, his muscles tensing up and clenching as he squeezed.
He jumped slightly, landing in a fashion that bent his knees, the hunter rising to his feet as he pulled back, the wolf's legs coming off of the ground as Wulfrukh loosed him overhead hard, falling back as he did so, the wolf slamming back first on the ground as they both rolled to their feet at the same time. The wolf's long reach gave him the advantage as he threw a right uppercut that struck Wulfrukh in the jaw, the hunter cursing inwardly as he felt part of his jaw crack as he was flung through the air, slamming into the ground hard, the hunter instinctively rebounding to his feet as he watched the wolf close in, his eyes following the muscle in his chest as the muscle on the wolf's right began to tense up ever so slightly, letting Wulfrukh know that he was going to throw a right handed attack out next, the hunter able to easily duck underneath the following fist that was flung in his direction, the human rising up to a vertical base with his fists clenched, throwing out both of his fists and striking the wolfman in the stomach, making him slide back a few inches.
Following up as fast as he could, Wulfrukh threw a pair of overhanded punches, striking Guillermo on each side of his ribcage and making him wheeze in pain as he grabbed Wulfrukh by the shoulders and threw him into the air, the hunter's balance and focus thrown off at how quickly he was flung into the air, offsetting his train of thought as the wolf turned his body, lifting his right arm up in a bent fashion, slamming his upper arm and elbow into Wulfrukh's chest and throat, making his descent much faster as he fell head first into the ground, his skull bouncing off the dirt as he began to lose consciousness. Rolling out of sheer instinct, he avoided the wolfman's next right hand, which buried the beast's rippling, massive hand in the ground up to his forearm, giving Wulfrukh a meager amount of time to get to his feet and counterattack.
Barely keeping himself on his own two feet, Wulfrukh's clouded thought process able to at least discern that he likely had a concussion, his legs carrying him forward in a fashion that was anything but a straight line, the wolf able to pull his hand out of the ground, but not before Wulfrukh managed to jump on his back and wrap his large arms around the therian's throat. The wolf called out as it stumbled back, it's iron like claws digging into the flesh of Wulfrukh's forearms, the shock and adrenaline causing blood to pump much more freely as he tensed his body up, barely getting a body triangle around the wolf as the gashes on his arms were aggravated by continuous scratches, Wulfrukh calling out in pain, choosing to attack the only other way he knew. Shaking his head in pain, Wulfrukh clamped his tensed jaw down on the werewolf's ear, the wolf flailing wildly as Wulfrukh began to shake his head, the wolf unleashing a bloodcurdling cry as it felt the flesh of it's ear begin to tear off, a hard tensing of muscles and a jerk of his head allowing Wulfrukh to tear the wolf's ear clean off.
The wolf jumped up and fell back, driving it's weight onto Wulfrukh as the boy let out a loud grunt as his grip weakened, allowing Guillermo to escape from his grip, the wolf winging around with his outstretched hand, his claws finding purchase on Wulfrukh's chest, causing him to curse as he grabbed his chest, instinctively rolling away in pain as he slowly made it to his feet, the werewolf reaching up to check on his wound, and see how long it will take to regenerate, along with how annoying the process will likely be. After making it to his feet, Wulfrukh looked to the werewolf, his cloudy vision slowly clearing up as his heart throbbed even harder, pumping out more blood as adrenaline filled his veins, the hunter running directly at the injured wolf, his thoughts traveling to exactly how he could take down the werewolf.
The wolf wasn't expecting the human to attack so suddenly or so boldly, being distracted as the boy jumped slightly, slamming his shoulder into the wolf's midsection, the force of the tackle driving him into the ground, his back and chest being sandwiched between the hard ground and Wulfrukh's shoulder causing him more pain as Wulfrukh rolled around the wolf, running at him again as he rose to his feet much quicker this time, leaping into the air and slamming his right hand in to the wolf's jaw, feeling multiple teeth crack and bone fracture as the larger creature stumbled back. Turning back to the human, Guillermo frowned as he noticed that the human was seemingly growing stronger instead of weaker, unable to block a right bodyblow that actually made him stagger, Wulfrukh shouting as he followed up with a left overhanded strike that bruised multiple ribs, another right bodyblow, making the wolf's knees wobble as Wulfrukh reached up with his next left hand and punched the wolf in the eye for the third time.
Feeling the eye give way under his fist, Wulfrukh's emotion and instinct fueled attacks grew more frenzied, a left hook nearly missing the wolfman's arm as a nearly hysteric right hand to the chest made the wolf stagger, dropping down to Wulfrukh's level from the pain, two wide, haymaker like overhanded punches striking the wolfman's skull on either side, his right eye's blood vessels shattering at the sheer force of the attack as he felt his entire head rock like a rattle, Wulfrukh able to see his muscles relax as he slowly grew weaker, but yet somehow remained in his shifted state the entire time, something that made Wulfrukh grow curious as he threw his right knee out and struck the wolfman in the jaw, making him stagger back to his feet as Wulfrukh caught him in a standing guillotine, swinging the wolf's right arm over his head as he lifted the wolf straight up, the wolf's body completely straight as the blood slowly began rushing to his head.
Guillermo wasn't thinking much at all, much less coherent thoughts about stopping the human he was facing, who was far beyond anything else he had ever fought in his life, the boy's attitude worse than the angriest demon and his desire for battle unmatched, perhaps on the entire plane of Innistrad. Guillermo felt blood run down his face as it slowly began to drip from his empty eye socket to the face of the man who held him up perfectly straight even to this very moment. Guillermo knew in that moment that he was going to die, and for some strange reason, his heart felt almost warm, as if he were glad that he was going to die in a great battle against a powerful warrior and not against a horde of humans with silver weapons. Wulfrukh exhaled, and moved.
Spinning as fast as he could, Wulfrukh drove Guillermo to the ground after a very long five minutes, the impact making the werewolf's head rattle, the man long since surrendered to death as blood continued to pour out of his wounds. Seeing the wolf's eyes, he knew that the wolf had either given up or at the least considered it. Wulfrukh began to rise when the glint in the wolf's eyes shifted back, the blood flowing from his wounds freely and sometimes seeming to squirt like a water fountain as the look in his eyes shifted from defeat to desperation, rising up and throwing a massive amount of his remaining energy into this one attack. This punch sadly, was in vain, for Wulfrukh avoided it with little effort, the wolfman swinging again and missing as he slowly made it to his feet. The wolf growled as blood poured from his eye socket, coloring part of his almost golden fur a dirty orange color, Wulfrukh able to tell that he wasn't trying to kill him, but simply die on his feet.
"You were…. My most worthy foe to date. I.. thank you for this chance, hunter." Guillermo said, stumbling forward as he fell face first to the ground, Wulfrukh glancing at his physical structure, noticing that he could see visibly broken ribs, many fractured bones elsewhere, and even blood in his mouth, making Wulfrukh assume he had other internal injuries or at the last swallowed his teeth. The wolf coughed, and Wulfrukh walked over and knelt down by the therian's dying body. "I thank you as well, Wolf Warrior. I thank you... for this... opportunity." he said, watching the wolf's eyes go dim, seeming to dry up as Wulfrukh no longer felt or heard a heartbeat, throwing his head back and actually howling in the full moon's light, the sound a sign of respectful mourning, the mana from the surrounding trees gathering in Wulfrukh as he placed a hand on the wolfman's limp body.
Using his magick, Wulfrukh froze the man's body in this state with a petrification spell before summoning roots that rose from the ground like tendrils and wrapped themselves around the body of the slain wolf, draining any traces of mana or remaining energies from the body, the ground splitting underneath the tendrils as the body began to sink into the ground, Wulfrukh silently watching with a sad look in his eyes. It somehow makes me feel sorrow that this man is dead. Truly, I do wish our battle would have lasted just a little bit longer. He thought to himself, shaking his head as he stood, the body having sunk into the ground, buried with magick to prevent graverobbers or desperate scavengers from getting to it, Wulfrukh forming a large stone from the dirt at his feet and placing it on the grave to mark it, taking one more look at the full moon before smiling. He could still catch up to his pack, and he could likely still kill the largest prey amongst the group. He headed out, his heart seeming much lighter and free.
Bounding through the forest, Wulfrukh's breathing came to a trained halt as he leapt over a fallen tree, the feeling of the wind blowing across his blood covered face causing his slow beating heart to speed up as his large body collided with the ground feet first, his muscles rolling like fluid as he continued to run, his nose filled with the scent of boar and deer as he took a sharp turn, his aching leg muscles beginning to burn as Wulfrukh ran in direction of a large boar, the scent slowly growing stronger as he noticed the scent of his fellows, a small group of Wolfir closing in on the boar. Wulfrukh knew they could likely smell him, and made sure to speed up, the burning sensation in his muscles growing as he slowly began to see the boar, knowing that instead of stalking the animal he could simply dominate and defeat it, his current speed at the least faster than the boar's top speed.
Bursting into the forest clearing where the boar stood, the boar squealed as a small boar nearby ran off, the larger boar trying to follow to no avail. Wulfrukh's massive, trained hands grabbing the boar by the thigh with his left hand, the strength of his grip making the boar scream in pain as he pulled the boar close to him, clenching his right fist as hard as he could, sticking his thumb out as he swung his arm overhead, jabbing the boar in the windpipe with his massive thumb, the boar's blood flow being cut off as it's brain went into shock and simply shut down, the boar's body falling limp as Wulfrukh panted, the burning sensation in his legs having died down like a campfire overnight, the man grabbing the boar by it's large tusk and lifting it overhead, rather impressed by the size of the boar, judging that the animal weighed nearly five hundred pounds to coincide with it's large stature.
Wulfrukh glanced to the shadows, where he smelled his brethren watching him, the human barking at them as he laughed, tossing the massive boar over his shoulder and heading in the direction of the village. He noticed, from scent, that his brethren hadn't made the decision to either give chase to him or at the least follow him, leaving the human alone with his thoughts as he neared the village. The sun shall not rise for at least nine hours. This gives me plenty of time to head back to the village and check on things. He thought, his thoughts briefly turning back to the wolfman he had recently battled, and to how exhausted he was despite the fact that he was still carrying a five hundred pound boar on his shoulders with ease. He wondered as to why he had such endurance. Was it because of his heritage? His upbringing? Whichever, Wulfrukh was very thankful for the fact that he could fight and hunt multiple times a day without exhaustion. If he did get worn out and was unable to do things more than once a day, he thought, it would make life very boring.
Thankfully chuckling at that last thought, he reached the village as he headed to the local butcher's home, a Wolfir by the name of Thumann Boarshead. He walked in through the extremely large door, heading over to a large room far in the back where everyone who went on a hunt had public access to, the room being very large and cold, a large quantity of blue mana in the room. Wulfrukh looked to the large blue crystal in the back of the room that radiated blue mana, frowning slightly as he placed the boar down amongst a few other corpses that had yet to be butchered. I don't understand why, but I don't like that mana signature. He thought as he left the room, folding his arms as he exited the man's home. I think if I ever met someone with that kind of mana signature, I'd definitely dislike them. He thought as he scanned the village, his scent and sight picking up nothing out of the ordinary as he started to patrol the village at a leisurely pace, allowing his body to slowly heal itself.
Back in the forest, Indro and Chief Silverheart waited for various Wolfir to rendezvous with them, a small group returning with, the Chief hoped, was a list of all of the things they had hunted. "Report." Indro said, the Wolfir dropping to one knee and bowing as the leader began to speak. "Master Indro, we have come to report that the various groups of Wolfir have hunted a total of three boars, seven deer, and a dozen rabbits." he stated, and Indro looked to Chief Silverheart, who seemed amused. "This is very good. With how long it will take to go through this month's food stock, this new addition may actually last until the end of the season. Tell everyone to keep it up. Perhaps we will build up a large enough stock so that none have to hunt in the winter months." he said, Indro chuckling at the statement. The Wolfir left, save for the leader, who remained glued to the spot.
Chief Silverheart's canid lips tilted downward ever so slightly, making the Wolfir's hand begin to shake. "Speak Young One. No harm can come to you." he said, and the Wolfir looked up with a stern look in his eyes. "Chief, we encountered Wulfrukh during our attempt to hunt a rather large boar." he relayed, the Chief raising a brow. "Did you engage him?" he asked, and the man shook his canine head. "No. My men were far too afraid to engage him." he explained, and Indro frowned, folding his arms as he stepped forward. "What do you mean 'afraid'? You are all trained warriors and hunters." he said, and the man nodded, the shaking returning as he looked from the Chieftain to Indro. "He was far swifter than we expected, and despite the fact that he was out all day and night hunting and fighting what we assume to be humans and this werewolf, he still had the energy to outrun us and defeat the boar." he said, and the Chief Hunter frowned.
"What's wrong with that? There are many of us who can still hunt after a fight." he said, and the Wolfir shook his head. "It was the ease with which he disposed of the boar. He grabbed it by the thigh and poked it in the throat. You must understand, a clawed thumb to the throat is one thing, but this thumb had no claw. Same with his hand. He gripped the bore with a bare, human hand. There were no claws hooking it in, no mana visibly or sensible to aid his power. He grabbed a five hundred pound boar by the thigh and it couldn't move at all." he said, and the Chief rose a brow, looking to the Chief Hunter as he shook his head. "I thank you for this information. Now go, allow me and the Chief to discuss what we have learned." Indro commanded, the Wolfir leaving post haste as the wolf man sighed.
"Do you think he was under the influence of black mana?" Indro asked, and Chief Silverheart shook his head. "No. This sounds like a furious energy that reveled in itself, almost like the mana of a newborn Vampire." he said, and the younger Wolfir nodded. "What do you want to do with him?" he asked, and the Chief sighed. "It was Avacyn's will that brought him to us, and it will have to be her will that pushes him away if it comes to it. For now, we confront him in the morning and act accordingly. If we can sense that he's almost lost himself to this inner hunting instinct, than we may have to remove him from the village before he draws attention to us." he said, the Chief Hunter glancing to a nearby tree as he thought. "The young Silverfang child, Phelan, mentioned that he hunted humans. This must be something we speak to him about." he said, and the Chief nodded with a sigh.
In the morning, Wulfrukh awoke from a light nap as he began to smell his fellow villagers filing in, all carrying their prey as Wulfrukh tallied up everything he saw. Two dozen rabbits, half a dozen boar and sixteen deer. Wulfrukh whistling and laughing as they carried the thousands of pounds of meat in, a few Wolfir giving him an odd look that crossed distaste with fear, something that genuinely confused the boy as he saw Indro and Chief Silverheart enter the village, turning to them and bowing as they noticed him. "Good morning Chief Silverheart, Master Indro. I trust that your hunt went well?" he asked, and Indro nodded. "It did Boy, but that's besides the point. The Chief and I would like to see you outside of the village gates. We will meet up with you after we tally up our food and speak to Thumann." he said, and Wulfrukh glanced back to the slightly hunched over, light brown Wolfir as he walked into his home. Wulfrukh nodded, slightly confused, exiting the village as he waited for the duo to meet up with him.
When the duo exited the village to meet him, Wulfrukh noticed that Indro still wore the leather vest he normally wore on hunts, which had two large swords strapped to it that Indro could use in desperate situations. Why would he be wearing it to talk to me? He asked himself as they two nodded to him, the human bowing in response, being respectful as normal. "There was something you wished to discuss with me?" he asked, and Indro nodded, looking to the Chief, who sighed as he shook his head, his arms behind his back. "Wulfrukh, you have been rather out of control recently." he said, making the boy furrow his brow as Indro folded his arms. "You used Black Mana, went off hunting humans and you somehow killed the largest prey of the night with a single thumb jab. Something is wrong with you and we want you to tell us what." he said, and Wulfrukh frowned up at the large wolfman.
"I'm afraid that I do not know what is wrong with me Master Indro. Perhaps you can explain it to me in a more detailed fashion?" he asked, trying his best to understand where the wolf was coming from. He noticed that the wolfman narrowed his bright eyes and began to tap his index finger against his large arm. "Black Mana usage aside, which we determined was necessary because you were fighting a baloth, what reason did you have to hunt humans?" he asked, and Wulfrukh frowned. "I hunted them because they deserved it. They kidnapped a child and were about to examine and possibly mangle his genitals. Avacyn knows what else would have happened had I not shown up." he said, and Indro's top lips flapped up for a second as the Chief watched their conversation. "Killing humans for their transgressions is something that me and the Chief have always argued about. By my viewpoint, they deserved the wrath you unleashed upon them. However," he explained, his finger ceasing it's tapping as he lifted the hand.
"By the Chief's rules, the death of a human is punishable with one day without food. You killed sixty humans, which would qualify you to go two months without a single morsel." he said, and Wulfrukh frowned deeper. "But killing them wasn't enough to you, was it? You had to hunt them. Phelan explained that you found much pleasure in hunting innocent men." he said, and Wulfrukh grit his teeth as he rolled his shoulders slightly, a sign that he wasn't being the respectful young boy anymore. "They kidnapped a child. I did what was necessary. What would have happened if they escaped? Could you imagine what the drunk, glory driven humans would do if they heard of an area where the Wolfir were? It would only be a matter of time before half of Innistrad was upon us." he said, and the Chief chuckled.
"Wulfrukh, that matters not. We were chosen by Avacyn to be passive, and only act with her commands. If Avacyn's will is for us to all fall, then we will accept this fate with open arms." he said, and Wulfrukh scoffed openly, causing Indro to unfold his arms as Wulfrukh looked to him with anger clear on his face. Turning back to the Chief, Wulfrukh narrowed his eyes. "I refuse to let the will of a single angel be the death of everyone that took me in. If humans have knowledge of our location, I will remove them so that they can not spread this information. Same thing for any creature that dares to encroach on our lands. By my hand, my tooth, my weapon and by my will, I shall hunt them all to extinction if need be." he said, his shoulders squared as his aura began to manifest itself, a dull, multicolored aura that made Indro glance to the Chief, who remained calm.
"Wulfrukh, you must understand that you have committed enough transgressions in the past day to warrant a death sentence in most human areas. Regardless of how you may justify your actions, or if me or Indro agree with you, you have committed far too many foul acts to go unpunished." he said, and Wulfrukh frowned, his upper lip twitching as he listened to the wolf, finding the elder Wolfir's logic sound, if not a bit agitating. "Black Mana usage, sixty counts of killing humans and ten counts of hunting humans, along with the charge of excessive hunting and unnecessary revelry. These are the charges you face. How do you plead to these charges?" he asked, and Wulfrukh narrowed his eyes. What punishment would await him? Would they restrain his ability to hunt? Make him take a chaperone with him at all times when exiting the village? "I plead Guilty to the killing and hunting of Humans, along with the usage of Black Mana. However, I plead innocent to any accusations of revelry or excessive hunting." he said, his shoulders squared.
The Wolfir Chieftain nodded. "We have heard your reasoning and we deduce that the best course of action is to administer your sentence tonight under the full moon's light. Until then, you are restrained to your quarters, to be watched constantly by a squad of Wolfir. Do you understand?" he asked, and the human remained motionless and silent for a moment, his anger at the fact that he was going to be punished for protecting one of his own and eliminating the threat or possible threat clouding his judgment. Nodding, Indro turned to the side and gestured back to the village. "Come Wulfrukh, I shall escort you." he said, the human's posture relaxing slightly as he walked past the Chieftain, refusing to acknowledge him or bid him farewell, noticing that a few pairs of eyes locked onto him as he walked through the village, making him wonder if everyone was aware of this and not just the Chief and Indro.
Reaching a small hut on the north end of the village, Wulfrukh walked in through the oak door, seeing the empty room and frowning. In all honesty, the Hunter did not think that he was going to ever dislike the sight of his empty, yet comfortable cabin. And yet, he was angry to see his quarters as he turned to Indro. "Master Fullhearth, do yo agree with everything that Chief Silverheart said?" he asked, and the Wolfir glanced down as he turned around, folding his arms. He heard a sigh escape Indro's canid lips as he shook his head. "I am unaware of what the Chief truly thinks. He is merely acting in the interests of the entire village. His ability to put his desires aside for the desires of the many is part of why Avacyn chose him as our Chieftain." he said, and Wulfrukh frowned slightly as he listened intently, the Wolfman turning back to him with his lips turned down.
"However, one thing remains constant. You dared to question Avacyn and disagree with what might be her will. Even if your charges of revelry and excessive hunting are thrown away, the accusation of blasphemy will stick like flies on dung." he said, his eyes narrowing as he closed the door behind him, leaving Wulfrukh alone with his thoughts. Dropping down to a cross legged position, the human boy began to think. Had he truly committed a crime? I understand that we aren't supposed to hunt humans, but to let the will of an angel who can't voice her desires for us decide our fate without direct interaction? I can not fathom such logic. He thought to himself, shaking his head as he continued to think.
His thoughts wandered, from his great battle with the golden werewolf, Guillermo, to Phelan, the boy responsible for at least two or three of his sixty counts of human killing. However, because Wulfrukh was an honorable warrior and had risked his life for Phelan, he would not bring up the young Wolfir's desire to hunt the humans alongside him. No, instead he would face the brunt of the village's collective disdain and anger, including the portion that should technically be reserved for Phelan. He was quite the young Hunter. It brings me sorrow that I might not be able to hunt with him again. He thought, unsure if his punishment was life altering or even fatal. Could they kill him? Would they? He shook his head, throwing such pessimistic ideas from his head as he heard his guard change for the first time, sighing as he laid back and looked to the ceiling.
Sensing the full moon above his quarters, Wulfrukh stood, his thoughts breaking away from the far places they wandered as he looked to the door, where Indro approached, Wulfrukh able to smell the Chief Hunter coming as he squared his shoulders, steeling his nerves and tensing his muscles as the large Wolfir opened the door, turning his head as a signal for Wulfrukh to follow him, the human walking in the wolfman's direction as he turned away, beginning to head towards the village square, Wulfrukh not far behind. "You understand the accusations against you are confounding, correct?" he asked, and Wulfrukh frowned. "None of the things I did were wrong in my eyes. If I shall be punished for doing the right thing, than I shall accept my punishment like a man." he said, watching as the Wolfir slowed down and stepped to his side, Wulfrukh turning back to the village square.
He noticed that, oddly enough, the entire village was gathered in the village square, the small stage meant for ceremonies holding a podium at which Chief Silverheart stood, the canine people turning in Wulfrukh's direction as Indro led him onto the stage, where he stood next to Chief Silverheart to the elder Wolfir's left. "As I explained earlier, you are here to decide the proper punishment for Wulfrukh. It is most fair that the punishment for any forms of crime be judged by his peers, be they man, woman or child." he said, many Wolfir nodding, more than happy to be included. "Firstly, we shall judge Wulfrukh for his lesser charges. Agreed?" He asked, the human's hands remaining open, showing that he was relatively relaxed, something that made a few of the Wolfir in the crowd nervous at how eerily relaxed he remained.
"His least relevant charge is Excessive Revelry. This charge was invented by me and a few of my now deceased superiors to avoid someone from having too much fun at the expense of others, be they Human, Vampire, Zombie or Wolfir. How do you plead Wulfrukh?" he asked, and Wulfrukh bowed his head as he glanced from the Chieftain to the crowd, knowing full well how these Wolfir 'courts' went. "I plead innocent. Everything I did was part of an oath I swore to protect the village and it's interests." he said, and many of the Wolfir began to whisper amongst themselves. The Chief sighed as the village seemed visibly divided, something that made the old wolfman frown, a look that crossed sadness with disappointment.
"All in favor of Wulfrukh's guilt, howl." he commanded, very few howls ringing out, mostly from elder females that simply wanted him gone, the group never truly accepting of the fact that a human was being raised in their village. The Chief shook his head very slightly, only Wulfrukh and Indro truly noticing the action. "All in favor of Wulfrukh's innocence, howl." he commanded, many Wolfir throwing their heads back and howling, believing that Wulfrukh was telling the truth, the males amongst the howl all ready to back him up again should this occur. The Chieftain smiled as he began to chuckle, a raspy sound that reminded the village just how old he was. "Very well. On the Charge of Excessive Revelry, Wulfrukh is hereby found innocent and free from any punishment that this charge may involve." he said, glancing down to the podium, making Wulfrukh notice the pieces of parchment on the stand.
Wulfrukh resisted the urge to chuckle at the paper, which the elder Wolfir used to remind himself of what he was actually doing, watching him sift the paper on top to the bottom and sigh. "Next, Wulfrukh is hereby charged with Excessive Hunting. This accusation comes from the fact that Wulfrukh broke the Avacynian Wolfir Hunting Law, which dictates that you may only hunt once a week, and only capture up to three prey each time. Wulfrukh hunted twice in as many moons, not to mention the humans that have to do with his major charges. How do you plead?" he asked, and Wulfrukh frowned, not remembering the exact details of that law. He shook his head before squaring his stance and looking out to his fellow villagers. "Guilty. I hunted a boar last moon and one again this morning. My first hunt was an order, and my second hunt took place during the monthly full moon hunt, where hunting laws that involve time are nullified." he said, happy that he paid attention in school.
Glancing through the crowd, Wulfrukh smiled and winked to Amelie Goldstone, the local law expert and representative of Wolfir in legal engagements. The Chief blinked, shaking his head. "This is a very good point. Very well, this charge is discarded and you can not face another charge until after the next full moon." he said, and Wulfrukh bowed, nodding in thanks as the Wolfir Chieftain frowned, turning the page again and shaking his head. "Your charges are all now major charges. Do note that punishment will be decided by the majority, and may infact be drastic. I hold no responsibility for any excessive punishment you receive." he said, and Wulfrukh nodded respectfully. "I do not blame you for doing what you took the title of Chieftain to do." he said with a bow, the Elder Wolfir's lips tilting up slightly before he looked to the crowd.
"Wulfrukh's first major charge is Human Murder." he said, many wolves, especially the elder females or younger, more progressive Wolfir, sending him shocked, dirty looks of disgust, many of the other faces simply surprised. "However, Wulfrukh faces sixty counts of this charge." he continued, many of the shocked faces turning into a combination of fear, horror and disgust, Wulfrukh noticing that Phelan lifted his head as if to speak, Wulfrukh catching his attention with a low snap before shaking his head and smiling. "How do you plead to these charges?" Silverheart asked, and Wulfrukh looked to his fellow villagers before bowing his head momentarily. "I plead Guilty to all sixty counts."
Many of the Wolfir's faces became intensified, the fear beginning to fade for hatred and abhoration, something Wulfrukh didn't completely comprehend. Wulfrukh listened to Chief Silverheart clear his throat. "Are there any suggestions for a punishment?" he questioned, and many of the Wolfir began to talk loudly amongst each other, Wulfrukh looking up to the moon and silently hoping that no one suggested death. "What's his other charge!?" Someone shouted, Wulfrukh unable to discern exactly who's voice it was, a frown on his face as he wondered what the individual was trying to do. "His other charge is 10 counts of Human Hunting." he said, and many of the Wolfir openly began to shout, their shock, hatred and fear all blending together as they slowly began to form a canid mob directed in Wulfrukh's direction, the human lifting his right leg as his knee touched his chest.
The human slammed his foot down, the loud thumping sound catching the attention of the outraged Wolfir, who all grew silent as Wulfrukh looked down to them, trying his hardest to not look down on them. "I plead Guilty to this as well. However, in my own defense, all I shall say is that if I had not done what I did, there would have been sixty men and their Werewolf Captain heading towards this village after doing only Avacyn knows what to one of our own Cubs, Phelan Silverfang." he said, and many of the Wolfir began whispering amongst each other, Chief Silverheart allowing the Wolfir to debate amongst themselves as he turned to the human Hunter.
"Do you hope to lessen your punishment?" he asked lower so less people could hear him, Wulfrukh shaking his head. "Of course not. I am a warrior and a Hunter. I shall face the brunt of my mistake forthwith." he said, and the man nodded in return, respecting the young human's conviction. Turning back to the large crowd of angry, arguing Wolfir, he slapped the podium once, all of them quieting down, some of the younger Wolfir even lowering their heads as their ears fell. "Now, all who believe that Wulfrukh was justified in these actions and should not face much if any punishment, howl now." he said, a loud howl ringing out, most of the warrior males and their Cubs calling out, understanding that the village's safety was far more important than the law. Wulfrukh smiled, glad to see that some of the other wolfmen could see his way.
"If you believe that Wulfrukh is guilty and should face the appropriate, consistent punishment, howl now." he said, and Wulfrukh hoped that the howl would be quiet, his face falling slowly as the howls began, growing louder and louder as the collective howl of the females, older males and their ushered on cubs all rang out and signaled that he was wrong for killing these men to protect his village. Wulfrukh's anger began to rise as he clenched his fists, the human able to feel his frustration mounting at how his muscles began to roll under his skin, like a fast moving storm near the shore. Chief Silverheart sighed, shaking his head as if he didn't want to progress. "Very well then, what punishment will be acceptable?" he asked, secretly hoping that everyone would agree with the warrior males because of how important they were to the village's safety.
"Death! He broke two of our most important laws a total of seventy times! This warrants death!" Wulfrukh heard, noticing the elderly female Wolfir who shouted, his muscles freezing and tensing as his lips slowly began to peel back and his muscles contracted, as if he was preparing to leap at the woman. "Remain still Wulfrukh." Indro said, and the Hunter merely clenched his fists harder as the Chieftain slapped the podium again. "Despite the logic behind this, I am not going to even accept death as a punishment, because then that would be us committing Human Murder, and if we try to give chase should he escape us, that would infact be us committing Human Hunting, the same things that we are trying to teach our youth not to do and punishing those that do commit these acts." he explained, Wulfrukh beginning to smile.
His smile quickly turned sour though, as the elderly woman from before began to curse under her breath, making Wulfrukh stamp his foot down again. "Old Wolf Lady, what is your problem with me? Do you not like my status as a human?" he asked, the callous old Wolf shaking her snout as she narrowed her eyes in his direction. "Nay, I have a problem with who you are as an individual! Everything was peaceful until you appeared and started using Black Mana! Ever since then, you've descended into a reveling sociopath and a murderer! You bring misfortune upon everyone you are around!" she shouted, and Indro turned from the female Wolfir to the human, making sure that he remained still, Wulfrukh's anger slowly dissipating as he began to smile. "Truly, your reasoning is not sound. Phelan was captured and about to be assaulted by these foul, drunken humans in various fashions, and you would see me dead for saving him and incapacitating his captors?" he asked, the elder female grinding her jaws together.
"Enough!" The Chief said, the elder Wolfir growing less and less friendly as he narrowed his eyes, his icy glare silencing the entire crowd, including Wulfrukh and the elder, the wolfman rubbing his claws against his snout in frustration. "Despite the fact that Wulfrukh broke two laws seventy times, his reasoning is still sound. He might deserve punishment for the acts of Human Murder and Human Hunting, but the reason for them is far too righteous for death to be an appropriate sentence." he said, and the elder female raised her head high, her ears perked up and shoulders squared. "Then I shall administer the punishment myself." she said, beginning to make her way through the crowd, angrily pushing and shoving past many of the Wolfir, Indro looking to the Chieftain, who merely shook his head.
Nodding, the Chief Hunter took a step back towards the back edge of the platform, watching carefully as the female made her way up to stand in front of Wulfrukh and glare at him, the human roughly the same size as her. Wulfrukh looked her in the eyes, able to tell that despite her age and silver muzzle, she still had some fight left in her. Wulfrukh's hunting instincts told him to act immediately, his common sense allowing him to suppress the nagging desire to start a fight with the elder female. "Stand down Madam. I wish that no harm come upon you." he said, and she clenched her fists, her thinning fur allowing Wulfrukh to see her thin, weak veins pulsating, letting him know that despite her attitude that her physical state was much weaker than she'd like it to be. He smiled as he looked her in the eyes. "Calm yourself. You and I both know that despite your age, that your experience doesn't match up to my sheer ability at this moment." he said, the female's clenched fist coming straight up and slamming into Wulfrukh's jaw, the human's mouth opening.
However, it opened in a smile, his bare teeth visible in the pale glow of the moon as he tensed his neck's muscles as he pushed his head down, the speed and force he returned to his original position with cracking the elder female's fingers out of place as she cursed, a yelping sound that made Wulfrukh begin to frown. "Chieftain, I will accept any punishment that you deem acceptable. But please, surely being assaulted by my fellow villagers against your wishes is not amongst these acceptable things." he said, and the Chieftain nodded, watching the human carefully, his intentions remaining relatively pure, no traces of Black Mana or thoughts that would manifest as it coming to the surface. "Wulfrukh is correct. Silvercoat, stand down." he said, and the female bared her teeth before leaping off of the stage and slinking back into the audience.
The Chief's claws began to dig under his fur, his skin cracking as he grew irritated even further, trying his best to hold back from clawing his face off. "It is getting late and many of our pups need to rest. Come up with a sensible punishment or I will change Wulfrukh's verdict to innocent on all charges, as he's being the most reasonable one amongst us." he said, and many of the wolves all nodded in agreement, casting side glances to the elder females, led by the rowdy Silvercoat. "What of temporary exile?" Thumann suggested, and the Chieftain turned to him, seeming to be much calmer than before, Wulfrukh's attention locked on him as well. "Go into further detail Thumann. You have remained very quiet all night." he said, and the butcher nodded as he ran his claws along the knife he always carried with him.
"The punishment for killing a human is one day without food, correct? What if instead of one day without food he was exiled for one day? This would mean that he could return after two full moons as if he went on a long hunting trip. As for the Human Hunting, we can restrict his Hunting Grounds during and after exile for a while. No other punishment seems sensical. This way, if the humans come after him, he will not have any affiliation with the village at the time and we will all be safe, which is what he truly wants." he said, and Wulfrukh rose a brow, surprised at how well thought out the butcher's idea sounded. True, he would not be fond of being exiled from the village, but he could take the opportunity to explore the rest of Innistrad and see what it had to offer. Be it good or bad, the human was always interested in things outside of the forest he grew up in.
The Chieftain smiled, a happy sigh leaving his lips. "All that agree with Thumann's idea, please howl." he said, all of the wolves except the elderly females beginning to howl, Silvercoat and her group all still hoping that his sentence would be changed to death. Nodding, the Chieftain turned to Wulfrukh. "Very well then. As of the nearest Waning Gibbous, you are hereby exiled from the village for sixty nights. You will be forbidden from hunting in this forest during your exile, and unable to hunt without a chaperone after you return for another twelve nights. Please, use your time left in the village wisely." he said, and Wulfrukh nodded, a part of his being slightly sad that he was being exiled, but knowing full well that it was better than the asinine idea the elder females had, which was to simply kill him.
The next morning, Wulfrukh glanced to the sky with a sigh, realizing that the Waning Gibbous moon phase started tonight, meaning that today was his last day in the village. He had spent the entirety of last night packing and thinking, his mind telling him that he should simply remain in the forest or the surrounding area, the human not sure if that was a good idea. Another part of him wanted to traverse the Plane with wild curiosity, confident in his physical and magickal ability to get him out of any situation. He frowned, unsure of what to do, but knowing that today, he would say his goodbyes to the people he cared about and the people that raised him, his journey through the village starting at the butcher's shop, off to speak to Thumann.
When he encountered the slightly hunched over Wolfir, he smiled over to the human as he swung his cleaver down, the leg of a deer coming clean off, the bone cut cleanly. "Wulfrukh, how may I help you today?" He asked, seeming happy as the hunter watched him flip the deer over and repeat the action, cleaving another leg off cleanly. "I was wondering, why suggest exile? Why not let me go free?" He asked, the Wolfir looking up to him with a sigh as the third leg came off, just as clean as the rest. "Exile was best. Can you imagine how frustrated the females would be if their children stayed up late to watch someone go free for things they've been scolded for?" he asked, and Wulfrukh nodded. The butcher sighed, a fourth swing cutting another leg off cleanly, the butcher casually sliding the deer down on his large counter, looking at the deer's antlers. "Good kill." he mumbled as he slid the deer up to look at it's relatively thick neck.
"If it was up to me, I wouldn't have punished you at all. Many of us males, especially the older ones, are sick and tired of being so benevolent when the entire Plane seems to be growing less and less safe by the day. If someone can eliminate one hundred humans without breaking a sweat, why take away their food for three full moons and then some when they can take out large squads of enemies?" he said, shaking his head and furrowing his brow as he lifted his cleaver overhead, readjusting his grip. "Some of us wouldn't mind fighting humans. After all, it takes just one good swing..." he said, throwing his arm down and cleaving the deer's neck in two as blood began to pour from the freshly cut flesh. "And one human is down, and the rest are all afraid." he said, chuckling as he turned and tossed the butchered pieces into large bins marked according to size and parts.
"Now, as for you in particular, I felt that the punishment was also necessary because you are human. It would be detrimental for your growth as a living creature if you were completely inexperienced with humans of all kinds. Scaring off a caravan here or there doesn't give you the same experience as talking to a human with a similar set of skills to you." he said, chuckling as he threw the next deer up, glancing to the antlers, which were a bit smaller than the previous deer's, the points being less sharp and slightly less numerous. "Shame. This one had potential." he mumbled to himself. "Is there anywhere I should go in particular?" Wulfrukh asked, and Thumann shrugged as he cleaved off the first leg. "Anywhere you wish. Thraben, Gavony, anywhere else." he said, humming as he cleaved off the second leg, flipping the deer over.
"Just be careful where you go. I heard that there are cults rising up. Something about a Demon Prince and a Frog monster from the swamps of Gitrog or the like. And remember, nothing is as it seems on Innistrad. People experiment on themselves with profane magicks and dark sciences. The most innocent child could be an immortal vampire turned by some evil Demon Lord, and the most unsuspecting villager could be a wild, ravenous werewolf that enjoys the flesh of it's fellow human." he said, and Wulfrukh nodded. "Tread carefully and trust no one. Got it." he said, watching the butcher continue as he cleaved the second deer's head clean off, exhaling. "Thank you Thumann, I appreciate the help." he said, bowing his head respectfully. Thumann chuckled, nodding. "Of course. Do me a favor as well. If you run into another Baloth, eat it. I want to know if I should make room in my shop to sell baloth." he said, both of them chuckling as the human exited with a kind wave.
Heading to the blacksmith's shop, Wulfrukh noticing Phelan sitting outside with his sister, Sasha. The girl looked to him and waved, her brother picking up on his sister's actions and remaining still and silent, something that confused Wulfrukh. "How are you doing Mr. Human?" Sasha asked, the young female wagging her tail, happy to see the man that saved her brother. "I am well Young Lady. How have you been?" he asked, and she smiled. "I've been great! Thanks for bringing Phelan back!" she said, the words coming off as loud barks that made Wulfrukh chuckle as he scratched her head, enjoying her smile as he turned to Phelan. "Cheer up Boy, you're acting like someone cut your tail off." he said, and the boy frowned as he glanced to Wulfrukh. "But this is my fault. If I would've never been captured..." He trailed off, Wulfrukh shaking his head as he patted the girl's head before moving over to him and crouching down with a smile.
"Relax. You did no wrong. All you did was what you should have done. I take all of the punishment and blame for the death of those humans. It's best, since not only are many people in the village sick of me, I need to finally experience life outside of this forest for more than a single night." he said, and the boy's frown shrunk, but still remained. "But you didn't-" he began, Wulfrukh cutting him off by lifting a finger. "Listen to me Phelan. You did no wrong. Everything was me. All sixty humans fell at my hands. All of them." he said, the young Wolfir's ears falling before Wulfrukh tapped him on the head. "Cheer up. We'll go hunting together when I get back." he said, and the boy's disposition brightened as his tail began to wag. He nodded as Wulfrukh waved to the girl and boy, beginning to walk away after slowly standing.
Making his way to the Chief's hut, he entered calmly as Indro and Chief Silverheart continued to speak. They both looked to him as he slid into a corner, being respectful enough to not interrupt the duo. "Truly you should at the least consider it." Indro said, as if he was suggesting something to the Eldest Wolfir, who shook his head. "I may want to, but you know full well that the Chieftain's job is to adhere to the whim's of the people until he can no longer." he stated, a sentence that seemed almost rehearsed. Indro shook his head. "Have you even chosen a successor? You can't wait forever you know." he said, and the Wolfir chuckled, a raspy sound that belied his advanced age. "I will choose the next Chieftain when the time comes unless the people voice a wish for me to step down." he said, the larger, younger Wolfir shaking his head as they turned to Wulfrukh.
He bowed to them respectfully as they nodded in return, Wulfrukh joining them as he dropped to a kneeling position next to Indro, noticing that the duo had recently been eating, the scent of meat clear in the small area. "Greetings Chieftain, Master Indro. How are you today?" he asked, both of them tilting their heads from side to side to symbolize that today has been alright. Wulfrukh chuckled, a smile still on his face as he looked to the Master Hunter. "I thank you for all that you've done for me. My hunting skills are the things I cherish the most in this life, and if we never meet again, I would like for you to know that you were my greatest, and most important teacher." he said, the older Wolfir laughing as he pat the human's shoulder.
"You truly do take hunting as a way of life, don't you?" he asked, and Wulfrukh nodded as he turned to the Chieftain and bowed his head in respect before speaking. "And Chieftain, I would like to thank you for taking me in. You assured that I had a privileged upbringing and the best teachers on Innistrad despite my status as a plain old human. For this, I can not be grateful enough." he said, and the Wolf laughed as he nodded. "It was an honor. It's not everyday that Avacyn asks of us a favor. Your presence in this village will always be welcome, before and after your temporary exile." he said, and Wulfrukh chuckled. "In the event I get myself killed by some demon or vampire, I would like for you to know that you were a great teacher as well, and that I will continue practicing my usage of green mana out of respect." he said, bowing a third time as he rose to his feet, wishing them well as he departed.
Standing at the village gates, Wulfrukh exhaled. This is it, huh? He thought to himself, rolling his shoulder as he glanced down to the strap in his hand, which was connected to his bag, holding only a single change of clothing and a week's supply of meat, if he ate sparingly that is. Tossing the strap down his arm and the bag around his shoulder, he inhaled, watching his chest puff up as much as possible as he looked to the setting sun, throwing his head back and releasing a loud, baritone howl that resounded throughout the forest. This howl symbolized many things. It symbolized his farewell to the villagers, his introduction into the wild, and his presence as a wild, young, lone Wolf that would not be ignored. He glanced back to the village one last time, seeing Phelan and Sasha waving goodbye to him, the hunched over butcher saluting him with his knife as the Chief Hunter drew one of his swords and held it into the air, many of the other males repeating the process with their weapons.
A smile spreading across his face, Wulfrukh threw his arm into the air, ducking down as he felt his muscles stretch and contort, his body leaning down as he vaulted forward, a single stride carrying him far from the village gates as his feet hit the ground, his left foot moving out first, colliding with the ground and pulling his weight as his right leg repeated the process, his open hands in front of him as he held his fingers bent, his posture alert and aware as he bounded out into the wild, his heart filled with curiosity and excitement.
Finished! Hope you enjoyed this, as it too just a bit longer than expected lol. Anywho, make sure to check my profile for updates on when I'm writing the next chapter and how complete it is along with if I suffer ANOTHER hiatus lol. Other than that, just vote in my polls if you choose, and enjoy whatchyo readin'. Thanks for everything as always, Jiro 'The Ghetto Shaman' Uchiha, One twisted Fuck Inc.
