Chapter VII: Vukodlak

Lithe 14, 706

For three days and nights, the vanguard occupied the fort. In those three days, nothing significant of note occurred- there were no signs the Burgundians were approaching, and the group of bandits Juno's company had been hunting hadn't been sighted. For the first time in what felt like ages, Quinn could put himself fully at ease. Moments of peace like this had become rare in his life, it seemed, and he resolved to enjoy it to its fullest.

But those plans were shattered when, on the morning of the fourth day, Gwin's voice rang out over the fort: "Guys! We've got a serious problem!"

The rest of the vanguard gathered in front of the door to a small room, used to store their provisions. With everyone assembled, Uther asked, "What's the trouble, Gwin?"

Gwin stammered, seemingly at a loss for words, before he finally said, "…Take a look for yourself, Boss," and opened the door.

Nobody was prepared for what lay within the makeshift larder. Inside, their stores had been ransacked- sacks had been torn open, bread, vegetables, and salted meats were scattered over the small room, all partially eaten. Uther looked over to Gwin sternly. "What happened?"

"I don't know, Boss," the knight replied. "I was just gonna get ingredients for breakfast when I found our supplies like… this."

Uther was silent for a moment, before ordering sternly, "Gwin, take inventory. Find out how much is missing." He then turned as Gwin scurried to inspect the provisions. "Who was on guard last night?" Juno and Gail stepped forward. The captain asked them, "Did the two of you hear anything unusual last night?"

"No, I didn't hear anything," Gail replied.

"Don't look at me," Juno said, crossing her arms. "I have my own provisions. Don't need to steal anyone else's." The mercenary looked away. "If anyone's to blame, it's that bandit with the hellhound."

"Huh? Wait, are you talking about Francis?" Gail asked. "Why him?"

The mercenary looked to Gail, incredulous. "You didn't notice? He leaves to go 'take care of something,' and then this happens? Don't tell me you can't put two and two together!"

Juno's suspicions were not without merit: Francis had agreed to guide the vanguard and the secondary force through the region, but had left the day after their battle, saying he needed to gather a few things. He and Noel hadn't been seen since.

Gwin emerged from the room, a grim expression on his face. "What's our situation?" Uther asked him.

"It's… not good." According to Gwin's estimates, even with the addition of Gail, Francis, and Juno, the mercenaries' supply cache, along with their own provisions, would have allowed the vanguard to hold the fort until the end of the month. But whatever, or whoever, had gotten into their supplies had eaten a full third of their provisions; now, just under two weeks' worth remained.

Uther looked down at Gwin silently, his jaw tightly clenched, before speaking: "Starting tonight, we'll be changing our night watch arrangements. Only one soldier will be on patrol; the other will remain here to guard the provisions."

Uther fell silent once more as he surveyed the supplies. "I would like to believe that everyone here is above this," he said, looking back to the others with a hard, unwavering glare, as though his face was made of stone. "Do not prove me a liar."

Night came. Julius and Quinn had been chosen for the first watch- Quinn patrolled, while Julius guarded the supplies. He looked out over the walls, straining his eyes and ears for any kind of disturbance… but he saw nothing. Heard nothing. The world was still, as it was when he saw visions of the future.

Eventually, Quinn turned and looked to the interior of the fort. The inner ward was empty, save for the light shining from a torch in Julius's hand. "Anything?" Quinn called.

"There have been no disturbances," Julius replied.

"It's quiet out there, too," Quinn said. He climbed down the steps along the wall and approached the priest. "So Julius, any ideas about who could have gotten into our supplies?"

"I will refrain from making idle speculations," Julius replied flatly.

Quinn fell silent, thinking about possible culprits, when he recalled something: "Juno said that her company came out here to track some bandits. Think it could be them?"

"Unlikely," Julius replied. "If bandits were able to infiltrate the fort, they would have killed us as we slept before pilfering our supplies. Assuming our culprit is human, they are most probably a single person living off the land, such as Francis."

"Hold on," Quinn said sharply. "You aren't accusing Francis of being the thief, are you?"

But Julius didn't answer. Instead, he turned his head, as if something had caught his attention; he was tense, his eyes narrow. "Quiet."

They listened. A strange, faint shuffling came to Quinn's ears, but he couldn't determine the source. Julius however turned his gaze to the door. "It seems our guest has returned," he said in a low voice.

"How?" Quinn asked. "You've been standing here the whole time, right?"

"There is only one way to be certain," Julius answered. He reached for the door…

But Quinn stepped forward. "Let me," he said, grabbing the axe at his belt. "You're unarmed, after all." After Julius gave a small nod, Quinn pushed the door open and stepped inside.

At first, Quinn blinked in confusion, and dropped his axe, as his mind refused to acknowledge what his eyes were seeing. But in the end, his disbelief didn't change the sight before him: a girl, who must have been younger than him, was crouched over the provisions, ravenously devouring them. She was incredibly thin, with short, messy black hair, her skin a ghostly pale. But what shocked Quinn the most was that the girl was… completely naked.

"What the-" he stammered.

Instantly, the girl's gaze snapped toward him and Julius. Her eyes widened at the sight, before she sprinted toward the door. She shoved Quinn, knocking him on his rear, but before the girl could escape, Julius grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her midsection. "Got you!"

The girl thrashed in his grasp, snarling like a wild beast, before twisting in his grip and biting his arm. Julius cried out in pain and recoiled- seeing her chance, the girl bolted, freeing herself from Julius's grasp, and sprinting through the ward. But through the darkness, Quinn saw something… impossible. Before his eyes, the girl morphed: her pale skin darkened, becoming overgrown with black fur, and she crouched down, her hands becoming paws as she ran on all fours. With incredible speed, the girl- or rather, the wolf bounded up the steps along the wall.

Quinn climbed to his feet and raced after the wolf, but when he reached the top of the wall, the beast was nowhere in sight. It must have leapt from the wall, and retreated into the darkness surrounding the fortress. As before, he listened, but could hear nothing, as though the wolf had completely faded from existence the moment it left his sight.

The sound of footfalls climbing the stairs came to Quinn, and a moment later Julius rushed to his side, breathing heavily, clutching his arm. He looked about, before saying, "Ah… it seems our quarry escaped us." Even now, his flat tone remained unchanged.

Quinn looked out over the darkness, replaying the events that had just transpired in his head. What he'd seen was completely impossible- surely, just the result of an overactive imagination… but the fresh blood flowing down Julius's arm couldn't be so easily dismissed. Hesitantly, he looked to the priest. "You… did see that, right?"

Calmly, Julius pulled something from his pouch, chewed it, and placed it against the bite. He winced, before replying, "If you are referring to whether or not I saw a girl eating our supplies, before transforming into a wolf and retreating… Then I must say that, yes, I did."

Ingrid stood with her arms crossed, eyes narrowed. "…a werewolf?"

"I am fully aware that had our positions been reversed, I would have dismissed your claim as utterly preposterous," Julius replied. "But I have full confidence in what I witnessed. Furthermore, my testimony aligns with Quinn's. Is that not enough to convince you?"

Dawn had come. As soon as the others were awake, Quinn and Julius reported their encounter. Although, judging from the others' expressions, they seemed unconvinced.

Ingrid looked to Quinn silently. But Quinn didn't flinch. "I know what I saw, Miss Ingrid."

Gwin then stepped forward. "Well, I believe 'em." He looked to Uther. "You know Julius doesn't buy into stuff like ghosts, Boss. And you saw that bite on his arm, too."

Uther reflected on Gwin's words in silence, before saying, "Assuming we are dealing with a werewolf, how was it able to sneak into the fort? And more importantly, how will we catch it?"

Ingrid stepped forward without hesitation. "Allow me, Captain. I'll prove this 'werewolf' is nothing more than a figment of the imagination." She then glanced to Quinn. "Quinn, I trust I can rely on you to help me?"

Quinn jolted, but quickly replied, "Y-Yes. Of course, Miss Ingrid."

The day passed, and when the sun began to set, Quinn and Ingrid returned to the storeroom. They piled empty sacks and camping supplies on top of themselves- with the room as bare as it was, it was all they could do to hide themselves. Then, with the provisions in sight, the two waited.

And waited.

And waited.

At some point, Quinn began to doze. But a scratching sound roused him. Before he could speak, Ingrid put a hand over his mouth, and pointed. The scratching sounds were coming from a small gap at the base of the wall. The vanguard had inspected the storeroom earlier, but dismissed the gap, as a person- even a child- would never have fit through it. But there was little doubt that something was in the gap, slowly creeping forward.

Eventually, a black paw emerged from the gap. Then a second. Then, a black snout poked through. Isn't that…? he thought. He almost said it out loud, but caught himself- the last thing they wanted was to alert the beast.

Over several moments, the creature slowly crawled from the gap. Once it was free, it stood and shook itself off, before climbing onto the to the pile of supplies and ripping open a sack with its teeth. It seemed to take no notice of them- whether its hunger caused the beast to throw caution aside, or the scent of the supplies masked his and Ingrid's own scents, Quinn couldn't say. But as it ate, something… peculiar began to happen. The dark fur of the creature disappeared, revealing pale skin underneath. Its snout retracted, and its front legs lengthened, its paws elongating into human hands and feet. The transformation was quiet, undramatic, and in just a few seconds, it was over- the wolf was gone, and in its place crouched the pale girl. She wasted no time in reaching into the sack, stuffing its contents into her mouth. As before, she was naked, but what shocked Quinn was just how thin she was- her ribs and spine poked through her back, and the bones in her elbows, knees, and fingers seemed strangely pronounced.

As the girl ate, Ingrid rose from her hiding place. Quinn prepared to rise, but she merely held out her hand, a sign for him to stay. In complete silence, Ingrid crept behind the girl. The girl took no notice at all. Then, Ingrid darted forward, wrapping her arms tightly around the girl's waist.

The girl let out a piercing scream, and flailed in Ingrid's arms. She twisted, scratching at Ingrid and snapped her jaws wildly, but the inquisitor's grip held. All the while, the girl screamed. But Quinn realized the girl's screams weren't simply screams. She was… shouting something:

"Nnnno! Nno! No, no, no no no no!"

Quinn froze. That voice, he thought to himself. It's the same as-

Suddenly, the storeroom door was thrown open, and flickering torchlight filled the room. "What's all the commotion?" Gwin called, before staggering back in surprise. "What in the-"

The girl fought even harder, so much so that Ingrid's grip began to falter. Ingrid raised an arm to wrap it around the girl's neck, but before she could, the girl snapped her head forward and bit the inquisitor's arm. Ingrid winced, but didn't cry out, but her grip loosened enough that the girl tore free from her grip. Ingrid sprang after the girl, shouting "Stop her!"

Quinn was the first to react. He dived from his hiding place toward the girl, arms outstretched to grab the girl as she sprinted to the door, but fell short. Gwin then braced himself, and grabbed at the girl as well, but she ducked under his grip and pushed her way past, and ran into the open ward.

But she didn't get far. Gwin turned and rushed after the girl, shouting "Oh no you don't!" He turned, ramming his shoulder into the girl's back, knocking her off her feet. Before she could rise, he quickly pinned her to the ground. The girl snarled and screamed as she thrashed against him, and he struggled to keep her in place. "I could use a hand over here!" he called.

Quinn and Ingrid scrambled to Gwin's aid, pinning the girl to the ground. "Quinn, get her legs!" Ingrid barked. "And mind yourself- she's a biter!" Even with the three pinning her down, the girl put up a tremendous fight, screaming and snarling like a beast all the while. In time, her struggles lessened, until all she could manage were growl and the occasional twitch.

The commotion had drawn the attention of the others, who emerged from the inner rooms of the fort and gathered around. "What's going on?" Uther demanded.

"Take a look at this, Boss!" Gwin said excitedly. "Julius was right! We caught a werewolf!"

The others crowded around- the girl bucked again, but Quinn and the others held her down. "She doesn't look very… wolfy," Gail said.

Julius leaned in to look at the girl- the girl jerked as the tried to lunge toward him, but was again held in place. "I only had a glimpse," he said, "but I can say this is indeed the girl from the prior night." His attention turned, as though noticing something. "…there appears to be something on her finger."

"Hm?" Ingrid held up the girl's hand. In the flickering torchlight, Quinn could see a ring on her finger- it was of tarnished silver, with what appeared to be a wolf's head carved into it. The inquisitor gasped as soon as she laid eyes on it. "Gods, that's-"

But her lapse gave the girl an opening. She tore her arm free from Ingrid's grasp, before bucking up. The sudden shift caused the others to loosen their grip, and she sprang out from underneath them, quickly climbing to her feet and running. "A-After her!" Quinn shouted.

The girl didn't get far though. She ran headfirst into something, and fell back on her rear. She looked, as did the others, to see Francis suddenly standing in the fort. The hooded man looked down at the girl, but quickly turned away his gaze. "Have… I come at a bad time?" he asked.

As the girl looked up at Francis, she said, slowly, "Ma… mas… ter?" Then she sprang to her feet. "Master!"

"Master?" Gwin repeated, incredulous.

The girl reached out to Francis, but stopped, looking at her hands. She stepped back, still looking at her arms, as though seeing them for the first time. She looked up at Francis, then crouched down. Black fur erupted from beneath her skin, and then the girl was gone, leaving a black wolf standing in her place- she barked at Francis, tail wagging. Quinn gasped. Not because of the transformation, though. In the light of torches, and standing by the feet of her master, the young man recognized the wolf in an instant.

As did Francis. In shock, the hooded man knelt down, reaching out to the wolf- the wolf readily pressed her head against his outstretched hand. "…N… Noel?"

"…And, you knew nothing about this?" Ingrid asked coldly.

"No," Francis replied. "I'll admit Noel always had an uncommon cleverness… but I never believed her to be anything more than an ordinary wolf."

Ingrid crossed her arms over her chest, her cold gaze lowered in thought. "I see."

Some time had passed. The sky overhead slowly brightened in the light of the coming dawn. Ingrid had taken Francis aside to question him about Noel, but it seemed he had been just as unaware of her secret as the rest of the vanguard. As for Noel herself, Gail and Fiona had taken her into one of the fort's inner rooms, in an effort to dress her and give her some level of modesty. Judging from the periodic screams and clattering… things didn't seem to be going well for the two.

For a long while, Ingrid was quiet, before turning her gaze to Uther. "I apologize, Captain, but our situation has changed. We need to leave."

"Wait, what!" Quinn shouted. "Why?"

"Indeed," Uther added. "Why would we do that?"

Ingrid replied bluntly, "Order protocol requires that any agent who discovers a Ring of Power must bring it, and any potential bearers, to the nearest branch headquarters. In this case, that would be the Order stronghold in Corburg."

Uther's eyes widened. "Then, that girl has a Ring of Power?" he asked.

"Precisely," Ingrid replied. "The girl's abilities matches our records' description of Vukodlak, a Ring that was held at the Order's base at Fort Felhold. We thought it was lost forever after Kherson attacked the fort in their conquest of Sythia, but it seems it's returned to us."

"Well, this news does complicate things." Now, Uther was silent. "Has there been word from the fleet?"

Ingrid crossed her arms over her chest. "Orion has been relaying information to me about the situation in Tristan. Storms have continued to prevent any ships from setting sail from Port Arthur."

"Then it seems we're on our own…" Uther thought in silence, his hand on his chin, before he finally said, "Very well. I'll tell the others to begin preparations to depart."

Quinn's gaze snapped to Uther. "What? But what about the secondary force? Who's gonna hold the fort until they get here?"

"If our supplies were still intact, then I would agree with you" Uther replied. "But in our current condition, and with no way of knowing when reinforcements will arrive, we need to concentrate on our own survival. And our best chance is to rendezvous with the Hessian army."

"Then…" Quinn's mind raced as he tried to think of a plan. "We can take Noel to Courburg ourselves. Me and Miss Ingrid. This has to do with the Order, and not the army, after all. Then you wouldn't have to abandon the fort." He smiled slightly, proud of his quick thinking. He added, "And, without us here, the supplies should last at least a little longer."

But Ingrid's response deflated his meager sense of accomplishment: "We would need to take provisions of our own on the journey to Corburg. That wouldn't solve the supply problem."

"Why are you so opposed to leaving the fort, Quinn?" Uther suddenly asked.

"I-I…" he stammered. He thought back to the mercenaries. They had no idea there was a war. They had done nothing, other than be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he and the others had killed them all the same. The vanguard had paid a high price to claim Fort Guyenne. And if they left, then those people will have died for absolutely no reason at all. "It just… doesn't seem right to just leave the fort, after all the fighting we did to capture it."

Ingrid opened her mouth. But before she could say anything, Uther reached out, and laid a hand on Quinn's shoulder. "Son…" he began. "Do you know what makes a good soldier?"

"Uh…" Quinn's mind raced with potential answers. There were the obvious things: a strong sword arm. Willingness to follow orders. The resolve to not flee before the enemy. Perhaps, the ability to look at the battlefield, and anticipate how the enemy will advance. But while those seemed important, he was certain those weren't the answers Uther was looking for.

"The answer…" Uther continued, "is flexibility. In war, your situation can change as easily as the winds. And your ability to react to changing situations will decide whether you live to see the end of the day."

Quinn didn't say anything.

"Quinn," Ingrid then began. "Uther is a skilled military commander. If he agrees that leaving the fort is our best option, then we can trust his judgment. But that aside…" Ingrid's tone darkened. "As an Archon, you of all people must understand how dangerous the Rings of Power are. We cannot allow them to fall into the hands of those who would misuse them, whether they belong to Burgundy, Kherson, or lowly brigands. If you're unwilling to leave this place, then I can't force you to- I don't have that authority. But I do have my orders. And I will carry them out."

Again, Quinn didn't answer. Because, he had no arguments against Uther and Ingrid. They were both right. Their survival was more important that his own feelings, and even if the girl's Ring could only turn her into a wolf, it was an advantage they couldn't let Burgundy get ahold of. So, rather than arguing further, he asked, "…How do we get to Corburg from here?"

Both Uther and Ingrid were quiet for a moment, before the inquisitor replied, "Our best chance would be to travel north through the Aneto Mountains until we reach the border. Once we cross into Hessen, we'll travel along the southern edge of the Cauldron until we reach Corburg."

"Will that work?" Quinn asked. "Captain Uther said there were other forts along the border."

"That's true," Uther replied. "But they'll likely be lightly manned, as the Browns would've moved the bulk of their forces to the Hessian border. And in any case, the soldiers stationed at the forts would avoid making any large-scale maneuvers. The last thing Burgundy would want is to provoke Kherson and end up fighting a war on two fronts."

"With a group of our size, it should take about a week for us to reach Mt. Felhold," Ingrid said. "From there, it would take another two-to-three days to reach Corburg."

"Very well," Uther replied. "I'll pass on the news to the others." He turned and left the group.

Francis, who had been quiet until now, then stepped forward. "You're taking Noel, then?" he asked.

Ingrid looked to the hooded man. "We are," she replied. "You can try to stop up. But I promise you- it is a fight you will not win." As she said this, she rested a hand on the hilt of her sword.

Francis stepped forward, unafraid. He towered over Ingrid, but she too didn't back down. "I'm going with her," he stated. "I'll admit, I never would have dreamed she was actually human. But that doesn't change things. She's my companion- my partner. And I won't abandon her."

Ingrid's hand left her sword. "You can come as far as the Cathedral's gates," she said. "But the moment she crosses that threshold, she'll enter the Order's custody."

Francis was quiet for a moment, before crossing his arms. "I'm… not as familiar with the northern Anetos," he began. "But I'm familiar enough with the movements of Burgundian soldiers that I can steer you away from any forts we come across."

Quinn stepped forward, sensing Francis's trepidation. "Hey, Francis, the Order isn't so bad," he said. "They took me in a few years-"

There was a slam of wood against stone. Noel sprinted out of the doorway, and looked back, letting out a loud hiss. It seems that, as expected, Gail and Fiona's efforts weren't going so well- what clothing the two had managed to put on her, Noel had torn to pieces.

Gail and Fiona emerged as well- both were covered in small cuts and bruises. "C'mon, it's not that bad!" Gail called, holding up a boot. "Just put it on!"

Noel hissed loudly again.

Gail inched toward the girl. "It's fine if you don't like heavy stuff, but… what if you step on a rock, or something?"

Noel hissed again. But she stopped and looked back when Ingrid laid a hand on her shoulder. "Come now," she said. "You should be kinder to your comrades." Her tone was much different than usual. Kinder. Gentler. The same tone she'd used with Quinn, when he'd first awakened his Ring.

Noel's growls quieted, and her tension faded. "Haaaah," she "said."

"I know all of this must be new and frightening for you," Ingrid continued. "But I promise, everyone here wants nothing more than to help you. Now, come along." She turned her attention to Gail and Fiona. "I think it would be best if I handled the girl."

"Uh… be my guest," Fiona replied hesitantly.

Ingrid gently pushed Noel forward. "Come on. Let's see if we can find something to your liking, alright?"

"Ghhiihh," Noel growled slightly, but allowed Ingrid to lead her back inside.

"…Let's try again: 'My name is Noel.'"

"Noel is… Noel!" Noel said.

Ingrid let out a small sigh. "Not quite. 'My name is Noel.'"

Noel stomped and turned to Ingrid. "But, Noel is Noel, Scary Lady!"

Gail burst out laughing, earning a harsh glare from Ingrid, before the inquisitor turned her attention back to Noel. "Let's try something different. You remember what everyone's names are, don't you?" Ingrid pointed to Francis.

"Master!" Noel shouted excitedly. Ingrid pointed to Quinn. "Good guy!" She pointed to herself. "Scary lady!"

Ingrid simply let out another long sigh in reply.

Julius approached. "Miss Inquisitor, Noel has already made considerable progress in the few days she has been with us," he said. "Pressing her excessively may be unwise."

"You may be right about that- ah, hey!" Ingrid darted forward, grabbing Noel's wrists to stop her from lifting up her shirt.

Noel groaned. "But is scratchy." Ingrid had partially succeeded where Gail and Fiona had failed, dressing Noel in one of her spare undershirts and pair of pants. Though looking at it now, one would be hard-pressed to believe the outfit had once belonged to the inquisitor- Noel had torn away the parts she found uncomfortable, leaving her arms, stomach, and most of her legs exposed. And despite Ingrid's best efforts, Noel refused to wear shoes.

"I know," Ingrid said softly. "But please bear with it. Once we reach the Cathedral, the Order can make new clothes for you out of any material you like."

Four days had passed since the vanguard left the fort, with Francis and Noel at the front to guide them. The trek thus far had been difficult- the vanguard moved in both day and night, over terrain that was difficult for man, horse, and wolf alike. All were tired, but their breakneck pace would soon be rewarded- according to Miss Ingrid, they were ahead of schedule, and would reach Fort Felhold before sunset.

Juno watched the inquisitor and Noel in silence, before saying out loud, "She's a strange one, isn't she?"

Quinn looked over to her. "Who? Miss Ingrid?"

"So that's her name… but yeah. Doesn't strike me as the type to have a soft spot for kids." The mercenary looked to Quinn. "Not to mention she's always sneaking off to chat with ravens."

Gail suddenly bounded up to the two. "Oh, those are familiars of Master Orion!" she said excitedly.

"Familiars?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah. Master Orion's Ring of Power, Coronis, lets him summon familiars in the form of crows. He can see through the crow's eyes, and even talk to people through them, even if they're really far away," Gail said. "Coronis is really important to the Order, since it lets our agents talk to each other."

Gwin rode up. "Wait, that's what that was about?" He put a hand on his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. 'Cause I saw that, and I thought I was losing my mind…"

The vanguard pressed on. But then, as they crossed a narrow ledge on a particularly steep mountainside, Francis held up his hand, signalling for the group to stop, before pointing ahead.

In the wide, sweeping plains at the foot of the mountain was an army. It was small, and split into three parts, but each section on its own would outnumber the vanguard three-to-one. The army moved across the plains in large blocks, seemingly practicing maneuvers in formation.

"Look at the size of it," Quinn muttered.

"I've seen troops marching in those fields before," Francis said. "We must be close to Fort Artois."

"What's that?" Quinn asked.

Ingrid stepped forward, looking out over the army below. "A fort guarding the Artois Pass. It's one of the few passes through the Anetos, and connects Burgundy to Sythia. The Burgundians have always kept a strong military presence here because of it. At first, it was to stop Sythian raiders; now, Artois would be Burgundy's first line of defense if Kherson were to attempt an invasion over land."

Kherson… Quinn thought. That name kept popping up. He'd have to ask why it was so important to everyone. But before he could, Juno called, "Hey! Don't mean to interrupt the history lesson, but what are we gonna do about that?" She pointed to the marching army.

"We wait," Uther replied. "With such a large force nearby, advancing any further would be unwise."

So, the vanguard waited, watching the army in shifts. The Burgundians continued their maneuvers for hours; it wasn't until the sun had almost completely set that the army finally broke formation and left the field. Julius, who had been watching the army, looked back to the others and said, "The Burgundians have departed." He quietly added, "I have to admire their dedication."

"I don't blame them," Uther replied. "Anyone would be on edge with Kherson on their doorstep." He gripped his reins tightly. "Let's move."

The vanguard set out. Though the path was already especially treacherous in the dark, no one dared to light any torches- with an enemy fort so close, the risk of being discovered was simply too great. Gradually though, their path widened, and they vanguard found themselves on more stable ground. Relatively- the mountainside was still full of outcroppings, tree roots, and holes hidden in the dark that could send a person sprawling to the ground.

"Aaah!" Gail stumbled, but managed to keep herself from falling.

"Keep your voice down," Ingrid hissed. "There could be sentries."

"This is stupid," Gail complained. "Can't we light at least one torch? Then we can-"

Suddenly, Noel stopped. She was… growling- if she was still in her wolf form, then surely her hackles would have been raised, and her fur standing on end. The reason soon became apparent- a regular pulse in the ground beneath their feet, caused by dozens of feet hitting the ground all at once.

"Night marching…" Julius muttered. "Again one has to admire their dedication."

"Well admire at a safe distance!" Fiona hissed. "We've gotta get out of here!"

"Move west!" Uther ordered. "They won't dare get too close to the border!"

The vanguard ran. Quinn stumbled over tree roots, bushes, and dips and inclines in the ground, but all the while he kept running, not daring to stop for even a moment. He couldn't say how long he ran, but soon, the sound of his comrades' footfalls faded, masked by his own heavy breaths. It wasn't until the ground beneath him finally leveled out that Quinn finally came to a stop. He stumbled to a halt and bent over, breathing heavily. When he finally caught his breath, he stood to take in his surroundings.

Only… there was nothing. No lights. No landmarks. Nobody else. Just a seemingly endless field of chest-high grass that stretched into the darkness as far as the eye could see.

Noel: The obligatory "young girl shapeshifter," Noel was inspired by the Wolfskin of Fates, and to a lesser extent, the Taguel of Awakening and the Manaketes of the series as a whole. She takes her name from Noel Vermillion of Blazblue, though her personality and manner of speech have more in common with Taokaka (even borrowing some of the nicknames Tao uses) and Shio from God Eater, with her appearance being inspired mainly by Nana Kozuki of God Eater 2. Would ideally be voiced by Cristina Valenzuela.

Noel's Ring of Power, Vukodlak, translates literally as "wolf-skin," and is the term used to refer to the local variant of werewolves. It appearance and abilities were inspired by the Ring of Hircine from Skyrim.