Part-I


He was a pup when the hunters came to the village; the last images of his home were painted in fiery red. It was a happy day for everyone; all the children who had shed their milk teeth, including him had been given their first moonstone. The small village was celebrating their first fang day on a cold winter morning, he was not only a pup, he was also the runt. While his friends were showing their new set of strong teeth, he only had one small sharp canine to show. By the age of six the children were able to shape-shift their forms, but he was still staggering between puppy ears on his human head and a wagging tail on his human hips. The moonstone was meant to protect them, and keep them in control from growing crazy on their first full moon night. He was seven that day while other children were younger than him, yet that didn't stop his parents and siblings from celebrating his delayed achievements.

He had sat curled up by the fire squished between his two friends; he was dressed in his favourite red cloak with a hood, brown boots and red mittens. His attire demanded attention, like a drop of blood that had trickled on the snow from a pricked finger. He loved stories and most importantly he loved eating; roasting fish on the bonfire and the smoked rabbit meat with spiced potatoes. He was eagerly waiting for the village chief to begin the story of the wolves so that he could just skip to the good part; feasting.

The village chief, a woman whose hair was whiteas the moonlight and skin freckled and scarred like the moon, sat on a log. This was a story he knew from the bottom of his rumbling tummy, but he loved hearing the old grandmother too, so he sat quietly watching the old woman clear her throat, sip her warm wine from her goatskin satchel and flash her beautiful pair of sharp white canines.

"Once upon a time…"

Like every other fairy tale, his story too began once upon a time ago…


The gates of the village had been burst open, he was happily chumming on the rabbit meat, the noise and the growling was part of the wolf life, if one was not part of the pack, they were bound to have few fights resulting in broken fences and crippled tables. Currently, the village was rampaged by three packs of teenagers, out of the three; two were led by his brothers. His brothers were strong, they carried the blood of their family well, and they had shed their milk teeth at the age of three and earned the moonstone at four. They could shape-shift like adults by the time they were eleven. Now, at fifteen and seventeen, they were powerful and had a lot of time in hands. So the youngest runt of the family dismissed the breach of his village as a usual banter between his siblings.

But before he could shove his last salted potato in his mouth, the village chief was disrobing herself and transforming into her form; the snow-white wolf. Immediately, all the children including him were picked up by their napes and rushed away from the clearing. When he looked up, it was his second brother. His eldest brother was running beside them. Both his brothers were in their wolf forms. His eldest brother was a golden wolf and his second brother a magnificent grey wolf.

The golden brother was now bleeding from the left eye, yet that didn't stop him from running at his full speed. He was hanging by the grey mouth, his own black tail tucked in between his human legs and his black fuzzy ears flattened backwards in fright. He was afraid, though both his brothers were with him, he could see his brightly burning village vanish from his sight. The smell of burning houses, spilled blood and gunpowder was making his stomach revolt.

When they reached the caves, his brothers were exhausted. He was plopped inside the cave and his brothers shifted back to their human forms. Naked and shivering, the teenagers stared hard at their younger brother.

"Sabo… Ace…"

"It's alright… It's alright. I only hurt my eye! It's just slightly toasted. Right Ace?"

"Yeah… we are wolves! We heal fast!"

But to a seven-year-old, a burnt eye was a burnt eye. The child began to howl at the top of his lungs, his cry echoing back at them. After a few minutes, the brothers hugged the boy, and kissed his cheeks.

"Lu… you have to be brave." His second brother was scared all over his body with purple patches and cuts. The realization that both his elder brothers were hurt made the boy guilty.

"Luffy!"

"ghhhhm"

"Sabo and I have to go back to the village. You have to stay hidden in the cave."

"No."

"Luffy, listen to us. Dad and uncles are not here. The aunts are away too. They came to hunt us younger ones."

"I ca…n fight."

Deep down, the pup knew he couldn't, but he wanted to be brave. He was crying and trying hard to hide his shaky voice. His eldest brother pulled him to his bare chest and crushed him in a hug. If Sabo had his way, he would've hidden the boy inside.

"Luffy… You will be safe here. If we don't return in seven days, go to the south. Aunty Iva is there. She can protect you."

"I don't want to!"

"Luffy… don't do this. You are a big boy. You can survive. Not only that, but you are a werewolf. You will grow up, and you will lead a pack! Just like Ace and me! Tell him Ace!"

"Luffy… seven days! Tell me you can do it."

Ace had hugged the boy from the back, sandwiching him between them, the boy was a mess of tears, snot and hiccups. He was a crybaby they loved to tease, but right now they didn't have the heart to joke with him.

"Repeat after me! You are brave! You are strong! You are loved."

"I am strong. Hic…. I am strong… Hic. I am loved."

"We are sorry, Lu. This will hurt, but this will protect you."

With that, both his brothers lowered their heads on his tiny shoulders and bit him. They sunk their canines, injecting their venom in the child's blood. Soon the hiccuping boy fell into a deep sleep and his brothers bundled him deep inside the caves. There was not much they could do other than hiding him. The caves were only used by young werewolves who were having trouble with their moon cycles. There was a supply of food which would last the boy for the entire winter.


When Luffy woke up, he knew a few days had passed, as his stomach rumbled and vomited out watery substances. All his life he had heard of the caves, but he was too young to be brought here. No one spoke of the caves, it was an open secret kept well protected. It had all their history carved inside, food stored in jars in preparation of harsh winters, manuscripts full of spells, medicinal recipes, information on mushrooms, maps and stories.

After lying wide awake when his body had no more liquids to release from his eyes, nose and mouth, the young wolf pup sat up. He examined his body, he found his tail and ears gone. He clutched his moonstone hard and tried to change his form, but he failed miserably. After a few more struggles he concluded he was hungry hence he couldn't shape-shift, and he was also worried about his brothers. His parents and other elders had been called by the king; they were in the kingdom which was far-far away, like in the fairytales. The village was attacked by the bounty hunters, who captured young werewolves and sold them as slave for armies around the land. Hence, the village elders were sceptical when the king called for them. The village chief was worried, but she had to relent and sent away her strongest wolves.

And right now he was all alone inside the caves. His shoulder were aching, his brothers had bitten him to put him to sleep. Their venom travelled in his bloodstream now, he knew many wolves often bit their runts to boost up their immunity and growth, but it was done by the parent or the grandparent and never the siblings, Luffy would've had thought he would get bitten by his mother and not two teenagers.

Little Luffy soon found dried meat hung in one of the smaller caves. He didn't know how to cook or start a fire, so he chewed on the dried meat. He was confident he had slept for more than three nights, his stomach only resolved to vomiting when he was starving for more than three days. Furthermore, he found this fact when his grandfather in the bid to beat out his weakness took him for hunting and left him on his own for days. The first time his brothers found him hungry, shivering and wet hidden inside a tree trunk at the age of three, second time his father rescued him from the rivulet where he almost drowned in attempt to fish after five days, third time his mother found him seven days later when he was being bullied by monkeys after he tried to steal from them. After a few more similar incidents, the village chief had fined his grandfather for pup abuse, punished him for pup negligence and banned him from being near Luffy. His grandfather was to stay 260 feet away from Luffy all the time, if he went an inch closer, Ace and Sabo would bite their grandpa until the old man fell on his knees. His grandpa was the strongest, but Ace and Sabo were crafty.

Luffy dearly wished he was with his grandpa now; the old man would've beaten the hell out of the hunters. The little pup decided to wait another four nights for his brothers to come. And so he waited patiently for five nights because he knew not how to count his own sleep cycle, but no one came. He waited for two more nights assuming his brothers were delayed, but on the fifteenth night Luffy realized his brothers were not coming back.

On the sixteenth morning he left the cave and went down to his village, he could still smell the burning woods, the blood and the gunpowder. He followed the smell, when he reached; his village was burned to the ground, like a charcoal sketch on white paper the ash skeletons of his village stood. There was no one.

Luffy rushed to where his home stood, there was nothing but burned frames of windows. He tried to remove the black pillars, but he was still small and frail. He checked every nook and corner of what was his village, between sobs and hiccups, he understood everyone, every single person was taken away by the hunters.

In his daze, the seven-year-old started walking, his brothers asked him to go to the south. But obviously he knew not which was south. So Luffy pulled his hood up, buttoned up his cloak and walked, leaving behind a trail of echo of his whooping cries.


He was totally going to ignore the red blotch down the cliff; he was going to pretend that below his hill, on the snowy bed, was a creature in red. Yet he found himself walking down, picking up a bundle of expensive red. The child was shivering, his lips had turned blue, and he was muttering nonsense.

A thirteen, he didn't want to be responsible, but his father would beat the shit out of him if he learned that he had abandoned a helpless child. He took his rescue inside the hut built of scrapes. He freed the child of his costly chilled cloak, removed the boots which didn't keep the frost bite away, his hands froze when he saw the thin silver chain around his neck with the moonstone pendant. Likewise, he had picked a werewolf pup.

He was low-key tempted to chuck the pup out of his hut, but his frozen moon face made him stop. So he rid the child of his clothes, put two pots of water on the hearth and began cleaning up the boy. He dipped his frostbitten feet in hot water and wiped the grime and dirt from his face and hands. The child walked for days without food and water. He had the stench of vomit and blood on him.

After cleaning up the boy, he put him a clean night gown too big for his tiny frame and tuck him inside the blanket. Curiosity got the better of him as he checked the teeth of his rescue. Only one sharp canine had happened. His father had told him of werewolves, he had read about them, but he had never met one. Werewolves lived in packs while his own kind lived in isolation, barely in company of more than one. He flicked his hands, and the pots and pans rearranged themselves to make space for him to drop a book on the table. The boy was not going to wake up any time soon, so he decided to read up on werewolves and their allergies before he brewed potions.

Everything in his hut was built of scrapes and leftover materials that his father had collected on his travels. So the bed that the sick child was occupying belonged to some heiress who had lost all her money in gambling and before debtors came to take her belonging, she had thrown it out rather than watch it get taken away. His father happened to be nearby when he took it. The pots and pans were all bought and picked from scrape collectors. His books of spells, magic, history, geography and herbs were bought from second hand bookshops as well.

After five hours of reading, he found the wolf boy still curled up under the sheets. The blue tinge had left his cheeks and lips, the swelling of the face had reduced a lot. The older boy tiptoed around his hut and began directing his tools around the kitchen, the potion brewing would take a while. Though his father loved calling him a witch, he saw himself as a healer. First thing he struck out from his manual of werewolf care was allergic to silver, the child was clearly wearing a silver chain around his neck.

He put a pot of water to boil and began adding ingredients one after another, calculating the time mentally and stirring the ladle whenever bubbles popped up. He was aiming for a teal coloured liquid that had to be diluted after it cooled down. Every once in a while he turned around to look at the pup who was deep in slumber.

After another five hours, when the sun was about to set, he saw the boy shiver and mumble jumbled up words. He had a fever now, and he was definitely being affected by the presence of magic. Werewolves, witches, vampires, elves or fae were all creatures made of magic and when in company of others they were bound to clash and conflict. By the child's reaction, it was evident that it was his first exposure to non-werewolf magic.

The witch didn't waste his time, he forced opened his patient's mouth and dunked in the first doze of the medicine. Then forced a folded rag between the child's mouth, and tied his hands and legs to the bed post. He didn't know how the potion worked, he had just read that it burned the insides and spread pain before it healed inside. He had to feed the child potion every few hours and make sure he was sweating it all out. So he pushed the sigri* under the bed and pulled another besides his feet. By the time the moon was high up in the sky the hut was crowded with of smoke from charcoal, bitter potion odour and sweaty wet dog stink.

The pup's fever broke the next day with the arrival of his father.

"The house smells rotten, boy!"

"You smell rotten."

"No no… I smell garbage, this is rotten! What did you do?"

"I did this!"

The boy pointed his fingers at the hand. The pup was sleeping with pink cheeks and shabby hair. His hands and legs were still bound, but he was out of any danger.

"Where did you pick up this pup from?"

"He was passed out below the cliff. When I found him, he was stiff like a week-old bread loaf. I didn't want to pick him. But…"

"But you are responsible! My boy has grown up so much! Come, let me hug my son."

"Stay away from me! You stink of rubbish."

Of course, the jolly father had caught hold of his son and smashed him with unasked for hugs and kisses. After shooing his father away for a bath, the boy began untying the limbs of his patient. He examined his body for injuries and scars before wiping his body clean for the infinite time. After through checkup he found the boy healthy except for two bite marks, there was nothing that needed healing ointments. He carefully placed the crush herbs on the bite marks. The sting of the herbs jolted the boy up; he sat up with wide eyes and stared at the older boy.

"Calm down."

"Where am I?"

"High north, you are in north blue."

"But…"

"But?"

"I was going to south blue."

"Did you carry a compass?"

"No."

"Then you were walking aimlessly like an idiot!"

"Who are you?"

"The person who saved you from being buried alive under the snow!"

"Oh! Thank you!"

"What is your name, kid?"

"I am Monkey D. Luffy."

"Nice to meet you, Puppy D. Luffy!"

"I am not a puppy! I have moonstone!" Luffy kicked his sheets and pouted hard at his saviour as he clung to his pendent.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" The question was followed by a snap of nimble fingers as the sheets uncurled and returned to their original task of covering Luffy well and protecting him against winter cold.

"I can transform into a wolf now!"

"Yeah, of course, if you could transform into your form, you wouldn't have been lying dead in the snow! Don't go out without an adult! And not without a compass, ever."

"What is your name?"

"Is that all manners you got? Ask it properly!" The older boy was on the brink of smacking his patient.

"May I have your name, please?" The child puffed up his cheeks expectantly.

"Trafalgar D Water Law."

"You are a witch!"

"I prefer the term healer."

"But a witch sounds cooler!"

"You have no right to say what's cool or not! You were out in the cold far away from home dying in the snow like an idiot!"

"I didn't run away."

Luffy pulled his sheets up to his mouth and hid himself underneath. He was meant to go south, but he was in the north. He didn't know how his brothers were or where his father was! All he knew was his village was gone, his family was not here, and he had no one to tell him he was going to be alright. And this witch boy who was scolding him reminded Luffy of his older brothers. It was all too much, and finally broke into whooping cries and hiccups.

"Shit! Don't cry! Wait a minute."

Trafalgar D Water Law realized he fucked up. He was not well-educated in matters of talking with others, though he expected others to treat him with respect, his own manners were as disgustingly low as the thick layer of tar in the bottom of a trash can.

"DAAAAAADDDD help!"


By the time Law's father rushed from the bath, Luffy was a mess. He was crying and trying to explain why he was out on the road. It took multiple head pats and embraces from the adult to make the boy stop.

"Good job, Mr. Healer! Is this how you plan to become a renowned healer?"

"Dad!"

"No dad! If this continues, I am sending you to academia in the capital! Where they will beat that cocky out of you!"

"I have to enrol into academia anyway! So please don't threaten me with inevitable."

"Oh, but what will they do to you if they know you are a witch!"

"You are not going to out your own child?"

"I might, since my child is such a brat, making children half his age cry."

"Fine."

"Monkey D Luffy, please accept my apology! I didn't mean to hurt you. I am Trafalgar D Water Law and this is my dad Rocinante Donquixote, you can call him Corazon."

"Hell Mr. Corazon." Luffy smiled at the adult who was currently holding him on his lap. He looked back and forth between Corazon and Law, Corazon was blonde like his elder brother and Law was a raven head like his second brother.

"Yes… we are not related by blood, he found me in a cart full of junk, a trash pile to be precise. He adopted me against my consent." Law mistook Luffy's to and fro looks for, trying to find the similarities between the father and son.

"You were barely six months old to have given any consent." Corazon laughed as he continued brushing the wolf's hair.

"But my brothers are blonde and raven head like you." Luffy informed. Werewolves didn't pass down traits like fur colour or body built biologically, it was all a gamble on what type of wolf one would grow up to be.

"Okay Luffy my boy, tell me why were you going South?"


The time Corazon spent to get out the whole story, Luffy had cried four times, Law had fallen asleep only to be woken up by those cries. They understood that Luffy's entire village was captured by bounty hunters. The country was on the brink of war, and the King and his opponents were trying to recruit magical creatures of any forms to fight each other. It was not easy to capture werewolves, this perplexed Law on how an entire Village was taken away. Luffy had no explanation, and his family was not here.

"My aunt Iva, she is in the south. My brothers told me to go there."

"I'm afraid, we can't go south, Luffy." Corazon spoke softly as he continued wiping away the tears of the pup. He took a deep breath and sighed as he decided to share the information.

"The werewolves of the south have run away, the vampires of the north have fled the country and the fae have sealed their villages. I don't think your aunt is in the village any more."

"What do you mean, dad?"

"I mean, war is breaking out, it is safest for us if we stay here. Those bite marks on him were to protect him, to disguise Luffy's odour. Your brothers knew war was coming, and they chose to hide you. Only Law and I can smell your odour is because we are witches. Your magic has been suppressed by your brothers."

The words were too heavy and big for Luffy, but he understood, he couldn't transform into a werewolf anytime soon. His brothers spelled him to hide from detection. Witches were magic, hence Corazon could see his spell.

"We are one powerful and one terrible witches here. You will be safe with us for a while. Stay with us, once war is over, I will look for your family. How does that sound, Luffy?"

Luffy nodded and squeezed Corazon in a tight hug. "I knew you were strong, uncle Corazon."

"Oh! No! No! No! You are mistaken, boy. The stronger witch is him. I am the terrible witch here."

"Yeah… Yeah! Don't let his giant size fool you. He thinks he is a useless witch, so he must be a useless witch! My dad is strong. But this witch who believes every shit the coven says is definitely weak! If he says, I have to protect you. I will. But you cannot cry all the time!"

"Law, language."

"Oh pardon me Luffy, my father thinks he is useless because a bunch of geezers who run the witch coven believe a witch who specializes in sound magic is inferior! WHICH IS BULLSHIT!"

Luffy broke into a fit of laughter, he understood Law was strong like his brothers, but his brothers were not stronger than their father and grandfather. It obviously was a joke. But for the time he was going to stay with the witches. Luffy was going to learn it the hard way that, Law was indeed power personified.


So another bed got added, onto which Corazon was sent flying with a whisk of a hand. The tall man wanted to cuddle the two boys to sleep. But Law was not having any of it. He felt pity, so he let now recovering Luffy share his princess bed with him. What Law failed to imagine was that the pup was a talkative crawler and kicker. Luffy kicked blankets, he hugged Law to death and talked non-stop in his sleep. By the end of the week, he wanted to add another bed, but the hut was at its wit's end. No more magic could add any space to this place.

The news of war entered another two weeks later, when a flying envelope landed on Corazon's lap while he was comfortably knitting matching sweaters for the boys. His elder brother who worked in the capital had sent a warning. He had asked them to ward up the snowy mountain. The hunters were now coming for witches next. Father and son decided not to let Luffy learn of the information. They let the pup follow them around all day and gave him tasks that kept him occupied. Corazon could see Luffy's presence had softened his sourpuss son a lot.

Luffy occasionally tell them of new developments in his life. Law had forced the child to learn the common letters and numericals. Now he was egging the child to read the books. Luffy had been very proud when he finished the first picture book about a duck that was a swan. Instead of a praise, Law sent him to read more. Luffy also had finally gained the rest of his fangs. When he grinned, his four fangs slipped out, making the sweet face more mischievous.

The witch boy had become more patient as he took time to explain things with more care. He refrained from scolding Luffy to the best of his abilities. Luffy on the other hand had become witch's shadow, following anything and everything Law said. Right now, he was trying his best to dry the jars Law had given him.

"Law… how did you know you were a witch?"

"I didn't. Dad found me by sensing my magic. He picked me up and raised me. By the time I learned I was a witch, I was already flying pots and pans around the hut."

"Ooo…"

"Why do you ask?"

Luffy bit his lips and curled his socked up toes as he tried to rearrange his thoughts. Being seven was hard because you understood what you were thinking, but you didn't know words that a thirteen-year-old use.

"It is nothing."

"Look Luffy, you have been living with us for a few months now, I know you cannot lie. So cough it off."

"I… Was… Thinking…"

"Say it Luffy. I will try to understand"

"You are like my brothers. Sabo and Ace could become wolves before they could even speak properly. My grandmother told me, that they would often shape-shift out of the cradle."

"Oh…"

"So you were wondering if you were like my dad, terrible at being a witch."

"No! Uncle Corazon is amazing! He can collect logs, chop woods, he can light fire! He just has to wave his hands. But I am a terrible werewolf. I can't change, I can feel the next full moon arriving, but I can't change. I even have a moonstone too."

"Exactly! Dad is an amazing witch! But those old geezers in the coven think he useless because he primarily works with sounds! I love to cast a silencing spell on them! Let's how it feels to be deaf for an entire day!"

"You are scary! More scary than Ace."

"Ummm… Look I am not like your brother."

"Yes. You are! You both are always frowning and calling me names."

"I don't know much about werewolves much to be honest. But I am sure your brother is frowning because he wants to protect you. I read it in another book that you wolf pups are very protective."

"But I can't change."

"I know you can't change. All I know is this book that dad got is rubbish!"

Law smiled as he picked up his manual of werewolf care. He had read the book twice and found eighty percent of the book to be useless and full of false information. Now he was going to write his own manual of werewolf care.

"But I am not a proper werewolf."

"Shhh! There is no creature in this world as improper witch or wolf. It's just a matter of body time and our innate capacities. Dad is a terrible witch in the eyes of the witch coven because they know not how to train and educate someone different. The same goes with you! I am pretty sure it must be something to do with your training, magic is a trait we are born with in our blood. You know people have different blood types. Magic too has different kinds. There cannot be one way to grow our magic. And we know your brothers bit you two to suppress your powers. And you who saw your brothers, claim they are strong, and your father is the Village strongman, so obviously the spell binding you must be stronger hence shape-shifting will be tough."

"Are you really thirteen?"

Luffy almost broke his jar as he grinned and stared at Law, who was now frowning at Luffy. He was thirteen, hence he had the mindset to now resolve Luffy's problem. Law's dark eyes squinted as he thought of something.

"Do you have like books or scrolls or magical history tucked away somewhere in your village? Or did that burn down too?"

"Everything is sealed in the caves. No one knows the path to caves Traffy!"

"Traffy? Who is Traffy?"

"You are!"

"Why am I Traffy?"

"Because it rhymes with Luffy."

"No it doesn't!"

"It does; Luffy and Traffy! Luffy and Traffy went up the hill, to fetch a pail of water. Luffy fell down, broke his crown, and Traffy came tumbling after!"

"Oi! Did you just…? Get out! Go help dad."

With the snap of a finger, Law had sent Luffy out of his hut to help Corazon sort the woods for fire.

"He kicked you out, boy?"

"Yes uncle."

"What did you do?"

"I gave him a nickname."

"You did what?"

"I called him Traffy."

Luffy pouted his lips and looked at this tall, towering man trying hard to suppress his laughter. But he failed miserably and fell on the ground. Rolling on his back Corazon broke into a series of laughter, looking at the silly adult laugh, Luffy broke into laughter too. They were placed far enough from Law, who was fuming inside with embarrassment. But soon their laughter reached the witch working inside the hut, and the next moment Luffy and Corazon found their mouths filled with wet hay.


As the river began to freeze, Corazon and Law began casting wards around their small habitat. Though the hut was on top of a cliff, the entire was their homestead. The woods beneath had been covered in snow and the path leading to the hut was lost with it. But father and son didn't underestimate the humans. For every magical lacking they had, humans would compensate it with newer inventions. What witches feared most were; bounty hunters. People of greed and envy, if they couldn't cast a spell they would make the spell caster their slaves, if their farms failed to yield enough grain they steal a fae child, if they couldn't rip open their enemies' throat they would capture a werewolf to do their bidding, if immortality was not in their fate they would cut open a vampire, the humans would do anything to acquire what they didn't have.

Corazon waved his hands to cast a spell, soon the entire hill was silent. Not a single strand of sound would travel out of the barrier.

"Uncle Corazon is so cool!" Luffy clapped as he saw the blonde man wave his hands, his long slender fingers were plucking strands of blue from the air. He carefully put them in earthen jars that Law had placed outside their door. After an hour, the jars were full of blue wispy strings. Luffy couldn't help but wonder what the adult witch was plucking from the air.

"What are these jars for Uncle?"

"Precaution." Corazon winked as he continued magical waving.

Law was standing on the cliff and crushing dried leaves in his hand, Luffy couldn't see him, but he could feel Law's spells moving around the hut. Like a collage, Law was arranging his dried leaves in patterns unknown to anyone. He kept muttering to himself, he was satisfied with the spell. Finally, after a lot of contemplation, the pre-teen sighed and spoke from his end while his voice echoed inside the hut, but it resonated enough for his father to hear on outside.

"Dad, we will need blood."

"Why?"

"I can sense discord nearing us."

"How many months?"

"When spring arrives, the wolf will chase the moon."

"What? I will chase the moon? I haven't transformed in the last four full moons, Traffy." Luffy muttered as he heard Law pass his dictum.

"There are many wolves in this world, Luffy. I didn't mean you. I can sense similar wolf magic like yours around us. They can't climb up the mountain range in winter. I think they are hiding now. But the moment they move the humans will follow, if humans follow Dad and I will be able to hold the wards alone with our white magic. Hence, we will need to spill blood to make the spells stronger."

"Uncle, what's the white magic that Traffy is talking about?"

"It's magic that doesn't use bodily harm. We only seek blood magic in absolute circumstances. Our goal is to protect you until the war is over. So, we will. But the problem is my own blood is not strong enough, so we will have to use Law's blood as well."

"Use my blood!" The pup stepped out of the hut and began walking towards Law. Before Law could respond, the pup had reached him.

"Luffy no! I have never worked with non-witch magic blood, and I am not an adult."

"Traffy! Uncle Corazon and you are trying to protect me. Let me help you. Ace and Sabo are not here. Dad and mom are not here. Even grandpa is not here… I will be alone if Traffy and Uncle Corazon will leave me! I love you so much Traffy don't leave me."

Law stood dumbstruck at the sight of this pup, who had jumped at him and was hugging him like there was no tomorrow. Luffy was wearing his red cloak, the one Law had found him in. Law had washed that cloak with his own hands and dried it by the fire to retain its smell of Luffy's home, Law feared his magic would wipe clean everything including the traces of Luffy's home. Now the red blotch was hugging Law with his might, determined to give his blood because he wanted to be useful.

"But you are only seven. You are meant to be protected by us, Luffy."

Law ruffled the raven head with his left hand, and with the other hand he hugged Luffy back. He wanted to protect this tender child. He was a werewolf, bound to break his magical deadlocks and grow fearsome one day, but today he was a child. Law was no older, he had just turned thirteen, he knew he would be lonely if something were to happen to his dad. The witch coven had dubbed his father as a deviant, but they never considered kindness to be magic.

"Luffy… I have never done this before. It will be a strong spell. There might be side effects. I am giving you one last chance. You are only seven. Spells like this can impact your whole life."

"Traffy is younger than my second brother, Ace! You are not big, either. If Traffy can do it. So can I."

"Alright! Dad, you heard him? Are you in your position?"

"Sob… I did…sob! I am… sob…"

"Why are you crying?"

"He loves us Law!"

"Can you both cry later in the comforts of home! We need to cast a spell today before the moon rises!"

"Alright."

At the entrance of the hut, Corazon held a knife and began invocation, while here Law handed Luffy a pen knife for fear of the boy hurting himself beyond control. Blood magic spells were tricky.

"Luffy… when you hear Dad say 'Do it now' you have to spill your blood okay?"

"Yes!"

Law closed his eyes and positioned Luffy opposite himself, with a bigger knife in his hands, Law smiled at Luffy to assure him it was going to be okay. But inside his heart was going mad. And he began chanting.

"With the drop of the sun and with the rise of the moon. I offer thee blood of the man, of the boy and of the child. Together we shall strive and protect this vastness of thee, All-mother. In health and sickness shall we fend for the other. I offer thee the bloods of a witch shun, I offer thee the blood of a witch unknown and I offer thee the blood of a wolf cub lost. Protect the wards, protect the river, protect the hill, protect my father, protect my friend and protect me the medium that binds them all."

Corazon was the first to spill blood. His blood fell on the snow covered door sill. Law waited patiently for his father's command. Luffy looked at Law like a frightened hare, but he tried to smile. The seven-year-old held his pen knife with bravery. Law sighed.

"Law and Luffy! You have to spill your blood at the same time!"

"Yes." Both the children nodded.

"On count of three."

"Three."

Law took a deep breath.

"Two."

Luffy looked at Law.

"One."

"Luffy no!" Law yelled.

Both the boys were perfect with their timings, but Luffy's choice of body part to harm automatically made Law reach out his own bloody left hand to hold the child's face. Luffy in the nervousness of the moment stabbed the space beneath his left eye, and Law had cut open the palm of his left hand. Before either's blood drop could touch the snow, Law's hands were cupping Luffy's bloody face.

"Luffy what have you done!"

"It hurts Traffy!"

"Of course it does! You moron. You always cut open your palms for blood magic!"

"Law don't let your blood mingle."

Corazon's warning came too late. Law's blood had mingled with Luffy's and run down Luffy's tiny face to touch on his moonstone and finally land on the snow.

The spell was cast.

Suddenly, both Luffy and Law found themselves on the snow with tremendous pain circulating through their veins. Alien magic burned in their bodies. Law didn't let go of Luffy, in pain he hugged the younger boy in his arms. Luffy was screaming in extreme agony. Law was in equal pain, but he tried to calm the younger. But none could do anything any more, the pain ran deep inside their every cell. In madness of pain, Luffy with a new set of canines bit down Law's shoulder. Through the thick layers of Law's coat, the fangs entered the witch's body. Law hugged the child, despite the pain. He let the pup sink his teeth into his muscles. That was the last memory Law had, Luffy biting his shoulder and Law patting him.

When they woke up, another three weeks had passed.

Luffy woke first, still confused and dazed. Corazon was sleeping by the bedside, multiple spell books lay open and a floating pot of herbal water was releasing steam to keep the hut warm.

"Uncle Corazon!"

"Oh, thank god! You woke up! Law should wake up in few hours. After you both passed out on the cliff. I did what I do best. I put silence spells on your minds. It is time the spell wears off."

Luffy looked around, Law's banged hand was interlocked with Luffy's.

"Uncle what happened to Law?"

"Ummmm… Even I can't explain it properly. But the spell changed its nature when your bloods mingled. And it may have unleashed dormant powers in both of you, or it may have suppressed something in it. I have no idea what it did to either of you, as yet."

But it didn't long for Corazon to understand, what may have happened. When Law opened his eyes, his black eyes had turned grey, with golden shine flickering in and out of his pupils.

"Dad?"

"Hi… You are moonwitch"

"I am a what?"


TBC


Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

This is long promised story meant as birthday gift for my adopted LawLu obsessed child MDA Triplestar.

This story will be three chapters. Next one hopefully will come out on 31st December. Fingers crossed. And Merry Christmas!