Right. Where did I leave off?
Oh, right. Now I remember.
So by now, I knew why the residents wanted me here, I'd met my opponent and found out what they were up to.
I was still lacking a great deal of information though – specifically, exactly what the locals were and what their enemies were. Neither of them were normal people, that much was certain. Normal people don't turn into freakish hybrids of wolf and man, or fling said huge hybrids six houses down a road at the flick of a finger.
That said, even before what happened to me, I'm not normal. I'm sure most people will at least know of most of my exploits.
Kairi, like me, had recovered with the departure of the strangers. The herbalist that had first diagnosed us had given us both a tonic to try to control the effect of the 'illness'. Would you believe it was just water and sugar? I didn't let Kairi know what had really happened. Maybe the idea that the tonic would work might help her. You never know.
As soon as he let me leave again, I went straight back to the Chief. This time, he was in one of those hanging couches outside the front of his house. He didn't seem surprised to see me either.
"I saw what happened," I told him.
"I know. Someone saw you see."
"What were those two... I mean what did they turn into?"
"You know I can't tell you that, Sora."
"Alright. What about the strangers? They're the reason you want my help, aren't they?"
"I see you've been talking with them."
"One of them paid a call on me, yeah. He said he wanted to wipe you and your kind out."
"Ah... well, maybe I can tell you a bit more then... you've gathered by now that we're not the same as you?"
"I noticed that the moment those two changed into the wolf-things."
"The residents of this town – you and your friend excepted – are the last of our kind. We used to have settlements across the world, but no thanks to them our numbers are down to those you see here. Some few are refugees from other settlements, but there are barely a dozen such individuals among us."
"Why do they want to get rid of you?"
"We are age-old enemies, Sora. From the moment both their kind and ours were created and if the legends about the event are true, even before our creation, we have been mortal enemies. In days now past, we would fight constantly over territory, or just to gain the upper hand. Many years of risk-taking on our part have taken their toll, and now we pay the price... we are difficult to kill, but they have numbers. We have learned ways to defeat them easier, but they have much more resources at their disposal. We can tell when one is close without needing to see one, but they can pluck thoughts from any mind and turn anyone into an unknowing spy."
"If it wasn't for the difference in numbers, it sounds fairly even."
"And now you see why our being so bold got us into trouble. Perhaps if we hadn't taken those risks, we would not be in this situation."
"So where do I fit into this?"
"The creatures you fight. Do you consider them to be alive?"
"The Heartless? I guess I never really thought about it... I think they're alive, but..."
"Not fully alive?"
"Yeah."
"The same could be said of our enemy. They too are alive, but not fully alive the same as you. It is our thought that your experience, if not also the techniques that you use on the Heartless, can be applied to them as well – but only-"
"Only if I'm one of you."
"Yes."
"He threatened me," I told him. "He said it wasn't my fight, and that if I took a stand against him he'd treat me no different to you."
"It is their way. They can afford to make such statements and make good on them."
"I also told him I'd stop them."
We sat in silence while he took that in. I think more out of confirmation than curiosity he finally asked me, "Does this mean you're with us?"
"Yes," I answered, though at the time I wasn't certain this was right. "it sounds like I'm going to need what only you can offer if I'm going to stop them."
"That's not the only reason, is it?"
"Well, since they're hardly going to tell me anything now that I've told them I'm siding with you, and you won't tell me anything if I'm not one of you..."
"Point taken. Luna will be at her peak tonight. Rest up today, then tonight meet us at the western edge of the town, alone. Do not be alarmed by anything you see when you arrive there. I will ensure no harm comes to you."
"What will I see there?"
"That I cannot tell you. Keep this to yourself, young one. We will speak more tonight."
By his tone, I knew the conversation was over.
I didn't understand the significance of his statement about Luna being full. I knew Luna was another name for the moon, but that was all. I know better now – it's far more significant than I could ever have known.
I took his advice and slept through the day, explaining it to the others as the after-effects of being tired earlier.
As night fell over the town, I heard a lot of movement outside the hotel. It was hard to make anything out in the dark from my window, but it looked like the entire town was leaving their homes and work. They were, of course, heading to the west of the town.
I took that as my cue to do the same, slipping quietly out of my room, then the hotel itself. Only the stairs betrayed me by squeaking noisily as I stepped on them, but keeping to the edges reduced the noise a fair bit. There was no reaction to the noise, so I left the hotel and headed after the others.
It was eerie, walking through the once-more deserted town. It was even stranger when I met the chief.
He was stood at the very edge of the town, where the path stopped and where the plains started.
On either side of him, as if to define the edges of the path outside the town, were two rows of young wolf pups. Some sat up, others lay down. A few of them seemed to be afraid, looking to the row of older wolves behind for reassurance.
Behind the chief, connecting the end of the rows of wolves, were four of the hybrids. A fifth stood between them and the chief, standing tall over him.
On seeing Sora, he turned part way around and held out his hand to the hybrid. It put something in his hand, grumbling.
"He didn't think you'd show up," the chief explained. "He just lost the bet he made with me on it."
"You bet on me?"
"A sure thing."
"I did not believe you would be willing to make the sacrifices merely to aid us," the hybrid growled.
"I wasn't at first. Now I am."
"Now we're finished with the pleasantries, we have the business at hand to attend to." The chief turned to the assembled wolves. "Go ahead to our sacred grounds," he told them. "Make the preparations."
"I will go with you," the hybrid added.
It dropped to all fours, turned and ran toward the woods. The wolves followed, the pups lagging behind. Several older ones kept back to keep watch on them.
"What about us?" I asked him.
"You will accompany us to the hallowed grounds of our pack, where you will go through the initiation," he paused, then in a less formal tone added, "Sorry about this next bit Sora, but we're sticklers for custom, and we have to observe them."
I had no idea what he meant until he continued, "You are to remain silent unless spoken to while within our most hallowed grounds, human. You should be honoured to be even permitted within their bounds."
Now I understood his warning. It did come across as slightly offensive. The way he'd said 'human' though, that bothered me. It was said as if talking about something unpleasant.
It was their custom though, and I can tell you he wasn't exaggerating when he said they're sticklers for customs. Tell them something is a custom, and they'll respect it. Introduce a custom to them, and they'll observe it almost religiously.
I didn't want to find out what would happen if I didn't respect their customs, so I kept quiet on our little trip.
The four hybrids took up positions around the chief and I in a square and escorted us from the town to the nearby forest, then into it. By the time we began to see the other wolves again, I couldn't have found my way back to the town if I'd tried. I think that was the whole point of it.
Then the forest opened into a small clearing. Lining the edge were the wolves from earlier again. A small break in the trees above let the moon's light shine down, illuminating one small patch of the ground in a beam of light.
There was no sign of the hybrid that had gone ahead with them, but I found out what he'd probably done when the four that had been escorting us blurred into the shape of normal wolves and completed the ring of wolves lining the clearing.
The chief took no notice, heading straight for that illuminated patch. He didn't enter it, instead he stood on a small, flat rock just beside it. He gestured for me to step into the light.
He then began to speak in a tongue I didn't understand. I talked with him once about it, and now understand it's a custom they go through that explains to them why the assembled humans are being brought into the family.
Actually, it's a bit deeper than that, but some of it doesn't translate well.
When he'd finished, he turned back to me.
"You stand on the sacred soil of the pack of Kieran, at the moon's peak. Your presence is permitted where no other of your kind or any other is allowed, because it has been decided you are worthy of the gift we can give you.
"We do not give the gift to those who do not want it, however. If you have no wish to receive it, leave now."
I didn't move. I'd have said something, but I wasn't certain if I was allowed to or not yet.
"Then so be it," the chief continued. He stepped forward into the light. As he did so, he blurred into the same hybrid form as the others had before. "Extend your wrists to me," he growled. He took them, turned my hands palms up and ensured he could reach my wrists easily.
I imagine he could tell I was apprehensive about this, because he then placed one hand on my shoulder to reassure me before he continued.
"This will hurt," he told me. "But you must take the pain and accept it. No journey is without a rocky path, and this is such a path. Answer now: Are you ready to accept the gift that is mine to give?"
Somehow, I knew I had to respond in kind so answered, "I am ready, and freely accept your gift."
He nodded, drawing his arms up in front of him. The claws on his hands extended, then in one swift movement he brought them both down sharply, arcing them so the claws slashed straight across my wrists and away.
Reflexes made me jerk back from this, but I didn't move quick enough to stop him.
Wrists bleed a lot, do you know that? They also hurt a lot when someone cuts them open.
What probably shouldn't happen is that the pain spreads. It spread from the wrists upwards until it was everywhere.
I couldn't cry out. Something stopped me from doing it. I managed to get a look at my wrists before I blacked out, and I remember seeing the scars rapidly healing, and seeing fur growing.
Then everything went black.