A heavy silence fell over the group as Rabanus' words settled like dust after a long-forgotten battle. The idea that the Yaga were once human clawed at the edges of Shirou's mind, a chilling thought that gnawed relentlessly, despite the rational explanations it carried. It made too much sense, and not enough sense, all at the same time.
Human transformations into pseudo-werewolves were not entirely uncommon among magi. Sure, werewolves themselves were closer to Phantasmals than a human ever would be, but the principle of the matter remained.
At least, on the surface.
A human with animal features, with the proportional strength and agility of a beast, with the intelligence of a human. It didn't even matter if the animal in question was a wolf - almost all forms of human-animal transmogrification was stated under 'werewolf', just because it was both easier to explain, and not their job to uncover whatever animal had 'that' type of hair, or 'this' type of claws.
The difference with the magi and the Yaga was that magi transformation was either temporary, or in the cases that they were permanent, rendered the individual infertile. The first assured that, even if the individual managed to inseminate, or be inseminated, while transformed, the output would still be human. The pseudo-werewolf would still be human genetically, and whatever happened, human DNA would still run its course.
The latter outcome, being an infertile, permanently transformed werewolf, was self explanatory. With their DNA being completely different from that of a human's, these individuals would only be able to mate with someone of their own genetic composition.
That meant transforming more than one person, at least a mating pair.
And by that point, Enforcers would be called in.
The Clock Tower, the Mage's Association, and humankind as a whole would not survive a rapidly growing population of werewolves that were, by design, stronger than the average person. With none of the drawbacks either.
Shirou had understood that when he went on his first mission to hunt one such werewolf down. Or rather, an entire family of them. He had swallowed the bile that had threatened to find itself up his throat when he had brought his sword down onto them.
He had thought it a mercy for them. To be forced into what they had become by a magus, with no way to regain their humanity. Now? Seeing just what the Yaga were? He knew it was a mercy.
It could be a lie. A false idea planted by a dying Yaga to sow confusion in the Imperial ranks. Nothing more than a malicious lie. Except, what was the point of it? This was the first time he had heard this particular rumor, and today was even the first time he had seen a Yaga, let alone known Yaga existed in the first place.
But he also knew the lure of such strength. The Yaga were incredibly strong, despite being malnourished as they were. They weren't like the elves versus the humans, where the only real benefit was a longer lifespan for the former. Becoming a Yaga had real, tangible benefits that to some, outweigh whatever maluses come with it.
Which made the very idea that 'some bit of magic' turning humans into the Yaga he saw all the more real.
He felt a tug on his pant leg, a small thing, yet one that quickly startled him out of his thoughts. Shirou saw the concerned looks of both Tuka and Lelei, and the grim, knowing smile of the old man. Shaking his head, and with the home looking in working order, Shirou turned to face the rest of the village.
"Thank you for the stories." Shirou started, "That being said, myself and my companions are still needed elsewhere. If you'll excuse us?"
"Of course. Far be it from me to keep you here."
He quickly made for a few of the villagers who he could spot were having trouble with their own homes. Shirou didn't dare look back after hearing the old man talk. Not after hearing the pity in his voice.
The magus didn't know what he would see, and he very much preferred it that way.
…
"Sir Chulainn?" Tuka's tentative voice broke the silence, her usually confident tone subdued, as if she were hesitant to disturb the uneasy quiet that had settled over the group. The air seemed heavier somehow, even heavier than when the earthshaking happened.
Or perhaps it was just a matter of perspective? Worried as Shirou was for Tuka and Lelei at the time, it wasn't as bone deep as the uneasiness he felt now. Where an earthquake was normal for him, it was quite clearly not for them. He just lacked the perspective to see it from their eyes.
The Yaga were different. They knew what Yaga were, even if Shirou wasn't entirely sure they had been face to face with them. Lelei was well read enough that he assumed that Cato had taught her about the various peoples living in this world, while Tuka was old enough that she should know about them through just word of mouth.
Lelei, if Shirou were to be perfectly honest, was less the problem that he could see. Sure, she was still clearly somewhat worried, but that was borne of what she likely knew of the Yaga.
Tuka was the issue here. He saw how the Yaga acted. Desperate, singular. Hungry. As much as those feelings can be attributed to their enslavement, the fact that even the children didn't hesitate to devour their kin was an indication that it may not be the case. No, something told Shirou that the Yaga's actions were brought on by their own culture, their nature.
More importantly for the elf's case, they were human. At one point, at least. And Tuka, despite being better at hiding the hint of animosity Shirou knew she still held for humans, could not hide the horror as she realized that humans could be worse.
Shirou liked to think that he had made great strides to prove her wrong. Him, the JSDF, even the villagers from Coda. Tuka was smart enough to know that not every human was bad. To think so would be the height of hypocrisy. The thing was, the magus didn't want her, and by extension the rest of the elves, to think that human kindness was the exception.
"Lord Emiya!" He was startled once more out of his thoughts as a combo of a whisper-shout and a pull on his coat from Tuka distracted him. He was about to reprimand her when he realized that they were not in the same spot as when he had first started thinking. In fact, they were back in their tent, sitting around a small table.
Just how long was he lost in thought?
Judging by the look on her face, it was a long time.
Waving her down, Shirou had to sigh, "Apologies, Tuka." His voice was calm, but he knew she could sense the weight behind it, the quiet storm that churned beneath the surface. He pulled his coat tighter, as if warding off the cold that wasn't really there, but more the kind that settled in the bones when truths that he would rather never have known, surface. "I was...lost in thought."
Tuka stared at him for a long moment, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her usual playful energy was muted, replaced by a seriousness that didn't suit her. "You've been doing that a lot lately," she said, her voice low, but there was no judgment in it. Just concern.
Shirou ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. "There's a lot to think about," he admitted. "More than I expected." He glanced at Lelei, who had been silent this whole time, her expression more composed than when the earthshake hit, though her eyes flickered with curiosity. She wasn't one to interrupt unless she had something important to add, but he could feel her studying him.
"Alright," Nodding to himself, Shirou started to walk, "There's no use dwelling on things out of our control. Might as well continue helping around, and after that, we'll head to the capital and see what's going on there."
"Ah," Tuka's features contorted into a slight grimace as he mentioned the Imperial capital, though it was mostly covered by the mirrored confusion on both her and Lelei's faces, "Haven't we been doing that the entire day?"
"Hm?" Himself confused, Shirou stepped out of the tent, only to be greeted by the sight of the setting sun.
'Ah.'
Shirou paused, taking in the vivid streaks of orange and pink slicing through the dimming sky. He hadn't even realized the day had slipped away from him. The hours lost to the haze of his thoughts. And with what Tuka had said, he must've been running on autopilot the entire day.
Now wasn't that just the slightest bit embarrassing? It seemed that the instinct to go around helping people never really left him. Or was it the spell that had turned his body into his younger self the reason for that? Either way, with the lack of troubling sounds and sights, Shirou must've already helped more or less everyone here.
"Right, sorry, I forgot." Coughing and heading back into the tent, he nodded to the other two. Only now, he could spot the tiredness that radiated off of them.
Lelei, though composed, had a stiffness in her posture, like the weight of the day had finally caught up to her. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, but Shirou noticed the subtle way her fingers pressed together, as if keeping herself grounded. Tuka, on the other hand, wasn't as adept at masking her exhaustion. She slumped in her seat, rubbing her temples with her fingers, her golden hair slightly disheveled.
They had been pushing hard, and Shirou couldn't deny the guilt that washed over him for not realizing it sooner.
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess we've been at it longer than I thought." His voice was quiet, almost sheepish. He looked at the two of them, his companions who had followed him through so much, and felt a pang of responsibility.
Tuka let out a soft, humorless laugh, waving a hand dismissively. "I wasn't going to say anything, but yeah, it's been a while. If we keep this up, we're going to start looking like the Yaga ourselves." There was a sharp edge to her humor, and though she smiled, it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Shirou chuckled lightly at her comment, though the image it conjured lingered uncomfortably in his mind.
"We'll stop for now." He said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "Tomorrow, we'll do another round of the village and see if anyone still needs help. If not, we'll head to the capital immediately. Lelei, get some rest, I have a feeling your magecraft will be needed tomorrow."
"Understood."
With his piece said, the three prepared for bed. Soon enough, the exhaustion of the day caught up to the two girls and left Shirou the only one awake.
Shirou shifted, rolling his shoulders in a futile attempt to ease the tension that had settled deep in his muscles. He had seen too much, learned too much today. And yet, there were still questions without answers, still gaps in the story that gnawed at him.
And not just the Yaga now, either. This entire world seemed hell bent on throwing curveballs at him. Zelretch, the elves, a dragon, and now, this. Even in his time as an Enforcer, things had not been as insane as the time he'd spent here.
The magus closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a sigh. He needed rest. But rest, it seemed, was a distant, unreachable thing tonight.
Just before sleep finally began to claim him, there was a whisper of thought at the back of his mind, a quiet, persistent voice that he could not quite shake.
'Just what else is going to happen now?'
...
A/N: If you like what I do and want to support me, check out my P-atreon at P-atreon•com(slash)Almistyor.
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And a special thanks to: FireRogueWolf25, brutalcrab and Tassimo.
