New Testaments DX: Secret of Mana

by Claude the Author

A decade after the slaying of the Mana Beast...Mana is mysteriously returning, a familiar darkness sweeps the land, and an ancient enemy of the Elemental Spirits reemerges with intentions of obliterating the natural order. Nascent heroes, summoned from obscurity by the spirits, must inherit elemental powers to face the very thing that's coming to consume their world.

9. CH 08: Fist of the Full Moon

Chapter 8: Fist of the Full Moon

By Nikovich

Though the air was thick with tension, Niko could detect something of a cheerful tone about it. The postures of the on-lookers and the atmosphere expressed a distinct lack of malice.

The white wolf balanced on one leg, pulling his other knee towards his chest. He was already leaner than most of the other werewolves, but with his immediate company, Giri looked more like a child by comparison.

Talek rolled his arms out one by one, each at least as thick as one of Giri's legs. He was the first to break the silence with some characteristic jeering.

"Feelin' left outta the roughhousin', eh? Recent rowdiness got ya all frisky for a fracas?"

Giri chuckled as he responded, "You've got plenty of weight to spare, nothing wrong with throwing some of it around; but you know it's my job to make sure you're doing it with proper form... even if I've been lenient lately."

"Hope you didn't slack too much for your sake! This's a pretty big first bite to take!" Talek shot back as he straightened his back, emphasizing his size advantage.

Giri began to advance and circle as he replied, "You know me; small frame, big appetite. I hope you didn't slack on your training for improved jawing!"

The words ceased as the two began to clash.

"Don't let those flames get too high, Pup! Don't wanna attract unnecessary attention!" Friki ordered in passing, causing the vulpine to jump.

"Yes, Alpha!" the fox blurted while turning back to the pot, but only for a moment.

Niko kept one eye on the campfire, but his attention was almost entirely fixated on the strange dance being performed by the two combatants. There was no flailing or scrambling; deliberate strikes replaced swipes, scratches or bites. When they did initiate, their advances were measured and controlled but somehow equally aggressive.

When he and his friends would scuffle, in play or otherwise, it almost always came down to whoever happened to be the biggest and strongest at the time. Though Talek was twice his size, Giri was so adept at using his agility combined with disciplined prodding strikes to keep his distance, it seemed he had unnatural foresight. Every lunge and swing from his much larger opponent was matched in perfect time and punished in return.

Though the speed of this display continually intensified, the result was always the same, and it wasn't long before the distinctive grin on Talek's face had twisted into an aggravated snarl. The wolf let out a rumbling growl as he backed off a safe distance.

"Don't celebrate just yet! You still haven't seen my secret technique; Waxing Crescent Lock!" he spat, taking two evasive stutter-steps before dashing towards his opponent with arms outstretched.

In one fluid display of acrobatics, the white lupine had leapt clear over his assailant's head, kicking off his shoulders in the process and landing behind him. Talek stumbled towards the ground where he remained on one knee, panting heavily as though his breath had left him.

Rather than follow up, Giri began circling back to the front of the recovering beast, gloating as he did so. "'Waxing Crescent'? Looked more 'waning' to me, like your chances of winning, hah!"

Talek's broad shoulders heaved as he fought to reclaim the air his enormous frame required. It looked as though he was incapable of continuing, or even standing.

Giri straightened up and folded his arms. "Give up yet? You always did burn yourself out too-"

In an instant, Talek was plowing forward with his shoulder planted directly in his opponent's chest. The two crashed to the floor with a thud that sparked an outburst of hollers from the spectating pack-members. Giri was caught off guard by the ruse, enough to find himself pinned underneath the larger werewolf, but not enough to be completely restrained.

With one claw around the white wolf's throat, Talek reared his other arm back to strike, but in his haste to capitalize on the surprise attack, he left himself open. It became clear too late what this opening was when Giri snaked his lower body out and upward, tying his legs around the exposed neck & arm of his attacker before cinching them tight like a snare.

A loud gurgle erupted from the thick neck of the red wolf as he found himself unable to breathe. Despite his incredible strength, any attempt to free his neck seemed futile; Giri was latched on like a vice. With his options dwindling as quickly as his oxygen, Talek tightened his own grip on his opponent's throat, but found he lacked the leverage to match the effectiveness of his own predicament.

With his remaining strength, Talek began to slowly hoist his upper body upward, raising Giri into the air with it. He brought the white wolf more than a foot off the ground before slamming him back into the dirt. Giri let out a wheezing grunt but did not relent with his chokehold.

Once more, Talek began arching backward to lift his assailant, but this time with much more difficulty. His eyes fluttered, his tongue lolled out the side of his muzzle, and his entire body began to sway like a tall tree in the wind. Keenly aware of his rival's condition, Giri loosened his grip slightly.

"Yield?" The white wolf uttered through grit teeth.

Talek responded by collapsing forward, releasing his claw from Giri's throat, and going entirely limp. He drew in several gasping breaths as he was freed from the submission hold, but stubbornly returned upright.

"You do?" the maroon lupine choked out. "I accept!"

Giri's jaw gaped. He was so astonished by the audacity of his pack mate's assertion that he continued laying there, speechless. It became quickly clear that Talek was delighted by the reaction as his own grin grew so broad, one would have almost never have guessed he was nearly throttled unconscious.

"Wha... what?! You better be joking!" Giri shouted from the ground, still yet to return upright.

"Ah don't be a sore loser! Come on, somethin' smells good!"

Though Talek extended his hand, Giri refused his aid, popping up to his feet and further objecting, "I'm serious, don't you dare consider that a win!"

The on-lookers began to settle down and part to make way for the two warriors. Though entertained by the jesting of their large comrade and how it affected Friki's second-in-command, none had the nerve to join in, at least directly. Talek continued playing to the crowd as he re-tied his bandana, but slowed to a stop as Ember approached with pernicious intentions.

"You sure look pleased with yourself, Tallie! Guess you enjoy being embarrassed by someone half your size; I'll keep that in mind!" she taunted, giving him a solid shot on the arm that barely nudged his massive frame.

"Aw, Ember..." Talek responded awkwardly, rubbing the arm that was struck. "Yer always on my case..."

Though his red fur hid the blushing, his body language made it obvious he was quite flustered. The antagonistic shewolf cackled gleefully as she departed, leaving Talek to gradually regain his composure.

---

"I never thought I'd be saying this, but we may have finally found something Pup is good at!" Talek proclaimed to the mass of werewolves gathered around the fire, his mouth half-full with seasoned steak as he did so.

"Better than you anyway... not like that's too hard, though," Rex quipped in response, garnering a snorting chuckle from the formerly-assigned chef.

"Aw, it was nothin'," Niko replied sheepishly into his meal. Despite preparing the dinner they all shared, he found himself partaking in a particularly small portion of it.

His demeanor switched suddenly as he frowned, calling out, "Wait, hey! I carry the bags good too, don't I?"

"Any kid goblin can carry a bag. And no, you aren't good at it!" Kaiser replied, his answer carrying more malice than its surrounding banter.

Talek sat back down along his log with a second helping as he stretched his thick limbs out, intentionally occupying more room than needed. "I'll gladly let Pup handle my cooking duties; I only did it cuz no one else would."

The wolf's muzzle grew into an evil grin as he turned back to one wolf in particular. "Besides... that just gives me more time to whup Giri."

The crash of a clay flagon rang throughout the camp.

"That's it!" Giri sprang to his feet, the remainder of his serving scattered at his feet amidst broken pottery and spilled water.

"Oh come on, y'ain't that angry fer real, are ya? It's just one loss!"

"I warned you! I told you I wasn't joking! I'm gonna wipe that smirk right off your face! And you know what?! I'll even give you a few days to prepare and learn from your loss!" With that, the wolf stomped off as Talek called after him through choked laughter.

"Aw, don't get all serious now! Yer no fun like that! Hey... Hey! ... Are you gonna finish that rabite?!"

Following the feast and the antics, the pack was in high spirits as the night began to wind down. Niko set about gathering the small amount of reclaimed cooking supplies, doing his best to clean them before stowing them away. There wasn't much he could do in the absence of any sanitary materials, but it was certainly more maintenance than they typically received.

Though his body was occupied with the physical task at hand, the vulpine couldn't take his mind off the promise of more martial action. He wanted, or perhaps needed to observe the werewolves' abilities more. Clearly, they knew how to defend themselves, even without their considerable physical assets. If Niko knew what they knew, the lullabud and rabite from before would have been minor inconveniences at best.

"Pup! Think fast!"

"Huh?" Niko looked up in time to see a tin mug careening towards his face. He brought his hands up in reaction and the cup clanged off his forearms with a sustained ring before thudding to the earth. "Gah! Hey, that hurt, kinda!"

Rex stepped forward with a spiteful grin on his face. "Hope your reflexes are quicker than that for all our sakes. Friki told me to tell you, you've got first watch tonight. I'll relieve you when it's over."

The fox's ears perked up. More new jobs meant the pack was entrusting him with more responsibility. In any case, he was still too excited to sleep anytime soon.

"Leave it to me!" Niko sang out before scrunching up his face in doubt. "Wait! ... What exactly do I do on watch?"

Rex groaned in response, "Ugh... you just stay up! If any monsters or humans come by, you scream really loudly and wake us all up. Don't try and handle it yourself, for Luna's sake!"

"Oh, that sounds easy!" Niko replied. Rex was already walking away.

---

Though it was particularly close to morning when Rex finally took watch duty over from Niko, the vulpine was still energized the next day. With the pack having only settled the night before, it would be at least another two or three days of scouting before they considered heading out again. As he wasn't trusted with exploring duties, Niko was given a number of menial tasks around the camp with which to stay busy.

It wasn't just the relative ease of the errands compared to his normal workload that caused the following days to fly by in a blur. Niko was still fraught with anticipation for Giri & Talek's upcoming bout, and his imagination set about composing grandiose displays of martial prowess.

It seemed like any other day for the rest of the pack however, leaving Niko alone in this regard, with one exception. Giri had been devoting every minute of his free time to preparing for the future event. After scouting, he was performing feats of balance and flexibility in slow-motion. Coming back from a hunt, he seemed to be battling invisible opponents. While the other wolves fraternized, the white lupine struck trees tirelessly, until his forearms and shins were welted. Niko followed the wolf's movements carefully with each passing day, digesting as much as possible though he rarely understood exactly what he was witnessing.

Conversely, Talek's preparations were quite clear. Though he was still employed to do any amount of heavy lifting needed (and enjoyed making a spectacle out of it), the wolf's distinctive lounging had only increased. Talek almost seemed to align his idling with Giri's most intense training, as if making a point of ignoring it. His opponent responded with increased vigor in his own training, which Talek was surely reveling in silently.

On the final day of scouting, Kaiser passed by a panting Giri. The beta wolf had just finished an especially arduous striking session on a tree, leaving it stripped of bark. Kaiser continued making his way throughout the camp, finally coming to a seat across from the reclining form of Talek.

"Looks like Giri's on the warpath. You don't seem a little worried?" Kaiser gestured back with a wave of his hand.

"Huh!" Talek chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed he started beatin' on defenseless trees."

The lumbering werewolf drew a long sigh before rising to his feet and stretching out with a yawn.

"Wanna see what I can do to a tree?"

Without waiting for an answer, Talek sauntered over to a small evergreen. It didn't tower over the other trees in the woods, but its trunk was at least as thick as a human torso. The wolf's bulky arms clasped around the tree and his shoulder dug into the bark above his grasp. Several of the wolves ceased their activity to glance over as the creaking of strained lumber began to echo through the forest.

With the tree bent back like a drawn bow, Talek raised his leg, planting his knee against the trunk. In one swift motion, he wrenched back against the fulcrum, and the body of the tree snapped with a sound like thunder. A handful of werewolves quickly displaced as the fir slowly crumbled down in their direction. It hit the ground with a final whoosh of its settling pine needles, and Talek wiped his hands in satisfaction.

"You wanna announce our presence to the whole Lower Lands?"

Friki growled from behind, causing Talek to jump and spin nervously. The alpha stood with his arms crossed; the stoic look on his face making it clear he was not in the mood for his underling's usual horseplay.

Talek rubbed his neck and stammered timidly, "Er... sorry, Friki. Just... doin' some training... ya know... trees fall by themselves all the time-"

"We're heading out tomorrow. Make some kind of effort to cover our tracks," the alpha wolf added with a more softened tone.

"Yeah, you got it..." Talek sighed in relief as Friki departed.

The wolf continued on through the camp, stopping as he approached Niko. The vulpine had observed the entire ordeal with Talek but averted his gaze at Friki's admonishment. He was now feigning being absorbed by his current task but jumped when Friki nudged him roughly with his boot.

"Pup, you're on first watch again tonight. In the meantime, go over and help that giant oaf with the tree."

"Yes, Alpha!" Niko replied eagerly before bounding off towards the red wolf.

---

Niko paced about the lifeless camp anxiously, but quietly. Normally on watch, he'd be steadily exhausting his list of things to keep himself preoccupied. There's a limit to how many times equipment could be checked or grounds could be tidied. On this night however, the vulpine was eager to repeat what he had witnessed these past few days. Noiselessly, he crept along the camp, ensuring everything was secure and all the wolves sound asleep before approaching a tree some good distance from the slumbering pack.

Lining up in front of it, he took a final glance backward before hesitantly raising his arms in an attempt to mimic Giri's posture. Slowly, the fox reached out and began to replicate the forms he had seen, but at half speed. The movements felt stiff and unnatural, yet when he watched the white wolf, they were smooth, flowing like water. He ceased and straightened up before drawing his claws against the tree pensively, as if the feel of the bark would give him some insight.

A faint rustling from behind froze Niko in place and he spun his head towards the sound. A gray werewolf stirred slightly on the ground, but remained still, its body pulsing rhythmically with unconscious breathing. The hairs on the vulpine's neck began to settle as he directed his attention back towards his inanimate sparring partner. Lowering his stance, he once again made light contact with the tree, striking it with parts of his body he had never used offensively before. As the motions began to feel comfortable, he incorporated his lower body. He had some natural flexibility, but it took some loosening up before his legs could even attempt to reach the heights Giri had displayed.

A smile began to broaden on the vulpine's face as his pace quickened. He could feel the pieces falling into place as he continued. Intricacies of movements were becoming clear, mechanics of forms were starting to make sense; it was all beginning to click! Resisting triumphant laughter at this new enlightenment, Niko reared his fist back and fired it into the tree in perfect imitation of the source. His knuckles crashed into the bark with a fleshy whap and he began to pant as the adrenaline died down.

No sooner had he pulled his arm back when an intense burning sensation ignited in his hand. The pain was extraordinary and continued to heighten, regardless of how much he cradled it. He bit his lip in desperation, but there was no holding back the yelp that fought its way up the vulpine's throat.

"Ahh-MMPH!"

Niko's cry had barely begun when it was snuffed out by a hand clamping his muzzle shut. A second arm wrapped around his body, pinning his elbows to his waist. The vulpine's eyes widened as his assailant seemed to effortlessly subdue him, despite his thrashing. With each kick and twist, the hold around him tightened until he could do nothing but buck pitifully. The wolves in front of him laid motionless still, and any attempt to call for help was stifled by the claw over his mouth.

"Quiet!" hissed the voice of the alpha shewolf, Nikki. "You wake up the whole pack for nothing, your hand will be the least of your worries!"

Despite the warning, Niko couldn't help but release one final hum of shocked confusion before ceasing his struggling.

The shewolf did not relent with her grasp, holding the vulpine for another moment before continuing in a hushed voice, "I'm gonna let you go now, are you gonna stay quiet?"

"Mm-hmm," Niko mumbled, attempting to nod through the vice-like grip.

He was released roughly, stumbling forward before catching his footing. With the shock passing, he began to rub his sore hand once more.

"Give it here," Nikki reached forward, grabbing the fox's wrist and pulling it close for inspection.

Niko's body jerked forward at the surprising display of strength, but it wasn't until fingers began digging around his knuckles that he voiced his objections.

"Ow!"

"Shh!" the shewolf shushed sharply before quickly finishing her scrutinizing. "Well, nothing's broken."

Niko pulled his hand back, massaging his palm as he looked down and blushed. "Sorry, Alpha-"

Nikki shook her head, cutting off the vulpine, "What were you doing, anyway?"

The foxman's muzzle broadened into a wide grin. "I was practicing! I saw Giri doing all this stuff on trees earlier, I never seen anything like it before, but he beat Talek like that and Talek's waaay bigger than he is and I-"

"Alright, alright, calm down."

"Do ya think he can teach me?"

"Pup... look..." Nikki sighed, rubbing her forehead before continuing, "Don't get your hopes up, alright? It's kind of a secret system passed down in the pack... Giri's very traditional... and you're not..."

The shewolf hesitated. It would do no one any good to lead the vulpine on, but she couldn't bring herself to deflate his mood. She took a deep breath and sat down on a wood pile, reconsidering her approach.

"Listen. If you want to leave, you can go. I won't say anything, no one will come for you, it'll be fine."

Despite her efforts, Niko still appeared hurt. His smile faded and his ears drooped as he responded, "Leave? Why would I wanna do that?"

"Aren't you tired of being an errand boy?"

"Oh no, I'm fine!" Suddenly his mood brightened again. "I'm learning new things, meeting new people; I'm still having lots of fun!"

"'Fun'?" Nikki's eyes narrowed and her tone grew stern. "So what happens when you're not having fun anymore? You need to understand: the pack is a unit. We stick together whether it's fun or terrible, to survive."

Niko shrunk under the alpha's rebuke. He was instantly brought back to only a few years earlier, on the receiving end of scolding parents. Experience had taught him to respond with consideration peppered with responsible-sounding ambiguity.

"Gee, I didn't think of it like that. And I do wanna see the rest of the world, I only just started my journey! I guess I should stick around and help Friki until you guys get to where you're goin'. Then you won't need my help anymore and I can go back to exploring!"

The shewolf frowned in disappointment, causing Niko to append his proclamation. "Don't be sad, I'm gonna visit all my new friends after I'm done traveling the world!"

"Yeah... that sounds fine..." Nikki sighed, holding back her concern. It was clear the vulpine was reacting to her tone, but not absorbing her message. Maybe he'd be more receptive at a later time. She stood and began walking past the vulpine, pausing for a moment to turn.

"Niko..."

His ears perked up and he looked back to the shewolf.

"Get some sleep. If we move tomorrow, Friki'll have you carrying everything whether you're exhausted or not. And no one's going to bother us tonight, not if they know what's good for them." Nikki allowed a slight smile before returning back into the darkness to rejoin the pack in slumber.

Niko was once again alone amidst the silent campgrounds. He was left with a few new things to consider and plenty of time to do it. Before any of that however, he had a training session to finish; this time more carefully and quietly.

---

Rex awoke with an abrupt snort, though his eyes and limbs were still slow to respond. With a deep breath, he stretched along the ground before pushing himself up to a seated position. As his eyelids began to open, he found himself rubbing his face. It seemed unnaturally bright for this hour of night. As the werewolf's eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he saw his pack was still asleep but was beginning to stir.

Then he noticed the sun creeping over the horizon. "What the..."

The songs of birds confirmed his suspicions. He had slept long past his designated shift for night watch. He scanned the grounds of the camp, spotting Niko seated against a log.

"Grrrr... damnit, Pup!" Rex grumbled, pulling himself to his feet groggily.

Niko's body heaved steadily, a faint snoring accompanying its motions. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a pair of claws grabbed him roughly around the shoulders, spinning him around and shaking him violently.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Rex growled in his face, as quietly as he could manage.

"Wha-huh, who, think, do what now...?" the vulpine blinked repeatedly, trying to force his vision to focus as his brain fought to keep up with his mouth.

"Why didn't you wake me up?!" the wolf reinforced his interrogation with more thrashing.

Niko's consciousness returned quickly with all the jostling. "Last time I did, you said 'never wake me up again, I can wake myself up!' And then you threw a rock at me."

He was released roughly, flopping back down to the ground.

"You better not tell anyone about this!" Rex shook his fist threateningly in the vulpine's face.

"Tell them wh-"

"You'd be in just as much trouble as me! More, even! So keep your mouth shut!"

"... 'kay."

Niko began to prop himself up but was quickly shoved back down again.

"No, wait! Pretend you're asleep, or it'll look suspicious!" Rex warned, looking around frantically at the still-dozing pack.

"Oh okay right suspisshhuss-" the vulpine's slurring quickly melted into light snoring as his eyes shut.

"Not so obvious Pup, you fool!" Rex snarled, giving the fox a sharp kick in the side.

Niko rolled away from the offending limb, but otherwise remained limp as his breathing settled.

Rex inspected the vulpine for another moment before assessing, "That's better!"

Footsteps approached the dormant fox.

"Wake up, Pup."

"Nnnnno... mmm pretending..." Niko smacked, turning his back towards the disturbance.

"I said UP, Pup!" the voice barked harshly.

Niko peered up through squinted eyes at the dark alpha wolf. It felt like only seconds later but the sun was now overhead and much of the pack was toiling about laboriously.

"Havin' bad dreams?" Friki chuckled. "Lookin' for someone to pat your head and rub your belly?"

"Ooh, that'd be nice," Niko yawned. "Who would do it?"

"No one! That's the point! Now man up, we're moving today. I want us to hit Gaia's Navel by nightfall." With the orders given, Friki departed to go about coordinating the rest of the pack.

The trip northward was a pleasant one. The pace was relaxed, but still productive owed to good weather and Giri's scouting ability. Talek's antics and verbal sparring with Kaiser contributed to keeping the pack in good spirits. Niko still struggled to keep up while carrying the majority of the supplies and was given few breaks, but was otherwise left unmolested by the more antagonistic pack mates.

By sunset, they could hear the rolling falls of Gaia's Navel. Shortly after, Niko was dropping the supplies in a heaping pile along with himself upon Friki's orders to stop. After a few moments of recovery, the vulpine crawled over to the side of the ridge that neighbored their new campgrounds. The short cliff gave way to a large basin with several more declines leading to its center. At the heart of it was Gaia's Navel, a series of waterfalls flowing down the north face of the escarpment, coming to a final rest in a pool at the bottom.

Though it was miniscule compared to the ocean, Niko had never seen a body of water that flowed vertically. The ocean also announced its presence ahead of time with its distinct aroma whereas he could not discern any particular scent from the falls. If anything, he could almost smell how clean the water was, but perhaps that was an olfactory illusion. The vulpine hoped he'd have a reason to venture down to the base of the falls before they left, but the pack had other chores for him at the moment.

---

With the sun now below the horizon, the growing fires provided most of the light about the camp. Niko diligently went about his task of collecting and assembling additional piles of wood to keep them going throughout the night. He had accumulated a respectable stock of kindling before he noticed a familiar stillness about the camp. It was a quiet tension he had felt a few days earlier, and when he paused to investigate, the source of it became clear. Giri and Talek were squared off once again, this time with more on-lookers than before. It seemed Niko wasn't the only one anticipating their next sparring session.

Niko couldn't hear the exchange, but it was clear Giri only had interest in trading blows with his opponent, not words. Talek was initially undeterred by the silent treatment, but even he couldn't drag out the theatrics in the face of the white wolf's grim demeanor. With what seemed like a look of disappointment, the antagonistic giant finally silenced himself and engaged.

Though the outcome of each clash was mostly the same as the first match, Giri's pacing was visibly different. Where he last relied on punishing Talek's advances with counter-attacks and evasion, he now stalked his larger opponent, creating aggressive openings but with the same measured composure. Under Giri's relentless assault, Talek was constantly too off-balance to respond, and his desperation grew more and more apparent.

After a swift and one-sided affair, Talek found himself at the mercy of his smaller opponent; on his knees with his arm twisted precariously.

"Haah... haah... I was... just... playin'... withca... haah... c'mon..." the defeated lupine panted.

"Say the words!" Giri tightened his grip.

"Owowow, that hurts!"

"That's the idea! And 'ow' 's not the words I wanna hear!"

Talek winced and flailed ineffectually with his free arm, shouting, "Alright fine, fine! I yield, you win, I lose, leggo!"

The red wolf was released forcefully to the ground, where he rose back up to rub his strained wrist. "Geez, you sure lost your sense'a humor!"

"I'm to blame, really, I let you all get complacent and out of practice," Giri lamented. "With your size alone, you should be able to handle me, but you couldn't. You know why?"

"You know how to make the most of that boney little frame of yours!" Talek bellowed with a jocular tone.

"You're faster than you look but reckless and predictable, especially when you get frustrated. You need practice catching something small and quick..." As he contemplated, Giri's eyes wandered the camp, coming to a stop on the industrious vulpine. "Pup! Put those sticks down and come over here."

Niko was standing at attention before the two wolves in an instant; the handful of firewood hit the ground shortly after.

"You ever spar before, Pup?" Giri inquired.

Niko blinked. "Spar?"

"Like a practice-fight."

The fox's eyes lit up with recognition. "I used to have play-fights with my friends all the time! I got pretty good at it, I think!"

"Good, you're gonna do that with Talek; he needs some specialized training," Giri announced with a wry smile.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa... fight Pup?" Talek exclaimed incredulously before exploding into laughter. "I knew you were good at slingin' those little mitts of yours, but I had no idea you were this funny!"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Giri leaned in close to the larger wolf and continued under his breath, "Just be sensible with the restraint."

Talek shrugged. "If he breaks, it's your fault."

"Wait, so what do I do?" Niko spoke up as Giri vacated the makeshift dojo.

"Try and do what I did, I know you were watching. Oh, and don't get hit!" Giri called as he backed away, gesturing for the two to begin.

Talek turned towards the vulpine with a grim smile, spreading his arms and inviting the first move. Niko gulped as he was reminded of the sheer size of the werewolf but began to cautiously make his way forward. When he was just out of reach of the motionless lupine, he paused for a moment before lunging forward with a relaxed jab. Talek swatted the attack aside with a scoffing laugh before answering back with a heavy push-kick aimed at the vulpine's upper chest.

Niko raised his arms to defend himself from the impact of the strike but was still sent stumbling backwards by the force of the shove. Shaking his head clear, he focused on Giri's advised strategy of evasion as his opponent now lurked forward menacingly.

The wolf initiated with several lumbering swings; not at full speed, but still baring malicious intent. Niko twisted and weaved out of their paths, nearly tripping over his own appendages. His lithe frame provided him with the agility to avoid Talek's follow-up attacks, but his inexperience turned the endeavor into an awkward balancing act.

Niko was still feeling quite lost offensively, but dodging the escalating onslaught of his opponent was enough to completely occupy his concentration. It wasn't long until Talek's strikes had fully intensified in an attempt to catch the elusive vulpine. Soon it had drawn the attention of most of the surrounding pack; a fact that had gone unnoticed by the two combatants until Talek found himself the target of jeering he was usually known for.

In response to the growing heckling, Talek sprung forward with a reckless tackle. Niko rolled underneath his adversary's grasp, turning with a low kick to the wolf's thick thigh. Talek snorted as the blow thudded against his leg, but it otherwise seemed to do no visible damage.

The real effect came when Giri finally joined in to mock the large wolf, "A novice is running circles around you, Talek!"

Talek shot a glare at the white wolf with a scowl on his muzzle before turning back to his opponent. The vulpine was panting with adrenaline but was beginning to find a comfortable rhythm, made clear by his ear-to-ear grin. He wanted to wipe that smile off the fox's face and he would do it with a technique their kind had a notorious reputation for.

With a deep growl and a sudden burst of freakish agility, the red wolf bounded through the air at Niko in a turning flourish. Still distracted from Giri's comment, and being unfamiliar with such maneuvers, the vulpine hesitated before the werewolf spinning towards him. He was unprepared when the wolf's leg swung out at head level, and the next thing he knew, the world was spiraling around him until it came to a sudden, violent stop on the forest floor.

Through pure instinct, Niko popped back up to his feet almost instantly, though he could barely perceive where he was or which way he was going. With his head spinning, he stumbled face first into a broad tree. He wrapped his arms around it in a desperate attempt to remain upright, taking note that this was the mossiest tree he had ever felt.

Talek turned to the onlookers and let out a defiant howl after sending the vulpine whirling to the ground. He received a scattered echoing of half-hearted and sarcastic howls in return before turning back to an unexpected sight. Not only was the fox back on his feet, but colliding directly into the wolf's chest in some amateur grapple attempt.

"Pup's gonna teach you how to wrestle, Talek! Go on, show him, Pup!" Rex's derisive voice rose over the snickering.

With his patience and good humor completely exhausted, Talek scooped the dazed vulpine up in his arms, lifting him high off the ground. Niko found himself roused back into the fight as he was pulled into the same crushing grasp the wolf displayed on the tree earlier. The vulpine managed to wriggle an arm free, pressing against Talek's face with it, but it provided little resistance against the overwhelming bear hug.

Giri stepped forward to more closely monitor the skirmish, advising, "Pup, might wanna think about yielding?"

The white wolf had barely finished his interjection when Niko's body went limp, accompanied by an audible crunching sound. Giri was beside the pair in an instant, prying the vulpine from Talek's grip.

"Easy, easy! Don't kill him!" Giri shouted while lowering the fox's unresponsive body to the ground. He began running his hands over Niko's ribs and back in a quick diagnostic inspection.

"He's fine," Talek growled. "You think I can't tell the difference between a bone snap and a joint pop?"

Satisfied that everything was still in one piece, Giri alternated to attempting to wake the vulpine while responding, "Of course you're stronger than him; every shewolf in camp can overpower a scrawny vulpine."

"I'll gladly volunteer to prove that!" Ember called from the assemblage of spectators.

Giri shook his head exasperatedly, ignoring the shewolf. "The point was to use technique; train your speed... not a bad Cyclone Kick though..."

Niko lurched upward with a heavy gasp of air, choking coughs eventually subsiding as he began showing signs of life again.

"You alright, Pup?" Giri asked as he restrained the vulpine from attempting to stand.

"Everything hurts but I think so!" Realization hit the fox and he bolted to a seated position. "Wait, Talek and I were supposed to fight, right?"

"Already happened. You lost."

"Huuhhh...?" Niko groaned and rubbed his head. "Oh... yeah, I remember now."

"Why didn't you yield?"

"...'Yield'...?"

"Yield! You know, stop? Give in? Accept defeat? Surrender?" Giri clarified with more than a hint of frustration.

Niko scratched his head. "I don't understand... I wasn't beat yet."

"You were as good as beat in that position! He could have squashed you like a buzz bee! There's no sense in getting hurt that badly when you're just training!"

"... I thought I could still win!"

"Ugh... never mind," Giri groaned, pulling the vulpine to his feet. "Go take a break; lay down by the fire."

"Gee, thanks! A break sounds good right now..." Niko trailed off as he hobbled back towards the now brimming campfires.

Talek walked over to join the white wolf, who was shaking his head in disappointment.

"Finally gettin' some use outta the Pup and you try to snap him in two..."

"Relax! He's like a wet sapling! You can bend them as much as you want and they never break," the towering wolf declared with a confident chuckle and a clap on Giri's shoulder. "Tested it myself! Come on, I bet he's fine enough to whip up more of that meat."

Talek strode off to join the dispersing crowd by the flames, leaving Giri to formulate an idea.

The next morning, after handling a few light tasks around the camp, Niko was beckoned to a cleared area of the forest. A small number of the werewolves had gathered, engaged in idle chit-chat and stretching while Giri stood before them.

When Niko arrived, the lupine turned to address him, "Good, you're here. I've been putting a lot of thought into this. I've made up my mind and Friki approves."

Niko's ears perked up but he stood silent with curious attentiveness.

"The pack is going to start getting back into formal training. And you're going to help me with it, Pup."

The vulpine's grin slowly stretched into a beaming smile while his body involuntarily reacted. He bounced up and down, nearly running in place with excitement.

"What... what are you doing? Are you dancing?! Stop that!" Giri reeled back in repulsion.

"I don't know how to dance! Or stop! I think I'm just happy!"

"Don't make me regret my decision this quickly!" The wolf grabbed Niko's arms, forcing him to cease his shimmying. "Now, stand over there."

"Sure thing, Giri!"

"When we're training, you call me 'Master'! Look down at the ground, not in my eyes! Never look a superior wolf in the eyes during instruction!" Giri peppered the vulpine with commands, who rushed to follow them as they came.

"Yes Gi- er, Master!"

"Good! Now... what you are about to witness... is the ancient style... of Seiryuu Fang!" Giri illustrated each line with dramatic flourishes of balance and dexterity.

"This style goes back hundreds, or maybe even thousands of generations to our ancient ancestors. Some believe our people were a warrior, hybrid beast-race, capable of changing between human and werewolf form at will... or more human form, at least... So they developed this martial system to be effective whether they were in their superior wolf-forms or not," Giri chuckled cynically as his mind began to wander. "Sounds almost absurd... two forms existing in the same body... trying to be two different beings..."

"I think it sounds fun! I could be whatever I felt like being that day!" Niko chirped gingerly.

"We don't need a human form to fit in, Pup, we adapt to this world better than the humans do!" Giri snarled, breaking from musing. "They need to change the world to fit them! I'm proud of what I am!"

"What happened to the ones who could change, Master?" the vulpine inquired, oblivious to the tension.

"Who's to say?" Giri perused with a sudden change of tone. "Maybe we lost the ability to change long ago. I bet the humans have some smug theory about us 'losing our humanity' or something silly like that. Maybe we're not the same race entirely. You know what I think? I think Mana weeded out the weakness in us and shaped us exactly the way we needed to be. But that's enough history, let's get started."

"Oh, okay," Niko looked down as if inspecting his footing, unsure of his exact role. "So what do I do?"

"You stand there and stop interrupting! When I need to demonstrate something, I call you over and show it on you," Giri turned to the assembly behind him and announced, "Alright, let's begin!"

---

Hours turned into days and days into weeks as Niko fell into his newly assigned role. He still carried the supplies in the morning and kept watch at night, but in the midday after settling for camp, he helped instruct an ancient martial art.

At the very least, he helped impart it. Giri directed the lessons, doled out drills, and supervised form, but Niko was always ready to provide his services on command whenever the white wolf needed a body to illustrate the finer details of a technique.

He was ready and eager to help pass on Giri's knowledge of manipulating opponents.

"And almost all humanoid creatures have an area around their neck riiiight... here!" Giri declared, digging a single finger-claw into the vulpine's collar.

Niko stiffened up like a board in an instant, teeth clenched tightly.

"And now Pup... is entirely... under my control!" the wolf continued, dragging the helpless captive back and forth to illustrate, but he was not quite finished. "Do you want to see him dance? Dance, Pup! Dance!"

Giri twirled the fox around in several pirouettes amidst a cacophony of raucous cheers, before finally releasing him where he flopped to a knee. In control of his own body once again, Niko sucked in a deep, wheezing breath.

"It's true!" he gasped, hunching over to catch his wind. "I couldn't even yell! Or breathe!"

When his master shifted the theme from restraining to displacing foes, Niko was equally pliable.

"No, no, no. You've got no structure... Pup!" Giri summoned the vulpine over to a pair of training wolves. "Lock your elbow at the point of impact! Like this!"

The white wolf thrust his palm into Niko's chest, sending the fox flying backwards where he tumbled end over end before sliding to a stop a dozen feet away.

"Yeah, that was much better! ... owww..." Niko called back from the ground.

"See? Keep practicing," Giri instructed before moving on.

---

Niko staggered over to the budding campfires; the setting sun now low in the sky. He had just been released from a particularly intensive training session and his whole body felt like one big bruise. As he neared the camp's center, the vulpine took note of Rex conversing with another wolf who was holding a sack the size of a pillow. He couldn't hear the topic, but the pair was constantly casting their gaze back at him.

Niko considered checking to see if there was an issue he could help with when the wolves preempted him, intercepting his path.

"Go ahead, ask him," Rex directed the other wolf.

"Pup, what is this?" the lupine presented the unlabeled paper sack. Besides some dusty spots, it was otherwise entirely nondescript.

Niko squinted. "... I think it's a bag...?"

"You want a smack, Pup? What's inside the bag?" he growled, opening the folded top and shoving it towards Niko's face, almost covering his muzzle with it.

A white cloud of dust puffed out and into Niko's face, forcing him to blink and cough. When his eyes focused, he saw a familiar powder with a distinct smell.

"It's impossible to eat by itself and it makes food taste worse when you pour it on," Rex added.

"I know what this is!" the fox elated, "It's flour!"

"Hah!" the second wolf barked, " I think Pup's been taking too many lumps to the head! You tryin' to tell me that's a flower?"

"Yeah, it's all ground up! Where'd ya get it?" Niko asked in moderate amazement.

"I dunno, last time we were around that human village, a while before you showed up. I nabbed it off a cart full of food when the dumb human wasn't looking." The wolf's expression quickly shifted from smug satisfaction to dejection as he continued, "I guess the joke was on me, all I got was this sand."

"I know what to do with this stuff!" Niko exclaimed while reaching forward, gesturing for the bag.

A few hours later, Niko was happily presenting his results to the rest of the pack. The storeroom-sized sack had been mostly full and gave him plenty of material to experiment with. After a handful of discarded results, the vulpine had produced a small number of pastries and a veritable pile of bread. Without any leavening agent, the result was a somewhat-tough flatbread, rather than the fluffy loaves he was used to back home, but they made for serviceable additions to the meat.

"This the stuff humans eat all the time?" Talek twirled a slice of the flatbread in his oversized paw, inspecting the front and back before popping it into his mouth, "No wonder they're so soft and tiny. I mean... it tastes fine, but I feel like I'm eating air."

"Well, they eat other things too, I think-" Niko responded before being cut off.

"You always got somethin' nice to say about humans. You in love with them or somethin'?" Kaiser snapped venomously.

"I like everybody!" the vulpine responded, ignoring the pointed malice.

"Not everyone likes you, Pup... and hence we train. You'd do well to learn that," Giri interjected in passing, not stopping for a response.

"... I don't think I wanna learn that," Niko replied under his breath, standing to deliver more prepared treats.

Nikki sat thoughtfully nibbling on her supper, amongst a group of shewolves though still isolated socially. A slender shadow passed over her and hovered patiently. She waited several seconds before sighing and looking up, acknowledging the vulpine's presence.

"Hi Alpha, I made this special. I tried to make it like the thing you liked last time," Niko explained as he handed over a leaf-wrapped bundle.

The shewolf pulled back the leaf to reveal a thick bun with a visible red spot bleeding through it. Nikki blinked wordlessly at it before turning her eyebrows up at the fox.

"You know, the thing you took out of my bag."

"Oh... thanks..." the shewolf gestured with the turnover, but it became clear Niko wasn't leaving until she tried it.

With another heavy sigh, she brought the crust up to her lips and bit off a small portion. The flavor hit her taste buds and she paused blankly. It was tart but sweet and unlike anything she had ever tried before. She was astonished by what he was able to concoct with so little, but made a conscious effort to remain straight-faced.

"I made it with crushed wild cherries. For some reason, I feel like you would like those... and it's sweetened with buzz bee honey... and I only got stung twice!" Niko exclaimed, presenting his arm freshly spotted with two reddening lumps.

The alpha nodded before replying more tenderly this time, "Thank you, Pup... it's good."

Now satisfied, Niko smiled and moved on, bringing another personalized morsel to the other alpha wolf.

---

Another night on watch, Niko liked to imagine the pack rested more comfortably tonight after his banquet. It seemed to be another quiet, eventless night until an arm slipped under the vulpine's chin, quickly tightening around his neck.

"Ghk!" Niko barely managed to choke out before he found himself face up on the ground, looking up at the alpha shewolf.

"Surprised you twice now," the wolf sternly stated, not offering to help Niko up.

"No fair! I wasn't ready!" Niko screeched, popping back up to his feet.

"SHH!" the shewolf hushed, motioning towards the sleeping pack, "is that what you'll tell the monster that sneaks up on you?"

"Sorry Alpha, I'll do better next time."

Nikki winced. "You don't have to keep calling me 'Alpha', you know."

The fox raised his eyebrow. "Oh, you mean only Friki is 'Alpha'?"

"No, I'm an alpha too, you and everyone else still have to obey me, it's just..." the shewolf explained, taking a seat on a moss-covered fallen tree.

"It's more typical for the males to refer to Friki as 'Alpha' and the females to refer to me the same way. And only really when you're being commanded. Well... unless you really screw something up. It's different from pack to pack but we just view that level of respect to be... excessive, I guess. You kind of learn when to be personal and when to be formal."

"Does that mean I can start calling him 'Friki' pretty soon, then?" the vulpine chirped.

Nikki furrowed her brow and replied flatly, "I'd just stick to calling him 'Alpha' for the foreseeable future."

"Oh..." Niko sighed and sat down in silence.

The shewolf took a deep breath before continuing pointedly, "Listen, I just wanted to say... thank you... for the food you made. And the effort you're putting in. I still hope you put some thought into what I said the other night... but maybe it's not such a bad idea after all."

"Oh, it was nothing," the vulpine muttered bashfully. "I did think about what you said though! That's why I need to stay now and help Giri teach everyone, so they can protect themselves! He's teaching me too!"

Nikki did her best to suppress a visible cringe, explaining cautiously, "You know... he just uses you as a training dummy."

Niko's head dipped shamefully, his ears flattening to the top of his head as he whined, "I'm not a dummy..."

"No, Niko... I didn't mean that," the shewolf rubbed her forehead in frustration, continuing, "I mean he just uses you to demonstrate."

"But that's why I learn it so well. The rest only see it but I feel it."

"Fuhhh, I guess I can't argue with that," Nikki relented as she rose to her feet. "Get some rest, we should be hitting the top of the Lower Lands tomorrow. Maybe we'll even cross over."

The shewolf left Niko to continue his watch in solitude.

---

The next morning, just as Nikki declared, the pack was on the move; Niko once again hauling the majority of the equipment. Not long into the journey, Ember had begun breaking off the path to collect armfuls of fallen branches, which she promptly piled onto the already mountainous rucksack on the vulpine's back. Niko teetered with each new delivery, struggling to keep the ever-changing load in balance.

This went on for a quarter of an hour or so before Nikki suddenly appeared alongside the pair.

"Ember, stop. We're in a forest, surrounded by trees, there'll be firewood wherever we make camp." Her command was contrasted by the weariness in her voice, failing to sway the impish shewolf.

"These ones are dry, you can never be too careful! Right, Pup?" Ember called out playfully as she moved to drop another batch of lumber on Niko's shoulders.

"Nngh... it's okay, I'm strong enough to carry it all! And if I'm not, it's good exercise so I will be!" the fox assured with a glaring amount of strain.

"Ember!" the alpha shewolf snarled, placing her body in front of the subordinate lupine.

The wolf in question froze in place, dropping the remaining sticks with a start as she stared with wide eyes, her tail curled tightly between her legs. Several nearby conversations were hushed and now spectating the ordeal.

"... Yes, Alpha..." she murmured before breaking off to disappear back among another group of pack-members.

With an agitated shove, Nikki knocked the stack of branches to the forest floor.

"Whoooaa!" Niko stumbled before being steadied by the alpha, still distressed by her sudden change in mood to respond more intelligently.

"You're not gonna be able to help out all day if you tire yourself out now," the shewolf stated flatly, but offered a faint smile before turning to walk away.

Some time past midday, the pack had come upon a clearing marked with the signs of travel. Friki and Giri traveled ahead to inspect it, leaving the rest of the wolves behind in the cover of the trees.

"Definitely used by humans frequently, in the past day or so as well," Giri affirmed while crouched down, investigating the tracks on the dirt road.

"Hrmm..." Friki grumbled anxiously. "We'll pull back a bit and set up temporary camp. I don't want to risk any encounters during the daytime. We'll pick up again before sunrise tomorrow. Oh, and try and keep your lessons low-key in the meantime..."

"Well... I didn't have anything specific planned, but I'll keep it in mind," Giri replied hesitantly, which wasn't entirely true.

He indeed did not have any comprehensive instruction prepared until they reached their next destination, but Kaiser had been particularly insistent on sparring Niko lately. With the expected downtime, Giri wasn't sure if he could put up with any more of the manipulative young lupine's

aggravation.

Sure enough, as the pack settled in, some turning in early to prepare for tomorrow, Kaiser had commenced with his distinct brand of psychological warfare.

"C'mon... you threw him at Talek but not me? You know he's going to hold that over my head for weeks. Don't I get to play with the Pup too?

"I don't know, he's beginning to pick some things up. You know it'll be worse if you take longer to beat him... or if you don't beat him at all..."

"Now you have to let me spar him, you can't drop a dig like that without giving me a chance to throw it back in your face," the wolf grunted while pounding his fist into his palm.

After more than a few moments of quiet deliberation, Giri acquiesced. In no time at all, the vulpine was present and willing to proceed.

The white wolf was soon apprehensive about his decision. "Try not to get out of hand again, we want to keep a low profile this close to a human settlement."

"No time for fun? Quick and efficient it is then," Kaiser stated directly, throwing a few practice punches.

Giri let out an exasperated sigh, already predicting this would be a bad idea. Kaiser had a reputation for being a hothead, all too eager to jump into a fray without regard for his own well-being as evidenced by the numerous scars adorning his face and chest. His low ranking in the pack combined with his small stature probably contributed largely to the sizable chip on his shoulder, Giri imagined.

Aiming to quell the wolf's attitude preemptively, Giri attempted some humor, "Still not taking the earrings out before sparring? No wonder your ear looks like a used chew-toy."

Kaiser ran a hand through his long hair, rubbing it over the half-missing extremity where it jingled the assortment of metal bands that did a poor job of hiding the wound.

"You know I was attacked by a lullabud when I was a pup; don't be so insensitive. Now watch me pound your tiny disciple into the dirt."

Giri shook his head; Kaiser had already locked in on his prey, fixing his wild eyes on the unsuspecting vulpine.

"'Kay! I'm ready when you are!" Niko bounced happily as he finished stretching his arms.

His opponent raised his fists, flashing a dark smile before quietly snarling, "Yer gonna go from under his wing to under my boot, shrimp."

Kaiser inched his way forward, moving directly towards the vulpine. Niko matched his movements, circling outward. Giri watched with quiet curiosity; he had not been teaching Niko anything, at least not directly. Despite this, the youthful fox seemed to be demonstrating a conscious understanding of footwork, measure, and angles when only a few weeks ago he was all but useless in a fight.

As the vulpine exploited his mobility, Kaiser continued to creep forward, covering and absorbing the numerous jabs thrown at him. The occasional strike that slipped through seemed to have little effect, but the werewolf's lack of response emboldened Niko to raise the intensity with some more advanced techniques he had been waiting to display. Settling back to brace himself, the vulpine threw a powerful kick at the body of his opponent, expecting more impact against Kaiser's lackadaisical defenses.

To Niko's surprise, the lupine suddenly sprang forward, completely ignoring the shock of the shin to his abdomen. It landed with a thud, causing Kaiser to produce a low chuff, but with his leg still in the air, Niko was in no position to defend against the wild overhand the werewolf responded with. The vulpine staggered backwards where he caught his balance, but remained wobbly on his feet. Giri tensed up, prepared to step in, but otherwise remained silent.

Taking full advantage of the reversal, Kaiser continued his forward rush, grabbing the stunned vulpine by the throat and lifting him a foot in the air with a single hand. Niko kicked his legs wildly as he clung to the wolf's meaty forearm with his free hands. With his opponent's body now exposed, Kaiser cocked his other hand back and fired a volley of solid punches at the hanging vulpine's midsection.

Releasing his grip on the werewolf's arm, Niko tucked his elbows and legs in an attempt to shield himself from the blows. Though he was successful in deflecting the majority of the shots away from his ribs and stomach, the sheer violence of them ensured they achieved their hostile intent, guarded or not.

"Easy, Kaiser!" the white wolf stepped forward, moving to get between the two fighters.

Before Giri could intervene, the vulpine's foot planted against Kaiser's face, and he kicked off the wolf, springing away back onto his feet.

"Okay okay, hold up! Enough for now!" Giri moved between the two before Kaiser continued his assault.

The younger wolf panted heavily, more from rage than exhaustion, but slowed his breathing as he lowered his fists.

"You got off lucky this time, shrimp. We'll finish this later," he grumbled before stomping off.

Niko continued swaying on his feet, his expression unusually aloof.

"Hey, hey! Are you alright? Niko, can you hear me?" Giri approached the vulpine, waving his hand in the fox's blank face.

Niko blinked and shook his head, his typical demeanor immediately returning to him. "Wow, he hits hard! I feel fine now. Do you feel fine, Master?"

"Do I feel fine? I'm not the one he just pummeled."

Niko shrugged, diverting his eyes from the wolf's gaze. "It's just... you called me 'Niko'."

"Humm..." Giri coughed, clearing his throat, "I just wanted to make sure you weren't out on your feet; he rung your bell pretty good. I wasn't sure if you'd remember your new name."

He took another brief, scrutinizing scan of the vulpine before assessing nothing was of concern. "Well... you'll live. Take a break, we're leaving before sunrise tomorrow."

Approaching the alpha from behind, Giri stood by his side and joined in observing the pack for a moment before speaking up.

"Maybe give the pup the night off from watch? I think Kaiser rattled his brains..."

Friki narrowed his eyes inquisitively at the sudden concern for the vulpine.

"...a-and if we're leaving before dawn, we'll need him rested to carry the supplies."

"Hff," Friki acknowledged with an abrupt chuff before moving on.

---

Even though Niko was given the night off from watch, he awoke restless. At first, he attributed it to residual soreness from yesterday's thrashing at Kaiser's hands. In truth, his sleep was plagued by dreams of abstract tension and sinking feelings; the only clear detail being a consistent theme of rising flames throughout. Attempting to shake the trepidation and drowsiness from his head, the vulpine focused on his task. Today's trek past Potos Village was an important one and the pack moved more quietly and somberly than Niko was used to seeing.

About an hour after the pack had begun moving, Friki wordlessly signaled for the convoy to hold. Giri joined by his side, along with his mate and several other members Niko had noted seemed to be more trusted by the alpha. They communicated quietly in hushed voices the fox couldn't make out, then lowered their postures and disappeared into the woods. Talek broke off from the front and moved down the line, motioning for everyone to get down & stay still, his usual jaunty attitude completely absent.

Niko mimicked the actions of the wolves around him, but his tail fluttered uncontrollably. This was a completely new affair he had not witnessed before, and the tension was not lost on him. He wanted to whisper to any of the neighboring wolves to inquire on what was happening, but the pack was completely silent.

Before his imagination could run wild with possibilities, he smelled it. Numerous twitching snouts and traded gazes of concern from those around him confirmed the rest had smelled it too.

Smoke.

It wasn't uncommon for the scent to linger around human settlements he had visited. But this was distinctly not the smell of a stove or a fireplace. It did not smell of tinder or kindling or roasted banquet. It was wild, motley, and reeked of things not meant to be burned. It stung his nostrils and made the hair on his neck rise.

Shortly after, dark clouds began to crest over the distant treetops, visually affirming what they had already sensed. Signs of panic were beginning to brew when the missing wolves returned as quietly as they departed, regrouping at the front.

This time, they spoke in more urgent, louder voices Niko could overhear. They came in a chaotic jumble, on the heels of each other, all directed at the dark alpha.

"It's the human village alright, and definitely not an accident."

"-signs of battle leading right up to it-"

"-Friki, unnaturally high concentrations of monster activity on the village outskirts-"

"What do we do?!"

Friki inhaled deeply and stared gravely at the ground with pursed lips. The sound of a crash, like violent thunder, followed by a concussive boom compelled all present to whip their heads in its direction.

Friki spun back to the group, his voice now commanding, "We head back south now, back past Gaia's Navel. Urgent pace, make sure nobody falls behind or gets separated. Leave anything we can afford to lose."

The exodus back south was quick and quiet. The pack moved with such haste that they had gone past Gaia's Navel by midday before needing to stop and rest. The exhaustion from the hurried withdrawal was only compounded by the confusion and dismay permeating throughout the pack. Sensing this, Friki moved to address the pack after everyone was accounted for and settled.

"Okay... we should be clear this far out. Let's be careful around the human villages, we know how they get when they're afraid... especially after disaster."

There was a light rumbling of murmurs among the pack before an older wolf spoke up, "Is this it then? What we've been getting ready for?"

The alpha wolf sighed and thought carefully before answering, "We have some theories but we're not ready to make any rash decisions yet. Don't let your guards down now, though. Whatever it is, we'll get through it together, just as we always have."

---

Out of earshot from the pack of slumbering wolves, Nikki had once again remained awake to accompany the vulpine for a portion of his shift at night watch.

Niko fidgeted nervously on a fallen log before finally voicing what was weighing on his mind, "So what was Alpha talkin' about earlier today? 'What everyone is waiting for'?"

The shewolf drew a long sigh. "Everything that happened 10 years ago. I've heard some packs call it 'The Dark Times' or 'Calamity' or something close to that. I'm sure humans have their own name for it. Were you even old enough to remember?"

"Oh yeah, I was little but I remember. It scared my parents a lot more than it scared me."

"Because they aren't fools." Nikki replied bluntly, prompting a frown from the vulpine.

"Anyway... at the time, Friki and I were part of a larger pack. Two packs had combined to look out for each other and stay safe. Normally that kind of thing is rare but... not a lot of us thought we'd be making it through all... that."

The lupine paused for a moment, as if she were shaking off some particularly chilling memories.

"Once it was over, there was disagreement about how to continue. Friki thought we needed to be proactive in case something like that happened again. Over the years, he grew more vocal about it while- he thought at least, others were growing more complacent. There were some arguments... some fights... eventually Friki made an appeal to the entire pack. If they were content, they could stay; but those willing to look for something better could join him. Not many came with us... a small handful of young and able-bodied dreamers... the rest had families to think about, or were too old to go chasing something that might not exist. That's why the pack has no elders or pups."

"Oh... I never really noticed that before," Niko mused with a hint of embarrassment. "So wait, none of you are gonna have kids?"

The shewolf shifted nervously, choosing her words carefully, "Friki never explicitly disallowed having young... we all knew how dangerous raising pups would be before we found somewhere we could settle safely."

"Aw, that's too bad. I think you'd make a great mom," Niko replied casually while fiddling with a thin branch stemming from the log.

The shewolf was unable to stifle a bashful smile, placing her hand on the vulpine's head and ruffling the spiky fuzz on top rather vigorously.

Niko shook his head, partially amending his hair. "I wish you could meet my mom. I think you'd be friends, though you're a lot older than my mom I think."

"Excuse me, unless your mother had you as a pup, there's no way I'd be 'a lot older', thank you."

"Huh, maybe with wolves, it's different," the fox considered, scratching his chin. "Or it just looks like it 'cuss my mom doesn't have muscles like you do."

"I'll show you muscles," Nikki growled quietly, grabbing Niko by the muzzle and giving him a shove.

The vulpine flipped backward, disappearing behind the log, leaving only his feet and tail dangling over the top.

"Gnh!" Niko groaned as he pushed himself off his back and returned to his seat on the log, "Wow, yer a lot stronger than you look!"

"Oh, now I don't look strong?"

"Yeah, you do but I mean like... even stronger than that!"

The shewolf sat in silence, drawing out the moment of levity for as long as possible before changing the tone. "Listen... why don't you get some sleep?"

"But my watch isn't done yet and Rex hates it when I-"

"Let me worry about Rex," she cut Niko off, "just get some rest. Do me a favor, trust me on this."

"Okay! I can do that," the vulpine slurred with a drawn-out yawn. "I am kinda tired."

He stumbled off, only making it a few steps before slumping to the ground and curling into a heap. Nikki proceeded past him and began to nudge the dozing form of Rex, who stirred with a grumble.

"Rrnnn... Pup, iffit ain't daylight, m'gonna beat th'daylights outta- Nikki? What's going on? Pup fall asleep?"

"I relieved him. After everything that's happened... I've got a really bad feeling tonight. I think someone with more experience should be keeping watch right now," she replied sternly.

Rex balked before responding, "S- sure... if you say so."

Not that he would have normally disobeyed, but something about the concern in the shewolf's usually stoic temperament put him on edge. He continued to stare in contemplation as the alpha walked off, leaving him to himself.

---

"More over here!"-"Heads up, behind you!"-"Grrr, we trained for this, come on!"

Scattered voices flooded Niko's dreams in unison. Their identities were familiar, but the tone was unlike what he was used to. The camaraderie and raillery was replaced with savagery and desperation. Blurred images spiraled around through hazy lenses as Niko stirred from torpor. When his eyes finally focused and his ears cleared up, the scene before him was of complete chaos.

Most of the wolves were on their feet, facing off against fast-moving shadows. Those still on the ground were shielding fellow pack-members or nursing various appendages of their own. Swarming around the entire camp were all manner of hostile monsters; many in direct engagements while others darted about, harrying as many different targets as possible. He recognized some of the creatures from his journey, but had only read about the dangers of the others now surrounding the camp.

From out of the darkness, a blue, winged creature soared over the heads of a pair of werewolves, letting out a piercing screech that rang Niko's ears from where he sat. The two wolves underneath fell to their knees, stunned, clasping their hands over their heads. Before any further harm came to them, Niko could hear the sound of familiar voices.

"That's twelve! Yer fallin' behind, short-stuff!" Talek shouted as he nabbed the assaulting blat out of the sky, spiking it to the ground.

Kaiser charged forward with a determined grimace; a buzz bee locked in his sights. The predatory insect angled its abdomen towards the attacking wolf, projecting its venomous sting like a dart. Covering his face with his meaty forearm, Kaiser's advance was undeterred by the large stinger partially embedded below his elbow. Before the buzz bee could react to its attack having no effect, the snarling lupine unleashed an uppercut that sent the bug's body disappearing into the night sky; its wings remaining in the air for a slight moment before fluttering to the ground.

"Nine!" he answered back as he swatted the bee's stinger out of his quickly-swelling arm, then moved onto another cluster of monsters.

Niko pushed himself up into a crouch, overwhelmed by the absolute pandemonium of the melee. He wasn't sure if he should aid the injured pack-members or help fight off the attacking beasts when he spotted a familiar-looking flower out of the corner of his eye. Tensing his arms and legs, he inched forward stealthily before preparing to pounce.

On the other side of the skirmish, two rabites and an accompanying lullabud found themselves suddenly blanketed in total shadow. Pausing their offense, they looked up to the source and the last thing they would ever see was a gigantic crimson werewolf crashing down on top of them.

"Three more!" Talek roared with a hearty laugh, "That's twenty already! Might as well give up now and leave the rest to me!"

"Thirteen... fourteen!" Kaiser growled back as he tore through creatures with wild haymakers. "I'm not done yet!"

"Herd's thinnin' quick! Might not be enough left to catch up at this rate! You..." Talek cut himself off as he spied Ember bearing down on an apprehensive mushboom.

The myconid demihuman seemed conscious of the tide rapidly turning against it and spun to see the eager shewolf looming over it.

"Eeeat this!" Ember shouted as she punted the walking fungus back into the surrounding woods, but not before it released a cloud of noxious spores in defense.

The shewolf teetered on her feet for a brief moment before stumbling backwards and collapsing in a heap, nearly crashing into a fallen log had she not landed directly in the rapidly arriving arms of Talek.

"Easy, Ember! I gotcha!" he assured her, easily lifting her off her feet as she went completely limp.

"Mmmbout time... you made a move... on me... y'big wusss," the shewolf slurred as she slumped her head against Talek's chest.

"Ahh jeez, Ember... Come on, let's get you somewhere safe, they're on the run now."

"Twenty-two!" Kaiser screamed out victoriously, holding up the limp form of a lullabud, "And the rest have turned tail! How's defeat taste, lover-boy?!"

"Haaahhh... yeaaahhh... howsit taste, Tallie?" Ember jeered through weary lips.

The large werewolf scoffed in response, trying to mask his chagrin. "Tch... only lost cuz'a y- ah, whatever..."

Giri ducked an incoming boomerang and parried the follow-up hand axe of a kid goblin before countering with a sharp elbow to its neck. It fell to the ground with a loud shriek; a second strike silenced it completely.

"They're on the run!" he announced to his comrades as he scanned the battlefield. "Finish the stragglers, gather the wounded, get a head count! Make sure everyone is accounted for... where's Pup?"

Niko careened through the stem of his target which exploded in a shower of petals. He tumbled end-over-end twice before settling on top of the leafy remains with his hands tightly clutching unmoving fronds, expecting them to writhe in death throes at any second. The vulpine's attention was suddenly diverted at the spontaneous and synchronized eruption of lupine howling.

From all around him, Niko watched as the pack united in primal song; even those tending to their own wounds were now up on their feet with their heads thrown back. Their calls echoed into the night, piercing the forest in a message of defiance and warning. The cries continued for minutes on end before abruptly tapering off in the same unison it began in.

Spotting Niko sitting in awe with mouth agape, adorned by shredded leaves & petals, Rex took the opportunity to throw some shade at the vulpine, "Thank Luna this didn't happen while Pup was on watch. Were you picking flowers during the attack?"

Niko felt the flash of heat rise to his face as several wolves looked over and joined in the snickering. He attempted to deflect the embarrassment, "That was so cool! You all did that at once without planning! Did you practice it or something?"

"Pup!" Giri shouted, the sudden attention drawing him over, "There you are... just... go help bring supplies to the wounded, would you?"

As Niko ran off to comply with the white wolf's orders, Friki arrived in haste to confer with his second-in-command.

Giri turned to the aftermath, shaking his head, "This was a coordinated monster attack. I haven't seen that since-"

"I know..." Friki cut him off, showing a rare hint of distress.

"What do we do now?"

The wolf shook his head and released a fatigued sigh.

Giri recoiled slightly, more taken aback by the alpha's dismay than the surrounding carnage.

"Should... I gather the council to convene on a plan? ... If you don't have one-"

"I trust you as much as my mate, but you know I can't show that, even to you. The pack looks to me for strength and assurance. If I can't give that to them, I need to find someone who can," Friki nearly trailed off as he cast his gaze northward.

It took him a moment to realize his alpha's subtext, but when he did, the white wolf's eyes widened. "You're not thinking of going to her-"

"I'm thinking a lot of things lately," the wolf once again interrupted, "And it's all to keep everyone here safe."

With an abrupt turn and a barking of orders, the entire pack was soon gathered around as Friki prepared to address everyone.

"Some of you have already heard, some may have guessed. A human village was attacked... destroyed. Everything surrounding the attack; the method, the outcome, the increase in monster activity, it all points to the same thing. A resurgence of the events from 10 years ago."

An outbreak of gasps and scattered grumbles overtook the pack before being silenced by a wave of the alpha's hand.

"We knew this day would eventually come. When I asked you all to join me many moons ago, you came in anticipation of this exact moment. We've been preparing for this; nothing changes. We will ride this storm out and remain standing when it passes."

Amidst the roaring cheers, Niko couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. On the surface, this seemed like the kind of storybook adventure he left home to seek. Still though, he couldn't shake this distant mote of foreboding in his gut.

---

After the attack, there was no shortage of attendance at Giri's lessons. They now ran multiple times a day, cycling out pack members based on daily tasks, so that everyone spent some part of their day training. No order from Friki was necessary to motivate those who had been opting out in the past; their new scrapes and bruises were persuasive enough. In light of the new potential threats, Giri had some specialized drills in mind.

"... and your average beast or untrained brawler is countered by generally the same techniques you'd employ against a grappler," the white wolf announced to his newly enlarged class. "So grappling only; that means no striking, no clawing, no kicking. Got it, Pup?"

"Mmhm!" Niko bounded in place, warming up.

"Oh... and if you get the chance..." Giri leaned in and whispered further instructions.

Some of the closer students shifted forward trying to catch the gist of the secretive information, but the only clues they were given were the vulpine's broadening smile and furious nodding in response.

Standing opposite of Niko, one of the mid-ranking pack members and new attendees to Giri's practice was eager to test his abilities against the vulpine. He stood at the ready, waiting for the instructor to signal the start of combat.

"Okay, let's see it!" Giri roared as he stepped back from between the two competitors, throwing his raised hand downward, "Sick him, Pup!"

Niko lowered his head, charging wildly towards his opponent, only to be diverted and thrown to the ground. He was back on his feet in an instant and heading straight for the wolf again, energized by the hooting & shouting of the onlookers. This time, he absorbed a sharp punch before being shoved to the side, having greater effect in slowing down the fox. Niko shook his head out quickly before pouncing once more, this time getting his arms around the other fighter's waist.

With some effort, the wolf managed to pry the vulpine away, slamming him into the ground and following up with a kick that sent him rolling away like a ragdoll where he stopped, motionless. The crowd settled into a quiet hush as the wolf traded uncertain glances with Giri.

"... I think I killed him," he finally blurted, breaking the silence.

Without warning, Niko sprang forward along the ground, hugging the werewolf's knee with his arms and locking his jaws around its unprotected ankle.

The wolf jumped and kicked, trying to dislodge his attacker while shouting, "Ahh! He's biting! He's biting!"

"I said 'grappling'," Giri snickered, "He's grappling with his mouth!"

From a distance, sounds of the commotion attracted dulled senses. Stumbling to a row of thick brush to pry apart the foliage and peer through, blurred eyes squinted in effort to make out the scene before their owner. He couldn't be sure of what he was witnessing; his vision certainly wasn't improving with his age, and he did have a bit to drink. With a thorough rubbing and some blinking, it became clear his eyes did not deceive him.

Little did Edwin know when set out to clear his head that he would come across the source of what the village had warned about hearing in the dead of night. Even more surprising was the fact that the vulpine who had only recently visited Kippo now seemed to be tangled up in a skirmish with the monsters. Before he could even begin to consider how to respond, the sound of a branch snapping behind him urged him to spin around, finding himself face-to-chest with an oversized red werewolf.

"Hey there, meat," Talek rumbled with a grim smile.

Shoved past the tree line, Edwin stood in shocked silence as two more werewolves scrutinized him. The shorter brown one seemed particularly displeased with his presence.

"Wanna bet his head and a rabite react the same way to my boot?" Kaiser sneered as he cracked his knuckles.

Rex chuckled in response, but seemed eager to lower the tensions. "He smells stone-drunk, his people prob'ly won't believe a word he says."

His counterpart was uninterested in de-escalation. "They'll just as easily believe he fell into a river and couldn't swim to shore."

Edwin let out a mix between a whine and a gasp as his eyes darted back & forth between the two hostile beasts. His breathing only accelerated as a fourth lupine rapidly approached; this one with a pure white coat.

"What's this?" Giri growled with quiet urgency.

"Lookie what I found creepin' around the bushes," Talek trilled in an almost sing-song manner as he nudged the human's shoulder, pushing him forward. "He doesn't quite look like a 'Dinner', so I'm thinkin' about callin' him 'Snack'. How's that name sound, Snack?"

Giri's eyes narrowed as he trained them on the human, whose skin was now almost as pale as the wolf's fur. "Why are you here? Who sent you? Something wrong with you?! Speak!"

"I... I-uhh... huuh..." Edwin stammered, stopping with an abrupt hiccup as yet another figure bounded up upon the group.

"Oh, it's Edwin! Hi, Edwin!" Niko called out from behind the interrogating werewolf.

"Stay back, Pup! And keep quiet!" Giri erupted in a muted hiss.

"Oh, okay Master! Bye, Edwin!" the vulpine responded charmingly as he obeyed, but not before throwing another excited wave at the now stunned human.

Giri grit his teeth and shook his head, taking several deep breaths before pulling the human towards him by the collar. With his muzzle nearly pressed against Edwin's face, the wolf made a point of drawing air through his nostrils.

"We have your scent now and we'll never forget it," he whispered in a low growl. "Think about this before you run back to tell your human village that monsters live nearby. If just one of us survives, we'll hunt you down until the end of your days."

Edwin's eyes widened but he remained silent.

"Remember this act of mercy; if you cross us again, there will not be another. Now... run. And don't look back."

Edwin was released roughly, almost tripping over his own feet as he stumbled backward. He froze for a brief moment before a sharp bark by Talek caused him to nearly jump out of his skin and tear off back into the woods. The large werewolf laughed loudly in response, quite pleased with himself.

"We shouldn't've let him leave," Kaiser grumbled as he stepped back next to Giri, watching as the villager disappeared behind the trees.

"You wanna kill a human right after one of their villages is destroyed and we're attacked?" Giri retorted, his voice laced with annoyance, "That's heat we don't need."

Despite being instructed otherwise, Niko had once again popped up behind the two wolves. "Hey! Where'd Edwin go?"

"You knew him..." Giri spit in a way that sounded less like a confirmation and more like an accusation.

"Yeah, he's my friend! Did he go back to Kippo?" Niko inquired disappointingly.

"There's a reason we don't interact with humans, Pup. Any one meeting with one of your friends could compromise the entire pack. I warned you about how dangerous they are."

"I think the villagers are good people, just like you guys! I like to look for the good sides of people, I'm optimistic! It means I always look for the good sides of p-"

"I KNOW what it means!" Giri shouted, causing the vulpine to jump. "And keep this to yourself, everyone's had enough scares recently."

The wolf stormed off back towards the camp, dreading how many others witnessed what had occurred and how much damage-control he'd have to perform. Rex and Talek followed closely behind, but Kaiser stopped in front of the fox.

"I still owe you a beating, shrimp. I can cash in at any time; don't you forget it!" He leaned in close, nearly pushing Niko backward with his skull before continuing in a low voice, "And this little stunt today will be fresh in my mind when I do."

Niko raised his eyebrows in silent response as the wolf sauntered off with his chest still puffed out. He cocked his head in consideration before taking one last look to the woods where Kippo lay a short journey away, then departed to rejoin the others.

---

Night watch was significantly busier after the attack, with multiple pack members taking shifts throughout until morning. Niko appreciated the extra sleep and additional company, but those who shared watch with him seemed colder than normal. He wondered if the sideways looks he found himself on the other end of had something to do with the recent attack or another thing entirely.

As dawn broke, the vulpine helped prepare to move camp northward. Once again, they had hoped to reach Gaia's Navel to stop for a rest before moving even further beyond. Niko continued to notice odd behavior among an increasing number of the wolves as they regarded him. Talek and Kaiser seemed to be roaming from one group to another, having quiet discussions that resulted in some extended scornful glances in the fox's direction. Even Niko's spirits were beginning to falter as his stomach fluttered, this time, he was sure not due to hunger.

After only a short while, Friki called a halt to the party, gathering a few of his trusted troops to scout ahead. No alarm was spread throughout the pack, but there were rumblings of concern; a number of the higher-ranking wolves were on edge. Niko loosened his pack and lowered it to the ground, hoping to get a sense of the situation when the alpha shewolf pulled him over, startling him.

"There's some disturbing buzzing going around the camp," Nikki said with a hush.

"Yeaaah..." Niko agreed, sniffing the air. "I can feel something's up, but I don't know what yet."

The shewolf shook her head. "I meant about you, Niko. Word's spreading about you drawing humans, some are saying they even saw you palling around with one yesterday."

"Huh? You mean Edwin?"

"Never mind its name. Now I know you're used to being around humans, I'm not angry about that, but you've got to be careful about how that looks around here. This is a small pack; bad wind travels fast and smells worse the further it spreads."

Niko sniffed the air once more, this time giving more attention to his own person. "I don't smell anything diff-"

"A lot of us have bad history with them," the wolf cut him off, shaking her head again. "... especially Friki. If he caught wind of this..."

"Aw, I made friends with everyone in Kippo! Nobody needs to worry about them, they were all so nice! Do you think it would help if I told everyone about all the villagers I met?"

The shewolf sighed before responding, "Niko, I..."

She cut herself off as her vision snapped to the forest's outskirts.

---

"You don't really think Edwin's got all his facts straight, do you? He was on a real bender that night."

"You heard what we all heard, Geoff. Something's out there," the man's grip tightened around the shaft of his shovel. "We already had one come into our home. We can't let that happen again."

"Easy, Russell. If they're out this far, they're probably steering clear of the village... if they're even out here. Still not sure what to think of the vulpine shacking up with them."

A third man bent some brush aside to allow the others passage. He carried nothing in his hands, but a dagger remained sheathed on his belt.

In response to the conversation, he scoffed in exasperation, "I cannae believe the beast boy's wi' them. They musta nabbed him or somethin'. He was such a nice lad."

"I don't know, William... You think they'd just eat him, not adopt him or the like."

"Tch..." Russell spat, "Mutts of a feather... they're all the same."

"There's no reason to get ahead of ourselves. Let's reserve our judgment for when we actually find something. In fact, I'd say we've gone far enough. This is well outside the outskirts of town; if werewolves are this far out, I say let 'em be. It's not like... wait... you hear that?" Geoff crouched low to the ground, using the prongs of his pitchfork to pry the top of a brush downward, peeking over the top.

---

Silence fell over the pack as the alpha shewolf commanded it with a gesture, others joining in scanning their surroundings. Nikki's ears pivoted until they focused on one particular section of shrubbery. When the gleam of metal caught her eye, she spun back to the pack.

"Go! Head towards Gaia's Navel! We'll meet with you shortly!" she called out to the caravan, before grabbing Niko and stopping him.

"Leave the bags, follow them. Don't look back, no matter what you hear. Promise me!" She did not let go, awaiting the vulpine's acknowledgement.

Niko froze for a brief moment, the sudden weight of the past few days hitting him at once.

"Promise!" the shewolf shouted louder this time.

The vulpine snapped back to his senses, nodding his head. "Yes, Alpha!"

Nikki finally released him, smiling one last time before commanding, "Go!"

She then turned to a few remaining wolves, directing them into a tight formation and leaving in the other direction. As concerned as he was, Niko did not break his promise, taking off after the fleeing pack.

The other wolves had done an effective job of escaping with little trace. Niko had lost sight of all of them entirely, and they left little visual evidence of their movements, but he could still track their scent. He followed for a short while before being hit by another familiar smell; the falls of Gaia's Navel filling his nostrils once again. Just as he was prepared to regroup with the pack, the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps prompted him to turn to the source.

Edwin nearly collided with the vulpine, panting frantically as he grabbed the youth's shoulders, struggling to get his words out, "Hah... Niko... haah... guh-I didn't... I didn't wanna... didn't wanna tell them... huh... ahh... they knew, they knew! Please, tell your friends it wasn't me! It wasn't me!"

"TRAITOR!"

Edwin spun to see the werewolf who threatened him earlier barreling towards them with fury in its yellow eyes.

"Oh, Goddess!" he sputtered before scrambling off into the woods.

Niko stepped forward into the path of the charging wolf. "Kaiser! Are the others with you? I didn't see what hap-"

The wolf did not slow his approach, responding with a charging punch to the vulpine's face which was only narrowly avoided when the fox brought his arms up to cover himself.

Niko regained his footing and shook his head out.

"Jeez Kaiser, I know you wanted to spar again but I don't think this is the best time..." the fox murmured smugly.

"Humans again? With weapons?! You expect me to believe it's just a coincidence?! I'll crush you for this!" Kaiser screamed before leaping forward with another attack.

It's no use, when Kaiser wants to fight, there's no stopping him, Niko thought. I guess I'll just have to give him what he wants!

The vulpine sprang into action with the same characteristic glee Kaiser had grown to abhor, but with something else unexpected. He had never seen the fox move as skillfully as this before.

---

"We've lost them by now, surely," the white wolf announced as he regrouped with his alpha. "Stupid humans probably didn't even see us to begin with..."

Friki looked over the heads of the wolves that remained with him; his more trusted scouts and fighters that stayed behind to lead the villagers away, including his mate. When they were all accounted for, he addressed the beta wolf.

"Good. They won't follow us this far, even if they managed to scrape together enough courage to come out here armed. If they do, we won't run further," he growled through gritted teeth.

"It's gotta be the recent attacks. They never get this defensive so far outside their little villages... not since before," Giri mused, looking for answers.

"They're afraid," the alpha shewolf added. "Fear causes everyone to act rashly. We can't afford to make the same mistake."

In emphasis to her point, she stalled to check behind them. The cliffs of Gaia's Navel began to come into view as the wolves continued their exchange.

"This is true, but... perhaps that's not the whole story," Friki contemplated. "There's something else that concerns me... a stink. When those humans drew near, I knew I smelled something familiar."

As the distant roar of the falls started to reach their ears, another more urgent sound began to overpower it. Hurrying towards the commotion, they saw signs a human had only recently been through this area. A moment later, they had arrived at the source of the turmoil. There, in the clearing ahead, Kaiser was engaged in a fierce battle, attacking without restraint. His opponent was the vulpine.

"And I know a rat when I smell one..." Friki snarled as he took off towards the pair, his companions following close behind.

When Nikki had confirmed their tails were clear, she turned to see the rest of her party running towards a battle. When she saw who the combatants were and the aggression of the wolves now rushing to join it, it took her breath away.

"Oh no..." she gasped, moving at a full sprint to catch up in time.

Niko quickly adapted to Kaiser's rapid escalation of violence, finding a level of comfort that was strangely becoming as natural as breathing. If anything, the wolf's increased animosity only made him more predictable, easier to divert, and easier to punish. He was on the verge of laughing with delight when an incredible force slammed into him from behind, throwing him to the ground. Niko sprung back to his feet to see the dark alpha wolf towering over him.

"You think I wouldn't recognize the scent? The very same one when we first found you?" he condemned ominously.

Niko had seen this look before, but never this intense. The wolf's eyes were nearly completely obscured by shadow, disappearing in the charcoal fur of his muzzle. Only the scar on the alpha's eye gave any indication of what his gaze was locked onto.

"W-wha..." Niko's eyes widened but his words never materialized.

They were cut off by Kaiser's fist sinking so deep into his stomach, it lifted him off the ground, knocking all the wind out of his lungs. The vulpine fell to his hands and knees, choking on what felt like his own tongue, fighting to catch his breath. Relief was denied as he was quickly yanked up and held from behind by Talek, exposing his ribs to the rest of the wolves before him. More strikes to his torso further delayed the prospect of breathing until his thinking clouded and his vision began to grow dark.

When he proved incapable of standing on his own power, Niko was thrown to the ground where blows continued to fall upon him, no longer causing pain at this point; just additional shock. As his consciousness faded, the last thing he could make out was the voice of the alpha shewolf pleading that it was enough.