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Screams, explosions, ashes, and the scent of blood filled the early Summer air as Fenrir raced through the compromised stronghold. He'd known this day was coming. In fact, he'd spent the entirety of his rather short life preparing for this very moment. The day when he would fulfill his one and only duty to his clan. Fenrir's heart pounded in his ears as he glanced frantically at the burning huts, demolished wooden fortifications, and the other canines of various species scampering to escape the hostile invaders. Despite knowing what he had to do, Fenrir couldn't bring himself to end it all just yet. If he was going to die for the good of his tribe, the young wolf would do so after doing all he could as he was.

"Not yet! Not while there's still something I can do! I have to make sure she's safe!" he told himself as his hands clutched that of his younger sisters. She panted as she followed after him, doing her best to keep pace with her older brother. Fenrir just had to make sure she was out of harm's way before he committed to what was needed of him. The moment he fulfilled his duty to the tribe, there was no telling who he'd attack, be it friend or foe.

"I can't let her see me like that... I can't let her last memories of her brother be that of a monster!" What's more, he didn't want her to see the monster he was about to become. Better for her last memory of her brother to be that of a loving protector than that of a mindless Demon.

Just when it looked as though they might get away, something grabbed the girl and pulled her free of her brother's grasp. Gasping, Fenrir stopped in his tracks and turned. A large man with scarred, fair skin had taken hold of his sibling, snickering as she struggled to escape. The Aesir were a race of Humans from the realm of Asgard, a continent to the North known for being a cold, harsh land. Many of the Aesir had adopted the ways of the Vikings, pirates who sailed across the world to pillage other lands for their resources. While the slavery of other Humans and Elvhen had been outlawed, no such protection existed for the Beast races such as the Fauna. The Vikings had come to their shores for that reason, and there was little to nothing the Fauna could do to stop them.

"Let her go!" The man snickered as his captive pleaded with tears in her eyes.

"Why don't you make me runt? I'll gladly haul both of you back to the ship!" Fenrir gritted his teeth and glanced at his sister. No ordinary child could ever hope to take on a trained Aesir warrior and hope to live, let alone emerge victorious. But Fenrir was no ordinary child. Dark wisps began to rise off his raised fur as he channeled violent desires to hurt and kill. As the Vice grew in potency, the Fauna could feel a certain corruption spreading throughout his body. Though it made him stronger, he could feel his sense of self slipping into a feral, single-mindedness. Before he could succumb to that impulse, however, Fenrir was forced to evade the swing of a large, studded metal club. Jumping away, he saw that yet another raider had arrived on the scene.

"Demon Soul, eh? Do you really think we haven't seen that little trick before?" The man pointed his weapon at the young wolf cub and nodded to his crew mate.

"You take her. I'm gonna bludgeon this puppy to death before he can transform." The Viking holding Fenrir's sibling hostage nodded.

"Make it quick. We don't need him causing us any problems while we round up the rest." He turned and began to carry the young she-wolf away as she screamed and kicked out.

"No! Let me go! Fen! Help!" she cried, the terror of her impending demise making her voice go shrill. Fenrir turned to give chase.

"I said, let her go!"

"I don't think so, brat!" The second Aesirean swung his club into the ground, causing the ground underneath Fenrir's feet to erupt like a land mind. The young canine was launched, hurtling through the air, disoriented by the explosion produced by the Aesirean's enchanted weapon. Following up on his initial assault, the man leaped into the air before proceeding to spike him back down with a detonating strike to the skull. Fenrir landed with a jarring thud, scalp bleeding and ears ringing from the impact. Despite the pain he was feeling, the accompanying dizziness made it hard to channel his Vice. Effectively incapacitated, he could only watch as the man approached him, leering over his concussed prey.

"Not bad, runt. You Demon Souls are pretty weak normally, but you get pretty resilient the closer you are to turning. Now let's see how many more swings it takes until you stop moving for good," he advocated sadistically. Digging his claws into the soil, Fenrir growled as he forced the chaotically destructive power of his emotions to a fever pitch. Pushing himself on all fours, he lunged and struck the Viking in the gut, putting all his strength into the blow. Despite the difference in power, he managed to wound and send the man reeling. Collapsing onto the ground, the dark wisps vanished as Fenrir was left retching blood and what little food was in his stomach. He recoiled at the rancid taste of vomit and iron. Body trembling from a deathly cold, the Fauna's vision lost focus and began to blur.

"No... It can't end like this. This wasn't... how I was supposed to die," he lamented. The club-wielding Viking staggered before righting himself, the look of gleeful satisfaction having been consumed by inconsolable fury.

"Why, you little-" He stalked toward the Fauna, ready to smash him into a paste for having the gall to attack him. Unable to even call for help, the wolf tearfully prepared for the worst as a flickering light sped towards him.

"Get away from him, bastard!" Before the Viking even had a chance to process what had been said, a golden hammer crackling with electricity struck him in the face. His head snapped back as he went sliding back, stunned from both the impact as well as the lingering voltage rippling through him. Fenrir gasped as a figured land between him and the Viking, standing firm with a weapon in hand. His savior was a boy no older than he was. Where Fenrir expected another wolf from his clan, the boy was neither, nor was he a Fauna. Rather, he was a member of the race of Aesir, much like their attackers. With a shaggy crew cut of cherry red hair and gray eyes like those of a storm cloud, the stocky pre-teen menaced the Viking standing across from him. The man shook his head clear of the delirium and grimaced.

"Dammit! Master Thor? What the hell do you think you're doing?" The boy didn't flinch in response.

"Stopping you. Attacking our enemies is one thing, but going after people who haven't done anything to you... This is just wrong!" he criticized.

"People? You think these beasts are people?" The Viking made a disgusted noise and spat blood.

"They're vermin! Every last one! That one, there is a damn Demon Soul too!"

"Father told me that traveling with you would teach me to be a conqueror. But if this is what he meant, I don't want anything to do with it!"

"Then go wait on the ship with the ship with the Necromancer. You may not like it, but your father gave us a job to do. I'm killing this runt, even if I've gotta knock you out to do it." The boy didn't flinch, even when the Viking pointed his club at him.

"Don't worry. I won't let him touch you," he reassured. The wisps coming off Fenrir's body vanished as the Viking came charging with a roar toward them. Holding out his hammer, the boy conducted his power through the weapon, cladding it a veil of lightning.

"Mjolnir: Thunder God Stormbreaker!" With a single swing, the young Aesirean shattered the club into fragments with the crack of thunder. The Viking's eyes rolled in the back of his head as lateral bolts projected from the hammer and launched him backward in a bloody spray. Broken and electrocuted, he sailed across the wreckage of the stronghold in one of the burning huts, disappearing from view. The mysterious boy expelled a weary breath and nearly buckled, having put almost all of his strength into that one attack. With a flash, the hammer vanished as the Aesirean turned toward the barely conscious wolf and made his way over to him.

"Who-"

"It's okay. I'm going to get you somewhere safe," the boy insisted while crouching beside the Fauna. Leaning forward, he lifted the wolf onto his shoulders and and carried him piggyback style. Fenrir wanted to protest but couldn't remember why. His mind was a haze of throbbing pain that made him want to black out. Still, he did his best to remain awake as he was spirited into the forest by his unexpected savior. Fenrir wasn't sure how much time passed or how far they traveled. When at last they stopped, the boy leaned him against the base of a tree and knelt before him.

"Hey! Hey! Stay with me, okay. I'm going to find some way to heal you!" Panicking, the boy put his hand out and made an apparatus.

"Maybe if I transfer my Aura -" He closed his eyes and began concentrating with all his might. A thin veil of light appeared around his body, shining brighter the more he focused.

"Come on! Please work. Please..." he pleaded. A moment later, a glimmering candlelight was born between his palms. To the delirious Fenrir, it appeared like a star, glowing dimly in the cold night air. The light pulsated as a transparent bubble formed around it. Plasma crackled from the center of the orb as the light itself grew brighter in response to the boy's will. Taking notice of what was happening, the boy gasped and watched as the bubble imploded in on itself. The two were bathed in a tremendous yet warm brilliance that soon faded moments later. The Fauna hadn't been healed by a transfer of Aura as the Aesirean intended. Instead, a worn, leather-bound book hovered in front of the boy, glowing with the same faint luster that had called it.

"A book?" Cautiously, the boy reached out and took it, the light fading as soon as his hands touched the cover. Flipping it open revealed old yellow pages of scrawling text, runes, and diagrams. After studying it carefully, the Aesirean let out a breath of awe and disbelief.

"It's a grimoire! And the magic written in here... It's all spells that can heal!" he exclaimed. Turning back to the Fauna, he furrowed his brow and nodded.

"I don't know if this will work, but I'm going to try it out. I hope this does the trick." Tentatively, he extended a hand to the injured wolf.

"Breath of Life: Aura of Compassion." A halo of sea green enveloped his hand before extending to Fenrir. The smell of wildflowers and spring showers filled his nostrils as the pain in his head began to dull. It vanished out right after a moment, leaving only a calm sense of euphoria washing over him like the tide. Though they'd only just meant Fenrir could sense the boy's empathy and goodwill through the energy that was being transferred to him. Deciding he could trust the Aesirean, he eased against the tree as his fractured skull was gradually but surely mended. Once it was, the light and pleasant smells faded, and the boy dropped his arm in exhaustion.

"It... It worked! It actually worked... You're-" Fenrir blinked put a hand to his head. There were no traces of any wound, and the only blood he found was old and dried.

"The pain? The wound? It's all gone. You... You saved me?" The boy beamed.

"Just in time, too! You looked like you were barely hanging on."

"I don't get it. Who are you? Why- why save me?" Fenrir questioned, still trying to reclaim his grasp of the situation.

"I'm Thor. Thor O-" The Aesirean paused as if catching himself, prompting the Fauna to tilt his head.

"O?" The boy scratched his chin as he glanced to the left.

"Um... Never mind that. It's just Thor. As for why I saved you... Well, do you really need a reason?" he asked.

"I mean, you were with those Vikings, weren't you? Why didn't you let them kill me?" Thor shook his head.

"Hey, I didn't know being a Viking was like that, okay. I thought they were brave and honorable warriors of the sea defending Asgard from the Elvhen. But all they cared about was turning you guys into thralls. It wasn't right, and I couldn't let it happen." He gave an exhausted sigh.

"Unfortunately, saving you is about all I could manage. I don't have enough Aura to go back for anyone else. Sorry," he apologized.

"D- don't be. What you did already was incredible! You took that Viking down in just one hit. And you healed me, too!" Thor snickered.

"I'm just glad I actually could. I don't really have any idea where that grimoire came from." Fenrir furrowed his brow.

"You don't? It looked to me like you summoned it from somewhere."

"Maybe, but I don't know any summoning magic. Didn't use an incantation either, so for all we know, it could have just been a fluke." The wolf gave a cherry grin.

"If it was one, it sure did come in handy." Endeared to his smile, the Aesirean couldn't help but do the same.

"So, I told you my name. How about you tell me yours?" Fenrir blinked in surprise.

"Huh? You- you wanna know my name?"

"I've gotta know the name of the guy I rescued, don't I?" The Fauna considered it and nodded in agreement.

"It's Fenrir. Fenrir of clan Voluspa," he answered.

"Fenrir, huh? That's a strong name for a cute wolf."

"C-Cute?!" The Fauna's ears burned with embarrassment, having never been referred to in such a way before. Before he could question what even made him cute, a rustling sound drew their attention to the brush behind the Aesirean.

"He's here!" called a wolf pup bearing a striking resemblance to Fenrir. Were it not for the sharper markings and eyes of silver rather than gold, Thor wouldn't have been able to tell them apart. Behind him was a small exodus of other canines ranging from wolves, dogs, foxes, coyotes, and hyenas, the latter of which had been adopted due to the similarities they shared with the others of the clan. There wasn't a single one among them who wasn't injured in some capacity, though the majority had escaped the attack with only scrapes and shallow cuts. They froze when they saw Thor, raising their hackles and bearing their fangs as they menaced the small child.

"An Aesirean?"

"He must have come with the Vikings! They sent him ahead to track us down!" Thor stood, and Fenrir could see the righteous aggression mounting against his rescuer. Knowing that his people were out for blood, he rose and stepped between them.

"Wait! He's not with them!" Fenrir professed. His twin brother, Jormungandr, gave him a skeptical look.

"Huh? What do you mean he's not with the Vikings? He couldn't have come from anywhere else."

"He came with them, but he turned on them! He struck one of them down to save me." His words gave the displaced Voluspa Fauna some pause, all except for the clan chief, who stepped forward.

"And why were you in a position that you needed saving?" Fenrir's father questioned, his tone sharp and biting. As the clan chief, Loki Voluspa was by far the most physically intimidating of the wolves in his clan. Battle scars dotted his slat gray and alabaster fur body. Thor noted that part of his right ear was missing. Still, his visible age was a testament to his strength and leadership of the clan, having led them long before the birth of his children. Seeing his grim expression barely masking the anger festering inside, Fenrir took a cautionary step back.

"I-"

"You were supposed to become a Demon to drive them back and give us time to escape! Do you have any idea how many of us were slain and made thralls? So many names were lost... Names we would still be able to remember had you fulfilled your role!"

"Hang on! If Fenrir had become a Demon back there, what then? You'd let him just rampage out of control as some monster? Is that what you want?"

"It's not a matter of what we want. It's what was expected of him as a Demon Soul of clan Voluspa. Fenrir knows that, and it was his duty to sacrifice himself for the good of the clan." The Aesirean stood aghast.

"That's crazy! He's just a kid! How could you expect him to throw his life away like that?" he challenged.

"I don't expect you to understand, boy. You have never known what it's like to be hunted and butchered like an animal. To be raised a thrall and have the name you were born with stripped from the memories of all who knew you. Every day, we live in fear of your people subjecting us and our loved ones to such a fate. Without the magic needed to properly defend ourselves from them, our only hope for salvation is to sacrifice those born with Demon Souls." Loki glanced at Fenrir.

"Ordinarily, they'd be considered a liability by the clan and done away with at birth. However, that same power that makes them a threat to us proves just as inconvenient to your kind. Thus, we train them to repress their Vice in preparation for the next attack. In exchange, we grant them a temporary stay within our stronghold until the day that duty can be fulfilled." Thor shook his head.

"So you're just using him as some kind of weapon? All because of how he was born?" Jormungandr folded his arms.

"Better to be a weapon than to be completely useless and a threat to the clan. Sacrificing his life for ours was the one thing he could have done for us, but you ran away instead," he accused while turning to his brother, who clenched his jaw.

"I didn't run away! I was going to become a Demon to protect everyone!"

"Then why didn't you? You should have transformed the moment you knew we were under attack."

"That's easy for you to say, but that's not how I want to die! You can't just expect me to become a Demon without doing everything I can to help first! I tried, okay! I was going to transform as soon as I... As I..." Fenrir paused. He tried desperately to recall the name of his younger sibling, rationalizing that she must have had one. No matter how hard he racked his brain, however, the young wolf came away with only a blank. Loki seemed to sense what it was his son was pondering.

"Where's your sister? We thought she would have been with you," he said, panic rising in his tone.

"She- She was... I was trying to get her someplace safe. Somewhere that I wouldn't risk hurting her. But the Vikings... They took-" Without warning, Jormungandr charged his sibling and tackled him to the ground.

"Bastard! You mean you left her to become a thrall?!" he barked while grabbing Fenrir by the tunic.

"I didn't leave her! I tried everything I could to save her!"

"And who the hell asked you to save her or anyone?! You had one job! If you had just done what you were told- Now my sister is gone, and it's all your fault!" Jormungandr's words shook Fenrir to his core. The anger and grief in voice. The tears in his eyes. It was at that moment he understood what had happened. The sister he tried to protect was gone. Taken aboard the Viking's ship and subjected to thralldom along with the others who'd been captured. Their parents and Jormungandr would never speak her name ever again. And it was his fault.

"I- That's not... I didn't-"

"Shut the hell up! You should have just killed her yourself! At least then she'd-" Before he could get carried away, Thor pushed him off Fenrir and stood to guard him.

"Get off! How could you ask your brother to murder his own sister? He did everything he could to protect her and nearly got beaten to death! And all you can do is blame him when you weren't even there!" Glowering, Jormungandr sat up and rose to attack the Aesirean.

"You shut your mouth! It's because your kind that she's-"

"Jormungandr, enough!" Loki snapped. Fenrir's twin stopped as their father shook his head while trying to blink back tears.

"Enough... She's gone. Blaming them for what happened won't bring her back. The best we can do now is move on and try to rebuild our home elsewhere." Folding his ears, Jormugandr turned to his remaining sibling as he stood, glaring barely restrained fury and contempt.

"What about him?" Loki shook his head again.

"We have no use for anyone who cannot fulfill their duties to the clan, much less a defiant Demon Soul. Henceforth, he is exiled from clan Voluspa." As if what his brother had said hadn't been enough to drive the knife home, being cast out by his own father was the final death blow. Fenrir had spent his entire life trying to earn his place with the clan. Their respect. Their love. Now- Now, he wasn't even considered a part of them. He was an outcast. A wolf who had failed in his responsibilities and had been exiled as a result. Hanging his head in shame, Fenrir trembled in speechless agony. Seeing this, Thor rounded on the clan and its chief in indignation.

"So that's it? You mess up once, and you're out? I thought you guys were supposed to be like family. How is he even supposed to survive on his own?" he interrogated.

"That is no longer any of our concern. My blood may run through his veins, but that Demon is no longer one of us."

"He's your son! How can you-" Fenrir put a handout, silencing the Aesirean before he could lay into Loki.

"I-" Despite still shaking his emotional turmoil, the young wolf managed to lift his head.

"I'm not a Demon!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, channeling years of pent-up frustration. Everyone fell silent as he took a breath and stood prone. Though his eyes were tearful, he managed to lock his gaze with his father.

"I'm Fenrir Voluspa, guardian of clan Voluspa! Whether I'm one of you or an outcast, I'll protect my family until my body turns to dust!" Thor was awestruck and moved by the wolf's bold declaration, but those of his estranged clan remained indifferent.

"Your words are as hollow as your title," Loki said as he turned away from his disowned offspring. Unable to let Fenrir go ignored after vowing to protect the family that had so callously cast him aside, the Aesirean spoke up.

"Hold it!" Exasperated, the clan chief breathed a sigh and turned.

"By the Elders, what is it no-" He stopped short when he saw the book hovering above Thor's palm, runes glowing with an emerald Aura.

"Is that... Is that a grimoire?" Loki questioned.

"Yeah, that's right."

"By the Elders, where could a child such as you have gotten such a thing?" Thor shifted ever so slightly.

"I found it. I could probably find others, too. They're yours if you let Fenrir stay with the clan." Loki's face was a mask as he processed what he'd been told before finally settling on a disgruntled expression.

"Are you attempting to bargain with me, boy?"

"The name's Thor, and yeah. I am. You said so yourself that you don't have the magic to stand up to the Vikings. If you're raided before you can get your hands on another Demon Soul, you'll be wiped out and sold as thralls." The older wolf furrowed his brow, acknowledging the boy's truth.

"And if that isn't good enough, you can have me. I'll help you rebuild your homes and do whatever task you ask of me. You all lost someone important to you tonight. I know what I'm offering isn't a fair trade, but it's the best deal you're gonna get," Thor told them. Jormungandr scowled and turned to Loki.

"Father, you can't seriously be considering this?! He's a Human! For all we know, he's just trying to get us to let our guard down so he can stab us in the back!" Loki closed his eyes for a moment of pensive contemplation before halfway opening them.

"Our numbers are diminished. Without a compliant Demon Soul or magic, our clan is lost. Even if his intentions are misleading, we would be fools not to accept what he can offer us. You have your "brother" to thank for that." Jormungandr turned to glare at Fenrir, who still couldn't believe Thor was advocating on his behalf.

"Thor, wait! You don't have to-"

"Very well," Loki said, cutting him off.

"Fenrir may remain with us so long as he can keep his Vice under control. In exchange, you will aid us in rebuilding our stronghold and procuring more grimoires so that we may arm ourselves against future attacks. Should your people invade our home again, we expect you to defend it as though you were defending your own home." Thor nodded, seemingly unbothered by the prospect of having to fight his own kind. Approaching the chieftain, he handed over the grimoires, allowing the Fauna to study its contents.

"I've never seen magic of this likeness before. And you say you found this?" Thor shifted once more, glancing to the side.

"Y- Yeah... It contains healing magic. I used it to patch Fenrir up after I rescued him," he said. Jormungandr folded his arms skeptically.

"Healing magic? Yeah, right! Everyone knows that kind of magic doesn't exist. I told you he was full of it." Loki continued to flip through the pages.

"No... This is undoubtedly the writings of an Elder God. Though which one I can't say, the fact that I am able to read its contents means it must align with my soul type. Regardless, it would seem the Elders have finally graced humanity with new magic. And it couldn't have come at a more precarious time." Loki turned to the remaining Fauna of clan Voluspa.

"Those able-bodied gather round up. We'll test for those who are compatible with this grimoire and use its magic to tend to the wounded. Afterward, we'll make camp for the night and send scouts out in the morning to locate a new territory for us to rebuild." There was a nod of agreement among the canines, and Jormungandr stepped forward.

"No need to test me. We already know I'm compatible, so I can get started while you sort out the rest." Loki nodded and passed the grimoire to his son. Taking it, the young wolf scanned its contents before pausing.

"Is something wrong, Jormungandr?" Jormungandr shook his head, eyes wide in complete disbelief.

"I- I can't read it," he said almost in a whisper. Loki was taken aback.

"What? But you're an Elder Soul! There shouldn't be a grimoire in existence you can't read!"

"I don't understand... I can't make heads or tails of anything that is written here. How can the Elder Gods make a grimoire that an Elder Soul can't read?" Not wanting to get caught up in the confusion, Thor made his way over to Fenrir.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, seeing the conflicted look on the young wolf's face. Ears folded and tail hanging limp, Fenrir could only shake his head.

"I... I don't know."