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"Be quiet now, Otto" I said, as I held the young Nephil back by his shoulder. He gave a nod and crouched completely out of sight. I lowered myself until I was barely visible, Leaves of oaken brown quietly and gently caressed my skin. I raised my crossbow and buried it into my shoulder so I could take aim, that time he would not escape. Silence fell on the magnificent canopy of the Duskwood, which lay at the furthest reaches of the village. I pulled the trigger and loosed the bolt. Otto flinched at the sound of the chord as it whipped back into resting position, and then we both watched as the bolt struck the stag in its throat. He managed to stagger a few feet before collapsing, dead.

"Excellent shot sir, would you like the beast's head mounted?" Otto questioned as we ran toward where the stag fell.

"Not this time, it's too young; the antlers are hardly impressive especially for his size. But his flesh will fetch me quite the sum... Might even get you a good meal tonight," I chuckled.

"That would be most generous of you, Master Reinhardt," he replied, adding a respectful laugh, "Most generous..."

"Fetch me the staff we brought, as well as the rope," I said as I sized up up the stag. Otto obediently made his way to the leather sack, near which the pole and rope lay. Immediately we began hog-tying the beast to take home, a process we'd performed many times before. I was the resident butcher and huntsman at my village, Richard's Folly, and I took pride in my profession.

"Sir?" Otto asked, confused.

"What is it?"

"Darkness is almost on us, perhaps we should return home, lest we be attacked by brigands... Or worse," he said, sounding rather distraught.

"Of course, let's move," I said while I peered into the denser wood, I could almost swear someone or something was looking back at me. I brushed it aside as I heaved the one side of the pole onto my shoulder and we began our small trek home.

We carried the stag into the slaughter house and set it down on the long, heavy, craft table. "You know what to do Otto, I have business to tend to," I said, and then entered the main building of my home. I looked around aimlessly at my humble hovel; torches gave it soft and warm light, small shadows bore subtle secrets on the woodwork of what little furniture I possessed. I made my way to a desk with an inkwell, quill and, more importantly, a crude journal made for me by Otto. He was a smart Nephil, and the best tanner and leather worker I knew, even as far as humans went. I took my head in my hands and closed my eyes, as if to clear my mind. I reached for my quill, dipped it lightly into the inkwell and began writing in the now open journal.

March 11th, 906 of the second Era.

Otto and I were out hunting in the Duskwood today, the butchery needs fresh meat and I need the furs, Winter is already biting at our ankles, I've seen it in the trees and the thin, cold air. There's something strange out there though, more than just warnings of winter... I've seen tracks, Nephilim tracks. I'm well aware the Duskwood is something of a border between our provinces but something must be provoking the dogs to encroach onto our lands. Otto appears oblivious to the signs and I'm keeping a watchful eye on him, but he's always been a loyal servant and I have no reason for distrust. Though I'll have to inform the city guard -however useless they are- about the tracks, the village's safety may be at risk.

I sighed and leaned back in my seat as I concluded my journal entry, another day... I tried to get up, but a lethargy of unknown origin had settled in since I sat down. I leaned forward and began rubbing my temples; soon I would need more bolts for my crossbow, with the money I could get from the stag horn I could afford a few. My budget seemed to be constricting more each day; I doubted I'd be able to afford the price of food within a year or two... or anything else at that. At last I gathered the energy to lift myself from the chair and stumble back into the slaughter house where Otto was hanging some venison over a fire to smoke it, placing the rest in a container surrounded by cold water, a technique developed by the Nephilim to 'preserve' the meat.

"Sir," Otto greeted.

"Yes, Otto. How's the meat looking?"

"Well, sir, I've cut the best steak from the stag for you, though most of the flesh is tough and lean, it may not sell for as much as we hope. I'll take my leave now," he said, then turned to retreat to his own home, which stood built onto the side of mine. I looked him over for a moment and on the topic of food considered an idea.

"Wait," I commanded, his tail stiffened thinking he'd done something wrong. He turned back to me, almost afraid "So, Nephil, I've known you since you were a pup, we grew up together, correct?" I asked in mock question.

He seemed confused at the question and answered cautiously, "Yes sir, why bring it up?"

"Because, Otto, you and I are like brothers, and as such I'm asking you, would you mind dining with me tonight?" The question obviously took him aback, he looked me square in the eye.

"Not at all Master Reinhardt, I'll need to prepare myself though, I'm hardly fit to dine in your house at present" He said nervously, his eyes now darting about the room lit only by a low fire.

"Take your time; I'll be waiting for you at the table." I said and at that we both turned and left to prepare for dinner. I lit a fire in the pit and prepared a spit with the boar we'd hunted earlier in the week.

I'd hardly set plates when Otto stepped inside, looking uncertain. "Good evening sir..." He said cautiously, "may I sit?"

I smiled warmly, "a friend of mine has no need to ask if he 'may' sit in my home, make yourself comfortable." I moved over to greet him. A strange but relieved smile played across his face and he seemed to relax and lose some tension he appeared to be carrying more deeply.

"Thank you, sir"

"Dinner will be ready soon," I said seating myself across from Otto, "And please, call me Lukas from now on, we've known each other since we were young and it just doesn't feel right for a friend to call me sir."

"Yes si... Err, Lukas. So, why did we leave home? Why leave Port Vahlen, we had friends and family there." He asked, almost out of his place, though I didn't particularly mind.

I sat up, fascinated as to why he would ask, "Port Vahlen, the capital of the Imperial Colony... Well there's no real reason we left, it was more my wanderlust that led us here. I figured we'd settle here and see where things went," I explained. The fire withered, and with it most of the room's light. Otto shifted uneasily on the chair, obviously trying to grasp that I left everything I knew and loved behind almost purely on wanderlust.

"Oh, I see... Did you know anything about..." He began but paused. He gathered himself and tried once more, "Did you know anything about my family?" He questioned.

"No, sorry, my mother bought you in when you were a pup but I don't know any more than that," I explained. His ears dropped in disappointment. "We tried finding out when you were eight and I was eleven but you were a Nephilim without papers or even a name to go by, nobody knew you," I said. That helped nothing; though I was sure it put his mind at ease at least. I got up to serve the food, I was sure Otto will appreciate the rare meat as I did.

I felt the Sun's warmth on my face as I woke early the next morning, as with every other morning I prepared my gear, though this time I would not be hunting, the gear I was readying was not for that day. "Good morning, sir" Otto said as he walked into my quarters.

"Sir?" I looked around confusedly, "I'm not really sure who you're referring to, there's nobody of office here," I joked. A polite smile found its way onto Otto's face, an odd, wolfish smile, but no less polite than one that could be found on a Human.

"Of course, Lukas. Your crossbow is polished and ready on your desk, as well as-" he started before I cut him off.

"No don't worry about that Otto; we'll not be hunting today. I intend to spend today at the lake in the Duskwood, perhaps you'd like to join me?" I inquired. I shuffled around him in the small room and reached for a gourd I used for water.

"Certainly, I think I could use some relaxation in the forest," he returned.

"Well then, I don't think we'll need much, just the shirts on our backs and perhaps a meal. Let's go," I said and led on. We began the short half-hour trek to the lake, anticipating the rest of the day. As we stepped out of the doorway we were greeted by the dead and dying leaves of autumn, their colours so widely varied. Summer's sweet scent had long since dissipated and there was little left in the ways of glorious mornings, even birds had taken heed the signs of winter and left for warmer regions. The Duskwood was a rather savage forest; treacherous, expansive and confusing to the ignorant, but if you knew what you were doing and where you were going, it became easy to find your bearing. We walked making, small talk, expressing our opinions about the townspeople. Marissa the alchemist, Bane the blacksmith, Basil the hermit at the towns furthest reaches. Gossip suggested so many scandals about each of them, though Otto and I believed many of them to be untrue.

"Look, there it is!" Otto exclaimed excitedly, as if he hardly ever saw water. The collie's tail wagged uncontrollably from side to side

"Go for it, I'll be in soon," I laughed. He bolted, tearing his shirt off along the way and casting it to the bank. He dove straight in, not particularly caring that the water was near freezing. I smiled at the display and soon followed his example, casting aside all of the problems and worries of the world just for that moment. An afternoon in cool waters, I told myself, would wash the world from my mind and flush my woes, whatever woes a hunter could suffer in a small town.

"It's been so long! Why didn't we do this earlier? I'm sure we deserved the break, or something half this nice," Otto said. His soaked fur clung more tightly to his body and revealed that he was more muscle than I believed at first. Sunlight was far from sparse in this wide clearing in the Duskwood, the lake was clear, visible nearly all the way to the bottom.

"Too long I think, but we had to work hard, our survival quite literally depended on us doing everything we've done," I explained, scooping up water and dropping it onto my head. "By the way, since when are you so powerfully built? I've trained for ages in pursuit of what you have, only to achieve moderate results," I said with only a small a streak of envy.

Otto looked down at himself, tensing muscles as his gaze passed over his body. "I'm not sure really, I think it might be a Nephilim trait, being more beast than Humans are," he said absently. He proceeded to tackle me and we broke into a mock fight, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Otto seemed to be at ease out in the Duskwood, he seemed in his element, like he belonged amid the tall trees and pure waters... We continued the sporting; we raced in the water, I always simply because I had no fur to restrict my movement through the water, we fought mock fights, and generally enjoyed our time. It was a good number of hours before we decided to take a momentary respite to catch our breath, basking in the sunlight on the lake's bank.

"A fair day to you, master woodsman," said an unfamiliar voice, I sat up and cast a glance to where I'd heard the sound.

"To what do I owe this reverent greeting?" I asked the aged man that stood not ten yards from where Otto and I lay.

"I am but a humble beggar, and all I ask is a few coins for food," he explained softly, leaning on his staff, obviously weak in old his age. Something in me snapped when he said beggar.

"And why, pray tell, should I give money to a man too lazy to work for it and too unloved by his family for them to support him?" I questioned, mercilessly insulting him. I heard Otto's weak gasp from behind me when I spoke. Even I was a little dismayed by the harshness of my words. A small part of my conscious mind wished I could take back my words, but I knew it was too late.

The beggar's face creased into a resentful frown, "A hex on the youth, you know and understand so little of what kindness and charity can save you, I take my leave, but know this; Your uncharitable spirit shall not go unheeded, you will learn through misery and strife and your offspring shall bear the same curse, not knowing peace until peace reigns," he said, and at that he angrily stormed away, trudging over the layers of entwined creepers off the path to the village.

"That was a little harsh, Lukas... And to an old beggar, a human at that,"

"Well I don't take kindly to beggars, and he was foreign. I doubt he even knew the name of our village. Crazy old fool, thinking to put a curse on me, magic is a rare talent even to humans. Besides, who's to say he had the ability? Even with the knowledge he'd likely drop dead after casting his first spell." I got up and made my way back into the lake, just floating and relaxing in the water.

Otto decided to sit against some rocks that protruded slightly from the lake water. "That wasn't much like you but I suppose you had reason, even if it wasn't much... And about the curse, magic may be rare but it is extremely dangerous and you shouldn't disregard it so easily," he settled into a comfortable position and closed his eyes.

"Well I'll take my chances I guess. Anyway I think we'd better get home soon, we've had a nice long day of relaxation." I suggested swimming to the bank of the lake once more.

He followed sluggishly, "It was quite the day, wasn't it Lukas?" he asked contentedly. Something about him was strange now; since I'd invited him to dine with me the previous night he seemed so much less a slavish friend but more rather a close friend, almost not at all like a slave, his entire tone and attitude said so.

"Undoubtedly, first break in months and that strange beggar. Not often we happen across either of those," I said, struggling with my shirt. Otto simply picked his up and slung it over his shoulder as he walked over to me, he knew he wouldn't manage to put it on as wet as he was. I noticed some heavy clouds had settled over in the direction of Richard's Folly, some rolled over our heads. It would rain tonight, best to move quickly before the storm. We began running to save time as the Duskwood grew darker and the wind began to blow through its tall trees.

"Wasn't it bright and sunny around a half hour ago?" Otto questioned confusedly.

"Well we didn't actually keep track of time, it could be far later than we think it to be. Keep moving this is going to be a monsoon of a storm!" I yelled back, focusing on the path ahead. We continued to run; jumping over roots and ducking branches as we went on, the weather seemed only to grow fiercer as we neared home.

"Look out!" Otto yelled as an old oak tree gave way and collapsed just in front of me. I gasped, trying to stop and avoid it, but I had no such luck. I slipped and one of the larger branches fell with a crash onto my right leg.

I cried out loudly in pain, the branch hit me with such a force that it must have broken my leg, or at least caused some serious damage without a break. "Help me! Argh help me damn it!" I shrieked in terror, looking down at my leg. There was a flash of brilliant white lightning, almost immediately followed by the boom of thunder. Otto quickly got to me, asking me if I was ok, if I could move at all. The rain began pouring, drowning out almost every other sound native to the forest. "I can't move, pull me out of here... And don't stop, no matter what!" I instructed, my voice barely audible to Otto. He grabbed me just beneath my arms and started yanking me from the fallen tree. He was slipping in the mud that the rain was creating. I had to grit my teeth to keep from screaming, I tried to help free myself with my other leg pushing against the branch. We both struggled tirelessly in the mud for five minutes before I was out from under the branch. I climbed to my feet, clutching at my leg, it was bleeding pretty badly and my leggings were shredded.

"You can't walk by yourself, you'll be too slow! I'll help you!" Otto offered, throwing my arm around his shoulder. We moved as fast as we could with my injury, every step bringing more pain than the previous. The wind howled, the rain poured, thunder boomed... It was hell. We were around ten minutes from home, almost there, I just had to hang on. Just had to keep moving. We made no conversation, we only moved on without hesitation. The wind tossed leaves and swung branches, blocking most of our vision, getting home seemed to be near impossible at that pace.

By the time we eventually got home my leg was numb, Otto laid me in my bed and brought a basic first aid kit into my room. "Now you're a surgeon?" I mocked, shifting uncomfortably. I couldn't stand the newfound numbness in my leg, I almost preferred the pain. At least I knew it was still there that way.

"No, in truth I've never actually learned anything about medicine. This will be my first time even seeing an injury this bad" Otto said, making me swallow my words, I couldn't refuse the help but... he couldn't actually offer any either, I just had to hope for the best. He took a knife in one paw and cut my leggings where the branch hadn't already torn them. "That's quite nasty, but you'll live," he said examining my bruised and bleeding thigh. He carefully took a cloth, damp with alcohol, and cleaned my wound, proceeding to cover it with a bandage dampened with brandy and then just a plain bandage. I winced slightly as some of the feeling returned to my leg.

"Thanks, that should hold for a while, I'll change them tomorrow night," I said appreciatively.

"If you last 'til then," he said nonchalantly. I stared at him with my mouth agape, "relax, it was a joke!" he chuckled. "I'll see you in the morning Lukas, sleep well," he said, standing to leave.

"Good night Otto, thanks for the help. I'll see you tomorrow," I said settling into my bed to get warm. He only smiled as he left, extinguishing the candle's flame. I lay in the darkness, easily drifting to sleep with my bandages secure.

I opened my eyes slowly; it was dark outside, the heavy clouds still looming above the village. I was sluggish and groggy and my leg still had a dull pain. A prickly sensation ran through my skin, my spine hurt, as well as my jaw and nose. To be honest there was no place on my body I didn't feel pain. I could hear Otto humming an unfamiliar song in the slaughterhouse; he must've been working on the tanning rack with the deer hide. My head was buzzing, I could scarcely move and my vision was heavily blurred. "Otto, get in here," I managed to croak out. He stopped humming and I heard him drop the knife to the floor.

"On my way, give me a minute," he replied. Not long after that, he stepped inside my room. He stopped, dismayed then he stared at me furiously "Where the hell is he? What have you done to him? Speak quickly before I kill you where you are," he demanded, backing up and taking my own crossbow.

I looked quizzically at him, "Otto? What are you talking about?" I couldn't understand, the way he spoke... It was as if he'd never seen me before.

"I don't know how you know my name, but what I do know is that you lay where my master and friend did, and he isn't present. Where is he?!" he continued to rage, violently shaking my loaded crossbow.

I sat up in my bed, "Otto, it's me, Lukas" I said still confused.

"Oh? Well last time I checked 'Lukas' was a human. Not Nephil" He yelled. "Guards! Intruder! There's a crazed Nephil in the village!" Otto called out through the window. The town watch heard him, and I heard the raised voices of men and the metallic "chinking" of chain-mail.

"What? No Otto it is me I'm Luk-" I began, stretching out my hands in protest... My hands? My vision had cleared a little by now and what I saw was not me, I could see I now had a muzzle, I had paws. I pulled my arms back and stood up shakily, crying out in disgust. "Otto, Otto it's me and I can prove it! Look at my leg, my bandages!" I yelled, displaying my still bandaged leg. His expression shifted to one of horror, he staggered back against the wall and lowered the crossbow. He was completely dumbfounded and stunned.

"Lukas? The curse..." he stammered out shakily. I heard the door slam open.

"Move! The rogue Nephil is in there somewhere," the captain shouted from outside, guards rushed my house, two plus the captain from what I could hear. It was only seconds before one of them burst into my room; he'd followed the blood trail that my wound had left yesterday.

"I've found them, here!" the guard called out, alerting the other two. "Make one move and I'll kill you both," he said to us with his hand hovering above the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

"It's fine guardsman, there's been a mistake..." I began before he cut me off

"Shut it Nephil, captain will be here soon and he'll pass your judgement nice and quick," he said arrogantly. I tried to speak once more but the captain barked out an order before I could say anything, he ordered us to be killed on the spot. The guard drew his sword with lightning speed, I thought it was over but as he raised his sword, he dropped it once more. He clutched at his throat, where a wooden bolt now protruded. Otto had shot him with the crossbow, I looked quickly to Otto. We exchanged glances; we knew our lives here were over.

"They killed him!" The second guard called. Otto picked up the dead man's sword and dagger, passing me the latter. I was unbalanced and lumbering due to both my injury and new, disgusting, form. Otto stood waiting for the next two in the doorway to my room, the most defensible position at that moment, while I reloaded the crossbow. First came captain Lennox, a short and stocky man, cousin to Bane the Blacksmith. I was only around halfway reloading the weapon, but Otto easily stood his ground. I saw, from the corner of my eye, that Otto was only parrying captain Lennox's strikes.

"Kill him now! There's still another guard to take out!" I reminded Otto.

"Care to help? I'm not exactly a born and bred fighter!" He returned. At last I managed to put the bolt into place, I took aim and fired without any hesitation. Just as any other animal I'd hunted. "You missed the bloody target!" Otto yelled angrily.

"Not quite," I said as the second guard dropped to the ground with a bolt in his chest. I pulled the dagger and made a quick move for Lennox's unprotected legs. The blade easily pierced warm flesh and the Captain let out a long and loud scream, cut short by Otto as he ran the blade through the doomed captain's throat. We stepped back as he fell to the ground. "Well I'll have to deal with my transformation later, the village will never take our word that I'm still Lukas and that the guardsmen attacked us. Grab what you can but only what you need and let's move!" I ordered. He nodded and left to find what he needed, while I struggled to walk on my strange new legs. First I picked up a leather bag and threw the quiver of bolts into it, the crossbow I could carry, I moved to my journal and placed it into the bag. I tried to think of what else I could need, knife, one of the guards' swords, flint and some furs. There wasn't much else I could take without overburdening us. I put on the sword belt, slid the broadsword into its sheath and ran for the slaughterhouse.

"I'm ready," Otto called softly, almost running into me at the doorway out of the slaughterhouse. We exchanged glances knowing we could never return, our lives would never be the same. "Let's go before anybody realises the guards aren't coming back," Otto said. We ran for the Duskwood, only I looked back, back at what I'd built. I could scarcely manage running, wounded and unused to moving with paws at all.

We ran deep within the Duskwood and then stopped, catching our breath and resting. I was particularly morose. I wasn't in the mood to talk but I had to, I had little choice. I muttered many curse words under my breath before speaking at last, "there goes my day... town wants to kill us both and now I'm a monster." I said angrily.

Otto took heavy offense to the last comment. "Monster? Need I remind you that I am Nephilim," he gave me a baleful glance.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I just... I never expected any of... This! I respect you but I'm human, this'll just be strange." I explained. "Well look, there's no doubt that beggar did this to me and he's probably long gone by now. This was a curse, I'm sure there's somebody that can help me. Curses can be broken." I said hopefully.

"Yes... But where do we start? Where do we go from here? What do we look for?" Otto returned, still insulted. I'd find a way, of that I was certain.