chapter 13
#13 of Wolves' Legacy Saga
Chapter 13
Lilac woke up with aching head. She couldn't remember much about last night's transformation, knowing very well that this was a side effect of changing. Aside from her kissing a similarly snouted being, she didn't remember much of last night's event, yet she surely knew her clothes were on the floor and she was only covered with the blanket she slept into. Her vision was blurry at first, but slowly it began to focus, and the first sight she saw, aside from the morning light, was the weird snout thing covering the vision below her, and also how she could clearly hear something that was not even in the room. She sniffed many things unfamiliar to her like a scent that directed her to a powder and a familiar soot-like scent from beside her. But, that was the sensation just like how she was a werewolf, not a human. How did she do all of this?
As Lilac wondered on the new condition, she became thirsty, and tried to get off the bed when she realized that her legs weren't supposed to be crooked and bent, and how she saw the end of her feet...wait, that was a paw....
"What is going on? Is this a dream? Or is this still night?" thought Lilac.
But when she stood, she saw all of her unrobed body. It was covered with black hair, or fur, in her case. Her legs were like that of a wolf's hind legs and her sense of hearing was still that of a canine's. She then turned her vision to the mirror, and saw how most of her body was like a human-wolf hybrid, unlike the hunched werewolf self she had changed last night. She stood with a human posture, but her hind legs and head were animalistic. Also, she felt her tail muscle more than how she was supposed to be when she was a Lycan. Watching herself also made her gasp for one revelation.
"Oh god...I'm just like a hellhound with no horns," said Lilac to herself. She turned her head to the window and saw that it was morning already, with snow falling outside. A knock on the door startled her to reality.
"Lily, are you awake already? I wanna talk to you."
"Oh no...he's the least person to see me in this form...."
After saying "just a moment" she quickly grabbed on her dress and quickly put the on, yet hastily as she hadn't comb her hair...which was her fur. Having difficulty to find into her shoes prompted her to throw it aside, walking barefoot. With a deep breath, she opened the door quickly, just as Albreich wanted to knock.
"Oh, hey, Lilac. It's morning already, and you're...a wolf?"
"I need to talk to you about this, Albreich. Get inside."
She locked the door when the human trader was in, then she said, "What in bloody hell is going on with me? I never know sleeping with a hellhound change me into this."
"But I thought this is the werewolf form you always say to me, and just more like what you appear last night."
"Albreich, this isn't right. I feel like a human with enhanced abilities. I'm not feeling like a beast. This is still my real body and somehow sleeping with a hellhound made me into a two-legged wolf! What am I supposed to do? I was a fool on falling for Ifrit. I should've known a demon dog like him can affect me!"
"At least he loves you, right? You're not being deceived by him."
Lilac then heard Ifrit's moan, and when she turned, she saw that the hellhound was smiling in his sleep, somehow happy on something. He then murmured some words in his language that wasn't recognizable by Lilac and Albreich, yet he said 'Lilac' in some of them. This blushed Lilac over her new body that she didn't have time to balance herself on the paws, tripping her from it.
Ifrit then slowly woke up while saying, "Lilac, (I don't know how, but why is your bed so furry and...)."
Just when he woke up and saw that Lilac wasn't there, replaced by a wolf-human hybrid, did he opened his eyes in surprise and said, "(Oh no.... What have I done?)"
"Ifrit, what's going on to my body?"
"W-wait! This is not supposed to happen! Hellhound cannot make others like them!"
"I'm still a Lycan, Ifrit. This is a human body with a wolf feature. Do you want to deny the truth that you're the cause of this?"
"This is not right, Lilac! I'm sorry...."
Albreich then pulled Lilac aside and whispered to her slowly. He said, "Did you have a stand with him?"
"What's that?"
Whispering slowly in her canine ears, Lilac became embarrassed and nodded.
"Maybe something from him awakened something inside you so you look like a humanoid wolf, much like many Lycans we encountered. Basically, your default body now is like them."
Lilac didn't talk more. She went back to stare on her new body. She wondered what would happen if she could change. Could the transformation be reversed? Yet, she felt excited herself, indicated by how she unknowingly wag her tail like a happy dog, despite of her being a wolf.
The road to Arbal wasn't rough and dangerous, yet they got another close encounter with a group of bandit and might be robbed of all trading and delivery goods if not for Ifrit's intervention. Just only two days did Ifrit and Lilac became even closer to each other and made more conversation than before, sometimes breaking into a romantic one. This in particular annoyed Albreich, as he kept hearing many confessions and sweet talks (of course, this was in Lilac's part. Ifrit couldn't do that). He didn't want to spoil their newfound love, though, as they both needed it.
"Damn young lovers," thought Albreich while watching the sky. "I feel like an old man already."
Reaching a camping place, the group was also with the other traders taking a night off that day, and of course Lilac was relieved some of them were Lycans, so she could not be alone. Some of the Lycans preferred to be in their upright forms, and nobody seemed to care on Lilac's more humanoid form (or maybe even Ifrit's). They talked with her about where they came from, and some of them didn't come from around there at all.
"Adaline, huh? You guys want to go there from here? It's around five days from this camping ground. I happen to be from a town near the sea. You can catch a summer break there for a while before making another trade. For now, though, after Arbal, ride northwest for three days and you'll be one day short before the Renita Spring Festival."
"Spring Festival?"
"You'll gonna love it. All kinds of flowers bloom in Renita. The place is like a flower city. Now, when you reach Arbal, find many tenants wanting to sell stuffs to Renita. They'll take more food than goods, and you can sell many things in the festival. All traders all welcome."
"But is this Renita town you're talking about..."
"Renita is a village, my man," he said to Ifrit. "I suggest you leave tomorrow morning. No delays, just go straight to Arbal. If you want to have an early arrival I suggest you don't make many deals in the carriage stations. You've stashed enough for the coins, right? Now follow the wider road. No other things, just follow it. If you're lost, go to the west. There you'll find this town, the gateway to Adaline Region."
"Thank you, kind wolf."
"Oh, I almost forgot. Can you tell us the way to the city of Lylla? You know, that walled city?"
Lilac told him most of the directions, something that Ifrit didn't know much. As they wanted to sleep for the night, Lilac and Ifrit had a thing in mind to do, but when they was approaching the carriage, Albreich stood in front of his carriage, folding his hands and with stern eyes.
"Oh no. You want to have a good night you gotta find a place more private," he said. "This is not your bedroom and absolutely not your only house. Open a tent and have a nice doggy sleep there, okay?"
"But, it's getting cold out here," said Lilac. "Are you telling us to stay away from your carriage in this winter?"
"I'm just saying. We don't want a dirty house, right? Oh, and you are covered in fur, Lilac, so why are you so concern with the cold?"
"Just be reasonable, Albreich...."
"I'm reasonable enough for a comfortable trip. Now, set a tent, and we won't have any more trouble, hmm?"
As the next morning came, Ifrit and Lilac slept soundly while Albreich had started to pack up for the long journey, and this started to make him annoyed, though he slowly understood how they wanted their privacy and how they were just young lovers. He slowly wished that their relationship would last longer than he first thought, seeing how pure the hellhound's love to the Lycan, and how she was so deep in love with the hellhound.
The afternoon, when Lilac was still preparing some food, Albreich walked slowly to her while saying, "It's a rare thing to see a Lycan cooks."
"Though now I'm physically a humanoid wolf, I still refuse to eat raw meat. And, of course, now with Ifrit loving my works, I don't want to make a mess."
"Oh...right, but then, why does this thing looks darker than most cooked meat?"
"Ifrit loved charred meat. For me, I prefer the tender one. I can make one for you if you like."
"No thank you. I prefer a baked potato."
Lilac then tossed a potato with her furry hand, which concerned Albreich if now her fur ruined some of her food, and how she was so close to a fire without having a risk her fur catching fire.
When she put the meat on a wooden plate, she said, "Albreich, why do you trust Lycans? I thought that you won't want to have any wild animals in your company, though you said you loved a company of wolves. Now, I'm a half-wolf, with Ifrit."
Albreich put down the book he was reading, and said, "Lilac, do you really want to know why I like them?"
"But of course."
"Maybe someday you'll understand the reason, but the thing I have in mind is the hellhound, as one of his kind just...let's just say, don't leave me in a storm alone."
"What do you mean?"
Albreich made a glance to Ifrit. He was busy reading a thick English-language story book. The trader then walked closer to her and said, "I didn't like hellhounds when I was little. They're the villains in storybooks I read. I wanted to be in the service of my city when I'm at age, but of course I would break a trader tradition my family had. Yet, I was more fascinated in the life of Lycans. Why?"
"Maybe because you have a weird love for them?"
"Oh, come on, Lily. I'm still 30. It's not like I'm going to love a shape-shifter, right? Okay, my region has around one third of Lycan population, and half of them just...let's just say, making a decision just like you."
"You mean having a...."
"No," interrupted Albreich. "Like I said, I hated hellhounds, and that didn't cross my mind. They discarded their humanity and became an anthropomorphic beast, which was, of course, by another mean, and that was the thing that concealed him from my view."
"The hellhound?"
"Exactly. Unlike Ifrit who stood out differently, this one was more of a wolf than a hellhound. The things I knew that made him a hellhound was how he was immune to the fire when he saved a boy from a burning house, and how his eyes were not that of a wolf. He was a nice fellow, as he always came to my father's shop when I was little. He taught me many things about this world, and I never knew he was a hellhound until I was around your age, when his horns started to grow back.
"By that time, I don't believe in hellish beings, but his humanoid features and his weird language prompted me to see him differently. And so, when his identity was known by me, he returned to his world, but not before telling me his name so I would remember his friendship with me."
Lilac didn't want to interrupt. There maybe something she could know from hearing what the trader said, as he really had the knowledge of encountering a hellish being more than encountering mythical beasts like Lilac.
"His name was...."
But right at that time a flaming arrow got itself in the place of Ifrit's meat, and Ifrit's reflexes proved great enough to save Lilac from another arrow directed at her. Ifrit pulled Albreich's chair and held it in front of him, saving him from five more arrows, all happened in a nick of time.
"What the hell, Ifrit?! Why didn't you ask first before pulling my goddamn chair?!"
"Sorry, Al, but life first."
Ifrit sniffed the air for a moment, and Lilac, with heightened olfactory sense, caught a scent of soot, different from Ifrit's.
"Ifrit, be careful, that archer is a..."
"I know. He's targeting me. Get into the carriage. I'll hold him off."
Lilac and Albreich then make a nod, before running inside the carriage. Lilac's paw just missed another arrow, but it grazed the stairs.
"Bloody arrow! It almost cost me my paw!"
"You're not hurt, Lily?"
"I wasn't hit."
Ifrit was waiting with the chair as protection, slowly moving forward and holding the chair in front of him. Another arrow came and it almost hit Ifrit's paws if not for his reflex.
"(What a nice sense for a prince)," said the hellhound. "(I bet some worthless being is teaching you how to fight)."
"(I've been staying alive for many years)."
"(At least you're not dead)."
"(Who are you, huh? If you are trying to kill me, you gotta do better than that)."
"(Maybe I'll consider killing you with some other hounds)."
Ifrit then heard he was screaming a battle cry, and suddenly five hellhounds of differently colored furs ran out from the forest. Some carried a knife on their clawed hands, and others carry a sword, while some others carry bow and arrows. The hellhound then saw the leader, a black furred hellhound carrying a flaming arrow, which he was aiming to Ifrit with his bow.
"(Maybe your importance to us is greater than taking on your brother, prince Ifrit)."
"(Wait...My brother?)"
"(Oh, so you don't know where he is? That's a shame. You both are better dead)."
"(You met him? Where the hell is he?)"
"(That motherfucker cut out our team and gouge out some others! You Schelkz family are nothing but a problem to the hellhounds, you fucking pricks!)"
"(Hey, boss)," said one of them, the gray-furred one. "(Maybe pissin' off at time like this is not a good idea)."
"(I'm still angry on how that white son of a bitch is doing to my best friend. Now, maybe this black one takes that responsibility)."
"(Whoa, wait! Are you saying Nergora fucked up your crew? Wow, that guy's pretty amazing for a slender hound. You guys are so out of news)."
Somehow Ifrit's taunt was taken by the leader pretty badly. He then exclaimed a loud (fuck!) before saying, "(I'm gonna kill you, Schelkz! This is for my fucking friend, you goddamn traitors!)"
But before he could release the arrow there was a rock flying to him, hitting the back of his head. He was dizzy for a moment, but Ifrit knew being surprised wouldn't change a thing. He quickly ran forward in a speed akin to a running dog, and tackled him, yet he was stunned by the sight of the blade beside him before the unknown savior took it and used the dagger to stab the one beside him.
"(What the hell are you doing?! Get a weapon and fight'em!)"
Ifrit took the chair and hit the one to his right with it as hard as he could. When it hit the snout, the hellhound could hear bone cracking, meaning that it was a good thing. He then readied his claw and with a spin, he maimed the other one. Then, he turned again with a whip of his tail he stunned the other before the mysterious red furred hellhound stabbed him many times before relenting.
They both released a long breath, before the hellhound helped Ifrit stood and with a smile, said, "(You're one hell of a fighter, hound. That work with the chair, was awesome.)"
"(Thanks. Staying alive needs to fight with anything you see, that's all)."
"(You've been through a lot, man. As for me, guess I've just been in the forest for sometimes. The name's Eshdar. You're?)"
"(Maybe it's not a good idea to give me your name now, given that we're targets.)"
"(Oh, keeping secrets, huh? I saw some of your mortal friends. Is that a female hound?)"
"(She's a mortal, and someone important to me.)"
"(Hmm...)"
He then sheathed the dagger and walked towards the carriage, while saying, "Hey, I'm alright! Well, you'll think I'm an idiot, tryin' to talk sense with you guys, but I'm completely harmless and I'm not from a hellish domain, okay?"
Ifrit ran to him and said, "(I'm a hellish one. I thought you too.)"
"(Some of us took the Ascension earlier than you, man. Some of them don't even know the turmoil down there. I know, but that doesn't concern me. Those guys we beat are some like you)."
When he noticed Albreich and Lilac, he turned his head and said, "Oh, sorry I didn't see you there. The name's Winsel. Eshdar Winsel."
"Winsel? You mean as if, Anarim Winsel?"
"That's my ol' daddy, alright. He came back to our real home when I was still a kid. Say, you come from Dusdolf?"
"How do you know? And why is your accent a bit off?" asked Albreich with a surprise.
"I don't know. People of Adaline talked like this. I happen to talk like one."
"You're so fluent in English, too," said Lilac. "How long have you stayed in our world?"
"Let's keep up the pace. I have a friend in Arbal who provides houses you call an inn. I'll let you pay for him, a'ight?"
"Wait, let us prepare...."
"Oh, damn, I love steaks! Maybe we can wait for the long trip. I'm starvin', man."
"(I can share you mine. You saved our lives)."
"(Oh no, thanks. I prefer raw ones)."
That night...
"You see, I often travel in the forest. From here to Renita is not far, but that if you know how to survive in the jungle. Hellhounds like me typically scare a lot of animals, even if I can't talk to 'em. Anyway, you three want to drop the load off in Arbal, am I right?"
"I want to trade at Arbal, so maybe I'll take the long road. Besides, the carriage won't survive in the forest."
"The spring festival will start soon. I suggest you hurry. Besides, you need a navigator, right?"
Then Lilac and Albreich turned their heads together, staring each other for a moment before Albreich said, "I don't want to offend you, but we don't really believe on hellhounds that easily. I only trust Ifrit. Though you have the name Winsel with you, that don't mean I can trust you. Believe me, I've gotten close calls with hostile hellhounds hunting my friend."
"You don't need to trust me anyway. Revealing myself to you is also a bet I take. I just sit on top of your carriage and see the scenery. That way, you can have extra bodyguard, aside from this hellhound. I'll just take my weapons and follow ya. You need weapons, right?"
"I have my own, thank you."
"Don't worry. I'll carry them myself. Wait for me."
Then they waited for the hellhound to come back. Lilac was sure the hellhound dressed more like a tribal hunter than the more jacketed one Ifrit wore. Because of using only a loincloth, that hellhound couldn't even conceal his tail. His weird hairstyle revealed his horns too much. Lilac was concerned on Eshdar more than Ifrit.
When the wolf turned to Albreich, he said, "He is risking himself using minimal outfit. How can we trust this hellhound, Ifrit?"
"Just don't trust any hellhounds until they prove that they are your ally. He can be calling his friends, or maybe just taking his goods."
Soon, he returned back with many things like a machete, a bow that he slung on his back, arrows tied on his hip, and the trusty dagger he sheathed near the loincloth belt. From how he could see, Eshdar looked like a hunter. One thing that covered his tail and horns were the hooded cape he wore over the revealing clothes concealing most of the things he took.
"So, I'm ready. When will we go?"
"Immediately...uh...."
"Just call me Eshdar. My friends call me that. Winsel is just too lame."
Hearing that, Albreich just smiled and made small chuckles. This took Lilac's attention, as Eshdar and Ifrit were talking in their own language, Lilac approached the man and said, "Al, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just, he's just the same with him."
"Who?"
"Oh, I never thought Anarim has a son with the same attitude."
Then he turned to Lilac. "The hellhound's name was Anarim Winsel. He's this youth's father, and he acts just like this one when he was young."