FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 8

Okay. First of all, unlike most of the girls you’ve seen in Howling Grove, I wasn’t from St. Belaroix. Instead, I was born and raised in the outskirts of Roud City, near the Araucaria forest. My parents were explorers, and would often take me with them on their expeditions. So, throughout my childhood, I had been pretty much everywhere around Roud. For example, I had seen the Crystal Cavern to the north, the Korvan temple ruins to the east of the Great Plain, the Ice Shrine near the western seashore, and so on and so forth.

Now, it’s true that in ancient times those places were teeming with all sorts of monsters, but thanks to the hard work of countless adventurers across many decades, that isn’t the case anymore. All those ruins are safe to explore now, and were already safe when I saw them as a somewhat rambunctious twelve-year-old. Oh, yeah... I remember having a lot of fun running up and down all those dusty old corridors, pushing strange L-shaped blocks around and trying to activate rusted mechanisms that had long since ceased to function. So, basically, I was an energetic kid in what, to me, were amazing playgrounds made of ancient stone.

Until, one day, we stumbled upon a giant red roacha.

It just sprung out of nowhere! Dad tried to shoot at it, but the bullets simply bounced off its shell. Suddenly, we had to make a run for our lives! And let me tell you; that thing was fast! So we ran, and ran, and ran, never once daring to look back, until we managed to reach the exit. My heart was pounding in my chest, but we did it! We made it outside, where it was safe! Ah, I was so glad to be alive and in one piece, that I almost wanted to laugh all that adrenaline away!

But then I realized that I was alone.

I called out to my parents, but it was useless. They were nowhere to be seen. It took me hours to accept that they had never gotten out of those ruins in the first place; that it was only me who had done so. I think that the monster was gaining on us, and at some point they must have stopped and turned to face it in order to buy me more time to make it out alive. That’s how I believe they must have met their end.

Later that day, a heavily armored squadron of elite soldiers went in and slew the damn thing. They also managed to retrieve what little was left from my parents. So at the very least I had something to bury...

After the burial, I stood before their graves and made a solemn promise to myself: I would hunt down and kill every single remaining monster in the land, so that what had happened to me could never happen again to anyone else. And that, Elise, was the beginning of my revenge-fueled monster hunting career. I suppose you could say that, on that day, bratty little Rosie died, and Rose LeBlanc, huntress extraordinaire, was born.

Oh, I never told you, did I? Yes, I’m a LeBlanc; a descendant of the legendary knight from seven hundred years ago: Jean-Pierre LeBlanc, wielder of the Zeus Blade. You know the story, right? He awakened the last remaining dragon on Earth and fought alongside it to save all of Galia from an ancient evil only known as ‘The Wyvern.’ They say it was a colossal beast of darkness whose one and only purpose was to destroy all life. But my ancestor courageously rode his blue dragon ally past the dark beast’s mighty defenses and managed to plunge his Zeus Blade into its monstrous heart, striking the Chaos Gem that powered it and destroying it once and for all.

So, Jean-Pierre vanquished the infernal beast and saved the land, but at a cost. The Zeus Blade was destroyed along with the Chaos Gem, both of them reduced to dust, and he himself was bleeding out fast from the many horrific wounds he had sustained. Thankfully, the blue dragon used the last of his power to save my ancestor’s life. Then, that majestic creature declared that his mission on Earth was complete, spread his wings and leaped very, very high, where he seemed to just fade away into the sky. No one ever saw him again. As for my ancestor, he retired with every honor imaginable and lived out the rest of his life in the peaceful outskirts of Roud, with his wife Lucille and their children. Or so the legend goes.

Alright, enough of that. Back to me.

So, thirteen years after the death of my parents, I had already carved something of a name for myself. I had traveled far and wide across all of Galia, hunting down monsters wherever I went. I killed every last ratagor on Faris Island, helped the Morgian people with a toagger infestation, decimated the vampbat population around Nune Town, and even tore through ten grimogres and two klawkills in Stronghold Tower. Oh, and of course, I’m very proud to say that I drove roachas to extinction. Heh, I suppose you could say I had adventure in my blood, just like my ancestor did! Though, of course, I was driven by sheer hatred rather than something nobler. Yeah... I just wanted to see those rotten bastards burn.

Then, one day, a rumor reached my ears: werewolves, in the forest of Lanea, to the south of St. Belaroix. I was intrigued. I had never encountered one of those before, so I had to go see if that rumor was true. Not only would I rid the world of another evil nest of corruption, but I would also add a new monster type to my long list of successful exterminations.

According to the bestiaries I consulted in preparation for my journey to Lanea, werewolves were said to be ‘vicious, blood-thirsty creatures of the night, who took special delight in abducting and brutally ravishing young, innocent maidens for hours, before finally ripping them to shreds and feasting on their bloodied entrails.’ That description alone made my blood boil with pure, raw hatred. Oh, you can’t imagine just how badly I wanted to gut such vile monsters with my own two hands!

I arrived to St. Belaroix about five years ago. Since no one knew I had come here, there was no welcoming committee of any sort waiting for me, and nobody wished me good luck on my quest. Not that I cared much about such things, but... you know. Those formalities usually included a luncheon, and a free meal is a free meal, right?

Anyway, I didn’t waste much time heading for the woods. I was eager to start spilling unholy werewolf blood, you see. Thus, armed with my trusty crossbow, I began to explore the border of the forest, trying to map my way as I went. I had another weapon too, one that cost me nearly all my savings, that I kept concealed under my clothes. That other weapon would be my trump card, should the crossbow prove insufficient somehow.

Of course, I had no firearms on me, since women are strictly forbidden by law from bearing those, regardless of circumstances. It’s just how it is.

So, for the first three or four days I didn’t really find much of interest. Just your usual woodland critters roaming about. But my hunting instincts told me that there was something else lurking silently around me like an invisible shadow. Something that most definitely didn’t want to be seen.

Of course, I moved with utmost caution; eyes and ears always alert. It was very exhausting, but I would not let anyone or anything surprise me with my guard down, as that would have meant certain death in my line of work. At some point, I realized that I hadn’t encountered any monsters at all. Not even a single measly vampbat. ‘Maybe those supposed werewolves drove them all away?’ I wondered to myself.

On the sixth day, at night, I stumbled upon what I thought was a rather interesting landmark: two willow trees that appeared to delineate an archway of sorts between their trunks. Now, having seen many temple ruins hidden in the deepest recesses of various centennial forests around Galia before, I had developed something of a sense for that kind of stuff. And that sense was telling me that I was standing before the entrance to someplace secret.

So, I tightened my grip on the crossbow and headed toward the apparent gate.

“I would not take a step further if I were you, vanni.”

I froze in my tracks. Then I forced myself to whip around and face the source of that sinister gravelly voice. That’s when I saw it. There, only a few yards in front of me, stood one of them. A werewolf; tall, dark and imposing, rippling with savage, beastly muscle. It truly was a fearsome sight to behold. And that, coming from one who had slain klawkills in the past, is saying something!

“Beyond that threshold, a grim fate awaits those not blessed by Mother Moon,” direly warned the werebeast.

‘It can talk!’ I realized. ‘Just— what am I facing here??’

Indeed, that was the very first time I had encountered a monster that could actually speak coherent words. I was not prepared for that. Throughout my whole life up to that point, all the creatures I had fought and slain, they were all mindless, chaotic beasts incapable of rational thought. In essence, they were mere remnants of the Chaos Gem’s power. But that werewolf in front of me... truly felt unlike anything I had ever faced before. Somehow, I knew myself hopelessly outmatched. I had simply not accounted for the frankly terrifying possibility of confronting an intelligent foe. And that was alarming, to say the least.

But I wouldn’t easily fall prey to any sort of despair! Not Rose goddamned LeBlanc, huntress extraordinaire! Intelligent or not, talking or not, all I knew was that a monster was a monster, and nothing else mattered! So, in one swift motion, I raised my crossbow and shot an arrow at the beast.

It leaped backwards with the agility of an icekill, but not fast enough to evade the arrow, which pierced its right leg. Letting out only the faintest grunt of pain, the wolfish beast turned tail and tried to make its escape. I was just not about to miss my chance to slay that thing, so I immediately gave it chase. The monster was fast, but the wound in its leg was clearly giving it some problems, such as a nice limp that impeded its movements. Still, the blasted beast zigzagged across the forest like an oversized ferret, dodging most of my other shots, though at some point one of the arrows managed to strike its right arm, slowing the creature down a little bit more.

Eventually, we arrived here, to this very clearing. By that point, the werewolf had five arrows embedded into its body: one on each leg, another on its right arm, and the last two on its left shoulder. The monster was panting and very clearly in pain, but didn’t seem to want to run away anymore. It just stopped at the center of the clearing and turned to face me with its demonic glowing eyes.

I stopped too, as I suspected it might have been scheming something. I carefully raised my crossbow once more, only to notice that I had used up all my arrows during the chase. ‘Whatever,’ I thought. ‘Those arrows should have pierced enough muscles and tendons to render all its four limbs essentially unusable. Maybe that’s why it stopped in the first place. Maybe it just couldn’t keep on running anymore with those injuries. I’m sure they must hurt like hell too. Heh, what was I so worried about? I’ve got this in the bag!’

“What, you aren’t running anymore?” I said with a sneer. “Well, that’s disappointing. I was thinking you’d give me more of a challenge!”

Instead of saying anything back to me, the werewolf responded by ripping out the two arrows from its shoulder. Then, with a pained grunt, it ripped out the one in its arm. Finally, it did the same with the ones on its legs, grunting in pain every time.

“Congratulations! You only made the wounds bigger and messier, you idiot!” I said with a scornful laugh, already savoring my imminent victory.

But my laugh was short-lived.

“...W-what?” I exclaimed, hardly believing my eyes.

The wounds! They were closing, all five of them! Of course, it was due to the moonlight shining on the clearing, but I didn’t know that back then. How could I, when there was no mention of anything like that in the bestiaries I had consulted!

‘Regeneration!’ I thought to myself, quickly losing all traces of the sneer I had only moments prior. ‘T-this is no good. If all werewolves can heal this fast, it could be a problem. I hope my trump card works, or else I’m fucked...’

Sure enough, in only mere seconds, the werewolf was as good as new.

“I do not know why you wish to take my life,” it said, “but I do like the impetuous fire you carry in your blood, vanni.”

“Do you, now? Well, too bad! I won’t let you lay a single finger on me, you wretch!” I boldly declared before drawing my secret weapon; my so-called trump card. Wielding it in my right hand, I asked the monster: “Do you know what this is?”

“I do. That is a silver dagger, fireblood-vanni. Its silvery shine negates Mother Moon’s protection. Should that blade slice my lyccan flesh, I would not easily heal.”

“That’s right! And with this blade I’m going to gut you like a pig!” I shouted, tensing my muscles as I readied my body for the offensive I was about to launch.

“Why do you wish to spill my blood so intently? How have I offended you so?”

“I’m a monster huntress and you are a monster. Do the math.”

The dark creature of the night seemed to consider my words for a few moments; its glowing amber gaze burning holes in my soul.

“I see. My very existence offends you. How disheartening,” it said with its gravelly lyccan voice. “Is there anything I could do to placate your wrath, fireblood-vanni?”

“Yes! You can DIE!!”

And I attacked.

Lunging toward the creature at full speed, I swung my dagger in a wide arc, but it missed its mark. The werewolf was fast and dodged the attack with ease. I tried again and again, swinging my lethal blade in a rapid barrage of silvery slashes that cut through the air, yet couldn’t find the monster’s flesh. Remember how blindingly fast Anabelle was with her claw storm attack a few moments ago, when she sparred with me? Well, that’s pretty much how fast and wildly I swung my dagger against that werebeast! It was a technique that had served me well in the past, earning me quite a few victories.

But that accursed werewolf was on a completely different level! No matter what I did, it dodged every. Single. Slash!

Now, for some reason I couldn’t fathom, it never counterattacked. Not even once. Was it toying with me? Waiting until I tired myself out before making its move? I just couldn’t understand what the hell its strategy was! Eventually, I leaped backwards to catch my breath. The monster just stood where it was, simply watching me with its piercing stare, showing no signs of exhaustion.

“It seems as though you cannot swing your silver dagger swiftly enough to reach me,” it said. “Your hatred is as strong as it is deep. Certainly, I can feel it driving your every move. But that is a false strength. Know that such hatred is first and foremost a burden that weighs you down and makes you slow and predictable. Not to mention needlessly reckless. The fact that you do not seem to realize this saddens me deeply.”

“Wha— Are you mocking me now? Just who the fuck do you think I am??” I yelled, feeling thoroughly insulted. “Come at me if you dare, you foul beast! Let’s see if my dagger won’t reach you!”

Again, the werewolf seemed to ponder my words in silence for a few tense moments.

“My apologies, fireblood-vanni,” it finally said. “I see now that I have not been speaking your language. You speak only through your dagger-claw, as the fire-blooded warrior that you are. I, too, must speak that very same language if I want you to listen to me. Anything else would be an insult to you, am I correct?”

“What, you think you can take me on? I have beheaded klawkills bigger than you with this very dagger! You will be no different, you mangy mutt!” I brazenly declared with all the brash confidence I could muster, although my words were as empty as my quiver. You see, an important part of fighting is never to let the opponent know that they have the upper hand when they do. So, if you ever find yourself cornered and at a disadvantage, bluffing could buy you precious time to develop a strategy to either turn the tables in your favor or flee!

So, then, the werewolf beast arced its legs, lowered its posture and raised its claws. It was very clearly signaling its intentions to attack. My grip on the dagger tightened by instinct as I cursed inwardly. Things were not looking good, but it was too late for me to back down. Even if I had tried to escape, I knew I had no hope of outrunning that monster. Not when I was exhausted and that wolfish beast hadn’t even broken a sweat yet.

“Know that I intend to honor the ardent flames of your fighting spirit to the fullest extent of my ability,” it said with a deeply unsettling tone that sounded like a warning to me. “So, then, my tragically brave fireblood-vanni, she of the misplaced courage; are you ready for the most crushing defeat you shall ever experience?”

“Bring it on, you fiend! I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!!”

And bring it on it did. The fearsome creature lunged toward me at breakneck speed, like a feral shadow of snarling death.

Now, when someone — anyone, man or beast — goes on the offensive at close quarters, they are essentially defenseless at the moment the attack connects, since the attack is their defense. So, if I could evade or deflect the werewolf’s attack, it would essentially give me a small window of opportunity to counter and hopefully drive my silver dagger through its heart. I had basically put all my hopes of surviving the encounter into my ability to react at that precise moment, with the precise exactness it required. Or, in simpler words, it was do or die.

Hah, how naive I was, thinking I had even a fraction of the skill required to pull off something like that, against an opponent that outmatched me so thoroughly. Why, that werewolf was like five klawkills in one! I hadn’t even an ounce of a chance! The beast moved faster than lightning, and was upon me in the blink of an eye. For the briefest moment I saw its sharp claws descending on me, and I also saw its huge, glistening fangs mere inches away from my face. At that moment I knew, without a shadow of doubt, that it was all over for me.

‘So this is how I die,’ I thought to myself as the ground disappeared from under my feet and everything became a blur. There was an impact, and I heard the beast’s growl near my face, but the finishing blow I was anticipating didn’t seem to come. Then, after a few moments, when I realized I was somehow still alive, I managed to open my eyes again...

Stars.

Up there, in the sky.

There were so many stars.

I could see them twinkling quietly... serenely...

My heart was racing; cold sweat rolling down my face as I blankly stared with frozen wide eyes into the starry veil of the night. I was on the grass, lying on my back, and I was unable to move a finger. None of my muscles would respond, and even if they did, it wouldn’t have mattered. The creature... No, the lycca was on top of me, pinning me down with the full weight of its— of his body.

I feebly tried to free my arms, but it was to no avail. The enormous werewolf on top of me was like an immovable mountain of unyielding savage muscle. There simply was no fighting his overpowering might. And his teeth... Oh, God, I could feel every one of them pressed against my throat. I really couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even think. Not with those beastly jaws firmly locked on my neck. The message was clear: I was at his mercy.

...For I was helpless.

So utterly, utterly helpless.

I was like a puny little mouse in the clutches of a cat, resigned to its grisly fate. Truly, I had never, ever felt so absolutely, wholly, completely helpless before. My conqueror had promised me the most crushing defeat of my entire life, and by God he delivered. I had, in essence, lost all will to fight. All I could do was wait... and hope he was merciful enough to give me a swift, painless death.

“Do you see it now, fireblood-vanni? Whether you were conscious of it or not, you entered these woods seeking a conqueror, and you have just found one in me. Now, your life no longer belongs to you, and even your inner fire has left you. Such is the fate the blind hatred you had allowed to take root in your heart has brought upon you. Was it all worth it?” he pointedly said after freeing my throat, looking me in the eye. “So, then, what do you think is going to happen to you now?”

I couldn’t answer. My mind wasn’t working at all. I hate to admit it, but I was completely seized by the kind of absolute terror that shuts down your entire self and reduces you to a useless, trembling mess. I felt like a deer staring helplessly into the gaping maw of the lion that was just about to tear it apart.

“Your eyes tell me all I need to know. You are just waiting for the merciful release of death, are you not?” he continued, leaning closer to my face. “Well, I am afraid I have other plans for you...”

Suddenly, a grim line from that one bestiary flashed in my mind. It was the line that stated that werewolves ‘took special delight in abducting and brutally ravishing young, innocent maidens for hours, before finally ripping them to shreds and feasting on their bloodied entrails.’ That memory triggered my most basic survival instincts. I didn’t want to suffer the horrible fate described in that book. I had to do something! Anything! Immediately, a primal panic took ahold of me, and I tried once more to free myself from the weight of his body, but all my struggles were in vain. I was simply going nowhere.

And yet, as I shook my head desperately, I suddenly noticed something from the corner of my eye. Something that was lying next to my left hand. It was right there, glistening with a silver gleam under the moonlight! I could almost touch it! And I tried so hard to reach it, Elise. You have no idea how hard I tried, but that damned thing was just out of reach. If it wasn’t a cruel joke, I don’t know what was!

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, my finger grazed the hilt. ‘A-almost there! Just a bit more!’ I shouted inwardly with renewed hope. But all that hope was promptly snuffed out the very moment he reached for it himself and brought it in front of my face.

“Ah, yes, your dagger-claw. This was your very last hope, was it not?” he said, showing me the glistening blade as though he was taunting me with it. And that was what broke me for good. Every muscle in my body fell limp. Whatever remnant of resistance I still had in me, was gone. I had completely given up.

“Kill me,” I whispered.

He shook his head:

“Like I said, I have other plans.”

“Please, I beg you...” I tried again with tears in my eyes. “Have mercy and just... kill me.”

“No, vanni. Mercy has nothing to do with this. All that matters here is that my claw trumped yours, which means that you belong to me now. Everything that was once yours is now mine, including your body, for I earned you fair and square, by your very own rules. And as long as your life is in my claws, I decide when and how you will die. Understood?”

I cried. I just... I just cried.

“Very good. Now, on your feet,” he curtly ordered as he lifted his weight off me and stood up. I... complied. Like I said, I was broken. My will was gone, and my last hope — the silver dagger — was in his hands. So I stood up as he commanded, still sobbing bitter tears in silence.

Although I was standing on my two legs again, I didn’t dare to raise my gaze off the ground. Then, through the veil of my tears, I saw the werewolf’s mighty lyccan feet stepping in front of me. Inwardly, I was already imagining the horror to come, and I prayed for God to please let me die right then and there. But none of my prayers were heard. Finally, he firmly grabbed my wrists with his big, strong claws. And I closed my eyes shut. Perhaps if I couldn’t see what was about to happen, I would somehow escape it all. Or so I hopelessly thought in my desperation.

“Now, then. Let us begin, shall we?” he forebodingly said, and I gritted my teeth, tears running down my cheeks, bracing myself for the unimaginable pain his monstrous, ruthless lust would undoubtedly unleash upon my helpless flesh within mere seconds.

So, what do you think he did next, Elise? Tear my clothes off? Grab me by the throat and brutally force himself in me? Ravage me to within an inch of my life? Hah! Hahahahah! No. He didn’t do any of those things. Of course he didn’t! He’s a lycca! They’re incapable of harming us! Now, obviously, I had no idea about any of that back then, and what he actually did was something I could have never seen coming in a million years...

He dropped to his knees, which due to his height put his head level with my chest. Then, he carefully brought my hands together and placed the hilt of my silver dagger between them. He himself made me close my fingers around it, and then guided the tip of the blade toward his own throat. That’s when I opened my eyes, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

So now I was standing before the large kneeling werewolf, the silver dagger was in my hands, and the tip of the blade was touching his throat. And he did it all himself! In fact, he was still holding my hands which held the dagger, keeping it steady! I was bewildered. Like... you have no idea!

“W...what are you doing?” I barely managed to ask in my trembling stunned voice.

“I am presenting you with a choice. It is what we do. We present vanni with a choice.”

“A... choice?”

“Indeed. And I had to fight all my instincts to even get to this point. In fact, I loathed every second of it, but I do believe I was able to show you what it feels like to be rendered completely helpless; stripped of all agency and bent to someone else’s will. You simply needed to see the fate you were headed to. Hopefully this experience has opened your eyes and given you a new perspective on life, but I suppose we will find out soon enough. Either way, it is my turn to be the helpless one now. And so, here you stand, with my life in your hands and a choice to make.”

Words failed me. I couldn’t understand what the hell was going on!

“You were at my mercy, and now I am at yours. It is only fair, is it not?” he continued. “Whatever happens next depends entirely on you, fireblood-vanni. You may pierce my throat with your dagger-claw if that would please you. Perhaps that is what I justly deserve for daring to use my strength against you, even though I made sure never to bring actual harm upon you. But before you spill my blood, I would like you to hear what I have to say.”

“Y-you would just... let me kill you? Just like that?” I asked, still trying to comprehend what was happening. “I—I don’t... J-just what kind of monster are you?”

“Well, I do not know what other monsters you have fought, or even what exactly that word means to you. All I know is that I exist to serve you. This is my place, where I belong. Here, on my knees, in front of you. My life is yours, vanni. It rightfully belongs to you. It always did.”

“B...but... why?”

“Because I am a lycca. That is the only reason.”

Once again, I was at a loss for words. Rose LeBlanc, huntress extraordinaire, she who had slain so many monsters in the past without ever giving it a second thought, didn’t know what to do. ‘I don’t understand! What kind of creature is this so-called lycca? Why is he doing all this? Why did he hand me my dagger back? Why? Just, why?’ I wondered. And then, for a moment, a weird thought crossed my mind: ‘Did he never actually intend to kill me? Am I the monster here? N-no! That can’t be! It’s impossible!’

“Listen to me if you will, my fireblood-vanni,” he said, still holding my hands, which in turn held the silver dagger that was pointed at his throat. “No blood needs to be spilled today, or ever, for there is another way. If you would let me, I would like to offer you a gift that will change your life forevermore.”

“W...what gift? W-what are you offering me?”

“I am offering you freedom. Total, absolute freedom, the likes of which you would never know as a human. I wish to release you from the shackles of the hatred you have been carrying in your heart, and to see you realize the marvelous potential that sleeps within you. You, beautiful creature that you are, deserve freedom, and I can give it to you. It is your birthright, vanni. You were born to be free. But I could not grant you that freedom if my heart were to beat no more. And that is the choice you must now make.”

At that precise moment, he let go of my hands. Now it was just me holding the silver dagger to his throat.

“What will you do?” he calmly asked. “Will you slay me and continue endangering your life recklessly for the fleeting thrill of a kill, until you inevitably meet your end at the hands of a foe you cannot defeat? Or will you take my offer of absolute freedom, so that you may cast away all that burdens you, and awaken as the liberated fireblood-vanni you were always meant to be? Yours is the choice. It is all in your hands now, as it should be.”

That was the moment of truth. Like he said, mine was the choice.

What did I truly want? What was I fighting for? Gold? Revenge? Fame and recognition? To fill some sort of void in my life? But I was a huntress, wasn’t I? Hunting monsters and killing them is all I ever did, because that’s what I was supposed to do, right? It’s what gave meaning to my life. A meaning forged by an endless succession of senseless bloodshed. But it was better than nothing, right? And it wasn’t like it didn’t help people, was it? — Those, Elise, were just some of the many, many questions that raced through my mind at that moment.

The truth is, I was paralyzed. The Rose I was before that night wouldn’t have hesitated to drive the dagger into his throat. But the Rose I had now become just couldn’t do it. My arms weren’t moving. They just... trembled uselessly, and I didn’t know why. But then I realized what was going on. That blasted werewolf... He made me care. He gave me empathy. Instead of seeing him as a monster, I was now seeing him as a helpless creature that was about to die at the hands of a greater monster. He made me pity him. That’s why he had shown me what it truly meant to be helpless! So that I could empathize with him when he turned the tables on himself! Clever bastard!

I had to admire him. He had taken a massive gamble for reasons that were beyond my understanding at the time, but it was paying off for him. Somehow, even though I was holding my silver dagger to his throat, I was losing the battle... again. First, he defeated me physically. Now, he was defeating me emotionally, expertly tugging at my heartstrings with surgical precision. Truly, I couldn’t have faced a more formidable foe. I couldn’t do anything other than seeing myself reflected in those amber eyes of his. He looked so... noble... and compassionate... and so accepting of whichever fate I would choose for him. How could I kill that defenseless bastion of muscle and claws when he was looking at me with such harmless eyes?

My hands trembled. My grip on the dagger loosened. I just couldn’t find it in myself to do the deed. I had lost. He was the better warrior, both physically and mentally. He deserved his victory — his double victory. He could do whatever he wanted with me. It was his right. And I wasn’t afraid anymore. Somehow, I felt that I wanted to lose to him; that surrendering to his superior strength had always been the correct thing to do. In fact, maybe that’s why I had been so adamant in doing battle with him. Perhaps my subconscious had truly chosen him to be my conqueror, and he had sensed it from the very beginning.

Thus, the dagger fell.

It just slipped off my trembling hands, landing somewhere at my feet. And then, my legs buckled and I dropped to my knees right in front of the big, dark werewolf; who himself had already been on his knees since he had first placed the dagger in my hands, several minutes prior.

“I’m... finished,” I simply said. “Do with me what you will.”

“You are not finished, vanni. In fact, your life is only just about to truly begin.”

I’ll be honest. Part of me still thought that he was going to either ravish me or eat me, or both, and that all his talk about ‘granting me freedom’ was just some sort of romanticized metaphor for that. But I just didn’t care anymore. Like I told him, I was... finished.

“B...before you give me the... freedom you promised me...” I quietly said, “could I have your name? I... don’t want to leave this world w...without at least knowing the name of my conqueror...”

“I do not have a name, but you can give me one if you would like.”

I saw the silver dagger on the ground. I remembered it being in both my hands and his at the same time, when he first aimed it at his throat. In a way, that ‘dagger-claw’ connected us, or so I thought.

“Daggerclaw,” I said immediately, as though by reflex. “That’s your name.”

“So it is...”

Suddenly, I found myself completely engulfed in his thick warm fur as he wrapped his strong, muscular arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace! He wasn’t being forceful or violent; only very, very affectionate, the way lycca tend to be with their vanni, as I’m sure you know very well. Back then, however, I was not expecting something like that at all, and to say it threw me off something fierce would be the understatement of the century.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” he said. “Not only for sparing my life, but also for honoring me with a name to call my own. I cannot overstate just how happy I am right now. My brave, soon-to-be-free fireblood-vanni; I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to be the best lycca you could ever wish for. And to start with, I would grant you the lyccan gift of freedom I promised you, should you accept it.”

There, in his powerful, protective arms, I wanted— No, I needed to believe him.

“C...can you truly... set me free?” I asked in a tremulous whisper as a tear rolled down my cheek.

“I can. And I will. Although I must warn you that this gift is an offering that resides in my fangs. I will have to pierce your sacred flesh with my teeth, and you will hurt. But I promise you that the pain will be worth it.”

“A-and I... W-what will become of me?”

“You will become the same as I. Your senses will be awakened to the truths of the forest, and you will live in complete freedom for the rest of your life,” he affirmed. “As for me, I will be your knight, your vassal, your servant, your confidant, your companion, and anything else you might want me to be. I will love you forever and ever, and I will always worship you as you rightly deserve. In essence, I will be yours. Fully, inescapably yours.”

I had no more questions to ask. Whether it was all a lie or not, my final decision was set.

“Alright,” I said, surrendering myself to whichever fate awaited me. “Alright, Daggerclaw. Do it. Set me free.”

“As you wish.”

And then he did it. He sank his huge werewolf teeth into my shoulder.

Oh, it hurt. It hurt so bad. I thought I was strong, and that I could take it, but... My God, was I wrong! I tried not to scream; to grit my teeth and bear it, but I failed miserably. Never before had I experienced such torturous, excruciating pain! Yes, yes, I know; it was only thirty seconds. That is, thirty endless seconds of pure, relentless agony! I desperately tried to break free from that hellish vice, but Daggerclaw held me tight throughout the whole ordeal. You know; once an Offering of the Fangs begins, it cannot be halted, or else you’ll just end up with a ghastly bite and nothing to show for it.

Well, you can probably imagine what happened next. I changed into a werewolf for the first time, ruining all my clothes in the process, and Daggerclaw helped me through those first wobbly moments when you pretty much have to re-learn how to stand up and walk. At first I thought I was going to hate that form, but... no. I loved it. I was taller and stronger. It really made me feel powerful and secure. Even Daggerclaw commented that my fire had not only returned, but it was burning brighter than ever. And that’s saying nothing of the heightened senses and all that wonderful stuff! Ah, I feel nostalgic just reminiscing that magical first day of being a lycca-vanni.

~*~

Oh, what’s that? You want to know about our first kiss? Heh, what makes you think there was one? Nah, I’m just kidding. Of course there was one! In fact, it happened the very next day, at Howling Grove. You want all the juicy details, don’t you? Well, believe it or not, it started with a fight! You see, I had already settled in Daggerclaw’s den, and decided to challenge him to a rematch. I had something of a score to even, you know? At first he wasn’t particularly interested in raising his claws against me again, but he quickly changed his mind when I told him: “If you win, I’ll let you do that weird tongue-bonding thing with me, and maybe more.”

So, we had our rematch. Of course, I was in my werewolf form, so we were evenly matched in that respect. Daggerclaw tried his best to bring me down as he had done the day before, but things were different now. This time, I could actually give him battle! Anyway, to make a long story short, the rematch ended with me pinning him to the ground. I was surprised. I didn’t actually expect to win, or at least not that quickly!

“You just threw the match to give me a victory to be happy about, didn’t you?” I asked him accusingly.

“Of course not, my fireblood-vanni. I would never dare insult your fighting spirit like that. I truly tried my best, but it seems as though your lycca form is decidedly stronger than mine.”

“Really? I mean, I knew this werewolf form was powerful, but...”

“But your human form was already quite strong as it was, and the lycca form of vanni is always about ten times stronger than their base human form. That, combined with your battle experience and skillset, easily makes your lycca form a better fighter than I.”

“Oh! Huh, well, alright. I, uh... Since you lost, I guess you don’t get to tongue-bond me.”

“I suppose not...” he said dejectedly. “Ah, but maybe one day I will be worthy of you.”

“Yeah... Maybe...”

And then I walked away.

...until I suddenly turned around, power-walked back up to him, pushed him down onto the ground with an annoyed scowl, crawled atop him and furiously leaned in until the tips of our black, shiny noses almost touched. And I did all that in one single, rage-fueled motion.

“You could have tried harder, you know?” I angrily exclaimed to his flabbergasted wolf face.

“I— W-what?” he pitifully stammered.

“I only wanted an excuse, so that I didn’t have to admit to anything, you idiot!”

“B-but— You do not need to admit anything to me! I— I promise!”

“Shut up and kiss me already, you stupid, adorable mutt! And you better do it like a man, you hear?”

Daggerclaw blinked once, his eyes wide open, and then... he suddenly wrapped me in his arms, put one of his hands on the back of my head, opened his mouth and just locked his lips to mine. All in one smooth, continuous motion. And then, when his big, manly tongue forced its way into my mouth, my mind became mush and I just melted. Oh, Elise; that kiss was all I was hoping for, and more. He really made me feel like a woman right then and there. It was fierce, passionate... the kind of strong, masculine kiss that takes your breath away and firmly, unquestionably asserts: ‘You are mine.’

Heh, your face says it all. Fang has kissed you like that too, hasn’t he? Yeah, I suppose lycca are just naturals when it comes to what they like to call tongue-bonding. It’s like they know exactly what we want, and how we want it. Really, it never ceases to amaze me just how good they are at that. When they kiss you, you know you’re in for the ride of your life.

By the time he withdrew from my mouth, I was lying on my back and he was on top of me. I had also changed back to my very, very naked human form, and I didn’t even realize it. Then again, my mind was mush, remember? Anyway, when I opened my eyes, I saw him gazing back at me as though he was waiting for my permission to proceed. I just nodded wordlessly. All I knew was that my entire body was burning with desire, and that I wanted him in me yesterday.

Ah, the mating that followed was intense. He truly let the animal in him take full control, and it was wild. That indomitable strength; that beastly lust... He was like a force of nature. I could only let myself be swept away by the tidal wave of his vigorous passion like a leaf in the rapids. Not that I wanted it any other way, of course! On that day, I tell you, Daggerclaw made me feel things I didn’t even know I could feel. Wonderful, wonderful things. He rocked my world, blowing my mind sky-high with a kind of absolute bliss I never knew existed. And, somehow, despite all his claws and fangs and everything, I was entirely unharmed!

It’s amazing how, even when they’re at their most animalistic, lycca are still mindful of our limits. Other than the Offering of the Fangs ritual, they truly are fully incapable of harming us. It’s like their love for us overrides all their instincts. I suppose that when they’re in our company, they aren’t so much apex predators as they are apex lovers, and praise the heavens for that.

Really, we’ve been incredibly lucky, Elise. Well, yes, perhaps we all had suffered misfortune in the past, and some of us definitely had it worse than others, but... we’re here now, in the gentle arms of some of the strongest and noblest creatures on Earth, whose love for us is as absolute as it is perfect. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t trade this life for anything in the world. Here, I’m the happiest Rose LeBlanc I could ever be. Here, I’m free.

So, uh... Where was I again?

Ah, yeah, the mating! Right, right. As I was saying, Daggerclaw took me to heaven. He was the beastly stud I never knew I needed in my life. A real man among men... I mean, werewolf, whatever. You know what I meant. And after we were done, and once I was able to form words again, I idly caressed his broad chest and said:

“You... Amazing beast, you... My sweet, mighty conqueror... You are all I need.”

“I am glad I could be worthy of you, my precious fireblood-vanni,” he said as he wetly stroked my neck with his wolf tongue. “You, too, are all I will ever need. I am yours.”

“Heh... After all that, I... don’t really know who is whose anymore. Not that it matters.”

“Oh. W-was I too forceful?”

“You were perfect,” I quietly said to him as my fingers kept exploring his incredible chest. Even at rest, his muscles exuded so much raw masculine power... But you know how that is, don’t you, Elise? You know how enthralling their ‘sex aura’ can be, especially when you are soma-bonded to them. It’s so wonderfully alluring... You just want to dive in and get lost in their fur forever, you know? And yet I still somehow said:

“Though perhaps next time I could be the one in command. I mean, I still have to ‘punish’ you for making me think I was going to die last night, remember? Yes, I know now why you did it, and in a weird way I’m even grateful for it... but that doesn’t mean I can forgive you just like that. It’s the principle of the thing, you know?” I cooed as I softly traced the canyon between his pecs with my index finger. “You owe me a lot, you big, hunky, sexy were_stud_. A lot lot. So... what do you say?”

“I would happily be your slave if that would please you, my gorgeous vanni. When I say ‘I am yours,’ I truly mean it.”

I smiled as I lay atop him, feeling the electric feel of his lycca fur on my naked human skin. “Then, from now on, whenever the mood strikes, I will tie you up and do with you whatever I want. For a few hours, you would be my toy, and your body would be all mine to play with as I please. Would you be fine with that?”

“Of course I would. For what kind of lycca would I be if I did not aim to fulfill each and every desire of my soma-bonded vanni to the best of my ability?” he said, smiling. “Besides, I have to say that sounds quite intriguing. Why, I am already looking forward to it!”

“Well, I suppose we’ll have to get some ropes or chains or something like that first! But that’s for later. Now, I want you to kiss me again. And hold nothing back.”

So we did it all over again, and it was just as amazing as the first time. Ah, Daggerclaw fills me up so good, Elise. He really knows how to properly rail a woman. In fact, I’ll be honest with you: I’m getting all wet just talking about it! Heh, after we’re done here, I think I’m going straight to him so that he can take care of the issue.

Anyway, after our encore mating was complete, I collapsed on top of him as though my bones were jelly. My mind was floating among the clouds, full of the blissiest bliss that ever blissed. Yes, I’m making up words now. That’s just how amazingly good it was. And then, as my soul drifted in that cosmically phenomenal bliss, I whispered three simple words very quietly into his wolf ear:

“. .... ...”

Those words made him very happy, and he said them back to me as he tenderly stroked my hair while calling me his ‘beautiful fireblood-vanni.’ Of course, after a few moments, I told him that if he ever told anyone what I had just said to him, I’d kill him; to which he just chuckled.

“Then my lips are sealed!” he amusedly declared, smiling.

And that was— Hm? No. I’m sorry, but I’m not telling you what I had whispered to him. That’s a secret between my Daggerclaw and I. And don’t even bother trying to guess it. I won’t confirm or deny anything either way, so just forget it, okay?

Heheheh... But, yeah, that was my story. That’s how I met my soma-bonded lycca mate and took his Offering of the Fangs, Elise.

So... any questions?

To be continued...