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The Undermarket was unlike anything they had ever seen before…

When Kieran had first told them about it, the phoenixes had different expectations of what it would look like. Volcan, for his part, expected them to reappear in a derelict structure in one of Canada's many abandoned towns, far from civilization, and that it would appear to resemble any other market he'd ever been to - perhaps, like a farmer's market, with stalls and trailers.

It was nothing like that…

The Undermarket was laid out more akin to a strip mall back in the city, with structures of various architecture arranged in a semicircular fashion, but stretching widely across the cavern - yes, a cavern, with a single massive opening in the top allowing air into the underground location, but the light was so distant as to appear to be at the bottom of a deep, deep mine shaft.

Situated directly above the structures was the single light source of the entire market. A giant crystal, as large as a tour bus, ringed on all sides by wrought-iron catwalks, and glowing as brightly as a large fire. The crystal filled the surrounding area with an incandescent light like a small star, and seemed to be floating freely in the middle of the cavern, with seemingly nothing supporting it.

The crystal was not the only free-floating object in the Undermarket either. Above the semicircular 'strip mall' - as none of them knew what else to compare it to, multiple structures, seemingly held aloft by nothing but stone or metal platforms - each one unique in its own way, floated through the air above the market, seemingly inaccessible but each one marked by a sign that labelled them as yet another of the collection of strange shops in the market…

“...Am I dreaming right now?" Volcan asked, beak hanging agape as he took in the sight before him, struggling to process the sheer strangeness of what his eyes were showing him.

Korban glanced over at Volcan for a moment, then he reached over and grabbed his arm, pinching him with the other arm firmly. The phoenix flinched and pulled away, casting him a brief glare before his expression softened. “Okay, definitely not dreaming," he admitted, “I officially rescind what I said before about nothing surprising me anymore."

“This place is whack!" Pavan exclaimed - much louder than was necessary, sending his voice echoing across the chamber.

“Believe me, that was my first reaction too when I stumbled into this place," Kieran stated with a chuckle. “Though, uh… keep your voice down man. Not a lotta vendors take kindly to new shoppers, especially if ya don't know what yer looking for."

“So… What are we looking fo-" Lighris started to ask, before he was interrupted by what could only be described as a miniature explosion in front of the group, startling them as, from a cloud of smoke, a lithe, unusual figure appeared “FUCK!" he exclaimed, hands up in anticipation of a fight.

The figure who had appeared looked almost… Elvish, with angular features and almond-shaped eyes, but his skin was blue, his eyes red - wearing a pair of old, brass spectacles on his somewhat flat nose, and aside from the strange features he looked otherwise completely human. In his hand, he held a book, with a seemingly ordinary pen clutched in his other hand.

He first looked at Kieran, and seemed to recognize him, before he looked at the others gathered with him. “Newcomers to the Undermarket," he said in a voice that sounded neither male or female, and rather monotonous, as though he were bored. “State your names."

“Uh… Volcan," the fire phoenix replied compliantly, not using a false name like he had in the past, and one after the other the rest of the group answered, giving their names freely to the stranger.

At first, Korban tried not to say his name out loud - not trusting this strange being in front of them, but with a snap of the 'elf's' fingers, suddenly he blurted his name out like he was letting out a yelp. A rather squeaky “KORBAN!" practically exploded from his mouth. He grasped his neck before he glared at the elvish figure.

“...The fuck was that just now?" He growled dangerously, not liking the idea of being forced to talk.

“Requirement of all visitors to submit their names for the record, and in doing so permanently marked by the Undermarket as a customer," the elf replied with disinterest, not even looking at Korban as it wrote in the book it carried. “Henceforth, you are now bound by the Vow of Silence; to speak of the Undermarket to anyone who does not already know of it will result in your words becoming slurred and incoherent, making you appear a fool to those you are speaking to."

With that, the figure tipped its glasses at them. “Have a nice visit," and in another explosion of smoke, it was gone.

“...Kieran. Explain. Now," Tsumé muttered, her left eye twitching to show that she was rapidly running out of patience for the oddities that day.

“That was one of the Keepers," Kieran answered calmly. “They're like… security guards here in the Undermarket, but they also act as the front reception for new and recurring patrons. They help ensure that this place stays a secret from prying eyes."

Lighris looked at Kieran. “You said 'one of' the Keepers… Does that mean there are more like that one at the other… Markets?" he asked.

“Yea. As Vinge and I mentioned, there's markets all over the world, and each will have its own Keepers – not all of them like that guy either, but all filling the same role," Kieran answered. “Ya just gotta look out for the symbol that leads to each of them, then perform the unlocking spell that I did to get us in here, and bam. Yer in."

The phoenixes stood in silence for a moment, until Volcan broke the silence with a groan, running his hand over his head. “Let's just… Get what we're here for and go, shall we?"

“Agreed," said Tsume. “I don't think my brain can handle any more 'weird' today."

“Gotcha. Sorry if this is all a lot to take in, but I promise it'll be worth it. Follow me." Kieran stated before taking point again, knowing which kiosk to head to for their needs. “Fair warning… A lot of what these guys sell are pretty pricey. A lotta work goes into their goods, so if the price sounds outrageous, then the item is THAT good."

“What if we decide we wanna haggle fer a deal?" Korban asked.

“Then they'll just close the door on your face." Kieran said in a flat tone. “Again, a lotta work goes into their craft. The way I see it, they charge pretty fairly for their work."

“Where should we find information about fighting werewolves?" Vinge, ever pragmatic, asked. “We will need to know fact from fiction before we go chasing the supernatural."

“That's where I'm taking you. There's a guy here who specializes in all things Lycanthropy," Kieran explained, weaving through a crowd of eclectic patrons. “He's one of the friendlier vendors, so just try not to antagonize him, and we'll be good as gold."

After a few more twists and turns through the bustling market—where colorful banners hung above and oddities lined every stall—they arrived at a vendor deeper within. To their shock and horror, a massive wolf stood behind the counter, idly sorting through an array of weapons. It was immediately clear: the vendor was a werewolf, and the irony wasn't lost on them.

His enormous paws maneuvered the tools with surprising finesse. As he examined a long sword with a fullered blade, his golden eyes scanned its length before he set it back on the shelf. The atmosphere crackled with an odd blend of tension and curiosity.

“Yo, Gustav!" Kieran called, stepping ahead of the group, his voice bright against the bizarre backdrop.

The werewolf looked up, a smirk spreading across his snout as he recognized the spellsword. “Kieran. Welcome," he said, his deep, gruff voice rumbling through the air. He extended a paw to shake, and Kieran accepted it, their handshake surprisingly delicate despite the werewolf's massive size. “You've been gone a while. I was starting to think you'd forgotten this place."

“Forget this place? Never," Kieran laughed, a note of irony in his tone. “Work's just been keeping me busy. That, and I needed some time to myself after an, um… incident."

The air hung heavy with the unspoken implications of the encounter, making the whole scene feel surreal—here they were, in a market that felt straight out of a fantasy tale, meeting a werewolf who specialized in tools for hunting his own kind, who was speaking to Kieran like they were old friends while the others watched.

“Ah, relatable," Gustav replied, then he noticed the others staring at him and nodded at them. “Friends of yours?"

“Yea. One of 'em's a fellow Bounty Hunter," Kieran explained, tilting his head over toward Korban.

“...Well, this is just cruel irony at its finest…" Korban muttered softly.

“Irony doesn't even describe it," said Lighris. “We came here looking for werewolves… And there's one right in front of us, selling the means to hunt werewolves?" He brought up his arms in a helpless shrug. “Does no one else see anything wrong with this?"

“Hey, if it helps us accomplish the job and get our pay, I'm not complaining," Korban spoke up, stepping closer to the vendor and placing his paws on the counter. “Gustav, right? Pleasure ta meet ya, big guy."

Gustav took a closer look at Korban and snorted a little. “Ah… I know who you are, now that I get a good look at you. You're that self-proclaimed 'Immortal Bounty Hunter,'" He remarked, looking at Korban from head to toe. “...I expected someone of your reputation to be a little… larger."

“Hey, not all of us are massive fuckin' werewolves," Korban shot back, to which he earned a sharp elbow to the ribs from Kieran, making him wince and shrug back at his partner.

“Anyway…" Kieran began, turning his attention back at Gustav. “We're on a job that involves taking down a lot of werewolves attacking civilians. They're getting closer to the borders of Yellowknife, so we'll need anything and everything you got to deal with this."

“Everything, eh?" Gustav asked. “That's gonna be quite a bill, Kieran. Hope you're good for it."

“Trust me, I'm mad liquid right now," Kieran responded confidently.

“I believe you… Right, let's see what I have to offer you lot," Gustav stated before he ducked under his kiosk to gather up his inventory.

“Uh… Not to sound suspicious, but," Tsumé began. “If we're out here looking for werewolves, how do we know that…?" she pointed at Gustav, her question clear.

He peeked up and looked directly at Tsumé, his keen ears having apparently caught the earth phoenix's cautious inquiry. “You can put your concerns to rest, little girl," he said, making Tsumé tense in alarm as she realized she'd been overheard. “I'm not part of any pack, nor do I care about spreading the pandemic," he assured her. “If anything, I would pay good money to watch them all get put in a bonfire and burnt into extinction."

That statement earned him some odd looks, and it was Volcan who seemed to catch the hint behind Gustav's words. “It sounds like you despise your own race," he said. “Is that why you run this shop?"

“I'm going to give you a second to answer your own question, young one," Gustav answered neutrally as he began placing his wares on the counter for them to examine. “I am a werewolf, selling the means to end the werewolf species…" he said, shrugging to Volcan in a 'what do YOU think' manner.

Volcan nodded and held up his hand as if to refer to the werewolf in front of him. “Point made," he said.

“Glad we're not susceptible to the curse… Don't want to be on this guy's bad side," muttered Pavan, eyeing the equipment that Gustav had brought them.

On the counter before them, the werewolf proprietor had presented them with an array of various weapons, offering introductions and short summaries of each item he had brought. A vial of reddish liquid; concentrated wolfsbane according to the label - a potent toxin, strong enough even to push the limits of a werewolf's ability to heal. A large, two-handed blade that looked like a huge cleaver except for its slight curvature, for which he explained that even a werewolf can't survive without its head.

He also brought cases of silver-based ammunition for weapons of various calibers, even bolts for a crossbow - which he gestured to a compound crossbow he had on the wall that was also for sale. Lastly was a collection of knives, tempered steel with silver inlays in the blades, though he advised that those would require getting in very close.

“...Dude, this guy's fucking loaded, in every sense of the word," Korban remarked, taking a good look at the ammunition and examining one of the rounds for himself. “Damn, I wish I knew about this place sooner… How much do you charge for each round?" He asked the vendor.

“A thousand per bullet," Gustav answered. “And don't even think about trying to haggle for anything lower."

“You kidding?? Dude, a thousand per round is a fuckin' steal," Korban stated, grinning from ear to ear. “I'll take yer entire stock."

“A thousand per bullet?" Lighris echoed in disbelief. “Isn't a standard nine-millimetre round, like, thirty cents per bullet?"

“Standard bullets aren't laced with silver to kill monsters," Volcan reminded his brother. “They're probably a lot harder to make, not to mention silver itself isn't exactly a common metal."

“Plus, my girls don't use nine mil rounds." Korban stated, drawing his pistols to show Lighris. “These are built around Desert Eagle blueprints. .50 cal all the way, baby." He added before holstering his pistols and reaching into his coat pocket to pull out some money.

“How much for that crossbow?" Tsumé asked suddenly, eyeing the mechanized weapon with interest.

“Ah, you like that one?" Gustav asked as he lifted the weapon and passed it to her, allowing her to inspect it herself. “Fifteen hundred. Arrows are two hundred each."

“Do you have quivers for the arrows too?" she asked, not hesitating even after hearing the price.

“Just this one here," he said, pulling up a large leather quiver with a shoulder strap, sitting on the shelf behind him. “I assume you know how to use a crossbow?"

“My teacher taught me how to use a bow and arrow," she explained, “and Korban here showed me how to use a rifle a while back. I think I could pick up a crossbow pretty easily," she said with confidence, picking up one of the arrows and examining it. “Hm. Carbon fibre shaft but feels like it's got some weight in it… Good," she muttered to herself as she lifted the arrow to eye level and looked down the length of the short, sharp quarrel. “Goose-feather fletching; good choice… Yeah, these'll work."

She set the arrow back on the counter, taking out her wallet and phone. “Korban, can you transfer that money you promised to me?" she asked, hastily sending him a text message with her email.

Korban lifted his wrist terminal, seeing the text and opening up an app that took care of his banking. A few more moments later Tsumé received a text back for an e-transfer, to which the husky nodded to her. “Go nuts."

She nodded. “Got it. Okay, sir," she looked at Gustav. “I'll take the crossbow, the quiver, and ten arrows, plus one of the knives and a sheath if you have one."

Gustav nodded, sliding the weapons, ammunition and accessories over to her. “That will be upwards of seven thousand, miss," he stated.

“Deal," she said, and presented her debit card. “Do you take debit or cash only? In which case, is there somewhere nearby that I can withdraw the required funds?"

“Psh, this place isn't so old-fashioned that we don't offer a POS service," he said before pulling up a small terminal and gesturing for her to complete the transaction. “Heavily encrypted, of course, so the banks don't see what you're doing."

“You guys plan ahead."

Volcan approached the counter next, eyeing the weapons until his eyes settled on the large blade Gustav had brought; a weapon that looked too heavy for any of them to wield at first. While it paled in comparison to Korban's massive empathic blade, it was still a large sword, and certainly top-heavy. Yet, Volcan was interested.

“What about this?" he asked, reaching for the blade.

Even as Gustav opened his mouth to answer, Volcan picked up the large blade with relative ease, surprising even the werewolf with his strength as he lifted it, turning it over easily in his hands and turning to the side as he gripped it with both, holding it out in front of him and giving it a test swing. Despite the large size of the blade, it seemed as if it weighed nothing to the phoenix… The muscles in his arms didn't even bulge with effort to pick it up.

“Well, aren't you a strong one?" He stated, humming as he eyed Volcan from head to toe and taking in his appearance. “...You're not an ordinary bird of prey, are you?"

At that, Volcan looked at him and smiled broadly. “Good sir… Of the people in this cavern, I don't think any of us have any right to call ourselves 'ordinary'," he remarked.

“Fair enough." Gustav concurred. “Polite too…"

“Mom always taught me, respect your elders - both the ones who you'll outlive, and the ones born after you," the phoenix remarked.

“Your mom's a smart woman." Gustav said with a smile. “You know, just for that, I'll throw you a bone and only charge you seventeen hundred. A sword like that normally goes for twenty-five."

“Damn, look at you makin' friends with the shop owner already," Korban jested, nudging Volcan's arm.

“Deal," said Volcan, laying the sword back on the counter and reaching for his wallet. “I'll put it to good use," he added as a promise as he paid for the weapon.

“Hey, uh Gustav," Korban then piped up as he and Volcan concluded their transaction. “Small question, uh… Any enchantment vendors you recommend?"

Gustav rubbed his chin as he considered the question. “Hmmm… There's one guy that I can vouch for," Gustav answered, pointing to the right from his shop. “Three booths down. Really skilled in their craft, but super expensive."

“Money ain't an issue, my guy," Korban said, then saluted the werewolf as he trotted off to the recommended vendor.

Suddenly, Lighris noticed something hanging on the wall to the side. “Hey now… What are those?" he asked, pointing to a pair of gauntlets sitting on a shelf behind the counter.

The gauntlets, while lacking proper articulation for the fingers, made up for it by clearly being designed for combat. The fists were covered in short, sharp spikes, and the steel - covering the hand and forearm up to the elbow, was thick and well-worn, suggesting that the gauntlets had certainly seen a real battle… It wasn't part of the werewolf hunting gear, but Lighris found himself drawn to them, eyeing the gauntlets with intrigue.

Gustav looked back at the gauntlets, then back at Lighris with a raised eyebrow. “...You sure you want those?" he asked cautiously. “No offense, but you don't strike me as a pugilist."

“Oh, don't let my short stature fool you," Lighris replied. “I've always preferred using my fists in a fight, but if we end up against someone using a weapon, well, I suppose I'll have to improvise, or swallow my pride." He looked at Gustav. “Can I try them on; see if they fit?"

Rolling his eyes, Gustav brought the gauntlets down and handed them to Lighris, still not sold on the lightning phoenix's claim. Taking one of the gauntlets, Lighris slid it over his arm, buckling the straps to secure it to his forearm, before sliding his fingers through the loops under the spiked fist. He tested the weight over his arm for a moment, and made a few light jabs followed by a punch at the air, and his satisfied smile turned to a wide grin - almost diabolical.

“This feels good," he said.

“Four thousand, for the pair," Gustav said in response, keeping a neutral expression.

“Really? Even though they aren't your regular stock?" he asked, slipping off the gauntlet and setting it on the counter again.

“You want me to charge you more?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest. “I can easily double their worth."

“Alright, alright," Lighris said, putting up his hands. “Give me a moment. Just need to square it up with my… Financial advisor," he remarked, making finger-quotes with 'advisor', before he stepped out of the shop and went to where Korban had gone.

Vinge, drawing his sword halfway, was the next to address Gustav and showed him the weapon. “Do you have any blades heavier than this one; some form of broadsword, perhaps, that would be suitable for our coming mission?" he asked.

“Ah, a fencer-type, are you?" he asked, then turned back to his stock and took a gander before deciding on a blade to present to the ice phoenix. He gently placed it in Vinge's hands and let him test its weight for himself. “Try this schiavona. Should meet your expectations if not exceed them."

Vinge picked up the sword, drawing it slowly from its scabbard to examine the blade until it was free. He set the scabbard gently down on the counter, before lifting the sword in a salute, and giving it a few test swings. “Whoever made this is a master of their craft," he commented. “Its balance is exquisite."

Gustav cleared his throat, giving the impression that he himself crafted the blade and smiled with pride at the fact. “That was probably one of my more ambitious projects. You would not believe the time it took to combine the exact metals to make it durable and be able to kill a werewolf; it needed to be strong, but I had to keep it from being too heavy," he explained. “It's one of the best swords I've ever made. For that reason, I won't accept any less than twelve thousand."

Vinge examined the sword for another moment, considering the offer, and then he looked at Gustav. “If you can recommend a suitable companion blade - a main gauche, if you will, I will pay you fifteen," he offered.

His eyes widened at that, blinking a few times to make sure he heard Vinge correctly. “...You're in luck, my friend." He said as he bent down for a few seconds, then produced the duelist's dagger Vinge had specified. “I only request that you maintain them well. Making swords like that is not easy."

Vinge nodded. “As a student of both the art of war, and the art of combat, you have my word they will be well cared-for, and put to good use," he said, setting the blades on the counter as he waited to pay.

That left only Pavan to choose a weapon… But the wind phoenix, more than any of them, appeared uncertain. Gustav noticed the wind phoenix's uncertainty, letting him have a moment longer to choose for himself before he spoke up. “...Something bothering you, kid?" he asked.

Pavan huffed as he answered. “To be frank, I'm not half the fighter these guys are," he said flatly, looking at his friends. “My thing is running around and annoying the heck out of people while they do the bulk of the fighting… I'm fast - really fast. But I don't have their combat skills so. I want to be useful, but I really don't know how."

“Well, aside from being fast and annoying, what else are you capable of?" Gustav asked plainly. “Do you have any kind of weapons training?"

“Not… Really," Pavan admitted. “I mean, Korban and Kyle taught me how to shoot, but mostly, I just sing & dance. I'd make a good performer - a few have told me so, but I'm no brawler. I can stir up a wind to trip people up, and I can dash around them to make a good distraction. That's about it."

“Dance, hmm…?" Gustav hummed in thought. “...I might have something to compliment that."

Before Pavan could speak up, Gustav disappeared under his kiosk and rummaged around for a bit before he stood up again, placing a rolled-up leather whip on the counter. “It'll take a bit of getting used to; these things require some finesse, but since you like to dance around, this might work to your advantage. The tip is laced with wolfsbane, so it will leave a lasting impression on any that you encounter – not just lycans, but pretty much anything that you lash with it."

“Whoa… Cruel-looking thing, isn't it?" Pavan asked, stretching out a length of the whip between his hands. “Damn strong, too… What is this; rhinoceros hide?"

“Correct," Gustav answered with a nod. “That one's on the cheaper side, too. About seven hundred."

“Okay, I can do that," said Pavan. “And… Maybe I'll take some of those silver bullets too. Something for a gun on the lighter side; I have fired an Uzi before."

“Alright, then." Gustav slid over some silver bullets for Pavan, enough for two full magazines and charged him accordingly. By the time he had purchased his gear, Korban and Lighris had come back, with the former grinning from ear to ear.

“And Korban looks like the kid in the candy store," remarked Tsumé, in the process of putting on her new gear. “What'd you get?"

“Oh, nothing much, just… Infinite ammo!" He exclaimed while chuckling heartily. “Goodbye mid-battle reloading~~!"

“Whoa, that's one hell of an enchantment," Volcan remarked, looking impressed. “How much did that run you?"

“It was not cheap, but I could manage it," Korban answered. “It was a six-figure amount, but BOY it'll be worth it in the long run."

“Better yet," said Lighris as he approached the counter to address Gustav. “I'll take those gauntlets… And, how many shotgun shells are in each pack?" He pointed to the counter with ammunition, referring to the boxes of twelve-gauge rounds.

“Each box contains enough for a full tube, so five each. If you want them all, gauntlets plus the ammo would amount to about seventy-five hundred," he answered, sliding a box of rounds to Lighris.

“Done deal," said Lighris, taking out his wallet and debit card. “I'll put these gauntlets to good use."

“I sure hope so," Gustav responded and letting Lighris complete the transaction. “Anything else you lot need?",

“Mhhh nah, I think we're covered," Kieran answered, smiling. “Thanks for your time, Gustav."

“Pleasure doing business with you, Kieran," he answered with a nod. “Give those cursed blighters the fate they deserve."

“With the tools you've provided us, Mr. Gustav?" Volcan remarked, hefting his new blade and smiling. “Count on it," he finished with a nod.

~~~~~

Exiting through the same entrance they had come through, the others found that evening had fallen during their time in the market. The sun had started to set, casting the land in twilight.

“Okay," said Volcan, “time for us to devise a plan. So far, these werewolves have proven they're not really shy, otherwise there wouldn't be so many sightings. How can we turn that to our advantage?"

“Best thing I can think of is presenting a bait for them to follow," Korban answered. “They're attacking people closer to town every night. I say we create a perimeter, stake it out, and when we see 'em move in, we intervene and send 'em to hell."

“That could be our best bet," said Vinge. “Without knowing where they're coming from, our best move is to let them come to us and try to follow them back. So, let's brainstorm and figure out what they're after."

“Well, that seems obvious to me," offered Volcan. “They're growing their numbers, hence the disappearances. If they were just killing people, why bother taking the bodies? Anyone who found them would just chalk it up to a wild animal attack."

“And we know at least nine, give or take, have disappeared," added Tsume. “A typical werewolf pack is usually… What, four or five? So, if we add them together, and round it up, I think we could safely assume there are at least fifteen werewolves out there somewhere."

Pavan shuddered. “Fifteen? Geez; every monster movie I've seen usually only has one or two and they kill everything in their path."

“Yeah well, people in monster movies are usually dumb, making decisions that ultimately lead to them getting fucked," Lighris stated, hefting his shotgun, keeping the barrel aimed at the sky as he rested it against his shoulder. “We better make sure we're not if we're going to pull this off."

“There is one thing that I'm considering," Kieran piped up. “If these werewolves are coordinating their attacks, then that would mean they're able to communicate and reason with each other to an extent. If we can maybe trap one of them, we could try and extract information from it regarding the rest of the packs."

“Well, we've faced bigger, right?" Pavan asked. “These things can't be worse than P.A.C.E's cyber soldiers, can they? At least these things might have some personality."

“Which also means they can adapt to any given situation.," Korban added, his tone cautious. “If we fuck around for too long, they'll catch on to what we're doin' and that'll make any future attempt to lure them out even harder."

“Right. These aren't mere animals we're dealing with…" stated Vinge. “Let's find a good, defensible position where we can keep an eye on things. The last sighting was back in Dettah; we'll start there."

“And we stay in pairs," stated Volcan. “Three for the extra. But no one goes anywhere alone. Pavan and I will stay in the air; I might see something with my infrared vision. Tsumé, you stay with Kieran and Korban - your seismic sense, Korban's hearing and Kieran's night vision will be the first line of defense if one of them shows up. Lighris and Vinge, you guys go get the motorhome and bring it out here; you'll stay in there as our backup."

“Sidelining us, bro? I'm the heaviest hitter here next to you, and Vinge has brains for all of us," Lighris complained.

“But neither of us have abilities that will be immediately useful until the fighting begins," Vinge reasoned. “That is why we are the backup."

“Right," said Volcan with a nod.

“Not bad, Flamie," Korban said with a nod of approval. “Never took you for a tactician - least not one in the same league as Vinge here."

“Vinge is better at planning ahead, no question. But where we're all best suited in the moment seems pretty clear to me," Volcan replied with a shrug, as if it wasn't anything special.

“If I may," said Vinge, “though we should be close to Dettah, if a fight is to begin we should try to move it as far away as possible. The people there will grow curious, and may be caught in the crossfire otherwise."

Volcan waved his hand in Vinge's direction. “Case in point," he said.

“You leave that to me," Kieran said confidently. “I've been training hard with Vinge since meeting up with him, and my proficiency in spells has increased a lot because of it. I can cook up a warding spell to push them back if need be."

“Alright. We have our plan then," said Volcan. “Let's use our phones to make a group call - it's not like communication through the Lightning's network or Obsidian's telepathy but it'll work for the matter at hand. Let's get to it."

~~~~~

As night descended over the region, the phoenixes and bounty hunters took to their respective tasks, staying in sight of the native village of Dettah and the nearby woods, staying in contact through a group call on the cell phones carried by Volcan, Tsume, and Lighris. As dictated by Volcan, Lighris and Vinge remained in the motorhome, parked by the roadside with the lights off, watching through the windows to either side.

Other than a few times that Volcan and Pavan had to land to catch their breath, very little occurred. The night remained quiet, and Korban, Kieran and Tsumé never sensed anything coming from the woods and the nearby community remained silent as the people slept. Occasionally, a feral dog barked, and in the distance, they heard the song of some nocturnal birds, but no howling.

“Geez… It's starting to look like this is the night where nothing's going to happen," Tsumé complained, head resting in her upraised hand.

“Long stakeouts are part of the job," Korban whispered back to her, his ears twitching with every sound he could hear. “It can get boring, but in the end, it makes the payout that much better when they make their move."

“You're one to talk, given how much you hated stakeouts before," Kieran shot back.

“'Ey, I'm a changed man now. I've learned how to develop some patience." Korban retorted.

“Don't you say anything Lighris!" Volcan's voice came over the phone, calling out his brother who was tuned in to the conversation via the group chat on their phones.

“I wasn't going to!" the lightning phoenix returned indignantly.

“Your mouth was open before Volcan spoke," Vinge's voice chimed in.

“Oh, fuck both of you!"

Tsumé snickered, covering the mouthpiece of the phone so Lighris didn't hear her. Korban and Kieran on the other hand were laughing profusely at Lighris' expense, not caring if he heard them

As the group shared their laughter, they were stricken silent when they heard a long, shrill howl breaking the silence of the night, echoing through the air from an unknown source. Tsumé and the bounty hunters froze to listen, waiting to see if the howl came again; a full minute passed before any of them spoke.

“Think that was one, or just a normal feral wolf?" Tsumé asked.

“Nah… that one was way too drawn out to be a normal wolf…" Korban responded, already drawing his guns and checking to see if he had the right ammunition in each magazine before pulling the slides back to chamber the rounds. “Stay on high alert people. The party's about to get crazy…"

As they listened, Volcan suddenly chimed in. “Guys, I've got something… I see a large heat signature, deep in the trees to the east of you - it's still far away, but it's big_."_

“You sure it isn't a bear?" asked Lighris.

“Bears aren't nocturnal. Even if they were, this one is huge. If it is a bear, it'd be a grizzly or a polar bear at least," Volcan reported.

“That's our target then," Kieran responded. “Keep tabs on him. We'll adjust our position if they decide to veer off course for any reason."

“Got it. I'm keeping eyes on - wait, what's -WHOA! What the hell?!" the phoenix suddenly exclaimed. “Something just came out of nowhere and attacked it!"

“Something attacked it?" Tsumé echoed in disbelief.

“Something just as big!" added Volcan, “and crazy fucking fast; it's like it came out of nowhere!"

“...Only one thing I can think of that's faster than a wolf…" Kieran muttered, then before anyone could object, he suddenly jumped out of his hiding spot and started running.

“Ah-HEY! Fucking damnit!" Korban growled, rolling his eyes and hopping out to give chase as well. “Flamie, give us a sitrep! Where are they and what's happening right now?"

“They about two kilometers east; looks like they're still fighting… Jesus, that other one is tearing the first one to shreds! Pavan and I are approaching but the trees are so thick I don't see a way in yet!"

“What the heck is that other one; what would attack a werewolf?" Tsumé asked, jogging alongside Korban. “Aside from people as crazy as us?" she added, remembering what they were there to do.

“I dunno… but if they're fighting against a werewolf, then I think the saying 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' applies here," Korban answered. “Here's hoping that whoever this new face is sees us as such…"

“Agreed. I'm not ready to be filling for a meat pie just yet," remarked Tsumé.

At that moment, Volcan chimed in again. “Guys? The fight's over… One of the creatures is running off into the woods, and the other is… Shrinking? It's just lying there and it's getting smaller."

Korban knew what that meant… “Flamie, Twister! Keep following the fleeing cryptid! If it's the werewolf, smoke 'em! If not, hold position and keep us posted on its location!" He stated as he and Kieran picked up the pace, hoping that they could get there in time before the dying one was truly dead.

The scene that awaited them was one of bloody carnage. In the midst of the trees, covered in blood, lay a single, lone figure - an anthropian wolf, stripped down to his bare furs, and covered in grievous wounds, many of which appeared to be deliberately targeting fatal locations. The neck, the head, even the chest cavity had been pierced by something sharp.

Tsumé had to look away from the scene, barely able to recognize the anthro wolf as anything more than a pile of sliced meat… The body was still warm when she and Korban arrived, with Kieran standing nearby and taking in markings left on one of the trees; four, deep, slash marks in the pine bark, each as straight as if left by a sharp blade.

Korban examined the body closely, taking in every note he could about the corpse of the deceased wolf. He even sniffed around the corpse and the air around it, narrowing his eyes suspiciously before he slowly stood up on his feet and sniffed the air again as if following a scent.

“Find anything, Korban?" Kieran asked as he took his eyes off some claw marks left behind on a tree bark.

“A few things, all of which are confusing the hell out of me," he answered.

“What do you mean?" Tsume asked.

“Well for starters, I'm assuming that Gustav guy's got some friends on the outside, because whoever killed this werewolf was another cryptid," Korban stated, then pointed at the gashes along the tree near Kieran. “Those claw marks reinforce the evidence stating the fact… but what really confuses me is the scent… Not only does it reek of another cryptid, but it's one that's… feline."

Kieran seemed to catch on, his eyes widening in both realization and confirmation. “...So the person that killed this werewolf was a were_cat_." He remarked.

“You got to be kidding me," Tsumé groaned, rubbing her temples. “Were_wolves_. Were_cats_? What's next - a Were_bear_, too?"

“At this stage in the game, anything's possible," Korban answered in a serious tone. “Hell, I wouldn't put it past nature to start showing us werebeavers or weremoose in the future."

“...Je ne suis pas assez payé pour cette merde," the earth phoenix grumbled, her hands waving about her in an incoherent pattern, before she lifted her phone to her ear. “Volcan, you hearing this?"

“I heard a tangent in French, but not much else," the phoenix replied. “What're we looking for out here?"

“A were_cat_ apparently."

“...Glorious… You guys better get over here; I think we found where it went. There's a cave deep in the trees about a click from where it fought that werewolf. Better bring Vinge and Lighris too."

“Ten-four. We're on our way," Korban answered. “You hear that Vinge? Lightning Bolt? You guys are up. Pack your shit and meet us out in the EZ pronto." He added, then motioned for Kieran and Tsume to follow him as he took off.

“We'll be there in a moment. Go on ahead to Volcan's location; we'll meet you there," replied Vinge.

Volcan waiting by a fallen tree when the others arrived, looking ahead to the mouth of a cave directly ahead. Above him, Pavan was perched in the tree, his eyes also fixed on the cave entrance. When Volcan heard the others arriving he took his gaze away from the cave and looked at them.

“Okay, we're all here," he said, before he looked at the cave again. “We saw it run in there. It hasn't come out yet."

“Think we have it cornered?" Lighris asked.

“Maybe. But if it feels trapped, it'll only be more dangerous, and we don't know what kind of enclosure we'd face in there," added Volcan. “It may just be my claustrophobia talking, but I'd feel way better if we drew it out here before we fight it. If we even have to."

“When you surround an enemy, leave an outlet free," Kieran stated. “The cornered beast bites the hardest, after all."

Vinge looked at Kieran with an approving smile. “Indeed," he said. “Well said, Kieran."

Kieran smirked back at Vinge. “I brushed up on some more passages from your copy of the Art of War after our training sessions."

“So, we gotta draw it out," said Pavan. “Sounds like a job for moi. I'm all over it!"

Pavan sprang from the tree, even as Volcan and Tsumé called after him, but the wind phoenix raced into the cave before their words reached him. “Volcan, you did warn him it was a werecat, right?" Tsumé asked.

“He was too far away to overhear us… Even so, I don't think he was-"

A deafening roar erupted from the cave, silencing Volcan and freezing everyone in their tracks. Seconds later, Pavan burst out, skidding to a halt in front of them, eyes wide and color drained from his face beneath his light brown feathers.

“I taut I taw a putty tat," he babbled, his voice tinged with panic, before a manic grin spread across his features. “I did! And she's gonna fucking EAT ME!"

Without waiting for a reply, Pavan shot upward, just as a massive shadow erupted from the cave. Volcan let out a horrified shout, grabbing Tsumé and launching himself into the air, carrying her with him as the others scattered. The enormous creature raced past, its blurred bulk nearly knocking them off their feet.

The monstrous feline skidded to a halt behind them, its claws raking into the ground as it pivoted to face the group. Two piercing yellow eyes glared at them, and it snarled, revealing a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth, two saber-like fangs jutting menacingly from its upper jaw. Dirt and grass flew as it flexed its claws, a low growl rumbling from deep within its chest.

This beast had the coloration of a cougar—those rich tawny hues—but it was far larger than any typical mountain lion. A spiky mane of dark brown bristled down the back of its neck, and a long, black-tipped tail flicked behind it, betraying its predatory intent. The sheer size and ferocity of the creature left no doubt: they were staring down a living nightmare.

“Mother-FUCK! It's huge!" Lighris exploded.

“And hoo boy, is it pissed off," Korban growled, glaring up at the sky where Pavan had taken off. “Well, so much for tryin' to reason with it. Weapons out people!" He said as he drew his guns and took aim.

“Wait, hold on!" Kieran shouted, waving his empty hands at the others. “Maybe there's still a way we can try and reason with it! It only attacked because we encroached on its territory! We gotta show it that we don't mean any harm!"

Much to their shock, it was the creature itself that answered. “I can understand you all just fine," it said, the words slightly slurred behind the snarling of its tone as it stood on its hind legs, rising to its full height. It dwarfed even Volcan in size, easily a head or more taller than the phoenix.

“It… It can talk?" Lighris asked, stunned once again.

Without even looking at Lighris, the werecat growled. “You should not have come here… You do not know what you are chasing. You are not prepared for it."

“On the contrary. We know exactly what we're chasing, and personally speaking, this ain't my first rodeo with the Supernatural," Korban responded, lowering his guns slightly. “My question, however, is why are you hunting them? Are you jealous of them stealing your prey or is this a turf war thing?"

The werecat turned its gaze on Korban, and the husky felt a chill run up his back at the look it gave him; an instinctive terror that the creature invoked. “Turf war? As in territory?" it asked, and then shook its head. “No… I am far from home. This pack… Their leader," it paused before continuing. “She must be stopped."

“...So, we were right," Kieran remarked. “These packs are being coordinated by an alpha," he added, rubbing his chin in thought before he looked at the werecat, daring to step closer to it. “Sounds like we have a common enemy then; one that we might do better against if we, maybe… formed a temporary alliance against it?" He offered.

The werecat took an apprehensive step back from them. “You do not want to stay near me," it stated. “It is not I who hunts her… It is the opposite. She has followed me across the tundras, from my homeland… She does not want anyone to know of her."

“Who is 'she'?" Volcan asked, finally mustering his courage enough to speak. “Why is she after you?"

“We called her 'Assiminik', for her zealous nature," the werecat replied. “We do not know her real name… She claimed not to know it when we found her; we cannot be sure she was not lying. Regardless… By the time we knew how dangerous she was, it was too late…"

The werecat hung its head. “Dead… All of my people… Dead… I have been running for so long, I… Cannot remember when I last slept."

“Pfff… Yea, I know how that feels," Korban stated in a gruff manner, though behind the gruff tone was a hint of sympathy.

Kieran on the other hand felt his heart twist in his chest upon hearing the werecat's explanation. Having no home himself, he couldn't fathom how it felt to lose all of that, but he at least empathized with the feeling of isolation. After a few moments of silence, Kieran once again stepped closer to the werecat, taking slow, cautious steps and never once reaching for his weapons or spellbooks to assure the cryptid that he was not a threat.

“I can't say I know how you feel when it comes to losing everyone you care about… but I can relate to being alone and isolated for a long time." He said, daring to lift his arm invitingly. “My offer still stands. We can work together and stand a better chance at taking care of this 'Assiminik' for good… Better than constantly being on the run and looking over your shoulder every waking moment, right?"

The creature, though it couldn't show it on its face, sounded skeptical even as it spoke. “How can any of you be of any help?" she asked. “I see your weapons… But it will take more than the armaments of mortals to destroy her pack."

“It is good then, that none of us are mere mortals," Volcan stated.

The werecat looked at him, and its mouth shut as if it were trying to frown at him. “What are you talking about?" it asked.

Volcan put down his blade, resting the weapon on the ground, before he stepped forward. Then, he raised his hands, and glowing spheres of fire appeared above both of his palms, illuminating his features and casting light over the werecat, who took an alarmed step back as she saw the flames.

“I am not just an avian," he said. “Nor are any of my friends behind me. I know you don't have any reason to trust us," he leaned his head forward slightly, seeing something that the others couldn't, but he chose not to voice it. “Regardless, this 'Assiminik' you're talking about… We know she's been getting closer to the city of Yellowknife, and I don't need to say how dangerous that is. She's planning something, isn't she?"

The werecat's shoulders visibly relaxed as it gave a slow nod. “She seeks to build an army," she replied. “An army of lycans."

Tsumé shuddered. “I think my heart just skipped a beat…"

“An entire army of werewolves?" Lighris asked, looking between the others. “Did I hear that right?"

Without answering Lighris' question, Vinge chimed in. “A single werewolf is nearly invulnerable to all conventional weapons," he said. “If this Assiminik raised a whole battalion, even a thousand lycans…" he trailed off, knowing he didn't need to say more.

“It'd be a pandemic like no other…" Korban finished, running his hand through his hair. “Goodbye human race, hello werewolf central."

“All the more reason why I feel we should work together," Kieran reiterated to the werecat. “Like Volcan said, we're not normal beings. Every avian here is a phoenix of some kind, I'm a wizard in training, and my partner there is a half demon hybrid. With that kinda range of skill sets and powers, I think we'd stand a pretty good chance against this Assiminik person as it is."

“Her pack now numbers the dozens…" the werecat asked, still sounding skeptical. “I have struck down at least ten of her followers… But there is always another to take its place…" the werecat slumped, her weariness becoming more apparent in her body language as she found herself less wary of the beings in front of her.

“Well let's look at it this way," Kieran began again. “You just said you killed at least ten of those werewolves already. If one of you is worth ten of them, then I think we're already at a pretty good statistic, logistically speaking. Besides, we're not all just about brute force and mystical powers." He said before pointing at Vinge. “My buddy there's one of the smartest tacticians I've ever met. If anyone can come up with a way to neutralize these werewolves, it's him. That I can guarantee you."

Volcan added to Kieran's words, seeing that they were starting to earn the werecat's trust. “We know how dangerous this will be… But we know the risk of doing nothing is far worse. Assiminik clearly has ambitions beyond those of any other pack leader across history, and she risks us all by pursuing it," he put a hand over his chest as he spoke. “Help us defeat her. Or, don't; we won't get in your way. But one way or another, she needs to be stopped, and we aren't leaving until she is."

The werecat's gaze drifted slowly over each of them, her eyes heavy with consideration. With a weary sigh, she spoke in a distinctly feminine voice. “...I don't have anything left to lose now," she said, stepping toward them. “And I'm too tired to keep running anymore…"

As she moved, the werecat began to shrink, her form rapidly decreasing in size until she stood no taller than Kieran. She stepped into the warm light of the flaming orb that Volcan still held in his right hand, having extinguished the other.

Before them now stood a clearly female figure, her light brown fur and pink-brown undertones confirming her lineage. The spiky mane that had once crowned her head receded, transforming into a cascade of long hair that spilled around her shoulders. Though she retained a muscular build, typical of an athletic woman, her new form seemed almost unassuming.

When she raised her head and opened her eyes again, the last traces of yellow faded, replaced by a deep brown reminiscent of Tsumé's. Her youthful face belied the weight of experiences that had clearly taken their toll.

Lighris blinked in disbelief at the figure before them. “She looks so… ordinary now…"

“Hard to believe four seconds ago she was a giant killing machine," Tsumé muttered, only to receive a swift elbow to the ribs from Vinge, accompanied by a disapproving scowl.

The contrast between the fearsome beast and the exhausted woman was striking, leaving the group momentarily speechless, grappling with the unexpected gentleness of her transformed self. Especially for Kieran, as he stared at the now shrunken down cat woman. His face started to turn red as a blush crossed his cheeks, finding himself unable to look away from her. The only thing going through his mind was how… beautiful she looked.

“Hey, Kieran," Volcan said, snapping his fingers in front of the cat's face to get his attention. “You going to offer her your coat? You're about the closest to her in size."

“Wha-huh?" He stammered looking back at Volcan for a moment, then at his own coat before understanding what he was getting at. “Oh! Yea, uh… sure." He said, quickly taking off his jacket and walking around to gently wrap it around the cat lady. “Here, this should… keep you warm at least for the time being."

She nodded lazily to him. As close as he was, he could see the signs of fatigue on her face now… The deep, dark bags under her eyes, and the way she slouched in her posture. She looked utterly exhausted, barely having the strength to lift her arms through the sleeves of the coat, and whispered a 'Thank you' to him.

“I suppose the least we can do for our new friend is offer her a safe place to sleep," said Volcan. “Let's get back to the RV."

“I'm for that," agreed Lighris.

Volcan looked up to the canopies above. “Hey, Pavan! You planning to rejoin us some time, you big chicken?" he called.

A few seconds later, Pavan descended from above, landing a fair distance from the group and looking around. “Uh… Where'd the werecat go?"

“She's right there, genius," Tsumé replied, gesturing in the direction of the cougar. “And she's coming back with us."

“Wait, what?! Are you guys crazy?" Pavan asked, waving his arms frantically. “She tried to slice me up like a lump of sushi!"

“Only because you chased her before we had time to come up with a plan," chided Volcan. “Look, we'll fill you in when we get back to the RV. For now, march." The phoenix pointed in the direction they had come, affirming his point.

“Look, I get that you wanna be more helpful and all that, but rushing in head first and brains last like that is gonna end up getting you killed one day," Korban added, lightly bonking the wind phoenix's head with his fist. “Next time, try stopping and listening to a plan when it's being formed before you let your hyperactive-ness kick in."

Pavan started to form a retort, before Tsumé turned sharply on her foot, looking deeper into the trees behind them. “Guys! Someone's out there!" she shouted.

“Where?" Korban asked, looking at Tsumé, hands hanging over his weapons.

Volcan moved beside Korban, his eyes glowing as he shifted to his infrared vision, peering the direction Tsumé had been looking. It took only a second before he found what he was looking for, and the phoenix tensed. “...Six of them," he said, “and they're starting to move… No wait… Eight? Nine! There's nine, and they're spreading out!"

“They're trying to close in on us!" Vinge exclaimed, drawing his sword. “We're too exposed here!"

“Start going back to the RV. I'll ward them off!" Kieran shouted, already stepping up to the plate with a spellbook in one hand and drawing his katana with the other.

Volcan looked like he wanted to protest, but the others were already moving. Tsume vanished underground, Pavan and Lighris took to the air, with Vinge hesitantly following behind, and Volcan failing to depart at all. Korban snapped his fingers in front of Volcan's face to get his attention, then pointed for him to move before doing so himself, putting his faith in his partner that he knew what he was doing.

“But he's outnumbered!" Volcan protested. “He'll be torn to pieces!"

“He wouldn't have volunteered if he didn't know what he's doing! Trust him, he'll be fine!" Korban shot back.

“Less talking more running you guys!!" Kieran shouted, channeling mystical energy from his spellbook into his blade, causing runic symbols to appear along the flat of the blade.

Still, Volcan hesitated, until he saw one of the werewolves racing toward them. But its target was not Kieran, nor Volcan or Korban; it was heading straight at the werecat, who was still present. Thinking fast, Korban drew his guns and fired two rounds from each pistol, the shots hitting the werewolf before it could reach her with enough force to divert its path. Adding to the fact they were silver nitrate bullets added even more damage to the wounds they inflicted.

The wolf turned sharply as it took the hits, careening off course and hitting the ground hard, clutching at the spots where Korban had shot it as the two bullet wounds began to smoulder and smoke as if the bullets were hot.

Volcan, seeing that the werecat was their target, ran to her side. “Please excuse me!" he said before he picked her up, cradling her in her arms, and launched himself into the air, spreading his wings to take flight.

Another werewolf leapt onto the branch of a tree, and launched itself after Volcan in a mighty leap, arcing toward the phoenix. Kieran was faster though. He channeled electric magic from his book into his blade and pointed it at the wolf, shooting out a bolt of lightning that arced through the air and zapped the wolf long before it could reach Volcan. Korban then pointed his guns up and unloaded an additional six shots from each pistol into the wolf before Kieran ceased the spell, letting the wolf fall to the ground, zapped, burnt, and gravely injured.

Korban looked at his guns and grinned like a madman. “Ohhohohoh man, this is fucking awesome! I got bullets for days now!" He exclaimed before turning and taking aim at the other werewolves. “Who else wants to be turned to swiss? Any volunteers??"

The other werewolves - seven in total, stepped into view, but none of them immediately rushed at them. They snarled, bared their teeth and flexed their claws… But they seemed to be waiting for something else… Like-

Suddenly, Korban heard a shout from above. “Korban! Behind you!" came the voice of Volcan.

The husky spun around, bearing his guns -only to have them both slapped out of his hands as the figure behind him brought up their arm sharply, smacking both of his hands upward. Another werewolf - without making a single sound, had snuck up on them, and before he had a chance to do anything, this one clawed him across the chest, opening deep wounds in his torso, before swiping again across his neck to leave a wound that would've been fatal to anyone else.

Just the same, the force of the blow sent Korban spiraling through the air, crashing hard enough into a tree trunk to knock the wind out of him. All of this, in the span of a second. Korban gagged and fell to his knees, bleeding profusely for a few moments before his wounds began to heal, staggering back to his feet and rubbing where his throat was slashed.

“The… fuck was that??" He demanded hoarsely, glaring back at the werewolf that managed to sneak up on him. “How does a huge fucking cryptid move so quietly?"

Kieran faced the newly arrived werewolf, feeling a new chill as he took in the massive beast. It stood as large as Buniq had in werecat form, with a body covered in jet-black fur; no undertones, no secondary colours whatsoever. In the gloom of the woods, it would have been invisible to anyone without night vision. But more alarming were its eyes… The other werewolves had some variation of yellow, green or even brown eyes.

These ones shone like a light through a large, angular ruby. Solid red… Behind them, Kieran could see an intelligence the others lacked, studying him even as he met its gaze; it was close enough to attack him immediately, but seemed to be considering him… Until, more out of instinct than anything, he started to back away, and was rewarded for his efforts with a backhand that launched him through the air as it had Korban, once again knocking the wind out of him when he hit the ground.

Kieran wheezed as he was launched backward, dropping his sword and spellbook before tumbling along the ground, rolling back into a crouching position and drawing his revolver. He took one second to aim before pulling the trigger, aiming right for the wolf's skull. In response, the wolf grabbed a nearby tree and quickly pulled itself behind it, narrowly avoiding the bullet just as his finger closed around the trigger; not only did it recognize the weapon it had even assumed he had ammo that could hurt it!

“It… knew!" Kieran muttered, staring wide eyed at the werewolf as it reacted to his weapon.

“Hey, asshole!!"

Korban launched forward and swung his massive blade while the wolf was still holding the tree, attacking from its blindside and landing a solid rising cut along its chest, to which he then followed up with another swing, only this time coating the sword in a layer of ice and discharging a frozen sword wave from his sword. Not waiting for the follow-up attack, the lycan dropped to all fours and dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding it, before it lunged and smacked Korban with its massive paw again, this time launching him straight up into the air.

As Korban came back down, the lycan seized his leg, spun him and threw him like a ragdoll, sending him flipping into the canopy above. He yelled out as he hit the canopy, breaking some branches and shooting out of the other side before he managed to correct himself and land on another tree and pushed off of that, rushing back at the wolf as fast as he could.

Kieran took the opportunity to reclaim his sword and spellbook, flipping the latter open again and conjuring an earth spell that caused two large chunks of the ground to rise up and squish the wolf from both ends, effectively sandwiching it between the two chunks and leaving it vulnerable to the incoming slash from the Immortal Bounty Hunter. But instead of the target, another of the werewolves intervened, cutting across Korban's path and tackling him before he could complete his swing, and letting the apparent alpha and two more of its followers pry apart to stones to free it.

Another of the werewolves advanced on Kieran from behind; it was only seconds away from tearing into him. He rolled over in time to see it rearing back its arm; he had no time for an incantation! But just as it prepared to strike, its fur was blown back as it was struck by an unseen force - a powerful gale, struck it and sent it stumbling off balance, giving him a split-second opening.

Kieran didn't waste it. He quickly ran an corrosive ward around his sword and performed a jumping slash, cutting into the wolf from its shoulder down to its opposite leg and leaving behind a massive acid burn that seeped into the wound as well. He then closed his book and took his gun in hand again, firing one round right into its heart while it was still reeling in pain.

“Kieran! Arms up!" a voice called down to him, and he heard the beat of wings coming closer.

Without hesitation, Kieran put away his weapons and lifted his arms up as instructed, and a bulky winged form dropped across his vision, two powerful hands gripped his outstretched arms and he was pulled off the ground. An updraft came up from below him and his rescuer, catching the blue-feathered from of Lighris and giving him additional lift as he beat his wings heavily and carried Kieran into the air.

Elsewhere, as the lycans closed in on Korban, Volcan dropped down and unleashed a ring of fire from his hands and wings to startle them, sending them into retreat. It was brief, but it was long enough for Tsumé to come up from below Korban, grab him in her arms, and pull him underground before he could so much as utter a word. With that, Volcan sprang back into the air, dropping a pillar of fire from his hands and feet to spread and engulf two of the werewolves that tried to make a run at him; the agonized howls of the two monsters carried into the night air, along with the flaming phoenix…

Korban's head ached and his ears rang as he and Tsumé emerged from the ground beyond the trees, not too far from where the RV was parked. He grasped his head with one hand and shook it violently a few times before looking at Tsumé.

“...Thanks for the save, but…" He breathed in deeply before letting out a drawn-out “OOOOOOWWW!!" as he placed his hands on his head.

“Yeah, I get that a lot," said Tsumé. “I tried making you a sort of helmet, but, I guess that didn't help much."

“Eh… the important thing is ya saved my bacon. I owe ya for that." He said with a nod and a smirk. “Thanks…"

“No problem."

A moment later, three winged forms descended from above, one of which was carrying a passenger by the arms. Lighris beat his wings feverishly to not come down too quickly, and had to be assisted by Pavan slowing his descent with his wind powers until Kieran's feet touched down; the cat stumbled as his feet met the earth again in a rush, causing him to fall into a tumble before landing in crouch, panting heavily and giving the other phoenixes a thumbs up to show he was okay at least.

“Damn, bro," Lighris grunted as he landed, rolling his shoulders. “You make it look so easy; how do you manage to carry passengers without Pavan helping you like he was me?"

“I guess it's the super strength; it extends to my wings too," replied Volcan. “But enough chit-chat; everyone get to the RV! It won't take those werewolves long to find us so let's not be here if they decide to come looking!"

“Vinge and the werecat; did they make it back?" Pavan asked.

“They did; I saw them both running up to it before I went back for Korban," Volcan replied. “They should be on board."

“Then let's go!" Lighris urged.

With that, the six of them ran to the parked motorhome; as they approached, the door opened to reveal Vinge, hastily beckoning them inside. One after the other, they rushed into the motorhome, and Vinge shut the door behind them.

Lighris dropped into the driver's seat, taking the key from Volcan and starting the engine. The lights came on and he shifted the vehicle into drive before he began driving away, rushing up the road as quickly as the RV could drive…

“Phew," said Volcan, dropping into the passenger seat. “That got intense real fast… Korb, Kieran," he looked over his shoulder, seeing the two sitting at the dinette table. “You two okay?"

Not waiting for an answer, Tsumé was already looking for a first aid kit; the group had stocked up on their way north, and she found it in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. She carried it over to the table as the two answered.

“I'll live," Korban answered dismissively, rubbing his neck where he was slashed. “Just a bruised ego, but nothing I can't handle."

“Aside from some bruises and bumps, I think I'll be okay too." Kieran added, rubbing his shoulder a few times. “I'm more concerned about that one werewolf that just showed up completely outta nowhere…"

“Yeah, I didn't see that one either until it was right there," said Volcan. “I only saw the other nine… It used them as a diversion to get the drop on both of you."

“Pretty damn clever," said Lighris. “Not typical pack-hunting behavior… Think that one was the one our new friend called Assiminik?"

Almost as if on cue, a new voice joined the conversation, coming from the sofa just past the dining hall. The werecat, lying on the couch, overheard the conversation and lifted her head as she spoke. “The eyes," she said. “What colour were the eyes of the one you saw?"

“Uhm… red like rubies," Kieran answered. “I kinda assumed that one was the alpha because of how quickly it reacted when I shot my gun at it. Was that one 'Assiminik?'" He asked.

The werecat frowned, and then nodded slowly. “It was," she said.

A silence filled the interior of the RV for a long, awkward minute, until Tsumé spoke up. “One other thing bugs me," she said. “Isn't the alpha of a pack usually a male? You said this Assiminik is female; does that mean there's an even bigger guy we have to worry about?"

But the werecat shook her head. “None," she replied. “I do not know how she has done it, but she has broken the hierarchy of wolves and lycans alike, breaking the very nature of the creatures… The pack follows her and her alone; no male stands above her."

“Bitch was silent and deadly too…" Korban remarked. “Thank fuck I got a healing factor that would make Deadpool jealous, otherwise I woulda been their next big meal… How's a giant cryptid that stealthy?"

“Tactical thinking… The ability to recognize weaponry, and the foresight to assume it has the ability to hurt her," Vinge spoke mostly to himself, one finger held to his beak and gently biting on it as he thought. “Diversionary tactics, behind what appeared to be typical pack-hunting - misdirection…" His eyes narrowed as he thought more and more about the encounter.

Taking his finger from his beak, Vinge continued. “She is not simply using pack-hunting strategy… This Assiminik retains her ability to use tactics, and evidently she possesses a particular skillset that she has brought into her bestial form." He looked at the werecat. “Miss… She truly gave you no clues about her former identity?"

The werecat shook her head. “None," she said, before stifling a yawn.

Volcan leaned back in his seat again. “I don't think we're going to learn any more tonight," he said. “Miss, you may have the bed in the room just through the door back there. We can talk more after you get some proper rest. Alright?"

The werecat nodded. “Yes… I would like that," she said.

She rose from the couch, slowly, and trudged toward the door Volcan had indicated. As she reached for the door to open it, she stopped, and looked over her shoulder at them.

“By the way," she said. “My name… It is Buniq."

“Buniq," Volcan repeated, and chuckled. “Almost rhymes with 'unique'... Is that what it means?"

“It means 'Sweet Daughter' in the language of my people," she said, before bidding the others goodnight and stepped through the door, shutting it behind her.

Tsumé leaned back her head as a thought occurred to her. “Buniq… That sounds like an Inuit name," she said.

“So… She's from Nunavut?" Volcan asked.

“She did say she's been running from Assiminik for quite a while," replied the Earth Phoenix. “Who knows how far she's had to go…"

“Probably hasn't even had any proper food for a while either…" Kieran stated, glancing over at the bedroom door, imagining Buniq as she got settled into the bed, feeling his heart twisting in his chest again. “Poor girl…"

“Well at the very least, we can give her a safe place to sleep for now," said Volcan. “We'll have to ask her more tomorrow, but let's let her get some proper rest. I'd say she's earned it."

“I'll get us back to town. I dunno about the rest of you, but I'm dying for a cheeseburger, and I don't care where I get it from," said Lighris.

Volcan chuckled. “Food, after such a crazy night, bro?"

“I'm a living power conduit, bro. I need energy, just like everyone else - maybe more than most. Not like I'll get much sleep tonight after what we've seen."

“For once, I think Lighris and I are thinking the same thing," added Pavan.

“That's a surprise…" Korban remarked. “...Fuck it. The first place we stop at, I'll get us all a burger each. Bill's on me."

“Right on," said Volcan, pumping a fist in the air. “Take us in, bro."