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Pure hatred. He couldn't remember who he was, but he knew the feeling didn't belong to him; he merely witnessed it from the inside. He was stuck with it. It festered violently, oozing black agony while images of a familiar battlefield seen from above succeeded each other. He'd been there. Rows of professional legionaries and their mercenary backup -- wolves and sheep and a dozen more species -- all heavily equipped. On the opposing side: a numerous but ragtag militia of jackals and small felines, courageously bearing their spears and cheap shields, organized by their capable drake allies in recognizable red armors. He felt but didn't hear an alien silent scream of unbearable frustration, condemned to hundreds of years of fathomless rage in the crushing cage of defeat. A disembodied construct of dark forces promised untold agonies upon all who'd seen it fall, those insignificant squirming outgrowths of flesh. It floated low and high as the objects of its revulsion warred and died, but this brought it only further crystallized rage. It desperately wished it could save each of their lives, only to slowly splinter their bones and crush their soft flesh into lumpy sludge, while euphorically dissecting the final terror in their eyes as it forced them to watch the callous reality of their ignoble, deforming deaths.

There was also a grudging awe; a resentful recognition of the superiority of a form that had vanquished it. A limitless obsession that could only be resolved in one way: imitation. It remembered the burning flame too well, and felt indescribable pain at the thought that its vengeance upon this impure world by its new form would be delayed.

Something changed, then. The soldiers from both sides of the battle underneath began using arts, and magic infused the atmosphere. The hatefulness flew closer to the unleashed sources of power, gluttonously feeding, cuttings years and years of its condemnation to roam this world as a helpless spirit. It moved quickly from soldier to soldier, as drakes hurled fire and legionaries flung various elements across the battlefield. It absorbed the expended forces to crack open the earth and shape the wind, or send deadly shards of black ice.

At last, a single blinding point pulled the ethereal creature more decisively than anything else. A shining and dreadful concentration of energy the likes of which it had never seen. A large stone in the hands of one of the soldiers was unleashed, and the presence feasted. Energies merged. At the center of the storm of unseen power, being shattered, it recognized the dying source of its frustration and jealous awe. It seethed, and grew closer and closer. The proximity was unbearable, and the joy too savage to endure...

Darius woke up moaning weakly, his tormented body in full alert. He failed to fully remember his dream. He was alone, and his surroundings were still and silent. Thought by thought, he took it in, but the effort was taxing due the massive pain in which he found himself.

The shirtless, bandaged wolf lay on a hard, slightly stained mattress of compacted straw, without bedding. Half of his face was covered in strips of cloth, leaving only one eye free. He attempted to move, but his tortured muscles refused to obey. He discovered the odd sensation of air on his sensitive skin, and realized that entire patches of his fur around his left shoulder and neck, and the right side of his ribs had burned away. He tried to stare hard at his own body, fearful, but saw at the edges of his vision that very short black hairs were regrowing, and he was reassured. Absolutely every part of him hurt, and remaining conscious was increasingly difficult. Darius wondered where he was, and how he was alive at all.

Around him, a cramped room was filled similar mattresses, though these were covered with grayish sheets and blankets that smelled of Sunlanders. The place was dark. It had no windows, as this was a luxury that the inhabitants of this hovel obviously couldn't afford. Darius had no idea what he was doing in there, but granting that mystery any consideration was too demanding.

Suddenly, tiny paws thudded toward him, and a frail little cat ran through the doorless frame. She had pale ash-colored fur with golden stripes on her arms and legs, and immediately performed a full stop when the wounded wolf made eye contact. Clearly, the kid hadn't expected him to be awake. She gaped for about two seconds, turned around, and then fled as she urgently yelled words in a Sunlander dialect, some of which Darius indentified as meaning "dad" and "mom", and others which appeared to be proper names. This caused a commotion, and movements intensified in the house, just as Darius began to waver. The wounded emperor saw adult figures entering the room, but they were blurred. Darius only knew they were jackals and cats due to their scent. Behind them, an impressive red blob watched vigilantly over the scene. Unable to hold on any longer, Darius fell back into an exhausted slumber with the smell of feathers in his nose.

Inside this modest village home, the wolf lord began to awaken more regularly over the next few weeks, allowing him to gradually piece together the events after the battle. He'd been rescued off the streets, near death, and had been brought to hide and be cared for in this house. Pain was constant and confusing, though diminishing. He had nothing left, and expected everyday to be found and executed by Nercur's soldiers, who were certainly looking for him to finish the job. He had no items of value; his luxurious armor and enchanted artifacts had been looted from his unconscious body, and his legendary greatsword was lost on the battlefield. It seemed that his final two possessions were a pair of ragged beige pants that were too short -- probably donated by one of the peasants -- and his life. Neither of these appeared to hold much value to him, at this point. Darius had no single clue why those Sunlander villagers had accepted to take him in, but it had to do with the bird.

Just as he entertained this idea, the avian in question bowed his head and entered the room, bringing a clay bowl filled with steamy clear liquid that vaguely smelled of cheap root vegetables. To these people, that was food, apparently.

Darius made an effort to sit up, propping his back against the wall behind him while Aloca -- that was what the commoners called him -- sat close by on the adjacent bed. Darius accepted the bowl and drank the water that had maybe vaguely touched something edible, and definitely not meat. Even that managed to be agreeable, as he practically tasted the nutrients infused into the water. He'd never been hungry like this, before. Not really hungry. He had no idea such a sensation was even possible. The exotic stranger guessed his thoughts.

-- Food is still a problem. I wish we had more to offer you.

Darius didn't complain or thank the avian. He knew next to nothing about Aloca. Over his wide and bright yellow beak stared inquisitive cobalt blue eyes. Most of his slick feathers showed off a rich carnelian red shade, patterned with bold white lines in some areas such as the top of his head, his shoulders, elbows, wrists, thighs and his tail. When Aloca wore his breastplate instead of ordinary town's clothes, which wasn't the case in this moment, it was possible to see his solid white abdomen. The shiny armor covered only his thorax, undoubtedly to keep him light and mobile enough to fly in combat. Darius had no doubt that the athletic stranger was a noble warrior from some faraway and powerful tribe; he'd seen him carrying around his surprising array of weapons, once or twice. His foreign-looking equipment included large gemstones such as a sapphire pendant attached to a wide choker around his neck, and a polished black agate cut flat and aligned between two large fangs of some unknown beast, affixed together by a band of cloth trimmed with tan fur going around his left bicep. Those two adornments alone left little doubt about his status back wherever his homeland might be, not to mention a golden cuff around his left wrist, an extremely intricate protective leather belt, and a cloth bracer adorned with a more common, but also magically potent white opal wrapping his right forearm. Aloca's appearance didn't fit with the poor villagers, but he seemed perfectly comfortable with them, and he spoke Wulrician and Sunlander without a hitch. The bird largely remained a mystery.

Darius finished his watery soup and handed the bowl back to his visitor. Aloca nodded, acknowledging the lupine's silence.

"Please get some more rest. You're safe for the moment, but you were critically wounded when I found you. I don't know why the soldiers of the tyrant were looking for you, but you surely have a tough time ahead. Wolves are understandably unpopular around Kalteh, these days, and it was quite a challenge for me to convince this nice family to-"

A tall jackal with golden fur and a black back interrupted the avian. His name was Huy, and he stood in the entrance to the room and imperiously called for Aloca by name. The bird politely got up and followed him outside. Darius had figured out that Huy was the patriarch of the household. Two families lived together as one in the tiny house. The jackals were the clear owners of the house, with the second feline family living in with them as employed friends, servants or as slaves. Darius wasn't sure which; they addressed each other informally but the canine couple was openly in charge. The patriarch and Aloca had an argument in the next room. The wolf didn't catch everything, but Huy sounded furious. The dispute concerned food, and it concerned Darius. The bird tried to soothe and pacify their host.

The bedridden wolf chuckled joylessly. He didn't understand why the stranger bothered. To be fair, he didn't really care, either. Defeat and the loss of his empire had brought him a certain detachment concerning his own life that he'd never even imagined possible. Some genuine peace hid into it, for he couldn't fall any lower, and this somehow managed to twist into disheartened relief. What could he possibly fear? His fate was sealed, and it was a matter of time. He slumped back onto his bed.

It smelled like early morning when Darius next awakened, but the other inhabitants of the house were already up. The knowledge that a lengthy new day was just starting brutally overwhelmed him. He simply couldn't stand lying down. Not for another minute. Anything else would be less boring, and he had exactly nothing to lose. Thus, he began moving on the mattress. His strong muscles felt tense due to being immobilized for weeks. They protested, but the giant wolf suffered no unbearable discomfort. Darius tore off the bandages covering half his face. Some fur had burned there too, but his eye was fine. He pushed himself off the bed to his paws and immediately fell down, muzzle to the floor, like an impotent bag of potatoes. The fall created an immediate rush of blood to his head, causing a headache. He was still alone, though, and no one seemed to have heard his fall, for they didn't check on him. Angered by this self-humiliation, Darius brought himself up to his knees, and got up slowly, allowing his body some time to get its balance back. To his extreme relief, it swiftly returned. Darius rose to his paws. He felt shaky and weak, sure, but secure enough not to fall again. He set out to explore the rest of the tiny house. It wouldn't take long.

As soon as he stepped out of the chamber, his quest was completed. The kitchen, dining room and living room were one and the same. He staggered cautiously and silently toward a cheap wooden chair close to a small round table. Nefri, the timid cat mother, white and golden with a cheap discolored dress, had been standing near some cupboards. She gasped when she saw the black narrow-eyed wolf take the chair and sit heavily. It drew the attention of the other occupant of the room. Ahmu -- the matriarch of the house -- looked like her jackal husband in every way, though she was smaller and probably a tad older than him. She wore a proper green dress and a severe look on her face. She'd been standing in the doorframe leading outside. The door was propped open with a rock, and she watched the children of both families playing together. Darius heard them argue and laugh. Ahmu seemed irritated to see him, though she hid it behind a thin mask of indifference. In her view, perhaps it would've been better if Darius hadn't survived to cause her household more trouble, but there he was, so she had to offer basic hospitality. She said a single word, and Nefri took a pottery jar with a cup. The cat brought them to the table, and filled the cup with clear fresh water, which Darius drank. The matriarch appeared to expect thanks of some kind, and when she got nothing, her anger increased. Ahmu stormed out of the home.

Looking around, Darius figured out that the villagers were operating a small weaving business, making cloth from yarns and threads, though the looms appeared not to have seen any use for a few weeks. Nefri acted worried, left alone with the brutish-looking wolf. It was true that, with his shaggy uneven fur and dirty pants, Darius looked a hell of a lot more like an ordinary Wulrician thug than an emperor. She was about to take the jar away, but Darius was faster and he grabbed it to pour himself another cup of water. Startled by his quick movement, the cat shrunk away and abandoned the jug completely. This was when Aloca returned.

The bird's sudden presence reassured the feline a lot. Indeed, Darius was badly hurt, but he also was a giant wolf. The muscular avian showed not a hint of fear at seeing Darius up and about, however, quite the opposite. His sharp beak opened into an enthusiastic smile. Aloca seemed slightly short of breath, and, like Darius, he was bare-chested, displaying the pure white feathers of his breast, and the vivid red fluff over his arms and back. His wings were discreetly folded behind him.

-- You're feeling better? This is great news!

He pointed his thumb toward the open door.

"We're doing a bit of work outside. Do you figure you could lend us a hand?"

Darius answered nothing.

"Come on, these people are risking a lot for you, and it'll help me convince them that you're worth what little food they can spare."

Darius wasn't impressed, and his eyes narrowed. No one could make him do anything. The yellow beak cracked into tiny mocking smile.

"A big strong fellow like you would be handy to have around. If you're too weak, though, it's fine. We'll take care of you."

Darius grumbled, stung, but he got up.

-- Fine.

-- He talks! commented the avian. I knew you had some of that mythical lupine tenacity. I'm Aloca. Can I ask for your name?

The bird received no response. He smiled reassuringly.

"It doesn't matter."

Aloca gestured with his hand as he turned around.

"Come, wolf. It's just outside."

Warm rays blinded Darius completely when his paws touched the grass and dirt, and he protected his eyes with his right arm. The kids -- a jackal boy and the young kitty that he'd seen before -- were rolling around in the grass, nearby, pretending to fight. They froze when they saw the dark-furred stranger standing by himself. Interestingly, the adults had about the same reaction.

They were trying to fix a large damaged wooden cart in front of the house, and were about to install a new wheel. Huy stood immobile next to his upset wife, rubbing his forehead, while the completely gray male feline was joined by Aloca to lift the side of the obviously heavy vehicle. Darius failed to remember the name of the feline father. Along with the others, Aloca stared at the approaching wolf.

"Here, help me lift. It'll be best if we do it while they fit the wheel."

The bird explained in Sunlander, and Aloca said the feline's name: Hornakht, which Darius instantly forgot once more. The skinny cat laughed with relief at no longer having to struggle against the weighty device. He put his shirt back on and took position near the wheel with Huy, who made him some room and tapped his shoulder in a gesture of encouragement. Everyone waited for Darius to place his back against the cart alongside Aloca. The wolf sighed and shook his head, annoyed, but at least he figured this would be an opportunity to test how much of his strength had returned. He rolled his shoulders to stretch and warm up his muscles. There was some unspoken tension when the wolf warrior neared, but it quickly dissipated when Darius spat in his hands and braced himself to pull up. Aloca gave him a welcoming look as he took position next to him. Together, the bird and the wolf timed themselves and lifted the heavy wooden cart. Darius' arms felt sore under the effort, but he held on without too much trouble. Huy and the feline with the name that Darius couldn't be bothered to remember hurried and hammered the wheel in place. When the cart was released, all around Darius, they grinned like fools, embracing each other and saying grateful sounding words as if they'd accomplished something significant. There was some absurd and nonsensical warmth to it, but Darius felt almost ashamed of his participation. Luckily, they mostly left him alone. It was eerie how they behaved. Even the kids suddenly seemed impressed that the heavy cart had been lifted with success. What idiots could be impressed by such triviality?

Uncomfortable, Darius slipped away while the others began loading the cart with packs of cloth, bundled by rope. He rubbed his arms a bit as he left. Out of nowhere, Aloca caught his wrist.

"Wait, wait. We still need to fully load it for a test. This is how the wheel broke in the first place."

The wolf yanked his arm away. He was no damn servant, and he was tired of this already.

-- Do it yourselves.

They gawked at him, surprised and worried again. Darius went back to the house as he heard Aloca speaking calmly, probably saying that the wounded wolf needed to rest, or some other excuse.

Later that day, Darius ate supper with the bird and the villagers. The table was much too small for everyone, so only the jackal, his wife and their guests Aloca and Darius ate there. The kids sat around on the floor, totally unbothered, while the felines ate over a nearby counter, standing on their tiny kitty paws. Everything was off and wrong to Darius's senses since the battle, like he lived in a weird pointless dream while waiting for an appointment with death. At least, he didn't have to go bare-chested any longer. The avian had gone around the town and had bought the biggest shirt he could find, in which Darius fit, but barely. It was beige and he felt inoffensive and absurd in it.

Out of nowhere, Aloca leaned toward the dark lupine, who was trying really hard and yet failing to enjoy the tough, rancid loaf of bread that was their meal.

-- There's something we need to discuss. I wanted to wait until you felt a little stronger.

It sounded grave, and the Sunlanders ceased moving, sensing that something important might be said, even if they couldn't understand. Nefri hurried and took the kids outside with little subtlety. The wolf grunted.

-- What?

-- You're a Wulrician, and I found you severely wounded after the big battle. Soldiers were after you. It's obvious to me who you are.

Darius became tense. The bird warrior wore his sword at his belt, that evening. His right hand discreetly moved to rest on his leg, close to the pummel. The wolf displayed no reaction. A knife lay on the table, within reach.

"You're a deserter from the army of the tyrant, Darius."

Darius remained petrified for a moment, eyes wide. Aloca was serious. How could this guy say his name to his face and fail to recognize him? On the other hand, it made sense. Darius wasn't the sole black wolf in the Wulrician army, and it was only natural that Sunlander commoners and this foreigner wouldn't have ever had any opportunity to see him in person. Still, this situation seemed out of this world. Aloca mistook the surprise for fear.

"It's alright," he said, showing a yellow talon-like hand with sharp claws. "We're not here to judge you. We know that you simply did your duty, and that you're trying to earn a living."

-- Yes, admitted Darius, deadpan. Exactly. I was a soldier of the legion. Thank you for understanding. You are very smart.

Aloca relaxed, visibly glad that this confrontation hadn't resulted in violence. His hand moved further away from the pommel of his sword as he sat back and breathed deep. Relief spread to the members of the household, who grasped that danger was behind them. Nefri, who'd been standing on the other side of the door, and looking through the crack, brought the kids back inside. Everyone settled down more comfortably. Aloca tore off a bite of dark bread with his sharp beak, and pensively swallowed it.

-- We'd like to know more about what happened during the great battle. There are several conflicting versions... Some of the rumors around town are wild. You were there. Can you tell us about it?

Darius took a moment.

-- You probably know more than I do. It was a confused mess. I don't even know who won.

-- The legions won. More or less.

The jackal patriarch asked a question, and Aloca had a brief chat with him. The others listened attentively. The avian turned to the wolf once again.

"This is very important," he said. "Did you see how the tyrant died?"

The wolf couldn't repress a smile.

-- Emperor Darius is dead?

Aloca looked disappointed.

-- So you didn't even know... At least, I'm glad that the news isn't overly upsetting to you. I imagine it makes sense that even his own kind wouldn't like him.

Darius's dark grin grew even wider. He contemplated the knife.

-- Sure. Hated the guy. He gave us black wolves a bad name.

Aloca nodded.

-- I completely understand your feelings. Myself, I travelled from very far in the hope of lending my skills to the Xurnon to help bring down the tyrant. I met Dal Irzon years ago, when he visited my home island. That's what a true hero is like. I'll never forget it. He inspired the person I've become. To follow his example, I finally decided to sail across the world to join the fight against the evil lord, but I made it here in Kalteh a few hours too late. The fight had already begun, and the tyrant was slain. Ironic, isn't it?

The lupine squinted.

-- More than you think.

-- What do you mean?

Darius shook his head.

-- Nothing. It doesn't matter anymore. Darius is dead.

Aloca nodded, hesitating to continue. He had more to discuss, but he appeared to fear the answer he might get if he asked his next question.

-- You... I guess you don't know what happened to the Dal either, do you?

Images of the drake leader holding his broken arm flashed, but Darius remained mute. Aloca exhaled with noticeable sorrow.

"I figured as much. I hope he's okay, but I fear the worst. Some rumors say he's the one who slew the emperor. Some say it's the opposite. I heard soldiers claim that he fought Nercur. If that happened... I hope not."

The table went silent for a few minutes. The wolf finished chewing his dry bread while the brightly colored avian swallowed a beakful of water from his cup. The Sunlanders patiently waited, probably expecting that Aloca would recount everything that was said later. Darius cleared his throat.

-- So, why do you care how Darius died?

-- People whisper about two competing versions. Either he was killed in the battle against the Xurnon, or General Nercur betrayed him. Now that his mad hound replaced him, I need to assess what I'm up against. If Lord Darius died unexpectedly, then this chaos that erupted around the region might mean that Nercur is struggling to hold Wulric together. If that's the case, this should be the ideal time to strike while they're weak, and I must rejoin with what's left of the army of the Sunlander clans.

-- And what if he was betrayed?

Aloca darkened, joining his hands with a serious frown.

-- If this was planned by the General, then we're all in terrible trouble. It more than likely means that Nercur purposefully set his legions loose to roam the cities and steal from the villagers. The brutal pillaging this town is suffering could be a widespread affair over all conquered provinces. Who knows what Nercur is capable of as the emperor of Wulric?

There was another break in conversation. Aloca appeared to withdraw into himself, attacked by grave thoughts. The wolf exhaled in a short burst, directing his piercing gaze to the avian.

-- Why do you care? You aren't from here. Who are you?

The bird stared back, smiled and shrugged.

-- I'm Aloca. I want to help those who need it.

Darius placed his hands down heavily on the table, causing a thump that startled the Sunlanders. He straightened on his chair.

-- You don't know me.

The wolf threw a circular gesture toward the fearful inhabitants of the house.

"You don't know them. We mean nothing to you. You came to kill the tyrant, and he is already dead. Why don't you leave?"

-- The Sun shines on all equally.

-- Fuck off with this religious crap, barked the wolf.

The red bird remained calm and dignified.

-- Refuse to believe me, if you want. I can't prove what I feel. Maybe you're right, and I don't truly care. Maybe I only left my home to do what I was taught to do, like some sort of moral reflex. My motivations might not matter. In the end, I arrived here and I saw people who suffered, like them, and like you. I couldn't ignore it.

Aloca inclined his head comically.

"I guess I also needed a place to stay, temporarily, and food to eat. Helping out these families seems to be the least I can do in exchange. The road out of town is dangerous since the battle, so farmers can't get their goods in town, but if we can get cloth to the nearby farms to trade, we can bring back a lot of food to share together. Surely you can see the benefit in that."

Darius grunted.

-- You are a warrior, like me. You have other ways to get what you need.

Aloca vehemently denied that suggestion, angrily shaking his beak left to right.

-- This is exactly the kind of mentality that led us to this bad situation. Soldiers come here to take without giving anything back, and the town soon dies. This household refused to give up the fruits of their labor when legionnaires threatened them, and so they need protection. We found an old damaged cart and it's fixed, now. Tomorrow at dawn, Huy and I will try the road. With any luck, we'll bring back food and we can actually have some decent meals.

Aloca pointed a claw to the giant wolf.

"Solid food will do a lot of good for your recovery, I've no doubt. Just hold on. I don't want to hear anything further about taking food by force. We're better than this."

Darius snickered bitterly.

-- If you say so, bird. It makes no difference to me. I am no better than dead, and these...

He glanced at the bewildered family.

"... Are too weak and helpless to survive alone. They should have kept their heads down and given the soldiers whatever they demanded. More importantly, they should never have taken me in."

Darius got up from the table, brutally pushing his chair away. He took a few shaky steps toward the collective bedroom, finding that he was already extremely tired, but he turned to add a few last words:

"You either strike first or you die. You tell them the truth, Aloca. Tell them they won't make it for long in this orderless world. Your efforts are wasted on them, and you will never defeat General Nercur. No one can. You should have stayed back wherever you came from."

Aloca crossed his arms defiantly. He smirked at the wolf.

-- You know, I overheard soldiers claim that General Ptarmep met General Nercur on the field, and fought him to a standstill. They say Nercur was so frightened that this is why he let the Sunlanders retreat without chasing after them.

Darius remained mute, and disappeared in the bedroom. He found his bed and lay down in silence on the old mattress. He thought of the Sunlander leader, his diminutive frame and golden fur and eyes.

Nercur defeated by that unimpressive feline? Was it even possible? He doubted it. It sounded like nonsense. Regardless, it didn't make a difference. Even in their own lands, the Sunlander rebels were defeated. Darius knew exactly what kind of immense military power the Wulric Empire could raise. Cai was untouchable from the outside, and once Darius would be dead, his situation would be stabilized from the inside as well. Sour thoughts for the lord who'd lost everything, but he went to sleep without problem.

He'd never realized how easy it was to give up.

Darius made the strange dream again, but this time he could barely remember any detail when he woke up. They seemed to wane over time, as he slowly healed. There was that sense of floating over the battle, and most importantly, that alien and boundless hatred. Not much else.

The wounded wolf was last out of bed in the household, as always. His body obviously required a lot of rest. He listened, perking up his ears, and he detected the soft-spoken words of the feline couple, as well as the occasional clear-voiced command from the mistress of the home. The kids were inside as well, as Darius could hear them playing some game, moving small wooden pieces around a cheap board. He detected only a residual smell of Aloca and Huy and thus he assumed they had gone on their way to sell the cloth and bring back food and more wool from the nearby farms. The atmosphere in the home was quiet but tense.

It occurred to Darius that, if he wanted to, he could take whatever he wanted from them and leave. Without Aloca, they'd be powerless to stop an expertly trained warrior like him, even wounded and without a weapon. He doubted they would even try to resist, but if they did, he could use a bit of magic. The gray cat didn't look like much of a challenge to the giant wolf. However, they owned next to nothing, and Darius wouldn't gain anything by leaving. In fact, it would most likely serve to precipitate his death, for the occupying soldiers of Wulric might recognize him. Some had seen him in person, though it was also true that he looked nothing like the glorious emperor he used to be, with his unkempt and uneven fur, and his ragged clothes. He seemed to be a dirty beggar, or a bandit. With no more reason to stay than to leave, Darius opted to remain in bed for a few more minutes, because he still felt somnolent. He could always decide what to do later.

The lupine fluttered between slumber and vaguely conscious states, cradled by the harmless presences in the other room of the home.

Defensive instincts pulled him out of his restful state when Darius heard people approaching from outside. Three of them. Heavy steps. Metal clinked. The home became dead silent. Nefri whispered terrified words before Darius heard her steps running to the kids. Time sat still for an instant. Darius effortlessly recognized that ominous moment. It had always existed, before every act of violence in the history of the world. A universal truth; a short period of transition during which ordinary individuals -- social and empathic -- turned into cold murderers. Darius experienced that moment as well, as adrenaline mixed into his blood.

Ahmu screamed once when the door was loudly smashed in by an armored boot, but to her credit, Darius estimated that she wasn't quite panicked. Her voice was fearful and tragic. These people knew what was about to happen, and Darius admired their reality. Their honesty.

An ill-boding laugh rang in the home, as the heavy presences invaded this space that used to be safe. People moved. Items were thrown and broken. A long blade was unsheathed.

-- Ya thought ya could avoid paying us, didn't ya? Thought ya could fuck us over by hiring muscle? Translate, Gouh. Tell 'em why they're gonna die.

Darius knew the unleashed soldiers would search the house. Besides, he was the true Lord of Wulric. One thing he wouldn't do, he wouldn't attempt to pointlessly hide like a scared child from a handful of his own legionaries. The black wolf slowly sat up, and pushed himself out of bed.

In the other room, after one of the soldiers spoke in Sunlander, the gray cat shouted a warning of some kind, and it sounded like he assaulted one of the soldiers. It seemed that the families had at least one weapon stashed in some place, for Darius heard metal being deflected and laughter following a brief altercation. A body was slammed heavily onto the table, and mewling complaints of pain and terror emerged. Nefri gasped tearfully, and she and her husband began to beg incoherently. Darius stopped in the doorless frame, and looked at the scene.

Three soldiers equipped with basic Wulrician infantry equipment had invaded the room. A young but sturdy brown ram roughly pinned the frightened male feline to the table, on his back. The thuggish trooper held a blade to the disarmed cat's throat, looking rather on edge himself, as his crazy eyes jumped from point to point. A tall canine with knotty, curly sand-like fur stood in the center of the room, much calmer than his associates. He bore a sword at his belt for which he didn't reach, as well as a large round shield at his back that suggested the dog might hail from Snowhowl, for that wasn't part of the regular gear for legionaries. He stared coldly at the women, waiting to see if they'd be foolish enough to try anything. Nefri was crumbling in tears, pleading for the twitchy ram to spare her husband while holding the kids tightly in her arms. The matriarch Ahmu stood still and straight, apparently decided to maintain as much dignity as possible, trying to look stronger than she was. Darius saw the face of a woman staring at the end of herself and her family. Lastly, the third soldier was another cat. Darius assumed this was the one called Gouh, for he looked like a Sunlander with his beige fur and golden tufts at the tip of his ears, though he was geared with the same iron and hard-leather armor and pauldrons as the other legionaries. Gouh held his lengthy kite shield on his left arm, and a nasty-looking studded mace in his free hand. He waited close to the paralyzed children, huddled together with Nefri. The little jackal and cat, sitting on the floor, looked to their parents with naïve confusion, and the pure dread that only kids watching their own parents being made helpless can know.

In the back of his mind, Darius wondered if the soldiers were here for him. He'd believed so at first, but now he severely doubted it, due to what the dog had said. Not that it seemed to matter a lot. The dog resumed talking:

"This was very stupid. At first, I thought we'd just kill ya and get a decent price out of the short ones, but now that ya fought back, I think it's better to line up yar corpses in the yard as an example. The whole family. Heartwarming. Maybe we'll wait for daddy and his mercenary bird to come back, too. Give them a nice welcoming."

Suddenly, the cat trooper named Gouh noticed Darius in the doorframe.

-- Hey, Kosh, there's another in the back.

Kosh, the dog, turned to face the wounded wolf warrior, as did everyone else. He appeared startled, but he walked to Darius without hesitation, fearlessly. After all, the wolf was unarmed and visibly wounded.

-- A Wulrician? What're ya doing here? This street is our turf. Didn't ya know? Find yourself another place to rest, wolf. Ya heard the boss. The whole city is for the soldiers. There's plenty to go around.

Darius remained expressionless and silent.

-- I'm not sure he's one of ours, said the nervous ram between heavy breaths.

Kosh squinted, and got even closer.

-- Is that so? Are ya serving those peasants, wolf? Ya're with the bird?

The dog laughed.

"Did ya get tamed? Is that it? Don't ya got pride? Don't ya got a weapon, ya pussy?"

The dog took one defiant step too much, and Darius showed his superb white fangs.

-- I have yours, he said.

In a smooth movement, without a single glance that might give away what he was about to do, Darius simply pulled Kosh's sword from his scabbard. He used his other hand to hold the astounded dog in place by the shoulder, and slipped the pointy end of the blade under the dog's cuirass, where it pierced up through his stomach toward his thorax. Kosh, used that he was to dealing with civilians that couldn't actually put up a fight, failed to even react. He observed himself being slain with a gaping maw and fell wordlessly into a limp mound when Darius expertly extracted the sword from his body.

-- Shit! panicked the ram.

Nefri reacted to this sudden violence by bowing low over the kids to make the smallest target possible, and covering them with her arms, protecting them and blocking their sight. Close to her, Gouh had no time to even care about her or the kid's presence when Darius stepped over Kosh's corpse to him. The legionnaire's eyes opened wide in shock and anger. He sloppily moved his shield aside to strike laterally with his mace. Darius positioned the tip of his blade to deflect, angling it perfectly to guide the metallic shaft along the length of his sword, and away from his body. The feline soldier powered against the blade to redirect the speed of his mace toward his enemy, but Darius immediately and mechanically used his other hand against the flat of his sword to hold on. The mace accelerated in the wrong direction, landing inefficiently against Darius' thick shoulder fur at the conclusion of its trajectory. The wolf's weapon, however, ended up perfectly aimed at the crack between Gouh's right pauldron and his neck. Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Darius exploited what he identified as a devastating opening in his opponent's awkward defense. Elevating his hands to adjust the angle of his blade, he thrust forward and downward. Gouh squealed when the entire sword stabbed the area joining his shoulder to his neck. Blood gushed out in a fountain, but Darius left him before he even hit the ground, already pulling his sword while he advanced toward his final target near the table. The ram remained immobile like a statue, but the heavy clatter of Gouh's mace hitting the floor revived him. He released the captive gray cat, stumbling backward and frenzying toward the door.

"I give up! Please, let me go!"

Darius elevated his arm, and threw the short, heavy sword with as much force as he could muster.

-- No.

Sharpened iron impaled the ram's skull from the back, and went through the wooden door with the broken lock, pinning him there, facing the door in death. The whole ordeal had taken less than twenty seconds.

Darius breathed out, pulled the closest chair from the table, and sat down in the middle of the carnage, tired once more. Darius closed his right hand and stretched it open multiple times. It shook, but it responded well, and formed into a strong fist. He might be wounded, and he may have lost everything, but he was no helpless pup. He'd spent his childhood and teenage years learning about every aspect of the art of war from the greatest trainers that his uncle's money could buy, constantly being groomed for his role as Wulric's military leader and ruler. That was what he could do from an unarmed and unarmored state. Later, he'd take some time to search the bodies and select what gear he could use. Legionaries had decent material.

The sudden calm felt odd. It took several seconds for the family to truly grasp that the violence was over. That they lived. The gray cat panted, slowly rising from the table and looking around at his wife Nefri, at Ahmu, and then at their kids. All of a sudden, the charm broke, and all three parents grouped around their children, desperately and indiscriminately squeezing them in their arms. They kept saying words that Darius couldn't catch, but he also figured that they were praising and thanking their useless Sun god. Both kids started weeping. They'd been silent, until then. Darius didn't turn to the family, but he sensed their glances behind him. There was that strange, intimidating feeling again. It made him exceedingly uneasy. It ruined his empty peace. The wolf realized he was more scared of these hugging, crying, pathetic beings than he'd ever been of any armed soldiers, but he wasn't sure why. It freaked him out, and it got him a sudden and brutal headache, perhaps related to the physical effort he'd just deployed.

"Will you shut up!" the wolf angrily shouted as he covered his head with his furry hands.

The felines reacted without delay, urgently hushing the children and whispering soothingly in their ears. Quickly, they helped them up to their paws and brought them to the bedroom, away from the bodies, and away from Darius' susceptible ears. During this time, Ahmu got up and approached the wolf from the side -- but not too much. She kept her distance, understanding at last what kind of a person her wounded guest was, and what that could mean to her household. There wasn't only fear as she carefully observed his stillness after the merciless slaughter. Something else inhabited her as well. She wanted to speak, and she tried to do so multiple times, but no words came out. She remained stuck there, in her home with the lethal wolf, trying to get closer and further from him at the same time.

Eventually, after several minutes, both of them accepted and owned their discomfort. The jackal fetched cups and a jug of strongly diluted ale. She filled them and sat at the table, facing Darius and offering him one of the cups. Even watered down, the wolf's body detected the rich energy contained in the alcoholic liquid as he drank it greedily. It was delightful, but it also awakened his hunger. He placed his cup down once more, and his hostess filled it again, though she appeared to regret diminishing their reserves of liquid nourishment. Darius downed the second cup and made a decision. He stood and pointed to the dead soldiers.

"Help me with them. Search."

Darius mimicked the act of dropping money into his open hand, and began dragging the bodies together to search them. Ahmu hesitated to touch her dead assailants, at first, but she soon got over herself and followed Darius' example. They checked the belts for pouches, and the boots for hidden coins. Together, what they found wasn't a fortune by any means, but it was a significant sum, given the context. Prudently, the matriarch opened her hands to show the coins she'd found to Darius. She was taken aback when the wolf unexpectedly added his into her hands.

"Food," he said intently, pointing to his maw.

-- Food, lai.

Darius knew "lai" was a word signifying assent, so he assumed she understood him. Ahmu soon confirmed it when she poured the coins into her own pouch, and made a gesture of rubbing her belly.

"Food."

Though she was still clearly shaken, the black-backed jackal walked to the bedroom to explain the situation to the others, and she soon left to buy whatever she could from her neighbors. She carefully checked beyond the door before she departed, in case there might have been more soldiers waiting, and she agilely slipped out.

Darius expected she wouldn't get a whole lot with that kind of money, due to the high prices that would be attached to anything edible in the starving city of Kalteh, but it would suffice for one decent meal while they waited for the return of Aloca and Huy, and that was what Darius wanted. He was used to eating meat, fresh bread, cheese and wine every day, and he couldn't tolerate the thought of chewing dumb dry bread or slurping any more watery soup.

In the meantime, the wolf dragged the corpses outside in the yard, and picked what he wanted from each. Kosh donated the sword with which Darius was already acquainted and his quality round shield. Gouh offered bloodstained pauldrons, bracers for minimalistic magic protection, and simple iron shin guards. Only the ram owned a cuirass that appeared large enough to fit the dire wolf. He also took the sheep's large belt and empty pouches, just in case. At least now, if he had to play defender of this house -- absurd as this idea was -- he would be geared for the part. It was a far cry from his old kingly equipment, but any soldier knew that basic standardized gear, if well-used, wasn't to be underestimated. It was this specific kind of equipment that allowed the Wulrician legions to dominate wherever they marched.

Darius returned inside to discover that the feline couple had left the bedroom, and were washing the blood and picking up the items broken during the attack. They too looked at him differently, but it wasn't obvious whether they were more afraid of him, or if they felt safer. Possibly both. The adults understood the nature of violence. Darius didn't help with the cleaning, and the cats complained about it not at all. They steered clear of him as he sat in armor at the table, though they also acknowledged his presence more. They were thankful. It seemed obvious when Darius thought about it, but also odd. Didn't they understand that he hadn't done it for them? He'd slain those soldiers because they defied and endangered him. That was it. They were foolish if they interpreted his actions as a serious pledge to protect them. If anything, they'd better fear him, because he was stronger than they were. Perhaps this was also part of why they wisely showed more respect to him. No longer was he just a wounded burden.

There were no further attacks. The bodies outside were covered with a blanket, and when Ahmu returned with a basket full of goodies, the atmosphere in the home almost reverted to a semblance of normalcy. The young ones were allowed to leave the bedroom once more, and as kids do, they recuperated faster than their parents did from their extreme emotions. The kids were stunned to witness the abundance of bread and meat being laid on the table, and this apparently finished making up their minds about the dangerous stranger that had temporarily joined their family along with Aloca. Despite the intense violence they'd just witnessed, it became clear that the giant lupine had become A-OK in their book. Darius killed bad men who threatened their parents; Darius caused food to appear. Therefore, he was good and could do no wrong. Simple. They didn't fear him anymore. Since he had refused to give them his name, they called him "mister wolf" in broken Wulrician.

Mister wolf took off the armor when he felt certain that there wouldn't be a second wave of uncontrolled soldiers, hours later, but he kept the sword at his new belt, even if this type of short, one-handed sidearm wasn't his preferred style.

The entire household settled down for a hearty meal, and huddled tightly to make room for everyone around the small table, though the adults made sure to leave space on both sides of Darius, and packed themselves more densely to compensate. The young kitty sat on her dad's legs. They all ate happily, but there wasn't much chatter going on. They didn't want to speak about what had just happened, and what else could they talk about? The children did wonders to break the uncomfortable silence. Darius couldn't understand the words, but there was little need for that. They were delighted by the meat and moist bread. They wouldn't shut up, but it was fine, this time. The distance enforced by the parents between Darius and the rest of the household worked great for him. It reassured him. He didn't mind being among them, as long as they recognized that he wasn't one of them, and that he was on top. And then suddenly:

-- Dih pfassa irh misteh woulf, méh? Tun Aloca?

It was the jackal boy. Darius didn't know what was asked, but the parents glanced at him weirdly. The kids stared hopefully. When they got no answer, the girl decided to try her luck. She searched for a while.

-- Stéh? Misteh woulf stéh?

Darius grasped.

-- Stay? No. No stay.

The kids looked disappointed. The wolf wasn't sure about what their parents felt about his refusal to stay. The boy persisted.

-- Tun dih pfassa Aloca, méh?

Darius grumbled.

-- I don't know about the bird. Ask him. I am not his pal.

The matriarch spoke to the kids, and it appeared to end the conversation. They looked unhappy, but the food soon cheered them up. Minutes later, they heard noise in the yard. Darius stood and reached for his weapon.

-- It's us. We're back.

It was Aloca. He sounded displeased, and they were back too soon. Something had gone wrong. After a pause, the avian suddenly burst inside with bulging blue eyes. He looked around the room.

"What in the world? There are corpses outside!"

Huy irrupted inside, shoving Aloca aside in a panic. He took a few seconds to realize that everyone he loved were alive and well, and he sighed in relief, falling to his knees and praising his Sun god. Aloca detailed Darius, holding his new sword, and saw the pieces of gear piled neatly together by the door. After that, he saw the food on the table.

"What happened, here?" asked the bird.

Aloca joined Darius outside, in the yard. An hour had passed since the bird had returned with Huy. The wolf passively allowed him to approach.

-- What do you want?

The avian didn't let the hostile attitude turn him away.

-- This is a great thing you've done for these innocent people. You saved their lives.

-- I killed a bunch of disorganized fools because their presence threatened me. I don't give a damn about your precious villagers.

-- Is that why you gave them money for food?

-- I didn't want to fetch it myself.

Aloca smirked.

-- What if your motivations don't really matter? Whatever the reason, you put yourself in harm's way and it protected them. They said that you fought... proficiently.

Darius exhaled.

-- Is this what they said?

Aloca avoided responding to that.

-- Look, I know what it's like in the heat of a fight. It's not so easy to-

Darius turned to face the bird, interrupting him.

-- You think I feel guilty? I slaughtered those soldiers, and I enjoyed it. They were weak. I gave them what they deserved. Don't you dare patronize me, bird. You wouldn't stand a chance against me either.

The feathered warrior leaned away, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

-- Oh? I see.

The pair locked stares.

"You know, where I come from, we don't threaten people who are kind to us, and who saved our lives," said Aloca.

-- I never asked you to help me. I owe you nothing.

The avian nodded.

-- You're right. I assisted you because I wanted to, and I'm glad that I did.

Aloca smiled, and glanced at the house behind them.

"I'll be straightforward," he continued. "I think you're a good guy, deep down. If you're as skilled as you claim, together, we can lift this entire town out of starvation!"

The wolf growled.

-- This again? I already said no. I don't care about your quest.

Earlier, Aloca and Huy had discovered the reason why the road cutting through a hillside had become unusable to transport food from the nearby farms. In fact, they'd been attacked themselves, though Aloca had been fuzzy about the details, save that the single assailant was indisputably powerful. Their cart had been destroyed during the conflict, and Aloca had decided to back off and abandon it in order to protect Huy. Upon returning to the house and learning that their wounded wolf was back into action, he'd asked for Darius to join him in a self-imposed mission of clearing the threat along the path. While it wouldn't liberate Kalteh from Nercur's soldiers, it would at least allow food to come in. Aloca believed it would be safer if they were two, due to the unknown nature of the enemy.

-- Don't be afraid, we can do it.

-- I am not afraid! barked Darius. I have nothing to gain from it.

-- How about food?

Darius chuckled meanly.

-- I am well enough. I won't stay in this hole for much longer.

-- You'd just leave this entire helpless population to fend for itself? The soldiers won't help them! What about Huy and his household? They cared for you when you had nothing. Don't you have honor?

A deep rumble, dark and menacing, rose from the black wolf's chest.

-- Question my honor and I will end you, right here. I don't owe. I don't serve. This town is useless to me.

At long last, Aloca showed that he was capable of anger, or at least vexation. He scowled.

-- You're cold.

To the bird's surprise, the lupine lightened up slightly.

-- So you _do_get angry, hero. I like that. I thought you were a complete waste of strength. You should go and accomplish something worthwhile, if you are a real warrior. Why don't you go and kill Nercur? You wanted to slay a tyrant. Surely that would help more people than rotting here.

Darius chortled bitterly before he added:

"Maybe you can become the new emperor of Wulric."

Aloca laughed.

-- Believe me, I have no interest in that. Besides, even if I was arrogant enough to think that I could take down the mad hound by myself, he's already long gone. He hurried back toward the old kingdom with the Ghosts and most of his army over a month ago, right after the battle. I assume he wants to consolidate power. People say there's trouble brewing in the province of Melnia, and they might declare independence again, if it didn't happen already.

Darius froze utterly in shock. His mind began to spin. Thoughts exploded in his brain at a frenetic pace. His blood boiled. His fur nearly turned white. Aloca noticed the reaction immediately.

"What's wrong?"

-- The Ghosts? They weren't destroyed?

-- Nearly, according to what I've heard, but not quite. Some survived, including their leader, umm, what's his name...? A feline, I think. He pledged to the new emperor.

-- Mafida, Darius blankly enounced.

-- That's right, him. Why does it matter?

Unbelievable. This changed everything. Mafida was loyal. Truly loyal. If the lynx had sworn allegiance to Nercur, it could only be because he thought Darius was dead. If he learned that the real emperor of Wulric was still alive, then...

The wolf suddenly realized how close he actually was to regaining everything. If he could simply contact Mafida, he'd have an entry point, a dedicated force close to Nercur, and capable of overthrowing him. What was lost was still there, within his reach! Of course this also explained why Nercur pretended that he was dead, and pretty much guaranteed that some special group of elite soldiers would be sent to finish him off discreetly. The General wanted to steal his glorious Ghosts! The wolf lord pictured Nercur -- his Cai -- and blackened. Brutally, the detachment was gone. The peace was gone. The despair was gone, replaced by seething rage and a hunger for vengeance. All that had been suppressed since his defeat came back to him as a dense chunk of indigestible raw emotion, taking over. He wanted this. He needed this. Cai would pay for his betrayal.

It hurt. It hurt physically. Darius staggered and fell to his knees, eyes shut in immeasurable pain. He clutched his chest.

"Are you alright!?" exclaimed Aloca, worried.

What a fool Darius had been thinking it was over; thinking he could allow Cai to get away with what he did. Darius had trusted him. Darius had believed the jackal to be his friend. His only real friend! No torture would be enough to make him pay for the humiliation of using his love like that. Truly, Nercur had been right. Darius was weak, because he'd placed his faith in his little Cai. He hadn't seen it coming. Hadn't seen...

"Breathe! Breathe!"

Darius breathed. The pain subsided as he calmed down. He realized Aloca had crouched close to him, and was holding his shoulders with his warm feathered arm. The wolf pushed him back.

-- Get off! he panted. I am fine. I have to go.

Darius fought to get up. He pushed himself to his paws. He walked away unevenly, barely keeping his balance.

-- What? You're crazy! What if soldiers recognize that you're a deserter?

-- I will tear their throats out! Darius roared.

Aloca ran after him.

-- Stop, you're still wounded! What do you have to do that's so urgent, all of a sudden?

-- I must contact the Ghosts.

The avian was utterly blown away.

-- What? Why?

-- None of your damn business!

-- You're weak!

Those words. Darius halted in his tracks.

"Let me help you," continued Aloca. "You can't take on the world in your state. Whatever it is, it's clearly important to you, so I'll help. I'll come with you and we'll find some way to contact the Ghosts. Don't just head off randomly, like that. You're being insane."

The wolf turned around, pensive.

-- You don't even know why I want to talk to them.

The wide and sharp yellow beak opened into a mocking grin.

-- It doesn't matter, because I want something in exchange. That's what you said, right? You won't do anything if you don't gain something for it. You help me save Kalteh, and I swear that I'll do everything in my power to help you contact the Ghosts, no matter what it takes. After that, we can both go our separate ways. Deal?

Darius hesitated. He grumbled. He couldn't deny that Aloca might be a convenient ally to have on his side, for the time being. He sighed.

-- Deal.

The bird offered his red arm for a robust handshake. Moodily, Darius forced himself to take it. He did see a lot of Dal Irzon in his new "partner," and it predictably got on his nerves. Damnable heroes. He decided to endure it. He wouldn't stick around Aloca for long, anyway.

In the house, the pair fully geared up for conflict, and bagged some water and bread. Nefri and her husband helped them prepare while Huy and Ahmu looked worriedly at them. Darius and Aloca had discussed the matter, and they didn't expect anyone to come looking for the dead soldiers anytime soon. They hadn't looked particularly organized to the wolf. It truly appeared that the legions were mostly leaderless, for some reason. Where were the commanders? A mystery to be sure.

-- If it looks too dangerous, we can always retreat and try something different, said Aloca as he finished adjusting a rectangular white loincloth under his armored belt.

Darius gazed at the tribal knight. He wasn't sure what to think about him. He sure looked the part of a well-trained warrior. The shiny plate that covered his breast seemed lordly and rich, with its central engraving displaying swords and wings, but other wilder-looking elements such as the fur-trimmed cloth bracer adorned with large animal fangs, and the general lack of symmetry in his equipment gave an odd vibe of having been composed piece-by-piece, and perhaps even scavenged. He wore only one large round pauldron on his right shoulder, for instance, not to forget the golden cuff and the cloth bracer, or the varied types of gemstones for magic protection... This elegant chaos somehow fit him, however.

-- No. I have no time to waste on this. We find who is ambushing this roadside, and we deal with them. You may be afraid, but I am not. If push comes to shove, I will burn them to a crisp.

Upon hearing this, Aloca twisted his neck to face Huy standing near the table, behind him. The avian said a few words in Sunlander. They exchanged a brief look.

-- You can really use fire magic? asked Aloca.

Darius confirmed.

-- Other elements too, but it was always my specialty. Why?

The red-and-white feathered warrior shook his beak.

-- Probably nothing important. I'll tell you on the way. We should leave before it gets late. We'll only look more suspicious if we travel in the dark.

-- Good. I want to be done with this.

Aloca nodded and grabbed the arsenal lying on the table; he placed the medium-sized, profoundly recurved composite bow into a leather harness that he strapped in his back right above a quiver that contained about twenty arrows. He attached a simple sword to his belt, in its scabbard, and finally took the long, ornate wooden spear with the leaf-shaped steel tip into his hands.

-- Ready.

Twenty seconds later, this strange duo of an exotic, colorful avian foreigner and a rough-looking wolf wearing legionnaire iron armor closed the door to the modest Sunlander home that they'd inhabited for a month. Together, they walked the hardened dusty streets of the militarily occupied town of Kalteh.

-- Hey, Aloca. What did they say just now, when we were about to leave?

-- They asked us to be prudent.

-- Tch. Why should they care, as long as we get the road cleared?

Aloca made a bleak face, but he remained silent. Around them, the quarter appeared sickly, in its innumerable tones of sunlit, faded yellow. Quietness reigned as activity was kept to a strict minimum. Even the densely packed square sandstone buildings looked terrified, just like the helpless villagers that inhabited them. Soldiers of Wulric dominated the streets, roaming together in packs or standing at crossroads in their self-attributed areas, randomly stopping what few citizens dared stray too far from their homes in transparent attempts to shake something out of them. The vast majority showed little trouble proving that they had nothing of value to steal, though, and the soldiers generally let them through after some harassment, to remind them of who was in charge. Mostly, invaders and villagers alike moved slowly, or not at all, numbed by hunger, but the tension was palpable. Violence would only increase as the famine continued. Further into the town, as Darius and Aloca followed the streets, the number of devastated houses with busted doors increased. Conquerors searched for food and valuables, and glowered dubiously at the pair of warriors as they crossed the city in direction of the road out of town. Darius remained guarded.

-- Hopefully, they won't bother us, whispered Aloca. We're too risky for what we're worth, and they might mistake you for one of them.

Indeed, these veteran warriors weren't on the field, and clearly not in a state of mind where they sought conflict, preferring easy marks. The well-armed duo was ignored until a bolder group halted them right at the edge of town. Darius moved his hand to the pommel of his sword as a wildebeest with damaged horns approached them. Those were some of his own mercenaries, he somberly reflected. He remembered personally hiring their leader at the onset of the Sunlands campaign. Luckily, that wasn't him. Scrutinizing the tough black face, the cool brown eyes and the scarred muzzle, Darius attempted and failed to discover any glint of recognition in the gnu. He was safe.

-- Ho there, friends.

The wise mercenary avoided getting too close to the strangers, or too far from his kin, who waited behind and carefully observed the exchange. The soldier had one hand holding calmly the shaft of his axe, at his waist. There would be no possibility of taking these guys by surprise.

"Are you Wulrics?"

-- Wulricians, corrected Darius in a flat voice.

-- If you say so, wolf.

The wildebeest inclined his head, squinting to block the sun as he eyed the tall avian.

"You don't look like a legionnaire."

-- We're not, said Aloca. We're travelers looking for work. Is that a problem?

-- Not to me, but it could be one for you, if you take that road.

The gnu began to relax, though his hand didn't leave his weapon. He turned to Darius.

"Ex-legionnaire?"

-- Something like that.

-- So you both are blades for hire? You look the part. We're the same. Good luck if you were hoping to get hired by the legion, though. The general's gone. This campaign has turned into a complete mess. My brothers and I aren't even sure who we're working for, anymore, and we're not gonna stay here for much longer unless we get paid.

Aloca sought to befriend the voluble disgruntled mercenary, accurately assessing this as an opportunity to learn more about the situation. Darius let him proceed, as he also was curious.

-- Well met, partner! I'm Aloca, and my lupine friend here is... mostly silent. What's your name?

The rugged soldier finally let go of his axe in order to shake the extended hand.

-- Thoru.

-- Why is the occupation so disorganized? asked Darius. Where are your lords?

Thoru frowned.

-- Haven't you heard? Nercur turned the nobles of Wulric against the emperor, and then he accused them of treason, and massacred them all. They're dead.

-- What!? burst Darius and Aloca, united in blank shock.

The group of mercenaries laughed lightly from behind Thoru, amused by the pair's reaction.

-- I know, said Thoru. We felt the same thing when it happened, but it's true. The only leaders spared were the ones without a noble bloodline, like the mercenary bosses and the head of the Ghosts. The men were confused, and the jackal made a speech about how we were betrayed, and how the real power of Wulric comes from us. He said we're the ones who fight and die, and that violence is the only honest way to define power. He said we have no reason to take orders from weak leaders who send us to fight for their own gains, and that our strength belongs only to us. He said we're the real protectors of the empire, and he gave the cities to us so that we could pay ourselves. Some soldiers stayed here in Kalteh and the other conquered towns in the Sunlands, but most left with Nercur. He's the only true high commander of the armies of Wulric, now. You can imagine the chaos.

Darius had the distinct impression of falling into a hole. Cai had gone mad. The necessity of regaining his throne was even more urgent than he'd assumed.

-- What about you? questioned Aloca. What do you make of this?

The wildebeest shrugged.

-- I'm a mercenary. I kill cheaply, and I die cheaply too. I never went into this life expecting anything to be fair in the first place. I don't know how to manage a town, and neither do these guys.

Thoru gestured in the general direction of the occupied city.

"It sounds like an excuse to avoid paying us to me, but not all agree."

A different voice rose from the group, further behind.

-- I admire General Nercur's emotion, but I think his approach is misguided. It'll cause much ruin. Not that it's our problem.

Thoru nodded in support of his companion before he concluded:

-- We're going to leave here, and head toward Melnia. There'll be some action there soon, you better believe that. Taking little from hungry citizens that have even less isn't what we want to do. If it was, we'd have remained home in our tribes, and turned bandit, like cowards who prey on their own kin.

The other gnus loudly began to knock on their shields in collective approval of Thoru's words. When it ended, it seemed as if everything had been said.

-- Yours sounds like a proud and honorable people, commented Aloca with a bow of the head. Will you let us pass, then?

-- We will, but as I said, you shouldn't go there. You'd best go out of town on foot, and stay away from it. Someone or something's preying upon that road. Something strong, know what I mean?

-- We know, said the annoyed Darius. We intend to clear the path.

Thoru's longer-furred eyebrows rose, and he gave a large friendly tap to Darius' shoulder. The giant wolf almost bit his face, but he held back, and instead threw him a menacing glare that the mercenary totally missed.

-- You do? Good on you! We won't risk our necks for no pay, but if you succeed, it'll do everyone here a massive favor. This is the only road to the farms, and wagons can't make it through the hills without it. People are reduced to moving goods on foot by the armful. Everyone is hungry, and the legionnaires are getting crazier and harder for us to pacify. You get food to flow in again, and maybe we can stay here a little while longer. Hopefully, we can keep the blood from pouring down the streets long enough for the troops to figure out how much they can take without killing the town.

-- We'll do our best, promised Aloca.

The mercenaries opened up their ranks, and stood straight in respect as Darius and Aloca went by. The ranks closed behind them when they left the town proper. Aloca suddenly spun around.

"Hey, Thoru! Before we go, do you know what happened to the Dal of the Xurnon during the great battle?"

Thoru stepped out of his group once more, and yelled:

-- Sorry, friend! I heard he battled Nercur, but I didn't see it happen. I saw the Sunlander general clash against Nercur during the retreat, though. Damn glad I wasn't stuck in the middle! I'd never seen anything like it.

-- So it's true that Ptarmep survived, then? Are you sure?

-- I was there myself! Good luck!

Thoru waved and returned to his companions. Darius and Aloca resumed toward their mission, treading the dusty road.

The lands surrounding the pair gently sloped up on both sides as their paws and talons landed on the beaten dirt. Soon, the hills tunneled their vision, growing sharper and higher, trapping the serpentine road and those that travelled upon it into a deep, shadowy canyon. Dead stillness reigned supreme, bringing Darius into increased alert. He gazed at the hilltops surrounding them, one after the other, but as soon as he focused on one, he felt like news threats could appear everywhere else. He struggled to keep everything under his watch, and got vertigo from spinning around so much.

-- Yeah, I felt the same way, admitted Aloca. Vulnerable. This would be a terrible place to be ambushed, but it isn't where we were attacked. It's a bit further, near a grove. You can't miss it. You'll see why.

Suddenly, the bird stopped and crouched. His wings snapped open with a powerful whipping sound, unfolding impressively above him in a striped pattern of red and white feathers. Aloca launched, hurling himself upward with force as the wind he kicked up caused Darius to cover his eyes and take a startled step back. This tall, armored warrior flew up toward the sunlit top of what was essentially a cliff, by that point. High above the wolf, Aloca landed expertly onto the rocky ledge, and observed their surroundings with his piercing eyes. He leaned over the edge, and pointed ahead with his arm, designating something beyond the canyon.

"It's right there!" he shouted from the distance. "We're close."

Darius hid a flash of intense envy when his feathered ally casually stepped off the cliff and into the void, freely breaking his fall a few meters above ground with two massive wing flaps that forced Darius to turn away to avoid getting dirt into his eyes. Aloca's talons gently touched land next to the wolf, and he folded his wings into his back. All of it was as natural to him as running was to Darius.

-- Right.

The impressed lupine eagerly resumed his walk, turning his back to his companion to hide his awe. He chastised himself for his feelings. Of course, Aloca could fly. It only made sense, and he'd always known that some distant avian populations were capable of it, but it was his first time truly witnessing it. Drakes had lost that ability of their ancestors long ago, though some could still perform short glides when unarmored, but it was nothing remotely close to the marvel that this bird could perform at will. He suddenly grasped how different Aloca's world was from his own. To him, this was a permanent possibility. He could just take off, and caress peaks of which the land-bound could only dream. The sky itself resided within his divine-like reach. How immeasurably unfair. Darius had never felt so humiliatingly limited. He almost wanted to grab the unsuspecting bird catching up behind him, and punish him for this offense.

-- Hey, wait up, um... wolf!

Aloca joined Darius' side, and adjusted to his pace.

"In a hurry, eh?"

The wolf kept going.

"I've just realized you still haven't told me your name. You have one, don't you? If we're going to fight side-by-side, I should at least know who you are."

Darius halted, spun, and poked a clawed finger aggressively into Aloca's feathery white belly, below his chestplate.

-- You won't fight side-by-side with me. I don't need you to kill a bunch of petty raiders. You will sit down and watch, and after that you will help me cover more ground as we seek some way to contact the Ghosts.

Aloca ceased smiling.

-- There's something I haven't told you yet. It's about the threat we're headed out to face. It's not a group. Huy and I saw it. It's just one...

The avian hesitated.

"... Person."

-- So what?

Aloca looked seriously embarrassed.

-- When I first came here with Huy, the first thing that happened was a fire ball. It blew our cart off the road. More followed, so we rushed behind some trees.

-- Is this why you asked about fire magic, earlier?

-- Yes.

-- Why does it matter if we both use fire magic?

Aloca twisted his claws as his beak cracked into a joyless guilty smile.

-- Because we saw him. He -- well -- he looked like you.

Darius scoffed.

-- Okay, so he is a black wolf?

-- No, I mean, he looked exactly like you. Your figure; your fur length; your face! At first, we thought it was you. We thought you'd followed us, somehow. But he also felt different.

-- He felt different?

-- I know, it sounds dumb. I can't explain it. It felt wrong to be near him. I've thought about it, and I think it might be a demon.

-- Why would a demon look like me?

Aloca turned his hands up.

-- I don't know, but I wasn't even fully certain that it wasn't you until we made it back to the house, and I saw you sitting there.

The bird chuckled apologetically.

"It could all be just a very strange coincidence, but then you spoke about fire, and it made me think. I figured I'd warn you, at least, in case you might know something."

-- The only demon I have seen recently was during the great battle, but I killed- I mean, I saw it killed, and I can assure you that it looked nothing like me.

-- You know, I did hear about something along those lines, now that you mention it. Oh, I guess it doesn't matter. Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll manage to take it down safely, if we join forces and attack together.

Darius sneered.

-- Stand out of my way, if you are afraid. I shall deal with it myself.

-- No, no. I'll cover your back, don't worry. You can be the vanguard, if you want, and I'll be the flank supporting your attack. I don't mind if you want to lead. I can follow. I merely want us to be coordinated and smart.

-- Good. You should recognize your superior. It is for the best.

Aloca paused, glanced away toward the cliffs and coughed to hide his snicker, before he caught up once more, smiled, and tagged along with the wolf.

-- Sure, alright. You lead, boss.

Not long after, the cliff-like hills to both sides of the road began to diminish and soften into earthy mounds, increasingly covered in plants and tall grass, as they rolled playfully along the path, diving and rising. The duo emerged out of the oppressive canyon, and they saw the grove ahead and to their left, with its canopy bathed by the still warm late-afternoon sun.

Darius immediately knew what Aloca had meant when he said it was impossible to miss the area in question.

Central to that charming natural scene of the Sunlands, combining hot, arid elegance with spots of lively, lush vegetation, lay a more disquieting sight: broken, smoldering vehicles littered the road. Everywhere, wagons, carts and wheelbarrows of rotting or blackened goods had been abandoned along with many corpses of draft animals. Suspicious dark stains of brownish red covered some areas, though there were no bodies of any farmers or villagers to be seen.

Aloca brandished his spear cautiously, advancing between the broken transports and wasted goods, all senses in high alert. Darius drew his sword, and grabbed his shield. He reflexively fanned out to the tribal knight's right side, so they would both have elbow room if they were attacked.

-- I assume this is it, said the wolf.

-- Yes. Would you cover me, please? I need a moment.

Aloca detailed his surroundings, and slowly descended to his knees. He placed his spear in front of himself, respectfully, as if performing some sort of ritual. He quickly mumbled unknown words in a language Darius had never heard before. His eyes were shut. After a few seconds, he went silent, opened his eyes, and took out a tiny bag at his belt. He dipped his hard fingers in it, covering his black claws in yellow paint. Expertly, he traced lines under his blue eyes, following the edge of his lower eyelids, just like wealthy and powerful Sunlanders tended to do with black ink. He detached one of the straps that held his chestplate to expose the area where his right shoulder met his neck, and with three fingers, he painted short lines from his back to his clavicle. He did the same on the other side, after which he skillfully reattached the straps with his clean hand. Focused and calm, the bird shared the paint with his other hand, in order to add similar short yellow lines to the deep red feathers covering the inner sides of his defined biceps. At last, in a gesture that seemed embarrassingly intimate to Darius, Aloca used his left forearm to slightly elevate his proud tail feathers, before tracing one last lengthy line across the underside of his tail. When the bird let go of it and rose from his knees, Darius could see the bright line as it hung between his legs. For some reason, this realization felt like an indiscretion, when he caught on that he was staring at the avian's tail. Slightly confused, Darius looked away, glad that his thick dark fur made it near-impossible to know if he blushed. He heard as Aloca wiped his hands in the grass.

"I'm ready. Thank you."

Aloca moved more brusquely. His traits had become harder. The permanent smile hiding into his sharp beak and his eyes had truly gone, and it changed the character of his face from warm confidence to cold resolve. The wolf suddenly witnessed a part of himself. He saw the veteran soldier in his war-painted bird companion, and his doubts diminished.

-- This is a waste of time. I want to be done with it

Aloca nodded. He pointed toward the right side of the road. Darius recognized the hand cart that he'd helped fix. It still smoked thinly. Many of the spilled bundles of cloth appeared damaged by the heat.

-- This is where we were attacked, recounted Aloca. We hid behind those trees, but our assailant came from there.

Aloca showed the grove, where the vegetation was denser.

-- There is something demonic, confirmed Darius. I can tell.

What Darius didn't admit was how uneasy he felt, as he mentally prepared to unleash a torrent of flames at any threat that might jump at him. Something was very wrong indeed, but he wasn't convinced it was only the demon. A painfully unpleasant impression of being stuck knotted his body and soul. He didn't understand, so he decided to ignore the feeling. No point in looking weak in front of the bird for no reason.

As a single force, the warriors began to advance toward their objective. Aloca allowed the wolf to get a few steps ahead as they cautiously entered the grove. Small shrubs and soft plants did little to hinder their passage, bending under their padded paws and rigid feet, though Darius watched for thick roots. The tall trunks of the trees granted sufficient space to navigate between them, but they did hinder the view. The giant wolf sniffed the air as they progressed. He motioned for Aloca to stop. They waited as he listened to the silent forest, his pointy lupine ears swirling regularly to locate any potential sounds. Fresh green plants cracked softly.

"Movement ahead," whispered Darius.

-- I heard nothing, discreetly answered Aloca as he emerged from behind a tree to Darius' side, though the feathered fighter did aim his spear toward the point of the wolf's focus.

They pushed forth, tense and defensive. Scents became clearer as Darius kept concentrating them in his perceptive nose. It smelled of wolf for sure, and no, the odor wasn't totally unfamiliar to Darius. He detected a hint of sulfur as well, and also... iron. A blood-like smell, but not a natural one.

-- I know this smell, he growled softly. It is keeping track of us.

The presence had adjusted its position every few seconds to keep away from the pair hunting it. Suddenly, Darius couldn't hear it anymore. He feared he'd lost his quarry.

"Go, go!"

The armored wolf dashed, flanked by Aloca who kept up without trouble. They dodged trees, leapt over low bushes, ducked under rare branches, both too heavy and agile forces to be stopped by normal obstacles. They plowed through the vegetation without pause. They even sped up a bit as they got used to the environment. A strong odor of corpses struck Darius' muzzle before they emerged from the woods.

The clearing shook them. It was large and well-lit by the warm hues of the dying sun, shaped in an almost imperceptible knoll. Torn bodies of the demon's helpless victims had been carried and abandoned to rot in the wild flowery grass at regular intervals, desecrating this natural sanctuary with the stain of violent death. The warriors stood together. In the center, their unholy enemy awaited them.

"Darius" stared, wearing disparate pieces of hide armor that he'd obviously taken from his prey, and a large, crude, heavy-looking iron greatsword. He lifted the colossal weapon with one arm, pointing it straight at his challengers in an arrogant show of strength that enraged the real Darius more than anything he could've expected. That worthless imitation even copied his style! There were differences that began to stand out more as the duo detailed their opponent. The demon wolf wasn't a faultless fake; hellish radiance burned behind his eyes and into the depth of his maw, when it fissured into a pitiless grin. His fur seemed to have a rougher texture, and his muzzle was a tad sharper, maybe even shorter? His claws dripped some thick... gelatinous...

"It is him."

-- Who? asked Aloca.

A high-pitched, deafening hiss filled the clearing. Aloca squinted in pain, but Darius had to cover his ears with his forearms. The evil screech altered itself, turning into a more endurable canine howl. They realized it was a name being hurled at them. Their thoughts were sullied by that name's presence among them.

-- Vaaaaaalos!

Darius readied his shield and his sword, disturbed.

-- Valos. So, this was its name. It is the demon I talked about. It used to look quite different. Considerably bigger. It will be more powerful than it appears.

-- You said it got killed a month ago!

-- It did. I finished it with fire. It died at my boots, like a groveling maggot!

Darius ended his sentence in a taunting shout, and the wrathful creature charged with an otherworldly snarl, offering little time to elucidate the mystery.

Before he could even think of giving any order, the wolf was hit by a blast of wind from the side as he realized Aloca cut through the air. The bird warrior held his mighty bow as he soared, and drew it with an arrow already nocked. With a flamboyant wing flap, he dove to the enemy's flank from above, firing shot after shot with deadly precision and force, while holding his sharp spear forward into his dexterous taloned feet! His predatory shriek echoed and perhaps even outdid the demon's wail, and a violent fantasy of leading an army of "Alocas" seized Darius. With even only a few dozens of such airborne soldiers organized under his command, the wolf lord would conquer the entire world, let alone his mere lost empire! What could stand against this?

Valos didn't flinch, but he couldn't ignore the colossal threat the red hawk presented, combining a continuous ranged assault with a lethal aerial charge. The demon stopped his charge to hold his ground with acute defiance; he dodged with instantaneous, self-contained movements that no normal living creature should've been able to perform. His head twitched out of the way. His body twisted into a half-rotation. He leaned left, right, ducked with demonic alacrity. Every arrow whizzed past him with such speed and force that one could only see their distorted movement. With sonorous impacts, they dug deep into the ground behind him as if the unholy wolf imitation had no physical presence at all. With a vengeful grin, Valos arrogantly allowed the last arrow to sear toward his head, only to block it with the flat of his greatsword at the last possible moment, demonstrating not only his accuracy, but his ability to wield the heavy instrument as if it was nothing. The arrowhead broke into fragments in a clear sound of defeated metal.

Valos exhibited his stance, lifting his massive blade point forward like a stinger, intending to impale the bird, but Aloca swerved sharply and abandoned his charge before it was too late, aware that he couldn't beat the demon's reflexes, even if he saw the attack coming.

Grasping that he'd missed his cue, Darius sprinted toward Valos while Aloca circled into the air for another pass. The avian had done everything right, forcing their trapped target to divide his attention between them, but Darius had gravely misjudged the avian, mostly due to his annoying goody-shiny-knight attitude, and had failed to seize the opportunity to attack, too dazed that he was by the flawless offensive of the exotic hero. Shame punished Darius as he thought of how he'd claimed the right to lead the assault, and he knew that he couldn't allow himself any further mistake.

Indeed, when Aloca tore the sky once more with shrill thunder, announcing his new charge, Darius was done running up the delicate knoll, paws in the bloody grass, and he found himself close enough to threaten Valos as well. No matter how fast and strong, the demon's body was flesh and blood, and he couldn't ignore the winged menace. The point was to prevent the enemy from being able to deal with Darius, while the wolf began prodding his opponent with prudent but lightning fast strikes. Darius launched attack after attack, his short blade flashing briefly as he readied each swipe. Valos faced the wolf and countered every blow as their blades sang together, but the patient swordmaster avoided committing hard enough to leave any openings in his shield defense. His goal was merely to keep Valos pinned down, and when arrows began raining anew, the infuriated demon had no choice but to leap away and run, shouting at Darius.

-- You! You will suffer eternal death! Your ripped limbs will wriggle and your head will scream when they are served upon the twelve tables of hell!

Darius kept up with his prey, running alongside to force it to face him, and it worked. Utterly trapped, Valos did something unexpected, and swung for the wolf while they ran. Darius blocked the large swipe in time with his shield, but a large chunk of the reinforced wooden object was hacked off by the uncontained ferocity. Darius backed off, staring at the damaged shield with a touch of disorientation after the impact, but that sacrifice wasn't in vain, as Valos learned that being mobile wasn't enough to avoid all of Aloca's terrifying shots when an arrow pierced his ankle. The demon barked and fell, severely punished for taking his focus off the red hawk.

"Arrgh!"

Arrows stopped flying. Looking up, Darius noted that Aloca's quiver was empty, but his charge continued. Confident that it would be unwise to let the fight against such a dangerous enemy drag in time, Darius approached the downed demon. He timed himself to deliver the final strike at the same time Aloca would descend spear first upon their enemy. The demon couldn't block both of them.

Valos rolled and swung himself up with his legs, landing heavily on his pierced ankle without a shimmer of apparent pain. Darius recognized the mask of pure hatred that he'd seen before this creature was even a wolf. The fiery glow behind Valos' eyes and mouth turned into an inferno, and a dark knowledge shook Darius while he watched large smoking horns emerge from the demon's forehead.

Valos hadn't been trying yet.

Lava-like cracks began to appear under the demon wolf's upper body fur as it breathed in and focused magic. A crimson brazier cloaked him, and Darius sensed the imminence of his death if he remained where he was. He leapt away into the grass, forming as small of a lupine ball as he could behind what was left of his shield. At the same time, Valos spun as he elevated his greatsword in one hand, and flung the giant weapon into the open sky just as a torrent of vicious flames poured out of his other hand. Darius barely had time to see Aloca try and fail to evade the spinning projectile. The piece of metal connected, and the flying hero began his fall. The wolf saw nothing more, for blinding fire enveloped his world, giving him a taste of the very same spell he'd used on the demon before. This blazing river kept crashing and crashing against the shield with full force, and Darius suffered. He remembered that he didn't have his old priceless bracers anymore to protect him from fire magic, but only base enchantments affordable enough for widespread use in standardized legion equipment. He begged every second for the attack to cease as his skin roasted and his mind began to revolt uncontrollably against the flashing agony that covered him as he burned alive. Darius released a cry, but the spell ended at last.

The wolf rose from the charred herbs and ground, discarding the now useless flaming shield, and striking his own sides and shoulders to put off tiny fires into his fur. The hurt diminished quickly; the enchantments had protected him from a lot of the damage, but he couldn't endure another such attack without protection.

"Kneel for your end!"

Valos had grown bigger, Darius was nearly certain of that. The flaming horned wolf marched with his greatsword to his side, prepared to impose a horrifying end to the being that defeated his old form, and inspired his new one. With Aloca undoubtedly crashed somewhere in the grass, Darius decided his best option was to fight fire with fire.

The wolf lord closed his eyes, and as he focused his magic, as he prepared to shape his inner power into a devastating blaze to keep his enemy at bay, and perhaps even destroy him completely, the source of his uneasiness became flagrant. It had begun when he'd thought of preparing to use his magic, earlier, and he suddenly knew why in a cruel epiphany. Deep down, he knew he couldn't do it. His concentration was shattered by a vision. It was Cai, holding a crystal. He relived that moment when he'd learned about true agony; that moment when the destructive power of lightning had coursed through his body to extinguish his life. He still feared that memory -- that contact with magic -- more than he'd ever imagined, and his spell fizzled out.

Darius gawked and fell to his knees in the grass as he lost control. His power briefly turned to heat inside of him. He felt like his blood evaporated, and like his organs flared up in flame. He tried to wail but nothing came out, exactly like before, when his body, his will and his fate had been shattered by Cai's betrayal. He sensed the same crippling shock that had ended him.

I am helpless, he thought.

Instead of chopping his head off, Valos grabbed his rival's throat with torturous glee. His claws pierced Darius' flesh. The demon couldn't contain himself.

"Pathetic creature! Now, die screaming! Screeeeam!"

Overtaken by his lust for vengeance and instinctive disgust of mortals, Valos reverted to using his most natural form of energy. Unholy corruption poured into his victim, black thickness clogging the wolf's veins, filling his brain, and Darius screamed. It was weak at first, but the sounds that were extracted from Darius fast became hysterical. Pressure exploded into his head while he stared into the fiery grimace of perfect cruelty. His every blood vessel inflated, fit to burst. He trembled entirely, howling and squealing in less and less coherent ways for Valos while pearls of black grimy liquid formed out of his eyes and nose, pushed out of his head.

"Yes! Beg for death! More! Your filthy soul is mine!"

Darius couldn't possibly speak anymore, and soon he couldn't keep screaming either, for the black pressure ruining his brain and his mind increased so much that the thick putrid evil leaking out of his eyes, ears and nose in increasing flows now filled and blocked his mouth as well. He gurgled some final hideous cries, and then he couldn't even do that. He simply agonized in choking, unheard despair under Valos, while everything that he ever feared in his life turned out true. His mind was invaded. His spirit was broken, and he felt himself being absorbed and pulled deeper and deeper into a dark hopeless well where he felt himself being shackled. Chains of pitiless perpetuity locked him in the ultimate humiliation of his reduction to nothing but crude need, pain and breathless squirming. Everywhere, Valos laughed.

A sharp splinter of light penetrated the darkness, and Valos laughed no more. Darius fell backward into the grass, coughing slimy bile, and he gasped. He could breathe freely, and this, above all else, convinced him that his condemnation had been delayed. He crawled away pitifully, wiping the burning ooze blackening his vision. He saw blurred images. His skull seemed about to crack open.

The demon raged, trying to claw something out of his back, and when he turned and fell down, Darius saw Aloca's spear stuck into it. The avian knight stood behind Valos at some distance, his left wing at a worrisome angle, and his shoulder sporting a deep cut, but he was still solid, and his unforgiving stare informed all that he was mightily displeased.

-- I can throw shit too, he spat.

The avian unsheathed his short sword. Valos finally succeded in grabbing and pulling the spear out of his back. The wound was profound. The flames and the horns disappeared, but the demon wasn't down for the count. Wounded as they were, the bird and the demon engaged in a careful exchange of strikes, trying to lunge at each other without exposing themselves, and trying to counter each other's strikes to create openings. Despite his very best efforts, this wasn't a fight Aloca could win.

Darius felt confused and sick. He roamed in the grass on all fours. The hazy line of trees, the smell of blood and the fresh herbs under his fingers prodded his assaulted mind into function. Out of pure chance, his hand closed upon the handle of his dropped sword, and a sense of strength returned. He was alive and he was a warrior. Crippling despair and guilt waned. The torture was over. It was a spell, but Aloca had interrupted it. Their fight continued, and Aloca would need assistance. Dark thoughts sparked into red ones, and Darius got lost into an indescribably soothing rage. No one could try to dominate his mind and get away with it. No one!

The giant wolf rose and jumped into the fight while Aloca barely managed to deflect yet another expert slash from the demon. The heavier greatsword and longer reach it provided were serious advantages over the bird's short sword, but they were nullified when Darius delivered a massive cut into the demon-wolf's furry side, forcing him to abandon his offense. Valos rotated with a frustrated yell to try and face Darius while Aloca regained his balance, but the Wulrician boldly stepped in and stabbed, and slashed again and again, his fury overcoming the exhaustion of his body. Valos backed off, blocking the flurry of devastating attacks as well as he could, until Darius used one of his best moves: an unexpected middle-body kick with all of his weight. Valos stumbled backward into Aloca, who'd recovered and was ready to receive him, further slashing into his already wounded ankle and tripping him. Fallen between the two warriors, it was clear that this fight was over for the demon.

-- No!

Valos' voice changed. A hint of fear entered it, softening it, and granting it a touch of depth that made him sound almost like a real person. Darius moved for the finishing blow.

-- Yes.

Valos joined his hands. First, Darius imagined he might actually beg for mercy, but a moment later, he was being blown clear away by a fiery explosion. The wolf fell heavily into the bloodstained grass, and found that he couldn't really get up anymore. Despite extensive wounds, their enemy fled. Darius heard Aloca getting up and taking a few running steps after the demon, only to collapse nearby.

-- Damn. I can't chase him.

Soon, the ominous demonic presence left the area entirely, and Darius knew they'd scared their target away for good. Their mission was a success, but he still found himself immensely aggravated that this fiend had escaped. The pair remained there, lying at the center of the clearing, resting and listening to the other's heavy breaths.

Darius only realized he'd fallen asleep when he woke up. Night covered them, with a bright half-moon that oddly seemed to restore the lupine, even though he wanted nothing to do with the Moon god that his ancestors worshipped. He stared at it for a moment. Why should he have faith in a higher force that wasn't on his side? As far as he was concerned, the gods were for people without the strength to live for themselves.

He pulled himself up to a sitting position. Aloca sat close by, bandaging his left shoulder. The yellow lines in his feathers had been wiped away.

"You look battered, my friend."

The avian threw a leather flask that Darius caught.

-- We are not friends.

-- Drink up and wash your face, it's still full of that nasty stuff.

Darius did exactly that. The water ran over his muzzle and into his fur. He did his best to scrub the black goo with his fingers. It felt amazing. He cleaned his ears as well.

"My wing is broken."

Darius stretched to return the flask. He exhaled slowly.

-- I saw.

-- Do you think you could help me make a splint for it? I got some branches.

The wolf helped. Holding the heavy and wounded wing in his hands was an odd sensation, but he did his best. When he forced the bone back in place to immobilize it in a restful position, Aloca breathed sharply, but made neither sound nor movement. Darius bandaged everything tightly to the straight branch he'd chosen.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone recover that fast from a corruption spell," said Aloca. "Thank you for the help. I have to admit that I underestimated you a bit."

Darius grumbled. He didn't want to admit how much he'd been impressed by the exotic foreigner that had quite clearly saved him from an unimaginable fate. He couldn't accept the compliment.

-- I did terrible. Something is wrong with my magic.

-- What do you mean?

-- I could not use it. My focus broke, and it turned against me.

-- Can't help you there. I'm no mage.

Darius finished and slowly released the large fragile wing. It folded quietly. The brace appeared to hold.

-- Is that good enough for you?

-- Yes, answered Aloca, it's comfortable.

Darius returned to his initial place, a bit further. Aloca gazed at him for a while.

"Is it embarrassing?"

-- What are you talking about?

-- Your name. Is that why you won't tell anyone? Does it sound funny?

Darius grunted in annoyance, and turned to face away.

-- Shut up.

-- Is it Stoompudge?

-- What? That is not a name.

Aloca laughed.

-- No, but if it was, I'd understand hiding it. If that's not it, you should tell me. I don't want to have to keep calling you "wolf".

-- I am tired.

Darius lay down, facing away. He draped his legs with his tail.

-- Fine, sighed Aloca. Suit yourself.

The avian went down on his belly, using his arms as a pillow.

The gloom brought by Valos' presence and dark magic had fully worn off when morning arrived. Warm rays covered the uneasy companions while they walked along the road on their way back, and Darius felt better. This pointless quest was over, they'd won, he'd gotten a new greatsword abandoned behind by Valos, and Aloca had to make good on his promise to help him find some way to contact the Ghosts. It was no easy thing for him to admit, but Aloca would be a significant asset to the wolf lord. The revelation that Nercur's betrayal had even cost him his magic was a troubling one, for it meant that Darius was much more vulnerable than he believed, especially since he was still weakened. If assassins sent by the new Emperor of Wulric eventually found him, he had no doubt that a warrior of Aloca's quality would be useful, even without his flight.

"Hey, wolf, what do you think that demon was doing over there?"

Darius took a few more steps before he responded, thinking.

-- I am unsure, but he wasn't trying to be subtle. Perhaps he meant to starve the town.

-- Why?

To drag me out, thought the wolf.

-- To drag soldiers out. To take them out one at a time, maybe.

-- He did seem to have been waiting for us. If that truly was the same demon you destroyed, do you have any idea how he could've been back already? Demon souls usually take years to reform when they're not cleansed.

-- I don't know, but you should ask the Sunlanders, if you get the chance. They summoned him in the first place.

-- The Sunlanders? What do you mean?

Darius chuckled bitterly.

-- Exactly what I said. Your pure little friends created that cursed thing to use against the legions. Ask your precious Ptarmep when you see him. I wouldn't be surprised if he was behind the idea.

Aloca remained still, thinking as he stroked the underside of his beak.

-- That's a surprise... but I think I'll do what you suggested and ask him.

-- Before you do, I should hope that you will honor your part of our deal.

Aloca beamed happily and raised his fist.

-- I'm yours to command! You did something amazing for the people of this town, and I'll do anything I can to help you contact the Ghosts. I'm assuming you knew some of them, and you want to let them know that you're still around?

Darius couldn't help but grin.

-- That is actually exactly what I want to do. Some in the legions might still be looking for a deserter like me, though, so we must be careful.

-- That makes sense. Back channels only. Got it. I'm sure we can find someone to bribe in a tavern or something, but we'll need money for that.

-- We can cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, we find someone that can help us.

-- Right.

Aloca became hushed. In fact, he looked a bit flustered. They were about to reach Kalteh.

"Erhm, there's something else I wanted to say," he finally admitted.

-- What?

-- I've been thinking about it a lot since yesterday, and this might sound terribly presumptuous, but I want to formally invite you.

-- Invite me?

-- To work with me! You have a hero's blood, I can tell. You're alone, and the empire already wants you dead. Join our side! We can use someone with your skills! You can undo the bad things the legions made you do, and turn around the training they gave you to fight for good! I'll have your back, and you'll have my back! Who could stop us? Imagine all that we can accomplish! We could go around helping those who need it, and protect those who are oppressed! Come with me to General Ptarmep. We'll free the Sunlands, and then Melnia, and then the entire world. You'll love it. I know you'll love it!

Darius couldn't believe this was happening.

-- I will pass.

-- Why?

-- It sounds like a nightmare.

-- What does?

-- Being stuck with a headless chicken, running around from hospice to orphanage in service to worthless peasants for the sake of some absurd and pointless sense of morality, accomplishing nothing.

-- We just saved an entire town, objected Aloca.

-- And what will we get for it?

Aloca paused, genuinely stunned.

-- The town! he exclaimed.

-- It isn't ours.

-- Isn't it? It fed us. It hid us. We ensured it would still be there for us in the future as well! Join me, and the entire world will be there for you, welcoming, because we'll protect it!

-- Ugh. I am going to be sick if you speak another word.

Aloca grinned teasingly. He slid up closer and closer to the wolf as they kept walking. He began nudging his sides with his elbow.

-- Hey, wolf, say yes. Be on my team.

Darius ignored him.

"Come on, wolf! You know you want to. We'll have fun! You're built for adventure, don't be afraid!"

Darius fumed. Aloca ran in front, walking backwards to face him.

"I can see it from here! It's the beginning of your legend: Stoompudge the Greatest of wolves!"

Aloca drew a large arc in the air with his hands as he said this, staring at the invisible words with mock childlike wonder. Darius reached for his greatsword.

"Fine. I'll drop it... For the moment."

The bird finally gave up and returned to his place, but Darius worried about the possibility that he'd try again later. Nonetheless, Aloca kept his peace until they reached the town. There, their return and the announcement that the road was clear were highly celebrated by villagers and occupying forces alike. Aloca hurried back to the household that had welcomed them, in order to bid them farewell and to let them know that they should hurry if they wanted to recover what they could from their attacked cart. Darius refused to go inside, stating that he didn't care about them, and didn't want to say goodbye. Aloca rejoined with him in the street when they were done. The avian stood by while the wolf stared. Darius expected him to say something, but, to his surprise, Aloca remained perfectly mute.

-- So, asked Darius in a disinterested tone, what did they say?

-- What they said? They said to thank you for everything, and that you're a true hero.

-- No, they didn't.

Aloca squinted.

-- Guess you'll never know for sure.

The wolf wanted to wipe his partner's taunting smirk.