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There Be Monsters Out There

Written By: Spudz

A sudden flurry of motion caused Araki to freeze mid stride, hand instinctively going to the hilt of her sheathed katana. Around the husky's motionless body a violent spiral of twisting light materialized, a visual manifestation of the powerful spellweave she coiled about her, ready to unleash its fury on any threat that presented itself.

Somewhere in the surrounding trees, a creature stirred. She listened intently, ears perked and alert, watching and waiting.

A snow-laden branch suddenly loosed its load onto the ground.

Araki reeled about in a panic... only to catch a squirrel hurriedly dashing between trees, completely ignorant of how close it had just come to meeting its untimely end.

She uttered a sigh of relief and let her hold on the weave slip. The whirling coil of energy dissipated and quickly collapsed into itself, leaving behind countless shimmers of light that soon faded away.

Her sudden panic was replaced by indignant anger. She glared at the oblivious critter, which had stopped on a branch to regard her curiously. "Don't do that!"

Of course it didn't understand her, or care to reply. Instead, the squirrel made its way further up into the thick foliage above, soon disappearing out of sight.

The close call was a reminder of just how on edge Araki was. And why shouldn't she be? This was supposed to be a simple mission of dealing with a wild animal nuisance. And now here she was hunting for someone, or something, that had disfigured the landscape with powerful spellweavings the likes of which she had never seen before.

Or was this unseen opponent hunting her? She had no way of really knowing.

In the ensuing silence, the husky brought her hands together in a focus seal, but it was no use. When she closed her eyes, only a foggy haze greeted her mind's perception of the mana threads around her. Nothing had changed since she had entered the forest earlier.

The patterns were being actively dispersed. That was worrying. If Araki was looking for proof that something was out here, this was it. The threads were still there all around her, and she could reach out and grasp them with her mind to work spells. But beyond a few feet, she couldn't distinguish anything.

Her hands broke the seal as she opened her eyes once more. There was nothing about this situation she liked. The dispersion weave clouding her mind was powerful... too powerful. Not many sages had the prowess to blanket such a wide area in a powerful spell like this, not even those whose affinities excelled in that sort of spellweaving.

Common sense called for Araki to withdraw from the forest. Encountering a master weaver alone was not an ideal confrontation. She could probably hold her own in a one on one duel, but that was far from a certainty, especially when she didn't even know who or what she was up against. However, even taking that all into consideration, something still nagged at the husky to press on.

Her tactical training screamed that she was walking squarely into a trap, that any number of bad outcomes awaited her if she moved deeper into the snow-covered forest. That pesky intuition of hers always had a way of defying good judgment, but it had never done her wrong before. It wasn't like she knew something was out there waiting for her anyway; there was still the possibility, albeit remote, that this was some freak natural occurrence.

In any case, if she was going to keep forging recklessly into the woods like this, it probably would help to have a bit of protection.

Araki reached out and seized the mana threads around her. Drawing on practiced memory, she worked the strands quickly with a flick of her mind, weaving the singular strands together into a spherical pattern around herself, forming the basis of a ward.

The ward's range was only as good as the distance she could subsequently push the sphere outward. It required precise concentration to stretch the woven threads away, while at the same time trying to maintain the integrity of the spell. Despite her best efforts, Araki could only expand her range to a stone's throw away. It wasn't an impressive ward, the tricky spellcraft wasn't her best discipline, but it would have to do for now.

Uttering a calming sigh, she stabilized the weave and linked the spell to herself. Her own life energy now sustained the ward. The spell became part of her aura, morphing into a symbiotic entity that depended on the husky for its existence, and in return allowed her to branch her awareness out to the surrounding trees and snow.

The squirrel that had spooked her now registered as a subtle eddy in the pattern of her weave. As it moved about the tree branches above, she could trace its progress by the reverberating waves that echoed back to her. Aside from the tiny critter, no other living things registered in her ward. But that wasn't much of a surprise given the short range. Better than nothing I guess.

She took a moment to adjust the straps of her leather armor, and then, with a hand placed instinctively on the butt of her katana's hilt, made her way on further into the forest. Better judgment be damned. She was going to find out who or what was behind these strange events.

The tranquil silence that subsequently greeted the husky as she pressed on didn't help her anxiety though.

It wasn't long before the trees opened up some, giving way to a small clearing butted up against the side of the sloping mountain. Out in the open space, she could see what looked like disused equipment haphazardly strewn about, covered in a thick layer of snow.

Araki hesitated at the edge of the clearing, but then decided to venture out, her curiosity getting the better of her. The open area in the forest wasn't all that spacious, no more than the size of a large common room of a tavern, but still big enough to allow ample sunlight to touch the snow from the open air above. When she drew near the scattered tools she found pickaxes, shovels, hauling carts, all the equipment that was needed to conduct a mining operation. However, from the condition of all the gear, this had all been abandoned some months ago. I guess I found where they were planning to start a new dig.

She picked up a shovel and carefully studied the tool. This mine was supposedly the reason that mysterious mark had been etched into the landscape back at the edge of the farmland. Something had tried to discourage the townsfolk of Northpoint from expanding their mining operations to the northern slopes. But for what purpose? There was nothing out here in the great northern expanse but endless snow, mountains, and the hardy wildlife that dared to live in the chilling cold...

A loud whamp suddenly peeled through the forest like a crack of thunder.

The shovel fell from Araki's hand as she nearly jumped out of her fur.

The ward... she couldn't feel it anymore! Something had punched through the protective barrier with unbelievable force, unraveling the spell in an instant.

She spun about, hand firmly clasped to the hilt of her sheathed blade, eyes scanning the surrounding tree line frantically.

No visible threat presented itself to her. Her keen ears picked up only the panicked flight of a flock of birds somewhere off in the distance, but aside from that, there was nothing. She didn't let that fool her though.

Araki's hand remained firmly wrapped around her sword hilt ready to draw. There was no mistaking it; she was no longer alone...

This was dangerous. Without thinking, she impulsively reached out to the surrounding weather patterns. Her perception became disjointed, unanchored; the forest itself grew small and fell away from her.

She became one with the natural world, still distantly attached to her finite body, yet her gaze dispersed out along the weather patterns that flowed elegantly all across the region. Here, in this ethereal realm of mana, the earth far below seemed so distant, so insignificant. Here she was as close to a god as any mortal could dare to be.

Drawing on years of training and careful study, the husky tapped into the patterns that existed high above in the sky itself, drawing a link down to her physical form. She then channeled the latent energy around her through the link up into the cloudless sky, where it propagated.

It took only a few seconds, before the rapidly building mana brought new violent life to the patterns she worked. The weaves intensified dangerously, looking for a way to release; all that was needed was a path for that release to occur.

The building energy quickly began seeping back down the link, entering Araki's body, pulsing and coursing in a surge of dreadful power. It manifested visually in a series of powerful electric arcs that lanced from her form to ground out in the surrounding snow.

Lightning was a dangerous weapon to wield. She could feel the power straining to be released from the heavens, just looking for a way to ground itself out. The spell was ready, waiting for a target to unleash its wrath upon.

And yet, the unseen threat remained hidden somewhere in the surrounding trees.

"Come on, show yourself," Araki breathed, keeping her focus on the shadows while still holding the weave barely in check. "What the hell are you?"

A stalemate ensued. She was sure something lurked out there in the woods, but her opponent seemed hesitant to reveal itself.

Time slowly crawled by...

The impasse brought a realization to the husky. This wasn't the behavior of an aggressive creature or person. If they were hostile, the perfect moment to attack would've been right as the ward was unraveled. This thing didn't want a fight, else she wouldn't be standing here right now waiting for it to make a move. No, there was definitely more going on here. But what, she wasn't sure.

Now what did she do? Again her tactical training made itself known. She had momentarily lost her advantage when the ward had come undone, but now the stalemate was in her favor, or at least she hoped so. There were no proven defenses against the power of lightning. It was one of her best offensive options in a combat situation. However, you needed a target to aim at for the weave to be effective.

Was this even a combat situation in the first place?

Still nothing moved. The forest around her was utterly still.

Maybe she had jumped the gun and spooked whatever was out there. The violent electric arcs continuously lancing off her body were intimidating in their own right, never mind the fact she had the power of the gods at her fingertips, ready to impart divine judgment.

She really only had one way to find out if her newfound hunch was right, and it flew in the face of all her combat training and survival skills.

In the end, Araki's intuition again prevailed over better judgment. Here goes nothing.

Making sure to not lose her control of the spell, she carefully redirected her aim skyward, focusing on dissipating the coiled energy harmlessly away from the ground.

The result was a brilliant flash of lightning, which snaked its way across the clear blue sky in splintering arcs of wicked power. Moments later, the accompanying thunder rumbled across the forest, announcing the finale to her spellweave.

The husky had just effectively disarmed herself, although her hand still remained clasped to her sheathed katana. She was committing tactical suicide if she was facing off with another hostile spellweaving opponent. Hopefully, whatever was out there would recognize this as an act of non-hostility and return the favor in kind. Else this was going to get interesting quick.

Silence reigned uncomfortably. What happened now? Did she try and seek out this unseen thing and risk provoking hostilities? Or did she hold her ground and wait? Was it best to try and retreat?

She didn't get much time to think the matter over; her adversary made that decision for her.

A sudden motion in the trees caught Araki's attention. She reeled about, and found, of all things, a stray dog staring at her.

But no... she could quickly see this was no dog; it looked nothing like the domestic four-legged canines that roamed about the cities and farms of Kaowyn.

Its eyes blazed a fierce golden yellow. They glowered at her, not with the predatory gaze of a wild animal, but with a certain air of intelligence. Fur of a charcoal black, long bushy tail, strong pointed ears not unlike her own, and large paws, its features were definitely canine in origin. But there was something more... much more about this animal that was different.

It stood with one of four paws raised in the air as it paused mid step. The canine, she figured it was best to consider it that, watched intently, ears swiveled toward her keenly, tail held out rigid behind. From its stance, she could see the animal was as much on edge as she was.

They both remained frozen, caught up in a tense deadlock. Araki tried to rack her mind. The way it watched her, something about its perceptive gaze was vaguely familiar; why?

The canine seemed to build up its courage and hazarded a step out into the open snow between them.

It was a book... some sort of manuscript; an image she had remembered seeing back during her early years of schooling. What had the image been referring to? What book was it? The questions plagued her as she carefully watched the animal approach.

This was dangerous. She had no idea what to expect. Her paws felt like they were glued to the ground. She couldn't bring herself to move.

The creature gained more confidence and continued its walk toward her. Any moment now, she needed to act... but how?

The canine suddenly halted mere feet away from her, ears perking up as it turned to look at the distant mountain slopes.

Araki heard it too. Somewhere off in the distance a deep mournful wail cut through the forest hauntingly, making her fur stand on end. The cry was joined by another, its pitch slightly lower, and then a third. In a matter of seconds, a chorus of ghostly wails rolled through the forest with potent force, sounding to her ears almost like a choir of vocalists singing a sorrowful melody.

Her attention was drawn back to the canine before her. It had taken a great interest in the haunting call as well, listening intently with ears perked.

The chorus soon died out, allowing silence to grip the landscape once more. To the husky's surprise, her four-legged counterpart dropped onto its haunches and tilted its head back toward the heavens. What followed was absolutely bone chilling.

The canine howled, casting its eerie vocalization out across the forest. She immediately realized what was happening. He, it was definitely a he now that she could get a closer look, was answering the chorus; this was some form of communication!

She listened to the sorrowful howl of the canine for several long seconds, trying to pick up what he might've been communicating. But there was nothing beyond the long mournful tone that seemed to pierce right through her.

His breath soon grew short, and the canine let the howl fade into silence, before he dropped his head to once more regard her. Those fierce golden eyes found her own for the briefest of moments, and then...

Araki reeled backward as the canine was suddenly enveloped in a dazzling light. His outline drew into itself and disappeared into nothing.

Before she could make sense of what was happening, the bright light caved into itself in an instant, and pulsed out of existence with a concussive thunderclap.

The husky was knocked backward onto her rump in the snow, her ears ringing. What the hell just happened?

She sat their dumbstruck. Where the canine had once been only a melted patch of snow remained.

It took a moment for Araki to realize that what she had just witnessed was a spellweave. But it wasn't only that.

Seeing the creature howl... there was no mistaking it. In the academy archives, she had seen that very act depicted in manuscript artwork, which was transcribed from ancient scrolls of the old era. The realization made her blood run cold.

What she had just encountered was a wolf.

They were supposed to be extinct, killed off long ago during the Great Reclamation. Modern civilization only knew of these fabled creatures from the few historical scrolls that had survived that turbulent time, which told of a dominant predator that had roamed the vast landscape before the advent of the second world. That is what history said. But her eyes did not lie.

Had it been some sort of illusion? A spellweave? There was no way that was a real wolf.

Araki tried to remember what she had read back in the academy; the book had depicted wolves as fierce killers that hunted in packs, preying upon her canine ancestors mercilessly. They had been the scourge of the earth, evil, nasty beasts that terrorized all who had the misfortune of coming across them.

Modern culture was littered with such references to the mysterious creatures. Some popular children's tales depicted wolves as mystical spirits that prowled the night looking for naughty pups who misbehaved. Then there was Marlois, heavenly god of punishment and wickedness, whose earthly form was that of a wolf, although this was only believed by certain religious sects and ancient scripture.

Every cultural reference she could recall painted wolves as foul, malevolent beings. And yet, the animal that had just appeared before her seemed nothing the sort. He looked intimidating, yes. But he had been just as wary about their encounter as she had.

Araki studied the melted snow before her incredulously. Whatever that creature was, it had just woven a powerful teleportation weave right before her eyes. It had been so quick she hadn't even picked up on the spell until the pattern was firmly established. Only master sages possessed that kind of competence. Surely what she had just witnessed was some sort of illusion; it had to be. There was no way a wild animal could perform such things.

She closed her eyes and focused on the mana threads. The distinct eddy that the teleportation weave had left behind stood out before her clear as day. She stretched her focus and tried to pick out any other abnormalities through what patterns she could see. Surely there would be something else?

There wasn't. The comprehension of what had just happened only then began to really hit home.

It hadn't been an illusion...

"Gods, no one is going to believe me."

For nearly an hour she stayed there in that clearing, trying to figure out what she could do. She hoped the wolf, or whatever he was, might come back. But he never did. Instead the forest seemed to grow even quieter around the husky, heightening the sense that she didn't belong there, and that unseen eyes still watched her every move.

The sun was only just starting its trek down toward the distant mountain peaks when Araki made her way back into town later that afternoon. What could she tell Shishu? Undoubtedly, the tavern owner was going to ask questions. For all it was worth, she might as well tell the cheetah the gods themselves were stalking about the forest. Who would imagine that wolves still roamed the landscape? She, herself, still didn't believe it. The idea was outlandish.

With most of the population out working in the surrounding mines, Northpoint's streets were fairly empty. The few people that were out and about gave the husky a wide berth at the sight of her ebony armor.

The Trail's End Tavern was equally deserted when Araki padded despairingly through the front door. She quickly found a table in the far corner of the common room and nearly collapsed into a chair.

Shishu was nowhere to be seen, which was good. What in the gods' names do I do now?

If that had been a wolf she had come across... the ramifications would be terrible. It would mean that the ancient scrolls, the very foundation upon which the modern world had been built upon, were wrong. Worse though, was the fact that this creature had actually woven a spell right before her very eyes. That alone was terrifying in its own right, whether he was a wolf or not. It was too much to try and comprehend.

To think that a wild animal could actually spellweave... it took sages well over ten years just to master the more fundamental arts. How on the gods' green earth could a wolf, or whatever he was, accomplish that same feat?

It became clear to Araki that there were many questions left unanswered. She had to find more clues, something that would divulge more information.

"Rough time out there?"

The husky started and turned to find that Shishu had snuck up on her. "Ah... I suppose you could say that."

The cheetah took possession of the chair opposite her. "You look like you got a lot on the mind. What'd you find out there?"

Araki bit back the first response that came to mind. "Nothing much. Just a bunch of snow and trees."

"No strange blood sucking creatures?"

"Nothing but a random squirrel and a few birds." Araki hoped she sounded convincing enough. The last thing she needed was for the cheetah to realize she was hiding something. "I'll head back out again tomorrow. I don't plan on leaving until I find something, don't worry."

Shishu slumped back in her chair wearing a perplexed look. "Did you at least hear the strange cry some hour ago? I caught wind of it while hauling wood to the shed. Never heard it this time of day until now."

"Right, I did actually hear it. But it was so far away that I had no idea how to track its origin." Araki inwardly reproached herself for forgetting that. Of course the village would've heard the wolf's howl; it carried for some distance across the landscape. "I've never heard a cry like that. It's definitely not of this world."

The cheetah nodded her head gravely, seemingly buying Araki's reply. "Isn't it eerie? Gives me the chills every time I hear it. Do you think it's some kinda warning? Maybe it was warning you to stay clear of the forest."

"I... I don't think so. If I were to hazard a guess, I might say it's some form of communication."

This caught Shishu's attention. "Do you think there are more than one of these strange things out there? If a whole horde of them attacked the village..." She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.

"It's a safe bet there are," Araki spoke bluntly, making sure to frame her reply carefully. "We're dealing with more than one creature. But we can't assume they are hostile. At least not yet."

"How do you know?"

Araki took a moment to extract the katana from her hip, and leaned the blade's scabbard up against the table. This gave her time to think. "Consider what's happened thus far. There have been no deaths or loss of livestock. No visual sightings or aggressive confrontations. Nobody really knows much of anything."

"That's right. What exactly are you getting at?"

"Well maybe... I dunno. Something about these animals' behavior doesn't sit right with me." Now she was speaking the truth. Everything about the wolf's actions earlier was just different than what she would expected from a wild animal. "Perhaps there is more going on here. Well actually, there is. The mark burned into the landscape is proof enough of that. But, I don't think there is any hostile intent behind it."

Shishu wasn't sold on the idea. "We can't assume that though. What if you're wrong? These things could become aggressive at any time, and Northpoint is unprotected. If whatever is out there can mar the landscape like they have already, what's to stop them from turning that deadly potency on us?"

Araki had no good answer for that. The cat was right. "I don't know."

From a practical standpoint, there was no good reason to assume these wolves were not hostile. The creature that had approached her seemed docile enough. She had no guarantee he wouldn't attack her if they happened to cross paths again though. That fact in and of itself was potentially deadly. If the wolf had the ability to weave spells, she could find herself fighting for her life against a superior adversary. As crazy as that sounded, she couldn't ignore the possibility.

"Well whatever happens, I'm glad we have you here," Shishu spoke, cutting through the husky's thoughts.

Araki smiled wanly. "Thanks. No matter what happens, the town's safety will always be my primary concern. I will find out what's going on. "

The cheetah nodded slightly and removed herself from the table. "Don't do anything to put yourself in danger."

"Oh, don't worry. I've seen far worse in this world than a bunch of strange animals." Her words rang hollow in her ears as she spoke them. The truth was she had never seen anything like this before in her life. While she was young for a sage, she had already fought in battle, performed complicated spell weaves to alter the weather patterns of an entire province, and journeyed to distant continents where she had discovered all manner of oddities. And yet all of that paled in comparison to the unknowns she now faced. "This situation is quite... mysterious though."

Shishu grinned. "Mystery creates wonder..."

"...and wonder is the basis of a canine's desire to understand." Araki finished the quote for the cheetah in surprise. "I didn't know you read Thsorato?"

Shishu chuckled. "His philosophy is a bit heavy handed. But yes, I did hazard a read of his work. Typical canine bluntness with a few good points woven in here and there."

"Tell me, do you read many books?"

The cat placed her hands on the backrest of the chair she had just vacated, long elegant tail swaying rhythmically behind her. "When I'm not serving drink and making sure the tavern doesn't fall apart, I do try to read what literary works I can get my hands on. Usually a few books find their way to Northpoint on the merchant caravans. Someone's gotta make up for all the illiteracy that prevails in this village."

Araki smirked crookedly. "You are quite the character."

"So I've been told. Now how about I whip up something for us?"

"Actually, that does sound quite good. Now that I think of it, I haven't eaten anything since this morning."

"Lucky for us I got some freshly roasted potatoes and tenderloin beef cooking in the back," Shishu replied with a wink. "Don't let any of the regulars know. They'd skin me alive if they found out I gave you such a meal."

"Not like a few angry villagers could stop the likes of us anyway."

Shishu soon brought them both a meal fit for a king, and Araki wasted no time complimenting the cheetah's cooking by devouring everything before her. It felt good to forget about her troubles over a meal, even if only for a little while.

Customers slowly began to trickle in to the tavern as the afternoon grew long. The tavern owner was soon forced to excuse herself to tend to the patrons, but not before directing Araki over to a door in the far corner of the common room.

The room beyond turned out to be the cat's private study. In the center of the space a rather ornate desk sat with a hefty book resting atop its polished wooden surface. This was no doubt Shishu's financial records, judging by how worn the cover binding was.

Araki's attention was quickly drawn to the large bookcase that dominated the far wall. Every shelf, from the floorboards all the way up almost to the ceiling, was crammed full of books. It was an impressive collection, far more literature than the husky had in her own person compilation. Maybe she could find what she sought here.

Sure enough, on one particular overcrowded shelf, she caught sight of a particular binding. The cloth was worn by age, but still distinguishable. When she pulled the book from the shelf, she found the cover scrawled in ancient writing of the old world; yes, this was exactly what she was looking for.

It was a different transcribed copy from the one she had read at the academy, as noted by the author's signature and accompanying title in legible print, nevertheless it mattered not. The title simply read: Canis Lupus.

Araki settled into a chair and cracked open the cover, allowing the natural light from the nearby window to illuminate the text.

The book proved to be an interesting read. The writing was filled with numerous tales of encounters with wolves, told through the eyes of several different authors. There actually wasn't much of anything in terms of useful information though. It was all conjecture, and embellishment; still nonetheless an enthralling read.

She didn't perceive the laughter and din of conversation from the common room until some hours later, when the fading daylight no longer provided sufficient light for her to see.

With a sigh, Araki closed the cover. It was just as she had remembered from before. In each tale, the wolves were painted as evil soulless creatures, hell bent on mindless destruction and wanton killing. The final entry was an account during the Great Reclamation itself, which told of the wolves' demise along with the rest of the ancient world.

One thing was clear. What her ancestors knew of wolves was very limited. All she had to go by was ancient accounts from mostly unknown sources that had been translated into modern dialect. It was far from a reliable source.

There was only one way Araki was going to figure this mystery out. She didn't like the idea any more now than before, nevertheless she had no other choice.

"Looks like I'm heading back out tomorrow."

***************

The next day, the clearing was just as it had been before. Nothing had been moved and she could see no new tracks to announce the passing of any animals. Everything was absolutely silent.

"Guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up."

Surveying her surroundings, Araki weighed her options. She could venture out further into the forest, wandering around aimlessly looking for her four-legged acquaintance. Or she could stay here; maybe even weave a spell as a sort of beacon. Both of those options were dangerous.

She decided it was best to simply wait without the spellweaving, and hope the creature would come to her. It was a long shot. However she really didn't have any other choices. If this wolf didn't want to be found, then she had no hope of catching sight of him again wandering aimlessly about.

Shishu had been kind enough to supply the husky with enough provisions to last the day, along with a few books to pass the time. Araki carefully laid the rucksack with said provisions down onto the snow alongside her as she slipped its strap off her shoulder.

Her katana came next, coming out of the loop on her belt so that she could lean it up against a tree. She even took off her armor, and took time to arrange the protective pieces in a neat stack alongside her blade.

No barriers, no wards, no spellweaves of any kind. Now only wearing simple clothing, she looked completely harmless to the casual eye. It was a risk, yes, but Araki had no intention of inflaming things. All that was left to do now was wait.

The wolf never showed, to her disappointment. She waited for as long as she could, hoping for something... anything to happen. But it was not to be. When there was hardly any light left in the day, Araki was forced to head back.

The next morning was no different. At least she had Shishu's books. It helped pass the time when she could sit against the trunk of a tree and lose herself in the adventurous tales of a good read. Even with the danger that she faced, the husky found herself relaxing and really enjoying the day. Maybe it was for the better if the wolf never showed again. She probably wouldn't get the opportunity to unwind like this again for some time.

The villagers' reception at Araki's return to the tavern that night was as cold as ever. It even seemed like they were making more of an effort to isolate her. If not for Shishu, this mission would've been a lot rougher. Coming back to a warm meal and a welcoming smile really did wonders for the husky's spirits.

"Keep at it. I'm sure you'll find something eventually," the cat spoke, sliding a hefty plate of food before Araki. "At the very least, the mysterious cries have stopped piercing the night. Maybe these creatures turned tail and fled at your presence."

Araki had to wonder if the cheetah's speculation was accurate. "Maybe..."

Her bad luck stretched on for another day. She was beginning to suspect that Shishu was right. Maybe the wolves had decided to leave the area. The one she'd come across certainly hadn't been spoiling for a fight. It stood to reason that they probably viewed her as a hostile threat. That display with the lightning she had done a few days ago probably didn't help her in that respect.

The next day came with a cloudy overcast, foretelling of a coming blizzard. As Araki sat against what was becoming her customary tree, book in hand, she could feel the storm's approach in the subtle reverberations in the weather patterns. It promised to be a powerful one, and would probably arrive sometime around sunset.

The husky was perfectly capable of altering the patterns to ward off the storm's approach. But such an action was not wise. Changing the weather on any large scale had potentially disastrous implications, possibly causing stable patterns to come unraveled. The consequences, if such things came to pass, would have been devastating. Famines, natural disasters, it just wasn't worth the risk.

It's today or never.

The approaching storm augured to last at least a few days. If nothing happened by sunset, Araki would have no choice but to call off the mission and leave Northpoint. This was supposed to be just a simple wild animal nuisance. The Rajo Order, and by extension the High Council, would be expecting her back into the capital city within a week. Time was definitely not on her side.

She tried to put the troubling thought out of mind, but it lingered frustratingly. Nothing would've been worse than to leave after coming so close to a fabled creature that was supposed to be long extinct, never mind the dangers. There was no way she could just put that behind her as an unanswered question. Besides, what was she going to report when she did return? Would the Order think she had lost her mind? Or worse? Maybe I have lost my mind...

As the late morning hours stretched on, the book Araki head in her lap seemed less and less appealing. But she kept her eyes on the pages nonetheless, willing herself to read as a means of distraction. She didn't even really know what the title was; something about a prince and a scullery maid.

The husky's ears perked; she heard something, a faint almost inaudible noise... the unmistakable sound of light footsteps crunching in the snow from a distance.

Her eyes slowly moved away from the page of the book, only to meet a familiar yellow gaze.

Araki's heart skipped a beat.

She had to resist the sudden panic that screamed at the husky to lunge out and seize the mana threads around her.

The wolf's charcoal black fur really was stunning against the snowy white backdrop of his surroundings, more so than what she remembered. He held his ground in stoic posture only feet away from her. It was amazing he had gotten so close before she had even noticed his presence.

Well I found him. Now what in the gods' names do I do? He could've very easily attacked her when she had been distracted. She only realized this after the initial shock had worn off. She had been very reckless to say the least.

Nothing in the patterns suggested the wolf was prepared to weave a spell. He seemed keen just to stand there and regard her knowingly, as if waiting for her to make the next move. She had to do something...

The rucksack! It was lying just at her side. There was usually only one way to win over an animal's trust.

Being careful not to make any sudden moves, Araki slowly shifted her hand over, until she was able to reach inside the sack, procuring, after a few awkward moments of rummaging about, a few strips of jerked beef. She could feel her heart pounding as she tried to reign in her quickened breath. At any moment this creature could become hostile, and she had few means of defending herself.

He watched her inquisitively, head canted to the side. She could see his posture remained loose with tail slack behind his form.

Taking this as a positive sign, Araki held the jerked beef out before her.

His gaze shifted briefly to the offered food, before he gave the surrounding forest a sweep of his eyes. Did the wolf understand what she was trying to do?

One black-furred paw moved forward, then another. To Araki's surprise, and subtle alarm, he appeared to compose himself and confidently strode toward her, ears perked and alert, head held high. He didn't demonstrate any of the common mannerisms associated with canine submissive or cautious behavior; quite the opposite.

Araki could feel the bark of the tree bite into her back as he approached. His sheer intimidating presence sent a chill down her spine. She willed herself with every fiber of her being not to recoil away from him. She couldn't show weakness, not now.

When he came to stand within an arm's reach of her, her breath caught. If the wolf attacked now, she had no hope of surviving.

He didn't, and instead merely plopped down onto his haunches to look at her with his daunting eyes. Araki wasn't sure how, but she got the impression he was waiting for her to make the next move.

She motioned with her eyes to the jerked beef in her extended hand.

The wolf leaned forward and gave a few tentative whiffs of his nose. He then looked back to her.

"What? It's not poisoned or anything." She took a decent sized bite out of the strip of meat and chewed on it carefully before swallowing. "See, completely harmless."

Araki didn't know why she was talking to the wolf. He obviously didn't understand what she was saying.

He hesitated a moment longer, and then seemed to make up his mind. With careful grace, he inched himself forward, keeping his eyes locked on her as he moved. When his muzzle was only scant inches from the offered strip of beef, he slowly opened his maw and ever so slightly bit down on the food with his formidable teeth.

Araki was taken by surprise at the unexpected grace the wolf displayed as he gently removed the jerked beef from her grasp. Even more surprising was how he then used a paw to hold the tasty morsel in his mouth as he chewed cautiously. She had never seen a canine perform such a thing before. It was fascinating to watch.

She could've sworn that she saw the wolf's expression twist in delight as he got a good taste. What began as a cautious bite ended with him scarfing down the beef strip hungrily. She offered up another, and watched as he again ventured a careful bite to remove it from her hand.

However, this time he bit down more deliberately, severing the strip in two. He then pushed the husky's hand back toward her with his nose. Araki was stunned. "You want me to have the other half?"

Of course he didn't answer her astonished question. He just sat there with the meat strip hanging out of his muzzle, watching her... waiting.

Only when Araki regained her composure somewhat and took a bite of her own piece did he devour his. She decided to break the next strip in two, and he accepted his offered half with gentle elegance. Gods, I'm sharing an afternoon snack with a wolf! Never would she have imagined doing such a thing. No one was going to believe this.

They shared the remaining beef strips equally, until there were none left. When her supplied snacks were gone, a brief stalemate developed.

Something came over Araki. She suddenly found herself reaching out toward the wolf, fingers splayed. He eyed her hand dubiously and recoiled away, ears flattening. But he didn't growl, nor did he show any signs of aggression.

She paused, keeping her arm outstretched. "I won't hurt you."

It must've been her soothing tone that the wolf understood, for he visibly relaxed. When he made no move to withdraw away from her further, she tried again.

Her outstretched hand gently brushed against the side of his head just below the ear. She felt him tense, but then relax as she curled her fingers, gently massaging against the underside of his perked ear in a way she knew dogs loved.

The wolf uttered a groan and pressed his head into her hand, encouraging her to continue. She couldn't help but chuckle lightly at his sudden reaction.

Her hand kneaded more methodically through his thick coat, hitting that perfect spot. He was pushing on her now, letting himself submit to her delightful caress. Araki took a chance, and moved her roaming digits to give his exposed throat a gentle rub, tracing her fingers softly upward against the underside of his muzzle.

She marveled at how silky soft his black fur was. It was just as thick, if not thicker than her own, providing ample insulation from the worst Mother Nature had to offer. She could see from his closed eyes and goofy doggie grin that he was definitely relishing the attention.

When Araki brought her other hand up to stroke along his back, she suddenly found one hundred pounds of fur falling into her lap. "Ooof! Oh well aren't you... oh... a friendly guy."

The husky was beside herself. This was not a typical dog she had sprawled atop her. This was a wild creature of legend and myth, and she was currently giving him a massage!

Still in her lap, he rolled onto his back, exposing the thick downy fur of his stomach. He was certainly a big boy. She did her best to ignore the discomfort of his weight and obliged his appeal for a good belly rub. It was actually comical; his leg was soon kicking uselessly in the air to the heady canine grunts of a wolf that was very much enjoying himself. He had a personality about him, she could see, much more so than a typical dog.

When Araki paused, her newfound companion leaned up to give her muzzle a few appreciative licks. "Oh, you're quite welcome."

In that moment their eyes met, and the husky could feel something, something intimate. It took her only an instant to recognize the spellweave that was enveloping her. But there was no ill intent in the threads that she felt.

The patterns hovered just outside her aura, as if waiting for something. The wolf was staring intently at her, not menacingly, more with a sense of anticipation, maybe even anxiety.

He was waiting for her, letting Araki make the decision to bridge the gap between them. And she did, without even thinking, reaching her perception out toward the suspended threads.

The patterns between them came together, merging into a single entity. There was a sudden inrush of feelings, emotions, thoughts; her mind was overwhelmed by it all, unable to sort out what was her own consciousness and that of the wolf she was now linked with.

She could sense his will, imposing, yet restrained. Even with their minds linked, he held back, asking her permission to delve deeper.

Araki gave him the consent he desired, not really knowing what was happening or what she was even doing. Her consciousness acted of its own free will, devoid of logic or restraint.

The wolf pressed in, seizing her mind. There was confusion... panic... pain... and then darkness...

The world gradually came back into focus, forcing away the haze that had clouded Araki's awareness. Slowly she regained her senses, only to find herself staring up toward the threatening clouds in the sky above.

The husky groaned in anguish. The headache that assaulted her was unbearable. She couldn't even focus, not with her head threatening to split open at any moment as if squeezed by a vise.

A sudden wetness on her cheek barely registered at first. Only after a few moments of confusion did she realize the wolf was standing alongside her prone body, gently licking her face. Through unfocused eyes, she looked at him, almost unable to form words. "Wha... what did you do?"

He stopped, looking at her with concern.

After one false start, Araki managed to sit upright holding her head. She grimaced as the change in orientation renewed the pulsing agony that seemed to reverberate through her skull like an angry torrent. "Was that some sort of spell? Gods, my head."

<I'm sorry. It was the only way.>

The husky froze. Someone had just spoken to her, but not aloud; the voice echoed in her head.

She whirled about, and instantly regretted the motion as the surrounding forest spun in a dizzying dance. It took a moment for everything to settle down once more.

The black wolf was sitting next to her on his haunches, still regarding her carefully. She remembered now... during the link, she had seen it clear as the midafternoon day. It couldn't be...

<I didn't mean to catch you off guard. It was the only way I could bridge our minds.>

Araki was rendered speechless, her muzzle left hanging open in disbelief. This wolf, a wild creature of the wilderness, was communicating to her through mind speak!

He brought a paw up and ducked his head in what she could only surmise was a formal bow. <It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Doko.>