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Chapter 13

Five thousand years ago...

Before Galia was united under one flag, when the last dragon on Earth still resided among us, there was once a young girl who lived happily with her family in a small town long lost to the tides of time. Her name was Vanni, and she loved flowers and nature more than anything.

Unbeknownst to her, she had the misfortune of living in a turbulent era where death could come swiftly to anyone, should they happen to be standing in the wrong spot at the wrong time, or speak the wrong word at the wrong moment. It was, after all, an age of chaos and disorder, where wars erupted left and right at the drop of a hat.

One day, when Vanni was sixteen years old, an army from one faction or another passed by her town, claiming it as their own. The ensuing bloodshed tinted the streets a deep red color. Many screams were violently silenced by bloodstained blades and lances as the townspeople tried to escape the mounting chaos. By the time a semblance of peace was restored, the victims strewn along the streets and within the many burning houses numbered in the hundreds.

Vanni survived the senseless massacre, but her family did not. Once her tears had run out, she bagged whatever she could salvage from her destroyed home and joined a fleeing caravan of survivors, leaving behind what little was left of that town.

At some point during the forced pilgrimage, Vanni found a small wolf cub howling pitifully along the path. Sensing that he was lost and probably hungry, she offered the little one some of her food, which he promptly wolfed down. “It's a tough world, isn't it?" she softly spoke to him. “Only a few days ago I had a home and a family, and now all I have is this bag and the clothes I'm wearing. Ah, if only you knew how easily one can lose it all in this life..."

“Vanni, come, we're leaving," called someone from the caravan.

“I have to go, little one. I hope that meal will give you the strength you need to find your way back to your family."

Having said that, she got up and returned to the caravan... only to notice that she wasn't alone. The little wolf cub, of course, had followed her.

“Oh, no, no, you can't follow me!" she said. “You won't find your family if you come with us!"

“Young girl, I think you're his family now," said one of the elderly women in the caravan, smiling an elderly smile.

Indeed, ever since that day, that little wolf cub stuck close to Vanni and never left her side. The two became inseparable, like they were joined at the hip, as some might say. Eventually, she gave him the name 'Lycca,' derived from 'lýkos,' which is the Greek word for 'wolf.'

Months later, the caravan settled near a river. A few rudimentary houses were built. It was the birth of a new village. Like everyone else, Vanni helped in any way she could. And wherever she went, she could always count on her tiny little Lycca trotting happily behind her. Eventually, she began to grow and sell flowers for a living, not unlike your younger self, Elise.

Time passed, and the fledgling village slowly took shape as Vanni grew her garden somewhere in the outskirts. She was eighteen springs old now, and her faithful lupine companion, Lycca, had grown into a healthy gray wolf. No matter the time of day, that noble animal and the youthful maiden were always seen together. Truly, they were each other's family.

“Wolves are among the most loyal creatures on Earth," someone had said to her at some point. “Once they form a bond with you, it will never break. You're his Vanni now. Thus, no matter what happens, your Lycca will watch over you and protect you until the very end."

“So will I!" said she in turn, hugging her furry friend. “We're a team after all — the greatest there is or will ever be!"

Ah, yes, those were happy times. Times when it seemed like one could afford to be optimistic and even a little bit boastful. After all, nothing bad had happened to any of those villagers for about two years, since the caravan had settled. But peace in that age of chaos was always short-lived. War was much too large a monster to truly escape from. They had only been given a brief reprieve, but it was just about to end.

A few weeks later, another army reached that settlement. Within minutes, they seized all resources and anything else they deemed valuable, including women, and demanded all men in the village to surrender or die, as per the orders of whichever warlord those soldiers responded to. Again, it didn't take long for blood to start exploding everywhere as chaos engulfed it all in a hellish cacophony of madness.

Vanni and Lycca fled towards the woods, hoping to find refuge in the wilderness. Unfortunately, one of the invading soldiers had spotted the fleeing girl and decided to go after her. It was clear he wanted the eighteen-year-old virginal maiden all to himself. You see, Elise; war tends to draw out the worst of mankind, and men like that soldier only had pitch-black darkness in their hearts.

It is very sad. Tragic, even; but war slowly, yet brutally transforms once-everyday people into monsters. Fully devoid of empathy, these warped soldiers had no qualms about spilling innocent blood and indulging their basest desires whenever they had a chance. Thus, far too many of them were addicted to the heinous thrill of violently subduing young maidens to deflower them in a dehumanizing display of power. It made them feel like Olympian gods. But even gods can fall...

The soldier caught up to Vanni deep in the woods, far from the settlement, and brought her down to the ground. Lycca promptly jumped out of nowhere and clasped his powerful jaws around the throat of the surprised assailant. A violent struggle ensued, where grunts and snarls merged together into a horrifying shriek straight from the bowels of hell. Vanni could only watch in horror as man and beast rolled along the ground, fatefully tangled in a deadly dance of fangs, fists and blood.

At last, the mauled man ceased to resist and fell inert as his consciousness abandoned him forevermore. After a few moments, Lycca released his death grip on the soldier's neck and jumped off his limp body. The man's throat was thoroughly mangled and bloodied. Such a ghastly sight it was, but not as ghastly as the sight of his unfocused, unblinking dead eyes simply staring blankly into the sky.

Of course, Vanni had seen worse, so she didn't waste much time dwelling on it. Instead, she rushed toward Lycca. “A-are you alright?" she asked, shaken, as she approached his panting form. With horror, she realized that his lupine friend and savior was very much not alright. Just as she reached him, Lycca's legs buckled and he fell on his side, still panting laboriously.

“Oh, my God!" exclaimed the horrified girl.

The stomach of the wolf was soaked in his own blood. Somewhere over his navel there was a deep, piercing cut, and he was very clearly bleeding out through it. At some point during the struggle, the soldier must have stabbed him with his glaive, thought Vanni.

The panicking girl desperately tried to stop the bleeding, but there was nothing to be done. Still, she did all she could think of doing, tightly wrapping Lycca's stomach with pieces of her own clothing, including her favorite handkerchief — a family heirloom from her mother's side, that she had salvaged from her old ruined home.

Somehow, Vanni's efforts appeared to be working. The bleeding slowed down and seemed to stop, but that was little more than a false hope for her to futilely cling onto. “You'll be fine!" she repeated in tears to her loyal furry friend as she caressed his shoulder area to try and give him some comfort. Lycca just gazed at her with his noble beast eyes, and for a moment she thought he was happy that he could save her.

The labored panting of the wolf slowed down, growing quieter and quieter. “Don't leave me!" implored Vanni in a pained, broken whisper, tears rolling down her cheeks, even though she knew it was useless. “Don't leave me alone! Please!"

Alas, no amount of tearful pleading would change Lycca's fate. And so, that valiant wolf breathed his last, proud that he was able to give his life to save his Vanni, as that was the ultimate realization of his primal instincts of protection and loyalty to his family. The poor girl cried over his lifeless body for several long minutes, until she could cry no more.

The next day, after burying Lycca with her own two hands and sleeping in the forest, Vanni returned to the village, but stayed hidden behind the shrubbery at the border. From her various vantage points, she spied on the army that had taken over the settlement. Eventually, she was able to overhear an important conversation between what appeared to be the leaders of the invading forces:

“How much longer until we arrive to the Dragon Shrine?"

“If we keep the pace, we should reach the mountain range where it's at in two weeks."

“That's no good! We must hurry up! If any of our enemies get to the last dragon first and they ally with him, we are finished!"

“Yes, but the men need rest."

“They can rest when they're dead! We must go! If anyone raises a complaint, just execute them where they stand! Make an example out of them!"

“Still, we must bear in mind that, prior to their sudden disappearance, dragons grew disenchanted with mankind as a whole. It seems as though the last remaining one recently cut off all contact with the outside world and secluded himself in the depths of the shrine when the war broke out."

“Well, if he wants the war to end, he'll have to pick a side. And when that time comes, we simply must make sure that the side he picks is ours. We must secure his alliance at all costs!"

“In the end, bloodshed is inevitable, as every faction in this war has put their eyes on securing that alliance. It's imperative that we reach the shrine first to minimize our losses. So, the sooner we resume our journey, the better."

“Yes, his power will be the deciding factor in this continent-wide conflict. Everyone, from the lowest peasant to the highest king, will bow to whoever allies with him. After all, there's no point in opposing a faction that has an immortal god-like beast among their ranks."

Vanni had heard stories about that dragon before. The tales that had reached her ears described him as a majestic creature of impressive size, with wings so large that they could create hurricanes with just a flap. Apparently, the kingly sheen of his beautiful blue scales rivaled that of gold itself. And it was said that his arcane draconic magic was as powerful as the sun is bright.

Many centuries before Vanni was born, when mankind was still young, dragons of every color flew the skies across the whole continent and beyond. Benevolent beings of unparalleled power, they were rightfully celebrated and worshipped as the protectors of all life on Earth. However, one day, something happened and they all simply vanished overnight. All... but one — the blue one: Zaephirus.

'I have to find him,' thought the girl to herself. 'He must know of the atrocities these bloodthirsty warlords commit in their crazed race to reach him.'

Holding onto her bloodstained handkerchief, Vanni set out on a perilous journey toward the fabled Dragon Shrine. Having lost it all, she couldn't think of anything else she wanted to do with her life, other than making an attempt to warn Zaephirus of the nature of the powerful men who sought his alliance. It was one way to get back at them for taking from her all she ever had.

'Mom, dad, Lycca... guide my steps, please. Help me find my way to the shrine before anyone else does.'

Vanni had a general idea of where the mountain range was, and she had also overheard soldiers discussing directions and relevant landmarks. Taking the dead soldier's glaive for herself, she made her way westwards through the woods. Since she was no stranger to exploring the wilderness, the young girl was able to proceed at a faster pace than the army she had left behind, procuring nourishment from whatever nature would provide her with.

Nevertheless, the journey was in no way easy. Various monsters tried to feast on her flesh along the way, but she was able to survive every encounter thanks to her glaive and an unbreakable will to press onwards and live. It also helped that most of the hostile creatures that stood in her path were relatively weakly roachas and vampbats, with the occasional yoks and grimogres that she had to run away from. Still, every scratch and cut she sustained added up over time.

Twelve days and innumerable perils later, a very weakened and wounded Vanni stood before the entrance to the Dragon Shrine atop the Dragon Mountain. Panting in exhaustion, she made her way in. The glaive was dull and nearly useless, stained with the dried blood of dozens of monsters, yet she still held onto it. And, wrapped around her wrist, the handkerchief that once belonged to her mother still provided her with the symbolic support she needed.

'I made it... Somehow, I made it...'

Slowly she walked down the eerie corridors of the shrine, making not a sound. Large bronze statues depicting dragons flanked the main hallway. Eventually, she found a flight of stairs leading down to a lower floor. Carefully she made her descent; her every footstep echoing ominously in the tombstone-like silence that permeated it all.

The next corridor opened into a series of very large, very empty halls. The silence was so oppressive she could almost hear the thumping sound of her own heartbeats. The humbling scale of those rooms made her feel very small, as though she was a tiny little ant crawling along the floor of an abandoned temple that might have once belonged to a behemoth of a god.

Three flights of stairs later, Vanni found herself in the deepest reaches of the Dragon Shrine. There, a massive gate seemed to lead into a large dome-like room. Although it was very dark inside, the reverberating rumble of a colossal creature's breathing cast no doubt over what lay within. 'T-they're benevolent creatures,' Vanni told herself inwardly, trying to shake off her mounting fears. 'It... it will be fine. N-no dragon has ever harmed a human.'

Eventually, the trembling girl swallowed her fears and walked into the room. She had come so far, shedding so much blood, sweat and tears along the way, it would have been silly for her to falter right at the very end of her journey. She had a warning to deliver, didn't she?

Suddenly, several torches along the walls lit up all by themselves in rapid succession, jostling Vanni from her thoughts. Before her, she could at last see the formidable frame of the fabled blue dragon slowly rising into a sitting position. Ah, Elise... if you think I'm enormous, well, I'm not exaggerating when I say Zaephirus was twice my size. Vanni was so tiny next to him. He could easily flatten her against the floor with a single claw if so he desired.

“Greetings, little Vanni. I have been waiting for you," he spoke with his deep, rumbling voice.

“W-what? B...but, h-how?" she stammered, startled.

“I foresaw your arrival decades ago, before you were even born," he calmly said. “You are the only reason I haven't yet left this shrine, even as the world seems to be slowly falling apart around me."

“R-right!" said Vanni, remembering why she was there in the first place. “War is tearing the continent apart as we speak. Armies have razed who knows how many villages in their demented race to reach this shrine! T-they all seek to—"

“Yes, I am very much aware of all that's happening in these lands, little one. Rest assured, I shall not ally with any of those power-hungry warlords. When they reach this shrine, they will find nothing but confusing mazes of invisible walls and a hundred doors that only lead into each other. Only the exit will remain open to them at all times."

“So... y-you already knew it all," said the exhausted girl, confused. “W-why, then, are you allowing this to happen?"

Zaephirus seemed to sigh. There was sadness in his luminous draconic eyes.

“Centuries ago, humans and dragons lived in harmony," he said. “They worshipped us as gods, and we watched over them in return, sharing our power with them and protecting them from all evil to the best of our ability. Unfortunately, as their civilizations expanded, signs of an inner, insidious evil sleeping deep within them began to become apparent. Alas, neither my brothers nor I noticed it in time, or maybe we were in denial for far too long. After all, we loved mankind to a fault. And we still do, in fact."

“A...an inner evil, you say?"

“Greed. A concept once alien to us. For reasons we couldn't quite understand at the time, the more power mankind obtained, the more they craved. And so, as their expanding territories began to push into one another, humans slowly started to use the gifts we had bestowed upon them in ways they were never meant to be used."

The great blue dragon hung his head. Only God knows what painful memories must have flashed behind his eyes.

“Greed is a terrible evil, young Vanni. It warps humans into monsters," he continued, “Soon, any excuse was good enough to spill the blood of the other. Sometimes it was the color of the skin, or which god they worshipped, or whether they had amassed 'sufficient' wealth, whatever that means. It didn't matter; the end result was always the same: senseless suffering and death. And it was always so that a select few could indulge their insatiable hunger for more power, more lands, more gold, more, more, more."

“I... I'm so sorry you had to see our worst side," earnestly lamented Vanni. “Mankind always took dragons and their gifts for granted, or so I understand, but I suppose we never truly deserved them."

“Eventually, we dragons reached the conclusion that the blame was ours to bear, since we had allowed it all to happen, and our ignorance about human nature was no excuse. But then, as we were discussing what actions to take to de-escalate that sorry state of affairs in a pacifistic manner, The Wyvern attacked."

“T-The Wyvern?"

“A gargantuan dragon-like creature made of shadows, born of mankind's collective greed," gravely explained Zaephirus, the blue dragon. “Fully devoid of sentience, it rose from the bloodstained land with a single purpose driving its colossal wings: to end all. Subduing it was a monumental undertaking that required every dragon in the continent to work as one. Thus, we all gathered around it and unleashed our most devastating attacks into its massive shadowy frame from every conceivable angle. Mountains were blown away in the infernal hellstorm of fire and blaze that ensued, but we had to defeat it no matter the cost."

“A-and you did... right?" ventured Vanni.

“Yes and no," sighed the towering beast of blue scales. “At the last moment, The Wyvern shed its own heart and sent it away, possibly into a different dimension. So, in the end, all we managed to 'defeat' was an empty vessel. Alas, it couldn't be destroyed without its heart, so we sealed it in the deepest recesses of the seventh pit of the underworld, miles below the Earth's crust, hoping it would remain there for all eternity."

“Oh, God..." exclaimed the girl, covering her mouth. “So, t-that thing could still wake up?"

“Not without its heart," affirmed the blue dragon. “And, like I said, it's likely lost in another dimension. It has to be, otherwise we would have sensed it, and we spent decades searching for it high and low across the whole world. Eventually, we gathered and went back to discussing the root of the problem: us."

“Y-you? As in... all of dragonkind?"

“Indeed. Despite our best intentions, we had spoiled mankind with our gifts and favor. The Wyvern came to be because of us unknowingly fostering the greed of humans with our excessive generosity. So, it was clear to us that our presence was only hurting this world. Perhaps we were able to save mankind from that nightmarish creature, yes, but we couldn't save it from itself, since we were at the center of it all."

“So... that's why there are no more dragons in the world today — other than you, that is. They all left," said Vanni, sitting down. “Well... I can't blame your kin for leaving. Mankind can be very rotten at its core. I mean, you were our greatest benefactors, and we drove you away with our egotistic selfishness. Leave it to us to ruin everything we touch, I guess. Or, in other words, we reaped what we sowed. I say we deserved it."

“Ah, but there may yet be hope for humanity, little one," hummed the blue dragon, waving his long, hefty tail behind him. “As long as people like you exist, the sun will rise again. That is my belief."

“P...people like me?"

“Young Vanni, your heart is pure, free of the corrupting touch of greed," said Zaephirus with a nod. “Even though the horrors of war have brutally torn your innocence away, your heart has remained steadfast, like a flower that dares to stand up to fate by blooming even amidst utter chaos and destruction. If there's anyone whom I could entrust dragonkind's last gift for humanity, it's you."

“W-what? The last gift, you say?" asked the girl, surprised.

“Indeed. I had been waiting for you... because I need your help."

“M-my help? But... how could I— How could a mere human girl like me possibly be of help to an almighty dragon such as yourself?"

“Almighty, you say? Ah, I suppose we might seem so to the eyes of a human. Alas, the fact that we can't simply wish the problem away proves that we are not truly almighty. That's why our best solution is to leave this world. Otherwise, we will always be at the center of all of mankind's conflicts," forlornly said the blue dragon. “Regardless, there's a reason why I haven't left yet. We all couldn't just leave knowing that The Wyvern, although dormant, could still revive if it was reunited with its heart. One of us had to stay to keep watch over the site of its entombment. I was chosen to be that one."

“Oh. So you can't leave?" asked Vanni.

“That's correct. I'm honor-bound to stay until my mission is fulfilled. And that's where you can help me, little one. Behold!"

Raising one of his large claws, the majestic blue creature closed his eyes. Beams of light began to converge atop his upturned palm, coalescing into a brilliant orb of white radiance. Slowly, the orb floated down until it rested at Vanni's feet. Then, the blinding glow faded, revealing the true form of the object Zaephirus had just summoned.

“That, young Vanni, is dragonkind's parting gift for humanity!" he proudly declared.

The girl was in awe. Before her widened eyes lay a sword. But it was unlike any other sword she had ever seen. The hilt was densely ornate, with encrusted jewels and regal motifs meticulously carved into it. And the blade itself, polished to perfection, shone with a soft celestial glow that gave it a distinct halo of ethereal holiness. To Vanni's eyes, it was a sword fit for a king, or a god.

“I have named it the Zeus Blade," said Zaephirus. “Before parting, every dragon gave me one of their teeth each. After adding one of my own to the resulting pile, I used my magical powers of transmutation to fuse them all together and give them a new shape. And that, little one, is how that sword you behold came to be."

“The Zeus Blade..." echoed Vanni, still in awe.

“It's the ultimate embodiment of our eternal love for mankind. Its blade carries the wishes of every dragon, and will never dull, bend or break. It can cut cleanly through anything, and it's the only thing in this world that could possibly destroy The Wyvern's heart, should it ever resurface."

“A...are you... giving this to me?" asked the girl, seeing herself reflected in the shining blade.

“I can only give it to you," replied the blue dragon. “This is, in essence, dragonkind's collective fang given the shape of a sword. I could only entrust it to one whose heart has not been tainted by greed. I fear anyone else might fall to the temptation of using it to further their own selfish ends and carve a dark path of blood with it."

“Are you... asking me to seek The Wyvern's heart and destroy it with this blade?"

“No. That task will fall in the hands of another. As I've foreseen it, you are to keep that blade hidden until you cross paths with a knight named Jules LeBlanc. Once you hand it to him, it will find its way to the one destined to drive it into The Wyvern's heart."

“So... I only have to guard it until I meet that man... right?" asked Vanni as she cautiously reached towards the hilt of the Zeus Blade, touching it lightly.

“Yes, indeed. Unless you'd prefer not to bear this burden, of course. I shall not impose my will over yours. You are free to decide what you want to do, as it should be," stated Zaephirus, flexing his gigantic wings. “That said, I understand that a favor of this caliber must be properly repaid. Therefore, know that I fully intend to compensate you with a worthwhile reward for your efforts."

“A— a reward? For me?" asked the girl, withdrawing her hand from the hilt of the heavenly blade.

“Certainly! There's much I can give, little one. So, tell me, if you will, what kind of reward you would like. If it is within my power to grant it to you, it's yours."

Vanni thought about it for a few moments, and then she said:

“I don't really want anything for me. I have no use for gold or any other 'valuables' in my life. The only thing I would truly like is for the war to end, but you already said it isn't something you can just wish away, so..." she trailed off. “W-well, I suppose there's one other thing that would make me happy, but it's impossible."

“Impossible, you say? I will be the judge of that, young Vanni. So, tell me, what is it?"

The battle-worn girl sighed.

“My mom... My dad... And my faithful Lycca... I would love nothing more than to see them again."

Zaephirus rumbled quietly.

“Regrettably, it's true that I cannot bring back those who have departed from this world. I'm sorry, little one, but there's nothing I can do about your parents," he said. “However, I might still be able to do something for your wolf companion."

Vanni's face lit up. “Y-you can bring him back to life?" she asked, hopeful.

“Not exactly, but I have noticed something. A presence, if you will. Even now, I can faintly feel it floating around you, as though it's trying to protect you," hummed the blue dragon. “Tell me, what's that piece of cloth wrapped around your wrist?"

“Oh, this?" said Vanni, unwrapping her handkerchief off her wrist to show it to the dragon. “T-this is a family heirloom of sorts. It's stained with blood because... w-when Lycca got mortally stabbed, I... desperately tried to close the wound with it..."

“Ah-ha, I knew it!" triumphantly exclaimed the great dragon. “Young Vanni, Lycca's spirit hasn't departed from this world. It resides in that heirloom of yours!"

“What? L-Lycca is in here?" she asked, gazing incredulously into her handkerchief.

“Wolves are amazing creatures, aren't they? No other animal understands the value of loyalty better than them. Even in death, his spirit remains bound to this plane by its unbreakable love for you! How admirable! Such selfless loyalty... It warms my heart!"

Vanni, of course, couldn't see or feel anything, but she had no reason to doubt the dragon. “Is there anything you could do for him?" she asked.

“Like I said before, I can't revive the dead. Since his body has passed, the best I can do is merging his spirit with yours," explained Zaephirus. “Be warned, however, that you would cease to be, giving way to a new entity born of the fusion. This new entity will be neither Lycca nor Vanni, but their own self, although they will retain all of your memories, as well as those of your wolf companion's."

“So... it would be like a rebirth... Except 'we' would remember our past lives as Lycca and me..."

“Correct. I'm sorry I can't do better than that, but our magic is governed by laws of equivalence and transmutation that cannot be bent. To create something, something else of equal value has to be sacrificed. That said, the decision is yours."

“If 'they' will remember everything, then that's good enough for me," said Vanni, smiling. “Do it, great Zaephirus. Let my final act as Vanni be fusing with Lycca's faithful spirit, so that whatever comes out of it may walk the Earth in our stead, living happily as one!"

“So be it!" nodded the dragon. “Sleep now, brave Vanni! Take your well-deserved rest and merge with Lycca's spirit, so that you both may re-awaken as an all-new 'Lycca-Vanni'!"

Raising his claws and unfolding his wings wide, Zaephirus channeled his arcane draconic magic into the room. His eyes shone brighter than ever before, and even his beautiful scales lit up, casting the whole chamber in an electric blue light. Vanni lost consciousness almost immediately, collapsing limply onto the floor.

As the flowing magic grew in intensity, the inert body of the girl began to float off the ground, growing whiter and whiter. Soon, all of her clothes vaporized as she became a silhouette of blinding white light. Likewise, her handkerchief also became pure white, floating next to her. Finally, it lost its square shape and throbbed wildly for a few instants until it took the form of a luminous wolf. It was the manifestation of Lycca's spirit!

With a loud howl, the white silhouette of the wolf leaped into Vanni's silhouette! Both silhouettes began to spin rapidly as they merged, losing their distinct shapes and becoming a single mass of white light. The resulting orb grew larger as it absorbed the magic flowing through the room. The larger it grew, the more it began to show its new shape. Big paws, a large muzzle, a long, ethereal tail...

At last, the growth stopped. The fusion, now half as big as Zaephirus himself, began to gently float back down. Slowly, the magic coursing through the room faded, and so did the white radiance enveloping the newly birthed creature. It was... Well, it was me, of course.

Eventually, I opened my eyes. At first I was a bit disoriented, but soon remembered all that had led me there... Or, rather, all that had led Vanni there, as well as Lycca. Indeed, I was both of them and neither at the same time! And I had taken the form you see now! I still remember looking at my silvery paws and tail in awe, marveling at the miracle Zaephirus had worked with his draconic magic.

“Welcome to your new life as a demigoddess," warmly spoke the dragon. “I have also granted you half of my magic ability. With it, you can wield the same powers of transmutation I possess, as well as transcend the realm of mortality as my kind does. I trust that these powers will help you in all your future endeavors. Of course, I hope guarding the Zeus Blade is one of them."

“Great Zaephirus, I... T-this is so much more than I expected," I said, humbled. “I could never repay you for this marvelous gift you've just so graciously bestowed upon me — upon us. Of course I will guard your blade with my life, until that knight you spoke of comes to me for it."

“Thank you. According to what I was able to see from the future, that man won't be born unto this world for the next four or five millennia. In the meantime, feel free to use the power of the Zeus Blade however you see fit. However, I would advise against making it, or yourself for that matter, known to humans. Otherwise, you might end up in the middle of their wars, as my kind did."

“Yes, I see the sense in your words," I spoke as I transmuted my old, dulled glaive into a scabbard for the dragon's blade, complete with a string so that I could wear it on my person as a pendant. “Rest assured; I will do my best to remain hidden, while also keeping an eye open for that fated knight."

“I would be eternally grateful," he said, nodding his dragon head appreciatively. “As for me, I will now abandon this shrine for good. I shall make my way directly to the seventh pit of the underworld, where I will fall into a deep slumber as I essentially become the final seal keeping The Wyvern's body isolated from the rest of the world."

“Will we meet again?" I asked as I saw him standing up on his four legs.

“I don't know. I have only seen flashes of the future, so I cannot tell for certain whether our paths will cross again or not. Perhaps when the time comes, I shall awaken to guide the one chosen by the Zeus Blade toward The Wyvern's heart. So, if this is the last time I see you, let my parting words for you be: thank you. Truly, in the name of all of dragonkind, thank you for bearing the burden of that blade, and may our gifts help you find your own path to happiness."

“No, thank you," I said, touched by his words. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving Vanni and Lycca a second chance, oh Great Zaephirus."

He smiled a toothy draconic smile.

“And to you, for proving that there's still hope for mankind," proudly said the blue dragon. “I shall carry you and your offspring in my thoughts. Farewell, oh Great Silver She-Wolf! May your fangs carve the way to a brighter tomorrow!"

As soon as he had said that, the great dragon flapped his portentous wings once and instantly disappeared, leaving me alone in that enormous dome-like chamber... although it didn't seem that enormous to me anymore, given my new size. Regardless, one thing he had said lingered in my thoughts:

“...Offspring?"

Heh. I didn't know it at the time, but a few months later I realized I was in fact pregnant! I'm not entirely sure how it happened, though. It might have had something to do with the spirit fusion that gave birth to me. Whatever the case, that's how the first twelve lycca came to be. And only a few days before I gave birth to them, I sensed my 'Lycca' half imprinting his core rule number zero on the twelve cubs. My 'Vanni' half, in turn, supplied the other six core rules, hoping they would help minimize any friction with mankind.

And so, my children and I lived in the shadows, always hiding from humans while also welcoming new 'vanni' into the pack whenever we could, as well as moving from place to place as needed. Eventually, I came up with the idea of creating a shelter that could house and shield us in a more permanent manner. Devising the complex spell that would give it shape took me many, many, many months of careful planning and sleepless nights, but it was worth it. Thus, Howling Grove came to be.

A few millennia later, about seven centuries ago, I fulfilled my role in Zaephirus' prophecy. Jules LeBlanc, father of famed Galian hero Jean-Pierre LeBlanc, found his way to me and I handed him the Zeus Blade as I was supposed to. It exchanged hands a few more times after that, but eventually landed in the hands of the one chosen by the blade, as foretold by the last dragon.

The heart of The Wyvern also resurfaced around that time. It took on the form of a jewel, and was found by a tribe in an island to the west. Its malignant influence corrupted those poor souls into mindless pawns for The Wyvern's dormant will, and they soon began to offer human sacrifices to it. In time, they became known as the Chaos tribe; and the jewel, the Chaos Gem. It, too, exchanged hands a few times until it landed in the hands of a young teenage boy named Marcel.

Corrupted by the gem, Marcel went down a dark path that ultimately led him to awakening The Wyvern in the bowels of the underworld, succumbing to the colossal monster's life-extinguishing aura soon after. However, with his last breath, he was able to give Jean-Pierre the last of the seven scales needed to rouse Zaephirus from his millennial slumber. And so, the legendary royal knight of Roud rode the last dragon into one apocalyptic final battle with The Wyvern...

Ah, but Rose already told you that part of the story, didn't she? After all, she's a descendant of Jean-Pierre's bloodline. What she didn't tell you, however, is that Jean-Pierre wasn't the one chosen by the Zeus Blade. That's right! The person who actually delivered the final blow to The Wyvern was Lucille, the former thief who eventually ended up marrying the famed royal knight! Somehow, the fact that she rode Zaephirus alongside Jean-Pierre on that day was lost to time, so please don't blame Rose for not being aware of it herself.

Anyway, that's the whole story, Elise! That's how my beloved children and I came to be!

~*~

“Oh, wow," said the brownish little she-wolf, somewhat overwhelmed. “That was a lot more involved than I expected! Though I have to say: I couldn't help but notice that Lycca's spirit had held onto Vanni's handkerchief in your story. What's interesting to me about it is that a handkerchief also played a big part in how I met Fang. We even think of it as the symbol of our union!"

“Yes, fate sometimes does things like that, leaving it to us to try and make sense of what these curious little coincidences mean... If they mean anything at all, that is," spoke Mother Moon. “Even I couldn't tell you whether there's anything to it or not, and I'm a five-millennium-old demigoddess!"

“Well, I just thought it was an interesting coincidence. Regardless, that was quite the story you've just told me! And it's such a shame that I'm going to forget it all in just a few moments!"

“Ah, don't worry too much about it, Elise," said the silvery wolf goddess, smiling her maternal smile. “Most of it is ancient history anyway. In fact, I'd say that the only reason I remember any of it myself is because I lived through it all."

“Still, it doesn't sound like mankind has changed all that much in five thousand years. We still keep fighting among one another for stupid reasons..." sighed the girl-turned-wolf.

“Humans are a race of contradictions, always teetering precariously between good and evil. But, in a way, that's what makes them so fascinating, isn't it? It's like you just want to see how far they can go as a species, even with their inherent flaws holding them back every step of the way," said Mother Moon with a contemplative skyward gaze. “Regardless, things are better now that Galia is a unified nation. At least there are no more internal wars, so there's that."

“Yeah, I guess..."

“Unfortunately, morally bankrupt people like Mordrick or Marder will always exist out there. It's an inevitability," spoke the wolf demigoddess. “In the end, all we can do is try to live our lives in peace with ourselves, caring for those who are important to us. And that's exactly what Howling Grove is for."

“You're right," assented Elise with a nod. “You gave us a place to be free; a safe haven where vanni like me and lycca like Fang can express their love to one another, away from the corruption of the world."

“Indeed. So, then, don't dwell too much on humanity's shortcomings. Just focus on walking down your very own path through life alongside your lycca-mate and your friends. Be happy. Be free. And please keep taking good care of Fang in my stead. Love one another without reserve, for love is the one and only true treasure in this world," said Mother Moon; her divine coat of silvery fur shimmering beautifully.

“Fang is my everything. I promise you; I will love him until the day I take my last breath, and even beyond."

“I know you will."

Afterwards, the great wolf goddess materialized the ivory gate for Elise. Once they had both exchanged their farewells, the smaller she-wolf opened the gate and exited Mother Moon's flower garden.

On the other side; Rose, Anabelle, Marjorie and — of course — Fang; all welcomed Elise back with open arms. “You did it, girl! You passed the Grand Alpha's test!" joyfully shouted the bigger she-werewolf with a gray coat of fur.

“I... I guess I did, didn't I?" said Elise as she changed into her bipedal lycca-vanni form. “I mean, I can't remember a thing! But I'm here, so... Yeah, I must have passed the Oneness Test! Heh, now I'm wondering what it was about!"

“Don't we all?" said Rose, smiling. “Ah, but it's too bad that you can't remember anything. I guess we won't know whether you were able to talk to the Grand Alpha about Anabelle, as you said you would."

“Right... Well, I'd like to think I did talk to him about her. I mean, I was determined to do it, so I want to believe it did happen. But... yeah, I can't say for sure," replied Elise, looking at the now closed ivory gate as though she was searching for an answer there.

“Hmm... Well, I suppose we'll find out sooner or later, one way or another."

So said the jet-black huntress while Anabelle simply hugged the one with the brownish coat of fur in silence, bearing a big smile on her angelic face. The white she-werewolf was simply happy to see her friend back. Whether or not Elise was able to convince the Grand Alpha about lifting her vow of silence was of no consequence to her.

“Well, Elise," proudly spoke Fang, approaching his beloved vanni-mate. “The Grand Alpha has clearly recognized you as a member of our pack. Not that I ever doubted that he would, of course. So, once more, welcome to Howling Grove."

“Oh, Fang. I'm just happy to be in your arms again," said the smiling werewolf girl as she threw herself into his embrace.

“And I am happy holding you so, my beautiful princess-vanni."

With a mischievous grin, Rose patted Elise's shoulder. “Yes, that's very sweet and all, but now we must prepare you for the Oneness Sex-athon!" she declared.

“T-the what??"

“Oh, didn't you hear? It's a forest-wide mating tournament where you have to defeat your opponents in hot, steamy sexual battles!"

“Don't listen to her, Elise. She's just pulling your leg," said Marjorie as she rolled her eyes at the laughing huntress.

“Aw, way to ruin my fun!"

“Very well," said Daggerclaw, addressing all werewolves in the vicinity. “Now that our exalted Grand Alpha has recognized Elise-vanni as one of us, I believe a celebration is in order. Tonight, as is customary, we shall have a feast to celebrate the resounding triumph of the soma bond that unites her to her chosen lycca-mate, our good pack brother Fang!"

Cheers and jubilant howls erupted into the air as everyone within earshot joined Daggerclaw, Fleetpaw, Marjorie and the others in the merriment that followed. The successful completion of the Moon Pendant rituals was always a joyous occasion for all vanni and lycca in Howling Grove. There would be a bonfire, around which most would dance to the enthralling rhythm of a big celebratory drum after the feast. A few others, however, would prefer to join their soma-bonded partners in a more intimate, passionate dance of two instead, letting their carnal desires express themselves freely, as nature intended.

And so, the celebrations took place as described, although both Elise and Fang quietly sneaked away as soon as the feast was over and the tribal dancing began. Leaving all that noisy excitement behind, the two lovers silently made their way to the leafy archway leading outside, animatedly whispering to one another like two teenage kids being naughty.

“Do you think anyone noticed, Fang?"

“I do not believe so. They are all far too busy either dancing around the bonfire or mating."

“That's what I thought. I just... I have to confess I'm not much of a dancer myself, and I don't feel comfortable mating in public either."

“That is quite alright, Elise. I would never have you do anything you are not comfortable with."

“Oh, I know you'd never do that. But Rose totally would! Why, I can already imagine her going: 'Come on, Elise! Don't be such a prude! Live a little! This is a party, isn't it? Look around you! Everyone is having a great time with their mates! Come on; join in the fun, will you? Let's see what kind of face you make when Fang rails you good!'"

“You do an excellent Rose-vanni impression, Elise!" laughed Fang.

“Well, I've been around her a lot, haven't I?" smiled Elise.

Thus, the two soma-bonded mates exited Howling Grove, emerging from the vine-covered gate of the twin willow trees. From there, they headed directly to the old cave Fang had once used as a temporary den while Elise hadn't yet bonded to him. It was the cave where she had spent the night in his arms for the first time, and where they had shared their first kiss the morning after. It was also the place where she had willfully surrendered her virginity to him, and later accepted his Offering of the Fangs.

“Here we are, back at the cave that saw our somas bond," spoke the male werewolf. “Since today was such a momentous day for us both, I thought it appropriate to celebrate it by paying a visit to the place where the story of our union began."

“Ah, yes, this cave..." said the female one with a certain nostalgic air. “So many wonderful things happened in this little grotto. Why, here's where I was, in essence, born anew! And to think it's only been about ten days since then. Barely ten days since a young, defenseless girl stood right here, at this very spot, fully naked before a very tall, very strong and very male werewolf..."

“Indeed. Your heart was racing on that morning, Elise. I could only imagine how vulnerable you must have felt when I took off your clothes, baring your deliciously youthful body for my wolfish eyes to feast on. And I still fondly remember the way your adorable lips quivered when I grazed your soft, silky smooth skin with my clawed lycca hands for the first time. You were so nervous, even though you had wholly entrusted yourself to me."

“Well, of course I was nervous. I had never been touched before," cooed Elise as she caressed Fang's broad, muscular chest. “Even so, I simply knew you were the one I had saved my womanly purity for. Only you could deflower me with the loving care and respect a young, virginal maiden deserves. So did my beating heart tell me, and you have no idea just how glad I am that I listened to it."

“My princess-vanni..." said the mighty werebeast as he tenderly caressed her cheek. “Hearing you say that makes my own heart soar like you cannot imagine. Once more, thank you for choosing me as your lycca-mate."

Slowly, Elise changed back into her human form.

“Oh, Fang... Your touch never fails to set my flesh ablaze with desire," moaned the young dark-haired woman as she rested her head on his furry chest, eagerly drinking in the tactile sensation of his bulging masculine muscles pressed against her naked skin. “My body is in your hands. Do with me anything you want, for I am fully, completely, inescapably yours."

“In that case, open your mouth for me, if you will. I wish to taste the honey of your lips as I take you to the summit of ecstasy like only a lycca could."

Fang didn't have to ask twice. Already shivering with anticipation, Elise closed her eyes as the large werewolf locked his lips to hers, easily conquering her mouth with his powerful tongue once more. The mighty werebeast expertly stole Elise's breath away with the animalistic force of his passionate kiss. Two large lycca hands soon slid down the graceful curves of the girl's naked back, cupping her smooth, shapely buttocks before giving them a firm squeeze. Gasping, Elise shuddered as Fang began to sensually grind his lower body into hers, letting her feel the unmistakable heat of his throbbing girth pressed tightly onto her stomach.

Once the large werecanine gave her some respite, she immediately dropped to her knees and spent the next several minutes zealously worshipping his sizable arousal with her hands, lips and tongue, hungrily savoring his virile scent and taste as though there was no tomorrow. Oh, how deeply she loved tasting the vigorous masculinity of her adored lycca-mate like so. And how thoroughly he enjoyed her impassioned oral ministrations in turn!

Placing his hands on either side of her delicate waist, Fang easily lifted the human girl off the ground as though she weighed nothing. With great care, he then lowered her onto his slickened shaft. As Elise's wet womanly warmth was slowly, yet inevitably claimed by the werewolf's firm, unyielding girth, he once again pressed his black canine lips onto her quivering mouth for another breathtaking round of raw, intense tongue-bonding.

Ah, Elise and Fang. Fang and Elise. Their ardent lovemaking was legendary. Not that it could be any other way, of course, since that was but the mere realization of the one truth of this world; that vanni and lycca were created for one another, and that only in one another they could find true happiness. As with all other vanni and lycca mateships across millennia, it was their fated destiny to meet and forge an indelible bond to complete each other, and to one day nurture a new life born of their wholesome union.

Thus ends the tale of how Elise passed Mother Moon's Oneness Test with flying colors, joining Rose, Marjorie and Anabelle as one of the established lycca-vanni of the Howling Grove werewolf pack. Of course, her life as a she-werewolf had only just begun. Many more experiences surely lay in wait for her in the vast forest of Lanea, as she continued to explore the empowering freedom of her lycca form alongside her beloved mate and her loyal, sisterly girl friends.

But that, as they say, is a story for another time.

The End (for now!)

If you've read thus far, thank you for giving this story a chance. I certainly hope you enjoyed your time in Elise's world. I know I poured a lot of myself into writing it. I certainly like to think I gave it my all! So, then, see you in The Offering of the Fangs 3, whenever that may be (not anytime soon -- I can say that much!)