A young arterian boy ran along the moist depths of the cave, teetering across its jagged edges, ughing out while the light of the gems around him glittered against his skin. He was a mutant, his body having jagged, scaled ridges that prevented him from wearing anything other than clothes specially tailored to him, looking more like stitched together leather scraps than proper clothing. He turned around over to a teenaged-looking Arterian girl, her cking any visible signs of what was considered to be of a mutant, having only a short, stout tail and some smaller patches of scales along her skin. She knelt down in front of him, holding him by his hands while she whispered softly in front of him. “(You can’t keep running off like that. Your mother would be worried sick if you went missing.)” She gently spoke in her people’s native nguage. He shook his head in response, smiling wildly as he threw herself onto her, wrapping his arms over her shoulders. “(But I wanna explore! It’s boring being with all the vilge all day!)” She returned the smile as she picked him up to go back outside the cave. “(We need to go back to your mother. I think she’s making a nice, sweet loaf of bread for you!)” He cheered in response to being offered such a delicacy, the girl walking back towards the dreg city in the distance, the light from the fires and spell practice shining a warm, homeward beacon up into the night sky.

  Waking up on top of a cot, Dante sat upwards, his eyes wide when he noticed how he was inside of a tent rather than the battlefield. His belongings were kept to the side of where he rested. He went to pick up his journal and dagger, his mind still hazy from the activities he faintly remembered from st night. The image of the dead ying under him, his strength fading enough so that he couldn’t help them remained burned in his mind, giving Dante a burning feeling of guilt. He shambled out of the tent, rubbing at his hair while he looked over at Ireishil, his footsteps arming her to his presence. Ireishil quickly turned around, gasping quietly at the sight of him and nearly marching over towards him, stopping in pce and keeping her composure instead. “You’re awake. That’s good.” A humanoid figure came walking in the distance, Dante squinting his eyes in the direction it was walking. He recognized this figure as a Dendriko, the name of this man slowly returning to him as he spoke. “Oh… hello, Vikm.” “Dante!” Vikm yelled out, Dante taking notice of his odd-sounding tone as he walked towards him. Just as Dante got within distance of him, Vikm spped him across the face, Dante kneeling down as he brought a hand up to his cheek. “Ow - ” “You bloody idiot! You know you could’ve died forcing yourself to cast like that, damn near using every drop of blood in your body? This poor gal here had to tear you off of men already accounted for so you wouldn’t kill yourself!” Slowly getting back up, he rubbed his palm against his cheek as he look between a straight-faced Ireishil and an angered Vikm. “I’m - I’m sorry. I really didn’t know… I - I thought they would die if I didn’t do anything.” Vikm sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Those stiffs at the Guild not teach you to conserve your mana, d?” “Well, they…” Dante exhaled deeply, rubbing at the back of his hair going over his neck. “They never told me that if I’m out of mana, that my spells begin to use blood instead.” Vikm shrugged his shoulders, chuckling a little before he replied. “Don’t doubt that at all. Just how the Guild works. They send 10 men to their deaths, then train 20 up to repce ‘em.” While Vikm spoke, Pryderi walked over towards the group, Vikm stepping to the side and letting Pryderi stand before Dante. “Pildel. You really scared us there.” The vinnan stated, his arms crossed as he helped Dante fully get back on his feet. “But… I’m gd you’re okay. You really do need someone watching you whenever possible. I’m gd Bhehle here was able to get to you in time.” “Thank you. I’m truly sorry for all the trouble, I was only worried I wasn’t doing a good enough job.” Pryderi ughed, putting a hand on Dante’s shoulder. “You did good, Pildel. A lot of new guys would’ve turned tail and ran if they saw what happened. But you stayed there and did what you could. Granted, you did kind of overdo it, but more than needed is always better than less.” Dante nodded, rubbing the back of his head while he look around, seeing all the soldiers of st night casually walking around, seemingly unaffected by the events of st night. “I’m... I’m just gd everyone’s okay.” “Say. Now that I think about it, the both of you are a little strange for a couple of low-ranking mercs from the Guild. Are you really in it for the coin? You wouldn’t be able to spend any of that dead.” Dante shook his head in response, giving a deep sigh as he went to answer. “I only… want to help whoever I can. Ever since I was a kid, all I ever really thought about was… leaving the house and being somewhere where I was needed. Even if it was in a pce I never really came to know. Something about being wherever I could possibly be, doing whatever I could do to improve Nimouervil… it’s not really the thrones that are enticing me. It’s more the souls of the people I’ve helped.” Pryderi seemed to listen closely to every word he said, pursing his lips while he stood in deep thought for a moment. “I hear you, Pildel. Say, if the both of you aren’t in too much of a rush, I’m gonna be hosting a speech ter today. I would really appreciate it if both of you could come.” Dante looked up at Ireishil, shrugging as her answer, Dante looking back to Pryderi with a smile. “I’ll see you there, Pryderi.” Pryderi gave a tip of his hat before turning and walking away. Vikm had seemed to leave during the conversation, leaving Dante alone with Ireishil. Looking up at her, Dante then inhaled, her looking down at him as he began to talk. “I… I guess I haven’t really gotten around to thanking you. I really owe you my life, Ireishil.” “It’s my job.” He was a bit surprised at her blunt response, though he chose to try and prod her further. “No, really. Beyond our work together, I appreciate you. I know we haven't worked together for very long, but… these couple of weeks I’ve known you for, I can really see that you’re a kind person.” She huffed, standing still while fidgeting with her fingers for a second, eventually managing an answer. “Thank you.” Was all she said in response, Dante feeling like he maybe got his message in while he walked by his lonesome into the tavern. Being met with a round of cheers, Dante stood somewhat shocked as a particurly stout dendriko man walked up to him, shaking his hand with both hands as he went off in a drunken ramble. “You! You really outdid yourself, mmh…. y - you did a lot out there, d. You’ve more curr-age than the rest of these fuckwits.” He yelled out, a couple of obscenities hurled his way from the other soldiers as he further rambled. “...but, ‘sides all that. Your keep is earned, and I want ye to know that - that selfless attitude you got is just… incant-desk-ent. Iri… dess-zent. Whatever the word is.” Dante ughed out, freeing himself from his grasp as he tried to stand straight before him. “Thank you. I really appreciate it, and I’m sorry if I made you worry about me.” The drunkard then leaned both of his hands on his shoulders, leaning his head into Dante’s chest as he started sobbing, Dante able to feel the warmth of the dendriko’s slightly dirtied fur through his robes. “You - you really bloody did! I thought the d who got me out a grave was gonna put ‘imself in one. I was sick until you were in, d. Sick.” Dante felt a bit uncomfortable from the contact, wincing slightly while he tried to carefully pry himself from the stranger’s hold. “It’s, haha… it’s okay. We’re all fine now.” “I was s - so worried… that I couldn’t tell ya I loved you before you died. You’re such a… a kind soul, and k - kinda cute-lookin’,” The drunkard muttered, his face tinting a slight pink while his fingers ran across Dante’s smooth, hairless jawline. Dante patted him on his back as he managed to successfully slide from his arms, the dendriko man only standing there and staring at him while Dante cautiously walked to another part of the tavern. With a gss of chilled water ordered, Dante rexed at the bar, alone with his thoughts while the warm atmosphere gave him enough comfort to think about the people he’s met. Namely, the arterian bodyguard who had saved his life so many times in what was only about a week. He rested his head in his arms, his horns knocking against the wood of the bar while he thought more about Ireishil. He never had many friends outside of his family’s closed circle and that Amia vilge, but he was still confident he was on good terms with her, even if she was a bit cold. He felt a sort of strange, slightly foreboding feeling while he was around her. It wasn’t kinship or love, it was more like it was something meant to be, as if the two of them were meant to defend people together. While he found himself deep in thought about his family and Ireishil, everyone around him suddenly got up, heading out of the door as news of an official announcement was coming from the Captain. Reminded to attend it, Dante followed them, ready for the morale-boosting speech that Pryderi was about to give.

  “Brothers and sisters of the Wolves, I come to you with much to say. With success on the raid of the neighboring bandit camp, we have guaranteed this city safety from the marauders who once pgued it. With few casualties, and a redistribution of what they had once stolen, we Wolves have proven worth our pride once again. We are the followers of the Force of the Hunt, and its teachings of fending for your pack and ensuring your prey and predators both know you show no weakness to them. It is with this, that I must say that being a Captain for the Wolves is a title of which I am incredibly proud of, and that leading the charge with you all has been a tradition that holds steady, even in the face of the grandest of adversaries.” Finishing that sentence with a bit of a softer note, the crowd cheered in response, some rum being flung around between the ecstatic vigintes. Pryderi cleared his throat, standing tall above the crowd from his wooden stand as he continued. “And that is why, I’m saying with much regret… that I will no longer be your Captain. My family has been passing down the title of Captain for decades. But as you all know, my brother had fallen victim to an ambush many years ago, and our shared family had left a path for us to the afterlife many years before. I will not end the lineage with myself. With his wisdom, his retion to my loss, and his high head… well, about as high a head as a dendriko can have…” Pryderi said with a chuckle, some ughter and looks of awe being mixed in the crowd before him. “...it’s only Vikm that I could ever trust with leading this chapter. And it’s him who shall.” Taking off a golden band on his Wolves-embroidered neckce, he waited for Vikm to climb onto the podium, sticking it into his palm as Vikm looked back at the crowd. “Well? What’re ye waiting for? The departure of a great man to continue his legacy, that deserves celebration!” He yelled out, the crowd growing into a rumbustious party as Pryderi navigated around it, meeting up with Dante and Ireishil as he looked between the both of them with a bit of a grin. “Well… now that I’m out of the Wolves, I have to look for work. Maybe I could do some guild jobs with a couple of new friends of mine.” Dante looked up at Pryderi in a bit of disbelief for a moment, looking over at Ireishil to see a simir look of shock cracking on her normally neutral face. “Wait, what? You really want to leave your home behind to work with us?” Pryderi nodded, looking back up at Ireishil before continuing. “If it’s not too much trouble. You may have not noticed, Dante, but what you said about your childhood really touched me. You grew up away from all the darkness of the world, and yet your first instinct when you got out there is to risk your life to save people. I’ve been running around with the same people my whole life, but now I want to be there with you, helping however I can.” Dante looked up at Ireishil, her shrugging as Dante asked her something. “Uhm. Is that fine with the Guild, Ireishil? Do you know?” “It is fine. But he will need to be examined first. I believe we will be qualified for more dangerous, high-paying jobs if we include him.” Pryderi nodded, putting his bow around his back as he walked behind them as the wagon approached. “Examination’s fine with me, I’m sure I have some tricks not even they know.” With plenty of room on the cart, Pryderi plopped down next to Dante, the wagon taking off from the town as Pryderi’s departure be signaled with people waving torches and drinks from the entrance, Prdyeri giving a final salute out the back of the cart as his new journey began to take him far from home. “You’re going to miss them quite a lot, aren’t you?” Dante questioned, Pryderi chuckling, nodding his head. “Sure will. But,” Pryderi reached his hand under his coat’s colr, revealing the neckce with the Wolves emblem embedded on the silver centerpiece. “This little piece will remind me of them.”

  Leaving so te into the day was a strange feeling for Dante, the night sky descending upon the wagon as they were reaching back to the border. Pryderi rested against the wood exterior of the cart as he looked between his 2 new companions. “I guess this is what you two have been doing a lot, huh? Oughtta furnish the cab a little.” Dante nodded, slouching down while he rested his hands on his chest. “What do the both of you do to pass the time?” Pryderi prodded. “Well… usually I ask Ireishil about something, or we prepare a meal. Sometimes we stop for a moment in case we find something on the road.” Ireishil nodded as Pryderi’s eyes went over to her for any further expnation, him shrugging as he looked back at Dante. “What do you two usually talk about?” “I usually prod her about local culture or rumors. Often ones in proximity to where our next mission is.” The familiar mutant city came back into vision, earning a curious stare from Dante. Pryderi peered over his shoulder, signaling for Dante to scoot into the cart while he drew his bow. “Huh? What’s wrong?” Dante asked, Pryderi having his sights locked on some of the shambling folk close to the road as he loaded an arrow. “This kind of pce is bad news at night. The highwaymen here get a whole lot braver when they can get the jump on you.” The coachman took note of it, urging the gefyls driving the wagon to start galloping faster. Pryderi kneeled perfectly still against the wooden barrier, his bance ending when the carriage suddenly stopped, Pryderi falling down while he quickly turned to the coachman. Ireishil sprung up with her weapons drawn as she readied for a fight beside a more reluctant Dante. “Sorry, but… there’s some fel here, all he has is a bowl.” Jumping out of the wagon, all 3 of them walked up to the individual. A feathered man, he sported a pair of rge, boney wings behind him as his taloned hands and feet dragged against the floor. He had a single hand pointed up to the 3 of them, his malnourished face sucked of most of its life while he mumbled something incoherent. “Is that some kind of monster?” Dante asked, Ireishil shaking her head as she answered before Pryderi. “It is a Zahnei mutant. They commonly look like this.” Feeling sort of bad that he just called him a monster right to his face, Dante bent down, taking more note of the mutant’s starved body. “Are you… alright? Do you need food?” He looked up into Dante’s eyes, gasping for air before managing to get an answer out. “...please. My wife… children, we’ve nothing in days. Anything… please, good sir.” Dante looked back, thinking for a moment. “Do we have any spare rations?” Pryderi sighed, shaking his head at Dante’s reaction. “Pildel, I admire your kindness. But we’d start starving ourselves in minutes if we fed every mutant we ran across. We should go while we can.” “But, look at him! He said his children were starving! We have to do something.” Ireishil smacked against the wagon, the coachman readying the gefyls to move again as she slowly walked back towards it. “Dante, we’re going. We’re wasting our time here.” With a heavy sigh, Dante turned away from the mutant, his attempt to return to the wagon stopped when he felt him grab the back of his robe. “Please! We will die without you!” He screamed out, Dante struggling to try and pull away from him, gncing at Ireishil to see her running to intervene. “A - Ah! I’m sorry, please let me go - ” Dante felt a swift breeze graze along his back from Ireishil’s weapon. He looked back to see Ireishil having cleanly sliced off the mutant’s arm, his eyes widening and his mouth going agape at the sight. The mutant shrieked out in pain, gripping the bleeding stump that was once his arm while he quickly shambled away. “...I - Ireishil! What in the forces?!” He blurted out, looking up at Ireishil as his eyes started watering. “We have to go, Dante. There will be mo - ” “No! You just attacked someone that didn’t mean us harm! Why did you do that?” “He was grabbing you. He was going to attack you had we left you alone with him.” Sniffling, Dante walked back to the wagon without another word, sitting on the end of it and keeping his back turned away from the others. The hope he felt brewing within him was snuffed with the sudden act of violence. With a deep sigh, Dante rested his hands on his ps, trying to ignore his growing feelings of animosity towards his fellow comrades.