Lian and Kairen returned to the forest village, escorting the wounded Kronatian sentries back from the patrol. As they entered the village, the sight of battered warriors stirred unrest among the residents. Whispers spread like fire through dry grass, and the villagers' eyes filled with unease and fear.
The elders and officials rushed to calm them, offering reassurances, but their words were flimsy bandages over a gaping wound. The tension lingered, thick and heavy.
Lian and Kairen could feel it, too.
Their presence—foreign, unfamiliar—was like salt in an open cut. The villagers' sidelong glances made it clear: strangers were not a comfort, and their very existence might have been amplifying the unrest.
Away from the crowd, Lian turned to Kairen, voice low."Is this because of us? Maybe we're only making things worse. Perhaps we should leave."
Kairen shook his head calmly."Leaving won't solve anything. The Fenrius threat doesn't vanish if we turn our backs. They'll come again—and when they do, this village may need us more than they realize."
Lian considered this, then slowly nodded. They wouldn't leave—not yet. Instead, they would help hold the line in their own way. That night, under the pale weight of the moon, the two men set out to patrol the forest once more.
The forest at night was a tapestry of shadows and whispers. Every rustle of leaves felt like a warning, every gust of wind like the breath of something unseen.
Then—they felt it.
A presence.
A small, darting shadow moved between the trees, too fast for a normal wolf, too oddly shaped to be entirely human.
Lian's hand went to his sword. "A werewolf?"
But as the figure broke into view, his eyes widened.
It wasn't a hulking Fenrius warrior.
It was small. Young. Barely past a pup's age.
"This… exists?" Lian muttered. He had only ever known the Fenrius as terrifying adults, fully formed monsters of claw and fury. But this creature—this child—was different.
The young werewolf hissed, baring small but sharp fangs, and lunged clumsily at them.
Instinctively, Lian drew his sword, his muscles coiling for a killing blow—
—but Kairen's hand caught his arm.
"Wait," Kairen's voice was firm, steady. "That is not an enemy."
Lian hesitated, then lowered his blade by an inch.
Kairen stepped forward, sidestepping the clumsy attack, and struck with a precise, controlled hand strike to the creature's neck. The young Fenrius collapsed to the ground, unconscious—not harmed, only subdued.
Lian frowned. "Why knock it out? You know what these things are—what they grow into. Why not finish it now?"
Kairen's answer was quiet, but certain."This one is a child. He poses no real threat—not yet. And if we kill every cub we see, what future do we leave behind?"
Lian stared at the unconscious creature, conflicted. But in the end, he trusted Kairen's judgment.
They carried the young Fenrius to a small, hidden cave. The creature stirred occasionally, whimpering softly, but remained docile under Kairen's steady hands.
Kairen crouched beside him, palm resting gently on his head. "Perhaps they are not just monsters," he murmured.
Lian looked at him sharply. "What are you saying? That these beasts aren't our enemies?"
Kairen nodded slightly. "Even wolves have bonds. Even predators protect their own. Why should the Fenrius be different? They have instincts, yes—but maybe they have something more."
He closed his eyes, focusing his qi. His energy flowed from his hand, probing softly at the young Fenrius's mind.
The creature stilled. Its breathing slowed. The tension in its muscles melted away. When its eyes opened again, the crimson glare of hostility was gone, replaced by something smaller—wariness, confusion… curiosity.
"See?" Kairen said softly. "They are not just beasts."
Lian stepped closer, watching the creature blink up at them. "Do you think we could… talk to him?"
"Given time," Kairen replied, faintly smiling. "Perhaps. And through him, we may learn more about the Fenrius than through a hundred battles."
***
Episode 14: An Unexpectedly Human Side of the Werewolves (Part 2)
The next evening, the child Fenrius awoke fully.
He blinked against the dim light of the cave, ears twitching, and gave a soft, uncertain whine. Kairen kept his voice low, his hand gentle as he stroked the creature's head, calming him with murmured reassurances.
Lian watched from a step back, sword sheathed but his unease evident."If he's this young, won't he still grow into… what we've been fighting?"
Kairen's smile didn't falter."He'll grow, yes. But what he becomes—enemy or ally—might depend on how we treat him now."
Lian frowned, arms crossed. "You really think they're… capable of more than violence?"
"They feel fear," Kairen said softly. "They feel longing. I can sense it—he wants to go home. That's not instinct. That's… emotion."
Lian was silent for a long moment. The images of every Fenrius he had slain flickered in his mind—monsters of fury and teeth. And yet, the small creature in front of him… didn't fit that memory.
The young Fenrius lifted his head, sniffed the air, and—hesitantly—wagged his tail.
Lian blinked, almost startled. "Did he just… wag at me?"
The child tilted his head, his glowing eyes holding not malice, but a shy, cautious curiosity.
He rose shakily to his feet, took a few steps toward the cave mouth, then stopped, glancing back at them.
Kairen nodded, understanding. "He wants to leave."
Lian hesitated. "…and if we let him go?"
"Then maybe," Kairen said, "he won't come back as an enemy."
Lian didn't answer right away. He watched as Kairen gently patted the creature's back.
The young Fenrius looked at them one last time—eyes soft, tail twitching—and slipped into the night.
For a moment, only silence remained. Then, a distant howl rose in the forest—not sharp or aggressive, but low, almost… peaceful.
Lian let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Maybe… they don't have to be our enemies."
The thought hung in the cool air of the cave, fragile but alive.
****
Episode : Under the Light of the Full Moon
The howls of the Fenrius began to spread through the forest, echoing all the way to the outskirts of the Kronatian city. It wasn't the cry of mere beasts—it carried the cadence of something organized, intentional, like a signal—and it cast the entire city into fear.
Kronatian soldiers gripped their spears and swords tighter, their faces tense as they formed defensive lines. Mages stood behind them, their fingertips glowing with mana, prepared to unleash spells at a moment's notice. Ordinary townsfolk huddled inside their homes, whispering desperate prayers that this night would pass without tragedy.
Above them, the moon had risen, enormous and round, pouring its light over the world. The glow was unusually intense, as if the moon itself wanted to be seen, to remind every living creature of its presence. Under that light, the Fenrius grew stronger. Their claws lengthened, their teeth glinted like polished blades, and their movements became faster—unnervingly fast.
This was no ordinary full moon. The moon tonight was larger, sharper, and more luminous than ever before, and the Fenrius had reached the peak of their power.
The first howls reached the walls, and the siege began. Fenrius surged out of the treeline, their shapes blurring under the moonlight. The Kronatian defenses braced, but the moment the moon climbed high above the city, the assault struck like a tidal wave. The Fenrius, empowered by the full moon, moved too quickly for the eye to follow, their claws and fangs cutting through shields as if they were parchment.
Lian and Kairen plunged into the fray.
Lian swung his greatsword in a wide arc, cutting down a line of Fenrius in a single strike. The impact sent a shockwave ripping through the earth, breaking their formation. But the monsters' wounds sealed almost instantly, their flesh knitting back together before Lian could draw his next breath.
"These things… they're no ordinary foes!" Lian growled, snapping his blade into twin swords. His movements turned quicker, sharper, darting between attacks as he danced through the chaos.
Twin blades flashed like lightning, slicing two Fenrius in one motion. But the cursed beasts rose again, their rapid regeneration mocking his efforts.
"I'll hold the line!" Lian roared, swinging his blade back into its greatsword form and bracing himself. He planted his feet and blocked a wave of claws and fangs, buying his partner the moment he needed.
Kairen moved like a thunderbolt.
He gathered qi into his fists, and a flaming lion's visage exploded from his strike, engulfing a cluster of Fenrius in fire. The lion's roar shook the air as flames consumed the beasts, but the moon-fed monsters refused to stay down. They staggered, smoking, only to snarl and lunge forward again.
Lian darted back into the melee, his blades slashing in a storm of strikes. His relentless assault scattered their ranks, his twin swords cutting so fast that sparks lit the night. But the regeneration still haunted every blow.
"This will never end like this!" Lian snarled. He channeled magic into his blades, and light erupted along their edges.
With renewed force, he cut again—this time faster, deeper, before the creatures could heal. Fenrius fell in his wake, their bodies refusing to rise.
But they weren't just savages.
Even as Lian and Kairen struck them down, the Fenrius howled to one another. The cries weren't random—they were signals. Each howl carried meaning, and with every echo their tactics shifted. When Lian attacked from the front, claws struck at Kairen's exposed flank. When Kairen landed a crushing blow, another wave moved to surround him.
One Fenrius darted behind Lian, claws poised to tear him apart—
—but Lian spun, his greatsword sweeping in a brutal backhand slash. At the same instant, Kairen's qi-flame surged, his electrified fist smashing into the creature's ribs.
The battle turned into a blur of motion.
Still, the Fenrius swarmed. The pressure mounted, their synchronized attacks pushing Lian and Kairen back step by step.
With a grunt, Lian fused his blades into one massive sword again and brought it down in a devastating shockwave. The ground split, and Fenrius were hurled aside.
"Now!"
Kairen answered, his flaming lion fist igniting once more. The blaze roared through the disrupted formation, scattering them further.
Together, they pressed forward—Lian's raw force binding the enemy's movements, Kairen's strikes carving through their weak points. Strike by strike, howl by howl, the Fenrius' formation faltered.
At last, the final creature fell.
Lian exhaled, lowering his blade as the moonlight washed over the battlefield. "I thought it was over…" he murmured, gazing up at the vast, pale moon.
Kairen stood beside him, his voice steady but grim. "It isn't. Not until we break their strength completely. Until then… this fight will not end."
**
Episode : Under the Light of the Full Moon (Part 2)
The first night of battle had ended. But the moon remained, swollen and silver, staring down at the wounded city like an unblinking eye.
The Fenrius were still out there.
Kronatian soldiers patched wounds, reforged shields, and re-formed lines. Lian and Kairen, exhausted but unyielding, prepared for what was to come.
On the second night, the Fenrius returned—cleverer, deadlier.
They struck from storm drains and broken walls, slipping through gaps no one had considered vulnerable. Some appeared inside the city itself, bypassing the front lines entirely.
But the defenders had learned. The Kronatians held their lines with grim discipline, and with Lian's blade and Kairen's burning fists, the Fenrius were repelled.
On the third morning, the Kronatian elders gathered.
Defense would no longer be enough.
They resolved to attack—to march into the depths of the forest and strike the Fenrius where they lived.
Lian and Kairen would go with them.
But unease gnawed at the two warriors.
The memory of the young Fenrius they'd spared days before wouldn't leave their minds. Could these creatures—all of them—truly be nothing more than enemies?
The army advanced into the forest.
Darkness thickened with every step.
Broken ruins began to emerge from the undergrowth—shattered columns, toppled stone, and slabs of rock carved with strange markings.
Kairen stopped, brushing his fingers over an ancient stone. "This isn't just wild land," he murmured. "Something lived here. Something built this."
Lian traced the faded engravings with his palm. "These weren't made by beasts. This place… might have been a city once. The Fenrius' home stands on the bones of an older world."
The deeper they went, the clearer it became: The Fenrius weren't merely cursed monsters. They were the remnants of something else—something that had once been thinking, creating, living.
And then, from the trees, the small Fenrius appeared again.
The same young one.
His red eyes, once fierce, now held fear. He crept closer, hesitating, sniffing the air.
Lian knelt. "We're not here to hurt you," he whispered. He reached out a hand.
The young Fenrius flinched—but didn't run.
Kairen studied the ruins, his voice low. "This place belonged to a people. Maybe the Fenrius were once like them. Maybe they were something else before… before the curse."
Lian nodded slowly, the weight of that thought settling over him. "There's something binding them. Something… that could still be broken."
For the first time, the idea formed clearly:
The Fenrius didn't have to remain monsters. The curse could be undone.
Before the Kronatians marched to destroy the Fenrius' den, Lian and Kairen knew they had to act.
Because what they'd seen wasn't just an enemy.
It was the echo of a people who might one day be freed.