By the first light of dawn, the army was already packed and ready to leave. Andrian and I had barely slept, but we both felt refreshed and perhaps a little more at ease than before. I was amazed at the comfort I’d found in letting go of my fears and relinquishing control. I felt like I was ready to conquer anything the Vraynian nobility could throw at me. I wasn't ready to say the same for my father, but I was ready to try.

As we were leaving, I discovered that Andrian had requested that Vargas be temporarily reassigned so that he could accompany us to Vrayna. He seemed to know that the time we spent together was as much friendship as it was therapy. At first I was worried that Andrian might be bothered by this, but instead of being jealous, he told me he was glad I had someone to talk to and not to worry about him misunderstanding.

The journey from the lion village to the borderland passed quickly, and before I knew it, we had crossed over into eastern Vrayna. My homeland felt unfamiliar to me, even though I’d only been gone a few moon cycles. Unlike the vast jungle that surrounded the lion village, which somehow remained green all year round, the trees in eastern Vrayna had already begun their seasonal change. The green leaves were tinged with the yellows and oranges that marked the coming of autumn, though the heat of summer had yet to dissipate. We bypassed the city of Shelfort and entered the great forest that surrounded the capital city of Luz Dorada.

Over the course of our travels, I had the opportunity to get to know quite a few of the soldiers we traveled with. Most of them remembered me from before, but due to the circumstances of my departure from Vrayna, we had never spoken to each other. At first they were wary of me, both a human and a general’s mate, but it didn’t take long before they were treating me as one of their own. At least, most of them were.

The cat beastmen and many of the beastmen from the south embraced me with open arms and treated me as a friend, but the wolf beastmen kept their distance. Harlow had made his feelings clear, and their feelings seemed to mirror his. While Coraggio, the other wolf general, was always welcoming and friendly toward me, he was the only wolf who was.

I didn’t particularly mind though. It was the same in the village; there were simply some people whose opinions couldn’t be changed. I know it sounds strange, but their hostility was almost comforting, because I knew they wouldn't hurt me. There was a large grey area between like and hatred that I hadn't ever experienced before.

The first night in the great forest, we camped in a large clearing the army had discovered during their last journey through. When I traveled with a smaller group, everyone had to share in the work, and there was always more work to be done. With a larger group, such a the one we were with, there were people who were there solely to cook, build fires, or tend to the horses. I’d never appreciated how pleasant it was to have someone else to do the chores before that. I may not have been treated well by my father, but I'd never had to do servant’s work. Now such treatment felt like a luxury, not a right of birth. From the perspective of some, however, it may not have seemed that way.

“Looks like the oh so noble human expects to be served here too.”

I was sitting around the fire with some of the cat beastmen, and Vargas had arrived carrying a bowl from the common pot for each of us. A group of wolf soldiers were passing us by as he handed me my portion before sitting down next to me. We both stiffened at the sound of the voice behind us.

“Of course he does,” a different voice replied, “probably too weak to carry his bowl that far anyways.”

“Hey human,” the first wolf called out, “are you too weak to carry it yourself or do you need a servant to stroke your noble ego?”

“Don’t even bother responding,” Vargas advised me, “he’s just looking for a fight.”

“What about you, Vargas? You chasing after the general’s sloppy seconds or what?” the wolf asked him, “I can’t figure out why else you’d put up with him.”

Vargas gritted his teeth. “Actually, I wasn’t putting up with anything until you showed up. Feel free to continue on. Go on. Shoo.” He made a dismissive gesture and shoved a bite of food into his mouth.

“Why? So you can fawn all over the precious little human some more?” The wolf seemed determined to start a fight, but Vargas ignored him and focused on his food. “What do you think, human, if I serve you some food, do I get a piece of that ass too?”

I knew Vargas had told me not to respond, but I couldn’t seem to hold back and told him, “Sorry, I’m not into dogs.”

I instantly regretted my words as the wolf took a step toward me and raised his hand as if to strike me. It seemed I’d hit a nerve. I flinched and closed my eyes, preparing myself for a painful blow, but his fist never landed. When I opened my eyes, I saw Harlow standing there with a white knuckled grip on the soldier’s wrist.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked in an icy voice.

“Sir! I’m sorry sir,” the wolf immediately apologized, “I acted on instinct and went a little too far.”

“A little?” Harlow asked, still gripping the soldier’s hand, "Attacking the person we're escorting is more than a little." I doubted the general cared about what happened to me, but he wasn't going to let his subordinate act out either.

“He called me a dog, sir. I have a right to be angry. That human’s been acting all high and mighty and– ah!” He couldn’t continue his tirade because Harlow twisted his arm viciously.

“Why are we doing all this?” Harlow asked in a menacing voice.

“To make peace with the humans, sir,” the wolf replied in a strained voice, pain evident in his increasingly pale face.

“So do you think that battering the face of the human who will help us make peace is going to help our cause?” Harlow continued, twisting the wolf’s arm even further.

“No sir, I’m sorry sir,” he apologized desperately and Harlow released his arm. Relief was evident on the soldier's face, but he still glared in my direction, unhappy with this turn of events.

“Now,” Harlow added with an unpleasant smile, “let’s resolve this according to proper procedure. Lieutenant Jerran, you claim he insulted you, yes?” Harlow’s smile widened as the soldier came to an understanding and nodded. “Falyn, the lieutenant here is claiming insult. Do you claim the same?”

I somehow felt like I’d been trapped. I looked to Vargas for an explanation, “What does claiming insult mean?”

“It means a challenge. Kind of like when you’ve seen us shift and fight for fun. Wrestling, not a real fight. No claws, no biting, and you fight in front of everyone. The winner can demand something from the loser as compensation. You can choose to decline and walk away, but not claiming insult back would be like admitting you’re in the wrong,” Vargas advised. I noticed that he made it sound like I'd only watched the lions fight for fun.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

I thought about it for a moment, sizing up the wolf in front of me. In his human form, he would be the clear victor. A few moon cycles of training was nothing compared to his years of experience in the battlefield. However, in his beast form, he would be the one at a disadvantage. Thanks to Vargas, I was certain that he would underestimate my abilities, and I was going to use that against him.

“What could he demand from me if I lose?” I asked.

“If you lose? You actually think you stand a chance at beating me?” Lieutenant Jerran scoffed. “I’ll go easy on you, little human. If I win, you can kiss my feet and admit you’re nothing but a weak, entitled, little bitch.”

He had no idea that I had plenty of practice wrestling with the lions, and the punishment he demanded was one I could live with. I’d come a long way from the frightened boy I once was and I felt confident that I wouldn’t lose.

“Fine, but what if I win?” I asked him.

The wolf laughed scornfully and said, “You won’t. The problem with you humans is that you act all high and mighty when you’re clearly the weaker, inferior species.”

“Then, since you don’t think I stand a chance, you won’t mind agreeing to be this inferior human’s servant when you lose?” I met his eyes with determination. I had no desire to make him do anything for me, but I did want to make him regret his words. “Only until we reach the city, of course.”

“I won’t lose, so fine, I agree,” he spat at me.

General Harlow looked a little too pleased with himself. I doubted this was a battle he expected me to win. He’d protected me from being hit by the soldier, but he was clearly enjoying causing me trouble as well.

Before we could proceed any further, Andrian appeared at my side, looking like he was ready to rip someone apart. In a camp of this size, word traveled fast enough that he was already on his way to me while we were deciding the terms.

His voice was low and full of hostility as he asked, “Who the hell is claiming insult of my mate?”

“I am,” Lieutenant Jarren answered him, holding his ground in the face of Andrian’s wrath. “He called me a dog.”

Andrian looked at me in surprise and I told him honestly, “He asked if he could get a piece of my ass, so I told him I’m not into dogs.”

Andrian burst out laughing at my explanation. It seemed he now realized that I'd had some hand in creating this mess and was neither upset nor afraid. When his laughter had calmed, he pulled me close, kissed me, and said, “Have fun then.”

“Wait, you’re not actually okay with this, are you?” General Harlow asked, looking surprised.

"Did you expect me to swoop in and stop it?” Andrian asked back. “Why would I? Falyn can take care of himself. I doubt your dog knows what he’s in for.”

The lieutenant looked like he wanted to say something more, but thought better of it. My confidence soared when Andrian said I could take care of myself. Just like when we went monster hunting, if Andrian believed in me, then I could believe in myself. Only this time, there was much less risk involved. I almost felt guilty since the wolf lieutenant seemed to take this seriously, but I was only looking at it as a fun challenge. The guilt disappeared when I remembered how he’d spoken to me earlier. It was all right for him to criticize me for being a human noble, but I didn't like that he insinuated that I was unfaithful to Andrian.

An area was cleared, and a surprising amount of soldiers had crowded around to watch. They were drinking and having a good time. Some soldiers were making casual bets and treating it like an event. I heard enough to realize that even the soldiers who were cheering me on were also betting against me.

“Alright boys,” Harlow said to us, “Jarren already knows the rules but I’ll explain them all for our human friend. No teeth, no claws, and just in case, no weapons. Might against might only. No causing intentional damage but accidents and bruises happen. Winner is determined by successfully pinning your opponent. Normally, you can admit defeat by shifting back to human form, but since you can’t shift, we're adding an additional rule. You can shout ‘mercy’ if you wish to surrender.” He wore a smug smile on his face as he explained that last rule. Then he asked, “Any questions?”

I shook my head. It was exactly the same as how the lions played.

“Don’t you think it’s a little unfair to make a human fight one of us in beast form?” Rastari’s voice sounded from off to the side. "I don't like this one bit."

“He’ll be fine,” Harlow dismissed Rastari's concerns, “Falyn knew what he was getting into. The worst that'll happen to him is getting pinned. The only part of him that Jerran will hurt is his pride.”

“Ras,” I cut in before they could argue about it, “I had everything explained to me before I agreed. Trust me. I have no intention of losing, but I'll be fine if I do."

Rastari met my eyes and whatever he saw in them convinced him. Both he and Harlow backed away and Lieutenant Jerran shifted into his wolf form. He was a little bit larger than I'd expected, given his average stature, but he was still smaller than Vargas’s lion by a reasonable margin. The wolf growled menacingly, but I could tell it was a posturing growl. He would follow the rules.

Before I could get into a defensive posture, he’d already leapt at me. I just barely managed to move my body in time to avoid him and stay on my feet. He was fast. Faster than what I was used to. Similar to Andrian when he was a cub. It had been a long time since I’d had an opponent that was smaller than me. I smiled and adjusted my stance.

When he attacked the second time, I was prepared and threw myself backwards right as he pounced on me, using the momentum to land favorably and flip us over so that I was on top. He immediately got out from under me and stood back, watching me. He issued a low growl, clearly taking me more seriously now.

He leapt at me again, and I took the hit, using his momentum against him. He expected it this time and took control before I could pin him. We rolled around, grappling for a moment, and this time I was the one who had to escape. I wanted to take the initiative and attack first, but he was on me again before I could adjust. Back on the ground, I used the tactics my younger self had used against a much smaller Andrian. I took advantage of my longer limbs and used my legs more.

The crowd had grown quiet as they watched us struggle. Again and again, he attack before I could recover from our last grapple. We'd struggle for a while, then whoever was about to be pinned would break free. It went on long enough that I was sweating and short of breath. The wolf’s attacks were getting slower and less effective as his endurance wore down.

I summoned my last bit of energy and took advantage of his slowed movements to make my first proactive attack. If I failed this time, I’d run out of stamina and the victory would be his. Surprised by my sudden burst of speed, the wolf didn’t defend properly against my attack, and I managed to grab one of its legs and twist it behind him. I hoped I had guessed correctly and it was the arm Harlow had twisted earlier.

Almost instantly, he shifted back to human form to avoid further damage to his arm. For a moment there was no sound other than us both panting from the effort of our fight, then I heard him mutter, “Well shit,” from beneath me. Shifting back to human form meant he’d given up and I was the winner.

I released his arm and stood up. He stood up after me, spitting sideways on the ground, looking very displeased with his situation. I heard roaring cheers erupt from Andrian, Vargas, and the lions they’d secretly advised to bet in my favor. General Harlow looked as if he’d swallowed a bug.

“I know I said I’d make you my servant if you lost,” I said to Jarren, “but I really don’t want to deal with having you around me that much.”

“So what are you going to demand instead?” he asked sullenly.

“Nothing,” I replied. “I don’t want anything from you. I just wanted to beat you. I wasn’t in the wrong and I wasn’t going to let you intimidate me. I don’t know why you felt like you needed to pick a fight with me in the first place, but I hope you're done with it now.”

I felt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind and heard Andrian’s voice say, “Did I ever tell you that my mate was the one who taught me how to wrestle when I was cub. He also fights with the lions in the village. He's an even match for Vargas over there. So, if he can take on a lion, then wouldn't a yapping dog like you be easy? And don't ever let me hear you say anything about getting a piece of his ass. Next time, it’ll be me who claims the insult.”

The wolf’s face hardened, but his voice was calm as he said, “Understood, sir.”

After that, I found myself receiving random but friendly challenges from the cat beastmen who wanted to see if they could beat me. Rastari was particularly determined to challenge me. However, for that night at least, the one fight was all I could manage. I made some shallow promises about future nights and left with Andrian to return to our tent.