††† Siegfried †††

Ryden was waiting for them atop the plateau, his smile seeming genuine as always when he picked up the mood.

"Seems like we make for a great team," Ryden said, gesturing at the slain howlers around them.

"It was quite the surprise for me," Siegfried admitted. "When we entered the forest, it was almost devoid of any creatures, safe for that clawbear. Wouldn't a pack of predators like that need a lot of bigger prey to survive here?"

"That would be thanks to the enforcers," Ryden answered. "They only send a team out of the city a few times a year, but even the animals know to avoid them. This pack coming out to hunt might also indicate that the enforcers left the area already."

"Switch one kind of monster for another," Haylee huffed.

"Maybe, but I'd rather take my chances with the howlers." Ryden crossed his arms, fixating Siegfried with a frown. "The way you fought those two howlers was almost inhuman. And I mean your reflexes and adaptive reaction, not your ability."

"I've always had good reflexes, eyesight and hearing. That didn't change when I… changed," Sieg replied.

A glint of scepticism flared in Ryden's eyes, but he didn't press the matter.

"Anyway," Sieg continued, "I wanted to ask if you could help me out with that ability of mine. With your knowledge as a physician, I mean."

Siegfried recounted their early attempts with his shapeshifting ability and the limits of their usefulness.

Ryden let out a deep sigh. "Of course, I could help with that. I know more about the human body than most. But that kind of knowledge is equally powerful and dangerous. I believe that you truly seek to get stronger to change Nemeah for the better. But I'll also need your word that you won't pass on that knowledge to others without my consent."

"Then you have it, together with my heartfelt gratitude once again," Sieg promised in his typically stoic manner, trying his hardest not to crack a smile when Haylee cheered with joy and broke the serious moment.

Ryden gave in first, snorting a laugh while shaking his head. Siegfried followed, marvelling how easily the energetic woman could lighten up the mood simply by being herself.

"Well then, I take it you would like to start with shifting your bones into weapons, as you've already made some progress there," Ryden started. "First of all, we should determine your limitations. Even if you can somehow store more mass, it can't be endless."

"And how would we go about that?"

"Just use your enamel blades again. But this time, try to extend them as far as possible. Or even make them broader in the middle — doesn't matter. Just put in more material."

It was easier said than done. The blades instantly sprouted from his palms in the same shape and length as always. But changing them was a conscious effort that Sieg still struggled with. A few minutes of awkward silence followed as nothing seemed to happen.

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Ryden held onto Sieg, watching for any changes they couldn't see with the naked eye, but failed to detect anything unusual.

"Maybe you shouldn't try to use the same material as your blades. The core is definitely bone. Just go with that alone, as you did when training with Haylee," the trained physician advised.

Shortly afterwards, the sharp appendages grew longer, with the newly added length at the base consisting purely of bone. The process went slow but steady until Sieg began to struggle to keep his arms up. Both blades were already as long as the warrior was tall when he sucked in a pained breath. It felt as if his intestines were feasting on each other. Just like the first time he tried to regenerate a wound while being half-starved already. When he explained the same to Ryden, the healer asked him to reverse the changes immediately.

"How do you feel?" Haylee asked, concerned.

"I'm okay after retracting them again," he answered, putting his hand over his stomach, "but I'm ravenous."

Ryden laughed with glee. "To be honest, I had to think about this ever since you explained the extent of your shapeshifting abilities." His voice bristled with childlike anticipation. "I can't believe it could be that easy. What did you do the last time you felt this to regain your strength?"

"I need to eat a lot after regenerating anything. And I mean a lot," Sieg admitted.

Ryden's grin broadened. "And have you ever tried how much you can eat, even after being sated?"

"Never had that much food to waste. Neither do we have it now. The food we brought with us is nearly gone."

"Wrong, my friend,” Ryden said enthusiastically, gripping Sieg’s shoulder. “Right now, we have more meat than a dozen men could eat." Ryden still grinned, gesturing at the massive, furred bodies littering the ground.

Haylee broke into a fit of laughter as Sieg stared at Ryden in schock. It was a mix of disbelief and anticipation as if he expected Ryden to admit he just made a bad joke.

"You want me to eat monster flesh?"

"I think you misunderstand what they are, Siegfried," Ryden snickered. "But I get that you city dwellers are somewhat ignorant of the outside world, with the Red Brigade controlling the available information about us. Let's start with the basics here," the healer said, taking a moment to consider where to begin. "There are two types of what your people call 'changelings'. The first are those with special abilities like me. As far as I know, only physically unchanged humans can have those, and we are exceedingly rare. The second types are humans and animals that have somehow mixed with a different species.

"It's hard to prove by now, but I believe that all of them are composed of two species that were the original inhabitants of our world. I came to that conclusion because several animals and evolved humans clearly have the same ancestor. These howlers, for example, seem to be part wolf. Several other animals and evolved humans share the same traits — wolf-like traits. Some species are more human than animal, having our intelligence, while others live purely on instinct," he nodded towards the howlers again.

Sieg remembered the stories of changelings that went into an animalistic rage in the city. Apparently, those few cases weren’t exaggerated by the Red Brigade.

"I've heard stories about wolves, though I've never seen one," Haylee intermitted. "There are also some metaphors including them, so they must have been common around here at some time. Makes sense."

"Exactly," Ryden confirmed. "And I know there are still areas with several packs of wolves. Although they are confined to environments that lack larger herbivores and, thereby, larger predators. That said, I hope you understand that the term 'monster' is a bit misleading here. There is nothing otherworldly or magical about them. No 'cursed flesh' or whatever you had in mind," he chuckled.

An unsettling feeling took root in Siegfried's stomach when he applied this new knowledge to the howlers.

"Better not think about it too much," Haylee winced, guessing which way Siegfried's line of thought went. "Let's find a more secluded place behind the rock wall and start a fire. We should move the carcasses anyway. No need for scavengers."

The cat-girl went scouting the rock-formations, as she was their best climber by a wide margin. Ryden and Siegfried fetched a knife and the enforcer's sword from the cave and got to work hauling the heavy bodies out of view.