Chapter 131

Werewolves

The large predator with a dark mane roared inside the tent. Yet, its roar was hollow; its movements betrayed its pain after catching sight of the golden eyes. It dropped to all fours, its powerful leg muscles tensing, bloodied claws at the ready. However, defiant, mocking laughter caused it to hesitate.

"You're not a fell beast! You're just a fatherless bastard," a cold womanly voice rang.

The beast sensed an unknown aura, yet its pride refused to allow retreat. The muscles in its massive legs tensed, then exploded into motion as it launched into a murderous charge, its maw snapping open to bare fangs wet with saliva.

Yet, those murderous golden eyes pierced through the beast's soul, forcing it to blink as it trusted its monstrous body to pulverize the one who dared insult it. The beast crashed into the left side of the bed, overturning a chest, a small table, and a wooden seat.

The beast groaned in rage as it failed to capture her, also feeling pain from a fresh cut on its shoulder. Blood seeped from its mane as it lashed out with its claws in rage, only to find its attack parried by a sword. But it had found her and unleashed a flurry of strikes.

Against all odds, the woman with the golden eyes fought with tenacity worthy of a skilled swordsman. Moreover, the beast couldn't lock eyes with her, as doing so inflicted endless stings and jolts that resonated through its skull.

However, after several attacks, it was clear that raw power and beast-like reactions would win the day. The woman, brave as she was, couldn't keep up, especially since the beast had all the reach due to the gap in their size.

...

Lansius

The Lord of Korelia was in a dreamless sleep when suddenly the world around him turned upside down. He awoke on the carpeted floor, pained, likely having been kicked by Audrey. The chiming of bells snapped him awake instantly. A nearby howl sent a shiver down his spine, but Audrey's taunts reassured him she had some control.

Barely conscious, Lansius scrambled across the floor, his hands searching desperately for a weapon. Blinded by the darkness, he stumbled upon his crossbow, recognizing its familiar shape. A monstrous crash erupted nearby, showering him with splintered wood and flying clay. Audrey and the beast were fighting seemingly nearby.

How could she fight in this darkness! Wait, did something happen to my eyes?

Straining, he managed to load a bolt. However, in total darkness, he had nothing to guide his aim, so he continued searching amid the sounds of fighting and howling.

His hands found bread, then a goblet, until he felt a candle handle-shaped object. Swiping his hand along its length, he found a gemstone secured by a bronze frame, which emitted a feeble glow.

Holding his breath, he covered the gem with one hand to increase its brightness while keeping it concealed. Then, guided by instinct, he stood and released his palm, sending a full blaze of light into the tent.

The chamber lit up as if touched by the morning sun. Caught off guard, Audrey didn't panic, while the beast, driven by instinct, howled at this new threat. Yet, the powerful howl turned into a mad groan as a bolt violently struck the beast's chest, narrowly missing its neck.

Lansius drew his sword, only to hear another howl behind him. The gemstone was knocked from his hand as another beast forced its way through two layers of thick canvas, clawing frenziedly to tear it open. However, it failed to create a wide enough opening and instead brought the entire section of the canvas wall down.

"Lansius!" Audrey shouted as she parried an attack, narrowly evading the first beast's renewed assault. The iron stench of blood permeated the air as the beast's claws swept desperately close to her nose.

The second beast trapped Lansius beneath the canvas. He had no escape as the monstrous figure began to slash viciously at the canvas.

...

Audrey watched in horror as the second monstrous figure began to slash viciously at the canvas that had trapped Lansius underneath. However, the first beast, unbothered by its wounds and the bolt in its shoulder, attacked her relentlessly, leaving no room for her to intervene.

Audrey persisted despite her hands and grip being pained by the sheer difference in their size and strength. In fact, she surprised herself that she could fight the monster to this degree. Then, an opportunity arose. The beast momentarily lost footing over a loose carpet. Mustering all her strength, Audrey dashed towards the second beast, sword drawn. A shrill cry froze everyone in their tracks.

From beneath the canvas, a sword plunged repeatedly into the second beast's belly. Each movement was powerful and violent, charged with pure hatred.

The victimized beast took a step back, whining in agony and fear. It clutched its wounded belly, which gushed blood from several new holes.

Audrey launched herself toward it, her eyes glowing gold. The wounded beast instinctively stared at the newcomer and was blinded, shielding its eyes, which left it defenseless.

Unconsciously channeling her magic, she aimed to decapitate the beast. The sword drew blood, but Audrey miscalculated; the beast's arm obstructed her attack. It wasn't the clean-cut she intended, and in the process, she lost her sword due to the beast's reaction.

She had no time to react as the first beast was already on her back. Reacting on instinct, she spun around, dagger drawn, to face the beast. "Eryyah!" Audrey shouted as the beast leaped into her.

The beast wreaked havoc on what remained of their tent, but it didn't get her. Instead of taking the beast's strike head-on, Audrey had used her footwork to dodge the beast's charge diagonally. Her eyes glanced toward where Lansius had last been spotted. Then, what she saw brought a grin to her face. Lansius had crawled out, bloodied and battered but alive.

With the gemstone of light still shining brightly on the floor, Lansius advanced toward the monstrous presence that was nearest to him, sword drawn. From his gait, Audrey knew the magic from the necklace had activated.

Lansius attacked the beast that had pinned him with unprecedented, almost animalistic ferocity. His eyes filled with rage, and his movements displayed unbridled violence. The beast fell, crashing down, and voiced its final howl as Lansius plunged his sword toward its throat.

The first beast stood, seemingly recognizing the bigger threat.

Lansius pulled his sword, glanced at Audrey, and walked toward the first beast. Acknowledging this, the beast, unfazed by the demise of its kin nearby, greeted him with bared fangs.

Suddenly, Lansius slowed his approach and assumed a sword stance. He moved with small steps, maintaining a perfect form. The beast interpreted this as hesitation and charged with a murderous howl.

Lansius had waited for this. He countered the beast’s right arm and claws as if they were a polearm, with a swift, forceful slash, leveraging his entire weight. His Midlandian steel bit deep. The gamble had paid off. Yet, the beast, hardly human, doubled down on its assault, hammering Lansius with its left arm. He tumbled to the ground.

The beast attempted to follow up, but a bolt struck its mane, halting its advance as it recoiled, spitting out blood. Shocked and terrified, it saw Audrey had found her crossbow and was now reloading it, drawing the string as if a bow.

The beast could only manage a few hurried steps before another bolt struck its chest. It gritted its fangs and cried out in pain. Using its large right forearms to shield its body, it saw a significant chunk of flesh dangling, with bone exposed.

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Lansius' cut had caused more damage than expected.

Then, from out of nowhere, a halberd struck the beast's back.

"Carla!" Audrey shouted as she left her loaded crossbows and dashed forward toward a spear on the ground, trusting her instinct that a spear would be a better weapon.

"My Lady!" Carla replied, panting, struggling with all her strength despite bloodied and bruised face, to not let go of the shaft as the beast fought back in rage and pain.

As they moved, a lantern fell, brightly igniting a carpet and revealing the shambled condition of the tent’s entrance. Outside, veiled by fog, were sounds of fighting and shouts. It was clear that someone must have rallied the men, as they were now fighting against what were likely other beasts.

Yet, the chaos outside had little effect to the beast inside. It cunningly feigned being distracted before launching a fierce swipe at Audrey. She ducked, narrowly evading the sharp claws. Meanwhile, Carla gripped the halberd shaft firmly and yelled as she drove it deeper into the beast, causing it to emit a terrifying groan.

Seizing the moment, Audrey boldly thrust her spear forward. Just as the beast was on the verge of breaking free, Audrey's attack halted its movement. In defense, the beast managed a counter, resulting in the spear striking only its left arm.

"Tch," Audrey spat, thinking it was a failure, but in reality, the two had cornered the beast, which now gasped in pain.

Carla maintained her grip on her halberd. It was now too deeply embedded to dislodge, and the beast's breathing grew labored.

Then, from inside the ruined tent, Lansius appeared with a loaded crossbow in one hand. He picked up Audrey's loaded crossbow from the floor and approached the beast, now armed with two. His brown eyes stared at the beast, declaring, "If you have intellect, then let it be known that I come in peace and have no quarrel with your kin."

The beast cackled and in a hoarse but human language, replied mockingly, "You certainly don't smell like Nicopolans. But your men reek of them."

Lansius maintained his composure. "I saved them," he stated firmly. "Rescued them from the jaws of famine. I also came here to rescue the people of Umberland."

"Rescue...?" It burst into ominous laughter, blood dripping from its maw, causing Audrey and Carla to tighten their grips on their spear and halberd, respectively. Surprisingly, it didn't counter; instead, it offered another reply, "Then perhaps I was mistaken."

The admission led everyone to exchange glances. Before anyone could respond, the beast continued, "Seek my sister. Tell her she was right... As for this... mess, I shall take the blame."

Its two large furry hands grabbed its head, and with a loud crack and groan, twisted sharply, surprising everyone. Despite its neck now broken and twisted, the beast stumbled, locking eyes with Lansius once more. "Farewell, whoever... or whatever you are..."

With a loud crash, the beast collapsed backward. In a final act of defiance and insult, the dark-maned beast urinated, drenching everything in a horrific, putrid stench. Only then its breathing ceased.

Outside, the remaining beast unleashed one final howl before being cut down by the Black Knights.

Even in their nightclothes, armed only with swords and shields, the knights proved formidable. Now, the combined relief force, led by none other than Lord Jorge, appeared at the ruined command tent, lanterns, and torches alight.

They saw Lansius in a bloodied tunic, still standing with a loaded crossbow in each hand. Carla stood nearby, still clutching her halberd connected to the werewolf's body. Audrey, her golden eyes glowing, locked eyes with them. And behind her, another lifeless werewolf along with several fallen fighters. What they witnessed would spark a legend.

***

After securing the camp and finding no other threats, a team of knights rushed Lord Lansius and Lady Audrey to a makeshift field tent, protected by carts on three sides. There they received treatment. Guards with halberds now patrolled the interior, commanded by Sterling alongside several select knights and squires in full gear.

Hastily erected, the tent boasted three partitioned areas separated by canvas walls. Inside the central section, physicians tended to the wounds of several men. Meanwhile, in the innermost sanctum, Ingrid treated Carla while Lord Lansius and Lady Audrey rested their weary bodies.

It wasn't that a mage-healer was superior, but Carla's injuries demanded special care. The squire likely had a head concussion. Lansius had asked Ingrid to ensure Carla's recovery, vouching for her ability to keep it a secret.

Despite the ferocity of the fight, Lansius and Audrey managed to survive, though not without cost. Lansius, his chest and arms bearing lacerations and deep bruises from the beast that pinned him down, attributed his survival to luck and the gemstone he wore.

The double canvas walls turned out to be thick enough to stop the claws, protecting him from deeper cuts. Meanwhile, the gemstones might also have enhanced his bones, muscles, and skin to a mage's level.

"Drey," he called softly, now lying in the makeshift bed with fresh clothes and bandaged lacerations. "Earlier, how did you manage to fight so well in the dark?"

Audrey gazed at him from her bed with a tired look. "At the start? Well, it wasn’t that dark. I could still make out some silhouettes."

"But it was pitch black," he argued.

She turned curious. "You mean, you couldn’t see anything at all?"

Lansius nodded. "We were inside, and there wasn’t even starlight."

Overhearing them, Ingrid called out, "My Lady, a moment."

Audrey turned to her. "What is it, Ingrid?"

Ingrid put her fingers to where the shadows fell as the lantern was kept at minimum to help with resting. "My Lady, can you tell what's on my hand?"

"You’re holding up four fingers. Why?" Audrey furrowed her brows.

"My Lady, that's either the mage's night vision or a hunter's skill," Ingrid explained.

"No way," Audrey muttered.

Lansius was breathing easily. He had been concerned about his eyesight, but it turned out to be just normal.

Ingrid followed up, "There are things I need to check to make sure, but not in this condition."

"I understand. We can always do that later when we have the time," Audrey reassured her.

Ingrid bowed her head slightly and returned to Carla's side.

Their part of the tent returned to quiet.

"So, how'd you recognize them as beastmen and not werewolves?" Lansius whispered.

"A fell beast wouldn't flinch at my gaze," she replied. "The opposite, in fact. Their mere presence, their stares, could shatter a man's sanity."

Lansius released a deep breath. "And what about the things it said?"

Audrey didn't reply outright but took her time before saying, "I'm not sure, Lans. But if there are more of them, then it could be a problem."

"It said it was wrong and for us to meet its sister..." he implored.

She closed her eyes momentarily. "I'm not prepared to trust a half-beast."

"Half-beast?"

"That's what the Hunter and other people call them. They are the offspring of captured beastmen, slaves..."

Noticing her hesitation, Lansius stopped her. "Alright, I sort of understand. No need to explain."

Audrey's lips turned into a smile. "I know your head is full of things, but trust me, the thing you need the most is some rest."

Lansius heeded her advice and, despite the situation, finally drifted to sleep.

***

In the aftermath of the surprise night attack, Maester Ingrid, on behalf of the Lord and Lady, made several announcements. The first clarified that the attackers weren't werewolves but half-beasts, descendants of beastmen who had mated with humans. After several generations, these half-beasts developed human-like intellect.

Many had heard tales from a bygone era about how the ancient human Imperium fought against beastmen incursion in Nicopola and how the battle raged for centuries until the last beastman was either killed or captured. It was also the era that sparked an interest in enslaved beastmen, a practice that continued until several centuries ago.

However, that era was long gone. No one had ever heard of half-beasts, especially not in Lowlandia.

Along with that revelation, there was information about the said half-beasts, their abilities, their method of fighting, and their longevity, which is only half that of humans.

As morning came, people hurriedly worked on the walls, gates, and towers. Now understanding the threat, they worked earnestly to complete their defenses. Lord Jorge and his most capable aides were supervising the construction site, carefully offering their insight and encouragement.

That noon, after midday, the Lord and Lady appeared in the open; they looked worse than usual, but everybody cheered for them. Accompanied by heavy escorts, the Lord and Lady, along with their staff, gathered to pay respects to the dead. The mentor, Ingrid, was seen among them.

The situation would have been far worse if Ingrid hadn't trusted her instincts and searched for the patrol, whose dogs had been barking loudly before being suddenly silenced. She was the one who alerted the Black Knights, many of whom knew her to be a colleague of Sir Morton, their Captain.

While the Lord and Lady wanted to openly honor her, Ingrid refused, preferring the reward in cash. The Lord and Lady readily consented.

The ceremony was brief but solemn. Buried among the dead were the patrol and their heroic dog, whose timely barking had ultimately saved the Lord and Lady.

It was deemed fortunate that the beastmen attack did not cause any further damage. Aside from the victims, the troops' precious baggage and supply carts remained unmolested.

Despite some suggestions to put the fallen beastmen on pikes outside as a deterrent, the Lord instructed his men to drag them to the outskirts of the forest. There, he ordered his men to cover the bodies and faces of the fallen beastmen with canvas.

He also instructed his men to place a wooden board with text explaining how the beasts had met their doom and how it was an unprovoked attack. Lansius also conveyed the beast's final words, expressing a wish to talk rather than prolong a fight he didn't understand.

"Is there any reason why you do this?" Sterling asked the Lord as they rode back.

"They have intellect, and I believe they would want to bury their dead," Lansius replied.

Audrey, who rode beside him, chimed in, "It's best to show respect. Skinning them or putting them on pikes will not do us any good."

Sterling thought for a moment before venturing, "Does My Lady think it will provoke them to attack?"

Audrey glanced at Lansius, who answered, "We can't be sure, but I'd rather have a chance to talk than face the certainty of an all-out war. I mean, I don't even know their stance. What is their business with us? What part or role do they have in Umberland?"

"It certainly dislikes the Nicopolans," Audrey commented as they rode back to their campsite, feeling uncertain about the campaign.

***