"What are you doing?! Fight back!"

Stella watched, dumbfounded, as a mighty member of the Lycan Squad let this house-sized bird pummel him with a flurry of kicks. His painful wails were agonizing to hear.

If no one would step up, the Human would take action! No one shall kick a puppy without facing her fury! Even if said puppy was triple her size!

Steeling herself for the second, and hopefully last, clash with a beast for the day, the girl sprinted towards the massive bird while keeping her eyes on the ground so his feathers wouldn't affect her balance. In a few seconds, she grabbed one leg of the pheasant and pulled it over her shoulder like a judo wrestler. The monstrous galliform had struck his back on the ground, flailing his wings to flip himself out of his vulnerable position.

She extended a hand to the guard. "You okay, man?"

Locci nodded, accepting her help to get back to his feet. It was bizarre how she contributed to pulling the weight of such a wall of muscles.

"You didn't hurt him too badly, did you?"

Stella sighed. "Don't tell me. He's a Monoke?"

He shook his head. "No, he's an animal. But his kind is on the brink of extinction. In Sayama, there are only a few flocks left."

The rainbow pheasant spread his wings and menacingly stepped towards them.

"Is it because they're non-bent in attacking anything and anyone?"

"You're on point, actually."

"Fantastic."

The bird opened his wings and lowered his body to pounce once again. Before the creature lunged at them, however, thick vines sprouted from the earth and distracted him. One coiled around his neck, two anchored his feet to the ground, and a fourth one wrapped his torso, restraining his wings.

Stella was slack-jawed. "It wasn't you, right?"

Locci's eyes widened. "Hōkō..."

Right on cue, the elder's voice popped back into their heads. "I assume you crazy kids had enough for a day, hadn't you? Go back to Pantsti before it gets too dark."

The pheasant desperately fought against his binds. Locci's eyes glimmered with unshed tears.

"Careful. You can't let this magnificent creature hurt himself!" Holy shit. Stella could hear his thoughts, too?! Argh! When was she going to learn magic such as this?! Thinking about it made her heart pound with excitement!

"I'm not foolish, boy. I know better than to push an endangered species into a worse condition. Now, get out of here!" Hōkō ordered. The two bird nerds quickly complied.

Noticing the last rays of sunshine waving goodbye at the mere mortals, Locci and Stella jogged back to the village. Of course, the guard offered to carry the girl on his back or in his arms. However, she was too proud to let anyone see her in such a compromising condition. Besides, this was the perfect chance to test the full extent of her new speed.

With each step worth ten of her previous self's, the Human felt exhilarated! Like a wild animal, free of responsibility and burden, the girl giggled while traversing the road. It was as if she was experiencing a childhood that never was offered to her.

The Wolves' behavior made a lot more sense by this new perspective. Inhuman speed, strength, AND durability? Of course, she would climb those crazy trees and let herself plummet to the ground just for kicks! The laws of physics meant nothing to her!

In about twenty minutes, the two birdwatchers had arrived at the townlet in all its cozy, sandy glory.

Stella's heartbeat was unhealthily accelerated, only slightly regulating after a long, deep breath. "Say, how's the photo? I hope it's decent, at least."

Locci's childish grin on his mostly serious features was still uncanny, but she was slowly getting used to it. "It is incredible! I'd never have obtained it without you!" He extended a paw at Stella, which she accepted and shook it. "I can't wait to show him tomorrow!" His posture stiffened. "Oh! I think his shift isn't over yet!"

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "Who?"

And just like that, the big buff Wolf regressed to his shy, anxious self. "J-Just someone I like to share my bird pictures with! He's Pantsti's florist."

Huh. The way he acted when talking about this florist was... peculiar. It was a mixture of his usual timid behavior and rare extroverted attitude. Now, why was this so familiar...?

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

...

Oh. Could it be?

Stella smirked at the realization. Perhaps she could have some fun before the day ended. Call it payback for the pheasant fiasco.

"Look at you! A big bird courting his mate." She suggestively wiggled her eyebrows at Locci.

The guard's eyes broadened. "W-WHAT?!" He desperately waved his paws. "Y-You're getting all wrong! He's just a fellow bird appreciator, that's all!"

Yep. That Wolf was head over heels for this fellow. Wait, do dogs have heels? Before you go searching, yes, they do.

A sly smirk was etched into her lips as she narrowed her eyes. "You think I'm stupid? You're practically-" She cupped her chin. "How do birds court each other?" She sighed, slumping her shoulders. "Forget it. My bird metaphor is ruined."

After a minute of awkward silence, Locci cleared his throat. "Thank you for the aid, Human."

"Stella." She spoke in monotone.

He bowed. "Thank you for the aid, Stella. I will join you at the Knight's party."

The Human's first thought was to break into dancing. However, it did not seem appropriate. "You're welcome, dude. Good luck with your boyfriend!" She flashed a thumbs-up.

The guard awkwardly ran to the flower shop.

Two guards in one day. By all means, her job was done.

Nevertheless... The itchy desire to poke her nose into the guard's love affairs tempted her like a siren's call. What tactics would the reclusive, lumbering Wolf use to court the one who stole his heart?

The urge to evilly snicker like a villain of the week was powerful.

----------------------------------------

Stalking was not an activity Stella often partook in. Regardless, she couldn't deny there was a particular thrill as she passed through his destination "by coincidence."

The flower shop was slightly larger than the typical hut, adopting a quadrangular shape and pink walls. Two ferns with red, yellow, and purple flowers adorned the entrance alongside the sign "Lorith's Fern-tastic Shop."

She had to applaud the owner for his commitment to the pun.

More important was what could be seen through the window. Between the roses and daisies on pots, she saw Locci speaking to the cashier? Was he Lorith? He sure looked familiar. Wait, has she seen him on the poker game?

The guard showed him the picture, then they talked for less than a minute, and... that was it.

WHAT?!

What was he doing?! There was no charm in that interaction! Where's the suaveness?! The seduction?! By this rate, he'd drag his chance at love to a dark pit of loneliness!

Stella must-

Huh... She wasn't obligated to do anything for him anymore. He accepted the invite, so why bother?

Still, a pang of remembrance could be felt at the back of her mind.

"It goes far beyond defeating a powerful villain. It's about dedicating your life to the benefit of the collective. So society can thrive with hope for a better tomorrow."

But was being a flirting coach part of the job? Surely not, right?

......

She sighed mentally. "Damnit, Asra."

After Locci was three steps away from the shop, Stella jumped in his direction.

"Dude, what the hell?!"

The Wolf stepped back, tripping on his own tail and falling flat on his back. Her respect for him diminished with each interaction.

He jumped back to his feet, visibly upset. "Were you following me?"

She sassily hovered her hand over her chest. "Me?! I was only passing through!" A lie. "And I couldn't resist seeing how your flirting skills fared!" She huffed through her nose. "Frankly? Not impressed."

His furrowed eyebrows wrinkled even more. "Me and him are not even friends! He just saw one of my photos by accident and showed interest."

The girl scoffed. "Please! You wouldn't be so excited if it was only that!" She poked his fluffy yet hard pecs. "You. Like. Him."

He crossed his arms and turned his head away, pouting. Stella was having loads of fun pushing his buttons like that.

"Hey, I'm not here to judge or bully you. I'm just saying you should give it a little try!" She strode to his side, where his gaze was directed, only for him to shift his head to the opposite side. Okay, this was becoming less entertaining and more frustrating.

"Call him for a date! Nothing too serious. See how it goes!"

The moment these words were uttered, Stella paused and reflected. She had absolutely zero dating experience. Where was this coming from?

Ah. The girl realized it now. Her advice was nothing more than what she wished would have happened with Sofia if she had been bolder back then. Before...

A shiver crept down her spine as an unpleasant memory flickered in her head. No time for opening THAT baggage!

The guard lowered his head in defeat. "Look, it's just... We have a good thing going on, okay? If I make my intentions clear, it might-"

"Ruin your relationship beyond repair." Stella finished his sentence. It was the same issue with Sofia and... Lien...

Wow. The Human had no ground to lecture Locci, huh?

"You know..." Stella rubbed the back of her neck. "Even if you get rejected, it's not like you have no more friends to back you up. I bet your family, the Squad, and even the Knight will be there to lift your spirits.

After almost a minute, Locci's posture straightened. "I'll admit, I'm still a little scared. But you're right. I don't want to stay stuck in small talk with him for the rest of my life."

An earnest smile formed at the corner of her lips. "Then get back there." She pointed at the store.

"Not now. I need a full day to gather the courage." He chuckled.

Stella stretched her fist at him. "I believe in you."

He blinked, staring at her with his puzzled yellow eyes. But then, he finally returned the gesture.

Their fists bumped. "Thank you so much for today. I didn't know what to think of you yet, but I'm glad you're the first Human I've met." the guard confessed.

Oh, how wrong he was. Alas, it was not Stella's secret to tell.

They waved each other goodbye. This conversation gave the girl so much to contemplate—about Lien, to be exact. Everything she told Locci applied to her, but did it really? How many friends did she have outside the pup?

Nevertheless, her mother, the frightening Captain Tash, was ruthless regarding her daughter's wellbeing. Hōkō's words rang like a bell in her mind.

"Just comprehend that Tash has a reason for not bearing the sight of Humans..."

"By that logic, everyone here should hate you. For some, that's more than enough. For others..."

Argh. Her head revolved with self-doubt, and exhaustion finally caught up to her. She could barely believe she fought two large animals in a single day.

Besides, she needed no distractions, for she still had a mission. And tomorrow, it would be two for the price of one...