Morrigan sighed in relief as she signed the last letter she had to send. All she had to do now was give them to the fastest messengers and wait for replies.

6 letters for 6 of the largest beastkin groups. The letters requested forming an alliance with all 7 of them. Morrigan’s hand went to one of them but she stopped herself. She wanted to check the letters for any kind of writing errors or rude language but she knew that it was okay. Both Ama and Poyraz helped her to write them after all. She was just being overly anxious.

An alliance… This wasn’t the first time something like that was tried. She leaned back and took a sip from her coffee. It had gotten cold. That meant that it took more time than she anticipated to revise the letters. She sighed with disappointment this time and drank it all in a single breath.

One could easily think that it was easy to gather all beastkin around the same umbrella since they had a common problem and goals but the truth was far from it. Just like every other race, factions and divisions existed among them. The various beastkin groups had their own interests, histories, and sometimes conflicting ideologies. Achieving unity among them was a formidable challenge, and Morrigan was well aware of it.

Quickfeet tribe refused to set up a city, choosing to live a nomad lifestyle. They looked down on writing, farming, and living behind walls. They saw it as getting further away from their ancestors. They probably saw Whifur as heretics who abandoned their ancestors.

Bludclaw behaved more like mercenaries rather than a family. They were so patriarchal that they even refused to honor female ancestors. They sold their service to everyone who was willing to pay. Morrigan thought they were more like a pack of hyenas rather than her fellow kin but they had considerable strength.

Serpent's Coil had a unique relationship with the underground. They dwelled in caverns and subterranean tunnels to hide from slavers and adapted to a life below the surface. Their paranoia caused them to overly secluded so they were a mystery to other beastkin. She wasn’t even sure how messengers were going to find them.

All other groups also had troublesome habits, beliefs, and traditions. Some had a history of fighting with each other. If it wasn’t for everyone’s encouragement, she wouldn’t even think of trying to reach other groups. Poyraz had her sit down and give her a speech about politics and bureaucracy for an entire night. She was ashamed to tell him that she had no idea what he meant.

She extended her arms high and stretched like a cat. One of the things she failed to acquire through training was the ability to stay still for extended amounts of time. Her father could stay still without moving a muscle but her muscles started to twitch after several minutes at most.

She jumped out of the chair she was sitting on. She took a glance at the letters before leaving. Sun was close to setting and she didn’t want teenagers to go through extra trouble. Even with beastkin’s sharp senses waiting for the morning was the better choice. It wasn’t like they were under attack or anything.

Walking around the city was a weird feeling for her. She was hit by a weird sense of nostalgia as she remembered walking with her father when she was a child. Whifur wasn’t as developed as it is now. She stopped in front of a certain store. She wasn’t sure if she meant to come here or if it was her subconscious taking her here. She sniffed the air before entering the store.

“It’s been a long time.”

She thought to herself. This store was one of the first ones to open in Whifur.

“Oh, hello.”

The store owner welcomed her warmly.

“Hi.”

Morrigan replied hesitantly. The store owner looked older, at least she thought so.

“Do you remember me? You used to come here with your dad.”

“Yes, I do.”

Morrigan tried to stop herself from blushing. For some reason, she felt embarrassed every time someone mentioned her childhood. Being reminded of her less inexperienced and weaker version made her skin crawl. It was almost like she felt she had no right to be a child.

“Good.”

The old man smiled.

“I thought you forgot me. Or you don’t like sweets now that you are all grown up?”

Morrigan couldn’t answer due to her embarrassment. Seeing her like the old man pulled a chair and gestured for her to sit.

“I still remember what you like most. You are lucky. I just baked a new batch so they are fresh.”

Before Morrigan could reject or say anything old man put a smoking plate filled with delicous-looking sweets. Morrigan's embarrassment began to fade as she gazed at the mouthwatering sweets on the plate before her. The aroma filled her senses, evoking memories of her carefree childhood. She actually had a sweet tooth, unlike her father. However, she tried to refrain from eating sweets. She even stopped using sugar and cream with her coffee. She knew that it was dumb but the reason for all that was her imitating her father.

Be more like him, strong and fast.

Be more like him, unflinching and fearless.

Throw your childish worries and be an adult.

But was it enough?

Was that what she was supposed to do?

Her father has failed. He was killed. She thought that she had to be next to him but her encounter with Adonis changed her. It wasn’t enough to be him, she had to be better.

“Is it too hot?”

She snapped out of her thoughts.

“Oh no, no.”

She managed to form a smile. She picked up one of the sweets and took a bite. Its sweetness and texture were just as she remembered, a delightful blend of flavors.

The store owner watched Morrigan enjoy the treat with a twinkle in his eye.

"I'm glad you still appreciate them. We've come a long way since you used to visit with your father. Whifur has grown, and so have you. I am sure he is proud watching you and the city."

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

The store owner's words touched Morrigan's heart. She had often wondered what her father would think of her efforts to unite the beastkin and make Whifur a better place. She missed him dearly and sometimes wished he were here to guide her. But his memory served as a source of strength and determination.

"I hope so," Morrigan replied with a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "I'm doing my best to follow in his footsteps and continue the work he started."

The old man nodded in understanding. "Your father was a wise and caring leader. I'm sure you'll carry on his legacy with the same grace."

Morrigan enjoyed the remaining sweets with a shy smile on her face.

“Thank you. How much do I owe you?”

Morrigan rose up from the chair. The old man frowned.

“Nothing. It is already been paid.”

Morrigan put her hands in her pockets.

“I understand but I can’t accept it for free.”

The old man waved off Morrigan's attempt to pay.

“Everything you buy from here is paid for by your father. I owe him my life. I told you that story but you were very young at that time.”

Morrigan felt a lump in her throat, hearing that her father had saved the store owner's life. The old man laughed.

“Just come more often. Plus I can brag to the other store owners that you are a regular of mine.”

With a final nod of appreciation, Morrigan left the store, her heart filled with a warm feeling. All her concerns and negative feelings faded away. That didn’t last long however as Blaria ran past her but stopped and came back to her.

“Morrigan, we have trouble. Grizzon’s man attacked Poyraz!”

Morrigan clicked her tongue in disappointment. She knew that Grizzon was here to form an alliance but Börü offered to take care of him and she let him. Not only did Börü know this kind of stuff better than him, but it also allowed her to finish writing the letters. She should have been with him.

“Did he kill any of them?”

Morrigan knew that Poyraz was fine. While she knew that Grizzon himself was considerably strong, she doubted that even 4 Grizzons could defeat Poyraz if he went all out.

“No, no he just knocked them out.”

Morrigan sighed in relief. Good. She knew that Poyraz was a calculating and cool-headed person. He wouldn’t just kill others in cold blood.

“Where are they now? Show me the way.”

Blaria hurried.

“Börü, Arslan, and Amaterasu are already there.”

He said as he struggled to keep up with Morrigan. With how he was basically running with gritted teeth and she was walking, Blaria felt the difference between them. Morrigan followed Blaria as they rushed to the scene. A crowd was formed. She could feel Börü, Amaterasu, Arslan and Poyraz. With a single, soundless jump she found herself on one of the buildings. She didn’t stick onto the wall and jumped back to the ground, passing through the crowd. She landed in front of Börü.

She saw Grizzon making a shocked face. She should be one to feel shocked since she couldn’t detect his presence but she managed to keep her poker face. Morrigan's arrival on the scene sent a clear message of authority. The beastkin who had gathered in response to the commotion turned their attention to her, and there was an air of tension as they awaited her next move.

Morrigan took a glance toward the bound, half-naked beastkin. She then looked at Poyraz with questioning eyes and he shrugged with an innocent face.

“Morrigan Blackclaw! You came! Answer my question-“

“Stop.”

Morrigan cut through Grizzon’s shouting with a calm but authoritative demeanor.

"Grizzon, what is the meaning of this disruption? We were in the process of negotiations, and violence was not a part of the agreement. Not only that but your man went and attacked a benefactor of mine. "

Grizzon shifted uneasily. While Morrigan didn’t know the things that happened before she came here, this case looked bad for him even before her arrival.

“Grizzon faked forming an alliance with us to enter the city and attack Poyraz. When they failed, they tried to accuse Poyraz of racism. When we offered them sign a geass to confirm who was right, they refused it.”

Börü stepped closer to Morrigan as he explained. Morrigan exchanged glances with her best friend. Ama was a proficient mage however due to her profession and focus on fire magic she didn’t know how to create geasses. Börü must have baited them somehow.

Addressing Grizzon, Morrigan's voice remained firm but composed.

"Grizzon, these actions are unacceptable. We need honesty and trust to build a strong alliance among our people. Attacking Poyraz and fabricating accusations do not align with our goals. We offered a geass to confirm the truth, and your refusal speaks volumes. Do you have anything to say?"

“Why do I have to explain why I wanted to kill a human? Why don’t you explain why you are feeding a human when his kind killed us for generations? Your father must be ashamed of you!”

Grizzon grabbed his axes. Several men come close to him, also holding weapons. Crowd hurriedly backed away, fearing for their safety. Morrigan's eyes remained steady, her demeanor unwavering in the face of Grizzon's outburst. Despite her emotionless face, a cold anger burned inside her.

"Grizzon, I understand the pain and anger from the past, but we must look toward the future. Revenge will only perpetuate a cycle of violence. We cannot judge all humans by the actions of some. Poyraz has been a loyal ally, and we have worked toward a better understanding between our races. If it wasn’t for him some of the beastkin living in this city wouldn’t be here today.”

She swallowed her anger. Fake it until you make it, just like Poyraz told her.

“Live in peace together so you can lie under him? Is this what proud Blackclaw has become? A human slut!”

Grizzon's words made even his own allies uncomfortable. It was unknown whether their discomfort was because they thought their leader was going too far or the death stares they were receiving from Börü, Arslan, and Amaterasu.

“Grizzon. I will give you one last chance. Leave now with your man and never return to Whifur. That’s only because you are of the blood of a Whifur resident.”

Morrigan looked at Ursara and bear beastkin nodded with a sad expression.

“What will you do if I don’t? Call your boyfriend to-“

Before Grizzon could finish his sentence Morrigan’s fist hit his face. A loud crack was heard as Grizzon flew back several meters.