Yuli stood at the edge of the forest, feeling the last rays of the sun touch her face as it set across town. She had her hands on hips as she waited. The three men with her all leaned against trees, no one talking. They were eager to start their journey before it got too late but Yuli had commanded them to wait. She reminded them that they had made a promise. Raio had scoffed at that and stated he had done no such thing and didn't want to wait around for no reason. He said it was clear the girl was not interested in coming with them.

She hadn't argued with him simply because she hadn't wanted to waste her breath. Truly, she had never traveled with someone so annoying and defiant in all her life. It was baffling to her why he even wanted to be part of this team at all. She assumed that maybe he didn't, really. Maybe his expectations of this Organization were not up to his standards or that he expected to be going on harder, more profitable missions. Either way, she didn't care. When they got back the first thing she would do would be to report him to her superiors for going against her direct orders and hurting an innocent girl. After that, she didn't care what happened to him. As long as she never had to be on his team again and the sooner the better.

Her feelings toward Zara were strange. She didn't know why but she had a solid feeling in her gut that the girl would come with them. There was something about her that Yuli saw that was... abnormal compared to other human girls. Sure it was impressive she had stood up to a grown man who assaulted her but anyone was capable of self defense in dire circumstances. She thought that maybe it was the raw loneliness she had seen a ghost of in the girls strange eyes. They were an odd color, sure, but it was mostly the haunted look in them that interested her. It reminded her of herself so long ago and it had touched something deep within her. She knew that her being alone shouldn't be enough to try and recruit her - the amount of training the poor girl needed would be outrageous - but Yuli was willing to vouch for her and offer to train her herself if that was what it took. She didn't know why but somehow she knew Zara could get through it. She was the type who wouldn't give up and that was really what they needed on teams. People who would try their hardest to meet the end goal. Not people like Raio who just wanted to make the quick buck.

She frowned at the street as the sun was no longer visible. There was only a very faint glow where it had disappeared behind the furthest buildings but in minutes it would be completely dark. Still, they waited. Ta'Ga cleared his throat and stepped up to Yuli's side. She didn't turn to acknowledge him, just continued staring down the path that led into the heart of town.

"Do you really think she will come?" He asked quietly.

Yuli just nodded, not offering more of an explanation than that. Ta'Ga shrugged, moving back to lean once again. Yuli could hear him scuffling around in his bag for something and a minute later she heard the soft, familiar scraping noise of his knife against whatever he was carving this time. Usually it was an animal but she had seen him do people as well. Then he'd just give them away as they traveled, either to an old woman they passed or a small child. She asked him how he chose them once and he had laughed and said whoever he thought looked like they needed a good smile. He really was a decent guy she couldn't help but think. Grennt was a quiet, brooding partner in comparison but made up for it in his excellent hunting and trapping skills. In a fight they could always be counted on to be deadly.

As night took over, Yuli started to feel a bit of doubt for the first time. She was so sure the girl would come. Maybe she had misread the lonely expression in her eyes when she had asked her about her family....

________

Zara sprinted along the road leading out of town. The sun had completely set now and she was terrified she would be too late. She knew once they started traveling she would never be able to catch up. As she rounded the last bend and got a clear view of the forest her heart dropped as she saw no one standing there. She knew it, she thought, it was too late.

Desperate to be wrong, she didn't slow as she made her way to the edge of the trees. She looked around and strained her eyes to see as far as possible in both directions down the forest line.

She thought about running into the forest some, maybe as far as the clearing they had been in last night. She was worried, though, about getting lost in the dark. She knew time was ticking by and in a last desperate attempt, she cupped her hands around her mouth and called Yuli's name loudly into the trees twice. She waited after each call but heard nothing in response. She waited a minute more and then slumped down to her knees in defeat. She was too late.

Her only other choice would be to go back to Luis's place, at least for the night. In the morning she would have to sort out a new living situation.

Suddenly, she heard a branch snap not far off into the woods from where she kneeled on the ground. Her head jerked up, worried now. What if calling out had attracted something else from the forest? Some kind of creature or maybe a person who had been lurking there. She jumped to her feet, ready to run if something were to jump out at her. She squinted her eyes in the darkness and was surprised to see Yuli emerge from behind a large trunk.

Zara beamed when she saw her, shoulders sagging with relief. Yuli was looking at her in surprise as Zara launched herself into the blondes arms. She hugged Zara back awkwardly as she clutched her tightly.

"Oh, Yuli," Zara sighed in relief. "I thought I was too late. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"So you've decided to join us then?" Yuli asked, pushing Zara out to arms length as she looked at her face.

Zara nodded, staring back with pleading eyes. "If you will still have me."

Yuli gave her a soft smile and dropped her arms. "Of course we will. That's why I offered. You're lucky though, you almost did miss us. You're lucky Ta'Ga and Grennt have such good hearing. They heard you call out."

Zara peeked around Yuli to see the two massive men standing back in the trees. The moonlight glinted off Ta'Ga's tusk as he smirked at her.

"Thank you," Zara said and both men nodded in acknowledgement.

Zara turned back to Yuli, an expectant look on her face. Yuli motioned for her to follow and then, just like that, they were off into the forest. Zara took one last look over her shoulder at the now dark town she had spent most of her life in and then darted into the trees after her new companions.

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"You know, this isn't going to be easy for you," Yuli said, looking at Zara out of the corner of her eye as they marched on. Zara was doing her best to keep up and not trip over roots or branches. So far she had only fallen once and she was pretty proud of that considering they had already been walking for hours.

"I know," Zara said, head down in concentration so she could try and find the best places to put her feet.

"What made you decide to come with us, then?" Yuli asked.

Zara stopped walking then, realizing she hadn't told them anything that had happened since they parted. She thought it was probably important to tell now that she thought about it. She started marching along again as she told her story.

"Well... I had decided I wasn't going to join you," she said slowly, trying to remember all that had happened since they parted that morning. "You see... My mother just died and was buried only yesterday. I knew it would be hard to get used to living alone but figured it would be easier to find permanent work there in town where people knew me. Your offer, while tempting, just didn't seem right to me. It seemed like I would only be running away from my problems. Plus, all of you seem so well trained and I don't know how to fight or do magic or anything like that so I didn't see how I could be useful. Then there's the whole trusting you thing... Since I did get knocked unconscious by your team just last night."

Yuli didn't interrupt while Zara was talking but listened with rapt attention, nodding here and there. Zara knew Ta'Ga and Grennt could hear her as well as they were only feet in front of them as they walked but they didn't turn around to comment.

"I borrowed that dress I had on so I went to return it and speak with the person I told you about who would come looking for me," Zara continued on. "He is a family friend who was fond of my mother and looks out for me. I was gone for only a few hours and when I got back my front door was wide open even though I'm positive I locked it."

Yuli stopped walking then, turning to look at Zara in alarm. Ta'Ga and Grennt had stopped too, now clearly interested in what Zara had to stay. Raio, who had been out a ways in front of them noticed they were no longer following and stomped back in annoyance. This is the third time they had to stop because of Zara and his patience seemed to be wearing thin.

"Someone broke into your house while you were gone?" Yuli asked. "Were they still there when you got back? Were you hurt?"

She was looking harder at Zara then, trying to find any trace of injury. She hadn't really looked before because she had no reason to suspect the girl would have been injured. Zara shook her head no and continued on.

"No one was there when I got there," she explained. "I was very quiet as I approached and listened for a bit to make sure I couldn't hear anyone. My apartment was tiny so I could see pretty easily that no one was still inside. The two bedrooms, mine and my mother's, were torn apart. Everything was either slashed or smashed as if someone had been looking for something. I don't know what they hoped to find but the only thing that I could find that they took was a comb my mother had given me as a gift. I've never really had any enemies so I have no clue who would do something like this. I thought maybe a random thief but that doesn't make any sense why they would target my apartment of all places. Then I thought maybe the men that tried to assault me but even that seems like a stretch."

Yuli put her hand under her chin, deep in thought. Ta'Ga and Grennt glanced at one another and shrugged, having no suggestions to offer. Raio was staring at Zara but said nothing. Zara met his gaze with a questioning look and noticed he was staring at her neck and her hand unconsciously flew up to where the necklace now lay. His eyes snapped to her and then he turned away saying nothing.

"Anyway," Zara said. "That's when I realized I was clinging to an idea of home that doesn't exist for me anymore. My mother had been home to me. My apartment being destroyed forced me to realize I needed to leave and why not let it be with you? There's nothing for me left in that town. I don't want to work at the docks for sparse wages. I don't have a family anymore, nothing to tie me anywhere. Maybe I can learn to... Do something useful with my life if I come with you?"

She left the last part as a question because she didn't really know what to expect out of her joining a mercenary group she knew next to nothing about.

Yuli was still deep in thought so she just nodded, acknowledging but not answering Zara's question. They continued their march in silence.

________

They traveled for a very long time, through most of the night. Twice they stopped to replenish their water at natural streams and to pass around small bits of dried deer meat. Zara had only eaten good cuts of meat on special occasions. They would usually only buy bones with scraps of meat to boil for soups. Fish was always more readily available and cheaper since she got to know most of the fishermen and their wives who tended their stands. Crab, mussels, scallops, clams, oysters were all things she had grown up eating and preparing. She savored each piece of meat, letting it melt in her mouth.

There were large packs of wolves that lived in the forest that made deer and other animals scarce. Some brave men would occasionally hunt the wolves and trade them at the markets for a living but the price of wolf meat was outrageous. Sometimes people would trap smaller animals or hunt various birds and sell those as well but it was rare. Traders came into town, usually from the next town over, to get fish and all manner of ocean life. They brought the usual creatures to trade and sometimes strange, exotic creatures from other lands preserved in salt. There weren't any farms within her town where livestock were raised due to the large communities of wolves who stalked the lands. It would draw them into town and was a constant battle in the past to keep them at bay.

Once it was decided that there would be no more livestock keep in town, the attacks had nearly stopped. The wolves didn't seem to want to come into town to attack humans. Most people shut themselves up inside at night and the streets were deserted when the sun went down. Occasionally there would be an incident but for the most part the wolves stayed to the woods. At one point there had been a huge undertaking to cut the forest back many yards away from the edge of town. This helped to expand the town a bit and also keep the wolves further away. They didn't seem keen on leaving the cover of the trees.

Zara had been a little nervous about traveling in the forest and had asked if the team had run into any wolves. They had told her they could see them through the trees sometimes but so far they hadn't attacked. She was surprised by this, knowing the packs were huge and four or five people wouldn't deter them if they were determined to eat. Yuli had told her that the wolves here were not normal wolves. They were direwolves. Huge, intelligent monsters. Double the size of normal wolves. While this made them more deadly they were less likely to attack humans if they weren't desperate. Direwolves were created by ancient mages by fusing themselves with wolves through magic. They had thought that it would turn them into shapeshifters, being able to change between the two at will. However, the magic didn't work the way they had anticipated and they became a new being altogether. They didn't usually attack humans unprovoked because they possessed an emotional understanding akin to humans.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Zara had been confused by this explanation because she had never heard of such a thing before. She had always believed that the wolves were just normal, wild animals. Huge, yes. But monsters created by magic? No. Plus there had been attacks known before. She wondered if anyone would hunt and eat the creatures if they knew. She assumed they probably would and maybe some would even be attracted by the challenge of hunting something with human-like intelligence. Yuli had assured her she doubted that anyone in her village had actually caught or killed a direwolf. There were normal wolves around as well but the direwolves kept them in check. She didn't doubt that the people had seen the direwolves, probably thinking that they killed a small or juvenile one when it were really a different species. Zara was blown away by her explanation. She had lived here her whole life not knowing about the existence of these magical beings just yards away in the forest.

Yuli also explained this forest was known as the Livosa by some which was Elvish for direwolf. Ta'Ga and Grennt told her it was known as the same by their people but said direwolf in the deep guttural language of Orcish that Zara didn't think she could reproduce if she tried. When she had questioned why no one knew or spoke of these things in her town that bordered the forest Yuli had shrugged and explained that humans were less receptive to evidence of magic in certain parts of the world. There were many towns that were inhabited primarily by humans that didn't teach any history of magic like the majority of the world. Contrarily there were many places where all manner of beings lived and mingled in harmony. She said that some people would rather ignore the world of magic around them and cohabitate with other ordinary humans and then certain teachings get lost because they aren't central to their past and culture. Important stories and legends are passed down through generations and if they aren't, they're simply lost.

Zara thought about all of this through their journey. It was jarring to begin to really understand how small her world had been. Her mother raised her in a place of fishermen. There were many legends of the ocean. Huge, mysterious ocean creatures that took down huge ships. Men encountering sirens and being lulled to their death. She had always believed these stories because there were men who had family that hadn't come back from voyages. Witnesses. She wondered how much of the world she hadn't been taught about in her small, closed minded human town.

______

Just before dawn, Yuli announced they would make camp for a while and give everyone time to rest. Zara was exhausted but the rest of the team seemed like they could easily go on. She guessed it were mostly for her benefit and she was extremely grateful. Yuli started a fire easily by igniting a small ball of flame in her palm. Zara watched this in wonder. The flame glowed orange and hovered just above her palm, the size of a small pebble, flickering lightly in the breeze. Yuli easily sent it into the small pile of wood Greent had swiftly collected and it caught, bathing them all in light.

Yuli told Zara, Ta'Ga and Raio to rest first and Grennt would take first watch with her. Raio had been indignant, claiming he didn't need to rest. Yuli gave him a burning glare and he just leaned against a tree, arms crossed. It didn't seem to Zara he would be attempting to sleep but she didn't think he would argue with Yuli further. Zara laid down on the soft bed of leaves and pine needles, not having a bedroll of her own. Yuli insisted she use hers and she had refused but then Yuli had laid it out next to her and used her commanding tone to make Zara sleep on it. She had rolled her eyes but complied, not wanting to test Yuli on their first journey together. She supposed she was in charge of her now as well.

Once Zara had settled herself on the bedroll Yuli settled herself beside her in the leaves. Zara had turned to look at her in question but Yuli just stared into the flames not saying anything.

"Do you need something?" Zara asked her quietly. She could already feel her eyelids getting heavy with exhaustion but she had a feeling Yuli needed something.

Yuli didn't answer right away, not even acknowledging she heard the question.

Zara let her eyes close, assuming Yuli wouldn't answer her but after a moment she heard her sigh.

"Zara, can I ask you about the necklace you have on?" Yuli asked very quietly.

Zara's eyes fluttered open and she looked into Yuli's golden eyes. She propped herself up on her elbow in an attempt to keep sleep at bay.

"It was my mother's," Zara explained. "I found it on her bed when I got back home. I thought it had been buried with her. She never took it off and had it since before I was born. It felt right to wear it now that she is gone."

Zara stared at the red stone at Zara's throat, a frown on her face as she studied it.

"Did she tell you anything about it?" Yuli asked, her brow now creased in thought.

"Not really," Zara said with a small shrug. "I asked her about it once and she just told me it was something her mother gave her as a gift and it held sentimental value to her."

Yuli studied Zara's eyes now, staring into them for a long moment. She sighed again and turned back to the fire.

"Sleep, Zara," Yuli said. "I'm sorry for keeping you awake."

Ta'Ga's light snores could already be heard from across the fire as she laid her head back down. Sleep took her in an instant.

______

Zara dreamed a normal dream. The one where she floated among the shadows where they floated around her, not touching her.

She was relieved it seemed back to normal now. She couldn't understand them now. Couldn't feel their claws dragging across her skin. She could see their glowing red eyes but they were dull in comparison to the last time she saw them. It were as if she were viewing them through a milky veil.

She slowly spun and turned, suspended in mid-air as usual, time flowing by without meaning. She watched as the shadowy shapes lazily floated by and listened to their whispered words.

She wasn't sure how long she had been suspended there when, suddenly, something began to change. A shadow floated by her as usual but it's features wavered, becoming more clear and it's shrieking voice no long a whisper. Her name pierced her ears painfully as the creature swirled around her, getting closer and closer.

She tried to move away, terror overcoming her as the creature was no longer a shadow. The milky film that had separated them was dissolving, the scene before her becoming clearer. Her feet touched the ground, body no longer suspended in the air as she was becoming no longer weightless. More creatures surged toward her, their shrieks becoming unintelligible, all coming together in a high-pitched roar. She tried to reach up to cover her ears but it was like her arms were moving in slow motion, like she was suspended in a thick substance. She could feel their claws against her skin again, like the last time. They stroked her skin, almost sensually, trailing their long claws over every part of her body.

She knew that this was different than even the last time she had dreamed. Things were rapidly changing and as she watched the veil between herself and the creatures completely dissolved. Their claws suddenly sliced through the tender skin of her arms and abdomen. Se tried to scream but the sound was drowned out by their shrieking. The features of the monsters, becoming grotesque. Their skin was various shades of black, gray and some were even dark red. All the eyes glowed red and she realized some had multiple sets of eyes. Every one of them were huge, double her height and twice as wide. Some had multiple horns of varying lengths sprouting from their heads. A few had no horns but huge tusks. There were some with fur and some without. Some had hair on their heads and some were bald. They were beast-like in shape, sort of resembling animals, but twisted and misshapen, huge muscles bulging and bodies bent and stretched.

They were no longer floating around but walked on the dry, uneven surface she now stood on. It looked to be rocky but it was very dark and she couldn't see well. The smell that assaulted her was of burning flesh and singed hair. She would have gagged if the pain weren't so bad that she clenched her teeth together, fighting another scream.

The pain stopped as the claws withdrew for a moment. The shrieking and wailing didn't cease though and she cringed as she looked around. Suddenly a large form landed directly in front of her, into an opening in the creatures around her. She stumbled back in surprise and fell back as she took in the gigantic form looming over her. It was another monster, two set of glowing red eyes set high up in his dark face. He was more humanlike in shape and features than the others but no less a monster. Two large, curled black horns adorned his head and just below them were another set that stuck straight out to the sides. His skin was dark red and he stood tall with huge muscles stretching his limbs and torso. He glared down at her menacingly, mouth drawn back over sharp teeth. He snarled, a much deep sound than those around them were still producing. Zara stared in astonishment as he folded his huge, leathery wings onto his broad back. The monster had landed in front of her so suddenly because he had flown there, she realized. The other beasts she observed didn't seem to have wings.

The monster reached out with his giant hands as he bent toward her. Zara was frozen with fear and pain and she was shaking as he grasped her shoulders hard. Where his skin touched her shoulders it burned as if his skin were extremely hot and she began screaming again as he lifted her into the air. As she screamed, he unfolded his wings and took off into the darkness, leaving the other monsters screeching in his wake.

______________

Yuli, Ta'Ga and Grennt stood over Zara's body as she thrashed in her sleep. Every now and then she would let out a yelp or a small scream and squirm harder in apparent agony. Yuli had tried to wake her any way she could think of but nothing had worked. The poor girl was so hot her skin felt like fire and the way she was acting seemed like she was burning.

Suddenly, Zara stopped thrashing. Yuli sighed in relief, hoping that she would finally wake. Then as she reached out toward the girl, to shake her gently, Zara let out a long, blood curdling scream. Her eyes opened for one moment before rolling back in her head and she started violently convulsing. Yuli grabbed her, turning her on her side and screaming for Ta'Ga to take her place. He did as she bid and Yuli cursed, going to her pack to grab a scroll.

Not wasting time to find it, she dumped the entire contents onto the forest floor and scooped up the scroll in question. Grennt was at her side, watching Zara convulse with an anxious expression on his face.

"What's going on, Yuli?" He demanded. "What's wrong with her? Is she going to die?"

"Not if I can help it," she said, unrolling the scroll to full length and laying it on the ground in front of her. It was completely covered in tiny, complex symbols. Yuli started chanting words and stood, rolling up her sleeves. She drew her knife and without hesitation slashed a small cut on her hand, letting the blood drip onto the scroll. Instead of splattering against the paper it hissed where it touched, smoke curling up. The blood vanished, as if it were absorbed by the scroll, leaving no stain behind. She motioned for Grennt to come closer and he did as he was bid. She grabbed his hand and sliced a cut the same size as hers, holding it out for the blood to drip on the scroll as well. He didn't even flinch as the blade cut him, watching his own blood disappear the same Yuli's had.

"What is that?" He asked, suspiciously. He motioned toward the scroll once she had released his now bloody hand.

"A transportation scroll," Yuli said curtly. "Switch with Ta'Ga."

Grennt paused for a second, eyes narrowing at her explanation. Then he went to do what she asked, sending Ta'Ga to her.

Ta'Ga let him cut her and then Grennt carefully lifted Zara to bring her over as well. She still convulsed wildly in his arms, eyes partially opened showing only the whites.

Yuli grasped Zara's hand tightly and plunged the knife into her palm. She gasped in surprise when the blood that oozed out was not red as theirs had been. It was black. Black as night.

Grennt growled, pushing the girl away from his chest and out toward Yuli. Ta'Ga leaned closer to observe the blood and let out an angry growl of his own. As Zara's blood tumbled down and dripped onto the parchment, it hissed louder than the others, popping and spitting like it was boiling hotly before being absorbed. The three party members stared in shock at the tiny girl that had just joined them.

Grennt laid her down on the ground and stepped away.

"What?" Ta'Ga asked Yuli in a harsh, angry tone. "Did you know about this?"

Yuli shook her head, watching Zara, her brow creased in confusion. "Of course not."

"Is it a trick?" Grennt asked, fuming, now pacing back and forth, never taking his eyes off of Zara's twitching form.

Yuli didn't have an answer but she was suddenly moving. She pushed the scroll closer to Zara's body and wiped her blood from her wound onto the back of Zara's unwounded hand. She ran to Ta'Ga and did the same and pushed him toward Zara. He hesitantly took a step closer but wouldn't go closer than that. His expression was angry but conflicted. Grennt was pure rage as Yuli approached him. He stepped away from her, eyes wild with distrust.

"Listen, we don't have much time," Yuli explained in a rush. "I don't think the girl meant us any harm. I don't know why but I trust her. Either way, she won't last much longer like this and there is nothing in my arsenal that can help her. She will die if we don't act now. We can get answers and deal with her later but only if she lives."

Grennt was shaking his head through her explanation, still glaring at Zara.

"You can't bring her back with us," he snarled. "I don't know much about magic but I know what it will cost you to transport all four of us back. This spell is meant for one person only. You can't risk your life to save some demon girl we just met!"

Yuli stomped her foot impatiently.

"We don't have time to debate it!" She yelled. "I told Zara I would protect her and I meant it. She is dying, Grennt! She's just a girl. I don't understand it either but I won't have her death on my hands because I didn't try to save her. Get closer to her, NOW. That's a direct order."

Grennt stopped his pacing and turned his glare on the blonde woman in front of him. He growled at her and didn't move any closer. Yuli reached out impatiently and wiped her blood on his hand. His eyes narrowed and she pulled him expectantly. He frowned and barred his teeth but did as she asked.

Satisfied with his position Yuli started moving again. She twisted her knife around and slashed a large cut in her arm as she walked, not winching at the searing pain. The blood flowed freely down her arms and she walked in a circle, enclosing the four of them within. She didn't bother to look for Raio. He had disappeared around the time Zara started screaming and she hadn't seen him since. She guessed he was done traveling with them and at the moment she didn't care.

An idea struck her and she glanced at Zara. She saw red in anger as she realized Zara's necklace was no longer secured around her neck. From the time Zara had rejoined them she had noticed a strange magical aura radiating from the necklace she wore. It was strange Zara didn't feel it but it seemed Ta'Ga and Grennt hadn't noticed either. She supposed only those with strong magical abilities could sense it. Then she saw Raio looking at it and knew he could sense it too.

She no longer thought that Raio's disappearance and Zara starting her episode were coincidence.

She completed the circle of blood quickly and made her way over to the scroll again. She didn't bother healing the cut on her arm, knowing she would need all the magic she could muster to complete this spell. If they all survived, she'd worry about the cut later.

She began chanting, touching a few of the symbols on the scroll with blood on her fingertip. The scroll hissed quietly where she touched and then the symbols began to glow. They started glowing at the top first and slowly the glowing started to spread over the whole page, gradually picking up speed as Yuli chanted in the strange language the symbols were from. Ta'Ga and Grennt watched tensely as the glowing spread to the entire scroll. Then, Yuli's blood began to glow in a circle, surrounding them with blue light. Sweat dripped off her brow as she chanted, pouring as much magic into scroll as she could, feeling a steady stream of it leave her body as she chanted. It went on until the glowing light around them was blinding, blocking out the forest around them.

Then, in a flash, everything went dark and they were gone, leaving only the remnants of their fire behind.

______________