Erika stepped out of the store, Jared and Gray remaining watchful at the doorway, coming out to face a total of twelve armed clansmen surrounding her, with Jackobe standing at their head.

Jackobe walked up to her, coming to loom a whole head over her as he glared down into her face. He tried to grip her chin and raise it, only finding that he couldn’t.

Instead, Erika raised her own glare up to his, her eyes focusing into blue reptilian slits.

“You do not understand our world, outsider, you do not understand what pride you broke out of my grandson after betraying him and his like you did. Against the regulations set up you by your training sergeant. In doing so, you belittled Thorn in a crucial moment. In doing so, you belittled my clan.” Jackobe growled, baring his fangs at her as his hair stood on end. “I doing so-”

“I belittled you?” Erika cut him off, “Perhaps you should be belittled, if a show of gang-like force is your reaction to your champion’s failure.”

Her words burned rage into Jackobe’s eyes, “E-Excuse me?”

Erika turned away, walking to the centre of their encirclement, Jackobe’s eyes burning into her back. “You come here, for what? Not for your child’s defeat but as theatre to those who watch you, a show of power, of standing and respect.”

Erika chuckled, turning to face Jackobe as the veins on his face pulsed with fury. “You say, my unlawful victory over Thorn, belittled you. Yet, our training was an illusion mirroring war. War, has no laws, not the war your kind are fighting. I only did, what was obvious to achieve victory for the side I chose to aid. Here and now, I still choose to aid your people. Yet, you come to try and install fear in me. You come here and say, I belittled you? No, you belittle yourself.”

Here and now, Erika knew her precarious position.

Here and now, she took a gamble.

Having learned what she had of the Lycan’s society from other recruits, she knew pride ruled over these lands harder than the word of law.

Pride which called for Jackobe to vindicate his grandson, pride which with Erika’s words now called for Jackobe to prove himself alone.

As Erika’s words, were more than just provocation, they were a challenge to Jackobe directly.

Gray had told her, not to strike first, which mean if she did would bring reprisals to her actions.

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Then, Erika would have Jackobe strike first.

“You snivelling little-” Immediately after her words ended, Jackobe’s form exploded out, doubling in size as the curse of lycanthropy took over.

Vines grew out of his back, engulfing him like armour and forming four more arms of thorns alongside his own, all now threatening to descend upon Erika.

And just as he came within three feet of her, Erika took out the dagger she had secured under her belt.

Pouring her every drop of mana into it, as she clenched the grip tightly.

The blade resonated with her mana, the veins upon it lighting up brighter than ever as suddenly the metal cracked and melted apart. The blade shattered, yet remained held together by veins of bright blue, as it grew, piercing its tip momentarily into the dirt.

Grinning widely at the outcome of this creation, Erika wasted no time, she struck out at Jackobe.

Turning on the spot and trailing the blade behind her, Erika slashed with a keen form and clear target.

“I would think,” A voice then spoke out amongst them, the sheer force following it pausing both Erika’s attack and Jackobe’s assault.

To the side of them, stood a man. Donning dark plate armour covering his entire body, all but his face, where his eyes glowed a fierce moon white. His unkempt dark black hair falling down his back, ending in long thin fangs tied to them. The same fangs riddled his entire set of armour, hanging off it by locks of hair not his own.

Jackobe glanced down at the man, his eyes widening in terror.

Erika did the same, turning to the man as her senses spoke to her in unison.

He's dangerous.

Moving in between them, whilst both Erika and Jackobe backed away, was Zarkon.

“I would think that, my arrival, would accommodate me with much more than a brawl in the middle of the street for show.” Zarkon mused, glaring dead straight at Jackobe.

“Alpha,” Jackobe said with a tone that brought out both fear and respect.

“You’ve grown weak, Jack my boy.” Zarkon said, turning his glance then to Erika. “For if I hadn’t stopped this clash, this creature here would have felled your eyes, slashed right out of your own face.” Returning to Jackobe, Zarkon glanced the man from his feet and up to his confused gaze. “Now, tell me, why should I not do the same? The garrison, and the elders, deem control here. Not you and your clan lackeys. So tell me, what urges you to deny them that control. Just for petty appearances?”

“S-She undermined even her sarge-”

“There is no law on the battlefield, other than the laws of nature.” Zarkon mused, “Your pup, failed to recognise that, she didn’t.” As he spoke, a contingent of armoured soldiers walked around the street corner and into their sights, marching up to stand behind Zarkon, there was a good forty of them. “Retreat back to your clans house, I won’t lose another man, not one able to fight. We’ll need every single one from here on.”

“What happened?” Jared asked, “Alpha, why have you returned?”

Zarkon turned to the craftsman, briefly glancing at all the people now gathering to listen. “Call the Elders here,” He whispered to one of his men who nodded and rushed away. “What is it Silverhide? Won’t you offer an old friend a meal after a long journey home?”

Jared and Zarkon’s eyes met, and the Silverhide clan leader immediately knew the next few words that would come from this man, he would not like.