After deciding on the route to take, the three of them continued their travel down the mountain path towards the town of Sandorf. While Albert predicted that they might reach Sandorf by the end of the day, he did not expect a rather unexpected disturbance on the main road. At first glance, it looked like a minor disturbance, and they could pass by. Turned out it was something far worse.

A convoy of constables on horses blocked the paved road that led to Sandorf. Albert was sure that they needed to use that road to reach Sandorf that night. He checked his map to be sure.

“We won’t reach Sandorf if this continues,” he said with a sigh.

Curious, Lilac approached the roadblock and asked the nearest constable she could find. He was a young man carrying a sign directing road travelers to follow the alternate route.

“Excuse me,” said Lilac. “Is something the matter?”

“There has been an accident,” said the officer. “No. A disaster, more like.”

“What kind of disaster?”

“You don’t want to know. Do you have any other questions?”

“We are going to go to Sandorf through this road,” said Lilac. “You seem to know another way around.”

“You can still get to Sandorf through Tynt. Go west and you will see a prominent sign with gas light. Follow the road to Tynt. It will just be a straight road to Sandorf.”

“May I ask what kind of disaster happened on this road?” asked Albert as he approached the two. “You see, I am interested, just like the lady here.”

“Well….” The young constable looked around before he whispered. “There has been a skirmish. Unknown perps fought each other. Quite a brawl, it was. Haven’t seen such full-scale battle ever since 1899.”

“Do they…look Lycan?” asked Ifrit. He quickly assumed that hellhounds were involved.

“Right now, the investigator team is checking. We won’t know what happened until tonight.”

“Thnk you, herr constable.” Albert then handed him 2 Krets and a couple of coins. “Buy yourself a drink tonight.”

“Oh, but you shouldn’t have!”

“You gave us info; I pay you a pint. It’s a Dusdolfian thing. Just don’t drink on the job, ja?”

The young constable smiled as he pocketed the money and returned to his post. Albert then said, “Well, good thing we are not currently on the job. Might as well find some work in Tynt. We might find our fortune there. If not, we still have more than enough for a good night’s sleep before we continue our journey. What do you say?”

“Then Tynt it is,” concluded Lilac.

Tynt was a village somewhere along the western road, but based on the map Albert had, there was a small road that led into the forest that cut into the paved road that led to Sandorf. The village that was attacked, Salke, was further down the road, with the forest path going out beyond the village. The constable was right in saying that Tynt had a road that led to Sandorf, and with a bonus of travelling through a shaded forest, which would make traveling through the hot summer that much bearable.

Tynt had a substantial Lycan population, which was temporarily bolstered by the travelers who had their journey unexpected diverted. They also noticed some other less common Lycans, especially those with orange-red fur and a generally vulpine appearance.

“They have werefoxes, too?” said Lilac when she glanced at one of them. “I only heard about them from bar patrons. I never thought they were real.”

“They don’t usually live this close to settlements,” said Albert. “But considering how close this village is to the forest, it’s not surprising. Werefoxes usually live deep in the forest. I believe there is a Tragorian legend of a folk hero who stole from the rich and distribute it to the poor.”

“Oh, you mean the legend of Robyn Hode. There are countless stories about him and his outlaw group. Many confused Robyn’s race and gender, so being a werefox is a possibility.”

“He has a different name in Dusdolf, though everyone agrees that he is a werefox. We have more Lycan population than Tragoria and Adaline combined.”

“What do you call your Lycans?” asked Lilac.

“We called them Werwulf. Direct translation of werewolf,” said Albert. “But, since there are more types of therians out there, I think the term therianthrope is more appropriate.”

“That works.”

“Well, now we’re here, it’s best if we get ourselves comfortable. With so many people stranded here, I have a feeling we might not get a room. Still, there is no harm in trying to find one.”

Ifrit and Lilac agreed. She then walked towards one of the inns, with Ifrit accompanying her. He followed Lilac to the tavern mostly to listen to people talking in Tragorian. While Lilac kept teaching him how to talk Tragorian, she also said that listening to conversations could help him improve. Lilac couldn’t teach Ifrit more than she knew. She even joked that Ifrit could teach her his language, even though she was aware that Ifrit’s native tongue was dangerous for her. Ifrit simply shrugged and said, “(Don’t blame me if shit happens).” Lilac, not understanding what Ifrit said, could only shake her head.

Ifrit started to wonder how one lived a dual life. Being a race that was neither a wolf nor a human could be problematic, but it clearly wasn’t. As he became more comfortable with that idea, he soon wondered how the transformation worked. He assumed that it would be very painful, considering that he imagined someone’s body was broken in several parts or horribly transformed into a new, bestial form. Intrigued by this, while Lilac talked to the owner about vacant rooms, Ifrit walked to Albert and started to ask about a Lycan’s duality.

“A Lycan’s transformation is the most intimate moment of their life,” said Albert. “They do not want people to see the process. I heard it’s pretty painful and they need to concentrate so as to not writhing in pain. That’s what the purebloods I know told me.”

“Pureblood?”

“Someone born as a Lycan, not turned. They already have their werewolf form since birth, so their body is already accustomed to the transformation. In contrast, someone who was turned after being bitten must endure the pain of transformation. Good thing the first transformation is the last.”

“Why?”

“Turned werewolves can’t return as humans. Their transformations are permanent. This is a very concerning issue for those who got into an accident with a Lycan, not to mention the inevitability and the pain.”

“Then why be Lycan if painful?” asked Ifrit.

“There is a reason for everything, Ifrit, and is also a heavily discussed problem. There are many moral implications of discarding your humanity just to be a man beast. Society has not fully accepted this situation. Maybe one day they will.”

“I see. I never thought of that.”

“Well, now you know. Understand that there are people who walk the path of two lives. We both have no such experience. I’m a human and you are a hellhound. We cannot transform into one another, and we don’t have to endure the complications of being turned.”

Ifrit only took his form for granted. No one had complained of his form during his travel. Yes, some turned their heads to see a peculiar-looking ‘werewolf’ who had a long, triangle tipped tail, weird eyes, and piercings that suggested a permanent form. He hid his horns with a hat since it was too obvious, but one glance of his unnatural eyes and people, especially fellow hellhounds, would know who he was.

Which happened when Albert excused himself to go back to his carriage, accompanied by Lilac. As Ifrit observed the people that started to fill the tavern, he was unexpectedly called by someone with Hordo.

“(Hey, you),” said the voice. “(The one with a fedora. I know you understand me).”

Ifrit turned towards the voice. At first glance, he looked like a werefox with fiery orange fur and vulpine head, but the hellhound noticed his dark brown arms were in fact hardened scales akin to that of reptiles, tipped with sharp and prominent claws that could easily rend flesh. He also had horns, but they looked a lot more like antlers, giving him a rather hybrid forest animal look. His antlers were decorated in such a way that they look like a tribal headdress, which did not seem out of place with the other werefoxes Ifrit had seen in the town. The only reason Ifrit would not mistake this ‘werefox’ as one was the language he spoke: Hordo. Only hellhounds could speak that language without consequence.

“(You…called me?)” said Ifrit, pointing at himself.

“(Who else? You understand me perfectly), said the peculiar hound. “(It’s a little lonely sitting by myself. Wanna chat?)”

Ifrit was wary of being tricked, but he approached the hellhound anyway. He was wearing leather vest and leather pants, with a shirt underneath the vest. It did not make his orange fur stood out, but it also clashed with the tribal ‘headdress’ over his head, along with the bow and arrow he put aside. Ifrit had seen surface dwellers using rifles and guns, so a set of bow and arrows felt so out of place.

“(How do you know I’m a hellhound?)” asked Ifrit.

“(Piercings are dead giveaways. Lycans don’t wear earrings, turned or not. And those piercings on your tail…you’re a prince, aren’t you?)”

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Ifrit started to tense, ready to get away if it was a trap. The hellhound, sensing this, said, “(No need to be so agitated. I’m an ally).”

“(Yeah. And you’re going to ask me to return to the throne),” said Ifrit. “(I’ll say this once. I have no intention in doing so).”

“(No, I’m not going to ask you that),” said the hellhound. “(We both have similar stories).”

Ifrit wanted to ask why before he showed Ifrit his tail, which, like all hellhounds, was long and triangle tipped. Instead of piercings, however, he had a tight ring enclosing the base of the triangle tip. Another thing he noted was that his tail looked more like a lizard’s than a hellhound since it was covered in dark brown scales. The ring, as Ifrit noticed, was inscribed with Old Hordo runes, similar to the runes inscribed on his tail piercing.

“(You’re…a prince, too)?” said Ifrit, arriving with a conclusion. “(Wow. I never thought I met another prince).”

“(Out here, no one’s a prince anymore),” said the hellhound with a smile. “(But we have our share of enemies hunting us down, so we better look after each other out here, eh, mate?)”

“(R-Right),” said Ifrit, slightly taken aback by the accent in his Hordo. “(So, uh…no one ever ask about your horns)?”

“(Oh, some do that),” he said. “(Hunters like us can’t really pass as a werefox. We look like a mish-mash of different animals).”

He then laughed.

“(Anyway, got some things to straighten out),” said the hellhound as he stood. “(Out of curiosity, where are you going?)”

“(The town of Sandorf. We got here because of the issue on the proper road).”

“(Ah, I heard about that. Well, good luck. You need it).”

“(Yeah, you too. Ah, can I…?)”

Before Ifrit could ask his name, the hellhound was already gone. The tavern was full due to the detoured travelers either waiting for the roadblock to open or rest before they cross the forest, so the mysterious hellhound just slipped away. Ifrit wondered if he was just talking to himself when Lilac found him. She was rather frustrated.

“No luck,” said Lilac with a sigh. “They have no room left. Tynt cannot handle this much visitors.”

“So, we camp?” said Ifrit.

“We might as well.”

And so, they decided to camp and found a good patch near the forest. Lilac proceeded to prepare for dinner while Albert and Ifrit sat on the carriage’s roof with Albert smoking his pipe. The human wanted to eat in the tavern, but Lilac dissuaded him from it as she made a stew for the night. Albert quickly knew what she meant when he saw the line that started to form outside the tavern.

Other travelers with camping equipment had the same idea of cooking their own dinner, so the three were not alone. They also invited the other unfortunate and hungry travelers to eat dinner with them. Some agreed, while others were reluctant. Lilac wondered if Tynt was a peaceful town by the forest before the whole rerouting problems. She assumed that, like Sidve, not many travelers past the town and only stay to rest and eat. She could understand if the villagers felt overwhelmed by the high number of travelers asking for their services, because she would be, too, if the tavern in Sidve was in the same state as Tynt’s.

But it wasn’t really her problem. Tynt was not Sidve. Her world was no longer limited to her now-gone village and the books she and Hans bought from traveling book salesmen who occasionally visited Sidve. She was now traveling through Tragoria and was close to getting to Adaline’s borders. It was the farthest she had ever been. It was overwhelming at first, but she endured it, knowing that her brother was enduring a much more grueling journey compared to her.

During dinner, she continued teaching Ifrit what she knew about Tragorian language. He asked if the Adals were using a different language, only for Albert to tell them about it.

“Adaline can be described as a sister region to Tragoria in many ways, but it is also a melting pot for many cultures around Ternor,” said Albert. “An’ah, Tragoria, and Dusdolf surrounded this central region, so it has a lot of diversity compared to Tragoria and Dusdolf. The region’s language is Tragorian, but they had their own accent called Adal.”

“Then why is it not part of Tragoria?” asked Lilac.

“There was a war of independence a century ago where the Adals seceded from Tragoria, Dusdolf, and An’ah to form an independent nation that incorporated the other nations. The next generation of Adals seek peace with the other established nations and because of that, their economy boomed due to trades and the nation’s position as a neutral ground for business and political purposes. Consider them your middlemen for why Tragoria has Dusdolfian technologies and why Lycans have rights in the other regions. Their relationship with An’ah is not as good since Adals only cared for the trees of An’ah and if you ever know that region, the trees are as sacred as their lives. They try to persuade Adaline to secede the part where the trees grow to this day.”

“Oh, wow,” said Lilac. “I don’t know about that.”

“You might find some of the cultures similar, just slightly different from what you know,” said Albert. “The people of Adaline can be a bit too open-minded, so just go in with an open mind and you’ll be alright.”

Lilac wasn’t sure if eccentric was the right word since she was traveling with a hellhound prince. She was already an open-minded person ever since she accepted Ifrit. Still, Albert knew more than her, so she might as well prepared herself for it and kept preparing her stew.

As they prepared their hearty dinner, they relaxed as nearby campers started entertaining each other with music and stories. Ifrit seemed fascinated by the impromptu entertainment as Lilac enjoyed it before noticing Ifrit’s interest.

“What do you do for fun? Before going to the surface?” asked Lilac.

“We…read,” said Ifrit. “Or tell each other stories. Most of the time we brawl or bet on fights.”

“That’s…quite a life,” she said.

“But I stay out of fights. They will know who I am,” said Ifrit. “I…do not try and make friends. They hard to come by and hard to keep.”

“Oh.” Lilac felt that Ifrit’s life was much harder than her, which made the killings he did rather justified if he wanted to survive.

“But no problem. I live far from Drundas. I thought it will keep me safe. I was wrong.”

“Is it hard?”

“I try and live with it,” said Ifrit.

They soon talked about their lives, on how things were before they met. Ifrit’s life was tough and hard, but he did his best to survive the harsh Underworld. Lilac, while being a Lycan made her childhood difficult, she had her brother, and soon herself. As she grew into adulthood, those who once made fun of her slowly warmed up to her, and she made more friends. Still, all those were gone when Sidve was attacked and destroyed.

Remembering that her home village was gone made her rather sad. It was almost a week since she got out of Sidve and as far as she could tell, there were still no update as to what happened to Sidve and the surrounding towns. The lack of news was troubling and worrying.

Albert noticed her distressed expression. He knew what troubled her. But, instead of trying to comfort her, he turned to Ifrit and said, “Ifrit, tell me. Are you capable of understanding human expression?”

“I try,” replied Ifrit. “I understand werewolf better.”

“What do you think of my current state of mind, hmm?” implored Albert.

“You’re cheerful, I guess?”

“Then, how about Lilac?”

Ifrit turned to her and saw how her face seemed tense. Unlike hellhounds, humans had quite a range of expressions that’s more pronounced. While hellhounds were already expressive enough (at least for Ifrit), he could understand a human from their face. Seeing Lilac’s face made him feel that he wanted to help her. Comfort her. It was, for Ifrit, the right thing to do. Just because the surface people called him a ‘hellhound’ did not mean he should act like a hellish person.

“Lilac…is something bothering you?” asked Ifrit after he sat beside her.

“It’s nothing, really,” said Lilac, looking away.

“Oh, don’t be like that, Lilac,” said Albert. “I can’t have you sulking around and worry too much.”

Lilac sighed. She knew she couldn’t keep her traveling companions in the dark. Ifrit already told them of his past, so it was fair that she said something.

“It’s about Sidve,” said Lilac.

“Your village?” asked Ifrit. “Why?”

“There is no news of what happened. I read the daily news and there’s almost no mention of Sidve or even any other settlements. I know the village is too small for anyone to worry about, but why isn’t there any news? It doesn’t have to be the headline. Even if it is on page 14, there should at least be a mention of it. There is not even a bloody opinion on the situation.”

“And considering how close it was to Wayfer, you have a point,” said Albert. “Maybe the disturbance has been dealt with?”

“I doubt it,” said Ifrit. “They chased me to the surface. They won’t quit.”

“Then again, you can’t change what has already happened,” comforted Albert. “So, why don’t we start talking about something else to lighten things up, like someone you know. Lilac, you mention a brother, right? How is he?”

“He’s…well, I hope. I don’t know about his travel and I really, really hope whoever he traveled with do not have a death wish.”

“Where is he, exactly?”

“Crossing the unknown seas.”

“Ah. The steamship of Angla. Well, don’t worry. I have read of previous attempts to cross the sea being unsuccessful and they were forced to return home. But that during the age of sail. The steamship is far more durable and was made in Dusdolf and is cutting edge, from what I heard. Still, we won’t know until they return with the good news, so let’s hope for the best, hmm?”

“That’s helpful.”

“How about you, Ifrit? You have, uh…meaningful relationship before meeting us?”

“My foster parents,” said Ifrit short.

“Family is great, but what I mean is something more. I’m asking this to you too, Lilac. You ever been in love? Like, you ever have a lover in your life?”

“Lover?” said Lilac. “Oh, dear no! I wish I could, but Sidve’s a small village and visitors are not very common. Besides, those of my age left the village in search of opportunities.”

“You’re…living a rather sheltered life.”

“It’s not like we have places to go anyway.”

“At least your brother got the right idea. About traveling, I mean.”

“Well, someone must stay and guard the house. It’s not like our house can move like yours.”

Albert chuckled after hearing Lilac’s remark. He clearly wasn’t wrong in choosing them, after all. Still, he wasn’t going to just stop. He wanted to keep the conversation going so he knew his decision was truly right.

Thus, the blonde human turned to Ifrit and said, “How about you, Ifrit? Any past lovers?”

“No, I don’t really want to. Everyone is hunting me. I can’t trust one with secrets.”

“Secrets?”

“You know. Me being a hellhound prince.”

“Did you plan to tell us about it before that hellhound told us?” asked Lilac.

“I might. You and Albert a not hellhounds. But I was…scared that you’re scared. Of me.”

“Honestly, I am scared,” said Lilac. “The word ‘hellhound’ is something I associated with demons or their servants, not a wolf-like…beastman like you. Sorry, I can’t call you a Lycan since you’re clearly not one.”

“It’s alright,” said Ifrit. “I am scared, also. The surface world is…foreign and…unknown. I ran from my home and crossed a portal into a colorful world. I chose to stay with you, learn more.”

“So, you could just leave?”

“I could. But to where? You are kind. Others might not be as kind.”

“And honestly, I was a little lonely. My brother travelled to the unknown seas for a purpose I’m not sure about and I was so scared that he would never return. Then, I met you in the forest and…and you gave me a reason to let you stay. I don’t really have a friend in Sidve who is as close as my brother, even if they’re kind to me. So, it’s very lonely living alone with only the forest critters for…sorry…it sounds like I was using you to…”

“I don’t mind.”

Lilac slowly found that Ifrit and her had a lot in common. Lilac wanted to find a companion because she was lonely, and Ifrit wanted a place where he could learn the surface world without risking himself and running from his hunters. As a hunter herself, Lilac knew how exhausting it would be for a prey to keep on alert and running, because as time went on, they would give up.

The commonality made Lilac felt something growing inside her. A desire to know more, and to support each other. Lilac and Ifrit stared each other by the eyes, which was also the time where Lilac saw loneliness in those reptilian-like eyes. He was lonely. And sad.

They inched closer and closer towards each other until Ifrit’s snout and Lilac’s mouth almost touched. But just before there was a contact, Albert cleared his throat, causing them to hastily turn away.

“Look at the time,” said Albert as he pulled out his pocket watch. “It’s past midnight already. No wonder I’m so tired. I won’t gonna stop you from chatting, but I suggest we get to sleep tonight.”

“Uh, yes, sure,” said Lilac. As she walked into the carriage, she turned to Ifrit and smirked, with Ifrit doing the same while showing his sharp teeth, the only way he could express a smile.

They weren’t sure about it yet, but it was the start of their close relationship, one much closer than friendship.