Hunter policy #00091 (Redacted):

Any unidentifiable items of a magical nature are to be considered contraband and can be retrieved from any citizen at any time. Lethal force is permitted if the retrieval is resisted or hindered in any way. Under no circumstances can the origin of these artifacts be revealed.

I awoke to the soft purr of Pufflemur on my chest. I groaned and rose to a seated position, fully expecting my bones and head to scream in protest after all that had just happened. The Pufflemur yelped playfully as it gently rolled down my chest from its perch on my clavicle. My mind raced as I caught up to the present. I scrunched my eyes shut, too many images playing all at once in my head. First, there was the görnaching interloper I fought and somehow killed with my strange new reflexes. Then there was that vision…

The vision. I lifted a hand to my head, half expecting to feel fur instead of weathered skin. My fingers trembled. I was real. I was back. I felt my messy braid and the silk orange ribbon there. I patted myself down, ensuring that horrible out-of-body experience was indeed done. I laughed and cried all at once, the relief I felt at being back in control of my body overwhelming. The sensation gave me a whole new appreciation for the torment those enthralled women went through. I cursed softly at the memory.

“If that prick isn’t dead by the time I get back, I am going to turn him into a skrägging statue,” I vowed.

I stood up, feeling oddly energized. I looked around, realizing I hadn’t left the ravine where I had just fought. But unlike before, it was the light of the moon and stars that lit up the mounds of corpses around me. The stench still overpowered me, but I was able to mute it a little better this time around. I hopped from one foot to the other to get my blood-flow back, and searched in the darkness for the carcass of that foul creature. After a few seconds, I saw it.

It was strange to see its sharp ridges and violet sinewy scales so soon after that vision where there had been hundreds of them. Lycaros and that magical stag, Cervidor, had dispatched of them with the same casual indifference as those who got rid of Sootsprites. The one before me was a bit more engorged than those ones had been, but it was undoubtedly the same type of creature.

What had Lycaros said? That these things were native to the void? I had so many questions rattling around in my head that I thought I might explode. I shoved them down and resolved to confront that oversized dog the next time I saw him. He had much to answer for.

I walked toward the beast, interested in getting a closer look. When I reached its lifeless eyes, a detail stuck out to me in the moonlight. It was unnaturally pale, as if the color had drained out of it. Stranger, it appeared dry and withered beneath its gleaming scales. I had only been unconscious for a few hours at most, and yet this beast looked like it had been decomposing for months. My eyes narrowed as the meager light above glinted off of the silvery cuffs the creature wore on each of its legs. Several of them were cracked, but I managed to procure two that remained intact. It was a gory business, sliding the metallic objects off of its dead body. The bones were so brittle that it was like snapping dry twigs.

I kept my gauntlets activated the whole time. There was no way I would actually touch this disgusting monster.

With the two cuffs in hand, I found a dry patch of dirt and sat down. There was something about them that troubled me. My mind replayed our fight, and I recalled how these bands glowed with that dark violet light. It was the source of those strange barriers. Gingerly, I set them down and retracted my gauntlets. I stared at their strange markings. Both were identical in every way I could perceive. Even in the darkness, my eyes felt sharp and alert to every minutiae of the devices.

Maybe Lycaros will know what they are, I thought as I reached toward them to lace them into my belt for safekeeping. The second my hands touched them, though, they glowed with vermillion light.

“What the—” I yelled, backing up. The silver bubbled and dissolved into two amorphous blobs. They rushed up my body. I crawled backward, but it was no use. My skin crawled as they swept up my arms and down my chest. They lingered slightly on the tattoo, but then kept on their journey.

I cursed over and over again, yanking and clawing at the oozing liquid, but it resisted any and all attempts to grip it. It slithered down my legs and then stopped. The silver goop flashed again with gold and green energy right before they began to remold under my pant legs. I pulled up the clothing just in time to see fresh etchings emerge from the silver right as they finished covering my shins and calves in a contoured metallic armor.

“What in the seven hells?!” I demanded of the sky and earth. Unfortunately, both were apparently away on holiday, as my question remained unanswered. I tried to lift the alien greaves, but felt my skin resist the movement. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I huffed. I ripped harder, but it was like trying to extricate my own flesh. I stood up, flicking my legs this way and that, but nothing worked.

“WILL. YOU. JUST. GET. OFF?!!” I screamed, but like my earlier demands to the cosmos, it was useless. “That wolf better be able to take these things off me.” I stomped away from the clearing and returned up the ravine. Right as I neared the cave entrance, I rubbed my eyes in confusion. With all that had happened, I wouldn’t have put it past my mind to hallucinate, and yet when I looked again, there he was.

The faint outline of Lycaros covered the way I had come. He lounged on his paws, the picture of a regal pup. Frustration and relief hit me at once, as the source of my strange circumstances as well as the answers I sought now laid in front of me. Lycaros stared at me, a knowing glint in his eyes.

“What’re you grinning at?” Now that I had spent a bit in his proverbial shoes, I could sense the mirth and the pride in those green orbs of his.

You smell.

“You’ve got to be skrägging with me, you big jerk. What in the hells happened down there? Why did I see you? Why was I…you?!” I yelled. I didn’t care if anyone heard, not that there was anyone around to see me scream at a ghostly dog in the middle of the night. Lycaros shifted on his paws and leaned in.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“What? Why do you look so smug?” I demanded. My voice was hoarse, and yet I felt amazing save for the new ankle weight I had just unwillingly received. Every nerve in my body was alive and alert, and just the thought of sitting still disgusted me. “Lycaros, you better start answering my questions, or I am going to pound my new ankle weights into that large snout of yours.”

So…You know my name. I thought it might be you. I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure until Valor hinted it might be.

“Who is this Valor you keep speaking of? You and your siblings kept mentioning him too. Wait, don’t sidetrack me. Answer my questions. What did you do to me?” I pointed at the mark beneath my shirt. “This isn’t just some new souvenir, is it? You healed me, and now I feel like I can’t stop moving. My senses are on fire and all I want to do is run through those woods.”

It will take some getting used to, Thea Shade. Come, sit by me.

“Yeah, sorry. No.” I placed both hands on my hips and paced in front of the amused wolf. “Answer me, pup.”

Alright, little one. What I gave you was a sliver of my blood. When freely given and freely received the blood from the natives to this world have incredible powers. You know this realm as Eridia, I believe, but we know her by another name: Serenity.

The way he said the name of his home sent a wave of nostalgia and longing in my heart, and I felt the tattoo on my chest heat slightly.

“Okay, you donated some blood. Why did that heal me? What does it do?” I asked, some of my impatience waning as he started to help me understand. He hesitated slightly, but I waited until he spoke again. This time, his tone had an admittedly embarrassed ring to it.

I gave you a curse, actually.

“You did WHAT?!” I screamed. A few nocturnal birds in the vicinity scrambled out of their nests at my outburst. They cawed and screeched in protest as they flew away.

I gave you a curse that would end you if you fled from the interloper. I cannot have my power linger in one I cannot trust. The second you slayed it, however, the curse was removed and a shard of my being entered your soul. You’ve begun to integrate my connection to Serenity within yourself.

“Okay, what does that even mean?” I demanded, still upset at his casual admittance to putting a bomb in my chest.

As you learn to wield my strength, your connection to this planet will grow. But be warned, Thea Shade. Your body was not designed to wield the power of an Archon. Use it too much, or too quickly, and I cannot guarantee your safety. I…I have never done this before. I don’t want you to die.

“What in the hells?! Even without the curse you gave me, there’s a chance I’ll die? And what are these powers you’ve mentioned? And do they have anything to do with these greaves? Because they won’t come off. Trust me!” This was all too much. I felt my mind fray as revelation after revelation threatened to drown me.

You’ve noticed them already, I’m sure. My lupine senses are now yours to use as you whim. Train and hone them, as they are both the least and greatest of my powers. They should not harm you, but are the basis for most of my other abilities.

The second of my gifts is still coursing through your body, I imagine. When I slay creatures, a sliver of their lingering life-force can enter me to restore any wounds or fatigue I might’ve suffered. I am Tenacity. I never falter, nor do I tire when Valor calls on me. This, and more, I have given to you.

As for those greaves, they are a trickier matter. But the short answer is no, you can’t take them off. But I think you’ll find you won’t want to once you master them. They share the same skill as their previous owner. Learn to wield my power, and soon it will give you the strength to use them too.

I sat down. The rocky terrain went unnoticed to me, as I took in all that he had said. I recalled my recent fight, and couldn’t deny the supernatural lack of injuries despite the wounds I had accrued. Stranger, my senses had been far more acute and precise the past day. I…I was different now. I didn’t know how to feel about that, but I did know one thing:

I was one step closer to being strong enough to keep my promises.

A rumble in the sky made the earth around us tremble. Lycaros groaned and his ethereal form flickered.

“What is it? What’s going on?” I asked, concerned at the sight of his dark grimace.

The planetary ward your people made keeps me away from my home. It has been weakening these past centuries, but I’m afraid even my strength is not enough to hold it at bay for much longer. If a surge was near, then I might’ve been able to stay longer. If you desire more answers, you will need to seek out your kin. He knows much, thanks to Nolla.

So many details clicked into place, and yet so many more unanswered questions remained.

“Please! Tell me where to find Kaelin, or what this ward you mentioned is? Something! Anything!” I yelled, even as another tremble shook the world. Lycaros stood shakily to his feet.

I leave you with this, little fang. Help your brother dismantle the ward. It is why the surges exist, and why Serenity is dying. We do not have much longer. Even with my offspring slowly returning home through each storm, the barrier keeping me and the other Archons won’t break in time. We need your help. Please. Will you aid us in getting our planet back?

Despite his size and despite the fact that he was a wolf who had cursed me, I felt my heart give in to his earnestness. His desperation. What was one more promise? It wasn’t like I had any intention of disbanding any of them. Better, if this vow got me closer to finding Kaelin, then it would all be worth it.

I met the eyes of Lycaros, and nodded once. His shoulders relaxed even as pain ripped through his form.

Grow stronger. Learn to wield your new skills. I shall attempt to speak more when I’ve recovered my strength.

A golden bolt of light blazed down from above. I looked up and saw the bare shimmer of enormous runes the size of cities flash to life around the sky. They extended as far as I could see. The golden light slammed into Lycaros and he disappeared. As quickly as it had arrived, the strange power dissipated, leaving the sky clear once more. The design on my chest heated slightly, but it too soon faded. I was thrust into darkness.

But that wasn’t entirely true. Even as energy thrummed in my veins, I felt something I hadn’t fully experienced in what felt like ages.

I felt anticipation.

There were some monsters dressed as Orions that needed to taste the fang of a wolf. With the full moon behind me and a grin forming on my face, I began my return journey.