The town Jonas mentioned was, like many towns in the Desert Wasteland, formed from the ruins of a pre-war civilization that could still be salvaged. The remaining infrastructure and the location were perfect for those who wanted to have a chance in surviving the harsh desert other than moving into a haven, which was expensive for most desert dwellers.

The buildings in the town were constructed from clay and sandstone, two of the most used building materials for many long-lasting towns. It was also situated near an oasis, another rarity in the desert, especially in a region where sand dunes were plentiful. Beyond the sparse vegetation was nothing but sand and scorching hot air.

As soon as they arrived, several of the townspeople saw them and became understandably worried. As Jonas warned, many of them did not hesitate to walk into their homes and closed the doors behind them. Raine expected some of them to look at them angrily, which justified the wanted poster. Instead, they only looked at them in fear and worry. He also noticed that they stared at the two newcomers while whispering something only they could hear. This might struck Raine as strange, but he did not think of it more than concern of two wanted criminals walking along the wide road with barely any concern.

Noting that there would not be any resistance, Raine and Karkas walked the empty road among the buildings as they tried to identify the police station. They did not find any obvious building, but they did find someone who might answer their question, given that he was the only one who did not show fear.

The person was a Loup, but one glance under his wide-brimmed hat was enough to tell them that this Loup was anything but normal. The most obvious abnormality they noticed was that the Loup was furless, or nearly furless. The only hair on his body was the shoulder-length sandy brown hair or mane. His skin was brown and smooth, which would make people mistake him for a human if it wasn’t for his long, inhuman fingers, claws, and canine head.

The unusual-looking Loup sat on a chair near the door to a featureless building. He seemed to be sleeping, especially with his hat covering his eyes, leaving only his maws and snout visible. That was never the case, for when Raine looked closely, the Loup’s bright yellow eyes were staring at him.

“Well,” said the mostly furless Loup. “Look who’s here. You got balls walkin’ into my town without even a disguise. Really made me think whether you’re surrenderin’ yourself, or just plain crazy. I’m goin’ with the second option, though. One quick look, and I know I’m goin’ to be the one in the coffin.”

Raine smiled. “Glad to know someone’s not trying to kill us on sight.”

“Why should I? I’ve been a lawgiver since I knew how to swing a sword and point a gun.” The Loup stood. “Then again, I know you two ain’t gonna try somethin’ stupid, even after knowin’ I’m out of y’all leagues. Come into my office, fellas. I think it’s better if we make this official.”

Raine and Karkas looked at each other, wondering if this was a trap. They both silently agreed to keep vigilant and kept their hands on their weapons; Raine with his sword and Karkas with his mage staff. Both walked into the building, following the Loup.

The room they entered was adequately illuminated due to the windows catching sunlight. It was a simple room with nothing but a desk and some chairs, along with a wooden noticeboard. The face of Raine, Karkas, and Narati, while not accurate, had features only the three of them had, namely Raine being a human with cat ears, Karkas being a Crocodilian, and Narati being a Fa’ar. They did not even have their names.

Raine noticed the bounty and let out a whistle.

“Damn. I didn’t realize I was worth this much,” he said, making light of the possibly dire situation they found themselves into. “And look, Kar. You might help someone realize their dream with that kind of money.”

“Hardly,” said Karkas.

“Too bad the kid’s hardly worth anything. I bet he’d be so disappointed by this. Not that it’s something he needs to brag about, right, officer?”

The Loup put down his wide-brimmed hat, showing his mostly furless canine head.

“If you think that’s somethin’ to brag about, then be my guest,” he said. “I don’t post those bounties for nothin’.”

“You posted them?” asked Karkas. “For what reason?”

“So that someone you know will direct you here. It's a bit of a stretch, but it wasn't without some work. The three of you ain’t exactly popular among the perps, not after you fellas caused a little war among them. It’s time someone with guts made them afraid. I had never seen anyone talkin' about you like you're monsters from them nightmares. Sayin' about that terrible noise that could cut you in half."

“Don’t blame me. Blame the Fa’ar. He’s the one with the crazy contraption,” said Raine with a shrug.

“Speakin’ of which, you are one man short,” remarked the Loup.

“He’s safe,” said Karkas. “So, you made sure we got here. What do you want?”

“To stop some sick bastards from ruinin’ more lives, of course,” said the Loup. “Let me in on a secret. I used to be human.”

Both Raine and Karkas snapped towards the Loup, who let out a toothy smirk. The look of disbelief on their faces were apparent enough for the Loup to discern a Crocodilian’s expression. He had far more expression than he looked.

“That’s…what?” said Raine, still surprised and at a loss for words.

“I ain’t a magic expert, but I know what they did to me ain’t exactly somethin’ you learn without getting’ y’self in trouble. Y’all familiar with the dark arts?”

“Depends on what you consider a dark art,” said Karkas.

“How about some blood-lettin’ shit with a lot of them dark mist or somethin’? Oh, and a bit of some science hickadoo peppered with them rituals?"

“Dark mist? You mean Aether?” asked Raine.

“If that’s the word for it, then yes. Like I said. I ain’t that smart when it comes to dark magic, which is why I look like this now. The folks out there thought I’m just a Loup who’s born different, so let’s keep it at that. I’d forget about all that and live the rest of my life like this, but I ain't gonna sleep well until I can taste a bit of revenge. Also, I'm tired of being asked about it.”

“No one’s going to leave you alone looking like that, buddy,” said Raine. “You may be able to convince them, but there must always be someone who’s skeptical enough to start digging for the truth.”

“Yeah, I get ya. This town is full of lost souls. They didn’t get enough protection out here in the desert until recently, when someone made sure we can get enough sleep by turnin’ all the bandits against each other. Then that ‘someone’ became three people, hence the wanted posters. Since you ain’t exactly the easiest to call, I thought I’d be better to draw your attention with some good ol’ wanted posters. Can’t believe it works, to be honest.”

Raine let out a smirk and said, “It might be easier with a vox, but that thing’s expensive.” He then sighed. “Okay, you got us. Now, let’s get to the point.”

“There is an old cave among the sand dunes. It’s not far, but far enough for them to chase me. In fact, I was nursed to health by the folks in this town. I became worried when some of them did not come home. I tracked them to the cave and I saw some ugly faces I recognized. It’s really ironic knowin’ that I found myself so close to where I almost became a monster, but irony’s the way of life. For the most part, at least.”

“Okay, so…can you show us where that place is?”

“I know where it is. And before you ask, yes. I know you’re not doin’ this for free. It ain’t much, but you can have this.”

The Loup produced a bag full of silver coins, which in comparison with the payouts they had got for the past six months, was clearly not much. But at least it was something. He clearly knew how the wasteland worked.

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Raine checked the coins, wondering if he should count them or check them if they were genuine or not. He still kept the idea that the Loup was trying to lure them into a trap, and he hoped Karkas, too. No, he thought. Karkas would be the last person to trust a stranger who put up the weirdest way to call a person and not luring them into a trap.

With a gruff growl, Karkas said, “We better go before we lose the sun. Do you have someone who can deputize for you?”

The Loup nodded before walking through the door, disappearing out of sight.

Taking this opportunity, Raine said, “Are you keeping your spells handy, bud?”

“If they are not, then these will,” replied Karkas while showing his claws and teeth, making Raine form a smile on his lips.

Soon, the furless Loup returned with a human in tow. He gave the man instructions and he nodded, with Raine noticing his serious expression. The Loup, with a smile, patted the man’s shoulder and returned his attention towards the two bounty hunters with his sharp gaze before walking towards a shelf. He promptly opened it and grabbed a short sword and an automatic pistol. Such a gun was a rarity in a time when complex firearms were scarce. If it worked, then it was even rarer.

“We should go,” said the Loup.

“Lead the way,” replied Raine.

***

The sand dunes north of the town were clearly different from what both Raine and Karkas used to. The sand was soft and shifty, making it difficult to traverse, especially when wearing boots. The dunes rose and fell like small hills, which sapped the strength of the two travelers. Their legs sunk into the soft sand, forcing them to move their legs a lot more just to climb one of the dunes.

“Hey! Wait up!” said Raine between pants. He noticed the Loup guiding them was already ahead of them. He did not seem to be affected by the soft sand. His pawprint was also light on the sand, leaving almost nothing behind.

“It’s not far. Just a little bit more,” said the Loup while he effortlessly climbed the sand dune in front of him.

“Not everyone has digitigrade legs, you know. Still can’t believe you were formerly a human with the way you handle those legs.”

“Honestly, it ain’t that different from walkin’ with human feet. I reckon it’s like walkin’ in high heels.”

“Can’t relate, buddy.” Raine then turned around. “How are you holding up, Kar?”

Karkas might have more stamina than Raine, but his body was heavy. Every step the Croc took caused him to sink his leg deep into the sand. His only respite was his magic. He could not use a featherweight spell as it would eat through his mana pool too quickly, so he settled with a personal barrier that kept the sand away. That, however, also cost a lot of mana to maintain, so Karkas was in the same predicament as Raine.

“I will catch up,” said Karkas. “Don’t worry about me.”

“He’s alright,” stated Raine. “But slow down a bit so he can catch up, alright? It’s not like we’re in a hurry.”

“You are not in a hurry. I have some business with ‘em,” insisted the Loup.

His enthusiasm made Raine wonder whether the human-turned-Loup was doing this out of his duty as a protector or simply out of revenge. Not too long ago, he had seen how a wolf man was consumed by his own revenge to the point of misguiding his own friends to do what he wanted.

This Loup could have a dark secret like Jacques did. In fact, Raine could not rule out the possibility that he was part of the cult he was trying to vanquish. That was the case before, which was why he had his hand on his sword, ready to attack once he showed his true colors. Unlike Jacques, this Loup could be faking his revenge.

It was impossible for Raine to know the hints beforehand. All he could do was be suspicious, despite their unusual companion’s assurances.

With the help of his digitigrade legs, the furless Loup reached the top of the dune first, followed by Raine, who loudly exhaled after an exhausting climb. The Loup scoured the vast desert plains, hoping to find the place he mentioned earlier. Raine also looked around to see if there were anything that caught his attention. After looking around, he concluded that it would be impossible to find anything interesting if he did not know what to look for. A cave opening in the middle of a vast desert plain should have been visible enough, but it wasn't.

The cat-eared human decided to wait for Karkas. Feeling that he might want to know more about the Loup, he decided to talk with him to know more about his unusual acquaintance, starting from his name.

“I didn’t catch your name,” started Raine.

“I go by Herbert. Herb for short,” said the Loup.

Raine helped Karkas climb the last hurdle to the top of the dune as he said, “Uh-huh.”

“It’s a dull name, I know,” noted Herb. “But I keep it close at heart. It’s the only thing that I can call a ‘past’.”

Intrigued by Herb’s remarks, Raine asked, “So, you lost your memories or something?”

“Lost most of it. I reckon whoever I was died when I turned into a Loup. Whatever those bastards did to me wiped my goddamn past. One day, I just woke up lookin’ like a mangy dog with no memory of who I was. It took me weeks before I remembered that I used to be a human. I took the name they gave me.”

“Weeks in captivity or after escaping?”

“Learned most of it while escapin',” said Herb with a scoff. “I almost got myself killed for lookin’ like this. I bet you’ve never crossed this sea of nothingness with nothing on you. I would’ve died if it wasn’t for those folks back in the town. Found that I knew how to use a sword and a gun. Reckon I repaid their kindness and became their protector. They needed it badly after their last lawgiver got killed. Made good use of this handsome mug.”

Herb chuckled. “Scared the shit out of some perps,” he reminisced.

“Really? You’re not half-bad, bud.”

“I half expected you to be wide-eyed, at least,” said Herb before he turned to look at Karkas. “But from the look of it, your scaly friend beat me on the scary factor. I can try, but I bet I ain’t gonna rip someone’s arm with my jaws anytime soon.”

“I do not wish to be known as an arm-ripper,” said Karkas, evidently unimpressed by Herb’s remarks.

Herb, realizing what he just said, shook his head. “Ah, damn it. Didn’t mean to offend you, big fella.”

Karkas let out a growl, making Herb uneasy, wondering if he was truly angered by his dark, but well-meaning remark.

“He’s not angry at you, Herb,” said Raine.

“Just annoyed,” cut in Karkas.

“R-right. Whew.”

Herb never thought he would be intimidated instead of others. Raine and Karkas had clearly seen something worse than a furless Loup who stood somewhat taller than a regular human and with a lanky physique that made the people he protected looked at him warily. It showed how big the world was compared to the small town by an oasis in the middle of nowhere.

Returning to the task at hand, Herb scoured the desert and soon find what he was looking for. With his clawed hand, he pointed at a rather inconspicuous cave opening partially buried in the sands.

“There,” he said, patting Raine’s shoulder. “You see it?”

Raine turned towards where Herb was pointing at. Sure enough, he found a dark, shaded place among the bright sand. Without hesitating, Raine beckoned Karkas to follow him while Herb guided them to the cave. After several steps, however, Herb stopped and dropped to a prone position, beckoning both Raine and Karkas to do the same. They both complied and slowly crawled towards where Herb was.

He silently pointed towards the mouth of the cave, where Raine could see several figures barely visible in the dark. Karkas could sense them; among the heat of the desert, the interior of the cave was rather cool, causing two- or three-people’s heat signature to be easily sensed by the Crocodilian.

Yet, of the three, only Raine could properly see what’s partially hidden in the shadows. He became taken aback by the appearance of the guards. They reminded him of Herb in which they resembled a beast person, but not really.

The guards were Loup-garous, but monstrous-looking. The lack of fur for the most part and the disproportionately big, clawed hands made them more like mutants than a proper Loup. Their bodies were lanky and hunched, disguising their true heights.

Somehow, it reminded him of the wendigo Narati offed recently, which only made him shudder. They were monstrous, but Narati’s buzzsaw axe could kill them, anyway. It wounded a dragon with thick, protective scales. It could kill the two naked monsters.

“Why does every time I think of the best way to kill these things, I always defaulted to Narati?” wondered Raine. “Why am I so unreasonably scared of his stupid weapon?”

Herb noticed Raine’s discomfort and, thinking that he was unnerved by the appearance of the monsters, lamented, “They were humans. Maybe even Loups once. The best we can do is put them out of their misery.”

This snapped Raine out of his thoughts. With a shake of his head, he said, “Y-yeah. Right. We, uh, we can’t help it.”

“Killing them is excessive,” reasoned Karkas. “I suggest we subdue them. Knock them out.”

“Easy for you to say, Croc,” said Herb. “You got an idea?”

Karkas silently showed his staff. The orb at the end of the ornate staff, along with the jewels adorning it, gave Herb the answer.

“Oh, yeah. I forgot that’s a thing,” said Herb with a nod of understanding. He turned to Raine and asked, “And how about you? Any useful spells?”

“Not unless we got into a fight,” replied Raine. “Which I prefer not to. Here’s the plan. We knock those guards out, sneak in, stay out of sight, and decide from there.”

“And here I was, hopin’ for a good fight,” said Herb with a disappointed sigh.

“I thought your beef’s with the one that turned you into a Loup, not the monsters he created,” said Raine. “Or is there something you’re not telling us?”

“No, I mean…you’re right. For some reason, I didn’t think of it that way. Maybe it’s because I read about your, uh…excessive ways when it comes to bounty hunting.”

“Are we going to stay here and chat or are we going in?” cut in Karkas, who started to become impatient.

“Oh, yeah, right, right.”

Raine turned his attention back to the cave opening. The area around the entrance was covered with sand. Unless they knew how to dig under the sand, they would need to stay out of sight. Raine could determine several blind spots where they could stay out of sight until they got close enough to strike.

Deliberating on a choice, Raine decided on one of the blind spots closer to the cave entrance’s side. The trek there was obscured behind several sand dunes, providing them a good, strategic place for their entry. The disappearing light also worked to their advantage.

Noting this, he told this plan to both Herb and Karkas. They both nodded, confirming their understanding of the plan. Once Raine was sure that both of his companions knew what they were doing, he stood behind the dunes, away from sight.

“No time to waste, then,” said Raine. “Let’s go.”