The Hellish Incursion

The Start of a Beautiful Relationship

            After getting things clear, the three of them continued their travel down the mountain path to the town of Sandorf. While Albert predicted that they might need a day to a day and a half on the road, he did not account for the now apparent disturbances caused by what they assumed to be bandits on the road.

            Instead of what they thought, it was something 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.

            So, Lilac approached the roadblock and asked the nearest constable she could find, a young man currently redirecting traffic with a couple other constables.

            “Excuse me,” said Lilac. “What is happening?”

            “Sorry, luv,” said the officer. “There has been an accident. No, a disaster’s more appropriate.”

            “But this road leads to Sandorf, is it not?”

            “You can still get to Sandorf through Tynt. It’s a couple miles through the west road. You won’t miss the sign. From Tynt, just follow the road and Sandorf’s lights will be visible.”

            “May I ask what kind of disaster happened on this road?” asked Albert.

            “Well….” The young constable looked around before he whispered. “There has been a skirmish. Unknown perps fought each other. Quite a brawl, I tell you what. Caused a lot of damage in Salke village.”

            “Do they…look Lycan?” asked Ifrit.

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

            “Alright. Thanks, herr constable.” Albert then handed him 2 Keths 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, okay?”

            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. The place does not seem dangerous, anyway. And besides, we have more than enough income for a good night’s sleep in a small village like Tynt.”

            “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.

            For Albert, Tynt did not seem to be a place that he would try to avoid, given the presence of Lycans in their werewolf form and them conversing with humans. But aside from the obvious Lycans, they also noticed some other less common Lycans, especially those with orange fur and general appearance of a fox.

            “They have werefoxes, too?” said Lilac when she noticed some werefoxes in Tynt. “I never thought that is a thing.”

            “They don’t usually live this close to settlement before,” 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.”

            “That version is used in Dusdolf. 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.”

            “Come to think of it, I think it’s a good idea to stay in this village for the night. Tynt might have things to deliver, so I’ll try and find some. Lilac, you get the three of us a room.”

            Ifrit 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 it was best to hear people speak to improve since there could only be so much Lilac could teach the hellhound. She even joked that Ifrit could teach her his language, though it wasn’t really something to joke with, considering how dangerous a hellhound’s language was to humans.

            Ifrit started to wonder how one lived a dual life. He never thought there was a race that could easily shifted their form from a human to a werewolf, then to a wolf, then back to a human. 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, he asked Albert about it.

            “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. But, I am also aware that pureblood Lycans do not really experience the pain. They simply change when it is time to change.”

            “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. This is a very concerning issue for those who wanted to be a Lycan for any reason but was worried by the pain they must endure the rest of their lives.”

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

            “There is a reason for everything, Ifrit, and is also a heavily discussed problem. The pain can be dulled by morphine, but there is a risk of addiction. As outlawing Lycan turning is not possible, they chose to find a way to dull the pain without the addiction.”

            “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 have no idea what they experience.”

            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, but no one seemed to mind. 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 he heard someone calling him in Hordo when he was sitting in the tavern.

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

            Ifrit turned to find the voice, then quickly found who. At first glance, he looked like a werefox due to his fiery orange fur and vulpine face, but the hellhound noticed his dark brown arms were in fact hardened scales akin to that of some lizard. He also had horns, but they looked a lot more like antlers, giving him a rather hybrid forest animal look. He would even consider this ‘werefox’ a werefox if it wasn’t for him talking Hordo, which could only be said by a hellhound without any side effect.

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

            “(You heard what I said, so yeah), said the peculiar hound. “(Come sit with me).”

            Ifrit was wary of being tricked, but he approached the hellhound anyway. Ifrit noticed his getup and the bow and arrow he put aside. He was a hunter of sorts.

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

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

            Ifrit started to tense up, but the hellhound 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. 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 scales. The ring, as Ifrit noticed, was inscribed with Hordo, but it was Old Hordo runes.

            “(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 better look after each other out here, eh, mate?)”

            “(R-Right),” said Ifrit. “(So, uh…no one point out how you look like that)?”

            “(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, good talking to you, mate),” 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 into the tavern.

            Other travelers with camping equipment had the same idea of cooking their own dinner, so the three were not alone. Lilac wondered if Tynt was a peaceful village by the forest before the whole rerouting problems. She assumed that, like Sidve, not many travelers past the village 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. She did not know anyone in Tynt and her attempts to help might end up making things worse. Her world was no longer limited to Sidve 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 region with each region having its own cultural influence in Adaline. It’s a sister to Tragoria because the region’s language is Tragorian, but with an accent called Adal.”

            “Then why is it not part of Tragoria?”

            “There was a war of independence a century ago where the Adals seceded from Tragoria and took part of Dusdolf and An’ah into themselves. The next generation of Adals seek peace with the other nations and because of that, their economy boomed due to trades and the region’s position as a neutral ground for business purposes. Consider them your middlemen for why Tragoria has Dusdolfian technologies and why Lycans have rights in Tragoria. 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. “Maybe even borderline eccentric, 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 and learn of their own problems. Still, Albert knew more than her, so she might as well live through it and return to teaching Ifrit.

            After a while, both were tired and decided to just relax as nearby campers started entertaining each other with music and stories. Ifrit seemed fascinated by the impromptu entertainment as Lilac enjoyed it. She looked at how Ifrit’s fascination and she smiled.

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

            “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’re 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 it is not a problem. I live with my parents out of community. 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 learn as I go,” replied Ifrit.

            “Maybe it’s best if you learn from us. What do you think of my current state of mind, hmm?”

            “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.

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

            “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.”

            “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.”

            “Yet again, it’s no longer your problem, Lilac. 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 was the sailing era. The steamship is far more durable and was made in Dusdolf. I heard that they are attempting to cross using a steamship, but I think I am talking about the same ship.”

            “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 being served a comeback by the feisty woman, who smiled. He clearly chose a good traveling companion, 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. It is hard to find one you can tell secrets to if everyone is hunting me.”

            “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 admit that I…chose to stay with you to learn more.”

            “So, you could just leave?”

            “I could, but…where will I go? You are a kind person who…chose to let me stay.”

            “And honest, 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, so it’s very lonely living alone with only the forest critters for…sorry…it sounds like I was using you to…”

            “It’s better than not. 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 both soon walked into the carriage to rest.