VOLUME 1


    - CHAPTER 14 -


    WOLFKIN TRIAL


    -


    I had no dreams that night. I woke up when the sunlight was already passing through my window.


    For a brief moment, I saw myself back in my bedroom, but the illusion faded away once I saw the wooden walls of the inn.


    I stretched my legs and went outside, where Willrus was talking with Vute at the entrance hall.


    They appear somewhat stern.


    When they see me they give me the news: the centenarian wolf-lady, the one who had arrived in her bed the last dinner, died while sleeping.


    It was already expected, her old age was apparent and her health could only get worse. Dying in your sleep is best in a case like this.


    Whatever, when the helper came to her room this morning, the old lady was found with a horrifying expression on her face. She still had her eyes shut, but her mouth was wide open as if she was howling in pain, her entire body was contorted by fear, and dry tears were on her cheeks.


    She was the shaman of the village since its foundation, she helped to predict when the weather would be too harsh for the crops or to go out hunting. She was a great help to them, even predicting when danger would appear in the village.


    Actually, the only reason the wolfkins were so promptly ready to put out the fire spread in the forest by the dragon-tiger, was because she had warned them a couple of days before.


    No one in the village knew how she did her magic, the old lady always stayed on her bed. When she wasn’t sleeping she was praying, so her eyes always remained closed, and because of her rugged face, it was hard to discern which of the two she was doing.


    But one thing worries everyone, that maybe something bad would happen not too far from now, something so horrible that killed her from stress just by visualizing it.


    The village was placed on higher alert, even though they don’t believe such a bad thing is going to happen today.


    Also, their usual breakfast was canceled, not because of the higher alert, but because wolfkins have the culture to not eat on the same day one of them died. Keeping their hunger until it is night, for a great feast of grief or commemoration.


    What separates a grief death from the one you should commemorate is mainly the dead’s age, if you die early it’s grief, otherwise it’s a commemoration. Another big determiner is their accomplishments, being at their death or while they were alive.


    The Shaman was both old-aged and had done great deeds, so there was near no discussion about it being a commemoration.


    Whatever… at the village’s reunion, in the same place where everyone had dinner together over the T table, the leader Nate, spoke loudly to present an opposing view on the matter.


    -


    Nate:- - - - - “I’m sorry, but there’s something I need to take off my chest. Or otherwise, it will haunt me until the day I die.”


    His words shock everyone, both because he doesn’t look to be the type to apologize and because of the rising anger in his voice and aura.


    Nate:- - - - - “My doubt is if this death wasn’t by age, nor by trying to accomplish her duties. But by treason.”


    The wolfkins murmur, not sure if they understood it.


    Nate:- - - - - “She suddenly passes away, after our forest is burnt… and those Heroes arrived.“


    - - - - - - - - - - - - What!?


    Ave: - - - - - “Ridiculous! You’re disrespecting your guests again--!”


    Nate:- - - - - “--SILENCE!!”


    His roar trembles all my nerves, and everybody quiets down.


    Nate:- - - - - “It’s too much of a coincidence to ignore!” – He turns to his people at the other side of the table. – “After I returned from our hunting expedition, it came to me, that a dangerous beast was lured to our village by one of them,”


    His piercing eyes glance at me for an instant.


    Nate:- - - - - “…without any worry to our safety! What if destroying the village and killing us all was his plan from the start? He, who dinned as our guest of honor the day before, is an enemy spy?!”


    Turmoil breaks out, the wolfkins whispering between themselves.


    - - - - - - - - - - - - Well, I did plan on luring the beast here, but being an enemy spy? What’s that all about?


    Nate:- - - - - “You have no defenses!?”


    When I realize everyone is looking at me with wariness, I freeze for a second.


    - - - - - - - - - - - - “O-Okay… look-, I’m not a spy, alright? I’m a Hero, how-”


    Nate:- - - - - “-A Hero!? What it even matters? That you can’t attack us because of the Rules of God? Spare me! I know your kind can overbound them. Like luring powerful monsters to kill us by your command!”


    “What?” “Is that possible?” “They can go against the Rules of God?” “I never heard of that.” “How could it be?” “He’s not a hero?”


    - - - - - - - - - - - - They are suddenly all against me??


    I look for help from Willrus seated at my side, but he has his eyes closed and arms crossed.


    - - - - - - - - - - - - Even he is doubting me?


    - - - - - - - - - - - - “I…”


    The wolfkins look static with curiosity, all their ears turned at me, waiting for the next word I’ll speak.


    - - - - - - - - - - - - I don’t know what’s happening, but if he’s blaming me then I need to defend myself. I did lure the beast to come here, but I wasn’t wanting to put them at risk, I simply wasn’t thinking straight. But how do I go about it? Just telling that won’t do… I could try to lie and turn the wolfkins against their leader, but I learned from experience that won’t work…


    Once a group leader accused me of stealing loot, there was no way to kick the guy out because I was an outsider, so even after I gained everybody’s trust, that guy kept on calling me out on anything slightly wrong that I could have done, like going out of sight for a bit, to last hit a boss, or to open a common item chest. In the end, everybody was against me and I never was called to their group again.


    - - - - - - - - - - - - The wolfkins don’t look angry at me, nor does it appears that Willrus wants to help, so I’ll handle this on my own. I won’t drag anyone to this fight. This time around, I won’t go against the guy blaming me, I’ll prove to him that I’m not an enemy.


    I stand up and carefully choose my words.


    - - - - - - - - - - - - “I… I know it’s possible to do that. I’ve seen it before, powerful creatures being lured to capture another Player’s territory is a strategy that is used, I can’t deny that.”


    “’Player’?” “Powerful creatures? How powerful?” “They destroy villages?” “Mom, what he’s talking about?” “Shhhh.”


    - - - - - - - - - - - - “It can be to destroy their defenses, to add a front in a battle, or simply use it as a decoy. But they are always followed by an attack, when not done when attacking.”


    The wolfkins look even more confused, but Nate attentively hears my words with a serious expression.


    - - - - - - - - - - - - “There’s neither a motive nor the momentum for me to destroy this village! And if I once had, I failed on the day I arrived, so there would be no reason for me to stay here!”


    My last words echo in the reunion room. Making me realize how trembling my voice was, instead of the confident tone I was trying to imply.


    Nate:- - - - - “Your motive is exactly the reason for you to be here.”


    He turns to talk to his people.


    Nate:- - - - - “He’s testing us! To find out how strong our village is for his army to attack! That’s what a spy does. Once he heard what our shaman could do, he went to kill her when we slept. He’s trying to cut our eyes against their invasion!”


    The wife hits the table.


    Ave:- - - - - “Absurd! There’s no way a Hero can do that!”


    - - - - - - - - - - - - “You said yourself I can’t attack you, how am I with an enemy army!?”


    Nate:- - - - - “It’s because you have an army of monsters! The dragon-tiger is only one of the beasts he is sided with! Otherwise, how come he used it to test us!? It’s because there are more of them, if not worse and stronger monsters that we are unaware of. Imagine the danger it is to continue sheltering him in our village! While we feed him our food, we also feed him with the information needed to our doom, and[…]”


    -


    He’s creating an entire delusional scenario to base his thoughts on. Making his people visualize the same lie he’s seeing.


    And the worst thing is that I’m not entirely in the right here. I did come to this village to use them as bait and escape on my own, but I wasn’t doing it to kill them, at least I wasn’t thinking of it. But to spearhead an invasion, what he’s saying is madness.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    But how am I going to defend myself?


    The wolfkins are starting to doubt me. Some of them are looking at me with anger, others with fear. That curiosity they had in the beginning was gone, they are forming their own opinions already, and I doubt that even one of them is on my side.


    I wanted to heartfully defend that I’m innocent, but I’m still feeling guilty for what happened. I’m doubting if I should let them blame me for whatever they are talking about and leave already.


    It’s not like I want to be in this village anyway.


    All those happy faces and telling me the stories of their lives, I knew all of it was a front. That’s how people are, they smile to meet you just because they learned to be polite, but there’s no saying what they think inside their minds.


    They are no different.


    I don’t care if they are real, or if it’s just a game, I hate this. I hate this damn feeling of being looked down upon.


    It’s difficult enough to fight for my life in this crazy world, and now I need to worry about this too?


    The only thing I want is to get out and blink away from here. Screw them and whatever happened to them. I’m leaving.


    -


    My eyes search for an escape, but the chair on my side creaks.


    Willrus:- - “And how exactly is he controlling such an army?”


    Willrus finally speaks against the wolfkin leader.


    Nate:- - - - - “I don’t know, and that’s exactly what worries me. What if he or his master have a powerful item to control them? We simply cannot let this danger go past us. We are here to protect the borders of our kingdom. That’s our sole duty.”


    Willrus:- - “…Oh, that would be interesting…” – he says with his usual serious tone. – “An item that powerful would be a problem… but there’s no way of knowing it exists.”


    Nate:- - - - - “Indeed, there’s no way to know it for certain. But I do have another point that strengthens my view… the fact that you, the first Hero, who stayed in our village and ate with us for longer, didn’t kill the monster that invaded us. Instead, you ‘defeated’ it with a few moves and left it to escape. As if you were doing a spectacle for us to trust you!”


    Willrus scratches his chin to think.


    Willrus:- - “Hmm, so you’re accusing me too, I see…”


    Nate:- - - - - “Of course, you two are of the same kind.”


    Willrus:- - “I must confess it’s my fault for letting it go. Whatever, I must deny having any part in Strider’s plans.”


    That makes my blood boil.


    - - - - - - - - - - - - “Plans? What plans!? I tried to protect those two kids and this is what I get? you people blaming me to be a spy?! I should have left them to die then. Why do I even keep trying anyway?”


    Willrus:- - “Strider, calm down, I-“


    - - - - - - - - - - - - “-Drop dead for all I care! You want to protect the kingdom? Your families? Or whatever the fuck you want? I don’t care! You clearly don’t care about me, so why should I care back? Think whatever you want! I’m leaving this shithole.”


    I step back and my chair falls to the ground.


    Nate also steps back and goes to grip his sword’s handle at his waist.


    Nate:- - - - - “I cannot let you leave this place,” – he growls with anger.


    His wife stands up too.


    Ave: - - - - - “Nate, Stop this!”


    Nate:- - - - - “Get out of my way, he needs to be cut down before warning his allies.”


    - - - - - - - - - - - - “So you want to kill me, now? You’re not the first one, I want to see you try.”


    Nate growls like a wolf, sliding his sword just a bit upwards, a faint black fog comes out from within his sheath, together with distant howls of hundreds of dead spirits.


    Many of the crowd stand upright and prepare to fight.


    Willrus:- - “Strider is innocent!” – Willrus yells as he stands, calling the attention of everybody. – “I have strong reasons to believe Strider is not what you are accusing him to be, calm down, there’s no need to fight.”


    Nate:- - - - - “Look at them! When I unmasked their motives, they do exactly as I said, trying to leave with what they got out of our village!”


    Willrus:- - “It’s very strange for you to say that, when you already know we didn’t do it.”


    - - - - - - - - - - - - What?


    Nate:- - - - - “You try to manipulate us? We should kill them both. It’s clear they are guilty, move away!”


    Willrus:- - “…Uh, I see… so your objective was to kill us.”


    ‘Was’? Do you mean he was planning this from the start?


    Why would he do something like that?


    Nate:- - - - - “Of course it is, you’re my enemy! Get out of the way, Woman!”


    Ave: - - - - - “No, you must be mistaken! There’s no way Heroes are our enemies!”


    Peje:- - - - - “Nate, I believe we should listen to what they have to say…” – The Elder stays seated with a grieving expression on his face.


    Nate:- - - - - “You are endangering this village! Don’t get in my way!! Can’t you see I’m protecting you!? If you don’t get out I’ll force you to!”


    Ave goes a step back, both surprised and afraid of her husband’s threat.


    Willrus:- - “There are two reasons that prove we are not the killers. First, the very base of your assumptions is wrong, you yourself said that it’s impossible for us to directly hurt NPCs.-”


    Nate:- - - - - “-You must have brought a lesser monster, one that could poison the shaman while she slept! What else you hide, Fiends?”


    Willrus:- - “And second… You had us locked in the inn the entire night, wasn’t it?”


    - - - - - - - - - - - - Huh? We were locked?


    Nate’s eyes widen for an instant.


    Willrus:- - “At night, I activated my Divine Vision and saw an invisible barrier just outside my window, one which only faded at sunrise. A Barrier of protection that enveloped the whole building, not even the tiniest creature could go through without breaking it.


    He turns towards the wolfkins standing at the other side of the table.


    Willrus:- - “Interestingly enough, that type of barrier needs the caster to stay inside it while active, and there was only one person besides me and Strider in it at that time. So, why don’t we ask the responsible for the inn himself?... Vute Difivi.”


    Willrus look with his shining golden eyes at the big brown wolfkin, who is surprised to hear his name.


    Willrus:- - “You were guarding our every move from the beginning, after all. You better than anyone else, should know how to answer this: Did we get out at night to kill the Shaman?”


    Vute Difivi:- - - - - “Hehe-…” – He scratches the back of his neck with shame. – “You knew about it?-”


    Nate:- - - - - “-VUTE, YOU SHUT IT!”


    Nate’s nose wrinkles in anger like a wolf snarl.


    Vute Difivi:- - - - - “But it is true, there was no way they did it, Nate. Thinking that way… what you are saying doesn’t make much sense.”


    Nate:- - - - - “DOESN’T MAKE SENSE?... VUTE?! YOU FORGOT ABOUT WHAT I TOLD YOU!? YOU AGREED THEY WERE SUSPICIOUS! THEY CAN EASILY BE OUR ENEMIES!”


    Vute Difivi:- - - - - “Yeah, but… that’s when you were saying it-“


    Nate:- - - - - “-THEY KNEW ABOUT IT, I’M SURE THEY KNEW A WAY TO PASS THROUGH WITHOUT BREAKING IT! YOUR BARRIER WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH! THEY TRICKED YOU! I KNOW THEY ARE THE ENEMY! WE NEED TO TAKE THEM DOWN! ANYTHING THAT ENDANGERS OUR VILLAGE NEEDS TO DIE! MOVE ASIDE SO I CAN ERASE THEM FROM EXISTENCE!! LET ME KILL THEM!!!”


    Nate’s voice trembles the entire room.


    All the wolfkins look afraid at him.


    Peje:- - - - - “Nate, enough,” – the elder says with sadness. – “You hid crucial information to cover your plea. You plotted against our guests of honor, to kill them without reason. This is unacceptable.”


    Nate looks at his people, then at his son and daughter fearfully backing away from him.


    Nate:- - - - - “Elder, they are a threat, we need to deal with them!”


    Peje:- - - - - “You are being a threat, Nate. You’re threatening to use the Sword of Shadows against people who you have no proof to be our foes. Not only that, but below sacred grounds, and placing the lives of your own people in danger.”


    Nate:- - - - - “I would never use my sword on my own people!”


    Peje:- - - - - “But you’re willing to destroy this place, what if its roof fall over our heads? or even if you manage to only kill the two Heroes, they are written to save us all… using your sword on them is just as well using it at your own people.”


    Nate:- - - - - “Elder, I-“


    Peje:- - - - “-That’s enough. We lost a great member of our family today, that’s enough. We will continue to grieve until the commemoration feast, and tomorrow we will see to your punishment.”


    The Elder stands up with sorrow on his face.


    Peje:- - - - - “This reunion is over. All of you can leave.”


    -


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