The jaguar walked freely in the forest. Its fur was jet black, blacker than the night itself. Despite the harsh terrain it traveled, not a single speck of dust could be found on its fur. The hairs didn’t move as they brushed the tall grass. It was almost like the forest bowed to it to pass through.


    Not that it needed to pass through. Its muscles could be observed flexing and relaxing with a power that couldn’t be found in civilized beings. Despite the power felt by them, it wasn’t that they were bulging grotesquely. The might they had was simply the natural state of it. A power that it was born with.


    With a single leap, it jumped to a tree. Its claws sharp enough to rend steel popped out of its paws and dug deep into the tree as it climbed on top of it. After finding a branch durable enough to support its impressive mass it yawned and put its head down lazily.


    It slowly blinked, its golden eyes tracing the forest floor below. It didn’t need to as it was the king of the jungle but this was the wilderness. Regardless if one was a “king” or a “peasant”, a moment of carelessness could easily spell one’s doom. Seeing nothing besides insignificant rodents going through their business, it put its head down and closed its eyes.


    A scream rang in the forest. It was a bloodcurdling scream. The rodents dropped the nuts they were carrying and ran back to their nests. The everpresent noise countless bugs were making was cut off instantly. The jaguar raised its head without losing a second. It jumped off the tree it was resting on and started to rush towards the scream. It released its nature wildly, becoming a black blur as it reached the source.


    It stared down the unnatural being. Its shape constantly shifted as mouths filled with teeth and eyes constantly formed and deformed back to its black goopy body. Every time a mouth formed, a low shrieking scream filled the forest. Despite the horrible monstrosity in front of it, the jaguar didn’t take a single step back. It growled with its lips pulled back, revealing its sharp teeth.


    Morrigan shook awake with the noise of a spoon hitting her cup. She blinked rapidly and saw that her mother carrying away the coffee cups.


    “I am sorry dear, did I wake you up?”


    Morrigan straightened her body without standing up from the chair she was sitting down. When did she fall asleep? She didn’t realize she was slipping away. She looked at the window and sighed a breath of relief as she saw that the sun was still shining. She shouldn’t been asleep for long.


    “It is fine. I shouldn’t be sleeping in the middle of the day. I have things to do.”


    Aine left the cup she was holding onto the table. She shot Morrigan a motherly expression on her face.


    “Are you okay? You look pale.”


    Aine leaned towards her daughter’s face. She gently tucked a strand of hair fallen on Morrigan’s face. Morrigan looked down at her own hands. They were shaking ever slightly.


    “I had a weird dream.”


    Aine’s eyes widened with interest.


    “A nightmare?”


    She pulled a chair to Morrigan’s side and sat down. Morrigan massaged her temples.


    “I… Can’t really remember.”


    Morrigan shifted uncomfortably in her seat, trying to shake off the lingering unease from her dream. Even though her chest was filled with the sensation of her dream being important, she couldn’t recall the details. When she tried to recall her dream, her mind was filled with a mash of colors and noises she couldn’t make the heads or tails. Aine studied her daughter''s face for a moment, concern etched in her features, but she didn''t press further. Instead, she reached out and gently squeezed Morrigan''s hand.


    “You are stressing too much. We are here too, you know. You can relax a little.”


    Aine said softly before rising from her chair.


    "Now, why don''t you go outside for a bit? The fresh air might do you good."


    She grabbed the cups.


    “And maybe buy some girly clothes while you are at it? A certain person may be surprised when they return.”


    Morrigan’s feline ears perked up with frustration.


    “Mom, I and Poyraz aren’t like that.”


    Middle-aged beastkin shot a mischievous look at her daughter.


    “I didn’t mention him, didn’t I?”


    Aine laughed out as Morrigan hid her reddening face behind her hand.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.“He is a little younger than you but he is mature enough. Are you worrying about him being a human?”


    Morrigan sighed. Of course, Poyraz wasn’t younger than her. He was twice, maybe triple his age mentally.


    “Please go. I’ll buy “girly” clothes if it is going to make you stop talking about stupid things.”


    She stood up and gently pushed her mother out of the room. As Morrigan watched her mother leave, a mixture of annoyance and amusement flickered across her features. Despite Aine''s teasing, there was a warmth in her words that reassured Morrigan, reminding her of the strong bond between them. But why did people constantly think that she and Poyraz had something between them?


    Stepping outside into the crisp afternoon air, she let the familiar sights and sounds of the village wash over her. She inspected the crops and plants closer. She couldn’t notice it before but now that she was paying attention, she could see the fact that they lost their color.


    Nidhogg. A parasitic dragonic was attacking the Mother Tree. Her hands tightened into fists. Elves and their stupid traditions. She had to be there, attacking it with Poyraz and Lily. She understood that they had their reservations about allowing others to get close to Mother Tree but it was just impractical!


    She sighed to herself. Poyraz should be enough to kill it. He was the champion of a Goddess of War and she saw what he was capable of. Lily was also there…


    “You are going to get wrinkles if you frown that much.”


    Morrigan noticed the massive man way before he spoke to her. It wasn’t like he tried to hide his presence anyway. Even if he tried, the power radiating from his body would make it difficult. Despite his large frame, bulging muscles, and scars covering his face, he looked friendly with a bright smile.


    “Wrinkles are old men like me. Youngsters like you should smile more.”


    Morrigan looked at B?rü and forced a smile. Her forced smile softened into a genuine one as she looked up at B?rü, the village''s seasoned guardian and protector. Despite his imposing appearance, there was a warmth and kindness in his eyes that immediately put her at ease.


    "I guess I was lost in thought."


    B?rü lightly smacked Morrigan’s shoulder with his large hands. That light smack would have sent half of the beastkin living here flying but Morrigan stood unflinching.


    “Harvests may not seem as good as the previous year’s but it is still plentiful. Maybe that’s for the better actually. Some of the surplus went bad because we couldn’t eat or sell it fast enough.”


    Morrigan nodded, grateful for B?rü''s reassurance. She glanced around at the fields, her eyes lingering on the crops that seemed to have lost their vibrancy. It was true that they didn’t seem as lively as she remembered but she saw worse during her travels. But her main concern wasn’t that.


    “I should be with them. I am doing nothing here. I could have been a great help against Nidhogg.”


    Morrigan complained, her voice tinged with frustration.


    “You do more than you know, Morrigan. Just having you here makes people feel safer.”


    B?rü said earnestly. Despite his heartfelt tone, Morrigan couldn’t fully sympathize with him. Yes, she was strong but she was weaker than his late father and B?rü. Could people really feel that much safe with her in Whifur? Seeing her still frowning face, B?rü lightly tapped her shoulder again.


    “Don’t worry too much, Morrigan. I saw him training in the morning from time to time. He is strong. I know it. I met his gaze. His eyes are something else.”


    B?rü nodded to himself with a knowing expression on his face. He didn’t know that Poyraz was an outworlder and Champion of Aliera but he could sense his strength.


    “Arslan is also training pretty hard nowadays. That’s pretty good. He has always been hardworking. What about you?”


    B?rü looked down on Morrigan and she somewhat guiltly shook her shoulders. She has been neglecting her training for some time. A part of it was because of the work but she knew that she shouldn’t make excuses.


    “You know that you can come to me, don’t you? I trained with your father. I may be able to give you some pointers.”


    Morrigan''s gaze softened as she looked up at B?rü, touched by his offer of guidance. Despite her stubbornness and pride, she knew deep down that she could benefit from his expertise. After all, he had trained with her father, a thought that stirred a sense of longing and nostalgia within her.


    "Thank you, B?rü. I appreciate it," Morrigan replied, a hint of gratitude coloring her words. "I''ll make sure to come to you soon."