《The Wolf Hunter》


 Chapter 1: The Mad Wolf

    THE DAY A YOUNG LADY IS born into the village of Moonshire, it was supposed to be a grand celebration. A time for community and town folks to get reacquainted and share gossip about the comings and goings of towns and cities far out of their reach and even their influence. As much as people wanted to explore and see the world far beyond their fences and walls, it was too dangerous for people to travel, especially with wild creatures out there ready to pounce. The small village had to be extra careful, and the wolves were the most difficult to predict and protect the people from. Despite traveling in packs, wolves were also known to attack on their own, ambitious wolves who want to be alphas need to prove their worth, and that often meant finding prey on their own and bring back as tribute to the pack. When it was hard for wolves to find creatures to harvest, some would become brave and attack animals on a farm, or worse capture any humans that are not smart enough to arm themselves for protection from the wild. People often get cocky and think that their weapons and numbers are enough to fend them off, but sometimes lone wolves were patient, and were willing to wait for the right opportunity.


    Her father was a man named Alfred Higgins, and while he used to be a soldier for king and country, he was forced to retire as he was injured in combat. He was still good with a sword, but he wasn¡¯t as mobile or agile as he used to be in his younger years. Alfred had come home to the village or Moonshire and become the town lawyer, using his mind and wit to help resolve local matters amicably and without causing unnecessary tension within their loved township. Whenever he had some downtime, Alfred would dedicate himself to studying the wolves that often pestered his people and tried to discover a pattern that might made the defense of their village easier to accomplish and save as many lives as they could. It was a pattern that he tried very hard to predict, but the man had failed like so many that had tried before him. He did manage to discover that the longer the winters were, the more hunger and desperate the pack would become and that the village needed to fortify greater during those harsh seasons. As the autumn air started to show up in everyone¡¯s breath, Alfred knew that it was soon time to barricade the walls and prepare for their attacks. What he didn¡¯t anticipate however was that a single wolf would rung straight into the middle of town and attack random people without any warning in broad daylight. This was unheard of, but the screams had caused Alfred to jolt right out of his office chair with surprise, and to immediately respond. He grabbed a sword from the wall and hobbled out the door as quickly as he could in the direction of the screaming.


    Several soldiers as well as armed civilians all charged to the town square armed with swords, spears and even hammers as they were all eager to defend their town. What awaited them was pure horror, as the single wolf has people, bit and clawed them a little, and then proceeded to attack another.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± One of the soldiers asked. ¡°They never attack by day!¡±


    ¡°This is indeed strange,¡± Alfred said, as the men he was with had slowly started to close in on the large, fanged, furry creature.


    ¡°Usually, they only attack one person too,¡± Another townsperson said, ¡°This one is attacking as many as he can, and not for food.¡±


    ¡°Has this wolf gone mad?¡± the soldier asked.


    ¡°Concentrate on the beast!¡± Alfred ordered, ¡°Grayson, you and the other ill equipped tend to the wounded. Drag them into the pub to take shelter until we can clear the town, and then we¡¯ll fetch the doctor.¡±


    Grayson was one of the civilians that was carrying a small hammer, so his efforts were better used elsewhere.


    ¡°Alright, Alfred.¡± Grayson concurred, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the wounded. Just make sure you guys don¡¯t end up being some of them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try, but no promises!¡± Alfred said, as he led the way with the soldiers following behind.


    Just as they were getting closer, the wolf noticed their presence and let go of the civilian that it was currently biting to take a defensive posture. The creature bared its fangs and snarled at them madly, and this was when Alfred noticed something different about this particular beast. It was foaming at the mouth and its fur looked rather rough, which gave him the impression that the beast was ill. It would certainly explain the daytime attack as creatures of all kinds would often break habits if they were not well and not of sound mind. As the other soldiers tried to walk around the creature and surround it, the beast responded by attacking one of them. If lunged at the soldier and tried to bite his arm, but the leather armor he was wearing was enough to prevent the wolf¡¯s teeth from breaking his skin. As the wolf was making his attack, one of the other soldiers tried to stab his hind leg with a spear, and the blade at the end barely made a scratch. The wolf turned around and snapped at the soldier that just tried to stab him, but the man backed off enough for the jaws to miss him. Alfred moved in and took a swipe at the mangy beast with his sword, cutting it on the side, where his ribs should be. The beast yelped for a moment as the sword produced a decent gash but what happened next was completely unexpected. Within seconds, the wound sealed itself and healed as if nothing had ever happened. The wolf shook off the wound and then tried to lunge at Alfred, who promptly ducked and rolled out of the way to safety. As the beast was posturing to attack again, in the distance there were more soldiers arrived, many armed with more spears and even bows. The wolf growled for a moment, and then ran away.


    Afraid that it might attack someone else while running away, Alfred chased after the wolf and followed it into an alley he knew to be a dead end. Second later he was face to face with the beast again, as it was trapped in the alley as the village¡¯s large walls closed off the street. Rather than retreat, the wolf turned around and was snarling as Alfred as it remembered the temporary would the ex-soldier had given him. The beast then groaned as he started to stand up, using his hind legs for balance as he suddenly went bipedal on him. Alfred stood there and looked at the wolf with amazement as standing up made the wolf grow to at least seven feet tall, making it look more fearsome than it ever had before. Alfred gripped his sword harder and started to strategize what he should next, wondering if taking out one of the lower legs would cut the wolf back down to a more manageable size.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°The right leg,¡± Alfred whispered to himself, ¡°I¡¯ll take that one out first.¡±


    The wolf didn¡¯t care, because while Alfred was going over that, the beast was making plans of his own. It had stood up not to make himself look more threatening but to make the balcony of the building closer for it to reach. The wolf jumped as high as he could and was able to grab the balcony rail of the second floor, and then used his arm strength to heave himself up to the other floor. Once on the second-floor balcony the wolf jumped up again, this time accessing the roof of the building, which was higher than the wall. This allowed the wolf to clear the wall and jump safely to the ground below which allowed him to run away from the village free and clear. Alfred stood there, as he couldn¡¯t believe what he had just witnessed. He had heard tales of wolves that could stand and walk around like humans, but just dismissed them as tales parents told their kids to scare them from wandering in the woods alone. As he walked back to the town center to help the wounded, Alfred had decided to keep the details of the wolf and his ability to stand and jump to freedom to himself. There was no way anyone was going to believe it. Alfred witnessed it himself, and even he couldn¡¯t believe what had transpired himself. It just seemed unreal, even to him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s did that damned wolf go?¡± a voice called out, as Alfred arrived at the scene of the attack.


    ¡°He¡¯s not here,¡± Alfred answered, ¡°I tried to pursue it, but it was just too quick and in case you haven¡¯t noticed, I¡¯m rather slow as well. Not a good combination. We¡¯ll form a search party in the morning and try to hunt it down.¡±


    ¡°Why tomorrow?¡± Grayson asked, as he noticed Alfred had returned.


    ¡°Because Moonshire needs to be fortified.¡± Alfred answered, ¡°Defense needs to be our top priority, not chasing whatever attacked us back on his own turf. Right here needs where we keep our focus, unless you want to see a repeat of what went on earlier today?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Grayson replied, and he meant it. His arms were covered in blood from helping the doctor deal with the wounded.


    ¡°How many people were harmed?¡± Alfred asked the civilian.


    ¡°I counted at least a dozen,¡± Grayson answered, ¡°And you need to get in there as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Alfred asked, slightly confused. He wanted to stand guard in case the beast tried to return.


    ¡°It¡¯s Elena,¡± Grayson said, ¡°She¡¯s in there with the other victims¡­¡±


    Before the man could say anymore, Alfred pushed past him and ran into the pub where all the wounded were being treated. The barkeep had allowed the tables to be used as medical beds so that every patient could be lying flat for the doctors to treat them easier and make them comfortable as quickly as possible. Almost every table in the main room had people on top of them, as the wolf had managed to harm a lot of people before he and the soldiers could intervene. He scanned the room quickly and tried to find the woman named Elena, who had been his wife of ten years. He was pacing around the room and in the end, it was his wife that spotted him first.


    ¡°Ally,¡± she called out, ¡°I¡¯m over here.¡±


    Alfred jogged over to her table and took a gander at her wounds. The wolf had taken a hold of her upper right arm, as there were several gashes made by its teeth. The doctor had already treated her as her arm was wrapped up and she was resting with a pillow under her head.


    ¡°My god, are you alright?¡± Alfred asked his beloved.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± She playfully answered. ¡°I lost a bit of blood, but the doctor said I should be fine as long as I get plenty of rest and water.¡±


    Alfred looking down at the lady¡¯s bigger than usual belly, that was sticking out rather proudly.


    ¡°What about the baby?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°As far as we know, it¡¯s alright.¡± Elena answered, ¡°That mangy thing just chewed on my arm like I was a dog¡¯s toy. The baby wasn¡¯t harmed at all.¡±


    ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Alfred said, as he put a hand on the belly and was thankful that their child was going to be alright. ¡°That thing hurt a lot of people today.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Elena said, gesturing to the others in the room. ¡°What would cause a wolf to get so out of control.¡±


    ¡°If I had to guess,¡± Alfred started, ¡°I¡¯d have to say it was ill. Animals that are not feeling well can sometimes abandon their habits and schedules. His head was so foggy that he couldn¡¯t think straight, or as much as they usually do.¡±


    ¡°There you go again,¡± Elena said with a chuckle, ¡°Being a smarty pants.¡±


    ¡°I saw something like this on the war front,¡± Alfred said, ¡°Sometimes the coyotes in the prairies did the same thing, attacking at abnormal times of the day. They would attack and hunt during the day if they lacked water or didn¡¯t feel alright. He was also foaming at the mouth, so there¡¯s a good chance this beat was also quite ill.¡±


    ¡°Can it be spread, this illness?¡± his wife inquired.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Alfred answered, ¡°but until we do, just get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Alright dear,¡± the pregnant lady said, ¡°Just don¡¯t go too far away.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± Alfred said, leaning over to kiss her brow. ¡°I¡¯ll be back with something to eat later after I check up with the town doctor. Just rest.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± his wife said, smiling back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    Alfred started to look around for the doctor, when suddenly one of the patents lying on the tables started to spasm and convulse. From his days on the war front, Alfred knew that wasn¡¯t good as he ran over and tried to apply pressure to prevent the patient from rolling off the table and harming themselves. The doctor came over to help out and the two men held on until the person finally stopped shaking. As they rolled to person¡¯s back onto the table, Alfred noticed something.


    ¡°That,¡± Alfred said, pointing to the person¡¯s mouth. ¡°That¡¯s the same kind of foam I saw in the wolf¡¯s mouth. What is that?¡±


    ¡°It could be an infection,¡± the doctor guessed, ¡°But I¡¯ve never seen one work so fast so soon after being bitten by an animal. This is very strange.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good, is it doc?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± The Doctor confirmed, ¡°These people are in for a very long night. Many of them might not survive to see the morning.¡±

 Chapter 2: An Unusual Birth

    AS THE NIGHT DRAGGED ON THE condition of the other victims of the wolf attack began to worsen. In a matter of hours, most of the wounded broke into fevers, sweats and even started to shake and foam at the mouth like the first patient had earlier in the evening. Whatever ailment that the beast was suffering from, it had passed it onto every one of its victims. The doctor did whatever he could to treat the patients, but nothing seemed to work. No herb or medicine made any difference and a few hours after the first patient seized, the same man stopped breathing and passed on. The doctor has committed a few minutes trying to resuscitate the man, but it was a futile effort. The man was gone, and that was possibly a preview of what was going to happen to the others if he didn¡¯t figure something out. The doctor left the bar to head back for his office and try to find anything else that might help his patients, but he also wanted a bit of fresh air. He needed to clear his head so he could try to figure out what he could do and what hadn¡¯t been tried yet.


    Alfred tried his best to help but was growing more frustrated as the night went on. He sat by his wife¡¯s table and held her hand while she slept. She had a little foam on the corner of her lips, but she wasn¡¯t shaking or sweating just yet. He didn¡¯t know if it was a mild case compared to the others, or if it was just a matter of time before Elena¡¯s condition worsened. He kept using a cold cloth to try to fight her fever, but it didn¡¯t seem to help. She was also shaking with chills meaning that her body was trying to fight off what was bothering her, but it wasn¡¯t working. She was going to die like the others, as more than half a dozen of the wolf¡¯s victims had passed away before the sun started to rise. Alfred was trying to keep a calm face but, on the inside, he was beginning to panic and didn¡¯t know what to do. The doctor was also at a loss.


    ¡°Al,¡± She softly whispered.


    ¡°Yes, my love,¡± Alfred said, leaning into to her so he could hear what his wife was trying to say. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dying,¡± Elena said to him, a tear rolling down her cheek.


    ¡°I know,¡± Alfred said, as this wasn¡¯t the time to sugar coat it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take the baby with me,¡± his wife added, ¡°I think you need to remove her from the situation before it dies too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alfred said, as he wasn¡¯t prepared to have this talk. He was praying and hoping she¡¯d get better so they wouldn¡¯t have to have this conversation.


    ¡°You need to cut the child out, and I mean right now.¡± Elena repeated, ¡°Get it out of me before this illness takes us both.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ready,¡± Alfred said, as he didn¡¯t want to do it.


    ¡°It¡¯s been eight months,¡± Elena reminded him, ¡°That¡¯s close enough. I know you¡¯ve done this before, and you don¡¯t have to worry about me because this illness is going to take me very soon. Don¡¯t let it also take our baby.¡±


    Alfred was in tears, as this wasn¡¯t the way he wanted to become a father. This was supposed to be a happy moment for them to share together. Yet he understood what his wife was asking of him. That damn wolf had already taken his wife, and she didn¡¯t want it to also murder their child.


    ¡°Save the child,¡± Elena begged, ¡°And you¡¯ll see me every time you look into its eyes. I¡¯ll be here haunting you through them.¡±


    ¡°You promise?¡± Alfred asked, hoping she was right.


    ¡°I do,¡± Elena confirmed, ¡°No get this out of me, right now.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alfred said, as he stood up and went to fetch the doctor. He informed the doctor what needed to be done, and the doctor offered to help. Alfred had already done this procedure before when he was traveling in the war, but that time he had done it alone. Having the doctor around would make it an easier experience.


    ¡°We need to make her sleep,¡± the doctor said, ¡°Let me get the ether.¡±


    ¡°Al,¡± Elena called out.


    ¡°Yes, my love.¡± Alfred said, returning to her side.


    ¡°In case I don¡¯t wake up,¡± Elena started, ¡°If it¡¯s a boy, you can name him whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Alfred said, ¡°But what if it¡¯s a girl?¡±


    ¡°Please name her Calissa,¡± his wife requested, ¡°After my mother.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s a girl, it will be done.¡± Alfred said, stroking her cheek. ¡°But please wake up so you can at least meet the child before you go.¡±


    ¡°I will try,¡± Elena said, ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°And I love you,¡± Alfred said, as he kissed her brow again. He wanted to kiss her mouth but was afraid the foaming of the mouth from earlier might transfer the wolf¡¯s disease. The doctor cautioned him against doing that, so he had to be careful not to make their child an orphan that night.


    The doctor came over and placed a small mesh over her mouth and waited for the woman to fall asleep. The procedure last over four hours, and the doctor was there to assist and even lead sometimes when Alfred got tired. With their combined efforts, they managed to use the primitive tools they had on hand to perform the surgery to what was a successful result. The baby was born just before noon, looking nice and healthy as well. There were no signs of distress or any symptoms as the doctor slapped the child¡¯s backside and back to eject the remaining fluid from its lungs. The sound of its first cry brought relief to Alfred¡¯s heart, as the child appeared to be in good shape and unaffected. The doctor took a towel and began to clean the child before removing most of the umbilical cord. He looked back up at Alfred with a smile on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a girl, Alfred.¡± He said just before handing the newly wrapped child over to her father.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Alfred took the child into his arms and then turned back to tell his wife the good news, but it was too late. His wife had stopped breathing during the procedure and was already dead. She had slipped away in her sleep and didn¡¯t suffer at all in the end, which was more than what they could say for the rest of the wolf¡¯s victims. Alfred stood there, crying as he realized what had happened.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Alfred.¡± The doctor said, ¡°I¡¯m going to clean up and take care of the people who are still here. Concentrate on caring for the child.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Alfred said, looking back at the doctor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a nurse to try to pump out whatever milk we can,¡± The doctor also suggested. ¡°We should be able to get a few pints out before she stops producing. From there we¡¯ll have to get another lady who just delivered to help out. I don¡¯t mean to sound morbid, but your girl is now our top priority.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Alfred said, ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°What is the child¡¯s name?¡± The doctor asked.


    ¡°Calissa,¡± Alfred replied, ¡°Her mother insisted, so I will honor her.¡±


    The rest of the victims had all passed away the next day, not a single person who was bitten lasted more than a day after their attack. No one survived. They were all buried two days later, and it was difficult for Alfred to believe that his beloved Elena was gone, but she was right about one thing. Those blue eyes looking back up at him from his daughter were his wife¡¯s, and she was haunting him through her as promised. He kissed the small child on the brow, as the casket was lowered into the ground.


    ¡°It may be just us, Calissa,¡± He said to the child, ¡°But I will make sure you are prepared for anything, even that ferocious beast. I will make sure that damned thing never takes anyone away from me ever again. You have my word, little one.¡±


    Alfred took Calissa back to his house and did his best to raise the child on his own. The village went out of their way to support him in anyway they could. Other women who had recently given birth provided spare milk to feed the child, while some nurses volunteered to watch the child to help him get sleep whenever she was crying too long. Their efforts were not surprising, as the town would often come together to help one another out, whether its to help with childcare or all the men repairing a farmhouse that was torched by wildfire. The people were dedicated to one another, and this situation was no different, especially for the people who lost also lost a loved one to the wolf¡¯s dreaded attack. To the widows left behind, Calissa was the one good thing that came out of that tragedy, so they focused their pain into helping Alfred and the young girl as their tribute to the person they lost that fateful day. Alfred knew what they were doing, and let it happen. He understood their pain and knew that letting the people help him and the child distracted them from the same grief he was also trying to avoid. Alfred used the child to bring people back from the brink, often visiting them, and using the cute baby to cheer them up and remind them that there is a reason to keep living. To many people in the village, Calissa was the blessing that helped many town folk with the grieving process.


    The fact that the young girl was never affected by the disease that had killed all the other who were attacked, including her own mother, was looked upon by the village as a miracle. That made the young girl special in everyone¡¯s eyes, and the village kind of adopted Calissa as their own and took pride in her progress as she started to grow. Rather than grieve on the anniversary of the attack, the people chose to instead celebrate since it would always be Calissa¡¯s birthday, using her to bring happiness and joy to a day that would have usually been dark and depressing.


    It was during her second birthday, the second anniversary of the attack that something happened that shook the village and its people to their very core. As people were drinking and being merry, there was a loud howl that forced everyone to stop what they were doing. They had not heard that sound in years, but they all knew immediately what it was. The wolf had returned. Alfred was hoping that the wolf had succumbed to the disease it had spread, but it appears the wolf was stronger and able to fight it off and was coming back to the village to attack again.


    Alfred grabbed one of the town¡¯s women who was unsure where to go and led her back to his house with the child. Once inside he put Calissa into her crib and turned back to the woman.


    ¡°Care for the child,¡± he ordered, ¡°Lock the door behind me. There are no windows on the first floor for a reason, I have been preparing for this day.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± the woman said, as she watched Alfred start to put on his armor.


    Alfred had used a lot of his time to save money for a new set of armor, specifically fashioned for himself to battle wolves. He determined to make sure that if he ever encountered the wolf that took his wife again, he¡¯d be prepared to not only kill it but avoid being infected by its bites so that Calissa wouldn¡¯t lose her only parent to the same damned beast. It took only minutes for Alfred to armor up and was out the door. He could hear the woman barricade the door behind him, and he felt content to do battle knowing his daughter was safe and unable to be harmed. As he marched back out towards the sounds that pierced the village again, Alfred was ready to look the same beast in the eye and this time he wouldn¡¯t hesitate.


    When he came upon the scene, the wolf looked to be the same size and was snapping at two guards that were trying to stab it with their spears. Alfred made his move and came closer to the beast with his sword drawn and a sturdy shield to fend off anything the wolf threw at him. Once the beast knew he was there, it lunged at the new target, but Alfred wasn¡¯t in the mood to play. He used the shield to push the wolf back, and then swung the shield at the wolf¡¯s head, giving it a robust knock to the head. Alfred used the few second the wolf was dazed to make his move, taking a mighty cut with his new sword which was very sharp. The blade had no trouble cutting through the wolf this time as Alfred managed to behead the creature after just one slice, killing it instantly.


    The guards watching were all shocked to see Alfred take care of it so easily. The body laid on the ground under a massive puddle of blood. The battle was over, and the beast had been vanquished.


    ¡°That was rather easy,¡± One of the guards noted.


    ¡°Was it weaker than last time?¡± another asked, looking down at the corpse.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t the same wolf,¡± Alfred said, as he leaned over to inspect it. ¡°The paws are smaller, but not by much. And the coat is a different shade, as the previous wolf was lighter and grayer. I¡¯m afraid to say our adversary is either still out there or he really did succumb to the illness that took our loved ones.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡¯ matter,¡± The guard countered, ¡°At least this one¡¯s dead, and we¡¯re ready to take on any wolf that comes our way.¡±


    The doctor came running back with Grayson who went to fetch him when the incident started, afraid more people might be hurt.


    ¡°Are there any injured?¡± The doctor called out.


    ¡°Not this time, fellas.¡± The guard replied for him. ¡°The only fatality this time was the damn wolf.¡±


    ¡°Is it the same one?¡± Grayson asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Alfred said, but unwilling to go into detail this time.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The doctor asked.


    ¡°Pretty sure,¡± Alfred confirmed, ¡°You guys clean this up. I¡¯m going to check up on Calissa.¡±


    As Alfred walked back to the house, the day¡¯s events had made him realize something very important. There was going to be a day when he wasn¡¯t going to be around to protect his child from the wolves. There was going to be a time when he wouldn¡¯t be able to armor up and defend the girl that he would lay down his own life for. The little girl with Elena¡¯s eyes. When that day came, he was going to have to make sure Calissa was ready to take care of herself. In order to make that happen, Alfred was going to have to write a letter to an old friend and call in a favor.

 Chapter 3: Way Of The Samurai

    BY THE TIME THE MAN ALFRED had contacted finally showed up, Calissa had celebrated two more birthdays and was half a year away from turning five. The young girl was now the spitting image of her mother, and just as sassy as always managed to find was to get into trouble and step on her father¡¯s last nerve. Alfred could never stay mad at her forever, and even the village had a hard time being mad at their miracle baby as she was just too cute. While he was waiting for the man he wrote to arrive, Alfred was working on the basics with her, teaching her the things he knew about fighting and how to hold a sword properly. He only allowed her to use wooden swords but knew that Calissa would have to train with a real one eventually. The man he wrote to was an old friend that Alfred had met during the war. They had fought a common enemy during the great war and survived so many great battles that many wouldn¡¯t believe if they were told about them. There was one battle where Alfred had saved this man from certain doom, and he was so thankful that this friend had offered to repay Alfred in any way that he could. It was this debt that Alfred had called upon in his letter, ordering him to make the trip to his village to repay it in full. Within the letter Alfred explained what had happened to his wife, and what he wanted from him to make sure that it never happened to his only child. He also detailed what kind of creature he encountered that day and how it was different from the other wolves he had encountered before. Alfred was hoping once his war companion had read the letter, he would pack up and started making his way to the village to report for duty and honor his oath. Yet the man was residing in another continent, so Alfred knew it would take a very long time for his friend to eventually arrive, but it did happen several months before the young girl was to turn five.


    As the man slowly approached the wall surrounding the village, the guards standing on the wall noticed him first. They could tell he didn¡¯t look local, as his light brown oriental robes and triangle shaped hat was a dead giveaway. What seemed odd as well is that the man was pulling a small wagon behind him, with a harness strapped to himself instead of to a pony or horse. The man never said a word or made a single gesture to the guards above the doors until he was about twenty feet from the wall. Upon arriving at the wall, the man unstrapped himself from the wagon and proceeded to sit down in the ground. He took off his hat which revealed his bald head, put down his sword, and sat down before him wagon, waiting to be addressed.


    ¡°Hello!¡± one of the guards called out.


    ¡°Greetings.¡± The bald man replied.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± the other guard called out.


    ¡°I was summoned here,¡± the man answered, ¡°I carry a letter written by Alfred Higgins, requesting that I come to this village to see him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± the guard said, as he turned to face the other guard. ¡°Go get Alfred and let him know that someone is here to see him.¡±


    Upon hearing the news, Alfred left Calissa with a neighbor and ran to the wall as quickly as he could. Upon reaching the top, he smiled at the sight of his old friend as he was genuinely happy to see him again.


    ¡°Miyamoto!¡± Alfred called out to the man sitting before the gate, speaking in a language neither guard could understand. ¡°You have no idea how happy I am to see you!¡±


    ¡°I am honored to be in your company again, Alfred-san.¡± Miyamoto said, as he stood back up, and gave a very honorable bow. ¡°I received your letter and have come across the seas to repay my debt to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my friend.¡± Alfred said, as he also returned the bow. He then turned to the guards, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    The guards didn¡¯t question the order and opened the gates for their new guest. Miyamoto, put the harness back on and walked his wagon into the village and was smiling as Alfred walked over and gave the bald man a big hug.


    ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± Alfred said, ¡°I am thankful for your efforts to come here for help me. I am honored you came to help me and my child.¡±


    ¡°Your story moved me,¡± Miyamoto informed him, ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t owe you a great debt, I might have been motivated just by that alone. I am very sorry about what happened to your wife. I knew you cared for her a great deal.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my friend.¡± Alfred said, looking at the wagon. ¡°You didn¡¯t pack light, did you?¡±


    ¡°I am here to stay for as long as I¡¯m needed.¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°To do this right will take years, maybe even a decade to complete her training. I brought everything I needed to do the task right and fulfill my debt.¡±


    ¡°Then follow me,¡± Alfred said, as he gestured the direction they needed to travel.


    People were talking and whispering as both men walked down the street together back to Alfred¡¯s house, where he had been preparing for his friend¡¯s arrival. Miyamoto parked his wagon in front of the house while Alfred fetched his daughter from the neighbor¡¯s house. When they returned to the house, young Calissa made a respectful bow of her own to the bald man before her.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± she said to him, in his own language. ¡°We are honored to receive you as our guest.¡±


    ¡°Very impressive,¡± Miyamoto said, looking back to Alfred. ¡°You¡¯ve been preparing her for me. That will save me time.¡±


    ¡°I did my best, but I knew you¡¯d help her with the more advanced stuff.¡± Alfred said, as his enjoyed teaching his child the new language. He was also aware that he needed to brush up on it himself, aware that his guest would prefer to speak it most of the time he was there. If would allow them to also keep his true reasons for being here a secret, as he didn¡¯t tell anyone else what he had seen that fateful day.


    ¡°Come inside,¡± Alfred said, as he opened the main door. ¡°We will celebrate your arrival and give you a chance to settle in. I have a room waiting for you.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°I am honored that you took the time to prepare a room for me,¡± Miyamoto replied, ¡°It acknowledges your confidence in me.  You were quite sure I would arrive someday to start her training.¡±


    ¡°What training, father?¡± The child suddenly asked.


    ¡°You will find out soon enough,¡± the bald man answered for her father. ¡°For now, we shall eat and be merry. I have traveled a great distance to meet you, little one, and it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.¡±


    Miyamoto took the better part of the afternoon unpacking his wagon after they at sat down to eat. Calissa was so curious to see what the bald man had brought across the sea and watched from a chair on the other side of the room as he unpacked each item. To her surprise, there was a lot of weird looking armor and weapons such as swords that were oddly shaped compared to the ones her father used.


    ¡°What kind of sword is that?¡± Calissa asked.


    Miyamoto stopped what he was doing and picked up one of the swords, and unseathed it before the young child. It was a thinner blade, but the handle was thicker and long enough to use both hands with.


    ¡°This is called a Katana,¡± Miyamoto said, as he struck a deadly pose with it. ¡°This is a trusted blade, and the soul of a warrior. It is one of many weapons that you will be trained to control and master.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be trained to use weapons?¡± Calissa repeated.


    ¡°Not just weapons,¡± the bald man corrected, ¡°You will be taught more than just fighting skills, but sacred customs and traditions that have been the way of my people for centuries. When I am finished with you, young lady, you will know the way of the Samurai.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± the young girl asked.


    ¡°The Samurai may be considered nothing more than a noble status to some,¡± Miyamoto replied, ¡°But to those who take it more seriously, it is a code that is strictly followed in order to live a better life as an honorable warrior.¡±


    ¡°What is that smaller one?¡± Calissa asked, ¡°Baby katana?¡±


    The bald man laughed, as he found her guess to be rather amusing.


    ¡°Kind of,¡± he joked with her, ¡°But this is actually called a Wakizashi, the companion blade to the katana. Swinging around two swords of equal size can often cause chaos in situations where you need order to be victorious. In order to perform to your highest potential, your weapons much have a hierarchy so that they all work in union like a team. Each weapon serves a specific purpose, so that they are more efficient and don¡¯t get in one another¡¯s way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s neat,¡± the little girl said, ¡°And you¡¯ll show me how to use them all?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°You are to be my pupil, and over the course of the next several years, I will train you to become a fine warrior worthy of the samurai.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, master.¡± Calissa said, giving a partial bow from her chair.


    ¡°You¡¯re a quick learner,¡± her master replied, ¡°That will help us save time, but this will not be easy. This is a long, and often painful process. Are you sure you¡¯re ready to walk this path, little one?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Calissa said, ¡°My dad told me how dangerous the world is out there and that I must be ready to defend myself and the town.¡±


    ¡°That is very honorable, young Calissa.¡± Miyamoto said, as he resumed his unpacking, ¡°To defend those who are incapable to do so themselves is noble, and the way of a warrior. Our role in life is to fight those who mean to oppress and take our very lives. Like those creatures that attack your village. I will teach you the proper way to kill them quickly so that they are no longer a threat to you or your father. I¡¯ve dealt with such creatures in my homeland, and we¡¯re rather good at dispatching them.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± a voice called out from the doorway. Alfred was standing there and had been listening to the two of them converse.


    ¡°It is,¡± his friend confirmed, ¡°I believe what you wrote to me in that letter to be true. The creature you described that attacked your village the day your child was born is not uncommon where I come from. Wolves that walk on two feet and act human are known to my people as the Hakken, deadly creatures we assumed were only restricted to our lands. It appears we may be mistaken if your story holds true. I showed your letter to my master and the other Samurai, and they deemed it necessary for me to come out here to investigate.¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t just come out here to train Calissa?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°I will train her,¡± his friend confirmed, ¡°The wise men thought it was a good cover for me to use when doing my research. If there really is Hakken out here, training her is in her and the village¡¯s best interests. She can use the skills I teach her and give them to her own children or anyone else she wishes to train. That will only make your people stronger and better to handle the Hakken if they truly are here.¡±


    ¡°A sound plan,¡± Alfred said, as he understood their thinking. ¡°I am glad you¡¯re here anyway. I missed you, my friend.¡±


    ¡°As did I,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°I was in need of a task, so I was glad to receive your letter. I was starting to feel unneeded in my homeland, as a warrior without a war is not a sight for anyone to behold.¡±


    ¡°I know the feeling,¡± Alfred said, ¡°I don¡¯t like being a retired soldier either.¡±


    ¡°We have a new enemy,¡± The Samurai said, looking rather serious. ¡°We must train hard and prepare for the next encounter with the Hakken, whenever that day may be.¡±


    Calissa stood up from her chair, ¡°Then let¡¯s get started!¡±


    ¡°We shall,¡± Miyamoto said, patting her on the head, ¡°But I am still weary from my travels. It would be best for us all to rest tonight and start fresh in the morning.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Alfred said, ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure someone has chores to do.¡±


    Calissa gasped as she realized her father was right. She bolted from the room and went to the kitchen to do her fair share of the cleaning up around the house. A duty that she took seriously as both she and her father split the duties. As the sound of her cleaning the lunch dishes came from the kitchen, the two warriors looked at one another and smiled.


    ¡°She¡¯s a good kid,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°I look forward to training her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alfred said, ¡°I appreciate just having you here. That incident really shook me to my core.¡±


    ¡°The Hakken are not to be underestimated,¡± Miyamoto said, as he put his katanas up on a mantle that he brought with him. ¡°They are fierce creatures that kill without mercy, but I¡¯m sure you already know that part.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Alfred confirmed, as he looked at the half dozen katanas that his friend had brought with him from his homeland. ¡°Which one of these will be Calissa¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°None,¡± Miyamoto said without hesitation. ¡°I commissioned her blade just before I left. It is being constructed as we speak but it will take more than few years for the sword maker to construct. In exchange for doing the mission for the elders, they will have Calissa¡¯s katana delivered when it is finished.¡±


    ¡°What kind of sword is this?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°A special blade, that will take care of your Hakken problem.¡± Miyamoto answered, ¡°I have melted down and donated hundreds of pounds of precious metals that will be folded over a few thousand times to construct the sturdiest katana the world shall ever see. By the time this sword arrives, I swear to you that Calissa be ready to weld it. You have my word.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alfred said, unaware to what was being done to help him.


    ¡°I am the one who must thank you, Alfred.¡± The warrior said, giving a slight bow. ¡°You not only saved me from war, but you have also saved me from a dreary life after the war as well. I traveled here because I have purpose again, and I shall not waste this opportunity to put the Hakken into the ground where they belong.¡±

 Chapter 4: A Fortunate Accident

    WHILE OTHER KIDS IN THE VILLAGE were off playing games and causing trouble for their parents, Calissa led a different kind of childhood that wasn¡¯t by any means normal. She spent every morning taking language and etiquette classes with her new master, and after lunch they would spend every afternoon doing combat training. After supper she would do more language lessons before going to bed early to wake up at sunrise to do it all over again the next day. Alfred was so committed to the process that he wanted his daughter to do it every day without any breaks, but Miyamoto didn¡¯t agree with his zeal and insisted that they take every Sunday off to relax. The warrior explained that one day of was needed to remind themselves why they¡¯re working so hard to protect. A day of play and rest was needed so that the mind could rest and be ready for the next slate of lessons that were to come. Over the course of the next several months, Miyamoto never left Alfred¡¯s house as he kept a low profile, restricting Calissa¡¯s training to their backyard. The warrior also used seeds he had brought from his homeland to start growing his own gardens in the back area behind Alfred¡¯s house, which slowly started to make the area look like similar to the home he had left behind. Whenever it rained or snowed, Alfred would clear the dining room and the lessons would go on indoors. Nothing would stop Miyamoto from his duty to turn the child into a warrior many would fear and respect. She had taken to the lessons rather well for a girl her age, dedicated to do well by her father and village. The young girl was also taking in all of his culture like a sponge, wearing the same robes, eating the same food and living every minute the way her master did. Yet it was almost a year after the man arrived, that her master decided it was time to go outside and do something normal.


    Alfred had fallen ill, and while it was just a minor cold Miyamoto decided that he and Calissa should go to the shop to get some medicine for him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go,¡± Calissa said, ¡°I can do it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can,¡± Miyamoto agreed, ¡°But your place during your training is by my side at all times. This is how the training never ends, as everything we encounter is an opportunity to learn.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Calissa said, ¡°I can still show you the way.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate that,¡± Her master said, ¡°Lead the way, little one.¡±


    The were both wearing their robes, and Miyamoto was even wearing his hat to conceal as much of his face as he could from those looking on. Despite the attempts to shield himself from the others, the people in town still stared at them both as if they were from another planet.


    ¡°What are they looking at?¡± Calissa asked, in her master¡¯s language.


    ¡°They are scared,¡± Miyamoto answered, ¡°They tend to fear what they do not understand. It makes them nervous and possessive of their cultural standards.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Calissa said, ¡°We don¡¯t post any threat them.¡±


    ¡°We know that,¡± her master continued, ¡°But their fear is irrational and comes from a position of ignorance. To not mind them, for they know not where their fear originates. They just know that it¡¯s there and that¡¯s why it controls them.¡±


    ¡°I feel like an outsider in my own village,¡± Calissa said, not used to the feeling.


    ¡°I suggest you get used to it,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°The warrior¡¯s path is often a lonesome one, with only other warriors who understand your burden. The people do not understand because they are unaware of the real enemy, and the real horrors that reside in the real world. The monsters that would devour them without a second thought. Just the knowledge of that would drive them mad, so they ignore it all.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like a noble way to live,¡± Calissa said, ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°For some people, survival is the only goal.¡± Her master replied, ¡°We strive to larger goals that makes their even possible to begin with. They have no idea what efforts and sacrifices were made just so they can live in peaceful bliss.¡±


    ¡°But you know?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°I do, and so does your father.¡± Miyamoto answered, ¡°We bleed for this peace, and I will bleed for it again if I must. We lost good men during the great wars, and their lives will have not be lost in vain.¡±


    ¡°How did you and my father become friends?¡± she inquired.


    ¡°How all warriors from different lands often do,¡± her master replied, ¡°We united to defeat a common enemy, and bonded over the great success of that alliance.¡±


    As they entered the town shop, Calissa was all smiles as she hopped over to the counter to greet the shopkeeper with a warm smile.


    ¡°Hello, Grayson!¡± she called out.


    ¡°Hello, Calissa!¡± Grayson said, returning the smile. He then noticed the man with the hat standing behind her. ¡°And who is this fella?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s with me,¡± Calissa said, ¡°He¡¯s my new teacher.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Grayson said, looking back at her. ¡°What does he teach?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you,¡± Calissa said, ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Grayson said, playing along. ¡°And what can I do for you both today?¡±


    ¡°Dad isn¡¯t feeling well,¡± Calissa informed him, ¡°I need to get some syrup and tea so that we can get him back on the mend.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I can certainly help with that.¡± Grayson said, as he grabbed a small bottle and another box which was the tea. ¡°This is your dad¡¯s favorite tea, so he won¡¯t fight you when you serve it to him. It¡¯s just as good as the others and will make him feel better as well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Calissa said, handing over some of money.


    The two of them left the store and were walking back to the house when someone crossed paths with Miyamoto and wouldn¡¯t get out of his way. The man even pushed the warrior without provocation, and that made Calissa nervous as to what might happen next.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Your kind is not welcome here!¡± The man roared at the foreigner.


    ¡°My kind?¡± Miyamoto replied, ¡°And what kind might that be?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± the man said, and he took a half assed swing that wasn¡¯t very difficult to avoid.


    Miyamoto didn¡¯t harm the man, but he did catch the punch, and flip the arm behind his back. He then applied a great deal of pressure, which caused the man to scream out.


    ¡°This is a simple hold,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°But with a flick of my wrist, I can break your arms in two places. Do you want that?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The man called out.


    ¡°Very well, but I leave you with this,¡± Miyamoto said, as he leaned in to whisper something into his ear. The people watching looked on as the words said to the townsman caused his eyes to pop open, and he started to turn white. Second later Calissa¡¯s master released him and nodded to indicate it was time to go. The man who tried to hit Miyamoto didn¡¯t say a word after he was released and instead chose to run away like the coward that he was.


    ¡°What did tell him?¡± Calissa asked, ¡°What could you possibly say to generate such a reaction? Did you threaten him?¡±


    ¡°I did not,¡± Miyamoto said, even showing a small grin. ¡°You must learn little one that if you truly want to scare someone, simply tell them the one thing they never want to hear even though they might need it.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°The truth,¡± her master answered, ¡°Something that is indisputable is more fearful because it cannot be dismissed or shrugged off. A simple truth is a hundred times more powerful than deadly lie. Because that statement is true, it will gnaw at him for quite some time, like a splinter in his mind.¡±


    ¡°Is that considered cruel?¡± the young girl asked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°But that depends on how the person responds to it. He is fearful not, but in time that truth might motivate him to act and do better by himself and this town. Or he can remain in fear and hide, but in order to do what is right sometimes you need to hear the unforgiving truth.¡±


    ¡°And what truth did you tell him?¡± Calissa inquired.


    ¡°That is between me and him,¡± Miyamoto replied, ¡°I might tell you in time, but you¡¯re not ready for it just yet.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were going to hurt him,¡± Calissa admitted.


    ¡°I had no intention,¡± her master assured her, ¡°The man was drunk and frustrated. He meant no harm and was looking for something to dump all his sorrows onto. Sometimes the people we swear to defend require protection even from themselves. Once he sobers up, we¡¯ll see what kind of man he is.¡±


    ¡°I am curious to see what happens myself,¡± Calissa said, smiling back.


    When they returned to the house, Calissa and her master started to use the things they purchased as the store to make lunch for her ill father. They planned to make a warm soup that would compliment the tea and place the medicine in there for him to easily ingest. Yet while they were preparing the food, there was accident that caught the two of them off guard. Calissa was chopping up the vegetables for the soup when the knife seemed to slip and go in a different direction than intended. As a result, the young girl cut across the back of her hand instead of the vegetable which resulted in a major gash on her hand. There was blood all over the place, and the girl screamed which caught the attention of her master. He ran over to inspect the wound, which was quite deep and could possibly cause a lot of nerve damage which was what he was worried about the most. He grabbed a towel and placed it on top of the cut.


    ¡°Keep pressure on it!¡± Miyamoto ordered, ¡°I¡¯ll get my medical kit and we¡¯ll do what we can to fix it!¡±


    Calissa did as she was told and pressed hard down on the towel that was turning red as the blood coming out was just soaking it. He whimpered a little bit as she patiently waited in the kitchen for her master to return with the medical kit. Yet when Miyamoto did return with the kit, something had changed. Calissa was no longer crying, and the color was returning to her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he quickly asked her.


    ¡°It stopped hurting,¡± the girl answered, ¡°I don¡¯t feel it anymore.¡±


    Miyamoto didn¡¯t like the sound of it, because to him that might mean she was losing feeling in her hand. He raced back into the kitchen and put the medical kit he traveled with beside her arm. As the towel was slowly removed from her hand, there was another surprised waiting for them. The bleeding had stopped, and the gash had disappeared. Her hand looked like nothing had happened at all. He grabbed another towel and cleaned the blood off her hand to confirm the wound was gone, and the skin on her hand was no longer broken.


    ¡°This is not possible,¡± Miyamoto said, as he continued to inspect. He had seen the gash for himself only moments before, it had looked real and it didn¡¯t appear to be an illusion, as the child was genuinely crying out in pain.


    ¡°Where did it go?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Miyamoto said, as he thought about it. While still holding onto her hand, he grabbed the knife off the table and looked back at her. ¡°I need to conduct an experiment, and this is going to hurt a little bit.¡±


    Before Calissa could reply, Miyamoto took the same knife she just cut herself with and stabbed the back of her hand, driving the blade deep in again. There was blood coming out again as before and the young girl cried out the same way she had the first time. This time after all the screaming that was going on, Alfred had managed to get out of bed to see what was going on and was shocked to see the blade sticking in his daughter¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Alfred cried out, ¡°What are you doing to her?¡±


    ¡°Come over here!¡± Miyamoto called out, ¡°I only want to do this once!¡±


    Alfred came over to aid his child but watched in shock as his friend yanked the blade out, which even the most novice of medic know makes the wound worse. Calissa was still crying but at only again lasted a few seconds like before, as the pain stopped like it had the first time. She looked down at her hand and was finally able to see with her own eyes how the pain went away. All three of them watched in awe as the wound started to heal at a very accelerated rate. The skin slowly reattached itself, and the bleeding stopped and second after that there was no evidence the wound was ever there like the previous time. Miyamoto inspected the hand again and looked the little girl in the eyes.


    ¡°Same as last time, right?¡± he asked her, ¡°The pain just went away?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but how?¡± the young girl asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Alfred asked, ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    ¡°It has to do with that wolf,¡± Miyamoto said, still checking the skin as the spot he just stabbed was blemish free. ¡°Unless they are struck down by weapon that is specifically constructed with a rare alloy, the Hakken cannot die.¡±


    ¡°Hold on," Alfred said, having a hard time believing it. "They''re immortal?"


    ¡°Technically, yes.¡± His friend confirmed, ¡°But how this was passed along to your little one here is the real mystery. I will need to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Is this magic?¡± Alfred asked, ¡°I knew healers who could do that kind of regeneration, but this looked natural.¡±


    ¡°It did, very similar to how the Hakken heal.¡± Miyamoto said, looking back at the young girl who appeared frightened. ¡°Are you alright, little one?¡±


    ¡°Am I a wolf?¡± She asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe so,¡± her master replied candidly, ¡°Do you feel different when the moon is full?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± She answered.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t noticed any signs either,¡± Miyamoto replied, ¡°Your mother was attacked by this Hakken, and usually that is enough to turn people into one of them if they managed to survive the attack. I will need to speak to your father about this and get more facts about what happened that fateful day. Only then we can try to figure this out together. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Sounds alright,¡± Calissa said, looking down at her still stained arm. ¡°Can I go clean up and change?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alfred said, and the two men watched as she left to use the bathroom.


    ¡°You look better,¡± Miyamoto said, as he gestured to one of the chairs beside the table. ¡°Take a seat, my friend. I¡¯ll finish making lunch, but while I do so I want you to tell me what happened that day the Hakken attacked. This time, however, tell me everything. Do not leave out a single detail.¡±

 Chapter 5: Many Truths Revealed

    IT WASN''T UNTIL A WEEK LATER that Miyamoto brought up the knife incident in the kitchen. He had kept to himself most of the week, yet still trained the young child, all while using his spare time to read books and try to figure out what was going regarding her uncanny healing abilities. He''d call them powers, because there are no enchantment or spells being used; it all just happened so naturally. That was the part that was worrying the warrior the most, as there was no doubt that he was going to have to share an uncomfortable truth with Calissa and her father. Miyamoto had taken the time to catch some fish that afternoon and used it to create a dinner that was worthy of his homeland. He laid out the fish rolls and platters of raw fish, eager to share some more of his culture while at the same time hoping the experience would soften what he was about to share with them. He waited until the meal was nearly over, and then took the time to pour some special tea. While it steeped, Miyamoto used this opportunity to speak with them.


    "I have been doing a great deal of thinking since the accident," he started, looking at them both. "And with the new details about the day Calissa was born, I was able to figure out what is going on and why she can naturally heal so fast."


    "Alright," Alfred said, trying to brace himself for it. "I have my own theories, but let''s hear what you''ve got to say."


    "There are only two ways a Hakken can come into this world," Miyamoto started, "The first is through infection. If someone is bitten or scratched by another Hakken, the person will themselves become a Hakken if they survive the attack. After the person is infected, they would go through some strange changes and then fully transform at the next full moon."


    "What is the other way?" Alfred asked.


    "By natural birth," his friend answered, "The Hakken that are born into this world are quite rare. Less than five percent of the Hakken are naturally brought into this world, and as a result their strength and powers are superior to the other Hakken who are created through infection."


    "How superior?" Alfred asked.


    "Vastly superior," Miyamoto said, "While all Hakken will heal from their attacks if left to do so, what can take an infected Hakken weeks and months to recover from takes mere seconds and minutes for a natural Hakken to heal. Their regeneration is faster and similar to what we witnessed earlier this week with Calissa. When I first received your letter, I made a terrible assumption. You said your wife was attacked the day she was born, but I had assumed the attack had occurred after she was born. I now know she was still in the womb when her mother was infected. But Calissa was not bitten or scratched by a Hakken, her mother was. She was birthed into the world so if she is Hakken, she is one of natural origin."


    "Then why hasn''t she changed into a wolf during the full moons?" Alfred asked.


    "Yes!" Calissa agreed, "Where are the fangs and fur?"


    "There is rumor I once heard from some of the wisemen," Miyamoto started, "That the moon only forces those who are infected to change. They are not given a choice and when the moonlight touches their skin, they are compelled to transform. It is believed that natural Hakkens are not affected by moonlight and have the ability to change whenever and wherever they please. If Calissa is indeed a natural Hakken, she can go her entire life without ever changing if she doesn''t want to."


    "This is uncanny," Alfred said, thinking about it. "But her hand healed so quickly. So, what else can she do?"


    "If she has indeed inherited the powers of a natural Hakken," Miyamoto replied, "Then she will develop more natural abilities as she grows older. Her sense of smell and taste are already considerably advanced for a child, and that will only get better with time. Her speed and strength will also grow tenfold and that will only make her a more formidable warrior as we continue our training."


    "So, you believe that I''m Hakken?" Calissa asked.


    "I don''t want to believe it, but the evidence appears to point that way," Miyamoto said, "You didn''t choose this life, little one, but it is the life you''ve been dealt. I will continue your training and teach you the discipline you''ll need to control the powers that are inevitably coming. The way of the samurai will give you all the discipline you require to control your new gifts."


    "Gifts?" Alfred repeated, as he didn''t appear amused. "I''m not sure that''s the word I''d use to describe them."


    "They are gifts," Miyamoto said, "She will benefit from all the good things the Hakken enjoy, while not having to deal with the bad things that come with it. She''s going to have to learn how to live with them because ignoring it will only make things worse for her."


    "I''m sorry if I don''t sound that grateful," Alfred said, his anger evident. "The Hakken have already taken so much from me already, only to learn years later his plunder isn''t finished yet."


    Calissa wasn''t willing to hear anymore as she left the table and retreated to her room and cried about it for a few hours. She didn''t want to be a Hakken, but she was never given a choice and would have to deal with her issues rather than run away from them. She could hear her father and Miyamoto arguing downstairs and she waited to hear the slamming of doors before leaving her room. Calissa noticed that Miyamoto was outside doing some practice, so she decided to go out into the backyard and join him.


    "I''m sorry," she said as she walked out and bowed, "It was lot to deal with."


    "It still is," Miyamoto said, bowing back to her. "I will let you have all the time you need to come to terms with this unfortunate twist, and when you do, we''ll use it to our advantage and turn you into the finest warrior this side of the world shall ever see. You will harness the power of a natural Hakken to make yourself unbeatable."


    "Are you sure I''m a natural?" Calissa asked, "I could just be infected."


    "I was curious about that myself," Miyamoto confessed, "But now I am more certain than ever that you are a natural Hakken. Look up, little one."


    Calissa look up into the night skies and staring down at them was the full moon, beaming it''s light down onto the village. She had been standing out in the moonlight for several minutes and there was no change at all.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "If you were infected," Miyamoto said, "The light from the full moon would have compelled you to change, and it would have been a very painful experience."


    "How would you know that?" Calissa asked.


    "I have my sources," her master replied, "And I have also witnessed the change myself in my homeland. It was the most ruthless thing I had ever seen. Skin would split open, and hair would rapidly grow while bones would break as the structure of the person is changed. The individual who changed before me was screaming the whole time while it happened. It wasn''t a pleasant experience for him."


    "What happened to him?" Calissa asked.


    "I killed him," Miyamoto answered, "And rid my people of his torments."


    "I thought you said they couldn''t die," Calissa reminded him.


    "I said they could only be killed by a certain weapon," her master corrected, "And in order for that weapon to work, it had to be made of a special alloy."


    "What kind of metal?" Calissa asked.


    "This kind," Miyamoto said, as he drew out his katana. "This blade is made of pure Sliver, and it is the only thing that can kill those creatures. If you stab one of them through the heart or decapitate them with a blade made of this material, then they will perish and meet their maker."


    "I want one," Calissa said, sounding very determined.


    "I see," Miyamoto said, grinning as he could predict what was going through her young mind at the moment. "And what would you do with such a weapon?"


    "I would find the Hakken that attacked my mother," the young child answered.


    "And what would you do if you found the beast?" her master asked.


    "I will avenge my mother and kill it." Calissa answered.


    "That is a noble quest," Miyamoto said, "But revenge is a full-time job, little one. A quest you shouldn''t burden yourself with until our training is complete, and you feel ready to pursue such a difficult undertaking."


    "You''re not going to try to stop me?" Calissa asked.


    "I couldn''t stop you even if I wanted to," her master explained, "So if I cannot stop you, the least I can do is prepare you. That way when you do seek your revenge, you will have the means to attain it successfully."


    "How will I know?" She asked.


    "You''ll know," Miyamoto told her, "You''ll feel it in the pit of your stomach, and it will be the only thing you can think about, every morning when you wake up and every night when you put your head down to rest. It will consume your mind, and you''ll feel an ache that pulls you to venture out and seek it like a person possessed. When that happens, no one will be able to stop you."


    "How do you know so much about this?" Calissa asked, "Especially about the Hakken?"


    "Because I''ve killed a few," Miyamoto told her, "That''s why I came here as soon as I could after your father wrote to me. I knew exactly how he felt and was compelled by honor and duty to be here to help him."


    "Why did you kill it?" Calissa asked.


    "I could say something like he and his kind were attacking my people, which was true." Her master started, "The Hakken were quite a menace in my homeland for the longest time, until we learned their secrets and used it to repel and kill them in great numbers. But the Hakken I killed was for the same reason you want to kill yours, revenge. That Hakken had also taken someone very special from me, and I vowed to dispatch him of his life for that atrocity."


    "Who did it kill?" Calissa asked.


    "My beloved wife," Miyamoto answered, "And our only son, who was around your age when he was taken. I lost my very reason for living, so I hunted that filthy beast down and put this blade through its black heart. I then took his head back to the council to prove I had avenged my family."


    It was at this point where Calissa realized that her father was standing by the door and had been listening to everything that was said over the last several minutes. He walked over to his old friend and put a hand on Miyamoto''s shoulder.


    "I had no idea," Alfred said, "I''m very sorry to hear that."


    "Thank you, my friend." Miyamoto said, giving a small bow. "I must apologize for not being as forthcoming with my true intentions. I am here to fulfill my debt and train the child, but I am also here to search for and kill any Hakken that I happen to discover. When they were on the verge of extinction in my homeland, the Hakken fled to other parts of the world in an attempt to evade our justice."


    "How long have you been hunting these creatures?" Alfred asked.


    "Longer than I''d like to admit," Miyamoto answered, "But long enough to know a great deal about them and how they work. I will train you both and give you the skills necessary to defeat them. The next time the Hakken dare to cross your path, it will be the last thing they ever do."


    "You''ve been hunting them around the world," Alfred said, thinking about it. "How many do you think there are around here?"


    "It''s hard to say," Miyamoto said, "But like regular wolves, they do travel in packs. So, where there is one there are usually a lot more."


    "I only saw that one creature, and it didn''t seem well." Alfred admitted, "Is it possible the illness killed it, like it did the town folk who were bitten by him?"


    "No," Miyamoto answered almost immediately, "Based on your details, the creature was definitely ill, but they don''t die of such things. Depending on his status, their healing powers would eventually defeat whatever virus was ailing him. It might have taken time, but eventually their bodies would win out. Your wolf is still out there, that I have no doubt."


    "So, if he''s still out there," Calissa said, "Then can I kill it?"


    "Can you, right now?" Miyamoto asked her.


    "No," she honestly answered.


    "That is the correct answer," her master confirmed, "You are no where near prepared to start the difficult task of Hakken hunting, but I will get you there. Combined with your newly discovered natural abilities that you appear to have inherited from them; you will make a formidable slayer of these foul beasts. You might even become a better wolf hunter that myself one day."


    "It''s good to have goals," Calissa said, as she bowed to her master. "I am going to head for bed. I look forward to resuming my training in the morning."


    "I look forward to conducting it," Miyamoto said, returning the bow. "Good night, little one."


    Miyamoto watched as Calissa retreated back inside the house, and then looked back at his old friend who was now looking upon him with new eyes and a better understanding of his plight.


    "You''ve lost so much," Alfred said, "How do you fight to carry on?"


    "After I got my revenge," Miyamoto started, "I fell into a mental abyss that often comes at the end of the long journey. I had no purpose, and no one to come home to. For a while, I considered taking the warrior''s way out and remove myself and my dark past from this world. And then I received your letter, and it felt like the gods were telling me that my work was not yet done. That I still had purpose and it made me very determined to come here and help you."


    "Thank you for that," Alfred said, "But now we''re dealing with a natural Hakken?"


    "As your friends would say, we got lucky," Miyamoto admitted, "Normally someone doesn''t find out they''re Hakken until they transform or are gravely wounded in battle, and neither of them are an ideal time to make that discovery. Now we will use her training to hone those new skills and use them to become a legendary warrior that will protect this village and others like them from all sorts of creatures."


    "So not she''s going to be a monster slayer?" Alfred asked, not that keen on the idea of his only child dispatching the world of all sorts of creatures.


    "Not really," Miyamoto replied, "But she could be if she wanted to. Right now, she is quite determined to resume her training, and I do not intend fail her. Tomorrow morning, I will step things up and intensify her teaching."


    "Are you sure that''s wise?" Alfred asked, "I don''t want Calissa to get hurt¡­"


    Alfred stopped mid sentence as he suddenly realized how stupid that comment was going to be from now on. Miyamoto chuckled as the irony was not lost on him, and both friends had a good laugh. Calissa could no longer be seriously harmed by her training, or by anything for the most part.

 Chapter 6: The Timeless Lady

    CALISSA WAS TRUE TO HER WORD and didn¡¯t hesitate to accept the new intensity of her training, even despite her young age. It got to the point where Calissa refused to go to school with the other children when she came of age, preferring to be home schooled by Miyamoto on subjects she considered to be of greater value. Yet after a full year of studying full time with the old samurai, he insisted that she at least attend some classes to cover the subjects he wasn¡¯t able to instruct her on. During this time, Alfred raised the walls around his backyard so that no prying eyes could observe the training that Calissa was going through, and the raw powers that she was starting to exhibit. Before she turned eight, Calissa started to show the ability to leap so tall, she could land on the roof of their home any time she wanted to. She also started to show great strength, being able to pick up very heavy objects without even breaking a sweat. Miyamoto was also observing how fast the young girl was becoming as she was able to lap the town in record speeds, meaning she could run long distances in very little time. Her father was seriously impressed with the new feats his child was able to accomplish, but he was still unnerved by the source of all that power as he was constantly reminded of that horrible day and who was lost. Yet Calissa¡¯s determination and refusal to slow down reminded Alfred of his wife, as the fire inside her was very similar to the passion that her mother often had whenever she was determined to see a task through. Watching Calissa train with Miyamoto and improve with each passing day, month, and year made Alfred very proud of his only child and he knew that her mother wherever she was was proud of her as well. She was mastering the katana and the several other weapons that Miyamoto had brought with him from his homeland, progressing faster than even her master could have anticipated. While they were playfully sparing in the back courtyard, Calissa stopped to make an inquiry as she was curious about something.


    ¡°Master,¡± she said, pausing to rest. ¡°When will I get armor like yours?¡±


    ¡°In time,¡± her master replied, ¡°You are still growing little one, and when we suit you up¡­ we want this armor to be able to last a very long time, not one or two years. The materials we use are very expensive, so we only get one chance to fit you right. We need to do it when you¡¯re an adult, now when you¡¯re still a child.¡±


    ¡°You still consider me a child?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°I do,¡± Miyamoto said, seething his sword. ¡°A very dangerous child, but still a child none the less. Do not take offense from something that is clearly a fact. You are still young, but that is not a burden. Life is a gift, little one. Some people do not even make it to your age and pass on before even being able to have a real life. No one¡¯s time on this world is finite.¡±


    ¡°Mine is,¡± Calissa corrected him.


    ¡°Explain,¡± Miyamoto requested, even though he had an idea of what she was referring to but wanted to hear it from here rather than tell her himself.


    ¡°You said Hakken can only die,¡± Calissa began to recall, ¡°When stabbed in the heart or decapitated by a weapon made of pure silver.¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± Miyamoto said, still not tipping his own hand. He wanted to see where she was going before offering anything into the conversation.


    ¡°If those are the only two ways a Hakken can die,¡± Calissa continued, ¡°That means all other methods and causes will not work. I will survive them all until one of the two criteria are met. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± her master confirmed.


    ¡°That includes dying of old age, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± Miyamoto said, as he stepped closer. ¡°If what I¡¯ve been told by the wisemen of my homeland, somewhere between the age of twenty-five and thirty, you will stop aging. You will remain in that form until someone takes your life with the method we have discussed.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°You have more time to look forward to than everyone here in this village combined,¡± Miyamoto said, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Enjoy your childhood when you get the chance, because you will have plenty of time to adult when you reach a certain age.¡±


    ¡°My time may be infinite,¡± Calissa said, ¡°But yours is not. I need to train before you and father pass on from this world. After that happens, I¡¯ll try to be more social.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let all this time pass you by,¡± her master warned, ¡°You will want some good memories, so you don¡¯t forget this place, or about us.¡±


    ¡°I will never forget you master,¡± Calissa retorted, ¡°Every time I hunt down and rid this world of another Hakken, I will give thanks to you for preparing me for the duties I will accomplish.¡±


    Miyamoto stood there, and almost teared up when he heard that statement. All he could think of was the child that he wished he could be training instead and what the Hakken had taken away from him as well. While he himself had dispatched many of the big wolves he was confident that when in her prime, Calissa was going those filthy beast regret that fateful day one of them had killed her mother. He was sure that this young girl and her uncanny powers were going to lead to their extermination. His only regret was he wouldn¡¯t be able to live long enough to see it all happen.


    ¡°Are you alright, master?¡± the young girl asked.


    ¡°I am, but we¡¯re done for the day.¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°I need to rest. Help your father in the kitchen as it¡¯s his turn to cook today.¡±


    Calissa watched as her master left the courtyard and strolled back into the house. She stood there for a moment but instead chose to stay outside and practice with her sword on her own. She had every intention of following her master¡¯s instructions to help her father, but she knew it was better to wait for her father to ask for it rather than push him around in his own kitchen. She remained outside and practiced her technique and footwork with her katana, like she had thousands of times over the last few years. It was during this practice when she felt this sudden burst of pain that caused her to drop her sword and drop to one knee. She knelt there on the ground, holding onto her chest as that sharp feeling was coursing through her veins, up her spine and into her head. Calissa remained in that position and rather than call out for help, she chose to take some deep breaths and just remain calm until whatever it was passed. Yet the calmer she became the more she could hear it. At first, she thought her heart was racing but the slower her own heart went down, the more she noticed the other heartbeat. Then she began to notice other heartbeats as she could feel them all beating in unison as if they were a choir.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Oh my gaud,¡± Calissa said as she was doing a count in her head.


    ¡°Calissa!¡± Alfred called out as he noticed her crouched over in the courtyard. He ran over and knelt down beside her, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I feel something,¡± she replied.


    After hearing her father call out, Miyamoto also came scrambling into the courtyard to see what was going on himself.


    ¡°What is it you feel?¡± Alfred asked her.


    ¡°I feel heartbeats that are not my own,¡± Calissa asked, ¡°A least half a dozen.¡±


    ¡°Whose heartbeats?¡± her father asked.


    ¡°The Hakken,¡± Miyamoto answered, ¡°We suspected for a long time that the beasts had an inner connected that allowed them to co-ordinate without speaking. This appears to confirm that such a connection exists. Where are they, Calissa?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she answered, ¡°But they¡¯re not far away.¡±


    Alfred looked back up at his friend. ¡°Are they going to attack?¡±


    Miyamoto shook his head, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare. A group that small just might be scouts or a hunting party.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Alfred said, as something occurred to him. ¡°If she can sense them, can they sense her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°But we have to assume they can. We need to prepare for anything and prepare for battle.¡±


    The two men carried Calissa back into the house and let her rest on the couch as they both dressed up in their best armor and armed themselves to the teeth. Miyamoto walked over to Alfred and offered him a small dagger.


    ¡°What is this for?¡± Alfred asked, ¡°I already have a sword.¡±


    ¡°That sword can¡¯t kill them, but it can knock them off their feet.¡± His friend replied, ¡°But once they¡¯re down, this dagger will kill them if you put it into their heart.¡±


    ¡°I want to come out too.¡± Calissa said, trying to get off the couch. She keeled over in pain again as the pain she was feeling earlier was now more intense.


    ¡°They¡¯re getting closer,¡± Miyamoto said, as he helped Calissa back to the couch.¡± Remain here, little one. You¡¯re not ready.¡±


    ¡°Where is it coming from?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, so let¡¯s split up.¡± Miyamoto answered, ¡°You stay out front and protect the main doors. I¡¯ll stay here in the courtyard and defend the back entrance. If anyone asks, you just got your armor resized and are testing it out. We¡¯ll stand guard until something happens or her pain resides, whichever comes first.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alfred said, ¡°Good luck, my friend.¡±


    ¡°To you as well,¡± Miyamoto said before looking at the young girl on the couch, ¡°And you stay right there unless called for. That is not a request.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡± The girl smugly replied.


    As Miyamoto strolled into the back courtyard, there was already something waiting for him. There was a man wearing a rather fine suit, standing at the back of the courtyard, looking around and admiring the setup. As the samurai strolled closer to his intruder, the man looked his way and finally noticed the fully armed warrior that was heading his way.


    ¡°I thought this garden looked familiar,¡± the man said, speaking in Miyamoto¡¯s native language. ¡°But I had no idea that an actual warrior from the eastern lands would be here as well.¡±


    ¡°I know what you are,¡± Miyamoto started, as he pulled out his silver katana.


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± the man said, feeling so full of himself.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what I¡¯ve killed in my time,¡± Miyamoto said, grinning at the cockiness of the man before him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the one I¡¯m feeling,¡± the man said, looking around. ¡°Where is the heartbeat that I¡¯m sensing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s inside,¡± Miyamoto said, sure the man already knew and was patronizing the warrior. ¡°You¡¯re too late, I¡¯ve prepared her for you.¡±


    ¡°Did you now?¡± the man said, curious to hear that. ¡°You waste your time Samurai. She is one of us.¡±


    ¡°She is her own person,¡± Miyamoto corrected him, ¡°She will choose her own path and no man or Hakken will take that away from her.¡±


    ¡°Fetch her for me,¡± the man ordered.


    ¡°Not going to happen,¡± The samurai said defiantly. ¡°I order you to vacate these lands, or I will not hesitate dispatch you from this world like I have to so many of your kind before.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± the man asked as he didn¡¯t appear to feel threatened. ¡°Let¡¯s test that theory, shall we?¡±


    With a snap of his finger a large, hairy creature leaped over the back wall and into the courtyard. Without hesitation, it charged at the samurai who took up a defensive stance and waited for his prey to approach. The Hakken was oblivious to the man that it was attacking, assuming he was only a simple man with a sword. Yet as it reached out to claw at the Samurai¡¯s face, the man stepped to the side, and with a quick flick of his sword, chopped the wolf¡¯s arm off just above the elbow. The wolf yelped loudly and crashed onto the ground, and the rest of his arm flopped on the ground like a fish that was just pulled out of the water. The armored Samurai than returned his focus to the man he was speaking with, who in his opinion was the real threat. The wolf he just maimed was foot soldier, and nothing more. The man standing before him was even more dangerous and powerful, as he was a natural birthed Hakken, just like Calissa.


    ¡°Why not charge?¡± Miyamoto asked, ¡°Join the battle and I will provide you with an honorable death.¡±


    ¡°Tempting,¡± The man said, as he stopped talking and put his hand to his head as he was feeling pain, just like Calissa was experiencing earlier.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re feeling it too,¡± Miyamoto said, as he walked closer. ¡°I would be a fool not to use this tactical advantage!¡±


    Miyamoto charged the man and despite taking a decent swing, the natural Hakken was still too quick and able to get out of the way, causing the Samurai to hit nothing but air. The other wolf, the one missing the arm, started to charge at the Samurai from behind, but he was tripped up by someone that wasn¡¯t seen. Alfred had returned to backcourt to provide help. Calissa saw what was going on and rather than expose herself to those who meant to take her, she went to the front and told her father what was going on. He immediately went to the back court in time to see the wolf and trip it up as it ran to hit his friend from behind. The big wolf had the wind knocked out of it, and before it could get back up, Alfred took the silver dagger that his friend had given him and followed his advice. He drove that dagger right into the wolf¡¯s back but right into its heart as he was instructed to do so earlier. The wolf let out a piercing yelp, and seconds later the beast¡¯s body turned to ash and crumbled into a small pile of powder.


    ¡°No!¡± the man called out, angered to see one of his own killed so easily. He looked back the Samurai that just tried to kill him with a face of utter contempt.


    ¡°You are not welcome here,¡± The Samurai reminded him, ¡°And if you do not depart now, we will turn you and any other filthy beast you brought to ash.¡±


    Miyamoto took another defensive stance, and Alfred took position behind him and did the same. The united front was more than what the man was expecting as he started to take a few steps back. As he was backing away, Calissa stepped out from the back door to see what was going on. The man noticed her as they locked eyes for the very first time. Rather than contempt, the stranger now had a look of confusion on his face. He looked back at the two men, still puzzled.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a child,¡± The man said, ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t care,¡± Alfred said, ¡°She¡¯s my daughter and the only way you¡¯re getting anywhere near her is over my dead body!¡±


    ¡°Our dead bodies,¡± Miyamoto corrected, ¡°And you¡¯ll need a lot more beasts to support you if you even want to remotely challenge us.¡±


    ¡°Duly noted,¡± The man said, as he leaped up so high that he was able to flip and clear the back fence with little effort.


    ¡°Are you guys alright?¡± Calissa called out.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Miyamoto said, as he then turned to look at Alfred. ¡°Nicely done, my friend. Your first Hakken kill. How did it feel?¡±


    ¡°It was weird,¡± Alfred confessed, ¡°But you could have warned me about the ash, I got some of it my eyes and mouth!¡±


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Miyamoto said, grinning. ¡°When I try to warn people, no one believes it, so I stopped trying.¡±


    ¡°What happens now?¡± Calissa asked, ¡°Why did they come here?¡±


    ¡°They were looking for you,¡± her master replied, ¡°And that means we are no longer safe here, and our presence endangers the people of this town. We need to consider moving her to a more secure location.¡±

 Chapter 7: Clearing Out Of Town

    ALFRED DIDN¡¯T LIKE THE IDEA OF running, but the alternative was just too dangerous. If they stayed where they where, the very place where they were just attacked, they would be sitting ducks and at the mercy of the man that wants to take Calissa away from them. As much as it disgusted the man that he and his daughter would have to desert that only home she¡¯s ever known, this was for her safety and to stay ahead of the animals that mean to harm them. He made it clear to his child that they couldn¡¯t pack anything heavy, only small things that could fit into the wagon. She understood and only took the bare essentials and a few personal items that she wanted to take with her. While it seemed logical for them to get out of there as soon as possible, Miyamoto was confident they had time but shouldn¡¯t take too much in case the Hakken were eager to try again. The Samurai was even willing to pull his wagon again just as when he first arrived all those years ago, but Alfred believed that was too slow. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Alfred was able to procure four horses. Two of them would pull Miyamoto and his wagon, while he and Calissa would ride the other two. They had to move quickly just in case they literally had to run for their lives. Based on that possibility, Alfred thought horses was the way to go.


    ¡°How did you get these horses?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°I bought them,¡± Alfred said, rather proud of himself. ¡°I sold the house and all the furniture inside it for rather fair price since we had little time to get it done. I managed to get enough to not only to buy the horses, but we¡¯ve a fair bit of extra money to help us travel for quite some time. I don¡¯t mind camping out, but whenever the weather isn¡¯t co-operating, it would be nice to get a hotel room every now and then to take shelter in. This will make it easier for is to create some distance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to do that, my friend.¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°It was a good home.¡±


    ¡°Dad, was that necessary?¡± Calissa asked, saddened to hear it as well.


    ¡°Chin up, kid.¡± Her father said to him, ¡°Odds are we might never come back, so there¡¯s no point owning a house here, is there?¡±


    ¡°I guess not,¡± Calissa said, as she didn¡¯t like the idea of never coming back.


    ¡°We have to run,¡± Alfred reminded her, ¡°Staying here is just too dangerous. They¡¯d just keep attacking until they took you away, and there¡¯s no telling who else might get hurt if they did a full-scale assault. We need to distance ourselves from the town for their own protection too.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Calissa said, as she looked at the horses. ¡°Which one is mine?¡±


    ¡°The white one, obviously.¡± Her father answered, as the least he could do was buy the prettiest horse out there for his girl. ¡°They told me she¡¯s quick too.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great,¡± Calissa said, as she walked over and took the reigns of her new horse and stroked its nose with her hand to get acquainted with her. ¡°She¡¯s very nice, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish up packing the wagon.¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°Make sure you¡¯ve taken everything you can¡¯t leave behind. Like your father said, there¡¯s no guarantee we¡¯ll ever return. Take another look to make sure you didn¡¯t forget anything.¡±


    The Samurai watched as the girl and her father returned in to search again for anything they missed the first time they packed. They returned with only a few trinkets each and stuffed into bags that were already on the wagon. Miyamoto packed all their armor and weapons, as he was going to continue the young girl¡¯s training on the road. No matter what town or campsite they were at, he was going to make sure she kept working to make sure she was the best warrior he could make her. After everything was packed, Alfred insisted that they eat their supper at the local pub. He wanted their meal before they left to be memorable in case it was their last. They ordered the good stuff and had a good fill. Alfred looked back at his daughter and smiled at her for no reason.


    ¡°What?¡± She said, sensing his glare.


    ¡°This place brings back so many memories,¡± Her father explained, ¡°This was the place where we met for the first time, after the doctor and I operated to pull you out prematurely from your mother¡¯s womb.¡±


    ¡°That was here?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°It was,¡± Alfred told her, ¡°We made this place a make-shift hospital for the wounded, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Everyone was dead by the next morning. We had to deliver you that day to make sure the illness that took your mother wouldn¡¯t take you with her. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t do enough to save her, I tried so hard.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, father.¡± Calissa replied, ¡°What happened that day wasn¡¯t your fault. We all know who¡¯s to blame.¡±


    ¡°There are many families who share a similar tragedy,¡± Miyamoto reminded them, ¡°And the Hakken are without honor or morals. When you¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll make them pay for what they did to many mothers. We shall avenge them all, every damn one of them.¡±


    Alfred raised his glass, ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that.¡±


    After the concluded supper, it was time to hit the road. The people watched as the two horses and the wagon rode up to the gate to leave town. Many people gathered to wave goodbye and wish them well. Some of the women ran up to Calissa and offered her food and treats to take with her on the long journey. Another lady even offered a blanket she made herself to keep her warm on the inevitable cold nights. Many of them were sad to see the girl that survived that fateful day leave, but they had to respect the decision being made by her father. There were some people unwilling to accept what was going on, as the mayor tried to stop them.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Alfred Higgins!¡± The mayor roared as he met them at the gate. ¡°This is outrageous! Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°To the capital,¡± Alfred lied, ¡°I¡¯ve been called back to duty by the Royal Guard. I am to report to the Commander within a few weeks.¡±


    ¡°But your leg!¡± The mayor protested, ¡°You¡¯re retired because of that injury.¡±


    ¡°It matters not,¡± Alfred countered, ¡°I will go wherever they ask me to be. I will return when I can but offer no promises.¡±


    It was logic that the man couldn¡¯t argue with, and by the time he realizes that Alfred was lying through his teeth it would be too late. They¡¯d be long gone and several towns away, which was the plan all along. Even though the sun fell a few hours after they left the town, they never stopped riding. Miyamoto knew that all of them were still uptight from the encounter with the Hakken, and that they could probably ride through the night with no trouble. Sometime the next afternoon, a nap might be needed but that also meant the next night could be spend traveling as well. It wasn¡¯t until late morning the next day that Miyamoto chose to set camp up. They found a prime spot by the river, which was ideal to let their horses a place to drink. It also allowed them to finally get some sleep with at least one person keeping watch at a time. Miyamoto took the first watch as he wasn¡¯t as tired and let Alfred and Calissa sleep most of the afternoon away. When the two of them woke up, the samurai they were traveling with had already prepared dinner, so they could keep watch on a full stomach and keep the camp safe. The site by the river was ideal, as there was an escarpment that cut of one line of attack, and enough water to keep conditions ideal. The water was clean and good for drinking, and there was even fish they could eat if they wanted to gather them for supplies. It was agreed over supper that fish supplies might be an option the next time they do any kind of shopping in the next town. While Miyamoto was sleeping, it gave Alfred and his daughter a chance to speak with one another about what happened in town.


    ¡°Why do they want me?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re unsure about you,¡± her father answer, ¡°And just like people, the Hakken fear what they¡¯d don¡¯t understand. They are unsure why you¡¯re like them, and where you come from. Their curiosity is getting the better of them and that makes them desperate to find answers.¡±


    ¡°But I want answers too,¡± Calissa said, ¡°I want to understand too.¡±


    ¡°You will, my dear,¡± Alfred said, ¡°It will just take time, but from I hear you have plenty of that to spare.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Calissa said, as her father realized the potential for her to life a very long life because of her Hakken abilities.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about,¡± Her father retorted, ¡°A child is supposed to outlive their parents, now we know you¡¯re guaranteed to do that. You have such great potential, my dear child and a chance to make the world a better place. Never apologize for the gifts you¡¯ve been given, especially if they can be used to protect people from creatures that mean to do them all harm.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great way to look at it,¡± Calissa said, as she took a sword from the wagon. She walked over to a clear patch of grass at the campsite and her father watched on as she started to practice her techniques and footwork over and over again as the night went on. Alfred watched on with pride as he could tell by her precision how long she had been practicing these moves. She had been working on them for years and combined with the abilities given to her by that accident with the Hakken, she was going to a stronger and faster warrior than he and Miyamoto combined. She stopped halfway through her practice when she noticed that a proud papa was watching her.


    ¡°You alright?¡± she called out.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Alfred called back, ¡°I think we¡¯ll all be for a while.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°After seeing you work that weapon,¡± Alfred observed, ¡°No one will have the nerve, or the balls needed to attack this camp. The best part is you¡¯re still getting better and more dangerous with time. The longer they wait to come after us, the more secure I am about our ability to kick their mystical hides.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all for it myself, but we need to be ready.¡± Alfred said, ¡°And I don¡¯t think we are when on the road and exposed.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Calissa as she paused to look back at her dad, ¡°When do you think that will happen?¡±


    ¡°Miyamoto will let us know.¡± Her father answered, ¡°Until then, just keep training and it will all come together.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡± Calissa said as she resumed her practice, working harder than she head earlier.


    Alfred had even fallen asleep while she was working out, but the young girl didn¡¯t mind as she was still looking around and monitoring the camp site while doing her practice at the same time. She took an occasional break, but stayed on her feet as she was afraid that she¡¯d also doze off if she even sat for just a moment. It was the middle of the night, and the half moon was high when Miyamoto came out.


    ¡°You look exhausted,¡± he observed as he walked up to her, ¡°Get some sleep. We¡¯re going to move on from this camp in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Calissa said, ¡°It¡¯s so nice here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± her master countered, ¡°It¡¯s so nice that there¡¯ll be far too much traffic, and unknown people stopping here to camp. We don¡¯t need the distractions, and we should make a push for the next town and rest there for a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get some sleep.¡± She said, handing her sword to her master, ¡°I was kind of finished here anyway.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re working hard,¡± Miyamoto observed, ¡°I appreciate even now you¡¯re still as dedicated as you were before.¡±


    ¡°Not much else to do out here,¡± she also countered.


    ¡°Fair point,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°What I meant is that some people would make excuses, use the situation to slack off and take a break. But now you¡­ this is only causing that fire in your belly to get bigger and more passionate. The Hakken are making a very big mistake and will regret the day they decided to disrupt your life back in Moonshire.¡±


    ¡°You bet they will,¡± Calissa confirmed with a little sass.


    Miyamoto smiled at the thought, ¡°There¡¯s a decent farmer¡¯s market in the next town.  We can use it to get fresh supplies for our next leg of travel.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Calissa said, as she went to her tent. ¡°Good night, master.¡±


    ¡°Good night, little one.¡± he called back.


    ¡°When are you going to stop calling me that?¡± Calissa asked, not annoyed but merely curious to hear what he¡¯d say.


    ¡°Never,¡± Miyamoto said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ll always be that way to me.¡±


    She also smiled before disappearing inside the tent. All the big samurai could do was take his spot and smile at the gifts he was given, and the hope for the future that had been restored.

 Chapter 8: Attack Of The Trolls

    MIYAMOTO WAS TRUE TO HIS WORD as the camp was packed back up the next morning and all the horses were on the road and making a decent distance before lunch. After letting the horses drink and feed, the old samurai pushed them all back on the road all that afternoon, using the trees in the forest to shade them while walking the path to the next town. It was a quiet and peaceful ride into the next town, which looked a little bigger than Moonshire, but there was no wall and they looked to be living a more peaceful life. That was certainly not the case as appearances were completely deceiving as they three of them rode into town. As they were making their way to the hotel in the center of town, the town folk were just looking at them, and wondering why they were even there, which didn¡¯t appear rather hospitable. Even one of the town folk came up to Calissa and talked to her as she rode by.


    ¡°Are you doing here?¡± he called out to her.


    ¡°We¡¯re just travelers passing through,¡± Alfred answered for his daughter. ¡°We¡¯re not here to cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s trouble already here!¡± The man replied, ¡°This town is cursed! You¡¯re all going to die!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very good,¡± Calissa observed, ¡°What seems to be going on?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t reply and just ran off in his panicked state, probably looking for a place to hide out. He did appear to be petrified, and whatever was bugging him seemed to genuinely scare the life out of him. Calissa could also see the fear in everyone¡¯s eyes as they rode through town. They were all scared and worst of all didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the Hakken,¡± Calissa said to her father. ¡°I haven¡¯t felt their presence since we left Moonshire. Something different is going on here.¡±


    ¡°Not our business,¡± Alfred replied.


    ¡°We might have to make it our business,¡± Miyamoto retorted, ¡°Let¡¯s speak to the people in charge and find out what¡¯s really going on here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Alfred said, seeming worried himself. ¡°We have enough trouble with the Hakken after us, and now you want to possibly help this town with whatever the hell is bugging them?¡±


    ¡°It is our duty as warriors, Alfred.¡± Miyamoto reminded his friend, ¡°And soon it will be her duty as well, if it isn¡¯t already. Let me find out what¡¯s going on and then we can all decide if we want to help them.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alfred conceded, ¡°You find out what¡¯s going on, and Calissa and I will take care of accommodations. Fair?¡±


    ¡°Yes, quite.¡± His friend agreed. He parked the wagon in front of the inn they planned to stay at. ¡°Here we are.¡±


    ¡°Still here and looking the same after all those years.¡± Alfred observed.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°When working for her majesty¡¯s royal guard, I used to spend a many nights here whenever I was summoned to do so.¡± Her father answered, ¡°and now it will be our home for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Miyamoto reminded him, ¡°Let me find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Calissa and her father tied their horses to the railing and then took the wagon to the stable to leave it there for the night, grabbing only the essentials, unworried that the two strong horses inside wouldn¡¯t let anything happen. Her father went into the lobby to book a room and the clerk was reluctant, which was unheard of.


    ¡°We are afraid,¡± The clerk replied, ¡°We can¡¯t take responsibility based on what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t care!¡± Alfred roared at him. ¡°We¡¯re warriors! IF anything comes to town, we¡¯ll kick their asses. We know the risks, so just give us two damn rooms for the night already. We need one single and a double!¡±


    ¡°Alright, as long as you¡¯re okay with it.¡± The clerk said as he handed them two sets of keys. Alfred handed one set to his daughter and kept the other for himself and he and his friend would be taking the double to give the young lady her privacy.


    Miyamoto didn¡¯t return quickly, but Alfred wasn¡¯t worried. They went to the pub downstairs from their rooms and ordered supper, even ordering for their absent friend as Alfred knew what he¡¯d want. When his friend did return, he sat down at the table, and started to eat and drink. He waited a few moments to finally break the silence and let them know what was going on.


    ¡°Trolls,¡± he finally said, ¡°The town is being terrorized by trolls.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Alfred said, putting his glass down with disgust. ¡°I hate trolls. They¡¯re smelly, disgusting, unthinking creatures. How many are there?¡±


    ¡°They think two, maybe three.¡± Miyamoto answered. ¡°They¡¯ve only been terrorizing people who stray from town and haven¡¯t actually directly attacked.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Yet,¡± Alfred added.


    ¡°And that¡¯s what has them frightened,¡± Calissa said, ¡°We should take care of these trolls and enjoy the rest of our weekend.¡±


    ¡°There is no we,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°If we agree to do this, you¡¯re not coming.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calissa asked, rather surprised. ¡°How am I going to become a warrior if I can¡¯t get out there and do things to apply my skills and learn.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± her master said, ¡°Trolls are difficult enough, but when there are women around, they go into a rage and are far more difficult to fight. And the last thing you want is a stimulated troll getting his hands on you. Women are usually do not hunt trolls for this particular reason. No offense meant.¡±


    ¡°None taken, I guess.¡± Calissa said, as she appeared to understand. She didn¡¯t want to make the mission more difficult for them, which could cause more injury. As much as she wanted to help, being there would make things worse than better and it was clear for her to understand.


    ¡°We can¡¯t agree to take the mission until we know what we¡¯re dealing with.¡± Her master explained. ¡°Alfred and I will just scout out there and find out just how many we¡¯re dealing with here. Once we know the count, we can decide what to do next.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the best idea I¡¯ve heard all day,¡± Alfred admitted.


    ¡°That seems fair,¡± Calissa said, hoping that if they just found one or two trolls rather than many, they might reconsider letting her go too.


    ¡°Just stay here and protect our assets,¡± Miyamoto ordered, ¡°And we should be back before dawn. Understood?¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Calissa said, ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but I get it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more than we could ask for,¡± Alfred said as he kissed her brow. ¡°Your time will come, I¡¯m sure of it. Be patient.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I guess.¡± Calissa said, toying with her supper.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Miyamoto replied, ¡°Let us scout the situation, and maybe we can revisit this decision based on how dangerous it is. Is that fair?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Calissa said, smiling back, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how old or strong you become,¡± Alfred said, ¡°We are always going to look out for you. Even when you¡¯re tougher than us and can kick everyone¡¯s ass six ways of Sunday, we¡¯ll still try.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks.¡± Calissa said, ¡°Two worry warts for parents.¡±


    She left the table and the two men laughed.


    ¡°I heard they get more rebellious at this age,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°I feel for you my friend, she¡¯s not slowing down and will be a women soon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± Alfred said, need something stronger to drink.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Miyamoto assured him, ¡°We are preparing her for almost anything that¡¯s out there. When we are long gone, she will take over and be the greatest warrior this world has ever known. She¡¯s not there yet, but I am confident that¡¯s the path she¡¯s taking.¡±


    ¡°I get it, and appreciate the pep talk,¡± Alfred said, sighing. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with and find out how many of those smelly things are out there.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± his friend said, as he was finished his dinner. ¡°We¡¯ll leave within the hour and use the night to cloak our mission. If all goes well, we¡¯ll do a simple head count and then return her to formulate a plan to take care of them.¡±


    Calissa returned to her room and never talked to either men before they left. They knew how she felt and didn¡¯t bother to speak to hear aware that it might just upset her again. It wasn¡¯t just that she was being left behind because she was a young teen, but because she was a woman. They had never done that to her before, but there was something they knew that scared them as well. She decided to stay in bed and just rest for the night, catch up on her sleep and maybe practice in the morning. The men had been gone several hours, and the sun was long gone when a loud noise woke Calissa from what was a really deep sleep. She heard something crash, and thought nothing of it, probably just an accident. It was a loud piercing scream that came right after it that caused the young girl to jump out of bed and run over to her window to check on things for herself. What she saw when she looked out was shocking and the last thing she expected to see.


    There was a troll, and it stood at around eight feet tall and looking rather heavy as well, and rather mean as well as it was picking up random things and throwing it everywhere, hence the loud crash. Calissa considered staying in and letting the town deal with their own problem, but the loud screams coming from the street suggested that might not be the best way to handle things. She grabbed her sword and stashed a dagger in her back pocket before running out the door and down the stairs to get outside and into the chaos running amok. People were all running for their lives, and she could blame them. This troll was freakishly large and out of control. She kept her distance from the big, gross looking thing, watching to see what it did and how it conducted itself. She had never encountered a troll before and just wanted to see what she was dealing with. There were no weapons, no blades and the thing appeared content to use his fists to break things, so a bit of a brawler, as her master would call it. Calissa wanted to watch it a bit longer but wasn¡¯t given much of a choice as the thing grabbed a woman who was a source of the screams. It hasn¡¯t done anything to her, but clearly was in the process of starting some sort of assault, so Calissa had to act.


    Using only her sword, she used her speed to run up to the troll and strike before he could even tell she was there. She sliced through the entire calf on one of his legs, which would make it impossible for it to walk normally now which caused the troll to roar angrily. Calissa used the confusion to pick up the woman it was attacking and carry her away. The troll one calf short was hobbling after them but moving too slow to make up any ground. She escorted the scared woman to a nearby tavern, and they unlocked the door and opened it for her. After the woman was safe, Calissa refused entry for herself and walked back into the street and towards the hobbling troll. She was eager to finish him off, and maybe prove to her father and her master that she was capable of doing any job, even one this ugly. With sword raised, she started to charge at the troll as her plan was to take out it¡¯s other leg before giving it a fatal stab through the skull. She would never get the chance to try that strategy as a second troll came out of nowhere and grabbed her from behind. She tried to swing her sword at it, but a third troll caught her arm and just swiped it our of her hands with ease. She was fighting with all her strength, but it was no use as the two trolls holding her were just too strong. It was at this point where the troll she injured finally hobbled over and looked at her with it¡¯s grotesque face. It was at this point where Calissa gave out a loud shriek as the trolls were attempting to remove her clothing.

 Chapter 9: Fury Of The White Wolf

    WHEN ALFRED AND MIYAMOTO WENT INTO the forest, it didn¡¯t take them very long to find evidence of a troll. They were big clumsy oafs, and that made them very easy to track as subtly wasn¡¯t exactly a strong suit. As the followed the trail, things started to look either really good or really bad. There were multiple tracks for them to follow, which meant this was one troll that was moving back and forth all over the place, or there was a group of trolls walking together. Just as the sun was going down, they managed to track down what looked like the troll¡¯s camp, but to their surprise there was no one there. There was no fire, only empty piles of leaves that indicated to the men that at least three trolls were camping here.


    ¡°This is not good,¡± Alfred said, ¡°Where the hell are they?¡±


    ¡°Could be anywhere,¡± Miyamoto said, just as concerned. ¡°Hunting, swimming or even out causing trouble. We need to be careful cause the last thing we want to do is fight three of these buggers at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Or more,¡± Alfred agreed, ¡°They could be doubling in the leaves for warmth, so that could mean maybe six. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Miyamoto said as the two of them vacated the area.


    They doubled back the way they came in hoping not to bump into he very things they were tracking. Once they were out of the forest, and back on the trail to town they started to calm down a bit and let their guard down. That didn¡¯t last for long as the closer they got to town, the more messed up things appeared. At one of the crosswalks where there was usually just a street merchant, there was a small crowd of people, many of them wearing on robes and night dresses which looked out of place. The two warriors ran up to see what the group was doing there.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Alfred said, inspecting them for any wounds.


    ¡°Trolls,¡± one of the women cried out, ¡°Several of them showed up into town just after sunset and started throwing things around and causing mayhem.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°Usually they prefer to stay away from big towns.¡±


    ¡°They look angry,¡± Another man said, ¡°As if they were provoked.¡±


    ¡°Now that makes more sense,¡± Alfred said, ¡°They likely got frustrated from bad fishing and hunting, then came to town to steal food.¡±


    ¡°And the more people resist, but angrier they will become.¡± Miyamoto said, as he raised his hands to calm the crowd. ¡°Remain here and stay calm. We¡¯re going into town to deal with this matter. We¡¯ll do our best to dispatch these grotesque things from your town.¡±


    It was at this point where a loud, and very ear-piercing howl filled the air. A roar that was so loud that it had everyone covering their ears. The two warriors looked at one another in disbelief.


    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°Hakken,¡± Miyamoto confirmed, ¡°But that was no ordinary howl. There was a lot of anger behind that.¡±


    ¡°So, trolls and Hakken?¡± Alfred said, sighing. ¡°Could it get any worse?¡±


    ¡°It could, but let¡¯s hope one takes out the other before we arrive,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°And then we¡¯ll just finish off the other or what¡¯s left of it.¡±


    It took the two men little time for them to jog the rest of the way back into town, and when they did enter the town, the mess waiting for them was brutal and messy. There were bodies, even horses torn apart in the chaos as trolls didn¡¯t care for anything when eager to get what they want. Both men had swords drawn and were slowly walking down the street, and when they turned a corner that would lead them closer to the town square there was a surprise waiting for them: a dead troll.


    ¡°Look here,¡± Miyamoto said, as he pointed to a part of the troll with the tip of his blade. ¡°Claw marks. This troll was killed by the Hakken.¡±


    ¡°Common enemy I guess,¡± Alfred said, ¡°Even Hakken hate the trolls.¡±


    ¡°No one likes trolls,¡± Miyamoto concurred, ¡°They are sloopy, unthinking brutes that rub everyone and everything the wrong way. So, it¡¯s not that surprising that even the Hakken despise them as well.¡±


    ¡°It also means they might have caught up to us,¡± Alfred also added, ¡°These could be the Hakken trying to take Calissa away.¡±


    ¡°One problem at a time,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°Let¡¯s clear the town of all pests and then we¡¯ll worry about where to go next.¡±


    While walking closer to the town square they came upon two more troll bodies, and they were also brutally clawed up. As they were checking the troll body, another loud howl came from the center of town, and it was louder and sounded even more blood curling than the roar they heard outside of town.


    ¡°This way,¡± Miyamoto said, as the two men picked up their pace.


    When they arrived at the town square, the did so just in time to watch the last troll die. Where were claw marks all over its body, and the two men watched as some pretty big furry hands twisted the trolls head so hard that it was separated from its body, which fell to the ground with a rather a large thud. When the body hit the ground, the two men watch were finally able to see the source of the howl. There was only one Hakken present, and it was not only as tall as the troll it has just murdered, but its fur was a stunning snow white from head to toe. The wolf before them dropped the trolls head and then arched its head towards the sky and let out another howl that was so loud, that windows within a block were shattering. The two warriors covered their ears and couldn¡¯t believe what was going on.


    ¡°Holy crap,¡± Alfred said, ¡°That thing has lungs!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such projection before,¡± Miyamoto confessed, ¡°This isn¡¯t a normal Hakken, especially that coat. I¡¯ve never seen a white Hakken before.¡±


    ¡°What are we¡­¡± Alfred stopped mid sentence as he noticed something. ¡°Look!¡±


    The Hakken in the middle of the square was suddenly starting to shrink. The fur was also turning short and even disappearing as the wolf was transforming before their eyes.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°It¡¯s changing to it¡¯s human form,¡± Miyamoto said, as he drew out his sword, ¡°This is our only chance; let¡¯s sneak up on it while it¡¯s distracted!¡±


    They both started to run up towards the Hakken as it was returning to its human form, but as they got closer something looks weird and Alfred didn¡¯t like where this was going. As they came right upon the human he reached out and stopped Miyamoto before he could strike.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Alfred said, as he reached out to stop his friend from moving in closer for the potential kill.


    What they witnessed was the Hakken¡¯s body also shrink smaller than what the assumed would be a normal sized human, and then the dark hair set something off in Alfred¡¯s mind as he was hoping his instincts were not correct.


    ¡°Calissa?¡± he called out.


    The now human frame before then turned her head and looked up at the two men, and it was indeed Alfred¡¯s daughter that was sitting on the ground before them. She didn¡¯t have a stitch of clothing on, as the large frame that the wolf possessed had likely torn them off her body as she changed. Without hesitation, Miyamoto put his sword away then tore off his cape and then put it over the girl¡¯s shoulders to shield her from the cold and prying eyes. With the wolf gone, people started to emerge from the buildings around the square to see what was going on.


    ¡°Pick her up,¡± Miyamoto ordered, ¡°Get her out of here before they understand what¡¯s going on. We¡¯ll pretend she was attacked.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alfred said, scooping his girl up into his arms. Without hesitation he started to walk her back to the inn that they had checked into.


    ¡°What happened out here?¡± someone called out.


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer that,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°But I can tell you that it¡¯s over. All the trolls are dead, and they will be bothering you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re all gone?¡± another civilian asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure,¡± the Samurai replied, ¡°But I can remain a few days to make sure if that will make everyone feel better.¡±


    ¡°You killed the trolls?¡± someone called out.


    ¡°A colleague of mine did,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°I was out looking for them when the attack occurred. He realized a sizable crowd had gathered now. ¡°I found their camp and it was empty, so that leads me to believe they were all here and are not dead. My colleagues and I stay a few days and scout more to make sure that¡¯s true. Thank you for your co-operation.¡±


    Without taking any more questions, Miyamoto removed himself from the gathering and started to walk back to the inn Alfred and his kid were staying. He recounted the troll bodies and realized there were at least six large sized corpses. He would have to speak to local trades people to figure out how to dispose of the bodies as they are usually too gross to do anything else with. He would speak to the funeral director in town about taking the bodies out of town to burn them all in one spot. Taking them out of town would save the town the stench that usually comes from a burning troll body. He decided to look into that later as he walked back to the inn at an elevated pace, went up the stairs and into Calissa¡¯s room. Alfred was still in there as he had tucked the girl into bed, and she was already soundly sleeping.


    ¡°She tried to defend the people,¡± Alfred said, ¡°She said that she became outnumber and that¡¯s when it happened.¡±


    ¡°The intensity of the battle turned her,¡± Miyamoto said, closing the door.


    ¡°What were we thinking?¡± Alfred asked, ¡°Leaving her here like this?¡±


    ¡°We were thinking,¡± Miyamoto countered, ¡°Trolls normally do not attack towns, and this was highly uncharacteristic of them. They are dumb, unthinking creatures so the normally don¡¯t deviate from their habits. This is very strange indeed.¡±


    ¡°She killed them all, after she turned.¡± Alfred added, ¡°How man dead trolls are out there?¡±


    ¡°I counted four as we walked to the city square,¡± his friend answered, ¡°But I found one more walking back here, so there are at least five. We will stay a day or two and guard the town in case there are any more.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alfred concurred, ¡°That will give Calissa time to rest and recover from what happened. Have you seen anything like it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Miyamoto answered, ¡°The white fur, all one color from head to toe and that howl that broke the windows are all new to me. I¡¯ve never seen a Hakken do that before. Then again, there¡¯s a good chance I¡¯ve never seen a natural Hakken turn. This could be the difference between an infected and natural Hakken.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they heard her?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Miyamoto honestly guessed, ¡°But nothing we can do. Hiding here for now is the best course for her and the town. In a few days we¡¯ll move on after we figure out where to go next.¡±


    Both men sat there by her bedside and watched as the young girl slept. Physically she appeared to be unharmed, but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t take any wounds during battle as she did have a rapid healing ability. The Trolls could have caused damage but it all would have regenerated immediately, but that doesn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t hurt and cause trauma to the poor child. She laid there in a deep sleep for what felt like days but was only several hours. When she finally opened her eyes, the sun was up, and it was a new day. Her father was sleeping in the chair he was sitting in, but Miyamoto was awake and sitting on the window ledge watching the people outside as they cleaned up the streets from the previous night¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Master,¡± she softly called out, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡± Miyamoto countered.


    ¡°I was going to attack a troll,¡± she answered, ¡°I had cut his leg and was going to try to finish him off. Anther troll came out of nowhere and grabbed me. I was outnumbered and¡­¡±


    ¡°You turned,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°You became a Hakken and proceeded to dispatch at least four trolls, including the big one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my gaud,¡± Calissa said, ¡°I thought I had just blacked out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that is common for a first turn,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°But all that killing is not normal for a first turn, but then again most ??Hakkens are given a chance to turn in a controlled setting so nothing normal about this. Are you alright? Did the trolls hurt you before you blacked out?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Calissa said, ¡°I must have looked hideous as a Hakken.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Miyamoto said, smiling back at her. ¡°You looked different. Your fur was all white, like freshly fallen snow. You let off a loud howl that had such a high frequency that it shattered a lot of windows. They¡¯ll be fixing them for weeks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Calissa said, feeling rather ashamed, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it.¡±


    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t,¡± Miyamoto said as he got up off the window ledge and walked over to sit on the corner of her bed. ¡°But even in your Hakken state, you defended yourself and the town from the threat. You did well.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I guess.¡± Calissa said, ¡°I never want to do that again.¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°But there will be circumstances when the wolf will want to come out and does without asking. Being in danger is one such instance where the wolf will come out to prevent injury or death.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying it was protecting me?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± her master confirmed, ¡°That wolf is a part of you, and not breathing is not in its best interest either. It will come out whenever you are in grave danger, when if feel the threat is real. I¡¯m sorry for not preparing you for that.¡±


    ¡°How do you know so much about them?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°When I was hunting for the wolf that killed my family,¡± Miyamoto started, ¡°I killed and captured many of them during those long years. The ones I captured were rigorously interrogated by myself and the order I worked for. We learned a lot from those captured and even tested weapons on them to learn their weaknesses. It wasn¡¯t an ethical thing to do, but it was necessary to find out how to fight back.¡±


    ¡°Did you eventually find the wolf that killed your family?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Miyamoto said, looking back at her. ¡°But I killed so many of them in my homeland, I might have dispatched him in the heat of battle. There aren¡¯t any tags I can use to identify them like they have here for dogs. I may never know but with the battles I waged, and the enemies dispatched, I believe they¡¯ve been sounded avenged. They may rest easier knowing that I made them all pay for what happened, and I¡¯m afraid that will have to do.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°Now you rest,¡± Miyamoto said, pulling the blanket back up to cover her shoulders. ¡°Get your energy back. I¡¯m going to dispose of the troll bodies. Let your father know when he wakes up, alright?¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Calissa said as she snuggled into the blanket. ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night, little white wolf,¡± Miyamoto said with a smile as he left the room and closed the door behind him.

 Chapter 10: Old Friends, New Challenges

    MIYAMOTO SPOKE WITH THE TOWN¡¯S LEADERS and based on his recommendations, no one was allowed to touch the troll bodies. The were already starting to decompose and they had a habit of being more poisonous than typical bodies, so they were all load into wagon and then carted them into an open field outside of town. Once a decent distance from town, they stacked the bodies and then torched them all at once. The stench from the fire was as grotesque as the creatures themselves, maybe even worse, but they burned none the less. The flame was even a light green as a chemical in a troll¡¯s blood caused a different reaction during their cremation. The old samurai stood there and watched the weirdly colored flame, staring deep into it as he used it as a focus point for his current meditations. He stayed there for close to an hour until he heard a commotion coming from the threes not far away. The warrior got back to his feet and had his hand on his sword hilt, afraid that it might be more trolls coming to avenge their kin. Turns out it was a small crew of humans that looked armored up and ready to fight. Miyamoto kept watching the dozen men emerge from the forest, and then relaxed as he recognized someone. Their commander had a face he could never forget.


    ¡°Belemast!¡± he called out, delighted to see another old friend.


    ¡°Miyamoto!¡± the man called out, as he directed his men to stop. ¡°What are you doing in this part of the world? I thought you went home!¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Miyamoto said, as he walked closer to shake his friend¡¯s hand. ¡°I returned to repay a debt to a common friend. Alfred Higgins and his daughter are in the town behind me.¡±


    ¡°They are?¡± Belemast said, again surprised. ¡°There must be an amazing story behind that, but I¡¯m here on business. I heard this village was being tormented by a small pack of trolls. I¡¯ve rounded up a band of men to dispatch them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already taken care of,¡± Miyamoto said, gesturing to the fire. ¡°Five of them, all taken care of in town.¡±


    ¡°They attacked the town?¡± Belemast repeated, ¡°That¡¯s not like them, they usually prefer not to enter towns or cities.¡±


    ¡°A lot of creatures have been acting out of character,¡± Miyamoto agreed, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how or why, but the chaos is real as are the people being hurt.¡±


    ¡°These are indeed strange days,¡± Belemast confessed, ¡°My men and I shall stay a little while to make sure all the trolls are gone. That will give you plenty of time to tell my what you¡¯re doing here with Alfred and his child.¡±


    The two warriors stood there at the fire and talked for hours as Trolls took a lot longer than usual corpses to burn. Even when they¡¯re dead, trolls somehow manage to be a total pain in someone¡¯s arse. Miyamoto managed to tell most of the story but kept Calissa¡¯s Hakken issues to himself, waiting for that to be shared during a moment with less ears around to hear them. Once the trolls had been cremated to a reasonable dust, they all walked back to town and met up with Alfred at the pub and spoke more over food and mead. It was during this conversation that Belemast finally broke in as he was eager to get his say on the matter.


    ¡°I have a castle,¡± He said, proud as a damn peacock, ¡°I inherited from my uncle, and have been living in it for a while now. It¡¯s heavily fortified and the ideal place for someone to run off to and seek secure shelter. It¡¯s rather big so no need to worry about taking up space. You should come back with me and crash for a while.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Alfred asked, ¡°We don¡¯t want to impose.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Belemast said, chuckling. ¡°I would enjoy the new company. And I have a large courtyard where Calissa can resume her training.¡±


    ¡°What about the Hakken?¡± Alfred asked, looking back at Miyamoto.


    ¡°They can try to come after you again, but they are not fools.¡± Belemast said, beaming with pride. ¡°They will lose many if they try to break into my home, and even they don¡¯t wish to lose that many just to snatch one girl. They are not that desperate.¡±


    ¡°Sound points,¡± Alfred said, ¡°What do you think, Miyamoto?¡±


    His friend sat there, his eyes closed, as he thought over the idea. And opened them again as he reached what he thought was the right choice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good offer,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°And it¡¯s better to not risk these towns being stuck between us and the Hakken if they are in fact still after us.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Alfred said, as he wasn¡¯t in the mood to debate. ¡°We¡¯ll accept your more than gracious invitation. You don¡¯t mind the baggage we bring?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to it,¡± Belemast said, chuckling. ¡°There¡¯s always something happening at my castle, so it would be no different for me. It would be nice to have the company as sometimes things can get so slow and boring up there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alfred said, as he clued into something, ¡°Up there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on a mountain,¡± Belemast said, ¡°So while it¡¯s a bit cold, the solitude provides a very comforting peace that you will appreciate.¡±


    ¡°How do we get up there?¡± Alfred asked, a tad concerned.


    ¡°There¡¯s a road,¡± Belemast said, enjoying his worry. ¡°That¡¯s what makes is so difficult to attack. Unless you can fly there is only one way in and one way out. Your Hakken will not enjoy following us there if they dare to do so. One look at my challenging abode, and they¡¯ll tuck tail and run.¡±


    ¡°I like the sound of that,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°We could use the time to train and live-in peace for a while. We¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s settled?¡± Calissa asked, as she arrived to join their table.


    ¡°You must be Calissa,¡± Belemast said, looking rather surprised.


    ¡°I am,¡± Calissa said, ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Belemast,¡± the man replied, taking the young girl¡¯s hand, and kissing it. ¡°It is great pleasure to meet you. You look just like your mother.¡±


    ¡°You knew my mother?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°I did,¡± Belemast confirmed, ¡°She was a good woman, and I miss her.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°I do too,¡± Calissa agreed, ¡°Can you tell me more about her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± Belemast said, ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of time to discuss it on the way back to my castle.¡±


    ¡°Castle?¡± Calissa repeated.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been invited,¡± Her father explained, ¡°To a distant castle that is secure and will keep us safe from the Hakken. A tad cold but it will provide you a safe place to resume your training.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to the cold,¡± Calissa confessed, ¡°But I¡¯ll learn to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Belemast said, hitting the table to add emphasis.


    After supper was finished, Calissa went back to her room and packed for their trip even though the were not going to leave that quickly. She didn¡¯t like this town very much and wanted to put the incident with the trolls far behind her. While Belemast had feared there were other trolls nearby, after sweeping the forest a few times, his men found no signs or tracks to suggest there were more than the ones that were killed in town. So, the next morning Belemast was content to leave town without having to worry about future attacks. The mayor of the town was pressured and paid Miyamoto the reward for killing the trolls, giving the warrior about a hundred coins per corpse also for helping to properly dispose of their bodies without stinking up their area. Miyamoto gave all the coins with Belemast, to offset his cost of bringing his men over to help and also to help with expenses of them residing at his castle. Belemast was tempted to refuse, but knew his friend was a stickler for honor and paying his own way. He took the coins but decided to use it to purchase extra supplies so that they can have a few great feasts to welcome his new guests to his home. He was excited to have good friends stay a while and to help them out in their time of need. He anticipated the young girl to start badgering him once they were on the road but was surprised to see that she waited a few hours before riding up beside him.


    ¡°Good morrow,¡± he said, nodding to the young girl.


    ¡°To you as well,¡± Calissa said, looking rather excited. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to a mountain?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Belemast confirmed, ¡°But no climbing will be necessary. We have a road that will lead us straight there.


    ¡°How do you keep your enemies from using the same road?¡± She asked.


    Belemast grinned as he was amused by her curiosity. It also reminded him of her mother who was always looking for answers and knowledge.


    ¡°There is a bridge,¡± he answered, ¡°When raised there is a steep cliff that blocks you from entering my castle. Half of the castle is outside the mountain, but what a lot of people don¡¯t know is that the other half is actually inside it as well. It¡¯s a lot bigger than people assume and that¡¯s why we can hold out very long sieges. The only way in is to cross my bridge or climb a very steep mountain that is harsh even on calm days. You will appreciate it once you see it for yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I will,¡± Calissa said, already eager to see it. ¡°So, how well did you know my mother?¡±


    Belemast smiled again, ¡°As well as someone can, considering she was my sister.¡±


    ¡°Sister?¡± Calissa said, shocked to hear it.


    ¡°Yes, my older sister.¡± Belemast said.


    ¡°You¡¯re my uncle?¡± Calissa asked, putting it all together.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Belemast said, chuckling again. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re all welcome in my humble home. You¡¯re family.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we seen you before?¡± Calissa asked, trying not to sound too judgemental.


    ¡°That would be my fault,¡± Belemast confessed, ¡°I was occupied with commitments to business partners and the crown. Things that I wasn¡¯t able to avoid until it was too late. I was very sorry to hear of your mother¡¯s passing. She was a wonderful lady who deserved a better fate. You remind me of her so much, it¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Calissa replied, ¡°Tell me how that is.¡±


    Alfred couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but he watched as his daughter and Belemast spoke for hours, enjoying each other¡¯s company and killing time on the road. He wished he could hear what was going on, and was tempted to ride closer, but Miyamoto stopped him from doing so.


    ¡°Let them bond,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°He¡¯s got a lot of catching up to do.¡±


    ¡°Just wish I could hear them,¡± Alfred whined.


    ¡°There is no need to worry,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°He loved your sister almost as much as you did, he wouldn¡¯t say anything that would dishonor you because that would dishonor your wife¡¯s memory. I realize you two didn¡¯t get along back in the war, but he respects you enough to behave. You have nothing to fear.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Alfred said, deeply sighing.


    Their journey to Belemast¡¯s castle was a rather long one, taking almost four days for them to get near its location. Yet the riders took a detour into a small village to take a break and gather supplies before taking the last leg to the castle.


    ¡°This is our last stop,¡± Belemast said as he dismounted. ¡°Gather what you need here because there are no other places to do so before we reach the castle.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± Alfred said, as he also dismounted. He turned to face his child.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take his advice and gather what we need,¡± Alfred told her, ¡°We might not be back for a while, so let¡¯s stock up.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Calissa agreed, as she let her father help her down. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to spend too much but get enough to last.¡±


    ¡°Take this,¡± Alfred said, as he gave her more than a few coins. ¡°Get what you need and some other things to help you with the coming solitude.¡±


    The young girl nodded and then took the coins to what looked like a general store and started to browse around. She grabbed a few treats, a few books, and even some extra blankets since she was told the place would be very cold. As she was looking around, a young man around her age walked up to her.


    ¡°Can I take these for you,¡± he asked, ¡°I can leave them at the counter so you can keep looking without dropping them.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Calissa said, as she realized he worked there and handed the items over. ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Happy to help,¡± the young man said as he took her things to the counter where they could sit while she continued to browse.


    He walked back to see she was still looking at some books. He smiled as he walked over and picked out a book and offered to give it to her.


    ¡°I read this one a few months ago,¡± he informed her, ¡°Don¡¯t let it¡¯s size intimidate you, it¡¯s a real page turner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Calissa said, taking the book from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m Anders,¡± The boy said, smiling back. ¡°Are you new here?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Calissa said, shaking his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Calissa, I will be living near here but not exactly here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Anders said, trying to act cool. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to that dark fortress in the mountains, right?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Calissa said, grinning at the irony. ¡°That is where my uncle lives.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Anders said, just as surprised, ¡°I hear it¡¯s very quiet. It should be ideal for reading great books.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too,¡± Calissa concurred, ¡°Hence why I¡¯m picking up more than a few of them.¡±


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t plan to stay up there all the time,¡± Anders said, ¡°We hold a pretty incredible winter festival that¡¯s worth checking out. You should talk your uncle into maybe coming down, you both might enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Calissa replied, ¡°I will consider it.¡±


    Anders had to go back to work as there was a someone at the counter waiting to purchase something, but as he went about his business Calissa couldn¡¯t help but watch the young man do his thing and admire him from a distance. He was a cute boy but she hardly knew him, so she went back to picking out some more books, yet she held onto the book Anders recommended as she was eager to read it and see why he liked it so much. After grabbing a few more things, she walked back to the counter and Anders already had her other items stashed nicely away in a decent bag. She made her purchase and easily paid for it.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Anders said, showing her a small box. ¡°You might want to consider these for the trek up the hill.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Calissa declined, ¡°But thanks for the bag.¡±


    She casually strolled out of the store and handed the bag over to Miyamoto who was still on his wagon, and he tossed it behind him for the rest of the ride.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t buy too much,¡± he warned her.


    ¡°I got enough,¡± Calissa said back to her master, ¡°I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be back so I gathered what I might need for a long stay.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Miyamoto agreed.


    ¡°And I hope we don¡¯t stay up there too much,¡± Calissa added, ¡°This is supposed to be a trip, not a prison sentence.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for you and your father to decide,¡± Miyamoto coolly sidestepped. ¡°We are doing this for your protection, not to punish you.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Calissa said, mounting her white horse. She just wished the adults would realize that solitude from people her own age was sometimes like a punishment, and she seemed committed to make sure it wasn¡¯t like that going forward during her stay at her uncle¡¯s castle.

 Chapter 11. The Castle Provides

    AS THEY GOT CLOSER TO THEIR destination, Calissa could tell why Anders had tried to get her to buy that box of lozenges from him earlier. The air was getting thinner for everyone who was traveling to the castle, but Calissa wasn¡¯t able to feel it as she had no issues. She watched as the others traveling with her were wheezing and feeling uncomfortable but was feeling nothing. As they slowly approached the castle, it looked more formidable as they got closer. Even from their distance the castle looked massive, and she remembered that her uncle said it was even bigger inside the castle. It would explain why he didn¡¯t feel out of place to accept guests, as he had more than enough space to welcome an army into his home let alone three wandering friends. When they finally reached the gate, the bridge was already down but Calissa was able to look over to see the vast nothingness that was beneath it. The drop was a lot further down then she imagined it could be, and on the other side of the castle was a step climb that no man would be able to accomplish. The castle provided the kind of isolation that even would make the Hakken themselves pause. Belemast noticed that she was looking and stopped beside her.


    ¡°It¡¯s two miles straight down.¡± he informed her, ¡°and at the bottom is a river with sharp rocks and shallow waters. If the fall doesn¡¯t kill a man, the bottom will finish the person off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite impressive,¡± Calissa said, looking back at her uncle. ¡°Why do you need it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit of a paranoid man,¡± Belemast confessed, ¡°And being here provides me with the safety I need to rest easy. Worth every coin that I paid for it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not lonely?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°It can be,¡± her uncle admitted, ¡°But right now it¡¯s not. You¡¯re all welcome to stay as long as you need to.¡±


    ¡°What about the town below?¡± Calissa asked, ¡°Can¡¯t we visit just to mingle and resupply on occasion?¡±


    ¡°I suppose we can,¡± Belemast conceded, ¡°When the weather is nice.¡±


    ¡°I was told they hold a very nice festival,¡± Calissa informed him, ¡°That would be a very nice thing for someone to take his niece to.¡±


    Before Belemast could respond, Calissa prompted her steed to move on and rode across the bridge and into the castle. Belemast looked back at Alfred and Miyamoto who had observed the exchange, and the confused look on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°And learn how to avoid it.¡±


    ¡°Just like her mother, eh?¡± Alfred added.


    ¡°Yes, she is.¡± Belemast agreed, as he let out a loud, bellowing laugh before prompting his own horse to carry on.


    Alfred followed him in and once inside the courtyard, it was massive and could easily hold an army at attention if someone wanted to. You could set up camp here or place a half a dozen catapults as well if you wanted to use them to defend the castle. He was impressed by the space, but Belemast was also correct when he told Calissa that she could use it for her training. A whole class could train there, he thought to himself as he rode closer to the main doors into the castle.


    ¡°As I told the young lady,¡± Belemast started, ¡°You are all welcome to stay as long as you like. I am, however, only responsible for your safety when within the castle walls. If you venture out and do whatever you want away from the castle, I cannot be held responsible if any of you are hurt or stolen.¡±


    ¡°We understand,¡± Miyamoto replied, ¡°This is a very impressive structure.¡±


    Once the horses were shown to the stables, they proceeded inside the castle and took a quick tour inside the structure. There was a decent sized court inside as well, which would make a good backup for training if things got too cold outside. Belemast helped Calissa carry her stuff inside and led her to a room that was on a different floor from her father and Miyamoto. When the reached the room, he opened the door to reveal a room that was pink, fluffy, and clearly a girl¡¯s room. She looked around the room and then back ag her uncle who was standing at the door with the bags she packed to travel there.


    ¡°I hope this is alright,¡± Belemast asked, hoping it would be.


    ¡°Whose room is this?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d appreciate it,¡± her uncle replied, as he could barely keep the secret to himself. ¡°It used to be your mother¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°She lived here too?¡± Calissa asked, surprised to hear that detail.


    ¡°We all did,¡± Belemast answered, ¡°This castle used to belong to our father, and his father before him, and I inherited it after the old man passed. This is where your mother and all her siblings were raised.¡±


    ¡°How many siblings did she have?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°Four,¡± Belemast answered, ¡°But two are no longer with us and the other is far, far away doing crown business.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Calissa said as she looked around the room, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Belemast made a slight bow, ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, this will be your room for as long or whenever you need it. I have no doubt this is what she would have wanted. A place you can always turn to if you need it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Calissa said again, as this time she walked over to the door and hugged her uncle. She could tell he appreciated the hug as he squeezed her for a moment and the respectfully let her go and closed the door behind him.


    Calissa looked back into the room and while it was a little pink for her liking, she had to remember her mother was very young when she resided here. It was something Calissa was going to have to get used to as she had no desire to change anything in the room, keeping it just the way her mother liked it. It came to her later to ask for another room to store her armor and weapons into so that her bedroom can be used just for sleep and relaxing. Considering how large the castle was, her uncle was more than happy to give her another room to store the things she didn¡¯t want to keep in her bedroom, agreeing that the room was on the small side. The room she was given wasn¡¯t going to be a dressing room or even a playroom, rather than an armory that she would use to store her private things to be kept under lock and key and the protection of her family. That way she could travel and roam without having to carry everything she needed with her whenever she chose to venture forth. She trusted that her uncle and his future heirs would protect her possessions to the death and wouldn¡¯t betray her for anything. It gave her comfort, something she hadn¡¯t felt in a very long time.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Despite how chilly it was outside, Calissa has no trouble going outside to use the massive courtyard to practice with her weapons. Despite the chilled air she was out there with no coat, not even any gloves, and felt nothing. She assumed it was her regenerating cells that refused to let the cold air effect her skin, which meant that if she had to flee in the dead of winter, she could walk through a blizzard and her enemies wouldn¡¯t be able to follow unless they had the same healing powers that she inherited from the Hakken. She was curious to test her inability to die, but it was Miyamoto who warned her to be careful and not push her luck. The last thing he wanted her to do was discover a new way to kill Hakken by accidentally committing suicide. Most of the research into her immortality should be done by experience rather than self testing, a suggestion that she thought was worth heeding.


    ¡°Are you afraid of death?¡± Calissa asked one day when she was training indoors with Miyamoto. It was snowing that day and he preferred to teach her inside.


    ¡°We all should,¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°Life is like a massive maze that is neverending, and no one gets out alive.¡±


    ¡°No one?¡± Calissa said, ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Death will eventually come for us all Calissa, even you.¡± His master warned her, ¡°A samurai should always be prepared for death, whether his own or someone else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°It can mean many things,¡± Miyamoto answered, ¡°Death comes to us in many forms, and we must respect them all. Whether it is our own lives, or those that we take on the battlefield. It can also men to prepare for the eventual loss of companions, and family. Time comes for us all, little one. While it may take a lot longer for you, your time will eventually come as well. When it does, I fear that both your father and I will have passed on long before. Because of your longevity, there are a lot of people you are going to outlive before your time comes. I¡¯m afraid that is also something you must prepare for. There are going to be times when your path is going to be a very lonely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you think,¡± Calissa said, smiling back at her master. ¡°I¡¯m confident that with time and practice, I¡¯ll develop good social skills and make new friends whenever that loneliness creeps up on me.¡±


    ¡°A sound strategy,¡± Miyamoto said, nodding. ¡°One that I hope works out.¡±


    ¡°I might be able to assist with that,¡± A voice called out. Belemast had been watching them both train from a chair that was located near the weapons rack.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Miyamoto conceded, ¡°This man is a master of being a social butterfly. He can talk like no man I have ever seen. You would be wise to learn how this man can use his tongue almost as well as his sword.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Calissa called out.


    ¡°I have been known to talk my way out of conflicts almost as well as I can fight in one,¡± Belemast confessed, ¡°But sometimes my mouth also got me into as much trouble as it got me out of it. Even the smoothest talkers can run out of luck.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s putting it mildly,¡± Miyamoto said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Can I learn from you?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°You shall,¡± Belemast said, standing up. ¡°Just sit by my side at each meal, or whenever someone comes up to negotiate a treaty. You can learn simply by listening and picking things up on your own. Pay attention everyday and you¡¯ll pick up the patterns and the tricks.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do that.¡± Calissa said, eager to learn more.


    ¡°I have no doubt you¡¯ll do well,¡± Belemast added, ¡°If you have the patience to put up with this loaf, you¡¯ll do just fine with me. Carry on.¡±


    She watched as her uncle left the large room and disappeared into the hallway. He had a habit if never really staying in any room for very long, as if something bad would happen to him if he did. It was a bit of an odd habit, but it was his castle, so Calissa assumed he could do whatever he wanted inside of it. If this was her castle, she would and should be allowed to get away with most of her silly habits as well, so she thought it was no big deal but couldn¡¯t help but notice it. Miyamoto always taught her to see the small differences as noticing the slightest change in anyone could be the difference between life and death in certain situations. She resumed her lessons with her master, but when it was all over, she quickly went back tot her other room to unpack her tools and do a little bit of wandering of her own. She was eager to explore the castle a little and get a feel for it in case this was going to be her home for a while. The longer she stayed at the castle with her father and master, the more time she had to explore and map out the place in her head. Her uncle was not lying about the castle being bigger on the inside as there were massive corridors and even trap doors that led to other wings that were within the large mountain. As she looked around, Calissa imagined that it had to take years, maybe decades to dig out all the space for these areas. The space they had for storage alone would be enough to withstand a siege for years, which she assumed was the original idea when making so much space. The ability to hold out and fight off invaders without having to resupply was vital, and this castle could if fully stock could hold out for quite a while. A few weeks after their arrival, Calissa accidentally bumped into her uncle while she was exploring, and he was so startled that he put his hand on his sword hilt but stopped when he realized it was just his nosy niece.


    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± Belemast said, sighing deeply. ¡°Apologies. I¡¯m not used to bumping into anyone in these parts of the castle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be sorry,¡± Calissa corrected him, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you, and for snooping around as well.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind the snooping,¡± her uncle confessed, ¡°I liked that you¡¯re taking an interest in the place. You¡¯ve been covering a lot of ground as well. How much are you able to retain?¡±


    ¡°All of it,¡± Calissa answered, ¡°For some reason, I don¡¯t forget things. I have a pretty good map of the place in my head.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± her uncle said, rather impressed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you want to look over here, it¡¯s not the nicest part of the place.¡±


    ¡°What part is it?¡± She asked, rather curious.


    ¡°The dungeon,¡± her uncle answered, ¡°We keep prisoners down here.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± Calissa asked as she was more curious than offended.


    ¡°About a dozen,¡± Belemast answered, ¡°We had as many as twenty, but I released a few for good behavior.¡±


    ¡°What about the others?¡± Calissa asked, ¡°Will they be let go as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Belemast confessed, ¡°I can¡¯t trust them to not try to stab me in the back the first chance they get. They are too dangerous to be set free.¡±


    ¡°They why keep them here?¡± Calissa inquired, ¡°Why not send them off to another dungeon where you don¡¯t have to look over your shoulder?¡±


    ¡°There are many reasons,¡± Belemast said, ¡°But some I cannot tell you about just now. Maybe in time when we build a little more trust as well.¡±


    ¡°Can I see it?¡± She eagerly asked.


    ¡°Not right now,¡± her uncle said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t allowed down there until I was eighteen, and I am happy my father made that decision. You don¡¯t need to see what¡¯s down there unless you have to. Let¡¯s keep it that way for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Calissa conceded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Belemast said, closing the door and locking it. ¡°I appreciate your acceptance of my word, and commands. You father and his friend have taught you well. I will do my best to aid with that.¡±


    ¡°The social part, you mean?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Belemast said, smiling back at her. ¡°We will work on that by playing a simple game with a deck of cards. An exercise that I am very good at, and you will be as well when you learn how to play it right. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 12: Playing The Game

    THE CARD GAME THAT HER UNCLE introduced to the young girl was a favorite among gambling men in the kingdom, but Belemast¡¯s reason for teaching her was for entirely strategic purposes. The skill of being able to read an opponent¡¯s face whether it be at the table during a card game, or on the field in open combat, is vital and potentially life saving. Belemast also believed that being able to read people was just as beneficial when sitting down at the table to negotiate a treaty or a truce with an enemy or even an ally. It was a vital skill to have, and Belemast took it upon himself to teach it to his niece, which at first turned out to be more challenging that he thought it would be. Every time Calissa managed to get a good hand, and finally believe she was going to win for a change, her uncle would fold whatever he was holding and escape losing more than the bare minimum in funds. After it happened a few times, she started to grow irritated by the game and her uncle.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± she called out, right after he folded again.


    ¡°How did I know what?¡± Her uncle countered.


    ¡°You keep standing down,¡± Calissa continued, ¡°You knew I was going to whip you and wisely folded each time. Are you reading my mind?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t read minds.¡± Belemast said, ¡°But I can read faces, and your face told me that I was about to get my arse sounded kicked.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calissa said, confused. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°In the game, we call this a tell.¡± Belemast explained, ¡°A tell is an action, or a motion that a person makes when their excited. For example, if you¡¯re suddenly smiling, that¡¯s not good news for me. I¡¯ll know you¡¯re up to something and then probably fold.¡±


    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t smiling,¡± Calissa said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°No, you weren¡¯t.¡± her uncle confirmed, ¡°You were playing with your hair, and biting your bottom lip. After several hands, I was able to determine you do that when you¡¯re doing well. Those are your tells.¡±


    ¡°Do you have tells?¡± Callissa asked him.


    ¡°I do, but they¡¯re very subtle.¡± Belemast explained, ¡°And they¡¯re subtle because I spent many years teaching myself how to hide them from people so they wouldn¡¯t hurt me. You have to do that as well, learn what your tells are and then get in the habit of not doing it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Calissa said as she stopped playing with her hair. She found it a little more difficult to stop biting her lower lip, as it was more of an unconscious act, but she kept an eye out for it anyway.


    As a result, her uncle was less likely to fold, and they had more fun playing the games. With permission from her father, who wasn¡¯t fond of the idea of Calissa learning a gambler¡¯s game, they continued to play the game every day after lunch for about an hour or so. They were always friendly games, but a few months after they started playing, Belemast insisted on starting to use money to make the game and the stakes more authentic. He said it would teach her the difference on people¡¯s faces when they were taking the game more seriously. She agreed to it, and they played for small coins and nothing too large. Calissa picked up the game rather well, and not only learned some of her uncle¡¯s tells but noticed her own and did her best to stop using them most of the time. She started to use the tells not to give away her hand, but the sometimes pretend and try to bluff her uncle into committing to a certain outcome she desired. If she wanted her uncle to fold, she would slowly start to bite her lip and watch with glee as her uncle folded too quickly sometimes. It was when she noticed the opposite, the tells she gave when her hand was terrible, that she wanted to use the most to her advantage. One day she got an amazing hand, but rather than telegraph that to her uncle, she started to show a tell that falsely indicated she had nothing, and her uncle was all over it. He placed some heavy bets and walked right into her trap, and for a moment got cocky as he tried to teach her a lesson.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make this interesting,¡± Belemast said, after he had already pushed in all his coins, which didn¡¯t match half of the stack that his niece possessed at this point in the game. ¡°If I win this hand, you have to clean the throne room for a month.¡±


    ¡°And what do I get if I win?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s your hand,¡± her uncle said, ¡°Tell me what you¡¯d like to win.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Calissa said, thinking about it. ¡°If I win this hand, you have to take me to the winter festival being held by that town we passed when we first got here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good bet.¡± Belemast said, smiling as he slapped down his cards. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s extra chores for you this month, Calissa!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Calissa asked as she laid down her cards to finally reveal that she had the superior hand.


    ¡°But, how?¡± her uncle called out.


    ¡°Reading a table isn¡¯t just about reading other¡¯s faces,¡± Calissa said, ¡°Its about how people read yours as well.¡±


    ¡°You were pretending,¡± Belemast said, as he couldn¡¯t¡¯ believe how convincing she was. She was giving a tell that said she had nothing and charged right into her trap. It was very effective as he didn¡¯t realize she knew all her own tells.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°I have been practicing with a mirror,¡± Calissa explained, ¡°I created a tell, and only used it when I had a poor hand. That way when I wanted to falsely give you the impression that I was bluffing, when in fact I was not.¡±


    ¡°You sneaky little devil!¡± Belemast said with a grin as he let out a rather loud chuckle. Her skills were improving to the point where even he was being fooled by her and they hadn¡¯t even been playing that long. He was seriously impressed with the young girl¡¯s ability to notice her own tells and use them to trick him into doing whatever she wanted him to at the table.


    ¡°I guess you won¡¯t be doing extra chores,¡± he conceded, ¡°And I hope you enjoy going to the festival this winter.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the bet,¡± Calissa corrected him, ¡°The wager was if I won, you had to take me to the festival, together. You¡¯re coming too.¡±


    Belemast paused for a moment as he tried to recall what was actually said, and he turned to face Alfred who was sitting at the table and reading a book. He looked at his sister¡¯s husband, hoping he heard what was actually said.


    ¡°Alfred?¡± he called out.


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± Alfred confirmed, ¡°If she won, you had to take her to the festival. I hope you both have fun down there.¡±


    ¡°Well damn,¡± Belemast said, looking back at her. ¡°My word is my bond. I guess we¡¯re both going to festival. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever attended the festival in all my years, are you sure this is what you want?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Calissa said, rather proud of herself. ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of birthdays to make up for, dear uncle, so I¡¯m looking forward to doing this together and having a good time in town.¡±


    ¡°Well, the festival isn¡¯t for another two months.¡± Belemast recalled, ¡°So I guess I have time to get used to the idea of going this year. That might surprise a few people when we show up.¡±


    ¡°Life is full of surprises,¡± Calissa said, standing up from the table. ¡°Thanks again for the game, I have chores and training to do with my master.¡±


    She gave a small respective bow to the master of the castle and left the massive dining room while leaving Belemast at the table to look at the cards and relive the moment that proved she was getting better at the game than he was. He looked over at Alfred who was still grinning as he enjoyed every moment of it. Even though it looked like he was reading a book after lunch, most of the time he can¡¯t help but watch the game and see for himself how well his daughter had been progressing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it so personally,¡± Alfred called out and he could read his brother-in-law and his stunned face. ¡°She had a good teacher, and that charm also comes from her mother.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Belemast agreed, ¡°She is going to be a force to reckon with on the battlefield by the time Miyamoto is done with her, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Alfred said, keeping what he knew to himself.


    ¡°I really have to go this festival, don¡¯t I?¡± Belemast called out, hoping that Alfred would give him a pass or something.


    ¡°Like you said,¡± Alfred said as he stood up, ¡°Your word is your bond. To be fair, I think she enjoys having an uncle, and other people that were close to her mother. I know she would be proud of you for taking her under your wing like this, and for taking her to this festival later this year. She wants to spend time with her uncle, which is why she made the bet.¡±


    ¡°She truly is like her mother,¡± Belemast said, ¡°I will go out of my way to make it a special occasion.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Alfred said, as he liked this side of the man. ¡°You will make a good father one day. I can see it when you interact with her.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the nicest thing you ever said to me,¡± Belemast said, rather surprised to even hear it at all.


    ¡°I say it because it¡¯s the truth,¡± Alfred said, as he looked around the room. ¡°And because there are no witnesses to verify it.¡±


    ¡°Damn you!¡± Belemast playfully called out and chuckled as he watched Alfred leave the room.


    As the festival grew closer, Calissa could be seen training harder and even doing more chores around the house to earn some extra money for the occasion. Everyone could tell she was excited by the prospect as she had something rather positive to look forward to for the first time in many years. No one had dared to even suggest that the idea be cancelled or postponed, even if there were things like weather and potential dangers out there that could cause trouble. Belemast knew how much the girl was looking forward to it and would use an army to escort her to the damn thing if he had to. Yet when the day came, scouts gave an all clear and even the gods were smiling down as the weather was the best one could hope for a trip down the mountain in the middle of winter. Before they departed Belemast presented his niece with a gift to celebrate the event. It was a light blue dress, and while it looked old it had been tailored and cleaned up for the occasion. It was the most beautiful dress Calissa had ever seen, and it was the perfect blue to wear to a festival about winter and snow. She even had a tear in the corner of her eye as she looked it over.


    ¡°It used to be your mother¡¯s,¡± Belemast explained to her, ¡°I had to have it altered, but you¡¯re around the same size she was when she wore it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lovely,¡± Calissa said, ¡°When did she wear it?¡±


    ¡°At the very same festival,¡± Belemast informed her, ¡°That time however, I was unable to attend because father and I were in other lands doing work for the crown.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Calissa said, ¡°This is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Put it on,¡± he ordered, ¡°And then we¡¯ll take off.¡±


    In the main courtyard, there were several horses ready to take them to the festival, and Belemast patiently waited for Calissa to emerge with the dress. As she came out and mounted her white horse, she looked perfect upon it as if she was the queen or princess of the palace.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re good to handle this on your own?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°I am,¡± Belemast said, ¡°You two take the next few days off. I got this. I have several guards coming with us, and scouts already out there checking ahead. We¡¯ll be fine you old worry wart!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Miyamoto said, as he was confident Belemast would be fine. The man was her family and would likely do anything to protect her, despite the fact that the girl could take better care of herself without him. ¡°Have a good time, little one.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Calissa said, smiling back to her master and father. ¡°We¡¯ll see you in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy yourself,¡± Alfred said, waving as the several horses started to leave the courtyard and head for the drawbridge that just came down. He watched her ride off beyond the bridge and fade away into the cold air of the mountain. He took a deep breath and remembered something Miyamoto had told him earlier. The day was coming where she had to start exploring without them and get used to the idea of them not being there because she was going to outlive them by quite a few years. He didn¡¯t like the idea of not being there for her, but she did need the practice. This was as good a time as any as Calissa still had family still with her to look out for her.

 Chapter 13: The Winter Festival

    BECAUSE THEY LEFT THE CASTLE EARLY in the morning, Belemast and his niece managed to make it to the small town just before lunch as it was only a few hours ride away from the castle. The town was an ideal place to use whenever they needed to resupply the castle, and Belemast paid extra to make sure that his orders were given priority, so it wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t know who he was. The master of the palace in the mountain was well know there, as he came down often to take care of business and even defend the town if there was ever trouble. Having a town to act as his hub to connect to the rest of the world was ideal to him, so Belemast made sure the town was well protected. He also felt as a former soldier for the crown, that protecting towns was something he was morally obligated to do, which was why he and a cluster of his men were heading out for the town to take care of the trolls when he met up with Calissa and her father. He never liked the idea of towns being harassed and bullied by monsters, but he could also never resist the chance to brush up on his skills as a monster hunter. So, whenever a town ever called out for his help, it would take a lot to keep Belemast from getting out there and going on the hunt. When they were halfway to the town, two of the scouts that were sent ahead to make sure there was nothing wrong came back to report that the town was doing alright, and that the festival was going on without any incident. Belemast sent then back to town and ordered them and all the other scouts still there to keep watch and make sure that it stayed that way. Calissa looked back at her uncle, and grinned.


    ¡°What?¡± Belemast said, trying to figure her expression out.


    ¡°A little protective?¡± She asked him.


    ¡°I take these precautions every time I visit town,¡± he assured her.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Calissa said, ¡°And how often is that?¡±


    ¡°About once a year,¡± her uncle answered, ¡°Usually never during winter.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never attended this festival before?¡± Calissa said, surprised.


    ¡°Never with my consent, usually against my will and better judgement,¡± he confirmed with a smile, ¡°Right now I couldn¡¯t think of a better person to share the experience with.¡±


    ¡°Not even my mother?¡± Calissa countered.


    ¡°Not even her,¡± Belemast confirmed, ¡°If your mother is up there looking down on us like so many want to believe, I can assure you she is green with envy. She loved this festival and would do anything to be in my place with you.¡±


    ¡°You are going to have fun,¡± Calissa said, teasing him a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that,¡± Belemast replied, ¡°But I will try.¡±


    ¡°That is all I ask,¡± Calissa said, smiling back, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As they started to ride into town, Calissa could see the changes the festival made to the town compared to the last time she was there. The decorations were works of art and the town were all dressed up as well, all in whites and light blues to celebrate the holidays. She could now understand why her mother liked wearing the dress she had on to the festival as everyone tried to wear those colors to indicate who was celebrating and whom to leave alone. A dress code was something Calissa was unaware of, but her uncle knew, or someone at least reminded him so they could make sure she was dressed appropriately for the event. Belemast didn¡¯t take any chances and spent the majority of his time after that fateful card game gathering intel about the event so that he could properly prepare himself, which in turn would allow him to make the best of the situation. Maybe even have a little fun. As they were riding towards the town, Calissa could tell that a lot of the townfolk were looking at them and were even surprised to see them. She was confident that it was her uncle who was the man standing out, considering he mainly only visited for supplies, and nothing else. It was at this point where some plump man came running up to their horses and bowed to greet them.


    ¡°Your lordship,¡± the man said, rather surprised himself. ¡°I remember your people picking up supplies for the palace a few weeks ago. What brings you to visit us during these festive times?¡±


    ¡°You answered your own question,¡± Belemast said, ¡°I have come down to take part in the festival.¡±


    The mayor looked around, and then cracked a smile. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°I am indeed,¡± Belemast confirmed, ¡°This is Calissa. She is my niece, the only child of my younger sister. It was her idea to attend, and is even more excited to partake than I am. So, if you¡¯ll excuse us.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lord.¡± The mayor said as he stepped aside, ¡°Enjoy the festivities.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Belemast said, bucking his horse to carry on.


    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t make a lot of social calls?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°Never,¡± Belemast said, confirming the towns response. ¡°Especially during this festival. This is the first time I¡¯ve been here for it since I was a child.¡±


    ¡°With my mother?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°Yes, and our other siblings.¡± Belemast said, ¡°Your mother and grandmother really enjoyed attending, so it¡¯s not surprising you¡¯d like it too.¡±


    ¡°What shall we do first?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d recommend the market.¡± Belemast said, handing her a small bag of coins. ¡°This is some of the coins your father gave me, so this isn¡¯t my money but in fact yours. Spend it wisely, maybe get something nice for your room to spruce it up and make it your own.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Calissa said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wander off, so we can keep an eye on you,¡± Belemast added, ¡°And after doing a little shopping, we¡¯ll do lunch at my favorite pub before the play starts.¡±


    ¡°The play?¡± Calissa repeated. ¡®Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Belemast confirmed, ¡°If memory serves me right, the town¡¯s children always hold one for the holiday. I¡¯ll purchase some tickets. Off you go.¡±


    Calissa dismounted her horse and handed the reigns off to one of her uncle¡¯s men who took them all to a stable to rest and feed while they walked the festival market and enjoyed themselves. She put the coins in one of her coat pockets, and slowly began to walk around the market and browse all the tables that were set up by local stores and merchants who had traveled from other towns. Calissa wasn¡¯t in a hurry as she wanted to browse around as much as she could to see what deals could be had. She stopped at one cubicle to look at some very fine blankets, some with some unique designs that might look good in her new bedroom. As Calissa was looking at the new blankets, someone walked up behind her to offer advice on what she was checking out.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice choice,¡± the voice called out from behind, ¡°This person does amazing work, and I know up there in the mountains you¡¯ll need more than a few of them.¡±


    Calissa turned around to see that the person speaking to him was the same young man that was working at the shop the last time she was in town before moving into her uncle¡¯s palace. She had thought about him every once in a while, and while a part of her had hoped to see the young lad again, she was still surprised how pleased she was to see him again as she greeted him with a warm smile.


    ¡°Hello again,¡± she said pausing as she tried to remember his name.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ander,¡± the young man said, returning the smile.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Calissa said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just had a momentary fog. It happens sometimes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the thin cold air,¡± Anders said, thinking nothing of it. ¡°Happens all the time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to winters this cold,¡± Calissa confessed, ¡°It is usually like this?¡±


    ¡°This is pretty mild actually,¡± Anders said, chuckling a bit. ¡°It gets much colder, especially after the holidays. I¡¯d recommend getting at least one blanket if you plan to see the play. It¡¯s held outside so you might want one to keep warm.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Calissa said, clinging to the one she liked. ¡°I want to buy this one anyway, so now I have another reason to do so.¡±


    ¡°I can help you with that if you want to browse for more things.¡± Anders offered.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Calissa said, passing it over to him. After she paid for the blanket, she turned to face him, ¡°Any other great deals around here you can give me the inside scoop on?¡±


    ¡°Right this way,¡± Anders said.


    They spent the better part of an hour browsing together and Anders was even a good haggler as he knew what items were being sold at a fair price of what was overcharged for the festival. She appreciated his help and was enjoying his company, when suddenly Belemast arrived to stand before the two of them.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± Belemast said, looking at them.


    ¡°My lord,¡± Anders said, making a small bow.


    ¡°Did you get everything you need?¡± he asked Calissa.


    ¡°I did,¡± Calissa said, smiling back at her uncle. ¡°Is it time for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Belemast confirmed, ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble,¡± Calissa said, ¡°Can my friend join us? He¡¯s been very helpful, and I wanted to buy him lunch to show my gratitude.¡±


    Belemast paused for a moment, but he did recognize the boy from the shop the last time they were in town and didn¡¯t see the harm in it. He nodded his approved and walked off in the direction of the pub and the two teens followed him.


    ¡°How do you know him?¡± Anders asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s my uncle,¡± Calissa replied, ¡°My mother was his sister.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re royalty?¡± Anders said, surprised.


    ¡°No,¡± Calissa said, though she wasn¡¯t really sure. ¡°Just a niece.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Anders said, accepting her answer.


    They walked into the pub while Belemast held the door for them. They all walked over to a table and Anders was about to sit across from Calissa but Belemast shoved him aside which forced him to sit on the other side.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Ander said, sitting beside Calissa rather than across from her.


    ¡°Force of habit,¡± Belemast said, ¡°I prefer to have my back to the wall for defensive purposes. This angle makes it better to protect you both and look out for ambushes.¡±


    ¡°Appreciated uncle,¡± Calissa said, ¡°but I prefer to eat in peace.¡±


    ¡°We all do,¡± Anders said, ¡°Being prepared is not the same as being paranoid.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Belemast said, as he appreciated the comment of support. ¡°Tell me, do you still work at the shop?¡±


    ¡°I do, with my parents.¡± Anders answered, ¡°I¡¯m not there today because I have the day off for the festival. I wanted to see the play and I¡¯ll cover for my parents tomorrow so they can enjoy their favorite part of the festival.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sweet,¡± Calissa said, as she was hanging on his every word.


    Their talk was interrupted as the pub lady arrived with food and everyone started to eat quietly at the table. There was some banter and information about the festival exchanged, but Calissa couldn¡¯t help but notice everyone was staring at her uncle. His very presence must have made some of them uncomfortable as he normally didn¡¯t make a habit of coming down just to attend the festival. Calissa remember seeing that same response from the town¡¯s mayor when they first arrived, he was unsure why they were even there. Calissa chose to ignore it and go about her meal. It was closer to end of their meal when Calissa felt a pain in her stomach that caused her to lose her breath. She paused for a moment, thinking it was just the food causing cramps but then she was able to recognize the feeling; something she had felt in a while. She took a few deep breathes and that¡¯s when the men at the table noticed something was wrong.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Anders asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Calissa replied.


    ¡°What are you feeling?¡± Belemast asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sensing something,¡± Calissa replied, ¡°The last time I felt this was when we attacked and had to abandon our home.¡±


    Belemast didn¡¯t respond, but slowly began to move his hand over to his sword hilt. He gripped it till his knuckles turned white and waited for the danger to come to him.


    ¡°What kind of danger?¡± Anders asked.


    ¡°Him!¡± Calissa said, pointing to a man at another table. ¡°He¡¯s the one I¡¯m sensing!¡±


    The moment she pointed a finger, both men jumped to their feet. As Belemast was drawing his sword, the man instantly started to transform into his wolven form. Patrons either hid under their tables or scrambled for the door as the Hakken in there let out a loud roar. Belemast charged at the beast and tried to take a swing at it, but it was far too strong as he swatted the man out of the way and started to charge at the two teenagers. While Anders closed his eyes and tried to brace for the attack, Calissa jumped up from her chair and counterattacked. The wolf tried to take a swipe at her with its claws, but she caught the creature¡¯s arm and used it to flip him away from their table and onto the floor. Before the wolf could recover from being flipped onto its back, Calissa reached under her fluffy dress and unsheathed a rather impressive dagger that was hidden under it. It was the same dagger that Miyamoto had loaned to her, which meant it was silver and thus lethal to Hakkens. Without hesitation, she drove the dagger into the wolf¡¯s heart and both Anders and Belemast watched with stunned faces as the wolf blew up into dust and was gone. Calissa stood back up and brushed the wolf¡¯s dust off her dress. She looked back to Anders who was still sitting at the table but looking rather petrified.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± he countered.


    ¡°Someone tried to take us out,¡± Calissa said as she walked over to her uncle and helped him to his feet.


    ¡°That was unexpected,¡± her uncle started, ¡°But you didn¡¯t appear shocked to see him.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been dealing with them for a while,¡± Calissa said, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been training for all this time.¡±


    ¡°Are there any others?¡± Anders asked, still rather scared.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Belemast said, looking around.


    ¡°I can¡¯t feel any others,¡± Calissa said, ¡°I think he was kind of like a scout, that that doesn¡¯t mean he was alone either.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Belemast said, grabbing some of Calissa¡¯s things from the market. ¡°We need to get back to the castle before it¡¯s too late.¡±

 Chapter 14: The Hakken Return

    DESPITE HIS CONFUSION OF WHAT HE had just witnessed, Anders helped carry Calissa¡¯s stuff back to the horses, which were prepared and ready to go by the time they got back to the stables. They loaded the horses and made way to the gate to depart, and Calissa was sad to be leaving early but they really had no choice. If there were any other Hakken in town, she didn¡¯t want to endanger herself or any one in town by inviting more violence during the festival.


    ¡°What happened back there?¡± Anders asked.


    ¡°It was a Hakken,¡± Calissa replied, as she looked back at her uncle ¡°How did he get into town undetected?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Belemast said, feeling rather frustrated. ¡°He slipped by my best scouts, which means he¡¯s really good or has been waiting here a long time for you to show up.¡±


    ¡°Either way, I day is done.¡± Calissa said, ¡°Let¡¯s get back home.¡±


    ¡°It was good to see you again,¡± Anders said, trying to keep positive.


    ¡°It was,¡± Calissa said, smiling back. ¡°I shall return, but I¡¯m not sure when.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Anders said, ¡°You¡¯re on the run. I shall be patient.¡±


    ¡°We must go!¡± Belemast said, losing his patience.


    The horses rode through the town and the mayor again stopped them waving his arms.


    ¡°My lord,¡± he asked, panting again. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine.¡± Belemast said, trying to be civil. ¡°It¡¯s just that my niece isn¡¯t feeling well, so we¡¯re going to return home as a precaution. Probably nothing serious, but no need to ruin anyone else¡¯s fun. She enjoyed herself here and is eager to return next year.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it, your lordship,¡± The mayor said bowing, ¡°I hope she¡¯s feeling better soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as do I.¡± Belemast said as he got the horses moving again and they were out of the town and back on the road in a matter of minutes.


    ¡°Are you sure the town isn¡¯t in danger?¡± Calissa asked.


    ¡°They are as long as we¡¯re not there,¡± her uncle replied, ¡°You were clearly the target. No one did a thing before you jumped on to them. There is a chance he was a scout like you mentioned, or the fiend¡¯s plan was to snatch you whenever my back was turned. I guess he didn¡¯t expect you to be strong and skilled enough to dispatch his kind, and I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s when their plans changed.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re scouts,¡± Calissa started, ¡°Does that mean there are others?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, maybe.¡± Belemast answered, ¡°But that is why we are hightailing it back to the castle. They are most likely behind us and trying to catch up. If they are not, they soon will be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this,¡± Calissa said, ¡°This is all my fault.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± her uncle agreed, ¡°But I make my own decisions, and I had fun for what little time we had there. We cannot allow fear to rule our lives, or things would be very boring. A life without joy is hell on Earth. I hope you¡¯ll remember that; control your own fate, or others will do it for you, and you might not like their choices.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Calissa said as she kept riding hard to keep pace with her uncle, ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t put you in an awkward position.¡±


    ¡°Family is worth tolerating any situation that comes along,¡± Belemast said, with a smile on his face. ¡°Besides, your mother would never forgive me if I didn¡¯t do all I could to help out you and your father. I don¡¯t need that kind of nagging whenever I reach the afterlife. So, let¡¯s move!¡±


    Belemast and Calissa rode out of town and united with his scouts as they all rode hard out of town and back towards the castle that would offer them the best shelter from the wolves that were after them. Yet it was a fair distance and Belemast was unsure how many Hakkens were in the forests leading back to his fortress. His question would soon be answered as a large wolf emerged from the trees and attempted to attack one of Belemast¡¯s scouts. He dove at one of the scouts but managed to duck as the wolf sailed over his head. Calissa was determined to keep going, but kept a hand on her sword, preparing herself to fight if necessary. She was tempted to pull out her blade but was afraid it would let her pursuers know where she was.


    One of the wolves lunged as Belemast himself, knocking the big man off his horse which sent him crashing to the ground. Calissa was unwilling to even consider leaving her uncle behind as she turned around, unsheathed her sword, and charged the beast. The wolf wisely leapt out of the way and out of reach of her blade. Calissa pulled up to her uncle and provided cover for him to get back onto his own steed. Once back on, they charged forward. One of the scouts had been taken by the wolves but Calissa¡¯s actions were enough to get them back on the road.


    As they rode closer to the castle, the wolves attached again knowing once they were safely back home, further attack would be difficult. This time one of then attempted to knock Calissa from her own horse, but it was a futile effort. Calissa already had her blade out as she chopped into the wolf and removed most of his arm. Both the wolf and his arm crashed to the ground. Once the wolf started to howl in pain, the others saw the damage Calissa had done and retreated. Rather than have one more wolf chasing them, Calissa jumped over her horse and walked up to the wounded wolf. It was withering in pain and bleeding all over the ground, howling in pain.


    ¡°You are not normal,¡± the Wolf hissed at her.


    ¡°You finally noticed,¡± Calissa replied, ¡°But you won¡¯t live long enough to know why.¡±


    Before the wolf could speak again, Calissa shoved her silver blade into the Wolf¡¯s chest, which silenced the howls that had been coming from it. She cleaned the blade before putting it back into its sheath and remounted her horse. Belemast could hardly believe what he saw.


    ¡°You are quite the fighter,¡± Her uncle complimented her.


    ¡°I have good teachers,¡± Calissa said, as she started to ride on.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I should be thankful you are a good student, too.¡± Belemast said, as he followed. As good as her teachers were, he insisted on giving his tough niece all the credit she deserved.


    The sun was just starting to set as the horses finally made it back to Belemast¡¯s castle. The castle lowered the drawbridge when Belemast used a tool to give a signal only he could. Once they were safely across, the master of the castle immediately dismounted his horse as he hadn¡¯t rose that hard in a very, very long time.


    ¡°Put the bridge back up,¡± he called out, ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    Calissa watched as the draw bridge went back up and gave a large sigh of relief. The wolves might be good, but this castle from her observation was an ideal place to be in during any siege.


    ¡°Calissa!¡± Alfred called out as he emerged from the castle doors. ¡°You were not supposed to return this early, and there¡¯s blood on your outfit!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not mine,¡± Calissa replied rather casually. ¡°It belongs to a Hakken.¡±


    ¡°Where did this happen?¡± Alfred demanded.


    ¡°In town,¡± Belemast said, walking him to Alfred. ¡°Your daughter held her ground finely, Alfred. You would be proud of her. She never once showed any fear, even as those wolves tried to ambush us on the road.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright,¡± her father asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, father.¡± Calissa insisted, ¡°I dispatched of two Hakkens, but I fear there are more out there.¡±


    ¡°Let me help you, M¡¯lady.¡± Belemast said as he offered a hand and helped his niece off her horse.


    ¡°How many do you think are out there?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m unsure,¡± Belemast answered, ¡°There were at least three more that were not killed> They appeared to retreat once they realized Calissa had a blade that could destroy them.¡±


    ¡°Only cowards run from a fair fight,¡± Calissa added, remembering their hasty retreat.


    ¡°What is that blade made of?¡± Belemast asked.


    ¡°Silver,¡± Calissa answered, ¡°I got this from Miyamoto.¡±


    ¡°I have plenty of silver in the castle,¡± Belemast said, grinning. ¡°Shit that I never used such as fancy forks, spoons, and chalices I never drink from.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Alfred said, ¡°Do you have a smith here?¡±


    ¡°I have three,¡± Belemast said, as he was thinking the same thing. ¡°Time to put them to work and make some more silver weapons.¡±


    On his orders, the men in the castle started to prepare for a siege. He also ordered that all the silver be removed from the castle and sent to the smiths to be smelted. Belemast himself went to the smith¡¯s workshop to approve of the confiscated silver to make sure something me might want to keep wasn¡¯t destroyed. He wasn¡¯t very picky and allowed most of it to be melted down and turned into anything the smiths could think of. They had a lot of silver to work with as Belemast¡¯s family had a lot of fancy things made out of the metal, but he didn¡¯t care for it as you couldn¡¯t enjoy any of it if you were dead. He watched with pleasure as things his parents used to covet more than their children were melted down and slowly turned into weapons. One such item was a massive mirror that had a solid frame that was all silver. Belemast walked over and looked at it one final time as it used to belong to his mother. He remembered how she used to look at herself in dressed father would buy from the local town.


    ¡°Melt this down,¡± he barked at one of the smiths. ¡°I want you to turn this into as many arrow heads as you can.¡±


    ¡°It should,¡± The smith agreed, ¡°I will make as many as I can.¡±


    ¡°Good man,¡± Belemast said, patting him on the back. ¡°Work as long as you can, for we have company coming here to kill us all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± the smiths all called out together.


    Belemast left the smiths alone as his point had been made.


    ¡°Arrowheads?¡± Alfred said, as he walked closer.


    ¡°Seems like a good idea,¡± Belemast replied, ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t kill them, it should be enough to knock them off my wall and send them crashing to the rocks below. Even of that fall doesn¡¯t kill them, they won¡¯t be climbing back up for a while.¡±


    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± Alfred said.


    ¡°Where Calissa?¡± Belemast asked.


    ¡°She went back inside to change,¡± Alfred answered, ¡°She thinks the Hakken are going to attack us sooner than later.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Belemast answered, ¡°Right now they¡¯re wondering what other weapons we have up here after your girl killed two of them. They will be afraid to attack thinking we all have weapons like that. After my smiths are done, they¡¯ll be right.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they attack now?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably going to wait for reinforcements to show up first.¡± Belemast guessed, ¡°That¡¯s what I would do in this situation. That or try to negotiate a surrender.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never known Hakken to negotiate,¡± Miyamoto called out as he walked over to join the conversation.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s always a first for everything.¡± Belemast said, ¡°Especially when there is a possible siege that could cause many to die about to start. People are usually willing to speak and get a feel for the other side letting loose the dogs of war.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re wolves, Belemast.¡± Alfred reminded him, ¡°We can¡¯t expect them to act like normal people because they¡¯re different. They are savage beasts.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± one of the guards on the wall called out.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Belemast called back.


    ¡°We have someone approaching the castle.¡± The guard called again, ¡°He is carrying a banner of truce. I think he means to speak with us.¡±


    ¡°You were saying?¡± Belemast said to Alfred, playfully slapping him on the shoulder.


    ¡°First time for everything, I suppose.¡± Miyamoto said, ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Should we talk to them?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Belemast answered, ¡°If anything, we need to buy more time for my smiths to make as many silver blades and arrowheads as he can.¡±


    ¡°What do we say to them?¡± Miyamoto inquired.


    ¡°Let me do the talking,¡± Belemast said, ¡°This is my castle and I¡¯ve been in more battles than the both of you combined. Especially more sieges, that¡¯s for sure.


    Belemast climbed up onto the wall of his castle to look out and see what the guard was seeing beyond the reach of their drawbridge. There weren¡¯t any wolves to be seen, but there was a single man standing there, waving a white flag before them all. Belemast looked around but could see nothing else on the other side. If there were any other wolves around, they were well hidden.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡± Belemast called out to the man on the other side of cliffs.


    ¡°I am Hector.¡± The man answered, ¡°I¡¯ve come to negotiate.¡±


    ¡°To negotiate what?¡± Belemast called out.


    ¡°A surrender,¡± Hector said.


    ¡°Very well, I accept your surrender.¡± Belemast said, with a smirk on his face.


    ¡°I meant your surrender,¡± Hector said, unimpressed with the master¡¯s humor.


    ¡°I see,¡± Belemast responded, ¡°And what do I get in return for this surrender.¡±


    ¡°All we want is the girl!¡± Hector said, rather harshly, ¡°Surrender her now and I will not attack and destroy your wonderful looking castle.¡±


    ¡°I require time to consider your offer,¡± Belemast said with a more serious tone.


    ¡°I will give you two days!¡± Hector called out, ¡°And then we shall take her by force!¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Belemast said, ¡°I shall give you an answer within two days. Good day.¡±


    After making that last comment, Belemast removed himself from the wall and went back down to the courtyard where Alfred and Miyamoto were waiting. They had heard every word of his conversation and found it mildly amusing.


    ¡°You¡¯re not seriously considering it?¡± Alfred asked, almost looking appalled.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Belemast whispered, not wanting anyone outside the gates to hear. ¡°Clearly, he¡¯s wait for his own army to catch up. That gives us two days to prepare this castle for a Hakken siege. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a good siege, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°How many have you had here?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°Four,¡± Belemast said, ¡°But this will be my first one with monsters. I¡¯m quite excited!¡±


    Belemast started to walk back to the workshop where all the smiths were hard at work. He grabbed one of the smiths that was working on a new silver sword.


    ¡°You there,¡± he called out, ¡°When you¡¯re finished this, I want you to use some of this silver to make a new blade for my battle axe. And I want a spear tip too!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± the smith called out.


    ¡°You all have two days to make as much as you can,¡± Belemast said, patting the smith on the shoulder. ¡°If we win this battle, you will all be greatly rewarded.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± the smiths all called out.


    ¡°Will it be enough?¡± Miyamoto asked the master of the castle.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it enough,¡± Belemast said, smiling at his friends, ¡°Now tell me more about these beasts, specifically about how we use this silver to properly kill them¡­¡±