Again Auris went through her memories, but in the middle of them a light appeared that came closer and closer. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in another world. She was shown the memories of the wolf and his origins. At the front she recognized her savior, who bowed down. Suddenly, there came an even bigger wolf, walking on two legs. He had a white and black armor, his body was covered with pendants and symbols. He placed his huge hand on the creature's head and spoke to it.
"All the years you have served me Fenrias...I am very grateful for your service but now it is time for you to go your own way."
"My lord, where did this decision of yours come from. Have I disappointed you or angered you, I will atone for everything I did wrong."
"No Fenrias, you have done nothing wrong. Even if you cannot accept it at the beginning, I hereby give you your freedom. Of course you are always welcome here, but it is your time to explore this world first. All your life you have been faithful to me, but you have been bound by my decisions. Now I want to reward your loyalty. There is finally unity in the empire, there are no more battles. You are free of this responsibility, tell your brothers as well, all of you are no longer bound to the king from now on."
"My lord, I don't know how to act in the outside world. Without your guidance, I am hopelessly lost."
"Fenrias, this is my final decision. You are strong and smart enough to adapt and survive."
The creature looked sadly at the ground for a short time. But again it thanked him sincerely and said goodbye to his savior and master.
"Listen well brothers, our king has made a final decision: From now on you are free wolves, you are free to do as you please."
"But leader, how should we behave. How do you live as a free creature?"
"It is up to us to find that out. That is all I can do for you, the king himself has given us this order."
"So be it commander, we will accept our freedom. We are all indebted to you, honor our commander as you have done for the past 10 years!"
The wolf group howled and ran away, leaving the kingdom without looking back. Fenrias stopped for a few more seconds and looked his lord in the eye. Again he bowed and ran away from the palace.
"Are you sure this is the right decision Fenriolus?"
A tall warrior with an eagle head appeared out of nowhere.
"Why should I still detain them here? The wars are over, they are exhausted. We have achieved our goal, for their services their freedom is the least I can give them."
"That doesn't mean there won't be more battles. What if another one starts, who will you have on your side?"
"Soon my little brother will mature into a true warrior, you have seen his abilities. After my death, he will be perfect for the throne. Other than that there are enough young warriors who aspire to become my soldiers."
"You give away your trust too quickly Fenriolus, your plans will not always work out."
"Had I not acted as I did, we would not be friends today, Zoth. We wouldn't have fought side by side and made a pact."
"Maybe you're right. Be careful though, I can't help you if you're dead."
"I'll watch my back, I promise you."
The eagle left the Wolf King, who continued to look after his faithful soldiers for a while. Shortly after, a small wolf appeared, he was very similar to him yet had a small stature.
"Why did you give them freedom? They were loyal to you, you could have kept them as a squad for years to come?"
"Why imprison a loyal warrior when he has achieved all his goals. It's much more exciting to watch him continue on his path alone. You will learn that one day Riolu."
The young wolf could not understand his brother, all his life he felt so far away from him. He had envy of his brother written all over him. Fenriolus was accepted and praised by everyone while Riolu walked in his brother's shadow.
Meanwhile Fenrias was trying really hard to find his purpose in this world.
("What should I do now? What would my master have ordered me to do? First, I should look out for dangers on the border. Someone might infiltrate the kingdom, I will not let any enemies through to my lord. I, the commander of Fenria, will be eternally loyal to the king even if it is only possible as a shadow. I owe my life to him, this debt cannot be erased so easily.")
So he traveled all over the country, checking if the villages were all still well supplied. He destroyed even the smallest monsters, which could be a danger later. Inside he knew he was lost and had no idea what to do now. So he distracted himself with his former orders to feel like a commander once again. After not even two months had passen, he wanted to visit his master. From far away he saw the palace but something was wrong. He heard loud roaring throughout the city, there was only one voice that sounded like this.
"My master is in danger! What has happened in my absence?"
Fenrias rushed to the palace as fast as he could. What he saw took his breath away. Zoth was standing outside the palace, seething with rage. Fenrias had seen him many times on the battlefield. The eagle was an excellent tactician who always kept his cool in whatever situation he was in.
"Fenrias, why are you here? Didn't your master give you your freedom? Why are you so quick to come back to the palace?"
"No matter what I tried, I could not forget my master's duty."
"You wolves are all so stubborn, it will bring you to ruin. Go on in, your master is in the main hall. But be careful, he is not quite himself. Something terrible has happened here."
Fenrias walked past Zoth and entered the palace. There his master was kneeling on the floor, next to him was the dead body of his brother. In his arms he held his little sister, her eyes closed and her breath gone. Suddenly, his master roared throughout the palace. The sound could still be heard for miles. Fenrias had never seen his master like that. Full of sadness and weariness, he turned around and saw his most faithful companion. He carefully placed his sister on the ground and picked up his weapon.
"What are you doing here Fenrias, why are you wasting your freedom? Why don't you listen to my last order. If it is your wish to serve me I'm afraid I must kill you, no one can serve me anymore. I am all on my own."
"My lord, what are you saying? I don't want to let you remain in this state. There is still something I can do for them."
Fenriolus barely reacted to the words, giving himself over completely to his despair.
"Then let me punish you. If I had known you would disobey my command I would never have given you your freedom in the first place. Then you could have been here and tried to prevent this tragedy. Now you carry some of the blame for why my sister is lying dead, killed by her own brother."
"My king, you are not yourself. Your hatred will take you over if you continue like this. Punish me if you really want to and if it will make you feel better. I owe you my life, as you saved it you can take it from me. If it helps my king, I will die with the pride of having served you."
Fenriolus lunged and swung his weapon towards Fenrias. He did not move but prepared for his death. There was no fear in his face but a satisfaction at having helped his master in his need one last time. He felt a breeze next to him followed by a loud thud. His king just couldn't kill him, he fell into a deep sorrow.
"You didn't deserve this Fenrias, I don't know what got into me. I almost killed a loyal companion out of blind rage. You are right, I am not myself anymore. I should have taken better care of my brother, I should have cared more for my family. Now I am paying the price for my mistakes. Tell Zoth to see me, there are things to discuss. Some things are going to change, I need your help with them again."
"I am always at their service, my king. As long as I live I will remain loyal to you."
The eagle-man walked toward the wolf, his gaze going to the corpse of his brother.
"You know what he did, there was no other choice. It is better that you have done it, the other lords would have dealt with him far more horribly. Very soon the news will reach the other kings, we must act quickly. This cursed magic has to be eliminated, no one must discover it. It is alluring and causes great harm. Prepare the purification ritual, I will get the rest of the resources."
"Have thanks Zoth, faithful friend."
"...That's all I can do for you, after that you're on your own. This is the last favor I shall do for my old friend. You know what awaits you, I will have no part in it."
Fenrias waited for his master's order but he only told him to attend the ritual. He wanted to show Fenrias the shame that had taken its course on this day.
Around the body of his brother, Zoth painted ancient signs. Fenriolus looked at his brother one last time. His body was completely black, his blood, his eyes, his fur and his skin.
Fenrias knew this ritual from ancient texts, it was used to remove and destroy any corruption. Fenriolus dripped some of his blood onto his brother's body. Riolus corpse started to burn and after a while his body turned into a black liquid that came shooting straight at Fenrias. Just before it hit him, it bounced off an invisible wall, The signs on the ground conjured up a magic prison. Suddenly, a bright light came from the ground, dissolving the liquid. From the black mass came agonized screams that became louder and louder. Suddenly, Zoth reached into the invisible prison and trapped some of the black liquid in a box.
"Zoth, what are you doing! Did you get tempted by it as well?"
"Fenriolus, you know what happens if you have no proof of your innocence. The others would consider it treason and you would be sentenced to death. I will not let you meet your end here, part of the magic remains in the possession of the kings. You may not like it, but your brother was ultimately the traitor. If the others see this, then you can keep your position, you will remain a king and live with this tragedy. See it as your own punishment."
Fenriolus could only grit his teeth and growl in anger. He knew what guilt he will carry with him. Then they turned to his little sister. Her body only had a wound on her neck but on the inside the magic had destroyed her. Unlike his brother, there was no trace of corruption on her. Both Zoth and Fenriolus could not explain this. Her blood that stuck to the ground also remained red and not black.
"Something is different about her, have you sensed anything over the years?"
"In the time I've seen her I haven't noticed anything?"
"Did her mother have any particular abilities or specialties?"
"She was a great queen and good in battle but I don't remember mother having any other abilities. She loved jewelry, most of which I took from her."
" Remember, even then she had a certain white pendant that she always wore. You must have kept it, show it to me!"
Fenriolus removed the trinket from his armor and gave it to Zoth. The eagle looked closely at the pendant, he noticed the small characters on the back.
"I believe it is more of a vessel than a pendant. It's worth a try, hang it on your daughter's hand."
Without questioning Zoth he followed his idea. But nothing happened, the two were dissapointed. The king had now lost all of his remaining family.
"I'm sorry father, I'm sorry mother. I could not honor your order, I was too ignorant. Dont hate brother too much Serezia, ultimately I was I who failed you two."
Suddenly, his sister's body glowed and dissolved into a bright light, which was drawn into the pendant. After a few seconds, the jewel cracked and burst into a hundred pieces. The light had formed a small flame that suddenly blazed and then dissolved in the air. Both couldn't believe it but Zoth knew what it meant.
"Seems like fate isn't quite as cruel as we thought. You know what this flame means. Your sister will live on, but not as you remember her now. Her soul will survive, but it could take centuries or millennia, when we are most likely dead that she will be found. She will probably not remember anything about you or her entire family."
"It doesn't matter, as long as I know she will continue to exist I haven't failed completely. Through Mother's help our bloodline will continue to exist, eventually she will remember all of this, I just know it."
"There is a way to possibly awaken her faster but it is a cruel one. Time itself doesn't matter, despair and chaos will be in the way, but in the end our goal might be achieved."
"Now tell me Zoth, what exactly do you mean?"
Zoth whispered something in Fenriolus' ear. He then ordered Fenrias to leave the hall and wait outside.
"You know that there is a soul pact. Your sister's soul still exists, it would be possible to complete it, but you know what that means. The closer you get to her, the more precisely you can locate her. It is not possible for you to search yourself, you will reign as king until the end of your days. Without you the people are in turmoil, we have peace for now but no one knows what might happen in your absence."
"She is my family, I cannot leave my sister alone. Who else do you suggest? There is no one who would make that pact."
"Yes, there is. Your most loyal companion who has returned to you. We both know he will take your orders without argument. Now the only question is whether you want to give him this task. He will never age, he will never be killed by time. A possibly endless journey awaits him, where success is not guaranteed."
"You want me to let Fenrias make the pact? You saw for yourself that he found no place for himself in the outside world."
" He is the only one who was allowed to be near your sister. Every time you were called to the gathering you ordered him to watch over her. Fenrias carried out this role for months. You know very well that your family never had many visitors so she didn't have much friends. She always considered him a good friend, she even called him uncle once. He watched her grow up so he can take care of her one more time. There is no one better suited than Fenrias... It's your decision my friend, do you want to leave it to coincidence or do you want to give yourself and him a chance to protect her?"
"...Damnit...what should I do...my faithful friend...?"
Fenrias waited orderly until his master stepped out of the palace and turned to him.
"Please keep everything that happened today a secret. Soon the other lords will arrive here. I can't guarantee your safety, this time you really can't come back. I have another mission for you..."
"No matter what, I will follow your orders. What mission are you giving me?"
"...Tell me Fenrias, who am I to you?"
"You are my savior, my ruler, my king and in my heart a good friend. Without you, I would be lost, you are full of mercy and justice. In all the time I have served you, I could not have been prouder."
"...You are wrong Fenrias, I am a terrible king plagued by guilt and shame. But this very king has one last cruel order, this time it is endless. By the time you carry it out I will be long dead, the kingdom will change and the world will be transformed."
"My king, what exactly do you mean by that? You are talking in riddles."
"Your mission is to find my sister through a soul pact. Even though her body is dead, her soul miraculously lives on. I myself cannot carry out this mission, I must face my punishment and responsibility. Hate me, despise my person, but fulfill only this one order...no, this one wish."
Without hesitation, he accepted the order and waited for further instructions. Zoth saw that Fenriolus despised himself for this order. Zoth took a small amount of her blood on the ground and drew runes on the giant wolf's forehead. Suddenly the runes ignited for a few seconds, the wolf felt a hellish pain but he endured it in front of his master.
"The pact is complete, my work here is done. Fenrias, let me give you some advice: Don't sink into despair and ruin yourself with self-pity. Don't forget your fighting spirit, you wolves have by far the strongest of all animals. This is my last farewell to the most loyal of soldiers. May you go your way and find her."
"Have thanks, great king. I will memorize these words."
"Even in this situation, you still speak so formally. This time it will be far more than just 10 years of Fenrias, forgive your king for his despair. You bear the greatest burden of all but rest assured: I will never give up believing in you, this time you will manage to succeed aswell. Do not give up hope. I am very proud to call you one of my own."
"Thank you for your words my king."
""Thank you Fenriolus suits you better. It sounds more natural."
"Thank you...Fenriolus. I will never forget your service, in your name I will find and protect your sister. I will hold this oath in my thoughts for eternity."
Fenrias then turned and set off to search the world for Fenriolus' sister. After he was at the edge of the forest, he looked towards the palace once more, a small tear rolling down his face. Now he was on his own, time no longer mattered to him. His determination never faltered and his will never weakened, but the dangers of this world were more serious than he thought. So he nearly met death quite often but saved himself in the last moment. He managed to survive alone without help, but at some point misfortune caught up with him. Soon came the first and only time that he accepted help from a stranger. To this day he has not forgotten the words that were said to him then.
"You look like you're lost. How long have you been here? Must have been since some time ago as I can tell by your eyes. You are lost yourself and yet you are looking for someone else first. You ARE looking for someone, no?...Actually, I don't think much of friends, but I have a good feeling about you. At least with you the world will be exciting again. I'll help you with your search and you'll help me change the world, deal?"
The young man saved him from his desperate situation. He was not afraid of him and Fenrias felt no hostility from him. Suddenly memories from his youth came to his mind.
"It seems that you don't want to tear me apart, so that's good. I can't understand you very well, so it's better if we get to know each other better. I am Leo, I'll just call you Metsu, that's what I wanted to call my first pet when I had one."
Fenrias saw that the friendly manner was only a facade. He knew the feeling the boy felt. His master was in exactly the same position at the end. Once full of hope, confidence and will, but in the end Leo had lost everything, just like Fenriolus. For some reason he wanted to help the young man, through Leo he had regained a small memory of his master.
"Then it is agreed from now on, now our shared journey begins."
So a ordinary human and a giant ancient monster wolf became friends and traveled through the worlds.
Auris was overwhelmed by all the information. Now she knew the whole story of Fenrias. Suddenly, more memories flashed through her mind.The wolf's thoughts were the trigger for her true appearance.
Sezur became stronger and stronger over time, looking for more and more victims to feed on. Fenrias had to think of something, there was no escape for the two. The black blood dripped from the mouth of the beast, the creature stumbled silently before him. The magic was spreading out on his whole body, there were not much attack spots for the black wolf.
"Only lions are king...no other worthy...must protect the throne."
("You sound like your old leader, short-sighted and arrogant. No wonder Fenriolus always defeated him. Today the wolf will win again.")
Suddenly he felt a lightning shock trough his body. Someone was finally awakened.
"What happened to you, Fenrias? Where did you get those scars? Why is your fur so destroyed?"
The giant wolf turned around and saw that he had finally accomplished his mission. In their shared consciousness, he saw a part of Serezias memories that she had managed to find. He was relieved yet focused on the danger before them.
("It has been a very long time young lady. I cannot yet answer these questions for you. We are in big trouble. Can you remember our secret training that your brother told you not to do?")
"It's been a very long time but I still understand the basics."
("That's more than enough, concentrate on the opponent and remember how we fought together.")
It was true that her brother prohibited her from any training, but she wanted to protect him at all costs, even though she was still a child. At first he refused her demands, but with time Fenrias let himself be lured in by her. After losing one of his brothers in a battle, he accepted to train with her secretly. Thus, as a young girl, she already possessed a very strong fighting capability. He taught her how to fight on his monster form. He wanted to prevent another of his cherished friends from dying at all costs.
Now the duo was able to fight the corrupt magic at full strength.
"We must be careful, this magic has taken my family before.
Serezia had formed the connection with Fenrias. So far they had only practiced fighting against training dummys. Now it was time to show everyone that they can do it in this serious situation. This fight was one of the most important events in the future history of the beastmen. A king gone crazy with an ancient poison,which had already killed Serezia once, against two ancient beings who were immune to time itself.