After having beaten the living shit out of these trans people, it was time to sit down and have a serious conversation with them. Well, technically they do transition from human to furry, so I believe calling them trans is an absolutely legitimate choice of words. Shifting back into my human form, I moved my hand and conjured an armchair, settling into it with a sigh.
"Damn it," I muttered, flexing my bruised muscles. "These motherfuckers sure know how to gang up on somebody."
'Well, they're wolves. What else did I expect from them?!' I mentally replied to myself, annoyed at my own bitching.
The forest around me was eerily silent, save for the occasional groan from one of the downed wolves.
"Haha, suckers cannot even take my love taps!" I muttered when I heard them groaning in pain.
I waited for about fifteen minutes, watching the moon inch higher in the sky until the first of them was healed enough to stand. The poor sod looked disoriented, but his eyes quickly found me, sitting comfortably and observing them with a beer in my hand.
Honestly, I'm not much of a beer man—Gin Tonic is more my style—but a beer fits the occasion after a workout. I saw him walking over, probably ready to spew some defiant nonsense, but before he could utter a word, I tossed a beer can his way. He caught it instinctively.
"Shut up and drink. We're waiting for the others to wake up," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.
He nodded, clearly understanding that if he put up an idiotic attempt at resistance, I would simply beat him up again, so he sat down to drink. The night wore on as more of them stirred, each one met with a beer and a silent command to join the impromptu gathering. Soon enough, a group of them had set up a campfire, and a few had brought some meat from God knows where. Eventually, the entire pack was conscious, nursing their wounds and their pride in equal measure.
"Well, this experience made me feel kinda gay, honestly," I said, remembering the scene. "I was surrounded by like nine to ten naked dudes—some lying comatose in a forest, some drinking and joking."
"Motherfucker, I'd beat you up if I could!" one of them muttered angrily at being called gay, but if he came at me, I would beat his ass up again.
"Shut up, pussy!" I replied boredly as I threw an empty beer can at him.
Finally, the last one of them woke up and joined his brethren. Their alpha stood up and approached me. The thing that most annoyed me was that he wasn't even trying to hide his dangling meat stick. Like, I get it, you guys are a group of exhibitionists hanging out nude in the forests, running around smelling one another's shit and butts. But some of us have something called decency, bro.
"Well, I suppose it is time for you to introduce yourself," the cocky bastard said.
I looked at him for a moment and then replied in a bored tone, "For someone who has been beaten up and just left alive because of my magnanimity, you seem to have not learned your lesson!"
This would be the perfect moment where a Chinese would say, 'I have eyes but failed to see Mount Tai!'
'Damn it! I want to go to China and beat some of them up just because their lines are much better than these American idiots!' I thought, somewhat annoyed.
I waited for a moment so that my brain could get done with the stupid shit that I occasionally thought about before continuing, "Does this idiot represent you all, or is there someone here who has a working brain?!"
The alpha's teeth ground together, but he held his tongue.
"Alright," I began, addressing the group. "Now that we're all here, let's talk."
The alpha, still nursing a particularly nasty gash on his side, glared at me but kept his mouth shut. They might hate my guts, but they'd seen firsthand what defying me would get them.
"Seems like our guest is not as simple as he appears," I heard Billy say, taking in the state of the pack with a critical eye. It seemed the dude in the wheelchair had been informed and made his way over at some point, but I simply did not care about him, for he posed no threat to me.
"Finally, someone worth talking to," I replied, my mood lifting.
"So, Severus, what do you want?" he asked, skipping past the usual pretentious bullshit we both could have cooked up.
"I want what's best for your tribe," I replied honestly.
"Please, go on. What is it that you think is best for my tribe?" His tone shifted slightly as he emphasized "my" tribe, making it clear that he, and not the so-called alpha, was the real shot caller.
"I am, among other things, a wizard. You might call it a shaman or something like that. I seriously lack knowledge about how your culture works." I waved my hand and transfigured a few chairs and a table for everyone to sit at.
Their eyes went wide at the display of magic, but being skin-changers, they adapted quickly to this new reality.
"It would be a pleasure to explain our culture to you. But you still didn't answer my question," Billy said eventually.
"I'll get to that, but first, would you like a drink?" I offered.
"Sure," he said, and I handed him some firewhisky, making the bottle levitate into his hand.
"Okay, now that you know what I am, we can talk. This world is complicated and on the brink of war. It will either change for the worse or for the better, depending on the choices we all make now and in the coming time."
Billy's eyes widened at the mention of war, understanding that it never boded well.
"What war?" he asked.
"One unlike anything you know of. My kind feels they're being sidelined. Some hardliners among them believe they need to do something to change the current situation," I explained, watching the cogs and wheels turn in his head.
"And they'll do everything they can to achieve their goal," he said, his tone worried.
"Exactly. Now, I personally believe they're right," I said, seeing his eyes take on a dangerous glint, ready to break all civility based on my next words. "But their way of going about it is idiotic!" I added quickly, and saw him calm down.
"Magic is a force that is incredibly versatile and has much potential to influence the world, but due to some stupid shit, we're forced into hiding. But I believe there's much more we can achieve if we all work together rather than working against one another," I explained.
"And how would we work together?" he asked, and I grinned.
"There are several ways. For starters, we can share information and resources. Your tribe has unique abilities and knowledge that could be invaluable. In return, I can offer magical protection, training, and alliances with other groups who want to maintain peace and stability," I began.
Billy listened intently, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Go on."
"I'm forming a coalition. A group of like-minded individuals and factions who understand that unity is our best chance for survival and progress."
Billy took a sip of his firewhisky, considering my words. "And what's in it for us?"
"Safety, for one. Plus, the potential for new opportunities—whether that's expanding your territory, accessing new resources, or simply ensuring the future for your children and theirs."
"Also, my main goal is to help you transform your land and build a sanctuary. Here we will offer anyone and everyone a place to hide from this war and the coming unrest, and all I want is for you guys to become the police force of this sanctuary. Protect it, and apply the laws unbiased and justly," I explained.
"So you want our land and for us to become your guard dogs?" the so-called alpha I'd beaten up asked aggressively.
"Mmm, that would be one way to word it," I replied, smirking.
"And another way would be?" Billy interjected, clearly more interested in a constructive conversation.
"I am offering you sponsorship, safety, and a chance to improve your situation. Contrary to what you might think, we magicals are much more in tune with nature. Magic and technology don't mix well, so we tend to preserve and protect natural environments. Magic can help you, too," I said, pointing towards Billy's wheelchair.
I mean, for fuck's sake, we play Quidditch, a sport where people fly God knows how high in the sky and try to knock each other off brooms, yet we don't have wheelchairs because we've solved that problem! Potions, bitches!
"That sounds interesting," Jacob muttered, and I saw some of the other wolves nodding along.
Billy also nodded slowly, but he was not naive like Jacob. "It's still a big risk."
"Everything worth having is," I countered. "But I'm not asking for blind faith. I'm asking for a partnership. You'll have a say in how we move forward. We all will."
Billy looked around at his pack, now more alert and focused. "We'll need to discuss this."
"Of course," I agreed. "Two weeks, the clock is ticking. The hardliners won't wait forever, and when they move, it will be swift and brutal. And I too need time to set things into motion."
"What about the bloodsuckers?" the wannabe alpha asked at this moment, still aggressive.
"What about them?" I shot back, getting slightly fed up with this idiot's bullshit, but I couldn't rip his head off, or all deals would be off the table.
"How will
you get rid of them for your great plan?" he demanded.
"And why would I get rid of them?" I countered.
"They're parasites," he spat.
"They're what they are! And parasites? Wow, that's racist, and in this case, it fits much better than what humans throw at each other!" I retorted, watching his anger rise while Billy remained calm.
"And the true reason?" Billy prompted.
"First of all, they do indeed drink blood, but that doesn't mean they have to kill. With a mandatory blood bank, and some planing we can easily feed a number of them without casualties. Plus, their presence helps trigger your people's awakening, doesn't it? Finally, why would I be biased as long as they follow the rules we set? A sanctuary is supposed to be for everyone." I explained.
"And how will you ensure they won't play you?" the idiot asks, and a few others nodded in agreement.
*Sigh*
'I wonder once again why, or how idiots manage to worm their way to the top?!'
I looked at them all as if they were morons because they were being moronic. "Billy, the number of idiots within your tribe seems to be rather high, or is it just a coincidence that so many idiots are here today?" I asked Billy, who looked away, clearly ashamed.
"You saw me transform chairs and tables out of dirt, yet you don't think I might have a magical solution to prevent us all from backstabbing one another?" I raised an eyebrow at them.
They wanted to ask a few more questions, but knowing Charlie would wonder what we were up to and where everyone had disappeared to, we decided to keep it short. I offered them my deal and gave them the same grace period I gave the vamps—two weeks.
He stood up, extending his hand. "We'll be in touch."
I shook his hand firmly. "I look forward to it."
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Hey everyone,
I finally finished posting the last chapter of the first Ark for my Patrons, if you want to read the whole Ark, you know where to go!!! I will now be writing/posting the second Ark!!
Here's the deal: we have a few milestones to hit, and if we can reach them, I'll release an extra chapter as a thank-you. Here's where we stand:
- **3000 cumulative PowerStones**: We're just around **490** currently short of this goal, standing at ~2510.
- **50 cumulative reviews**: We still need **20** more to reach this milestone, standing at 30.
- **450 cumulative comments**: We're just **19** comments away from hitting this target, standing at 431.
- **5000 cumulative collections**: We're short around **910** collections to make this happen, standing at ~4.09k.
-**50 cumulative Patrons**: We're short **34** Patrons to achieve this goal. I suppose my irregular release rate is the cause, but cut me some slack I have ADHD, and get bored easily....
The most achievable goal is simply giving me all them Power Stones!
So, if you're enjoying the story and want that extra chapter, let's work together to hit these goals. Every bit of support counts, and I'm excited to see what we can accomplish as a community!
Link: pat**on.com/ikaru5
As always a big "Thank you!" for all your continued support!