Inside the largest stone house in the village, a meeting was underway. This house, home to the village chief, stood slightly elevated on a small hill at the center of Vennet, overlooking the rest of the village. The house was no grander than the others, but its size allowed it to serve as the gathering place for important discussions.
The meeting room was dimly lit by the flickering flames of oil lamps hanging on the walls. A large wooden table dominated the center, surrounded by every household head of the village. Men and women of all ages, faces weathered by years of survival, filled the room, speaking in low voices. The air was thick with tension, an unspoken understanding of the danger they faced every day from the Wesen.
At the head of the table sat Garen, the village chief, an older man with gray hair and a strong build. He had led Vennet for over two decades, a respected figure whose calm but firm leadership had kept the village standing in the face of countless threats. Today, however, his expression was more grim than usual.
"We can't ignore it any longer," Garen said, his deep voice cutting through the murmurs. "The bear Wesen has been spotted too close to the village. If it comes any closer, we won't be able to stop it with our defenses alone."
The village elders exchanged worried glances. Yara, an elder huntress who had survived many encounters with Wesen, spoke up. "We should have dealt with it the moment we spotted its tracks. Now, it's too strong, too close. Our hunters are good, but this... this is something else."
Jorah, sharpening his axe earlier outside, now sat at the table, his gaze fixed on Garen. "The young ones aren't ready for something like this. I'll go, along with the best of our hunters. We've faced these beasts before and won."
"Not like this," Garen replied gravely. "This is not just any Wesen. The bear bloodline is ancient, stronger than any we've encountered in years. We need a plan."
A heavy silence fell over the room as the villagers considered their options. The Wesen had always been a constant threat, but the bear bloodline was known for its resilience and ferocity. More than one hunter had failed to return after tracking one of these creatures.
"I think we should strengthen the barricade," one of the younger men suggested. "Maybe we can trap it, slow it down before it gets to us."
"And how long will that hold it off?" another villager retorted, frustration evident in his voice. "A Wesen like this will tear through wood and stone like it's nothing."
"Enough!" Garen raised his hand, silencing the growing argument. "We need calm heads. The barricade won't hold forever, but it will buy us time. Jorah, gather your hunters. I want you tracking that thing as soon as the sun rises. In the meantime, we'll reinforce the village."
As Jorah nodded in agreement, the door to the meeting room creaked open. A tall figure stepped inside, cloaked in fur and shadow—Eira, the village seer. Her presence caused a stir among the gathered villagers, for Eira rarely appeared unless something dire was at hand. She moved silently to the center of the room, her pale eyes sweeping across the faces of the village's leaders.
"The bear Wesen is not your only concern," she said, her voice low and eerie. "I have seen visions... the blood moon will rise soon. And with it, the Wesen will grow bolder. More will come, not just the bear. You must prepare."
A chill settled over the room as her words sank in. The blood moon was an omen of chaos in Vennet's lore, a time when Wesen grew stronger, more animal than man. It was said that even those with just a hint of the bloodline could be affected, losing themselves to their beastly nature.
Garen leaned forward, his brow furrowed in thought. "How long do we have?"
"Less than 7 months ," Eira answered, her eyes gleaming in the firelight. "After that, not even your strongest hunters will be enough."
A sense of dread spread through the room. The villagers had long endured the threat of the Wesen, but to face multiple transformations at once was an overwhelming prospect.
"We need more than hunters," Yara said quietly, voicing what everyone was thinking. "If the blood moon rises, and the Wesen within the village start to change…"
Jorah's jaw clenched. "Then we have to make sure it doesn't come to that. We need to find out if anyone here is hiding the bloodline."
"Accusing our own people won't help us," Garen said sternly. "We've always lived with this danger, and we'll face it together. No one will be left behind."
"But we must be vigilant," Eira warned. "The blood moon will bring out the worst in those with the bloodline. Even those who have hidden it for years may lose control. You must be prepared for the possibility that some among you will transform."
Garen's face hardened as he looked around the room. Every person here had fought to protect Vennet from the outside dangers, but the thought of Wesen living among them, transforming during the blood moon, was a grim reality they had always feared but never faced directly.
"The plan stays the same," Garen finally said, though his voice carried the weight of uncertainty. "We strengthen the defenses. Jorah and his hunters will track the bear Wesen. Eira, you will help us monitor the villagers—if anyone begins to show signs of transformation, we'll deal with it quickly and quietly."
The meeting continued late into the night, with every villager on edge, their thoughts consumed by the looming blood moon and the growing Wesen threat.
But they didn't know that the solution of all thier problem has been born in this world.
Somewhere in the the village, inside a dilapidated house. Elira looked at her son with a smile on her face. " From now on you will be called Nicolas ."