FENRER

Dawn must always return.

"Fenrer?"

Dusk crawled along with crimson tendrils and whispered red. Fenrer lost his way among the flaked, black trees. He frowned when Reyn tugged on his forearm with a small whimper. "I don't like this."

Fenrer stopped underneath a fallen tree, leaning against its neighbour for support. Instinctual dread choked him to his heart, but he forced himself to focus on the call of the wood around him. I am a Pyren. His knees locked when shadows answered the call of the crimson dusk through the canopy bleeding light. I am a Pyren. Pyren's never fear shadows. Tar slipped through the constant flow of the world, and he repeated the mantra over and over on his ancestor's tomb.

Dawn must always return. We are the light's harbingers...

Fenrer set his hand on Reyn's shoulder when the flow distorted and grew a tumour across the grove. Red orbs grew from its twisted mass. A jaw full of teeth cracked and ground against bone marrow. His heart hammered against his ribcage with the way it chewed on the purity of the world's flow. He dug his fingers into Reyn when it snapped its own neck and its tail flopped among the dirt. Its tongue slicked across the ground to taste it. Its entire body hissed, and every single pair of eyes zoomed in on them.

It dug gnarled nails into the ground and made it bleed.

Reyn hid in the shadows of the fallen, wilted tree. "Fenrer..."

Dad...

He refused to cry out when it released a low guttural moan, swiping its tongue over its twisted maw.

Dad.

A shudder ripped through its spine. Sharpened edges cracked out of its back with each step it took. Its maw opened wide enough to swallow them whole.

I am a Pyren. I am not afraid of shadows. I am not.

It licked the ground further and left a trail of tar to wilt the grass. Tasting. Wanting. Fenrer took a small step back when the aura consumed with hunger all around it.

I am a Pyren, like Father, like Mother, like my ancestor, the Wolf of Haneka.

Reyn cried.

Everything in his body screamed to run, but he refused to stand down in the shadows. He held out his arms when it took a lunge forward, a second set of jaws cracking out of its mouth. At his feet, an emerald glyph spun and tried to rip out the ground to form a shield. Another shudder ran through his spine when lightning hissed. It sparkled against the flow to light the dark, following the energy expanding from a single source behind him. Reyn held his hand out as static cracked along his fingers and lit the misty greys with power.

It faded into nothing when Reyn sobbed.

It leaped with a screech.

Golden wind exploded over his head, and a glaive made of pure ice wedged into the back of its throat and out its back. One half of its jaw tore to the sinew and left it broken when it slammed back into another tree, stuck with the ice-made glaive. It whipped its tail, but Fenrer raised his head when a shape leaped over the fallen tree with grace, carried on the same wind which sent the beast back.

Metal crescents balanced on a point as the strange figure landed on top of the shadow's head when it freed itself with a sickening crack of detaching its own head. Fenrer held onto Reyn when its head formed like a bloody flower with a snap at their boots. With another graceful twist, they broke the spine at the base of the neck with their boot. The ice glaive returned to their hands when the thing raised itself to its feet with a hiss.

One more lunge, the ice glaive broke through the spine to meet the tip of another one when the beast found itself stuck in a sapphire-tipped glyph of snow. It exploded into mist and smothered the crimson on the leaves. An aura of winter slammed the magick further into the beast with relentless unforgiveness. Fenrer peered through the mist to the bright, beaded sapphires of a wyvern made into a man. A different hiss left their nose in a plume of ice as the pupils tightened, the gold-spun feathers on end. Twine spun of snow coiled around their fingers when the beast snapped their jaws at them.

It lunged to consume the other being, but the whispered winter plumed in mist as both tangled into the unseen. Fenrer scrambled to join Reyn underneath the tree as things tore and something screeched.

He let out his own when it snapped out of the mist.

In another swift stroke, the crescent blade caught its throat and dug the hook deep. Caught in the trap, the armored wyvern swung with one more pull, and the crimson burst against the infected flow. Golden stars flew out from its body and into dust as winter's shield remained. Fenrer tried to peek through the mist when the figure straightened themselves out to bring their hands to their chest. With a single breath, the mist fell into the ground and gave the world clarity.

Reyn continued to cry.

Fenrer sank to his knees and stared up at their saviour.

Mist puffed out of their nose as the beads considered him, to then fall into slimmer pupils. Their feathers fluttered with the wind they created, and Fenrer whimpered when they knelt down to their level. Warmth echoed off their aura, a fire in the deepest throes of winter. "Are you two unharmed?" Melodic chimes hushed with the breeze. Songs of a distant land.

On their neck, a wyvern shielded the star. Back to their eyes, deep and dark as the sea.

Northernkin. An Avaerilian. He knew nothing of the people of the north except in stories.

Golden stars fell along the field of their battle, their armour of leather and chains none worse for wear against the beast. Fenrer found himself focused on the flicking golden feathers tucked around their ears to stretch through strands of their golden hair.

They blinked, and the pupils slimmed further as they smiled. "You have no need to worry," they explained. "It is gone." Their smile died into a thoughtful frown. "Maybe you can help me?" A chuckle escaped their lips, and Fenrer spotted the sharpened canines. "I have gotten lost in this strange land of trees... and grass. You would not happen to know where the place called Sungrove is?"

"S—" He shook with fear. "Sungrove?"

"Syu!" The strange Avaerilian nodded, and their feathers bounced along, relaxed. "What are your names? Can you stand?"

"I-I am-I am Fenrer Pyren," he found his voice. "Who are you?"

Reyn said nothing behind him, clinging onto the back of his shirt.

"Ah, rude of me. Apologies, to ask for your name and to not give mine in return," the Avaerilian said and bowed deeper with a fist over his heart. "I am Neven Lotayrin. I am Storm Warden. I will not harm either of you."

Storm Warden? Mother told him stories of the Order of Light. Warriors without peer — who Father pointed out their home off the coast of the Hanekan gulf, on an island among the archipelago at sea. Few joined their ranks. His knees refused, or couldn't work, and shadows weighed on his shoulders. "We're... We're lost too," he admitted and forced a smile on his face, for a smile helped. Neven returned the gesture, so Fenrer forced himself to his feet and nudged Reyn out of their shelter. "It's okay, Reyn. He means it when he says he won't hurt us."

"Do either of you need help?" Neven asked. "You two look like you took quite the tumble."

Fenrer rubbed his ankle. "I'm alright... Reyn?" He frowned when Reyn stared at Neven in terror. He shook and breathed hard, causing Neven's brow to furrow with rippled confusion through his warm aura. Storm clouds shrunk, drowning in the snow. "Reyn?" Fenrer asked, and Reyn snapped his head to him, before dropping his gaze to the ground.

Neven sighed, then nodded at Fenrer. "You did good, little one."

"I did good?" Fenrer allowed Reyn to hold onto him. "With what?"

"You stood against the Derelict." Neven rolled his shoulders. "Here, I shall take point and you lead me to where you must have fallen. If you stay with me, no shadows shall befall you. Does that sound good?"

Fenrer nodded and stayed in Neven's shadow into the forest. He pointed them in the right direction, though his ankles burned further when they reached the ridge. Neven flicked his gaze up and down the ridge with a deepening frown. "You two fell from there?" He pointed upwards.

"Yes..." Fenrer shivered. "Sungrove should be up the ridge. If we walk a little bit and find the creek we'll be home..." Flames struck his temples and went straight to his feet. He sank to his knees, causing Reyn to let him go. "Ow..."

Neven leaned closer, and Fenrer winced from the appraising sapphires. "You are an Aurus." He readied himself for judgement, but frowned when Neven's aura held none of Nikos' torment. "It seems I'll have to make a way up," he said instead.

Glyphs expanded across the exposed roots to ripple whispered ice through the flow. It matched the smaller glyph writhing across Neven's palm when he held it up. Ice steps thrust out of the ground and formed a staircase up the ridge, but never impeded on the growth.

Fenrer touched the closest block to test the slippery texture, but it was as solid as stone.

"Well?" Neven grinned. "Pretty good, right?"

His aura is so warm.

Fenrer hauled himself onto the first block of ice, but whimpered when fire struck deeper into his head as Neven hauled Reyn to the step. He refused to give in to the growing shadows at the corners of the world to reach the top — home. It became a raging inferno in his temples, and he dug his fingers into his skull.

"Are you well?"

"It hurts..." He tried to close his senses as Auro Ituan taught him, but all the noise and auras consumed his sight. It drove into his nose with different, mixed scents. Front he old decay and mold to something warmer and left a taste of creamy cookies. It tore him apart and sliced his tongue as it dug into his brow, and he sank closer to the ground to listen only to the world.

"Fenrer, was it?"

Fenrer gazed up at the Avaerilian who called himself Neven Lotayrin.

He held his hand out. "I think I can find my way from here. I can help you two."

Let me help.

Fenrer nodded and Neven scooped him up with one arm, and Neven held out his free hand to Reyn with a smile. Reyn stared up at him in fear. Tears swam in the storm, but he reached out to clasp Neven's hand.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Father. I'm sorry I was so afraid... I'm not a giant.

He lost track of time as he clung onto Neven from around the shoulders and guided them both through the forest. Voices shouted and clamoured and the soft, but distinct scent of a campfire swallowed his nose. Horses whinnied in agitation and slammed their hoofs against the ground. He opened himself back to the world through his exhaustion, and Neven's summer warmth and winter texture rippled in barbed unease.

"Why are you scared?" Fenrer managed out his question.

"I... haven't experienced the warmest of welcomes," Neven admitted, but smiled at him. "It will be fine. You can rest."

Fenrer spotted one of Father's housecarls rush off the wall.

Everything blurred together when shapes clamoured around them and pointed at Neven, whose feathers thinned and pressed deeper into the sides of his head as a nervous puff of mist left his nose with a gentle hiss. Over the heads of the crowd, a giant forced his way through. Worry spiked the green aura and spread flames across the forest.

"Little Wolf, Prince Reyn. Thank the Ancients you are both safe," Father said and grabbed Fenrer from Neven's arms, and Reyn retreated into Father's shadow. Neven stared up at Father with widening eyes, but Father bowed to him. "You have my eternal gratitude, Storm Warden... for finding my son and Prince Reyn. Sungrove is always open to you." Father shuffled on his feet, echoing Neven's previous nervousness. "Dinner has been made — and your team was waiting for you."

Neven clasped his hands together and the feathers tightened in the wind. "There is no need to thank me," he muttered. "It is my duty. By your leave, I shall join my companions."

"Dad," Fenrer rasped.

Concern stained his colours. "Fenrer, what happened?" His voice shook and sat with Fenrer when Neven shuffled sheepishly over to another dark-haired individual, whose dark, yet genuine aura fluttered with disapproval and amusement both when he clapped Neven's shoulder. "Tell it all to me, then we can get some food into you and allow you rest."

"Nik—" Fenrer choked on the last presence of terror. "Nikos wanted to find the hunting party. Erikur and Gylfi went with them. I tried to stop him, I tried." Tears escaped his eyes, and he had not the strength of a giant. "I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to put myself and Reyn in danger. I just wanted to... Something attacked us and then—" Air caught in his lungs. "I didn't want to mess it up. Nikos is upset about his father—"

Father straightened himself out and held him close. "That does not excuse how foolish he acted. He put himself, his friends, you and Reyn in danger. I had a talk with them already." Stress carved ravines in his face, a giant of Haneka who could tear the roots out of the ground. "I am just glad that you are safe, Little Wolf."

"I... I'm not in trouble?" Fenrer tested the soft colour of deep forests, but nothing burned with rage. "You're not angry."

"I think whatever happened was punishment enough." Father poked his cheek. "For the next couple days, can you do me a favour and stay in Sungrove's walls?"

"Yes."

Father smiled, but it never touched his eyes. "Thank you, Fenrer."

Fenrer clung onto Father when he carried him out of the crowds, but he caught Neven's eye out of reach of the crowds. "Dad?" he whispered. "Can I go say thank you to that Warden?"

Father put him back on the ground, and he left him to head for the two Warden's.

"Warden Commander Faehariel will be waiting for us in Sivaport—" the dark-haired Warden said with a distinct Islander accent, and went silent when Fenrer stood between them.

"I'm sorry," Fenrer said to Neven. "I want to thank you for saving my life and Reyn's. I-I've only ever heard about Derelicts in stories. It wasn't what I expected..."

Creatures of the Obscura realm, formless, relentless, depraved... but then...

He gazed up at the Avaerilian - those with the voice and ethereal figures of sirens but the halfway appearance of wyverns.

Neven gazed at the fire close-by instead of him. "It is no problem, Fenrer," he said. "I am a shield in the dark and a blade of the light."

"He should be thanking you for leading the way here," his companion released a friendly laugh. "I can't wrap my head around how you got lost."

"I'm afraid finding one's way through a blizzard is different from a forest, Kemal." Neven sighed, but bowed to Fenrer. "But, he is correct. Thank you, Fenrer, for without you, I'm sure I'd still be wandering the forest long into the night before someone found me."

Fenrer shrank into his shoulders. "You're welcome," he whispered. "Um... I like your feathers, by the way."

Neven blinked, then smiled with a tip of his head. "Thank you for your kind words, little one. You should rest." He nodded at Father, who waited for him at the steps of the estate.

Fenrer nodded, and raced back to his arms.

Back home, in the warmth of Sungrove.