vigila, et Liberos tueri, sicut et nos ausus per valle mortis. Si cadunt ante tempus nostrum..." one of the soldiers muttered nervously, clutching his rosary and thumbing through the beads before Alan grabbed his hand. "Not here, soldier," he said in a low voice, "not now." The soldier kissed the cross before putting the rosary away. It wasn't long before Eris stopped so sudden and shot her fist into the air, halting the men. She took a silent whiff in the air. Alan opened his mouth to speak but he shut it instead, for he saw the look on her face and knew something was wrong. 

The men raised their rifles slowly as they looked around, anticipating an ambush. Eris's ears twitched slightly as she listened closely. Suddenly, werewolves darted out of the darkness, snarling vicously as they charged for the kill. Immediately, Eris and the others fired their rifles as quickly as possible, wounding and killing some of the wolves, before resorting to hand to hand combat. Shots scattered out as they held their ground defiantely. After swiping  away one with her clawed hand, Eris wrestled out a flare gun and fired a single red flare into the sky, signaling Molan the location of the wolf hideout. 

Back at the trench, Molan spotted the flare through his binoculars and lowered them with a grin. "Got you now, Talborth." 

Slowly, one by one, the soldiers fell to the Lycans during the fighting until it came down to Eris and Alan, who held a pistol in one hand and a trench knife in the other. After using the last of his bullets, Alan threw his gun at one of the wolves before standing back to back with his comrade. The duo was surrounded by the overwhelming numbers. The wolves salivated as they snarled... but none made a move towards them. Eris and Alan have been in this war long enough to know that lowering their guard is a fatal mistake they dare not make, for the Lycans are cleverly deceptive. 

Then, something strange happened; the wolves parted and formed a path. Slowly, Eris and Alan moved their way down the path, their eyes not averting from the wolves. The path they followed soon led them to a large cave but the raised growls forced them to stop. Before either one could figure out what's happening, an albino Lycan walked out, one eye pasty white and the other a fierce red, The wolves knelt upon his appearance. The Lycan sniffed the air before turning to the two captured soldiers. "You hybrids, I will never understand," it spoke, "You turn against your own kind to fight alongside these... humans."

Eris recognized that voice, for she has heard it before. "At least the humans don't storm villages and slaughter everyone... Talborth." The albino Lycan, Talborth, lowered his head as he uttered a low growl. "You're right; instead, they raid dens and burn our pups alongside those too weak to fight." Eris clenched her fists. "What about children? Infants? Elderly folk who never took up arms? Half of them were hybrids."

Before Talborth could respond, Alan intervened. "I know there's a lot of history the two of you would love to dish out and point the finger at whoever did worse but there's something I need to know; why are we here?"

Talborth and Eris glared at one another in silence before the Lycan King spoke. "I wish to speak with the both of you. That is the only reason you are still alive. But because the foolish hybrid fired a flare, we don't have much time before the rest of the human troops arrive so this discussion will be short. Follow me." He turned to enter the cave, Eris and Alan following slowly. "I don't trust him." Eris remarked. "I know..." Alan responded, "but let's hear him out."


In the outskirts of the forest, Molan and several companies of troops entered the forest slowly, keeping vigilant of any sign of werewolf activity. Sky approached closely. "I want you to remain in the back. When the fighting starts, signal the cavalry." Molan instructed. "Yes, sir." Sky walked to the back as they pushed forward.