When they returned from their hunt, Asren was teasing Virgil about something.

“Ha! I told you!” Asren laughed.

Meanwhile Virgil seemed flushed and embarrassed, not looking Asren nor Celpi in the eye. He gently shoved Asren, which only made the morlak laugh more. Just as Asren finally settled down, and began prepping the meat, a shrill eerie howl sounded from somewhere near. Celpi shivered, though not from the cold. They could hear pawsteps nearby. Asren rose to his feet, putting his hand on the handle of his knife.

“What are those?” Asren asked.

“You mean there’s multiple?” Virgil tensed.

Asren nodded, “I sense multiple souls… deeply corrupted ones.”

Celpi stood up as well, "They're drakewulves. They may be small, but they might be the most dangerous creatures in this forest… We need to leave now, or we’ll be surrounded.”

“They’ll just follow us though!” Virgil protested.

Asren’s ears twitched in every direction a sound came from, his tail fur rising. He knew he had to  make the best decision for his friends.

“We stay and fight. I can take out most of them myself, Celpi and Virgil, you can get any that slip through my grasp. They speak through telepathy. I hear them saying their strategy. Their strength lies in their combined attacks, which I can handle, considering I’m immortal.” Asren reasoned.

Virgil hid behind Asren, as if that would protect him.

“I trust you.” He murmured.

Asren smirked. “I know, just don’t die on me, my dear Virgil.”

VIrgil’s eyes widened, and before Asren could say anything else, the drakewulves attacked. Asren finally fully whipped out his knife, slicing the first one’s chest before draining its life. He extended the blade and chopped off another one’s head, and stomped the ground to emit an energy wave that knocked them off-balance.

One was just about to bite Celpi’s arm off, when Asren noticed and without hesitation, used an angelic light beam to kill the beast. He paused out of shock, and that mistake cost him his leg. A drakewulf had bit down hard on his hip, and tore off his leg.

“Shit!” Asren hissed, as pain shot through his body.

He fell to the ground, but used his momentum to maneuver and use his other leg to kick another drakewulf which had tried attacking Virgil. Virgil’s eyes widened in horror at the scene. Somehow Asren kept fighting without a leg, as if he’d lost it before and learned how to move without it. He could tell the bleeding had already stopped. What was Asren?

Meanwhile Asren and Celpi finally killed the last of the drakewulves. Asren collapsed, and groaned. It happened again. He swore to himself he’d never have to regrow a limb again. But here he was.

“Asren, what do I do? How can I help you?” Virgil urged.

Asren smiled softly, and despite his extreme pain, made a joke.

“Get me that damn cheese.”

Virgil scoffed. “You just had your leg torn off by a drakewulf, and you’re worried about cheese?”

Asren nodded, “I’ve been through enough suffering that pain hurts like normal but no longer affects me the same way. It barely affects me, actually. Now, this forest is not safe, we need to stay up until we’re out.”

Virgil protested. “But you can’t move in this condition!”

Asren snorted, as if it was amusing and offensive at the same time.

“I just fought off the rest of those things with one leg. Just let me lean on you in case I lose balance. Other than that, I can hop.” Asren replied.

Virgil hesitated. “Okay, whatever you need.”

Asren smiled, another one of those beautiful genuine ones.

“Thank you, my dear Virgil.” Asren commented, before poising himself on his single leg, which already had some tissue growing back. “There’s an old port town nearby, less than a mile out from the forest. They have a medic, and an old friend who has my next lead. We communicate via telepathy, like those beasts we just encountered.”

Virgil helped Asren stand, then made sure he was stable before they began walking. Asren seemed irritated now.

“Please, Virgil, there’s no need to wait over me like a critically ill patient.”

Virgil sighed, “You’re right, you’ve clearly got this handled, I’m sorry. I just… I worry.”

Asren paused his hop, and turned to look at Virgil.

“That’s why I protect you so valiantly, Virgil. Because we care about each other.”

Virgil thought he saw a faint blush on Asrens cheeks. Does he really blush easily, or does he fall in love easily? Or was he imagining it? Asren continued walking, Virgil followed, and the moment was over. Celpi and Virgil fell behind the group, and Virgil was about to ask if Celpi saw the blush, when she answered it.

“How long have you two been friends? Because he’s completely smitten.” Celpi teased.

“And what would you know of romance?” Asren asked.

Celpi smiled brightly, “I witnessed the people who travelled through my forest, and the way they protect each other is just like you and Virgil.”

Virgil sighed dramatically, “We’ve known each other for a couple days. There’s no romance whatsoever.”

Asren’s ears drooped slightly. But he continued holding himself high. Once they found the exit with Celpi’s help, they finally rested. And the next day, arrived at the town Asren had told about. It was littered with pirates, rogues, and thieves. Asren seemed to know everyone there, they even seemed to fear him a bit. The air smelled musky and felt humid, the skies acquiring more clouds. The hurricane from earlier was arriving here now. Finally, they met with a winged, hooded woman, named Lunre. Lunre was dressed in black and pale blue.

“Lunre, my darling, how have your travels been?” Asren asked, shaking her hand formally.

“Now I’m getting mixed messages.” Celpi whispered to Virgil.

“I agree, the ‘darling’ suggests affection, while the way they shook hands suggests formality.”

“Who are your gossipy acquaintances?” Lunre asked, raising an eyebrow.

“These are my friends, actually. Celpi, the shapeshifter, and Virgil the… human.”

Lunre shook each of their hands, her grip firm.

Asren cleared his throat. He didn’t seem embarrassed of them, more just nervous. Lunre finally took off her hood. She was a morlak, like Asren, except she had green hair, wings, and a tail, rather than dark blue.

“Now, onto business.” Her voice turned hushed. “I finally found a concrete lead that gives us the location of the mirrorstate, though still not the nature of it.”

A gruff voice appeared from a pirate who had approached the bar stool next to them.

“So, you know where the mirrorstate is. Mind selling me that information?”

Asren paused, he could read this man’s soul. He was almost as pure as Celpi. And he had an enchantment stone. Asren smirked.

“No. However, if you can enchant this pair of gloves I bought from a traveling merchant, then you can travel with us.” Asren extended his hand.

“Name’s Faldrid, I’m happy to be of service.” He took Asren’s hand. And just moments later, the transaction was finished. But now the hurricane had begun to take force. Faldrid ushered them to the lower bunk under his home to wait it out. While they waited, Lunre told them all the information she knew. Celpi put on her gloves to protect others from her touch.

Faldrid’s lower bunk felt cold, but it was better than a hurricane, no matter how minor. It had two spare rooms, each with two beds. Books lined the shelves in various genres.

“How did you youngin’s meet?” Faldrid asked after the boredom settled in.

“Virgil made a wish out of greed and his father died, so I told him he can fix it with the mirrorheart. Shortly after, I got ambushed, hence we fled in search of the mirrorheart. We found Celpi in the forest of woes, then made it here.” Asren explained.

Suddenly a loud bang was heard upstairs.

“Fuck!” Asren cursed, grabbing his knife, “Stay here, all of you.”

Asren went upstairs, and fighting could be heard. Faldrid went up to aid him, while Virgil waited in cowardice, wanting to protect Asren, but unable to move his limbs. Celpi was simply following instructions. And as for Lunre, she didn’t care enough to help. Finally, they returned.

“Care to tell us what that was ‘bout?” Faldrid asked, calm, but his crossed arms reminded Asren of his father, so he tensed.

“I don’t need to explain my history to you. It’s better if you let it be.” Asren rolled his eyes, his ears pinned back and tail flicking.

Faldrid bristled, ready to retort. But Celpi sighed, stepping in.

“Let’s, the four of us who are travelling together, tell each other our stories. It will lead to better companionship and trust, which is important for travelling parties.” Celpi suggested.

Virgil nodded, Faldrid nodded, and finally, Asren nodded as well.

Asren's life was damned from the very beginning. His powers arrived late, and he inspired deviance in the other morlak children. Both traits made him a disgrace among the morlak people. Though since he never became a sledith, his parents took matters into their own hands, cutting off his wings and selling him to human scientists at only 8 years of age. From there, he grew up in the laboratory, being genetically altered with various DNA’s to become an angelic soldier. They cut off his limbs to see if they would grow back with their alterations, they burned his skin to test flame resistance, and more. But he escaped at 14, and built a name for himself through many hardships. Finally, he arrived here.

Virgil’s father left them when he was only a toddler, and since then his family had been in deep poverty. His mother died of starvation, leading Virgil to be cared for by his two older brothers and sister. He’d never found anything he could enjoy, and developed a disdain towards having to work for things, viewing the need to work to survive as unfair.

Faldrid’s crew was murdered and eaten by sirens, including his pregnant wife. He retired, falling into old habits and patterns. He now wants revenge on the sirens more than anything. Celpi was cursed upon birth by a mysterious beings, then sent to live in the forest of woes once it manifested, at 5 years old. She lived alone until she was finally found and saved by Asren and Virgil.

The party sat in silence for a few moments, before making a pact. They would try to heal their trauma, with each other’s companionship and assistance. Then, they’d make the best wishes for themselves. They didn’t have to be ruled by their trauma. They didn’t have to survive, they could live.

They slept that night with a new conviction in their hearts. In the middle of the night, however, Virgil awoke Asren, seeming worried. Asren sat up, his ears drooping as he yawned before perking up again.

“What’s wrong, my dear Virgil?”Asren asked.

“What if I’m not capable of healing?” Virgil asked sincerely.

Asren’s gaze softened, and he patted the spot next to Virgil. “Everyone is capable of healing. You just have to be willing to heal, and willing to work towards that goal.”

Virgil sat next to Asren, and leaned his head on his shoulder. “I’m not so sure of that…”

“Why not?” Asren queried.

“Because it's taken me nineteen years and I’m nowhere closer to it.” Virgil responded.

Asren chuckled softly. “I wasn’t either, until I met you.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. “How? What have I done?”

Asren didn’t even stop to think before responding. “You were the first person to treat me like a human, you showed me kindness in your own way, you trusted me, you were there for me, you protected me in the ways you could. But what’s more important than any of that… you genuinely care.”

Virgil felt tears welling up in his eyes. Tonight was an emotional one for sure, but hearing Asren say all those good qualities about him… It made him want to get better even more. But was it enough for him to truly start trying? Or was he going to stay in his cycle of bitterness and hopelessness?

Virgil slept cuddled up to Asren that night, seeking comfort in his new friend. Perhaps everything will be okay after all. Or perhaps it won’t. Either way, he felt like as long as he had Asren by his side, he would be okay. Virgil fell asleep first, and Asren watched him for a bit, before kissing his forehead and falling asleep as well.