When I arrived in the meeting hall, I found that Vekrem, Asema, and Saise were already there, standing in a neat row before the raised throne. Three guards stood on each side, and from their nervous postures, and odd glances in my direction, rumors had most certainly spread about my powers.

  “Great…” I thought. “Another reason for them to hate me.”

  Dragon smoldered pridefully. The creature relished in their fear.

  Yet, when Lucretia, who sat on the plain chair that would be a throne, raised her hand, the guards fell at attention. It was clear who they feared more, and I could tell that Dragon’s pride was somewhat bruised that it wasn’t me.

  “Come and take your place among the others, human,” Lucretia demanded.

  Slowly, I walked the pure-white floors, a tiny echo bouncing from spiraling pillar to spiraling pillar. I took a place between Asema and Vekrem. I glanced towards Vekrem first, and he gave me an odd look. A pitying eye… with a fair bit of an embarrassed red glow on his face.

  What did the man think happened?

  I dared to turn and glance at Asema… and I found that she was staring intently back at me with a look of pure contempt.

  Oh, they both had thought the same. They thought…

  “We didn’t do anything—”

  “You provided me with much comfort last night, human,” Lucretia cut-in with a smug grin. “Much comfort indeed. I will remember longingly of our coupling—and I do so hope you enjoy that little gift I left you.”

  I fingered the silver necklace in my pocket. A gift, a bribe, or a curse… I couldn’t decide which yet.

  “We’ve had pleasure, so now it is on to business,” Lucretia continued. “Simply put, I am inclined to allow you to travel on unopposed. I sense no ill-intent from any of you; well, nobody except that rotted human. If I weren’t so magnanimous, I would have those hatful eyes plucked from your head.”

  Asema glowered with anger. “Try it, you stupid bitch—”

  “What she meant,” Vekrem interrupted, “was that she appreciates your patience. We cannot wait to be on our way after such a lovely night in the dungeons.” He coughed. “Very comfortable cots. Best I’ve slept on, truth be told.”

  “Shut up,” Lucretia replied. “Truth be if I hadn’t the need of your assistance, then you’d all have stayed until I received word from our Alpha.”

  Like a static shock, a shiver ran up my spine as Dragon was suddenly very alert.

  “Need of assistance, you say?” Vekrem asked. “And how may we assist someone as great as yourself?”

  “Speak no more, sycophant. Your words carry nothing but poisoned honey. You,” Lucretia pointed at me, “I am tasking you with the slaying of a particularly vile creature in the Grimstead Thicket. A nasty critter. Once an Ursa—a bear-hybrid—he succumbed to the rot. Yet instead of eventually consuming the man, it fused with him. They became as one. So powerful that none sent to slay the monster have returned. I am speaking of Plaguefang the Harrowed; as the locals have taken to calling it. Nonsense, of course. Naming mindless beasts only adds to the insanity. Yet I also must attest to its strength. It killed even some of my best. Bring me this creature’s heart, and you may wander our lands freely, seeking your Ashenheart Mushroom or whatever else your nature desires.”

  “That’s it?” I replied. “We need to kill a monster that killed some of your best, and all we get out of it is permission to travel?”

  Lucretia shot me a dangerous glare. “Or I could just kill you now.”

  “Good point,” I replied. “We heartily accept the offer.”

  Lucretia clapped. “Excellent; I thought you just might. Here—”

  Soon, human servants entered the hall, all carrying various sacks. They showed us and then carried them towards the front doors.

  “Where are they going?” I asked.

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  “I’ve given you enough provisions for a party of five for the three days of travel there and back. More than you actually need. Plaugefang is said to be the size of a house. You’ll need a horse and cart to bring back its heart, should you somehow be victorious.”

  I shrugged. “Wait… ‘somehow’? Do you… Do you think we are going to fail?”

  “I’m quite certain of it,” Lucretia replied. “But I’ve been wrong before.”

  The least she could have done was lie and say she believed in us. Was that so much to ask from someone who is sending someone on a death mission?

  I rolled my eyes. “Thanks…”

  “You won’t be thanking me when you lay eyes on the beast,” Lucretia replied. “If you manage to survive this ordeal, my odd little human, then since you have already scratched my back… I would love to scratch yours in return.”

  With that, she waved us away.

  The others stepped lightly, moving as soon as they were dismissed, but my legs froze in place. I couldn’t decide if Lucretia’s final words were a joke, a threat… or something else.

  When I finally turned to leave, I saw the same look of pity in Vekrem’s eyes. Saise wouldn’t look at me at all. And Asema glowered with all the contempt in the world. I decided I’d rather fight the bear than to deal with her.

  ***

  Nobody said a word for at least ten hours as we traveled the dirt-strewn road. Saise still refused to interact with me, Vekrem seemed too embarrassed to speak, and Asema looked as if she would rip my head off rather than to let me get a word in.

  When we eventually pulled off the side of the road onto a grass patch to prepare dinner and camp for the night, I decided that it was time to explain myself. I pet the horse, which I had named Silver, for support, and when all sat quiet around the fire, I coughed into my hand, drawing their attention.

  “So…” I said. “Last night… We… I mean, I…”

  “Spit it out,” Asema fumed.

  “I think there is a… misunderstanding.”

  “There’s no ‘misunderstanding’,” Asema replied. “You saw something you wanted, and you took it, disregarding all others of the group. How was it? Was her warm hole everything you dreamed of? A human lying with a hybrid,” she spat to the side, “Disgusting.”

  Vekrem flashed a dangerous glance at her, and then his eyes turned down into sadness.

  “That’s it; I didn’t… do what you think I did. I simply rubbed her skin—no wait, that still sounds bad. I helped her relax? No, that sounds worse. I gave her… scratches?”

  Saise’s red ears perked. “Scratches?” she asked curiously. “You gave her scratches?”

  “Yeah,” I replied, rubbing my neck. “She just wanted me to scratch her back. Literally. Well back, neck, and ears. That was all.”

  Saise started to laugh.

  Asema crossed her arms. “So you expect us to believe that you simply laid in her bed, fully clothed, giving her ‘scratches’?”

  “Well… not exactly. We were… sorta… naked.”

  Asema stood up to leave.

  “No, wait… I swear that was it. I did it for her,” I pointed to Saise. “Lucretia said that if I did what she asked, she wouldn’t bind and gag Saise.”

  “And the gift?” Asema replied. “What did she mean?”

  Slowly, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the silver necklace. The red jewels adorning the silver band were somehow redder in the light of the fire, and the silver gleamed a matching color. Vekrem glared at the trinket and shook a bit; I couldn’t tell if it was from fear or anger.

  “Do you think we are stupid?” Asema asked. “Maybe you are from another world and maybe you aren’t, but in this world, lycan’s don’t just give gifts like that to humans.”

  “She’s right,” Vekrem replied softly, folding his hands together relentlessly. “If you are caught with that, it will be assumed that you stole it. You’ll be executed on the spot.”

  My hand went to my neck as I dropped the necklace in the grass. “Executed?” I asked. “Why?”

  “Because humans aren’t allowed to have such finery,” Asema explained. “You must be from another world, because nobody from this one could be that fucking stupid. You should have left it where you found it—but you would endanger us all… and for what? Shiny trinkets.”

  “That’s why I’m here!” I replied.

  A cool breeze brushed my skin, and the fire crackled.

  Asema glared at him. “You came to another world… just for trinkets? For silver?”

  “Money,” I replied. “It’s called money or currency where I’m from… but yes. Well, that and helping Dragon find something; I still don’t know what that is though. Let me explain—”

  “No need,” Asema said. “It is clear that even though we are both clearly human, we are nothing alike. I fight for freedom—you fight for greed. When this is done, I wish to never see any of you again. I want to save my father from the rot. I want to save all humans who have suffered under the foot of the hybrids. I will endure until the mission is complete, and then nothing more.”

  Asema turned and stalked away.

  “Vekrem, it’s not just about the money—”

  Vekrem turned to me with anger in his eyes. “You… disappoint me.” He turned and laid with his back against the fire.

  I spun to Saise, who had been oddly quiet. I gave her a pleading look, but she merely shrugged her shoulders at me as she turned away as well.

  I stared into the fire alone, and then I noticed the gleaming silver at my feet. I reached down and pocketed the necklace… Why had Lucretia given it to me? Was it a genuine gift or all just some kind of sick joke?

  Perhaps… Perhaps this is what she wanted all along. For the four of us to split apart. Perhaps she had been playing a different game altogether.