Kech leaned heavily on Saise as they made their way towards the edge of the clearing. Just before they disappeared into the forest, she turned back. “I’ll bring Kesh back to our village,” she yelled, “and then I’ll be on my way to help.”

  “That won’t be necessary—” Vekrem replied, but Saise had already led Kesh outside the clearing, completely ignoring him. I had no doubt she’d heard. From the little time I’d known her, that woman was not going to take no for an answer.

  “Lively one, that,” Dragon said in the back of my mind. “Could prove to be a strong ally.”

  “Or a stronger enemy,” I replied. “I mean, if she’s anything like Kesh, those little buggers are fast. Dangerous. I think the only reason I won was that he underestimated me.”

  Dragon rumbled, and it gave me the feeling that he approved of my conclusion.

  “You aren’t supposed to agree—”

  “Let me get my things packed for the journey,” Vekrem said, with a sudden earnestness, drawing me back. He seemed to have a boyish glow about him, and his upturned smile confirmed what I knew.

  He was happy to leave this place behind.

  Odd.

  Crossing my arms, I asked, “Why are you so glad? From what you’ve told me, the place we’re going is dangerous, right?”

  “Oh, quite!” Vekrem replied, still just as cheery as before. “Likely one of the most dangerous places in the world. We’re almost assured to die a gruesome death. You need to understand—”

  “I know, I know—your research. Types like you are always focused on the big picture.”

  “Types… like me?”

  “You know… scientists,” I replied. “Intellectuals… those sorts. But hey, you can say I’m on my own sort of quest. I’m hoping that by helping you, I’ll learn something that’ll help me.”

  Vekrem put his hand to his chin, scratching the skin with a single long black-nailed finger. “And what sort of quest are you on? I thought you couldn’t remember?”

  “Oh, I remember this. And it’s a dangerous sort of quest.”

  Vekrem snapped his fingers. “Then we are two of a kind, you and I.”

  Looking at his slender and tall appearance, his rat-like nose, and the two large rat ears on top of his head, I replied, “I’m not so sure about that.”

  That seemed to take Vekrem back a step as he asked, “And how so? Humans and hybrids aren’t so different. After all, as I said before, we are all descended from humankind. We’re your natural evolution.”

  “But look at you! You have large ears, and long, sharp fingernails… you probably have a tail.”

  At that, Vekrem went straight as a board, as if I’d just insulted his mother.

  I kicked myself for offending him. Like it or not, he was the only person I had to help me in the world.

  “Fuck, sorry… maybe you’re right. I guess those things don’t matter that much, do they?.”

  “Right…” Vekrem replied, still clearly hurt by my mention of his differences. His ears twitched back as he added, “Well, enough of that. Let me grab some supplies, and then on to Silverock.”

  “Silverock?” I ran my hand through my hair absently.

  Vekrem sighed. “You remember this so-called quest, but you don’t remember anything about the world? Yes, Silverock; the home of the rodrant hybrids. My people.”

  “I’ve been meaning to ask,” I said, drawing his attention back towards me. “How many hybrids are there? I know rodrant and chitik—are there any others?”

  “Oh yes,” he replied. “Would you like me to name them all?”

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  I shook my head. “No-no. Just… is there a Lupin-based hybrid? Descended from humans and wolves?”

  The blood rushed from Vekrem’s face as he went ghost-white. “You speak of the lycans.”

  Smiling, I replied, “I knew it! I knew there would be werewolves.”

  Vekrem looked at me oddly. “They are the most fearsome and feared of the hybrids. They see themselves as the true hybrids—destined to rule this world. And for all intents and purposes, they do. They feel all others are insignificant when compared to them. Worse, their leader, Ganvil, is ageless. Immortal. He is the original lycan who birthed the entire race.”

  “An immortal lycan. Interesting… And these lycan, are they a threat?”

  “Oh yes,” Vekrem replied. “Their kind have been at war with mine for hundreds of years. Worse, there isn’t any end in sight. But enough time has been wasted. We need to make it through the forest before nightfall. Come… help me carry some of my ingredients.”

  ***

  Inside the hut, Vekrem wasted no time as he slipped into a reddish-brown robe that, from my eyes, appeared to be made for battle for some inexplicable reason that I couldn’t quite place. He then stuffed various types of mushrooms, vials of liquid, parchment, and dried herbs into containers, putting them all in two bags and shoving one into my hands.

  “You’ll help carry,” he said, giving me a coy grin. “That is, if my bodyguard doesn’t mind.”

  “Bodyguard, eh?” I replied, shouldering the sack. “Sounds like I should be charging you.”

  Vekrem wasted no time on ceremony as he romped out the door of the hut, walking the path to exit the clearing. I followed him, closing the door gently behind me, and when I turned, he motioned with his hand. “Come on,” he said. “Or did you forget something?”

  I smiled, trudging ahead on the path behind him, lifting the soft dirt into the air as a cool breeze carried it in swirling tendrils away from us. “No,” I replied. “Just thinking about something else.”

  “Remembering something?”

  I shook my head—there was nothing to remember, but I didn’t want to tell him that. Not yet, anyway. I couldn’t be sure how he would treat a traveler from another world.

  “Pity,” Vekrem replied. “There is something I am thinking about as well. I would be remiss if I didn’t stop to do one thing first. It’s on the way, but don’t you worry, we won’t waste much more time.” He turned, walking the path, and leaving the clearing back into the woods. Yet before he did, I swear I saw the soft glisten of a tear on his cheek.

  I ran to catch up, putting my arm around my new friend’s shoulder. Leaving a place you’ve known for a long time was hard; or so I imagined. If I ever had such a place, I’m sure that it would’ve weighed heavily on me. I just wanted to remind him. Remind him that despite his leaving his home—

  He was not alone.

  “So,” I said, ruffling his shoulder. “What cool thing do you want to show me? I’ll be honest, this place… it’s been fucking crazy.”

  Vekrem shot me a sidelong glance at my curse, but he merely turned his head, staring at the ground, his ears folded backwards. I removed my arm, and we went on quietly.

  I didn’t need to wait long to find my answer.

  Vekrem pushed back some thick brush, and the bright-green leaves rustled against my skin as I walked through the foliage, which bounced back as if we’d never been. There, in the middle of the denseness of the thicket, was a running stream of softly glowing water. The spray of droplets danced in my eyes as it glanced off the corners of rocks at the edge of the tide. I strode towards it with wonder in my eyes. I whistled, for nothing I could say in that moment would reflect how I felt staring down at the beauty of the world.

  Dragon, clearly able to see what I did, rumbled contentedly in the back of my head; not unlike a cat curling on a warm blanket for warmth.

  Vekrem seemed to disagree with my sentiments, and instead, wordlessly, followed the stream down a hill, until the tide became a small pond.

  There, I saw what was upsetting him.

  Like a glowing beacon, two bright mushrooms sat against a headstone with light carving engraved in the front. I tried, but I failed to read the words—they were too worn out from the passage of time.

  Yet there could only be one reason for a headstone in a secluded place in the forest. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I asked, “Who was it?”

  Vekrem shrugged me aside, staring at the headstone with piercing eyes. “My mother,” he replied, his words laced with a coldness that I’d not heard from him before.

  I let my hand slip. “And what happened to her?”

  He squeezed his hand so tight that veins rippled in his forearm, and I was surprised by how strong the alchemist appeared. “The rot…” he growled.

  Then, suddenly, everything made sense. His compassion for a perceived enemy. The reason he was so adamant about finding the cure. Looking back at the headstone, I realized it was all… for her.

  “I’m sure it wasn’t your fault,” I said. “Her death—”

  “It was!”

  Vekrem’s words were so harsh, so tainted with violence that I almost lost my footing as I stepped back from him, my heart leaping into my chest as a cold sweat ran down my forehead. He breathed heavily, but then looked at his own bunched-up hands, realizing what he’d done. He opened them slowly.

  “I’m… I’m sorry,” he said.

  “Don’t be,” I replied, but not daring to step forward. “Living is a fucked-up thing. It leaves you with scars—wounds that will never heal—no matter how strong you are. Believe me, I know.”

  Vekrem grunted in approval, but the glance he gave me told me he suspected the lie I let him believe. The lie that said I can’t remember. Despite that, he let it go, adding, “You know, you’re full of surprises.” Stepping closer to the grave, he kneeled, placing his hand on the stone. “Can you… give me some time?”

  I nodded wordlessly, stepping away, and walked upstream to stare down at the brightly colored amphibian life that thrived there. I heard the soft sobs of a broken man on the wind, but I pretended it was just the waves of the water. The chirp of birds. The croaks of frogs.

  Pretending everything was alright… that was something I was truly an expert in.