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The all too familiar sound of the Eid prayer rang not too far from the Teutonic monastery where Sir Dimitri of Bohemia was partaking in his morning prayer for today. It was a Friday in the late 12thcentury, and Antioch's Principality was coming to life for another day for Muslims and Christians alike. He was Christian by faith, but he always enjoyed listening to the morning prayer that the citizens of this city would listen to. It just felt a bit comforting for him, not that he didn't mind the usual hymnals sang throughout their monastery during service. It just felt like a pleasant change of pace for him compared to what he was used to before coming here to the Holy Land. Once it was over, he resumed his usual routine: eating with his fellow monks in silence, doing the usual chores, and for most of the day helping care for sick, dying, and injured Christians. Since the Second Crusade, he and his fellow German Knights had built hospitals and became one of the most well-respected and established religious military orders who conducted important work.

Dimitri tried to go even further as he traveled from house to house offering his healing services to both Muslims and Christians alike, an idea of his was frowned upon by others who still represent the mentality of those unwilling to sway from the prejudices that Christ himself had preached against. Though few have been most gracious for his generosity, he still saw scowls of distrust and hate from those who were not. So much so, that he became questioned by the grandmaster about why he went about and do such a thing. Dimitri responded that he was wanting to do God's will by how his son had done so in scripture. He never learned anything in God's teachings about persecuting those who worship in a comparable way that they do. Oversight or not, he has interacted with several Muslims and was intrigued by the similarities both their religions shared. They both worshipped one almighty god and one God alone, had places of worship, had a book of worship, and had beliefs in their causes to an extent. Even despite this bit of thinking, his superiors advised him to keep these thoughts to himself and keep to his duty as a warrior monk. Dimitri was disgruntled, questioning his religion and his leaders in charge. For now, he had to abide by their wishes and hold his tongue while continuing to keep the peace. That is until he got selected to be part of an escort for a pilgrimage route to the Holy Land itself, Jerusalem.

Before he knew it, Sir Dimitri sat upon his warhorse in full armor. He wore full plate armor under his white robe with black crosses, his visored bascinet combat helmet on his head with the eye slit big enough to see, and a large kite shield strapped along his back. He and twenty of his fellow brothers had to escort a host of fifty people, Muslim, Christian, and various others, twenty miles to the great city of Jerusalem to pray at the Holy City. Fifteen days of blazing heat showered upon them as they were prepared with more than enough supplies for everyone to keep them from collapsing from thirst. Dimitri knew all too well how important water was as a commodity when first coming here during the First and Second Crusades, how many men and horses they lost due to lack of water, and how to be better prepared for the long trips made. He and his knights had three waterskins each to drink in moderation while providing a wagon full of water-filled casks filled with cold well water for those they were protecting. They proceeded in a single file line with ten knights lined alongside the pilgrims as Dimitri led the way along the left. Ten days later, they were coming close to their destination after miles of walking and constant soothing of any rising tensions between the traveling pilgrims. So far, they had not run into any raiders waiting to attack much to Dimitri's happiness. It was day nine in the mid-afternoon, and they were coming upon a vast chasm running who knows how far deep into the ground as they traveled along the right side of the chasm near the overbearing dunes that luckily were providing them the shade the pilgrims were craving. Steadily, the knights kept an eye out for anything coming down from above the dunes while not too close to the ravine. Dimitri took a swig from his half-empty secondary waterskin. They were still good with water as they already used up three casks of water out of the eight they took with them, praying they would still have enough by the time they reach the Holy Land.

Getting halfway past the crevasse, a whistling thump landed behind him. He looked behind him to see one of his fellow knights get struck by an arrow to the chest as he slid off his warhorse with a painful groan. "Ambush! Form the wall now!" Dimitri demanded, drawing his sword out from his scabbard. From up above, a horde of marauders swooped down like a flock of falcons upon a valley full of mice, whooping and letting out their battle cry. Immediately, the knights on foot formed a defensive wall in front of the unarmed pilgrims while the others on horseback charged to meet their foes; save for Dimitri who coordinated the defense. Volleys of arrows launched from both sides as swords and shields clashed together. Despite the ongoing chaos, Dimitri was doing his best to coordinate with his fellow knights to protect their traveling people of faith. Just as he was, a member of the horde aimed at the knight and fired an arrow at his horse. It made its mark as it landed square in his horse's eye, causing it to rear back on its hind legs and threw the young knight off the saddle into the chasm below. Multiple ledges and jutting rocks welcomed him as he tumbled downwards and downwards, his body feeling every painful landing until at last, he fell upon solid ground rolling along a small hill and stopping at the bottom. Darkness soon embraced him as he slept into unconsciousness.

Blurred vision was the first thing that Dimitri saw as he started to regain his senses. After a few more blinks, his vision came around as he found himself in a wooden hut lying on a cot. When he tries to lift his right arm, he cries out in pain as he saw his arm put into a splint as well as his left leg. He wondered how he got here, then started to think logically that someone must have been living down here in this ravine. The more important question is, who or what could live in this ravine? "Hello? Is someone still here?" Dimitri calls out, hoping for someone to answer. At first, there was no response. Dimitri was beginning to get worried, fearing that he was to be made as a pagan sacrifice. Suddenly, there was a commotion at the hut's entrance where a maroon curtain was hanging over it. The flap of the hut opened, and an unusual creature walked in. It was a human-like female jackal, looking more human in appearance with the ears and tail of the said animal. She wore an abaya, a black robe reaching down to the floor opened to reveal her native clothing consisting of a sarong covering most of her upper body and a mini slip dress both of a tanned orange color. Her fur looked coarse and short, golden and dark tawny. The fur on her back was composed of a mixture of black, brown, and white hairs, giving the appearance of a dark saddle. She looked about his age, a bit older than him, her brown eyes falling upon him. "Ah, you're awake!" she said flashing a toothy smile at him, revealing her white canine teeth. "We were beginning to worry that you would succumb to your wounds." There was a bit of an exotic allure to her that almost seemed to bring an...animal instinct out of him. He tried to prop himself up a bit with his good arm as gingerly as possible.

"What is this? Where am I exactly?" Dimitri demanded to know, wincing at every movement he was making.

"Please, don't move so much," she pleaded to him, making a gesture as if to stop him. "You're still recovering from your injuries."

"How did I get here?"

"A few of our villagers had come across you as you were lying unconscious. We took you to our healer and he did his work on you. Now you're currently laying in his hut healing."

"I'm most surprised that you're able to speak my language. Just who or what are you?"

"Oh of course, how rude of me. My name is Raha. In your language, we are known as 'Mbadl shakl al-hiwani,' or in your language, animal shapeshifters. We've learned your language from observing you in our normal animal forms." Before he could ask what she meant, Raha shifted into a normal-looking jackal before his eyes. "This is my normal animal form," she explained to him. "The form that we use to explore your world and learn what we want to know about your society."

"What is this place? And just how have you been learning about our culture?" This was making him more suspicious if not curious.

"This is Aeshilon, our home for centuries since the Eastern Roman Empire. Our way of life has been based on what we have learned and observed from your culture to the best of our abilities."

"Is it just_our_ culture?"

"Not entirely. We only integrate what we can into our society and progress from there. But we're always looking for new things, even though there have been some...disagreements."

"What kind of disagreements?" he asked, suspicious of what this meant for the beast men they are.

"That I cannot say, not that I don't wish to tell you. That would be up to the Council of Aeshilon to decide whether to tell you or not."

"I see. So, what exactly have you learned about our society thus far?" Dimitri asked, his suspicion changing into curiosity.

"Why tell you when I can show you?" Raha implied as she switched back to her humanoid form. "But that will have to wait after you have healed enough to walk again. Until then, please enjoy your rest, and let us take care of you." She did a little bow to him and exited the tent as two dwarf-sized hyraxes clothed in healers' robes entered through the flap, carrying gauze, bandages, and healing lotions to redress his wounds as well as his splint. They took great care not to injure him any further as the young knight patiently waited for them to finish. He winced and flinched as they washed over his wounds, wrapped new bandages, and strapped on his splint again. Another hyrax came in with a soup of sorts, poured into a wooden bowl assumingly of their design, and offered it to him. Dimitri graciously accepted it and nods to the hyrax in thanks. The three small beings took their leave, leaving him to eat peacefully. Stirring it around, he could see it was more of a vegetable soup with an herbal broth by its smell. One taste was all that it took for him to feel satisfied with the taste and resumed eating. He drank it to the last drop and returned the bowl to the third hyrax when there was nothing else left. The small mammals took their leave and left Dimitri alone with everything said and done.

Days passed like molasses as the young knight became restless, not being able to move from said cot constantly being attended to. He didn't mind it so much, but he was most eager to see this hidden world and what kind of civilization they made for themselves. But he knew better that it was best to be patient and not do anything to make them distrust him. He had a feeling that there may be those who doubt him already. Now and then, he would test out his leg, wiggling his foot and gingerly moving his leg hissing through his teeth in pain. He still got looked over by Raha and the hyraxes, the routine being routine. As he healed, Raha taught him some of their language which they took from various human languages mostly from their time roaming in Antioch. He could make out most of it, aside from some of it being grunts and growls mixed into it. After some difficulty, he was able to get the jest of it and adapt to it. When she was not practicing with him, Dimitri practiced at night to perfect the dialect before drifting off to bed just the same as he would with a sword, with diligence and accuracy. In four days, the young Teutonic was speaking fluently in their language. Soon he was enjoying having conversations with Raha with no difficulty.

Upon the seventh week, the lady jackal came back only this time she brought him a little gift: two rough-looking crutches each of them a long pole with what looked like hardened wool encompassing the crutch pad. "These are for you," she said to him as she handed them over. "Do you feel like taking a little walk?"

"One moment please." was his response. Dimitri took the crutches from her and tried them out. They were slightly an inch shorter, but the crutch pads were quite comfortable. They dug a little bit into his armpits but not enough to cause discomfort in his armpits. As for maneuverability, they seemed to manage quite nicely. When he felt like was able to get a handle on it, Dimitris nodded to her and said with politeness, "Lead on, madame Raha." He followed her through the tent flap and out into the fresh air and bright sunshine.

The village was a humble settlement, many of the villagers were wearing clothes of humble stature much like the townspeople of Antioch. Their houses were mostly wooden houses held together by hardened mud as their roofs were wood as well, for they were acacia trees split down the middle, the inside facing in. Bustling about, he could see them doing mostly mundane activities he's seen done many times over. The town of Aeshilon had settled on a large vast plain, somewhat fertile with various hills, boulders, small lakes, and pools of well water. How far it stretched seemed almost endless save for the cavernous ravine he fell into.

As they walked, he noticed some of the villagers giving him looks of awe, bewilderment, and fear as they had never seen anything like Dimitri before. He could feel their eyes peering at him like he was a threat. "It's just like coming to Antioch all over again," he muttered to himself. Regardless, he hobbled along after Raha as they made their way down a rough dirt road to what seemed like the largest of the huts with a gaggle of villagers following them like goats following a boy carrying a dripping bag of oats. They came to a stop as did the villagers of various species just a few feet away. "Wait here please," Raha instructed him. She walked behind a makeshift table of rock and stone with a large flat rock laid on four cemented stone pillars that made up the table legs. Behind the large council table was a hut big enough for eight people, a story tall and stretching out horizontally. She disappeared through the flap of the hut and the last thing he saw was her tail. There stood the young Teutonic, nervous about what was to happen to him. Raha soon came back with four robed characters: an elderly Arabian Tahr, a plump rounded golden hamster, a uromastyx, and a slender Arabian Mau. They each took a seat at a chair carved from Lebanon cedar as Raha went back over near Dimitri.

"Step forward, human." said the Tahr. Dimitri stepped forward and bowed before them. "You stand before us as we are to determine whether to welcome you into our society or not. This past month you have been in our care which some of us were...quite apprehensive about. So now, my friend, what is it that brought you to our home?" After a hesitant pause from the knight, the elderly Tahr acknowledged him by saying "You may speak freely, sir knight."

"An unfortunate event in the form of an ambush is what led me down here," Dimitri explained in their tongue. "And as you can see by the state you received me beforehand, I... 'fell' upon this place by mere coincidence. In all sheer honesty, I did not know of this place." He humbly kneeled before the Council. "I do thank you for your hospitality. I do hope to repay it in some way. A knight is subjected to honoring such gratitude, for it is the Lord's teachings to repay a neighbor's kindness as it was with the good Samaritan."

"And just how exactly do you wish to do that?" the uromastyx questioned the human.

"What is it that you wish of me?"

"Perhaps you can start with where you hail from."

Dimitri happily obliged as he told his tale to the council and everyone present. He began with his birth into a respected family, being the second of three brothers. While his youngest brother developed a love for music and his oldest started the world of politics, Dimitri was more of a soldier, taking up the sword and wanting to keep the family's honor. He spent most of his days taking up combat lessons and reading scrolls, books of past battles, and a few of the most recent battles during the First Crusade. When he became fourteen, the age of consent at the time, he became a page for a knight from Augsburg and worked his way up to become a knight. His lord was stern when necessary but was patient and of sound temperament. He learned everything from archery to jousting, from learning courtly manners to gallant behavior. Boys like him learned such qualities for the time needed until they became squires, the second stage to becoming a knight. The young youth kept a sharp mind and remembered some of his parents' training bestowed upon him. Dimitri's time as a squire made him more combat effective under his lord's guidance. He trained with the longsword, hand-and-a-half sword, shield, and halberd for days. As he got older, he started to become eager for combat, to flex his physical prowess and skill in combat. But he remembered what his parents wrote to him, to be patient and not to be too eager to face death; for if he were to meet the enemy, he was to meet it with a smart intellect in hand with ferocity.

And so, he continued to hone his skills until his time came. At the age of eighteen, his moment came when he and his lord were called upon to fight in the Second Crusade under King Conrad III on May 1147. Saying his goodbyes to his family, he set off on his first warfare experience, which did not turn out as he expected it. As they joined a French force led by King Louis VII of France and his nobles, the German force made their way to Constantinople they first stopped at Nicaea where their king made the fatal mistake of splitting the army in two. One was to take the coastal road to Attalia while the main fighting force was to travel across Anatolia. The young squire and his master went with the main force as they first arrived at Dorylaeum where disaster was to fall upon them. And on October 25, 1147, disaster fell upon them hard as they were running short on food and water after marching in the unforgiving heat, they encountered a host of Seljuks. Though Dimitri and his sire fought bravely against the enemy, they became overwhelmed and thus forced to retreat to Nicaea. Unfortunately for Dimitri, his lord was wounded but he still fought to fend off the attackers as he and the army fell back. Just as they got halfway to Nicaea though, the knight was nearing death's embrace. Late that night, he called for Dimitri to his tent. For his bravery and unflinching loyalty to his lord, the young squire became a knight before his master passed away.

Just when he felt like they were going home, Louis and Conrad met and decided to continue with the crusade starting with Syria. Temporarily losing their king along the way due to illness, the newly appointed knight and the Germans pushed on despite their exhaustion until being successful at Pisidian Antioch after a heated battle on January 1, 1148, finally stopping at Antioch later in March. At this point, Dimitri was tired of fighting and just wanted to stop. Unfortunately for him, the crusading kings decided to take Damascus despite the advice not to do so. Disgruntled, the young knight did have some hope when the crusading army was now 50,000 strong as they surrounded the city on July 24. Things were going well until more Muslim reinforcements arrived as well as another Muslim army under Nur al-Din, forcing the Crusaders to retreat to Galilee and eventually Jerusalem on July 28. There Dimitri came across the Teutonic Order and was interested in what they were about. And so, he joined the order at the age of nineteen and thus the rest was history as he and the order moved to the Principality of Antioch a week after his induction.

Finished with his tale, Dimitri waited as he let the council take in all that he said and those present behind him. The golden hamster was the first to speak. "We may have to discuss what to do with you. In the meantime, you will be watched and monitored as you recover from your injuries," he said.

"I understand, sir," said Dimitri. "I shall abide by your wishes out of respect for you being hospitable to me thus far. And if it pleases you and everyone here, I will take my leave of this place as soon as I am healed. I don't believe any human could ever believe anyone who says they found a hidden world of animal shapeshifters."

"Hmm, perhaps. We shall see in due time. So, who is to house this human?" the uromastyx asked the crowd of villagers. "Who here is willing to host this man?" A nervous silence hung over the crowd, most mumbling and muttering about their slight distrust in the knight. All of them were uncertain about whether to play host to Dimitris, who stood alone feeling like he would be under house arrest in a spare hut.

"If it will please the council, I would be happy to shelter Sir Dimitris for the time being." The voice that spoke up came from right next to the young knight. It was Raha as she stepped forward next to him and faced the council members.

"Are you certain you wish to offer your home to this human?" asked the Arabian Mau, stroking one of her long whiskers as she inquired the jackal.

"I am, madam councilwoman."

The Arabian Mau turned to her cohorts as they looked at her and then at each other. "Very well. Lady Raha, we are leaving him in your care. But just to be undoubtedly sure he does not cause any trouble," the Arabian Tahr elated before turning to Dimitri to say, "We are to have your weapons until further notice. Do you understand these terms?" Dimitri knew better than to argue for he was the only human here and even if he could do the other alternatives, such as sneaking off in the night, fighting them all, or taking a hostage and then taking off to the cavern from where he fell from, it still would not settle with his conscience. He knew in his heart that he was raised too well to commit such an act. He grew so tired of fighting and knew all too well from the First Crusade that violence was never always the right answer to everything; especially when Jerusalem was taken the Crusaders made the sacred Dome of the Rock and the nearby mosque of al-Aqsa slaughterhouses of mangled bodies. All because of a promise that those men were promised to be absolved of all their sins in exchange for taking up the sword. Dimitri was tired of being feared and hated. It was time to make amends with Christ for any sins he may have partaken in the Second Crusade.

"I understand quite clearly," Dimitri said in consent. "I submit myself to your laws and promise to abide by them."

"Very well. We will allow you to stay so that you may finish your recovery. But to make undoubtedly sure you do not take advantage of Raha nor bring her harm," the Arabian Tahr made a gesture and summoned two of what were guards, wearing makeshift breastplates of thick wood as well as their pauldrons that half-covered their shoulders. One was an Arabian Oryx, and the other was a cheetah. A green tunic hung from their waist as hardened bark stitched into it. They also had hardened bracers wrapped around their wrists as they carried wooden spears in hand. "These men will keep vigil over you and your family, lady Raha. As for you, Sir Dimitri, they will follow you wherever you may go, with or without Lady Raha. They will report your activity by the end of the day if you're staying here and ensure that you do not cause any trouble." The Tahr gave orders for the armed guards to escort the two of them back to her home. The crowd parted like how Moses parted the Red Sea as they allowed Raha and Dimitri to be escorted to her home by the two-armed shapeshifters. Once more the knight could feel their eyes on him, making him feel like he was being led to the dungeon.

The four of them made their way through some brush and after some miles of walking, they came across Raha's house. It settled along a small lake partially surrounded by stalagmites like a protective stone fence. There was a semi-deep firepit in front of Raha's house surrounded by large rocks of various shapes with a small arrangement of firewood set to the side for future use. From a distance, Dimitris could see something coming through the flap of the house. It was a smaller jackal humanoid whom he assumed was Raha's child for the child's tail wagged happily as he saw his mother coming up the path. Raha went up ahead as she kneeled and greeted her son with a big hug. "Hello, habiti (loved one)," she said kindly. "Have you behaved yourself since I've gone?"

"Yes, Walidah (mother)," said her son. Raha smiled as she stroked her son's head between the ears. The young child looked up to see the furless human standing between the two warriors. "Is this the human you were talking about?" He cocked his head as he had a curious look on his face seeing Dimitri for the first time.

"Yes, he is. Matek, this is Dimitri. Dimitri, this is Matek, my only son." Raha stood up as she permitted Dimitris to step forward to greet her son.

"It's nice to meet you, young man," he said to Matek. Feeling awkward, he summoned the courage and extended his right hand out to shake his for it was the greeting in the Arab world, except the woman often initiates the handshake first. Slowly, young Matek accepted his handshake and they both shook gently as it was the way in the Middle East and still is. The young pup stayed partially behind his mother's legs as he was a little shy about meeting Dimitri who rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he wasn't sure how to react to that.

"Sir Dimitri is going to stay with us for some time," Raha explained to her son. "So, show him the same kind of respect and kindness we would to everyone else, understood?" Matek looked at his mother for a moment before turning to look at Dimitri. After a moment, he looked back at his mother once more and nodded. She looked up to Dimitri who seemed relieved that her son wasn't too afraid of him. "If you will follow us please, Sir Dimitri, I'll show you where you can sleep for the time being." Holding Matek's hand, she leads the young human and the two guards to her house as they waited outside. Inside, he could see the humble environment that was their home. He saw a plush couch big enough for two people as the living room shared the same space as the kitchen, which had an open stove with a cast-iron cauldron taking residence in it. Many of the typical utensils and ingredients are on the counters. Next to the kitchen, are two bedrooms covered by a curtain of beads. To the left was Raha's room and to the right was Matek's. The only occupants on the couch were three colorful blankets, two knitted and/or crocheted and the other sewn with great care, and three cushions of varied sizes and colorful designs. To the left was the playroom made for little Matek.

"If it is, all the same, I will be happy to sleep on the couch, Madam Raha," he suggested to Raha politely.

"As you wish, Sir Dimitri," Raha replied. "I shall prepare the couch for you." Dimitri bowed his head to her and politely waited outside for her to do so. Later that night, he had dinner with them as they had mutton, two loaves of bread, and a bowl full of the usual fruits of that time apples, plums, pears, and cherries from her garden. After dinner, he willingly helped clean up as Raha took care of the dishes. He watched from the doorway a little later as she put her son to sleep. She sang him what seemed like an Aeshilonian lullaby and then gave him a kiss goodnight on his forehead after tucking him in. Dimitri smiled warmly, remembering how his mother would do the same for him only now feeling a twinge of homesickness as he forgot how long he had been away from home. Once done, she prepared the couch for him while he dressed for bed. The guards had a small tent put up near the house in case of trouble. He came out just as she had finished. "The couch is ready, sir knight," she said with a submissive tone.

"Thank you, milady." Dimitri thanked her as he bowed deeply to her. "In all sincerity, you are the first person here willing to show me kindness. And for that, I am most grateful. I do hope to repay you in any way I can. But there is something I wish to know, why did you agree to offer your home to me?"

"It is what the Great Giver has taught us, to show compassion for those who may need it."

"The 'Great Giver'?" Dimitri sat on the couch as he grew curious and offered her to sit with him. Raha sat on the couch next to the young knight and explained that the entity was the great mother of all here in Aeshilon, the one that provided life to allMbadl shakl al-hiwani. From how she explained it, it seemed like his faith with just a touch of Islam. Dimitri was impressed by how they took the beneficial elements of both religions and incorporated them into something of their own. The two chatted a little while longer until Raha gave a little yawn. She bid him good night and retired to her room. Dimitri followed her example and got comfortable on the couch. Blowing out the candle next to him, he gave in to the welcoming embrace of sleep.

The next few weeks were an interesting experience for Dimitri. Aside from the guards always following him around, he was free to roam around with Raha as she shared her culture with him. Everything he saw was a small reflection of life back up on the surface. The only thing that was unique to these people was their god 'The Great Giver.' From what he understood, she worked the same way as his god. A universal entity in the form of a bear, she was the mother of all creation to the shapeshifters originally as animals. She gave life to various creatures much like God took seven days to create the world or how Allah created man and gave them the gifts of a soul, a conscience, knowledge, and free will. She gave the creatures the gifts of speech, intelligence, and compassion.

As to how they explained their ability to take man's shape, she recalled a story that her mother had told her when she was young. According to the tale, an Amur falcon flew from one part of the land to the other until she came across a peculiar-looking, bipedal creature with little to no fur and wore strange attire. This was man, and this man had lost his way through a vast desert. Feeling pity for the creature, she flew down to the man and assisted him. In gratitude, the man offered his home to the falcon which she accepted. Through trust and adventures, they became the most faithful of friends over many years and could always rely on each other. Over the years, their bond grew stronger; so much so that the falcon's feelings for her human companion grew into something even more. Wanting to be closer to him, she prayed to the 'Great Giver' to give her the ability to become human. She pleaded with the great bear until the "Giver" gave in and agreed to let her become human only on the condition that she was present on the full moon for it to happen and not reveal her secret to her human. Swearing that she would, the falcon was granted her wish.

The lady falcon kept her word as she planned to confront her human in the glow of the first full moon. She did so by luring him out in the middle of the night, making him follow her out into the street. Changing in an alleyway, she portrayed herself as a mysterious and beautiful maiden. Completely smitten by her, the man offered to take her back to his home which she accepted wholeheartedly. Keeping her promise, the falcon was most joyful living her new life with the human and the two fell romantically in love. After much courting, the two planned to elope and start a new life together in a new town. But the night he came back for her, robbers confronted him, murdered him, and robbed him of what he had on him. When the falcon found him, she grieved for him and sang a song of sorrow to mourn him. And sometimes, when there was no full moon, she still flew into the night sky, shrilling her song in her animal form. A slight pang of pity struck Dimitri after hearing the story. It wasn't the first tragic love story he's heard of. He has heard of tales like Tristan and Isolde and almost everyone has heard of the well-known Romeo and Juliet. Still, it was an interesting tale of love, and he was pleased to hear it.

Persuaded, he asked if she knew more tales of her people and Raha suggested the small library they've had since they formed their little village. Since she brought it up, Dimitri moved on to that as his next question. Raha went on to say that they were once a united people, that is until the question of how much more like humans did they want to be. Some wanted to know more about living human lives while others prefer to remain as humans. This sparked a fierce debate between both groups until, of course, the arguments got violent. Violent to the point that a riot broke out and there were casualties on both sides. Among the lives lost was her late husband who was killed in the middle of the riot that broke out near the town square. In the end, a pact was made to have the tribe split into two factions, those who wish to be traditional (the Baerlins) and those who wish for progress (the Aeshilonians). "True, we still thrive," said Raha as she inspected some freshly grown vegetables to take home with them, "but many of us wish we were still together again as a whole."

"Has anyone ever tried to make peace between the two sides and negotiate terms?" Dimitri inquired, assisting her with some of her purchases. "Surely it had to happen sometime."

"True, one would think so. But we kept to ourselves for so long that there didn't seem to be any need to do so. The council made it quite clear to not cause any trouble with the traditionalists. And we have kept our word to the best of our abilities so far. We've not heard nor seen anything from them so we can only assume that they are doing the same."

"I'm...sorry about your husband, lady Raha." Even though he had not lost anyone dear to him, he had empathy for the female Aeshilonian jackal.

"You don't have to apologize, Sir Dimitri," said Raha with a wry, small smile. "I do thank you anyway. My husband was a good man in life, and I know the Great Giver will provide him with all the comforts of the afterlife. And in time, I will be there with him. But not yet. Not yet." With a sigh, she gathered what she needed from the last place she needed to go to, and they made their way back home. No sooner did they take only fifteen steps that an Aeshilonian, a male Syrian striped hyena, bumped into the human.

"My apologies, sir," said Dimitri, turning to him to apologize.

"You should be, human," the hyena said to him rudely. A demeaning look was on his face.

"Excuse me?" an incredulous look was on Dimitris' face. "What do you mean by that?"

"What's it to you anyway?" The hyena now turned to face the knight.

"Sir, I don't know what I may have done to you in the past life, but I can assure you that I have done no wrong to you or anyone here."

"Is that so?" The rude hyena took a few steps toward Dimitri, stopping a few inches away from his face. "Then tell me, 'friend'," his tone soon changed to that of a threatening growl, "how do I know that for certain that's not a human lie?"

Dimitri's hands clenched, feeling threatened. He wished not for confrontation, not like this. Thankfully, Raha stepped in between them to stop it from getting worse. "Enough, Jada. There's no need for that."

The hyena known as Jada looked at the jackal for a moment, then at the guards with their hands on their spears ready to intervene should the situation escalate. Knowing the possible outcome, the hyena relented and backed down. "Very well, Raha. Just for now, I'll leave him be." He looks to Dimitri. "As for you, pray that it wasn't a mistake letting you stay here. Because when that day happens, I will certainly be there." With one last glare, he stomped off into the bustling crowd. Most of them had paused to see what the commotion was about but left as soon as it was over with some giving the knight questionable looks. The guards went at ease as they relaxed their stance and held their spears. Sighing, he relaxed and said a small prayer to God for giving him the strength to uphold his dignity.

"Well, that was a kindly welcome," Dimitri grumbled.

"I'm sorry about him," Raha said. "Forgive Jada, he has much to understand about humans."

"It's quite all right. When I arrived, I wasn't expecting to be completely welcomed with open arms It's not the first time I was greeted with such 'hospitality' and it probably won't be the last. But out of curiosity, what is his problem with me or more specifically his problem with humans?"

The lady jackal sighed. "It was when he went up to the world above for the first time. Your world I mean," she explained as they walked back. "He went up with his father and mother to see what the human world was like, only to be met with humans that chased them and killed his mother."

"Has this ever happened before?"

"Almost unlikely. When it comes to our time to first see your world, the result is often a good experience, and we tend to watch from a distance. Although some were bold enough to interact with humans as our animal selves." Her voice softened as her tone was now empathetic. "Jada's was one of the few rare instances in which it went wrong. It isn't anything you did; it was just a terrible and unfortunate occurrence that happened with him. His father took it just as hard as he did, but I don't believe he's possibly resentful. We all prayed and shared our grief with them when we heard the news, but we all must learn to cope with such tragedies in time and not be ruined by them. I do pray that Jada understands this."

Dimitri walked silently with her, absorbing what he had learned. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like if it had happened to him. He was fortunate enough to join the Teutonic Order, to help heal and not just destroy. To have honor and humility and not be hateful and full of spite. To spread the faith of goodwill towards others and not twist it for such misdeeds. He wishes there was something he could do to right that wrong, but what exactly could he do? He hoped that someday he'd prove Jada wrong. "I shall pray for that also," he says. Making it back, he helped her around the house and said a prayer to the Lord that He would give him the wisdom and strength to handle this predicament. After dinner that night, he knew what he could do.

The first thing Dimitri did was roam around the town, offering help to any Aeshilonian that needed it with the two guards tailing him. It seemed impossible considering no one wanted to have anything to do with him, much less know how to approach him. God seemed to have been watching him as the opportunity came to Dimitri. One day, when he decided to walk over to a small grove to have some time to himself, he heard a child crying near some of the trees. It was a young Patagonian Mara girl. "Hello there. Is something the matter?" Dimitri asked in a gentle, caring tone.

"Some of the kids were being mean to me and they took Yara and threw her up there." The young Aeshilonian pointed up to one of the large trees and Dimitri could see a doll of some sort caught in one of the branches up above them. Seeing this, Dimitri smiled and walked up to the tree. Grabbing one of the branches, he climbed up the tree, careful not to break any of them. Climbing up a tree was one thing but climbing down was another. Dimitri made it to the doll and climbed down cautiously enough to drop down the rest of the way.

"Here she is, whole and intact," he said as he handed her the doll. The little Patagonian smiled as she hugged it tightly in her arms.

"Thank you, mister human," said the grateful Aeshilonian child.

"You're welcome, milady. You may call me Dimitri if you wish." The little rabbit-like animal hugged the knight tightly around the waist before heading home. It brought a smile to Dimitri's face from the hug. His smile broadened as he saw one of the guards chuckling in amusement while the other nodded in approval. He needed this; it gave him a sense of purpose again. One that did not need him to invoke murder upon any poor souls. This would be just the beginning for him.

From then on, word got around about what he did as more of the locals asked for his assistance. From helping change a wagon wheel to assisting in building a new barn, Dimitri was becoming more acquainted with theAeshilonians he encountered. An elderly female Aeshilonian fennec fox was kind enough to give the human knight some baklava for him after helping her with refurbishing her roof which Dimitri graciously accepted. He even assisted the town healer in taking care of those in need of medical care as he used some of the medical techniques he learned from Arab physicians that were accepting enough to teach him.

At Lady Raha's, Dimitri was bonding more with the family. One day when he was practicing his combat skills with what he could get his hands on, mostly with a stick fashioned to look like a blade, Matek became curious and inquired about learning how to use a sword. Dimitri agreed, but only if the young lad agreed to show restraint unless it was necessary. During their little sparring sessions, they drew the attention of some of the other young children of the village; and thus, Dimitri had a small class of cadets eager to learn (with their parent's permission of course). As they learned, he also taught them all that he learned about being a knight from the code he swore to follow to the proper etiquette that a proper knight is to follow. Sometimes the parents came to watch as their kids learned to be future knights.

A month passed and Dimitri became more part of the community, a part of a family that he never thought he would be a part of. Everywhere he went, he was greeted by friendly faces and hearty welcomes from all who were out and about. He had considered staying for good. It seemed to come to fruition one day when he was called upon by the Council of Aeshilon. Based on the reports from the guards, they were most pleased by what they heard. And as gratitude, they wished to throw a small celebration for him in making him part of the village. The Teutonic knight hesitantly agreed as he nodded slowly at the idea. As he walked back home to Raha, he ponders about if he wanted to stay here or just head to the surface. He knew there was still some unfinished business he had to take care of first, not to mention he wondered how his order felt about his disappearance. Dimitri had discussed it with the guards, and they responded that it was his choice, not finding it quite as helpful as he hoped.

Coming home, he discussed it with Raha telling her everything he was told. When he was finished, she offered her pennies for his thoughts. "It is entirely up to you, Dimitri. However, I wouldn't mind if you stayed with us. Matek has taken a liking to you and the village is appreciative of what you have done for us."

"That is rather comforting to hear," said Dimitri as they sat at the table while Matek played outside with his friends. "But I don't like leaving things unfinished. Plus, I'm not certain how my family is still, I've not written to them for who knows how long."

"Didn't the Council say you could back if you wanted to?"

"They did, they said I could go back after tomorrow night but...I feel rather conflicted about it."

Raha looked at him with gentle concern. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...what if I'm not able to come back? What if I leave and I don't remember the way back?" He pursed his lips in anxiety and bowed his head. "I don't know if..."

He felt a furred hand touching his. He looked up to see it was Raha's. She wore a gentle smile along her canine maw. "I know you'll make the right decision, Dimitri. Whatever choice you make I won't hold it against you."

"And Matek? What about him? He'd be heartbroken if he knew I was going back to the world above. Or, heaven forbid, he would follow me back to my world."

Raha's hand encompassed his more. "He is still young. I cannot lie in knowing that he has grown very fond of you. But in time, I know that he will come to understand why you decided to leave."

"I cannot thank you enough for all that you've done for me this past month." Dimitri's hand entwined with Rahas', human skin clashing with fur. "But I have yet to understand why you agreed to be hospitable to me. Why take a chance with a human you probably don't even know?"

Raha's tone became truthful and gentile now. "Truthfully, I have watched you from time to time when you came to Antioch. I admired your compassion for those in need as well as your courage in the face of adversity. You came to those needing assistance regardless of those who weren't your countrymen. It was only by fate that you came to us. But the real reason why I wanted to offer you my home to you was that I wanted to see if you could be the same kind of human if you were here."

Dimitri grinned. "I guess the Lord works in strange ways or the Great Giver." He felt his heart swell with happiness again as he knew what to make as his final decision. "I do promise to return one day when I have my affairs in order. I swear before my god and yours that I'll come back once my affairs are in order."

Raha smiled as she felt new love in her heart again, the kind she had missed since first meeting her husband. One can only hope to see how this would turn out. Dimitri had never been in love before, given how he and the order had sworn to chastity. But remembering how people have received him for his outspoken ideals and how matters of the state could change at any time, he figured it would be a good time than any to retire from such an affair; to settle down and live out the rest of his life in placid content state-of-mind. But with whom, he never thought about it. Maybe perhaps...her?

The town was a frivolous bustle as everyone was galivanting in celebration the next night, with much food and drink to spare for another night of frivolity. All who were there were enjoying themselves with many games, dances, and contests of many sorts. Among them was Dimitri, mingling with all the locals' friends and strangers alike. He felt like he was more part of the community than he ever did back home. It felt like a warm welcome monsoon swarming around him, humming with hospitable conversation. He was able to have a moment away from the attention as he had an invitation to a dance from Raha which he willingly accepted. They enjoyed a few of the lively folk dances until the music called for a slow dance. The two of them enjoyed the soothing romantic music as they waltzed together. The moment drew them together like the moon drawing closer to the heavens each night. It may have been the party's atmosphere or the allure of the slow intoxicating music, but whatever it was it made them comfortably close enough to kiss.

A blast of the horns snapped them out of it as the four council members called upon everyone to their attention. Dimitri walked with Raha as they melded with the crowd trying to get as close as they can to the council table. The Arabian Tahr raised his hands to silence everyone so that they could hear him. He gave thanks to the Great Giver for the good fortune granted to their little town and prayed that they had another prosperous year bestowed upon them. The Aeshilonian called for Sir Dimitri to come forward and be recognized by all present as their peaceful town's newest friend. The crowd including Raha applauded and cheered for him as he got in front of everyone.

As Dimitri stood before everyone, he gave a small but subtle speech about his time there and thanked everyone that welcomed his help. Before he could say more, however, the village bell started ringing. Two rings three times. It could only mean one thing: trouble! He immediately demanded his weapons and one of the councilmembers went into the hut to grab them while the others saw to calling the troops into action. Armed now with his sword and shield, he took off with his two guard friends and ran into the chaos.

The scene was crazy as the town was in an uproar, the villagers scurrying for their homes while the town guard rushed to secure the town. Dimitri and his two guard buddies tried to find the captain of the guard and eventually found him, a carpet viper Aeshilonian. Marauders, suspected to be the traditionalists, apparently decided to attack their village after all. "We think there might be fifty of them altogether," the viper said.

"Where are they at now?" Dimitri asked the carpet viper.

"We believe they've split into two small groups sometime after they got to the courtyard. Twenty heading down to the market, and the other twenty are making their way to who knows where. My group dealing with the rest of them in the courtyard now."

"Anyone else dealing with the splinter groups?"

"They're off to confront them now." Dimitri suddenly realized that Raha and her son lived near the market and signaled both Oryx and Cheetah to follow him. Immediately, he sprinted like a crossbow bolt with the two behind him. He only hoped they weren't too late. They soon reached the outskirts of the market and wasn't long until he saw signs of combat starting as the town guard clashed with the raiders.

The raiders all wore red war paint on their face along their cheeks with a black paw print on their chests. They used either a weapon made of stone or hardened wood with sharpened stone along the edge, their own clawed hands, or in their animal forms. While some guards held their own, the raiders were just as tenacious. Dimitri immediately charged into the fray as he fought his way through the chaos, using all his skill with the blade and shield to slay any that dare to do likewise. He had to get to the house fast and the guards knew this. They helped clear the way for him as he made a break for it. Dimitri prayed that they would still be alive should he survive and succeed.

Coming up on the house, the young human arrived just in time as he saw three raiders making their way to the hut. "Turn fools and face judgment!" Dimitri called out to them. The three rogues turned to see him coming and one of them, a caracal, signaled and ordered his compatriots to kill Dimitri. The first to come at Dimitri was an Arabian leopard wielding an impromptu battle axe. Blocking it with his shield, he immediately thrusts his sword into the animal man. The raider fell with a cry and Dimitri turned to face the other raider, a mugger crocodile. He only had little time to react as he narrowly dodged the snapping maws of the large reptile. The Croc man snapped his jaws again, just a few inches from his face. Dimitri slammed his kite shield hard against the croc's jaws both forehand and backhand which slightly made the croc dazed before running him through his soft underbelly.

With both warriors killed, Dimitri dashed to the house. It wasn't long till he heard chaos coming from inside the house. In a matter of moments, he saw the caracal dragging out a struggling Raha. Fighting back fiercely, she bit down on his arm making the feline yelp in pain. In anger, he threw her to the ground and raised his weapon of choice, an axe, to strike at her. "Hold Cur!" Dimitri declared. "Unless you are that eager to meet the Great Giver." He charged at the feline, axe colliding with his sword. Each had a blow and counterblow for the other until they locked weapons. Grunting and struggling, one pushed against the other like two male deer locking horns fighting for dominance. With one great heave, Dimitri threw the raider off him and came at him with an overhead swing. The caracal blocked the blow, leaving the knight with an opening to strike at his midsection with the edge of his shield. The raider reeled in pain and Dimitri came down hard with a hard right with the hilt of his sword knocking him out.

Catching his breath, Dimitri sheathed his sword, straggled over to Raha, and helped her up. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, thanks to you," Raha said as she embraced him.

"And Matek? Where is he?"

"He's in the house still." Dimitri heard the flap opening from the hut and saw her son come out, looking roughed up. Dimitri went over to the young jackal and checked on him. It looked like he had a slight bruise on the right side of his face. Matek was trying to defend his mother when the raider came after his mother but was struck to the ground. Dimitri was concerned but was relieved the boy was alive. Looking back at the unconscious raider, it was now time for some answers.

Sixteen minutes later, Dimitri threw a bucket of water on the caracal now tied up to the improvised melee pole he used for his sword strikes. Raha and Matek had already left for town to notify the council that they just captured one of the raiders. Dimitri, meanwhile, plans to get information out of the intruder. "Now then, friend..." Dimitri said in Aeshilonian as he placed a ladle into another pot of boiling water. "...I have questions that need to be answered. And if it isn't me, it'll be the people of this good village. It is your choice whether you want to cooperate or not."

As he looked up, a blood stain was on the corner of the raider's mouth. Like some of the other raiders, he wore nothing more than a large loincloth from his waist down. He grimaced as he said nothing, whether he was refusing to speak or couldn't speak at all. "I don't wish to do this, but if you do not speak I must do what I must." The raider swore at him in Aeshilonian and spat at the ground at him. Dimitri sighed as he took the ladle in hand and dipped it in the smoldering hot water. True, other methods of torture could be applied. Dimitri, however, was no savage. This method seemed less barbaric. Pulling out a cupful, he poured the hot water first on the caracal's right shoulder slowly. The caracal whimpered as he kept his mouth shut, trying to endure the pain. He tried it again from the right shoulder to the left, and the prisoner kept silent still. Dimitri had to applaud this animal man for being so resistant to this torture. Then again, this kind of torture wouldn't seem to weaken any man of strong spirits.

The young knight still had the want to try. The last thing he would try was dumping the rest on top of his head. Whatever it took, he was going to get answers. May God forgive him for what he'll do next. He went for the tail, dipping the tip of the caracal's tail in first. Being more sensitive, the cat man gritted his teeth as he hissed in pain. Judging by how he was squirming, Dimitri could see he was getting closer to making the cat talk. As he dumped more of the tail into the small pot of boiling water, the caracal finally gave in and howled in anguish. "Stop! Stop! Please! No more!" the caracal cried out.

"Talk! Lest I continue to make you suffer further!" Dimitri demanded, making it like he was about to dip the whole tail in.

"We are the 'Animen'. We are a proud group of animals who do not wish to indulge in the curiosities of your kind."

"So, you decided to attack these people for their beliefs. Why?"

"We were persuaded by someone from your little village." The Animan was starting to get snarky and testy with the human now. "Someone who was just as spiteful of humans as we are. We and he agreed that the Aeshilonians have forgotten their animal nature, becoming too human. And we're doing what the Baerlins haven't the gull to do."

Dimitri threatened to pour more of the boiling water on him as he grabbed the metal pot with both hands. This made the caracal snap his jaw shut. Dimitri pressed on his questioning as he asked again "Who sent you?" He was starting to fume but kept complete control of his temper.

"A particular hyena fellow who knows of you and your kind."

Dimitri thought for a moment about whom he meant, then it dawned on him. "Jada," he said in disbelief. He turned away in disbelief, thinking about how everyone was going to react to this. He turned back to the tied-up caracal who was still feeling the effects of the boiling water. "I thank you for your cooperation, sir," Dimitri said to him. "I'm not going to kill you, that is for the townspeople to decide. However, if you decide to take me to where your fellow Animen are, I may be persuaded to convince the village to give you a fair sentence. What say you?" The caracal looked up at him with an incredulous look. "It's entirely up to you."

Upon hearing all that Dimitri had to report, the villagers were not quite happy about it at all. Many wanted to hang him right then and there, but not more than they wanted to hang Jada. After calming them down, the Council came to a decision to have Jada and these "Animen" brought to trial. Dimitri and a handful of the best Aeshilonian warriors that survived last night's raid will seek them out and bring them back to be put on trial by a group of their peers. As unhappy as they were having to wait for justice, the villagers reluctantly agreed to wait for their return. There was the ponderable possibility of the Baerlins wanting to have a word with them, prepare for their arrival and pray that the worst doesn't come to be. The young knight selected about seventeen able-bodied warriors still willing to fight. Among them was the Oryx. The cheetah was wounded with a slash across the ribs. And so, the Aeshilonian bodyguard was ready to get one for his childhood friend. As everyone geared up, Dimitri (now in full armor) was approached by Raha and Matek. Matek, being the eager youngster, wanted to come along to help. But Dimitri kneeled and told the young jackal Aeshilonian that he is needed here more than he needs him, to be the man of the house and keep his mother safe until he returns, with his sword or on his shield.

Turning to Raha, he opened her padded hand, placed his St. George medallion, and closed it. "I will be back for you both. I promise," he vowed to her.

Raha smiled reassuringly and stroked his bare cheek through his chainmail hood. "Pray that the Great Giver is merciful and kind to your fate." Dimitri kisses her hand and smiles. After that, it was time to go. Taking his prisoner, he and the second-standing bodyguard led their makeshift unit out to confront these raiders that dared to disturb the peace.

After trekking for miles with a prisoner tied up and dragging behind, Sir Dimitri and his band of Aeshilonian avengers finally came before a cave big enough for a small army. The caracal raider was brought forward between him and the Oryx. "You're _certain_this is the place?" Dimitri asked firmly.

The raider reluctantly nodded. "Yes, it is. Would I lie to you?"

"Not if you wanted to live," the human glared at him. Leaving him with the guard, the young knight took a few steps toward the cave. He scans the cave, not seeing any sign of occupants. "I call upon those who raided the town of Aeshilonia. I call upon the Animen, so that justice may be brought upon them," he called out. It seemed like maybe the raider was pulling the wool over his eyes until he saw some heads poking out of the cave. Pouring out of the cave, Dimitri guessed there were thirty-four of them; making it even with the number of warriors he had. And there, in front of them all, was Jada standing with who looked like the leader of the raiders; a muscular red fox wearing a large loincloth around his waist and a necklace with a curved tooth tied onto it.

"Who calls?" the red fox chieftain demanded.

Dimitri slipped up his visor to reveal his face to his adversaries. "I am Sir Dimitri, son of Heinrich. Knight of the Templars of Antioch and friend to all who deem me as a friend. I've come here with one of your compatriots to find you and bring you all to be tried before a court of your peers."

"And just _how_do you plan on doing that? Just take us by force?"

"I do not wish to unless I must. But I believe we can settle this in a traditional sense. I propose a pas d'armes, a passage of arms. Warrior against warrior. Your best warrior against myself. If I win, you and your men must come with us into our custody. Do so and I promise you all shall be given a fair trial."

"And if _we_should win?"

"You have me as your prisoner."

The furred warriors mumbled amongst themselves about this surprising offer. Even their leader seemed suspicious as he stroked his chin. "And how do we know you're true to your word, Sir Dimitri?"

"I swear upon my honor as a knight of the Teutonic Order and on the honor of my family name I will abide by the terms as long as thou are trusted to abide by them."

Jada glowered at Dimitri. "The word of a human is worthless to us. Such human practices couldn't possibly be of any benefit to us."

"Why not?! Aeshilon law can be just as fair as Baerlin law if given half the chance. I'm willing to give it a chance. What of you?"

The leader of the Animen pondered this for a moment. "Who here wishes to challenge the human?" he asked his warriors. At once, everyone seemed to want to fight him. But it was Jada who spoke up the loudest. "I will! I accept the challenge!"

Dimitri had a feeling the hyena was wanting to face him. He had not forgotten that day when the Aeshilonian was confrontational with him. He didn't wish to do this, but this was the only way he could settle this mess without any more bloodshed. "Very well. I have only a few conditions." Dimitri requested.

"What _kind_of conditions?" Jada asked warily.

"That we keep this a fair fight and that we fight with our weapon of choice." Normally, it was customary to possibly settle a quarrel by a test of strength through jousts and melees. A passage of arms seemed like the best choice in this matter.

Dimitri looked to the leader to see what he had to say about this. The red fox pulled the hyena aside and discussed the matter. He gripped the pommel of his sword, patiently waiting for their decision. After minor deliberation, the two of them turned to him to give them their answer. "So be it," said the red fox.

The stage set and the rules made, both combatants made ready to face each other as Dimitri allowed Jada to select his weapon of choice. Dimitri turned to the bodyguard that followed him as he did and muttered "Be ready in case something goes wrong. One must be prepared in case of treachery." The Aeshilonian nodded in agreement and ordered the warriors to stand by. As he did, the young knight walked a few ways from the group, removed his helm, and drew his sword. Placing the helmet aside, he kneeled with his sword in front of him and prayed after making the cross sign. He prayed for victory in the fight he was about to undertake, for the Aeshilonians to be ready should things go ill with reasoning with the Baerlins, and that he would see Raha and Matek again.

His prayer finished, Dimitri made the sign of the cross once more and prepared for combat. Standing up, he placed his bascinet upon his head and looked to see Jada standing before him decorated with war paint wielding a mace with flanges and a cross shield that seemed to belong to a Templar. This got Dimitri wondering where he got such weapons and walked towards the Aeshilonian traitor, sliding down the visor. The two combatants circled each other, weapons relaxed as they sized each other up. Warriors on both sides watched like a pack of wolves watching two other wolves fighting for the position of alpha male, with eager anticipation and prolepsis. "If you don't mind humoring me Jada, just where did you get those weapons exactly? I'm rather curious that someone that has such distaste for humans would have such weapons."

"These once belonged to one of your kind responsible for my mother. When I was old enough, I tracked the humans responsible for my mother's death, and with some help from these warriors we had them murdered in the dead of the night."

"You have a right to be angry. I share your grief. God knows that the desire for revenge comes from anger and shame. But feeding into those emotions by taking revenge on someone makes it only stronger, not weaker. What starts as anger can quickly turn into rage, bitterness, and hate, leading to who knows what kind of sinful actions." Dimitri said trying to reason with him.

The hyena didn't seem convinced. "Don't talk to me about hate! I have seen how your kind have treated each other. You speak of treating each other with goodwill and compassion, yet some attack humans that are unarmed and wish no harm. What have you to say to that?"

"Is it still worth attacking your kind just to prove a point?" Dimitri countered. It was enough for Jada to attack with mace raised as Dimitri braced for the blow. The solid thud of the metal mace against the kite shield was followed by thunderous cheers from both sides. Both warriors clashed as they countered every parry and thrust. The Teutonic knight was quite impressed that the hyena was holding his own against him. But now was not the time for admiration, now was the time for victory and peace. All that stands in the way of it was a vengeful Aeshilonian.

Shield held out in front of him Dimitri feinted his sword in a sideways chop at Jada. The moment the hyena raised his shield the human thrust his blade toward the stomach. Jada realized his mistake as he barely reacted enough to block Dimitri's attack by slamming the edge of his shield down on his sword. Dimitri saw this and rolled to the right, avoiding Jada's overhanded swing coming down at him. Using his shield, he slams its edge hard into the bend of one of his haunches. The hyena yelped in pain as he skittered back to recover.

Without hesitating, Dimitri charged Jada and rammed him with his shield, knocking him flat on his back. The knight held him at sword point, the tip held near his throat. "Yield, Jada. Surrender now and you shall live." The hyena glared fiercely at him, then without hesitating swung his mace to move the sword away from him before rolling out of the way. The hyena made a hard overhand strike at the knight, landing with a loud hard thud. Their shields collided as they pressed hard against each other.

"You think you can win this? Just what do you hope to gain from all this, human?" Jada demanded.

"Something more than what you aim to accomplish," Dimitri replied not backing down, "a chance to live a peaceful existence. But the only way I can have such a life is to put an end to this madness." They both pushed off each other and both mace and sword clashed together. Having enough of this, Dimitri held nothing back as he pressed his attack against the Aeshilonian as his blows became more vicious and quicker. One of his blows rocked Jada, leaving him open to slice along the outside of an exposed knee.

Jada cried out in pain from the cut and buckled down on one knee. Dimitri leveled his sword up to Jada's head. "Yield, Jada!" Dimitri demanded. Jada looked up, panting. His expression went from being in pain to being enraged as he dropped his shield, batted Dimitri's sword out of his face, and tackled the human to the ground. Jada grappled with the knight, trying to wrest the shield away from him so he can land a killing blow to the head. Dimitri struggled but had his shield torn away as he tried his best to dodge the black mace until he felt the pommel of the weapon rattling his head. Adrenaline kicked in as he struggled to reach the tip of his sword and jabbed it into the notch of Jada's armpit. The hyena screamed in pain as Dimitri used all his strength to toss the Aeshilonian off him.

Struggling to breathe, Dimitri tore off his helmet and threw it to the side. It hindered his breathing anyway. Grasping his sword with two hands, he squared off against the hyena Aeshilonian who grimaced as he forced himself through the pain and stood on his haunches. Winding up for a killer blow, the human hurled himself at Jada just as the hyena was doing the same. Sword collided with mace once more; only this time the sword triumphed, knocking the latter down to the ground. Dimitri didn't waste any time and hit Jada hard in the head, first to the side then straight onto the muzzle. Jada was knocked onto the hard earth only this time Dimitri got upon him and held his sword up horizontally against the hyena's throat, the blade slightly digging into the flesh. "Do you yield now, Aeshilonian?!" he questioned him in a serious tone, more threatening than the last time while catching his breath.

Both sides ceased cheering as they awaited Jada's move. Jada panted heavily, determining whether to be bold enough to make another move at him; but reconsidered the thought. "I yield," he said, feeling defeated.

Dimitri cautiously eased off him, straggling up to his feet. He looked to the leader of the Animen. "As we agreed, you...and your warriors...are to come back...with us to stand trial...before both Aeshilonia and Baerla. And I,...will make sure you all...will have a fair one."

"How do we know for certain...that it's a guarantee?" Jada asked Dimitri, propping himself up to sit up. He almost forgot about the wound inflicted on his left side and grunted in pain, grabbing at it. "When I wanted justice, there was none given. The word of law is nothing but a lie. A human lie."

"Dimitri of Bohemia does not lie," Dimitri stated. He threw his sword and offered his hand to Jada to help him. "Here is my hand on it."

Jada looked at the extended furless hand hesitantly, then back at him. "Why do you not wish to kill me? I would have thought that you wanted vengeance for what we nearly did to the village."

"The villagers are the ones to decide your fate. I, however, follow another part of the law bestowed upon me both as a knight of chivalry and a Christian. It is one of God's laws that's not always a perfect law to follow but for some, we do our damndest to uphold it any way we can: Thou shalt not kill."

Jada stayed silent, still puzzled by this human and his way of thinking. He looked over to the leader and the other Animen, still waiting on his decision. "It's your decision, brother," said the leader. Jada looked back at Dimitri; hand still held out to him. Flexing his hand, he slowly outstretched his and the two clasped arms. Helping Jada up, they exchanged a look of sincere understanding, a smile of confirmed trust on their faces.

As was agreed, the Animen followed Sir Dimitri and the Aeshilonian warriors back to the village. And just in time too, for no sooner had they arrived that a gathering of what seemed to be the representation from Baerla had gathered in the center of town arguing with the Aeshilonian council and those present. Their presence announced, all ceased their talking and made way for Dimitri and company. He looked around and could see Raha with her son near the council table, grateful and relieved to see a battered but alive Dimitri return home.

The trial seemed to take hours but as Dimitri promised, he acted as the mediator between the two sides considering what was said. In the case of Jada, Dimitri allowed him to speak freely with self-control about his case. In the exhaustive end, they came to a decision to be imprisoned for a lengthy period of fifteen years and placed in a prison well-guarded and public for all to see unless shortened in case of good behavior; for there are things far more effective than death. Feeling exhausted and relieved by the outcome, Dimitri could finally take a moment to rest and recover.

During the time of his recovery, Dimitri helped monitor the prisoners and attended council meetings. During one of the meetings, it was proposed that they try uniting the two towns. But this time, a new town guard comprised of members from both towns would keep the peace under the command of the combined town leaders with him, along with his newfound friends the Oryx and cheetah Aeshilonian guardsmen, heading the guard. For a lengthy period of two months, the new town guard (now named "The Keepers of Peace") patrolled and monitored the reunited people as new policies and practices favored by peoples of both ideologies. Sir Dimitri of Bohemia may not have found peace in his world above, but he had a better chance of it here. And as he steadily became a permanent part of Raha and Matek's life, it became a reality for the young knight.