FSE

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Morning came with a gentle breeze, as the burning amber of the great daystar trickled slowly over the sandy horizon. Alandria was the first to wake, the proud Jackalope standing on the edge of a nearby hilltop as she let her ears wiggle with the wind. She could tell the direction of the clouds from the way the air hit her ear tips and she gripped her staff tightly as she swirled the nock around the grassy floor below her.

"Morning," a long drawled yawn came from behind her, the young Wolfen scratching behind his years as he joined his new friend on the hill, "What ya doing?"

"Getting a sense of the land Devan," she spoke in her usual warm wisdom, "One does not travel these parts without a sense of foresight, for one such as I the elements provided can make all the difference."

"I see" Devan said somewhat awkwardly as he looked to the horizon, dreading his return to the dead air of the humid desert surrounding the luscious oasis.

"Worry not," the Jackalope said lightly as she reached out to pat the Wolfen pup's back, "I'm with you now, and so long as my staff remains intact, there will be plenty of drinking water to stave off our thirst."

The Wolfen smiled as for a brief moment he felt a sense of wonder again, "Where are we going Alandria?"

The Jackalope looked serious again as she thought of the quest ahead, her gaze surveying the distance as she spoke in a low whisper, "We travel north to Nitheram, our last stop before we brave the Dark Shallows."

"The Dark Shallows?" Devan asked curiously as intrigue and danger seemed to tangle in his mind, "Why are we going there?"

The Jackalope looked almost enraged as her paws seemed to tremble against her staff, but she soon stilled herself and gave the boy a weak smile, "Best not worry yourself about that now, there we be plenty of time to answer your questions when we reach Nitheram."

"Is that your home?" Devan asked curiously, noting the brightness in her voice every time she mentioned it.

"It is Devan, but we still must be careful... we must approach through the weeping swamp." Devan chose not to further inquire about the swamp, its name alone all that was needed to describe it. "Is there no other way?" the wolfen finally asked, noting the gradual descent in Alandria's mood.

"Normally there would be, but I need to meet with my friend Alice, she and I were both on an important mission and I need to check back with her." Her eyes seemed focused even as she spoke, the Jackalope eventually stopping as her ears flickered about.

"Is something wrong?" Devan asked as he noticed a change in Alandria's expression, her face darkening as the woods around them seemed to reach a rather foggy patch.

"I need you to stick close to me from here on out Devan," the Jackalope's voice seemed tense as she clutched her staff, "These are very bad parts."

The Wolfen allowed his ears to perk up a bit higher, sampling the bubbling sound of the nearby swamps. "What makes them so bad?" he asked his mentor, clutching her robe gently as she stepped forward towards the dense wall of fog.

"Something unnatural roams these parts Devan, something very old, and very evil." Her paws seemed still but clutched the staff with all her strength as she stepped into the muddy floor of the swamp, the pair engulfed in thick white air as they entered. It was impossible to see very far in front of themselves with all the endless fog, and the sounds around them seemed unwelcoming. The atmosphere was damp and foreboding, as if the very air slithered around them with watchful eyes. What wildlife they could hear was strange and distant, the odd splashing of water or chirring of some far off creature all that reminded the two that this area was even still alive.

Alandria seemed to almost panic each time a tree branch would crack or a stump would stir, her nerves shaky and nervous as she led the Wolfen through the swamp. "I-is there no other way?" Devan asked as he began to feel the deep piercing cold, not from the wind but from something much deeper, as if his very soul was being penetrated.

"No Devan, there is not," she said shakily, whispering something to her staff until the end glowed with a low light, only able to cut the smallest patches of path through the fog, "These swamps have grown bloated with the Casserak's influence, and now surround most paths leading to our home."

"That's h-horrible" Devan whispered. _'Warmth'_the sound hit the Wolfen's ears faster than he could react to. "Al-Alandria I hear-"

"Shh," the Jackalope hissed, "Do not speak any longer, and pay no mind to what you hear!" Devan shook nervously as dread filled his heart, a sickness growing in the pit of his stomach as if some unseen shadow was looming over him.'Warmth' he heard in his head again, a low hiss that slithered from one ear to the other. Fear filled the young Wolfen and he was just about to panic until Alandria suddenly grabbed his paw, giving him a warm smile as she kept walking with him. She managed to hid all fear as she lent her strength to the young one, the two able to step through the fog without any further whispers.

"Wh-what was that?" Devan finally asked once all the fog seemed to have cleared, the Jackalope taking a seat next to him on a rather large patch of clear grass.

"It has no true name, but it is ancient. It came well before the time of the Soulsteel, but was never this powerful before. We call it the Casserak," Alandria paused to allow Devan a moment to soak in all the information, "It feeds on life, and lives in the fog. It started out with small things like grass and bushes, eventually trees and smaller animals, but now it lingers everywhere, turning more and more of our luscious forests into dark swamps... to the south west lies even worse areas, that don't have much life at all, the Casserak is a parasite, leeching off of all the life in these parts. It must be stopped, at any cost... that is my mission Devan."

The Wolfen surveyed his guardian's eyes as they seemed cloudy with thoughts, her breath slowing to a sigh as she sat in wait. "I'm going to help!" Devan finally said proudly, nodding with confidence.

"You'll what?" Alandria asked him to repeat.

"I'll help, with your mission!"

"Devan no," the Jackalope said with a chuckle, brushing his hair back with her paw, "It is not a safe mission, and not a burden for you to bear."

"It doesn't matter," the Wolfen said confidently, getting to his feet again, "You saved me Alandria, and you have kept me safe, the least I can do is repay you in kind."

The Jackalope smiled as she let out a warm chuckle, "Well you'll need a lot of training."

The Wolfen nodded, "I'm ready for it."

Alandria ruffled his hair, "Well I don't even know if you'll be allowed on my mission, but I'll keep it in mind... I am truly thankful for the pledge young one." Devan sat back down and stilled himself for a bit soon after; the pair waiting patiently for Alandria's contact to arrive. "Where the hell is she?!" Alandria eventually growled, punching the ground with her fist, "That girl is always late!"

Devan looked to his mentor patiently, the fur on his back suddenly standing on end as he heard the strange whispers return. 'Warmth'_it slithered ear to ear, only growing more powerful with each passing second, _'Warmth... your warmth... my warmth' "Al-Alandria!" Devan whimpered as the voice grew in strength and what sounded like numbers, multiple voices speaking to him now.

"Devan get up!" the Jackalope said quite seriously, grabbing his paw as she put her powerful feet to work, "We have to go!" Devan said nothing else as he tried with his best effort to keep up with the speedy Jackalope, the pair rushing away from the scene as the unusual fog closed in all sides. It lingered with a low hiss as it settled on the earth, its white form filling every crack and crevice along the muddy ground. 'Fiarra!' Alandria called out as she rushed away, small bulbs of fire shooting from her staff onto the ground behind them. The Wolfen could see a full ring of bright flames for only mere seconds, before the fog had reached them, sucking them up into nothingness.

"Shit!" the Jackalope yelped as she arched her back to aim, once again bellowing the powerful word, 'Fiarra!' This time the fire didn't even manage to hit the swamp floor, the fog twisting and curling over the orbs to consume them almost instantly. 'Fiarra!' Alandria yelled a third time, and this time Devan realized she was actually feeding the strange and fearsome entity, merely trying to slow it down. The flames disappeared again almost immediately, but this time the being was given form, a large hulking black shadow forming in the mist with red glowing eyes. It howled a muffled, sickly cry, almost like a cross between a wounded animal and bubbling geyser. Devan felt frozen as his looked into the form's eyes, a voice more violent than before clearly growling 'Give me your warmth!' His legs shook as he stood, almost nailed in place, his breath coming out as a thick fog as his eyes seemed to shine red themselves. "Devan!" Alandria's voice squealed as she pulled him along, the Wolfen snapping back into focus. He took another look behind, mostly out of disbelief, only to see the fog far behind him, no shadow, no gleaming eyes, and no voices in his head.

He kept running with his mentor until they had finally reached the end of the swamp, hitting soft grass again as they were treated to a beautiful midday sun. "W-we made it!" Devan huffed as he caught his breath, panting desperately for air.

The Jackalope passed him her satchel, allowing him to guzzle down what water he needed, "We did Devan, we did." As soon as the boy had regained his strength the two continued on for the better part of an hour. The pair was slowly starting to grow tired from all the travels until almost out of nowhere they reached a rather magnificent sight.

There was an incredible wall surrounding a beautiful patch of land, seemingly an entrance to another forest. There were odd shapes and symbols etched along the entire wall, each resembling the same strange writings Devan had seen on Alandria's stones the night before. He began realizing with closer inspection that they were in fact made entirely of wood. Their long thick trunks twirled together into a large trunks that rose from the ground, intertwining into thick, near impenetrable slabs that bordered the edges of the Jackalopes' territory. "We are home Devan," Alandria said to her ward, resting a paw gently on his back as she stepped to the protected entrance, "Soon you will meet your new family."

"M-my new family?" the young Wolfen asked the Jackalope with gentle eyes.

"Yes my young one," she said as she caressed the boy's back, "I assure you once they have a chance to judge your character they will see no other fit choice but to welcome you with open arms." Devan smiled softly, not fully believing Alandria's words, but humbled to be so openly accepted by her. She raised her staff to the fortress walls and tapped three times, creating a triangular shape that began glowing green as she slowly twirled the raised tool. She mumbled words even harder to decipher than her usual spells until the three green flames glowed gold, red, and blue, each a different shade before spiralling themselves into a circle. They continued to spin and shrink into each other until all that was left was a dazzling silver ball, soon curling the roots out into an open archway so the pair could enter.

"Astonishing!" the Wolfen said with renewed excitement as he followed his guardian inside, the sight he was met with more beautiful than anything he had ever laid his eyes upon before. Inside lay a seemingly endless forest of bright green trees, each illuminated by rays of sunlight that sliced through the spaces between their foliage of leaves. Water ran through cracks in stone that sparkled from the sun's reflection and met in pools among various springs of varying temperature, each controlled carefully by various runes. The houses were beautiful, made clearly with the aid of magic, more complex structures that resembled trees than the crude Wolfen hutts of Packrun.

"Follow me now Devan," Alandria said to snap the boy's attention back, "There is plenty of time to admire the beauty of Nitheram later, for now we must meet with the great elder."

"The great elder?" Devan inquired with vested interest.

"Yes, he is leader of the Jackalope and keeper of the forest," Alandria said as she walked on, stopping only to look Devan straight in the eyes, "I warn you, he has not seen an outsider in many years, you'd best be polite, honor him and please prepare yourself... his appearance may seem, strange at first."

"H-how so?" the young Wolfen asked.

"There is no easy way of explaining, it is best to... show you." As the two continued their walk many villagers stopped to stare at the Wolfen. None seemed scared nor threatening, but rather curious as to why he had been brought into their home. Many had never seen a Wolfen up close before, their species very different and with little to trade with any of the neighbouring tribes.

"Alandria, you'd best have permission to allow this boy inside our walls," a voice spoke out from the pair's side, both turning to look upon a slender, male Jackalope with brown fur and long golden-brown hair, "I'd hate to see you punished again."

"This doesn't concern you Brovewn," Alandria said in an irritated tone, "This boy is orphaned and now homeless, I'm taking him to Sa'Ha'Bek."

"Alandria, have you suffered heat stroke again in those awful deserts, perhaps had a touch of spore sickness?" the Jackalope wore a toothy grin as he followed the two, continually pushing Alandria's buttons.

"I assure you dear Brovewn... I am fine, now leave before I'm forced to reteach you manners."

"Ooo, such strong words, if only-"

"Brovewn! Be gone!" the words boomed from nearby, and just as soon as they were heard by the three, the brown Jackalope was gone. In his place a beautiful white Jackalope stepped towards the two, wearing a long white robe that was fashioned with strips of gold. His hair was long and dark, a single straight line of jet black curling down to where it ended in silver lines. He wore several little runes in his hair, fashioned out of curls and his eyes were near identical to Alandria's, blazing red like fire.

"Thank you brother," Alandria said with a relieved sigh, "I swear that fool will never cease it with his twisted tongue."

The older Jackalope looked kind but stern as he eyed the Wolfen, "Nevertheless, he does have one fair point, you were not given permission to allow this young one inside these walls."

"I do apologize brother," Alandria said with a bow, "You must however understand, his family and his home have both been lost, I believe this affords certain exceptions."

The Jackalope loosened his intensity by offering a paw to the boy, giving his sister a forgiving smile as he once again trusted her judgment, "Greetings young one, my name is Toralwenn."

"D-Devan, my name is Devan, a pleasure sir" the Wolfen replied as he shook the offered paw.

"So I overheard my sister wishes to take you to the great elder... I wonder why" he gave her a sly grin.

"B-brother, I believe that this young Wolfen may be very important if we are to succeed in our... mission, I also have grown somewhat attached in my short time around his company, I wish to take him on as Lo'Bek."

Toralwenn couldn't help his laughter in response, "Lo'Bek? Him? Wolfen's possess no magic, what would you teach him?"

Alandria remained strong in the face of her claim's dismissal, "I wish to teach him the land and how to defend it"

Toralwenn kept a curious eye on his sister as she spoke, realizing she was holding something back, "I know when one is keeping information from preying eyes and mindful ears... I will take you to Sa'Ha'Bek... do not let it be for nothing sister."

Alandria looked rather serious as she replied, "I assure you brother, our great elder will have a sight to see." The remaining walk to their destination was rather quiet and uneventful, a small path leading the trio down to the largest tree that Devan had ever seen. There was another round of symbol shaping and whispered words to create an opening for the group, and when they entered it was as if stepping into an ancient library. The tree was hollowed out and full of wall to wall shelves shaped out of the tree's bark. It also housed various other scrolls and scripts and the entire room smelled of fresh morning due, the floor made entirely of dirt and grass.

"Where is the great elder?" Devan whispered to Alandria, before being startled by the twisting and crunching of the earth. Several vines had sprouted from the ground and the grass seemed to split open on one large patch. The vines twirled around, leaves soon joining them until suddenly the bottom of long branches warped to antlers, each hanging out of the largest Jackalope Devan had ever seen. His fur was matted and gray, and his entire body was covered in damp moss, wisps of willow like branches dangling over his cold milky eyes. His body was feeble in most places but compensated with various branches that held him in place. With closer inspection the Wolfen could tell each piece of living wood was sprouted from his antlers, thick as tree trunks that gave him renewed strength rather than weighing him down.

"Sa'Ha'Bek," Toralwenn said with a bow, Devan joining in as he saw that Alandria had bowed as well, "My dear sister has brought with her this orphaned Wolfen, she wishes to initiate him amongst our ranks."

A low grumble suddenly filled the room, its low bassy boom echoing off the walls as it spoke, "On what grounds?"

"Sa'Ha'Bek, great one," Alandria spoke as she stood to greet him, "This young one is now without home or family, and has displayed abilities that I believe may help us in drawing back the Casserak." She paused, noticing the elder had looked at Devan a little closer, clearly interested in the boy's plight, "I feel it is both our duty to protect this boy as is our vow with all living things, and it would be irresponsible to ignore such a strategic opportunity."

Silence permeated the room as the elder was left to think, little vines curling around him as thoughts sprouted through his mind. It had become quite clear to Devan through observation that the great elder had somehow become the very nature he grew up around, all the magic he had learned reaching a point where he could intertwine himself with the very forces of the earth. "What abilities does the young one possess?" his voice boomed out again.

Alandria was unsure how to properly respond, patting the Wolfen on the back as she whispered to him, "I may need you to do something a little unpleasant, do you trust me Devan?"

"I do Alandria" there was great sincerity in his response.

She nodded to him as she reached into his side pocket, pulling out the odd S-shaped dagger, "Sa'Ha'Bek, forgive me for allowing this into your domain, I pray you will understand my reasoning." She looked Devan in the eyes, a smile given to lend him strength as she dug a small cut into his arm with the dagger. Both the elder and Toralwenn watched on as the boy's blood trickled over the blade, the thin metal soon glowing in a low white hew. It was different from before, no longer violent, but instead gentle, calming. All at once the Wolfen's fresh wound sealed up, no scars visible as small bundles of dead leaves wiggled on the floor beneath him. He grabbed the dagger, simply to put away at first, but a sudden flash caused him to gasp, Devan's eyes wide as two moons as the dead foliage straightened and turned green again.

"Alandria, how dare you bring a Bloodmage here!" Toralwenn growled to his sister, "Of all the foolish, misguided-"

"Silence!" the great elder called out, his voice nonthreatening but commanding all the same, "This bloodspell promotes healing... I have never in my long life seen it used for healing."

"Sa'Ha'Bek, brother, I have withheld this revelation from you both, and for that I beg forgiveness... but you must understand, it is the only way I could convince you both to allow him here, and you must see that he is special."

There was a disappointed fierceness in Toralwenn's eyes as he glared his sister down, but he turned to look at his elder, allowing him to decide Alandria's fate. It started off softly, but eventually became booming, the entire room filled with the loud echoes of deep laughter, "Alandria, you are foolish... but you are brave." The elder's roots curled out slowly towards the boy, intertwining around his blade. His milky eyes reflected the bright light that pulsated as the metal touched his roots, little buds sprouting out and blossoming into little flower petals. "When did you first learn of this power young one?"

"It has b-barely been a fortnight," the Wolfen said shyly to the powerful force that loomed over him, "Al-Alandria told me what it is."

"Young one, you must be careful with this newfound power of yours, it is strong, but very dangerous," the elder pulled away, reflecting on his newly fashioned vines, "I must say this ability to heal is unprecedented, it could very much be helpful to us."

"Forgive me asking Sa-Sa... elder," Devan asked with mild awkwardness, "But I've heard you all speak of the Casserak, what is that?"

The elder lay back in a sudden bed of flowers that seemed to grow as he lay back against the grass, his milky eyes growing more cloudy as he reflected on the dark subject, "The Casserak... it is a dark creature that roams these lands, our tribe used to be able to keep the creature contained to its own domain, but several moons ago it broke free of our bindings. It has been creeping around the neighbouring lands ever since, and I fear our magic is no longer able to ward it off."

Alandria rested a paw on Devan's shoulder as she added to the elder's speech, "I personally believe your abilities may just be effective, as they are, somewhat... similar to those that defeated the Casserak before."

"Before?" Devan asked his guardian, keeping an invested eye on the elder.

"She speaks of the Soulsteel young one," the elder said as his eyes seemed to cloud again, "You would not have been born yet, it was a very cataclysmic time... it was a miracle our race did not perish in the war."

Devan held his head down sympathetically as Alandria took over the role of speaking, "Sa'Ha'Bek, I believe on our way here, through the weeping swamp, we encountered the Casserak."

The elder loomed over the pair closer, his clouded eyes surveying their forms, "Are you sure?"

"Yes great one, it was unmistakable, we heard the whispers, felt the cold chill of its presence-"

"-and I saw it!" Devan interrupted his mentor, causing her to hush suddenly, "I saw it."

"My dear child," the elder spoke in a kind but serious tone, "The Casserak is formless until it has reached its prey, very few have ever-"

"Dark shadow, like a large bulky creature and red eyes, it hungered for warmth... my warmth."

The elder was silent as he contemplated the Wolfen's words, Alandria and her brother also still as all three forgave the boy's rude interruption, realizing the weight of his words. "Listen to me good and well child," the elder said more powerfully than ever, "Your escape was nothing short of a miracle. To get that close to the Casserak and live, without any formal training is... unthinkable, if you are lying... you are well studied indeed, but if you tell the truth..." His gaze turned to Alandria, and then Toralwenn, who nodded back to his elder, "Alandria... permission is granted, Devan shall be your Lo'Bek... but heed my warning boy, if what you say is untrue, and you truly face this beast... you will wish you had never learned its name."

...

Devan's heart felt like it would never stop pounding, he had left the elder's chamber several minutes before but already could feel its strong, ancient eyes locked upon him. Alandria had stayed behind to receive additional instruction from him, and had left the Wolfen in the temporary care of her brother. Toralwenn walked along the bright halls of the training complex with the young Wolfen, its walls lined with emerald and ivory. There were doors all about the place, each leading to a different type of training room. "This way" Toralwenn said to the boy as they had almost reached the entrance to where his training would start, the Wolfen stopping in front of four rather marvelous statues.

"Wh-what are these?" Devan asked in awe of them, the three forms unlike any being he had ever encountered before.

"Ah, the great ones," Toralwenn said with a warmth to his tone, "These are the great mothers and fathers of magic."

Devan nodded as he looked over them closely, unable to determine their species, "What are they... exactly?"

Toralwenn smiled at the boy's inquiry, enjoying the studying nature he displayed, "These are the ancestral races in which each magical family was born. This one is the Karavesk." He pointed first to the great feline creature, its mane powerful and wild, two large wings on its back, almost dragon like in appearance but with insectoid details that made it seem almost hive like. Its eyes also shared an insect quality and its tail seemed almost like a long hazardous dagger. Only closer inspection its fur almost resembled feathers that seemed to stem from nowhere. "This father bred the Gryphons and the Manticores," Toralween continued, "Next is the Chillindre," he pointed to a large equine, its mane ablaze like fire, a third eye placed on its forehead and two, spiralling horns sprouting from atop its head, "It fathered the Unicorns and the Bicorns."

Devan nodded again, an intense interest lingering over his expression, "Is that, a, a Dragon?"

"Close," Toralwenn said in a serious tone, "It is the Draconis," the pair looked over the magnificent deadly form, the large winged lizard resembling a Dragon in every way save for the heavy amount of feathers rather than scales, and long blazing fire where one might have hair, "It became the Dragons, and the Phoenix."

Devan nodded as a shiver ran down his spine, "...a-and the last one?"

Toralwenn bowed before the last statue, smiling to the Wolfen, "This is the great Kemruskhen, the mother of Prayton and most importantly, the Jackalope."

Devan looked closer at the magnificent creature, its large form like a giant doe, with fur tangling down like willow branches, it had two horns much like the elder's, thick like tree trunks, and a long tail with a thick end, spikes protruding out of the thickets parts. "The Prayton?" Devan asked again after recovering from the hypnotizing beauty of the statue.

Toralwenn's expression darkened as he shook his head, "Never mind them, they are rare to find and none to pleasant. Each family has its darker counterpart, the Manticores to the Gryphons, the Bicorns to the Unicorns, the Dragons to the Phoenix, and as such even we have our own dark brethren... I hope for your sake you do not ever meet them, they are much wiser and far more powerful than the Bicorns and much more cunning than the Manticores."

"Are they all evil?" Devan asked, a note of sympathy in his words.

Toralwenn grinned brightly as he pat the boy's head, "Innocence prevails... no my child, they are not all evil, but they are ruthless and deceiving and for that reason, they are rarely trusted by our kind." He noted the look of concern on Devan's face before ushering off to the intended door, "Alright young one, that's enough history for today, let us rest as we wait for your To'Bek to arrive."

"My what?" Devan asked as he heard the peculiar title.

"Lo'Bek means student... that is you, so, To'Bek means teacher, my sister."

"Has she taught anyone before?" Devan asked.

Toralwenn laughed, "I'm beginning to think your true power is curiosity, no young one she has not, which is why for now, I shall assist the both of you, now come along, there is a lot to learn."

...

Later that night, dark hooves clopped along the ground as Alice made her way to 'The Last Light' tavern, still half a day away from Nitheram. She was terribly late and she knew it, decided to rest for the night in the tavern's inn, hoping to send a message to her friend while she was there. The tavern was busy as always when she entered, and she could tell by the time she had found a bar side stool, that many hushed whispers had begun lingering around the room about her. She looked to the barkeep as she got comfortable, a tough looking Oxilyte nodding as he kept wiping a glass clean, "What'll it be miss?"

Alice smirked as she let a soft chuckle escape her, "I'm impressed, most guys can't tell a mare from a stallion."

The Oxilyte smiled as he placed the glass down, "We don't get many Bicorns 'round here, sure enough, but I'm willing to bet I'm older than you, and I can tell the grace of a lady..." he looked down at the mare's legs and back at her arms, "Regardless of how many muscles they've obtained."

The Bicorn stared him down with a cocky grin, "Withered Rye, no ice."

"They are talking about you." Alice turned suddenly to the voice beside her, her bartender already starting on her drink.

"Who is? Who are you?" she looked over the hooded figure, noting by his muzzle that he was some sort of feline.

"Men at the back of the tavern, they know who you are."

"Oh yeah? Do you know who I am?" Alice said roughly, already looking to the back of the room. She could tell that most of the nearby tables had been vacated, several men moving towards the bar at a slow pace.

"I do," the feline replied, sipping from his drink, "Tell me Red Queen, have you ever stopped a whole room by yourself?"