Mount Haumond

Argus knew Kaijuu was following. He had expected as much, after all, she seemed to want something from him. Although his troubled state was gone, and he had found his purpose, Argus found her aura troubling, like she needed to care for him. He needed to see her fighting skills, for recruitment purposes. She was a remarkable warrior, he could tell that, and her wit and coercion skills were on par with some of the more 'remarkable' Wolf Scholars. He needed a new Order of White Wolves, as did Ethaeri. He had heard...many things from the Highland areas, beasts beyond mythical nature roaming the lands, prey for the Elves who sell the hides, meat and carcasses for simple sovereigns while they could be used for so much more, and he intended to visit the Elves before heading for Imperia, whether she came along, would remain to be seen.

"I don't know why you want to come," Argus said, still walking forwards as he spoke to his traveling companion. "Because where I'm going you may not want to, it'll change your life forever."

Kaijuu smiled and shook her head. If nothing else, the man was dramatic. She had been around for decades and almost nothing surprised her anymore. "It'll change your life forever", yeah right. She was curious as to their destination but she doubted it would have much of an effect on her life. "I want to come because there's something seriously wrong with you, and I want to know what it is. Nobody just loses their cool like that unless they're crazy, are you crazy?" She didn't expect an answer to the question but since it looked like he was going to let her tag along she might as well try to find out now. If he was crazy he most likely wouldn't tell her that he was and if he wasn't he would still deny it. So she wasn't really expecting much of an answer from him.

She quickened her pace and lessened the distance between them, it was still dark and although her eyes could see better at night than during the day she wasn't so sure about him. As far as she knew humans didn't have the best night vision and to make it worse she knew even less about elves. So she decided to stay close and keep a sharp eye out for predators and who knows what else. Suddenly she had an idea, Kai let loose a small jet of flames from her mouth, lighting the surrounding area with a soft orange glow. This way nocturnal predators would be deterred by the light and it allowed Argus better visibility. She still couldn't figure out just why she cared so much but she had never been one to ask unnecessary questions so for now she just accepted that she did care. Who knows, maybe if she stuck around long enough she'd the answers she sought would come to her. Yeah, and maybe one day humans would fly.

"I'm not crazy," Argus replied, stopping to pinpoint his message. "But there's something I can tell you, it's the thing that'll change your life, but you have to agree to it and promise never to share the information with anyone I don't deem necessary to tell."

He had made his decision. She was to become the first member of the new Wolves, if she accepted the proposition. Her skills seemed inhuman, and he knew she wasn't human, her eyes told a story. Her eyes didn't look natural, like fake eyes made by a spell, and her nails were long and perfectly sharpened, almost like a griffon's claws, and finally, her tailbone was more outstretched than a normal human's, it gave away things that Argus already knew: She was a Dragon.

Kaijuu stopped and watched him, "Was he serious about this whole changing your life thing?" she thought to herself. She found it difficult to believe that what he was going to tell her would really have a profound effect on her future but she was one to gather secrets, not to share them. So she decided to humor him and agreed to his conditions, "Fine, I promise I won't tell anyone your secret." As Kai spoke the flames she breathed wavered and flickered, giving the forest the impression of being alive as it took on an ethereal air. She leaned against a nearby tree, observing him carefully. Whatever it was that he was going to tell her it was obviously important to him. But that wasn't why she was watching him, she wanted to make sure he didn't have another episode, Kaijuu didn't want to have to fight him but if he attacked her again he wouldn't be leaving without a few good burns, she was sure of that.

Although her posture seemed relaxed she wasn't actually touching the tree, her wings rested gently against it but if she had to she could fly away at a moment's notice. Her mantra floated through her head "Stay alert, trust no one. Stay alert, trust no one." She repeated it over and over in her mind, folding her arms and tapping her claws lightly against her forearms. He barely knew her and yet he was going to tell her a secret? One that would change her life forever? Firstly, what did he know about her life, there was no way he could know that this would really affect her. Secondly, who tells life changing secrets with strangers? The more she thought the less she understood and Kai eventually shook the entire thing out of her mind and focused on the strange man standing before her.

"You know me, I'm a White Wolf. Better yet, I'm the Marshall of the White Wolves, but there's something that civilization doesn't know about the White Wolves. Our abilities are extraordinary, we hunt monsters because we have increased speed, strength and reflexes, but all of it comes at a cost. That cost is...our souls. Once you become a White Wolf, your soul is given to a demon, usually a pride demon, but some demons are rage, sloth, terror and fear demons, all demons beyond the Living Realm. They give us our powers, but also have possession of our lives, thus making them forever a part of our dreams."

Argus stopped and waited for her to take in that information, before he was to continue with his tale. It was hard to process, giving your soul to a demon beyond life. He knew it himself, it took him a while to make his decision about becoming a White Wolf, giving it all to a demon and becoming a demon yourself when you die, it's just like a living hell.

"These demons can possess us, and then we have forever lost it all. You saw my demon possess me, but I managed to defeat it, thanks to you. It's a dangerous life, but I've managed to keep my demon at bay for almost a decade. I've been possessed around three times, that one being the third. And what happens when you are possessed is scary, the demon dissolves, and enters your body and becomes your soul, forcing yours out and trapping it in the Dream Realms, where you become a demon and repeat the process from a different side. I'm sorry, but it has to happen. But what I'm telling you this for...I want you to become the first member of the rejuvenated White Wolf Order."

When Argus had stopped talking all Kaijuu could do was stare. He couldn't be serious, the White Wolves had been disbanded, and monster hunting was outlawed. If she understood him correctly he wanted her to be the first member of his new Order? She would have laughed if he hadn't looked so serious, the whole thing was simply ridiculous. Argus really was crazy if he thought she was going to give herself over to some demon and let it prance around in her body. She had a quest to complete, she had to avenge her parents, to make it so that they could finally rest peacefully. She didn't have time to join some secret Order. It didn't matter to her whether or not monster hunting was outlawed, she killed what she wanted when she wanted. What did matter was avenging her parents and finally ridding the world of the Ogres.

She was just about to take off when a thought hit her. What if she wasn't strong enough? What if when she faced the Ogres she wasn't able to take them down. They had killed her parents, two adult dragons, and she wasn't even fully grown so what made her think she could beat them. Argus had said that the White Wolves had extraordinary abilities, maybe this was why she hadn't left him. Something had told her to stay, to become a White Wolf, and the first monsters she would hunt down were the murderous bastards that had killed her parents. The more she thought about it the better the idea sounded. Once she killed the Ogres she wouldn't have any other reason to live anyways so the demon could take her body after that. She nodded to herself and looked at Argus. She was still a bit suspicious of how this demon bonding process worked but it was her best chance at ensuring her parents revenge. "Fine. I'll join your new Order, but I have a few questions first. One: How does this giving my soul to demon thing work? Two: Why did you choose me for this, you barely know me."

"First, and you won't like it, but we summon the demon. This is done inside the monastery, where we have the appropriate tools to do so. Second, you will offer your blood to the demon, which will either accept your blood and immediatly possess you through the cut, or decline it and spew it's taint into your bloodstream, thus killing you. Finally, it will try to permanently possess you by making a deal with you. You must try and stop the demon, although you will be enticed through it's suave and trickery skills. If you defeat it, your mind will create a temporary barrier that will last around one month, protecting you from the demon's clutches for that long."

Argus had finally found his recruit. Now it had been decided, they would travel to the Wolf Monastery in Imperia straight away. They would have to make stops at numerous villages, however, but their goal had been decided.

"Why I chose you? Well. I know your kind, you're of draconic race, I see it in your eyes, your hands and your tailbone is outstretched further than a human's. Your fighting skills are impeccable, as is expected with your race, and your desire for vengeance against your family's killers is a motivator. I remember the news, two high dragons found dead on the slopes of Mount Haumond, and I see the vengeance whenever I mention Ogre, dear Kaijuu."

Kaijuu shrugged, his reasons were valid and she couldn't complain. If he was crazy and this was all just a madman's ravings she would just go search the mountain for the ogres and try her luck and if he wasn't crazy and this was for real then she'd be able to get stronger and definitely slaughter the Ogres. Every time she thought about them she could feel her claws practically aching to sink into Ogre flesh. She wasn't sure just how she was going to deal with having to share her body with a demon that's constantly trying to control her but who knows, it might even come in handy. Maybe it'll take control when she's fighting the Ogres and slaughter them all for her.

No. As soon as she had thought it she immediately dismissed the possibility, she was going to use this demon's powers yes but it was her who was going to kill the Ogres. She wanted the satisfaction of being fully awake and felling her own two claws tearing them apart. She wasn't comfortable with Argus's knowledge of her past, she didn't know many humans that knew about what had happened and those that did know never brought it up around her. Kaijuu shook thoughts of her family out of her head, they were gone now and she needed to focus on avenging them. "Alright, I guess that'll have to do for now. Where is this monastery where we have to find my demon, and can I just fly there?" She spread her wings and began stretching them, one at a time. Although it hadn't been long since her last flight she didn't like being on the ground for too long and the faster they got to the monastery the faster she could exact her revenge.

"To the Monastery, in Imperia." Argus replied, beginning to walk into the forest with his companion. "It's barely a building now, and you probably wouldn't be able to see it."

With their destination settled, their journey truly began. They left the company of the two strangers that had arrived at their camp, although Argus made sure he had packed up their tents, bedrolls and other equipment, before dousing the campfire. They set off southwards, heading into the dense forest of the Imperian, truly heading into the Human Territory.