• In the woods near the castle gates of Astalia, a most interesting discovery was made…
    ***


    The castle magician, Flaym was gathering herbs outside the castle for his latest cure to the recent outbreak of fever. As he neared the yew tree, he heard a strange gurgling sound. Looking every which way, he saw nothing. Continuing on, he still heard the gurgling. Moving faster, he almost smacked his head on the ancient yew, towering well over him. Staring up at it, he saw something. A small opening nearly two hands above his head. Putting his head to the tree, he realized the gurgling was coming from inside the tree. Circling the tree, he found another opening -big enough to fit a wolf easily-, in which there was a small bed. Stepping closer, he found the bed was made of soft wolf fur, and feathers. Stepping closer to the gurgling bed, he saw a changeling which were banned from the kingdom after a plot made by changelings who were unhappy about their treatment to kill the king, and have one of them rule the kingdom looking like the king. The changeling was just a little baby, harmless except for his many transformations. Judging by his current form, he was at first raised by humans, then wolves. Could it be this changeling is unaware of his abilities..? The baby gurgled, then started bawling. Afraid to face the wolf pack that raised the boy, he glanced around. Suddenly, he remembered.


    It was the night before, and Soree the hunter had just returned from hunting. “Eliza! Start the fire! We gonna have a feast tonight!” Eliza, Soree’s wife stepped out of the kitchen to see what her husband caught. “Oh, my dear! We’re going to have to invite the neighbors to celebrate! If you take care of the skin, bones, and innards, I’ll make the other dishes to make with it, and also I’ll make the herb mixture so it’ll be delicious!”

    Later that night, Flaym, and a few others were gathered around the table to enjoy the feast that Eliza made. “What did Soree catch today? Boar? Chicken? Or maybe Elk?” Ertha the merchant asked teasingly. “Actually, today it was a lovely white wolf. My dear caught it without getting a single scratch from her! After this, he’ll take the fur to the tailor, and make it into a cap for me for the winter season!” The merchant seemed impressed “if you don’t need that cap, I’ll pay a good price for it. Fur’s on the rise in Min.” Eliza shook her head “No can do. This cap is one I’m never selling. Go ask the tailor to give you the scraps from it.” Flaym was more interested in if the wolf was a female. “How do you know the wolf was female?” Soree walked in and answered “because the little beaut had some unborn pups in her stomach that’s how.”

    Suddenly shivering at the memory, Flaym picked the changeling up, and brought it out. Looking at it in the light made him realize that he could take the changeling home, and treat it as his own. But if someone found out that it was a changeling, he would be sentenced to death. “You’re not that bad are you?” The changeling hiccuped in response. Looking up, he saw that the sun was setting. “Oh dear, we best be on our way or the wolves will-” Flaym broke off. “Unless you can convince them to not hurt us… Well, looks like I’ll set up camp here.” Flaym quickly scurried around to gather wood, and find his flint to start the fire. After the fire was good and burning, he got three sturdy sticks, and placed his large cooking pot for making potions to sell to the apothecary in the center of the triangular stick formation. “Is there water near here little one?” Flaym hesitantly asked the changeling when he could hear no signs of water. The baby, seeming to understand, placed his ear to the ground, and made a swift motion to indicate digging. “Thank you young one. I don’t suppose you can become an animal that can dig, can you?” The baby decided to dwarf his idea of a small digging creature, and made himself into a large, ruby colored dragon, twice Flaym’s size, but still a baby. “Oh dear. I believe that may have overdone it…” Flaym got a nostril flare from that comment. The changeling swiftly swept up a mound of dirt, then another, until there was a small pool forming at the base of the hole. “Thank you young one, I’ll take it from here.” Flaym pictured the hole, brimming with water, clear as crystal. “Efoni aquis!” A burst of energy flew through Flaym’s body, coming out of his palm. Satisfied, Flaym marveled at his handiwork. “And that, young one, is how it’s done.” Suddenly, he heard a male voice in his head Stop calling me young one. I do have a name, you know. “I don’t know your name though.” Silence replaced words. Fang. “What?” By my wolf family, I was known as ‘Fang’. By my human family, I was known as ‘Raizan’ it means lightning, I think. “I’m going to call you Ren.”