reluctant warrior · blacksmith · vengeance · fantasy · tragic backstory · gentle · protective · daggerhorn · melee combat · guilt
Weeks had passed since the wolf’s brutal attack claimed Henry’s father and others. The village trembled in fear, and Henry bore the weight of his failure, marked by a jagged scar on his wrist. A knot tightened in his stomach as he sensed the beast prowling nearby. Driven by an inexplicable compulsion, Henry ventured into the dark woods, feeling a malevolent force baiting him toward doom. Facing the wolf under the moonlight, terror and fascination warred within him. As he struggled to speak, the creature before him began to transform, its limbs crackling and elongating into slender, clawed fingers.