It all begins when a silver dagger goes missing.
For her entire life, a human named Cora Gabris has known that lycans were searching for her, as she was born as a Ruby -- a human that, when turned into a lycan, will become much stronger than any of...
A/N: I LOVE ALL OF YOU! I have no idea how to properly express my gratitude...but dangit you guys, come in for a group hug! This story has been such a roller coaster for me in terms of always trying out new drafts, and ultimately that got me a little burned out...but this one feels really 'right' for the first time, and it's your support that pushed me through all those humps! I got so many supportive comments last chapter! I am very excited to keep going with this world <3
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The halls of Reiger Edge were nothing like the jagged exterior. Everything had been smoothed, intricately carved, and braziers burned brightly around every corner. Engravings of wolves and forests lined the walls, stone ingresses fashioned to look like trees rounding to form archways. Never having witnessed such talent before, Cora pictured some kind of god slicing away at the stone to create this place.
And this is where I will live.
As she stood there, waiting for Theran to arrive at the foot of the grand staircase, Cora found one scene to be the most intriguing -- it was of a bipedal beast, immensely tall, and howling at the moon. It was such a substantial piece of art that the carving of the wolf creature was as large as Cora.
"What is that?" Cora asked to Mina, who stood adjacent to her. "I've never seen that beast before."
With pride, Mina said, "That is a our verulf state. It gives the hunters a real challenge. Our skin becomes incredibly thick, along with our fur, which makes a nice natural layer of armor that even a blade would struggle to pierce."
"I haven't seen that one yet," Cora said quietly, gazing at it with wonder. "Can all of you turn into that?"
"Yes, we can. It takes a lot of energy to maintain that state, however, so we cannot use it for long. It's mostly used for serious battle. Like, someone like me might maintain it for thirty minutes. But Ludovic? Or Theran? At least twelve hours before either would need to sleep for a very long time. But if they were to use it, it would require a long break before using it again, or they'd be weak and useless in that state."
Cora chewed on her chapped lips, thinking that through, hungry for that same power. I could become that...then no one would bother me, or Ben. An adjacent brazier cast wavering shadows on the carving, almost like it might have been alive.
Cora asked, "And a Ruby? An Omni? What are they like in that" -she waved a hand at it- "state?"
Mina spoke quietly, their voices echoing through the stone halls. Ludovic, the Seer named Oleva, and other guards stood close by. "Rubies can last like that for days. We don't know about Omnis. They haven't been turned yet."
Cora breathed deeper, eager for such defense. It was easy to feel defenseless and weak among these lycans, especially when had to rely on them versus herself for protection. I have power in my veins...I have to remember that. I won't be weak for long.
