Ever since his arrival in the Sieghart mountains, Ko had to admit that he was enjoying himself a good deal more than Marigold City. There wasn't anything wrong with Marigold per se, but Ko was more accustomed to a harder sort of living. Sieghart was decidedly more rustic, and it appealed to his particular taste rather pointedly. The only real problem Ko seemed to be having was finding a solid source for his addiction of choice: alcohol. Thus, he and Nantosuelta had taken to travelling between the various villages that dotted the mountain range, hoping to find one that had an acceptable supply.

It was during one such transit that Ko spotted a man by the roadside, visibly injured and seemingly delirious. Normally Ko wouldn't bother stopping to get involved, but in this case he felt it would be prudent to do so just in case something nasty was waiting for him up ahead. After helping to steady the man and ensuring he wasn't about to fall over and die in the next few moments, the man didn't wait for Ko to speak. He immediately began to beg Ko to help him, claiming that a werewolf was prowling the area, assaulting all of the villagers that lived there. Ko was reticent, but the man promised to pay him for the trouble if he could kill the werewolf and save the village.

Considering it was a paying job, and it was getting him to the next village in the area, Ko ultimately decided it was worth doing. After all, he was going to be looking for the village one way or the other; he might as well put in a little extra effort and get paid at the same time. He agreed to help the man, ignoring the irritated growl Nantosuelta sent his way. She made some off-hand comment about their alone time being interrupted with work again, but Ko brushed it off. She really did like to say some odd things.

331/1000

It didn't take long at all to find the village Cameron was talking about. All Ko had to do was follow the path. Of course, as soon as he arrived it was clear that the village was beset by something foul. There wasn't a single person out in the open, and there was a gloomy pall over the entire area. Ko wasn't even sure if he could hear anything over the sound of the wind. Turning back to Nantosuelta, he told her to take off and survey the area around the village from the air. If she caught sight of the werewolf, she was to come back and pick him up so they could pursue it together.

Thankfully she did as he said without much argument, taking off with a few wing-beats and leaving Ko alone within the village's boundaries. Now alone, Ko moved through the village as quietly as possible, his sword naked in his hand at all times. He'd only met a few werewolves in his entire life, and he'd never seen one that had gone completely feral. No doubt it'd be like fighting a rabid beast, but before that he would likely be getting hunted. It was the only thing that made sense considering how quiet the village was. Approaching a house, Ko banged the hilt of his sword against the door, checking to see if someone would answer. Instead, the door swung open, revealing that it had been damaged previously. Ko swung the door open to peer inside, and immediately averted his head. The werewolf was moving fast.

Suddenly, a ways away, Ko heard a woman's scream ring out. Taking off at a sprint, Ko ducked through alleyways and cut across roads to try and find where the scream had come from. When he finally found it, he was too late. The werewolf was up to its knuckles in the corpse of a young woman, her body already savaged beyond recognition. Then it turned to face him. Ko didn't have the bloodied face to match its grin, but he damn sure tried.

677/1000

In a surge of motion the Werewolf charged at Ko, fangs bared and claws extended. It clearly had no intention of letting Ko get away unharmed or of retreating peacefully. This thing wanted blood, and it wanted it now. Lucky for it Ko had no reason not to oblige. However, rather than wait for the Werewolf to close the distance on its own Ko charged forward as well, letting out a warcry that rattled the windows in nearby homes. The beast lunged forward to clamp its fangs around Ko's neck, only for Ko to bring up his guantleted hand to block it, letting the werewolf's teeth scrape harmlessly against his protected forearm. At the same time Ko slashed across its underbelly with his sword, drawing a pained whimper from the creature and forcing it to step back.

It held a hand against its wound, as if confused that its prey had managed to wound it. Regardless, Ko wasn't finished. He pressed his advantage, levying blow after blow against the creature, but it was more cautious now. It stepped back at every one of Ko's swings, deflecting his sword with its claws and otherwise foiling his attempts to kill it utterly. By the time Ko managed to score another hit across its leg, they had fought their way into the center of the village. It was then that Ko realized the glint of intelligence in the beast's gaze, and realized he'd been played. Now it could flee in any direction and Ko wouldn't be able to catch it.

However, at that moment, a gout of white hot flame descended from the sky, engulfing the werewolf and sending it howling in horrific pain. Nantosuelta swooped down shortly after, her own jaws clamping down in the burning werewolf's shoulder and lifting it off the ground, shaking it like a dog with a rat. When she finally threw it to the ground it feebly struggled to move, but the flames engulfing it swiftly expended the last of its strength. Preening, Nantosuelta congratulated herself for saving Ko from his inevitable failure, and Ko begrudgingly admitted she'd helped him. Cameron came running shortly afterwards, and the other villagers began to emerge as well. Ko desperately hoped they had some kind of booze to offer after that mess.

1058/1000