The village was quiet under the weight of night.
Only the distant howls and flickers of torchlight disturbed the silence.
Kyra crept barefoot through the winding paths between huts and bone-marked walls. Her little feet made no sound on the dirt. Her eyes, wide and glowing faintly in the dark, scanned for movement. Her heart pounded in her chest, not from fear.
From conviction.
She had seen them earlier. The cages.
And now she stood before them.
Rows of thick iron bars. Chains. Locks. Some cages held a single person. Others had clusters huddled together, bruised, hollow-eyed, broken. No warmth in their eyes. Just hatred. And fear.
And when they saw Kyra…
It changed to something colder.
Disgust.
"Get away."
"Demon."
"Monster filth."
Their words hit like stones.
Kyra didn't flinch.
She looked down at her hands. Small. Goblin-like. Dirty.
She looked back at them. Her voice was soft, but unwavering.
"…I don't agree with this."
They stared, confused.
She stepped closer, past the guards sleeping under wine fumes.
"I don't agree with monsters eating innocent humans. No matter what's been done."
A pause.
Then she smiled, a tiny, tired, but true smile.
"I'm sorry this happened to you."
She reached for the first lock.
CLACK.
The cage creaked open.
A few humans flinched.
A man with a bloodied tunic stepped out carefully. Behind him, a girl no older than Kyra followed. Her arms were scratched. Her eyes dim.
She stopped.
Then she ran forward.
And hugged Kyra.
Tight.
"Thank you."
Kyra's eyes stung. She hugged her back gently.
The man crouched and ruffled Kyra's hair, still wary but grateful.
"…You're not like the others," he said.
"No," she said quietly. "I'm not."
She then opened all the cages.
She led them past the guards, using the shadows like an old friend. Her small size, her goblin scent, all helped. The gates creaked open just enough for them to slip through.
She didn't let them see the tears in her eyes.
Later…
The door creaked softly open.
Axel didn't stir.
But the Black Wolf gauntlet pulsed once in awareness.
Kyra tiptoed back into the room, the scent of dirt and cold clinging to her. She climbed up beside Axel carefully. The room was warm. Safe.
She pressed her body against his side and curled into his arms.
Axel shifted in his sleep and held her tighter, unaware.
Kyra whispered just loud enough for herself to hear.
"…Not all monsters eat people."
Her eyes closed.
Sleep finally took her.
And outside, far past the trees, the shadows disappeared into the forest free.
Because of one little girl.
The next morning...
The sun had just begun to rise, casting long shadows through the dense forest that surrounded the village. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and pine, and the distant growls of wolves echoed through the trees.
Inside the village, tension thickened the morning air like a fog.
Axel and his group exited the inn, rubbing sleep from their eyes, only to be greeted by an unsettling sight.
Humans.
Dozens of them, kneeling in the dirt. The werewolves, standing in a semi-circle around them, towered over them like a looming storm. The air was charged with the crackle of fury, their fangs bared and claws unsheathed, their glowing eyes focused solely on the humans before them.
Kyra, still holding Axel's hand, froze when she saw the scene unfolding.
The werewolves growled and snarled, stepping closer to the cowering humans.
"Who set them free?" one of them bellowed, his voice a booming roar.
The humans, all chained together, shifted uncomfortably. There was a moment of hesitation before the first man pointed a trembling finger toward Kyra.
"The goblin girl," he said, voice shaking. "She's the one... she freed us."
One by one, the other humans followed suit. Their fingers all pointed in Kyra's direction, their faces filled with terror, as if betraying the young girl was their only chance at survival.
Except for two.
The father.
The little girl beside him clung to his leg, her eyes wide and frightened. The father held her close, and for a moment, he locked eyes with Kyra. A silent understanding passed between them.
They would not betray her.
The werewolves snarled, their fangs gleaming in the early light. One of the werewolves, a burly alpha, stepped forward. His eyes flashed with fury as he towered over the group.
"That's the one!" he howled. "She dares to free them?!"
Axel's expression hardened. He stepped forward, placing a hand on Kyra's shoulder. His voice was calm, but it rang with authority.
"She's just a child," he said. "She didn't understand the consequences of her actions."
The werewolves eyed Axel, their gazes narrowing.
"And you," the alpha growled. "What would you have us do with her, Black Wolf?"
Axel's gaze met the alpha's unflinchingly. "She's not a threat. Let it go. She's too young to understand what she's done."
The werewolves hesitated. There was a tense silence before the alpha finally snorted, dismissing the matter.
"Fine. We'll spare the girl." The werewolf glanced at the others. "But there are still those who need to answer."
The father and daughter, still kneeling among the other humans, were singled out. The werewolves dragged them away, their claws digging into the man's shoulders as they led him and his daughter through the village, past the jeering humans and snarling beasts.
"Since they refused to point out who freed them," the alpha snarled, "they will be made an example of. Let it be known that no one escapes again."
Kyra's heart sank into her stomach as the father and daughter were bound to a pyre, their limbs stretched out across the wooden stakes. The werewolves prepared the fire, their claws dragging the dry kindling beneath them.
The man looked at Kyra, his eyes filled with a mix of pain and gratitude. His lips moved in a silent word... "Thank you."
Kyra's chest tightened. The little girl, with her tear-streaked face, smiled at her. It wasn't a smile of happiness, but a smile of understanding. A smile that said thank you in a way that words could not.
But Kyra couldn't just stand there. She couldn't let this happen.
"No!" Kyra cried, breaking free from Axel's hold. She ran toward the pyre, her heart racing in her chest. "Stooooop!"
The werewolves stopped in their tracks, their glowing eyes locking on her in stunned silence. As she stood infront of the pyre.
Axel, Sylthea, Korrak, and Brakka stood frozen, shocked at Kyra's sudden outburst.