A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

Before Viljar tried to lead him anywhere, however, Erik stopped him with an anxious expression. "Wait, Uncle! Before we do anything else… I noticed my mother's grave is missing…"

Erik's heart pounded in his throat as he awaited his uncle's response. He realized he may have inadvertently gotten his hopes up a little too quickly and was now afraid of getting that hope stomped on.

Hearing Erik's words and seeing his expression, Viljar quickly felt incredibly guilty as he slapped his own forehead. "Shit! I'm so sorry, Erik. In my excitement, I completely neglected how you must have felt coming back here after seven years."

He quickly collected himself and smiled. "Your mother is alive!" Then his expression turned to uncertainty, "Or at least… she was when I last saw her… which was actually a few years ago now."

Erik barely heard his uncle's last words as powerful relief and elation flooded his system, causing him to start laughing. For the first time in many years, tears glimmered in his amber eyes.

His mother's missing grave had given him hope and expectation, but only now did it feel real.

Seemingly, out of nowhere, Elora materialized from a cloud of light specks and embraced him with a warm smile on her face. Words were unnecessary right now.

Erik just grinned happily and hugged her back. Her wings naturally allowed her to hug him at face height. "You know I'm gonna have to deal with these people more harshly now because they've seen you, right?" he said in a light tone.

Elora giggled. "Think I care? Do whatever you like with them. I just wanted to hug you. Would you have preferred I stayed inside?"

Feeling the warmth of her hug and her sizable breasts pressed against his chest, Erik could only sigh, "No," while thinking, 'I wonder if Mom and Elora will get along.'

Meanwhile, every onlooker except for Emily widened their eyes in astonishment and confusion when a short woman with wings and the beauty of a goddess suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Viljar stammered, utterly confused, "U- Uh, Erik? What's going on?"

Erik chuckled as he looked at his uncle's expression while continuing to hug Elora. "Don't worry about it, Uncle. Suffice it to say that this is the wife I mentioned earlier, but I'll explain later."

"O… kay? I was actually more concerned with where she came from rather than who she is. But I suppose you can explain later." He said while scratching his head.

As Erik and Elora continued to hug, the world around them was forced to wait.

The trio of shapeshifters, finally unable to contain their curiosity after the many unexplained events, tried to get closer, but a stern look and held-up hand by Viljar made them stop in their tracks.

Finally, Erik and Elora separated. "We'll find her." Said Elora warmly, and, while Erik nodded, shrunk into her smaller form before fluttering onto Erik's shoulder, light as a feather.

Elora turned to Viljar and nodded in greeting while a confident grin hung on her small lips. As Erik's non-blood-related Uncle, Viljar was certainly more important to her than a stranger, but also not as important as actual family, extended or otherwise.

Viljar, caught off guard by Elora's sudden size change, raised an eyebrow. However, since it wasn't that much of a departure from her appearing out of thin air, he quickly brushed off his confusion and decided to wait for a later explanation.

He returned Elora's nod with a mix of curiosity and a hint of caution, then turned to Erik. He raised his right hand with a sad expression and wanted to pat Erik's shoulder when he suddenly realized he was trying to grab the same shoulder that Elora was on.

He halted to see if Elora would fly up. When he looked at her, and they locked eyes, she had a playful yet daunting smile on her lips as if daring him to disturb her seat. Viljar looked into those beautiful green orbs, and a shiver ran over his spine.

There was power in those eyes. He saw a promise of endless suffering if he didn't move his hand immediately. He actually began to sweat a little as he felt intimidated by the tiny humanoid creature that was smaller than his hand.

Elora may not have any offensive magic, but she was still a third rank and could, therefore, easily intimidate anyone of lower rank by releasing a bit of her aura.

Erik just looked at this exchange with a grin and couldn't help but chuckle when he saw his over two-meter tall bear of an Uncle cough and lower his right hand before raising his left one and grabbing Erik's other shoulder.

"A- Anyway," he stammered a little but then shook his head and seemed to regain his composure as he looked at Erik with a sad expression. "I wanted to say I'm sorry about Leifur. He was a good man, an even better friend, and an amazing father."

Erik's expression turned solemn as he nodded. "Thank you, Uncle. I'll miss him, but I'm glad I got the chance to honor him through a yoik."

Viljar smiled when he heard that. "I'm sure he would have loved that." Then he turned a little uncertain, "But uh, do you know what's up with that flower?"

Losing his seriousness, Erik chuckled and quickly explained the particulars of that flower, causing Viljar to turn to Elora with a grateful expression. "That was a nice gift, thank you."

Elora shrugged. "I didn't do it for you."

Viljar began to wonder if he had somehow insulted this tiny winged woman and turned to Erik with a little confusion.

The amber-eyed man shrugged with a grin, "Don't worry about it, Uncle. It's nothing to do with you."

A little relieved, Viljar turned back to Elora. "Well, you have my thanks regardless." He turned back to Erik with a thoughtful expression. "Regarding your mother… Is it okay if I tell you everything I know when we aren't standing in the middle of a battlefield with four people anxiously staring at us?"

Grinning, Erik nodded. "Sure, we have a lot to talk about, but we can do that later. I believe you were about to introduce me to the six pairs of eyes who've been staring holes in our backs?"

Viljar nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Come on, as I said before, I bet they'll shit bricks!"

Viljar wrapped his arm around Erik's shoulder, very careful to avoid Elora, and they walked towards Nora, Anne, and Björn.

Viljar's happy expression put them at ease somewhat, but they still felt pressured upon seeing those two powerhouses walk up to them, especially since Erik was still an enemy in their minds.

Nora inspected Erik's newly human face and mumbled, "At least he's handsome enough."

Meanwhile, Björn mumbled with a lost expression, "She's beautiful," as he stared at the small woman on Erik's shoulder. Yet, when his eyes crossed hers, the same shiver that Viljar experienced ran across his spine, and he quickly averted his eyes.

"Too scary for my blood," he mumbled as another shiver ran across his back.

After recovering, he turned to Nora with a playful grin. "Are you still confident now that you've seen the competition, Nora?"

Nora glanced at Elora and frowned before snorting and looking away, "Beauty isn't as important as knowing how to use it. That boy will be mine!"

Erik and Elora were already close enough to hear her, causing the fairy to giggle and talk to Erik through their bond. "That woman is quite sure of herself. So what do you think, Master? Will she steal you away from me and make you submit to her?" Then her tone took a more sadistic turn, "Or will she regret trying?"

Erik grinned as he remembered Elora was still bound by their bet to call him master. Then he answered her while chuckling. "Not even the goddess of lust and beauty herself could tear me away from you. If I were ever to submit to anyone, it would be you."

"And don't you forget it!" Elora answered smugly.

As Erik and Viljar approached the trio, Erik's gaze softened slightly, intending to mend their rocky start. "You know," he began, his tone laced with a blend of amusement and respect, "Elora and I prepared contingencies in case you three chose to flee after my victory. Yet, here you are, standing tall. I must admit, I'm impressed."

Nora's expression momentarily flickered with offense, her pride pricked by the insinuation of running away. Anne, however, seemed to have not even heard his words. Her glare was unwavering and brimming with silent fury.

Björn, embodying a more pragmatic approach, simply gave a nonchalant shrug. "Leaving the boss was never an option," he stated matter-of-factly. "Had you crossed a line after his surrender, consequences be damned, we would've faced you head-on."

Erik's lips curled into a knowing smile, a nod of acknowledgment following. "That's a commendable spirit. I respect that kind of loyalty."

Sensing the tension in the air, particularly around Anne, Viljar decided to quickly toss the elephant into the room. "Guys, I'd like you all to meet Erik Gunnulf, my nephew… And Runa's son."

Eyes widened, and breaths halted as a pin-drop silence descended.

As he looked at their expressions, Erik chuckled inwardly, 'At least now they have something on their minds other than Elora.'