I nodded, agreeing with her personal thought about the triquetra since malicious intention can come from different forms or directions, and having additional protection, perhaps, could ward them off.
"Okay, dismiss, but don't forget to do research about the Fenrirs from the Mystra Netherwyn and the Blood War." Lunarian dismissed the class with an assignment, which my classmates whined about but rejoiced as the class finally ended a little bit earlier than expected. Then she spoke directly to me, saying, "I can see you're curious about the fenrirs."
I stopped taking notes and looked up from my seat before asking sheepishly, "Is being a werewolf even an excuse?"
"No, not at all." She was shaking her head with amusement at my focus before adding, "The Fenrirs were like the highest form of wolf shifters that move alongside the spirits. By size-wise, Fenrir were either twice or thrice bigger than any werewolves, but what gave them a distinction from others was their majestic strength reflected in their figures, and natural elemental powers."
I already knew that, not only with the books I've read so far, but through my dreams. But my instinct told me that Lunaria could give me some answers that I was looking for, and before my tongue stuck behind my mouth, I dropped what I needed to know. "If they were the highest form of wolf shifters, then can werewolves possess a Fenrir as their spirit wolf?"
It seems to me that I asked the right question when I saw Lunaria's soft expression become a calculating one. She carefully studied me, trying to read me like a book before sighing. She didn't say anything, but she snapped her fingers, magically closing the door, leaving three people inside the room: Jerome, me, and her.
"Don't be confused when I close the door and put a warding spell around us." Lunaria reasoned after sensing our confusion at her gesture. Then she continued explaining, "I just have to make sure there will be no eavesdroppers around because your question must not get out from here."
Jerome and I looked at each other before Jerome wondered, "Why? What's wrong with her question?" Jerome
"There's nothing wrong with it, but it could be misinterpreted by anyone who heard it." She answered as she walked to a small office that was located at the far end of the room. We followed her inside, the room was filled with books and some research papers on the desk before I caught her asking me, "So tell me, Mrs Bernila, are you sure you're asking me the right question?"
I frowned a little before saying, "If my question is wrong, tell me exactly what you meant there."
She smiled, and she gave me a simple but direct answer, "Werewolves can't possess any Fenrir, but Fenrir could possess their chosen werewolves from their birthright."
Possess. Chosen one. Birthright. Those are the words that hit me deeply, as they reminded me of some vague fragments of my childhood days before I lost my biological parents, their letter on my twentieth birthday, my disturbing, repeated dreams, and the recent one, meeting and talking with a Fenrir. Thinking of it, something clicked inside my head, but I didn't dare to acknowledge it, yet.
"How? I mean, how could we tell that the werewolf is having a Fenrir's spirit or being chosen?" With a throbbing heart, I curiously asked more.
"I haven't seen one until I met one..." Lunaria answered, staring deeply as if she was staring at my soul, before she smiled softly. I wasn't sure why I felt nervous, though that smile, but when she continued, I listened. "According to what I've heard so far, they all said the same thing: werewolves who have the Fenrir spirit would be highly sensitive, a thinker, with odd reflexes, and flexible growing powers."
"Anyone could had that." Jerome refuted gently.
"True," She nodded before proceeding, "...but someone with a Fenrir Spirit had gone through severe hardship between life and death, meaning they were going through a turbulent change. But nobody exactly knew what kind of turbulence they were, and if a werewolf surpassed it, the Fenrir Spirit would had a chance of awakening." Her voice was steady, but her gentle eyes were fixated on me as if she knew what I had been hiding. I looked away, trying to calm my heart rate before she continued, "But since a fully awakened Fenrir Spirit had a low survival rate, it made them the Rarest Fenrir."
"Fully awakened ones only had the lowest survival rate compared to the half ones?" Jerome wondered.
"Some Fenrir Spirit in a werewolf vessel doesn't have the capacity to awaken the Fenrir's true potential; they either died in the awakening process, or maybe the Fenrir spirit itself didn't want to harm its vessel," Lunaria explained, but the way she explained it was like the message was directly addressed to me. I could feel it by the way she glanced at me. "But once the Fenrir Spirit and its werewolf vessel aligned, the awakening process intensified, which made its survival rate low and made them rare."
It was unsettling, but I didn't care about it for now. Her explanation was enough to intrigue me, and I began sharing my thoughts about the topic. "So, among potential werewolves, there could only be one or two per generation?"
"Not for generations, Mrs. Bernila, if not centuries, it's millennia, and mostly, their existence would only be one or none." Amused, she corrected me before sharing her conclusion, "Technically, per millennium or century, they were called the rarest Fenrir of that specific time, and if they exist this time, then they will be the rarest Fenrir of this year."
"Wow," Jerome was surprised.
"I see, that made sense about their rarity." I chuckled, sighing in relief that I hadn't noticed that I was holding during the conversation. Then I almost muttered softly, "I hope to meet a Fenrir in real life."
"You do," She grinned, and I frowned, confused until I heard Jerome snickering.
"Lunaria Thorns is a fenrir," Jerome said, and I glared at him.
"And you didn't tell me because?" I asked, crossing my arms and still glaring.
"I thought you knew." He laughed.
I slapped his arm a couple of times, growling at him, "I didn't, since I had never met any Fenrir before, how can I tell the difference?"
"Okay, that's enough." She stopped us before it escalated badly, explaining her side, "I don't show or tell that I am a Fenrir. Everyone thought I was a werewolf shifter, and that was enough."
"Is it because of what they called the Blood War?" I guessed.
"Yes, ever since it happened and ended, the mythical creatures have kept each tribe to itself. Only the kings and queens could get a pass to enter their tribes. And those mythical creatures working or living in another realm, couldn't pass through anymore without considering death." She explained briefly, and sadly, but before our conversation went on, she cut it short after noticing the time. "Anyway, I don't want to be late for your next class. Off you go. Don't forget about the Blood War History; it will be our next topic. So, don't forget your assignment."
We thanked her politely, and before I could fully step out from the doorway, I turned and told her something, "Oh, the reason I listened about Fenrir is that I've been meeting one in my dreams."
Lunaria's expression looked surprised and terrified at the same time, and then she said disbelievingly, "No way."
"Yes, and I think that's why I'm in your class," I said, and without waiting for her reply, I left.
***
My next class was Meister Alchemy, and to my least expectation, this class was the opposite of the Strategies class because it had twelve students, including Jerome and me. Our classmates were friendly, and they even shared their rank with us without being threatened. They were relaxed and focused on the class they loved more than gossiping. I liked them better than the others.
The class was surprisingly fun, especially when I ended up partnering with Jerome, who hadn't thought he was an oddball around magical stuff. "Seriously, Jerome, you jump and squeal like a girl." I groaned annoyingly, but my lip curved teasingly. "Are you sure you're a man or just pretending?"
"Hey! I am a man with a dick." Jerome said without filter, making me snicker, even the others who were sharing a table with us.
"Then you're gay?" I teased more, and he turned red, glaring at me.
"I had a wife," Jerome growled, defending himself.
"I saw." I grinned as if I won a lottery.
Jerome's eyes widened, realizing what he said. He glared, but then laughed. "You're such a tease."
We were enjoying the class by mixing chemical components, which luckily, my clumsiness didn't show up. Instead, I became Jerome's guide for not blowing up our small cauldron. But during the experiments, something passed me, sending heat over my hand, making it glow and strangely releasing energies. I couldn't name what kind of energies they were, but it was hot as if it was going to melt anything I touched.
I excused myself and went to our instructor's desk, where I read a name plate, Meister Andrea Thorns. My eyes narrowed, thinking of where I heard the surname if she didn't speak to me. "Curious about Thorns? I'm Knightrose's blood relative, and I'm the only vampire-witch in the family who also has a wife who teaches here." She answered amusingly before I could even ask her about her connection to Ms Lunaria. I nodded, but I didn't leave her desk, and then she asked, "What can I do for you? Are you done?"
"Oh, about that, can I have your moment?" I was hesitating a little because my hands were getting hotter.
"Sure, what is it, Ms. Bernila?" Meister Andrea asked gently.
"My hands felt odd…flaming…" I skeptically replied, making her eyes narrow a little since my choice of words sounded exaggerated.
She laid out her palms, saying, "Let me check." Without hesitation, I showed him my hands, and before she could even touch my hands, she reacted worriedly. "This...this can't be good...unless.."
I was confused as I looked at my trembling hands. They were not burning, but it felt like they were. Mesiter Andrea kept staring at my hands as if she was reading something that I couldn't see. It intensified my uneasiness.
I gulped, agitated, but I managed to call her attention, "Meister?"
Meister Andrea snapped from staring at my hands and stood up. "Okay, first. Breathe. But you need your mate right now." She told me, and it got me a little confused before she stood up. "Class, dismiss. We'll continue this experiment tomorrow. So, be sure that whatever you managed to do so far, they were all properly stored and clean your area, spotless." She dismissed the class early and turned to me before commanding Jerome. "Jerome, call her. I'll inform the lady."
"Is she?" Jerome guessed, and she nodded about something I don't understand.
"Yes, please, hurry." She answered as she released a cooling air that swirled only around my hands. Without looking at me, she said, "We need you to get you into safety before mateless creature smlled you."
"Smell me?" I was confused internally.
In a few seconds, Jerome went closer to us. Then he informed us that the infirmary was ready. "She had the lady's infirmary ready." I frowned, not understanding what they were talking about until he noticed my confusion. "Seriously, had you forgotten how an unmarked woman goes through heat?"
It took me a few seconds to register what made them panic. "Oh, I did forget it..." I reacted flatly. They looked at each other before I continued. "I forgot it after being traumatized." They understood, before Jerome excused himself and attempted scoop me up, but I quickly stopped him. "No, I could still walk. Just help me up."
Meister Andrea let Jerome guide me where I should be taken to safety. I was leaning on his support as we walked down the quiet hall when my body went stiff. I felt a familiar presence that I wished I hadn't sensed when I'm feeling weak right now.
"Why did it have to be now?" I muttered weakly.