The sound of branches creaking and scraping against the roof filled the room. Accompanied by the whistling winds and leaves, insects buzzing, lizards scrabbling on the wood, Klerien stiffly sat in front of Leos as they ate their supper.

The dull moonlight coming from the evening forest seeping through the cracks on the wall shone and lit the room with the oil lamp’s fire. Leos watched the flickering of the dancing fire as he took a bite from his loaf of bread while giving some crumbs to Maximillian.

Klerien discreetly gulped before swallowing the hesitance in his throat. He took a glance at the man named Leos, that shook his mind and senses minutes ago, feeding his wolf.

“Maximillian.” His wolf’s ears immediately perked up at the tone that his owner used. Klerien glared at the wolf. Slowly placing his bread on Leos’ hand, he suddenly grabbed Max’s scruff. The wolf started producing whining noises when Klerien dragged him towards the door.

He didn’t want the wolf to interrupt them as they talk. And no, Klerien inwardly shook his head at the sudden thoughts that entered his mind. He didn’t want to be pinned down again by the infuriating man. With a huff, he slammed the door shut, before hearing the wolf’s claws scratching the wood’s surface as it tried to get in. Taking a deep breath, he faced Leos.

“Now that we are alone, I want you to tell me what truly happened that night.” Klerien grunted, having his appetite disappear. However, Leos merely stared back at him while taking big bites from his bread. “I will not have you going back from your words. I dislike it when you talk cryptically, so lose that too.”

“You’re rather domineering and stubborn,” Leos said. Klerien squinted at Leos, something stirring inside him.

“The faster that you told me what I want, the faster you could leave from here. I gather that you have somewhere to be due to your insistence,” Klerien ignored his remarks. “I did not ask you to make a remark about my attitude, I want-”

“Yes,” Leos muttered dropping the leftover bread before walking forward to face him. “You wanted to know what happened. However, how could you be certain that I will not be lying or omitting anything from you?”

Klerien gripped the hem of his tunic in silent frustration. He blinked at the sight of the disturbed sheets on the cot behind Leos’ head.

“You haven’t thought this through. You did not even think if there will be other people who will be looking for a me. What would you do if I was being chased?” Leos casually mentioned as Klerien flinched. “Besides, in this small town, people are bound to know who was missing from who abducted whom.”

“Maybe, this will make him see sense. Or better yet, he it might take his head off from the dangerous subjects that he wants to be involved in. Also, taunting the man in front of him is somewhat… endearing,” Leos inwardly chuckled.

“Do you-” Klerien paused. “I mean, I don’t mind if you’re a wanted man. I’m being chased myself. Besides, if someone tried to look for you, I would have known since I visited the town earlier,” he said. Leos frowned.

“Someone wants to capture you...”

“Is that so unbelievable?” Klerien placed his hands on his hips, slightly tilting his head. Leos pursed his lips as a strand of brown hair fell on his eyes, covering his green orbs. “I saved a man lying on a pool of blood who is clearly a primary perpetrator of being the murdered. And, I did all of that for my own motives. Since we met, I’ve been trying to force you to confess something that I’m not even have a proof of, and now, I’m forcing you to stay. I’m not what I seem, Leos.”

“Indeed,” Leos nodded, scanning Klerien’s features from head to toe.

Klerien squirmed from the gaze pinning him to place. “So, are there anyone looking for you? Any family... lovers?”

“Why? I don’t think you care about that,” Leos answered without missing a beat.

“You kept on insisting on getting what you wanted expecting that I would be a meek dog that would agree to everything you said.” His eyes observed Konrad from his feet to his head to add to his taunts. “You are quite selfish, too.”

Klerien snapped. “Enough.”

Leos’ eyebrows lifted at the snarky tone in the his voice. He hit a nerve.

“He didn’t need to tell me that I’m selfish. All of this happened because of anything but my selfishness,” he thought, glaring at a surprised Leos, causing his eyes to turn into shades darker.

“You-”

“Do not start now,” Klerien frowned. “Did you thought that I wouldn’t notice what you’re trying to achieve? You will not succeed in distracting me. Speak, Leos.”

Klerien uttered his name with finality with a hint of a whine. A gleam passed through the windows of his eyes as he gazed at the spitfire. “I will not allow another lie or distraction. I’ll be the judge whether you lied or not.” Leos exasperatedly sighed.

“I will only say this once. I didn’t do anything. One moment, I was walking then a sudden intense pain exploded at the back of my neck, and everything went black.” Klerien opened his mouth, to start arguing that he’s lying again. He didn’t believe a tiny speck of the words that came out of this man.

“Before you add anything, I figured that someone might be trying to frame this on me since you seem to think that you’re very well versed about this, why don’t you think about similar circumstances?” Leos eyes narrowed at Klerien.

“Do you know someone that was accused of doing something, but you know in yourself that they did nothing wrong, while everyone seems to believe the opposite?” Leos asked, cryptically.

“That doesn’t explain your words earlier.” Klerien softly argued, lowering his head, trying to hide the swirling emotions on his face. “I found traces of struggle on your nails and different parts of your body.”

As Klerien’s eyes swept through his barely covered chest, Leos ran his tongue through his teeth. “I might be reckless but I’m not a fool. Don’t lie to me. It aggravates me, Leos.”

“I honestly do not know what you want from me, Konrad,”

Klerien inwardly frowned at the use of his alias. Konrad. It somehow sounded wrong on Leos’ lips. No. He immediately erased the thought of hearing his real name being spoken by Leos.

“To answer your question from earlier, I admit that there are people that will be looking for me, although they might be different from the people that you think about. Konrad, I really need to leave. I swear to not bother you anymore after this. I already told you what you want.”

Klerien grudgingly agreed at some of his words but…

“Leos,” Klerien sternly said his name.

“Konrad,” Leos said with the same tone.

“I told you, merely seconds ago,” Leos groaned, becoming tired of their back and forth arguing. “There might be someone out there who wants to frame me. And if they had succeeded, my death would have been set in stone for being accused as a werwulf. That kind of heretic acts will guarantee a public execution disguised as werwulf trials.”

“I don’t completely believe you. Why are you hiding something? If you already told me, then you could have left earlier. Unless you were the sick and mad bastard that truly murdered and mutilated that man,” Klerien insisted, pursing his lips.

Leos’ amber eyes stared directly at him, crossing his arms across his chest. It frustrated Klerien that he couldn’t see a hint of lie in them. Even once during their conversation, he never did avert his eyes from his green ones. He should either be a very good liar or he’s telling the truth. Klerien doubted that it was the latter.

As they stared at each other, Klerien thought about how Leos could help him. He could help him find his clues… and if what he suspected about someone trying to kill him through the trials was true, then it might be connected to Joseph Steinberg’s case. His eyes trailed to his crossed arms. He also looks strong enough to… those muscular arms could help him carry someone if they ever find some unconscious man again.

“Snap out of it, Klerien!” he violently shook his head before throwing those horrible thoughts away from his head.

Leos gazed at Konrad’s face.

“You couldn’t have everything you want in this life, Konrad,” Leos whispered. “Earn it.”

“Meaning?” Klerien frowned at his last two words. Those amber eyes urged him to do something that he couldn’t recognize.

“How about a compromise? I couldn’t see the end of our arguments sooner,” Leos offered his hand. “If you let me go, I’d do a favour from you.”

Klerien blankly stared at his waiting hand.

“Admit it, Konrad. There is something you’re curious about. But I don’t want to put you in any danger. If you didn’t agree, I could easily escape from here. You do remember what I did back there.” Leos glanced at the cot for a second before returning his gaze at him. Klerien gaped at the unbelievable man. He scoffed.

“He’s just so… so… Who’d want to remember that?” he inwardly screamed in frustration.

“I won’t say anything more until I’m assured that this wasn’t just one way. I need to know if you’ll also consider my opinions. I don’t want you recklessly going out there thinking that you figured it all out and handling it by yourself.”

Klerien gritted his teeth. “Why do I feel like you’re manipulating this conversation? You’re speaking as if you know my intentions. Don’t you think you’re being-”

Leos raised an eyebrow. “…Fine.” For now, he relented.

ՓՓՓ

At the outskirts of Hemlock, a quiet scenery provided by the large borders of the forest stood in magnificence. Amidst the chirping birds and the swishing of leaves, four silhouettes towered over the shadows of the forest’s tall shrubs and grasses. Their tall and large figures made it possible under the glaring rays of the setting sun.

“Are you certain about this?”

“He hasn’t come back at his promised time,” the tallest figure muttered to the other three.

“Gil will be outraged!” the smaller and leaner figure protested from behind. “He specifically told us to not-”

“That was a month ago, Ehrhart,” he grunted. A grumble could be heard with a couple of agreeing grunts.

“But-!”

“Nothing!” a loud growl erupted from Nikolaus’ throat. It reverberated through the air and the forest leaves. A flock of bird soon followed by the thinning echoes of his growl. “They are already distressed about his disappearance. We need him. He was reckless, and we had to personally drag him back.”

Ehrhart whined at the back of his throat.

“He told me that he wouldn’t drag you in it, but here we are,” Nikolaus reached for the small of his back, trying to comfort him after noticing that Ehrhart slightly cowered away from him. “The moment that he stepped into this cursed town, he already sealed our fate. I warned him a thousand times, but he still left.”

“Nikolaus, do you think that Gil…,” hearing the concern in his Ehrhart’s voice, he draped his arm around his shoulders, pulling him into his chest.

“He was definitely caught up with something,” Nikolaus soothingly rubbed circles on his shoulders until he relaxed and leaned into him. “He will never leave them for a month.”

“Nik…”

“He was taking his lovely time and I came here to collect him,” he pulled away from the male before holding his shoulders in a tight grip, to get his point across. “If you came here to complain, you should turn around. It is not too late.”

As the two stared at each other’s pleading eyes, Ehrhart murmured. “I don’t want to be left again.”

“You do not know the dangers that this town possessed.”

“No,” Ehrhart pulled away, crossing his arms, before glaring at the tall man with a determined gaze. “I will help you find my foolish brother.”

“Good,” the tallest figure nodded.

“Jobst, Georg, Follow me. We need to find a place to stay for the week.”

And thus, they entered Hemlock, as the last outsiders that stepped inside the town for decades.