When I returned home, my clothes were clean and my body intact—but the exhaustion clung to me like a second skin. My father beamed the moment he saw me, setting aside a piece of wood he’d been whittling.

  “You made it back in one piece!” My father said happily. “So what did you find?”

  “It was exactly as you had said, there was a mysterious energy about the place to say the least…” I said slowly, taking a seat at the table as my father came to join me.

  I told him of my adventure to the ruins. I told him of the Kobolds I had encountered skulking amidst the broken stones. I told him of my descent into the secret chamber beneath the ruins. I even told him of the mysterious altar, strange inscriptions, and the mystical energy it exuded, however… I did not tell him of the necklace, or of my encounter with the spectral wolves. I decided to leave that part out as I myself still did not know what to make of it.

  “Yukon my boy, you are more than ready to become an adventurer. I have already prepared a pack for you. You are to leave at first light on the morrow,” my father said wit ha smile, and in that moment I could tell he was indeed proud of the man that I’d become.

  Later that night, sleep eluded me. Unable to shake the memories of my encounter at the ruins, and the questions that still went unanswered. Begrudgingly, I pulled myself out of bed, donned my cloak, and snuck out of the cabin. I walked for a few minutes to a clearing nearby, my way lit by the cool light of a full moon. Once there I closed my eyes and focused within myself, imagining the form of the white wolf taking shape in front of me.

  For a few moments I felt nothing, and then, like a knot finally catching, I felt it, a dull tug in my chest, and then a connection. When I opened my eyes, I saw standing before me, the white wolf. It’s fur once again shimmering ethereally, now lit by the light of the moon. Its pale blue eyes looked as if seeing through me.

  I took a deep breath. “I have questions…” I said quietly.

  “I will answer if I can,” said the white wolf, never taking its eyes off me.

  I took a breath.

  “What are you...?” I said, my voice almost a whisper.

  Its icy blue eyes pierced me, but it said nothing.

  Okay… I thought. If it wouldn't answer that, then—

  “You mentioned your powers, but how do I use them...?” I said, trying to speak a little more clearly as I wrestled with my inner intimidation at being face to face with such a creature.

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  “As you have done now, so may you do again—call, and we shall walk beside you,” the white wolf responded calmly. “In addition, should the circumstances become dire, you may directly channel our strength–”

  Then, without warning, the white wolf seemed to show me what it meant.

  The spectral wolf vanished from view and simultaneously My breath caught as a chill washed over me. Then came the fire. My muscles tensed and surged, claws splitting from my fingertips, fangs pressing against my gums. Tufts of fur bloomed along my arms and jaw. My senses sharpened—every rustle in the leaves, every distant heartbeat rang clear.

  I stood there, trembling. Not from fear—but from the raw power surging within me.

  In an instant, it faded. As I blinked at the pain suddenly coursing through my body the white wolf appeared before me again. It spoke swiftly.

  “This transformation does not come without cost. As you are feeling now it takes a toll on your body, the longer you hold it, the more strain it will cause.” Said the white wolf, explaining things to me with unexpected openness and patience. “You will also be able to do the same with the black wolf, but I must advise caution… He is an entity constructed almost entirely of ferocity.”

  I took a moment to let the new information sink in, clenching and unclenching my hand as if to check that it was indeed back to normal. I looked up again to the white wolf.

  “Thank you… I promise, I will not abuse your power.” I said, sincerely.

  The white wolf bowed its head, seeming to accept my words, and as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished.

  As I turned to leave, a sudden rustle in the trees froze me mid-step. In the shadows, I thought I saw two crimson eyes watching... but when I blinked, they were gone.

  I made my way back home, the moonlight once again lighting my path, and despite my worries, I felt a little more comfortable with the powers I had seemingly gained.

  The morning was abrupt. My father met me in the kitchen with the pack he had prepared for me, and with little more than a smack on the back and some brief words of encouragement, I was off. My father grinned at my back until I was entirely out of view.

  I kept my head down and continued on my way. It would be a couple days' journey to get to Lanton. It was the nearest city to where my father and I lived, and I’d been there before only a handful of times, usually with my father to pick up supplies or things we couldn’t make or source locally.

  As I walked I thought of many things. I thought of the future, the possibility of finally becoming an adventurer, carving out a name for myself, and fulfilling a promise I’d made long ago. I thought about the life I had lived leading up to this moment, growing up with the thoughtful instruction of my father, turning into just as skilled a ranger as he had once been. I thought of my journey to the ruins, my encounter with the white and black wolves, and I thought of the necklace, now etched into my skin.

  This was the start of a new chapter in my life. There had been unexpected turns, and doubts still lingered—but despite it all, I held high hopes for the road ahead.