The Kindred Mark (Part One)

Ionia has many primeval forests, and the Vastaya Forest is one of them. ↤↤↤↤↤ Claws ↦↦↦↦↦

This is a place designated by the gods outside the area of human activity; it is a paradise for all kinds of animals.

In the heart of the dense forest stood a sacred tree, protecting both the animals and the lost humans. Over time, the bloodlines of humans and animals merged, giving birth to a wondrous species:

Vastaya orcs.

Animals live according to instinct, while humans live according to order. This seemingly conflicting relationship is perfectly integrated here, Vastaya become the leaders of all spirits.

What would happen if animals possessed human-like thinking? Perhaps the werewolf Mok and the goat Lyra are the best answers.

Mok's upbringing was fraught with hardship. He was constantly ridiculed by his tribe for his frail physique, never succeeded in hunting alone, and could not get any food when he went out with the others.

For carnivores, this is tantamount to death, but it's different when viewed through a human lens.

He could also win by using his intellect; for example, he was adept at sabotaging others and spreading rumors. More of his own kind died at his hands than his prey.

Gradually, as Mok grew stronger, no one dared to provoke him anymore, and some even gave him a nickname:

The Lifetaker.

Lyra the sheep is also an unsociable person; it's not that she doesn't want to be, but that she can't fit in.

Every group has one or two people who are impossible to talk to, behave strangely, and are always out of sync with each other.

Lyra often reminded himself that life was long, and he shouldn't be discouraged; he would eventually meet someone who understood him.

That day, she and her companions went out to find food. While complaining about how bad the food was, they quickly filled their stomachs. Lyra thought this was a good opportunity to show off, so she searched everywhere for delicious food.

She was very strong from a young age; she could climb high places that others couldn't reach and cross ditches that others couldn't cross.

Soon, she finally found a clump of broad-leaved fresh grass. Just as she was about to call everyone to share it, she discovered that her companions had all gone back.

Lyra didn't keep it all to herself. After she was full, she quietly remembered the place, planning to share it with everyone next time, which would surely earn her praise.

Just as she finished marking the spot and was about to return, she was suddenly attacked by two hungry wolves, one of which was none other than the Reaper Mok.

This was Lyra's first encounter with a werewolf. She had heard about the werewolf's ferocity from her companions more than once, so she chose to run away without hesitation.

But she panicked and, while running, accidentally bumped into a tree. Her ram's horn got stuck in the trunk, and she lost consciousness.

As usual, Mok and his companions pounced forward, then slowed down halfway and quietly fell behind.

While his companion was biting Lyra, Mok bit his leg instead and tore it off.

He always obtained food and killed his companions effortlessly in this way, but this time, something unexpected happened.

The other werewolf was also a formidable character, perhaps even more so than the most ruthless, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to team up with the Lifetaker.

Just as Mok was about to kill him, he fought back fiercely, kicking Mok's stomach with his remaining hind leg, and the two began to tear at each other...

In the end, Mok killed him, but he paid a heavy price himself; his throat was injured, and his internal organs were about to spill out.

Lyra had just woken up. She struggled to pull the horns out of the tree trunk and, still groggy, stared at the horrific scene before her.

One werewolf was dead and the other wounded; perhaps the third was also about to die. She turned to run away, but couldn't bear to leave like that.

After all, she had only ever heard others tell her how ferocious werewolves were, but this time she encountered one herself and was saved, so she decided to ask why:

"Are you alright, Mr. Werewolf? Why did you save me?"

"Save you? You stupid sheep, get lost if you don't want to die."

Mok was very weak, but he forced himself to appear strong in order to make Lyra back down. Otherwise, if Lem discovered that he was no longer capable of fighting, he might be trampled to death.

Surprisingly, the sheep-man didn't intend to trample him to death; in fact, he wanted to save him. "No, you saved me, so I'll save you too!"

Lyra resolutely ran back and soon returned with stone needles and hemp thread. She clumsily sewed up Mok's belly and found some herbs to apply to the wound on his neck.

After working for quite some time, she wiped her sweat and said, "Alright, Mr. Werewolf! You'll definitely survive!"

"Ah, you've already repaid me. Now you can go."

Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me? Aren't you hungry?

"Of course I'm hungry! Why would I come out to find you if I wasn't hungry!"

"Looking for me? You like eating fresh grass too?" The adorable Lyra hadn't quite caught on yet.

"Never mind, thank goodness I didn't eat you, or I would have become this stupid too."

"Oh, so you wanted to eat me, but your stomach was just sewn up, so even if you ate me, it would still leak out, hehe."

Moke was both amused and annoyed, and for a moment he didn't know what to say, so he changed the subject:

"Alright, little lamb, if you don't want to die and still want to save me, then hurry up and get me away, or my companions will be here soon."

"Alright! Then I'll take you back to the sheep tribe. There are many strong uncles guarding there, and your companions certainly won't dare to provoke them!"

"No, they'll kill me!"

"Why? You saved me, they wouldn't do that."

"Okay, I know a relatively safe place. Just follow my directions..."

And so, Lyra carried Mok to a cave. This cave was different from others; light could be seen from the ceiling, so it wasn't so dark.

After putting Mok down, Lyra went to find something to eat. She didn't know what Mok ate; every time she asked him, he said he ate meat, but where was she supposed to find meat?

In the end, she gathered a lot of fresh fruit. Although Moke was reluctant, she still tasted it and found that it was sweet and sour and not so bad, but it didn't make her feel full.

"How is it, Mr. Werewolf? It's delicious, isn't it?"

"As long as you don't starve, that's fine. It would be even better if you could catch some rabbits or something."

"Mountain hares? I can't catch them, and they're so cute, how could I eat them?"

"Then at least have some... never mind, let's just have some fruit."

Moke was a little exasperated. Had he been infected by this silly sheep, causing his IQ to drop? How could he have wanted a sheep-man to help a werewolf find food?

You should rest well. Once you've recovered, this sheep-man will be the best food!

"By the way, Mr. Werewolf, my name is Lyra, and yours is Lyme?"

"The Lifetaker, Mok."

"Wow, what a cool name! I want to give myself a powerful name too. Hmm... you're called The Lifetaker, so I'll be called Lifetaker Number Two! What do you think?"

"You'd better call yourself a suicide victim; that would be more worthy of your brain."

"Hehe, actually that's what I think too. Everyone says I'm stupid..."

Lyra and Moke started chatting, but it was mostly Lyme talking to herself; Moke rarely chimed in.

But that was enough for the lonely little lamb; in all its life, no one had ever been willing to listen to it talk so much.

Actually, Moke wasn't listening attentively; he just thought the sheep-man was stupid and was just entertaining him.