Lukas had the day off and had been planning to spend it with Alena. Unfortunately, her parents had received a letter from a client with bad news. Alena was needed to help address the issue, and it would probably take all day.

“It’s fine,” Lukas insisted, giving her a kiss as she got dressed. “I’ll just go see Herbert. It’s been a while since he and I talked.”

“I promise I’ll make this up to you,” Alena replied, nuzzling Lukas’ cheek.

Herbert was Lukas’ brawny and grizzled cousin, a fisherman who lived down by the port. He had a house larger than Lukas or his parents did; it was actually large enough for him and his family. They lived on the first story of the building, and another family lived on the floor above them. The smell of fish was always in the air.

Lukas and Herbert sat on the docks, hanging their feet over the water. Herbert had brought out a bit of bread and dried meat for them to share. It was cloudy, but there wasn’t any rain yet. This was the perfect opportunity to just talk and catch up.

“Things are looking positive,” Herbert was saying. “The new prefect has been investing in supplying fishers with new equipment so we’re still competitive in the larger market.”

“I think he just wants more arcane pearls,” Lukas replied.

Arcane pearls were a rare type of pearl with unusual magical properties. They fetched a very high price on the larger market, especially internationally. The waters around the town of Marusta were unusually full of the oysters that produced them, making it one of the only reliable sources in the region. This had been the source of Marusta’s wealth for four or five generations.

“Well, whatever the reason, I support it,” Herbert said. “This new prefect, Torben, he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He promises to clean this town up and deal with it’s problems, and I believe that he will. It’s about time somebody brought this town to its former glory.”

Lukas didn’t reply. He couldn’t think very highly of someone who had been harassing Alena to marry him for several years now. Whatever Torben ended up doing to this town, Lukas didn’t want to be around to see it.

Herbert continued, “It’s a shame that you’re leaving right as things are about to get much better for everyone. I wish you didn’t have to go.”

“Alena wants to go, and I’m going to follow her,” Lukas replied, shrugging. “Besides, a new start will be fun.”

“You really shouldn’t have to go,” Herbert told him. “Don’t let her decide that for you, Lukas. Take control of your relationship.”

“That’s not fair. Alena’s just more assertive than I am and there’s nothing wrong with that. And I do want to leave. This is what we’re doing as a couple.”

Herbert rolled his eyes and replied, “I just don’t want to see you end up unhappy because someone else has total control over you.”

“Not going to happen.”

Herbert nodded and quickly changed the subject. After a few minutes, Lukas was able to relax again. When Herbert wasn’t sharing his opinions, he could actually be quite a friendly guy.

“I want to introduce you to Aurel,” he said. “He’s a metallurgist. I think he’ll be able to help you reduce what you’re paying for supplies at work.”

Lukas nodded absentmindedly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could still see the specter standing and watching him intently. It had stopped yelling at him for the most part, but wouldn’t go away.

Maybe he should ask Herbert for advice. Lukas hadn’t told anyone about the specter yet, but he trusted his cousin more than anyone but Alena. If there was anyone who could give him some advice, or just enough of a kick to actually go see the wizard, it would be Herbert.

But what if he reacted badly? Herbert had already seemed wary of Lukas’ eye despite the story of it being a harmless accident. The very last thing that Lukas wanted was to lose his relationship to his cousin.

He decided against it.

As the day started to wind down, Lukas and Herbert came inside to share a drink. The upstairs neighbors were making a lot of noise again, to no one’s surprise. The smell of fish wasn’t as bad in here because of the aromatic plants his wife had placed near the windows.

“Hello, Regina,” Lukas said, smiling at the short woman carrying a little bundle in her arms.

“It’s good to see you, Lukas,” she replied, locking her piercing green eyes with his own before turning to the blankets in her arms and saying, “You see that, little Senta? Lukas is here. Can you say hello?”

There was some babbling from the bundle, causing Lukas to smile. He couldn’t wait for the day that he had children with Alena, even if the thought of actually being a father left a pit in his stomach for some reason. That was probably nothing to worry about.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Regina asked. “I can make an extra serving for you.”

“Thank you, but I really need to get home. Alena is waiting for me.”

“Tell her I said hi.”

“I will.”

The streets were clearing out at this time of day. Most people were either home for dinner or on their way. The overcast sky made it darker than it normally would be at this time of day. Ahead of Lukas was the specter, standing with its arms folded. Lukas lowered his head so he wouldn’t have to look at it as he walked past.

“Human, you must harness your power and learn to control it,” the specter said.

Lukas sped up, but it appeared again ahead of him.

“Now that the magic has found a host, it must be wielded!”

Lukas shook his head and kept walking.

“Wild magic becomes unpredictable if not properly focused!”

“Shut up!” Lukas whispered. “Just shut up!”

This wasn’t going to go away. But he refused to acknowledge what it was saying. It was impossible. He didn’t have magic. Lukas wasn’t going to listen to this nonsense!

“Only by accepting what has happened to you—!”

Lukas took off running. People stared at him as he ran by. He probably looked like he was running from nothing. Some of the people he passed seemed genuinely surprised to see him pass by. Was this really that odd a sight? And wow, he was running pretty fast.

Eventually, Lukas stopped and ducked into an alley to catch his breath. He placed a hand on his chest and he gasped for air. Running was not something he was used to. But at least he’d gotten away from…

What the Hell was wrong with his hands?

Lukas’ arms from the elbow down were covered in a golden fur with black spots. His palms had pink pads on them and his nails were sharp and black. His breathing grew ragged and Lukas bit his lip, feeling the long sharp teeth in his mouth. Something twitched on Lukas’ head, and grasping at it revealed a pair of triangular ears stuck up there.

His legs gave out, but Lukas managed to hold himself up by leaning up against the wall. Quickly, Lukas threw his hood over his head and hugged his weird arms to his chest. What the fuck was going on?! He really had lost his mind, hadn’t he?

The specter was standing there expectantly.

“What is going on?!” Lukas demanded through sharp gritted teeth.

“If you do not take control of the magic now coursing through you, it will manifest itself in unpredictable ways. You must embrace your connection to wild magic and harness the power it grants you. Otherwise, living comfortably will be a struggle everyday as the magic uncontrollably alters your body to its whims.”

This couldn’t be happening. Lukas couldn’t have magic. Magic was chaotic and unpredictable and dangerous and… If he went to Gunter looking like this, how would the wizard react? Was there anything he could even do? Was Lukas stuck as a freak forever?

“Can I go back to being normal?” Lukas asked, not looking up at the specter.

“If you learn to control this magic, you will be able to determine the effects that it has on your body.”

“How? Tell me how. I need to fix this. I can’t go back to Alena looking like… like an animal.”

The specter nodded, but instead of answering it replied, “Are you willing to commit to learning the ways of wild magic and all that it entails?”

“Yes. As long as I can look normal again, I’ll do anything.”

“Very well. Stand up.”

Lukas took a deep breath and obeyed, glancing out the alleyway in case anyone was watching him. This street was empty, at least. Nobody had followed the strange animal-person and cornered him.

“My name is Zisald,” the specter said. “I am the spirit of the Eye of the Wild, which you absorbed into yourself. It is my duty to train you in the ways of wild magic. Now, steady your breathing.”

Lukas obeyed, though it took him a while because he was still shaking from nerves.

“In your heart is a core of spiritual energy. Your core is attached to the magical energy in the world around you by threads of mana. You will be able to pull magical energy into you by grasping at these threads with your mind. Through this, you will be able to peel away the animal traits that you’ve acquired.”

Lukas nodded, unsure if he could actually do this. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. There, at the corners of his consciousness, was something that hadn’t been there before. He grasped at it, and suddenly could feel little jolts running through his body. Lukas pulled a little and his body tingled from the surge of energy.

He focused on the ears first, as the most stand-out feature. Pulling at them with his mind, Lukas was able to peel them away and his hearing returned to normal. Next, he stripped his hands of the changes that had happened to them, rubbing his normal human palms together when he was done. Then Lukas returned his teeth to their normal shape. He even tried doing something about his eye, but that resisted his push for some reason.

Lukas let go of the threads and suddenly he felt exhausted. Collapsing to the ground, he examined his arms. They looked normal; maybe a little less hairy than they had a couple of hours ago, but normal.

“Alright,” he said, addressing Zisald, “If you don’t annoy me while I’m working or spending time with my loved ones, I’ll let you teach me how to use this magic.”

***

Alena had just started seasoning the meat when the front door opened. Lukas walked in looking very worn, but his face lit up when he saw her. The two shared a kiss and Lukas picked up a knife to prepare some vegetables.

“You look like you’ve had a longer day that I did,” Alena said, “and I actually had to work today.”

“Yeah…”

“How’s Herbert?”

“He’s fine. Regina says hi.”

“Is the baby doing well?”

“I think so.”

“Are you okay?” Alena frowned and turned to Lukas. “You’re being awfully quiet.”

“Just… a lot to think about, that’s all,” Lukas said, staring off in the distance.

Alena gritted her teeth and asked, “Is something wrong? You know you can tell me if something is wrong. What happened today?”

“It’s… nothing bad happened,” Lukas insisted, turning to face her. He locked eyes, one blue and one red, with Alena. “I’m just very tired, that’s all. Some rest and I’ll be feeling a lot better.”

There was something more. Alena wanted to groan. Lukas didn’t normally keep secrets from her. They’d always told each other everything important.

“Alright,” she said, “but if you need to talk, I want to listen.”

“Thank you.”

Dinner was quiet. Lukas would occasionally open his mouth to say something, then close it and chew on his tongue for a while. Alena didn’t push him. When Lukas got nervous like this, it was best to let him go at his own pace.

“Alena, I…”

Lukas sighed and leaned back in his chair. He ran his fingers through his hair and dropped his arms to his side. For a moment, he stared off into the near distance before looking back at Alena.

She told him, “You can tell me anything, love.”

“I know. And I want to tell you, I really do, but I’m afraid of what you’ll say.”

“I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to,” Alena replied. “This is all about you.”

Lukas sighed and nodded.

“Okay,” he began, “So the other day, when I was sent to the wizard’s lab—”

There was a loud hammering on the door, causing Lukas to jump and fall out of his seat. Alena cursed under her breath and stood up, hands curled into fists. She threw the front door open to confront whoever had interrupted her boyfriend.

Two members of the town guard stood there. One had short black hair peeking through his helmet and cold gray eyes that were affixed on Alena. The other was taller with a stubby nose. Alena thought she recognized him from lunch with the prefect.

“We’ve been informed of rumors regarding this… house,” the first guard said. “Reports say that you, Alena Kappel, have been accepting money in exchange for illicit activities.”

“What?!” Alena cried out.

Lukas came behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing softly.

“By authority of the prefect Torben Siegert, I am authorized to inspect this house for evidence of illegal behavior,” the guard continued, stepping inside the house.

He glanced around and sneered at what little furniture that the two had managed to collect for themselves. Alena growled and tried to step forward, but Lukas held on tightly to her shoulders. When Alena tried to shake him off, Lukas gripped her tighter.

The guard walked over to the table first, grabbing the edge with both hands. He heaved the table up and turned it over, sending their meal flying everywhere. Alena cursed loudly, but Lukas covered her mouth and begged, “Please don’t. Don’t give him a reason to hurt us.”

Next, the guard toppled over their little bookcase and knocked their dishes off the shelves. He overturned the washtub, spilling water everywhere. The other guard in the doorway was looking increasingly nervous.

“Manfred,” he said quietly, “maybe take it easy, okay?”

“Shut up, Claus. We have a duty to uphold.”

The first guard, Manfred, stepped into the bedroom. There was the sound of thrashing, and a few moments later he emerged carrying a small chest. Alena’s eyes bulged.

“What have we here?” Manfred asked.

He sat the chest on the counter and pulled a knife from his belt. The blade went into the lock and Manfred fiddled with it a bit. The lock clicked open and the guard opened the chest to reveal a stack of paper money.

“Well,” he said, turning toward Alena, “it looks like I’ll be confiscating this evidence. You’re lucky we don’t throw you in the dungeon, but the prefect’s order was that you were not to be touched.”

Alena struggled with all her might against Lukas’ grip, struggling to curse and spit at the guard through the hand on her mouth. Just as she thought she was about to slip free, Lukas found a surprising surge of strength and dragged her to the floor. She couldn’t take it anymore; Alena started sobbing.

The guards left, carrying the chest of money with them. Lukas let go of Alena and stood up to close the front door. Alena continued sobbing, collapsing into a pile on the floor. It was gone. All gone. Over a year of effort was taken from her because she had to be clever and drop hints in front of the prefect.

“Hey,” Lukas said, sitting down beside her, “it’s okay. The important thing is that we’re not hurt. We’ll figure something out, I promise.”

Alena leaned up against him and continued crying. After a while, the tears ceased and Alena started simmering with anger, but Lukas didn’t move to get up. They were eventually sitting in the total darkness of their ransacked home.

“We don’t have any other options,” Alena finally croaked. “We have to do something about Torben. He’s not going to go away. We have to stop him ourselves. It’s the only way to save our relationship from him.”

There was a moment of silence between them before Lukas replied, “Alright. We’ll figure this out. What do you want to do?”

“...We’re going to need allies. And once we’ve got them, we’re going to take the fight to Torben.”