We departed from the Dalish camp yesterday morning towards the southern part of Korcari Wilds. Dalish camp is located at the northern Korcari Wilds. From there to the central, the trees are even denser than before. We couldn't ride our horses as further north, horses couldn't go through. 

Like before, we walk in straight line heading north while carving marks on each of trees we have passed. 

From Fort Connor until the Dalish camp, we have carved over five hundreds trees that were within the straight line between Fort Connor and Dalish camp.

My instruction to the Dalish is to cut and remove the trees marked by us before to create a straight path from Dalish camp to Fort Connor. 

In the future, I plan to create a straight path until south end of Korcari Wilds.

Besides my fifteen followers, I am accompanied by ten Dalish fighters including my new Dalish lover Gheyna, the beast master Elora, Mithra the head of security and the deputy tribe leader Lanaya. Despite their high position in Dalish tribe, the three women insist on accompanying us. 

No one really understand the situation except me. One of the special ability of my translucent dashboard is its ability to  record the places I venture and present them on accurate world map. My secret map on my translucent dashboard is far more accurate than the best map ever drawn in this universe. 

Due to the map, I could know the position of Dalish camp within the whole  Korcari Wilds. Based on my map,.I know we have travelled in straight line from Fort Connor to Dalish camp and until now. Based on my map, I know we are now walking towards the centre of Korcari Wilds.

The major weakness of my secret map is the area that I haven't ventured into is displayed as pitch black. Thus, when we walk in straight line, the pitch black area to the south is starting to open up on my secret map.

"We have already entered  the area supposed to be the habitat of the ogre we killed before. Be cautious. We don't know what creatures exist here." Mithra warns while still striding.

After walking over two hours, something happens in the forest.

There is a beast-like cry and many sounds of vegetation being pushed aside...... and then occasional agonizing cries of death.

"What was that!? I’ll check it out......"

Amber makes a move to go outside but Mithra grabs her hand and gives her cue to wait. 

Then, the Dalish group hide behind several large trees. We follow their action.

Dozens of deers and wild goats rush before as if fleeing from something. 

Soon, four figures run after them. 

"Hey, what’s that?" The Dalish asks among themselves.

They also express their disbelief and shock.

"Is that animals?"

"Noooo!! That's not animal!" Suddenly, the usually quiet Elora yells.

All eyes are on her now.

Elora calm down herself and explains,

"I could tame beasts. I could understand language of animals. But those things are not animals. They could be humans or something else."

"Something else. In what way that are humans?" Dennet asks.

The four monstrous figures possess two hands and two legs with heads and necks like humans but as ogre was not human, those things are definitely not human. Their whole bodies are covered by fur, which remind us of wolves. Their head is that of wolves. They are slightly bigger than humans in term if size.

I recognize these forms, several of my followers had seen such form. 

"Werewolf." The word is uttered by Jester who had seen Brita's other form before.

"But Brita still has her pretty human face in her full transformation." Stanley Barclay gives his comment while Brita is still staring sharp at those four werewolves.

I activate my status reading on my translucent dashboard.

Indeed, they are werewolves and weaker than Brita in her full transformation.

It could be the werewolves in this world transform their whole body while Brita maintains most of her physical human appearance as her transformation is enabled by my translucent dashboard.

The four don't chase the preys as if they smell us.

They turn towards the trees covering our hiding. 

I present myself while pulling Brita's hand. Everyone else follow.

My first act is to test whether they are intelligible beings.

"My name is Hiro, ruler of Hezri Kingdom outside this forest. Are you humans?"

The werewolves look at each other before turning to us.

"Yes and no." An aged masculine voice comes from one them. So, they could communicate.

"What do you mean?" Brita eagerly asks.

They stare at the Dalish intently.

"We were Dalish like them." The werewolves point at Mithra. 

Lanaya steps forward in contained fury,

"What are you lying? You were Dalish?" 

Another Dalish replies,

"Of course, we were Dalish, Lanaya."

"By the way, Mithra. You also has grown up a bit."

The Dalish tremble. 

"How do you know us?" Lanaya shouts.

"I am Zandia."

"I am Alita."

"I am Kuria."

"I am Dali." "

"...." The Dalish turn silent for a moment.

Lanaya breaks the silence,

"How...I don't understand. You.. those are dead people's name."

One of the werewolf asks,

"Did you witness our death and corpses with you own eyes, Lanaya."

Seeing the overly shocked Dalish, I interject,

"So, you were once Dalish but now turned into werewolves. What happened"

The werewolves walk to us which prompts some of us to draws our weapons but I raise my hand as a cue to not do anything.

They stop at about 2 meters from us.

The stench of wild beast reaches my nose.

As the four of them look alike, I can't differentiate them.

"Dalish tribe came into this forest about 7 years ago after several skirmishes with Olga Federation."

Lanaya who is now 25, adds,

"I did fight in the war. Was it really against Olga?"

It seems the werewolves' breathing suddenly become heavy. 

A werewolf asks,

"Have you heard of Tevinter?"

I didn't. 

"Oh. That's the only Olga clan that rule land in the land around Korcari Wilds, Dioral Kingdom and Orlais. Most of Olga Federation rule on the north of Ferelden Kingdom." Sylvia is the first one to respond.

Farnese's face has shown that she knows something but she seemed freaked out by the werewolves. I press my index finger on her arm to urge her to say what's in her mind.

"Mmm.. Tevinter family was once one of the great noble in Olga Federation. In fact, that empire was founded by Tevinter in this part of the continent. Since then, Tevinter was the strongest clan in the federation. But since fifteen years years ago, Tevinter had been embroiled with wars against the barbarians and suffered many defeats. Their resources severely dwindled until they were so weakened. Finally, they were removed from being one of great noble. A small battalion of Negara invaded early this year and put final nail in their coffin."

Come to think of it, the refugees including Luca and other mentioned that they lived under Tevinter. 

What's the connection between the Dalish tribe and Tevinter?

Farnese did mention about Tevinter was defeated by barbarians. So...

Farnese raises a question,

"Mm..could it be...the barbarians that defeated Tevinter was..."

A werewolf nods and confirms our guess,

"Indeed. Dalish defeated them..but they also fought against the dark elves at the same time. Thus, Tevinter fought war on two fronts. Still, Dalish started to loose a lot of men when Dioral and Castall Kingdom invaded dark elves, leaving Dalish on our own against Tevinter."

It's weird to see a werewolf to be so talkative while his mouth moves in same pattern. I wonder how he raises or lowers his tone. 

Another werewolf adds,

"We don't know what happened to the dark elves but Dalish escaped to Castall Kingdom but there we were briefly prosecuted by their nobles. Finally, we were forced to flee into Korcari Wilds."

I gaze at the Dalish. It seems Elora, Mithra and Gheyna look oblivious. Probably they were too young to remember what happened. Meanwhile, Lanaya furrows her eyebrows. Her actual Dalish age is twenty nine but her human age is twenty five, so she should remember what happened seven to fifteen years ago. The other three girls are younger.

"Lanaya. Did you remember the event that many of the elders including me were reported killed?"

Lanaya gives reply in low tone,

"When we just ventured into Korcari Wilds. There were monsters everywhere. Elder Zathrian and a hundred veteran fighters including four of you separated from the rest of us. Only elder Zathrian returned. He said you were all killed by monsters. Since then there was no monster."

So, that's what happened. I interject as I have a hunch where this is going to..

"So Zathrian claimed a hundred of you were killed. But now we found the four of you here turned into werewolves. Does Zathrian.."

"Shut up. Don't!" Lanaya who is closest to Zathrian starts to be in denial mode.

"You said you are a king of humans." A werewolf turns to me. Based on his pupil, he must be directing the question to me.

"Yes. Indeed. I agree to protect the Dalish tribe as one of my important vassal."

That werewolf turns to Lanaya.

"Zathrian is a very talented sorcerer. He knew forbidden magic. One of it is blood magic, which sacrifices oneself to launch the spell. To activate extremely powerful spells, Zathrian sacrificed entire a hundred of us. Many were turned into these form but only four of us survived. As part of the spell, we couldn't approach your Dalish camp. We couldn't meet our families."

The werewolves sound sorrowful although I cannot understand from their static facial expression.

"I don't believe it..why did elder Zathrian performed that blood magic?" Lanaya seems convinced by their words but still in denial mode. 

"Listen, Lanaya my child."  The werewolves look at each other for a while as if they were hesitant.

Finally, one of them opens their mouth,

"Korcari Wilds is actually protected by spirits. You must have heard about demons. There are also only handful of high demons. Here in the forest, there are dryads. There were friendly creatures. This whole Korcari Wilds is under influence of one high dryad. Her name is Lady Hamadryad. We managed to reach an agreement with her to allow us to live in the forest. But..."

This is getting interesting.

Another werewolf continues,

"Zathrian stole Lady Hamadryad's property. Then, he used that to activate his forbidden magic that sacrificing us, his allies. The effect of that were all dryads except Lady Hamadryad were killed. Lady Hamadryad's power was sealed."

Still in denial mode, Lanaya's face turns red in anger but before she could utter anything, wind blows us.