Birdsong. While the weather was getting noticeably warmer, the odd orange light from the eclipse did not have much in common with the feeble spring sun that Aurelius was accustomed to. The dwarven steed was less radiant than usual as well, his world darkened in more than one sense, but the time of turmoil had given him strength. He had fought a war. War changes a man. It was only the natural course of things. As he passed the rocky bridge to the Veins, he had set his mind on paying the Gods a visit. Which one he was not sure; he had never really had much faith in them, the many times he had prayed to them when he was young had not helped save him from his tormentors.

Horned head was held high, sturdy legs carrying his rounded body to stand before the shrines. Mismatched eyes went from one to the other, not quite certain who to direct his request to. He did not know much about the gods of this land, but he knew the desire in his heart was pure; he wanted to be able to turn himself into something powerful, something that could help him in protecting those he held dear. Now, if they would only listen, despite his doubts. “Gods of Helovia, I request your presence,” he said in his baritone voice, letting the sound die out with the wind. Flicking his thick tail, he stood patiently, gaze locked on the shrines in front of him.

[Requesting shape-shifting magic to turn into a wolverine]

She appeared before him, but her words fostered nothing but a tight smile to appear on his lips. “Then it is you I seek. Yet one would think you would know me better than that, Goddess.” He spoke, not intimidated by her size in the slightest, but nonetheless standing up a bit more straight. His size had never been an issue to him before, but it seemed that others had an increasingly difficult time to look past his exterior features.

“Considering I lived in your very own lands, you should be able to dig a little deeper,” he spoke, a notable bitterness in his words when reminded of his former abode. The earthbound steed did not waver in his decision, did not bite on her games and let her mislead him. His whole life he had spent, evading those who tried to make a fool of him, and after the little incident with the invasion, his devotion to her was not exactly strengthened.

“Bears are but slow, hibernating omnivores. A wolverine is quick on its feet, vicious and fearless, despite its small size. Much like myself,” he spoke and paused, looking into her pupilless eyes. “A wolverine will take on an animal three times its size. Like I, it does not discriminate,” he said, clenching his jaw tightly. He did not expect a quest that would be easy, did not expect her to play any favors. But whatever she might choose, he was ready.

The short one shook his nape, thick tresses dancing around him. “It is you who speak of blame, dear Goddess, not I. Guilty conscience, perhaps?” he spoke, slightly teasing in his tone, a glimmer of humor in his eye that she could not possibly miss. Best not step around in it any further or he sensed he would feel the consequences. When she spoke again, his briefly lightened mood was back to its old, gloomy self. Alas, he had not expected this to be easy, he did not hold any favors with the gods of these lands, and the magic he requested was no minor one.

The prospect of fighting three wolverines was not appealing at all and could possibly leave him with severe injuries, and only time would be allowed to heal them. He was only quiet for a moment of thoughtfulness, not hesitation, before he spoke his answer. “If that is your order, then that is how it will be. See you in three weeks, Goddess of the Sky,” he said, no emotion showing through his calm façade. He then turned around and walked away slowly, preparing himself for the pain, for the battle that he must face to reach his goal.