VIII

Stephen woke up when he heard a loud bang from outside the hut. He could not figure out where the sound came from so the young man got up. He looked at the balloon's feet again to see if it was awake.

The wolf is still sound asleep. It looks like its next rise in the morning. He put on his jacket hanging on the side of the bed and then left the room. He saw it was still a bit dark outside so he went back to the room and took his cellphone.

He turned his cellphone into a flashlight and left the hut. Those times were still cold. He circled the hut to see where the sound he had heard came from.

It went back inside without seeing anything when he noticed something in the corner of his eye. He saw something like a shadow so the young man looked there. When the older man suddenly appeared, he was shocked.

"Ah, you can really see us. That's why the white wolf asked you for help," he said. The young man just stared at him and couldn't believe that he didn't even feel that the old man was behind him. "Who are you?" the young man asked tremblingly.

"Oh, you also know that I was not the one you talked to this morning?" he asked her. He sat in the living room and looked at the young man. "Sit down, son. Don't worry. I won't hurt you if the white wolf and Laryo don't kill me," he said. The young man sat not far from her.

"Who are you?" the young man asked the old man. "Uran," he replied softly. "We met on the plane, am I right?" the old man asked. The young man just nodded and averted his eyes from the old man.

"I have been watching over you for a long time, child. That was the last wish of our Dear Queen when she was still alive," he said suddenly. "Watch over Momo's last relative. Base him until he recognizes the white wolf. That's what he said," the old man said and leaned back in his seat.

"Can you tell me why my grandmother was cursed?" he asked her. "Your grandmother's family has been in the curse for a long time. Her mother passed it on before she died. And to get rid of the curse, the man with you now sacrificed herself to get rid of your grandmother from the curse that she could die early, "said the old man.

"Xhien is his old name. He was known by that name. Now, it looks like he has a new name. He doesn't even remember the past. Anyway, he was young when that happened," the old man said as he watched the sleeping wolf.

Stephen looked at the older man, and there was a sad look on his face that he could not understand the reason. It didn't last a few minutes so Stephen thought of asking him about what happened to Gliffan.

"May I ask what happened?" the young man suddenly asked him. "Ah, what happened to Gliffan?" said the old man. Stephen nodded and sat down properly. It looked at the old man as he wondered where to begin.

"Has Laryo ever mentioned what Sluagh is?" it asked him. "Who is Laryo?" the young man suddenly asked. The old man laughed when suddenly someone spoke to his side. "That's me, son," he said. He was the old man they had met this morning.

"Ah, that's you," the young man said to him. "I'm sorry and only now have I been able to introduce you," said the old man. The young man just nodded at him.

"Can you tell me what happened to Gliffan?" the child asked again. "Have you ever told him what Sluagh is, Laryo?" Uran asked. "Is that what hurts people?" the innocent answer of the young man. Uran laughed at his answer.

"He's not just hurting people, Stephen," Laryo said. The boy looked at her in astonishment. "The Sluaghs are known to have no choice of creatures to kill. When they set out to kill any creature they want to lose, they will do so without hesitation," Uran said.

The young man was frightened by what he heard. He could not believe that there were such creatures who did not care if they could harm their fellow-creatures.

But he also thought that there are also those kinds of people in the world, so that also makes no difference. "Is there a problem, son?" Laryo asked as he sat in a chair near Uran.

"I just think that Sluaghs is no different in the world of people. There are people like that too. They are willing to live and hurt others for their own happiness," said the young man.

"That is what we can not stop, son. That no matter what we do well in this world, there are still people who only see evil in us," said Laryo.

The young man just nodded at the two of them. After that Uran and Laryo started talking about what happened to Gliffan. Uran could not believe Laryo's pain and suffering to save the other wolves. Stephen couldn't believe that the Sluaghs were really strong.

"I have not rescued any other wolf other than myself and the white wolf. That is what saddened me. If only I were stronger than Sluagh I might have saved my other comrades," Laryo said sadly.

"Almost every day I wish that event was a dream. I still can't believe my brother is gone," Laryo said as his tears flowed. Uran reached for Laryo a handkerchief to wipe away his tears.

"I have been begging for my family for several years but when I found out that the white wolf was still alive and Uran was still here, I was a little relieved as if a thorn had been removed from my heart," he said.

"Since I found out that I have not cried again," he added. He smiled at Stephen as the young man wiped away his own tears. "I'm sorry that I made you cry, son," he said. "No. It's okay," the young man replied and smiled at the old man.

"Fortunately, I found you, Uran," Laryo said. "Thank you and you found me, Laryo. I know you have been begging for a long time because your brother is gone. But, we are still here with the white wolf, so do not be sad," he said.

"Don't make any noise. I'm trying to sleeping," said the white wolf. Stephen was startled and looked around the room where the white wolf was. And there, he saw the new form of the white wolf.

White hair up to the buttocks, smooth and white skin, sharp nails, sharp teeth, and above all blue eyes. Those are the qualities he observed in the white wolf.

He also saw its furry tail. Stephen blinked and made sure he was not dreaming and everything he saw was true. The white wolf got up from his bed and approached the three in the living room.

"Why are you so noisy? I'm sleeping there, can't you see?" he said to them. "Please be patient with us, Xhien. We didn't mean to wake you up," Uran said. Triton looked at him and blinked. "Uran?" he said. "Is that really you?" he asked.

"You're not dead yet?" he added while he could not believe that Uran was in front of him that he thought was gone. "Yes, Xhien. This is me," Uran said briefly then Triton looked at Laryo. "Laryo?" he also. "Yes, my boy. It's me. It's Laryo," Laryo told her while he couldn't believe that the white wolf still remembered them.

"Triton is my new name now," said the white wolf. Uran and Laryo looked at each other then smiled at him. "Then, we will call you Triton from now on," Uran said. Laryo just nodded at him. The white wolf smiled at the two of them.

"I still can't believe you two are still alive. I thought I was the only one left after the attack," Triton said. "Me too, I thought I was the only one who survived," Laryo said. The wolf sat next to Stephen. "Where did you hide after the attack, Laryo?" Triton asked.

"Phantom Island," Laryo said. Uran was surprised by what he revealed. "Good thing you're still alive, Laryo. Didn't they hurt you there?" Uran asked. "Someone else is in charge of that place, not Siyenthera. So, they welcomed me and treated me until I recovered. Their Queen also suggested that I be a folk healer so that Sluagh would never find me again," Laryo said.

"New Queen?" Uran said. Laryo just nodded. "Is she strong?" Uran asked. The white wolf looked at him, "Why? Is there a problem?" said the white wolf. "Biringan is in danger right now. So I warned you not to go there first," Uran said.

"Why? What happened?" Stephen asked. "Sluagh attacked again there and so far, the people of Biringan have been captured. So if you go there without protection from people you can trust, you could get harmed," Uran explained.

"Even if the three of us join forces, we still have nothing against the Sluagh, Stephen may be harmed when that happens," he added. Triton sighed as they thought of what could be done to help the people of Biringan.

"Why don't we ask for help from the people who helped Laryo?" Stephen suggested. The three thought more of what he said.

"That's the problem, son. They don't listen to wolf people like us. They prefer to talk to humans," Uran said while also sighing. "Humans? I am a human. I can talk to them," Stephen said suddenly.

The three looked at him and wanted to throw themselves against the wall because they had forgotten that Stephen was indeed a human. "I can ask them, right?" Stephen asked again. Uran suddenly came up with a plan and they talked about it.