“Uh, no.”

John admitted. “Not really.”

Not that you’ve asked.

’Can a pop-up be pouty?’ He smirked to himself. ’Alright, goddess, what is your name?’

I go by many, but you may call me Gaia.

“Gaia?” the gamer questioned. Tala and Kiana exchanged a surprised look. “What, is that a big one?”

“Yeah, John,” Tala said, a little condescendingly. “Gaia is the Earth Mother. Creator of all things. The most powerful. Having her in your head, hearing her voice… That’s. Is like…” She shook her head in obvious disbelief, at a loss for words. “I can’t imagine how that must be.”

“Well, I don’t hear her, she talks to me through text,” he tried to explain. “I get pop-up screens with her responses to things that I say or think. I’ve never met or heard her.”

Hmm. There’s an idea…

Kiana nodded, her blue eyes glazed over with thought. “Your powers truly are a mystery, John, and I’m glad we can help you navigate them a little. I’m going to go talk to Dakota and the others. You two should go see Chase,” she said absently, giving each of the teenagers a kiss on the forehead before walking off to join her husband.

As they watched her go, Tala wrapped her arms around John’s waist from behind, kissing his shoulder blade. “Sorry I freaked out before. Are you okay?”

He rubbed her arms with his hands, holding them to him. “Yeah, I’m good. It didn’t hurt you?” The only response he got was the feeling of her face nuzzling into his back as she shook her head again. “Good,” he sighed, relaxing.

“So!” Patting her hand over his chest, John broke up the intimate moment. “What is Chase like? Anything like Bly?”

She just giggled, grabbing his hand to tug him towards the clearing again. “C’mon, scaredy cat. I’ll show you.”

The gamer let himself be dragged along, feeling the hair on the back of his neck rising as they walked past the two largest homes in the center to get to the training fields where there were a few younger kids with a man watching over them. John quickly cast Observe on the adult of the group.

He coughed a snort, closing the window quickly after seeing the name so he didn’t get too distracted.

Party Member too far away

The gamer quickly blinked that one away too.

“Tala!” Chase called out to them with a lighter, friendlier voice than John had expected. “That the new pup you’d promised to bring me?” His smile showed off bright teeth, but as they moved closer, the gamer could spot some scars through the light brown stubble on his chin. One of them continued straight up his cheek to slice up one eye, the iris white.

“You bet! He finally came to visit and train,” she called in response as they walked up.

The two men shook hands, measuring each other in a way. “Good to meet you. John, right? I’m Chase.” His smile was softer now.

’Kinda obvious I’m nervous, I guess.’ “Yeah, nice to meet you too. I met Bly the other day.”

“That big bully?” Chase’s face softened. “Hope he didn’t give you too hard a time. I know how he can get sometimes. Especially when he thinks the pack is being threatened by something.” He blinked and looked out over the field, whistling to call for the children who were all still play fighting. The kids all stopped their games and rushed back over to the small group of adults. “Kids, this is our newest packmate, John.”

There was a small chorus of ‘hi John’s before he could murmur a response. Tala was still beaming at his side as Chase turned his focus to the children, giving them a small safety lecture about meeting new wolves and sending them off towards their parents. One little girl stayed back from the others as they ran off and looked at the big buildings before turning back to Chase.

“You don’t have to go to the big house, Trin. You can keep playing in the field, but keep in sight and be careful, okay?” the trainer told her and she smiled a bright toothy grin and ran back into the open plain.

“So, John,” Chase said, smirking as he turned to the teens once again, “word is you think you’re a werewolf.” Tala shuddered violently and John’s brow furrowed.

“A lycan, yeah,” he grumbled his response. ’Why would he use a word they obviously hate?’

“Good lad. Sorry, Tala. Know why she reacts like that to that title?” the trainer asked, looking John over with his good eye.

“No,” the gamer admitted, “but I’m getting better about not using it because I know it makes her uncomfortable.”

“More than uncomfortable,” she grumbled softly at his side and John squeezed her hand comfortingly.

Chase nodded, looking across the field at his daughter. “We’ve used that phrase in the past, werewolf, to label the lycans that have lost control. We consider it a disease. They go rabid, lose their minds and aren’t able to change form at will anymore. In that way, they’re closer to the creatures in films from your human world.” Even with his bad eye towards them, Chase could either see or sense the surprise on John’s face and he gave a light chuckle. “Not all of us are as sheltered as Tala. Back in the day, as little as ten years ago, we were much more comfortable walking around outside with your kind. Her parents are overprotective since the loss of their other daughters. Many of the parents here are now, sadly. The Purifiers have been getting bolder. Even killing or capturing us in broad daylight in the city.”

“That’s...” John was stunned, his mind blank. “That’s horrible…”

“Bly and I are determined to protect as many as we can so we’ve extended the watch of our boundaries, talked with our neighbors, and started training younger than we have before.” He indicated the little girl out there playing, darting between bushes on the outskirts of the field. “Even my own daughter isn’t allowed to leave our home barrier without an entire legion of protection. It’s actually starting to piss me off.” With a sigh, looking up at the sky, the scarred man scratched at the stubble on his chin. “These are our problems. Yours now too.

“I’m not saying any of this to scare you. I just want you to know what you’ve signed up for. Even if you’re not fully able to shift and fight like one of us,” John opened his mouth to interrupt, but Chase raised a hand, cutting him off to continue, “I know your powers are a little strange, but we need to think of every possibility. So, even if you can’t fully shift and fight, you still need to learn to defend yourself. Today we can start with exploring just how much you’re able to shift and how you can control it.”

The two men faced each other fully, Tala taking a small step back, though she didn’t release John’s hand.