Lykfrafnir meets nightshadow

The morning had already dawned and Mortis was woken by the cheerful bustle of children and puppies, who eyed him curiously or sniffed at him. At first Mortis was surprised, as he had not noticed their presence. But then he realized that their intentions were purely playful and curious. When he woke Merlin, they both headed for the exit.

The pups' mothers and the wolves themselves joined them, hacking at them and leading them further into the cave complex. The corridors eventually led them to large halls, in the center of which stood an imposing statue of a giant wolf - the embodiment of their deity Lykfrafnir.

The imposing man they had met the day before greeted them with a smile. It seemed he was not only the alpha wolf of this pack, but also the priest. "There are the heroes who stood by my daughter during her first transformation and helped her," he greeted warmly. "Receive them solemnly today on this day when we celebrate Millisa's coming of age."

The atmosphere was festive and the halls were decorated with flowers. The puppies frolicked around while their mothers proudly watched their offspring. Millisa, the young werewolf, stepped out and was greeted with cheers from those present.

"We are grateful for your help," the alpha continued. "You are now part of our community. May Lykfrafnir watch over you and accompany you on your future journeys."

Millisa, in human form, sat kneeling in the center while werewolves and wolves stood around her, accompanying her chant with breathy howls that seemed like an ancient prayer. The women and young children had taken a respectful distance from the action and set up fire pits that looked like tables or large bowls of food. There was an abundance of meat being skewered, from sheep to fearsome monsters - anything that had flesh seemed to be of importance to this ceremony.

Merlin only hoped that when he was called upon to eat, something he knew would end up on the grill. He really wasn't in the mood for fried Hobgoblin. In the meantime, he took out his journal and made a sketch of the god statue and the ritual.

Suddenly, not only Merlin but also the others felt the air change. The statue began to move slowly, emitting a soft light and moving towards Millisa. The werewolves around her seemed expectant. The statue sniffed Millisa, as if testing her, and then seemed to consider. After another sniff, she gently touched her forehead, and Millisa received her blessing.

But the statue did not immediately return to its usual place. Instead, it moved on and sniffed Mortis. Confused, she looked at him, sniffed again and circled him as if looking for something she couldn't find. The frustration in the statue became visible. Finally, it returned to its usual place, froze again, and the moment it appeared motionless again, a portal opened and the true god Lykfrafnir manifested himself.

Lykfrafnir stepped proudly out of the portal, her fur shimmering in every color. With a majestic presence, she changed her form into that of a strong, athletic female body, her sensitive parts covered only by a linen cloth. Her long hair, wild and shimmering in various shades of brown, framed her divine countenance. The wolves and werewolves bowed in reverence. Millisa, still in the middle of the action, could hardly believe that her coming-of-age day would lead to such an encounter with the wolf goddess.

Lykfrafnir strode proudly past them all, her gaze fixed firmly on Mortis. In a smoky voice, she asked, "Gee, how is it that you smell like divine dog, and then from one way out of my league?"

Mortis replied calmly: "Oh, that's quite simple. You smell nightshade, if you're interested I can call him." He whistled, and from a crack in reality appeared Nightshade, his dog, who immediately growled when he sensed Mortis' supposed danger. But another whistle quieted him.

The werewolves and wolves were shocked by the sudden appearance of the huge black dog. Lykfrafnir herself stood there in shock as she wondered how this puppy could be here in the company of a human. She immediately sensed who this dog's parents were, and had she not been standing in front of her followers in her world, she would have had to bow her head. Nightshade, a mixture of two of the highest beings, a wolf and a dog, was undoubtedly a pup of Garm. Yet here he was, accompanied by an ordinary human, whereas divine dogs were normally reserved for gods.

The goddess was curious and wanted to understand what was going on here. She stepped close to Mortis, her face just a few centimetres from his. She looked deep into his eyes and realized that something about him was not normal. No human should have eyes like that. She was not familiar with humans, nor was she normally interested in gods who did not have an animal form. But this man piqued her interest, and the dog in particular, who wasn't supposed to be here, intensified her curiosity. His powers seemed to be sealed, but she suspected that this was part of a disguise.

The goddess sat down at a table and decided to observe what was happening. Even though it was unusual for her to act in human form, she found the puppy far too fascinating to simply walk away. She encouraged the others to begin the festivities. There was howling, the werewolves played music, and Millisa was given her place of honor. It was supposed to be all about her, but the goddess seemed to be the center of attention today. Many were interested in impressing her.

The festivities gathered pace and the atmosphere was lively. The goddess kept glancing at Mortis and his extraordinary companion. Her gaze betrayed a mixture of fascination and consideration. At that moment, it became clear that this day was not only a celebration of Millisa's coming of age, but also an encounter with a goddess who had decided to keep a closer eye on the unusual guests.