Audas winced as sunlight fell across his face. But even as he shielded his eyes, the flare was already dying down, allowing his vision to adjust.

  When the world finally came into focus, he found himself standing on the slopes of a valley. Mountains towered above him, shielding the valley like the battlements of a castle. Lower down, snow topped mountainside shifted into forested hills with conifers, before those dissipated into grassy fields at the valley floor. To his right, the valley ran deeper into an increasingly barren and dominant mountain range. To the left, the mountains started to shrink out of sight, not just in elevation, but around the bend of another mountain.

  In that direction, positioned at the bottom of the valley was a cluster of structures. Some little more than specks next to much larger buildings, which themselves were overshadowed by the sheer vastness of their surroundings.

  “Nice view huh?” Alika asked.

  Audas blinked, his frozen stupor shattered. He must have gotten mesmerised by the view. “Yeah… you could say that.”

  Outside the cabin, itself partly hidden in the conifer forest behind him, Alika stood on a dirt track which ran along the valley flank both ways. “Come on.” The Nyúlfur said, moving down the valley towards the buildings. “It’s not too far.”

  Stepping down to the road, he set off after her, “What is that place?” Audas asked,

  “You don’t know?” she replied with a slither of surprise. “That’s the Hub.”

  “The Hub?” he replied, finding himself bewildered. Who came up with that name?

  Alika waved a hand towards them, “It’s just a bunch of old warehouses really, but it’s biggest Nyúlfur settlement around this neck of the woods.”

  The biggest? I mean, it’s no city but if Manchester’s warehouses can hold a lot of people, at least if you were willing to pack them in like sardines… I could only guess how many Nyúlfur could cram themselves in there.

  As the track began to weave around the contours of the valley, Audas’ gaze kept drifting back to those structures and the surrounding landscape. “This is going to sound stupid but… where is the Hub exactly?”

  Alika looked over her shoulder to reveal a concerned frown. “You really aren’t from around here, aren’t you?” she asked softly.

  A shiver ran down his neck as he stiffened. There was no point in lying about that detail, but perhaps he can at least be vague enough about his origins. “Not really, no.”

  She returned a nod, “Then you’re in Cascadia.”

  Cascadia…

  It clicked at that moment. Of course, it had to be! The mountains, the conifers… it all screamed of it. He could hear Hagen and Travis’ words whisper in his mind, about how they travelled from Britain to avoid Cascadian notice. No wonder they threw me on a plane, otherwise they would be looking at weeks to get across to here by train or ship.

  He slowly nodded, namely to himself as a feeling of melancholy spread through him. He was almost certainly never going to return home.

  No point on dwelling on it now…

  Shoving the empty feeling in his chest aside, the two continued on down the track towards the valley floor. They passed by other cabins and other structures hidden in the trees, whilst in the opposite direction, wooden fences served as the boundary to what were quickly becoming large crop fields. Wolven heads bobbed in and out of view amongst the plants, including what the former human recognised as wheat. Audas looked on, huffing to himself at the image of a Nyúlfur farmer, or at least one with the stereotypical look of a human one.

  He bit his lip, jokes aside, they had to get their food from somewhere. Was he expecting something else? A fight pit? Huts with pelts of human skin? No, he was staring at a farm. There was no questioning that.

  As the two reached the valley floor, Alika pulled off the trail and down a side path towards the so-called Hub. Up close, each intermingled structure was unique. Some were made of brick and concrete, others appeared metallic and others still were wooden. Some were gigantic, others tiny.

  The differences were too numerous to count. The only thing he could say for sure was that some of those buildings looked quite old, as if the Nyúlfur elected to claim them rather than build them. That had to be case, surely.

  The path wound round towards the rear of the complex and Alika led Audas through a freshly painted gate that was nestled between two of the older looking structures on the outskirts. They moved through narrow alleys where Nyúlfur who passed by often had to step past them sideways. He barely had a chance to glance at them as Alika pushed onwards, forcing him to lengthen his stride. Still too damned used to human legs, at least I’m not falling over like a fool.

  For a brief moment, Audas was glad he had the chance to get to grips with walking on the plane and in the wilderness… if that was all his own work, that is.

  They emerged from another alley, and Audas found himself standing in front of a building that dwarfed all the others. He had noticed it long before they even started walking, with muddy grey-brown walls and a darker, heavily sloped roof. To Audas, it looked a lot like an old warehouse, far older than the buildings that surrounded it. I suppose that confirms it. The Nyúlfur just claimed this place as their own.

  Alongside the central building, it now turned out Audas and Alika had emerged onto a wider street of sorts. Here, stalls rested against the walls of the warehouse and the smaller buildings that flanked it. Items were passed round between the Nyúlfur who strolled along the ‘street’, talking amongst themselves and eyeing the products shown at the stalls. Meats, fruits, tools… even clothes that were hanging from makeshift rails.

  A bang rang down his ears and his head swivelled to spot the tiny shapes shoot out into the open, chasing each other as they weaved through Nyúlfur legs. Audas staggered back…

  The frontrunner bounced off him, and instinctively, his lips peeled back - as his eyes settled onto a little red furred Nyúlfur staring back up at him, barely up to his hip in height.

  “S-Sorry sir!” the child shouted, his big green eyes widening as he stumbled back. Audas froze, blinking at the cre… little kid… The little one shuddered, whilst three others halted behind him, all looking at him with nervous expressions. Expressions, Audas had to admit, didn’t look much different from human children realising they had just pushed an adult’s buttons too far with their fun.

  Shite… I didn’t think…

  He took in a shallow breath, “It’s… it’s alright…” he managed to stutter, feeling his snarl fade away. But before he could say anything else, Alika stepped in front him.

  “Hey guys.” She said warmly, crouching down to their level, “You don’t have to worry about bumping into anyone.”

  That seemed to have an impact, as the children visibly relaxed. One of them – a younger girl by the looks of it - raised her furred hand up, “But Miss Alika… Mr Avlan is always saying we could break something.”

  What… why are they acting so… normal? Audas questioned . So… human?

  Alika grinned, not noticing Audas’ blank stare, “Okay, that makes a little bit of sense.”

  She glanced over her shoulder and then past the kids, each head movement slow and ponderous. Then she leaned forward, and the four kids crept in closer. “He only says that because I nearly broke his prize vase!”

  The children burst into giggles as Alika let her cheeky grin grow wider. “Now go on.” She chuckled, “Get out of here.” With another burst of a laughter, the little ones blew by them. Audas spun round, watching the kids fly around down the alley he and Alika had come from.

  “A bit on edge, aren’t you?” Alika asked, again letting that softer tone of voice appear.

  He glanced round to see the Nyúlfur woman staring at him with narrowed eyes. “I… I just wasn’t expecting all this.” Audas admitted, clicking his tongue as he chose his words.

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  “What did you expect?”

  “I…”

  He fell silent, directing his eyes away from her. There was no point in trying to explain that. Not now anyway. Even if somehow it was safe to talk about what had happened to him, he… frankly didn’t feel up for it.

  “Well… come on then.” Alika said with a flick of one of her ears, before turning away, “I’ll show you in.”

  In that moment, he was glad she didn’t press the question. Was it out of concern? Or just some degree of privacy? He couldn’t tell.

  As he turned to follow her, he stiffened, feeling a quiver run along his right arm.

  An arm that was shaking, and his fist clenched into a tight ball.

  With a deep breath, Audas clutched the trembling limb with his other arm, willing it to still as best as he could. Grimly satisfied – and still feeling it vibrate - he set off after Alika as she explained how most travelling merchants often set up shop within these alleys, whilst those that resided at the Hub set up their businesses indoors.

  Even with that surprisingly detailed description, the idea of a Nyúlfur businessman was all but lost to Audas as they walked through the crowds. A few of the Nyúlfur spotted him and politely nodded, a couple even waved. All he could do was return the nod, unable to smile or say much in return. Soon enough, Alika led him inside the main building. He started to frown as instead of emerging into a large store room, they moved through a continuous string of wooden corridors, warehouses didn’t normally have passages like this unless they were side routes or connected to more distant storage spaces. They must have changed the layout of the place.

  Traversing the corridors, and taking the time to point out features like storerooms, armouries, a clinic and more, Alika finally led him into a cavernous room, rectangular in shape and easily rising to at least three stories in height, possibly even four.

  This must have been a main storage room of the warehouse, but like the rest of the building, it was heavily modified. On the ground floor, the two width-way sides were filled with entrances to smaller chambers that Nyúlfur moved in and out of. Two signs hung above two of the largest entrances: The Sibling’s Smithy and the Ray’s Bar. The side of the room directly in front of him ended with a steel wall whilst to his rear was a large, solid balcony, connected by two sets of stairs that ran up its sides. At the level of the balcony itself, connected walkways ran along the side walls with a handful more Nyúlfur hanging around there, sometimes leaning out of doors that were spread out across the walls, and that was paired up by a second set of walkways positioned directly above those.

  Audas felt his jaw drop a touch as he let his gaze sweep across the space, soaking in the chamber’s details. They did a good job building this place up, I’ll give them that.

  “Impressed?” Alika asked, smirk on her lips.

  “You could say that.” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “This is an old warehouse right? Must have taken time to modify the place.”

  “Still an ongoing process.” Alika replied with a roll of her eyes. “The heaters can be a pain and the roof leaks every other week, but hey. It’s home.”

  She tilted her head and her features softened once more, “Yours too, if you want.”

  He looked towards her, opening his mouth to reply… but no words came, only a shudder across his back. Wait… home? This can’t be right. I’m a stranger, and she’s inviting me to stay?

  “Take as much time as you need.” Alika said gently, again, holding no malice.

  He slowly nodded as he looked away, fixing his eyes onto the bare metal wall. “Thanks…” he uttered, still unsure of how to respond. The whole place was… not what he expected at all.

  “I see our guest is back on his feet.”

  Turning, Audas nearly missed the almost entirely white furred Nyúlfur step away from the stairs leading to the balcony. His fur was thinning around his lips and the tips of his ears, which was mixed with short grey head hair. He wore the same kind of attire as Audas, but he carried something about him - a sense of authority - as he approached.

  “Pretty much dad.” Alika replied with a smile.

  “Dad?”

  Audas blinked, nearly cursing himself for speaking out.

  Alika’s smile seemed to grow another inch for a moment, “Audas, this is my father, Everest Kingsley.”

  Everest raised a brow, and Audas picked up another sense rolling off him… amusement?

  “Don’t worry, I don’t bite.” Everest declared, stopping next to them, “Welcome to the Hub, Audas. I’m glad to see you have recovered.”

  He extended an open hand out. Audas reached back, but then he froze. Hesitant on if that was how to respond. Again, it seemed too human. But with little other option and nothing else to go off, he shook the hand. “Thanks.”

  Almost immediately, a weight rolled off Audas’ shoulders as Everest nodded back. “I assume Alika has been showing you around?”

  “Just a little bit.” She replied.

  Audas shrugged, “It does help out.” That much was true at least.

  He glanced over the room once more, “Especially with the layout all changed… I think.”

  “It took time.” Everest admitted, “We’ve spent long enough here that we have to make it somewhat more comfortable.”

  Time? I thought that was the case, but how long have they been spending h-

  Something buzzed, and the older Nyúlfur pulled out a small radio from his shorts largest pocket. “Everest, we’ve got the motor replaced. I think we can open the doors.”

  “Go on ahead.” Everest replied, slipping the device away. A low purr began to quiver through the air, sending a light shiver down Audas’ back. Automatically, his ears flicked towards the wall. He frowned as metal creaked and groaned. A motor? A motor for…

  A thin crack of light formed at the centre of the wall. Audas blinked rapidly as he watched the giant metal doors slowly creak open, letting sunlight stream through. “Surprised?” Alika teased, as she strolled towards the opening gate.

  Biting his tongue, as much to hide his own amusement as well as a crude reply, Audas followed her.

  They passed through the widening gap and onto another wooden balcony. Beyond a railing, a training area lay below them. Climbing frames and towers sat to one side of the yard, while a couple of sheltered firing ranges and circular… arenas sat scattered across the rest of the field. Nyúlfur loitered all over the grounds. Talking. Training… some of those that were closer to the balcony were even playing what Audas immediately recognised as a near perfect copy of five-a-side football.

  Beyond the training area though, the valley had opened up even further, with forests stretching beyond the edge of the settlement and mountains dipped ever lower towards the valley floor until finally open ground beckoned – leading into Cascadia proper.

  If any remaining part of him remained sceptical on where he was, this practically wiped it aside.

  “You alright?” Alika asked, eyes scanning him from the balcony railing.

  Audas shrugged, his arms loosening as he shoved the thought aside. “Aye.”

  “Your accent sounds familiar…” Everest noted, stepping up from behind him. “British?”

  He flinched, spinning round towards the elder Nyúlfur. “How…” he started, only to cut himself short. Stupid question, I’ve still got the accent. He slowly nodded, “Yeah, I am. It’s not a problem is-“

  “Of course not.” Everest interrupted him, “Besides, the Cascadian and Northern Councils haven’t had any grievances."

  Once again, Audas could only return a nod. Councils? Better just play along… pretend I know most of the details…

  “How did you manage to get over here?” Alika asked, one hand resting against the railing, “Getting a ship must have been a pain.”

  Audas bit his lip, caught on the spot. “I got a plane actually… but something took it down.” He shuddered at the memory of the fuselage being torn to pieces, “Next thing I knew, I was lying on a riverbank.”

  It was a half-truth, but it was the only thing he had on hand as the elder slowly nodded back. “We’ll see if we can find the remains, was there anyone with you?”

  This time, Audas shook his head. “There were a few of us, they didn’t make it. Even if they did, the plane was completely in flames.” Another half-truth, no need to mention how his fellow passengers were human. Or the fact that Audas was their prisoner. Speaking of which, there was one question he wanted to ask related to that and his wider situation.

  He just had to hope that the Nyúlfur shared the same concept.

  Audas allowed a frown to form, “I… I know I was out for a week here but… everything else is a blur… what’s the date?”

  Everest’s lips tightened as Alika stepped away from the railing, “It’s the sixth of April, 2020.”

  “Must have been eleven days then…”

  Well, that was a guess anyway. Eleven days ago, he got captured by Hagen and his goons, add the extra days of escape and travel on top of the time he had been recovering in the cabin, and he could hazard a guess on how his timeline fitted together.

  He deflected his gaze back out towards the valley. Had the wreckage already been claimed? Was there anyone searching for him? He had no way of knowing that answer, especially when faced with all the questions about these Nyúlfur…

  “You are more than welcome to stay here as long as you need.” Everest continued, “Our head doctor will want to check you over at some point.”

  “I’ll... I’ll be alright.” Audas replied, straightening up. “I’ll get going in a few days.”

  “You’re sure?” Alika asked, her own lips pursed. “Those injuries- “

  “Well, I’m patched up now.” He interrupted, stretching his clean, golden arms aside. “I’ll be fine.”

  Alika opened her mouth, looking ready to protest.

  “Alika.” Everest said, voice firm as he raised a hand. “If he wants to leave then we have no right to stop him.”

  To Audas, that was probably the best thing he had heard so far, he could just walk away now…

  The Nyúlfur woman flicked a glance between the two, before she looked away a light sigh. “Sorry, you’re right.”

  Everest turned towards him, “I would still get checked over by Zackery, even with Nyúlfur biology it’d be wise to make sure you have a fit bill of health.”

  Audas looked back out into the distance, sensing their eyes scouring him. He wanted to say no, just leave it here and now and get back out of there. Away from these things… he didn’t have an injury to contend with now anyway…

  But another part tugged him back. They could have left me to die, but they helped me instead...

  He couldn’t help but have this feeling, like he owed them something in return.

  Hell… maybe I could survive out there… but where would I go? I wouldn’t even know where to start looking. And knowing my own damned luck, I’ll probably end up getting shot again. What happens then?

  Closing his eyes, Audas took in a cool breath. To hell with it then.

  “Alright.” He turned back towards the two. “I guess I can stay for a while.”

  Alika grinned, crossing her arms, “Take as long as you need.”

  “Zackery should be back by tomorrow.” Everest confirmed, “You should take it slowly in the meantime."

  Audas nodded, That would probably be best…

  He tilted his head, pulling a half shrug. “Anything I can do to help at least?” His eyes went back down to the yard, “I… owe you one.”

  “I’m sure there is something that will need doing.” Everest replied.

  But Audas barely registered those words, instead, his eyes settled onto one of the ranges, where a Nyúlfur was placing what appeared to be a bow on a rack.

  He narrowed his eyes, “Anything in the outdoors?”