章 12: The Japanese Pack(part 2)

Early Spring, 1070 A.D., 'The Temple of The Bitten' ('Kamareta Tera' in Japanese), Japan

Ten figures of varying ages sat in the hall of the black and red temple that stood atop a hill, commanding a view of a beautiful lake on one side and a small yet lively town on the other. As dusk settled outside, the only sounds besides those emanating from the hall were the nocturnal birds chirping into the night.

Within the hall, flickering candles adorned the space, casting a warm glow over the seven small tables arranged throughout. The attendees sat in their places, whether alone, in pairs, or in small groups of three, creating an intimate and inviting atmosphere within the temple.

The tables were all arranged in a similar way, with two cups, one small and one large for each attendant, a plate and a pair of chopsticks to the side as well as a covered jag and a tea pot that were placed at the center of every table and behind them, a covered silver made tray rested on a heating plate, so it wouldn't go cold before the meal started.

Lively chatter reverberated through the hall as the group engaged in animated conversation, their voices carrying across the tables. Laughter mingled with the soft music of a koto playing in the background, creating a symphony of sound that filled the air.

Seated at the head table, Isaac presided over the gathering with a serene smile, his presence both commanding and welcoming, setting the tone for the evening ahead.

To his right, at the first table, sat his closest companion: Sato, his lifelong friend and first pack member. Next to him, a young woman with foxlike eyes shared their seats of honor, their laughter and easy camaraderie filling the air.

On the opposite side of the hall, the empty table signaled the group's anticipation for someone's arrival before the feast could commence.

In the next pair of tables, to the right, another young girl sat alone, her traditional blue kimono perfectly complementing her sea-blue-colored eyes. She smiled silently as she observed the interactions around her.

To the left, a mysterious figure sat , his deep, low tone of speech occasionally heard as he conversed with the man beside him. Clad in simple black robes and wearing a wolf-like mask that covered most of his face, he exuded an aura of intrigue, with a sheathed katana placed under the table in front of him, with him, sat a small child, who looked at those present with interest.

At the edge of the hall, a group of three sat, consisting of a couple and a child and in front of them, sat woman. Both women, resembling each other like mirrors, chatted with each other, their laughter filling the room. These were Sato's daughters, Yue and Natsuko.

Natsuko sat along with her daughter, whose features mostly resembled the man sitting next to her, who chatted with the masked man to his right. The masked man's child, had the exact same eye color as him, only they looked more lively and curious, rather than wild and cold.

The atmosphere remained until Isaac's gaze shifted to the sliding door, where everyone's attention turned. As the door opened, a smile spread across Isaac's face.

"Kazan-san, glad you could make it!" Isaac greeted the man entering the room.

The newcomer, middle-aged with a slight frame and a frowning expression, had a single scar running down his left eye, adding to his intimidating appearance. His coal-black hair and burning orange eyes scanned the room before he adjusted his robe, embroidered with the drawing of a fire-breathing red dragon.

"Yeah... Yeah... What did you call me here for, Isaac-san? I was in the middle of my nap, shouldn't have woken up for a long while," he grumbled, a mix of anger and amusement in his tone.

"You've been asleep for almost a decade now. At least take a moment once in a while to leave that cave of yours, old man," Isaac replied, giving him a playful pat on the shoulder.

"Whatever. So you say it's been ONLY a decade? Damn, I should still be asleep for the next nine. You're gonna cause an imbalance in my nutrition. Did you bring me some souvenir or something? At least that might make this trip worth my while," Kazan retorted, before finding a seat at the only empty table.

"Now that everyone is here, we can start," Isaac declared, returning to his seat. He poured himself a drink from the jug into a small cup and raising it in his right hand, he looked at all those present.

"Today, I celebrate my 90th birthday...ish. As you all know, all I know is that it was early spring, so...Yeah. Anyway, I have a few very important things to announce. But let's start with a drink! For the pack!" He spoke, his voice reverberating through the hall as he downed the liquid in a single sip.

All those present, except for the lone woman sitting by herself, did the same and raised their small cups, replicating the greeting loudly with a smile, "For life!" before drinking the sake in their own cups, even the children, though they spat it out after taking a small sip.

"Good, now for the first announcement. I'll be leaving Japan on the night of the new moon." Isaac dropped a bomb and waited, as he let it sink in. And indeed, all those present looked at him with shock.

"It's time already?" Sato asked; he knew a long time ago that Isaac was planning to leave soon, only he had no idea when exactly.

"Where do you plan to go sensei? I haven't finished my training yet." The masked man looked like he got punched in the stomach; the announcement came to him as a total surprise.

"You can never finish training. Even after years, you still don't even get the basics..." Isaac just let out a hearty laugh as he looked at the man before he turned to the rest present. "I'm going to the west, to a land called Europe. And before you ask, I'll not take anyone with me except for Meixing. That's final."

"I do whatever I want and I go wherever I want." Kazan answered angrily as he poured himself another cup and gulped it down in a single sip.

"And what you wanna do is sleep in your cave..." Sato intervened from the side, appearing nonchalant.

Kazan looked at him before shrugging his shoulders, then once again looking away in boredom. "I guess you are right."

"Great. Now that that's settled, it's time for the second thing." Isaac turned to look at the woman to his left.

"Meixing here has given me some concerning news, which is the reason for my trip. But even though it might be quite a short task, I'm sorry to say, but I don't plan to return in your lifetimes. You have all heard about the vampires; they will come here soon enough, thinking this is a place to get an easy meal. But I expect you to implement order."

Isaac spoke in a commanding, confident tone, and even though he said some concerning things, none of them dared to interfere.

"We have the Imperial Court," Isaac looked at Sato.

"The Kitsunes," he turned to Sato's wife.

"The Supernatural Council," he turned to the masked man and Natsuko's husband.

"And even a family of Dragons!" He turned to Kazan, who nodded back, signaling he was with him.

"I'll be back one day, and on that day, I want to see this pack still standing! For the pack!" He ended the speech. And even though they were still slightly worried, they all replicated the greeting "For life!"

"Now lets eat!" Isaac removed the cover from the tray, revealing the groups number one favorite, meat. The tray was covered with all forms of it, grilled, roasted, and skewered, the savory aroma filling the room and whetting everyone's appetite.

They all opened their own trays and started eating with their hand, making it quite unclear why the chopsticks were there in the first place. They spoke loudly with their mouths opened, resembling a bunch of barbarians, that is even though most of those present were in fact of noble birth, being descendants to the famous house of Fujiwara.

Again, the only exception was Meixing, whose tray was filled with different veggies as well as a bowl of rice... Which is technically also veggies. She was the only one to use the chopsticks, as she maintained her smile, looking at the rest gulping their food like a group of hungry wolves... Which most of them technically were.

The group kept laughing, speaking and eating into the depth of the night, and they only stopped once the moon was about to reach its peak, when they all said their goodbyes to Kazan, while Meixing, Sato's wife, Sato, and the kids, headed to the upper level of the temple.

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Standing outside around the burning fire, Natsuko held her husband's hands as they exchanged smiles. Next to them, sitting on a large rock, the masked man looked at the sky, seemingly lost in thought, sighing occasionally.

Isaac stood a little distance away from the others, gazing at the moon's reflection in the lake. He remained silent as Yue, standing beside him, spoke, tears glistening in her eyes.

"I remember running here as a child," she began, her voice soft with reminiscence. "I was just thirteen when my father brought me and my sister here for the first time. And now, twenty years later, all grown up. And you... You're just the same." She cast her gaze over the water, lost in memories of the distant past.

Isaac remained silent as Yue fell quiet, lost in his own thoughts.

"You know... My father used to tell me stories about you when I was little," she continued after a brief pause. "The wolf demon who hunted all... The terrifying monster who killed thousands of men and drank the blood of hundreds of women, who fought and triumphed even against a dragon."

"Did he now?" Isaac glanced towards the temple atop the nearby hill, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

In the temple, Sato sat on the bed with his wife, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. 'What's this ominous feeling?' he wondered, taking a sip from the cup of tea beside his bed and shaking off the sensation.

"Yeah... I used to imagine you as this terrifying monster, ready to tear me to shreds if I didn't go to bed on time... Until I met you, that is. The moment I saw you, I fell for you. Even though you always said we couldn't be together forever, as your heart belonged to another, I still hoped..." Yue's tears flowed more freely as she turned to hug him, burying her face in his chest.

Isaac didn't stop her, his hand gently stroking her hair as she leaned against him. He remained silent, unsure of how to comfort her. In truth, she was the reason he couldn't return—if he did, she would never let go, and he couldn't bear that. Of course, he couldn't tell her that.

"And now you're leaving me... Forever... I still want to be with you, at least this one last time. Maybe then, I'll be able to move on..." Yue raised her face to meet his gaze.

The moon reached its peak above, and all those present felt the rush of energy coursing through them as their inner wolves stirred from their monthly slumber. Yellow gleams shone in their eyes as Natsuko and her husband exchanged a kiss.

However, her husband was the sole individual who displayed further wolf-like features, with hair sprouting on the sides of his face and his nose altering shape. The others remained unchanged in appearance, their eyes alone glowing in the darkness of the night.

Isaac looked into Yue's shining eyes, but his gaze soon drifted to the glowing moon, the memory of a blonde smiling young woman, running with him through the forest as they laughed, rose once again. He had slept with many woman over the years. All those who met his standard in terms of looks and personality really...It was pretty high, but no matter who she was, she was never her...

Yue was no different...Well, other than the fact that she was a part of his pack...And the daughter of his best friend. She was beautiful, she was smart, she was nice... But she wasn't her. He knew she was out there somewhere, though he didn't know where exactly, but they will meet one day.

But in the meantime, he was gonna live in the now. Looking back down, he looked into Yue's eyes, as he leaned in for a passionate kiss.

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Do you want a Lemon next chapter or just skip it? I haven't decided yet so let me know, if there will be a lemon, it will be marked before the chapter...

If anyone of you considers this as NTR or whatever... Your problem really, cause this definitely isn't, he has no girlfriend, and even though he loves someone else, they haven't even kissed before. I really have nothing else to say on the matter, but even if you do complain I'll tell you honestly that nothing with change, this is unrealistic for a guy, and not a virgin one(This detail probably doesn't matter much but still), to wait a hundred years for someone, who isn't even his girlfriend, No matter how he feel for her...

VOTE and give me some POWER STONES if you like the story so far...And if you don't... Well, I really have no idea what you are doing here than...

If you find any mistakes in the chapter, let me know so I can fix them, leave a COMMENT if you don't understand something, or have any idea, I promise I read every comment related to my story, won't address toxic people though... don't like my story, than just don't read it...

Also If you want you can give a try to my other fanfics:

HP: Lost Legacies of Magic (Adventure,...)

HIMYM :Barney Stinson... But with a vampire system?! (Harem ,Fantasy, Comedy)

Concept:

Kingsman: The Dark Knight (Action, Spy, Adventure)