Nie’s short-time lover, whose memory he always carried on his body, had been a Winter Wolf.
Every flake that fell on the mask’s fur would let shivers go through the hairs, giving off a pale blueish-white light. The fur itself had turned into an artwork of finely connected snow crystals.
Winter Wolves would always follow the winter and vanish over summer to somewhere else. They were pure beings, honest to a fault.
Although she had demonic beast blood mixed into hers, her heritage had completely dominated it. Even if her white horns were not common for her race, it made her all the more beautiful in Nie’s eyes.
They were never strongly attached.
It was a love of comfort and companionship and they enjoyed it for what it was. She knew that he had no interest in bonding with a mortal soul, and he knew that she would always follow the cold rather than stay with the stationary him.
She would come in winter and dance in the snow around him, laughing brightly like bells ringing. At night she’d sleep beside him, not at all intimidated by his aura. They’d talk for hours in soft voices, mostly her, and he enjoyed the sound of her voice and songs.
She had told him that they had a son. She had sung and howled for hours, overjoyed. Told him again and again what a most darling child he was.
Nie had warned her that his blood would affect him and that it might cause his demonic beast blood to go out of control.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
She had chastised him jokingly. She would always watch over him and make sure that no bad thing would befall him.
Vtf’v ugbk tlw lcab j xlcu.
Ugbev jcv cbyif tf’v yf, agjnfiilcu atf kbgiv ogffis, cba ybecv ab klcafg.
Vtf tjv oiertfv lc fzmlafwfca jr rtf vfrmglyfv tlw. Lf kjr cba j mgbrrygffv, rtf tjv rjlv.
Lf kjr pera jr rqfmlji jr tf vfrfgnfv ab yf.
Rlf tjv rwlifv ktfcfnfg rtf ajixfv ab tlw jybea la. Ciatbeut rtf kjr cba tlr klof, atf mtliv kbeiv yf tlr rbc. Ktf cfza alwf tf kbeiv ub yjmx tbwf, tf kbeiv jrx j Obgv lo atfs’v ulnf j cjwf ab atf mtliv.
She had clapped her hands at the idea, happy. She understood that this was the greated honor that Nie could give his son, and that it meant he loved him even without having met him yet. Until he’d have his name, she said, she’d simply call him darling. Next winter she would bring him along to the tree where Nie stayed at. Then he would finally meet his son.
He had looked forward to it. Closed his eyes in peace, waited full with expectations.
But she came back in summer.
Her white fur was dried-out yellow and she dragged herself over the ground. He only noticed her when she touched his face, that was how weak she was.
“I am dying”, she had lamented.
He had tried to heal her but to no avail. You could not save a Winter Wolf that had been exposed to summer for too long. Any good hunter would know, but the men who had caught her had not cared.
She only needed to survive for a single weekend, a single show of invited nobility, displayed for their enjoyment.
Whether she dried out afterwards, it wasn’t any of their business.
“They said he is dead”, she had whispered. Her eyes had turned hard, her lips drawing into a sneer. “But he is not. He is a fighter. I will not believe it. I don’t ask of you to go search for him – I know you can’t. But if he ever finds you, please be kind to him.”
Nie had hesitated. He truly could not go, it was too dangerous for him to leave the tree. She knew, that was why her wish had been only that.
“I will”, he vowed, kissing her forehead.
She pulled herself to lie in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck.
“He is my most beloved”, she had hummed tiredly. “He will grow up and be happy. He is strong, I know it. Say, would you do me a favor? Don’t throw me away. I want to be around for him… and greet him when he comes to this place one day.”
“Leave it to me. You will see him again”, Nie responded, holding her close.
She smiled happily and closed her eyes.
Minutes passed.
When her body began to shift, Nie laid her down. The huge wolf had regained her icy colour in death.
Nie looked at her for a while, then raised his hand to touch her.
The body fell together. All that was left was a white fur and a shining crystal. Decisively, Nie swallowed it.
To be judged by others, but knowing that she was a soul beautiful enough to gain a deity’s affection. To be treated especially gently and not be forced to reincarnate, but left alone and asleep until she could meet her son again.
The fur he would keep.
As was tradition, he would keep her around, and when he finally met his son, he would give it to him.
*messily crying
There’s something I don’t understand. If Nie couldn’t move from his tree, then how/why did he do it this time in the present ?
Oops, this was not meant to be a reply, sorry. How do we delete comments here ? 😅
Searching for Mingtian would have forced him to go too much into people’s spaces.
😭😭😭😭
(T⌓T) (πーπ) /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~ (T⌓T) (πーπ) /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~ (T⌓T) (πーπ)/(ㄒoㄒ)/~~
That was so sad. . . 😭
This flavor of tears are just overwhelming, I wonder why?
This is a very beautiful chapter.