The prisoner had stayed strong throughout his years of torture. He was chained in heavy metal on his neck and limbs. There was no way he could shape shift and if he ever tried, the shackled would grip so hard that his limbs would simply come close together and he would fall every time. For him it was better to stay in his human form. Often Vikra would throw him in the dungeons with freshly formed neotides who were thirsty to kill and he had strongly fended them off. His body showed years of torture marks all over. His face had been gashed from top right to bottom left. There were numerous marks on his back. Even though he was a werewolf and he could recover fast, but it was malnourishment that made his body weak. It was because he was mentall sound werewolf that he could withstand so much torture. The only problem was that Vikra had kind of used him as a play for his bloody satisfactions. It was now a battle of willpower.

When Vikra entered the prison, he laughed. The werewolf knew that the Master of the Land was there. He could smell that rotten odor coming out of his body. It was filthier than all the stench in the prison. Shackled in his chains, he looked up. The prison that he was in had a soft ground with little dried leaves. He had hardly seen the sun in so many years. He waited for Vikra to come to his prison and talk to him. This time he wanted to challenge him so that he had one chance to die as an honorable man.

​​

When Vikra came near the prison, he looked at the werewolf and said, "Today my purpose is fulfilled. I don't need you now. I have captured my new toy with whose help I would rule this world." He started laughing and his bones started making that irritating clattering sound.

"I don't care who you have captured, you vile!" shouted the prisoner. "But I have a request today."

Vikra looked at him interestingly as he cranked the metal of the prison with his bony fingers, "Hmm. What request?" he asked.

"I want you to give me one last chance to fight with you. You have to give me that because I deserve it! Either you release me or give me a chance to fight for my freedom." He looked with bloodshot eyes towards him.

Vikra started laughing again and this time he couldn't stop laughing for some time. When he stopped, he looked at the prisoner with amusement and said, "You don't have a chance against me Pierre!"

Pierre brought his hands forward in order to lunge at him but was pulled back by the chains. "Try me, you coward!"

"Hmm… Well I have an idea Pierre," replied Vikra. "I can offer you the freedom you had been looking at for a long time."

"What idea?" asked Pierre seriously. He was desperate to do anything for his freedom.

"There is a pureblooded werewolf I have captured and she is supposed to be a real strong one. If you like we can arrange for a fight between her and you. If you win, you can leave this prison and go back to your son and wife. No one in this land would stop you and you have my word for it. However, if you lose, then no one will be able to save you because that beast would kill you anyway."

Pierre narrowed his eyes. There was no werewolf in the entire Werewolf Realm that was stronger than him when he was the chief of his tribe. This was also the reason why other chiefs had come to him to join forces against Vikra to drive him away. Although he was successful in driving Vikra back to his territory, he had to pay with his freedom.

"Who is that werewolf?" asked Pierre becoming very intrigued.

Vikra smiled and said, "No, I won't tell you who that werewolf is because that would spoil the charm of the fight. However, if you agree, we can put you in front of it tomorrow morning."

Pierre sneered at Vikra. That was the easiest way to freedom for him. It would take him no more than fifteen minutes to put that werewolf down.

While he was thinking and smiling inside, Vikra said, "But there is a condition."

"Condition? What kind of condition?" asked Pierre with a frown.

"You have to face that werewolf in a cave where I have created an illusion for it."

Pierre was confused. He was wary of Vikra's words. It could be a trick.

Vikra started laughing. "No it isn't a trick," he hissed. "And you always forget that I can get into your cell. None of your thoughts are unknown to me."

"Tell me more," replied Pierre. He knew that no matter how hard he tried to block Vikra, he would enter his cell easily.

"That werewolf needs full moon to stay in this form because the moon soothes it's mind and body. So the cave where you have to fight with it has an illusion whereby the full moon keeps shining in it. It is going to be dark and you have to depend on your senses."

Pierre was shocked. Which werewolf required full moon to stay in that form? A werewolf could shape shift the moment it wanted or of course when there were special conditions.

Vikra sighed. "You see this werewolf is extremely dangerous in human form and so I have to keep it in this condition." He stared at Pierre again and continued, "Forget about the details Pierre. Tell me, do you want to fight it out and gain your freedom?" Knowing Pierre, Vikra knew that he would not back out.

"Yes!" Replied Pierre. Excitement was palpable in his eyes. He could taste his freedom even before he could meet the werewolf. He was in fact very eager to meet the werewolf.

Vikra couldn't have got a better deal. Fighting kin with kin. "Okay, be ready for tomorrow morning."