The Two-Legged Wolf

A tale of intrigue with a wolf, a general and a plan for revenge.

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Yusuf was a nomad and an adventurer.

He wandered the countryside, traveling from town to town, village to village, never staying in one place for very long. Wherever he went, he would talk with the locals, listening to their stories, learning their ways. Sometimes, he worked in exchange for food — helping farmers in the fields, running errands about town, or doing whatever odd jobs he could find.

More than anything, Yusuf was curious. He loved asking questions, drawing out stories from the people he met.

One day, he arrived in a country he had never visited before. As he would find out, it was a land with a history of war and suffering. On the road, he heard whispers from passing travelers — tales of a land still recovering from a brutal civil war. Years earlier, two rival lords had fought for control, tearing the country apart.

And now, it was ruled by the soldier who led his men to victory in the war: General Kazack.

Kazack was no ordinary ruler — he was a tyrant. Yusuf first heard his name in a small village where he stopped for the night, sharing a fire with weary farmers and merchants. The villagers spoke in hushed tones, fearful of who might be listening.

Kazack and his men rode from town to town like raiders, seizing what they pleased. They kidnapped villagers and ransomed them back to their families in exchange for their wealth. They imposed crushing taxes and demanded payments for protection. Anyone who resisted faced brutal beatings, or worse. Whenever the sound of galloping hooves echoed through the valley, people hid their children and valuables, and prayed to be spared.

As Yusuf traveled from far and wide in this country, he heard the same stories again and again. Fear hung over the land like a thunder cloud.

But it wasn’t until he spoke to the children that he began to learn a deeper truth. They spoke of a legend, one their parents never discussed.

According to the children, Kazack had not won the war through military genius or courage on the battlefield.

He had help.

“The Two-Legged Wolf won the war,” they whispered.

Yusuf leaned in, intrigued.

A group of boys explained to Yusuf that during the civil war, one side began losing its leaders — mysteriously, in the dead of night. No one knew how. Generals, captains, and commanders simply vanished from their tents. At first, people thought it was treachery, betrayals within their own ranks. But then, a few survivors and witnesses started telling a strange tale.

In the middle of the night, a great wolf, walking on two legs, crept into the soldiers' encampments and stole away with their warlords.

One by one, the army’s leaders disappeared, until they were too weak to resist Kazack’s forces. And that was how Kazack won the war. After that, the two-legged wolf became a bedtime story to scare children to sleep.

As Yusuf listened, he started to understand what he had to do.

That night, he disappeared into the wilderness.

Deep in the forest, Yusuf lay in wait. He had set bait — scraps of meat, fresh from a village butcher. Then, he hid beneath the undergrowth, silent as a shadow.

In time, the wolves came.

One by one, they feasted, their keen eyes scanning the trees. Yusuf remained perfectly still.

Slowly, the wolves finished eating and retreated back into the darkness.

All except one.

It was the largest and blackest of all the wolves. It had filled its belly to the point of exhaustion, and so the wolf lingered, sniffing the air. Then, Yusuf struck.

He lunged from the brush with his spear and stabbed fiercely. The wolf fell.

Then, beneath the silver glow of the moon, Yusuf skinned the beast. His plan had begun.

The following day, Yusuf went in search of one of Kazak’s military camps. It didn’t take long to find an outpost full of soldiers led by an officer called Captain Asami.

Disguised as a simple day worker, Yusuf entered the military encampment, listening and watching. He learned where the captain slept, how the guards patrolled, and when the camp was at its most vulnerable.

That night, beneath a sky full of stars, the Two-Legged Wolf made a visit to the camp.

Silent as a ghost, Yusuf slipped past the guards. He crept around the back of the captain’s tent and sliced through the fabric. Inside, Asami lay in a deep sleep.

He didn’t even stir.

Yusuf clamped a hand over his mouth, dragged him through the opening, and carried him into the forest. He tied him to a tree and left him there.

A few days later, at another nearby camp, the two-legged wolf attacked again. This time it was Colonel Esmitch who disappeared in very much the same way.

By now, rumors were spreading like wildfire. Soldiers whispered of a curse: the vengeful spirit of their defeated civil war enemy had returned for payback.

Eventually, Yusuf found Kazack’s camp.

Still disguised as a laborer, Yusuf spotted the general in person for the first time. He was pacing the camp furiously, barking orders at his men.

“Kill every wolf within ten miles,” Kazack commanded.

Though he wanted to make his move that very night, Yusuf did not take Kazack. He had to be patient for his plan to work. But he also needed to further drive home the message.

In the witching hour of the night, Yusuf entered the camp and used his wolven claw to tear a massive gash into the side of the general’s tent.

The next morning, Kazack was pale. His hands trembled as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

The next night, Yusuf stalked around the general’s camp and howled. Not once, but over and over — circling the perimeter of the camp, making sure his cries were heard from every direction.

No soldier slept.

The following morning, Kazack was shaking with terror and frustration.

He shrieked at his men, desperate and paranoid.

Yusuf knew then the moment had arrived.

That night, Kazack lay awake in his tent. He begged for the peace of a restful slumber, but it never came. He was simply too afraid to sleep. Afraid of what lurked outside. Even with 50 guards surrounding his tent, Kazack feared the wrath of the wolf demon coming for its vengeance.

But the attack did not come from outside.

It came from below.

Kazack sat in his chair, gripping his sword, eyes darting at every shadow. Then — movement.

The ground shifted beneath him.

Something was rising from the earth.

A massive claw burst through the floor.

Kazack’s breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t even scream.

Then, the ground exploded.

A monstrous figure rose from the dirt — tall as a man, covered in fur, its eyes burning like fire. Kazack sat gazing at the hulking figure of the largest, most ferocious wolf he had ever seen. And it stood on two legs.

The general collapsed in terror.

When he awoke, he was in the forest, tied up to a tree.

Beside him were Captain Asami and Colonel Esmitch.

And before them, stood Yusuf.

“I will let you go unharmed,” Yusuf said, his voice calm.

“But you must promise — never again will you terrorize the people of this land.”

Kazack, Asami, and Esmitch nodded furiously.

“If I find out you have broken your vow…” Yusuf stepped closer, raising his clawed hand. “…I will return. And this time, no one will ever find your bodies.”

The men swore an oath. Yusuf cut their palms with his wolf’s claw, making each of them seal their promise with their own blood.

Then, he set them free.

The next morning, Kazack and his men fled the country.

The soldiers left behind woke to an empty camp, their leaders gone, their enemies vanished.

The legend of the Two-Legged Wolf swept the countryside. And the violence and attacks against the villagers stopped. Just like that.

And as for Yusuf?

He continued to wander.

The End.