Waffles

Chapter 4 - Werewolf

The sun had begun to set; it was already almost night. I'd been doing so much all day that I didn't realize how much time had passed.

The sun went behind the mountains all the way, and it was now almost completely dark. I wasn't too worried, but I was definitely cold. I pulled a sweater from my backpack and put it on.

A sudden loud howl made me jump. I started to jog a bit, trying to get home faster, but then I bumped into something. It felt awfully fluffy.

I looked closer and saw two piercing yellow eyes staring at me.
"Hello, human," it said.
"Hi! Want some waffles?" I said enthusiastically, trying to ignore that this thing was probably malicious. The moonlight finally shone on it, and it appeared to be a wolf, but I had a feeling it wasn't.

"I do not consume waffles in my diet," it said, tilting its head, "I am a carnivorous being. Your meat will suffice."
Me, being the fast thinking genius that I am, said "What if I mixed some meat into the recipe?"
The (were?)wolf thought about it for a second then responded with "Hm, an interesting proposal. I will allow this."
"Excellent! Give me a few minutes and I'll get to work."

I brought out the mini stove from my backpack and began to make the waffles, adding various types of meat to them. I removed chocolate chips from the recipe, because I figured they'd be poisonous to the Werewolf. (I was now certain it was a Werewolf.)

"Here are your fresh meat waffles!" I said in a slightly joking manner. The werewolf took a bite, then said "Mmm, this is quite satisfactory. Thank you, human. I will spare your life for now."

I let out a small sigh of relief. This may be the first time that a creature has made an attempt on my life (despite it just threatening with words) but I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last.

"Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed them."
The Werewolf gave a deep, throaty laugh. "You know, it's been a long time since I've seen a human as nice as you are. Most tend to either scream and attack, or flee in fear. Thank you for being such a great sport."

I figured now would be a good time to tell them about my current journey. Just because.
"I'm on a quest to bring joy to all creatures with waffles, and I'm glad to see you're satisfied."
"Yes, waffles seem to be an excellent strategy towards bringing about a better understanding between various species, including us werewolves." They paused for a moment. "But I must ask you, where are your companions? Surely you didn't venture into the deep, dark forest all on your own..."

I shrugged.
"I don't have any companions. No one would believe me, and I'm absolutely sure no one would want to risk their lives for this quest."

The werewolf nodded, seeming to sympathize.
"Yes, it can be a bit trying out in the forest, but I've also found that it can be quite therapeutic to be out here, away from the hectic human cities. It's peaceful, and gives me a chance to reflect on my role as both a creature of legend and a protector of humans. That fact that you're on a noble quest such as this only adds to my admiration of you, human."

In my head, I was wondering why the werewolf said an entire paragraph, but I resumed being polite anyway.
"Precisely! The forest is one of my favorite places, so I made sure to have you near the top of my list of creatures to visit."

The werewolf smiled and nodded. "I'm flattered, truly. So tell me, young human, what brought you to this idea to travel and spread your idea of 'waffles for peace'? It's really quite unusual and interesting.

Ah, yes, I get to talk about Jeremy.
"Well, a few weeks ago, I spotted a dark shadowy being with a humanoid form standing in the corner of my bedroom. Of course, I was afraid, so my default reaction in an attempt to make peace was to provide it with waffles, since many humans consider my recipe quite good. After successfully befriending him, I thought it would be a good idea to bring joy to other misunderstood creatures this way."

The werewolf let out a single "HA". "A unique and bold plan! So, you have actually succeeded in befriending some other 'scary' creatures?"
"I have indeed! So far, I've befriended the previously mentioned man in the corner, a Demon, and a Dragon."

The werewolf seemed surprised. "That's...very impressive. You have managed to win the trust of some of the most dangerous and powerful creatures out there, even befriending them. You, human, have much courage and boldness. I would have thought you were a mythical hero yourself if I didn't know any better."

"Thank you for the compliments, and I'm overjoyed you enjoyed my waffles as well! I'm going to move on to the next creature in need of joy, so I wish you a wonderful night. Goodbye!"

The werewolf waved a paw.
"Goodbye to you, human. Thank you for everything you do. May your waffles bring peace throughout the world."