18,000 years before the arcane wall was discovered, Neru had the providence of being the first to establish a relationship between mankind and another species, animals.

  Humankind then was hunter-gatherers. Neru was a hunter. By all means, all that was between him and the wolf should have been limited to the relationship between a hunter and another hunter. Such a relation is filled with tension and often becomes that of a hunter and the hunted, but in this case, it didn't.

  Neru and his tribe were tired and weary but vigilant. The wolves watched vigilantly, too. It was very slow. Little trust was between them. Little of what would be and of the benefits to come would tempt them. Everything was hanging on a tightrope, and at any moment it would evolve into carnage. Neru's heart was acting strange, though. He felt like he was sure there would be no death that night. This didn't mean he wasn't vigilant, but that he felt assured and was sure-footed.

  Spending a night just watching vigilantly, with no one breaking the tension, was a dream that would not come true. The situation escalated and calmed down, but there were moments when it was just like that.

  The night, though, changed Neru. He could feel the divine symphony. What I call the divine symphony to him was the feeling in his heart. Neru felt his heart connect with a wolf. Yes, this wolf was the aforementioned wolf. Suddenly, the movements of the wolf and what it felt seemed clear to Neru, and that served as a key and a bridge between the tribe and the wolves.

  Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, it wasn't just that night that the human tribe and the wolves had to be in contact. They were forced by the situation, and such a situation, as unfortunate as it was, became a fortune to Neru. Neru gradually understood the wolves and developed a deep connection with the wolf, which later came to be called Fenris.

  Neru and Fenris had a relationship seeded in that tense night, which meant it took some time for their bond to deepen, but if there was something noteworthy about such a harsh beginning, it was that Neru and Fenris saw each other as equals. That night is also the reason that the tradition established by Neru came to be called Held Truce.

  Neru and Fenris developed a fearsome reputation. Fenris actually held a position close to a sacred beast to the tribe, and as Neru's heart and the wolf's intertwined more deeply and Neru's great work continued, they began to look like one being in two bodies. It was as if the wolf god had incarnated and had two bodies, one human, one wolf. One time, it appeared to others that Neru was a wolf in human clothing, and in Twilight, this is one possible origin of the word "wereman" and eventually "man." The other time, it appeared that Fenris was a man in wolf clothing because of how expressive he could be, and so the legend of the werewolf imprinted itself into the minds of mankind. This may not be the whole story, but it is true that in the aurora representing the held truce tradition, werewolves hold a significant place. It is also true that the held truce provided a different answer to the origin of mankind than the earthly one. It provided a legend of man and wolf once being one and the same, and then being divided. Naturally, it would follow that unity with one's wolf would be the goal of the work.

  For Twilight in general, the birth of another answer to the origin of mankind was significant, even if it didn't succeed in ever taking hold in the hearts of men. What did take hold was a seed of an idea that mankind was not complete, that they were missing something, and that there was a separation, a shearing, or something like that.

  Soro was an outlier within his tribe. He had come to know of the held truce. Their tribe living with animals was a sign that they were members of the Held Truce; however, that had nothing to do with him. Soro was actually well-versed in totem building and was quite attuned with nature. He built different totems of animals, but ultimately, he wasn't a hunter, and he couldn't gain the respect of a wolf, not truly; at least in his heart, he knew his path did not lie with the wolves. If he had to admit, he actually felt a slight aversion to wolves. Nevertheless, he built totems of different animals, and through them, he felt something. It was hard to describe, but he indeed felt something. Soro didn't experience a watchful night in tension with a beast, and so he should not have been initiated to the mysteries of the held truce, but he indeed was initiated through the totems, through his careful watching of different animals, through at times imitating them, and at other times, through imagination. Despite being an initiate, Soro wasn’t welcomed by members of the Held Truce. They felt utter disdain for Soro. It was because Soro didn't have a companion of his own.

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  One day, a few members of the tribe, motivated by their most animalistic instincts and specifically their violent ones, were bullying Soro near a forest. It was only when Soro was experiencing pain like nothing before and felt an uncrossable chasm between him and his tribe and the held truce members that it happened. He let out a strange, aggrieved sound. He didn't know where it came from, and he couldn't reproduce it for quite a long while, but that day, a leopard or a being like it came from the forest. The animal attacked them and saved him. Soro became acknowledged by the Held Truce. Better said, they were forced to acknowledge him. He didn't have a companion, but all animals seemed to respond well to him. Soro was like an animal shaman, or at least he gained a reputation as such. Soro made an art of communicating with animals. He used sounds, gestures, and foods, and he had a knack for knowing what to do to communicate with different animals. Soro's contribution to the Held Truce tradition was plenty, and he, of course, became a venerated figure among them, but a contribution of Soro that often becomes neglected is how he broke the cognition that wolves were the only animals that mankind could be in contact with. Of course, it would be a long while since anyone held a truce with a companion animal other than wolves, but Soro's legend definitely helped.

  Nok was not the first to have an animal companion other than wolves. In his time, the Held Truce was already an ancient tradition. If there was one thing that made him unique, it was that he was blind. He wasn't blind from birth but became blind in a hunt. It is true that he was a member of the Held Truce and even had a wolf as a companion, but he was never initiated in the true sense of the word. He could not feel the divine symphony in the way the members of the held truce felt it in their hearts, nor could he commune in any other way. He did, however, feel some sort of affection towards his companion wolf and some respect towards the Held Truce tradition.

  If someone asked Nok what animal he would have liked as a companion, he would have replied, "A bird," and if someone asked why? Nok would answer because he wanted to feel the freedom and have such a vision. The reason Nok hadn't pursued the notion was that for such a thing to be possible, he had to understand the higher mysteries of the Held Truce tradition, a task that he deemed impossible. It is, nevertheless, what could truly tempt him and maybe his only hope to hear the divine symphony.

  The blindness was what pushed Nok to pursue this temptation. Oftentimes, it is only in absolute misery that one seeks, and naturally it is only then that he has providence, and then one exalts the misery. Blindness is something that can be lived with, even though it is difficult, yet Nok felt a crushing despair that made everything meaningless and threatened his position in society. Nok was a hunter. Hunting in the Held Truce tradition was venerated for ages. Nok did not see a way that he could be a blind hunter. Nok gave up his companion wolf and followed his temptation. Held Truce since Soro's time had progressed, and their methods of communicating with animals were quite sophisticated. Nok had no issue establishing a connection with a bird. Further than that, though, was difficult. Still, Nok managed it. Nok wasn't the type to give up, and he was the type who felt endurance was everything and every challenge made them stronger. That philosophy made it so that misery was the trigger for Nok's mastery of the art. It was surprising how talented Nok actually was in communicating with the birds and birds in general. A hidden gem had been discovered, and it shone brightly.

  Nok named the bird Ron. Nok's mastery and deep bond with Ron allowed him to continue to be a hunter; more specifically, he was well-suited to tracking. Nok should have felt content, but he didn't. In fact, why would he? Now that he could feel the divine symphony, he could continue his great work. One issue, though, despite his amazing progression and being able to indirectly and through sympathy feel a sense of freedom, he could not see through Ron's eyes.

  Ron sensed his distress. The bird was restless, for he was restless. He felt a sense of loss. His connection with Ron was growing; they were each other's companions. Despite all this, Nok saw little hope. Nok would soon overcome this feeling with the feeling of the inevitability of a great work. He felt that eventually he would be one with Ron, but even then, he could not see.

  Unfortunately, Ron died.

  The day Ron died, Nok felt it very deeply, and it shattered something within him. Why? Why? Could it be that he should be eternally incompetent? He cursed the wolf god to no avail.

  The night that Ron died, Nok had difficulty sleeping, and when he finally managed to sleep, he dreamed. He dreamed of Ron. Ron appeared to him as a spirit made of light. The next day, Nok woke up transformed. It was as if he could see again, but it wasn't a normal vision. He saw the world a little wispy, colorless, and translucent, and at times, movement appeared as ripples across the canvas that was his vision. Nok had finished his great work, and Ron was one with him. Nok cried and cried. Ron hadn't really died; he was with him.

  The Held Truce saw a huge shift thanks to Nok and Ron. Spirit vision and spirit animals became part of the tradition, and rites were developed for when an animal died to facilitate transformation to spirit animals. The concept of spirit animals also evolved to become a way members of the Held Truce chose their companion or companions. It also became a way that people of the Held Truce tradition recognised the multiplicity of human personality.

  Despite the fact that the Held Truce never truly brought an age, it is a very enduring tradition, and throughout the history of Twilight, it has shown great multiplicity. Members of Held Truce using animals as inspirations made headways in martial arts, and they had members who made significant headways in that area, called by exalted martial titles. With the change in lifestyle, some members shifted from a deepbond with one or a few animals to practices such as herding. In fact, as a side effect of the popularity of the practice and a significant number of the exalted ones appearing in Held Truce, who did their great work in the herding way, the title shepherd nearly evolved into an exalted title.

  The faction of Held Truce that exalted herding was immortalised in the country, Ochra. Giving some comfort to the frustration of their not succeeding in bringing an age.