Kael felt something heavy on his chest, and he couldn't breathe properly. The more he forcefully inhaled air, his chest resisted. Drowning from lack of air, he opened his eyes to see the cause. To his surprise he saw a grey wolf puppy that was sleeping on his chest. He raised the puppy gently, checked its gender, "Boy" Kael thought. The pup gave it a small wimp and Kael placed it on his left side. The pup stretched, wiggled the sleep off, and lay down. With his front legs crossed looking at Kael. Kael patted his head, using his left hand.
"What's your name, boy?" Kael said.
Realization kicked in, he sat upright and realised he was on a soft king size bed. The blanket is in purple, and at the center he saw a crest. Which he didn't recognize, he straightened the blanket and saw the embroidered silver dragon spreading its wings, its tail entangled in the burning tree. He looked around the room, the walls are made with marble, similar to the hall when they entered the small hut, the floor was carpeted with purple. In front of him a mechanical servant tending to the fire that gave the whole room warmth. Kael looked to his left and saw three arched windows as tall as the columns, similar to the hallway when He and Tania entered the small hut, it was morning outside was a calm garden that stretched through the horizon. Above him a ceiling painting depicting the seven gods creation of the world. He blinked his eyes several times, bewildered where he was.
"Excuse me," Kael asked the servant. The servant stood and turned, knelt in one knee and bowed himself towards Kael, which made Kael uneasy.
"We are at your own quarters Lord Kael, inside the domain of my Lady," the servant replied
"Lord? Hahaha. I think you're mistaken. I am a commoner, son of a blacksmith."
The mechanical servant raised his head, and stared at the dragon amulet that was on Kael's chest.
"My…." The servant was cut off, when the door on the right opened, and Tania came in with a blue summer flowery dress. The dress features a soft sky blue base adorned with a delicate white ditsy floral print. The tiny white blossoms are scattered evenly across the fabric. Giving it a light, airy and youthful appearance. It is held up by thin, dainty spaghetti straps. Leaving her shoulders bare. The dress was above her knee. On her hands is a serving tray; in it, a bowl of chicken malunggay soup, and a silver spoon.
"Kael, here some.." Tania said in her sweet tone, but stopped and saw Kael was awake. Her tone and expression changed from worry to anger.
"DO YOU HAVE BRAIN INSIDE OF YOU? CHARGING ON A DIVINE BEING?" Tania shouted.
"I ah…" Kael broke eye contact and was thinking of an excuse. Tania sighs.
"Don't think of any excuse." Tania said, walked inside Kael's room and placed the serving tray in front of Kael.
"Eat, it's your comfort food.." Tania said. She placed her left palm on Kael's head to check his temp.
"Good, no fever.." Tania said, while poking Kael's forehead.
"Thank you Ate, again.." Kael chuckled.
"Eat up.. I'll.. wait.. is that a grey wolf?" Tania is shocked to see a grey wolf pup, sniffing off the chicken malunggay soup of Kael.
"Yeah, it was sleeping on my chest when I woke up." Kael replied while patting his head.
"It's so cute!!!!" Tania said, as she attempted to lift the pup, it gave off a warning growl.
"Bite her hahaha" Kael jokingly commanded. The pup leaped and bit Tania's left arm.
"KAEL!!!! GET HIM OFFF!! MY ARMMM!!!" Tania shouted in pain.
Kael leaped from his bed knocking off the chicken soup from the serving tray that spilled off the purple blanket.
"Mutt! Stop!!" Kael commanded, as he grabbed onto his body. The grey wolf pup obeyed and was happy to see his bite mark on Tania's arm. The mechanical servant rushed onto Tania, assessed the wound, opened a portal in the air and took out a small bag and performed first aid on Tania's arm that was bleeding. Kael threw the pup onto the bed, and rushed to check on Tania.
"Ate! Are you alright? I didn't anticipate that pup would follow my command" Kael said while staring at her arm, while the servant wrapped white bandages onto it. The mechanical servant looked at Tania.
"My lady, perform healing arts into it. These bandages react to magic, and could heal the wound and remove the mark placed on it."
"Mark?" Kael said
"Once you are bitten by a grey wolf, it marks you as an enemy, despite your relationship to its master. It will kill you without warning, even without commands. They act on their own accord."
Tania glared at the pup who was eating Kael's spilled chicken soup, it met her eyes and she could feel blood lust inside of the pup. She broke eye contact and raised her right hand and chanted
"Paglunas" (healing)
A green magic circle, the size of her palm, emerged right above the bandages.
"Where did that pup come from?" Tania asked the mechanical servant who was still wrapping the last roll of bandages onto Tania's right arm and fastened the strip to create pressure.
"Lady Sumeria found three of them suckling the milk from their dead mother. They are bred specifically to a once mighty noble house from the Britacian Isles, House Llywelyn; their crests are based on these wolves. They look simple like regular wolves, but they can turn into an Abwak. When House Llywelyn fell, the wolves were hunted down due to their destructive nature to live stocks and attack villages.."
"Abwak?" Tania said
"These grey wolves shapeshift to a humanoid form at their own will and become more dangerous during the blood moon or full moon. They are good companions, very loyal and very picky when choosing their master." The servant said.
"When I came into your quarters Lord Kael, he was already on your chest sleeping soundly, I don't know how he got in." The servant said.
Kael turned his head and saw the puppy, sleeping soundly with his belly bulging.
"So how are you going to compensate for this? Grey Wolf Master idiot?" Tania said in a stern tone. Kael turned his head facing Tania.
"I…don't know Ate Tan.." Kael said "Does this have any ritual to form a bond with these grey wolves?" Kael asked the servant.
"Unfortunately, I don't know." the servant replied.
"OH the hot head is awake! Since you're fired up yesterday, how about we try to test your combat prowess!" a voice echoed through the room. The mechanical servant stood, offering its hand towards Tania.
"I believe lady Tania, Lord Kael will have a fun trip with Lady Summeria" The servant grinned, as Tania took his hand and rose from the purple carpeted floor.
"Fun trip to where?" Tania asked
"Oh. You don't have to worry my lady." the servant replied
"Hey! You mechanical thing. Where is this fun trip!?" Kael asked
Then a yellow magic circle emerged below their feet.
"You'll be just fine, Lord Kael. Me and Tania will have our own separate training." the servant said while both Tania and the servant vanished in thin air. Then the pup leaped from the bed, landed on the magic circle, then the light intensified and blinded Kael; teleported him and somewhere.
Wind blew the trees of an unknown land, deer grazing underneath the shade of the tall oak trees. Birds feeding their young on the branches of the trees. Then a bright light suddenly emerged blinding the surrounding place. The animals scour from the place to save their own skin. Kael opened his eyes and found himself in the middle of the woods. He looked around to assess the environment just like the survival training he had with Howard. After a second he felt something on his right foot and found the grey wolf pup who was staring at him with eyes of loyalty.
"I didn't notice you here, Mutt." Kael said while picking Mutt up.
"You need to have a proper apology to Tania later. Right now, we should…" Kael paused as he sensed movement on the bushes behind him. The pup growled. Kael summoned Durandal and it emerged onto his right hand. An arrow loomed passed from the bush, heading towards Kael. He dodged the arrow, then later saw a bombardment of arrows coming from all directions. One by one Kael tried to dodge them, but some of them hit his back, left arm and hit his grey wolf in the left thigh.
"MUTT!" Kael shouted while picking up Mutt and dashed deep through the woods.
"Where the hell am I?" Kael thought as he continued to run from the unknown attacker.
"Hang in there mutt, will look for a safe spot and I'll yank that arrow out."
Out of nowhere an arrow loomed passed Kael and grazed his left cheek.
"Gods!" Kael shouted.
He dashed behind a Nara tree breathing heavily. Blood soaked through his sleeve, and his back burned where an arrow had pierced his shoulder blade, but his eyes were fixed on the pup in his arms.
The grey wolf pup whined, a high-pitched, shivering sound. The arrow was lodged deep in its left thigh, the fletching stained crimson.
"Stay with me, Mutt," Kael whispered, his voice cracking.