The dogs started barking before the fire.
Kael woke instantly.
Not because of the noise—villagers were used to that—but because of something else.
Something… wrong.
He sat up on his straw bed, heart beating fast. The night air felt heavier than usual. His small hut creaked softly in the wind, but outside—
The barking wasn't normal.
It wasn't random.
It sounded… organized.
Kael frowned.
Then he heard it.
"…they're coming."
He froze.
The voice was low. Rough. Not human.
Kael slowly turned his head toward the door.
"…too many… we can't stop them…"
His breath stopped.
That voice—
It came from outside.
From the dogs.
Kael pushed himself off the bed and stepped closer to the wooden door. His hands trembled slightly as he pressed his ear against it.
More voices.
"They smell like iron."
"Fire carriers."
"Killers."
Kael stumbled back.
No.
That wasn't possible.
Dogs don't talk.
But he heard them. Clearly. Not like random sounds. Not imagination.
Words.
Real words.
A sharp scream suddenly cut through the night.
Kael's eyes widened.
Then another.
And another.
The village.
Something was happening.
He rushed to the door and threw it open.
The night exploded into chaos.
Flames rose in the distance, swallowing rooftops. People ran through the streets, shouting in panic. Shadows moved between the houses—too fast, too silent.
Raiders.
Kael's stomach dropped.
"Hide, boy."
The voice came again.
Right beside him.
Kael turned.
A thin, scarred village dog stood near the doorway. Its eyes were locked on him—not like an animal.
Like it understood.
"You hear us… don't you?"
Kael couldn't speak.
His throat was dry.
The dog stepped closer.
"No time. If you stay, you die."
Kael's heart slammed against his chest.
"What… what are you?" he whispered.
The dog ignored the question.
"They are killing everyone. They're searching."
"Searching for what?" Kael asked, his voice shaking.
The dog hesitated.
Then said quietly—
"Something like you."
Kael's blood ran cold.
Before he could react, a loud crash echoed nearby. A house collapsed in flames.
Screams followed.
The dog snapped its head toward the sound.
"Decision now," it growled. "Run… or burn."
Kael's legs felt weak.
His mind raced.
This wasn't real.
This couldn't be real.
But the heat of the fire, the screams, the smell of smoke—
It was all real.
And the dog…
The dog was talking.
Another voice joined in from the shadows.
"More coming. From the east."
A second dog appeared.
Then a third.
They surrounded him—not threatening, but urgent.
"You can hear us," one said.
"That means you matter," another added.
Kael shook his head. "I don't understand any of this—"
"You don't need to."
The first dog stepped forward.
"You just need to live."
A loud shout echoed down the street.
"Search every house!"
Boots pounded against the ground.
Closer.
Kael's breathing became sharp and uneven.
The dog looked directly into his eyes.
"There's a path behind your hut. No humans know it."
Kael blinked.
"How do you—"
"We see everything."
The dog's voice softened slightly.
"But we don't help humans."
A pause.
"Not unless they can hear us."
Kael swallowed hard.
His entire world had just changed in a single moment.
Another scream echoed—this time much closer.
The soldiers were near.
Very near.
The dog stepped back.
"Choose."
Kael clenched his fists.
Fear gripped him.
But something else rose with it.
Instinct.
He took a step toward the back of the hut.
Then stopped.
"What about the others?" he asked.
The dogs didn't answer immediately.
Finally, one said quietly—
"They're already dead."
Silence.
Kael closed his eyes.
Then opened them again.
Different.
Colder.
"Show me the path," he said.
The dogs turned immediately.
"Follow."
Kael ran.
Through the back of his hut, into the darkness beyond the village. The flames behind him grew brighter, painting the sky red.
He didn't look back.
Branches scratched his arms as he pushed through the narrow hidden trail. The dogs moved ahead of him, guiding, watching.
Protecting.
Or maybe…
Using him.
After several minutes, Kael stumbled into a clearing deep in the forest.
He collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.
The world spun.
The fire.
The voices.
The truth.
Nothing made sense.
One of the dogs approached slowly.
"You're alive," it said.
Kael looked up.
"Why are you helping me?"
The dog tilted its head.
"We're not."
Kael frowned.
"Then why—"
"Because," the dog said quietly,
"others are coming for you."
Kael's heart skipped.
"What do you mean… others?"
The forest suddenly went silent.
No wind.
No insects.
Nothing.
Then—
From deep within the darkness—
A low, unfamiliar voice echoed.
"Found him."
Kael's blood turned to ice.
The dogs stepped back.
Not in fear.
In recognition.
One of them whispered—
"They're not here to kill you."
A pause.
"They're here to take you."
Kael slowly turned toward the darkness.
Shapes moved between the trees.
Not animals.
Not villagers.
Something else.
Something worse.
And for the first time—
Kael realized…
Hearing the beasts…
Might be the reason his life was about to be stolen.