《Butcher [BL]》 Chapter 1 - Bunny and Wolf In the middle of the forest going through a long bumpy road inside a creaking carriage, warm air blows through the wind seeping through the hole where outside the coach sits pulling on the reins of the horses. Inside, four passengers are seated shielding them from the heat of the sun, the other two were normal passengers but the larger passenger definitely puts him on edge. As a demi-human and a rabbit one on top of it all, was rightfully careful wherever he went to since leaving the comfort of his house for the first time. "We''re getting close to Rivermist, please get off at the next stop!" The coachman shouts, waking the passengers. All of them collectively gathered their belongings, some checking the contents of their bags carefully. With one seemingly not caring and immediately hopping off the cart, his large bunny ears bounced out of the hood before he tucked them back in. A larger cloaked figure also followed a minute later causing the carriage to shake as he stepped off carrying an almost comically large bag they carried on their back holding the string going over his shoulder. Stretching and letting out a satisfied groan. "Hrngah! Finally back to Rivermist!" he enthusiastically exclaims. The voice was loud enough to be heard all the way to the gates causing the Bunny to also reflexively look back at the loud man. Later ignoring the figure''s cries upon noticing the line increase in length making him swiftly get in line with the rest. The town had wooden walls, a stark contrast from the stone bricks he was used to in his hometown. Handing the Identification card to the town guard they read the contents of the ID and asked. "What''s your name?" "Sylas." The guard nodded and signaled the other two behind holding spears to open the gate. The wooden hinges on the large door made a scratchy noise while it slowly moved to allow the bunny to enter. Just within earshot, from behind the gate the larger figure followed but his advancement was stopped by the guards not allowing him to enter. "Hey what gives? Let me through!" "Sir, could you give us something to Identify you with?" "I was here just a week ago, have you already forgotten about me?" The guard didn''t budge and stayed silent waiting patiently for the large cloaked figure to give the required documents. "Agh alright! just give me a moment." The figure tapped around his clothes checking the pockets, his tense body seems to drop as he checks his bag furiously. "Agh, I don''t have it, I may have lost it somewhere on the way." "You''re gonna have to pay the fee for a temporary one then sir." "Aahh! Wait, come on! you can''t do this to me, do you know how expensive replacements are!" Sylas, tired of the noise, left the area and wandered the town until they ran into an inn.
Looking up at the sign [Bountiful Inn]. The building itself wasn''t the worst; it only went up to three floors and it was far from the ideal resting place but he couldn''t be picky. Just outside, roguish looking men are slouching and loitering near the entrance eyeing Sylas, they squint their eyes as if trying to find out what he looked like under the hood. Sylas, while warry, isn''t at all worried since guards still patrol the town and keep order. Rather he''s more worried about thieves, he tightens his hold on his sling bag as he walks inside the inn, the group of rough men following him with their eyes. Once inside, there were many empty tables with some occupied by groups talking amongst themselves, others had a map and an assortment of equipment laid out on the table. Sylas tried not to look at the groups as they were focused on getting to the counter for now. "Heya! What can I do for ya?" A girl stood on the other side of the counter, her ears were sharp and fluffy and a long thin tail swished behind her back. Clearly a descendant of Cat-folks. This put a feeling of discomfort for Sylas, regardless he mustered enough grit to get the words out of his mouth. "Y-yes I need a room for myself for the next week. Include free meals too." Sylas'' lips facial features lightly twitches while they put up an act. his palms also started to become sweaty making him wipe them on his pants as he reached for the money in his bag. "Alright! Put your name here. And that will be 4 silver coins." After a quick explanation of the Inn''s policies Sylas pays for the room. The Cat girl hands him keys to his room and provides them with seven stamps with dates written on. "We will not be responsible for any lost property during your stay, and if you miss a day for meals we will not give any refunds." That last part about no refunds in particular got his attention. Checking his bag, they shake it lightly allowing the buried coins in the bottom of the bag to reveal itself. He sighed and took the stamps and keys and looked for his room. Upon entering the door hinges made an audible creak, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand. The room inside had a single bed on the corner with a desk cabinet just on the side. A single window, and a surprisingly well kept cabinet that barely has dust. No point backing out now... Sylas thought, they put their bag under their bed, removing the cloak finally able to give their head some ventilation. Their green hair was slightly damped from the sweat. "I hope at the very least, be able to take warm baths here."
They unfortunately did not have any. Apparently hot bath water is a luxury. Sylas locked his door and went down stairs, making sure to bring the stamps. Missing a single meal just means more costs in the future, they have to make the most out of what they have. "Here are some sticks of carrots, a Salad, soup bread and some barbecue sticks!" The cat receptionist is now working as a waitress while someone else takes on her previous role. "Yeah thanks." The smell of meat was slightly overpowering their sense of smell. They took small bites off the skewers slowly but surely swallowing each bite. The skewered meat was over seasoned for the tongue of a rabbit, regardless they powered through the gamey taste of the meat. "urp- one last bite..." Hesitantly opening their mouth for the last bite, the moment his teeth went into contact with the last piece, it seemed even worse than before. The oily fat squirted juice inside his mouth almost making him gag. Ugh, disgusting. How can anyone stomach such a meal? it''s not like the bunny can''t eat meat, luckily inheriting some genes of a hare in his bloodline, his family has always been able to enjoy meat. But Sylas'' tongue is just simply not built handle meat seasoned as much as this. Finally swallowing they let out a sigh of relief and can finally move on to the meal they enjoy. "Nothing beats Carrots and Salads after all. The soup bread isn''t bad though." Looking around the loud room, Sylas spots multiple mercs and adventurers. The distinction between the two occupations are almost indistinguishable, Both take requests and finish them within an allotted time and are promised payment. What sets the two apart is freedom, Inherently adventurers can only take jobs posted on the guild postal boards which are filled by the locals, some are official requests by the government typically have higher pay. Somewhere close by a group of Dog-folk adventurers are bickering complaining about something. "Not a lot of good jobs in this town." the battle-worn man said. "Well what did you expect, cap? Not a lot of jobs our party can handle." The woman added. "Weavers are hard to come by, We would be lucky to even find one. Even a novice would be useful" Said by the man with a beer belly. "Wanna try our luck back in the capital captain?" "And what pay them half of our total earnings? I swear those pompous bastards have no respect. There is no chance any of them will accept our terms. Not like they will even stay long in our party in the first place." Hearing the conversation from the party made it clear that becoming a mercenary was a superior option in his case. Simply the freedom to accept jobs from more sources other than a guild board was a huge advantage for someone with no background.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Finishing his meal, he went out the door and roamed town. They never really paid attention to the small town the first time he entered. Most of the houses were humble and small in comparison to what they were used to. there wasn''t a town map in the plaza detailing landmarks due to its small size. Just wandering around aimlessly for a while is enough for you to find everything the town has to offer. After asking around he was eventually led to where the Mercenary guild is. It was actually quite obvious there was a large sign just above the entrance, the structure has obviously been through some things with how scratched the wooden beams are from the various brawls there probably have been. Sylas entered, it was clear how much they stood out from the rest of the people inside. Like being stranded in the middle of the ocean, all around him were clad in metal armor and armed with blades compared to him who only wore light clothes and a cloak while carrying a single heavy sling bag. It won''t be strange for many to mistake him as someone who wants to put up a request. "Hey! putting up a request? You can be sure my team can cleanly finish the job! Whether it''s extermination, bounty hunting or escorts you won''t regret it!" A Bear Therian approached Sylas with an almost sales pitch like manner. A therian?! Behind the bear therian were three other similar men, all equally larger than the bunny. Fangs peaked through their snouts, Large claws on the tips of their fingers, and most of all their overpowering builds. Their appearances couldn''t be any more different. One look at their fangs was enough to increase Sylas'' heart rate, Therians had stronger senses than Demi-humans so they all could probably tell how nervous he already was as the tiger therian pulled the bear by his clothes creating space between the two.g "Alright give the little thing some space! Bruce, you know how rare it is for our kind to be in this part of the country. Sorry about that kid, I''ll put some sense into this idiot." Sylas gulped trying to calm himself down, as he tries to suppress his shaking limbs. Therians... Its hard not to get timid around them since that day... "T-Thanks, uhm I''ll get going now." "Agh! See what ya did to him! you got him all twitchy, you should move along kid, but seriously consider hiring us!" The Tiger gave him a toothy smile exposing her fangs while she waved him off, giving him tiny shivers. As he got close to the counter, unexpectedly behind the counter was an older man, hair grayed from age along with his short scruffy beard and face scarred with one going across his forehead all the way through his eye right to the side. The older man had triangular shaped ears that have black tips, behind him was also a large sword sheathed in a scabbard hanging on his back adding onto his already intense aura causing his already shaking form to weaken. "What do you want, kid?" The old man said in a grizzly voice while he leaned down using his arms as support to get a better view at the bunny, his brows furrowed lightly as he waited for a response. "I want to... well register into the merc guild." "... Huh?" The old man looked around the guild lounge looking for something. "You mean you want to register a request or?" Confused, he looked at the bunny not any taller than his shoulders. "No, I want to register as a m-mercenary." Bluntly Sylas repeated and placed five silver coins as payment. The old man scratched the back of his neck and let out a restrained ''Hrm'' sound from his throat. "Look kid-" "I''m not really a kid." "Right... Do you know where you are right now? This is a merc guild and you don''t exactly have the body for this kind of job." "Could you just register me... Please?" The old man stared at him for a moment wondering what the person in front of him was possibly thinking, registering in a guild filled with tough, musclebound idiots. "Alright, put your name here and if you have a party already then you can list the name of the members here." Placing a piece of paper and slid it closer to Sylas, he promptly filled out the information required on the document and handed it over once finished. "?" The old man raised one of his eyebrows looking back at Sylas. "You''re 20?" "Yes." The old man shrugged it off, simply putting it away after reading everything. "Alright, listen here. First off your life is your own so take requests at your own risk, Second cause any kind of fraud and I will deal with you myself. Finally, just a piece of advice, no amount of money is worth your own life." He looks back at a rusted sword hung in display. "In any case welcome to the guild [Sage]. I see you''re already using an alias, at least'' you got a good head unlike a certain someone." "Guild policy says you have to finish one quest equivalent to your skill level at least once a month, but seeing as you are still new you are free to choose whatever request you want to take so long as it''s not any higher than C rank difficulty for evaluation." "Thank you." "Since we will be working together for a while let me introduce myself. my name is Alwin but you can call me ''Al'' kid." "Again not a kid." "You are to me, now you should go find yourself some comrades. These guys may look rough around the edges but most of them are nice guys." "Right-" Suddenly a loud BANG came from the entrance doors swung open hard hitting the walls. Making the crowd collectively look to where the noise came from as they all fell silent, with some holding the handles of their weapons. "HAHA! I''M BACK!" A large wolf draped in cloth holding a large sack behind him held by a string, Everyone who raised their guard shortly after released their hand from their weapons after seeing the wolf. "Oh boy..." Sylas looked back at the old man. With a look of confusion. "Hey gramps! Finally got past the gates, damned guards kept me from getting in the city so I snuck in." "You lost your identification card again?" Removing the cloak covering his face, showing the snout and brown fur, under his eyes were two black marks like an arrow pointing down. After he placed the cloak on the counter, the bushy brown tail shook, making dust fly off everywhere. Sylas looked at the Wolf therian, The wolf was by far the Largest among the therians he has ever met. Not that he had met a lot of them in the first place but it was clear to him that his size was by far the largest from height alone. This admittedly put Sylas off, making them move away on reflex and they start working up a cold sweat. Sniff The therian''s nose twitched as they searched for the sudden appealing smell wafting through the air. "What''s that smell- GAH!" The old man hit the Wolfs head before he could finish his sentence, making an audible Thump noise on his noggin. "Yeouwch! What''s the big deal!?" "You''re sending dust everywhere. And take a bath you smell like shit." "Yeah just give me a minute." The wolf looked at Sylas, peaking his interest. After all seeing someone this small inside the guild was a rare occurrence. "Who''s the kid?" the wolf asked, ears pointed up in interest. "That ''kid'' you call is about the same age as you. his name is [Sage] from today onward he will be part of the guild, though his rank is still gonna be evaluated." "Him? A merc? Pfft- Funny, didn''t know you grew a sense of humor while I was gone gramps." The old man only gave him a serious look of what looks to be a mix of annoyance and disapproval. "You serious? or am I missing something here?" Sylas went on to the board and ignored the two having a heated conversation and took a look at the requests pinned down. Not a lot of good ones... Most of the posted requests are extermination quests with some requiring to gather plants and such at a place far away, hardly worth it. Sylas eyes one request in particular it caught his eye especially due to the high reward. but for whatever reason no one has taken it yet. [Abomination clearing, C-Rank] the piece of paper read, 200 silver could last someone a year if they live frugally. About to snatch the piece of paper off the board, A large beastly hand stopped him from pulling on the parchment, slamming onto the board. Making Sylas flinch, retreating his hand. "You are not taking this." The Wolf from earlier now behind him kept their hand on the request holding it down. "Those arms of yours look like they''ll snap if I even do as much as grip it and you''re thinking of doing an extermination request of abominations of all things? You should at least form a party or something?! unless you''re planning on going to kill yourself-" Sylas took a few steps away from the larger wolf. Reaching into his bag out of habit rummaging through it nervously looking for something feeling out each crevice. "I''ll be fine. I-I''m not an idiot, I can handle myself, I can deal with a few Abominations so just leave me alone." The wolf stammered his words bewildered at the bunny''s out of place confidence. Out of frustration, the wolf grabs the bunny''s shoulders pulling them closer him causing the rabbit the yelp in surprise. The old man seeing this immediately got out of the counter and rushed over to them. "Do you not get what I''m saying?!" Sylas was taken aback with the aggressive reaction, instantly causing their heart beat to thump faster as his vision blurred from shortness of breath. As much as he wanted to struggle free, the sudden experience of intense emotions caused them to stay frozen, paralyzed from fear. "Boris! Let go of em dammit!" Alwin pried Boris'' hands off Sylas'' shoulders and separated the two using the span of his arms. "Sasha help me out would ya?" "Ok big guy calm down!" The tiger woman Sasha from earlier nodded and held back Boris from behind. While he didn''t struggle it looked like he was about to lunge at the little bunny any minute if she even released him for even a second, She dragged him away just in time and forced him to sit in a seat far off in the room. "Apologies for his behavior, He isn''t usually this sensitive." After things settled down, Boris was impatiently tapping his foot somewhere in a far away table from where Sylas and Alwin are. Sylas looked to where Boris was in the corner. That glare is intense... What''s his problem? "Forgive him, he''s had some terrible experiences." "Terrible? I thought he was gonna tear me apart." Sylas still shaken from the event rubbed his palms together like they were squeezing out the built up nerves. "...... All I can say is that, Before arriving in Rivermist that boy''s been through something. He won''t say what specifically but I could tell with how he acts around smaller Demi-humans that it must have been rough." "S-still..." The old man pulled down his hood and sprayed something on his hair and handed him the bottle. "Ugh-! W-What was that?" Sylas looks down on the small bottle containing transparent liquid. "Deodorant, it''s obvious from how you smell alone you''re some kind of small herbivore, one spritz is enough for at least 6 hours." "Hmm." Alwin puts his hand on his chin, looking over both Sylas and Boris from faraway an idea popped into his head. "You still don''t have a party, yeah?" "That''s right but I intend to go about it alone." "Sure you''re free to do that, but I don''t need any mercenaries who can''t handle therians. So how about this, You get over you''r fear of therians by working with Boris." "Wait!? Y-you cant just-! Boris with his large ears could hear the conversation from afar shook off Sasha''s grip, and got closer to the two and interrupting Sylas. "Look Gramps! I may be looking for a group to finish requests with but this guy ain''t it!" "I have a feeling this kid has more to him than meets the eye. Ain''t that right?" Alwin said in confidence. Sylas, a little bitter with how the old man''s sharp intuition seems to have already figured him out all the way. They removed their cloak revealing their floppy ears and mint green hair and took out a small box from his bag, opened it to reveal a stick which expands into a staff as tall as them. "Y-yes, you''re right. I can use magic. But how did you figure it out?" "I''ve been in this business since I was little, at some point you just start getting a sense of things. Oh and you reached into your bag earlier so I assumed there must be something in there you would use." Alwin points at the bag Sylas is carrying. "Gotta work on keeping your cards hidden better kid." He ruffled the bunny''s head through the hood and looked over to boris. "Well then Boris? You get to have a Weaver as a partner and you get to keep an eye on the guy at the same time, win-win if i''d say so myself." "Wait?! you can''t just decide that on your own-!" "Deal! Ya hear that, you ain''t leaving my side anytime soon little guy! HAHAHA!" The wolf immediately agreed with the old man and let out a loud laugh, leaving Sylas in a state of disbelief. "I- Wou- wh- huh?!?" Sylas couldn''t get the words out of his mouth. As the other two haphazardly signed a document deeming the two as part of one party probably indefinitely. By the time they had shown him the documents it was too late. "Then both of you will finish [Abomination extermination] as a party. Shouldn''t be too difficult knowing what you can do. And you finally found a Weaver so it should be a smooth mission." The wolf letting out a smug satisfied huff while puffing out their chest, he gave off an aura of arrogance that did not sit well with Sylas at all. This has to be a nightmare- Chapter 2 - The Hoplands 2 months ago¡­ The capital of Solarium, Sol the city named after the very God it serves, Solaleo the God of Knowledge, Magic and Justice. A city that shows no expense in boasting its prosperity. A simple stroll through the roads show shops with high profile products on a pedestal displayed through crystal clear glass, well maintained smooth pathways, and proficiently carved statues at the center of the plazas depicting their God bathed in the sunlight seemingly glowingly as the statue¡¯s silhouette is highlighted. Somewhere in the capital high up into the higher ring, is a mansion owned by the hoplands. A young man sits in a room blankly staring at an opened book as their tutors'' ramblings steadily tune out while they mindlessly tap on the book''s pages. ¡°Young master Sylas, are you listening?¡± As if woken from a trance Sylas looked back at the older goat with their ears now perked upwards before it dropped slightly. ¡°Hm? No sorry, what did you say again?¡± The goat sighed and closed the book they¡¯re holding and patted Sylas¡¯ shoulders after getting closer. ¡°You know, let''s finish early. It¡¯s almost time anyway and I¡¯m sure you have things to do. The celebration is starting soon..¡± Sylas stretched and unwinded their body while the goat picked up their things from the table in a corner. Sylas took one last look back at the room, his eyes hovering over the old goat only for a moment with a furrowed brow and scoffed. All these lessons on theocracy are tiring. Sylvanus (Sylas) Hopland the youngest of three young lords, unlike most noble families who succeeds the house is not through birthrights. As a house that produces successors with consistent compatibility with magic. Heirs are trained since birth the ways of weaving and theocratic virtues. A hopland must live in service of their God. A hopland will never be swayed by temptation. A hopland must always be victorious, they shan¡¯t kneel to their enemies. These are a few of the unrealistic virtues that are hammered onto the heirs of Hopland. Not even the women born into the house are safe from these teachings. Wandering the large manor, Sylas looked outside and saw the plaza decorated with colorful banners and ropes hung with flowing long strips of color in the wind. Right, it''s today. The day my eldest brother returns . Last I heard of him was months ago when he went to lead troops out to take care of Therians trying to get through the border illegally or so they say. Going down the stairs of the empty manor and went out through the main entrance. The high elevation of the manor allows for ease of seeing the large gate where it is most decorated preparing for the return of the heroes of Sol. Men holding instruments can be seen lined up on the road holding the horns high. On que the moment the instruments start playing, each one starts glowing before mist-like energy comes out and forms into sparkling dust falling and glorifying the entrance of the magic knights. The glitter got stuck on the dried blood on the armor of the so-called heroes. Even so, cheers continued as if the crowd was blinded by the still glimmering dust almost covering the blood stains Seems like brother was successful again as expected. His brother Lucius was tall and more built compared to Sylas, their body was almost the textbook body of a perfect knight. Lucius while riding the horse waved his hand to the onlooking crowd, occasionally winking at a few women making them swoon in awe as their eyes turned into an intoxicated expression. Though Sylas was better at magic than his eldest brother, Lucius¡¯ ability is nothing to scoff at. What they may lack in power they make up with speed. That face of his is as annoying as ever. How the hell does a house of magic weavers produce that monster? A servant came from around the corner of the hall spotting Sylas and bowed in front of him and spoke after being acknowledged. ¡°Young master Sylas, dinner shall be ready soon. Your father has demanded that you join them.¡± ¡°¡­ Tell father I will be arriving shortly.¡± Great¡­ *** A family dinner, it is safe to say that in a typical noble family eating dinner all together is a rare but welcome occurrence. The same cannot be said for the Hoplands. The three brothers sat together on the long table with their father, with the two eldest sitting closest to the current head who was seated at the far end side of the table, Sylas sat in front of the second eldest putting him only two seats away from their father. Clink, Tap- The silence makes the sound of utensils hitting the plate more audible adding onto the already dull ambiance. Sylas couldn¡¯t dare to make eye contact with any of his relatives and continues to munch on carrots and cabbage. A stark contrast to the rest of his family who are eating roasted meat, not a single bit of leafy greens are included in the family''s normal diet. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Sylas tried his best to immerse himself in his meal but not long after he took a few bites on the orange sticks of carrots their father finally uttered a few words. ¡°How were today¡¯s lessons?¡± It was clear who the man was referring to, as such Sylas properly let go of the utensils in both hands and replied. ¡°It was fine, I learned a lot I guess.¡± Their father¡¯s blank glare has always given him and his brothers a feeling of being suffocated. Though his brothers seem to have gotten used to this as they continue to heartily tear apart large portions of meat. ¡°Is there anything specific you can recall?¡± There it is, the usual question¡­ though I barely listened I already prepared some answers that might just be good enough. ¡°Well if I have to pick then I guess Therians and how different they are. I think the way they use their magic is interesting.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two elder brothers stopped eating upon noticing the atmosphere. The second eldest Jack quickly swallowed and coughed before trying to defuse the situation. ¡°Father, perhaps what Sylas meant to say is.¡± Before he could finish he was interrupted by a hand raised, ordering him to stop. ¡°Different isn¡¯t quite the word I would use, but yes their magic is quite blasphemous.¡± This comment made Sylas wince slightly and furrow his brow, but he tried his best not to make his disappointment obvious. Their Father took a drink from his cup before continuing. ¡°Unlike Therians, we who serve and swear loyalty on Solaleo are granted the ability to use real magic. Not at all like how those brutes would defile it, forcing it through their vines...¡± The old man¡¯s face contorts into a look of disgust as if recalling an unpleasant memory. ¡°To use a God¡¯s gift like that¡­ tch , heretics. One should handle any matters related to magic with utmost care. Well what can we expect from heretics who worship an evil god.¡± ¡°You said it father, Unbaptized heretics shouldn¡¯t even be allowed to use God¡¯s gift, especially not in such a savage manner but alas.¡± Lucius chuckled as he continued dining without a care. ¡°Ahaha~ right?! You agree, right? Sylas?¡± Jack nervously looked at Sylas as he did an awkward laugh. ¡°... How can they? We barely treat them like people in sol in the first place...¡± Sylas whispered to himself. The old man¡¯s eyebrows raised as his sharp hearing picked up the words and wanted to chastise him for speaking back but was unable to as Sylas quickly stood up from his chair and walked out. ¡°I¡¯ll get going now, I have something to do.¡± he said before slamming the door shut. ¡°Seriously, what is that boy¡¯s problem?!¡± he shouts as a vein appears popping out of his forehead from rage. ¡°Father please, cut him some slack he just needs a little more guidance is all.¡± Jack says in an attempt to calm his father. ¡°Jack is right, I¡¯ll take care of my precious little brother like usual. You should rest father.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll leave it to you then Lucius, I will return to my quarters. Have the maids clean the table after you finish eating.¡± *** Unable to bear staying in the mansion any longer, Sylas grabbed a hood and took off any valuables like jewelry on his person other than a bag of coins containing a few hundred silver coins in case they wanted to go shopping while out on a walk. They put it inside their sling bag and locked it with the belt holding the flap of the bag. He then flipped the cloak onto himself and stuffed his ears that were pointing up inside the hood. Sylas then locks the door, and takes out a rope made of bed sheets he has been accumulating discreetly in his locked wardrobe and carries it to a window he opens. Being on the second floor of the mansion the drop was relatively unsafe to jump off of even for his brother Lucius who can use magic to soften his fall. He took out his staff which is still shrunk so it resembles a wand, he created five luminescent strings which struck at different points until it all tied together creating a glowing anchor point under the window which he ties the bedsheets to. After throwing down the rope, he stepped out the window and felt the strong winds almost taking off his hood. He then slowly descended holding onto and stepping on the large knots in between for a more secure descent, finally reaching the bottom slightly out of breath. ¡°Phew~ ok.¡± He then points his wand at the magical anchor point flicking their hand making it disperse as the rope falls from the window and at the same time shutting it close, almost as if no one had just climbed out of the room. Since they didn''t want to be caught by any servants in the mansion, Sylas went out through the backyard crawling behind bushes until reaching the main gate where he saw two guards. Shifts seem to be changing soon as one guard nods to the other before the former leaves. There weren¡¯t any more trees or bushes from this point so they casually walked towards the gate as Sylas recognised the emblem on the first knight¡¯s armor. Face softening to become less tense as if seeing a friend. ¡°Young master Sylas, what are you doing here?¡± A familiar face, Bernard, a dogfolk guard that has been serving our house for at least a majority of my life. He¡¯s quite young for his position, being a major at the age of 25 is no easy feat. He removed his helmet, revealing his short white hair and his face wrinkled from fatigue. ¡°Let me through Bernard, I''m only going for a walk. I will return before sundown.¡± The knight¡¯s ears drooped slightly as they held firm in their position not moving from the gate. They looked around scanning for anyone who could possibly eavesdrop into their conversation using their sharp senses. ¡°Sneaking out again? You know we aren¡¯t kids anymore, You can get in far worse trouble Sy! At least let me come with.¡± he whispered discreetly. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I can take care of myself.¡± Sylas went ahead pushing through and releasing the locks of the gate ignoring Bernard¡¯s worries and throwing the hood back on and covering his face in shadow. Taking the stairs into the lower tiers of Sol. The difference between the middle and lower rings weren¡¯t too different but the houses were less extravagant. *** Occasionally while walking through road Sylas will see a few Therians strolling through the street but it was obvious how cautious most of them are with how they avoid as much as accidentally bumping into anyone in the streets. While welcome into Sol it was obvious there was something much more sinister hidden under it all. This obviously had an effect on Sylas considering his most recent interaction with his father, further adding onto his already low opinion of his father. Today in particular though it seemed therians in the city were much more on edge probably from hearing from the news of what happened at the border and the distasteful glorification of the events. Still walking around somehow ending up in a less populated part of the middle ring, something caught his ears. Low pitched pained moans from somewhere, causing him to peak around the corner of a nearby alleyway. Noticing claw marks on the way from the corner before entering. ¡°Oh gods!¡± alarmed, Sylas shouts after seeing a person collapsed on the ground motionless apart from light breathing. ¡°What happened here?¡± Sylas¡¯ muttered, checking her for wounds, noticing bite marks and cuts. It was immediately obvious that a therian would be responsible for these types of wounds. ¡°h-help...¡± The sheep muttered weakly. ¡°I¡¯m here to help, hold still.¡± Gently lowering her body and taking out his staff that enlarged as he started casting a spell. The woman was trying to say something to Sylas, but he was too engrossed in his concentration to notice the threat from behind brandishing their claws. Just as they were about to be jumped, a shiver crept up their neck making them dodge at the last second cutting their nape and at the same time dropping their staff upon landing. ¡°WOAH!¡± A dark leopard therian snarled at the rabbit, eyes glowed red, sharp fangs peaked out from their jaw as the leopard''s saliva dripped from its mouth. Looking down at their battered and wrecked clothes stained with blood, whether it was theirs or the sheep didn''t matter to Sylas as right now all he could think of was avoiding its relentless attacks. ¡°RAGH!¡± The enraged Leopard once again launched itself towards Sylas¡¯ reaching for their neck as Sylas dove to the side making the beast hit the wall instead causing a similar gash like the ones scattered in the darkalley. The beast followed up with another strike which Sylas narrowly avoided spreading his leg while he moved backwards to safety fumbling to grab his staff while the leopard continued to slash at him with no regard to anything else other than the escaping rabbit that''s only narrowly escaping their attacks as small cuts and wounds littered the thin legs. The therian did one last powered up slash slamming down just missing Sylas before abruptly stopping as if to catch their breath giving the shakened rabbit enough time to jump for his staff and aim at the out of control beast. The magic strings weaved to form a bolt of lightning that shot at his aggressor, with a bright spark the streak of light crackled indiscriminately bouncing on the wall as it all collected onto the therian. The black figure spasmed under the force of the crackling lightning almost kneeling from the pain. ¡°RRGHN! Y-YOU!¡± Struggling to speak, the leopard persevered, slowly stepping closer and closer to Sylas who was continuously shooting out bolt after bolt. It wasn¡¯t enough as the leopard had now pinned him down causing him to let go of his staff while sharp claws pierced his clothes, and in front of his face were large pointed canines dripping down with mucus landing on his cheek. The leopard took a deep sniff before exhaling, the heat of the breath hitting the side of their face causing uncontrollable shivers slowly making Sylas go into a panicked state. The leopard caught wind of his scent, detecting a familiar odor that they could never forget. ¡°You smell¡­ like that Hare. You both smell similar, you must be related to him.¡± ¡°H-hare?¡± The dots started connecting as he realized that this therian was probably one of the therians who somehow escaped his brother at the border. ¡°Everything¡­ I lost everything.¡± Tears started flowing down from the once angry beast, now showing a face filled with grief and emptiness. ¡°Then wont it be just fair if I take something from him too?¡±. Sylas¡¯ eyes widened as his neck was now inches away from being ripped out by the grieving man''s jaws. Time almost seemed to have stopped, as they helplessly looked down at the fangs about to clamp on to his throat. A stream of memories flashed as he is reminded of the sins his house has committed up till now, that of which was coming back to bite him in the worst way he could possibly think of. Just as he was about to accept his fate, he felt the teeth touch him but not clamp. Rather staying there as he wondered what happened. The rest of the body also collapses under him as he sees his brother Lucius holding a sword with trickles of red. Trembling eyes looked down at the body with its head now missing after his brother kicked both of it and the body off him with a look as if he was looking at trash like what he killed wasn¡¯t a person. ¡°Sylas! Are you ok?!¡± There was a ringing in Sylas¡¯ and all the sounds were muffled while his brother carried him, his eyes were still locked onto the severed head from shock, unable to process what happened. He shifts his focus to the sheep he was trying to save and is sent into despair to find that she was also struck by his haphazard use of magic, killing her. ¡°You could have gotten killed! If Bernard hadn¡¯t told me you were going out¡­ Oh look at this, your hair is a mess and you have cuts everywhere. No worries, let¡¯s get you home. Back where you belong.¡± His brother took him out of the dark alleyway, completely disregarding the two corpses as if they weren''t there as it slowly left his field of view. A month after recovering in the mansion, Sylas took whatever he could get and ran away. Chapter 3 - The Cave (part 1) Sylas jolts awake from the carriage¡¯s bumpy movements as he lays down on the seats, he dreamt of that day once again, he couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the dreadful feeling of helplessness he once felt when he is reminded of the lifeless stare of the sheep he had killed. Had he handled the situation better or maybe if they used a different spell? No, even if he hadn¡¯t accidentally hit the woman, she still would have died from the grave wounds he thought to himself as a way of convincing that it wasn¡¯t his fault. Still it doesnt change the fact that he did in fact dealt the final blow in ending her life which greatly burdened him since. He looked to the driver and saw the wide fluffy back of the wolf Boris with the oversized bag plopped just beside them. He brought himself up with a slight groan causing Boris¡¯ ears to pick up the voice. ¡°Little rabbit prince done with their beauty sleep I see?¡± The wolf mocked. Sylas stayed quiet for a moment before realizing that one of his ears managed to leave its hiding place at some point while asleep. He sighed removing the hood, freeing his head from the stuffy restraints while fixing the hair sticking out from his head. There wasn¡¯t really a point in hiding it from Boris or Alwin and people will find out eventually. ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting you to be a bunny of all things, Still so long as you can help me I don''t mind-¡± ¡°Look, just don¡¯t go around saying things about me.¡± The wolf looked back at the rabbit but is now able to see his face more. It was a sight to behold all things considered as they expected someone with a rougher exterior hidden under that hood. Their lashes were long but not feminine, their eyes were sharp giving off the aura of a noble, and overall a face that can be considered appealing if anything. ¡°Uhm?¡± The wolf therian just stared at him for a few seconds which made him uneasy if anything. ¡°Huh- I was expecting something more rugged. Were you a noble or something?¡± Boris hit a bit of a sour spot for Sylas making their eyes twitch, now more irritated compared to when they just woke up they finally responded. But as much as they wanted to talk back they knew next to nothing about Boris and ended up not saying much. ¡°I don¡¯t really wanna talk about it, so let''s just get this job done. It will only be for a little while anyway, that¡¯s what we agreed upon.¡± ¡°Yeah of course I''m just saying, I am a man of my word.¡± ¡°So¡­ Since we agree that we are going to work together, how about you show off what you can do?¡± Boris expectantly awaited his response. Hesitant Sylas¡¯ didn¡¯t want to reveal everything they could do. But they do acknowledge that for better cooperation he would have to reveal some of the cards up his sleeves. They stopped at an open space in a spot that¡¯s clearer from trees. Sylas watches Boris set up logs standing upright as a target. ¡°Alright show me what ya got buns!¡± ¡°Please don''t call me ¡®buns¡¯.¡± Sylas can use a wide variety of magic be it offensive, defensive or for healing. From the wide repertoire of weave patterns he has memorized he decided to reveal only a few offensive and defensive spells to the wolf. Since I would eventually have to use spells anyway I might as well show him a little of what I can do. Sylas¡¯ thought knowing that showing off too much isn¡¯t ideal. Starting out with his defensive magic, A wall of wind that lasts for a few seconds that surrounds a target, A web made of pure magic strings, and a sturdy Ice wall Moving on to his Offensive magic. an intense Flame that came out from the tip of his staff spreading out continuously, A jet of water, and decided to use earth bullets as the last spell to reveal. Although still Boris still wasn¡¯t very impressed. ¡°Is there something wrong? You don''t seem very impressed or anything.¡± Sylas, now concerned, asked Boris. ¡°Well I have worked with other weavers before but you know, you have a lot of spells but¡­ could be faster.¡± ¡°?¡± Sylas seemed perplexed, for a moment their previously apprehensive behaviour was now a look of disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re just too slow...¡± This comment was nothing short of an insult to Sylas who was taught solely to be proficient at magic, Boris had once worked with many weavers during his time at work but truthfully very few managed to reach the amount of spells that the short mage has demonstrated just earlier but they made up for it with their ability to act faster.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°...¡± ¡°Uhh? Bunny you good? You¡¯re all quiet now.¡± ¡°Come on, I can¡¯t afford to waste anymore time here.¡± Be it pettiness or overconfidence Sylas is filled with determination to prove them wrong, after all magic is what this little mage is good at. ¡°W-Wait Sage- did I say something wrong?!?¡± I¡¯ll show him! Too slow? Does he think weaving is as simple as recklessly swinging a sword? One wrong move could make it explode in my face¡­ or worse. Silence filled the whole way and not a single word was exchanged until they reached their destination despite Boris¡¯ poor attempts at small talk. Apparently large blades and sheath designs aren¡¯t the best conversation starter to a scholar. Once they arrived at the cave''s entrance it was already close to sunset so naturally tired from the long hours of sitting in a bumpy carriage they made camp just right outside the cave setting up their respective tents and lighting a warm fire. ¡°You¡¯re not really much of a talker huh?¡± The crackling fire was loudly audible in the absence of sound. The two faced each other with only the campfire in between them and dark shadows casted by the trees surrounding them making sure that the two could only focus on each other. Sylas sat with his legs folded into his chest keeping them together with his arms. Boris on the other hand while relaxed was still in a position where he could reliably react to any incoming threat that might disrupt their rest. ¡°...¡± It hasn¡¯t really been long since the two have met. They¡¯ve really only known each other for two to three days at most and rarely ever talked about anything, Slowly though Sylas have since gotten used to seeing the wolf therian. Like an old scar now numb to pain he experienced less of the paralyzing fear he once felt from the sight of a therian alone which was perplexing to Sylas who up until now felt uncomfortable with the mere sight of a therian. He stared deeply with the severe fear now replaced by a subtle discomfort which was a significant improvement from previous encounters. Boris and his sharpened senses felt a glare that has been strictly locked onto him alone for a while. He looked to find ¡®Sage¡¯ looking at him in a daze as if in a trance, they don''t seem to be aware that they are practically staring holes into Boris to which he uses the opportunity to of course, tease the little mage. ¡°Enjoying the view?¡± He gave a devilish smile showing off the sharp collection of teeth in his mouth. Naturally this gave Sylas goosebumps, promptly taking him out of the trance as they quickly turned their head away. ¡°Look I¡¯m just trying to lighten the mood. If you¡¯re acting like this because of what happened back at the guild then I¡¯m sorry.¡± The big wolf¡¯s ears drooped down with concern. ¡°No it¡¯s not that¡­¡± ¡°Oh? Either way, how I acted was still uncalled for¡­¡± ¡°Yes it was...¡± Sylas gripped his hands into a fist, his hands trembling a bit. After a while without any other exchange happening Boris let out a heavy exasperated sigh. ¡°I also ran away.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Back then, before I arrived in Rivermist. I was still weak, insignificant.¡± There was a certain sadness and frustration covering Boris¡¯ face as Sylas observed. It didn''t take a genius to realize that. ¡°You see, before arriving here in Solarium I used to be in a ¡®cove¡¯ led by my father.¡± ¡°A cove?¡± An unfamiliar word made Sylas¡¯ head tip sideways. ¡°Oh right, people here are probably not familiar with the word. Simply put a cove for us in Lunalis is a community, home, family.¡± ¡°Celebrate, Mourn, everything we all did together like family.¡± Boris smiled as warm memories filled his head making him chuckle from the comforting memories. ¡°But?¡± ¡°Everything changed when the time came for my coming of age ceremony.¡± ¡°As the next leader of the cove I had to best my father in combat, which I did. Though the real challenge was something I could not prepare myself for¡­ not in a million years.¡± Boris suddenly paused, as he tried to push out the next words out of his mouth. ¡°Are you aware of the Goddess Lunalea?¡± ¡°The mad Moon Goddess?¡± Boris chuckled. ¡°Heh, mad for you folks in Solarium maybe but to us it''s different.¡± ¡°The Moon Goddess in our story books sacrificed herself for the Sun God. Wrought with a mysterious curse decided to imprison herself in the moon for the sake of letting her lover live.¡± Sylas wondered why he was telling such a story as he processed what was being told and connected the dots. ¡°I too had to do the same, and kill my father. But how could I? So I ran, as far as I could. And eventually I somehow ended up in rivermist by a stroke of luck.¡± ¡°But that was a long time ago, doesn''t matter now or ever. Traditions right?¡± ¡°Why tell me all of this?¡± ¡°Good question, I guess you remind me of what I used to be back then if anything.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that kind of story from someone like you, given how confident you alwayd seem to be.¡± ¡°Ha- I will take that as a compliment buns.¡± He had to go through something like that? Sylas thought, they couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how they must have felt. Sylas contemplated while they watched the warm fire. Although hesitant, they utter a few words. ¡°Therians scare me.¡± They said quietly, but thanks to Boris¡¯ sharp hearing they could still hear what they were saying. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°I was helping someone¡­ They were injured and I tried helping them, but then a Therian attacked and I panicked. I ended up hitting the one I was trying to save and well¡­¡± ¡°I see. But what¡¯s done is done, there is no changing the past, all you can do now is move on.¡± Sylas cupped their hands and warmed them up by rubbing them together. ¡°Am I scary to you?¡± Boris asked. ¡°No that came out wrong I meant-¡° Boris approached Sylas, stopping only once he was halfway around the campfire before stretching out his large hand. Twitching at the sight, Sylas cautiously eyed Boris¡¯ movements, the long claws at the tip of the wolfs fingers did well in causing his heart rate to speed up especially when the sharp points lightly grazed their hand. Maybe just a few seconds¡­ Sylas thought as they too closed the distance though pathetically closing their eyes as they flinched back for every sensation they felt on their palm. Sylas¡¯ heart kept pounding so much that it was hard to breathe while they kept contact for a good 3 seconds as Boris¡¯ thumb gently rubbed the back of their hand. ¡°Not so bad isn¡¯t it?¡± The timid rabbit managed to take a peek at the scene until they pulled their arm away abruptly, the thumping in his chest still racing. ¡°I-I should sleep, Thank you for your patience B-Boris.¡± ¡°Anytime, I¡¯ll keep watch tonight.¡± The wolf said in a soothing and calm manner. Sylas rushed inside their tent and quickly went under the covers trying to calm the pumping organ with deep breaths. Calm down! I did it, it was only for a moment but I actually did it¡­ Sylas mind raced as their heart steadied while clutching the sheets. ¡°He sure has an unexpected way with words, that Wolf.¡± They drifted asleep while the sturdy wolf kept watch while sharpening his sword that he took out from the bag. Chapter 4 - Cave (Part 2) Chapter 4 - The Cave (Part 2) The two mercenaries are just about to enter into the cave that is supposedly inhabited by abominations. Sylas began jotting down a mental list of things to bring with him, he was sure that it was going to be dangerous. Looking at the therian Sylas recalled what had happened last night around the campfire, the memory filled him with a tiny smidge of confidence knowing he has somewhat improved compared to back then when the slightest sight of sharp features could disturb his mental state. He looked at Boris who had removed his coat hanging it on a nearby branch, showing off his bare upper-body as he sat down on a log doing maintenance on his weapon. Sylas couldn¡¯t help but stare at his muscular stature littered with a myriad of old scars with one on his back specifically going across the entire way down making Sylas cringe. He wondered what could have caused that kind of wound. Boris now finished sharpening the blade before sheathing it carefully back into the scabbard, Boris turned his face to look at Sylas giving him a smile as if to greet him a good morning. Seeing this, Sylas couldn''t help but feel a knot in his chest, he looked away and focused on gathering the rest of what he needed, stuffing them in a bag. Finishing up, they picked up their staff and went to confront Boris who was now picking up their coat and strapping on armor for their left shoulder. ¡°Oh Sage, you ready?¡± Boris asked. ¡°Ready.¡± Sylas replied. Boris eyed the staff Sylas held with both his hands. ¡°Be careful when you start weaving with that staff, you could end up hitting the cave¡¯s walls in some parts.¡± Boris said to Sylas. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Trust me on this, other weavers I¡¯ve worked with ended up hitting the walls while waving their instruments, but you can be sure I''ll keep the abominations from getting too close.¡± His confidence was so astounding that Sylas sometimes couldn¡¯t tell if it stemmed from experience or pure arrogance. ¡°Well then! Let¡¯s get going.¡± Sylas followed behind Boris who grabbed a thick branch wrapped in cloth doused in alcohol and lowered it to meet Sylas. ¡°You mind lighting this for me?¡± While it was strange to use a torch when they both had lanterns, Sylas complied. Creating a small flame easily lighting the makeshift torch. ¡°Thanks Sage. Stay behind me.¡± The mouth of the cavern was large, giving enough space to move around in all directions. But as they got deeper, the corridors do get more narrow. Sylas took note of this and adapted accordingly, shrinking his staff to look like a wand instead. The two kept quiet until they reached a larger room in the cave filled with a pungent smell. ¡°Ugh¡­ what is that sm-¡± his mouth was suddenly covered by Boris, making him do a slight yelp which echoes through the cave. ¡°Sh-!¡± Sylas looked to the wolf with his ears moving rapidly, and his nose flaring. ¡°This is one of the nests, try to keep it down.¡± Just behind the rock something pale crawled out from behind, just barely illuminated by the light, it was hard to see. What Sylas¡¯ could make out was something that resembled a newborn animal stripped of its fur that is yet to grow. It didn¡¯t quite resemble any animal Sylas has seen, its circular head full of unopened eyes, its thin limbs, and its tail with a bulbous tip made it seem so alien. ¡°Looks like the parent is gone. Stay here buns.¡± ¡°Wait, what are you doing!?¡± Sylas whispered. ¡°I¡¯m gonna wipe out the spawn, watch my back.¡± and so he did. The wolf snuck around, slowly getting closer to the nest that reeked of the spawns droppings and urine. Slowly picking off each one by one as they all did a screech drowned in a pool of their own blood and fluids. Sylas witnessed the scene first hand, fully illuminated by the light the wolf was carrying. His vision blurred while he saw the wolf''s once clean mane now stained with crimson red blood. Sylas knew this had to be done to finish the mission, but he never could have imagined having to do something as repulsive as this. The lines between reality and the nightmare blurred, the wolf¡¯s silhouette overlapped with the stomach-churning illusion of an all too familiar beast. The noise rang in his ears. He desperately wanted to run, but a sense of responsibility¡ªor perhaps guilt¡ªmay have prevented him from doing so. The sounds stopped, making Sylas refocus onto the wolf now splattered with sticky ichor and clotting blood from the victims of his slaughter. Boris shook off any loose substance as he returned to Sylas while he wiped off any gunk on his sword. The dim light illuminated by the torch only made the wolf¡¯s appearance worse as he stepped closer. ¡°I¡¯m done here.¡± Boris¡¯ voice was grizzly from exertion. ¡°Let¡¯s head back for now and wait for the broodmother.¡± He didn¡¯t get a reply as he continued to complain. ¡°Ugh, this will take a while to get off.¡± his claws brushed his mane as it separated his fur matting from the blood. ¡°Hey are you ok?¡± Boris reached for Sylas¡¯ causing them to unconsciously step back and turn their back on them. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Yeah, let''s go back.¡± ¡°Are you sure? You seem a little out of it-¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°I SAID I¡¯M FINE-!¡± Sylas¡¯ shouted, the voice echoed through the cavern reverberating through its many interconnections. Boris was taken aback, shocked by the sudden change in demeanor his ears turned and flicked rapidly looking behind at back to Sylas his face now darkened with agitation. ¡°Shit- s-sorry I didn''t mean to.¡± Suddenly Boris grabbed the rabbit, letting out a yelp before Boris covered his mouth with his large hand restraining him completely before jumping behind a rock formation. ¡°Mmph-!!¡± Sylas¡¯ dropped his staff desperate to break free from the wolf¡¯s firm arms. ¡°Shh!¡± Suddenly the wolf shushed him to be silent. The hot breath hitting one of his floppy ears making him shudder. With his back pressed flat against the wolf''s body as if being embraced from behind. ¡°Listen¡­ it''s here¡± right on cue, A thud came from beyond their cover as the broodmother came circling its nest riddled with the lifeless corpse of its young. Its voice was hoarse accompanied by unsettling rumbling each time it exhaled. ¡°Sage, I need your help with that bulb on its tail.¡± Unlike its children the broodmother was enormous, its body had dark fur covering it and the bulbous tip at the end of its tail leaked a green viscous substance that hissed when touching the ground. ¡°I¡¯m gonna distract it, you get to a blind spot.¡± Without a moment to lose, Sylas quickly tried to recover from his distressed state and assessed the situation. ¡°Anything I should know about this thing?¡± ¡°The liquid it spews is quite flammable, so a clean shot with fire at the bulb should stop it long enough for me to take it down.¡± ¡°Ok- give me a second-¡° ¡°Over here!¡± Boris throws the torch, the light helped to blind the creature sensitive to brightness while the wolf ran circles around it. Meanwhile Sylas, surprised by the sudden change in tempo, fumbled to pick up his shrunken staff before finally returning it to its original form and began creating strings of magic. They find an angle that leads to the creature''s blind spot as they start to grip both hands to their staff. The monster flailed its head and clawed in every direction still disoriented by the light. The wolf laughed as their battle hungry eyes seemed to glow with excitement in the dark.¡±HAHA!¡± Charging up their attack, they swung hard into one of the creature''s front legs. The attack connects, giving it a shallow wound as Boris savagely saws the large sword in place. SKREHH-! The creature swung its other claw at the adrenaline filled wolf sending them flying creating a dent in a wall.. ¡°Boris-!¡± The monster snaps its body turning on an axis in an instant, eyeballs now locking onto the weaver whose spell dispersed as they ran to escape its relentless attacks. ¡°Hck!¡± The broodmother manages to cut his left leg, rendering him unable to run. ¡°Argh!¡± They reflexively grab the gushing wound while they fall to the ground. Staff now barely out of reach, they attempt to grab onto it, the adrenaline helping to numb the pain. He could hear the creatures chilling footsteps as he could sense its large mouth open from behind him as they finally reached the magical staff. Sylas pointed back and suddenly what he was greeted with wasn¡¯t the mouth of the monster but rather the large back of the wolf. ¡°Hrngh!¡± The wolf struggled to keep his sword hinged in its large mouth, Sylas who was initially shocked quickly shook his head and once again a blazing ball of flames collected at the tip of his staff. ¡°Ugh, blood in my eye. Oh-! Haha! Sorry I''m late buns.¡± The wolf¡¯s grin was baffling for the rabbit as Boris was quite literally drenched in his own blood. While Boris struggled to keep the broodmother still he slowly shifted their positions, making sure the monster is no longer looking at the mage as the ball of light reaches its maximum size. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Hearing this, Boris thrusted the sword inside the monster''s mouth downwards as hard as he could, planting it stuck on the ground as it aggressively tried digging its legs to pry itself out. A piercing high pitched noise shot out of the sphere of energy as a searing hot laser extended, penetrating through the other side of the broodmother¡¯s body cutting it in half while the smell of burnt flesh spread. Sylas still catching his breath now drained mentally and physically. He wanted to lie down but was too worried about the wolf who was behind the burnt corpse. They tried to move their tired body to catch a glimpse of what''s behind. His vision started to wane till he heard a faint voice. Calling out to him in a worried tone, a slight sigh of relief came out when he saw the silhouette of the wolf¡¯s large frame. *** Sylas¡¯ eyelids flickered as warmth radiated from the campfire. his head rested on something comfortable. Light enters his eyes, at first it was just the starry night sky, but his groggy eyes looked to the figure above him. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± The wolf has cleaned himself up quite a bit. A bandage was wrapped on his forehead while they cautiously tended to the rabbit¡¯s bruises. ¡°You were whispering in your sleep.¡± ¡°What have I been saying?¡± Probably still half-awake Sylas was more compliant than usual. ¡°Nothing much really. Would you believe me if I said it was about carrots?¡± The wolf smiled. ¡°... How¡¯s your head?¡± Sylas¡¯ looked at Boris¡¯ noggin, a feeling of guilt filled his chest. ¡°Oh this?¡± Boris knocked on the wound. ¡°I¡¯ve been through worse! Takes much more than this to hurt me!¡± Something about what he said shook something in Sylas¡¯ heart. He remembered how therians are treated in this kingdom, and along with it the prejudice they face. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, I swear I¡¯ll fix it. You- ¡­ suffered enough.¡± he wanted to say ¡®your kind¡¯ in between but a floodgate of emotions opened and overwhelmed him. Sylas felt responsible for his family¡¯s actions against therians. He had the chance to at least ease their suffering by inheriting the position as the Hopland¡¯s head using their family¡¯s influence. How ironic that he was also afraid of the very people he wanted to help. Tears trickled down his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m hic- sorry!¡± Boris, shocked from the sudden outburst, tries his best to soothe the rabbit. ¡°Woah! Woah! Is this about my injuries?!? I swear I¡¯m fine!¡± The waterworks kept going completely, putting Boris at a loss, unable to figure out what to do. As a last ditch effort, he carefully guided Sylas¡¯ hands to his bandaged forehead. ¡°Look see- I¡¯m alright, no need to cry.¡± Though not the exact reason Sylas was crying, somewhat it does help as the tears slowly subsided. It took a moment for Sylas to realize how close he was to Boris. The rabbit¡¯s head was laid on the wolf¡¯s firm thigh, as the two shared a campfire. A flush of red appeared on his face for a moment. They tried to quickly stand, but a pain on their left leg prevented him from doing so. ¡°OW!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t move. It''s fine we leave first thing in the morning. Just sleep sage.¡± Though reluctant, he didn¡¯t exactly have much of a choice, so he hesitantly accepts the generous offer. ¡°... Thanks¡± Sylas looked around for a moment, he spotted his staff leaning against a tree thankfully. As for Boris¡¯ sword¡­ it was nowhere to be found. ¡°Where¡¯s your sword?¡± Sylas asked. ¡°... Unimportant, just sleep.¡± Obviously the sword hinged on the monsters¡¯ mouth that was just seared in half. Of course it couldn¡¯t have been able to survive the flames and of course melted in place leaving the wolf without a weapon for the time being.