-Wolf Territory - Marshlands. 3Q Afternoon-
Past the middle of the afternoon on the Marshlands at the center of Black Wolf territory, the dark clouds blocking the dimmed sunlight cast inclined shadows as the sunshine rays painted the landscape in golden hues. The cool wind blowing from the south with periodic gusts rustled the sea of grass forming large waves and then sparkling waves moving Northwest on the marsh.
On the Southern side of the Marsh, some dozen meters from the shore, a purple-blue Dragon stood on all fours with his forelegs on top of the ice platform and his hind legs still trapped by almost a meter of ice. With his neck extended along the right side to look, he raised his numbed tail like a Hook and stabbed at the ice trapping his right hind leg. *Swhooo~Shrakk! Shrakk!!* He repeated the motions as fast as he could but his aim was rather bad and the absence of Magic in his body weakened him. Although his heart was beating fast and compressed the blood to heat up his body, the elongated limb was the furthest away. And without Elementals to prevent the extreme cold from sapping energy through the metal he had infused in his scales, the water in his flesh had frozen in some spots already. However, the exercise was speeding up defrosting, and whatever small cellular damage was healed subsequently.
Feeling his tail recover, the Dragon improved his aim. He watched the tail tip carve out bigger chunks of ice each time and digging deeper. Ahh... I love my tail~ Well, a long neck is convenient too...
Meanwhile, a multicolored small Wolf searched the muddled Marsh waters for the 'metal vines' as instructed by its new Alpha while gathering Elementals.
And while the Dragon free himself and the small canine found the metal cables, the injured feral Wolf limped out of the Marsh and stopped at the edge of the grassland. With only the right eye intact, he looked around for the hateful creature that injured him repeatedly and almost blinded him completely. But his vision was still too blurry to see beyond a few meters. He sniffed at the ground and followed the scent of the human attacker.
The partially nude young girl caught her breath a dozen meters East of the Marsh shores. She used Light regeneration Magic to stop the bleedings on her body and alleviate the pain. She was relieved there was some plan into motion to capture the wolf but worried that the wolves coming from behind had already misunderstood the situation.
Shaila glanced back and zoomed the image. The three incoming wolves looked determined to stop a threat and focused as if they had been ordered. Feeling cornered, she pulled back her Magic and deflected the image to the back before dashing to the North.
The large Blue Wolf, tracking her scent, noticed the source moving, and also turned left.
The colorful canine bit the two metal cables by the tips and dragged them to there marsh bank where the blue wolf was a moment ago. It dropped them to the mud and turned back to look at the Dragon, waiting for him.
Seconds later, the scaly Beast carved a 2-feet deep hole in the ice behind the right hind leg and leaned back. *KRAKK!!!* The ice corners broke and the leg moved into the hole. "HNNG!" Nefiru pushed with his left hind leg while pulling his right leg carefully. While applying the necessary force to avoid damage to his scales and toes, the ice slowly cracked and broke. *Chhrrkk~cha!* The scaly paw quickly slid out of the icy hole. The Dragon moved his numbed toes with relief and sat on the ice with the tail curved to the left. He then raised his right forepaw and clawed down the ice around his left hind leg.
The small canine grew impatient and rushed to the Dragon's left flank. It climbed the ice platform with both forepaws and sank the claws for grip. "Alpha! I can help now."
The Dragon stopped and looked at the beast staring innocently at him. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he accepted. "...Alright. But save Magic."
The small canine nodded and slipped Magic into the ice, then started melting thin sections. And while doing that, it used the opportunity to sniff the Dragon up close. The scents told of Nefiru's young life. The battles he's fought, the creatures he's met, the females he mingled with and the Rank he attained in a very short time. They were enviable experiences. Its new Alpha was really young, but he was more impressive than it thought.
The multi-affinity Beast looked up with its rounded eyes, in blue this time, and stared into the lizardly eyes, mesmerized.
The Dragon, noticing his leg was free, commanded. "Let's go."
"Uwu?! Yes..."
The two Beasts dashed to the eastern shore, then stopped North and South of the metal cables half-buried in the mud.
The Dragon on the south glanced at the cables while simulating ways to use them in his mind. Hm, these are too short...
The colorful Wolf on the north looked to the left, at the wolves coming from the East, and inquired. "Should I Howl for help?"
The Dragon looked up at the Wolf with a frown and asked. "Do you know them?"
Straining its eyes, the Beast responded. "...No, not those three..."
"Try to reason with them from here."
"I'll try." The canine declared and pointed his muzzle to the East before letting out a howl. "Whooowuoooon~(Stop)"
The three Wind users perked their ears, understanding the message, and slowed down as a precaution and leisure, but did not stopped their advance.
The small wolf flattened his ears and informed regretfully. "They don't care..."
...Damn. He clenched his maw, then asked worriedly. "Why do you think?"
"They might be under orders to capture us or take our territory by force. They might chase Father off! Or worse... He could die before we treat his injuries!"
"Ugh... Don't panic!! We just need to act before they spook your Father, and let them know I know your Elders."
"Eh?! Aun, yes..." The canine affirmed, calming down. "But what are we going to do?"
"When I tell you, bite that end-..." Nefiru instructed as he pointed with his snout at the hook at the end of a cable. "-And chase after youl Father. Run around his legs to tangle him. I will bite the other end and pull to stop him if needed. Then we'll bind legs and muzzle. Got it?"
"T-that's dangerous... Can't you do it? It is not my place to fight another Alpha..." Pleaded the canine who always avoided fights.
"I'm not as fast as you. And...I have no Spirit to fend off Magic."
"What?!! Why?"
"I...haven't finish my High-Rank Soul advancement."
"...WHAT??!! Out here?! T-that's dangerous! You should be hiding!"
"Hey! We wele Safe until You went seeking death!"
"Hyuu... I...I have troubled you..." It whined with ears dropping forward apologetically.
"It's fine." Nefiru dismissed. "Just use your head moal--more. And make up for your mistakes."
"...Yes." The canine sounded raising its head before staring with admiration and envy. Such Talent... "Hum, Alpha...Congratulations."
"Mhn." Nefiru nodded in appreciation. "But it's fine to call me 'Nefeelou' or 'Dragon.'"
"Whue? T-that's disrespectful."
"Uhh... Do as you as wish."
The Dragon used the claws of his right paw to bring the sharp tips of the Cables together, then asked the Wolf. "Can you, uh...merge these two tips? We need a longer vine."
"...I-I don't know that Metal."
Seriously? "Use other Metal then."
"I don't know strong Metals. And my resources are low."
"Hmm... Can you melt it?"
"...Probably not."
"Grrr! What Can you do then??"
"S-stone...?"
"That will break!"
"Wuu..." The colorful Beast whined, flattening his ears and lowering its head feeling depressed. "I'm sorry... My Talent is very bad..."
"Haa..." Nefiru lowered his head sighing while closing his eyes, troubled. He opened his eyes again and looked into the Wolf's. "It's alright. You will be amazed at what you can do. You just need to learn..."
The canine perked its ears sharply and tilted its head quizically. "Alpha will teach me?"
"Yes. We'll also provide resources."
The small canine wagged his tail slightly and replied excitedly. "YES!"
"Mhm." Nefiru approved with a nod and crouched down, resting on his belly. "This is how you tie vines without Magic."
The Dragon tried to grab the crystal-metallic tips but it slipped between his toes. He used his Claws as pincers, but it slipped yet again. Gah! Not having fingers suck! After groaned in frustration, he moved his forepaws and used his claws to twist the cable tips, then pushed with his forepaws to bend the cables. He managed to make a knot with difficulty and pulled back, making sure it was tight.
"...That's harder with my Paws."
"Use Maehic to control them."
"...That might be too much force for my Rank."
"You can stack Mahic Forces."
"Auh, yes."
"Now... Once you coil the vines around his legs, try to do similar Turns with the tips. Or bind them with Magic. I'll try to help but expect to do it alone."
"...I understand."
"Then go!"
The colorful Wolf bit an end of the cables and dashed to the North. The Dragon bit the other end and followed behind.
...
Meanwhile, around 60 meters to the north, the Blue Wolf chased after the white-haired. He was still in pain and severely injured, but he had recovered slightly. His nebulous mind cleared a little. His sight had recovered enough to see a blurr 10-meters ahead moving through the grass and realize what it was. The enemy was on the run without fighting back anymore, so the Wolf regained his confidence and felt like hunting prey again.
*Whoosh!* The Blue wolf sped up, driven by hunger and instincts. Focused and determined to finish the prey with his fangs this time.
The girl, who was pacing, heard the approaching heavy footsteps behind and reflected the image from behind. Judging her camouflage wasn't very effective anymore, she dismissed it to save mana and relocated Magic to the muscles of her lower body.
*Sha! Sha! Sha!* The girl sped up, running faster than a normal human her age. She slowly gained distance. But she knew she could not outrun a Beast for long, especially in her condition.
The Light user moved a line of Magic three meters above her body and transmitted the image with a wider view to her eyes. She saw the Wolf trio had split. Two were going to the South, heading for the Dragon, and one was heading for her, possibly to subdue her which was still deadly. But the Beast was coming from upwind and wouldn't hear her little growls in time. It was her partner who needed to communicate.
Behind the girl, the Blue Wolf was frustrated. The pesky Light attacks had stopped, but he couldn't command the marsh Waters anymore either. And his injured leg was preventing him from catching the prey. But he was more aware of his own Magic now and the effects on the flesh. And he could feel the Water in his body. Before long, he managed to control the water in his wounded leg and assisted his muscles. *Whoosh!* The Blue wolf sped up yet again. Although he was burning through the remnants of his Mana.
The girl, watching a screen the size of a Cellphone, saw the Wolf gaining on her. Ack! He got faster? No no no... She panicked before speeding up until she was giving her all fleeing for her life.
As the girl ran, she hoped that the two Beasts would stop the feral Wolf soon. However, the Dragon was struggling to keep up with the colorful Wolf already. Although they were gaining time running from the incoming wolves.
Before long, the Rank 5 Wolf caught up to the girl and bit down on her. "GRAWR!"
The girl saw the incoming open maw and ran left as the large fangs descended on her.
*Whaph!* The large jaws closed, biting empty air. But as the Wolf's frame continued moving forward, his muzzle grazed her.
"Kyah!" Shaila screamed in a panic as she was falling down and the furry legs approached her spot.
But just before the girl was run over, she managed to rebalance her body and continued running northwest through the shortest grass.
The blue Wolf didn't take long before chasing after the girl and lashing out again. Subsequently, she timely dodged.
...
The close-calls continued for a few more seconds, stressing the girl with constant danger as she played the role of bait.
"HAaff! HAaff!" Shaila panted with a haggard breath. She was reaching her limits already, and the two Beasts weren't any close to stopping the feral Wolf.
Time was running out. The Blue Wolf needed to be captured in one move before the incoming wolves intervened. The girl hoped the blue Wolf would lose speed. But even low on Mana, Beasts of that size would still have more than Humans and could run longer. She knew she would need to slow down instead. But the risk was too great. Aaah-! Slow down already! Shaila complained exasperatedly. But suddenly, her words echoed in her mind. ((Slow down...slow down...)) Eh!!?? The girl was overtaken by a sense of Déjà vu as fragments of Memories out of Sync from her fall in the Sky flashed in her mind. This...!! This is how I activated my Elemental Ability!! Hahaha~ She affirmed with elation and laughed in her mind while smiling broadly. But something puzzled her. How could I forget this??! Was it the impact? Did I make a mistake? Or is it a price? Nefi's Brain Boost has Side Effects too... She asserted, trying to retain the fleeting memories.
Stolen novel; please report.
As the girl ran desperately, she considered activating the Ability, even improperly, to finish her mission but refrained. No! I could forget something important again. And Nefi would want me to understand my ability. Nnng... It should work like his Brain Boost, but...I can't control Ions directly... Ah! But Light can photo-stimulate! Perhaps the Axons... But why it didn't activate now? Ah! There's not much Mana and Elementals in my Head. I may not control this process, but Magic needs to be in place... She determined before pulling Magic back into her head and then distributed it throughout the Brain and eyes evenly before making sure most relevant Cells were covered. And the command...was probably incomplete. I wished for things to slow down, but I doubt I can control Time itself at this Rank. It was something that I am feeling now... Something Nefi spoke about--Slow Time Perception!
Inferring the true nature of her ability, the girl commanded the Elementals to alter her brain activity. Gradually, the World slowed down in her vision until she could count the individual grass blades. This is...amaaaazing~!! But...ugh! My body...feels so heavy...as if I'm in a Mire... But I still need to know my limits... Carefully, she fed the Elementals more Mana, and her World slowed down as if she was barely moving at all. This is... slower than what Nefi described... Eh? My thoughts can keep up too? However, the response of her body had also become quite delayed, her vision darkened, and a terrible headache appeared, forcing her to decrease the effects in a hurry. Aaaahhhck--!! With her head throbbing, she had to rebalance her body. "HUhff! HUhff!" I almost fell... Following her experiment, she confirmed her Magic resources. Ahhh! It drained Mana up! Frantic, the girl decreased the process and decided to only increase it when necessary.
The Dragon looked at the tensed cable between them and felt frustrated. Damn! He cursed and prepared to let go so that the small canine could catch up.
At this moment, the girl mobilized her magic and made a 2-meter long yellow sign floating mid-air on the right. {I'm going to stop in 3...2...}
""!!..."" The two Beasts were surprised for different reasons. The Dragon feared for her safety and the small canine glanced back confused.
"GWO!" Growled Nefiru.
The message's countdown reached 0 and disappeared before the girl started slowing down. The blue wolf wasted no time to bite at her. But even though the image reflected from behind, Shaila could see him in a slow motion, and promptly moved left, out of the way. *Whaph!* The Wolf's jaws closed inches away from the girl's back. His fur gently brushed against her skin before falling behind.
"Eeek!" Shaila let out with a shiver from narrowingly escaping death yet again.
Noticing he failed, the Wolf sped up again and lashed out horizontally with his maw opened even wider.
Watching the row of fangs closing from the sides, she didn't have much room to dodge at this speed and had to dash forward explosively. *Whaph!* The maw closed yet again on empty air. The Beast lost speed again, and the girl slowed down further, taunting him up close. He felt mocked and snapped at her rear again. "GRNN--GRWUAWR!"
As Shaila dodged the Wolf's attacks, she grew confident in her newfound Ability and less scared. She could now evade the closing maw with ease, and she had succeeded in slowing the Wolf down to a walking pace. But her body felt sore and painful all over.
Luckily, the colorful canine had arrived at the Blue Wolf's right. Seeing that, the girl turned left, running into the Wolf's blind spot. The feral Beast turned left chasing after her before seeing the small wolf behind.
Trying something different, the Blue Wolf swung his left Paw at the girl within range. *Swoosh!*
Expecting another bite, the girl saw the incoming claws already upon her, and as much as she slowed the time perception, she could not move her body out of the way in time completely. And just at this moment, the small canine was entering the Alpha's field of view again.
In slow motion, the girl moved her body and crossed her arms while facing the large Paw. Next, she mobilized a sliver of Magic and pointed at the Wolf's eye before releasing a brilliant white flash. The Feral Beast winced and shut his eye. *Pwuam!* The girl blocked the large canine pads, but the force pressed her arms against her body and pushed her away. "GAH--!" She let out as the air in her lungs was forced out. Her body slightly separated from the grass before touching down again. *Shrrrrsh!* She skid on the grass for nearly 2 meters before stopping. "Aaagh!" That hurts! She complained, holding trembling her arms out which throbbed in pain.
But the girl had succeded in blinding the Wolf long enough for the colorful Wolf to run around his forelegs while pulling the metal cable. The Dragon approaching from behind, raised his head, lifting the other end of the cable as the small canine turned around the blue Wolf's rear. By the time the feral Beast recovered and realized what was happening, the colorful Beast had finished the second loop. The two Beasts pulled their end of the cables in opposite directions as harder as possible to tighten the coils.
"WUOh!!??" The large Beast struggled to break free, getting tightly tangled. "HYAP!" It yelped to the sides and bent his body before losing balance. *TWUAMP!* He fell on the grass and pedaled trying to untangle his legs.
The Dragon continued holding his end up high while waiting for the small wolf to secure the crossed cables under high tension.
"GRRWUAA!" The Alpha roared at the two Beasts to released him.
*Thud!* The crystal dagger dropped. The white-haired girl fell on her knees on the west, exhausted and breathing heavily. A little scared, she disabled her ability and closed her eyes. But this time, her memories remained intact. I..I did it...!
However, time had run out and they still haven't subdued the feral Wolf completely.
While the colorful Beast wondered how to bind the metal vines, the incoming Wolf scouts decided to intervene from 40 meters away.
A Low-Rank 7 Wind user sucked up air into his slightly opened mouth and compressed a large volume into a foot-wide ball. Thirty meters away, he slowed down, opened his maw wide, and launched the spinning gas ball at the Dragon. *ShooOOM!* The hazy ball increased in size as it approached the scaly beast and the wind pressure flattened the grass below and blew pebbles away.
The Dragon perked his ears before identifying the noise and lowered his body before spreading out his left legs for support. *BWUOSHH!* A meter-wide compressed air ball impacted the Dragon's flank at high speed and with the momentum of a car. "GNN--!" Nefiru opposed the painful force keeping his frame rigid and clawing at the soil. *KRRRCHHH!* His body skid left while carving ditches of the grassy field for 2.5 meters before finally stopping.
The girl slumped on the East noticed the scaly beast slide closer to her and staggered to get up. "...!! NEFI!" She screamed with a grim expression and began approaching.
The Dragon glared at the two wolves and noticed the one to the left preparing another attack. He immediately turned to the girl and lowered his head before mumbling with his mouth closed. "Gwuable!"
The girl sped up, pushing her body around the downed Beast. She quickly reached and held the cable at chest-height. The Dragon opened his mouth and the force of the struggling Beast yanked the metal cable through her hands. "Hyaa--!" Shaila shrilled feeling her palms heat up, and gripped firmly to stop the burning sensation. Her body was tugged away and had to lean back to oppose the force. Her feet slid on the grass for a short distance before burying into the soil. "Hnnnng!" She gave her all to hold on as her sore arms and legs trembled uncontrollably. With fractions of a second, until her arms gave out, she glared where the cables crossed and growled. "Graarowubon! (Bind with Stone!)"
"...!!?" The small wolf perked an ear, discerning, and quickly started making the toughest stone it could. *Krrrr...* A thin ring slowly formed around the metal cables and expanded in size.
As the Dragon turned to the wolves, the one in the middle had fired another wind attack and reached him just when he started growling. "WAIT--!" *BWUOSHH!* A much stronger 2-meter wide compressed air ball crashed onto the Dragon and sent him tumbling towards the Marsh. "KUAA--!!"
The girl felt what happened behind her and wanted to look, but on her right, a pair of vertical jaws were open wide, threatening to swallow her whole. The third Wolf chasing after her arrived before the others. A cold shiver ran down her spine as the window to dodge was closing. But the Blue Wolf had yet to be secured.
However, Shaila knew better than to deplete her Mana completely Mana after fights now. She immediately mobilized the last vestiges of her Magic and activated her Grand Elemental Ability. The World darkened in her eyes capturing every detail and accelerating her thoughts. She looked around at the slow-progressing scene until she realized that the way out of her situation was in her hands.
As Mana nearly depleted, the girl stopped pushing with her feet and pulled at the cable, bringing her body towards the downed Beast. *KWUAP!* The large wolf maw closed behind her and continued moving left. Out of danger, Shaila slammed her feet into the soil again, grabbed the cable tip at the base of the small hook, and turned around while pulling the cable again.
Having failed to capture his target, the Wind user slowed down. Just as he moved in front of the girl from left to right now, she brought the metal hook towards his hind leg and firmly pressed the tip into the green fur. *Srrrrchh!* The small hook slid on the fur until it caught a fold and pulled from the coils around the downed Beast. The girl released the cable before it became tense again and pierced into the green fur. *SRAK!* "HYAK?(What?!)" ""HEEP!! (Painful!!)"" The two Wolves complained.
The girl turned to the small wolf and growled. "Now!"
The canine ditched his other elementals and used all his remaining Mana to produce a chunk of solid rock binding the cable intersection.
The Dragon stopped nearly a dozen meters away, on his side. He straightened his body while shaking his head, dizzy. "Uuughh..." How many times did I spin? Nefiru wondered, finding his balance to get up. However, just at the moment, the other two wolves had arrived at his location.
The Wolf in the middle created another 2-meter-wide wind ball above the Dragon and launched it downwards. *BWUASH!* The attack forced the scaly beast down onto the ground. "KUurgh!" Nefiru spews the air in his body as his head slammed onto the ground. He lifted his neck in a hurry and inhaled to speak as the Wolf in the middle reached his head and slowed down on the north. "GUEN--!(WAiiii--!)" Nefiru called out as the green Wolf brought down his left paw. *BAM!* He stomped the scaly head back onto the ground, sinking into the soil slightly. "KU--!! Hufff!" Fuck!!
The Wolf on the south reached the Dragon's rear and stepped over the scaly tail with both forepaws.
The unmoving Dragon saved his energies and didn't struggle. Ugh! I should've been born full of spikes and horns! Note to self...
The older Wolf looked up and declared. "Hah! Hah! Hostile Dragon...secured. HUuaa~ So tired..."
"...Old Coat! We barely...ran..." The younger Rank 7 bragged, oxygenating his own lungs. Not getting a response, he turned right and noticed the girl lying on the ground. "What is 5th Wind 7 doing?"
"Leave him be. This Dragon has Mana crystals!"
"Really?!"
"Truly. But don't Probe it, Long Wind. Let's wait for the Alphas."
"...I'm just gonna absorb the leakage."
...
The green wolf hooked on the leg bent his body and prepared a wind attack when the girl shrilled. "Guwrooon! (Stoooop!) HAaa... HAaa..."
"Wha-!?" The Low-Rank 7 was taken aback and asked for confirmation. "Did you just spoke?"
"Hiuuu--!" She inhaled before pointing at the wolf and growled again. "We...helping them!"
"..." The green wolf looked at the colorful canine and ordered. "Explain!"
The girl replied instead. "Big insects attacked. Haa... Haa..."
"...Ah! Those things...?" The Beast made the connection recalling the charred creatures.
She continued in a calmer tone. "Alpha lost his mind..."
The green wolf glanced at the struggling blue Wolf.
The small wolf finished binding the cables and realized it was holding, it spoke out confirming. "Sadly, it is the truth... Father can't even remember me!" It affirmed, mobilizing Water Magic to stop the bleeding.
"I see... That's unfortunate..." The High-Rank sympathized, recalling a similar case, and sent his Magic to seal the wounds with air.
The small canine noticed. "...Thank you."
"I'll help until you recover."
"Yes!"
"You should get a Healer though. I heard Ranked Magical Beasts can recover memories..."
"Really!!? The Dragon is a Healer! He's...my new Alpha..."
"Oh?!" The green beast uttered surprised and turned to the other side. "...Then you better tell Them before your 'new Alpha' becomes their Meal."
"...!! C-can you help?"
"They are from a rival Pack, so-..."
Understanding, Shaila urged the colorful Beast. "Go!"
The small canine looked back at her, then sprinted to the Dragon.
"HEY!" The green Wolf called out angrily to the girl.
Shaila flinched and took an instead step back before timidly growling. "W-we know your Elders..."
The Wolf hesitated for a moment before dismissing. "...I don't. I will call my Alpha... But you better release me, now, or I'm gonna start toying with you."
"Y-yes..."
After the girl untied the Wolf, she plummeted on the ground and started working on recovering.
...
Meanwhile, the Dragon waited patiently for his magic to return with an unamused look under a large canine paw. But his expression brightened when he saw the colorful wolf approaching.
The genderless Beast trotted up to the largest Wolf and stopped 2-meters away from the Dragon's head. It looked up at the old Wolf who returned a tired gaze and pleaded. "P-please release the Dragon. He's not an enemy--"
The youngest wolf on the south perked his ears and snapped. "YOU! Is that how you thank us! Asking for our Prey? Grrrrr..."
The older Wolf reasoned. "Little one... We are hungry. We spent a lot of energy getting here."
"I can hunt for you."
"Hunff!" The younger high-rank snorted. "What can you even hunt here?"
"...We can't speak for our Alpha, but he might trade the Dragon for a portion of your Territory and knowledge of how to hunt Eels."
The small wolf thought for a moment and declared. "...You can have it all."
""WHAT??""
"My Pack...is gone. Father...is sick. The Dragon promised to help, so I accepted him as my new Alpha."
""...Whuohhh???!!""
"A vacant Territory?" If only I had a female... Long Wind affirmed, looking into the distant grassy fields.
"...I'm sorry for your loss... But little one, any creature could learn our language to trick us. Be careful."
"Sniff him!" The low-rank canine insisted.
"WRUFF!" Long Wind snorted. "He Reeks of Fox and Humans. He's food!"
"Huuum... My nose isn't what it used to be..."
The small canine lowered his head and flattened ears in submission. They were high ranks. It had to obey. But the colorful beast realized what it would lose if it backed down here. N-no... Unacceptable! It determined, raising its head with conviction while making a sharp glare. "Let him go--!" It snarled, lashing out. *Whak!* The small wolf latched onto the foot-thick leg holding the Dragon's head. "Grrr!"
"GRAH!" The older wolf roared, jerking his head. He looked down and chided. "Alright, alright, you Pup! Stop biting--now!"
"...This disrespectful mutt..." Disapproved Long Wind.
The small canine let go and took a step back with its head lowered and eyes partially closed. The Beastie felt a little ashamed and scared but was also happy that its bravery paid off.
The oldest Wolf lowered his snout onto the scaly head and took a deep wiff. "Hunnff!!" He closed his eyes, isolating the familiar scents among a myriad of aromas. A short moment later, he recognized a faint scent and opened his eyes wide. "T-this is--!! The Earth Elder's Scent?!?"
""...WwUuooht!!??"" Uttered the two nearby Wolves.
"...Are you sure??" Questioned the young High-Rank.
"It has been a long time...but strongest She-Wolf scent is definitely Hers."
The young canine sniffed the Dragon's rear and gnawed in anger. "Then...they Mated!!?" He barked with a flabbergasted expression.
...Even though I washed myself with Electrolysis... Nefiru commented disappointedly.
That's amaaazing~ Admired the colorful Wolf with sparkling eyes.
"They did?!!" The oldest Wolf uttered surprised and declared with a nod. "Hum... That's good news, really. The Earth Elder might be getting in Heat again..."
"Grrrr... How can you not be angry about this?! High-Ranking Females are scarce and a Lizard just Mated with the most coveted She-Wolf in the Tribe!!" He snarled and angrily press down on the scaly tail.
"GRUO!" The Dragon groaned.
Hump! He's clearly envious... Retorted the small Wolf.
"...Calm down, Long Wind. This must be That Dragon we heard about. If so--"
"But Old Coat! How could the Elder choose a Lizard over Us??"
"...I don't like it either, but the Elders must have their reasons. And it's none of our business, really. The Elders have been fighting for our Tribe their entire lives. What Right do We have to tell them what to do?"
"T-that's true..." Long Wind lowered his head admitting. But then, used wind Arts so that his growls would only reach the other Wolf. "But...what if He tricked them? Look all the trouble he caused the Tribe already. We'll be doing the Elders a favor if we kill him out here!"
"...You might be right..."
"Then..."
"But ... what if you are wrong?"
"..."
"Could be disastrous, really. The Elders seem to think he's worth all the trouble, so if he dies, I doubt they'll let it go easily."
"..." The young Wolf thought for a moment. "Fine! But you know Alpha will probably think the same."
"We'll see..."
...The fuck is happening! Nefiru complained, running out of patience.