The pointy-eared warrior stalks forwards once, as though making it clear she's serious about this whole ‘duel’ business.

My little paws tremble, but this time I don’t back away. Too much running these last few days. I think of the vicious Seneca back on the plains, beneath the tree. The field burning all around us…

“Come, Lightborn,” she says, swiping her blade through the air again. “I await your first blow.”

I eye her up. Small, nimble, and quick – she’d kept us with me even through my frenzied [Doggie Dash] on the walkways above. Her armor glistens against the shimmering radiance of the waterfall that’s behind her, and besides its crashing roar there’s nothing but grim, death-like silence all around us.

My eyes jump to Swiftrunner.

Any help here, old buddy old pal?

Nope. The pale girls garbed in their rather revealing togas have started petting him again. He’s rolling around, bathing in their adoration.

How lovely for you, I think as my increasingly impatient opponent pouts at me. I mean, I know we started this adventure together and all, but still – aren’t I the illustrious hero, here? Can’t I get just one lousy headpa-“

“Why do you hesitate, furry one?” the girl snaps. “Do you forfeit your attack?”

I bark through my blade: “I’d rather forfeit the whole duel!”

This statement seems to draw a murmur of surprise from the women watching up in their huts, in the branches of the giant shroom, or hiding in the great shrine behind us. Slolwy but surely, we’re drawing quite the crowd.

“Impossible!” she shouts at me. “Honor necessitates this contest. I - and my sister’s shame – demand satisfaction!”

“Look, your sister seemed pretty satisfied earlier. All I’m saying is-“

“Strike at me, coward!” she yells. “Let it not be said that Myrallethon of the Glenmaiden Guard does not respect our code.”

“Go on, Raziel!” Swiftrunner manages to shout from his little utopian spot. “Show no fear!”

Great. Real helpful, Swifty.

Ok, once again we’re in a pinch. But I reckon she – and the rest of these gals – don’t know what I can do with his sword. Already I can see them giggling away at me holding the thing in my mouth, clenched between my teeth lite a chew toy.

I tense, and brace myself.

With one strike, I could at least make her – what’s the word? – Submit! Yeah. All I need is the right attack.

[Swallow Strike]

And let’s face it – I only have one…

I spin round once, clutching the hilt of the scimitar tight, and when my eyes once again light on the silver armor of the elven girl I aim my strike just above her chest.

The arc of charged light races towards her, engulfing the whole glow in its pearly radiance before meeting her chestplate head on, knocking her back. Only as she digs her blade into the earth does she manage to weather the blow and remain standing, grunting only slightly at the hit.

And then…

CRACK.

Her breastplate falls to the ground, smashed apart…

…and I’m suddenly transfixed by a very different chest to what I beheld above.

Her free hand moves to cover her naked breasts. Her pale face is overtaken by a blanket of rouge, and the sounds of astonished cries echoes all around the grove.

I look around, suddenly realizing what I’ve done…

“Oh…Raziel…”

Swiftrunner’s voice is tinged with more shame than I’ve ever heard issue from the throat of a wolf.

“Hey!” I yelp to the crowd. “Hey, now, come on! You don’t think-!”

“BEAST!” my assailant roars. “Does it give you pleasure to debase a lady’s honor like this!?”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

I turn back to the girl as it looks like small tears are forming at the sides of her eyes.

“Look,” I begin, backing away. “We can be mature about thi-“

Before I can even finish my apology, she’s closed the gap between us with a single jump, tip of her silver blade aimed directly at my throat.

“If you think your attempts to shame me shall harm my morale, you are gravely mistaken!”

She’s right. Those little things are flopping around like crazy as she brings that sword down and meets my blade.

The sound of steel on steel, the vibration of her power against my chattering teeth. I only just manage to hold.

“Hrmph!” she grunts. “Impressive for a hound.”

She reels back, spins, and aims a strike at my front paw.

[Tailcopter]

My act of levitation by butt-limb seems to impress the crowd. I rise up out of the way of her strike and aim another [Swallow Strike] at her feet.

Her face, tinged with fury, suddenly calms. And she whispers something to hear sword that I don’t quite hear.

But I certainly see the result.

She stabs her blade into the air and a bolt of shining, sapphire light shoot up from the tip of her weapon, meeting my arc of energy and instantly dissipating it like it was nothing.

She…she canceled it out?

No…wait…

The lightning’s still comi-!

When her strike hits me I feel electricity run through my bones and fizzle my fur. Instantly my Tail stops spinning and I plumet to the ground, stiff as a stone.

“Witness the ego of the Lightborn,” my opponent tells the gasping crowd of her Sisters. “He believes himself to be the only one capable of drawing out the strength of his sword. How very…human.”

She lungs at me this time. I can hear her flying through the air – can picture her tiny nipples twinkling against the waterfalls-

-uh, wait, why am I imagining that?

I’m a cute, battle-hardened Corgi! Not some horny human boy!

I can’t move. Can’t do a damn thing. My sword drops from my mouth and I’m forced to watch her race towards me, ready to make the final blow.

And when she jumps into the air, blade aimed for the spot between my beady eyes, I do the only thing I can.

[Repulsive Bark]

ACTIVATED

Her eyes go wild as the noise from my throat sends her flying back against the waterfall, tumbling down into the pool at its base while I rise, shake myself off, and pick up my scimitar again with a cheeky smile.

To my surprise, the crowd loves it.

“Good show, Little Brother!” Swiftrunner screams. “Show the Elves that the Lightborn has risen!”

I cock my eyes.

Elves?

My thoughts flash back to the Pale man’s words. Questions about eternal life…and the pale skin and pointy ears these women all share…

A torrent of rage reaches me as my opponent rises from the waterfall’s depths like some watery tart.

“Trickery!” she yells. “This is a contest of steel, mutt!”

I shift the blade in my mouth. “I guess you should’ve been specific about that before we started, huh?”

She shakes herself off, totally unashamed of her wet, half-naked body and dripping hair.

She levels the tip of her blade at me.

“Alright, dog. Let us end this.”

Her blade vibrates with golden threads of power – gathering at the tip.

My body reacts on instinct. A shiver runs up me as I remember how that felt. Electricity raging through my bones, paralyzing everything but my jaw.

I make my move.

[Swallow Strike]

She makes hers.

And once again her piercing ray pierces through my arc with no effort at all.

It’s coming towards me.

“Look out, Little-Brother!”

Thanks, Swift.

[Dig]

Cooldown: 3 hrs

[Doggie Dash]

Cooldown: 24 hrs

[Tailcopter]

Cooldown: 6 hrs

Damn. I was too trigger happy…

The beam of radiant light cleaves through the moss-filled ground, picking up clumps of earth and tossing them aside as it rockets towards my eyes.

Well, If I’m gonna go out this way, least I can say it was a beautiful woman that ended me.

That’s something, right?

Well, according to the tingling I’m feeling in my paws, and the tight clenching of my gut, apparently not.

Something’s happening inside me…

“The dog is stunned!” Someone shouts from the crowd. “He cannot even save himself!”

“Glory to the Glenmaidens! Glory to Myrathellon!”

“LITTLE BROTHER!”

Everything in front of me narrows to nothing but that beam of brilliant light. No more voices. No more pain in the body. No more thoughts at all except the power that lies at the tip of that advancing beam.

And suddenly, my sword starts twitching…

[WEAPON ART SLOTS (BLADED) AVAILABLE: 2]

[WEAPON ART: LEARNED]

My eyes widen, like they’re taking in that very light that’s already shot through me once before.

I know the pain it can deliver. But my eyes – they see something else.

And it’s them that I obey as I shift my weight onto my back paws, reel back, turn my blade towards the light and thrust forward:

[Weapon Art: Glittering Thrust]

ACTIVATED

There’s a collective gasp from the crowd as it happens. The same light – pure, glittering, and charged with electrical energy – jumps from the tip of my scimitar and crashes into its approaching brother. The force of the impact sends me and the girl flying back – her into the pool again, and me slap bang into the walls of the village.

But when I regain my footing and shake myself off, I see the smoke filled crater that lies in the middle of the village square, and the cheers of the crowd as they fly from their seats to gather round me.

“It’s him!” the girls scream. “It really is him!”

“A dog this time! Unprecedented!”

I look to them all, face flashing with anxiety, knowing that the girl is even now fishing herself out of the pool again.

“Um, you all might wanna –“

“WRETCH!” she screams, clamoring forward soaked to the skin and instantly dispersing the crowd. “H-how can you…unless..?”

She lets the sentence hang as another voice, booming and deep, resonates in the head of every individual elf assembled in the square.

And he shall know your ways, as though born with the soul of your kin.

I look around, seeing only troubled, worried faces. Only Swiftrunner and I seem confused by this whole business.

Then all of them nod in understanding, their pale faces turning towards the shrine hut at the end of the village square.

And I can already tell I’m not gonna like what's coming next…