“You really should get going,” Tusk’s voice came from seemingly nowhere. “The wolves will be along shortly. If you move swiftly, you may even make it there without a fight.”

Veil heeded the warning, walked over to the illuminated path, and peered into the darkened forest that lay ahead. If I’m not dead, then I may as well see this through, Veil thought to himself as he stepped out of the clearing. The moment his second foot stepped onto the path, a chorus of howls revealed itself from every corner of the forest. Something told him they were all aimed at him. Seemingly hundreds of wolves were suddenly rushing toward him, he could feel the pressure of their attention prickling his neck as though it were a sixth sense and he knew they would kill him if they found him or, at the very least, attempt it. For once in a very long time, Veil didn’t think of his father. He didn’t feel the dread that the march of time had filled him with. It didn’t even affect him. For the first time in a very long while, he felt alive.

He began to run. He ran for what seemed like hours, but even so, the forest never seemed to thin. He was tired and out of breath, his legs becoming heavier and heavier as he ran. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up the pace. He stopped to look around and catch his breath. The path didn’t veer off; there were no forks, it was just a path forward. Indiscernible trees were followed by other indiscernible trees. The forest was so dense that nothing seemed to follow behind the trees he could see—just darkness. As he pondered the path and how large this forest had to be for him to still be running, a howl sounded directly behind him. He spun as a giant wolf stepped onto the path in front of him. It dipped its head, snarling and foaming at the mouth. It suddenly threw its head back and let out a ground-shaking howl. It had found its prey. It scratched the ground with its front paws before lunging at him. Veil dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding the wolf’s snapping maw. Rolling onto his back, he saw the wolf land a few feet away. Veil’s tired body struggled to allow him to get back to his feet, legs shaking, although Veil didn’t know if it was from the weariness of his body or his fear of the beast that was so intent on ending him. The wolf let out another deep, bellowing howl before attacking again. This time, he couldn’t manage to jump out of the way. The wolf tackled him to the ground, teeth snapping in his face, as Veil tumbled backward, throwing his arms up to block the wolf from gaining access to his neck. As his hands landed on the wolf’s throat, fire flared out of his fingertips. The smell of burnt hair and flesh mingled in the air. The wolf howled in pain this time, its fur now mottled with burns received at the hands of its nemesis.

“What the heck was that?” Veil muttered. “Was that m-my ability?”

Veil took the opportunity to back up. I need a weapon. He looked around for anything he could use to keep the wolf at bay. A few feet away, he saw a single log, just thick enough to easily fit in the palm of his hand. As he ran for it, the wolf recovered, snapping at his heels. As he lunged for the stick, the wolf landed a bite on his heel and pulled him back as he cried out, further away from his salvation. Veil kicked with his other foot, landing a blow against the wolf right on the nose, causing it to jump back again with a snarl. Veil jumped forward once more, the wolf recovering quickly behind him. As Veil’s fingers brushed against the wood, the wolf bit down on his ankle again, pulling him further from his prize. Veil kicked again and again. The wolf’s bite dug deeper with each blow he landed. He needed to change his course of action. He sat up, attempting to pry the wolf’s teeth from his ankle. As he did, the fire from his palms returned. The exertion from using so much magic in such a short time made him woozy, but the wolf finally released his ankle. Struggling to his feet, he limped back towards the small log, managing to grab it. As the wolf regained its footing, Veil swung the wood, narrowly missing the snarling wolf. I guess that would have been a bit too easy, wouldn’t it? Veil thought to himself breathlessly.

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The wolf readied to attack again. Veil swung his makeshift sword again, making contact with the wolf’s ear, knocking it out. Veil made his move, allowing the weapon to come swiftly down upon the wolf’s head with a loud crunch, killing the wolf instantly. As blood trickled from the dead wolf’s mouth and spilled upon the forest’s loamy soil, the ground began to glow. The wolf’s carcass began to glow shortly after. Placing a hand on his once vicious adversary, the body sank into the forest floor. The light became brighter as the seconds turned to minutes, forcing Veil to turn away, his eyes stinging from the light.

The light eventually dimmed to nothing and before Veil could look back to the wolf’s body, a small snarl sounded from that spot. He turned and saw a very small wolf pup in place of its massive counterpart.

“Hey, buddy, what are you doing here?” Veil said as he put a hand up to console the angry wolf pup. As he did, the wolf nipped his finger, causing a single drop of blood to drip into the small wolf’s mouth. The second it did, the wolf began to glow quickly and brightly, causing Veil to avert his eyes again. When the glowing subsided, the pup had nearly doubled in size.

“Hey, that’s not very nice,” Veil said, flicking the pup on the nose. The wolf immediately sat down. Veil stuck his hand out, palm up, this time to allow the puppy to sniff him. The puppy obliged and lightly licked his hand.

“Hey, buddy, isn’t that better?” Veil said, petting the puppy. “What should we call you? Are you a boy or a girl?” Veil asked, picking the wolf puppy up. “Oh, you’re definitely a boy, aren’t you? We’ve got to name you. Do you have any preferences?” Veil racked his brain, but only one name came to mind. “I think I’m going to call you… Hmm, what about Tank? Yeah, I think I like Tank. You look like a Tank, don’t you, buddy?” Veil said, rubbing the puppy’s belly. The puppy’s tongue flopped out of his tiny mouth. “Yes, your name is Tank, buddy.” As soon as it was decided, the wolf pup glowed again.

Hello, human. Thank you for naming me.

“Wh-what? Wait, did you just talk? Into my head?” Veil yelped.

Obviously. The dire wolves of this forest require a human to become whole. We were made for you by the One Above. It’s why we seek out those of power. We live our whole lives with the purpose of seeking out and destroying those who would become our masters. After feeling your very soul from afar, I knew you were mine.

“If you needed me, then why did you try so hard to kill me?” Veil asked.

If you were not capable of taming me, then you’d have not been worthy of commanding me.

“I guess I see your point,” Veil said, brushing his hair out of his face. “Hey, you know this forest pretty well, right? You were born here?” Veil asked.

Yes, human, why do you ask? Tank answered.

“Well, are we almost out?” Veil asked.

What do you mean? the wolf asked.

“Are we almost out of the woods?” Veil asked.

Why yes, we are almost out of the woods. Step off the path here and move forward this way.” The wolf looked off to the left and walked toward a large tree. “What shall I call you?

“Oh, my name is Be— I mean, Veil,” he said.

Veil, it is an honor to be bound by you the wolf said, stepping off the path and leading Veil toward civilization.