Veil awoke with a start, lunging up so quickly he nearly fell out of the cot. Where am I? He shivered, feeling chilled though sweat coated his whole body. Taking in his surroundings, he noticed an elderly woman. He froze as a realization hit him - he couldn’t see out of his left eye. Reaching up, he felt a wet cloth covering his face. He ran his hand across it, a soft squelching sound the bandage’s only response. Pain coursed through his body from the pressure of his fingers and a spasm racked his body. Swiftly pulling his hand back, he peered down at his hand, noticing blood coating his fingers. A whimper escaped his lips.

His sudden movement caused the elderly woman, whom he assumed had been charged with looking after him, to recoil in her chair. He looked over and leaned forward to apologize, causing the blood-soaked bandage to pull at the wound. An intense pain sparked through his face once again, causing his vision to darken at the edges, stars briefly swimming before him. The pain threatened to swallow him again.

“No,” he said under his breath. The woman stood swiftly and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Esti orsa, sunos. Tu esti orsa. Lētos do tonda bandhā; todi ego gali tu. Esti medu bhorā on bhostu kwo manus esti su morti. So gali ghedhi bhostu mana do worg,” the green woman said matter of factly.

“Stay back!” Veil yelled, pushing her hand away, recoiling from the woman’s touch.

“Tu esti orsa,” she said in a soothing manner. “Tu esti orsa.”

Veil’s sudden release of emotions caused Tank to burst into the room with a snarl. You’re okay. I’m here. I’ll protect you the wolf said through their mental connection.

“Ghwēdos domeghwe, emi ne ghen bhered tu,” she yelled over the snarling beast. She reached up, miming the action of unbinding his wound. She then closed one of her eyes, touched it lightly, then slowly opened it. “Sekw-, emi ghen tréyemi gali tu. Sekw?” When Veil didn’t open up, she started looking around, noticing a single, wilted laiubhos flower in a small ceramic vase sitting on the bedside table. She walked over and lightly touched the wilted flower. A green light emanated from her fingertips for a moment before the flower began to straighten. The fallen petals lifted off the table and seemingly re-stitched themselves to the once dead flower. “Sekw? Emi gala tu,” she said, raising her fingers to her eye once again. “Kailo,” she said slowly. “Kailo.”

“Oh, you are trying to help me,” Veil said, nodding to the woman. “Tank, it’s okay. I think she wants to heal me like she did that flower. Look.”

Are you sure? Tank said, gazing back at Veil briefly before stomping his foot and letting out another deep growl towards the elderly woman.

“Kailo,” the woman said once more.

“Yes, I’m pretty sure,” Veil said to the wolf puppy.

Tank moved aside and laid on the floor, curling up into a ball with his head on his paws. Within seconds the pup began to snore. The absurdity of the puppy’s ability to sleep so swiftly after such a tense moment caused Veil to chuckle.

The woman walked over, slowly reaching up, and began to unravel the bandage that had been wrapped over Veil’s left eye. “dhegeti wéyti pró dómn̥n,” she said. She began to sing softly as she worked, calming Veil.

“A-are you doing magic on me?” he asked.

She didn’t answer, continuing to work and sing. The final bit of gauze stuck to the wound on Veil’s face, causing blood to trickle down as she pulled it free.

“Ouch! That really hurt,” Veil said, pulling back. He reached up towards his still blurry eye again but she slapped his hand away before he could touch it.

“Ne, ne ghent. So péhtis ekw tuyo kwétuyu bhutrostis per egewhim ghelhtu,” she said. Mimicking closing her left eye tightly, she reached out to touch the damaged area of his face. The healing green light already emanated from her fingers. As they gently stroked the damaged skin, she began to sing again.

At first, the magic’s embrace was warm and inviting, but as she continued, the moments turned into minutes then what felt like hours, leaving Veil more and more drained. It began to feel as though his very life force was being drained. But just as worry and dread began to form in his gut, she pulled back with a smile.

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“Tóda,” she said. “Pantār.”

Veil opened his eye, the world no longer blurry and his vision completely restored.

“T-thank you,” he said, looking her directly in the eyes for the first time since their abrupt meeting. “Thank you.”

The woman reached over to the table behind them and grabbed a loaf of bread, handing it to her patient. “Héde so mél to, tu gwhen. To ghelh₁sḱén tuyo manas.”

Veil tore into the bread voraciously as though he hadn’t eaten for days, which he realized was a total possibility. He had no idea how long he had laid unconscious.

As he ate, his hunger abating, he realized his skin felt taut on the side that had been injured. Looking to the old woman who had healed his wounds, he slowly lifted his hand to his face, silently asking for permission. She nodded slightly. He touched the place where his wound had been, expecting pain, but only feeling raised skin. He traced the once-wound with his fingers.

“Wéptis hésti méǵhs dhéǵhoms kwe tuyo manas kwelhom hénti méǵhs ghórmos. Ne hét weghso skenes. Emi smerito,” the woman said, looking remorseful. “Bhédhom wárthons pró dhwōrom wlė́ntos énti pró hrḗḱos hsm̥ hésti tú bhudhnotis. Kwe emi sed yewos so hḗst hyé sem. Gwhen kwe sewgwh tékws ed. Wód hésti epi so tákws,” she said, mimicking drinking water and pointing to the crude cup sitting on the table that had held the bread.

Veil reached over, suddenly realizing just how thirsty he was. He thought about communicating with Tank. “Hey, Tank,” he waited a moment before focusing his thoughts so they would go through to the sleeping pup more loudly. Tank!

Yes, Veil? the puppy replied with a sigh.

“How long was I sleeping?” Veil asked.

Three sun cycles Tank replied.

“Three sun cycles? Oh, you mean three days,” Veil said.

Day cycles, whatever you call them. The sun came and went three times Tank said sardonically.

“Wait, are you saying I was actually out for almost four whole days?” Veil asked.

The sun came and went three times Tank replied again, looking annoyedly at Veil before putting his head back on his paws. Now please let me sleep. I’m a growing boy.

“Okay, okay. I’ll let you sleep. Oh wait,” Veil said. “Do you understand them? Do you know what they are saying?”

Veil Tank huffed I know the languages you do. Before I met you, I communicated through barks, scents, and emanations of emotions. Now let me sleep Tank said, rolling onto his side.

Veil looked over at the woman who was now bowing at the waist.

“Tu hésti so dhéǵhoms dhḗǵhtor,” she said, with adoration in her eyes “So óynos ekw pro.”

“What are you doing?” Veil asked, rushing to stand and pull the lady up from her bow.

“Egwhom-kwe weyd so hregwom. So bhu hésti hḗm hén epi nú,” she said, rushing to the door and pushing a hand out to Veil for him to stay there.

Veil took the hint and decided now would be as good a time as any to look around the small room, realizing he was no longer in the tent. The room was nearly completely whitewashed. The only accenting colors were from the dark wood that made up the tables, the light beige linens on his bed,and the flower that Veil didn’t recognize but was a beautiful golden color. There was no art on the walls or any other sort of adornment, but the room was comfortable and homey nonetheless.

A few moments later, three sharp knocks sounded from the hallway, and a sharply dressed man with green skin entered the room.

“Egwhom he-dhéyti tu ne-smé noso méhn̥s, kwi hésti gwhérmos, kwe emi sed-dhéyti tó bhehl-om moi súhnus dédeh tu bhu trep-é kwid lewso, kwe egwhom hésti hegwom. Weidon.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Veil said, running his hand through his hair. The chief’s face lit up with astonishment and realization as Veil spoke.

“You are him,” the large green man said in perfect English.

It was Veil’s turn to be astonished. “You speak English?” Veil asked.

“English? I do not know this word. I am speaking Alvosian, but no one has seen them in many generations. Are you one of them? Are you Alvosian?” the man asked.

“N-no, I’m human,” Veil replied. “Who are you?

“I am Chief Weidon and you are the beast master! Then it is true, the beast master has appeared,” the chief said, leaning against the wall as though he was exasperated.

“The beast master?” Veil asked.

“The warrior of lore,” Chief Weidon replied.

“Hold on, I’m not a warrior,” Veil said, putting his hands up.

“What shall I call you, beast master?” Chief Weidon asked.

“I’m not a beast master. I’m just a human,” Veil replied.

“Okay then, so what should I call you? Just ‘human’?” Chief Weidon asked.

“I’m Veil,” Veil said.

“Nice to meet you, Veil,” Chief Weidon said, putting a hand out for Veil to shake.

Veil put his hand out to return the gesture. The chief grasped it at the wrist, shook it twice, and let it go.

“I can’t wait to tell Nila the beast master is here,” the chief said with a roaring chuckle.

“I’m not the beast master,” Veil replied again.

“Let me ask you this, Veil. Can you communicate with the wolf?” the chief said, nudging the sleeping dog with his foot.

“I-I can,” Veil replied.

“In your mind?” the chief asked.

“Yes,” Veil replied.

“And you speak Alvosian?” the chief asked with an eyebrow raised.

“I speak English, yes,” Veil clarified.

“Then you are the beast master, warrior of lore, savior of all,” the chief said, slapping Veil on the back. “Come, we have so much to do,” the chief said, leading Veil out of the room.

“Where are we going?” Veil asked.

“To the council chamber,” Chief Weidon replied. “The elders have a need to meet you.”