Wolf woke up laying in a crater. The ache flowed through his bruised and battered body. He sat up, cracking several bones, and immense pain shot through him.

Yet he stood tall without a wince, brushed his tattered pants, and then walked out of the crater. Several martial artists had remained. They had waited to see when he would get up and whether he needed help, but surprise coloured their faces when he walked out without an issue.

After being beaten unconscious Wolf wanted a nice, hot, salty meal. Though first he went to bathe so that he didn’t track blood throughout the beautiful building. The rosewood floor had been lain since before he was born, so he didn’t want to ruin it.

The Seventh Lord, Brahman, had been a tough opponent. Wolf made a good showing, holding very little back. Neither were allowed to use their ki to surpass beyond, but that didn’t mean the fight was any less impressive.

Wolf could nearly rival a master-tier fighter. He was nothing compared to his own mentor, Wild Fang, but when it came to technical skill near his age group he was near unrivalled. Though he had been stagnant for the past couple of years.

He soaked for some time before donning on a pair of heavy black robes, a parting gift from The Seven. He brushed his hair back so it was out of the way.

The kitchen was warm. He could smell soup cooked by the beautiful woman behind the counter. Her name was Samantha. She was a little younger than Wolf, with long red hair and sparkling emerald eyes.

He bowed his head, now wrapped in bandages. “Excuse me. Soup please.”

The woman turned to face him, having recognised his voice. She gasped. No one had told her about the fight. “W-wolf? Are you alright!?” She almost squealed.

“Yes.” He bowed his head.

“What happened to you?” Her eyes darted across all the bandages.

“I am leaving.”

She frowned and shifted from foot to foot. “Oh… I…” She bowed her head and poured him some soup, filling the bowl up with some extra meat.

He thanked her and sat at the table. He struggled with the wooden spoon as his shoulder was struggling to move. He needed to heal, but the food was calling for him. While he was switching the spoon to the other hand, Samantha sat opposite him.

“…” He looked at her, pausing for a moment.

She reached over, took the spoon, and began to feed him.

“…”

‘How embarrassing…’ Wolf thought. Even he, the stoic Wolf, could feel such emotion.

She flushed with a soft red. “I’ll f-feed you since you’re… injured.”

Wolf bowed his head in return. “Thank you.”

She fed him in silence.

The soup was delicious. It had carrots, an onion and some herbs that he couldn’t remember the names of since his heart was pounding. The chicken was also salty, absorbing the aromatic flavours of the soup. He wished the soup was saltier still.

When the soup disappeared, he was going to thank her, but she left. She returned with porridge and honey and continued to feed him.

The porridge disappeared moments after. It was delicious and sweet, and though he didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, he still enjoyed it.

“Thank you. It was… delicious.”

“You’re leaving…” She finally said.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Wolf took a long pause. He brushed his thumb along his ring. “My friends need me.”

She looked up at him surprised. “Friends?”

He bowed his head.

Surprise coloured her face. “What are they like?”

Everyone knew about his family, the small group that he trained in the same martial art. He had first joined The Seven in order to protect his family, but he had never mentioned his friends.

Wolf spoke about them, both Tiger and Dragon. He spoke more than he ever had in the three years before. He told her about the always laughing Tiger, and the always brooding Dragon.

“They need you?” Samantha asked again, her eyes fallen.

Wolf took a moment to respond. “No.” Wolf shook his head and stood up. “I need them.”

She stood as well. He reached for the bowl but she scooped it away. “It was a pleasure, Wolf.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

She stared into the bowl, shifting from foot to foot.

“Samantha.”

She looked up at him.

“…” Wolf paused. Then he stared into her eyes. “I’ll see you soon.” He turned. His cheeks were red.

‘How embarrassing…’