The lush fields outside of town swayed in the spring breeze, scents of lilac and vanilla hanging in the air. A beetle hung onto the tip of a blade of tall grass, with orange and red spots on its carapace. Subi snapped his jaws around the insect and swallowed it down with pulled back lips.

*Ah, its nasty but I need my strength if I'm going to catch one of these sneaky rabbits*

Subi snuck his way downwind and peeked up through the grass as it blew into his face. A scent of must carried on a ribbon of air off at the eleven o'clock position. Perking his ears he listened for sounds. Between the rustle of the grass, and the lapping of the wind he heard a small twich followed by a shuffle.

He sank down as low as he could go while keeping his hind legs primed, taking special care to keep his tail down, and carefully positioned each footstep one in front of the other. The air grew thick with tension as the rabbit's presence left a cloud of scent in the air.

*Which side is the front?*

He twisted his head slowly from side to side until he could make out the step of one of its hind legs brushing softly against a blade of grass. He stalked sideways to its front and carefully planned out the span of his steps to reach it.

*I can't get close enough to reach it in one pounce, but I can get just close enough for two. I just need to keep focused*

Subi couldn't help but to slowly flick his tail under his hind legs as he readied himself to charge.

Exploding with all his might through his hind legs, he galloped forwards, first with one pounce and then the second. His eyes scanned with eagle like precision as the grass parted. Pointing his open jaw towards a flash of brown he whipped his muzzle around the back of its neck and clamped down hard. His teeth punctured into the neck like a fork into a steak, as he pinned it to the ground under his weight and held its kicks and struggles at bay, until it fell limp within his jaws.

*Yes! I did it! I finally caught it*

He slowly released his jaws and looked sadly at the rabbit for a moment before bowing down in a sign of respect. He slipped his jaws back around his catch and slipped off through the grass, flicking his eyes open and shut as the blades whipped at his face.

TUDUN TUDUN TUDUN

He galloped triumphantly down the dirt road leading into the village and hurried into town to look for Rem. Winding his way around to the back of a stable he heard sniffles and cries. He gently placed that rabbit down and trotted around into the pen with his ears tucked back, and poked at Rems sleeve with his snout.

"I'm sorry, the man at the market said he just wasn't going to feed us anymore, I don't have anything to give. I'm so sorry"

"Yuf... Grrr... Yuf... Yuf yuf!"

Subi scurried back to the rabbit and brought it back to Rem's feet. He stood their proudly and panted happily.

"You, you caught this?"

"Yuf!"

A smile broke through her tears for a moment before suddenly returning to a frown.

"I don't want to take away your hard earned meal, it might be tough but I'll find something for myself"

Subi stamped his paw down adamantly "Yuf... Yuf yuf!"

*I caught it for the both of us, you helped me when I wasn't able to fend for myself, let me help you*

Rem turned towards him as though she heard meaning in his bark and stance.

"If I don't find a way to get food, whether today or tomorrow, you might not catch anything else"

Subi stepped forwards and placed his paw on her hand and looked at her with deep resolve.

*We'll find a way, don't put this on just yourself*

He trembled and shook for a moment but then continued.

*I know I'm just a puppy but... I can at least do this*

"You look so determined, I almost want to believe you could do it, that you could save us. But I just... Can't"

Subi took off running into the streets, pouncing between the boots of people at the market, and down to a small field where three young boys were playing by skipping stones with their slings. He carefully positioned himself not to be seen as they all took turns attempting to hit a small red jar.

Ruff!

Subi pumped his legs as fast and hard as he could and leapt into the air at the back of one of the boy's slings. The rope spun around his muzzle as he snatched it out of the boy's hand and took off through the alleyways and streets.

"Hey, he took my sling, after him!"

TINK

A stone landed to his right side causing him to turn steep to his left and run through a batch of laundry.

"Whoa" a lady exclaimed in shock as Subi shot through like a fluffy streak.

Zig zagging through pots and pans behind one of the stalls, he shot through a narrow break through the houses and disappeared into the long grass behind them.

"Where did it go!" one boy shouted while another began hurling stones aimlessly into the grass.

"Stupid dog!" one of them spat out

The shy boy in the group reached out his hand "Look, I'll just make you another one okay"

"But it made me look stupid! Rargh!" he said as he tossed another stone hard into the grass.

Subi flinched a little as it skimmed close to where he was hiding. They boys then satisfied that they had given a fair shot at getting the sling back, wandered off back to the field.

Rem stood at the stable door with wide eyes as Subi trotted over to her. He dropped the sling at her feet and stared up at her with determination.

"Yuf!"

He scurried off to the corner to pick up a suitable stone and then placed it onto her foot.

"Yuf!"

Subi pawed at the sling and the stone and looked into her eyes. Rem picked them up in her hands and looked at Subi with a puzzled expression. It just didn't make any sense why a puppy would run off like that to go and grab a sling and stone. It also made no sense that the little creature acted like it had something in mind.

“What? You want me to follow?” Rem asked as Subi turned to exit the village.

"Yuf yuf"

Subi made a pouncing move to suggest it might be better for her to hurry.

“Wait, where are we going?” she said as she ran along behind him.

He headed far from the village and into some fields by a big maple tree. “Oh wow I didn’t know this was here, I have never headed out from the village before”

"Yuf yuf yuf!"

Subi turned and then barked at some of the holes in the ground, and then dug at them with his paw, “Yuf yuf yuf! Yuf!!”

Rem slowly edged over to the hole “Is that… A rabbit hole? Wait do you want me to hunt rabbits with you?”

Subi sniffed the air and then looked in the direction of a pack of four rabbits not too far out and then stamped his foot hard to the ground, before tapping her on the leg.

"But I've never used a sling before!"

*Ah, of course, I guess it makes sense that she is clueless about hunting. Okay, let me see here what can I train her with?*

Subi ran up to the maple tree and scratched a mark into the bark then stepped back a few paces and barked and growled at it.

“You want me to try to sling a stone at it?”

Subi stamped his foot and then quickly ran out of the way and came around to her side. He pointed his snout towards the target and made his bark softer.

*Focus, try to do what comes naturally*

Rem could sense the calm focus streaming off of the little pup and towards the target. She narrowed her eyes and wrapped the base of the string around her thumb. She placed the small stone into the sling and pinched tight on the other end of the swing.

She spun it and let slip the string and stone at the scratch mark. It released properly but flung into the grasses off to the side of the tree.

Subi dropped another perfectly sized stone at her feet and barked encouragingly.

“Okay, I will try again”

TINK

TINK

TINK TINK TINK TINK CLUNK

"I hit it! I hit it!"

Rem jumped into the air and clapped in excitement as finally a stone struck true.

"I really can do it!"

Subi panted happily and then pawed at her leg.

"What is it?"

He dropped another stone at her feet and stared at the mark on the tree defiantly.

"You are right, I need to keep practicing"

Subi kept on like this for the next dozen sling throws she did, and once he was satisfied that she might hit one of the rabbits, he then walked away from the tree and motioned to her to follow.

“I’m so tired, where to now?”

Subi pawed at the ground at her feet, and then walked casually out into the field and sat down in the grass. He could smell the impatience of the rabbits, and could hear them skittering about. He could imagine they were about to pounce out and just like he thought they would, they skittered out in a rush. Subi stayed quiet in the grass waiting for them to settle, and Rem watched on with curiosity “What are you up to subi?”

He shuffled through the grass, the small rustling sounds putting the rabbits on edge, and slowly but surely he herded them with sounds closer and closer to Rem, and made them turn to face his direction and away from her. He was ready now for her to make her shot.

She wound up the sling and spun the stone, throwing a tight shot into the patch of rabbits.

The stone smacked into the ground and jumped up clipping one of the rabbits in the leg tripping it just long enough for Subi to pounce through the grass and sink his teeth around its neck. It kicked and squirmed but he made sure to cut off its blood supply to end its suffering. After it dropped limp he walked over to her and dropped it at her feet.

He stared up at her and panted proudly.

Rem's eyes welled up with tears.

"We did it"

Subi allowed her some time to gather her composure before he picked up the horned rabbit and led her back to the stables. He placed the rabbit by the one he had caught before and then rustled around in one of the piles of junk. He came out with a small hooked knife and dropped it by the corpses. He tapped Rem on the leg and then pounced over to the rabbits where he trailed his nose along the belly.

*Now you just need to skin it*

Rem looked on with wide eyes and backed up, "No no, I can't!"

It didn't take her too long to circle back and follow along as Subi barked orders and pointed out where to cut. He tugged and lifted at the skin, as she held onto it at the base, until it slipped right off. He then ran off and grabbed a big stick to put it on, followed by smaller sticks for kindling.

"Yuf!"

“Oh we need a fire, but best we don't do it in here, we should move outside"

Rem took of a small redstone necklace and placed it inside the kindling. She focused on the stone with all her might, scrunching and squeezing her brow, until poof, the stone sparked and the kindling began to smoke.

Subi nestled in close and puffed a few sharp breaths into the kindling until it caught fire. Rem withdrew the stone, attached it back around her neck, and happily placed more of the sticks on top of the kindling.

With the rabbits put on sticks and placed over the fire, it wasn't long before the smell of caramelized meat hit their taste buds.

Nom nom

"This is really good" Rem garbled between chews.

Subi scoffed down his rabbit without any hesitation.

It was a good day as both of them realised they could trust in each other, and so like clockwork the next weeks saw them repeating the same routine. Each night Rem and Subi cooked up rabbits they had hunted earlier that day and sat together by the fire just outside of town. They even hunted enough rabbits to sell a couple at the market along with the furs, helping them to earn a couple of gold pieces which was enough to buy rem her first bow. It wasn't much, but it was a life that was all their own.

...

Subi and Rem splashed in the shallows of the river close to town, scrubbing off the dirt and grime that had caked into their skin and fur through the day. Subi trailed along the shoreline looking at all the fish and pranced around in the river trying to catch them.

“Look at you now, you are getting so big! You are already up to my waist”

Subi looked at her from across the river and then gazed at his reflection with a sigh.

*It sucks not being able to talk. If only I could tell her my name*

“I am growing too! It might not look like it, but by us hunting those rabbits I can now confidently take them out on my own!”

A strange chime sounded in Subi's ear. He stuck his head up to look around and found himself in a blue room.

"Don't tell me I died again" he said with a pout.

"No no, I just thought I would tell you that this world has a system not unlike a video game, if you gain experience and understanding of something, you'll get better at it"

"Oh, okay, but why tell me this now?"

"You just looked so sad before, it made me curious so I looked up some of you abilities, and one of them is a human transformation"

"No way! Are you kidding me? That is amazing news!"

"All you have to do is focus on leveling it up, and gain experience, and you'll be able to learn it!"

"Thank you so much, but wait how do I level it up?"

The goddess shrugged cluelessly and clicked her fingers, snapping Subi instantly back to reality where the river water trickled around his paws.

He pounced over to Rem as she washed her arms and legs in the stream and wagged his tail with excitement.

"What is it? Haha you seem so happy"

"Arooo!" he replied with a hearty howl, "Arooo!"

... 3 years later…

Subi silver main glinted with flashes of azure blue as he trotted past a mechant caravan haulled by several great horses. He looked down at them as he shot past like a smooth streak along the trail to the famed Academy of Magic in the town of Redwood. Rem was sat on his back wearing high quality leather armor, with a powerful yew bow slung over her shoulder. The pouch on her belt jingled heartily with coin with each of Subi's strides, and a shining blue sigil of a wolf was pinned to her shoulder strap. It was a sign of her protector, and a symbol of independence she carried with pride ever since she learned to stand on her two feet thanks to a little puppy all those years ago.

“We are so close now Subi, I can hear the city”

“Shall I?” he said with a look

“Yes, I can walk the rest of the way”

Subi closed his eyes and focused his energy. His giant form began to shift and shape into that of a human, until...

POP

A baby voice squeaked at Rem “Hey, can you picks me ups pwease. I have short legs n all”.

Unfortunately for Subi, his human form was only 3 years old, and even more unfortunately, his wolf form was terrifying to the inhabitants of towns and cities. For the past year, Subi had to endure the humiliation of being carried in Rem's arms like he was her child.

On the plus side however, he was able to speak, and finally tell her his name, his story, and where he had truly come from. While it was strange at first for Rem to be instructed in his baby voice about all sorts of things about life, she soon realised it was destiny for them to have met. After all, you don't meet a magical creature sent by a goddess every day.

The two of them made it into town without much of a fuss, while it was a little strange to see a fifteen year old girl with a baby in her arms, it wasn't unheard of.

Rem took her time tip toeing and dancing away her wonder as she walked through the vendor stalls along the main strip in the marketplace. Subi as usual had his eyes on each of the different food stalls, carefully eyeing each of them up with eagle eyed precision. Rem turned towards a stall as Subi tugged at her sleeve.

“What's that Subi? You want some of that grilled leek and fish skewer?”

Subi nodded fervently.

“Okay, lets grab some” she said as she swept over to the stall and held up a peace sign “Two please”,

“Two silver”

Rem smiled as she tossed the merchant the cash.

“Oh my, your baby has quite the appetite!” a posh lady in a fancy hat remarked as Subi cleaned each of the sticks in a matter of seconds.

“Oh hes not my baby, he's more like my brother, we look out for each other”

“Oh I didnt mean to infer anything scandalous” she huffed while fanning herself.

“No problem” Rem shot back proud as could be and wearing a demure smile. “Now, off to the Academy to enroll”.

The academy’s grounds were protected by large walls. A grand archway led into the garden courtyard. And beyond that was a large mansion within which were the boarding rooms, living areas, and classrooms both for theory and practical sides of learning. It was in these grounds that Rem was going to truly take charge of the direction of her life, and cease every last drop of opportunity life had given her.

“Yes miss, what is your name?”

“Oh ah yes, I am Rem, Rem Masubi”

“Yes yes we have your name here, wait a moment while I get your ID card and student pin”

A boy looked over from the corner of the room. He had golden hair and a strange way of looking at Rem. Rem hadn’t noticed but Subi’s nose had picked up on his scent, which for some reason smelt like dandelions and hay. Subi scrunched his baby brow and narrowed his eyes into a slit to get a bead on the weird guy looking at Rem.

He seemed to be young, and was most likely a prospective student, and by the smell of him he wasn’t from a wealthy background, so he had to have a story behind him and spine enough to follow his ambitions all the way here like Rem had done. Subi didn’t like the feel of this guy, but didn’t sense he was out to do any harm so figured he would just watch on for now.

The guy with golden hair who smelled of dandellions and hay continued to glare at Rem, until he seemed to have an idea. He smirked and then drew his eyes to Subi and paused.

*Hey hey hey, this guy is definitely fishy! Why did he just stop himself when he saw me?*

The boy was so focused and unrelenting it gave Subi the chills. The boy swaggered up to the counter beside Rem and smiled disarmingly at her.

“So, I think we are the same. Or at least, we aren’t like the rest of the people here”

Rem stammered “Oh, hi, I mean, hello!”, before catching herself “Oh yes, I don’t think I could ever fit in, in a place like this, it is kind of scary”

“Nah, its not scary, its just something you haven’t seen before” he said with a cock of his head. He nodded at Subi, “This one seems smart for a little guy”

Rem laughed and turned her head, “You have no idea”

Subi scrunched up his face and tried to send telepathic signals to Rem “No dont trust him Rem, he's too nosy get away, get away”, it had never worked before but it was worth a try, right?

The boy looked at Subi and seemed to register his discomfort, “Anyway, name is Clive, when you see me around don’t be afraid to say hey okay. You guys enjoy your day”.

“Oh, I’m Rem, and you too!”

The lady came back with the ID card “Here you go, make sure to wear it around town, it helps everyone get to know who you are and you even gets you discounts in some of the shops”

“Oh, wow, that is great”

Subi looked up at Rem as if to say “I hope the food stores honor it”.

“Uh so by chance are any of the discounts for food vendors?”

“Oh no, mostly for school uniforms and supplies for practice, but you can always get food from our cook Jethro in the kitchens, he will even cook up special meals if you bring him the right ingredients from beasts you kill”.

“Oh wow, did you hear that Subi, we are going to have a treat when it comes to food”

Subi pumped his little baby fist in victory.

Rem looked at her ID card, and sparkled “Oh wow it even has my rank and level and everything! Look Subi, Rank D”.

Subi glanced at the card and remembered all it had took to get her to this point and looked back at her proudly.

“Um so miss, which room is mine?”

“What does it say on the card?”

“Ah, it says third floor room five. Okay thank you, I think I can find it”

Rem found some stairs and headed up them, she quickly found the room and cracked open the door.

“Its small but nice,” she said as looking out the window into the small balcony.

Subi began to glow and morph, and hopped out of Rems hands, his huge furry form pushed her onto the bed.

He scratched around at the floor and trotted around in circles almost knocking down a vase that sat on the bedside table, before peering out the window.

“Aaah!” Rem screamed as she leapt out to catch it.

Subi set his eyes on the horizon and smelt the wind with a satisfied look in his eyes. He began to glow and shrunk down to the size of a toddler again, “we will need a rug, the floor is hardwood, but it will do” he squeaked out with his baby voice.

"Come on, I know it makes sense for safety to sleep in your wolf form, but we are in a city. We are probably more in danger if someone discovers a giant wolf in my room"

“I don't trust anyone here with our lives Rem”

Rem nodded, “I guess we need to go shopping then, and maybe go hunting after, get their chef to cook us up some amazing grub”

“Dats a plans” subi responded with dazzling baby charm and thumbs up.