Glug, glug, glug

“Ahhhh!!!” I satisfied my throat and mouth with the ale that just arrived.

“Wow… the last time I saw someone drink that fast and much, was found sleeping in a pile of manure…” Kristof recounted his drunken tale.

“Yeah… this really is the first time I am seeing you drinking like this Mar… take it easy ‘kay?” Eleanna being a worrywart for nothing said to me.

After miss Marie ran with her outburst, me, Kristof, Eleanna, and Sapphire went to nearest tavern here, Arthur said that he would deal with miss Marie, well… I hope she doesn’t bite him.

While sitting here in this somewhat crooked chair, I could feel a somewhat melancholic aura that this tavern give, maybe because it’s not in the middle of the night, but, everything and everyone just feels gloomy and sad, the color of the tavern’s wall didn’t help with that dark and rotting texture.

Well… we’re here just to buy some supplies and went off as quickly as possible to Geamradh, but for now we’re waiting until Sir Fionn came back for us when the supplies have finally delivered to the camp.

“I am going to buy another ale, you want one again Sir Martyn?” Kristof asked me.

“Yup, and… ohh can you get us some of those bread?” I pointed the mini breads besides us.

Kristof nods and went.

As I saw him walk towards the bar counter and waiting for his order, I saw a mysterious figure behind him, a hooded man judging by his physique and height, he was getting near Kristof where he then showed his true colors, he pulled a knife and pointed it at Kristof’s rear end.

“PRI-” I stopped Eleanna by grabbing her hand.

“Shuush! He’s not being mug, I think he is taking Kristof somewhere, don’t attack now! We’ll follow them to hornet’s nest.”

Stup

Sapphire in her cat form, landed gently in the table in front of me.

“Alright” she said with a somewhat disapproving tone.

We waited until Kristof and that kidnaper walk out of the tavern, where after that we quickly followed them, as we gently and quietly tailed them we saw them taking a right into an alleyway beside this tavern, we huddled up beside the wall and took a peek where they were going next.

They went to an old shack, quite big to be an outhouse, but not enough to be a small warehouse, due to that I deduced that their probably only two more men in there, three if they really want to make that into a clown car.

When they entered the shack, we then moved and stepped tenderly as possible at the grass so they won’t scream of our presences, when we got closed I unsheathed my sword, Eleanna as well unsheathed her dagger, I made a finger gesture where it tell them to ambush within three seconds.

“One, Two, Three” I whispered to them.

When the count fell to three we rushed in, I went in first where I was then greeted by a smiling Kristof talking with a girl who is equally smiling like Kristof too, their sitting manners were very formal from their firm posture, but because of that smile I felt an aura of familiarity between them making it rather relax, wholesome even.

After my brief barging and analysis, they were stunned as they should but the mysterious kidnaper on the other hand was on his full guard, with this preparedness he pointed his dagger at my neck, but unluckily for him, Eleanna quickly pointed her dagger to his neck as well.

A Mexican standoff… with knifes… shame it’s not with guns.

“Fernando lower your dagger! That’s the Lord’s Protector!!” The girl ordered authoritatively at Fernando, which he quickly abide.

“You… too El…” I said gently to Eleanna, while sheathing back my sword, though quite awkwardly.

“Martyn… ehh… this is-” Kristof was cut off by the girl.

“Sofía! Princess Sofía d'Silvaque, Crown Princess of Silvaque and the first Princess of the Kingdom of Silvaque” She got up and extended her arm to me while introducing herself, which was quite elegant and majestic.

“Martyn Wulf, Lord Protector of Albion, Second Hero!” not wanting to be outshine from this kind of people, I firmed up my posture, shake her arm firmly, and mustered up myself with as much as confident as a President giving a speech to his countrymen.

After shaking hands, we three then were introduced to this weirdly out of place Princess and her bodyguard.

Like her namesake, she’s the Princess of Silvaque, a neighboring Justan kingdom down south.

Appearance wise she was like any run of the mill 15 or maybe... 16? year old, with the small and thin stature, her chestnut brown colored hair was tied up into a bun like shape and interestingly she has an upturned sky blue eyes. She was wearing something fitting for a highborn that is on the run, with that slightly tattered and patchy brown dress, but it fell short as her hood reeks of highborn-ish scent, with that obvious velvet based material with a clean deep red color hood.

All in all she might as well look like red riding hood, a rich one at that!

I wasn’t wrong that she and her bodyguard were escaping, like how she recounted to me, her father, the king García V of Silvaque, was out joining the other kingdoms of the south to fight against a local threat, they somehow failed and her father’s whereabouts are still unknown.

At first though she thought that this threat won’t come to her kingdom, especially to her woodland castle. But she was proven wrong when that threat arrived with siege engines and thousands of man behind him, knowing that she couldn’t defend her home. She fled and right now, I assume, is seeking the alliance between Silvaque and Albion to be fulfilled.

“No, you are not going to march your army down to that man!” After saying the obvious, I was stunned and even confused at this remark.

“But… why? I mean, yeah war is costly, and this kingdom definitely can’t afford it, but we do have the army and I am saying this out of my respect towards the king of Albion.” I said.

“The reason is simple, you don’t know the enemy yet! Me and my servants were on our way to Londini mainly of course to seek protection from him, but I do still intend to put up a fight against him. Which is why I am not asking you to lend your men of war, but rather your spies.”

After she answered, I was honestly impressed at her train of thought in this matter, a war matter in fact, she’s a late tween, but somehow has the thinking capacity of an adult in their mid-20’s, I mean, damn… She did said that she was the crown princess, which is odd considering that girls are considered more as backup heir, rather than the real deal to inherit the kingdom. But whatever her father’s intention is, he certifiably is on the right track to groom a good or maybe even a great Queen.

“Well, Princess Sofía if spies are what it will take to honor this alliance, you are in luck for coming here or… perhaps you already know?” I said.

“I see that the Lord Protector is quite sharp, yes I know the Spymaster, Maître of Whisperer, Lady Chloé de Diamant is in your cam-”

“AGHHHH!!!”

Sofía suddenly stopped as we all in the room heard that roaring scream, an aura of concern then peaked on this room where me and Kristof went out first to check on what is happening. We then saw people running and… Arthur, with his sword in hand and from that tense face. I assume that he was searching for us.

He found us only in matters of seconds when he turned his face to the right, he was clearly exhausted from how heavy his breath while running at us.

I asked him what’s going on, he hastily replied that the village is under attack which in turn made Kristof quickly order Sapphire to bring all of his retinue to help the village’s militia. Though this new information was blasting our senses, I noticed something, where was miss Marie?

And when the answer came, I, I… I just… froze, I couldn’t feel anything, somehow everything feels cold, my hands suddenly went numb, my vision just shorten, and I couldn't hear anything... everything… this.... feels wrong, this feels... why... why did I even suggested this, goddamn it! Why did I drag them here!!! why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, wh-

Bam…

A wolf’s head crash to the table in front of me, I realized I’ve regained some bit of consciousness due to that loud crash in front of me, it was Sir Fionn that show us the wolf’s head and he told us that this is no ordinary wolf, this is a Lobo, he explained that this creature were originally Wolf like familiars that came from the south, they are not that different from wolves, physique and mentally wise.

“Which is why it is easy finding them, we just have to look at the nearest forest!” Sir Fionn said.

As soon as I heard that I rushed out from my chair, but my hand was held tight, Kristof from behind me blocked me and held quite strongly from me going out of this room.

“Move…” I said with an angry tone.

“No-”

“It’s okay I’ll go with him, this is my fault to begin with.” Arthur put his hand on Kristof’s shoulders, though he was reluctant he let go of my arm.

“Fine… You two! Guard them both and help them in rescuing Lady Marie!” Kristof in a serious tone, ordered the two knights who are guarding the entrance to follow us.

“It will be done your highness!” They abide with full of discipline.

Exiting the room, we got on a horse and galloped to forest with nightfall creeping behind us.

In the forest with the pack… the leader smelled something, it was something long ago that she almost forgotten…

“Agh…. Agh…. Damn it hurts…” I moaned for my leg where blood is still pouring out of it no thanks to how this talking wolf making me walk to their leader.

“Be quiet! Elder Nieve wants to see you!” she yelled at me.

“Agh…” I still moaned for my leg while walking, but quietly this time.

As I was limping in this dense forest, where every step I make creates a pain like a punch in the liver, I was escorted by the very wolf that bit my leg and is now bringing me to its leader, I could hear the rustling leaves and grass around me, their walking and running, perhaps towards where I am going, I don’t know what they’re going to do to me, hell they might eat me.

But… it’s okay, Arthur at least escaped, even if they're too late… I know, no… I hope that they’ll be just fine without me.

I was still limping through this forest, getting in deeper and deeper, while simultaneously losing consciousness, the wolf suddenly stopped, I was beginning to feel weak but had enough senses in me to see the wolf stopped, it said we’ve arrived. I saw that giant wolf, twice the size of a Siberian husky, and as it jumps down to see me, seeing eye to eye, its nose twitches, it was smelling me.

I finally gave in to my bleeding, fell to the ground quite hard and can only looked up to the sky, thankfully the trees weren’t that tall enough to cover the night sky, at least I could see one last look at how beautiful the sky is.

I then closed my eyes, almost losing consciousness, breathing quite deeply, and a waiting for the light, but… something feels funny, my leg felt like it was being licked, I opened back my eyes and saw that the giant wolf was licking my bleeding leg, it licked quite softly and tenderly which in turn gave me a somewhat peace in mind because of that, where suddenly after the licking the pain was gone, the drowsiness was gone, I even felt charged up!

The giant wolf moved away where it showed me that my bleeding leg was not bleeding anymore, in fact it healed up quite nicely, I rose up and was confused at this manner, after that the giant wolf face stared back into me, but it wasn’t that of hostility, but of curiosity from the fact it’s nose still twitches in front of me rather than it's jaws showing at me.

“I knew it, you’re… her sister!”

“MISS MARIE!!!”

Suddenly out of nowhere, Martyn let out a cry and jumped off from his horse, he rolled to the ground and stood back up with his sword drawn out swiftly after that showy entrance, his hands then moved me back where I could see it’s bruise clearly due to that theatrical jump and roll.

Idiot… you could’ve broken you’re arm there….

“GET AWAY YOU FUCKIN MONSTER!” Martyn let out an aggressive loud taunt at them while pointing his sword towards the giant wolf.

“Calm down child, I am not here to kill her, so… put down your sword!” the giant wolf said to Martyn where at first it was with a quite gentle tone, but it then devolved at the end to an authoritative serious voice.

“Yeah… No! We’re not giving you any chances!” Arthur who just arrived, still on his horse, pointed his sword towards the giant wolf. “The retinue of Prince Kristof of Albion is on their way in mere seconds, I say that you lay down you paws and shut your jaws off before doing any- ahh…. they’re here!”

A loud horn shouted behind us and suddenly the sound of hooves could be heard behind, it was his the Prince and his men, came rushing in to the forest already mounted on their horses with their shiny armors like a gallant band of white knights.

“It’s over… now do yourself a favor and pull back your pack!” Martyn still somewhat filled with rage, mustered up some sanity he has left to say that in a more gentle tone.

“I see… after 1000 years… I didn’t repay them…” the giant wolf said, contemplating on what she has done.

***

After that somewhat grandiose entrance of ours, everyone settled down for a bit where in this middle of the forest two giants stood facing each other with me standing beside Martyn and the Prince and the giant wolf, who just introduced herself as Nieve, sitting quite majestically while being backed up by her pack.

“I see now that rage and grief has blinded me, and I see that same thing almost eaten you Lord Protector… I am not regretful of my action towards that village as it can only be paid with blood for what they did to my daughter, but… I do regret making an enemy of you, the second heroes, the savior of this world!” She paused a bit, then looked to another wolf who I assume to be someone of importance to her, due to how teary and sad their face is when looking at each other. “As an atonement for the sins I’ve done for making an enemy of you, Lord Protector, Sir Arthur, Prince Kristof, I will make a familiar contract!”

Her answer was quite a shock to us three, I learned from Eleanna that making a familiar contract is a more of a testament of their undying trust, but this… as an atonement, as a punishment, this is basically imprisonment for eternity, hell… it might as well be a death sentence if things gone haywire. Martyn was still somewhat in rage, but this literally shuts it down where he only could give a confused and curious face, he then asked.

“Why? Wait… scratch that, you’re good as a hostage to calm your pack” Martyn’s shrewd calculating side suddenly appeared. “But exactly with whom you want to make this contract?”

“Why of course with her!” She pointed her nose towards miss Marie. “The smell in her, that smell, the smell of the first hero! Odor’s before her, she, her sister and what is this… I smell another!”

Princess Amadela and Eleanna came out of the fray, where they appeared before us.

“Yes, this smell…” She then moved towards Eleanna where she was sort startled at her sniffing. “You’re… her daughter? Yes… now it makes sense…”

It was a bombshell to me and Martyn, miss Marie who was originally sitting down in the back, stood up and explained everything to us, she is in fact Eleanna’s aunt, Eleanna was at first confused at why she didn’t tell her.

The reason was varied but it all stems to her father, Eleanna’s father lost her mother when she gave birth to Eleanna, it was devastating for Eleanna’s dad, I don’t know why and how but somehow that grief turns to him not wanting to hear nor see anything related to his late wife.

Which in turn why miss Marie didn’t say anything to Eleanna, miss Marie knew right away that it was stupid, but somehow in herself, she also didn’t have the courage to say it.

Though for a second Eleanna was slightly livid at miss Marie for this, she was actually more happy, not only that she finally founds someone who knows her mother, she was also ecstatic about her mother being the first hero which in turn gave her two person that knows her, it was like a dream come true for her, to meet people that could tell stories of her mother.

After that brief of a somewhat reunion, we got back on topic about the whole familiar contract, Nieve explains that, yes, she sees this as a punishment as well, being tied to a more shorter lifespan person, but she also sees this more as a repayment towards Eleanna’s mother and miss Marie’s older sister, she sees this as a way to payback for her help towards Nieve back in the south.

“Sure… why not?” Martyn was stunned at miss Marie’s agreement. “Yes, one of her subordinates almost killed me, but she did save me from the brink of death, and I don’t see any bad reason for her not to helping us in our journey to save this world!”

We were taken a back and contemplated on what miss Marie stated, it was still ludicrous considering that we’re putting her life on the line, but… we did finally come to agree with this proposal.

After that we finally see how this contract is perform, it starts with a third party where they’re the witness of this ritual, in this case the one who is being the witness was Princess Amadela, because she knows how the procedure goes, and it goes like this.

Miss Marie and Nieve stood tall and brave staring at each other eyes, the first act is the exchange of blood, for miss Marie she use Eleanna’s dagger to prick her finger tips, Nieve on the other hand, uses her sharp fangs to also prick her paw, after that they lick the other’s blood clean. Amadela then said these words where they followed as well, ‘By Lux, the high god, by the mother of Familiars, the goddess of knowledge, I stand here to form an unbreakable bond where our souls will be intertwined in this mortal plain and with the blood that I have tasted from him/her, our soul now will be one, only death will break this bond.’ After that Nieve’s pack howls at the night for a familiar contract has been made.

As we walk back and said farewell to Nieve’s pack, I saw that Martyn hugged miss Marie.

“Tell me Sir Arthur.... who is she really to the Lord Protector?" The Princess saw them as well with her curiosity peaked with this question.

"Miss Marie? She.... she is not what you are thinking of, she is something more that Eleanna wanted to be in the Lord Protector's eyes and she is also something that Eleanna herself can never fill for the Lord Protector, if she one day disappeared in our life..." As I explained to the Princess, my eyes gaze back towards the both of them, mesmerized at the sight of a man who loves someone more than some friend or lover and scared for the future for what this man would do if she abruptly disappear from our lives.