I don’t know if you like dogs, but if you know them, this first contact with the hounds was stiriking.

Chihuahua, dwarf spitz, Maltese or Frize bichon, Shih tzu, Yorkshire terrier, small Brabant…

It looked like a small dogs collection, that were not more than 30 cm long.

They were moving forward slowly, threatening, barking, who better better…

Honestly…

My heart balanced between the ridiculous and the frankly hilarious: those dogs are so small that I am afraid of crushing them by mistake!

On the other side, the coming of half a dozen salamanders, armed with a shield covered with green metal scales and a 1.50m long spear well sharp made me keep my breath.

Looking at their appearance, they must be hunters: very little dressed, dirty, protruding muscles, slim and slender…

They must be formidable in a marathon!

I moved toward Gandock, who was still not moving on his horse.

“Don’t move, Jules, I wouldn’t like you get yourself eaten by a dog hounds, neither you finish as a salamander food…”

Well, thank you!

That is all the esteem he as for me!

The dogs hubbub was soon covered by a song intoned by the salamanders, serious and deaf.

I thought hunters have to stay discreet and silent…

Here, it’s all the contrary!

A salamander moved toward us, straight, tells us:

“The prey is no longer that much abundant around. The dog hounds is hungry. Puppies want meat. You should do the trick.”

Jumping to the ground, Gandock came closer to him and answered:

“It’s alright!”

And dogs jumped on him!

***

I didn’t know that dogs can drool that uch.

On his knees, surrounded by all those small puppies, Gandock seemed in heaven.

“Khla, I missed you so much, you have a pretty jaw… and you, ko, were you wise? My little lovely Chab, I see you have a better voice since last time! And you, Neak, you look great!”

“What happened? They didn’t want to eat you?

“Of course not, Jules! I present you Vashslar, my hound keeper. He’s in charge of my little puppies when I can’t take care of them. His principle mission is hunting hares, rats, nutrias, and other species of herbivores or small omnivores that can be around. Vashslar, I present you Jules, who will soon become my squire. I would like you to teach him the basics of hunting with hounds.”

“Nice to meet you, young boy. Gandock’s friendszzz, the hound masssster, are our friendszzz.”

“Well, nice to meet you too…”

“The hounds, it’s all the dogs I’ve raised and that help me regulate the ecocsystem of the area. Sometime, we even go hunting boars, but roes and dears, it’s already enough. Under the teachings of master Vashslar, you will soon understand how to trap animals and finish them!”

That’s it, my first contact with salamanders and Gandock’s hound.

It’s really too much emotions for too little time.

“You should use your scan on each and every animal, it will help you remind their name!”

***

Tcheam

Frize bichon

Master : Gandock

Health point : 16/16

Maybe my favorite...

Khla

Little lion dog

Master : Gandock

Health point : 17/17

Ko

Maltese bichon

Master : Gandock

Health point : 16/16

Chab

Yorkshire terrier

Master : Gandock

Health point : 15/15

Neak

Shih Tzu

Master : Gandock

Health point : 16/16

And after the fifth dog, a good surprise appeared under my eyes with a ting!

Scan Level up!

For having used numerous times the scan on similar animals, you are better at finding the differences between each other. Now, you can improve the scan cost to acquire more detailed informations.

Advanced scan available.

INT+2

If I was waiting for this!

“Use the advanced scan on all the hounds dogs. At least up to the point where you no longer have MP, which should arrive soon. Try again as soon as you have recovered enough. Up to this moment, let’s go hunting, it will be good for you.”

“Do you know how to uzzze a spear?”

“Vashslar, look, he is a novice! Don’t rush him! Right now, we will just track rats and finish animals fallen in our traps.

“Hey, I want to hunt too! It seems so much fun!”

“If he wantsss to face beastsss, why preventing him?”

“Come on, Gandock, It’s you who want me to learn hunting!”

“OK, OK… choose a dog, he will be with you right now. If by any mean you are in danger, we will inform me of what is happening.”

***

Choosing a dog?

From this fluffy hounds?

Tcheam looks like a lamb, I would like one that seems more sturdy, but not Yok, the small Brabant, who seems too clumsy...

« Kanhchrong ? »

It’s a dwarf spitz, terribly cute, a little bit red…

Truth would be, when I look at him, and he looks at me with his two big eyes, I just want to cover him with kisses.

When I am afraid of dogs!

It’s just to tell up to which point, in the cute categroy, where nearly all of the puppies of Gandck’s hound can compete for the number 1 title in cuteness of the whole game, Kahnchrong is out of league!

Look at him lick his small paw with his pinky tongue…

“You want to take Kanhchrong? It’s the smartest dog I’ve ever trained, he could easily go on a métempsukhôsis to restart his developpement as a… bigger animal.”

“What? No! He’s so cute! He has to stay small! Small is beautiful! It would be a pain unimaginable if you loose the mascot of the group!”

“Cutenessss is uselessss to hunt… and Kanhchrong is an excssselent hunter. He trackssss birds as no other. A good climber and a talented treasure hunter!”

“I thought doing it a morph, a creature able to switch his form to a human one, but it can wait. If you really want him, you have to make a blood pact with him.”

Blood pact?

This day is really too filled with emotions!

“What is a blood pact?”

***

Here comes the blood pact story.

“A long time ago, when first clever species emerged, some decided to ally with animals and monsters.

“Multiple tries were made, but as soon as there was a risk for the life of one or the other, they fled leaving the others behind.

“One day, a hunter hunted with his dog and they fought against a grizzly.

“The fight was epic and tragic, victory being gained only at the price of numerous wounds, deep, and without the possibility to benefit from the corpse of the defeated beast as he fell from a very high cliff.

“The hunter could no longer move because his two legs and one of his arm were broken, without taking into account the important losses of blood due to his injuries.

“The dog came to him and licked his wounds.

“The dog wounds, not as heavy as the one of the hunter, were closing visibly.

“Blood for blood, the dog gave his own blood to be drunk, leaking from his belly, were a deep notch was made not far from his vitals points.

“From this day on, an indestructible link united those two beings, who had formed the first blood pact of history.

“Any person giving his blood to drink and drinking the blood of an other one becomes so deeply united that what benefits one also benefits the other, the suffering of one also makes the other suffer.

“The rupture of a blood pact can’t be done without loosing a part of oneself.

“Do you want to make a blood pact with Kanhchrong? Your sools will be misteriously linked, and he will serve you faithfully beyond métempsukhôsis.”

“Yes, I want it!”