Perytos stopped suddenly, shouts and growls filled the air. -Human shouts. Was it the bandits again? Would more innocent people suffer? Or maybe it was normal people fending off the monstrosities of the forest. Maybe they needed help. Well not like I can help them much. Perytos thought. He felt disgust at his own weakness; it cost him everything. He didn’t want to feel like this ever again.

  Because of this, he wanted to at least take a look at the situation. But this time he would do it carefully. The sounds came off the trail, into the forest. It was his first time stepping off, he felt a prick of fear, but he crushed it.

  He cowered, hoping his thin physique and the many green vines would hide him. just until i see the situation. Depending on what he saw he would intervene, at least he told himself so.

  He followed the sounds, doing his best to make as little noise as possible. The screams changed from angry to ecstatic fast, this relieved him. Maybe he wouldn’t be the only survivor this time.

  The growls coming from the forest shifted into sad whimpers in concern. Perytos' curiosity gnawed at him. What in the unholy Tartarus is happening there?

  He reached the noises reverberating throughout the entire forest. First thing he noticed was a clearing spreading before his eyes. Tall monstrous trees lied on the ground to make room; their thick long roots hanging uselessly in the air. He leaned in, trying to get a better look.

  The second thing were two men, donning shiny armor; the polished surfaces reflecting the streams of light coming from the first sun. They were grappling with a wolf, desperately trying to fit a muzzle on its wide-open jaw.

  After a moment of confusion, understanding filled Perytos. Those weren’t normal hunters trying to get by in this hard world. No- Those were poachers, capturing and selling illegally unique beasts to the highest bidder. Just the word filled his mouth with disgust. Those bastards, what right do they have to enslave animals like that. His jaw clenched in anger and his eyes narrowed. Still, he remained seated in his hiding spot among the thorny bushes. If those two were here, it meant that they were strong enough to keep the monsters at bay. He stood no chance.

  It was not right to force beasts into captivity just for the entertainment of rich nobles, breaking them out of their natural habitats. He wanted to help the wolf, but was unable to face those men. The consequences of his defiance were unclear, they could just kill him. They were more than powerful enough. Air itself seemed to still from their very presence; all the wildlife seemed quieter, as if scared to disturb their betters. The suffocating Authority rippling from them a testament to their power.

  He was unsure. Should he stop them, or just look away, pretend it never happened. Maybe the beast wouldn't suffer, maybe it could still live a good life; even if in captivity.

  While the thoughts fired rapidly into Perytos' brain, The creature made a mistake, while it was fending the men off it stumbled on a dry branch.

  Crack

  The small distraction wouldn't normally mean anything, but in a fight where every split second mattered- It was devastating. Bindings quickly caught the trashing animal.

  Shouts of happiness filled the air.

  “Ha, we got it, we will be Riiiiich!”

  It was officially over; he couldn't do anything. Just as he was about to turn back and walk away, the wolf turned its head in perytos' direction slowly. What? Can it see me?

  White pupils mixed in half with little dots of darkness gazed at him. The silver eyes seemed to pierce his soul. They were pleading, begging for help. God, they look so intelligent.

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  In that moment Perytos knew that he couldn't turn away. The wolf was intelligent, sapient even. It was one thing to allow for the enslavement of animals, even if he was repulsed by it. But a creature aware, full knowing of the life of misery it was going to lead- It was too much to stomach. He didn’t want to let anyone counting on him down, like he did his family. Never again.

  He burst through the bushes. Not noticing he ran way faster than ever before. The hunters turned almost instantly, they were too fast. Fortunately even if they could see him, they couldn't stop the boy from slamming elbow first into them both.

  Your skill(Oath resonance) has reached level 1-2.

  Air fell out of Perytos' lungs as he hit something akin to a metal wall. The world spun. The sky and ground exchanging places too fast to keep track.

  Thud!

  He hit the ground hard. Black spots filled his vision, preventing him from seeing anything for a moment.

  “What the hell was that! Bart you okay?” Shouts of astonishment and confusion filled the air as the men quickly got their bearings. Quicker than Perytos, had he failed? Was this all for nothing? He was too dazed to see the situation clearly, so he defaulted to his hearing.

  “Quick get the Lykanos, it escaped” One man shouted, probably the one called Bart.

  “What about the boy” The other man asked, steps already carrying him towards Perytos. His blood froze to ice in his veins at the declaration, but was quickly pushed away:

  “Leave the boy, all our fucking money is on that beast”

  A passing thought flashed after he realized he succeeded. Surely, they must be wrong, it couldn’t be a Lykanos, they were just a myth. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

  The men were leaving. The quickly fading crunches of leaves and sticks assured him of that. He succeeded; the wolf managed to escape. Happiness flooded him, pure unbridled joy. For the first time since the attack, he had a reason to be happy. He saved someone from fate worse than death, a life that would be spent not in a cage but in the freedom of the wilderness.

  A wide smile etched itself on his face. Fortunately, the poachers tried recapturing their bounty, giving Perytos an apt opportunity to escape. He was sure that they wouldn't catch it. The first time must've been a fluke; those intelligent, soul gazing eyes belonging to the creature assured him it wouldn't get caught the same way again. It was too smart to fall for the same trick again.

  Swiftly departing as if he hadn't ruined someone financially, Perytos happily jogged off whistling a happy tune. For the first time since then he didn't run away, looking back every few seconds. No, this time would be different. He headed forward, chin held high and a spring in his steps.

  Ever since the tragedy that fell on him, he felt a spark of hope shining through. Joy dispelling the cold dread that seeped deep into his bones.

  Determination flooded him, this time not the cold indifferent flame of despair but a happy flicker, carrying the myriad possibilities of the future. With a boost to his speed, he quickly left this peculiar encounter far behind.

  The Oath resonance skill has reached level 2-3

  Rustle

  The bushes moved. Noticing the irregularity, Perytos took out his knife. Is it another beast? This time at the thought of fighting he didn't feel dizzy. Just uncertainty still flickered, but the primal terror was gone.

  He could do this- he has done this already. His palms were already sweaty from nervousness, but he still gripped the knife with an iron grim.

  The bushes rustled once more. But this time something walked out of them. It was short but weirdly familiar... that unusual glowing white fur, where had he seen it before?- It was the wolf! Perytos smiled involuntarily at the realization; it had managed to escape after all. Not that he doubted it for a second. But why is it here?

  Those intelligent eyes once more found him but now instead of anguish, gratitude remained. The creature suddenly bent its front legs, its mouth finding the ground. Was it its way of showing thanks?- Bowing to him? The previous worry was all gone now, replaced with confusion.

  “Get up please, you don't need to bow to me, I expected nothing in return when I helped you."

  Perytos' hoarse, rough voice was directed at the creature. He knew it recognized sapient speech, or at least its intent. The beast remained bowing at the floor.

  Approaching Perytos tried to stop it from bowing, but to no avail. Something like anger filled it's eyes- wait, not anger, stubbornness. That's when the wolf bit him in his forearm.

  Aghhhh!

  Perytos flinched away in confusion and pain. "Why did you bite me!?” Not another word left his lips because that's when a burning sensation trailed up from the wound, blanking him in misery. His last thoughts were: Its poison. I am going to die to a creature I helped.

  He felt betrayed, just as the last strands of consciousness left him.

  His unconscious body would've slammed into the ground hard if it wasn't for the wolf diving just where his head would hit, saving him from a concussion. It regarded him for a moment, sniffing. Then something even stranger happened.

  The radiant glow of the moon covered the road momentarily. Intercepting the refreshing qualities of the first sun.

  The lykanos' fur dimmed, channeling its power to bestow one that it thought was worthy.

  It slumped to the ground, devoid of strength; happy to guard the boy while both of them recovered.

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