NOVEL WEB Chapter-69 Fire Wolf
The eerie silence persisted around the area. This would remain until the piss of the wolves remained. So, before the wind withered the stench away, before the new Astylind marked this area and trapped them in, they needed to move.
Once his restless emotions settled, Ewan walked down the stairs to the floor where they stayed, the echoes of his steps blaring against the quiet.
“Where were you? I’m dying here,” Nana said, clutching her top, shaking her knees, and breathing fast in a rhythm. “I really have to pee!”
“Just go then.” Ewan chuckled. “It’s right across the hall,” he said.
“I-I can't, it’s too dark. Come with me,” she said, tugging his t-shirt.
“How old are you? You still haven’t changed this habit…”
“I-It’s really dark. Stop grumbling, just come with me.” She pushed him to walk ahead.
“Fine, fine,” he said and led her through the pitch-dark corridors to the bathroom section.
The darkness blinded her, but even this amount of negligible light was enough for him to see as his irises glowed green. Papers and clipboards lay scattered on the mirror-like tiled floor, and the crunchy glass shards impeded the clean tap of their boots. The stench of desolation ran thick, even on this closed off floor. Dried stains of spilled coffee, flipped chairs, unhinged doors, still running water dispenser, shattered photo frames, broken plant pots—the signs of life from before the wall fell remained in bits and pieces.
But not for long. Obria died the moment it lost its protection; its citizens weren’t strong enough to survive against the nature’s onslaught. And soon these traces will also rot away…
“Are we there yet?” Nana asked, tiptoeing behind him, holding the hem of his t-shirt.
Her words broke him out of his dejection. “Almost,” he said.
…
…
“Are we there yet?” she asked again.
“Almost.”
…
…
“Now?”
“Almost…”
…
“I can't hold it anymore, it’ll leak out, are we there yet!”
“It should be here…,” Ewan murmured and looked around. Different sections sliced the corridor into forks here, but none of the signboards mentioned any bathroom.
“How do you even know that?” She squeezed her legs together, trembling. “I can't…anymore…it’ll leak.”
“Sound of waterdrops,” Ewan said mindlessly, closing his eyes and blocking all the useless noises—mainly her whining. The sound of a drop resonated again towards his right. “There,” he said and dragged her by her hand.
“I can't hear anything.”
“I can,” he said. “Hurry up and go or do it here.”
“I’ll go, I’ll go!” She scuttled inside with baby steps when they reached the bathroom, neither of them bothered to check whether it was male’s or female’s, and she slammed the door—it just recoiled back open however as the latch failed.
“Don’t leave!” she yelled from the inside.
“I won't, do what you have to do,” he said, leaning on the wall outside, hands crossed.
….
“Are you there?” she asked.
“I am, just pee already!”
“I’m trying, my belt’s not coming off.”
Ewan sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Just pee in your pants then,” he murmured.
….
“Are you there?”
“I am,” he said, helplessly.
Soon the echo of a thick and forceful stream of water hitting a puddle rang out, and with it she sang. “La la la ala la~”
“I can still hear it, stop singing,” he said, chortling. “Your singing has never worked.”
Her voice halted abruptly but the sound of stream to the puddle continued with a spurt.
…..
“Ewan!!” she screamed.
He jerked from his stance with a broken yawn and bolted into the bathroom, expanding his Ryvia. Nana stood there facing the dark corner, clothed up but her belt dangled. “T-That…,” she said, gulping, when Ewan came in.
He yanked Nana back by her top and stood in front of her, squinting at the concerned corner. It was darker than its surroundings, so the two tiny orbs of wavering white light contrasted better. And their owner was a pup with black and orange fur—a Fire Wolf pup. It howled in its childlike voice and limped forward, almost stumbling—its right foreleg left a trail of blood.
“It’s just a Fire Wolf pup, its fine.” He comforted Nana. It should be from the pack they just killed, most likely a survivor.
“It looks injured,” Nana said, peeking out from behind Ewan.
“Doesn’t matter, let’s go,” Ewan said and turned around, grabbing Nana with him.
“Wait,” she said and pulled away, bending down to the wolf pup, and carrying it in her arms—its blood smeared her top. “She’s too pitiful.”
“She?” Ewan frowned.
It was too dark for her to check the pup’s gender, not without Ryvia…did she use her <Identify> already…something was off about this wolf pup. Her smell…. His nose twitched—the pup gave off a sharp minty smell. Ewan recalled it from somewhere….
He couldn’t put a finger on it, the seething mist in his mind enlarged into a strange fog and clouded his clarity. Something was off about this all….
Identify.
[Astylind Name: Fire Wolf]
[Astylind Level: Level-0]
[Astylind Grade: Grade-D]
[Anima Affinity: Fire]
[Gender: Female]
[Description: Natives of Airadia. All-round creatures who major in physical melee and minor in Fire-Anima based skills. They prefer living in packs but can survive alone if needed.]
[Grade-Exalt Requirement: Astylind Core (Fire), Astylind Blood (Fire), Fira Stone.]
[Remark 1: Decent choice, a decent addition. Since potential doesn’t bind Astylinds and Starons, severity of choices decreases.]
[Remark 2: Can be used as a mount, otherwise useless.]
[Remark 3: Lacking evolution paths. Lackluster strength. Only advantage they have is their ferocity which dampens when contracted to a master.]
Yet, the results said otherwise, everything was normal. Was he overthinking? Was his instinct going awry again? Was this another change provoked by his soul merging with Toast?
“Can we bring her with us?” Nana asked.
“No,” he said. “Let’s not add one more burden on me.”
“She’s injured,” Nana said. “She’ll die if we leave her here.”
“It’s not our concern. And we just killed her family, tagging her along will be in bad taste.”
“But Severynths kill Astylinds all the time and then contract their children.” She turned back to Ewan, her eyes foggy and dazed, but soon recovered. “Please,” she said, stretching out her word, tugging his cargo with a pitiful pout.
Ewan heaved a sigh; he couldn’t retort. The baby wolf looked at him too, its beady eyes reflected his image. It was too small, too weak to be a danger—its eyes exuded innocence.
“Fine,” Ewan said. “But you’re looking after her.”
Nana beamed. “I will.”
And they both came out of the bathroom. Ewan led her again and Nana followed behind him, pinching the hem of his t-shirt, while carrying the Fire Wolf pup in her arms.
“Was it raining outside? Your shoulder is wet,” she said.
“It’s your snot!” Ewan snapped back. “You’re washing it!”