"I'm so glad, my son. Now you'll just have to pass the ritual and you'll be a fully fledged Inuzuka! I can't wait to see who will be your Imprint! I'm so proud!"
My 'father' (which I couldn't for the life of me remember the name, weird) was carrying me in his arms. He was walking in a long and dark corridor, one that I couldn't see the end of. Mainly because he held me facing him and I couldn't move my head due to my non-existing neck muscles.
Funny how that works.
But still, looking at his face made me feel some conflicting emotions.
Warm, wariness, protection, defiance, courage, scared…
I understood that my new 'body' untamed emotions were fighting against my fully grown self preservation instinct. But since I had no earthly way to act on them I chose to trust him. Not that I have a choice.
The moment I decided that, my body was suddenly overwhelmed with a comfortable feeling as I looked into his eyes.
Positive feedback loop. If my mind and my body feel the same way then I get rewarded. Troublesome.
"My fierce Tsume is right, you do sense us!" my father continued.
"Normally we wait until a child becomes of age before taking him to the ritual but she decided to do it now… Well, at least this time she let me choose your name… I should ask that doctor what painkillers he gave her. After she misspell your sister's name it might help me when she throws a fit… "
My "father" continued to speak his mind, persuaded that I couldn't understand him, when a powerful emotion flooded over me.
Protect the Protector.
"TAKE THAT BACK! I KNOW YOU LOVE HER BUT THIS IS JUST UNCALLED FOR!"
… why did I scream? I… I just had to? What's going on? What was that… voice?
"Oh? You're hungry? You want your mother? I'm sorry my child but I can't do that… Since my fierce wife decided it then you must take the ritual. I'm really sorry…"
The man said with an understanding and… Loving smile.
The feeling inside my mind immediately calmed down.
Protected.
That feeling again… Instinct? Mother of all all-knowing fuck?
"We're here. I can't speak to you anymore for the duration of the ritual, but know that I will be proud of you whatever happens. Even if you fail."
As the warm and protecting feeling surged in me again, making me babble a few sounds (I was trying to say 'what the fuck?' but the feeling didn't really conveyed, funny that...) my smiling father opened a door and stepped with me in a dark room with little to no light.
Immediately a smell of… something… came to my senses. Powerful, numerous and… playful? Happy?
How come I don't recognize that smell? I'm sure I should know that! Focus… Focus… I know that smell… It's familiar but different…
… Dogs… it's a kennel…
Is it the right time to inform everyone that I'm more of a cat person?
My father carefully placed me on the ground, face upward, in what I thought was the middle of the dark room and silently slipped out. I, somehow, managed to see the hopeful and proud look in his eyes, making the weird feeling of "protected" flare up again.
The room fell silent. The place had a feeling… Almost serene.
"Well well… What do we have here… Seems like the fleabag managed to sire a pup… I almost didn't think he had it in him anymore… "
A dark, powerful and amused voice resounded close to me. Too close for comfort. Loud thud came, slowly approaching me as I still couldn't move a muscle.
"But do you have what it takes? "
That's when I saw… Him.
Huge. Huge would be a good way to begin describing him.
Black and fluffy, too. I remember seeing him, a long time ago, in another life. The wolf towering above me had black fur with a white underside. His right eye hidden by a patch and a small glint of murder in his remaining eye.
Kuromaru.
Respect the leader.
My instinct flared up again. It annoyed me a little bit but being defenseless before a towering fluffy bag of fuck-you-with-teeth made me squash that feeling Hard.
The wolf lowered his head above mine, gave me a few sniffs and locked his eyes with mine.
As I felt his curious gaze, something in me steeled my resolve.
Respect to the leader.
I returned his gaze with the respect he maybe-somehow-apparently deserved.
"Well the smell matches and it seems you who I am… what an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. Very well, I allow the ritual to take place."
"Wadisdis? It smells like my two favorite hooman in the world but… More new?"
A new voice reached my senses. A much more playful, curious and young one.
"My my… isn't that something…"
Kuromaru was still towering above me but his face was turned in the direction of the young voice that… Looked? Smelled?...Of trepidation...?
The giant black wolf was now smiling and ohfuckmethatsalotofteeth…
"Come, young one. The pup must welcome you too."
I felt and heard some light steps, whatever that voice came from, it was coming closer. I felt some light sniff again and something moist touched my cheeks.
Did that fucker just licked me?
"He tastes goody! I like him! Hey! Friend! Friend! Do you wanna go get things? If I come with you, will we go get things?"
"What the fuck did you just said? Did you just like right now…?"
My voice came right out without me ever thinking about it. Fortunately (or unfortunately, I'm still torn about that as of today) the cute and curious moaning my throat managed to form was… let's just say 'misinterpreted'.
Immediately Kuromaru's smile became even more large. Almost predatory.
"I declare the ritual complete. Now this is really something… "
"YES! I KNEW IT! WE GONNA GO GET THINGS! WE DEFINITELY GONNA GO GET ALL THE THINGS!"
The small pup was jumping around me. The sounds of his footsteps were like… Jumping in joy?
While doing his little dance, the source of the voice came before my eyes. A small wolf pup. Barely a few weeks old with white fur. Pure white, like… The moon.
"HEY, FLEABAG! IT'S DONE!"
The door violently opened and I heard my very irate father bolting into the unlit room.
"I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME… LIKE… That… you… stupid… is.. Is my son… is this… what I think it is?"
The violent outburst of my father was cut short as he suddenly came to a halt.
"It is, my fellow ninken. Now I will have to respect you, of all people. You managed to sire an Alpha."
"My son… my son…"
Aaaaaand my father's broken again.
"Now, let's conclude this as the tradition demands it. EVERYONE! HAIL TO THE ALPHA!"
Then I heard a deafening howl coming from all directions. I understood that, in the darkness around me, were countless dogs and wolves living here. The 'ritual' was just the way to see which one will choose me.
So much for 'clan mystique'.
The parting words my father said before I entered this place came back to me and it's only thanks to my atrophied non-existent muscles that I couldn't face-palm.
There ARE Inuzukas that failed the 'ritual'.
In what kind of idiotic clan was I born?
Kuromaru lowered his head in my direction before quickly raising it and screaming with all his lungs.
It was fucking LOUD.
THE ALPHA PROTECT
"HAIL TO THE ALPHA!"
"MY SON IS AN ALPHA!"
"WE'RE GONNA GO GET ALL THE THINGS!"
As everyone joined him, the feeling came to me again. This time it was made of pride. Pure, undaunted, overwhelming pride.
The alpha protect
I was officially past my can-give-a-shit-o'meter.
Decades later, the legends of the Inuzuka clan mentioned that, on this day, the combined voices of every present ninken was so powerful that it tore the heavens. Also written in it was that the scream of defiance of the young alpha, not even a day old mind you, was clearly noticeable.
Like his voice rose above the rest to challenge the gods.
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING MEEEEEEEEE?!"
The legend wasn't too far off either.