AN: lmao, you'll probably hate me for the ending so sorry not sorry? I'm on a time crunch y'all DDX
Sitting up from her bed, a young witch yawned before stretching out. She let out a pleased groan before noticing a tap on her window. Glancing over in that direction, she raised a brow before pushing off her blanket and went towards the window. She giggles upon seeing a familiar owl.
"Hmm…" she unlatched the lock, "Hey, what are you doing here Marshmallow?"
The bird hooted as the young witch rubbed its cheek before it flapped its wings.
"Okay okay," she chuckles before opening up its small carrier parcel and grabbing the scroll letter. Untying the ribbon, she began skimming the message. "Let's see…"
Dear Miss Asami Sato,
I hope that you are enjoying your forestry excursion. As you are mostly aware, it has been a hundred nights since you have left on your spiritual training. I hope you have made progress on summoning your familiar… anyways, you must be wondering why I sent you this letter. I will get straight to the point now. A certain situation has arised at the academy and you are due to return to the academy within two sundowns. I will explain the details upon your arrival.
Please do make haste.
-Headmaster Tenzin
Folding the letter, Asami hums before looking back at Marshmallow. "Looks like I have to pack my bags early huh Marshy?" The bird hoots while twisting its head at an inhumane angle. The young witch laughs nervously before scratching its tummy.
After petting her furry friend, Asami finally waves the white fluff ball goodbye and turns to pack her bags. She paused at the sight of her cabin, "Well… this should be fun… where should I start…"
On cue, some papers fall off a stack of heffy books on her wooden desk. Asami glared at it but flinched when it caused a chain reaction and everything pretty much fell from the table. "Guess I better start with cleaning…"
…
A deep, vicious growl was rumbling and echoing against the cove by the river. She was panting, trying to catch her breath. Her body was in pain and everything was burning. Losing her consciousness, the lone wolf bared its fangs as saliva dripped down from her razor sharp teeth.
Shit… what was that poison? My body's heavy… I can't… I can't shift back… losing… con...scious…
The wolf's heavy paw dug into the forest ground before a delightful yet floral whiff invaded its nose. She sniffed again before letting out a growl of warning. Her body was fighting against her will yet she didn't know why but something was driving her to move forward. Step after step, everything was hazy as she followed this luscious scent.
Something… smells… nice…
She didn't know where she was headed but she eventually found herself in front of a small secluded pond however, she wasn't alone. Someone… some woman was there. Before a second thought, she rushed towards the enticing scent.
…
Pushing her entire weight onto her suitcase, Asami grunted before somehow managing to lock her stupid suitcase. "Got it!" With a huff, she fell back onto her behind and stretched out wide before lying down. Letting out a heavy groan, she sunk into the semi-cozy floor and closed her eyes. After a hot second, she regains her composure and gets up before looking outside the window.
The young witch happily hums while smiling at the peaceful scenery outside. "I should freshen up at the lake one last time for a bit. Just a little push and I'll be on my way home…" she playfully flicked her high ponytail back before cracking her neck. By the time she walked over to the lake, she re-tied her sloppy ponytail into a messy bun before cupping some water in her hands. Splashing her face a few times, she freshens up before stretching again.
"Mmmh…" she let out a satisfying noise before hearing a branch crunch. Immediately tensing up, she turns around. "Who's there?" Her face scrunches and she raises up her hands in a defensive position. There shouldn't be anyone here… this place is protected by a magical barrier.
"..."
She waited a few seconds before relaxing.
"Geez… I must be imagining things…" she squats down before splashing her face again. "There's no way any animal or human can make it through the barrier." She sighs before splashing her face more aggressively this time. "Of course I'm not going crazy… I'm not going crazy from not talking to anyone for a hundred days… of course not… of course not."
Another huff later, Asami splashes her face yet again with some extra oomph. As she watched the droplets from her face create ripples in the lake, she sighs before hearing another crunch. This time she froze. Okay I am not tripping then.
Cautiously standing up tall, she braces herself. Something felt off. She felt this presence that was both ery and foul yet oddly… the young witch didn't have time to process her thoughts when she was startled by the sight of this large wolf.
"What the—?"
Gritting her teeth, Asami flinched when the wolf took a heavy step forward. She knew something was wrong with the beast. It looked ragded, worn out, angry, tired, and for some reason scared. She brings up her hands in an attempt to calm the beast down.
"Woah woah woah… it's okay… I'm not going to hurt you…" she glances over at the lake behind her, "Were you thirsty? You seem hurt… I can help you… I—"
The crazed wolf snarled as its eyes never left Asami's side even for a second.
The witch gulped. They were both at a stalemate, neither willing to budge a muscle. She didn't know what was going to happen next. The atmosphere was tense and she knew she was in danger but why didn't she feel in danger? A drop of sweat drips down from her forehead and she did what she did best.
Analyze.
The wolf was abnormally large for a wild canine. It most likely stood up tall until her waist if it was by her side and it was definitely large enough to be a threat to her safety. However, as dangerous as it seemed, it also appeared to be intoxicated by something. It's rugged and lazy movements… the hazy look in its eyes… something was clearly off with the beast.
Ignoring her thundering heart, Asami found herself attracted to the wolf's beauty. She has never seen such a beautiful beast. Its luscious and flawless chestnut brown coat, its clear blue eyes, its cute ears and nose… to be honest, the young witch really wanted to pet it for some reason. The wolf was frankly really cute but she almost slapped herself when the beast lunged forward.
"Oh shit—"
Shocked by its speed, Asami didn't have time to defend herself. Her back immediately hit the ground and she found herself in a predicament. Her left forearm was blocking the beast from biting her face off while her right was scrambling on the floor to find something to shield herself with. Her arm began dripping blood down onto her face and she hissed at the burning sensation. Grunting, she turns her face to the side trying to breathe. The wolf's breath smelt of foul. It reeked of something foul like melting tar or even a rotting dead fish.
"I-It's okay…" she grunted feeling the wolf's paw dig into her side, "It's okay friend… I'm not gonna hurt you…" she shut her eyes tightly before mumbling to herself. "Unless you wanna eat me that is…"
Grunting yet again, Asami makes eye contact with the beast. There was a split second that she oddly felt at peace and even felt a spark ignite deep inside of her chest. However, she completely ignores that sensation when the beast growls in front of her face way too close for comfort.
"Oh come on… I really don't want to hurt you." You're the cutest and most beautiful wolf I've ever seen.
Pushing the wolf back with her injured arm, Asami fought it back the best she could. Eventually, she clenches the ground before fisting some dirt. She started casting some magic and began muttering some words in preparation for the worst.
"Spirituum terrae…"
The wolf continued to snarl as its jaw closed in towards Asami's neck. The young witch watched it carefully, fighting it off for as long as possible to stall for her magic. Earth magic wasn't exactly her specialty so it took some time to cast. As the beast closed in on her, she really didn't want to hurt the beast so she was hoping for some miracle. But, to her despair, the wolf widened its jaw and she frowned before whispering:
"I'm sorry…"
Right when she was about to finish her spell and attack the beast, she abruptly stopped herself. The wolf bit down and clenched its jaw before nuzzling into her neck. Asami blinks out of shock before realizing the wolf was whimpering in the crevice of her neck. It was taking some deep yet shallow breaths before she felt its weight collapse onto hers. Talk about a complete surprise. Asami drops the dirt in her hand and immediately wraps her arms around its soft back.
"Shhh shhh… it's okay… I can help you," the witch grunts at its weight before shifting beneath the canine and notices that it was crying out of pain.
Asami managed to escape its hold and laid the wolf down onto its side. She began rubbing its stomach to comfort the poor beast as it whimpered in agony. "There there…" running her fingers up and down its belly, she eventually trails her hand up to its drooping ear. "What's wrong… what happened to you?"
The wolf simply shut its eyes and continued to whimper in pain.
Asami briskly examined the wolf and quickly frowned when her hand touched a cold metal-like object. She got in closer to look at its back right hide leg and immediately noticed a dart-like object embedded in wolf's flesh. Quickly proceeding to take it out, she carefully yanks on it before bringing it up to her nose. When she recognizes the scent, she immediately gets infuriated.
"Someone shot this beautiful wolf with azalea poison?!" She exclaims before tossing the dart on the ground, "I packed away all my herbs too dammit!" She gets up before pausing when the wolf let out a weak whine. Quickly getting on her knees, she softly pats its head, "Don't worry, I'm going to get something that'll make you feel better. I'll be right back okay?"
The wolf seemed to have whined in understanding before Asami rushed to her cabin. For once, she was glad that the cabin was about a five minute run. What she wasn't thrilled about was the fact that she ripped apart her hard work of packing and cleaning for the past several hours.
"Urgh…" trifling through one suitcase, she moved on to another one. "Nope not here…" she moves on to another, "Dang it! Not this one either!"
The young witch was close to ripping out her hair before she tossed aside one suitcase and finally found what she was looking for. Her face lit up with a bright smile, "Found it!" She quickly opens her herbal case and pauses for a split second. "..." she quickly shut the case, "Oh fuck it I'll just take the whole thing."
Lugging around her bulky suitcase, she awkwardly ran back to the lake and saw the wolf still in the same spot where she had left her possibly new canine friend. Once she is by the wolf's side, she drops down onto her knees and pops open her trunk.
"Okay… shh shh shh…" she shushes the whimpering wolf and gives it some comforting strokes before pulling out an abundance of herbs. She whips out her stone bowl and sets it on the floor before tossing in a various amount of herbs. Grinding them together, she eventually adds some of the lake water making it into a paste.
The young witch scoops a generous amount of the makeshift medicine in her hand before lathering it onto the wolf's wound. The wolf immediately winces from the pain and growls at Asami before she starts soothing the beast again.
"Shh shh shhh… it's okay," she gently pats its side back and forth, "There there… you're doing great my friend…"
After the canine calms down, Asami continues to rub its side before reaching for another herb from her trunk. She finds her most soothing herb and lights it on fire with a striking stone. "Here you go… this should help relax you."
She softly places the herb down on a nearby stone and proceeds to pet the wolf comfortingly. Then, after a moment of relaxation, the canine's whimpering stopped and its breathing leveled out. "Everything is going to be okay…"
After a moment of rubbing the soft spot behind the wolf's ear, the young witch finally snaps out of it. The sun was setting and she needed to get back to her cabin. She had just one day left to get ready and repack the mess she had cleaned up. Sighing to herself, she looks down at her herbal trunk before looking at the wolf. She had some extra work to do to say the least.
Mumbling to herself, "Now… how should I…" she looks up at the darkening sky, "This is gonna be a longggg night…"
…
After an exquisite amount of time, Asami finally had the wolf's and her own wound dressed. Said wolf was tucked in sound asleep on her bed and the witch was finally putting away her herbal suitcase. With one last heavy yet silent oompfh, the young witch set down her case on the table before dreading the sight of her once clean cabin. Ignoring the mess, she glances over at the peaceful wolf and walks over to her bed before kneeling before it.
Carefully reaching out to pet its soft fur, she mumbles to herself. "Why are you so soft? I didn't know wild wolves were this soft…" she rests the side of her head on the mattress, "Your belly's white too…"
She blinks.
"Wait a second… what are you…" clearing her throat slightly, she sat up and went towards the wolf's lower half. She looks back and forth in her cabin as if she was avoiding judgment before lifting up its tail.
"..."
She cocks an eyebrow.
"Dang… I can't see…"
Clearing her throat slightly, the witch carefully grabs its injury free hide leg before glancing at the wolf's face. Swallowing some nerves, she didn't know why she was nervous as she carefully lifted up its leg. She immediately twitches when the wolf's tail swats randomly but proceeds on with what she was doing since the coast was clear. Finally, after a moment of careful movements, she smiles when she figures it out.
"She's a girl… aww…"
Asami was completely swoon for this beautiful wolf. She has always loved animals ever since she was a child no matter the kind. Especially more so because she's never managed to summon a familiar her entire childhood let alone now. But, make no mistakes, she was a talented and powerful witch for her generation that she could even be called a prodigy.
However, the only bane in her existence was a familiar. For some reason, she never managed to and always struggled to summon one. As advanced as she was in the magical arts, she was far behind in familiar training which was equally important being a witch and all. Most of the people she knew had already summoned theirs and that was when she was six. She's eighteen now and has yet to even make a magic circle glow let alone summon one. So no, no one can really blame her for loving animals as much as she did.
After Asami sets down her leg, she rests her cheeks in her palms. "I hope you wake up soon…" she was admiring, yet again, the wolf's glossy light chestnut coat and white under belly, "Should I name you? What am I going to do… I have to head back to the academy tomorrow… should I just wolfnap you… hmm…"
The young witch ended up falling asleep in that awkward position. By the time she woke up, the sunlight was trickling in through her windows. She grunts before painfully opening her eyes. The first thing she notices is that her body is in a whole lot of pain, aching in unbelievable places. Secondly, she notices that she's making eye contact with the wolf.
She blinks.
As if the young witch was having a moment, she felt like something was resonating inside of her. The way those clear blue eyes pierced hers… she could've sworn she felt her heart beat before realizing that the wolf was letting out a soft growl. The wolf had shrunk back into the corner and was snarling with her teeth exposed. Asami understood it to be her natural defensive mechanism.
Gulping slightly, Asami backs carefully away. Once she was out of arm reach, she carefully raised up her hands in surrender. "I'm not gonna hurt you…"
She slowly moves her hand closer but stops when the wolf lets out a threatening bark.
"Sh sh shhh… it's okay…"
The witch continued to slowly get closer. She made sure to look as vulnerable as she could as she approached the wolf from the lowest angle possible. It was a slow process but eventually Asami made it close to her nose. The fierce look in the wolf's eyes never left Asami's and her defensive growl didn't leave either. She had kept up her defensive stance and held it when Asami's hand was in front of her nose.
Eventually, in the most soothing voice possible, Asami says, "I'm not gonna hurt you…"
The wolf kept up her growl and they were at a stalemate for quite some time before she gradually relaxed her tense jaw. Her teeth were sheathed and she licked her nose before sniffing the witch's hand. Asami giggles and the canine's ears twitch before she leans forward. Giving the human a couple sniffs, the wolf finally settles and pokes her hand with the tip of her damp nose.
"Good girl…" with caution, Asami went for it and softly scratched its under jaw.
The wolf yielded and allowed the human to pet her.
After a second, she chimes in. "What happened to you? You were hurt by azalea's poison which shouldn't be in this forest…"
The canine's nose twinges before she sneezes.
With a smile, Asami scratches her neck. "Well no matter." She finally takes in the sight of her room again before sighing. "I have to go back to the coven soon. What should I do… I can't leave you alone. The poison isn't fully out of your system so you need care…"
Panting slightly, the wolf twitches its ear.
"How do you feel about coming with me?"
Tilting her head, she whines.
"Once I'm done treating you I can take you back!"
Lying down onto the mattress, the canine huffs.
"I guess that's a no then." With a sigh, the young witch starts cleaning up her room. After a moment, she hisses at the burning sensation from her arm.
…
"!"
The wolf stood up abruptly. Don't tell me I bit her? Her dad's words rung in her head.
Korra, we are a pack of proud wolves. For generations, we have fought to protect the balance of the peace between humans and the supernatural. Under no circumstances will we attack the innocent.
Oh shit, dad's gonna kill me…
Korra gets off the bed and immediately almost falls down. She grits her teeth at the pain and is reminded of the nauseous sensation. With a beast-like groan, she eventually limps over to the human to rub against her leg.
Sorry…
The human twitches before looking down. "Oh— um… are you apologizing?" With a soft smile, she pats her head. "Don't worry I'm okay, it's just a small scratch."
Korra whines when she notices the amount of blood that was showing through the bandage. With a sad woof, she licked her hand.
"Hey that tickles!" The human let out a happy giggle.
"..." This human smells different… She glances at her surroundings. Ah, she must be a witch? Did they always smell this good? I had heard they always smelled like soot and ashes…
"What if I just leave the majority of my stuff behind… that should be fine, not like anyone else is going to come here besides me. Yeah, that sounds good like a good plan Asami."
Korra's ear twitches. So her name's Asami? More like, did humans always talk this much? Yawning slightly hobbled back and jumped onto the bed. She curls into a ball and watches the witch before her eyelids grow heavy. No… don't sleep… must be alert…
It wasn't long until Korra fell in a soft slumber and by the time she woke up, Asami was in the middle of preparing something. Korra's ears twitch again before she tilts her head. What is that… thing on the door…
"..."
As if Asami felt her question, she turned around. "Oh hey you're up!" She smiles softly, "You're just in time. I just finished connecting the portal to the academy."
Korra's jaw dropped slightly. The what?
The witch dragged over her suitcase. "We just need to walk through this portal and then poof—" she gestures her hands outward, "we'll be at my room in the academy."
"..."
Korra's face must've not looked amused because Asami pouted her lips slightly.
"Hey it's gonna be funner than it seems okay! Just trust me."
The wolf finally stands up before thinking to herself. Sure it is. Sureeee it is. She limps over to Asami's legs and rubs her face against them.
Asami's lips were still slanted as she rubbed the canine's head. "Why do I feel like you're not amused?"
Korra looks up and makes eye contact before woofing once. The young witch sighs before giving up. "Okay okay… I get it… you're not amused." She raises her hand, "Lux spirituum, dona mihi accedere ad academy."
The strange writing drawn along the wooden door began glowing. Korra blinks a few times before raising her ears. Holy shit…
The doorway was now covered in a white light. When the writing stopped glowing, Asami started pushing her suitcases inside. A few grunts later, she looks at the wolf. "Okay, just walk in after me okay? I'll see you on the other side," she went inside and disappeared.
"..."
Korra sighed before taking a step forward. Dad, if I die here, I'm sorry.
She began walking into the light before shutting her eyes when it got too bright. She heard this soft whoosh and warm sensation before feeling a different texture beneath her paws. It wasn't the same wood she was standing on since it felt like a firm carpet.
"Welcome to Republic Witches Academy."
Her jaw dropped. What the fuck?
…
After getting situated, the two of them started heading towards the headmaster's office. At this point, Korra was feeling better since Asami had given her some sort of supplement to eat. Not to mention, she did always heal quickly after all. Point was, she was coherent enough to realize that there was a lot of attention being given to them apparently. She wasn't too sure what the reason behind that was though.
"Oh my gosh! Asami is that wolf your familiar? It's so cute!"
"It has such clear blue eyes too!"
Asami blushes bashfully before rubbing her cheek with her finger for no apparent reason. "Yeah… I know. I found her just a bit before I came back."
"Congrats Asami!"
"Congratulations! You finally did it!"
"Finally it's about time!"
If only that was the case… Asami laughs nervously before scratching the wolf's ear. She gives everyone a guilty smile as she walks away knowing their praises meant nothing. She wasn't her familiar. She was just a wild wolf and Asami had planned to return her to the wild once she was recovered.
Pattering left and right, the wolf's ear twitches as she pants while walking along the young witch's side. She surprisingly enjoyed the sight of this luscious campus and soon enough, it didn't take long for them to reach the head master's office. After a few knocks, they went inside and Asami quickly bowed.
"Asami, I'm glad you made it. Please, take a seat."
"Thank you Headmaster Tenzin." She takes a seat and the wolf mindlessly sits down by her side on the floor.
"Oh?" Tenzin raises an eyebrow, "And who might this young wolf be? Is it your…?"
Asami smiles before shaking her head softly, "As much as I wish that was the case, I found her poisoned by azalea root in the forest. Since she seemed pretty hurt, I treated her and by now, I'd like to think she deals with me now…" she turns to face the wolf, "right girl?"
The wolf practically hummed before letting out a soft bark.
"I see, that's quite a shame on your half but speaking of this matter… I believe it has to do with the recent animal lynchings."
The young witch immediately frowns, "The what?"
The wolf let out a soft growl while baring her teeth.
They both noticed and were slightly intrigued by its manner before ignoring it and continued. "Yes. Recently poachers have been illegally capturing animals from the forests and I have been discussing this matter with the chief from the southern wolf pack."
The wolf immediately whimpers and both Tenzin and Asami look down at it. With a concerned face, Asami leans down closer to it. "What's wrong girl? You okay?"
The wolf continues to whimper, making Tenzin hum while stroking his beard. "Perhaps… this young child is…" he clears his throat, "Anyways, the reason why I asked for you to come back this early was because I wanted you to be a part of the task force I have made to deal with this issue."
"I see… I understand, who will I be teamed with?"
Headmaster Tenzin nods, "You'll be paired with your close schoolmates: Mako, Bolin, Opal and Kuvira. Of course, there are more members in your team however, these four are the ones you'll be working hand in hand with. You best prepare as soon as possible since you will be leaving next sunrise. As for this wolf…" he looked at the wolf's eyes and something about them reminded him of the southern chief. "You should take her with you, I believe she will be helpful."
The wolf looked like she was debating something on the inside but nonetheless barked happily as if she had understood the whole conversation. Which, in fact, she did since she was part human.
Asami doesn't think much about her behavior though. "Thank you, I will excuse myself if that is all then."
Tenzin nods in approval, "I wish you the best of luck."
…
Korra cracks her neck side to side. Okay… I think the poison is out of my system now. Hm…
Walking along Asami's side, she looks up at her face.
I should probably be able to transform now but that seems… a bit awkward at this point.
"I know I should be packing up for the mission but why don't we rest here for a moment? It's been a while since I've been back here. The garden in RWA is quite amazing, we have one of the best in my opinion." Asami says before sitting down on the grassy floor.
The wind happens to blow and Korra watches as it carries Asami's long wavy hair in the wind. Her nose twitches and she happens to catch the human's scent before sitting down on her hind legs. The young witch immediately smiles before patting her thigh.
"..."
Korra ponders her gesture before giving in and walks over. She rests her head on the witch's lap before enjoying her nice ear rub.
"For a wolf, you have such soft fur. I didn't know wild wolves were this refined."
Well that's because I'm part human and I take care of myself. Not like you'd know though… Her tail happily swipes left and right as she leans closer into Asami's hand. This human sure knows where to scratch…
"You know, I've always wanted a familiar. You see… I've never been able to summon one so I've been jealous of the other witches and warlocks…"
Hmm…
"That's why I'm glad you're not hostile with me, it makes me think this is what it'd feel like to have a friend—"
"Will you looky here, guess who crawled back to the academy. I heard rumors that you had a wolf familiar so I came to check it out with my own eyes!" A smug voice speaks from a distance.
Korra didn't pay much attention to that voice but immediately frowns at the loss of her ear rubs.
"What do you want Tahno…" looking irritated, Asami looks up from her new friend to face him.
"Ohhh nothing. Nothing at all. I just couldn't believe my ears about hearing that the great non-familiar Sato got one."
Even Korra could feel the smugness in his voice and she didn't like it. She clenched down on her jaw and some of her fangs began showing. The furs on her body started standing up by reflex as well. Feeling slightly surprised, Asami felt her sudden change in mood that she looked down before proceeding to get a mouth full of a voice she never really liked.
"Never would've thought 'miss normal' would get one. I guess you really were a late bloomer huh! Isn't that right Wolfy?" Tahno spits out before petting his wolf bat familiar.
Korra dug her paw into the ground. She stands up before standing guard for Asami, showing her protective nature to this pompous punk. Her fangs showed more as she let out a low growl.
"Oh?" He laughs, "I guess your familiar likes you? Isn't that great! It's a shame you aren't as close to it as I am with Wolfy!" His wolf bat began chirping as if it was laughing along with its master
The audacity…
Korra finally lowers her body before glaring at the wolf bat. Her blood lust makes it quickly cower in fear and before Tahno could even react, she lunged forward with a vicious snarl. Both Tahno and Wolfy fell back as if they had tripped on something which caused Asami to giggle softly.
"W-Why you…" clicking his tongue he pointed at Asami before storming off. "I'll remember this!"
When the two were finally far enough, Korra turns and walks back to Asami's side. She whimpers slightly before licking her hand. Nuzzling against her body, she starts licking her repeatedly in an attempt to comfort her.
Laughing softly, Asami reciprocated her affection. "Hey— that tickles girl!"
With a bright smile on her face, Asami kneels to cup the wolf's face with both hands. She scratches her sides before shaking her head playfully.
"Thanks girl, you didn't have to."
Korra nuzzles against her hand again before licking her palm one last time.
"That tickles!" Her soft laughs sounded our music to Korra's ears. "Anyways… come on, we should eat and then get some rest. It's been surprisingly a long day…"
At that, she barks. True that.
…
"Hey Asami! It's been like forever! Is that the infamous wolf familiar of yours?!"
Asami's eye trailed up to the sound of that voice, "Hey Bolin," she looks down at the wolf and scratches her head, "She's not my familiar but I'd like to think we're good friends. Right girl?"
The wolf nuzzles its snout in Asami's hand which gets the young witch to smile.
"Oh my warlock! No way… if that's not your familiar then you so have a pet wolf now Asami! Damn gurllll! I'm jealous!"
Asami rolls her eyes playfully, "I'm telling you she's not my pet either. We're just friends."
Someone snorts from a distance. "See, I told you Opal. My sources don't lie."
Wagging her tail happily back and forth, the wolf continues to pant contently from Asami's nice rubs while she looks at her other two friends. "Morning' you two but hey! I'm telling you she is not my pet Kuvira! Don't go spreading weird rumors geez."
Bolin shrugs before chiming in, "She is cute though."
Opal crosses her arms before simply nodding in agreeance while Kuvira shook her head.
"Hey, you might as well and tame her, just saying. When are you gonna get a chance like this again? Just look at her," Kuvira gestures at their closeness, "She's totally taken a liking to you."
Asami frowns, "I'm not gonna kid—" she looks down at her campion, "wolfnap… a stray wolf. She probably has a family and I'm sure she wouldn't want to be stuck with me."
"Holy shit— that wolf's huge!"
They all look over at the new voice. "Mako! Brotherrrr, you're late to the party!"
Mako walks over while eyeing the wolf. "Damn Asami, I heard about it around campus but didn't really believe it, you really got yourself a wolf?" He makes eye contact with the wolf and they simply stare at another.
"..."
"..."
He clears his throat, "Say… can I… can I pet its ears? I heard they're soft."
Asami gives him a judging look while resting her hand on her hip. "Really? That's all you got to say? No, of course not. She doesn't like to be touched by strangers!"
"And how would you know that?" He starts reaching for her head, "I'm sure she's—"
The wolf had the most unamused face possible. She was a hundred percent judging Mako as she sat by Asami's side but at the same time, it was as if she was daring him to get closer. He twitches and seems to sense her annoyed vibes before freezing in place.
"You know, on second thought, I think I'm good."
Kuvira almost choked, "Heh! I like her, what a good girl."
Asami rolls her eyes, "Uhuh… that's what I thought. Don't touch my wolf."
"Hu hu, you just called her your wolf!" Opal teasingly sings while Bolin whistles playfully with her.
"Oh shut it y'all, let's hurry and head to the Southern Portal. We're gonna be late meeting with the southern wolves." Asami turns and starts walking away.
The wolf's ear twitches and her mouth thins out but luckily no one notices since they followed after Asami.
"Yeah yeah, we know we know." Mako says before walking up to the front.
Kuvira laughs, "Well even if you don't keep this one, maybe you should just kidnap some other animal."
"Kuvira!"
"I'm kidding I'm kidding… well maybe not but you should really think about it."
Asami groans in disbelief while the wolf nervously walks behind the group. At this moment, Korra knew she was screwed. Aw shit… dad's gonna be so mad…
…
"Welcome witches and warlocks," a sturdy man says while bowing with his fist in his palm, "My name is Jakka and we welcome you to our territory in the south."
"Woahh, this is so cool!" Bolin squeals in a high pitch as he looks around at the beautiful forest scenery.
Everyone else enjoys the scenery as well before Mako was the first to respond. "We thank you for the welcome." He bows back before gesturing at his group, "I'm Mako and this is Bolin, Kuvira, Opal and Asami. We're the team from the Republic Witches Academy that will be in charge of this case."
Jakka makes eye contact with the wolf and his eyebrow twitches. "..."
"..." the wolf gives him the same blank look back.
After a second, Jakka clears his throat before continuing. "We appreciate your fast response for the assistance. Allow me to show you around the compound first, we'll discuss the details once you are settled."
They all follow after him and soon enough, he gestures towards the buildings. "So starting from our right, those are the training barracks and past them is the entrance to the woods. Next to them is the dinning hall where you can eat and get hygienic necessities and after that, you have the library, information and trading halls and then the chief's hut. The residential area is the furthest on the left and anything past our structures is marked by some fencing to separate us from the forest."
Bolin was letting out some "Uuu's" and "Aaa's" before he noticed something. "Wait a second… I thought you guys—" he pauses when he sees Opal's glare, "and gals… were werewolf species? How come I don't see any wolves?"
Jakka gives him a blank look, "Yes, most of us are werewolves however that doesn't mean we'll remain in our wolf forms forever. On most occasions, we only change for reconnaissance and well…" he gives their wolf a glance, "for travel. You can think of it as a personal preference like how some witches use brooms over portals."
"Ohhhh, okay that makes sense."
Mako quickly jabs his brother.
"Oww! What's that for!"
"For asking stupid questions that's why!"
Bolin scoffs, "Hey it was an earnest question!"
"Which you'd already know if you paid attention to class you dounce." Kuvira teases with a smug grin.
"Kuvira! Don't embarrass me in front of him!"
Opal laughs while Asami smiles at his flustered state. Smiling softly, Jakka continues on with some more explanations. After a few moments, they finally finished the tour. "Alright, that is the gist of our compound. Does anyone have any other questions?"
"Nope!"
He nods with an approving hum, "Very well. I will take you to the chief now."
The wolf pauses in place before gulping. This is it. I'm fucked. Her tail started to hang low between her legs and she began walking closer to Asami to somewhat hide. The young witch notices her strange behavior and raises an eyebrow out of curiosity.
"What's wrong girl? You feeling sick again?" Asami crouches down and cups her face. She begins patting her head before scratching her side.
The wolf whines before Jakka clears his throat again once they arrive in front of the hut. "Chief Tonraq, I have brought the witches and warlocks from the academy."
"Come in."
Jakka pushes the wool curtains aside and they all step inside. The chief immediately stands up to greet them. "Thank you for coming here witches and warlocks, I am Tonraq."
The teens quickly bow in respect, "We are grateful for your hospitality. I hope we will be able to resolve this conflict quickly. I am Mako and this is Bolin, Kuvira, Opal and Asami."
Tonraq nods in affirmation, "We thank you for the fast response. We have embarrassingly been experiencing some difficulty with these recent cases… sadly the poachers seem more sly this time around." He finally gestures for them to sit.
They all nod appreciatively before sitting down.
It wasn't until they were all seated that Tonraq finally noticed the wolf. His eyebrows furrows with a disapproving look. "Korra. Where have you been? How long do you plan on remaining as a wolf?"
"Korra?" Asami blinks before looking down at the wolf.
The wolf scampers back in place with an awkward whimper.
"What?" Kuvira raises a brow, "Korra?"
"Korra?"
They all look at the wolf.
Chief Tonraq sighs, "Young lady did you not hear me? Go get changed. You're being disrespectful to our guests."
"Uhh…"
They all look at each other with confused looks.
The wolf whimpers again before looking at Asami guiltily. Clearing her throat, Asami awkwardly asks, "Um… pardon my interruption but can you please explain to us what you mean by this Chief?"
"Please, call me Tonraq."
She clears her throat again. "T-Tonraq… sir."
Tonraq rubs his beard before sighing slightly. "Well, seeing how you've come together, I assume you've been acquainted with her? I apologize for our rudeness, this young lady here is my daughter… Korra."
Her vibrant green eyes popped open, "Say what?"
The wolf finally scampers over behind a fur wall and soon enough, a young lady with bright cyan eyes walks out with a fur pelt wrapped around her shoulders. She gives the crowd an awkward grin before shyly saying, "H-Hi… nice to meet you, I'm Korra."