The Beginning of a New Quest
Alzack Connell carefully sipped his hot, morning coffee as he sat upon a stool at the bar in Fairy Tail. Seated beside him was Macao Conbolt, formerly the Fourth Master of the guild, who was busy listing the many dangers the gunslinger should look out for while out on a job request with Romeo. The younger man had lost track on how many times he had heard the same old warnings from the over-protective father whenever he was chosen to accompany Romeo. Having heard it enough times, Alzack had learned when to nod and mumble an appropriate response without needing to listen to a single word coming out of Macao's mouth.
"Mm-hmm, look out for poisonous snakes," he murmured automatically to something his guild mate had said as he placed his steaming mug back on the counter. His coffee was too hot to drink at the moment. Alzack glanced over at the Request Board, seeing young Romeo browsing through the limited postings available. It was the beginning of a new week. Around this time there would usually be one or two new requests for Fairy Tail which was a sad, dramatic decrease compared to the glory days seven years ago. Back then, there would have been over a hundred different clients each week asking specifically for Fairy Tail's help that the board itself couldn't be seen due to all the job postings. However, with the recent return of Master Makarov and the rest of the guild who had all disappeared on Tenrou Island, Alzack was confident Fairy Tail would gain back its reputation eventually. He even overheard Romeo mentioning to his father about competing in the upcoming annual Grand Magic Games to bring Fairy Tail's rank back to the top. That idea was still being heatedly debated between father and son.
The guild was nearly empty this morning with most members out of town and training. Others were away on jobs or running errands. It was so calm and relatively quiet with only Alzack, Mirajane, Romeo, and Macao occupying the hall.
Mirajane was at the board as well, pinning up a new request that had just arrived this morning. She started a conversation with Romeo, which Alzack couldn't catch a word of with Macao buzzing right in his ear. It seemed like the boy was rather curious about the new job posting when Mirajane gestured at it with a smile. Elated, the boy ripped the request off the board and ran over to the bar where his father and Alzack were waiting.
"What do you have there?" the gunslinger asked with a lopsided smirk, interrupting Macao.
Romeo held up the posting for both men to see. "Check this out! A holy sword was stolen from a temple at Lake Hemlock just last night and they're asking for someone to get it back," the novice mage began to explain. "They call the sword the 'Divine Blade From Heaven' because it fell from the sky over a week ago." He looked at Alzack, his eagerness never fading. "Didn't Bisca say Links might have fallen from the sky too? Do you think this is related?"
Alzack raised an eyebrow while Macao took the paper from his son's hands for a better look.
"Links? That big dog that fell from the roof?" Macao questioned as he continued to read, running a thumb over his freshly shaven chin.
"He's actually a wolf," the younger man corrected before crossing his arms in thought. "And yeah, Bisca did say he came from the sky…" At first, Alzack didn't believe his wife that the wolf had fallen from some floating island. Not wanting to argue, Bisca had told him to personally ask the furry beast if the fact was true. He abided just to humour her only to come out surprised and impressed when he noticed the wolf understanding every spoken word.
The gunslinger looked up at the patched ceiling and temporarily fixed rafters. Three days had passed since the incident involving the sneaky wolf and an impulsive Iron Dragon Slayer. Since then, the animal never wandered near the guild again, but he did venture into town quite a few times over the past few nights, giving a number of people quite a scare and making Bisca worry for his safety. Clever and stealthy, Links was an incredibly intelligent animal that could somehow climb onto rooftops and sneak into buildings.
Bisca and Alzack had even caught the canine trying to enter the Caldia Cathedral through an open window late last night and the wolf wasn't alone, but working alongside with Nene the tigress, much to the mages' surprise. Links was obviously searching for something, not to steal food like he had done in Dahlias, however Bisca couldn't quite get an answer when she questioned the wolf during their walk back home.
The blue-eyed animal was a strange, fascinating creature that seldom behaved like an ordinary beast. Tame and nonaggressive, Links easily got along with all the other animals Bisca owned. He was a carnivore but did not act like a predator, preferring to be hand-fed rather than hunt. Interesting enough, he was also a picky eater; eating only meat that was cooked and served on a plate while ignoring table scraps that Asuka would sometimes like to sneak to him.
It wasn't difficult to read his emotions and lately, the wolf has been very depressed. Some nights he would howl when the moon was visible; his call sounding like a melody that was both lonely and eerie.
Bisca has been trying to help her furry friend over the past few days, but there was very little information she could gather on sky wolves and floating islands. Even Levy was out of luck and she was the best at finding the right information out of books and scrolls both ancient and new. The best Bisca could do when another day came up empty-handed was to stay by the wolf's side out in their yard and comfort him like she would a close friend.
"A sword from heaven, huh?" Alzack pondered out loud, wondering if the sword did have some relation to the mysterious wolf. Intrigued, the young man leaned over to take a gander at the job description that was a paragraph long on the piece of paper in Macao's hands.
'URGENT! PLEASE HELP!' the title of the posting read in large, bolded letters; 'Scandalous thieves have stolen our sacred treasure, the Divine Blade From Heaven late last night! This holy item is very important for it was bestowed upon the altar of our sacred temple by the divine Light God Himself! For eleven days we had guarded this wonderful gift that had gracefully fallen from the heavenly skies, but now the altar has been damaged and the sword stolen! We beseech the brave and just to retrieve it immediately! We will pay a handsome reward of 500,000 Jewels for the sword's return!
'Signed – Priest Jarron T. Alfreed
'Temple of the Light God – Lake Hemlock'
Eleven days ago? That was around the same time Links was spotted in Dahlias according to Bisca. And Lake Hemlock was located somewhere near the village as well, if Alzack knew his geography right. The connection between these two facts might not be a coincidence.
"You know, this could be an actual clue to where Links might have come from," Alzack commented, feeling hopeful. Although he was skeptical about the 'holy' sword being a gift from some Light God considering he was not a big believer in great deities and the like. The sword might have just fallen from the sky much like how Links had presumably fallen as well. If that was true, did Links' owner plummet to earth along with the beast? Would that person even survive the fall? Links somehow did without any major injury so it was possible his owner did as well.
Romeo brightened. "We should bring Bisca! I know she'd like to investigate this," he said.
"She'd definitely jump on board after she hears about this," replied the gunslinger, grinning. His wife would no doubt stop what she was doing, pack whatever she needed, drop off Asuka with Mirajane, and leave town within an instant once the exciting news reached her. Links has been on her mind since his arrival and whatever troubled her troubled Alzack as well. Her love for her pets was as grand as the tallest mountains in Earthland. She would do anything to make them happy no matter how difficult the feat, something Alzack admired and respected to this day.
Every one of Bisca's animals was a part of her family. And when Alzack married her, her family became his family. It took time and effort to gain the trust of each beast, but Alzack has finally gotten the hang of understanding and befriending every furry, scaly, feathery, or hairless creature that belonged to his wife as well as every other new addition. Caring for animals and raising Asuka together has brought happiness and joy to the couple. There was nothing they would not do to cheer up their daughter and their pets.
Macao held up a hand and began to shake his head. "Hold it. This was a robbery. You're not thinking of doing this, are you, Romeo? This is an A Rank mission. I'm not allowing it," he told his son.
Romeo's excitement deflated like a balloon. He started to pout. "But Dad! I'll be with Alzack and Bisca! There's nothing to be worried about," the boy tried to assure.
Before the father could argue, Alzack patted the older man's shoulder and stated, "Your boy's becoming a man, Macao. It's time for him to move on from C's and B's. I did my first A Rank around his age and it went pretty well. For the most part." Alzack mumbled the last part under his breath. Thankfully Macao didn't catch it.
The former master of Fairy Tail grunted and gave both males a stern, disapproving look. He waved the job posting in the air and said, "This doesn't say how many thieves there were. What if there are twenty of them involved? All armed and dangerous? Members of a Dark Guild even? I don't want to put your life at risk, Romeo."
Alzack scratched the side of his cheek and frowned. "I suppose it doesn't say much about the thieves. But they did steal something pretty valuable so they could possibly be very dangerous."
"What if it's only one person? I'm not afraid of finding out. I'm still going! I know how to defend myself!" Romeo exclaimed defiantly.
"Romeo," Macao began in a firm tone.
"If you're in doubt, why not ask Erza to join you?" Mirajane suddenly interrupted from behind the two men. Unnoticeably, she had strolled behind the counter of the bar during the men's discussion and had already topped their mugs with fresh coffee. She wore a knowing smile. "It won't matter how many thieves there are with Erza on your team. I'm sure she won't hesitate to help because this 'Divine Blade From Heaven' will likely catch her attention. Am I right, Erza?" She shifted her blue eyes to the side and raised a silver-white eyebrow at the empty seat right beside Alzack.
Except it wasn't empty any more.
"Hm. You know me too well, Mira," spoke the person none other than Titania herself.
Startled, Alzack nearly fell off his stool at the armoured woman's sudden appearance. He didn't hear her approach at all; neither of the males did, so it was a shocking surprise to find her sitting on a stool, dressed in her normal armour and skirt, calmly drinking from a cup of tea and acting as if she was there from the beginning. "E-Erza! When did you get here?!" he cried, straightening in his seat.
The scarlet-haired mage lightly smirked at the gunslinger's reaction when she faced the men. "Only a few minutes ago. 'Divine Blade From Heaven'… Sounds interesting," she mused, stirring her tea with a spoon. She took a small sip and placed the cup on her saucer. "I'd like to take a look at it and see if it really is worthy to be called divine. I will accompany you two on your quest. You wouldn't mind, would you, Alzack?"
The gunslinger quickly shook his head. "N-Not at all. It… would be a good idea." And possibly terrifying at the same time knowing how merciless Titania could be against those that have done wrong, resulting in high collateral damage to surrounding buildings, structures, and whatnot (though not as high as Natsu who tended to get carried away).
"What of you, Macao?" Her brown eyes flickered to the older man, making him flinch.
"Err, n-no… It's fine, I suppose," Macao stuttered as he ran a nervous hand through his gelled, dark purple hair.
"Does that mean I can go?" Romeo questioned his father with hopeful eyes.
"Well…"
"I don't see why not," Erza intruded, raising her brow as if challenging the former master.
Macao had no choice but to relent. He sighed. "You can go, Son. Just keep an eye on him, will you, Erza? Keep him out of trouble."
Erza smirked and nodded. "Understood." She finished her tea in one gulp, slid off her stool and started to leave. Her armour softly clanged as she calmly strolled away. "Let's go tell Bisca," she said, motioning for her newly established team to follow her without looking back.
Romeo was excited again. "Bye, Dad! Thanks for letting me go! Bye, Mirajane!" he exclaimed and ran to join up with Titania.
"Good luck!" was the silver-haired mage's cheerful reply as she waved goodbye.
When Alzack stood up, Macao cleared his throat to catch the other's attention. "Be sure to protect Romeo from Erza let alone those thieves," whispered Macao, moving to take a drink of his coffee.
The gunslinger chuckled humorously and patted the older man's shoulder. "He'll be in good hands. Don't worry… too much." With that, he gave Macao and Mirajane a small wave of farewell before catching up with his new teammates waiting by the doors of Fairy Tail.
"I'm envious. I want to come too," stated Nene with a noticeable pout in her tone. Sitting on her haunches, the tigress flicked her tail from side to side in aggravation and snorted. The morning sun was shining down in her green eyes and making her scowl so she appeared extremely disgruntled. She looked ready to kill whatever dared crossed her path, but Link knew that wasn't the case.
"Don't be sad, Nene," said Mula in a futile attempt to cheer up the striped cat. However, the chestnut-coloured mare couldn't hide her own excitement as she stomped her two front feet, a habit she often did when she was happy. All saddled up and carrying leather bags full of gear, Mula was ready to go on an adventure with her rider, Bisca.
"It may be a long and dangerous journey. It is best you do not come with us," Link told his feline friend as he gave her an apologetic look. Gathered before him were most of Bisca's pet animals as he waited near the yellow back door to the mistress's home.
News of a sword fallen from the sky had brought him out of his misery and brewing frustration that had developed over the past few days. He was anxious to leave and search for the weapon at once. When he had overheard the young boy named Romeo explain to Bisca about the 'Divine Blade From Heaven', the wolf knew immediately that it was the Master Sword. It just had to be.
He was tired of waiting and had grown weary from searching Magnolia every night for a piece of information only to be greatly disappointed by the light of each dawn. (Only once he was caught guilty of wandering into places he shouldn't be going into. Bisca had scolded him for that.)
It was a true blessing to finally have a clue come to him in the form of a job request picked up by young Romeo. However, according to the description, the sword was stolen. Knowing that angered the wolf deeply. He was so close yet still very far from breaking out of his current predicament.
It wasn't difficult to convince Bisca to bring him along on this mission. His desperation had shone through when he ran up to the group consisting of Bisca, her husband Alzack, Romeo, and the scarlet-haired woman equipped in steel, also known as Erza, the frightfully strong alpha-female of Fairy Tail that Link had seen back at the guild four nights ago. Erza wasn't around at the moment but had shortly left to obtain her own mount at the town's stables after Bisca had quickly agreed to join in on the job request.
Bisca had understood then that the holy sword mentioned in the posting was indeed what he was looking for all this time. However, she interpreted it as his 'owner's' lost weapon and not his, not that he could blame her for the mistake. Link was quick to ignore the misinterpretation since the green-haired mage was willing to take him with her team to the temple that once held the sacred weapon.
Located in Lake Hemlock, the temple was somewhere near the village Link had stumbled upon over a week ago. As Alzack had mentioned to his wife, his assumption of the heavenly sword's descent and the time Link was first reported in Dahlias was not coincidental. The wolf had nodded vigorously to convince the humans that Alzack's assumption was right.
They were almost ready to depart. Bisca was inside packing up a number of things for her daughter's caretaker while Alzack wasn't too far away, strapping a bridle on his mount, Hefnir, a giant, flightless bird called an ostwark.
Standing taller than any man on two strong, white, scaly legs that ended with three-toed, clawed feet, Hefnir was big enough to carry two full grown adults on his back. He was a beautiful creature having feathers that gleamed like silver in the light, a long, slender neck, a crimson, pointed beak made for spearing fish, and a showy crown of deep blue feathers sprouting atop its head. His glossy black tail feathers were always fanned out in an attractive display with each short feather ending in a soft, reddish tuft.
Even though he had broad wings, Hefnir could not fly. But that didn't mean he was helpless on land. Ostwarks were amazingly fast runners; much faster than any horse. Just the other day, Link, Mula, and Hefnir had a race around the yard. Before the horse and wolf were even half-way done, they were overlapped by the big bird.
The animals that have gathered were either wishing Link good luck in finding his lost sword or commenting on how jealous they were of Link, Mula, and Hefnir going on an adventure with their mistress. Others wanted to make sure Link would protect Bisca and her husband due to the dangerous nature of some guild missions.
"Do you truly believe this sword is yours?" Arber the gray elephant questioned, tilting his great head at the wolf while tapping the end of his trunk against his forehead.
Link nodded. "Yes. I have a good feeling that it is," he replied.
"And if it is not?"
The wolf's hope did not falter at the possible truth. "I pray the Gods are good. But if my prayers are not heard, then I will have to keep searching. Day or night, I will find it within these lands."
"Quite the ambition," commented Veneer, the one-humped camel. "These lands are vast and endless. You'll need help searching every corner and rolling over every rock. But I do hope you find it quick. To see you turn from a beast to a man would be very, very amusing." He peeled back his droopy lips and laughed his goat-like laugh.
Finik the crocodile croaked to join the camel in laughter. The large reptile turned his head sideways to peer at Link and show his toothy smile. "Still hard to believe what you really are. You're neither a wolf or a man to me. You have to prove you're truly a man that can walk on two legs, Metal Doggy."
"Link," the wolf corrected in a firm tone. He had this argument so many times already. The 'Metal' part of the childish and absurd name no longer applied to him. The iron shackle he once wore was removed by one of Bisca's guild mates; the man named Gajeel. He was the same individual responsible for punching holes through the rafters and the roof in Fairy Tail when trying to attack Link four nights ago.
Gajeel was a cocky, arrogant man and a complete opposite to his companion, the small, blue-haired girl named Levy. The kind, knowledgeable girl had stopped by Bisca's home in the evening a day after the incident to check on Link as well as to deliver her disheartening news that there was nothing she could find about floating islands and other sky-related mysteries. Gajeel happened to tag along that day and the reunion between the man and wolf was bittersweet.
The tall, young man with long, spiky black hair, fierce crimson eyes and numerous piercings on his mean face was a special mage that could turn any part of his body into solid iron. Not only that, he could eat iron as well; an astonishing ability he had demonstrated right before Link's eyes when he turned his teeth into pointed fangs and bit off the shackle on the wolf's foot. He then crunched on the chains like they were some delicious snack, leaving Link wide-eyed and staring.
Even though the shackle was gone, the name 'Metal Doggy Wolf King' still stuck with Link among the animals, annoying him to no end.
Finik and Veneer shared another laugh at the wolf's reaction with a few others joining in.
"Now, now. Don't tease our Link too much," Caramel the giraffe lightly scolded the sniggering group in her soft, tender voice. She was the most unique animal Link had ever seen, towering over all who were present. Covered in yellow, light brown-spotted fur, she was the tallest creature residing on Bisca's home with long legs and a longer neck that could stretch half as high as the tallest trees that grew around here. Link was a little intimidated when he first saw Caramel, but that had all changed in a matter of seconds. The giraffe was a kind and gentle herbivore with a motherly personality. She acted like a mother to all the beasts around her, often grooming them, making sure they properly fed and their health was well, and would always break up an argument or fight using words or threats. A kick from her hind legs could probably send any misbehaving animal - other than Arber - soaring over the treetops.
She was their guardian and no other animal dared to defy her.
Link was not an exception to her affection.
Caramel lowered her head right above the canine and licked his forehead with her long, black tongue. He shrank away from her like a fussy child pulling away from a mother's brush. Her dark eyes glinted with an amusing smile. "Darling, be sure to keep your ears clean and your hair nice and tidy. May you find what you are looking for. Please come visit us again. Though the time you spent here was short, this place will still be your home and you a part of our family."
"Hey, hey! Stop talking like the pup's not coming back!" Nene exclaimed with a growl. She stood up and hardened her gaze at the wolf. "You are coming back, right?" she demanded as she brusquely padded towards the other.
Only if time would allow me… There was some unfinished business Link had to attend to in the Twilight Realm first. There was no reason to come back with Bisca if the 'Divine Blade From Heaven' was truly the Master Sword.
But even if he did obtain his sword, he wasn't sure how to return directly to the Palace of Twilight without entering the Mirror of Twilight located in the Gerudo Desert. He was in a land far from Hyrule and needed a way back to his homeland and in order to do that, he may need to rely on Bisca and her guild once more.
Link evenly met the tigress's intent stare. "There is something I must do when I find my blade. Something important before it is too late. However, if I cannot do it alone – when my path is still lost – then I will return. You will see me then," he told her and everyone else.
Nene's expression softened, her ears drooping slightly. She drew closer and surprised the wolf by rubbing her cheek against his. Since she was bigger than Link, she nearly pushed him over. "I know you want to go back to your home," she said sadly as he regained his balance. "I will miss you if you do not come back. Call me selfish all you want, but I want to see you again, pup, man or beast."
Link internally smiled. Since the night of the incident at Fairy Tail, Nene had rarely left Link's side. The two of them had bonded and became good friends over the past few days exploring the town of Magnolia and the wilderness surrounding it. They had caused quite a start a few times when they were spotted leaping from rooftop to rooftop in the middle of the night and an even bigger commotion when they were caught trying to enter the grand cathedral located at the heart of the town through an open third-story window.
Each of Bisca's animals has treated him as their brother since the day he had arrived. It was difficult to suddenly leave them without a proper goodbye. "I promise you all, I will come back again to see everyone," he assured, meeting every pair of eyes that differed in colour, shape, and size.
"You better keep your promise," Nene purred. She raised her big paw and lightly patted the wolf's back.
"Indeed. Do not disappoint us," Arber added, a hint of a smile in his expression.
By then, the yellow back door creaked open. First to run out in a blur of tan and white was Taper, the family dog. Less than half the size of Link but three times as energetic, the small canine with pointed ears and a curly tail was a playful little creature.
"Link! Links! Doggy King!" Taper barked in a child-like voice. He leapt down the short set of stairs and zoomed towards the wolf.
"It's Metal Doggy Wolf King," Veneer corrected with a snide grin.
"No. It's Link," Link corrected once again, nearly growling out his own name. It didn't seem like the dog was listening to either as he ran a circle around the wolf and Nene.
"I heard you are going on an adventure with the mistress!" Taper cried out in excitement. He stopped before the larger canine, rose on his hind legs and pressed his front paws on Link's chest to stay upright, his tail wagging wildly. "I want to come too! Can I?! Please take me with you!"
When Link tried to look down at the smaller animal, Taper licked the wolf's nose. Link snorted. He was used to the dog's fondness for him. Every day the little guy wanted to play with him; jumping on the bigger one's back or playfully nipping Link's ears or the end of his tail. "I am sorry, Taper. You cannot come," Link told the other, shaking his head.
The curly tail stopped wagging and the pair of brown eyes that stared up in affection was suddenly full of grief. Taper was completely devastated. "Why?!" he wailed, completely heartbroken.
Before Link could explain to the child of a dog, Arber cut in; "You have an important duty, Taper, and that is to stay here and guard the house when our mistress and her family are gone."
Taper perked up at that. He was back to his cheerful, tail-wagging self. "You're right! The house would be in danger if I leave! Sorry I can't come, Wolf Link King!"
"It is only Link, Taper," the wolf grumbled, rolling his eyes before giving the elephant a nod of thanks. Of course, Taper wasn't listening to him as the dog dashed off towards the approaching group of people.
Asuka was sprinting in Link's direction while Bisca and Romeo were calmly walking behind. The happy little girl petted Nene's head as she passed before wrapping her arms around the wolf's neck. "Bye bye, Links! Take care of Momma and Daddy and Romeo while you're gone!" she said, gently stroking the back of his mane and resting her head against his cheek. She smelled of lilacs, much like her mother.
Grunting softly, Link nodded, putting a wider smile on her face. Mula and Hefnir weren't forgotten by the young girl; she ran up to them and said her goodbyes to them as well, kissing the mare's nose and rubbing the bird's beak.
Bisca kneeled before the wolf, her red lips parting to form a broad grin. She scratched behind his ear and said, "This is it. We're going to find what you've been looking for. Are you ready?"
She didn't need to ask. Meeting her violet eyes, he stood up and nodded.
"It'll probably take four hours to reach Lake Hemlock. Think you can run that far?"
That was a silly question. Link had travelled through thick forests, ran across vast fields, journeyed beneath the earth in dark, dank tunnels, wandered the blistering seas of sand, climbed high, snowy mountains, and even explored a city hidden in the cloudy heavens, never tiring. Four hours on the road was nothing.
With bold confidence, he nodded again, bringing a wider smile on the green-haired woman's face. She playfully tousled his mane. "I have a gift for you." Appearing out of thin air in her open palm was a wide, solid, golden bracelet engraved with runes, similar in design to the one Nene wore on the base of her tail. "It's finally finished. This will help me find you if you ever wander too far and lose your way." She held out her hand, expecting the wolf to give her his paw.
Link hesitated only to be nudged by Nene into accepting the gift. He wasn't exactly fond of the idea that he could be tracked down no matter where he was. However, Earthland was a vast region as Veneer had mentioned. It was possible for him to get lost along the way to Lake Hemlock due to some unforseen circumstances. With that in mind, he allowed Bisca to clasp the bracelet around his front right foot, replacing the iron shackle he had once worn. Gleaming in the sun, it was the perfect fit. He let out a quiet grunt as a sign of thanks.
The mistress chuckled. "Looks good on you, my little friend. All right! Let's go!" she announced, giving the wolf one last pat on the head.
With everything packed and tied to the saddles, Bisca lifted Asuka onto Mula before mounting behind her daughter. Riding on Hefnir's back with Alzack was Romeo who sat in front.
Bisca steered Mula around and snapped the horse's reins to make the mare break into a trot. "I'll meet you guys at the town gate," she said before she vanished from sight around the house. She was on her way to drop Asuka off at Fairy Tail where her daughter would be looked after. As for the animals, someone named Lisanna would be attending to those that needed to be fed and watered by hand in the family's absence.
"Links, come with me," said Alzack, gesturing for the wolf to follow him as he pressed his heels into Hefnir's side.
The ostwark happily squawked "Going! Going!" and began to strut, going down the same path Mula had gone. His head bobbed with each step, making his crown of brilliant feathers dance with the movement.
As the wolf fell in stride behind the giant bird, Nene shouted out; "Don't forget your promise, pup!"
The canine paused and looked over his shoulder to give the tigress and everyone else a meaningful look. Their expressions ranged from sadness to understanding. "Do not worry. I always keep my promises," he assured, showing his teeth in an attempt to physically smile. "We will meet again. Until then, stay out of trouble. All of you."
He raised his nose to the sky and howled as a way of saying goodbye for now. In return, Nene let out a mighty roar, Arber trumpeted, Taper tried to mimic the wolf's cry; all animals that could make noises shrieked, snarled, grunted, clucked, hissed, and screamed to send off their friend whom they hoped to see again.
A/N: I think this story needs a new title. 'The Lost Wolf' sounds too bland. I'm open for suggestions no matter how ridiculous they sound. Then maybe I'll compile them and make a poll out of them all. Who knows.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Thanks for reading!