The commotion outside stirred us from our slumber, and those of us well enough to stand went to investigate. The other creatures had already gathered. Whenever Master ventured outside, most of his companions tended to follow, but it was unusual for all of them to be present.
I wonder what—?
I froze, as did my kin. Right in front of our eyes sat the Earth Dragon.
It was a ghost of its former self, to be sure, but nothing could disguise that magical power and raw authority. The Water Dragon’s presence had surprised me enough—and now, the Earth Dragon had come to Master’s side too?
As for said Master... He seemed altogether unconcerned by the Earth Dragon’s appearance. I couldn’t say the same of us Garm, though Master soon noticed our apprehension and tried to reassure us.
Just like the Water Dragon, the Earth Dragon seemed content to treat us as something like equals, in spite of our lower status—probably because Master did the same. The human was surprisingly open-minded. I hoped to become of use to him soon.
Right now, neither I nor any of my kin were strong enough to even go hunting. It was shameful but necessary. We had to prioritize our recovery first. Master seemed to desire that too. Thankfully, as the days passed, so did our former strength return. Most of us could now run with no real difficulty, and even the weakest of my kin could now stand and walk. Before long, we’d be able to begin repaying Master’s kindness.
I’d never had a master before. I didn’t realize it would be such a pleasant thing.
We raced through the forest at full speed—well, as fast as we were able to at present anyway. Some of the other Garm still couldn’t move as they once could, their muscles stiffened from disuse. I couldn’t truthfully say that I was fully recovered either.
Two of the dire wolves—Charu and Chata, I believe—were accompanying us on Master’s request. He still seemed to be concerned about our health. In truth, I was thankful. There were many enemies within the trees, and in our current condition, an encounter would likely mean death. Of course I did not intend to cause Master any sadness by getting into a futile battle, but even an attempt to flee would have no guarantee of escaping unscathed. Today, we ran simply to readjust to the sensation itself, then returned home safely. But soon... Soon we would hunt.
The heat continued day after day.
It had been decades—maybe even centuries—since the season had been felt in the forest. I’d thought it gone forever. Master’s magic must have restored it too.
Master was checking to make sure all the golems had returned inside. Work must have been over for the day.
I had nearly fainted the first time I’d seen the golems working in what Master called a “field.” There were dozens of them. The constant supply of mana needed to sustain them apparently cost Master as much effort as maintaining the wards did—that was to say, none at all.
His power terrifies me.
It was “dinnertime.”
Master preferred to eat at the same time each day, so we followed suit, as did all the other creatures. The “dinners” he made were strange yet delicious. Many of them contained things I’d never eaten before, some of which I wasn’t aware were even edible. I’d started looking forward to “dinner” each day, as did my kin and the others. Excitement built throughout the afternoon. Some of the creatures seemed like they were preparing for battle rather than food, but everyone looked forward to the meal.
Master performed his predinner ritual, and we began to eat.
It was a pleasant time, though a little frightening. Most of the creatures fought over each morsel of food—violently so. We Garm chose to watch from a distance, eating our own share peacefully.
Some of the fights were quite entertaining, but most of the time, I had to fight the urge to flee in fear. The fight between the Fenrir and the Arumearenie actually did send me running the moment it began. Worse still were the fights between Shuri’s kin—the Avimfurmi—and the Ratatoskr. Though they did little more than glare at one another, the sheer enmity was greatly unsettling.
Whenever any of those factions met, I made sure to plan my escape route, just in case.
Today’s fare was as mysterious yet tasty as always.
I never thought evil serpent could taste so good...
A growl snapped me back to reality.
What happened?
I was right in the center of the carnage. Obviously, I’d joined in on the free-for-all; it just hadn’t been a conscious decision.
How strange. I should be fleeing, not joining in... However, that taste was worthy of the fight. If only I had my former strength. Then I might have claimed victory—
“Ai.”
Master had started using the word around me a few days ago. It was probably my name, according to the dire wolf Chai. I quite liked the sound of it, unusual though it was. My brethren had been given them too, though remembering their names seemed to be causing them some frustration. Once I got used to my own name, I would have to begin trying to remember theirs too.