(Wolf"s POV)When I returned from Vladmir"s fortress, I went straight home with heavy steps, a feeling of regret, fear and anger inside my chest. When I get home, my youngest, Suna, came to receive me with a smile in her face.
I smiled back, trying to hide the sadness. My daughter… I pet her head and walk inside the house.
(Wolf): "Suna, dear… where"s your sister?"
(Suna): "She"s walking with her friends around the town."
I nod and sit on the simple couch that we have in our living room. After thinking for some time, with my daughter watching me with a confused face, I make my decision. Getting up from the couch, still dressed in the armor that I was using to visit Vladmir"s fortress.
(Wolf): "Suna, please, fetch your sister and tell her to meet me at the town hall."
As I walk by her, my daughter asks me hurriedly as I walk fast.
(Suna): "D-dad?! Why the town hall?!"
I stop in front of the door, looking over my shoulder.
(Wolf): "I"m calling a meeting with the elders."
(A few minutes later, at the town hall, 3° person POV)
Once again in a short time, the elders of the tribes were gathered in the Town Hall, and once again the only sound in the air was that of murmur. They were silenced, however, when Wolf entered the hall and sat at the head of the main table.
(Wolf): "I won"t beat around the bush. I made contact with the mysterious force that arrived at the forest not too long ago."
A heavy silence followed. After all, all the elders knew what meant making contact with the mysterious, but powerful force. After a short silence, the elder of the Dog Tribe asked:
(Elder Dog): "How was it? are they hostile?"
Wolf shook his head.
(Wolf): "No, surprisingly considering that they are an army."
(Elder Bear): "An army?"
(Wolf): "Yes. They are a military nation and is completely formed by soldiers. They didn"t tell me their objective to come here, but they are willing to keep a peaceful relationship with us."
The elders sighed in relief. However, the eldest of them and known as the wisest, the elder of the Fox Tribe, noticed something in Wolf"s grave expression.
(Elder Fox): "Master Wolf… is there something that you aren"t telling us?"
With his fragile voice, the other elders stopped talking immediately, their gazes focusing on their leader. Wolf nodded.
(Wolf): "Yes. First, I must say that fortunately they are not racists. However, that doesn"t change much the situation. They"re a military organization, and they seem organized and disciplined. Not only that, they are quite advanced. They have a lot of stuff that I never saw before that could help us big time in almost everything."
(Elder Fox): "What"s the catch?"
He asked with a suspicious expression. Wolf"s expression turned grave.
(Wolf): "As guarantee, their commander wishes that we send our children of the main families to be raised as one of them."
Immediately, protest rose among the elders, together with angry shouts.
(Elder): You sold us?!"
(Wolf): "No! he gave us a month to answer him, I"m planning to use this time to our advantage."
(Elder Fox): "What do you mean?"
He asked, the mood of the meeting room turning heavier.
(Wolf): "We can let the youngster run away with everything that we have further inside the forest. The older generation will stay behind to hold them back as much as possible. We may not last much, but we can-"
(Luna): "Father!"
She interrupted, walking in angrily followed close by her sister and some of her friends of her age.
(Luna): "What do you mean running away?!"
Wolf frowned.
(Wolf): "It"s the decision that I made, Luna! You will protect your sister no matter the cost! You have to keep the people of this city safe!"
(Luna): "By running away form a powerful enemy?! I heard from the elders the power of the enemy! What do you think that will happen if we run away?! What makes you think that he won"t follow us and wipe us out?!"
That made Wolf hesitate for a moment.
(Luna): "You didn"t think of that, did you?! The decision isn"t solely yours to make! If the future of the beastman of these clans will rest on my shoulders one day than the one that has to do the decision is me!"
She screamed to her father. Seeing his silence, she looked around, the elders avoiding looking to her in the eyes. At that moment, her little sister approached her, holding her hand.
(Suna): "Sis, I don"t mind going there if it"s for the sake of the tribe…"
She said, her eyes unusually resolute for a child of her age, although her tail, slightly tucked between her legs, shows how she really feels. Luna squeezed the had of her little sister.
(Luna): "… I"ll go."
(Wolf): "What?!"
(Luna): "I"ll go with her! I"ll earn the trust of the enemy and keep the young ones safe!"
(Elder Bear): "None of us agreed to that!"
Elder bear raged, getting up from his seat. Luna turned to him, a feral look in her eyes. The enormous bear beastman felt a shiver go own his back.
(Luna): "So you"d rather risk sacrifice everything over some pride?! What is holding you back from this decision?! That we can"t trust them?! If they want, they can level this town whenever they want! If we want to survive at all we only have one option! Is that pride as a beastman holding you back?! Keep that s.h.i.t out of here!"
With her words, the hall fell into silence. After listening to his daughter, Wolf made his decision.
(Vladmir"s POV)
I rolled, avoiding the rubber bullets with difficulty in breathing. s.h.i.t, this training is really hard! This is a new facility of my personal Command Center, now properly tuned and expanded with several rooms while keeping its special properties.
This is my reflex and agility training room. The room is closed, with several small turrets on the walls and ceiling, as well in the ground, shooting rubber bullets at my direction, making me rely on my supernatural sense of danger recently developed and agility.
As a boost, the room has a gravity generator, raising the gravity of the room as well being able to reduce the concentration of oxygen. It"s great for training the body and the mind. Of course, I also made a room to train my body, as well one for my psychic powers.
From the loudspeakers, the voice of Doctor Lyssa sounded.
(Lyssa): "Marshal Vladmir, we ca stop here for today."
I nod, looking to the only spot where there aren"t bullets coming from, a gla.s.s pane that is bulletproof. Behind, a set of doctors make the supervision of my training, managing the bullets and oxygen, with the leader being Doctor Lyssa.
(Vladmir): "Yes, let"s stop here for today."
Slowly, the oxygen return to the room, normalizing. I breathe in the purified air and exit the room trough the door that opened at the corner of the training room. As I get out, dressed only in a pair of boxers, I receive a towel and a bottle of water from doctor Lyssa. After drinking the 600 ml in one go, I wipe my sweat and while doing that I ask.
(Vladmir): "What are the results, Doctor?"
As she stares at my almost naked body, she gives me her report.
(Lyssa): "I must say, Marshal, your body is exceptional! Your aging slows by the day, yet your development in muscular density, cognitive ability, reflexes, brain activity and several other aspects of your body raise at astonishing speed! I"m sure that you are feeling the changes and I might say that you will have some difficulties adapting to the fast changes of your body! Marshal, I have to recommend a slow down in your training."
As I finish wiping my sweat, I start walking while hearing her report on my condition, going to my bathroom. As I enter it, I answer to her while taking off my briefs, making her blush strongly.
(Vladmir): "From tomorrow onwards, we will intensify my training. Prepare an adaptative therapy for me."
I said as I sunk in the bathtub filled with warm water. Groaning in pleasure, I feel the pain on my muscles melting away.
(Vladmir): "The slowing on the training will only be useful for a body that gets worn out. Mine doesn"t. any damage that can be inflicted to me get healed in one hour the latest. I already don"t feel pain anymore. I already feel the results of the training that I just did."
I looked at her and smiled.
(Vladmir): "If I don"t need to stop, then I won"t. So, doctor, do you want to join me?"
She didn"t even, answer me, immediately stripping. I smiled as the bathtub overflowed, the drains on the ground surrounding it doing their job properly. As we start to have our fun, Lexa"s voice sounds in the loudspeakers.
(Lexa): "Marshal, I"m sorry for interrupting. The beastman are here again."
Wait, really? In only two weeks?