65 65 – The Dogs
Elise rolled over, picked up the sword, then pointed it forward, stabbing one of the dogs. Not having time to remove her weapon from the beast’s body, Elise threw it away. The female warrior jumped back to avoid the other dog charging at her.
However, the female warrior was too late to react. She fell. Her back hit the floor, and she had to keep the dog’s mouth from biting her face.
“Get yourself off the dog, Elise!” Raymund snapped.
Easier said than done. Elise could not hold back the dog’s mouth, dripping drool down her face. The dog’s strength increased many times over. Elise could see the fangs of the beast getting closer to her face.
And that’s when a strange sensation appeared within the female warrior. She didn’t know what it was, but now she felt she would be fine.
“What?” Raymund asked. “What is happening!? Ah…”
The dog no longer tried to bite Elise. The beast kept its mouth away from the female warrior. Elise straightened up, only to find that the dog had sat up, wagging its tail like a trained pet..
“It is a blessing from the goddess of nature.” Raymund sighed. “It’s a good thing you have that. I’d be very upset if you failed at the start of a mission like this. The success of this mission is a must.”
Slowly, Elise reached out her hand, then rubbed the dog’s head, whose eyes were still burning red. The beast lowered its head slightly, not resisting at all.
After that, the light in the dog’s eyes disappeared. Its skin also changes from black to dark gray. The dog looked much more normal. It resembled a wolf with a large and muscular body.
“Excellent. The dogs don’t take you seriously, but you get overwhelmed. And now you’re doing something unexpected.” The deep voice of the dungeon echoed. “Before this, no one could tame those special dogs. You are the first.”
Elise looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.
The dog walked away from Elise, then picked up the woman’s sword from the floor. Strange, the sword should still be stuck in the other dog’s body.
The animal did not return to Elise immediately but looked at the other two dogs sitting in the distance. Those two red-eyed, black-bodied beasts then disappeared into the darkness.
Elise was scratching her head when the dog came to her. The animal put her sword on the floor and barked with a wagging tail.
“Take the dog with you. Looks like she’s already fond of you.” The voice sounded again, but Elise still couldn’t find the source. “She has been here for thousands of years. She must be bored.”
Elise looked up, signaling her master.
“If I were there, I would have killed the dog. It is a beast of unknown origin.” Raymund responded.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t take your orders this time, sir.” Elise put on a faint smile while stroking the dog. “She won’t attack me again…. This may sound strange, but I can feel it in my heart.”
Raymund sighed. The one with animal tamer powers is Elise, not him. “Wait a minute, Elise. I will contact the goddess of nature first.”
While waiting, Elise played with the dog. Elise rubbed the beast’s body and tickled its belly. The dog also seemed to enjoy it all. Her tail kept wagging, her tongue stuck out, and she barked cheerfully many times.
“Woof! Woof!”
The beast looked like it had belonged to Elise for quite some time.
“Okay, I’ve spoken to the Goddess of Nature.” Raymund sighed again as the dog licked Elise’s face. “She said, it is most likely that you have successfully tamed the beast. So, I’ll let her be your pet.”
Actually, Raymund wasn’t too sure even though he had just heard an explanation from Frei, the goddess of nature. However, he felt an argument with Elise was not productive in this kind of situation.
“You have to keep looking for a way out, Elise.” Raymund reminded. “If I could, I’d have pulled you here. However, I’ve tried it many times, and it doesn’t work.”
Raymund’s words surprised Elise. So, the master is ready to abandon this mission? Usually, he doesn’t care about Elise getting injured and traumatized, right? And didn’t that God himself say that this mission must be successful?
“Come on.” Elise gestured for her new pet to follow her. “Ah, I need a name for you, but I can’t think of one yet.”
Elise walked while holding her sword and accompanied the dog next to her. Like Elise, the animal is also aware of its surroundings. She sniffed may times.
“You’ve lived here for a long time, haven’t you?” Elise asked the dog. The female warrior had walked for a long time and passed the turns several times, but so far, she had only found passages of the same shape. “Perhaps you can help me, please?”
The dog just looked at Elise and barked.
“You haven’t found an intersection with more than one branch,” Raymund muttered. “Looks like you’re on the right track, Elise. Whoever made this place probably thought the long passages would frustrate you. They want to catch anyone who comes in here off guard.”
However, Elise was calmer than before. Could it be because she was accompanied by the dog? Elise herself did not know for sure.
“Hmm…. Ah, how about… Now your name is….” Elise stopped her speech.
The dog has now stopped walking. She lowered her head and growled with a fierce expression, looking at a turn leading to the right.
Elise knew that the peaceful atmosphere would not last much longer. Gulped, she tightened the grip on her sword and crept towards the turn.
The female warrior held her breath as she turned there. She saw a black silhouette standing next to a man lying on the floor. It was Blake, an archer that Elise had met earlier. His eyes are closed. It seemed that man was unconscious.
The silhouette figure grabbed Blake’s back by the collar and then ran fast, dragging the man.
Elise’s dog gave a booming bark that echoed through the passage’s wall.