Chapter 3: A Beast at the Breakfast Table
Elric stood at the edge of the jungle with Fangshade by his side.
The black cub's fur shimmered faintly in the morning light—like a shadow that hadn't decided if it wanted to stay hidden. Its wounds were healing quickly, thanks to the pact. But more than that, it seemed… curious.
"This is where I live," Elric said as he pointed to the small, slightly crooked house down the path. Smoke drifted lazily from the chimney, and faint shouting echoed from inside.
Fangshade sniffed the air and blinked.
"You'll probably regret this," Elric added with a smile.
Together, they walked up to the door—Elric barefoot, Fangshade silent as a whisper.
Before he could knock or open it, the door flew open.
Joran stood there, shirtless and sweaty, holding a wooden practice sword in one hand and half a loaf of bread in the other.
"Elric, have you seen my—WHAT IN THE HOLY BEAST'S—"
Fangshade let out a low growl.
"Cool it," Elric said casually, stepping between them. "He's with me."
Joran stared, jaw open. "You—you—you brought a jungle wolf cub home?!"
"He followed me," Elric lied shamelessly. "Probably smelled your feet."
Fangshade sneezed. Elric smirked.
Joran scowled. "That's a Shadowfang! They're dangerous, even as cubs! You can't just—wait, why isn't it attacking you?"
Before Elric could answer, a louder voice boomed from inside.
"Elric Vale! If you've tracked mud through my clean floor again, I will use your face to mop it!"
His mother.
Elric winced. "Okay, now I'm worried."
---
Inside, the Vale household was chaos as usual.
The twins were in the middle of a fierce tug-of-war using Mael's cane as the prize. Mael, meanwhile, looked half-asleep with a teacup balanced on his belly.
Arla—their mother—stood by the cooking hearth, a wooden spoon in hand like a weapon.
And everyone froze the moment Elric stepped in with Fangshade.
Miri screamed. Lila gasped. Mael opened one eye.
Arla dropped her spoon.
"Elric," she said slowly. "Why… is there a wolf in my kitchen?"
Elric cleared his throat. "His name's Fangshade. He's a Shadowfang, yes. And yes, I know it's dangerous. But he's mine now."
"Yours?" Arla blinked. "Like a pet?"
"Like a friend," Elric said firmly. "A companion."
Mael gave a low chuckle. "He's got the bond, Arla. I can feel it."
"What bond?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"The boy's got beastkind blood running through him," Mael said, sitting up slowly. "Or something close to it. Look at that cub. It's not snarling, not hiding. It trusts him."
Fangshade sat politely beside Elric and licked his paw.
Even the twins stared in awe.
"Can we touch it?" Lila whispered.
"No," said Elric and Fangshade at the same time—one in words, the other with a soft growl.
Joran crossed his arms. "I don't like it. What if it turns? What if it calls others?"
Elric looked up at his older brother.
"I get it," he said softly. "You're trying to protect them. But so am I. Fangshade's not a danger. He's family now."
The cub looked up at Elric like it understood every word.
Mael stood slowly. "It's rare," he said, voice low, "for a beast to choose a bond before its first molt. Even rarer for the bond to be… this deep."
He hobbled closer, his cane finally retrieved from the twins.
"You're not normal, boy. You haven't been since you opened your eyes. But this…" He pointed at Fangshade. "This makes it real."
Elric met his grandfather's gaze.
"I don't want normal," he said. "I want to be strong enough to protect this house, this village, and maybe one day… more."
Arla finally stepped forward. She knelt in front of Elric, eyes searching his face.
"You're still just a boy," she whispered. "My boy."
"I'm both," he replied. "Boy and Shepherd."
Something flickered in her expression—worry, pride, maybe both.
"Fine," she said, standing. "But if that thing pees on my rug, it's dinner."
Fangshade whined softly.
---
They ate together—Elric feeding bits of jerky to Fangshade beneath the table while Lila and Miri argued about whether the cub could learn to dance.
"You're teaching it tricks, right?" Miri asked.
"Like roll over? Sit? Fetch?"
"It's a shadow predator," Joran grumbled. "Not a puppy."
"Maybe he can learn to sneak up on you," Elric offered with a smirk.
"Try it and I'll shave its tail."
Fangshade snarled lightly. Joran winced.
Mael simply sipped his tea and grinned. "This is the most fun breakfast I've had in twenty years."
---, after the house quieted, Elric sat outside on the wooden step, Fangshade curled beside him.
The jungle rustled softly beyond the fence.
> System Alert: New Trait Unlocked – Shepherd's Instinct (Lv. 1)
You gain an innate sense of beast behavior, emotion, and location
Trait Effect: Increases trust-building, detection, and taming potential.
> New Quest Unlocked: Train Your First Companion
Objective: Develop Fangshade's abilities through interaction and small challenges.
Elric stared at the system screen hovering in the air.
He had so many questions. About the system. About the Shepherd class. About what lay deeper in the jungle.
But for now, he just leaned back and watched the stars begin to blink into view.
"I don't know what we're supposed to be, Fangshade," he whispered. "But I think it's going to be something crazy."
The cub looked up, eyes gleaming with something wild and loyal.
Elric smiled.
"Let's take it one howl at a time."