They say blood makes you related but
loyalty makes you family
Either the dog was more intelligent than most, or it had been a while since Loren had been around a dog. Probably the latter: he was much more used to creatures of myth and legend these days than he was to plain old animals. Still, he loved both kinds of creatures equally. So when Rocky barked in acceptance of the temporary name, the summoner laughed, then scratched the dog behind the ear. ”Alright, boy, Rocky it is.” Standing up, the Launceleyn gave Astra an obligatory head rub (she got a little jealous when she thought he was paying more attention to another animal, or sometimes person, than her) before turning to continue making his way through the underground.
The silence grew companionable, and Loren felt his heart and steps grow lighter as time passed. This was...nice. It was rare he got time to himself, or time where he didn’t have to worry about what to do and what to say and could just be. Even the threat of danger didn’t concern him; he was pretty sure between the three of them they could handle anything the underground could throw at them.
”I wonder if we’ll see the Prince.” The luxere gave him a curious look at the name, so Loren grinned at her and decided to give her a proper explanation. ”Remi told me about him. Apparently it’s an early Ascended, but something went wrong with him.” The smile on the summoner’s face gained a sad edge. ”I wonder if there’s anything to be done to help him.” Similarly to the LongNight monsters, the Prince had once been a person, and the Launceleyn hated the idea of condemning anyone to such a fate.
Astra, sensing his sorrow, brushed against his side in an attempt to provide what comfort she could. Then she tensed and let out an anxious grunt. Pausing, Loren stretched out his eyes and ears for any sign of what distressed her. Then he heard it: the scrabbling of paws on stone.
Whirling, he saw eyes in the darkness and teeth, and fur. In the faint glow of the luxere’s antlers, he could just make out a ratlike body, but far, far larger than any rat he’d ever seen. Hesitating, he glanced behind them and saw more of the creatures in the darkness. This wasn’t good: even Loren, who loved most living creatures, knew true predators when he saw them. And it seemed the three of them were prey.
Then the first unusually large rodent rushed ahead and the Launceleyn reacted on instinct. A hydra appeared in the narrow confines of the tunnel and roared in outrage from all nine heads. Hunkering down next to it, the summoner ordered it to strike at any rat that dared approached; many of them did, and were felled by the hydra's deadly mouths. For his part, Loren grabbed Astra and hopefully Rocky and placed them under the hydra where they’d be safe.
The silence grew companionable, and Loren felt his heart and steps grow lighter as time passed. This was...nice. It was rare he got time to himself, or time where he didn’t have to worry about what to do and what to say and could just be. Even the threat of danger didn’t concern him; he was pretty sure between the three of them they could handle anything the underground could throw at them.
”I wonder if we’ll see the Prince.” The luxere gave him a curious look at the name, so Loren grinned at her and decided to give her a proper explanation. ”Remi told me about him. Apparently it’s an early Ascended, but something went wrong with him.” The smile on the summoner’s face gained a sad edge. ”I wonder if there’s anything to be done to help him.” Similarly to the LongNight monsters, the Prince had once been a person, and the Launceleyn hated the idea of condemning anyone to such a fate.
Astra, sensing his sorrow, brushed against his side in an attempt to provide what comfort she could. Then she tensed and let out an anxious grunt. Pausing, Loren stretched out his eyes and ears for any sign of what distressed her. Then he heard it: the scrabbling of paws on stone.
Whirling, he saw eyes in the darkness and teeth, and fur. In the faint glow of the luxere’s antlers, he could just make out a ratlike body, but far, far larger than any rat he’d ever seen. Hesitating, he glanced behind them and saw more of the creatures in the darkness. This wasn’t good: even Loren, who loved most living creatures, knew true predators when he saw them. And it seemed the three of them were prey.
Then the first unusually large rodent rushed ahead and the Launceleyn reacted on instinct. A hydra appeared in the narrow confines of the tunnel and roared in outrage from all nine heads. Hunkering down next to it, the summoner ordered it to strike at any rat that dared approached; many of them did, and were felled by the hydra's deadly mouths. For his part, Loren grabbed Astra and hopefully Rocky and placed them under the hydra where they’d be safe.
LOREN
