Zombie was looking into the silent cave with a worried expression.
He was standing there for over fifteen minutes, but there was no sign of seven wolves and a baby griffin, and it was already getting dark, a dead giveaway that they should be returning to Cranberry and Mary.
"Graough...? (Don't tell me something went wrong...?)"
Zombie groaned worried started stomping his foot nervously.
He was getting worried that he overestimated the tamed monsters.
Even if they all rapidly got stronger in those few short hours he watched over them it didn't mean they could clear out a monster den by themselves...
"Graough...?! (Seriously, what was I thinking...?!) Graough! (And I even let Blueberry go with them!) Graough?! (What if I there was a white wolf after all?!)"
Zombie started walking back and forth growling to himself.
Suddenly he stopped and his expression changed to a serious one.
"Graough. (That's it. I'm going to look for them.)"
He decided and started walking towards the cave.
"...!"
But just as he approached the entrance, something was coming out so he stopped.
A large black wolf was slowly casually walking out, holding a weak-looking whimpering wolf in its unusual short jaws, but the part that was standing out the most about it was its massive front claws that looked like long daggers.
Completely different from normal frenzy wolves.
Right by it, there was another wolf, this one's fur had an orange glint to it.
It had a massive body and jaws, it was also holding a brown wolf in them.
Zombie squinted his eyes and tilted his head.
And the next monster that showed up was...
A baby griffin happily carrying a large gray wolf in her beak.
After them, there were five more large black wolves, but none of those was carrying anything.
As for their looks, they each had their slight differences but nothing as defining as the first two wolves.
"Graough... (Geez, you guys, I was so worried...)"
Zombie sighed and shook his head.
"Skwee... (We're sorry, dad...)"
Blueberry dropped the gray wolf and screeched apologetically.
"Raor. (Oi, Blueberry, your wolf is almost dead.) Raor? (How do you reckon it will run off and warn the new wolf king?)"
The muscular blue wolf gently released the trembling brown wolf from his jaws and barked at the baby griffin.
"Skree! (Sh-shut up, Arion!) Skree! (I'm stronger and have a harder time controlling myself, unlike you!)"
Blueberry screeched defensively and turned her beak away from the orangish wolf.
"Raa. (Sister Blueberry, brother Arion, don't fight in front of big brother.) Raa. (It's embarrassing.)"
The short-jawed black wolf also released the brown wolf it was carrying and scoffed at the other two.
Then it put its massive claws on the trembling brown wolf and lowered its head to Zombie.
"Raa. (Big brother, we're sorry to be a bother, we're back.)"
It barked politely.
Hearing them be so lively made Zombie breathe out in relief.
"Graough? (Did anyone got hurt?)"
The blue boy asked looking towards the back, at the black wolf with a greenish underbelly.
"Rarar! (No one, big brother!)"
The wolf responded.
"Ruff! (Clean victory!)"
Added another one by its side.
"Graough! (Good job, everyone!)"
Zombie groped happily and started batting every tamed monster.
"Skree! (Dad! Dad!)"
Blueberry jumped from the excitement.
"Skree! (There was a sleeping white wolf inside!) Skree! (But the sister with the long claws and I killed it in one shot!) Skree! (Cut off its head like, shing!)"
Blueberry was so excited that she actually swung with her talons and cut the gray wolf at her feet in half.
"Skree...! (Ah...!)"
She gasped.
"Raor... (Clumsy birdbrain...)"
Arion groaned and shook his head.
"Skree...! (Dad! I'm sorry...! I didn't mean to...!)"
Blueberry started hoofing with her front legs and lowered her head apologetically.
"Raa. (Don't worry, sister Blueberry, it was already dying anyway.)"
The wolf with long claws assured her and brushed her nose against Blueberry's feathers.
"Graough. (She's right. It's nothing.)"
Zombie added went back to the baby griffin after paying every wolf, and started scratching her affectionately around the beak.
"Skree... (I'll be careful next time, I promise...)"
Blueberry rubbed her head against Zombie's chest.
"Graough. (it's okay, it's okay.)"
Zombie smiled brushing her feathers.
"Graough. (Tomorrow we'll all be fighting together against the wolf king and his army.) Graough (You won't have to worry about sparing any opponent then.)"
He assured her.
"Graough! (But you all must remember to not underestimate your opponents!) Graough! (Arion and Blueberry have a lot of health and good defense stats, but the rest of you can die with one bite from a white wolf!) Graough! (You have to be careful!)"
All the new wolves lowered their heads and their tails dropped.
"Graough. (Don't get discouraged.) Graough! (This is only the beginning of your training!) Graough! (I believe in you!)"
Zombie growled and the wolves perked up, some even started wagging their tails.
"Graough? (That's why, don't die, alright?)"
Zombie added and started patting the wolf with the long claws.
"Graough. (Especially you.) Graough. (You tend to jump into the fight even if you clearly see it's too dangerous.)"
"Raa! (But I want to be strong like you, big brother!)"
"Raor! (Hey! Watch it!)"
Her tail was wagging super fast and kept hitting Arion, who scoffed at her and moved away.
"Graough. (I'm not strong, at all.)"
Zombie explained calmly.
"Graough. (As my master says, there is always someone stronger.) Graough. (Don't forget that, and if the fight is too difficult, just run away.) Graough! (And that's advice for everyone, even for myself!) Graough... (I don't even want to think how my master would feel if I was gone...)"
Zombie looked away with a cloudy expression.
"Skwee... (Mom gets sad really easily, dad...) Skwee! (You can't leave her alone, ever!)"
Worried Blueberry screeched and clawed at the ground with her talons.
"Raor...? (Oi, you're going to eat that or can I...?)"
Suddenly Arion barked, staring hungrily at the bisected corpse of the gray wolf.
The somber atmosphere disappeared and everyone else just let out a sigh.
"Raa... (Seriously, what a glutton...)"
The wolf with the long claws shook her head.
"Raor?! (What do you want from me?!) Roar! (I leveled up a lot and got tons of skills now!) Raor! (Anyone would get hungry!)"
Arion growled defensively.
"Skree... (Sigh, whatever, here.)"
Blueberry rolled her eyes and kicked the two pieces of the corpse towards Arion.
The muscular wolf released the brown wolf and jumped at the corpse as if he was starved for days, while the brown wolf escaped as soon as it noticed its chance.
"Raa... (No self-control...)"
The one with the long claws shook her head again and also released her brown wolf that started escaping in such panic that it was tripping and falling over everything it could.
"Raa? (Anyway, big brother, why don't you give us all names?)"
The one with the long claws asked carefully.
"Graough. (No, that's something your master should do.)
Zombie declined without missing a beat.
"Raa... (But Blueberry wasn't named by her master...)"
The wolf with the long claws complained and other wolves agreed.
"Skree! (I was named by my mom!) Skree! (We have similar names!)"
Blueberry declared proudly spreading her wings.
"Graough. (That's a special case.)"
Zombie shook his head.
"Graough. (Masters always give names to their monsters, just ask Arion.)
The blue boy pointed at the blue wolf.
"R-raor... (Oh, but, um... my master didn't name me either...)"
Arion looked at Zombie apologetically with his mouth full of meat.
"Graough?! (What? Seriously?!)"
"Raor. (Well, yeah. My name was always Arion.) Raor. (I just introduced myself to Mary and she accepted it without question.)"
Arion responded lightheartedly while munching on the corpse.
He was already done with one half, he ate everything, bones, fur, and all.
"Graough...! (A-anyway, no means no! Mary will name you and that's final!)"
Zombie decided and waved his left hand in a commanding way.
"Graough! (Now! We're returning to the mansion!)"
He ordered and started walking.
Everyone followed him, even Arion who almost choked on the head of the gray wolf but managed to gulp it down anyway.
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