Chapter 55: “She” Who Runs Beneath the Storm – RURY

Meek-looking but adorable baker Lyra appeared at the door of her place just as they were walking. And maybe that was the reason it happened.

She had flour on her cheeks and her hands were dusting off an apron. She must’ve heard the noise from the mounts and came to check what was going on.

Her eyes locked onto Eren.

And she walked directly into the wall while missing it in slow motion. So she walked toward the wooden edge of the door and bumped her forehead!

The sound was loud enough that Mel winced from ten meters away.

“I’m fine!” Lyra announced. She grabbed the frame for balance. Her face was already red from the hit and getting redder from all the stares. “I was just-” She ran away while screaming, “see you Eren!”

He looked at Emily. But her face was absolutely blank, which was the most dangerous expression she had.

“Nice girl.” Eren said carefully.

Emily kept walking and didn’t say anything.

They dropped the rookies near the village square. Nimbo finally fixed his fingers. Apparently, his hand muscles were too tense and it slowly opened.

“Go home and rest everyone. Tomorrow morning we will continue from where we stopped.” Eren patted Nimbo’s shoulder and the boy almost fell over. Not from the pat but from exhaustion.

“We’re really doing this again tomorrow?” Mel asked. She didn’t look scared. She looked excited in a way that wasn’t entirely healthy.

“Every day.”

Thadric tied the mounts to a post near the well and gave them water. He was going to take them to the ranch but he had to prepare the place for these two.

He tried to pat them and the bigger one tried to bite his hand. The smaller one just let him touch her and drank calmly.

“I’ll stay with them tonight even inside the ranch.” Thadric said. “If they escape into the village, someone’s going to lose a chicken. Or a hand.”

Emily nodded and pulled Eren toward the forest path. They had things to do before dark.

The wolves were waiting near the treeline south of the village. The male sat on a flat rock. The female was grooming her paw with her tongue.

“No dungeon tonight. Too many threats showing up on the surface. We’re staying close to the village.” Emily spoke first after seeing the not so small cubs.

The male one also evolved with his class advancement. He was one bit bigger than his sister but she looked the dominant one.

The male wolf glanced at Eren. Then at the kobold scimitars on his belt.

[We smelled the blood. Kobolds?] His voice was calm.

“Six of them were too close to the village. They had some mounts too.” He didn’t try to use Beastin language but it automatically came from his throat like he was a real wolf. Someone blind could mistake him as a wolf.

[Riders mean a camp.] The wolf lowered his head slightly. [We’ll stay near elf house tonight. If something crosses the forest we can howl]

“Thank you.”

[We will eat them if they come. It’s free food] That was the female. She stopped grooming and looked up at Eren with those golden eyes.

Something was different about her. She seemed.. proud?

“Did something happen while we were gone?” Eren asked.

The female wolf sat up straighter. [I have decided on a name. You may now address me as Rury.]

Eren blinked. “Rury?”

“What is it?” Emily asked.

“She picked a name now. It’s Rury and his name is Fury..?”

[They are shortened names] She lifted her chin. [The full name is Rruuharyvennshiika. It means ’She who runs beneath the storm and makes the thunder jealous’ in the high tongue of Beastin. I composed it myself.]

There was a silence that lasted about four seconds.

The male wolf let out what could only be described as a sigh. [I spent two hours convincing her to use the short version. Please don’t ask for the full one again. She’ll say it every time and it takes eleven seconds to pronounce properly.]

Rury growled at her brother. [It’s a beautiful name and you’re just jealous because you don’t have one!]

[I accepted Fury as you insisted. What do you want?]

[You have to make it a full long name. New generations of the herd will sing songs about us! You have no imagination!]

[I have plenty of imagination. I just don’t need a name that takes longer to say than it takes to kill a slime. And since when wolves sing?]

Eren looked at Emily. Emily’s mouth was doing that thing where she tried very hard not to smile but couldn’t fully hide it.

“They have some different opinions about their new names. I will explain it later.” Eren said.

The female wolf – Rury – puffed up visibly. Her tail wagged once before she caught herself and forced it stop. She looked like a little child trying to act like an adult.

[Good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a perimeter to patrol.] She walked off into the dark with the kind of dignity that only a creature who just named herself after thunder could manage.

Eren found her antics adorable.

The male wolf watched her go. [She practiced that introduction for an hour.] He stood up and stretched. [Stay safe…Hrrrr]

He disappeared into the forest without another word.

Emily and Eren stood at the forest edge after wolves vanished.

The sun was almost gone. Orange light came through the canopy at a low angle and painted everything in warm shadows. Eren looked at the village behind them.

His mana was full as a respectable 320 with the last level up. Door Master could give him about three and a half seconds of Earth.

Three and a half seconds.

He could open a door right now. See his apartment, check if his parents left any messages after his attempt from two days ago, maybe even grab something…Possibilities were there.

But three seconds was nothing comparing the things he tried to do. And using all his mana tonight when kobold scouts were mapping the forest and Rotwood Trolls with green-black blood was lurking around the village?

It would be too irresponsible.

If something attacked and he had zero mana, Door Master was his only escape or help option around Emily.

For him and for Emily or hell- even for the village, his portal could save their lives in a worst case scenario.

He couldn’t waste it on a look, at least now tonight.

“Let’s check around the village. I will show you how I usually cover the whole area.” Emily said.

He pushed Earth out of his mind.

“Yeah. Also tell me about the trolls. Are they locals of the forest or….”

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