Dog's Days
[Third-born] was super excited today! Today he would get a word name like [Mother-Protection-Food] Sying did! Not only that but if he was smart and lucky he would be picked to be one of the two-leggeds' partner! [Third-born] was the smartest and luckiest of all his pack so of course he would be chosen. He had even come up with the best of plans to be chosen.
See, this was like a hunt that [Mother] Sying had told them about. You needed to find the ones left behind and alone. So, he just had to find the two-legged that was alone and they would pick [Third-born] and give him a word name!
His and the rest of the packs' ears perked up. They heard [Leader-Mother's Partner] Shun coming over to the gate, saying something and other younger two-legged voices. "Remember, they may be friendly, kind and young but these are still dangerous spirit beasts. They've been learning from their mother, Sying, and myself so they should follow some basic commands already. Just tell them to sit if they get too worked up or you need them to back off."
With that they heard the outer garden gate open and then close and soon after the inner gate opened. A group of the small, young two-legged burst forth and [Third-born] and his pack rushed to meet them. [Third-born] held back though, looking for the stragglers, the one that his brothers and sisters weren't throwing themselves at. There! That girl, still holding onto the gate and standing close to [Leader] Shun!
Dodging around the mob of puppies and children, [Third-born] dashed over to the girl and, after a quick sniff, he jumped up to lick her face. She seemed like a good choice!
The girl shoved [Third-born] away (did she want to wrestle already?!) and let out a terrified, "Sit!", which got [Third-born] to quickly plant his haunches on the ground. See?! He was smart, he already knew a lot of the sound words!
He let out a happy, "Bark!
See I smart!" to help get his point across. Waiting patiently for the head pats, or 'good boy', or maybe even a treat for doing so well!
But instead of any of those things the girl stepped back, pressing her back into the gate and saying, "Oh, umm… you probably don't want me…"
"Bark!
Yes I do!"
"Even though I'm blind?"
What?! Blind?! She couldn't see? How had she survived this long? [Third-born] had so many questions but he couldn't ask them right now, he needed to get better at the sending thoughts for that. But this girl needed him to be a partner otherwise she might not survive!
"Bark bark!
Yes, of course!"
That seemed to surprise the girl. "Oh… I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Yanhuo Yuxi."
[Third-born] could feel his tail wagging already. He did it! He got a partner and now he would get a word name! "Umm… I'm supposed to name you right?" A big bark was his response. "Okay, how about…"
—
Kan was watching the deer. He had to be still. Silent. Waiting. Just in front of him Yuxi raised her bow, arrow nocked. Adjusted her aim to the left. Then up a bit. Kan watched and Yuxi saw. Draw back and release. Kan tensed, ready. The arrow hit but the deer ran. Kan bolted after it.
As he ran, Kan sent back what we saw to his partner, letting her map and see the forest in her mind's eye. Yuxi had tried to explain it to him before but he hadn't understood. What Kan did know was that he was her eyes and Yuxi's eyes hungered.
The deer did not get far, it's wound already weakening it. Kan lept and dragged it down, finishing it with a few quick jerks. With their prey dead Kan stalked around it, sniffing and listening, keeping an eye out for anything that might try to steal their prize.
Yuxi emerged from the underbrush not much later. "Good boy Kan! You didn't eat any of it!"
"Bark!
Nope! Just like Yuxi asked! Saved it all for steak and jerky. That means Kan gets the bones right? Yuxi promised!" He panted happily, knowing he was right, tail wagging up a small gust of wind.
With a laugh Yuxi pulled out her carving knife and some rope, preparing to drain their kill. Kan thought it was a waste when she did that but it also meant less for him to carry back home. "I said you would get your pick of the bones. You won't get all of them, you glutton."
A soft whine escaped Kan. "
Kan's not fat. Yuxi said we couldn't hunt on way to sect. Kan is just making sure he gets enough bones!"
"Don't worry I'll make sure you get enough bones and treats, promise." Kan couldn't stop himself from doing a little spin of happiness. Yuxi promised and they never broke their promises to each other!
—
Dutifully walking down the stone halls of the sect with Yuxi was making Kan anxious. There was too much new here. Too many new smells, too many new people, too many new sounds. He didn't like it. He kept having to growl warnings to the people getting too close to Yuxi.
"Kan! Heel!" Yuxi whispered under her breath, Kan obeying by falling back to her side and quieting down with a huff. "No one here is a threat right now, calm down."
"But they could be soon." He sent to Yuxi, which got him a quick shush in return.
Kan wasn't sure if he liked the sect.
—
Kan loved the sect! There were so many delicious things to hunt! And nice people that gave him treats and scratched him behind the ears just right! And so many things for him to learn and do!
Like he had just learned how to turn himself into a whirlwind of tooth and claw and was play fighting with Yuxi's friends. One of them was currently laughing at Kan, saying something about how he couldn't hurt him with such weak attacks. Idiot, Kan was just a distraction so Yuxi could get the best shot! Which she did, knocking the boy out flat with a flash of light, as soon as Kan bounded away and back into Kan form.
It was so much fun play fighting!
Hurrying back over to Yuxi and sitting down, Kan started to wait patiently to get Yuxi's feedback (and maybe a core treat!). She scratched her chin in thought. "Hey! Zihao! Think you could have gotten out of Kan's whirlwind?"
Oh was Kan going to do Biting Whirlwind for real this time?
Zihao rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe? He was just playing before right?"
"Bark bark
No hurt, just play" Kan confirmed.
"Alright, I guess we can give it a try." Zihao said, readying his shield and getting into a defensive stance.
"Try not to hurt him too badly, alright boy?" Yuxi said, ruffling Kan's head.
Kan Became the Wind and began rushing around Zihao until he became the Biting Whirlwind. "
Promise!"
—
Fancy parties were stupid. Kan had to stay in Yuxi's dantian if he wanted to come and he couldn't come out unless he was told to or under dire circumstances. Sure, it was warm and smelled like [home] but that wasn't the point! He couldn't see and do his job of protecting the pack like this!
Oh no, you can't see, how terrible! Yuxi sent to him in the blandest tone she could. Kan gave the equivalent of a mental chuff.
Don't worry, we'll only be here for another hour, two tops.
But two hours is so long! Kan whined.
Try to get some rest then, I still have some people I need to talk to.
Resigned to his fate, Kan fell into that half-aware half-listening state he was having to get used to; it was the only way he and by extension Yuxi could survive these things. The last time he had annoyed her enough to leave early he hadn't gotten any special treats for a week.
"Lady Yanhuo, it is good to see you could make it this evening."
"Thank you Lord Chen, you are too kind." Chen? That name sounded familiar but it was probably just another one of those two-legged windbags.
"Nonsense Lady Yanhuo. I've heard you are quite the accomplished huntress. Why, I'd be remiss if I didn't invite you to our next hunting party."
Kan perked back to full attention.
Hunting? Yes! Say yes! We can at least get one good thing out of this party!
Down boy. Yuxi thought before responding. "Truly too kind Lord Chen. I would be more than happy to join you, my schedule permitting that is."
Yes, they were going on a hunt!
"Haha, well then I hope your schedule allows it then! I'll make arrangements to make sure you know when the next one is." A few more pleasantries passed between them but Kan didn't care, there was a hunt in his future!
Not immediately Kan, not for a few days at least. That brought his mood down considerably.
Keep being a good boy and you'll get a core when we get home.
Promise?
Promise.
—
Sneaking through the forest Kan was nothing more than a whisper of wind. A soft gentle wind that barely touched the ground or leaves of the trees. Kan had easily picked up the scent of the thieving two-leggeds and had followed them back to their camp. Spying their campfire he slipped between the guards and began searching.
Two patrols of two, two tending the fire. Five tents with two each. Big tent has three and smells of stolen goods. Kan reported, sending back all he saw to Yuxi across the river.
Good boy. Once you help me get my aim make sure to get the patrols and stop any runners. Was what he got back. Kan almost snorted at that, of course he would get those, nobody was getting away. Kan and Yuxi protected these lands and these thieves had broken the rules.
There was a soft thump as something struck the ground. Kan marked the arrow had landed a dozen steps from the campfire, close enough for what Yuxi had planned. With that done Kan was off into the woods, no longer needing to be sneaky, and found and ended the first and then second patrol quickly. Returning to the camp he knew there wouldn't be any runners, too many arrows and not enough warning saw to that.
Using his wind to clear paths through the carpet of arrows, Kan went around and counted to make sure. Four from the patrol dead by his claws. Two by the fire dead by arrows. Ten in the smaller tents… mostly dead by arrows, his claws finished any stragglers. Three in the big tent… One dead, one still breathing, one struggling to put some sort of salve on his wounds.
Kan couldn't have any of that so with a soft
woof he sent his wind as blades to cut the thieves arms and legs. It would leave the thief near useless without much blood loss. Yuxi had been particularly happy when he got that trick down! Now if only he knew a trick that would stop them from whimpering and crying. Oh wait! He did!
"Quiet!" He barked out. The man instantly tried to muffle the whimper that was trying to come out. Good enough. Kan didn't like having to speak his words, made his mouth feel funny, but he wasn't going to send his thoughts at this thing either.
After dragging the two still living bodies out Yuxi had arrived along with some of the local guards. Kan stopped paying attention after that, Yuxi had gotten him a third-grade beast core to chew on! It was always the same anyways. Freedom this, hunger that, just a bunch of barking.
"Good job Kan!" Oh boy those ear scratches felt good. "We got everything back and even some useful information out of the prisoners."
Kan panted happily and felt his tail wagging. "Bark
Yep, got everything back, just like we promised."
—
The stench of Death was almost overbearing even through the barrier around the village. It was keeping Kan's hackles raised and his mind on edge. The nervous energy from Yuxi wasn't helping either.
"Lady Yanhuo, the scouting party is now over 30 minutes overdue. Last estimates have the… thing reaching the barriers in the next 8 hours. We can expect the barriers to be overwhelmed a few hours before that from the fleeing beasts and spirits. What are your orders?" The minion asked Yuxi, his clear superior. Yuxi only hesitated a moment.
"Prepare the village to evacuate to the estate grounds. Kan and I will investigate this personally. Dismissed." With that Yuxi started off, Kan right at her heels. He flowed into her dantian to cross the village barrier more easily before popping back out and carrying them on the wind to where the black streak down the mountain led.
The smell would have been unbearable to Kan if he hadn't learned to ignore his senses when he needed to, even still it was terrible getting closer. He saw spirits of the forest and beasts of all sizes fleeing from whatever was coming. Seeing the young, small spirits of disease and rot chasing those that fled did not bode well.
What they found was a thing of Death.
It had the shape of a person's upper skeleton but was easily six times larger. A black, oily, tar substance covered it and oozed from any hole or joint it had, hiding anything that may have been bone white at one point. The thing crawled along the ground, one massive hand reaching out and then pulling, the black substance is secreted letting it easily scrape it's ribcage and spine along the ground. Before their very eyes the black tar flowed around a tree and within seconds the tree was nothing more than rotten punk on the ground, a small spirit of decay crawling out of the remains and rushing off.
"Get us back to the village, now Kan." Without having to be told twice, Kan Became the Wind and rushed Yuxi back to the village.
As soon as they were back Yuxi was rushing to her room and barking orders. "Begin evacuating the village to the estate! Empty the temples and our storehouses of anything that can be used for purification! Gather everyone of Late Yellow Realm or higher!"
Once in her room she began writing several letters and missives. They folded themselves up and began flying away through the windows. Kan was still impressed that Yuxi had learned to write without using sight.
But they had little time for him to admire her. Soon they were back out among the guards and Yuxi was explaining what was going to happen.
"I will be taking two out of every three cultivators of Late Yellow Realm or above with me to stop this spirit of Death. We will be taking half of the purification supplies to help us combat it, the rest will be for cleanup later. In a worst case scenario you will use those supplies to help the villagers escape to the closest settlement. Any questions?"
A resounding 'No ma'am' was the answer she got. The soldiers broke to go and finish their preparations. Kan knew many of them would not be returning home.
Yuxi then turned and knelt down to look Kan in the eyes. This was her 'tell Kan something important' stance but what could she have to tell him?
"Kan, I need you to listen to me closely, okay?" She asked and then took a deep breath.
"Bark!
Of course!"
"I need you to stay here and protect the estate and everyone in it."
"What?! No! That thing-" Kan began to turn as if to look at the creeping creature currently crawling towards their home but Yuxi grabbed his face and forced him to look at her.
"Kan! I need you here protecting our home and pack! If a Gore-Horn is able to make it past the walls or a spirit of disease slips in then our pack will die! I can only trust this to you, do you understand?" Yuxi began to stroke his fur, showing she wasn't mad but that this was important enough for her to yell and make sure he heard.
Kan whimpered, "
I understand."
"Good," Yuxi said and pressed her forehead to his, still running her fingers through his fur. "Good boy. You wait here and protect everyone and I'll be back soon, okay?"
"Promise?"
"Promise."
—
That night became a blur to Kan. He was fangs and fury. A bloody beast! Anything that was not scared away from its path met its end by claw or wind. No beast or spirit would get close enough to his home to harm it or it's people.
And through the night the sky bloomed with light and sound like a festival night as Yuxi fought. Until a terrible howl, like a thousand voices in a cave screaming, echoed across the land.
Then it fell silent.
And then it was morning.
A few soldiers returned and people began returning to their homes. Some of the soldiers tried talking to Kan but he ignored them. He didn't want to listen to what they said and Yuxi would be back soon anyway.
The soldiers left and Kan waited and protected his home.
The people left the village but Kan waited and protected his home.
The seasons began to change but still Kan waited and protected his home.
He was a good boy and had made a promise. Yuxi would be back soon, she had promised.
Yuxi and Kan didn't break their promises.
A.N.
@yrsillar Another Omake for the Omake throne!
I remember reading some WoG stuff over on the discord about how the spirit beast/cultivator dogs are just really smart dogs and I thought, Hey, that would be fun to write a story about! Then I started writing it and my brain said but what if sad?
On a plus note I may have been convinced to do another Taijitu chapter. Like an omake for the omake? We'll see if it goes anywhere.