The air reeked of rotting troll flesh.
Caelum stirred.
How long have I been out?
A sound ,too soft for a monster. A whisper. A presence.
Snap.
He turned, silent and tense, every nerve pulled taut. His fingers brushed the hilt of his blade.
Was that , aura behind me?
There, behind the shattered slab of a stone he'd destroyed earlier, something moved.
A tail.
Slow. Swaying.
It curled, flicked once like a curious dog, and then.
A blur lunged.
Caelum braced for impact.
But instead of claws or fangs, something wet touched his cheek.
He blinked.
"A baby dragon?"
It chirped, then licked him again.
Its tail thumped the ground like a happy pup.
But then.
That aura.
It rolled off the creature like heat from a forge. Heavy. Ancient. Wrong.
That, came from you?
Caelum's heart thudded in his chest. He narrowed his eyes.
"Did you, save me from the monsters?"
The dragon tilted its head.
And just for a moment.
It looked like it understood.
No wonder he was still alive. Even unconscious in a cave crawling with monsters.
Caelum glanced at the small dragon beside him.
"Thanks, buddy."
The little creature tilted its head, tail wagging lazily. Its scales shimmered faintly under the dim light.
"You seem lost. Where are your parents?"
The dragon just blinked, then looked away. Like it hadn't understood a single word.
Caelum sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
What am I doing? Talking to a dragon like it's a stray dog.
He crouched down, locking eyes with the creature. "Alright. Thanks again even if you probably have no idea what I'm saying."
With that, he turned and started walking.
The sound of tiny claws tapping against stone followed behind him.
Four minutes later, Caelum stopped.
He turned slowly, staring at the baby dragon still trotting at his heels.
"Hey, Why are you following me?"
The dragon chirped.
"Go back to your mama and papa, alright? This place isn't safe."
But the creature didn't move. Its gaze remained locked on him quiet, determined.
Caelum frowned.
The baby dragon kept following him.
Caelum sighed and spun around again. "Alright, wanna play tag?"
He picked up a small rock and tossed it. "Go fetch!"
The creature tilted its head.
Didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Just stared at the rock. Then back at him.
Caelum groaned and clutched his head. "Oh come on, you're not actually that dumb, are you?"
A pause.
Then, fine. If it wouldn't leave, he'd make it.
With a burst of speed, he vanished in a cloud of dust, darting behind a crumbled rock slab. Hidden, crouched, silent.
Let's see if you can follow me now.
For a few seconds, nothing.
Then.
"Gwah!"
The noise came from right behind him.
Caelum froze. Turned slowly.
There it was.
The baby dragon, tail swaying innocently, blinking up at him like it had won the game.
"...What do you want?" he muttered. "You wanna come with me or something?"
The tail wagged.
He stared.
"Was that a yes?"
Wag. Wag.
Caelum sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Tch. Fine. Do what you want ."
The dragon chirped.
And just like that,he had a companion.
"Water and food," Caelum muttered, scanning the cave ahead. "First things first.
I need to secure both."
His gaze dropped to the baby dragon trotting beside him.
"You got a name.?"
Silence. Blinking eyes.
Caelum sighed. "Right. Why do I keep asking questions like you can answer."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, then pointed at the little guy.
"Alright. From today on, you're Poch."
The dragon's tail wagged.
Caelum winced. ",That bad, huh? I suck at names."
Still, the dragon's tail kept swaying.
"I'll take that as approval."
As Caelum gave the little dragon the name, "Poch," something stirred in the air.
A sudden gust of mana surged silent, yet undeniable. Caelum blinked as a faint, searing warmth spread across his right forearm a mark of contract.
A symbol had etched itself into his skin. Elegant, circular, ancient in design , glowing faintly before dimming into a permanent, ink-like mark.
"Guess I've got a familiar now."
Only a few people ever had the privilege to make a dragon their familia.
It wasn't rare, not exactly beast contracts were fairly common across the world. From flame wolves to sky hawks, even stone-skinned trolls magicians and warriors often bound themselves to magical creatures.
But dragons, were different.
They weren't just stronger, they were proud. Ancient. Intelligent. Most wouldn't even acknowledge a human, let alone accept them.
Moments..later, he crouched, pointing toward the shadowed edge of the cave where faint echoes of splashing water could be heard.
"Listen, Poch. I know you understand me. You see those goblins near the pond?"
He narrowed his eyes. "We take them out. Quietly. No mistakes. Got it?"
The tail wagged again.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Caelum shifted his weight, peering from behind the jagged stone. One, two, five,
Six.... Ten goblins. All clustered around the water.
He turned to check on Poch.
and froze.
The dragon was already walking toward them.
"No,wait...POCH!."
Too late.
The goblins noticed.
Their heads turned. Snarling.
Caelum leapt from cover, blade half-drawn. panic in his throat.
But then.
"Raaawr!"
A tiny roar echoed through the cavern.
Poch stood there ,small, defiant, tail whipping behind him like a flame.
The goblins paused.
And the air.. shifted.
"Kekeke..."
The goblins cackled, their laughter bouncing off the cavern walls.
Poch just stood there, tail swaying.
Then.
Pff.
A tiny spark danced from his mouth, landing on the stone floor with a soft dap.
The goblins paused.
Then burst into louder laughter, clutching their sides like they'd just witnessed the world's biggest joke.
Caelum blinked. "Poch, what was."
BOOM!
The flame erupted.
Not a spark. Not a flicker.
A compressed blast of fire detonated, swallowing the goblins in flames.
When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left but scorched dust.
Poch stood at the center of it all, a wisp of smoke trailing from his nostrils.
He looked up at Caelum, chest puffed, smug as a king.
Caelum's jaw hung slightly open.
"I, guess you are a dragon after all," he muttered, half in awe, half in disbelief.
Then, a slow smirk crept across his face.
"Well, looks like I just found something useful."
The scent of burnt flesh still hung in the air thick and bitter, like roasted garbage soaked in blood.
"Ugh... so smelly."
Caelum grimaced, waving the smoke away. "Let's just, find water."
The faint sound of trickling drew him toward the pond ahead. As the mist cleared, he froze.
"Whoa... so many fish."
Dozens of them glided lazily through the dark, crystal surface.
Caelum grinned. "Poch, I think we just found dinner."
(One hour later)
Gasping, dripping wet, Caelum stumbled onto the rocky shore, hoisting two huge-ass fish like trophies of war.
"Finally...! Took you long enough to bite, you slippery bastards."
He lit a small fire. The flames licked up the shadows, pushing the darkness back a few paces. Warmth returned.
Poch sat by the fire, tearing into the fish like a starved prince, eyes closed in absolute bliss.
Caelum leaned back, staring at the cave ceiling.
His smile faded.
That mark...
The one that vanished when Kerno died.
"What was it?"
His mind turned in circles, unable to lock onto a clear thought. Too many pieces missing. Too many questions.
"I'll think about it later," he muttered. "First, the hunt. Answers can wait."
He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of fatigue press against his shoulders.
Caelum sank into deep sleep like a stone dropping in a dark lake.
Hours passed.
A wet, tickling sensation dragged him back to the surface.
Poch's rough tongue was lapping at his face.
"Hey! Stop it, Poch!" Caelum groaned, swatting the baby dragon away.
He blinked open his eyes.
The cave smelled different sharper, cleaner. Morning light crept through cracks, painting silver lines on the damp walls.
Caelum sat up, stretching, his senses already sharpening.
He glanced at Poch, who was wagging his tail eagerly.
"Today," Caelum said, voice low but steady, "we hunt monsters."
Poch's tail thumped against the stone floor like a war drum.
After a few minutes of walking, the silence broke.
Up ahead, a group of orcs, five of them, clustered near a broken tree.
Caelum froze.
Orcs. Five.
He crouched low, eyes flicking to Poch.
"This time," he whispered, voice sharp, "you don't do anything until I say."
Poch's tail swayed, but he stayed quiet.
Caelum smirked to himself.
Yeah, we can do that.
He, crouched behind a jagged rock, eyes locked on the orcs.
"Poch, you're up. Go distract them."
Poch tail flicked once, then he slipped out from the shadows, low and silent.
The orcs barely noticed at first, until a sharp clang echoed fron Poch.
The orcs growled, gripping their axes tighter.
Poch darted in, tail swaying roughly, drawing their attention away.
Caelum's eyes narrowed. He started manipulating the ground earth magic, tier 5 the dirt and mud beneath the orcs began to shift, sucking them down into a muddy trap.
"Now!" Caelum shouted.
A burst of firestorm exploded from his palm, slicing through the orcs like a blazing blade.
The rest were cut down by Caelum's rusty but deadly sword skills.
One by one, they fell overwhelmed by Caelum and Poch's teamwork.
When silence returned, Caelum exhaled slowly.
Poch trotted back, tail wagging proudly.
"Good job. We did it, Poch."
Just as Poch and Caelum caught their breath, the shadows shifted.
A figure stepped forward cloaked, silent.
Two glowing red eyes pierced the dark.
Caelum's gripped his sword tighter.
"Who, are you?"
"I mean no harm," the figure said calmly.
The cloak she wore shimmered faintly under the cave's dim light as she removed her hood, revealing fierce golden eyes and furlined ears twitching atop her head.
"I am Fenra, of the Fenrir Clan."
Her voice was steady. "I watched you fight. That's why I came, to ask for your help." She bowed low.
Caelum narrowed his eyes, body still tense from the earlier battle.
"And why should I?" he said flatly. "I've got my own path, my own burdens. What do I get for helping you?"
"Anything I can give," she said without hesitation, lowering her head again. "Please. My village is in danger."
For a moment, silence lingered between them. Caelum looked at her wild, desperate, yet determined ,and sighed deeply.
Four years ago, he would've jumped into this blindly.
But now… now he thought twice.
He was no longer the reckless boy who trained in this rune cave.
Stil, that part of him, the part that couldn't walk away from someone in need, hadn't died.
"Tch....guess I'm still soft after all."
He glanced at Poch, who tilted his head in sync, clearly reading his mood.
"Alright. Take me to your village."
After a long, silent walk through the dark woods, they finally reached the outskirts of the Fenrir Beastman village.
The air turned thick , the stench of death and rot hung like a curse, clinging to Caelum's throat. Flies buzzed around broken totems. Half-burned huts stood like hollowed bones of beastmans.
"Ugh…" Caelum grimaced, pulling his cloak over his nose. "The smell, it's everywhere."
Poch let out a low growl, ears flattened.
Charred fur, shattered spears, claw marks , all scattered across the blood-stained path. But no voices and bodies of orcs. No movement. No life.
"Orcs did this?" he asked, his voice low and sharp.
Fenra didn't look at him. She stood still, eyes locked on a torn banner half-buried in ash.
"Yes." Her tone cracked. "They came days ago. Killed our warriors, burned everything. We fought, but."
She didn't finish.
"Where did they go after this?"
"I don't know "
"They come back every two days," Fenra said, her voice trembling. "They demand food, and if we don't give it, they kill one of us."
Her eyes dropped, a tear slipping down her cheek.
Caelum's expression hardened. "Is your village leader still alive?"
"Yes," she nodded.
They walked deeper into the ruined village, past hollow homes and shattered relics of a once-proud people. Eventually, they reached a large hut ,one of the few still standing. Inside, a dim fire cast shadows on the faces of a handful of surviving beastmen.
An elderly man sat in the center, leaning heavily on a carved wooden staff. His fur was graying, his body frail, but his golden eyes still held the pride of a warrior.
Fenra stepped forward and bowed. "Father, this is the man I spoke of. He's the one who can help us."
The old beastman slowly stood, supported by two others.
"I am Althorn, chief of the Fenrir tribe," he said, bowing with effort.
"Please…lend us your strength."
Caelum looked around, eyes scanning the worn faces in the hut, each one quietly pleading.
"I'll help," he said. "But I need every detail, how many orcs, where they came from, how they fight, and anything strange about them."
Althorn nodded grimly.