Peter repeatedly tapped his foot upon the smooth floor of the guild, anxiously awaiting the arrival of one of the higher ups. The nearby receptionist let out a cough, and Peter turned to look at him, his expression slightly annoyed. “Sorry,” Peter said softly. Pressing his hand upon his leg to hold it in place, his other clutched the letter it had been holding even tighter. It had arrived two days ago. Only one day after his eighteenth birthday.

“The kingdom sure works fast when it comes to soliciting tamers,” he muttered to himself.

The letter contained the same generic content which all the other adult males within the country received. An adult male upon their eighteenth birthday was offered the ownership of a single primal in exchange for two years of service within the Kingdom of Fauna as a tamer. Tamers were typically, though not exclusively, men who tamed primals and captured the untamed primals which prowled the lands.

Having already gone through the registration and filled out the paperwork to become a registered tamer, there was just one thing left before he could start his journey.

“Ah, Peter is it?” A man wearing a white lab coat called out to him. He had a look of professionalism to him. “Hope I didn't keep you waiting to long.”

Peter shook his head. “Not at all, mister...”

“Evans.”

“Evans. It's nothing compared to all the forms I had to fill out yesterday.”

“Haha,” Evans chuckled. “Then that makes my job easy. We'll just head downstairs, and I'll show you what's available to pick out, and you'll soon be on your way.”

Peter nodded as he followed behind. Evans lead him to a room full of shelves lined with what all appeared to be summoning stones. On one side of the room was what may have been a prison cell. As he approached a nearby shelf to grab a summoning stone, he paused for a moment before a magic circle briefly appeared above his hand. A tall, blonde primal wielding a long sword and a large shield materialized nearby. She was equipped with thick armor, but no helmet.

“A Templar?” Peter asked.

“Someone paid attention in their lessons.” Evans smiled. “Just in case. They shouldn't be able to get past the bars, but there's no reason to take any unneeded risks.” He turned towards the woman, who gave a light bow in response.

Evans nodded and grabbed one of the stones and walked towards the cell. His eyes closed as Peter saw him begin to focus. Within the cell, a primal began to materialize.

She was naked with tan skin and stood on all fours, her tail wagging slightly through the air. Her fluffy ears flapped around slightly as she observed her surroundings. “Fren..” Peter muttered to himself. Evans gave a slight nod.

As she spotted the two men standing in front of her, the primal suddenly began to pant as her skin began to flush. She briefly glanced towards Evans before noticing the Templar standing behind him. The Templar gave a small scowl in response to the Fren's eyeing of her tamer.

The Fren then turned her attention towards Peter, who looked at her with a mixture of curiosity.. and something else. As her breaths continued to speed up, she suddenly turned around and thrust her rear at the bars. The meat of her butt pressed inward by the bars was all Peter could focus on as she began to thrust her hips towards him repeatedly. The soft clapping of flesh could be heard with each motion as she continued to entice the man with her curvaceous body. Between the small gap nestled in between her thighs, Peter could see her head peaking through the crack, hoping to solicit any kind of reaction from him.

A faint aroma began to permeate from the Primal. Peter could feel his trousers tighten, and for a brief moment forgot to breathe. He unconsciously began to move his hand towards his crotch. The sound of the man's voice nearby broke him from his trance.

“What do you think?” He asked. Peter looked towards him. “Looks like she'd be an easy tame for you.” He continued. Then entered a thinking pose. “Maybe a bit to enthusiastic.” He thought aloud. “Damn interns, have they been neglecting to feed them again?”

As Evans wondered who he would have to punish, the primal changed her strategy. She turned around, now facing towards Peter, and gripped the bars with her paws and lined up her crotch between one of the gaps. She continued to pant desperately as she glided her body up and down against the metal rods. Despite the juicy banquet in front of him, Peter could not help but recall a factoid regarding the untamed.

“The eyes, they're cloudy.” Peter softly muttered to himself. He caught Evans watching him as he waited for his response. “Uhm,” Peter started. “I'll definitely consider her,” he said as his voice trailed off. “Are there any other types of primals available?”

“Of course.” Evans replied. He focused once more and the primal began to disappear, her labored breaths quickening as she glanced around in confusion, letting out a single whimper before finally disappearing. The only mark of her presence having ever been in the cell, some glistening liquids now dripping towards the floor. “Is there anything in particular you're looking for?” He asked as he set the stone back in its place. Evans began to shout as he walked along the rows of stones. “We have Goblins, Dryads...”

Goblins are about even with a Fren in terms of combat prowess I think, though they serve different roles. They're pretty tricky to fight, but once caught they go down easily. Dryads... it would be nice to have someone capable of healing me, but their combat ability is a bit lower than the others.

“We have other Frens as well if you wanted a different one, though it seemed like that one was pretty compatible with you.” Evans laughed. Peter twitched with both heads. “Ah...” Evans let out a small noise, as if having recalled something. “We do have one Squire.”

“A Squire?” Peter asked. “Aren't they normally used for town guards?”

“The very same,” Evans replied as he began to walk towards Peter with a stone in hand. “This one is a bit, hmm, resistant?” He smiled. “Violent, perhaps? When attempting to tame.” Peter raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I think several officers have tried to tame her after their other tamed weakened her, but none have been successful so far I'm afraid.” He paused for a moment. “And success here is both defined as 'taming her' as well as 'leaving this building without injuries.'”

Peter grimaced. She sounds dangerous, but a squire would definitely be a great primal to start with. If things don't work out, I can always just ask for the Fren instead. “Can I see her first?”

Evans nodded as he shot his Templar a quick glance before gripping the stone. Sure enough, a squire materialized within the cell. Blonde hair, but with an astonishingly beautiful face, even more so than the ones he had seen around town. Perhaps what amplified her attractiveness was the change in attire. Rather than the simple uniform that the guards wore, she was currently dressed in a short white chiton which put on display her ample cleavage, ending in a short skirt which gave way to her long, white legs.

Unlike the Fren, she made no movements, save for shooting the humans an intense frown. Feelings of both excitement and nervousness swelled within Peter upon looking at her. He turned to Evans. “I think I'd like to try.”

“Hmm,” Evans hummed aloud. “Alright then.” He deactivated the summoning stone and the squire vanished. “Follow me to the taming room.”

Evans took Peter to another part of the guild. When they arrived, he could see a few rooms made entirely of glass. Most were currently dimmed in such a way that you could not see inside, though one was transparent and currently empty.

With a clinch of the stone, the primal reappeared within the confines of the room. After briefly scanning the room, her brows furrowed as she glared through the glass towards Peter. Immediately, a short sword and buckler materialized in each hand as she entered a combat stance. Peter could hear the Templar's sword gently swish through the air as she prepared for battle.

“Hmm, I would like to provide you some privacy, however..” Evans looked towards the squire. “That might be a bit difficult considering the circumstances.” He turned towards his Templar. “Karen?”

“Yes, Mr. Evans?”

“Do ensure that our friend here survives this ordeal, please. I must attend to some business elsewhere.”

“Of course.” She said with a slight bow.

Evans handed Peter the stone. “You should have already learned how to use these during your schooling, correct?” Peter gave a slight nod. “Then best of luck.” He turned and left, leaving Peter standing outside the room with the Templar.

The Squire's expression had not changed since she appeared, staring deeply into Peter's clear, blue eyes. The fog was all that hers could return. Yet within that unclear visage, despite her lips not moving, despite her not being tamed and the two of them sharing no bond, Peter felt as though there was something she was trying to communicate.

“Come,” Karen commanded, interrupting Peter's stupor. She gripped the handle of the door and pushed it open, within the room Peter could see the Squire glance towards the Templar, almost disappointingly. Her glare intensified as she raised her sword and shield.

The mood was turning intense, when suddenly Peter found himself grabbing the Templar's elbow. “Wait!” He shouted. Karen turned and looked towards him, the Squire unmoving. Peter gave a slight gulp before speaking the words, “I wish to go alone.”

The Templar turned her chin upwards. “You wish to die?”

“No, but I..”

“I was told to ensure your survival.”

“She will not kill me.” Peter spoke. “At least, I think.” Karen raised an eyebrow. “And if I need your help, you will be just a few steps away.”

Karen seemed lost in thought for a moment, before relenting and nodding her head. She let go of the door and stood out of the way. Peter gripped the handle and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The room felt as if it flickered, and Peter figured that whatever mechanism they used to obscure the inside must have turned on. He was alone with the squire.

She did not move from her position, continuing to glare at Peter. He placed the stone in his pocket and took a step towards her. He could see her arm muscles tighten immediately, but still, she did not move. Peter shook his head. Have I lost my mind? He raised both arms and entered a fighting stance, his fists tightening.

The Squire let her arms droop slightly, before nodding her head as though she understood. The sword and shield she was wielding suddenly transformed, their metallic properties disappearing, replaced with a blunt wood instead.

Peter nervously chuckled. “Hopefully that means I'll leave this room alive.”

The Squire's body tightened once more, and waited for Peter to make the first move. He slowly stepped towards her, keeping his guard up as he gauged her posture.

Nearly a few feet away, Peter made his move. “Hyaah!” He shouted as he leapt forward and went for a left hook. The Squire dipped and avoided the blow, then slammed her shield into his chest, knocking him off balance. As Peter stumbled backwards, she quickly spun around and wacked his leg with her sword, sending him to the floor.

Peter could feel the intensity in the air suddenly change. “No!” He shouted, picking himself off the floor. He managed to turn around and see that, indeed, the Templar had already entered the room. “Not yet,” he groaned.

The Templar frowned but obeyed, stepping back outside. The Squire eyed the Templar carefully before returning her attention to Peter. Struggling to stand, he glared at her in intensity. He used his good leg to lunge forward along with a right hook, but she easily blocked it with her shield and knocked his fist away, right before slamming her sword into his side. Peter grimaced but pushed through the pain. He went for a quick jab but she easily stepped backwards to avoid it.

Peter's breath become labored. Twenty seconds in and I'm already half dead. He struggled to let out a chuckle. She's not even trying. Why did I bother to take those lessons on self-defense?

The Squire stood still, waiting for Peter to make his next move. Once he recovered a little, he decided to bet everything on one last attempt. He mustered whatever motivation and energy he had left and dashed towards her, swinging with his left. Once again, she dodged and prepared to bash him with her shield once more. In an instant, he threw all his energy into swinging both hands overhead and locked them together, slamming them down into her shoulder. He had managed to score a hit.

The Squire did not so much as even flinch from his swing. “Heh.” Peter couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh. In the next instant, a knee to his stomach launched him backwards across the room. He skidded slightly along the soft padded floor and landed just short of the entrance. A plethora of confusing emotions began to assault Peter along with the pain.

Oh, my, everything... Peter let out a groan. The Squire began to rush towards him across the room. His head began to ache as he clawed at his sides, searching for the summoning stone. From behind, Peter sensed the ever looming presence of the Templar about to rush inside. His heart began to race. Peter feels the rough edges of the summoning stone at the very bottom of his pocket. Yes! He pulled it out and glances at it. Within his palm were four shards of what used to be a single summoning stone. “Why..” he whimpers. Did she somehow break free of the binding? The Squire tosses both her sword and shield amidst a flash of white as she pounces to close the remaining distance between them. For some reason, Peter cannot help but wonder if he had chosen the Fren, would this had happened.

The Squire landed on top of him, straddling his body. Peter heard the door slam open, but didn't care. All he could focus on now was the Squire. Her body leaned forward into his, and her face drew ever closer. He hears the distant sound of a blade whistling through the air. Peter tries to keep his eyes open, but with her face mere inches away, they betray him and clamp down.

A warm sensation touches his lips. The feeling spreads in a wave across his entire body.

Peter opens his eyes just in time to see the Squire's lips part from his. Despite her peerless beauty, Peter cannot help but focus on his own startled expression reflected in her eyes.

“Peter...” She softly whispered.

Peter hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. The wave embracing his body finally returns, at the hem, a single word.

“Kalista.”