Back in the present.

Allan was faced with big, beastly eyes. Not knowing what exactly was staring at him, he could tell instantly the sheer pressure of this gaze. Penetrative, and it was looking right at him.

“Northern beast!? They even subdued some beast from the north to get them here? Bunch of lunatics.” Allan was shocked.

He panicked back from the hall which faced this window and run upstairs. He did not know how to deal with such a foe.

“What to do? What to do?”

He looked around for some hints. His mind raced with ideas. There are some spears and javelins which would be enough for a beast. “It looks way too big.” He still grabbed as much stuff as he could.

He suddenly remembered that they had some spare oil in buckets. It could be used to put the beast on fire and deal heavy damage to wild beasts that could be afraid of the fire. “Let's give it a try. Not like I have a better idea to consider.”

Allan ran around this floor to look for a better opportunity for the angle of attack.

“It looked quite big. More than 2 meters tall, for sure.”

He looked out of a window from one room that faced the side of the house. Seeing a massive wolf-like creature. Its back was visible from the second floor. It was still looking through the window on the first floor. Its front legs were crouched down so it could see from the first-floor window.

“Huh… It is still looking inside. Did it see me or not? Perhaps it smells the blood on the first floor?” Allan wondered.

With the spear in hand, he carefully aimed at it and released the spear.

Clink!

It bounced away from the wolf’s fur as if it was made from tough metal. It did not even notice it.

Beng! Bing! Clink!

Allan struck the beast in frustration. “What the hell is this fur made of?”

Most beasts are vulnerable to the strikes above them. For animal hunting. Spears, bows, and occasional close combat strikes with blade weapons were used, mostly. A beast like this was a rare sign of something extremely unusual and terrifying at the same time. They usually lived in the mountains on the northern side of the continent.

Allan, after looking that his blows did not leave even left a scar behind, finally came to a realization. “It is monstrously tough and hard. This is not something that was ever recorded down anywhere. It is probably in the same category as dragons.” Allan was left speechless. He did not know what it was here for or if it was even with the northern invasion.

He punched his chest to calm down. Grabbing a bucket of flammable oil and tossing it through the window.

Oil slid off the fur. He did not even have a chance to light it on fire. “Oh, no.”

Wolf suddenly stepped back. Looking above, it saw Allan staring at his unsuccessful plans to protect himself by his attempts. The beast jumped his front legs up slightly, its paws rested inside a window. It put its snout inside, eyes looked directly at Allan, who was panicking. He could

see bloodied fangs and paws that were drenched in blood, as well as its head in general, that has barely managed to fit a small amount of it inside.

It sniffed a few times.

“Clayton’s kid?”

“Huh? Y-y-you can talk?” Allan mumbled as he tried to back off. His fear got hold of him as he did not manage to defend against anything. Not even pulling out his flying knives, which could at least penetrate its eyes or other defenseless areas.

“Seeing you all scared put me in a pleasant mood. That and finally reaching my freedom.”

“Y-you know my father?” Allan asked, in shock from the way it spoke.

“It is of no importance right now. I will now rescue you from this place. Afterward, it is not my problem what will happen to you.”

“I-I don’t understand. W-why? What are you?” Allan muttered, wanting to know at least something to get some sense of this shocking encounter.

“Go outside! Take whatever you want with you. We are leaving.” Giving no time to respond to Allan. It retracted its head and paws from inside.
Allan sat there on the ground. Stunned.

“Understand?!” Wolf howled at him from outside. Allan jolted away. Having no time to react. He went downstairs to get his already prepared things.

He glanced to a side. Seeing a motionless Thomas laying by the door.

“Farewell, mister Thomas, and thank you.” Allan bowed and departed from the back door.

Outside was already waiting beast. It looked very intimidating, and its size was massive. It has sections of spiked fur on a whole body except a lesser quantity of fur on both pairs of front legs. Gray, black and white sheens of colors were what made it look very majestic.

Allan stumbled over a full picture of the beast. He has never seen such a creature so close in his life.

“Can I know your name?” Allan asked while he summoned his courage. He probably guessed by now that this is a very special situation and this wolf was not a threat. But it did not calm him down in the slightest.

“Skoll is what I am called.” Wolf answered. Light of wariness unexpectedly disappeared from his eyes.

“What will you do? I could see the war of men on my way here. Is there some safe place?” Skoll asked. He knew nothing about this place. Just because he was tasked with saving Clayton’s son didn’t mean he would have ways to succeed without a hitch. He came to a realization that the current situation is problematic for such a task. Wars can go on endlessly and he was aware of it as well.

In order to make it through, he promised Clayton's kid to be safe. Skoll did not have to worry too much about his own safety in the current situation. On his way, all kinds of folks attacked him whose last moments ended in the paws or claws of his attacks. It left some sort of satisfaction in Skoll's mind after being outside of the regular world for such a long time.

“I have an address in the main capital of this kingdom. It should be safe for now.” Allan said. He remembers the help mister Thomas gave him. He did not have any idea how bad was the current political situation, nor did he care. When lives are lost, they will flee for their lives and many people will act similarly to him. Refugees will come and go to safe places. Such was the human nature and sight of war that could destroy the lives of millions of people.

“Leaving through the planes beyond these hills is the best way. There is a big mountain range where are roads and pathways towards the inland part of the kingdom.”

“Good. That should be enough.” Skoll nodded in approval.

“How would you like to travel? Do you want me to bite your cloth or would you prefer grabbing my tail?” Skoll asked in ridicule unbeknown to such a terrifying beast.

“Can I just ride you instead? Sounds like a normal choice. Tail is too clumsy and you would destroy my clothes. I would slip off.”

“Huh? Ride? No way in a hundred suns I would allow you...”

Allan did not give him a choice. Before Skoll had a chance to finish his talk, Allan climbed to his back. “This is so much better, anyway.” Allan said with a smile.

Skoll was clearly stunned by the display of this human kid. “You brat… I swear to the heavens. Freaking Damascus… He was even so scared earlier.” He thought in bitter silence.

Jumping high into a sky beyond the hills, and started to run. Allan glanced at his home. “If only I learned a way to get inside of the actual office of my father. I could get some good stuff from there. I never found it, though.”

“It seems we have a company.” Skoll growled.

There was a rider on a horse. Making his way to a mountain as well. It has seen the shocking massacre of the way Skoll did to the home of Clayton. All which was left was a path that this rider has seen. Waiting for the beast to go away to see if he could manage to get his master's order right. If the kid would end up dead, that would not be good as well.

“Cloaked figure with a face mask. Huh?” Allan looked at him from Skoll's back. It reminded him of the figure he had seen back then on the street with his father. Although his assumptions were wrong this time.

“I am much faster than him. Hmph!” Skoll added. Not bothering with it as he strove in a big pushed leap into the forest and mountain range which spanned for long distances.
.
.
1 hour went by. Inside a mountain range that spanned hundreds of kilometers. They were riding throughout the forest on a high slope. Allan thought it would be better to be as careful as possible. Not giving many chances to meet anyone.

Skoll did not care. If everything ends up well, it is going to be perfect for him.

Unfortunately, not all worries could come in disappointment. Some would go into the trephining extended sights.

High in the sky, flying through the air, was a huge eagle. On top of it were seated two figures. One bald old man in dark robes who stroked his short bear and looked around him in the focused gaze of experience and loftiness. His head was slightly scarred, and he had a short black beard.

Behind him was an ordinary-looking man with normal features, but he had a huge scar across his face for almost half of his face.

This was a master of Meng. Lord Gao. He took his servant if there were some troubles. According to what his disciple said. The beast was very powerful. But he couldn’t describe potential troubles which could end up being encountered while facing the unknown.

He looked below him. Watching out for the big wolf shouldn’t be a problem, but he was unsuccessful so far. “They shouldn’t flee too far away. But l am not sure of the wolf’s speed. These are mountains, though. It shouldn’t be too fast”

Earlier, Meng explained the situation. He assumed that Clayton’s son would probably be taken away sooner rather than later. He did not guess the words Clayton muttered to Skoll, but it was plain to see that it was a situation where the father wanted to protect his son. It would be too late to make the move. His only saving grace was his earlier servant, who he sent after Allan. He provided some Intel on their whereabouts and directions, which helped to save some time.

Understanding it and dealing with it was a major concern of his. He simply wanted to be sure. So he summoned his master. His deal was if he dealt up with both of them. He would keep the kid and his master would keep the wolf. Injured, alive or dead.

It didn’t take long. With a high perspective from above, Lord Gao quickly noticed moving shadows under the trees. “There they are.”

He glared at his servant. “You will take care of the kid if they separate.”

“Yes, master!” The man bowed.

They gently glided through the air. Getting around the hill to lay an ambush. Prepared people are safe people.

Meanwhile, Allan was enjoying his time. Hugging Skoll by his thick fur. He originally thought they would be tough to deal with, but he found them to be surprisingly soft to the touch. They still had some strong and strange resilience, but he did not find the reason for it.

“How warm…” Allan muttered.

“This kid... I would be a laughingstock in my homeland if they saw him riding on me like this.” Skoll thought to himself. His eyes shined in a different light. He probably did not find it too bad.

“Mister Skoll?” Allan asked suddenly.

“Skoll is just fine. I am no mister to anyone.”

“Alright. How is my father? Truthfully! Is there some way to help him or is he stuck in a war?”

“You could say that. I do not care.” Skoll said indifferently.

“But I care!! He is my father. If I could, I would help him.”

“You are just a kid. If your father raised you better, it would probably be different. How old are you anyway?”

Allan thought for a moment. “13.”

“Hmmm. That is already a good time for becoming powerful. I assume from your earlier expression that your father never talked about me or mention me? Am I right?”

“Yes, he had never mentioned anything about a humongous wolf-like beast. He never taught me much profound knowledge, but he cared about me a lot, behind my back…”

“Your father won’t come back to you. But you can go back to your father.” Said Skoll in sentiment. He suddenly stopped running.

“Right, your father gave something to me. It is for you as he lets me go.” Skoll almost forgets about the little task he gave him.

He spitted a piece of cloth from his mouth.

“Is that? Oh… that piece of cloth that father had at that moment.” Allan remembered the cloth from yesterday. He jumped down and looked at it closely.

“Wait. There is only a single hammer on this one. I am sure there were two when I've seen it before.”

He wondered what sort of relationship Skoll had with his father, but he did not dare to act and directly ask him. It seemed something more was going on behind the scenes, which Allan had no clue about.