Well, it ended up that I didn’t have the chance to ask her anymore as it has been 4 days since she left and didn’t come back; and now we were starting to starve and get really worried.

“Come, brother”

I said as I started to walk for the exit. My brother wasn’t able to talk yet, but dogs always had a way to communicate without words, so I could see in his eyes that he didn’t want to.

Even been hungry as we were, even knowing that something was wrong, he didn’t want to leave, because by leaving we would be… admitting. Admitting our fear.

That mother would not come back.

“We cannot stay here any longer, we need food, now, and I need your help to hunt little brother”

A turmoil of emotions started to spin in my belly. Hunt. Kill something. Would I be able to? No, I needed to. But the preys were all bigger than I.

I shook my head and stared back at my brother.

I couldn’t afford to hesitate.

“Let’s go”

He dropped his ears but started walking, the only sound being our claws rasping the rock below. When we reach the end, however, strange sounds pick my attention.

Talking.

Humans.

A growl wanted to grow in my throat, making me rise my lips, but no sound escaped as we moved to the shadows, listening. My brother whined, hiding behind me. The clamoring of metal and the smell of old blood didn’t help to make them look friendly.

But of course, for our luck, they are right beside the entryway to our cave, and even a blind would be able to notice our scratch marks on the rock.

Shit.

I got a glimpse of one of them and immediately used appraisal, which, by the way, got to level 2 thanks to 2 days of boredom.

-Appraisal completed-

Name: Ryle %6$7@3

Gender: Male

Race: Human

That’s all it gives for now, it seems to work fully only in myself, but at least gave me his name.

The cave had only one direction to get out, but at least had many exits-holes like a hive, allowing me and my brother to stay against the wind and above them, hiding between the crevices and sneaking by in the many shadows, our black fur helping us camouflage.

There were twelve of them, smelly humans. Many wore those loud metal armors, clacking about, the helmets hiding their faces and letting visible only a puff of beard. The bulky four with full armor were holding metal nettings and their intentions seemed clear to me as the others kneeled down and analyzed our marks.

But how do they know where to find us or that we were even here? Unless them…

I shook my thoughts away, but they came nonetheless.

Unless they found mother and tracked us down.

But one thing for sure, I wasn’t going to wait to found out. The idea of attacking them passed my mind, more for the hunger then revenge even, but looking at my pitiful brother made me toughen inside.

I’m the only family he has left. He is only one month old for god sake!

…So I am, but that’s not the point…

Ding – Title change – Doting brother to older brother

…

Not the time little ding dong.

Shit, they start moving again, the group separating inside as the bulky four waited outside, talking nonstop and not been very stealth for a group of hunters may I add.

Ding – Common Language 1

Yes, finally something useful! Thanks ding, sorry for mistreating you before.

Ding: …

“So do you really think they are in there?”

“In there I dunno, but that the female had pups that’s for sure”

“And how would you know? You’re no better than we are in the field”

The other spit on the ground before replying: “Because it wasn’t me who said so dickhead. The boss saw, and he was really pissed that the other one died. Better have those pups or we are going to pay for sure.”

The other shuddered. “Hope that our tracker knows what he is doing then.”

I didn’t need to listen any more of that. I turned around, anger boiling up on my system as my clueless brother followed me around the humans and deep into the forest.

We need food.

We need shelter.

But above all, we need to run.

From those smelly humans.

~~~~

MC(Main Character) ML (Male Lead(couple))

ML: So… we started the story, right? *Pulls a chair out of nowhere, pats evilly while grinning*

Author: … *Sits while gulping*

ML: Then you wouldn’t be one of those authors that wait half the book to make me appear, would you now?

Author: … *Sweats profusely and nods negatively several times*

ML: … Good, good, I will be looking forward to it. Never forget. *Takes a dagger and starts sharpening it*

MC: Oi! I don’t have a saying in this?

Author/ML: No.

~~~

But seriously, he won’t take thaaaaat long to appear, only to have… fun.