Chereads / Pebble Time / Chapter 4 - Big Dogs and Bad Cats

Chapter 4 - Big Dogs and Bad Cats

Mich flinched, although he didn't actually move, at the sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling. He managed to look in the direction, almost like he was in 3rd person, and saw a large white wolf with a red crystal horn on its head. The wolf looked to be 2.5 meters long and 1.35 meters tall, with black claws and slight shades of red in its fur, it pawed at the ground as it approached the crash site.

The wolf sniffed around the crash trail, as if trying to find something, while Mich at this moment was panicking as much as a little pebble could, very quietly and with no movement. 'Is it going to eat me? I really hope not! I'm not sure I'd survive and it doesn't sound like a nice experience at all!' Mich quietly wondered. But then he remembered back to his [Status] he saw earlier, he was given a skill but the world called [Appraisal] which would tell him about something. 'Welp, might as well see what it's like before he eats me' he thought as the wolf gradually sniffed its way over.

'Okay you bastard, take THIS!!!'

'[Appraisal]!'

Name : Ember Wolf

Race : Magical Beast

Description : A large wolf that lives in the Eastern Sands. Travels in packs of 5.

'...'

'Well that didn't tell me much.' Mich sighed, 'at least I now know it works, but i guess you shouldn't expect much when it's so low ranked', 'wait a minute, if they are supposed to travel in packs, where's its friends?'

Mich then noticed something about the Ember Wolf, it wasn't pawing at the ground, it was limping. 'Looking closer it's bleeding as well, near it's ribs', 'maybe something happened to them?', the Ember Wolf had finally made its way over to Mich's stone and was beginning to sniff at him, 'Hey! Nose away! Stop sniffing, it feels weird! Wait, feels? I can feel!' Mich had been slightly worried that he wouldn't be able to feel anything, he could deal with not being able to speak or move but not being able to feel would be what would drive him insane. He was so happy at being able to feel he didn't notice the wolf picking him up until he was already in his mouth.

'Aa-ah! Hey! Put me down you stupid dog!' Mich cried, but the wolf didn't notice, it was more preoccupied with the strange feeling it got from Mich, like it's magic flowed easier while holding him, and it's instincts told him Mich was good. And while the Ember Wolf was trying to figure out what was happening, and Mich was begging the wolf to put him down and 'be a good boy', another creature entered the clearing, making a lot of noise and growling as it did so.

Mich immediately stopped begging the wolf and the wolf stopped trying to figure out Mich as they both turned to the culprits, the wolf immediately started growling in fury while Mich came to a realisation from the situation, 'They must be what happened to the wolf's pack' he thought in a sad tone. The culprits of the noises were two brown and silver Lynxes, their paws and fangs covered in what Mich assumed to be Ember Wolf blood, a vicious and playful glint in their eyes, they glanced at each other before calmly striding forward, one Lynx at each side of the wolf. He started to growl even deeper and Mich felt something strange, like energy around him collecting inside the wolf's crystal horn and himself. 'Is he going to use magic?' Mich thought, he didn't blame him, these are his packs' murderers, creatures he would never forget. Mich wanted to try and help but didn't know how to at first, until he remembered his two skills [God's Touch] and [Devil's Touch], 'it might not work but I can give it a try!'.

Mich first decided to appraise the Lynxes.

'[Appraisal]'

Name : Metal Lynx

Race : Magical Beast

Description : Lynx magical beasts that surround themselves with the earth element, absorbing its properties. Sadistic creatures by nature.

// [Appraisal] ranked up! Now Rank : [F]

After Mich appraised the two Metal Lynxes it was like a chain reaction went off, as the wolf reared up onto its hind legs and rose its paws, gathering mana in them, preparing to strike down. Subsequently, the Lynxes also sprang into action, rushing towards the Ember Wolf from opposite sides, clearing tens of meters in a couple of seconds. All while this was happening, a strange stone inside the wolf's mouth started to glow with a resplendent rainbow hue, a silent voice reaching out, helping however it could.

"GRRRAAWWWWLLLR!!!" called the wolf before slamming its paws to the ground, activating its skill and hoping to at least take the lynxes down with him. The lynxes themselves moments before slashing into the wolf with their steel claws "WRRRREEOWWWW!". And Mich, hoping to not get caught up in the crossfire and to help the wolf, silently calling out to the sky, shining ever brighter.

'[God's Touch]!'

'Protect the wolf, [Devil's Touch]!'

*Fwwwrom!*

The Ember Wolf's mana turned turned into blazing flames that erupted from its paws, flowing away from the wolf and rushing towards the oncoming Metal Lynxes like an army protecting its country, while some flames even stayed back and were absorbed into the wolf's body, stopping the bleeding and hovering about, awaiting commands. The lynxes hissed and screeched, attempting to dodge the flaming tide coming towards them but it was too fast, the flames enveloped the big cats and furious shrieks ensued. Followed by silence and the smell of burning hair.

"AWWOOOOOOO!" The wolf howled, still with Mich in its mouth, delighted at avenging its kin at last. It still didn't understandable how it created such a strong and peculiar heat wave, one that was far above what it would normally be able to make, but it had an instinct that the strange stone had something to do with it. So, the wolf begun its walk back to its cave with its new strange stone, having unintentionally picked up one of the most important artefacts in the world. An artefact that is currently asleep due to mana drain.

// [You have levelled up, +10 attribute points]

// [You have levelled up, +10 attribute points]

// [You have levelled up, +10 attribute points]

// [You have levelled up, +10 attribute points]

// Through the skill [Devil's Touch], you have gained the weaker version of the skill [Heat Wave], you have gained the skill [Heat]

//You have gained the title [Strange Stone]