"No, no, no!"
"Don't come any closer you foul beast! Stay away from my sister!"
"Die you monster!"
Gerald awoke amidst screams in a groggy state. The shouting seemed to be coming from quite far away, and yet it was still so loud, able to pierce the thick wooden doors of his room and give him a headache.
The voices clearly belonged to the girls, and whatever was going on, it didn't seem to be stopping any time soon.
"I swear to god, I've gone too soft on them. If they don't have a good reason for this, there will be spanking to be had!"
As he made his way down the hallway, rubbing his eyes and still half asleep, he opened the door to his lab, only to be greeted by the most baffling sight ever.
If you could imagine three little children trying to stop a big bad wolf from eating their snacks, you wouldn't be far off. Toby was currently doing his best to follow his nose up to the potion-production area, trying to eat whatever was there.
The three girls, Qiona, Sera, and Xilia were meanwhile doing their best to stop him. Which was not much, honestly. Elly was helping too, though only in spirit.
She was standing at the side while holding her nose and encouraging the rest to beat the beast.
The strategy consisted of mainly punching, kicking, pushing, screaming, and even using magical spells. Needless to say, it was all pretty much useless.
Toby simply ignored their physical attacks as he shook them off like an annoying swarm of flies, while the spells harmlessly bounced off his body after losing the battle to his thick fur and tough skin.
It was so peculiar.
Toby even got excited seeing them dance around him with such intensity. He could understand Gerald speaking because of… reasons beyond his grasp, but other humans remained a complete mystery.
The only thing he knew was that something over there smelled heavenly and he just had to try it. He even thought they were cheering him on or inviting him to a feast.
The only problem was that a smaller version of a human creature was standing between him and his goal.
He did not consider the girls a threat, and even if he did, he wouldn't dare attack without Gerald's permission. He was a beast, but he was not stupid. Orders from the master were to be followed without question.
And so Toby took the path around to get to his target… Or at least, he tried to. Qiona was for some bizarre reason, stubbornly getting in his way while shouting and punching him in the nose. The whole thing felt like gentle taps on the snout for the Warg, which is why the entire situation was even more confusing for the poor guy.
"What is going on here?!" Gerald shouted after catching himself just blankly staring for a while.
"Gerald! You are here!"
"You need to help us! Toby is trying to eat the herb stores!" Qiona quickly protested. "He's already emptied the entire scrap bin!"
"Aha!" Gerald immediately understood the situation and sternly shook his finger at the beast, "Toby, don't be such a slob and leave the girls alone. Let this be a warning and if you are not going to behave, I'll put you on a diet!"
Toby understood the first part, but the smell was just too nice! He had to have a little piece, just a single bite! But he didn't completely comprehend the threat, so he lifted his head sideways in curiosity.
"If you are not going to behave, you are going to have a three-day fast as punishment!" Gerald warned. Though it still didn't do the trick as Toby didn't get it.
"It means no food!"
Whine!
That seemed to get the point across as Toby fell to the ground while releasing the most depressed sounds possible. He begged and pleaded with his head on the ground, ears folded down and a sad expression, to save himself from the torture.
"Don't look at me, I'm not the one you need to seek forgiveness from," Gerald stated and pretended not to care as he crossed his arms and looked away. "If you can act well and they are willing to vouch for you, then we can forget this incident."
Toby turned towards the group of girls and a glint of hope was born in his eyes as he tried the same persuasion tactic on them. He sincerely whined and cried, even trying to nudge them with his head.
The girls were gradually starting to show some reactions… It seemed to be working!
"Ew! No way, you stink! Go away!" Qiona immediately pushed him away.
Or not…
"Yeah, no way we will forgive you just like that! What if you try to eat our stuff while we have our backs turned, huh? Show us you can be trusted first!"
With some occasional translation from Gerald, Toby gradually understood what they wanted. Well, understood was maybe too strong of a word. He definitely didn't understand what was wrong with his smell.
He thought he smelled quite nice actually. There was the scent of meat and blood mixed with a pinch of death and rot. The addition of his own musk was also a nice combination that was bound to attract many females. But if doing a few things for his master's friends was all that it took to keep the food coming, Toby was ready to suffer a little.
So he readily agreed, unaware of the horrors and torture that awaited him.
They brought him to the yard with lush green plants, trees, and a small pond.
How nice of them, he was just getting thirsty after all that food. But then he heard the words of his master…
"Okay Toby, have fun! And remember, don't resist, or else no food for you," Gerald smiled and left.
Toby could swear there was something evil in that smile. He wasn't completely positive at first, but after a few moments, he was convinced! His master was the devil! And his evil henchmen were currently busy arming themselves with the most horrible of weapons!
They carried with them buckets, scrubbing brushes, and... and soap!
Toby froze on the spot, and that's when they pounced, beginning the torture.
That's when he realized he has sold his soul for food! He was doomed!