As Orin made his way out of the dragon kingdom, Hiran and Puiteh stood by the entrance, watching him go. Hiran had tears in her eyes as she hugged her mother, Puiteh.
"Goodbye, Orin," Hiran whispered,
"I'll miss you."
Puiteh nodded,
"Take care of yourself, my friend. The road ahead is long and dangerous, but I know you'll succeed."
Orin turned around and gave them a warm smile. He knew this would be a difficult journey, but he was determined to see it through.
"Thank you, both of you," he said.
"I'll come back soon." Orin smiled.
With that, he turned around and walked away from the dragon kingdom, into the unknown. Hiran and Puiteh watched him until he was no longer in sight, their hearts heavy with sadness.
As he made his way through the forest, he decided to set up camp for the night and prepare a meal. The peacefulness of the forest was interrupted when Orin heard a rustling in the bushes.
Out from the bushes came a skinny baby wolf, its fur matted and its eyes wide with fear. Orin calmly looked at the young wolf and saw that it was ready to attack. He simply smiled and threw a large chunk of meat towards the wolf.
The wolf was shocked as it watched the meat fall to the ground in front of it. It hesitantly sniffed the meat before devouring it eagerly.
Orin finished his meal and laid down to rest, with the baby wolf nearby. He looked at the tiny creature and said, "I don't know your story, but I can tell that it's not an easy one."
Just as Orin was settling into a deep sleep, the baby wolf suddenly woke up and began to bark loudly.
It was a warning. Black figures appeared out of the darkness, slowly making their way towards the campsite. They were werewolves, and they were closing in fast.
Orin was instantly awake. He looked at the baby wolf, who was now backing away from the approaching danger, and he said,
"Thank you for waking me up."
He turned his attention to the werewolves, who had surrounded him now. With a smirk, Orin declared,
"I was just having a nice dream, and I don't appreciate anyone or anything interrupting my dreamland."
As the werewolves closed in, Orin stood up, his eyes glowing with power. He raised his hands and a burst of energy shot out, hitting the first werewolf and sending it flying back.
The rest of the werewolves snarled and lunged forward, but Orin was too quick for them. He moved with lightning speed, dodging their attacks and striking back with powerful spells.
Orin summoned bolts of lightning that crackled through the air, striking the werewolves with shocking force. He summoned walls of fire that burned the werewolves, forcing them to retreat.
And with each spell he cast, Orin's power grew stronger, until it felt like the very air was alive with energy.
Despite their best efforts, the werewolves were no match for Orin's sorcery. One by one, they fell, until only one remained.
The last werewolf stood its ground, snarling and baring its teeth, but Orin was not intimidated. He summoned a ball of pure energy and launched it at the werewolf, destroying it in an explosion of light.
With the battle won, Orin looked down at the baby wolf, who had watched the fight in awe. "You're safe now," Orin said, smiling
Next day, as Orin bent down to drink from the river, he caught the reflection of the baby wolf in the water. The wolf looked up at him with big, curious eyes, eagerly lapping up the cool water.
Orin straightened up and turned to face the wolf, his expression softening. "You know, little guy," he said, smiling.
"I could use some company on this journey. How about you come along with me?"
The baby wolf's ears perked up at Orin's words, and it let out a happy yip, jumping up and down in excitement. Orin chuckled and reached out to ruffle the wolf's fur.
"I'll call you Zarr, how does that sound?"
Just as Orin was about to continue on his journey, a shadow fell over him. He turned to see a young man, dressed in fine clothes and wielding a sword, standing behind him.
The man had a smirk on his face, and his eyes were filled with a mixture of amusement and disdain.
"Well well, Orin," the man said, in a voice that dripped with sarcasm.
"It looks like you've picked up a new pet."
Orin sighed, knowing exactly who this man was. Ein, the young master swordsman who always saw himself as Orin's rival. Ein was always trying to prove himself, always seeking out any opportunity to one-up Orin.
"Ein," Orin said, his tone clipped.
"What do you want?"
Ein stepped forward, his smirk never leaving his face.
"What do I want? I want to come along on your journey, of course! It's not every day that a powerful sorcerer like yourself sets out on such a grand quest."
Orin rolled his eyes, but before he could say anything, Zarr stepped forward, growling softly. Ein took a step back, surprised by the wolf's sudden show of aggression.
Orin chuckled and placed a hand on Zarr's head, calming the wolf down.
"Don't mind Zarr here," Orin said, glancing at the wolf.
"He's just a little protective of me. But as for you, Ein, I'm afraid the answer is no. I don't need your help."
Ein's smirk faded, replaced by a scowl. He took a step forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Is that so?" he said, his voice low.
"Well, I'm afraid I can't just let you go on this journey alone. Not when there are so many dangers out there."
Orin met Ein's gaze, his own eyes hardening.
"I've been handling dangers on my own for a long time now," he said, his voice steady.
"I don't need you to babysit me."
Ein's scowl deepened, but before he could say anything, a rustling sound caught both of their attention.
They turned to see a figure emerging from the shadows, its form shrouded in darkness. The figure let out a low laugh, its voice echoing eerily through the forest.
"For how long do you want to continue hiding?" Orin said, his voice ringing with power.
"I'm tired of playing these games. Show yourself!"
The figure stepped forward, revealing itself to be a shadow creature, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light.
Orin's hand tightened on his staff, and Zarr growled, ready for a fight. But before the creature could attack, Ein stepped forward, his sword glinting in the sunlight.
Ein stood confidently with his sword at the ready, ready to face the mysterious creature. Orin stood back, observing the situation and considering whether he needed to step in.
The creature let out a fierce roar and charged towards Ein, its massive claws reaching out to grab him. Ein stood his ground and swung his sword, the blade slicing through the air with deadly precision.
The creature was caught off guard and stumbled back, giving Ein the opportunity to strike again.
The battle raged on, with Ein dodging and weaving around the creature's attacks, his sword flashing as he struck again and again.
The creature was no match for Ein's mastery of the sword, and soon it lay defeated at his feet. Orin stepped forward, impressed by Ein's skills, and offered him a nod of respect.
"Well done," Orin said,
"I see that you have the heart of a warrior."
Ein smiled, proud of himself for besting the creature, and looked at Orin with a newfound respect.
"I may not have your magic, but I have my own skills to offer," Ein replied.
Orin considered this for a moment and then just walk by.