"Khazak had stopped crying and was sitting on his bed with his sword in hand. He had shaken off the effects of the events, at least a little. After sitting for a while longer, he rested his hand on his eyes, his hair covering his face. After some thought, he stood up; he was going to search for Fenrir."
He left his sword on the bed and went outside. From a distance, he saw Reagon and approached him; perhaps Reagon could help. Reagon was wearing a long and loose robe and looked a bit stressed, but Khazak didn't pay much attention to it and started talking to him.
"Uncle Reagon, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing... just wandering around. How about you? Have you managed to get over everything?"
"Well, I guess I have... But why are you walking around in a robe in this hellish heat?"
"Oh, I just feel cold, that's all... You seem like you have something to say, what's up, kid?"
Khazak was a bit suspicious of the situation but didn't give it much thought.
"As always, you're right, Uncle Reagon. I had gotten a new pet, but now I've lost it. Could you help me find it?"
"I'm busy right now, but I can take a quick look. What exactly does this new pet of yours look like?"
Khazak, after some thought, decided to explain the situation to Reagon.
"Well, to be honest, I may have found a somewhat legendary 'pet.'"
At that moment, Reagon pondered. Could the Fenrir he had hidden in his robe have bonded with Khazak? To confirm the situation, he decided to ask a few questions.
"When you say legendary, what exactly are you talking about, kid?"
"Actually, what I found is a Fenrir... It has white fur and is about the size of an adult cat. I know it's a bit surprising, maybe even dangerous... But could you help me find it, Uncle Reagon?"
As Reagon listened to these words, he froze, unable to hide his astonishment from Khazak at this bizarre, almost tragicomic situation. Just then, as if it were fate playing a trick, the Fenrir he had magically put to sleep woke up. The moment it caught Khazak's scent, it began clawing at the leather bag hidden under the oak-wood corners of Reagon's robe.
Khazak seemed to notice, tilting his head slightly to the side. Though Reagon tried to block the view with his body, the Fenrir managed to tear a hole in the leather with its claws and burst out from beneath Reagon's robe. It sniffed the air for a couple of seconds, then spotted Khazak. Instantly, it leaped at him, licking his face with joy and letting out high-pitched barks that sounded like excited squeals. Khazak couldn't help but chuckle softly at the adorable yet desperate sight before him. His chuckle slowly turned into a sad sigh as he let out a deep breath.
"You should know, Khazak, you're in some serious trouble now."
Khazak lifted the Fenrir into the air by its front paws.
"What do you mean, Uncle Reagon?"
"For now, enjoy yourself, but we need to have a serious talk soon."
Khazak sensed a heavy shift in Reagon's tone, and a shiver ran from his toes to the tip of his hair.
"Alright, then I'll head home and prepare a few things for my new pet. Let's meet in the shed behind our house in half an hour."
Reagon was irritated by Khazak's authoritative tone, but he didn't show it.
"Fine, kid. As you say, we'll meet in the shed behind your house in half an hour."
Reagon, wanting to show off and give Khazak a small glimpse of what was to come, disappeared at a speed Khazak's eyes couldn't catch. Khazak was utterly stunned, unable to hide his amazement, his mouth hanging open. He stood there, holding the Fenrir, staring at the spot where Reagon had just been. Slowly, his shock turned into a smile. The trees rustled, as if foretelling the events to come, but Khazak, thinking he might catch a chill from the wind, took his Fenrir and headed home. After tossing a piece of meat in front of it, he sat cross-legged and watched the Fenrir, saying:
"Alright, you need a name now."
Indeed, this snow-white Fenrir needed a name. After thinking long and hard about it, suddenly a bolt of lightning struck Khazak's mind, and the name "Luna Nevis" came to him. He remembered it from stories his mother used to tell him when he was young, where it meant "snow moon." To be honest, those stories were one of the few things left from his childhood with his mother.
The story began like this: when devils ruled the earth, a being named "Nevis," with pure white hair, snow-like skin, and deep night-blue eyes, descended from the moon to the earth. Nevis drove the devils to a distant continent. With her golden mana and the bright full moon behind her, it was both a magnificent and terrifying sight for the devils. From that day on, it was said that the devils never dared to leave the continent where they had been banished. Since then, those who witnessed the event called her "Luna Nevis."
When the memory of his mother suddenly flashed in his mind, and as he gazed at the snow-white Fenrir before him, Khazak decided to name it "Luna Nevis."
"Alright, Luna, from now on, your name will be Luna."
Then, a question popped into Khazak's mind: what was the gender of this Fenrir? He picked Luna up and lifted it by the shoulders, staring for a moment before realizing it was a female. He gently placed her back down. After spending a bit more time with Luna, it was time to meet Reagon, so he headed to the shed behind the house.
When he entered, he found the shed mostly filled with shovels and used metal scraps. He closed the door behind him and lit a torch with a flint. Khazak, who loved hunting, had plenty of basic survival skills; thus, starting a fire with flint or tracking was easy for him.
Inside, he caught a whiff of something unpleasant. After pushing the boxes aside, he discovered the carcass of a rabbit he had hunted a month ago, which had left a terrible stench in the shed. He picked it up by the ears, a devilish grin spreading across his face. After cracking the door open slightly and ensuring Reagon wasn't around, he buried the rabbit just out of sight right in front of the door and then went back inside to wait.
He sat cross-legged on the ground again and began to stare at Luna. After a while, Luna suddenly stood up and looked around. At that moment, Khazak felt a terrible pain in his head, but he sensed something: "It's coming." While feeling this, Luna was staring directly into Khazak's eyes. The sensation in his mind was inexpressible in words, yet somehow the message had been conveyed to him. Just after that, a small scream echoed through the air.
"Damn it, who put this here? Khazak!"
After Reagon's roar, Khazak couldn't help but burst into laughter, and Luna seemed to be getting excited as well. Reagon entered, with a rabbit carcass stuck to his boot and an angry expression on his face. The moment Khazak saw that expression, he immediately fell silent with Luna and stared at Reagon for a while.
On either side of Reagon's waist were two swords—one large and one small. He was carrying a huge, flexible leather bag made from wooden corners on his back. Tied to the bag was a rolled-up blanket, and he wore a thin coat that wrapped around his neck and draped down to his feet, though it was tattered and showed signs of wear. It was clear it had been through a lot.
Reagon, after taking a few deep, angry breaths, began to mutter some words. Though Khazak could pick out a few, most of them were incomprehensible, sounding more like a hymn with an odd resonance. As soon as Reagon finished speaking, a dark blue aura spread from him, visible to Khazak, and immediately turned into water. The water swirled around Reagon, removing all the dirt and grime from him without leaving a single drop on his body. Khazak watched in awe as the water circled Reagon in spirals but never soak him.
Reagon, meanwhile, watched Khazak's amazement with a smug grin. Finally, Khazak closed his mouth and said just one word.
"How?"
Reagon's reply was equally brief.
"Magic."