Sprinting through the forest, Furfur was finally found, hiding behind a brute, nuzzling against his leg.
She stood frozen her breath catching in her throat as she watched them together. Furfur's gentle look—her Furfur—was directed at another person, his gaze filled with warmth and admiration. The man reached out to pet him, laughing softly, his movements confident and unrestrained
'That should be me' she thought, her look ferocious. 'I raised him. I gave him everything—my love, my teachings, my strength—and now... now he turns to him?'.
"Furfur... how dare you..." she hissed through clenched teeth, her voice cracking with a mix of fury and anguish. "After everything I've done for you... everything I've sacrificed. And him? That man...?"
Her breathing grew erratic. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Am I not good enough? Was I... not a good mother?" she whispered, her voice softening as despair began to creep in.
Her mind raced with biting accusations, each one cutting deeper than the last. 'What does he have that I don't? What could he possibly give him that I haven't already?'
But in the next moment, she forced herself upright, wiping her cheeks roughly with the back of her paw.
"No. I won't let this happen," she muttered, her voice harsher now, the raw pain in her eyes hardening into determination. "He won't take my Furfur away from me. I'll remind him of who I am—of what he owes me."
But no matter how much she wanted to step forward, to pull Furfur away, to tear that man from his side, her feet remained rooted in place. Pride kept her silent; dignity forbade her from creating a scene.
And then it happened...
"You're a brave little guy," Baro said, crouching to scratch behind its ears. "But your mom's waiting for you."
The man looked at her—his eyes meeting her's for a brief moment. It was a glance not of defiance, but of condescension, as if offering her some shred of dignity.
Furfur hesitated, his gaze flickering between them. For a moment, She dared to hope, her heart pounding. She straightened, lifting her chin, her voice trapped behind tightly pressed lips. 'Yes, Furfur. Come to me!'
But then, as if the air between them shattered, Furfur turned back to the man
'He... chose him. Over me.'
Her stomach twisted violently, her blood turning cold.
A flash of loathing sparking in her gaze. But it was brief, fleeting. She couldn't let this man see her broken. Instead, she looked at Furfur, her son, her only son, and her voice dropped into a soft, bitter whisper. "You've made your choice."
She turned sharply, her icy gaze against the floor as she walked away. The moment she was out of sight. She sat down.
'I've lost him, her mind screamed, echoing like a cruel mantra. He was mine... and now....'
Then, as if the world ended, she turned back into stone, a huge boulder this time.
————————
Baro could feel Furfur licking his face as he woke up.
"That was a good night's sleep I feel completely rested, hey buddy, I almost forgot about you, who's a good pup ?" he said with a deep morning voice.
But just as he was about to get out of his makeshift bed, he heard some sounds outside the cave.
"Furfur, there's someone, be cautious!" he murmured softly.
A tall gentleman wearing pure-white attire could be seen, holding a walking rod, he glanced at Baro surprised.
"Well, by my bones," the stranger said, his voice dripping with dramatic flair. "There's not even a grain of faith in you!"
Baro raised an eyebrow, sitting up straighter. "Who are you? And, more importantly, how could you tell?"
"Yes indeedy, name's Abuta, it's very simple, I just communicated with your bones." he said as a matter of fact.
Baro blinked. "With my... bones? How?"
Abuta leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Skelepathically—ho-ho! Oh, yeah!"
....
Baro raised an eyebrow, folding his arms as he stared at the eccentric doctor. "So let me get this straight," he said, his voice dripping with incredulity. "I'm useless because I don't have 'faith,' but my wolf—my Furfur—is somehow packing divine blessings that can save society?"
"Precisely!" Abuta declared, grinning like this was the most reasonable conclusion in the world.
The wolf in question, sitting loyally at Baro's side, wagged its tail obliviously, looking between them with a cheerful pant.
"Uh... one thing I forgot to mention," the doctor began, his tone cautious.
The doctor shifted awkwardly. "Well, usually people are blessed because they follow one of the Three Goddesses. You know, faith and all that. And, uh... since you don't believe in any of them..."
Baro's grin faltered. He slowly lowered his arm, turning to face the doctor with a raised eyebrow. "What are you trying to say?"
Abuta sighed. "I'm saying that if you don't believe in any of the goddesses, you're gonna have to start believing in something. Otherwise, that wolf's blessing won't mean much in the long run."
Baro groaned. "And you didn't think to mention this earlier?"
Abuta shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"
He turned back to the doctor, his hands on his hips. "Alright, Doc, lay it on me. What's the deal with these goddesses? Do I have to pray? Sacrifice something? Wear a funny hat?"
Abuta chuckled. "No hats required. Just a little faith and a prayer. The rest depends on which one you choose: the Goddess Q, the Goddess Za, or the Goddess Lef. Each has their virtues and blessings, so choose wisely."
He crouched down, scratching his wolf's ears. "Hey buddy, I pray to you"— A light could be seen through his chest —"What do you think, Furfur? Q, Za, or Lef? Or…" He paused, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Maybe we create our own? The Church of Baro and the Divine Wolf Furfur has a nice ring to it."
The doctor blinked, stunned. "Church of... what?"
The wolf barked excitedly, wagging its tail, clearly enjoying the attention.
The doctor stared at him, incredulous. "You can't just... make up a religion!"
Baro shot him a mock serious look. "Why not? Someone made up the other ones, didn't they? As long as this light will shine from my chest, people will say it's fine right?" He straightened up, pacing as he continued his grand speech.
"The Church of the Outcast Howl believes in freedom, adventure, and eating a good meal after a long day. Our sacred tenets are simple: never let anyone boss you around, always stand by your pack, and howl at the moon whenever life gets too serious."
The doctor threw his hands up in exasperation. "Dah! Curses! it's ridiculous! You can't just—"
"Shhh," Baro interrupted, holding up a finger. "You're interrupting the first sermon. Very rude."
The doctor stared at him, his face a mix of disbelief and exhaustion. "This... this is blasphemy."
Baro shrugged, slinging an arm around his wolf. "Blasphemy? Nah. I prefer to call it 'thinking outside the box.' Now, if you'll excuse us, the Church of the Outcast Howl has miracles to perform and towns to infiltrate. Later, Doc!"
As Baro and Furfur strode out of the cave, Abuta could only stand there, shaking his head. "By my bones," he muttered. "This guy…"