(I forgot I started the last one lol)
It was dark. Jesse could feel the cold seeping into the rickety house and surrounding him. There were noises outside a door he hadn't shut yet. His fingers tightened around his shotgun and he narrowed his eyes. Casting a look back at his sleeping partner, he stepped closer to the door.
"Who's there?" He called into the night.
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A giant and dark, seven-foot-tall wolf poked its head through the door. Its eyes were aflame with gray flames, though one was a bit dimmer. The same flames made up its mane and ran down its spine, engulfing the end of its tail. Its large paws left scorch marks wherever it walked. Bloody wrappings encircled the bottom half of its legs.
A low rumble emitted from the back of its throat as it stared down Jesse, but it did not go any further.
Quince shivered in the dark, as he looked out toward the sea. It was gorgeous, glowing in the moon and starlight. He stood still not sure what to do. He turned to the house he had came across and jumped as he heard a voice emit from it, "Hello?" He asked stepping closer.
"What the hell?!" Jesse's shriek woke the man sleeping further in the room, MacCready. Bleary eye'd and still half asleep, MacCready stared at the wolf, convinced he was dreaming. Jesse hoisted his shotgun up to his shoulder and pointed it at the… thing. MacCready came to his senses and grabbed his own rifle, glaring down the scope. "What are you?" Jesse asked.
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The wolf rumbled some more, then its lips moved unnaturally as it spoke with perfect clarity. "You need not fear me." The flames died down, revealing one blind eye with a scar running over it and one metallic silver eye. "I simply seek refuge." its voice was male.
@MysticSquijet MacCready, upon hearing a voice, edged to the corner of the room, only taking his eyes off the wolf once he'd reached the window. Peering into the dark, he saw a figure moving in the shadows. He tried to signal to them, praying they were friendly.
@nightingale Jesse shivered, the voice of the wolf sending pinpricks down his back. He lowered his gun. "I…"
MacCready stepped away from the window and scowled, rifle still pointing at the looming being.
"No way. You look like the kind of… thing that'd wait until we let our guard down to slit our throats."
Jesse cleared his throat. "Uh, probably not the kind of thing you should say to a giant wolf, Mac." He chuckled nervously. "Let's just hear it out."
"Are you crazy?"
"What, do you want to get killed?" Jesse turned back towards the towering wolf. "Sorry about my friend, he's just nervous. I promise he means well." MacCready grumbled and lowered his rifle, though he kept his finger firmly planted on the trigger.
"All right, fine. But if we die, I'll kick your ghostly ass." He squared his shoulders and looked into the wolf's strange, ethereal eyes. "What are you? And how do we know you won't kill us the second we close our eyes?"
Quince stepped forward up to the window and peered at the male and wolf inside, "Hello…" He sounded confused.
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The wolf poked its head in further, sniffing. "In this life, I am a Hellhound. My name is Fenris."
MacCready's eyes widened. "Hey, you're the person who was outside!" Jesse glanced to the stranger curiously, noting how this wolf didn't attack despite how close the boy was.
Quince glanced at the hellhound and looked uneasy, "Um yes."
@nightingale Jesse laughed, his nerves starting to get to him. "A Hellhound?" He glanced back to MacCready, who just shrugged. "I guess we have seen some pretty weird things in the last few weeks." He stuck out his hand before realizing his error (wolves don't have hands) and stuffing it into his pocket. "Nice to meet you, Fenris. I'm Jesse Reeves, and my feisty partner here is Robert MacCready." MacCready jutted his chin out.
"Best shot in the Wastes. I won't miss."
"Mac!" Jesse shoved him lightly, trying to make him drop the attitude. "Our guest has been nice enough to not eat us, can we please try to keep it that way?" MacCready sighed.
"Fine." He re-holstered his rifle and crossed his arms. "But I still don't like this." Jesse shook his head.
"Don't mind him. You can come in if you'd like. It's awfully cold out there." He glanced around the wolf, towards the boy behind him. "You can come in too."
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Fenris cautiously entered the house, keeping the flames on his paws to a minimum to avoid setting anything on fire. "Thank you, though even if you did shoot me, it would do nothing. I am already dead."
Jesse frowned, confused. "Wait… you're dead? But… you're walking. And stuff."
MacCready snorted. "He's a Hellhound you idiot. Haven't you read any mythology?" Jesse opened his mouth to respond but was cut off. "Don't answer that."
Jesse smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, so, I'm kind of dumb. That doesn't mean I can't learn." He leaned on one of the old couches decorating the large living room. "So what's your story? Where are you from?"
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Fenris sat on the floor, curling his tail around his paws. "I was a bastard-born half-elf left to die. The leader of our local assassin organization took me in and raised me. I killed for my freedom, contract after contract. I was known as the Crimson Phantom, as none of my targets even knew I was after them or that I was ever there. Poisons were my specialty." He averted his eyes, favoring his blind side. "I had one contract left until I could have my freedom. It was my elder brother. I refused–and was punished. The Master sent out another assassin named Graud before I had even gotten to my brother, knowing that I would refuse. We killed each other. As for where I'm from–a different world."
"Jesus, that's…" Jesse rubbed his temples. "That's intense." The two of them seemed to let their guard down slightly, though MacCready did push the cap back onto his half drank soda. "We don't really have things like half elves and assassin guilds here outside of books."
MacCready flopped onto one of the couches, removing his cap and running his hands through his hair. "Do you know where we are?" He looked to the wolf anxiously. "We can't remember how we got here."
Jesse nodded. "Neither of us remember anything from before we showed up a few days ago. We walked around for a while until we found this house, fully stocked with food and water. We've been staying here since."
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Fenris's nostrils flared, scenting the air. "I do not know exactly. I am simply here on a mission. My partner is elsewhere."
Quince sat on the floor watching the conversation intently.
“Your partner?” Jesse sat to listen to Fenris while MacCready moved to sit by Quince. He offered a half smile.
“Hey kid, you’ve been awfully quiet. What’s your story?”
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Fenris nodded at Jesse. "He is a highly trained spy with a unique… relationship… with the dead."
"There isn't anything interesting in my 'story'." He replied, "My name is Quince, by the way."
Jessie‘s eyes widened. “Is that why you travel together? Because of your-” he waved his arms around in wide motions- “special relationship?”
MacCready chuckled, then toon Quince’s hand and shook it. “Everyone has a story, man. I’m MacCready.” He leaned back against his pack. “I won’t pressure you though.” He glanced up to see Jesse deep in conversation with Faust and sighed.
“You hungry, Quince?”
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Fenris blinked, then his lips turned up in what could be considered a smirk. "That is an interesting theory, but no. Because of our professions, we typically work together for stealth related missions–there is another, a thief, but he's not with us at the moment. What I mean by his unique relationship is that he is the son of Death, so he can summon, communicate and even revive the dead–the latter only possible in a very small margin of time."
Quince nodded, “A bit, yes.” He wasn’t too sure what to say.
Jesse laughed. "Sorry about that. I didn't want to assume, this is just way different than what I'm used to." The conversation lulled for a moment and he let himself get distracted by the bloody rags lining Fenris' legs before snapping back into attention. "So, you have a mission here?"
He nodded and stood before begrudgingly offering a hand to Quince. He hoisted him up and walked towards the large kitchen, waving for Quince to follow. He lit a few candles around the room before moving to rummage through the pantry. "So, where are you from?" He called over his shoulder, his rifle obscuring him from seeing Quince's face.
Quince took a minute before answering, "Blue Lake City, a couple of thousand miles away from here…"
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Fenris noted Jesse's diverted attention but didn't mention it. He nodded instead. "Yes." He cocked his head at Quince. "So, that means we are on Earth?"
"Yes…" Quince nodded.
