Hound growled, trying to get up, but couldn't do it in the slightest. His tail wriggled and fur spiked up, cracking the room as if gravity turned strange like his mood. Her words were like a spark, defying grace and creating a volcano out of thought, instinct, and purpose.

  Mi-Yung was casual about this entire business, and ever since she watched Fain give this beast a very dubious regard, she was doubtful of his integrity. Celeste was working around it even... well, that one was more personal and aiming at Dreadus. It was clearly fine and good for Mi-Yung to care about that, but this beast...

  Hound's collar was flexible, and Academy's insignia could do a lot of things for it, but a Dark was still a Dark, and it followed Celeste!

  By now, a hefty amount of Walkers should be getting their report cards and establishing interests between Celeste, Dreadus, and that Sea. Probably, that is. With Fain doing whatever his sick head wanted, Mi-Yung figured his act of gifting that insignia might diminish problems about this Hound, or trouble the Assembly, or Celeste in the near future.

  But why, or what for, did he do it?

  Unless Dreadus was working for something else, or against that idea, Mi-Yung found his fleeing in the morning peculiar. Perhaps she wasn't wrong about him, and he was trying to help this girl, just as she had with William.

  That, however, was false. Dreadus was confused, and he never once knew what to do with any of this. He just.. winged it on the spot, and it kind of spiralled into one hell of a quick yet terrifying prospect that had yet to end or stir.

  His words were not much different from an unstable oath, but since he said he would take care of her, he meant that without specific circumstances in mind. That pushed Mi-Yung where? Into this room, talking to a Corruption-seized dog or whatever it even was.

  Sighing for her sake, she almost stored her vial and called it a day. She couldn’t wait for more booze to arrive, and Rose should be prepared for it already.

  Hound gave up trying to play it tough and awkward. He growled more words, which sounded abysmal and cracked like his howls.

  “Con... tract.” It was like a pull of grounded sea vessels. English was beyond broken.

  “Well, at least you are sapient enough, or... yes. Huh? That’s weird.” Mi-Yung frowned, feeling this beast tremble as she touched it with one hand and pretty much sat on top of it.

  Hound escaped her storming bright eyes, and this time, diverted his entire head. He was like a dog who made a mess, and it lay there in a cracked room, innocent but aware it had made a mistake.

  “Contract, yeah? Darks and that sick Australia...” Mi-Yung mumbled her own findings and discovered more questions than answers.

  At a more prudent point, she needed the second piece of the puzzle. That would be Celeste, but what would she even know? She didn't need that. The third piece was nowhere nearby. It was either fake or in Australia.

  Unfortunately for her, she wasn't aware of everything Celeste had endured or lived with. Dreadus was the same, albeit he was the most aware of her out of anyone in this land. Second to Hound, of course, who knew things no one else did.

  Hound clutched his mouth, and his fur restlessly shivered and calmed down. He eyed that vial like a golden seed, and it was so darn close yet far since that right arm stuck to his throat.

  “Care... full. Death,” he said, and it was hard to say if it was one or two words at first, or if the third was a thread.

  “Of what?” Mi-Yung playfully offered her vial, and the moment she did, Hound opened his mouth and shot a tongue-like whip strike ahead.

  Mi-Yung dodged it and smiled. Clicking her tongue, she stomped on the Hound as one arm wasn't enough to restrain it.

  “Nope! Not yet. Gimme more.” Yeah. A chokehold was impossible to perform.

  “I. We. Dread. Orig... inals...” By the end of these words, Hound was less than reckless, and his size began to shimmer, and his fur began to water down by a strange virtue of his Aspects.

  Turning smaller by a strange fear or intent, or an idea to seize an advantage, there were actions to this process, as well as emotions, and quite vivid disturbance. It was more conscious than most beasts, and Mi-Yung wasn't expecting so many words.

  “So... what are you?” Mi-Yung pointed out the most curious question and waited for one of her own. “Are you guarding Celeste? For whom? Why? Wait... is this about those rumors? Some Darks actually kidnap and train Walkers and put them to sick trials and tests out of nothing but tedious and ancient testaments?”

  Hound grunted in pain and didn’t like how it sounded. This wasn’t it. He pushed his head and jerked as if he had turned stupid. Oh, how much he wished to flee. To be free… No. It was impossible.

  Mi-Yung figured out multiple answers to her own questions. She had many secrets in her mind and quickly associated her needs.

  The rest was hiding in Celeste, and behind one odd thing and a realization. That Crystal Water Sea? Dreadus said it was part of a mountain range and called it a unique Safe Zone. Celeste let him there, healed him in distress, and then disappeared before it was too late.

  Too late for what?

  Who made the move? Holy Lands? Wars? Creatures, their habitats, and politics were often unpredictable, and Australia was a broken and primal land, so that could answer everything. Maybe Dreadus wasn’t saying the whole thing, or he didn't even want to know the truth.

  But Celeste? She was still a stain on this theory. She lived there for more than a decade, so what kind of timing was that? Was it connected to that Incursion back then, or was she right and Darks got her like a pet and let her stay there because it was fun for them?

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  Frankly, that wasn't too shocking by one fact alone. Walkers had Darks exactly like that as well, so why wouldn't it work both ways?

  Shaking her head, Mi-Yung gave up and tossed that damn vial to Hound, who opened his mouth and widened his eyes as he gobbled it up. Shivering in excitement of a darn good meal at last, he couldn’t contain his spirit and fur in the slightest.

  “I am hoping it won't end up wasteful, Hound, or whatever you are. My System thinks of you as unknown and… friendly. Odd that one is, as it also describes calls of warnings and hazards.”

  Hound stopped shivering, and every single one of his eyes glinted in red shock. Then she let him go.

  Hound stood up, shaking his body in shame. Huffing and stretching, he then spat the empty vial out of his digestive system, leaving it clicking on the ground. Then, he turned to Mi-Yung and sat like a soldier, eying her with an odd familiarity.

  “Tra...de. Part... ners?”

  “Hell nah. I will feel sick. The last time a Dark offered that, it bit me back.” Mi-Yung sat down and patted her hair, styling it back to how it should be.

  “Also, Celeste is the one you have. Not me.”

  “Food...”

  “Then get used to not eating if you don’t want to be killed or... ashamed? Screw that. Shame and pride are overrated. Well, how about giving me more reasons to trust anything? I assume that worthy troubles are originating from your principles. At an Oath, too, I presume. Reasons are often just excuses, beast. I do them all the time since it makes living easier. But for you? You can’t be reckless. I can be, but what’s the point?”

  Hound didn’t like where she was going with it and thundered in an annoying bark.

  “I get how it goes, so take care of Celeste. When you won’t or others won’t, then don't blame me for being impolite. That girl deserves better. A lot of us do, but not everyone can keep it up or truly deserve it.”

  Hound perked his neck like a pouting teenager and didn't mind this trade as much as he thought. Shame distorted even the strongest of minds. At some level, he felt sick to his stomach, or it was just that vial playing tricks on him.

  Mi-Yung got up, glad to be through this process, and glad she found it curious. To think that a twice-tamed Dark came out of Dreadus' mission was more than odd. Perhaps she could use it and taunt those silly old fools in the Assembly, or question their morality. Either way, Dreadus was behind her; maybe she would get something great out of it, or it would be at least funny.

  Humming, she involuntarily patted Hound's head. “Let's head back... and whatever this is about, keep it or die for it, got it? I am not questioning this loyalty, but common sense. You walked to a den of Walkers. You could die like a fly stuck in a spider's web, even if it is hazardous.”

  Hound pushed her hand with his snout and snorted. It had had enough of this and changed size out of pure convenience.

  Now, it looked like a Rank 1 or 2 Hound-equivalent, but no Hellgar or anything else. Its features were typical for Hounds, but with a smaller assortment. In a way, it was still devious yet kind of cute, considering the entire head was larger than the rest, and many of its eyes looked funny yet threatening, like its mouth.

  That was why not that many people took it as a true risk. It was more curious, as only suitable or powerful Walkers with great Emblems and Systems could notice something was wrong with this thing.

  Or if they knew the context behind it, or knew Celeste and Dreadus's mission, they wouldn't get far. Very few should know it all, or get it.

  Mi-Yung was all the above; thus, she dug with her bare hands into further troubles and found many reasons and answers. It was curious and smelled of something fishy, very nasty, and it trembled her hands.

  “Originals....” she mumbled as she walked away. Opening the door, she bummed into Rose. “Sorry for this destruction,” Mi-Yung said without a single speck of shame about the shaken walls and ground full of cracks. She wasn't sorry in the slightest.

  Rose wished to be angry. “You will pay for it anyway. I am... worried. Was worried!”

  The moment Hound walked aside of Mi-Yung, Rose backed away as he laughed at her, and took his majesty for a little stuffed toy.

  It was hilarious, but nobody was laughing.

  ***

  Back at the table, Mi-Yung offered Hound back to Celeste like a brand-new sack of potatoes. Fur looked shinier, and eyes were full of healthy colors. Celeste looked at all of them, holding onto his fur for nothing new, yet... it felt new. Shine and nice throb changed as well, but she couldn't form the truth.

  “Thanks?” she questionably said to Mi-Yung and wondered what was going on. It was still her Hound, was it not?

  “Its food is not ours, Celeste. Take care of this with Dreadus, or just wait and handle it yourself. Oh, and be careful about this Hound, or use it well. Not that it is my problem.”

  “Food? What?”

  “It’s a Dark, Celeste,” Ellie said, almost whispering to her side. “It eats people.... You know.”

  “Or other Darks,” Mi-Yung added a point that Tamers appreciated more than anyone. Still, this wasn’t a clever point. Taming Darks was not very helpful, as it was progressively a wicked Class and somewhat broken in its roots and principles.

  Leaning on the sofa, William took their conversation for granted. That Hound was curious as fuck, but at the end of the day, it wasn't personal or something crazy to see. Dark seized people, and people tried doing the same shit back. It was ironically very sensible, or it wasn't fine. Humans weren’t slaves. They were food. It was just not feasible to call it equal.

  This Hound was still weird. William got that, but how? What made him feel conflicted about it, yet still accept it?

  He picked up rumors and legends about how Walker could crash their Madness, Corruption, and instincts, and seize their mind, or break their will. Unfortunately, this wasn't such a case.

  “I've never had a meal like this in my life.” his words came out of nowhere as he patted his belly.

  Hound proudly snuggled around Celeste's arms and didn’t care for Mi-Yung’s judgmental and curious stare. “I never questioned it, but it is indeed very curious.”

  “What?” Celeste asked.

  “How you hold on to it like a hope, or at all. Anyway,” Mi-Yung chuckled. “I bet this food must've been quite incredible to everyone.”

  “It was,” Celeste continued, and felt Ellie's kick to her feet. “Oh, thanks. Thank?”

  “You are welcome. Now, it is your reward for today, and I hope you can have more such feasts in the future. Not with me, however.”

  “Don't tell me...” Ellie said, eyes bulging. “You forced them here just to get more customers?!”

  “Is that bad?” Mi-Yung innocently smiled; it wasn't her intention, but it sounded right. “It reminds me of my home, and letting our business continue is part of my responsibility. It's not like I am forcing anyone to come here.”

  That shut Ellie up.

  “So... South Korea was full of such restaurants?” William asked.

  “Probably.”

  “Even when you were little?”

  “That... is not it. Our culture was appropriate and extensive. The Korean peninsula is big, but its defense was neither strong nor weak. It lasted for so long because of Walkers and general geopolitics, and... Japan, I suppose, or North in general. China was more populous, or so some folks say, so it was akin to a natural shield. I call it bullshit. What's so great about other nations bearing unnatural beating instead of ours? Everyone should solve their troubles, no? No. That's not it. WE should work together, so why the fuck we can't do it at all?!”

  By the end, Mi-Yung was growing increasingly irritated, and her eyes returned from their previous calm state to a vivid storm.

  “I see,” William said, and wasn't sure how inappropriate this topic was. Ellie thought it wouldn't end well. Mentioning South Korea wasn't ideal in front of Mi-Yung.

  Mi-Yung didn't want to talk too much about it either, even though it wasn't shameful. It was more like going back to a time when she was little and helpless. The brief flashes of Viktor helped a little, or it might be just her defense mechanism and coping that came from those times.

  It wasn't appropriate at all. Time wouldn't heal everything, and nothing could change the past. Perhaps because of her teacher-like position, she began to speak up and open up little by little.

  Or it was the booze doing the talking. She kept up with a couple of bottles at their feast, and after dealing with Hound's strange point of view, she felt she deserved more bottles than ever.