A game of power (book 1 of the Game series)

9.Lukius

The door slammed as his keys dropped from between his teeth. He ran a single, veined hand through his white hair and then dropped the deer carcass that was previously situated in the other. The boy looked down to see a wolf-like creature at his feet, staring up at him, tongue lolled out of the side of its mouth.

Lukius smiled and then scratched behind the hunting dog's perky ears, chuckling slightly as the dog's eyes crossed, both looking at his muscled arm that was stretched over them. The boy felt a warmth when he looked into the loving eyes of these animals, however he had to remind himself not to get attached, for they would be sold to the highest bidder once trained. He hated what he had to do to survive, but he knew that the only other option was to join the ever increasing army of the militant nation of Glacialis.

He felt a nudge from behind and turned, his pale blue eyes resting on the other dog behind him. Lukius laughed loudly and then sat down between the two powerful creatures, granting their wish and playing with them as more and more amassed. He had well over ten dogs at the moment, and they all loved him, leading to quite the pile-up on top of the boy.

"Alright, alright, that's enough now" his voice was hoarse from the cold, harsh winds outside, causing his throat to be sore. A small, speckled dog barked shortly as it was gently pushed off of her trainer.

"Okay, I'm not kidding now, get off me if you want din-dins"

This caused a torrent of barks, whines and howls to rip from the dogs as they stepped back, allowing the boy to stand and head toward the forgotten deer, picking it up before dragging it out to behind the house, dumping it into a large, metal basin and picking up the bucket of water from under the pump before tipping it over the dead animal and picking it up once again.

Lukius smiled at the dogs before pulling a knife from his pocket and hacking away at the body until there was a sufficient amount of meat in his hand to feed him, provided that he cooked it right before raising his voice and speaking hoarsely again,

"Dig in ladies and gents," and with a flourish of his hand, he walked back inside and headed for the small fireplace, setting a large hanging cauldron above it and pouring in a pitcher of water, chucking a few random herbs and vegetables alongside the meat in there too.

The mixture was soon done and he poured it into a small yet clean bowl, placing a rag of clean cotton across the top of the remaining food. Eating it quickly, he looked out of the house's only windows, surveying the landscape that surrounded him. He was right on the outskirts of the forest, looking into a sea of white, green and brown, broken only by the occasional glimpse of a pale sky. He'd lived here for as long as he could remember, first with his father, and then alone.

He supposed it was convenient, a large space for him to train the animals, and to hunt, but the location made it dangerous. Bandits were known to often raid any house they could find, especially in his area and although the dogs would protect him, he knew that they were no match for fully armed ex-soldiers.

The bandits were a large problem for him and the kingdom, but not one of the nobility cared, no one saw them for they were always locked up in their various mansions and palaces, eating luxuriously while their subordinates starved. He hated them with more than passion, and if he was ever presented with the chance, he would kill each and every one of them in the most brutal way he could. Maybe he would let them starve like their people did, slashing them for every innocent life they took in exchange for a small blunder, or maybe he would make them fight to the death, as people around him did for basic necessities.

He shook himself out of his morbid thoughts and stood, discarding his bowl, deciding to then settle upon the heaping pile of furs in the corner of the room-like house, pulling them around him as the dogs filed in one by one, each taking their pre-determined place around him to sleep, one at his back and the rest circled around and on top of each other.

                                                   --------------------------------------------------

Lukius woke the next morning, in the middle of a large pile of fur and warmth, small snores erupting from around him now and then. He patted the dog nearest to him and set to work escaping from the animals' embrace. He swore and apologised when he heard a whine from beneath him and he realised that he had accidentally stepped on the end of a tail. He rubbed the dog's ears in an sad matter before continuing to make his way out, careful to avoid the loyal animals.

Once he was out, he looked out of the back and checked to see if the deer had enough left on it for the animals, and luckily there was, he sighed in relief and headed to the small kitchen-styled room, grabbing a loaf of bread he had previously stored there and tearing a chunk off with his teeth, chewing the tough material as he grabbed his knives, strapping them to himself. He grabbed his keys, wrenched open the door and called his one personal dog to him. Lyla bounded over and out of the door, sitting down and then waiting for him to follow.

Once they were out in the crisp air, the six feet padded towards the wall of trees, making the snow crunch softly as they walked. They continued on their route until they came across a small group of rabbits. His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth and his companion lowered herself until her soft underbelly was brushing against the ground, more wolf than dog.

She made her way around to near the back of the group, her honey-brown eyes standing out against the stark white background as she waited for the boy to signal for her to move. The boy in question bent his legs and sank down, sliding a knife from each sleeve, almost silently . 

His tongue clicked once.

Lyla's lips drew back to expose her most effective weapon- her teeth- as her eyes narrowed.

Lukius' breath slowed as his eyes assessed the prey in front of him, his mind slipping into a state of killing calm.

His tongue clicked again.

The panicked animals tried to run but they were too slow as the pair tore through them, killing them quickly and effectively. The massacre continued until there was nothing left but the slashed remains of the animals. There were at least six or seven of them, all with torn throats that leaked blood. All but one. That one would be his, which was why he took such care in ensuring that the animal died cleanly, leaving no chance for disease.

The hunting pair collected the animals and tied them together, using a length of rope that had been slung over the human's shoulders, dragging them behind as they made their way back, their food in tow. He knew that he had to go out again for more today, but for now, he could enjoy the thought of warm, cooked rabbit.