The Golem Adventurer

Chapter 47 - The Scent of Human

The sun almost reached its zenith as the forest gave way to a clearing. In front of us, past uneven terrain and cresting rocks was now dilapidated ruins of the fortress. The battlements and wooden buildings of its exterior were destroyed, lain hew and scattered all over; the interior I collapsed personally, bringing down the mountain so that no one could use it again. With just a little bit of magic, this place of death has been given back to the land.

Aaric coughed to suppress his gagging, "This place still reeks of the dead."

"No wolves at least." Mateo stated, "In fact, there's no scavengers trying to find bodies for food..."

"Not without the Wolf Lord's approval first. Every animal in his [Domain] recognizes his right to rule and none would dare cross him." Aaric begins to ponder before coming to some sort of conclusion, "Hoektan may have a rule in regards to his subjects feasting on mortal corpses."

"Why would he care about that? In the end, he's just a smarter wolf, isn't he?" Mateo asked.

My mind fluttered with an idea, "Now that you mention it, the bodies displayed around outside didn't show any post-death injuries. No pecked-out eyeballs or bite marks. Not even flies hovered around the corpses." A passing observation I made but tossed aside while moving bodies to the cremation pile the other day.

'Considering his relationship with Wolf's Rest and how he was a key figure in founding the town, he's probably amicable to mortals. Maybe he wants to give people a chance to find the bodies first before he lets the animals of the forest have their meal?" Aaric concluded, "This might prove to be useful information. It means he's open to parlay."

"So... he won't kill us when we meet him with his daughter in hand?" I asked cautiously.

"Well... the odds are better to say the least."

"Wonderful." I remarked disparagingly. The wolf cub in my arms gave me a quick bark of confidence.

"You wouldn't let your dad kill me, right?" I asked in jest. The wolf cub suddenly whimpered and looked away. "...You're not exactly inspiring confidence in me, you know?" I think she knows how far her father will go to get her back and it's starting to worry me again.

"Enough talking with the mutt." Mateo growled, "What's the next step? I doubt we're going to find a map or some other clue in the rubble."

"She's not a mutt, Mateo. She's a wolf." Aaric said pointedly, "Even with a bit of fox mixed in, I bet she still has an impeccable sense of smell." The pup barked in agreement.

Catching wind of his plan, I ask, "Alright, girl. You know your father's scent, right? Think you can lead us to him?"

She barked a few times in confidence and I set her down. Immediately she began to run around sniffing the ground, trying to pick up a scent.

Me and the two others congregated as we began our wait. "She's a wolf, aye, but she's still just a puppy. What makes you think she won't lead us off some cliff?" Mateo seemed to be a well of negativity today and it was starting to become grating.

"You're still thinking like she's some kind of wild animal. One day, she'll be the Wolf Lord of this area. As the offspring born from a union between two Spirit Beasts, she has to be strong." Aaric explained. "Otherwise, the [Domain] will suffer along with the people and animals living in it. Wolf's Rest is the leading town in lumber export for a reason. Hoektan's presence keeps monsters at bay and allows the trees to grow at a rapid pace... As long as the woodcutter's respect the forest and manage their appetite for lumber."

I stood there lost in thought. As an outsider, I'm amazed on how much of Wolf's Rest's economy was so reliant on this one fantastic being. It's no wonder why they don't stop giving him offerings year after year. And this has been going on for centuries.