It was so loud that the ground shook hard beneath my trembling feet. I wanted to desperately run away, to hold onto something at the growing fear taking over my body. I was terrified; my vision mockingly swayed around me, making it hard to breathe. Not to mention the loud shouting, cries, and guns going off around my surroundings.
I was actually on the field like Dawson had promised. However, it was not what I had imagined.
I could see the smoke come from my trembling lips, my body shaking in fear as I hid behind the barrier that blocked the shots from killing me. I tried to gasp for air, the air around me freezing on the spot, freezing me in place.
I fully expected to die. The chaos around me was overwhelming, swirling into a terrifying pattern that made me feel faint. I crouched low, listening to the painful grunts and shouts of my brave comrades as they fought back. I remained behind the barrier, pressing my body deep into the dirt as if it could offer me protection.
The dirt picked up, and the firing was fast and vicious, sliding through the air like a knife. My fingers held tightly onto the gun, too afraid to use it even with the training I had passed over and over again.
The fear was almost painful, clawing at my skin like a bitter rival, tearing off my flesh from the fire spreading around me in the chaos. It felt like thorns piercing right into me, clutching hard onto my throat to stop the desperate gasps from escaping. To prevent my desperate breathing, I felt trapped and already dead.
I couldn't tell how long the firing had been going on. It was constant and deafening, a relentless barrage that seemed to never end. At times, the intensity would slow down, only to pick back up in speed before stopping and starting again—an unforgiving cycle that left my fellow members lying dead around me. I was unable to look around; my eyes were fixated on the dirt in front of me as if I were caught in a mental trance.
The only thing to push me out of it was a similar voice that felt so far away.
"Vienna! Vi!" It was Dawson; the slight similarity in his voice was becoming clearer than the gunshots. The closer it got, the clearer my vision became. "Vi! It's me, VI!"
My shoulders were shaken roughly, and I lifted my head to look at the man who had me in a tight grip. My body quickly relaxed, and while my heart raced, the buzzing in my ears gradually faded into a low hum. With Dawson in my sight, holding onto me, the pain disappeared completely.
"Dawson.."
He couldn't hear the low whimper over the gunfire. "Come on, can you stand!?" He didn't wait for an answer, his arm coming around my back to pull me to his side. I quickly grappled with him, wincing at the pressure I put on my legs. "Shit, you were shot?"
I hissed, feeling my leg burn at the sudden pressure put on it. "G-Grazed..!"
He nodded, looking around before he pushed me closer to him with his gun in his other hand. "You will live." He then motioned to a group of oncoming soldiers who were approaching us. He pointed around, saying things that only buzzed in the back of my head.
All I could focus on was her tight grip around me and the warmth that seeped through the army uniform I wore, which was dusted in dirt and blood. Then he began to move; I held onto him as we did, with gunfire erupting all around us. My eyes were closed, and my thoughts drifted between illusions and the harsh reality.
"Hold on, kid." I could hear his voice pulling me from the gutter.
My lips shook, my body keeping the strength to hold him, but my voice did not work when I wanted to respond. It's not like he could hear me; the shouting of the men, paired with the loud fires and bombs going off, clouded my ears.
I could feel the darkness grabbing at me, pulling me into a blackout. I did try to fight it, but I could have tried harder since it easily pulled me down with it. The exhaustion and fear piled up for too long, just enough to tackle me and keep me down.
I didn't give it much of a fight in the end, letting the abyss swarm around until I was down under. I closed my eyes in exception, expecting nothing to resurface and pull me out.
..
…
"Vienna."
I felt myself stir, the motion blinding on the side of my face.
"My angel.." The voice spoke again, the warmth enveloping the side of my head that was pounding from the movement. It was lulled away along with the voice so comforting I was tempted to keep my eyes closed.
Janus giggled, finding my antics amusing. "Darling, are you alright now?"
I felt too guilty to ignore her. The safe, welcoming lights jostled me awake and made me aware of my surroundings. I was lying on the goddess's lap in my room, which was shrouded in a comforting darkness. Only the fairy lights were there to shine brightly, along with Janus, who was emitting light wherever she went.
"I am." I let out in a small voice, trying to sit up. Janus helped me, allowing my head to rest on her chest, which held the peace and warmth that I sunk into. Her wings crowded around, closing around on all sides to give more warmth from the large blanket of feathers.
I took my eyes off her to look around, trying to grasp where I was and who was with me. It was just me, Janus, and Casper. When I made eye contact with Casper's piercing blue gaze, he jumped onto me. I welcomed him, rubbing his head as his wings wrapped around me in a comforting hug. I used my own wings to curl closely around his smaller body in my lap.
I gulped, understanding that I was currently missing something.
What happened? How did I get back here, and why is Janus here?
Of course, the goddess could read my thoughts and emotions, which I was currently displaying in front of her. She smiled, her hand finding its way through my hair for a relaxing drag. "You must be confused. But do not worry; you are safe now."
I leaned into her touch, my eyes fluttering closed. "I know I am.." I stiffened slightly and recalled the pain I had felt just prior with the wolf. "What happened.. after…?"
"Casper saved you." She simply responded with.
I looked down at the pup in my arms. He snoozed silently. I smiled, rubbing my hand down his head with fondness, but the dimming of my mind opened just a crack. I turned an eye to Janus. "Just Casper?"
She smirked, seeing the question forming in my eyes.
"I helped the pup in protecting you."
I leaned in closer to her, becoming more comfortable. "How did you do?"
She thought for a second, her hand rubbing circles on my shoulder. "I gave Casper the ability to turn his emotions into his power."
"Power?" I turned to her, "I thought Heaven pups didn't have power." I thought for a second, remembering what happened before I blacked out. I felt a significant force on top of me. It was warm, and the feeling was similar. It must have been Casper. You made Casper grow—he was huge. "How did you do that?"
"I told you, darling, I gave him the power to turn his emotions into his body."
"Can you explain it more simply?" I asked, slightly embarrassed.
She nodded, wrapping her arms around me to hold me closer. "You already know about the Heaven Wolves. The Mother Goddess created them to help protect the Angels and other beings here. She gave them the intelligence to learn combat and teamwork, just like the Heaven Pups already possess."
I felt slightly confused, turning my head back up to her. "They.. how can they?"
"Heaven Pups are beyond our control. They are unpredictable, much like you angels." Her wings glided down, adding weight to my legs. "They were created this way, and we decided to accept it while only placing a few small restrictions on the pups to ensure they do not disturb the other beings here. That's why they are not allowed near the Heaven Wolfs."
I gulped, knowing that the reason they were there in the first place was because of me.
"Casper. He is a different story in this case," Janus said, placing her other hand on the pup's head. "Since the pups intelligent enough for it, he managed to create such a strong bond with you that the power I granted him managed to grow within him at a strong pace."
"So that means..?"
The goddess hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "That means he possesses the same qualities as a Heaven Wolf, only... he is not one." She shifted slightly, considering her words. "None of us goddesses have encountered this before. It's something new, so I don't have much detail to provide. However, I can say that he loves you enough to nearly become your bond mate."
I stood up slightly, my head whipping back to her. "Like a Heaven Wolf does with the warriors?"
She nodded with a soft smile. My heart was practically hammering within me. Even with the fight and slight embarrassment I created, I actually gained something from it. Instead of having my own Heaven Wolf, I had Casper. If what Janus told me is true, then that means he has the same abilities as they do.
What's even better, I already had a bond with him. No fighting or anything; I had my companion already. That means I could go to the next stage of being a Warrior Angel.
The excitement I felt shifted slightly, along with me falling back into Janus's arms. "How.. how would Arden or Apollonia feel about this, though? Can the warriors allow a Heaven Pup to take a wolf's place instead? Is.. is it allowed?"
"It has never happened before, but I spoke with Arden about what happened," Janus said, extending her palm towards me and placing a small but appropriately sized collar in my hands. "There is no rule against a Heaven Pup taking the place of a wolf. Casper will be your companion no matter what; his bond with you is strong enough for him to engage in combat and work as part of a team."
I nodded to her and then turned back to embrace the goddess once more. "I'm glad to hear that. But how will Casper get along with the Heaven Wolves? Can they really be so close to each other without causing any issues?"
"That will have to be tested out. But I believe Casper can ignore the distaste for them. As long as you keep him close, as long as he is near you, he will be fine." She giggled, her hair flowing as she tossed her head gently back. "You will find training with him easier than you would a Heaven Wolf. Your bond is already made, already strong."
"Do you think it will be hard?"
"It won't be easy," she said with a light laugh. "But you won't be alone; you will have him by your side. Together, you'll be strong and protected." She took a quick breath, clearly moved. "And that's the most important part."
I ran my finger along her skin, feeling the stress that the goddess was experiencing. I had no idea how the events had affected her, but the way she held onto me felt secure. She was unhappy, and I wished I knew what had happened after I blacked out. How did Casper manage to fight off the wolf? What about Arden and the others—how did they handle it? When did the goddess even arrive?
Janus stopped my thoughts with a soft touch to my temple. "Do not worry about that. What matters is you are okay now. You are healed and better protected for your next sessions with Casper."
The puppy let out a whine; hearing us talk about him got his attention. He nudged my chest lightly with his face. I laughed and grabbed his collar, placing it around his neck. The collar was made of the same material used to assemble my armor. I was tempted to test it out right away, but I held back since the pitbull looked too comfortable in my lap. I would have plenty of time to train and test things with him during our next session.
Before the drowsiness could take over, I felt the need to speak with the goddess. A slight ache in my heart accompanied the question that bubbled up in my throat. Taking a deep breath, I finally opened my mouth. "Are you... Are you angry with me, Janus?"
"Of course not, my angel," she said quickly. "I only wish for you to be more careful from now on. I don't like seeing you in pain; I know you don't like it either." She let out a shuddering breath and reached out to brush the hair off my forehead. "I fear that the pain is making you.. that it is making you remember more."
"Oh."
I gulped, shifting slightly when my wings began to fidget. I had to hold back another gulp before stuffing my face back into her once again. "I will be more careful." I smiled, "I promise."