The last thing I expected on a Tuesday afternoon was to be ripped from my apartment and thrown into a marble temple surrounded by robed fanatics. But then again, I also hadn't expected to be holding a cardboard box containing three golden retriever puppies when it happened.
My name is Marcus Chen, I'm twenty-six years old, and up until approximately thirty seconds ago, I was a dog trainer living in Seattle. Now I'm standing in what appears to be a fantasy world's equivalent of a summoning circle, still clutching the box, while a dozen people in elaborate ceremonial robes stare at me with expressions ranging from confusion to outright horror.
"The Hero has arrived!" the head priest—at least, I assume he's the head priest based on the fancy hat—announces with significantly less confidence than his words suggest. His voice echoes through the vaulted chamber, bouncing off walls decorated with murals of sword-wielding warriors fighting dragons and demons.
One of the puppies—I've named her Luna—pokes her fuzzy head out of the box and yaps at him.
The priest takes a step back. "What... what manner of beasts are these?"
"They're golden retriever puppies," I say slowly, my brain still trying to catch up with the situation. "I was fostering them. They're eight weeks old. Is someone going to explain what's happening?"
A younger priestess with silver hair leans toward the head priest and whispers something urgent. I catch the words "wrong summoning" and "where's the warrior."
The head priest clears his throat, attempting to regain his composure. "Hero, you have been summoned to our world of Ethernia to defeat the Demon King Azarok, whose armies threaten to consume our lands. We have called upon the ancient ritual to—"
"Yeah, okay, isekai situation, I get it," I interrupt, setting the box down carefully. All three puppies immediately tumble out and begin exploring the summoning circle, their tiny paws padding across intricate magical symbols. "But you've clearly made a mistake. I'm not a warrior. I train dogs for a living."
"Dogs?" The head priest looks genuinely puzzled.
"These," I gesture to the puppies. Luna is now attempting to chew on what appears to be a priceless ceremonial candle. "Domesticated canines. Companions. Pets."
"We do not have such creatures in Ethernia," another priest says, eyeing the puppies with suspicion. "The only beasts we know are wild monsters or the demons' war-hounds."
That explains the confusion. I scoop up the puppy—Maxwell, the runt of the litter—before he can wander too far. His brother, Thor (yes, I named him that ironically because he's the smallest), is already being approached by a nervous guard with a spear.
"Don't even think about it," I warn, stepping between them. "They're harmless. They're babies."
The guard looks unconvinced but lowers his spear.
The head priest exchanges glances with his colleagues before turning back to me with a forced smile. "Perhaps... perhaps the ritual has chosen you for a reason we do not yet understand. The ancient magic is never wrong, merely—"
"Cryptic and inconvenient?" I suggest.
"Mysterious," he finishes with a slight frown. "You must have some hidden power, some ability that will aid us against the Demon King."
I look down at the three puppies now wrestling with each other at my feet. Luna has Thor in a gentle puppy headlock while Maxwell tries to join in and just ends up falling over.
"The only power I have is training animals," I say flatly. "I can teach a dog to sit, stay, fetch, and not pee on your carpet. That's it."
The priestess who whispered earlier steps forward. "Perhaps that is enough," she says thoughtfully. "The Demon King's forces rely heavily on their war-beasts. Dire wolves, shadow panthers, wyverns... if you could train creatures to fight for us instead of against us—"
"Absolutely not," I cut her off. "I don't train animals to fight. I train them to be companions, therapy animals, service dogs. I teach them to help people, not hurt them."
"Even if it means saving innocent lives?" she presses. "The Demon King's armies have destroyed three kingdoms already. Thousands have died. Children, families—"
"That's not fair," I mutter, but I can feel my resolve wavering. I look down at the puppies again. They're so innocent, so full of joy and energy. The idea of training any animal to kill makes my stomach turn.
But then again, this isn't Earth. And from the desperate looks on these people's faces, they're not lying about the threat they face.
The head priest seems to sense my hesitation. "We can offer you sanctuary, food, resources. We will support you however we can. And if you truly cannot help us..." He trails off, but the implication is clear. If I'm not the hero they need, I'm just a burden in a world at war.
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Okay. Okay, I'll help. But I'm not turning these three into killing machines." I point at the puppies. "They're staying as they are—companions. If you want me to train other creatures for combat, we do it ethically. No abuse, no torture, nothing that would permanently traumatize the animals. Deal?"
The relief on the priest's faces is palpable. "Deal," the head priest agrees quickly.
As guards step forward to escort me to whatever accommodations they've prepared, Luna trots over and sits on my foot, looking up at me with those big puppy eyes that seem to say, "What have you gotten us into?"
"I have no idea, girl," I murmur, picking her up. "But I guess we're going to figure it out together."
Behind us, I hear one of the priests whisper to another: "Do you think he can actually do it? Train beasts to fight the Demon King?"
"The ritual chose him," comes the reply. "We must have faith."
As I walk out of the temple with three golden retriever puppies and absolutely no idea what I'm doing, I can't help but think that faith might not be enough.
But maybe, just maybe, a dog trainer and his puppies can find a way to save a world.
Even if it's not the way anyone expected.