The "accommodations" turned out to be a modest room in the temple's guest wing. The room had a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and—after some frantic gesturing on my part—a large wooden crate filled with cloth scraps that would serve as a makeshift puppy pen.
"This is temporary," I told the silver-haired priestess who'd helped arrange everything. Her name was Sera, and unlike the head priest, she seemed genuinely curious about the puppies rather than terrified of them.
Sera watched as Luna attempted to climb out of the crate, failed, and tumbled backward into her brothers with a soft yip. "They are quite energetic."
"That's normal for puppies this age," I explained, helping Maxwell, who'd gotten tangled in a piece of cloth. "They sleep a lot, but when they're awake, they have boundless energy."
Sera nodded thoughtfully, observing them with interest.
I pulled out my phone from my pocket—still miraculously charged at 47%—and took a quick photo of the three puppies before the battery inevitably died. No signal, obviously, but at least I'd have this memory. "Do you have any meat? Fresh is best, but dried will work."
"For you or the... dogs?"
"The dogs. I'll need it for training." I demonstrated a small size with my fingers. "And water bowls, food bowls, and some rope if you have it."
Sera smiled slightly. "The head priest has already announced that you and your creatures are under divine protection and are not to be disturbed."
"I heard one of them call Luna a 'golden demon spawn' earlier."
"That was Priest Aldric. He's... dramatic." Sera crouched down beside the crate, extending her hand slowly. Thor, ever the brave one despite his small size, waddled over and sniffed her fingers. His tiny tail started wagging. "May I?"
"Go ahead. Let him come to you—don't grab. And keep your movements slow and calm."
Sera's face lit up with genuine delight when Thor licked her fingers. "He's so warm. And soft."
"That's the golden retriever charm," I said with a slight smile.
"You said you'd train other creatures," Sera reminded me, gently scratching behind Thor's ears. "What would you need for that?"
I sat down on the floor beside her. "Information, mostly. What kind of creatures are in this world?"
Sera considered this, still petting Thor who had now rolled over to expose his belly. "In the wild, there are dire wolves—larger and more vicious than normal wolves. Shadow panthers in the southern jungles. Frost bears in the northern mountains. Wyverns in the eastern crags."
"And you've tried to tame these before?"
"The Kingdom's beast tamers use binding magic," Sera said carefully. "It works, but the creatures are unstable. They turn on their handlers frequently."
I felt my jaw tighten, but I kept my voice neutral. "I see. I'd like to observe them tomorrow, if possible."
"I'll arrange it." Sera carefully transferred the sleeping Thor to the crate. "For tonight, rest. You've had an overwhelming day."
"That's putting it mildly." I stood, stretching.
After she left, I settled into the surprisingly comfortable bed, but sleep didn't come easily. The three puppies eventually climbed out of their crate and curled up at the foot of my bed, their soft breathing the only familiar sound in this strange new world.
I pulled out my phone one more time, looking at the photo I'd taken. Three eight-week-old golden retrievers who should have been learning to play fetch in a park.
"I'm sorry, guys," I whispered. "I'm going to do my best for you. I promise."
Luna lifted her head, yawned, and went back to sleep.
Tomorrow I'd start figuring out how to navigate this world. But for tonight, at least I had a bed and three warm puppies.
That was something.