A shiver ran down Rion's spine, and goosebumps rose across his body.
His heart began to beat faster as he slowly turned his head to the right. The figure of a pale-skinned man with a body sculpted in muscles and scars came into his view.
He had long, wild white hair that resembled a wolf's mane and sharp yellow eyes that gleamed with fury and untamed light.
His upper body was bare, showcasing his chiselled muscles in all their majestic glory.
His face and chest had tattoos that made him appear more like a beast than a man. More so because of the two fangs that slightly peeked out of his mouth.
Hides of various beasts hung around his waist, draping over his legs, and unlike the others, his feet were bare — he just didn't feel the need to wear footwear.
Varok the Beast stood beside him.
He crouched down on the branch to reach Rion's eye level and asked in a chilling voice, "Why do you want to know about me?"
Rion didn't answer, or more like he couldn't, because even glancing into Varok's eyes made him feel as if he was standing amidst a pack of hungry, furious wolves.
He looked away and took some quick breaths. He turned his head to the left and checked on Dora, who appeared to be unconscious.
He clenched his fists to calm himself and turned towards Varok with closed eyes and answered, "I-I just wanted to meet you."
"Meet me? You? How? Can you even look into my eyes?" Varok moved to the opposite branch and questioned in a voice full of ridicule.
Beads of sweat began to pool at Rion's forehead as he heard Vorak's sound from the opposite direction, but even then, he had no answer.
A few seconds passed in silence until Vorak leaned closer and whispered from behind, "Meet me... but only when you are ready to become a wolf."
Rion gave a trembling nod, and Varok vanished into the silence of the woods.
He opened his eyes and breathed heavily. He didn't say or do anything for a few minutes as he calmed himself from what had just happened.
"He is different from Papa... he feels more bestial. Is it because of the awakened bloodline of the God of Fury?" He mumbled as he shook Dora's shoulder to wake her up.
But she didn't wake up, he frowned in thought, 'What's wrong?'
His expression turned dark, then he heard snoring... he froze in place, moved his hands away from her and questioned with clouds of disbelief covering his face, "She... is asleep?"
He felt like hitting her for a moment, but seeing her sleeping face, he turned around and muttered, "What were you doing at night, huh?"
A few moments passed with the company of rustling leaves and snores.
He turned towards her one more time and booped her small nose as he mumbled with a hearty smile, "That's what you get for sleeping on me."
He scooted closer, and the branch creaked softly under the weight of his short frame. He wrapped his left arm around her waist and murmured, "I am doing this so you don't fall... You'll have to repay me someday."
A few minutes later, the ceremony ended, and the sound of leather drums filled the cliff once more.
Bum-bum bum-bum bum...
After a few hours, Dora woke up from her unexpected slumber.
She stretched her hands and rubbed her eyes while yawning. She moved slightly and was about to fall from the branch, but before she could, Rion tightened his arm around her waist.
"Huh?" Confused, she looked to the right of her and questioned, "Rion? What are you doing at my hut?"
Rion looked at her with a deadpan look as a vein throbbed at his forehead.
He let go of her waist and moved back as he asked, "Why didn't I know that you live in a tree? It must've been hard for you, right?"
Hearing his words, she tilted her head and looked around. Soon, her eyes widened as she remembered that she was sitting on a branch with Rion.
"H-Haha," she forced a laugh and answered while scratching the back of her head, "I fell asleep, huh?"
He shook his head, pointed his finger at her face and shot sharply, "Yeah! You did."
"I-I am sorry?" She replied doubtfully.
"Wait, why am I sorry? I can't do anything about falling asleep..." she murmured with a confused expression.
Hearing her, he heaved a sigh and spoke, "Yeah, you are right... It's not your fault."
She smiled slightly and turned her head towards the spring, but found no one there. A frown surfaced on her face as she questioned, "Where's everyone?"
He kicked the air with his dangling legs, leaned forward and answered, "The ceremony ended, everyone left already."
Her eyes widened as she stood up and questioned, "Why didn't you wake me up then?"
"I just didn't feel like it," he answered as he also stood up.
Both of them climbed down the redwood tree and began to run towards the settlement.
They ran through bushes, jumped over fallen logs and climbed rocks before reaching the Redwood Basin.
Dora sat down on the ground, "Why... do you never... get tired?" She questioned while breathing heavily.
Rion flashed her a smile before he walked near the edge of the cliff and looked down at the Dhaevrak settlement.
He opened his arms wide, his hair moved wildly with the wind as he answered with a big smile on his face, "Nature is too full of life for me to get tired of."
She stared at his short frame, aligned perfectly with the setting sun, which made it appear as if his body were spreading radiance to the world.
She stood up and dusted herself off before adding in a low voice, "Dummy, Rion."
"Hmm? Did you say something?" He questioned as he lowered his arms.
"No, your ears are ringing," she replied as both of them walked down to the settlement.