Beware Of Chicken-Novel

Rearing the striker back, he swung forwards a second time. The Gong sounded; its call a command that would have the White Tigers gather. It made his ears ring, being so close to the loud noise. It was scary, like thunder! But Big Sis had asked him to ring it! So he did! He was a good boy!

He dropped the striker (it was not for chewing, no sir!) and turned, racing off to the meeting ground. He was speed incarnate! He was faster than fast! He shot along the corners, his mind fixated on the muster grounds.

Shaggy Two hoped that he could be as brave as his father.

“Good morning, bud!” a voice called out and Shaggy Two immediately whipped his head to the side.

They raced into the muster grounds. It was a very big place and very old, with all sorts of interesting smells that he stopped himself from checking out. Big banners fluttered in the wind. Some of them said “Azure”, and there was a big one with a White Tiger on it. Shaggy Two paid his respects to one of the guardian beasts, and then he turned and trotted over to the end of the courtyard.

Big Sis was already there, being the fastest person Shaggy Two knew! She turned and smiled as they all jogged to a stop before running her fingers through Shaggy Two’s fur. He leaned into the touch. It felt very nice. Her fingers were strong, and she was tanned and she smelled like the sun and vaguely like something he wanted to chase and also like a big predator.

Part of him screamed at him to bark and drive her off, but he wasn’t dumb.

Big Sis was also a guardian, like him. All the predators would run away from her, making their job of guarding people easier! How fantastic!

“Good job ringing the gong, my Disciple,” Big Sis said warmly. Shaggy Two barked happily at her praise. “We shall be training hard today, so prepare yourself!”

Shaggy Two nodded and marched over to stand beside his Big Bro and Raggy. Yin-jie was next into the courtyard, and she also gave him some scratches. Loud Boy, who could bark very loudly, hopped from the wall of the courtyard to stand with them. They were all behind Big Sis, lined up.

So big Shaggy Two couldn’t comprehend how big it was.

Shaggy Two stayed quiet and still as he watched the people file in. It was a bit hard not to greet them and inspect the people entering their domain to make sure they weren’t threats, but he managed. Even though the one person in the back was making it very hard. He smelled delicious—like beef.

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Shaggy Two licked his lips but stayed put.

Big Sis nodded as everybody assembled. “Your speed is acceptable—but next muster we shall be even faster. Now, today we shall be working in randomized teams…”

Shaggy Two listened intently as Big Sis made their big pack into smaller packs so that they could hunt better. The other people listened intently.

Big Sis said most of these people were from the people without a pack, the “sectless”, so they needed to learn how to work as a team! There were people from the big packs as well, and they were a lot better at fighting and working together, so they all needed to learn from each other!

“Shaggy Two! You’ll be with Grey Team. Hunter!” Shaggy Two perked up as his packmates cheered, while the others looked distraught.

He was right! Shaggy Two found everybody! Always!

They trained long and hard—just the way Shaggy Two liked it! He chased and chased and chased. He stayed quiet when they were stalking and ran out and barked while his pack came in from the other side. And he stayed awake for all of it. Sometimes when he was hunting he felt his head go blank and some of himself slip away, back to how he was before he could think better. He didn’t really mind it, but Big Sis said to keep it under control.

So he did! He was a good boy!ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Noᴠᴇꜰɪre.nᴇt

After sparring they all ate food together, and then Big Sis split everybody up again. This time, a bunch of their pack went to study maps and talk about how to split up patrols, while Big Sis went to teach again.

“Today you will be doing supply procurement,” Big Sis commanded. “I have a list of everything we need, and you will have to source this material.”

She handed out the pages to the people who were left. They looked relieved… but today Big Sis was being sneaky!

The sectless people were normally pretty good at these questions. But the people from the big packs needed more time to learn, for some reason.

He still remembered Big Sis’s words. It was actually one of his first concrete memories.

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They had been talking about what to do if a village was damaged. That much Shaggy Two remembered. They were discussing how to best compensate the people of the village, and how to rebuild what had been broken.

“They’re just mortals. What should it matter?” one of the men had said. He looked bored.

That lasted until Big Sis’s eyes focused on him completely.

The man hadn’t asked if the mortals mattered after that.

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And today, Big Sis had a test. A test that needed all of Shaggy Two’s pack to help them!

They snuck over the buildings, each member of the pack assigned a person. Shaggy Two was with Big Bro, as was only right. They tailed their quarry out of the big mountain and into the town. The man glanced at the note he had been given, located a shop, and nodded.

“Excuse me, sir, I require several wooden barrel—”

“Eh? Sonny, you’ll have to speak up!” somebody inside the shop shouted. “My ears ain't what they used to be!”

“I need a—”

“Louder than that, sonny!”

Shaggy Two heard the man’s teeth start to grind.

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Their quarry, in the end, managed to finish his list! Even though he met a lot of annoying people! Even though he ground his teeth a lot, he passed Big Sis’s test!

He was a very good boy! Shaggy Two praised him!

They finished for the day. They had a very nice dinner, and Shaggy Two got a steak!

Then he sparred with Yin-jie and Big Sis, and then it was time for bed.

He curled up with Big Bro.

“Man, what a day,” Big Bro sighed. “Never thought I would be here.”

“Thanks, buddy. Do you want to hear another story about Shaggy tonight?” he asked.

Shaggy Two barked happily.

And so the tale began. It was a nice, peaceful tale. The thing Big Bro talked about the most when he told stories of Shaggy Two’s father was not his razor teeth or booming voice, but instead his kindness. How he would let children ride on his back, and talk about how gentle he was with the lambs that used his body for shade.

Shaggy Two felt pride bloom in his chest. He had a great legacy to live up to!

He was Shaggy, Second of his name!

And all the People of the Azure Hills would be his flock.