#heishou pack

The plate clatters as you eat; Hongyuan became significantly...quieter around you. Infact, the place you were eating at was empty. No other customers were here, and all of the staff had retreated into the back. Why? Well...it's not like you have a bunch of mutated people following you, right? What, that wasn't you who left a bunch of wool around?

The opening of the restaurant's door snapped you out of your thoughts. Confident, slow steps approached you. Turning yourself, you are met with the figure of a male looming over you.

"Mm, So you're the one the Mao and Wei won't shut up about." Calculated, calm...yet friendly?

"You must be-" before you could even finish your sentence, he raises his hand

"Hong Lu. Lord of Hongyuan, and also the one employing you to take care of the Heishou Pack." He looked you up and down -calculating, sizing you up- as he continues

"Tell me, how do you do it?"

Demanding. Pointed. Sharp.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Don't try to act you don't know. You really expect me to believe that you can make the Heishou Pack - some of the fiercest fighters around - turn into...mush around you? You're no ordinary caretaker, that's for sure. The Wei Branch won't shut up about you, and the Mao are asking me to rehire you for them."

His shoulders relax as you watch the tension leave his body

"What I want to know is how you do it."

He walks closer to you, his shadow casting over your body

"But...you really don't know, do you?"

He draws out a long sigh as he looks away

"Whatever it is you're capable of...I have a proposal for you, if you will."

He turns back to you, continuing as you give him a nod

"There is a branch of the Heishou Pack - the Yôu branch - roosters, they are. Troublemakers at that. They are very...volatile with their outbursts, and it does get quite cumbersome having to constantly reel them in after their episodes."

He fully turns himself to you, holding out an object to show you.

"It's the leash for the Yôu branch. If you are able to work your...expertise, as you have, then I shall reward you with this leash. One tug, and you'll have them around you within seconds, protecting you with their lives."

He turns to look out the restaurant windows as silence befalls you both.

"Though..." He trails on

"I must warn you - the Yôu branch are fighters by nature, good ones at that. So if you do accept my offer... just know that what you'll be dealing with, is a bunch of aggressive roosters fully capable of killing someone just by one alone."

"And yet..."

He turns back to you, and if you weren't dead focused on him, you would've missed the small smirk forming at the corner of his mouth

"I have a feeling that you'll turn out just fine. Call it a...precognition, if you will."

He glances out side one last time before heading to the door, giving you one last indiscernible look as he disappears.

A part of you was questioning his words. He did have a point about you and the Heishou Pack. Rarely, have you had such a large group of animals - human-like or not - be so docile, or at least content around you.

But something was telling you that time, things might not be so easy. But a job is a job, and what did he mean by the leash? Would it actually summon them?

Figuring that the only way to find out was by going back into Hongyuan, you got up and left after your meal.

Roosters...if what he said was true, and the Yôu branch were good fighters, then it was safe to assume that they had sharp claws and beaks.

Surely not the most dangerous thing you've encountered, so what would make this so bad?

Hell.

Or, at least some form of it. It seemed the only appropriate description of what you were going through.

You've been scratched at least over 10 times, and pecked 5 times. The Roosters were not going to make this easy on you. Oh, and some have blades. Where-where the hell did they get those from? Thank whatever accursed god(s) in this city that you weren't attacked with one...yet.

Most of them were staring at you - where the Mao was daring at you to do something to them, the Yôu looked like they were about to murder you on the spot - and there was truly very little you could do here.

While wracking the poor organ in your head for ideas, you felt a familiar, gentle...soft tug on your body.

Looking down - it was probably the last thing you wanted to see right now outside of the head itself - the young Mao was right there, posted up right against your leg.

What. The. Fuck.

Trying not to implode on the spot, you feverishly look around for

A. Where the hell it came from,

And B. Why the hell it was alone.

Seeing that nothing was satisfying either question, you turn back to the Roosters; one of which had gotten significantly closer to you. Following its gaze, you could tell that it was eyeing up the Mao.

"No!-" before you could process it, you instinctively threw your body forward, shielding the Mao as the Rooster delivered a devastating blow across your body.

Collapsing to the ground, blood began to slowly pool around you as the gash felt searing hot. Your vision fades, but you spot the surprise and...respect, in the eyes of the Rooster. Looking over, the horrified expression of the Mao was the last thing you saw before going under.

Was this...death? If it were, then...why did it feel so warm? Wasn't it supposed to be cold?

Before you could dwell on it further, your eyes adjust to a dimmed room. Your body felt like it had been dragged through every layer of hell possible thrice over.

You couldn't move due to the pain, but you were alive. Surprisingly, you don't see any bandages or any scars, for that matter.

As far as you could tell, you were still in Hongyuan...likely in a hospital of sorts, or perhaps somewhere meant for you to recover.

Looking over to the nightstand on your left, you find two objects with two letters attached to each one.

The first one...it was a leash - the same one Hong Lu showed you. Did he actually give you the Yôu branch's leash?

Reading the note, it was infact by Hong Lu:

'Please do excuse the situation you find yourself in, this was the only option to guarantee you living.

I must say, you have impressed me - something I have not felt during my rule here in Hongyuan. It appears you have confirmed what I thought, though...I expected you to not be as...mangled as you were.

Despite that, I have never seen someone willing to risk their life for a member of the Heishou Pack, and for that I present you: the Yôu branch leash.

If you are worried about their aggression still, let it be known that after you were injured, it was reported to me that the Yôu were proud of you for what you did. Resilience is their specialty, and you showed that to them. If I were more naïve, I would say that it was surprising that the Yôu didn't finish the job.

Nonetheless, I fully entrust you to take care of them now, as they will fight fiercely for you with a simple tug of the leash.'

-Hong Lu

Focusing your attention onto the other object, you find it to be a scarf; more specifically, one that the Mao wear.

The note attached was from someone you don't recognize:

'Firstly, let me extend the gratitude of the Mao. You have risked your life unprompted, in order to save one of our young ones.

While you were recovering, I took it upon myself to look over you, making sure you were safe. Many of the Mao visited you while you were out; they wanted to personally thank you for your heroism. Even some of the Wei stopped in to make sure you were okay.

As much as I wanted to meet you personally, duty had summoned me before you woke up, so I opted to write instead.

The Mao are forever grateful, and even if you don't hold our leash, we gave you a way to contact us, should you ever need to. Simply put on the scarf, and we'll be next to you as quickly as if you tugged on our leash. Do not hesitate for our assistance, we will always be glad to help you out.'

- Mao Adept, Li Jiang.

...You could really use a painkiller right now.