New Friends: Part Five

'Red Wolf has advanced to Red Wolf Packmaster.'

Sitting on its haunches the huge beast was eye level with him. His wolf, who was small and somewhat cuddly looking, had grown into a huge Ice Age looking beast. It's hair was fully red, it's black stripe disappearing due to the wolf maturing. It's fangs had grown as well, growing in length and sharpness. 

Alex knew it was the same wolf because the wolf's eyes felt the same. Drooped and bored looking, just as before. He stretched a hand out and the huge wolf sniffed it then nuzzled his hand with his huge maw. Alex rubbed the huge head of the beast and he could see it's tail wagging behind the beast. 

"Good boy. How did you grow so fast?" He then remembered the stats on the jacket, "It raised my summoning power. Does that mean you were powered up too." The golden eyes looked at him, "Oh, sorry, can't talk to me." He raised the purse up to the dogs nose, "Someones in trouble, do you think you can sniff them down?" 

The Wolf looked at the bag and sniffed at it intently seemingly understanding what his master needed from him. He got up and sniffed at the ground slowly making his way down the path before raising his head and picking up pace. Alex had already expected the wolf to runoff, it seemed to like action a little too much. 

They moved quickly through the twisting alleyways, thankfully no one was roaming about this hour so there was no one to be spooked by the huge wolf running through their streets. After some time of jogging the wolf slowed down and stopped at the end of an ally. Alex could hear laughing, and clanging of metal. 

He stuck his head around the corner right above the wolf who was crouching, looking like it was on a hunt. The street stopped here, ending in a dead end with supplies stacked up here and there along the walls. In the middle of the deadend was a group of seven people, six men and one hooded figure. Five of the men were holding daggers and looked like common thugs wearing nothing but simple tunics. 

Looking closer Alex could see that the five men were attacking the other two people. Looking closer still Alex noticed that the other man wasn't a man at all, but a young boy. He must have been twelve, with long blond hair and blue eyes. He was holding a metal pipe and was pushing the hooded figure against the wall keeping them away from the thugs. 

One of the men, some bigger dopey looking guy ran up to him trying to slash at the boy. Surprisingly, the boy knocked the dagger out of his hand with little effort. He raised the pipe and slammed it into the man's chest sending him flying back onto his back. "Come one, anyone else? I've already taken out three of you." The boy pointed to the man clutching his chest and gasping for breath, "4 now." 

The men laughed and the leader walked up, the man must have spooked the boy and Alex could see why. The man didn't just look different, he felt different. Hangin off the man's hip was a curved scabbard and he rested a hand on the sword's pommel. He had long greasy black hair and scars lined the parts of his arms not covered up in leather armour.

The leader pulled something that looked like a cigarette out of his pocket and put it in his mouth, "My friends already told you what we need. 15 gold pieces and you'll be on your way." The boy furrowed his brows, "We gave your... boys, a purse full of money already. They didn't accept it and wanted more." Another one of the men pointed his knife at the boy, "And then you hit me over the head with a pipe and ran." 

The boy narrowed his eyes, "It's because you tried to assault us." The man lunged at the boy but the leader held him back with his arm. The boy raised the pipe in a sword-like stance and aimed it at the group, "Come on boss, let me have a go at him." The leader gave his lackey an evil glare, "And let you make a fool of yourself again, not likely." 

The leader firmly pushed the man back into their group, "Boy, you should have just stayed home today. Hand over any valuables you have on yourself; Bracelets, rings, necklaces, all of it." The boy gave a nervous laugh, "You think I'm going to bow to you because you have a sword, my teacher is twice as intimidating as you with a blade made of wood."

The man had yet to change expressions, he remained stoic. The man raised his hand up into the air drawing everyone's attention. He snapped his fingers and a small orb of fire appeared in his hand. Alex and the boy choked, sharing a similar thought, "Magic?" The man lit his cigarette with the orb and waved it out blowing out a large puff of smoke, "I won't repeat myself, nothing personal." 

The boy's hand began shaking, it seemed mages, or magic, was feared in this world. Sweat dripped from his brow, "A little fire… won't scare me." The hooded figure tugged on the boy's sleeve and said something in his ear that Alex couldn't hear. The boy looked down, "And let them run off with your bracelet, fat chance I would let that happen." 

The leader grasped the handle of his sword and pulled the blade from the sheath, "You will not be given another chance, you cannot take on this many men. I would rather not hurt you." It was time, he needed to show himself. He rubbed his chin, if summoners are common in this world then they may not run if he presented himself at once. 

He smiled and whispered to his wolf, "I have a plan." The wolf's ears perked up, seemingly catching on to what he was thinking. He didn't wait around to explain it because he heard the sound of a pipe being thrown onto the stone and heard the defeated voice of the boy, "I… Surrender." 

Alex walked out, "Hello gentleman." Everyone turned to him and the leader turned around slowly. Alex walked up as close as he felt like getting and the leader turned to him, "Here's some advice, friend, walk away and save yourself the trouble." Alex shook his head, "No, I don't think I will." 

The thug who lunged at the boy stomped towards him, blade raised, "If you don't plan on leaving then well collect from you as well. Hand over all your gold." A bright flash blinded the thug causing them to block this light with their hands. Alex brot the metal staff above his head and swung at the man hitting him in the air and smacking his dagger away.

He fell to the ground in pain, it seemed his Strength stat had also increased along with his summoning power. The other thugs ran at him but with a single command from their leader they stopped dead in their tracks. Alex took his staff and slammed the end of it onto the ground making it ring out like a piano tuner, "I believe it would be best not to pick a fight with an experienced mage."

The leader stared at him and the tension between the two rose like a frayed string being pulled on both ends. The thugs backed up, "B-Boss, I don't know. If he can use magic then we probably shouldn't attack this one." The leader let out a puff of smoke and Alex spoke up, "How about listening to the man, he's speaking wisdom." The leader stared him down, tiring to figure him out. The boy had already scrambled to pick up the pipe again feeling the tide turn in his favor.

The leader didn't take his eyes off Alex, "You three, take care of the runt. You may be a mage, but it's still four on two." Alex grinned devilishly, "You mean three on four." Out of the darkness a mean and low growl filled the street. All the thugs got spooked, "W-What's that!?" 

Beyond the single light above them the outside was completely dark. It gave the growl an even scarier feeling. Two golden eyes shone from the blackness and the thugs backed up, "Boss?" A huge red paw emerged from the darkness followed by the huge snout of the snarling wolf. If the wolf wasn't his friend this was probably terrifying seeing the rest of the huge wolf slowly enter the light.

The remaining thugs fled behind their leader, "B-Boss, it's a summoner. W-We can't fight him." Alex raised his staff, "Since you gave me the option to walk away, I'll give you the same." The leader glanced at the alley next to them, "...You three, pick up these two lugs and get going. Go back for the others as well." 

They nodded and picked up the two men laying on the ground injured. The wolf growled at the man picking up the man Alex incopasitated sending him flailig back with his friend in tow. He felt the wolf did that out of entertainment rather than intimidation. The thugs all retreated down the dark ally leaving their leader behind. 

The man looked at Alex, "...You are different from the others." Alex looked at him, "Not sure what you mean, but I wouldn't fight this battle if I were you." They stared at each other, the leader never faltering. Soon he closed his eyes and sheathed his blade letting out a large puff of smoke.

"Thank you for stopping us, I'll be in touch." The man disappeared into black smoke leaving no trace. Alex sighed deeply, "It worked? I didn't know how I was going to keep from hurting all those guys if they decided to attack. Good job buddy." He scratched behind the wolf's ear and the tail flicked back and forth, growing larger must have mellowed it out. 

"Sir," the boy called out running towards him with the hooded figure following close behind, "thank you for your timely arrival. You really saved us." Alex leaned against the staff, "I just have a habit of running into trouble, glad to help." The boy smiled and bowed, "My name is Eren, a knight in training." 

He then looked at the hooded figure, "It's alright, you can take the hood off now." The hooded person nodded and small pale hands reached out of the jacket and pulled the white hood off. "Thank you for helping us, my name is Rosaline." It was a young girl. 

She had long blond hair and Green eyes, she looked familiar but he didn't know from where. She curtsied, "Thank you for saving Eren, I didn't want him to get hurt fighting those men." The boy looked at her, "Oh come on Jull, I was in no danger. Plus I wasn't even afraid." She looked at him, "You know better than to lie to me." 

She said it lightly, but there was a command hidden in her soft words. Earen slunk down, "Your right, i'm sorry." She smiled, "It's fine, you looked very brave out there. I'm glad it was just my bag that I lost." Eren scratched his head, "Heh, thank you." 

Alex pulled the bag out of his inventory, "Do you mean this one?" She took it and her thin eyebrows shot up, "They didn't take it, oh thank goddess." She took it quickly, "Thank you." Eren nodded, "So, your one of the summoners from the academy right? They usually don't ever come out of that building, much less help anyone out." 

Alex shook his head, "Nope, I'm not from this city. Just passing through really, I'm a freelance mage." Eren looked at him, "I never heard of any Summoners going freelance, always heard they kept them on pretty tight leashes." Alex would have procured the question but the girl had stopped them. 

"Eren, we need to go home. Big brother may send out a search party if we don't hurry." Eren's eyes widened, "And Master will scold me again." Alex found the young night entertaining, he reminded him alot of a friend he had back before highschool. He felt the page in his pocket and got an Idea. 

"Hey, how about I escort you two back to your home. We may be heading the same way?"