{Hidden Spoilers}

"You can talk!?!" The boy said flustered by the words coming out of the 'dog's mouth.

"I can talk now after going through the profession flame, Master!" The little wolf said confidently, puffing out his chest.

"I...see" The world had never seemed quite as colorful or strange to the boy as it had now.

"Why are you calling me master?" The boy said feeling strange getting called such a name.

"Because you saved my life and I decided you'd be my master!" The little wolf said, happiness dripping from him as he said his bit.

Please don't throw me away, Master! Though on the inside he was a mess of emotions, anxiety and nervousness taking up his heart like an assassin in the night, fast and ruthless.

"I see, but you do not have to become my subordinate because of it." He said speaking in all honesty.

"Are...are you throwing me away? Master?" Please don't throw me away, I want to stay with you! thinking the second part he ran up and jumped into the boys lap refusing to move.

No matter what the boy tried the little wolf would not move or give so much as an inch.

Exasperated after a few tries he gave in, he had never been one for shunning those who took to him first, "I was never going to throw you away, but don't call me master and I don't want you as my subordinate."

"So you really are throwing me aw--!" The little wolf however could not finish his sentence, as a loud cackling come from nearby.

Both of them went completely quiet and looked over at the area of the dump where the sound had come from, only now coming out from their exchange and back to reality.

Not more than ten meters away were six skeletons, wandering aimlessly, very clearly these were not of the same ilk as the ones radiating pride from before.

Though even if they were not the same it did not make them useless, the six skeletons had noticed the boy and small wolf at the same time as the other party noticed them.

"Not good! Run!" Saying so the boy got up and took off, the little wolf too began running however its legs would not be able to outrun the skeletons, the little wolf being promptly surrounded.

A few steps later the boy noticed that the little wolf was missing and turned around only to see the him being attacked.

"NO!" A fierce resolve came to him as he ran back, silently chanting the words he had learned just a few moments ago.

"Aureus Bufant!" Once he had gotten close three of the six skeletons had already broken off from the encirclement to attack the boy.

Though it was too late for the skeletons, the boy had already chanted his part and from his chest a sort of river emerged, flowing into this hands a thin layer of energy surrounding them.

At the same time on the other side, the little wolf took the breather as a chance and initiated an ability of his own, "Flaming burst!" Just like this the little wolf launched a flame jet from his maw and directly turned a skeleton to charcoal, the boy also attacking and slicing straight through the head of the front skeleton.

"W...weak!" The boy said astonished at how fragile these skeletons were, with renewed confidence he attacked again.

"Crappy bones!" The little wolf too attacked again though after his first attack he could feel the fatigue of using this skill, the boy too feeling the drain though not as bad as the little wolf.

Like this yet another two skeletons fell, leaving only the last two which were promptly destroyed.

Once again, the boy and the wolf looked into each others eyes.

A few tense moments passed before the boy spoke, "I do not want you as a subordinate-"

"But Mas--" Trying to speak the wolf piped up.

"I am not finished!" However the boy would have none of it.

"I do not want you as a subordinate, but I would not mind having you as a partner." Saying so the boy kneeled coming to eye level with the small wolf.

"Will you be my partner?" He asked, nervousness awry in his voice.

"Stupid Master, must you even ask?" The little wolf said back, his tone playful yet confident.

"Then, I, Foren, hereby swear on my soul that till death do us part you will be my partner in arms through the good, the bad and the terrible." Still kneeling the boy, Foren, spoke his tone resolute.

"And I, Noku, hereby swear on my soul that even if death should part us I will wait for you, and till that day and forever after I will be you partner, through the good, the bad, and the terrible." The little wolf, Noku, not to be outdone also set his pledge.

"Loyalty creates Trust. Trust creates Love, Love creates a connection, together our souls bind, Pact!" Speaking in tandem, Foren and Noku bound their souls together with the power of the pact, the fires within each of them mixing together and turning into a binary orbit, the blue and white fires dancing alongside each other creating a mesmerizing display.

Chapter 4: Pact