Episode 3: Silver Fur and Azure Eyes

Episode 3: Silver fur and blue eyes Swoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! From the top of a 30-meter-high cliff facing away from the full moon, a silver flash of light struck vertically like a dazzling meteor. With the impact of the fall, frozen dirt and stones from the valley floor bounced in all directions as if exploding. In the rising dust, a gigantic being that stopped the forest from breathing slowly revealed its majesty. A gigantic body measuring 3 meters in height, far exceeding the height of a strong adult male. Thick fur that shines dazzlingly in pure white as if each strand were spun from silver thread, and a silver mane more majestic than a lion's mane fluttering in the cool night air.

What captivated the viewer more than anything was a pair of huge eyes that burned brightly and clear in the darkness as if they were made of ground blue sapphire. It was Lunawood's ancient guardian deity, the silver wolf 'Sian'. “Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrn……!” The ground trembled slightly as a heavy, low-pitched growl rang out from deep in Xian's throat. That breath was not the cold north wind, but the gentle, sacred warmth that melts the snow on an early spring day.

“White, it’s a white tiger…!” “Stand back! The owner of the sanctuary has come down in person!” The shadow goblins were scared and stepped back. However, the one-eyed goblin, the leader of the group, flashed his red eyes and screamed as if he could not give up the child's flesh in front of him.

“Don’t be afraid, you idiots! They are just blood-sucking beasts!” “But boss… those eyes are not those of an ordinary beast! Just looking at them makes my skin burn!” “Shut up! We are thirty guys and that guy is one! Attack us all at once and rip our limbs apart!” At the one-eyed man's command, the shadow goblins screamed and rushed towards Xi'an all at once. Creeping black tar nails split the air and rained down on Xian's neck and waist.

“Keeeeek! Die, white wolf!” But Sian didn’t even blink. When the huge front paw lightly struck the air once, a dazzling silver crescent-shaped sword energy was released along with a cracking sound. Quaaaaang-! “Kaaaaak!”

“My arm! My body is burning!” Five or six goblins that were hit squarely by the moonlight sacred claw attack were shattered into black smoke, screaming, and shattered in a single blow. The moment the evil darkness of the goblins touched the silver sanctuary of Xian, it was purified to white, emitting a sulfurous smell.

"Kick! Don't back down! Aim for the eyes!" Three goblins jumped up the tree trunk and tried to stab Xian's blue eyes with their poisonous claws. Xian sharply twisted his head and soared into the air. His movements were so light and graceful as a feather that it was hard to believe he was so huge. Damn it! Xian's jaws struck the necks of two goblins at the same time like a thunderbolt. The moment the white tiger's fangs, capable of crushing even hard steel, were struck, the goblins turned into black tar powder in the air along with the sound of their bones breaking apart.

When the remaining one screamed and tried to run away, Xian's rich and heavy tail swung like a whip and hit the animal mercilessly in the chest. thud-! The goblin was thrown into a rock, turned into powder, and disappeared without a trace. “Hee, hee… it’s a monster… it’s a true spirit!” When the thirty goblins were cut in half in the blink of an eye, the remaining goblins completely lost the will to fight and turned away.

“Run! Hide in the shadow rock!” “Let’s go back to the goblin’s den!” The goblins began to run away like rats into the bushes everywhere. Only the last remaining one-eyed goblin leader looked back, trembling in front of Yuna. Xian's cool, blue eyes were peering down at the top of the one-eyed man's head.

“Don’t attack me…! This girl is my hostage…!” It was the moment when the one-eyed man reached out his hand to grab Yuna's collar. Xian's huge silver paw struck down like lightning. Kwasik-! “Kuhuhuhuhhh……!” The one-eyed man's wrist was crushed to the floor. Xian slowly lowered his head and blew white breath in the one-eyed man's face. It was the breath of divinity, warm as a burning bonfire and yet so holy that it could instantly turn the flesh of an evil monster into ashes.

“Get out, you scum of the night. This is no place for a human child to cry out.” The sound of words echoed like thunder through the resonance of the soul, not through human ears. “Kee, keeeeek—! Help me! Help me!” The one-eyed man struggled under Xian's feet, but as soon as Xian took his feet away, he ran away and crawled into a crevice in the rock without even looking back. In the dreary valley, only the still silence of the night had fallen. The disgusting tar smell left by the goblins disappeared in an instant, washed away by the clear scent of pine and mint emanating from the silver fur of the white tiger.

“…….” Yuna was leaning against the cold earthen wall, not even able to breathe properly. The monster goblins were defeated, but the being standing before my eyes was a legendary beast ten times bigger and more overwhelming than the goblins. A huge silver monster three times the size of an adult male. It seemed as if the razor-sharp murderous spirit that had torn apart the monsters just moments ago had not yet disappeared from its sharp fangs.

'That wolf... … Are you trying to eat me? … ?' Yuna's whole body was shaking like an aspen, and tears were streaming down her eyes. “Go away… I’m not tasty… There’s nothing but bones… Black…” Yuna crouched, covering her face with her two small hands. But the cruel pain I expected did not come. Square, square. The sound of cautious footsteps stepping on soft fallen leaves approached, and a huge shadow was cast over Yuna's head. And soon-

licking. A warm, soft touch gently passed over Yuna's forehead and tear-stained cheeks. "……uh?" Yuna carefully opened her fingers and opened her eyes. The huge white wolf, Xian, was kneeling on its long legs and lowering its body to Yuna's eye level. Those blue eyes, which seemed scary, were filled with compassion and kindness that was deeper and warmer than any lake in the world, instead of the bloody smell of life. Clap, clap. Sian began to carefully lick Yuna's torn and bleeding right knee. Miraculously, the moment the white wolf's saliva touched the wound, the burning pain subsided as if it had been washed away by being dipped in ice water.

The bright red wound healed like a lie before my eyes, and soft new skin began to grow. “……It hurts… doesn’t it? It doesn’t hurt at all…!” Yuna looked down at her knees blankly. Xian sniffed softly and gently leaned his huge head on Yuna's small shoulder. The silvery fur, softer and richer than silk, hugged Yuna's cold neck warmly. The warmth was warmer than a hut in the middle of winter and cozier than my mother's arms.

'Do not be afraid, little one.' From somewhere, a deep yet friendly voice quietly echoed not in Yuna's ears, but in the center of her heart. Yuna opened her eyes wide in surprise. “Wolf… are you talking…?” ‘You and I are having a soul-to-heart conversation right now. It's a sound that cannot be heard by human ears.'

“Wolf... what is your name? You are the white wolf, the guardian deity of the forest, that your grandmother told you about, right?” ‘The old wind in the forest calls me Sian. The cry of your clear and pure soul woke me up from my sleep.' “Sian… thank you so much for saving my life. I thought I was going to be eaten by those goblins….” Yuna shed tears of relief and took out the last piece of ginger candy from her pocket.

“I… I have nothing to give you but this. Would you like to try this? It’s sweet and spicy and makes you feel very warm. My grandmother gave it to me.” Xian stared at the candy placed on Yuna's small palm, then gently put her nose to it and sniffed it.

‘It’s filled with grandmother’s warm love. 'Keep that candy in your little pocket.' Xian quietly blinked his blue eyes and gently exhaled white breath as if affirming. ‘Now, wake up. If you stay in this cold valley for too long, your little body will freeze. Let's go to my abode.' Sian gently bit the hem of Yuna's clothes and carefully guided it onto his back. Without hesitation, Yuna wrapped her small arms around the white wolf's wide, warm silver back. Xian's back was as cozy as a soft feather bed, and Yuna's frozen chest slowly began to be filled with warmth.

The black ash scattered by the goblins was blown into the air by the cold night wind. silence. The valley, which had been overflowing with death and the deafening cries of goblins just moments ago, sank into deep, majestic silence like an ancient temple in just one moment. Yuna knelt down and looked at the scene before her in fascination. Xian, the giant white tiger and the lord of the forest, slowly turned his head and looked at Yuna. The white breath blowing out of that huge snout brushed Yuna’s frozen cheek. The sharp fangs seemed harder than steel, and the front paws were as big as Yuna's upper body.

‘That big, scary wolf… … 'Did he save me?' What rose before fear was an indescribable feeling of awe. There was no bloody or animal odor at all from the wolf's body. Instead, there was the refreshing scent of a clear, snow-covered birch forest and the sacred scent of pine trees, like cool mint leaves. Xian slowly lowered his body. As the mountain-like giant crouched low, Yuna's eye level and the wolf's eye level gently met. In Xian's eyes, which resemble blue sapphires, instead of the cruelty of a wild beast, there was deep solitude and warm kindness of a wise spirit creature that had lived for thousands of years.

“Wolf……?” Yuna whispered softly in a trembling voice. Then, Sian quietly said, ‘Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr’. … ' A soft sound resounded in my throat. It was not a threatening sound, but a sweet and heavy resonance, like a mother's low lullaby soothing a frightened child. Xian gently lifted his large, thick front paw and placed it next to Yuna's bloody knee. The soft silver energy flowing from the tips of her feet began to warmly embrace Yuna's frozen and throbbing wounds.