Two days. She thought as she looked over the fallen enemies outside the fence. It has only been two days. She heaved a sigh as she lapped at a small cut on her right shoulder. It was a new sensation, pain. Oh she had felt pain infrequently in her life before-- she tore her mind away from that thought and focused her amber colored eyes instead on the body of the creature before her.

Long legged and crocodilian, the black creature lay on one side in the fading twilight. It was strange to think that she had been partly responsible for its demise. She had never been a hunter. A fighter, sure, but never a hunter. The boil of blood against her lips had been an unfamiliar sensation, unfamiliar but not unwelcome. These things were somehow tied in with the terrible winds that had torn everything away from her.

She felt a rumble in her chest, a growl that was becoming increasingly familiar. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe deeply, trying to reach for the calm that had always been hers. She was not the kind of dog that let her feelings get away from her. Her ears flicked back flush against the sleek lines of her skull and the growl rumbled on. Her black and tan fur was bristled, frustration evident in every steely line of her muscles. She was not the kind of dog that lost her temper. She would never be that kind of dog. She was a champion!

And yet, the growl persisted. Almost more of a vibration deep within her than a sound without. Two days. Only two days and everything has changed. She certainly didn’t feel like a champion as she looked over the tattered earth of the battlefield. She felt angry. Another feeling she wasn’t used to. Cool reason was like a memory, shimmering like a mirage in the distant recesses of her mind. Cool reason and the warm bass tones of Sir’s voice.

The growl finally stopped, her insides stilling for a moment and a soft whine escaped her. Sir. Again she dragged her mind away from thoughts of him. Her best friend, torn away from her so suddenly. Again, that soft whine, almost silent, slipped past her defenses.

“Hey, Val!” A voice barked from near the fence.

She gathered herself together, pulling the pieces tight into something resembling the dog she had once been. Her eyes opened and her ears flicked forward as she turned toward the gray and white pitbull that was trotting her way. “Quigley.”

“Good to see you’re alright.” The shorter, stockier dog said as he bumped his nose against hers in an easy and affectionate gesture.

“Fine. I’m fine. You seem to have made it through unscathed.” She sniffed at his fur, getting no scent of blood.

“Of course, of course. I’ve got a reputation to uphold, you know. Quigley can slip through anything. Dancing on the edge, me.”

Val snorted and bumped his shoulder roughly with hers, the one without the scratch. “You need something?”

“Yeah. Lucky wants us to gather at the coyote dennings to talk about classes. You offered any?”

“Yeah, you?”

“I’m not holding my breath, me.”

“I don’t know, Quigs, this all seems so…” She trailed off, unsure how to finish the thought.

Quigley bumped his shoulder against hers and then turned away. “I think I know what you mean. Anyway, Val, I’ve got to run. There’s more’en a few dogs I still need to collect.”

“I’ll come with you, we can run together to the dennings.”

“Your company is always welcome.” They darted off together, easily falling into the same stride.

It wasn’t long before the gamboling pack of dogs was heading all together toward the coyote dennings. Little Ro trotted along behind them, her gait more cautious and her eyes looking everywhere. Val had watched her for the first little while, more curious about the little wild thing than she cared to admit. She could feel the brittle needles of fallen pines as they crossed a little rill of water and turned back toward its source. They came into a little clear space at the base of a broken hill of sandstone. A small spring of water gushed over the top to meander down the broken slabs of stone, dancing from one to another and down until it reached a little pond at the very base of the hill and broke off to feed the little rill. Coyotes were all around the pond, curled and stretched, still and playing. The sharply acrid tang of their scent assailed Val’s nose and she chuffed a sharp breath out of it.

“Evening, everyone.” Lucky said. “I know it’s been a long day and you have all fought gallantly and I’m grateful for that. I’ll make this as quick as I can. Have any of you been offered a class? Clash, did you explain what your class selection looked like to your pack?”

“I did. There’s a pawful of my family that have the option. I’ve told them how to share it with you. They’re here, just waiting.” Clash said.

“Right. Let’s start with the dogs, it’ll be faster with them since they can read us their options instead of having to show us. Who all have been offered classes?”

Sugar, Calypso, Intrepid, Axel, Val and Lobo all barked. Six dogs out of eleven, seven if you counted Lucky, had all been offered classes. Lucky’s pale eyes looked from one dog to the next before settling on Val. “Will you go first?”

Val hesitated only for a moment. “Of course. I was offered two classes. The first is called [Holy Terrier].”

Holy Terrier

You will take on forces well above your ability in order to honor your vows.

When you open the class, you gain the traits [Hidebound Devotion] and [Covenant] and the class skills [Holy Smite], [Aura of Light] and [Lesser Healing Touch]. Additional traits and skills may become available at later levels.

You will gain +1 Strength, +1 Endurance, +3 Wisdom, and +2 Willpower per level.

Lucky’s lips peeled back in a smile, “I was offered that one too. It’s not bad, but it seems a little less powerful now that I’ve seen some other attribute gains.”

His Girl was sitting on the ground next to him, one arm thrown casually over his back as the big dog spoke and Val felt a surge of jealousy wash through her. She shoved the emotion aside, but the dull rumble in her chest flared to life again. She read them the sun-drenched words that filled her head.

Indomitable Fang

Brought low by terrible tragedy, you will rise to meet your destiny.

When you open this class, you gain the trait [Indomitable] and the class skills [Venomous Bite], [Tracking], [Terrible Growl], [Rallying Bark], [Furious Charge], [Hamstring], [Pack Tactics], and [Takedown]. Additional traits and skills may become available at later levels.

You will gain +5 Strength, +5 Endurance, and +2 Willpower.

WARNING: Accepting this class is a permanent choice and may prevent access to other classes in the future.

The big fluffy dog’s eyebrows drew together over his pale eyes and the girl’s hand stopped petting him. She looked at Val with questions filling her leaf-colored eyes. The look made Val feel uneasy and she shifted a sliding step back away from the pair. How did the girl understand her? The short, blunt tail that usually stuck straight up on her rump, flopped down. She looked so kind and curious. Val snorted a breath out her nose and broke eye contact with the girl.

“What do you suppose that means?” Lucky asked the girl, almost as though he expected her to know. What did any of them know about this whole mess?

The girl shrugged her shoulders and went back to gently petting Lucky’s multi-colored fur. “Maybe there are classes that are directly opposed to this one?”

Lucky made a humming sound in the back of his throat and turned his attention back to Val. “That offers a lot of skills and attribute points, but doesn’t offer many traits. Have you looked over what everything does?”

“I can do that?” Val couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“Yes. Just think of the name.”

She went through each of the skills, reading them out to Lucky and the girl.

Hidebound Devotion

You have devoted yourself to a code, that devotion allows you to endure greater challenges.

Use twice your Endurance when calculating Physical Resistance.

Covenant

A vow lies at the core of you.

As long as you live up to your vow, you gain experience at 1.5 times normal.

Holy Smite

The Light of Creation fills your being allowing you to smite your enemies.

When your target is diametrically opposed to you, you deal 5% additional damage.

Aura of Light

Creation will aid you in protecting your allies.

Allies within 10 feet of you gain the [Evasion] skill at 10% of your level, minimum 1. They are also immune to Fear effects.

Lesser Healing Touch

Using the Light of Creation, you are able to heal yourself and allies of minor wounds.

“That’s for the first one, right? Those all sound really familiar.”

“Right. The other one is… different.”

“Different how?”

“It looks like sunlight.”

“Show me.”

She complied, then began reading off the traits and skills it would give her.

Indomitable

Your life has been filled with challenges and you rise to each and every one. This latest tragedy will be no different. You will rise.

You are highly resistant to fear, sleep, and enchantment.

At the edge of endurance, you may find just a sliver more.

Venomous Bite

It is inside you, twisting and writhing. Your bite is an outlet.

Your bite injects a moderate venom into your foe. It goes stronger with use.

Tracking

Others may clumsily track prey, but you excel at it. The smallest clue will give them away.

You are much more likely to spot subtle clues of your prey’s passage. Your scent ability works twice as well when you are tracking.

Terrible Growl

You are not one to be trifled with and your enemies will know.

Enemies within 5 feet are stunned for 3 seconds, within 15 feet they have a 20% chance of cowering.

Rallying Bark

While your foes sense your terrible power with fear, it brings your allies courage.

When your allies are affected by a fear, charm, sleep or enchantment spell, your [Rallying Bark] will shatter the effect.

Furious Charge

From one fight to another until all enemies have fallen.

When an enemy you are engaged with is defeated, you may charge to the next enemy at four times normal speed within 50 feet. The resulting attack deals extraordinary damage.

Hamstring

If it runs, slow it.

A targeted attack on the hamstring, when successful it will greatly slow your opponent.

Pack Tactics

You were not raised in a pack, you have not fought in a pack, but you understand instinctively how a pack should function.

With your natural aptitude for pack tactics, your coordination with other pack members is greatly increased.

Takedown

You are confident enough to fight enemies larger than yourself.

When you are fighting a larger enemy, you can use a [Hamstring] to pull the target off its feet, rendering it prone.

“That’s kind of… dark.” The girl said, tucking a wayward strand of her autumn colored hair behind her ear.

Val tilted her head to one side, looking at the girl intently. “Dark?”

The girl’s cheeks flared with blood under the speckling of spots that brushed across them. “Uh, yeah. Dark. The venom one.” She reached out one hand toward Val as though she intended to pet her.

Val slid seamlessly away from the touch and the girl’s fingers curled in empty air before dropping back to her lap.

“It is the better class though.” Lucky said. “In the end, it’s your choice.”

“Is it? Is anything by choice anymore?”

Lucky’s frown deepened as he studied the doberman. “As much as can be.”

Val sighed. “Right.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll make my choice and go back to the Big House, if it’s alright with you?”

“Of course, Val. Thanks for letting us know what your options were.”

“It’s important we each know what the other is capable of.” She said, turning her back on the group around the base of the shattered hill.