The Boss walked out in the middle of the traveling camp, “Alright men, we’ve been hired to assist an army.” All the men remained silent. “Come on now, look on the bright side, you already know the pay is good.”

Joseph looked around at everyone, deciding to ask the closest person to him, “What’s wrong with that?”

The man looked up to Joseph, slightly startled that he had spoken to him, “Well, the Boss always says that if you get enough men together there’s no telling the kind of bad stuff they’ll get into. War ain’t pretty is what it means.”

It had been eleven months since Joseph had been with the group. In that time he had hit another growth spurt, but it was the only one that had been evident to him since he now had people to compare himself too. He now easily looked over the heads of the men gathered. Joseph walked towards the Boss, everyone parting the way of their own accord. “Are we going to war?”

The Boss looked up to Joseph. He had been trying to avoid putting it that way, “Hmph, this area has been cleared out due to the war that is about to happen. There aren’t any jobs other than this in the area. We would have to travel a great distance to get a shot at another job. This is our best option… But, yes. We would be going to war.”

Joseph looked down to the Boss, “Will war make me stronger?”

You’ll either be strong, get stronger, or die. Those are the only three options in a war.

Joseph thought for a long time before responding, “I won't die. What direction is the war in.”

The Boss lifted a hand to Joseph’s shoulder, “Slow down there, it hasn’t started yet so there’s no need for you to go running off on your own. You’ll head there with the rest of us. You don’t even know what side you’re on.”

It wasn’t long before they left, heading in the direction of soon-to-be chaos. Joseph grabbed his wooden sword, resting it on his shoulder he walked with the group. His sword, if you could call it that, was about the height of an average man. He now had wooden plate armor covering his entire upper body. The solid wooden plates covered his forearms, bicep and triceps, shoulders, chest and upper stomach, and mid and upper back.

Joseph walked beside the Boss’s horse with White next to him. “You know, when I said you should get yourself a sword, that’s not what I had in mind.”

Joseph lifted his sword slightly as he looked at it. “Yeah, I guess you could call this a long, flat club. But it does the trick.” Joseph lifted the sword before chucking it. The massive object went flying into the distance and White instantly chased after it.

“Please don’t tell me you made that just so you could play fetch?”

White came running back, the sword even looked big when the giant wolf held it in its mouth. Joseph reached out grabbing it from her, “That’s not the only reason.”

The Boss shook his head, “Lord help you. Have you at least gotten used to that unwieldy thing?”

Joseph scanned the large sword, ‘still no teeth marks or scratches.’ He responded to the Boss, “I believe I have, it’s not that hard once you get the hang of it. There isn’t many options for it like there is with a smaller sword. That’s one of the things I like about it. I don’t have to think about anything when I’m using it, it feels—”

The Boss cut Joseph off, “Primal?”

Joseph finished, “—natural.”

After only a few days they had reached the army camp. While they were approaching it all the men that noticed them stared at the, nearly seven-foot-tall, wooden armored, giant-sword carrying, Joseph.

Some of the men shouted, “What in God’s name is that?”

Joseph looked towards the Boss, “Listen, Joseph. There is no other way to put this. You’re not normal, and because of that they are going to treat you differently. Be careful what you tell people about yourself. I didn’t want you to worry about it on the way here, that’s why I didn’t mention it. Trust me though, with your strength, not many men are a threat to you. Go ahead and call her to you.”

Joseph nodded, “White!” The great wolf came running from the nearby woods. Some men cried out in sudden fear, others yelled to signal an attack. Before any of them had real time to gather their belongings and get ready for a fight the wolf was already sitting by Joseph’s side, wagging her tail.

The Boss then began speaking, “Me, and my group of men were hired to assist you in your battle. This man right here,” the Boss raises his hand to Joseph, “is one of those said men. This great wolf is his tamed beast. There is no need to worry about it, he has it under control.”

The men all stared at Joseph In silence. One man made his way to the front of the group, “How much for the beast's coat? I hear great wolf’s coats have protection against all forms of magic.”

This time Joseph spoke, “White, or any part of her, is not for sale. Anyone who believes otherwise will soon die.”

The Boss put his hand on Joseph, “Calm down there. Do not make threats to men who have been waiting for a fight.”

The man who had asked about White began to laugh, “Haha, it’s hard to tell with those scars and big muscles, but that’s a boy isn’t it. I know a boy’s voice when I hear one.”

The army men began to laugh. Joseph felt a hotness in his face for the second time in his life. “Boss, what are they laughing at? What is Wrong with my voice?”

“Nothing is wrong with it. It’s actually the way you look that is wrong. Your voice and body don’t match up is all.” The Boss spoke as kindly as possible.

The laughing man wiped his eyes, “No, no. I’m sorry boy, there’s no need to cry over it. I apologize. I’m not in the habit of making fun of children, you just caught me by surprise is all. So, you must be his father” He now looked towards The Boss ignoring Joseph, “So what would it cost to get my hands on that great wolf there?”

“That man is no son of mine and can speak for himself. I believe he has already given you an answer.”

The laughing man approached Joseph, “If you’re going to keep insisting that this boy is a man I guess I have no choice but to play along. ‘Listen boy, I mean man, that thing is nothing but a liability alive, and is far more valuable dead. Give it to me and I’ll even split some of the profits with you. That’s a good deal considering you probably don’t know what to take from it and where to get the best prices for it.”

Joseph eyed the man, “I don’t need to know because I’m not interested in her parts. She is mine and will remain whole. There is nothing you can say or do to change that. Anyone who lays a hand on her will lose it.” Joseph shoved the man aside and began walking to the front of the army, he wanted to be one of the first in battle. He heard a growl followed by a man’s screams of pain. Without looking back he shouted over the man’s screaming voice, “I did not say I would be the one taking the hand.” A few moments later White appeared at his side, a man’s lower leg in her mouth. Joseph looked at the wolf in shock, “I would have sworn it was going to be a hand.”