The Warg trembled.

Not many could see Auras as clearly as Gerald could, but plenty of wild beasts had an instinct that would tell them how dangerous someone was. Most beings in the forests of Myrtana were simply easy prey for these eternally hungry beasts.

Even those powerful Orcs could only be considered their equals in a sense, which is also why they allied with them in the first place. And even this alliance was barely held together by a single strand of spider thread. The two sides were ready to devour each other at the slightest disagreement.

However this human, no, this twisted being, was truly terrifying. The Warg's instincts were screaming at it, telling it to run! But it couldn't. The being didn't allow it.

It could only tremble in place, paralyzed by fear.

But despite not strictly answering, it didn't take long for the wild beast to make its decision clear. It started releasing low whimpers while nudging Gerald's leg with its snout. It was doing its best to get on his good side.

"Wise choice," Gerald smirked as he looked down at it. It was not really his intention to tame a Warg, he just got this idea in the spur of a moment and decided to give it a try.

Any normal person wouldn't even think of such a crazy idea. Taming a Warg, what a crazy thought.

But normal was boring. Gerald left normal back at home, on Earth. When he first arrived he just wanted to be safe and survive, but now…

He wondered how far he could go, how high the limits were. With magic, the possibilities seemed endless. At least that's how he felt about it, and not doing his all to discover them would be a sin in his eyes.

Anyhow, now that the beast was under his command, Gerald came close and stroked its back. Surprisingly, the Warg was way bonier than he appeared at first sight. The dense fur gave it an illusion of a bigger body.

"Alright now, since you are mine now I'll have to take care of you I guess…" Gerald took out a few vials. "Open your mouth."

Since Gerald retracted his Aura, the fear the Warg experienced also disappeared and as such, it became unwilling to listen to his commands. But then, one angry look from Gerald, and it was quickly reminded of the painful beating it just received, and decided to comply.

Gerald poured half-a-dozen Healing Potion in its mouth and then tossed in a big piece of meat as well. It was a classic carrot and a stick combination, and it worked well.

The Warg greedily devoured them both while feeling its body slowly recover.

"Okay… I should get you a name… What are you anyway, boy or a girl?" He glanced at the beast with Magic Eyes for a moment. "A male, huh? Hmm, let me think…"

He entered a deep thinking mode, considered the characteristics of the bloodthirsty beast, and mulled over the countless possibilities.

"I need a name that would be unique, something fear and awe-inspiring, something like… Toby!"

The Warg hiccuped. It was a proud carnivore, feared for its bloodthirsty nature, and now it had received a name from its master. It was glorious!

Well, it didn't quite sound that great, but the Warg was convinced it meant something amazing. It quickly expressed its satisfaction by licking Gerald's hand.

Paf!

"What are you trying to do, huh?! Trying to paralyze me while I'm distracted?! No licking! One more of your tricks and I'm turning you into a spit-roast!"

A bitch-slap and scolding later, the Warg lay on the ground pitifully whining while Gerald was soaking his paralyzed hand in medicine. Good thing it was just his hand. What would happen if he got licked on his face?!

A few minutes later, when the toxins were neutralized, he went up to his new mount and patted it on the back.

"Alright Toby, get up. Oh, don't look at me like that, I didn't even beat you that hard!"

He jumped on top of Toby's back and gripped its bushy mane while the latter was showing a despairing expression. It just tried to act like a good boy but it got chastised in the end.

"Let's go, he-ya!" Gerald lightly kicked with his heels like you would do when riding a horse, and after a moment of confusion, the Warg finally figured out what he wanted and so it went forward.

***

Gerald kept leading it through the city by pulling its mane left and right. Anyone that saw them would scream in fright and then bolt away as fast as they could.

All the doors and windows were shut tight with women and children trembling inside. The Warg wore such a frightful expression it made even the bravest of men freeze in horror.

The beast was depressed!

A proud ruler of the forest, a bloodthirsty beast that everyone feared, used as a simple mount… It was so humiliating! And that was not even all! Gerald kept his defensive spells active and his magic-reinforced butt was poking the Warg in the back. It was so uncomfortable!

And the constant pulling on its hair… Argh!

Well, too bad… The Warg didn't have the ability to speak and so it could only suffer in silence.

A few arduous minutes later they arrived at the campsite where Black Onyx, Iron Phantom Hawks, and a few others were stationed.

As soon as they appeared in their sight they were, as you would expect when riding a Warg, greeted with screams of fright that sounded the alarm as the warriors scrambled to get up and prepare for battle.

"Get into position!" Kerius shouted as his teammates took their spot beside him, with shields raised and swords in hand. He shouted towards the back, "Girls, get ready to use your magic, we'll hold it back!"

His breathing accelerated and he took a few deep breaths to steady his mind. Kerious' expression hardened and he readied himself for a fight.

"Get ready! Charge!"