Page 2943 (Patreon)

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Feeling his exhaustion weighing him down in his seat, Cisco considered just letting himself drift off to sleep right then and there. It was barely past midday, but they were prisoners, so what difference did it make? Dunstan seemed to be having the same idea. The guy hadn't moved in minutes.

As he was on the cusp of embracing that warm and familiar darkness, however, he felt something there on his right. A presence. Very large. And very near.

He scarcely opened one eye before noticing the form of a giant animal standing there next to him. A wolf. A white one. As big as a car.

And it was staring at him.

Cisco's eyes were suddenly stuck open, his fatigue forgotten. Had he fallen asleep? Was this a dream? What was he even looking at?

The dog was already quite close, and now it stepped even closer, raising its massive snout up to his face and sniffing audibly. The air being sucked into its nose was loud enough at this distance that it sounded like a small wind tunnel.

'Cisco,' came Dennex's urgent echo. 'No. Sudden. Movements.'

That wasn't a problem. Cisco could do little more than blink, anyway. But the reaper was seeing this, too? So he wasn't hallucinating? Perhaps he would've felt relief if he'd had the presence of mind for it.

Then the wolf licked his cheek. Its giant tongue was so coarse that Cisco felt like the peach fuzz on his face might get ripped off, but the drool it left behind probably prevented that.

Well, he was most assuredly awake now, at least.

'Hello there,' came Reza's voice from somewhere. She sounded a lot more composed than Cisco felt.

The wolf didn't acknowledge her, instead remaining focused on Cisco and even nuzzling its head against him now. It smelled like it had been rolling around in dirt, though its fur coat looked pristine.

A man, however, appeared from behind the animal and responded to Rezamaar. A man with a single horn on his head. "Hello. Please excuse our intrusion."