Chapter 88: Grandmother Knows Best
"Grandmother!!! Grandmother!!!"
True to their word, the chaotic group of hunting pups came bursting back through the thick undergrowth after barely half an hour.
Panting heavily, their tails a furious blur of black fur, they proudly dropped four plump, freshly caught rabbits directly at Selka’s feet. Shifting back into their human forms, they all grinned from ear to ear, practically vibrating with pride.
"See, Grandmother?! We hunted all of these together!" Vesper chirped, wiping a speck of dirt from his nose. "Eat up! Eat a lot! These are super fresh!"
Selka, whose face was stretched into a wide, beaming grin, chuckled warmly and knelt down to match their height. "Well, look at all my brave, clever cuties!!! I am so incredibly proud of you all! Since you brought me such a wonderful feast, let me give you all something very special in return."
"What? What is it? What? What???" the twelve older pups instantly chorused, their heads tilting in synchronized curiosity.
"Come with me," Selka smiled, her silver eyes twinkling with a touch of mischief.
She picked up the rabbits and led the frantic trail of pups through a thick wall of bushes.
But the moment they broke into the hidden clearing beyond, Vesper and the older hunting pups violently skidded to a halt, their eyes widening in absolute horror.
A short distance away, Draven and Frieza were sitting in their massive wolf forms, tightly anchoring the youngest pups against their thick fur to keep them secure.
And right in front of them, crackling merrily on the ground, was a controlled, dancing orange flame.
"Mother!!!! Father!!!! Brothers!!!!" Vesper and the hunters screamed in a sudden, frantic panic, their hackles instantly raising.
"The Red Evil has invaded our territory!!!" Vesper yelled, baring his tiny milk teeth as the boys prepared to recklessly charge forward to rescue their parents from the terrifying, dynamic entity.
But before they could take a single step, Selka gracefully stepped right in front of them, extending her arms to block their path. "Calm down, all of you! That Red Evil didn’t invade. I was the one who made it, and I am the one controlling it to make this meat delicious."
The clearing went dead silent for a fraction of a second. Then, the pups’ jaws completely dropped.
"What??"
"Grandmother summoned the Red Evil?!"
"Grandmother can actually control the Red Evil?!"
"She used the Red Evil to make meat tasty?!"
"Grandmother is... so... incredibly strong!!!"
The boys immediately began to mumble and whisper among themselves, staring at Selka as if she were an almighty primordial deity.
"Yes, she is," Selka chuckled, thoroughly enjoying her newfound legendary status among her grandchildren. "And I have already shown your mother and father exactly how to handle and control the Red Evil too, though they seem to still be a bit stubborn and don’t like using it. But listen to me carefully. You must never be reckless and play with the Red Evil on your own. Just make sure you always have your parents around you if it’s near."
"Okay, Grandmother!" they all chorused in perfect, disciplined unison.
Nodding happily, Selka led the massive circle of pups down to the edge of the small fire pit. As the twelve children sat cross-legged, staring at the flames with wide, awestruck eyes, Selka efficiently tore into the rabbits, expertly removing the fur.
She ate the rich inner organs raw to sustain herself, and then carefully skewered the fresh, lean raw meat onto clean, sturdy sticks, propping them over the glowing embers to roast.
Within minutes, a rich, deeply savory, and intoxicating aroma filled the humid jungle air. The pups collectively lifted their snouts, sniffing the breeze greedily.
"It smells so good...!" one of the younger pups whispered, his voice trembling with hunger as he peeked out from the safety of Frieza’s thick neck fur, staring longingly at his older brothers sitting brave and close to the fire with their grandmother.
"Mother, please let us sit with our brothers!" the remaining toddlers began to whine and insist, tugging at Frieza’s coat.
Draven and Frieza shared a tense, deeply worried glance.
The primal fear of fire ran deep in their wolf blood, but seeing Selka handle it with such absolute, calm mastery—and seeing their own sons completely unharmed—they finally gave a slow, yielding nod.
Shifting into their human forms, they walked over together, completing the massive, warm circle around the crackling fire pit.
Finally, once the rabbit meat was perfectly roasted, a beautiful golden-brown and dripping with juices, Selka blew on it gently.
Using her sharp claws, she carefully tore the meat apart, distributing a very tiny, perfectly sized piece to every single person in the massive circle—including Frieza and Draven.
The moment the children popped the warm meat into their mouths and began to chew, their eyes practically bulged out of their heads. The rich, smoky explosion of flavor hit their tongues like a physical wave.
"Mother... what is this taste?!" Frieza gasped, staring down at the tiny bone in her hand in absolute shock. "We have hunted and eaten rabbits our entire lives, but the meat has never tasted like this!"
Draven chewed slowly, his green eyes wide as he nodded in profound agreement. "Yes... this meat is more juicy! The blood and flavor are locked perfectly inside!"
"Haha! That is the true power of the Red Evil," Selka laughed heartily, her chest swelling with pride. "The furless Witch taught our pack this exact way of eating, and she showed us how to respect and handle the flame to transform our food."
Vesper swallowed his piece, his face lit up with pure joy. He instantly whipped his head around, looking at Frieza with an expectant pout. "Mother! You mean you can’t make meat tasty like Grandmother?!"
Ugh! Frieza’s brow furrowed, her competitive Alpha pride instantly flaring at her son’s blunt question. "Of course I can! I just watched exactly how she did it, didn’t I? Now you just wait and see, tomorrow I’ll make you a feast!"
"YAYYYYY!!!" Vesper and the twenty pups cheered at the top of their lungs, their tails wiggling so hard they kicked up a small cloud of dust in the clearing.
After the wonderful, filling meal, a round of deeply affectionate, lingering goodbyes, and the completion of Zuri and Amara’s relaxing stroll around the perimeter, Selka finally climbed back up onto Zuri’s massive back.
Turning away from her daughter’s happy, chaotic pack, they set their course straight toward the Silver-Grey borders.