Animal Tamer's Dominion
Chapter 45: Reunion In The Cave

Chapter 45: Reunion In The Cave

The air inside the cave was cool and heavy, a stark contrast to the warmth of dawn that lingered outside. The faint sound of dripping water echoed off the stone walls, mixing with the soft whimpers of children that grew louder as Kenji and Haruka pressed deeper inside.**

Kenji’s heart clenched with every small cry. His babies—they were frightened, alone, and clinging to one another in the dark while he had been recovering. The thought of their fear gnawed at him like an insistent flame, spurring him forward.

Haruka moved with quiet grace, her pink fur glowing faintly in the dim light. "I can hear them just ahead, Master," she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of reassurance. "They’re safe."

Kenji exhaled a shaky breath and nodded, though he didn’t respond. The cave opened into a small chamber, and there they were—Leia, Pheia, and Leo, huddled together near a pile of moss and stones. Their tiny forms were trembling, though their soft whispers to each other were steady, as if comforting one another.

"Daddy!" Leia’s eyes widened as she spotted Kenji stepping into the chamber. Her small cry was followed by the other two as all three children scrambled to their feet and ran toward him.

Kenji barely managed to crouch before they slammed into him, wrapping their little arms around him with such force that it nearly knocked him over. "Daddy, we thought you weren’t coming back!" Leia sobbed, her face buried in his chest.

Pheia was quieter but held him just as tightly, her small hands gripping his tunic. "It was scary... We tried to be brave like you, but it was so scary..." she whispered, her voice trembling.

Leo’s lip quivered as he looked up at Kenji, blinking back tears. "You were gone for so long. We thought... we thought..." He didn’t finish his sentence, breaking into sobs as he clung to Kenji’s arm.

Kenji held them all close, his arms wrapping around the three of them as though shielding them from the world itself. "I’m here now," he said softly, his voice filled with warmth and reassurance. "I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere."

For a moment, the weight of everything—his battles, his injuries, his exhaustion—melted away. All that mattered was the fragile, fleeting happiness of this reunion.

Haruka watched from the edge of the chamber, her expression unreadable. She felt a pang of something unfamiliar—an aching warmth in her chest as she observed the tender scene. It was strange, this feeling. She had been alone for so long that the sight of such genuine love and connection felt... foreign. But it also gave her hope.

---

The group decided to rest inside the cave for now, planning to begin their journey once the sun had fully risen.

"Haruka, about those people we fought... do you think they’ll come back? I scared them off, but I can’t shake this feeling that they’ll return," Kenji said, his tone laced with concern.

Haruka nodded slightly. "I believe they will. The allure of power is too great to resist. Humans are dark beings, hungry for power, with only a few exceptions. People like you," she said, emphasizing that Kenji wasn’t like the rest of humanity.

He was compassionate and didn’t care much for power—he only cared about protecting those he loved. His family.

"Well, if what you say is true, then don’t worry. We’ll beat them! We’ll take them down the moment they come back!" Kenji declared, as if making an oath.

"Yes, we’ll beat them together," Haruka said, acknowledging his words.

Kenji turned to the kids, who were clinging tightly to him, unwilling to let him go for even a second.

"Kids, do you want to hear a story?" Kenji asked, his expression breaking into a grin.

Hearing his words, the children’s eyes lit up, as if someone had just given them the best news in the world.

"Yes, yes! A story!" Leia said, jumping around in excitement, recalling the last time Kenji told them a tale. *It was epic!*

"Yes, I want to hear a story! What’s it about? Is there a princess and a knight?" Pheia asked, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"Oh! And a big monster! I want a big monster!" Leo added, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.

"Settle down, settle down. Don’t worry, even without all of those elements, the story will still be great!" Kenji said, encouraging them to sit down and form a circle around him.

---

Kenji cleared his throat, his voice taking on a dramatic tone. "Once upon a time, there was a princess named Rosalie. She had hair so long and golden that it shimmered like sunlight. But Rosalie wasn’t just any princess—she was trapped in a tower by an evil witch who wanted to steal her beauty and keep it for herself."

Leia gasped, her eyes wide. "Why didn’t she escape?"

Kenji leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Because the witch enchanted the tower. It had no doors, no stairs, and no way out. Poor Rosalie could only sing to pass the time, hoping someone would hear her."

Pheia clutched her knees. "Did someone hear her?"

Kenji grinned. "One day, a brave knight named Sir Leroy rode through the forest. He heard Rosalie’s song and decided to rescue her. But when he reached the tower, the witch appeared and turned into a giant, fire-breathing dragon!"

Leo’s jaw dropped. "A dragon?! Did he fight it?"

Kenji nodded. "Sir Leroy fought the dragon with nothing but a wooden sword. He dodged its fiery breath and tricked it into tying itself up with Rosalie’s hair. Then, with the dragon defeated, he climbed the tower and freed Rosalie."

Leia clapped her hands. "Did they live happily ever after?"

Kenji smirked. "Not quite. Rosalie and Sir Leroy didn’t fall in love—they became best friends and went on adventures together, fighting witches and saving other people!"

The children cheered, their earlier fear forgotten in the warmth of Kenji’s story.

---

Haruka watched from the side, a tear slipping down her cheek. She wanted this too.

She wanted a family of her own, but it seemed the world didn’t favor her. She was alone, an outcast with a grave mission on her shoulders.

But at least now, she had help. Her master—the one who had promised to support her, the one who had pulled her out of despair.

He was her savior, and her life was now in his hands.

*What is this feeling? This sudden shake in my heart? Haruka, calm down. He’s just a human helping you bring back your race. You do—*

"Haruka!"

Before her thoughts could spiral further, Kenji’s voice called out. She looked up to see him waving at her.

"C’mon, get over here. Don’t you want to listen to the story too?"

"Huh? Me?" she asked, confused by the situation. Kenji nodded, his expression warm and inviting.

A slight smile crept onto her face. *Ha, forget about it! Stop overthinking. They’re your new family now.*

She stood up and walked toward them.

Arriving, she sat down in the circle and began listening to Kenji’s next story, letting herself relax as his voice filled the chamber with warmth and light.

---

After the story ended, the group decided to head back to town. Kenji needed to submit the dungeon core as soon as possible.

"Alright, let’s go!" Haruka said, transforming into her bestial form and signaling for them to climb on.

Kenji lifted the children, placing them on Haruka’s back. Just as he was about to get on himself, a familiar voice rang in his ears.

"Kenji!"

He turned to see a phoenix with furious red eyes glaring at him with a killer’s expression.

"Shreya!" Kenji exclaimed, his voice a mix of joy and nervousness.

"You stupid b*stard, son of a ***ch! How dare you forget about me? You didn’t even think to ask if Shreya was alright!" the phoenix screeched, speaking about herself in the third person.

"Hey, I’m sorry! I did call for you, but you didn’t respond, so I thought it was an effect of the contract sacrifice. Hold up—the sacrifice did affect me and you, but how? I feel... different," Kenji said, recounting the subtle changes he’d noticed since the ritual.

"Yes, I’ll explain later. But for now, look at your tamed beast and your kids."

Kenji turned to them and immediately felt embarrassed.

They were all staring at him with strange, bewildered expressions, as if he’d gone completely mad.

"Alright, let’s go," Kenji said with a sheepish smile, hopping onto Haruka.

The others pretended not to have seen anything, assuming Kenji was talking to thin air.

"Kenji, I’ve got to ask—who are you always talking to?" Haruka asked. She wanted to ignore it, but her curiosity got the better of her.

Kenji hesitated, trying to come up with a lie, but before he could, Shreya suddenly flew up to Haruka and placed one of her wings on her forehead.

A second later, her wing began to glow with a bright light.

Immediately, Haruka’s exppression turned into suprise, as she saw a fiery bird manifestating in front of her.

" Is that a phoenix?!"

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