oppositum [a (maybe) Nikolai Lantsov story] (currently being reviewed)

X

a few seconds after

Lýkos gently approached Nix and made her stand up, he glanced at the only adult present and directed Nix to a place out of sight.

"Are you with me?"
"Lýkos... what have I done... I'm going to get killed by the instructor and Jarl Brum..."
"Don't worry, I will testify on your behalf!"
"Thank you..."

There was an awkward silence, just cut off by Nix's sniffles.

"You... introduce me to this little guy?"
"Who?"

Nix lowered her gaze to the cub in her arms, who was watching her with shining eyes.

"Oh uh... he's the one who helped me come to... a glimmer in the darkness... light.... Lux! If I could choose him and have him I would name him Lux... is that okay?"

The isenulf yelped happily and gave Nix an affectionate nudge with his muzzle to express his agreement. Lýkos smiled at his friend and stroked her hair affectionately.

"I'm glad you found yourself an isenulf Nix."

Nix and Lýkos stared into each other's eyes until Nix felt her cheeks heat up, a sign that she was blushing.

"Good thing! Because if we each get an isenulf, we'll be given a bigger room!"

Lýkos burst out laughing then extended his hand toward Nix.

"Yep! You got it! Come on, let's go see the others!"

Nix hesitated to take her friend's hand.

"Don't worry, no one will blame you for avenging the honor of a friend. If you hadn't jumped on him, I would have. For you and me, for us."

Nix smiled and placed her hand in Lýkos'. They joined the group that was more concerned with the cubs than with them. The young woman in charge of the isenulfs approached them when she saw Lux in Nix's arms, she tried to pick him up but Nix would not let go.

"Madam... this isenulf cannot help a drüskelle! He is... missing a leg."
"I don't care. If he's old enough, I'll take him with me."
"But he will be a burden on your missions... besides you are the princess... He won't help you with anything."
"Lux chose me and I chose him. There's nothing more to say. I couldn't choose another isenulf."

Nix left, vexed and determined to keep Lux. She joined Lýkos who was petting the large isenulf that had followed him when they arrived.

"So? Can you pick Lux?"
"Yep! This little guy is coming home with us! How about you? Did you find your ankle biter?"
"Yes, and she's an ankle biter. This is Persephone."

Nix dropped Lux to the ground and trotted toward Persephone. Nix sat down in the snow next to Lykos and rested her head on his shoulder.
Lux and Persephone played together while Nix and Lýkos looked on, and then they lay down against each other and licked their noses affectionately, acting like a young couple.
The four of them stayed like that until the departure was announced. The way home was joyful as all the young people with one isenulf pointed to the other and praised its strengths. No one dared to point out to Nix that her isenulf had a handicap. No one really dared to approach her, except Lýkos, because her clothes were still stained with blood, a reminder of her fight with Leo.

When they arrived at the base, Nix went straight to the shower, taking Lux with her to wash him. Thirty minutes later, they were all nice and clean to go to dinner and sleep like crazy after a hard day.
In addition to their meals, which were placed on their tables, bowls with pieces of raw meat were placed beside their chairs. When Nix arrived with Lux in her arms, she sat down on the floor to eat at the same height as him. When Lýkos joined her and saw her sitting on the floor eating with her plate on her lap, he laughed softly and sat down next to her. Persephone leaned against Lux and began to eat.

"The ground is not too cold?"
"No it's fine... You know, Lýkos, I think it's really cool that Persephone doesn't reject Lux. It seems like they even get along better than well!"

Nix laughed and stroked the top of Lux's head, but she was scolded by Persephone, jealous of anyone touching her male. Lýkos gave her the stink eye and put his hand on Nix's and then turned to Persephone.

"Perse', don't scold on Nix. Because to me, she's kind of like Lux to you."

Nix had turned scarlet and scratched her throat, looking for another topic when Jarl Brum walked into the canteen.

"Good evening my dear apprentices. I hope you all had a fantastic trip, despite the incident in the meadow when you arrived."

All eyes turned to Nix, but no one said a word. Nix looked down at the ground and was ashamed of the violence she had shown at that moment. Lýkos shook her hand so she could look him in the eye and smiled tenderly to reassure her.

"I am truly sorry that you all could not bring an isenulfs here. But don't worry, you are not left out in this adventure that is the drüskelles. You will be directed, however, to join another group, composed of other young people without isenulfs, so that you can concentrate on other arts of catching Grisha, while those with isenulfs will have extra classes to work with their companion."

Sighs of relief were heard in the audience and a slight hum of whispers began to rise.
Jarl raised a hand for silence.

'That sounds like me, when I made my announcement after my cure...'

"Everyone will be moved to another wing of the district tomorrow, as a new generation of drüskelles will arrive next week. Here, as we are talking about it, you know that the spring equinox will arrive in three months, I strongly advise you to train well. I think that will be all for tonight. Good night my dears!"

On his words, he left the room, leaving everyone to finish eating and then go to sleep.
When they got to their room, Nix and Lýkos realized that they really needed a bigger room because their movements were limited by the presence of Lux and Perse'. Nix took her isenulf in her arms and fell asleep quickly, matching her breathing to Lux's.