"You sure about this?" the smooth voice came from beneath a heavy hood, drawn low. As he spoke, two long canines became apparent. "There's been no other place like this that we've seen."

"Exactly," another voice, feminine and soothing, "They say all mages are welcomed. Even those like you, Nhane. Come, do not stop. We are almost there."

As the figure began again down the road, he responded, "I still think this road ends somewhere very dark." He looked forward to the bounding figure ahead of him, appearing to the figure of an animal, a she-wolf. She ignored his comment. Her answer to that remained the same, and obviously intent enough to have dragged her 'master' along. More and more the title felt like a pleasantry extended by the one really in charge. "Shala, do not get so far ahead. Eagerness has never gotten us anywhere pleasant." 

The she wolf stopped, looking back, though instead of bright lively eyes, inanimate eyes fixed on Nhane. Stone covered the golem from head to tail, inlayed with ivory in the face, chest and paws to resemble the natural pattern of her living counterparts. Three jewels set in the wolf, two small diamonds in place of irises, and sapphire upon her breast. Intricate carvings covered her form, resembling that of elvish sacramental burial markings, because they were. Shala existed as a statue of a fallen friend, before being animated in Nhane's rage and grief.

"Is something the matter, Nhane?" she asked, bringing the man to focus again on her.

"Aside from the obvious," he said coldly. "No, I'm fine. How much further?"

"Not much. Look, that is it on the horizon," she flicked her nose in the direction of a sharp structure appearing over the hill. With a deep exhale, Nhane quickened his pace.

---

"It's bigger than I'd pictured," Nhane's head up turned to the tip of the massive structure. The she-wolf padded off through the gates, "Hey, wait. We should-"

"Come, do not be afraid, master," with a grown the hooded figured went after her.

"SHALA," he barked, "Since when do we run blindly into daunting holds." This merited a simple chuckle from the she wolf, mocking the word 'daunting'. "Yeah, laugh. Wait until I send you on a swim," he said under his breath. 

"What was that, master?"

"Nothing."

A few students lingered around the area. "Oh my, what are those," the wolf bounded off.

"Shala, wait. Are you serious?" he ran after her. She seemed to be leading him to a few foreign, rather reptilian, creatures. A winged one stode before two serpentine. Shala padded to the side of the winged one.

"They are beautiful creatures. I've not seen anything like them," the wolf marveled.