Wyrm Hound

Gayo Town, a typical Ionian town.

In the local dialect, Gayo meant "cool breeze."

It lay north of the Placidium. Its population wasn't large, but still numbered around seven or eight thousand.

Because Gayo Town lay far inland in the north, Noxus's war had never reached it. The townsfolk were still living peaceful, self-sufficient lives, with plenty to eat and wear.

It was the height of spring, and warm sunlight bathed every street corner and alley in Gayo Town, as well as the smiling faces of its cheerful residents.

Just then, the clatter of hoofbeats broke into this lovely scene.

A carriage stopped at the entrance to a street in the town center, and three people climbed out.

They were Jia Ruo, Neeko, and Lyle.

Jia Ruo took a deep breath of fresh air. The warm sunlight didn't make him forget the purpose of his trip: he had to catch the wanted criminal named Fayton as soon as possible, before he committed any more terrible crimes.

Two days earlier, Jia Ruo had received the assignment from Master Percy. The Hall of Tranquility's logistics department had then sent a carriage to take them north, and they had arrived in Gayo Town that day. This mission didn't warrant bringing along a Koum Beast.

Jia Ruo quickened his pace and entered the Hall of Tranquility's local branch with Neeko and Lyle. It was a government office staffed by five constables—or, as they called them in Valoran, a police station.

"Hello, we were sent from headquarters."

Lyle showed the constable his badge and Master Percy's authorization.

After checking that they were in order, one of the constables shook Lyle's hand.

"You're finally here. We reported it to headquarters as soon as we found the body five days ago. Fayton can use Fire Magic. To be honest, the five of us weren't confident we could take him down."

The local constables were all skilled fighters, but none of them could use magic.

Jia Ruo stood nearby with his arms crossed, listening as Lyle spoke with the local constable.

He knew from the case files he'd read at the Hall of Tranquility that the information had been sent by carrier pigeon.

In Runeterra, there were no phones, and even with magic, communication was still inconvenient.

"Are there any other leads?"

Lyle put away his badge and papers, then asked.

"Yes. The body was found in an abandoned field. There were footprints and drag marks nearby. We had a trained hound sniff around."

The constable paused.

"That hound's an old pal of mine. Very reliable. We didn't want to spook the suspect, so we waited for you to arrive."

"You did well. Let's go find Fayton now."

"Of course. I don't want to see that bastard keep preying on our—"

The constable sounded indignant.

"Come on. I'll introduce you to my partner."

He led the three of them into the courtyard behind the station.

"Uh... that's your hound?"

Jia Ruo stared at the enormous figure in the courtyard, bewildered.

The dog was far too big. Standing there, its head was level with Jia Ruo's chest. Including its tail, it had to be over two meters long.

Jia Ruo also noticed its unusual features. Its eyes were vertical slits, like a reptile's, and its fur had a scaly pattern. But the strangest things were its hind-leg joints and tail, which were lined with membranous spikes like a dragon's wings.

"Grr..."

The hound spotted the strangers, bared its teeth, and rumbled a warning from its throat.

"Easy, old pal. They're friends."

The constable hurried over and put an arm around the hound's neck, soothing it.

Only after its owner patted its back did the hound retract its bared fangs.

"I've had it since it was born. We've been together for over ten years."

The constable smiled at the hound as if he were looking at his own child.

"Back then, it was only as big as my palm. You wouldn't believe how much it eats now. A month's food costs almost half my salary..."

Once the constable started talking about his hound, he seemed to have endless things to say.

Lyle leaned close to Jia Ruo's ear. "That's a Wyrm Hound, a hunting dog with a trace of dragon blood. Quite a few constables keep them."

"So dragons really exist?"

"Yeah. Master Percy once took part in driving off a dragon. The Dragon's Lair is home to lots of Elemental Dragons. They're ill-tempered, but most of the time, they stay in the valley where the lair is."

So the Dragon's Lair and Elemental Dragons were real. Jia Ruo wondered if killing an Elemental Dragon would grant an elemental buff, and whether killing four would earn him a dragon soul.

But... another question came to mind.

"How did they end up with descendants like Wyrm Hounds?"

He whispered to Lyle.

"I don't know. I've heard that ancient Life Mages created them by infusing canine creatures with the power of dragon blood. There's also a legend that a dog accidentally ate a dragon egg and became the first Wyrm Hound, with a strong dragon bloodline. Then they bred generation after generation until they became what they are today. Anyway, it's not what you're imagining."

"Oh, I see."

Jia Ruo scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, abandoning his bold idea.

Suddenly, Neeko stepped forward and stroked the Wyrm Hound's head, then scratched its belly.

"It says it likes Neeko!"

Neeko said with a smile.

The Wyrm Hound grinned like a person and licked Neeko's face.

Wow, could she even read a dog's Shuoma? No wonder Teamfight Tactics classified her as a Druid.

Jia Ruo stared in astonishment. The fierce Wyrm Hound had changed its attitude toward Neeko in the blink of an eye.

He wondered whether he should buy Neeko a Wyrm Hound of her own when they got back. He ought to make good use of her talent.

"Let's go."

The constable had now untied the leash from the Wyrm Hound's collar and patted its back.

Jia Ruo shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He could think about that later; the mission at hand came first.