Kui Mulang hadn’t exactly expected to find something like you in the cells of his prison. You weren’t much of a sight, pathetically dug under the heaps of straw to shelter from a pervasive chilly in the air. His guards had found you on the border of his kingdom, sopping wet from the rain and curled into a ball.

But even a drenched, straggling fool still counted as a trespasser, so his loyal soldiers had dragged you into the castle’s prison prison and bolted the circular door behind you. Cold, scared, and upset, you had dragged your way under the only comforting thing present in the cell- straw. The piled stacks of hay offered enough warmth to keep you from succumbing to hypothermia through the night.

And this now you could meet with the master of this opulent palace, who looked down upon your hiding spot with leering lavender eyes. Mulang takes a step forward, then two- and freezes dead in his tracks.

Ears. Two fluffy little ears, clogged with rainwater, sticking from the pile of hay.

You are not a human- if you are, then perhaps one born to the lineage of a Demon or Celestial.

Mulang grabs the circular stone slate with one hand, wheeling it back into the ceiling with haste before making the short work to your side.

More than just ears- a furry tail, too. Your eyes tell the same tale. You’re just… a pup. A pathetic, cowering pup.

…the kind that he and the Jade Maiden had once dreamt of having together, a fluffy litter to love and adore… and every litter starts with just one pup. Why not start building it now?

Mulang growls, a rumbling noise formed deep in his throat. A call to attention by an older wolf, not to be denied to ignored. The moment you perk, he asks coolly-

“Why are you here, pup?”