((A/N: It's currently two thirty one as I'm typing this so if there's mistakes than just deal with it I've been awake sinceeee eight am.

BUT WHOOP THIRTY CHAPTERS HYPE!))

Sky met them when he was trapped in a forest, wounded from an ambush from the squids.

They had grown a pretty good army. There was about a hundred of them, and they have some slightly steady funding that was keeping them on their feet and fed. They had bought a small piece of land with some money they had held back, and with the stray gold coin that Sky had been able to dig out of his tomb one night. Husky still didn't know about that coin... Sky didn't plan on ever telling him.

Though, strangely, he was beginning to think Husky had forgotten all about the money.

But they used the clearing as a place to sleep, using makeshift shelters when the rain began to fall. But fall was becoming colder and Sky knew winter was coming. They couldn't camp out in a small clearing with little protection against the unforgiving cold without some sort of shelter. That's why he had True designing a small shelter that would house some training rooms, dorms, a kitchen, a meeting room, and, hopefully a bathroom. Sky was getting really sick of listening to the recruits complain about having to do their business in the woods. He also couldn't tell you how many times he had been trampled when his sleeping figured wasn't seen by a half awake recruit stumbling around to find a place to relieve himself.

He prayed to God that they would have enough funding for a bathroom.

God, his mind tended to wander... Especially when he was beginning to bleed out on a forest floor, surrounded by an entire pack of snarling wolves that looked half starved. He couldn't fight them. His sword had been lost in the fight he had been in with the squids and left in the mud when they chased after him when he tried to retreat. Those Azures... He gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut as he readied himself for the death that was bound to come.

But, of course, God wouldn't end his suffering that easily.

He heard snarling and yelps, and when he opened his eyes as much as he could, he could see a large, wolf like shape in front of him, crouched down and snarling. It's back was to Sky, and it was inching closer and closer to the pack that was surrounding him, that was beginning to back away. Every time one of the other wolves in the pack made a threatening move, or simply breathed, the wolf was snapping at them, their sharp teeth nearly inches from biting their nose off. Finally, the Alpha jumped at the intruding wolf, snarling, but it was smacked to the side by a paw. It hit the ground, tumbling slightly, whimpering quietly as it limped back up. It ran, it's tail in between it's legs, with it's starved pack following.

Sky watched as the wolf that had saved him turned on him, it's golden eyes and teeth gleaming. Sky was sure that the wolf had scared off the pack so it could have his flesh to itself. Why would it be doing it for anything else?

His wound numbed his body as the blood lost got to him, and his half opened eyes slipped closed as his blurry vision completely turned black. He was lost to the world as he could no longer feel anything.

He woke hours later, when the sun was up but it was setting so it would be night once more. He was laying in a cave, a fire in front of him, crackling quietly. Sky grunted at it's warmth, before he noticed a sharp pain in his chest at the noise. His hand moved down to his chest, then to his side. He felt it bandaged there, with some tattered, old gauze, but it was so layered that it was doing it's job. He took a shaky breath, feeling pain from even that simple action, before he felt a hand on his forehead. But, by then, he was dozing off once more, and he couldn't react. He fell fast asleep once more.

He slept for three hours. It was in the dead of night. He had woken because he could feel something being nudged against his mouth. When he parted it to protest, it pushed itself in. He coughed, nearly fighting to spit it out, he realized it was soup. His throat parched and his stomach aching, he eagerly took every spoonful he could get. But he could not open his eyes. He was weaker than the last time he woke up. He wondered if he was still dying, even though some stranger was trying their best to keep him alive.

"Than..." He managed to croak out after the soup was gone, before he fell unconscious again. This time around, he didn't wake up for nearly ten, eleven hours. He was hanging on the verge of life and death, though he was hardly scared. He had sat on this dangerous perch over and over again, and every single time he survived. Whether or not this would be different, he did not care. He didn't care for the life he was forced to live. He didn't like being forced to be the leader because no one else could do the job like he did. Though he couldn't imagine anyone else being the Commander of the army that protected the land he absolutely adored, the weight of the pressure and hate made him tired.

And depressed.

When he did wake, he felt something warm curled up beside him, and the fire crackling on the other side. He saw a fluffy tail laid across his stomach, and he had a feeling who, or what, the shape was beside him. He didn't turn his head for the longest time, before he finally gathered the strength and courage to do so. His eyes met gleaming gold ones, and he knew it was the wolf who had saved him.

This wolf had rich brown fur that glowed in the firelight. He was taller than most wolves, and more muscular than most. Sky wasn't sure how he knew. He just had that feeling. Though this wolf was strong and terrifying, he didn't feel as if he was a threat. Instead, he just felt peace, and of course, warmth. He stared into the golden eyes before his vision blurred and he realized he wasn't blinking, and when he closed his eyes to do so, he was asleep once more.

He slept for an hour or two. He woke to the sound of something scraping against the cave floor. When he was able to gather the strength to turn onto his side and push himself up onto his elbow, he saw the wolf was tugging a tree limb into the fire by biting into a smaller branch coming out of it. Sky watched some coals flare up, but the wolf only snorted distastefully before he turned. Sky, while the wolf's back was turned to him, could tell it was a he.

Their eyes met, and the wolf seemed to almost start a bit in surprise, before he relaxed and just stared at him. It's eyes are so bright... Sky briefly thought as he stared back. After a few moments of staring, he glanced at the fire and furrowed his eyebrows. "How did you..." Sky tried to ask how the wolf could have lit the fire in the first place, but his voice was a hoarse croak and his throat ached from the small effort. The wolf didn't respond, but when Sky gave up trying to speak once more, he walked over to him. His long, sturdy legs allowed him to take long, powerful strides, and he was there at Sky's side in a matter of a few seconds. He moved so behind Sky, and then curled up, pressing against Sky's back.

Sky glanced back at the wolf, but he wasn't looking back at him. His head was on his paws, and his eyes were closed. Seems as though a wolf is telling me when a conversation is done. He thought, and then wondered with a start about how he could consider their exchange a conversation. He had forced out three words, and the wolf himself said none. He found the humor inside himself to roll his eyes, before they slipped closed from exhaustion. He allowed his body to relax, and he settled on his side. He was relieved he hadn't had to roll onto his injured side. That would have been a hell of a pain to sleep with. Though, as he laid there thinking about it in his half asleep state, he realized there was no pain in his side anymore.

When he woke up, there was a snake curled up in front of him, it's head lifted up as it just stared at him with venom green eyes.

Of course Sky flipped out. Who the hell wouldn't?

He shouted and yanked back, falling over the wolf that was still curled up behind him, hitting his injured side. He hissed in pain as the wolf leapt to his feet, the snake pulling back as it met the wolf's burning gaze. The two animals stared at each other, both stiff, before the wolf suddenly snorted and relaxed, sitting on his hunches as he glanced back at Sky over his shoulder. If wolves could look annoyed, this one did. Sky stared at it with confusion and shock, gripping his side in pain before he looked at the snake with wide eyes. The snake stared back at him, before it slithered over to the wolf. The wolf didn't even flinch as the snake curled up it's leg before slipping up the front of his body, wrapping loosely around his throat.

Sky stared at them, before he realized what the snake was trying to tell him. He sighed loudly, letting his head fall back onto the ground as he glared up at the ceiling.

"A snake and a wolf saved my life." He muttered. "Some weird shit has happened to me, but this tops everything..."

The wolf snorted, and the snake almost hissed in amusement, as if they could understand him. Hell, Sky thought was he crawled back over to the fire, they probably can understand me. He thought briefly before the wolf curled up behind him once more, the snake settling itself in front of Sky. The Commander watched the flames before him for awhile, before his eyes slipped closed and he fell fast asleep.

When he woke, it was because there was an intense pain on his arm. His tattoo was glowing through his shirt, burning into his skin, leaving pain in it's wake. He was tossing and turning, his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth gritted in pain. He screamed and sobbed from the pain, unable to hold it all back. He could feel the wolf nudging him worriedly, growling lowly in confusion at his pain.

At some point, when he turned on his back, he could see a human shape looming over him. They had venom green eyes, much like the snake he had met the last time he woke up. He could only stare for half a second though, before the pain finally blinded him as the familiar red cord zipped into the cave and went through his chest. The wolf yelped in shock, the human recoiling back, as Sky fainted.

When Sky came to, the pain was no longer there, but his arm and chest ached. He laid there, unsure as to what woke him up, before he heard the growling.

He turned his head, and he saw the wolf standing on the other side of the fire, facing the entrance of the cave they laid in. A thick layer of snow was on the ground now, with some snowflakes still falling. He mentally cursed. Winter had come earlier than expected...

Or he had been asleep for much longer than he thought.

The wolf was crouched down, growling, his body trembling from his uneasiness. Sky saw the snake curled up beside him, it's head laid on its scaly body as it watched the entrance with it's piercing green eyes. Sky shuddered as he saw the eyes, before he tore his gaze away as he heard footsteps.

He looked towards the entrance of the cave, and froze.

Standing there was a short figure, wearing some brown jeans and a black coat lined with white fur. They had mittens on their hands, and the hood of their coat covered their face. There was a familiar air around the figure, and Sky couldn't put his finger on it for a few moments. His mind was too muddled from his sleep...

Then the figure stepped forward as they saw Sky, their hood falling away, revealing their face as they shouted his name.

"Sky!"

Sky's eyes widened.

... Teresa...