Holy War Beast Ancilleus

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by DakkaWoof

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As I sat in the chapel with the holy father, he assured me that my son was perfectly safe with the beastfolk that was keeping an eye on him outside. Now, as you know, from where I come, beastfolk are dime and dozen, running in the nude across our streets, making tribes in the wilderness and procreating like pests. They are known to steal, lash out and cause all kind of trouble. So, I had to beg for forgiveness to my kind host that I had my reservations about his statement.

He just smiled. Perhaps my bewilderment on how far ahead the illuminated empire was compared to my humble home amused him, and for that I could hardly blame him. It was my first time crossing the sea to the civilized lands for my pilgrimage. Before I thought that it was a name, they gave themselves just as a show of dominance but I could had not have been more wrong.

Paved streets even in the smallest of provincial villages that I passed on the way. Well organized travel boats and caravans. Law and order enforced by non-corrupt guards and to my biggest amazement the smell. Yes, the smell, or the lack of stench is what amazed me the most. No horde of unruly beastfolk swamping the streets clogging our noses with their odor.

Here, they treat them like the animals they are, and as such, they also referred to them as animals of the talking kind. On my way here I saw some of them. A black dog helping the guards on the border. On a leash and sniffing around for contraband I assume. Later I saw what I presume must have been bulls helping the farmers plow their fields. And only once I exited the wagon, did I realize that 2 of the horses pulling it were actually beastfolk.

They owned them and used them for labor or as pets in some cases, guards, sentries, anything one could put an animal to use really. And while I dislike the barbaric nudity these animals practice back home, here somehow it blended with the other animals, and I hardly noticed it. Only later did I pick on the fact that they do indeed dress up some of them based on the occasion.

Such was the case with the horrific white dog that was outside in the church garden, keeping an eye on my son. To be honest, he was dressed very similarly to how I see some of the so-called noble beastfolk dress back home. All I can assume is that they tried to copy the fashion of these beasts, rather unsuccessfully at that I must say.

Sensing my creeping worry, my host assured me once again that my son was safer with Ancilleous than even human guards. My inquiry as to why he was so sure led him to explain the holy war beasts of the church.

Here only special handlers and breeders are permitted to breed these animals for the purpose of selling them. As such, all of them keep good track on their lineages and traits, breeding the most suitable animals for the jobs required. In the case of this beast, his lineage is that of war beasts and as such he was also one among the batch of pups that were to be trained for that purpose.

From that batch, those with potential and correct attitude are selected to be trained further while the others are sold to peasants and farmers as guard dogs most of the time. At the end of their training, they are given to the military regiment to be assigned as part of their war beasts and those animals that show potential are again selected to be gifted to the church as tribute.

Those best behaving and best performing animals are then further trained by the church animal handlers to be holy war beasts and used for whatever purpose the church has for them. Thet give them names that are also more appropriately sounding and pleasing to the ear as quite often the animals would be given names by the common soldiers who tend to pick less “elevated” names so to say.

The host explained all this and assured me. Were someone or something to threaten my son, he would die to protect him. Not only that, were my son to pick up a stick and start beating him with it, he would endure it until he keeled over and died. He would not dare to even think about showing his fangs for a single moment. That is what it meant to be a holy war beast of the church.

I had to look outside again. It was not that I did not trust the holy father, but it was just hard to believe I had to see it for my own eyes. There my son was playing with that dog, grabbing his muzzle while the dog seemed to go along with it, yet I could see those eyes that would scan above from time to time just like those of a shepherd dog. Ah if only all the animals back home were like the ones here!

Something got me curious though and I asked about the dress that this dog was put in. It was quite lavish compared to other animals who were mostly nude as is. Yet he even had some armor pieces that would put our soldiers to shame. I had to ask if they care that much for these animals since they clad them in such armor but the father laughed. He explained that they dress them appropriately to be in line with certain level of modesty and culture that is expected on these holy grounds. It was a matter of practicality and protecting their investment rather than caring about the life of this animal. It made me feel silly I even implied such a thing.

Our talk continued to other topics and ended some time later, but as I write this you might notice that I was highly impressed by what I’ve seen here, and I am glad that I chose to bring my son on this pilgrimage. Perhaps it will ignite a passion In him to come back here now that he saw what is possible.

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