The alley behind the war lodge stank of old sweat, oiled leather, and dried blood.
The perfect place to hunt.
Alex waited just outside the torchlight, crouched behind crates stacked with sandbags and old rope. His eyes stayed fixed on the open training yard through a narrow crack in the wood.
Two dozen sellswords trained there — grizzled veterans, reckless young brutes, a few former city guards. Some sparred with dull blades. Others lifted heavy stone weights or wrestled shirtless in the dirt.
Alex wasn't watching all of them.
He was watching one.
A massive man with arms like tree trunks, skin darkened from the sun, and movements too smooth for his size. The others called him Tharro — a former pit fighter from Slaver's Bay. He didn't speak much. But when he fought, men moved out of his way.
And when he shouted, the dogs stopped barking.That alone made Alex's breath still.
It wasn't a coincidence.He'd seen this man raise his arm once during a mock duel — and a stray mutt had yelped, dropped to its belly, and rolled over.
Not fear.Obedience.
Something more than training.
The Archive of Shadows whispered confirmation the first time Alex brushed past him days earlier.
Passive Analysis – Target Detected
Name: Tharro of VolantisCopyable Traits:
Pit Brawler (Level 0) – Close-quarters unarmed combat boosted by instinctive defense.
Canine Command (Level 0) – Dominance-based control over dog-class beasts. → Passive field effect. → Requires strong presence. → Boosts with usage and charisma traits.
It was the Canine Command he wanted.His first beast trait.
No one took power in Essos alone.But a man with loyal, trained dogs that feared no blade?That man became dangerous before he even held a sword.
The problem was getting close enough.
Tharro didn't like being touched. Alex had seen him break a man's finger once for grabbing his shoulder during a card game.
So a casual brush wouldn't work.
Tonight would require performance.
He waited for the sparring to end. The men began clearing out, some heading into the lodge, others off to the bathhouses. Tharro stayed behind — shirt off, breathing steady, wiping sweat with a rag.
Alex moved. Not fast. Not slow.He timed it as a drunk wanderer, staggering into the yard, clutching his side as if injured.
Tharro saw him before anyone else.
"Oi," the fighter barked, voice deep as gravel, "Piss off."
Alex stumbled forward. "Please... just need... help..."
He dropped to his knees ten feet away — within reach.
Tharro stepped forward, scowling. "You bleeding? This ain't a charity—"
Alex reached out — a desperate, clawing hand — and grabbed his wrist.
Contact.
Copy Initiated – Canine Command (Level 0)
Daily Copies Remaining: 0 / 3
The effect was subtle.
A low pulse in Alex's chest. Then... a pressure, like sound without noise, rippling outward. He felt it move from his body to the street — something invisible, something instinctive.
He let go and slumped.
Tharro shoved him back. "Idiot."But he didn't hit him. Didn't even look angry anymore.
Alex mumbled thanks, rolled over, and crawled toward the alley exit.Nobody followed. Nobody questioned.
It had worked.
Back in the candle-maker's loft, he finally let out the breath he'd been holding.
Then opened the system menu.
New Trait Registered – Canine Command
Level 0 – 0/10 UsesType: Beast Trait
Effect: Passive aura of dominance over dogs, wolves, and canid hybrids within 10 ft radius.
Note: Subject must possess higher charisma and authority than target creature.
Level Progression:
Level 1: Adds simple command control.
Level 2: Enables pack coordination.
Level 3+: Boosts communication range, instinctive defense patterns, and adds Fear Pulse.
It was better than he'd hoped.Not just obedience — coordination.
At higher levels, he could lead entire packs without speaking. Turn them into silent enforcers. Hunters. Guards. Executioners.
And if the system allowed this with dogs…
Could he one day command direwolves?Wargs?Maybe even creatures not of this world?
The thought made him sit up straighter.
He wasn't just building a fighter. He was building a commander.
And now, he had a unit to lead — one that would never betray him.
The next morning, he tested it.
He walked to the butchers' district where stray dogs roamed in packs, scavenging for offcuts and spoiled meat. He stood at the center of a muddy square and waited.
Three dogs approached. Mangy. Thin. One limped.
They sniffed the air — then stopped.Their ears flattened.Their bodies lowered slightly.
Alex didn't speak. He took one step forward. They didn't run.
He raised a hand — open, calm. The biggest of the three growled. Alex stared. Focused.
It stopped growling. Then... sat.
The others followed.
Use Registered – Canine Command (1/10)
It was working.
He tossed them a few strips of salted pork he'd stolen that morning. The dogs didn't lunge or fight. They waited. One by one, they ate from his hand.
Control through calm.
Respect through force of will.
Alex turned and walked down the street.
The dogs followed.
That day, Alex had three shadows.
And word spread fast. The street kids noticed first. Then the thieves. Then the small-time enforcers who always kicked at animals when angry.
None of them bothered him. Not with the dogs following like trained wolves. Not when one of them snarled if anyone got too close.
Later that week, Tregar summoned him.
"You've been noticed," the fixer said. He wasn't smiling.
"By who?"
"Magister Silco's eyes. They saw you near the salt houses. You have dogs?"
"I do."
"Not common. Not in Pentos."
Alex stayed quiet.
Tregar leaned forward. "You want to climb fast. That's good. But make sure your dogs don't bite the wrong throat. Some throats bleed louder than others."
It was a warning. And an invitation.
"I understand," Alex said.
Tregar tossed him a satchel. Heavy.
"Silco needs someone watched. Quietly. You keep showing sense, he might hire you directly."
Alex left with the satchel, heart steady.
He was climbing. Not by brute force. Not by shouting louder than the rest.
But by making the right people notice him.
And by building a system — both inside himself…and around him.
Current Trait Roster:
✔ Keen Smell – (1/10)
✔ Brutal Strength – (3/10)
✔ Swordplay Fundamentals – (1/10)
✔ Echo Memory – (2/10)
✔ Balanced Footing – (3/10)
✔ Quick Bind – (2/10)
✔ Pain Resistance – (1/10)
✔ Intimidating Presence – (1/10)
✔ Canine Command – (1/10)
✔ Tavern Tongue – (1/10)
✔ Observant Eye – (0/10)
✔ Steady Nerves – (0/10)
He wasn't strong yet.But he was getting faster.More aware.More protected.
And every day, the system whispered: Copy more. Use more. Grow faster.
He planned to listen.