Howl Your Appellations

Facing Monsters

Lissana Mons

She can’t be serious. Not only is this not my ring, it’s the ring of the person I like, I can’t just break it just like that. I don’t have the authority, I don’t have the exemption to make the decision.

“Hm? What’s wrong? Is something stopping you from doing it?”

Somehow, I feel like the one talking isn’t actually Pat, there’s a faint, sinister, secondary voice to hers, but that might just be the caves messing with the sound of our voices, and my sudden uneasiness. The ring…is not mine, but it has Luna’s essence, so it might also sabotage me, when it sees fit.

“This ring belongs to someone special to me. I have to give it back to her, it’s my only reason to go back. As selfish as that sounds.”

“Hmm, someone special, I see. That, indeed, sounds like a valid reason to keep it, but frankly speaking, I think that ring is the reason you’re lost in these caves. As long as you're clinging to your desires, you’ll keep wandering endlessly. What good is that ring if you don’t even manage to go back to the person special to you? Is the ring more important than your freedom?”

Something's wrong, why does she insist so much on destroying Boen’s ring? Could it be that destroying the ring would benefit her? But how and why? I can’t think of any form of gain for her if I broke the ring…unless if it’s Luna talking and not her. Maybe she specifically wants this part of her back…or… she wants me to choose between her and Boen. Is that a good assumption? I’m never gonna give or break to ring for anyone anyway except if it were Boen, so this must mean that the ring…must…ah I’m losing my train of thought. When I think of Boen too much, I get distracted. But if the ring really is the reason why I’m lost then so be it! I’ll find a way to leave and bring Boen her ring back! Mark my words!

“Maybe…you’re speaking from a place of concern but don’t worry about me! I’m Lissana Mons, daughter of the earth and seas, sister of Nike! And I swear by Luna’s name that not only will I leave this goddamn pit! I’ll also bring my girl her ring back! Hear my howl from where you are, Patricar Far!”

Was…was that a good response? I sure hope so because I’m damn serious. When worse comes to worse I’ll look for Neel and Colleh again, or I’ll just shattered this whole place with my own two hands! What do you say about that Luna!

“Pfft. If that’s your choice then I do bid you the best of luck. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, I know the moon better than anyone else.”

“Yeah that might be true. But you don’t know me. So sit back and watch me dominate!”

“Hahaha! I hope we meet again Lissana Mons. I think I’ve formed feelings for you!”

“W-what’s that supposed to mean?!…I like somebody else, I have somebody else sorry. ”

“Feelings of familiarity, like an aunt and her niece~!”

Oh, the way she words things is sometimes confusing, maybe this is what happens when you live on the moon for as long as she has.

“I used to have a loving relationship with someone like that. Welp, I guess this is where we part ways, Pat. The fire I made is almost out. I doubt you’ll still be back here when I come back. We’re talking about Luna after all. Good-bye, Pat.”

“If you say so, Good-bye, Lissana.”

Heh, we’ll I guess I should go now, or I’ll really be in the dark. It was nice to finally talk to someone and they were nice, for the most part. Ah, I wonder if the old man street vendor’s shop still there, I could go for his delicious famous mushroom soup, or even just a piece of paste bread or pasta pie….urkk..

“Aahhhh I was sure I wasn’t gonna cry, sob, but these stupid tears just won’t stop…just when I finally found someone who understands how I think, I’d have to part from them almost as soon as I met them…sob, sob.. ” I can do this, my tears are cold on my cheeks but my chest it warm. I can get through this just as I have with the people I lost.  I…

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“Hum, hum, hum,” sounds like my mom’s humming a lullaby, or is it Skia’s voice, I don’t remember. I love you all, but I don’t remember as much as I used to, if I die in this cave, will my pack only really remember for decades and start to forget my traits in a few years? Is it a sin if we forget? How do I move on, and even Nike has joined your ranks, although his image’s still burned intensely into my brain, one day his light will dim. Imus, does Imus feel the same or are we different in that way. He loved Nike more than me, but he can’t stop the constant flow of time. I’m not telling him to move on because I don’t even know how to do that, maybe it’s best that he dies loving one and only one with all of his heart.

“La~!~La~!La~!” oh so you’re singing now? I still don’t know who you’re supposed to be, but I know this song, 

“You hold our hands to form a ring, a halo; a light,

the reflection remains abetting

~ the la~la~labyrinth of beginnings.

~ the la~la~laughs of our endings.

Our halo crowns are finite~! La~la”

Wasn’t this a song about all the Weres coming together to sacrifice themselves for the forest? This song was pretty morbid then and it still is now. Why would the whole Were-kind sacrifice itself for the forest? What are these hallucinations trying to tell me, I’m really cold but not physically, I’m cold from the inside and it’s slowly expanding, I’m just all talk, aren’t I? A few moments ago I thought my chest was burning but maybe that was a lie. How am I supposed to find my way out now? If I just fall asleep for a little bit, maybe I’ll regain my strength…

“Hey! This will be the last time I’ll be saving you, you’re on your own when you reach the end of this river. Make sure you eat everything you can when you meet them.”

Huh…this voice is…the old man’s…

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After the old man carried me around with no problems whatsoever, he placed me on top of a river, I flowed down, and down, and down. I didn’t know where I needed to stop, I didn’t have the strength to move anything, but I clutched to Boen’s ring so hard, nothing could penetrate my grasp. There might be more people like Pat, trying to get me to destroy the ring for some unknown arcane reason. After I recover from this, I’ll harden my resolve. Pat was right, I need to stop having needless expectations, I have one goal and one goal only and that is to protect the ring and go back home, anything else like Luna’s game and the twisting cave tunnels, doesn’t matter in the slightest!

“SCREEECHHHHH!!!!”

What’s going on?! I still can’t move, did that old man bind me so that I don’t involve myself in things that I doesn’t concern me? Well, that’s fine by me, I’ll ride with the current this time instead of pushing through, I won’t be following the ring, my instincts, and expectations. This river is the flow of the unknown and maybe that’s what I need right now.

I feel that I’ve been drifting down this river for a couple of days now but I don’t feel hungry or thirsty, just tired. I’ve passed a couple of caves that sound like people are within them, and the binds seem to lessen its grip when it happens but never truly disperses, it wasn’t the right time so I kept flowing, as if gliding down the stream of time. Sometimes I pass a school of piranhas, jellyfishes and Koi as large as a giant, and yet they ignored me and let me pass. This makes me think that this river might be time itself. The people in some of the caves that I’ve passed talked in unknown languages, and even the animals sound different. There was a time when a dweller spotted me and we locked gazes but they didn’t do anything in the end, as if I wasn’t what they were looking at at all but something through me. It’s the same with the fishes in the river, I am nothing but time, tired time. Will the end of the river be the end of time? Or just the end of mine?I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, sooner or later something will have to react to me, someone in the right time.

About probably three turns ago, I’ve stopped using days and weeks to count the time that’s passed, It always been unclear form the beginning anyway. On the last turn, I thought I saw Neel and Colleh but Neel seemed different, he looked like he still doesn’t feel comfortable with his tail, he was all shy and cute. Colleh was trying to calm him down or something. I held my voice in, even though I wanted to talk to them so badly. They couldn’t have helped anyway they seem like they’re still starting out as a team and I wouldn’t want to get in the way of that. Sigh, how much longer I wonder.

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“Somebody, help!”

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“Help! Miss, are you asleep? Please help us!”

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“Huh!? You can see me! You can touch me!?! Where am I?!” Finally, I’m finally in the right “time”. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get off soon so I closed my eyes for a little bit, just how long was it closed for, exactly? This kid says he needs my help?

“Please, help us! My brother needs your help! There are cave beasts, one Bear and two Boars attacking him. We were careless and didn't notice that we were near these parts of the caves. I ran as much as I can to find help! Please help my brother! He’s not strong enough to fight three beasts at once!”

“Heh, hahahaha!"  So this is what the old man meant, I sure hope I find more of those 'cave beasts' "I’m suddenly so hungry. I can take the two boars if you’d let me eat them. I haven’t eaten real meat in ages!”

“Yes! Please just help us! You can have all the prey to yourself too! Please, follow me this way!”

“Great! When you see your brother tell him to get out of my way. I won’t be responsible for any casualties. I’m going to go all out, I need something I can punch all of this rage to!”

"Okay!"

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When I came to, I managed to destroy and s*******r more than a dozen cave beasts. When they smelled the thick aroma of blood coming from our direction, the beasts came rushing in, allowing me to project all my anger, frustration, and bloodlust into each an every bite, s***h, and punch. It was exhillirating, every bone and skull I crushed; every meat and flesh that I devoured made me feel more and more alive, even being only able to channel my 35%. The two Weres were probably so disturbed of my rage and strength that they left me without even saying thank you. Now I'm back to being alone, but something tells me that I won't be alone for long.