Howl Your Appellations

Confrontation

Lissana Mons

“I DON’T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS!!!!!---huh?” I feel like I should have died flat right now, “The pit keeps going...and I’m back to my human form? What’s going on with these tunnels.”

The air seems a tad warmer than it should. And it feels like it’s raining but upwards, with colorful glow worms? Or zooming among the stars.This just doesn’t make sense...well at least I’m not falling to my death. I don’t really want to assume that I still have a long way to go, this is just like that story about the girl who fell and got teleported to another dimension, she ended up surviving but had to live with ghosts in the end. If that would be my case then I’d be pissed beyond comprehension. Ah, I think I see a light, oh s**t!

OOoofoof!!!!!!!!! SpLooooOshh!!!

    “Huh? Water? Where am I?” The water under my feet is glowing but I’m not sinking. The water feels like jelly. It’s hard to see how far I fell but it felt like it was about a full three minutes. What is this place?

    “Ah! Gaaah!!!!!! What are you doing?!” There’s a girl where my reflection’s supposed to be! “What’s happening?!”

    S-she’s just giggling. “Hey, what's the deal?” I don’t think she can talk. Hmm, what do I do? This a completely unexpected turn of events for me. I'm not sure what to do exactly. I can try climbing up but the walls are too steep. Usually, Imus or somebody else is with me so I could stay grounded but now I don’t have anybody...I..I…

    “Hey, now! It's okay!”

    ….

    “You’re not supposed to just wander around these ruins. Well that’s why I’m here. A lotta yous drop by and always end up getting lost. You should really come with someone who’s been here. I know there’s still a lotta ‘em. Anyway, you can dry your tears. I’ll let Colleh lead the way. Just don’t let go of her hand. Water nymphs aren’t exactly gentle.”

    “I’m not crying! Ah, wait!”

    “I don’t have the time. You’re not the only one who fell. Yous seem to have so much trouble happening out there, ye? I’m only here to make you leave if you clearly don’t belong yet. Well, tell your friend I said hello.Off you go, Colleh!”

    “Hphmm!!” the girl is dragging me down! Ah whatever! Things are going too fast! I’ll just have to follow the motions. Take me wherever! 

                                                                                        ⁂

She threw me up the Spring Baths. I didn’t get to see how, everything was just a blur of water, bubbles and the sound of rushing water! She even threw me so hard I flew out from under the spring waters and fell back again. She’s the first water nymph I’ve met, so I didn’t know what to expect but what the heck! And she disappeared just like that!

Well at least I’m somewhere familiar again. Going to the caves was a mistake, that place really is cursed, and they even have a creepy old guy watching the place. I don’t know who the hell he meant by my “friend” so I guess that hello will be lost. Now that I’m here I can run directly towards where Boen is!

Ah, I almost forgot. The cursed caves undid my form. That was such a perverted thing to do! Maybe Luna really does have a bit of herself there. Well don’t expect me going back there again.

There’s a lot more Airies along the cliff where Boen’s cabin is. Some of the trees and bushes are damaged or twisted. Don’t tell me Prince is close!! s**t I gotta hurry. I don’t know how he’ll react when he sees Boen but he’ll definitely try to kill me, he’ll probably end up killing her if he finds out she’s been living in a cabin of fae suffering. But odds are he won’t be able to reach the cabin since it’s already its own place separate from the faes. It’s all basically just an invisible force field of malice now, if Prince intends to take them all in again, I don’t know what will happen.

There’re no signs of Airies or Prince beyond the fork tree but I can feel that the trees are much more alive. As long as I pretend to be a regular wolf, they won’t try and crush me. Slow calculated steps, hostile, and majestic, the perfect wolf.

As I walk closer to where the tunnel’s supposed to be, I can feel the stench almost latch on to me. It is uncomfortable and disgusting.Is it just me or did the smell get way worse? What did Boen do? The stench is too thick, it’s like it formed a dust cloud. I can barely see where I’m going! Just a little further in, and I’ll be across. f**k it smells like everything rotten in the world!

This tunnel is even longer than I remember. I don’t think I can stand staying here for another minute more but if I leave, Prince will obliterate me and crush all my soul along with my appellations and the things I care about. I have no choice but to suck it up even though I think it’s singing my fur and seeping through. I don’t think I’ll get the smell off me if it reaches my skin. 

Just a few more steps and I’ll be out, but if it turns out to be worse than the tunnel then that will be the end.

“Huh?”

There’s nothing. Everything on the cliff is perfectly fine...why’s the cave tunnel the only part with such thick miasma? Ah no, there’s still a thinner layer surrounding the cabin. I’ve lost my sense of smell but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Us Weres sometimes use up too much “vim” that our forms go on autopilot when s**t’s too much to handle, though at a high price.I ready myself to be a human again. I don’t think we’ll be able to resolve this so...it’s best if I just tell Boen to leave. I’ll threaten her if I have to. 

“Boen! Can you hear me!? You have to get out! Things got way out of hand! Boen!”

I...don’t think she’s AH!

“Boen!”

“L-Lissana!? What are you doing here?! What’s wrong? Are you, okay? Wait there! I’m coming down!!”

She’s actually coming down! You don’t need to worry about me, you can worry about anyone but me. 

“Sana!!” She screams my name, “Dude! I thought I wouldn’t be able to see you in a while! Sana?”

Her...her hands are so hot. It burns.