Howl Your Appellations

An Airy

Lissana Mons

I woke up alone and with a few notes attached to my back. There’s probably about five what the heck are they doing wasting so much paper. Acting like they can do anything just because I’m not around. Hmph! Well anyway, I guess I’m still not allowed to enter The Train after all. I guess that can’t be helped. No complaints from me about that! Let’s see, this one’s from SB. Says he’s taking back his blanket...I didn’t know it was his. Never change October’s Phantom. Uhmm, this one’s from...Mei~! Oh so he took the trunk! Ah! My bluebell! Sigh~ never mind then… that should be all then. Hyup!! Ah! Three more fell from my hair! Man this thing’s getting so thick. I’ve been cutting it regularly too. Why’s it growing so much?

Let’s see, this one’s from Reese. Hm? “Spotted a few fae gatherings here and there.” Oh s**t really? They’re only supposed to hibernate until Prince says it’s okay. I didn’t actually think the faes would wake up from something like this...did nobody really find Boen’s cabin before me? I’ve never heard of dead faes cloaking a whole cabin before. Unless...there’s more dead faes there than I thought. Then why doesn’t Boen stink of spiteful dead elements? Dear Luna what the f**k is going on?

Ah! This one’s from Imus! What does it say?? “Ágain. Don’t come any closer to The Train. I already heard from Reese and I’m gonna tell everyone what you did so no one does anything stupid. I don’t think it’s smart to talk to Prince right now, I’d advise you not to wander around in human form for a while. I’ll do some digging so don’t do anything at all. I won’t let you off unscathed the next time. ”... Don’t wander in human form, he says. How am I supposed to clear things up with Boen then? I can’t just leave her confused and anxious on her own. Let...me...think…

S-shaen! Might know how to help me! I don’t have the brains for these types of things! If I’m lucky and manage to meet up with Boen, I  just have to tell her...tell her...what do I tell her? Seriously what do I do? I don’t have anyone I can trust these days other than my pack and they can’t do anything for me! Everyone else is either slimy or dead. Shaen’s an exemption because she’s slimy to everyone. I guess I really have no choice but to ask for her advice again. I don’t usually like asking exes for favors but this is an exemption.

Huh? Oh the last note, “Don’t forget to hunt! -Nikki” Well shoot. So that’s why they didn’t give me my breakfast. I guess I could take my time. It’s still pretty early anyway. I’ve been suppressing my instincts for so long things might end up getting gory. Oh well, the forest is no man’s land anyway, it thrives on the gore and thrills. Every predator’s motto is bon appetit!

                                                                                           ⁂

  The forest has probably seen c*****e worse than this right? Still, I can’t believe I managed to mangle a couple of these guys. Man, do I feel stuffed. I’ll probably drop the rest of the meat near The Train. Then leave some here for the poor non-Weres who can’t seem to catch a break. I’m such a thoughtful person, aren’t I? Still, these boars really put up a fight. I wonder if Kaya and Koto can fight like that. I don’t really know much about the Hog Weres, and those two girls are still pretty sketchy as hell but I guess they’re kind of part of the pack now? I don’t know their circumstances but I hope they stay for a while longer.

  I need to wash off the blood from my fur. I can’t let Boen see me like this. I need to find a river...the Spring Baths doesn’t wash away the blood so not this way. I forget that place is kind of sacred, I use it to wash my hands or take a little bath in it all the time. It’s hard to think of it as one of Abalone’s primordials now. Anyway, the Spring Baths no good...so I have to find another body of water elsewhere. 

The trees here are weird. Where? I’ve wandered off from our territory. It’s...let’s see. Oh f**k, did I just get caught in an “Airy”? Were there any faes close to me? It’s okay Lissana, you have the upper hand, and you have Luna. You’ll get through this. This isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. Just breathe, just breathe.

“Hey, Were. Look over there.”

Don’t look at anything. Focus on the ground. These guys just woke up, they’re not conscious yet.

“Were, we’re at your old place. Don’t you want to see? They’re all still here.”

    I need to wash off the blood. Just walk slowly. Don’t look or think of anything but the exit. I’m supposed to wash all this blood off.

    “She painted another portrait. Look, Lissana.”

    Wha-- “Oh.” It’s beautiful. “ ‘A portrait of the dawn-furred wolf’. I’ve never seen a wolf with red fur before... ” How come I never saw her paint this. It’s not something she’d normally paint. The canvas is too big…

    “You can ask her that yourself. That’s where you’re headed after all.”

    “Ah. You’re right.”

    I was supposed to go home and ask mom why she painted that... just go home…home...but why am I so sticky? I need to go find a river first and wash up...river...river…

…

“WAaahooof!!!”

Ah! I’m out of the Airy? Pfft!!! Ha! Take that! I knew I wouldn’t get caught in one! Thank Luna they led me to a river! I wouldn’t have been able to have the energy to look for one. They literally almost drained me! Man, why does this keep happening. I just want things to be easier for me and my pals. Well at least I got out. I’ll have to wash all this blood first then look for Shaen.

Phew! I’ve gotten pretty big now haven’t I? All this fur and my snout. The last time I got stuck in an Airy was when I was a toddler I think. These types of things used to happen a lot back then but they weren’t really too dangerous. Now, they’re a little more corrupt. I would’ve turned into that wolf painting for sure if I didn’t manage to think about the river. Which reminds me of something Prince told me a long time ago, that I’m too “lucid” to get permanently trapped inside an Airy. I didn’t think that would still be the case. People don’t change easily I guess.

Now that I have a stomach full of meat, and a refreshed body, I can finally look for the way back to the Spring Baths without running into another Airy. Though I don’t think there’d be much yet. I just have the worst luck. The other Weres should have noticed by now too, right? I hope no one gets turned into objects before this issue is resolved. The faes are scary like that.

“Ah! Hey! You over there!”

“Who me?”

“Yes! We just heard from the Divine that a massive surge of faes might start to get hostile. Be careful not to get trapped in an Airy!”

“From Shaen? Well, thanks for the info~!”

“No problem! You’re a wolf but us Weres gotta stick out for one another, right?”

“Yeah!”

I haven’t talked to a deer Were in a long while. Seems like Shaen already knows about the faes. But does she know about me? I don’t know the limits of what she can see and if she can’t help, I know Imus will probably have a solution by then! All I have to do is lay low and only turn back into a human if and when I see Boen.

The forest is annoyingly apprehensive. I don’t see anyone important hanging around. I guess they’re all planning on how to get through this. The newer ones probably aren’t even aware that faes exist. They’re just really good at hiding. If you’ve spent time with them long enough, you’ll learn to separate them from the twigs, the leaves and branches. I haven’t seen much of them in 20 years but they’re still here. They’re waiting for the day to fully wake up.