As they plodded along the granulated glass path that led through the park and around the shrine, Talt assessed his new travel companion who was not much interested in questions and informative tidbits; instead, the dark furred person seemed absorbed in the harsh, yet somehow still melodic noises emanating from red stones that sat inside of his sharp, lupine ears. 

As for Siepf, he was content in the silence. As it was, the city was too noisy, and he missed his native pine groves, tall and still in the moonlit night. The juxtaposition of a dew-soaked early morning with the raucous revelry that he and his pack perpetrated around the lone dilapidated videographic screen in the den. Perhaps to his new and, he was sure, temporary travel companion, he came across as aloof and disinterested. 

The fact was, he was anxious and masking.

If there was anything useful he needed to know, he already gleaned it from the mission update absorbed through his helemb on his way to the shrine. This was to be a rescue operation, but a complex one. And the tools at their disposal were limited due to the unusual nature of the disaster, and the reality that it was still unfolding. He was preoccupied with Knō’s decision to send into the field inexperienced children, for all intents and purposes. When he glanced out the corner of his eye at — Talt, yes, that was his name, he remembered from the update — Siepf felt confident they would both likely require their own rescue, hopefully later rather than sooner.

[i]“This’ll be my first time in the live field,”[/i] Siepf muttered, hunched over, paws in his deep, wide coat pockets.

To Talt’s ears, the words came across as a gruff snarl, or a growl. Yet he withheld judgment, as he didn’t know where Siepf came from or what constituted a normal range of emotions and expressions. All they had done is exchange names — actually, not even that. Only he had. Yet Siepf’s was provided and inferred, along with where to meet, and immediate next steps.

[i]“This is my first time anywhere outside of Hōm,”[/i] Talt answered wistfully, his voice skipping like seafoam across the fangs on a warm, windy day.

Siepf then really did snarl.

It wasn’t directed at Talt; rather, at the organization they were employed by. This was just more proof that they were about to walk into chaos, and accomplish very little that could be considered positive.

_We’re doomed. Things are bad. They must be desperate for volunteers._

They both stood in front of the wend and waited. Their teammates were suppose to arrive. Then their helembs chimed, and they received another update — [i]due to resource coordination hurdles, you two are to continue on immediately and begin rescue operations. Meet up with Ukrutupi’s unit, coordinates to follow.[/i]

They exchanged a mutual, anxious glance. 

It was time.

[center]~ ※ ~[/center]

A young, male pair enter anachronistic in their differing modes of dress into the wend’s spectral forest mist. They paused and listened. Beneath them, they felt the shift of the ground. Around them, they heard and saw the wind howl with wild abandon, leaning trees, raking limbs and loose moss up from the forestation like so much chafe. Talt listened to his helemb, but it was silent. No, there was static. A type sort of interference was at play. Meanwhile, Siepf, at his side, sniffed the air, his ears perked up high and alert.

*“Skogatti blues, at their village still near the northwest shore, if you remember the map,”* Siepf barked, then dropped to all fours and began running through the jungle in that direction. 

Unable to keep up, Talt watched as Siepf disappeared.