[center][h1]Sick[/h1][/center] [hr] Toffee screamed. She lurched up, only to be smothered by blackness. Everything was dark, so dark! “Toffee!” A voice called out to her and before she knew it, strong arms held her tight. A hiss escaped her throat and she failed, afraid it was some other nightmare come to get her. “Toffee stop! It’s me! It’s Tad!” her brother begged. “Tad?” Toffee blurted before calming. What was- her memories began to flood back to her. They were underneath the furs, that’s why it was black and suffocating. Did that mean she was awake? But… “Is Teefee awake?” she asked. She felt her brother let go of her and they both removed the furs that covered them. Tad was silent as the world came into view. Night had fallen but it was not as dark as before the coming of the light. More alarming was that there was now a giant looming violet orb and it did little to ease the anxiety blooming in her chest. “Mother! Teefee!” She said, whipping off the furs. A cloud of pollen rose into the air and she sneezed a few times but she found them. Mother was just waking up and Teefee stared at her with those big blue eyes of hers, a mischievous glint to them. “You were in my dream!” Toffee accused with a finger. “Nu uh.” Teefee chimed back, the grin on her face widening. “Don’t nu uh me! You were in my dream and you looked at me like you saw me and then I woke up. You’ve been in my dreams before but not like that.” Tears began to pool in her eyes. Seeing this, her sister rose and embraced her. Toffee sobbed and clung onto Teefee. Her back was rubbed and Teefee whispered, “I’m sorry it was a nightmare. I’m sorry I wasn’t there sooner. And I’m sorry I woke you up like that. You’re bunny was… Different somehow. I had to do something.” “I don’t know how you did it but thank you.” Toffee murmured. “You came into my dream as well.” Tad said, coming up to them and helping their mother to her feet. Teefee shrugged. “You didn’t want me there, so you woke up. I left mother’s alone, as her dream was pleasant.” “How, daughter?” Ina asked, a grave look upon her face. Teefee sighed. “There was…” she looked up in thought and then smiled, “That but way smaller.” [hr] Teefee was sick. The air was just beginning to go back to how it had been after that first day without light and that had been a few weeks ago. Supplies were running low. Tad still wondered why the plants had been so greedy? How could such beauty release so much suffering? He pulled the family sled with Toffee, strips of fur covering their mouth and noses as they marched on. Mother was tending to Teefee and walking beside them. Poor Teefee, she was going on a week of illness, finally confined to a makeshift bed. The pollen had given her a fever, a stuffy nose, a headache and she had trouble breathing. Every breath she wheezed and her face was puffy. They all felt bad, but the youngest of them (only by a few minutes as she liked to remind them) suffered the most. It was a stark contrast to what she was like in the world of dreams. They came more vividly to him when his sister was around and when she joined him or Toffee. He could still hardly grasp this strange power but it didn’t seem to be hurting Teefs. However, Tad could tell it bothered his mother. She believed Teefee was sick because this spirit had bridged itself to her. Mother had been… Cautious ever since. She was worried. He was worried and he knew Toffee was worried. “Let us make camp for the night over by that bluff.” Their mother called and Tad looked to see where it was she was indicating. There was a section of the land that rose up like a great fallen tree and on the side they were facing near the bottom there was shelter. A rocky outcropping protected by wind. Mother had good eyes and without much fanfare, the two made for it. When they arrived they noticed old fire pits, knappings and broken arrowheads. It seemed they were not the first to use this place. When they dropped the reins, both siblings went to check on their third. She was sleeping, which was good, their mother assured them. She looked peaceful at least. Free of the pains of the waking world. “Tad, take Toffee and find us some water. It should be near, there are many water birds around, plus…” She pointed at the prior habitations. “Will you be alright here?” Tad asked as he looked around. “Of course. Do not worry. It’s you who needs to be alright. Take your spears.” Mother said with a firm nod as she prepared the furs for beds. As the two marched off, their mother called after them, “And bring back any good firewood!” [hr] “She’s worried sick, isn’t she?” Toffee asked. Tad only nodded, eyes sharp and ears listening. But not listening enough it seemed. Toffee gave him a little whack on the side of his head. He spun to her and hissed. “What was that for?” “Oh, nothing. You just seemed like you were spacing off again.” He frowned as Toffee smirked. “I’m trying to stay focused, Toffee. There could be danger around every bend, just hiding off the path and lurking in the tall grass.” She rolled her eyes. “By the ancestors Tad, we aren’t in nearly as much danger as you and mother think we are. Are you even listening to the world around us? Birds are chirping. Insects are buzzing. That ground squirrel over there is watching us.” She pointed to a spot and sure enough a fat striped critter was shoving its mouth full of seeds as it watched them. “If there was certain danger, the world would be still.” Toffee finished in a soft whisper. As much as he wanted to protest, Toffee had a point at least. He relaxed a little and finally said, “Let’s just find some water and get back to them. I’m sure Teefee will be awake and she’ll be thirsty.” “I can agree with that.” Silence fell between the two as they finally heard the murmur of running water. With a grin from his sister and one he eagerly returned, the two descended into a small creek with crystal blue waters. The bottom was full of colorful rocks and when Tad bent down to pick up a handful of them, letting the sediment wash away before removing them, he found a rock that looked like a flower. A rock flower? It was engraved so precisely that he only broke from staring at it when Toffee came up to him. “Oh that’s pretty. All these rocks are pretty. Teefee would have loved this!” She bent down and scooped out a handful. “We should take some back for her.” “Yeah, we should. But first, water.” Tad said as he placed the rock into a pouch. The two then set to their task. Toffee squatted down on one side of the creek whilst Tad knelt down on the other, and together they started to fill up their waterskins. A shrill birdcall came from far above. The lively cacophony of life continued, but something started to feel off. The calls of the animals around the two gradually got louder and louder, and the plants themselves grew more colourful and vibrant. Fruit grew from trees but did not rot, and creatures came out in droves not by themselves, but carrying their offspring, be they newborn or juvenile, and they all settled in the shade of the trees and just… Waited. Tad shared a look with Toffee, then looked around at the changing scenery and, hesitantly, plugged his waterskin and stood up. “Toffee…What was that about the sounds of life again?” Tad narrowed his eyes at his sister, who was just as confused as he was. “But… I…” her voice trailed off and Tad outstretched his arm to her. “Time to go.” he said in a loud whisper. As the two made their way out of the water, gathering their things- Insects crawled out from under rock and below ground, out of hollow trees and flew out of hanging nests. And they, too, settled in the shade of the trees, next to those other creatures who would normally eat them. They all called for something, both old and young, predator and prey, insect or mammal or reptile or plant. Tad felt his fur rise and he squeezed his sister’s hand harder, tugging her on. The shrill birdcall came again, now echoing from directly above the pair, and when they looked up they only saw the bright reflection of golden feathers, and the arcs of light that came with storms. And then the noise stopped, and with the noise they froze also. Not by choice in the slightest. Tad wanted to move but he couldn’t but why? What was- He saw it. When they looked back down, they saw a great beast step out from the treeline, head bent low to avoid the canopies of the trees. It looked like a wolf, one with thick fur like the night sky, glittering with stars, with fangs and claws as big as forearms. And yet where it walked, it crushed nothing. Grass moved aside, animals steered clear, and they all watched it with adoration in their eyes. There were some who received a glance from the great beast, and those few and their offspring would glow and quickly go back wherever they had come from. And then the beast looked at the two siblings, and stopped. Tad felt an overwhelming urge to run. This creature was beyond the pale of anything he had ever come across before. Fear made his limbs jittery, his heart quickened and his eyes saw with crystal clarity. The giant black wolf was certain death. He felt a tug on his hand and then Toffee was free of him. He glanced to the side and saw that his sister’s hair was up. She had a posture not of flight, but of fight. Her muscles were tensed, her knuckles white on her spear. She bared her teeth and from her throat came a low growl not unlike some beast. Her eyes were wild and Tad was suddenly unsure if he should be more afraid of the wolf or of Toffee. The wolf stared at Toffee, then looked at Tad, then back at Toffee. It wagged its tail twice, then it sat down and pawed at the ground in front of it once. That was when out of its throat came a noise so deep that it reverberated painfully in Tad’s chest. “Khome.” It pawed at the ground in front of it again. “Kome.” Tad blinked in surprise as he rubbed his chest. It could… Words? Toffee just hissed and sank into a crouch. He was unsure if she had even noticed. It looked like she was about to- Tad tackled her before she could throw her spear. There came a frantic spat as the two tumbled in the sand. Toffee was not happy at what he had done but he knew if he let go of her, they’d be in more trouble. If the wolf was capable of speech, and it hadn’t attacked them, he couldn’t risk it. “Toffee-! Stop this!” he snarled. Her lithe form was slippery and every time he had her in a solid hold, she broke free. Worse, she wouldn’t let go of the damn spear! “Get. Off. Me!” She managed to yell as the two came closer to the water’s edge. “Give me the spear!” he jabbed his elbow into her side and his sister gasped with pain. Then she growled and bit his arm! She didn’t draw blood but it was enough of a shock that Tad loosened his hold and with it, Toffee broke free, rolling away from him and- right into the water. But before Tad could react, the beast had jumped into the creek and dunked its snout into the spot where Toffee had been struggling. Toffee’s limbs flailed around as the wolf’s snout pushed her around and flipped her over and over until at last it clamped its teeth down and lifted its head to retrieve Toffee from the water by the back of her fur shirt. She was soaking and spearless. Her hair matted and ears and tail weighed down but still she struggled, even if the furs she was wearing were too sturdy for her to break free and her arms too short to reach her captor. She hissed and yowled and Tad could only stare in disbelief. The wolf pranced back to him and, tail wagging, dangled Toffee above him. He looked up at the wolf and the wolf looked at him. Toffee was yelling something about not being a baby anymore and to be put down. Tad began to smirk and was about to speak when- “STOP! Stop that!” A feminine voice rang out from the treeline, and out of it came a disheveled, wheezing young woman. Right behind the young woman came a grinning man, who upon seeing the scene burst out laughing. “Put that down, right now! Bad girl! Saries, bad girl!” “Whoa there! Saries, good boy!” They spoke at the same time, but the words were enough to cause the great wolf to hesitate for a brief moment, and then it gently let Toffee down next to Tad. And Toffee immediately got down into a crouched position again, her hands digging into the sand as she stared daggers at the wolf. Tad placed a hand on his sister’s wet head. Saries, was it? Why both boy and girl? What was that about? He tried to take a quick peak under the wolf but couldn’t see anything. “Calm, Toffee. Let’s just figure this out, alright?” Tad said, as he looked past the wolf and stared at the woman. He couldn’t tell how old she was, maybe around his age? He glanced at the man. Were they twins and were they wearing… plants? He had never seen the likes of them before. Bronzed skin with curly hair and their arms… birthmarks? Something else? He eyed the wolf again and finally took a deep breath. “Who might you be, strangers?” he asked them as they approached. It was time for some answers. But his grip tightened on Toffee’s head and his sister stopped her spatting. He could tell she was on edge. Why did she have to overreact to everything? The man was the first to look at the siblings, as the woman had gone on to slap at the great wolf’s legs, admonishing it. “Hm,” the man tapped his chin, his eyes taking in every aspect of Tad and his sister’s forms, and then he nodded. “I’m Jiva of the Boulder, and the fussy lady behind me who’s currently lecturing the Beast-God is Sirele, my twin sister.” “Now I ask you two, do you have names?” “I am Tad of…” He trailed off for a moment and then said, “I am Tad and this is Toffeen. We are also twins, yes.” Toffee looked up at him after that, her eyes no longer so fierce. “I uhm, well met, Jiva of the Boulder. This is not something we expected to run into.” he finished quickly, wishing to move past his awkward blunders. “Ah it’s fine, it’s fine!” Jiva laughed again, “I acted the same as your sister Toffeen when I first met Saries, you know. Just with a little less dangling and screaming!” It was now that Sirele came up behind Jiva and bumped him as she walked past closer to Tad and Toffee, making him choke on his laugh. She gave a sympathetic look to Toffee. “You’ve got good instincts, it’s what’s got Saries so in love with you. That, and [i]those[/i].” Sirele mimicked cat ears with her hands, smiling. Toffee gave a hiss and Tad shoved her behind him. He gave her a stern look as she lay in the sand. “Cool off.” He then turned back to the twins. He couldn’t help but stare at Sirele’s smile and before he knew it, he was smiling back. “Oh uhmm, well met Sirele of the Boulder.” he looked back up at the wolf, was eyeing them intently and almost cursing under his breath he said, “Well met, Sar-ees, beast-god.” The word felt strange upon his tongue and he didn’t really know what a beat god was but he didn’t want to be rude. “Why does,” he looked back at Sirele, “Why does the Sar-ees love Toffee? I mean, Toffeen.” he winced at his mistake but tried to play it off. “Toffee? Nice nickname, sounds sweet!” Jiva said with a grin. Sirele rolled her eyes, but was quick to return to her smile when she looked back at Tad. “Not just Toffee, Tad. You too! You’ve got Therian features but no curse of mind, body, or soul. You were also not created by her-” “[i]Him.[/i]” Interrupted Jiva with a smirk. “You were also not created by her, so she was intrigued at first, and excited when she saw the ways your bodies reacted. In Saries’ eyes, you’re an improved version of us.” Sirele then leaned in close to Tad and whispered, [i]”Saries is really touchy about ur-humanity, ‘cause we remind her of the Man-God. Your pretty ears and tails may have saved your lives today.”[/i] He eyed the beast-god with suspicion but only received, if anything, a wolfish grin. He then shook his head. “I am sorry but I do not know half of the words that you speak of. Ur-humanity? Man-God? Him? Her?” he pointed at Saries. “Therian features? Curses? Improved?” His head was beginning to spin. “Oh.” Sirele pursed her lips and glanced at Jiva, who took the hint and wrapped an arm around Sirele’s shoulders. “My sister means to say that Saries likes you because you’ve got animal parts, that’s the important bit. Saries can be male or female depending on what mood he’s in, and he has sired and birthed many litters already. Don’t worry, he matches his size and form to his partners.” Saries huffed and dug up a bit of dirt and threw it at Jiva’s legs. “Yeah yeah, I was getting to it! He wants to see your den- Sorry, home. He’s excited to see how you live! Invite us?” “I uhh…” Tad began, a little dumbstruck. Toffee brushed past him. “We don’t have a home. And even if we did, why should we invite you? You are strangers and could be dangerous.” Sirele was the one to respond. “Saries is the Beast-God. You may not know this, but Gods are the creatures who created our world, and Saries here is the Sovereign of Life and Nature. Every animal and every plant in this world comes from or is inspired by her.” She sighed, “So you are right, Toffee, Gods are dangerous because they are too powerful… But Saries won’t do anything to you or Tad if you treat her well.” It took Tad a few moments to make the terrible but wondrous connection. “A spirit?” Tad looked at Toffee and his sister glanced at him. He felt his knees buckle at the thought of an actual spirit standing before him. A being who walked between the tall grass and danced amidst the stars. “Toffee we have to-” “Can you heal the sick?’ Toffee cut him off as she looked up at Saries. Her previous demeanor gone, replaced by that of worry. Sirele and Jiva looked at Saries, and after a moment Jiva chuckled and crossed his arms and Sirele furrowed her brow, then looked back at Toffee. “She has healed thousands before, but she wants something in exchange for this service. We can discuss what that is after we’ve seen the one who needs healing.” Tad and Toffee exchanged nervous glances but there was no reluctance in the shared nod that followed. “Then quickly, mother will be worried by now.” Tad said as he gathered a few discarded things and began to jog up the path. [hr] “Mother!” Toffee shouted as they approached the bluff. Ina was on the sled, Teefee in her arms as she brushed the girl’s hair. It was soft and smooth in the waning light. At the sound of her voice, their mother said, “Where have you been child? I was growing worried. You can’t just do that to me when Tee-” She looked up at this point and froze as she saw what followed them. “They mean no harm mother!” Toffee said as she and Tad approached. “They can heal Teefee! The great wolf is a spirit.” Ina was stone faced as she looked between her Tad and Toffee’s faces, then to Sirele’s and Jiva’s, then at last to Saries. “One great spirit has caused this, why should I trust another?” she said coldly. Toffee knelt beside Teefee and felt the fever on her brow. She was still asleep and at her touch, her sister shivered. “We don’t know that mother.” Tad put a hand on her shoulder. “The great spirit Sar-ees is one of life and nature. Surely that cannot be so bad?” Ina sighed through her nose and looked at the great wolf. “Is it true?” The wolf huffed, and suddenly the twin humans standing to either side of it looked at each other and clasped their hands in front of their chests. Then the wolf shuddered and became smaller. And as it shrunk, so did it change. Its fur thinned, it stood straighter and then onto two legs, its paws turned into hands, and finally its face became flat and smooth. The great wolf had become a woman. Taller than all of them, lean and well-proportioned, with wolvish ears large enough to flop a little and thick hair that draped down her back like a great wave. Behind her swishes a long fluffy tail, and her sun-tanned body was bare for all to see. Her irises shone like starlight when she opened her eyes, and her teeth and nails were sharp and long. The wolf-turned-woman, Saries, looked at her hands and clenched and unclenched them. She scratched at her fingers and arms, marvelling at the soft fur that grew up to her elbows, and she touched herself all over with a face that looked both disgusted and intrigued. The thing that impacted her the most was her thumbs. She pinched herself all over and even pinched Jiva, before Sirele produced a coat of leaves from her pack and draped it around Saries’ shoulders. It was then that Saries turned sharply and walked up to Ina, stopping only a foot away and a full head taller. She inhaled, and then she spoke. It was a voice that was smooth and melodic, but also deep and awkward. “Truf.” She said, “Trut. Thruth.” The twins stood to either side of Saries, right behind her. Jiva looked like he was on the verge of exploding with laughter, while Sirele was wincing and grinning at the same time. “Kitten,” Saries pointed at Teefee, asleep and puffy, then back at herself, then back at Teefee, numerous times, while staring at Ina. “Kitten, mhahak buerl. Mhahk buel!” She huffed through her nose. “Saries means to say that she will make your daughter, Teefee, well. But before she does, I want to remind you that there is a price. It’s nothing to be afraid of. Put simply, Saries wants to learn about you and your children. We want to travel with you for a short time. If you agree to this, Saries will heal Teefee.” Sirele explained, before reaching out to pull Saries’ still-pointing finger down and into her coat. The family before the wolf-turned-woman all had shocked faces. Ina was trembling, as tears welled in her eyes. Both Tad and Toffee could only stare slackjawed. “If this is the price… Then we accept.” Ina said, her voice catching in her throat. Saries huffed again and immediately walked to Teefee and straddled her and pressed one of her oversized ears against the young girl’s chest. Her eyes darted back and forth, focusing on nothing and everything, and then she pinched Teefee’s nose, tilted her head backwards, and placed her mouth over hers, and inhaled. A moment passed, Teefee’s chest deflated a bit, and Saries shot up and coughed and spat a great amount of greenish, clear mucus. And so Teefee’s wheezing was gone. Then, Saries blew air into Teefee’s nostrils and the girl sneezed and coughed and expelled enough snot to cover half her face. And so Teefee started to breathe through her nose. Saries then licked Teefee’s face clean, and the puffiness went away. And finally, she placed a hand to either side of Teefee’s neck, and Teefee was healed. Saries remained that way for a few minutes, watching the girl, waiting. When the illness did not come back, she wagged her tail, got off of Teefee, and started touching and handling Teefee’s ears and hair. Jiva was the first to speak. “It’s done! She’s alright now.” Tad’s disbelief slowly turned to disgust as he watched the odd display. But when Teefee began to stir, he no longer really cared for how it worked, just only that it had. She blinked her eyes open and groggily focused on Saries, who tilted her head. “I was dreaming,” Teefee murmured, “And a great wolf came to me and we spoke of many things before it licked my face and I woke up. How odd.” “Oh Teefee!” their mother cried and began to pat her head and fuss. “A miracle.” Toffee muttered. Jiva scooted up to Toffee’s side and smiled at her in an incredibly smug manner. “And you were trying to chase [i]that[/i] away.” Toffee huffed, flipped her drying hair in his grinning face and walked past him, patting Teefee’s head as she passed. “Glad you're okay Teefs.” She said quietly before grabbing some dry furs and wandering off. Most likely to change. “Oh yes, Teefee,“ Tad began and Teefee looked up at him. “This is Sar-ees, Jiva and Sirele.” He pointed to each of them. “Sar-ees is a great spirit who has healed your sickness. In exchange, they will be traveling with us for a time.” ‘Oh’, Teefee mouthed. “Are you hungry Teefee? Thirsty?” Their mother asked and his sister shook her head. It looked as if Teefee was still trying to digest what had just happened but after a moment of silence, she looked up at Saries and dipped her head. “Thank you, great spirit, l feel so much better now and I can breathe again!” She then attacked Saries with a hug, which made Saries gasp and hold her arms up defensively until she relaxed when Teefee looked up at her face with her big, round eyes. “Saries, gud girl! Gud boy!” Saries proclaimed and returned the hug in a most awkward manner, engulfing the smaller Teefee in a mountain of hair and fur. Tad could only join in the laughter of Jiva and Sirele, the latter of which he glanced at again and again. There was something about her he found immensely attractive. When she glanced back at him and their eyes caught each other’s, it was he who blinked first and blushed. “Uhmm, excuse me.” he said quickly, dipping his head low. He needed to find an escape from whatever that was. Teefee would be fine. He walked for a bit until he stumbled upon Toffee, who was running her hands through her hair. His earlier emotions caught up to him in that moment and he placed his hands on his hips. “What was that, earlier? What in the name of the ancestors were you trying to do?” Toffee slowly turned to him at the sound of his anger. Her expression was distant. “It was better than just standing there.” she retorted. Tad’s brow furrowed and he got closer to her. “Toffee, that was a giant wolf. What did you think you were going to do? If you had thrown that spear, we both would have died!” he snapped. “I don’t know, okay!” She stood and faced him fully. Anger burned bright in her eyes. “It was a threat and I needed to be prepared. It’s that simple.” “But it wasn’t simple at all. I had to wrestle with you, you had to go into the water to finally snap out of whatever had taken you over!” He took a deep breath and said in a softer voice, “You scared me Toffee” Her fists balled and she looked away from him. “I’m sorry.” she whispered eventually. “My body reacted before my mind did… Instincts. And I… I saw…” she gulped, her body quivering. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she flinched. “Toffee, what did you see?” “I don’t know. It was quick. Like a- a red haze in the corner of my vision but when I looked back it was gone.” “Why did this scare you?” “Scare me? No. When I looked at it for that split second. I felt only thrill. A thrill for battle. A release for my anger.” tears welled in her eyes and Tad pulled her in close. “I’m broken.” she whimpered. “No, because if you are broken, so am I.” “How?” “Let me tell you about my nightmare.” And so he did and the two talked while Teefee and their mother entertained their guests. It was a long night. [hider= Summary] Wherein the triplets meet the twins and the dawg god. [/hider] [hider=Action Summary] Lucid In-Domain Action - Saries heals Teefee, permanently, from pollen allergies [/hider]