The wayfarer and the princess spent the entire nightmarish night cuddled up with one another, doing their best to avoid the unholy abominations stalking the unprepared lands just outside the den. Kumiho and Kitsune had sung lullabies together in their shared tongue until they had each drifted off to sleep, comforted by one another's presence. Iho had been afraid that the terrors of the night would creep into his dreams, but fortunately he was so exhausted from the frights they'd experienced that he just slept without any visions in his head. When Iho did awaken again, it was just before dawn. The world was still dark, but the sound of crickets outside let him know the world was still somewhat safe.

Blinking ice blue eyes open through the bleariness of sleep, Iho glanced at the den door, straining his ears to listen to the world outside. He lay still and quiet for a good, long while. No strange screams or howls or screeches were heard. No shuffling feet or stumbling steps out in the murky swamp. Everything seemed normal—for now. Glancing down at the girl who was very nearly a yearling curled up against him and fast asleep, Iho felt a small smile grow across his lips. Never in his life would he have thought he'd ever be a protector to a princess, yet here he was, doing just that.

Being extra careful while extracting himself from around her, Kumiho rose out of bed and carefully tucked Kit in under the blanket of furs. He didn't want to stray too far from her, but he did want to check outside and make sure everything was okay and get a drink of water. Pressing his face to the gap in the door, a gasp of wonder left the arctic wolf's lips. Iho quietly moved the door out of the way and stepped out into the glowing wonderland of the world, gazing around at the glowing... everything! Absolutely everything as far as the eye could see was shimmering with the otherworldly blue-green glow. The mist had dissipated, but it looked like it had settled over everything it had touched, making it glow like the full moon was as it began to sink out of sight when the first rays of morning light began to appear to the east.

"Speech"

Kitsune had little to protest about cuddling up with her friend, even if the circumstances that had brought her here weren’t ideal. Denial was a strong thing, and once Kitsune had tucked her head onto Iho’s chest, she was very determined not to think about what they had seen and heard. The lullabies helped the most there. The soft timbre of Iho’s voice mingled well with her mezzo soprano, their gentle music chasing away the fear that might have otherwise clung to them.

At some point, she drifted off to sleep, surrounded by the warmth of Iho. her sleep was deep, and dreamless. She opened her eyes sometime later, confused by the change of perspective and light. She rubbed her eyes and cast about herself for Iho, before finding him near the entrance. She sucked in a breath, telling herself she was more afraid of that outside world then she would admit to herself. She watched him for a moment, but he seemed awed and not frightened, so she found her courage to crawl out of the comfy bedding and sneak to the entrance. Sliding in beside Iho, she looked at the world and gasped softly. It was glowing! Everything was alive, vibrant and alien. If music had a colour, this would be it. Coating the world with its life, like their voices had coated the air.

Speech

At some point during his staring, Iho felt the shift of Kitsune at his side, glancing down at the small fire fox of a wolf while she gawked at the shimmering world with him. There was an eerie foreign feel to everything, despite how often he had walked these lands in the last few seasons. They stayed at the door for some time, just staring out at that magical world. Then, with a brave glance down to Kit and a smile, Iho took a bold step out of the den. When he didn't immediately burst into flame or become overrun with more ghosts, he took a couple more, until the young man was standing in the clearing his den was built in.

All around him the world shifted and shone, glowing with ethereal light like he had stepped into another dimension or into Somnium itself. Was this the world ghosts and spirits saw? Bathed in the glow of the haunted moon, Iho took in the sights around him. No mist, no fireflies, just a cool blue glow all around the world. Iho stepped over to a pool of clean water and began to drink deeply, slaking his sleep-parched throat—but when he went to pull back, he noticed his reflecting glowing as well.

Iho gasped in surprise and looked down at his paws. Sure enough, the light of the moon was reflecting off his snowy white parts of his coat, making the young man glow just like the rest of the world did. Iho did a quick once over of his entire form to verify, and yep! He was, in fact, glowing! How was this happening? A trick of the light, maybe? The dawn sun was coming quickly over the horizon, and soon morning would break across Boreas.

"Speech"

Kitsune watched as Iho stepped forward. Bracing herself, coiling her back legs in case she needed to leap into battle at his side. Small, and frightened of the ghosts she might be, she would not leave her friend to face them alone. Then Iho took another step, and one more. Whatever had been last night was gone. This moment before the dawn was something else entirely, like the passing of a storm.

She stepped out of the den, trailing after his larger form. As she stepped into the glowing grasses, the wind ticked up. She giggled softly in surprise and amazement as petals plucked free of their flowers and twirled about her in a miniature dust spinner. Brushing across her fur. She raised a paw, and a single glowing petal fell into it like magic. So she didn't notice when Iho went to the water, or when he noticed his own glow.

She heard his gasp, and looked over at him. Her friend was looking down at his form, and she leaned forward, seeing too the way his whiter parts glowed an ethereal tone. She giggled again. “My brothers scales glow like that” she said, unaware her own red accents had begun to shine.


Speech

This new near-morning world was a stark contrast to the horror show they had endured through the last dozen hours. This world felt mystical, corporeal, fantastical. It felt like a breath of life after the nightmare of death. The light sound of Kitsune's giggles brought Iho's eyes back to his smaller companion, listening to her explain how her brother's scales shimmered in a similar way to his fur right now. Iho gasped again when he saw Kit's markings glowing just like his white fur was, marveling at how the glow made her fur look like living fire now. "Kit, your markings!" he exclaimed, then gently ushered the small girl to look into the water. Her reflection would reveal the majesty that she wasn't able to notice herself.

Kumiho marveled at the world, marveled at their fur, marveled at Kitsune. She had been beyond brave to face the perils of the night with him. She had stuck by his side, healed his injury, comforted him just as he comforted her. Never before had the arctic traveler appreciated the presence of another wolf as much as he did her. Sometime during their admiration of one another's fur, the morning sun finally broke across the eastern sea. As golden rays of light broke the darkness of the sky and raced over the land, the supernatural glow began to fade away, gradually at first and then all at once. It was like someone had flipped a switch, and just like that the world was normal once more.

Iho gazed out across the horizon, squinting into the morning sun as normalcy returned to Boreas. His fur no longer glowed, nor did Kitsune's markings. Another day had arrived; they had survived the night. Iho's stomach growled, his other more base needs returning now that the survival instinct had receded. Breakfast was definitely in order for the conquering heroes. "What d'you say we find some breakfast, then we can get you home before your parents know you're gone?" Iho suggested with a grin to Kit. He craned his neck down to boop his nose against the young girl's cheek affectionately. "Thank you for keeping me company tonight, Kit. You were so brave."

"Speech"

Kumiho

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a fat rat scampering by. Wait - is it glowing? You also find 3 mushrooms. Maybe these are worth keeping…

Who would have thought this night would be twofold. A curse, and a blessing. A night plagued by fear and creatures foul, with a pre-dawn contrast of beauty and glow. A look upwards displayed the very start of light spilling across the sky, just the hint of tendrils. They had survived the night, and it seemed their reward would be to marvel at the beauty around them.

At ihos words, she glanced down at herself, seeing the way the coiling fire of her legs took on the flow of a real flame. It was like her leg was bruning in truth, but she felt no pain. She gasped softly, raising her paw and then Iho was ushering her towards the waters edge. She paired down at herself, and saw the glimmer of light sparking around her eyes. “Ohhhh” she breathed, entranced. She was almost as beautiful as her sister, now.

And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the glow was gone. The morning light broke across the sky, and chased away the shadows and the glow. The birds chirped, the frogs croaked, and the world was normal. Sane. “My parents!” she squeaked at his words, aghast. What if they had noticed her disappearance? “We’d best be quick” she whispered conspiratorially to him. “Always Iho, you're my friend.” she said, reaching her paw across to touch his. “Is it… safe, for you to be camping out here at night? Maybe we should talk to my mother, and see if you can stay in the pack, where it’ll be safer?”


Speech

Kumiho nearly snickered at Kitsune's startled outburst when the mention of her parents came up. He did have to admit, her father was a pretty intimidating figure when he'd met him, so he could understand her hesitance to do something that might get her in trouble. After all, how many wolves could suffocate a grizzly bear to death? Hattori was a terrifying presence and it was hard to think he had sired such a sweet little girl. "C'mon then, let's get you home undetected," he whispered back to her as if they were having a clandestine meeting. Spy mode, activate! Operation "Get Kitsune Home Undetected" was a go!

Her touch brought his icy eyes down to find her small scarlet and amber paw resting on his. Her touch left warmth in its wake, like she was actually made of living flame. She asked about his degree of safety camping out here on his own, and it was Iho's instinctive reflex to convince her that he'd be fine... but this time he hesitated. They'd both seen what sort of horrors lurked out here in the dark of the night. What if this wasn't a one-off event? What if things only got worse from here? "That's very kind of you, Kit. I think that sounds like a good idea." He smiled and leaned down to boop his nose against the girl's crown in an affectionate show of gratitude. "We'll have to come up with a story of how you know me. Oh, and probably get you a bath before we meet your parents, since we kinda smell like each other."

After spending almost all night cuddled up in shared fright, the two wolves had left more than a faint trace of their scent upon one another. Iho did not want to have to try to explain to Kitsune's father that he was merely protecting the near-yearling and wasn't some sort of deviant predator looking to defile his daughter.

"Speech"

Iho’s conspiratorial whisper chased away some of the worry that had cropped up at the reminder of her parents. She glanced at him to return a grin. He made it sound like a fun challenge, instead of something to be afraid of. She shook her horns at him as he bumped his nose against her crown, teasing him with the points of her antlers.

His agreement to come home with her however left her rather surprised. She had expected it to be a battle if it happened at all. Giving in told her just how frightened he had been of the night, despite the brave face he had put on for the whole experience. She squeezed his paw tighter. Silently communicated how she felt about him coming with her. How better she would feel knowing he was okay.

“Probably a good idea… What should we tell them do you think? That you saved me from a coyote out here and I owe you a debt of gratitude?” she wiggled her brows at him. It wasn’t exactly a lie, just left a lot out between.

Speech

Iho couldn't resist the smile crossing his face when Kit squeezed his paw with her own. It told him all he needed to know. He mattered to this small fireborne wolf, and he wouldn't dare deny her kindness and desire to keep him safe—even if that meant confronting her parents and pleading to get him at least temporary asylum. Surely Hattori would remember the lad and his eagerness to pitch in a helpful paw when needed, if nothing else. Her suggestion of their explanation to her parents coupled with her dramatic eyebrow wiggle made Iho burst into a hearty laugh. Gods above, she was too adorable! "That leaves a lot of room for unanswered questions, but we can workshop it as we go." He motioned with his head for Kitsune to follow him. They both needed a meal and a bath before they even thought about seeing their royal highnesses of the Ashen empire. "C'mon, we can get our story straight while we get cleaned up."

"Speech"

Kitsune

You see a tight cluster of fireflies up ahead. You also find 4 mushrooms. Maybe these are worth keeping…