“It’s strange isn’t it?” Nico walked along the path in the soulless forest the familiars had set up, with Jack alongside of him.  The coyote was often packed full of energy and darting about but in this forest he remained calmer, pondering everything that was so abnormal.

“This whole thing here.  The weather’s amazing, I love it but doesn’t it clash with the other details?  I don’t see one right in front of us but, I can smell rotting flesh from a corpse or I imagine corpses is more appropriate.”  They weren’t right next to the statue but they were still close enough that there was fog in the air, adding a bit of mystery to the land ahead of them.

“My birds didn’t want to come here either.  They say it's not safe but haven’t specified which part worries them.”  Nico come up with a few ideas of what they’d find worrisome but he also could imagine reasons they could like it. “Also, I’ve never been here before but I think I really like it here.  You know how much good food is here?” Between rodents, other small mammals, lizards, eggs, and various plants this place had loads of food for a coyote.  “Wonder how long this will last, or if it's just permanent now.”

"Niko"

Calico Jack strolls through the forest alongside his best friend, Nico. The adults have been abuzz about strange statues cropping in different places and, when Nico had told him the same thing, Jack had decided they should go see one. The swamp that neighbors this forest usually has a fog that hangs low over the marshy land but, here, this fog seems… unnatural. It thickens the further in they go and a strange sound catches the patchwork pup’s ear.

Nico starts talking and Jack flicks the ear that had heard the noise as he turns his attention to the coyote, their size difference already beginning to become apparent. Nodding at the comment about it being strange, Cal frowns in agreement while pointing a paw to the rotting carcass of deer that lays sprawled at the base of a tree. While the scent is strong, there are no flies that alight on the gleaming red, exposed flesh or buzzing in and out of the creature’s open mouth.

Looking to Nico, Jack’s skin begins to crawl as he says, “Yes the weather is amazing and I swear this place is magical. But that? That seems so strange. I can smell it and I can see it, but why aren’t the flies all over it?” Paw lowers to the earth as they continue to walk, a gleaming set of bones poking up from the earth grins a huge, canine grin at the passing pups. Icy gaze traces the skull as they slowly walk by, allowing Nico to talk before adding in his own sentiments, “Everything about this seems so… at odds with each other. A part of me enjoys it while the other… is completly revolted by it.” Gaze flicks over to his friend to gage his response at his statement.


"Calico Jack"

Nico was glad to hear that his alligator dancing friend still could be unnerved by some things.  Not that he wanted a coward for a friend or anything, Nico just wanted to not seem a coward himself.  There was some wisdom in running from dangerous things at times and the coyote wasn’t at all sure Jack realized it.  This much at least they agreed on being weird.

“I haven’t seen the birds going to eat at the corpses either.  Normally they’d be scavenging at these.”  Nico hadn’t checked for what bugs might be in the corpse and was curious if they were affected by the strangeness.  Still, he chose to keep on the path that had been prepared, the curiosity wasn’t enough to have him check in the corpses.

“Those statues are apparently gods, and they are somehow making this happen.  This one certainly seems to enjoy death, unless it just likes carcasses, bones, and dried blood.  I find it hard to think it would like all that and not be a death thing though.”  Nico considered his words, his gaze turning sideways and up to Jack.  “Ya know, saying that, let's be real respectful of it. I don’t think I’d want to upset someone so keen on death.”  He paused as he spoke, squinting, “Can’t see all that far ahead of us.  Nico scented the air.  Let’s pay close attention.  I think it’ll be safe.  Familiars seem to feel it is but, ya know, just in case.”

"Niko"

Cal does not know what Nico thinks or how he worries about Jack thinking of him as a coward. But, if he did, the patchwork pup would have laughed it off and clapped Nico on the shoulder reminding his friend about how brave he had been to walk into a pack full of wolves. As for himself? Yes, he can be foolish but there is still that self-preservation instinct buried deep within him.

But again, Jack doesn’t know any of what Nico thinks but his friend’s words pull Jack’s eyebrows upward. Nodding in agreement to the statement about the birds not scavenging, he says, “It almost feels like everything has a desire not to touch the carcasses.” Another skeleton catches Jack’s eyes and he nudges Nico, pointing out the skull of a bear whose lower jaw is embedded in the earth while the rest sits atop the dirt. Part of its spine and several ribs also poke up, gleaming white in the fog.

Eyebrows raise as they walk and Nico speaks of the statues being Gods, the pup letting out a whistle at that piece of information. Nodding along as Nico speaks, Jack waits for his friend to finish before saying, “Yeah but… it feels like more than just death. I mean, if it was, wouldn’t the trees be withered or dying? And the grass. I mean, sure there are pools of dried blood and stuff but it is still alive, still green. What if this God is more than Death? What if shows the balance between life and death?”

Calico lifts a questioning brow to Nico, curious to see what he thinks and quickly adds, “But yes, I agree. Let’s be very respectful.”


"Calico Jack"

Nico’s gaze followed Jack’s own look with fascination at the bear’s corpse that was only partially out of the ground.  “ya know, it is pretty cool in a fashion.  If it just didn’t make my fur want to stand on end.” It was the entertained part of Nico that argued with his instinctive side with a splash of common sense.

“Well, do we know if it can control plants?” Nico didn’t refuse Jack’s suggestion, merely considering it brought out another side to consider.  Still, his gaze turned to look between the trees and grass as if to find some form of an answer.  “Well, it does also have live animals serving it.”  Jack could be right about it really.

“Hey, you know what would be real creepy?  What if the dead corpses were walking about to serve it?  Now ‘that’ would be creepy.” Nico snickered, “if that happens you and I get a race of who can get out of here first.  The prize for the first place being the one least likely to die,” Nico’s words were said in jest, grinning at his friend.  If something did happen Nico would obviously fight with Jack if they were cornered.  There was something fun in imagining such a creepy thought.

“Ya know, I’ve made a meal out of corpses I found in places before but I agree with the birds.  I’m not touching these free meals.” Nico wasn’t sure how to explain the reasoning other than the creepiness they both agreed to.  A moment later he snickered with a thought, “besides, what if the statue thinks of the corpses as his?  We might be eating his decorations or something.”

"Niko"

Nico’s words have Jack dipping his head in agreement as fear slowly crawls along his spine. With a chuckle, the patchwork pup tries to push his anxiety away and says, “Yeah, I agree. Do you think that all the other statues and their lands are like this one?” Curious icy blue eyes glance to his friend before returning to scan the area around them. Even through the ever-thickening fog, Cal can see the thick vegetation all around them.

It is strange that, in spite of all rotting carcasses and dried blood, the vibrant green of the moss and ivy still stand out. Nico’s question about controlling plants has Jack shrugging as he says, “If the statue really is a god, do you think its powers would be limited to only creating… this?” a paw waves in front of him at a pile of bones peeking out from under a bush. Truthfully, Cal doesn’t know much about what gods can and cannot do but the thought of restricting their powers seems naïve.

As Nico voices his next thought, Calico bites back a chuckle as he says, “Hey, now. Don’t go giving it ideas.” He tries to make the chuckle that rolls out sound natural but, to him, feels forced and thin. Unexpectedly, Jack feels as if the thick canopy that hangs above them begins to close in and Jack’s unease grows. Heaving a sigh, the pup looks to his friend and says, “Come on. I thought we were being ‘respectful’.”

He drawls out the statement, pretending to be bored while unvoiced mirth hides in Jack’s icy gaze. Calico tosses Nico a wink before adding, “Well, what do you say we head home? Get some… not rotted food and stuff.” With that, Jack points the boys back toward home and strikes out.


"Calico Jack"