Corbin was a brave warrior and explorer, at least in his own mind.  The brave warrior had already fought a crow, and explored all their territory and nothing could stop him!  Magic was about and it was fun, even with the change of season the magic in the land lasted.  Now, the story was that wolves had heard from the dead before and the best time was always when magic stuff was happening.  

Dad had once mentioned a family member who had saved him from nearly getting maimed a long time ago.  That would of made dad’s cousin a hero.  A volcano had erupted, Melanthios had been trapped and he’d died.  Corbin had never seen a volcano before but he already knew they were dangerous.  He still didn’t know a ton about dad’s cousin, at the time he hadn’t thought to ask for details like that.  He’d asked a lot of questions but only about exciting things.

Now Corbin had put a whole lot of time in considering how to meet ghosts.  If other wolves had got to meet ghosts wasn’t it only fair he did after all?  He had considered the fun gas that made you see stuff but those things weren’t always real and this time he wanted a real ghost.  Sugar rush from rock candy?  No, that tasted yummy but never did any good talking to dead before.  Anyway, he’d already helped himself this morning and no dead wolves had shown up.

Corbin made his way to the lake, staring into it and ears pricking forward on spotting his reflection.  Maybe the dead lived underwater?? Now, the notion to jump in and see if there was exploring he could do down under the water did come to mind for a moment but was then cast aside.  His parents said they couldn’t go deep if they weren’t around.  Hmm, but did hunting for ghosts make this different?  Probably not, and how good is a conversation with a relative if you can’t breathe?  Well, talking could be an issue as well.  Oh!  Hey, ghosts didn’t breathe right?  So they really could live underwater.

Water was the only place you could ever see yourself so this made perfect sense.  Reflections had to be magical.  Corbin stepped into the water but went no deeper than where his paws could still touch the ground.  This gave him a great view of his reflection in the water.  Well, now what?  The problem with this is he had also seen his reflection in the water a lot and nothing happened.

Corbin pondered for a bit then decided that maybe he just had to call to the ghost!  Corbin had never really tried to talk to a ghost before and maybe that was all the difference.  Corbin closed his eyes, trying to forget everything living.  Yup, think of dead ol’ bones, graves, and the smell of that gas in the cave.  He had no real idea what it would smell like in a grave but he imagined moist earthy and stinky.  

Dad’s cousin was brave and had died in a volcano, no, from a volcano.  In volcano’s were even worse though faster deaths.  “Melanthios, I summon you!” Corbin called out in his most commanding voice.  The boy remained quiet, glancing from side to side and wondering how long it would take a ghost to come after you summoned it.

Being an incredibly patient pup he waited a good two minutes before deciding this wasn’t working.  Ghosts travel faster than that right?  Corbin dunked his head under the water, opening his eyes then squinting them at the feeling of the water up against his eyes.  He tried to call again but jerked his head out of the water right after, coughing out water.  Huffing he ducked his head under the water again, looking about for any sign of a ghost.  Oooo there was definitely stuff down there. Not overly far he spotted a dead fish remains, the bone and part of the head.  Further away where the water went deeper he saw sparkly, wondering what was down there.  

The boy's head came up again.  Well, it would be fun to try and swim underwater but breathing was definitely still an issue.  “Heyyy Melantios!” This time Corbin glared at the water as he said it, “I said I summoned you!  I’m Corbin, dad’s son. Uh, Gav’s son!”  It was weird to not just call dad ‘dad’ but maybe the dead spirit didn’t know that!  “We are family so you should come when I call you!”  Clearly, the ghost didn’t know how it worked.

Corbin was dead set that water was the whole trick, mostly because he hadn’t come up with any other ideas and this one sounded pretty cool.  “You sleeping or something?  I want to meet you!”  Wait until he told everyone he talked to a ghost!  Obviously, this would work now.

"Family"

They had been at rest. Or at least resting as much as they could after a burning branch had trapped and ultimately killed them. The fire wolf felt worse for their cousin however. Gavroche was never very bold or outgoing… and not knowing what has become of the tiny winged wolf bothered them greatly. Gav's first companion, Houdini, had died from smoke inhalation and had joined Mela, so at least their time in Somnium was not alone. Still… the tricolor wolf yearned for the day they would meet again.

They had become able to walk in the land of the living and of course Melanthios had become drawn to where their cousin was. He had a growing family and Melanthios felt peace at this. The fire just had to wait now for the veil to close and they would slip away, unseen, unknown… or so they thought.

A voice called out for them and the spirit turned their attention to a kid. Corbin, wasn't it? They moved closer to the pool of water. The kid was summoning them? So Gavroche had told his kids of them… interesting.

Glancing around Melanthios spotted a frog on a lily pad in the water. Without thinking they moved towards it and, sure enough, they were able to slip into the frog's body. Not the most comfortable of arrangements but it would do. The frog's gaze shifted to the fiery hues of Melanthios' own gaze and they shifted their attention to the pup.
"Bold of you to call for a spirit. You wouldn't be able to see us in our normal form. But I am here, and I will use this frog to speak to you." The dire rumbled.

"Why do you summon me, young Corbin?"

Corbin had been summoning a cousin, a wolf.  Someone brave and the boy imagined large and really strong.  When a voice called to him Corbin turned his head expecting to see such a form appearing from the watery depths.  And the enthusiasm drained out at first because he was looking at, a frog??

With the shock of a frog talking it took a moment to realize it wasn’t a frog instead of a wolf but the wolf talking from the frog. Why couldn’t he see Melanthios?  That was weird. “Soo, um, a frog?”  Corbin lay his head so that it rested on the top of the water, tickling along his jaw. Surprise wore off and he grinned, “Hey that’s pretty cool!  So now you can breathe underwater!” He was right!  Ghosts could breathe underwater!

“Well, I am brave,” Corbin decided he had to agree with the spirit on that account, “buuut, I was just summoning for spirit of a family member so I’m not sure if that’s really my bravest moment.”  The boy grinned next, “So, dad made it sound like you were pretty awesome.  You saved him once too, when there was a volcano.  So I wanted to meet you.  I was kind of hoping to see what you had looked like…” the last line dragged out, “But I guess this is still cool.  Anyway, I’m gonna become a great fighter when I grow up.  I thought you might have cool stories to tell me about.  And, you know, meet another member of my family.  Cause family is important.”


"Family"

Melanthios chuckled. "For the moment. If I were to visit you in your dreams you could see me in my real form - I'm taller than your mom." Mela explained. And the kid wasn't necessarily wrong. They would be able to breathe underwater now, being a frog and all. But how long could they possess this creature? Hmm… They didn't dwell on that thought for long. For now they would focus on the pup.

"I may have been the one to answer but there are other spirits about. They could have answered your call as well. But I was closest." Melanthios' gaze didn't stray from the pup. So Gavroche had spoken of them? It seemed their cousin remembered their sacrifice… and honored them by keeping their memory alive.

"Twice, actually." Melanthios said with a chuckle. They had explained they could come to the kid in the dream world between Somnium and the world of the living, if the boy really sought them out.

"Family is the most important thing in the world, and can be what makes a good fighter into a great one. Having someone you care about… it makes a difference in your drive." Melanthios shifted on the lily pad.

"Your father has always been a tiny thing, and kind. He was born with those wings of his… but our grandmother saw them as a curse, and saw his size as a scourge on our family name. She had chosen me to be the heir of her empire but when she chose to target Gavroche…no threw it all away." Melanthios gestures with the frog's front legs.

"She tried to tear his wings away. A pup, just a bit bigger than you are now. I would not stand for it. Standing up for the right thing is not always the easiest, but you must push past the challenge and fear. I moved between her and your father, and she turned her ire to me. We fought, fangs flashing, claws ready. We maimed on another, scars sure enough left on our bodies from the blows of the other." Melanthios bubbled up a growl that came out as an angry croak.

"She banished us both… but I found your father again here, in Boreas. Still the kind, gentle healer I'd known him to be." The dire looked back to the pup. "Will you stand to defend your family, and your pack Corbin? Even if the odds are stacked against you? Will you fight to keep those you love safe? Even if it may one day cost you your life?" Just like running with Gavroche when the volcano erupted had cost them theirs.

The frog, once wolf, said it was even bigger than mom!  Now, for a moment Corbin couldn’t help but picture a giant frog since he was seeing it come from a frog's mouth.  What an image!  It didn’t last more than a breath though as he then shifted it to a large wolf.  Mom was anything but small so this wolf had been huge.  

“Well, wait, can other spirits actually hurt us?” It didn’t seem to scare Corbin but just make him more enthralled with this whole spirit notion.  “I mean, sure won’t hurt me in a frog's body.  Can they hurt me in their body even when I can’t see them?  Do they take other forms?”  Now that last part had more possibilities.  Corbin shrugged, “I didn’t think about that.” Straight up sharing his ignorance of it.  This was totally worth it anyway.

“How do I call you in my dreams?” Corbin’s brow furrowed, “I mean, I don’t know what I’m doing when I’m asleep.  I guess I can learn…”  How do you learn if you’re asleep though?  Well, there was probably a way.  Plenty of things Corbin still had to learn.

Melanthios spoke of the importance of family and how it could increase your drive. Bright curious eyes changed to show a bit more confidence with a firm nod.  He had wanted to run from the crow or at least just try to keep it away from him.  Yet, when it had tried to hurt his sister Corbin had rushed into attack.  Family did make a difference.  Just a crow to some, it was an enlightenment to the boy at that time.

Corbin waited to ask more questions, listening to the story in awe.  There was no doubt he was drawn in, soaking up all the details. The boy's mouth started to open in a true jaw drop as the frog, errr wolf.. mentioned Corbin’s great grandmother.  How could anyone think dad’s amazing wings were a curse?? Wings!

Numerous questions had come to his mind but before he could ask them Mleanthios was asking Corbin a question instead.  It was hard to look imposing and with a proud bearing when most of you is underwater and you are still a cute pup.  Corbin did his best serious expression, raising up his head a bit, “I won’t let anyone hurt my family.  I’m no coward.  I’m not scared of anything!” Ok so maybe that crow had been scary but he’d fought it anyway!  So, that didn’t count toward being scary then right?

“But, how can wings be a curse?” The questions returned to his mind, “are your scars really cool looking?  You both got banished but, not together? You had to find him again you said."

"Family"

“I am not certain if they can or can’t, young one. I know that we’re able to possess some creatures, so I wouldn’t rule out the possibility they might take control of something that might try to hurt you after all. I would never hurt you, though… and for the record, I chose this form as the easiest way to answer your call.” Melanthios told him. “I know other forms are possible but… who knows what form they might take?” The dire wolf wasn’t entirely sure either. This was a whole new experience for them too.

“I’m not entirely sure how the dream walking works either… but I know that is a way the living can reach Somnium throughout the year. Maybe you just have to wish really hard to reach out to a specific wolf, and feeling your wishes we are able to reach you. I don’t think the spirits can hurt a living wolf, but the dream might be more vivid, so you remember more when you wake back up.” Mela allowed their eyes to wander the area of the falls. “I would not mind helping you learn more as well, should you ever enter that state. I wasn’t able to pass on my fondness for battles to your father after all.”

Melanthios fell quiet for a moment, letting the boy speak again. He seemed sure of himself, and Mela chuckled. “Young Corbin,” They began. “Being brave does not mean you’re not afraid of things. Being brave, in its truest form, is being scared to death but standing up for the right thing anyway. When I stood up to my grandmother I was scared - she was an empress, the most powerful wolf over several packs, but if I hadn’t your father would have been severely hurt.” The topic shifted, and the boy asked how wings could be a curse.

“Other wolves may believe different things, but because it is such a rare thing to occur, our grandmother saw it as bad. Yet, in the teachings of Foi, the Allmother, Celeste, has a pair of pure wings, much like your father’s own.”  Again they shifted on the lilypad.

“As for my scars, I supposed they could be considered cool. I have two on my face, one over my mouth and one over my left eye, smaller ones, and much larger ones on my right should and right hip, smaller ones again on my right knee, left forelimb, and two upon my chest. All of them earned in battles defending the innocent from those who would harm them.” Melanthios thought the scars were cool, even if they were a bit of a sight to look at.

“Yes… I was banished on the spot for standing up to the empress. Gavroche was banished shortly thereafter, with the promise that should he return he would be killed. I came across him again here in Boreas, not Auster, and we had stuck together until the volcano erupted.” Melanthios’ gaze became distant, their voice becoming quiet.

“Fire and ash rained from the sky… It was a very, scary time. I was leading your father far away from the danger zone… but…” Melanthios glanced at the pup. “A branch, weakened by the fire on it, broke and fell on me. It was very big, and in the position it had me pinned I couldn’t get it off. Your father had tried, getting burned himself… in the end, I had to tell him to go on and save himself. If he had stayed there and kept trying to remove the branch he wouldn’t be alive anymore either.” The topic had shifted to a saddened one.

“Your dad is a good wolf.” Melanthios added at the end. “He’d do anything for his loved ones.”

--
So, Melanthios could use other things besides a frog.  That was good knowledge.  If Corbin died someday and was summoned he could surely find something better than a frog.  Melanthios also didn’t know much about how Somnium works and only that it could.  Corbin’s ears had pricked up high when Melanthios actually offered to help teach him.  Woah, learning lessons from a dead family member!  And the frog wolf was cool enough to have actually come when Corbin had called for them. Corbin’s lip’s turned into a confident smile.  

It was alright to be scared, so long as you could still fight when scared!  Corbin was doing things right then!  Yup, soon enough he’d be taking down the strongest in challenges.  It was always nice to hear these things from one more source.  On the other hand, it wasn’t so great knowing your great-grandmother was a pretty horrible wolf. “I can’t imagine mom or dad ever doing anything like that.  Hurting us.  How could she hurt her family…” It had all been fun and great and wonderful until the boy’s mind considered that.  The enemy hadn’t been some villain to just appear out of nowhere but a family member.

Then the mention of scars and Corbin nodded, “those do sound pretty neat.  I guess I don’t really want to get scarred..” the pain process, and losing in a fight and all that was pretty unwanted, “but all fighters get scars right?  So if I have to get them I want them to look cool.”  The boy still had more naïve imaginings of this, not the reality of the torn flesh and muscle or the searing pain that could come with it or permanent damage done.  The naivete of youth.

Corbin had been told a bit of the fire story but it was fun to hear it from this frog wolf.  Corbin bobbed his head appreciatively with the story.  “You know, this does sound kind of funny coming from a frog.”  Corbin tried imagining a sky of fire and ash but that was a harder sight to picture but it certainly had to be scary.  What would he do if fire rained from the sky?  Running to mom and dad admittedly was his first thought.  Sure wasn’t very brave.  Well, he’d make sure his other siblings got there also.  That sounded better.

Corbin let the story sink and tried to imagine the frog as a proud tall wolf with scars. “I wish you hadn’t died.  I’d enjoy getting to know you, I mean the living you.” The words were said humbly.  He couldn’t imagine a dream world being the same as knowing the wolf in the living world.  “and I know!” cheering up a bit on the last, “dad’s great! And ya know, I like his wings”  This was true.  He’d teethed on his dad’s wing, played with the feathers that came out and tried climbing on them and curling up to dad under them.  Wings were the best.

"Family"