“I can picture the very day I laid my eyes on you, the big beast whose smiles never seem to wane at the slightest irritation. O’creature of sunshine, your cheeks would soften like melted ice whenever I squeezed them. It was nothing but the light of day and our playful back-and-forth, there at the same old cabin. Hmm. I suppose it is time to abandon whatever is left, and move on to other matters. Farewell, my sweetheart.” Sobbing sounds echoed far and wide in the faraway woods.

…

-- Start of Chapter--

Light flickered in Morgen’s eyes. One moment she was walking, another and she would tumble onto the floor, dragged and scratched. It was all white. She tried, but her body wouldn’t shake off these uneasy feelings, more or less worsening it instead. She could feel herself pant, brashly. “Poof.” Something of her hit a tree trunk. She turned nervously. Then it hit again. Her headache grew harsher. Other than that was the feeling of her tail wagging around aimlessly, scared.

Suddenly she heard a shrieking sound, a screeching noise. She cowered in pain.

It came back again. Luckily, she was able to endure it more. She could hear it. “Morgen!” She screamed. She didn’t hear anything from herself nor the sound anymore. It became dark, too dark. Slowly she eased, until everything turned silent.

…

“Thud!”

“Thud! Thud!” The last hit knocked some senses into the beast. It was all black still. She could feel herself moving, not as fast as she thought, but moving regardless.

“Crack!” Morgen’s ears wiggled as if to locate the other sound. “Crack! Crack!” The speed of the second sound rapidly picked up speed. It felt small, but loud still. “Thudd! A larger impact sent her floating for a split second. Again, she couldn’t open her eyes still. Out of the sudden, she heard voices, muttered.

“Can… Speed… Much? She’s sleeping.”

“I’ll try…” That voice, the dullness and boredness, tickled her wrongly. ‘Am I kidnapped?’ She freakishly shook her body; no responses.

Her head was hit. The object wasn’t large, but the force was strong enough to crack open a nutshell. Nevertheless she tried opening her eyes. ‘Two small feet?’ She pondered.

“Wake. You had your sleep.” A voice, reluctant, called out to her, and a second later, the object smacked into her forehead again. “Immer!” A girly sound responded. The witty, annoyed tone caught her like a storm. ‘Charlotte… Charlotte!’

She began shaking, tears showering her face. “Please. Don’t punish me. I promise I’ll do anything to compensate for failing your mission. I’ve been sleepy a lot. I can explain!”

There was no answer for seconds before a laughing spree was unleashed. His voice was unbearably bizarre from the rest of them. “It worked! See? I didn’t even have to work my muscle.”

“It’s not like you’re having one anytime soon.” The girl politely struck. “And like how I told you. She’ll return to her state after only hours. My recipe could last her a month.”

“Well… We could just feed her again. You can just cook another batch, no?”

“NO!” Morgen and the girl sounded aggressively. For a split second Morgen was moonstruck, opening her eyes like a spring contraption let loose. All three pairs of eyes stared at her. There was Charlotte, a squirrel standing on her belly, and a depressed-looking donkey. All four paused in total confusion.

“Huh?” Morgen instinctively opened when the cart she was lying on accidentally hit a bump, almost sending her back. Fortunately, Charlotte caught her with all her strength before she slid back to the ground. The cart continued moving on without stopping.

…

It was the longest five minutes of silence all of them had to endure. The squirrel’s mouth was fuming, almost to a point of bursting out into a thousand words. Charlotte and he looked into each other suggestively, and the donkey peacefully continued treading through mud.

“Do you want to tell her something, Charlotte?”

“You’re telling her.”

“No? You tell her.”

“You.”

“No. Why not let Windig have a shot? Right, my friend?” The donkey slowly shook his head, sighing. With his listless face, he turned to Charlotte. “You’re with her. You should tell her.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Have some confidence in yourself, would you?” He blankly carried the cart and continued his business.

She paused. “Alright.” Patting her mane observantly, she closed her eyes for a second.

“You passed out, Morgen.” She hesitated and looked at Immer. His signal was ample. “So, I have to call these two. They’ll accompany you while I’m out. And yes, you’re not being punished for your condition. I should be the one instead.” The awkwardness grew. All but Windig looked around recklessly.

“Right… Hey, you’ll get treats and my precious nut collection even, if you’re nice and neat. Do as she-”

“How are you going to do it all alone? I can help with-” A sudden head rupture stopped her mid-sentence. Charlotte’s face was uneasy. “Don’t push yourself. It’s not like I’m going alone, alright. Correct, Windig?”

“Fine…” He looked down.

“Apparent enough. I’ll manage around there. Immer’ll take care of you while I hurried to you after finishing.”

…

The next bump stopped the cart entirely. Morgen eyed around. In front of her was a hut in the middle of the thicket. Light shimmered from the amethyst sky above, and the sound of the Great River was not too overwhelming that it would cause a headache again. Around the hut were jars dangling by threads; they held flowers, herbs and crops, some pickled, some dried and kept from the moisture.

“Willkommen. To the safe haven to injured residents around Askantel.” Proclaimed Immer thuderously. Morgen held her head as she rose from her ache; no discernible sounds irritating her to no end, too quiet in fact. As she put her leg down, the wet mud caught onto her just as quickly as she pulled out of it, splattering around. “Wet.” She uttered.

“Hmm?” Charlotte quickly accompanied by her side. “What’s wrong? Tell me anything.”

“What she meant is that the ground is wet. Clearly, someone’s wittier than wise Charlotte over here.”

“Shut it!” The both of them yelled and looked at each other confusingly. “Well. Anyhow…” He scurried to the door. “You two carry yourselves and come here. Let me holler an opening for both of you.”

“Do we really have to do that?” Charlotte frowned, one hand lifting Morgen’s immense weight as she descended. “It’s a tradition, or rather, his tradition. I don’t know what got into him.” Windig yawned. “Come, Windig. The door won’t push itself open, will it? Do your part.”

“Fine.” With a blank face, he walked to the front of the hut. Perhaps the only time he ever showed any other emotion was when the squirrel climbed his legs, tickling him somewhat. Eventually, Immer reached the top of his head.

“One, two, three!” Windig tackled the door, stopping at the right moment to prevent the door from breaking. Dust was swept from under the door, muddying the view for a second.

“Greetings, fellow wood dwellers. Look who I brought.” From inside, the little light that flashed onto the front of the hut masqueraded them like how a showman would present himself, casting shadow to the sideways. Immer’s burst of energy could almost be felt across the room, the waving of hands and the semi-acting face contrasting with a begrudged Windig standing awkwardly. In Immer’s mind, he could already hear applause showering him and his partner the second he busted in. And so, he stood there, in his ridiculous pose, for half a minute. The silence, however, struck like cold wind.

“Please clap.” He requested. Nobody answered.

“Hello?” He opened his eyes and gazed around. The room was dimly lit enough for him to eye around. There was no one, not a soul nearby; all beds were empty and the fruits were meticulously placed on a platter as if no one ever touched it before, some even reflecting what little light was in the room. “Wha-... What?” He hopped onto the counter to look around. The board-esque wood separating each beds were always a little shaky when someone was around; dust would sprinkle the floor and made a bit of a mess. Immer ran, feet almost too slow for what he intended them to be. “Curse these legs.” He looked above; the owls would always hang out around the ceiling, calling to him whenever he passed by their section. “Hello… Someone here, please answer.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Gradually the other three moved into the hut itself. “Use the rug. Please.” Windig calmly said before he finished brushing his against a special rug on the side especially designed for his stature. “You can use this one as well. Go on.” Nonchalantly, he walked to a hay-stitched seat and rested on it, unbothered by his friend’s frivolous rant. “Come on. Someone…?” He ran until he reached the last bed, where his facial expression changed. “Hah… I know you’d be here, still. But, can’t you be bothered to at least make a sound?” The assumed creature said nothing, although it clearly moved out of its original position.

“Immer, where should she be resting?”

“Moment mal! Tough nut over here had something.” The whispers and little quirks were eked out. As they continued, Charlotte looked back at her friend, clearly keeping her cool whilst the little sounds were running rampant. “You’ll be fine here. They’re not exactly perfect, but it’ll do for now.” Morgen only nodded willingly without saying anything.

“What do you mean by ‘they left’?” Only Immer’s voice was heard.

“You cleared them all? That’s wonderful. See? I told you to be here more often…”

“Well, we have a bit of a situation. Let me clue you in…” The mumbling got a little more active.

“What’s so hard about one more. I assure you. How about… fifteen pieces from my share? I’ll even stay and help you…” The pitch of the conversation got a little higher.

“Good. Then we have a deal.” After Immer ran to the counter, joyous, he stood in front of Morgen.

“Are you still alright over there? A thumbs up if you are.” Morgen raised her hand, careful not to overrush it. “Great thing. Let me introduce you to your main caretaker, the honey to a hive, the trunk of the-.” A throat clearing from across the counter sent a clearer message.

“Right… This is Nimmer. Let’s assume that she’s mute because she never talked. All she does is shake her head or nod it off.” He turned to look. “And, she’s gone back to her favorite view. I guess you’ll rest at bed three then. Follow me.” He quickly dashed back, followed by Morgen and Charlotte, limping step by step. “Erm… Like I said about them. They’re like pieces of broken glass, but you’ll fit in if you give them time. All you need to concern yourself with is your health, understood? Get some energy. You’ve gone through a lot today already.” Morgen nodded, tempered.

…

As the day progressed with the ever-dark sky, the amethyst line that determined time here began to unstretch itself from the long, overarching and straight line that it was in the morning. Before dusk, followed by nighttime approached and the line completely twirled itself into a circular, wavy pattern, birds of all types would sound loudly across the sparkly river for their peers to return to nest. Charlotte could hear her warning singing for her from outside, near the biggest river that originated from Mount Marble itself. She kept her cool, still. ‘Keep it down. Morgen’s going to know.’ She breathed slightly harder than before.

“How’s the warmth? Ample?” She asked Morgen, cuddling in a made-shift combination of beds. Poor Windig had to be called again. “Windig! I need a hand.” The hollering went on for an hour or two. Regardless, in no manner would he refuse a request. Anything, he seemed relieved that he was constantly being called instead of being left alone.

“Lucky for us. The three beds we have here barely contain you, huh, you oversized monster?” He dashed up to the window, overlooking the river itself. “Haha. Don’t take that too seriously.” The silence was too loud for him.

“Right… If you want anything, I’ll be right here.” All parties dispersed to their own corners. Charlotte’s smiley face slowly faded away as she turned back.

“Charlotte, there’s a spare chair for you. Let me get one for you.” Creaking sound followed Charlotte outside, followed by a sudden slam that ended all sound in the room.

“Windig…” The squirrel scurried across the room.

“Yes?” He yawned.

“Didn’t you hear?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Go with me. Up now, you.” The donkey’s leg wouldn’t budge even with Immer’s full force. Slowly, it faded into a panting session as he laid beside Windig.

“We have a situation. Don’t you see?”

“And that situation being?”

“The girl’s having a problem.”

“And?”

“What!? You’re just going to leave her be? Look at her face that time we put the dragon on the bed.”

Windig slowly lay on the haybale, his four feet flat. “And, is it your problem? If the girl’s having her issue, then let it be hers.” Immer’s eyes turned. “You selfish-” A foot pushed against his mouth.

“Hah… She doesn’t need our input to further her confusion. Sometimes…”

“Hmm.”

“We just need to solve our problems on our own.” Windig slowly lifted his foot off, Immer flabbergasted for a second. “ Now, leave me be. I need my sleep.”

“N-... No!” His voice swung like a tidal wave and his hands began ramming into Immer. He was soundly asleep. “Alright.” He rushed away, behind the counter’s view. An eye opened, followed by a bored remark. “Immer, you pesky perturbance.” He continued his meditation.

Suddenly, after what felt to him as a whooshing sound of air, he was struck; a hit to the head. It didn’t hurt much to Windig, but the constant arousal had gotten him more impatient than he wanted to be. Nevertheless, he resumed.

“Thud!” A hit second time around, he tried to calm down. “I need my sleep. I need my sleep.” He prayed to himself. The light that yanked his eyes gradually wore him thin. Then, he realized, “Was that my plate?” He didn’t want to lose his calm just yet.

“Smash!” A glassware broke, and a piece had landed on his skin, a clean small cut around his rib. “Immer…” He sounded solidly.

“If you don’t come with me, then I’ll break all your stuffs apart.” Immer inched a plate close to the edge. “You won’t change anyone’s mind with a tantrum like that.”

“Oh, I will.” Immer kicked it off the counter. It bounced on Windig and was about to shatter on the floor, but his foot caught it last second.

“Don’t play around… Fine, I’ll go.” He stood up, rightfully moody. “Clean this up.” He slowly walked out, brushing his feet against the stool to rub the hay out.

…

Frowning face drowned the area as if tears had flooded the woods. The surrounding trees had kept her expression a privacy from all the animals around. As she picked a stone, one by one, and threw down a slightly steep elevation leading to the river, the clashing sound echoed like a smithing hammer clanking on a piece of red-charred metal. Her head didn’t tilt nor move at all, while her legs dangled hopelessly.

Windig could see her from the door. His mood eased, his eyes waned in emotion, and his mind brought him back into the cabin, through the window and onto the slumbering beast. He breathed and waited, hesitant.

Out of the blues, a muffled voice rung. “Windig, the door. Open for me.” Windig bore no attention. From his view, Immer could’ve gotten out through the opening around the corner of the roof, just like what the owls did, and yet he had to open the door every time, so he waited, letting the voice get louder and more annoying. Charlotte continued to throw stones, watching the river waves go by. The crashing sound of water became almost deafening for her. Slowly, she turned, a creature in the yonder of her sight.

“Are you going to open that door?” Her face was blank, unresponsive. She patted the ground.

The banging continued for a while as Windig came and lay calmly beside her, until suddenly it stopped. Now, the wind took control of all sounds that accompanied her and Windig, drawing leaves around the recently swept grounds, now dried out and slightly dusty.

“It must be Nimmer.” Windig started, tucking his feets close to him and sweeping any stones poking out. “How is she, as a caretaker I mean?”

“She’s fine…”

“Just that? You know I need more than just that.” She began to show a semblance of any emotion as she looked ahead, Mount Marble in the distance, still and immutable.

“She’s… Dependable. She never lets her emotion get in the way of work, unlike that buffoon.”

“Good to hear. I was just trying to make sure.”

The silence returned for minutes. Immer had no sign of coming out soon while some muttering continued in the cabin.

“Tell me one thing.”

“Yes?” Charlotte tidied herself.

“What’re you two onto? Morgenwyrm would never out herself in any danger if it weren’t for you.”

“So, you know.”

“Not too hard to guess.”

“Well. How do I start?” The bashing of wind and water continued in the distance. Nothing besides the two of them were able to hear anything about the story. It went on and on. Leaves started to pile up more and more, until it covered the face of the grounds around the cabin. One layer down, two layer down, the story never seemed to reach an end.

“Hey! Don’t start without me.” An exhausted Immer clambered out of the hole and the cabin. With his small feet he nimbly ran toward the two. “Haha, Es tut mir leid! I was since just wrapping up until old Nimmer decided to scold me. I suppose I woke your beast up a couple times when I broke the glass and knocked on the door. I’m certain I wasn’t that loud. Where did I miss? Any story to tell?”

“I was just-”

“We’re just wrapping it up. No need.” Windig sent a sharp signal to Charlotte. It was the first time he ever maid any more-than-normal expressions to anyone. “Anything to say, Charlotte?”

“Right, I’ve decided that Windig and I would go from here. I have business to attend to anyhow. We’ll leave any due process in you and your partner’s care. Does that sound reasonable? I do hope so.”]

“I’ll go with the both of you too!” A foot pressed upon his mouth. Immer coughed profusely.

“Don’t put dirt in my mouth, you donkey.” He continued. “Arrgh!”

“Try eating one scoop if you start talking too much.” He sighed. “Besides, you made a promise with Nimmer, right?”

“Don’t bother. I’ll tell her.”

“Honor it.” The two towering figure sent Immer aback. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Good! Now, Charlotte, go pack your belongings. We’re going.”

“Wait… All is with me already. We’re free to go.” Charlotte jumped onto his back, tightening her sachet so it wouldn’t fall off.

“Tell Nimmer we’re going, and, clean the place up if you have time.”

“Come now. Are you really going to leave me with-” The galloping went, nonchalantly even, and the voice of Immer quickly subsided the deeper they went. Darkness also glided to them until it swallowed them whole.

…

“The fog of Dream, I could see it engulf the peak of Mount Marble for so long. Today it finally came down. Do you understand that, Windig? Destiny is said to be driven by the fog itself. Who knows what can happen there, for the worse or for the better. I don’t know myself, but whatever will occur, I want to be there to see it unfold with my own eyes.” The West Wind carried on its trajectory, uncaring of any disruption.