Namadi's Light. It really was a tiny mountain.
The journey between Chikukei and the Wolves' territory was short. That snowball stunt turned Capt. Tash into a walking grenade that not even Lien dared to pull the pin. However, no further complications made their trip unnecessarily longer except for one time when the pup was stuck on tree blood.
...What? That's what sap practically is. Read a biology book, dummy!
The hollowed mountain that Lien described could be seen in all its glory. Well, calling it a "mountain" was a little much. It was more like a sizeable mount, smaller than a football stadium. It was still impressive, nonetheless!
Stella had to admit that the cavern entrance was a bit intimidating. The two holes on top of long, sharp, teeth-like rock formations gave the illusion of entering a beast's gaping maw. What a warm and fuzzy reception, am I right?
As they entered Pantsti's mouth, the rock floor softened with each step until the Human's feet sank a few inches, forming deep footprints on the sand. At first, it was a bit uncomfortable, but she quickly acclimated to the minor inconvenience. Besides, what awaited at the end of the short tunnel had robbed her attention from everything else.
A beautifully quaint village was thriving inside the mountain's womb. Small huts made of wood and hay formed three rings around the rock formation's inside, like how the crust and the mantle protect the Earth's core. In Pantsti's case, the tight houses circled around an octagonal playground, where a towering jungle gym stood, far surpassing any building near it. Pups of Lien's size or smaller were effortlessly climbing the gargantuan toy like it was literal child's play.
Everything about Lien made more sense in just a few seconds.
Landing her eyes back to the ground, Stella noticed that the rest of the place wasn't much quieter. Countless Wolves of all shapes, colors, and sizes carried baskets, sacks, and dead animals throughout the narrow streets. The way they greeted each other varied, ranging from a regular handshake to a tight and warm hug... Which sometimes evolved into one of the Monoke dragging the other to the ground in a freaking suplex!
However, contrary to the chaos of Chikukei's market, all this kerfuffle felt organic, somehow. There was an odd sense of harmony in how each canine interacted, no matter how intense or disorientating it may be.
The entire village's light source came from the Sun, funneled by the hole on top. Lien had explained that her ancestors had cut the tip of the rock formation so they wouldn't live in complete darkness. It certainly contributed to this townlet's conflicting feeling of awe-inspiring modesty.
Before Stella realized it, she fell in love with the place.
"Euraidd. Hufen." Tash turned to the mages. "Escort the Human and the Knight to the hut n° 159. It's the one next to Raah's butchery."
The female twin was still cautious next to the captain but maintained her professionalism. "Of course, captain."
Tash turned to the Knight. "I'll speak to the elder first. I assume he'll want to speak with the girl soon enough, so refrain from sleeping for now."
Geez, she didn't even bother looking at Stella. Rude...
Well, at least her loyal friend Lien was-
...
"Where's Lien?" The Human asked.
It turned out that the pup was already miles away, at the feet of the jungle gym.
Damn it, what was she going to do? She was a complete stranger to this wacky village! She had no much choice. Until Lien miraculously remembered her existence, Stella would have to stay confined in a room with the Knight.
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...Wait, what?
"Excuse me, ma'am!" She called the captain. "Why are both of us sharing a hut?!"
Finally, Tash's gaze was locked on her. "I'm sorry, but we don't have enough space for TWO cabins for guests. Now, if you excuse me..." Before the girl could even process her words, the captain vanished.
She could've made a little effort to pretend she didn't hate Stella's guts, but it was what it was. The Human remembered the clear death threat at the noodles stand. Those claws were very persuasive.
The Knight had a more optimistic view of their situation, as always. "I know it isn't ideal, but look at the bright side! You'll be a roommate with the illustrious defender of Sayama himself, The Silver Knight!"
At least it wouldn't be boring...
He puffed his chest and put a hand on his hip and the other on his chest. "Spending quality time with a hero of my caliber is a privilege many Monoke crave!"
That prompted a snicker from Locci and Hufen and a full-blown laughter from Tarb and Euraidd. Even Stella couldn't hold her lips from twisting into a grin.
The hero shook his head. "Laugh all you want! But you know the validity of my claim!"
"We sure do!" Hufen added, then gently tapped her staff on the sand. "Now, come with us."
Euraidd scratched his head. "Can you do this alone, sis? I'm a little tired."
She narrowed her eyes. "Don't even try to push this task on me, you lazy jerk."
"Hey! You almost split my head in two back at the river house! I deserve this!"
The cream Wolf thrust her staff at her sibling's foot, making him whimper. "I did that for a good reason, you selfish asshole! If anything, I deserve spending quality time with my Human shows all day!"
The golden guard scoffed. "Wow! What a riveting show! There's nothing that I love more than Humans that can turn into us! Oh, wait! Some of them also suck blood from other Humans! I am SO in!"
Hufen snarled. "Don't you DARE disrespect 'Love Between Claws and Stakes' with your disgusting mouth!"
"Whatchu going to do about it, sis?"
"I'll shred that stupid game of yours!"
"Do it, and I'll throw your dresses on the swamp!"
These two wouldn't stop anytime soon, would they?
Stella and the Knight silently turned to the remaining guards. Tarb immediately grumbled. "Not my problem." Then walked away.
Locci awkwardly stared at them for a full minute before sighing with defeat and waving his arm for the Humans to follow him.
Since she had been dealing with those creatures since the first day in Sayama, Stella wasn't intimidated by the anthropomorphic canines any longer. Though the captain was a glaring exception. Curious glances were thrown at her, but they felt less invasive than the incident in Chikukei. She'd have to develop a thicker skin, knowing she was stuck in this forest for the rest of her days.
After a few minutes, here they were. Hut n° 159.
The door only had a handle. No lock to be seen. Did Wolves not believe in the concept of privacy? They really were Lien's people.
Locci waved them goodbye, probably returning to his own cabin. Stella then saw entire families of five or six exiting a single home. That was an introvert's personal hell.
"You can get yourself comfortable, Stella! I need to find another uniform in their stash." Asra explained. "I've been walking around in rags for too long!" Then he noticed how he had just put his foot on his mouth. "I-I'm sorry! I promise I'll get some clothes for you too!"
"I'm fine. Take your time, dude." Her hand hovered over the door, never touching it.
"Uhm. Thank you!" Her sudden words took the Knight's attention before he could turn away. "For everything." Why did these simple phrases of gratitude feel so difficult to utter? She wanted to bash her face into the door after that.
She should say something else to kill this cheesy vibe. That's it!
"Don't forget my training, you hear me!"
Nailed it.
The hero answered with a simple thumbs-up, then ran away without a word. It was all Stella wanted from him, honestly.
As it was expected, the hut was unsettlingly small. There was only a single room with two sleeping bags and a hearth at the end. A living room, bedroom, and kitchen all in one package? In her eyes, it was a five-star hotel!
Fortunately, a second room was almost hidden between the cabin's walls, just spacious enough so a person could fit in. In there, a lonely toilet stood. For a moment, she thought the Wolves threw their shit around and pissed all over the village, and maybe that was the case before Asra came in.
Namadi's light, when Stella was going to apologize to him? Each time that incident went unaddressed, she felt more like a piece of shit. Not only did she ruin the surprise reveal he was so passionate about, but she also cried like a little baby at the end. Pathetic!
"Calm down, Stella. There's plenty of time..."
She wasn't sleepy, not after those mist-induced naps. Strolling through Pantsti would be a terrible idea without someone to guide her.
The only thing left was... Count the seconds... Woo-hoo...
...
......
.........
Fuck, that's so relatable.