"Come on! Go up, you heavy bitch!"

Stella has been doing this song and dance for three days.

Every morning, she meditated under the pego tree, gathering Saniya and willing it to cycle through her body. Each day, she noticed more ease in the process and that she was accumulating ever-larger quantities.

After a lunch break, which she spent at Pantsti's public restaurant, devouring an immense chunk of roasted boar or deer, the girl met the Knight on their secluded training grounds for physical training. Much to her pride, the armor felt slightly lighter by the day, reaching a point where she could run while wearing it for a few seconds. Thanks to Asra's healing magic, her sore muscles weren't much of an issue when she woke up.

However, the mighty boulder was still a hurdle on her journey. No matter how much her muscles burned with perseverance or how her mind threatened to shut off, it wouldn't abandon the ground, not even an inch! It taunted her, challenging her to break his winning streak under the fading rays of the sunset.

"I BELIEVE IN YOU, STELLA!" Of course, her heroic personal trainer was unwavering in his support. "Here! I've got the perfect soundtrack!"

She was too busy to see the source, but suddenly, an 80's rock song started blaring in her ears. The moment the guitar began, its strings rang through her entire body, triggering her resolve.

"THAT'S what I'm talking about!"

♫Rising up, back on the street.♫

Stella planted her feet and gritted her teeth...

♫Did my time. Took my chances.♫

She bent her knees and clutched the bottom of the boulder. Taking deep breaths, she let the music psych her up.

♫Went the distance. Now I'm back on my feet.♫

♫Just a man and his will to survive!♫

With a fierce growl, she pushed her muscles to their limit!

♫So many times, it happens too fast.♫

♫You trade your passion for glory.♫

A vein popped out of her forehead. The self-doubt started to infect her mind.

♫Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past.♫

♫You must fight. Just to keep them alive!♫

Then... Her fingers were not touching the ground anymore.

♫It's the eye of the tiger. It's the thrill of the fight!♫

♫Risin' up to the challenge of our rival!♫

Her eyes threatened to pop out of her skull! But she couldn't care less! The thirst for victory clouded her judgment!

♫And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night!♫

♫And he's watching us all with the EYE-♫

Stella's ear-shattering roar blasted through the clearing as her hands gripped the damn boulder!

♫-of the tiger!♫

She did it! She lifted the mighty rock!

...For about two inches.

Her arms gave out. Gravity claimed the boulder with a loud crack.

She used the last of her energy to turn to the Knight, whose expression was none other than of complete shock, possibly pride. He held a boombox, colored with the same theme as his armor. Because, of course, it was.

"P-Pretty sick... Huh...?"

The world tilted for the poor girl until her head had a meet-cute with the dirt.

Then, complete darkness.

Ah, sleep. Mortals' fleeting reprieve from their mundane routines.

Don't you find it fascinating that hours turn into minutes at best inside the sleeper's mind? Dreams, a nonsensical casserole of memories and ideas, serve as their only companion. If they ever arrive, that is.

...

Fuck, this is why I HATE narrating people slumbering. How can I even describe absolutely NOTHING?! Lien has her other senses, at least!

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"HELLO! ANYBODY HOME?!"

Stella's eyelids opened. That voice...

The girl jumped out of her sleeping bag, excited to greet the pup standing at the open door, which there was no doubt she kicked open. Asra should've installed a damn lock on that thing by now.

However, she couldn't care less right now. Not if the one invading her space was-

"Lien!" The two ran to each other, colliding into a tight hug! "I haven't seen you in days! What happened?"

"Grounded." The pup sighed when they broke contact. "Let me tell you, it was HELL! The hole is so boring! Nothing interesting in there!"

Stella cocked an eyebrow. "Wow. You mean it literally."

The pup scoffed. "Duh!" She clutched the Human's hand. "Right! I came to invite you to a playdate!"

Focused on the warmth of Lien's paw on her skin, Stella lost track of her words. "What did you say?"

"A playdate! All my friends know about you, so you MUST meet them!" She hopped up and down with unmatched eagerness.

Stella calmed her heart down. It wasn't that kind of date, but meeting her friend group still seemed like a big deal. Gosh, what would she wear? Was her hair too messy? Did Lien care?

Her sweet voice melted the Human's defenses. "So? What do you say?"

Stella's first thought was to ask her paw in marriage. However, her rationality hadn't totally eroded yet, so she only nodded in response.

"Sweet!" Suddenly, the pup pulled her by her hand, suspending her like a kite as they escaped the hut and crossed the village through the crowd of furry, sometimes feathery Monoke. The sun had long settled, leaving the lighting under the care of the oil lanterns scattered throughout the townlet.

It barely took two seconds until Stella accepted her friend's chaotic invite and went with the flow.

The girls quickly arrived at the village's square, though octagon might have been the more fitting term. The weaving, intertwining, serpent-like trees formed an intricate jungle gym where countless Wolf pups were climbing, napping, and dueling on top of the unnatural plant formation.

Stella patted the dust off her clothes while Lien impatiently tapped her foot. "What are you guys doing up there! GET DOWN!" Her sudden, commanding voice made the Human flinch. Maybe the pup takes more of her mother than one would expect.

As on cue, six pups crashed down near the girls, lifting a cloud of dust that forced Stella to close her eyes for a few seconds.

When her vision resumed, she saw they were... even younger than Lien. Their height only reached her friend's belly.

The pack's combined weight slammed the older pup to the ground, much to her joy. The Human found the scene adorable in a way only Wolves could pull off. Their child-like smiles, their fluffy tails, their tiny teeth as they playfully bite their target.

As if Lien couldn't be more adorable in Stella's eyes.

"Sis! You took so long!" One of the children, who was chewing her ear, pouted.

Lien caught the younger Wolf in a chokehold and started noogying them. "Sorry! I was catching my Human friend first!"

All pups' ears perked by her explanation.

"Is she here?!" Another one, possibly a girl, eagerly asked.

The older pup nodded, then pointed in Stella's general direction, only missing the mark slightly. Fortunately, it was enough for the pack to notice who she was talking about.

The Human stepped back as the rowdy toddlers all ran toward her. She had the feeling they were even more unhinged than Lien. Thankfully, by some miracle, they all stopped in their tracks inches away.

Stella's fear quickly faded, replaced by the urge to shower each pup with pets. They were like mini-Liens! Their fur color varied from brown to grey, white, and black. Their curious eyes analyzed her with awe and expectation, shown by their swishing tails. Her heart would melt into a gooey mess if they kept that up.

Their clothes were similar to Lien's and Stella's, except one with an adorable, medieval-like white dress. Their skirt was greyed and tattered.

"Miss." The Wolf in the skirt spoke first. "You're really a Human?"

Their eyes widened in anticipation. Gosh darn it! She wanted to squeeze them so hard!

"Yup!" Stella flashed a thumbs-up! "The first in a few years! Call me Stella!" Her cocky smile was intended to leave a great first impression on the furry devils.

Before they could lunge at the poor girl, Lien took their attention. "Hey! Take it easy with her!" She wrapped her arm around the Human's waist, pulling her close. Stella's cheeks burned by this bold yet non-intentional gesture.

The Wolf held one finger at them in a chastising gesture. "She's going through some training, so no playing rack with her!"

All pups straightened their postures as if they were soldiers and Lien was their commander. "Yes, sis!" They shouted in unison.

Stella held back her smile while Lien showed hers unashamed. "That's more like it!" The Monoke unwrapped her arm, then clasped the Human's cheeks, forcing their eyes to meet. Why could she make the worst possible gestures every single time?!

"How fast can you climb the tukutim?!" Her grey eyes were pointed at the girl's forehead.

Stella blinked. "The what?"

"Why even wake up, Stella? You should've known better!"

As a misguided attempt at impressing her Wolf crush, the Human decided it was a good idea to climb the infamous tukutim, the winding trees that reside at the heart of Pantsti, more known as the pups' jungle gym.

Who even created this unnatural defiance of natural law? Or did nature actually give birth to these freaky plants?

Climbing wasn't the issue. Stella's training bore fruits in terms of her strength and athleticism. However, she wasn't nearly at the level of the Wolves yet. Not even the smaller ones! As if her ego could take such a heavy blow...

The thick trunk she was holding onto had curved horizontally, leaving Stella some space to stand and rest her arm, still sore from the boulder lifting.

As she looked upwards, her eyes widened at the barely lit labyrinth that awaited her, only visible because of the faint light of the lanterns that broke through the leaves. The girl could better describe the layout as if a group of giant drunk snakes had thrown a party and suffocated by coiling around each other. Then, somehow transformed into trees.

The childish voices of Lien and her friends echoed through the winding platforms. It was morbidly funny how such a sweet sound could send shivers down her spine under the right scenery.

Stella carefully walked through the horizontal trunk until it wrapped around another, forming a wooden knot. She grabbed onto a vertical one, needing to pull off a jump she never thought possible before her Saniya training. However, it did bruise her stomach on impact.

"Damn it!" Stella cursed under her breath, sucking her teeth. Regardless, her muscles fought through the burning and kept marching on. The girl didn't have much experience with tree climbing, but her newly-cultivated raw strength did the heavy lifting.

Does this count as a pun? I'll assume yes.

Reaching another knot, the Human clung to another trunk, barely minding the countless splinters piercing her skin. This one was horizontal, so she could use it as a resting spot.

Her sigh of relief was interrupted by a sudden quake on her "branch." Her first and correct assumption was that someone had landed from a higher platform.

"H-Hello?" The lack of light put Stella at unease.

"So, you're the Human my cousin keeps gushing about..." That Wolf's voice was more baritone than Lien's, although not as much as an adult's.

As the unknown Monoke walked into the dim light, Stella could see most of his appearance. He wore a cloth around his neck and shoulders and looser pants than the girl's. In typical YA werewolf fashion, he wasn't wearing a shirt.

The cherry on top was his fringe. However, unlike Lien, his was definitely not a result of negligence, similar to one of those "emo" teens Stella had crossed paths with from time to time.

She stood up. "Y-You talking about Lien? I didn't know she had a cousin." She stretched her hand. "Nice to meet you!"

The male pup grinned. "I can't say the same to you..."