Lory shook her head, “I have no clue, Steve.”
Abby put her hand on my shoulder, “You should let it go.”
Funk nodded, “Indeed, letting it go sounds like a perfect plan.”
I sighed, “Alright. We should continue over the plains. It is very empty here for some reason, it could be because there was a dragon here a few minutes ago.”
Lory nodded and started walking, her tail moved in synch with her walk.
Abby sighed, “Steve?”
“Yes?”
“Why do you keep checking out her behind?”
Funk laughed, “Yeah, he does that a lot.”
I blushed, “Come on.”
Lory turned around, “He must like my tail a lot.”
I grunted, “Come on, stop teasing me.”
Lory ran away, “Nope, never!” I ran after her and jumped on top of her, we rolled through the grass. She smiled at me, “I got you.”
“What, I got you.”
She shook her head, “I am on top.”
“But, I tackled you.”
Lory looked around, “I think the opinions differ on that. I win.”
“But,”
Lory put her finger on my lip. “I win.”
I started scratching her behind her left ear, “How about, we both win?”
Lory did not answer, she just enjoyed getting scratched behind her ear. I suddenly kissed her, she reciprocated and then looked at me, “I think we really need to go on.”
Funk called out, “Are you guys coming, or are you not done with being all lovey-dovey?”
Lory got up and pulled me up, she whispered, “I still win.”
I smiled, “Fine, you win.” Hand in hand, we walked over to Abby and Funk.
As we continued walking over the plains, Abby looked at me, “May I ask you something serious?” I nodded. “Are you happier now with Lorraine in comparison to when you were with Haley?”
Without hesitation, I answered, “Yes, I am. I have never been this happy in my life.”
Lory smiled at me, “Steve makes me feel, complete. He is just, a unique man.”
“Thanks, Lory, I feel as if you are the other half I have been missing all my life.”
Funk looked at me, “You are a weird person, Steve. I have never met someone like you. I believe you can save this reality, with our help, of course.”
Abby chuckled, “He just had to add that. But he is right, you are a good man, Steve. And I am glad that Lorraine brings that out of you.”
“Thanks everyone, it means a lot to have you guys back me up like that. Before you know it, we will be near the blood path. That mountain is coming closer and closer. I hope Bella did not send us on a wild goose chase.”
Abby sighed, “Don’t talk about geese. That one in the beginning totally whacked me.”
I chuckled, “I remember that, we have become a bit better with swords, Abby.”
She nodded, “Yes, but I think you have always been good with swords, Steve.”
“What do you mean?”
“You fight as someone who has a lot of experience with fighting.”
I shook my head, “I never used a sword before coming here.”
Abby shook her head, “It might just be my imagination then.”
We kept on walking as the sun slowly disappeared from the horizon. It did not take long before we had reached the base of the mountain, luckily we did not get ambushed by something. “I suggest we set up camp before we go through the blood path. We have been traveling the whole day.”
Lory nodded, “Yes, we should do that.” Funk and Abby agreed, and it did not take long for camp to have been set up.
I walked away from the camp and sat down and thought about what we have been through so far. I think Abby is much stronger than she would like to admit, something is going on with her, when she thinks I am not looking, I see those black tentacles. And she talks to herself at night. Funk is hiding something as well, just like Lorraine, am I being kept out of the loop? I guess it doesn't matter, we will finish this quest. After that, I can be happy with Lorraine.
It did not take Long before Lory joined me, she looked at me, “Hello there, what is going on?”
“I am Just enjoying the sight of the full moon. What do you think of the full moon?”
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“It is beautiful. You know, I might have a lied a little bit when I said we are nothing like werewolves.”
“Oh, why is that?”
Lory howled at the moon.
I chuckled, “You never cease to amaze me, Lory. Do you have any other secrets?”
Lory chuckled, she poked her elbow against me, “Abby told me to say, this is not even my final form.”
I laughed, “What is she doing, giving you bad advice like that? But, what does it mean?”
Lory chuckled, “If a person of our race is at peace with his or hers inner side. You can tap into the power of a true wolf.”
“That sounds remarkable. Are you, by chance, at peace?”
Lory looked back to the camp, I looked as well, Abby and Funk were chatting with each other and drinking some soup. Lory took my hand, “Follow me.”
I followed her away farther from the camp until I could not see Funk or Abby anymore. Lory looked at the moon, she started undressing herself and putting her clothes in her inventory. I smiled, “That is not a bad sight.”
Lory put her hands on her waist, “You rather have me turn around.”
I laughed as Lory started howling, moon dust covered her. It did not take long before she transformed into a wolf. Quite a big wolf. “Holy moly Lory.”
She giggled, “I told you, that was not my final form.”
I kneeled in front of her, “You have pretty eyes.” I stroked my hand through her brown fur. It had these lovely patches of white through them.
She licked me, “Sorry, it is just an instinct.”
I chuckled, “Now what?”
“Why don’t you get on?”
“Like, sit on your back?”
“Yeah, you never complain when I ask you to sit on my back.”
“Lory, that sounds, wrong.”
“Yes, that is what I meant.”
I gently climbed on Lory’s back and grabbed some fur near her shoulders to hold on. “Like this?”
“Yes, like that.” She started running, I leaned forward as she ran very fast.
“Sorry if I am pulling on your fur, you are running very fast.” Lory let her tongue hang out of her mouth as she ran back to the camp. We stopped near the camp and Abby looked at me.
“Steve?”
“Yes?”
“Did you find a real wolf?”
“No, silly, this is Lory.”
Funk blinked a couple of times. “What?”
“Yeah, Lory, talk.”
She barked.
“Oh come on.”
Abby chuckled, “Nice try, Steve.”
Lory spoke up, “Sorry, I like to mess with Steve.”
Funk scratched his shell, “Just, how? Wolf people are not supposed to transform into wolves.”
Abby looked at Lory, “Do you like being a wolf? Is it like being a werewolf?”
Lory shook her head, “It is like just being a wolf. A werewolf has no control and seeks to hunt people. I am just, me. Only a bit, different.”
Funk sighed, “Let me guess, the full moon?”
Lory nodded. “Steve and I are going to run around.”
“Wait what?” She shot off at insane speeds. “Oh fuck, you are fast.”
I heard Abby and Funk chuckle as we speeded away, before long, we found a field of purple flowers, and they reminded me of violets. They were clearly something else.
Lory slowly walked through the flowers, and they flew into the sky. The moonlight made the flowers shine. “Oh my god, Lory, this is beautiful.”
Her head tilted up as she darted through more flowers, raising them into the sky. I could feel her happiness emit from her. “To be honest, this might be the most beautiful thing I have seen in this reality so far, after you of course.”
Lory giggled, “It is, indeed, beautiful.”
This patch of flowers is huge, and Lory did not seem to mind darting through the flowers to see how many she could raise into the sky. “Lory?”
“Yes?”
“I am glad you feel at peace with yourself, and that you can transform into a wolf.”
“Thank you, Steve, it is all because of you. You gave my life purpose, and meaning. You make me happy.” She started running faster, and we looked at the flowers raise into the sky. Lory started rolling, I fell off, of course.
I just lay on my back to look up. For a moment, it seemed as if everything was just, perfect. Lory jumped on top of me and looked down with her huge wolf grin. “Hello there, this is a perfect view.”
She lay down and put her head on my shoulder. “I love you, Steve.”
I smiled, “I love you too, Lory. It scares me to think what would have happened to me, if I had not met you.”
Lory let out a happy sigh, “I have that same feeling.”
I started stroking her fur, “We should just, enjoy the view for a moment.”
Lory looked up. “Yes, the view is perfect.”