Waking up in a cave feels pretty strange and a bit worrying. Waking up in a cave with a mutant wolf snuggled up around you like a furry snake feels very strange and fully justifies the panic Mikvel currently finds himself in. Said wolf just grumbles at the squirming boy and moves its body into a more comfortable position, successfully squishing the silently screaming human.
"...Why are you moving so much?... I'm tired..."
"Fanv! Oof-! There's a mosht- MONSTER! It's cRUSHING ME-" He barely managed to speak with all the fur getting in his face and mouth.
"What- OH, sorry. Wait a sec, I'll- Ow! Don't tangle yourself up in my legs."
"Wait, you're the-... oh, I forgot- Watch your claws!"
The tangled mess finally divided into two after much squirming and Mikvel almost losing an ear to some misplaced claws.
"Why are you transformed? You gave me a heart attack."
"You complained about being cold all night. Fur makes people less cold."
She nuzzled Mikvel's shoulder to emphasize how warm and nice her fur was. He grunted and pushed her head away.
"Oof, stop that. Hey, don't- AH!"
Fanv misjudged her strength a bit and accidentally tackled Mikvel to the floor. Totally by accident. Mikvel responded by lightly punching her and trying to get her off of him. As they wrestled, Pohc made his way into the cave. He watched in amusement how the small (compared to the massive wolf) struggled in vain.
"You're so weak!"
"You've gotten fat! Too heavy!"
"Lies, I'm thin as a stick! Look at these limbs, one could mistake me for a spider!"
Both giggled and growled at each other. They ended the playful brawl when it became obvious that Mikvel had no chance of beating Fanv in her wolf form. Maker's singsong voice filled their heads just a second later.
Good morning little ones. While I am very disappointed that you only slept together last night-
"No, we didn't sleep with each other!"
"We didn't sleep together!"
What? Yes, you did? You slept in a pile of fur and skin and dresses?
"'Sleeping together' can mean you have sex! We didn't have sex!"
What?
"It's a saying. People don't just say 'they had sex' outright..."
"It's a human thing. You don't talk about sex. You hint at it at most! It's embarrassing to say it out loud..."
That is weird. Humans make things so complicated... Anyway, I have something to show you! Go to the entrance and step outside!
Mikvel and Fanv gladly left the subject behind. Sunlight was peeking through the cave opening, it felt a bit wider than usual.
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"You made the entrance wider?"
Just a little bit. Step outside! That is where the real change is!
They did as told and the sun greeted their eyes as they stepped outside. Mikvel winced a bit and rubbed his eyes. His eyes had just gotten used to the dark caves.
It was a bright and sunny morning. Dew dripped from the many trees and plants that surrounded the incline where the cave mouth lay. It was a crisp and refreshing scene but other than that...
"What are we looking for exactly?"
Look closer! Look at the plants!
"I don't see anything unusual?..."
Fanv crouched down and sniffed at the grass. The dew glistened in the sunlight and blinded her slightly when she turned her gaze around.
"The... Plants are... a bit darker? Maybe?"
Yes! I claimed it!
"Claimed?"
"Wait for real?"
It took a moment for Fanv to realize what Maker meant but when she did she could only gape. If the darker plants were Maker's doing then that meant she had claimed the area where they grew.
The entire incline is now part of my dungeon! Soon we will have the entire forest! Maker-kingdom is not far away now!
"Maker-kingdom? Wait so... The dungeon is growing? Is that a good thing?"
Yes, a very good thing! Hey Fanv where are you going?
Fanv looked up at that. She was halfway up the slope.
"I'm going somewhere? Where?"
I do not know. Are you?
"What?"
Your head feels a bit cloudy today, are you alright?
"I'm perfectly fine!"
You did not comment about me checking your mind... What is wrong?
"What?"
What?
"What?"
"I'm going for a walk. I need to burn off some energy."
Why did you not say so from the start?
"I didn't?"
"Fanv, you are acting kind of strange?"
"I feel kind of lightheaded."
"Uh, then you should rest."
"Nope, I'm gonna run!"
Mikvel didn't have time to protest before the wolf shot away into the forest. In mere seconds she was gone.
I am worried...
"Same here..."
Fanv was shooting through the forest at incredible speed. She felt as if she was flying and she was loving every second of it. The breeze sung in her ears and twigs and branches dragged themselves through her fur like fingers as she ran past them. She startled a herd of deer as she leaped over a hillside and landed in a clearing. The frightened deer scattered in all directions. Their fear left a thick intoxicating smell in the air. The wolf breathed in deeply and then chased after a doe.
A low buzzing was slowly filling her head as she chased the doe through the forest. The thrill of the hunt drove her to even higher speeds and the doe screamed as she slammed her jaws around its neck. The buzzing grew louder as she flung her head back and let the doe fly upwards. Its neck snapped with a pop and warm blood soon covered her muzzle. She couldn't think straight anymore, the fresh kill and the buzzing were the only things filling her mind.
The wolf took its time feeding on its prey before setting off into the woods again. It soon found the herd again and this time she went after a deer with impressive antlers. The deer reared and huffed at her as she drew closer, clearly intent on protecting its herd.
The wolf didn't slow down and when the antlers dug themselves into its gut it only howled in glee. It spun like a snake around the rack of antlers and then dropped down onto the deer's back. It reared again and bleated as the wolf dug its long claws into its flesh. The deer saw a blood red maw fly towards its face as the wolf spun its body and then the teeth dug themselves into its skull, shattering bone and splattering brain matter everywhere. The huge animal fell with the wolf still on top of it, none of its kin remained to help it.
The wolf feasted yet again and as the day grew older the buzzing grew louder and more animals fell prey to its unending hunger. When the full moon finally rose it couldn't contain the raw primal emotions that were raging through its mind any longer. A bloodcurdling howl split the air, followed by a terrifying imitation of laughter. In the distance, another howl answered the first. Then another one, and another one. The Visvarg answered the strangers with glee and then set off towards them. The normal wolves never realized what hit them. The defensive ones growled and tried to scare away the outsider but were met with teeth and claws.
The remaining pack members circled the strange intruder with a wary glint in their eyes. When the Visvarg made a purring noise at them the first wolf started walking towards it. The other females soon followed.
[Creature Visvarg(Fanv) gained a title!]
[Broodmother]
Huh?.........FINALLY!