Chapter 12

I had to yawn and stretch, yet my eyes stayed closed as I wrapped my paws around Nimco again. I nuzzled his lil nose, which was moister and gave a kiss, which was reacted to with a sneeze? What? Sleep started to pull me back to sweet darkness, yet my inquisitive nature took over. I opened my eyes and saw the pup before me with their deep oceanic eyes, and I had to give them a kiss. “Lub ya, Firfir.”

Firum responded excitedly and wrapped their paws around my sides, pulling me in closer. “Doing good, pubp?” I nodded happily and just nuzzled their chest floof, thanking them for how they handled it. I lay in their vines for a little while longer before looking up past the pup before me.

“Thankis you too, Scinthi.” I softly said, smiling up at her. A vine gently patted my head before returning to scrolling the tablet. Her bark face turned its attention from me again, and her quadruple eyes gently scrolled down the page again and again. I stretched again, looking around for my own tablet. I couldn’t see it anywhere until a vine tapped my shoulder and pointed towards the table. I thanked Scinthi again and went to get it. Yet, before I moved a muscle, Scinthi scooped it up and handed it to me.

I scrolled through the different feeds, but none really interested me. However, Firum did find many things interesting, especially the old stream of the game that was found recently. I put it on again, and we watched it together. It had a lot of technical terms that Firfir had trouble understanding, so we paused it a lot, and I explained to them what was meant. Eventually, they asked why I knew so much about it, and I told them how much TLoZ meant to me, as it was one of the things I used to play with mom before she sadly passed.

Their gentle touch and excitement released a slew of emotions, both negative and positive. Thoughts of Kohlat’s enjoyment of watching me play and gushing about all the games I loved. Those happy hazel eyes, sparkling as he looked at me, very much the way that Firum looked at me now. It hurt, but it couldn’t take away the joy from Firum. The past is in the past. Firum had become a new light in my life.

Trying to push beyond my dark past, I focussed on myself, on Firum and on the stream. Firum rubbed into me as if they felt my mind drifting off, needing the positivity that they brought. I hadn’t noticed how my breathing had sped up, yet I did notice it calming down now. Scinthi’s vine brushed my back, barely avoiding my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I breathed in sharply, tension building.

Calm down, is okay. No worry, no bad. Firum rubbed into me more, their eyes looking towards me, asking whether I was okay. I breathed out, the tension rushing out with stale air. I was okay. Bending forwards, I kissed Firum gently, the vine on my back not causing a physical reaction, yet my emotions were still volatile.

Looking up at the time, I noticed how late it was getting. Outside, the sun began to set, the last glimmering lights fading. My paw moved before my mouth again as I let out a yawn. The idle attention that Scinthillus gave us turned to active as her tablet lowered, “Say pup, how about we head home?”

Firum let out a loud whine, wishing to stay still and gave their biggest puppy eyes possible, causing Scinthi to almost shiver. Her vines moved to pat her pup, quickly trying to pacify her as she couldn’t see Fir sad, “Don’t worry sweetheart, we can stay if Cifran is okay with it. Are you okay with it?” My ears perked up at the question, and excitement entered my step as my tail began to swish. Yet below the surface thoughts and emotions began to broil again.

My breath, although speeding up, became a little bit more laboured as my chest filled with a pain. My eyes started to ache, tears wishing to flow freely, yet I kept it inside. The other two still looked questioning, seemingly oblivious, but it couldn’t be the case, right? “Ehm, yea, you two could stay.” As the words left my mouth, I knew that they knew. The croaking of my voice was a dead giveaway.

Firum looked hesitantly, not really knowing how to deal with it as it wasn’t a breakdown like last time. Yet, it was still obvious that I wasn’t doing okay. Suddenly overlaid, I saw Kohlat, those hazel eyes and dark beak, moments before he left me. I froze and stopped breathing, my eyes opening wide, tears inching closer to rolling down my cheeks. I opened my mouth and forcibly breathed, my whole body shuddering.

“Do you need some class E, sweetheart?” Scinthi offered. My head thawed, and I shook my head, the illusion fading. With it, my breathing became easier again. I sniffled a little, then looked back towards them with a smile. I was at a loss for words, not knowing how to explain what had just happened. I badly wanted to, yet I couldn’t. My breathing came more naturally again, and I moved forwards to hug Firum, gently nuzzling their head.

I placed a soft kiss on their brow, feeling them relax in my arms, “I am doing okay again, sweetie, just some bad thoughts and emotions. Don’t worry.” I squeezed down on them, feeling the tension leave as I held them close. A vine moved to my shoulder, and I looked up. Scinthi looked down softly and nodded her head, thanking me.

Tiredness quadrupled, and I nearly fell as exhaustion took place. My vision blurred, and another yawn caused my jaws to spread, my eyes becoming moist. Scinthi quickly wrapped vines around us and lifted us just as my tablet pinged. I opened my mouth to ask her to get my tablet, yet another yawn took over, and I knew it was better for a good night’s rest.

I pointed towards my bedroom. Scinthi took the hint and brought us there. She quickly used her vines to take away our clothes which caused Firum to blush brightly. I chuckled, barely able to suppress yet another yawn. She helped us into two of my pyjamas and did a little bedtime ritual. It was a nice lil moment with Fir. Finally, we snuggled up on my bed, and Scinthi left for the living room again as we drifted off, I without class Z, Fir with.

I opened my eyes to a colourful world, flora and fauna swishing in the wind in all the colours of the rainbow. A smile appeared on my face as I started exploring this place. Its fantastical nature fascinated me, each vista more beautiful than the last. Yet, like most things, it couldn’t last.

First, the creatures moved out of the way. Then they moved further away and within minutes there were none visible around me. A dark loneliness wrapped around my heart, draining the colour around me. What was a fantasmal paradise quickly turned into an inked hell, darkness surrounded me. Before me, a green-black tail swished before all turned pitch black. 

A jerk caused the darkness to turn to light as I woke in my room, softness cradling me from behind. My panicked breathing slowed, looking over my shoulder, I saw Firum’s still sleeping face. A smile took away the last of my panic as they nuzzled into me, and I turned back forwards. I checked the time and saw it was early still, 6 am, yet sleep had completely left me.

Stretching, I realised that the rhythm of Scinthillus was not present. Yet, her vines still were here. I peered to the door and saw that they led out. She must be in the living room. I let my head rest on the pillow again, feeling Firums chest gently going forwards and backwards as air entered and exited their lungs. The calmness took over, and my mind reflected upon the nightmare.

Thoughts flowed slowly as an uneasiness took hold, an uncomfortability that made me wanna get away. Somehow though, Firum holding me counteracted it, if barely. Unwordable doubt slowly drifted in like a toxic smog, kept away only by Firum’s warm breath and touch. A tightness wrapped around my chest. Wait, tightness?

My eyes looked down as my chest was grasped firmly by Firum, who pulled me into them. However, the thing that took my attention was the mixing of my fur, its usual teal streaked with a bleak grey, almost directly contrasting with a fiery red. The distraction from Firum made the grey retreat and the red take over fully as a smile decorated my face again.

I wurmed free and turned around, kissing their lovely face, the uncertainty a memory for now. You’re mine. A growl left my maw, and Firums eyes opened. A lil chuckle left their muzzle as if they’d heard my thoughts. I knew it wasn’t the truth, but it was a cute thought.

Their eyes unfocused a little as Firum bent forwards and took a long deep breath, enjoying me as I lay there. I nuzzled and kissed their head before sniffing them myself. That tangy floral musk overtook my senses, and we snuggled, unaware of the world around us. 

Next, we opened our eyes, we were seated at the table, vines having carried us. Breakfast already served. Before us sat Scinthi with an all-knowing smile, her vines extending towards us, offering our meals. I smiled, but shook my head, taking my cutlery from her, which she hesitantly handed over, desire being apparent. Yet, she acknowledged my will, after which she turned to Firum, who she was already feeding.

I just idly ate as I took my tablet, which lay to the side, checking the message from Casc, which immediately piqued my interest. Apparently, yae had invented something new, which yae wanted to show me. I messaged back and instantly got a reply, to which I let out an excited bark, drawing attention to me.

I got super self-conscious as a blush reddened my cheeks, “Ehm, Casc thought of something and wanted to see if he could use hyperspace for teleportation.” Their eyes lit up, and within a second they said that we should go with all of us. I perked up at the idea and quickly nodded before telling Cascara we would be there around ten. We finished, and then Scinthi took us onto her shoulders as she shot through the streets to Casc’s lab.

The prowess of the affini was shown once again as she sped by, causing the wind to ruffle our fur, our tongues hanging out of our mouths. I enjoyed the speed as we moved past everyone, leaving all in our dust. I let out a howl as the journey -which usually took me almost half an hour- lasted less than eight minutes.

Before us was a massive complex, multiple appendages made from a stone-like substance, some from plant materials, yet all woven together in the most exquisite structure. Perfectly balanced and artistic. I remembered the time I spent here a little over a month ago, testing the magnetic levitators for my little project.

It was such a great place with experts and all possible equipment you could think of. My mood calmed as we entered the clean lobby, Scinthi listening to my directions as we went to Cascara’s lab. The route wasn’t too complicated, but I could see that Firum lost track within the first five turns, resting their head against Scinthi as her rhythmic pace brought us to our destination.

The door was nondescript, yet behind were some of the most wonderful creations by Casc and me. It opened to a little lounge area which looked out into the lab. Currently, it had a machine and Casc, who hadn’t noticed us yet. Cascara’s vines wrapped around it, handling a dozen or so tools, each with their own use, some laser cutters, some gemstone refractors, wrenches and so on.

We relaxed in the seats and got some drinks, chocolate milk for me, iced tea for Fir and some water from the Alps mixed with minerals from Pyrexis VI for Scinthillus. We sipped, and finally, after ten minutes, Cascara noticed us. Yae came over and told us the details and wanted to show a little experiment that yae knew would work, sending a small pill-like thing from one side of the room to the other.

Yae placed the pill in a small magnetic chamber, barely the size of a tennis ball, which was then put in the machine. Cascara hushed us and told us to pay attention as yae activated the machine. It started to vibrate, and a second later, the chamber appeared in the bullseye Casc had placed beforehand. Yae laughed, before taking it and storing it, getting a larger chamber and placing an apple in it.

This would be the first test with a bigger object. Yae placed the chamber inside and closed all latches. Let through one final wind and flicked the switch.

The machine started to vibrate again.

Yet, this time it didn’t stop.

The vibrations got worse, shaking the machine. The instability showed, and Cascara’s eyes opened wide in worry. Yae tried to shut it down, yet it didn’t work. The vibrations got worse every second, and then as yae softly smacked it, it stopped. The silence was ominous.

BOOOM! The machine exploded, and Casc’s vines got devoured in the blast. We all breathed in shock, not having expected this. The smoke dissipated, and we saw the carnage the boom had wrought upon Cascara. Burned vines lay everywhere, and only a perfect sphere lay in the middle of the room.