{"sf1_id":1999436,"sf2_id":"JewrGXX1","title":"MHO pt 3 - Highland Bunnies - Chapter 11","author":"Lloxie","words":8649,"posted_at":"2023-06-09T00:42:00.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Bunny","Canine","Cervidae","Cervine","Custom Species Names","Deer","Fantasy","Female","Husky","Hybrid","Konuul","Lepne","Magic","Male","Rabbit","Sereva","Wolf","Wolpertinger"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1999436-mho-pt-3-highland-bunnies-chapter-11","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/JewrGXX1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/af/7d/af7d8835-5aee-4a75-85dc-984a91435060","description":"#40 of Mystic Heart Odyssey\n\nPosted using PostyBirb","content":"_Mystic Heart Odyssey_\n\n  \n\n_Part  \n3: Highland Bunnies_\n\n  \n\n_Chapter_  \n_1__1_\n\n  \n\n_Woops,  \nanother long one this time! But hey, when you're dealing with  \nwolpertinger shenanigans and chatting with a half-fae sorceress, I  \nguess that's to be expected._\n\n  \n\n_-Llox_\n\n  \n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n  \n\n  \n\nFor the next hour or  \ntwo, the garden was a flurry of activity and colorful flashes of  \nlight, as Lykou and Kuna chased the erratic wolpertinger around the  \ngarden, being thrown off by various magical shenanigans. Plants  \nlashed out at them in a similar manner to those that they'd  \nencountered in the ruins- albeit fortunately without the teeth or any  \nreal intent to harm them. The ground itself periodically changed its  \ntexture and shape- sometimes springy and bouncy, and other times like  \nthick mud, without the moisture. Clouds of cool mist appeared in  \nvarious places throughout the garden, and on more than one occasion,  \nLykou tried to tackle what looked like the tail-thief's silhouette,  \nonly to end up tangled up in a sculpted hedge that hadn't been  \nthere before.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nWhatever had  \naffected Kuna's magic previously had subsided, so he conjured it up  \nto try and help catch her. He didn't encounter any resistance from  \nthe Sylthean, but occasionally when he lashed out with some vines or  \nroots, another set would burst out and wrestle them back. And even  \nwhen they were uninhibited, he was too slow to catch the surprisingly  \nnimble feral beast. On one occasion, the sereva was tricked into  \ngetting temporarily tangled up in his own vines, and Lykou  \ninadvertently ran into him, though fortunately neither was  \nparticularly hurt. The 'tinger waited to make sure they were  \nalright, though she couldn't help giggling as the two disentangled  \nthemselves from the vines and each other.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nOn and on the antics  \nwent. Their clothing would suddenly come alive and try to flee their  \nbodies. The ground would randomly spin around as the tried to  \ntraverse it, sending them back the way they came. Puffs of gas would  \nemit from certain flowers that would either tickle them or make them  \ndizzy when they passed through. And of course the bursts of light and  \nrandom color-changes of both the landscape and even their fur only  \nincreased the occasional disorientation.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nFinally, Lykou  \npulled Kuna aside and the two had a secret whispered conversation.  \nAlter-Aelana eyed them with a curious look, watching them intently  \nfor any indication of what they were planning. When the two  \nseparated, Lykou again bolted for her. The moment she predictably  \nleaped into the air again, though, a massive, flexible root burst out  \nof the ground underneath him, lifting him in the air. He jumped up  \noff its end, managing to intercept her in mid-air. When she landed  \nwith the konuul clinging to her side, she spun around and stumbled  \nbackwards dramatically. \"Ach, ah'm deid! Struck wi' a fuzzy  \narrow! Woe, woe ah say!\" she cried out, then finally fell over on  \nher back and rolled to her side, pinning the canid underneath her.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ghck- fuck!\"  \nLykou cried out as he tried to scrambled out from under her. \"Get  \noff me!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Can't, ah'm  \ndeid,\" she playfully responded.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna rushed up and  \nknelt down to help, a mixture of concern and amusement on his face.  \n\"You uh, you alright 'Kou?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThey both grunted as  \nthey gradually pulled the canid out from under the large ball of  \nfluff and magic that was thankfully not quite as heavy as she looked.  \n\"Yeah, I'm fine,\" he groaned as he stood up and stretched. He  \nthen turned to the wolpertinger and crossed his arms with a smirk.  \n\"We caught you fair and square, now give me my tail back.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe rolled over and  \ngrinned at the two. \"A'right, fine,\" she replied, then waved a  \npaw around, conjuring a cloud of sparkles around herself and the  \nkonuul. When it faded, the tail had been restored to its proper  \nowner, much to his relief.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nWith that out of the  \nway, Lykou and Kuna finally collapsed next to each other on the  \nground to rest for a moment. \"Well did you get enough energy out?\"  \nKuna asked the wolpertinger.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe snickered. \"Nae  \nhardly, lad. But ah kin gie ye a moment if ye need it.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"That... would be  \nappreciated,\" Lykou said, then took a deep breath, fiddling with  \nthe end of his tail.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I was just  \nthinking,\" Kuna said, scratching his head thoughtfully. \"If  \nyou're kind of, you know... two people in one,\" he started, then  \nquickly waved off the objection the Sylthean began to make. \"Or the  \nother way around, however you want to look at it- point is, there's  \ntechnically two of you, however you got that way- should one of you  \nadopt a second name or something?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe 'tinger looked  \nthoughtful for a moment before responding. \"Tae be honest, she wis  \nconsiderin' th' same thing, bit ah dinnae ken... ah mean, tis nah  \nright we're even sep'rate in th' first place, bit ah dinnae  \nthink we kin go back together fully noo anyway.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah admittedly  \nI'm still not clear on how all that even works...\" Lykou asked,  \nscratching his head. \"You were both a bit vague about it.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah'm jest  \nLana's 'tinger side. Body, mind, 'n' soul. Th' bit she  \npushed away. Th' bit tha' wis too 'inconvenient' fer her  \nrulin' Clovaria, ah guess,\" she explained, looking away with a  \nresentful expression. \"Bit cus we're Sylthean wi' powerful  \nmagic, ah split oof into a literal other bein', instead o' her  \njest bein' plain ol' mortal crazy.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Sounds...  \ncomplicated,\" Lykou hazarded.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ach, 'noof  \nhaverin'. Save tha' fer later, th' night es still young,\" the  \ntinger said, standing back up. She looked at Kuna with a mischievous  \nexpression. \"Mibbie ah should steal somethin' o' yers next?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna yelped and  \nscrambled back a bit. \"Noplease.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Maybe something  \nbesides just chasing each other around?\" Lykou suggested.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe wolpertinger  \nconsidered some ideas for a minute, then grinned broadly once again.  \n\"Ah ken ah have jest th' idea,\" she said, then suddenly hopped  \nover by the two and used her surprisingly flexible wings in  \nconjunction with her paws to scoop the boys up onto her back. \"Hold  \non tight, ah'm gonnae show ye somethin'.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"W-wait, what-\"  \nKuna began to object, before suddenly all three were launched high up  \ninto the air.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou hunkered down  \nand pulled Kuna down as well, using his other hand to hold on tight  \nto the wolpertinger's fur. The sereva immediately began to panic,  \nand the konuul was startled and anxious as well, but they both  \nmanaged to cling tightly to their unexpected mount. For added  \nstability, her fur magically animated itself and wrapped around their  \nlimbs to help them stay in place as they climbed higher into the sky.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nWhen they reached  \nthe top of the arc of her absurdly high jump, she spun around and  \nunfolded her wings, making the boys dizzy for a moment. Once they  \ncould see straight again, they could see that they were soaring high  \novear the hills of Clovaria, overlooking not only Whitlan, but much  \nof the surrounding landscape. Kuna shook with fear, but Lykou's  \nfear was quickly replaced with awe at the sight. The sprawling, hilly  \nlandscape was barely lit by the moon and stars, but that just made  \nthe torches and lanterns in Whitlan stand out even more. They looked  \nlike the fireflies from the garden from up in the sky. As they flew  \non, they could also see a few small campfires elsewhere across the  \ndark landscape, most likely other trade caravans stopped off for the  \nnight, on the way to or from Whitlan.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"This is awesome!\"  \nLykou blurted out when he finally found his voice again.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"That's  \ncertainly a word for it,\" Kuna responded as he shivered and clung  \nclose to the Wolpertinger's back.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou shot him a  \nsympathetic look. He would have grabbed him into a hug if his hands  \nwere free, but under the circumstances that wasn't exactly an  \noption. So instead he settled for leaning over and nuzzling him  \nsomewhat awkwardly. \"Seriously, take a look out there. Don't  \nworry, we're safe.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, lad, trust  \nmeh. Ah willnae let ye fall,\" their mount called back to him. \"Ye'd  \nsooner fall off the top o' a mountain than meh drop ye.\"\n\n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Kuna shut his  \neyes tightly and continued shivering. \"We're in the sky. We're  \nnot birds but we're in the fucking sky,\" he said, burying his  \nhead in her fur.  \n  \n\n  \n\n\"Tha's th'  \nidea! Watch thaes,\" she said, then swooped down towards the ground.  \nThough the fall was jarring, she slowed their descent near the bottom  \nwith her wings, and as soon as she touched the ground, she  \nimmediately leaped back up into the sky. Only this time, streams of  \nlight trailed out behind her wings, gradually changing color as they  \nwent along. She soared around in a wide arc, then spun in a tight  \nspiral for a short distance, making the boys dizzy again. Afterwards,  \nthey went through a much larger, broader turn, allowing them to  \nrecover.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nWhen they finally  \nlooked up, they saw the lingering bands of light painting the sky.  \nShimmery, sparkling patches dripped down from the bands of light.  \nEven Kuna was taken aback by the sight, his fear momentarily fading a  \nbit as it stirred an old, forgotten memory from his childhood, before  \nhe lost his parents.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe wolpertinger  \nturned around sharply, then suddenly landed on a puffy, low cloud as  \nif it were solid ground. Her fur released her passengers for the  \nmoment. \"Ye lads doin' a'right back there?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"More than  \nalright,\" Lykou said, grinning as he experimentally stepped off and  \nfound the cloud was just as solid to him. \"This is amazing!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"It's gorgeous  \nalright,\" Kuna agreed, his shivering subsiding somewhat. Still, he  \nrefused to climb down himself, until Lykou came over and gently  \ntugged on his arm.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"C'mon, it's  \nsafe. It's like soft ground,\" the konuul encouraged him.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Goan then, Kuna.  \nYer safe as lang as ah'm here. Jest mind th' edge- though ah kin  \ncatch ye if anythin' happens.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe sereva  \nhesitantly started to get down, then clung to Lykou, both for support  \nand for warmth- even with his new robe, the windy air was chilly up  \nso high. But that just all the more contributed to the memory  \ncreeping back into his mind. He found himself staring transfixed at  \nthe lights in the distance. His hand reached out towards it for a  \nmoment, before he snapped himself out of it and pulled it back with a  \nslightly sheepish look.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou and the  \n'tinger shared a look, then the canid squeezed Kuna gently.  \n\"Whatcha doin'?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Just... those  \nlights remind me of something is all,\" Kuna said, folding his ears  \ndown.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, that so? Do  \ntell!\" their winged friend said, nudging him gently. \"Noo ye got  \nmeh damn curious!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna looked back and  \nforth at them, then took a deep breath before explaining. \"W-when I  \nwas little... my tribe got stuck way up north one winter. We usually  \ntried to move with the seasons, but an unexpected snowstorm came up  \nand we got stuck at the opening to this one narrow valley, hunkering  \ndown for a while to wait it out. It was a rough time overall, but  \nthen one night my parents brought me out late at night. Everyone else  \nwas out, too- there were these lights, kind of like that, all across  \nthe horizon. Everyone was talking about them and nobody could agree  \nexactly what they were, but the general idea was that it was  \nsomething to do with spirits in the distance,\" he said, shivering  \nslightly. \"I remember it so clearly... It was cold, very cold,  \nwhich of course I was extra sensitive to at the time. But I was  \nbundled up pretty good and had my parents there with me. I felt  \nsomething strangely wonderful come over me... I didn't know what  \nit was at the time, but looking back, I think it was some kind of  \nmagical energy in the air. I just remember suddenly feeling strangely  \nat peace and... happy. But also something else I still can't begin  \nto describe. I had the most wonderful dream that night, even though I  \ncan never remember what it was about.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Wow... do you  \nthink...?\" Lykou wondered aloud, looking over at the wolpertinger.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah dinnae ken fer  \nsure, bit soonds lik' ye 'ad an experience wi' a stray  \nSylthean's magic even afore ye met us,\" she commented, arching a  \nbrow. \"Wis th' light th' same, er jest similar?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...similar, I  \nguess. Colors were a bit more washed out and blurry, and it was  \nbigger overall. Filled a big chunk of the sky.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe slowly nodded.  \n\"Nae one o' oor lost kin, then. Mibbie winter-folk...\" she  \ntrailed off, shuddering slightly. \"Some Syltheans are playul 'n'  \nenergetic like meh, bit then ye 'av some that are jest... strange.  \nEven ta us.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh?\" Kuna asked  \ncuriously, turning to look at her. \"Are... they dangerous?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nA few moments passed  \nin silence as she stared into the distance thoughtfully. \"...tha's  \nhard tae answer. Nae much tha' anybody really ken aboot 'em. They  \nstay well away fra ether folk, 'n' vanish soon's anyone gets  \nclaise- anyone tha' come back, anyway. Sometimes folk go missin'  \nwi' 'em though. Usually troubled folk that're... damaged, in  \nsome way, if ye ken whit ah mean,\" she said, then tilted her head  \nas she glanced sidelong at the sereva. \"Thir some o' the most  \nmysterious Syltheans of a'. Soonds lik' ye heard thir call, tho.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe sereva  \nshuddered, his eyes widening slightly. \"You mean...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"If ye'd gone ta  \nlook into them lights claiser, ye might hae gone somewhere naebody  \nye've met kin describe, 'n' ne'er come back. Whether tha's  \nguid or bad, es anyyin's guess.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Well I for one am  \nvery glad he didn't,\" Lykou said, squeezing Kuna tightly.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"S-same here,  \nheh,\" Kuna replied, nuzzling him lightly. \"As... curious as I  \nmight be, and as strangely nice as that felt, I think I'd rather  \nhave met you anyway.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"And you'd call  \nme sappy if I said that,\" the konuul teased, then gently squeezed  \nhim. \"Not that I mind, of course.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna poked his  \ntongue out at him playfully.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe wolpertinger  \ngrinned at them and rolled her eyes slightly. \"Oy, yer both sappy.  \nNow c'mon, quit bein' adorable fer a minute 'n' lets git off  \nthaes cloud. Ah see yer baith getting' chilly.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, even for me  \nit's getting a bit much up here,\" Lykou admitted with a small  \nshiver. He and Kuna climbed back onto the wolpertinger, who then took  \noff and glided slowly down into the hills. They flicked past a  \ncamped-out caravan. The few individuals sitting by the campfire  \ndidn't seem to even notice them as they whisked by overhead.  \nEventually, they set down on the top of a high hill with a good view  \nof the surrounding area.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"So uh, what do  \nyou want to do now?\" Kuna asked their mount. \"Seems like you've  \ncalmed down some.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah I expected  \nmore, well, mischief by now,\" the konuul added, helping the sereva  \ndown. \"Not that I'm complaining, mind you.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe shrugged.  \n\"Honestly right noo ah'm jest glad tae be oot, ye ken?\" she  \nsaid, then frowned. \"Jest tryin' ta enjoy some freedom afore ah  \nhave tae spend another few decades cooped up in 'er heid.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna and Lykou  \nexchanged a look, frowning. \"We'll talk to her for you,\" Lykou  \nsaid. \"Because that's just not right.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, and  \nhonestly, now that we're not running scared from you, you're  \npretty easy to warm up to,\" Kuna admitted. \"Which is a lot coming  \nfrom me, trust me,\" he added with a slight smirk.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, really,\"  \nthe canid agreed. \"As rambunctious as you were earlier, I can't  \nsee you being some big danger to everyone.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nA guilty expression  \nbriefly crossed the Sylthean's face. \"Weeeelllll,\" she said  \nsheepishly. \"There wis... incidents, in the past.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...oh?\" Kuna  \nasked, arching a brow. \"Like... what?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah dinnae want ta  \ngo intae it tae much, bit... ah mayyyy 'av nearly caused a clan  \nfeud or four, helped some wee bairn trick folk inta thinkin' he wis  \na new druna fer a while, turned fields o' tatties intae dandelions,  \nturned a village's water intae booze fer a day withoot warnin'  \nanyyin, turned a few dozen farm tools intae wool, turned a few folk  \nintae sheep 'n' sheep intae folk, created a disease tha' made  \npeople giggle instead o' sneeze, flipped some folk's houses  \nupside doon while they slept, turned an entire clan purple...\" she  \nlisted off, with a mixture of guilt and amusement. When she saw the  \nlooks she was getting from the boys, she bristled a little. \"Ach,  \nah ken better noo! 'n' everyin' turned oot okay in th' end!  \nHonestly some folk liked th' dandelions better anyway. Ye kin mak'  \ntea wi' 'em! ...plus they're jest fun.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Uh-huh...\" Kuna  \nsaid dubiously, his eye twitching slightly.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Errr. I mean,  \nthere's no excuse for keeping you always locked away or anything,\"  \nLykou hazarded, trying to be diplomatic. \"But, um...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe 'tinger sighed  \nand rolled her eyes up. \"Ah ken, ya dinnae need ta say it. Ah'm a  \nhoppin' harbinger o' mayhem,\" she said, then flopped down on  \nthe ground. \"Bit ah'm nae tha' bad ennymore, ah've learned  \nmah lesson! Doesnae help goin' tae th' opposite extreme o'  \ndoin' nothin', tho, either. Ah still need tae be free- 'n' be  \nme!\" She sighed and grumbled a bit. \"Mah ether half jest dinnae  \nwant tae risk gettin' claise enoof ta ennyone tha' she kin let  \n'em ken aboot me.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Well like I said,  \nwe can talk to her for you,\" the konuul reiterated, gently resting  \na hand on her side.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAfter a moment, Kuna  \ncame over and rubbed her head softly. \"Yeah, chaotic mess or not,  \nit's obvious this isn't good for either of you.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe smiled a bit and  \nnuzzled into Kuna's hand. \"Thanks ye two. Yer baith sweet lads,\"  \nshe said, sitting back up. \"Hope ah didnae wear ye oot too much,  \nhehe.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Eh, I'm getting  \nused to being kind of worn out lately,\" the sereva replied with a  \nshrug and a faint smirk. \"After all the magic and fighting for  \nsurvival, it's nice to be worn out from something more  \nlight-hearted for once.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I'll second  \nthat!\" the canid chimed in. \"And that stuff up in the sky was  \npretty awesome, too! I never imagined I'd ever be up in the air  \nlike a bird!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna shivered.  \n\"Y-yeah, but some warning might've been nice, and I think I'll  \npass on revisiting that experience. Although the lights were...  \nreally nice.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Weel, ye'll 'av  \ntae put up wi' it at least once mair, unless ye want tae walk all  \nthe way back inta Whitlan fra here,\" the 'tinger pointed out with  \nan arched brow and a smirk. \"Ah'll be gentler this time tho.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Er, r-right,\"  \nthe sereva replied uneasily. \"F-fair point I guess.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou grinned. \"I  \nhave an idea. Go ahead and climb on,\" he said.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe wolpertinger  \ngave him a curious, but intrigued look and moved her wing down to  \nmake it easier for the boys to climb on. Kuna looked at him  \nnervously, then hesitantly climbed onto her back and shifted over to  \none side like before, so Lykou had room.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nBut the canid shook  \nhis head. \"Nah, towards the middle.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna arched a brow  \nbut shifted over towards the middle accordingly. Lykou then climbed  \non behind him and wrapped his arms around the sereva, hunkering down  \nbehind him as he grabbed hold of the wolpertinger's fur, which in  \nturn wound its way around both of their hands. The sereva blushed  \nintensely and folded his ears down as the konuul poked his head  \naround his neck and rested it on his shoulder, grinning.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Better?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna nodded a little  \nwith a flustered smile. \"S-sure...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nTheir mount giggled  \nin amusement, then hopped up into the air and spread her wings,  \nflying them back to Whitlan's core in a much calmer flight than  \ntheir exit had been. \"Careful na tae git too frisky back there in  \ntha' position, lads,\" she suddenly teased. \"Ah dinnae need Kuna  \npokin' me, if ya ken whit ah mean.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna's blush  \nintensified tenfold as he sputtered and tried to come up with a  \nsnarky response, only to end up burying his head in her fur in  \nembarrassment and letting out a slightly high-pitched, muffled whine.  \nEven Lykou was flustered by the comment and blushed hotly. \"Wh-what's  \nthat supposed to mean?\" he asked defensively, though he couldn't  \nhelp smirking as he looked away. \"I s-swear, what's with people  \ntoday...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe wolpertinger  \njust snickered as they descended towards the gardens.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Thanks fer  \nspendin' time wi' me, ye two,\" the wolpertinger said as she  \nlanded back in the garden.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou and Kuna  \nquickly hopped off and avoided one anothers' gaze, blushing still  \nbut smiling regardless. \"M-mhmm, sure, n'problem,\" Kuna  \nmumbled.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, it was  \nfun,\" Lykou replied, looking around for a minute, then realized  \nthey were near a reflecting pool and decided it was time to confront  \nsomething- partly out of revenge and partly because it was needed  \nanyway. He cleared his throat and nudged the wolpertinger. \"C'mere  \nfor a moment, will ya?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe sighed. \"Aye,  \nah git it,\" she grumbled and stalked over and looked down into the  \nwater. \"A'right, you, ye kin come back oot. Ah've-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I dinnae hate  \nye,\" the reflection mumbled, looking away sadly.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...eh? Whit?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe reflection  \nsighed. \"Ah said, I dinnae hate ye. Far fra it. Ah ken yer were  \nthinkin' it. Ah miss bein' you sometimes. Ah feel... really bad  \nfer pushin ye away, to tae point ye 'ad ta become yer own separate  \nbein', only ta then nae give ye yer fair chance oot,\" she  \nexplained, then finally looked up with a guilty expression at her  \nother half. \"Ah fergot how much fun all that could be, 'n' got  \ntoo wrapped up in... well, whit am ah sayin', ye ken whit ah mean.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe wolpertinger  \nlooked surprised for a moment, then looked away with a mixed  \nexpression. \"Wull... ah ken ah kin be... a lot tae deal wi',\"  \nshe said, then perked up slightly. \"Bit ah hope tonight proves ah  \nkin 'av fun withoot messin' tae much up, aye?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, ah already  \nken that, ta be honest. Ah jest...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"You don't know  \nwho to trust with knowing about the two of you,\" Kuna suggested as  \nhe walked over with his hands in his robe's pockets, grateful to  \nhave the attention pulled away from him and Lykou for the moment.  \n\"Believe me, I know about trust issues.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, and I don't  \npretend to know what it's like in your exact situation, but it's  \nobvious you two need more real friends, however tricky it may be,\"  \nLykou said, gently petting the wolpertinger.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, we do,\"  \nthe 'tinger agreed, looking back down at the reflection. \"'n'  \nmuch as ah wish ah could help wi' tha', ye gotta be th' one ta...  \ny'ken, ease folk intae... us.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, ah ken...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Okay, time out,  \nwe should get one thing sorted out first,\" Lykou said, rubbing his  \nhead a bit. \"So, just to clarify, you were one person but then  \nbecause... I don't know, magic meets a bit of crazy, mixed in with  \nthe fact that you're half-Sylthean, and poof! You're technically  \ntwo people in one, now, right? Or one person in two or whatever you  \nwant to insist on calling it.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, thas aboot  \nth' size o' it.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Technically, aye.  \nWe still share th' same experiences 'n' memories 'n' shite,  \nbit etherwise we're sep'rate, 'n' we jest trade oot who's  \noot there in th' physical world runnin' things.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Mostly you,\"  \nthe 'tinger snarked.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...ah ken. Ah wis  \ncruel tae ye,\" the reflection agreed softly, looking away sadly.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...nae, nah  \ncruel, ah ken ye didnae mean it tha' way,\" the tinger replied  \nwith a heavy sigh.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Still...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Right, well,  \nbefore we continue this conversation... I think one of you needs to  \ncome up with another name,\" the konuul suggested. \"I know you're  \nconnected, but it sounds like you're technically two individuals,  \nor at least one and a half, or... something. So for the sake of  \nclarity for me, Kuna, and any other friends you make, it'd probably  \nhelp to give one of you a new name- a nickname, at least.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ach, ah dinnae  \nken, she 'as every right ta mah name as ah dae-\" the reflection  \nbegan, but the wolpertinger cut her off.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nah, tha'  \nsoonds fair,\" the wolpertinger agreed, then looked back down at the  \nwater. \"Ah appreciate yer sentiment, bit ah'm fine wi' it.  \n'Aelana' wis alwis more a typical mortal name ennyway.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Any ideas?\"  \nKuna asked.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThere was silence  \nfor a moment as the 'tinger contemplated the notion. \"...ah jest  \nrealized somethin'.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"What's that?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"....much as ah  \nrepresent yer Sylthean side... ah dinnae remember a single pure,  \nproper Sylthean name,\" she said with a slightly dumbfounded look.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou and Kuna both  \nface-palmed. Aelana- the one in the water, that is- looked thoughtful  \nfor a moment, then arched a brow. \"Aye, me either, now tha' ye  \nsay it. Ah guess most o' th' others took mortal names while they  \nwere here, too. Nabody ever tellt us thir Sylthean ones, mibbie even  \nDa'.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah s'pose ah  \ncould jest tak' a name efter somethin' nice fra th' garden,\"  \nthe wolpertinger said, looking around the somewhat ransacked garden.  \n\"Some flower er somethin'. Ah ken a few o' th' others did  \nsim'lar fer thir mortal names.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, how about  \nButtercup?\" Lykou suggested.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe stuck her tongue  \nout. \"Bleh... ah dinnae ken, somethin' feel off aboot that.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Whit aboot  \nDaisy?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Hmm, mibbie...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"How about...  \nMyrtle?\" Kuna suggested, then shrugged when they all gave him a  \nlook. \"I dunno, I always thought it was an under-appreciated  \nflower, I guess.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nae bad,  \nactually,\" the tinger said, mulling it over. She then smirked.  \n\"Mibbie ah should go wi' Thistle, seein' howfer ah'm such a  \nprickly nuisance.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...ah'd rather  \ncall ye somethin' nicer,\" Aelana said with a frown.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe wolpertinger  \nlooked at her with mild surprise. \"Ah gave yer a free pass tae call  \nme a pain in th' arse, 'n' ye pass it up? Aye, ye really dae  \nfeel bad, don't ye?\" she remarked with a faint smirk. \"...ach,  \nDaisy es fine fer now, ah suppose.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Soonds guid,\"  \nAelana replied with a small smile. \"Daisy, ah realleh am sorreh fer  \nth' neglect. If we could be in the same side a' th' same time,  \nah'd hug ye, ye ken. Ah never meant ta make ye think ah disliked,  \nmuch less hated ye. Ah jest... ah worry aboot things goin' wrong  \nwhen yer oot. 'n' nah jest cus o' yer antics, bit 'cus folk  \ndinnae ken how ta deal wi' ye. You remember whit some o' them kin  \nbe like...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy sighed. \"Aye,  \nah remember,\" she said, then huffed. \"Bit we cannae keep hidin'  \noot o' fear. Tis nah jest unfair ta me, bit you, too.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"She's right,  \nyou know. You two really just need to make more friends,\" Lykou  \nchimed in, then smirked at Kuna, pulling him in for a hug. \"Like  \nI've been telling Kuna, not everyone's an asshole. You've just  \ngot to accept that you might have to risk finding the ones that are,  \nto find the ones that aren't. And most people usually aren't,  \nmost of the time.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna smirked back  \nand returned the hug. \"You're bit of a sap, but I guess you're  \nnot wrong,\" he replied, then turns back to the reflection in the  \nwater. \"You know, come to think of it, you should give Moyra and  \nFaergus a chance. They're already used to, er, being secretive  \nabout things.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"And pretty used  \nto bucking normalcy, too,\" Lykou agreed, though Kuna quickly  \nshushed him with mild panic.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I was talking  \nabout the bandit investigations,\" he quickly pointed out under his  \nbreath.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Whit's this  \nthen?\" Daisy asked, intrigued.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh come on, it's  \nsort of public anyway. And even if it wasn't, you know they won't  \nbe able to keep it secret from _these_ two.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Well...\" Kuna  \nbegan to argue, then sighed. \"Yeah, fair point I guess.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Moyra and Faergus  \nfrom Kerney are, well... officially together now. As in, you know,  \nmates,\" Lykou explained to the two. \"They were already seeing  \neach other secretly for who-knows how long, but they just recently  \nmade it official.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana arched a  \nbrow. \"Kerney's druna 'n' tha' night watcher?\" she mused  \naloud. \"Ah alwyis ken tha' lass wis different...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy grinned and  \nshot a look to her counterpart. \"Ah tellt ye them two wis sweet on  \neach ether.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Still... a druna  \ngettin' involved wi' someone-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah shu-... hush,\"  \nDaisy chided, softening her reaction part-way through. \"Ye ken ye  \nonly made them rules- na even official, mind ye- aboot druna bein'  \naloof 'n' detached 'cus ye were jealous.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oy, tha's nae  \ntrue!\" Aelana bristled. \"Ah jest didnae want druna-dom tae become  \nsome lineage shite bein' passed doon tae thir descendants 'n'  \nwhatnae. Nepotism 'n' corruption 'n' a' tha' mess,\" she  \ninsisted.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy gave her a  \nlook. \"Riiiight.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAfter a minute,  \nAelana looked away with a sheepish pout. \"...a'right, mibbie ah  \nwis a wee bit jealous. Bit mah point still stands.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Er, it's not  \ngoing to be a problem, right?\" Lykou warily asked, worried he'd  \nmade a big mistake.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nae, lad, dinnae  \nworry,\" Aelana assured him. \"Might need ta 'av a chat wi' 'em  \naboot a few things, bit ah willnae interfere wi' love. Far be it  \nfer me ta tak' someone's happiness.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"That's good,\"  \nKuna said with a relieved sigh. \"They're good people and  \ndefinitely deserve each other.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ach, she ken ah'd  \nnever let 'er 'av another night's peaceful sleep if she tried  \nta interfere wi' tha',\" Daisy assured them, arching a brow at  \nher alter ego.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana rolled her  \neyes and smirked. \"Nae, ah really wouldnae ennyway. Ah'm nae  \nmonster,\" she said. \"Bit aye, we should talk tae them, ah  \nsuppose. Jest let 'em ken tae be careful.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"And mak'  \nfriends, dammit,\" Daisy reminded her.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...aye, 'n'  \ntry tha' too ah suppose.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...mibbie even  \nhalp 'em suss oot enny lingerin' bandit problems in th' hills,\"  \nthe wolpertinger suggested with a narrow-eyed grin. \"Ah'm sure  \nthere's still a few oot there.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"You jest want an  \nexcuse tae mess wi' someone withoot holdin' back,\" Aelana said  \nwith a smirk.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...aye,\" The  \nferal form's borderline predatory expression sent a shiver down  \nKuna's spine.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou couldn't  \nhelp but snicker, though. \"I can only imagine they'll be eager to  \nre-think their life choices afterward,\" he said, then scratched his  \nchin thoughtfully for a minute. \"You know, maybe you should  \nbefriend the Dunnyhill folks, too. They seem pretty open-minded and  \nnice.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ooo, aye! Caravan  \nfolk usually are!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Weel, mibbie,\"  \nAelana said. \"Bit let's just tak' it one step a' a time fer  \nnoo.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I wish Lakefire  \nwas closer, because I'd definitely visit you regularly, too,\" he  \nsaid, then gently rubbed Kuna's back. \"Both of us would, I'm  \nsure.\" The sereva smiled and nodded.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"We'd love tae  \nsee ye anytime ye kin mak' it.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...distance  \ndinnae need tae be a problem, ye ken,\" Daisy pointed out, grinning  \ndown at Aelana.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana arched a  \nbrow, then looked thoughtful for a moment. Suddenly she smacked her  \nforhead. \"Oh fer... ah cannae believe ah forgot tha'!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ye still 'av at  \nleast a dozen o' 'em sittin' in th' sanctum unused.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"What are you two  \ntalking about?\" Lykou asked curiously.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ye'll see!\"  \nDaisy said as she prepared to bolt off.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Wait!\" Aelana  \ncalled out to her alter ego. \"Ye willnae fit through the sanctum  \nhalls, ye daft twit!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...ach, right,\"  \nDaisy said, her wings and ears drooping a bit. \"Damn, guess we'll  \n'av ta switch back noo...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye,\" Aelana  \nsaid, then smiled sympathetically. \"Bit ah promise ah willnae keep  \nye stuck on t'ether side fer years thaes time.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy stared at her  \nfor a minute. \"...ye better keep that promise.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ah'd swear a  \ngeas to it if we could do that tae one another, ye ken.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...we kin alwis  \nmeet in th' astral realm. Tis awkward jest ridin' in yer heid in  \nsilence 'till we happen across a reflection, ye ken.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana looked  \nthoughtful for a minute. \"...aye, we should try sometime.  \nEspecially if we're gonnae start usin' tha' place more often  \nennyway.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"So wait, if you  \ntwo are still connected and experience the same things, why can't  \nyou... I dunno, talk to each other mentally or something?\" Lykou  \nasked curiously.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe wolpertinger and  \nlepne shared a look. \"Weel... tis a bit awkward.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Hard tae explain  \nin enny way tha' makes sense,\" Aelana said. \"Jest suffice ta  \nsay it helps ta see th' person yer talkin' ta.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy took a breath  \nand straightened up a bit. \"A'right, back ah go, ah s'pose.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nA cloud of  \nsparkling, glittery light and dust appeared and swirled around the  \nwolpertinger until it fully engulfed her. After a minute, it  \ndissipated, leaving a slightly dizzy lepne stumbling about for a  \nmoment.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Welcome back, I  \nguess,\" Kuna said, helping her steady herself. \"So what was this  \nthing you wanted from the sanctum?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe grinned. \"Right,  \nwait here, ah'll be right back,\" she said, then bolted off.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Er... alright,\"  \nKuna replied. He and Lykou sat down on a nearby root-bench and  \nawkwardly awaited her return. The konuul glanced down at the  \nreflecting pool again, half expecting to see the wolpertinger on its  \nsurface, but she wasn't there.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Sure has been an  \nodd experience,\" he finally said as the silence dragged on.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"You can say that  \nagain,\" Kuna said, then yawned a bit. \"We'll definitely be  \nstarting late tomorrow, though.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Heh, yeah,\"  \nLykou agreed, then starting looking over one of his bracers idly.  \n\"Wonder what she- er, they, have in mind. Do you think we should  \ntell them about... you know?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna fidgeted a bit  \nin uncertainty. \"I... don't know. Maybe only if it happens to  \ncome up?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"They deserve to  \nknow. And I wouldn't want them to resent us for keeping it secret  \nfrom them, especially when they've entrusted us with their own huge  \nsecrets.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe sereva sighed.  \n\"Yeah, that's a good point. I guess we should, then. I... just  \nhope it goes well.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Why wouldn't  \nit? They might be able to see some old Sylthean friends again. The  \nones that got 'stuck on the other side' or whatever.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"True. I just  \ndon't know how she'll feel about us wrecking an old Sylthean  \nvillage and messing with their stuff.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I mean, for one  \nthing, like she said, it belonged to some 'elnyrs', whatever they  \nare, not wolpertingers. And they'd abandoned it anyway,\" the  \nkonuul said. \"And she didn't seem bothered by us having these  \nbracers.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Fair point.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAfter a short while,  \nAelana came hurrying back. \"A'right, sorry tha' took a minute,\"  \nshe said after catching her breath for a moment.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Heh, it's  \nunderstandable. I remember how big and complicated that place is,\"  \nKuna replied.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye. Ah try ta  \nkeep mah own room near th' bottom, bit th' place ah keep these  \n'n' ether special things is near th' top,\" she pointed out,  \npulling something out of her pocket. \"Hauld oot yer hands, lads.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou and Kuna did  \nas instructed, and she placed something like a large marble in each  \nof their hands, then grabbed them gently with her own so that they  \ndidn't pull back right away. \"A'right, gimme a moment, havnae  \nused enny o' these in a lang while noo.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ye remember th'  \nincantation, right?\" Daisy chimed in from the water nearby.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, jest gimme a  \nmoment,\" Aelana replied, then turned up her eyes as she ran through  \nthe words in her mind.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Incantation?\"  \nLykou asked, then glanced over at Kuna. \"Isn't that one of those  \nthings Inkari mentioned in your last lesson with her?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna nodded. \"You  \nuh... definitely have my attention,\" the sereva said to the lepne.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Tha' loon  \nmentioned incantation?\" Daisy asked. \"Interestin'...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Wh-\" Lykou  \nbegan to ask, but Aelana shushed the three.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Shh, ah need tae  \nconcentrate, you three.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Right, sorry,\"  \nthe konuul said with a sheepish grin.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nShe took a breath,  \nthen several strands of sparkling white light began to swirl around  \ntheir hands as she began to speak in a slightly rhythmic cadence.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"'neath th'  \nmoon's soft glow, when dreams tak' flight,\n\n  \n\nWithin thaes orbs, a  \nsparklin' bridge o' light,\n\n  \n\nLinkin' thought  \n'n' mind, fra one soul t'another,\n\n  \n\nDistance ban us not,  \nfra seein' each other!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nHer hair and every  \nbit of her fur began to raise as strange energies flowed through her  \nand surrounding the trio. A wind whipped up around them, buffeting  \ntheir clothing from multiple directions. The glow in her eyes  \ngradually grew brighter with each passing phrase, eventually masking  \nthem entirely in shimmering light. Her voice resonated with an  \nethereal echo as she continued,\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"By th' gift o'  \nSylthea's arcane might,\n\n  \n\nUpon which ah now  \ncall wi' this sacred rite,\n\n  \n\nGrant us a shared  \nmagic link unbreakable,\n\n  \n\nTae be forged by  \ngreat powers unshakeable!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAfter she uttered  \nthe last word, a bright flash temporarily blinded the boys, and they  \nfelt some part of themselves being pulled into the small marble-like  \ncrystal objects in their hands for a moment. Kuna recognized it as  \nthe flow of soul energy flowing from the spirit world into and  \nthrough them, though he could feel something else coursing through  \nand mingling with it as well- from somewhere that was definitely _not_  \nthe spirit world. A mixture of powerful feelings washed over them one  \nafter another- awe, horror, giddiness, excitement, sorrow, pining,  \nand various others, including some they couldn't even put a name  \nto.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAfterwards, they  \nwere briefly hit with a strong wave of dizziness, though the magic  \nsomehow kept them from falling over or pulling away. Finally, their  \nvision gradually returned, and the wind and energies subsided.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Woah,\" Lykou  \nsaid, clutching his head with his other hand. \"That was...  \nintense.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I'll say,\"  \nKuna agreed, doing similar.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana pulled her  \nhands away, revealing what looked like two marble-like crystalline  \nspheres in their hands, swirling with colors and faintly shimmering  \nlights. \"There ye go then, lads,\" she said with a grin. \"Thaes  \nastral charms are bonded ta ye now.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Thank you!\"  \nLykou said, looking it over. \"Er, what does it do?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"It lets us kip  \n'n' touch, in a way. Jest whisper mah name tae it- or Daisy's,  \nor even each other's, fer tha' matter- then hold it in yer hand  \nwhen ye go tae sleep. Th' other person wull become aware o' yer  \ncall, 'n' as lang as they agree, they'll meet ye in yer corner  \no' th' astral realm when they git tae sleep er etherwise enter  \nth' astral realm themselves.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Also has th'  \nbonny effect o' lettin' ye astral project withoot bein'  \nfamiliar wi' soul magic in th' first place,\" Daisy added.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Woah,\" the  \nkonuul said, eyeing the small object with awe. \"I... can visit the  \nastral realm now, too?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I mean...  \ntechnically in a way you always have, since that's where dreams  \ncome from, right?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Weel, mair er  \nless,\" Aelana answered with a shrug. \"But aye, now ye kin visit  \nwhile bein' aware o' it. Jest dinnae git addicted,\" she warned  \nwith a smirk. \"Remember, when yer projectin', ye willnae git as  \nmuch rest as when ye sleep normally.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"'n' ye'll  \nbe limited in whit ye kin dae there by yer familiarity wi' soul  \nmagic,\" Daisy added.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aw. Still  \nawesome, though,\" the canid said. \"And hey, it means we can talk  \nregardless of distance!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"And they're  \nreal pretty, too,\" Kuna said with a smile. \"We'll have to be  \ncareful not to lose them, though. I wonder if we can somehow make a  \nsecond pair of necklaces to hold them...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ye kin dae tha'  \nso lang as it doesnae involve tryin' ta pierce it er somethin'.  \nBit thir's no need, strictly speakin',\" Daisy pointed out. \"Tis  \nbound ta ye in a way tha' it'll alwis show up agin' by th'  \nnext time ye sleep, even if ye lose it.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Still a guid idea  \nta keep it secure, tho,\" Aelana added. \"Tis potentially another  \nstrong sympathetic connection, tho its magic limits whit someone else  \nkin dae wi' it. Still, alwyis smart tae be careful.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Thank you both so  \nmuch,\" Kuna said, holding the charm tightly in his hand.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Tis nae problem.  \nJest think o' it as thanks fer helpin' Clovaria... 'n' us  \npers'nally, o'course,\" Aelana said, shooting a smile over to  \nDaisy. \"Enny time ye 'av a question aboot somethin' mystical,  \nfeel free ta ask us, 'n' wi'll halp if we ken th' answer.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I really  \nappreciate it,\" Kuna replied. After a brief pause, he stuck the  \ncharm in his pocket and smiled up at her. \"I, uh... I know we just  \nmet, but I'm glad we'll be able to talk more in the future, and  \nnot just for questions like that.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, I hope some  \nday we can introduce you to some other folks, too. I can't promise  \nI know how everyone in my tribe would react, but I think at the very  \nleast Naira would be excited to get to know you, too.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"We'll see, lad,  \nwe'll see,\" Aelana replied with a faint smile. \"One step at a  \ntime.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, efter ye  \nleave Clovaria, wi'll be payin' Moyra 'n' her love a visit,  \nright?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Right,\" Aelana  \nsaid with a slightly uncertain expression.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Hey, you'll  \nsee, they'll be good friends, too,\" Lykou assured her. He thought  \nfor a moment, then pulled out his knife and cut off a small chunk of  \nhis hair and offered it to her. \"Just let them know we sent you,\"  \nhe added with a smirk. \"Doubt they'd mistake who that came from.\"  \nKuna arched a brow in mild amusement but chose not to comment.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana looked at him  \nwith surprise and hesitantly took the offered lock of hair. \"...thank  \nye?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ach, tha's  \nsweet o' ye lad, and smart!\" Daisy said.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nEventually the  \nhalf-lepne smirked back. \"Jest so ye ken, thi-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Let me guess,  \n'sympathetic link'?\" Lykou remarked.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...aye. Lucky  \nguess,\" Aelana responded with a grin.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Well it was just  \npart of me a minute ago, so it makes sense if I'm understanding how  \nthat stuff works,\" Lykou said, then shrugged. \"Don't care.  \nWe're all trading signs of trust tonight and honestly I really like  \nyou two, so I trust you not to let it fall into the wrong hands.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aw, lad,\"  \nAelana replied, then immediately pulled him into a brief hug, which  \nhe happily returned.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna leaned over  \ntowards the reflecting pool. \"See, he's the sappier one. Big ball  \nof sweet fluff,\" he commented with a smirk.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nDaisy giggled.  \n\"Dinnae sell yerself short, lad. Yer a softy as weel, 'n' don't  \nye try 'n' deny it.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe sereva rolled  \nhis eyes slightly. \"Only 'cus he's rubbing off on me.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Nah, you were  \nalways a softy, even when we first met. Just covered up with a hard,  \ncold disguise,\" the konuul said, pulling the sereva into another  \nembrace after separating from Aelana. \"I'll never forget how you  \nmelted the first time I held you.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna blushed and  \nfolded his ears down. \"Lykouuuu,\" he whined, rolling his eyes a  \nbit.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ach, tha'  \nsoonds lik' a story we definitely need tae hear sometime,\" Daisy  \nremarked with a grin.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, bit we've  \nkept thaes two up long enoof,\" Aelana said. \"Time ta get ye lads  \nback ta th' lodge so ye kin get some sleep.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Er, yeah, but,\"  \nKuna replied, looking around at the garden, which was still  \nthoroughly wrecked from their shenanigans with the wolpertinger  \nearlier. \"...will you need help cleaning all _this_ up?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe lepne glanced  \naround with an amused expression. \"Ach, ye really did a right  \nnumber on thaes place this time, eh Daisy?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Price o' havin'  \nfun, 'Lana,\" the wolpertinger said, crossing her forelegs with a  \nsmug grin.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana chuckled.  \n\"Fair enoof. Ah'm glad ye got tae run amuck withoot causin'  \nissues,\" she said, then snapped her fingers. All of the sudden, in  \na whirlwind of activity and motion, the garden began rapidly cleaning  \nitself up and restoring itself to its former state. After a minute or  \nso, there was no sign that there had been any significant activity  \nwithin its walls that night. \"Need ah remind ye th' garden tis  \nth' core o' my-\" she started, then glanced at the water again.  \n\"...rather, _our_ domain. Cleanup tis nothin'.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna and Lykou  \nlooked around with startled and impressed expressions. \"Right...  \nshould have known.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"I take it  \n'domain' means something more specific for you?\" Lykou asked  \ncuriously.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, fer a  \nSylthean- including most o' us halfies- when we settle doon in a  \nparticular place ta claim as oor own, everythin' within it  \ngradually becomes an extension o' ourselves, in a way,\" Aelana  \nexplained. \"Anyway, let's get ye both tae th' lodge.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Sounds good,\"  \nKuna replied, yawning again.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Y- wait!\" Lykou  \nsaid, suddenly remembering what he and Kuna had discussed. He looked  \nover to the sereva and gestured to one of his bracers. \"We were  \ngonna tell them, remember?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Tell us aboot  \nwhit now?\" Aelana asked curiously.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Riiight,\" Kuna  \nsaid with a slightly anxious smile. \"Um. You know how we said we  \ngot these in some old ruins?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye?\" she  \nasked, then suddenly narrowed her eyes and turned to Lykou with an  \ninscrutable look. \"...whit _kind_ of ruins?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Ehhh, wellll,\"  \nthe canid began with some uncertainty. \"...some kind of Sylthean  \nones, apparently. There were all these moving plants, with teeth and  \npoison needles and so on that kept trying to attack us...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, soonds lik'  \ntypical Elnyr nonsense,\" Daisy said with a mildly bemused smirk.  \n\"Love fer gardens are common tae a lot o' Syltheans, bit they  \nlik' thirs tae be challengin' fer some reason.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"No kidding,\"  \nKuna said with a small shiver at the memory. \"I don't like my  \nvegetables trying to bite me back, thanks.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, and they  \nhad all these weird puzzles, too, and secret passages,\" Lykou  \ncontinued.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Not uncommon fer  \nsome Sylthean places, bit usually thas tae hide somethin'  \nimportant,\" Aelana commented, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. \"Seems  \na wee bit much fer them bracer, tho...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Wellll....\"  \nLykou said with a big sheepish grin, averting his gaze. \"There was,  \nuh... d-definitely something else...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Y-yeah... we fell  \ndown s-some secret hatch on the floor i-into some weird dark room  \nwith glyphs all over the place, and uh....\" Kuna trailed off,  \nunable to bring himself to say it.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana glanced back  \nand forth between the two warily, then adopted a flat look. \"Th'  \ndamn tree's back, innit,\" she said with the faintest sardonic  \nsmirk.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...isn't that a  \ngood thing?\" Lykou asked hopefully. \"You'll finally see more  \nSyltheans around again! Maybe even some of your old friends that, uh,  \ngot stuck on the... 'other side'?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nIn the reflection  \nnearby, Daisy was emitting a faint, high-pitched squeal and  \npractically vibrating with excitement and an enormous, wide-eyed  \ngrin. Aelana, on the other hand, seemed to be taking it a bit  \ndifferently. She conjured up a large root to lean back on and rolled  \nher eyes up thoughtfully. \"...tis a mixed blessin', ah s'pose.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Oh?\" Kuna asked  \nnervously. \"...did we massively fuck up?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe lepne turned to  \nhim with an arched brow and thought for a moment, then shrugged. \"I  \nwouldnae put it tha' way, prolly no way ye could've ken whit ye  \nwis doin' at th' time anyway,\" she said, then sighed. \"'n'  \nah suspect Inkari prolly aimed ye there with tha' specifically in  \nmind anyway, even if ye didnae realize it at th' time.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"So... is that a  \n'yes' or a 'no'?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Definitely NO!\"  \nDaisy finally cried out, then started hopping around in the  \nreflection with such fervor that the water actually began to ripple a  \nbit as she began rambling on and on to herself, somewhat  \nincoherently, about various ideas for old friends to look up and  \nshenanigans to get up to with them.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana rolled her  \neyes but couldn't help but smile a bit. \"Lik' ah said, tis a  \nmixed blessin'. It'll be nice in some ways fer us, bit over time  \nye kin expect th' world tae git... weel, mighty interestin', ta  \nsay th' least. Ye ken how playful this radge twit is?\" she said,  \ngesturing to the wolpertinger that was too preoccupied with her own  \nexcited musings to notice. \"...or how fookt in th' heid ah am tae  \nbe lik' this in th' first place, fer that matter,\" she added  \nwith a more self aware sheepish grin. \"Remember th' two o' us  \nare only _half_-Sylthean. Imagine how rambunctious some o' oor  \nfull-blooded cousin are.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna's eyes  \nwidened a bit and he twitched. \"...oh.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"That... sounds...  \ninteresting, alright,\" Lykou said with a somewhat uncertain grin.  \n\"I uh. I hope the world can handle all that...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana chuckled and  \nshook her head. \"Ach, it'll be fine. It survived us afore th'  \ndisjunction, it'll survive Sylthea's return. It'll be a while  \nafore many kin start crossin' over again anyway,\" she said,  \ncrossing her arms. \"Remember, Syltheans on the whole kin be  \nchaotic, bit that don't mean they're all evil. Ye jest... have  \ntae be on yer toes aroond a lot o' 'em. Bit thir's no more  \nsleekit 'n' cunnin' bastard aroond than fae folk tryin' ta  \npull yin over on ye. Word o' advise- pay very, very close attention  \ntae words when yer aroond full Syltheans. Always assume thir always  \ntalkin' lit'rally, even- nae, _especially_ when they use  \ncommon turns o' phrase.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Good to know,\"  \nKuna replied with a wary look. \"Any examples?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Weel, ye ken when  \nah said ta gimme yer hands fer tha' geas?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Yeah?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Let's jest say  \nsome o' th' more dreich fae might'a kept 'em,\" Aelana said  \nwith a dark smirk. \"If yer lucky it might be temporary, fer a goof,  \nlike Daisy did wi' yer tail. Th' truly wicked ones though... ye  \nken where ah'm goin wi' this.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna blanched and  \nLykou shuddered. \"Duly noted...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, jest keep  \ntha' in mind. Demons might be infamous for tricky deals wi'  \nunsuspectin' mortals, bit th' smart ones learn thir dirtiest  \ntricks frae Sylthea's finest.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna gave her a wary  \nlook. \"You uh... you wouldn't-\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe lepne snickered.  \n\"Nae, ah'm only a halfie, 'n' anyway 'tingers are mair er  \nless lik' Daisy 'ere, jest zany goofballs wi' tae much energy,\"  \nshe assured him. \"'n' fer the record, elnyr kin be sly  \nsometimes, bit usually onleh if thir genuinely efter somethin' they  \nwant. Etherwise, thir a wee bit stuck up thir oon arses. Ah'm jest  \ngivin' ye a general warnin' cus tis safer tae assume a Sylthean's  \nupty somethin' till ye get ta ken 'em better.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"We appreciate the  \nwarning, heh,\" Lykou said, then yawned. \"We probably should get  \nback to the lodge, though. We just thought it was only right to let  \nyou two know about the tree.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Thank ye thank ye  \nthank ye!\" Daisy repeated, bouncing in place. \"Yer mah heroes,  \nlads!\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Aye, th' tree's  \na mixed surprise, bit ah generalleh still agree. Yer pure decent 'n'  \na hawp ye dae return tae these hills some day,\" Aelana said,  \nwalking over to embrace the two. \"Lets git ye tae bed, so ye kin  \nget ready fer tomorrae, however late ye start oof.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou and Kuna both  \nreturned the hug, then followed her out of the garden as she led them  \nto the lodge again. \"Um... hey Aelana,\" Kuna spoke up as they  \npassed through the gate.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Please, call me  \n'Lana if ye want.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Right, Lana...  \num, do you think you could, uh...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"...want me tae  \nsing again?\" the lepne asked with a grin. \"That it?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nKuna nodded with a  \nsheepish smile. \"It'd be... nice...\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nLykou smiled and  \npulled the sereva into a side-embrace. \"You're too adorable  \nsometimes, you know that?\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\n\"Hush, you,\"  \nKuna replied, blushing.\n\n  \n\n  \n\nAelana chuckled.  \n\"Ah'd be happy tae, lad.\"\n\n  \n\n  \n\nThe three strolled  \nthrough the streets back to the lodge as she began singing again. A  \nfew patrolling night guard, oblivious to the trio thanks to her  \nmagic, nonetheless found themselves oddly at peace on their rounds  \nthat night, with the faint echoes of a strange tune popping into  \ntheir mind on occasion.\n\n  \n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Mystic Heart Odyssey","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1995150-mystic-heart-odyssey-chapter-39.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2001958-mho-pt-3-highland-bunnies-chapter-12.json"}}