The Howling III

“What? What? What?” Stellaluna stared at Fico. Her ears seemed to have been deceiving her. “What?” she shook Fico in her hands, she hated to see a grown man tremble. “You have to go.” He stammered as he answered her. She stared at him blankly again, she shook her head. “And why am I leaving?” she asked as he pushed her out the door. “It just isn’t safe.” He said as he rushed her out of her MogHouse. “Fico.” She said taking a stand, “What the hell is wrong with you?” She peered at him through his helmet. She knew Fico was as brave a Warrior as she had ever seen, but something had him choked up tonight. “It’s Auron.” He spoke lowly, people started to stare at the scene he was causing by shoving her out of her house, maybe they thought she was under arrest, either way, people stared nonetheless. “Auron?” she quizzed, “What about him?” Fico began to tell her, and then he stopped. He pondered exactly how to say what was on his mind, rather than saying it flat out. AURON WANTS TO MURDER YOU. He shook his head, no he couldn’t do that. Stella didn’t put up much of a fight, she grabbed her belongings and following Fico out of the gate to West Ronafure. “Where are we going?” she asked him, “Somewhere safe.” Was all he replied to her, they pushed ahead on their chocobos. When they entered the Plateau they decided to swap their old birds for newer ones. All the while they traveled Stella was looking to find out what about Auron had Fico shaky. “Tell me what’s going on.” She said as they entered near the crag. Fico got off of his bird and paid the fare to rent a new one. “I will soon.” “No.” she stomped her foot into the ground, “Tell me now or I am not getting onto this bird.” She sat stubbornly. Fico looked at her, ushering her to hurry up. “I mean it, I’m not riding anywhere until I know why I am running.” Fico sighed as he got off of his bird again. “You owe me 323 gil.” He laughed as he stood near her. He prepped himself to tell her what he knew, the encounter they had. Kairos looked around in the quiet night. People were starting to act different towards him, but he realized that was his own fault. What were people suppose to think when they tele here and see a grown man balled into the corner of the crag shaking. His fear was getting the best of him, it’s been nearly two hours and Auron hadn’t shown up yet. He realized that he wasn’t coming for him. It was a long way back to Bastok though, he decided maybe he would run back to Jeuno and call it a night in a rented room. So he dusted himself off, smirked at the onlookers and walked away, heading for the mountains, those damn dreaded mountains. As he zoned and took a step, his heart became wrenched with dread. He had a bad feeling about this, but he had to press on, Port Jeuno wasn’t that far away, he knew if he could just make it into a town he would be safe. So he ran, taking off down the pathway and rushing for the next zone. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw it. “No.” his mind died out on him, leaving him standing there. He couldn’t function or think or get out of the way. He saw the wolf, and all he could do is tremble. Stella rolled on her side with laughter much to Fico’s demise. “Stella…” he said angrily, her gut seemed about to burst. “Oh my.” She laughed from her spot, banging her fist against the soft dirt as Fico told her the story. “Fico… I love you… but maybe you and Bio should lay off the drinks.” She said, stopping her laughter for a split second. She looked over his torn gear, and laughed again. “Nice prank you guys.” She said again. “I’m not lying, Auron is a werewolf, and Bio is too.” He said with a serious face, it was annoying him that she didn’t believe him. “Sure they are, and I bet they will jump out right now and say ‘Boo’.” She laughed again. “And shit, Just is the Easter Bunny and Tone is the tooth fairy.” She rolled on her side, despite his anger, Fico laughed at that one too. He grabbed her arm, “Stella, in all seriousness.” “Werewolves are a myth Fico.” “They aren’t real.” “And how did they become a werewolf? Overnight.” “That’s why we are going to Jeuno, we are going to that goblins shop that sold them the drinks.” He stated. “I think it had something to do with that, they both felt sick after drinking it.”

He swung his axe, and it cut him in the neck, a startling howl leaped out from his throat. Kairos continue to hack and slash, but no matter how many times he hit him, he could take it. “Please… Leave me alone.” He said as he backed away from the wolf. He crept closer and closer to him, each stepping making Kairos die inside. “Please.” He said again and again. The wolf jumped onto him, pinning him down onto the ground until he had nowhere to go, no room to squirm. “Stop hitting me.” He snarled, snapping his teeth to put emphasis on his words. “You can talk.” Kair looked up at him startled. “I’m not here to hurt you.” Bio said as he headbutted Kair. “So stop attacking me.” Kair had to regain his senses, and that had hurt him a great deal. “Stella is in danger and Fico too.” Bio snapped, his voice drawling because of anger. “So I would appreciate if you wouldn’t attack me.” Bio became irate, he was never this hot tempered before, and it must have come with the change. Being a wolf is hard if you don’t have control over your anger, you can hurt any and everyone without a care. “Now.” Bio said as he stood up and lifted Kairos with him. “Will you help me, or will you just get in my way.” He clenched him by his vest. His claws were sharp and he showed Kairos that by adding “If you stand in my way, I will have to dispose of you.” Kair swallowed the hard lump of spit that was caught in his throat. As their chocobos took off through Batallia Downs, they were almost at the zone for the town of Jeuno. Stella had stopped laughing at Fico, she didn’t believe him, but she thought it was really rude to laugh. “Fico…” Stella halted her bird, something she thought she saw in the distance terrified her. “We are almost there Stella.” He said as his chocobo continued. Still she stared behind her, she felt something following her. “Fico…” she yelled as she kicked her bird and it took off running. Fico looked behind him as the dark red fur that covered Auron’s body greatly approached them. “Go!” he shouted and Stella and her bird did just that. “For fuck sake you weren’t joking.” She screamed as her bird caught up with his. She looked behind her and saw nothing. She knew she saw it, and now it was time for her to become a believer in myths. “Where the hell did he go?” she asked as panic consumed her. She heard his howl, it shattered every thought in her head as fear really sunk into her chest. “I see it… Jeuno.” Fico yelled excitedly, he looked behind him one last time and Auron wasn’t anywhere in sight. Stella pressed her chocobo ahead, rushing, racing. Her chocobo let out a pained squeal, and before she knew it she was lying face first in the dirt, pain rushed to her face as she crashed head first. She lifted her head to see her yellow bird covered in dark red blood. Auron ripped it to shreds, and on its blood he drank. Stella trembled but she didn’t move because she couldn’t. She was too horrified at what she was witnessing. He lapped at the blood with his tongue and then he howled again and cocked his head in her direction. His teeth drenched in red blood. “Power.” He said as he looked at her, and she stared back at him confused….