Stella:

  "So what's the deal between Kasih from the n°42 and the chick from n°122?"

  The Human girl leaned back on a chair, sharing a table with Locci and his new boyfriend, Lorinth. Since the guard started dating the florist, the latter allowed them to host their bi-weekly gossip session in his shop.

  A pretty chill dude, all things considered. She was happy for her big, furry pal. Their mutual support really paid off in the end.

  "I've heard a few maws saying that Kasih snuck into Gund's house three times last week." Lorith disclosed, bearing a wide grin while he poured tea to him and Locci.

  "Isn't Gund the one who was raving about raising their own food like a farm?" Stella took a sip of her delicious, room-temperature water.

  Both male Wolves cackled at the question. "T-That's right!" The florist took a deep breath to recompose himself but couldn't tame his grin. "If she disagrees with the sacred tradition of providing food for the community by hunting, she should've packed her things to Chikukei or... anywhere else." He gulped his tea. "I understand where she comes from, but our culture makes this village unique for me and many Monoke. Besides, isn't it a bit cruel that we'd be condemning them for a restricting life on a farm and not giving them a chance to defend their life?"

  "I suppose..." Stella slid her finger through the rim of her clay cup, which had a cute pattern of two wolves playing tug-of-war with a flower as the rope. "Y'all think Kasih is into that plan?"

  Locci shrugged. "He better be." The guard's large paws comically made the pink teacup disappear when they clasped it. "They say his wife has another theory brewing..."

  Lorinth playfully slapped his shoulder. "Stop it, you!" He snickered before turning his gaze at Stella. "I thought your girlfriend would join us."

  The girl scoffed. "Yes, because Lien would enjoy an hour of talking and sitting around and not burst from excess boredom."

  The florist's honey-colored eyes widened. "Yes. That's..." He laughed sheepishly. "That's a great point. I'm afraid that pup would demolish my house after ten minutes..."

  Stella took the subsequent quiet period to admire her surroundings. Shelves of begonias, roses, daisies, and ferns complemented the cyan walls like a rainbow dyed the sky. Behind the balcony, a set of gardening tools decorated the wall alongside portraits of local birds, including the rainbow pheasant one Locci took with the Human's aid. Good times.

  The reminiscing lasted very little when a young Wolf barged into the flower shop. "Human! Don't you hide from me!"

  The boyband fringe, his lack of a shirt... He was an apparition the girl hoped would stay a hundred miles from her...

  She narrowed her eyes. "Mary..."

  "Maro!" he snarled. "You steal my scarf but don't even remember my name?!"

  Stella broke into laughter. "What?! I think your cousin smacked you on the head a little too hard."

  However, it was strange that the annoying pup wasn't wearing his trusty bandanna around his neck. Then again, everyone here seemed to have a single clothing style they preferred to keep until the end of time. At least the Human had the "being a poor orphan" excuse.

  "Wait, wait, wait!" She waved both hands at him. "What makes you think I stole your stupid neck blanket?"

  "I have a list of reasons!" He started counting with his fingers, unsheathing a claw with each point. "Scaring me with paper poppers!"

  She rolled her eyes. "And you tried to throw me off the tukutim. Grow up."

  "You stole the rabbits I've gathered through an entire day!"

  "I was still a little angry at you."

  "YOU COVERED MY COUSIN IN DEER BLOOD AND MADE HER PLAY DEAD ON MY FAMILY'S DOORSTEP!!!"

  "That was LIEN'S idea!" she clarified. "She got it when we found a possum close to Hōkō's tree." She sighed, a peaceful smile playing on her lips. "I scrubbed it all over her so you couldn't pick up the smell. I'm so proud of her..."

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  Maro growled. "I'm not convinced you didn't have anything to do with it!" He stepped towards her and then grabbed her by the collar. "You will help me search for it, weakling!" His awful breath assaulted her nostrils.

  Stella's careless demeanor crumbled. Her fists clenched with the desire to pound this wimp to the ground until he was stuck in a bloody crater. Unfortunately, she showed minimal consideration for her gossip pals and decided not to ruin their moment.

  "Fine." She pushed him away, only strong enough to make him stumble on his feet. "Don't touch me again."

  Maro scoffed, adjusting his fringe. "Whatever." He turned towards the door. "If you try to pull my tail, I'll kick your sorry butt."

  Well, that sounded like a challenge. Stella weakly waved at her confused companions. "Bye."

  Locci and Lorinth silently returned the gesture.

  Hiking through Pantsti's woods became a mundane exercise, which is ironic, considering how dreadful the whole process of psyching herself up to trespass into Sayama was. She became more mighty since the day she blasted a bear's head with her glowy fist. So, the only real threat she could face was a Monoke, including her annoying companion for the day.

  Well, that or whatever awaited her inside that fucking ominous cave, which in the entrance was a giant spider carved into the rock formation.

  "THIS is your idea of a date?!" Stella crossed her arms. "Nice try, pup. But I ain't buying this."

  The pup grasped his hips. "Why so doubtful?! And how do I know this isn't YOUR scheme?!"

  "I don't even know what the fuck that cave is!" She gestured at the cave, exasperated. "Care to explain?!"

  Maro let out the loudest sigh she had ever heard. "This is the entrance to the Spiders' atelier. They basically make our clothes. Few Monoke dare go inside it because it's a maze down there, and the Spiders are not very friendly," he explained. "Of course, my Wolf sense of smell can grab my scarf there in no time."

  "Okay..." Stella slowly nodded. "But! What if you smell your stupid scarf in that direction because they MADE it there?!" Her eyes widened with growing murderous intent towards Maro. "Besides, if we go there, we might as well buy a new one! I could smell that filthy cloth two streets away."

  He gasped. "How dare you! My own MOTHER knitted it for my sixth birthday!" He puffed his chest. "She worked in the atelier for some time, you know..."

  "Yeah? Then why she's fired? She stepped on her boss?" Stella joked.

  Maro snarled so hard he drooled all over her face, making her slightly flinch. "ONE MORE JOKE ABOUT MY MOM, AND I'LL FEED YOU TO THE SPIDERS!!!" Breathless, he took a few seconds to recompose himself. "Besides, it was her lavender cologne they didn't like. Mom said they kick you out with the slightest mistake."

  Stella sighed. "That's nice." She gazed at the creepy spider sculpture. "Well, as long as they don't eat us..."

  After finally relenting, the Human entered the arachnid grotto. She wasn't sure what was more bizarre - exploring a dark cave with an anthropomorphic, talking canine... or doing this for the second time.

  A shame Stella wasn't predicting where this day would take her. Otherwise, she'd have brought her freaking new flashlight, brought by The Silver Knight himself. No deer would mug her ever again!

  That was when she remembered she could manifest her own light by molding her Saniya, which seeped through her pores and clung to her skin as an extra layer of energy.

  Her hand shone in a golden glow, snuffing out the dark. "Much better." Stella's voice echoed through the stone walls, joining the clicking sound of Maro's toe claws on the floor.

  "Your kind doesn't even have night vision?" He mockingly giggled. "What Lien sees in a bland sack of flesh like you?"

  Before Stella could chew his ear off, he stopped her with an arm. "Wait." He pointed at the floor, revealing a sizeable lid with a spider emblem similar to the one at the entrance. Were they about to enter the sewers?

  Stella turned to Maro, who stepped away a few inches. "What do we do? Do we lift it or unscrew it?"

  The pup stroked his chin in thought. "If I remember what Mom said, we should do..." He flashed a wicked smirk, which drove the Human to freeze. "...this."

  After Maro tapped his foot on the floor, the spider sigil lid gave out, prompting Stella to fall down an unlit, frightening tunnel. However, as the darkness and relentless pull of gravity combo lost novelty, the initial shock and fear were quickly replaced by an unyielding rage!

  Stella's glowy hand anchored in a tunnel wall, abruptly stopping her descent. It wasn't without consequence, however, as her shoulder and wrist suffered a hefty discomfort from the whiplash.

  Regardless, there was nothing more painful than hearing HIM talk again.

  "GOTCHA!!!" Maro's voice reverberated throughout the tunnel. "YOU'LL BE SPENDING A LONG TIME EXITING FROM THE OTHER SIDE! THAT IS IF THE SPIDERS DON'T DRINK YOUR INSIDES!"

  His evil giggle made Stella grit her teeth so hard that any more pressure would surely crack one of her mouth pearls.

  "ASSHOLE!!! YOUR SCARF IS FINE, ISN'T IT?!" she bellowed.

  "TIZOHI ALMIGHTY, YOU HAVE A BRAIN, AFTER ALL!" he mocked. "THAT'S RIGHT, HUMAN! I MADE IT ALL UP!"

  Stella's breath became more erratic as she felt her grip slowly slipping. "FINE! YOU GOT YOUR REVENGE! NOW PULL ME UP!"

  "KEEPING YOU THERE IS THE POINT OF THE PRANK, DUMBASS! NOT EVEN I COULD GET MY WAY OUT FROM WHERE YOU ARE WITH EARTH MAGIC!"

  Earth magic, huh? Was that how the door worked...?

  Focusing on Maro's voice, Stella conjured a devious plan with a mischievous smirk no one could realistically see.

  "TOO BAD A TALENTLESS WEAKLING LIKE YOU COULD NEVER- FUCK!!!"

  Her luck fluctuated like crazy! The earth pillar she summoned should keep his mouth shut until-

  ...

  ......

  Wait, why was his girly voice growing louder?

  Oh... It wasn't...

  "NAMADI'S LIGHT, SAVE-"

  That was Stella's last words before she was pushed further down the abyss with her new Wolf companion. Their screams were the last sound they uttered before their inevitable demise...

  .........

  Fine. You know I'm lying. The kids are okay.

  I think...