"Stop snarling at me," Rodent said, stomping a hollow log into bits. He thought it would better meld to the Wolf—but it snarled at him for this. "I'm just trying to help. Don't like something? Say something."

  The Wolf stared at him, growling when Rodent went to stomp another log, which stopped him from doing so. "Wait. Does this wood still mean something to you?" Rodent deflated a little, slow to pick everything up, contemplating his words. "Sorry. Didn’t mean to be disrespectful. Just… trying to help."

  Rodent brought his collection to the Wolf, exploring the nearby area for more, not breaking anything further, acquiring what little was untouched by the sludge. The Wolf watched him with its muzzle lowered to the ground.

  Until the man dropped the last of what he had.

  "There." Rodent straightened after bending over. "That should be enough." He left to recover Sorn—which the Wolf's head raised at. "Easy. Sorn's a friend." He picked up the pole, wiping its dirt with his jacket's sleeve. "And we don't leave our friends on the ground."

  The Wolf growled—but only at the pole.

  Rodent's head shook. "No. Sorn did not hurt you." He earned the beast's stare and stared back into it almost passively. The man's fear was gone. "I used him to hurt you. Your issue is with me."

  Rodent nodded. "Just like how my issue is you attacking from the start."

  The Wolf seemed to stop caring, dipping its muzzle into the makeshift wood pile. Green magic manifested as the wood flowed into its snout, regrowing what was chipped. It then rose to paw the collection closer to its ribcage, treating the wood with absolute care.

  It reminded Rodent of how one would treat the remains of a family.

  Soon… the creature had used up all that was left… and left its head bowed for a significant amount of time. It rose slowly and carefully, mindful of its weakness and more respectful of the material that composed it.

  It looked down at the man from its higher height, almost toying with the idea of lifting its paw to drop it on him again. Rodent only tiredly looked back. The Wolf gave up the idea, turning away.

  And Rodent, though granted the freedom to leave, couldn't help but follow the beast.

  "What the…"

  Rodent spoke aloud, keeping a respectable distance behind the Wolf, passing through a more barren section of the woods. Most of the trees here had fallen over and mainly were eaten. Black splotches pooled together so much that some of them nearly made a pond between the trunks of the remaining trees.

  Those ponds gravitated toward the Wolf, but it moved fast enough to not be worried—though the path behind it would soon be closed. To Rodent, however, the sludge opened slightly, retracting.

  However, the closer they neared the center of the woods, the more Rodent noticed the trees starting to return. They were still dried and dull and dead. But forms were visible on their surface—carvings. Creatures, big and small, some more chiselled out than others.

  But all failed to come alive; a life felt in some of them, but it was so small as to never become anything bigger. Rodent had time and space to think. He stared at all the passing sights.

  Seems like… everything here is born from the trees… either craving themselves out from the wood or… being made inside the tree. Rodent's eyes narrowed, struggling to think of the next layer. W-Was… all this area run by these wooden creatures? Was this the natural life that lived here?

  That felt close enough.

  Did they stay out often? Or did they return to the trees they broke from and become one more with it again? Rodent winced. Then… what causes them to come out? It looked like half of them were in the process of it. When did that happen?

  How come they were unable to come out now?

  Everything differed from how Rodent expected his adventures in another world.

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  But he kept it under wraps.

  Just then… there was a sight that amazed him… and refreshed him after the nonstop dull gray tone. There was a clearing ahead untouched by the rest of the woods. There was a magical line where lush grass began with flowers and bushes.

  The wind here was sweeter and gentler, and it drew Rodent forward. His boots had gotten so used to the dried and hard ground that the grass compressing beneath them was a new delight.

  Ahead, the Wolf sat, its large size nearly blocking the view, but the totem it was before was that much taller. The totem stood at the center of the clearing, chipped and eaten, magic felt from it—even if it wasn't visible.

  The totem was made from ancient-looking wood. This didn't stop the black splotches that had somehow reached it—eating away at the various branches and pegs on the totem. They ate away, revealing the rich interior of the totem, the utterly thick, compressed magic within.

  Rodent came behind the beast and stayed like that, looking at the totem and the symbols upon its surface—some missing. The wind blew, and it did so for a while. Rodent felt a static pang in his head, the symbols becoming letters that formed into words.

  His head was lowered from the weight, a hand covering half of his face, and his only exposed eye was reading what was there.

  'EXPRESSION OF MY LOVE.'

  Rodent recovered. The spell passed over him in an instant. It was like he was examined and then left alone. He did his best to shake it off. His notebook came out without his thinking as Rodent drew 'A Wolf sitting before a Totem.'

  Rodent pocketed the notebook as the Wolf rose.

  It rose and walked to the totem.

  Tilting its head to the side, it took the base of the totem into its mouth and, with a breath, started to chew. There was a horrible cracking and popping sound—exposed magic wisping and exploding uselessly. It was a sad, miniature show of emerald fireworks.

  The same show was reflected in the Wolf's eyes, brightening and dimming with magic.

  Rodent was frozen for only a second.

  "H-Hey—HEY!" Rodent came next to the creature's muzzle, where it could see him in its peripherals. It paid little heed, chewing, trying to break the totem. "I dunno what you're doing, but… KNOCK IT OFF!"

  Wolf chewed to his death.

  And Rodent, without choice, bonked Wolf with Sorn.

  The Wolf glared and growled, but Rodent followed through, not caring if its jaw snapped on him. It stopped chewing, and Rodent stopped hitting, the two staring down.

  Then the Wolf tried to chew a little bit, secretly, and Rodent smacked him again.

  "ENOUGH!" Rodent was angry in the Wolf's face. "STOP IT!"

  The Wolf did so to snap at Rodent, its biting attack meant to miss as Rodent jumped aside. Rodent went to smack the beast—but it leapt backward. Rodent came before the totem, opening himself, ready to defend.

  "Look! I dunno what's happening." Rodent held out his arms, staring at the fully risen beast. It was ready to fight him again. "But what you're doing—it doesn't feel right. I don't know you. Don't know what you’ve been through." He held Sorn in both hands. "But I'll keep smacking you until you explain what's going on—or, at least, stop trying to break this thing."

  The Wolf lowered, growling, ready to pounce. Rodent's head shook as he looked back at the towering totem. Its black splotches annoyed him. It was as though something sacrilegious happened.

  Rodent turned his back on the Wolf and reached for the splotches, which moved away or plopped to the ground, not eating the grass as they drove away. Rodent went around the totem, getting more off, before climbing the thing.

  The Wolf watched him remove it all.

  Soon, though, one of the pegs broke off beneath Rodent's boot—and he fell. Closing his eyes and awaiting impact, he crashed into the Wolf's raised muzzle, which lowered with him to the ground.

  Rodent touched the grass and stepped back, taken aback, looking at the beast risen to its full height. Its anger was gone as it stood there, and it no longer looked like it would attack the totem, either.

  Rodent breathed deeply for a second.

  "I take it… you weren't always alone?"

  The Wolf stared downward.

  "Look. I… really have no clue what's happening here." Rodent relaxed, trying to be calm and gentle again. "I just got here. I'm looking for a village where I can gather my bearings—maybe even get a sword or something." His palms raised in surrender. "I was just looking for a good time and nothing more. But…” His hands dropped as he looked around. "I'm not sure I will find that here… or anywhere."

  He snapped out of his misery and focused more on the creature. "I won't make promises I can't keep," Rodent said. "But don't destroy that totem until we've figured everything out, alright? Maybe… it can't be repaired. Can't undo what's happened to these woods."

  The Wolf watched.

  "But at least let me try to figure something out," Rodent pleaded. "Let me talk to whoever lives in these lands. See what's possible. At the very least, I promise to try." He smiled, nodding. "Think you can stick around a little bit longer?"

  The Wolf stared.

  Rodent held.

  And then the Wolf lowered its stomach to the ground, looking up at Rodent, seeming so elegant.

  Rodent smiled.

  "Thanks."

  He tried to pet the creature's muzzle, but it rose and turned before the contact could be made, slowly stalking away. Rodent returned his hand… but watched the creature stop to glance at him.

  Rodent smiled and, with a nod, caught up.

  writing that idea well is tough stuff!

  ~ Triple Triple