The Leaf in the Wind

"Geez. Slow it down, wouldja?" The four-legged friend, panting and huffing, had bounded out of Mathias' sight. Sweeping a crest of mane from his eyelid, the sturdy frame came to a steep downward slope in the earth and paused. His fuzzy friend was nowhere to be seen — only heard through scraggly snuffling noises from below. The downslope was entwined with roots, which were ready to ensnare even the deftest passerby. Treetops, like ancient beacons to temples in the sky, billowed their plumes and rustled a harmonious interlude with the breeze. Pressing his wrapped palm firmly against an aged trunk, Mathias hung slightly off the ledge and swung himself to all angles to catch a glimpse of his companion.

"Hey!" he barked as he fell backward from the wood and slid his weight onto his thigh. "Seriously. You could get yourself hurt or somethin'." Mathias burrowed his heels firmly into the slope as he descended. A short grumble rumbled from beneath a pile of fallen leaves, and a droopy, white muzzle popped from the heap. The black nose attached to it snuffled around the base of the pile and sneezed two or three times before the tangled chestnut limbs of the dog surfaced and kicked around. Mathias floundered face down onto the pile alongside the boxer, giggled, then snorted as a clump of dust flew into his face.

"You owe me some new kicks, man." He turned his face to meet the animal's deep brown gaze and scowled playfully, furrowing his eyebrows. Curling into a wide grin, his lips lunged a whisker-length away from the dog's snout. The creature rolled back on his haunches and ruffed, wagging his stubbly tail earnestly before darting off. Mathias rolled onto his back and peeked at the hazy sky before crawling to his feet. Carefully grasping his sack (rather, his coat knotted into a makeshift sack) and coated in the remnants from the forest floor, he trundled after the canine. His bright-colored highlights and pink tattoos were painted stark in comparison to the earthy tones around him.

Keeping as close as possible to his friend's nub of a tail, Mathias wove and danced between the trees, making certain to not graze his shoulders. His trot soon ended as he slowed behind the boxer.; the fog had grown thick. What're you...? All thought ended when his yellow-shrouded eyes searched the mist.

Jagged precipices towered above, meeting the clouds far above the human eye's limits. Within sight, however, were small peaks rolling across the valley — a village. Small orbs of light flickered across the village — windows and lanterns strung in lofted places. High above the waving rooftops towered a great palace — so great that the enthusiast had to crane his neck backward so much that his hair tufts tickled the base of his neck. Mathias rolled his tongue into the small crevice across his upper left lip and placed his fingertips across his temple and jaw. His skin prickled, and he wasn't certain if it was because of the weather or this sublime experience of a town ornately woven into nature. What on Fiore?

"Agh. Wait, dammit," Mathias whispered. The boxer had given a small yelp and bounded past the entrance into a small square. He pressed his snout to the ground and sniffed along the pavement as if carefully analyzing every grain of mineral within.  He slunk away, buried in the scent as Mathias awkwardly slunk behind him. Mathias smelled only fresh dew. This is what I get for not keeping a leash.

Mathias had always held a keen sense of direction, but he never had an internal compass. He'd always been a wanderer; things always ended better when they fell the way they were intended. Such was fate when he encountered his furry companion four days ago. The boxer had bounded up to him from practically nowhere and disturbed what was quite frankly a wonderful afternoon nap. He felt the tongue press against his forehead in the darkness of his slumber and was startled awake to find the pup, pretty darn tired and hungry. After sharing a small meal, Mathias simply decided to accompany the dog on whatever mission he seemed intent on accomplishing. Surely it was better than sleeping all day. So, there's that story — no need to read into it.

The two made their way through the village paths — Mathias sauntering along as his friend did the hard work. Guess we'll be parting ways soon, huh? Few people passed. Mathias felt too awkward to inquire about their location, so he left them be. His footsteps were near silent, muffled by the compressing fog as the two drew near the towering tribute to the sky. The boxer paced around the edifice until the pair reached a large, ornate sliding doors. The monolith reached to the heavens above, and Mathias felt puny in comparison — as though the structure could come crashing down on him at any moment. A few voices murmured back and forth from inside.

The canine halted, upturned his tail and rested on his haunches. His deep brown eyes flashed at Mathias for an instant before he began a low and prolonged combination of howling and barking.

"Shh! No! Shaddup!"  Mathias hissed. His face grew warm at the thought of disturbing the silence. "Why d'you do this to me?" he whimpered as he sidled up to the door. What do I do? Knock? On paper? Would knocking damage it? Should he yell? Or just say hello? Dammit, dog. His yellow orbs shifted sideways as he contemplated, his knuckles hovering just two centimeters away from the door.

Brandy sat at one of the center tables in Infinity Hydra's tavern with her usual Hargeon Lime. She engaged in idle conversation with several of her new guild mates, her tail gently swishing back and forth. This was Brandy's third day in the guild and for the most part, the other guild members readily accepted her. Rowan and the guildmaster, Ardere, have been the most welcoming of the bunch.

Suddenly, Brandy's ears twitched when she heard a familiar mix of howling and barking. Wasting no time, she leaped from the long bench and shouted, "That's Zeus!" Memories of how she had been separated from Zeus quickly rushed back to her as she ran to Infinity Hydra's sliding front door.


The stocky brown boxer's face dropped so low that it looked like it would detach from his head at any moment. A tender whine resonated from his throat, for it was as if he knew that Brandy would never return. Brandy's lip quivered and streams of tears trickled down her hot face. She shook her head while choking out words. "No boy. You can't come with me. It's too dangerous. Stay with Mom."

Brandy's mother rubbed the top of Zeus's head, a sad expression restraining her face. "I'm sorry. I wish things were different."

"You can always come with me."

"I can't!" she yelled. "You don't want me with you."

Brandy scowled, her tears stopping for a moment. "You know that isn't true." Brandy's mother remained silent, unable to look her daughter in the eye. "You won't come with me because you can't accept me as your daughter." Brandy sighed. "And besides, you're the one that told me to leave."

In a monotone voice, Brandy's mother said, "I don't want to fight anymore. Just go."

Brandy gripped the handle of her navy-blue suitcase and walked toward the front door with it rolling in tow. She looked over her shoulder and smiled through heart wrenching pain. "I love you."

Brandy's mother hesitated for a moment, staring at the wall, and replied, "I love you too."


With a firm yank, Brandy opened the guildhall's front door and exclaimed, "Zeus!"

"Zeus!" The voice rang musical and bright against the deep cries of the boxer.

A figure appeared behind the door and threw it open with one swift movement. Two vivid eyes fell into his, searching. Pouring. They shone the sweet, sticky brown of the decorative chocolates the shop down the road would display for passersby. Oh, how he scrounged for the jewels for those delicacies in those days. It all felt to trivial now, how he had set himself up on the street performing for what little change plunked into his jacket hood. And here were these chocolates again, melting and bubbling with such ferventness that it set his heart aloft. Mathias twitched, the pulse in his throat spiking, and sharply drew his hand away from the door.

"I...uhh..." His head pounded. His face grew heated and flushed. He became quite conscious of the warm, sticky beating below his jaws as he clawed for words from his chest. Wringing his fingers, he wobbled slightly. What do I say? I just... Mathias felt his larynx swelling, suffocating. He drew his left hand from the clenching maw of his right and placed it gently against his chin.

"I'm...Mathias..." he stammered, trailing off slightly as he noticed her gaze motion toward the dog and realized she hadn't addressed him. The finger retreated behind his ears as he tugged at his mane. Mathias' cheeks were embers; he felt himself crackle and burn from the inside, and his tongue grew limp. I'm such a dumbass. Zeus, the boxer huh?

Turning his face away, he caught a glimpse of the stranger's more, well, distinct features. Her hair flowed like the locks of a raven, cascading around her shoulders in a shimmering pool. What was more amusing was that two orange ears floofed from the ripples of her mane. In fact, her body was such color that she appeared alight with flame. The color of fresh frost on a snowy day ran from her smiling muzzle to her, well, lower extremities — not that he was looking at those! No! Definitely not! Mathias' bumbling eyes shuffled around for a new focal point; they decided on her feet—err, paws—clad in fine purple heels. Most amusing.

"You're a f--" he choked as his tongue warbled against the back roof of his mouth. He heaved. "A ffff--" A fox! A fox! Why can't I effing speak?! Mathias inhaled deeply and cleared his throat before stammering, "Y-you're, uhh, really pretty." Steam practically poured from his ears as he fumbled his hand over where the words spilled. Oops.

"I just mean you're...you're..." His hand trembled, and he felt the skin along his temple creep into an awkward clammy sensation. Gaze shifting again, he rested his eyes on her left hand, which brandished an insignia resembling spiraling snakes the same color as her shoes. "In a guild, right?" Mathias had no clue where this conversation was going; the only thing he knew was how terribly he wanted to flee. With his heart pulsing so quickly, he was certain the whole village could hear his stupidity by now.

"So, new members to the guild?  Ribbit!"
His panic-induced fervor was interrupted by another voice from behind the screen, and a spike ran up his spine. Someone heard that. Fiore almighty. Someone heard that wreck. His left foot stumbled backward onto his right and he wobbled a little before falling on his arse to the ground. The clunking of boots resounded against the hall's surface.

Through his sprawled legs he noticed the figure emerge, standing at less than half the size of the vixen. Ribbit? Mathias rubbed the dust from his muddled face and squinted his focus to realign himself before making out the form of a fairly large frog fully cloaked in adventurer's garb. He appeared flashing in his bronze breastplate and jeans so impressively white that surely they were protected by a spell. He brandished a sword across his lower back, and his yellow orbs reflected bright against the outside world. What?! Mathias caught the faintest scent of amphibian wafting through his nostrils. Yep. That's a pretty dapper frog.

What menagerie had he managed to stumble upon with these fantastic-looking creatures? Surely he was dreaming. He would wake up at home beneath his tree and wishing he'd seen such amazing things. He'd be back where animals would speak with him in hisses and chirps — the same as always. Surely he could enjoy this while it lasted, though. Mathias shuffled one hand beneath him and found his muscles going limp. That was fine — no worries here.

He opened his mouth slightly, but his jaw simply hung there, unhinged and gawking at the duo before him.