Whew. Okay. Uhm. Well, I guess it's my turn again~... Haha... This might take a while...

It's me again~. Noelle? I'm here with j- uh, Kris, but only because we were both trying to get away from Susie and Ralsei for a second... U-uh! Wait! Th-that's not what that means!

/Noelle.\

Uh...?

/Calm down? No need to get all twisted up. After all, it's just an audio journal. Who knows if this will ever really get out.\

... Yeah, okay. Sorry. I don't know whats wrong with me and talking into this microphone. It always makes me feel so stressed out starting... but after, I feel so calm.

/I'm pretty sure that would be because you got it off your chest.\

R-right... Well, this will be a good relief, then! ... Oooor I would say that if this part of the whole forest episode didn't cause massive anxiety even to this very day~...

/... I mean, I'd offer to give another whack at my part, but...\

No! No... I-I'm a big girl. I can handle a little anxiety. Besides, it's over so it can't hurt me anymore...

/Exactly. So...\

Right. Well then. First thing's first. What did I do after I got down from the bridge?

Well... I started walking in the direction of the closest village I could see from up there, though my aim could have been a little off. I know the Kytsater Kris knew as Shorn told me to head toward the Black Geyser- Or Fountain of Darkness or whatever you wanna call... but I didn't feel safe enough or brave enough to go near something that looked... that foreboding.

I couldn't stomach the thought of being r-right up in front of there and literally capable of touching it. It made my stomach turn in a horrible way...

... So.. yes. I walked to the nearest set of lights I could see in the distance... And it took a long while. Walking through soft grass should have made it easier, but this only meant that the terrain was not flat or without holes. I can remember stumbling in a small pothole once or twice and stepping on tiny lifts in the ground... And passing over a steep hill that turned out to be a cave, so I had to walk back and loop around it, because there was no way I was dropping down twenty feet or more... The leaves were at least too big to get stuck on me. And at least it wasn't terribly humid or warm. My fur never helps in that sort of weather. It's why I prefer the winter...

-crinch!- -cranch!- -crinch!-

I gasped and whirled around to the continuous sound of both grass and leaves being crunched underfoot. Something was coming. My eyes widened at the sight of a silhouette of a creature twice my height even as it walked on four legs, but I couldn't understand why it was silhouetted in the first place. The forest had no true sources of light... But then again, I shouldn't have been able to see at all, in that case. (The dark world has nothing but darkness after all yet I could still see...)

/Uh, Noelle?\

Hm...? ... Oh gosh darnit! I'm sorry. Uh, forget about that for now. A-all you need to know is that the creature was big, scary and I couldn't see what it was, yet.

I shivered through my terrified whimpers as I backed away. "S-stay away...!" I pointed my staff forward, the weapon shivering along with me.

The creature finally seemed to walk forward out of whatever shadows had been cast over it, revealing it's true form...

It was a monstrous weasyl of some kind, but like everything else backwards here, it had scales in the stead of fur, the same color of orange as the leaves on the ground... until it suddenly morphed through multiple colors until turning green like the blades of grass. No ears, but the eyes and mouth were definitely there. Two fangs jut out from the creature's jaw, arced forward like mammoth tusks but shorter. The eyes on the creature were totally black. I couldn't even see a shine or spark.

As for it's paws, each toe was a claw in and of itself through the mere fact that they were pointed on their ends. Without fur, I could see the rippling muscles all over the creature's body. It was much more like a dragon than any form of weasyl I've ever seen. The tail was just as long as a weasyl's, but it's end was spiked by three bladed scale plates. Not terribly sharp, but they'd still do terrible damage.

A viral hiss burbled in it's throat as it continued it's approach as I quivered and backed away. It showed me just how wrong I was to think it had no ears by letting them unfold from it's head, standing erect as two webbed flaps exposing greenish-white flesh within glistening from moisture... It was gross, but more than that, this creature as a whole was terrifying... Still, it wasn't as scary as the Shulong.

... When I thought about it like that, I suddenly found myself wondering... What had I done before that made that beast stop? ... Could I do it again?

I didn't have time to think about it too deeply as the creature reared it's head back, gullet swelling. Opening it's mouth, it spat a boiling vat of blue liquid from it's lips, much to my gasping alarm! Screaming, I shut my eyes tight and held my staff high in defense while I sunk low! In that instant, a glow I could see even with my eyes shut shined from the jewel in my staff and...

-Vvrrr!- -Blaoh!-

Suddenly, both wind and leaves encircled me, spinning wildly in a dome around me as the spat substance was splattered into flecks on contact with the phenomenon, sending the spit away in all directs! ... I had created a barrier of wind and leaves! And judging by it's hiss, the terrifying beast was not very happy about this.

Opening my eyes, I came to realize this in awe of what I could hardly comprehend, eyes wide. I could practically see the wind currents rotating at incredible speeds with the leaves, though those same leaves seemed to have been singed by the attack... Still, as I watched my spell fall apart as the light of my staff dimmed, I was suddenly, frighteningly brought back from my awe, gasping at the sight of the creature's sharp paw falling toward me! I leapt clumsily back cradling my staff as the paw came slamming down in thud, planting it into the dirt a few inches deep! Landing on my back, I grunt from the landing, but was too busy watching in terror as the beast snarled overhead!

It's teeth bore down at me with a snarl. Then, it brought it's maw in toward, opening wide! I shrieked and pulled away to the side in a half roll, the jaws snapping down into the dirt!

-CRUNCH!-

Effortlessly, they raked the dirt and grass up from the ground, leaving a massive pothole in the ground where I had been! Seeing this, my face went pale and my eyes shot wide!

Turning my attention back up to the monster, I saw it spit the dirt back out, then glare down at me with it's teeth borne again!

In a panic, I whined and started to push away on my back as it readied for another snap. Before that came, I turned myself over and pulled myself from the ground with hands, hooves and staff! I started to get up, only for the beast to dig into the ground beneath my feet with horrifying intent! I only managed to keep my hooves because I stumbled from it's teeth and pulled them away without actually trying to! I screamed and stumbled forward, nearly ending up splayed across the dirt again, but catching myself just into to feel a shock like adrenaline hit me! Immediately, I pushed myself up and broke out into a full sprint across the forest floor!

After spitting the new dirt, the beast roared a terrible sound and started bounding toward me with alarming speed! I knew it was too fast to outrun, but my frightened mind could think of nothing else in the moment!

Bring bile up into it's throat, it spit it in a straight shot multiple times at me! Weaving around a tree allowed me to avoid the first shot as it splashed the tree's bark and immediately started smoking, eating away at the wood like a fire as it sizzled!

The next shot landed at my hoof, causing me to gasp and jump on pure instinct, more than clearing the small, bubbling puddle the jet made, but not all of the flecks that bounced from it. I am almost certain it singed a tiny portion of the leaves that made up my skirt!

And that third shot whizzed right over my head while it was on the descent, narrowly missing my horns as it used them like a field goal... I could hear the watery slush of the shot, it was so close!

It rounded the tree after me and started to gain. My heart pounded out of all control and my hooves ached. My leg muscles were burning already. I was running full steam and every cross country runner knew you never went full steam until you could see a finish line. I couldn't see anything by more trees and leaves, but I could hear the gnarly roar of the beast hungrily pursuing me, it's feet pounding and growing closer and closer.

I kept begging for it to go away under my breath as the tears welled up in my wide eyes. I kept pushing off from the ground so hard. At one point, though... My leg seized as the muscle cramped. I shrieked in pain and went falling over chest first, slamming down and skidding across the grass as blade got caught along my body as well as dirt.

I grunt intensely in pain and went to hold my leg, but then... a massive, scaly foot slammed down right next to me, causing me to scream! I threw myself over in heavy alert, facing the best as it roared overhead and snarled down at me. It suddenly gnashed it's teeth over me, letting me know exactly what was about to happen.

I shook my head and tensed as I started sobbing uncontrollably. I shut my eyes and held the stick of a weapon I had up as my head turned up and away! And then, as loud s I possibly could, I screamed out, "SOMEBODY, HELP MEEEE!"

In this desperate moment, the staff's jewel lit up brightly, a sound radiating out of it like a church bell. It drew me to open my eyes and stare as the light radiated outward in beats. ... Yet, I gasped from it and looked up at the undisturbed beast above me. It wasn't like before. It didn't stop it's attack. In fact, it hissed in annoyance at the light, then lunged down at me, jaws open and teeth ready to sink into me. I shrieked and shut my eyes again.

-THOMB!-

The unexpected sound made my eyes jump back open while I myself nearly jumped out of my fur! A deep snarl that sounded familiar sounded over me. A massive shadow had been cast over myself... and the beast that now hung from it's punctured neck inside another larger monster's teeth, still struggling even as it was dying. I couldn't help by shudder in a gasp as my eyes grew wide at the eyes I saw staring down at me. Those sharp, deep-blue, glowing eyes that possessed four-point star pupils... How could I forget them?

Above me stood the massive Shulong from before, biting down into the neck of the smaller beast now beginning to slow down in it's futile struggled. The proud creature slowly moved it's head to the side... before throwing the other beast from it's jaws, flying limply through the air and cracking back first into of of the gigantic trees. And then, it fell, but before it ever hit the ground, it vaporized into an all-too-familiar white dust, forming a spread out pile at the foot of the tree... In that moment, I realized that the now dead and gone beast really had been a monster... Some of these creatures really were kin to us...

But there was a more pressing concern that drew me from my realization very quickly... The Shulong... It still loomed over me like a hulk, drawing me into staring up at it with a deep fear still in my still wide eyes.

I hadn't realized that it was not giving me a particularly threatening look. Instead, it was a stare of concern that perhaps a dog worried for it's owner made when they knew they were hurt or sick.

It sunk it's face close to my body as I recoiled away in fear with a yelp, covering my eyes with my hands, shuddering uncontrollably. A low, deep toned whine came from it's throat as it drew it's tongue over my side, attempting to comfort me with multiple licks as my side was wet over profusely by result.

... As weird as it felt having a massive tongue lick over me, it did make me feel a bit better to know this creature was not attacking, but attempting to comfort me... I uncovered an eye and sniffled as my tears started to dry into my fur. Chuckling weakly, I slowly rose into a sit before rubbing a hand over the large beast's nose bridge. It closed it's eyes in response and let out a strange, vibrated sound like a more tonal purr. I thought I could see the slightest curl to a smile on it's face... God, just thinking about how big the Shulong was makes me feel so... insignificant... But... really, I thought at the time that this only made me feel more welcomed around it. The animal could have kill me with one of it's footsteps, yet it was being this sweet, concerned soul... It made me smile a little bit more as some form of calm returned to me... Though, I was still far from actual calm, considering my stammers. "... Th-thank you... Y-your's the same one... aren't y-you?"

What I hadn't been counting upon was it opening it's eyes and giving a sort of snort with a slight nod.

It surprised me, much like almost everything else here as I blinked. I cocked a brow and asked, "W-wait, can you... understand me...?"

Again, a nod, though it was accompanied by a rumbling hum.

While it wasn't a shell-shock moment, it was still surprising. A beast as wildly different as this could understand the words coming out of my mouth. It was untrained and incapable of speaking these words itself, so I couldn't help wondering why and how...

Even still, I shook my head and took a deep breath, before smiling up to the creature. "Then... th-thank you for saving me... You're not like the other animals, here." Of course, I had no idea...

... A-anyway. It seemed to like being thanked, puffing out it's chest a bit as it rose it's head high, smiling with it's sharp teeth. It was oddly cute, though the teeth were still quite scary... After all, those teeth just got done ripping into another animal's neck.

I made an uneasy smile, furrowing my brows through a soft giggle... Maybe it's strange, but the next thought that occurred to me was that I didn't know it's name or even what to call it.

Silly as it was, I raised a hand and asked, "H-hey... Do you h-have a name?" That seemed to made it blink from it's proud smile, face blankening. It stared at me... and then made a tilt with it's head like it didn't even understand the concept.

Flattening my lips together, I furrowed my brows and asked, "Y-you... don't understand? I-is that what you're trying to say?"

In response, it made a deep snort, nudging forward with it's head a bit.

While that wasn't exactly surprising, it was still something that bothered me. And so, with a hum, I tapped my lip with a finger in thought. "Mmmh... I don"t kn-know whether you're a girl or a boy, so that's a little tough... But m-maybe it doesn't need to matter..." ... It took a stale moment to think of a name while the large creature merely stared at me, curious and twitching it's ear...

... Y-you'll laugh, because it sorta sh-shows how serious we holidays are a-about our love for Christmas outside my mom... B-but I named them... uhm...

"I think you're a... Comet!"

... Ehee~...

/You know, I knew that was his name, but I never realized it was after Santa's not-monster Reindeer. -Snrk!-\

Ha, hum~... Uh... Anyways! What happened after that was that the Shulong blinked and perked his ears. (I suppose there isn't a use in hiding his gender, then~.) He eyed me for a moment, tilting his head.

"Do you mind that name?"

Shaking his head, the beast seemed to make a slight smile... Now that I think about it, was it furrowing it's brow a little? Eheh...

Smiling obliviously, I said, "Well, I'm glad! Comet it is, then!"

And then, as I saw it turning away to leave, I gasped and righted myself! "W-wait! Wh-where are you going?! Won't you stay?!"

Comet turned his head back to me with a stare and a blink... Then, he made a gesture with his teeth by snipping and snapping them together, before taking hold of his belly, rubbing. Not a second later did the area growl. And at that size, it really did sound like a growl... The shulong, somewhat startled at this, perked it's head before using his long neck to bring his head to that stomach, staring. He made a sort of pout before grumbling a noise.

"O-oh..." I frowned and nodded, rubbing an arm. "W-well, I guess I can't blame you, then. I wouldn't want to go hungry either."

Turning back around to look at me, Comet motioned his head to the staff I had forgotten I was still holding. I stared at it with a momentarily confused look on my face and a hum as I lifted it up straight... I turned to face the beast again and blinked, taking a guess. "You... want me to use my staff like just a minute ago when I'm in trouble?"

The shulong nodded his large head.

But all I could do was frown. "B-but-"

Before I could really say more, Comet had already jumped from the ground and started swirling up into the air, leaving me staring up as he took off!

... I frowned and bowed my head, sagging my shoulders. "... But I don't even know how I did it in the first place," I finished softly to myself...

Despite having gotten it to work once, I didn't know why it worked, nor how... Worse yet, looking around apprehensively at my surroundings, I had long since lost track of where I was going...

I frowned deeply and clutched my staff close to myself, hoping that if I got attacked again, I'd be able to call Comet to my side like before...

I planned to post both chapters at once tonight that I have done, but I'm honestly too tired to bother. ^^; I'll see to it in the morning.