Summary: Lin reaches the library, where he uncovers a ridiculous truth.
As Lin pushed on from the giant wolf's room, he was met with increasingly darker environments. Thick layers of black latex covered the walls and floor to the point where it stuck to his feet like molasses, slowing his pace.
Not that he needed much of a pace to begin with. While he constantly looked around in search of other beasts, he found himself completely alone in this section. He vaguely remembered the dragon from earlier mentioning that it was 'time to eat.' Maybe they had a common mess hall?
Lin spotted something on the ground. In contrast to the 'normal' latex, this looked smooth and translucent, like black glass. Against his better judgment, he squatted down and ran a finger over it.
There was zero friction. Lin stood perplexed. He had never come across anything so smooth. It was like some surface had been covered in oil, but…well, without the oil. Some kind of ice? It wasn't exactly cold, here…
Deciding not to question it, he rounded the odd…stuff…and moved forward.
Then he paused. What was that noise? It was…coming from the doorway ahead…? He carefully moved a little further…
Squeaking? From some kind of animal? Or, by the sound of it, a whole flock of animals.
Lin drew in a breath. The calm before the storm was over.
Mindful of the patches of black ice, he proceeded. The next room was empty, but the squeaking became more and more audible as he progressed further. Each time he approached a doorway, he peeked inside before entering.
Finally he checked around one doorway—and immediately retreated. At least eight of those juvenile dragons populated the room ahead. How was he going to get past those?!
Trying to ignore their yipping and squeaking, he started to think, keeping an eye on the doorway in case one of them intruded. He could try to sneak into their room and hope they wouldn't see him until he was at least halfway across. Then, when they gave chase, he'd make a break for it.
He snuck another peek and spotted more of that black ice on the ground. There was a patch of it near the door at the other end of the room. Hm… That was going to be a problem. Maybe if he could get enough momentum he'd be able to slide over it and escape, but the sticky, goo-covered floor made it hard for him to run…
He'd have to risk it. There was no other way. He'd thoroughly checked everywhere he'd gone for alternate routes, but only found a few gratings that were too small for him to fit through. He didn't even know if the air ducts would be any safer.
He took a deep breath.
Then he went inside. He maintained a steady step, all the while trying to keep an eye on the dragons. That wasn't easy; they were scattered all over the place.
He was about a quarter of the way there when he noticed one of the dragons looking at him. It squeaked excitedly, drawing the others' attention.
Before Lin knew it, they were all looking at him.
He bolted.
Trying to run as fast as the goo would allow, he ran forward. The dragons squeaked even louder and beelined towards him. Lin ducked his head as he ran, his adrenaline forcing him to pick up speed despite the sticky floor. He saw movement from the corner of his eye and ducked away, dodging the dragon by an inch.
He couldn't see them all. He was solely focused on the way ahead, but he knew they were close.
But he made it. He could reach the ice…!
He desperately threw himself on it.
He didn't slow down one bit as he slid over the frictionless black glass in a lying position. The dragonlings swiftly approached, but he instinctively waved his arms and legs to deny them safe landing. He flattened himself when one juvenile flew inches above him, the motion doing nothing to slow him down.
Abruptly he stopped. He'd reached normal ground again.
He tried to scramble to his feet before they could attack, but slipped over the ice and fell back down. Panicked, he looked back at the eight dragonlings.
Two of them attacked.
Lin ducked down, making himself as small as possible. What could he do?! They were—!
"Shoo!"
He looked up with a jolt to see an adult dragon in the doorway ahead. It had its wings spread wide and was waving its hands towards the juveniles, as if trying to scare a flock of birds.
"Bad children!" it berated, stepping forward. "Leave him alone! I said shoo!"
The juveniles actually retreated. Their gazes remained on Lin, but they didn't attack.
Something grabbed Lin under his arms. He flinched and struggled. The adult dragon backed off, raising its hands defensively. "Whoa there, hum— fellow dragon! It's me, remember?"
Lin looked at him stupefied. The dragon from earlier. The one that saved him from that other cub.
It proffered its hand. After a moment of hesitation, Lin took it, too numb to think about the risks. If it wanted him dead, he'd be dead already.
The creature hoisted him up. "You okay?" it said, dusting him off. "Did you hurt yourself— Hey! I said shoo!"
The two juveniles that had approached flinched back. Lin glanced at the adult, who gave something akin to a smile. "It's okay!" it said. "They won't transfur— hurt you. They're just playing, really. They know the consequences of breaking the rules."
Somehow, Lin doubted that. Still, it was good to see a somewhat familiar face, even if he didn't fully trust it.
"By the way, I never caught your name?" The dragon paused, then added, "Oh wait, right, you can't talk yet. I forgot…"
Lin swallowed. "It's Colin," he said. "But everyone calls me Lin."
The dragon's eyes widened, and it gave a grin. "You can talk! And your name is Colin? I've never heard that name before. Nor read it in…any of the files…" It fidgeted. "Anyway, let's go! We still have ground to cover before we can get you to the library."
It strode into the next room. Lin hesitated for a brief moment, but then followed. This guy had protected him twice so far. It might just do so a third time.
They passed some more latex-covered rooms. Lin made sure to avoid the black ice, as well as the juveniles that floated around. They kept their distance, no doubt due to the adult dragon's presence.
One room stood out a little though.
The dragon strode through the door with its usual confident step. Lin trailed behind, trying—futilely—to look inconspicuous. When he saw the room's residents however, he tensed.
A half dozen dragons looked their way. Not juveniles; adults, like the one he was travelling with. They looked on with wide eyes as the duo proceeded through the room.
"Fletch?" one of them said. "Is that…?"
The dragon quickly threw an arm around Lin's shoulders and said, "This! This here's one of our own…looking for the library! Right now! No time to waste!"
The dragons paused, shared a glance, and then slowly nodded. "Ah…of course. Yes."
"Yes, clearly," said another, looking at Lin. "The library. Right. To…read, of course?"
"Just some extra talking lessons," Lin's companion said. "Some need it! Which is fine! Puro said so!"
"Yes, of course."
"We all had to learn."
"There's no shame in it."
Lin glanced at them all nervously. Though they claimed to recognize him as a dragon, their intense gazes stuck to him like glue. And their voices were muted, almost too casual. It was as if they were hypnotized.
No—these things weren't fooled any more than his companion was; they were playing along, that was all.
As the dragon led him past the others to the door, Lin tried hard to ignore their looks. They looked no less curious than the cubs, although at least these ones had some restraint.
That only disturbed him more.
Regardless, they made it to the exit without difficulty. They passed through, and Lin sighed quietly in relief.
Then he glanced at the dragon beside him.
"Fletch…?" Lin tried, remembering what that other dragon had said.
"Yes, friend?" It paused, then its eyes widened. "I forgot to introduce myself! Oh, my bad! I'm Fletch! But…you already knew that."
Lin hesitated. He didn't even know the dragon had a name until now. "How'd you get that name?"
"I read it in one of the humans' books. Oh, if the humans were still alive, do you think they'd be proud of us?"
"Uh…" Lin said, trying not to show that he just got punched in the gut. "Al…ive?"
"Yeah. If our creators were alive, what would they think? About us settling here, learning, talking and everything…"
Just their creators, it flashed through him. Just their creators…
"Right…" he muttered.
Fletch looked at him for a moment, but didn't say anything else.
They proceeded further through latex-covered rooms, passing other dragons of varying age groups. Each time, Fletch and his peers kept claiming that Lin was one of them, despite the obvious signs that they knew better. The population was more curious than hostile, but Lin couldn't help but feel like there was more to this. Why feign ignorance? What kind of game were they playing?
As they continued on, Lin learned a few more things about Fletch: Besides being a talker, his words conveyed a substantial degree of loyalty to the dragon leader. When asked if he meant the big wolf, the answer was surprisingly—and disturbingly—no.
"Of course we respect the Wolf King's word," Fletch said. "But the Elder One is our real leader at the end of the day."
The Elder One…? Lin shivered. If the Wolf King was a giant wolf, and this Elder One was the leader of dragons…
"Oh, don't worry," Fletch said, apparently sensing his discomfort. "He's a good leader! Loves humans! I mean… Y'know, he'd probably let them pass to the library. If he ever met one. Hypothetically." He fidgeted. "… He kinda scares me too though."
Lin looked at him surprised. "Scares you?"
"He's just so…imposing. And big. And serious."
The small amount of comfort Lin had begun to feel melted away.
"But! Like I said! He's a good leader!"
Lin nodded uncertainly. If he were lucky, this was going to be like that big wolf back there, and he'd be fine. If not…
He was going to have to be cautious.
Eventually they reached a door. When he saw Fletch slow his pace, he had an idea as to what was going to happen. His anxiety spiked.
"This is him," Fletch said. "He's in the next room." He fidgeted. "I, um… Like I said, he kinda scares me, so…"
Lin nodded. Part of him wanted to argue, to plead with the dragon to come with him, but he decided it was best not to get on bad terms with anyone if he could avoid it. He doubted he could convince Fletch anyway.
Gathering his courage, he stepped to the door. Then he paused.
He glanced back at the dragon. "Thanks, Fletch. For accompanying me."
"Oh! Uh, no problem. Happy to look out for you, human!"
Lin looked at him. Fletch looked…kinda flattered. Maybe that was why he didn't realize his slip-up, there.
Gathering his courage, Lin stepped through the door.
He was met with a corridor that was as wide as it was tall. Black latex covered every square inch of the place, and the floor was littered with the luminous green crystals he'd been seeing all over the dragon nest. Juveniles casually floated around the room, and at the end of it…
Lin's jaw dropped. An enormous dragon sat there cross-legged. Its yellow mane brushed the high ceiling, its black-and-green wings rested behind it in a folded-up position. Its eyes, like emeralds in seas of dark oil, spotted Lin instantly through its white mask.
It growled a deep, guttural growl that reverberated through the room, silencing the juveniles' squeaks and yips. All eyes turned to the leader, then followed its gaze.
Lin flinched under their curious eyes, and panic began to resurface. One yipped. Another squeaked. Yet others started towards him.
The giant dragon growled again and slammed a fist on the latex-covered ground. Lin jumped—and so did the dragon juveniles, who immediately ceased their approach and descended to land. They scurried over to the sides of the room.
Their gazes never left the human at the door.
Lin hesitated as he looked at the dragon younglings. In contrast to their curious, excitable peers from earlier, these were oddly calm now. Silent, even. They observed him with their wide curious eyes, but didn't move towards him, instead sticking to the sides. It had opened a path directly to the big dragon, who looked at him expectantly from the other side.
He's a good leader! Fletch had said. Loves humans! He'd probably let them pass to the library…
Lin swallowed. He wasn't as sure about that as Fletch might be, but it wasn't like he could turn back now.
He stepped forward, glancing at the seas of juveniles on either side. They just kept looking at him with those piercing gazes…but still, none of them moved. Even the adult dragons from earlier hadn't been able to exercise this level of control over the younglings, yet the giant whose eyes followed his every step was able to keep them in check without even saying a word.
Lin passed green crystals, making sure not to touch them. He kept glancing at the Elder One, whose gaze monitored his every step. Lin felt his legs grow less and less steady as he approached this monster, begging him to turn around and run back…but that would be pointless. He doubted the dragon would let him go.
Finally he reached the creature. With hesitance, he forced himself to look up at those eyes that silently glared down at him through the pale mask. Moments felt like an eternity.
If it wanted to catch him, it could.
Then the Elder One moved its head in a nod. It gestured to a door next to him. Dual green crystals that blocked the way abruptly descended into the ground, allowing passage.
Lin looked at the creature. It simply looked back. Lin slowly started towards the door, maintaining eye contact with the dragon, not sure if he should run or freeze if it ordered him to stop.
He reached the door, still under the dragon's unreadable gaze. It didn't stop him. When Lin finally passed through the doorway, the dragon grunted once more and straightened its back, turning its head to face forward again.
Lin started down the hallway ahead. Once he felt he was at a somewhat safe distance, he quickened his pace. Only after passing through a second set of doors did he relax a little.
He sighed a shaky breath. Why was it that the least talkative creatures in this place were also the most intimidating?!
As he went on, the corridors became cleaner and cleaner, with the latex gradually diminishing. Seemed this was the border of dark latex territory. He still passed some dragons—mostly matured ones—but they only looked at him with the usual curiosity. Their numbers lessened the further he went.
"Colin!"
He turned back to see a dragon running towards him. Although the dragons looked similar on the surface, Lin had noticed some differences in voice and mannerisms. And this one…
"Fletch?" he guessed. "I thought you wouldn't—" He was cut off when Fletch abruptly hugged him, then quickly backed off, looking embarrassed.
"I-I thought," Fletch said, "what kind of dragon would I be if I didn't even dare face our leader! Or accompany a friend, for that matter! So, I followed anyway." He held the human's shoulders and examined him up and down. "You're going to go to the library now, right?"
"Yeah."
"Ah, well…there's one more thing you should probably know." Fletch scratched his head awkwardly. "Um…you probably already know it. Everyone does! But…the library and the areas around it are mostly home to light latexes, and they're, um…not as…controlled."
Lin felt his fear returning once again. Oh, no…
"Many of them don't really have a central leader figure like us dragons and wolves," Fletch explained. "So they might be a bit more…impulsive. Well, some of them! Certainly not all of them."
Lin hesitated. He considered going back to the dark latexes' territory. He'd be safe there, right? Except…both leaders he'd met there had basically told him to move forward. They might not appreciate him going back…and he did not want to make either of them angry.
"Right," he finally said with a dry throat.
Fletch nodded. "Don't worry; Puro will be there for you when you find him. He'll protect you." He glanced away. "I'd go with you, but the Elder One wants me to stay in the nest for now."
Lin looked at the dragon's downcast form, and couldn't help but feel a little bad. "Maybe…" Lin said. "Maybe he's got some tasks for you to do. That means he trusts you, right?"
Fletch perked up. "Maybe!"
Lin paused. "Well, anyway…thanks again, Fletch. I might see you later."
"I hope so! See you later, Colin! Show those latexes who's boss!"
Lin felt a small smile rise—a rare occurrence in this facility. They parted ways, and despite being nervous for what was ahead, he couldn't help but feel a little uplifted as he strode towards the doorway ahead. Part of him really did hope he'd cross paths with Fletch again.
He entered a room almost completely devoid of dark latex, save for a patch in the doorway. Somehow, the absence of the black goo placed him back in high alert. The weird substance had almost become a sign of comfort to him.
The bookcases against the wall told him he was on the right track though; this had to be the library. Two doors were ahead, and after trying them, he found out only one of them opened. It lead to a balcony outside.
A wall of cardboard and metal boxes almost as tall as Lin himself blocked the way ahead. A single opening in the side offered entry into the 'fort.'
Lin frowned. The entrance was immediately succeeded by a turn, shaped by the boxes the fort was made out of. Was this…
… Was this a maze?
Lin took a moment to observe the strange layout. He cautiously stepped into what looked to be the box-maze's entrance. He peered around the corner ahead. Nothing there.
He continued on, keeping his step quiet. Besides the blowing wind, he heard…nothing. It was quiet. Too quiet.
He took a deep breath and tried to focus. This maze was most likely a trap. It was also his only way forward. He just needed to be careful. Look above him, look below him, look past the boxes to check for movement. Listen for noise.
His trek felt like it took an eternity. Nothing happened throughout, and finally he reached another opening. Resisting the urge to barge through it, he instead peeked around the corners once more before stepping out, suspiciously eyeing the potted tree ahead and the small vent grating in the wall.
He did a double take. That vent… Did something just…?
He squinted.
Then he saw them—the dual sparks of light looking back from beyond the grating.
Lin tensed. Those were eyes. There was something in there!
The eyes vanished. Lin could faintly hear something moving through the ducts, heading further and further away.
Lin breathed out quietly. He knew for certain that something was watching him now, and that definitely wasn't the last he'd seen of it. Or it of him, for that matter.
He spotted the door ahead and hurried through. Inside again.
Bookshelves and another door, which in turn lead to a long corridor filled with boxes and white latex puddles. He'd seen those near the area where he woke up. Just looking at them made him uneasy—as if it were alive, just waiting for him to step on it…which, well, wasn't too far-fetched an idea in a place like this.
With a cautious pace, Lin started towards the other end. Seeing all of this seemingly inanimate latex only served to remind him that he hadn't seen any other signs of life here, human or otherwise. Judging from what Fletch had said, the latexes that were present were an unruly bunch for the most part, but Lin had only seen one so far, and it had fled as soon as he spotted it. Were they hiding?
He made sure to look around, keeping his distance from latex on the ground and on the ceiling, passing corners and boxes with utmost caution in case something was behind them. He never found anything. This place was deserted. Completely deserted…save, perhaps, for whatever he'd seen in that vent.
The thought made his neck hairs stand on end, and he suddenly became aware of the grates in the wall here. No eyes behind them yet, but he made sure to keep some distance nonetheless.
He realized he was sweating. At least the dark latexes hadn't made such an effort to stay hidden; they stayed in plain sight, because they basically owned the place. Now, Lin almost wished something jumped out at him, if only to break this tense uncertainty.
He realized the door at the other end of the room was barricaded by boxes. He grabbed one and tried to shove it aside, but the thing was heavier than expected. He sighed in defeat and frustration. This was going to take some time…
The door behind him slammed.
Lin's blood ran cold. He whirled around. On the other end of the corridor, something passed through the door. An…amorphous mass of white fur slid over the ground. Its eerily casual pace halted abruptly.
Lin stared it down. From across the corridor, the puff of fluff stared back with its faceless gaze.
No eyes…but it was most definitely looking at him.
Then it shot towards him. Fast.
Lin gasped. He scrambled back, but the boxes blocked his way. He shoved some aside, but there was no way he'd be able to clear them in time.
The ball of fur had closed in.
No…!
It pounced.
Lin dived to the side at the very last moment, causing the creature to slam right into the boxes.
Lin's body acted on its own accord—not looking, just running, sprinting back to the entrance, jumping over latex puddles. Over the sound of his bare feet hitting the ground, he vaguely heard a slithering behind him.
He grabbed onto an empty box to his side and yanked, causing it to fall over. Another box maze blocked his way. He scrambled into its entrance and through its narrow path. No way this creature could worm itself through a channel this cramped, right?!
He burst through the double door he'd come from and scrambled straight to the balcony gate—
The gate was already open. Another latex creature stood there.
Lin froze in place.
The feline creature frowned. "Human—?"
Then the mass of fur from earlier sped inside. Lin gasped. The creature stopped, preparing to pounce.
Lin reflexively raised his arms in front of his face. As if that would protect him.
He heard a grunt, followed by a thump.
Lin carefully looked—and saw the grey-furred felid wrestling with the other creature, trying and apparently succeeding to grapple it into submission. Lin stared, perplexed.
Were they fighting…over him? Was assimilating a human really that important to them?
"Down!" the felid ordered. "Down!"
The amorphous creature's struggles lessened.
Soon the felid—a snow leopard, by the looks of it—backed away. The amorphous thing didn't press the attack.
"Bad tail!" the snow leopard chided. It pointed to the door ahead. "Out!"
The thing slumped, like a dog getting scolded. It slowly started towards the door.
Lin snapped out of it. The snow leopard had won; now it would come after him.
He bolted to the balcony and shoved his way through the maze, pushing its boxes aside to make way for himself. He shot back into the room from earlier. He ran over to the other door and grabbed the handle.
Locked! He forgot! Stupid!
He turned to run back to dark latex territory, only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw the green crystals jutting out of the dark latex patch, blocking the way. When had those gotten there?!
The balcony! Maybe he could fend the creature off there somehow, with the boxes?
He turned back to the balcony door.
Dual green eyes greeted him. Lin stumbled back. The snow leopard stepped inside the room, its pace disturbingly casual.
Lin scrambled to the side and prepared to jump away. He could stall, at least. He could do the same as he did with the tail if he was fast enough. Wait for it to attack…
The snow leopard gave him a glance. A smirk played at its lips. It raised a hand to show a small ring with a key attached to it.
"Would've been nice to have this, hm?" the creature smirked.
It smoothly locked the balcony door. Lin swallowed. He had to get that key in order to escape. There was no other way out.
The creature stepped over to the other door. It fiddled with the lock, and the door clicked.
Lin stared. The snow leopard gave him another glance, its smirk ever-present, the key having disappeared from its grasp. It pushed the door open a sliver. With its other hand, it reached out to Lin himself.
"Come on," it said, beckoning. "Don't be scared. I'll even give you a tour."
Lin just kept staring.
"Please? We could get to know each other a little better…"
Once again, he didn't respond. He didn't even move. He barely remembered to breathe.
Its smirk fell, and it dropped its hand. "Aw… Okay then…"
The creature slumped. Its tail limped, the ears that poked out from its white head hair drooped. With a slow step it started through the door.
"I'm a saaaaaaaaad little snow leopard now," it lamented melodramatically, apparently not bothered by how its limp tail slid over the floor. "The human doesn't even want to talk to me! Sniff!" It glanced back at him with another smirk.
As the door slowly closed, the creature winked at him. Then it straightened its back and walked on.
Lin watched it go. Then the door fell shut.
He stood there for what felt like an eternity, as if waiting for the creature to return. But it didn't. Was it waiting on the other side to ambush him?
Eventually he moved. Ambush or no, he only had one way forward. His movements were slow and once again quiet as he stepped over to the door and carefully tried it. Sure enough, it was still unlocked. With caution he opened it further, expecting to be attacked at any moment.
The attack never came.
Once he was confident enough that the creature wasn't nearby, he entered the room, turning and twisting in some vain attempt to keep an eye on everything at once. The room itself was clearly another section of the library, and the latex beast could easily hide behind the bookcases. But once again, he had no choice.
You thought Fletch was preparing a trap too, part of him thought. You were wrong then. Maybe you're wrong now, too.
The thought failed to comfort him…although this snow leopard did have him cornered just now. It could've easily attacked.
He rounded a set of bookcases to see another door. He started towards it.
Rustling.
Flinching, he immediately stepped to a nearby bookcase and pressed his back against it. He frantically glanced around. He couldn't see any vents from that point, but there were plenty of potential hiding spots. Was it hiding there? Had he imagined the noise?
Then he looked up.
Its green eyes stared back.
Lin gasped and stumbled away. The creature lay on its stomach on top of the bookcase, observing him curiously.
"Hi," it said, looking somewhat surprised.
Lin bolted.
"Hey wait, come back!" it called, but Lin ignored it. He jumped over a puddle and burst through the door ahead. He immediately slammed it back shut and leaned against it with all of his weight. He couldn't outrun a snow leopard, so he might as well try to—
Another bookcase!
Reaching out on instinct, he grabbed the bookcase with both hands and pulled with all of his strength. It tilted, then toppled, crashing down in front of the door. That would buy him some time!
He turned around.
A white mask on black fur looked at him from across the room.
Lin froze. A dark latex wolf, like the ones back at the nest, sat on the ground with a book in its hands. Its eyes were wide as it returned his gaze.
Lin stared at it. Frozen. Conflicted. The dark dragons had been friendly, but this was a wolf. Like the wolves Lin had to sneak past. Why was it here? Didn't Fletch say the library belonged to light latexes?
A silence fell.
Then the door handle squeaked. Lin jumped, but the bookcase held it shut. He heard the snow leopard's voice sputtering on the other side.
"… Human," the wolf finally said. "Ah… Erm…"
Lin stared at it, his gut telling him to freeze and run at the same time. The wolf couldn't see him if he didn't move, but that door wasn't going to hold forever. What could he do?
The wolf rose to its feet. Lin stared at the intimidating creature. While not as big as the Wolf King, it was definitely taller than most wolves and dragons he'd seen in the dark latexes' territory.
It blinked. "Oh— It's okay, human. You don't have to worry. No latex would transfur you on my watch."
Lin realized he was trembling. Now he definitely had to run. This wolf had seen him…
He didn't move. Maybe if he stayed still, it would lose sight of him.
Finally it nodded. Then it sat down on the ground, cross-legged. "Okay… You don't have to come closer if you don't want to. But please, listen to what I have to say."
Lin hesitated. Did he have a choice? The wolf's gaze never left him.
"My name is Puro," it finally said. "I've been expecting you, human. We have been trying to wake you up for a long time. Looks like it finally worked! Although it…wasn't entirely expected, heh." It grimaced a little. "Otherwise I would've been there to meet you from the beginning, but…"
… What? The latexes had opened his life pod?
A metallic creak sounded through the room. "Hey Puro? Aura just saw the…human…"
With a start, Lin looked right in the green eyes of another latex. A snow leopard by the looks of it, but not the same one as before; it lacked the white head hair and had a deeper voice. The creature's head stuck out of a vent entrance in the wall; it had opened the grate with its forehead, like a cat flap.
A silence fell as the three stared at each other.
"… Hi, human," the snow leopard said dryly. "How're you doing. I'm Jack. You met my sister Aura, right? Grey fur, white hair, wrestled with a giant tail?"
"U-uh," Lin stuttered, completely forgetting about staying quiet. "… What?"
"Also, you messed up my carefully arranged box collection? And you tried to do the same to my other box collection that was totally blocking your way?! What is wrong with you!"
"Um…" Puro interjected. " Jack? Why are you…?"
"Puro." It paused. "How far were you in 'the talk'?"
"Not very far," Puro said awkwardly.
The snow leopard fell silent. It looked from one to the other from the tiny vent. "… I'm early, aren't I?"
"What did you mean by wrestling?"
"What did you mean by 'the talk'?" asked Lin hesitantly.
"I," the snow leopard said, "am going to let Puro explain that one. I mean, that was the plan those genius higher-ups came up with, wasn't it? See you around, folks!" It retreated into the vent, letting the grate drop shut.
Lin looked to Puro questioningly.
"… Sit down, human. If you want," Puro said. "There's something I have to tell you. It should've been told to you the moment you woke up, but the others wanted me specifically to do the talking, so…"
"None of you ever wanted to transfur me," Lin said.
Puro's eyes grew wide. "Eh?! You knew?!"
"Call it a guess," Lin sighed, moving a little further into the room. He suddenly felt more tired than terrified. "It's true then?"
"… Yeah." Puro glanced away. "But not all of us here have the mind to really control ourselves. That tail—Circle—is one of them." He looked at Lin concerned. "Jack said he attacked you?"
Lin bumped with his back against the wall and slid down into a sitting position. With the dark latexes and the snow leopards having shown so little actual hostility, hearing Puro confirm his suspicions wasn't hard to believe. "Another one of you saved my life," Lin said softly.
Puro remained quiet for a moment. "Saved your life…?"
"From that tail."
"But…Circle isn't violent. He'd never hurt anyone."
Lin paused. "It attacked me…"
"To transfur you."
"Yes…?"
Puro paused. Then his eyes grew wide. "Wait—you didn't think transfurmation was…!?"
Lin frowned. What was he getting at?
"Human," Puro said, scratching his head. "Um… How do I say this… Transfurmation isn't…dangerous."
"It doesn't kill me in a normal way…"
"No, I mean…it's temporary. We can take you as a host, but we have to let you go eventually."
Lin blinked. He looked at the wolf dumbly. Temporary? "You? Let me go…?"
"Yes."
"… As one of you."
"No! As you. As human."
Lin stared at him. He was…speechless. He breathed in to speak, but had no idea what to say, no idea which of the thousand questions in his head he should ask. "Transfurmation. Is temporary…"
"Did you not know this, human?"
"But…the files…?"
"Files…?"
"The files… They said…"
"… Did none of them mention this?" Puro grimaced. "Ah… Some of them only describe the earlier phases of transfurmation…"
Once again, Lin found himself at a loss of words. Finally he leaned back with his head against the wall. Well…this was a development.
"But…" Lin said. "Everyone knew I was scared of them…and they never talked about it?"
"Oh, but that's part of the Protocol."
"The Protocol…"
Puro scratched his head awkwardly. "It's something the latex leaders came up with. That's why the dark latexes pretended not to see you…"
Lin looked at him. Those wolves had pretended? Then he hadn't snuck past them; they'd let him pass.
… But why had the dark latex pups and dragonlings been allowed to roam freely then? They must've really thrown a wrench in their plans, considering Fletch had had to escort him the whole way.
"They wanted me, specifically, to be the one to tell you this," Puro explained.
"… Why."
"Oh, they thought I was the best suited!" Puro said, a proud smile tugging lightly at his lips. "I was the first who learned to talk. I taught the others to talk too! But…the leaders decided they weren't fit to interact with you yet. Many of them are still learning. They feared that if they said something wrong, it'd make a bad impression… So they left it to the master!"
"Still learning? But Fletch…"
"You met Fletch! Did you get along well?"
"This…this makes no sense," Lin blurted out. Why protect him from assimilation if it wasn't deadly? Why didn't the Wolf King adhere to this Protocol like its minions had? Why hadn't they just called Puro to their den from the start?! No—why have Puro specifically welcome him? What were they really afraid would happen if a latex like Fletch did it instead, or even one of the less eloquent ones?
Puro's ears drooped. "I'm sorry, human. Um…I know the Protocol isn't perfect. Many of us do…but what the leaders say goes. None of us wanted to disobey them and risk proving them right, or…making the same mistakes…"
Lin looked at him. The same mistakes…? What did that mean?
The grating slammed again. Expecting to see Jack, Lin turned to face it.
It wasn't Jack, but it was a snow leopard. The same one who'd told the tail off earlier. It looked straight at Lin with familiar green eyes.
Lin quickly got to his feet. He'd completely forgotten about this one.
"Aura!" Puro greeted. "What are you doing in there?"
"I listened to your conversation," the snow leopard—Aura—said. It proceeded to crawl out of the vent, squeezing through the entrance despite it being too tiny. It rose to its feet, and only now did Lin realize that its form and voice both seemed rather…feminine. "Now that you're done—"
More noises sounded from a separate vent and Jack's head popped out. "What! You eavesdropped! Don't you know how rude that is?"
"I'm a rude girl," she told him, her unblinking eyes still glued to Lin.
"True that," Jack said, moving out of the vent. "I'm guessing that's why he slammed the door in your face. I'd do the same."
Aura ignored him. "Anyway, human… Now that you and Puro had 'the talk,' I think it's about time we have a conversation…" An unsettling smirk tugged at her lips as she maintained eye contact. "What's your name?"
"Colin…" Lin hesitantly said. Why was this latex so interested in him? "But everyone calls me Lin."
"Hm~" she purred in a catlike manner. "My name's Aurora, but everyone calls me Aura."
"Aura and Jack are friends!" Puro interjected happily. "They visit the library a lot."
"Right," Lin said. He hesitated. "Uh…thanks, by the way. For helping me out with that tail back there."
She tilted her head, as if surprised at his gratitude. Then her smirk returned. "Hm… Anytime."
Jack frowned at Lin. "… Looks like Linnie here wants to be Aura's friend, too."
Lin blinked at his tone. "What—?"
"Come on," Jack said. "The way you're looking at her, all nervous and on edge about that creepy stare she's giving you, after she stalked you through half the library? Thanking her for saving your butt from undergoing a transformation that's really unpleasant if you're not used to it, which you're not?! Clearly there's something going on here, and I'm not sure if I like it."
"I-I don't—"
"You don't?! Oh, you want me and the big wolf man to leave, so you can properly thank her in private?!"
"Wha-what?"
"That there's my sister you're unintentionally seducing, you strong, handsome jerk!"
What?! Did he really think…?!
"Seducing…?" Puro said, looking a little embarrassed.
"Here we go with the big brother speech," Aura grinned, still looking at Lin.
… Did she really think…?!
Jack sighed from his nose. Then his glare turned into a smirk of his own. "Nah, I'm just making sure he knows what he's getting into." He started towards the door. "Good luck, Lin! It was nice knowing you!"
"What— Wait!" Lin said, but Jack ignored him and left.
Lin turned to meet Aura's smirking face again.
"Um…" Puro awkwardly spoke up. "Is this when humans prefer to be left alone…?"
"No," Lin blurted out.
"Aw, sweetheart," Aura teased, stepping closer to him. "It's okay to like company, but surely you wouldn't want anyone else here when we're…you know…"
Lin held her gaze uncertainly. She was obviously messing with him…but still, that mischievous grin of hers was unsettling for all the wrong reasons.
"Um…" Puro said. "Aura?"
"Hm?" she said, still advancing on Lin. She was right in front of him now. He took a few small steps back.
"Human looks…a little uncomfortable," Puro said.
Aura purred. "Don't worry about it, I'll be gentle~."
"No, no, we're supposed to avoid scaring him. Please, just leave him be?"
She hummed. Then she took a step back. Lin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, earning him an amused chuckle from her.
"… I should go," Lin finally said.
"Wait, Human!" Puro said. "Stay for a while! Settle down! I even plucked some oranges for you!" He gestured to a pile of fruit on the ground. "You'll need your strength for the journey ahead."
Lin hesitated, eyeing the oranges. He'd been too busy running and hiding to focus on his hunger, but now that the storm had settled…
He looked to Aura hesitantly.
"Don't worry, Human," Puro said. "I'll protect you from her!"
Her smirk fell. "Hey!"
Lin took a deep breath. "Alright," he finally conceded. The latexes could've assimilated, captured or killed him ten times over already if they wanted. "Just…not too long."
Puro gave an inhuman grin. "Of course, of course! You've got places to be! Just stay for a while, get some rest."
Lin nodded tiredly. He could do with some rest.