Chapter 2

Howling Winds

(A/N)

Hey all! MKnight here with a new update of Ganderosa! Real fast, no. This does not mean the first section is complete. College gets in the way of writing this story, and that's not something I can change (big sigh). However, as today (at least as I'm writing this message) marks the SIXTH YEAR Ganderosa has been a story, I figured I'd give you all another chapter early to celebrate.

Thanks for your patience and for your support! I appreciate the hell out of you all for the kindness you've shown the story. Anyways, hope you all enjoy the next chapter!

Unknown

"We can't stop yet," the squirrel panted.

"Easy for you to say…" Dillan gritted his teeth whilst his scales stretched from the swelling in his ankle. The berry's effects had begun to fade while the pain stabbed at his brain, begging for him to stop moving. Nearly an hour went by since the two escaped. They descended a large hill, making their way further into the plains towards what appeared to be a giant circle of thick fog ahead.

Dillan wondered whether the nuzleaf still chased them, scattering over every surrounding hill in search of their previous prisoners, or if they'd given up. Yet even so, they pushed onwards to… wherever the pachirisu led them.

"Hey, uh…" Dillan stumbled, unsure of what to call the white rodent. Would they even know what a squirrel was?

"Ryan," they answered. "My name's Ryan."

"Ryan," the gabite repeated. "Okay, Ryan. Where are we heading?"

Ryan laughed. "Well, gabite. Normally when someone gives you their name, you return the favor. But if you have to know:

"We should be directly south of Giratina's Island, which puts us next to Howling Fields and north-west of Fericia. That's where we're going. Once we get there, those freaks from before can't touch us. We'll be home free.

"We'll probably be able to lose them in Howling Fields, even with your…" Ryan's voice trailed off as he looked back at Dillan's limping form. His eyes set on the broken ankle followed by a grimace. "That looks real bad… Guess that nuzleaf messed you up pretty good, huh?"

Dillan recalled how horrid the nuzleaf were before, shivering as Hurste's scream echoed in his ear canals. "As bad as those things were, they didn't do… this…"

Ryan stopped in his tracks, curiosity furrowing his brow accompanied by a tilt of the head. "Then how did…?"

He quickly shook the thought away. "N-nevermind. That berry's probably wearing off by now, and you're gonna need something to take the pressure from your ankle." He hopped over to the gabite and ushered him to sit with a paw.

"Is it safe yet?" the gabite asked, though his body already begun lowering onto the hillside, deciding this to be the best option regardless.

"Definitely not," Ryan admitted a bit too easily for Dillan's liking. "Just wait here for a moment, okay? The hill should keep you hidden for now." Ryan turned to leave but stopped at Dillan's claw pressing his tail to the ground.

"What about you?" the gabite asked with worry, though admittedly it was more for himself than for the squirrel.

"Relax," Ryan laughed, nudging away the claw with his paw and a light, "ow". "I'm going to find a tree and use the branches as a splint."

Splint. That was a medical term, right? Or was it something with biology? Dillan cursed himself mentally, wishing he'd spent a little less time doodling through lessons.

"It'll help with my leg, yeah?" Dillan asked.

"Duh. That's… kinda the whole point of a splint."

Dillan didn't much care for the sass, though maybe that was the pain talking. Regardless, he tried not to be too irritated with the pachirisu after he seemed willing to help him. "O-okay. Thanks."

Ryan gave a quick thumbs up before turning tail and running off in the direction of a tree a good sprint away. His white body contrasted dangerously against the shadowed grass. It seemed to pick up every bit of light from the moon above. Dillan wondered if that was always the case. Should the nuzleaf catch up with them, they'd easily spot the squirrel's snow-colored coat in the dark. They'd be on them in an instant.

With another pulse of pain, Dillan's thoughts went back to his ankle. The only reason they'd gotten this far was because of that berry Ryan provided. In a few seconds, would he be able to move or would he start blacking out again like before? If the nuzleaf did manage to catch up to them, he couldn't outrun them… yet Ryan could. Just from how fast the ball of fuzz managed to scout ahead, he knew Ryan could outrun those things if he wanted to. Which begged the question… if it came down to it, would he fight with Dillan? Or would he leave him like bait to keep the nuzleaf off his back just long enough to escape?

Just as the thought came into his mind, a paw tapped itself against Dillan's shoulder, startling him back to reality.

"You still alive?" Ryan asked from Dillan's side. Dillan looked towards the pachirisu and saw an array of sticks: some thicker than the gabite's arm (granted, that didn't count for much) while others appeared thinner and more malleable.

"S-sorry," Dillan said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I... guess I got lost in my own thoughts."

"Don't mention it," Ryan said with a small wave. "My older brother's the same way."

Dillan opened his mouth to speak but instead found himself hissing through his teeth as the squirrel set one of the thicker sticks against his ankle.

"W-warn me next time?" the gabite asked.

"Sure," Ryan said almost dismissively while he set another stick on the opposite side of Dillan's leg, eliciting more hissing. "I'm going to tie these sticks around your ankle. It'll take some of the pressure from walking off your break and put it on these sticks instead."

Dillan spoke through gritted teeth: "G-Good idea."

"It's…" the pachirisu trailed off as he held the flimsy branch above the sticks. "It's gonna sting a bit."

"I f-figured as much…" he said, knowing, "sting" was probably a great understatement.

Dillan watched Ryan in intense expectancy, waiting for him to do something with the stick. If he had fists, he'd expect them to be white-knuckled at his sides as he could barely look down. Yet after a bit Ryan merely sat it down on top of his leg and reached down for a third branch - thicker than the others. Before Dillan could wonder what it was for, Ryan hopped up onto his chest (he was surprisingly light) and held it up to the gabite's mouth.

"Uh…" Dillan began, fearing over what Ryan was about to ask: though more specifically, what it meant for him.

"You're… gonna wanna bite down on this…" The squirrel looked at Dillan with a pitiful smile.

Dillan hesitated. "Tying this splint together is going to do more than sting, isn't it…?" he joked, trying poorly to lighten his own mood.

"If it makes you feel better, I can roll the stick in some dirt. You gabites like the taste of dirt, don't you?"

"What gives you that idea?" he asked, adverse to the mere idea of dirt in his mouth.

Ryan shrugged sheepishly. "I mean, you're a ground-type and all, right? I just thought that… You know…" Ryan's voice slowed more and more with the growing look of concern plastered to Dillan's face. Finally, Ryan gave a defeated huf. "Just put the damn thing in your mouth."

Dillan reluctantly did as he was told. He felt his saliva drip over the bark of the branch, carrying a musty taste to the back of his mouth, yet it didn't taste revolting in the slightest. In fact, Ryan was right: it tasted fine. Horrified by the discovery, his brain began rushing with questions on why dirt suddenly tasted good. Was it due to his current body? It had to be.

As he thought vigorously over what happened to him, Dillan failed to realize Ryan jumping from his chest like a miniature ledge and making his way to the sticks. And with a quick movement, Dillan's teeth sunk into the wood as he hollered into the night. The branches squeezed against his swollen ankle. It felt on the verge of bursting at any second.

Ryan immediately leapt onto the gabite's chest and pushed his fuzzy paws over Dillan's maw, attempting to muffle his cry. It took a moment for Dillan to recover from the pain just enough to stop shouting. How loud must it have been for Ryan to have jumped up on him like that? His question was quickly answered by the distant sound of voices up the hillside.

The two pokemon quickly looked above, spotting a bobbing orange light growing in intensity over the hillside. Dillan assumed it must have been a torch of some kind.

Ryan cursed under his breath. "Get down!"

He quickly dismounted Dillan's chest and laid in the dewy grass. Dillan turned around on his stomach and followed Ryan's lead. He stared up towards the dancing orange light as the chill of the night nipped at Dillan's calm.

"Damn!" the pachirisu groaned. Dillan noticed his gaze directed at him - more specifically, the fin on his back. "That thing sticks out like a flag!"

"Maybe I can retract it…?" Dillan suggested. He tried to move the fin, yet the only movement he got was from the blowing breeze vibrating it ever so slightly.

"I'm no gabite expert, but I don't think that's how it works."

"Well… maybe they won't notice?" Dillan suggested. "I mean, it's dark and-"

"Over here!" a voice called from above. "I see one! It's the gabite!"

Dillan's head shifted towards the sound of thumping feet to spot at least five nuzleaf all rushing down the hill towards the two pokemon. Ryan eyed Dillan with annoyance. "Where did you grow up where saying things like that goes well?"

"Tucson…?"

At least five nuzleaf ran down the hill towards him, each with excited grins etched into their faces and raised torches. They quickly spread out as if to surround the two.

The gabite's first instinct landed on, "run." But the half-tied splint along with the immense stabbing sensation cut out the option. That meant the only thing left to do was to stand his ground… somehow.

His throat felt dry. The last time he'd truly fought someone was back in middle school. It was such a simple thing - so simple Dillan hardly remembered what started it. Perhaps the kid took his lunch and refused to return it? Whatever the reason, he remembered meaty fists flying as what boiled down to a slap fight erupted in the school hallway. Surely that could have prepared him for five nuzleaf barreling down a hill with fiery clubs. Yet from his dry throat to his scales standing on-ends, Dillan's body didn't quite agree.

In contrast to Dillan's uncertainty, Ryan's eyes narrowed on the group ahead. His legs planted themselves in the ground as sheer determination sparked quite literally from his face.

"I'll try and get most of them on me," the squirrel said. "You can handle a couple of them, right?"

Before Dillan could spout some false assurance on how ready he was, Ryan took off like a bullet. Stunned silence overtook the gabite as he attempted to keep track of the white streak charging head-first towards one of the nuzleaf. Ryan even managed to take the nuzleaf off-guard with his sheer speed, plowing head-first into the elf's chest before lighting them both up in a loud crackle of electricity.

The nuzleaf grimaced from the sudden pain but acted quickly. It took Ryan by the tail and went to throw him like a club, but only found himself bathing in blue electricity once more.

Dillan could have watched the fight all day. Such an amazing spectacle of raw power… The squirrel seemed to be able to summon electricity at will and strike his enemies. Was that something only he could do or was it specific to his species? Would the nuzleaf be able to bounce back from such an attack?

Such thoughts were intriguing in the moment but quickly slipped as a couple of the nuzleaf broke off from the group to take Dillan head-on.

Dillan got to his feet and leaned on his good leg. He raised his arms in a defensive stance, something he'd seen on one of Grace's cartoons (admittedly not the best source of knowledge but Dillan didn't have much else). And as the nuzleaf descended upon him, he waited for them to make the first move.

"That ankle looks bad, guy!" one of the nuzleaf noted.

"That'll be the least of your concerns when we're finished with you!"

"Surrender now and we won't hurt you too badly!"

Yet in spite of his sweating brow and uncertainty, Dillan didn't move. He allowed the two nuzleaf to encircle him and jeer. He would have the last laugh for sure. All he needed to do was catch one of their attacks and throw a punch… with a… claw.

One of the nuzleaf to Dillan's left shot from the circle. It jutted its arm out quickly, a green blade forming from its fingertips.

"Oh god…" was all Dillan managed before it lunged.

The gabite moved quickly, somehow intercepting the blow with his fin. Yet the green blade cut into his scales, making Dillan tense. That's when his fins both shot out into blue scythes like before. It immediately threw the nuzleaf's blade away.

The creature stumbled, thrown off-balance by the sudden push from Dillan's fin. This allowed Dillan to move quickly, diving straight into a jab to the chest. His claw struck dead-on, sending the nuzleaf into a coughing fit. Yet it also caused the gabite's arm to creak from the blow. Not only that, but his ankle flared up from the sudden foot-work, causing even more agony.

He had to step back from the creature, seething from the pain radiating through his entire body. Yet no time was given as the second nuzleaf threw a jab at the back of Dillan's knee. It buckled from the sudden pressure and Dillan collapsed to his knees.

Dillan had only enough time to bring his blade close to his face, shielding it from the next blow. The nuzleaf's hand made contact with the glowing limb. It shrieked in pain, allowing Dillan to swing at its leg. And with a clean swipe of his fin, the pokemon collapsed in agony.

But just like before, with his attention on the second nuzleaf, it allowed the first to regain composure and throw an unseen jab to Dillan's head.

His vision blurred at the impact. He spun around, collapsing into the grass before an onslaught of blows met his body. He had only enough coherence to shield his head from any blows with his fins.

With Dillan on the ground, the nuzleaf grew merciless: they kicked, stepped on, jabbed, thrusted, and stabbed at the gabite. Every part of him but his head suffered from blow after blow. He lied there, his breaths becoming shallow as he panicked. He tried lashing out at the nuzleaf, but his compromised position limited the range of his swings.

His eyes looked desperately for Ryan to help, but as he stared towards the pachirisu's last position, he found nothing but another group of nuzleaf, triumphantly surrounding a spot in the grass.

His fins ceased their glowing and retracted, giving into the surrounding shadows. His gaze began wavering from the onslaught of pain surging all over his body. Yet he continued to swipe whenever possible, clinging on to the last strand of hope.

With a bite to his tongue, he curled into a ball for a final defense. They wouldn't stop kicking - it wouldn't stop. Their jeers and laughter filled the air like a shrill instrument of malice. Each blow became a beat at which they sang at Dillan's detriment. They wouldn't stop. They intended to kill him.

Yet just as all hope seemed lost, just as Dillan tightened into the smallest ball possible, defending himself from the weary feeling in his brain, a sharp howl rang over the nuzleafs' song.

The kicking stopped in an instant. Dillan risked a glance towards the nuzleaf, but what caught his attention was the fog. Somehow, during the blows, the fog had rolled in, shrouding the group in its haze. A new, bone-chilling cold nipped at Dillan's wounds.

"What… happened?" one of the nuzleaf said. "Where did the fog come from…?"

As if to answer the nuzleaf's question, a body lept from the fog and grabbed at the nuzleaf, vanishing in an instant.

"Marx!" the remaining nuzleaf called out. It stepped away from Dillan in a panic. Its hand raised and a green blade shot from its hand. "Marx?!"

The nuzleaf took only one more step before another shadowy form leapt over Dillan's head, violently ripping the nuzleaf away and into the fog, leaving nothing but silence around the gabite.

He must have lied there for a good minute while his shaky breaths echoed in the dark. He wasn't sure what exactly took those nuzleaf, but staying here had to be a death wish. He had to get out of there before whatever it was took him, too.

Dillan broke from his ball and made to stand, but between the exhaustion, the bruised feeling all over his body, and his horrid ankle, the gabite floundered on the grass. He began crawling backwards, raising a fin in defense. It shot out into the blue scythe, illuminating the surrounding fog.

A set of low growls rang out past the fog as if in response. They felt threatening, ready to tear him apart at a second's notice.

"Why have you come here?" a voice as cold as the night air spat. "Who are you? What do you want with Howling Fields?"

"N-nothing…!" Dillan squeaked out, though even that became difficult to do as his voice became gruff from the blows to his chest. "...We just wanted to e-escape those… elf… nuzleaf things…!"

Silence grabbed Dillan's lungs in a strangle-hold of anticipation. He continued to push away with his good leg, crawling whilst raising his fin in defense at whatever attack could come.

"Who are you…?" Dillan asked gruffly. "And why do all of you animals want to hurt me?!"

"We only hurt those who threaten Howling Fields," the voice answered.

A soft, blue glow deep within the fog shone through towards Dillan. He didn't know why, but the glow seemed… peaceful. Its soft light grew, casting light upon a creature that walked towards him.

The animal appeared lupine in nature but walked on two legs. A weathered cloak rested upon its red, furred shoulders, tied close around the neck by a string where a blue, four-pronged star sat: the source of the blue glow.

Dillan raised his fin towards the pokemon in warning. "I don't want a f-fight…!"

The wolf looked over Dillan's body, first with cold eyes. Yet as it looked over every injury, its eyes softened. "I do not believe you'd hold your own," it started with a voice as gruff as Dillan's though he suspected it to be normal for the wolf.

The wolf began pacing around the gabite, sniffing at the air with a sort of curious intensity. "What are you? You appear to be a gabite, though your scent is far from it. And those nuzleaf seemed to subdue you quite effortlessly." The lycanroc stopped in front of Dillan once more. "Not that any of that matters in the end.

"Why have you come to Howling Fields?"

"I was just following my friend," Dillan stated, looking towards the spot where Ryan was. Realization widened his eyes. "Did you stop those nuzleaf, too? They jumped us and-"

"All the nuzleaf have been dealt with accordingly," it growled. "And so will you if you do not answer my questions.

"Why are you here?"

"I told you!" Dillan snapped. "My friend brought us here to outrun the nuzleaf! He said it was the best way to lose them, and then we'd be off to… to some town or something…"

"Fericia?"

Dillan nodded. He watched her as her eyes drifted towards the place Dillan last saw Ryan. It took slow breaths as it watched, the wolf's eyes fixed on a single spot while it thought. Finally, the wolf spoke.

"Like I said, all the nuzleaf have been taken care of," the wolf stated. "As all enemies of these plains will be." Her eyes fell back on Dillan as a low growl emanated from her maw in warning.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Dillan stated, raising his claws in surrender. "I just want to get back to my sister."

He waited for the wolf's response. Its cold eyes drifted from Dillan to where Ryan fought once more. And to Dillan's surprise, the rock that rested against the wolf's chest began to glow, somehow softening its face with the blue light.

"You are not of this realm, are you, gabite?"

Dillan took a shaky breath, shocked by its question. Another realm? Like, another world? Was that possible?

Dillan's eyes drifted downward in thought. Could that explain why these animals acted so… human? He wasn't in his own world?

"...No," Dillan answered hesitantly. "I don't think I'm from… this realm. We don't have dragons or talking wolves where I'm from."

A light smirk curled the corners of the lycanroc's lips. "I knew there were oddities about you: your scent for instance." It took a deep sniff of the air. "You don't smell like any normal gabite, nor any pokemon from Ganderosa I have crossed paths with. You smell… fresh: like a newborn, untouched by Ganderosan soil, unlike your friend."

It knelt down towards Dillan who raised his fin once more in warning, though the lycanroc did not show any signs of hostility this time. "Here," it said and removed its cloak. "It must be cold for a pokemon of your type." It held the cloak out to Dillan but the gabite did not take it. After seeing a rope that fought back and a berry that worked faster than Tylenol, Dillan had to wonder whether the cloak could light him aflame; it couldn't be outside the realm of possibilities.

The wolf smiled slightly at Dillan's reluctance. "Suit yourself, then, little gabite." It donned the cloak once more and slowly sat in front of Dillan. "Allow me to start over:

"My name is Lilith Raksha, Keeper of the Sapphire Star and defender of Howling Fields. Please forgive my previous hostility. We have come to find most foreign scents around Howling Fields are hostile, and we try to drive them away if possible."

"Look," Dillan began. "I'm happy for the help, but I need to know my friend's doing alright."

The lycanroc pursed her lips at the statement but did not argue. She gave a short bark to her right followed by the sound of footsteps. Another form appeared from the dark, a pokemon like Lilith though this one walked on all fours and had tan fur. Hanging limply by the scruff of his neck, Ryan swayed with many cuts over his small body.

Dillan snarled at the wolves though pain and exhaustion kept him in place. "What did you do to him?!"

"We saved his small body from being trampled," the four-legged wolf declared in a huff. "I would have expected gratitude."

Dillan fell silent. Most pokemon he'd met so far seemed more interested in harming him than helping, with the exception of Ryan. And this interrogation didn't help.

Lilith looked down at his ankle and the unfinished splint. She moved towards the wound with a hand but Dillan raised his glowing fin once more. She smiled again at him.

Dillan searched her eyes for any sort of malicious intent and found nothing but gentleness in her eyes. She held her hand out, slowly, hovering over the wound this time. Their gazes met and she waited for permission.

The gabite hesitated at first, flashes of Arlon and Hurste invading his brain. Soon though, he lowered his fin just enough to let her continue, though not enough to seem completely incapable of fighting should the need arise.

"I respect your weariness," the wolf said. "There are too many enemies within our realm for us to quickly and completely surrender ourselves to one's mercy." She reached down towards the unfinished splint and tied the last rope quickly. Dillan shouted from the shooting pain but did not retaliate. "Although I promise you this, little gabite. On my honor as Keeper of the Sapphire Star, I have no intentions of hurting you or your friend."

Dillan continued to wait for any sign of imminent danger, though he sensed nothing from her. She seemed nothing but sincere. And looking towards Ryan, despite his injured state, he could see the squirrel's continued breaths. If they wanted to, they could have killed them by now.

With a loud groan, Dillan lowered his fin. He looked upwards into the fog, ready to shout aloud from the continued pain. Not only that, but from the chill of the night and the very situation he found himself in.

"I don't know what's happening to me," the gabite said, tears coming to the corners of his eyes. "I'm not supposed to be here with… fins and claws and evil elves! I'm not a… dragon… lizard… whatever!"

Now that he found himself letting his emotions out, he felt the tears begin to stream down his cheeks. His breath shallowed and a cold breeze bit at his scales. He couldn't stop himself from crying into his claws.

Yet as he let his emotions out, he found a ragged cloth being slung around his shoulders: Lilith's cloak. It broke the wind's oppressive touch and warmed his body. He lightly stabbed at the cloth and pulled it close, allowing all his emotions to spill out.

All the while Lilith simply sat next to him, like a comforting friend. Sure, he didn't know much about the wolf, but she played the part well. She said nothing, simply being there for him.

As Dillan began calming down, another glowing pulse emanated from the four-pronged star around Lilith's neck. "I know you are confused… but perhaps I can be of help?"

Dillan glanced up at her with puffy eyes. She removed the glowing gemstone from around her neck and a gasp sounded from the wolf holding Ryan.

"K-Keeper…!" it barked. "What are you doing…?!"

"I am fulfilling our tribe's purpose," Lilith stated. She wrapped the string which held the gemstone around Dillan's neck and hung it from his shoulders.

As it rested against his chest, the gem bathed his scales in a blue glow. As strange as it seemed, Dillan's emotions seemed soothed by the gem as an energy seemed to flow into the spot on his chest where the gem rested.

"What… is this…?" he asked slowly.

"My tribe calls it the Sapphire Star, though it has been called by many names by many others. Ever since I came into this land, I have been tasked with being Keeper: it's protector, if you will. My primary purpose has been to keep the Star out of the hands of enemies who wish to abuse it. My second purpose has been to hold it until it chooses a successor - one who is worthy of its powers. It seems to have chosen you, little gabite."

Dillan held his claw beneath the string and raised it to his eyes. He stared deep beyond the gem's crystalline walls. He didn't notice it until it hung so close, but blue waves swirled within the stone like a whirlpool of sparkling water. The longer Dillan stared into the stone, the deeper the waves seemed to become as if miles and miles of glistening ocean waters were contained behind walls of crystal.

"It has powers…?" Dillan repeated. Based on the watery swirls, he wondered if it granted him the ability to manipulate streams. He imagined dancing wakes bending to his command, or perhaps a tidal wave of water being thrown on top of Hurste's body. But that was silly of him to think.

Lilith hummed aloud as if she too didn't know the answer. "I am not the first of my tribe to be tasked with protecting the stone, and each of us have been granted enhanced natural abilities by simply wearing it. It has also been known to whisper in the ears of its Keeper, guiding their decisions. And it has decided to be with you.

"However, I believe there are other abilities still unknown even to me. You may come to discover its abilities with time."

Dillan looked deep into the star, wondering if it was possible for a rock like this to contain abilities. It seemed a bit far fetched. Although, perhaps this could be an opportunity?

"Can it take me home?" Dillan said.

Lilith shrugged. "For my tribe, it has guided us for generations, bringing the gift of purpose. I admit that I do not fully understand, but I believe it may guide you to yours. And perhaps, it will also show you a way home given time."

Dillan found himself at a loss. Perhaps the swirling within the crystal mesmerized him to the point of forgetting what he considered to be the most obvious question: "Why are you giving this to me?"

Lilith didn't seem surprised by the question. In fact, she smiled at it. "I do not know," she admitted. "Truthfully, I expected to gift that stone to a pokemon of grander stature than yourself; perhaps one who could defend themselves against a horde of nuzleaf. However, the Star has been known to speak to its Keepers, and it tells me you are to be its Paladin."

Dillan finally looked from the sapphire towards Lilith with a furrowed brow. "The rock?" he questioned. "I-I'm sorry, but this is a little too much to believe…"

A sharp huff escaped Lilith's maw as her jaw clenched. "Do not mock me, gabite," she warned, still maintaining her calm. "Nor should you take me for a fool who believes in superstition or absurdities. The simple fact is there are things in this realm beyond simple explanation. Mocking one for believing in such things is a cruelty that will not get you very far, understand?"

Dillan pursed his lips. He slumped back into the cloak with a, "S-sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of you. I just-… this is all just so confusing is all…"

Dillan turned from Lilith in shame. She looked down at him for a few seconds before uttering a sigh. "It is quite alright. I assume the land which you come from may be simpler in nature?"

"You could say that," Dillan admitted. "Rocks that tell you what to do are a bit new to me."

"It would do you well to get used to it."

Lilith stood with a grunt. "In any case, you do not come from this realm, yes?"

Without hesitation, Dillan nodded. Wherever he was, he doubted this place existed on any earth maps. He needed to get back: Grace needed him.

"Then perhaps the Star can help you return in some way.

"Whatever the reason, the Star is yours."

Dillan was still unsure if such abilities resided in this stone. Could a simple crystal be capable of taking him home, let alone speaking? However, Lilith seemed sincere. And there couldn't be any harm in taking the rock if only to please her. After all, she did save him from the nuzleaf.

With a nod of his head, Lilith smiled. She held out a paw towards the gabite as if to help him to his feet. He set his claw in her paw and she hoisted him to his feet.

"Thank you, Lilith," Dillan said to the wolf.

"You are welcome," Lilith stated. "Now then, your friend will need attention. His wounds were not too severe, but he will need time and a warm bed to recover. And while we cannot take you into Howling Fields, we can help you to any nearby town."

"We need to get to… Ferris… place," Dillan said, only half-recalling what Ryan had said before.

"Fericia," Lilith hissed as she crossed her arms.

The lycanroc with Ryan spat at the name, dropping the squirrel at her feet. "That place is a monster of stone and waste, and you wish to go? Keeper Raksha, is this truly who you choose to be Paladin to the Star?"

"Nadie," Lilith growled. "If you expect to keep your tongue, I suggest you stop wagging it like a pup does their tail."

The lycanroc scowled towards Lilith but soon hung her head in submission.

"Now then." Lilith raised her head and let out an ear-piercing howl. Within seconds, a couple of quadrupedal lycanroc shot out from the fog and surrounded Dillan, leaving him to recoil in surprise, wondering if they lurked behind the fog the whole time, and how many more lay in wait. "Take the pachirisu and the gabite to Fericia. As always, they are not to step foot in Howling Fields. Be weary tonight; their enemies may still be out there."

"Yes, Keeper," they said with a bow.

One of them made their way towards Ryan and gently picked him up by the scruff of his neck while the other walked up to Dillan. It sauntered beside him like a horse and lowered its belly to the ground as if expecting to give Dillan a ride.

Dillan took a slow, painful step and situated himself over its back. "Is this alright…?" he asked reluctantly. He wondered if this was somehow demeaning to be ridden, knowing he would hate for a complete stranger to treat him like no more than a mule.

Yet the lycanroc stood quickly, taking Dillan by surprise. He fell forwards and laid atop the wolf with a sheepish smile. Truth be told, he had never ridden a horse before. Riding a dog like this felt… exciting.

Lilith stood proudly and addressed the lycanroc with the same fervor. "Let time be your ally and the wind guide your nose."

"Wait, Lillith!" Dillan said from atop the lycanroc. He started removing the cloak from his back, saying, "Your cloak-"

But Lillith stepped towards him and held him by the arm. She stepped behind Dillan and took a hold of the cloak. With a quick ripping noise, a hole formed in the back of the cloak - perfect for Dillan's fin. "Consider this a gift from me to you," she stated. "I know gabite can get cold even with a light breeze. This will keep you protected from its chill."

Lillith walked ahead of the gabite once more and gave a light smile to him. Dillan merely smiled in thanks saying, "I'm not sure what to say."

"Nothing is required," Lillith assured. "Simply promise me you will keep the Star safe."

Dillan nodded towards Lillith. "I promise."

Lillith gave an affirmative nod. "Then take care, little gabite." She and the other lycanroc looked towards the sky and howled in unison before the two sprinted away into the night, leaving her to watch the crystal's faint glow disappear into the surrounding fog.