“Amber!” Sylvie shot forward despite Trench’s warning, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stood face to face with the beloved Neb that had been missing for months, why was she so calm? Her house just blew up! Percival and Kip were literally carried off into the night! “Where have you been?”
  Amber lowered her eyes, hunching her shoulders in a shudder. “I had just planned to leave for a few weeks but something happened and I got into this whole…mess!” She squeezed her eyes tight as if remembering the horrific event. “I’m so sorry I was gone for so long–”
  “What did you have to do?!” Maddox growled, his eyes wide with rage. “What exactly took you weeks to do, without telling us, without even warning us you’d abandon us!?” With each new question, he lashed his tail, spreading infected spacedust onto the scorched ground.
  “Maddox-!” Sylvie hushed, trying to silence his aggravated questioning.
  “Maddox nothing!” He jerked his head to face the bristling Phoeline, turning his attention back to a wide-eyed Amber. “You didn’t tell me, you didn’t tell Cherry, you didn’t tell Yippers, and you didn’t tell Kip. After what you pulled you couldn’t even bother to give him some closure before you just up and disappear!? Give my mind rest trying to persuade my son that no, Amber would never purposefully hurt Kip! No, Amber had a reason! Just for you to not even give that hyena a second glance and just leave him without a word!” His voice cracked, all his energy drained as he slumped to the ground.  “You just left us. You left him.” Maddox’s brow was still furrowed, but he held his tongue and allowed Trench to voice his concerns in a much more palatable, gentle tone.
  “Despite Maddox’s welcome, we’re so happy you’re back. You wouldn’t believe the ranting I had to read in Cherry’s letters.” He forced a small chuckle. “But, he’s right in his worries, at least from what I can understand. Where did you go? What happened? Are you hurt?”
  Amber paused for a moment, seeming to ingest all the information and emotion that was thrown at her all at once, her eyes flickering as she built her words. “I’m sorry, I was trying to find the Phoenix again, I felt that something was off… seeing as what happened last time I didn’t trust myself to keep anyone safe and decided the best option would be to just go on my own.”
  She sighed, her eyes pleading for them to believe her. “I really thought it was for the best seeing as it seemed like Bullet was gone…but as you can clearly see the opposite was true. He did attack me, but I was able to get away and heal myself.” She rubbed her head as if remembering the brutal assault. “It took a few days and I could do nothing but try not to strain my magic. I lost my way after the attack, I wasn’t really paying attention to the direction I was going.” Amber formed a weak smile, looking up at Trench. “That’s when I saw a magnificent beast, made of the night sky and armed with powerful wings and talons, I assumed they were an ally of the Phoenix and followed it here.” She frowned. “I now realize, again, I was incorrect.”
  Amber walked over to Maddox, helping the fox to his feet. “I’m sorry, I tried to do what was best for all of us but it wasn’t enough. I never meant for anyone to get hurt.”
  Maddox shook her off, being the first to head back the way they came toward the village. “No one ever does.” He muttered.

  Sylvie and Trench stood by Amber for a few moments, neither entirely wanting to say anything until Sylvie worked up the courage to clear her throat and suggest: “I think we should follow him, I’m sure everyone would love to hear you’re back.”
  “And we should probably be the ones to tell them what happened to Percival and Kip before Maddox does, then we can form a plan to get them back.” Trench added, ushering the other two into a quick trot.

  “WHAT!?” Cherry screeched, her eyes red from the tears that fell when she spotted Amber across the field.
  She had evacuated all of the village residents to the adjacent prairie. At first, a loud cheer had been heard as whispers of excitement chattered of Amber's return buzzed through the air… before being overtaken by hisses of disbelief and suspicion. Trench could barely read Cherry’s expression in the dark as she processed the information, only the faint glow of Syvlie’s flames lit their view.
  “Kip just ran towards the big giant death bird!? And Percy followed him!?” From what Trench could tell her eyes were wide with horror, she tried to keep her voice low to shy from pricked ears.   “Where’s Maddox!? He must be worried sick about his boy!” She paced around, turning to Trench for answers.
  Trench set his jaw, from Cherry’s reaction she hadn’t heard the story yet, and he’d bet that if Maddox were here you’d be able to hear his raving and ranting from a mile away. “We hoped he’d be here…” He admitted, an uneasy churn growing in his stomach.
  “M-maybe he’s in town!” Sylvie piqued, feigning a hopeful tone. “He could’ve thought that everyone returned, or is looking for any stragglers.” She turned west, squinting at the blurry imagery of the town as it melded into the midnight sky. “It doesn’t look like the blast reached the town…or that beast tore it down.”
  Cherry and Trench shared doubtful glances but neither disagreed with her assumption of Maddox’s whereabouts. Cherry took a deep breath and puffed out her fur, finally getting a grip on her emotions. She turned toward the still uneasy crowd, lifting her head to peer through the mass. “Yippers!” She called, her ears perked. “Yippers!”
  “I’m here!” The small Nebulruff squeezed himself through the crowd, panting as he trotted up to join Cherry's side.
  “Where’s Amber? I thought you two would be conjoined at the hip!” Cherry bowed her head, lowering her voice.
  “Well, that’s the thing…-” Before Yippers could continue a wave of yelps and gasps roared from the far side of the crowd.
  A small…shed? house? was rapidly approaching the collection, how had they not seen or heard it before? A small lantern hung off one of the doors, illuminating six stumpy legs made of wood as it scrambled almost desperately toward the crowd. The house swung dangerously from side to side, looking as if it’d tip over at any moment before grinding to a halt, digging its talons into the ground.
  Trench shoved past the crowd followed by Cherry and Yippers, the legs slowly disappeared underneath the building, a gentle green light shining between the boards, and a rapid collection of thuds sounded behind the doors. Cherry raised her muzzle, inching closer before being hit square in the face by a swinging door.
  “WELCOME!” A gray nebulruff popped out, arms spread wide in an enthusiastic greeting. Stitches lined half his face and torso. “I see you lovely folks are in quite a pickle!” Despite talking quite…loudly, his mouth hadn’t even twitched in the slightest. “I can give you sanctuary! Tis’ the season of giving after all!”
  Trench reared his head, first at the swinging door and again at this stranger’s…strange…demeanor.      “Wha-”
  “How? You ask?” The nebulruff interrupted, cackling. “Why, I have a few tricks up my sleeve! Edward, if you would?” The gray nebulruff nodded and reached down, pulling some hidden lever before wooden boards, iron poles, succulents, framing, marble pillars, colorful shards of glass, nails galore shot from behind the shed. Ear-splitting cracks and screeching could be heard as a glorious mansion was built, surrounding the entire crowd, some inching away in fear as others stared slack-jawed in awe.
  After but a few moments they were in a well-kept garden, with roses, bush sculptures, and twin marble stairs leading to grand oak doors at least two stories tall that hung wide open. Looking around, they were completely surrounded by an iron fence, the gate leading back to the village was locked shut with no visible means of opening it. The mansion itself was…overwhelming to say the least. Best described as following a neoclassical look, balconies hung on either side with a gigantic clock ticking ever-so-slowly square in the middle, twice as wide as the doors. Foliage was planted purposefully wherever it could fit, perfect green leaves shining against soft orange lanterns that hung from the eaves. Where there wasn’t a door there was a large glass-stained window depicting the phases of the moon. A rumble shook the ground beneath the paws of those in the middle of the crowd as a marble fountain broke through the earth, depictions of beasts, mages, warriors, kings, and stars were etched on its surface.
  “Room for all, and then some!” Edward appeared from the arched doorway, tidying his bow as he gestured for them to enter.
  It didn’t take a second for some to enter immediately, giggling excitedly as they welcomed themselves inside. As the trickle started the rest were soon to follow minus Trench, Sylvie, Yippers, and an unconscious Cherry.
  “I don’t like this,” Trench growled through gritted teeth, Sylvie and Yippers nodding. “did anyone see Amber enter?” He looked around, it truly was only the four of them.
  “I didn’t, but where else could she be?” Sylvie mumbled, her fur standing on end as Edward’s voice called to them.
  “Come folks! My master would feel so sorry if your souls were out here…in the cold. Step in, I have bowls of treats with your names on them!” Despite the booming vocals, Edward’s face stayed a calm, unmoving expression. “Fish for your gilled friend!”
  “No thanks, we’d rather stay out here.” As the words left Trench’s maw a vicious chill ran through the group's fur despite wind being unpresent the entire introduction.
  “Beggars can’t be choosers! Step inside.” The voice became pouty, unnerving when compared to the stillness of the nebulruff’s stone-like, upright posture. “C’mon…I have prizes! Treats! Tricks! Edward is so excited to finally give newcomers a tour, aren’t you Edward?” The nebulruff nodded, calmly smiling.
  “I’d love a tour.” Yippers stepped forward, giving Trench a knowing look. “Amber needs me, but they need to find our friend.”
  “Oh, that ratty old fox? You’re wasting your time, he’s probably dead as we speak.” The voice chuckled. “No one’ll miss him, probably be grateful to finally ransack those potions of his…” Edward trailed off wistfully before clearing his throat. “...but it is good to here at least one of you holds some sense!” A chair ran out from behind Edward, galloping to scoop Yippers off his feet before bringing him into the mansion without a single hesitation.
  “Hey!” Trench snapped, baring his teeth at the enchanted seating arrangement. His eyes darted to the still figure eyeing them from afar. “Quit with this…act! Open those gates or else-”
  “Ha!” This laugh was mean, almost…monstrous. “Open the gates? And let what’s out there in? Those….beasts would tear the fur from your hide before you could even blink! Which… to be fair does sound fun to watch.” The voice harrumphed. “If anything I’m protecting your filthy hides and honestly I’m not feeling very appreciated!”
  “Then you’re not gonna appreciate this!” In a flash Trench’s leviathan form was unleashed, he scooped the gang up on his back before using his forearms to launch himself towards the gate.
  “H-hey! Get back over here!” Nearby trees lunged toward Trench, a branch catching his tail before snapping off. The once pristine fountain shattered as chains shot from its crumbling form, narrowly missing as one sliced Sylvie’s shoulder.
  As they reached the border and leaped over the iron gate the booming sound of glass shattering screamed through the air as an invisible barrier broke, an iridescent light flashing through the sky before the once glorious mansion quickly showed its true colors. Glowing a sickly green hue, its boards snapped and bent out of place, the stairs crumbling, and plant life withering away into a dead dry brown. The house slumped to the side, and a tree cracked and fell just a few feet from the entrance as the rope hanging the lanterns snapped and sent the burning lamps throughout the garden. The voice yelped as Edward grabbed the door handle and calmly closed and locked it shut, unmoved by the sudden circumstances that befell them.
  Sylvie was wincing in pain, holding her wounded shoulder with a paw. “What about everyone else!?” Her throat was dry with anxiety, her eyes flickering from Trench to the decrepit mansion.
  For once Trench was at a loss for words, just as suddenly as the stranger had come they had left, he wished he could assure Sylvie they’d be fine but with the magic that nebulruff held…he wasn’t completely positive.
  “We can’t go back now…we should head to the village and see if Maddox is there. If not…we’ll track him down. I’m sure he would have stopped at his shop for supplies if he skipped town.” Trench had to shout as the wind coursed through their fur as they made leaps and bounds toward the town.

  To say they landed was an overstatement, more like Trench slid into the nearest cottage after failing to halt the momentum they’d been traveling at. He lay resting for a moment, shrinking back into his usual canine form. Looking up he noticed two things; One, he had launched Sylvie through a thatched roof and Cherry into an open dumpster. Two, the thick scent of charred feathers hung in the air.
  “Oww…” Cherry rose from her trashy throne, rolling over the edge and onto the ground. “I can’t feel my nose.”
  Sylvie stumbled out of the poor cottage she had been sent flying into, struggling to stay on her paws, and sat heavily next to a still-laying-on-the-ground Cherry. “I see why…you Merrs never use your Leviathan forms out of the water.” She rubbed her bad shoulder, a bruise forming around the prior wound.
  “Sorry…” Trench bowed his head before looking around the ghost town. “...if we can make it to Maddox’s tent we can get supplies, I know he has supplies even if they are few and far between. C’mon, hop on.” He allowed Sylvie to clamber onto his back before giving Cherry a good nudge to get her on her feet. “Best if we hurry, I don’t want to figure out how truthful that nebulruff was about beasts…or Maddox.”
  Cherry groaned, following Trench at a much more labored pace. “Didn’t you, y’know, travel to get here?” The further they walked the better her condition became, even if there was a knot on the side of her head.
  “Yes but even I knew better than to stay out at night, and for the most part I was traveling in well-known territory.
  “I just wanna know why me and Sylvie here are all beat up while you're walking like you just made a huge sale.” She snorted, her eyes lingering on exceptionally dark alleys.
  “Scales, and I’m attempting to ignore my bruised ribs right now so if you could not mention it that’d be great.”
  Soon they reached Maddox’s tent, or what remained. For being a shabby tent it somehow got worse, mutation potions lay shattered, tubes of sunscreen flattened, crates of crystals smashed, the tent looked like it’d been stomped in and then some. Cherry’s shoulders sagged as she padded forward, letting out a pitying sigh.
  “If Maddox saw this…” Her paw ghosted a wooden board jutting from the flattened sheet. “...he’s definitely going to need some leftover supplies from my shop.”
  “That's not important right now.” Trench slid Sylvie from his back, digging through the debris before pulling out a small medical kit, the plastic covering was covered in scratches but seemed for the most part untouched. Opening it held little, just a half-used tube of dried-out ointment and a thin roll of bandage. Better than nothing he took the bandage, ripping a piece off to wrap around Sylvies wounded shoulder.
  “Cherry, do you think you could pick up a scent from here?” Sylvie flexed the muscle, leaning most of her weight against Trench’s shoulder as the Merruff made the request.
The nebulruff hovered her nose over the ground, letting it lead her in all sorts of directions until the familiar piney scent ran up her nostrils. Tail wagging behind her she quickly focused all her attention on keeping the trail, Trench and Sylvie following behind as they headed toward the marshes.