For some reason the wolf-dragon’s eyes towards Trig started looking kind of pitiful. Ugh, I better clear this up before everyone starts getting the wrong idea!

  =No no look, you don’t have to feel sorry for killing him! It’s fine! I can grow Trig back at any time, so it’s not like you’re really killing him off forever, so it’s okay!=

  I’m not a heartless monster who just throws her companion’s lives away, alright? Even if I don’t really have a heart anywhere inside of me! So everyone can stop looking at me like that!!!

  “Mmm… Yes, I see. Yes… I will be sure to keep this promise to you, then. But I must ask you, leader of the pnts, what exactly is that you wish for in return for all of this?”

  What, did I make it look like I was offering them too much or something? Is Mr Avatar over here doubting me because I make all of this look too good to be true?

  =All I want is for you guys to give up this silly war and stop trying to invade ours and the Water Spirit’s territories. Just march yourselves back home and figure things out using Trig. It’s fine if your people wanna cross over and start a life here in the Forest territory all they want, and it’s also fine if they farm some things here and ship them back to whoever needs it in the Wind territory too; Just don’t try and take away our nds or our people anymore.=

  That is fine, right? I didn’t exactly get permission to say all this, did I… Maybe I should have checked with the Forest Spirit before acting all big like I make the rules…

  [It’s fine, child. Not everything that lives on my nd must worship me, so long as I keep what is mine.]

  Okay neat, permission granted! Thanks for chiming in, Forest Spirit!

  [You’re welcome, Mellily.]

  Neat, but shush now, I gotta keep finishing up these negotiations!

  [...Why are you like this-]

  Shhh!

  “Hmm… It seems like this deal of yours is too unfairly weighted in our favor… Although I’m unsure whether the Wind Spirit would allow us to come and farm in your nds as you’ve suggested.”

  =Then just don’t do it if you’re so worried about it! It might be a little bit difficult to learn how to do, but if you find the right pces for it then almost everything Trig pnts and grows for you should be able to be farmed in your own territory anyways.=

  “Is that so…”

  =Yup! Oh, but leave the humans that you took from us here. It’s up to them if they decide to follow along after you guys or continue living here, alright?=

  “Ah.”

  The wolf-dragon swept his eyes around, looking like he’d only just remembered that there were humans who lived in this town as well as his animal-people. Guess he didn’t really care about them too much if he completely forgot they existed, huh? Probably means he wasn’t a part of the whole ‘keep the humans with us’ decision making process.

  “Yes, of course. They’re free to do as they please… Although I doubt that they could survive very well in our deserts.”

  Yeah, that’s probably totally true~! Still, just because he’s so unconcerned and uncaring about this doesn’t mean that no one else will be. After all, someone decided to keep the humans trapped in town and not roaming free, right? Cheap bor from a lower css is pretty darn lucrative, especially when you’re building things from the ground up; Even a pnt like me knows that!

  So maybe I just give Mr Avatar here a liiiittle bit more of a warning!

  I slowly moved a bit closer, removing the vines that had kept the wolf-dragon’s paws sewn in pce this whole time, and slowly reaching over to pick up a paw so that I could heal it. Of course, the wolf-dragon looked apprehensive (and in pain!), but thankfully I guess we built up enough of a rapport between us for him to just carefully watch what I was doing and not immediately leap away.

  =Yeah, you know, I doubt that they’d want to go to your deserts to live too. Which is why I’m gonna give you a little warning here.=

  My tentacle that had been holding the newly healed paw squeezed around it, just enough to feel the bones inside moving uncomfortably, making the wolf-dragon’s eyes widen.

  =Do everything you can to keep this promise with me, even if it means you have to step in and stop your own people, okay? Otherwise, I’ll come into the Wind territory myself again to straighten things out, and our next talk won’t be quite as ‘civil’, get me?=

  The wolf-dragon looked pretty indignant for a moment, but then he looked past me at the people milling about in the background. I could see his eyes stop on several of the humans, as if he were finally piecing together something. And then, when his eyes changed to a look of sad understanding, he nodded to me.

  “...I shall do my best to uphold my side of our bargain. And should things somehow get out of hand as they have now, I’ll make sure to be the one to greet you first. You have my word on this, pnt.”

  Oooh, good choice of words! It’s agreement, taking responsibility, and a subtle threat, all in one! It almost makes me wanna cp! If I could smile, I’d be grinning from ear to ear right now!

  Ah, I really need to work on giving myself expressions already.

  When I finally figure it out, I’m sure I’m gonna be smiling alllll the time~!

  ~~~

  You’re gonna make sure Trig grows the right pnts, right, Spirit? From this distance I won’t really be able to make sure that he does, so I’m entrusting him to you, okay?

  [Don’t worry dear child of mine, I wish for this to succeed as much as you do.]

  Okay, that’s a load off my mind then! Honestly, I was a little worried while I was leaving him there that he’d mess up in some dumb way. Made leaving a lot harder than I’d pnned for it to be!

  For the record, I stuck around long enough to make sure everyone was all healed up and safe before I made my way out. You can only keep the big scary monster nearby for so long before they stop seeming so scary, you know? I may not wanna look as horrific and monster-like as I do right now, but that doesn’t mean I wanna lose the fear-factor I have that makes people respect me! It’s a fine line, really, one that requires perfect bance~!

  Well, I say all this, but I really only left because once things were wrapped up it all just kinda started to feel awkward. Once our deal was all said and done, the wolf-dragon immediately decred to everyone that the humans were set free to go wherever they wished, and that his people would immediately be returning home, which made the atmosphere in the town turn into something that I couldn’t really understand anymore. Whatever it was, it just felt uncomfortable, so I totally had to get myself out of there. They had Trig anyways, so it’s not like there was really any reason for me to stick around anymore, right?

  Oh, but something weird happened as I left.

  The wolf-dragon bowed his head in a show of respect, and said this to me:

  “Safe travels on your journey, Spring of the Forest.”

  He’d been calling me ‘pnt’ the whole time we’d been talking before that, so it was a little weird that he suddenly came up with whatever cheesy name he just dropped on me there. …Did I maybe forget to tell him what my name was? Oh, that’s pretty rude of me then, actually! Maybe our talks would have gone a bit better if I’d properly exchanged names with him in the beginning!

  [But that is indeed your name now, child.]

  Hmmm? I don’t get what you’re saying, Spirit. My name is totally Mellily though, you know? Til gave it to me and everything!

  [Yes, and what a lovely name it is, but now you’ve gained another. Just as the Wind has its Avatar and the Water has its Reflection, you have now become my representative, the Spring of the Forest.]

  Oh, what? Have I really? Did I complete that prophecy or whatever from the elves? Am I their special little ‘L’Lan’e’frea’ now?

  [...I’m not sure I appreciate the way you put that, but yes. Now that you’ve fended back the forces of the Wind, you’ve gained more than enough accodes to become the pnt of their prophecy.]

  Heyyy, that’s amazing! I did it, I really did it! Look at me, Til, look at this big scary prophesized pnt that I’ve become! You’ve got to love me now, right?! I’m coming home a hero, I tell you!!!

  [Hmm, but don’t get too big of a head just yet, child. You may have subjugated one side of the problem, but the forces of the Fire are a much more troublesome foe, new title or no.]

  …Oh right, them. I almost forgot that they would need taking care of too. Damn, way to rain on the little party that I was having, Spirit! Really freaking me of you to do that right now!

  Haaa… Well, no good deed goes unpunished.

  Guess this means I’d better start making my way east from here, huh?

  Ugh, why am I always so busy?!