“Sorry, it was rude of me to pry.”

“No, I’m not hiding anything… ok, that’s a lie. I am, but I truthfully don’t know what I am anymore. A few weeks ago, I was human, but now? No clue.”

A chuckle caused Ves to look up and see Yujiro stifling a laugh. Ves just looked at him, mouth agape, which caused him to laugh even more.

“Sorry, that’s rude of me. When you were honest about hiding things, the reality of the situation hit me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.”

Ves narrowed her eyes, “I’m not sure I follow.”

“Here we are, two people lost, sitting in a cave in one of the most dangerous forests on the continent. I had a foot in the grave. You don’t even know what you are and are naked to boot. Then, in the middle of all of that, it just popped in my head that you were oddly honest for someone from Kohdessia.”

“Wait, how did you know I’m from Kohdessia?” Ves asked, a bit alarmed.

“Were you trying to hide it? Sorry to say your accent is a bit of a dead giveaway.”

“I didn’t think I had an accent…” Ves replied in a mildly annoyed voice. Realizing she had an accent when she hated the country didn’t sit well with her. Though it should have been obvious in retrospect, she just never had anyone point it out before.

That got Yujiro to laugh again until the pain of laughter made him clutch his side. Ves glared as he wiped away the tears, “Well, of course, no one thinks they have an accent.”

“Ok, I get how you figured it out, but I still don’t get why it’s funny.”

“'Cause you’re a Kohdessian.”

Ves raised an eyebrow.

“Are you not aware of how the rest of the world views Kohdessians?”

“No?”

Yujiro sighed, “The stereotype for Kohdessians is that you're all liars and cheats. That you would readily trick your own grandmother into slavery if it made you even a single coin. So when I heard you be forthright and honest in a situation where it would be completely reasonable to lie, it just struck me as funny.”

Ves wasn’t too surprised to hear the country had a shit reputation, “Most nobles are pricks who wouldn’t trust a soul unless they were contracted. Pretty sure nearly all of my master's staff are contracted.”

“Master? You’re not contracted, are you? Thought they had to all wear slave collars?”

“Not all collars, many wear bracelets as it looks nicer. But no, I’m not contracted.” She pointed to her forehead, “Branded, slave from birth.”

Yujiro looked confused before; realization washed over his face, and his mirth was cut short. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”

The pair just sat there awkwardly for a moment before a voice broke in, ‘Ves, you should ask him how we can start a fire or what to do with the meat.’

Nell had a point, faking a cough to shake the dragonewt back to attention. Ves explained the situation with the wolf remains.

“That explains the noise. Afraid you can’t just smash any two rocks together. You need flint. Thankfully, I have some in my bag.” Yujiro then dug out a few items before handing them to Ves. “Here is the fire starter, as well as a knife to help butcher the wolves. Make sure to strip all the fat and meat from the hides. After, if you don’t mind, bring them to me.”

“What are you going to do with them?”

“I could likely turn one of them into a simple bedding or blanket. It may be late spring, but the nights can still get cold.” He glanced awkwardly to the side before continuing, “I was also going to see if I could make you some basic clothing, even if it’s just a shawl to cover yourself.”

It was then Ves remembered that she was indeed, sitting naked in front of a man she barely knew. “Thank you” was all she could mumble before climbing back down the cliff, supplies in hand.

Soon enough, she found herself tending to a fire, doing what she could to preserve the meat. While she was cooking them, she oddly found she preferred the meat raw. After it was cooked, it just tasted off. Enough so that she munched on a dire wolf’s heart like an apple. The heart was rather tough and chewy, but she enjoyed it until she lost another tooth. She was missing five at this point. She honestly wanted to gorge herself like before, but was worried about how Yujiro would react to a distended stomach.

First batch done, she crawled back up and handed Yujiro the pelts and the first batch of cooked meat. He said he would get to making her something to cover up with right away, but she didn’t blame him for falling asleep soon after eating. Cultivator or not, it would take him a while to regain his strength.

‘Ves… when are we going to tell him about me?’

Ves didn’t answer for a moment and kneeled silently over the fire, turning over a log.

‘Ves?’

“I don’t know. We hardly understand our own situation, let alone how to explain it to others. I’m afraid of how he may react, or anyone else for that matter.”

‘He already knows we are hiding something, just not what.’

Nell had a point, and she knew it would be cruel to refuse to talk to Nell all day just in case Yujiro overheard.

“Tomorrow, let's tell him tomorrow.”

Late that night, Ves awoke to the sound of an unwelcome visitor skulking about. The last wolf from before had found them. It looked rather upset. The fact that Ves had relieved herself on its face and had eaten its pack mates likely had something to do with it. Luckily for Ves and Nell, the wolf couldn’t quite climb up to the alcove they slept in. Not for a lack of trying, though, as with each attempt the wolf would reach within feet of the ledge before sliding back down. It didn’t help that, in the dark, it was hard to even see the beast. She could only get a good look at it in the moonlight every time it charged.

Ves, for her part, didn’t care. If anything, she was angered from being so rudely awoken. So she began to shout all manner of curses at the beast while tossing rocks at it. Or at least she tried to. More teeth had fallen out in her sleep, making speech very difficult.

Between the teeth and the wolf, she was not a happy person. She was quickly running out of rocks and curses when one of the stones nailed the mutt straight in the head. Stunned, the beast staggered about for a moment before it went limp and flopped to the ground. 

“Ves, what’s wrong?” the man asked as he rubbed his groggy eyes.

“thorry, an animal thcared me in thii dark”, damn missing teeth made it hard to talk.

“Umm, Ves, why are you talking with a lisp?”

“Mithhing teeth,” she said as she pointed to her mouth.

“Teeth!? Were you attacked!?” Yujiro grabbed his bow and tried to get up before Ves managed to stop him.

“Calm down, ith fine. I wasn’t attacked.”

“Ves, please be honest with me. What’s going on?” Yujiro looked wary, and Ves couldn’t help but notice his hand stayed near his bow.

“Honestly, ith a long thorry and I hardly underthand it myself.”

“Does it really look like I’m going anywhere? I think I have time for a long story.”

Ves really wanted more time to prepare for this. Having this conversation in the middle of the night with a heavy lisp to boot was not something she was ready for. “Fine, juth try to not freak out. Firth let me thart by introduthing my other half Nell.”

“Nell?” Yujiro began to look around the alcove, not that there was anywhere for someone to hide. It was just barely big enough for the two of them and their limited things to stay dry if it rained. Ves smiled at his antics before letting herself step back as she felt Nell take over.

“Good to meet you, Yujiro. I’m Nell”. For the next hour, Ves and Nell took turns explaining their situation to Yujiro. On one hand, it was a risk, but on the other, they were stranded in the middle of the woods, not like he could tell anyone. Most of his questions were the very ones Ves and Nell wished they themselves knew.

What was Nell? Where did she come from? What was happening to Ves’s body?

“I suppose this forest isn’t very well explored, seeing as no nation has ever successfully settled it. It’s not impossible you're from its depths. The rulers of these mountains are likely the only ones who would know for sure.”

“Didn’t you thay no nation ruled these lands?”

“No nation, but that doesn’t mean no rulers. The beings that rule these mountains and the surrounding forest are the very same ones my clan came here to find, Dragons.”

Ves’s eyes went wide. He wanted to meet a dragon? Was he crazy?! There were faster and easier means of getting yourself killed. Dragons were not beings you could just casually meet.

Yujiro chuckled, “I can see by your face you think I’m crazy. Yes, dragons are incredibly powerful and dangerous, but it’s not like they are mindless beasts. They can be reasoned with, as long as you're humble and flatter them enough.”

“Why do you want to meet a dragon?”

“Have you heard of the war to the south?”

“Vaguely”

“Long story short, my clan were nomads that lived in the contested region. The war drove us out. Seeing as dragonewts are related to dragons even distantly, we decided to flee north and seek permission from the local flight to settle here. I was part of a group of forward scouts sent to start the talks.” Yujiro, eyes downcast, said, “We were attacked on the way and never made it.”

“I’m thorry to hear that”

“Don’t be, I’m alive thanks to you, and after hearing your story, I think there is still a chance for me to meet a dragon.”

Ves shuttered at that, knowing she drew the attention of a dragon was something she was trying desperately to forget about. She had enough problems to worry about as it was.

“Anyway, it's getting late, let's get some sleep.” Ves had to agree. The wolf could wait until the morning, as she really didn’t want to fumble around in the dark.

The next day, Ves awoke to find Yujiro still asleep. Such a long conversation so late into the night had to have taken a toll. For now, though she had an unconscious wolf to deal with, still lying there. She thought it was dead at first, but it was still breathing, if weakly.

“Free food, I gueth.” Ves leaned down to slice the wolf’s throat before Nell stopped her. 

‘You could, or I have another idea if you’re willing to hear me out.’

“Go on.” Ves had a sinking feeling in her gut that she would not like this.

‘Well… remember how I said I could produce offspring?’

“Godth damn it, thomehow I just knew you were gonna ask that… Ignoring how incredibly creepy that idea ith in general. How would we know we could even trust it if we thuffed another you into the wolf!?”

Ves held her head in her hand as she nursed a sudden headache from even thinking about the idea. 

‘Fair, but that’s not entirely what I had in mind. I can produce larvae that are similar to myself and capable of thought; I can also choose not to.’

“I’m not following.”

‘Instead of a sentient version of… well, whatever I am. I can also create one that’s more like a husk. Something that can merge with the wolf but is incapable of thought. Like a body without a mind.’

“How would that help?” Ves asked, just more confused by Nell’s explanation. 

‘We would control it. It would function more like a new limb. It would feel like it was part of our body and respond to commands as though it was.’

“I don’t know.”

‘Consider what we could do with it. Such a beast could help us hunt with its far sharper senses. It would blend into the environment better, making for a valuable scout if we ever run into people. On top of which, it would be completely synced up with us. Being an invaluable asset in a fight. With only one body, strong as we are, getting outnumbered is a genuine concern.’

‘It would also give me a separate body to work with. I could help out more,’ Nell then added softly, ‘rather than always feeling like a bystander.’

Ves felt bad; most of the time, she was in control. With Nell just along for the ride. She may have never complained, but that had to be boring just watching Ves do almost everything all day.

“Fine. How doeth thith work anyway, how do you create another well, you. Wouldn’t you need a mate?” 

‘I believe I mentioned before, but, as far as I can tell, my kind is genderless. Such a strange act like the mating humans perform is not required.’

“Odd, but glad to hear in this case.” Ves paused as she realized a problem. “Wait… how do you give birth.”

‘You mean, how do WE, and how do you think?’

“Fuck me…”

‘Again, not required’

“Just thut up Nell”

To keep the wolf trapped in the event it woke up before they were ready, Ves caged the beast. Or rather, buried it in so much wood and debris that it would be unable to free itself even if it woke up.

By that evening, Ves was deeply disturbed; she could now feel something growing inside. 

Also, she lost the rest of her teeth.

This wolf puppet had better be worth it.