Origin of Werewolves

6. Cora

Cora sat between Laurence's paws, attempting to conceal the smirk on her face, "an awarewolf" she chuckled. Laurence stepped over her and helped Avni with her clothing. She re-adjusted herself against a stone block that had tumbled from the walls and glanced up at the Nimbat, realising what if felt like to be so little. The smaller creatures of Alanthorp, Pixies, Nimbats, gnome's, had always seemed insignificant to her, but now, standing before Mazella, she felt truly dwarfed. His words bringing a grin to his tiny face. "Elves really cute when they small then me," he said.

Looking up at Mazella, Cora couldn't help but ask, "It's not like this will last forever, right?" She asked, with a nervous laugh. "I mean, how do I get back to my normal size?"

Mazella flapped his little wings and took off, hovering just above the ground in front of her. "That easy, you not."

A cold flush shot through Cora's body, followed immediately by a wave of panic. She glanced at Laurence, who's tail wagged happily as he nudged the edges of the makeshift dress, with Avni struggling to put it on. Their eyes met, and Laurence lifted his paw. Avni tumbled backward, landing with a thud.

"Is everything okay?" The wolf asked, his tail stilling.

Mazella flew over to Laurence and hovered in front of his face. "Yeah, she be fine."

Cora didn't feel fine. She could feel the blood pumping, fear and anxiety coursing through her veins. She wanted to break down, to cry. "I can't stay like this forever!"

"Why not? You still perfect normal, just small then you normal be," Mazella said with a grin. "The essence pitcher remove only reduce size. As far Maz aware, you still do everything normal would be able too. Even have baby."

Cora dropped to her knees, her gaze shifting to Avni, who at least remained somewhat a more liveable size. She sighed heavily.

Laurence moved in close to her. "Come on, nothing is permanent... well, except death. Death is permanent. We'll find a way to make you big again."

"That's what she said!" Avni cackled.

Cora watched the wolf roll his eyes, crossing her arms in frustration. "This isn't funny. Who does she think she is?"

"Ignore her. Here, climb up on my back again and we can work out how to change you back. Well, both of us at least," Laurence suggested.

"Who she?" The nimbat asked, and appeared confused, "Maz know necromancer who fix dead."

Ignoring the comment, Laurence lowered his head once more for Cora. She pulled herself up and settled onto his shoulders, nestling into the fur.

Avni walked over to Laurence, standing next to him with her shoulders aligning with his own wolfen ones. The thought of jumping onto her shoulders and strangling her crossed Cora's mind, but Avni was still big enough to step on her, and the last thing she wanted was to get squished. "So, how do we get home?" Avni asked.

Excited, Mazella flew up through the opening in the top of the ruin, spinning around in the moonlight. "Where home?"

"Allencore," Cora replied.

"Allencore? That long way. You get lost?" Maz asked, circling around the trio before returning to Laurence and landing at his front paws. "Can't go back way you come?"

Cora stood on Laurence's shoulders and shook her head. "Unfortunately for us, it was a one-way trip thanks to wolf boy here. Where are we?"

"Oh. Well, this library of greed."

That explains all of the writings about Midas,

Cora thought.

"Fuck off," Laurence retorted as he looked up at the nimbat.

"Okay, where does Mazella fuck off to?"

Cora watched Avni put her head in her palm, then she looked up at Mazella. "No, he means you're joking."

Maz landed and perched himself on a destroyed section of the roof. He scratched his head and looked back at the wolf. "No, Maz not joke." He scratched his head again. "I think this is right place. Only place where hibiscus pitcher grow."

"Okay, so how do we get out of this place then?" Laurence asked.

Mazella leaped from his perch into the hover above them, "Out here, save going through traps. Just not walk into traps. There vines out here, they not so nice like other plant. Chomp chomp. Not like pitcher, Sap burn, make you melt."

Laurence tilted his head. "The satchel. I have a book."

"The book?"

"A book. I don't know if it's the book. I know it's unlike any book I have ever seen. How are they going to know if nobody has ever seen it anyway? It doesn't exactly say 'this is the forbidden book of the gods' on the cover."

"What does it say then?" Avni asked, looking at Cora on Laurence's back.

Cora followed Laurence's gaze onto the shortened girl. "It doesn't say anything."

"Are you come?" Mazella asked, still hovering above them."

"Yes, sorry," Laurence replied with a nod of his head. "Hold on tight, Cora," He instructed as he leaped onto a large stone that had tumbled from the roof's edge. Balancing effortlessly, he then leaped again onto a pillar, his movements confirming he was now, more agile in his lupine form compared his human one. With a final jump, he grasped the edge of the roof with his paws, scratching into the stone. Cora took the opportunity to clamber over his furry head onto the roof.

She turned, her eyes looking from the rooftop to the garden as she steadied herself. She watched the wolf descend gracefully as he lowered himself back down onto the pillar, his tail swaying gently as it reached towards Avni. It swatted at her twice before she eventually grasped it, intertwining it within the coarse fur and her fingers, anchoring herself to Laurence's tail.

He heaved himself back up to the roof, scrambling with his hind legs up onto the landing beside Cora. With a thud, Avni fell on her ass, next to Cora on the roof.

Hiding a chuckle, she traced Mazella's movements as he joined them, however her gaze was quickly grasped by the labyrinth of vines. They twisted their sharp silver thorned tendrils across the roof and gleamed in the moonlight. Each vine stretched out like sinewy arms, connecting to grotesque flowers that resembled gaping fish mouths, their petals pulsating with an otherworldly allure. The nimbat darted back and forth overhead erratically as if he was looking for something, until he finally returned to their side.

"Wolf Laurence, you be okay with plant. Well, most plant. Just not go near big flower or you dinner," he cautioned, the broken speech punctuated by the clicking of his teeth. Cora watched him turn to face Avni and herself. "You is stay close to Wolf Laurence or be dinner," he said, emphasizing his point with a menacing chomp of his mouth.

Laurence bowed down before the women, "here, you can ride on my back," he offered, turning towards the girls with a reassuring nod.

Cora stepped up the wolf's nose, and up onto his muzzle, when she felt something grip her. A surge of warmth flooded through her body, and she immediately sought out the source, fearing a vine. The pressure around her chest tighten, constricting her breathing, and she grasped as she reached down, finding both of Avni's hands. "Let go of me!" she called out, her voice strained.

Avni's grip tightened before finally releasing, and Cora tumbled forward onto Laurence's back, gasping for air as she recovered from the sensation of being squeezed. "Sorry, I wasn't sure how tight to grip. I was trying to be gentle."

Cora took a few deep breaths, her small frame trembling as she regained her composure. "tight... not so... tight... next time," she managed to utter between breaths.

"Are okay?" Mazella asked, his concern evident.

Cora nodded in response, signalling that she was ready to proceed.

"We're ready, Laurence," Avni announced as she settled herself astride Laurence like a horse. Cora positioned herself slightly forward on Laurence's neck, between Avni's legs. Laurence stepped forward, Mazella flew just ahead, leading the way through the vines. Each step they took was accompanied by the unsettling hiss of the thorns scraping across the roof, the sound sent shivers down Cora's spine, akin to the warning of rattlesnakes lurking in the shadows.

"I liked the other flowers better," Avni remarked, as Laurence stopped, and they all surveyed the field of wandering vines and carnivorous flowers that stretched out before them like a maze of perilous beauty.

"You're not the size of a doll," Cora said sharply, glancing back at Avni with a frustrated squint. Avni was only half her normal height, but this was still twice the height of Cora, and this annoyed her further. This was her fault, she reminded herself bitterly, remembering how she had been pushed by Avni into the flower's tendrils. She should have just left her frozen or sought out the hand of Midas. The temptation to push her into it was now almost overwhelming.

"Oh, lighten up." Avni countered, her voice tinged with a hint of amusement. "I mean, have you ever felt that good before? It's better than what ever those are," she added, gesturing dismissively toward the surrounding plants.

Cora huffed at the remark, her frustration mounting. She didn't care about Avni's newfound euphoria; all she wanted was to return to her normal size. However, the sadistic thought of keeping Avni as her pet briefly crossed her mind. She dismissed it with a shake of her head.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled, causing Laurence to pause mid-step. "What was that?" he called out to Mazella; his voice tinged with concern.

Cora watched the nimbat hover in place, his eyes widening in alarm as he pointed and gestured frantically. "Run! Roof cave!" he exclaimed urgently.

Cora turned swiftly, and grabbed the front of Avni's clothing, pulling herself as close as she could, peering back at the collapsing roof. Clouds of dust billowed into the moonlit path they had just traversed, obscuring their view.

"Hold on!" Laurence shouted, his voice echoing through the chaos as the stones surrounding them began to crumble.

Cora fought to maintain her balance as Laurence surged forward, his muscles rippling beneath his fur as he sprinted over the treacherous roof tops of the ruin. Each bound of the wolf, carried them swiftly past the maze of vines and flowers, which seemed to writhe and snap in their wake hungry to ensnare them in their deadly embrace.

Thrown off balance, Cora tumbled along Laurence's back before regaining her footing, her fingers clutching desperately at his fur and Avni's dress for stability. She pressed herself against Avni's legs, seeking support, trying not to fall again.

Her heart hammered in her chest as they raced toward what appeared to be the only avenue of escape. Mazella's urgent cries urged them onward, mingling with the sound of Laurence's heavy panting as he strained to maintain their pace.

Through Laurence's keen wolf ears, Cora caught sight of a clearing up ahead-a beacon of hope amidst the chaos. With a final surge of determination, Laurence launched them from the crumbling rooftop, his sturdy frame absorbing the impact as they collided with the ridge, pushing forward toward safety.

Cora was flung through the air, her body hurtling forward as Mazella dived and threw himself in front of her. They collided with the ground in a chaotic heap, Avni tumbling on top of them. Pinned beneath the weight of the nimbat and the half-sized woman, Cora's struggles became more frantic as she wriggled and squirmed, the slimy sap still on her body, aiding her escape from beneath the nimbats grasp. Mazella, taken by surprise, squawked as Cora slipped free, her movements swift and determined.

Her gaze darted over to Laurence, horror gripping her as she watched the wolf claw desperately at the ledge, struggling to pull himself to safety. Racing forward, she seized his nose, her tiny form straining with the effort to aid him. A surge of panic shot through her as she noticed the encroaching vines, snaking their way around Laurence's hind legs. With a burst of urgency, she tugged at him, but the vines held fast resisting her efforts to free him.

Desperation fuelled her actions as she pressed her hand against one of the fronds, channelling her essence into the plant. Yet it remained unyielding, much like the pitcher plant that had encased her before. In a last ditched effort, she seized his bag and pulled with all her might. With a heavy thud, Laurence was wrenched from the ledge, leaving behind only two large claw marks as evidence of his struggle.

"Laurence!" Cora's cry pierced the air as she leaped onto a nearby branch. Mazella swooped in, seizing her wrist in a firm grip. "No, must not go back. Leave wolf Laurence. He be okay."

Resisting the impulse to follow, Cora heeded the nimbats advice, her heart aching with worry as she watched the bines ensnare Laurence. With a primal determination, the wolf slashed through the entangling vines, his movements swift and decisive. Gradually, he broke free, his powerful form surging forward to safety.

"See, I say he be okay," Mazella declared triumphantly as Cora rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Laurence's leg. Relief flooded her as she looked up at him, his awkward attempt at a smile betraying his unfamiliarity with his wolfen body.

A nervous laugh escaped her lips as she stepped back, observing Avni's approach with a wary eye. Laurence stood beside her, illuminated by the moonlight, his fur radiating a silver glow imbued with a potent and unsettling energy. A shiver rand down Cora's spine as she sensed something unfamiliar stirring within her own essence, a presence both powerful and ominous.