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The 55th plane looked bizarrely mundane.
At first glance, this plane seemed mostly inhabited by humans, much like the 20th cycle. The crew of The Starblaster knew that there was a chance that this plane would have hidden surprises so they all braced themselves.
At least there were no stupid gauntlets wielded by omnicidal maniacs in this plane.
The light of creation fell near a town that they discovered towards the north. The ship landed outside the town and Barry, Magnus, and Lucretia left the ship, ready to negotiate with the residents of this town.
They found a kind looking, grey haired man who welcomed them eagerly to their town, introducing himself as Charles. Magnus quirked an eyebrow at the enthusiasm with which they were greeted. It was reminiscent of the times he would go to his aunt’s house, getting bowled over by her large dog as he greeted him excitedly.
“Really? So you’re not from this plane? How exciting! Well, you can stay with me for the night,” the man grinned. “My wife and I have a spare room you three can stay in, if you don't mind sharing.”
“Of course we don't mind!” Magnus grinned, turning on the charm while draping his arms over Lucretia and Barry's shoulders.
There was something about their host that Magnus couldn't put his finger on. Something familiar.
His wife, it turned out, had a completely different energy. She was aloof but not out of rudeness. Her aloofness was more out of caution. She was smaller than her husband with dark skin and dark, curly, hair.
“Are you sure they couldn’t have stayed with someone else?” the woman asked, dark brown eyes watching Magnus, Barry, and Lucretia’s every move.
“Illy, I promise, they won’t be any trouble,” Charles, comforted. “They can even stay in the guest room. They won’t do anything to hurt us, I swear!”
Magnus watched the man. He swore the man’s expression matched the look of his aunt’s dog when a delicious roast was just out of reach.
She sighed.
“Alright, dear. I just can’t say no to those eyes,” she smiled before turning to her guests.
“Come, I’ll show you to the guest room. Unfortunately we only have the one room, so you will need to share.”
“That’s quite alright, ma’am,” Magnus beamed. “We’re family. It won’t be a problem at all.”
Illy smiled before taking them on a tour of their modest home. The kitchen and main living area was combined, with a modest dining room set in front of the large stove. The guest bedroom was down the hallway that led to the spacious master bedroom.
Magnus noticed something odd about the room instantly.
There was no bed. Just a pile of blankets on the floor and a large, T-stand perch next to it.
He hoped their room would be more comfortable.
To his surprise, there was indeed a bed and a few cots in the guest bedroom. He worried now that he would be depriving this couple of a restful sleep.
“Ah, you’re wondering about our bedroom,” Illy smiled sadly. “Well, we prefer the floor. It’s better for Charles’ back. Don’t worry about us. Now, unfortunately you won’t be able to leave the house after the sun goes down, but we do have games in the closet there that you can play. We have chess, cards … all sorts of diversions.”
“Excuse me,” Lucretia finally asked. “Why aren’t we allowed outside after the sun goes down?”
“Ah, yes. My apologies. There is a curfew. It’s for everyone’s safety, really,” Illy explained. “As long as you stay indoors, you will be safe.”
This did little to help the trio get comfortable that night after dinner.
Dinner had been an odd production, with Illy serving different dishes for her husband and herself compared to what the trio had received. Instead of the meal of warm bread and a garlicky stew, Charles ate a nearly raw hunk of beef while Illy ate a plate of cooked barley and beef heart.
“It’s nothing,” he grinned. “We just have some strict dietary restrictions.”
The oddness of the evening kept Barry up long after Lucretia and Magnus had gone to sleep. He tried, in vain, to get comfortable.
This wasn’t just discomfort at not having an elf snuggled up close to him. Something else was wrong.
He sighed and got out of bed, quietly opening the bedroom door before closing it softly behind him.
He walked down the hallway and towards the living area. The dying embers in the stove reminded him of Lup. He missed her, but he knew he would be able to see her as soon as they had gotten a lead on finding the light.
“It will just be tonight,” he told himself aloud.
A deep growl snapped him out of his thoughts. He slowly turned around to see a large, grey dog behind him. The dog’s hackles were raised and its eyes glowed in the dim light.
“Uh … Huh … They didn’t say they had a dog … Can uh … Can I get through, boy?”
The growl got deeper as the dog crouched lower.
“I’m just … gonna come around the side … nice and slow …” Barry whispered, his arms out at his sides as he tried to maneuver around the dog.
This was shown to be a mistake as, quick as lightning, the dog snapped at his hand, biting him.
“OW! FUCK!” Barry hissed, cradling his hand. “Ok, you are not friendly at all! Bad dog!”
The dog’s tail tucked as it cowered away from Barry.
Barry hurried to the sink to try and wash and bandage his hand.
~
Lucretia had always been a light sleeper, so it should have been no surprise that Barry leaving the room would have snapped her awake. She waited a moment until Magnus’ loud snoring was too unbearable. She sighed and rose from her bed, quietly opening the bedroom door and looking around. She looked down the hallway to see Barry at the sink, cursing under his breath. She turned and looked at their hosts’ bedroom to see that the door was ajar. She carefully peeked in, guilt gnawing at her for satiating her curiosity.
She bit back a gasp when she saw the raven.
The bird was sitting on the T-stand perch, tired eyes looking out the bedroom window. The bird fluffed up and turned its head as if it were about to fall asleep again before its eyes locked onto Lucretia’s.
It trilled curiously.
“Sorry ... I was just checking on our hosts … I guess they’re in another room?” She asked backing out the door.
The raven tucked its head into its wings, keeping on eye on Lucretia as she left the room quietly.
She made her way back into the guest room, only to see Barry nursing a wound on his hand.
“Did you know they have a dog? He’s a real dick,” Barry complained.
“Huh … Didn’t see the dog,” she hummed. “They have a raven though. I guess that’s what the T-stand was for? Were they in the living room?”
“No … Just the dog,” Barry grumbled. “Wait … why would they be in the living room?”
“Well … they weren’t in their room.”
Barry’s eyes widened.
“Oh god. You don’t think they went outside, did they?” He asked.
“I hope not! If it’s so dangerous out there that they need a curfew, then who knows what could be happening! We should go after them!”
“No,” Barry started. “We … we might end up in more danger out there if we do. Perhaps they’re ok. They’ve lived here longer than we have. Surely if they went outside, they had a good reason. We’ll search in the morning, ok?”
Lucretia nodded reluctantly.
Even without Magnus’ loud snores, both found it nearly impossible to sleep.
~
The next morning, the smell of bacon wafted into the bedroom. Magnus arose first, stretching and yawning before sniffing the air excitedly.
“Oh my god, they have bacon on this plane too!” Magnus cheered, waking up Barry and Lucretia. “Come on guys! Let’s go grab breakfast!”
Magnus bolted out of the bedroom, not bothering to change out of his pajamas. Lucretia and Barry groggily followed, Barry still clutching his towel-wrapped hand.
As they wandered out of the room, Lucretia peeked into the bedroom.
No raven.
“Ah, good morning!” Charles grinned, watching the trio enter the room. “Breakfast is almost ready! Please, make yourselves comfor-” His eyes landed on Barry’s hand. “Um … What happened?”
“Oh, your dog bit me,” Barry sighed. “I mean he seemed like he was protecting something but - “
“You have a dog?” Magnus asked excitedly.
“We don’t … Oh god …” Charles moaned as his face went pale. “Oh God, I am so sorry,” He began, his entire frame drooping.
Illy flitted over to him from the stove.
“Charles, you didn’t know …”
“I … Oh God … Did it break the skin?” He asked.
“Yeah, but like … it wasn’t too bad,” Barry lied.
“Oh my god. Oh Barry, I am so sorry to have done that … This shouldn’t have happened …”
“Excuse me, what?” Magnus asked.
“We … This whole world is cursed,” Charles began.
“No one even remembers who the curse started with,” Illy continued. “We’re not sure if it began in a man or an animal, but it spread through the whole world like a plague. Except, unlike a plague, no one died due to the illness, directly. No … death from illness … old age … That doesn’t happen anymore. It hasn’t for a century.”
“Unfortunately, neither have any births. From any species … We … Well, I was a man, I think, when it started. I had to have been to be like this during the day …”
“I also was human … I’d been tending to an injured bird when I was bitten …”
“And a stray dog was what got me,” Charles sighed. “Barry … I’m so sorry. If only you had stayed with the Gundersons. They are fish at night … You wouldn’t have been bitten.”
“But they don’t even have room dear,” Illy smiled. “And it’s not all bad. Perhaps, because they aren’t from this world, he won’t even be affected!”
Charles sniffled and nodded.
Barry stood in stunned silence. He looked down at his hand. If he was going to be affected by this curse, would it be permanent? What would even happen?
“So wait … are you saying you’re cursed to become animals at night?” Magnus asked.
“Yes.”
“And since Barry was bitten by you, Charles, he might become a dog?”
“Yeah …” Charles sighed.
A grin spread across Magnus’ face as he giggled excitedly. Lucretia looked up from her journal as Barry quirked an eyebrow.
“What the hell, Mags?”
“Cap’nport is finally gonna let me have a puppy!” Magnus squealed.
~
After breakfast, Charles and Illy led the trio to where the light had landed, explaining their situation to the townsfolk that were still gathered around it. When Lucretia expanded on the story, letting them know of the dire circumstances, the town quickly agreed to give up the Light of Creation to the trio.
As they trekked back to the ship, Barry began to mentally take stock of any changes.
So far, not much seemed to be different. He was still the same old Barry. He knew that the couple they had stayed with had seemed off, which, in hindsight made a lot of sense. Magnus was watching him intently. It made Barry uneasy.
Lucretia took notes, as always.
When they got back to the Starblaster, Merle set to work examining Barry. It was puzzling. From all accounts, Barry seemed completely normal. Merle cleaned the wound on his hand and redressed it before releasing him to return to the rest of the crew.
That night, as Lup and Barry settled in for bed, Barry found himself even more restless than he had been the night before. Something prickled in the back of his mind and his skin itched terribly. He must have awakened Lup because in moments, she was sitting up, looking at him in concern.
“I don’t know what’s up. I’m just itching like crazy,” he grumbled. “And my muscles hurt … I wasn’t doing anything strenuous …”
“Maybe you’re getting old,” Lup joked, kissing him softly on the nose.
Barry blushed deeply before kissing her softly on the lips. Lup giggled, deepening the kiss. As she ran her hands through Barry’s hair, she brushed a finger across his ear -
And froze.
“Barry?” She asked, fearfully.
“Huh?” Barry asked before looking down at his paws.
Paws …
“Oh my god!” Barry cried out. “What do I do? What do I do?”
“I .. I don’t know! I’ll go get help!” Lup cried out, wrapping herself in the closest robe before running out the door.
Barry was alone now.
He was alone and he hated it.
“Lup?” He whimpered. “Luuup?”
No answer, of course.
He rushed to his feet, only for them to no longer support his body. He caught himself with his front paws and stared at the door. His mind was swimming, thoughts blurring and fogging over. He shook his head. The colors of the room were all wrong. The red robe that remained on the hook wasn’t red anymore. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it wasn’t right.
He suddenly was hit with all of the scents in the room at once. His mind struggled to comprehend what he was sensing as he crawled to the door. He had to get out of here. He had to get help.
“... I think he’s changing, Merle! What do we do?”
“I uh … I don’t know. Wouldn’t Taako be the best for blah blah?”
“...Blah blah blah blah Barry Blah blah blah …”
Barry shook his head. The words … He didn’t know what was being said. It wasn’t like when he first was learning Elvish in primary school. He at least had a grasp of syntax and structure.
No, this was a series of noises interspersed with one word that he did understand.
His name.
He opened his mouth.
And barked.
The voices on the other side of the door stopped for a moment. Then more voices joined in as more smells were present on the other side of the door. One of them was comforting. He knew it belonged to someone important.
He just couldn’t verbalize who.
~
Lup watched the dog that used to be her boyfriend wag his tail as she opened the door to their room. All except Taako had now joined her in front of the door, Taako most likely still fast asleep in his room.
Of all of the things that had happened in all of the cycles, this was the most upsetting.
With each reset, she knew that the people who she had come to call her family would return, no matter how they died.
With this, however, she wasn’t sure if Barry would ever return to normal.
They’d never experienced a curse like this before. And for this to happen right at the beginning of the cycle, it was almost too much.
“Barry?” Lup asked, fear in her voice.
Dog-Barry wagged his tail and panted. He bounced back and forth on his front paws before bowing his head.
“Oh my god ...” Lup gasped. “Barry … I’m so sorry …”
Dog-Barry sat down and tilted his grey head. As Lup stiffly walked towards him, his tail wagged, limply. He knew something was wrong with his favorite being, but he couldn’t put his finger on why.
Perhaps licking her hand would help.
“Magnus, Lucretia. I need a full report, NOW.” Davenport started. “Now that we know that this curse does affect us, we need to find out it’s full effects. Since our science officer is … indisposed …”
Lup simply stared at Dog-Barry as he licked her hand again. His eyes pleaded with her, and she wondered if he was fully conscious of everything that was going on or not. She gently scratched his head and he closed his eyes, panting happily.
“I ...I need to lay down, guys. I’ll help you deal with this in the morning but … I need some time.”
“Oh … yeah,” Davenport softened. “Of course. Do you want me to leave the door open?”
“Yeah ... “ Lup started. “Yeah … thanks …”
She sat down on the bed that she had shared with Barry as the rest of the crew filtered out. She stared at Dog-Barry for a moment before laying down on the bed.
A weight joined her as she felt the soft fur of her boyfriend pressed against her. She turned around to look at him. She expected to see something of Barry in those silver eyes but … No … Just confusion.
She didn’t mean to sob.
Dog-Barry’s ears flattened and he began licking her face, frantically. She pressed her face into his fur and wept.
She didn’t remember falling asleep, but when she woke up the next morning, she was alone.
~
After the creature had fallen asleep, Dog-Barry found that he needed to do some exploring and patrolling. His packmate wouldn’t be awake for several hours, he hoped, so it was up to him to make sure everything was safe.
He wandered around the ship, claws tapping on the smooth floor, as he looked in each room.
One room was mostly filled with flowers and a small creature that smelled of them. The flowers were an overwhelming smell that he didn’t much care for so he left the room quickly.
Another room housed a creature that must have been a human. The smell of dusty paper filled his nose as he peered in. She was also asleep and, after a brief investigation, seemed to be in order. Dog-Barry continued on his quest.
Another human’s room was almost overpowering to go into. This human must be the dominant male. Even as he slept on the bed, Dog-Barry couldn’t help but cower. This one was not to be messed with and definitely didn’t need his protection.
Another room smelled like his favorite smell except slightly off. As he padded into the room, he noticed that it was empty. Clothes littered the floor, some of it with smells from the other rooms, intermixed with the main smell of this room. On top of the pile was a hat. The smell of the hat definitely belonged to whoever this room belonged to. It was so similar to the smell that brought him the most comfort. He walked over and picked up the hat in his jaws.
The fabric felt good in his mouth. Perhaps the owner wouldn’t mind if he chewed on it, just a little.
After he got his chewing done, he padded down the hallway, following a smell that made his stomach ache. Whatever the smell was, he needed to investigate it immediately.
When he arrived in the room that was the source of the smell, everything around him faded into the background as he stared at his prize. Up high, just barely out of reach if he stood up on his back legs, was the greatest smelling food he had ever smelled.
Perhaps just a taste?
~
Whenever he couldn’t sleep, Taako found that he could calm down by cooking. Something had woken him up, some conversation outside of his room, and now he couldn’t sleep. He set to work in the kitchen preparing his famous sixty garlic clove chicken when he realized he had forgotten his wand in order to transmute the sauce. He grumbled and trudged back to his room, vaguely aware of an odd tapping sound near him. He was too tired to really register it as he walked into his room, turning on a light.
He gasped in horror as he beheld his hat.
It had been with him since his days of travelling in caravans with Lup. It had been there with him when he had taken the entrance exams for the IPRE. It had always been there.
And now it was in tatters.
Suddenly, he remembered the tapping sound. There had been something on the ship.
A vague recollection of Barry’s predicament, being bitten by some creature that was cursed to walk about as a beast at night entered his mind.
He ran down the hall to Lup and Barry’s room and looked inside.
Lup was there.
But no Barry.
He walked over, cautiously, looking over Lup. No injuries. She was safe and asleep, cheeks stained with tears.
His heart hammered in his chest as he ran out into the hallway. He had to find Barry. Something was seriously wrong.
He skidded back into the kitchen and gasped in horror.
There was a dog.
On his counter.
Eating his sixty garlic chicken.
“NO!” Taako screamed. “Bad dog! Shoo! Shoo! Get out!”
The dog looked at Taako, ears flattened against his head and tail tucked between his legs. He whimpered, realizing he was in trouble. He hopped off of the counter and hid underneath the table, whimpering as Taako ran to try and salvage the chicken.
It was no use.
It was forever ruined.
“Now I’m going to have to transmute EVERTHING!” Taako lamented. “BAD DOG!”
Taako’s shouting had awakened one other member of the crew, as thundering footsteps trampled down the hallway. Magnus stood in the doorway and surveyed the scene before his whole body shook with laughter.
“This isn’t funny!” Taako cried. “How did a dog get on our ship? Was this your doing, Magnus? Where’s Barry?”
Magnus sucked in air as he continued to laugh, unable to form words. Instead, he simply pointed at the dog.
Taako’s ears drooped in realization.
Dog-Barry whimpered.
~
When Lup walked into the kitchen the next morning, she didn’t expect to see Barry, in his human body, sitting at the table. She didn’t expect to see him looking so guilty as he refused to make eye contact with Taako. She didn’t expect to see Magnus, hard at work constructing a crate.
She ran over to Barry and lifted his chin gently, afraid that none of this would be real. He refused to meet her eyes as well.
“What happened?” Lup asked.
Taako turned on her, exasperated.
“Barry ate our chicken!” He cried out. “I was making sixty garlic clove chicken and now I’m going to have to transmute all of the ingredients because someone is a BAD DOG.”
Barry winced.
“Sorry,” he rasped out.
“Ugh. I probably can’t even go out into the town to get real chicken because that might be the blacksmith! Or I’ll get bitten by a were-weasel and then you’ll probably eat me too!” Taako complained.
Barry ran his fingers through his hair.
“You know he didn’t mean it, right Taako?”
“He ate my hat, Lup. He shredded it! I’ve had it for a century and a half and he destroyed it!”
Lup smirked.
“Maybe if you put your things away …”
“Oh no. Just because he’s always boning down on you doesn’t mean you get to defend him!”
Barry groaned and buried his face even deeper into his hands.
“That’s why I’m building this crate!” Magnus chirped. “Barry can sleep in there at night for this cycle and then no one will get hurt!”
“Except my dignity,” Barry grumbled. “Look, it was a one time issue. I was overwhelmed. Maybe tonight it will be better.”
“We can’t take that risk, Barold,” Taako growled. “My wardrobe can’t take that risk.”
Lup stifled a snicker.
“Ugh, I need to go outside and clear my head,” Barry sighed. “I’ll … I’ll be back.”
With that, he got up and headed outside, leaving Lup, Taako, and Magnus in the kitchen to discuss how they were going to train him.
He stood outside and grinned feeling the soft breeze in his hair. He needed this moment. He needed to-
A rustle in the bushes caught his attention.
Something was in there.
He tilted his head.
A small, brown rodent appeared. One word coursed through his mind, repeating over and over until he couldn’t fight it anymore.
“SQUIRREL!”
~
Magnus was proud of his handiwork. He’d made sure it would be big enough for Barry to turn around in as both a dog and a human. He also made sure he could get it through Barry and Lup’s door. A tight fit, but he hadn’t wanted to wake Lup up while he constructed it. As he walked back to the kitchen, having made sure it was secured in Lup and Barry’s room, he paused, watching Taako and Lup at the window.
“What’s up?”
“Barry is yelling up at a tree,” Taako hummed.
“What?”
“He ran up to a tree and started yelling at it,” Lup commented.
Magnus sighed and made his way to the ship’s exit. He needed to put a stop to this behavior.
As he went outside, Barry’s shouts became clear.
“HEY! HEY! GET DOWN HERE! HEY YOU!”
“Barry,” Magnus commanded. “Leave it.”
Barry’s head whipped around. He looked at Magnus with confusion and then a moment of realization as he sheepishly ran his hand through his hair.
“Heh … Sorry,” Barry laughed. “I just … Saw a squirrel …”
“Barry, you’ve got to get control of this,” Magnus sighed. “Here, I finished your crate. Maybe after you make sure it’s big enough, you can go into town with Lup for supplies.”
“Supplies?” Barry asked.
“Yeah. You’ll need to get something to keep you occupied … I’m sure that there are shops in town that provide dog toys and such.”
Barry paled.
“Dog … Toys …”
“Yeah. The crate is made out of wood and I don’t know if dog you is a wood chewer. So … You’ll need something to distract you when you’re in your dog form at nights.
Barry put his head in his hands.
“Just kill me now.”
“It won’t be that bad,” Magnus laughed.
“No, you’re right. It will be worse. Just take me behind that tree and pull a Fantasy Old Yeller. Then I’ll wake up in a few months and this will all be over.”
Magnus sighed.
Don’t worry, Barry. It’s just for a few months and then we can get rid of the crate and any memories of being a dog-man. Plus, Lup would absolutely kill me if I killed you.”
Barry slumped his shoulders and let Magnus lead him into the house.
“As long as I don’t have to wear a collar …”
“What you and Lup do in private is none of my business.”
With that, Barry gave Magnus a hearty shove.
~
The trip into town had been awkward, to say the least, as Barry tried to stumble through figuring out what he needed. He had never had a dog and thus had no idea what he would actually need now that he was a part-time dog.
Lup had fed strays back when she and Taako were on the road, but other than that, her knowledge of dogs extended as far as “Just don’t approach them if they’re growling”.
They had picked out a few plus toys and some squeaky bones as well as a water bowl for the night time. Barry also found a large, cushiony bed and immediately grabbed it up, not wanting to sleep on the hard floor.
That evening, Lup placed some clothing she had worn the day before in the crate at Magnus’ suggestion, while Barry sat outside it.
“Alright, I think this is all set. So, do you want to head in for the night?” Lup asked, sympathetically.
“I don’t really have any choice,” Barry sighed, climbing into the crate and settling down.
“OK … Are you comfortable?”
“Eh … As much as I can be in a dog crate.”
“Do you want Mr. Bear-bear?” Lup said, holding up one of the squeaky, plush toys they had purchased.
“Of fucking course I want Mr. Bear-bear!” Barry exclaimed, grabbing for it.
Lup smiled and kissed him on the lips before turning to head to her own bed.
As she got ready, she heard Barry shift in the dog bed. Then -
“Uh … Lup?”
“Yeah Barry?”
“Mr. Bear-bear can’t sleep without Lucy Lion …”
Lup giggled and got out of bed, grabbing the stuffed lion that they had bought and setting the toy in his crate.
“Thanks, Lup,” Barry grinned, sheepishly.
“Of course, love,” she whispered, kissing him again once more before laying down.
She rolled over onto her side before she heard the tale-tell sounds of Barry’s transformation. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to imagine what he was going through.
The bed was cold now, without Barry. It didn’t feel right, not having him next to her.
She closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. Elves didn’t need sleep anyway, but it felt nice some-
Squeak.
Squeak squeak.
“Barry?”
The squeaking stopped. Lup settled into the bed and tried to rest again. Her eyes were heavy and her heart felt as if it was going to shatter.
She hated being alone. Even now, with Barry technically in the room, she felt so-
Squeaksqueaksqueaksqueak
“BAROLD!” Lup complained.
The squeaking stopped for a moment and then.
Squeak.
Taako lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. His hat. His future brother-in-law ate his hat. And his chicken.
The door slip open and Lup flopped down next to him.
“I’m not taking away Mr. Bear-bear and Lucy Lion,” Lup wearedly explained. “Scoot.”
~
The cycle didn’t seem to go fast enough for Barry and Lup, with their time together always being cut short by the setting sun. One night, Lup had made the mistake of leaving the crate door open and awakened to all of their pillows being shredded.
“It was a good mouth feel?” Barry had said while rubbing his neck with one hand.
Some nights,even after the night of pillow destruction, Lup would pull Dog Barry into her bed and snuggle with him, burying her face into his fur. If Barry had noticed her crying while he was in his dog form, he never said anything.
One night, late in the cycle, Lup had been late coming back to the Starblaster. She had gone out to see if there was any possible way to break the curse and then didn’t make it back before sunset.
Barry had transformed on the deck of the Starblaster and was pacing about, worriedly.
“It’s ok, buddy. She’ll be back soon,” Magnus comforted.
That wasn’t good enough for Barry, dog or otherwise.
Magnus had gone back inside, leaving the door open.
Dog Barry found his way out of the Starblaster after having taken a quick stop in Taako’s room for another chance at a good mouth feel. He needed to recharge his brave before he walked out into the woods.
He padded through the surrounding forest, hoping to catch a whiff of Lup’s scent. He knew she had been here recently, but his mind was in too much of a panic to focus. He continued on, nose to the ground, until he smelled smoke.
Lup …
He broke into a run in the direction of the smoke and found her, curled up near a fire. She looked over and flinched before realizing who was there.
“Hey Bare …” She smiled, wearily. “Sorry it’s been so long … I kinda got lost.”
Dog Barry whined and padded over to her, pushing his head underneath her arms.
“Gonna keep me company until morning?” She asked, stroking his head softly.
He licked her and and then stared at the fire.
“I … God, Barry, I hope this doesn’t follow us into the reset. I’ve been so worried about this … What if you’re like this forever? It sounds so painful when you transform and … I don’t like seeing you in pain, Barry … I love you so much and I … God … I’m talking to a dog … you might not even remember what I’m saying …”
Dog Barry nuzzled her hand.
“Even if … Even if this is forever … I still love you … I guess we’ll just have to change our schedules, huh? Go to bed earlier? You can get up later and be a dog. I’ll be nocturnal. I mean, I’m not a drow but …”
She choked back a sob and Dog Barry moved to try and lick her face.
“It’s ok, I promise … I love you no matter what, Barry … Even if at night you’re not yourself anymore …”
Dog Barry licked her chin and Lup giggled through her tears.
She fell asleep not long after and Dog Barry followed suit after making sure the coast was clear.
In the morning, Lup awakened to loud snoring and something heavy on her lap. She looked down to see Barry, naked and in an uncomfortable position. Lup smiled, not wanting to wake him up right away.
Eventually, Lup and Barry returned to the ship, Barry wrapped up in Lup’s robe.
Taako was about to scold Barry for eating his shoes the night before, but having seen the looks on Lup and Barry’s faces, he thought better of it and just sighed.
At the end of the cycle, Lup and Barry stood together, watching the world shrink below them. Their hands were grasped tight as they waited to be pulled into their recorded states.
That night, Barry slept on the bed, next to Lup, for the first time in a little under a year, as a human.