The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, the hours slipping by like the steady rhythm of the wind outside. The faint creak of the stable doors shifting in the night breeze was the only disturbance, save for one unforgettable moment. A man, clearly far too drunk for his own good, stumbled into the stables in the middle of the night. His steps were unsteady, and his gaze unfocused, but when he caught sight of Vivienne sprawled out in the straw, her dark eyes gleaming in the faint light of the stable, he froze.

  For a long moment, he just stared. A wolf rger than the rgest of horses—its fur dark and thick, its presence undeniable. She y there peacefully, the massive creature seeming so at ease that it might have been a part of the ndscape. But the shock was too much for him. With a strangled yelp, he wet himself, his wide eyes locked onto Vivienne’s, convinced he had wandered into a nightmare.

  He stumbled backward, muttering something unintelligible, then turned and fled into the night, leaving nothing behind but his shame and a foul smell. Vivienne, for her part, merely watched the whole spectacle with mild amusement. She had no intentions of harming him—he’d been no threat—but she enjoyed seeing how easily she could unnerve someone. It was almost too easy.

  As the night drew to a close and the first light of morning crept over the horizon, Rava, along with a groggy Kivvy, made their way into the stables. Rava’s gaze immediately flicked over to Vivienne, who was still stretched out in the hay, her rge form taking up most of the space.

  “I hope you didn’t have too boring a night, Viv,” Rava said, her voice light, but there was a sharpness to it, as though she already suspected some mischief.

  Vivienne raised her head and fshed a toothy grin, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "It was plenty entertaining. I had guests," she replied with a deep rumble in her voice, her tail giving a zy swish.

  Rava raised an eyebrow, gncing at Kivvy, who was still groggy, and then back at Vivienne, her expression skeptical. "Why does that sound unassuring coming from you?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

  Vivienne’s grin only widened, a low chuckle rumbling from deep within her chest as she y back down in the hay. "Oh, nothing to worry about. Just a little... unpnned visit," she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Though I think I gave the man a bit of a scare."

  Rava exhaled, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth despite herself. "I can imagine," she muttered, shaking her head. "At least you didn’t eat him, then."

  Vivienne flicked her ears back in mock offense. "Of course not. Not without some proper introductions first," she said, her tone ced with pyful menace. "There were also some curious children, too. They came to say hello to the ‘queen of wolves’ and pay their respects."

  Rava let out an uncharacteristic snort of ughter at Vivienne's words, the sound catching the tall woman off guard. Vivienne gave her a bnk look, the slight tilt of her head a testament to her curiosity. "Their words, not mine," she added dryly, a hint of pride in her voice. "I am rather regal like this, though, am I not?"

  Rava raised an eyebrow, her lips still twitching with amusement. "That's one word, I suppose."

  Kivvy, who had been quietly observing the interaction, finally spoke up, her voice a bit gruff as usual. "So, are we going, or what?"

  Rava nodded, her expression returning to its usual serious edge. "Yes. I’ll get Vivienne hitched, and we can go through their market and load up the cart directly. It shouldn’t be too busy yet, and it’s a small town regardless."

  With little more said, the group set about preparing for the next leg of their journey. Vivienne patiently allowed herself to be harnessed, her usual patience in pce, though she couldn't suppress a small, satisfied wag of her tail. After all, it wasn't every day she got to be the centerpiece of a town's admiration—especially not with children involved.

  Rava, always the practical one, made sure everything was in order with the cart, while Kivvy seemed more interested in making sure Vivienne didn’t get too distracted by the small crowds that had begun to gather as the market came to life. The sun climbed higher, casting a warm glow over the sleepy town, and the group moved toward the market square, the quiet bustle of the town beginning to pick up.

  Once in the heart of the market, Vivienne's presence naturally drew more attention. People stopped their trading, gncing over at the towering wolf with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. However, Vivienne was mostly undisturbed by their stares, moving with the grace of a creature used to being observed. She sniffed the air, taking in the familiar scents of fresh bread, spices, and goods.

  "Get everything on your list?" Kivvy asked, pulling her attention back to the task at hand.

  Vivienne nodded, her gaze settling on a spice stall where a few rare jars caught her eye. "A few things I needed," she replied with a sly grin, nudging the cart with a soft grunt as they passed the stall. "You can never have enough spices."

  They spent the next hour or so gathering what was needed—topping up on bread, dried meats, and, as Vivienne had insisted, a selection of rare spices she had been unable to find in the st town. The advantage of being closer to Thalrynn territory, apparently. The small exchange was quick and efficient, though, as Rava had predicted, the town didn’t have much bustle yet. A few merchants were opening their shops, others were already packing up, but it was easy enough to move through the marketpce without much trouble.

  By te morning, with the cart loaded and supplies accounted for, Rava gave a quick check of everything before nodding to Vivienne. "Alright. We’re ready to go."

  The journey through the other side of the town was less eventful than their arrival, though a few vilgers still paused to watch them go. Rava led the way, her posture as commanding as ever, while Kivvy followed close behind, her sharp eyes scanning the path ahead. Vivienne, in her less-than-subtle wolf form, fell into step behind them, her pace smooth and sure, the soft click of the cart wheels punctuating the otherwise quiet morning air.

  As the gates of the town faded behind them, the vast expanse of the grassy steppes y ahead. The nd stretched out before them in shades of green and gold, the horizon a far-off dream in the distance. Hours passed as the group continued on, with the steady rhythm of Vivienne pulling the cart providing a comforting backdrop to the long trek. Despite the light chatter and the occasional break, the world around them seemed vast and quiet, as if offering the peaceful solitude they needed before the next part of their journey.

  “So where are we going from here?” Vivienne asked, her voice carrying a casual curiosity as her massive paws padded along the dirt road.

  “Follow the road straight until noon,” Rava replied from atop the cart, her gaze fixed ahead. “Then we’ll be turning south. It’ll take us about a day to reach the fallen ruins where he was st sighted.”

  “What are fallen ruins?” Kivvy chimed in, her small frame bouncing slightly with the cart's motion as she peered up at Rava.

  Rava turned to her, blinking as if surprised by the question. “You don’t know?”

  Kivvy crossed her arms with a wry expression. “Sheltered, remember? Goblins are treated worse than serfs in Aegis. Not a lot of history lessons down there.”

  Rava frowned at that, the weight of the statement settling in the air. After a moment, she gave a small nod, her tone turning more thoughtful as she expined. “Ruins of the fallen are ancient remnants from the empire that colpsed during the Sundering. It was one of the greatest civilizations to ever exist on this continent, spanning centuries. Their reach stretched across the known world, their technology and magic unmatched, even today. But they colpsed—abruptly and violently. No one knows exactly what caused it. Some say war, others camity, or even divine intervention.”

  Vivienne’s ears twitched as she listened, her dark eyes gleaming with interest. “And now the ruins are just... what? Empty husks?”

  Rava shook her head, the motion slow and deliberate, as if weighing her words. “Far from empty. They’re dangerous. Infested with aetherbeasts—drawn to them like moths to fme. No one really knows why. Maybe it’s the pockets of raw aether left behind after the Sundering, or maybe something about the ruins themselves calls to them. I’m no schor, so don’t expect any deep answers. All I know is that they’re more trouble than they’re worth for most folks.”

  Vivienne’s lips curled into a sly grin, her tail flicking zily behind her. “It wasn’t that bad when we were in that first one,” she said with a lilting chirp. “Lots of good eats.”

  Rava snorted, unable to suppress the smirk tugging at her lips. “You would say that, wouldn’t you?” She leaned back slightly, arms crossing as she regarded Vivienne with mock exasperation. “I’ll admit, though, it wasn’t as bad with you there. You’re... useful to have around when the cws and teeth start flying.”

  “Why, Rava,” Vivienne teased, feigning a wounded tone, “is that your way of saying you enjoy my company? Can you just admit it?”

  Rava rolled her eyes but didn’t reply, the corner of her mouth twitching in a barely concealed smile. “That would be too easy.”

  The day passed in a rhythm of casual conversation and the steady ctter of the wagon as it rolled over the uneven road. The grassy steppes stretched endlessly on either side, broken only by the occasional cluster of wind-bent trees or distant, grazing wildlife. Overhead, the sun burned high and bright, painting the nd in golden hues. The group passed the time chatting idly, their voices rising and falling with the cadence of travel.

  Vivienne, as usual, found herself at the center of attention—or, more accurately, she pced herself there with her wry remarks and pointed questions. But even she took a break from teasing when her culinary ambitions took precedence.

  With the spices she had insisted on buying earlier, Vivienne began preparing something new. She worked with deliberate care, her cws surprisingly nimble as she unpacked their modest cooking set. Using a few battered pots, a sack of gran—an all-purpose grain simir to rice, much to Vivienne’s delight—and some dried meat, she set about transforming the meager supplies into a proper meal.

  The fragrant aroma of sizzling spices wafted through the air, mingling with the scent of night-cooled grass and earth. The pot bubbled gently over a small fire, and Vivienne stirred it with a wooden spoon, occasionally pausing to taste her creation. Her ears twitched with satisfaction as she adjusted the seasoning, adding a pinch of this and a dash of that, until the mixture began to resemble something hearty and inviting.

  Kivvy perched on a nearby rock, watching with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. “You’re not going to turn this into some weird monster stew, are you?”

  Vivienne shot her a sideways gnce, her dark eyes glinting with amusement. “What’s the matter, Kivvy? Afraid I’ll sneak in a tentacle or two?”

  Kivvy wrinkled her nose, her expression skeptical as she eyed the bubbling pot. “You’d probably do it just to mess with me.”

  Vivienne waved a cwed hand dismissively, a sly grin tugging at her lips. “There is nowhere for me to get seafood from here, so you’ll be spared any surprise tentacles—this time. Besides,” she added, stirring the pot with deliberate fir, “you didn’t seem to have any compints about the stew I made a few nights ago. You know, the one made by a so-called monster.”

  Kivvy crossed her arms, her nose still crinkled in faint disgust. “Yeah, but this one smells weird.”

  Vivienne chuckled, the sound low and rich, as she leaned down to waft some of the steam toward the goblin with exaggerated pomp. “Weird? My dear Kivvy, that’s the smell of fvor. Perhaps your unrefined pate just isn’t ready for such sophistication.”

  Kivvy leaned back, waving her hand in front of her face to dispel the cloud of spices. “Sophistication? It smells like you dumped an entire spice rack in there.”

  “Not entirely inaccurate,” Rava interjected from where she sat sharpening her bde. She didn’t look up but smirked faintly. “Though I’ll admit, it smells better than the usual camp fare.”

  “Thank you, Rava,” Vivienne said, feigning exaggerated graciousness. “At least someone here appreciates culinary artistry.”

  Kivvy shot the lekine a pointed look. “You’re only saying that because you’re used to eating whatever’s edible in the wilderness.”

  Rava shrugged. “Maybe, but if it’s edible, it’s edible. And if it’s edible and good, even better.”

  “Exactly!” Vivienne decred, giving the pot a final stir before scooping a small spoonful to taste. She made a show of savoring it, closing her eyes as if the fvors transported her to another world. “Perfect bance of spice and richness. You’ll thank me ter.”

  Kivvy gave the pot one st wary gnce. “If I grow a tail or horns after eating that, I’m bming you.”

  Vivienne grinned, sharp teeth glinting in the firelight, the flickering shadows dancing across her face. “Oh, but Kivvy, my dear, you would look absolutely dashing with some horns or a tail. They’d go magnificently with those marvelously rge ears of yours—so striking, so elegant.” Her voice dripped with pyful mockery, though there was a genuine fondness behind her words.

  Kivvy's emerald skin darkened in a deep green flush, the tips of her ears turning a shade brighter than usual. She quickly averted her gaze, flustered, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her tattered sleeve as she scanned the camp for something, anything, to distract herself. The crackling of the fire was louder than usual in the sudden silence, and the goblin's heart raced, her thoughts tripping over themselves.

  She gnced back at Vivienne, but the mischievous gleam in the hydra-woman’s eyes only made Kivvy's discomfort worse. With a huff, she turned fully away and busied herself with rearranging the firewood, pretending not to hear the chuckle that followed her every movement.

  Despite the goblins' earlier protests, the food was a hit. The rich scent of spices, meat, and vegetables filled the air, drawing everyone closer to the campfire with eager expressions. The goblin, initially dubious, was now licking her fingers, her face lit with surprise and pleasure. Though she did so begrudgingly, as if admitting to enjoying something from her was a personal defeat.

  Vivienne, however, wasn’t quite as pleased as the others. While the meal was far superior to the stew she had made earlier—rich, hearty, and comforting—it still fell short of the satisfaction she sought. She leaned back slightly, eyes tracing the stars overhead, as her thoughts turned inward. There was something missing from the meal, something that kept it from truly fulfilling her. The fvors danced on her tongue, but there was no depth—no complexity to the essence of it that would make it feel complete.

  It didn’t take long for her to pinpoint the problem. The ck of aether. Her senses tingled with the absence of it in the dish, the raw, primal energy that could elevate any meal to a whole new level. She had tasted it before, in the thornback meat she ate earlier, but here it was devoid of it.

  Vivienne let out a soft sigh, her sharp teeth fshing for a moment in the firelight. She made a mental note to herself, one that she would have to follow through on ter: find a way to enrich her cooking with aether. It wouldn’t be easy, but she wasn’t known for shying away from challenges. She enjoyed the act of cooking—finding the right bance of fvors, the right touch of heat—but the enjoyment faded when she couldn’t fully taste her work. And without the aether, it would always feel incomplete.

  For now, though, she masked her disappointment with a satisfied smile and a soft chuckle as the goblin bickered over the st scraps of meat. At least she was enjoying herself.

  SupernovaSymphony