Caidoz

Chapter 11

   Procyon danced out in front of me as I walked. His nose often smacked the ground to eagerly sniff around, sometimes in circles, his long flexible tail wagging in excitement. Once, he spotted a butterfly and chased after it, blue eyes with the green rings bright, almost leaving me behind and I had to shout his new name two times before he remembered the two things he had forgotten. One, he had a name now.

   Two, he was traveling with a new companion. Still, as I watched him scout out slightly ahead in front of me, I couldn't contain a small giggle and smile, the action feeling wonderfully familiar to my facial expression."You act so differently in this form-- happier, I think." I said, my gaze turning as he had broken out into a dash towards the nearest twig, probably to play fetch.
   He skidded to a halt, his tail tucked underneath him. For the rest of the time he spent as a dog, he walked with a purpose, all playfulness gone.

   When we left the crater I had formed, we had started our journey through the forest. The forest was lavish with the color green, light sparkling down through the tree tops. Wildlife was strangely silent and rarely made a sound as the wood seemed to hold its breath in anticipation, a bird song something seemly unheard of around us. Many trees and animals were exotic species I had ever seen nor heard of before, and I caught flashes of fur that flew in through the air, unseen.

   The air was crisp and it filled with a single breath which was then released to form a small amount of white smoke as I exhaled. Luckily, the small rays of sun produced something of warmth for the time being, and I hoped I would have this comfort through our travel.  As I had already believed true from the start, Procyon was right when he told me to stay with him, for he had to rescue me five times in the last count from becoming the victim of dangerous carnivorous forest plants.

   At first, when I saw the blue bell wildflowers on the side of the dirt path, I noticed how Procyon paid them no mind. I tried to follow his example, but the plant reached out a vine that wrapped around my waist of my embroidered top from each of the small, blue upside-down cups. The plant then formed a blood red mouth with the vines pulling me in.

   I dug my nails into the dirt, clawing as I was pulled closer to the hungry plant. "Procyon, help me!" The big dog immediately turned around and attacked the vines, snapping them off me with his sharp fangs. The vine withers slightly, inclining away, and in its hesitation, we bolted down the dirt road, far from its clutches. When we finally stopped, I panted heavily, my hands rested on my legs. I glanced at the dog, who was panting heavily.
   "You... saved me."
   He snorted, rolling his eyes. He only turned around and continued walking.

   "Thank you, Procyon," I whispered. I was attacked later on by a similar flower creatures, saved each time by the fearless dog. I soon noticed Procyon short of breath, his ears flattened against his head as he carried on, his large paws dragging himself forward.
   "I am really sorry," I said, throwing him a sympathetic glance. "I really am ignorant in this world."

   He had given me one of his non-doggish looks that reminded me a lot of the boy with the frown.
  "It's true," I said, trying to persuade him. "I am completely useless to you."
   He had simply given a small sigh, and we had continued onward, passing a wicked tree stump and several bushes of scarlet berries which I carefully avoided. I had no idea what was a cavernous bush and what was an ordinary plant, but I was no closer to trusting the seedlings around me than I was to trust Leo with my life. 

         Now as we traveled, I ignored the stinging pain in my wrists, keeping my eyes on the large canine in front of me. I took measured breaths because I felt extremely parched, my mouth turning dry. Licking my lips, I forced myself faster, moving up to Procyon. "Hey," I said.
   The dog didn't bother a response to me. He instead continued staring ahead. This was one of the things I currently learned about Procyon. Though I knew he meant me no harm, he often ignored me and seemed distracted. It was almost as if I only became alive when I was at death in his mind.

   Dropping any trace of conversation, I took to thinking about my family as we walked together. Hearing his tail swishing side to side reminded me of how my mother's dress would sweep the floor behind her, pulling her into my mind. She was probably shaking all the maids and servants in the palace after the attack, shrieking for my location, and my father was most definitely searching every known land as well. I could easily see his face, contorted with worry as his searches came up without a trace -- empty handed.

    It was then that my heart broke into two, shattering quietly like a piece of porcelain upon marble floors. That the horrible truth was silently revealed behind a black veil. That my mother was wrong. Mistaken. Inaccurate, for she had stated it herself unknowingly. Every known land. This world was completely foreign. Poor Homam was going to feel terrible when... Oh, he probably heard everything about my absence to return by now. However, what of Draco? He had most assuredly seen me fall off the cliff. At the very least one of his men must have seen me. Were they holding a funeral for me right now? The thought chilled me to the bone.

   I ascertained that I had stopped walking, but I had not stopped by myself. A paw by my waist held me to a stop, preventing further passage as the blue eyes with the green rings studied the area.
   "What's wrong, Procyon?" I asked, confused. Looking around, I took a double take to realize we were standing in the same spot which we had traveled upon hours ago. There in the corner was the patches of berry bushes and, nearby, was the previous large stump. Its height that came up to my chest was unmistakable. "Weren't you reading the map!?"
   He considered me with a tilted head.
   I had a slight twitch in my stomach again. I felt his bewilderment. It had been odd and different than the normal feelings of Caidozians and humans. Thought I knew it at first touch, he was an animal. I normally couldn't sense any other beings than the form I was currently except crabs. However, because a human was the dog or the dog was the human, I supposed it made all the difference.
   "Gaharou!?"

   "Yes, a map, don't you people use that here!?"
    He slapped his face with his paw again, growling something in his strange voice. His barks were different than any canine I ever heard, more of a grumble than anything. However, it was easily classified as a "woof" or "arf, arf." I mentally guessed he could make the sounds whenever he wished but simply was more comfortable in this manner. 
   "Ok, that's not what you meant to say, is it? Sorry, I feel so lost without my..." I cut myself off before saying the word "powers." Why would I give a dog who lost his way in a forest any information?