The Awakening

 Shall we start with the beginning… the goddess had been splayed across one of the many silk tapestries as she observed the sea from the shore. She had been sunbathing, enjoying the air and the playful spirit as the ocean beckoned for the goddess to come. She had no resistance, her form sunk deep within its depths. The waters calming around her as they skunk into her skin, it felt like she was being lifted upwards for a split moment… until the tides had turned. They sunk her into the depths of the roaring waters, she allowed them to do as they pleased. Knowing well that they only wished to embrace their queen and who was she to deny their worship. Various animals began to cloud around the individual as she sunk deeper. Looking upwards the light would no longer touch the surface waters. Fish began to swarm, their eyes glancing to one another as they twirled around her form. Wondering if she would spite them for being too close. Amphitrite’s ocean hues would slowly close as she hit the bottom of the ocean’s flooring. The sand tickled her skin, until something strange began to happen.

 Unsure as to why she had suddenly lost the power to breath in the waters, it did not taste like the ocean that she was used to. She sputtered profusely as she kicked upwards as the darkness continued to shroud her form. What was happening… what had happened to her fins. The ocean could hear her cry one more time as it helped aid her to the surface, the water would break. Perhaps it was her imagination as her lungs could feel the water seeping into them. A strange feeling the goddess had never felt before. She felt heavier, in the water as she continued to fight for the right to live. How could her own wish to harm her… no something else was not right. Something strange was happening.

 She broke the tension of the water and soon felt her paws kick up from above her. Paws… had she always had these? Confusion settled in as the sputtering of water commenced. She had to keep herself from panicking…. But it was unhelpful when her whole life seemed to be crashing into a world she did not know. Her bright hues of the sea would lock onto an unfamiliar patch of land… but it was land. Quickly she kicked her hind legs forward. The scent of pine clouding her nose as she tried to huff her way to the shore. As she emerged from the water her own brain began to feel heavy… her muscles breaking down from the exhaustion she had to go through.

 “I-I… Where am I?” She sputtered out, as the coughing commenced. Spouts of water heaving from her lungs as the young goddess now laid herself against the forest floor. Casted against the ground she continued to take in oxygen as her gaze would look around the world, “What is happening?” She asked herself before her eyelids would droop in front of her. Exhaustion now hitting its peak as she felt her body give out. Her fur soaked as she had no more strength left in her to stand, she would nap… yes… then perhaps this was all just a strange nightmare.

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 They felt so much better after getting their stomachs filled, or mostly filled. They had felt self-conscious of their rather unkempt and matted fur. So, in the afternoon light, they had gone to bathe themselves. Their nose and forked tongue had lead them towards a lake. Once there, they had stood upon an overhanging rock and stared into the picturesque landscape. Their dull golden eyes watched every which way, on lookout for any sign of danger. The Pack or those that they'd run into near the trumpeting elks in the foggy forest. All seemed to be clear.

 They peeled away from that particular rock to find a clearer path down towards the lake. A jump would be easy enough but The Soul did not want to go into the water. They wanted to bask on the sun-warmed stones, where they would feel more recuperation, especially after their meal. The Soul would sun on the rocks, The Body would wash themselves in the water.

 With this, they would temporarily part ways while the bronze wolf bathed. A few hours later, when the sun was starting to dip onto the horizon, the wolf would exit the water. Their coat was still matted in spots but it was better than it had been before. They would shake their coat out and shortly thereafter, The Soul would retreat from the stones and then proceed to climb back up onto the wolf's body where they would coil themselves in that familiar place around their neck.

 Ah, it felt good to have their Soul back where it belonged. The wolf shivered and rippled their fur in a manner that they knew the snake would understand. I love you... The gesture was returned from the snake and they set off, walking a path around the water. They had no particular destination in mind... not until they saw a shape washed up on the shore.

 The wolf's face broke into a frown as they sped up. Was that wolf... dead? They ran faster and would come up to the wolf. Gingerly they would lower their head, the snake would lean out from their perch. Their own head above the wolf's as the tongue slithered out inches from the waterlogged wolf's face. They sniffed and then felt... breath! Alive... but for how much longer? They would attempt to nudge the other, trying to rouse them into wakefulness.

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Perhaps it was the facing of reality that made the goddess not wish to open her eyes. Perhaps it was the fact that she knew this was all just a nightmare and in order to face it she would just need to sleep it off. Of course, naturally it was the first excuse that was the truth. There Amphitrite was, holed up in the comforts of her mind. She had posed herself on the beach, her body enveloping the sad as the roaring waters of the sea would help soothe her thoughts. 

She had no intentions of awaking just yet, this seemed to be where her happiness would end. Soon enough, she knew her shroud of fantasy would come to a close as the waters stirred in front of her. They wished for their goddess home, but Amphitrite could not go to them just yet. There was a strange feeling that once she opened her eyes she would not remember the details that had happened. She would no longer understand what had happened to her. Faces had flashed in the sky as her form settled against the warmth of the sand, it was far too fast for her to comprehend but one man she knew immediately. Eyes just as stormy as the ocean itself, fairly large nose but she always got passed that, “ Poseidon.” She whispered in her sleep. 

She heard the soft call of the world that had brought her here, tugging her body to awaken. Her body and mind fighting for the right to stay in the comforts of what she knew... but she had lost. The world around her had grown black and she once more found herself in the body of a beast. Her paws tucked into her chest as she no longer smelt the ocean but pine and dirt. How strange her nose had been able to pick up on something else, it smelt different. Much like herself but... not? Her body shifted as a moan would erupt from her jowls, “ Oh gods, my head. ” She whined in her native greek tongue. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing those oceanic orbs of blues and greens. Confusion settling in fast as she looked to a long shadowed figure, at first she had thought it to be a tree branch... then it moved. 

A gasp took her as she was quick to roll away from said creature, noticing it to be a large snake, “ Asclepius!” She growled out and then she wondered why she had recalled such a name. Where was she? Upon further evaluation as she managed to get herself composed. She pushed up to her paws, quickly shaking out her pelt as if by instincts. The mud easily shaking from her damp pelt. Her head perked to the side as her ears flattened, “ Who are you!” She bellowed, demanding answers. Perhaps that is what her queen-like status had done to her, “ Where am I?” Another question rang though, slicing the air. 

She looked down to see her paws and wished not only for this to all be a dream but know exactly what she looked like. Quickly her form slid back towards the lake, looking at her reflection as she studied herself further. Had she always looked like this, something felt off about everything here. Her body whipped around to look at the biological female once more, “ Well...?” She pressed on. Keeping a fair amount of distance between her and the snake that wrapped around her neck.

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 Quickly, much too quickly for their comfort the other being rose to their paws after their eyes fluttered open. It was clear from the previous moans and the breath rising in the other's lungs that they were alive. The Whisperer had no way to tell if they were well but they had a good guess from the words and demanding nature that they were doing just fine.

 Their voice was loud, an affront onto their ears. They flinched, tail tucking neatly back to their rump, a show of their submissive nature and want to appease the other being. It made her wonder if she should run back to @Aurora instead of try to talk to the wolf. They'd run away for a bit to clean their coat to some sort of standard but they hardly cared at this point how they looked... Only that they stay safe.

 The snake moved then, to speak on their own, after the wolf pressed them, at the bellowed command of the other. "We are The Whisperer" The wolf's eyes darted this way and that, as if frantically searching for a way out while the snake would speak. "We do not know where this land is. We are sssimply... here." The hissing voice of the snake would answer honestly while they trembled at the anger of the other.

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Tagging Aurora in case traveling buddy wants to come in

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Her head had continued to pound, almost as if her brain was going to explode from within the walls it was confined in. Amphitrite would not show her discomfort, at least to the other’s knowledge. To look weak would mean that she would be an easy target and therefore the other would have a larger advantage over her if she were to attack. Her muscles ached, as if her bones were suddenly melded together. She could not remember the life she had before waking up, it was as if everything had grown into a blank slate. Strange. She was sure when she was passed out she had visions of the reality that had happened before all of this. Certainly, once she had a clear head- one that was not beating like two rams butting heads. Then she would remember what had happened to her, until then she grasped onto the name she had whispered.

Her accent rang true between the two of them, her ears flickered downwards to press against her skull. They were not speaking fast enough for her liking, she did not think the child was a mute. As the seconds ticked by perhaps that is what she was. How annoying, waking up to a stranger who could not speak. Let alone she looked far too weak to be considered a threat, strange how the snake managed to entangle around her small, starved form. She carried it as if it was just a feather against her shoulders. Her lips pressed tightly together as the frustration fluttered throughout her body. 

Finally, they spoke… well it spoke. She could not say the same for the wolf who looked utterly petrified. Perhaps she did come off a little… rough. To her defense she was rather scared of this whole ordeal. Of what had become of her, of the memories she no longer possessed. Her muscles moved underneath her coat as she stretched her paw outwards for a brief moment, “I am Amphitrite… a pleasure to meet you both.” There was no point in driving this child to tears, especially when she noticed the fright in her gaze. Placing her paw back down she walked forward, eyeing the snake in case it were to stretch out it’s jowls and swallow her whole. It seemed they were using the wolf as a vessel and they were the ones to make the small talk.

“I see, so you… yourselves, have woken up in this strange place and simply accepted it.” It was hard to believe anyone was okay with waking up in a strange place, but perhaps they had been existing longer in this world than she had. After all, she had just opened her hues to take in the unknown lands when they had discovered her, “Do you know anything about this place?” Voice now softer, less demanding and more intrigued by the answers that they would give. If they were able to give any clue as to how they managed to get here, “I unfortunately do not remember much of what had happened before I woke up… except for a name.” That was not all she was given, a greek accent also was implanted in her words.

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 Amphitrite. They nodded their head, committing the name to memory. While the snake would offered the expected pleasantries. "Likewissse..." The other wolf extended a paw and for a moment the brown wolf just stared at it, unsure of what to do as it lowered back down so that the other could walk forward. Was it some sort of pleasantry among the un-bonded wolves? They mimicked Amphitrite, extending their own paw before placing it down. Maybe it would earn them brownie points.

 Again, the wolf would nod their head in response to the other's words. There was a brief pause as the wolf would make almost imperceptible whines and hums that were answered by the snake's own soft hissing and humming noises. Then, the snake would speak. "There isss not much else that can be done." They were here for better or worse --most likely better-- and so they would just do what they could. Already it seemed to be a much freer life than they'd lived before.

 "We don't know much... It ssseems to be similar to the previous land we lived in..." They truthfully didn't know much more than that. Only that they had laid down one day, unable to get back up and then they'd woken up here. Renewed and invigorated... more or less. "We remember... everything." They shivered, eyes closing briefly as they saw the angry eyes of the pack. Them calling out their sacrilege and sins, calling for exile, calling for blood. They dug their claws into the earth before opening their eyes once again. "This place seems far away from our... old home." Was it even still a home? If they were to ever stumble upon it again, they certainly wouldn't be welcomed there.

 They didn't want to go back in any case.

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The young maiden could not help but smile as the smaller she-wolf would extend her paw in the way she had done before. Only to place it back to the ground, perhaps it was common for her to do such a thing from where she came from. Looking over to the water the sense of peace rushing through her bloodlines. Something about the calmness seemed to aid in the raging thoughts that plagued her mind. Being in a strange place did cause her to become rather antsy and it was of no use displaying her agitation out on the two of them. Them… they called themselves The Whisperer, was that a title or the actual name that belonged to both. She knew that the duo did not owe her an explanation after-all it was her that seemed to overstep the boundaries by demanding them for information they may not know. The way the wolf acted Amphitrite had an idea that she was just the vessel the snake warped around. After all it was the one who was making the decisions, speaking for the two of them. Fascinating.

The low murmurs of whines and chatter escaped from the wolf and perplexed of the situation she would tilt her head in curiosity. The snake would make their own noises before returning it’s beady eyes back to her. Amphitrite knew that the snake would be much faster in an attack, especially one so close so she maintained her distance. A snake bite would no doubt cause injury and in a forgein place as this who knew where the closest medication could be located. Herbs were not her strong suit and she knew nothing about snake bites and the poison that could be lurking in those fangs. For now they did not seem as a threat, therefore she would not treat them like they were. It was curiosity that would bestow upon the she-wolf features, wondering of their story and what had brought them here.

Amphitrite would look among the forestry as they began to speak of the place, they remembered their past it seemed. How lucky of them. Meanwhile, she could barely remember her name let alone the other images that continued to coexist in her brain. It was too fast to recall and right now she only wished to be brought back to the comforts of her mind. It seemed to be safer there, tucked away in the crevices so that she may not have to endure all the horror this world offered, “Drowning…” She whispered softly, looking to her back end, where the water would shine in the afternoon light. Shaking her head at the realization, “Did… did I die?” This time it was loud enough for the others to hear. Her eyes once more turning to the company, “When you were transported here, since you both remember everything. The last thing you both remember, what was it?” She was overstepping once more, but she needed to know. She wanted to know if her theory was correct, the spitting out of water- it did not taste like fresh water. Instead it was salty and bitter, burning the back of her throat as fear would strike her once more.

Eyes darting about, she wanted a way out perhaps if she went back into the water… Amphitrite turned and began to stalk towards the bank, “Perhaps if I drown again, I will be back to where I was.” She said to herself, the crazy train certainly left the station now. Her paws would touch the coolness of the water as she moved to grow deeper into the lake, “This will work, it has too.” Quickly her paws would drag her under, her face heading deep within the waters depth as she fought with her body to keep it under. Though what it craved was oxygen… Amphitrite tasted the freshness of the water hit into her lungs as she coughed underneath the liquid. Bubbles leaving her lips as her eyes closed, waiting for the kiss of death to bring her back home.

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 "Drowning..." The word was but a whispered breath that they did not catch. The wolf's ears would twitch forward, their eyes puzzled as they tried to listen on what was said. The second sentence was certainly easier to catch. Did they die? They appeared uncertain for such a thing almost seemed unreal, too fantastical to be true. One didn't die and come back did they?

 Had they actually died?

 They shuddered, terrified of thinking something so alien. If they had died, they figured that they would have been cast into the deepest pits of the abyss, separated and wandering alone for all of eternity. Already they wandered without The Pack, but the burden was easier to bear with Aurora. Surely this could not be hell, nor could they be being punished. So either that meant that they weren't dead or that they had died and they were just elsewhere now...

 In any case, they had no answer for the woman and the wolf simply shrugged while the snake answered the question, "We remember lying down... we had no more strength to wander on. Our paws were heavy and our stomachs were empty." They turned inwards, searching themselves. Had they just fallen asleep and woken back up... or was it more tragic than that? "We woke up here, replenished." More or less. Their bodies had still been weak but they were no longer malnourished to the point of not getting back up.

 They shuddered... they likely had died... It was not a thought that they wanted to dwell on for too long. They were alive now and were freed of many things that they'd suffered previously. Why not give the new life a good go?

 The other wolf spoke again; they caught the word "drown" or drowning? They were unsure and simply watched the other, puzzled once more. What happened next they were not expecting at all. They were trying to drown themselves!

 The wolf let out a strangled, raspy, wordless cry while the snake hissed in dismay as they charged forward. There were no words spoken as The Whisperer attempted to latch their fangs into the other's scruff, they would try to drag them back to shore. They were weakened still, never a strong wolf but they tried their best. Even the snake would attempted to wrap their coils around one of the wolf's legs as they tried to bring them back to land.

 "You don't know if dying a sssecond time will yield the same results." They spoke, trying to reason with the soaked canine that they tried to save.

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The goddess did not want to believe that she was defeated so easily, she was a strong woman. Capable of overcoming boundaries that may be set before her but this… with so little as a name that she even barely remembered. Her heart sank, deep into the trenches of her chest. Nothing felt right here... she did not feel right. There had to be an explanation as to what had happened, a logical phenomenon. She could not be killed… could she? The female looked at the other, one who did not speak. It was as if the snake and them were as one, they… they had each other at least. Amphitrite had no one. Envious. How they could remember the very last details of their lives while she remembered water. Water is what had brought her here, this much she was certain. The various memories that laid before in her head could have just been figments of her imagination. Was she dreaming? Did she need to return into the nesting ground of liquid in order to go back to where she had come from?

Unsure… but she only wished to go back. For her mind to wrap around this notion that she was dead, that the female had been plucked from her life and dumped here? She knew this place was not home, call it a gut feeling. Well, you can thank the two of them for clarifying the mishap. The snake mentioned just sleeping and then waking up, surely this was no accident if the varying souls of this place had been brought here because they had died then… this was no place for her. She should not be dead.

The way they shuddered at the rememberance, even they knew that the worst had happened. Perhaps it was for the better… they seemed to have a more tragic backstory. Given the condition of their body it seems death had done them a favor.

Amphitrite on the other hand, simply, could not accept this outcome. So, she decided to go the way she had come and that was by drowning herself. Her nostrils had flared as the water leaked into her lungs. Refusing herself the sweet release of oxygen as her eyes would close, this was for the best. This would take her back home. Memories or as she had thought before a wild imagination. She was surrounded by her husband, a bond that was born with her father’s blessing. Poseidon… a smile kept to her face under the waves. Letting herself go was the right thing, wasn’t it?

Water had turned to air as she was thrashed from the water. Teeth grazing against her hackles as they pulled her upwards. A sputtering mess as her body would react without her say, instinctively trying to save itself. How cruel. Hacking and coughing up various amounts of liquid. Her body made it to the shore and lay once more against the sandy beach. It felt like deja vu, except the sinking feeling of reality was settling in. She was stuck here. The way they proclaimed that she may never get to go back had her in the stoop. How could they possibly know… Yet, she could not argue and say their opinions were wrong. What if this was her life now?

Sorrowful eyes lept into her gaze as she wrapped herself dramatically into the coat of the other individual, “What is it that I should do? I am all alone!” She wailed.

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 They were successful in their rescue. Pulling the damsel back towards the shore. The thoroughly soaked Amphitrite begin to hack and cough and The Whisperer pondered if they were truly safe or if the water would have them anyway. Concern had taken hold in the wolf's amber gaze as they stepped forward and sniffed the wolf. Then, they were set upon. Not with fangs or claws but with the pathetic wails and sadness of the other wolf. Whisperer could not step away, nor would they. They would try to offer comfort the best way that they could by offering a pat on the other's pack with a paw. The snake would slightly loose themself from the wolf's neck so that they may place their head on the saturated wolf's. Touch was a powerful thing. One of their primary modes of communication was touch and they offered it freely now to the saddened canine in the hopes that they would be able to bring them from the depths of despair.

 What should they do? That was an answer they couldn't easily answer, each wolf was different. "You may stay with usss... if you wish." The snake offered, tongue flickering out as they hissed the words for the pair of them. The wolf would nod their head in assent as they would drape their head over the other's shoulders in a hug. "So that you may be lessss alone." They would not knock the company and they were sure that Aurora would not mind either. Theirs was a place of healing. "Our home is a place of serenity and beauty." Perhaps the beautiful purples and blues of their home would do Amphitrite's heart good.

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I don't remember the timeline of events but I'm going to play it as if she's currently with Aurora in Lapis Nestle.

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Scared… could a goddess express such a feeling? Could the female even remember the last time she had felt this useless. Without knowing who one is they simply exist without a purpose, certainly she must have some reason for existing in this world. Where she had come previously it was within the water, she was not afraid of what the depths would do to her. She knew the clear liquid would not hurt her, the reason for this feeling was there but she could not explain why she felt this way. The sputtering female had closed her green hues as she breathed into the smaller she-wolf. This was the first time she felt flesh against her skin, it felt different. She was used to feeling the warmth of smooth skin instead it had been replaced with fur. Her head would move to push further into their shoulder blades.

The other felt like bones, the way their body felt so weak against her own body. She took in a deepened breath, taking in gulps of oxygen as she hiccuped softly. Snot rolling from her nostrils as she tried her best to keep them from getting entangled in the other’s coat. The feeling of something cold would slide across her skin and she welcomed the touch. Amphitrite did not want to go through life alone… it was a scary realization that soon she would accept but for now she would enjoy this moment. This passing before her tears would leave her for soft sniffles, her gaze now focused upwards to the sky that was slowly trickling to a colorful portrait of orange and reds.

They spoke, the snake… The Whisperer promises company in place of loneliness. She did not wish to burden them with the trouble… certainly they had other plans with their life then tending to a sad woman like herself. Pushing her form back as she squeezed them tightly, her tongue moved out to gently lick the top of the snake’s head before moving to the other, “You two are too kind to a complete stranger, one who was not so friendly to begin with.” She started off, “There is a feeling in my chest that I am meant to wait for someone here. Somewhere in this forest… there is a missing piece to what can tie my thoughts together.” She felt it when she hit the water, as if it was drawing the other individual to come and grab her to bring her back to her senses. To bring her back to whomever she was sent here to find, “I-I will have to decline the generous offer.” Yes… there was no reason for her to weigh them down, “I wish to meet with you again, I promise once you depart I will not go back to drowning myself.” Amphitrite joked softly, in case they were skeptical about leaving her alone, “It is getting late, I will have to seek shelter soon.” Goodness she was tired.

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 The Whisperer would offer their warmth and their scales for as long as the other wished. Touch was a powerful thing; it could offer comfort or pain. The Whisperer would never wish any pain upon anyone and would offer only kindness to this sad stranger in hopes that it would raise their spirit. They felt the other wolf burrow into their touch and they would dip their muzzle into the other's fur and just hold them for as long as they wanted. Both the snake and the wolf.

 After their offer, the other would pull away and give them licks that would warm them both. The Soul did not smile but the Body did, a sad smile, echoing both of their feelings. They held no ill-will towards the stranger, their initial interaction was born of confusion and pain. It did not shine poorly upon the other's soul.

 The wolf would give a single understanding nod while the snake would speak. "Perhaps it is your Sssoul, you will find." That was how the pair would make sense of it. They had, fortunately, been brought here together. Else, they might have ended up just like the wolf before them. "Good." The wolf would smile again, this time it was less sad and happier when they heard the... joke? Yes, that seemed like a joke. They enjoyed those very much.

 "We look forward to meeting with you again." The snake would say as the wolf rose to their paws. The canine's head would dip down in a parting gesture before they would turn to walk away. "We wish you well and we wish you all the luck in the world." Were their final words as they disappeared back to the plains at which they'd come. Swimming here now would not seem fair, they would find another spot. Perhaps when they met up again on happier terms, they could swim together.

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