[Vida] Haunted

In her life, there were few things Vida took true pleasure in. The biggest secret was the patch of wildflowers that grew near the Spirit Rise. It was where she rested at that moment, the floral and grassy scents soothing her. She was happy. The spirits were calm. There was no madness, no lich, no necromancer that threatened to ruin her day, or anyone else's. The sky was a beautiful deep blue, the clouds sparse, the grass a lush, healthy green - but she had to re-enter her clan's village at some point in the day, just to make sure all was well.

As she pushed herself to a stand, she felt the tickle of grass blades beneath her toes and the pads of her feet. Her stare drifted from the glimmering waters to the quiet cave just outside of Frost Fang Territory, then finally to the expanse of trees leading to her clan's village. With reluctance, she started toward the village.

A disgruntled huff and growl formed in her nose and throat. There were so many faces she barely knew (if at all), let alone trusted yet. Others' faces, she couldn't even see, as if they masked themselves. She saw the starving pup, the large, flighty male, and the smaller, seemingly respectful bearded one. Names escaped her.

There was her Alpha, fair-hued and commanding. There was the Druid who had left them many times, only to come back after being told never to return. The more she looked through the village, the more frustrated she became. It seemed foreign to her; alien. Where had their former packmates gone, leaving only strangers in their wake?

At the very least, nothing was amiss.

If there were any gazes offered her way, she did not return them in kind. Instead, she padded straight to the long hall in tense silence.

By the time she was mere footsteps from the long hall's door, a voice caused her to stop in her tracks.

"Vida..."

The Garou perked up and looked around wide-eyed, more akin to a deer in an open meadow at that moment than the relatively docile, albeit temperamental wolfkin she was. The voice was familiar, but it took her several moments to understand who it was. When it finally hit her, she was confused, to say the least.

"... Fozz?" His was a voice she hadn't physically heard in nearly two decades. She'd grown so accustomed to his spirit's wolfish and playful growls and yips that she'd nearly forgotten what his voice sounded like. But how was he able to speak to her? And why now?

When the spirit materialized, it was not the spectral lupine form she'd grown used to seeing, and had been fiercely protective of, even in his afterlife. It was him in the human form she could only ever recall seeing a handful of times. Somehow, she remembered him well in this youthful state. She had grown older, as had the rest of them... but Fozz's face remained in an eternal young adulthood. Looking at him reminded her of Ludo; her heart ached.

He stood between her and the door to the long hall. Was he... blocking her? Why? Her brow furrowed and she took a few steps toward him with no sign of stopping; either he could move or she could walk right through him. She felt her eyes roll as she saw him rapidly shake his head at her.

He refused to step aside; she continued. Her steps were certain, her jaw squared. Whatever Fozz was trying to say, it needed to be done someplace quiet, where she didn't fear being questioned by those unaware of her abilities. She expected him to follow her in once she went through.

... But she was surprised to find that rather than step through Fozz, she collided with him, causing her to jolt back in surprise.

His face was more stern this time, but in a way... pleading. "Don't."

"Stop this..." She finally shoved past him, despite his unintelligible protesting. Her hand pulled the door open and he followed her in with a sense of urgency.

As Vida stepped in, she looked straight ahead. She was greeted by a being who was sickeningly familiar.

The necromancer, light in beauty and dark in energy. The elven woman merely sat in the chair facing the door, that bony mask covering her face.

Stopping abruptly, the Spirit Walker's eyes went wide. The two females looked upon each other without a single word. And as soon as she regained her senses, Vida turned on her heel, her body making an attempt to run full-speed out of the long hall.

Instead, she collided again face-first into Fozz's chest, the force causing her to ricochet back into a wooden pillar that she clumsily flailed and grasped at to keep upright. She failed, and ended up toppling to the floor with an ungraceful thud.

Growling, Fozz reached down and plucked her up under her arms, pulling her out of the long hall with him. But as soon as she regained her footing, it was Vida who took control of their pace. She dragged him along, frantic, fleeing the village.

"She'll destroy you! Get OUT of here!"

Her panicked feet dragged them both out of the village, at least for a time, until she realized with surprise that Fozz had taken the lead. He was trying to take her somewhere.

"Vida..." His voice was strained, as if he struggled with talking. "Vetis... Ludo..."

Confusion painted her face as she began to stumble to try and keep up with him. Suddenly, her grip on him was lost; his body disappeared...



... And Vida woke with a violent gasp. She was still in the flower patch. She'd never moved. There was no sign of Fozz, or anyone else. Disoriented, she looked around while the panic gradually started to wear off. She blinked several times in rapid succession. Shook her head. Grumbled.

"Just a dream..." She was certain that it was her mind playing on her insecurities and fears with unfamiliar pack members and wandering necromancers... and the way she secretly missed the two remaining Shadow Clan hunters that had left them, even if she would never openly admit to it.

Surely that was all it was.