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posted last year, edited last year
Drawing I made of Percy Poodle and Pal from Playtime with Percy. Poor boy’s traumatized.
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A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing (Lambert Wolf TF)The Red Crown bobbed up and down on Lambert’s head anxiously. “I know I know!” Lambert shouted as they finished combing down the wool on the sides of their head. It was 20 minutes until the Evening Sermon for the Cult, and Lambert had been so caught up in work they had failed to notice the time passing by. Now they had to rush getting ready and had just finished their shower. Meanwhile, the Red Crown was looking back and forth nervously, mirroring Lambert’s anxiety. As they walked out of the bathroom into their bedroom with their towel draped around their chest, Lambert found the robe that Narinder had left out for them. He was going to be occupied with re-educating some Dissenters to attend the Sermon, so Lambert was going to be preaching by themself. Lambert picked up the robe that he had left from off the bed and smiled. It was one of their favorites, sewn long ago using the finest cotton by Narinder himself as a birthday present. The brilliant robe was a mix of white and red, with a large slit skirt marked with symbols of the Cult on the front piece, an elegant long-sleeved top with a red ribbon bow and two frilly white sleeves, and two long red satin fingerless gloves. Lambert took off their towel before grabbing and putting on a pair of white cotton pants, making sure to stick their tail through the hole on the back. They then opened up a drawer to the left of their bed and pulled out two ankle guards made of cloth and decorated with small gold bells. They sat down on the edge of their bed and pulled both of the guards over their hooves, which made light jingling noises as they moved. Once they were snug, Lambert stood up and put on the satin gloves then gently pulled the Red Crown off of their head. They set the Red Crown on the bed and grabbed their robe before sliding it over their body and head. With a pop, Lambert’s head stuck through the neck hole and they pushed their arms through the sleeves. Lambert walked over to a cabinet and opened it up to grab a red sash, which they tied in a knot around their waist to secure the robe. Lambert picked up the Red Crown once more and placed it between their horns. Lambert walked up to the mirror and looked over their outfit. “Perfect. What do you think?” Lambert said to the Crown. It closed its eye and nodded in response. Lambert laughed. “I’m glad you like it. Now for the finishing touch.” Lambert headed out into the living room of their quarters and opened the closet by the front door. Inside were the various fleeces they had gathered through the years, but Lambert went with the class Red and Black Fleece they had been given when they first became a Vessel for the Red Crown. They undid the collar with its bright golden bell and hooked it around their neck while letting the fleece fan out. Lambert checked the time and saw they had 17 minutes until the Sermon was supposed to begin, so they figured they’d relax for a moment before they had to get back to work. They walked up to their bookshelf by the window and began pursuing the offerings. There were books about botany and farming (a Holy Day gift from Leshy), several tomes on interrogation and coercion tactics (Narinder’s personal favorites), a few journals Lambert had written through the years (the oldest one was nearly 400 years old by this point), but Lambert’s eyes settled on a dusty book marked with a ram’s skull on the spine. Lambert gently grabbed the book and pulled it off the shelf. They looked down at the cover and sighed. The book was one of their few possessions before they had become a Vessel, when they were still Lambert of the Suffolk. It had been a birthday present from their father and was a collection of traditional stories passed down through the generations of sheepfolk before they were purged by the Old Faith. Lambert winced from the memory, but they sat down with the book and opened to a random story. Luckily, the book happened to land on one of Lambert’s favorites, “The Sheep Who Wouldn’t be Prey” Long ago, many sheep lived together in harmony in a great field, where food and water were plentiful and the sunbathed their wool in warm rays of gold. The field was surrounded by a dark and dangerous forest, filled with predators and dangers alike, so the young sheep were forbidden from venturing beyond the field. They had no need to anyhow, as everything they needed was right where they were. That was, until one long winter came, and the sun was swallowed up by billowing grey clouds. Snow poured down from the heavens as the sheep huddled together for warmth, but the cold caused the plants to wither and the water to freeze. Soon, the sheep began to starve, and the strongest and bravest of them volunteered to search the woods for food and water. While many returned bearing gifts for the flock, many others disappeared without a trace or were found mangled and mauled by wolves. The sheep’s numbers dwindled as the long winter continued, and soon they had lost nearly half of their flock. One fateful day, a young sheep wandered into the woods on his own volition to find food for his weak mother. He had little luck finding anything in the brambles and thickets, as it had all been picked clean by the birds and deer. A dead wolf laid on the ground before him, his fur soaked with snow and ice. The lamb saw this grisly scene and came up with an idea. He crawled underneath the body of the wolf and propped it up on his back, making it look as though he and the wolf were one and the same. He walked over to the den of a deer and crouched down in the snow while keeping his distance, to make sure he couldn’t be seen. A deer walked out of the den and was startled by the “wolf” standing before her. “Oh vicious wolf. What does thou desire from me?” the deer said. The lamb spoke in a deep voice from under the body. “I would desire your flesh to fill my belly, but I will instead offer you a chance to live. Grant me a portion of your store of food, and I will let you live.” the lamb said. The deer nodded and went into the den before bringing out assorted berries and fruits. She set the meal in front of the wolf and retreated to her den while the lamb crawled out from the body and grabbed the food before storing it inside their thick wool. They then picked up the wolf’s body and continued on. The lamb repeated this trickery several times after with birds, mooses, bears, and other forest critters, gathering a store of food that was enough for both him and his mother. With his wool packed full of food, he began making his way back to the field, but that was when he ran into a pack of hungry wolves. They spotted him crawling through the snow with the wolf body on top of him and mistook him for one of their own. “Hark fellow Wolf!” called the leader of the pack. The lamb turned the body to face them, making sure to stay out of sight so as to not be devoured. “We go in search of food elsewhere, as the prey have all gone into hiding during this cold day. Would you care to join us?” the leader called to the lamb. The lamb considered turning down their offer, but he realized they might grow suspicious of him if they were to, so he instead nodded the wolf’s head. “Yes. I will join you.” he said, to which the other wolves cheered. He followed the pack while making sure to keep his distance so as to not be found out. The pack walked through the thick forest as the sun set and the snow continued to pour down. Soon, the pack smelled something in the distance that seemed to excite them, causing them to run ahead. The lamb struggled to keep up as the wolf’s body was heavy, but soon he ran into a clearing and realized what had happened. The smell the wolves had picked up was the field the sheep had lived on. They pounced on the sheepfolk and took them by surprise as the lamb could do little but watch. He ran into the group to try and dissuade the wolves from eating the sheep, but at that moment the lamb saw his mother bleating in pain as a wolf bit down into her leg. In that moment, the young lamb’s sadness turned into rage as they pounced on the wolf attacking his mother and bit into their neck with his thick teeth. The wolf howled in pain as the lamb pulled out a chunk of flesh and spat it out. The other wolves turned to look at the lamb and attacked, but the lamb was quick and easily dodged the wolves while pouncing on them whenever he got the chance. As a result of the cold and the fruit in his wool getting crushed, the body of the wolf was now stuck to his back, and the darkness made it appear that the lamb and the wolf were truly one and the same, causing confusion among the pack. They were cut down one by one by the furious lamb, until soon none of them remained. The young lamb, covered in blood and teeth dripping with flesh, turned to face the remaining sheep and saw the horror and terror in their eyes as he faced them. He tried to approach his mother and called out to her, but she backed away in fear along with the others. The lamb understood. He was no longer a peaceful sheep, but a vicious wolf, and had no place among his family any more. He lowered his head so that the head of the wolf hung in its place and walked away, leaving behind the food he had brought. Before he crossed the tree line, he gave one last look at his people and smiled, pledging to protect them even if they did not know he was there, to make sure his sacrifice was not in vain. So it is, he disappeared into the woods and the sheep never saw him again. THE END Lambert closed the book and felt the tears in their eyes. They rubbed them away as they set the book down on the table and stood up to go to the bathroom. They stumbled up to the sink and turned it on to splash water on their face. Once they had managed to soak it, they turned off the water and looked into the mirror before sobbing quietly. That story had been their favorite, but now all it did was remind Lambert of who they are now. They aren’t an innocent sheep, farming crops with their family or reading stories to their younger siblings. They were the God of Life and Death and leader of a cult, with hundreds of thousands of people looking up to them as their savior. They had spilled the blood of countless heretics and followers alike and cursed their body through dark rituals. They weren't a sheep anymore. They’re just a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Lambert of the Suffolk died with their family on that fateful day. Lambert’s spiral was interrupted by a knocking at the door. They quickly dried their eyes and cleaned up their face as the Crown looked concerned. “Coming!” they said in their best cheery voice. They opened the front door and were surprised to see Leshy there. He was dressed in his ceremonial robes with beautiful Camellia Flower decorations along his cloak, white flowers blooming in a crown on top of his head, and his eyepatch over his left eye freshly cleaned and decorated with a cult symbol. His bright brown eye shined as he saw Lambert open the door. “Hello Lambert!” he said gleefully. Lambert couldn’t help but smile. The former Bishop of Chaos, once feared for his vicious demeanor and cruel dictatorship, turned out to be a child at heart with a boundless well of energy once he got used to the cult. “I came to check up on you before the sermon. I just wanted to see if you could fit a Rite of the Harvest into tonight’s service.” he added. “We’re running a bit low on some Camellia and Beetroot, and I know Holy Day is going to be arriving soon.” “Holy Day…” Lambert said somewhat absentmindedly. The anniversary of the day Lambert was crowned. It was to be a big one, being the 375th Anniversary coming up soon. Leshy could tell something was wrong as Lambert regained their focus. “Oh! Of course we can add that to the schedule.” they said cheerfully (which Leshy could tell was somewhat forced). “Would you like to come in?” Lambert asked to save face. Leshy nodded and came inside before closing the door behind him. When he turned around, Lambert was pacing back and forth and rubbing their hands nervously. When they realized Leshy was staring at them, they abruptly stopped, turned, and smiled. “Is everything ready for the Sermon?” Lambert asked quickly. Leshy nodded slowly while narrowing his eye. “Are you okay? You’re acting kind of… strange.” he said. “What? I’m fine. Just nervous about the Sermon. Lots of people there.” Lambert said before laughing nervously. Leshy wasn’t buying it and he crossed his arms while frowning. Lambert saw the jig was up and sighed. “Right.” they said before sitting down on the couch nearby. Leshy walked over and sat down next to them. “Leshy, what was your Crowning like?” Lambert asked, which caught Leshy off guard. Leshy had been serving Lambert as the Minister of Resources for hundreds of years, yet not once had Lambert asked about his Crowning. Leshy leaned back on the couch and put his hands behind his head. “My Crowning. Well as you know, I was the last of the Bishops to be crowned, so I had perhaps the biggest ceremony. Shamura, Kallamar, Narinder, and Heket were all there in addition to their Followers and my family.” Leshy said. “Your family?” Lambert said surprised. They had never heard Leshy mention any sort of family before. Leshy nodded. “My mother and father. They were farmers like I was long ago, and they had been the ones to push for me to receive a Crown.” he explained. Lambert was speechless. They had known the Bishops had come from all walks of life before inheriting their Crowns, yet they hadn’t stopped to think about who they had been before. “What happened to them?” Lambert asked bluntly. Leshy sighed. “They passed away long ago during my tenure as Bishop. I was saddened, especially given my now immortality, but I am happy for all that they did for me.” he said. “Although, I had considered asking Narinder to resurrect them for me, but I knew it's not what they would have wanted. Besides, that was around the time when… everything happened between us,” he finished. “Right,” Lambert said. The fallout between the Bishops and Narinder as a result of Narinder unlocking the secrets of Resurrection and Immortality. The Bishops saw his methods as an abuse of power, as death can’t flow in reverse, yet he persisted and accrued great power. As a result, the Bishops confronted him, but this led to their maiming and Narinder’s banishment to The Gateway. “Sometimes, I wish I could bring back my family too. I never got a chance to say goodbye.” Lambert said. Leshy grimaced from the last sentence. “We all have things we regret. Things we did we should not have. Things left unsaid that should have been said. What does matter is that you are here, and you can carry on their legacy.” he said to Lambert. Lambert scoffed. “Legacy? What legacy? All I’ve done is follow the whims of a vengeful god before usurping him, and now I run a massive cult dedicated in MY name and sacrifice people for MY benefit,” they ranted. “My family has no legacy with me.” Leshy was taken aback by their response, but before he could respond Lambert continued. “I’m not who I was. I lost that long ago when we were all put up to the slaughter. All I am now is a god born of blood and tears. I’m no different than you all were hundreds of years ago.” they said while pointing at Leshy. Leshy wanted to say something, but the Red Crown was glowing a bright red and Lambert was on the verge of tears. “Some days I’m glad that my family was killed, because if my family saw me today, they’d think I’m just some… Monster! Beast! Fiend!” Lambert shouted hysterically. The Red Crown was bouncing up and down and seemed incredibly frantic, but Lambert had had enough. They grabbed the Crown with both hands and with a loud yell, threw it across the room into the kitchen. It hit the wall with an ethereal thump before landing softly on the ground. Leshy looked at the Crown and then back at Lambert, who now had tears streaming down their face. Lambert seemed shocked by their own actions and just stared at Leshy before suddenly their legs got all wobbly. Leshy ran over and caught them before they could fall and gently set them on the couch. “Sorry… you had to see that Leshy” Lambert said, out of breath. “I must have overexerted myself. Would you please fetch the Crown and… a glass of water?” they asked. Leshy nodded. It was best not to prod right now. He got up from the couch while Lambert sat back and grabbed their forehead. They were starting to feel nauseous and dizzy, and their robes felt red hot. Leshy walked up to the Red Crown, which had rolled against the wall and was currently looking around frantically. He gently picked up the Crown, which calmed down as he held it and looked at him with its slitted pupil. Leshy hadn’t held a Crown in so long that it felt surreal, but he snapped out of the moment and went to fetch a glass for Lambert. He opened a cabinet to grab a glass, but realised it was too tall for him. He sighed and was about to jump onto the counter to grab it, but the Red Crown floated up and wrapped itself around the glass before floating it down to Leshy.“Thanks friend.” Leshy said to the Crown, which nodded in response. He filled it up with water from the sink and went back to Lambert. They were sweating profusely by this point and tugging at their bell collar. Leshy was worried their emotional outburst had been too much for them, so he quickly gave them the glass. Lambert drank it near instantly, but halfway through the glass they coughed and had to set it down. Leshy held their back as they slipped into a coughing fit. “Hey Lambert, I think you need to cancel tonight’s Sermon. You are in pretty bad shape to…” his voice drifted off as he saw the glass of water more closely. Floating in the water and mixed with the water was Ichor, the black blood of gods. Leshy looked back at Lambert, who also saw the Ichor and was frozen in terror. From their mouth came a small line of it, which dripped down their chin and stained their robe. “Wh-wh-what’s happening to me” Lambert said terrified. “Stay right here. I’m going to get Narinder. He should be able to help.” Leshy stood up and ran to the door. He slammed it open and almost ran into a Zealot right outside. “I need you to fetch Minister Narinder right away! It's a matter of great importance!” Lehy shouted at the confused Zealot. “Right away!” he said before running off down the hallway to the staircase. Leshy went back into Lambert’s Quarters and saw them still bleeding from their mouth, but they had been bleeding onto their hands now and seemed to be frozen from shock. Leshy grabbed them by the shoulders and shook them, which seemed to snap them out of the trance. “Don’t worry Lambert. Narinder will be here soon.” Leshy reassured. Lambert looked at Leshy and coughed up a bit of blood, which got on Leshy’s face, before they scrunched their mouth. Lambert felt something was off, and they gently opened their mouth. Leshy saw it first. All of Lambert’s teeth, which normally were flat and fit for a herbivore, were all sharpened to fine points and seemed to be growing out of the gums themselves. “What’s this feeling… It's so… AAAAAHHHHH!!” Lambert hunched over as Leshy tried to support their body. They were burning hot by this point, and Leshy could swear their wool was bubbling. Sweat poured down their body as they pulled themselves up and began reaching for their collar. Leshy tried to get them to sit down, but they pulled back and he slipped and fell against the couch. Lambert was frantically scratching at their collar until they managed to undo the latch, causing the cloak to fall to the floor. Leshy recovered from his fall and saw Lambert’s neck, which caused him to freeze. Lambert’s neck, which was normally covered with a massive scar, was bleeding profusely with black Ichor and beginning to grow dark grey fur, which spread up across their face and down their neck. Leshy could see the same fur growing across their hands and legs as well while their white wool was slowly morphing its form to match the grey fur. Lambert was coughing up more ichor as they held up their hand to their face. Lambert winced as their palm darkened and bulged out into black leathery pads. Their nails elongated out of their fingertips and became razor sharp claws. Their hands started to stretch out along with their arms, causing strain on their gloves. “Leshy… I don’t… what’s…” Lambert tried to form a coherent sentence but their body was burning with pain and heat. They tried to move towards Leshy but their hooves felt like lead weights as the fur grew over them. They lost their balance and fell to the floor, the pain from the fall being dull in comparison to their current suffering. Lambert turned themselves over and looked at their hooves, where the pain was flaring up. Their two halves of each hoof began to split down the middle with a nasty crack and morph in shape, causing Lambert to yell in pain. The hooves morphed into inky black paws that grew large claws and began to grow. Lambert’s face felt like it was melting as their snout stretched out. They managed to open their eyes through the pain and saw their nose darkening and becoming more akin to a dog’s. Their horns began to stretch out further and curl at the top as the pain flared up and the fur around their face grew thicker, forcing them to close their eyes once more. Behind them, their tail stretched out from their backside and poofed out. Lambert’s face finally stabilised, but the Ichor continued to flow as their body began to bulge out. “Lambert!” Leshy shouted as he ran over to help his leader. Lambert continued to groan as they felt their gloves burst open across their palms from their growing mass. Small tears appeared along their robes as they started to get bigger. Their former hooves strained and stretched against the ankle guards until they snapped off, causing the bells to emit one last chime before they hit the floor. Lambert dug their fingers into the floor and left behind scratch marks as their wrist tore through their gloves and began to squeeze against their sleeves. Leshy kneeled down next to them and tried to come up with a solution when he felt the Red Crown trying to release itself from his grip. “Lambert! You need your Crown back! You’re losing control of your powers without it!” Leshy shouted. He began moving the Crown towards Lambert’s head, but Lambert snarled and knocked Leshy away with their arm. Leshy and the Crown were both knocked into the nearby wall and fell to the floor. Lambert was shocked and tried to reach out to help Leshy, but the pain returned and they yelped as they felt their pants beginning to rip at the seams. Muscle mass grew underneath their skin and they felt their shoulders rip through their robes. The ribbon around their neck was getting tight, so Lambert grabbed it with their left hand and yanked it off, taking with it a glob of ichor which splashed against the floor. Leshy groaned as he got up and grabbed the Crown. He looked over to Lambert and saw them trying to pull themself up to their knees as their back tore through their robe with a loud rip. Their wool, now changed into a mass of white fur, was covered in ichor and bulged out as they pushed their body up with their now massive arms. Their legs continued to grow, causing their calves to rip through their pants. Lambert locked eyes with Leshy. “Please… get away..” was all they managed to get out before they vomited out more ichor and hunched over. Leshy stood up with the Crown and slowly approached to try and put it back on, but Lambert suddenly lifted up and sat on their knees as their body curled up. They bared their teeth and growled as their sash around their waist snapped, sending it to the other side of the room. Their stomach and chest continued to expand and put strain on their robes as the button on their pants popped off. The bottom part of their sleeves ripped off entirely, leaving their arms bare and revealing the presence of several runic symbols glowing and appearing along their arms. Lambert felt like they were being squeezed by their robes. Their body pressed against the fine cotton and fought against the seams, creating rips and tears along the stomach. Lambert clawed and scratched at their tattered attire, spreading more ichor on their body and clothes alike. Suddenly, the pain erupted out of their chest as Lambert froze in place and felt their body quivering. They held their body with both their arms and could feel their claws digging into their flesh. Then, with a loud and horrible screech, Lambert felt their body erupt. Their robe split down the middle with a mighty tear and their waist burst through, separating the skirt and top and revealing their ichor drenched stomach. Their pants tore up to their thighs from the force and their arms grew layers upon layers of muscle. Lambert felt the pain dissipate and their changes cease, but their vision swam with red and black as they wheezed and tried to catch their breath. They looked around the room and saw Leshy, who was frozen in fear against the wall. Lambert felt their blood boil and began growling. Why are you here? Leave me alone! They stood up and began creeping towards Leshy, who pressed themselves into the wall. “Lambert?” Leshy asked with fear in his voice. “What are you-” He didn’t get a chance to finish as Lambert raised up their claws and slashed at Leshy. He ducked and felt the wall behind him crack and shatter from the blow, leaving behind a hole where his head would have been two seconds earlier. Leshy saw the uncontrolled rage and anger in Lambert’s eyes as they removed their hand from the wall and turned to face him. For a brief moment, they both stood their ground as the Red Crown quivered in Leshy’s hands. Leshy eyed the front door to Lambert’s quarters. He had one chance at this. Lambert snarled once more and hunched over before lunging towards Leshy. Leshy ducked, causing Lambert to run into the wall with a loud thunk, and he ran to the front door and threw it open before stepping out into the hallway and closing the door. Leshy breathed a sigh of relief and heard distant footsteps. He turned to the stairway at the end of the hall and saw two Zealots running up the stairs with their weapons drawn. “What is all of the commotion? We heard some yelling.” said one of the Zealots. Leshy pointed towards the door, where they could all hear crashing and banging. “Something’s really wrong with Lambert. Do you know if Narinder is-” Leshy was interrupted by the door flying off of its hinges and slamming into the opposite wall. He slowly turned behind him to see large grey claws grip the door frame before Lambert pulled themselves through the doorway. Their eyes sparked with a bright red energy as they eyed the Zealots, who were shaking as they pointed their weapons at them. “H-halt!” one of them said with fear in his voice. Lambert did not care and charged towards both of them with ichor dripping from their mouth. They knocked one of the Zealots to the floor and stomped on their chest with their left paw, knocking the wind out of their lungs and causing them to pass out. The other Zealot swung their swordspear at Lambert, but they caught the handle of the spear and glared at the Zealot before snapping it in half. The Zealot drew their dagger and prepared to stab with it, but Lambert was faster and pinned them to the wall by the neck. They began squeezing, causing the Zealot to desperately gasp for air, but Leshy had managed to grab the top of the sword spear and stabbed it into Lambert’s side. Lambert let out a loud yelp and dropped the Zealot as they turned to see the blade in their side and Leshy backing away. They pulled the blade out, taking with it a large amount of ichor, before snarling at Leshy and beginning to run towards him on all fours. Leshy ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction and reached the staircase. As he began to descend, Lambert caught up to him and tackled him down the stairs. They both fell down the stairs and rolled down the steps before finally coming to rest at the bottom. Leshy was bruised from the fall, but he had managed to keep a grip on the Red Crown and stood up before Lambert could recover. He began running down the halfway at the bottom of the stairs and burst through the set of double doors at the end of the hall, taking him out of the private area into the main area of the Chapel. Gathered inside were thousands of Followers preparing for the Evening Sermon, all seated at pew chairs. When they saw Leshy carrying the Red Crown, they were initially confused, but they grew worried when they saw the ichor and bruises on Leshy. “Everyone needs to evacuate the Chapel right now!” he shouted to the crowd, causing them to go silent. Questions drifted up from the crowd as Leshy prepared to explain, but then a loud crash came from behind and Leshy turned around to see Lambert pouncing towards them. He was slammed to the floor by their massive hands and could feel their breath on their face, which smelled like burnt ichor. Leshy opened his eye to see Lambert snarling at his face as he heard the Followers screaming in the background and running away. Leshy tried desperately to grab the Red Crown and change its form into a weapon, but the Crown was stuck under his body. “Lambert…please…” he sputtered out as Lambert prepared to chomp down on his face, but a large figure tackled Lambert off of Leshy and knocked them to the floor with a solid punch. Leshy gasped for air as he pulled himself up to get a good look at the figure. They were very tall, easily as tall as Lambert was currently, and wearing a large set of robes decorated with the sigils of Anura. The figure was wearing their hood, but Leshy could recognize their large orange amphibian tail, bandaged webbed hands, and large scarf-like bandage around their neck. “Heket!” Leshy called out. She turned around to face Leshy and picked him up easily with one hand. Her lower jaw was sewn together down the middle right above her bandage, while on top of her head were several tall black branches that grew from her skin. Her eyes were narrowed at Leshy as she looked back over at Lambert, who was still recovering from the blow. “What is wrong with them?” she asked in her quiet, hoarse voice. Leshy picked up the Red Crown from the ground. “They lost control of their divine energy and turned into…that.” he said as he began moving towards them. “I think if I give them the Crown they’ll return to normal.” The mere mention of the Crown caused Lambert to quickly pull themselves up from the floor and glare at Leshy. Leshy backed away as Heket stood between them. She cracked her knuckles and prepared for a fight, but Lambert was not in the mood for one-on-one combat. Instead, the large runic symbols on their arms began glowing, causing Heket and Leshy both to back up. Lambert let out a loud roar as a burst of divine energy exploded out of their body, knocking Leshy and Heket into the pews from the force. Lambert saw a chance to escape and ran away in the opposite direction before crashing through a large stained glass window. They just ran to get as far away from the Cult as possible, and soon disappeared into the woods. Leshy and Heket pulled themselves up from the pews as Followers slowly poured in. Leshy grabbed the Red Crown, which had flown into the floor, and looked towards the large broken window. “Don't worry Lambert. We’ll find you and bring you home.” Leshy said.A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing Pt. 2“Lambert did what!!?!!?” Narinder was not in a good mood. He had spent the last few hours listening to Dissenters insult him and The Lamb while he futility tried to make them see reason, but now he was standing in his damaged home surrounded by Leshy, Heket, and some Zealots while his spouse had apparently turned into some wolf beast and was currently running through the woods of Darkwood and probably attacking everything in sight. “It was exactly as I remembered it. The ichor leaking from their body. The energy radiating off of them. Their eyes.” Leshy recounted as he got treated for his bruises and scrapes by Heket. “Narinder, they turned into their Eldritch Form.” Narinder let out a heavy sigh. The Eldritch Form was a powerful technique Crownbearers could use as a last-ditch effort to survive. It involved pooling all of the Devotion gathered from their Followers into their body in order to greatly boost their strength and power at the cost of putting them into a berserk state. After around an hour, their Crown would release all of the pent-up energy and return them to normal, but they would be left drained for hours after. Without their Crown, Lambert risked dying from exhaustion if they didn’t find them in time. “But why a wolf? When we assumed our Eldritch Forms, it was always just an extension of what we already were. I’ve never heard of someone changing their complete form during the transformation.” Narinder questioned. Leshy shrugged while Heket shook her head. He turned back around to observe the damage in the room. The table had been flipped over, the couch and walls were scratched up, the door had been thrown off its hinges, and ichor and scraps of clothing were all over the floor. Narinder picked up one of the ichor coated scraps and realized it was his birthday gift to Lambert. He gently rubbed the fine red engravings that were coated in ichor. I’ll have to get this repaired. Assuming I can find the rest of it. Narinder felt a chilling sensation and looked down. His left paw was stepping on some ichor. He lifted it up and shook the black goo off, but that is when he saw the book. It was partially covered by the ichor, but Narinder recognized it almost immediately. He pulled it out of the gunk and shook off the excess, revealing the book of stories from Lambert’s late father. It was still open to the story Lambert had been reading, one which Narinder recognized as their favorite. He quickly pursued through the story and understanding dawned on him as he closed the book. “Oh Lambert.” he said to himself. He set the book down on the counter and turned to face the Zealots and his siblings. “We need to focus on finding them as soon as we can. Before they hurt themselves or others.” Narinder stated. “Grab your weapons and robes. We’ll leave at sunset for Darkwood.” They all nodded in unison and hurried down the hall as Narinder opened up his closet. He pulled out his Crusade Cloak, a thick dark black robe with red embellishments. As he slipped it over his red shirt and tan pants he made sure to clip the golden skull clasp together along with tying a crimson sash around his waist. He pulled his hood over his head and slipped his ears through the slots on top before putting on his black leather gloves and ankle guards. Once his outfit was ready, he retrieved his weapon of choice from the wall. It was a large black scythe with a shining metal blade and a sigil of the Red Crown built into the handle. He slung it over his back with the attached leather belt and made sure it was secure before heading towards the broken doorway. Just before he left, he saw the cloak Lambert had been planning to wear but had apparently thrown off during their transformation. It was their original Fleece from when Narinder had first given them the Red Crown. He carefully picked it up before folding it and tucking it inside of his robes. Narinder stepped out into the halls of the Chapel, where many Followers were whispering and gossiping with each other. He was joined by two Zealots, both of whom wielded swords spears, and they travelled through the hallway and down the staircase back into the main Chapel. The Followers made way as he pushed open the main doorway and stepped out into the large rotunda in front of the Chapel. At the base of the large fountain, decorated with images of the Lamb and symbols of the Cult, was a Stone of Travel. He and the two Zealot stepped onto the Stone before Narinder pressed the symbol of Darkwood, which was a green diamond. The Stone turned a bright green and caused Narinder and the Zealots to lift up before sending them through the portal. A moment later, Narinder and the Zealots arrived at the heart of Darkwood, which was dominated by massive trees that pulsed with ancient energy. Many farmers and missionaries were walking by as Narinder stepped off the Stone and began looking for familiar faces in the crowd. “Narinder!” a familiar voice called out. Narinder turned and saw Leshy and Heket standing together along with 8 other Zealots, who were armed with greatswords and great axes respectively and dressed in dark black and crimson robes with hoods. Leshy was dressed up in his crusading attire, which consisted of padded leather pants, a thick grassy cloak covered in flowers over a dark grey sweater, and two large and menacing grassy gauntlets labelled with the symbols of the Green Crown. Heket stood over the crowd and wore large brown trousers, white bandage wraps around her hands and feet, a large red and white blouse decorated with symbols of Anura, and a woven cloak of deep brown cloth over her body just under her bandages. Slung over her back was a massive double-ended hammer marked with symbols of the Yellow Crown and with a few mushrooms growing out of its top. She greeted Narinder with a wave as he and his two Zealots joined up with the group. “We checked in with Kallamar and Shamura and the Followers to see if Lambert had wandered into their domains, but they hadn’t seen them enter or leave.” Leshy explained. “They didn’t enter Anura either. I didn’t hear anything from the Followers there” Heket said. “Meaning they must be somewhere in these woods.” “Alright. We’ll ask around then and see if anyone has heard about-” “-a large wolf beast tearing up my farm plots?” interjected a voice. Narinder turned to see who interrupted him. It was a fox wearing a wide brimmed straw hat, a set of overalls over a white shirt, and brown cloth gloves on his hands. He looked agitated as he stood with his arms crossed as Narinder approached him. “You said something like that was tearing up your fields?” Narinder asked. The farmer nodded. “Scared my chickens and dogs alike. It came barreling through the woods and starting tearing up my wheat field. I came out to chase it off, but it was a lot bigger than I expected. It started chasing me, so I ran and barricaded myself inside as it almost threw my door off its hinges. It left soon after.” He explained, before narrowing his eyes. “Come to think of it, that beast looked a bit familiar.” Narinder nodded at the farmer before he turned to face everyone else. “So we know they're here. Leshy! Do you have the Crown?” he asked. Leshy nodded and pulled it out of a satchel on his side. The Red Crown woke up and observed the surrounding group before staring at Narinder. As it looked eyes, Narinder could feel a powerful presence enter his mind. WHERE IS THE LAMB? “They are somewhere around these woods. Aren’t you able to feel their energy?” Narinder asked the Crown. I CANNOT. THE ENERGY THEY ARE RADIATING IS OVERWHELMING. I CAN FEEL IT ALL AROUND US, BUT I CANNOT ISOLATE IT. “Great.” Narinder said. “The Crown can’t find them. We’ll have to just start looking. If you see them, set off a Cleansing Fire.” he said. The Zealots nodded and pulled out their Curse Cards, which shimmered with magical energy and were marked with symbols of fire. “We’ll join you brother.” Heket said as Leshy grabbed the Red Crown and put it back in his satchel. They both began trailing behind Narinder as the group broke up and wandered into the woods. The sun had fully set by this point, and the whole of Darkwood was bathed in the gentle glow of a full moon. The leaves and grass rustled and cracked under Narinder’s paws as he, Leshy, and Heket continued onward. “...Narinder? Did you ever have regrets about letting Lambert take your place?” Leshy asked out of the blue. Heket gave a disapproving glare (she loathed any mention of their final years as Bishops or Lambert’s first years as the God of Death), but Narinder raised a hand to tell her it was alright. “Why do you ask Leshy? It was fated that they would be the final bearer of the Red Crown. They were fated to best me in battle and take my place” he explained. Leshy cocked his head. “I suppose I should rephrase that. Why did you never resist or try to reclaim your throne after joining their flock?” Leshy said. Narinder sighed as he continued onward through the woods. “I did. Many times, I turned away Lambert or any aid they were offering me. I had been reduced from a mighty god to a mere mortal overnight. My body was broken, and my hatred of that Lamb was fresh, yet they still continued to help me. They nursed me back to health and brought me into the fold like I was just another Follower. I learned how to live again after an eon on being trapped in The Gateway, and they were there to help me. By the time I was healthy enough to stand against them, the desire had long left my body.” he explained. “Lambert… they saw something in me that I thought was long gone.” Leshy and Heket walked up to join Narinder. “I remember my first day after they pulled me out of Purgatory. I was vile to them and their Followers and wanted nothing more than to kill them, but they did not hold that same hatred I first felt when they slew me the first time. All I felt was… pity from them.” Leshy revealed. “They didn’t bring me or any of us back out of malice or revenge.” “They brought us back to give us a second chance.” Heket interjected. “I have many regrets… about how things ended between us the first time. If we had reached out earlier, or perhaps heard your reasons brother, we would not have been fractured the way we were.” Narinder shook his head. “You and the others bear no fault for what happened. I was a fool. My ambitions consumed me, and it cost me my freedom, and all of you something dear” he said, gesturing to Leshy’s eyepatch and Heket’s bandage. “When Lambert brought you all back from the grave, it was their way of giving us all a second chance. To forgive, and to rebuild what was lost.” he stopped as he looked up at the sky. “I suppose that’s why I could never bring myself to raise my hand against them. I owe much more than I will ever be able to repay, and they… are more than just my savior.” “They always were, and forever will be, my better half.” Narinder said. Leshy and Heket were silent as Narinder stood there, contemplating his role in Lambert’s ascension, when they heard a loud bang in the distance. They looked to the right into the sky and saw a large trio of fireballs fly into the sky before exploding, bathing the forest in a bright red-orange glow. THEY FOUND THEM The Red Crown began quivering in Leshy’s bag. “Come on. We gotta catch up with them.” Leshy said before charging forward towards the source of the signal. Heket and Narinder followed close behind as they ran off the path and through the woods. Distant sounds of fighting and shouting grew closer as Leshy carved a path through the foliage using his gauntlets. Soon, they burst out of the woods into a large clearing and beheld the chaos around them. The Zealots were occupied with fighting Lambert, who was not going to go quietly. Eight of the Zealots had already been killed and were limp against the ground, but the remaining 2 kept up the offensive against their leader. Lambert grabbed one of them by the neck and slammed them into the floor, which knocked the wind out of their lungs and made them drop their greatsword. Another Zealot jumped up and buried their greataxe in Lambert’s back, causing them to screech. They turned around and grabbed the Zealot by the arm before biting them in the neck. The Zealot went limp as Lambert tossed them away and pulled the greataxe out of their back. Before the Zealot on the ground could recover, Lambert lifted up and buried the axe in their chest, causing them to cough before they went still. Lambert turned around to see Leshy emerge from the treeline with Narinder and Heket. Why are you here Narinder? Go away! Don’t look at me! Just leave me alone! Lambert narrowed their eyes before hoisting up the greataxe from the Zealot’s corpse and tossing it towards the group. Leshy crouched under the flying axe while Heket leaped up above it and Narinder simply sidestepped it, causing the axe to nail itself into a large tree. Narinder pulled his scythe off his back and held it at the ready. Heket landed next to him with a loud thump and raised up her hammer and Leshy stood up next to them and held his gauntlets up. Lambert stared at them, their eyes burning with crimson energy and their snarling teeth bleeding ichor. Their robes were torn to pieces and barely clung to their body while their fur was matted with mud, blood, and plants. “Lambert! A leader needs their Crown.” Narinder said in a stern, commanding tone. “You can either put it back on willingly,” he said, before flourishing his scythe and letting the blade shine in the moonlight. “...or I’ll make you put it back on.” Lambert already knew their choice. They let out a horrible sound, which was between a roar and a bleat, before they began charging towards Narinder on all fours. Narinder held up his scythe and braced himself as Lambert leaped towards him with their massive claws facing him. He stepped back, causing Lambert to stumble on the floor, before swinging his scythe downwards. Lambert was quick to recover, and dodged the scythe easily before the runic tattoos on their arms began glowing. Before Narinder could react, Lambert fired a large blast of flaming energy, which hit Narinder squarely in the chest and knocked him against a tree. As he recovered, Lambert attempted to slash at his face, but Leshy intervened and blocked the blow with his gauntlets. He grabbed onto Lambert’s arm before planting his feet and lifting, causing Lambert to flip over and slam into a tree. Narinder got back up and saw Heket charge towards Lambert with her hammer at her side. Before Lambert could recover, Heket swung the hammer into their stomach, causing the tree to fall over and making Lambert spit out a glob of ichor. As Lambert was against the tree, Narinder dashed over and buried his scythe into their shoulder, causing them to yell. He saw the tattoos lighting up again, so this time he pulled out a Cleaning Fire Curse and shoved it into Lambert’s maw. The card lit up before igniting and exploding, stunning Lambert as smoke poured out from their mouth. “Now Leshy!” Narinder shouted. Leshy ran over and pulled out the Crown before holding it against Lambert’s head. The Red Crown glowed brightly as it began to syphon the Devotion out of Lambert, but Lambert screamed and spat out a large steaming blob of ichor at Leshy. He sidestepped it, but some got caught on his fingers and seared his leaves, causing him to wince and drop the Red Crown. Lambert grabbed Narinder’s scythe and yanked it out of their shoulder while Narinder tried to grab it by the handle. By the time Narinder realized his mistake, it was too late. Lambert threw the scythe into the air and Narinder along with it. He hit a branch from a tree and fell to the forest floor, which knocked the air out of his lungs. His scythe got caught in the treeline and was stuck out of reach. Leshy attempted to place the Crown back against Lambert’s head, but they got up from the tree and slashed towards Leshy, forcing him to block and step back. Heket slammed her hammer into Lambert’s right arm, causing a nasty crack and Lambert to screech. Heket stepped back next to Leshy and saw that Lambert’s right arm was now limp against their body and bleeding ichor from the wound. The tattoos began glowing again and Lambert roared as a massive crack formed along the ground towards the duo. Out of the cracks emerged lost spirits, who flew towards Heket and Leshy and exploded in a burst of haunted energy. Leshy flew back from the blast and landed against the tree line on the opposite side of the clearing while Heket slid against the ground but used her hammer to keep from moving far. She snarled and dragged her hammer against the grass before raising it up to slam it down on Lambert’s skull. Lambert was prepared this time, and used their good arm to grab the handle of the hammer. Before Heket could react, Lambert spat a glob of burning ichor onto her chest, causing her to yell. Lambert yanked the hammer out of her hand and tossed it away before grabbing her by the neck and beginning to choke her out. She gasped for breath as Lambert began squeezing tighter, causing ichor to leak from her bandages. Suddenly, Leshy appeared and bit hard into Lambert’s arm with his rows of teeth. Lambert snarled and let go of Heket while trying to shake Leshy off, which gave Heket a chance to recover and grab onto Lambert’s neck with her elbow. Lambert began charging up their energy once more, but Narinder dashed towards them from the woods and pulled out his dagger before burying it into Lambert’s backside. Lambert was forced to take a knee as Heket held them in place and Leshy began reaching for the Red Crown once more. As the Red Crown was placed on Lambert’s head and began syphoning more energy, Narinder became aware of a loud whining noise. He looked down and saw the ground around Lambert was glowing with crimson energy, as their hand was planted in the ground. “GET BA-” He didn’t get a chance to finish as the ground erupted underneath them, launching them all away from Lambert and sending the Red Crown flying off into the distance. Narinder’s vision was blurry as he looked up from the ground and saw Leshy and Heket, who were both unconscious besides him. He turned back towards Lambert and saw them standing in the middle of the crater. They began slowly walking towards Narinder, their body bleeding ichor and their paws creating heavy footfalls as they approached. Narinder pulled out his dagger and managed to get up. He looked around for the Red Crown and saw it sitting on a nearby pathway, where its eye was looking around frantically. Narinder spat out some ichor and prepared to fight as Lambert approached, but that was when they both became aware of distant whispering. They both turned to look at the source of the noise and saw a distant figure emerging from the treeline. They whispered and mumbled to themselves as Narinder could make out the large purple cloak they were wearing. It was covered in cobwebs and cloaked their entire body, save for their head, which was covered in a large metal helmet. From the sides of the helmet protruded six curved claws and four black cross shaped branches. Narinder could see their four piercing red eyes shining from under the helmet and their large, fanged mouth, which was currently murmuring and muttering to themself. “Shamura.” Narinder said, a smile creeping onto his face. Shamura stopped their muttering and nodded at Narinder before turning to face Lambert. “Young god, cease this frantic scurrying and bloodshed. Your duties lie elsewhere, and your people call for their leader.” Shamura said, their tone dead serious. Lambert snarled and began running towards Shamura, who stood there and watched. Then, as Lambert was about to bury their claws into Shamura’s body, a flash of steel lit up the night and Lambert was knocked away. They slammed into the floor with a nasty gash on their stomach and looked up to see Shamura holding a massive double bladed greataxe, which was coated in web patterns and marked with the sigil of the Purple Crown. Shamura was wearing a heavy set of armor underneath their cloak, which covered their chest, arms, and legs while leaving an opening for their claws. Shamura held the axe close and wiped off some of the ichor with their arm before flourishing it and slowly walking towards Lambert. “Very well. Let us commence this dance once more.” they said, a hint of glee in their voice. Lambert roared and charged up before firing five projectiles of dark energy at Shamura. Shamura slashed at the orbs and dodged with ease, continuing their pace as they got closer to Lambert. Once they got close enough, Lambert began rapidly slashing at Shamura, but they kept blocking the blows with their axe as Narinder watched in awe. Lambert grabbed the handle of the axe and attempted to yank it out of Shamura’s hands, but Shamura narrowed their eyes and allowed two additional arms to emerge from their sides, which dug into the wound on Lambert’s chest with their claws. Lambert let go and tried to cling to their gaping wound to stop the bleeding as Shamura held the axe in all four of their arms and began spinning it around. Lambert could only watch as Shamura leaped up and held the axe high in the sky before bringing it down on Lambert’s shoulder, burying it deep and causing Lambert to let out a cry of fear. Shamura yanked the axe out of their shoulder as Lambert, who was whimpering now, began backing up. Shamura simply watched as Lambert backed into the woods before running away, leaving the clearing in dead silence. Shamura turned to face Narinder. “They are weak enough now to see reason.” Shamura said before signaling into the woods. A group of Followers emerged from the treeline accompanied by Kallamar, who was garbed in his fancy blue cloth robes with white fur trimmings and gold embellishments along its surface. He was carrying a large wooden box full of Carmilla Flowers and various vials of medicine, which he brought over to Leshy and Heket. “He’ll make sure they are alright.” Shamura said to Narinder, before gesturing to a nearby Follower. They brought over the Red Crown, which was much calmer now that Shamura was here, and gave it to Narinder. “Go. Show The Lamb what they need to see.” Shamura said to Narinder before walking off to tend to Leshy and Heket. Narinder nodded and looked down at the Red Crown, which regarded him with respect, before turning and following the trail of ichor left behind by Lambert. The woods were silent as Narinder hurried through the thickets and bushes and made sure to keep an eye out for the ichor trail. He soon arrived in a large vista that overlooked the sea, and saw Lambert hunched over at the edge of the abyss. Narinder slowly crept towards them and sheathed his knife. Lambert’s ears perked up as they turned around to see Narinder. They snarled and attempted to turn around to face him, but their pain flared up and they yelped before collapsing to the ground. Narinder crept closer as they desperately tried to get up, but their pain was too much and they were exhausted from their battle. Instead, they laid there and watched Narinder with fear as he approached. “Lambert. You know this isn’t right. You need the Red Crown, or you’ll surely perish.” Narinder said sternly. Lambert let out a wheeze and tried once more to get up, but couldn’t work up the energy. They were so tired, and in so much pain, and the anguish they were feeling was too much. “...Just… let… me…” Lambert managed to get out. Narinder grimaced before he stared at Lambert with anger in his eyes. “NO! You do not get to just give up after all you’ve done for us! For me!” he shouted, causing Lambert to remain still. “Gods. How can such a merciful soul fail to see what deserves saving in themself.” he said bluntly. “Don’t you get it? You think you have nothing, that your family was lost long ago? That YOU were lost long ago? You think you’re some monster who deserves to die in a ditch? Do you!?” Narinder said, tears starting to form in his eyes. Lambert couldn’t respond as Narinder continued. “Well guess what, you ignorant fool. You are blind to how much you have earned. How much you have saved. How much you matter to your people. To the Bishops. To me.” he said softly. “You have so much more than you know, which you have clawed and scratched and fought to build up from rock bottom. You aren’t a monster. You aren’t a beast. You aren’t a fiend. You are the God of Life and Death. You are Lambert of the Suffolk. Most importantly,” he said, as he crouched down next to Lambert. Before they could react, Narinder lifted up their head, tears flowing from his eyes, and brought them in for a kiss. Lambert’s whole world fell away as Narinder closed their eyes and Lambert followed suit, feeling tears well up in their eyes as well. Lambert felt the Red Crown be placed upon their brow and could feel the Devotion leave their body as the Crown began repairing their wounds. They felt their body shrink, their fur return to wool, their teeth become flat once more, and their horns shrink back to their normal size. Lambert finally opened their eyes as Narinder backed up and saw that Lambert had returned to normal and their wounds were healed. “You are still my damned Lamb” Narinder finished. “Until the end of days.” Lambert sobbed and let the tears flow before embracing Narinder and burying their face in his shoulder. He held them close and did the same, feeling their warmth and their heartbeat in their chest. Narinder and Lambert sat there for a time, just sobbing quietly to each other as the moon watched from on high. After a moment, Lambert sniffled and pulled back from the hug, causing Narinder to let go. They rubbed their eyes and looked down to see their body. It was still covered in ichor, mud, and blood and their robes had been reduced to tatters, with the only remaining being part of their pants, the top half of their robe, and a torn-up skirt. Without their collar, Narinder could see the large scar on their neck, from when they had first met their end. Lambert felt themselves blush as they tried futility to cover up their exposed body with their arms, but Narinder laughed and pulled out Lambert’s cloak from under his robes. “Here. A leader needs their fleece.” he said. Lambert took it and snapped the collar around their neck, covering the top of their body with the familiar red and white cloak. The bell around their neck jingled as they tried to take a step, but their legs felt like jelly, and they almost fell over. Narinder grabbed them by the shoulders to keep them from falling before sighing and picking them up. He held them out in front of him as he walked through the vista back to the woods. Lambert couldn’t help but giggle. “My hero.” they said, to which Narinder smiled as they both entered the treeline and headed back to the Cult. They arrived back at the clearing to see the Zealots were getting revived by Kallamar and his doctors. Leshy and Heket were both getting their wounds and scrapes tended to when they both spotted Narinder and Lambert emerge from the treeline. Leshy and Heket both stood up, which caused the doctors to panic, but they couldn’t be stopped as they both ran over to Narinder. Kallamar and Shamura spotted them run over and followed close behind. “Hey everyon-” Lambert started before being interrupted by Leshy hugging them in Narinder’s arms. Heket, Kallamar, and Shamura followed suit and they held each other close, which caused Narinder to groan as he was crushed between his siblings. “We thought we lost you.” Leshy said. “We’re glad you’re okay.” Heket added. “You’re our leader. We would never let you have died like that.” Kallamar explained. “You have a duty, and it is our job to help you uphold it.” Shamura stated. “For all that you’ve done for us.” Narinder concluded. Lambert laughed weakly. “Stop it. You’re going to make me cry again.” they said. They all laughed as Lambert felt their exhaustion catch up with them and began nodding their head. They yawned and closed their eyes before leaning into Narinder’s shoulder. Before Narinder could say anything, Lambert was snoring softly on his shoulder. “Well brother, it looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you,” Kallamar said. Narinder let out a heavy sigh before hoisting Lambert over his shoulder and turning towards the path back to the Stone of Travel. As he started moving, a procession of Followers gathered around him alongside his siblings and followed him while discussing the events of the night amongst themselves. Narinder had tuned them out, and instead just listened to the soft breathing of Lambert and felt their heartbeat through his robe. Sometime later… Narinder walked into his home and was surprised to see it had already been repaired. The door was back on the hinges and the table and walls had been replaced. The ichor had already evaporated from the floor, and on the counter was still Lambert’s book, which was now restored now that the ichor had gone away. He gently closed the door behind him and brought Lambert into the bathroom, where he turned on the bathtub and poured in some hot water. As they were still asleep, he gently undressed them so as to not wake them up and set the Red Crown on the counter nearby, where it watched Narinder work in silence. He bathed Lambert and washed all of the gunk and mud out of their fur before drying them off and sliding a large white nightgown over their head. Once they were dressed, he laid them down to rest before setting the Red Crown beside them as they continued to sleep soundly. Narinder blew out the candle nearby and closed the door on the bathroom to clean himself up. After a nice long shower and tending to his bruises, Narinder stepped out of the bathroom and just put on some pants before laying down in bed next to Lambert. He drew the covers over both of them and held them close as he tried to get some rest. “...Narinder?” Lambert said quietly from under the covers. Narinder looked down to see Lambert looking at him, their face against the pillow and their eyes shining in the moonlight from the window. “Sorry. Did I wake you.” he asked, to which Lambert shook their head. “No. I just wanted to say… Thank you. So much. For all that you’ve done for me.” they said. Narinder wrapped his arm around them and drew them in close before gently kissing their forehead. “Of course. You are my savior after all.” was all he said. They both drifted off to sleep, embraced in each other's arms, as the moon watched from on high. THE END