Marcie regretted ever thinking that these two were remotely okay. Because they weren't. At all. Why?

First, Feris. This dude was a werewolf to begin with. Albeit an allegedly seemingly harmless one (his combat skills were average— still too low to be a threat), he was a horrible explorer. He couldn't use a map for his life. And he was so, horribly, stupidly oblivious at everything! He had no knowledge about the forest at all!

"I'm kind of hungry." Feris frowned. "But I found some of these mushrooms— as long as we boil them, they're safe, right? Or is that not how it works?"

Even Willis facepalmed. Marcie stared at him in utter disbelief.

"No? But isn't it like, you boil it to kill the bacteria, right? So all of the poisonous bacteria on the mushroom, um, dies..." He waved his hands nervously.

"How the fuck would you survive in this place without Willis?" She groaned. "Don't eat them unless you want to die."

Feris frowned. "I'm still hungry."

"Then starve. You have to ration food, you know. Willis, how much do you let this guy eat?"

"Just his regular ration per day. I don't give him mine. I save it."

Both vampires looked at Feris with disappointment, and he shrunk under their gaze. Willis sighed, attractively sweeping his hair to the side and rubbing his temples.

"Feris, are you serious? It's not the bacteria on the mushroom! Although that could make you sick if you don't wash them... it's the mushrooms themselves. They create toxins that can affect even the strongest of werewolves or vampires can get poisoned by. And that's just normal mushrooms! Don't get me started on magical mushrooms..." he rambled, tired of Feris' stupidity.

"Were you like, one of those noble werewolves who lived a sheltered life? Surely the Werewolf Modgnik kingdom's education taught something about the forest." The raven haired girl snickered, her judging eyes looking him up and down. Feris frantically shook his head.

"N-no! It's just that uh, I didn't really pay attention. You know? School is so boring." He rubbed his neck.

"I didn't even go to school, insensitive prick."

"Oh. That's— I didn't mean to!"

Then the spongy, flat, leaf-covered ground suddenly made a splch! sound... instead of the expected soft tap. Marcie and Willis looked down, noticing this with their keen senses. Willis froze, while Marcie's eyes widened. Feris' eyes trailed to where they were looking— and saw his ankle-length boots slowly sinking into a disgusting grey-brown goop.

"What the fuck?!" Feris shrieked. He tried to pull his leg out, but the muddy substance stuck, throwing off his balance. He panicked, flailing around like a wet baby chicken.

"STOP MOVING!" Marcie yelled. "You'll sink faster if you do!"

"Hold on, I only got one leg stuck, let me get out first and I'll help you guys!" said Willis, and carefully maneuvered his leg out of the mud, hoping not to sink in further. Unfortunately, Feris continued to panic, affecting the area that Marcie was also sliding into. Marcie cursed under her breath in frustration. Is this goddamn werewolf trying to fucking KILL ME?

Marcie really didn't know what had come over her to believe that these guys, or at least Feris, was trustworthy. 'Not so horrible,' as she quoted her own thoughts. "You fucking dumbass, stop flailing your legs around! You're going to kill both of us here!" She snarled.

"Hold on guys, calm down! Marcie, grab my hand!" Willis carefully reached from his safe spot. Marcie let out a sigh of relief and exasperation and grabbed on to the other vampire's hand. He murmured a word, and Marcie felt her body slowly get a little lighter. Willis tugged and she easily slipped out of the substance, floating.

Then he promptly snapped his fingers and her ass hit the ground. Her beautiful, amazing ass, if she might add. He then grabbed onto Feris' retracting arm, who was quickly sliding farther and farther into the mud. Thankfully, his height had prevented him from being completely sucked in too fast.

"Don't move too much, or it'll be hard to pull you out, even when I take some of your gravity," Willis called, and the werewolf nodded nervously. Like he did with Marcie, he muttered a word and pulled, and with slightly more trouble than Marcie, Feris slipped out of the mud while floating.

After they gathered themselves (both mentally and physically), Feris almost burst into tears crying for forgiveness. Marcie narrowed her red eyes in suspicion and borderline loathing.

"I really didn't see it! I thought it was still fresh soil!" He cried out. Marcie's trust for werewolves was a thin string, more and more tension on it, ready to snap. One wrong move and she was going to kill Feris. It wasn't against the blood pact, so she could get away with it.

"Marcie, look, you didn't notice it either," Willis pointed out. "But we got out, so just let it go for now. I won't even ask you to thank me this time, hm?" He grinned. Marcie snatched the map from Feris' bag. Both of these dumbasses we're getting on her nerves. Willis and his stupid, happy, optimistic, perky act and Feris' little-to-no knowledge about anything.

"I'm not talking to you unless it's necessary," Marcie growled, mostly directing it at Feris. "My patience is walking on a tightrope right now, and it doesn't have any sense of balance. Even the slightest vibration of sound will make it fall."

"I suppose that's an interesting way to put it," Willis chuckled. "You're quite dramatic."

Marcie simply ignored him and turned away from the two, walking away with the map. If Feris had his tail out, it would be dragging on the floor. His semi human-like ears were lowered. Willis only sighed at the female's negative attitude. Unfortunately, it was them who had wanted her and forced the female to join to begin with, so he couldn't complain about her attitude. She didn't really want to be included anyways.

The three walked in dead silence for a long time. So silent, in fact, that Willis started to experience that weird ringing in his ears from only hearing the ambience of the forest itself. Not even a footstep was heard during the time they were walking. His throat itched to say something. Anything. But he had no idea if Marcie was still holding a grudge or if she was even the slightest bit calmed down. Judging from the small stuff he knew about her character, she seemed like the type of person who would kill him if her patience really did snap.

"Willis." The male vampire almost jumped. "We're trying to get to the main city of Ytic, right?"

"Um. Correct. For a restock in supplies as well as a report of King Jackolope being there. We're planning to infiltrate one of the royal parties that is scheduled in a couple days, if we get there in time."

"How long have you planned this exactly?"

"Um. Two days. We're going to work on the kinks when we see the place of the party."

"That's how you're going to kill Jackolope? I don't think it'll work, but I'll participate to my best extent. How'd you find out about this party?"

"Here," Willis fished into his small bag and pulled out a slightly wrinkled, neatly folded newspaper. "We happened to stumble across this five days ago, and it talks about a political royal party. Most of the important aristocrats of Ytic are going to be there. I believe that it's supposed to be for alliances and relations between certain vampire duchies and families. Loyalty to the werewolf crown in return for complete consciousness. You can read the article yourself, if you want."

Marcie stared at the paper for a couple seconds, then folded it up again and returned it to Willis.

"I can't read."

"...What? Then how do you understand the map?!"

"Okay, let me explain that again. I can read minimally. Enough to understand maps and signs. But I can't read and comprehend, well, that." She motioned to the paper. Willis sighed in relief.

"Oh, that would be a disaster if you couldn't read a map. That's fine, then. Um. We can just read things for you and explain them instead, or something. If you want. Because I don't know if that offends you or not."

"...that's fine." She said curtly. "You don't care if I can't read?" Marcie tried to sound curious, hiding her insecurity with forceful and confident words.

"Not really. Literacy levels in a lot of small villages are extremely low. And seeing as almost 90 percent of the werewolf Modgnik kingdom is made up of these villages, it's logical that you probably came from one of them. Besides, you mentioned that you haven't gone to school."

"Ah. That's... true. Yeah, I guess it's kind of normal. Feris, do you care? If uh, I can't read?" She looked at the werewolf, who was still depressed. The mentioned male looked up with wide eyes.

"N-not really. It's unfortunate, but I don't really care. L-like Willis said, it's common for people not to learn to read in this kingdom..." He trailed off, slightly looking lost in thought. "Which honestly, should probably be fixed."

"Of course. That's why King Jackolope should be killed. By us! Together, you know? Because we're... partners," Marcie pathetically smiled, trying her best to boost the team's morale, which she had destroyed previously with her outburst. "He's a bad leader, and we're the ones who are going to stop his tyranny. R-right, guys?"

"Of course," Willis joined in. He was laughing at Marcie internally because of her awkward attempt at apologizing. "This is your way of trying to get us to forgive you, isn't it?" He chuckled.

"No, shut up. I'm just telling the truth."

"Well, you did emphasize the 'together' and 'partners' part." Feris pointed out. The tips of Marcie's ears turned red and she slapped his head. Both of the males were amused, relieved that she had calmed down.

goddamn I wrote a lot. Over 1500+ words. I've been writing this over a span about  2months? I think. It started at end of november/beginning of december.

by the way, check out my art book (I posted a couple more chapters there) on GlitchCat1603's account.

love y'all, have an amazing day!

-kai

1-9-2023