The Forest

The search #8

The image is of Sphinia

Also for some context because I forgot to mention this when Juliet was introduced lol
THIS IS JULIETS DESCRIPTION IM A DUMBASS LOL (also Eden does not have a description because it is up to your interpretation the most basic thing I've said he has is brown hair and his clothes that it y'all decide everything else lol)

Juliet is about 5'4 maybe 5'5 has long blonde hair that is braided in the front (similarly to how Sphinia's hair is) she has bright green eyes and very pale skin she wears a simple white outfit that's similar to what everyone within the pack wears but she wears a long sleeved top that covers her entire arms.

Also Storos the god of wind (their pronouns are they/them so they will be referred to as such)

Anyways let's get onto the story!

Word count: 2956

Eden awoke the next morning to the sound of birds chirping, as he looked around he noticed most of the pups were gone by now. Any of them who were left still had been tying their shoes or the older pups helping the younger ones get ready. Eden swung his legs over the edge of his bed as he stretched, his joints popped and cracked as he stretched each one. Once he finished he gently stood up only now noticing the new mud stains that covered the pants he had been given and the rug burn from being slightly dragged on the floor by Juliet on his lower back and thighs. As he grimaced he caught a glimpse of Juliet waking in holding two hot steaming bowls of soup, "I got you breakfast" she smiled as she handed him one of the bowls. "It's really good, try some" she smiled at him, Eden nodded as he took a slow bite of it. He chose not to ask what was in it in case there was more human, he would rather be ignorant than be aware. As he took a bite he couldn't help but melt at the taste, he tasted no meat whatsoever it was mostly just mushrooms and other vegetables which he was quite thankful for. Gulping down the bowl of soup he heard Juliet chuckle, "someone excited" she laughed out as she as well slurped from her bowl. He laughed at her words before speaking up, "I just want to get looking for that goddess you know? If she can tell me why I'm here then maybe I can fulfill my purpose? I..." he took a shaky breath in as he lowered his bowl into his lap, Juliet mimicked his movements as she moved closer to him. "I need to get back to my dad and make sure he's ok, I would never forgive myself if I was the reason he did something horrible..." he trailed off before clearing his throat and going back to slurping his soup, Juliet stared softly at the floor before she spoke. "I may have an idea of where our goddess may be, I promise we will get you home and back to your dad" she told him with a soft smile though Eden could see there was another emotion behind it, but before he could ask she chugged the rest of her soup and stood up. "I'll grab you some new clothes yours don't look.... So good...." She trailed off taking in the sight of mud and dirt. She turned before Eden could say anything and ran off to fetch him new clothes. Eden sat in silence staring down at his empty bowl as he thought of his mother and father, wondering if his mom could see him now. What would his mother have to say to him for having to eat a human? Before he could continue dwelling Juliet returned carrying brand new clothing for him, "got you some clothes!" She smiled at him, the pants were the same as what he was wearing already but she also brought him a shirt. He would no longer be forced to walk around half naked which made him smile. The pup house was completely empty so Juliet just led Eden to a corner and covered him while he dressed himself, the shirt was extremely baggy, it was a white button up with long sleeves that went well with the black pants she had brought him. "Ready?" Asked Juliet as she stared at the doorway not wanting to invade Eden's privacy. "Ready" he said to her as he stood beside her. She smiled before she began to walk, Eden following closely behind. "Deiru said we could find Sphinia in a tree somewhere, any ideas?" Juliet looked down at the ground as she walked, biting her lip in thought, "hmm, I don't know" she hummed out as she went to chew on the tip of her finger. The two walked into the forest, the sound of birds chirping and animals scurrying filled Eden's ears, the sound of the leaves crunching beneath their bare feet, the feeling of the damp grass from the morning dew. He couldn't help but close his eyes as he walked basking in the feeling of it all, not noticing how Juliet looked at him with a look of pity. As he opened his eyes and looked at Juliet she quickly went back to an unclear expression as if she was still thinking, looking around she paused before pointing to a section of the forest. "Maybe over there? It's a pretty small clearing so she may be laying in the sun or something?" Eden nodded before gesturing for her to lead the way, with a slight nod Juliet walked first Eden following close behind. As they reached the clearing rabbits scurried away from them and birds in nearby trees fled, having accidentally spooked them. Eden walked into the middle of the sun filled clearing and sat in the middle closing his eyes he began to control his breathing. "What are you doing?" Asked Juliet, "well Deiru called out to me while I was sleeping and during that time your breathing is constant, maybe if I make my breathing constant she too would show?" He asked it more as a question than as an actual statement which led Juliet to giggle. "Alright." She said shrugging as she too sat on the grass a little bit of ways away from Eden. After some time of controlling his breathing Eden began to feel... off. As he drifted in and out of consciousness he opened his eyes slightly to call out to Juliet for help only not to see Juliet but someone else, a taller elvish being sat in her place. But before he could cry out he fainted. "Eden!" Cried out Juliet as she ran up to him and began to check for a pulse, she had no idea what had happened and worried for her friend. "Eden, wake up! What's going on?!" She shouted to him, shaking him gently. After a couple of minutes of her panicking he had begun to awaken, "Eden! What happened?!" She shouted "stop... yelling" he groaned a headache pounding against his head. "I must have not been taking deep enough or even breaths. I think I made myself hyperventilate?" Juliet shook her head with disappointment "don't do that Eden please" Juliet looked genuinely worried for Eden's health which caused him to feel a pang into his heart, he felt horrible for making his friend worry. "I promise I won't" he smiled up at her which caused her to smile as she stood up, leaning down she helped Eden to stand as well. He stumbled ever so slightly as he gripped onto her shoulder. "Let's continue I couldn't find her here" he told Juliet through soft breathless gasps, Juliet softly nodded as they began traversing through the forest more, the creatures chittering as they walked. Eden listened to his surroundings as he walked, as he listened he could hear what he thought to be a hum, "what's that?" Eden asked as he stalled his walking. "What do you mean" Juliet said quickly looking over towards him, Eden looked around trying to figure out where the noise came from. "Someone's humming..." he mumbled to her "I can't... I can't figure out from where. It sounds like we're being surrounded by them." Juliet gave Eden a look of concern as she faced him the wind around them had begun to pick up the feeling of them being shoved slammed into Eden causing him to stumble. "What the hell?" He gasped out as he kept being pushed. Juliet seemed to be unaffected, staring at Eden with a face of horror and fear. "Juliet!" Eden yelled out to her trying to push back through the wind as it began to gain momentum, shoving even harder but only him. Ignoring the trees or animals, even Juliet. It simply wanted Eden to follow. Juliet stayed in her spot and a look of concern for Eden began to cross it as she simply looked at her feet. "I'm sorry!" She cried out "I'm not allowed to follow you if it's them that's calling" tears pricked her eyes as she took a couple of steps back, the wind continued to push making it even harder for Eden to even look at Juliet. "I'll be waiting!" She cried out to him "I promise I won't leave!" Eden watched as Juliet continued to get farther and farther, her voice becoming fainter and fainter as the wind picked him up. Now not having any grip on the ground he was flung through the air, screaming as the wind ripped at his skin, his eyes drying up at the force. He was tossed onto the floor of a large clearing, feathers made from gold fibers covered the floor as he looked up from his position on the floor he saw a being with large golden wings they laid sprawled out onto the floor coming from below the beings shoulder blades, a black elegant flowing dress draped off of their shoulders. They had long curly hair that was a light brown their skin having a light color to it. "Sphinia?" Eden asked as he began to stand up dusting himself off, the beings wings seemed to tense as it rose, the wings dropping the feathers as they were brought in to sit at a resting position "no." Stated the voice it sounded androgynous as they turned to face Eden, a large scar covered their left eye that made Eden wonder what had happened. Their eyes glowed yellow as the sclera was a dark black Eden could now really see their clothing they had both a masculine and feminine frame, they looked like both and in some ways as neither. Eden felt amazement at this "my name is Storos, do I really look like that annoying brat?" They spat at him, Eden was taken aback as they spoke. "Wait what?" He asked as Storos walked up to him, they began to circle him, their piercing eyes staring into his soul. "Sphinia is far younger than us, being the youngest she's not as... aware... she's careless. She doesn't deal with her mortals enough, I'm sick of them sticking their nose where they don't belong yet she doesn't do anything." They said with a grimace Eden listened as he thought about their words "have you tried to teach her?" Eden asked thoughtfully which only made Storos give a hearty laugh. "Of course! She just doesn't get it, I have no idea what her mother was thinking of sending her here so early." Storos shook their head disappointedly. "So... why did you bring me here?" Eden asked changing the topic, Storos gave a side eye to Eden as they stood adjacent to him. A sneer came to their face as they began to speak "right right. Eden, you intrigue me" they began to back away from him, sitting themselves back onto their rock that Eden had arrived and seen them sitting on. Their wings draped against the ground, "I want to make a deal with you, think you can do that?" Eden looked at them skeptically as they spoke but softly nodded "what's your deal." Storos smiled as they looked off to the side examining their nails and fixing any imperfections. "I will show you to Sphinia, if you promise to help her. Teach her how to be a god" Eden gave her a confused look now "but I'm a human how would I do that?" Storos stood quickly, their wings snapping from the ground and joining back to a neutral position as they walked up to him. "Please, just teach her how to mingle with mortals. None of us can do it and her mother sure as hells won't do it! Here I'll even put in a good word for you with Addemious, he's the god of the stars. Not just that but fortune." Storos' eyes were pleading with Eden which confused him, "money fortune?" Storos shook their head "no, future fortune." They stated to him, Eden thought of it. "So I would just need to teach Sphinia about mortals?" Storos nodded a smile crossing their face again, Eden nodded "deal" Storos stood straight again and put out their hand "this is greatly appreciated Eden, Sphinia can't keep leading those damn wolves astray." Eden shook their hand, a look of confusion crossing his face. This didn't make sense to him but he chose not to dwell on it. "Now let's meet Sphinia shall we" Storos cocked their head to the side as a wicked smile crossed their face as they snapped their fingers. Immediately the wind picked up, the trees shaking around them as they stretched their elegant wings, two more sets unfurled from their rib cage that were far smaller than their wings that were triple the size of Eden. Their wings flapped their bird-like feet rising off the ground as the wind continued to spin around them, only being interrupted by the strong gust that Storos produced with their wings. Storos continued to rize up as out of nowhere they dove their sharp talons grabbing onto Eden's shoulders as he screamed out, the wind continued to aid Storos as they flew, although it was a short distance Eden caught a glimpse of Juliet in the forest watching them, but he noticed from up here she didn't look normal. Storos dropped Eden onto the floor of a clearing before they hollered out "hey Sphinia come out!",  it was silent, the wind stopped, all sounds stopped as they waited. But Sphinia never showed. Juliet came running through the trees after a few minutes gasping out a worried "Eden!" As she dove to be next to him. "Oh please." Huffed out Storos as Juliet held Eden close to her, "this is why I told your mother you weren't ready Sphinia" they spat at Juliet, "what do you mean this, this is Juliet." Eden asked Storos as Juliet's grasp softened on Eden. She bit her lip as she looked away, shame filling her as she refused to make eye contact. "Juliet here is my niece. Sphinia. Who thought it would be funny to go dormant on her people and become a human." They scowled down to her, "show him your real body." They scowled, "Addemious wouldn't like how you're talking to me" Juliet finally spat back, "Addemious has always had a soft spot for his siblings he needs to realize you are a god and must act it." Storos retorted back. "Hey! That's enough!" Shouted back Eden. "Juliet. Or Sphinia. Whoever the hell you are, Storos told me I need to help you understand mortals. But to me it more sounds like you Storos, don't know mortals. Juliet is happy pretending to be a wolf, and I may agree with you it feels... not great to have people poking their nose into your business and someone not doing shit about it. But, maybe if you both talked it out like normal people... or gods... maybe you both can better understand!" Eden spoke to them, internally cringing at the my little pony bullshit he just stated. Storos rolled their eyes, "stand up both of you." Juliet stood up quickly as Eden followed closely behind, "Sphinia, I do not like it whenever your wolf's poke their noses into my avians. Can you... can you stop them?" Storos tried to speak their mind as calmly as they could as Sphinia nodded. "Yes! I will talk to them immediately and Storos... can you treat me not as a child, I want to be seen as grown up!" She quickly stated. Storos nodded "I will try to remember, now Sphinia... please change your clothes" they scowled at Juliet's form as a look of realization crossed her face. "Ah of course!" She nodded quickly, waving her hand as she altered into a different one. Nothing much had changed about her, just her ears and clothing, her eyes even seemed to glow. Soft vines covered her fingers as a short white dress that showed a lot of skin now took the place of what she had been originally wearing. A red rose and other flowers tattoo covered her right shoulder and arm. As similar red tattoos covered her inner thigh down to her calf on her left half. A flower crown sat loosely around her neck as she smiled up at Storos and at Eden. "I'm surprised you aren't more shocked..." Juliet or now Sphinia stated Eden. "Honestly, this is less surprising than everything else I've experienced this whole trip." Sphinia nodded in understanding. "Now, are you going to talk to Addemious? I would like to know where this path leads."