The two had taken a rest stop, despite Lyre wanting to race the incoming clouds to the river. His nerves had only heightened after hearing another rumble.

  While he id, the sudden memory of everything bad that’s ever happened to him poured into his mind and repyed in what seemed like an infinite loop. Lyre hadn’t felt this miserable since the day and night those memories started. They’d started recreating the imaginary scenarios he’d thought about during the worst of his grieving period.

  And it was his misery that allowed him to tough through it all until the memories faded away.

  To think I got over their deaths…now I wonder if it’s ever going to go away. He waited quietly as the wolf pup was curled u, snoring quietly. He began to close his eyes until the voice spoke again.

  Have you started pnning what to do when you get there?

  Lyre ignored the voice. He was barely a few wolf-lengths away from the wooden structure, and was clearly nowhere close to the river. At this rate, who knows what would happen to the river. He furrowed his brow. He could just turn it to stone, but he didn’t want to risk the consequences of what the result of that would be.

  You know what, I’ll just try to figure it out when I get there. Lyre got to his paws and scanned the area.

  The only thing that was approaching him and the wolf pup was the continuously growing dark clouds. The smell of dampness increased, as did the volume of the next rumble. If Root and Quartz weren’t already awake, they definitely were now.

  Another reason why we have to hurry up. His light brown tail-tip flicked impatiently. We can’t afford to- he stopped himself. He normally doesn’t have such an urgency about going somewhere. Should I go back and give this back to Quartz? She’s the only one who knows how to properly use The Stone Colr. I can’t force her to use it, either.

  Lyre began pacing. Only she knows how to turn things back normal after they’ve turned to stone. I don’t want to be the next…whoever she talked about. He didn’t like how he’d been questioning his actions tely, especially after learning more about Velvet.

  You don’t have to be. It’s all about self control. Something your father cked. The voice’s tone sounded smooth but firm.

  Don’t talk about my father like that. Lyre was more frustrated than anxious.

  Slip is always an option, you know. That- …nevermind. I already told you that I’m helping you with everything.

  He didn’t even need the help. He was able to do things on his own for two years now. And Slip was the st cat he wanted to trust; he hardly trusted him at all. Although…

  No, Lyre, think for yourself! He scolded himself. So what if Slip was lucky enough to find pces with crazy structures like the vine den Velvet and I found in the forest? And the pile of tiny tree parts that prevent fires from spreading? That means nothing to you. When you get to this new home, you will build things yourself.

  His frustration slowly washed away as he began to kill time by grooming his fur. While I wait for that pup to wake up, I could attempt to learn how this stupid colr works. But in general, I really need to take better care of my fur.

  That part was more true than he wanted to admit. Due to the neglect, his fur was really suffering. His fur was starting to get as matted as a wolf’s coat; especially his neck fur. The fur on his chest, tail, and the side of his face wasn’t any better. Removing his tongue from the failed attempts to remove the matts, he sighed.

  Maybe that’s part of the reason Slip said to keep company. And now that I think about it, what if I end up entering some cat’s territory, and they hog all the food to themselves? He wouldn’t let that happen. Not when he has two weapons with him; his cws and his teeth.

  Right- focus on the colr. Lyre narrowed his eyes at the bck pit, and crouched over the edge before reaching out his paw. I wonder if whatever this stuff is can turn to stone. He touched it with his paw, but winced and jumped backwards at the burning hot touch. The surface was rocky and rough. It was a wonder how this stuff got here in the first pce, and why there was so much of it.

  Lyre suddenly felt his fur beginning to lift. He slowly turned towards the dark clouds, which were much closer now. The clouds were starting to cast their rge shadows over everything as the air slowly cooled and smelled damp. Then a white fsh in the far distance, where the dark gray clouds were. They were as dark as the ones on that cloudy night.

  Boom!

  Lyre’s pupils rounded at the loud booming that sounded only seconds after the fsh. The sound rolled and echoed further into the clouds, where a more faint rumble was heard. Then shadows completely covered him as the st light from the sun was running away from the cloud cover.

  The wolf pup was awake, eyes wide and tail tucked as it crouched onto the ground.

  They were really running out of time now. Lyre shook out the anxiety from his pelt, ruining his grooming effort, and trotted over to the pup. “We have to go, now.” He meowed sternly. He began speedwalking along the side of the dirt ground. The wolf pup trailed after him.

  Please take longer to start, whatever kind of storm this will end up being. Lyre hoped.

  The sky was a strange pink-ish orange with very dark grayish-blue now. Lyre and the wolf pup could no longer see the wooden structure. They’ve been trotting for many hours, and although Lyre was aware he could just run and take less time, he wasn't sure exactly how to remove the stone covering on the pup’s muzzle to allow it to run.

  There was a thin strip of uncovered sky on the other side of the dirt area where a thin, light yellow-orange line let Lyre believe he and the wolf pup might still make it. Just above that orange line were the dark clouds that smelled as damp as wet fur.

  Lyre’s ear flicked off a sudden water drop that nded on it. Shoot. He scrambled his paws into a speedwalk. The wolf pup was falling behind very slowly, whines of noisy compints coming from the uncovered gaps from its jaws.

  The golden line quickly got covered by the clouds, and by then, the amount and force of raindrops was quickly increasing. The shadow-covered ground only grew darker, and the rain that nded on the bck pit made a sizzling sound as vapor began clouding the surface. A bright fsh flickered a few times in the distance. Thunder appuded as the wolf pup suddenly colpsed onto the mud as the rain pelted ruthlessly.

  Lyre didn’t stop moving. He didn’t want to. But if he were to bring that pup with him, there was no other choice he had. He slowed his pace in a careful effort not to slip on water puddles, shivering as the rain thoroughly fttened his fur, seeping through to touch his skin.

  We’re too far to seek shelter. Ears pinned back as if listening to Whirlwind and Slip’s nightly arguments all over again, at first he struggled to see the wolf pup through the water that dripped dangerously close to his eyes. Retracing his steps, he was gd that all the two had to do was walk straight to the now flooding river, which still wasn't within their sight even before the rain fell.

  “You can’t sit there being like that!” Lyre yowled at the pup through the loud sizzling. “We won’t be able to get where we need to go.”

  The pup’s next compint was muted by a loud rumble.

  Lyre nudged the wolf pup with his damp body in an attempt to get it up. “Come on! The sooner we get there, the more time we’ll have!” He made a futile attempt to shout over the rain.

  Another fsh, this time a twisted, leafless-looking upside down tree in the far left, where The Stone Forest was. The thin beam branched out to create light blue cracks in the sky. Its color reflected off the ground, making the vapor look like nothing but white clouds from the sheer brightness. It was like staring into the sun right as it got uncovered by a thick cloud.

  What was that…? Lyre froze.

  Clearly he could’ve been better off burying his head in the dirt to drown out what followed the bright fsh.

  The air vibrated. The ground felt tingly beneath his paws. The intensity made his fur prickle and whiskers quiver, despite the raindrops that dripped from them. The vibration quickly travelled to his head, where a painful pressure was felt. A high ringing sounded as his eyes stung, which he forced shut. A slight swaying motion led to feeling another force against the side of his head and body.

  Lyre blinked open his eyes to see that the rain-blurred ground was vertical, and the heavy rain was pinning his body to the muddied soil. He could hear the muffled pounding of the rain out of his left ear, and feel nothing else but the rain and crackles in the air, which sounded the slightest bit quieter.

  He lifted his head and sat up, frowning in disgust as the felt the slick mud slide off and out his ear. Shaking out his coat only helped as much as a tailless cat trying to bance. He figured the sheer amount of rain should’ve been able to wash out the mud, but was terribly, terribly wrong.

  At least the storm’s dying down…finally. Lyre thought with relief. Even the next cp of thunder wasn't that loud. And yet, rain still poured, and spots in the clouds still lit up. It is ending. My ears are just gaslighting me.

  Lyre looked at the wolf pup. The pup was ying upright, fortunately for him. The stone around its muzzle was rapidly dissolving.

  Huh? He wasn't aware of how shaky his paw was when he reached it up to the colr he was wearing. As far as he could tell, it was normal. So then why…?

  If you’d learned more about The Stone Cat, you wouldn’t be asking that. Despite the sound of the rain and booming thunder, the voice was the only thing that hadn’t changed in volume.

  Lyre removed his still trembling paw, and slowly stood up. His legs were a bit shaky, his fur feeling like it was still bristling and spiking. He look a cautious look around with narrowed eyes. I want to continue forward, but… He turned back around, looking into the direction of The Stone Forest. I don’t feel right. It’s not the storm, nor is it the stupid voice in my head. I want to return this colr. I really do. I just…can’t. Not until I get myself together.

  Lyre turned his head to the wolf pup, who was pawing off the remaining stone. He sighed and gnced ahead. If everything’s quieting down, then why is the storm calming?