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Well, now that there was technically nothing in my way to stop me from saving Acacia, I was suddenly feeling a little… well…201Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wrWEa4Zy0
“What do you mean, ‘you don’t know anymore?’” Nico scoffed with an appalled look on his face. Even Kalos looked surprised. I mean, as much as a fox can. His beady little eyes were even smaller as he narrowed them in confusion, his nose twitching slightly.
“I-I don’t know,” I shrugged hesitantly, “I think I’m realising that maybe, breaking into The Underworld and angering Zeus’ literal brother might be a little -I dunno- stupid, don't you think?!”
“So now that’s what’s scaring you?!”
“I didn’t say it was scaring me, I’m just- I’m trying to use my brain a little, okay?!”
“Oh really? Now, all of a sudden?”
“Well, yea- Hey! Are you calling me an idiot?!”
Kalos began yapping, and probably not in my defense.201Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yFu32sZBT
“Okay, you guys!” Claudia interrupted, sighing, “None of you are helping. That goes for you too, Kalos.”
Kalos yipped in a mocking fashion before burying his head in my arms.
Nico grumbled, turning away from me annoyedly, “So you’re getting cold feet?”
“That’s not at all what I’m trying to say!” I scowled.
“Then what are you trying to say, Bella?” Claudia asked me patiently. Sometimes her endless kindness made me realise how much of a dick I am. I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts in a non-explosive way.
“I think that... maybe we should… team up with Camp Half-Blood again. Not that I want to either,” I added quickly, spotting Nico’s scowl getting deeper, “I… I just think it’s the best shot we have at doing this without dying.”
Claudia smiled, “That actually sounds like a great plan.”
“I’m sorry, ‘great plan’? Did you all forget they kill monsters like Bella for practice? Not to mention the excellent reputation that I have with them, too,” Nico muttered sarcastically.
“I know, I know,” I agreed unhappily, “But don’t you think this is a little more important than being treated nicely? Acacia is in real trouble, and she’s asking us specifically for help.”
Nico sighed, expression softening, “...Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Gods, I hate saying that, Usually I’m right and Bella’s the hot-headed dumbass.”
“Hey,” I scowled.
Claudia giggled, “Okay, let's ma-”
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Three rapid knocks at the front door cut her off, surprising us all. Kalos let out a low growl, ears pointed behind him like he was getting ready to pounce off of my lap. We looked around at each other cautiously, nobody making a move to answer the door. I mean, after all the mental monster attacks we’ve been bombarded with recently, could you blame us?
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My father walked through the dining room past me, a serious expression on his face.
“I will get it,” he said quietly. Clearly, he was thinking the same thing we were, but for some reason seeing him be anything other than the stone-cold man I knew made me a little nervous. Surely the monsters wouldn’t just start knocking at my front door, right?201Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtyryYh9eD
He hovered his hand over the silver handle in the foyer for a moment, closing his eyes and mumbling something under his breath. I could feel Claudia’s baited breath on my neck as she peered over my shoulder next to me, and Nico’s pointed stare from behind. 201Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFu83A7GM9
He opened the door to reveal two kids who I quickly recognised to be Percy and Annabeth, the demigods that I was forced to partner with four years ago. I could practically feel the relief of tension in the room from everyone but Kalos, who still had a bit of a grudge against Annabeth.
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“What the hell are you two doing here?” I said in surprise, heading to the door with Nico and Claudia close behind.
“Nice to see you as well,” Percy smiled, a hit of sarcasm colouring his voice.
“May we come in? We have important matters to discuss,” Annabeth added, shoving him slightly and carefully eyeing Kalos, who eyed her just as sharply back. I decided to pick him up, just in case.
My father paused, eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he debated his choices.
“Very well,” he muttered, opening the door wide enough for the two kids to come in.
“Thank you,” Annabeth smiled, but it was obviously forced.
“Into the creepy house we go,” Percy muttered under his breath. I rolled my eyes. 201Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSXwi252CO
It’s not that I don’t like Annabeth and Percy, but after Camp Half-Blood basically told me they couldn’t and didn’t want to help me, I was on my own, which left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Not to mention everything that Nico told me about them, which included several murders of Empousa. I’m sure they deserved it, but I still couldn’t help but wonder if they might ever do the same to me. I learned pretty quickly that empousa were not well liked among the demi-gods, and that goes for half-empousa like me. Safe to say the tension in that sitting room was more than a little thick.
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“So,” I started once we all sat down, “Why are you here?”
“A quest, obviously,” Percy explained straightforwardly, that same stupid smile on his face that I painfully recalled from my memory. God, four years later and this kid is still obnoxious as all get out. Not a lick of bedside manners yet, either.
My father tensed next to me, withholding his comment, to my surprise. I thought for sure he would blow up at them.
“We’ve spent weeks trying to come up with an alternative, but this is our only solution,” Annabeth nudged Percy slightly, pointlessly trying to keep up the illusion of being polite.
“Don’t sound too happy about it,” Nico scoffed, “It’s about the girl kidnapped in The Underworld, isn’t it?”
Annabeth blinked slightly, and Percy’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“Wait, you know about this already?” he asked blankly.
“We were actually just thinkin’ ‘bout a plan to meet up with you,” Claudia beamed, “What good timing.”
“Well, that makes things easy,” Annabeth sighed, looking genuinely relieved, “We’ll need to go to camp in order to get supplies and debrief you.”
“No way,” Nico and I said at the same time.
“We already know what the deal is, so why don’t we just meet up somewhere- I dunno, not Camp Half-Blood?” I asked exasperatedly.
“And we can get our own supplies,” Nico added quickly.
“There’s no need to worry,” Annabeth assured us, “Bella, no harm will come to you. If you can’t trust us, trust the fact you are necessary for this quest. And Nico… it would only be for one night maximum.”
Nico turned away from them slightly, a conflicted scowl on his face. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to spending a night in a camp literally dedicated to killing creatures like me either, but… Acacia was still down there. And she needs our help.
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“I think the more glaring question is, do you have means to get to The Underworld that doesn’t involve killing my daughter and her friends?” my father asked sharply, eyes narrow, but mostly controlling his temper. Why was he even going along with this? It wasn’t like him at all.
“W-well,” Annabeth started a little hesitantly, adjusting her blonde ponytail slightly, “The prophecy says that Nico had a way.”
“What?” he frowned, “Just because I’m the son of Hades? You’re mental if you think we’re just going to roll in the front gates like I usually do.”
“Well, you gotta know another way, right?” Percy prompted, “Y’know, like… that one in Central Park!”
“You mean the one that opens directly in front of Hades’ Palace?” he snorted, “Um, I don’t think so.”
“So you do not have a safe way to The Underworld that will not alert the entire kingdom to your presence?” my father clarified, a frown forming on his face.
“I mean… we, um…” Percy trailed off.
“There is always a way, sir,” Annabeth answered confidently, despite looking like she was about to piss herself, “Especially if the Oracle has predicted it.”
“I could care less about the Oracle,” he crossed his arms, an edge in his voice. I prepared for him to start demanding that they leave, but he didn’t.
“What you need is a plan.”
“And we will have one,” Annabeth assured, “As soon as we all get to camp.”
It was clear none of us liked this ‘plan’ at all. Nico was trying not to sulk in the corner, there was contemplation in my father’s stormy eyes, and even I was fighting a scowl. Claudia was the only one who looked optimistic about our situation, as per usual.
“‘Kay, how ‘bout this?” she began with a smile, “We follow you to Camp Half-Blood and come up with a plan. But since you need Nico and Bella, they get to contribute to the plan as well, ‘kay? If we can’t find a good way to rescue Acacia together, we’re out.”
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Now it was Annabeth’s turn to be unhappy. Her mouth twitched slightly, as if she was trying to find more polite words than ‘Absolutely not, you wank.’
“I mean… that’s not really how it works…” Percy laughed slightly.
“Well, make it work,” I shrugged, “Otherwise you can find yourself another pair of Underworld beings.”
“It’s not like it’s unfair,” Nico added, “Besides, we all want the same thing.”
“What? There are rules to quests, Nico. You know that,” Percy basically scolded, which made my blood boil. But instead of getting angry, Nico shrunk back a little. Why was he always so soft around Percy?
“Hold it, Fish Food. You are not about to ask for our help and then tell us what to do,” I snapped.
“Agreed,” my father muttered.
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Woah woah, he ‘agreed’? With me? What the hell is happening right now?
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“They’re right, Percy,” Annabeth choked back a sigh, “Those are fair terms, and we agree to them.”
“We do?” he blinked at her in surprise.
“Yes, we do,” she scowled at him, hauling him up by the forearm off the couch, dragging him to the door, “Now please, we don’t have a lot of time.”
The two looked at us expectantly while I watched my father for his decision.
“Very well, then,” he said quietly, rising from the armchair.
“I guess we’ll get our stuff, then,” Nico sighed.
“Glad we could agree,” Claudia smiled before racing up the stairs.
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“Bella?” My father asked once the room was empty.
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Uh oh. Here it comes.
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“Yeah…?”201Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5btzcZyK8A
“...Take care of yourself, and your friends.”
His expression was almost soft for a moment, but only for a moment.
“And do not let those Half-Bloods take advantage of you. I’m… trusting you.”
The tension of waiting for his response vanished, surprise taking its place.
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“...Okay, I know this is kinda a tender moment but are you… okay? You’re acting so weird.”
His face dropped into that familiar disappointed frown, which oddly enough, made me feel a little better. “Yes. I’m fine. What I am trying to communicate is that this is a chance to earn some trust.”
“Uh, right,” I nodded.
Most kids earn trust by being responsible at parties, I earn trust by breaking into The Underworld without getting caught by the god of the dead and getting murdered. Seems fair.
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𓆩⟡𓆪
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There was one good thing about being forced to head back to Camp Half-Blood years after my quest there, and that was not having to take my life into my own hands taking the Gray Sisters’ Taxi. Once we got past pretending my magic wasn’t real, my father made me spend a lot of time mastering it. Shadow travelling quickly became the preferred mode of transport, but not everyone feels the same way.
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“I hate doing that,” Percy muttered, trying to take deep breaths of fresh air.
“Ugh,” Annabeth groaned, holding her hands over her mouth while she was doubled over with nausea, “I might be sick.”201Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaJQc1MyiB
“Ew, please don’t be,” I muttered while Claudia giggled and Nico smiled amusedly.
“Did you have to bring that dog?” Annabeth sighed, refusing to let Kalos out of her sight.
“Fox,” I corrected, “And yes. He’s very helpful. Sometimes.”
Kalos huffed at Annabeth like he was turning his nose up at her, before hopping into my arms.
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Once recovered, we followed Annabeth and Percy up the hill to the giant greek pillars that marked the entrance. A feeling of anxiety swam around my stomach. The last time I was here, I was afraid for my life that one of these demigods would find out who I was, and end me right there and then. At least this time, I would put up a bit more of a fight. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that, though.
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“Alright, it’s getting a little late. We’ll be able to talk with Chiron tomorrow morning, so you’re welcome to get some dinner at the Dining Pavilion, or get comfortable in your cabins. I- huh?”
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When she realised nobody was following her, Annabeth whirled around, a scowl on her face.
“What are you still doing back there?” she frowned.
From behind the entrance Pillars, Claudia pointed at me with a smile while Nico flicked me on the head.
“Um, I can’t get in,” I reminded her.
“Oh, that’s right,” she muttered to herself, quickly walking over, “I, Annabeth Chase, give you permission to enter camp. Oh, and the dog, too, I suppose.”201Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YNlKWr3J2
“I still don’t know if that actually does anything,” I muttered quietly to Nico and Claudia as Annabeth resumed talking.
“We could test it,” Nico shrugged.
“No thanks,” I scoffed, “I don’t feel like taking my bad luck out for a spin.”
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The familiar feeling of being watched washed over me as I tried to avoid the pointed stares from the other campers, no doubt recognizing Nico and probably sensing that I was a monster. The fox in my arms and pentagram round my neck probably didn’t help. Quickly I shoved the two necklaces under my shirt.
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“So, you guys getting dinner?” Percy asked, also ignoring Annabeth.
“You mean go to the place that nearly every demigod will be right now?” I said sarcastically.
“So we can sit at a table all alone and be stared at?” Nico added.
“Um, I think we’ll pass,” Claudia smiled, giving us both a warning pinch to be more polite, “So, where are we sleeping?”
“Well, Nico knows where his cabin is,” Annabeth sighed, realising that nobody had been listening, “And you two… I suppose you can stay at the Hecate cabin.”
“Huh?” I asked, surprised they even had a cabin dedicated to Hecate when it was so clear they despised her creations, “But I’m not a child of Hecate. Neither is Claudia. There isn’t some jinx we get from staying there, is there?”
Annabeth shrugged, “I’m sure it’ll be fine. See you tomorrow morning at 8 am.”
I sighed as the two walked away, completely nonchalant. “Yeah, okay.”
“Let’s just go, okay?” Claudia held my arm. “I’m sure everything will be fine. Besides, Hecate likes you, right? You saved her family.”
“Well, I thought she did,” I muttered, “That was before she started ignoring me.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll reach out eventually.”
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The Hecate cabin was in complete disrepair. The roof was leaking slightly, and spiders had made very luxurious homes in every available corner. The wooden floorboards creaked no matter how you stepped on them, and there were potential splinters everywhere you looked. Kalos sniffed around for hardly a moment before wrinkling his nose, deciding he preferred the outdoors.
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“Fair enough, Kalos,” I coughed slightly as thick dust hit me in the back of the throat. “Jesus, I guess Hecate doesn’t have any kids that come to camp often.”
“It’ll do for just tonight,” Claudia smiled, setting down her backpack to examine the room, “So, how are you feeling about all of this?”
“Fine, I guess,” I sighed. “I just want to get out of here asap.”
“Yeah, I get it. Nico feels the same way. It’s too bad he has to stay in that cabin all alone.”
“I’m sure he’ll be alright. Kalos will probably find him, the little traitor.”
Claudia giggled.
“How are you feeling?” I asked her as I laid my sleeping bag over the bed. There wasn’t a chance in freezing hell I was getting under those ancient covers. They probably would give you a rash within seconds.
“Well, I’m kind of excited. I never thought I’d be one to go on a quest, y’know?”
I couldn’t help but smile, “Well, I’m glad one of us is happy about this.”
“Well, somebody’s gotta be the sunshine to you two’s dark angst,” she giggled.
“Oh, ha-ha,” I laughed dryly, rolling my eyes, “But… you’re not even a little worried about going to The Underworld?”
“Of course I am, but I have you and Nico,” she smiled, “And also myself. Just because I don’t got god or monster powers doesn’t mean I’m helpless.”
“Oh believe me, I know. I don’t think I’ll ever get the image of you beating that harpy with a fucking a field hockey stick out of my head anytime soon. It was actually kinda scary,” I added, the smiling disappearing from my face when I remembered just how scary Claudia looked doing that.
“Well she deserved it,” Claudia huffed.
“I don’t doubt it. It’s just a reminder to stay on your good side.”
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Our conversation eventually fizzled out as Claudia fell asleep, leaving me to stare at the damp, wooden ceiling. The sound of wind whipping through huge trees was an unfamiliar and startling sound to me, and a small part of me felt like the campers would burst through that door at any moment to annihilate me with pitchforks and torches. I mean, they wouldn’t do that, of course. They would probably use swords and spears.
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I’m not sure why I wasn’t trying to fall asleep. I mean, no doubt tomorrow would be a long and exhausting day, and if I was smart I would be trying to get as much sleep as possible. But it was like something was compelling me to stay awake. Maybe I was secretly hoping that by being in Hecate’s cabin, she might say something to me. It had been years since I last spoke with her, and I was just starting to feel like I had some real family too. Maybe I was still chasing that.
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“This is stupid,” I whispered to myself, rolling over and forcing my eyes shut. There were bigger things to worry about right now, like Acacia. I really hoped she was okay.
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I finally fell asleep a few hours later, doing my best to ignore the haunting hooting of owls and other creepy forest sounds. I had been asleep for a while when out of nowhere, a dream started.
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“Huh?” I whispered to myself, looking around. I was standing in the middle of the cabin, watching Claudia and myself sleep like some sort of ghost. The door behind be creaked open, and Kalos in wolf form poked his giant nose through.
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“Been a while since we shared a dream, huh?” I sighed, making my way to the door.
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There was some Greek writing engraved onto it that definitely was not there before, glowing a dull amber. I squinted at it for a moment, but could only make out the words ‘You’ and ‘creation’. As I turned the knob, a gold sigil with a moon in the center began to form on my hand, covering it in almost a burning sensation. I quickly pulled my hand back, and the sigil disappeared into golden embers. I looked at Kalos worriedly, but his big orange eyes looked encouraging.
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“Ugh, fine. But if my hand falls off, I can never play tug-of-war with you again, you know that?” I sighed, but reached for the handle once more.
Expecting to see the rest of the camp when I opened the door, instead I saw a strange dirt intersection. There were three roads, two leading to the left and right of me, and the last leading directly to my feet. The sky was a misty purple, with no sun or moon in sight. The horizon seemed to stretch on forever, with no mountains or trees to block my view. The only thing I could see was a statue of three tall women, each with long dark hair and flowy dresses standing back to back, facing each road of the intersection.
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“What do you think, bud?” I asked Kalos, “You have a favourite direction or should we flip a coin?”
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Kalos, who in wolf form was towering far above me, lifted his nose to the air and began sniffing as he closed his eyes. I examined the statue a little closer, and found that each woman was sculpted with a different object. The one facing me was holding a long snake that wrapped around her legs, arms, and neck, sticking its tongue out. Her eyes were closed, wearing a conflicted expression. The one on the right was holding a torch, like its grey marble would illuminate the way. She had a serious look on her face, but her eyes were closed like the other one. The last was holding one small skeleton key with a pentagram engraved into it. Subconsciously, I pulled my own pentagram necklace from behind my shirt. They were identical, and she was the only statue that was smiling and looking directly at me.
That’s gotta mean something.
Kalos interrupted my thoughts with a nudge, motioning for me to follow him. We walked down the rightmost path, the one with the torch. The grass that surrounded either side of us was tall and thick, but the path looked like a million feet had tramped through here. It was extremely quiet, and suspiciously peaceful as far as Greek dreams go.
“How much further?” I asked him, feeling my legs start to cramp up. Seriously, there wasn’t any end in sight, and we had been walking for at least an hour. What was the point of this dream? Cardio?
Kalos huffed to me, like he was telling me to be patient. I scanned either side of the path, and spotted something shiny off to the left, glowing like a huge firefly.
“What’s over there?” I pondered aloud, walking to the edge of the path. “Wh- Hey!”
Kalos quickly grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and hauled me back.
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“Okay, okay!” I scowled, “God, a bark would be just fine. You’re so dramatic.”
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He snorted, pushing me forward. I sighed. This was going to be a long, tiring dream. With nothing else to do but look around, I realised that the path began to branch off into far less travelled areas.
“Woah,” I muttered, slowing down to get a closer look at the end of one of the paths, “That’s… my house.”
It was like a magic security camera, watching from a distance. I saw myself in the dining room, eating breakfast with my father.
What? That’s never happened before, I thought. I could just make out a figure in the kitchen, a tall and slender woman with long hair. I froze.
“Is… is that my mom?” I whispered, trying to get a better look. Kalos barked loudly, and I realised I had been walking to the edge of the path again. Carefully, I took a step back.
“Right, sorry,” I muttered to him, “What are these? How am I seeing them?”
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Kalos just continued forward, secretive as always. I sighed. The paths continued to diverge, creating more strange portals into what looked like scenes of my life, never illustrating the correct past or future event. My mother at my elementary school graduation when in reality, she had been dead for three years. My father playing with me in his study when I was a baby, which I’m convinced he would never do. Watching myself go to a regular high school instead of boarding schools, with friends and no blown up chemistry labs. None of these things had ever happened, and it’s not like they ever would. Where the hell was this place?
Finally, the road stopped at a simple wooden door standing all on its own, no wall to support it. Again, there was Greek writing on it, and this time I could sort of make the shifting letters out:
You are my most intricate creation.
My heart skipped a beat. Hecate had said that to me the first time I spoke with her. It ignited a small spark of hope in me to see it in my dream. Maybe she hadn’t completely abandoned me after all.
“Is it magic or something?” I frowned. I mean, I could see that if I opened it, it should just lead to the sea of blue grass on the other side, but then what would the point of this dream be if this road didn’t lead to anything? I reached for the rusty handle, and once more a strange sigil formed on my hand. It looked to seep from my hand into the handle, creating a very delicate and ornate pattern in the otherwise basic knob. I turned it, and wasn’t surprised to see that it led back into the cabin. Great, so this was just one big circle.
“Well, I certainly hope that was worth the good sleep I just lost,” I grumbled, but couldn’t help but smile when I saw Kalos snuggled into my arms like a puppy.
“It’s almost like you like me,” I joked, to which he licked my face with his giant wolf tongue.
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