Artemis

Minnie stood to the far backside of the cave, huddled over a poorly lit flame. The young girl shivered from the howling winds and rain, desperately fighting to put out her fire. Her breath billowed in thick white puffs, staring to the near-black clouded skies.

"Okay, come on. I have come all this way... I will not have a storm stop me now! I have come to ask for eternal life and I am going to get it at any and all costs!"

With nothing but the roaring winds, whistling through her ears, Minnie lays down on her scattered bed of mud, grass, and leaves. The following morning woke Minnie with a start, as a snake hissed close to her ear, causing her to jump. For a moment she looked around, but when her eyes set upon the slithering serpent, she let out a loud and concerning yelp.

Minnie looked to her feet as she tripped against the ground, and fell to one side. "W-What the?" She managed to let out before stumbling to the floor.

Her once soft pale skin and platinum blonde hair were gone. Before her now were four white paws and a tail that refused to stop smacking into her face, giving her the increasing urge to bite it. Minnie looked all along her back to the tip of her new tail. Somehow during the night, she had changed from a woman, into a wolf.

"Sssseriousssssly? What the hell are you sssscreaming about?" the snake hissed, looking the young wolf in the eyes.

"Sss-S-Sorry... Wait... you can talk?!" Minnie yipped.

"Yessss... Why issss that sssso ssssurprissssing?"

"W-Well... I ugh..." Minnie quickly looked back to her paws. "I am a wolf..." She paused. "I shouldn't hear a snake, right?"

"What are you, new or ssssomething? Only humanssss can't undersssstand ussss. They are pathetically dumb." The snake rudely spit.

"Hey!" Minnie whimpered, her pride hurt.

"Oh, now I get it. You musssst have been bred in captivity. What are you doing out here then?"

"I..." Minnie paused, remembering her traumatizing past. "I came here to ask for eternal life... but all I got was confusion... How is being a wolf having eternal life when they die quicker?"

"You are a weird one." the snake looked at her with a sideways glance. "All life issss eternal. The godssss have given ussss the ability to passss from thissss world to the next."

"What?"

The next few minutes are spent explaining how Native Americans, the only living humans who still believe the tales, and animals, who have always believed in this lore, were granted a special passage between the living and spiritual planes. When the great lights cross the skies thanks to the gorgeous fox fires, those who have passed, are granted passage back to the living realm to revisit their loved ones. Mini listened in angst to know more about these strange times and questioned why on Earth the gods would change her to a wolf instead of just telling her about this.

The young wolf spent the next few minutes stumbling up and down a hill, trying to figure out how to walk. She continued to try and stand on her hind legs, questioning how the poodles across social media made it look so easy. When she tried to walk on all fours, her rump would hold high in the air, walking on her tiptoes. Mostly, she looked like a fool and any animal who happened upon her would laugh at her silly antics. But that was when she appeared.

Minnie's eyes set upon an all-black wolf with beautiful bright blue eyes. Currently on the floor after her millionth failed attempt, Minnie blinked, trying to understand what was so funny about genuinely needing help.

"So this is where you have been, Artemis." Tala chuckled.