Him G²

Him had always felt a little unsettled, staring into Total Eclipse's third eye when they spoke to him. Of course he wouldn't say anything, (how rude!) but still- something about it was disturbing and commanding all at once.

"Does that make it clearer?" Total Eclipse finished their in-depth herbalist session for the day and snapped Him back to the present.

He blinked before dipping his head in a respectful gesture. "Yes, Total Eclipse, thank you for sharing your knowledge with me."

Total smiled, perhaps a bit too widely. Their teeth glittered as they hit the light and eyes squeezed shut, except the third that almost bulged open. "Happy to help! Soon it will be my turn to take over- I mean, for YOU to take over as the herbalist of the coalition. It is a very important role." They chuckled softly and shoved the plant of study today, garlic, toward him.

Him's nose scrunched up at the sharp sent of the garlic and a chill ran up his spine. Whatever Total was speaking of, it was clear they weren't going to elaborate. It was back to herb studies today.
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[Dark Eclipse Applicator used]

Him felt another painful shiver run through his body. His whole body ached and it took all he had to keep his pale eyes open against the pinprick light of the den entrance. This fever was the worst he'd experienced, and even Total Eclipse's usual methods weren't working. The epidemic had spread from a patient Him had been treating, but his case was worse.

Relief and shock hit him as the blinding light was eclipsed by Total themself. A squishy pawpad gently touched his nose as another violent shiver racked Him's body. "Dangerously high." The gray wolf said gravely.

Him quivered, but not from the fever. Deadly. He thought and adrenaline numbed his pain and increased his heartbeat. "Please," he whimpered, hating himself for sounding so pathetic. He didn't want to die.

Total paused, and Him felt the moments tick by painfully. Was there anything to be done, anyway? Was he fated to die?

The gray wolf breathed out a shaky breath, muttering something he couldn't quite hear before a moment later they started coughing and sputtering. They didn't have time to breathe between fits of painful choking. Him had his eyes pried open in horror- Total hadn't been sick, this felt too deliberate anyway, distressed.

A moment later, something had come out of their mouth. Him peered at it, equal parts curious and horrified, before it shot up at him and struck him right in the eye. He yelped as pain and a chill ran through his body.

Then with each heartbeat, the cold turned into hot, hotter, burning and the pain became more and more unbearable. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out. Instead he felt it moving around.

And then the pain was too much, and Him blacked out.
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It had been a few nights since the incident. Total had faded as the moments passed, and Him watched with somber silence.

He gave his life for yours a voice whispered deep in the recesses of his mind. He couldn't tell if they were his own thoughts anymore. The heaviness fogging his mind made him not care. They were a good wolf.

Him stared numbly at Total Eclipse, the pit in his stomach falling deeper as he looked at the space where his third eye had been.
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Today is the day. Him reached the tender age of 12 months and would take his role as herbalist for the coalition. He had woken up and Total Eclipse was gone, like he suspected the gray wolf would be. He let the feeling swirl around in his mind before he blinked- all three of his darkened eyes- and felt the vines surrounding him tighten and grip him firmly to his obligations.