Chapter 19- The Stars

[CW- This chapter contains mild body horror and feelings of unreality. Please take care of yourself while reading.]

The swords shot toward Peggy, their cold, metallic blades all aimed at Peggy’s throat. For a moment, she saw her life flashing before her.

All those missed lessons.

The time she spent with Aurellia.

The sensations she felt while touching Mikael…

And then…

She ducked down and rolled off of the runes on the ground.

Her back slammed into the base of one of the pews behind her, and she let out a groan.

“Clever little human,” the thing stood in the place of the goddess statue crackled.

“I had some help…” Peggy panted as she tried to stand. Her back hurt badly. In her head, she could feel both Eli and Mikael panicking, even with undercurrents of relief that she was alive.

“I know,” it replied. “And you will need that help to survive the times to come.”

“You still haven’t told me who you are…” she said.

The thing paused, seemingly considering its response. For a moment, the chapel was filled with an unnatural silence.

“Do you want my name, or my domain?" it asked.

“... What does that mean?” Peggy asked, breathless from the pain.

“Exactly what I said,” it replied.

Now it was Peggy’s turn to hesitate. She tried to reach out to Mikael or Eli, but the mind link was still distorted. She couldn’t feel either of them.

She would have to make this choice alone…

“What is your name?”

“My name,” it hissed and crackled. “Is not pronounceable by mortal tongue.”

“Hey!” Peggy snapped. “That wasn’t-”

“But,” it interrupted. “I believe mortal used to call me the Wolf Star…”

Peggy’s face drained of colour as she heard that, looking up at this creature that made her eyes burn and her mouth dry.

“... Stellar Lupis?” she whispered.

This thing had no visible mouth, just white eyes with black pupils that fizzled and shuddered… And yet she could feel it grinning at her.

“Ah, yes… That is how it is pronounced.”

“But- but that’s not possible…” she whispered.

“Why not?” it asked, twisting its head to the side like a confused puppy. “After all, the Canids worship the moon. Is a star any different?”

“That’s not… I…”

Peggy could feel herself trembling, her eyes glued to this impossible creature that stood before her, juddering and shaking like static.

“I…” her mind started to go blank as her vision was filled with this creature, the black void of it’s body stretching out indefinitely.

There was only her.

Only the star.

Only the inky void that they were.

Peggy’s pupils dilated so much she could feel the stretch. Her iris and sclera threatened to tear as she took in this divine creature.

“The stars are coming for you,” whispered around her mind.

Time lost all meaning.

Her focus solely on this creature.

Her limbs went limp.

It was like she was floating.

Floating toward the star.

There was no Peggy.

There was only Stellar Lupis.

Her hands brushed over something.

It felt like static and gel.

This wasn’t something she was supposed to understand.

This was a being who was and always had been.

She closed her eyes, bracing to be consumed.

“...E…G…Y!”

Something pulled at the edge of her consciousness.

“PE…Y!” There it was again.

That’s right…

Mint and pine…

She opened her eyes again.

Teeth!

Too many teeth!

She screamed and pushed herself away from the monster. She had been lifted up close to the statue, this thing’s maw open wide.

“PEGGY!” she heard Mikael screaming from the grass.

She looked out at him.

They needed to leave.

“Shh,” Stellar Lupis cooed. “Just go to sleep…”

“No!” she shouted. She struggled against its hold until it dropped her.

Crunch.

She cried out in pain.

No time for pain.

She had to leave.

It started reaching forward again. She scrabbled to her feet, the adrenaline dampening the pain in her leg.

She turned to run back through the door toward the rest of the monastery.

“Nowhere to run…” Stellar Lupis gurgled.

Peggy’s heart thundered. Glancing around, normally that thing would be right.

But this room had seen more than enough damage. There were ways out. Stupid ways.

“... Yes, there is,” she whispered, before running toward one of the broken and wobbly walls. She covered her head and ran as hard as she could at it.

CRASH

She tumbled through the wall, her leg screaming in agony.

“PEGGY!” Mikael shouted. She stumbled up, her vision blurred.

Eli had dragged Mikael outside the barrier and was holding him back from running back in.

“Run!” she shouted at them both. She limped toward them as fast as she could.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEGH!

Stellar Lupis grew in size, smashing down another one of the walls.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Mikael shouted.

“JUST RUN!” Peggy screamed back.

She tried to get to the border of the monastery land, but her leg collapsed from under her. She was maybe five feet away from Mikael and Eli…

“Shit,” she whimpered. She had fallen onto her already painful back. The Stellar Lupis was gaining on her at speed.

Before she could process the number of limbs it had grown and the way it moved, Mikael had broken free of Eli.

“Stay away-!” he shouted, his voice deepening as he shifted into Yonus.

“From my mate!” Yonus barked up at the Stellar Lupis.

“Mikael!” Eli screamed.

“Get Peggy!” Yonus barked back.

Eli did as instructed, grabbing Peggy by the hood and dragging her into the woods.

“You’re going to die here, little wolf,” the Stellar Lupis growled. “You’re already feeling sick and weak here…”

“I am…” Yonus confirmed. “But you will not hurt her…”

Just as the Stellar Lupis brought up a hand to swat Yonus, he jumped back, running to the nearest edge of the grounds.

He was going to lead it away.

“Yonus…” Peggy said weakly, her vision fading in and out.

Yonus sprinted away to the treeline. The Stellar Lupis tried to follow.

CLANG

As soon as it hit the edge of the grounds, it was rebuffed back.

It let out piercing, frustrated screams.

“Let’s go…” Eli whispered, lifting Peggy into their arms, quickly running away from the monastery.

Peggy was trying desperately to hold on…

But her injuries were too much.

Peggy blacked out.