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What a Rude Door — Description

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Handler name: Eirik Manning
Tokota Import: Howl
Prompt: New environments are scary for wild animals. Depict your handler taking their Tokota to a new environment, whether it's a farm, city, beach, etc. and how they comfort and reassure their Tokota.

This piece was super fun to work on, I liked making the angle super dynamic :>
The location is pulled from here

"Little Job"

Luckily, Eirik knew how to row a dingy. Otherwise, the whole mission Mitchel had sent him on would have been a waste of time. Earlier, when leaving the doctor’s tent Eirik had walked with Howl along the beach where Mitchel had indicated on his map but, after viewing the landscape, Eirik had seen it was impossible to get to the spot by foot. The handler must had forgotten to tell the doctor that little detail in their excitement. There was a small boat left by the shore, so Eirik had commandeered it.

The boat ride on the way to shore was almost eventful. After about ten minutes of rowing Howl first noticed something in the water. Eirik looked over and saw something glittering deep below the surface, but he wasn’t here for spelunking, so he continued onward much to Howl’s dismay. The dire pup longingly hung from the side of the boat staring at it as they rowed away.

They landed safely in the bay and dragged the dingy up the beach so that it didn’t drift away while they were exploring. Eirik looked along the cliffs towering above him. Howl jumped out and bounded along after Eirik, happy to stretch his legs after being cramped in the boat. Eirik was surprised the pup had taken everything so far so well. Maybe it is doing some good taking him out like this.


Before he got too lost in thought Eirik noticed that Howl was preoccupied with one spot of the cliff wall, curious he walked over. Amongst the many cracks and crevices, Eirik spotted an opening just big   enough for the two to them to fit through. This must be what Mitchel and the handler were talking about. After snapping a couple pictures on both his phone and the doctor’s digital camera, Eirik cautiously poked his head inside.

It took him a moment for his eyes to adjust and he automatically stuck a leg out so that Howl wouldn’t sneak in before he could make sure they were welcome there. Howl automatically tried to slip between Eirik’s legs sensing there was something he couldn’t get to. Eirik immobilized him by just squeezing Howl as he attempted to shove past, catching the pup before he could get his rump through, but it was a struggle due to Howl’s unending growth. “I hope you aren’t planning on doing whatever you want now since you’re getting bigger than me,” he said with a grunt, making a mental note to start on basic commands. Howl replied with a wail of protesting, squirming slightly. Inside was a large cavern and a door of sorts appeared carved into the far wall with an inscription above. This is it, I guess I’ll have to get closer to take photos, then I can head back. Seeing the cavern was clear of any harmful creatures, Eirik let go and allowed Howl to explore.

Snapping a few more photos around the cavern Eirik made his way over to the door toward the back of the cavern. The air here was stale due to the lack of wind reaching in the small opening, but enough sunlight poked in so Eirik wasn’t completely blind, and the photos would be in focus. The entrance and main chamber of the cave was uneventful, just a hollowed gouge carved out of the cliff face, the same as the other ones along the shore. But the back of the cavern wasn’t just like any other, a large door stood, drawing both Eirik and Howl toward it with a magnetic, mysterious aura.

It stood carved into the very stone of the cave with two pillars on either side, foreign, yet in his bones Eirik knew that this had been here long before. The carvings looked almost identical to the ones Mitchel had shown Eirik on the relics. Coastal imagery, strange deities, and tokotas with aquatic features danced up and around the door. Eirik quietly read it under his breath as he took a picture, “Beyond this wall is what you seek but first you must prove your worth,” lowering his eyes Eirik saw a sign hanging from the large doors where the handles should have been.

“Where monsters sleep

And dinosaurs weep

Where only the brave and bold

Go to find the truth untold”

He may write for a living but he was certainly not a words smith. He got his degree in communications. He could see points on the door that he could press to spell a word below the riddle. No way. But Howl, having a day of getting into things he shouldn’t, pressed his nose right into a letter. Q. Great. Two bowls on either side, previously dusty, roared to life, bathing the cave in warm light. Eirik winced but nothing else happened, sighing he reached for Howl shaking his head at the clumsy pup.

Something clicked. Without thinking Eirik lunged forward grabbing Howl and protectively curling around him. He rolled away from the door, feeling an emptiness where the ground in front of the door used to be. Eirik knelt in place swearing as his head caught up to his body. Slowly, he let go of Howl as the dust finally settled. Just where they had been standing was a square hole, the ground that had previously just been there had slid into the floor. The door must not have liked Howl’s answer and wanted to punish them for it.

Eirik, still holding onto Howl peeked over the edge of it, a ten-foot drop with hostile spikes waited below. A few bones and skulls litter the ground. Eirik looked away from those before he could identify them. But curiously a few feet down what seemed to be large button protruding from the wall, caught Eirik’s eye. Without thinking Eirik reached for a palm sized rock and threw it at the button. Thunk. Unceremoniously the carved doors opened and ground above the spike pit slid back into its place. Eirik quickly grabbed Howl before he trotted through the door.

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Featuring- Howl (Tracker )
3(fb colored shaded) +2(bg) +5(1000 WC) +4(non-com) +2(rite) +3(loyal handler) = 19 HP Total