Capítulo 718: FIRST TASTE OF WAR
26 FEBRUARY, FRIDAY, CONTINUED
I was making good time. Not that I had time to check, but it just felt like good time. I was already in the Warlock forest, on what felt like the right magic path to take. I could hear the leaves crunching underfoot (because it was autumn in this part of the Warlock lands), and my heart hammering a steady beat. My breath felt hot from the exertion, but it was a good exertion. I was going at a good pace and could possible keep this up all the way to my parents or Roy's place - whichever came first.
I never meant to stop running, but my feet slowed on it own when I passed the burnt hole in the woods - this was where the rogue truck shot us with that bazooka thing. The magic path was splintered here, so I had no choice but to stop to take my bearings. If I left this path, I might end up hurtling down that cliff again.
I took a few tentative steps forwards. My heart was still pounding. Stay calm, if I could just find the other half of the magic path, it'll lead me to Roy's. But wait, Dad had jumped off this path - so where would he be? I looked to the direction where I had last seen Dad and Beta Lucas and Bell... All the big men in my life, huh?
Okay, let's try going this way then. I wished I had my sense of smell, at least then I might be able to sniff Mum or Jonah out. My radar was weak in the warlock lands. #ihatewarlocklands.
And then I saw it. A chalk mark no bigger than my thumb on the base of a tree in a letter J with an arrow on its end. I was so happy I could cry. This was Jonah's mark.
"What the heck is that?" Ben had asked during one of our trekking exercises.
"It's my secret sign." Jonah righted himself up and announced proudly, "J for Jonah. Jonah was here and Jonah went that way."
"Then Jonah can only go left, right?" Lizzy was unimpressed.
"Uh...yeah." Jonah admitted.
"You can just write the J in mirror image to go right." I had suggested.
"Uh...Yes." Jonah nodded happy again, "I can go left or right."
Ben shrugged, "Just use our pack signs like everyone else."
Which was the exercise we were practicing.
Lizzy rolled her eyes, "Why must you complicated things?
I made my own sign too. An "A" pointed in whichever direction I had taken. At the time, I just thought it would be cool to be able to leave a unique print behind (and that A was for Alpha). I had quickly forgotten about this, but apparently, Jonah was still sticking to it.
Now that I thought about it, it would probably be a good idea to leave a mark in case someone had to come looking for me.
I didn't bring chalk though. And my sharp knife was now with Fluffy. I really didn't think this through. Oh well, I'll just follow Jonah.
I was just about to continue on my way when I realized I wasn't entirely alone, so I made a right turn instead, just to investigate for a bit.
"Stop it! I said stop it already! You're making it worse!" The voice was familiar. I looked reluctantly back at where Jonah's mark was urging me to turn left, but I was sure I knew that voice, and it was very close by.
"But I need more space." A second familiar voice complained. Now I was quite sure who they were.
The second voice continued to complain, "I've lost all feelings in my arms, Neil. Just chop it off."
Eh... that sounded serious.
"Chop it off yourself." Neil grumbled, "But stop moving! Every time you move the trap tightens."
"We're going to die here." Jax bemoaned.
"Rebel will come back... when he's done with Beta Lorent." Neil lied reassuringly.
"Well then I hope he plans to resurrect us." Jax was not reassured at all.
I popped out into a small clearing where there was a beam of light created by the overhanging crystals in the trees. Neil and Jax for suspended awkwardly in the beam, like it were some kind of alien tractor beam which got jammed halfway.
"Princess?" Jax saw me first because he was facing me.
"Oh s***." Neil said and tried to turn around.
I gave them my wide smile, "Is that anyway to greet your alpha?"
"Just don't come near the light, Princess!" Neil said.
"Don't even come close!" Jax warned, "It'll suck you in."
"Just you Jax." Neil grumbled, "You're like a trap magnet."
Jax laughed, "I am, aren't I?"
It wasn't a compliment.
I took out my crystal key. The weird light turned off and both men fell back to the ground.
"Owwwww, owww, owwww..." Jax shook out his arms, "Pins and needles backlash!"
Neil got up and dusted himself off. Then he casually picked up his bike from nearby, "Thanks, Princess. Can I give you a ride? Best we get out of here."
"What about Rebel?" Jax asked.
"He's probably long gone by now." Neil shrugged.
"But you said he was coming back." Jax argued.
"I lied." Neil admitted, "When had that guy ever cared for canon folder like us?"
Jax was still shaking out his arms. It didn't look like he would be picking up his bike anytime soon.
"I need to keep going. There's a rogue war going on back home, follow the path back to packlands and help." I ordered.
"Wait, princess!" Neil started his bike, "It's not safe for a girl to be running in the woods by herself. We'll come with you."
"Yeah, Princess, anyone can knock out a few rogues, but we're specialized bodyguards!" Jax boasted, "You can count on us!"
I looked at Jax still doing stretches in front of his fallen bike and sighed.
I know they were idiots, but I was never very good at saying no to idiots, "I'm not slowing down. If you want to follow me, you need to keep up. If you can't, then go back and make yourself useful."
And without wasting another second, I spun on my heels and ran back to Jonah's mark.
Okay, its still there. Even though I had my lucky sense of direction, it was somewhat reassuring to see Jonah's mark confirming that I was going the right way.
Jax's motorbike sputtered to life from somewhere behind me, and both guys were soon riding over.
"Told you she'd wait for us!" Jax crowed triumphantly.
So I started running again.
{Approaching rogues.}
Good! I was getting close. Don't worry Mum and Dad! I was coming to rescue you.
The motorbikes were damn loud though. I stopped running and raised an arm to signal Neil and Jax to ride straight forwards before dropping off to the right to flank them around the woods.
Jax was wrong, the both of them weren't that great as bodyguards - but as a diversion? Yeah, these two had a natural talent and flair for diverting attention.
I found a low branch to swing up onto. Never slowing down, I made my way across the branches. I took extra care not to alert the rogues below - one, two... five gunners. Probably more, hidden on the other side.
What wasn't hidden was Jonah's prophetic dream laid out in the open clearing: Mum's lean white wolf, Dad's monster black wolf, and an oversized light brown wolf (which I recognized immediately as Jonah) surrounded by rogue wolves. It wasn't a pretty sight.
Specifically, the rogue wolves were really ugly and gaunt in comparison. Their fur was straggly and when the one closest to me snarled, I couldn't help but notice how his teeth had these wide gaps between them, or how he was drooling.
If he was foaming, that would be a rabid and feral dog you'd see in the news right there.
They weren't like terribly large either. I mean, sure they were larger than Mum, but even Jonah was like nearly double the size of the biggest rogue. Then again, Jonah did turn out to be unexpectedly huge, almost as large as my betas. He might be even larger than his own dad! I guess his efforts to nurture a large wolf, protecting his "purity" and whatever else really paid off.
"VRRROOOOOMMMMM!!!" The motorbikes rushed straight through the last bit of woods. SHING! My hair flared out covertly into blades from above them in the trees.
And then the gunners shot, almost all at once, and at first I felt my blood freeze over - had I just sent Neil and Jax flying into their doom?
But in the next moment, I heard Neil and Jax firing back. Jax shrieking like a wild banshee.
The gunners had also given up their hidden positions the moment they shot, and I had to hand it to Neil and Jax, whether they had returned fire by instinct or skill, they hit their target.
I helped where I could, my blades slicing off branches and smaller trees to fall around the gunners.
Everything happened so quickly and the timing was just right - almost like we rehearsed it.
Just as the rogue wolves pounced towards my parents, Dad stepped in front of Mum and Jonah jumped in front of Dad. The first rogue bit Jonah, another two sprung up for my Dad, Neil and Jax shot out of the woods and into the gathering of rogue wolves.
Now there were two idiots shooting randomly at rogue wolves, I swung down from a tree and punched out the last gunner. Then I stepped out into the clearing, "Get up Jonah!"
Idiot. Why was he playing dead?
Jonah who was lying on the ground, opened one eye, and on realizing he had not died, he sprung back up on his feet and attacked his opponent. His large wolf was muscular and thickly furred. This was truly a specimen of a very healthy well-fed young male pack wolf.
Anyway, by now, the rogues had lost their upper hand. I got over to Mum's side, my blades slashing at whichever rogue dumb enough to come near. I also had to ward off at least four stray bullets. I think Neil and Jax was having too much fun. Also, I was bad a keeping count.
But the moment Dad was sure Mum was in the safe (thanks to me!), he was free to go crazy too.
In two minutes, it was over. I kid you not. I had thought that I was headed towards the worst battle of my life or something, and it was something horrible, but... I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't two minutes.
I thought the fight would be at least ten minutes - like a fight cage thing. But no. Real fights didn't include smack talking or strutting.
How did Gamma Endo call it? A blood bath. Yes. I suddenly understood the meaning of the word. I worked hard not too look at the mess of ripped up rogue wolves lying around us.
But also no. A bath was at least half an hour. This was just grrr... and shing and zoop... and thud on my end and it was over. On Dad's end, I did hear something like a crunch too.
If I had to describe it, I would have to say this was more like a very quick, violent, and desperate assault. I hated to do it, but I'd hate it even more if it were done to me or anyone with me, that kind of thing, except without any time to think about it at all.
I still didn't have any time to think about it. My job wasn't done yet, "We need to go back, Dad. Our packland is under attack."
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