Chapter 20

The air tasted salty, rain would start soon.

How absurd, as if I cared about the rain while we recklessly sped through the streets.

However, maybe, just maybe, if it cleaned off the red on my cloak and claws, I would be alright with it. Even now, as I pushed my legs to the limits, breath in my ears, each claw trembled from memory. Then, my heart seized painfully, as my mind climbed to darker corners, possibilities haunting any previous calm.

“The–The others,” I rasped, having difficulty knowing where to turn, how to function when my brain is seared with the memory of my fallen ward.

Why didn’t I notice, why didn’t I hear, why couldn’t I do anything?

Soon enough, the air is raining arrows, darts, and even needles. Civilian Dullings are screaming, scrambling to get away from the friendly fire. Those Hunters are much too slow to strike us, it’s pathetic, how did they manage to catch Opal at this speed? The civilians I understand but each of the Gem Wolves were optimal at survival.

How? How did they manage this under my nose?

Opal, I…

Ivory had been the one to take the lead while in wolf form, barreling through any Dullings unfortunate enough to be standing impassively in our way. His ear flicked at the question.

Ebony is the one to grab another arrow out of the air, snapping it between fingers as his eyes darkened in thought.

“They’re fine, Shepard, hidden away from this mess,” Ebony breathlessly declared as we turned the corner. The outside of the city became clearer to see, easier to run to. “Do not worry. You were the one to set these measures in place, remember?” His voice does not waver, but his lip quivered.

Ah. He’s right, however, I did.

Just in case. Just in case.

I did not expect results as painful as this.

We crossed outside the city, back to the wilderness. The Hunter and her cronies do not give up, they brought horses and various ammo, stinking up the air with compressed stolen magic. They were continuing the chase as if we were prized prey to be toyed with, to not get too close but to wear down.

The full cavalry should be intimidating.

…They still cannot touch us.

Ebony, Ivory and the wolves had trained me for this type of intensity. I do not slow, and neither do my brothers. We evade by escaping under thick branches of trees, by hiding, sliding in the overgrowth of bushes. Their weapons fired and struck but not a single hit landed. Even the sharp shooters failed to pierce our hearts, but our running pattern was tailored to those laying in wait.

Frustration leaked into the air like rotted spice, but all I could think is I hope a rockslide falls upon you all. Crushing their bones into paste would be enough to briefly quell the outrage in my veins.

Ivory must be the same, he hasn’t stopped snarling this entire mad dash.

And then, we hear the shouting of a crazed fool. That stupid fish.

“Must you run?! We’ve had longer hunts, Beast!” Called the lead Hunter, the goldfish mask eerily visible no matter what darkness, no matter how much light stayed present. “We only want to investigate you more! Can you blame us? The first of its kind! How the Nine must’ve favorited you, how much penny you’re worth,” Dreamily, the Hunter sighed, and I refused to give them a second of my ire. “Queen Wazir was helpful, yes, but you…I’ve spent days in that library waiting for you. An outlier of my previous hunt!”

A shiver ran up my spine, mint ears perked in warning.

Why is she getting closer, Goldfish’s voice sounded all over the place, but instincts are never to be ignored. Especially not during times of chaos. I cannot allow the same mistake, details cannot fall through!

A shadow broke into our path, passed Ivory who yelped in distraught, and charged straight to me.

The Goldfish Hunter was cloaked in magical furs surrounded by a trick of the light. I would’ve missed her if not for the hypervigilance. A silver spear stabbed forward, distanced and ready to pierce.

I prepared to brace myself, sneering, wondering what kind of poison dripped from the metal’s tip.

“Allow me the honor of taking your life! I’ll surely be thankful to the Nine for this opportunity!” The Goldfish cackled.

I wanted to break her teeth.

“You won’t be allowed such a thing, Pest!” Ebony snarled, and right then, did I remember Ebony’s intense drive to protect. “Banish your evil intentions away from our Shepard!”

Ebony rushed her before I could but that was fine.

I aimed for her eyes. Ebony went for her legs. The two of us were like a two-current hurricane upon an ignorant farmer who believed she could kill us by herself. Magic weapons are strong, but they did not make up for fighting capability, for our agility and higher sense of instinct.

Darts also descended upon us in the twirl of jabs and blocks, but Ebony was faster to get the Hunter to trip. She shrieked, unprepared, as I purposely fell under her. She howled as several darts struck her hip and arm. The fur did not completely protect her from the points.

Ebony had long stepped back, eying Ivory who ran ahead with a warning howl.

“You’re not supposed to shoot when I’m engaged with the target!” Goldfish had squealed like a pig, and kicked her off with a harsh push of my feet. “Ack…!”

The Hunter crumbled.

Something had broken, I felt it the second my foot pressed against a sensitive row of bones. In truth, I didn’t think much of how I aimed, only how I wanted to cause hurt against the one who harmed my harm so severely they perished in my arms.

“Why can’t I feel anything,” Goldfish whispered, horrified. “Why can’t I–Beast! Get back here, Beast! Idiotic Mutt! Brainless animal…!” She spewed hatred like it was her second tongue. It likely was. Her cursing had grown worse as mortification set in, Hunter could tell something was wrong but not what. “I will not be downed by feral beasts! I am a professional! I am better!”

May your hunting days forever be out of reach, I thought venomously, and so badly did I want to do more. The stampede of horses carrying foes stopped me.

Ebony and I turned tail and fled. We could hear the other hunters rushing to aid her, to help their fallen. It was far more generous than what we got. And so, Ebony and I didn’t hesitate to take the chance. We sped off to follow Ivory.

Far, far, away.

It didn’t feel far enough.

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Ivory did not talk as he shifted back, he shook like a leaf. However, Ivory stumbled over to me, and hugged my side. I tightly embraced him back, his white fluffy ears tickling my neck as Ivory tried to hide away in my cloak. There was a cliff nearby, with a steady waterfall, a perfect escape route so we couldn’t be tracked. Under the roll of water, I can hear Ivory sniffle.

Ebony himself was staring in the distance, his normally observant gaze, cloudy.

“Okay,” I breathed out, because the two needed grounding. “Ivory, Ebony? None of this is your fault. You understand? None of it. We are going to clear our steps, head back and,” Explain what happened to the wolves awaiting our safe and successful return? My eyes burned but I didn’t want to cry again. Not right now.

The new rustle in the bushes told me there was no time for a conversation.

A wide net flew over us, impossible to dodge with how it curled immediately in the air.

Two seconds in, my siblings growling, I thought, I can cut it. My claws were superior in terms of strength. From arrows, to rough material, I can rip through!

“Sister, wait!” Ivory yelled, three seconds late, as I registered his protest while cutting into the net.

There was a spark, five, and the world became a livewire of burning fire.

I will be honest, I cannot hear my brothers’ agony over my own screaming. Am I screaming? Everything felt like too much, bursting and burning. Prodding and stinging, my vision had flickered from the intensity. This was not normal electricity, not in a world where light bulbs were powered by the essence of magical creatures. As the shock died down, I realized my tongue was limp and numb. My ears were ringing.

Ebony’s arm twitched, and with a snarling swipe, he threw the net off of us. His limbs quivered, twitching from the aftershocks.

Ivory released a drawn whine, limp, and my heart twitched out of misery and pain for them.

Sorry, I’m sorry you two, sorry, I couldn’t speak.

Ebony shuffled his laying unstable body to shield both Ivory and I, his eyes hazily focused on the darkness of the bush.

My limbs felt heavy but I found myself sitting up, brown skin burning and mint fur frazzled.

“And so the Beast falls today,” Came a familiar, unwanted voice. A shadow of a Dulling woman climbed over us. Through blurry vision, I saw blue fabric. “How did you like the game, Beast? Do you remember the day we met? You ran just as fast as today. I even wore the same dress for the occasion.” Queen Wazir wisely stayed out of lunging range.

“How beautifully the world can turn, to lead us back to one another.” Queen Wazir purred, and with a shuffle, she pulled a hand from her pocket. “Here, have a look, Beast. Look what I’ve gotten from this little chase.”

This…This horrid, insatiable, Queen of a nation I could care less about. What is she speaking of?

The first thing I smelled was blood and crushed peaches.

The second thing I notice are the two small stained opal gems in her hand, tied to wire of several teeth.

Opal had been missing teeth. Opal had a couple other gems on their body.

Opal had been missing–! Opal…

I wanted to scream. I needed to howl about this injustice.

My tongue tasted blood.

“You stole my efforts, caused me to use a lot of money to make this happen,” Queen Wazir crowed with pride. “And so I will take all you’ve stolen, and then some. Starting with your little friends.”

I trembled, tongue still annoyingly heavy and worthless. I could not trust myself to speak while my head still ached like a bursting fruit, and claws itched for mindless violence. Wazir could easily throw another net. She could easily…Harm Ivory and Ebony further.

There is a click, and my muscles locked up.

However, Queen Wazir merely unraveled an accessory in her free hand.

A collar.