Chapter 17: Love in War

Nia groaned as she sat up against the wall. She held her stomach in pain, reverting from her Super Full Power. She looked annoyed and defeated. Leona walked over to Nia, rubbing her eyes as they burned and itched. “You did better than I expected.” Leona said, sticking out her hand. Nia scoffed, grabbing Leona’s hand, and she pulled her up. “Nice to see you’re not a sore loser.” “Hmph. I know when to put my pride aside.” Nia replied.

The two sat on one of the edges of the mat, resting. Neither said a word for a few minutes. “C-Can I ask you something?” Leona broke the silence. Nia nodded. “Ferral? Really?” She scrunched her face in confusion and a little disgust. “What? Are you jealous?" Nia chuckled. Leona cringed, “No, God no. It’s just…I’ve seen what that idiot’s become. What do you see in him?” Nia looked at the ground, her face softening. “He’s not as bad as you think,” She said, “There’s so much more to him than the hate and anger you’ve seen. He’s compassionate, funny, loving…” Her voice trailed off, blushing, lost in her thoughts. Leona raised an eyebrow, loudly clearing her throat. That snapped Nia back, and she laughed, embarrassed. “Sorry.”

“You realize he almost caused the extinction of an entire species, right?” Leona questioned. “Well, his actions were just. It’s not his fault they can’t move on and live out their pathetic lives.” “Uh-huh. I’m going to assume his insanity rubbed off on you.” Nia shook her head, “No, I hated humans long before. The majority of us did, that’s why it was so easy to follow Ferral. He did what we wanted to.” This conversation started to make Leona feel uncomfortable. So, she changed the conversation. “Well, regardless, how exactly did you and Ferral meet?” Nia smiled, “It’s a pretty funny story,” She pointed at her missing right eye, “He actually gave me this.” “WHAT?!” Leona gasped. Nia laughed, “No, no, it’s not bad.” She began to retell the time between her and Ferral…..

6 Years Ago

The world is in ruin, and experiments destroyed everything. Leading this uprising, a man in a tattered black cloak…..Ferral. He, as well as four other wolf experiments, went around the world, toppling cities, convincing other experiments to join in their cause. When they did, one of the other wolves stayed on the continent as leader. Until it was only him. Ferral stationed himself in Australia. The majority of experiments were easily swayed to follow Ferral; their disdain for humanity matched his. But even his rule didn’t come with problems. Other experiments tested his authority, wanting to be on top. One of those challengers was Nia.

While Ferral and his group rested in a camp they made, he played with the infant Laura. She laughed as he threw her up and the air and caught her. Then, one of Ferral’s soldiers ran to his tent. “SIR!” He shouted, “Someone is here! They wish to challenge you!” Ferral sighed, getting up and walking toward the soldiers. He handed Laura to him. “Take her to one of the caretakers till I’m done.” He nodded, “Yes, sir!” The soldier ran off.

Ferral left his tent, finding a woman standing a few feet away from it. She wore a navy blue t-shirt with the left sleeve ripped off, and baggy white pants. Her long, fluffy jet black hair flowed over her shoulders. And her dark skin made those piercing emerald eyes shine more in the night. It was Nia.

“You must be Ferral, am I right?” She asked, her voice full of confidence. “Please, back down now.” Ferral responded, “There’s no point in fighting, you won’t win.” Nia raised her chin, “I’m not like the other weaklings you’ve taken down with ease. I WILL defeat you.” “And what will that accomplish?” “It will give me the ability to kill every last human. I’ve heard rumors that you intend to leave some of them alive. Is this true?” Ferral didn’t respond, but took off his cloak, throwing it to the side. “I won’t kill you, but I’ll definitely make you learn respect.”

Nia chuckled, “Then let’s go!” She dashed forward, ready to strike, but Ferral didn’t move. When she threw a punch, he jumped up, landing on her forearm and kicking her across the face. He flipped in the air before landing on the ground. She slid back, growling in anger. Nia charged again, launching a volley of attacks. Ferral didn’t put up his guard, but instead only dodged. She couldn’t hit him, Ferral looking at her in disappointment. Nia noticed this and her blood boiled. “WHAT’S WITH THAT FACE?!” She roared, her attacks becoming faster. One of her punches finally caught Ferral in the jaw; his face was in disbelief. He cock back his left fist and threw a strike right at her face. But to Ferral’s surprise, she blocked it. Ferral’s expression changed; he was curious now. He jumped back, getting into fighting stance. Nia grinned, “Finally want to take this seriously? Alright!” The two squared up and bolted at each other.

Other experiments start coming out of their tents, hearing the noise. They watched in awe as the two fought around the flame in the middle of the camp. It was mesmerizing, like watching a dance. Their movements complemented each other, almost in sync. But what the crowd couldn’t see was the combatant's expression. Their eyes locked on the other, smiling, as if oddly enjoying it. In the end, Ferral swiped his right claws up, slicing across Nia’s right eye. She screamed in pain, putting her hands over her eye. Ferral spun around, slamming his left elbow into the back of her neck, knocking Nia out.

After waking up, Nia found she was inside Ferral’s tent. She placed her hand over her right eye, and bandages wrapped around the side of her head. Ferral walked in, holding a first aid kit. “Good, you’re awake.” He said, lighting the dirty lantern over his cot. It dimly lit the inside, just enough to see the other’s face. “So, I guess I lost.” He placed the first aid kit on a small table. “To be honest, you were never going to win.” She looked down in disappointment. But she smiled and chuckled quietly. “Then the stories are true, you really are unbeatable.” Nia gripped the sheets, “Even at my best, I couldn’t take you down. And then you said I never had a chance? Incredible.” Ferral sat on the edge of the cot, “If it’s any consolation, you’re the first person to actually make me start trying.”

She looked up at him, her eyes widened. “It was honestly refreshing to have an actual fight,” Ferral continued, “You’re pretty amazing yourself, miss.” Her face softened, “Thank you.” Ferral pointed at her right eye, “I’m sorry about that, truly. If you want, I can always make you a prosthetic one?” She shook her head, “No, I want this as a reminder. That I can still get stronger.” Ferral smiled and nodded, “Very well. But I still have to treat it and make sure it doesn’t get infected.” Ferral got up and grabbed the kit, then walked back. He reached to undo her bandages, and their eyes locked. The emerald and crimson colors were glowing in the low light. They couldn’t look away, a heat spreading over their faces. Ferral cleared his throat, “Sorry, I just….got distracted.” He started removing the bandages. “Yeah…me too.” They sat in silence for a while.

“You know, I could use someone with your strength.” Ferral finally spoke while he cleaned her wound. She looked at him, confused. He continued, “I’ve been looking for a second in command, and you seem like a good fit. I could help you train and get stronger.” Nia thought about it for a moment. She smiled, “I’d be honored.”

After that, the two became an unstoppable duo. Taking down the humans who tried to fight back by themselves. It seemed no one could stop these two. They talked about their passions and dreams. They grew to be close friends, being inseparable. Even Laura liked to have Nia around. She would cling to her more than any of the other caretakers.

Ferral and Nia would spend lots of time training. Ferral even showing her Super Full Power. “Wow! That’s incredible!” She said, awestruck. Ferral laughed, “It’s a pretty difficult form to achieve. I’m the only one who can do this. But, I think you’ve got what it takes.” Nia nodded, excited. “Yeah! I’m ready!” As they and the rest of their group wandered through the continent, they would train day and night till she reached this form. Every second the two spent together, their bond grew deeper and stronger. Their hearts burned wildly being around the other.

In only a few months, Nia achieved Super Full Power. Even Ferral was shocked. “Amazing, Nia! You did wonderfully!” I cheered. She walked over to a pond and looked at herself. “Awesome…” She muttered in disbelief. However, the strain the form had for first-time users kicked in, and she found herself groaning in pain as her body ached. She reverted out of the form, almost passing out. Before she hit the ground, Ferral caught her in time. She panted on his chest, looking up as Ferral gave a soft smile. “Yeah, it’s pretty exhausting the first time. But you’ll get used to it.” He chuckled. She moved her face closer to his, catching him off guard. Locking eyes once again, they could feel each other’s heavy breathing. The two moved in closer, closing their eyes as they kissed. It was passionate, and the rest of the world faded around them. They held it for a minute before slowly moving apart. The two looked at each other, laughing, embarrassed.

After another month, Ferral brought Nia to a random part deep in the jungle. “Why are we out here?” She asked. “I’ve been thinking, and I think it’s time our group settled.” Ferral said. “We’ve been nomadic for long enough, and we seem to keep getting more people, so we need somewhere to stay for good.” He pointed in front of him, “This should be a great place. It’s deep within the jungle, and it’s right by a constant flowing body of fresh water.” She walked beside him, understanding the vision. “I suppose. Guess we’ve got a lot of work to do.” Ferral nodded, “Yeah, but it’ll be easy. And I’ll designate myself the chief of this settlement.” Nia giggled, “Chief, huh? Whatever you say.” She teased. They laughed. Ferral looked at her, nervous. “And since I’m going to be chief, I think you should get a promotion.” She tilted her confused, “A promotion? To what?”

He didn’t respond for a moment, clearing his throat. “Well….maybe….only if you want….could be the wife of the chief.” Her eyes widened, “A-Are you….asking me to marry you?” He looked away, staring at the sky. “Something like that. I’m not very good at these kinds of things.” He was waiting for her response, so he was stunned when she tackled him. “YES!” She hugged him tightly on the ground. “YES! A THOUSAND TIMES, YES!!” The two kissed, and after moving apart, laughed happily.