Night had fallen again as the group of five carried on through the valley. Elise held position to the back left of Vulper, Sacho to her right, and Destiny in the middle. Heading up the rear was Thomas who was constantly on the look out with a spinning head, occasionally twisting his torso around to look behind. Their steps echoed as they continued on, the end of the valley soon to be in sight as they turned one more bend.
Ahead it was there, the walls shortening off as the ground became greener, trees ahead. Elise smiled as Destiny groaned aloud, “Finally.”
Vulper nodded as they kept moving towards the end, “Finally indeed. We’ll address the Stark Pack and get this over with.”
“You’re sure they won’t attack us right?”
“Lord Azala’s logic is on point. Yes they probably want to get out from under our thumb but they won’t risk war. This is because their leader, Dustin, is an incompetent fat fool. What, are you afraid Elise?”
Her head shook as she murmured, “I just don’t really desire an encounter with them again after what happened last time.”
“Last time?” Thomas questioned, “What’s the big deal? You barely fought and the priests scared them off from what you reported.”
“There might’ve been more to the story that I just left out, alright? Doesn’t matter now though.”
“Isn’t it a bit irresponsible to leave things out of your report?” Sacho growled, looking at her.
“I talked to Britt about it and he said to keep it to myself because no one would believe it. I don’t think he even believed it. During that confrontation we battled them right? Well, the priests didn’t scare them off because there weren’t any, just two guys dressed like Priests. They could breathe fire and move around faster than any Vampire. And the Stark Pack had their own guy with super powers.”
“You know you’re right, I don’t believe it,” Sacho laughed.
“You had to have been high or something Elise,” Thomas replied.
“Be silent, we’re about there, and their are eyes on us already.”
“Eyes Vulper? Where?”
Rock crumbled down the slopes of the valley as the group came to a halt, figures soon visible atop as if on cue. Elise’s eyes wandered around , Thomas and Destiny froze, quick to stand on guard as Sacho grew tense. Vulper simply let his own eyes dart around, “Twenty-four eh?”
“{Tch, we’re surrounded?}” Elise thought to herself with muscles tensing.
Her eyes looked up the right wall and froze, the sight of David quickly churning her stomach. Milly stood to his right, both seeming to be looking down upon Elise in particular. David let off a smile once his gaze caught sight of Elise’s.
Vulper sighed and looked off to the right at once, “We are of Clan Vulfax here to seek an audience with your Alpha. If we can not see Dustin then we request that a message be delivered from Lord Azala.”
David was the one who spoke out, “I am David of Stark Pack, second hand to our Alpha. Lord Dustin is occupied and will not be receiving your message, though as his second in command I will be more than happy to take a message.”
Elise glanced around, “This doesn’t feel right, why so many for the valley? Stark Pack can’t be big enough to allow this for all points of possible entry or patrol, can they?” she murmured.
“No,” Destiny mumbled back, “This is not normal.”
“I thank you then David. Lord Azala commands that you abide by our contract of blood. Stark Pack recently has been sighted as acting out in my master’s eyes. He says this will not be tolerated. Any further defiance could lead to the extermination of your Pack. As tribute he demands no more than twenty percent bonus this next moon.”
Yells of shock arose from those on the valley walls, all barking down as David continued to smirk. Destiny looked up, “That smarmy douche bag just had to be here.”
“Those terms are steep, far too steep. You already take twenty percent of our land, of our hunting grounds, of our resources. To take another, that’s simple insanity. We have many mouths to feed, many threats knocking. We can not devote such an extent of ourselves to you people.”
“Then it will be your own destruction David!” Vulper shouted.
“And what if we kill you now and frame the Goblins? Eh? Yeah you heard me, the Goblins. Those wretched creatures have been a thorn in your master’s side for ages longer. What if we never received your memo? What if we framed them? Vulfax would go to war with the Goblin and make themselves vulnerable, too vulnerable to take charge over Stark Pack. I think that idea is fair, what say you men?”
At once those along the valley walls cheered out in celebration, as if calling out to the heavens themselves. Vulper took a step back, his face showing signs of discomfort.
Sacho looked over to Vulper immediately, “Are you serious Vulper? You’re putting us in the Lion’s Den with this. Even with Elise’s newfound skill we can’t take on all these guys you dumb ass!”
“Didn’t it just get stated that they wouldn’t take this approach too?” Destiny hissed.
“Honestly I thought our Lord knew something that I didn’t,” Vulper replied taking a firm stance, “If it weren’t an order, I would not have agreed to this.”
“So what are we just supposed to be a martyr for Vulfax to start a war, is that what this is about?!” Destiny spat.
Elise broke rank, stepping passed the stationed Vulper. He held his hand out, “Elise, stay back!”
She stopped before the cliff, looking straight up at David, “Alright David, let’s do this, you and me!”
David looked at her, an eye raised. She continued, “Oh I’m sorry, I thought you wanted to avenge the life of that mongrel I put down that last time David. You seemed pretty shaken up by it if I remember right. Come on, let’s do this!”
David scowled with a growl. Beside him Milly’s nails turned to lengthy claws, her teeth sharpening, her eyes going wolf-like.
“Elise, the heck are you doing?” Vulper called.
“I have no idea, a distraction? Probably the best I can do. He seems prideful enough.”
“Fucking… little harpy. All Wulfn, get ready to rip these bastards apart!” David yelled out.
“Crap, that’s not what I was expecting-” Elise mumbled.
Howls were heard at once though not the howls of wolves or Wulfn, the howls of men and women. Rocks shifted and clattered all at once. Elise’s eyes stretched big as did those of her companions. All of the warriors with David quickly turned around, David himself doing such. Figures bolted down from the ledges above David and his patrol unit.
Among the many flew Rusty, Britt, and even Phil. Down rained the Vulfax Warriors with weapons at the ready from sword to dagger to bow and arrow. Arrows flew down into the many warriors of Stark Pack as blades were plunged into their flesh by many of the falling warriors of Vulfax.
Screams broke out and then yells. Several Wulfn fell backwards off their stationed points towards the valley floor though Drachen also fell. David moved quickly and slammed his right fist into the gut of one Drachen, flinging it over him and off to the valley below. The individual screamed until the splat.
Thomas stumbled back, Destiny coughed, Sacho grunted. Elise’s feet shuffled around as her hair flopped.
“Vulper, what the hell is going on here?” Destiny spat.
“An invasion proposed by Britt, confirmed by Lord Azala,” came the response, though not from Vulper.
A figure dropped down behind, that figure being Nora. She landed beside Sacho, looking at the raining Drachen who fell atop the Wulfn.
“An invasion? Explain!” Sacho barked.
“Lord Azala opted long ago to get rid of Stark Pack. Originally he was going to just send everyone in to fight; but then Britt predicted Stark Pack’s movements and made a compromise at long last. He convinced Lord Azala to send a small squad with a message to confront the Pack, estimating that they’d have a massive patrol watching the valley in preparation for exactly what David stated. He had you all wait for Sacho before starting this so he could amass our forces and follow.”
“And he couldn’t have said this before we went in?” Vulper mumbled.
“Couldn’t risk someone being overly confident and sending out red flags,” Nora said glaring at Elise.
“Don’t look at me Nora!”
“No matter. Now, while we hold them, head into the forest and drag Dustin out by his fat flubbering carcass. We’re to use him to force the pack to stand down and submit. Though he might be a pathetic slob, a Wulfn Pack will always answer to their Alpha and protect them. Dustin is the perfect bargaining chip.”
Several figures jumped down in front of Vulper with Britt among them. He turned his head to Vulper, “Alright, we need to move at once. My team is to accompany you to insure this goes off without a hitch.”
“I see, very well,” Vulper replied, “Then we must find Dustin as soon as possible!”
A shift of the wind came, carrying with it a chilling voice, the pitch almost ghostly, “Why bother, when he can simply come to you?”
Not more than sixty meters away stood several people shrouded in cloaks. Vulper, Sacho, and Britt turned and stepped back immediately. Eyes began to shift to the head of the valley, all upon a single figure.
At the head of the new group before them stood an individual cloaked. His pants torn and black with slight bloodstains, his shirt a darkened gray also torn and with blood stains. Even the cloak itself was torn.
With his grin he let show teeth filed to sharp points, each like a fang. His hands stretched and clenched at the air, big with nails also filed sharp. This individual stood tall at what appeared to be almost two meters or rather over six feet. Not only was he tall but he was also puffed out, muscular with a well built frame.
His hair long, spiky, and brown down his neck a fair bit while his bangs drooped to the sides of glowing amber eyes that seemed almost blood red. A scar lay over his left eye though no damage appeared to be present to the eye itself.
“Th-that’s-” Vulper stammered.
“It can’t be,” Sacho murmured.
“What, what is it?” Elise questioned immediately looking past the three to see the new arrivals.
“That’s- that’s him,” Vulper murmured.
“Wait, you don’t mean-”
“Yes Elise… that’s Dustin, Dustin Abbott.”486Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSptFRtR7CY
