18. Cast In Shadows
[Past]
Yakob spoke from behind Adolpha, a little shyly, which was unusual for him, "Adolpha, what are you going to do?"
Adolpha growled, "I'm going to fight."
"Adolpha, I won't allow it!" He said, frantic then, and scared for her life. He was even more scared of his own powerlessness. Adolpha was ready to be rid of that pest— and she didn't mean Danica. She shook off the man's gruff words, and instead remained intensely focused on Danica. Her breathing wavered, but she did not.
"Not going to listen to your boyfriend, Adolpha?" Danica hissed with a little too much glee. She had tunnel vision; nothing could be seen but Adolpha, and the task at hand. She had felt some sort of guilt about helping Ajax and Quince, but now, she could let go of that and give way to the trembling, breathing magic within her. Virulent would be proud, and in that very moment, that was all that mattered to her. He would be proud, wouldn't he? And he wouldn't hurt her for helping Ajax then, wouldn't he? She thought deeply that it was rage, envy, evil magic and mistrusted loyalty that drove her on in such a fury. But truthfully, it was fear: Heart-gripping, trembling, fear. And it wasn't fear of who was in front of her, but that which was behind her. Regardless, she drove on, determined to kill and blinded by anger and pumping adrenaline. Leaves crunched beneath her feet as she took menacing steps closer to Adolpha.
Adolpha did not cower; in fact, she rose, determined to end this petty feud once and for all. It was she who struck first.
With a suddenness, Adolpha drew her glinting sword with a shing and leapt forward, slashing in Danica's direction; Danica leapt backwards with a gasp, nearly falling, dark eyes widening in surprise. The long sword wavered in the air, flashing with moonlight at certain times. There was no more time for chit-chat, no more time for threats. Now, Adolpha was on a mission just as much as Danica was.
Danica was flustered. At the medicine house, she had redressed in fresh armour, a silvery chainmail covering her dark leather clothes, contrasting against her pale skin. Her skin was nearly as pale as the moon in the dark light. As she whipped around, dodging Adolpha's swishing blade, her metal armour clinked and shifted over her clothes. Adolpha wasn't in as good of shape; from her days of travel, her brown leathered clothes were creased and worn, and her chainmail incomplete, tattered in some spots at the edges. Still, it protected her abdomen and legs, but she would have to watch closely for her arms. With the clashing sound of rolling steel armour and the heaving huffs of their breathing, the two continued their dance with energy.
From where she hid with Johanna and her son, Quince could hear the commotion from deeper into the woods. She wanted to stay beside Johanna and protect her, but her fear for Adolpha's life clenched her heart with a cold grip, and she suddenly felt ushered to do something— anything at all— to help.
"Johanna," Quince spoke hastily, "I must go."
Johanna nodded thoughtfully, "We will be right here, and we will run if we must. I cannot help Adolpha. I must focus on my son. But you can help her." Quince offered the woman an appreciative nod and glance. In their short interaction, Quince knew that she liked this woman, and she could easily understand why Adolpha was fond of her, too. Without hesitating a moment longer, Quince shot up from where they crouched and raced towards the furious sounds. She knew that they were not far, and with every speedy bound, Quince drew nearer to them and the echoes of violence became louder.
She ran, heart pounding her chest with a brilliant fear and a newfound fury. She didn't realise it, but there were tears in her eyes; she didn't want to be separated from Adolpha, either. Quince could see the two ahead, and with the drumming sound of her feet thudding and her heart pumping, she reached them with a sudden stop, her wings fully expanded behind her. Danica and Adolpha both turned to glance at her; Danica with an expression of annoyance, and Adolpha with immense relief. There was an utter silence across the three, and Adolpha was the one who eventually broke it. She raced over to Quince, a plan forming in her mind.
"Get me in the air!" She said, tossing her sword on the ground to the side. It clattered into the dirt.
"What?" Quince asked, looking at her with an eyebrow raised.
"Get me in the air, now!"
"Okay, okay..." Quince lowered herself, allowing Adolpha to climb onto her back, planted firmly between where her mighty wings rested, holding her arms around Quince's shoulders and chest. Danica watched with stunned surprise as Quince propelled herself into the air, her wings unsettling the ground beneath them, pumping upwards with extreme power. Danica's eyes followed them as they rose above.
She shouted, "Running away, Adolpha?"
"Quite the opposite!" Adolpha yelled back, her voice echoing above the pounding of Quince's black wings. Every glossy feather seemed to reflect the glimmer of the moonlight, and suddenly, she was shining in the darkness. Adolpha whispered to Quince, "Keep steady. I'm going to jump!"
"What?!" Quince asked. She didn't have time to appreciate the warmth of Adolpha's weight and body on her back, instead rocked with fear and concern, but it was a moment she knew she wouldn't be forgetting any time soon. Regardless, the air felt wonderful beneath her skin and feathers. It had been far too long since she had flown; her feathers no beautiful and healthy, no longer burnt at the edges. Adolpha herself felt terribly unsteady; being on Quince's back in flight was very much like riding on a rocky ship at sea, the waves crashing over the helm of it. She nearly felt sea sick, but tried to focus on the task at hand.
Adolpha motioned, "Get me above Danica directly. Quickly!" Quince obeyed, swishing those feathers of hers until they hovered above Danica. But Danica refused to hesitate any longer; she shook off the dumbfoundedness, and quickly from her spine sprouted translucent wings, just as marvellous and powerful as Quince's, although much less real. In only a second of time, Danica leapt into the sky with a thunderous sound, flying in a bee line directly towards Quince and Adolpha. The heavy air gathered beneath them, swirling and kicking up fallen leaves, rustling branches of the tree tops. "Throw me!" Adolpha said.
Quince was surprised and terrified, but there was no time to argue. Danica's silvery form was shooting at them like a star, and she had to react before they both would die or fall down. Not sparing another second, Quince reeled her massive wings backwards, putting herself at an angle facing up. Adolpha's nails dug into the skin of her shoulders.
"Hang on!" Quince shouted. As her wings unfurled, they heaved backwards, thrusting Quince forward at a downward angle and propelling Adolpha forward. The second that Adolpha's body left Quince's, she used the Lycanthrope's blessing and shifted into her red wolf, her body mutating in less than a second, tearing her leathers but leaving the chainmail to pinch at her thick fur. And suddenly, it was a large armoured wolf flying through the air, paws extended, wind billowing through her scruffy coat. Danica's eyes only had time to widen before she was hit like a bullet to the chest, Adolpha's furred and thick skull pummelling her directly between her arms.
Adolpha's magic unfurled, as did her fear and rage. The heat crept along her skin and beneath her pelt, her tail wavering behind her, and suddenly it was running, a pulsating energy right along her edges. Then, she released it; still pinned to a falling Danica, who was desperately trying to stay afloat with her shimmering wings, Adolpha spewed a powerful blast of hot, electric white flame, starting from her head pinned to Danica's chest; the spitting fire pushed directly through her, and a splatter of deep ebony blood poured from the centre of her back. The two hit the ground with an agonising thud, the force rocking Adolpha's very bones and spraining her wrists and ankles, which walked on all fours then. She landed on Danica's bloodied body, her beating, bleeding chest exposed as the chainmail and leathers had been smelted away, black at the edges in a circle exposing her wound. Her breathing was shallow and frantic. From the impact and the intense wound, she would certainly die. This would all end.
But as a dazed Adolpha sat up from her sister, she could only smell the burnt flesh and metallic blood circling the air, making her nauseous. All she could see was Danica's panicked face, strained as she tried terribly to stay alive, her hands desperately touching the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. The pain was certainly immense. Adolpha was sore and battered, but unbroken and overall unharmed. She couldn't stand seeing her sister like this, for after all they had gone through, Danica was still her sister. The memories she had of them in their early youth were all pleasant, and Adolpha still carried the burden from the day that Danica was stolen away from her.
She found herself feeling queasy, hacking up bile in the dirt beside the two. She found tears filling her wolf's blue eyes, her ears pinned to the back of her head, and her tongue held out in an exhausted and stressed pant. She couldn't even hear Ajax or Quince's words surrounding her. All she could hear was Danica's rugged breathing.
She couldn't let this happen. Not now, not today. Danica hadn't even gotten a single hit in, and now, she was dying, and it was all Adolpha's fault. The guilt was immeasurable, and she buckled beneath it, laying her head on her paws as she laid down beside Danica, whimpering slightly. Adolpha was certain that this isn't how this was supposed to end; Danica was never the enemy; her manipulator, Virulent, was the true enemy.
Adolpha rested her snout on Danica's suffering wound, listening to the crackle of her breathing, inhaling the foul stench of her burnt skin. And then, she allowed the power to course through her veins once again. Blessed with the ability to heal, Adolpha did just that, bringing Danica's body from ruin to health. The magic glowed, swirling with tendrils and delicately touching Danica's clothes and skin and blood. It softly mended her, taking a brilliant time as Yakob, Ajax, and Quince could only watch in awe. Sweat rolled down Danica's face and neck. Her pale skin was dotted with dirt and blemishes from their fight. But soon, the wound was closed, the bleeding was stopped, and it left Danica with the ability to breathe clearly once again.
She sat up with a beat, a hand on her bare chest, feeling the skin between her breasts and surrounding her ribcage. It was as if she couldn't believe it; once an open wound, and now, it was flat and perfect just as before. It was completely healed. Her dark eyes flickered to the wolf sitting beside her, gleaming blue eyes beneath dense fur.
Immediately, Quince began to march towards them, terrified of what Danica would do; but Ajax held her back by the arm, whispering, "Just watch." A small smile creased his face, and his eyes were locked on Danica's subtle movements.
"Thank you..." Danica breathed softly. Blood still smeared her clothes and face, but she was no longer injured. She coughed a bit, and then stood, eyeing the small party before turning. Just like that, she was gone, walking back to where she came from in a defeated silence. Or perhaps, it was something much more profound, like love. Adolpha didn't think she would ever know with certainty, but she knew somewhere within her that she wouldn't regret having saved Danica that day. The large wolf turned to look at the others, ears pricked. Ajax looked proud and relieved, but Quince and Yakob looked pissed. Yakob was the first to step forward and speak. The long-haired man pushed past Quince and Ajax, his eyes narrowed with a darkened fury.
"Adolpha!" He hissed, nearing her. The wolf cowered beneath his gaze, tail tucked. Quince's expression shifted to concern, wide eyes and furrowed brows, turning to share a glance with Ajax. "I specifically told you not to fight," Yakob spat.
"I had to," Adolpha replied, "We couldn't just continue on with Danica on our heels."
"But you let her go! Nothing was solved today, and all you did was put yourself and all of us in danger!" Adolpha's fear was terrible, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything else, instead laying down with her head on her paws at Yakob's feet.
Quince pushed forward, pulling Yakob aside by his shoulder, "Hey, leave her alone. Danica is her sister. She's not going to come after us again."
"How do you know that?!" Yakob spit, "She could be going back for reinforcements!"
"You don't have any siblings. You don't know what it's like," Quince said, trying to stay calm, but her whole body trembled with intense hate and anger. It flamed inside of her, heating her face and skin.
"Oh, drop it, Quince," Yakob hissed, "Like Ajax is really your brother!" That was the end of it for Quince. In a blazing fury, heart drumming, she shoved Yakob by his shoulder, and he fell to the ground. "What the fuck!" He shouted at her, his eyes ablaze then, too.
"Stop!" Adolpha growled. She lifted herself from the ground and trotted to the two. They both stopped to look down at her furry form. "This fighting is making us lose track of what's important. We have to take down Virulent, and time is running out."
Quince's eyes widened, "Adolpha, they're going after River's Bed next."
She paused, "What?"
"They assumed control of Jasper, and next is River's Bed."
"Then," Adolpha snarled, fangs bared, "We have to fight."
"But first," Ajax suggested hesitantly, "Why don't we rest? Adolpha, I know you're hurt beneath that fur."
She nodded, "But only tonight. We can't slow down; not with so much at stake." She paused, ears perking, "I have to go get Johanna and Pebble!"
"They're safe," Quince assured her. Yakob groaned, frustrated, finally coming to his feet.
Adolpha gave her a glance, "Thank you."
"I can see why you've travelled with them," Quince said, smiling.
"Yes. Johanna has shown me a lot over the course of our days together. And her son... he reminds me so much of May." Adolpha sat down, feeling defeated. "I miss her." Quince leaned down on her knees, pulling the wolf's face into her hands.
"She is okay. But we have to save River's Bed. Let May motivate you."
"Right," Adolpha nodded, "This war is far from over."
"Let's go pick up Johanna," Quince said. Adolpha nodded, and with that, the four began a short trek through the forest. They walked in silence, pine needles and fallen leaves crunching underfoot. If it had been under better circumstances, the night would have seemed quite beautiful. Softly, the night sky began to fade into pale blue and pink. The sun began to rise, peaking through the trees. But as they walked, Adolpha could sense something was terribly wrong.
"Do you smell that?" Adolpha asked, whiffing the air with her wet nose.
Quince gave the wolf a wide-eyed look, "Yes. It smells like Virulent."
Adolpha shook out her coat, "Where was Johanna and Pebble?"
"Just over there," Quince pointed to where they'd been crouched and hiding. They suddenly raced ahead, feet and paws pounding. Adolpha investigated the area with her snout, and then turned to glance up at Quince.
Her voice broke, "They're not here."
"Where could they be?" Ajax asked, fearful of the answer which he already knew. In silence, Adolpha and Quince both looked at him. There would be no rest for them tonight; they needed to return to the heart of Virulent's Forest and rescue Johanna and her bright son.
"Let's go," Adolpha said. The panic in her voice was unmistakable, no matter how much she tried to stay calm. The fear pushed through her, enticing her body with sharp adrenaline. She raced on all fours, ready for a fight, hackled raised and tongue lolled. Quince followed her lead, expanding her wings and bounding through the air. She kicked off on one foot, and then landed on all four as a black wolf, feathery wings fluttering behind her. Yakob sighed from frustration, rolling his eyes and refusing the transformation. He was tagging along slowly at the back of the group. He couldn't care less about this, but he tagged along for Adolpha. Wherever she went, he would go, not risking losing sight of her again. But he hated this. And even more, he hated how she had disobeyed him and then shut him up.
"Adolpha," he said, "Can't we wait until tomorrow? This is dangerous. You shouldn't be doing this."
Adolpha snapped through pants, "You're more than welcome to stay behind, Yakob, but this is why we are here."
"Fine, then! Maybe I will."
"Good!"
He stopped his running, watching as the two wolves and the feline raced through the woods ahead with power and thudding paws. His eyes narrowed, and the anger and jealousy built within him, cold and calculated. He knew what he would have to do next. He knew exactly how to get Adolpha to trust him, believe him, and listen to him, once and for all. They followed Virulent's fowl scent trail all the way back to the centre of the town, where Ajax and Quince had been taken to initially. By now, the sunrise was brilliant and fading into morning. Long shadows grew shorter and shorter as the sun rose, golden morning light fading to pale white or blue. Truthfully, the group was utterly exhausted, but they allowed their fear, worry, and determination to push them forward.
"Virulent probably put them in the same cell we were in," Ajax said. With Quince leading the way, the three galloped along the edge of the woods, eyeing the buildings as folks began to stir. It was dangerous going out in the daylight like this, but they had no choice. It wasn't long before the cell was in their sights, down in the town surrounded by stones, creating the cave, barred with an iron gate. Adolpha bounded from where she was along the ridge and down, landing on all fours on the dirt path. Quince followed her, and then Ajax, although Ajax landed on only two paws, his long tail slashing behind him.
Adolpha did not hesitate as she raced towards the iron gate, paws kicking up dust. They had no time to waste; the sky was lighting up more and more with every passing second, and every passing second, more and more of the townsfolk awoke to start their days. The air wasn't chilly as it had been during the night; instead, the faintest sign of summer drifted in on a warm, dry breeze. Adolpha pushed her snout through the bars, scanning the cell. Sure enough, Johanna and Pebble slept at the back, propped up against the stone wall.
"Johanna!" Adolpha said. She was fierce, but trying her best to stay quiet. "Johanna!" The dark woman stirred, lifting dark eyes to Adolpha.
"Adolpha," she smiled, standing and waking Pebble.
"We're here to get you out, but we have to hurry!"
"Adolpha, you cannot be here. Virulent wants nothing but you. You are his ultimate prize."
Adolpha shook her head, "I don't care, damnit! I'm not letting you stay here to die and rot! Now, stand back." Johanna was impressed by her security, and did as she was told, standing to the side of the cell with her son in her arms. He spoke something that Adolpha couldn't hear. Adolpha pressed her snout to the metal gate, allowing the power to flow through her, tickling her skin and heating her core. Then, she allowed a spew of flame to emit from her, tearing through the iron gate as if it was paper. From the smelted hole, Ajax ushered Johanna and Pebble through.
She held her son tightly in her arms, and he exclaimed, "Adolpha!" He reached out a hand, but of course, could not reach her.
"Hey, Pebble," Adolpha said, looking up at him from her place on all fours. "We've got to hurry, so hang on tight to your mom, okay?"
"Okay!" The party raced back the way they had come, galloping back up the slight ridge and into the edge of the woods. Adolpha trailed the back, keeping her blue eyes wide for any signs of danger. That is the moment she saw them: Virulent and a female saurion guard, head to toe in solid steel armour.
"Catch them!" Virulent shouted, his voice guttural, and the woman chased after them with impressive speed, her tail wavering behind her, and her claws firm on the hilt of her mighty sword. The metal glinted beneath the early sun, clinking as it moved. The saurion raced after them, and very soon she was right on their heels. The group raced into the forest, dodging tree trunks and zig-zagging between plants in the hopes of losing the woman chasing after them. But instead, a long shadow casted upon them, and as they sprinted, their heads all slowly turned upwards to the sky. Overhead and above the treetops was the silhouette of something unlike they'd ever seen before. A true dragon, with a massive scaled tail and large leathered wings, allowing him to glide somewhat peacefully above. With every flap of his massive wings, they could feel the air move around them and hear their powerful swishing sound.
"What the fuck is that?!" Ajax hissed, racing ahead and ushering Johanna to move faster than she could bear. His tail swerved behind him, keeping him balanced in his boots, and his face was a mixture of fear and panic. He kept wide eyes and a snarl on his muzzle. Johanna's expression was no better, full of rich, trembling fear, causing her to quake and run with a speed she hadn't before. Pebble kept his head down, pressed tightly into the crook of her neck, and Adolpha knew he was afraid, too. It pained her to see.
"A dragon?!" Quince shouted in response to Ajax, her paws thudding against the ground in a panicked run. Her fur rippled with the wind as she raced, her tongue lolled and her fangs glinting under the sun. But now, she was casted in shadow.
Adolpha shook her head as she ran, "No, that's no dragon. I can see him clear as day, even from here..." Adolpha tried to reason, staring up at the sky with her blue wolf eyes as she raced, breathless. Her body ached, but was pumping full of fresh adrenaline, keeping her moving with swiftness. As she eyed the beast overhead, she knew that she could see him much clearer than the others. That was her magical capability, giving her intel the others could not see. He was green-skinned, red-eyed, layered with shimmering scales and spines along his backside and at the edges of his smooth leathered wings. He had claws on every foot, and a long, wavering tail. Somehow, he looked oddly familiar. Something about his colour, his shape, his features and expression. Most of all, his scent, wafting down to them from the sky. Adolpha gulped, trying to control the shaking of her tone as she said, "He's our target."
"What are you saying?" Ajax shouted back, confused and surprised both. He didn't like what Adolpha was suggesting.
"That beast," Adolpha said breathlessly, "Is Virulent."
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