Nalu: The Siren's Song

Chapter 10

   The guard confronting us quickly drops to the floor, asleep thanks to Wendy's powers. "Hurry!" She yells, gesturing ahead. As we run after her, I hoist Lucy onto my back so she doesn't have to struggle to keep up while Wendy carries a careless Happy in her arms.
After taking several rushed turns on a whim and running into a few guards that Wendy easily put into a peaceful sleep, we finally reach an opening leading to the outside world.
"It should be somewhere around here." Wendy says as we exit the castle and journey down a dirt path into a majestic forest filled with exotic plants and trees that look like the above water version of coral and reefs.
"I don't believe I've been here before." Lucy says in a weak voice as she marvels at the sight.
"That's because this forest is extremely dangerous and filled with wild animals. But it's our only chance." Wendy tells her.
Despite her warning and the alarm in her voice and demeanor, I can't help but wonder how a forest so serene and splendid could be so daunting. But as we wander deeper along the path, I start to understand what she means as the trees and shrubbery becomes denser and more eerie.
Hushed whispering voices fill our ears and eyes seem to be following our every move as we venture deeper down the overgrown path.
   Soon the sun begins to set and I suggest that we set up camp for the night. "What? It's too creepy here!" Lucy whines. "And won't the sirens catch up with us?"
I look over to Wendy to see what her opinion is. "The sirens won't come into the forest after dark, so we should rest while we can." She says. Lucy plops to the dirt floor, petting a sleeping Happy as I start a fire.
"What are we going to eat?" Wendy asks, but before I can answer, I am interrupted by the bushes behind her violently shaking as a wolf- like creature suddenly lunges out of them.
   It is about twice the size of a normal wolf with dark gray fur spotted with scruffy black patches. Its eyes are golden and bright with bloody scarlet irises.   
   "Watch out!" I warn and the girls quickly back up, alarmed with their eyes glued to the frightening beast.
   With fast reflexes, Wendy sends a bubble its way, intending to entrap it but instead it swiftly dodges and lunges towards Lucy and Happy.
   Quickly, I push Lucy out of the way just before the wolf's claws can extend out to her, landing on top of her on the dirt floor. "Are you okay?" I ask as I help her to her feet.
   "I'm fine, thank you." She says, brushing the dirt from her dress while trying to calm a spazzed Happy.
   With glowing eyes full of spite and hanger, the predator watches us closely as I slowly inch closer towards the fire- the only barrier between us and the wolf. My narrow eyes steadily watch every twitch from the wolf as we await who will steal the next move.
   With a slight step back with its front paw, the wolf suddenly lunges at me and I quickly grab a tapered stick, half submerged in the fire's flames and stab straight through its stomach.
   The wolf lets out a pained howl and limps back as I remove the scarlet stained stick. Blood trickles out of its wound, staining and mixing into its fur as it glares at me with hanger. Refusing to back down, it ignores the pain, ready to fight to the death.
   Finally the wolf lunges at me one last time and I plunge my fiery stake deep into its flesh, piercing its heart and delivering the final blow. The wolf lets out a pained and defeated howl as it collapses to the floor, unmoving and no longer breathing.
   With the wolf's impure blood staining my hands, I remove the stake and turn my attention to Lucy to find her grasping Happy in one hand and desperately covering Wendy's eyes with the other.
   "Dinner." I announce, gesturing down to the bloody wolf sprawled out in the floor beside me. "What! There is no way I am eating that!" Lucy yells, her voice scarring away all the crows roosting in the trees within a mile radius.