Saviors of the Forest

Chapter 17: A Safe Place, Perhaps?

Feather skidded to a halt, the trees were packed so tightly together that she wasn't sure she could squeeze through them if she needed.

A huge pit of quicksand stood in their way, as well as Salnorias, Venus Creature Traps, Strangler Vines, and deadly fungi cluttering the area. Long, straggly, glowing moss hung from the trees like a dead woman's hair. Feather thought it would be better to avoid it.

They couldn't see the Coyotes. They had outrun them for now.

"I'll fight them myself," Equity said. "I have fire, remember?"

Thorn snarled out of panic and anger. "We cannot let them win," he shouted furiously.

Feather found a tree that maybe wouldn't kill them immediately and started scrambling up it, Acorn barking orders, but it was too late. They hadn't run fast enough.

The Coyotes were upon them.

"HELP!" Feather shrieked, praying that there was civilization nearby, or at least someone who could get help.

"There's nobody out there who can help you," The Coyotes hissed with a smirk. They suddenly gave Equity a judgy look.

"Who's the orange one? She's new."

"No, she isn't," Feather said, exasperated. "You met her already, you big stupid."

The Coyotes rolled their eyes, fixing their attention back on the Saviors.

Pirate's body language was bold and extravagant, he raised his head in a cocky, confident manner, obviously feeling no remorse for his actions. Why would he? The Jickeys deserve it, after all.

Right?

What?! Of course, they do! This is my Forest and I will not let any mongrels steal it from me, that's for certain! Pirate thought angrily.

"Why are you doing this?" The brown Savior suddenly asked, her voice loud and commanding, but, at the same time, soft and understanding.

"What made you embrace the side of Evil?"

Pirate snarled, faltering in the control of his subjects. "Don't you dare try to infect me with your so-called 'morals,'" he spat.

He smacked the back of Feather's head, and the Coyotes simultaneously followed. Feather yelped, trying to claw the Coyotes. She fell backward, nearly into the quicksand, only being saved by Thorn grabbing her paws before she had the chance to hit the ground.

"Whoops, thank you," she yelped.

"Anytime."

The Coyotes raised their claws with a cocky upturn of their heads. They attacked the Jickeys with no mercy. They weren't playing games anymore, aiming directly for throats.

Moss tucked and rolled away from the grasp of menacing claws. They raked across the back of his upper shoulder instead of his throat, which he found as a win.

Acorn whipped out exploding seed pods from her satchel and threw one at the Coyotes without thinking.

It exploded and Moss coughed, dropping to the ground, he had been in the direct line of fire and half of the seed pod hit him in the side, burning his skin and leaving thorns embedded into the wound.

"Are you insane?!" Thorn demanded, grabbing Moss away from the smoke and hunkering behind a boulder, heart racing with adrenaline and Moss sobbing and screaming his eyes out. He had every right to as well, I mean, for Moon's sake, he had been hit with a projectile!