Skinwalker - Completed

CHAPTER 9

(Rylie's POV)

"A puppy is hiding here."

The voice says it in a singsong manner that made every hair on Rylie's body stand up. She rubbed her arms thoroughly. She had a bad feeling about this! Her instinct tells her to run and get the hell out of there as fast as she can!

"Come out, come out, little puppy. I can smell the potent power on you."

One of the four-robed figures with a slender form angled its head as if sniffing the air.

Shit!

Rylie's palm began to sweat, and her heart begins to beat faster. She's going to be sacrificed for sure! But wait a minute—if she runs for her life, she would probably be able to escape this!

She gripped the straps of her bag tightly. She took a step back slowly, and she tried as much as possible not to make any sound out at all. These robed figures sure look no joke! They are more evil-looking than the weirdo werewolf people she encountered the other day!

"Got you!"

Her eyes widen when the ground from where she was standing begins to glow green. She immediately took a leap back and looked at the robed figure who cast that symbol. Half of their faces are covered with a black cloth held in place on the sides of their robe. She can't make out their faces!

"Aha! She's nimble." The robed figure with a large physique took a step towards her which she assumed to be a man.

Rylie instinctively let out a growl and held her claws out on her sides. "L-Leave me alone! I don't intend to fight!"

One of them laughed at her. "Such a hilarious creature, but she's young, I think. Freshly turned. She wasn't in her full form yet, and her power is strong. We could use it to fuel our magic."

Her heart is gripped with fear. Beads of sweat came rolling down her neck, and she felt so cold. They are not joking, are they? Is she really going to be a sacrifice? She thought that only werewolves exist, but witches? Now that's another story to tell if she ever gets out of here alive!

She looked at the bag she dropped. It was hidden in the bush, and the strangers are not paying attention to it. They're just looking in her direction.

"P-Please. I was human the other day. I-I just want to be normal again!"

If anyone hears me! Please! Save me! I don't want to die! Rylie frantically looked at the four robed figures. Waiting if one of them will attack her. Her hands are visibly shaking, and she knows she looks pathetic right now, but she can't beat them. Four against one is hardly a fair game!

The tallest of the robed figures put their hands in the air as if commanding the other 3 to stand down.

"Why did you become a werewolf then?"

Rylie took a step back. She can feel the immense power the tall figure commands. He just towers over her, and he has that deep voice like the devil or what he should sound like in Rylie's imagination.

She lowers her head a little.

"I-I got lost in this forest, and I stumbled upon a totem. I---- "Shit! Rylie thought. She suddenly remembers the conversation of these robed figures before spotting her.

"Where is the thief?"

"We need the power of that totem."

"We are searching this area since yesterday. Maybe the thief doesn't live here----"

She's the thief they are talking about!

"I-I uh...... on the other hand, I-I'll just--------------run!"

Rylie leaps back, turns around, and started running towards the path she came from. There was one thing she also likes about being a wolf. She found out that they are good with directions. She can easily find her way out of the forest now.

She dodged when a glowing green light appeared again on her right. A breath of relief escaped her lips as it exploded and emitted a burst of flame.

"Whoa!"

Thanks to her speed, she can easily predict and dodge all their glowing lights!

Someone! Please help me! God, I'm sorry! I am stubborn, but I promise I will behave! I will not disobey my mother and grandmother again! Just please help me!

She wants to pray for all the Gods she knew to help. Just then, she heard a chuckle inside her head. Her eyes widen. At first, she thought she was just hallucinating again because of desperation, but she can clearly hear that voice! It seems so familiar!

Am I going crazy?

"No. You're not. I just have to laugh. You're cute." That voice which is awfully familiar, chuckled again before clearing its throat. "I'll help you. Go follow the sound of the stream."

Rylie whips her head from either side of her, then back. They are slow, but their magic can really toast her if she slows down just a little bit. Making a distance made her realize that those witches can only cast their spells for only a meters away.

Can I trust you? I don't know how this works!

"I am a wolf too, and talking to you is called a mind link. Follow the river stream. Drown out other noises."

How do I do that?

"Feel your heartbeat and just focus. Just focus on the water running on the stream."

She closed her eyes and focused on the poundings of her heart. At first, there were noises, but as her eyebrows furrowed and her breathing became more profound. Her sense of hearing became sharpened. She can already hear the river up ahead.

She turned to her right to follow the sound of the running water. Just as she looked back to the robed figures. They gained momentum by taking a shortcut to the other side of the path she's on. They used their runes to float in the air and stepped in the branches atop her!

Just then, a glowing rune on her back, cast by the slender figure, exploded and made her stumble.

Rylie fell on her front and struggled to crawl forward. Shit! She can already feel the blood trickle on her back, and it stings! She closed her eyes for a moment and gritted her teeth, trying to numb the pain, but it still hurt like shit. How did they guess where she would go?

"Little pup. There's nowhere you can run now."

The tall one of the four robed figures slowly walked towards her and stepped onto the glowing runes in the air. She can clearly hear from the tall figure's voice that it was a man. His stance was menacing, and he was commanding the entire space around him.

She turned on her back, gritting her teeth and willing her whole body to do her bidding. Shit! Move! She inhaled and exhaled her breath several times when her body moved, and she successfully turned herself on her back. Rylie started crawling backward-facing them.

"She's feisty, but it was just a shame." The slender robed figure tilted its head. "Can we just convert her? She will probably be a good addition to the coven."

"Magic can't be extracted without killing it. You know that very well, Recia."

"Well, I tried saving your life, pup, but Hyndor doesn't agree," Recia said again, checking her nails.

"W-Wait!" She put up a trembling hand when the leader held his hands up, and a yellow glow started appearing on top of her head. She has to buy herself enough time for her damn knees to get up! "I-I have the Totem. Can you just transferred the magic there and extract it from there?"

The robed figures looked at each other before throwing their heads up in laughter.

"Are you kidding us?

"Now!"

Rylie willed her knees to straighten and punched it.

She held the rock behind her for support. Argh! She was cornered! And finally, as she thought that she will die here. She saw the river on her right, and she whips her head to it. She exhaled several deep breaths then look at her attackers. She closes her eyes smirked and plunged herself towards the dark water.