The Magic Forest: A Tale Of Survival

Part 14: Nature Is Unpredictable

🍒 "Enough explaining, we also came here for another reason, not just blood cherries. We're looking for a ... Human"
🧙 "A human ... Don't you happen to mean *the only* human of the forest, right?"
Teresa rolled her eyes and grunted in approval.
Matilda started remembering her past encounters with Kael, but didn't wanted to give away that she knew him. She still wanted to get more cows, however.
🧙"I have a potion, I call it synesthesia, and it lets you see odors. But it doesn't work with humans. We all have different" - she gazed at Andrew with disgust - "odors, that makes us differentiateable. A vampire doesn't smell similar to a werewolf. However, we all smell similar-ish, as we are just over-natural humans, and so, a human's scent can easily be misunderstood from any other over-natural's scent, making them very difficult to locate. You will need an object or person who had contact with him recently. And you also need to pay me my cows, I need them"
The clan started to look at each other, wondering if they could recall any object that Kael had been in contact with.
🦊 "A human? I just fought with one, and he was quite strong and capable, it's probably the one you're looking for. But YOU washed me out of pettiness"
🧙 "You should've spoken sooner. Still, you did smell a lot like a wet dog"
Teresa’s eyes narrowed, annoyed with her clan’s lack of focus.
🍒 "Fine, let's return to the Healbloom Field and see if he left anything behind."
Teresa turned around, leading the way with Andrew trailing reluctantly behind.
Matilda's forcefield turned yellow, signaling them that it was now trespassable.

They went back through the thick foliage, to reach the Wishing path again. As they traveled, Andrew's mind started racing, as he remembered his fight with Kael. He felt so weak from the blood cherry's stun, and it pained him how a human managed to overthrow him. Part of him wanted to help tracking him down, but he knew very well how Kael was his best hope to become a werewolf once again. Teresa would never let him, so he decided to play the patient game; any chance he had to leave, he would use it to meet up with Kael's group and ask them for help in transforming back again.
As they reached the trees again, the Wishing Path's signature purple wishflowers started to cover the air as usual. At last silence was broken.
🐸 "Hey, how was being a werewolf like?"
Andrew felt a small lump in the throat. His usual werewolf pride was gone.
🦊 "You feel free, like the world owes you everything and tries to pay back however it can. We're really strong, and so can easily crush our enemies. I miss that"
🐸 "If it makes you feel any better, we will probably have some free time soon, after we go back to the Vampire Woods, as long as the Black Crocodile doesn't have any tasks for us. Man I hate him so much"
Before they knew it, the colorful blue-lilac megacure trees could be seen in the distance. As they approached, they suddenly felt a lot slower, their skin went from white to peach, and their fangs shrank. The Healbloom Field's effects were doing their usual thing on over-naturals.

🍒 "Everyone follow me, I think I remember where his old base was"
Unnoticed by them, a danger was nearby. A pretty normal looking one, but a danger nonetheless, specially now that they were turned back into humans.
🍒 "There it is, that ugly circle of trees is where he used to hide"
🐸 "I still don't get it, how can a human survive for so long on his own?"
🍒 "He's certainly made a name for himself on the forest, and thus we will need his help"
As they entered, they tripped on a vine that triggered a mechanism, soaking them in honey. Kael knew well that she'd try to come back and had alredy made a booby trap, a very special one that was sure to alert a certain danger.
🍒 "Ugh my clothes are all gross now. For such a clever guy he's also really immature. Honey? Seriously?"
🦊 "We should go back to Matilda, maybe she'll give you the treatment I got" he said sarcastically.
🔴 "Look! A small piece of cloth. He must've torn it"
Without them realizing, the danger was drawing closer, driven by the smell of honey. A bear was coming.

🍒 "Finally, some good fucking news. Things will go according to plan now"
🔴 "Do you think he'll help us out?"
🍒 "Oh, he won't. We will kidnap him and force him to help us with the strategy"
The rest of the clan stayed silent. It seemed like such a radical action, but they liked it or not, she was right, a human, and specially Kael, would never help a bunch of vampires that alredy tried to kill him.

As the afternoon was setting, they left Kael's old base with the torn cloth, only to be seen by the bear.
They stayed still, trying to think of a plan to escape their situation.
🍒 "Everyone get on top of the trees!" she yelled.
The bear charged at them.
Teresa managed to climb first, followed by Andrew and the ex-orc. The other vampire, however, had a much harder time. He tried to climb a megacure tree, but slipped, and so decided to run. The bear soon followed after giving up on the others that made their way to the canopy.
🍒 "Hurry! Try to climb another tree!"
He tried his best, but to no avail. The bear was too close on him, and without his vampire speed, he was no match. They all had to witness how his former friend was devoured alive, limb from limb, as the bear's honey drive kicked in.
It was devastating. They were left speechless throughout the entire scene. It could've been a beautiful sunset on top of the canopies. Their minds went blank, and they decided to retreat to the Vampire Woods again, after the bear left.