Lupine Love

Chapter Forty One

Key:
(Y/N)- Your name
Italics- Thoughts
Bold- Me! Planning Things
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Your POV

Everyone had agreed on two hour shifts, with Katelyn starting. Garroth would go after her, followed by Laurance. I would guard after Laurance, and Travis was last. Chad wasn't allowed to watch because of his proneness to distractions. The first day went by smoothly, with nothing besides the note happening. The second day was a bit tiring, as I had taken a late shift, but nothing unusual happened. On the third day we had a picnic with everyone except Travis, who was guarding the portal. It was nice to relax for a little, as well as do something fun after nothing happening while guarding.

"Hey (Y/N), watch this," Laurance said as he threw a grape in the air. He caught it in his mouth, and I clapped.

"Anyone can do that," Garroth scoffed.

"Oooooo. Are you going to challenge Laurance?" Katelyn asked.

"Yes. I'll show him how to really impress a lady." Garroth stood up, threw three grapes in the air, and caught them one by one. I clapped again.

"Nice catch," I complimented. Laurance rolled his eyes and grabbed some more grapes. He threw them up like trick shots and caught each one in his mouth. He grinned after he finished swallowing, and I smiled.

"What? No round of applause?" Laurance said.

"That isn't applause worthy," Garroth replied. Katelyn nodded.

"I agree." Garroth looked pleased that Katelyn agreed with him. "But that being said, your little act wasn't applause worthy either," Katelyn continued. I laughed. "I have something that is applause worthy, if you fellows would be so kind as to step aside." What does she have planned?

"(Y/N), could you tie this over my eyes?" Katelyn asked as she held a strip of fabric out to me. I tied it and stepped back.

"Hoe many fingers am I holding up?" I asked, holding one finger up.

"Four."

"Nope."

"Alright. Now, can you toss a grape up so I can catch it in my mouth?" I grabbed a grape.

"Ready?" I asked. Katelyn nodded. I threw the grape and Katelyn caught it in her mouth. Garroth and Laurance just stared at her with wide eyes. I grinned and cheered.

"Let's try another." I threw another, and Katelyn caught it. Five grapes later, and she had yet to miss one. I threw the eighth grape and Garroth caught it in the air with his hand. Katelyn looked around, clearly confused.

"How far away did you throw the grape? Did you even throw it?" Katelyn asked. Garroth put one finger to his mouth, asking for us to stay quiet. I grinned and Laurance stifled his laughter. As Katelyn grew more and more irritated, she started to walk around, trying to avoid tripping over roots and stones. Everyone was laughing and avoiding Katelyn, and it became a sort of blind man's bluff.

"Wait." Everyone froze at Katelyn's words. "What time is it?"

"Ummm... close to two." Katelyn ripped off her bandana.

"I have to go guard the portal. See you later!" she called as she ran off. We all laughed, and I fell on the ground. Garroth and Laurance laid down on either side of me.

"Life is good," I said after staring at the clouds for a while.

"It sure is," Laurance agreed.

*~*~*Time skip to Sixth Day*~*~*

It was the sixth day since the portal had been activated. Garroth came back from his shift, and Laurance was guarding the portal right now. Two hours later, I went to the cave, but no one was there.

"Laurance?" I called. There was no reply. I walked in and noticed that the air around the portal was warmer, as if it had been used recently. I searched the cave for any sign of a struggle where Laurance might have been kidnapped, or even if he had been hurt, but there was only one pair of footsteps. They traveled from where someone was normally guarding to the portal, and faded when they reached the obsidian. Crap. Please don't be Laurance's. Please.

"Garroth!" I called, running out of the cave. "Katelyn! Travis!"

"What? Aren't you supposed to be on guard?" Garroth asked.

"Have you seen Laurance? Has he come back to the village?" I asked frantically. Garroth slowly shook his head no.

"No. This isn't good. No. Why?!" I screamed at the sky.

"Calm down. What's wrong?" Garroth asked.

"Laurance. He wasn't guarding the portal when I got there, and there are footsteps leading to it. There isn't any blood or anything. It's... it's as if he went there on his own...." I trailed off, letting my words sink in.

"We have to get the others," Garroth said as he ran off. "Meet us at your house." I walked to my house and sat at the table as everyone arrived.

"We know what happened," Katelyn said as she sat down, the guys following her lead. "Garroth explained it."

"What do we do?" Travis asked.

"We could wait a week for Aphmau or go after him," I said.

"Both have their pros and cons. The question is which has more pros?" Travis asked.

"I say we wait for Aphmau," Katelyn said.

"I agree. If we wait for Aphmau then we can have one more person to help us," Garroth agreed.

"But waiting a week is too long. What if Laurance gets hurt, or even dies? And after the trip Aphmau will be exhausted. You know as well as I do that for as tough as Laurance is, he has his own demons. He is in the Nether, the place where his Shadow Knight form could take over at any minute, and we're just talking here. We have to go rescue him," Travis pleaded. "You guys don't know how it feels to be overpowered by something within you. Please, help Laurance."

"But if Laurance truly did enter without a fight, is he already controlled by his inner Shadow Knight?" Katelyn argued.

"If we go, we can save Laurance, as well as possibly save my family. If we stay though, we'll have more reinforcements. My family might be dead anyways, it's been fifteen years," I said. Everyone looked at me.

"What do you think we should do?" Garroth asked.

"I think we should...."

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You guys choose. Do you
A. Travel to the Nether to save Laurance
B. Stay and wait for Aphmau and help

It is up to you all. I won't write until at least one person has voted, so vote quickly. I will only be writing one path as well, so choose carefully. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.