CastAways - Legends of Alledia

Chapter 10 - Surprise

I heard the flying scream of the arrow. I braced for pain and held my eyes shut tightly... But all I heard was a snap and multiple gasps and shouts from all the villagers.

I opened my eyes to a long black tendril extended across in front of me, with a broken arrow on the ground below it, completely in half. My heartbeat sped as I followed the tendril with my gaze.

The dark wolf, Toxyn, stood at the edge of the forest, walking out into view with a mischievous and evil grin on his face.

He saved my life... again.

His tendrils retreated back a little as he walked towards me, but keeping his eyes on everyone else... Especially Stranger.

There must be something going on between them... I felt it in my gut. I wonder what happened...

Toxyn spoke in a twisted sort of humor. Like a teasing rival.

"My ears are ringing~... Was someone in town gossiping about me?"

He looked directly at Stranger as he said it. Had he heard what Stranger said about him right before he ordered me dead?... Just listening from the shadows?

Had he heard what she'd said about him?...

"Who would want to talk about you, you monstrous filth?!" A random villager shouted back.

"Stay out of this, old fleabag. I was talking to the damned man who runs this hell hole!" Toxyn's voice filled with rage.

People gasped at his words. They were so dramatic.

Toxyn finally stopped walking and stood still in front of me, almost standing defensively against the village.

Dusk was aiming an arrow when he was lifted off the ground by Toxyn's tendrils before he could even pull back.

He screamed as he was thrown, falling at Stranger's feet, completely fine but a little shaken.

"Care to try again?~"

Toxyn mocked, laughing and glancing back at me with a curious and devious expression.

As if he was waiting to see my reaction. It disturbed me a little and I just stared in shock. He grinned at the look on my face and I frowned.

"Why did you interrupt our little execution? I thought you'd enjoy such a show."

Strangers voice slithered out, thick with malice and taunt.

Toxyn just laughed and smirked, more tendrils emerging and flaring above him like a poised spider, ready to strike. A menacing green glow illuminated his eyes.

"Whatever keeps you from what you want.~"

Stranger's eyes narrowed, growling in pure anger, about you shout something back, but the black tendrils slammed into the earth and split it with massive force.

Rocks flew out of the ground in every direction and dust filled the air, making everything harder to see.

My breath hitched as the air was knocked out of me, taking a shove from the side without warning.

It was Toxyn, shoving me again, he pushed me into a run.

"Go... Come on!"

I started running where he pushed me, and he ran alongside me, escaping the clouding dust in the village. We ran uphill from the valley, the way I'd come back from the mountain den.

Leaving Stranger and the others behind in the village, literally, leaving them in the dust.

I started to slow down, looking back, but Toxyn stopped to shove me again and I kept running...

Why was he doing this? Why was he taking me with him?

He wasn't really 'taking' me anywhere... I was following him...

What he said to Stranger echoed in my mind.

Toxyn kept me from Stranger so he wouldn't get what he wanted... Was that the only reason he saved me?

He made sure I didn't fall behind. Whatever the reason, he kept it to himself...

No one from the village followed us up the mountain, as we disappeared into the dark, snow-filled forest. Climbing higher into the cold, towards the well hidden den under the ridge...