Strength and Weaknesses

17 - Our First Encounters

The wolves were growling as loud as a lion's roar. We drew our weapons and took position. "Ok so... whose going for who?" Kyler said pointing an arrow. "Just see which one come after you." I said slowly approaching one wolf. Everyone followed my lead. One charged after Nevaeh, and the other charged after Caesar. Kyler released his arrow at the werewolf that stood behind.

"They're dodging my arrows! Mia, take this one. I'll go see if there's anymore up ahead!" Kyler yelled out. "Got it!" I ran up to the horse and kicked it in a tree. I held my sword to its neck so it wouldn't run away. It seemed to appear that the wolf was fading away. I looked back at the other two which had more of a physical form. This ones literally fading away.

I struck my sword through its body and headed to help Nevaeh. "Heads up!" I said slicing a leg off. Nevaeh shot an arrow and the whole set to flame. She was fighting the wolf that wasn't fading.

"Shoot Caesar's." I said to her. She drawed her arrow and aimed. "Caesar! Watch out!" I shouted. He ducked his head and Nevaeh released her arrow. The wolf set to flames. It wasn't reacting!?

Caesar stabbed the wolf so it could fully die. "That was scary as shit." Nevaeh said. "You're not the one who was being attacked." Caesar said putting his sword away.

We headed up the path to find Kyler. "He said he was going to see if there was anymore wolves coming." I informed them.

We continued to walk for a bit to see if we could find Kyler. We didn't want to go deep into the dead forest so we looked nearby the path. "Kyler?" Nevaeh shouted out. My ears twitched as I heard branches broken. "Shh. You hear that?" I said ducking down. "Someone is here." Caesar said grabbing his sword.

We all look to the right and heard more shuffling. I walked up to the noise and drawed my sword. "Come out." I said. Kyler came out from behind the tree with his hands up. "Sorry to scare you guys, but there was no more up the path." He said. Caesar, Nevaeh, and I took the most annoyed deep breath we've experienced.

"Did you guys see how those three wolves back there were all different?" Kyler asked. "Yeah. It's like... one wolf is born, the other is getting old, and the last one was dying." I suggested. Everyone looked at me confused. "What? It's just a suggestion."

"That could be it. The one I was fighting was hard to take down. Yours seemed pretty easy and yours was like easy as hell." Caesar said to Nevaeh and I. "You're right. Mia, you may be onto something." Nevaeh said.

***

We've been at least fighting 4 packs of these wolves. It's like they're being sent out here to come kill us. Their eyes are such a pretty blue but their bodies are another story I have to figure out.

None of us ate since the past 6 hours. No one packed food or at least a drink. Well, not that I know of. "Anyone else hungry?" Kyler asked. "You read my mind." I said. Caesar groans in hunger and Nevaeh reaches into her little pack Olivia gave her. "You packed food?!" Caesar yelled. "Give us some!" Kyler said. "I thought y'all never asked." Nevaeh said with a smirk.

She handed us little bottles of water and those little peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I forgot the name of them but those are great for trips. We each got two of the sandwiches. I gulped down my water and tore the wrapper open with my teeth. I squatted down to eat.

Everyone stared at me like I was some beast. "What?" I said with a mouthful. "Uh n-nothing. We should probably rest here for a bit." Kyler said. I rolled my eyes and continued eating. I dunno what the problem is. I was just eating regularly.

"Could the wall be another hour away?" Kyler asked. "Well, not exactly. If we walk, it would take a long ass time because it's a mile away. But if we run?" I said. "We'll just lose a bit of our energy again." Caesar said drinking his water. "Dude, did you forget?" I said. "We're werewolves. We could just change our form." I said swallowing the last bit of bread.

"Oh yeah. We're all done so let's change now." Nevaeh said standing up. Kyler threw his stuff into the forest and changed. Caesar did the same and Nevaeh did too.

"Aren't you going to change?" Kyler said. "Whoa." My mind was blown. I could speak to them WHILE they're in the wolf form. Well, I can kind of read their minds. "I already have my ears and tail. My speed increased so I'll be fine." I said giving him a thumbs up.

Caesar ran first and I went after him. The other were a few inches behind us but they caught up to our speed.

Into the forest, I saw a stone rocky wall going around it. "We must be getting close." I said. I reached for my staff so I could teleport Nevaeh and Kyler back to Olivia's house. I had to figure out how to tell them though.

We reach the wall but there's no entrance. "What the hell?" Caesar said in his normal voice. I looked back at him and he was in his human form. Kyler and Nevaeh trotted up to us and changed back. "You've got to be kidding me." Kyler said changing back.

"Uhh. I teleport you two on the other side. Yell for us if you find it ok?" I said taking out my staff. My heart was pounding. I didn't want the portal to be see through so I tried to make it not.

This time I didn't close my eyes. I cancelled out sound and focused but I just didn't close my eyes. I thought of the place where I wanted them to go. The portal shot out of my staff and it was black. I stuck my head through and it was Olivia's training room.

"Ok, it's at the right place. Go through." I said to Nevaeh and Kyler. "Why is it black?" Kyler asked. "There's no time Kyler. Go through."

"Are you sure it leads to the other side?" Nevaeh asked. I grabbed Kyler and pushed him into the portal. I did the same to Nevaeh and closed the portal so they wouldn't say anything.

"Where did you take them?" Caesar said crossing his arms. "It's a lot to explain." I said looking at the wall. "We've got time." He said. I knew he knew was missing out on something. So I have to tell him.

"Caesar, Olivia told me to send them back because they weren't the ones who were supposed to be here. Ryland sent us and not them. If he saw them, it would be an instant death for them. I don't want them to get hurt so I sent them back." I said. Tears were filling up in my eyes because I knew he was angry at me.

"Why are we here then? Because I know it's not saving the world." He said irritated. "I know part of that is true, but him only wanting us? I have no idea." I shrugged. "They're going to be pissed at you when we get back." Caesar said walking over to the wall.

"I know. Should we climb it?" I asked. "It's the only way." He said. He started to find a way up the wall easily so I followed exactly what he did.

We looked over the wall and saw so many horrid things. Trees were dead, bones, wolves lurking left and right, mountains, and...