CAGED

Chapter 15. The Whistling Woods, Part 2.

Wolf continues to wrestle with Ox, flailing about while Ox attempts to knock him off.

"Give it up, Ox, I am not letting go." Wolf sighs.

Ox headbutts Wolf, with the back of his head, giving Ox enough time to grab him. Ox throws Wolf over his head and into a bush, attempting to run away. However, Wolf leaps upon him again. "Ox hate dogs!" Ox grunts.

"I am a wolf, not a dog." Wolf replies, backhanding Ox. "Call me a dog again and I will rip your heart out through your neck."

Ox slams Wolf against a tree and pins him there. "Ox is done playing with you." 

Wolf smirks. "And exactly what are you gonna do, big guy?"

Ox transforms into his animal form, pinning Wolf against the tree with his horns. "Ox drown you!"

Wolf looks around mockingly. "How are you going to manage that?"

Ox lifts his head, pulling the tree from the ground and proceeds to walk carefully through the woods.

Wolf rests his head in his hand. "How far till we get to the water, Ox?"

Ox stops and looks at him. "Eager to die?"

Wolf yawns. "Nah, just bored. Could you hurry up?"

Ox slams the tree against another, hammering his horns deeper in and choking Wolf. Ox raises his head with a snort. "Not so funny when you can't breathe."

Wolf slowly exhales, looking for the easiest way out. Wolf transforms his hind legs and begins slowly clawing at the tree, right above Ox's face. Ox seems unaware as sawdust enters his nose. He violently jerks his head forward, sneezing and slamming the tree to the ground, loosening his horns from the bark.

With Wolf free again, he fully transforms and bites down on the back of Ox's neck. Ox bucks wildly, trying to throw him off. When that does not work, Ox transforms back and grabs Wolf's head, squeezing tightly. 

"Been a long time since I have had to use this, hope blessings do not wear off." Wolf thinks to himself. Wolf loosens his grip long enough for his fangs to quickly grow in length. Wolf bites down again, but this time into Ox's shoulder. 

Ox's movements become slowed and he stumbles as his upper body slowly becomes stone. Ox falls forward, his whole body now solid stone as it hits the ground with a loud crash. 

Wolf releases his bite and sighs. The blood that flows from the bite also turns to stone. "I am so glad that actually worked. Nothing to nobody, Ox, but had you actually been a smarter fighter, I might have been done for." Wolf prances by him, kicking a little dirt on him, and continues in the direction Odamous and Serpent left.

Further, into the woods, Odamous and Serpent finally get within sight of Rat. Rat releases a smokescreen to escape, but Serpent follows his every move effortlessly. As they draw closer, Rat pulls a small glass ball from a bag and throws it at Serpent's face. The glass ball breaks on a magic shield, summoned by Odamous. The fluid inside burns the ground as it drips off the shield.

"Watch out, Serpent. Rat likely has more of those acid spheres." Odamous urges. 

Serpent whips around the magic shield and spits her venom, hitting Rat's legs. Serpent smiles. "How do you like mine, Rat?"

Rat falls over screaming in pain, the muscles in his legs tightening and ripping. "What did you do to me?!!" He screams.

Serpent wraps her body around him. "I just prepared my meal, sweety."

Odamous steps forward as Serpent turns Rat to face him. Odamous composes himself, for a moment, before speaking. "Rat.. you attacked my master, her family, and her kingdom.. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't burn you alive."