Chapter 4: Unlikely Alliance
"Are you finished?"
"Just about"
Turner was wrapping a bandage around Ryan's shoulder and then grabs his dagger and cuts the bandage off the role. "Is it too tight?" Turner asks. "It's fine" Ryan replies.
"I'll be leaving now" Ryan states.
"Where? The only town in 100 miles was destroyed by the dog army"
"You have a point, but I have places to be, backstabbing a squad doesn't exactly send you off scot free"
"Here, you can tag along with me"
"Oh please, a rabbit?"
"It's me or nothing, plus I'm the one with First Aid and some food"
"Fine, but don't expect me to save your or be an ally"
"I wouldn't bet on it"
The two begin to continue through a path in the forest at the break of dawn.
Their footsteps crunch the autumn leaves beneath them and the melody of the birds throughout the trees surround them. Turner continues to walk in silence when he hears a rogue sound and stops, the crackles of fire and mumbling don't stray far. "Get down" Turner whispers to Ryan. Ryan, not asking questions, crouches down onto his knee. Turner begins to slowly walk while keeping his head low, he slowly reaches his neck around a tree and sees Dog warriors mumbling to each other whilst the bodies of rabbits lay in a pile, burning. He was sickened and quickly looked away from the scene. "What is it?" Ryan whispers. Turner replies with pointing up his index finger to tell Ryan to be quiet. "I've got this, your shoulder injury is more severe, I'll take on the dogs"
Turner creeps up the tree and manages to make it onto his feet and then grabs his dagger and swings across the tree into the several dog's sight. Turner lets out a battle cry and charges at the dogs. He swings his dagger at one but the dog continually blocks his swipes until Turner stabs the dagger into the dog's back and kicks the dog's knee cap in causing the dog to fall against the ground. Turner retrieves the dagger from the dog and sees the next pull out Dog Swords. "You made a foolish decision confronting us, rabbit boy" One dog says. "Underestimating me will lead to your demise" Turner replies. Turner charges forward moving around the dog's swipes, and then one dog runs towards Turner and Turner leaps into the air, preparing his strong rabbit legs and then kicks breaking the dogs neck with the pure force. Turner lands and the dog behind him stands petrified and Turner then throws his dagger into the dog's neck and he falls to the ground. Turner gets up and brushes the dirt off himself and looks back to see Ryan looking around the tree, surprised.
"Where did you learn these things, rabbit boy?"
"It's Turner"
"Well Turner, where have you learned these talents?"
"Ryan, if you're not going to be my ally why bother getting to know me?"
Ryan gives him a stern stare and then walks off.
"Where do you think you're going?" Turner asks.
"Trying to make me stay?"
"No, just wondering where can you go?"
"Ryan?"
"Fine, I'll be your ally"
"Yay!"
"And while we're at it, it's not Ryan it's Hong"
"Why would you tell me Ryan?"
"Maybe because I didn't trust you"
"Well, enough chat, we should be heading off"
Turner walks towards Hong and taps his shoulder gesturing for him to follow.
"How strong would you say the Dog Army is?" Turner asks.
"Well, we were still very early in the invasion and were only lugging around hundreds" Hong replies.
"They've most likely enhanced their number severely from that point. How long have you been on the run?"
"I've been hiding for about 2 years now, you're the first person I've had interaction with other than a dagger to the throat"
The two stop and then see a Dog Stronghold in front that stands highly erected from the ground.
"Get back, behind the bushes" Hong whispers.
Turner and Hong slowly creep back and then jump behind the bushes.
"What is that?" Turner asks.
"A Dog Stronghold, capable of holding 1000 men but also capable of keeping a supreme commander safe" Hong replies.
"How did we just walk into this?"
"They don't just plop them around randomly you know, there is actual planning behind these locations"
Turner's ears twitch as he hears the sound of crunching behind them and then Turner rises his head to look over the bush and is struck in the face by the handle of a spear and knocked out, Hong tries to escape but the back of his head is also struck.