THE GHOST SAILBOAT
"Carmela wants them! Live or die! Get moving! " That simple statement was enough to open Shen's eyes and although he was amazed at his instinctive reaction to the danger, he was not disappointed.
Since then, the situation had worsened visibly. Humans became more aggressive, or desperate, it depended on the point of view, since they realized that animals could kill them.
Yet Derek's humans merely defended themselves in the event of an attack and protected Shen and the others from common enemies. The peacock understood that it was a courtesy made only for economic interest since for those damned misers there seemed to exist nothing else in life apart from money.
Many, after witnessing the first kill of Shen had followed his example and the peacock decided to take advantage of the momentary advantage.
"Kill humans in red uniforms! Not those dressed in green! " He screamed and luckily he was listened to without questions.
"Why should we spare some of them?" failing, however, to avoid criticism from Xu.
"They are loyal to Derek and they seem to want to protect us! Better that they stay with us instead of Carmela's men! " The peacock hurriedly replied before preventing an arrow from sticking into his shoulder, deflecting it at the last moment with his new weapon.
Ning, Pei and Kun had hidden and observed the situation from afar, behind a large boulder.
All the others were with them and it was better to prevent the females and the older ones from fighting as some had been injured in the first clash and to avoid endangering more people than necessary.
Shen and the others seemed to be getting by ... for the time being. "Peacock!" Shen turned abruptly when he heard the name spoken but had to look up when he realized that whoever called him was in the air. Shan landed next to him "We have to find another way to make the others go away!" Visibly worried he said.
"As soon as Hua gives the signal, make them divert to that grove and stay with them. Near the cave, it flies low so that humans don't know the location of our refuge!" Shen said once he identified the small group of trees in question that would have covered the escape of the others.
At the moment they were in a vast plain that interrupted the large wood.
The humans had brought them out into the open and this had gone to their disadvantage: many had withdrawn because they were injured and unable to fight further!
"What signal?" Shan asked, standing in front of the peacock who was running in the opposite direction from where the others were in an attempt to distract humans enough to give his friends a chance to escape.
"You will understand!" Shen replied managing not to be followed anymore.
/
Shen regained his senses briefly, just to feel excruciating pain in his belly before falling back into unconsciousness.
/
Xian took a slash with his guan dao as soon as he saw Xu being hit by one of those noisy and hellish weapons of humans. He seriously injured the bipedal in the chest and left him dying on the ground.
The cat, despite the terrible injury to his leg, got up rather quickly, not wanting to throw in the towel at the first difficulty.
Shui used his tongfa as if they had been fishing hooks, spearing more than one human at the same time.
A paupular attracted general attention and everyone followed Shen who was moving quickly in the opposite direction from their final destination.
Tai was fighting not far from a small group of terrified peacocks, hidden in the trees. Shen intercepted them during the race and stopped only to give some directives "Have everyone divide into small groups and while we distract humans take advantage to get away!" The peacock said and started to continue towards his goal, when a scream made him turn back to the clearing he had left behind.
A man had managed to catch Rose who in an attempt to protect Liang had lost his grip on his weapon.
A spear, lent to him by another peacock, probably. They were standing next to a large "car" and the stranger had grabbed the girl who was struggling like crazy screaming and kicking.
"Leave me! Put me down damn dung of manure! " The young woman screamed as she tried in vain to escape the hold of the man. Sam, who came out of nowhere, clung to one of the stranger's legs who had his friend in his hand and tried several times to make him lose his balance but without success.
Eventually he too was captured. Shen looked around and saw that Derek's men had been annihilated. They had to act quickly!
A paupular made him turn towards the invention of human iron and saw Xian as he killed a biped by cutting his throat with a precise, strong and lethal slash.
Shen threw one of his knives severing the miserable life of a coward who had unsuccessfully attempted to attack Xian from behind. But this gave courage to another who managed to hurt him with a big knife before he could end his life.
Jie and Hao took care of the few humans left around the car and then headed for the last group of them who were opposing a last grueling and desperate resistance against an inevitable and terrible death.
Ye, an albino crow, landed in front of Shen bringing fresh news "There are numerous groups of them scattered in this area!" He said pointing to the human carcasses "If we move immediately we could sow them!" He looked hopefully.
"No!" The peacock said "We must stop them permanently!". "
You don't seem to be able to do it! For the moment it is better to fold and think about others! " Xian said placing a wing on his brother's shoulder.
Shen freed himself from the touch, jerking aside "It's just a scratch, I'll survive! Get everyone else safe, me, Hua and the cats still able to fight will wipe out the surviving humans! " He said taking a step. He was stopped by an extremely agitated Shu.
"My pack is located at the foot of the mountain! The disgusting bipeds forced them to a quick retreat, but from what they reported to Huo, there were no victims among them ... luckily! " she informed him.
Shen thought about it and the lighting caught him: Huo was one of the albino owls.
"Well!" The peacock answered trying to move, but was again stopped by an unusual phrase "Do you really think I'll let you go?" The wolf asked lowering her ears and giving him a dirty look.
"How do I pray?" Shen asked, altered and amazed. Was he challenging him? It had never happened! What time? "But does this seem like the time to quarrel?" Xian asked exasperated.
"Syaoran and I are going with you! Never let us miss a clash with those ..." "Follow me, then!" The peacock cut her off and headed for his next target. Relieved that his intentions were more noble than he had feared. "You didn't let me finish!" She protested "It was a great moment when I was showing you my loyalty and trust ... and you interrupted it!" she continued to complain. "Better this way!" Xian screamed as he watched them go.
"Better this way!" Xian screamed as he watched them go. The curse that came to him as an answer could even have been heard by Derek from the hole in which he had holed up.
/
The first thing he saw when he woke up was the beautiful face of Lang Min asleep, next to his.
They were on a makeshift couch, but this was overshadowed when he felt her so close to him.
Footsteps accompanied Zhan's entry into the tent. The wolf arranged some bandages in a box and took one before approaching him.
"How did you manage to find me?" The question took the wolf by surprise and he snarled and unsheathed his big hammer in response to the entrance to the tent. It took several seconds for the canine to realize that the voice did not come from outside, but from within.
When their eyes met a myriad of emotions overwhelmed the peacock.
He had never shown himself to be particularly emotional, but apparently he was, since he felt an irrepressible joy growing inside him in seeing his dear childhood friend after so long! Zhan had been his first friend and together they had combined all the colors. He was the only one, together with his pack, to understand what it was like to be considered a threat and be marginalized.
And now they were together again!
"My ... Shen ... how do you feel?" The wolf asked worriedly and cautiously, mindful of what had happened when he tried to approach alluding to his title.
And ending up making a mess because he gave her and you in the same sentence!
"I've been better!" The peacock replied "Forgive my reaction, but for the moment ... nobody knows ..." was interrupted by Mei's entry into the tent.
If she was there it meant that the others had joined them too and that perhaps she had slept more than she thought! The cat and the wolf exchanged a hateful look. "
Do you need anything?" Zhan asked barely holding back a snarl "I have to talk to him!" Mei replied "Good!" The wolf replied, staying where he was "Alone!" specified the feline, but the alpha did not give the slightest sign of wanting to move an inch.
Both were making a huge effort not to tear each other's neck and Shen decided to intervene before they tried "How long did I sleep?" Churches. "Five days!" Zhan replied "The wound had become infected and you had a very high fever!" Mei continued "Knowing that some were in danger Xian sent a dozen of my men to recover them and they succeeded!" Zhan said looking at the cat as if to say "You owe me a very big favor!". Shen knew that the wolf did not like the presence of felines in general, but all this hatred must have had a reason rooted deeper.
"No, my dear, it was you who mattered, from what they told me!" Mei accused him.
"Thank you for doing it since you only believe in your friends!" The wolf snarled.
"That's enough!" Shen screamed, immediately regretting it because of the twinge that the wound sent him for that sudden effort. He complained grimacing, he had never been good at managing pain!
"Shen" The two said in chorus, approaching at the same time worried, only to take a look at each other and vice versa.
"Zhan is a childhood friend of mine, he protected and saved my life ... countless times, you can trust Mei. And she is a great friend who has always supported my choices, treat her well Zhan! " The peacock said hoping to cool the hot spirits.
The two respondents nodded.
A laugh made them turn to Lang Min who had hidden under the covers and laughed at her big.
Indeed, even Shen, if he hadn't felt upset, would have laughed with her.
The rivalry between the two, at times, was nothing short of comic!
"Sorry! But it's fun to see how you competed to win your Prince's favor! " The female peacock was justified as she wiped away her tears.
"He is not my Prince! Just a friend! " Mei answered trying to speak as softly as possible "Then get off your feet!" The wolf said giving her a push.
The cat growled, but Lang Min was quick to get out of bed and stand between the two. "Me and my friend are busy! You stay on guard of your friend who will be back soon! " The peacock said before dragging Mei out. "Pissed off cat!" He looked satisfied Zhan.
"I had come to change your bandages ... Shen!" He corrected himself. "All right! Try to please her because you would end up against all the cats since she commands them! " Said the peacock.
"Isn't she the one they should respect?" Asked the annoyed wolf "No, I told you! I am no longer a Prince! They respect me, but they obey her ... for now! " Shen replied before falling asleep.
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"So are you okay? Safety?" "To ask this question, I should be the one since I'm in my room and not lost in the mountains with a goal aimed at ..." "I grabbed!" Rose stopped her.
Beatrice and the others had managed to escape and it turned out that Derek had kidnapped them.
This had meant that the whole world believed without a shadow of a doubt the myriad of lies and stories invented by Carmela, shattering that little dignity that the Collector still possessed.
Or was it to say ... had she owned?
The autopsy tests had confirmed that Derek had died during a deadly attack by the one who was now defined as the savior of the world, or the protector of peace, the name depended on tastes!
A colonel and a few soldiers were the only survivors of the army gathered to stop the "savior of the world"! If on the one hand it was positive that the Collector had been stopped, even if in the most brutal way ever, on the other it was terrible to think that she was still there!
And if Rose was satisfied that her kidnapper had what she deserved, on the other she was destroyed since she could never have known her real father and that now her life had been destroyed by the reputation of the person who for a while time, he hated.
The famous and majestic Collector's castle had been burned by his enemy, perhaps to erase the evidence of his deplorable actions, but he had ended up eliminating any news about the girl's biological father.
"Look, I'm sorry if you're in this situation! Only we six know the truth, but do you really think they will believe it? We are just young scared "kids"! For now, for my parents I am only a poor victim of ... him, and even if on the one hand it is true, on the other hand I know for sure that she is definitely more dangerous than ... him!" Beatrice said on the other side of the phone.
"Don't worry, it will leave you alone! I'm afraid of what it will do to them! " Rose replied as she paced nervously back and forth. "But didn't they have to run away to their world again?" The perplexed friend asked "Yes, but how? Swimming? We have to build the boats first and make sure they don't understand where we are hidden ... and do you really think he won't follow them once they get back? Not me!" The girl scared to death said.
"Their? Just them? Aren't you going too? I thought I understood ..." her friend teased her only to be interrupted by an indignant Rose
"Are you crazy? They would shoot me on sight! A human in a world of anthropomorphic animals, but are we kidding !? " Poor Rose got panicked.
"You don't seem very convinced! And then remember that they still haven't invented guns from them, so they can't shoot you even if they are naturally equipped with far worse weapons!" Bea observed.
"Thanks, you are of great comfort!" Rose said sarcastically.
"Even if I think that if you don't go, they will be much happier! You would create many problems ... I think! " she added making a huge mistake "But go get yourself f ...".
Regardless of the questions that might arise, Rose spoke on the phone in front of the animals, as if nothing had happened.
She was in the only place where he took decently and took advantage of it as soon as she noticed a new message on the phone once in that place.
A cave well connected to the vast tunnels present in the bowels of the mountain that were not too deep. "Did she go crazy by chance?" Guo asked observing the human who spoke alone.
"No, he uses a magic device to communicate with his former friends!" Bao replied before filling his mouth again with more food.
"What are you saying? From what I heard they remained on good terms! " Lian, Fai's fiancée contested him. "Blessed is she! Here things go from bad to worse! " Cong pointed out "I mean?" Ning asked, drawn by that last statement "Wolves!" The squirrel replied.
"Already! I don't trust them! " Tai-Yang said waving his nervous tail.
"They helped us!" Lian pointed out "Yes, but they only did it for Shen and Shu!" Ji pointed out.
"It is not enough to create a good relationship of trust!" The melanic lion said before leaving once he smelled the supper.
Xu took the dinner to the tent of the strangest couple in the world.
Smiling every time he saw Lang Min refrain from making a sour comment, not wanting Shen to try harder. The favorite wolf of the peacock had gone for a patrol tour and this had eased the tension.
Already the peace between the two herds was not easy to maintain and there was also the distrust of the animals of the reserve who once outside the walls feared for their lives even when the wind blew slightly stronger.
This did not apply to him and those who had not lived their entire lives confined within four walls.
The wound in his leg was healing, as well as those of the others and Xu could not wait to start building that damned ship to finally return home.
"I hate it!" Shu's voice attracted the cat as soon as he got out of the tent.
"Are you talking about the royal guard?" Xu asked "Lower your voice!" She intimated the wolf looking around worried.
"Sooner or later the others will find out too!" He pointed out, "It doesn't matter, I think Shen wants to let him know in person and not that two morons like us go screaming it in the four winds!" Shu replied.
"Have you ever thought about the after?" The cat asked, completely changing the subject.
"After?" The she-wolf asked, not understanding "Once back! At home!" Xu specified. "Do you have a home to go back to?" she asked curiously. He shook his head.
"No, my parents abandoned me in an orphanage when I was a kid. I fled from that unfortunate place and grew with my own strength. That's why I think I'll stay with him!" Xu said, telling for the first time, a part of his past. "Even with the faithful puppy?" The wolf asked.
"Yes! I can stand it. Shen proved to be a good leader and I promised to follow him long ago! " He replied.
"I think I'll do the same too!" Shu said. "And the puppy?" Xu asked ironically. "We will find a compromise for everyday life!" She answered sincerely and annoyed.
Meanwhile, inside the tent Mei had found a good mood thanks to Lang Min.
They were behaving like five-year-old girls ... even smaller forces ... while hitting each other with big pillows kindly offered by Shen's wolves and having a great time, between laughter and screams. "What do you find funny?" Asked the fake bored peacock.
To avoid a few blows, the girls had taken ridiculous and unimaginable poses for their physical prowess. "Stop gnawing just because you can't join in the fun!" Mei replied, dodging a deadly blow to the head. "Don't insult the Prince!" The peacock said. "I'm not a Prince!" The peacock hissed. "Your friend thinks differently!" The feline repelled him "But you know the truth!" Shen justified himself "Truth?" Mei asked feignedly.
"Which truth?" she asked further, "What do I know!" Lang Min replied as she got up from the floor, struck after not avoiding a hit on her legs.
"I'm hurt, not deaf!" Shen said tired of that useless discussion.
"Aren't the deaf injured in the ears?" Lang Min asked her friend "I would say yes because they don't work well, indeed, at all!" Mei answered too seriously.
Shen mentally said all the curses he knew, old and new as he had had the opportunity to expand his vocabulary with the animals in the reserve. The nobles, if they knew them, refrained from saying them ... He did not tolerate them when they made themselves unbearable!
FIVE MONTHS LATER (end of January)
Time had helped everyone heal and get back in shape.
Jingjing forced many to meditate in order to calm the excitement over the imminent departure.
And to keep the tension at bay, many trained even at the end of the day when work was interrupted. Taking a cue from an ancient human ship, the construction of a huge galleon had begun, enough to carry all more weapons, supplies and other goods of various types.
The shipyard was located near the seawater which entered a large cave at sea level.
The entrance was too small to allow the ship to pass once completed. For this reason, it was decided to build the large base, equipped with stern and bow, to bring out the completed part and complete the rest in a few days by moving the boat back to the mainland.
It was better to risk being discovered at partially done jobs than at the beginning! For the moment only the skeleton of the ship was visible, but only that seemed already gigantic of his own!
During the clash with humans, not many fireworks had been used, so Shen had a lot of material to focus on building the weapon that would make their escape possible and poured freedom.
He had sent Zhan and the other wolves in search of some iron mine that, according to what Rose said, had to be under that mountain!
The wolves had raided many villages and among the spoils there were various types of fabrics in large quantities and since in the escape it was not thought to take away even some basic necessities apart from food, while being agile and fast, at the moment Lang Min and the other females were busy sewing new clothes for everyone.
Another problem arose with food supplies. Shu's complete pack, Zhan's wolves and all of them consumed several supplies at a time, albeit severely rationed. They had to find a ploy to avoid always raiding neighboring villages.
The island was small, but large enough for it to take days to reach a country to attack.
But it was better to keep the attacks against humans to a minimum, so as not to give Carmela a reason to attack them. There had to be a solution to the constant problem of hunger.
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"You hit my nervous system!" Shen yelled.
"You hit me even the calm one!" Lang Min replied in the same tone.
"What a strange way to express your affection!" Guo said who, from afar, witnessed the quarrel, on the agenda, for that strange couple.
"Once I thought that having always too conflicting opinions destroyed a relationship!" Ji observed "Did you change your mind?" Tai-Yang asked "Obvious!" The lioness replied.
"It's as if they both need a partner strong enough not to get their feet on their heads, but sufficiently patient to complain about everything!" continued to observe Ji.
"Not like ... it's so stung! I think that to avoid such situations, I will never get married!" Guo said terrified at the idea of interacting with a female more than strictly necessary.
"Look, they're not moved ... not yet at least!" Tai-Yang said.
"How picky you are!" The panther accused him. "Then I will never get engaged! Happy?" Guo pointed out. "Do as you think" the lion replied "I wouldn't mind finding an ideal companion and maybe even having children!" He added.
"Don't children destroy a marriage?" Guo asked "Only if you are going through a moment of crisis!" Ji replied. "And how do you know?" Xia asked that until then she had remained silent to listen.
"Heard!" The lioness replied becoming nervous and making it clear that she would not report any further details.
"About couples! Ji, did Qiao make the first move or not?" Xia asked as she lay on the branch she was on. "What move?" The lioness asked confused. "Don't pretend nothing happens! You are not so stupid that you have not understood that he is in love with you! " Tai-Yang said barely holding back a laugh.
"You are wrong!" The feline answered shaking her tail nervously.
"Make a mistake? He is lost, cooked to perfection ... lost in love!" Xia said making the lion laugh "You have to tell me how you do it! It could be useful in the future ..." "Even if it were, I'm not interested in him! So, in case he shows his intentions to you, inform him!" Ji said disappearing from sight.
"Did he say that we have to inform him that you feel something for him too?" pretended to ask Xia "Then I got it right too!" Tai-Yang replied.
Both laughed and were unable to stop for the next half hour.
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Rose used the teaser against the unfortunate poor man who had had the unfortunate idea of checking the suspicious noises caused by his friends.
"I hate that thing!" Gong said seeing the unconscious man lying on the ground. "I believe you! You know how it feels!" Genji said as he gathered numerous apples into a large sack.
"I hate stealing! It stains my good heart!" Liang protested "Said the one who had just finished smashing a vase on the head of a female human!" observed Hua as he stood guard looking out to warn everyone in case of danger.
"They say" woman"!" Rose pointed out. Their ignorance of some things sometimes managed to leave her speechless.
"Is there anyone else who hates something in particular?" The albino cobra asked with evident sarcasm in his voice. Shen coughed violently. "I think he will say" the cold "!" Liang said.
"I'm fine!" He cut him short "It's this cold that persists!" He complained.
"No come on! Seriously? Winter seems to have always been cold!" He watched Zhu making himself unbearable.
Once they refueled, they set off into the thick of the wood where the others were waiting for them.
Sam, who was on the opposite side from them, tried to make himself well seen by those who had come to the aid of those poor peasants who had just been robbed.
If the rumor spread that it was a human who stole food from the peasants, it would surely have benefited the animals, even if Shen could swear that Carmela knew that they were the ones who created such a mess.
For the moment there was no other alternative to theft and acting so openly, but Kang had informed them before they left that he was working on a solution.
"Well! This plus Shu's herd stocks will last another three months!" Lei said while marking everything on a table and others were arranging the dishes. Rose ignored her and strode towards the entrance to the cave. They had been living in there for months now.
Fortunately, their pursuers seemed to need more time to heal their wounds, or she was watching them to figure out what would be the best time to attack.
Done! I apologize for the terrible delay!
Soon I will also put the following chapter!
What do you think? Or rather, what do you expect?
Although I don't know how useful it is to ask since the other chapters have already been written!
If there are mistakes I apologize, but my English is not high! (Anyway, let me know, thank you! Maybe I can correct and make it seem that I know it decently!)
It's not over! But it will be soon! Shen and the others won a battle, not war!
I don't say anything else! Comments and criticisms are welcome!
See you soon,
X-98