Their journey to the town was cut short. Ray heard loud footsteps not too far behind, and he left most of Kai's weight on Nya for support. He watched as Ed chased after the three and blocked them, nearly tripping on his own boots. Finally catching his breath, he cast an intent frown at the Smith siblings.
"By golly, are you two lucky children!" he chided, marching right up to them and leveling their eyes. "Did you not see it was a Wolfwalker?"
"Now calm down, Ed—" Ray began.
"Everyone knows you can't be cutting down their woods!" he said, his voice firm. He pointed at Ray and continued his chattering. "If you do, they'll get ya! So that's the deal!"
"There's no deal with anyone," Ray overlapped. Nya remained speechless while Kai tried his best to latch on to each word.
"Oh, for the sake of the heavens, The First Spinjitzu Master has created these lands for us to inhabit peacefully, yet here you are, slicing the trees clean of their stumps!" Ed muttered a curse under his breath and stomped his foot dramatically.
"Listen here, Ed, it's necessary we clear the woods," Ray reasoned.
"But did you not see?" the farmer spat.
"Actually, I did see the wolf attack," he answered patiently.
"The way them wolves answer his calls," Ed went on, completely ignoring his explanations. He waved his hands around his ears, and Ray sighed. "The forest is ridden with wolves, I tell you!"
Kai noticed Nya looking a little bit nervous when she peeked into the trees, so he gently touched her shoulder, sending her a brotherly smile. It calmed her a little, but she was still somewhat anxious about the whole situation.
"Well, it won't be long before the wolves are gone," Ray countered.
"It won't be long before they're inside the town walls!" Behind Ed, Kai saw an army of soldiers marching on the front fields of the stronghold grounds. He pulled his hood over his head and shielded his eyes, skin pricking with dread.
"No! No, we'll tame these lands," his father assured. "The Lord Protectors ordered it."
"Oh, the great Lord Protectors," Ed mocked in a sardonic tone, raising his arms in a taunting gesture, "renowned for being true to their word! Ha! Hilarious. At least the old King kept us safe."
Two grand shadows were cast upon the smooth ground. Both horses' heavy hooves left steep prints in the dirt. Their sleek, black pelts were perfectly groomed and shiny, slabs of armor shielding their massive bodies and narrow heads.
Ed leaned in and partially covered his mouth, whispering, "They're just fools, I tell ya." Nya tried her hardest to refrain from warning him or yelping in fright. She looked like she was about to do both. Her heart sunk as he resumed his string of insults.
"Lord Protector," he jeered. "Lord Protector."
"Mr. Ed—"
"PROTECTOR OF WHAT?!" he fumed.
"OI!" someone shouted angrily.
"Get over 'ere!"
He was roughly shoved into the arms of a muscular soldier, who squeezed his shoulders painfully. He held him as another secured a cuff around his throat, followed by thick chains that were difficult to break. Edna, who had followed him and was placing sheep in a cart, screamed with terror and tightened her grip on the padlock.
Both stallions marched right up to the farmer, two men—one older than the other by a large degree—looming over him menacingly. Their sunken faces were creased and oily. They held a scornful expression, large brows arched and eyes narrowed.
Kai recognized one of them as Lord Acronix. His murky hair was neatly cut and smoothed right past his shoulders. His attire consisted of crimson velvet robes, wool pants, and a large belt with an iron clasp to hold it together. Lord Krux wore a similar outfit, both men wearing fur capes to top it off. It was rumored that the fur belonged to the very wolves that dared tread too closely to the town.
Another noticeable detail was the dark green paint smeared over their eyes—it was mandatory all rulers had to have them as soon as they were declared Lords or Kings. For centuries, it was known to symbolize peace and balance, meaning it was their duty to protect their home or negotiate with other nations without beginning any disputes. Anyone who spotted the paint would instantly know they were the leaders and respect them.
Kai thought it looked stupid. But he wasn't stupid enough to say that out loud.
Krux advanced towards Ed and gave him a derisive look. Sensing his hatred towards the farmer, his steed nearly crushed his feet by 'accident' with its hooves. Acronix nearly failed to hide a snicker.
"If you have any grievances, you should speak with me directly," Krux said condescendingly.
"Wh-what are you doing? HEY!" Ed shouted, but his hands were clamped together before he could push the soldiers away. They dragged him to the cage, towards his quivering wife.
The Smiths only watched the scene unfold, bowing their heads as Acronix headed for them next. Ray stood in front of Kai and Nya, who were comforting each other silently.
"Lord Krux! My Lord, please!" Edna begged, looking utterly helpless and broken. Krux merely shoved her aside, and Ed bellowed in rage.
"LEAVE HER ALONE! LET ME OUT OF HERE!" He thrashed around and shook the bars as one soldier inserted a key to lock the door.
"I did nothing wrong!" he insisted, but the soldiers ignored him and guarded his temporary prison cell with the flock of sheep. His bickering and incoherent muttering died away as both Lords marched towards the Smiths, specifically peering at Ray as though they were judging every little thing about him.
"So… another wolf attack?" Acronix pressed.
"Yes, my Lord," Ray replied. Krux scoffed.
"A few more like him and we'll have another rebellion on our hands," he said. Kai was careful to avoid eye-contact, but he thought a rebellion against them wouldn't be too bad. Again, though, he wouldn't dare say that out loud. Maybe one day he would. The thought satisfied him.
"If we do not clear the trees, the farmers cannot work the land," Krux explained.
"And the woodcutters obviously won't be able to clear the trees with these wolves," added Acronix, side-eyeing Ray.
"As I was saying…" Krux continued, interrupting his younger brother, "this is unacceptable work. We must show the townsfolk that the wolves are no threat. They're just beasts."
The word chilled Kai to the bone, and it was clear Nya was nervous as well. She barely spoke once, so he attempted to distract her, including himself, after what had happened to Ember.
"Hey, so… what do you think those weird gears are on their chests?" he asked, gesturing to a symbol embroidered on the front of their robes. They were mechanical gears with two hands, like a ticking clock.
"Not sure," Nya replied blankly. Kai knew she was terrified of the Lords, which was exactly what they wanted. He also blamed the maids. They could go way overboard with whatever rumors and gossip they had in store.
"Finish them," Krux demanded.
"Yes, my Lord," Ray obliged.
"You'd better do your job well, or else it's chains for you," Acronix warned menacingly, but their father clutched his fists. He looked down, but, from what Kai could see, his eyes held a look of resentment in its purest form.
"Yes, my Lord," he answered bitterly.
Acronix ignored him and inspected Kai and Nya instead.
"So these are your children? They resemble you very much," Krux commented.
"Yes, sir," Ray said, and he gently pushed them forward. Kai lowered his hood, and Nya stood as straight as she could, but her posture was rigid. "My son, Kai, and this is my daughter Nya."
"No children beyond the walls—you should know that by now," Acronix sneered. "Why isn't your girl in working in the scullery? And why is he here when he should really be forging weapons for the military?"
The absolute nerve of this guy, Kai bristled.
"Sir, he doesn't work there yet—"
"You there! Yes, come here. See to it that the boy reports to the forging workshop," Krux ordered, pointing directly at Kai.
All feeling in his chest dropped. He turned to his father and held on to his arm.
"Wait, Dad—"
"The Lord Protectors command us," he replied tenderly. "Be sure to have yourself cleaned up; some wounds still remained from that previous fight. And don't get into any trouble, understood?"
He sighed. "Yeah. Got it."
The soldiers grabbed his shoulders and pushed him ahead. He flared angrily, but the situation felt somewhat lighter when he realized that Nya would be coming along, too. At least they wouldn't be completely separated for now.
"I will ride out to deal with several negotiations involving neighboring nations near the south," said Krux. "When I return, I want all the wolves gone from this forest."
"Aw, what about me, big bro?" Acronix asked, and he started to pout.
"You have errands to run in the town," his brother snapped.
"But you and I both know it's so boooring," he complained.
"Behave yourself! Do not embarrass me now or ever," Krux growled.
"Ugh, fine," he replied. "But as long as you promise me I'll get to play on that cool new thingamajig."
"Yes, yes, I will arrange a meeting for Cyrus Borg to give you one of his most recent inventions. I believe he named it a 'cellphone' if I remember correctly," he murmured with a light wave of his hand.
Moving on to Ray, he said, "You have two days, Smith. Don't waste them."
"Yes, my Lord."
With that, they turned and led their army of soldiers past the wheatfields and animal pens. Kai and Nya watched them awkwardly, not really knowing what to do.
"Ooookay then," he replied coolly. Nya stifled a small chuckle. Soon enough, they walked behind the cart Ed was locked in. They didn't notice Ray casting one last glance before resuming his ongoing duty to slay the wolves.
Ed squished past the sheep and crouched down to meet Kai and Nya at eye level. He leaned forward and raised a cuffed hand to his mouth.
"Psst, hey!" he whispered, careful not to alert the soldiers. "You two, look up here, would ya?"
"Hm, what?" said Kai.
"What is it?" Nya asked.
"There's no doubt this will sound crazy, but… the one who took your dragon, well… I've seen him around before," Ed told them. Kai instantly perked up at the news. His stomach lurched uncomfortably at the thought of losing Ember to the hands of whoever that boy was, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little interested.
"You have?" Nya responded in wonder.
"You betcha. A few times a while back. One of the reasons I've become a farmer, actually," he explained.
"So you could keep a close eye on the forest?" Kai guessed. Ed nodded.
"I haven't gotten a very close look at him from up close—he never shows himself in broad daylight, but he's gotten bigger and stronger every year from what I have seen of him."
"But don't they view you and Edna as a constant threat?" Nya asked.
"'Course they do," he answered with a shrug. "They tried chasing us off a few times, but they eventually learned that we were staying, no matter the cost."
This made Kai think back to the blue wolf he had seen earlier. The rest of the pack acted vicious and fiercely aggressive, but that one wolf didn't do anything. To him, it looked rather curious and reluctant to attack, but he knew that was impossible. They would strike first chance they got. Maybe he scared it somehow.
"Oh, and you won't believe what a gigantic wolf I had seen with my own eyes many years ago!" he continued, eager to share his story. Nya and Kai were all ears, despite how unrealistic his tale seemed.
"It was larger than the pack, much larger! Its pelt was a bronze-ish color with darker fur on the neck and tail. It was bigger than your father, you see!"
"No!" Kai said in awe.
"Yes! And I tell the truth! But I will never forget its shining green eyes," he rambled on, enjoying his nice talk. "They were as sharp as the point of a honed knife and incredibly wide like the gaze of an owl."
"But that can't be right," Nya murmured. "Wolves like that don't exist! Do they?"
"Cross my heart to the ends of the stars," Ed promised. "I know it… that boy is one of them Wolfwalkers!"
Kai remained attentive, but Nya gasped. Even the sheep bleated fearfully.
"'Wolfwalkers'?" he repeated skeptically.
"Yes, exactly! A Wolfwalker!" he confirmed, a crazed expression painting his face. "The ones that can talk to wolves, and they can heal as well!"
Nya leaned to her brother and whispered, "Definitely crazy."
He ignored her. Something familiar flashed in his mind again, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. Still, he wanted to make sure.
"How do you know they have healing powers, though?" he pressed.
"Well, I found one of my sheep bleeding on the grass one day. There was another wolf attack then, and one wolf of 'em got to the flock and caught one," he explained, digging within his mind to search for what he could remember.
"I heard that same howl every time. It was different—deep, yet as clear as a polished gem. I was picking at the vegetable patch with my wife Edna over there, then we rushed straight for the forest with our pitchforks ready.
"However, when we arrived, the sheep was perfectly fine—all the blood and scratches disappeared! The last thing I saw was a tall boy chasing after the pack."
"Wild magic… that can't be real!" Nya insisted.
"I'm telling you… it really is a Wolfwalker!" Ed pushed.
"Sir, please keep it down!" she warned. "If the soldiers hear you, you'll really be in a dangerous spot—"
"Ah, don't worry about them. I may be old, but nothing like a few weeks' worth of hoeing and harvesting to gain strength!" he assured confidently. "They might even heal that dragon of yours!"
Hope flared in Kai's chest. A new feeling of optimism dawned on him, but there was unpleasant tension within the pit of his stomach. The combination of the two made him feel confused and uneasy.
"Or, you know… he could possibly eat her somehow—"
"Stop it!" Nya spat. "That's enough! You shouldn't say things like that, you know!"
"You're right, you're right, sorry, son," he apologized, lowering his head at Kai as a sincere gesture.
"Either way, though…" Kai began, "I need to get her back. I can't leave her after I—" he gulped, "—shot her."
"Kai, you know it was an accident," Nya consoled. "You didn't mean it at all; you would never hurt her!" She just got in the way—"
Kai cut her off with a wave of his hand. He stared fixedly at Ed, who looked bummed at the unfortunate news. Finally making up his mind, he said," Can you keep a secret?"
"Huh? What d'you mean?"
Nya turned to him and gave him a weird look. "Kai? What're you—hang on… I know that face… oh, no, you aren't seriously thinking of—"
He pulled one of Ember's molting scales from his pocket and quickly inserted it in the keyhole. After several seconds of precise picking and twisting, the shackle clicked open. The sheep shoved Ed aside, and he faceplanted on the dirt road.
"Argh, you mangy sheep!" he yowled angrily.
Kai grabbed Nya's wrist and practically dragged her away, trying his best to blend in with the wool.
"Congratulations, you've done it again!" Nya praised sarcastically. "Yet another one of your reckless decisions!"
Kai couldn't help but laugh. "What can I say? It's in my nature to return to the forest!"
It took a second for Nya to take in what he had said before a mortified expression crossed her face. "Shut up!" she said. "That was terrible!"
They heard Ed shouting from behind. "I hope he'll be able to make it alright," he said. "I don't think he's gonna tell on us." Looking back, they saw him kicking the soldiers away and doing a pretty decent job fighting back, despite being chained and cuffed.
"Yeah, he'll be fine!" he confirmed.
"They'll know we'll be gone, though! The soldiers will track us!" Nya warned.
"Not if we head in there deeper!" he said.
She groaned. "Haven't you learned anything from this?"
"I know I'm not going back there," he replied simply. "End of discussion!"
They headed into the bushes and shrubs without sparing a second glance. Kai knew they would have a few soldiers on their tail, so he would just have to guide them both into the deeper, lesser-known areas of the forest. He was confident that the Nature Dragons would sense their need for help, but he only hoped he would find Ember, no matter the risks or unpredictable dangers.