"Y-you didn't lock the gate right at all!" Ed tried persuading, shaking his head to prove his point.
"You let the sheep out, didn't you?" one soldier accused angrily. The farmer scowled and clenched his cuffed hands.
"Oh, yeah, blame me for that, too! Blame me for all the accidents and misfortune that bestows upon the wheatfields and crops! 'Everything is Ed Walker's fault!'" he boomed.
"Get back in there, you," they spat, seizing his wrists and pinning him to the cage. With all his bottled-up fury and resentment, Ed kicked and smashed his leg into their appendix, to which they doubled over and groaned in pain.
"Better go round up my sheep, then!" he said in a satisfied tone, running after the nearest one he could find.
"Get him!" the soldier ordered.
"Yet again, what in the world to you think I'm trying to do?" his acquaintance shot back.
"Wh-HEY! Oi, whatever your name is, get back in the cage!"
Ed blew a raspberry and rid one of his sheep, who kicked and scrambled to wherever it would go. The soldiers chased after him, but they failed to even get close, sometimes having their toes trampled from the stampede. In the midst of this chaos, Edna rushed in and tried herding them while also worrying for her husband.
Meanwhile, two other farmers stood on the side and watched the commotion unfold. They chortled ruthlessly, sending each other looks to determine how ridiculous the soldiers were. They were around the same height—one had dirty-blond hair that slightly curled in front of his eyes. He was relatively thin and hunched, whereas his friend had a muscular build. He was slightly shorter and had tangly raven-black hair, a stubble forming on his square jaw. Both men wore similar outfits—thin, linen clothing with overalls and heavy boots.
Having enough of all the madness, the soldiers launched themselves onto Ed and grabbed his feet. They tugged him forward and threw him in the cage as he struggled with as much force as possible.
"Get in!" one spat furiously.
"Next time, we'll chain your head, yeah?" the other suggested, though there was no trace of friendliness in his voice.
"Hang on, now… where have the children gone?"
"Oh, you're right. D'you reckon they've gone in the woods?"
There was no way Ed was willing to give up so easily. He rammed into them, but one soldier kept pushing him back, meanwhile his accomplice addressed the other farmers.
"Hey, you two! Kruncha an Nuckal! Keep an eye out for a boy and a girl—Smith siblings. You can't miss 'em. They ran into the forest, so get them back to the grounds." He stared at them harshly, eyeing them with menace, and they shivered under his gaze. "The Lord Protectors order it."
"Yes, sir!" they squeaked frightfully, instantly running off several feet in the opposite direction.
"Argh, finally!" his acquaintance panted. "The fool's been a pain to lock up."
"I swear by my word, you two will get lost in there!" Ed rambled. "Chances are you'll find a Wolfwalker and get devoured! Actually… oh, what am I saying?" He clapped his cuffed hands enthusiastically and laughed. "Ha! You don't even have eyes well enough to spot a starling in broad daylight! It'll find you instead—"
"SHUT IT, WILL YOU?" he roared, mind buzzing furiously as he grit his gnashing teeth. His mind chattered contemptuously, but he forced himself to calm down. Taking a long breath, he lowered his voice and mumbled, "What difference will it make with one missing farmer?"
"Whazzat?" Ed asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"What did I say? Shut your trap, old man," he snapped in an ever-so-threatening tone.
"Worry not. Maybe those scoundrels will actually do a good job of finding those kids," his partner replied, though, he couldn't help but contain a trace of revulsion in his voice. "Let's hope we won't have our heads off our necks by the end of the day."
. . .
"Ew! Ew, ew, ew!" Nya yelled.
"What is it? What's happening?" Kai asked, eyes wide and alert for any danger. He utilized his crossbow, but his hands were slightly shaking from how tight he was holding it.
"I nearly walked into that!" she exclaimed, pointing at a silky web with a massive black spider crawling to the center. He let out a breathy laugh and dropped his shoulders.
"Relax, Nya," he assured her, setting his weapon down. "It's just a harmless spider."
"It's a terrifying harmless spider," she retorted.
"Pretty sure you would've hurt its feelings if it understood you," he said in a bored tone. "Just be careful and watch out for stuff."
"I don't know this forest like the back of my hand, thank you very much," she said with a sniff.
"I don't!" he said, raising his hands in defense. "We aren't that far in yet, so we're really gonna have to be careful from now on." Nearby, a crow emitted a chilling shriek that froze Nya on the spot.
"We'd better do this quick, then," she muttered tensely.
Kai wandered ahead and ducked beneath dead thick branches and autumn leaves. The trunks closed in more than ever, and the familiar nightmare-ish feeling returned. His surroundings began to grow a horrid shade, and they encircled the brushes. He tried peeking through the leaves shielding their heads, but only a faint trace of the sun peered through the enclosed gaps. He sighed, trying to remain calm, yet his skin prickled with anticipation and dread. The faster they looked for Ember, the sooner they would leave this area.
"Ember?" he called, but his voice was weak. He wasn't expecting much, but there was no way he would return to the hands of those soldiers, no way he would work at the forgery, and there was absolutely no way he would abandon his search to find his dragon.
"I don't want to complain or anything, but I'd sure hate to step in poison ivy right about now," Nya said, carefully watching every spot before treading there. Kai side-eyed her.
"You don't really need to worry; they don't usually grow in these parts of the forest. Mostly in deeper areas, but yeah, I do recommend keeping an eye out," he advised. "I mean, there could be Death Cap mushrooms around, Conocybe Filaris… oh, and watch out for Holly berries. They look good, but they're pretty toxic for—"
"Alright, alright, I get it!" she snapped, looking exasperated. Kai shrugged, and he continued to tread lightly. The sounds of crunching branches and wrinkled leaves filled his ears, and they seemed much louder than normal. Again, pretty unsettling.
Without thinking, he muttered, "Wolf, wolf, kill the wolf…"
"You're singing that again?" Nya asked.
"Um, yeah!" he said quickly. The last thing he needed was for his sister to realize he was feeling afraid in a place like this. "It's something I say to myself so I can prepare to hunt for… you know. Wolves."
He felt immensely relieved when Nya shrugged. "Whatever you say," she said without giving it much thought.
They continued to walk on the dirt path, and Kai quietly sang his tune again.
"Wolf, wolf, kill the wolf… hunt them far and yonder…"
He pushed a clump of bushes out of his way and nearly tumbled forward. Luckily Nya caught his cape just in time. She pulled him back, and they saw a vast field of jumbled thorns, dangerously sharp enough to produce a clean cut on even the roughest skin.
"Why don't you watch where you're going this time?" she sneered, though not in an unfriendly tone.
"Jeez, sorry," he shot back. He lightly placed his foot forward in an empty space, then put the other in front. Nya copied his movements, but their pace quickened.
"Hey, careful!" he warned, nearly tripping over again.
"I have no sense of bal-ANCE!" she screeched as she fell on his back. They plunged over a small hill and crashed into the lush grass. Kai landed on his face, but it didn't make the fall any less painful.
He groaned in anguish, and he cracked his jaw, lightly massaging it. He immediately turned to Nya to check whether she was okay, and, thankfully, she didn't seem to be hurt too badly.
"Ow… thanks for the save, big bro," she said appreciatively, tapping his back to prove her point.
"And no thanks to your clumsiness," he muttered, but he helped her up and picked off any leaves attached to her clothes. As they both stood up, they took a good look at the wide clearing. There was a huge gap in the trees above, and a significant amount of sunlight poured through the leaves.
"Wow… pretty nice, isn't it?" Kai asked, admiring the view once more.
"You get distracted way too easily," Nya said matter-of-factly. Her eyes eventually scanned the ground, and she gasped as she noticed a bright flash of gold amidst the green and yellow lawn. "So you won't notice things like these… take a look at this."
Kai's eyes flew open, and he seized the object out of her fingers. It was one of Ember's scales. He observed it carefully, inspecting precise details of the peeled hide. "Freshly molted," he whispered to himself. She was nearby, he knew it.
"Ember!" Nya shouted. "Ember, where are you?"
There was a loud rustle coming from one side. Nya flinched and backed away, but Kai stared ahead and propped his crossbow. He caught a trace of something dark lurking behind the bushes, but another figure caught his attention. A blur of crimson and gold flew right into his face, and he reared in shock.
"EMBER!" he yelled, his heart flaring with joy and relief. "Ember, oh, Ember! Oh, my God, you're here! You're… here!" He grinned broadly and jumped around his dragon, who chirped at him excitedly and pounced on his chest.
Dropping his crossbow, he wrapped his arms around his friend and embraced the slimy licks on his face. Nya laughed and knelt next to them, giving Ember a hug as she coiled around her and hummed cheerfully.
Kai chuckled and took one good look at his Fire Dragon. "Look at you! Good as new!" he beamed. "Don't scare me like that ever again! If I see you dart in my way one more time, there won't be any raw meat for you!"
Ember whimpered sadly and sniffed at him, practically begging him to not make that a real threat. He scratched her behind the ears, and she trilled joyously again, revealing her glimmering teeth. Kai pulled her close and embraced her tightly. "How're you feeling? I'm so glad you're not hurt!"
She chirped in his ear as a response and pressed her head spikes against his cheek, slightly making his skin sting as he suddenly felt the urge to itch. He pulled away and looked at her in wonder once more.
"Hang on… these weren't there before," he murmured, finally noticing golden spikes on her head, leading down the length of her spine, right to the tip of her flaming tail. Her scales had grown a darker shade of red, and he took note of extra patterns engraved throughout her body.
"I can't believe she's shed already!" Nya said in awe.
"She has been molting scales in the town, now that I think about it," Kai realized aloud. "But enough about that—how did your side heal?" Nya slowly faced him and furrowed her brows.
"Do you… do you think it was that boy? You know. The one Mr. Ed mentioned?" she asked warily.
"It could've been," he replied, swiftly dropping his voice. "He's the one who took you, Ember, but you haven't even got a scratch on you now."
His Fire Dragon made no indication of responding. She merely gazed at them with her hypnotizing eyes as they resumed to think about their predicament. Little did they know, something moved within the thickets and trees, but they hadn't paid the slightest attention.
"Either way, I really was worried he was gonna eat you or something—"
Nya nearly let out a shriek, but she saved it by holding it in just in time. She averted her gaze to the opening up ahead, and there they both saw the same wolf, from Ed and Edna's farm.
Loose growls escaped its throat as it prowled closer to them, lightly scraping the grass beneath its slim paws. It watched them closely with enlightening, sapphire-like orbs, and its blue fur stood on end.
Kai and Nya backed away. Somehow, Despite the incident that took place hours prior, regardless of his increasing fear and blazing anger, Kai didn't exactly feel the need to attack this wolf. He really didn't know why, but he was reluctant to do so. Still, he retreated with his sister close behind him.
Automatically, his hands traced the grass and eventually grasped the handle of his crossbow. He frantically inserted an arrow and, with shaking arms, pulled up and aimed with as much control and precision as he could muster.
"Stay back!" he spat, ignoring the dreadful roils mingling his stomach. "Back, I said! I'll shoot you, I swear!"
Without warning, Ember dove in front again, screeching in his face and stretching her talons. She tried grasping his crossbow, but he roughly pulled away.
"Ember! Ember, what are you doing?! Stop!" he cried. Nya attempted to yank her away, but she hissed and flew in their way.
Kai shook his head and forced himself to stay his ground and aim properly. He grit his teeth and tightened his grip. "Get away, wolf! I swear I'll—"
Ember let out a furious snarl and plunged onto his weapon. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, and it startled him. However, he refused to fire with her so nearby.
"Ember, stop that!" he ordered.
She eventually grabbed the arrow and flew away with it, leaving Kai helpless.
"No! Why are you doing this?" he demanded. Nya had her eyes trained on the wolf approaching them. It padded toward them gracefully, remaining as quiet as possible. It let out soft breaths, but he could hear it as clear as day.
"Stay away, wolf!" he commanded sternly. "Get away—"
He triggered a trap, and a rope suddenly pulled on his ankle as he hung upside-down. Ember let go of the arrow, which nearly struck his eye.
"Kai!" Nya yelled.
"Nya, get out of here!" Kai ordered without sparing a second thought.
"Wait, wh—"
"Just move! Get away!" he shouted. "Leave now, just run!"
"There's no way I'm leaving you!" she insisted.
"There's no time—I'll be okay, just run as far as you can!" he pleaded, desperation clear in his voice. Not having much of a choice, she reluctantly retreated through the shrubs and bolted into the forest.
"Hey, you!" Kai called, and the wolf, who had watched Nya run, suddenly brought its attention to him. "Yeah, that's right! Look at me!" He swung his arms around, and it kept staring, occasionally turning its head in confusion. It walked over to him, but he narrowly missed its snout with a punch.
"If you don't get away, I'm gonna strike that little snout of yours!" he threatened, but his punches and kicks only made him look stupid. He swung around while swiping his hands, and the wolf began to grin. It wagged its long tail playfully, tongue lolling like a pup.
It jumped around him and leaped in the air, to Kai's dismay. He tried fending it off, but he swore he would have a peg leg if it kept up its biting and snapping.
"Hey! Stop trying to rip my leg off! Move away!" he shouted, but he continued to swing around. It eventually made him feel really dizzy, but he wasn't about to let this wolf have him for brunch!
"Woah, woah, woah, hey!" he yelled frantically. It nearly bit his ankle. Luckily, he was able to finally land a punch right on its head, and it scurried away with a whine. He thought he had finally scared it off, but it returned to snap at him again.
He wasn't going down without a fight.
"I told you to get away from me!" he snarled, using his free leg to kick it square in the jaw. It whined again, yet it continued to leap and bite. He smashed his heel and fist in its pointed face, but then he heard a loud growl.
Kai swiveled his head to see a large, black wolf rooted on the spot the previous wolf had been in. It stared at him fixedly with wide, forest green eyes. Its paws were massive, along with the length of its torso. It was covered in disheveled black and grey fur, twigs and leaves trapped in messy clumps.
His heart jumped in his throat as it snarled viciously and darted straight for him. Using its muscular legs to pounce, it jumped at him and sunk its razor-sharp teeth right in his forearm. Kai screamed in agony as his nerves shrieked and scorching pain seared throughout his limb.
While it still could, it used its claws to slice the ropes, and Kai fell on the grass with a thud. His mind whizzed and blurred, and the only noise he could make out were ferocious growls coming from both wolves. Wincing and shuddering, he felt his blood drip over from the fresh wound inflicted on his arm.
Making an effort to open his eyes, everything was grey and black, except for three unusual colors. He saw—or smelled, really—a faint trace of red coming from behind him, a strong scent of teal leading to a thin woman, and a golden scent trail taking form of a powerful boy around his age.
The one who had taken Ember.
He reared back and yelped in surprise, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. He mumbled incoherently as he pushed himself further and further from both canines. The black one peered at him, whereas the other gazed at him with a desolate expression.
"No… no, please," he muttered, slightly raising his bloody arm to shield him. The blue wolf advanced towards him and whined at him, carefully sniffing his wound. Shutting his eyes tightly, Kai did not care to look at it, but the next thing he felt was a warm lick ebbing the pain.
"What…?" he asked blankly. Of all the things a wolf could do to him… this was what it was doing?
It gently pressed its snout on his arm, then, hearing the rough growl from the other wolf, turned away and bounded across the clearing. Ember glided towards them and landed on the back of the serene wolf, sending him the same unfocused look.
"Huh? Ember?" he began, slowly stretching his hand. Without acknowledging him any further, both wolves and dragon headed in the opposite direction, down a deeper path. Taking several breaths, Kai gathered himself and stood up.
"Ember… hey, wait!"