In a little while the four of them were again making their way through the woods toward the Fourth Kingdom. During the walk, Angel tripped over a root and when he fell, he accidentally struck Alastor's tail, his most sensitive spot which in turn caused the wendigo to howl. Howl that deep, throaty, noise that he had often used to frighten away intruders or when he felt hurt or uncomfortable. And even though he only howled this time because he felt extreme discomfort, it sounded no less like a vicious, man-eating beast.
Angel and Vaggie looked at him disturbed.
"I..." Alastor said somewhat embarrassed. "I beg everyone's pardon."
"What the hell was that?" Vaggie asked.
"That's one of those freaky noises he makes when he tries to scare people." Angel said.
"Or when I'm touched in places I don't want to be touched." Alastor glared at Angel.
"Hey it was an accident. I tripped."
"Still that's a bit of an overreaction." Vaggie said.
"I can't help it. I'm apart of a very sensitive species." Alastor said. " when we're touched in sensitive areas it makes us very upset or cross."
"Well you know if you keep making noises like that, the locals will never like ya." Angel said. "Humans get scared shitless by that kind of stuff. Am I right Princess?"
But Charlie just replied by giving forth her high-pitched, echoing, wail. Angel and Vaggie covered their ears, trying to block out the ear-splitting shriek. Alastor though was not negatively effected by that sound. As a matter of fact, his ears translated it into something rather pleasant, something that made him almost swear that he was hearing a mating call. When she was finished, she flashed them a smile.
"You see Angel, even princesses make sounds that not everyone likes." She said. "And I'm sure you and Vaggie have had your moments of making unpleasant noises."
She then turned to Alastor.
"Don't be embarrassed Al. That howl of yours doesn't scare me at all. In fact I find it kind of cute."
Alastor and Angel just gaped at her surprised, and in Alastor's case, quite impressed.
"She's as freaky as you are Smiles." Angel said shocked.
Alastor laughed.
"You know." He said to Charlie. "You're not exactly what I expected my dear."
She looked at him with a playful grin.
"Well." She teased. "Maybe you shouldn't judge people before you get to know them."
She had repeated the words that he had said to Angel the night before, which made him feel embarrassed again. Had she heard all that? That moment where he let himself pour out all of his feelings of rejection, loneliness, and anger? Oh how humiliating.
She walked on humming. The other three were close behind her when suddenly Alastor stopped and his ears perked up.
"Don't move." He quietly ordered the others.
"Al what's wrong?" Charlie asked.
"We're not alone." He said. "Someone's watching us. I can feel it. No one say anything."
Charlie, Angel, and Vaggie stood perfectly still and kept their mouths shut, allowing Alastor to carefully listen for whatever or whoever was spying on them. He heard nothing at first but he knew that was only because the spy had recognized that they were now aware of another's presence. The sneak was now silently waiting, waiting for Alastor to let his guard down. But he didn't and after a few minutes had passed, Alastor heard a familiar noise. A cocking sound that any creature like him who had been hunted would recognize immediately.
"Gun." He said.
"What?" Angel said.
"Gun!" He shouted. "Take cover!"
He threw himself on to all three of them, pushing them to the side of a thick tree as rapid gunshots were being fired. When the bullets struck the dry ground it caused the dirt to rise up into a type of cloud. Not one of them moved an inch until the gunshots stopped and it became quiet.
"Is everyone okay?" Alastor asked.
"I can't see!" Angel coughed. "And I think I have dirt in my eye."
They cautiously stepped out from the tree and tried to make their way through the dirt cloud. Suddenly they heard the sound of a horse running past them followed by Charlie letting out a shocked scream.
"Princess!" Alastor gasped.
His eyes searched for her but the dirt blocked all form of sight. But eventually the dirt cloud cleared and they discovered the horse, it's rider, and Charlie at a nearby distance. The man who had snatched her was tall, slim yet muscular, bore a thin mustache on his face, and carried a gun.
"What are you doing?!" Charlie demanded to him.
"Relax lady I just saved your ass." He said. "And that'll cost you about thirty pieces of silver."
"Excuse me?"
"My reward. In case you haven't noticed, I am your savior and I am rescuing you from that red beast over there."
He carpeted Charlie's arm with kisses as she struggled, indignant and surprised.
Alastor on the other hand was not pleased with how this arrogant dunce was putting his hands and lips all over Charlie, not at all taking note of her obvious revulsion. It was disrespectful and uncouth. How dare he treat a lady this way.
Hey!" He yelled running toward them with Angel and Vaggie close. "That's my princess, go find your own ya cretin!"
"Beat it antlers!" He said. "Can't you see I'm a little busy here?"
Charlie lost it.
"Look Pal!" She snapped. "I don't know who you think you are!"
"Oh right. Sorry about that. Well you see lady they call me Striker and I am a world renowned do-gooder. I perform heroic deeds in exchange for rich rewards. Thirty pieces of silver is the usual for saving damsels from beasts."
"You're paid to help people?" Charlie said further disgusted. "That's not being heroic for others! That's doing a job for profit!"
"Same difference. So how much you got in your purse ma'am?"
"She's not giving you a dime because you didn't save her from anything!" Vaggie said. "She wasn't in danger!"
"Oh no?" He raised an eyebrow. "And just what would you call a young woman being kidnapped by a monster and his two goons?"
"Goons?!" Angel replied insulted. "Just who are you calling a goon?"
"We didn't kidnap her." Alastor said. "We're her escorts."
"Yeah right." Striker scoffed. "You expect me to believe that someone like you means a maiden no harm?"
"It's true-" Charlie tried to protest.
"Not now ma'am. I gotta stubborn buck to deal with."
Striker then pointed his rifle right at Alastor and the others.
"Oh why are people trying to kill me?" Angel said hiding behind Alastor.
"Don't be such a coward." Vaggie said. "There's three of us and only one of him."
But Vaggie spoke too soon. Striker snapped his fingers and at once seven men with knives and cross bows came from the trees and bushes, aiming their weapons directly at the three non-human creatures.
"Meet my posse." Striker said. "I never go anywhere without them. Alright boys, the two giant bugs are fair game but the buck is mine."
He cocked his gun and made a perfect aim. Charlie's annoyance turned to horror, Angel had is arms up in surrender, Vaggie was stiff, and Alastor just didn't know what to do. He stood there and tried to think of a way out of this mess but it appeared there wouldn't be enough time for such an idea to arise. But then a flying foot had knocked Striker clean off his feet and caused him to land on a rock which made him lose consciousness.
That foot had belonged to Charlie who quickly picked up the rifle and disarmed it.
"Next time listen to a person when she tries to explain things." She said.
"Why you little..."
One of the posse members fired an arrow at Charlie from his cross bow but she quickly ducked out of the way. The arrow flew but it missed Charlie and whizzed toward Alastor and Angel, who pounced into the wendigo's arms in fear. One member lunged for Charlie but she elbowed him in the stomach and back-handed him on the nose. Two more tried to stab her but she scissor kicked them both. Another one of them ran at her, determined to bring her down but she ran up a tree, back-flipped, punched him right in the jaw. This continued like this for awhile, until with a quick series of martial arts, Charlie had littered the ground with unconscious men.
Alastor and Angel looked at her dumbstruck, Vaggie however wasn't the least bit shocked and smiled with beaming pride.
"Shall we?" Charlie said looking a little embarrassed as she brushed the dirt from her dress and fixed her hair.
She continued down the road and Vaggie joined her.
"Hold the phone!" Once Alastor had gotten over his surprise, he dropped Angel and hurried after them.
"Hey!" Angel said picking himself back up. "Wait for me! You know I don't like to be left alone!"
