Kichi became increasingly worried when she couldn't find any trace of Netto or Enzan. She had gone back to the truck, but they weren't there. She had grabbed her patrolling gear from the truck, thinking it might possibly come in handy. If either boy was hurt she would need the first aid equipment that was part of the gear she carried. She prayed that she wouldn't have to use it, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Unfortunately, she had no idea of where to begin looking for the two boys.
((Tainn! If you can here me, I could really use some help!)) Kichi 'shouted', hoping the wolf would hear her.
She waited for a moment, and much to her delight, got a faint reply, but a reply nonetheless.
((We come,)) Tainn called back. ((Where is Netto and Enzan? I can't reach either of them.))
((I don't know! They just vanished! Tainn, what is going on?))
((Kichi, there is something evil on the mountains. Move with caution, but move quickly. We must find them before that creature does! We come to you soon.))
Kichi felt better that the wolves were near and were helping to look, but she became more worried at hearing that there was something on the mountains that shouldn't have been there.
If it had managed to slip past the normal patrols then it had to be clever indeed. Tainn was right, she would have to move with caution. With that thought on her mind, Kichi took the hunting knife out of her pack and kept a firm grip on it. If there was something dangerous about, she wanted to have a weapon ready.
Since neither Netto nor Enzan had been anywhere on the path, Kichi randomly picked a direction and headed that way, sweeping around in a wide, arching pattern, hoping to come across one or the other, or both. She trusted Tainn and the other wolves would be able to pick up her scent and find her. If they found either boy they would tell her immediately.
She walked for some time without coming across anything, and was beginning to feel disheartened when something big and furry crashed into her! She almost brought her knife down when she realized that it was Tainn who had run into her. The young woman sighed with relief and lowered the knife. Tainn moved aside to let Kichi get up.
((You did not find them?)) Tainn asked.
"No, I didn't. You haven't found a scent yet?"
((Actually, I have. It it Enzan's scent. The rest of the Pack searches still for Netto. I can move more quickly over the snow, my Sister. I will make a trail for you to follow.))
"Works for me. As long as we find them!"
((We will find them. We must find them.))
Tainn shot forward through the trees, leaving a clear trail for Kichi to follow. The wolf soon disappeared from sight, both because of his speed and the fact that he was a white wolf, and there was snow everywhere. Kichi followed the trail, keeping an eye out for any signs of her cousin or Enzan. She also kept an eye out for anything dangerous. If anything tried to attack, it would feel the blade of her knife.
*****
Cesare had froze when the white wolf appeared next to the girl. How long had the wolf been there? Had it seen him? Would he be able to slip away unnoticed? But the wolf ignored Cesare's presense, and if it sensed him, it didn't show it. The wolf seemed to pause for a moment next to the girl, most likeyly giving her some information. The wolf then bounded off through the snow, disappearing through the trees. Cesare held his breath as the wolf passed, but went unnoticed. Both the wolf and the girl were obviously preoccuppied with finding their two friends than with looking for Cesare. Well, that was all the better for Cesare, as he could catch them unaware. He saw the girl's knife, but wasn't worried with it. It would be an easy task knocking it away from her. In his experience, girl's were horrid warriors, and were easy targets.
Not this one! a tiny voice in the back of Cesare's mind screamed.
For a moment Cesare's eyes went from black to brown and back to black again. It appeared that the human's mind was still fighting against being controlled, but it was no match for the demon that was now in possession of his body. The man was afraid of this girl, but the demon knew better. After all, it had been a warrior before it had been trapped, and it was going to get its revenge. And no mere scrap of a girl was going to get in the way of that revenge.
*****
It took some time to catch up with Tainn, and all of that time Kichi felt like she was being watched. She felt nervous, and the grip on her knife tightened. She sensed that something was preparing to attack, and Kichi was agitated that she couldn't sense where!
((Kichi, he is here!)) Tainn exclaimed, standing over what looked like a pile of snow. The rest of the Pack stood around him, facing the forest, alert for the slightest signs of danger.
Kichi brushed away the snow to find Enzan lying face-down, unconsious. Quick as she could Kichi pulled a small pack of smelling salts out of her bag and held it under Enzan's nose. A few breaths of that and his eyes snapped open. Groaning, Enzan pushed Kichi away to stand up on his wobbly legs. He looked less than thrilled at the moment.
"What happened?" He demanded. "Where's Netto?"
"We don't know yet," Kichi answered. "We just found you. As for what happened, I don't know. You were behind me, and then you weren't."
Enzan shook his head. "I don't remember getting seperated. I just remember everything going dark."
[i[((Now that you have found Enzan, I go to look for Netto. The Pack shall stay with you for now. Follow my tracks but stay at a safe distance. There is something out here that is a danger to you, and to us, and I don't want you to get caught in any traps before I sniff them out.))[/i]
"Understood," Kichi and Enzan said together. Tainn nodded and took off in a different direction from the one he'd come. The rest of them waited about five minutes before beginning to follow.
*****
Cesare was furious. He had hoped to get rid of the girl before she found the other boy or the Pack, but this was just a minor set-back. There was no way he was going to challenge the entire pack of wolves and both humans. No, he was safer getting the other boy first and using him as a weapon against these others. And he had the advantage of knowing where this boy was...
So, ignoring the pair of humans and wolves that were trekking off (in the wrong direction) Cesare went off in the direction of where the other boy was. It took awhile to reach him, but that only meant that it would take even longer for the wolves to reach him, and by then it would be too late.
Cesare came upon the clearing silently, so as not to alert the boy. Like his friend, he had passed out from the little transportation trick Cesare had pulled, but he was beginning to wake. Well, that would make no difference to Cesare. Grinning, he walked right up to the boy and grabbed him by the shoulder. The boy jumped and tried to pull away, but he didn't have the strength, yet. Cesare wanted to make certain that the boy didn't regain it at all.
"Let go of me!" Netto shouted, trying again to pull away. "Who are you?"
"I'm your worst nightmare, boy," Cesare growled, grinning. "And I have waited a long time to get rid of you. My master will be very pleased."
"M-master? What are you talking about?"
But Cesare didn't answer. Instead he placed his hand against Netto head, and smiled as Netto's body went rigid. The boy was completely frozen, and that made it much easier for Cesare to carry him. Oh what chaos and destruction he could now cause, and he was most certainly going to cause it.
((Tainn! If you can here me, I could really use some help!)) Kichi 'shouted', hoping the wolf would hear her.
She waited for a moment, and much to her delight, got a faint reply, but a reply nonetheless.
((We come,)) Tainn called back. ((Where is Netto and Enzan? I can't reach either of them.))
((I don't know! They just vanished! Tainn, what is going on?))
((Kichi, there is something evil on the mountains. Move with caution, but move quickly. We must find them before that creature does! We come to you soon.))
Kichi felt better that the wolves were near and were helping to look, but she became more worried at hearing that there was something on the mountains that shouldn't have been there.
If it had managed to slip past the normal patrols then it had to be clever indeed. Tainn was right, she would have to move with caution. With that thought on her mind, Kichi took the hunting knife out of her pack and kept a firm grip on it. If there was something dangerous about, she wanted to have a weapon ready.
Since neither Netto nor Enzan had been anywhere on the path, Kichi randomly picked a direction and headed that way, sweeping around in a wide, arching pattern, hoping to come across one or the other, or both. She trusted Tainn and the other wolves would be able to pick up her scent and find her. If they found either boy they would tell her immediately.
She walked for some time without coming across anything, and was beginning to feel disheartened when something big and furry crashed into her! She almost brought her knife down when she realized that it was Tainn who had run into her. The young woman sighed with relief and lowered the knife. Tainn moved aside to let Kichi get up.
((You did not find them?)) Tainn asked.
"No, I didn't. You haven't found a scent yet?"
((Actually, I have. It it Enzan's scent. The rest of the Pack searches still for Netto. I can move more quickly over the snow, my Sister. I will make a trail for you to follow.))
"Works for me. As long as we find them!"
((We will find them. We must find them.))
Tainn shot forward through the trees, leaving a clear trail for Kichi to follow. The wolf soon disappeared from sight, both because of his speed and the fact that he was a white wolf, and there was snow everywhere. Kichi followed the trail, keeping an eye out for any signs of her cousin or Enzan. She also kept an eye out for anything dangerous. If anything tried to attack, it would feel the blade of her knife.
*****
Cesare had froze when the white wolf appeared next to the girl. How long had the wolf been there? Had it seen him? Would he be able to slip away unnoticed? But the wolf ignored Cesare's presense, and if it sensed him, it didn't show it. The wolf seemed to pause for a moment next to the girl, most likeyly giving her some information. The wolf then bounded off through the snow, disappearing through the trees. Cesare held his breath as the wolf passed, but went unnoticed. Both the wolf and the girl were obviously preoccuppied with finding their two friends than with looking for Cesare. Well, that was all the better for Cesare, as he could catch them unaware. He saw the girl's knife, but wasn't worried with it. It would be an easy task knocking it away from her. In his experience, girl's were horrid warriors, and were easy targets.
Not this one! a tiny voice in the back of Cesare's mind screamed.
For a moment Cesare's eyes went from black to brown and back to black again. It appeared that the human's mind was still fighting against being controlled, but it was no match for the demon that was now in possession of his body. The man was afraid of this girl, but the demon knew better. After all, it had been a warrior before it had been trapped, and it was going to get its revenge. And no mere scrap of a girl was going to get in the way of that revenge.
*****
It took some time to catch up with Tainn, and all of that time Kichi felt like she was being watched. She felt nervous, and the grip on her knife tightened. She sensed that something was preparing to attack, and Kichi was agitated that she couldn't sense where!
((Kichi, he is here!)) Tainn exclaimed, standing over what looked like a pile of snow. The rest of the Pack stood around him, facing the forest, alert for the slightest signs of danger.
Kichi brushed away the snow to find Enzan lying face-down, unconsious. Quick as she could Kichi pulled a small pack of smelling salts out of her bag and held it under Enzan's nose. A few breaths of that and his eyes snapped open. Groaning, Enzan pushed Kichi away to stand up on his wobbly legs. He looked less than thrilled at the moment.
"What happened?" He demanded. "Where's Netto?"
"We don't know yet," Kichi answered. "We just found you. As for what happened, I don't know. You were behind me, and then you weren't."
Enzan shook his head. "I don't remember getting seperated. I just remember everything going dark."
[i[((Now that you have found Enzan, I go to look for Netto. The Pack shall stay with you for now. Follow my tracks but stay at a safe distance. There is something out here that is a danger to you, and to us, and I don't want you to get caught in any traps before I sniff them out.))[/i]
"Understood," Kichi and Enzan said together. Tainn nodded and took off in a different direction from the one he'd come. The rest of them waited about five minutes before beginning to follow.
*****
Cesare was furious. He had hoped to get rid of the girl before she found the other boy or the Pack, but this was just a minor set-back. There was no way he was going to challenge the entire pack of wolves and both humans. No, he was safer getting the other boy first and using him as a weapon against these others. And he had the advantage of knowing where this boy was...
So, ignoring the pair of humans and wolves that were trekking off (in the wrong direction) Cesare went off in the direction of where the other boy was. It took awhile to reach him, but that only meant that it would take even longer for the wolves to reach him, and by then it would be too late.
Cesare came upon the clearing silently, so as not to alert the boy. Like his friend, he had passed out from the little transportation trick Cesare had pulled, but he was beginning to wake. Well, that would make no difference to Cesare. Grinning, he walked right up to the boy and grabbed him by the shoulder. The boy jumped and tried to pull away, but he didn't have the strength, yet. Cesare wanted to make certain that the boy didn't regain it at all.
"Let go of me!" Netto shouted, trying again to pull away. "Who are you?"
"I'm your worst nightmare, boy," Cesare growled, grinning. "And I have waited a long time to get rid of you. My master will be very pleased."
"M-master? What are you talking about?"
But Cesare didn't answer. Instead he placed his hand against Netto head, and smiled as Netto's body went rigid. The boy was completely frozen, and that made it much easier for Cesare to carry him. Oh what chaos and destruction he could now cause, and he was most certainly going to cause it.
