A/N: I don't own the Teen Titans. I know it seems like the story is winding down, but there is plenty of action left to come. Enjoy!
Chapter Ten
Raven, Sarah, Leila, and Starfire were walking down a dirt path that led deeper into the woods. " How long shall we have to continue with this walking friend Raven?" Starfire asked.
" I don't know, just keep walking." Raven told her friend.
" You have no idea where we're going, do you?" Sarah asked.
" Yes, we're going to the Lord's of Salem's hiding place." Raven answered.
" You know what I mean." Sarah huffed. She was fiddling with the red ribbon that held her hair up. She finally gave up and threw the ribbon to the ground.
" I know. They have to be around here somewhere." Raven sighed. They stopped at a small creek and had their lunch. They heard a noise in the bushes.
" Who is there?" Starfire asked standing up. A growl was the response.
" Oh, no it can't be!" Raven muttered. They were expecting to see another pack of wolves come out and attack. Instead only one large black dog walked up to them.
" Oh! It is a doggy!" Starfire yelled and she began to pet the dog. The dog ignored her and walked up to Raven. It sat in front of her and wagged its tail. Raven reached out to pet the dog, but it had another idea. It took her hand in its mouth and tugged gently, as if it wanted her to follow it.
" Do you want me to follow you?" Raven asked. As if the dog understood, it nodded its head.
" Are we really about to follow some mutt?" Sarah asked disbelievingly. The dog growled at her when she had used the word 'mutt'.
" It's the best idea we've had so far." Raven answered. " Why not?" As if taking that as a cue, the dog began to walked down a separate path. Raven looked at her friends, shrugged, and followed the black animal. Leila and Starfire began walking as well. Sarah shook her head and joined them.
Bandit Hideout
Jex, the leader of the bandits that inhabited the area around Salem, stood in a large tree and was leaning against the trunk. His black armor glinted in the afternoon sunlight. He spotted four women and a dog coming his way. This must be my lucky day! He thought as he jumped from branch to branch. Jex made it to the fortress that he and his bandits had built in the trees just as the women entered the woods. " Look alive men. We've got us some ' company' headed our way." The other brigades smiled and set the traps.
The group of women and their dog walked and it seemed as if they were arguing about something. " Why are we following a dog?" The blue-haired girl screamed at the lavender-haired one.
" Do you have a better idea?" The lavender one asked calmly. The blue one placed her hand on her forehead.
" Raven, anything is better than this." The blue-haired girl tried to reason.
" Then if that's the case, why don't you go back to Salem and ask the murderous villagers for directions?" The woman that Jex now knew as Raven asked, her voice was dripping with sarcasm. That seemed to shut the blue-haired girl up.
" Please friends, let us not fight." A strange orange girl said.
" I am with Starfire, fighting is getting us nowhere." The oldest of the women said.
" Now!" Jex screamed. A large net fell over the women, the dog had stepped out of the way and was now sitting in front of the four girls. He and the other thieves leapt to the ground and surrounded them. " Now I think we can use these women. I mean why kill what you can sell, right boys?" The others nodded in agreement.
" We are too much in a hurry for these glandgorks!" Starfire said blasting out of the net. And in no time the Tamaranian, joined by the two witches whose powers still worked, had the bandits running in fear. As he was running, Jex thought,
This is not over, I will not have the reputation of being beaten by women and then not doing something about it.
The dog seemed to smile at the bandits' fear and barked. Just as they were setting out again, they heard growls coming from every side of them. The dog 'smiled' again and a pack of wolves emerged from the darkness. These wolves were far different from the wolves that Ravana had sent. They were black, had gleaming red eyes, and were twice the size of normal wolves. Raven I presume. The leader of this pack said.
" Yes, I suppose you're here to take me to Ravana." Raven said.
Yes, I am Gelik, leader of Samiel's hell wolves.
" Who is Samiel?" Raven asked.
He is the fallen angel of death, who joined Satan after the tenth plague of Egypt.
" I never read that in the Bible." Sarah said joining the conversation. Gelik snorted.
No, you wouldn't have would you? It's in a book of the Bible that was left out. Now enough of this chatter, Ravana is very eager to see you Raven. Gelik turned and motioned for them to follow him. Raven looked for the dog that had been leading them, but it had disappeared. Gelik looked back and saw Raven's confusion. He was Therise, our master's faithful hound. He doesn't speak, but he gets the job done. Now come. They followed their new guides until night fall.
" Can we stop and rest please?" Raven asked. Gelik stopped and turned to her. He looked at her for a moment and nodded his head.
We will set out for the camp tomorrow. We should reach it by noon. The other wolves agreed and Sarah gathered wood for a fire. Starfire used one of her starbolts to set the branches aflame.
" Friend Raven." Starfire said as she sat beside her and Leila.
" What is it Star?" Raven asked in a whisper.
" Can we not simply fight off these wolves, like we did with the others." Starfire asked. Raven looked at the wolves and thought about their chances.
" Well, I say there is a sixty percent chance of complete failure, a twenty percent chance that we'll win, and a twenty percent chance of our slow descent into the depths of Hell." Raven said. Starfire looked at Raven and then a small smile formed on her lips.
" Did you just make a joke, friend Raven?" She asked.
" Yes and no. I was trying to be funny, but at the same time I really don't like our chances." Raven answered.
" Let's just get some sleep, we're probably going to need it." Leila said lying down by the fire. Raven and Starfire followed her advice and went to sleep.
Sarah went to a small pond that was not far from the camp site, but was far enough to ensure her a little privacy. She took her cloths off and left them folded on the shore. She waded into the water and splashed some on herself. Sarah didn't see the shadow lurking behind her. Suddenly, she felt hands grab her hair and yank her back to the shore. " Well, remember me?" Jex asked.
" Aqua..." Jex slapped her hard, before she could chant the spell. He began to beat her. Then Gelik leapt at and collided with Jex, knocking him to the ground. The wolves gathered around Sarah, and led her back to the camp. Jex stood up and pulled out his dagger.
" Come on you big freak." He slashed at Gelik, but the hell wolf dodged easily. Jex attacked again and again, but continually Gelik dodged. Jex hit Gelik in the side which only angered him. He dodged another dagger strike and crushed Jex's leg with his jaws. " Oh, God!" Jex screamed as he fell to the ground.
God can not help you now. Gelik said as he leapt onto Jex. That night Jex learned that there was something worse than being beaten by a group of women and that was being eaten alive. The next morning they set out once more to finally confront Ravana.
A/N: Tell me what you guys think. Thanks.
