Well, surprisingly, I've updated earlier today, sort of, 'cause of one particular reason that I need to share with you guys. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 25 : Death Wish(Part 3)
A cool breeze blew from the west of the old, giant tree when Humphrey and Kate stepped into the open that caused the trees of the woodlands to sway and found Lynx and Lavender sitting next to the holes dug by them and the organized skeletons of wolves on each side of the hole, with the moonlight glaring above them and causing their pelts to glow. Humphrey and Kate walked towards the waiting couple and their footsteps caught their attention.
"Looks like you're finally out of your emotionless stare." Lynx said and Humphrey chuckled as he walked towards him.
"Yeah, and you won't believe what was happening during that process, but I'll explain to you later." He replied as he sat beside him along with Kate.
"So, shall we proceed with the funeral?" Kate asked politely.
"We shall." Lavender replied with a smile and stood up along with her mate to begin the funeral.
Kate and Humphrey watched as Lynx and Lavender set the bones into the dug holes gently and carefully one-by-one, and they assisted them in burying it up. Once it's done, Lynx picked up a long and thick stick that he scavenged earlier when he and his mate dug the holes, so as Lavender on another stick, and stabbed them above the buried holes to mark their grave. Lavender backed away and sat beside Kate and Humphrey while Lynx just stood infront of the graves, dripping tears from his eyes.
"I'm sorry that your funeral is short, and I'm deeply sorry that I failed to keep your son safe." He said as he wiped his tears.
Couldn't hold back her pain of seeing her mate suffering a painful and extreme guilt, Lavender stood up and walked towards her mate and hugged him from the side.
"It's not your fault, honey. We couldn't do anything to save him. At least we know that he died like a warrior, and don't forget that he's our son too." She said, a few tears rolled down from her beautiful sapphire eyes, and he turned towards her and hugged back.
"Yeah. We raised him up together, so he's part of our family too." And they hugged each other tightly and he whispered into her ear. "Thank you, darling."
They broke apart and shared a passionate kiss which doesn't bother Kate and Humphrey as they know they're expressing their love and care for each other, and they waited for them to break apart to be able to speak so as not to interject their romantic time.
"So… shall we move on?" Humphrey asked with a smile as they turned towards him.
"Yeah. Let's go." Lynx said as Humphrey puts on the vines that drag the log containing Lucas's corpse and he nodded.
They looked towards the newly-buried graves for their last glace at the dead couple and hope that they will receive the peace that they seek in Heaven before leaving for their destination. During their walk in the shadowy road, they noticed that Lynx wasn't bothered by the guilt that he had a few minutes ago, judging by his relaxed expression and a slight smirk, indicating that he's currently open-minded which was good as he's able to let go of an emotional pain that no one can do.
"So, Humphrey. What actually happened back there? You know, your deep and emotionless daydream?" Lynx asked, starting their conversation.
"Oh. About that, well… it's kinda surprising for you to hear but…" He replied unconfidently and Lynx turned his head slightly to the back in curiosity until he continued. "I saw the whole event of Lex and Lucas's parent's death." And Lynx continued to walk, but wide-eyed, so as Lavender.
"Really?" He questioned with shock in his tone.
"Yeah." And he let out a deep breath before beginning his explanation. "Their mother was trying to keep the bear out of her den and protecting her pups when the bear wanted their den to itself for shelter under the storm. As it enters the den, its lower body was too fat to fit into the small entrance of the den and it tried to keep her away while trying to pull itself in. It swung its claws at her and she successfully dodged it, and it landed on the thick roots of the tree, but failed to dodge the second swing as she was too slow to react, landing on her shoulder and chest and left her in a critical state. Finally, it succeeded, rupturing the entrance and enlarging it, and just when it's about to end her wonderful life, her mate arrived and clenched its canines on the nape of the bear, forcing the bear to take the fight outside under the storm. She leaned against the entrance of the den and watched as her mate sank his teeth deeper into the bear's nape in rage once he caught sight of her critical wound. Unfortunately, the bear made its last stand by swinging its claws at him, and landed on the side of his body and shoulder, and the strong force sent him flying back into his den and rolling until the momentum stops. The bear's spinal cord was severely damaged and it lost control of its body, its claws swinging wildly at the tree before collapsing and died. In the end, they walked towards their pups and lied around them to give them a warm embrace which in the end turned cold. They gave their pups a kiss on the forehead and said their goodbyes to each other before closing their eyes and lost consciousness."
His explanation was very emotional and painful for them to hear as tears rolled down from their eyes and they stopped for a moment to wipe off their tears.
"I'm truly sorry for them." Kate sobbed.
"Don't be." Lynx said and it surprised them. "At least they died in honor and saved their pups. I'm sure they don't want anyone to feel sorry for them." And they slowly nodded as they got his point. "Come on. Let's not waste any more time; the corpse will start to decay soon." And they continued to walk.
After a few minutes of walking in the shrouded woodlands with the sound of crickets echoing around them, they stopped at a cave under a hill and Lynx and Lavender turned towards them.
"Well, here we are." He said with a smile as they stopped at their destination and he turned towards Humphrey. "Now, what are we going to do here?"
"Um, do you know any lake that's a kilometer away from here?" Humphrey asked and Lynx and Lavender looked at each other for a moment before they shook their head.
"No, we don't really venture too far out from our pack border, so this is how far we only travelled." Lynx said sadly. "I'm sorry that I couldn't help you in this."
"Nah, it's fine. You already helped us a lot by leading us here." Humphrey replied with a smile which Lynx and Lavender returned the same.
Looks like Rex was right. But I'm quite surprised that he knows everything in precise, and there's no mistakes in every of his given information. Oh who am I kidding. He's Rex, of course he gives precise details. Man like him rarely makes mistakes. Humphrey thought at his stupidity as he turned towards Kate who was standing beside him.
"So, I guess we'll have to look for the lake with your newly gained 'voice' instinct?" Kate asked and Humphrey nodded.
"Since it's the only way of locating the lake, yeah." He replied and began to speak in his mind.
So, um… Instinct… could you help me out again? I need you to help me locate the lake that's a kilometer away from here. He thought awkwardly as it's his first time putting his instinct to use.
Unfortunately, his mind remained silent with only his calls echoing, and he began to worry as he needs his instinct now urgently. Kate noticed the feared look on his face and placed her paw on his which caught his attention.
"What's wrong, dear?" She questioned worriedly.
"He's not responding." He replied with a little panic in his voice.
"Calm down, darling. Just be patient, maybe your instinct needs some time to work since you've just gained it a few minutes ago." She reasoned and seeing that she has a point, he sat down and waited for a reply in his mind.
He placed his full concentration on his mind and waits for a reply from his instinct, with only the sound of his heartbeat in the empty space of his mind. He feared of losing it at the moment when he needed it the most, and lots of negative thoughts began to form in his mind due to it, but he managed to erase them before it could disrupt his mind.
While waiting, an odd sense began to revolve in his body, forcing it to turn without his consent. It caught his attention and he tenses his muscles and tried to ignore it, but it builds up as he struggles. In the end, he sighed in defeat and loosened himself to allow the unusual sense to work. He watched as his whole body and head turned towards his left and pointed towards a specific direction which puzzles him.
Is this where I'm suppose to go? He thought in his mind, but the voice remained silent, as if it's not there at all.
"Are you okay, Humphrey?" She asked worriedly after noticing his curious and unconfident expression.
"…I think the lake's that way." He said as he turned back to where his body was facing.
"The voice spoke to you?"
"No, he didn't. I just… sensed it." And she stared at him in confusion; initially it was a voice who told him that it was safe to enter Lucas and Lex's parent's den that was assumed to be dangerous as it could be resided by other animals without them knowing which was proven to be wrong, and now there's an unusual sense that's pointing them towards a direction that they don't know where it would lead to.
She got out of her thoughts when Humphrey continued.
"I think I'm gonna check it out." And she slightly tightened her paws on one of his and their eyes met.
"Are you sure about this? I mean, you started hearing a voice in your head and we came to a conclusion that it's your instinct, and now senses? I'm very confused." She replied and he gently patted her paws which loosened her grip.
"It's okay, Kate. Like I said about the voice, it's there for a reason, and I won't be able to identify it unless I investigate the clues that it has given me." He smiled and it lightened a fraction of her fears. "Don't worry, I'll be safe. I didn't went under Rex's training for nothing now, do I?" And she chuckled.
"Yeah, you didn't." She replied, feeling more relaxed than before as a smirk slowly grew across her face.
He smiled at this and just when he moved an inch, her grip suddenly tightened and he noticed her smirk disappeared and replaced with a frown which puzzled him.
"I'm sorry. It's just… it's hard to let you venture into dangerous places on your own, especially at this time of the day." She said as she accompanied him in every risky situation so she can protect him, but now letting him go on his own is truly terrifying for her.
"You don't have to apologize, Kate. I understand your feelings, but I can't bring you along; I don't want to put you along in this risk. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I have an instinct to alert me now, remember?" He lied; he isn't certain if his instinct is still within him, but it's the only way to calm her down.
Seeing that he has a point, she slowly released her grip in his paw and he brushed her beautiful golden mane with his paw, and another gently touching her gorgeous cheek.
"I swear that I'll be back as soon as you know it. Don't worry." He smiled and she nodded.
They shared a passionate kiss before Humphrey turned away and headed towards where his unusual sense has pointed him to.
"Stay safe!" Kate called out before he disappeared into the shadows.
"So as I to you!" He called back as he turned around and gave what might be the last glance of her before dashing into the shadows.
As he ran in the shrouded woodland, fear was gripping his heart tightly as his eyes were darting from the front to his left and right, fearing that other nocturnal animals might be awake to hunt for their meal. This was his first time venturing without Kate, and it was truly terrifying for him; like a pup leaving its mother to make a living of its own. But when he remembered the beautiful moments that he and Kate shared, it gave him the strength to push on and the courage to face difficult situations.
I'll be quick, Kate. Wait for me. He thought aloud as proceeded to run in the shadows.
A few minutes later, a reflection of light caught his attention and he ran towards it in hope that he found the lake, and he did. He stopped infront of a beautiful, large lake with the cool water flowing peacefully and the moonlight made it look absolutely stunning.
"Wow." Was the only word that came out of his mouth before realization struck him.
I better bring them here now, and I don't want to keep Kate waiting; she must be very nervous to see me by now. He thought and ran back to where he came from.
As he got closer to the their location, he found Kate keeping her stare on where she came from and her tail wagged at a mile per second once she caught sight of his silhouette, and a large smile grew across her face when he stood out into the moonlight.
"Humphrey!" She cheered gleefully and in relief as he stopped infront of her and hugged him tightly, smudging his pelt with her sweat. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Me too." He replied as they broke apart. "I told you I'll be fine." He smiled and she gave him a kiss on the cheek before he continued. "My 'unusual' sense has directed me to the lake, surprisingly."
"Really?" She said in disbelief and trailed off for a moment before looking back at him. "I may be wrong, but… the 'voice' in your head has turned into one of your senses?"
Humphrey seemed to think for a moment about this before nodding his head as it actually made sense.
"Could be. That may be the reason why I didn't hear his voice till now." He said and recalled what he had to do when he found the pond. "Come on. Let's head to the pond so you can cool yourself down and keep the corpse cold. We'll have to search for Kat's den from there." And she nodded before he walked towards the log and put the vines on, until he noticed Lynx and Lavender's absence.
"Where's Lynx and Lavender?" He questioned as he turned towards Kate and she shrugged.
"I don't know; my eyes were fixed on where you left the whole time." She replied and he smiled at how much she cared for him, so as him for her.
"You're calling us?" Lynx's voice echoed and Humphrey turned around and found Lynx and Lavender stepping out of the cave.
"What are you guys doing in there?" He asked curiously.
"Well, just checking if there's anything useful in there, but we've found nothing." Lynx replied with a smile until he recalled where Humphrey had went to and what he's seeking. "You've found the lake?"
"Yeah. It's there, a kilometer away from here." He motioned towards the direction of the lake. "Come on. Let's go." And they left along with the corpse on the log being dragged by the muscle-building Humphrey.
Finally, they arrived at the stunning-looking lake with only the moon illuminating the night and the water flowing peacefully.
"Wow." Was the only word that came out of their opened mouth, except for Humphrey.
"You guys can rest for a moment while I try to locate the cave, especially you Kate." Humphrey said and she smiled.
"Alright, handsome. Anything you say." She replied and a smirk grew across his face.
He watched as they settled down and made themselves comfortable; Lynx and Lavender began to move the corpse into the cool water while Kate is a few meters away from it and submerged her whole body in to cool herself off, before turning away and concentrate on looking for Kat's den. He stared from left to right of the large trees infront of him and waited for his sense to guide him.
While waiting, Kate stared at the beautiful scenery infront of her; the pure white light of the moon illuminating above the cliffs topped with green nature on the other side of the lake. She trailed off at its beauty and hoped that she could spend romantic times with Humphrey again; ever since she was 'accidentally' shot with this drug, she wasn't able to any pleasure and exciting activities with him like playing hide-and-seek, a race back to their den, log-sledding, hugging without any proximity in between them, having long and passionate kisses, and… mating. She giggled at the thought of having pups with Humphrey and turned towards them to see if they've noticed her giggle in a weird sudden, and found them busy with their own assignments. She turned back to the scenery and was sure that Humphrey would make a great father; he's great around pups and responsible for everything he does. But she prayed that the drug within her will wear off before mating season comes.
It didn't take long for Humphrey to find the direction that leads to his destination and a few minutes later, something clicked in his mind and his head automatically turned towards a specific direction.
"I've found the way!" He called out as he turned toward the others, gaining their attention informing them.
"Well, time to lift this corpse back on the log." Lynx sighed as the corpse was pretty heavy for him and his mate to handle and began to lift the corpse with Lavender's assistance.
Kate got out of the cool water and shook her head and neck dry, but left some volume of water in her pelt to keep her body temperature low and stable for the rest of the journey. Lynx somehow noticed this and grew curious about it.
"Why don't you shake your body dry?" He questioned as Kate walked towards him.
"To keep myself cool." She replied with a smile and he tilted his head to one side in curiosity as her answer didn't really solve it.
"But, isn't it cold enough with this breeze blowing?" He said and shivered a little as the wind hits his body like a truck, but Kate couldn't feel anything due to her abnormal body temperature.
"You don't know anything about this drug inside me, do you?" She sighed and he shook his head in disappointment. "You'll know when we have the time to talk, just not right now."
"Alright." And their head turned towards Humphrey who was walking towards them confidently.
"Are you guys ready?" He questioned and received nods from them, and he put the vines on once again before turning towards the direction that he had sensed. "Let's go."
They walked back into the shadows of the woodland with Humphrey leading the party and under the guidance of his new-formed sense, they've walked for what seemed like hours with little moonlight peering through the canopy of the trees. Finally, they came to a halt when Humphrey's sense stopped and he looked around his surroundings to see if he had found the cave, until he caught sight of something that made a smile grew uncontrollably across his face.
"Jackpot." He said gleefully.
Notice the difference in this chapter? I've used quotation marks instead of commas, which looks better and correct for stories. I had to cut this chapter again because it's too long, and I'm not sure if you guys can wait for two weeks for my updates. I've just watched Lucy and to tell you the truth, it's awesome, and after watching it, it leaves me with lots of questions about life and this world. What I've learned from that movie is only one thing: time. Why, you ask? Watch the movie yourself if you haven't and you'll understand why. However, these aren't the purpose that I've mentioned earlier in this chapter.
To be honest, I've written something down in a note on my laptop yesterday night and I need you, viewers, to help me in this. This is a message to you guys, so please read it.
Look, guys, I know this is such a sudden but there's something that I need as much help as I can get to get through this, and here I ask: what do you think of my story, 'A Warrior's Death'? Don't worry if your personal thoughts about this story is bad or anything; as long as you're honest, I'm fine with it. I'll be open-minded to this. 'A Warrior's Death' is a very successful story to me, earning 152 reviews and 6000 views has surpassed all of my other stories and I truly thank you all for this, but it didn't really help much in this problem.
I've tried as hard as I can to write this story better than my other stories, with 100,000 words that is the size of a book, and I have 152 reviews, but there's other authors who've written less words than mine, but they've earned 200 reviews or more. I mean, for amazing authors like The Lightning Phoenix, TheChriZ1995, and many more, they truly earned it and there's clearly nothing to argue about that, but there's other authors who did the same, but their story isn't written properly and that bothers me a lot. To me, so far I've had maximum 7 reviews per chapter, but they have more than that and I don't know how.(I'm not gonna state any author's name about this to avoid any arguements, so don't you dare say that I've judged you or talking about you) This is... unfair... this is really unfair for me as I've tried my best in this story and there's not much revenues gained for this. But I kept on writing, because of only one thing: believe. I believe that I can do better than this, I believe I can earn reviews that is as much as other famous authors, I BELIEVE because it's the only thing that kept me going. I... I don't know anymore... you can leave a PM/follow/favourite or review about this or call me paranoid, venomous, or anything... Peace off...-LoverWolfs1121
As you can see, I was falling apart, but my confidence and believe pulled myself back together and I continued to write. I'm not feeling depressed right now, but reading this again made me felt disappointed. So, leave a review/follow/favourite/PM about this. I need as much help as I can in this. Peace out. -LoverWolfs1121
P.S: I would like to give credits to The Lightning Phoenix for assisting me in writing the summary of this story. Thank you! :3