Surrounds (Bonds) (11 page)

A scream flung out of her mouth as he took off without warning, too fast for her sanity. Her arms wrap around his neck desperately, face burying into his neck. Wind whipped at her hair as Wolf ran and leaped, moving as if was some type of... mythical being. It was like he hardly noticed her on his back.

After about fifteen minutes of him going slow, then fast, then really fast, then slow, Alasa finally lifts her head and looks over his shoulder with squinting, watery eyes.

A blur of colors is all she could make out, greens, browns, and blues. It was an oddly isolated feeling, as if there was nothing else but her and a few colors left in the world. It was beautiful and insanely calming.

Wolf finally stops an hour in, gently letting her slide off his back. She instantly flops onto her behind, dizzy. Wolf watches her slowly shake her head until her vision clears. He offers her a clawed hand, much to her surprise.

Hesitating out of shock, Alasa took his hand nearly a minute later. He easily pulls her onto her feet. Then he begins moving around, walking around briefly with no clear purpose before he came to a stop in front of a bush.

Alasa's attention was fully on the beautiful butterflies and flowers all around her. It was a field of wildflowers. Alasa glances at Wolf, wondering if he had any idea how beautiful it was. He hardly seemed like a person who took a moment to notice things like flowers.

Wolf notices her staring and once again tilts his head in the way which usually means 'come here' if not 'follow me'. The girl walks over, smiling at the amount butterflies brushing against her face. Once to Wolf, he hands her a handful of what Alasa thinks is blue berries.

"Are they safe?" She asks looking up at him.

In response he quickly pops one into his mouth. She assumes its a go. She quickly pops a few into her mouth, smiling happily. She had always loved berries.

Wolf watches her for a moment, happily chewing on her berries before growling lowly, threateningly, before beginning to back up, away from her, still watching her, 'stay', he was saying.

She nods hesitantly, unsure about being left alone out in the open. But Alasa trusts Wolf, she had no other options really. Wolf jumped into a nearby tree and was gone in seconds.

After awhile, Alasa grabs a few handfuls of berries and settles herself onto the thigh high grass, her berries sitting and rolling off her stomach. Sighing, she blankly stares above her at the clear sky, wishing for a cloud.

Around nineteen minutes in she grows hot and unzips her green coat and slides it off her shoulders, using it as a pillow. Soon she's asleep.

"You have to find who came here with you."

She wasn't exactly sure how long she had been asleep, nor what had awakened her, but now the overhead sun was higher up and she could see her shadow snaking out along the grass.

Something's wrong, something in the air is off, almost electric. Alasa quickly sat up and looked around, barely seeing anything beyond swaying grass, so she quickly gets onto her feet, bending to retrieve the coat after a quick look around her.

Her fingers and shirt are now stained blue and purple, and she's sticky. The butterflies are gone, the air stills a moment after her standing up. She turns left for a reason she wouldn't be able to explain just as Wolf jumped out of the tree, nearly soundlessly. She almost allowed herself a relieved breath when he appeared, until she noticed how ridged he was. A second later, a blur of black appears, jumping at them. Wolf, met the blur head on, in a blink it hit the ground its insides spilled along the grass.

It's some type of big cat, a very big cat, with two heads and large fangs which curve over it's lower lip.

"Bravo, Voran 360, you have grown so much strong for a lowly pet to the Iosm."

A man, is it a man? He is insanely tall and bulky, with messy snow white hair, blue eyes, and four lines running vertically down his olive toned flesh. No, not human, not a man. He appears directly in front of Alasa by the berry bush. He wore bone white armor along his upper half underneath gray clothing, a long thin blade hung on his hip.

Wolf's response was a growl and land in front of Alasa. Alasa stumbles backwards, a scream stuck inside of her.

"Who is your little girl, Voran 360? A pet? A pet having a pet, how ironic." It laughed a sickening laugh, sweat instantly broke out across Alasa's skin.

"W-Wh-Who are you?" Alasa questions and instantly regrets it as 'its' ice blues gaze levels her over Wolf's shoulder.

"Human," His smile freezes her blood and sends her skin into a crawl, "I can see why he has kept you around, your a beauty when compared with the others in your scum race." His hand settles on his sword. Wolf growls, no snarls at the other man-beast. "Shhh, mutt, I'm speaking to the girl. Now, girl, I'm sure you miss being with your own kind. I mean, being trapped out here with a being to unintelligent to speak his own language. Its... dreadful right? You can come with me and I'll show you to your kind."

"No," she hid further behind Wolf, her words leaving her lips without her realizing it. Here it was, finally a chance for Alasa to escapes Wolf, but this was no rescue. It was plain as day to her. This man was nothing good. No hero. She would stay with Wolf if her only other option was going with this beast, this beast who's very presence was stifling and overwhelming.

It once again smiles. "Wrong answer."

When the two men-beast come together it was like thunder, hitting against her bones and pushing her backwards. She feels her skin tare as her body slides along the ground picking up rocks and sticks. Her back slams into a tree and she falls onto the ground face first. The wind picks up as she forces her face off the ground, arms shaky, body throbbing.

Her arms bleed and she tastes blood. Her hair whips in her face and she watches, Wolf with his hand and 'It' with its sword. Their fighting styles different, one wild, unpredictable like an animal, while the other was precise, clean, deadly.

It was not honestly looking good for Wolf.

Wolf ducked a deadly blow by he sword wielder barely, his hand shooting up, sinking into the bigger beasts shoulder like it was nothing, landing his first hit on his opponent. The taller male howled and swung his sword, forcing an already bleeding Wolf back.

Orbs of inky energy flickers into existence in the air around white hair's sword and flies, slamming into Wolfs body, sending him skidding across an already destroyed area, landing by a stunned Alasa. Wolf doesn't get up, his body smolders.

'It' is breathing heavily, its wound bleeding arm limp, he beings a loud unstable howl of laughter. "You cannot beat a superior breed mutt, it was why your kind was left behind. How you made it through the hole is beyond my understanding, but I will right that wrong now." His sword in his uninjured hand, 'It' begins forward, slowly, mockingly. "Then I'll handle your little toy."

Wolf failed. Wolf is down. Wolf wouldn't be able to save her again. Wolf was in danger and all because he was protecting her. All because of her, he was smoldering and bleeding, all because of her.

Her body shook more as 'It' came closer, sword already beginning to lift, already. No. She would have to save him, what would save him? A shield, shields protects people from swords. A barrier.

'It' quickly swings its blade, it hurtles quickly in Wolfs direction only to bounce off something unseen until his sword hits, sparks of blue. The beast and his sword are thrown back a loud howl of pain comes from him as he lands a few feet away.

He's on his feet in seconds, storming forward, sword in hand, spitting out words in an odd language. Then he hits at the barrier again and again, each time blue flashes appear.

"What in the hell?" He finally speaks in English. "Who in the hell is doing this?"

Alasa pants, staring at the beast-man, each blow he actually lands sends pain racing across her body. She tries hiding it, hiding that it hurts. He's glowing blue, if how he frantically pats at the area of his flesh glowing such a color is any indication, she would say it hurts.

"You," The beast-man suddenly snarls, pointing his sword at her. "What in the hell are you?"

Feeling exhausted, pissed, and a little insane, the girl wants badly to say 'I'm your worst nightmare' but that would be out of character for her and she honestly didn't think she could speak and hold up whatever in the hell she was doing.

"Fuck!" 'It' hisses, flesh beginning to smolder. "I'll be back. And when I do, you'll wish you wouldn't have fucked with me."

Too late.

The beast-man vanishes after his words. Alasa keeps her barrier up as long as she can after he's gone, not even daring to blink. But whatever she's doing slips away, through her fingers and she can feel it go, she collapses face first onto the ground again.

She forces herself up again with thoughts of Wolf and healing him, only to look up and find him already climbing onto his feet, holding his bruised white flesh. His gaze is unreadable as he turns his attention onto her, his usually passive face twisted in pain. He turns away from her and bends.

Alasa begins shaking her head instantly. "N-no your hurt..."

Wolf growls out, his impatience and anger very clear. His body shudders. She wants badly to refuse but his whole bleeding body screamed arguing would be a bad idea. She unevenly walks over and settles onto his back, his blood seeping through her fingers and over her body.

He takes off, slower now. He nearly falls seven times during his run back, but each time he held onto her and found his footing. He continues with her on his back once they are back at the cave, taking off down the tunnels. He only let her onto her own feet once back in the cave they sleep.

He instantly leaves once he has her on her feet.

"Wait," Alasa calls out follow him, but he's quick, "I can heal you again." He ignores her. She freezes at the cave's opening to the tunnel, staring into the blackness. She wouldn't find him in there.

Miserable and achy, Alasa slides onto her butt at the tunnels opening, still staring into the blackness. He would never let her out again, every time they do go out they are attacked, Alasa tries smiling at the thought.

Was he angry at her? What was his problem? Why did he ignore her like that? He hadn't ignored her in a long time.

Was he upset that he had been saved by her? Was his pride hurt? If that was it, Alasa would be very disappointed. It wasn't as if she was going to let him seriously be hurt.

Alasa closes her achy eyes, hugging herself. Great. What if things went backwards? What if Wolf stopped being wolf and became that creature from before? A shiver hits her hard.

She frowns, balling into herself on the ground.

What was happening outside this forest exactly? Was her family not as safe as she had all along thought? Alasa shivered and opens her blue eyes, staring into the inky darkness ahead of her, waiting on Wolf. She hopes he would be alright. A hope that wasn't actually looking well if she couldn't heal him.

(O)

She's by the fire when she wakes, underneath her blanket. Wincing, Alasa sits up, pushing clumps of her sweaty, bloody hair out of her face. Confusion hits her at first, blank spots in her memory frustrating her.

She then remembers 'him', a large man with snow white hair and blue eyes attacking... Wolf.

She quickly looks around, spotting Wolf leaning against a far wall, apparently asleep. Alasa frowns, blue eyes sweeping over Wolf's body, finding only small scratches remained on pale flesh. He was healed.

Struggling to her feet, Alasa wonders how long she had been asleep. Wincing, the girl looks down at her arms, which were covered in dried blood and long scratches, her legs were identical.

She hadn't even straightened her back before Wolf was in front of her, placing his large hands onto her shoulders and sitting her back onto the earth.

"I thought you were asleep?" She complains lightly, sitting herself back down onto the ground. She forces herself to look back up at him, biting her lip lightly. "Are you upset with me for what I did?" He only stares down at her, as he usually would. "We'll, I'm not going to regret I saved you, even if you don't appreciate it."

Wolf bends down in a flash of white and Alasa flinches back. Instead of hitting her, his pale, clawed, hot hand lightly touches her face. Alasa winces, as his fingers find a scratch she hadn't even noticed on her face. Then his fingers grasps lightly at her skinned arms, holding them up, showing her as if she hadn't noticed.

Not understanding, Alasa can only stare at him questioningly. He growls softly, his face twisted in frustration.

Then it hits her and she thinks she understands. Maybe. He's upset about what that creature had said and... about her being hurt? But he use to beat her. She frowns. Maybe that wasn't fair of her, Wolf obviously operated by different and odder rules.

"Its fine..." Alasa assures. "I'm fine." He finally lets go of her arms, looking unconvinced. Wolf stands fully, staring at her a little while longer before bolted out of the cave.

(O)

Chapter 24

Alasa

Wolf returns four hours later and bends down in front of her, his back facing her. She frowns, setting the carved wolf beside her. He was once again taking her outside? Alasa couldn't believe it and she wasn't very sure if she wanted it either.