Chapter 13
As the Kids are shooting back through time The Walkers and the stuck Travelers dig into their food and get to know each other. Sunny tells them all about her life and raising all the children. Teaching them Magic and their history. In the middle of her neverending life story All the shifters stop and stand as one. Heads bent to the side listening for the odd crunch crunch crunch that has started to hit their senses. Lee grabbing his wife and converging with Ben as they rush over to a wall in the back of the cave. Putting their ears and hands on the wall the three listen and feel. Something is coming, but from within the mountain...
Being drenched by buckets of freezing water the kids thrash awake and struggle against the rope binding them. Before any have a chance to talk or ask what is going on a deep voice from the shadows calls out "No one can get through that enchanted rope, so you might as well calm down." Jack still feeling like he could take on the world strained against his bonds while the others relaxed to their fate. In the silence after the stranger spoke you could hear rope creak and tighten. The voice in the dark spoke in a quick higher voice. "It's not possible! Not even he could break those ropes!" Turning and running out of the cave the Moose Shifter by smell Yelled for help.
Jack being watched by the others continued to battle the ropes. Slowly breaking through them as he pushed harder and harder. With a small growl Jack burst through the Ropes magically containing his Beast Form and slumped against the ground. Slowly getting his energy back he walks around the room and unties the rest of his friends. The Magic Twins quickly explained why it shouldn't have been possible for him to have broken a witches rope and said it has to be something from the Medallion. Asking for it back Rachel gasped in surprise aa it turned to dust when Jack pulled it off his head.
"No! No! NO! No! That was our only way back! We will be stuck here forever!" Rachel broke down crying into Alex's shoulder and wouldn't be consoled. Jack looking on with despair softly asked for forgiveness. Lucy rubbing her wrists told him it wasn't his fault, they couldn't have known what would happen with such powerful magic. Breaking them all out of their sense of despair was a movement outside the cave. The man had brought reinforcements and the kids were back in the moment.
Moving towards the cave entrance the kids went in single file against the wall, Everyone hiding behind Jack as he attempted a look out. Seeing twenty people all shifters, half of them human and the other half in beast form Jack ducked his head back into the cave. "There are too many for us to fight or outrun. We are going to have to see what they want and why they tied us up." Nodding the kids slowly emerged from the cave in fighting stances and waited for what was to come.
"Why they are just a bunch of kids." A woman's rough voice could be heard from the back. A man's voice that sounded like moving gravel called out "Don't underestimate them Agatha, they escaped from the witches rope." A man standing in front with his arms crossed eyed the eight kids in front of him. All looked ready for violence but unsure of what to expect. About to speak he cleared his throat to gather their attention. "My Name is David, and we are the Walker clan. I am sorry for the way you were treated but for us everyone is guilty until proven innocent. How is it you have broken your bonds and why are you here?"
Jack not sensing any menace from the Shifter in front of him, told him that they were far from home. And were trying to fix a great wrong. "We are sorry if we intruded on your territory but my friends performed a great magic and it led us here." David, feeling sincerity if not the whole story nodded. "Well now that you are here you may eat and rest with my clan, but we will talk more later and if you hurt my people I will kill you myself. Am I understood?" Jack first looking at his friends for confirmation answered with a strong yes "You have our word."
Walking through the Walker Clan camp was almost like hanging out in the park but with a more Neanderthal feel to it. All of the shifters around him were not his size but very large compared to the shifters in the future. The looks in their eyes were hard and ready, these people did not know peace. David walked them to his space where a woman that could have been his mom Was cooking meat by the fire. All of the Kids noticed the resemblance but the Shifter Twins shook their heads and stopped any questions.
Looking up from the fire Shirley was surprised to see the strangely clothed shifters out of the cave. With a look of confusion she stared at her Husband until he told her the story. Once that was over she introduced herself and made them sit to eat. Feeling more safe than before the kids started to relax in her company, there was something safe about her that you didn't feel with David. David wanting to learn more and keep his people safe had shifters spread out behind the kids far back enough to seem natural. Now he just needed his wife to work her magic and get these strange kids to talk.
Shirley started to cut off meat and hand it out. She softly started telling the kids about the Clan. "We are of the first Shifters. Those the almighty power deemed worthy of being one with man and beast. Our Alpha My husband is the first Shifter, the most powerful and most revered of our kind. He has kept us safe for hundreds of years. Some of our kind choose to live in the towns and kingdoms but we are one with the land so we walk." As Shirley talked the kids became entranced in the story and the past. When she finally came to that day she talked about a giant rumble of magic thunder and light. That the kids just appeared in the middle of their camp unconscious.
She finally asked them why and how they came to be here. Hal being a trusting person by nature decided to take the lead. "We… actually we are from the future." Shirley, clearly not expecting that response laughed loud and hard having to wipe her eyes because of the jest. David however was listening for the truth in his words and heard no lies. "Dear. The young man is telling the truth, it is no jest." Coming down from her laughter Shirley quirked her head to the side and asked Hal if that were true. "Yes ma'am we were being hunted and so many of our people were killed or trapped we had no other choice but to come back and try to change things."
Pulling her husband far enough away from the other shifters Shirley softly berated her husband for the trouble this would bring their people. "They are just kids, what can they do that we have not tried!? The Magic Hunters are too strong, if they really are from the future you know we failed." Turning from him she rushed back to the kids and asked them what they planned to do.
Simple enough the Shifter Twins told her they wanted to destroy the Magic Hunters completely. Even if it changes the future and they are never born. The Alphas hearing such conviction from ones so young wondered if with these young warriors with knowledge from the future could actually change their present to save the future. While the kids get to know the Walker Clan and start to plan out how they will succeed against the Magic Hunters, Those still in the future are in for multiple surprises.