In Which The Worst Was Triggered

[GRANT]

"They're running towards the forest?" Zelina asked when she saw the wolves on their way back. She had wanted to lure them into the forest, but seeing them run there willingly had to mean that they were either being summoned, or they were running to safety.

"Maybe Criselda decided to help with the war after all," Grant said as he, Zelina, and Ulrike watched the werewolves run toward the forest. However the more they watched them, the more the trio was certain that it was something else.

As they stood there contemplating, Zelina received a fire message from Criselda. 

The message that could very well explain what was happening. It explained that Heide, Criselda's husband, and someone so dear to Alanor, was en route to Udrad and was using the midlands first as his shortcut, just because he wanted to see the situation.

"Well, that explains it."

"Do you think this is Heide's doing?" Grant asked and Ulrike watched the werewolves who had once been fighting them, rush past them a little too fast, like they were excited to do something. It was like they were responding to a mob call.

"No, it's not. We need to hurry and get to the forest, Zelina,'' Ulrike said and Zelina looked at her mate, then at her people. She knew the werewolves were running away, but she still needed to take care of her people. She needed to assess the damage at home first.

"I can't. I still need to see the damages and find out how many men and women I lost, not to mention children. Take Grant. Go with him first and see what's happening there. I'll join you guys once I lock down Asteta," Zelina said to Ulrike.

Zelina wanted to go with them, but she had a duty to her people, and she needed to make sure that everything was going on well. She couldn't leave her people to go save Heide, because her people needed her more. After all, Heide was the high priest, he could handle himself.

"Alright, you be careful," Ulrike said as he kissed his mate goodbye. He then hugged her, before pulling back and hopping on his horse. Grant still had Zelina's horse and he looked at the woman, like he was silently pleading with the water to let him use her horse.

"If she comes back hurt, you'll take care of her till her old age," Zeilina warned and Grant gulped at her tone. She could be deadly if she wanted to, anyway, this was his only option, so he mouthed a thank you to the vampire warrior of Asteta.

Zelina watched the two men ride their horses in the direction of the forest and she hoped they would be okay. The past few weeks hadn't been encouraging and if they were going to go after a whole pack or rogue wolves, they needed to be careful.

The rogues had nothing to lose, and they were all acting irrationally, despite knowing so well they were protected by the Acrod rules.

It was crazy, but then such was their life anyway.

"Do you think he's okay?" Grant asked as they raced against the winds and the dust.

It was a harsh ride, but they didn't have many options; they didn't want Heide committing murder, though a part of them knew that the warlock would be overwhelmed by the endless wolves who had rushed to the forest.

"I hope so, Grant, I really hope so," Ulrike said softly against the wind.

When the wolf of Acrod and the hound of the southern forest reached the forest that separated them from the dead, they were shocked to see just how many werewolves were in there. It was like they were part of a cult or something.

They were smirking at Ulrike and daring him, and expectedly, Ulrike took the bait. Grant tried to stop him, but Ulrike could sense that something had happened to Heide with these wolves. He was worried for his friend and was done hoping. So he marched towards the forest.

"What?" Ulrike asked when he tried to get into the forest and felt the barrier between the forest and the rest of the Midlands. He tried to move to the other side, but one of the wolves spoke.

"You can't get in. We're having a barrier set up," the wolf said and Ulrike looked at the rogue, wondering what the hell he meant by that. There was a chance that the wolves had forced Heide to protect them in the forest. But then Heide wasn't easily swayed, right?

"Where's the warlock?" Ulrike asked and the wolf just shrugged at him, not even caring that the hound was probably in agony.

Something was certainly wrong with the forest, and Ulrike knew for a fact that if they didn't pull down the barrier, then everyone in there would be dead in three days.

Everyone, including Heide, and right now, he didn't have the strength to deal with an overly pissed Alanor, which was what would happen if they didn't find a solution soon. Oh, how harsh their reality was about to get.

Ulrike considered summoning his magic, but he couldn't do that without knowing what he was getting into. If he used his magic wrongly, then he would be facing his own wrath, because the magic would deflect and he would probably be wounded for life.

One thing was certain though, the wolves were too much for the high warlock to handle on his own. He was trapped in the damned forest with over five hundred rogue wolves who had no ruler and who were barbaric as fuck. Was it safe for them to start praying for Heide's soul?

"This makes no sense. You're a creature of magic and with magic, but you can't get through? I thought you were one of the most powerful creatures in the midlands?" Grant asked Ulrike when they took a step back to look at the wolves and study the surroundings.

"They're not relaxed there. The wolves are weary and want to go out. And this could only mean that someone with potent magic trapped them in there," Ulrike said and Grant looked at him, like he was forgetting that Heide was in there with the wolves.

There was more to this though, because, for the life of him, Grant could see the worry on Ulrike's face, and it wasn't the usual worry about disappointing his mate, no. This was the horror of a possible apocalypse being triggered.

"Maybe because they have the high priest of Greroth?" Grant asked, like he was giving the best insights to Ulrike right now. However, the more Ulrike watched the wolves, the more he realized the horrible truth and possible loophole to get through to Udrad.

Maybe, just maybe this was the only way to get Alanor to come home, right?

"It's his failsafe," Ulrike said as he looked at the weary wolves who seemed to be slowly going into shock. They didn't know it yet, but when the magic in there was done with them, no one would ever want to be a rogue, ever.

"What?" Grant asked the hound, Ulrike, who seemed excited and scared, again. Couldn't this hound just stick to one emotional dilemma at a time, because he was confusing Grant who was hoping to get some damn answers instead of getting more confused.

"Someone triggered Alanor's failsafe. That's why no one can get in; because the magic in there was created by the creature who shouldn't even exist naturally," Ulrike said as he fist-bumped the air.