SQUAWKEY

Slade's eyes widened from the appearance of the werewolf he stole from. "Lucian!"

Fenris sidestepped from the enraged dragon and bolted off. I held on tightly to his dark and fuzzy fur, watching as the colors of the forest went by in a breeze.

The werewolf didn't stop for a second and kept running. He plunged through a creek, hopped over a fallen tree, and avoided monsters as much as he could until we reached a moss-covered cabin. He heaved from exhaustion. I slid down from him to remove the extra weight from his shaky legs. He collapsed to his side, slowly transforming back into Caleb.

I squatted in front of his face and placed my hand on top of his head.

"Are you alright?"

Caleb nodded with his eyes closed. I looked around us, finding that the forest remained unharmed.

Why those people back there decided to stay inside a cave that was rotten to its core will forever be a mystery to me. But then again, I only say that it was a mystery to kindly and considerately cover-up Wye Fye's selfishness. It wasn't a mystery; it was simply Wye Fye's idiocy and self-centered being.

You have gotten what you wanted. I wish you all the luck. Wye Fye be strong.

I opened the door of the cabin, expecting a room that was the same green covered moss as the outside, yet everything was clean and polished.

The ink-tinted sheets of the bed were free of wrinkles or signs of recent use. There was a red carpet spread under the table and an ivory chaise longue in front of the fireplace. No one seemed to be at home at the moment, judging from the dead silence being maintained as I completed my short tour.

I returned outside to tell Caleb of the cabin. We could rest there for a while until the owner comes back. Seeing that he must have left it without even locking the door, he was inviting visitors to use it and abuse it.

Much gratitude to his generous behavior.

I crouched in front of Caleb and poked his forehead.

"Caleb...wake up," I deadpanned.

No response was given by the exhausted werewolf. I had no choice but to exert hard labor.

"I will carry you then," I sighed.

I got onto my knees and lifted his arm.

"If you wake up with bruises and broken bones, please know that I did my best in carrying you there. This is the evidence of my care and desire for you to rest on a soft bed," I reasoned.

I placed his arm around my neck, securing him against me by his waist. I stood with a grunt and carried his body with me. He was very heavy. He couldn't even move his legs.

This was impossible.

My own form was trembling from the attempt of keeping him on his feet. We haven't moved an inch from where we stood. My arms were already straining from the ten seconds of intense lifting.

"Caleb!" I rasped.

As a Prince who exiled himself from the throne– though not known to be accepted by the royal family yet– this must be the hardest quest that was ever thrown at me. There was just no greater endeavor from the past that could compare.

When my arms couldn't lift him any further, I 'accidentally' dropped him to the floor.

"My deepest apologies. I am left speechless from my own guilt. How horrible of me to have let you slip through my hold," I deadpanned.

I grabbed both of Caleb's feet and hauled him towards the Cabin.

Superb, this proved to be much easier but more hazardous. Granted that he may wake up with abrasions and bruises, but as long as this got the job done, he wouldn't mind that much would he? He'll just have to include the extra wounds in his healing process.

I pulled Caleb over the stairs leading to the door. A loud "thud" was heard with each step taken by his head.

Now that I got him inside, my problem lay in lifting him to the bed.

I crouched over, hoisting his upper body. I placed his chin over my shoulder but I fell back on his thighs. Huffing, I enclosed my arms around his broad torso and inhaled deeply before standing. I could tell that this would not end well.

Our rise was shaky. I had to balance our bodies or both of us would have fallen. I walked rearward to the bed, embracing Caleb against me. I did not notice that we were already at the brim of the mattress until the back of my knees hit the edge of the softness. I lost my balance, taking Caleb with me.

I grunted from the heaviness that fell on top of me and the lips that touched my own without the owner knowing. Our position was like that for a while until Caleb rolled off of me and continued with his slumber.

I touched my lips while remembering how rough the werewolf's lips were over mine. They were dry yet they left a foreign essence stirring the bottom of my stomach.

I sat up and stared at his sleeping face.

"I'm glad you caught up," I murmured.

Caleb groaned and whimpered "Lucian". His arms flailed forward as if he was searching for me. I grabbed his hands and gently placed them down.

"I'm here."

I lightly touched his lips with mine; he sighed in solace. I stayed beside him to ensure that he was getting an undisturbed sleep before I headed to the bathroom. I started my much-awaited bath and couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching. I took a peek at the bedroom, finding Caleb still slumbering.

As soon as I was done with my bath, I walked around the cabin without drying myself. I left trails of water all over the wooden floor as I looked for something clean to cover myself. There were two identical coffin-like wardrobes with lots of spikes and death written all over them.

One of the coffins had numerous black hooded capes and shiny leather pants. I slipped through the pants and though it started off as a garment that was too big for me, the pants felt like it was adjusting to my size. Threads coming from the pants snaked their way around my upper body and sewn themselves into a fishnet top. One of the capes from the cabinet fell from its hanger and automatically draped itself over my frame.

The doors of the other cabinet opened by themselves. A scythe floated out and towered over me. Its blade possessed much sharpness that could possibly deflate Wye Fye's inflated being.

The surface of the blade had rough red marks on them with an eye blinking at me. I stared at it back. A black feather was attached to the piece of rag tied along its shaft. Necklaces were fixed around it. The bottom edge of the stick resembled a dead flame with red metallic bat wings sprouting just before it.

I stretched my arm towards the strange thing and before I could grasp it, the object transfigured into a bird-like being with bizarre features.

It wasn't the typical bird that tweets every morning to welcome the rays of sunshine and the fresh breeze. It had black feathers and a scar across its face where the eyes should be. The bird had squawked very loudly as if it was offended that I dared to reach out to it. It was dressed in rags with horns growing out of its head.

I sauntered towards the door and spared the sleeping Caleb a glance.

"I shall take a stroll outside. I will be back."

'Not a very good idea nep—'

"Shush voices inside my head. I am the master of directions."

'Oh dear…'

I looked around the darkening forest. The black-feathered bird stayed on a tree branch. It really didn't possess any eyes but its ability to make you feel that you were being watched was unmatched.

Another squawk sounded and I brought myself out of the cabin. I stood just below the branch that it was standing on.

"Domo," I greeted him. "Are you the owner of the cabin?"

The bird tilted its head at me in question and I bowed at it.

"I apologize for invading your territory, Squawkey-san. We shall leave once my companion regains his strength."

The feathery creature flew deeper inside the forest. I turned my head to look at the cabin before looking back ahead. I shall return before Caleb wakes. He wouldn't even notice my absence. Not one bit. I was very sure of it.

I followed Squawkey until we reached a ruined temple. There were faint voices coming from inside. I crouched once two figures came out from the other part of the forest. A child, probably the same age as Buck, shoved an older man who was bearing a frightened expression on his face.

"Move it Gloom!" the child barked out. He raked his hand roughly through his dark green hair.

"Rui please, I have children. I didn't mean to steal from our group's provision!" the man begged.

"Tell that to Klepton. I have no power to listen to your reasoning," the child replied.

Gloom grew more terrified as they got closer to the temple's entrance.

"Klepton will kill me! You know how he is!" he bawled.

Sand blew out from the temple; both Rui and Gloom froze. The sand became a man who now gripped tightly onto the face of the accused thief.

He was a tall muscular man, minimally clothed, and had red tattoos of flames over his bare chest. His clothes were rough-looking and a red ribbon kept his pants from sliding down his long legs.

"It's great that you know your destiny."

Gloom screamed loudly in woe as his body was slowly reduced into sand. Rui took a step back as the view seemed to affect him so much, even when he was the one who brought him into his demise.

Klepton agitated his hand to remove the remains of what Gloom had become before patting Rui on his head. There were no signs of uneasiness or even the slightest amount of remorse for what he had done to him. He was so composed, with a gentle yet bright expression on his face even after taking a life.

If I was to meet him without knowing his deeds, I wouldn't think of him as a cold-blooded murderer.

"Nice work Rui. It wasn't a mistake to bring you into the group," he praised.

Rui nodded; his eyes remained glued to his feet. His hands clenching tightly on his sides.

Klepton turned away and gave his bandaged forearms small squeezes.

"Did you kill his two daughters?" Klepton asked.

Rui zoned out from guilt.

"It's okay if you didn't," he assured. "I'll do it myself. Women look good in red don't they?"