Sight-seeing

DIANA POV

I don't know which one is more terrifying. The furious wolves as big as cows and horses who were about to eat us for lunch, or the creepy thin shirtless men we bumped into in their seemingly hunting grounds. As soon as we tumbled down in the exact spot where they were cutting their bounty of gazelles into pieces, the wolves lost interest in chasing us. They just run off at the sight of the men skinning their hunt effortlessly.

With heightening fear and visible trembling, Kate could hardly breathe as she sees with her own eyes the large wolves I described during our long drive, like seeing a figment of a nightmare turning into reality. She held my hand as tight as she could as we ran together. Her screams filled the forest echoing deep in the woods disturbing the peace in silence. And now, we face a group of four bloody men holding machetes.

"I know you!", the tallest one among the oddly looking men said as he forwarded his head closer to mine. However, I am certain that this is the first time I met him.

"Do.. you.. do you know this guy?", Kate said as she stammered panting heavily. Gasping for air as well, I could only just shook my head side to side in response.

"We were supposed to meet. But, there was this wild fire that burned half of the forest.. and uhh.. you disappeared along with the thick smoke and blazing fire..", his sunken eyes and and depressed cheeks doesn't match his friendliness. "I'm Randall, Roman's dad", he said as he wipe his bloody hands with a piece of towel. "And these are my friends, Otto, Maurice and Leo..", Randall looked around as if checking the surroundings. "Did you come here unaccompanied?", he asked.

"No, Roman is with us", I lied. These men doesn't look very trustworthy, even if Randall is Roman's father. After all, Kristia had told me that Roman is a product of a forceful and griveous fault from Randall's mischievous acts towards his mother.

"Is that so… where is he?", he replied with a breathy laugh.

"He's.. he's just right behind us", Kate ride in with my little white lie like she understood the situation.

"Ahh.. alright. So where are you headed to? This place is not something people would just.. come back to", he asked.

"I'm.. We're just uhh..", I stuttered unsure what to say. I don't want them to find out that I'm looking for a certain person.

"Sight seeing, yes. Roman is trying to roam us around. Let us see the falls. But umm.. those wolves caught a glimpse of us, while we were straying away the group. We're glad we found you guys", Kate said as she squeeze my hand.

"Right..", Leo grimly said with his eyes wide as the moon for an eerie stare. "Of course.. we have lots of waterfalls around here, right huh?", he glanced at one of his friends.

"We can keep you company while Roman is not yet around, if that's okay", the man with the longest face whose name is Otto said.

I understand that the wolf attack is one of the many dangers we'll face in this place. By the looks of these men, they may not be also our perfect sanctuary, since the wolves avoided them in an instant. "Alright, I think it's better that way", I gambled in the hope that they might render a great help in our journey.

"Alright, shall we go? Roman can catch up, I'm sure", Randall said as they lead the way.

Kate and I followed the four men walking ahead like they know exactly where to go. Their steps were huge but slow, like allowing us to match their pace. Then I thought to myself, these men are nothing like the wolf men from the clans of Roman and Scott. Most wolves that I met were muscular and very well toned. As for these four, they are slender taller and gives off a very scary vibe. "Randall, may I ask a question?", I said.

"Mmm?", he replied.

"Are you a wolf?", I asked.

The four men stopped, then they looked at each other briefly and laughed astoundingly. "You don't know?", Randall asked. "My son didn't tell you?", he added.

My heart started to beat rapidly at their gawking look, and sinister smiles. They stared at us like a mice in a cage. "We haven't talked about it", I replied.

"We can wait for him here, so you can ask him", the guy I thought named Maurice said who had a very long silky black hair. I think they have figured out that Roman isn't really here. They suddenly walked slowly towards us, as we backed away. "What's the matter? Scared?", he asked.

"I'm not afraid of you", I replied as I grab for the revolver I kept inside my jacket.

Randall was about to reach for me when he flinched and pulled his hand back. He squinted his eyes and stared at his burned hand and said, "They're protected by the lythari elves", he said.

I took the marbles from my pocket and saw them glowing in a very bright light. It seemed like we were protected by Ofir's magic using the marbles. "Stay back", I said as I put the marbles back in my pocket.

"Those aren't going to last in a few days", Randall said.

"We won't stay for too long", I said as I bravely meet his gaze.

"Let's see if you survive", Randall said as he leave us in the middle of the woods.

Kate rested her head on my shoulder with her hand on her chest. "That's was… hair-raisingly terrifying!! Diana!! We should leave!! This place isn't fun at all", kate hysterically said.

"Kate calm down. We're fine! See, we're safe.", I said as I keep one marble in her pocket.

"But Diana, these creatures are not something we should mess up with. I don't even think they can be killed with a gun!.", Kate said with fear written all

over her eyes. "We will not stand a chance against those vicious beasts", she added.

I understand Kate's fears. However, I still have to do this for the sake of Scott. "Kate, I have to do this..", I said with a smile. "With or without your help, I will still look for my father", I replied.

She looked at me as her lips tremble. "Fine. You have 24 hours to find your dad", she said as we go along. With no other choice, Kate travelled with me in search for my father.

Then, a few hours later. We heard the shrubs rustling again. We stayed quiet and hidden as we follow the movements.

Slowly and carefully, we trailed the shoe prints and followed the audible motions until we reach a cave looking like a skull. Kate went closer to the mouth of the cave, and saw nothing in pitch darkness even in broad daylight. "I can't see anything", she said. When she turned around facing me, she was startled looking way past behind me. "Ah!! Who.. who are you??", Kate asked.

I turned my head and saw the man with the same description that I saw last time entering the road with the dead oak trees. I felt my chest squeezed a little as I see his resemblance to mine, like I'm looking at the mirror.

"What are you doing here?? Get out!!", he said as he swat us away.

"Come on Diana, this place is full of crazy people", Kate said as she grab my arm. The man stopped and stared at me.

"Wait… what's your name??", the man asked.

"You heard her", I said feeling my face burn a little as I take deep breaths.

"Are you.. no, no" he said as he shook his hand.

"Daniel Woodsworth. I've been looking for you", I said not breaking my gaze at him.