Not a one percent chance

<p>Chapter two<br/>Not a one percent chance <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>The gentle breeze of the wind and the smell of the lush surrounding nature are enough to clear any occupied head. That is no different for the young scientist, surrendering his mind to the peaceful atmosphere. Where there's no trouble, no worries. Just put his mind at ease. "dude!". "Ah?!" . A scream from Lyan comes through. The peaceful air was destroyed in an instant. "Are you done meditating?" She asks, leaning on the window right behind the driver's seat. "I guess so," he answers in a reluctant tone. <br/>"Good, because we need you inside. Come on  in." Lyan goes back in.<br/>"Why?" <br/>Lyan comes back out. "A meeting has been called." She goes in.<br/>"By who?!" <br/>Out. "Lara" back in <br/>"Well, tell Lara that I do not answer to her!. Someone has to drive this thing!" <br/>"Lara says you can take a break." Lyan doesn't go back in, instead remaining out for a bit longer. <br/>"I don't want to take a break. and I wasn't waiting for her permission." . As Vernon ends his last statement, Lyan takes a look back inside but receives no response. At least not one for the ear. She turns to face Vernon once more. He awaits what she has to say, but she does not utter a word, rather looking him dead in the eyes. She smiles a cheeky yet disturbing smile and goes back in. Vernon is puzzled and frightened by such a response. He peaks his head through the window to see what could be the cause of such a smile. At the same moment, "Hi," she says, sticking the upper half of her body out of the left-side window of the carriage. " AHH!" Frightening him back up straight on his seat and head out of the window. <br/>"Why don't you come in? Give the horses a much-needed rest," she says, trying to hold up a smile and a friendly face, but her tone exposes her, breaking any illusion she thought might be helpful. "No!" Collecting himself from the past fright, Vernon answers. Lara's smile fades into an annoyed expression, but that doesn't mean it's over. No, it wasn't going to be until he's in. Which seemed to be obvious to all except him. "Well, if we're not good enough for you to come in, maybe they are!" She says this as she extends her arm out, holding a huge bag full of the most active chemicals out the window. "No! Let go of that!" Vernon's tone changes in an instant. The stubborn and persistent manner is completely gone. Now it's just panicking and hysterically trying to get hold of the bag.<br/>"Stop! Give me that!". No matter how many times he tries to get the bag, he misses it every time. "Stop it! Do you know how sensitive these things are!?". "If you're so scared of it, then come and save it," she says as she goes back in. Vernon stops the carriage and jumps through the window, not wasting a second to follow her. <br/>"Oh, precious precious chem, will your loyal consort come and rescue you, or will he choose to put his mission of 'driving this thing' above all?" Laura says as Vernon comes in. Or more likely, fall in. He gets up and, with no hesitation, makes his way to her and grabs the bag, an irritated expression on his face. But it doesn't phase her. He's in—just what she wanted. "Oh, he chose you, how nice," a mischievous smile falls upon her face as she makes her comment. The irritated look only grows on Vernon's face, but he does not respond. No, he only turns and begins to make his way to the door. Before he could even make it, his way was blocked by Maya. "Don't make it harder on yourself." . He turns to the window. Lyan stands in front of it, blocking this path as well. " sit!". Vernon lets out a defeated sigh, and as told, he sits. <br/>"Fine, what do you want?" He says he is tired and beaten. They all gather around. A paper was in Lara's hand. "Now that we're all here, finally, we could give out the chores." V: "Choose chores?! You brought me in for chores?!". "Yes, it's better to get a system going so we won't fight about it later. We wouldn't want it to hinder any more of your progress,"  Lara responds, a sarcastic tone in her words, yet the remark from a past argument strikes bold. She has not let it down; neither of them have. It lingers in their minds. In her mind, leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Vernon In response, she only glared at her. Raising the tension without saying a single word. Ahm""Maya cuts In between intensity. Getting their minds back on track.<br/>"Right, ahh, first driving." <br/>" that's me" he rises his hand has he answers.<br/>"Aw, alright." With a bit of disappointment in her voice, she takes a pen off the table and scribbles something onto the paper. "next, cooking". <br/>"Well, since I'm going to be driving most of the time, I'll be too busy for it. I guess one of you could do it." <br/>"Yes, one of us…". Not a word is said after that. They only share a few glances at each other before their eyes stray back to the walls and the ceiling of the carriage. A dumbfounded look falls on Vernon's face as a striking realization dawns on him. "Wait, you mean tell me that at your age none of you can cook?!". L: "I can work an air fryer and eggs." . M: "I can make pasta and beans." . L: "Yes! That's what I'm talking about; see, we have talent." Lara's enthusiastic tone and the genuine smile on all the girls's faces only seem to worsen the staggered look on his face. <br/>Alright, damn, enough with the sexist  look.". " sexis-?!" He holds himself back before this could lead to a full-blown argument, one that would be of no use. "You know what? I'm going to cook.". <br/>"Do you know how to cook?" A collective, shocked scream leaves the girls  mouths. "Yes!, enough with a sexist tone.".<br/>Ttouché,""Maya says. Lara rolls her eyes in response as she continues, "Now, what's left—laundry, dishes, and sweeping?" <br/>L:" I call dibs on laundry." M: "dishes.". Layn: "I'll sweep." . With that, the list is done. And so is the need for Vernon to stay. He makes his way back out, saying while leaving, "Well, if you'd excuse me, I have an unbalanced system to abide by." And just at the sound of that, an idea hits Lara—one that may give her a taste of something familiar. <br/>" unbelievable!" She shouts out, bringing the attention of the room to her. As soon as the scream left Lara's mouth, a suspicious look grew on Maya's face: "What are you trying?" "It's our system, and we give him the short end of the stick?!". The confused look only grows further. "It's truly unfair, so you know what? I'll drive!" Not a second is wasted after she's finished. She runs immediately to the front-facing window and jumps out onto the seat, Vernon following right behind her, stopping at the window. <br/>"Ohhhh, that's what she wants, like in the fields!" Layn says to Maya: Who had less than an enthusiastic look on her face? "She's going to kill us all," she begins to make her way to the window as well. "You've never driven a carriage before; how do you plan on driving this one?!" Vernon says. "It's similar enough, and don't worry, I'm a terrific car driver; you can even ask them." He turns to face them, and not a second of thought is taken before they answer. M:"She doesn't have a license."  Layn: "She's super fast!". A big, confident smile adorns Lara's face. "Heck, yes, I am!" The only thing that was said before the carriage was sent at full speed. horses running as if it were a championship. Going in all directions. Rocking the carriage worse than a ship out on a stormy night, and the captain has even less control.<br/>Wanting to avoid falling off the road, Vernon grabs the harness, stopping the horses in an instant. *panting, panting*. Facing forward in shock, she held on tightly to the harness. "Get off!" he says. L:"It's definitely a work in progress." "Get off!" He yells. And in a second, she is off. "Vernon, your things are glowing and shaking," Lyan calls out. It's not long before they're all standing out. Not allowed back in. Only him.<br/>" ah!" Lara yells out after the hit Maya gives her over the head. " غبية" Maya says in a disapproving manner. L: "بس كنت عايزه اسوق". Away from the hustle of the bickering duo and the chaos of a scared mind. Lyan stands far away,looking into the distance. The line of sharp rocks leading the way seems to end not far out. "Is that really the end?" She thinks before running off to see it for herself. "Uh, it really ends here unless..." She turns her gaze back onto the carriage, this time focusing on the small hanging lamp where the shard is placed, but its frosty glow is no longer there. The shard is once again dim and lifeless. "Lara, Maya!  The shard doesn't glow anymore!" She calls out as she runs back towards the lamp, her sisters following behind.<br/>Lyan, standing on the tips of her toes, opens the lamp, trying to get a closer look. "See!" She says this to her sisters. A concerned look for their sister falls upon their faces before any confusion could even cross their minds. Lara raises the palm of her hand up, creating a barrier between Lyan and the lamp, while Maya places her hand on Lyan's shoulder, gently pulling her back away from the shard. "Did it lose its magic?!" Lyan asks with worry in her voice. A moment of silence ensues. many thoughts going through Lara's head as she looks down to the ground before looking back up and turning to the lamp and saying, "Guest one way to find out..." her finger but an inch away from the shard. "Stop, no! -" Maya yells out, but she was only ever so late. Fear and panic covered their faces immediately, afraid of what could come to Lara this time, and to their shock and horror, there was no reaction. Lara stands right, all well, just as she is.<br/>"What?!. What happened to it?" Lara asks as she takesthe lamp completely out, inspecting it from every possible angle. <br/>M: "Maybe it got tired of your stupidity!".<br/>Lyan: "Hmmmm. Vernon!!!" She calls, running back inside the carriage. <br/>"Yeah, go call him!" Lara says, "Sarcasm is clear as daylight in her voice. "What is he going to do?" She turns to Maya. Annoyance in her voice. "Turn it on," Maya responds with a slight smirk on her face. Lara giggles at her response. <br/>Running with panic and worry on his face towards them, Vernon. "What did you do?" he says. Standing right in front of Lara. "Take it, charm it," she says, handing the shard over to him. " wha-". "We need it to turn on," she says, raising both eyebrows with a cheeky grin on her face. Squinting his eyes in confusion for a moment "…oh!,oh. You're not funny," he responds. Erasing the grin off her face, turning it into an annoyed pout. "Maybe you just don't have a sense of humor." "No, I do. I just don't have such an" Looking her up and' down, he continues, "an interesting ind." "You damn right, you don't. No wonder that thing was turned  off." "This happened when you drove!". "It got a bit of excitement and I couldn't handle it. I wouldn't blame it; it was with you after all," she says, paying him back the same up-and'-down look. He says, "What are you saying?". "you're dull!". "You're dumb!" He responds back. "You're boring!". " you're-". "Maybe it lost charge," Maya says, turning the butting heads away from each other. <br/>"I remember it looking exactly like this after the Broadway king used it. It started glowing again on its own after a while," she continues. "So all we have to do is wait, and it'll self-charge," Lyan adds. <br/>"Well, it's such a small shard that I guess it's power can only last so long. Not a bad hypothesis, you  two." With a proud look on both their faces, they share a high-five.<br/>"Good, at least not all of you are stupid," Vernon says, slowly turning back his head to face Lara. "Yeah, you keep holding on to that thread 'cause it's the only one you got. Also, you assumed we're stupid, thats sexist". A furious look falls upon him: "You!—you know what, Lara?. Luckily for you, the road is full of villages you could go to." He reaches through the window and rummages a bit before pulling out a map. "So you don't have to stay with little-old boring, sexist me!". "Good on you for admitting it." The unbothered tone in her response only seems to drive him even more furious. "Here, go here," he says, pointing to a certain dot on the map. <br/>The girls come closer to take a look. <br/>"What do we even do in the village?" Lyan genuinely asks.<br/>"Talk to the villagers. If the sunstone is truly back, it probably fused with something. So ask them if they saw something gold and shiny. And take your time. I'm going to need some peace and quiet if I want to clean this mess up," Vernon responds.<br/>"Hm, why are they called stones if they could fuse with stuff?"<br/>"Because when they're not fused, they look like stones."<br/>"Hey man, the village you chose is really close to the woods," Maya says. a slight concern in her voice. "And most villages are close to the woods." "Couldn't something come out?" Maya asks, trying to further her point. "I'm sure there is something like a picket fence or something," Maya doesn't answer, only giving her sister a look that immediately signals for her to get in.<br/> <br/>"A picket fence? Huh, that still sounds like animals could get over it," she says. "Like what?" Vernon responds, leaning back on the carriage. "I don't know rabbits, squirrels, or wolves!" "There're no wolves at dawn. It does not have the natural habitat to sustain the lifestyle of wild wolves"," and if there is, She asks. "There is not," he responds, leaning forward a bit. "And if there is?" She asks once more. A confused look wears Maya's face as to why Lara would be asking again. "She surely doesn't think she knows more than him here," she thought to herself, and as she took a closer look, it hit her. She wasn't serious. It was just another silly ruse. Perhaps revenge. "They're not supposed to be here. so they're not going to be here!" Vernon's frustrated response to the fifth' what if'. <br/>"I mean, we're not supposed to be here either, yet here we are!" Lara continues. Committed to the silly fight. "There is a zero percent chance that you would encounter wolves, especially so close to civilians!. Don't say 'if'. There isn't even a one percent chance!" Vernon answers. Full-blown yelling. The laidback attitude is gone. And it couldn't be more amusing to her. "Oh, there's is, and it's right up your a-" before she could continue delivering what seemed to her to be such a perfect finish to the argument. Maya places her hand on her mouth and pulls her back. "Alright, we're going," she calls out. Lyan is running in front of them. <br/>Vernon lets out a relieved sigh as he goes back in.<br/> <br/>At the entrance of the village, the two stop. Lyan continues up the head, passing them. Maya moves her hand. "So, is this the end of Lara's petty terror?". "Not even close. ده انا هطلع مايتين عين الي خالفو!". Even with the quick change in tone from calm to harsh and back, Maya only gives a slight giggle. "Come on, you guys!" Lyan calls out. Lara makes her way, skipping, with a grin on her face and the proud feeling of success. "We're going to need him, you know. And it's going to hit you faster than you'd think," Maya says, following behind. "Not fast enough, so until we find our golden, shiny ticket, I will enjoy every moment." She responds as they enter the village, with the same grin on her face. <br/>With this begins the door-to-door lookout for the stone. <br/>Lyan: "Hi, do you know anything about..." . "Omg! What are you wearing?" Asks the old lady, completely distracted from the original question. "Ahh, jeans." . "What's it made of?". "..jeans?".<br/>L: "I'm looking for something gold and shiny." . "Oh, like this?" The man pulls out a golden coin. "No, not a coin. It's a stone, just like the name says." . "Oh, oh, like is?" He pulls out a necklace covered in shining stones. "Although that is very beautiful, it's not it! . It's—it's magic!". "Like, your hair? How do you get your hair like that?" Once again, I get distracted completely from the original question. <br/>M: "The sunstone has y-". "That stuff doesn't exist." "Old and gone myths." "It's a miracle what happened in the capital. Miracles don't happen  twice." Was the only response she would receive. All full of doubt and disbelief, one that slowly began to devour any sense of hope of getting any leads the girls had.<br/>Standing away on the sidelines, filled with disappointment and uncertainty about what to do next. Lyan: "*sigh* These people know nothing." . Lara: "Right, and Vernon couldn't give a more vague description if he tried." In the midst of the glam and heavy air, Maya's eyes cannot help but wonder away, hoping to fall on something that could pull them out of such a predicament. <br/>Just then her eyes stop to notice a child peeking from behind a haystack with such an intense and curious gaze, so focused on her watch it could pierce through it. In response, Maya crouches down and slowly extends her arm forward. Still unsure and fearful, the child doesn't move, only slightly peeking his head out. She gives a warm and reassuring smile. Breaking the ice. An excited smile beams on the child's face as he rushes towards the watch, checking every part of it. The warm smile unwillingly fades away from Maya's face to turn into a somber sigh. "You wouldn't know anything about the sunstone either, would you?" She asks in a somber tone. <br/>Just as the child hears the question, he raises his head, throws Maya's arm, and runs far behind the haystack, all at the same instant, but it's long before he comes back, pushing a wooden wheel chair with an elderly woman on it. Waving her fist back-and-forth, "Slow down, slow down, child!" She says it, sounding as cranky as ever. Her type was clear to Maya, but what wasn't is why she had her eyes closed, even as she turned to the child. But just as Maya began to wonder, the child went and whispered into the woman's ear, shocking her into opening her eyes and revealing completely gyre irises and pupils with no color whatsoever.<br/>The woman was "blind, and what of it! I can still see your stupidly shocked face from a mile away!" The woman yells out, cutting Maya's train of thought, and before she could even think of boarding a new one, the woman calls out once more, "Come here!". Maya stands confused for a few seconds before pointing to herself. "Yes, you! Do you see any other stupidly shocked children around here?!". With no further questions, Maya makes her way to the woman.<br/>"So, my great-grandson here tells them that you were asking about the sunstone. Is that right?". "Yeah, do you know anything about it?" Maya asks in a stern tone. Expecting disappointment, there was no point in having hope, let alone expressing it. "Do  I know something about it?! I know the most valuable thing there is to know.". " really?!" Maya answers back, a complete shift in tone now back intrigued and hopeful. "Yeah, really! Do I look like I am playing with you?!" The woman responds, irritated. It was obvious; it didn't take much to get this woman yelling.<br/>A slight excited smile falls upon Maya's face as she turns to call her sisters over. "Girls!  This lady knows something about the stone!". It's but mere seconds before the girls all gather around her. "We're all ears!" Lara says or tries to say before she gets a knuckle to the head. "Ah!, why granny?!". "I just got to check how many people are here now, plus you sounded like a brat," she says as she rubs her hand on Lyan's face and pinches her cheek. Lyan gives a cheery giggle in response. "Yeah, easy for you; you're not the one who got a-" Before Lara could continue, the woman raised her fist, scaring her off. "Hm, now what was I talking about?" The woman says, M: "the sunstone." Lara:"Granny, do you actually know any?".<br/>"Ah!, you want to know what I know; you want to know what I have seen; oh!, I have seen the fates of the foolish who dare to scout the stars. A dangling shine so tempting yet ever so blinding is the only thing guiding the journey. Across the heartache, the sacrifice, and the betrayal, its shine will only get brighter, and the temptation will only get worse. It will watch you crumble piece by piece, trying to get a speck of its light, and it will only shine brighter. So to those who dare to step on the road of anguish and loss, beware; there's no more cold-hearted and unforgiving path than the one you seek."<br/>"…" silence. The girls stood at a loss for words, unsure of what to do with what they had just been told or how to even process it. "Well," Lara says, and she continues speaking somewhat slowly, trying her hardest not to sound rude. "That's  a very nice story, Granny. Now can you tell us something that will actually help us?". Once again, another knuckle to the head. No matter how nice she tries to sound, it will always end the same with this woman. "You think I'm playing with you, child!, and what?!, you think I enjoy standing here, talking to you!? Many! You took your exact stance here and asked me the same old question, and I warned each and every single one of them, and they all scoffed at me just like you, and you know what happened? I never saw them again.". "Maybe that's 'cause you're blind," Lara responds before jumping behind Maya at the sight of the woman raising her fist again.<br/>Lyan:" granny I know you're trying to protect us, but we'll be fine! We're really strong! That's what my dad always said!". "That's what they all say," the woman responds, skepticism all over her words. "We really need to get the stone; we need to!" Maya says, desperation growing in her voice. "Do you have something that will help us or not, old lady?" Lara says she is peeking her head out from behind Maya before hiding back again behind her. The old woman lets out a frustrated sigh. "Well, I warned you, but if you really must know, there have been some suspicious activities in the frost nearby.".<br/>The woman extends her arm, pointing to a forest that was just on the outskirts of the village. It seemed like it extended far and beyond the village. It looked so dense and vast. If it were any bigger, it would consume the village. But just before the entrance, there was a sign. "It may or may not be related to what you're looking for." . "Now take it away," the woman calls out to her great-grandson. "Let's go. I can't stand the sight of these fools," the woman says as her great-grandson pushes her away. " thanks!" Lyan yells out. as she and Maya waste no time and run immediately to the sign. "What sign?" Lara says under her breath. "I can still hear you!". Lara, in an instant, made her way behind her sisters.<br/>I am now standing in front of the enormous forest. "Not even a fence," Lara says. The girls lean in closer to read the sign. "DO NOT ENTER." The sign reads: "Huh, I couldn't be any more friendly," she says with sarcasm in her voice. "So, should we, you know, enter?" Lyan asks, only to be met with a hesitant and nervous look from both of them. "Emmmmm, what do you think?" Both of them ask each other. "No, you should decide." "No, you; you're the oldest." "no-". Lyan realizes the only thing she was going to get from her sisters was indecisiveness. She takes a deep breath. "We're strong!!!" She yells out as she runs into the forest without looking back. In mere seconds, the indecisiveness of her sisters was solved as they rushed after her, calling out her name. L: "You tried signing.".<br/>Pushing through the trees and bushes, sprinting across, all behind Lyan. Suddenly, "ah," Lyan stops in her tracks, causing the rest to unintentionally hit her back. "Why did you stop?" Maya asks. "I don't know where to go." Lyan responds, looking all around; every direction seemed the same. Taking a step forward or back, it didn't matter, for it was a natural maze. "Good! No more running. From now on, we'll stay hand-in-hand and we'll leave marks on the trees; we can't afford to get lost here." Lara says as she tightly holds Lyan's hand. "Maya?" She asks as she extends her hand out for her to hold.<br/>Only to see Maya taking a rock and smashing its sides on another rock. She does it a couple more times before turning around and showing her sisters. The rock's tip was as sharp as a knife. "Will this do?" She asks. "Perfect," Lara responds with a smile and a pleased tone. Maya then throws the stone over to Lara. Just for Lyan to push her away and catch the stone. " hey!". "I want to draw on the trees!" Lyan says with her best wide-eyed face. "Don't make the marks too similar, and don't destroy the rock immediately," Maya says in her usual stern manner and continues to make her way forward. Lyan: "yes!". L: "Hey! What did I say?!, hand-in-hand". Before they leave, Lyan makes her mark. L: "A smiley face?". Lyan: "It's unique!". "It will do the job," Maya says. And with that, they officially set off deeper into the forest.<br/>As the girls make their way through, occasionally stopping to make marks, They begin to grow restless and skeptical of whether there is actually something that could be of use to them. Not to mention, the strain on the nerves that only worsens with each step doesn't help that what they're looking for could be anything. "Aagh! What's with people in this world and being so vague? 'Suspicious activities' that could be anything for god's sake!, a squirrel, a bunny," Lara says, growing ever so tired of what seemed to her to be a useless walk in the woods. "Shut up, Lara; you're going to jinx it now, and something's going to pop." Lyan says, unable to share her sister's sentiment one bit, she was growing more scared and nervous by the second. <br/>"Oh, please, there's nothing." " AHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Before Lara could continue, Lyan interrupted with the loudest scream there could be, echoing all throughout, reaching as far back as the carriage. Vernon turns to face the direction of the frightened scream. V: "Hm, I'm sure they're fine."<br/>"Ahhh! What's with you?!?" Lara yells out as she holds Lyan's shoulders, shaking her back and forth. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry; it's just the birds that scared me!" She says this, referring to the flock of crows making their way away from the forest. It seemed as if they were running away. <br/>"It looks like you scared them as well," Maya says, pointing to the flock of birds in the air. It doesn't take Lara but a second of close inspection to realize, "Wait, that can't be the case; she screamed because they suddenly flew, which would mean something else must have scared them right over." As she tries to locate where they could have sat off, her eyes fall upon a bird, one at the very end of the group, the slowest and closest to the ground out of the bunch. One that looked like it had just set off and not willingly either, a disturbing look wore the poor thing's face, and its left wing appeared to be in terrible condition, and under all the splattered blood, you couldn't tell whether it was the work of claws or swords.<br/>But such a sight does not discourage her; she may not have even noticed or perhaps just overlooked it. Her mind focused on just one thing: what they have been looking for this entire time: a lead. "There!, over there!". "I don't know, Lara, that bird doesn't look too good," but before Maya's concerns could even be heard, Lara grabbed both of them and began sprinting. It was as if a new ray of hope just dawned upon them, shining right before their eyes; it was dangling ever so close to them. All they had to do was reach it.<br/>With each step Lara takes, her speed increases, and with each step, it begins to feel more to her sisters like they're getting dragged through the woods rather than running beside her. As Lyan tries her hardest to keep up with the rapidly increasing speed, she simultaneously makes marks on the trees. Turning left and right to whatever tree is within arms reach. Though the time she has for every mark is shorter than the last, she presses the rock alongside every tree with all her might. She's hoping to leave even the slightest scratch—anything that could be of aid later. But as the twigs began to feel lighter, her vision got blurry, and her head started spinning. Losing control was inevitable. <br/>And as such, pressing the rock In whatever direction the wind leads, it causes it to have two sharp ends. One to the outside and one pressed against her hand. As she goes to lay another mark, she feels the vile pain of the rock stabbing into her hand, and in an instant, she throws the rock with her other hand. The blood comes gushing out. Lyan holds her hand. In pain, she let go of her sister's. Immediately, as she let go, Maya pulled over Lara, stopping her in her tracks. Letting go right after as well, "Lara!". "What?!?" as she turns around, her eyes lock instantly on her sister. And her main and complete focus cannot help but shift. And the feeling of guilt and sorrow overcomes her faster than any feeling of hope could.<br/>She gets on the ground, right beside Lyan, and holds her close. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Can you show me? Please, I'm sorry; please, just show me," she pleaded with her sister, hoping that she would forgive and accept her help. Lyan slowly takes her hand off of the other and opens her wrist. It was a bloody, painful sight, but without hesitation or reaction to the horrific wound, Lara ripped a piece of the sleeve of her blouse. Tying the wound as tightly as she can. I'm hoping to stop the gushing blood or at least slow it down. Before taking her sister into her arms. "You'll be fine now. I'm sorry, you'll be fine," she says, trying to calm her sister, but still somewhat panicked and apologetic in her tone. Lyan slowly but surely begins to relax.<br/>As the atmosphere begins to grow more calm and silent, The sounds of nature start to become louder. Maya turns her head in the direction of the noises. And as they got louder and louder, she began to realize this was not the wind or a strange breeze; these were footsteps. "Do you hear that?" She says she is growing in paranoia with every passing moment. Steadily, she reaches for a stick on the ground near them.<br/> Just as she does, the sounds began to rapidly grow louder and closer. It came from every direction but from none of them at the same time. It was as if it were circling around them. But just as they could focus, she's able to locate the sound; it was coming from the direction in which the stone flew, leaving a trail of blood behind it. The rock left one last mark, and it leads right back to them. <br/>The ground began trembling, and the bushes violently shook as the sound of footsteps rushing in their direction grew louder and louder. "We've got to move!" Maya calls out, her heart pounding hard in her chest and her voice shaky. But before they could even bat an eye, a tremendous beast, a wolf with moon-like eyes, came lunging through the air. light and shiny, yet fierce and monstrous. It's body is malnourished in appearance and covered with scars and bruises. The wolf made up for his inability to see and his fragile build with his unnerving capability to smell. <br/>Lyan:"Ahhh!". Before they could even realize it, Maya's entire self was slammed to the ground. Fighting off the vicious beast on top of her with nothing but a measly stick. Giving her sisters an opening to escape. And as such, they do. "Maya!" Lara calls out as she ushers Lyan to continue forward. overcome with fear and stress, Lyan does not hesitate to do what she's told. Lara then reaches behind one of the bushes. Maya's arms begin to give out more and more with every passing second. The stick is beyond its breaking point; it's on its last breath. But the stubborn strength of the wolf seems to know no limits, as it does not budge. Ever so persistent, it's canines through the stick and out; it's saliva slathered all over Maya. The time in her hands was little, and she knew it. There was no solution left but to run. Gathering all the might she had left, she placed her feet on its lower stomach and slowly started lifting both her arms and legs, and with one powerful push, she launched the beast into the air. Bolting her way out in mere seconds.<br/>But it does not phase the wolf, back on its feet and after Maya. Not a moment of focus was lost. She does not make it far before the wolf is back on her trail, almost on her back again, but before it could take a bite, Lara, with rock in hand, gives it a knuckle bashing through his head. Knocking the wolf out of its course. Although unsure of its state, she does not wait to check, continuing after her sisters. While sprinting as fast as she could, a burning sensation started to come over her, the pain gradually increasing. She may not have realized it at the time, but the wolf has injured her. The blood began to ooze out. She clutches her right arm, continuing forward, not stopping for anything, not even herself.<br/>The sounds of panting and whimpering were all Lyan could muster; in moments, all she felt was horror and terror. In the midst of the endless vicious woods, all alone. Only one thought crossed her mind—one word. "Mama," she says in between her breaths, "I want my mama!" She calls out, tears flowing down her face. In that instant, she hears a sound, not too far behind, that pierces right through her. It was the sound of growling. Immediately her heart begins racing, and her eyes widen at the face of impending doom, but she doesn't move a muscle, pinned to the ground. The sound gets closer and closer with every second, but what could be done? She is small, wounded, and on her own. Suddenly, when all seemed over, her father's words came rushing back to her, his sure voice and his encouraging smile as he lifted her up. It was a ray of hope that shone upon her. Lyan's attitude shifts at once. But it was too late—too late to run. as a wolf, similar in appearance to its brother but with a defined scar across his left eye. Charges at her. But she couldn't accept this to be her end; she stands ready to hit, and as she throws her one and only blow, with all her strength, She misses. It all went quiet—not a sound, but ringing in her ears. Time stops. In front of her stood the wolf no longer. Her eyes only met with one thing at the moment: death.<br/>" Lyan!!!" A shout from her sister's comes returning time to its course and colors back in sight. In an instant, Maya pulls her away, and Lara gives the feral beast its intended blow, but it only makes the burning worse. Maya grabs her from the back and tries to escape with what little time they have, only to fall downhill along with her sisters. <br/>Sitting down on the ground, panting, trying to catch their breath. With the only moment they've got. They give each other quick glances before Lyan pulls them into a teary embrace. "Huh.., Ah!, no time!. They're still after us!" Lara shouts out, pulling her sisters back up. The wolves are on their trail once again. Now with no where to hide and a forceful and stubborn nose locked on them, Just a straight line to run across.<br/>Shoving through the trees and branches. They made their way as fast as they could. There is no time to stop or slow down. Every late step seals their fate tighter. With the ever-increasing pressure, Maya begins to fall behind; her legs weaken and slowly fail her. Close to the wolves, but they don't attack; they just continue running in their course. Lara extends her arm to her sister, which Maya does not hesitate to take, and as she pulls her sister forward, the wolves take their chance and lunge, but they do not come near Maya. Her arm was the prey of this attack. Luckily, faster than the wolves mouths was her swift response. Their reaction doesn't go unnoticed by Lara, and based on their actions, a theory or an idea forms in her mind. a way to save her sisters. <br/>The girls increase in speed as they begin climbing uphill; tiring these beasts wasn't an option as they kept up with them. In the midst of the short breaths, the tears, and the aching limbs, she was almost halfway through to the summit, with limited time on her hand. There was a chance—one chance. Lara, filled with nothing but uncertainty, takes one last look back and then glances at her sisters. <br/>She presses her lips inward, her expressions tighten as she looks up, takes a deep breath, and with a heavy heart, places her hand on both of her sister's shoulders. Without giving them a chance to catch a glimpse of her face, she pushes them off the sides of the hill. Faint screams are all she hears as she turns her head back to see the wolves still behind her, on the same corse. It was exactly what she thought—they're after her and only her. <br/>A big, somewhat relieved smile falls upon her face. "They're safe—they're safe now!" She thought to herself, Now she only has herself to worry about. Just as she began to think of ways to survive, the aches and pains of her body started to hit her. Her legs feel frail, her heart is unable to keep up with her lungs, her head is dizzy, and the world begins to look blurry. But she couldn't stop. "No-no,I can't... I won't," she thought to herself. But she certainly knew that soon enough, stopping wouldn't be a choice anymore. "Damn it!" She shouts. "As long as there is a single speck of air in my lungs, then I won't stop!" She thought to herself. But holding herself up becomes more and more difficult with each passing moment. "Ah!, I won't!" She yells out as she gathers all the power left in her to run as fast and as far as she can.<br/>Hitting everything in her way, there was no dodging or pushing. There was only one objective, and there was nothing going to stop her but her frail legs giving out on her, or so she thought. As she runs sporadically in every direction, a trail of her own blood follows behind her. Suddenly, she hits what feels like a brick wall. Sending her off her feet and onto the ground, but in an instant everything became quiet; there was no longer the loud growling and barking of the beasts or the sound of the branches as they broke or fought back and hit her. There was only the sound of something moving ever so lightly on the grass. now I lay on the ground, helpless and worn out, yet still burning with curiosity. Lara squints her eyes, trying to concentrate to get a glimpse of what she has hit. "It's a person!" She realizes,<br/>She only saw their backs and arms when they faintly turned to face her. The person had a strong physique, and they held a sword. One with a lustrous jewel, positioned on the tip of the handle, where it and the sword would meet. "Who are you?" she asks, trying to get a glance at the person's face, but her eyes can't help but be drawn back to Jewel. Only to notice it had a symbol on it. It was a full moon, a fairly common-looking one, but in front of it stood a red star with four heads. Before she could get a chance for a closer inspection, the mystery person drew their sword away. And as it seemed, they had noticed the wolves. Immediately, what was once vicious growling turned to complete silence is nothing but a pathetic whimpering. And when the person took their first step, it was no longer light or faint; it was heavy and frustrated. They do not last in front of Lara for very long as they continue to make their way towards the wolves. But she doesn't stay awake to witness the aftermath.<br/>"Lara," a faint sound calling out from afar, causes beings to get louder and closer. "Lara!!" a shout from Lyan comes knocking her back into the present. "Ah!" The shock from the sudden wake is short-lived as her mind shifts to the sight of her sisters sitting in front of her with their worried faces. "You two! Are you okay?! -ah" A soft hit on her head interrupts her. "You idiot! What were you thinking? Pushing us like that?!" Lyan yells out, tears of worry in her eyes. M:"Were you trying to get to us before the wolves?!". A slight giggle escapes her mouth, putting a dumbfounded look on their faces. Lyan: "She's laughing?!". M: "omg!". Lyan: "Why are you laughing?!". "I'm sorry, you guys. But hey, I was right! The wolves were after me. You didn't have to continue running.". M: "They were?". "What are you talking about? We'd never leave you! You dumb idiot!,حمارا!-" Lyan yells out, rocking her sister back and forth. Wait,""Maya says, pushing Lyan away. "They were?!" She asks in shock. "Will not initially, but later on. For some reason, they suddenly shifted from focusing on all targets to only one.".<br/>"Speaking of the wolves, where are they?. We didn't see anything getting here." As the question leaves Lyan's mouth, both of her sister's heads begin to turn, looking around. Something not far catches Maya's eye. She makes her way to it, not informing the rest about it. "Did you tire them out?" Lyan asks. Huh, they tied me  out." "Did you take them out?" She asks excitedly in her tone. Only for Lara's answer, a confused look. "Will, did you?" Maya asks. Adding to the confusion on Lara's face. "No!, obviously not. How could've I done that?, I was passed out!". "Then who's blood is this?" Maya says, not wanting a second to ask after her sister's answer, while pointing to the faint trail of blood going west. "It couldn't be yours, since the one we followed to get to you leads northwest from here and also leads right up to you." . As Maya makes everything more clear, Lara's memories start to get a little less foggy. She makes her way in a hurry to the trail. Maya stopped her before she could take another step in its direction.<br/>M: "Who's blood is that?!"<br/>Lara: "I'm not sure; I have to check." <br/>L: "Then we're coming with you!" "Yes!" Lyan adds <br/>Lara: "No, you stay here and wait for my signal."<br/>L: "Wha?!" Lyan yells out, "You can't go on your own; don't do this!" <br/>Lara: "Yes, I can and I will; I don't want you two in danger."<br/>L: "So you'd put yourself?!" Lyan calls out. <br/>"Call for help if I'm gone for too long, and stay!"<br/>Lara makes her way through behind the guidance of the trail. Lyan turns to give Maya a staggered look in response to Lara's actions. In which Maya only shrugs. "Unbelievable!". But to their surprise, in that instance, a sound of gasp, fast yet in complete horror, hits them. <br/>Not a second goes by before they make their way to Lara. "Ah!!" Lyan lets out a frightened scream as she buries her face in Maya's back, in response to the monstrous sight that they gaze upon. The brother wolves lay on the ground, eye-to-eye, in a puddle of their own blood, their throats slit. No words could describe their immense shock, so they remained silent. The two sisters began to slowly roam around, trying to inspect the scene, but not Lyan; she stood in her place, pinned to the ground once again. She had a shallow feeling of rage at herself. <br/>"Who could've done this?" Maya asks, still in shock. "There was somebody I bumped into before I passed out." "And you think they could have done this?" Maya asks, continuing to roam around the wolves, now focused on their eyes more than ever. The same eyes that brought levels of fear she never thought she'd feel—the same she thought could be the end of her. We are now so quiet, so still, and as helpless as ever. "Yes, they had a sword on them, but anyway, I think we should go now. Right, Maya?"  her sister's voice was but a murmur in the background for her. As her entire focus was on their eyes, beyond all the glumness and sorrow they brought with them, there was something off. In a moment of pure concentration, Maya notices what she thought was impossible. The monster's eyes are "dilated!?".<br/>" what?!" Both Lara and Lyan shout. "Their eyes are dilated!" Maya answers as she kneels down to check the chest movement and their breathing. L:"Well, isn't that normal if they haven't been dead for too long?". "I don't think that's the case here." Maya says, as she felt a feeble and weak movement from both of their chests. She rushes her hand near its nose to confirm if her fears were true. "They're alive." She announces, stern in her tone, yet there's a hint of sadness and sympathy in her voice. <br/> <br/>Lara stands in her place; not a word is uttered from her. She cannot deny the feelings of pity and sorrow she felt towards the now miserable and defenseless animals in front of her. "What will we do now?" Lyan asks, looking over at Lara with concern and fear on her face. "We'll leave." Lara answers in a strong manner. Although she sympathized with the wolves, their fear of what would become of their fate if they remained in this forest on their own was much greater. "Come on, Maya, 'cmon on!." Even with a gradually frustrated attitude, she does not give her response. Instead, her eyes stay focused on the wolves. Lara lets out a frustrated yet pitiful sigh. "Don't give them that look, Maya! They're not some poor cats on the street; they're dangerous, vicious, wild animals." <br/>"They're not wild!" She is interrupting Lara. "Look at their necks; they're clear markings of a collar—a tight one!. Their bodies are full of scars and bruises from being beaten. I wouldn't put it past the person who owned them to throw animals used to human care, or at least a crumb of it to the wild, and let them fend for themselves." Maya's voice grows more vengeful and cheerless. "They looked pretty good at it a second ago; remember that," Lara says. "Imagine if they were 'Caramel'! Would you want them to have such a miserable ending?" She yells out, frustrated at her sister. "They were trying to give you a miserable ending!". In the midst of the fights and disputes, the shouting and screaming. A pitiful whimper for one of the wolves comes quieting the air in an instant. "I want to help them." A cry for help like that made Maya as confident as ever in her choice. While filling Lara with more hesitance than she already had. "I-I… even… Even if we stayed to help them, what would we do? There are no veterinarians; we know nothing! and who here would possibly have any idea of how to help us?" As soon as these last words left Lara's mouth, it all came to Lyan, the person who could help them. "Vernon!" <br/> <br/>L: "Vernon?!". "Yes! He's the one who's supposed to help us, isn't he?" Lyan responds. "Well, he hasn't done a very great job of it," Lara answers while giving a quick glance at the wolves. "I think he's our only option now," Maya says. "Alright, but who will go get him?" As Lara asks that question, Lyan finally sees her chance to be of use. "Me, me! I will get him!. I want to help!" Lyan says,I am ever so excited. L: "On your own?" She says this with a bit of concern on her mind. M: "Let her go; I doubt there's actually anything else in these woods," and that's all Lyan needed to hear before she said, "Yes!". L: "Alright, go get Vernon, and don't lose your way!" The last words she heard as she went farther and farther.<br/>As she makes her way through the hills and broken branches as fast and focused as she could be, there's only one thought on her mind: "Get Vernon, get Vernon, get Vernon." She notices a drop of blood on a tree. "Is that mine or Lara's?" She asks herself. "No, no, Lara didn't get injured here... Or did she?. Where did Lara get injured?!" She thought as she started to get confused. "Do I not know where Lara got injured, or did I get injured?" The lingering fear and doubts began consuming her mind. "No, no, if there isn't a small puddle on the floor, then it's not where I got injured... or-or… Was there even a puddle?!. I-I…" As she raises her head to look around her and try to make sense of her thoughts, she realizes just how identical and maze-like the woods are when you're not trying to escape with your life. Which only sends her into a worse panic. "Oh, crap… Am I lost? No, no, I just have to continue in the same direction. It was right a moment ago; why would it suddenly be wrong? Ah, I'm scared! No!  You're not; you're strong!" She says this as she tries to take a step forward, but her legs defy her as they shake in place. "No, no, don't freeze; don't freeze; please don't freeze. Just go, go!". "Go!!!" She yells out before sprinting a head in the same direction with her eyes closed. But no matter how far she ran, she had to open her eyes eventually.<br/>And as such, she did. Her speed began to decrease, her eyes roamed around the place once more as they were trying to escape it, and her legs began to shake again. But this time she was determined not to let it get to her. She hugs herself and begins repeating to herself, "You're strong, you're strong, you're strong..." as she makes her way with her back forward. "You're stor-ah!" She trips and falls, but only to find right before: "My rock!" Along with that discovery, she starts to notice the faces she drew on the trees. Suddenly, light is back in her eyes, and all hope is not lost. All that was left was to make her way back to the carriage, and so she did not waste a second. <br/>The carriage is just in sight. She makes her way in a hurry, slamming the door open. Standing at the doorway, catching her breath, not a word was said. "Well, it's been a while, but doesn't this place look nice? Ah!" The proud tone in his voice quickly fades into shock and concern. "Lyan! Your hand!" As Vernon runs up to her. Lyan slowly raises her head to reveal a waterfall of tears, a snotty nose, and a puffy red face. <br/>Now being dragged across the woods, Vernon's confusion only worsens. "So, can you give, like, a rundown of what happened?" Vernon says as he tries to talk through the leaves in his face. "Sure, sothierwasthisoldladyandshetoldsomestoyabouthopeorwhateverandthenshesaidwierdstuffinthethisforst…" she says, her mouth in just as much hurry as her legs. "Wait, slow down!" He says. "I CAN'T!, so then we came just like she said, and there was nothing at first, but the wolves attacked us." "Wait, wolves?. Ah!, wolves!?" He screams, falling to the ground at the sight of what seemed beyond the unfeasible. "He's supposed to help us?" Lara says, skepticism in her voice.<br/>"*Sigh*, Vernon, I know this is shocking, but I ask you, if there's anything you could do, please do it," Maya pleads in a desperate manner. Getting a closer look, he notices the heads of the wolves were put to rest on leaves, and their necks were covered with leaves as well.<br/>And their mouths were covered with little droplets of water. It was obvious from first glance that someone tried to take care of these animals even in their last moments, and that person stands in front of him now, desperation on their faces, hoping he'd be able to do what they couldn't and be the one to save these miserable creatures. Vernon's face was full of nothing but hesitation, but despite that, he kneeled down closer to the wolves. Giving Maya hope with his every move. As his eyes scan the wolf's body, they cannot help but focus and wonder about the leaves on its neck. He goes to remove it, but he does not proceed before asking, "May I?". In response, he gets an aggressive nod of the head from Maya.<br/>As he removes it, his expressions tighten at the gory and vicious wound, yet with a surprisingly clean cut, it doesn't look like whoever did it struggled very much. It was that of an execution, which made the shallowness of the cut even stranger to him. "How did you even do this?" He asks, unsure if they're even capable of doing this. "We didn't," Lara answers, and Maya continues right after her, "Lara says there was somebody with a sword; we think they've done this."<br/>"Do you have any idea as to why?" Vernon asks, raising confusion among the girls. <br/>No, they were probably just defending themselves." <br/>"More like pouring their anger out on them, they definitely wanted these wolves to suffer." Maya's face falls as her head fills with more anguish and sorrow towards these helpless creatures. "Well, maybe they're not very good with the sword and couldn't tell that the cut wasn't deep enough," Lyan says naively. "I doubt it; whoever can get a cut this clean knows what they're doing; they probably have the ability to send their heads flying if they wanted to, but they didn't; they wanted this. This was intentional." "Well, that's not the point! Can you help them or not?!" Maya yells out, anger and fury clear on her face.<br/>No one shouts or yells back; not even an upset frown dares to wear their faces. They know her fury wasn't meant for them, and under what was masked as rage was nothing but sorrow. The wolves stood to Maya as no longer vile beasts but fragile creatures who have been wronged and mistreated all the way till their deaths.<br/>Vernon locks his eyes to the ground, unsure of what to say or if he should even say anything. It wasn't his place to argue, and even if he wanted to, the guilt he has for every drop of blood spilled in these wretched woods wouldn't let him. "Huh, now you're quite," Lara says in a sarcastic manner as she makes her way past him and Maya. She kneels down just as she is and places her hand on her shoulder. "Maya, stop this," she says to her in a soft tone. "He's not a miracle worker; he's barely even a good worker. And you, more than anyone, know that their fates were sealed the moment we found them, even before that. There's no more running from it. They've been miserable for long enough." Maya slowly turns her head to face her sister, to find a calm yet reassuring smile on her face. One that felt ever so familiar. In response, she gives a slight smile back as she nods her head.<br/>"I have this, if it would help," Vernon says. They all turned to look at what he had in his hand. It was a small, circular lab tube; it was travel size. "It will put them to sleep in an instant; all they have to do is take a whiff," says Vernon. "Well, dying in your sleep is the best way to go." Lara responds as she gets up. Lyan stands next to her, holding her arm. Maya stays in her same place and watches from afar. Truly, just a sniff sent the wolves into deep sleep. But as she stood there, she knew she didn't want to just leave them like that, so she began digging and digging. As it seemed a surprise to everyone, Lyan didn't hesitate to run to her sister and start digging right along with her, and Vernon began checking the wolves, making sure they're actually dead and cleaning them up, and before they knew it, the wolves were peacefully laying in the ground with sticks on top of their graves as tombstones.<br/>When it's all finally said and done, they stand in front of the graves one last time, in complete silence. Maya then turns to Vernon, her face back to its usual clam look, and says, "Thanks.". Catch him off guard. "I-uh, um, it's alright." Nothing but puzzled faces met him after such an awkward response to something so normal. "Let's patch you up, shall we?" he says, trying to remedy the situation.<br/>All is patched, Lyan's hand is no longer tied to a blood-soaking cloth, Maya's face is clean once again, and all she's left to do is rest. Now stands at last, Lara. "May I?" Vernon asks, referring to her wound. "You may, sir-doctor." And so he does. L:" ow!". "Your wound is certainly way bigger than your sisters; what did you get on the wolf's nerves as well?" Vernon asks in a joking manner. "Oh!, you don't want to start on this. I wonder who got us here?" "Alright, let's not start on this," he says, sending them into a few seconds of silence. And since I guess we're kind of equal now, you have my apologies for  yelling." "Huh, god, you can't even bring yourself to say sorry?!" She says it in a teasing tone. "It's the same thing. Take it or leave  it." " fine. But you know—"she n no longer looks in his direction as they speak, but rather turns her head to where she's looking out on her sister's and continues. <br/>"Maya said that we're going to need you, and it's going to hit faster than I think." A bit Taken back by what's said, he does not answer immediately. "Will I do it?". "Nope, not one bit. You couldn't have been more useless, buddy. but it was nice seeing help with burials 'and such. I don't think I would've been able to touch them—all dead, you know?". "You just get used to it." "Used to it?, you've buried before?". "Yes, kids get attached to animals all the time and don't take good care of them, or they'd run off into the woods and they'd want to burry them at the end, but I've never helped with those; they always wanted my dad, not me." His tone begins to turn more glum as he finishes his words. <br/>"Then what did you bury—or who-ooooo-ah?" Lara asks in a joking manner before the pain of the alcohol gets to her. "Stay still," Vernon says, now with a slight smile on his face from her efforts to try and make him smile. "And no, I didn't burry anyone; it was my pet raccoon." "Your pet raccoon?". "Yes". "And what did he die of?". Vernon's face falls as he hears the question, hesitation on his face in place of a smile. His eyes began to wander the ground in search of what to say. The sudden changes in his attitude don't go unnoticed by Lara, and before he could answer, she'd already drawn her own conclusion. "Did he die in a lap accident?" She says. "NO!" He answers in an instant. No longer unsure but defensive as it could be. "Alright," Lara responds softly. <br/>Silence is the only thing to be heard between these two, as there is no longer chit-chat; only Lara's eyes roam around and Vernon's are on her wound. But it doesn't remain that way much longer than before: "About your sleeve, I'm going to fix it." "You better," she says, her eyes still wandering. "And, uh, about all this... the wolves, I'm sorry," he whispers. "What did you say?" She turns her head and focuses on him at full speed. "What was that?". As an embarrassed look wears his face and as he finishes patching up her wound. "I'm not saying it again; take it or leave it," he says as he runs far from Lara. "Oh!, come here!" she yells as she goes after him. "Let's go, let's go," he says, pushing the sister forward. "No, you don't," Lara says, jumping in between them. "You said you weren't going to start this!". "Oh!, I am so going to start this when you're too embarrassed to say sorry!". "What happened? Maya asks. "Mr. Goggles over here just had an 'attempt' at saying sorry, which I wholeheartedly appreciate. Thank you, and you're forgiven for being wrong!" "Well, technically, I wasn't  wrong." "You were wrong! There were wolves, weren't there?". "Yes, but-". As the realization that they may spend the next year or two here if they go on like this. Maya and Lyan drag the quarreling couple by their ears out of the woods.<br/>As the sun sets, turning the world around them golden, they finally take their first steps out of the woods in what felt like an eternity. They were making their way through the village just as they came in. "You know what? Maybe I'm a bit wrong." "Yes!" . "Thank you!". Both Lyan and Maya yell in relief at the long-awaited end of this senseless quarrel. "Good on you for admitting it," Lara says as she reaches her hand out for a handshake, which Vernon defeatedly shakes. <br/>A wretched and somewhat irritated voice calls from far away. "You kid! Come here!". It was the old woman. As she gets the attention of all of them, Vernon starts to raise his finger, pointing at himself. "Don't, for your sake," Maya says as she gently puts his hand down. She's talking about all of  this." Lyan: "I think we should go; she looks like she's about to yell at us, or maybe she's constipated." "If you don't come here, child!, I'll come get you myself!". And just with that, she found the kids in front of her in an instant.<br/>"Phew, what kind of rotten meat were you rolling in? You reek!" The old woman says, "Well, we ran into some trouble while looking for your'suspicious activities' and this is the result of it. And by the way, what a vague and useless description! I mean, how-ah!" knuckle once again to the head. "You talk too much, kid. But trouble you say, *gasp*, did you encounter the humiliating drag of the light of the magic, I warned you about?!" The woman says this on the edge of her seat. "Well, if you mean by that poor, abused wolf, then yes, I guess." An answer like that shocks the woman yet annoys her, as it seems nonsensical to her. sending her back, right in her seat. "Wolves?! What are you talking about, child?, wolves don't live here." As these words leave the woman's mouth, A gust of relief hits Vernon as someone finally says it. "That's what I have been saying, granny! Ah!" He's cut off by Granny as well, but not via a knuckle to the head, but I slap across the face. "Ah!, what did I do?" He asks in a bit of a weepy manner.<br/>"Just seeing how many of you are here now, you multiply like crazy. Now what is he?, you're brother, cousin, husband?". "The chauffeur," Lara says in a teasing manner, and as Vernon turns to her with an angry frown on his face, she gives him the biggest proud smile. "Well, whatever he is, 'weepy' here is right; wolf sightings are nothing short of uncommon, almost unheard of. But…under these circumstances, could it be?" As the woman goes deep in thought, she invokes the curiosity of everyone standing. "What? What is this, Granny?" Lara says. <br/>"Don't rush me, child! Ah! Well,  back in the olden days of limited power, there were those who would seek it out and would dedicate their whole lives to finding the supernatural. Those people were called 'magic hunters'. They had many different methods of reaching magic, but one of them was perhaps the strongest and most accurate, but the hardest and most difficult. I was using wolves, but not just any wolves, blind wolves, far descendants of the powerful phoenix, or as they're known, 'keen-wolves' or just 'keen'. The legends tell us that these wolves can smell magic from the other side of the world, and the more dense and hefty the power was, the more that these wolves sought after. But as the magic began to wither and doom fell upon every enchanting creature, they met a fate that was no different. But it's said that the remanence of magic still lies in their lineage."<br/>As the woman finishes, invested faces are all around her but one. With a heavy skeptical look on his face, he goes, "Mmmmm, yeah, I doubt it." The woman was obviously irritated by his response: "Do you think I'm playin' with you, child? 'magic hunters' are as real as the night sky, goddamn it". "Oh,'magic hunters' are very real, very poor, and illegal. I doubt that what happened in the woods was the work of some magic  hunter." "Don't be fooled, child!. Magic hunters are but puppets for their master!". The skeptical look doesn't leave Vernon's face, as he's still unconvinced. "Can you give us a percentage?". "omg..". Lara begins teasing once more, breaking any illusion of seriousness this conversation had.<br/>No longer was there any mind paid to the woman or her warnings, as they began to walk away and back to the carriage.<br/>The woman, easily irritated by her nature, does not utter a word as she hears them go, and there is not a hint of anger on her face. They have scoffed and dismissed her words of warning, just like many before them. "But there may be something different about them,"  the woman thought to herself. Their smell has told her more than they think; it has brought back a past that was long forgotten. The woman's expression tightens as she hears the carriage move far along the horizon. Just to hear many hands waving farewell to her from a distance. "Goodbye, granny!" He calls out the youngest of them in a cherry-toothed yet tired voice. Putting a slight smile on the woman's face as she raises her arm and waves back. As she can no longer hear the carriage's wheels, she lets out a sigh filled with many worries. "Oh, but they did survive this, didn't they?" She thinks to herself, and as she does, she turns to now face the forest and says, "But how long would you let that be the case, Red Star?" <br/>:0<br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> </p>