Chapter Six

“So, Dihanie is what you call those monsters?” she asked him, trying to break the tension.  “Yes, well it’s what my pack calls them.  I’m sure different packs call them different names,” he said, “What about you?  What should I call you?”  She smiled at him, “My name is Azura.  Azura Luxe.  What about yourself?”  Standing up to walk over to her, hand extended, he replied, “My name is TyRex Lupinn, but everyone just calls me Ty.”  She stood puzzled at his action, hand still extending towards her.  She assumed he wanted her hand, but wasn’t completely confident, so she slowly reached out.  He grasped it firmly, waving it up and down and they both felt little sparks igniting between where their skin kissed.

“So where do you live?” he asked, feeling bit more relaxed around her.  She stumbled.  She didn’t know this person and wasn’t sure if she could fully trust him, so she decided to be vague.  “Well, I move around a lot.  So currently, I am staying in the near the Trillium fields,” she replied knowing damn-well those flowers could be found all over the forest.  “So you’re alone? Where is your family?” he replied.  Shit.  Now he knows I am alone.  He could slaughter me right now and no one would come looking.  Way to fucking go Azura, she thought to her self.  “Well…I…guess I am.  I don’t know where my family is.  This is actually the first time I have met anyone else other than the horrible monsters,” she said sitting back down.  Frowning, he said to her, “Well my pack is a good walk from here, about a day’s worth.  Why don’t you join me?”  She thought long and hard about this.  Should she go with him or remain alone in the forest?  It seems like a no brainer, but what if he couldn’t be trusted?  What if they hurt her?  She did not want to be alone in the forest any longer, but she still didn’t know which would be worse, to be killed by the monsters or by a wolf?

Prriuh! Prriuh!  Azura jumped to her feet, her heart began pounding in her chest, staring into bright sky outside.  Turning to Ty she said, “We need to leave. NOW.”  He stood up looking towards the mouth of the cave, “Why?  What is that?”  “They’re flying creatures and if we don’t get out of here now they will come back in numbers and I can’t take on that many,” looking down at her side, “and I don’t even have my bow on me.  I left my bag at the cottage.”  She paced the cave back and forth.  “Azura, we’ll be fine.  I’ll protect us,” he said, trying to comfort her.  “You don’t understand, haven’t you seen them before?” she looked at him perplexed.  “Uhh, no I can’t say that I have.  No monsters that fly, only birds,” he told her.  “Shit,” she said aloud and started to walk out the cave, “I need to leave.  I can’t stay here, we’ll die.”  She peered outside, but she didn’t see anything.  She began to descend the mountain.  Ty shifted back into his wolf form and followed her.  “Azura can you slow down?” he called out to her, but she wasn’t listening.  Panic had set in and she needed to get as far away from the mountain as she could.

She continued down the side of the mountain, making sure she checked each rock before putting her weight on it.  Step after step until one of the rocks came loose and went crashing down, Azura lost her footing and stayed hanging by just the grip of her hands.  She let out a yelp, ”Ahh!”  “Azura!  I’m coming! Just..Just hold on!” Ty yelled as he leapt rock to rock until he reached her and she grabbed onto his matted fur as he pulled her back up to a ledge.  PRRIUH!  Just as Azura had said, the flying creatures were back and in great numbers.  In herds of ten, they flew above them, about four or five of them.  Herd by herd, they each took a turn swooping down to where Azura and Ty were, some trying to snap at them.  Azura ducked down while Ty tried snapping back at them.  He caught one by it’s wing, bringing it down and ripping it’s head off.  Green blood gushed everywhere, landing on one of his paws and began to burn.  “Ahh” Ty shouted, trying to shake it off.  “I fucking told you, you idiot!  We need to get the fuck out of here!” Azura yelled at him, losing her patience.  He was shocked at her outburst, but immediately knew she was right.  He scooped her up, throwing her onto his back, and began swiftly descending the mountain.  The flying creatures were unrelenting and followed them as they spat down big drops of green goop that began to sizzle and corrode the rocks around them.

One goop hit Azura’s arm and she howled in pain.  Ty’s heart raced as he saw her get hurt and let out a growl like thunder to the creatures, who momentarily backed away.  He picked up speed and half glided down the base of the mountain.  They hit the ground and Ty jolted through the forest.  Azura held onto his fur with all her might.  Her arm was searing with pain.  The goop ate away the top layer of her skin and revealed the red flesh within, her blood dripping down her arm.  Ty was moving so fast she couldn’t tell where they were going.  The flying creatures had long since stopped chasing them, but Ty kept on.  Azura was groaning in pain, tears streamed down her face.  Her vision began to blur and she lost grip of Ty’s fur, falling to the ground.  TyRex slid to a stop and ran back to her.  “Azura.  Azura wake up.  Azura please,” he said as his snout nuzzled her face, but she did not say a word.  He could still hear her heart beat, but it was faint.  He had to get her back to his pack.  He picked her up by her belt and swiftly continued through the forest.  He had to get her there.  If she died, he did not even want to think about it, he couldn’t.  He should have listened to her sooner.  She had lived in the forest half her life, she knew it better than he did.  Why didn’t I listen?