After hesitating, the driver stops the bus. Me and my companions hop off quickly. Alex walks up to the drivers. I tell everyone to stay inside and shut the blind that acts as the door, for their safety.
"We think there's a pack of wolves up ahead. I suggest you hide in the carriage till we tell you it's safe." Alex says.
"Pfft." Scoffs one of the drivers. "What makes you think that? These woods are safe."
Alex arches a brow. He briefly looks at the minitour's head for a reference. Both of them gulp.
"Point taken. But what makes you say there's a pack?"
"Because I say so." I interject. "I have a sense for these things. It's how we earn an income." I lie.
We haven't had the chance to be professional monster hunters.
As they think, I hear the pack move again. They know we stopped.
"I suggest you get in the back quickly, if you want to be safe. Alex will protect you guys."
"Yeah- Hey!" He looks at me in anger. "Why me?!"
"How are your guns gonna be handy in a fight against wolves? It's better you guard from the inside in case any sneak in."
"There's more ways to fight than just with weapons, Rose." Alex scolds. "I thought I taught you that. Trust me, I can handle a few wolves with my bare hands."
I gulp. He's got a point. He's more experienced with hand-to-hand combat. And I shouldn't doubt his skills.
"Don worry, Miss and Sir. We can secure the bus so no wolves can get in." Assures one of the drivers. "And we do have guns stored away."
"Though we're not great shots." The other driver, who is younger and the one who didn't scoff, says.
"Great, you guys can guard the passengers inside… or whatever." Alex says.
"Guys! Are you done yet?" Nathe yells out.
I sigh. "Yes!"
Alex walks up to me and whispers in my ear. "Remember, Rose. You're not the leader. We're all equal."
I blink a few times. Right, I've forgotten. I'm not a royal anymore and have no right to boss people anyone around. Alex has a right to fight too.
I watch as Nathe walks away from the bus, making himself a sitting duck. Guns still holstered, Alex just keeps an eye out, with his ears tuned in for any sounds. He keeps his fingers loose and arms relaxed. His stance partially wide but to the side. He hasn't even asked to use my dagger.
He wants to make a point.
I stand still. Standing in the same stance as Alex but holding my sword. Everything is quiet. No birds. No snapping of twigs. Not even the sound a wind.
Suddenly several wolves leap out together, running to Alex. Then 8 rush out of the bushes towards Nathe. 4 for me. Using my sword I swiftly cut down two, kick one and stab it through the head. And with the last one I sliced of it's head.
I look over to Alex. He's already killed most of his wolves without his guns. Just using his hand-to-hand combat skills. I look at Nathe, and he is having a swell time. Using his mace to kill a few. But he eventually abandons his weapons and uses his bare hands.
He easily catches a wolf mid-air by the throat. The wolf continues snapping at him. As if by doing so, it'll eventually tear into his skin. With half of his strength, Nathe smashes the wolf's skull to the ground. I heard it's skull break. Nathe grabs another wolf, wrapping it around his arms in a choke hold on the ground. He squeezes and SNAP! It's neck it snapped. Before I knew it he's grabbed another one and this time he's killed it by ripping it's jaws open.
Nathe has definitely impressed me today. And scared me. To think his was this strong to easily take down these wolves creatively.
I hear more growling. I look behind me and see another lot of wolves. I had miscounted the steps. But it was hard to tell with the other noises. That and they were so quiet.
Seeing these wolves together, like an army, Nathe yanks his mace from one of the dead wolves. I take my usual stance to fight. There are so many of them. How can we fight them without some sneaking into the bus.
I look to Alex. Alex stands there, lips pursed and looking down at them.
"Do you have a plan?" I ask.
"Yeah. Instead of me wasting bullets and you two getting exhausted–"
"Whattya talking about?" Nathe grins and holds his mace briefly in the air. Than wacks away a wolf the lunged at his throat. "I got plenty of energy!"
"For now." Alex says. "If we kill the alpha, the rest will essentially run off. Packs can't function without a leader. Once we kill the alpha, the others would be discouraged from attacking and prioritize who the alpha will be."
"Good. Do you know where their alpha is?" I ask.
"Yep." He aims a gun at a grey wolf, snarling at us with a claw scar across his cheek. "It's fast though. Every time I've tried to shoot it, it's evaded all my bullets."
"Aah… what does 'evaded' mean?" Nathe asks awkwardly.
"Dodge." Alex answers. "It means dodge. So, here's what we're going to do. Nathe, you approach it from the right to strike it. Rose, you throw your dagger at the other side. Get really close. So, when the wolf dodges, it'll have no way to evade my shot."
Nath bends back and smashes another wolf with his mace. "I like that plan."
I don't object and just nod my head. "Alright."
Nathe charges towards the wolf, raising his weapon, just like Alex told him. I stepped to the left, aimed, and threw my dagger. I run from the left as well.
Startled by the enemies coming from both sides, the alpha leaps forward, forgetting Alex.
Alex aims his gun and shoots the alpha while it was in mid-air. The sudden force of the bullet flies the wolf back. Alex had aimed for it's head. An instant kill. The wolf lies there, motionless. And the pack, stare at the corpse of their leader. Then, recognizing they no longer have a leader to organize them, they flee. This battle is done.