Zoe stopped at a restaurant and ordered the meals for herself and her new friends. Smiling together, the trio now sat at a table, awaiting their orders. Zoe smugly took out her camera and snapped a photo before sending it to Blueberry, telling her their current situation. Blueberry advised her not to get cocky and Zoe accepted the generously given piece of advice. Although it may be boring, Zoe knew her intentions were all to give Zoe a pleasant future. Blueberry had discovered the pain Zoe had been through for the last ten years so she was being like a nice mother in substitute. Zoe is grateful and had thanked the gods for the gift.
So back in the store, their drinks came in and they began drinking. Zahira decided to begin the conversation.
"Zoe, have you met Jane?" she began softly while lifting her chosen carrot juice in a tanker to her lips.
"Jane? I went to her place but she was out," she stated bluntly. "Why?" she added with a raised brow while sipping her warm milk tea from a cup slowly.
"So you don't know that ninja's fury, huh?" Zahira scoffed while leaning back into her chair and crossed her arms behind her head with a smirk.
"Don't bring that up, Zahira. You'll scare the girl." Ricky said while nibbling her straw which she had previously used to drain her grape juice box.
"Why mustn't she bring that up?" Zoe asked her back in confusion while sliding her drink towards the youngest heir at the table who merrily accepted the offer.
"Cause Jane's a monster. She's not like Zahira and me. She won't accept your words easily. Even with Zahira and me by your side, she will still be stubborn and fight you. We need Blaze to get Jane. Without Blaze, you'll get nothing." Ricky explained while Zahira petted the stores' cat
"So even if I met her, then it would've been useless, right?" Zoe frowned at reality. "That sucks. I'm glad I got to meet you both first or I would have had a bad first impression of you guys!" she chuckled
The duo nodded and Zoe sucked at her straw. 'This job is going to get tougher than what I expected..'
The trio had set off to the town where Blaze lived. Apparently, Zahira had gone to visit Blaze in the past to help in a few ways so she knew her way around the streets. As they passed down a shortcut Zahira often used to avoid citizens' eyes, Rickys' pupils darted to the sides and she gritted her teeth anxiously.
"We're being followed..." She muttered under her breath for the duo to hear. "I'm not sure but he has a dark sort of aura."
"Could it be another associate of King Vector?" Zoe asked. "He once sent an underling back in the human realm. What if he sent someone else?"
"No." Zahira flatly stated. "This person isn't a threat to us, Ricky. He's been following Zoe and me since we departed from my place..." Zahira explained while shouldering her bag. "He doesn't have any ulterior motives. All I've noticed so far is that he's been killing other approaching enemies for the past few hours..."
"Wait, someone was following us before and you didn't think to bring it up?" Zoe asked Zahira incredulity. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Because he doesn't seem like a threat and he's part animal so I thought he was an underling sent by Malice to watch over me..."
At that very moment, Zahira's phone began to ring and she pulled it out. She accepted the call and began to speak softly. As the voice of the caller entered her ears, her pupils dilated and she spun around and looked at the trees in shock. After so long, she finally said something and hung up before pulling out a gun from her side pocket.
"Just got off with Malice. He didn't send anyone..." she frowned while aiming at the tree in anticipation. "Whoever's following us, he's not a friend in my base of knowledge..."
"Now you tell us?" Ricky groaned while preparing herself in a stance. "WHOEVER'S OUT THERE, SHOW YOURSELF!" She roared.
"I would rather we escape first, rather than fight guys..." Zoe muttered while her eyes danced wildly around the tree shadows in fear.
They all stood still for a minute or so until a bush near Zoe's feet began to ruffle and the trio's attention stayed on it. They stared at the green-leaved bush for a moment before a small creature crawled out. It was as small as a cat, as fluffy as a chinchilla, and had sharp eyes like a hawk. Around its brown furry neck was a crimson scarf. Its ears shifted slightly before it spoke with a human voice.
"Do not fear me, my fellow friends." it began to speak in a husky voice. "I'm merely a follower told to protect the glasses girl on her expedition across the Flame Kingdom."
"Who sent you?" Zahira grunted while aiming her gunpoint at the animal's forehead. "And give me three reasons why I shouldn't just blow off your head."
The animal shuffled around like it was having a seizure before it began laughing with a long smile like a meerkat. Its' eyes met with Zahiras' before it began to speak once more.
"You and I are the same, my dear Zahira," it said quietly. "We are both part human and wish to free ourselves from this. But we can't and we live our own ways till the fullest."
"I don't hold any sympathy for werewolves that are able to disguise itself as amazing as you..." she spat harshly. "Don't think I can't recognize one when I see a werewolf. I have friends!"
"Yeah, well. Who cares about that, right? Anyway, the second reason is that you both owe me for protecting you on your way to Ricky's place. I slaughtered fifteen beasts whose objectives were to slice you up into bunny meatballs and kidnap the nerd. If I didn't stop them, you wouldn't be able to." he said strictly.
"You don't know how capable I am, kitty..." She growled while her finger twitched to the trigger slowly. "I've been fighting agents for years..."
"I know that, bunny. But I believe fifteen against one would be too much of a disadvantage. Especially with you being held back with a powerless brat by your side..." he added while glancing at Zoe over Zahira's shoulder. "And third is I work for the Flame Kingdom and despise King Vector. He had tried to destroy my life once, I will make sure to destroy his soon..."
The trio was taken aback by the dark aura emitting the air and the fur on the creature's body shifted by a sudden gust of wind. They shaded their eyes from the dust blown and when their eyes reopened, they faced a young brunette male with wolf ears frowning down on them. Zoe thought Zahira was tall but that man seemed even taller than her. He wore a dull general coat over his bare chest and tightened it with a belt around his waist. The same scarf that once was dragged around on the floor now flew in the wind and his eyes pierced into Zoe's minds. His smile slowly inched into a smirk and he chuckled.
"This is who I truly am, your highnesses. And for your information, I can rip out your throats if I want to," he growled while baring his teeth. They all gulped in fear at the sight of such a devilish look in his expression. But his evil grin became a friendly smile as he laughed. "Fortunately for you three, I'm not an actual demon. I want peace among werewolves and humans so I won't kill you all for no reason. I work under a human anyway and she says I can't kill you so I shall not do so!"
With a swift and graceful bow, he turned away and jumped back into the forest, leaving the girls in shock and confusion. Zahira's bunny ears slowly dropped in relief and she sighed. 'That guy wasn't lying. He was honest about wanting peace. The true question is, who is the human controlling him? And why would his human want to protect us?' They decided that the creature of their earlier conversation would be brought up later and they turned to leave.
----
Zamba was walking back up the hill when he stopped insight into something disturbing. A group of soldiers in dark amber uniforms sat huddled around a camping site, sharpening weapons and feeding a group of caged wild animals. He grits his teeth uncomfortably and stood for a moment, accessing the situation. 'It's nearly sundown... Should I return to base or...' He lowered his hand to the floor and pulled out a worm before whispering softly, "Tell Aira I'll be back late..."
The worm wiggled in protest but when dropped, it gave an unmistakable nod before hurrying under the dirt to deliver the message. Zamba straightened up and bared his fangs into a sinister grin before lunging forward. 'Thing's are about to get messy!'