Veronica came across a pool of clear water in the deep ground. Her face weakly beamed because of her weariness, but the fact remained that she was glad about her discover.
She dropped on her knees and jabbed the water, disturbing its tranquility with her fingers.
She pulled her hand out and watched the transparent drops fall back in the stream, distorting the water, and leaving halos that spread across.
She savoured the liquid that traced its way into her mouth, wetting her lips and throat that were now dry. It was the refreshment she sought for the past hour.
Soon, her ears picked up the sounds of the rustling trees and bushes, then the snapping twigs and sticks. She was scared to move, however, the moment she saw a terrified Mark, running like his life depended on it, she knew something was wrong.
"If they could kill my dad, they can kill me!!! I have to get away!!! Someone help me!!!" Mark's body acted on its own in a will to survive, and he dashed through the winding forest path but little did he know, he had missed the way back to the ship and had been running around aimlessly.
"I thought the forest animals were causing the ruckus, but it's been Mark all along. That bastard!!! But why is he running like a crazy person? Should I get away from here? Maybe he'll lead me back to the ship and I can get my things! I must go after him."
Veronica steadily got back on her feet with her staff and limped as fast as she could, trying her best to catch up with him. She looked back every time, but didn't see what he was running away from. Nevertheless, she still followed.
"Damn it!!!" Mark ran into Zuiver, knocking both of them to the ground. With the impact of the fall, he could tell blood was seeping from the broken skin on his elbows. He didn't even need to look at the torn, dirty skin to know his own body.
"You little piece of shit!!!" Mark cussed, slamming the ground with his shaking fist before he got up and charged towards Zuiver. Mark kicked her stomach out of burning rage and the wolf crashed into a tree after another of Mark's ruthless kicks.
The wolf whined, calling for help from her master, but nobody was around to save her. Mark pulled out his sword but before he could swing at Zuiver, Veronica lunged into him with her full body weight, pushing him to the ground.
"Leave the wolf alone!!!"
"You?! But I…" Mark said in a shaky voice, halting, disbelieving, as the heavy dose of shock sank in his stomach.
"Why can't you just stay dead?!" He bounced to his feet, swinging his sword at Veronica but she dodged it, rolling on the ground, before swinging the long staff at his knee joint.
The young girl was wounded; she was at a disadvantage but she wanted to buy time for the wolf to escape. She swirled her staff with both hands, then jabbed Mark's rib, pushing him back.
"I've had enough of this," He roared, moving in with fast stabbing movements being fueled by his anger.
Veronica dodged all the incoming attacks but didn't know how much longer she could last. And for some reason, Zuiver didn't want to leave.
"Please go," she begged, not wanting to look away from Mark.
The man lifted his sword above his head, purposely wanting her to attack him, but Veronica had learned from her mistakes. She dropped on the ground and kicked his ankles, before following up with a staff attack to his chin, then she kicked his groin.
Mark tossed his sword aside, switching to his fist. Veronica's face was stony. She was making it clear she was not afraid. Life gave her another chance, and she was willing to make the best out of it.
She swung her staff at Mark, but he dodged and threw a punch at the place he stabbed, then at other places that were wounded.
"Argh. I can't make the same mistake" she felt every ounce of the pain but she had to endure it, or else Mark would win again.
"Huh?" She looked down at her stab-wound and noticed it had opened up again. She was bleeding once more, and it distracted her for a split second. Unfortunately, it was enough for Mark to turn the situation around in his favour.
"Now it's my turn" He grabbed hold of her staff and the two fought furiously for it. Veronica couldn't afford to let go, despite all Mark's dirty tricks to force her grip to loosen.
He spat in her face, dug his dirty nails into her hands, stepped on her toes, but she still didn't let go. She fought back with everything she could. She'd step on him as well and kick his legs whenever she got the chance.
In the struggling process, the staff broke, and they each got a piece. Veronica was upset about that, but not Mark. They were about to charge at eachother when an unknown person casually strolled in between them.
Something about the aura around him frightened Veronica. The strange man shifted his wistful gaze to his injured pet, then bit his lip in anger, drawing blood from the injury he made with his sharp teeth.
"Hey get out of the way!!! I'm in the middle of something" Mark didn't know who that man was and thought he was one of captain Buckie's travelers or one of his men. So, he didn't mind raising his voice and speaking in a rude tone. Nothing ever happened to him when he did such, so it became a part of him.
Veronica slowly stepped back from the man as Mark continued his tirade. She placed her hand on her wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding, but it was no use.
The direct gaze of the man's clear, wide-set yellow eyes frightened her. Something about his white brows and the ruffled coronet of white hair that flowed down his back made him so unique.
"Listen fool, I said you should get away from here and go back to the ship! Tell the others that there are six dire wolves around this area and we need to kill them!"
"You hurt Zuiver."
Veronica felt a sudden slow, creeping chill seize and shake her after the man's reverberating, deep voice.
"Huh? Are you insane?!" Mark spat out in disgust. Then raised his hand to push the man out of the way, but before he could touch him, his hands fell off.
"How dare you! How dare you hurt Zuiver!!!" Mark shrank before the fierce gaze of the man, his face frozen in a gape at his arm.
Veronica also ogled at Mark's hands on the floor. Her brain stuttered and her jaw trembled. She couldn't comprehend something that happened that fast. In all her life, she had never come across a person that strong to hurt a human without making any movements.
Veronica and a shocked Mark watched the man in silence as he collapsed to the ground, his hands around his body as it shook. Blood flowed rapidly whilst his skin bubbled and bones reshaped. His eyes melted into thick black and a dense mass of hair puffed out from every follicle on his body and he turned into his werewolf form. One they'd never seen before.
His six dire wolves drew in on the battleground, growling at their enemies, also potential victims with their blood stained mouths.
Veronica stood rigid, so did mark who was at a loss for words as tears formed in his eyes because of the pain.
The werewolf howled as loud as he could, signifying every wolf kind that it was time to attack the humans.
He then turned to the pair before him and blared, "You've made the biggest mistake of your life, foolish one! I, Lord Lucilfer of the Northern Werewolf nation, Jepal, will teach you a lesson that you will never forget!!!"