●Sometimes wait is the only option left,
But waiting for the wait to be over is not worth waiting for●
"We are in middle of nowhere. How are we going to find our way through these mountains." Zoya was pacing on the same 2 meter of area while the others sat on rocks laying on the foot of mountain looking into the flames of bonefire, dived into their individual thoughts.
Night has taken over the lone isolated area with immense trees and bushes. They haven't dared to go up the forest in the mountains since sun was already dropping off. Now there was nothing to do except wait for the morning reflection of the light and further draw their path towards the destination, that is, finding Shivani.
"We are are not in middle of nowhere." Imam said scrubbing the dust off the the smooth rectangular rock sucked into the land near him.
"Faust will flourish" Imam read out for everyone to hear.
"What's Faust?" Mikesh asked looking at it closely through his square glasses.
"Why would someone write this?" Dadi said as she approached them with cautious steps as if something will suddenly jump out of nowhere, looking deeply through the carved alphabets on the rock, in the moonlight, she glanced straight at the sky and murmured something.
"What is it Dadi?" Zoya asked, she was as confused as Mikesh and Dadi and Imam seem to be lost in their own heads, staring at the three words carved on the rock.
"Dadi if this is the path Shivani's taken by, I'm already having the chills." Panick was clearly visible on Imam's face and actions. Along with being a astrophysicist, he spent big chunk of his childhood under the guidance of Dadi, enough to build the interest in different mythologies and study the Demons and Angels.
They both were pale like a cigarette which further worried others.
"Would any of you tell us what the hell is Faust?" Zoya burst out at last.
"The genius, the legend, the one who sold his soul to devil. One who was respected by Devils and Angels both." Dadi said, not breaking her stare from the carving.
"What is happening here? How can a devil exist, this is all hypothetical stuff." Mikesh said.
"Run!!!" Diya's voice through the dense bushes on the lower mountain startled them all as they stood shocked at the realisation that Diya was not there the whole time they talked about 'The Faust'.
Diya emerged from the mountain forest, running, sweating, crying.
"Run" She called from a distance and waved her hands to clarify her words. Everyone stared at her for a second before noticing a giant wolf chasing her through the woods.
In the middle of the night his eyes shone like yellow laser, growing bigger and bigger with every leap it took towards them, more precisely it was following Diya but Diya was going to run into them.
Running away from a wolf was one option fighting back was another, what Dadi did was third.
Looking into the wolf's eyes directly, she stepped in front of others and growl screamed with the utmost power a human of her age can go with, stopping both Diya and the wolf mid way.
Zoya cautiously grabbed Diya's sleeve and pulled her towards the group who were now staring from Dadi to wolf and wolf to Dadi, now in a staring face off.
This was definitely a thunderbolt for the wolf as well.
Occasional growls from the wolf were more of defense attempts against an unknown treacherous group.
After a few minutes.
Through the dark woods of the mountains emerged a woman, her menacing, high and mighty walk in their direction spilled power and optimism at every step she took on the dried leaves.
The taping of the foot and rustle of the leaves ceased when she stopped beside the fiercy animal.
"You scared our guests Fonjuar. Excuse him my dears, you all were looking for something or someone?" The lady said. Her confidence, calmness and effortless exhibit of courage made up for lower than average height and shabby, not so fancy cloths.
"Who are you?" Zoya spoke up, defying the rush of adrenaline cursing through her body.
It's not everyday that she come face to face with a woman who closely resembles an ancient warrior with sharp wooden stakes tied on her back and tens of bun sticks tying the frizzy brown hair together with tattoo on literally every part of her body.
"I am Sol and we see tired and troubled people that you are, forgive me if I misassume but desperation is obvious. Lost some important stuff, didn't you?" Sol had a peculiar way of forming phrases which was weird as well as intriguing for each one of them.
"We are looking for a girl in her mid 20's, we are certain she was taken via this way." Imam said taking a step forward under the intent gaze of Sol and her ruthless companion, feeling self conscious and confident at the same time.
Diya was still breathless and panting, Mikesh was trying not to look either of the hosts in the eye and Zoya was restraining from asking the most obvious questions she would, in this situation.
"I will show you how she looks like exactly, if you recognize." Imam drew his hand toward the back pocket of his chinos when something sharp pierced the outer skin of his elbow. As pain cursed through the hand, he pulled out the tiny arrow and stared at it for a second before passing out on the ground while others looked in horror.
"Imam. What happened? Who attacked us?" Dadi panicked and bent beside laying figure of Imam.
Others were as shocked as her and looking for the unknown perpetrator while being worried about their friend's life.
"Sol, Fonjuar. You two safe?" A pale-green tall, lanky woman, or not so much of a human with pointed nose and big popping eyes approached them with several other dart arrows covered in brown pulpy substance at the tip.
"What did you do to him? Why won't he wake up?" Mikesh lashed out at the green creature.
"If my brother do not wake up right now I'm not going leave any of you." Zoya threatened what seems to be the rival group at that moment.
"Back off monster kids or I'll pierce all of-"
"Relax you Ariem, these are just ordinary humans." Sol said as calm as before and Ariem shifted back beside the wolf.
"Humans? Like you?" Ariem was surprised.
"Yes Ariem, like me. Not that I'm anywhere near proud of that title, hence 'like you' was unnecessary. And here's a question, why you attacked that innocent man?"
"Innocent? He was going to attack you."
"And how you made that out?"
"He was going to pull out a weapon behind his back."
"No, no, no. He was taking out his mobile phone to show you the picture of the women we are looking for. He was not going to attack you." Diya said as she stared back at the unstirring body of Imam and sat beside to check the pulses.
"His pulses are going down." She added.
"She's spilling the truth Ariem. You did a mistake." Sol said without a sense of guilt or accusations in the voice.
"How are you two still taking as if it's nothing, what happened to him? What do we do now?" Diya clutched her head to control the frustration bubbling up.
"Do not worry yourself sugar berry, he's only poisoned."