Reno.
Why was it taking me so long to get back! How far is my tree house?
I keep looking forward, trying to figure out the path. I guess I'm lost.
"What should I do now?"
If I'm lost, I will have to starve with no food to live here. All my stuff was left in the tree house and it was going to get dark soon. I can't freeze here!
"I will just walk to the right." I say. To be honest, I never thought my decision was going to be right. I did find my own footprints in the right direction.
"Bingo! I can go home now." I ran, following my foot prints. It reminded me of Ethel. We would always run across the forest and go hunting. It's been so long that I can't even remember the direction. I don't blame my memory. I blame the trees. There were less trees back then, unlike now.
Finally, I found the tree house.
"I'm never leaving again!" I say, panting hard. But just like always, something was bothering me.
I sniffed the air, there was this different smell again. Just like before. It smelled like a wet dog. Or should I say Dogs? Because unlike before, the smell was getting stronger.
He must be here. The one who attacked Catt- Kat.
I prepared my sword and walked out of the bushes to face my opponent. But to my surprise, it was just a group of young men. Half naked young men, with a weird tattoo on their left arm.
They all had a guilty look on their faces. The one in front, with blonde hair and grey eyes walked forward to me.
"We are not here to hurt you, Nadarian. We just want to talk." His hands reached for my shoulder.
"Stay back! Don't you dare touch me!" I tightened my grip on my sword, shrugging him off.
"My name is Jackson. And these are my friends. We are not here to hurt you. Please, put your sword down." I could sense his honesty. He wasn't lying. And for some reason, they were scared of me. All of them. I put my sword away.
But why do they smell weird? I can't hold my breath.
"How do you know I'm a Nadarian?" I mean, was that the right question to ask? Blue lips, blue eyes, it was obvious how he knew.
"Your name, please?"
"Reno. My name is Reno. Now tell me how you found out that I am-"
"A Nadarian?" He smiled. "Would any normal human be wandering inside the most dangerous forest, holding a sword? Disguised in blue lips and blue eyes?"
I forgot. This generation's kids were even smarter. That's what Victoria told us.
"I have nowhere else to go. That's why I live here." At this rate, they might start pitying me. "You see this tree house? I built that thirty three years ago. Along with my friend. He is a vampire. I lived here, until shit happened and everything ruined."
I'm sorry, but why am I telling them all this? They won't even believe me! Mortals will kill me the moment they find out. what idiot am I to blurt all that out like that? For someone who has lived for more than decades I sure was dumb.
"What happened to your vampire friend? Is he dead?" Jackson looked like he felt sorry for me. I knew they were going to start pitying me. or maybe kill me.
"Oh no. Not at all. He is alive. But far away. Wait, do you not feel surprised by my story? Are you not panicked to hear 'Vampire' and 'Nadarian'?"
He shook his head. The others joined him.
"Well, Reno. What you say doesn't surprise us. But we are indeed surprised to see a Nadarian after-....I just don't know when was the last time I saw one of your kind." It's true. I don't remember either. My mom was the last Nadarian I knew. "What I am about to tell might surprise you. You won't believe us as well. But I want you to trust us. No matter what you see, don't freak out! Okay?"
What did I just get myself in? Are they about to show some stunts?
"Tell me already. I'm a busy person, Jackson. A mortal was just attacked and I want to find that assh*** who attacked her. So you mind being a little quick?" I need to start searching before it gets dark.
Jackson took a deep breath and fell to his knees.
"It was one of my men who attacked her. I am sorry for what happened."
He didn't look at me. His eyes were fixed to the ground.
"What are you saying? You really think I will believe you? I saw the attacker! It was more like an animal. Not some half naked man."
"That's what I am trying to tell you, Reno." He got back on his feet and met my eyes.
"Just like you, we are immortals too. You are a Nadarian, but we are Werewolves."
I had no words to say. An air of silence blew between us.
Werewolves? Like the werewolves we were taught about? During my childhood, I remember my father telling us about different immortals and he did mention something about humans who can turn into wolves. Werewolves.
"No wonder you all smell like dogs!" That's all I could say. Honestly, I'm surprised to see them. How do they get all Beasty suddenly? Is it when they are furious?
But why Catty? Why did they attack her?
"Why did you attack her? Were you trying to kill-"
"No. No, Reno. We would never do such a thing. We swore not to harm mortals. One of our men attacked her. He is new to this whole werewolf world. And he escaped last night. We tried to find him but couldn't. He was still not trained well. Only a few minutes ago, we heard screams and got here. But you reached in time and saved that girl. Thank you."
I felt anger rushing through my veins.
"Saved her? You really think you should be thanking me? SHE ALMOST DIED! Her family rushed her to the hospital. She was hurt really badly. And you think I'm here to accept your appreciation?"
"I know you're angry. But I swear, this was never what we decided or thought would happen. I feel guilty just like you. After we caught the attacker, we took him back to our site and locked him. The reason I came to find you was because…..I wanted to ask if the girl had any claw wounds on her body. Did she? Did you see any claw marks of the attacker?"
What was all this nonsense? Thinking about her wounded body only reminds me of Catty from thirty three years ago.
I close my eyes.
Deep breaths. Deep breaths.
"Reno? Are you okay?"
My eyes shot open hearing Jackson's voice.
"No. There was no claw mark on her body. It looked more like she stumbled and hurt herself. But when he grabbed her by the neck, she struggled to escape and hurt herself. By her own fingernails."
Jackson sighed in relief.
"That's good. If he would've scratched her, she would get his blood in her veins. She could turn to a werewolf."
I turned to him in disbelief.
"Wh- WHAT? Kat and werewolf? No! She should be a vampire!" What nonsense am I saying?
Jackson and his friends gave me a confused look. He was doubting me now.
"Vampires? Who is Kat?"
Did I just blow off my covers? Wait, what am I actually trying to hide?
"No- nothing- no one. I was just talking to myself." I sound like a fool. Jackson didn't seem to believe me either. He turned to his friends and asked them to leave.
"Get back to the site and finish all your work. I'll meet y'all later." He turned back to me and smiled. This is the fifth time he smiled at me like that. He must be really glad to meet me.
Right?
"Reno, I know you're trying to hide something. But it's okay. You don't have to hide it from me. I really owe you for saving that girl. I want to help you."
I really understand what he means. But help me? Yeah no. Not everyone can understand the pain I went through.
"Jackson, I really appreciate your concern. But honestly, my pain is all about the past and believe me, it's not an interesting story." No matter how upsetting it is, no one loves hearing about your loss.
"Pain doesn't have an interesting story, Reno. Every story with pain is full of sorrow. Why would it be interesting? And besides, I was asking about who Kat is. I didn't know it was about your past."
I mean, he was right. What was I thinking?
"But anyways. It's up to you buddy. I'm not forcing you. You can tell me when you want to."
I agree. This guy is a good person.
"Thanks, Jackson. Now, I want to go visit Kat. But I don't know which hospital she is in. I'll have to search every single hospital now." Should I just go tomorrow? It was already getting dark.
Jackson itched his left eye brow,
"So the girl my man attacked, and you saved, that's Kat?"
I should really think before speaking.
"Y- yeah. Yeah. That's Kat. Katherine." I hesitate.
"Jeez, Reno. Do you know her? I thought it was your first-"
"It is my first time meeting her. Her brother told me her name." It wasn't a lie though.
He nodded.
"Oh. Okay. Well, she will be in the Hallsenberg public Hospital."
"H- how do you know that? Are you sure?"
"Dude there's no other hospital in Hallsenberg. And her brother wouldn't ride to another city to get to a hospital for sure."
Hallsenberg has only one hospital?
"Alright, Thanks. I better get going then."
Jackson stopped me, scanning me from head to toe. He shook his head after a while, biting his lower lips.
"Looking like that? You really want to visit a hospital looking like that?" I really felt weird about the way he pointed at me.
"Why? Is there any problem? What's wrong with me?"
"Reno, no normal human walks in public wearing a black cloak looking like a hunter, with high boots, holding a sword. And of course not with blue eyes and lips! Unless you want them to believe that you're auditioning for a scary movie."
I looked at myself. Are mortals really going to get scared of me? Tyler didn't look frightened!
"So what do you want me to do?" I can't believe I asked that question.
"Dude, you look like a hunter from the 90's. You need some change. Let me help you with that."
Can I object? Do I have an option?
"Fine. What should I do?"
"Oh nothing. Let me do it for you, Reno."
..................…..