I arrived at the Moonwalkers pack two hours later. Ethan was already prepared and was waiting for Laura and I to arrive.
"I hope you learned something that will come in handy?" Ethan inquired with a grin.
I didn't want to brag about how I tossed Laura out of the ring, at least not when she's standing beside me. Who knows if those wrathful looks will surface again.
"I think I learned a few things, but I'm not hoping for it to come in handy," I replied, knowing that what I learned was violence, and that's not what we're going to Grendor for.
We were to arrive at Grendor undercover, dressing up like commoners from the northern land, and embarked on our journey. Lucas also came with us to ensure that we were retrieving the right artifact."
Grendor was supposed to be a full day journey, but Ethan who love following the woods for short cuts, we arrived there at dawn.
We walked through the bustling market, it was filled with nobles and commoners buying and selling. Grendor was indeed a Land of business, the people in it loves making money.
Ethan and Laura covered their heads and faces with a scarf, they didn't want anyone in Grendor to recognize them as werewolf Alphas from Midgard. Ethan and Laura were front line warriors so there's a high chance that someone might recognize them since they were popular Alpha's in Midgard.
"Where are we headed?" Ethan asked Lucas.
Lucas looked at the map in his hands and he replied, "We're looking for an ancient basement near a church. And according to my map, the church is few blocks away from here."
Laura was super vigilant, looking around to see if we were being followed or monitored. I also tried to look around, but all I was focused on were the jewelry and dresses that were being displayed for sale.
Soon, we continued out movement towards the church that Lucas talked about. Indeed there was a church few blocks away, but now we have to look for the basement ourselves since the map failed to tell it's exact location.
"Shouldn't we like ask questions about the basement?" I suggested to the team.
Laura looked at me and shook her head. "We're here undercover, and the grendorians don't give directions to strangers who can't identify themselves." She explained.
"Oh, I see. But what do we do now?"
Lucas gasped shortly, "The map didn't show its exact location, but there's a painting with brown shade beside the church. In ancient maps such as this one, brown drawings are used to specify underground buildings. I think that's the basement we're seeking." Lucas proclaimed.
"You're good. You're a genius." Ethan praised Lucas with a grin. I guess Lucas was really a genius. He had been helpful so far.
Following the map and Lucas's directions, we finally found the basement. It was behind the church and we opened the doors that led down to the basement.
The part down to the basement was really dark, but I was surprised that I could see what laid ahead of me. I guess it was indeed one of the features of becoming a werewolf.
Now, we're inside the basement, but there's no direction that will lead us to the artifact. According to Lucas, he said that the ancient books that talked about the artifact only mentioned that it was hidden within this basement walls.
"What now? Can't we use our heightened senses to smell the artifact?" I suggested, but Laura looked at me. I think I have made another irrelevant suggestion once again.
"Hold on, I think she's right. We can actually follow the smell of the artifact, although we don't know what it smells like." Laura said.
"I think I do know how it smells like. According to the books, the artifact that carried the almighty antidote was crafted from a shale rock with sulfur like smell. Such rocks aren't common this days so if we focus on that smell, we could locate it."
The artifact we seek was crafted out of shale rock? I was expecting to hear gold or silver.
Ethan asked me to follow him while Laura go with Lucas. We agreed that if we cover more grounds, the chances of finding the artifact will be higher.
The basement was filled with many other artifacts, and all was made of rare and expensive treasures. But what I didn't understand is why they will keep them unprotected. There was no security guards or booby traps so far, I think something is wrong here.
"Ethan, I'm having a negative feeling about this. What if they know we were coming for the artifact?" I inquired.
Ethan turned his gaze at me and whispered, "Trust me, if there's anything wrong here, I will sense it."
I think Ethan's desperate quest for finding a cure has made him to turn a blind eye on the situation here. It was clear that we were walking into a trap.
Few minutes later Ethan picked a scent on the artifact. "Over here!" He voiced at me and we quickly followed the smell.
On getting close to the artifact, it was in the hands on Lucas. Ethan grin at Lucas, happy that Lucas had found it. But something was strange.
"Where's Laura?" I asked Lucas.
"You will find out soon when you join her." Lucas proclaimed with a rather not friendly tone.
"What do you mean? Where's Laura?" Ethan asked Lucas as the expression on his face changed.
Just in that same minute, seven formidable wolves appeared beside Lucas. Another seven appeared behind us.
It seemed that the wolves were with Lucas, or rather, Lucas was with the werewolves all this while.
"Lucas, what is this?" Ethan asked as he shaded me from the wolves, but they were everywhere so Ethan couldn't possibly aid me from their wrath.
I'm sorry Alpha Ethan, but I'v only been a Epsilon werewolf in your pack all this years. No hard feelings."
What! Lucas is a spy for another pack? I clearly didn't see this coming.
"I've always treated you like a member of my family since the day I saved you on the woods. How are you an informant to another pack? How much did they pay you to betray me?" I could sense that Ethan was deeply hurt about Lucas's betrayal.
"You still don't get it, do you?" "It was all a set up from the very beginning. My life was never in danger in the first place, it was a plan to join your pack all along. I guess we succeeded because our plan is working out perfectly, I even got you here without you having an suspensions." Lucas added.
"What do you mean 'we'? Is there another spy in the Moonwalkers pack?!" I asked angrily.
"You don't need to know more for now. Guys, arrest them." Lucas ordered.
Ethan grin mischievously, he knew he could take down all the wolves all by himself. Lucas also knew that, but for some reason he was confident that the wolves might actually capture Ethan.
Soon the wolves started walking towards I and Ethan. I guess what I learnt will definitely come in handy now.
Just as Ethan was to transform into a wolf, he started feeling the pain caused by the poison. He collapsed on the floor, screaming in agony just like he always does when the pain surface.
"Ethan, are you okay?!" I asked leaning to Ethan and held his head from hitting the floor. With Ethan down and Laura gone , I guess it's all up to me now.
I closed my eyes and decided to transform into a wolf, but I couldn't even bring out a single claw or fang, not even a fur grew out from my skin. I guess I don't have control over my transformation into a wolf yet. But I won't stand still and let the wolves capture us.
"I know the wolves can't take you out, and that's why I waited until the poison took its curse once again. I'm your physician, so I clearly know when the pain will be back." Lucas said as he walked out on us with the artifact in his hand.
Before I could go after Lucas, I was stroke down from behind by one of the wolves.
I regained consciousness and slowly opened my eyes. My head was on Ethan's lap and we were chained with massive chains, capable of restraining even a Deanite wolf.
It seemed that we were in an underground cell in some place at Grendor. Beside Ethan and I was Laura, also being chained up.
"That son of a bitch! He sold us out," Laura vented out with a lot of anger in her tone.
I thanked the moon goddess that we were still in one piece. I mean, from what I heard, the Grendorians eliminate any threat on sight. I wondered why they kept us alive.
I was forced to ask Laura how she was captured, for Ethan, it was because the poison showed effects again. Laura opened up and revealed that she inhaled silver smoke and passed out. Silver was toxic to werewolves, and anything that had silver could kill or get any werewolf to submit.
"What do we do now?" I asked.
"We wait." Ethan replied. But how will waiting get us out of here now?
While we were contemplating on how to break free from the cell, a man unlocked the cell gates and walked right inside. From the look of things, he was the werewolves' superior and was clearly powerful.
His face was hidden by his own shadow. He looked at Ethan and recognized him immediately as an Alpha from Midgard. But then, the man walked to my direction, and upon seeing my face, he couldn't move past me.
"Emily!" The man yelled as if he saw a ghost or something.
I was greatly startled, how did someone from Grendor know my name? If not that the man seemed shocked, I would have said that he was informed by Lucas.
"How did you know my name?" I asked, trembling in my voice.
"It's me, Aiden. Your first love," the man replied and revealed his face to me. Indeed, it was Aiden, and I was his betrothed, as he was my first love.
Words seemed not to come out from my mouth upon seeing my long time first love. Of all the places to meet, this is where we reunited.
I couldn't wait to see what comes next.
To be continued... I'm I Hallucinating