WebNovels

Chapter 19 - We're doomed

"Oh God," Rosa whispered. "I'm going to die."

Orette pointed.

The logs launched like missiles.

Rosa curled her arms around herself, trembling. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! God dammit!".

Just as the spiraling logs were about to strike, they halted mid-air with a thunderous double crack.

Silence.

Rosa slowly unwrapped her arms and peeked out, and saw hundreds of logs floating in the air.

Then, one by one, they reversed course—gliding back toward the riverside dam where the beavers had built their fortress.

Orette slowly descends to the ground, landing on her thin feet. She stumbled when she landed, but managed to stand firm.

"You piece of shit," Rosa snapped, storming toward her. "You almost got me killed!". Her voice shook with fury.

"Not my fault," Orette muttered. "Someone had to turn a joke into a drama."

"A joke? You mentioned him. You know damn well we don't talk about that bastard in front of me."

Orette shrugged. "Well, guess what—I'll talk about him whenever I want. Besides, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Rosa froze, stunned. "You didn't just say that."

"Oh, I did. And I'm not taking it back."

"Too bad. Because I'm about to tear you limb from limb!"

"Oh yeah? I'd love to see you try."

"KACE!" Rosa shouted. "HOLD HER DOWN SO I CAN PUNCH HER IN THE FACE!"

"Bud," Orette said coolly, "you going to listen to this brat or your savior?"

"Nice try," She said, stepping forward. "He's my cousin."

"Yeah? Well, he's my lackey boy. And he owes me for saving his sorry ass. Sooo~".

Rosa froze mid-sentence, her eyes darting around. "Where's Kace?"

Orette blinked, confused. "What do you mean? He's right—". She turned. No one. "—here."

Both of them looked at each other and realized that the third member of their party was missing. They scanned the area, spinning in all directions. Nothing.

"Where the hell is he?" Orette whispered, "Can you teleport us to where we last saw him?" she asked Rosa.

"Give me a second." Rosa closed her eyes, visualizing the bent trees, the soaked earth, the fading light. "I've got it. Come on."

She offered Orette her hand, which Orette took.

In a blink, they were teleported to the area where tree trunks were bent and wet. Three spots were wet and rigid.

Orette came closer to where Kace was sitting and observed the damp area, which was slowly fading. "I think he was with us when we drifted off".

"You think!", exclaimed Rosa. "I want authentic results; your observations are always 'I think'. It's like you don't even trust your own brain."

Silence.

She wasn't wrong. Orette's observations were always cautious, never certain. And Kace had left no footprints, odd, considering he'd been soaked like them.

"He could've teleported in to stop the fight," Rosa said, voice sharp. "But he didn't. Did he?"

Orette took her time, thinking of some way, something that would lead this investigation. Her brown eyes were directed towards the field where Rosa (almost) punched her, and she dodged the very second.

She came forward towards the field, scanning the ground, finding even the smallest hint. "Hey!". She calls Rosa as she gives the sign and points at a small ripple on the soil. "Do you see that?".

Rosa rolled her eyes. "I have eyes, you know."

"Thought?".

Rosa glared at her, then walked over. "Those flying kicks of yours? Brutal. I grabbed your leg and barely held on. If someone had been behind me, they'd have been launched."

"But judging by that", Orette points to the ripple. "I think that person knew about the force and tried to withstand it by their weight".

"You're saying Kace was there and got thrown by our fight?".

"Not thrown. Taken. He tried to stop us, and someone snatched him right under our noses."

"Yeah, I said the same thing. Anyway~ the question is, why would someone do this?".

"More like who would do this?" Orette corrected. 

"Do you think it's the military?" asked Rosa.

Orette frowned. "No. They're sloppy. I've outrun enough of them to know."

"Then who, genius? Someone with a grudge?".

Orette remained silent and thought for a while. Kace was capable enough to overcome normal human beings. He could even fight the military, but his best choice would be to escape, and he would've done that if that were the case.

"Right now, it seems like a case of kidnapping, and it just doesn't stop there." She turns and faces Rosa, who was seen as skeptical. "Let's rewind what Kace was trying to do?".

"He was trying to blow our intense fight, idiot", answered Rosa.

"Yes, and someone stopped him, why?".

Rosa paused. "Maybe they were watching. Trying to see which of us was easier to take."

"Yes, but they would have done that when you were running away from my spiral formation. Please don't try to deny it", Orette said as Rosa was about to argue. "We both know you were in your most desperate situation".

Rosa's face darkened. "So they took Kace... to see which of us would kill the other first?".

"Precisely", replied Orette. "They were observing our tactics, our stamina, our techniques, and especially our strength".

"Like lab rats". Rosa replied, to which Orette nodded. "So then," she hesitates, "Who took him...please, don't tell me he took him...I can't imagine_".

"It's not him", Orette replied in an instant. Rosa, who was on the verge of crying, exhaled and muttered. "Thank God...Oh thank God".

"It's them", those two words came out cold as ice and fear. Rosa's eyes opened wide with horror, and her hands began to form a fist. 

"Don't", she left a soft whisper, but it was too late. Both she and Orette could feel three pairs of eyes looking directly at them. If those eyes were beams, they could have been burned alive by now.

Very slowly, both girls turned their necks towards a narrow, dense area of trees where the woods would almost cover the entire scenery. Three pairs of eyes, blue, red, and purple, were visible as they glowed in the shadows.

At that moment, Orette knew what was going to happen; over everything she had achieved until now would crumble bit by bit until there was nothing left.

"We're doomed, are we?", Rosa mumbles, coating with fear.

"Yeah". Orette took a deep breath. "We're doomed".

More Chapters