The rest of the family members were spending their time in the kitchen or living room, myself included.
My wife and daughter is currently with Ruby in the kitchen, talking about something—probably about the incident that happened today.
Me and Clover, on the contrary, are currently on the couch, eating shared bowl of popcorn, watching a boring show that my girls recommended to me; the television is on low volume to avoid disturbing everyone in the house.
Not that anyone is trying to watch TV in the first place. Though, if it is like this, then there is not much to do around here.
Skoll left just after hour of arriving, told me that he want to do his hunting alone; which we don’t mind at the slightest. Although, hours passed by and so far, he did not returned home to the point of making me feel something was off.
Frowning from the thought, I am unable to get this troubling disturbance of him being in trouble. Even the idea of it sound preposterous as the mutant is a veteran mercenary, plus his ability to shrug off any physical damage is the least of our worries.
Yet, I still cannot fathom that an important family member of ours, despite being a selfish asshole, is taking so long in his game of hunt? There are many theories playing in my head. One is that Skoll is merely enjoying the hunting game of his or second, the guy is seriously in trouble.
Or worse, some person or creature managed to trap or snag the mutt into their traps; or worst of all, he might be captured and killed.
Many distressing thoughts of losing someone close to me is devastated review in my head and I couldn’t even imagine how terrible it feels like to lose a loved one. The brute is somewhat bad man, no doubt about that; but my daughter looks up to her as the big brother. Also I considered him to be friend to the entire family and friend to us, and now that his taking too long, it increased my anxiety.
Tapping my foot on the floor nervously, Clover took notice of this and looked at me in concern, seeing my sweating and tense posture, “you okay there lad?” The Irish man asked of what is making me feel bothered suddenly.
“It is about Skoll…”
My statement caught him in a bit of surprise, “the big laddie? Aye, I too wonder what’s that bloody hound taking so long?” Clover said and leaned his chin on the back of the sofa.
Then he gave an eye roll; probably because of my nervousness, “but don’t you worry about your little head, lad. We all know that dog’s going to come back in the morning, he will be fine,” his words did little to ease the anxious feeling that was building inside of me. Frankly, it doesn’t help. If anything it just made it worse.
Producing more apprehension and dread to fill me, I kept pacing back and forth with my tapping of the foot, unable to control or hold myself from the urge to check on Skoll.
Fuck it.
“I am going to get him,” standing up unanticipatedly from the couch, my decision to act like a reckless fool did not even make me realize it; it was just instinctual. Perhaps I’m being too scared of losing anymore of those I cared about.
Maybe that is why I am being this emotional.
Seeing my sudden declaration, Clover grimaced at my idea, “arty, I suggest you don’t, not at this night. It is too dangerous, who knows what is out there in the dark?”
He has a point, risking my life and Skoll’s for the sake of trying to save him. That is foolish and idiotic for someone like me, but this is different. When a loved one is involved, I got to put their lives first over me. “No. You are wrong; it is the right thing to do.” My voice raised with a conviction and resolve to do this.
The leprechaun wanted to argue or retort to my statements, but he couldn’t. Instead, he simply sat on the chair with a dumbfounded expression as he shook his head, “okay, let’s bring Eve and me with you encase if anything goes wrong,” reasoning me won’t work at all.
He might be right in this assumption of his but the stubborn side of me refused to give in.”I am sorry, but I want to go alone,” though it hurt like hell; I had to keep one of the promises that I secretly made to myself. One of them is not losing anyone, not anymore; especially in this life I have built so far.
Clover sighed in disappointment and dropped his shoulders with regret. “Alright, alright. Then we will stay here and wait for you. Don’t be long though—or else!” His stern warning wasn’t needed but appreciated nonetheless, “I’ll kick yer ass out of this house!”
Grinning, “promises, promises,” I grinned, “thanks for worrying about me and the kid.”
Clover smiled and chuckled with amusement, “heh, it’s not for nothing. After all, everyone is family. Take care, lad.”
As I head to the door, the arrival of my daughter’s voice came through from behind my back; it was a comforting sound that kept me grounded and reassured whenever I hear her voice, “dad, where are you going?” Lilim called me with concern.
I turned around to look at her with a comforting smile to ease her worries, “just going to take a short walk, that is all,” truthfully, this was an excuse to leave the house and find that damn mutt.
She cannot help herself in expressing how she feels like crying as tears began to stream down her eyes, “please stay safe and come back, mother loves you; please don’t die on us.” While it did make me sad to know that she is concerned about me and is afraid of losing her father, this saddened me with the realization that she has no idea of the actual nature of the world that is created to be.
Lilim never experienced loss to those she cared about, sure I do not know what she did when my daughter was a murderous ten year old; but this girl is a different and reformed person, new leaf and clean slate. Even if she did not understand the nature of this world, this did not mean she doesn’t care about me or about our bond that she forged with me.
“I won’t die…I promised.”
The daughter of mine smiled tearfully, she walked up to me and embraced; saying farewell and comforting words, “I love you dad,” like a daughter should say to her father.
With a smile of my own, “I love you Lilim, take care of mom while I am gone,” I patted her head. She giggled and wiped away her tears. Her face was now a picture of content. No doubt this is one of the reasons why fathers and daughters have such a close bond in the family.
After our goodbyes, I opened the door before closing it; the cold night wind brushed past my cheeks, chilling my bones with the bitter cold air. I took a deep breath, taking in the fresh scent of snow.
Looking up, the dark hours of this night were still intact with only the moon illuminating the blackness. A pale moonlight covered the land like an icy blanket—a dark reminder of the cold world we are living in.
My feet moved silently in the snow, creating sounds of crunching snow with each step taken. My shoes sunk into the snow with a slight thud to alert any potential predators that may be out there, which is bad by the way.
Placing full trust on my gut feelings and instincts, I let my body guide me to whenever Skoll might be at as the wind became slightly more intense. The chill in the air, the biting cold pierced my skin with the sharp ice crystals of snow; it was cold enough to make me almost numb the hands and toes if touched directly.
But I did not give in to it, I preserver through it; entering the darkened woods with only my fighting instinct and the will to keep going to survive. It was like I had the strength of ten men in me. All the while, I could hear the howling of the wolves in the distance, and their hungry cries that filled with presumably hatred towards me—the intruder.
Soon enough as I continue onward to my mission in finding him, a pack of four wolfs emerged out of nowhere in front of me, growling and hissing with fangs bared in anger, ready to pounce and rip apart my flesh.
Just in a flash, one of them; the bigger gray wolf slowly approach me, close enough that he was inches away from biting my neck and ripping it off.
The thought of trying to run or escape is laughable at best. Most wild mammals are fast or faster than humans in general. So this idea is off the table.
However, what I did not expect is that the pack leader I presume to be, had simply switched into an angry demon that wants to kill me in being cute and adorable puppy as it sat towards me, looking like a dog waiting for its master. If anything, this creature wanted to be petted or something like that—however, it implying something else…
First to do is pet this dog-I mean wolf, it is just like playing with my own furball. Rubbing his head, I begin to ask some questions, “you are not here to eat me?”
Surprisingly, it whined; which I take as no.
Caressing my own chin, contemplating what else to say, I decide to ask the important questions, “have you see a wolf like you guys but is humanoid and huge? Seen anyone like that?” That was my answer as the pack leader happily barked, wagging the tail in joy.
Huh, this furball is smarter than he looks.
“You do? Could you show me the way?”
The pack leader barked once again before running to the opposite side of me, the rest followed suit.
“Hold on a minute!” I desperately try to run but they were incredibly fast, at least I can still see them from afar; that is comforting. The pack leader suddenly stopped after a long run before giving me an ominous glance. Then he took his paws together and bowed in the direction of the forest.
The rest of his pack followed as well, whining and barking altogether to say that my friend is in danger or worse, critically injured and need urgent medical attention.Understanding their que, I wasted no time in sprinting to the direction they given me, using all my energy to make it to the destination. When I made it there, panting with my hands over my two knees, catching my breathing, words cannot be said any further when I straighten and stare ahead.
There he is, dying but somehow still alive. Skoll, the invincible mercenary who cannot be harmed or killed by physical means, was laying on the ground, his back head resting on a tree. His arms were missing, likely chopped off from his body; his legs were severed in half—it is like a torture scene.
No eyes were there, seemingly have removed them and his torso had profound scratch marks on it. Even though his face was covered by blood and bruises, he still managed to grin, a very disturbing sight.
My feet steps forward as if on auto-pilot, stopping only when I felt the cold and hard ground underneath of my foot, “S-Skoll?” That was the only words needed to start the conversation, feeling disgusted of seeing my friend being merciless and cruelly mutilated like this.
He groaned in pain, barely able to move with the slightest of effort and he spoke with great difficulty: “A-Adam…” Skoll coughed out some blood and saliva.
“What…did this to you?” My voice was shaking; not from fear or anger, from the thought of losing someone I care about. I do not like losing anyone I loved, especially in this new life of mine.The poor wolf could not even speak anymore, only able to say his last and dying words with a smile and cough, “red…woman…” then just like that, he died in the spot, eyes slowly closing as the life drained out of his body.
I wanted to vomit…to cry. Yet, Clover is capable of using magic, right? I will just bring him here and ask to resurrect him! Yeah, there is nothing to be worried about. He will not die, not on our watch.
Although, I cannot understand the last words he spilled out from his mouth.
Red woman? What the hell is that means and the way he was brutally torn apart and….
My eyes widen, fear gripped me like a vise; my heart racing as if it will explode from the inside. There is no doubt in my mind that he is referring to her and she is the one responsible for all of this. However, a part of me still deny this claim, to laugh it off as coincidence.
Right now, what mattered is this; returning my back to the house in solving this mystery and in my mind, there is nothing to worry about.
Nothing to fuss as everything will be fine everything is going to fine because why? I said so…right?
