I caught the small dog snack when she tossed it to me. Honestly I
highly doubted an attack wolf would stop just because I had dog
treat, but I just said "Ok, thanks." And took my leave. I spent a
few minutes picking over the remains of an old seven-eleven. I new
that there wouldn't be anything there, convenience store were the
first places to get ransacked, but I just wanted to kill some time.
I ended up finding an almost untouched loaf of bread. As I was
about to leave, I heard a growl. Turning quickly, I found that it
was the same armless Ex from earlier. "Man, are you persistent or
what?" It just stared at me. "Well if your going to keep following
me, I'll have to call you something. Hmm, how about Bob?" It lunged
at me. I ducked sideways, before teleporting a few blocks away. I
turned towards the direction of the house, maybe. Hopefully if I
got far enough away, Bob would stop following.
I walked back to my house, calling for Brutis softly. I still
didn't find him. "Please let him be alight."
Soon I reached the house. Gripping my fans, I stabbed the wall and
climbed the wall by using my fans. I reached the locked window and
picked the lock. Stepping inside, I was nearly thrown back out the
window! A rough pink tongue licked my face relentlessly.
"Brutis!" I yelled, hugging his coarse black coat to me. "I can't
believe you stayed! What have you been eating?"
Brutis looked down in the basement. A half eaten Ex lay in a bloody
heap.
"Ewe! You have been eating that and you just kissed me?" I teased
him. I rolled him over on his side and rubbed his belly, making his
leg kick back and forth. "Alright, we're going to have company. You
be good. I don't think he'll hurt me, but be on the look out just
in case."
Brutis whined and sniffed at my cloak.
"You know, sometimes I think you love me, and then in remember I
have food," I teased him, pulling out a dog treat from my
pocket.
Going to the attic, I found my small store of wood, canned goods,
and water. I pulled out as much as I could carry and headed to the
fireplace. I got a fire going quickly then opened a couple of cans
of baked beans. Placing them in the embers to warm, I set about
making a spare bed on the extra couch.
I walked down the gravel path leading up to the large old house.
This should be the place. Hope she didn't lie. I could see a
flickering light coming from one of the windows. Someone was
definetly home. I walked up to the front door, opened it, and
stepped inside. My foot found nothing but empty air. The hole! She
had warned me. The drop wasn't far, and I was able to disperse the
impact by rolling. Looking around, I made sure I wasn't in any
immediate danger. Seeing nothing I walked back to the hole.
Teleporting up, I walked to the room where Maurina was. A large
black wolf growled at me.
"OHMYFREAKINGGOSH!" I yelled. When I realized who it was, I pulled
at Brutis' collar. "Heel! It's okay Brutis, it's the visitor I told
you about."
Brutis came over and gave Jacob a once over before sneezing and
walking back to my side.
"Geeze! Why not give me a heart attack! Because I haven't cheated
death enough today!" I snapped at Jacob, more startled then angry.
Suddenly worried it was my fault, I quickly asked, "I did tell you
about the hole right? If not, I'm sorry. Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. You did warn me, but I forgot about it" I said, keeping
a wary eye on the wolf. I tossed Maurina the bread I had found,
before setting the the extra wood in the corner. "So, this is your
home? Why here and not one of those safe zones they set up farther
north? I don't imagine this place would be very easy to defend with
all the windows."
"Thanks," I said, catching the bread. I broke it in two and handed
him a can of beans and a half of the bread. Digging into my own, I
moaned. Food was so good! I scarfed the rest down, not caring what
happened while I did. Besides, I had Brutis there, he would protect
me. When I finished I held the can out for Brutis to eat what was
left in the creases. Then I looked back at Jacob.
"They weren't set up when I made my home here. Besides, I like it
here. And the window's help with spotting anything that comes
close. I boarded up all the first floor windows. I keep the
branches far enough back that nothing can use them to get in.
Brutis here is quite a jumper, so he doesn't need help getting out
of the basement," I explained. Brutis sneezed and began licking my
hand, "Sorry, Bru, that's all there is tonight. We can go hunting
tomorrow."
I stood up and curled up on my couch and patted the spot at the end
of it. Brutis jumped up and curled up too. Looking at Jacob, I
pointed to the second couch. "I made a bed for you over there, It's
too cold to sleep anywhere but here."
"Thanks" I said. "But I think I'll sleep outside. I prefer the
outdoors to buildings. More like wooden cages than shelter.
Goodnight." I left the room, closing the door behind me. Being
careful of the hole, I left the building, moving towards a large
oak tree. Climbing up into it's peaceful branches, I leaned back
against the trunk. Tree's always gave me such a sense of peace. I
don't know why, they just make me feel... safe. Like nothing could
ever hurt me. Within a few minutes i was fast asleep.
"Bru, you got watch right?" I asked him, yawning. He lifted his
head and looked at me.
"Just keep an ear out then," I yawned again. I was grateful for the
warm fire, blankets, my somewhat full stomach and the warm wolf on
my feet. "Night Bru."
I fell asleep almost at once.
I woke to sunlight streaming through the leaves of my tree. Birds
chirped in the distance. Everything was calm. Then I heard it. That
all to familier growl. Looking down I spotted Bob lurking in the
shadow of the leaves, his beady white eyes staring at me. "You just
don't know when to quit do you." I called down to him. He growled
in response, scratching the ground with his clawed toes. "You
better get out of here while you can buddy. In that house over
there is a wolf that would love to eat you for breakfast." Bob
didn't move. I shrugged. "Suit yourself. I can stay up here as long
as I have to."
I woke up to Brutis growling. Jerking upright, I pulled out my
fans. Seeing no one in the immediate room, I closed them and
climbed out of bed. "Bru, what is it?"
He barked at the window. Looking out, I found myself looking at
Jacob stuck in a tree. Looking down, I noticed he was talking to an
Ex. I opened the window.
"Is this something I should be concerned about?" I asked him,
gesturing to him and the Ex. Brutis took the opportunity to all but
fall out the window growling at the thing. I pulled on his collar,
and pushed him back into the house. "Bru, stop it."
I glanced over at the open window. "Not really. I'm just chatting
with my new friend Bob." Bob looked at Maurina, snapping his teeth
at her before returning his attention to me. "He's been following
all over the place since yesterday morning. I tried to get rid of
him, but he seems to be basicly indestrutable. He was most helpful
when I was fighting that swine yesterday. Came crashing through the
window to help. Anyway he's pretty harmless for now, seeing as he
can't climb."
"So basically you've got yourself a pet Ex," I laughed, eyeing this
Bob curiously. Going back inside, I pulled out more canned goods
from the attic. Stroking the fire, I warmed myself for a minute. It
felt so nice to be here again. Seeing Jacob still stuck in the
tree, I went over to the window and called, "I was going to have
breakfast. Do you want some?"
"Give me a sec and I'll join you." I looked back down at Bob. It
wasn't so much a problem of how to get down, I could just teleport
into the house, but of what to do with him. As fond as I was
growing of his round dopey face, I would rather not have him burst
in on us during breakfast. "I assume your not going to be helpful
in this indevor, are you?" I said to Bob. He just stared at me. I
sighed. My new companion wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but
he sure was persistant. Looking around a plan formed in my mind.
"You're not going to be pleased with me if this works. I guess it
can't be helped." I said shrugging. I threw myself suddenly from
the branches, landing a few yards away. Bob snarled at me, then
charged. I quickly sidestepped, and he flew past me, crashing into
another tree. Teleporting to a nearby boulder, I grabbed hold of
it. Another teleport and the large rock had one of Bob's feet
pinned under it. The dazed creature, stared confused at the rock,
before snapping furiously at me. "Sorry buddy. Maybe when I leave
I'll let you go, but for now I need you to stay put." I said, as I
walked back towards the building
I let out another startled scream as Jacob teleported into the
room. "You have to stop doing that! I'm going to have a heart
attack!"
When my heart rate returned to normal, I handed him a can of food.
Then I dug into my own. I was still starved, but I ate much slower
then the night before. I slyly studied him out of the corner of my
eye. "So, I need to go hunting and I could use a good fishing trip.
I'm taking Brutis with me. I guess you can stay here today
too."
Finishing my food, I gave the can to the hungry wolf at my side. He
licked the inside clean before sneezing at me.
"That's why we need to go hunting," I told him, stroking his coat
absently. Turning back to Jacob, I said, "So, I know you can
teleport. Anything else?"
"Not a lot after that," I said, scraping out my can. "I'm stronger
than normal people, but not anything ridiculous. I'm resistant to
disease, and most weather conditions. I got night vision." I
shrugged. "I'm sure I have more, just like everybody else, but I
haven't figured out what they are." I set the empty can next to me.
"What about you? What can you do?" I tried to guess before she
answered. It was a game I played sometimes, to hone my mental
skills. Probably not strength or speed. She didn't really fit the
type. Based on her personality, her powers were probably mainly
defensive, with offensive capabilitys. Maybe some kind of elemental
control?
"Come fishing with me and I'll show you!" I smiled, actually
smiled. I hadn't smiled like that for at least a year. And I was
excited. My powers made me feel strong and powerful. I got up and
walked into my room, closing the door behind me. Then I stripped
down to nothing. I wrapped blankets around me and pulled my cloak
back on. I put on boots, gloves, a scarf and earmuffs. Once
satisfied I would be warm enough on the way to the lake, I came
back out. I grabbed my fans and put them in my pockets. "I was
about to head off to fish. This is the best time of day to do it.
Would you like to come?"
"Sure, why not?" I shrugged. I had nothing better to do. When we
walked out of the house, Bob snarled at us. He was sitting now,
appearenlty understanding that he wasn't going anywhere for the
time being.
(Sorry it's so short. It's super early and my mind is not working
very fast. T-T)
(Lol! what time is it for you? It's 4:10 pm for me)
Brutis ran around, marking the trees and bushes with his scent. I
laughed, happy to be back and with him again. It only took five
minutes to walk to the lake in my backyard. Reaching the waters
edge, I turned to Jacob. Blushing, I told him, "Alright, you have
to close your eyes and turn around. I would go in with all of this
on, but clothes create drag and these would get soaking wet!"
My scales covered everything important so I wasn't worried about
him seeing anything when I was in the water. It was getting into
the water that made me nervous about him seeing anything.
(5:20 am. I that its not that early, but it's early for me.)
"Of course" I said turning. I studied the surrounding wooded area.
Interestingly enough, I noticed that Bob also turned around, as
much as he could. That's odd. Either that's one strange
coincidence, or Bob is quite a bit more intelligent than he let on.
I could hear a rustle of fabric behind me, then the sound of
splashing water. So I was correct; she does have some water based
power. Either that or she just enjoys hypothermia. "Is it safe to
turn around now?" I asked.
(MY GOSH! No, that's too early! I won't get up until 7:00 am.)
My scales popped into existence. I revealed in the sheer joy of it.
My gills appeared and I took a deep breath of water. God! I'd
missed this. Swimming a few yards out, I tested my body, making
sure nothing had been damaged while in captivity. Finally, I
surfaced and heard Jacob ask if he could turn around. "Please do!"
I laughed, standing up.