For the two monstrous guards, the nights were like every other nights: no people, no worry.
After the cruel experiment that turned them into mindless monsters, they were conditioned to do one thing and one thing only: to guard. They were instructed to stand within the shadows to surprise unsuspecting wanderers who thought they had found shelter among the scorching hot sand dunes. They never knew the horror waiting for them within the shadows. The guards, trained and conditioned, captured those designated to be captured, and killed those who did not fit the requirements as they were trained to identify. They were the most effective of the guards as they were given enough intelligence to be trained, but not enough to reason like a sapient being. They were, in a lack of better terms, smart monsters.
Unfortunately for them, that day would prove to be the last day of their daily grind.
The monsters did not even realize what happened to them until it was too late. Someone created noises near the cave opening, where wanderers seeking shelter usually found themselves at. Normally, there were suspicions due to the abandoned belongings of formerly hapless wanderers. Before they could reconsider, the growls of the two Loup-like monster guards would alert them. By then, it would be too late. They were fast despite their sizes, snatching or killing the unfortunate wanderers.
This time, they would be outwitted.
What formerly the camp of the previous victims was empty. No one was there to snatch or to kill. Their confusion was the last thing they would remember, along with a sharp pain in the back of their necks.
What were once considered nightmares were defeated so easily.
The camp proved to be a setting point for a trap Karkas, Raine, and Herb set. When they snuck by the side of the cave, they saw the abandoned camp along with the bones of humanoids. They were picked clean, clearly by the monsters. After overcoming the horror of this discovery, they devised a plan that, despite Herb’s misgivings, worked rather perfectly.
Raine and Herb, both light on their feet, stayed out of the guards’ sight after Karkas distracted them with a spell that created whispers. Then, after confirming that they were the only guards, the two proceeded to hit the two behind the neck at the same time. Raine knew where to hit to instantly knock them out, noting that, despite their imposing height, they were lanky and sick-looking. It helped with the fear for those who did not expect them, or for those who had experienced something far more horrifying than mutated people, namely the screeching noise of a tortured dragon and being almost burned alive by the blue fire of the same dragon.
Karkas wasted no time in using his signature binding spell to restrain the two guards. After making sure that the brightly conjured ropes were tight enough to keep them immobile, they continued deeper into the cave, relying on artificial light spell to illuminate their path.
With the desert being dry and sandy, the cave proved to be a contrast to the surface. Upon getting deeper into the cave, the air became less dry and more damp. However, with the sun gone and night came rolling in, the interior of the cave became cold. The darkness did not help them, but they could not risk detection by increasing the light spell’s brightness, so they could only rely on Raine’s natural night vision, which he admitted was not the best when compared to a pure Felinar. Still, it was better than nothing, which helped him with noting what’s ahead so he could anticipate what’s coming.
Raine and Karkas never would have thought of entering a subterranean location so soon after their discovery of the underground research facility. While they differed in the way they were established, both had the same menacing aura. The cave hid secretive and horrifying experiments as Herb claimed, and the fact that artificial stairs leading them deep into an underground facility made the comparison much more relatable.
As for Herb, the stairs brought back some undesirable memories he wished to forget. The sudden sharpness of his senses hit him so hard it overwhelmed him. His ears were ringing and, once he reached the surface, the sound of strong wind on that day terrified him. Naked, scared, and with almost no memories of his past, the year since he was found by the kind people of a nearby settlement wasn’t pleasant. They were even suspicious of him. Herb could not blame them; the way he looked would make a Loup cringe. He started to wonder if they ever believed that he was just a Loup who was born different instead of a former human, the only reliable memory he had of himself along with his accent. He was planning to travel to find out more about his past, but he preferred to compulsively stay and help.
The people of the town seemed to need it after several bandit raids whittling down what’s left of them, with the rest leaving without even saying goodbye. Knowing that they would be concerned, he assured them that he would be traveling for at least a day, helped by the people he enlisted to help with, albeit in a very unusual way. He did not want to concern them about something dangerous so close to their homes.
The stairs would eventually end, with an opening to the left of the base. Raine kept his back on the wall and peered into the room, keeping himself out of sight. He signaled Karkas to stay and to dim the light spell orb, concealing their presence even further, when he noticed some activities within the cave.
Even with half of a cat’s vision, it was hard for Raine to determine what’s happening inside the cave other than a persistent humming noise and a rather unusual activity within the cave. He wondered if he could have a closer look while keeping himself out of view. Just as he prepared to get into the room, however, Karkas immediately grabbed his arm.
“Wait,” he said, before murmuring something. He held out his free hand over the opening and soon enough, a translucent barrier started to become visible. He kept his position for a while longer before letting out a sigh.
“We can’t go through without alerting someone,” explained Karkas. “If I dispel it, someone will know something.”
“We have no choice,” said Herb, readying his sword. “I ain’t backing out now.”
Aware of Herb’s history with the people that ran the cave, Raine and Karkas silently nodded towards each other. They could not trust Herb yet, not before he proved himself. This was a completely different situation with Narati, who could not even explain himself at first. Herb could be telling a good story, one that could possibly be entirely fictional.
Being careful, Karkas cast a trap spell that would activate if the requirements were met. In this case, when Herb undoubtedly turned on them. The spell was used against unruly prisoners, though sadly, Karkas was also aware that it was used by slavers to subdue slaves planning an escape or a revolt. Fortunately, it was an advanced type of spell, which means most slavers with no proper training would never be able to cast it without backfiring.
He wished he would not need to use it. Herb seemed to be a jolly person despite his circumstances. He could dispel it later when Herb had proven himself. If he ended up as they suspected…Karkas would be terribly disappointed.
Betrayals, even if it was done for the best of reasons, were unforgivable to him.
Keeping this in mind, Karkas said, “Get ready. I’ll dispel it on your mark.”
“Do it,” said Herb.
Karkas nodded and, with a simple chant, dispelled the barrier. True enough, the moment he did so, someone inside shouted, alerting everyone of an intruder, or in this case, three intruders. It did not take long before a barrage of magic missiles rained down on them, forcing the three to find cover as beastly roars and screeches filled the cavern.
“They certainly don’t like visitors, do they?” remarked Raine.
“I didn’t expect them to shoot us with goddamn missiles!” exclaimed Herb. “What did they think of us? Jumpin’ Hops?!”
“Jumping…hops?” asked Raine, amidst the barrage of magic attacks.
“Rabbits! I mean rabbits!”
“Nobody’s shooting rabbits with this much firepower! Your comparison’s way off, Herbie!”
“For some reason, I thought of rabbits as somethin’ deceptively dangerous! Why are we talkin’ in the middle of a fight! We should find somethin’ sturdier than this wall!”
“Karkas’s handling it. You got this, Kar?!”
Karkas nodded as Raine stood up. Herb was surprised and was going to ask if he lost his mind, only to realize that Raine knew what he was doing.
Raine effortlessly deflected some of the missiles back towards its caster, causing confusion and chaos as they clearly overcharged the missiles with the intent to kill. He quickly noticed some haphazardly stored chemicals and many other dangerous materials that he assumed to be both toxic and explosive. Thinking quickly, he deflected one of the pure magic shots towards one of the barrels. Soon enough, it exploded with enough force and intensity that it engulfed the line of spellcasters, though at the same time, it created a wall of green fire that burned intensely, quickly lighting up the dimly lit cave.
The casters were not the only concern, however, as monsters that resembled Loups and even the skull-headed wendigos ambushed Raine while letting out unnatural screeching sounds. Herb noticed this and, without hesitation, broke cover and ran towards one of the lupine monsters. The Loup unleashed a couple of shots from his automatic pistol, drawing the monster’s attention, before using his sword stab it in the chest. It let out a pained noise as Herb aimed his gun directly on his forehead. He unleashed several shots point-blank. The monster died soon after.
In a short moment, Raine was reminded of Jacques and the coincidence Herb possessed. He was technically a Loup with a gun. The fact that he wore a leather coat and wide-brimmed hat made the comparison even more apparent.
But it was only for a moment. Raine reminded himself that Jacques was no longer with them. It was only a reminiscence.
Soon, however, they needed to start moving or they would be overwhelmed. Raine yelled at Herb to keep close, but Herb either did not catch Raine’s command or did not listen. Noting how aggressive he fought, yet also the one being pressured, Raine realized that Herb was in a dangerous position, so the cat-eared human pulled the Loup’s shirt collar just as Karkas erected a barrier in front of him, saving him from getting mauled by one of the monstrous lupine monsters. Raine parried that attack with a well-placed angle of his own attack, causing the monster to be vulnerable. Karkas bound the monster and Herb finished the fight with a well-placed shot to the head.
With two of them dead, there were only three left, all of which became reluctant to fight and started backing away while letting out screeching noises. Herb was ready for another go, but Raine stopped him. The remaining three scurried away, deeper into the cave.
“What the hell are you doin’?!” exclaimed Herb, anger evident in his voice. “They’re gettin’ away!”
“I could ask you the same question, buddy. I thought you are searching for the one who turned you into a Loup, not his abominations!”
“They can lead us to him!”
“By killing them?!”
This caused Herb to realize what he did. His expression turned from anger to shock.
“You’re right. I…I don’t….”
“We can talk about your reasons later,” said Karkas. “Focus on what you need to do.”
“R-right,” said Herb, though he sounded unsure. “L-let’s follow them. God, I’m sorry.”
Karkas let out a huff as he silently stood up, glaring at some of the humans who were slinging magic missiles at the three earlier. They lost their will to fight after seeing many of their comrades killed by a countered spell and the toxic chemicals that Raine blew up on them. Karkas’s imposing Crocodilian appearance further eroded their confidence, causing them to simply stare as the three walked past them to chase the monsters.
To make sure that the mages they spared did not try to backstab them, Karkas kept his barrier up as they continued deeper into the cave. A passing glance at the walls made it clear that it was an artificial cave under the sand, probably created several years ago with intensive excavations, expedited by controlled spells. Herb became more and more worried about the fact that he was totally unaware of the existence of the cave until recently. He voiced this concern to his companions as they chased down the lupine monsters.
“How did no one ever bothered searchin’ for me?” wondered Herb. “I lived a whole year in a town close to the cave. No one’s gonna mistake a furless Loup with somethin’ else.”
That question made Raine wonder if there was something else that Herb did not tell them, though his confusion was genuine enough. Soon, he started wondering if the problem was not Herb, but the townspeople. Unlike Herb, they were far more suspicious towards strangers. There was a persistent feeling of danger in the town, like someone would ambush them while they were talking to the peculiar-looking Loup.
“Herb,” started Raine. “Those people in the town. Did they identify us from the wanted posters?”
“Nah. Unlikely,” said Herb. “They hardly ever got into my office. Besides, those posters are very inaccurate. I’m not that good of a drawer.”
“But surely, they won’t mistake a cat-eared human and a Croc. If that’s the case, then how did Jonas know about the posters?”
“Jonas? Oh, you mean the leader of the nomads near the town? He came into my office, askin’ to find someone in charge. I bet he caught sight of the posters and warned you fellas of it.”
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“Just him? No one else?”
Herb started to become suspicious of Raine’s line of questions. He started to realize what the human was thinking about.
“I think ya got your sights on the wrong game, fella,” said Herb. “They don’t know nothin’.”
“Or they’re good enough to fool you. Have you ever visited them? Or be invited to a dinner?”
“No one’s gonna bother invitin’ someone like me. I’m their guardian. We had an understanding.”
Raine shook his head and said, “You better start seeing what’s behind the veil, bud.”
Herb did not like Raine’s implications, but he had a point. In a way, he answered his question himself. Nevertheless, it would take more than that to convince him that the town itself was against him. If they were really with whoever turned him into a Loup, they would’ve done so a long time ago.
Soon, they left the tunnel and went into a vast room. It was as artificial as the room on the other side of the tunnel. However, it was populated with people, along with an industrial theme. Raine and Karkas were both reminded of the facility they found underneath the town they claimed. It was similar in which there were rooms separated by glass, with metallic walls and grated floors covering piping and cables. Yet, somehow, despite the similarities, this facility was poorly maintained.
Or their research was violent in nature. And distressing.
Raine felt the tingling sensation on his skin, indicating that he went through a magical barrier. Soon after, a loud alarm went off, and the whole facility was in full alert. He returned to his battle stance, ready to face anything thrown at him. Both Herb and Karkas also prepared themselves for battle.
Raine did not want to run straight into danger. He preferred the danger to come to him, which was fitting for his skills. One of the mutated Loups came running towards them from the base of a ramp leading deeper into the facility where scientists scrambled to safety. Raine, however, quickly assessed that the Loup was unarmed and did not wish to fight, evident from the way she kept her claws away and her anguished lupine expression.
Karkas was prepared to believe that this Loup was trying to lower their defenses when he noticed someone breaking cover and aiming a rifle towards the running Loup. The Croc quickly shouted, “Gunner!” as he erected a barrier on both him and Herb, while Raine tackled the running Loup just as a gunshot was heard.
“Wait!” yelled the Loup. She looked terrified. “Please, help me!”
“I will,” said Raine, understanding the Loup. “But that depends on whether you deserve it or not.”
The Loup, understanding what Raine was implying, said, “I swear to god I won’t backstab you. We’ll talk, but please. Save them first.”
“I will. But first—”
Raine heard a gunshot and a split-second break. He broke cover and quickly ran towards the shooter, relying on his agility to quickly reach the gunner, who was going to shoot the intruders. He was surprised by Raine appearing beside him and, without warning, stabbed him through his heart. The gunner stared at him with shock before expiring.
Herb was the first to rush forward, running towards the cover Raine used before. He came face-to-face with the mostly furless Loup. Like him, she looked like a Loup, but without the fur and a generally lanky stature that made her look abnormal. Like him, she was clearly a test subject, evident from the tattoo on her otherwise naked form.
“You alright, lady?” asked Herb as he put his coat over her. She nodded, wrapping herself in his leather coat.
“Good. Now, you see that croc fella on top of the ramp? Keep your head low and start runnin’ like hell. Can you run with them legs?”
“I…I can try. God, it’s like running with high heels. I still don’t know how they do it so naturally.”
“They’re born with it. We aren’t,” said Herb short.
“We? Oh…you’re like me. So, you escaped, didn’t you?”
“Damn right, I did.”
“They never told me that someone managed to escape.”
“Well, now you do. We’ll talk later, lady. Better get to safety first while we sort things out.” Herb then tipped his hat and said, “And don’t worry, lady. Herbie here’s gonna get you out of here.”
The woman nervously chuckled. “Isn’t this a bad time to flirt?”
“At least it makes you laugh a bit.”
The Loup smiled, then proceeded to nuzzle the surprised Herb.
“For luck,” she said, before running towards Karkas. Herb, not expecting to be kissed (or something resembling it, coming from a canine snout), let out a satisfied growl and said, “Damn. Never thought a gal would kiss me, lookin’ like this. Ya still got it, Herbie.”
He returned to the task at hand and joined Raine, taking the rifle from the dead gunner the human just killed. Both continued deeper into the facility, noting several caged monsters that vaguely looked like wolves but could not be considered relatively normal like Herb and the woman they saved. They were acting like feral wolves, and not in a docile, curious way, but a rabid, bloodthirsty way. This unnerved Herb, as they could easily be him.
They looked around, but were unable to find the people responsible for the monsters until they found a building with only one entrance. It was constructed after carving out a massive chunk of the rocky cave, with the building itself sitting within a space cleared for it. It was constructed out of metal and concrete, and they were hardy enough to withstand anything thrown at them.
Curious of the shimmering metal, he touched it with his finger. A force, or a shock, caused him to reel in his hand, feeling a sharp pain. Herb, however, touched the metallic wall without adverse effects.
“Damn,” he said. “This thing’s tough. Can you blast it with something, Raine?”
Raine shook his head. “I don’t know what kind of metal this is, but it reacts to my mana. Spells won’t gonna cut it.”
“How about the concrete parts? If we can find some explosives, we might be able to get through.”
Raine, noting that they could not do anything with their current firepower, but had an idea based on what he knew of himself, lowered his stance and said, “Let me try something. Stay in cover until I tell you it's safe. Now, Herb.”
Herb did not understand what Raine was trying to do, but he trusted the man. The furless Loup found cover, checking his rifle in case he needed to do something.
He wondered what Raine had in mind when he saw the human pacing himself around the door, as if trying to find a weakness. Then, to Herb’s surprise, Raine, raising his voice, said, “Hey! Is anyone in there? I need to speak to you about something!”
“What in all hells are you doing?!” whispered Herb. “This is no time to talk!”
Ignoring Herb’s comment, Raine continued.
“I have been thinking about this ever since I met one of your test subjects. He goes by the name of ‘Herbert’, but I don’t think that’s his real name. How can he remember his real name if he doesn’t remember his own past? He may think he’s a human, but what if it’s that part of your narrative?”
“Raine!” whispered Herb. He did not appreciate being called out while in hiding. In fact, he started to realize what Raine was going to say. Raine simply flicked one of his cat ears, as if trying to subtly signal Herb that it would be alright.
“He considers himself a failure, and yet he said he escaped this facility. He didn’t give me many details, but I bet he was let go instead of him escaping on his own. Look at this fortress! Even if he has claws like those failed subjects you kept around as bodyguards, he will need to know how to operate those doors. He couldn’t have learned that while in captivity! Someone must’ve kept the door open for him to escape!
“But then where did he escape to? How about going up the stairs and out into the open desert? It’s easy enough for a confused person who could still think clearly. You see, this is far too convenient, even for him. Then, he was found by townspeople and became their guardian without them questioning who he was and why he looked like he just shaved his whole body? He can say he was born that way, but don’t you think anyone would start asking questions?
“So, here’s what I think. I think you’re still studying him. I think Herb’s actually a successful test subject, at least partially. You are observing his survival instincts, his knowledge, but more importantly, his ability to reason. Then, when you think the time is right, you will manipulate him to come back to this facility where he will be faced with the truth. If he accepts this, then mission successful. If not, then you’ll have to start over, but this time with whoever he hired, preferably a human. He wasn’t supposed to even reach this inner sanctum properly: he needed to be caught. He’s too brash. Too hasty. He’s basically throwing himself in without thinking about the consequences. All he had in his mind is to kill the one created him, but that’s an idea you implant to make him careless. Am I right?”
There was no response. Raine wondered if they were laughing behind the thick walls upon hearing his preposterous story, or they were wondering if he was a genius. Raine did not want to boast about it, though he appreciated the recognition. He did come up with the story, but that’s after thinking about how Herb would turn on them. If he did not see the mages, or Herb’s irrational reaction against the monsters, or the woman who suffered the same fate as Herb, he might still be in the dark.
He must admit that parts of it were fictional. He wanted them to think that he knew what he was talking about to lower their defenses or distract them while he was observing the metal and sensing the magic. He got an idea, something that he would not try without noting the risk involved. In fact, he did not know if it was going to work or not, but he must try unless someone with an ego walked out of the door congratulating him for correctly deducting their plan, like a stereotypical villain with a grand plan in one of those pre-war novels. That would be their greatest mistake.
While Raine was talking about his ‘deduction’, Karkas, urged by the Loup he protected, joined Herb behind cover after realizing that no one came at them after a while. She stopped to see the caged Lupine monsters but could not do anything to help them.
“Hope this works and I get to keep my hands,” murmured Raine as he readied his sword. He concentrated more than he should, enchanting his sword with Counter spell. Soon, the sword was coated with said spell.
Then, after ensuring himself that it would be alright, Raine swung his sword with all his might.
His sword, shoddy and made from scrap metal, would not be able to withstand the powerful swing. Raine had always been able to maintain the sword’s integrity by enchanting its sharpness along with Counter, both of which created a sword that could easily be underestimated on. Raine always relied on his opponents underestimating him so that he could get the upper hand by revealing his parrying skills.
But this time, Raine forwent the sharpness enchantment and went full on Counter, knowing that he could not go by halves if he wanted to make it work. Then, the sword’s blade contacted the metallic wall, and several things happened at once.
A blast of magical energy blew Raine back, throwing him across the room and past Karkas, Herb, and the Loup they had just saved. He twisted in the air, once again showing his cat-like agility, and landed on his feet. He could not keep himself up due to the momentum, causing him to slide several feet before he stopped. He felt pain on both his arms. He raised his right hand. His sword was gone; even the hilt broke in pieces, leaving only crumbling pieces of leather and wood in his hand.
His hands were not spared the damage, either. A sharp pain caused him to grunt. Several of his fingers were broken and bent in the most unnatural way. He simply returned them back to their original position, yelling in pain as a result. Karkas quickly ran towards him and cast a healing spell.
“Why did you do that for, you crazy cat?” reprimanded Karkas. “You could’ve lost your precious hands.”
“I gotta try,” said Raine, wincing in pain. “And besides, I know you’ll heal me.”
Karkas let out a growl. Once again, Raine could not be sure whether he was chuckling or angered. He really should find a better vocalization if he wanted to be properly understood.
Herb, on the other hand, broke cover and saw, to his surprise, what Raine did. The door was blown apart violently, clearly caused by the explosion Raine did. Whatever spell he did was powerful enough to blow him and the sturdy, metallic wall away. In its place was a hole.
Yet, they could not enter just yet. Several people walked out of the facility, coughing out dust. Some of them were injured, clearly due to Raine’s haphazard spell. Herb did not hesitate to point his rifle towards them, ready to shoot anyone who came to retaliate.
Only he could not. Despite their white coat, some of them were familiar faces. To his begrudging acknowledgement, Raine was right. Several of the scientists who walked out of the facility were in fact the same townspeople that Herb became acquainted with over the past year.
“Helen?” he said, bewildered. “Talin? Fawaz?!”
The three of them, a human, an elf, and a Vulpin, did not wish to look at him. The human and the elf, being the most expressive of the bunch, were both incensed by what Raine did, but were stopped from retaliating by Herb aiming at them. The Loup they rescued was confused, but ultimately followed Herb.
“The metal was supposed to deal with spellcasters,” said one of them, an older man. “What did you do?”
“Anti-magic metal?” wondered Raine. “Now, where did hear that from?”
“Answer me!” demanded the old man.
“Easy,” said Raine, standing up. He twirled his fingers and twisted his wrists, healed by Karkas. “Counter spell.”
“Counter…?” One of them turned to the old man, who looked bewildered. “What?”
“You? A Counter Mage?! Of all the…to think a flippant man like you can learn such a magic is inconceivable!”
“Hey, who do you call a flippant man?!” Raine shook his head. “Ah, screw that! You guys need to stay out of our way, or you’ll be sorry. I don’t need a fucking sword to kill you for what you did to Herb!”
One of them tried to stop Raine, but as he promised, he pulled a gun from under his jacket and shot the man through his head, killing him. The others became scared as Raine pointed his gun at them.
“Go,” said Raine, turning to Herb. “Do what you have to do.”
“Are you sure?” asked Herb, who was taken aback by Raine’s sudden trust.
“What kind of a question is that? Go on.”
Herb, still unsure, decided to trust Raine and pulled out his rifle, aiming at the old man. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced through his side, causing him to reel in pain as he dropped to his side, clutching his bleeding stomach. Herb checked his gun to see if there were bullets left. There was one more bullet in his rifle as he approached the now-terrified scientists, glaring at them with murderous eyes.
“I’d never forget a face, you bastard,” said Herb, putting the tip of the rifle over the man’s skull. “Turnin’ me into a monster is one thing, but manipulatin’ me with fake friends? I’d be doin’ this world a favor.”
The old man was terrified, but then, his face turned neutral. This unnerved the Loup. He then turned defiant.
“Don’t you want to know…about your past?” asked the old man with a sinister tone. “I can tell you everything you need to know, about who you are. Of what you were before you became what you are now?”
Herb contemplated for a moment, causing him to pause. Raine noticed this and, with a sigh, was going to walk towards him to convince him that the old man was buying some time.
He did not expect Herb to coldly pull the trigger to the old man’s demise. In a split second, the rifle blew the back of his skull. Even Raine winced in surprise. Herb clearly did not contemplate as long as Raine thought he would be.
The other scientists did not expect Herb to be so cold, as they stared at him in surprise and fear. Then, as if to show that he was serious, Herb said, “I got twelve on my gun and five on my rifle, enough for each and every one of you.”
The pause caused the scientists to become unnerved. Some even backed away as Herb stood and slowly aimed his pistol at them.
“Run, run, run,” said Herb slowly. “Let’s make some magic together, you and me. Let’s dance.”
The way he said it was menacing enough for Raine to become concerned that Herb was not a traitor, but was in fact, a psychopath. It’s like he enjoyed seeing them run while he shot them, evident from the menacing, toothy grin on his face. The rest of them did not think this was funny, so Raine was going to stop Herb when he started shooting, until he realized that he missed all of them as they disappeared into the tunnel. None of the remaining survivors were killed by Herb, as the Loup sighed.
“Serves them right for this whole hickadooda,” said Herb with a whistle.
“Damn it, Herb, stop pulling my leg like that,” said Raine. “I thought we chose the wrong guy to root.”
“You’re rootin’ for me. That’s sweet,” said Herb. “You gotta enjoy the moment when you realized how screwed up your life has become.”
“So, you believe what I said?”
“I didn’t,” said Herb. “And I bet you didn’t, either.”
Raine sheepishly laughed and said, “N-not entirely.”
“Tell yourself that, friend. Well. I ain’t sittin’ around here lickin’ my wounds. I have somethin’ more important to do.”
“Finding out who you really are?”
“No, not that.” Herb turned to the Loup. “How many of you are there? The sane ones, I mean.”
“I, uh…a dozen more, at least,” said the Loup. “I can show you the way.”
“Lead the way, then, lady. Gotta do mah duty as a guardian, now. At least there are those who deserved it more than them.”
“Sure,” said the Loup. “And the name’s Connie.”
“Connie, eh? Nice to meet ya. I’m Herbie.”
“Not, uh…Herb?”
“Herb’s for the men. Herbie’s for the ladies.”
Connie chuckled and lightly punched Herb, while Raine, rolling his eyes, said, “Damn flirt.”
The four of them continued through the vacated building, hoping to find something worth to save, now that they unexpectedly solved the mystery of the desert. To think that it started with some wanted posters from what supposed to be a false accusation turned into the unearthing of a conspiracy in the desert.
Raine wondered if it was not a coincidence, but he shrugged. Better not think too much about it or he’d never go home.
In fact, the Loups they rescued might bolster their town’s population more, if they wished to go with them. He better made them the offer later.