//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Moving Forward, Wrought with Danger // by Odayama //------------------------------// Juno was having the worst luck today, wasn’t he? He woke up, alright. Upside-down. With wolf like constructs trying to bite his head off. He found himself in his human form with his foot stuck between two branches in the middle of a forest, and he couldn’t reach his weapons, because they had fallen towards the ground. The place smelled different from the surrounding forest that the town Felton was surrounded by, so where was he? Also, these wooden wolves were creatures he had never seen before, so this was all new to him. He would have just formed his lycanthrope form, but there was something he didn’t want to happen. On the same branches that he was stuck to was that wild mage. What was her name again? It started with a T, right? Or was it a P? At this point, one of the wolf creatures decided to be smart. It jumped up onto a lower branch, climbing up to Juno. Within two jumps, it was enough to pounce onto his back. The force was enough to get his foot out of the branches. The two were now plummeting down to the rest of the pack, waiting for a meal. It took Juno a moment, but a smile grew on his face. He started to laugh as he was falling. “ahahahaHAHAHA!” This was perfect. In the dust cloud that was created by the fall, a mighty roar was heard as the wolf was tossed to the side. The dust settled to reveal the giant were-bear. Juno was still laughing as he lunged forward, tearing apart the wooden wolves. “HAHAHAAA!” Leaving a giant pile of sticks and stones, Juno let himself calm down a bit. “…I’m…in…control…” Still in his lycanthrope form, his breathing was heavy. *Snap* Juno looked up. The wild mage was about to fall. He rushed over to her, prepared to catch her. The mage landed in his arms, but this only proved Juno’s fear. She was awake. Dammit, this is what I was hoping not to happen… The mage looked up at the lycanthrope, then struggled to get out. Holding the mage with one arm, Juno’s eyes were locked onto the collar around her neck. Being careful not to stab her neck, Juno slowly poked his claw in-between her and the red collar. This was the hard part. He needed to get his other claw in there so he could tear it apart without snapping this person’s neck. Letting the mage go for just a moment, he went as quick as he could without digging his claw in her neck. Seeing that she was mostly free, she started to cast a spell. Juno kneed her back gently to knock her off balance. “Oh, no you don’t.” Juno finally got his other claw in, and in one swift motion, tore the collar off. Juno looked at the mage. Her back was towards him, so he couldn’t see her confused look on her face. “Wha…where am I?” Juno stuck his head forward, putting himself into view. She turned her head towards him, and her eyes widened. A small ‘meep’ came out of her mouth, scared stiff about what was starring at her to her side. Juno completely forgot that he was still in his lycanthrope form, but before he could say anything, the mage screamed. “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! Nonononogetaway!” She ran for the tree that the two were stuck on. She saw on the ground three weapons, a great-sword, a great-axe, and a heavy crossbow. Struggling, she picked up the crossbow, hoping she had time. Hiding behind the tree, she held the crossbow on a low branch, aimed at Juno. To her surprise, the lycanthrope was just standing there. She watched as he took a deep sigh, and reverted back to his human form. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Juno made a sad, but reassuring smile. A long pause took its toll on the two, as they both just stared at each other. Juno took a step forward. “Look, I’m in contr…” A bolt hit him in the face, sending him reeling back, interrupting his speech. The force from the bolt made him fall to the ground. The crossbow was now empty. The mage dropped the heavy crossbow, and searched her person for some items. “I know how you work. You pretend to be all chummy with people, and then you attack when they least expect it. Well, you’re not getting me. I am Tia, the wild mage. I will protect myself from your kind, and in turn the village as well.” Juno wasn’t hurt. The bolt could only hurt him if it was a silver bolt. Juno never carried anything silver on him, so unless she had some spell to turn weapons into silver, he had nothing to worry about…unless she had some powerful spell, which she most likely had. The fact that the bolt was a head shot was still scary as hell, though. He could have lost his eye if she was a lucky shot. At least his skin prevented the bolt from actually entering his head, or he’d lose the ability to wear a hat for a while. Diplomacy wasn’t his strongest suit. But he had to try. Not even getting up, he let out a loud sigh. “Look, if I wanted you dead, you would be right now. Why would I change back if I had you right there? Also, we’re nowhere near the village, thanks to your work.” Tia looked at Juno with a confused look. She was about to retort when she noticed her surroundings. The trees were thicker than the ones surrounding the village, and…were different. She couldn’t place it, but they seemed…darker, yet…more colorful. She looked around more, and Juno sat up. “Look, you had summoned a demon, and I was sent with my friends to stop you. You had this collar on…I know what it’s like to not have your freedom. And then…whatever spell you casted, we ended up here. And wooden wolves almost ate me.” Tia was only half paying attention when she turned back to Juno. “…Wooden wolves?” Juno nodded, and turned around to the pile of sticks and stones. That’s when the two noticed that the sticks were moving. It seemed that the sticks were constructing a new beast. Juno got up, reaching over to his weapons. The wild mage was still searching for an item on her person. “Gods dammit! Where did I put that pouch of components?” Before the beast could fully form, a glass vial was thrown at the bone-like structure of sticks. The purple liquid splashed over the sticks, and they started to lose their shape. The two looked at where the source of the potion had come from. “I came to the aid of the scream, expecting some in the forest some lost ponies. I come at full speed, and am I to believe what I see?” Juno stared dumbfound. He couldn’t tell what he should be more surprised about; the fact that there was a zebra in front of him? The fact that said zebra threw a potion, with extreme accuracy? Or the fact that this zebra was not only talking, but rhyming? The pile of sticks and stones is seen struggling, but it is forcing itself to become whole again. “Come, you must hurry, or you will fall prey of the beasts. I can provide shelter for those who do not wish to become their next feasts.” Tia looked at Juno, and Juno did to Tia. Without a word, Juno gathered his weapons, and Tia picked up a pouch off the ground. The two followed their new guide, for they needed answers of this new world that they were in.