Unnaturally Natural

Alexander - Fated Encounter (part 2)

"Get your lazy hide out of bed, Dara," Alexander said, hitting him with a goose feather pillow.

"Five more minutes," Dara groaned, turning his back to Alexander.

"That's what you said five minutes ago!" Alexander said, once again swinging the pillow at Dara.

"Okay, okay, I'll get up."

"Hurry up; we don't have all day."

"Why are you in such a rush? The way you explained it, we should still have lots of time," Dara asked as he sat up in the bed and rubbed his eyes.

"I like to be early, Okay?" Alexander replied impatiently.

"I doubt that's it. Yesterday you were so calm and collected. What changed?"

"Get ready to leave. I'll explain when we leave." Alexander said plainly as he left the room, walking towards the bar.

He barely got any sleep the night before. He didn't know how to answer Dara when he asked what had changed because he didn't know either. Seeing Karla's happy expression didn't seem to help his mood either. He still felt uneasy. He wanted to rush out of the building as fast as possible, but he had to wait for Dara. It was a feeling similar to the beast's hunger, but he knew it was not because he had eaten a lot the night before.

He heard Dara approaching and started to make his way to the exit. He stood outside for a moment waiting for Dara to catch up.

"Why are you in such a rush?" Dara asked with a hint of annoyance.

"I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right. Ever since last night, I felt on edge. Something is wrong."

Dara looked at him for a moment before replying. "Do you think the Huntsman has anything to do with it?"

"I'm not sure. Could be, but how? It's not like we left a trail she could follow."

"She wouldn't have to follow a trail. Think about it. We didn't give her a trail because we used a public road that sees many travelers, and we stopped at the first inn outside of Urbemontis. We might not have given her a trail to follow, but she will eventually figure it out if she thinks logically." Dara explained.

Alexander almost slapped himself. He tried to make it hard for her to follow them by doing things he regularly wouldn't. But his choices seemed to have made it easier for her. By trying to avoid her, I gave her a clear path straight to us. He realized.

"In that case, we have to get going right away. The faster we move, the better. Just keep going and don't stop; I'll worry about covering our tracks."

Alexander practically dragged Dara with him into the nearby forest. The journey to his house would only take three hours, but there was no guarantee they weren't being followed; every second counted. Usually, Alexander could have gotten to his house in an hour, at the most. Still, Dara could not move as fast and did not have the same knowledge of the surrounding area.

Dara knew the general direction to go, but there were always threats in the surrounding area. The only way he could reach Alexander's house was by following an old lumber route that larger creatures now avoid. But this was a different route, with no promise of safe travel. But it might slow the Huntsman down too. Alexander realized.

The rest of their journey was decided, and they moved quickly and silently. Usually, they would talk and laugh, but they were trying to avoid attracting any dangers on this unfamiliar path. 

While they were walking, Alexander became more at ease; nature had that effect on him. The singing birds, far away streams, and the wind passing through the trees, paired with nature's pure smell, gave him a sense of peace. After walking for an hour, his feeling of unease had vanished entirely.

It only took three hours to reach their destination, and it was a welcomed sight. The small cabin was exactly as Alexander had left it. But there was something that was not quite right. He noticed the birds in the area were quiet, and there was no sight of the squirrels. He inhaled deeply, taking in all the smells of the surrounding area. His eyes went wide, and he signaled for Dara to stop.

"No matter what happens, stay behind me," He whispered.

"What's wrong?"

Alexander ignored Dara's question. "I know you're there; you might as well come out, and do it slowly; any sudden movements will be considered a threat," he spoke loudly to the seemingly open space.

A moment of silence passed. Then the forest seemed to come alive with noise. Dara looked ahead in a combination of astonishment and fear. A pack of nine werewolves became visible as they were approaching. They were walking in a triangular formation, with a large brown wolf leading the pack.

Alexander's body was tense, and he kept a close eye on the leading wolf.

"This is not your territory. What are you doing here?" Alexander asked sternly.

They came to a stop ten meters away, and the large brown wolf raised to his hind legs and walked closer alone.

"We were sent here to escort you to the meeting location," He replied with a hoarse voice.

"I was unaware that I would need an escort."

"The Beast King does not want you to be followed, so he assigned us to bring you to him," The wolf said and looked over to Dara, "who is the human?"

"He is a close friend, I trust him with my life, and I believe he will be a useful asset."

The brown wolf seemed to be displeased. "The Beast King does not approve of humans. But if you insist on bring him along, know that we can not guarantee his safety."

Alexander's stern expression turned to a cocky grin. "No need to worry, I can."

"Then we leave immediately; you shall follow me," He said, turning around and going to all fours once again.

Alexander and Dara exchanged a quick look and walked quickly to catch up with the wolf. Once they were by his side, the other wolves took up a diamond formation around them. Without a word, they started moving in unison. Alexander and Dara followed without hesitation, not wanting to upset a pack of werewolves.

As they were walking, Alexander remembered something.

"I thought the meeting was going to happen tomorrow. What's changed?" he asked.

"Nothing has changed. We were sent to your home to find you and bring you to the meeting place as soon as possible. If you had arrived tomorrow, it would have made no difference," the brown wolf responded, not looking at him.

"I am still confused as to why I need such a big escort. Would two or three not have been enough?" Alexander asked.

Before the wolf could reply, Dara spoke.

"I think I understand. The Beast King does not know what to expect from a hybrid. It is probably his first time dealing with one, so he would rather overcompensate than allow something to go wrong. He does not want to make the mistake of underestimating you. To be honest, it is a sensible strategy."

"Your friend is smarter than he seems," The wolf said to Alexander and then turned to Dara. "That is correct. Upon hearing that you claimed to be a hybrid, he didn't believe it; none of us did. But being the wise king that he is, he took the precautions in the event that you were not lying."

Alexander did not have anything else to say. He did not realize how far forward-thinking the Beast King was. He expected him to be nothing more than a brainless brute who only ruled because he was the strongest. In short, Alexander expected the Beast King would be just another alpha. He was not sure if it would be beneficial or detrimental. Only time will tell.

They walked for well over an hour before there was any sign of their destination. The further they walked, the denser the forest seemed to grow around them. The surrounding area was untouched by any of the races; it was nature in its purest form. A few meters ahead of them, Alexander noticed, what seemed to be, a clearing.

As they crossed the border from the forest to the clearing, Alexander noted the clearing's odd size. It was unusually large and almost perfectly circular. In the very center, there were three smooth spherical rocks, each about a meter tall. Other than the large spheres, the clearing seemed to be empty. But Alexander knew otherwise; he could smell it in the air.

Since they left with the wolves, he had grown used to their individual scents. Until they entered the clearing, he could only smell the nine wolves who accompanied him. As soon as he crossed the threshold into the clearing, he could smell so many more, both old and new. There was one scent that stood out from the others. He could not describe it, but he was sure it was the Beast King.

He carefully scanned the edge of the clearing, looking for the Beast King. He saw many wolves lining the border just outside the clearing, but he didn't know if any of them were the king.

The wolf escort led Alexander and Dara to the three center stones. The brown wolf looked at the rest of the escort, and they dispersed, taking up positions at the rim of the clearing, facing the center. 

"You will wait here. He will come soon," The brown wolf said before joining the rest.

They only waited for a minute before Alexander noticed movement on the far side of the clearing. He was stunned at what he saw. Coming towards them were two wolves. One he recognized, it was Jaslyn; her white fur was a dead giveaway. The second one was a much larger wolf and was a pure shining black color. It was far larger than any other wolf he had ever encountered.

When they reached the boulders, they rose from all fours and faced Alexander and Dara. The silence was almost unbearable, but Alexander did not know what to say. He did not want to be the first to speak, as it might be taken as disrespectful, so he waited.

The large black wolf, which Alexander assumed was the Beast King, looked to Jaslyn, then to him.

"Am I correct in assuming you are the Hybrid?" He asked.

Alexander noted that his voice was authoritative, yet smooth as silk, inspiring both trust and fear.

"Yes, I am," he simply replied.

"Hm, I had expected to meet you in your true form."

"I prefer not to take that form, as it can be challenging to control my impulses. I apologize if my reluctance to transform offends you," Alexander said, unsure why he was speaking so formally.

"Offends me? Not at all. I am disappointed, though. Few can say they have ever seen a hybrid in its true form. I was merely excited to be one of the few," the Beast King replied, with a hint of a laugh.

"Well, I am sorry to disappoint. But I must insist we get to business."

"Ah, yes, of course," the Beast King started, then looked at Dara. "But before we begin, I would like to know why you brought a human."

The way he said 'human' sent a shiver down Alexander's spine. There was no question in his mind; the Beast King did not like humans and quite possibly hated them.

"He is a close friend of mine, and I trust him with my life. I also believe he can contribute to the plan."

"I do not appreciate humans in my company, but I will tolerate it if you say he is trustworthy. As for your 'plan,' I want you to explain it to me. I would like to eliminate any confusion which might be caused by a middle man."

Alexander smiled, pleased with the Beast King's decision. It seems he is intelligent, after all.

"It is quite simple. Dara will be going into the city and start some rumors about the Huntsmen; how they draw supernaturals' attention, instead of repelling them," He started.

"And that is where my pack comes in?"

"Yes, exactly. They don't have to harm anyone physically; they just have to wander closer to the city and make sure the people hear their howls."

Alexander was pleased with his plan and had a big grin on his face, expecting the Beast King would agree without a second thought. But as he had realized much earlier, the Beast King was far more forward-thinking.

"It is a good plan, I will admit; however, it has a crucial flaw," he paused, "What if the people don't blame the Huntsmen but instead request that more be stationed in the city? What if your plan has the very opposite outcome?"

Alexander did not know what to say. He had not thought about it to such an extent. In his mind, it was foolproof.

Before he had an opportunity to think of a reply, Dara stepped forward.

"I apologize if I am speaking out of turn, but that is highly unlikely."

The Beast King looked at him with annoyance. "Is that so?"

"Yes. You overestimate their ability to adapt to change. The people in the city are set in their ways; they do not like change. They fear anything that threatens their way of living. They will not associate the Huntsman with the solution, but rather with the problem." He paused, "It is only natural for people to blame the Huntsman. Before the Huntsman came to the city, there was no problem. Only a few days of being in the city, supernatural sightings increase. I am certain the plan will work," Dara concluded.

"Why not just kill the Huntsman? Then we would not have any need for this plan," he replied, frustrated.

"That would not be a wise decision. If a Huntsman dies while under the king's invite, they will deem the city dangerous. Then use it as an excuse to station even more Huntsmen in the city," Dara explained.

"It seems the human has more use than I thought. But answer me this, how will the people link the Huntsman to the sightings if they don't know about him?"

It was a valid question. In all the cities, the Huntsmen used the same tactics. The first few are sent in without drawing attention to themselves. Their only purpose is to take small jobs and strengthen the city's trust in them. After establishing a strong relationship with the city, they reveal their identity. It made it much easier for them to request more Huntsmen when they have the city's approval.

"That's where I come in," Dara said, "Not all the people might not know the Huntsman is there, but they know the Huntsmen's tactics. I will go to various bars and taverns in the city and plant the idea; it will grow from there."

"It seems you have thought this out in its entirety. I am impressed," the Beast King responded with, what seemed to be, a smile.

"So? Do we have your support?" Alexander asked.

"Yes. I will inform my pack that they may go as close to the city as they please, without harming anyone, of course."

Both Alexander and Dara were excited that the meeting had gone so well; however, they could not express their excitement because it might seem insulting. They both knew it would be better to wait until they got back to Alexander's house before celebrating.

They continued to share some smaller details about the plan before the Beast King was satisfied. After he thought he had enough information, he called the meeting to an end and dismissed the wolves at the clearing's edge by merely raising his clawed hand. Upon seeing the gesture, the other wolves left the clearing. The Beast King still had some words for Alexander before he left.

"I expect a report within the next month. We shall meet here again," he said before leaving.

Before Alexander could reply, the Beast King, and Jaslyn, went down on all fours and walked away. He couldn't help but admire Jaslyn's beauty as she walked away. If he was caught looking, he did not doubt that it would hurt his alliance with the Beast King and his pack.

Alexander and Dara stood in the clearing for a little longer before deciding to leave, taking the same path they took when they came. But this time, they could speak and laugh together. 

The journey seemed much shorter while walking back, and before too long, Alexander's house was in sight. The small building would have been difficult to spot if they didn't know what to look for. To the average person, it might look like a pile of old lumber. But as they came closer, small windows came into sight and the outline of a door between them.

"Do you want to come in? You can spend the night, before heading back, if you would like," Alexander offered.

"I don't think I should. It would be a better idea if I got a headstart with my part of the plan. It might seem suspicious if I start after the sightings increase," Dara explained.

"You make a good point," Alexander said with a smile, extending his hand, "travel safely, okay?"

Dara returned his smile and shook his hand. "You know I always do."

Dara left immediately. Alexander stood outside and waited until he could no longer sense him in the immediate area. After Dara was gone, Alexander went into his house, but he noticed something strange when he touched his door. It seemed to be cracked open slightly.

His mind raced; it could have been anything. He did not have a lock on his door because no one ever went that deep into the woods, and the animals would usually avoid his house when they smelled his scent in the air. To him, it could only mean one thing.

He opened the door and quietly walked in, careful not to make too much noise. Closing the door behind him, he took a deep breath, taking in the air around him. Just as I thought.

"You can come out; I know you're there."