Soul Lovers

The Captivity.

The teenagers were totally struck by fear on seeing the Expat who caught the little red bird. The Expat stares at the bird in his hand then sniffed it,

No scent?! He thought then he frowned surveying the whole area, “who is here?!” he roared, the teenagers reacted to his voice as some were already shaking with sobs.

Node swallowed checking and thinking if he could do anything as the youth leader to save them from this. 'Catastrophe'

If we ambush him, he will definitely snapped our fragile body into half in seconds or others will come from behind. Node thought. “Hmmm what should I do? What should I do?” He looked at Lola.

“Show yourself!!” the Expat roared, Lola put her hands on her face as she couldn’t hold it anymore.

Node noticed that. She is going to explode! Node feared then he touched Lola's thigh, “Lola it will be alright. My plan to get out of here it's already on the play excluding me... if I don't come back alive or went missing. We have no choice to declare you as the next youth leader of the village.” He whispered looking into Lola’s eyes, she widened her eyes in confusion.

Then Node looked at the remaining teenagers in there hideout and signaled them to stay still. Lola tried to touch Node but he jumped out of his hideout and charged towards the Expat shooting his darts which went straight to his opponent however the Expat dodged them easily.

“So you were the one with the bird.” The Expat confirmed with a smirk, Node shot another dart from his lance, it almost went through but he caught it using both his index finger and his middle finger then flung it back, Node eyes dilated as he fell down dodging the dart which carved into a tree behind him. The Expat smirked, “This will be fun.”

Meanwhile, the fight between Jared and Azra was getting more ferocious as ever. The zone was already filled with cracks and craters on the floors as fallen trees surrounded them filling the atmosphere with strong winds and dust.

Azra pull Jared down and drive his knee up hitting his lower rib cage, Jared staggered back but gained his ground extending his hands as huge gush of wind blew towards his opponent, Azra immediately bent his full body, clinging himself into the ground with his hands and feet. He groaned.

His knotted long dreadlock loosened on his head swinging around within the air while being hit with Jared harsh wind.

After the the air around him was calm, Jared stared at him then he sighed.

"Give up now and leave before you lose any more than this."

Azra ignored then gave the atmosphere a strange feeling as his loosened long dreadlock rose, swaying from all directions in the air, his onyx eyes glowed even more, increasing in his height was inevitable as his teeth and claws grew longer than before, while staring at Jared with a killer glance as he transformed fully into his beast mode.

“Grrr... The girl or your throat?! Jared!!” Azra said furiously, Jared showing no expression, ripped off his cloak, revealing his iconic armour beneath, clenched his fist tightly making the air to encircled his full body as the armour on his body then he charged to Azra with a blow, Azra dodged it as he leaped over Jared’s then he grabbed Jared’s head slamming him to the ground which didn’t gave much effect on him, Jared stood up immediately.

Azra extended his fist to Jared which Jared caught him by his wrist, pull it down then Azra stretched his other fist to Jared’s face but he caught it also and pull it to the opposite direction, resulting to an elbow lock then flipped Azra to the ground with a great speed with enough force to create a huge hole to the ground immediately, Azra broke the lock with his strength, pushing Jared away from him.

They both stood up staring at each other.

Aghogho glanced at Sniffia’s unconscious body while with Aghul on the tree.

“This is our chance to take the girl, while he is distracted.” Aghogho emphasized.

“But Azra Miller said… ” Aghul recalled.

“Azra who?!” Aghogho countered, “Azra is busy with that crossbreed fool!” Aghogho jumped to where Sniffia was, about carrying her, Jared spotted him without hesitation he charged straight to Azra with a great force, Azra widened his eyes jerked his head as his dreadlocks went to Jared but he maneuver it by spinning himself like a spiral, Azra couldn’t react to his moment, he moving too fast.

For the second time after fighting an Alpha for so long, Azra felt fear, looking into Jared's glaring eyes, he could see and perceived Jared's next move would kill him if he doesn't block it in that spilt second.

But Jared passed his side going after Aghogho making Azra wondered during the act,

“Wait what?!”

“I told you before didn’t I. You will regret touching just a single Hair!!!!” Jared yelled lifting his full upper body with his raised arms behind Aghogho as he landed, giving out a sonic boom. The soil around lifted up by the wind, the huge trees with few Expats caught with the force followed in almost the same pattern then slowly fallen leaves spiraled down along with the huge trees and debris, as the air wended.

“Azra Miller?!”

“Aghogho why are you always… like this?”

“I… Why?!”

“You couldn't have survived it, if it hits you.”

“Hmmmm!” Jared added as the wind calmed down totally and the visible wind protecting Sniffia, Peirce and Vanilla dispersed.

Azra was kneeling in front holding Jared by his hands with his dreadlocks tightly wrapped around Jared’s body while dumbfounded Aghogho was behind Azra.

“Aquila now!!” Azra called.

Immediately, a strange silver coated bracelets flew to Jared's direction out of no where. Appeared a pale skin lady, having a hooded glowing blue eyes with a inside-out black braided hairstyle, dressed in tights clothing, possessing two sheathed daggers behind her back appeared, sat on Jared's shoulders. Now he knows the bracelets were not moving on it's own but was held by the lady with the ability to camouflage into her environment which she immediately, placed it on Jared’s wrists then Azra removed his hand with his dreadlocks from Jared's.

Jared looked at the bracelets as he stepped back, slightly shaken by the sight of the bracelets.

Aquila jumped down as she camouflaged back.

“How do you get this?!” he cried and about charging to Azra the silver coated bracelets tightened into Jared’s wrist then expanded through out his arms stiffening every area of it as a long rod came forth out of the bracelets to his ankles as a fetter and to his head as a pillory and lastly a white piece of cloth appeared, covering his mouth unably him to speak or move his neck.

Then Aghogho swallowed while Azra took a deep breath.

“You almost cost us this opportunity, Aghogho.” Azra said as he staggeringly stood up with his bruised hands uncontrollably shaking, Azra raised his hands slowly to check his palms, it was completely burnt.

Aghogho, immediately stood up, joined his legs, placed his fist on his left chest and bowed his head.

“I'm very sorry for the intrusion. Azra Miller.”

“Azra Miller, I found this kid in the woods!” an Expat said dragging unconscious Node from his legs then threw him to where Azra was. “He told me also he is a cook.”

Aghul jumped down holding his dismembered hand.

He put his dismembered hand on his jaw observing Node.

“I thought. Our ancestors killed every last one of them.” Raised his head towards the Expat that dragged Node here, “Are you sure he is cook, Ade?” Then he looked at Node.

“His scent? Hmmm.”

Aghul sniffed,

“You are right.”

“Azra Miller, if I may ask. Knowing who he is, can we sell him? Including the strange boy on the floor and... ” he looked at Jared’s eyes, “Him also. We will make a fortune out of them before taking her to Alpha Obae.” Aghogho asked.

Azra looked at him then at the faces of the remaining Expats, he could see it in their eyes that they actually loved Aghogho's idea then he took a sharp breath.

“Okay as you wish.” He said, walked to where Jared was held, “Aquila!” he called, Aquila suddenly, appeared at his front. “Is the cook the only one?” He asked looking into Jared’s eyes. Aquila put her mouth closer to Azra's ear and whispered a word. He nodded. “Let them be.” He looked at everyone. “Brothers, Sisters. Our mission here is fulfilled, let's go back and claim back our names!!” he yelled.

“Yeah!!!” they all yelled back and carried the teenagers on the floor including Jared and left the area.

Leaving only Vanilla laid on the ground filled with leaves, cracks, craters and shattered trees with their damaged trunks. The sight of the scene absorbed both the quietness and the misfortunate young teenaged girl which unknowingly leads her to her cessation of life.

Meanwhile, miles away in the shadows under a huge tree, there was a watcher.

A shaded watcher observed everything from a far while stroking his ponytail.