The Healer and Her Army of Twelve

Chapter 2: Arakkoa

ARAKKOA

I was tracking a rabbit for dinner, when I heard a sound from above the trees. It was the noise that the infecteds used to communicate. A painful sound that only the sharpest ears could detect, but there nonetheless.

Abandoning the trail, I raced to the spot where the leaves parted so I could see the sky. I used it to watch the creatures with the Elacto plague. I did it for a little thing called survival, and I have to know how the infecteds will react to certain circumstances.

Anyway, when I got to the clearing, I saw at least ten infected animals surrounding this one poor pterolycus.

What made it worse is that he was fighting back. Then again, I don't think anyone studies these creatures like I do. Fighting back attracts more infected creatures. I don't know how, but they seem to sense it when one of them gets hurt, and all of them in the area swarm to that place. It's much easier to just run away, as it's pretty hard for the infected creatures to keep up, due to most of their senses being dulled down to almost nothing. However, hearing was greatly enhanced, causing the infected to have a huge hatred of anyone who makes a sound, and even if they have a dozen other choices of who to kill, they'll always go for the noisiest one.

"Hey!" I called up.

The pterolycus looked down at me, and I noticed he had one huge fang, like a tusk.

"Come down here!" I yelled, and I got the 'are you crazy?' look from him, "Just smack that guy out of the way, come on!"

He used his magic, Air, and blasted the griffon away, then dove through the gap in the trees to the forest floor. I could see he was becoming tired from overworking his magic. Although using it affects you in a different way, exhausting an animal mentally, that in turn impacts them physically, because the mind isn't able to work as efficiently anymore, thus slowing down reaction speed, optimism, willpower, and the list goes on.

"Follow me," I said, then ran towards my den.

I looked over my shoulder to see how he was doing. He was a pretty slow runner, and he kept throwing glances into the forest. Most winged creatures relied on their power of flight a lot, so that's probably why he didn't come down earlier, and he probably thought more infecteds were waiting in the woods. But he was still slow, and I didn't think we would make it to my den in time without one of the creatures spotting us. It'd be a whole other story though, if a land creature found us. I didn't want this winged wolf to die, and he's one of the very few uninfected animals I've seen in a while.

I slowed my pace to match his, then let my magic cover me and him in an illusion that made us both invisible. Overhead I could hear the wingbeats of the infecteds looking for us.

We travelled like that until I saw the den. I let the illusion fade and rushed inside.

"Thanks," mumbled the pterolycus, looking at his paws.

I moved one of the rocks on the wall, and behind it was a bit of deer I had cached awhile ago.

"Here," I said, throwing it at his feet.

The winged wolf looked at it suspiciously, the refolded his wings and settled down to eat.

"So..." I started awkwardly, "What's your name?"

"Fang," he replied through bites, "The pterolycus."

"I'm Arakkoa the Cwn Annwn," I said.

"The what now?" Fang asked, startled.

"Cwn Annwn," I told him again, and I still got a blank look. I sighed and said, "It's a type of Hellhound."

"That's a nice name," he replied, "Very kid friendly."

"Anyway, do you know about the legend?" I asked, ignoring Fang, "The Healer one?"

"Yeah," he said finishing off the meat I gave him, "Everyone does. Why do you want to know?"

I knew what I wanted to say next. I was going to ask him if he wanted to try and find a way to save the infecteds. I knew I couldn't be the Healer, she was a girl in the legend, but we could be the first part of the army, and this plague wouldn't cure itself. The only reason I hadn't done anything yet is because I didn't want to go by myself, the infected creatures were everywhere, and after all, it was better to have another animal to help spot them.

"Well, the plague is getting worse everyday, and no one is doing much about it," I said, "I think that maybe we could help to get the legend in action... To start the army."

"What!?" cried Fang, then he paused and seemed to think about what I just told him, "You know... Maybe you're right. Everyone talks about how the creatures of the legend will save us, but how is that supposed to happen if no one actually takes the responsibility?"

I couldn't be happier with the way that went. He agreed, and said something smart while he was at it!

"Couldn't have said it better myself," I told Fang.