Traversing Worlds

Arc One Ch. 12

A cold gaze took in the dark expanse that made up the area between the Gloomy Forest and the Stonemason Mountain main peak. Though nothing could be properly seen due to the nature of the forest it didn't stop Alpha Jewel from visualizing the sight. 'Soon it will be mine.'

Yet tonight the usual sense of 'just bit longer' had been replaced with an odd sense of nervous energy that filled her with worry. Something was wrong however she couldn't place a finger on what it was as everything seemed to be going as per usual.

The warm glow of fire light suddenly appearing within this inky darkness easily attracted her eye. Only before she could make a move to find out what was happening a messenger appeared, his head lowered while reeking of sweat and anxiety caused her own formless worries to take root within her heart.

"Report." Hearing such a chilling order the messenger dropped to his knees before opening and then quickly closing his mouth due to fear.

Noticing the problem Alpha Jewel lessened the pressure she had unintendedly emitted. Seeing the color return to the messenger's particularly poor complexion he gave an audible sigh of relief before finally speaking up. "Both Sky and Emerald have returned without the others and were found critically wounded coming from the area of the spider's nest." The messenger found his back covered in sweat but didn't dare lift his head up.

Hearing the fading footsteps a slight tremor ran through the messenger thinking he would be forced into taking up this position. His back turned cold feeling his soul wanting to escape this mortal form at the mere thought of delivering reports to the alpha. Too many had died within this position while even more suffered a varying degree of maiming.

Alpha Jewel narrowed her beautiful eyes as she gazed at the brightness coming from the Healer's Hut. It had become a rule that even faint fire light wasn't permitted during the night due to the spider's nest that had slowly been encroaching on their territory.

"What are all of you standing around for return to your posts and keep an eye out for any large bugs approaching the area." She ordered in a low voice when noticing how many guards had left their posts at this time.

At the entrance to the hut a pair of youths in grey furs sat looking up at her with their watery eyes in an imploring. 'Shit...' She wanted to simply push past them but didn't actually make a move against them.

"Please we ask that Alpha Jewel remain patient, our masters Bo and Jo are doing their best and ask not to be disturbed at this time." The pair spoke in an eerily harmonious way that left Alpha Jewel feeling irritated.

"I will wait but just remember it won't be your masters joining my child on the trip to the Moon Goddess but the two of you." Neither youth seem perturbed by the Alpha's obvious threat and simply returned her smile that wasn't a smile.

In the early hours of the morning Healer Bo couldn't do anything more than watch as Sky took his final breath. The boy had suffered countless wounds that were too small to have come from the natural creatures that lived within the Gloomy Forest. Thinking of the unnatural thing which claimed this place as home left Healer Bo with a feeling of unrest in his heart. Children told all kinds of stories about this Phantom never once taking on one singular form. Though it wasn't the Phantom he had to worry about.

Seated within the warm hut Healer Bo found he couldn't feel the warmth, glancing at Healer Jo he found she held a similar expression of worry. Neither could guess how Alpha Jewel would react to the news so they had already sent their students away to hide.

The door opened and both healers' felt their hearts freeze at the sight of Alpha Jewel, her eyes held ice as she gave each a slight glance. "Speak what is the condition of my children."

Healer Jo found the pressure of the alpha overwhelming, her eyes watered while looking into the alpha's cold jewel like eyes before fainting due to a lack of air.

Healer Bo gave a defeated sigh while consciously taking in slow deep breaths. "I am sorry Alpha my skills were too poor to save young Sky." Her eyes narrowed at his words as if not believing that he was the one who spoke them.

"What do you mean too poor?" She asked in a harsh voice that caused Healer Bo to feel like his heart was about to explode.

He bowed his head unable to continue keeping his head slightly raised. "The wounds made by the Phantom aren't simple, while also being too numerous in number for me to do anything about them other than to help ease his pain slightly." Finished confessing Bo noticed that Alpha Jewel had remained oddly quite.

Sometime had passed before she slowly asked him, "Then tell me how is Emerald's condition?" in a low voice.

"She is still alive though her condition isn't any better than Sky's; Healer Jo concluded it was due to her receiving a great mental shock before being wounded. It remains unknown if she will ever wake up..." Bo didn't continue as he felt like his life was in danger as Alpha Jewel chuckled as if she had been told something funny.

"You have an hour to bring those insolent students of yours back Bo or I won't stop this time at just them." With that the amusement she showed previously had vanished, turning into a cold hard glare that chilled him to the bone.

Lowering his head in shame Bo squeezed out a short. "I understand Alpha."

Exiting the warm hut Alpha Jewel slowly took in the largest of the three huts where a few late risers rushing off. Yet what could be considered a warm sight to others only left her feeling cold inside instead. Her vison wasn't limited to ruling over this haunted backwater shithole that would sooner kill you than allow you to live.

And yet she could never stomach the quicker and easier solution of actually being mated to someone born within the Stonemason pack. Now when she was the closest to achieving her goal everything ended before it began.

"Those Stonemason bastards ruin everything." She muttered softly to herself while thinking of a way to have the Stonemason pack join her children in death.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a messenger appeared to confirm the list attending the annual get together. "Everyone will be going this time." She said while her thoughts headed towards mutual self-destruction.

The messenger held a look of confusion but didn't voice it allowed as he quickly fled to report Alpha Jewel's decision.

Elsewhere Kira received another message from the system informing her of another death of a minor world character. Though what interested her more was how this character had died as the cause vaguely indicated that it had something to do with the fragmented Tear of Sorrow.