PA 3.5: End of a Tail

Chapter XXXI Part IV

Already, they knew by the strange sounds of air warping and crackling, that Echo was leading them to an early grave.

"Echo, please, we should run, something's wrong, that sounds like-"

The wolf gripped her wrist tighter, then stared her deep in the eyes. His sudden uncanny seriousness was contrasted by his lighthearted features and baby blue irises.

A low growl rose from his chest. "*Why are you a volunteer?*"

Riley tried to formulate a response, but the intimidating glare kept a few beads of sweat as the only thing to come out of her.

Echo shifted his feet forward. "Nearly all the volunteers stopped when the organizers told us it was too dangerous to continue, so why didn't you?"

Riley squirmed, an anxious blush crept across her body as she felt the ridicule sink in, and her stomachache intensified.

"Do you just like the praise or something? You knew what you were getting into, and now that it's time to save lives, you wanna just give up and save your own skin?"

At this point, she gripped onto his own wrist, digging her claws into his thick fur. The needles dug into his hide, too dull to draw blood.

"Riley," he commanded, "We know what it's like to die; we've all felt the heat of Infurno. *I am not letting him suffer that again.*"

"Echo!" Choco yelled through a hushed tone. "You're being too loud, please calm down!"

The wolf's stern look froze, then softened, before shattering as he turned to the smaller dog with canvas eyes.

Riley ripped her wrist from the wolf's grip, scared and backpedalling from the dog before she shook her head violently of her thoughts.

Ashamed, Echo wiped at his tired expression, covering it from judgement. "I'm sorry."

The van gasped, realizing she had been holding her breath the whole time. She felt her body seize, then jerk as the situation descended on her. Guilt flooded her veins, though it wasn't enough to edge out the fear of going toe-to-toe with the dog that had killed a thousand of his peers.

Riley pressed a paw up against her cheek, feeling the warmth spread through it from how fast her heart was beating. "N-None of us can beat him." She stammered.

"I know."

"So then why do you want to try?!" she hissed.

Echo crinkled his mouth, looking away uncomfortably as the situation dawned on him.

"And... just because I don't want to fight Patches doesn-n't mean I'm a coward." She rubbed at her arm, parting the fur in search of bruising. "Our school has a magic club, those are the ones who should be fighting him- we were just supposed to help."

"Wh-" Choco squeaked out, voice cracking and breaking the tension, "Why don't we just pull the fire alarm? Everyone'll run out and escape, right?"

The wolf spun, raising a finger in rejection. He inhaled, pausing and then letting his eyes wander. "I... I guess that's not that bad of an idea. But..." he grimaced, then shook his head free of some bits of fur and dandruff that speckled onto the ground. "Fine, but I'm going to go keep him away from the people who try to escape, and hopefully save whoever's fighting him."

With the background of battle momentarily waning, the group had total silence. They saw the look on Echo's face, able to tell he wasn't finished with his thoughts. When his blues rested on his companion, his composure crackled.

"But, I'm not comfortable with leaving you on your own, Choco."

"Huh?" he said in reply, "Why not?"

The wolf almost growled, "Because, you-" he huffed, "what if it's not just him?"

Riley suddenly interjected. "Wha?" she sighed, her breathing separated with her irregular speech, "Yeah right like anyone would be enough of a stupid idiot to help *him*," she scratched at the itch on her cheeks, "Like, come on."

"Uh," Echo muttered, "n-no, I mean, what if he's... summoned something? Like a ghost?"

Both of them looked at him weird.

"I-I'm serious!" he stammered, "You're a cat, right?! You know magic, he can do that!"

Riley averted her eyes. "That's a bit... *speciesist...*" She battled the shame that boiled at her chest, stemming from her lacking magical studies.

"Ugh no I mean-"

"Echo!" Choco said, grabbing the wolf by his paw, putting on a pleading gaze. "Riley can take care of me, you can try to help the person fighting Patches, and then we can all meet back up at my place when we escape! Deal?"

The two exchanged an uncomfortable stare before one of them caved with a sigh.

"Fine," Echo muttered, "Go."

Choco gasped in delight, his aviators nearly jumping off of his head. "C'mon Riley!" he barked, grabbing the cat by the wrist and thanking Echo again before running off.

Riley gasped at the dog's touch, amazed at the thought that they weren't all going to leave *right now*.

Echo winced as he watched them run off. "Please, be safe," he muttered before the woosh of magic caught his ear, and he rushed down the corridor towards the sound.