DYCLAND SEBASTIAN

Chapter 3. A Rare Species

So Dycland's in a caravan. "No," he said. "It's all silver here and they sprayed wolfsbane everywhere. Don't come over here."

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. Where do you think they're taking me?"

"Uhm . . . this road leads to the Flower Capital. What are you going to do?"

"How many cars are there?"

"Three. You're in the truck, positioned between two other small vehicles."

The truck suddenly stopped. Dycland was thrown over and on reflex he held on to the bar. He cried in pain as the bar burned his skin.

"Dycland! Are you okay?" Came Hans voice in his mind.

"What was that?" he asked, holding his burnt hands. It was bleeding a little and it stinks of burnt skin.

"Are you okay?" asked Yohan again.

"Yes, yes. What was that?"

Before Yohan can answer him, a lamp lightens Dycland's confinement, blinding him.

"How's the prisoner?" came the voice of one guard.

Dycland blinks his eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. He make up three silhouette of guards

"He seems good, sir," answered another voice.

"D, it's a group of bandits," said Yohan.

"Bandits?"

"Sir, the bandits are closing in!" a guard shouted from afar.

The guard in the middle of the trio who were checking on him turned around. "How many?" he asked.

"Roughly 15, sir!"

"15?" said 'sir' in surprise. "What . . . you wimpy dogs! If there's only fifteen, why are you in panic? Hurry and finish them all so we can move on!" He ordered his men angrily. "You two there, spray some more wolfsbane in there to keep that beast paralyzed! It'll be a problem if that one too causes havoc!" he said to the two who're looking after Dycland.

"Yes . . . but something is different . . ."

The guards started spraying more wolfsbane inside the tent. Dycland tried to hold his breath and turn away but he brushed his arms and legs to the bar of the cage, burning his skin. He coughed hard when he inhaled a spray of wolfsbane. He snarled at the guards and bare his fangs to them in anger. The guards jumped away a little but immediately continued spraying more his way. When they were done, they closed the tent leaving Dycland coughing and getting out of breath. The poison in his blood thickened once more making his insides feel in turmoil. He could not concentrate on Yohan's voice in his mind because of the pain in his chest. He was saying something earlier but he could not understand it. The Wolfsbane is slowly taking effects to his senses.

"Dycland! The guards are losing! I can save you!" Dycland heard Yohan speak clearly in his mind.

"I'll go there-" "No!" he said out loud in panic.

Yohan went silent for a second. Dycland closes his eyes tightly to calm himself. He knows that Yohan's worried about him but if he jumps here now in action, even he is not safe. Especially that the sprayed wolfsbane is thick in the air.

"Stay where you are, Yohan. It's dangerous to come here now," he said in a much calmer voice.

". . . why not? Why not?! This is the right time to get away! The guards are losing! And while the bandits are busy stuffing their sacks, I can sneak in the truck and break away with you!" complained Yohan.

"Yohan, the truck is filled with Wolfsbane scent. Even if you sneak in successfully, we won't be able to get away quickly. I'm weak and paralyzed, and so you will be. So just stay where you are and do what I say."

For a moment, he did not hear anything from Yohan's side. As he waited for his reply, Dycland heard the shout of the guards outside. The sharp swings in clash of swords, the cry of pain, and even the mocking laughter of someone.

"I got it," said Yohan. "But I totally disagree with this, Dycland. Totally!"

Dycland smiled weakly, "I know and that's fine." He can imagine Yohan's wolf form circling in place in agitation out of habit.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"Try to connect me to Jack or Phillip."

"I can't. I've been trying to contact them for a while now but it seems that both are occupied."

'At this time? No. Maybe they're still on their way back to the camp.' - "What about Walter?"

"I'll try . . . ."

The noise outside the tent lessened. Dycland is getting tired with controlling his breath to not inhale too much of the air inside. His concentration is getting harder too. He wants to pass out from exhaustion but he can't. He needs to deliver the message to the pack. With his dull senses, he heard a shuffle just right outside the tent.

"Ready Dycland?" came Yohan's voice again.

Dycland gathers his last strength to communicate. "Yes . . ." he said weakly.

"Now."

"Walter," Dyclnd called out. Seconds past and no one answered. He called again. "Walter!"

Dycland felt a sharp zap in the back of his head, and the youngest and lively voice he ever heard that night somehow made him feel alright.

"Dycland!" Walter called back to him happily.

Meanwhile the tent opened up and two ugly faces of werebull came into view. "Well, well, look at what we have here . . ." one said, sniggering. The other one on the other hand sneezed so hard and said, "What the! This place reeks of wolfsbane! Ugh!"

"You idiot! Like that will affect you! Just close the d*mn tent and let's get going!"

The complainant pointed at him and said, "We'll take this one with us?"

"Well of course! Can't you see what is in the cage?" said the first.

The burliest werebull inches forward while squinting his eyes. Dycland tried to scare him with a growl but his voice was not working well.

"Ha! That's a Werewolf!" said the big werebull, turning to his friend with an idiotic grin.

"See? We're lucky tonight. This one's a rare species so we can sell him at a high price. Looks like we are in for a festival," said the tiny one. They closed the tent and left Dycland alone again.

"Dycland?" called Walter.

"Dycland, is everything okay? I saw two werebeast approaching and talked behind the truck. They've seen you haven't they?" said Walter.

"It's fine . . . huff . . . Walter, listen . . . "

The truck jerked and started to move forward. The cage shaked as the truck once again drove off the rough road, making Dycland slightly queasy. He shut his eyes and concentrated talking in his mind. He told Walter his orders for the pack. He could hear in Walter's voice that the kid's worried about him, but it's not the time to make him better. He made him listen to every word he's saying. When he was about to pass out, he said out loud his last reminder to all of them: ". . . until I came back . . . be safe . . ."

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