The three White Doves continued on their way through the hauntingly dark and quiet Forest of the Gatekeepers; a white mist rolled in as they approached a fountain of blood adorned with the dismembered bodies of White Doves who came this far. Axel looked down at the mess, looking pale as a ghost.
"That's something I didn't need to see today." Axel applied two cupped hands to his face and sighed heavily into them, regaining his composure. Axel would then look over at Fable. "Let's pretend we didn't see that and continue. Yes?"
"Don't be such a wuss!" Serina replied in a tone akin to a child. "I thought you were brave!" Axel would drop his head and shake it subtly, but he didn't respond; starting a fight in the middle of Shadow territory wasn't the best idea. Serina would continue trying to instigate. "Don't run away from your feelings, Axel! Admit it, you're scared!"
"Will you shut up?!" Fable exclaimed, raising a fist. "I would trade my life to get rid of you sometimes!" Fable picked up the reins that sunk into Chelly's fur. "No wonder why Axel hates you!" Serina groaned in annoyance.
"I was just trying to make a point! Jeez!" Serina groaned again before veering off to the right, leaving Axel and Fable behind. Fable would look over at Serina.
"Hey! Where are you going? Follow the trail!"
"No! You guys don't like me very much, so I might as well go on my own!" Serina had a lot of resentment in her voice. "I bet I can discover more alone than with you two clowns!" Serina then rode off into the white mist, leaving Fable and Axel on their own. Axel chuckled under his breath.
"Watch her come crawling back. She always does."
"Axel? What if she's really going on her own?" Fable retorted, worry present in her voice. "If she gets captured, then we cannot help her!"
"Listen, Fable, I know her well enough. Serina will not go without us. Serina likes to act all tough until she's in a fight, then she comes running back to us." Axel looked forward. "C'mon, forget about her, and let's continue down the path. Fable looked over her shoulder before shaking her head. Fable followed Axel.
Meanwhile, Serina was proudly riding through the thicket with false courage by her side; a fake smile was all she needed to feel brave when away from her friends. Serina lit up a lantern and used it to guide her through the mist. Serina laid eyes on a serpentine-like figure that slithered past her vision. Serina moved her lantern toward the direction it went.
"Who's there?" Serina demanded, faking courage by raising her voice, trying not to cry. The serpent would coil up in front of Akari; it was at least seventy-feet long and had six tails. Serina would look at the Caudaling. "What is your name?!"
"Marsinaka," Marsinaka responded, hissing. "You've crossed into the territory of the Caudalings, dearie." Caudalings began to surround Serina. Akari looked down at the serpents and growled behind her locked jaws, drool dribbling from her mouth. Marsinaka brandished six swords in her tails. Serina continued to faux her courage again.
"I'm not afraid of any of you!"
"Are you not?" Marsinaka hissed as she slithered closer to Serina, sneering. Marsinaka lifted her head up and whispered in Serina's ear, her forked tongues licking her neck. "You will be once we get done with you and your disgusting mutt." Scared, Serina turned Akari around and began to run back toward Axel and Fable. Marsinaka hissed before pointing toward Serina with one of her swords. "After her!"
Serina, in a panic, ended up running Akari straight into a tree, which knocked Akari over and threw Serina onto the soft, moist ground below; the tree collapsed from the impact. Serina stood up and hid behind Akari's rear leg as the Caudalings approached her, towering over her with their terrible fangs and disgusting drool on full display. One of the Caudalings grabbed Serina up into one of her tails and presented her to Marsinaka. Marsinaka brought her dribbling mouth inches from Serina's pale face.
"Your head would look great on my wall or on my dinner platter," Marsinaka said as she raised one of her swords. "Are you ready to say goodbye?" Serina's lips quivered.
"N-n-n-no! Please spare me!"
"A White Dove pleading for mercy?" Marsinaka retorted before laughing. "You're the weakest one I've seen." Marsinaka slowly dragged the tip of her blade across Serina's chest, cutting her feathered tunic and drawing blood. Serina looked Marsinaka straight in the eye before raising her hand; a red aura surrounded the Caudaling. Serina then squeezed her hand, which constricted Marsinaka. "Wh-what are you doing?"
"A little something I've learned from prayer," Serina responded as she pushed her hand forward, throwing Marsinaka against one of the trees behind her. Undeterred, Marsinaka charged at Serina. Serina yelped in surprise as she side-stepped the serpent's sword. Serina lifted her hand again. "Make it rain!"
Red spears began to rain down from the treetops. Marsinaka hissed as she grabbed one of her allies' shields and covered her head with it; her body was pierced with spears. Marsinaka whacked Serina with the shield she took off of her friend before striking at her with her fangs. Serina was knocked onto the ground by the shield. Serina saw the serpent's approaching mouth and put her hand out; Marsinaka was stopped dead in her tracks. Before Serina could do anything to Marsinaka, another Caudaling snagged her up into their mouth and began to swallow her as if it were eating a rat. Marsinaka swiftly rose her head and chuckled.
"Do you fear me yet?"
"No! I do not fear you!" Serina retorted from inside the throat of one of the Caudalings. Serina was quick to notice that she was running out of oxygen. Serina knew that being digested alive was one of the few ways that a large enemy could kill a White Dove. Serina called out to Akari. "Akari! Help!"
Akari's ears flickered as she heard Serina's muffled screams. Akari darted forward, grabbed the Caudaling with her powerful jaws, and shook it as if it were a dog toy. Marsinaka and the other Caudalings begin to slash at Akari with their blades, creating large wounds in the wolf. Akari swiped at Marsinaka with her massive paws, pushing her away, then Akari would brutally maul another Caudaling with her teeth and claws. Still trapped inside one of the Caudalings, Serina reached for her silver knife and tried to cut her way out.
Marsinaka hissed as she coiled herself around Akari, constricting the wolf. The other Caudalings would follow Marsinaka's lead and constrict Akari. Akari reared her head back and clamped her teeth down onto Marsinaka, and violently shook her head, tearing her tubular body and prying her away from her body. Serina elevated her hand and created a Ruby Saw to cut through the Caudaling's thick bones. A loud growl was heard from Akari as she began to tear Marsinaka apart. Marsinaka looked to her surviving tribemates with a look of terror on her face.
"Get it off of me!" Marsinaka cried out. The serpent felt her flesh being violently stripped from her bones. Marsinaka, in an act of desperation, took one of her swords and swung it at Akari's snout, which only irritated the wolf and made her bite harder. One of Marsinaka's tribemates stabbed Akari in the shoulder with their sword, causing Akari to let go of Marsinaka and whine; the same Caudaling then bit Akari on the jaw before coiling herself around the furry neck of the canine.
"I will force freedom upon myself!" shouted Serina from inside one of the Caudalings. A saw blade burst out of the back of the serpent, which caused a burst of blood to spurt out. From the cavity climbed Serina, covered in blood and other fluids. Serina spun on her heels to turn to the right, only to see Akari in distress. Serina elevated her hand; a red aura surrounded the Caudaling before it was thrown onto the ground with great force. Serina, without a moment to spare, quickly mounted Akari. "Let's get out of here! C'mon!"
Wasting no time, Akari began to gallop through the thicket back in the direction they came. Serina allowed her head to drop in shame for being so foolish; she began to degrade herself.
"Akari! I'm so foolish! No wonder why Axel hates me!" Serina began to bawl. "I should have listened to Fable and shut my fat mouth!" Although she couldn't speak, Akari felt her owner's emotions and slowed down to a walk, whining a little to accompany Serina's tears.
Meanwhile, Axel and Fable came across an old cabin next to a small pond filled with brackish water. Lobo sniffed the water; Chelly took after Lobo and lowered her snout next to the pond. Axel dismounted Lobo and investigated the water.
"Move, Lobo." Axel ran his hand through the water; mud, black algae, and a dead tadpole appeared in Axel's palm when he raised his hand from the water. Axel looked up at Fable. "Something must have cursed the water. I found a dead tadpole."
"Axel, there are always dead tadpoles in ponds," Fable replied. "Does it smell funny?" Axel sniffed the water.
"No. It smells like a pond."
"Maybe it's something only the wolves can smell," Fable stated. "Look at Chelly and Lobo; they're reacting negatively to the water."
After observing the behavior of Lobo and Chelly, Axel rose to his feet and folded his arms.
"Maybe there is something wrong with the water. We should keep moving." Axel remounted Lobo and continued on his way.
"Guys! Wait for me!" Serina shouted as she and Akari came up behind them. Axel put his hands on his hips and chuckled.
"I had a feeling you would come back. Missed us?"
"There is no time! I was attacked by three giant serpents!" Serina explained. Axel raised an eyebrow.
"Serpents? Were they those Caudalings that Makki was talking about?" Axel questioned.
"Caudalings?" Serina asked.
"Yea. They are multi-tailed and tongued snakes," Axel stated. "Did they have multiple tails?"
"Yes!" Serina replied, her eyes wide. Serina raised her arms. "They were huge! One swallowed me whole!"
"I guess so. I can smell the reptile's breath on you," Axel retorted. "C'mon, Serina. Let's continue on our way."
The three White Doves continued along the cobblestone path. The three White Doves soon stumbled across a big clump of fur lying on the ground; wolf fur. Axel shook his head and kept going, trying not to think about what creature could have eaten a wolf. The three came across a river that had a bed of emeralds on the bottom. Axel dismounted and took one of the emeralds.
"This is pretty. I could make something out of this." Axel slipped the emerald into his pouch before mounting Lobo again. The three kept going. The three came across a pile of white feathers in a pool of blood.
"Another White Dove was killed?" Fable said. "We need to be on high alert."
"For sure," Axel responded. "We're trespassing into dangerous territory now. Don't close your eyes, or else you might be mauled."
"Mauled is right, little White Doves," whispered a voice from the treetops. The three looked up and saw nothing. The three kept walking. Fable looked to Axel.
"What do you think that was?"
"Unsure. Let's keep moving," Axel replied. The three continued on their way without a second thought about the voice. A chuckle was heard before the owner of the voice vanished away; they vanished away for now, but they will be back.