The three all jumped and turned back towards me. For a moment, they were all speechless. However, the one with tattoos cracked a smile and started to laugh.
"You've gotta be kidding me! Old shiftless is actually alive!?" He chuckled.
"No kidding.." The big guy said and flicked his curly mullet around. I couldn't help but watch his body flexing accidentally as he did. His belly maybe big, but his muscles were undeniable.
"And here I thought old Larry was just pulling my chain. He really is trying to be a king." The ginger with slick back hair spoke. Happily displaying his teeth in a wide grin for me, showing off the fresh blood on them. Definitely trying to remind me of his jaw strength.
I stared over the three and glared back into their eyes.
"I'll say it once more. Since I'm sure you perdedoras probably don't clean your ears."
"What did he call us?" The big guy asked.
But the rest just shrugged at him.
"Leave my hunting ground, or die." I said firmly.
The group looked amongst themselves and all started to laugh. Before they could enjoy themselves anymore, I rushed the ginger and grabbed his head. I yanked it down to my knee and rammed it into his skull. He stumbled back and I went into a pouch on my belt and grabbed a small ball and tossed it at him. I jumped back and Mr.jaw strength accidentally smacked the ball away and it exploded into silver dust around him. Immediately causing him to scream and flail around as he dropped back into the river.
"Ah! It burns! It burns!" He screamed.
The other two looked over at him and ran to his side. Which caused them to immediately start coughing and backing away.
"Is that silver?" The big guy grumbled and glared at me.
"Yeah, I could've easily made it a spice and just made your day really bad. But I decided you guys were worth the silver." I said with a chuckle.
"You're asking for it." The bald guy growled.
"If you keep playing around I'll have to just kill you." I replied.
As I spoke the big guy had charged me. His veins were popping all around him, I see he was trying his best to not shift. Once he came close he swung at me and I easily dodged, this guy had nothing on Nick.
"Let me give you a lesson." I said.
As he came in for another punch, I sidestepped and dodged him. Then I grabbed his arm and punched him from under his armpit. Causing a loud pop to ring out.
"Ahhhh! What the hell!? How did you break my-" He cried and stumbled back, while his limp arm swayed in the wind.
"Our skulls are pretty much unbreakable. However, knocking them out of place, is a different story." I said and jumped up, and side kicked him in the face and knocked the big guy down. "Plus, since we're super strong, we tend to not learn how to fight. We just blow through everything because we feel like we're unmatched."
As I said that, a blur came in and I felt a fist bury into my face. I stumbled back and noticed the guy with tattoos was upon me. Getting in blow after blow. I held my ground and darted at him, knocking him in the jaw. He stumbled back and I kept it up. Knocking him around, he ran to my side and tried to outspeed me. However, I turned back to where he was going and I punched him in the face. He stumbled again and I followed up. Hitting him again and again, not letting him have time to breathe. Eventually he tripped and fell flat on his back, hiding his face away in his hands. With that, I turned back to the others and saw ginger and the tank both standing up again.
"This is gonna be really boring if you don't shift." I said and ran my eyes between them. "Because honestly, you have no chance of winning unless you do."
"Screw it! The Alpha wanted you dead anyways!" The ginger yelled.
The ginger hunched over and the sound of popping and cracking echoed off throughout the forest. A low dog's growl came from him as he even started to grow in size. I looked around as the sound of morphing bones was harmonized amongst them all as I watched them shift. Fur consumed their bodies, their clothes ripped and barely clung to their bodies. While their fingers grew long and sharp, adorning thick nails that could cut anything with a graze.
I suddenly felt small compared to them. Why did I antagonize them? Can a shiftless really do it?
Suddenly I heard a splash come from the lake and I saw the ginger wolf rushing me. He leaped at me and I grabbed his wrists just in time and dropped down onto my back. And kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying back behind me. I quickly hopped back to my toes and saw the speedster rushing me. His wolf form was different from what I'm used to, he was a whole lot thinner than I expected.
I leaped up as he came in and managed to kick him in the face. He skidded back and the big guy came in swinging his only good arm at me again. He was much faster than before, I ducked a strike from his claws only to feel claws tearing through my side. I got a glimpse of the ginger wolf who kicked me, and I dropped on the ground and started rolling. Eventually finding myself back on my toes and sitting up. But the speedster was back and he slashed at my chest, letting my blood fly in the wind and sent me back to the ground. Rolling in the dirt till I crashed against a tree. I coughed and the burning pain gripped every inch of my skin. It's lucky I reacted fast enough, or else my organs would be out.
Maybe I should ask Aeseria for help? As if I can win. After all, they're better than me.
'You're not weak anymore. Stop crying, and go be king of the wolves.' Enganos voice echoed in my head.
'A diamond doesn't get sparkles until it handles intense pressures.' Then I remembered Casey's words.
This was it, that pressure she was talking about. I pushed myself up and leaned against the tree. That's right, I'm gonna be a diamond! And I'm gonna be king! Nicks put me through worse, why am I giving up? Just because I got hit for the first time? Just because I can't shift? Why am I crying about it?
I smiled and started to laugh. Then I grabbed the handle of my silver knife and pulled it out. I smiled at the group and stabbed my knife into the tree.
"Today I'm gonna show you why I'm the King of the wolves!" I yelled.
With that, I ran back in.
"You talk a lot shiftless!" The speedster yelled.
I pressed my body as intensely as I could. If I'm gonna become a diamond, I need to be faster than him! I charged him and he charged me. He slashed at me and I dropped, sliding on my knees under his strike, then slashed his side. He yelped and I popped back up on my toes. Only to see the tank charging me. He dove at me and I leaped out the way. I quickly took out my pistol and aimed at his head, then POP! POP! POP! I let off their rounds and the beast yelped like a little puppy and crashed into the dirt. A river of blood began to pour out from his body.
"Leland!" The speedster yelled.
"Last chance, leave my hunting grounds, or die." I said.
"You're gonna pay!" An angry voice howled from behind.
I turned and saw jaws inches from me. He tackled me to the ground and tried to bite my head. I just barely weaved his bite and wrapped my legs around him, then spun us around. Then tried to stab his head. Only for him to kick me off him. I sat up only to find him coming down on top of me. Quickly I shot him in the stomachs, but it didn't phase him at all. He crashed down on top of me and knocked the knife and gun from my hands. Then tried to bite my throat. I got my hands free just in time and grabbed his jaw. His teeth sinking through my palm like butter as my own blood painted my face. I glared at him and forced his jaw open, it took all of my strength but I managed.
"I'm the king of the wolves!" I yelled and yanked his jaw, dislocating it.
His force vanished as he yelped and I kicked him off. I grabbed my knife and as he tried to get up, I tackled him down. Then I snatched his hair and ran my knife through his throat. Blood exploded from him and painted me scarlet, while he tried to flail around and become free. I dropped my knee on one of his arms and held him down till the light faded from his eyes and he went limp. I stood up from his body and turned back to the speedster who was running at me.
"Ahhh!" He roared.
It was clear he wasn't moving as fast as before. I see that slash to his side did a lot. I rolled out of the way as he leaped at me and I grabbed my silver throwing knives from my side and threw three at his knee. He growled and dropped on top of his dead friend who was shifting back to normal.
I pushed myself up as the speedster tried to stand, only to yell and inevitably fall back on his face. The knife lodged right into his joints. I casually walked over and got my gun back, then got back to the limping puppy and pressed the barrel of my pistol at his head, then I clocked it. Which made him sit still.
"Good boy." I said. "So, here's what's going to happen. You're going to tell the Alpha, that this is MY hunting grounds. And that Monster Lane is off limits. If he has a problem with any of that. Tell him to take that up with me."
"Y-you're going to die, you know that, right?"
"Either I'll die, or I'll experience enough pressure to become a diamond. Now, go." I said.
It was difficult, but he managed to stand up and limp away. As he did, Aeseria came out and looked over the bodies on the ground.
"Man, I'm almost jealous. That looked like a fun party." She joked.
"I appreciate you not jumping in." I said.
"I've spared you. I know what you're capable of. And these guys, weren't it." She said and glanced back at me. "I know it doesn't make sense to say this, but thanks."
I wiped some blood from my cheeks and looked over at her. "For what?"
"Seeing your resolve to face your past like this. It reminded me that I shouldn't be afraid to face Jure either."
I took a breath. "No, I was afraid. Especially after I was smacked away. But, I knew if I wanted to grow I'd have to move in spite of that fear. Diamonds shine the best after they've been through intense pressure, and I wanted to shine."
She chuckled and yawned. "You know, you should really talk to her."
She said and turned back around and I followed her lead. Casey's face came into mind and my heart raced a bit. Even though my heart hurt, it also brought a sense of peace. Her smile, I wanted to see it. What's wrong with me? She betrayed me. I shouldn't want to see her.
"Will see." I admitted.