If You're Being Held Hostage, Wiggle the Carrot! - Chapter 3
There was no time to panic. As she hurriedly grabbed her bag and started to climb down the tree, she heard a crunch, the sound of something breaking. It came from the massive tree that even nine adults couldn’t fully encircle. Sensing a wobbling sensation and fearing its collapse, Ruby leaped off the tree in surprise.
As she hit the ground, the ash tree, which had stood firm for so many years, toppled sideways. With a tremendous crash, it fell, completely blocking the path to the village. Ruby was pinned down by its branches.
Behind the tree, the screams of the villagers continued, and the flames grew until they stained the sky red.
“No…”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to climb the small mountain of a tree, but the outstretched branches tangled in her skirt as if to stop her.
“Ah, revered guardian…”
Ruby remembered what the guardian had said in her dream. But wasn’t it forbidden to tamper with the predestined future? It’s something she’s heard from her village head, Jomo, since she was a child. However, now that it became a family matter, she couldn’t easily give up. She wanted to believe in the words of the guardian deity.
Then a branch moved and reached out to her. Settling itself into her palm, the branch snapped itself off, leaving only the tip.
“…Revered guardian.”
Feeling as if she was being told to take it with her, Ruby tucked the small twig with its fluffy blue leaves into her bag.
She scrambled up a small tree next to her and scanned the horizon. In her delay, the village had already burned to the ground, and there was no sign of the people. Only a few lion tribe members, the ones who had been leading her people away, were searching the village.
The largest lion tribe member suddenly turned his head in her direction. Ruby felt her heart sink as he seemed to gaze directly at the tree she was on.
He… didn’t see, right?
Just as Ruby trembled with anxiety, flames surged and a vivid crimson glow, matching the raging fire, flickered and then burst forth.
Swiftly, as if riding the wind, Ruby descended from the tree upon seeing the imposing figure of the lion tribe member approaching at a rapid pace. With a desperate cry, she began to run for her life from the colossal creature that could easily devour her in one bite.
Thump, thump. With the speed she was known for in the village, she was down from the top of the mountain in no time at all. But she soon found herself disoriented by panic, losing her sense of direction. Unsure of where to go, someone gently grasped her hand.
Recognizing the presence instantly, Ruby repeated exactly what her grandmother had told her in the dream. “Revered guardian, we need to find the Black Wolves! Please help!”
‘This way, little one,’ responded the guardian deity, directing her where to go.
Despite the terrifying roars of the lion behind her, Ruby’s survival instinct overpowered her fear.
Rattle, rattle.
The earrings hanging from her rabbit ears swayed in the wind, producing a faint, crystal sound. Each time, Ruby felt like she was leaping farther away from the village where she had lived since birth.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she realized that the family she was leaving behind.
Still, guided by her guardian spirit, she ran without stopping.
Towards the home of the Black Wolves.
* * *
“Good morning, Duke!”
“Good morning.”
“Duke, would you like to taste the apples we picked this morning?”
“Oh, it must be quite ripe and very sweet.”
“Indeed, they are the renowned apples from our northern region after all.”
“Duke, look at this!”
“Duke!”
Ivan, the leader of the Black Wolf Tribe, pretended to welcome the lively morning once again. Upon closer inspection, one could quickly discern that his face was full of shadows, but no one dared to scrutinize it closely. No, they couldn’t. Because no one deserved to look him in the eye.
The leader of the Wolf Tribe was not just anyone. It was a position reserved for the strongest among the numerous wolf shifters. Those beneath him could only bow their heads in respect and fear.
But even such a formidable man as Ivan harbored a secret he would never reveal to others.
As the bustling day gave way to the silent night, there was a time when Ivan was left alone. Away from his aides, servants, and attendants, he found himself in solitude. During those moments, Ivan was engulfed in discomfort and fear.
He struggled to sleep, desperate to hide his inner turmoil from his subordinates. But soon, the rustling sound of the wind accompanied something probing at the core of his being.
Startled, he opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings, yet, as expected, there was nothing visible to the naked eye.
With a soft thud, Ivan witnessed his pants’ front seam parting on its own, prompting him to jolt upright from the bed with a pallid face.
I’m so scared…!
As the leader of the Black Wolf Tribe, a powerful clan, Ivan is afraid of only one thing: the unseen specters that haunted him.
