” Why are we waiting here? What are we waiting for shouldn’t we be going after it? ” Lin could barely hold himself together as Xie searched around to trace the direction, they had taken. Lin was the best when it came to track something, but emotions were over powering him. He neither could see any trail nor could he distinguish their smell. His body was asking him to run in the direction his instict told him. He felt like tearing open then insides of the beast that had his Mia in possession. The foxes and wolves, though had non-human ancestry, they never behaved animal like. At least not the royals. Some did in scenarios of extreme like hunger or starvation, like in the case where Boshu was once attacked when he was young. However that day, Lin could no longer keep the animal inside him under check. His eyes changed colour rapidly indicating the swings his mood was experiencing. This was the trait that Mia most enjoyed in him. She would stare endlessly at those ever changing hues as they would sit beside the mountain stream. But those days seemed like a distant dream. Lin was on the verge of shaking Xie by his collar for not being able to locate what direction the beast took Mia, yet.
” Damn it! What’s taking you so long? ” Lin could have as well placed a punch on Xie’s face, but Nana came in between and asked.
” Tell me one thing boy, what do you both plan to do once you locate the route in has taken? ” She asked as both turned to face her.
” Go after it of course and bring Mia back. ” Xie answered in the matter of fact manner.
“And how do you plan on taking an opponent that can’t be touched, can’t be killed, can’t be harmed in any physical way? ” She asked.
” Can’t be touched or killed? Why so? ” Lin asked.
” Because it isn’t something living. How can you kill anything that wasn’t alive in the first place. As for the touch, it can only be touched if it wills to take a physical form. Same as for seeing. You will only be able to see it if it wishes to appear before you or take a physical form. It you guys have experienced it before, you know how it felt like. It is like the wind. You can feel it’s presence but you can’t see it. You can experience it’s touch on your skin but you cannot hold it. I am sure you felt that when it was near by. Didn’t you. ” She asked.
Both of them looked at each other. They both knew it was true.
” Are we just going to stand and watch. Mia. She is there with it. You said it was… ” Lin was chocking on his own words, ” You said it was capable of anything. My Mia. She is with child. If we can’t fight it, are we going to let her face it alone. ” He wiped the tear drops that were building up and suddenly declared, ” I’m going after it. You can each go back and get help. Don’t wait for me. ”
Lin was just about to teleport when he was brought down by Nana.
” Lin, think like a soldier. Think like you always do. You need to stop being Mia’s husband and start thinking like rescuer, ” Nana continued, “Remember the reason I had sent you to the wolf camp in disguise? ” She asked him.
Xie looked at them in shock, ” You were in the wolf camp, disguised? As an wolf? When? ”
” For about two years. At the human embassy. That’s where I had met Mia. That’s when we fell in love.” Lin had nothing to lose anymore, so he came out frank, ” Back then, I had no idea that she was your father’s daughter. Neither did she know her true identity. In fact she didn’t even know who I was. But I couldn’t care less. I was too in love to let her go, ” He sighed deep and long, ” Back then, everything looked so magical. So innocent. If I had ever known what I was being in her into, no matter how much it broke me, no matter how much it ripped my heart apart, I would have never ever have even near her. I swear. I promise. I would have run as far away as I could from her if I had known I would be bringing such horror to her life. It’s all my fault. All mine. ” Lin smashed into the border near him and sent it flying into pieces all over the field.
” Lin. Put yourself together. Mia was far stronger than you are. Why are you being such a sulk. ” Nana was furious at Lin’s state. ” By the way, the effect of the curse seems to have subsided in the world. Do you know what Mia exchanged in its return? ”
” No. We have no idea. How about you Lin? Did she tell you? I know you guys were arguing a lot over that. ” Xie asked.
” Were you eavesdropping? ” Lin looked at Xie and then turned to Nana, ” Nana, I know she did exchange or give up something big. Something that would be harmful for her. And that’s the exact reason she was acting cold towards me and didn’t want to divulge. I couldn’t force her. But I was looking to gradually coax her into telling me. ” He turned and hit another boulder in his vicinity, ” but fate didn’t even allow me to do so. ” He then turned towards Nana. Straightened himself up infront of her and asked, very composed, ” But why do you ask? ”
” It might help us to solve this problem. But since none of you know there’s no point discussing it any further. Let’s head to the wolf camp to retrieve what I had sent you to back then. I hadn’t met your father for a long, long time. ” She said turning towards Xie, “I didn’t know the mentality he had towards me back then, after all that had happened. Hence I had to send Lin in disguise to retrieve the bequeath. ” She looked at both boys to clear her stand, ” And I will personally apologize to him for that. But now that his daughter is involved and he seems to be the same cheerful lad I knew at heart, I can surely count on him to help with this. Let’s not waste anymore time and get going. Lin will you please lead the way? ”
” Yes. Sure. Xie come over. Hold onto Nana tight. We will be appearing directly infront his majesty. ” Lin pulled Xie in as they set off towards the wolf palace in the wink of an eye.