“What’s happening to her? ” Xie panicked as he saw Nana levitating at an odd angle as soon as they landed on the wolves’ ground. Even their landing wasn’t smooth. Nana’s sudden trance had forced them to stop mid-route. “Lin, what’s wrong with her? We need to call for help, ” Xie emphasized again. It was very disturbing scene for a first time witness like Xie. Lin wasn’t as anxious as he had seen her like that before. But for Xie, the red haired being, talking in a chorus with eyes scary enough to petrify somebody seemed nothing less evil and threatening than Jin’s demonic grudge. ” Lin, are you even listening. Move away from that thing. Let me get some back up. ” As he was about to pull Lin back from Nanako’s grip, Lin held his hand.
“Sshhhh! Listen carefully Xie. It’s the oracle. ” Lin hushed him with a firm grip.
Nana repeated the riddle yet again. This time with severity. Her shape slowly shifted to a fox like structure and then back, leaving Xie with his jaws wide open. She gradually lost all the colour in her body and fell right on Lin’s open lap.
“Hurry. Lets get her to the infirmary. ” Lin ran inside with his Nana in his arms as Xie yelled instructions for the gates to be opened.
The commotion immediately attracted attention and there was a large crowd gathered to watch who was coming in. The wolf king and queen were also in the front line, watching.
Boshu too came limping, supported by Roe to watch who had come in such urgency.
As soon as Lin entered. The king panicked.
“Who is that in Lin’s arms. Mia? No it isn’t Mia. ” He pushed the crowd aside and rushed in front.
Boshu too strained his eyes to get a clearer view. He was almost over the walls as he leaned for a better view.
“Careful. Do you want a couple of more bones to be broken. ” Roe reprimanded him.
“Roe Roe, that’s Lin’s Nana in his arms. But why is she here. She never comes out of her chamber, let alone leave the palace. ” Boshu observed seriously.
“Roe Roe? Who is your Roe Roe? ” Roe looked at Boshu with such a look it made him duck in fear, ” My name is Roe, you flirty bird. ” She hit him on the back of his head.
” Ouch! That hurt, ” Boshu complained but they had to immediately, rush towards to infirmary too to find out what had happened.
As Boshu and Roe arrived, they saw the limp body of Nanako lying on one of the beds and thd physician doing his checkups. Lin was sitting in a corner with his legs fidgeting and his hands crossed over his mouth, as if literally getting a grip on himself.
Xie was standing with his father and mother at one corner explaining the situation. Roe went over to join them.
Boshu limped over to Lin and placed his hands over Lin’s shoulders.
“Ah! Boshu. You are alright, ” He looked up at him. Boshu knew the pain hidden in those eyes very well.
“What happened? ” Boshu asked.
” It has Mia. ” was all Lin could answer. As soon as he uttered those words, he couldn’t hold himself any longer. He banged his hands against the wall behind him and repeated with much difficulty, ” It has my Mia. ”
The wolf king and queen, rushed towards them followed by Xie and Roe.
” Calm down Lin, she will be alright, ” The king consoled him, clearly thinking he was distressed over Nana.
But Lin turned towards him and repeated his lines, as if his vocabulary was stuck in that sentence, ” It has Mia. ”
The expression on the kings face changed at the mention of Mia’s name. He nodded his head and said, ” I know. ”
He then turned to face Lin and held his shoulders with both his hands, “Lin, my boy, what was it that your Nana wanted? How cannot help? ”
” It was a pendant she said. I don’t know how it can help. But she said it would help to fight that thing. She was very anxious back then to retrieve it from you, hence she had appointed me to get it from you in disguise, as I was the only one able to mask my smell with mastery. ” Lin looked at the king and bowed his head to apologise, ” I sincerely ask for your forgiveness for the infringement. ”
” It’s alright. It’s alright. Forget about it. Do you know how it looked. If you could show me. ” The king asked.
“I do, ” Lin looked around for something to draw on. He couldn’t find anything but instead of waiting for a scribe to bring a pen and paper, he went to the fireplace. He was that desperate. He took out a few charcoals with his bare hands and put the fire out from them. He then cleared the floor with his sleeve and started making the shape of the pendant. As it took shape, the wolf King’s eyes grew bigger and bigger. As soon as it was complete, he exclaimed, ” It is the pendant my Brother had given me for safe keeping. ”
“Your brother? Brother Jin? When? ” The wolf queen asked with curiosity.
The wolf king looked a little uneasy at the question. He didn’t even bother to answer it.
” Yes that’s the thing that will help us fight it. Where is it? We cannot waste any more time. ” Lin asked enthusiastically.
But the Wolf king neither moved, nor replied. Looking at that, Xie came forward and urged his father, ” Father, we need this to save Mia”.
Mia’s name made the king react. He looked at all the faces staring at him with hope. But he hung his head low, as if ashamed and finally uttered a few words with difficulty, ” I am sorry. I not have it. I lost it a long long time ago. “