8 Wolvess Den (1/2)

Van crashed through the undergrowth, unheeding of the small scrapes he was accumulating from the branches of the trees that whizzed by him. Behind him, the sound of heavy pants followed.

Huff. Huff. Van's lungs worked desperately. His back was drenched with sweat, and his hair matted to his forehead. His dark eyes scanned the mountainside in front of him. Where to run?

[That damn piece of scrap metal!]

This moment of indecision cost him, and behind, the wolves drew unbearably close.

”Ao!” A large, grey wolf barked, and the rest growl-barked in response. They continued forth, aiming straight for Van's thin back, their loping strides covering distance faster than wind blowing through a forest.

A twig snapped under the heavy weight of a paw right behind the fleeing boy, and his heart thundered in his ears. He was done for!

Grim, Van steeled himself, pulling his courage from the pit of his gut, and turned, his bamboo spear in his right hand and his stone dagger in the left. He pointed them threateningly at the advancing jaws of the wolf-pack. He would go down with a fight!

But what he saw in the next moment was beyond expectation. His eyes popped out of their sockets in shock.

The wolves, like silver arrows, swerved and passed him by! With nary a second's pause, they continued on their way as if drawn magnetically to something in the distance.

Would it be weird, if Van said that he almost felt jilted, at that moment, as the wolves drew further away from him, streaking through the mountain terrain? You were meant to be chasing me!

Fine. Apparently, his little portion of meat and flesh was not enticing enough to warrant a dozen wolves chasing after him.

Van thumped himself on the chest, [I might be thin, but this is pure muscle, pure nutrition, I tell you!]

The ring in his mind gave a little shake. It sounded amused.

[Even if you were the tastiest morsel of meat they'd ever set their sights on, they still wouldn't be fussing with you at this moment.]

[Not under the influence of the Soft Fragrance powder.]

Jet made another 'het-het' laugh that was fast becoming a trademark.

[Did I give you the impression they were chasing after you?]

Van groaned and pressed his palm to his sweating forehead. He wondered if this was what the rest of his existence would be like, being misled and messed around by a stupid imaginary ring in his head.

”So, what's happening, why are they in such a hurry?”

[The scent we were emitting earlier is something that would only affect male demonic beasts…]

Van blanched. He had an inkling of what Jet was suggesting.

”You mean,” he spluttered, ”You set a bunch of desperate, horny wolves on me?!”

His eyes grew wide, imagining a terrible scene where he was XXXed by a bunch of wolves. There would be nothing left of him afterwards!

Jet was unimpressed.

[What, do you think you're a jade beauty or something? The wolves want a beauty with thick luxuriant fur, big paws, with a vicious temperament. Not a skinny, hairless monkey like you!]

Van sighed in relief.