Page 48 of Crowned A Traitor
A new heart, a bullet wound and a young Lycaon.Klara couldn’t help but think the odds were stacked against them as the sun rose. A film of sweat coated their skin as the morning air was thick with dew. The further south they travelled, the more humid the Forest became.
“Are we almost there?” Lottie whined, hand and hand with her brother. The leaves and tree trunks grew larger with every step as they walked the outskirts of the Giant’s Territory. “Not too far now,” Klara lied, offering her a small smile. What little sun there was, forced its beams through the enormous leaves.
Klara’s axe went to work slicing through the thick stems of the hanging leaves which only depleted more of her energy. “I’m hungry,” Lottie said, holding her stomach and Klara noticed the sweat on Wolfgang’s brow. Klara hoped it was from the exercise and not his wound. Arthur eyed the bushes and trees around them before taking off in a jog. Within a second, he had disappeared behind the leaves.
“Let’s take a breather,” Klara said, leaning against the tree stump and Lottie sat on the exposed tree root, with her knees tucked under her chin.
Wolfgang offered Klara some water, and she hesitated to look after Arthur’s chosen path. “Do you think he heard something?” Wolfgang asked as Klara took a sip and handed it back.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
The overgrown plant life and the lack of footprints in the mud along with the buzzing hum of insects made her uneasy.
“Goddammit!” Klara heard the sound of Arthur slapping his skin and she guessed it was because the vampire beetles thirsted for the sweet nectar of his soul.
“Miss me?” Arthur beamed with some Karlick fruit in the cruck of his arm.
Arthur tossed Klara the round prickly fruit and threw the other to Wolfgang. Lottie took a generous bite through the thin purple skin, and Klara stifled a laugh as the little girl pinched her lips.
“It’s so sour,” Lottie tapped her feet into the mud as the juice dripped from her chin.
“I would have warned you, but that’s what you get for being in a rush,” Wolfgang scolded tucking a long strand of blonde hair behind Lottie’s ear. Lottie pulled away and stuck her tongue out at him as he bit into the fruit himself.
“It’s all I could find without going too far in,” Arthur said, taking a seat on the root beside Klara.
“How’s the heart holding up?” Arthur asked slapping at his neck and the crusted beetle flattened against his skin. “Working,” she grunted, taking a bite, the bitterness caused a shudder to run down her spine. She turned away from Arthur’s worried eyes. Giant food was intense in flavour, sour, bitter or sweet. Too much to handle for the average-sized creature, they finished what they could before setting off again.
Hiking through the Giant Forest, Klara’s foot dropped into a small pit, allowing a whimper to escape as it jarred her. She looked and saw what she had stepped into. “A Giant’s print and some Ogres as well,” Wolfgang said, pointing at the thick spread of footprints. “We must be getting closer to their community.”
“This part of the Forest is rife with Giants and Ogres, watch where you step and keep your eyes open,” Arthur warned as Klara freed her foot from the print.
“I doubt we will see an Ogre in these parts. The prints are old.”
Klara admitted that Wolfgang knew more about the Forest than she did. They were far from the swamps in the south, “Why would the Ogres be living in Giant territory?”
“The Ogres were gifted some land for their service to the High Queen by Lucifer,” Arthur said.
“We have crossed no huts or hovels, no sign of much life,” Wolfgang said.
“Are you sure?” Arthur countered. “Look up!”
Wolfgang, Klara and Lottie looked high into the trees where there sat homes and bridges. Most were covered in moss and leaves for protection.
“Ogres don’t live in trees,” Klara said, and Arthur shrugged.But if these are their homes, where are they?Klara asked herself.
“No, they don’t, but you’ll try anything once if you want to survive,” Wolfgang sounded angry, and Klara could see the disheveled state of the homes. Walls and doors hung off hinges, bridges were broken and swinging loosely in the breeze.
“Why are you so irritated? The Alphas weren’t involved in the Giants’ war, they chose to stay in their caves,” Arthur said.
“If Lucifer had come to us, we would have stood with him and negotiated with the Giants when they felt threatened,” Wolfgang admitted. “We wanted to end the Giants’ war with the Ogres without bloodshed, but instead Lucifer sent Abadan to order our conscription.”
“And by that you mean to say, the Alphas couldn’t handle the blow to their egos.”
The male ego.“Not all alphas are men,” Arthur said reading Klara’s smug expression.
Klara caught the sad smile on Wolfgang’s face as she caught him looking at Lottie.Is she the next Alpha?Klara still didn’t know which pack they had belonged to.Iftheir Alpha is dead, it would awaken another.
“It wasn’t our war to fight. They could have been gifted other lands. The Giants responded to their lands being threatened. No offence but it’s been a while since you graced this land. Not everyone wants bloodshed, Warlock,” Wolfgang pulled Lottie up higher on his back.
