Wolf at Heart

Chapter Twenty Four: Visions

Early Update ;)

A lush forest surrounded me, a path leading to a town in front. The air was cool and damp, and I had a feeling I wasn't in the mountains anymore. A child raced past me, chasing an insect. She giggled, running to her mother.

"Touching, isn't it?"

Well, if it wasn't the teenage creep who'd sent me here.

Covering up my thoughts with a glare, I punched his arm, hard. "That was for forcing a kiss on me. Now explain this and why the heck that was necessary before I get mad."

Ash glanced away, sheepish. "It's, uh, one of my abilities. I can show people visions and such, but it only works when I give someone that certain medicine."

I frowned. "That still doesn't explain why you had to do that to me. You could've just handed it over."

He looked me straight in the eye. "So if a stranger just came up to you and gave you a pill, would you have taken it? I had the feeling you would've just laughed at me. Did I have any choice?"

I was about to protest but then thought about it. Yeah, I wouldn't have taken it. But he had more choices than that.

Knowing that arguing would just postpone any explanations, I just filed the information away.

Ash smirked. "Besides, you call that a kiss? That's . . .good to know."

Red bloomed over my face. I opened my mouth, but Ash stopped me.

"Watch."

I followed his gaze to where the mother and child had been standing. In their place were two Predators, whispering to each other in glee. The town was burning, black fire raging across the houses. More Predators joined in, stealing the souls of the citizens. A few tried to escape by shifting into birds, but were shot down and consumed. The surrounding forest was withering, the plants losing their green.

"We have to help them!" I said, panicking. "Ash!"

I tried to run to the town, but Ash grabbed my wrist, preventing me. "No, you can't. I'm sorry, but there's nothing you can do but watch."

"Why?!" I yelled over the chaos. "Why aren't you doing anything?!"

Ash's expression was mournful. "Because this is the past. We can't do anything here. I'm showing you so you can understand. Come."

I followed behind as we picked through the wreckage of the houses. I still didn't completely trust him, but seeing as I had no other option, I stuck close. Predators moved past, but none acknowledged us.

We reached the center of the town, where a raven stood, a wooden plank in his hand. The predators closed in and Ash from the past narrowed his eyes. He took in the destruction around him and his rage seemed to consume him. Just as the Predators rushed at him, he unleashed a tornado of wind that completely vaporized the Predators.

Ash's eyes glowed a blinding white. His eyes raked once over the now burning town. Grief was etched in his expression but was soon smoothed over with determination. Then he shifted and took off, flying far faster than a normal Avian should have been able to.

But then again, he wasn't normal, and neither was I.

The present Ash kept his eyes on his past self, looking pained. He swept his arm to one side, and the scenery shifted.

We stood knee-deep in the snow, the wind howling around us. Ash and I watched as his past self struggled up the mountainside. Ash started narrating.

"I had managed to escape with scrolls containing knowledge of our current situation. Based on what I knew from the Predator's whispering, they were headed for you next. So I went to find the camp as fast as possible."