Fight I

SINBAD My dad led the way down the feral holding. I followed behind the heirs. Logan had dark circles around his eyes. I didn't want to ask why. He would probably say he didn't sleep well and I knew the fault would lie in our pack. As for Garsam, he looked okay. With a baggy hoodie, dark jeans and black sneakers, he really didn't look like I thought a Royal would. He seemed quite casual. The pathway to the feral holding was hurriedly cleaned up last night. We usually didn't care for how it looked but now that a royal was here, we can't afford to be seen as inhospitable. The stairway looked more comely. I glanced at my dad. He looked tired. A low level wolf would be in danger cleaning up this place so as Alpha he must have supervised the whole thing, and made sure no ferals attacked. I don't know why he didn't ask for my help. Although I didn't have the ultimate Alpha power, as heir I still had a bit of it, and that put me above the rest. But for some reason he always had trouble trusting me in anything remotely dangerous. The third elder came along. But the Alpha of Silver wolf pack, Logan's father, didn't follow. We didn't see him this morning. The third elder later informed us that he was gone because he had some business to deal with. Lawfully it was not right, or safe to let the Alpha of another pack move around in one's pack as he wished. Then again, I'm not looking down on my pack but we really have nothing he would be interested to snatch, so, we let him be. A dank smell alerted me to the fact that my dad had unlocked the door. I was at alert. The two heirs leisurely strolled in after my dad. I wondered if they had no fear because they trusted in their strength or because they didn't know just how dangerous ferals can be. Have they even seen a feral before? I resisted the urge to ask. It would not be polite. And I would not like it to come off as me looking down on them. No need for unnecessary tension because of curiosity. Anyway, my father and I are here to make sure not a hair on their head is touched. I sighed. Who knew I would one day end up as a bodyguard. I rolled my eyes at my thought. "Be careful" Father said. "It gets slippery from here on" The holding was brightly lit. An incandescent light bulb hung on the high ceiling. There were other light source on the walls but they were all gone. The ferals have consumed them. The ones on the ceiling were spared because they were too high. But the deep and numerous claw marks I could see on the walls showed that the ferals did try to get at them. Logan was the first to speak "Where are they?" "Well, during the day they gain a bit of awareness" I spoke before father could, he glanced at me and I gave a small smile. I got this. "Awareness?" "Yeah...they don't return to normal but they shed a greater part of their violent exterior, they will attack if provoked but not otherwise" A low voice spoke "Yet you still keep them locked up?" I turned to Garsam. He stood at a corner seemingly studying a particularly large patch of blood on the wall. My tone was a bit forceful when I replied "Even in their half aware state they are still dangerous" He didn't seem to be listening to me. He raised a gloved finger and traced the blood patch. Then he looked around. "Did a feral die here?" "Yes" father answered. "A few weeks ago there was a breakout. We were checking to see how many escaped when we found the body, it was a woman and...she was pregnant" I blinked. What? I didn't know this. I looked at father but he avoided my gaze. "How is that possible?" Logan began "I thought ferals become black mangy demons, so how did you know it was female and much less a pregnant one" Father nodded in affirmation "They do become mutated but it was easy to tell as her middle was swollen and" at this point he paused and frowned imperceptibly it seemed like he didn't want to continue. "And?" Logan urged "Well, the child in her womb was also affected by the Feral curse, by the look of the body it seems like the child tried to claw it's way out of her" at the end dad looked visibly upset. Even I felt sick. A low chuckle made my head turn. Garsam patted the blood patch "I guess the pain of a child clawing through one's womb was too much, even for a feral" he pointed at the blood "she smashed her head to commit suicide" he sounded certain "Ah..." Was my dad's reply. I looked at the blood and tried not to imagine the pain the feral must have gone through. I blinked and turned away. It's better not to think of these things. It will only serve to distract me. Besides ferals were a lost cause. Even if I wanted to help there was nothing to be done. Knock. Knock. I turned my head at the sound. Logan leaned against a small door at the end of the large room, fist raised he knocked again "Are they here?" "Yes they are" my dad quickly walked to his side "it is best not to disturb them" "Why?" Logan's eyes widened and he whispered "what are they doing?" I answered "the ferals sleep during the day and wake at night" "Ah" Logan slowly nodded "like proper wolves. They're nocturnal" "I won't say proper" He scoffed but didn't reply. He cast a contemplative glance at the door before walking away. I sighed in relief. For a moment I thought the heir would ask for the door to be opened. "Why not just get rid of them?" What? Garsam tugged his hoodie lower. "Why not just set the room on fire right now and kill them all" Somehow it strangely sounded more like a suggestion than a question. I frowned in confusion. Because it really is confusing! One moment he's standing forlornly like he's about to mourn the death of a feral who killed herself from pain. And the next moment he asks us to burn the sleeping and defenceless ferals to death! "No!" "No" Father and I spoke at the same time. I stepped back and father continued "that will be murder your highness!" His tone was firm. "But they can't be saved so why bother?" "It does not mean their live are worthless" "But it means exactly that" Neither backed down. Garsam straightened his figure. "Open the door" The hell? "You can not kill them!" I almost yelled. He was definitely sick in the head. Why else will he want to murder a roomful of people. Although these feral have killed and caused devastation, it was no fault of theirs! He cast me a glance that can at best be disdainful. "I can, infact kill them" he turned away with a bored look "but I won't, instead I wish to analyse our differences in strength" Does he mean? "Prince Garsam" my father called, there was a trace of Alpha aura in his tone "a seasoned warrior in our pack can barely suppress a feral in rage! It is much too dangerous and my humble pack can not bear the consequences of you getting hurt... Or worse dying" With a flourish his hoodie was tossed away, revealing slender neck attached to a pretty face. He curled his lips in a sneer "Alpha, you seem to have forgotten who I am and my strength" "Pray tell who is a mere pack warrior in comparison to me?" Father opened his mouth to protest but kept quiet. I turned to Logan hoping he would convince his friend. He shrugged with a helpless look. But the glint in his eyes and the faint aura of hostility alerted me that he would be more than happy to egg Garsam on into danger. "Right" Garsam spoke "open the door now will you" Father did.