Reborn again to change WHAT?

Chapter 11

My horse refused to go beyond the foot of the mountain so I could only tie her to a nearby tree and walk the rest. The dense grey mist hid the blue trees and I was grateful for the thick coat Penny gave me as the cold kept increasing, as I went deeper up the hill.

I stopped and widened my eyes to look at the creature in front of me. It was a huge white wolf towering above me and blowing puffs of smoke from its nostrils. I had read about these creatures when I practiced Beast Taming magic in my previous life. The best option would be never to meet this creature, the second best would be to die if you meet one.

Slowly I took a step forward and it growled in a low undertone. It was more menacing than an actual loud growl enough to echo through the forest. The chattering of birds and insects somehow made me feel that the forest had woken up. Possibly something had triggered the giant creatures in their dormancy to wake up. Though intruders are not welcome or enough to disrupt the usual rhythm still I do not think two boys hiking up the mountain alone could wake up all the creatures...I mean wake up the entire forest...literally all of them.

I stretched my hand slowly muttering a spell. Taming magic could hold this creature back for a while till I found a way to escape. But as it began to calm down I heard another rustle of leaves and turned to see a giant tigress with wings, growling angrily as it failed to pounce on me who was off guard. 

The wolf began to get distracted an angry at the intrusion and another competitor to its prey. I threw a small smoke bomb to distract them and kept running.

I found a small gap in a large trunk and hid inside. Still the two creatures had followed me and were sniffing about to catch my scent. I had to find Derek and it would be impossible if these two kept following me. And... They didn't end up being the only problem.... I heard several other thumping sounds and almost fainted when I saw a group of twenty or so giant creatures emerging from the mist and from behind trees. The whole forest was indeed awake and getting out was almost an impossible question.

There was no other way and I had to get out. Gathering some courage I came to face the growls and snarls. Calmly I closed my eyes and continued to say the spell. I remembered my Professor had taught me to think of the animals as smaller creatures and it will be easier to dominate them in my mind. I also wanted them to go back to their sleeping habitats and stop bothering me. I wanted to show clearly, I was not going to hurt them.

'Please go back...I do not want to hurt you. The forest will be your protector'  I kept thinking as I felt the sounds ceasing and the creatures slowly stepped back and disappeared into the mist. I was exhausted so I sat on the ground for a while before starting to look for Derek.

Sensing the now calm forest I hiked up further feeling grateful to my boots which I had decided to wear the last minute.
The path continued to become clearer as I aimlessly went forward as if I was being swerved to a specific direction.

(Derek's pov)

The blood was beginning to darken further. My arm was feeling numb and my head was being hammered with a headache.
Vague memories of her lovely smile and the final desperate pleading to come back safely kept recurring to my mind. I felt my eyes dropping heavily and the low roof of the cave seemed to grow closer to me as if to crush me underneath it.

---flashback start------

Holding onto my bleeding arm I stared at the endless horizon where the blazing fires reached the sky. 'Crack'
'Bang'
Continously the shots fired around me. My most loyal subordinate rushed to me gripping to his rifle.

"Chief! Bad news...Its... Its Lady Edith... House Whittling was raided two days ago. Duke Basilisk had invaded the place under Regal orders."

My own rifle slipped from my hand. Jake quickly pulled me to the side as I stood in a daze, just as the bullet almost hit my chest. His action pulled my mind out of the stupor and I could only think of going back to see her.