Dododex
ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion
Creatures of Nightmares
Chapter 32 (this is real commitment for me lol)
“We need to get a move on.” Jane said, putting her hands on her hips.
Prince was sleeping shakily, his wound slowly leaking blood through the bandages.
Astra looked at Prince, then back at Jane. “Are you suggesting we leave him? Leave a prophecy wolf? Are you crazy?”
Jane huffed. “What else are we meant to do?”
“I don’t know, maybe have some patience?” Astra replied.
“It’s been two weeks now,” Pax said. “We have to figure out something.”
Ridley was trying to stay out of the conversation, but finally stepped in. “I can try to manipulate and make it like he has no wound. Then we could chase down a myth.”
“A myth?” Astra asked.
“Yes. The myth of the swamp.”
“…”
“Legend says there is some kind of weed in the swamp that heals. If we could get it, we may be able to get back on track with our mission to visit the Cloud Kingdom and save the Carnivore Island wolves.”
###
KJ got his humans healed. He began making ascended items.
At night, the man appeared to him to give orders.
“You are to follow the wolf-humans. Take them down, one by one. If you fail to do so, the consequences may be severe. Adira is giving you much control on this mission. You may do as you wish, but you must take them down.”
The man disappeared.
KJ smirked.
“Wonder how they’d feel from death.. by a blood wyvern.”
###
Prince was awake and leaning against the wall.
“How would it feel as a wolf?” Ridley asked.
Prince shrugged and Ridley lifted the manipulation.
Prince, as a wolf, stood on shaky legs.
“Perhaps we should be wolves,” Prince said. “The humans haven’t seen us, except for Reign and Astra, as wolves.”
Ridley made them all wolves, except for Jane. Jane decided to stay a human, and she could. Somehow, she had made herself a human, and did not want to be a wolf.
Astra yelped and stumbled. “Just when I got used to two legs..”
“We have to travel in groups of three. That’s how direwolves travel. How about Reign and Jane come with me?”
“Sure,” Reign said, stretching her fluffy wings and walking over to Ridley.
Jane followed.
Pax walked over to Astra and Prince, his eyes gleaming.
“You all know where the swamp is?” Asked Ridley.
Pax nodded.
“You’ve been to the swamp?”
“Yeah. I’ve sped up time and ran over there. It’s a bit nasty for a wolf..”
Ridley walked out with Jane and Reign.
“..that’s it? We just go?” Prince asked, wincing from his wound.
“Yep,” Ridley replied.
The three wolves walked out too and saw Ridley and the others disappear behind a tree.
“So.. this feels like Deja vu.” Pax said.
“We should get going,” Astra said.
Pax led the way while Astra leaned against Prince, making sure he wouldn’t fall.
###
It became night.
Reign was asleep. They had made a fire.
Ridley was going to talk to Jane.
He manipulated himself into a human and watched her gaze at the moon.
“Jane..”
“Save it.” She snapped, giving him a side eye.
“Can you let me talk for a second?”
“Why should I? Don’t you know why I became a human and found KJ on another island and joined him? I had to get rid of the past! I had to forget how you broke my heart!”
“Jane.. I’m sorry. I don’t know what made me go to Adira. You were the person I loved.” Ridley saw tears form in her eyes.
“Just stop. Forget it. You’ve lost your chance with me.”
She turned around and laid down.
Ridley laid down too, stopping his manipulation as a human.
It would take a while for him to regain Jane’s trust.
###
Astra created an ice shelter for the three of them, and they laid down inside.
“I don’t know what Ridley was thinking, but I’m not sure I should travel.” Prince said, closing his eyes in pain.
Pax nodded.
Astra thought with her mind to connect with Ridley.
She was in darkness. Memories flooded in her mind as she yelled, “Ridley!”
He appeared as a translucent wolf.
“Yeah, I just now realized I didn’t manipulate Prince’s wound to stop hurting..”
“So..?” Astra said, urging him to continue speaking.
Prince had fallen asleep.
“One of you will have to stay with him. And it has to be Astra.”
“Because I don’t know the way to the swamp..”
“Yep,” Ridley said, then sat down and looked away. He then muttered, “Sorry for messing things up.” He stop connecting.
“Poor guy. Probably still feels bad..” Pax said. Then he huffed. “I will leave in the morning.”
Astra curled up, thinking of Apollo.
Wasn’t there a way he could be back? Could the weed from the swamp work for him?
###
A wolf was sneaking around. It creeped around the human civilization, sticking its nose into the air. -Other wolves have been here..- the wolf thought, walking KJ intently from the shadows. -what are you planning..?-
-DiploLover24