Part 9 Run!

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Run → Awolnation

Hanul (after getting of the taxi)

Running through the woods I realized a few things simultaneously. Firstly, I can see very well in this darkness, it almost looks like daylight, and secondly, it was extremely quiet.

I stopped for a second to listen. Why was there no night noise? I felt all the hair on the back of my neck standing UP. What is this feeling? Am I being watched?

I turned around as a soft breeze caressed my face, it did not only bring me the strong smell of a predator, but also a quiet command in an Alpha voice.

"Run!"

On instinct my body obeyed the command, and I ran. I felt the person breathing down my neck, seeming to get his rock off chasing me. I reached the edge of a cliff and only then became aware of the waterfall. Stepping onto the flat rocks visible through the rushing waters, I looked down to judge my escape route.

"Hanul, please don't." I whipped my head around when I heard Minho's voice. Was he the one chasing me just now? No.... It was not him, the vibe I got from the person chasing me was more menacing.

I asked Minho how he found me, and he told me about the tracking devices in our wedding bands. Did he know where Lilly and I were this entire time? I took the ring off my finger and threw it in his face. With satisfaction I saw it left a thin bloody cut on his cheek.

He started to try and convince me to go with him, but neither Nexial nor I trusted him. The last bit of my sanity snapped as I interrupted him with a diabolical laugh. Wanting and desperately needing him to tell me why I should put my life in his hands.

A glint in the distance off to my right caught my eye, and time slowed down. That glint was the flash of a sniper rifle being fired.

Nexial also saw the flash.

"Hanul, do you trust me?" The dragon asked.

I knew that I'm going to die, he might be my only hope. "Yes, I trust you"

"The impact is going to hurt but I will not let you die. I will guard your body, mind and soul even if you lose consciousness."

I braced myself for the impact and turned my eyes to Minho. My face did not express shock or betrayal but rather a smirk with a look that said, "I told you" Before the impact flung me over the waterfall.

I looked at my shirt seeing the blood spread like a blooming flower, my body hit the water in the pool at the bottom. The mist from the water obscured Minho's anguished filled face, as I felt the bones in my body shatter.

Why am I still feeling pain, I was shot through the heart, a kill shot. Am I not dead? This was the last thought that went through my mind as my head hit a rock and blackness surrounded me.

The moment Hanul lost consciousness Nexial partially shifted to heal most of the broken bones. The vortex in the pool dragged them under into the underground river. Nexial sealed off Hanul's lungs so that he doesn't inhale the water.

After about three minutes they were spat out into another pool of water. Nexial doggie paddled to the surface, using the minimum movements to prevent further injury to Hanul's body.

Nexial managed to stop the bullet from going through the heart, but it is still lodged in there, thus making it very dangerous to do a complete shift. The bullet must have been laced with dragon's claw, because Nexial can't stop the bleeding. They need help, at this rate Hanul will bleed to death.

Taking stock of his surroundings Nexial saw that they were in a cave, this should be about 3-5km from the waterfall. They were safe here.

Taking complete control of Hanul's body, Nexial moved them to the rocky shore and out of the water. Using a stalagmite to prop them up, Nexial turned his head to the side and saw a beam of moonlight, hoping that it was a way out of the cave, he got up very slowly.

The movement agitated the wound in his chest and fresh blood started pouring out again. Using the tatters of the shirt and hoody Hanul was wearing, Nexial pressed it over the wound to stem the blood flow.

Nexial knew that they had to fly to Jade city, he just hoped that they make it before he lost consciousness as well. With this resolve Nexial moved to the mouth of the cave. Regaining his sense of direction, he called his wings and took off, he should reach his destination in about 2 hours.