Chapter 102: Ren Saving Kestrel
Maestas had really bad luck on this trip. On his way back, they ran into the ambush of bandits.
While they were driving past old ruins, strange desert rats with wings jumped out from the sandy buildings. They flew between the old, broken bridges, making big dust clouds.
Looking out, Maestas saw the tall old buildings and thought, "What a great time that must’ve been. What made it all end?"
The world now was sad. There wasn’t much left: Machines were old, and almost everyone found it hard to live.
Deep in thought, Maestas saw a red light in a far-off broken building’s window.
"There’s someone there! It’s a trap!" His heart raced. He tried to turn the car, but it was too late. They were stuck.
The bad guys had scary flags with skulls. Guns pointed out of every window, even big rocket guns. Maestas and his group couldn’t fight back because they only had one hurt alpha with them.
They couldn’t run, so Maestas and some passengers got out to talk.
He had driven this way for twenty years and knew the local bandit groups. This group they ran into wasn’t the strongest, but they were really mean.
"We’ll give you all our weapons, money, and go away. Just let us go," Maestas said, trying to keep calm.
"Weapons, money, and the women," a skinny man in a coat said. He sat on some old stones, drinking from a metal bottle.
Hearing "women" scared Maestas. There weren’t many women with them, mostly older ones, except for two young girls. One of the girls was very special. Thinking about her, Maestas felt very sad. He knew what these bad men might do.
He thought of a girl he knew, like a sister to him. She had dark skin, and she was smart and worked hard. They bought this bus together. But one day, some bad guys like these took her away.
Since then, Maestas kept driving on this road for twenty years, hoping to see her again. But twenty years went by with no sign of her.
Maestas stepped forward, his heart heavy with desperation. "Look, I’ve got plenty of money. And there’s this special energy stone on my bus. I’m giving it to you as a sign of respect. Just let the people go," he said, trying to sound hopeful. Maybe these bad guys would show a tiny bit of kindness.
"My vehicle only has some older ladies. They’re no trouble," he hinted, hoping the young girl would get the message and hide herself.
But the man standing higher up, coldly said, holding a bottle, "Every woman stays, no matter how old."
Some guys with weapons laughed from behind him. "Don’t worry about what we have planned for them."
Maestas felt a lump in his throat, realizing the danger the women on his bus were in. If he got out of this alive, it’d be a miracle. These ladies would probably end up in some terrible situation, lost forever, like his friend.
He felt trapped and helpless, thinking that the world was such a messed-up place, and many good folks suffered because of it.
Gathering his bravery, he was about to say something more when a shiny beer bottle came flying from the man’s hand. The gold-colored liquid drenched his light-colored hair.
He braced for the sound of the bottle crashing, sure that the bad guys would be on them any second. But to his surprise, there was no crash.
Beer dripping from his face, Maestas saw a hand in a sleek black glove grab the bottle out of the air and set it down softly.
Everything became a blur for a moment. By the time he could see clearly again, everything had changed.
Ren was now in control, pointing a weapon right at the bandit boss.
His outer coat was gone, showing off a tight black shirt that emphasized his strong build. The steel of his gun forced the once-scary leader down to his knees.
The leader’s men, strong and rough, were gasping, holding their bleeding necks.
These bandits, who had hurt so many people, were now getting a taste of their own medicine. They dropped one after another, faces full of shock.
In just a flash, Ren had put an end to five of them with unbelievable skill.
Ren stood poised with a gun in one hand, and his other hand held a short blade tightly, its sharp edge stained and dripping with fresh blood.
In one swift motion, he had ended five lives. His fingers that held the trigger didn’t even flinch. As the thick blood flowed from the fallen, it gathered in puddles around Ren’s feet. He walked through them, his face as cold and impassive as ice-covered ocean.
He was the ultimate warrior - silent, deadly, and efficient. In a heartbeat, he could pull the trigger again and end another life.
The bandit leader, now silenced by the barrel of the gun in his mouth, shivered in terror. The only thing he could do was hold his hands together, pleading.
"Get your men out," Ren’s voice was commanding, pressing the gun a little deeper. "No noise. And if you make any unnecessary sounds, I’ll end you."
The bandit leader, understanding the urgency and severity of Ren’s threat, nodded rapidly. He got a chance to live as the cold gun was gently removed from his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his walkie-talkie and whispered orders for a retreat.
Hidden weapons from various points were quickly pulled back.
The large bus roared back to life and sped away.
Once they were a safe distance away, the shaken passengers began to process what had happened. And to their surprise, a girl in the front seat, right behind the driver, was fast asleep, seemingly unaware of the danger they’d just escaped.
Next to her, where the fierce alpha had sat, a small orca was positioned, using Ren’s coat as padding. It supported the girl’s head, trying to keep it steady. This creature was Ren’s psychic incarnation, representing his strength and skill in battle as an alpha. To most people, it was a mysterious and rare sight, but right now, it simply acted as a comfy pillow for a sleeping girl.
"Is that an orca?"
"I’ve only ever seen one on TV."
"It’s so adorable. Look at its little round face! Doesn’t look scary at all," The passengers whispered among themselves, sneaking glances at it.
Ren returned to his seat, covered in the blood of the recent battle, emanating a dangerous vibe. He glanced coldly at his orca, which seemed to disregard him, playfully flipping onto its back.
Beside him, the sleeping Kestrel, stirred a little, hugging the orca’s tail and deepening her sleep.
The small orca opened its mouth, showing off its sharp teeth and pink tongue, and let out a gentle, playful sound.
The bus was alive with hushed conversations.
"Oh, it’s so adorable!"
"It’s like a cartoon character."
"Is that supposed to be a weapon? Looks more like a fluffy toy."
"He can’t even get it to listen to him."
Despite their amusement, none of the passengers dared speak loudly because of the intimidating presence of the alpha who had just proven his deadly skills.
Eventually, the orca moved to make room for Ren, swinging its tail as it did so. It then swam gracefully out of the window, and as it was exposed to the outside air, it began to grow. From a plushie-sized creature, it expanded to the size of the bus, and then even larger. Its sharp, blade-like dorsal fin became even more prominent as it headed back to the area they had just fled.
The bus continued its journey through the eerily silent ruins. Sounds of gunfire occasionally echoed from behind them, but these noises soon faded. The massive orca returned, its teeth stained with fresh blood, causing a shiver to run down the spines of all the passengers.
Driver Maestas, upon seeing the orca gliding beside them, silently wiped away a tear. Two decades had passed. He hadn’t reunited with that old friend of his, but he took solace in witnessing karma in action against those bad guys.
With the colossal orca guarding them, the rest of their journey was uneventful. Any mutated creatures in their path were scared off, and the lurking bandits remained hidden.
As the moonlit night took over, Kestrel finally woke up from her slumber, yawning and stretching.
"Feels like we’ve had a really smooth ride," she remarked to Ren, recalling the many dangers she had faced on her previous trip from the Tower. This return trip was a stark contrast.
"We’ve been fortunate," Ren replied quietly, rubbing his shoulder discreetly when she turned to look out the window.
Kestrel felt a change in the mood. Everyone on the bus, including the driver, now regarded her with a mixture of fear, surprise, and awe.
Perplexed, she wondered why she was receiving such looks. After all, she’d been asleep for most of the journey.
Her lively tendrils, now fully energized, playfully reacted to the sight of the orca swimming beside the bus.
"Look, the big fish!"
"It’s back!"
"Hey there, big fish."
"Sweetie."
"My precious."
"Let’s play together?"
The bus, with its unique silhouette, moved along the desolate landscape under the moon’s glow. The massive orca gracefully swam in the air next to it, surrounded by pink tendrils that joyously wrapped around and playfully interacted with it.
In the midst of this peculiar scene, the beautiful melodies of whale songs resonated in the cold, starlit night.
