Rescue Mission
"What kind?"
"The life and death kind. She went camping with her parents and was attacked. She's missing with a few people. Police can't seem to find them."
"If I had gone with her, I could've prevented this. She offered for me to go along, but I-"
"Idiot, I didn't come telling you so you could start crying all over me, you pathetic life form."
"Wait, how did you know what happened?"
"What makes you think you could've helped anyway? Last time you spent the night in a forest you're the one who needed help."
"Shut up, Stupido."
"The police are on it, but how 'bout we go ourselves?"
"I'm in. Are Aquila and Ursus aware?"
"You are the first one I've told. Let's hurry up and come back before it's us they start searching for."
They left the room and moved out. Back on the forest surface, Heat walked behind Supido.
"You know how to get to the Kami forest, right?"
"Yeah. There's a path through our forest and over the highway."
"Great. Let's transform and get there faster."
Supido chuckled. "You think that's what's gonna get you there faster?"
"Stop laughing, Stupido. It's not like we can use your car."
"Of 'course not. It's awful slow."
"Sports cars worth the lifetime salary of most people are not awful slow. I can guarantee you that."
"Yeah, yeah, you keep saying that. Are you ready?"
"For what?"
Supido grabbed Heat's shoulder; when he let go, Heat found himself falling forward. In just the nick of time, he managed to regain his balance. He held his hand over his mouth.
"Why do I feel nauseous?"
"Really? You do? Dude, you have a long way to go."
It was then that Heat started to realize he was not in the same place as before.
"Are we-?"
"Yup."
"Did we-"
"Nope. It's called transportation. We use spa to move very fast, sometimes so fast it feels like teleportation."
"What about the nauseous part of things?"
"Yeah, that just happens to weaklings."
"Ha. Funny."
"So, do you feel anything?"
Heat shut his eyes and focused on his hands on the ground. He felt human footprints near a clearing and signaled to Supido. Together, they headed there.
"These footprints belong to Zainab's parents or some other couple," Supido said.
"How can you tell?"
"First, 'because I belong to a higher species, second, that specie is a wolf amen which means way superior eyesight and smell compared to your snakes. I already know Zainab's scent and hers is none of these two."
The look on Supido's face changed.
"What's wrong?"
"Extra scents just ahead, aside the original two. They aren't human. That means-"
"Mad men took them?!" Heat tried to throw in a joke.
"What?" Supido turned to Heat. "No, idiot! It's amen."
"I already know that. I just tried to bring a moment of fun."
"Word of advice: Never go into comedy, stick to books. Unless they have to do with comedy. Also, stop fake smiling – you suck at it. Don't worry; we'll find your girlfriend."
"Hater."
"Where are the police?"
"If you are such a great wolf amen, use your nose."
"I can't. If I do that, I would be sending my spa in that direction, and the amen around might capture my spa if they have a good enough sensory type amen with them."
Heat placed his palms on the ground and shut his eyes.
"I'm getting about slightly above a dozen deep prints; they should belong to police dudes."
"A dozen huh? That was quick. What did Zainab say her parents do?"
"Nothing. She didn't say."
"Well, I have unfortunate news; the people who kidnapped them are amen."
"How can you tell?"
Supido sighed. "Long story."
"You know what this means right?"
"Yeah, they want me. No problem."
"Yes problem, because you are-"
"What?! Vital to winning some war?!"
"No, you idiot! You are having little siblings to take care of!"
"How come you guys don't talk about the war with me again?"
"Go ask them, dummy."
"I hope you don't expect me to sit down here and do nothing as you go rescue them."
"Of course not. I don't know the type of people I am going to face yet. I might need a scapegoat." Supido was silent for a while. "Don't worry I've got a plan," he said with a grin.