Chapter 128 - Wolf

"Guys, I'm afraid we can't leave this town yet. The headmaster just told me about a wolf roaming around this place every night and taking children away, one by one. Their local team of 'Superheroes' has already been dispatched in here but they couldn't seem to determine when and where exactly the wolf attacks despite their guards up. I don't think we can just leave this town without doing anything. Those children need our help!" Venedette said urgently after arriving beside her team.

But instead of enthusiastic remarks like what Venedette was expecting, she was met with groans and complaints about how they really need to go back to the yacht right now except for Gem and Fily who were just silently pondering about what Venedette said.

"Hey! This is not why I brought you guys to this trip. Being a member of Leviathan, we must always extend our help to those in need and help them in every possible way that we can, be it small or big. I don't want to hear another complaint from you so stand up and follow me. We're going to save people like the real superheroes that we are." Venedette's leadership kicked in, making Gem admire her even more.

"Have they seen this wolf yet?" Fily asked while hopping to catch up to Venedette and Gem who were both marching like soldiers with confidence and elegance on while Von and Lei were just as tired as they could look like behind the two..

"That's another thing, they haven't seen what the wolf looks like and where he lives."

"Is it a guy? Do we have a profile of him?"

"As I've said, there's nothing on him."

"But why do they call him a wolf?" Gem asked the same question that Fily was trying to say.

"Because the people said they hear howls at night whenever kids disappear."

"That's it?" Fily said while thinking about all the plausible answers to this mystery.

"Why would a wolf kidnap kids? We should look for their motive first."

"The local team already did that and there's no connection with the kids kidnapped at all, also, the wolf actually leaves trails but in the middle of the woods, those trails suddenly disappear as if the wolf disappears with it."

"A disappearing wolf," Gem pondered and remembered her skill, Solitude. "Could it be?"

"And one last thing, since you're also kids and most likely will be nominated as the wolf's next target, I ask you all not to wander around on your own. We will be staying in a hotel-manor owned by a friend of mine in the village but please be careful. We don't want to lose a member even before our first actual mission together in Edelweiss." Venedette announced while watching her kids follow her like she's pied piper.

***

"A wolf that disappears randomly with a kidnapped kid. Where could they bring the kids? And what if it's not actually a wolf?" Fily voiced her opinions to her roommates, Gem and Petunia who were still asleep at the moment.

"What if it has the same ability as me, Solitude?" Gem also pitched in her idea.

"Eyy, that's impossible. Didn't your skill only came with the Salamandite as a secret skill set?"

"Yes, but what if?"

"That's very unlikely. Say, what about a human that can transform into a wolf? Or was it just a fake that the kidnapper wants these villagers to believe?"

"That could also be the case. But why? Why would this human-wolf kidnap children and disappear at night?"

"Could it be that it's hungry?" Fily offered another possibility.

"That's the most plausible answer as of now. But what if the children he kidnapped are still alive and just waiting for help?"

"Do you think it'll visit tonight?" Fily asked while brushing her hair.

"When was the last time it visited again?"

"Last last night."

"And before that?"

"I think it skips a night every time," Fily said after realizing why Gem was asking those questions.

"So it may show up tonight." Gem concluded. "Have the villagers tried setting up a fake and baiting this wolf into a trap?"

"I don't think so. The local team doesn't have enough people and a volunteer to be a trap."

"Should I volunteer?" Gem said while thinking really hard about it. "I won't die anyway."

"Up to you." Fily shrugged and proceeded with fixing Gem's clothes.

Since they were staying in a hotel-manor, the owner requested to be in their presence at dinner to say his gratitude for their help offering and so the girls have to dress up nicely as well as the boys.

"As long as it's not Von who gets kidnapped…" Gem whispered to herself which Fily heard.

"Why Von?"

"B-Because he can't fight the wolf. He's weak and he's probably just going to fly away from it." Gem answered nervously which Fily just laughed upon.

"You're attracted to Von?!" 

"N-No! What are you saying? I'm just worried about him."

"And how about me? You're not worried about me?" Fily said, guilt-tripping her.

"Of course I am! But I'm sure you can just outsmart that wolf." Gem said and covered her blushing face with her new purple hair.

"What happened to your hair, by the way? It used to be glowing in blue but now it's just a shiny, deep purple."

"Ah, I saw a painting outside of a girl with the same purple hair so I tried to copy it."

"Why?"

"It just looks cool," Gem said and shrugged while wearing her dolly shoes.

"The owner of this house really gave us the best of the best dresses out there, huh?" Fily said while looking at Gem's solid doll dress in black with butterfly and shimmer design on the inside of the shorter skirt in front and long at the back with a big ribbon as the upper part that wrapped around Gem's front and shoulders to the back. It was off-shoulder and the color was just an elegant combination of black and stars like the galaxy with gold and hidden flower patterns inside.

"Your hair fits it well," Fily said.

"And so do you," Gem said with a smile that almost reached her ears by seeing Fily in a gold and red thin dress with a lot of huge accessories such as the wide necklace made in gold that fit Fily's color really well.

"It's the first time I've seen your hair let down and not braided. It's beautiful." Gem said, admiring the fact that Fily's natural hair color suits her very well.

"Let's go?"

"Okay," Gem said and left Petunia to sleep peacefully in the room by herself.