Balto (New Adventure)

Chapter 5 – The Guardian

 

The beach felt in silent as the three wolves started scanning their new enemy, hoping that they would find the weakness of the one that had beaten them. Observing for a while, they started to move again, preparing their strategy to fight back.

Balto and Kodi who was behind Alex, felt amazed by the way he was appearing before. The way he lunged to the wolves, even they didn’t see it clearly, was marvelous. Even he was outnumbered, he was succeed to beat them.

"Thank you, Alex," Balto said, standing weakly with help from Kodi, "Be careful! They are very dangerous."

Hearing it, Alex just smiled back, giving Balto and Kodi a warm feeling. Meanwhile, both of them just fell in silent, wondering what he meant about it. Slowly, they backed away from the battle.

The situation became unpredictable for everyone now. Without risking the chance, the wolves that remained silent before, were getting ready to launch their paws again. They seemed to have an additional target now, gazing sharply at Alex. Time sure was terrifying to all of them, and without warning, three wolves that were surrounding Alex was lunging forward.

 

"Watch out!" Kodi shouted, horror in his eyes.

The attack seemed giving no chance for Alex to escape, just letting him to see the rest of his life before being lunged in pain. But, what Kodi thought was different, completely not same.

Alex, knowing it would happen, he soon span around his body quickly, circling himself. His action, by the way, wasn’t predicted by the enemy, making them shocked by his barrier. The impact itself made them who supposed to end his life, turning back to them due to the speed that he had made. Being thrown away, they fell far from him.

The wolves began to stand up to their feet again, dazed from the impact. They were very shocked, feeling that they almost hit him, but all of sudden, they were smashed away only on spinning move by their new enemy. Confused, they then believed that this one couldn’t be defeated easily, even they combined their powers.

 

"Wow…," Kodi was amazed, "It was so great and cool."

"Yeah…," Balto added, "I agree with you."

Instead of smiling back to both of them, Alex just still gave a serious look to his enemy. Even he had beaten them, still, he would never underestimate them. They just might come into something unpredictable if he let his guard down to this situation.

"Run now…," he started, ordering Balto and Kodi, "I will protect you."

"But, we just can’t leave you here alone," Balto replied, "You might…"

Before Balto could finish the sentence, Alex turned around to them. Gazing, Balto knew he meant it by looking his eyes.

"Just go…," Alex cut off, "Leave them to me."

Silent at them, they nodded then, understanding what he ordered for their safety. They started to leave, even just slowly while the wolves could only grit their teeth, thinking they had already failure.

"Not so fast," someone interrupted from somewhere.

"That’s voice…," Alex thought, startled.

 

From beside, a brown wolf suddenly lunged forward at him, trying to get him right now. Alex was shocked at first, facing that unexpected attack from close distance, but fortunately, he quickly jumped away, leaping to beside in right time.

Slowly but sure, Alex regained his balance, standing carefully. The brown wolf, by the way, just gave him a smile, an evil one. Rising his head, he gazed at Alex and his target who were still trying to walk away from there. The situation became uncontrollable now.

"I told you," he started, glaring, "I will be back."

Balto and Kodi became more confused than before now. They were sure they hadn’t met already, but it seemed this wolf had known them better than they thought.

"What’s the matter, Alex?" the brown wolf asked, gazing at him, "Why you don’t say anything?"

Alex, by the time he was hearing it, felt surprised a little, not knowing why he had already known his name. But, instead of thinking it, he then just focused all of his attention to the situation.

"Oh, I know…," the brown wolf spook again, "You must be surprised to see me again."

"How do you know my name?" Alex replied, "I thought I haven’t introduced myself to you."

"Maybe, you don’t know this, but…," he answered, grinning, "I spied you yesterday."

Alex began seeing the past in his mind. He remembered back the strange things that happened yesterday, racing his own memory. Somehow, he found a clue of when his enemy did it.

"At evening…," he replied, giving an answer.

Grinning evilly, the brown wolf just gave him a smile, the wicked one.

 

"What…," Balto began confused, "What is the meaning of this?"

Still, the brown wolf smiled, a wicked grin from his face that was showing to Balto that he wasn’t joking around. Slowly, the smile faded and was replaced by silent.

"You haven’t known it, have you, Balto?" he started, "That your friend is your guardian."

"My guardian?" Balto gave him a confused look.

"Yes," he replied, "The guardian is someone who will protect the other one with all of their life…"

"Even it means death too," Alex suddenly interrupted, adding the statement.

Balto remained silent, but still, his mind was racing through this to get the explanations. However, he couldn’t get it, only pretending to understand that he could show now.

"You shouldn’t be here," Alex started, threatening his enemy to leave.

"Why is that?" the brown wolf asked, snickering, "I had told you before that I would come back."

"So, if you still insisted…," Alex replied, assuming the position, "I had no choice."

"So be it," he answered, laughing.

 

The battle couldn’t be avoided again. Each of them prepared their move, thinking about how they would attack and defense themselves. A small move would be a start for everyone.

"Attack, now!" the brown wolf shouted loudly.

Three wolves that was behind him in silent, suddenly rushed and lunged forward. Instead of attacking Alex, they just passed him, running to different target. Alex, seeing an unusual move of them, knew where they were heading now, right to Balto.

"Balto!" he yelled, glancing back, "Run!"

Alex wanted to help, preparing the strategy to hold them back, but all of sudden, his true enemy appeared in front of him. Blocking the way, the brown wolf played a good role in order to make sure his plan to be success. He tried to stop Alex, preventing him to assist Balto.

"You must stay here," he warned, "I still have a business with you."

"I don’t have time for you," Alex replied, considering his own condition right now.

"Of course, you have…," he grinned, assuming attacking stance.

 

"C’mon, dad…," Kodi yelled, looking behind him while still running, "You must keep running."

Hearing it, Balto knew his son was right, but his legs were trying to stop him. Even he tried the best, still, the pain got more of him. The more he ran, the pain got worse. Just a couple of minutes then, he collapsed, hitting the ground as soon as the legs gave up. Slowly, he tried to stand up, rising himself so that he could get away from the wolves that were still following them. But, instead of it, he failed to do that.

"Kodi…," he called, panting weakly, "Save yourself."

"No, dad…," Kodi replied, looking at him, "I won’t leave you here alone."

"This isn’t the time to argue," Balto looked at Kodi seriously, "Go now!"

"But…," Kodi replied again, hesitated, "But…"

"Go now, Kodi!" Balto yelled, making Kodi felt in silent, "If you stayed here, you would be killed too."

Tears ran down from Kodi’s eyes, flowing to the face and falling to the snow. The snow itself began melting due of it. He knew his father was right that he could survive if he kept running away, but it just felt wrong. Could he just do it for his life?

 

Kodi remained silent with tears that were falling down, thinking hard of what he should do now. By the time he was still doing it, the wolves became closer, just a few feet from him. He closed his eyes, deciding something, and then, he opened it slowly.

Kodi took step by step, advancing forward until he was in front of Balto. Balto, by the way, was shocked to see that, gazing at his son who was protecting him. Hoping Kodi would change his mind, he tried to talk to him.

"Kodi…," Balto said, horror in his eyes, "What are you doing?"

"I will…," Kodi hung his head low, saying in low tone without mentioning his father.

Time became slow as the wolves just running and running, only a few inches away. It looked like they had prepared their lethal attack, targeting both of them. Balto, looking at them, became so terrified, calling Kodi in repeat in order to save him.

"Protect…," Kodi continued, still in low tone.

One wolf had already been there, ready to unleash his paws to Kodi. Whether he realized it or not, the wolf then leapt forward, lunging to launch a fatal strike to end his life.

"Kodi!" Balto yelled loudly, terrifying, "No…,"

"My dad!" Kodi shouted loudly, continuing his sentence before while swinging his right paw in full power to the wolf.

 

Shock in everyone, Balto couldn’t believe what he saw then, gazing at his son who smacked hard at the enemy. He was sure he never saw him mad like that before, even in his life. The wolves, by the way, were stopped suddenly, watching Kodi’s rage that was magnificent.

The wolf that was supposed to end everything, turned to be ended by his victim. It was so powerful, even he was thrown away by single attack that left him in lifeless body at the ground, near the others. Watching, the rest of black wolves were shocked, afraid of it. But, instead of escaping, they moved towards him.

The enemy just began their attack, spreading around to confuse Kodi. Then, one of them was heading closer to him from behind, but as soon as he glanced around, the wolf backed away. Seeing the chance, the other one quickly lunged forward, motioning to Kodi’s leg. Knowing it, Kodi then quickly turned around,

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