I emerged from the tunnel into the other side of the wall, and started yelling at the top of my lungs.

“WOLVES ARE ATTACKING! EVACUATE THE VILLAGE! GO THROUGH THE BACKDOOR!”

The vendors were the first to hear me.“Hey! It’s that thief! Scram before I do it for ya!”

“But wolves are gonna attack! Everyone has to evacuate!”

A couple villagers, attracted to the commotion, started to murmur nervously. That is, until the baker got on a wooden crate.

“Please everyone! EVERYONE! There is nothing to worry about! This boy is a known liar and thief! And we haven’t seen any trace of a wolf in ages!”

“Hey! I might be a thief, but I’m no liar!”

“Same thing.” he sneered.

One of the townsfolk spoke up. He was a middle-aged man, wearing a wide straw hat. “Actually, I heard one of my cousins talk about his father’s encounter with a wolf, right in these forests!”

The baker started to say something, but the other townsfolk started talking up. Then some kid cried, and it was absolute chaos.

“Maybe the kid’s right!”

“But I’ve seen him steal! He’s a liar!”

“Yeah! Why trust a lying kid more than a adult!”

“WAAAHH!”

“Shhhh!”

“We can open the front gates to see if there are any wolves!”

“But if the wolves are there, they’ll charge in the moment we open the gates!”

I needed backup. Quick.

Then, Tsara started talking in my brain. Like I didn’t have enough voices entering my freaking mindskull right now.

“You okay? I’m hearing a lot of bickering in the village! Luckily, the wolves are still staying put, although they’ve started spreading out to surround the village a bit. Reply by sending more energy to your brain than usual.”

“That’s it! Tsara!”

I focused on my chroma center, then the energy channels in my neck, and finally my brain, and thought a message.

“Tsara! You’re the answer again! Come in here through the tunnel between the backdoor and the front gate, and scare these duds away!”

“Gotcha. Also, duds?”

“Just do it.”

After a few more seconds of bickering (and three more wailing kids), I saw a grey wolf emerge from the ground.

So naturally, I shrieked and pointed.

“AAAHHHHHHH!! WOLF!” Tsara was looking a bit offended acting as a crazed wolf.

Then the baker shrieked. “AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!! WOLF!”

And everyone ran.

“Funny. I thought at least some of them would stand up to the wolf.”

Regardless, I had to find my dad. I raced across the market, towards my house. Surprisingly, everyone else was faster than me. I even spotted the fruit vendor in the lead. Guess the adrenaline kicked in!

I looked back, and saw why.

Tsara was sprinting behind me!

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“To find my dad!” I answered.

I caught sight my dad, bread and fruit dropped at his feet, and jaw dropped however low humanly possible. Which was surprisingly low.

He saw me, and shook his head.

“What’s going on? Do you have something to do with this? Because if you do, young ma-”

“No time! Wolf attack! Follow me!”

“My dad got behind me, but just as I started to run, He stammered.”

“U-uh, umm Elliot?”

“Yeah?” I turned my head around and saw him pointing at Tsara, finger trembling.

“Oh don't worry, she’s friendly!”

Tsara lifted her left paw and waved to prove my point.

“Now come on!” I said as I bolted for the backdoor.

My dad, still clearly dazed, fell behind a bit.

“Let’s hope Hermit’s cave wasn’t raided by wolves, or we’ll all be homeless!” I whispered under my breath as I heard the front gate break down.