I will be closing the poll and using that info when I post Chapter 24. This poll is just for my knowledge to see what people refer in terms of release. At this point, nothing is changing and i will still release chapters after I finish writing the next one for my Patreon. 

     Natalie hobbled through the small forested area as fast as she could. The years she had spent hiking and patrolling the area paying dividends. The goblins did not have that experience. While chasing her, they tripped over roots, stumbled into each other, and rolled over the uneven ground. Despite her advantage in moving ability, the injury on her leg impaired her enough that they were slowly but surely  steadily catching up to her. Nat broke the treeline and got out to the road and moved as fast as she could down it. While she was good at the strenuous movement needed to navigate the mountain forest, her leg was currently not up to it. Looking back as she ran, she noticed that the goblin in the lead had almost caught up to her. As they reached to grab her, they stopped dead in the middle of the road.

     The goblin in question dropped to its knees with a hatchet buried in her face. Natalie stopped for a second before she heard Kali call out, 'Keep moving. Will help.' She abruptly started moving again heading down the highway while focusing her mind on Kali. Inside the Soulscape, she saw Kali summon another hatchet and pop her head just out of Natalie's back. It almost looked like Kali was part ostrich with her head just disappearing into the ground beneath her. Looking behind as she ran, Nat saw Kali whip her head and loose another hatchet towards the pursuers. This one hit handle first, causing the goblin it hit to fall on their back, before slowly getting up and rushing forward to rejoin in the chase.

     Focusing forward, Nat kept moving down the empty road. She just wanted to lay down and rest, her muscles still sore from burying Angie and Bryden the day before. Pushing herself onwards, Natalie willed her limbs to keep moving. The thought of what would happen if they caught or surrounded her spurning her on as she fled. Noticing the situation, Bryden directed the other four wolves to head off in pairs. They fell off to the sides of the road, only to follow up behind the pursuing monsters. Any monsters that were separated or downed by hammers were subsequently ended by the wolves hounding them. Bryden himself ran beside Natalie, in case she collapsed or needed a hand. Her body at this point was not in a good position. Exhaustion, bruised shins, strained muscles, and her forearm opening up underneath the bandage made this run exhausting for Natalie. The worry that all of the wolves felt for her was high.

     After running for what felt like five hours, but was really five minutes, the group came up to the turn off to range road 300A. Sitting at the intersection was a small cargo truck. It must have been delivering stuff to Waterton when it stopped working. As Natalie got near, she thanked whoever left it for leaving the back open. Normally, that would be an issue for things like scavengers and attracting wild animals. But now, it was serving as a haven for Natalie. She quickly climbed into the back of the truck and received the fire axe from Kali. The dozen goblins that were left surrounded the back, six facing her, six facing back at the four wolves that had been trailing them. Time sat still for a moment as both groups gauged one another. Waiting to see what the other would do.

     One of the goblins shrieked and cried out something that Natalie could not understand. What she did understand was how bad it was that all twelve goblins started charging towards her at once. The wolves behind all pounced on a goblin, but the other eight reached the truck otherwise unimpaired. Blood flowing down her forearm into her hand, Natalie swung the axe into the lead goblin. After sinking far into the goblin, Nat could not get the axe back out before the next goblin got close to her. Letting go, she backed away into the truck. As she did, Bryden pounced on that goblin, taking them both out of the truck. All at once the goblins started swarming over Bryden as he tore out that goblins throat.

     Seeing this, Natalie moved forward, picking up whatever was in the truck and throwing it at the goblins that were trying to swarm Bryden. The other four came up and each took care of another goblin, but the last two started raking their claws across his pelt. Letting go of the now dead goblin, Bryden cried out in pain. Rushing at them to try and force them off of him, Natalie tried to think. 'What can I do? I need to help him, but how?' she knew that she needed to help him, but she did not know how. Her body was out of strength, and she had no tools in hand with which to take down the monsters assaulting him.

     As Natalie neared within one meter of the goblins that were clawing at Bryden, trying to take him down, more wolves flooded out of her Soulscape. The pups leaped out of Nat and landed onto the goblins. They showed that their training in hunting was paying off, ripping into the goblins vital spots. As Bryden limped away from the two now dead goblins that had assaulted him, the pups howled out in unison at their victory. Seeing that all of the goblins were dead. Natalie collapsed against the ground and sighed out a breath of relief. Bryden came and collapsed beside her, exhausted. He wore this pleased smile on his face, having seen the pups take on enemies of the pack without fear. One of the other female wolves walked up, and started licking Bryden's wounds, trying to stop the bleeding.

     Forcing herself up, Nat got the pups to get the medical supplies as she started tending to his wounds. Thankfully, all of the wounds were shallow, so all they needed was some cleaning and then bandaging. She couldn't help but think that Bryden whined cutely when he was struggling with the burn of the rubbing alcohol. Looking at the wolf that had come to make sure he was okay, she noticed that she seemed to have the same thought. They both giggled as they shared their view, leaving Bryden in the dark. He looked at both of them with confusion, but neither decided to elaborate. Looking at all of the other wolves, Natalie sighed. "Well, I guess the rest of you are gonna need names after that. A bit hard to know who I am gossiping with when there are only two of you with them."

Huge thanks to my Elder Wolves Jake, Viktor, and Kevin for supporting me and my writing! Remember that I keep Patreon ten chapters ahead at all times.