Chapter 6: The meeting

"Ahhhhh!" Joan screams as the monster bashes the truck again. The truck could cave in at any moment and that's exactly what Joan fears. It was unlike anything she has ever seen. And she thought the last monster she and Avery encountered was life threatening.

The monster was part Minotaur and had three rows of razor sharp teeth. It was standing on two legs with its hands almost like a lion's. But the scariest part of the monster was the eyes. There are a million eyes on its face and they are all looking at the thirteen year old.

"Avery!" Joan bawls for help.

Then out of nowhere, a barking sound echoes the forest. The monster looks up from the top of truck. Only to see a green wolf leap from the other side of the vehicle and kicks it in the face unexpectedly.

The wolf flies back and lands on its paws in front of the monster as it snarls with intimidation.

The wolf is a dark green with paler green eyes that are narrowed into slits with anger. The strangest part of the wolf is that it has on a leather jacket. A leather jacket that Joan recognizes immediately.

"Avery?" She says.

The wolf ignores her and growls at the monster that is threatening Joan's life.

The monster turns away from the struck and screeches as loud as it can be which nearly blows the wolf back from just the scream.

The wolf dashes toward the monster and sinks it's teeth into the monster's arm which causes it to screech once more.

"Go Avery!" Joan screams from inside the truck.

The monster continues to scream as it throws Avery around like a rag doll. Trying to shake the wolf off to no avail.

The monster has enough and swipes it's other hand at Avery. It slashes Avery and cuts deeply into them. Blood spilling from their fur.

"No!" Joan shouts.

Avery, in pain, loses their bite on the monster and falls to the ground. The monster screeches and throws them into a tree hard and falls to the ground.

" Avery!" They hear Joan scream as their human thoughts come back.

"I'm sorry. Joan…." Avery thinks as they nearly pass out.

Joan keeps watching the battle in horror. Until something lands on the hood of the truck and she gasps. She looks over to the windshield that it isn't something. More like someone. Much to her surprise.

"Huh?" Joan recovers from the shock and sees that it's the pale skinny woman from the other day.

" You?!" She shouts.

The woman stares intently at the monster and throws her spear that she pulls out of the weird thing on her forehead. Much to the monster's surprised.

" You see me!? Now come and get me!" The woman shouts bravely. The monster screeches but it doesn't phase her for a second as she leaps towards the monster.

The monster takes a swipe at her as she dodges it effortlessly. Joan watches as she flies around in a very fluid like manner.

However, that's not all that happens. As the monster takes a swipe once more, a whip grabs the hand in midair and pulls the monster to the ground on its back.

The monster looks up to see a smaller purple girl smirking at it.

" Hello. And Goodbye." She says in a devious manner much to the monster's confusion. Until it sees a third one collide her heavy fist into its face.

"It's them." Joan says as the monster explodes into dusts before gasping. Remembering Avery.

She gets out of the ruined truck and dashes over to where her sibling is and is met with a shocking site.

Avery is still a wolf, but the slash marks on their abdomen is still present and gushing with blood.

Joan cries in shock and collapses on her knees. Drawing attention of the women.

Avery lies on on their stomach. Their cheek feeling numb from the coldness of the snow. Unable to move and choking on their own blood. Trying to breath. Trying to stay alive as they watched the monster being held back by those three women they encountered few days beforehand.

" Avery!" The teen hears Joan screaming. They feel their body shake as the younger girl tries to get Avery to move. But to no avail.

"Help!" They hear Joan screaming once more.

Avery then glances away from it all as they see a mysterious green woman looking straight at them. She was tall and strong. Not to mention very intimidating. More intimidating than the others. Not one aspect of her suggests weakness and looks proudly towards Avery. But she disappears before Avery could respond.

Avery tries to move but only can seem to move their fingers. Well more like the claws of their paws. The rest of the wolf body seems paralyzed.

The teen then hears more footsteps getting louder and and looks in the direction of the sound to see that the women and the boy are rushing over to them. Which causes the teen to tense up and growl at the, like a dog. Although the growls turns into the whimper.

" Please Help!" Joan begs desperately through her tears. " I can't lose another family member!"

The curvaceous one of the group comes and places her hand Avery's back and looks at the teen straight in the eye in close proximity.

" It is her." The woman says in a hush seeing the green stone on the left back leg on the wolf before calling out, " Steven. I need your help!"

" Got it Garnet!" The boy rushes over. He licks his hand and places it on Avery's furred abdomen where most of injuries are.

Avery suddenly feels the pain fade away and can feel their body again. The teen coughs out the blood, and takes a gasping breath of cold crisp air. Being able to breath again.

"Avery!" Joan shouts in relief. Rushing over and hugging the wolf tightly.

Avery still whines but growls when they see these women and the boy.

"Easy Avery. They just saved your life." Joan says.

Avery ignores her as they stand up on their paws and continues to growl. Only to end up collapsing again.

"Avery!" Joan shouts. Trying to get over to them but it head back by the curvaceous one of the group.

"Avery looks to be still hurt. They need to be taken to the temple." The curvaceous woman says. " But thanks to Steven, your sibling is still alive."

Avery growls in objection. Now way they are going anywhere without a fight.

" Geez. And I thought Amethyst was an animal." Pearl says scrunching her nose.

"Avery. Please." Joan begs to her sibling. "Let them help you."

Avery growls until Garnet has enough and suddenly pinches the wolf's nerve in it's neck before they could do anything. Causing the wolf to immediately to go limp and pass out on the ground. Much to Joan's shock and horror.

It was then the wolf turns into a bright light and fades. Revealing the teen with claw marks all over their shirt. Though the teen is still unresponsive as they lay flat on the snow.

" Will Avery be alright?" She asks out of worry

"Don't worry. Avery will wake up eventually." Garnet says to Joan as she picks up the teen effortlessly. "And when Avery does, you two have a lot of explaining to do."

" Starting with you. Were you following us?!" Joan demands.

" No." The pale one says. " But we have been searching for you since yesterday. Especially since we found out what Avery is. I just didn't think it had happened before Steven."

"What had happened?" Joan asks.

"You don't know?" The purple one says. Joan shakes her head.

" Look. I think we all have so talking to do once Avery wakes up." Garnet says. " Believe me. I think we are better off waiting for now giving that it will be a long talk. For now, let's get Avery to the temple." She turns to Joan, "I suppose you'll be coming with us."

"Avery's all I have for family. Of course I am." Joan says without a doubt and nods to Garnet. Seeing that there is no other alternative. Even if there was, Joan is not leaving her sibling with these strangers alone at any costs.

The walk with them is silent. Joan never has felt so vulnerable to these 'Gems.' At least that's what they call themselves. They are storng and don't look to be ones that take any nonsense. Though at least the boy isn't as intimidating and much more approachable compare to the women.

"Look. I know how know intimidating they seem to other people, but they're pretty great when you get to know them." He says. "I'm Steven by the way."

"Joan." She introduces herself. "Obviously. You've met Avery."

"So he's….. I mean….uh…" Steven says in confusion.

" You can Avery a them. At least that's how our late Pops and refer Avery as. Though I wish I knew the story behind that." She says.

"So 'they' are your sibling?" He asks.

"Half." She says. "Different moms."

"I can understand why." Stevens says.

"How?" Joan raises an eyebrow.

"Because I'm like Avery. I'm halfway." Steven says.

"What do you mean?..." Joan starts before the whole groups stops in front of this glass like panel on the ground. "What is that?"

"Our way back. I hope you don't get seasick." Steven says the whole group gets on top of this thing.

"No. Why….." Joan says before she learns why as the panel glows and takes them on a while ride.

Short, but sweet update. I won't be writing for a few days. I'm just releasing this because it's already down. I'm just going through another depression episode, so I need some time to come out of. I hope you understand. Bye. Enjoy the reading.