Liliana’s mind was running a mile a minute as she was locked in a staring contest with the Alpha of the pack. The creature’s pitch-black eyes were reminiscent of the void she had so recently lived in. At her back, she could almost feel Death’s cold hand resting on her shoulder once more.

I’ve fought you off a hundred times before, Death, I’ll do it again. Liliana promised her oldest foe as she tried to find a way out of her current predicament.

The wolves here aren’t supposed to be aggressive towards humans, so why? Were they pushed out of their hunting grounds by the Cheshire? Fuck, if they’re starving they’ll attack humans. Liliana didn’t take her eyes off the threat before her but a flicker of red fur in her peripheral reminded her that she wasn’t alone.

I can’t fight here, Polaris isn’t anywhere close to strong enough to fight these wolves, and he’s probably not as fast as them if they can use shadows to move. I need to get him out of here. Liliana felt fear, thick and viscous, curling in her chest. Not fear for herself, no the fear she felt clogging her throat and constricting her lungs was fear for Polaris. The little fox who had come up to her that day weeks ago to make a Bond with her. The little fox who cuddled her and drew laughter out of her whenever her mind started to take a dark turn. The little fox who had agreed to come with her on this trip, even if she was going after a monster far stronger than even this pack of wolves.

The wolves growled and Liliana was out of time to think, activating [Dance Of the Daystar], [Dance Of The Windsong], and [Enhancement] at the same time Liliana dived for Polaris. She could hear the snarls of the wolves as she wrapped her hands around his body and as she activated her equipment’s [Air Walk] ability she could feel the wind of their fangs passing her feet as she leaped into the air. Her feet found purchase in the empty sky and she leaped again, bringing herself and Polaris far out of the wolves’ range.

Dropping her skills for the moment to preserve her Mana and Stamina Liliana looked down, getting dizzy for a moment as she processed exactly how high she was. She was even with the trees of the forest and the wolves looked like hunting dogs now in size. Her heart fluttered frantically in her chest as she forced herself to calm and focus on her issues.

She could burn her Mana and Stamina and run away for the entire ten minutes that [Air Walk] would be active and then keep running. But wolves were stamina predators, they would chase their prey for miles until they ran out of energy and collapsed. When she ran out of Mana and Stamina she would be utterly helpless to the wolves, with no guarantee that she’d have gone far and fast enough to lose them.

Liliana looked at the trees surrounding her, considering hiding in them until the wolves left. She dismissed the option when she saw the plethora of shadows around them. She had no way to know their range with their shadow stepping abilities.

She could try to fight them, from the air she could unload [Light Burst]s on them like a deadly rain. She had the Affinity bonus too, with them being Dark Affinity creatures. However, she wasn’t sure if she could defeat them in ten minutes, not with the lowest level wolf being 47, ten levels above her.

In her arms, Polaris shook and Liliana looked at the fox clutched to her. His ears were pressed to his head and his eyes were wide with fear. Liliana ran one hand through his fur, trying her best to calm him. The fox whined and buried his snout in the fur of her cloak and Liliana found her resolve hardening. Turning anger-laden eyes to the wolves she made her choice.

Adjusting her hold on Polaris she freed one hand, holding it out to the wolves she began to summon a storm of [Light Burst]s. They danced around her like miniature suns as she emptied her Mana. Six of the orbs floated around her, each larger than her head and heavy with the additional Mana they’d been pumped full of.

With a thought, the balls of deadly light raced towards the wolves circling beneath her. Several of the wolves avoided the shots, dropping into the shadows or sidestepping. Yet two were direct hits and when the remaining [Light Burst]s exploded all but the Alpha took damage from the extended area of effect. Yelps filled the air as the wolves’ health was chunked. Liliana slipped a hand into her pack, grabbing a handful of Mana Tinctures she started downing the liquid, pumping her Mana back up. As soon as it was full she summoned [Will-O-Wisp] and shot it down to the wolves. The light wasn’t strong but it spooked the wolves, forcing them to dodge the spell.

Liliana grinned as her [Will-O-Wisp] chased away many of the shadows the wolves were using to dodge her attacks. Not giving the wolves, or her Mana, a chance to rest she summoned and shot off another three [Light Burst]s. Left less chance to doge all three found purchase on a wolf, exploding on contact and digging gashes into their midnight black fur. Still, the Alpha avoided every bit of damage, even as her pack’s blood soaked into the dirt beneath Liliana.

How much time has passed? Liliana wondered as she downed more tinctures. Her stomach rebelled at the quantity of Mana tinctures but Liliana pushed through it. As she focused on the time left for [Air Walk] the information appeared before her.

Time Left

7:33

Liliana grimaced as she watched the timer count down the seconds before she waved it off to sit in the periphery of her vision. More [Light Burst] appeared and descended to attack the wolves, the ones already injured still managed to show impressive Speed and only one of the wolves took a direct hit this time, only two others taking damage from the burst of Light magic.

This isn’t working. I’m hurting them but not enough! Liliana panicked as she downed more tinctures, her Mana regenerating as she stared down at the wolves. The Alpha was staring at her and in its pitch-black eyes, Liliana saw her death waiting in those fathomless black depths.

“I am not dying before I get a chance to finally live!” Liliana screamed at the wolf. Her hand plunged into her bag, pulling out a handful of tinctures she started to down them, summoning more [Light Burst]s every time her Mana let her. One eye on her timer Liliana summoned ball after ball of shining Light magic.

Beneath her, the wolves were circling, snarling, and growling as they looked on at the growing army of lights. Yet they weren’t swayed from their prey and as Liliana surrounded herself in a ring of light howls pierced the air.

Downing the last of her Mana tinctures Liliana summoned the last two [Light Burst] she could. Her mind was straining, holding all the lights in place. She checked the timer and closed her eyes, placing a prayer to Vita. She had a minute left. Opening her eyes she looked down at the wolves, it was hard to see them through the blinding light surrounding her but she still managed to lock eyes with the Alpha once more.

“Perish,” Liliana spat as she released her attack. Twenty-four [Light Burst]s flew to the ground, a veritable barrage of spells. The light they threw off combined with the [Will-O-Wisp] still floating banished any available shadows for the wolves to hide in. The volume of the attack was too much for them to easily dodge.

The blast from the twenty-four [Light Burst]s all going off at once blinded Liliana. For a moment it looked like the very sun itself had descended to seek vengeance upon the denizens of the world. Liliana had to duck her face into Polaris’ fur to block out the blinding effect, even still light leaked past. Yelps and whimpers filled the air as the wolves took the full force of her attack.

Blinking her eyes to get rid of the spots Liliana looked down and felt despair filling her. Two wolves were dead. The other three were heavily injured but still alive. The Alpha had managed to mostly withstand the attack, though she was favoring her right foreleg and blood dripped from her, staining the ground a vivid crimson.

Liliana felt the end to [Air Walk] approaching and with no other choice she turned and ran, hoping to put distance between herself and the remaining wolves. Enough to give Polaris a chance to run away while she held the wolves off, she had no illusions that she’d be able to take them down. Even injured the Alpha was 23 levels above her, it wouldn’t be a fight. It would be a massacre.

As [Air Walk] faded it lowered her to the ground until her feet made contact with hard dirt. Liliana looked behind her and saw the wolves closing the distance, thankfully slowed by their injuries enough to give her a precious few moments. Liliana gave Polaris a firm hug before she set the fox down.

“Run, I’ll hold them back,” Liliana promised the fox as she stood straight, pulling her naginata off her back and turning to face the approaching wolves. Behind her, she heard a pitiful whimper than a mournful yip. Seconds later the sound of light paws hitting the ground reached her as Polaris turned and ran.

Tears trailed down Liliana’s face as she gripped her naginata tightly. Her Mana had regenerated enough for her to activate [Dance of The Daystar] and she let the familiar rush of the Skill fill her.

“Sorry I couldn’t finish the Quest, Vita,” Liliana murmured as she spun her naginata before her, the wolves were almost within range now and she could feel their bloodlust on the air. Their snarls were a funeral dirge, the final ballad of her short second life. She activated [Tempo] when her Mana allowed and the ghostly drums of the Spell complimented the final beatings of her own heart.

“One last dance with death,” Liliana murmured as the wolves finally reached her, then her feet moved. She traced a beautiful design through the air with her blade as she lashed out at the Alpha. The blade found purchase in the wounds already scored across the beast’s body from her spell salvo. Liliana felt the snapping jaws of another wolf at her back and barely managed to dodge to the side to avoid certain death. As resigned as she was to her fate Liliana didn’t let her blade drop, didn’t let her feet falter.

She would die here, but she would die fighting. With her blade coated in the blood of those that had ended her life. As she twisted between the wolves for a few moments she felt the barest flicker of hope ignite in her chest as she dodged their attacks and her blade bit deep into their already wounded hides.

Until a pair of crushing jaws appeared out of a shadow and wrapped around her leg, severing skin and muscles and spilling her blood across the ground. Liliana screamed as the pain overwhelmed her senses, [Pain Resistance] barely dampening the pure agony.

Liliana fell to the ground as the wolf tightened its grip on her leg and as she looked up through tear-filled eyes she saw the void dark eyes of the Alpha above her. The beast opened its huge maw and lunged for her. Liliana refused to close her eyes as she watched her death closing in around her, each second feeling like years.

A flash of red and white fur rocketed into the side of the Alpha’s head, throwing the beast’s trajectory off and forcing her to miss Liliana with her deadly attack. Liliana stared on in shock as the red blur launched off the Alpha and collided with the wolf who still held her leg in a vice grip. Snarls and yips filled the air as Polaris ravaged the face of the wolf until it was forced to let go.

Polaris backed up until he stood before Liliana, guarding her body with his own. Looking at the fox, so very small and delicate in comparison to the behemoth wolves around them, Liliana felt her heart break. Now both of them would die.

“Polaris, you were supposed to run,” Liliana whispered, her voice filled with pain. The fox flicked his tail and yipped at her, never taking his eyes off the wolves. She understood perfectly and despite the hopelessness of the situation, a manic giggle forced itself past her lips.

‘Couldn’t let my meal ticket die.’ That was what he’d said with his body and yip. It was enough to force Liliana back to her feet, half leaning on her naginata to stand once more. Liliana dropped [Tempo] to activate [Regeneration]. The wolves were backing away from them, re-evaluating the new threat.

It wouldn’t be enough time for her leg to heal, not even close. Yet Liliana still dug a hand into her pack to grab Health Tinctures, downing an entire handful. Her leg wasn’t healed, but the skin was closing. It would be enough, it had to be.

The wolves growled and moved forward before Liliana could get another set of tinctures and she braced herself, raising her naginata and preparing herself for one last clash. Beside her, Polaris lowered himself as shadows whipped around him. A cry spilled from Liliana’s lips as she raised her weapon, prepared to ram it right into the first wolf to get in range.

Suddenly the entire battlefield erupted into a twisting mass of shadowy tendrils, chaos taking hold. Inky ropes made of shadow lashed out at the wolves, grabbing their legs and ripping them from under them, sending the wolves sprawling along the ground. Liliana froze as she watched the wolves being attacked by the very element they commanded.

“[Shadow Dominion],” a voice spoke behind her, cold and emotionless. Liliana whipped around to locate the new threat. Her eyes fell on Emyr Bealstal emerging from the shadows, a rapier held in one hand. The other hand was covered in shadows, reaching up to his shoulder. Silver eyes met blue for a beat, time-freezing as they regarded each other. Emyr broke the contact to focus back on the wolves and Liliana turned to look at the almost forgotten enemies.

Three of the wolves were being held down by shadows. But the Alpha was ripping through every rope that tried to hold her down. It wasn’t effortlessly however, the beast’s chest was heaving and her head was held low. Her eyes were filled with rage as she focused on the two humans who had so decimated her pack.

“I can’t hold her back, and her command of Shadow is better than mine. [Dominion] won’t keep her out for much longer,” Emyr spoke and Liliana was startled, so unused to being addressed by the boy. His voice was the same cold and emotionless tone she was familiar with, but she detected strain under it.

Testing her leg she found that the additional time with [Regeneration] had enabled the limb to hold more of her weight. It wouldn’t last long, her muscles were weak as paper. It would work long enough for what she needed to do though.

“Keep her down as long as you can,” Liliana ordered, not bothering to see if he would listen she dropped [Regeneration]. Moving forward Liliana activated [Enhancement] and [Light Burst Coat]. Coupled with the still channeling [Dance of The Daystar] she practically blurred through the distance between her and the Alpha. A wave of shadowy tendrils crashed on the Alpha, trying to hold her back. Liliana’s eyes scanned the wolf as she closed in, looking for the perfect spot. She would only get one chance at this, already she could feel the few muscles and newly healed skin that had healed in her leg ripping again. The pain burned like a hot knife in her leg but she couldn’t stumble now.

There! Liliana brought her naginata around, grabbing it with both hands she plunged the glowing blade into a deep gash on the Alpha’s side. Metal grated against bone as the blade slipped between ribs and the Alpha howled in pain. Thrashing against the remaining shadows the Alpha ripped the weapon from her hands. Thrown off balance Liliana stumbled and her bad leg gave out, sending her tumbling to the ground. The Alpha turned on her, jaws snapping out to take Liliana with her into the realm of death.

A flash of red.

A high-pitched scream.

Shadows surged

Light burst.

Struggling to understand what had happened Liliana watched, frozen, as the Alpha fell to the ground. Dead. In her jaws was a small, broken red body.

“No. No. NO!” Liliana screamed as understanding hit her. She scrambled to her feet, falling when her leg once again gave out. Crawling over the ground Liliana frantically reached for Polaris. Her hands sunk into plush red fur, stained a darker scarlet by blood. A pained yelp came from him and Liliana choked on a sob.

“Alive. You’re alive. I can fix you. I can save you. Just hold on. Okay? I’ll get you all better,” Liliana wasn’t even sure what she was saying, it was nonsense born of desperate hope as she pried at the jaws of the dead wolf. Finally, they opened enough from her to gently pull Polaris from them and into her lap. The fox whimpered in pain but didn’t move and Liliana looked over his broken body, tears blurring her vision. He had punctures in his stomach and flank. Two of his legs were broken and bloody, barely even hanging on by a sliver of flesh.

Digging into her pack Liliana pulled out every last Health tincture and started pouring them over the wounds, sobbing as she tried to cover all the wounds. The bleeding slowed and the flesh barely started to grow but it wasn’t enough. As she ran out of tinctures Liliana felt panic filling her as Polaris still laid on her lap, broken and dying.

“No! You won’t die on me Polaris! Not now, not today. I won’t let you!” Liliana screamed as she placed her hands on his blood-soaked fur. She grabbed her Mana, at some point she’d canceled her skills and spells though she had no recollection of it. Her Mana had regenerated somewhat in the interim and taking every last scrap of Mana she focused her will on what she wanted. It fought her, as it always did when she asked something new of it. But she didn’t let it win. Desperation and fear gave her strength as she wrestled the Mana.

“I have 85% fucking Life affinity. You. Will. Obey. Me.” Liliana growled at her Mana as she forced it into Polaris’ body. She imagined the Mana healing his wounds, knitting the muscles back together, rebuilding his veins, and regrowing his skin and fur. She imagined his bones forming, whole and healthy. Every time the Mana tried to rebel against her she forced the image in her mind on it, not willing to take no as an answer. Every bit of regenerated Mana was funneled into Polaris as she commanded her Mana to obey her. She scraped her core empty, pulling all it would give and more as her will bore down on it.

Slowly, achingly, tortuously, agonizingly slowly, Liliana felt the Mana following her orders. She could sense Polaris’ bones rebuilding, his muscles and tendons wrapping back around them as veins were regrown beneath slowly forming flesh. Every inch of progress felt like an hour-long battle between her and her Mana. Sweat soaked her and her head was pounding with a headache that blurred her focus of the world around her. Slowly her focus narrowed until all she saw was Polaris, all she felt was her Mana filling his body and repairing him.

She wasn’t sure how much time passed but finally, her Mana found nothing else to heal in the fox’s body. A small, tired yip filled the air and Liliana felt a warm tongue lick across her face.

“Told you…wouldn’t let you die,“ Liliana muttered as she smiled at the fox. Darkness covered her vision and the girl collapsed to the ground.