Howling Thunder 6: Blood and Laughter

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The thunderous rumbling is getting closer and will reach us soon. Red and I move Copper into a knot of the large root.

I barely toss down my gear and grip my spear when it charges into view.

The black bull Alce is a tower of a beast, large enough to feed off the pine branches which would extend over even the watchtower of the den.

The size of his antlers is such that I wonder how it even navigates between trees. The flat center is bordered by countless white spikes, some with red stains.

But this is no time to be messing around, it clear is charging directly at us.

Copper mutters, “that must have been it’s pup we just attacked.”

“I don’t think they’re called pups...Whatever, get ready Red, here’s our great prize.”

The fearless grin appearing on her face gives away the excitement she has to match my own.

She cracks her knuckles and dashes to the nearest pine. As she starts to furiously climb, claws digging into the bark as if it was mud, wood chips scatter in her wake. I steady my breath and stare down the approaching threat.

Closer, the thunder of his hooves beating the forest floor is almost deafening.

Closer, I can see the movement in his muscles of his heavy breathing as he charges.

I point my spear at his muzzle, Mother would kill me if she saw this.

Closer, I can see my reflection in his enormous brown eyes.

The moment that would see me crushed into dog mush instead I burst into a black fog.

He rears up his head in fury, I reform between the antlers.

Red dives from the tree landing on his left antler and running to meet me atop his skull.

I stab down with my spear, point barely piercing the flesh before making contact with rock hard bone.

He whips his head right as if to shake off a fly, throwing me loose.

Red has no choice but to dive forward from the upturned antler, her arm is coated in flickering red flames as she manages to punch him in the left eye.

She catches onto the coarse black fur of its muzzle, arms still alight.

My fog breaks my fall, the beating in my chest makes my blood scream with excitement as I roll away from his front hooves as he bucks.

He rears his head one more time, successfully tossing Red back up into the trees. It would be impossible to miss her laughter echoing as she disappears into the pine needle branches.

The bull takes a stance to stare me down with his one open eye, the smell of burnt hair in the air.

With a snort he lunges, scooping his antlers to impale me on one of the hundred points.

The air around me crackles with energy, jumping I land on the antler and begin to charge up the flat center as he lifts me up, time seems to slow as I take my leap towards his right eye.

It's strange to watch my own reflection in the black center of his eye as big as me.

I land with my spear in dead center, kicking off to get clear before he can thrash his head from side to side in utter fury and pain.

The big, bad, Alce is now almost completely blind, my spear deep in his right, the left constantly blinking from Red’s fiery claws.

She drops from the high canopy, arms in a full coat of red fire. Her hair ablaze, flickering off the tip of her fox ears. Her tail leaving a trail of embers as she lands on the monster’s back.

He bucks and kicks, chunks of wood flying everywhere as the nearby pines have their trunks destroyed by his hooves.

Flames and smoke can be seen all along his back as Red claws about, digging into his flesh in order not to be thrown off. Barrels worth of blood seems to be raining from the wounds she’s carving out.

It catches sight of me and makes one more attempt at a head butt.

I can't help but laugh like my sister did as I once more shift into the black fog.

He’s only helping me reach his vitals faster, I reform standing on top of my spear still deeply embedded into the eye.

I call back to Red who is just clawing her way to the top of his head, “Sorry Little Sister, but this trophy is mine!”

Feeling the surge, I discharge everything I can muster into his eye.

The light is blinding and the spear itself becomes charred ash as the Great Alce spasms his head up, throwing me into the air.

I watch him collapse below me, face first into the dirt.

Upon landing I can see Red’s frustrated pout, she yells, “I was about to finish him!”

“I don’t think he would have died from your scratching his back a little.”

She looks about to argue but instead looks behind me in shock then fear.

A high pitched, hoarse voice cackles, “Hahaha Not bad little fuzzy toy, I love free food.”

Spinning around I see a giant of a black wolf, easily the type that would have hunted such a large alce.

It narrows menacing yellow eyes at me and jumps forward, I once more shift to fog.

The enormous wolf's front paw is too fast and I can feel myself pulled from the cloud and pinned to the ground.

A toothy grin, “Come now don’t try to escape already... Hehe, heehehe..”

He busts into an annoyingly loud cackle mid threat, then suddenly bursts into a great black fog bank itself.

Sitting up I catch sight of it, now only slightly larger than a normal sized wolf, rolling on the ground nearby in the fog. After a moment it manages to stop and after a sigh the wolf gets up and shakes the dirt off its rugged black coat.

It whimpers, “I’m sorry mistress I couldn’t keep a straight face.”

Looking back at me, anger in his yellow eyes he growls, “Get home fuzzy toy, your friend doesn’t look well. Leave the Grand Alce, I’ll take care of it.”

Really it is hard to take his menacing tone seriously anymore, I can see the edges of his lips struggling not to grin.

I hear him once more break into a cackling laughter as he fades into the fog.

The black fog spreads everywhere, I find Red by the flickering light of small subdued flames in her hair.

She whimpers, “What’s going on brother, where did that monster go?”

With a shrug, “Let’s just find the idiot and get back to the den.”

As if to show the way, the black fog thins to reveal the spot we hid Copper.

Like the wolf said he’s having a hard time breathing, his eyes shut with no sign of waking.

We carefully pick him up between us.

Sister nervously looks around, “How will we find our way….oh.”

Like a tunnel in the cave, the black fog leaves only one direction clear, she looks to me.

I guess that fellow isn't going to eat us, “It’s not me, don't worry let's just get moving, we’ll be late at this rate.”

As we walk she suddenly asks, “What about my trophy!”

After sniffing the air I sigh, “Our trophy Sister, use your nose.”

She perks up in surprise, “It’s gone?! I can’t smell the blood or the charred fur!”

I don’t say anything but continue to pull her along as we carry jackal boy.

Can’t say I like this, walking blindly through the dangerous Black Woods, led by a crazy monster, our prize disappeared.

The day slips by, I can only think Red will panic if we stop to rest in this darkness.

A familiar smell hits me, “We’re home Sister.”

She perks up looking forward, true to my word the fog bank clears to reveal the front of the den only a bit ahead.

Mother is standing in the open gates and begins to walk forward, Ptah right at her heel. She waves her hand and he steps ahead of her to take Copper from us.

Red and I collapse to the dirt in exhaustion.

Mother looks behind us and smiles warmly, “A rather showy way to escort my pups home Mauggy.”

I feel the air shift as Red and I watch the great black fog that led us home quickly funnel into the form of a small black dog, a wolf pup.

It happily barks and runs past us, jumping into mother’s arms… I swear it just buried his head in mother’s chest.

She laughs and flicks his nose, “Naughty pup, Ulfy will punish you.”

Mother looks past us as the smell of blood fills my nose, “Not bad my pups, your father would be tickled with joy like the idiot he is.”

The Grand Alce bull carcass is laid at the edge of the woods just behind us.

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