This is a somewhat longer chapter and also my first attempt at a true fight. I know the descriptions, moves a tactics are overall simple, but I think that too complicated plots tend to backfire. So for this my first story i decided to increased the complexity slowly

Any suggestion or criticism in the commenta would be appreciated.

Luke wasn’t a math genius but he knew that he would have to wait several hours to get the full benefits of this connection. He also thought that it would take a day or so for every tree in the area to be awakened. He checked his status and noted that Mana Bolt had leveled once more when he wasn’t looking. It wasn't strange that he didn’t notice, he only checked his skills once in awhile and if it happened at the same time that he advanced a level, he would have dismissed the notification without paying attention.

He wanted to awaken as many trees around this clearing as possible so that obscure ‘trees fight for you’ could be taken advantage of. Besides, he didn’t know how many trees there were in the designated area however the faster the forest awakened the better.

Suddenly, Luke was pulled out of his reverie by a rotten smell coming from deeper into the forest. He remembered that his current position wasn’t safe and considered going back… he didn’t. He followed the smell more than a hundred meters into the woods. There he found the vestiges of some kind of battle between goblins and a pack of huge black wolves. They were as high as Luke chest with dark fur in their body and head and grey in the extremities. It was like a black mantle was over their shoulders.

There were two wolves bodies together with seven of the child sized menace. Further investigations provided two more goblins corpses in the direction of their base. All goblins bodies were half eaten. Luke weighted all the clues. He came to the conclusion that the goblins did try to return to his little paradise, but came across the wolves. They fought, and the goblin leader ordered a retreat. By the tracks he saw the wolves seemed to lose interest after getting their meal. The only thing that didn’t fit was this last one. Even if they had enough food, the wolves instinct should have told them the risk goblins represented to the pack.

Luke felt a cold shiver run down his spine and turned toward the way he had come. Three pairs of huge lanterns watched him threateningly. From behind, the muscled bodies of three wolves came out. They were bigger than the ones he had found previously, especially the grey one in the center that should reach his shoulders. Luke was terrified. He couldn’t go back and he was ill prepared for such a fight. He supposed he could kill one, maybe two of the ‘small’ ones but the third (the alpha?) would be his end.

Luke’s brain cogs were working at full speed while he walked slowly backwards until a low growl stopped him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw three more creatures roughly the same size as the dead ones.

‘Shit’ Luke brilliantly thought.

Now there were no doubts that he would be ripped apart before he did anything. Luke put his back against a tree in such a way that he could observed all the animals with minimum eyes and head movement. He noticed that one of the ‘elites’ next to the Alpha was looking back at something. The alpha barked an order and that elite retreated at the same time the rest of the pack closed in on Luke.

He decided that if he was going to die he would die fighting. Luke’s adrenaline filled mind came with different scenarios. First he attacked the three minor wolves and tried to break through to run away. Hard to accomplish and it was improbable that he could outrun a wolf either in a sprint or a marathon. He could also attack the elite one coming (the alpha and other elite remained back) closer and take off to the unprotected sides. He suspected this was more dangerous than fighting three normal wolves. Third he could simply try to run. Yeah, like that would end well.

Luke inclined for fourth. He had already considered this problem when he was surrounded and chose a tree with low branches to get another escape route. However, he wouldn’t have the time to climb if the wolves shortened the distance more, so he preempted them and shot his three Mana Bolts: one to the elite right in the muzzle (it didn’t go through so Luke figured it was more like a love tap) and two to the other wolves. Then turned around and climbed for his life. He didn’t stop until he got to the highest branch that would support his weight. The third wolf tried to stop him but he was blocked by its startled companions. To luke relief, the bolts did noticeable damage to non-elite wolves but it didn’t look life threatening.

Luke had more options now. He could slowly snipe the creatures but taking into account their agility, he didn’t considered it seriously. He would only tired himself. Beside he was worried Jack and Sarah would come out of the circle looking for him. The clearing was far enough to not be found if the pack doesn’t travel that way (and the glamour should repel them if they do) but if the couple started trampling through the forest, the wolves will sense them immediately.

Luke stared at the Alpha who didn’t seem perturbed by the recents happenings. It looked almost happy? At this point, he noticed what was behind the alpha and the elite: pups. Three black and one grey tiny creatures were play-fighting with each other under the caring gaze of the elite.

‘That’s why they didn’t pursuit the goblins! They didn’t attack the goblins, the goblins attacked them. Then, this should be their territory that I intruded.’ Luke decided he wouldn’t kill the wolves. Even if he could, they were an excellent defense against goblins raids (he was still worried about the goblins leaders being able to cross the glamour unimpeded). Also, he suspected the pack was part of the forest equilibrium and he was supposed to protect the balance not destroy it.

He looked around but didn’t find any branch from other trees he could transfer to at his height nor below. Out of nowhere an arrow embedded itself in the trunk of the tree, a hair from Luke’s nose. He turned around and saw war. Well, it was only two dozens goblins raiders with their leader advancing toward the wolves. There were also five archers behind with one looking evilly at Luke. With this numbers, the goblins would be able to defeat the pack. He would have none of it.

He shot a Mana Bolt to the goblin that attacked him scratching its shoulder then ducked to avoid incoming arrows. After that he finished the archer with another projectile to the head. After the rabbits training lesson he had gotten a lot better at aiming, even without gestures. The battle between goblins and wolves had already began now and the evolved animals were being pushed back rapidly. Luke had to hurry.

He waited until the line went beyond his tree (apparently only that archer had noticed Luke) reloading his ammo and dropped silently behind the archers (he didn’t jump, he climbed down. He isn’t a ninja). A shot, a cast and two more shots directly in the head from point-blank guaranteed the long range division death (this was a technique he discovered while rabbit hunting: when he had his three passives bolts, he fired the first one then casted the spell so that the cooldown started counting, and shot the other two passive bolts. If he timed it right he would have Magic Bolt out of cooldown and ready to be casted). A whimper announced the death of a normal wolf. The goblins paid costly this death with three of their tribesman ends but it was worth it. The archers death helped but they had already done the necessary damage: most of the pack had an arrow stuck somewhere except for the Alpha and the pups. The wolves were getting tired fast by the hit and run tactics of the goblins (one attacked at a wolf, retreated and when the wolf retaliated two goblins stabbed it from the flanks). The only thing in favor of the wolves was that their fur was able to resist several strikes before allowing more severe damage. Their teeth and claws also proved useful: if a goblin received a full blow he was out of combat.

Luke observed the skirmish and opted for taking care of the leaders. They hadn’t taken part yet but their commands was the biggest danger in this circumstances. Fortunately, Luke had annihilated the archers so fast that they hadn’t noticed yet. Although the lack of arrows may reveal his doings.

One of the leaders was just behind the frontline while the second was at the back controlling the whole combat. It seemed like the latter was some sort of captain while the former was the vice captain. Luke approached the captain and when he was five meters away he shot his magic, followed by brutally using his staff to introduce the goblin's head to the ground. The troops bloodlust impeded the vice captain and the rest of the raiders to realize they were being ambushed from the back. There were still twenty goblins and the new captain (one died while Luke assassinated the boss) yet they weren’t ready for the rage that fueled Luke. he started swing his staff in short and concise movements that deal the maximum damage in the shortest amount of time. He took care in always attacking the goblin the furthest back, and do it fast so that others don’t notice. It didn’t always work (one time after killing a goblin two turned around in confusion. He made short work of them but it was close) though the Alpha seemed to understand that Luke has turned out to be an ally. The leader of the pack went on a rampage to attract the goblins attention. This raised the morale of the rest of the group that pounced with increased vigour.

Ten minutes later, only the bigger goblin remained and another wolf had been lost. Several members of the pack looked to had lethal wounds. Luke was stained in his chest and arms with buckets of goblin blood. The goblin hatred filled gaze went first to the alpha and then stopped on Luke. It moved its mouth saying something incomprehensible. This action broke the standstill and the alpha went for it’s throat and Luke fired a shot at it’s back sending it toward the alpha bloodied teeth. Death was fast and unforgiving

With that the fight ended.

Looked stared at the strongest wolf in the pack in the eyes and some type of connection was established. Both understood that they weren’t a danger to each other. Luke walked slowly closer and put his hand on the creature head. He casted minor healing, restoring the Alpha to full health (goblin’s weapons were unable to hurt it in the short run). It’s eyes opened wide, quickly moving its head toward the rest of the pack like suggesting he did the same to everyone. Luke smirked and complied. It took five minutes to go from wounded wolf to wounded wolf avoiding the pack any new loss. Then, he nodded to the Alpha and went back home. He was starving!