Ethan turned back to the open area of the Hearg of Life unsure of what to do next. He’d visited the shrines of each of the Vættir and he expected Ve would have appeared to him, but he was once again alone in the hallowed shrine.

Slowly, he made his way back to the oddly shaped stump in the middle. When the Spirit of Life did not appear before him, he knelt before it and closed his eyes in silent prayer.

Ve, Vættr of Life, I have met with the Vættir of Air, Fire, Earth and Water. Now I come before you. My teacher has sent me to complete the Trial of Life in an effort to gain harmony between myself and the world around me. Please show me what I must do next.

As before in the runic circle, he received no response.

For what seemed like hours, Ethan repeated his mental prayers to the Spirit of Life. Hoping that he hadn’t done something wrong or that he hadn’t missed some crucial step in the process. Finally, he stood up. His knees and back aching from kneeling for so long.

“What am I doing wrong?” He shouted in annoyance.

“Who are you talking to?” The flickering voice of Reás entered his mind.

Ethan turned to see the coal black fox once again sitting near him, it’s tail wrapped around its legs smoldering.

“I’m trying to commune with Ve, but I’m getting nowhere!” He whined at the Fire Spirit.

The Vættr of Fire leaned its body to look around Ethan.

“That’s just a stump.” It said, blinking in confusion.

“What?” Ethan said in confusion. “But you all were in your shrines circling it.”

“Yes.” Reás nodded its head, “but the tree that was there died a long time ago. Now it’s just a stump.”

“So how do I contact Ve?” Ethan asked, still shocked he’d apparently been wasting his time praying to a dead tree.

“Have you tried calling out to her?” Reás frowned at him with its oddly expressive fox face.

“That’s what I’ve been doing!” He was starting to get annoyed at the Spirit of Fire in front of him.

“Really? Because we’ve been watching you for quite some time and you’ve just been sitting there.” It flicked it’s tail again, sending tiny embers flying into the air

“I was praying!” Ethan said defensively, starting to feel his anger rising.

“Oh that’s what you were doing. Bríse thought you were asleep.”

“So what, I need to actually say ‘Ve, I come before you to undertake the Trial of Life’?!” Ethan snapped at the Vættr.

To Ethan’s right, the forest began to shake and rumble. Tremors shook the ground, forcing him to catch himself before he fell.

“Looks like that did it.” Reás said, out of Ethan’s view. When he turned to look for the Fire Vættr, it was gone once again.

Ethan turned back towards the movement in the trees. Four wolves emerged from the forest, all of them different colors. Red, white, grey and brown. The fifth, jet black and much larger than the rest slowly padded its way into view but waited and stared at Ethan. A Dire Wolf.

Two of the wolves circled around to flank him. Not taking their eyes off Ethan as they moved. Saliva dripped from their fangs as they growled at him.

One of them, the grey one, lunged at him. He nimbly dodged out of its way only to feel a searing burn as the claws of the red wolf raked across his back. Ethan swung his elbow back, trying to catch it in the head but it was already gone.

How the hell am I supposed to fight a pack of wolves with no weapon!? Panicked thoughts raced through his mind.

The other two smaller wolves charged directly at him. The dark brown one, the larger of the pair, dove at his legs obviously trying to knock him to the ground. He tried to dodge the attack, but it’s snow white companion leapt above it, tackling him in the chest as it’s teeth sunk into his arm.

Ethan struggled to push it off his body, taking a claw stroke to the face. Blood gushed from the wound as he screamed in pain.

The grey wolf rushed in, sinking its teeth into his other shoulder. With his free hand, he pushed as hard as he could into the wolf on his chest. He didn’t have much leverage, but he managed to shove it away. Swinging wilding, he struck the wolf savaging his arm in the head and it let go.

He forced himself back to his feet, only to be knocked down again by the same large animal. Two of the wolves bit down on his wrists and held him to the ground. Ethan screamed again in rage and pain. I’ve come so far and I’m going to fail now!

He could just barely hold his head up, he was so hurt. But he could see the massive dire wolf slowly entering the Hearg. It seemed to lock eyes with him and he imagined he could feel its thoughts.

I am a hunter and you are prey. They seemed to say as it approached him.

Ethan tried again to tear his arms free from the jaws of the beasts, but their teeth just sank in farther causing his fingers to go numb.

**** You have less than 30% health remaining***

A system notification flashed red in his view.

This is bullshit! I can’t even defend myself without a weapon! He writhed in pain, furious at the fact he was going to die.

The massive canine shook the hard earth beneath Ethan as it stalked closer.

No! Hertha had no weapons when I fought her and she wiped the floor with me. I can do this. The strength of the ground beneath him hardened his resolve. Just one chance.

Ethan closed his eyes and focused on the pain. He breathed in and out, just as Torben had shown him weeks ago. Instantly it lessened and the Ignore Pain buff appeared.

With a deep breath, he activated his Second Wind. His wounds immediately started healing and his strength returned. I’m still in this. He continued encouraging himself.

Wasting no time, he let the rage of his attacks flood over him and his body burst into flames. The wolves who’d been holding his wrists let go with a yelp as his arms burned their mouths.

Ethan threw his legs into the air and slammed them back into the ground, causing an eruption of molten Earth Spikes to burst forward at the Dire Wolf.

Not expecting such an attack it tried to jump out of the way, but the spikes slammed into its chest throwing it backwards. The wolf landed painfully on its side, the hair on its chest sizzling from the burning rocks.

With no weapons, he used the blessings of the Elemental Spirits on his fists. Lava grew on his left fist and ice formed around his right, the combination of his burning rage sizzling and steaming the ice of his frozen fist.

The red wolf lunged at him again, Ethan dodged and slammed his ice covered right fist into the animals side. He could feel ribs crack under his blow as the ice grew from his hand to cover the animal. When it hit the ground, the ice continued creeping over it, freezing it to the ground. That’s one. I’m still here.

The white wolf leapt at him again. Sidestepping to avoid the attack, he swung his lava encased left fist upwards, catching the animal in the stomach. The empowered attack sent it flying into the tree of the Air Spirit with a sickening thud and didn’t get back up.

With two of their pack mates down, the remaining smaller animals retreated behind their leader.

The massive beast let out a savage growl and ran at him. Ethan roared back at it, the flames on his body flaring with his anger.

As it bore down on him, Ethan grabbed it by the jaws, his elemental enhanced fists searing and freezing the wolf’s mouth. It slammed its huge head towards the ground, trying to force him off of it. Ethan fell backwards, but didn’t let go. When his back hit the ground, he kicked out with his legs and again molten rocks shot out of the ground, launching the Alpha wolf into the air.

It landed hard on the ground several feet away. Ethan sprinted at it, dismissing his ice enchantment for a second earth empowered attack. His fists now both covered in molten rock, he swung wildly at the animal.

His first hit connected with the beast's jaw, blood and spittle flew into the air along with a massive canine tooth. He quickly followed up with a jab to the Alpha’s exposed throat.

His foe coughed and hacked at the damage to its windpipe, but lunged at Ethan again. It caught him in the chest with its shoulder, attempting to knock him to the ground.

Ethan stood his ground, pushing into the earth under his feet for support and shoved the massive animal with his molten fists. The wolf pushed back against him, neither one of them giving an inch.

Vættir of the Elements! Reás, Bríse, Vewa, Grenat! Give me strength!

Instantly, energy surged through him. The flames that had been engulfing him disappeared, but the strength of his rage magnified. Ethan pushed once again against the mighty wolf and it finally gave way, flying backwards to land on its side.

The blessing of the Vættir still flowing through him, Ethan leapt forward and standing above his defeated foe, raised his head and howled.

Around him, four voices added to his as the dire Wolf’s packmates joined their call to his. He whipped his head around to see that the wolves he’d just defeated were circling him, their heads held low in respect. They stopped behind him, forming a line.

Ethan turned back to the large black wolf to see it standing once again, any signs of damage he’d caused it healed. It stood before him regal and majestic, but the four smaller wolves still stood with him.

Before his eyes, green light began to emanate from the Dire Wolf. Within seconds, it had transformed into a massive doe with a body composed of wood and vines.

“Now would be the right time to bow, Sorry.” Reás voice whispered into his mind. Ethan looked back to and saw that the four wolves he’d beaten had turned into the Vættir. Grenat, Bríse, Reás and Vewa all bowed low to the massive doe in front of him.

Ethan quickly bowed down on one knee before Ve, the Vættr of Life. His rage dispersed, the fire engulfing his body extinguished.

“Harmony,” her voice radiated love and life in his mind, nearly causing him to cry at its beauty. “Does not come from outside of you. It is found within. Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Life. Without one, there can be none. Do you now understand this, little one?”

He raised his head to look at the Spirit in front of him.

“Yes, I finally do.” Tears streamed down his face, and for the first time ever, Ethan felt completely unburdened by the anger and passion that had driven him his entire life. He felt at peace.

“Like the Alpha wolf, your pack is your strength. Do not abandon them, no matter what comes and they will always be with you. Go now, Ethan Úlfeóinn, and lead your pack.”