Wolves burst forth from the trees and clashed with the party of six. Kaele met them with her shield. Her lithe frame exploded with fleeting strength and bashed a fiend by the head. The beast dazed, she hacked it down with her sword and slashed the neck clean. Its spine was laid bare and with shaky steps, it fell after.

The beast dead, Kaele turned on her heel and yelled as she cleaved the air. Her sword met fur and slammed the wolf to the ground, heaving dust into the wind. But the beast still lived and she inched closer, intending to end its life.

She stabbed the beast in the eye and twisted the blade. It howled in pain, and slowly lost strength as its limbs turned limp. She stepped on its head and recovered her sword, bended her knees and raised her shield high.

Another wolf pounced on her and landed on top. She heaved up and threw the yelping beast behind and landed with a great thud.

It tried to stand up but Miria held it down and stabbed her dagger straight into its heart. The beast wailed, its limbs wavering under the lethal blow. When the beast’s eyes turned dull, she removed her blade and returned to her friend’s side, ready to support her once more.

At their flank, Samuel stood against three snarling beasts. His greatsword in hand, he kept the small pack at bay. He paced his steps, waiting for the opportune moment.

He knew himself well.

The only way he could win was to let them have the first strike. And even then, he was not confident he could win unharmed. His expression grim, he continued the standoff until one of the wolves jumped.

Samuel’s eyes turned sharp and struck the beast with the flat of his blade. It hit true and the wolf was swept aside. The beast crashed to the ground and broke one of its legs in the fall, mewling in pain.

When he reeled his sword back, another wolf attacked, flying through the air like a silver bolt. Samuel tightened his grip, and slashed an upward arc, bisecting the beast in half. Blood was spilled, and two halves fell in a gory heap.

His arms and his sword now up high, the last of the small pack charged. It jumped left and right, to and fro, but Samuel was prepared. He expected the beast and as he moved to dodge, something had dragged him down.

He looked below and the lamed wolf from before gnawed at his leg. It did not pierced through the steel greaves but it rooted him in place, a sliver of panic in his eyes. The last wolf drew near and rammed him to the ground.

Samuel slammed against the earth with a metallic clang. The leaves did little in softening the impact. He grunted in pain and a wave of nausea overcame him. But before he could complain, a set of jagged teeth filled his sight, and leaves danced in the air. He roared, jaws snapping at his face.

Mustering strength into his numb limbs, he grabbed hold of the beast. He tried to force it away but the fiend was resilient, its jaws biting down again and again. Covered in putrid drool, the set of teeth neared him every time it snapped. He shouted in despair as its bite was an inch away in tearing his neck.

The beast was thrown aside by a homing sword before it mangled his neck. Samuel looked beside him and laid there was a dead wolf, bleeding heavily from a gash on its head. He was saved, and when he looked up, stood a man with an unremarkable sword.

“Discal!” yelled Samuel as he quickly stood up, hoisting his greatsword alongside. But before he could thank him, a new wave of direwolves sprouted from afar. They rushed in droves and with their numbers, they would be easily overwhelmed. He gritted his teeth.

He never knew the red sap was this strong. It made them mad! he thought, looking at the bloodshot eyes of the beasts. They had to get away, far from the red tree. By then, they would be safe.

Any place would be safer than here.

“Everyone! We’re going to break out,” Samuel shouted, the direwolves drawing near. “As soon as the spell hits them, Kaele will lead.” He pointed at a gap between the trees. “To the left, we’ll charge out there!”

Samuel tightened his grip once more and stabbed his sword into the ground. He kneeled and braced himself. The others followed, bracing themselves the same. Miria stayed near Kaele’s side, and Ronald lied down as close to the ground. In their eyes hid a sliver of fear.

The scholar’s eyes widened as he looked at the others. The wolves we’re closing in and the party had willingly left themselves defenseless. But he did the same; he stabbed his own sword into the ground and braced himself.

No one would be foolish enough to lay down their arms and embrace their end. There had to be a reason why, and as he guessed what it was, a surging wave of energy came from behind him. He turned, and remembered a similar feeling back at the market.

Samuel glanced behind and said, “Lucius, I’ll leave it to you.”

The robed person nodded and stomped down his staff. The measly mana core on top glowed in an eerie silver light, and he began to chant in a language of old. Motes of white light gathered around him, syllable after syllable. When a wolf almost struck Kaele’s shield, he spoke the last word of his spell.

He stomped his staff once more. The motes of light moved and speared towards the core. It absorbed the motes, and through the staff it travelled to the ground in a wave of shimmering silver light. It dispersed into the ground and the earth shook like the pulse of a human heart. A shockwave of air burst forth, and blew the wolves away with Lucius as the center.

The beasts flew into the air like leaves in the wind and crashed against the ground and the trees. Countless thuds reverberated in the air, followed by the crushing of flesh and bone. The beasts dropped to the ground, whimpering in pain, either dazed or on the verge of death.

Now, they were little more than infants on their deathbeds. But more eyes glowed in the dark, more baleful than before. There were more of the despicable beasts, waiting to avenge their fallen kin.

At the same time, the party braced themselves with clenched teeth. The shockwave hit them, and the pain made them feel faint; their vision went dark. It tried to blast them away, as it did to the wolves. The spell was too strong.

Miria bit her tongue to keep herself awake, while Ronald drew blood with his blade. Kaele’s form trembled under the spell, while Samuel huddled close to his sword, like a pillar in a storm. Everyone, but the scholar, was in dire straits.

The scholar felt little pain and only the chill of a strong wind. He remained rooted to the ground, akin to a statue. And his body took the brunt of the spell, his sword doing little help. To the scholar, it felt nothing more but being pelted by a sharp rock.

The shockwave reached its end.

Discal and the others stood up and charged for the gap in the left, leading them was Kaele and her bloodied shield. Some of them fell on their feet, still recovering from the spell. Kaele hacked a path through, but behind them was a pack of wolves.

The party ran before engaging as they were too close to the red tree. If they stood and fought, more of the beasts would come. They first had to get away from the horde.

But while the others easily cruised through, the scholar had trouble keeping pace. With the heavy bag and added with his momentum, his feet sank deeper than before. It slowed him down, like travelling through bogged ground.

But by virtue of his waist strength, he had managed to keep up as his strides were far and wide. Every step he took was preceded with a burst of force. He would pry his ankles away from the mush holding him down.

His speed even surprised the others. But even with Discal investing in his best, he still lagged behind. He was at the very back, and behind him were the crazed wolves, ready to tear him apart. Only his unnatural endurance allowed him to keep his stead. But even then, he could not keep his pace for so long.

Ten minutes had passed and exhaustion started to take its toll. Everyone looked unseemly as their faces were covered in sweat. Some even huffed and wheezed for air, their feet growing unsteady. They had to rest and now, but the wolves showed no signs of stopping their chase. The beasts were adamant in hunting their prey.

Three wolves trailed them from behind, while five more ran by their sides, honing in for the kill. They had to fight now, before exhaustion took hold. Fortunately, they made distance between them and the red tree. No help should come from the horde.

“We have to fight,” Samuel said as he vaulted over a massive root. “Discal and Miria will take the three at the back. The rest will deal with the others.” He used his bulk to ram some branches aside. “As soon as I say the signal, everyone attack.”

After running for a minute more, they found themselves in a wide field. The five wolves from the sides converged together at their front, while the remaining three haunted them from the back.

Four held five, while two met three.

“Now!” shouted Samuel as he charged forth, following him was Kaele and her shield. Behind the two were Lucius, and Ronald with his recurve bow. At their backline, Discal charged headlong at the three beasts and Miria shadowed him to support.