“Arrh-”
Her cry being cut short as the wolves began to maul her. Markus staring at her in horror managed to pick himself up and ran towards her. Longsword in hand he began to swing wildly.
One of the wolves, preoccupied with sinking its teeth into the young mages arm didn’t notice the angry adventurer’s blade as it swung down on its back. With a deep swing Markus blade caved through the back of wolf, felling it instantly.
The other two wolves now focused their attention on their new opponent, hackles raised, growling at him. However, they refused to approach him, wary of the blade.
Reason looked behind him, taking a glimpse of the ensuing fight between Markus and the wolves. The mutant wolf used this momentary distraction to strike. Here it pounced, Reason unable to parry with his sword in time found a large set of canines clamped onto his left arm.
Reason screamed in pain, it felt as though his entire arm had just been shattered. The mutant wolf then dragged Reason of his feet, released its grip on his arm and hurled him of to the side. Reason slammed spine first into an old oak tree, pain spreading through his entire body, before sliding into the ground in a crumpled heap.
The mutant wolf seeing that Reason was no longer a threat turned towards the last standing annoyance in its way. It slowly stalked towards Markus, its large paws making no noise as it moved closer and closer. Parts of the creature’s fur began to shift with its surroundings once more.
Markus noticing the mutant wolf approaching him began to try and back away. Before his back contacted the dense underbrush, he realized that the wolves would get him if he tried to run.
The mutant wolf looked at the cornered adventure, and Markus could have sworn it saw it grinning. Fine then. Swallowing the fear that was threatening to burst out of him, he stared at eh wolves in defiance, “Come on, I’m not scared!” Markus’s voice cracked as he screamed, his mouth dry, his heart thumping out of his chest.
While the yelling didn’t deter the wolves, it did help wake Reason from his daze. Reason gave a quick shake of his head, trying to focus his thoughts. Clenching and unclenching his left hand, testing to see if he still had any feeling in it. Every time he moved his arm he could feel pain, though right now that was a good thing. At least it’s not broken. He thought meekly. Got that going for me.
Reasons back and ribs ached from the throw, but he didn’t think anything was broken yet. Willing himself to get back up, he made it onto his knees, and witness the wolves circle around Markus. He realized that he needed to hurry, he crawled over to his sword, grabbed its hilt with his right, and used it to help him get back on his feet. Reason began to rush over trying to get to Markus in time.
Markus currently wasn’t aware of anything but the wolves standing in front of him. To focused with not getting mauled to worry about anything else. But Reason noticed that the large mutant wolf seemed to be giving the other two wolves instructions. Whenever it barked or snarled, the other two would move. It didn’t feel like a leader giving orders, but more like someone controlling puppets.
Before Reason could process anymore the wolves move in on Markus. The two normal wolves attacked first, attempting to pounce on top of him. But a few quick swings from Markus’s blade caused them to scamper back, unable to approach him.
However, this exchange with the wolves forced Markus to move his back away from the underbrush. Now he unknowingly had his back face the mutant wolf, and it wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass.
Reason unable to warn Markus in time could only watch in horror as the large mutant wolf approached him from behind and bit down onto Markus’s left shoulder. Screaming in pain he dropped his sword, as the mutant wolf began to shake him around.
Then hearing Reason approaching it from behind it quickly released Markus and leaped back, not before Reason delivered a slash across its side, causing it to yelp in pain. In retaliation one of wolves leaped forward, Reason responded with another slash. This time his strike rang true and struck down the wolf, dead before it even hit the ground.
The mutant wolf stared at Reason with newfound hate, but what’s more it seemed like it was thinking about its next move. Reason not wanting it to formulate another plan charged in. Not expecting the small human to actively charge into it, the mutant wolf was caught of guard and unable to avoid a thrust in time.
The mutant wolf reared back in pain, retreating as far as it could. Reason tried to strike again but the mutant wolf rearing on its high legs proved to be to far for him to reach. Scrambling back, it now stared at Reason with caution, now blinded with one eye.
For a moment the mutant wolf seemed as if it wanted run, but then suddenly its one eye glazed. It blinked once and its gaze hardened, it shifted its position to pounce once more.
Reason looked at this strange small mental battle that mutant wolf seemed to have within itself. Reason during this very brief reprieve was starting to piece things together.
He remembered what Mary had said earlier, the shift had changed things. Whatever the shift is, it caused this wolf to mutate and become this. No wonder the wolves were too much to handle for the villagers. It also explained why the wolves are acting against there normal nature, something about this wolf has caused it to not only seek out destruction but manipulate other wolves.
Before Reason could think anything more the mutant wolf began to move once more. Reason now refocusing in on its two opponents realized that the other wolf could only move if given a command. Just like a puppet. Reason thought. Alright then, I can work with this.
The mutant wolf suddenly gave its head a cock to the side and was a quick bark. The other normal wolf began to move forward. Reason took this opportunity to charge in and strike at the mutant wolf once more, managing a cut across its left shoulder before it could get away.
With that exchange the other wolf stopped in its tracks and simply stared at Reason. I get it now. A ghost of a smile appeared on the face of Reason; he was starting to figure out a strategy to fight.
Even though the mutant wolf wanted Reason dead, it itself was worried of getting hurt, of losing its own life. Reason could use this to his advantage. Moving so that his body would protect his injured left arm, he held up his sword with his right and prepared to finish the fight.
Despite his injuries and fatigue, Reason began to move to a rhythm. Slicing and stabbing whenever the mutant wolf made a mistake of drawing to near, dodging and weaving whenever it tried to strike him, and counter striking whenever possible. It looked as if Reason was in a strange dance with the mutant wolf, it all seemed to be second nature to him. Reason seemed to have completely focused his attention in on the mutant wolf, studying it, predicting it, beating it, and Reason made it seem effortless.
The mutant wolf on the other hand seemed to get angrier by the second. It was frustrated that Reason was still alive, it was frustrated that it had lost three of its for wolves, it was frustrated that it was losing, and it was scared that it might die.
The longer this duel went on the more desperate the mutant wolf became. Trying more wild attacks and more predictable movements, it in turn was only awarded with the taste of Reason’s blade.
After another bad exchange for the mutant wolf, it retreated back, scarred, bloody, and panting. It stared at Reason, the fire in its eyes still not gone, it crouched back down ready to reengage the swordsman.
Reason at this point, while doing his best to not show it, was exhausted. His left arm felt as if it was on fire, his entire body ached, and his legs felt like lead. While he had been landing several strikes on the mutant wolf, none have been critical. As he watched the mutant wolf ready itself to pounce Reason knew he had to beat the mutant wolf in the next exchange, or he was dead.
He watched the mutant wolf carefully, ready to deliver a killing blow in the next attack. But before the mutant wolf made a move a flash of movement caught Reason’s peripheral. Unknowingly to Reason the mutant wolf had been slowly moving the other wolf to position during the entire fight. Now with a moment of respite the mutant wolf sent the other wolf charging into Reason’s side.
The wolf came flying in, clamping its teeth down onto the already injured left arm of Reason, he screamed in pain, before quickly bringing his blade down on the wolf. Managing to fell the beast its grip loosened, though the pain in his arm had now tripled. A sinking feeling entered Reason’s body when he realized that the wolf was just a diversion.
Whipping his head back towards the mutant wolf he saw that its face had curled up into a smile. It had won. Reason’s blade was still embedded in the wolf, he couldn’t bring it up to protect him. The mutant wolf was going to kill this annoying adventurer and then it was going to finish of this annoying village.
Sudden sharp, stabbing pain came from his hind leg. The mutant wolf found that it was unable move it’s rear left leg, it turned its head in confusion trying to find the reason. Looking down it saw the source of the problem.
Markus had crawled over and embedded his dagger into the leg of the mutant wolf. It had made a mistake; is hadn’t checked if Markus was still alive. Markus was wounded, bleeding and barely conscious, but still alive. It snarled at the barely conscious adventurer ready to kill him, it began to turn towards Markus.
Then the mutant remembered the real threat in this fight, frantically it tried to turn around in time. But it was to late, Reason had recovered from the wolf’s attack and charged towards the two. His blade piercing through the neck of mutant wolf, as it stared back in anger.
It stood there staring at Reason in silence, it opened its jaws to give one final dying snarl. Before the light in its eyes faded out and it collapsed onto the floor dead.
Giving sigh of relief, he let go of his sword, exhaustion washing over him, he dropped to his knees heaving for air, staring at the mutant wolf body. Before realising that Markus needed help. Scrambling over to him he checked Markus’s wounds.
“Hey… we did it.” Markus croaked, offering a small smile.
“Don’t talk your hurt.”
“How bad?”
Reason gave Markus a once over, no vital organs seemed to be hurt, but his leg and left shoulder were broken badly. Perhaps beyond any non-magical means, and Reason knew that they couldn’t afford any magical healing at this level. He can’t use his arm anymore. He thought, his heart ached as he realized just how badly he had failed.
Markus noticing Reason’s downtrodden face, “Hey, don’t look so sad, we completed the quest.” Markus tried his best to smile despite the pain.
This comment snapped Reason back to reality, looking back at Markus he gave a false smile, “Yeah your right.” Nodding once he began try and stop the bleeding.
Despite what happened Reason couldn’t get lost in grief, not when his party member is serious condition. He lifted Markus up and tried his best not to look at the bodies of his fallen party and began to head back towards the village. He had to get Markus help, then he will go back to the others. Supporting Markus on his shoulder he began to walk back towards the village.
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