Femi's ears pricked at the distant howls cutting through the distance, the sound echoing off the partially snow-laden trees like a group of wailing spirits. The wind carried their eerie chorus, twisting it into something mournful. His instincts screamed at him to be wary; more predators meant more danger for him in an already merciless wilderness. But then, a thought struck him.
Wolves.
Oooool.
The pup's ears twitched, its fur bristling as if sensing an unseen presence lurking beyond the trees. When it answered the howl, its tiny voice trembled, it was weak and pathetic, barely audible over the howling wind. Femi doubted the wolves could even hear it.
"Wait... yes," Femi whispered, his fingers grabbing his furry head as an idea took root.
"Yes, this might work."
The creature whined softly, sensing Femi's gaze on it, its blinking eyes looked up at him with an almost human-like understanding, as if it knew exactly what he was thinking. Around them, the trees groaned and their branches swayed creating, a strange scene that looked as if they were dancing.
Femi's lips curled into a grin.
"Ah… the heavens have opened a way."
Behind him, the clash of steel and beast raged on. Varga's furious shouts, the bear's enraged bellows, the sickening crunch of impact, each sound was a reminder of how little time they had left. Snow sprayed in violent arcs as the armored bear lunged, its massive paws churning the frozen earth, its breath a cloud of frost and fury. Varga looked to be holding on, barely, her body battered and at its limits, every movement was getting slower, every breath was more labored. She wouldn't last much longer.
He had to act. Now.
Femi's mind, once clouded with panic, now burned with cold, calculating clarity. The kind of focus that had kept him alive this long in a world that wanted him dead.
Wolves are smart. Cunning. They hunt in packs, targeting the weak, the isolated. And right now, the armored bear was distracted, focused entirely on the green-skinned warrior hacking at it with an axe.
Perfect.
But first, he needed their attention.
"Listen, Victim, it's time to earn your food," Femi murmured, crouching low and rubbing its head. The pup's fur was slightly cold beneath his clawed fingers, its small body shivering slightly. "I need you to call them. Can you do that?"
The pup blinked, then as if understanding tipped its head back and let out a weak, trembling howl.
Ooooouuul!
Femi's heart clenched at the sound. It was pitiful. Desperate. The kind of cry that spoke of loneliness, of fear, of a creature too small for this brutal world.
Truly, you are a professional victim, my dear pup.
OOOOOOWUUUL!
"Yes, it seemed to work." In the distance, the answering howls grew louder, deeper, more urgent.
Closer.
Femi exhaled, his breath forming a white ghost in the air.
Ah, I hope I haven't invited the devil.
------
"Keep howling, Victim. You might be our saving grace."
"Yipp"The young wolf pup yipped in response.
Femi turned back to the battle, his stomach tightening at the sight before them. It wasn't looking good at all.
The bear dominated the fight, its armored bulk shrugging off Varga's strikes like they were nothing more than annoying mosquitoe bites. Each thunderous swipe of its massive paws sent showers of snow and dirt flying through the air. Varga was on the defensive now, her movements sluggish from exhaustion, her breath coming in gasps.
Yet not all was lost, Femi's sharp eyes spotted hairline fractures in the bear's outer plating where Vaga's earlier strikes had landed, showing that at least there was a chance to break through if they could hit those weak spots again.
"VARGA" Femi yelled.
Her body erupting with that familiar emerald light that flowed into her axe. With a cry, she slammed into the bear with renewed force. The beast blocked with its massive paws, the impact sending tremors through the frozen ground that made Femi's teeth rattle. Using the precious seconds of distraction, she staggered back to Femi's side, her chest heaving, sweat mixing with blood on her brow.
"Do you have a plan?" she gasped, her breath forming thick clouds in the cold air that hung between them.
"I won't call it a plan, more like a hope," he admitted, his voice laced with uncertainty as his eyes darted toward the dark tree line where answering howls still echoed. "I don't even think it'll work. It'll be a miracle if we survive this."
"But we have to try" Varga concluded, her grip tightening on her axe until her knuckles turned pale.
"Ten minutes," Femi said, his brown eyes scanning the treeline. "We just need to hold it off for ten minutes."
"Ten minutes?" she repeated. "Why ten minutes?"
"I hope the miracle happens within ten minutes."
Varga sighed deeply, her shoulders rising and falling with the motion. She winced as she gingerly rolled her injured shoulder. "Okay then," she breathed. "I will do my best."
"No," Femi corrected, his voice gaining an edge. He didn't look at her, his own gaze locked on the monstrous foe ahead. "We both have to do it. Or you'll be killed, and then I'll be killed. There's no other way."
A short, derisive snort escaped Varga. Her eyes remained fixed on the armored bear as it paced, its massive, plated head lowered. The beast's ghastly, eye tracked their every move, and a low, rumbling growl vibrated through the frozen ground as it gathered itself for another charge.
"Well," she said, her voice now flat and grim. "Shall we?"
They both began to walk, toward the armored bear that was already gathering itself for another attack. Varga began to carefully remove the strap holding her broken arm, each tug sent a flash of white-hot pain across her face, but her jaw was set, her features a mask of hardened determination.
Unfortunately her bow was destroyed by the earlier ambush of the bear, the shattered remains lay somewhere in the snow behind them. A bow would have been a better choice against this foe, allowing them to keep their distance while targeting those vulnerable parts.
Closing her eyes, Varga drew a sharp, steadying breath, shutting out the world, the cold, the thunder of her own heart, the monstrous silhouette bearing down on them. A low, resonant chant spilled from her lips, words of power that seemed to warp the very air. In response, a violent, emerald light erupted from her core, a miniature star flaring to life.
Kuros raced through her veins like liquid fire, a searing, volatile power that demanded release. With a act of sheer will, she wrenched the torrent of power down into the ruin of her left arm. The limb ignited with a faint, internal glow, the light visible through her skin and wrappings. Agony, white-hot and absolute, lanced through her, and a strangled gasp escaped her gritted teeth. She could feel the delicate bones grating, the torn muscles screaming in protest.
Forcing Kuros into her broken arm would worsen its condition, possibly beyond repair, but now was not the time for such concerns.
"I am ready," she ground out, opening her eyes that now shone with that same emerald light.
"Let's begin," Femi responded.
The bear roared, its furious eyes fixed on the two of them with murderous intent. These prey had survived its previous attack, had dared to fight back, and now it was ready to end this game. With a powerful burst of speed that belied its massive size, the bear charged once more, its armored plates clanking as it blured towards them.
The two of them stood side by side in the snow, ready to face the bear's fury.
------
The armored bear charged, its massive body a blur of plated hide, the ground trembling beneath its thunderous weight as snow sprayed from its pounding paws. Varga and Femi braced themselves.
Varga moved first, her emerald-lit axe swinging in a brutal arc that left a glowing afterimage in the air. The bear reared up on its hind legs, deflecting the blow with its armored forearm in a shower of sparks, but she twisted mid-air with unnatural agility, using the momentum to slam her boot into its snout. The beast snarled, shaking its massive head from side to side, just long enough for Femi to dart in, his dagger scraping against the cracks in its plating.
I don make mistake.
The bear's paw lashed out with terrifying speed, swiping Femi off his feet. He hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs as his ribs screamed in protest, but instinct made him roll just as claws gouged the earth where his head had been.
Varga was already upon it again, her movements fueled by sheer will. She feinted left with a grunt of effort, then pivoted right, her axe biting into the bear's exposed shoulder joint with a wet thunk. A spray of blood arced through the air, steaming where it hit the snow, but the beast barely flinched. Instead it retaliated with terrifying speed, its armored head slamming into her chest like a battering ram.
Crack.
Varga gasped, the sound wet and pained, stumbling back several steps but she didn't fall.
Femi was up again, circling , his mind racing through options. Distract. Survive. Buy time. He snatched a rock and hurled it at the bear's face with all his remaining strength. A useless attack that bounced harmlessly off its plated skull, but the beast turned its massive head, just for a second.
Varga used that to strike.
Her axe came down like a falling star, splitting one of the bear's plating seams. The creature roared, a sound so deep it vibrated in their bones, and swung blindly. Varga took the hit a glancing blow, but it sent her skidding across the snow, blood trickling from her lip.
Her axe came down like a falling star, splitting one of the bear's plating seams.
ROOOOOAR!
The creature roar, was so deep it vibrated in their chests and made the nearby trees shed their snow, and swung blindly in rage. Varga took the hit as a glancing blow across her shoulder, but it still sent her skidding across the snow, fresh blood trickling from her split lip.
Femi lunged, driving his dagger deep into the bear's hind leg. It buckled, just slightly, but the beast whirled with, jaws snapping shut with enough force to shatter bone. He barely yanked his arm back in time, the bear's teeth grazing his fur.
Too close.
Varga was back on her feet, but her breathing was unstable and her left arm trembling visibly now. The forced Kuros was wearing off, its emerald glow. She met Femi's gaze across the battlefield. Five minutes left.
The bear eyed them with cold animal intelligence, its massive chest heaving . It knew they were weakening.
ROAR!
Varga ducked under a swipe, countering with a upward slash. The axe lodged in the bear's chest plating, stuck. The beast roared, lifting her off the ground as she clung to the weapon.
Badam..badam
Femi sprinted, leaping onto the bear's back, stabbing at its neck, trying to stab it's remaining eye.
The bear thrashed violently, not going to fall for Femi's tricks again, bucking like a wild stallion. Femi held on with his claws until one brutal shake sent him flying through the air. He hit the ground hard enough to see stars, his vision swimming with black spots.
Varga was still hanging from her embedded axe, kicking futilely at the beast's face. Yet, with a furious jerk of its massive body, the bear ripped the weapon free, and her with it. She crashed down like a broken doll, the wind knocked from her lungs in a pained wheeze.
The bear loomed over her fallen form, raising a clawed paw for the killing strike.
HOOOWL!
The sound cut through the chaos.
Not Victim's weak cry, but a chorus of them. Deep. Hungry. And terrifyingly Close.
Femi's lips curled into a bloody grin.
The miracle had arrived
The forest seemed to shift around them. Shadows moved between the trees, sleek and silent. Dozens of yellow eyes gleamed in the dimming light, reflecting the fading sun.
Then, like a ghost emerging from the snow, it appeared.
A massive white wolf, its fur like fresh-fallen snow, its eyes a piercing, unnatural blue that seemed to glow in the gathering dusk. It stood far taller than Femi it's shoulder, way above his head, muscles coiled beneath thick fur, its breath steaming in great plumes from black-rimmed nostrils.
And it was looking right at him with unsettling intelligence.
Femi swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.
This wasn't just a wolf.
It was a direwolf.
But as he processed this, more wolves emerged from the treeline , twenty-seven by quick count flanking the Dire-wolf like a small, deadly army. Their coats ranged from grey to black to tawny brown, but all moved with the same grace.
It's gaze swept over Victim, then back to Femi, as if weighing..or judging.
The direwolf's lips peeled back in a silent snarl, revealing dagger-like fangs that could sever a man's leg with one bite. Femi forced himself off the frozen ground, slowly even as every primal instinct screamed at him to run.
Instead, he did something reckless.
He knelt in the snow, one hand resting lightly on Victim's trembling back.
The alpha's gaze flickered between Femi and the pup. Then, with a low, rumbling growl that vibrated in Femi's chest, it bent its massive head and sniffed the pup with surprising gentleness.
A moment passed.
Then another.
Then...
The white direwolf's head snapped toward the battle with predatory focus.
Varga was still on her back, blood streaking the snow around her in a grim halo. The bear, though wounded, was relentless , it didn't care for the wolves when prey lay defenseless before it.
A deep, guttural snarl ripped from the direwolf's throat.
And the forest erupted with movement.
Wolves, dozens of them surged forward, their howls shaking the forest and sending birds fleeing from the trees. They moved as one terrifying organism, a gathering of fur and fangs all with a deadly purpose.
But not toward them.
They charged past, straight at the bear.
The beast barely had time to respond before the first wolf leaped, sinking its teeth into the bear's already slightly wounded hind leg.
CRUNCH.
The bear bellowed in pain and rage, swinging its massive paw in a wild arc, but the wolves were fast. They darted in and out, harrying it from all sides, their coordinated attacks leaving no opening.
Varga rolled away from the clash with a pained groan, and staggered to her feet, gripping her axe with shaking hands as she stared in stunned silence at the sudden turn of events.
Femi didn't waste the opportunity.
He sprinted toward her through the chaos, grabbing her arm.
"We're leaving. NOW."
They didn't wait to see the outcome. They ran, the sounds of battle erupting behind them, snarls, roars, the crunch of bone and armor.
---
After what felt like hours of desperate running, Varga's legs finally gave out the moment they were clear of the battle's reach, her body finally succumbing to exhaustion as she collapsed.
Femi barely caught her, half-dragging, half-carrying her form, his own muscles screaming in protest with every step. The cold air burned in his lungs as Victim circled their feet, licking at Femi's ankle with urgent whines, its small body vibrating with anxious energy as it urged them onward.
Behind them, the savage sounds of the wolf pack tearing into the armored bear faded into the distance, replaced by the eerie silence of the deepening forest. The occasional snap of branches or distant howl kept his nerve strained, but the immediate danger had passed - for now.
"You..." Varga coughed weakly, blood flecking her cracked lips as she struggled to stay conscious. Her emerald skin looked pale in the fading light. "You called them?"
Femi grinned despite the pain radiating through his body. The adrenaline still thrummed through his veins, making his hands shake as he adjusted his grip on her.
"Yeah," he panted, hauling Varga's limp body slightly on his back and side, "I figured it might work after hearing the wolves howling, which indicated this might be their territory."he began explaining . " And no predator wants another to just walk into their territory uninvited. So," he nodded down at their small companion, "I used our little friend here, right, Victim?"
Victim yapped excitedly at his name, tongue lolling from its panting mouth, tail wagging like a mad thing despite their dire circumstances. The pup's energy seemed boundless compared to their own battered states.
"Thanks to Victim," Femi continued, wincing as a sharp pain shot through his side, "we were able to make a call. I was betting that they would come running after hearing one of their own." He adjusted his grip on Varga, feeling her weight grow heavier as her consciousness wavered. "Giving us just enough time to run while they tore into that monster."
He spat a mouthful of coppery blood onto the snow. "Ah, but thank the heavens my enemies weren't watchin'. I'm sure they'd have tried something."
Varga's glassy eyes flickered toward Femi, then back over her shoulder toward the fading sounds of battle. Had he really planned all that? Calculated their survival so precisely in the midst of chaos?
Femi exhaled, a long, plume of breath that was more shudder than sigh. It was a sound that held the entirety of the battle, the terror, the strain, the fleeting, violent triumph.
They had survived.
Barely.
But they had survived.
And as the twin suns dipped below the horizon, casting the world in a bloody twilight that painted the snow in shades of crimson and violet, Femi knew one thing for certain. This might not be the last time he risked his life in this unforgiving forest. The thought settled in his gut like hard bread.
Wordlessly, they turned and began to trudge forward, as they made their way towards the direction of the Krags camp, while hoping nothing else attacks them.
"Let nothing else come. Let the darkness be empty." Femi gave a prayer.
Pressed tight against his leg, Victim provided a small, vital point of warmth. The creature's quiet, anxious whine was truly a good reminder.
"I really need to get out of this evil forest."