[BACK TO THE FOREST OF FENRIS REACH]
As the explosion occurred, Faelan was pushed backward, her claws clawing against the dirt as she tried to steady herself. "Grrr…" With a low growl, she swiftly moved aside as the massive blight wolf's tail swung down towards her.
"Faelan!" Jago yelled while jumping aside to avoid getting crushed by the other tail.
Landing close to one another, they both glared up at the giant creature. With its fangs showing, the beast's double tails were constantly enveloped by the lightning it had replicated from Faelan.
"Any bright ideas?" Jago questioned.
"Nope," Faelan responded. "Seems like the damn thing keeps adapting every time we throw something at it." Faelan clenched her jaw, her fist sparking with electricity.
"You don't say," Jago retorted as he saw the electricity sparking around Faelan's hands before he turned his head back towards the massive creature. "You just had to let it learn from you, didn't you?" Jago joked slightly, humored as Faelan quickly whirled her head towards Jago.
"How the hell are you blaming me for this?!" Faelan quips. "And how I was supposed to know that thing can copy techniques, and WHY didn't YOU kill it before it even got this DAMN STRONG?!" She screamed at him, her head growing giant-sized as the wind out of her mouth comically blew down on Jago.
Enduring the harsh winds that bore down on him, Jago replied quickly. "How was I supposed to know that this thing was going to get stronger!" He yelled back, "This is the first time I've seen any blight beast like this!"
"Which is why you should have killed it like the rest of them!" She stomped her foot childishly. "Ugh! Why do I expect you to use that brain of yours is beyond me! Now look at it!" She directed her finger at the enormous creature. "IT HAS MY LIGHTNING!"
"Oh, so now it's MY FAULT!" Jago's head grew as big as Faelan's. "No one told you to show off with your fancy lightning tricks!" His forehead pressed against hers. "Maybe next time don't start a fight with a signature move against something we know nothing about!"
The blight wolf, sensing the momentary distraction between its prey, seized the opportunity. It's corrupted form rippled with stolen lightning as it lunged forward, massive jaws snapping where Faelan and Jago had been standing just moments before they quickly came snapping down shut on empty air as the two dodged out of the way.
"Oh, Great! Now look what you did!" Faelan rolled to her feet. "Your stupid yapping almost got us eaten!"
"MY stupid yapping!" He landed on the ground, immediately, dodging one of its large tails as it came crashing down on the spot where he landed. "You're the one who—"
"WILL YOU TWO STOP ARGUING AND FIGHT THAT THING ALREADY!" Asena yelled from the sidelines as the pups that stood beside her only stared in a stunned silence, slightly dumbfounded as they watched their chief and general battle against the large blight beast.
Jago and Faelan skidded against the ground on opposite sides of the creature, baring their teeth as they narrowed their eyes at the monster.
"Wonderful, we've angered Asena," Jago said, immediately standing up straight as he got ready to attack.
"Tell me about it, now we're going to get an earful when we get back." Her eyes narrowed at the creature in front of her. "Let's take care of this thing before it steals anything else." She quickly lifted off her feet, crouched down in mid-air, and in a flash of lightning, zipped upward towards the large creature, appearing right in front of it. "THIS IS FOR STEALING MY LIGHTNING YOU MANGY MUTT!" She screamed as she balled her fist up and delivered a heavy haymaker to the side of the creature's face, causing it to howl in pain as its head rocked to the side.
Jago leaped to the creature's other side, his transformed black wolf arms reaching above his head as he clasped both his hands together and slammed down on top of the creature's head hard, forcing it to the ground with a thunderous thud.
The massive blight wolf crashed into the earth with bone-shattering force, sending tremors through the forest floor. Dirt and debris exploded outward as its corrupted form writhed beneath the combined assault.
Asena sighed, her head dropping. "God, I swear those two are going to be the death of me." She glanced behind her at Nuix as she continued to hold up the injured pup on her back. "And probably to all of you if they keep going on like this." She turned her head back towards the battle.
"Is it me? Or does this feel like watching parents fight in front of their kids?" Nuix eyes watched as Jago landed next to Faelan. "Just with a life-or-death situation added to it?"
"Or like a married couple who can never decide what's for dinner," Naya added, tilting her head, scatching her cheek nervously.
"You'd think they like each other or something." Tala followed as she turned her gaze towards Asena. "Asena? Are they always like this?"
"Always?" Asena scoffed as she looked at the general and chief. "Those two have been bickering and fighting since they were pups themselves. However, when it comes down to it." Her expression softens slightly as she watched them coordinate their attacks despite their verbal sparring. "Well, you can see for yourselves." She finsihed as the pups kept their eyes glued to the battle in front of them. Nuix, still being held up on Asena's back with Naya and Tala on her right side and Koda and Klan to her left.
The Blight Beast swiftly raised its head, unleashing a deafening howl across the sky before lunging towards the two fighters. A dark liquid oozed from the place Faelan's fist struck, but his skin was already repairing, and the wound was shrinking.
Both Jago and Faelan stood there, fists balled. "Here it comes." She warned as Jago pounded his fist into his palm.
"Let it." He replied eagerly. "We're just going to make it eat the ground again."
The beast raised its claws high in the air and slammed it down with force. Faelan merely smirked as she leaped out of the way as the claw came spiraling down towards Jago, who didn't move; he just stood and watched as the claw came crashing down on top of him.
"JAGO!" The pups screamed, their voice cracked in unison with genuine concern as the dust blew in all directions, but it wasn't long before it settled, and a low, rumbling chuckle emerged from beneath the beast's massive paw. The blight wolf's eyes widened in confusion as it felt resistance—something solid and unyielding beneath its strike.
"Heh, my turn." Jago's voice came from under the creature's paw."Errrrgggyyaaahh!"
The creature's paw began to tremble, then slowly lifted as Jago's transformed arms pushed upward with inexorable strength.
"Hmph, show off!" Faelan shouted down at him as she landed on a small nearby cliff. "You could have just dodged that like a normal person." She crossed her arms with a smirk on her face.
The blight wolf's corrupted form staggered backward as Jago's raw strenght overwhelmed its crushing blow, growling as it snarled at them.
"Yeah but where's the fun in that?" Jago flexed his arms, black fur rippling with muscles as he glanced up at Faelan. "Besides, someone's got to show this overgrown mutt what real strength looks like."
"Real Strength?" Faelan rolled her eyes. "Please, just admit your second best to me, and we can go ahead and put this thing away." She gestured lightly, gently moving her hand towards the creature to emphasize her point.
"Second best? Me?" Jago started, turning his eyes towards the creature whose eyes flashed with rage at being outmatched, its copied lightning crackling violently around its twin tails. Dark ichor dripped from its mouth as it began to slowly circle them, reassessing its troublesome prey. "That's rich coming from someone who just let this thing copy her move, sound like that's second-best sloppiness talking, but hey, what do I know."
Asena couldn't help but lower her head as she sighed. "And they're STILL bantering while it's preparing for an attack…I swear, can't they just stop flirting for like five seconds?"
"Is this some weird love and hate thing they have going on?" Koda chimed in.
"I hope this isn't how Werebeasts are supposed to coax each other." Nuix added.
Jago cracked his knuckles as Faelan landed beside him. "Looks like our friend here is pissed off, probably going to spit some more lightning at us."
"Of course it is," Faelan answered, her eyes locked on their target. "That's what happens when you bruise a beast's ego." Lightning began to surround her as it danced all over her body, no longer just circling her fist." Think you can keep up this time, or should I handle this myself?" She glanced over at Jago, who only returned the look with a smirk spreading across his face.
"Keep up?" Jago's smirk slowly faded. "By the time you get there, that thing will be dead."
The creature lowered its front end as it quickly pounced towards its prey, eyes flashing in anger as its jaw widened as it tried to bite down. But Jago quickly leaped in the air towards its face and caught it with a heavy uppercut, causing the beast's face to shift upward before he quickly swiped his fist across the beast's face, knocking it to the side.
The beast's body flew backwards, but before it could get too far, Faelan intercepted the beast mid-flight, her body blazing through the forest like a thunderbolt. She twisted in the air, delivering a barrage of devastating punches in the creature's midsection, sending shockwaves with every devastating blow she delivered.
The blight wolf gagged and howled in pain as Jago came from above with his hands clasped together once again, slamming his fist directly on the top of the creature's head.
The beast plummeted to the earth like a fallen meteor, its massive form carving a crater into the forest floor. Dirt and debris lifted, and everything seemed to slow down as lightning quickly zapped down in front of the creature's face, showing Faelan crouched down with a smirk still plastered on her face as she quickly spun around, lightning quickly shooting down to her feet as she performed a 360 round house kick to the beast's face. The force of the blow quickly forced the large-bodied monster off the ground again and towards the forest, but lightning shot out again, and Faelan reappeared with blinding speed as she kicked the large creature up in the air.
Quickly appearing on the side of the beast's flying body, Jago reared his beastly arm back and cracked the beast in the side of the jaw again, slamming back into the ground, creating a deeper crater as the beast whimpered a bit as it slowly lifted its large head up, its body struggling to keep up with the assault.
A small dust cloud was created due to the impact as the dust surrounded the beast. Its eyes darted from left to right as it tried to find out where its opponents were, but through the dust, Jago strolled towards it, not a miss in his step, as the beast growled at him.
"Yeah, you realize it now, don't you?" Jago spoke lowly as he continued his calm steps towards the fallen beast that was trying to pick itself up, its tail swinging wildly as it roared at Jago. "I told you before we started this fight…"
Suddenly, as Jago continued to keep his pace towards the large blight beast, a flicker of lightning began to form around Jago as he continued to walk, revealing Faelan, charging towards the beast, passing Jago as he continued his calm stroll towards it.
The beast jerked its head up and roared as its tails shot towards the darting Faelan and Jago, but Jago continued his stroll as Faelan quickly jumped. lightning surrounding her feet as she promptly kicked the first tail away and pushed herself towards Jago as the second came down, but lightning quickly surged around her hand as her fist parried the tail strike, knocking it back as Jago continued to walk towards the creature.
No matter how many times the tails would swipe at Jago, Faelan would appear and deflect them while Jago's stride remained unbroken. The Blight beast's eyes widened in terror as it realized the futility of its attacks. Every strike was intercepted; every desperate swipe was met with Faelan's devastating force as she repelled its attacks.
Asena let a small smirk cross her lips. "It's over…" Her eyes glanced over at the pups that stood around her as she adjusted Nuix on her back. "You pups are witnessing something special between those two." She closed her eyes for a moment as the pups all turned their gaze towards her. "Just watch and see." She instructed them.
Jago's eyes narrowed at the beast as Faelan continued to move around him protectively, as the beast's movements slowed down. "This is the difference between you…And a real killer." Jago quickly moved forward towards the beast, as quickly as Faelan, with Faelan trailing behind him, lightning shooting out from her, increasing her speed.
Jago pulled his fist back as black and red energy began to surround his clawed hand, as Faelan's fist was coated in lightning once again. "HURRICANE BLITZ!"
Suddenly, a barrage of lightning and shadow attacks burst all around the creature as both Faelan and Jago moved faster than almost anyone could see. Jago matching Faelan's speed and Faelan matchingt his strength as the two punched and kicked, beating down different parts of the creature's body, almost as if they were breaking it down bit by bit.
The Blight Beast couldn't help but roar and howl in pain as the regenerative ability couldn't keep up with the increasing onslaught of its opponents. The lightning magic that it copied before began to flicker faintly with each attack that struck it.
The pups watched, stunned at the spectacle as the two leaders of the pack continued their assault on the large monstrousity. A shadow storm formed, now tormenting the trapped creature, and the pair accelerated, generating a miniature, lightning-laced shadow hurricane that vanished as they touched down, with the enormous Blight Beast's head collapsing behind them. Its body a managled mess and its eyes glazed over before its body slowly evaporated.
The forest fell into an eerie silence as the last wisps of corrupted essence dissipated into the air. Jago transformed arms slowly returned to their normal state as he rolled his shoulders, black and red energy still cracking faintly around his knuckles. Beside him, Faelan's lightning gradually dimmed, though sparks still danced across her fingertips as she brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"Well," Faelan said, dusting off her hands with a satisfied smirk, "That was almost too easy. Though I have to admit, your timing wasn't completely off this time."
Jago snorted, cracking his neck as he turned to face her. "My timing? Please, you're just mad that I dealt the killing blow."
"Are you serious!" Faelan threw her hands up dramatically. "It was me that killed that damn thing, and don't forget I was over here covering your blind spots! You would have taken a tail to the face if I hadn't—"
From the sidelines, Asena's voice rose in an exasperated scream.
"AND THEY'RE BACK TO ARGUING!"
The pups stared in silent shock as their leaders resumed their argument.
"Did…Did they just kill that thing and immediately start fighting about who got the last hit?Tala whispered, her head cocked as she struggled to believe what she was seeing.
"Our alpha's fight like they're our age." Naya sighed.
Koda's mouth hung open. "But that was the most amazing thing I've ever seen, and they're just acting like it was just…A regular day. We almost got eaten back there."
"Welcome to my world," Asena muttered, adjusting Nuix on her back as she watched Jago and Faelan continue their heated debate over the smothering crater where the beast had fallen. "Thirty years of this. Thiry. Years." She let loose a depressing deep breath.
Nuix tilted his head as he rested against Asena's back. "But…They work so well together when they fight. It's like they were reading each others mind or something."
"That's exactly the problem," Asena sighed once again, her voice carrying the weight of decades of exasperation. "They're perfectly synchronized in everything except when it comes to admitting the most important thing to each other."
"—And another thing!" Faelan was now pointing accusingly at Jago, her finger pressing against his chest. "Your 'calm little walk' routine? Pure showboating!"
"Showboating? Me!" Jago's eye twitched at her accusation. "You say I was showboating? But it's ok for little miss 'Look-at-me-I'm-a-lightning-bolt!' to show off half her moves!" He pressed back. "And it's not like your flashy sparks helped!"
Faelan blinked for a moment. "Flashy sparks?" Her eyes flashed with anger. "FLASHY SPARKS! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW—"
Asena and the pups watched the spectacle, their ears filled with Jago and Faelan's bickering, their own heavy sighs echoing in the tense air.
[MEANWHILE, IN HOLLOWBROOK AT THE SAME TIME]
Rowan, Fawn, Sedge, and Verity went around town to gather provisions, as they planned to leave the next morning. The group found themselves in a small shop overflowing with medicine, herbs, camping supplies, and food, with the bustle of activity as they started to explore.
Rowan surveyed the medicines before him, a thoughtful "hmmm" escaping his lips as he considered their various properties. "Fawn, what do you think?Looking over at the healer, who was searching through her own findings. "Do you think any of these would do for our trip to Fenris Reach?" He pointed out as the psychopathic half-rabbit, half-human healer looked up, her green eyes scanning the potions in front of them, quickly examining the containers.
Fawn's slender fingers carefully handled the glass vials, her ears perking up as she examined the labels with an unsettling intensity.
"Hmmm," She glared over their options once more. "Rowan dear, you're thinking to conventionally. We are about to journey off into Werebeast territory, and I think we're going to need something with a little bit more…Spice to it."
She purred as she plucked up a small vial with light green liquid sloshing around inside, rolling it between her fingers like a lover's caress. "Standard healing potions? Child's play. But this…" Her voice dropped to a whisper that somehow carried more menace than a shout as she put the green liquid back to pick up another purple vial. "This little beauty has enough power to put down a saberfang just incase...We..Well, let's just say having something that can cause pain makes everyone more reasonable, doesn't it."
Sedge, who was looking at rope and camping supplies nearby, shuddered noticeably. "Fawn, we're going there to ask for help, not torture them."
"Help, harm—such arbitrary distinctions." With a giggle and a dismissive wave, Fawn's mirth sent shivers through the nearby patrons, who swiftly departed her vicinity. "Besides, sometimes helping requires a firm hand. What if we encounter infected wounds that refuse to heal properly? What if someone's in so much pain they can't think clearly? What if we run into Order soldiers, who just won't take 'no' for an answer?"
Her ears perked forward with mock innocence as she selected another vial—this one filled with an ominous crimson liquid. "This paralytic agent could be invaluable for emergency surgery! No more thrashing patients ruining my delicate work."
Rowan couldn't help but rub his temples, already feeling a headache forming. "Fawn, please tell me you're not planning to experiment on the Werebeast."
"Experiment?" Fawn gasped dramatically, pressing her hand to her chest. "Rowan, you wound me! I prefer the term 'field research.' And honestly, Werebeast have such a fascinating anatomy—their pain thresholds, their healing factors, the way their bodies respond to various… stimuli.."
Verity's voice abruptly interrupted from the other side of the shop where she was checking the travel rations. "If you bring anything that could make them want to eat us, I'm leaving you behind."
Fawn's ears drooped dramatically with disappointment, but her twisted smile did not diminish. "Verity, why would you honestly think?" She let out a deep sigh. "Geez, you people are no fun at all. Here I am, thinking about our safety, and you're worried about a little recreational chemistry."
"There's nothing recreational about it!" Verity shouted from her bin that she was looking at. "Can you just stop being weird for one moment and gather the supplies we need!?" Verity pressed as Fawn ignored her cottontail comrade as she held up the crimson vial to the light, watching the liquid swirl with an almost hypnotic fascination before sighing. "Fine, fine...I suppose I can limit myself to the essential stuff."
"The paralytic, just in case, some concentrated pain relievers, a few potions—oh!" Fawn stopped immediately, another vial catching her eye. "I didn't even know this came in!" She made her way to the front of the counter, clearly forgetting everything that she was supposed to grab, and made her way towards a black vial. "Is this what I think it is? When did this come in?" She asked the cottontail shopkeeper at the counter.
The rabbit shopkeeper's ears went flat as Fawn approached him, her gaze intense. His hands trembled slightly as he recognized the dangerous gleam in her emerald eyes.
"Ah…That one." He swallowed hard. "That just arrived this morning from the capital, I actually think…It was a mistake….It's Black Widow essence—concentrated, of course…Very…very illegal to sell without proper documentation." His nose twitched nervously. "I was supposed to send it back, but the courier hasn't—"
"Illegal?" Fawn's giggle sent ice through the shopkeeper's veins. "Oh, you sweet little thing, you. Do you know what this little beauty can do?" She reached out for the vial, her hand gently gripping it before…
"FAWN! PUT THAT DOWN!" Rowan shouted as he ran over to her, his hand gripping it as the two began to have a tug of war over the vial. "I said we only need the simple things! You don't need anything black and scary on a simple diplomatic mission!" He tried to pull the vial towards him, but Fawn was surprisingly strong for her slim built as she pulled back in her direction, struggling all the same.
"Rowan, darling, you're being so unreasonable!" Fawn hissed through gritted teeth, her ears pinned back aggressively. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Do you have any idea how rare concentrated Black Widow Essence is? The applications! The research possibilities!"
"We're not bringing death in a bottle to a Werebeast village!" Rowan argued. "You're not going to use this as a weapon of negotiation when we're not even on bad terms!"
"Details, Rowan!" Fawn's eyes gleamed with manic excitement. "Besides, death is just another form of healing if you think about it philosophically!"
"No one sees it that way!" Rowan declared, his head humorously expanding as he addressed her.
The shopkeeper cowered behind his counter, shivering as he watched the two fight over the vial. "Please be careful with that, one drop could exterminate the entire village, the fumes alone would—"
"I need it! It's a rare commodity to find just sitting in some shop!" Fawn quickly turned her crazed look towards the shopkeeper before she lost her grip on the vial, and Rowan yanked it away from her, causing her ears to droop as she pouted a bit.
"No black vials," Rowan stated as he gently handed the vial back to the shopkeeper. "Sorry about that, Agu" He apologized.
Agu's hands trembled violently as he carefully placed the Black Widow Essence back behind the counter, his ears still flat against his skull as he breathed heavily for a moment.
"Sweet merciful gods, Rowan, please put that girl on a leash or something." He said as he placed the vial back behind the counter, making sure that Fawn couldn't see it anymore.
"Wouldn't work." Rowan shrugged his shoulders. "She would just find something to melt the rope, and she'll be on the loose again," He and the Agu laughed at the joke
"Hmph," Fawn crossed her arms, turning her head away with mild irritation. "You two are impossible," She muttered. "All a girl is trying to do is make sure we're prepared and you treat me like some deranged lunatic." She turned her back towards the two and walked towards the exit of the shop.
"Come, Sedge, Verity; we have other shops we must survey in order to make sure this trip is bareable." She continued to walk out the door with her eyes closed and nose tutted up as her tone insinuated that the two she called for were something identical to housemates or the help.
The bell above the shop door chimed as Fawn swept out with theatrical dignity, her cottontail twitching with indignation. Sedge and Verity exchanged weary glances before going back to picking up their portion of the rations.
"This happens every time you folks come here." Agu sighed as he turned his attention back to Rowan. "But I guess the store only gets lively when you guys are around." He chuckled a bit. "So tell me, Rowan, is it true? Are you really going to Fenris Reach?"
Rowan nodded his head, gathering the standard healing supplies Fawn had abandoned in her dramatic exit. "It's true. Haven's crest has been completely obliterated, and the Order has been moving around a lot more lately. We're trying to see if Faelan and the Werebeast wouldn't mind lending us a hand, just In case the Order shows up." He placed the items on the counter.
"We're going to need strength and numbers if the Order is going after villages." He finished.
The shopkeeper's ears lowered a bit at the news. "Yes, we've heard. The refugee city that harbored those trying to get away from those zealots." His tone changed a bit before he sighed. "It doesn't take long for word to get around. You can already here the murmurs from people. The townsfolk don't know if we're next or if the Order is about to set off another purge."
Sedge stepped forward, standing beside Rowan. "Which is exactly why our chief here." He patted Rowan on the back. "Is going personally to the Werebeast to ask for help. We cottontails can put up a fight, but there's only so much we can do on our own. Especially against those holy, loving crest thumpers."
The shopkeeper's nose twitched as he rang up their purchases. "Fenris Reach…" He shook his head, ears dropping further.
"That's dangerous territory even without the Order lurking about. The Werebeasts don't exactly roll out welcome mats for outsiders, and with everything that's happened…" His voice trailed off as he wrapped their supplies.
"Plus, you're bringing her. Rowan, are you sure?" He gestured toward the door where Fawn had made her dramatic exit. "No offense, but that rabbit's idea of diplomacy involves needles and questionable substances. What happens when she gets bored and decides the Werebeast would make fascinating test subjects?"
Outside, Fawn's voice could be heard lecturing and yelling at another stall as she stomped her foot on the ground.
"No, no, no!" Fawn yelled. "How the hell am I supposed to get screams and anguish with…I mean, how am I going to make sure everyone is at ease with these basic materials? Do you not have anything better than cheap elixir that only induces sleep!?"
Agu, Rowan, and Sedge looked at each other for a moment, and then they all turned their heads towards Verity, who kept her eyes locked on some other things she found some more rations of her own.
"No!" That was all she yelled before she walked off.
Rowan couldn't help but let out a small nervous laugh before he returned his attention back to the shopkeeper. "We'll manage her." He assured, though his tone suggested he wasn't entirely convinced himself.
The shopkeeper's ears twitched nervously as another crash echoed from outside, followed by Fawn's voice rising in protest.
"The poor bastard's probably wondering if he should start charging hazard pay." Rowan thought, watching the shopkeeper's whiskers quiver with each distant thud.
"Look," Rowan leaned against the counter, lowering his voice. "I know Fawn's…Intense. But she's also the best healer we've got. If things go south—and they probably will—we're going to need someone who can patch us up fast."
Sedge snorted in response. "That's assuming she doesn't accidentally poison us first while trying to 'improve' our stamina or something."
"That was ONE TIME!" Fawn's voice shrieked from somewhere down the street, apparently having overheard despite the distance. "And technically, the side effects were beneficial!"
The shopkeeper's eye twitched. "Beneficial for who exactly?" He questioned quietly.
"The point is," Rowan continued, gathering their wrapped supplies. "We need her skills. Even if her methods are…" He paused, searching for the right word as another crash echoed outside.
"Completely unhinged?" Sedge offered helpfully.
"I was going to say 'unconventional," Rowan sighed. "But yeah, that works too." Another loud crash could be heard, making the three wince as Rowan sighed heavily. "This is going to be a long trip..."