The Devourer-born hit them like a swarm.
Fast.
Silent.
Claws glinting black-gold.
Eyes empty and hungry.
Owain stepped into the front line without hesitation—
a wall of muscle, fur, and fury—
his roar splitting the forest air.
"STAY AWAY FROM HER!"
Kanah barely had time to gasp before the first wave collided.
OWAIN — THE FIRST STRIKE
He met the Devourer-born head-on.
One surged from the left—
Owain slammed his elbow into its throat and tore upward with his claws.
Another lunged low—
Owain kicked it sideways into a tree.
A third tried to leap over him—
Owain grabbed its leg mid-air and broke it with a twist that made the clearing shake.
He didn't move from in front of Kanah.
Not an inch.
Every breath he took was a snarl.
Every heartbeat roared with instinct.
Her newly completed bond pulsed through him like fire.
He felt her fear.
Her pain.
Her desire for him not to fall.
And it made him stronger.
A Devourer-born claw cut across his arm—
Owain didn't even flinch.
His eyes glowed gold.
"Touch her again," he growled, "and I tear out your spine."
He lunged forward, ripping through two attackers in a blur of silver and black.
YLLAS — FIRE AND ICE
To the right, the trees exploded with frost-blue flame.
Yllas rose into the air, wings beating sharply, eyes burning with dragon wrath.
He inhaled—
and exhaled a torrent of freezing fire that swept across the swarm's flank.
Devourer-born shrieked and froze mid-stride.
Others shattered like glass when they hit each other.
Yllas landed heavily beside Owain, claws glowing.
"Wolf—left!"
Owain didn't hesitate.
"Dragon—right!"
They pivoted like they had fought together for years—
Owain's raw force paired with Yllas' precision and elemental wrath.
Yllas snarled at a Devourer-born reaching toward Kanah.
"Burn."
A concentrated beam of flame sliced through its chest.
Kanah gasped.
"Owain—Yllas—!!"
"We're here," Yllas growled.
"We're not letting anyone take you," Owain added.
HELION — THE HUNTER
Above them—
A flash of gold.
Helion.
He vaulted from branch to branch, claws slicing through enemies before they even sensed movement.
One Devourer-born leapt toward Gerrin—
Helion dropped directly onto its back, snapping its neck cleanly.
He grinned down at Gerrin.
"I saw that!"
Gerrin deadpanned, "I am very impressed."
Another attacker dove for Kanah—
Helion twisted mid-air and slammed his knee into its jaw.
Kanah flinched.
Helion landed lightly and winked.
"Still got it."
Owain snarled.
"STOP FLIRTING AND KILL THEM!"
Helion hissed playfully.
"So sensitive, dog."
Then he vanished into motion again—
a blur of gold and teeth.
GERRIN — RESONANCE MAGIC
The forest glowed silver.
Gerrin moved into the center of the group, palms raised.
Patterns etched themselves into the air—ancient Elf sigils—smooth, resonant, synchronized with the natural world.
"Kanah—your heartbeat—focus on it—let me match it—"
Kanah clutched her chest, trying to breathe.
Gerrin's voice dropped to a soothing hum.
"Resonance stabilizing. Mana binding.
Stay with me, Kanah."
A Devourer-born lunged for him—
The guardian beast smashed it aside like swatting a fly.
Gerrin didn't even blink.
He extended his hands toward the ground.
"Tethering roots."
Vines burst from the earth, wrapping around three Devourer-born and dragging them into the dirt.
Ilai shouted:
"Gerrin—your left!"
He turned, silver energy whirling—
And Helion intercepted the attack in a blur.
Gerrin smiled gratefully.
"Thank you."
Helion flicked his tail.
"You owe me."
ILAI — HUMAN COURAGE
Ilai wasn't a fighter.
But she fought anyway.
When one Devourer-born broke through Owain's line and lunged for Kanah—
Ilai stepped in front of her without hesitation.
"NO!"
She swung her sharpened branch—
clumsy, weak, human—
But enough to slow the creature by half a second.
And in that half-second—
Owain was there.
He tore through the attacker so violently the trees shook.
He spun to Ilai.
"You okay?!"
Ilai's lip trembled.
"I… I hit him with a stick."
Owain grabbed her shoulder.
"You did good."
Ilai blinked, stunned.
Then nodded fiercely.
"I'll hit more!"
THE GUARDIAN — ITS PURPOSE AWAKENS
The ground thundered.
The guardian beast stepped forward—
and the atmosphere changed.
It planted both hands into the earth.
A black-gold shockwave erupted outward.
Devourer-born flew back like rag dolls.
Owain froze mid-strike.
Yllas' flames faltered.
Helion almost lost balance.
Gerrin's eyes widened.
"What was THAT—?!"
The guardian turned its head slightly.
Its voice—deep, rumbling—spoke for the first time longer than a whisper.
"Protector."
Kanah's breath caught.
"You're… a protector?"
It nodded once.
"Of you."
Kanah's knees nearly buckled.
Owain steadied her, eyes softening.
"Of course it is. Because you're—"
Before he could finish—
Kanah's brother appeared behind the guardian.
Standing above.
Watching.
Silent.
Calculating.
He looked at Kanah—
and her entire body went cold.
Her brother whispered:
"You're strong, sister."
Owain roared.
"GET AWAY FROM HER—!!"
He charged, leaping toward the Devourer—
But the brother vanished into shadow and reappeared beside the tree line.
Owain skidded to a stop, fur bristling.
Her brother's gaze flicked to the guardian.
"And the guardian recognizes you now."
Kanah swallowed hard, her voice barely audible:
"It protects me because I chose my anchor."
Her brother smiled faintly.
"Then let me test its loyalty."
He raised one hand—
The guardian tensed.
Owain and the others braced.
Kanah gasped.
A pulse of Devourer resonance surged—
but instead of hitting Kanah—
it hit the guardian.
Its body staggered.
Kanah screamed.
Owain grabbed her arm.
"KANA—STAY BACK—!"
Her brother whispered,
"Let us see if the ancient beasts still obey the bloodline…"
He lifted his hand—
the guardian growled—
the Devourer-born tensed—
Owain's heart dropped.
Kanah's breath froze.
Her brother whispered:
"Kneel."
The guardian shuddered—
Then fell to one knee.
Kanah screamed:
"NO—!!"
Owain bared his teeth, voice breaking:
"KANA—DON'T LOOK—DON'T—"
Her brother smiled.
"You bound yourself to the wolf.
So the guardian bends to me."
Kanah fell to her knees.
"No… no… don't… don't take him too—"
Her brother's gaze softened around the edges.
"Don't cry, sister."
Owain lunged, voice cracking with rage:
"DON'T CALL HER THAT—!!"
And the Devourer brother smiled—
just as the second wave of Devourer-born surged from the trees.
The battle wasn't over.
It had only begun.