Several monster wolves closed in on Tave from all sides, and damn it, he could barely handle one, let alone a whole pack.
This was death. Certain death.
Fighting the first wolf had clearly been a terrible idea. Of course they moved in packs, and of course they wouldn't just sit back and let one of their own get taken.
His entire body was tense, locked in place with sheer pressure, every nerve firing as his survival instincts screamed in his ears. He didn't even bother pretending he could fight his way out of this. There was no chance.
They outnumbered him, outclassed him, and he was alone.
His gaze flicked through the trees. Shapes emerged from the shadows, wolf after wolf, slinking into view, their eyes glowing with primal hunger. They crept closer, circling around him in a slow, deliberate formation.
There had to be at least a dozen.
He reached for the sword at his waist, fingers tightening around the hilt as he scanned them carefully. He looked for the smallest one, the weakest in appearance. And yes, there it was, off to his right, slightly behind the others.
Lowering his body slowly, he tried not to provoke them with any sudden movements. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat. He wanted to use hand seals. But that might trigger an attack.
Too risky.
Instead, he gently brought his hands closer together, his movements slow and measured. The wolves continued closing in, their snarls rising into a chilling chorus. He could hear everything. The whisper of the wind, the low, guttural growls vibrating through the ground, and the subtle shift of paws pressing into the earth.
Then, he moved.
In a flash, he formed the hand seals.
[ Shadow Veil activated. ]
The wolves sensed it immediately.
Tave gripped his sword and burst into a sprint, veering hard to the right, straight toward the wolf he'd marked.
The others reacted at once, letting out furious howls as they lunged forward.
This was death! Death! Death!
He raised his blade, preparing to strike the target wolf. Its eyes wide, jaws opening for the kill!
But at the last second, he rolled hard to the side, using the momentum to shift his direction entirely.
No!
He wasn't here to fight. He was getting out of here.
Tave planted his feet, every muscle in his body tightening, every drop of Gaia Force in him burning like wildfire.
He poured everything into this moment, his core, his breath, his heart.
His legs tensed, spine coiled like a spring, and Tave shot forward, pouring every ounce of strength and focus into his sprint. Every sense he had was dialed to the edge.
His vision was excellent in the dark. It gave him a massive advantage. Trees, branches, uneven terrain. He could see it all, even under the thick shadows of the forest canopy.
Behind him, the wolves gave chase, their howls raw and feral, echoing through the trees like a hunting chorus of death. He could feel the pounding of their paws through the earth, each step growing closer. One misstep and he was dead.
Hell!
He leapt, ducked, and twisted through the underbrush, refusing to let a single miscalculation slow him down.
He reached for something in his waist bag. A small device, no bigger than his palm. He slapped it onto the side of a tree mid-run, and a high-pitched tit-tit-tit sound rang out.
Boom!
An explosion cracked through the air, followed by the startled yelps and howls of wolves caught in the sudden blast. Smoke burst outward in a thick, grey cloud, blanketing the area.
It wasn't lethal, not meant to be.
It was a distraction, a smokescreen.
But unfortunately, the wolves could still see well in darkness, just as he could.
Still, that wasn't his only trick.
He had planned for this.
He kept running, pulling more of those devices from his bag, slapping them to trees as he passed. One after another, tit-tit-BOOM!, tit-tit-BOOM!
Explosions trailed behind him, shaking the forest floor and throwing up more clouds of smoke and light.
He made a hard turn, veering into a new path, throwing off their rhythm.
He had only one objective now. Run!
Escape.
Get far enough from this forest to recover, and hunt properly later.
He was not going to die on his first damn day in this world. Hell no.
The sound of pursuit began to fade. Slowly.
He could feel it. The wolves were falling behind.
He'd done it.
He outran a pack of shadow wolves.
A feat like that? That was no small achievement.
But even as the sounds of pursuit vanished behind him, he didn't stop.
His body screamed, every muscle burning, lungs on fire, heart pounding like it might explode in his chest.
He was barely holding on, just a thread of stamina left. His vision flickered at the edges, his legs threatening to buckle at every step.
But he didn't care.
He ran like his life depended on it. Because it did.
Escape or die.
There was no other option.
And then, it happened.
A fucking damn moment.
His foot twisted. The ground shifted under him. Pop.
He sprained his ankle.
For a split second, everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. His body twisting uncontrollably in the air before he crashed hard into the ground, dirt and leaves scattering around him.
"Argh!"
He bit back a scream, but the pain shot through him like a blade. His ankle was screaming, twisted, maybe worse. There was no way he could run now.
His breath came in gasps, and his vision blurred at the edges.
He had to move. He had to live.
Tave forced himself up, dragging his arms beneath him, trying to lift his body, pain surging through his limbs. And then. His heart stopped.
A low growl.
Right in front of him.
He slowly looked up, muscles frozen, body half-risen from the ground.
A monster wolf stood there, baring its fangs at him, snarling deep and low.
Not just any wolf. It was tall, broad-shouldered, fur matted with blood and dirt, eyes glowing with fury and pain.
Tave held his breath, his thoughts spinning into chaos.
He was sitting. Vulnerable. Injured. Exposed.
He scanned quickly, just one. No others in sight. This one must have gotten separated from the rest.
It growled again, lowering its body into a threatening stance.
But then, he saw it.
Behind the wolf… a smaller shape.
A much smaller wolf. A pup, barely the size of a house dog, trembling as it peeked out from behind its parent?
Tave's eyes snapped back to the adult.
Now he saw it clearly, the injuries.
Its jaw was cracked, one side of its ribcage torn open. Deep gashes along its flank. It had been in a fight, a brutal one, and not with him. Maybe with another predator… or a hunter.
Still, even wounded, this wolf was dangerous. A cornered beast protecting its pup.
And Tave? He could barely stand.
But he had to try.
He grit his teeth, planting his hands to the ground, slowly shifting his weight onto his good leg, keeping his eyes locked on the wolf.
He rose, trembling, trying not to appear as weak as he felt.
The wolf snarled.
Its growl grew louder.
But then, his instincts screamed!
Danger. Death. Now!
The wolf lunged, fast as a shadow. Its powerful legs propel it forward like a bullet.
It was going to kill him.
Tit. Tit. Tit, BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted the moment the wolf's body struck the ground.
Tave had thrown himself to the side just in time, his whole body rolling across the forest floor. The blast cracked through the trees, sending a shockwave of air and debris outward.
Pain tore through his leg. His right ankle flaring with agony, as if the bones inside were being ripped apart with every move. But he couldn't stop now. He wouldn't.
Gritting his teeth, tasting blood on his tongue, he reached for another wire rope clipped to his belt.
He ignored the burn, the screaming pain, the dizziness threatening to drown him.
He bolted toward the pup, who cried out as Tave grabbed and swiftly tied the rope around its small frame. It thrashed and whined in protest, but he didn't stop.
Behind him, the wounded wolf roared, slamming against the trees, and with a twist of motion, Tave threw another explosive device over his shoulder.
Another blast. BOOM!
Smoke and dirt exploded into the air, momentarily halting the furious beast.
Go! Move! Just move!
The edge of the forest was close now.
He could see it, the light. Brighter than the deep, heavy shadows he had been running through for what felt like hours.
The forest was breaking open, the trees thinning, the faint glint of the railing at the border just ahead.
Almost there! Almost out!
The pup was heavy in his arms, but he didn't stop. It didn't matter. This was the only shot he had.
Behind him, he could feel it. The wolf was gaining.
It was fast, despite its injuries, despite the smoke and fire and chaos.
He didn't need to look back to know it was nearly on him.
Its presence pressed at his back like death itself.
He pushed harder. Every fiber of his body screamed, his injured leg trailing fire down to the bone—but he pushed, gritting his teeth until they hurt.
And then, he saw it.
The railing, standing low and solid at the forest's edge. The boundary between wilderness and safety.
With a final surge of adrenaline, Tave threw his weight forward, every muscle pulling, every joint straining.
He launched himself toward the edge, the pup still bound in his arms.
His body flew through the air and cleared the railing, just barely.
And the moment he passed it, he felt it, like crossing a threshold of power, stepping from the grip of darkness into a space just slightly less suffocating.
Behind him, the wolf skidded to a stop, its body tense and snarling, eyes glowing with rage. But it didn't leap.
It hesitated.
It wouldn't cross.
Tave caught a glimpse of it as he turned mid-air. The creature snarling just beyond the railing, the magical barrier repelling it like an invisible wall.
And then, his body slammed into the ground.
***
(Author's Note:)
Hey, thanks for reading all the way through this chapter! It means a lot.
This story is still in its early days, and your feedback is seriously important to how it develops.
If something hit hard (or missed the mark), let me know! Even a quick "Loved it" or "Too many wolves, not enough naps" in the comments helps more than you think.
Reviews, comments, whatever you've got, I'm here for it. Let's shape this story together.