Chapter 4
Light beams through numerous tree branches covered in snow, glare catching the eye of all that are not careful with their gaze. The wind blows up sporadic clouds of snow, threatening to grow into something larger, but stopped short by the numerous tree's dotting the mountainside.
The Barrghest dashes through the snow as fast as its feet can carry it. The feeling of fresh snow on its paws generating glee like it has not felt in years. It's stride long, weaving through the tree's and paying no mind to the noise it causes.
The feeling of freshly fallen snow reminds him of the sands back home, when he was much younger, and played his part in his old tribe. The clouds of snow flickering between white and brown as they meld with the memories of sandstorms of the barren lands.
He keeps up his pace, excitement fueling his body at the chance to be free and run. He weaves around a pair of tree's, leaps off a high snowbank and crashes into a deep pile of snow before rolling out the other side and scaring a pack of deer that are on high alert.
The Barrghest descends further down the mountain, climbing up larger branches the break the treetop and float a few dozen feet in the air next to birds mid-flight that are trying to flee. As he floats through the air back towards the ground he lets loose a deep guttural howl that echoes all throughout the forest.
Flocks of birds can be seen fleeing the forest as his howl echoes throughout. He glides through the tree's and back to the ground, coming to a stop next to a frozen glade. Sunlight glistening off the ice, causing the scene to sparkle with life.
He takes a moment to catch his breath and stretch a bit more, to ensure that he is in top shape while out here in the wild. He has been in captivity for far too long, and if he did not keep that in the back of his mind then the wilds would catch up to him.
The sound of stampeding hooves begins to fill the air as deer flood the pond in droves, fleeing from ... ironically, him. To ensure that he does not redirect the herd into something worse, he uses his innate magic to shroud his presence from detection and cause his form to fade away into the invisible.
In droves they pass over the lake, cracking the ice bit by bit until the majority have passed and there are but a few passing by. Finally, all that is left is one small doe that prances across the ice. Suddenly the ice gives out and the doe plunges beneath the icy waters. This catches the attention of the barrghest and causes him to chuckle a bit.
"Well now, I'll not have any misfortune befall you little one when I must admit that my own excitement is what caused it." He says, floating across the cracked water until he is over top of the struggling doe.
He dispels the invisibility, which initially causes the doe even more panic. Foreseeing this, he casts another innate spell to soothe the animal and cause it to regard him as its kin. The doe then begins struggling towards him, and he obliges by reaching down and scooping her out of the icy water.
She calms immediately upon his touch, relaxing and allowing him to remove her from the lake and deposit her to the side where the rest of her herd had fled to. She prances a moment in thanks to him before darting off to rejoin her brethren.
"How nice. Why don't you join us on the hunt and we might not make you our dinner for tonight." A voice echoes from the treeline.
"I've been expecting you." The barrghest chuckles, moving to the center of the lake and keeping himself circling around. His nose picks up the scent of frost wolves, not just one, which causes him to be far more wary than usual. The lake would give him a terrain advantage, for the moment.
"I'll not be making any deals with my prey." He continues, watching his surroundings to see if they are going to make the first move. A snowstorm suddenly blows into the area, snow and ice kicking up and severely reducing his line of sight. He would think that this is a natural storm, except that he can hear the water refreezing beneath him.
The snow blinds all in the vicinity, not just one but four frost wolves dash to the center in hopes of catching the large barrghest off guard. To their surprise they find nothing at the center, whirling around and howling out loud one by one as a means to instill fear into the one they hunt.
One by one they exit the swirling snow, which is now settling atop the lake, and begin circling around to locate tracks or any trace of the barrghest. Suddenly a massive paw breaks the ice, grabbing one of the frost wolves and dragging it beneath the water.
The bracelet around his wrist keeps the water from freezing him, and having made note of the water turning to ice around his feet he had decided to head beneath. The water would act as a perfect conduit for the next portion of his plan, and if he could hold his breath longer than the wolf then that was a bonus.
The wolf struggles as he drags it to the bottom of the lake, but before much else can happen, the barrghest unleashes a massive wave of electricity. The lightning tears through the frost wolf and is further amplified by the water, causing it to instantly render his foe unconscious.
At this point it was little more than a guess at where the other wolves would be, though it is highly likely that they will head to the location their brother was dragged beneath the ice. With this in mind he launches himself up through the center of the frozen lake.
He bursts through the ice with a loud terrifying howl, unleashing another spell to terrify those around him with unimaginable fright. The bonus is seeing that one of the wolves had decided to track across the lake, while the other two moves across the outskirts.
He uses the split second caused the sudden appearance of his now massive form and magic fueled terror to slash out with his paw and connect to the frost wolf's head, knocking him downward into the water and knocking the wind out of him. Very quickly the one begins struggling for air due to both the blow and the disruption to its nervous system from the magic.
The two on the edge quickly shrug off the fear inducing magic and dash across the water, each breathing out a whirl of frost and ice akin to a dragons breath. The barrghest braces himself and feels two large jaws connect, digging in deep and causing him to bleed. If it weren't for the unnatural thickness of his hide they would have caused much more damage.
He unleashes a massive burst of electricity, shocking each wolf, causing them to release him and stagger to his sides. He doesn't waste the moment and lashes out once more at the one struggling for breath in the water. The blow knocking it unconscious at the very least.
He now turns to face the remaining two that are shaking off the effects of his lightning. These frost wolves putting up one incredible fight...