Chapter 5
Cracked ice floats down into the depths of the icy lake, joining the two defeated frost wolves. Numerous hibernating fish have stirred at the bottom of the lake and are trying to bury themselves deeper in the silt at the bottom.
Above the frozen lake floats the barrghest, streaks of light causing his presence to seem almost regal. The two remaining frost wolves are retreating to the edge of the lake, no longer willing to risk the dangerous terrain.
"You'll pay for the deaths of our kin. After today you shall breath no more." One of the frost wolves speaks as the pair circles around the outer edge of the lake, trying to draw the barrghest away from his newly claimed hunting ground.
"Do not fret. You shall be joining them soon enough. Your fate was sealed the moment i was released upon this forest." The Barrghest replies, keeping where he is for the moment and letting his abilities recharge. While some of his magic was usable at will, others were usable only a limited times per day. His bio-electricity needed time to recharge after each use, so it isn't something he can overuse.
The Barrghest fades from sight and floats up above the treeline to give chase after one of the frost wolves. Upon seeing him vanish from their sight, both broke from circling the lake and began a mad dash for their den.
Seeing them rushing through the forest, the barrghest gave chase. He mused that they would not simply retreat after having suffered such defeat and are likely leading him into a trap. He hopes to deal with them before such a trap can be sprung.
His levitation is not as good as flight, so his speed is far slower than he would appreciate. With this in mind he takes to the ground, relying on his size and speed to catch up to the wolf but fully aware that his tracks would be made and the sound he makes would give away his position once he closes the gap.
The wolf he is chasing manages to escape a few hundred feet to a clearing before recollecting itself. It watches the treeline for the barrghests presence, hearing an unnatural silence. Suddenly lightning arcs from the sky towards it, the creature barely able to dodge to the side by rolling through the snow.
The attack has broken the barrghests invisibility, but it has created an opening for him to pounce on the frost wolf. The two roll through the snow, biting and clawing at one another. It takes a moment for the frost wolf to realize that none of its attacks have hit their mark. Each strike only fades through the barrghest as that portion of its body ceases to exist at that moment.
The ability gained from the tawny rabid dog the month prior truly is a saving grace, the barrghest thinks. The ability causes him to fade in and out of the material plane, spending half the time on it and half the time in the ethereal. It effectively causes him to be constantly ghostly while active, and without extremely precision or numbers, he would be far too difficult to strike.
After a few moments the frost wolf realizes that he can strike at the parts of the barrghest that are restraining it, but by that point it is too late. The barrghest unleashes a full blast of lightning, critically wounding the wolf. He then finishes it off with a bite to the neck.
The thrill of victory causes the barrghest unleash a piercing howl, telling all of his accomplishment. He then begins feasting on his prey...
Elsewhere the other frost wolf has returned to its pack and is reporting what has transpired to its pack leader. The elder is slightly larger than the rest of the wolves in the pack and has a scar across its face, proof of the challenges it has overcome.
"Let us handle this intruder in mass." The elder howls aloud, summoning the whole pack to hunt down the one that dares invade their territory. Frost wolves begin their march in droves, at least a dozen of them dashing through the forest to hunt down the barrghest that has taken the life of their brethren.
Back in the clearing the barrghest has finished its meal, leaving little more than a few bones. Enough time has passed that the magic that had enlarged and strengthened it has worn off. Should the other frost wolf return with the rest of its pack, he would be in some trouble. The sun is still high in the sky, meaning that he has a few hours before needing to return to the mage. He would make the most of it and explore a bit, deal with whatever frost wolves cross his path as he aimed to claim this territory as his own.
He leaves the clearing, heading towards the sun. After a few moments of traveling he finds a frozen spring, with icicles hanging from where the water would be trickling. He decides to follow the frozen river and discovers a cave.
The ceiling has a large hole in it, letting in rays of sun that dance across the icy waters held within. Large boulders scatter the interior of the cave, with a layer of ice across the top and chilling water flowing beneath.
The Barrghest wanders inside the cave, thoroughly enjoying the scene, as it has not been something he has witnessed before. His homeland did not have snow let alone frozen caves such as this.
His senses alert him to the stampede approaching the cave and before he can exit, he finds that the wolf has returned with its entire pack. A larger frost wolf with a scar across his face stands at the entrance of the cave growling.
"Lucky for us. You've cornered yourself for us. This will make things so much easier." He howls at the barrghest.
Seeing that he is cornered and outnumbered, the barrghest readies himself to fight for his life. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse. The elder unleashes his frost breath inside the cave, giving the barrghest nowhere to escape to and no way of avoiding it. One by one the other frost wolves do the same, slowly freezing him to death.
The barrghest goes numb, collapsing to the ground and feeling his life escaping him. He unleashes a blast of bio-electricity at the entrance in a last ditch effort to try and break the cycle, but it does not pay off. Another wolf takes its place and continues to freeze him. Coated in layers of ice, he can no longer move, and lies motionless inside the cave. This is when the elder wolf approaches.
"You should have stayed out of our territory." He howls and then unleashes the final blow with his fangs...