Amukelo and Eliss rode toward Gathe. Eliss rode in silence, lost in thought as she replayed the encounter in the village over and over in her mind.
Amukelo noticed her distant expression. At first he decided to ignore it, but after some time he slowed down slightly to say something.
But before he could say anything, his horse let out a sudden, agonized howl. Amukelo barely had time to react before his mount collapsed throwing him off its back. He hit the ground with a heavy thud, rolling instinctively to break his fall. The breath was knocked out of him, but he managed to look up in time to see the attacker. It was a dark, wolf-like creature, much larger than usual wolf, that had latched onto the horse's neck, its powerful jaws sinking deep into the animal's flesh.
Amukelo scrambled to his feet, reaching for his sword. He gripped the hilt, ready to strike, but before he could, a rustle in the nearby brush caught his attention. Another wolf emerged, lunging at him from the side. Amukelo swung his sword, aiming to catch the creature mid-air, but it was faster than he anticipated. Its jaws closed around his blade.
Eliss had halted her horse a short distance away. She quickly commanded her horse to move back, out of immediate danger. And she raised her staff, ready to cast.
Amukelo, meanwhile, was locked in a struggle, his sword still clamped in the jaws of the wolf. He heard another rustle, and he glanced over just in time to see a third wolf emerging from the bushes, heading towards him. His grip on his sword tightened, but he knew he couldn't react quickly enough.
Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and an earthen wall sprang up between him and the approaching wolf, cutting off its path. Amukelo glanced back, realizing that Eliss had intervened.
Taking advantage of the brief reprieve, Amukelo twisted his sword, forcing it free from the wolf's grip. He stepped back, positioning himself to assess the situation. His horse lay motionless, its throat torn open, and he felt a pang of regret, but he focused on the immediate threat. The wolf that had attacked his horse was now watching him with a cold gaze.
More rustling filled the air as three additional wolves emerged from the woods.
One of the wolves lunged at Amukelo. Amukelo swung his sword in a quick, precise arc, but once again, the wolf anticipated his move, snapping its jaws around the blade mid-swing.
As he struggled to free his sword, another wolf charged from his right. In a swift move, he used the wolf holding his blade as leverage, slamming it sideways into the oncoming creature. The impact was enough to throw both off-balance.
Just as he steadied himself, preparing for the next onslaught, two wolves rushed at him simultaneously. But before they could reach him, two water bullets streaked through the air, striking each wolf with a wet thud. They howled in pain, recoiling slightly, but the injuries didn't seem to slow them down much. They shook off the water as though it were little more than a mild inconvenience.
Amukelo could defend himself, but the relentless assault left him with little opportunity to counterattack. Each time he parried or deflected a bite, another wolf would close in, keeping him on the defensive, forcing him to react rather than plan.
"Eliss!" he called out, not taking his eyes off the wolves. "Keep them at a distance! I'll need you to buy me a few seconds."
Eliss nodded, her face determined, though there was a hint of fear in her eyes. She raised her staff casting another spell.
With a deep breath, she launched another series of water bullets, the projectiles streaking through the air and striking two of the wolves squarely. They snarled, momentarily thrown off-balance, but they quickly recovered.
Amukelo used the brief distraction to reposition, stepping back to a spot where he could see all the wolves at once. He swung his sword in a defensive arc, keeping the creatures at bay, but he could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him.
Eliss continued casting, launching small spells—earth barriers, wind blades, anything that might disrupt the wolves' attacks.
Another wolf lunged at Amukelo, jaws snapping dangerously close to his shoulder. He twisted, bringing his sword down in a sweeping arc, but once again, the wolf caught the blade in its teeth. Frustrated, he drove the wolf back, slamming it into another one that had charged him from the side. The two wolves tumbled, but within seconds they were back on their feet, circling him with again.
Finally, after some time, Eliss's efforts began to bear fruit. One of her water bullets struck a wolf square in the side, forcing it back with a pained howl, the impact leaving a visible bruise on its dark fur. The creature staggered, giving Amukelo a brief window, and he seized the opportunity, lunging forward and swinging his sword in a powerful arc.
The blade cut into one of the wolves' necks, not deeply enough to be fatal, but enough to draw blood and force it to retreat with a snarl. It shook itself, wary now, as it rejoined the others, all of them circling him with cautious eyes.
But as he caught his breath, something felt off. Amukelo quickly counted the wolves circling him. There were only five now, three close to him and two hanging back. He had been so focused on defending himself that he hadn't noticed two of the wolves had backed away.
He turned searching for Eliss, and just as he did, a scream of pain ripped through the air, breaking his focus. His heart plummeted as he spotted her, not far behind him, sprawled on the ground with a dark wolf towering over her, its claws smeared with blood as it slashed at her arm.
He made a move toward her, but one of the wolves behind him seized the moment, lunging forward and raking its claws across his back. Swinging his sword in a wide arc, he tried to fend off the attacker, but one of the wolves caught his blade in its jaws.
Amukelo pushed against it, forcing his sword forward with all his strength. The wolf snarled, its teeth scraping against the steel, but the force of his blow was too great. With a powerful shove, he managed to wrench the blade free, flinging the wolf back into another one that had been circling close by. The two creatures tumbled into each other, momentarily thrown off-balance.
Without wasting a second, Amukelo rushed toward Eliss. He could see her struggling. The wolf, sensing its advantage, took a slow, menacing step forward.
Just as he reached her, the wolf leapt to the side, agile and swift, evading his sword by a hair's breadth. Amukelo cursed under his breath, but before he could reposition, Eliss thrust her staff forward, and with a surge of mana, ice spikes erupted from the ground, piercing the wolf's neck. It let out a strangled howl, blood spraying from the wound as it collapsed.
But their reprieve was short-lived. As Amukelo turned back to defend against the others, he felt the hot, rank breath of one of the remaining wolves behind him. He barely had time to react before its jaws clamped down on his shoulder. He let out a pained shout, his body instinctively twisting as he tried to shake the creature off. But the wolf's grip was unyielding, its fangs embedded in his shoulder, and he could feel the blood soaking through his armor.
With a desperate snarl, he drove his sword into the wolf's side, stabbing it multiple times. The wolf's jaws tightened, its growl muffled as it tried to hold on, but with each stab, its grip weakened. Finally, with a last, shuddering breath, it released him, collapsing onto the ground in a lifeless heap.
Amukelo staggered back, clutching his shoulder, his vision swimming as the pain from his wounds pulsed through him. He could feel the blood trickling down his back, his strength waning with each passing second. But even as his vision blurred, he kept his gaze fixed on the remaining wolves, unwilling to let his guard down.
The four remaining wolves, the two that were injured and two others that still were uninjured, stood a few paces away. They seemed to hesitate, their gaze flickering between Amukelo and Eliss, as though weighing their chances. They circled slowly, but after a moment, something shifted in their stance. One by one, they turned, disappearing into the shadows of the forest, their retreat silent and swift.
Amukelo exhaled heavily, the tension finally releasing from his body as the last of the wolves vanished into the trees. He tried to take a step, but his knees buckled, the weight of his injuries too much to bear. With a groan, he fell to his knees, his sword slipping from his grasp as his hands pressed into the dirt, steadying himself.