*Step. Step. Step.*
Lua and company were in a dense forest, right outside of Dunn. It took them roughly three hours through of trekking, but finally, they arrived in a pine forest.
Leading the team was Victoria, with her mighty war axe buckled tightly to her back. Right behind her was Luna, holding her double-sided sword close to her.
In front of Lua, and in the middle of the party, was Mick. They had briefed each other on their abilities to make for better team synergy, and Lua had come to learn that Mick was from the Marksman descendancy. This was made evident by the large bow he was holding, with a quill on his back.
Behind him was Lua and Arc. They stuck together like glue, as they relied on each other to make full use of their abilities. Lua had his trusty glove with him.
Behind Lua were Anthony and Winston. Winston was constantly wary of his surroundings, looking for even the slightest issue.
Winston was a Reader. His ability was to make good note of his surroundings, and make deductions much quicker than most. He made a powerful scout.
That is why Lua was confused why Victoria had placed him at the back. But he didn't question it, after all, they were a seasoned mercenary band that had likely used this arrangement prior. He didn't dare doubt.
"We're almost there." Victoria said, her voice unshaken.
This mission was to slay a pack of Blazing Wolves that had been wreaking havoc to a nearby village. Estimating their trajectory, Victoria's party was able to guess their next appearance would be around Dunn, in this dense forest. They were fairly certain of when they would appear as well.
According to the plans, they would make it an hour before the wolves showed up. In that time, they would put up defenses and prepare traps to catch the wolves off guard. Lua would be starring during this section.
Arriving in a clearing, Victoria held her hand up to motion a halt. Winston moved forward, checking the surroundings. He spent a good minute until finally,
"We're clear."
Victoria nodded and ordered everyone. "Into positions. Lua and Arc, bring out your schematics. Let's see if your designs can trap these hellish creatures."
Lua simply nodded, taking out the blueprints he had prepared beforehand. Following them closely, he and Arc spent fifteen minutes laying intricate traps. During this time, Winston continued to be on lookout, while the others dug trench-like structures to aid Mick's shooting.
Rustle...
Winston, sitting on a large branch of a tree, was instantly alarmed. He yelled for all party members to hear.
"They're early!"
Lua and Arc instantly jumped away from a trap they hadn't finished making, and waited for Victoria's orders. It seemed the rest of the party had stopped whatever they were doing, eagerly waiting for orders.
"How far?" Victoria asked. Although they had heard rustling, that meant little to those who weren't Readers.
Winston estimated their approximate distance from the sounds he was hearing. "Two minutes at most."
Victoria nodded, ordering the team. "Prepare for combat!"
Lua instantly activated his glove. He felt the rune course through his body, granting him strength when he needed it. Arc was right by his side with a sharp knife he had prepared just in case.
Luna holstered her sword, ready to swing at a moment's notice.
Victoria unsheathed her great war axe, ready to kill anything that dared to glance at her. Mick stretched his bow, dashing to a nearby trench. He faced outwards from the clearing.
Winston climbed down from the tree he had been using the scout, and watched as the others took formation. Unable to engage in combat, he stood behind them.
Anthony checked everyone's conditions, making sure they were doing fine and preventing mishaps during combat.
"One minute!" Lua heard Winston yell, shaking with excitement. He saw Victoria glance at him, and instantly understood the message: "Remember the plan, and don't be afraid!"
Time ticked by as the rustling grew louder. Suddenly,
ROAR! A roar that sounded like it did not belong to a wolf resounded throughout the forest. Blazing Wolves were a special type of creature that inherited magical runes, allowing them to go beyond the normal levels of a wolf. Strictly speaking, Lua couldn't hope to beat one in one-to-one combat without his glove. And now, they were facing a pack of them.
The wolves are being cautious too.. They haven't attacked us yet despite their close proximity. Lua instantly deciphered, recognizing the beasts had some level of intelligence. Whether it was instinctual or intelligence, Lua couldn't tell.
Suddenly, one of the trees caught fire right in front of the party. It was the tree that Winston had been previously on top of. It appeared that the wolves had set fire to the tree after catching a whiff of Winston's scent, attempting to catch him off guard. Within a few seconds, the entire tree was on fire.
Lua applauded Victoria for choosing a clearing. In an area as wide as this, the wolves couldn't light anything on fire. Lua grinned in nervousness, waiting for the beasts to inevitable show their faces.
Suddenly, something jumped in the corner of Lua's eyes, and he saw five gigantic beasts appear in front of him. Lua had heard they were big, but the competition wasn't even close. They towered over even Victoria, the tallest member of the party.
The Blazing Wolves were shaped like wolves, with a few exceptions. Firstly, they had flames streaking across, starting from the head and ending at their tail, as if they were spikes on a dinosaur.
Their eyes glowed a violent orange, as if hell itself had brought these wolves out to play.
They were shaped in a wedge formation, indicating the one at the front of the formation held authority. Indeed, Lua could tell this wolf was special just by a glance. The leader was slightly larger than the others, and had flames behind his legs as well. Lua believed this was the reason it had become a leader.
"Brace yourselves!" Victoria yelled as the wolf pack began to rush at the party, ready to devour them.