The ice spear went straight to the target like arrow that leaves bow, Ice spear cut through the air and pierced snow deer stomach or was about to as just ice spear was about to pierced snow deer, light blue mana shield suddenly become visible to their eyes.
"No wonder it wasn't running at full speed and just running at normal speed, snow deer has full confidence to defend himself from our attack." Max said with irritation in his voice cause he still doesn't like to take risk of hunting snow deer.
"That's what makes hunting really exciting when prey is strong." Brian said that with excitement in his voice.
Brian and Max start to run after snow deer with increase in their speed and Claude stamina limit has been reached, he's falling behind the with each passing seconds.
Snow deer run in this forest like birds fly in the open sky without any hindrance smooth as flowless without getting slow down by snow below its leg, as deeper snow deer run into forest more harder it was becoming for them to run inside forest.
As snow below their feet is getting more slippery and uneven which is making it harder to maintain balance while walking let alone running and even running on flat surface is tired some if doesn't excercise daily but here even on normal snow one ankle gets buried or tibia leg bone level deep feet gets buried while walking or even standing.
Some snow is deep and soft and while running sometimes one feet ended up getting thrusted more into snow and getting deep as knees and more because of that Claude lost his balance many times and fall on to the snow and walking and running in this type of snow is deep feat in themselves.
Snow has covered his eyebrows and face but he didn't remove as he doesn't have chance to do that as he following after Brian and Max.
Claude can see Brian not far away from him as Brian also fall down while running three or four times, while Max back was barely visible to him anymore he just following Brian at this point.
Where Brian goes, turned right, turned left or run in curved direction, Claude blindly following him.
After running for half and hour or more Claude lower edge of ribcage start to hurt with sharp pain, abdominal pain was so Intense that Claude couldn't even walk let alone run.
Claude hold his stomach as abdominal pain is getting worse.
Claude fall on to the snow with his face with great difficulties he turned himself over with remaining strength in his body he screamed out Brian name, "Briannnnn "
Brian stops in his track as he heard Claude screaming his name, when he turned around he didn't see Claude behind him, when he look at the snow he he saw Claude lying on ground.
Brian walked towards the Claude direction and saw him holding he's stomach with his both hands, "What happened kid?"
"The side-stitch, my stomach hurts after running for than half hour." Claude said that while grasping for fresh air.
"You really live upto the reputation of young mage being physically weak, here take my hand gets up."
Brian extend his hand to Claude to help him get up, Claude hold the Brian hand and stood up, "Just few more minutes and I'll be good."
"Ooooooo oooow bark bark oooo."
"Barkkk awhhhh aaaahhoooo."
Just as Claude said that howling and barking Sound come from northeast direction.
Brian pulled out his normal size axe and give it to Claude, "Stay alert you look behind me, we might be surrounded by now since they decide to make their presence known."
"Is this wolf?"
"No, wolf don't bark like normal stupid enough to bark while hiding."
Group of four golden jackal come out from the woods on Northeast side, they sniff the air infront of them and Brian got it they attracted golden jackal attention because of snow deer flesh on his back Brian and golden jackal eyes are locked on eachother only one is returning alive.
"Growlll barkkkk grawwwh" jackal start to make growl and bark while looking at Brian and Claude.
"Brian you can handle this right, there's four of them and we don't know how strong they are." Claude is scared as he saw four golden jackal.
"Claude they never stays in group of four, we are surrounded by them from all side don't hold back while attacking them but don't waste your energy on trying to get close to them while fighting, stay with me only that way I can protect you."
"Claude don't even think about running away from here, you won't be able to run far and fast only things that awaitz you if you do is gruesome death being devoured alive by jackals."
Claude getting more scared as he heards Brian words, "Here take this knife you might need it."
Claude put the knife in his robe, Claude look behind them but there's no one in the woods or golden jackals are hiding really good that he can't see one.
Four jackal run towards the Brian and Claude to attack, just as the get bit close to them Brian throw one small axe from his hand at one small and weak build looking jackal, axe directly hit the golden jackal head and killing it on spot.
Seeing one of their family died jackal growl more intensely in anger, their eyes are field with rage.
Two jackals run fast towards Brian together, one of them jump in the air while others two attack from the snow surface.
Brian swing his big axe in air and splitting the skull on the jackal with one swing, kicked the one that coming at him from left side on head and sending it flying and third one was got hit on his back by Claude throwing his axe at him, Claude axe got stuck on the the jackal back that made jackal movements slow and Brian took this opportunity and killed the jackal with one swing.
Brian look at the one remaining jackal that's on the ground, instead of running away seeing his companion dies golden jackal still remain their circling around Brian while growlling with hatered for human who killed his companions.
While still maintaining eyes contact with jackal Brian pull out axe from dead jackal back and give it to Claude back.
"This one still didn't run away that means there's sure some are hiding in the trees and one of them has to be leader in forest cause these four weak golden jackal not strong enough to survive their own in forest."
Brian wasn't afraid of one infront of him but the one who are hiding cause he doesn't know how strong those golden jackal is and he's just normal human without any superpower.
If strong beast came out he couldn't even save his life let alone Claude and Max is no-where to be found, it seems he run far ahead deep inside the forest while chasing snow deer.
If Max was with them right now all of this little jackals would be dead by now but he isn't with them currently.
"Fuck, its really frustrating when you don't know how strong is your opponent that's hiding in behind this woods."
Golden jackal bigger than one that they were fighting jumped infront of the Claude, Claude got scared by seeing it big sizes and huge maw opened to directly devoured him in one go only thing Claude manage to do is screaming out Brian name.
"Briannnnn."
Brian turned and saw big golden jackal with huge mouth wide opened to attack them from behind in air.
Brian knew he couldn't dodge this attack cause if he did Claude would be dead and if he doesn't he going to be in serious condition won't be come out uninjured he's going to gravely injured.
This jackal are smart and good at using strategy to hunt their prey, Brian kicked Claude with his all strength to throw him out of jackal attack range.
Claude who is terrified by big jackal didn't even know what Brian was thinking as he was standing at his spot in fear didn't even think of dodging suddenly felt strong kick on his shoulder and Claude got flew away from his place and fall into bit away from the Brian.
After Kicking away Claude Brian took out his sharp dagger like knife from his robe and stab inside jackal mouth, sharp knife pierced through jackal mouth to its nose and at the same time Brian left hand was caught in jackal jaws, jackal sharp fangs stab through Brian flesh and hit his hand bone, Brian screamed out loudly in pain.
Jackal let out sharp ear piercing loud sound of cry from its mouth, the sound of attack was loud enough to heard by whoever is within 500 meters circle from here.
The sound attack hit the Brian directly as he was right infront of the golden jackal face to face.