The girl stumbled, barely managing to dodge a swipe from one of the wolves. Her hands were shaking as she gripped the dagger at her side, clearly no match for the three beasts that were quickly closing the distance.
One of the wolves lunged at her, claws outstretched.
Without hesitation, Aric acted. With a simple flick of his wrist, a wave of dark energy shot forth from his hand, striking the wolf mid-air and sending it crashing into a nearby tree with a sickening crack. The beast let out a pained howl before falling silent.
The girl's eyes widened in shock, her gaze darting around in confusion, searching for her unseen savior.
Aric stepped forward from his concealed spot, finally revealing himself. "I must say, you seem to have terrible luck with these beasts," he said smoothly, his voice carrying an almost mocking tone. "But don't worry. Today is your lucky day."
