Lucius gripped his knife tightly, his senses on high alert. The Darach's eyes seemed to bore into his soul, its gaze hypnotic.
"You're... different," the Darach repeated, its voice low and menacing.
"A threat to my existence."
Lucius's heart pounded, his breath caught in his throat.
"I won't back down, you have killed a lot of innocent people, and now I can do something about that." he said, trying to sound braver than he felt.
The Darach chuckled, a low, rumbling sound.
"We'll see about that."
Without warning, the Darach lunged, its massive body blurring as it struck. Lucius tried to dodge, but the Darach's speed was incredible.
Claws swiped across his chest, tearing fabric and flesh. Lucius grunted, pain searing through his torso. He stumbled backward, knife flashing in the dim light. The Darach followed, its eyes blazing with fury. Lucius felt dizzy from the pain, but he knew that any mistake and he will become the beast's new chew-toy.
"You should have stayed hidden," it snarled.
Lucius parried its attacks, knife slicing through the air. But the Darach was relentless, its blows raining down. It might be a wolf, but it's size and height was that of a full grown adult.
Lucius stumbled, his footwork faltering. The Darach sensed victory, its jaws open wide. Just as its teeth were about to close around Lucius's neck, he managed to dodge.
"Ventus sit mihi alae!" Lucius immediately uttered a spell and a burst of wind emerged, and Lucius distanced himself a bit from the Darach. He counterattacked, knife plunging into the Darach's side. The Darach yelped, its body recoiling. For a moment, Lucius thought he had the upper hand. But the Darach's wound healed at an alarming rate.
"It's... impossible," Lucius breathed. The Darach smiled, its lips curling, it's bloodstained huge canines could be seen.
"You don't understand what I am." It said and stood on all fours in an imposing manner.
"I am the devourer of packs."
"The bringer of darkness."
Lucius's determination hardened.
"I've not lost yet."
The Darach laughed again, its sound echoing through the cave. "You already have, you just don't know it yet."
With renewed ferocity, the battle resumed. Claws clashed with steel, the sound ringing out. Lucius fought with every ounce of strength. But the Darach seemed endless, its power growing. As the fight raged on, Lucius began to tire. His wounds deepened, his breath growing ragged. The Darach sensed victory, its attacks intensifying. Just when all seemed lost, Lucius remembered his mother's words:
"The power within, Lucius, it must be harnessed."
He willed his consciousness to shift. It wasn't that hard for him as it's the same way to use magic, he just had to will his consciousness to use the inner power. His senses surged. His body began to shift. The Darach halted, its eyes widening.
"You... can't be."
Lucius's transformation accelerated. Fur burst forth, his senses exploding. He stood tall, a silver furred werewolf facing the Darach.
"..Silver.. silver furred!"
The Darach's eyes widened in shock as Lucius's transformation completed.
"You're... a Druid Alpha," it snarled, baring razor-sharp teeth.
Lucius stood tall, his fur a fiery red, his eyes blazing with elemental energy.
"I am," he growled, voice low and menacing.
The Darach charged forward, its massive body a blur of fur and muscle. Lucius summoned a gust of wind, but the Darach plowed through it. Undeterred, Lucius unleashed a seismic stomp, shaking the earth.
The Darach stumbled, its paws scrambling for traction. It recovered swiftly, jaws wide open in a frenzied attack. Lucius conjured a shield of flames, but the Darach barreled through. Its fur smoked, but it kept coming, driven by rage. Lucius countered with a burst of water magic, extinguishing the flames.
The Darach seized the opening, its teeth snapping inches from Lucius's throat. Lucius dodged, his agility heightened by his Druid powers. He summoned lightning, striking the Darach with electrifying force. The Darach yelped, its body convulsing. But it refused to yield, fueled by its berserker fury.
The battle raged on, the two wolves clashing in a flurry of fur and teeth. The cave around them crumbled, rocks tumbling down. Lucius's magic intensified, the earth trembling. Boulders hurled themselves at the Darach, but it dodged and weaved.
Its jaws closed around Lucius's forearm, teeth sinking deep. Lucius gritted his teeth, pain searing through his arm. With a surge of adrenaline, he summoned a localized earthquake. The ground buckled, tossing the Darach off. Lucius stood tall, his eyes blazing. The Darach rose, its fur matted, its eyes wild. The berserker wolf charged once more.
The Darach coiled its muscles, preparing for the final strike. Lucius sensed the attack, his instincts screaming. With a swift gesture, he summoned a gust of wind. The blast lifted him off the ground, carrying him beyond the Darach's reach. But the Darach's claws flashed out, slicing through the air. Lucius felt a searing pain as the claws pierced his head and shoulder. He cried out, his vision blurring.
The Darach's jaws snapped shut mere inches from his face. Lucius's wind magic faltered, and he plummeted to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, Lucius turned and fled. The Darach watched him go, its chest heaving.
For a moment, it considered pursuit. But something stayed its hand. Perhaps the knowledge that Lucius was far more powerful than it had anticipated. Or maybe the realization that their battle was far from over. Whatever the reason, the Darach let Lucius escape. Lucius ran until his strength failed.
His vision darkened, and his legs buckled. As he fell, his body began to shift. His fur receded, and his limbs lengthened. Naked and wounded, Lucius collapsed onto the forest floor. He faintly felt the cool earth beneath him. And then, nothing. The forest was silent once more.
Lucius lay still, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. His wounds would heal, but the memories of the battle would linger. And with them, the knowledge that the Darach was still out there. Waiting.
*
Lucius stumbled through the darkness, his wounds aching.
He reached his home by midnight, the windows lit only by the moon.
Creeping inside, he avoided the creaking floorboards. He didn't want to disturb Madame Von Doom's peaceful slumber. Lucius slipped into his room, shutting the door behind him. He collapsed onto his bed, exhaustion washing over him. The battle with the Darach replayed in his mind.
Lucius's thoughts swirled with the realization: He had survived. More than that, he had held his own against the monstrous wolf. A spark of determination ignited within him. It was time to hone his strength, both physical and magical. No longer would he rely solely on instinct.
Lucius vowed to train, to push himself to the limit. To master the elemental magic coursing through his veins. And to wield his werewolf form with precision. As his eyelids drooped, a resolve solidified: He would face the Darach again. And next time, only one would walk away. With this promise to himself, Lucius drifted off to sleep.