The growl echoed through the corridor, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
The direwolf stepped fully into the flickering torchlight, its hulking frame dwarfing anything they had encountered so far.
The beast's fur bristled, dark as midnight, its glowing yellow eyes locked onto the group. Its sharp teeth gleamed as it snarled, the sound guttural and full of menace.
"Gods above!" Phoebe shrieked, stumbling back as Seraphina and Miria followed suit, their faces pale with fear.
"Stay back!" Kai shouted, his voice cutting through their panicked cries.
He stepped forward, sword raised, forcing himself to project an air of confidence despite the pounding of his heart.
Holy fuck! He screamed in the comfort of his mind. No one said direwolves were this big!
Well, it was time for him to test the limits of this body's swordsmanship.
"Arlo and I will handle this." he said to the ladies behind them. "Just don't get in the way."
"Oh, sure." Arlo muttered, rolling his shoulders as he stepped beside Kai. "Why not throw ourselves at the giant death beast? Sounds like fun."
Kai smirked. "You can run if you're scared."
Arlo barked a laugh. "And miss out on all the glory? Not a chance."
The direwolf growled again, its sharp claws scraping against the stone floor as it crouched low, preparing to pounce.
Kai tightened his grip on his sword, his mind working.
Direwolves weren't ordinary monsters. They were fast, strong, and cunning, a deadly combination.
He couldn't rely on magic.
They'd all just awakened their affinities before coming to Mythreach. None of them had learned how to channel their affinities into proper spells yet.
"We'll have to do this the old-fashioned way." Kai said, sparing Arlo a glance.
"Fine by me." Arlo replied, cracking his bandaged knuckles. "Let's dance."
The direwolf lunged, its massive body hurtling toward them with terrifying speed.
Kai sidestepped just in time, his sword swinging in a wide arc that glanced off the beast's thick hide.
The blow barely slowed it down, and the direwolf twisted, snapping its jaws inches from Kai's arm.
Arlo charged in from the side, his fist slamming into the creature's ribs with a dull thud.
The direwolf let out a pained snarl, turning its attention to him. It swiped with a clawed paw, but Arlo ducked, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Not so tough, are you?" Arlo taunted, though his grin was strained.
He jumped back as the direwolf snapped at him again, its teeth clicking audibly.
Kai used the distraction to attack, his sword finding its mark this time. The blade sliced into the direwolf's side, drawing a deep gash.
The beast howled in pain, rearing back and lashing out with its claws. One of them caught Kai across the shoulder, tearing through his tunic and leaving a shallow but stinging wound.
"Damn it." Kai hissed, stumbling back. Blood seeped from the scratch, warm against his skin. He forced himself to stay focused. "Arlo, keep it busy!"
"Working on it!" Arlo shouted, dodging another swipe.
He landed a solid punch to the direwolf's snout, causing it to recoil briefly. But the beast recovered quickly, its eyes blazing with fury.
The fight quickly became a frantic dance of attacks and dodges.
The direwolf kept attacking, its movements a blur as it lashed out with claws and teeth.
Kai and Arlo fought back with everything they had, their strikes slowly wearing the creature down.
Then Arlo stumbled.
The direwolf quickly took advantage of the opening, its claws raking across Arlo's side.
Arlo grunted in pain, stumbling back as blood stained his bandages. "Okay, that hurt." He muttered through gritted teeth.
"You good?" Kai called, parrying another attack.
"I'm fine." Arlo replied, though his breathing was heavier now. "Just a scratch."
Kai didn't have time to respond. The direwolf lunged at him again, and he barely managed to dodge, the creature's jaws snapping shut where his head had been moments before.
Using the momentum, Kai drove his sword into the direwolf's shoulder, eliciting another howl of pain.
"It's slowing down!" Kai shouted. "We've got this!"
The direwolf, sensing its disadvantage, lashed out in desperation.
Its claws caught Kai's leg, and he cried out as he fell to one knee. The beast stood over him, its teeth bared and ready to strike.
"Not today!" Arlo roared, launching himself at the direwolf. His fists slammed into the creature's head with brutal force, one blow after another.
The direwolf staggered, its growls turning to whimpers as Arlo kept driving it back with his punches.
Kai seized the opportunity.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, he pushed himself to his feet and gripped his sword with both hands.
With a powerful swing, he drove the blade deep into the direwolf's neck. Blood sprayed as the creature let out a final, gurgling cry before collapsing to the ground.
For a moment, the only sound was the heavy breathing of the two boys.
Kai leaned on his sword for support, his chest heaving as he stared at the lifeless body of the direwolf.
"Told you we had this." He said, his voice hoarse.
Arlo chuckled weakly, clutching his injured side. "Yeah, sure. Easy as pie."
The girls cautiously approached, their expressions a mix of awe and concern.
Phoebe was the first to speak, her voice shaking slightly. "That... was incredible."
"You guys were amazing." Seraphina added, her silver eyes wide with admiration.
Miria nodded, though her gaze lingered on the blood staining their clothes. "Are you both okay?"
"We'll live." Kai said, forcing a grin.
His shoulder throbbed, and his leg burned where the direwolf's claws had torn into him, but the injuries weren't life-threatening. Just inconvenient.
Arlo waved a dismissive hand. "Takes more than a big dog to take us down."
Phoebe stepped closer to Kai, her eyes narrowing as she examined his shoulder. "You're bleeding."
"It's nothing." Kai said, brushing it off. "I've had worse."
She didn't look convinced but let it go, turning her attention to Arlo. "And you?"
"Still standing." He replied with a grin. "That counts for something, right?"