Astra was surrounded by wolves smaller than the one she fought, her gaze running over each and every one, their yellow gazes meeting her. Right by her side the wolf she fought stood tall, towering over both her and the others, their bond was weak, made off of fear but it held for now.
"See? That was easy!" Astra grinned, the Neo wolf she had tamed looking down at her.
[You almost died,] Celi pointed out, Astra's hand reaching out to pet the beast, her fingers ruffling against its dark blue fur.
"Key word, almost," The wolf's eyes narrowed at her statement, pushing its snout into her face in a light retaliation. Astra grinned as it did so, her hands reaching to caress the wolf's face looking into its seemingly hollow eyes.
"You know, I think I like you better in a wolf's body! Even if it is just a part of you," She giggled, Celi pulling her snout out of the young technician's palms.
"H-hey! Why are you–" She whined, her eyes narrowing as Celi stared off into the distant trees. A mechanical hum coming from within.
"There's company…" Celi informed, her voice coming out of the wolf's throat in an almost unnatural way, her gaze scanned the forest, the other wolves growling and baring their stances towards the direction of the forest.
[ALERT: HEAT SIGNATURES DETECTED.]
The warning flashed across her eyes, Celi's jaw clamping on her vest immediately before pulling her out of the way of a searing beam that was lanced to the spot Astra stood, compressing for a heart beat before letting out a deafening blast that split the air around them causing winds of dust to fly within their faces.
Their silhouettes were hidden by the thick dirt fog. Astra coughed as she tried to regain her standing, Celi staring at the forest even through the dirt clouds.
"An Aelvarian is nearby," Celi informed "I never thought they'd be so forward,"
Astra's hands reached up to cover her nose from the debris,
"Scan the forest!" She ordered through her muffled hand, Celi nodding at her request, her eyes glowing light cyan as a light blue holographic pulse emitted from her.
"I almost had them that time," Belk muttered in the far distance, kneeled between the trees as his eyes zoomed in on the crater but Astra was nowhere to be seen.
"Where'd she go—" His words hung for a moment, the metallic taste of dread shivered down his spine. Quickly he turned, gaze widened as a dark portal had opened beside him, the jaws of a vicious beast: its teeth strung with saliva, lunged where his head was a heartbeat ago.
The scout's body leaned back, falling off the branch and landing on his feet, his gaze stuck on the Neo wolf that landed right behind him.
"It's a scout!" Celi informed Astra who stayed behind, the ai wolf's fangs bared towards Belk.
'It talks?' Belk thought as he stepped back.
he turned to run but was swiftly surrounded by the other Neo wolves, growling, showing off their fangs as they inch closer and closer.
"Cute trick with that portal thing, but you're playing with strays, otherworlder!" Belk grinned, his hand digging into his pouch that hung on his waist, pulling out a fistful of powder before quickly lacing it around him and lighting it aflame.
The powder let out a quick, sudden flame that caused the wolves to flinch, the sudden light illuminating the forest filling it with the scent of burnt powder and the wolves panicked yelps.
By the time the flames dissipated, Belk was gone, retreating into the trees once more. Moving as fast as he could as he heard the distant growls and padding paws behind him, his aggressors moving as fast as they possibly could.
The boy turned, his gun aimed for the floor below him as he leapt from tree to tree, shooting another blast that would split up the wolves, some laying on the floor wounded from the shooting debris and stones that would puncture their skin.
Another portal appeared below his feet, his ankle trapped between Celi's sharp canines, tearing into the skin of his ankles as it pulled him down, and crashing his body against the forest floor, causing him to skid across until he stopped himself with his free hand.
Panting softly as he tried to endure the pain,
"Surrender yourself!" Celi demanded, approaching closer, her fur standing up as she growled at her prey, eyes following his hand as he reached into his pouch once more.
"You first, mut," Belk spat, pulling out pieces of primitive paper, his ankle throbbing in pain from the bruise Celi inflicted. Quickly he catches some of his crimson on his finger, using it to draw into the paper as fast as he could.
"Celi, stop him!" Astra commanded, The wolf blitzing towards him, her massive paws digging up the earth beneath her. Belk flipped the paper just in time, the earth shifting below the predator.
"What—!" Celi tried to react but it was too late, a massive cloud of dust pop up past the trees, Astra watching from the distance with a concerned look in her eyes.
"A talking Neowolf—never thought I'd see the day." Belk's voice crackled through the trees, mocking and melodic. "You really go all out, otherworlder! How about a deal? Be a gem and step right this way, won't you?"
Astra's lips thinned. Somewhere to her left, a wolf whimpered—the acrid stench of burnt fur still hung in the air. Coward, she thought. Belk's theatrics were a blade wrapped in silk, hidden blades cloaked behind sweet words.
[It's a trap, don't do it!] Celi warned, causing her hands to turn to fists, her nails digging into her palm hard enough to draw blood, her gaze narrowing under the weight of her decision.
"I know…" She reassured, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she steeled herself, raising her head and summoning a portal, watching as a soft purple haze tore into the air like a wound, spreading just wide enough for her to enter.
Stepping through the purple haze the first thing she saw was Celi wrapped in vines, her binds tight enough to keep her still.
"Took you long enough," He drawled, watching as Astra stepped closer to him, until they were face to face.
"Well? What do you want with me?" She urged, her gaze clear that she doesn't particularly trust him.
Belk chuckled, pulling out the N.O.V.A firearm to show her, her eyes widening as she realizes. His gaze narrowing with unspoken promises, fingers hanging loosely on the trigger
"Take me to beyond these skies,"