Chapter 3: The Fauna that Resides Within (III)

A trickle of cold sweat drifted down my forehead as my clasped hands gripped my blade even harder as it pointed straight at where the wolves stood.

A glint of light reflected from the sun and onto my sword as it was an uncanny signal to commence.

Creeping up, the wolves spread out as their eyes flared with a flaming hatred that never seemed to be satiated. Their glossy snow-like fur had slight tints and streaks of gray that presented themselves on its pelt.

As they approached, their long gray bushy tails thrashed around with the same irritation presented to their eyes. Their crimson eyes glinted with ferociousness, with fervency.

The tension in the atmosphere felt almost palpable to the touch as the silence could only make it more apprehensive. Eerie moments where the wolves circle and move around with their pawsteps subtle yet serene— to desperately find a spot where they could hopefully attack.

Emitting growling, my eyes never left the wolves as they bared their teeth and fangs at me

However, my footing and my constant awareness of them and my surroundings would never allow it. Forcing them my provocation could only allow them to attack me first.

Immediately, one of the wolves pounced. Racing towards me, the meters of distance before us was covered in no time. Leaping up, its jaws of a voracious animal aimed straight at my shoulder.

Dodging towards the left, I turned my body around to slice through the belt of the wolves as blood erupted from the wound.

The wolf which had missed did a small tumble before skidding on his feet and back up with its wound gushing with the burden of blood.

Baring its fangs, the first wolf had yet to let go of the pride that it endeared.

It only made me want to destroy the pride even more.

I could feel my blood boil, my bones simmer, and my heart pounds with delight.

The second wolf in an attempt to cover the fatal flaw of the first, lunging from the assembly.

Its jaws outstretched, its momentum carried all the way towards inches from my face.

I had little to no time to react as I slammed my blade at the wolf as its overflowing saliva rushed out of his teeth. His outstretched mouth reeked of a pungent odor as his Canidae fangs were clamped heavily around the edge of my blade.

Its eyes emanated abhorrent wisps of crimson energy while it breathed steamy mists of air. His taurine eyes were glittering with hostility and fury.

Using all of my strength, I threw the wolf off as it landed on its agile legs with a large thump.

Moving quickly, I slashed the second wolf's pelt twice as it howled in agony. With a final slash, I ended the rueful wolf's life with a single slash that gauged more blood than the rest. With one dead, I had four left to go— one of which was already injured beforehand.

A third one lunged for me as its fang aimed for my neck, this one seems more ambitious than the others. Racing towards me, I dodged at the last minute as the whisking hairs of the wolf brushed against me fervently.

Turning around, the wolf lunged once more, as I blocked with my sword as a metallic clang ranged out. Wobbling, I regained my balance and slashed the wolf but that too was blocked. Sliding towards my right, my blow was matched evenly by the third larger wolf.

Not before I whirled around doing a complete 360 against the gales of dusk. Before it could even react, I scarcely sliced through the skin of its bottom pelt as pride could only be reflected in its eyes.

The blow itself was already the stepping stone. Slashing and slicing, the wolf and I was evenly matched with what seemed like slew of attacks that only added cuts and small wounds along the fur of the wolf. The pride that I wanted to shatter so bad, already began brittle.

Slashing its hind legs, its leg fell into a seating position— possibly by the pain or because of fear.

Its growls of fury quickly faded away with a new emotion. Fear. Whimpering, it felt feeble and decrepit. A desolate building that was so abandoned that just removing a single pillar of support could cause the decrepit building to fall to its ruins

Looking back at the wolf, its dismal look filled with sorrow made me pity it. So much so, that I ended its life with a slash to its neck that instantly decapitated him with a subtle thump.

With the seemingly toughest wolf out the way, the rest should be a breeze.

Two wolves lunged simultaneously. Their radiating bloodlust was hollow and pointless, as I dodged towards the left, not before slashing one of its eyes as it cried out in agony.

The other was quickly disposed of as in a blink I had already stabbed and killed the wolf.

More wolves came. It seemed as if it rained. Crimson droplets of blood spilled out every wound and cadaver as it oozed and reeked of death. A metallic tang filled the air as the only thing I could focus on was the spilling delight of massacring the rest. The macabre downpour of blood felt like a weak breeze, that could easily be ignored.

I was in a state of hysteria as the sight of blood made me feel thrilled at the exhilaration. I was at death's fingertips yet I twirled around in it putting on a show that could exalt my countless hours of training.

More wolves lept as I found myself dancing with blades, slashing and killing all the wolves. While one threw itself at me, I impaled it with my sword as the eyes began to dissolve in the crimson ink, in an instance all color and life faded from its face it too joined the rest.

One of the wolves took an opportunity and snared its salient teeth into my leg as I gritted my teeth in agony.

The momentum of the wolf's leap pushed me midair as I slit its open stomach. Blood gushed out as I fell to the ground. Twisting and maneuvering my body, I would back on my feet once again. The wolf that had sent me flying was motionless.

Switching my focus back from the dead wolf and back to the battle at hand— another wolf leaped and grabbed the handle of my sword as it became a silent tug of war. Though a blunt sidekick was enough for the wolf to be sent flying to a nearby tree-- something I copied at books that I had read.

Their subtle formation began to dissolve under the pressure and along with the wolves that began to fall, one by one. Their gratuitous pride fell like tipping dominoes. One toppling over in the similar manner of a butterfly effect.

Before I could finish it off and move on to the rest, it let out a raucous howl.

A flock of grim ravens that had stooped on a nearby branch set a-flight with loud cackaws. Yet, it screamed of the harrowing cry of pain but its call was cut short.

Shit.

I killed it with a slash to its eye but the purpose of it had already been dead set and the damage had been done. The howl seemed to be among the old myths and communication signals of a wolf but it was something more.

The last atonement for avenging the wolf, a call that revealed the location of where I was. Most likely bring more beast-like companions. Soon, the area would be swarming with wolves and along with the remaining wolves left making it not more difficult to escape but more dangerous.

Running, was pointless which meant the only choice I had left was to finish off the rest as fast and as efficiently as possible.