312 CHPT 312: Fiery Orange Eyes see Blood Red Carnage...
After knocking the odd smelling human into the forest, the Gnoll's prey drive pulled it after him like a moth to a flame. It took off, ignoring the never-ending pain in it's leg in pursuit of confirming it's kill.
But, before it could take even three steps, a heavy weight smashed into it's shoulder, causing it to tumble and roll once before turning to face the pesky Wolf that accompanied the odd smelling human.
It barked and snarled through flaring icy eyes.
The Gnoll understood it's anger as if it was a shared language. It was infectious.
"AARCK!" With a bark, it swung down at the raging creature, missing just barely as strands of fur floated to the floor between them.
SWOOP!..SWOOP!
Two more swings, two more misses.
The final strike lodged it's weapon into the hard earth that reeked of many mysteries and more Wolf-- driving it's instinctual urges to grow it's pack through the roof. It had already lost one. It needed more. More children, more numbers, more carriers of it's future.
CRNCH!
In it's distracted haze, the PitWolf bit into it's calf muscle and tore out a sizable chunk, causing bright red blood to spurt all over the grass like tomato juice.
"RRRRGSH!" The Gnoll roared through clenched teeth as the PitWolf lunged in for more. It swung it's damaged fist at the filthy ankle-bitter. The odd angle forced it to crouch, twist and put a sizable amount of weight on it's two damaged legs. The rage climbed in a race against the pain.
FWWOO!
The PitWolf moved to disconnect and would've if it didn't bite so aggressively. As it tried to pull away, it's massive fangs got caught on the front of the Gnoll's leg bone, forcing it to take the Gnoll's hammer fist in the ribs.
CRCK!
"ARP!"
The PitWolf rolled away, distorting the scents of female and wolf as it's fur and fumes soaked into more of the grass.
It was more than ready to vent it's anger and confusion on the creature until the sounds of the bird in the distance climbed to an earsplitting array of shrieks and cries followed by human words that had the PitWolf scampering away from it in a rush.
The Gnoll barked and swung at the fleeing creature, knowing any game of chase would be futile with it's legs in their current state.
It couldn't run. A pang of fear ran through it's insides as it remembered fleeing from conflict in the desert.
The thought left it's mind in a flash. New sounds arrived.
The Gnoll turned to face the forest, finding it's flaming orange eyes trained on the spot where the human was thrown inside. Shadows danced through the opening like a pathway into a seperate dark dimension. Everywhere else, light broke through the canopy and winds livened the forest. But in that one spot. Nothing.
FWSH!
In a flash, a burst of green energy awakened. Like a tuft of flame. One second it was there, the next it was gone. All that was left were two glowing green orbs deeper in the shadows. And just like before, they were gone in a flash.
The sound of light footsteps fell on it's ears, barely loud enough to hear over the sound of it's pack-mate fending off the other wolves that no longer attacked and simply kept it occupied. The footsteps moved left, causing it's head to follow the sound further and further until it was facing the other scene of combat.
The black and silver Wolf-Gnoll. Lines of red ran down it's back and legs in a criss crossing formation of overlapping injuries. One ankle was so chewed that the white of bone could be seen beneath. It was dying. His numbers were shrinking.
Before it could act on it's urges, the shadowy Wolves that surrounded it's packmate split-- as if spoken to by an unheard voice.
Immediately after, something emerged from the forest.
SHCKCKC!
The metallic chain slithered out of the woodlands cloaked in green flames that singed the Wolf-Gnoll's fur as it connected and wrapped around the creature's arm unnaturally.
Following the sudden action, the chain was pulled taut, hard enough to nearly knock the monster off it's feet.
The Gnoll didn't need a degree in physics to understand that it was pulled. It's thoughts were solidified as the human...thing emerged from the forest, moving in a flash of greens and blacks.
WOOM!
It blew past the Wolf-Gnoll fast enough to go unseen if one blinked at the wrong time. A sharp spike of wood followed in his wake moving too fast to be perceived or avoided.
SHNK!
The human was gone again. In the portion of forest on the other side. A long streak of wood ran across the clearing in his wake, as it continued to move, the portion that ran through the Wolf-Gnoll continued to grind and rip its insides slowly.
"AAAAAA!!!!" The creature let out a horrified shriek. Before it could let out another, the chain returned, constricting it's throat and pulling the human back into the clearing.
FWOO!
SHNK!
He flew across the clearing again in a flash, this time the snaking streak of wood that followed ran through the Gnoll's mouth and out of the back of it's head causing portions of brain to plop to the floor at it's feet.
Life faded from the creature's eyes instantly and a new directive blossomed in the mind of the Pit-Gnoll at the same time.
Run.
