Devastating Discovery(4)

Back at the village, the wolf paused just as it was about to rip Gale into shreds. Its fully rejuvenated head turned to the source of wind. The wolf growled and propelled itself forward towards the source of magic. Gale, who watched this, looked into the distance.

He could see a large vortex spinning wildly. His heart sank"N-NO ANNIE!" Gale tried to get up, his leg still in pain. He stumbled on the ground, blood leaking from his ripped arm, and ran. Gale was not caring for the pain he was feeling. He put more strength into his leg and dashed after the wolf.

Annie could feel the wolf's presence as she stood in the eye of the storm. The wolf plunged its body into the heap of the raging winds, its momentum interrupting the direction of the vortex. Annie flinched and tried to move out of the way.

*BAAAAAAAAANG* The wolf's bulky body cut through the vortex, like a knife. The visible winds dispersed into mist. Annie's body was blown backward from the impact, skidding across the hard ground.

"U-ugh" Her body felt like it was screaming. That was a mid-level spell, yet it broke through that so easily. She quickly looked at the wolf who created a large crater. She gaped in horror. Before her, wasn't like any wolf she had ever seen, in fact, she wouldn't even call that thing a wolf anymore. It was standing on its hind legs like a human, its already bulky body looked even bigger. Black fur like the night, white misty eyes, that gleamed, and long sharp teeth that oozed a red liquid.

'T-that can't be the same wolf….'She thought.

It was quickly running towards her, its eyes looked crazed. Annie quickly got up and ran, she made a chant. Small puffs of wind shot from her hand like bullets, but they simply dispersed as it made contact with the wolf's body.

'Tch, what is it made of, metal??' She thought in frustration.

"GRAAAAH-GRRRR* The wolf snarled, its mouth foaming with a red liquid that dripped down. Annie could see the soil turning pitch-black like tar upon contact with the liquid.

She flinched as a looming shadow appeared before her, the wolf's two front arms towering over her like a falling building, ready to crash down and invoke a myriad of destruction. The wind swirled beneath her feet, and she shot backward just as the wolf's giant fists slammed down on the ground.

*BOOM* Small rocks rained from the sky. Annie chanted another spell, Wind enveloped her arms. "WIND BLADES!" She shot a series of sharp blasts of wind that could cut through trees. It dodged repeatedly, but it wasn't fast enough. Wind cut its leg clean in half, Another slice through its sides, tearing flesh, blood, and other fluids pouring out.

*G-Grrrr* The wolf paused, its body was bleeding and its flesh and internal bits were hanging loosely from its body. Annie almost lurched in disgust. 'How the hell is it still standing?' She thought incredulously.

She tried to shoot another wind blade, but a wave of dizziness enveloped her, her body stumbling. 'C-crap, I used too much magic, I'm almost out' she thought anxiously. Magic depletion, or officially Magi-Depletion. She hadn't realized just how much magic she used while she was looking for Sorren earlier. She felt a pang of regret for wasting so much magic in her anxiousness.

'I can't stop now...this thing fights better on the ground, I could increase my chances of beating it if I'm in the air' Annie chanted a small spell ' O gentle winds, uplift my body in your soaring skies, Airwalk" She raised herself from the ground and floated upward.

Annie observed the wolf from up in the sky, wind swirling beneath her feet like a tiny vortex. 'That power, it's almost like… a drug' Annie thought.

She watched as the wolf was trembling, more red liquid dripped from its mouth. Its eyes looked as if it was bulging. She ran through the sky trying to create distance. "I have enough for one final attack." her stomach was throbbing, it was her magic core creaking, as it was reaching its limits.

Annie, who knew about medicines and drugs, was certain that this wolf must have been drugged. It made sense with its overwhelming power that normal fire wolves wouldn't have.

'It must have been something to increase its strength….' She thought.

Her mind scanned her memories of textbooks on drugs. There were many drugs that nobles of the Goldenstein kingdom took for pleasure in the distant past. Some in the form of powder, but the primary form was liquid. However, the consumption of drug-related products was banned many years ago. Only an official doctor or mage was allowed to distribute drugs in the kingdom, but only for medical purposes.

Even when drugs were around, there was never a drug that increased a person or monster's strength to this degree. 'Something isn't right' This wolf was too shaken, too obsessed with her and her village. It looked like it was doing everything in its power to destroy everything.

Annie remembered the words Jeans said 'It attacked anyone who had even an ounce of magic…' She felt a chill creep up her skin. 'D….Don't tell me….someones behind this-'' Her thoughts froze. The wolf was no longer on the ground. Annie looked around, she felt a tingling sensation and looked up.

Annie gasped, The wolf had jumped, it was now falling towards her like a meteor. She underestimated the wolf's agility due to its bulky body. No, more like she didn't realize that the wolf could easily reach her at this height.

The wolf swung its large tail down, Annie felt a massive shock of pain like lightning. "UUUGH" she screeched and coughed up blood as her body was sent shooting into the ground.

She felt numb and broken. She was going in and out of consciousness. Her hazy eyes slowly watched as the wolf landed and dashed forward, jaws wide opened, ready to deliver the finishing blow. The looming shadow of death opened its jaws wide, an endless black abyss slowly enveloping her. Just as its jaws were about to clamp forward, a figure dove in front of her.

*RRRRRRIIIIP* An ominous tearing sound rang out in the air. Annie's weak gaze stared at the figure before her. Her eyes widened. Everything seemed to go silent. A waterfall of blood dripped and pooled on the floor.

"Cough...Annie...you alright" It was Gale.

Tears fell from Annie's eyes as she stared at her husband's figure. His body was trembling, he was barely able to stand. But her eye was glued on one thing, his right arm which was supposed to be moving….. was missing. Nothing was left of it.

Gale looked at his wife's fallen figure, the tears in her green eyes, that were just like his oldest son Sorren. Her Chestnut brown hair was sprawled everywhere, tips soaked in her blood. Her ripped frugal dress had signs of repeated patching. Annie had always been stubborn, Yet, she was fiercely loyal. On the day she vowed to be with him even in this run-down village away from wealth and glory, here she was even now with him in the face of death.

He felt pain at seeing the Eve of his life dying like this. A part of him wanted to ask her why? Why didn't she go with Jean and the kids, why she never listens to him, why couldn't she leave him to die….but he realized, it must have been hard for her. Gale loved his family, and so did Annie. Both loved their family so much, they'd be willing to die for them.

Gale's eyes softened. Images of his youth, from the time he was a child, the fond memories of playing with his friends. Even with the bad memories of when he fought in wars he always counted the days of when he'd died. But miraculously, he survived. He remembered the blissful feeling of meeting Annie in their youth. The ecstatic feeling of becoming a father being blessed with children who shared his blood. He remembered the many laughs he shared with the people of this village.

While his life flashed before his eyes, his mind felt a tinge of regret. He regretted never telling Sorren he loved him or leaving Callie and Cale behind. He regretted never being able to give Annie precious gifts. He regretted standing before his wife, not as a hero, but as a weak man, a weak man kneeling before death's door.

The wolf howled, seemingly delighted at the taste of flesh, but Gale paid no heed to it. He staggered to his wife Annie, who was slowly dying. "Hey...Annie...till death do us part right?" he whispered tears in his eyes. Annie weakly nodded and smiled "Till death do us part" she whispered back, her tears mixed with her blood.

Death swung its mighty scythe towards them.

*WHAM*

Gale, who was expecting to be sliced in half, was shocked at an unexpected situation.

Fluffy pink hair gleaned in the moonlight. Pale white skin as white as snow, Piercing golden eyes like amber gleamed wickedly. It was a young girl, and she slammed her foot into the wolf's face, sending it flying a long distance.

The girl landed in front of them, striking a triumphant pose, her two fingers out, one hand on her small hip. "YUIJI IS ON THE SCENE!!!" She cried.

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Name: Annie Pierce

Age: 37

Magic Core Size: Medium

Affinity: Wind

Info: She is the mother of Sorren Pierce, the main protagonist, Callie and Cale, her two youngest children. Wife of Gale pierce. She specializes in herbs and medicine.

Key fact: Annie used to be quite the tomboy when she was younger but grew out of it as she got older.

Name: Gale pierce

Age:42

Magic Core Size: None

Affinity: None

Info: Gale is the father of Sorren pierce and his two siblings Callie and Cale. He is the husband of Annie pierce. Gale specializes in combat, however, due to an old injury in his leg, his skills have rusted greatly over the years.

Key Fact: if you ask Gale what his worse nightmare is, he'd say it's his wife when she wakes up in the morning.

Name: Jean Lock

Age: 24

Magic Core Size: none

Affinity: None

Info: Jean is a drinking buddy of Gale and Annie. He also helped watch Sorren and his siblings. Therefore, they could be considered family. He was raised by old man Jeinkens as a child and views him as a parent figure.

Key fact: Jean once tried to flirt with Annie, but was beaten to a pulp by an angry Gale.