Clean Kill

Arthur is surprised to see the sunlight through his bedroom window. He spent the entire night kissing Nyx and didn't even realize it. But as his parents also went to bed late due to the party the day before, they would also wake up late.

So Arthur manages to sneak a morning nap, and Aria lets him sleep until almost lunchtime. After a bath, as always, he goes down to meet his family, but this time, his smile is even prouder and his eyes brighter than ever.

Aria feels her instincts screaming that something big is happening with him, but she stops trying to understand what it means for now. 

After a delicious lunch, Arthur does not train as usual and just relaxes with his parents and his little sister on a pleasant afternoon. Today is Sunday, and they always use the day for fun; they go fishing in the stream near their home, walk around the fields, and do various other things as a family.

At night they gather in the dining room to have a great meal together, and Arthur can hardly wait for the time to go to bed and see Nyx again.

Suddenly, a loud sound flows through the windows and echoes throughout the house.

*Awoooooooo!!!*

"WHAAAH!!!" Little Eve is frightened by the sound and jumps into Arthur's lap instinctively.

"Easy, sweetheart," He strokes her head gently. "It's just a wolf; after all, it is a full moon night."

Arthur has already hunted wolves with his father as they sometimes come too close to the village and attack the farmers' flocks. While he is calm though, Draven and Aria have concerned expressions on their faces, which leaves him confused.

"That was a wolf, right?" He asks.

"I don't think it was a common wolf..." Draven comments with a thoughtful expression, then he looks at Aria.

She closes her eyes and begins to channel her magic; a powerful aura emerges around her, causing the tips of her hairs to float. Arthur and Eve have the same impressed reaction seeing how incredible their mother is.

After a few seconds, Aria stops channeling her magic and opens her eyes. "Yes, it is corrupted, and it's near."

"Corrupted?" Arthur remembers studying that term with his mother; it has to do with when a creature is exposed to Dark Mana and becomes a type of monster.

Aria nods, and Draven quickly stands up. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this."

Taking care of the village's safety is Draven's job and his pride as a hero, so Arthur always tries to help him.

"I'm going with you," He speaks with determination.

Draven trusts Arthur's abilities, but he looks at Aria, seeking her opinion.

She looks at Arthur. "This creature is more dangerous than any other wolf, are you sure you're ready?"

Arthur nods. "I think so."

"He is," Draven quickly speaks with a proud tone.

Aria smiles and then nods. "Okay, but be careful, darling"

"Alright," Arthur places Eve in Aria's arms, but the little girl seems hesitant to let go of her brother.

"Brother?" She looks at him with a worried expression, unwilling to let go.

"It's okay, little bug," He strokes her hair again. "I'm just going to take care of this ugly wolf so it won't scare you anymore."

Eve's eyes shine with admiration and trust, then she imitates Aria's expression. "So, take care!"

Aria and Draven are always moved by the cute scenes between Arthur and Eve, they are really close siblings and their interactions always manage to warm their hearts. 

Arthur picks up his sword, a hunting bow, and a backpack with various tools such as traps and things of that nature. Draven just picks up his sword and sheathes it, as always, after which the pair leaves the house. They stop at the intersection in front of the house and Draven breathes in the night air deeply.

He can't use magic like Aria, but thanks to his powerful senses, he smells a faint scent of blood in the air.

"This way," He runs in one direction, and Arthur follows him from behind. 

Dravens' speed is incredible, and Arthur compares it to the cars of Liam's life. However, he is holding back so that he can follow him closely, both at an average speed of forty miles per hour. The pair crosses entire plantations and pastures in seconds before Draven stops.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asks, immediately noticing some dead sheep on the grass. Unlike animals typically mauled by predators, these sheep are almost intact, with only fang marks on their necks, or deep gashes on their sides.

"Poor creatures..." Draven comments sorrowfully. Despite being a big, muscular man, as brave as a lion, Draven has a gentle heart and despises death, especially senseless ones.

Arthur still remembers the first time his father took him hunting.

Draven emphasized greatly that all life is precious and he should only kill a beast for food or if it posed a threat, like the one at this moment. Even with the memories of Liam, someone whose life revolved around killing, Arthur can't help but admire the way Draven thinks and acts.

So, after each hunt, the father-son duo make use of the meat, hide, and even the bones of the slain animals. The way Arthur always obeys his father and strives to be like him makes Draven very proud. But he also understands that Arthur is different from him. Their first kills were quite distinct.

Draven cried for a whole week after killing a poor deer with a sword stroke after two arrows, while Arthur killed his first deer with a perfect arrow straight to the head before Draven even noticed the creature.

"Clean kill," Arthur exclaimed coldly, relieved that the deer didn't suffer for a second, and that scene never left Draven's mind.

"Father?" Now, Arthur places his hand on Draven's shoulder as they both look at the sheeps' bodies on the ground. "Was it the wolf?"

"Yes," Draven responds while analyzing the large prints on the ground. "It's indeed a Direwolf."

Arthur remembers reading about Direwolves, wolves corrupted by Dark Mana; they are much larger and powerful than normal wolves, frenzied in their search for blood and victims. The Direwolves' tracks in the sheep's blood and in the mud clearly indicate the direction the creature went, so the father-son duo quickly follow the trail.

Half a mile later, the blood tracks end, right in a pasture with tall grass. Draven is an excellent tracker, but Arthur possesses Liam's experiences, having mastered the art of tracking to hunt his victims.

Combining Liam's knowledge, Arthur's new superhuman senses, his father's teachings, and the sharp eyes inherited from Aria, Arthur is a tracking machine.

"Lead the way," Draven has no shame in admitting that Arthur is better at following tracks than him.

"Right," Arthur obeys his father and runs through the pasture, following the Direwolf's trail by observing every little crushed leaf on the ground. After a minute, Arthur slows down. "I think it's close."

"Don't attack recklessly," Draven cautions. "We don't know how strong the creature is, so wait for my signal."

"Understood!" Arthur nods in understanding.

After covering another mile, the duo reach a small hill and sneak up on its edge. The Direwolf is down below, finishing off a bull, with the creature being the same size as the bull.

"Damn, this is a big dog," Arthur comments, impressed.

"It's not one of the biggest, though," Draven quickly assesses the wolf. "Maybe you can handle it, but I'm not sure if we should risk it..."

Arthur knows his father is quite overprotective, so his words give him confidence.

"Leave it to me," he says while slowly placing his bow and backpack on the ground.

"Alright, I'm right behind you," Draven gives Arthur a thumbs-up, eager to see his son in action against such a dangerous beast. He's almost certain that Arthur is overly confident in his own abilities and will underestimate the Direwolf, especially the creature's sharp senses.

But while Draven doesn't want to see his son suffer, he also wants to teach Arthur to always be cautious, and this is a good opportunity since he can kill the Direwolf before things turn ugly.

"If he gets a little hurt for overestimating his strength, it won't be so bad," Draven tries to contain his overprotective nature for the sake of Arthur's future as an adult man.

Anyone who sees Arthur walking with his head held high, and that handsome, confident smile on his face might think he's very arrogant and considers himself invincible. But the truth is, Arthur thinks deeply before any action; it's just that his mind works much faster than other people's.

Right now, he crouches at the edge of the hill and coldly analyzes the Direwolf as well as the surrounding scenery. He thinks of various strategies, but the most complicated thing in this case is that Arthur can't quite remember what he read about Direwolves in the books.

But then, like the voice of his conscience, Nyx speaks in his mind. "Their weakest point is their ears."

"Thank you, dear!" Arthur is grateful to Nyx for seeing everything he sees and being able to retain such information. With his plan ready, Arthur crouches even lower before rising swiftly and jumping off the hill, pulling his sword from its sheath mid-air.

"What?!" Draven didn't expect him to jump from that height, about ten meters off the ground. The fall isn't the problem, as Arthur's body is strong enough to withstand the impact without serious damage, but the distance from the wolf is.

Draven expected Arthur to descend the side of the hill and sneak his way close to the Direwolf. But right now, he's in the air, falling towards the creature, which makes Draven concerned. "It will notice!"

Just as Draven thinks, the Direwolf notices Arthur falling from the sky and turns towards him, its large mouth filled with sharp fangs the size of little Eve's hands.

But Arthur also expected that reaction, and while using one hand to fully draw his sword from the sheath, he swung the other towards the wolf. He throws a handful of sand, which he had grabbed earlier, right into the creature's eyes.

*Woooo!!*

The wolf is blinded and growls in rage while trying to turn its face away from Arthur's attack. But it's unavoidable now, as Arthur lands on the wolf, driving his sword right into the creature's left ear.

He uses all his strength plus the force of gravity from the fall, making his blade pierce the wolf's head as easily as a knife through butter.

*Swooosh* *Thud*

The Direwolf falls dead instantly, and Arthur rolls on the ground, masterfully absorbing the impact of the fall.

Draven exclaims from the top of the hill, his tone filled with both pride and admiration. "Clean Kill!"