Nah i ain't losing to a furry
From his pouch, Zellrid pulled out a delicate wooden amulet with intricate carvings. He gently placed it around the girl's neck and advised her to hold on to it for protection.
"When I give the signal, run to your carriage and quickly shut the door. Trust me, I'll make sure you stay safe," he reassured her with confidence.
The little girl's eyes widened as she finally got a good look at Zellrid. He had short, spiky hair and was wearing a long black coat with an eye patch covering his left eye.
A jagged scar ran down the side of his face, giving him a menacing appearance.
She couldn't help but blurt out, "Sir, you're scary! Why do you have that thing on your eye?"
Zellrid let out a hearty laugh. "Ah, the young ones always find my looks intimidating. Believe me, little one, the only thing I'm hunting tonight is the monster that took your family."
His voice turned serious. "Now listen carefully, little one. When I give the signal, run as fast as you can, get it?"
"AND now go go."
"Go as fast as you can, "Zellrid shouted, his voice echoing through the dense forest.
The little girl didn't need to be told twice. She turned on her heels and sprinted towards the carriage, her heart pounding in her chest.
She could hear Zellrid's footsteps behind her, but she didn't dare look back. She knew that if she did, she would lose her nerve and stop running.
As gnarled roots reached out to catch her, she felt a sharp slice cut through the air, severing them before they could grasp her.
But there were too many, and more continued to sprout up faster than she could run. With each strike from Zellrid's sword, the roots split in half and fell to the ground.
The girl pushed herself to sprint even faster until she finally reached the safety of the carriage. With a quick movement, she shut the door behind her, blocking out the grasping roots and taking a deep breath of relief.
He muttered, "At last, I can work comfortably."
Zellrid poured oil over his sword and struck a match to light it.
He strode towards a towering tree and ran his hand along its rough bark, closing his eyes as he focused.
At that moment, silence screamed—not a single movement or howl, just the haunting sound of the northern winds whistling through the air.
A powerful gust of wind tore through the forest, extinguishing the flame on Zellrid's sword.
The loud cawing of a large group of crows echoed through the air as they flew overhead, blotting out the moon's light with their sheer numbers.
"He's here," Zellrid mumbled, his eye slowly opening.
The shape of his eye transformed into a slit, resembling that of a snake, and the color shifted to a bright green.
His body tensed, and a wicked smile spread across his scarred face. He raised his sword in preparation for the oncoming attack, his pulse quickening with anticipation.
From deep within the snow ground emerged a wendigo beast.
Its eyes glowed like burning coals in the darkness, and its growls echoed ominously through the woods.
Its breath was a cloud of icy mist, and its claws were long and sharp, capable of tearing through flesh and bone with ease.
The Wendigo snarled at Zellrid, revealing rows of jagged teeth that could shatter bones.
"Goodness gracious, the sight of you could curdle milk from a mile away! Did you season your victims with garlic before eating them, my friend? Your breath could wilt flowers and make even a dung beetle faint in horror."
Zellrid laughed as he provoked the monstrous Wendigo, raising his sword and igniting it once more.
The Wendigo let out a furious roar, its rage bubbling over.
With astonishing speed, it lunged at Zellrid, its claws outstretched.
Zellrid sidestepped the attack with ease, ducking under Wendigo's claws and slashing upwards with his flaming sword.
The blade connected with the Wendigo's arm, searing its flesh and sending a wave of pain through its body.
It retracted its injured arm, smoke curling from the raw flesh. Its glowing eyes narrowed, burning with fury.
The Wendigo let out an ear-splitting screech.
It raised its remaining arm, its claws dripping with a viscous, green ooze, and swiped at Zellrid once more.
Zellrid parried the attack with his sword, the metal clanging against the Wendigo's claws with a deafening clang. Sparks flew from the point of impact, illuminating the scene with a brief flash of light.
The Wendigo pressed its attack, relentlessly battering Zellrid with its claws and teeth.
While he danced around the attacks, his movements were fluid and graceful.
Until one of his attacks hit zellrid sending him flying through the air, the impact sent shockwaves through his body, and his vision blurred momentarily.
causing him to wince in pain and his vision to blur. With a sharp cry, he grabbed at his stomach, where a searing pain had erupted.
Looking down, he saw the sickly green ooze from his attacker's attack eating away at his coat like acid.
In a split-second decision, Zellrid ignited his blade to counter the acidic substance before standing up.
Before Zellrid could steady himself, the wendigo pounced with ferocious speed, its razor-sharp claws inches away from his face, poised to strike.
Reacting quickly, he dodged and leapt into the air, only to be ensnared by a flock of crows with their grip freezing him mid-air.
The wendigo seized this opportunity to lunge at Zellrid once again, sinking its teeth into his neck before they both crashed to the ground with a sickening thud.
Zellrid's body convulsed involuntarily, a mix of pain and determination flashing in his eye as he pointed a trembling finger to the sky before closing his eye in silent resolve.
As soon as the beast began sniffing his body, preparing to devour it, a bolt of lightning struck zellrid.
The Wendigo was engulfed in an explosion of electricity, its scream piercing the night sky. The creature shuddered violently as its flesh sizzled and charred from the intense power surge.
Slowly, Zellrid opened his eye and stood up unsteadily, his clothing in tatters and burn marks covering his skin.
Igniting his sword once more, but this time with lightning too, he approached the twitching Wendigo with cautious determination.
The frenzied beast attacked, while crows and roots moved towards Zellrid simultaneously.
Zellrid gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the onslaught of attacks from both the Wendigo and the other forces at its disposal.
He raised his sword, and a lightning bolt shot out from its tip, striking one of the crows in mid-flight and turning it to ash.
The rest of the flock screeched and dispersed, while the roots creeping toward Zellrid shriveled up and retreated into the ground.
The Wendigo roared in frustration, its body pulsing with anger as it lunged at Zellrid with deadly intent.
But Zellrid was ready for it this time.
With lightning crackling around him, he moved with incredible speed and agility, dodging every attack and countering with precision strikes of his own.
The Wendigo's claws and teeth clashed fiercely against Zellrid's flaming sword, causing sparks to fly with each strike.
But just when it seemed like the beast had the upper hand, Zellrid managed to swiftly counter with a well-placed blow from his sword, forcing the creature to use its tail as a last resort.
Reacting swiftly, Zellrid leapt into the air and executed a flip over the Wendigo's head before landing gracefully behind it.
As it whirled around to face him once again, he plunged his sword deep into its back.
The creature let out a blood-curdling scream as electricity surged through its body. It thrashed wildly in agony, trying to shake off Zellrid.
But he held on tight, channeling all his energy into his sword until, finally, with a final deafening roar, the Wendigo fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.
Breathing heavily but victorious, Zellrid pulled his sword out of the creature's body. The flames died down as he took a moment to catch his breath and assess his injuries.
He had sustained several cuts and scratches from the wendigo's claws, but they were nothing compared to the wounds on his neck from its teeth.
"Damn it, I smell like shit."