Chapter 5: The Fight

Mar stops thinking about his world because he is busy with something else right now: fighting the big wolf. Mar sets his sights on the big wolf's location, the middle of the forest. Mar slowly makes his way to the location of his next fight, he knows that this fight will be the hardest he has experienced yet. He double checks that he has equipment, his broken dagger, bow, and quiver, containing five arrows. He walks with his bow in his hands ready to use it at all times.

Mar slowly encircles the forest making sure that he knows all exit and entry points of the huge circular bush which contains the center of the forest. Mar figures out that there are only two exit and entry points. Both on opposite sides of each other. One directly leads straight to the lake while the other one leads to a dark cave that looks unlike any tunnel or cavern that Mar had seen until now. Mar doesn't have time to think about what could be inside right now, he decides to check it out later, after his fight with the big wolf.

Mar slowly gets his bearings and finds a perfect tree that is close to the center of the forested area and ideal for shooting. Mar climbs up on the tree branch by branch, making sure to be quiet. He is too close to the center of the forest to make noise. He gets onto a branch that is big enough to stand on without falling he looks towards the center of the forest but he can't find the big wolf. All of the sudden he hears a howl.

*AWHOOO*

The sound came from the lake, the big wolf must have heard the two wolves' howl earlier and decided to check it out. This howl was a cry of sadness, it was clear that the big wolf found the dead bodies of its pack. Mar breathes out a sign of relief, if he had taken any longer with his fight earlier he would have been forced to face the big wolf head on without preparation. The big wolf had given its location away with the howl and Mar slowly makes his way down from the tree and walks over to the opposite side of the circles forested area, where the lake is and coincidentally, the big wolf. When Mar gets close to the lake he climbs another tree to check for the big wolf.

Sure enough, the big wolf is in front of one of its dead companions facing the other way from Mar. Mar takes this chance and quickly finds a branch that he can stand properly on. He pulls an arrow out of his quiver and he gets ready to shoot. Mar feels the unknown power beckoning him, calling to be used, calling to give him power. He ignores the feeling and shoots the arrow without any powerup. The arrow glides straight through the air and hits the wolf. Mar looks at the wolf in horror, "The... The arrow, it... snapped on impact!"

That isn't even mentioning the fact that the big wolf almost completely dodged the arrow. If it had been focusing on Mar, like it is now, it wouldn't have came close to hitting. This wolf, is on a completely different level. The wolf's hide is so strong that the wooden arrow snapped as soon as it hit. The wolf searches the area for its attacker, while it is searching, Mar takes an arrow from his quiver and slowly readies it to shoot at the big wolf. Now, Mar isn't testing his luck, he is using a destructive arrow. He channels the unknown power into his next arrow but his focus is jarred when he hears a loud growl.

*GRRRR*

The big wolf spotted him in the tree and starts running towards him. Mar panics slightly and his destructive arrow is only half power of when he first tested it against the tree, it is shot towards the big wolf's left front leg instead of its torso on accident. The destructive arrow blows off half of the wolf's left front arm but it is still able to run and it makes its way to Mar. Mar readies another destructive arrow and this time channels it to its maximum and he shoots it without breaking focus. The arrow glides through the air at incredible speeds. The wolf is barely able to move during the flight time of the arrow and is hit squarely in the torso. a third of the wolf's torso is gone in an instant. The wolf howls in a pained voice, it is clearly hurt but still a threat.

Mar jumps down from the tree, he only has two arrows left and he doesn't want to use them to finish off the wolf, he decides to do it himself. He doesn't know if he will need to use those two arrows in the next cavern. If there is another animal or monster that is even stronger than this wolf than saving these arrows is a must. Mar throws his bow and quiver to the side and pulls out his dagger. "Time to fight"

Mar slowly approaches the wolf, and the wolf does the same. It starts to see him as a potential threat and not just another meal. Mar and the wolf look each other in the eye as they keep moving in a circle around one another. Mar is the one to make the first move as he jabs his knife quickly towards the wolf while imbuing his body full of the unknown energy. The wolf moves to the side and counters with a sharp bite going for Mar's right arm, the one which has the dagger. Mar quickly moves the arm back and the two keep circling each other.

Mar and the wolf keep attacking one another and dodging attacks without really committing to anything. It is painfully obvious that neither of them are willing to commit to the fight. All of a sudden Mar's dagger begins shimmering with a pale light, "I did it! If my bow and my arrow can be imbued with the unknown energy than so can my dagger!" The wolf steps back in fear, it understands that energy which radiates from Mar and his dagger is dangerous.

Unfortunately for the big wolf, Mar attacks as soon as he sees the next opening and he commits to it. His dagger slices a line through the wolf's left shoulder as it barely evades a blow to the neck. The wound on its shoulder and the one on its torso cause it to bleed out minutes later. The wolf dies alone, without its pack by its side. Mar on the other hand, smiles, he has an instinct to skin the wolf, but he decides not to, all he wants right now is rest and recuperate.