32 Run!!!

Fear chilled through them both as they felt the aura of the Bear increase. The Bloodline of this Bear was extremely strong, enough to completely end any chance they used to have. At this point the best thing they could do was...

"Run!!!" Cifer yelled. "His shoulder is still broke, so he won't be able to keep up with us!" Matching word and action, Cifer decisively abandoned their camp, racing through the woods as he heard Momo keeping pace beside him.

Her breathing was rushed and ragged, but grew more stable with each step as they ran further away. "I think we lost him." Momo said after a few minutes.

Silence supported her theory, and Cifer began to relax. He turned to look back and felt his blood run ice cold when he saw the Bear crash through a small opening between two trees, knocking both down. Just as he was preparing to make a comment, he heard Momo's remark.

"Cifer? We have a problem... there's Wolves in front of us." She sounded scared, but Cifer felt a surge of hope. Finding a single Origination Beast able to beat the Bear would have been nearly impossible, but if it was an entire pack of Wolves they should be able to make up a difference in individual strength by teamwork and combining their strength.

Running again, Cifer tried to drag Momo towards the Wolves. But she stood stock still, her eyes on part of the pack. "They have babies with them Cifer! We have to lead the Bear away from them." She insisted.

Within him Cifer felt something cracking. He'd grown up without parents himself, and even if the Wolves brought down the Bear it would cost them something. He couldn't bring himself to be so cruel when the Wolves weren't even his enemy. "This way then." He changed tack while they had time, leading the Bear away from the Wolves.

The Bear let out a joyful growl as the prey in front of it decided to make the hunt easier by letting him take an angle to catch up to then. He pressed himself harder to catch up to the humans who had injured him so severely, confident in his status as one of the forest's most deadly predators.

With both the pursuer and the pursued so focused on each other, neither noticed the movement of the Alpha Wolf striking out. Silently and swiftly, the massive 7 foot long Wolf threaded his way through the trees until he could leap at the Bear from the side. It was impossible for the humans to know, but they were heading towards a dead end by choosing not to endanger his family.

Cifer and Momo had run into a ravine when they decided not to try to play the pack of Wolves against the Bear, and realized it only had one gentle exit far too late. They came to the end of the ravine and were looking at what amount to 20 foot cliffs on all sides except for one direction. Turning slowly, Cifer could feel the ground shaking from the Bear's weight as the monstrous beast approached calmly. "This damn thing knows we're boxed in."

Momo put herself in front of Cifer. "I'll hold him off for a bit. You get out of here." Before Cifer could object a shadow slammed into the side of the Bear so hard that several stony plates cracked and the beast was rolled all the way over.

Screaming roars came from the Bear as he forced his way back up, completely indomitable as he smashed his opponent off of his with the back of his paw, throwing the smaller wolf at Momo and Cifer. A quick shake of itself was all the Alpha Wolf allowed itself before releasing its Bloodline and snapping at the Bear's wounded side.

Realizing the chance, Cifer swiftly ran to the side of the Bear, preparing for the best possible attack on the same leg as before. To that end, Cifer was trying his best to shave off the thick fur of the Bear to make a weak point that he could damage while Momo and the Alpha Wolf held its attention.

Cifer managed to do so, but the Bear had reared up on his hind legs to deal with the attacks on multiple fronts and the mobility of the Alpha Wolf. That meant that the Bear could easily counterattack if Cifer went for the newly bald spot where no fur or stone plates were protecting his leg. He had no choice but to back away.

Cifer wasn't willing to just back down from this beast, certain that the Bear would hound them until they died unless they took it down first. The strength the Bear could show while erect was overwhelming, and neither he nor the Alpha Wolf could afford to take a hit.

They couldn't even block the Bear, as the Alpha Wolf was only Early Bottom Origination and had a lower grade Bloodline related to speed. It was all Cifer could do to trim the Bear, and Momo couldn't really benefit from a lack of fur when her blunt force weapon crushed through it regardless. Cifer almost despaired, then saw the Alpha Wolf eyeing the bald spot on the Bear's leg.

Possibilities raced through Cifer's mind. He couldn't harm the Bear, but the Alpha Wolf could. The Alpha Wolf couldn't shave away the Bear's steel wire like fur, but Cifer could. Neither of them could block the Bear... but... with that Technique from before Momo should be able to.

And if she could block the Bear, than Cifer could leave it defenseless and the Alpha Wolf could kill it.

"Momo! I've got a plan, but I need you to contain his strikes and block him off for just a few seconds." Cifer called to her.

Momo glared from where she'd been tossed back. "I'm trying here! This power freak is way too strong after he goes up on his hind legs."

Cifer shook his head. "Because your playing the game his way. Hit him with that Technique again. All I need is one or two shots and we can turn this around."

None of them saw the ten year old girl with black hair and ancient eyes looking down from the top of the ravine. None of them noticed her almost move when the Bear stood up again, and none of the saw her sit to watch with interest instead after Cifer said he had a plan.