The burning friend

She awakened and continued her road, the absolute priority was Ulrich. She had many interrogations. Did he retrieve his limbs? Did he have a good life? She felt that she was close to him and as she was walking more and more, always further, her heart was beating with excitation. Then, she fell to the floor. Without realizing it, she hit a piece of rock. After watching carefully at it she could see that it was a step, the first of a gigantic stairway going up to the top of the mountain.

She climbed, one, ten, fifty, a hundred, two... It was endless and she could not see the top. Her morale was low. The steps were made in a matter she never saw before. It was a smooth and shiny black-looking stone. The steps were not regular and she missed more than once. This path was extremely tiring. She climbed for more than a day, then she saw a kind of place. She sat there and watched at the distance she made. She was so high at the moment that she could see all the region and the horizon line was looking so beautiful in the landscape that she was breathless.

She took a few minutes before continuing but before she took the road again she heard a growling approach. At first, it was distant, she didn't move in waiting for the animal to show itself. Then, the creature came to her, it was a red wolf.

The red wolves in this area were considered legendary creatures. It was said that they were the children of the volcanoes, the chosen ones. Their fur was fireproof, their lives were extended to a hundred years and some said that they had magical powers that humans cannot imagine. They said that the ones who witnessed their force never returned.

The wolf seemed young, he was showing his fangs and showed aggressiveness immediately. Arja was on her guard, ready to be attacked. At this moment the wolf would never let her pass on his territory and she would never abandon so close to the top believing that her brother was not far. They were two angry creatures animated by the rage to win and one of them had to die.

Arja took her knife slowly in her hand. The wolf jumped at her throat. She was agile and could avoid him a few times, unfortunately, the wolf was even more agile and he managed to block her in a corner before jumping on her.

He was very heavy, more than a normal wolf and she fell on the little rock platform she was resting on just a moment ago. She didn't have the force to push him away from her and she was suffocating, she had to find a solution rapidly as her forces were leaving her very fast so she stabbed him in the ribs. The wolf opened his mouth with the pain and Arja could breathe, the blood was running along her neck.

He closed his fangs once again, she stabbed him again. The fight was very brutal and nobody could guess who is the human and who is the animal. Soon, they were both recovered by blood, growling, together having the same rage to survive.

Arja even felt some feelings for the beast, she felt similar to him at this moment and she recognized herself in him. She would never let it go, same as him.

She decided to stab once more, stronger, as much as she could.

When he opened his mouth to bite her again she raised her left arm. She felt the fangs piercing her skin up to the bones and she screamed in pain.

He was chewing her strongly. She could manage to kick him with her feet in the ribs where the knife was planted. The knife was pushed deep inside his body, he closed his mouth on her arm even more at this moment and then he fell on her, paralyzed by the pain but still conscious. Arja had issues breathing under his weight, her neck was bleeding and her arm was broken in a few pieces. She was unable to move, then it happened.

The worst thing that could have happened at this moment. The volcano erupted...

Arja felt her blood turning cold inside her, she was terrified as she saw the explosions at the top of the mountains. Soon, the lava would recover the mountain and would reach them. She tried to move frantically but the weight of the animal was way too much for her, especially with her wounds.

The wolf didn't seem reassured too and tried to move as well to run away. A piece of rock was projected from the mountain and felt on them. Arja and the wolf were smashed. She saw the lava and thought this was the end of her adventures. With the rock on them, she stopped to fight and she used her free arm to slide her hand behind the head of the wolf, she caressed him tenderly. The blood was drowning her and her vision became blurred.

"I am sorry little one. We are not lucky."

The wolf under the caress became less tense. He spread his body on her at this moment, his head and fur recovering her completely.

Arja felt suffocated by the heat and passed out before the lava could reach them. After an unknown time, she heard a very heavy noise. Something was punching and the shakes awakened her. She saw the wolf on her waking at the same time as her.

She felt the pressure being less heavy and she could finally take a deep breath. Not for long, her throat was burning and she had difficulties taking the air.

She saw the light of the sun and a face. The face of Ulrich was there in front of her. She saw him screaming her name. He was frenetic, he had a pickaxe in his hand and pierced the rocks as fast as possible. Soon after she was free. He was not alone and other men were present with a stretcher. They placed her on it, she saw the wolf pushed to the side, left there to die alone. Arja caught Ulrich's arm and begged him with her eyes to save the wolf with her. He took the animal on his shoulders and, with a lot of difficulties, brought him back with them.