The Zero Hour | #Wattys2016

Chapter 3 - Wolves?! (Part 2)

The wolves growled menacingly as they emerged from the cover of darkness. The pitter patter of rain started to drop on the ground and trees as Amadeus looked around for a path to escape, and just as he expected, he found none. He did not have any meat in his bag to bribe the wolves with, and he was surrounded on all sides by large and hungry wolves. The wolves varied in sizes, and the bigger ones were much larger than those that were described to him in stories. Some of them were so massive that Amadeus supposed that the huge wolves would have no problem swallowing him whole in a single gulp.

Amadeus started to panic. This was the first time that he was surrounded on all sides by hungry beasts who could not reason; rendering his wit useless and left him with no other means of escape. Forced into a corner with nothing but brute strength to save him; he did not like his odds.

As much as he felt his stomach churn at the thought of battling the massive wolves before him; Amadeus did not have time to be afraid, for no one was going to save him. He would have no other choice but to fight for his life. He raised his club and swung it around, preparing to fight for his life as the loud ear splitting roar of thunder filled the night air. Great, he thought, the perfect stage to his untimely demise; very dramatic indeed.

The wolves circled him cautiously, judging their prey's strength and determining how dangerous he truly was. He certainly did not look dangerous at all. One of the younger and more reckless wolves grew impatient and pounced forward, eager to get the first bite of dinner. His skull swiftly met the forceful blow of Amadeus' makeshift club. He whimpered as he collapsed on the ground. The other wolves growled angrily but only glared at him cautiously. They were not in a rush, and it almost seemed as though they were taking their time to plan the most effective way to bring him down.

The rain grew heavier in an instant and the visibility dropped drastically as streams of water pierced the air and slammed on the ground with splashes. Lightning surged across the sky, bathing the background in white like a camera flash. Amadeus took a defensive stance and widened his stance while bending his legs slightly, preparing to dodge either left or right. He held his club firmly in his right hand and lifted it high above his head, ready to bring it down on any wolf brave enough to pounce next.

Through the flashes of lightning, he tried to count the number of his foes. There were at least twenty. I can't fight them all, but perhaps if I can injure a few, the rest will leave me alone. If they don't, I have no other choice but to fight them to the death. There is no other way to escape.

Amadeus reflected on his odds of survival. They didn't look good. If I die tonight, the entire camp's lives would depend solely on the shoulders of Uthaes. It's true that not many people in the camp were nice to me anyway. I was foolish for risking my life for an entire camp who hates my guts.

Images of Old Jarbus and Madam Marcella flashed in his mind. The only two people who ever cared for me. I was risking my life for them. They're worth it. I have to try to pull through. Renewed with determination, he stood his ground.

The Alpha gave a battle cry and the entire pack attacked simultaneously. The next few seconds seemed to move in slow motion for Amadeus, who was shocked at his own courage. He was not good at fighting, but he swung his club clumsily in a full circle determined to hit as many wolves as he could. His club connected weakly with half a dozen wolves but they just shrugged off the blow without flinching.

A few of the larger wolves leaned away from his club in mid-air and managed to dodge his swing. They landed gracefully on the ground and immediately pounced again in numbers before Amadeus could regain his footing. Swinging wildly, Amadeus managed to hit a few more wolves on their second attack but was unable to avoid the fangs and claws of some.

He glanced quickly upon himself, examining his injuries. I look terrible, he thought as he inspected the trickling blood slowly flowing down his arms and sides. He struggled to keep his footing, but faltered and had to kneel down. Supporting himself with one knee, he struggled to keep from collapsing.

He raised his club again to prepare for the coming onslaught, but the loss of blood made his fingers weak. The club felt heavier than it had when he started the fight. It shook unsteadily in his hand. The next group of wolves smashed into him in a flurry of claws, and his club – and his only method of defense, flew out of his hand.

It was too late; his only hope of survival had slipped from his fingers. He let out a huge cry of grief and he collapsed on the floor face up; his arms lay by his bleeding sides, palms facing upward. Lying in a pool of his own blood and without a weapon, rain poured down upon his face. He could feel the wolves draw near and examine him, feeling their warm breath against his cold skin. They knew he was defenseless and too weak to fight.

Suddenly, as though the heavens had heard his cry, there was a bright flash and a white lightning bolt streaked down from the middle of the sky, striking the stone on his left glove. The sound of thunder roared, and the stone shimmered with sparks, as though filled with immense power. The wolves were as shocked as he was, as they took a step backward, wondering what had just happened.

He tried to lift his left hand to get a closer look at the sparkling stone. However, before he had lifted his hand more than an inch from the ground, the stone rumbled with power and shot out a continuous white streak of lightning which travelled towards the cloudy night sky, piercing it like an arrow. Interesting, Amadeus thought. He looked around him and saw that the wolves had regained their courage. Lightning or no lightning, they were extremely hungry and were not about to abandon the mouth-watering dinner that lay before them on the ground.

Amadeus was intrigued. What was this strange stone that Enoch had given him? He lifted up his left arm, and felt the stone rumble again. As another streak of lightning soared out of the stone and streaked towards the sky, Amadeus closed his fingers on the stone in a gripping motion. Until today, Amadeus was not sure if it was a good or bad idea. What happened next, he could not have prepared for in a million years.

His entire limp body became weightless and he was flung forcefully upwards into the night sky at an amazing speed, following the exact path of the lightning bolt. In an instant, from being surrounded by hungry wolves; he was high into the air, next to the clouds. He started to wonder what would happen once he reached the end of the bolt. He did indeed reach the end of the bolt, and time stood still for Amadeus that night.