Wolfheart

~Fury Bearer~ (13)

The scent of wildflowers receded completely, and I was left alone with the hot Sun and the dying fruits.

My right hand rested upon the hilt of Lanakila's sword, and my left upon the belt itself. What was I to do with it? After meeting her companion, Hanon, I felt completely unfit to be holding this last piece of her memory.

I shook my head in an attempt to clear the thoughts and the heat from clogging my brain. I turned away from Hanon's retreat, and tried to walk away, back towards the cool waters of the creek. "What shall I do with you?" I said to myself, unconsciously tracing the designs which were engraved into the hilt of the sword with a forefinger. Should I go after her, and prevent her harm as well? Or would I only create a worsened situation?

Stepping my bare feet into the waters, I felt somewhat relieved as the icy flow curled over and around my toes. Hunger began to gnaw at the insides of my stomach angrily as I mused about my situation. Disregarding my hunger for the time being, I began to pace slowly with the forward flow of the creek.

I had followed the small flow of water for some time, amongst the trees and brush, when I began to smell something I had not taken notice of before. The smell of the Sun-ripe fruits had long since vanished, and I had grown comfortable with the smells of the greenery. But this scent was something completely different, completely alien to me.

Stopping in the middle of the stream, I tilted my head to one side. There was no sound, save for the liquid bubbling quietly at my feet. I sniffed the air a little, then wrinkled my nose in disgust. It was as if some great predator had killed everything within the area and had left them to rot untouched. Closely following my discovery of the smell, the heat in the surrounding greenery suddenly fled. The waters of the creek began to ice over slightly, and I hopped out of it before my toes became solidified water as well. "Wh..." I turned my head from side-to-side, would my new adversaries never end?

Darkness followed the cold loyally, and though the Sun shone powerfully at my back, the place around me fell victim to shadow. I crouched low instinctively, anxious.

Some close distance to me, a pair of brilliant, vibrant and angry vermillion eyes appeared. They seemed to be floating independently within the sea of ebony, shifting slightly from left to right. A curl of breath escaped from the creature's lips, raspy, strained, eerie. The eyes landed on me, and I tried to shrink, low to the ground as I could possibly get.

The Sage Owl had told me of these mighty creatures, and that there was only one in existence in the entire Evermore - Fury Bearers. And of course, it was just my luck that I run into the only living one.

"Hello..." I said, voice as low as my body. "You have lost someone..."

Evermore Fury Bearers are creatures borne of their previous lives: Wailing Wolves. They become these animals of death when their beloved orphan is slaughtered. Though this rarely happens, it does occur.

The Bearer snarled, and I could see her long, fearsome fangs as she bared them angrily. I began to back away, the shadows still continued to conceal most of my movements as well as hers. Slowly, carefully, I retreated towards the Sunlight, keeping my eyes locked steadily upon the Fury Bearer's red eyes. She watched me, unmoving, unblinking, as if considering her options. There was deathly silence for but a painstaking second or two, then the furious creature launched towards me. I yelped unintentionally, shifted, and began to scramble. I just hoped my paws would hold out as I began to charge back to the clearing. The Fury Bearer was close behind me, she had four mighty front legs, and two in the back. They propelled her forward with frightening, intense speed. Though I was a mite larger than she, I had no intentions of fighting the four-eyed, horned, infuriated beast. No, I had learned well from the Sage Owl that most who dare to go against a Bearer do not make it back victorious.

She put deep gouges into the earth as she pursued me, snapping her gaping jaws at my tail in an an attempt to stop me. I tucked my tail between my legs, startled, trying to protect it as I galloped. "Leave me be!" I yelped at her; I knew she was not a wolf like me, but she was sort of close.

Instead of responding, the Bearer put a huge amount of effort into leaping. I tried to avoid it, but two of her four front legs raked my hindquarters. Blood spewed everywhere, and the pain made me falter. I scooted ahead some to regain ground as the Bearer again collected herself. I whirled on her, ears pinned, standing my ground though blood fled my wounds.

The fury of the creature was so unkempt, so uncontrolled, it made the shadows and ice follow close on her tail, and made my soul shake. She waved her head from side to side, all four red eyes open and blazing with hatred. A loud growl escaped her maw, and she widened her stance, preparing again to pounce.

I awaited her move, my own stance wide, attempting to keep myself upright. I knew my hindquarters would fail me should I try to run or leap upon her in turn, therefore I remained stationed where I was. My only hope left I thought, was to defend myself as well as I could. "Bring it on," I barked.