The Hunter's Wolf

Midnight Disaster

Midnight Disaster

The clan swerves and pulls to an abrupt stop, forming a circle like barrier around their dead leader, threatening into the dark where the shadows lurk with their trenchant fangs and meaning snarls.

By Theo's signal, the archers nocked on their position release their arrows, and needles invade the skies like a thousand of insects. The impact merely takes down a couple of the targets, some hyenas still on their feet even with the arrows punctured on their backs and shoulders.

Theo steps into the clearing in a calm stride, a gun on each hand, and a hyena closest to him snaps its teeth, but he easily pulls the trigger and the bullet embeds itself into the base of the creature's skull.  

Upon hearing the muffled sound of the gun, the hyenas disarrange and the hunters commence forth, each battling with their own target.

My eyes catch Philip, stalking at his prey, who is busy tearing an unfortunate hunter apart limb by limb. When the hyena throws his head up, tearing the flesh like paper, he stabs his dagger into its jugular, slitting the creature open like a butchered meat, and he twists the weapon. Blood spurts out, overflowing and it almost seems to be raining blood. It is what people call 'blood-bath', as Philip is now dipped in a bucket of scarlet paint, his eyes the only thing of different colour.

Before another strikes at Philip when he is not looking, I pull the trigger and the bullet pierces through its head. Startled by the sudden death, Philip nods at me as a gratitude, and he carries on with another target.

The gore continues as hunters initiate a variety of patterns and motives, yet they all seem to go down the drain. My grip on the sniper rifle tightens, and I blow a sharp breath as I aim at a large brown hyena. I pull the trigger twice, the bullets break through the air in trajectory, each half a second and two degrees difference. As calculated, the first bullet intentionally scrapes the tips of its ear, and it hunches over. The corner of my lips tug upwards when the second bullet pierces through his neck. I change my position and roll for about a metre to the right, and I make another target, where the hunters are having some difficulties and need some back-up.

At the moment when the wind goes still, I shoot three bullets at once. The first dives into a brain, the second into a chest, and the third slashes through a hip, which then a hunter takes that chance to end its life.

Boisterous and gregarious giggles from the werehyenas make the uneasiness rise like a bile in my stomach. Their sickening chuckles are mocking as they spread out, each going berserk like a mad predator. 

There are only five hyenas left, and we all thought we are in the winning side. But more and more hunters are getting hauled, and I hold my breath, exhaling as I pull the trigger.

I make it down to four.

The clan does something entirely new for all of us; they catch us off guard by splitting up and dashing to different directions. Werehyenas are strongest when they stay together, and I feel suspicious of this tactic that they are using. From afar, I spot a hyena fleeting away, and no hunter is noticing the escapee.

As much as I want to let the creature go, I knew Theo will blame someone for this, and I can't let that person take all the punishment.

Without hesitation, I abandon the cliff and climb down, immediately running after my own target. Jumping over rocks and dodging on low branches while chucking my daggers on its tail, I realize that this is getting nowhere, so I take a quick shortcut, turning sharply to the left, no longer behind its tail.

For a predator, it sure gets fooled easily.

I tackle the werehyena and we roll on the dirt, ending up falling in a pool of mud. My feet wobbles for a second, due to the slippery ground and the wet animal advances before I can regain my balance. My opponent shoves its fangs onto my face, and I try my best to push the predator away while I snatch the guns plastered on my back, pulling several triggers on where its vital parts should be.