Arvium

50: Warrior

Month 1, Day 4, 23:40:56; Arvium, Arvium Forest, Wolves Ravine

Aella jumped forward, bringing her staff down with all her strength on the face of the wolf in front of her. She landed on her feet, gasping as the wolf disintegrated into black smoke. The tips of her staff glowed with a burst of golden light, and the tips sparked with energy.

She pulled up the edge of the staff and twisted her body, sending the tip into the neck of the second wolf as it lunged at her. The wolf vanished like the first, and she moved her staff into a defensive position.

She yelled as a wolf rammed into her from behind, and jets of pain flared through her side as its claws cut through her uniform. She moved, bringing down her staff, the tip jabbing into the wolf's side. The wolf moaned in pain, backing away from her, the smoke disappearing and revealing black fur.

She raised her hand, throwing a defense spell toward the opening as she climbed over the rocks, entering the tunnel. The orb moved with her, casting light in the dark tunnel around her.

She turned around, backing toward a stalagmite that rose next to the wall about ten feet from the entrance. Three wolves paced in front of her, the wounded wolf limping out of the opening.

The wolf in the front advanced, its teeth bared.

Aella gripped the staff tighter, then crouched and jammed the tip upward as the wolf lunged at her. She twisted, pulling the staff from the wolf's stomach and catching the shoulder of the next wolf. She continued the the downward sweep, spinning on the balls of her feet as the staff swept through the skin of the third wolf.

She froze as a growl filled the air behind her. The wolves were regrouping, their wounds disappearing beneath the smoke. She jumped back as an animal roared, and a massive dark shape rushed past her, barreling into the wolves. The wolves turned into puffs of dark smoke, and Aella jammed her spear into the nearest cloud, sending sparks throughout it.

She clicked the button on her staff, retracting it to a smaller size as the animal continued twisting and stomping the clouds of smoke. She pulled out her sword, taking a deep breath as the wolves materialized and went after the animal. It cried out in pain, landing on its side, as the wolves attacked.

She gasped as she recognized the fanged face of the boar she fought earlier that day. She ran forward, using her sword and staff in conjunction, her muscles moving in fluid motions. She targeted the wolves closest her, clearing the way for the boar to scramble to its feet, its chest rumbling as it breathed heavy. It moved to her side, facing down the wolves. She gripped her weapons tighter, barely registered the stinging sensation on her lower back where the wolf had bitten her.

She panted as the wolves backed off, facing her with their eyes glowing red and fangs bared. Goosebumps ran over her skin and she shivered despite the sweat that dotted her body as the wolves slowly moved closer. She jerked, her sword grazing the side of the white wolf that slammed into her.

Her yell was cut off halfway as she hit the ground, the air in her lungs leaving in a whoosh. Her chestplate cracked as the wolf's weight pressed down on her. She jerked her sword up, and growled as the wolf moved its head faster than she did and caught the blade in it's teeth, yanking it out of her hand and sending it clattering over the tunnel floor.

The boar moved forward with a growl, but it stumbled and fell to its knees, then fell onto its side with a thump that rattled the cave. The wolf moved its head to look, and she slammed her staff up and into the wolf's side, then again and again.

The wolf growled, and clamped its jaw over her arm, piercing through her armor and stabbing her arm.

She screamed as her vision flickered, and her body trembled with pain. Her left hand slid to her back, her fingers closing around the tip of an arrow. She pulled it and stabbed the wolf just behind its head, then ripped it out and held it to the wolf's neck.