Falsified (Tarnished Book 2)

10 Battling Beasts

It's Here!

Beast after beast exited the forest, and the palace's defenses were now vulnerable. Wolfgons mixed in along with other beasts I had only read about. Each of them dangerous as the next. Since no one has faced these beasts in battle their weak points will be hard to discover.

"What am I doing?" I asked standing outside the palace walls. "This seems the opposite of how I wanted to get some trust around here."

Snarls and growls in the distance alerted me to their position. Come on, I will still be standing when you try to take me down. The wolfgons strode faster upon catching sight of me and three of them came at me keeping me pinned against the gate wall behind. One leaped from my right and I rolled to the right avoiding its claws. Another lunged at me before I could move out of the way. Ice formed around its body and ensnared its paws. Snarling, it attempted to tear free while the third growled.

I pulled my sword from the sheath and waited for the beast to lunge after it was down growling. Its growl only grew at the sight of a blade. Sidestepping, it circled me. Its low growling continued while the first wolfgon recovered from my dodge. I inhaled deeply and stood still.

"Dane!" Mara's voice cried.

The first and third wolfgon coordinated a strike one from behind me while the other covered the front. Clever beasts, but it won't be so easy to use a pincher attack like that. They darted at me while I exhaled my breath. I glared at the beasts and for a brief second, their snarling and growling stopped. The second wolfgon broke free from the ice pinning it in place. I smirked. I swung my blade at the wolfgon behind me through the roof of its gaping mouth. Then, I tore it back and leaped on the muzzle of the first one. To counter, the second wolfgon leaped after me while the first one snapped upward. Pushing off the wolfgon's muzzle, I landed on the ground with ease.

They both turned about to continue their hunt. I smiled big and scoffed. "That all you got because you'll be dead before you latch a single fang into my flesh." They ran at me and something from behind scooped me up into its talons.

The wind blasted me in the face as I glanced up to see the wyvern from the grove. "Relax, I know who you are. Humans usually smell the same, but your scent is distinct."

I tried to relax, but the swarm of beasts below made that near to impossible. "What's this sudden attack for?"

The Wyvern chuckled. "For you, the beasts around the grove are not happy a human such as yourself was able to escape their clutches. It appears you do not know of our master. However, young human, it appears the Mandrake and I both spared you."

I gazed down to see the beasts reaching the palace walls. "During the day? You beasts sure are a strange menagerie. A master? You make this sound if the beasts down there have an edge,"

"Do not make light of us, Child. It is not wise to underestimate them," I craned my head to peer up at his head, but it was too difficult to see around his belly. His wings flapped loudly while he gained altitude. "Day or night, we hunt humans. This is our way, but you are the first to befriend the Mandrake."

"What does that have to do with swooping into my battle?" I asked while I sheathed my sword. "You do realize I am only trying to get home, back to my friends and family,"

"Child, some things do not need to be answered. But if it is an answer you seek, then the Mandrake decided that I intervene."

I scowled at the thought. "So, you beasts can be pleasant, who knew. It was a wasted effort to do this."