His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 134: Snowstorms & other Magicks. (5)

The air was heavy with the scent of blood, smoke and burning flesh. The bonfires crackled, consuming the remains of the creatures we had slain. Their grotesque forms were no longer visible, gradually turning into nothing but remnants of ash, but the scent was still strong. We left it as a warning to any others that might come.

Alaric’s gaze was sharp, scanning the dark treeline for any sign of movement. The faint cries of more creatures echoed in the distance. Whatever these beasts were, someone had woken them, and there was no doubt in my mind they would come after us.

"We can’t stay here," Alaric said, his voice low but firm. "They’ll be on us before we know it. We need to run."

I glanced back at the pyres, the flames licking at the night sky. The bodies of our fallen comrades lay where they had fallen, their sacrifices etched into the snow in streaks of crimson. My heart clenched painfully with guilt. We had to leave their bodies behind like this-

My wolf growled in warning, and I snapped out of my daze. She’s right. It was suicidal to stay behind to bury or burn them. There were more of those creatures and only two of them had caused this much destruction. If the others found us, none of us would leave this forest alive.

I looked at the remaining survivors, only a small group of us now.

Birgir and Arne survived with nothing more than scrapes and bloodied claw marks running across their chests. Others weren’t any different.

My neck and sides seemed to have taken the worst besides those who had fallen. A bandage had been wrapped around my neck to help stop the bleeding.

"Shift," Alaric commanded. "We’ll move faster as wolves."

Cohnal nodded, already beginning the transformation. His body contorted, bones cracking and reshaping, and in moments, the hulking form of his wolf stood where he had been. He padded over to Soren, who lay unconscious but breathing, his body limp and battered from the fight.

Without hesitation, Cohnal scooped him up gently in his jaws, careful not to worsen his injuries.

Soren should have stayed hidden in the carriage. He was already recovering, but like the stubborn, righteous knight I knew him to be, he’d helped.

I hesitated for a moment, my eyes lingering on the bodies of the warriors we were leaving behind again. A lump formed in my throat, but I forced it down. There was no time for mourning. Survival was all that mattered now.

Closing my eyes, I let the shift take over. The familiar burn of transformation rippled through me. It took longer than before for my new wounds to re-open, but I managed to shift into my wolf form.

My senses sharpened instantly—the scent of the forest, the sound of distant howls, the feel of the cold snow beneath my paws. Everything was clearer, more vivid. I gave a low growl, the frustration and sorrow bubbling within me, but I turned and fell into step with the others.

Alaric’s wolf led the way, his dark coat blending seamlessly with the shadows. Cohnal followed close behind, Soren’s limp form secured in his jaws. I brought up the rear, my heart pounding as we plunged into the forest. The cries of the creatures grew louder behind us, but we ran with everything we had, our paws pounding against the frozen ground.

The forest was a blur of motion and sound. Trees whipped past us, their branches clawing at our fur as we darted through the underbrush. My body throbbed, my wounds painfully sharp at every movement.

My legs burned, but I pushed on, letting instinct guide me. Soren’s training had paid off; my stamina had improved, and I could feel it now as my muscles worked tirelessly. I focused on the rhythm of my movement and the steady cadence of my paws against the snow.

We ran for sometime and the screeches had grown faint. My racing heart had started to even out and calm to the serene surroundings and the sounds of our pawprints and breaths as we ran as a group. But my relief had warmed my heart too soon.

The creatures’ cries grew suddenly closer again, their guttural shrieks piercing the night. It’s as though they had been playing with their kill, letting us believe we were free until the last minute.

My ears swivelled back, catching the faint sound of wings slicing through the air. They were coming. I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw four of them— they were smaller but each still as big as our wolf forms. Their bat-like wings flapping furiously as they closed the distance.

’They’re gaining on us!’ I barked in the connected mind link to everyone, my voice a growl in the cold air. Cohnal’s head swivelled back; he was the only one disconnected from us, but he read our movements well.

Alaric veered sharply to the right, leading us off the main path and into denser woods. The trees closed in around us, their branches forming a barrier that slowed the creatures down. But it wasn’t enough. The first of them broke through, its glowing eyes locking onto me as it dove.

I spun just in time, my teeth bared as I met it head-on. Its claws raked across my side, drawing blood, but I bit down hard on its wing, tearing through the leathery flesh. It screeched and thrashed, its momentum carrying us both to the ground. I rolled with it, my claws raking across its body as it snapped at me with needle-sharp fangs. With a final, savage bite, I tore its throat out, the taste of its foul blood filling my mouth.

Another creature descended on us, aiming for me, but Alaric was there in an instant. His massive wolf form collided with it mid-air, his jaws clamping down on its neck. He shook it violently, the sound of bones snapping echoing through the forest. He dropped the lifeless body to the ground and turned to me, his eyes burning with determination.

’Keep moving!’ he growled.

I nodded, forcing myself to my feet despite the searing pain in my side. Cohnal and Alaric fell into formation around me as we pressed on. Birgir and Arne were now behind me, everyone realising I was the target of the hunt.

The remaining two creatures weren’t far behind now. They circled above us, their shrieks echoing through the trees as they searched for an opening.

One of them swooped down, aiming for Cohnal. He turned at the last second, dropping Soren gently to the ground before lunging at the creature. His powerful jaws closed around its leg, dragging it down to the earth. The two rolled through the snow, a flurry of claws and teeth. Alaric joined the fray, his fangs tearing into the creature’s exposed belly. Together, they dispatched it, leaving its mangled body in the snow.

The last creature dived for me, its claws outstretched. I braced myself, waiting until the last possible moment before leaping to meet it. My teeth sank into its throat, and I used my momentum to drag it to the ground. It screeched and thrashed, but I didn’t let go. I bit down harder, feeling the crunch of cartilage and bone as its movements slowed and finally ceased.

Panting, I stood over its lifeless body, my chest heaving. Blood matted my fur, and the pain in my side was nearly unbearable, my vision flickering. It didn’t matter they were dead. The forest fell silent except for the sound of our laboured breathing.

Alaric sniffed at my sides and whined, worried for me. But I shook my head and started jogging again. My legs trembled from the exertion, and my body screamed in pain, but I knew the moment I stopped, I wouldn’t be able to continue. I let the adrenaline guide me forward. This pushed everyone to continue and follow me. The shrieks of those creatures didn’t fade until dawn broke.

It had been a long night, managing to stay ahead without any further attacks. Now, with the pale morning light filtering through the trees, the creatures had stopped chasing us.

My body felt broken, physically pushed to its limits and with injuries that had my head pounding.

"We will rest here for a bit. Take turns keeping guard, and then we move on," Alaric announced in his human form, mostly speaking to Cohnal.

Cohnal lay Soren down near a tree so he could lean against it. He looked sickly pale. I had nothing left to give now; even if I did know how to use that magick, I knew it would destroy me in this condition. Could I heal myself?

My wolf shook her head, and we collapsed on the ground, sight dimming. I had no intention of shifting back into my human form. It would re-open my wounds. Alaric once told me it was quicker to heal in wolf form as well.

My body ached in ways I hadn’t thought possible, and the wounds on my side and neck throbbed with every beat of my heart. But I was alive, and so were the others.

The morning light crept over us, and although it was chilly, the golden hues and the warmth eased us into our short respite without any concern left about those creatures coming for us right now.