The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 16

Sara was forced to move at what felt like a glacial pace, Thunderfoot making a sprint awkward and almost impossible for the powerful young woman. Tani'm seemed to take off like a demon, approaching her enemy with tremendous speed. She dodged a bush before bounding off of a large rock, her arm reaching back and launching her hatchet with expert aim as she soared through the air. No sooner had the weapon left her hand, than she landed and maintained her break-neck pace.

Two mirror like orbs appeared at the base of the log, the wolf's eyes following Tani'm as the moss and tree like texture shifted and dissolved from the beast, who lept to the side, attempting to dodge the hatchet that had just been thrown. The truth was, Tani'm had no idea how the wolf had been oriented, but was pleased to see that their enemy had taken up that gap in their trail. The hatchet traveled towards the large hunter's side, and while the monster tried to move out of its path, the weapon flew true, burying itself into the wolf's hip with a wet sounding thud.

Sara could tell that the wolf had regained much of its lost muscle, though still the beast was diminished from what it had been through earlier that night. Its face was smeared in blood, and even with the distance, she could see remnants of tissue matted against the wolf's neck, stuck to the fiend with thick dark ichor. If anything, the viscera served to highlight the madness and cruelty of their attacker, the glossy red stains making the already dark fur appear demonic, reflecting the cruelty spread across its snarling face.

The sight reminded Tani'm of all the lost lives the forest had endured at the tooth and claw of that terrible blight. So much loss, and for what? In that monstrous face she saw the truth of the wolf, and understood for the first time what maleficent intelligence drove the beast on. It loved to kill, and basked in the suffering it caused, feasting upon her friends within the forest. She mourned for that bear she had soothed mere minutes before, knowing that the wolf had decorated itself in its essence, the sadistic expectation she saw in the beast's eyes informing her of the wolf's true intent.

Tani'm continued forward, the wolf landing with a yelp as the hatchet twisted within its flesh, sending pain throughout its body. She could feel her anger rise, but fought it as best she could, knowing that the wolf had been trying to antagonize her into making a mistake. If it weren't for the brazen and callous evil that rested within the beast, she might have admired its intelligence, its every action an attempt to gain the upper hand.

Despite her movement, Tani'm could see the hatchet shift in the wolf's side as the monster growled and bared its teeth. Sara was still behind her, following the small woman's path as the two opposing forces grew near. At first, Tani'm could not understand why, expecting Sara to take Thunderfoot on a wide course around the wolf, but instead, the agile woman waited until Tani'm came face to face with the massive and unforgiving beast, the reason for her decision unknown and unguessable.

They approached each other at a furious pace, the wolf and Tani'm slowing as they neared, neither wanting to be the first to expose themselves by initiating the combat. It was clear that the wolf remembered how dangerous Tani'm was with a blade, several feinting bites attempting to cause the fearsome woman to overextend herself.

As the wolf bit to the left, Sara sacrificed more of her inner strength to suddenly jolt forward, attempting to skirt around the beast's right side. The unexpected move forced the wolf to make a dangerous decision, and so with cold calculation the monster jumped back, twisting its body and whipping its head to try and catch Sara in its ferocious maw. Sara could have made the same move, waiting to go around the beast's left side instead, where the path gave better cover and limited the wolf's options. But, Tani'm knew the wolf would never have taken that risk.

That sudden mystery bothered her, not knowing why Sara would have exposed herself like that. It made no sense to her, why would Sara wait till this last moment to try and sneak past the wolf? Why would she put herself in danger so unnecessarily?

But, as the wolf turned, Tani'm could see the answer to all her questions; her hatchet, which was just barely embedded within the wolf's soft tissue came into sight, the large canine's turned body making the weapon available. Sharp and dangerous teeth raked across Sara's outer thigh, opening up a few deep gashes, but the athletic woman managed to avoid being caught in the monster's grip as she bolted past, her solid muscle and unnaturally tough skin helping to keep the glancing strike from reaching too deep. The intense pain was a reminder of just how lethal the monster was, the quick and haphazard attack would have killed a normal person, and Sara once again thanked fate for bringing Andrew into her life.

Tani'm was tired of playing by the wolf's rules, and decided it was time to do something unexpected of her own. A yelp was released from the beast as the hatchet was pulled from its side, causing the wolf to turn and bite towards where the weapon had been embedded. As the wolf whipped its head back around, weight against its back made it clear that the troublesome woman would not be there, and as his teeth found only open air where he had hoped to catch her, he was reminded of how athletic and annoying she was.

She concluded her roll across the wolf's back with a punishing slash along the monster's opposite side, forcing the knife through the wolf's thick fur and tough hide. Though, as she bounced away, trying to distance herself from whatever retaliation the wolf might have in store, she could see that her strike had only penetrated the beast's armor like skin in a two-inch section within the center of her broad and masterful stroke.

Blood seeped from the two-foot wide wound, but it was clear that either the demonic wolf had grown more resilient since their last confrontation, or the steel weapon was not as effective as the bone knife she had been using before. Either way, she could feel her heartbeat skip as the frightful animal turned its head and locked its gaze with her.

Wildfang knew better than to try and attack the forest guardian after a roll. His previous battles with the woman had taught him much about how she fought, and even that roll was something he felt he should have predicted. His skirmish with the rabbit showed him how weak those guardians truly were, their strength came from their numbers, and with the feline off protecting the dumb rabbit, he knew that the pestering and pernicious protector of the forest would fall.

Tani'm could sense the mad intellect that studied her from behind those eyes. She could see the confidence in its hazel orbs, the silvery moonlight that reflected out almost seeming to declare the victory that the wolf anticipated. Her hatred simmered there, bubbling and threatening to boil over as the beast moved slowly towards her. Its satisfaction was complete, every slash of her weapons dodged and skirted with expert movement, and concluded with practiced positioning.

There was joy in the humiliation, Wildfang decided, each failed attack festering within the small woman, and adding to his enjoyment. After each fluid and graceful strike missed its mark, he just studied her, their eyes level as the five-foot tall human was forced to watch the sadistic satisfaction seep out into every feature of the five-foot tall wolf's face.

They remained like that for almost a minute, Wildfang studying the movements of Tani'm, the wolf baiting her into attacking, and while a few of her strikes made glancing contact, no real damage had been done. Tani'm's rage had long since spilled over, and rational thought was almost lost to her as her anger and fear spilled out into her every action. It was unlike her, though she was too far gone to notice, her thoughts buried beneath an inferno of rage.

Several more seconds passed, and Wildfang was impressed. The forest guardian seemed to show no signs of tiring, her strikes flowing out of her like a ballet of death, and despite his own athleticism he was forced to accept that he would need to start attacking soon. She was to upset to truly learn from her actions, but he knew that her natural gifts were starting to piece together his patterns as more of her wild but balletic attacks made contact.

The feast Wildfang had made of the bear provided him with a bounty of energy, enough to fully heal the damage the jackalope had done to his side, and to restore a lot of the muscle he had lost to keep those wounds from taking his life. What remained of the bears life energy he had held onto for healing, and while the small human's attack's had been glancing at most, enough of them had landed that he was beginning to recognize how much of that precious resource he had squandered to close those minor but plentiful wounds.

So, as Tani'm spun around a tree, expecting to catch the wolf by surprise with her hatchet to its face, a move that had worked a minute before, the wolf struck for the first time. Her eyes were confident and eager as she rounded the corner, the beast was precisely where she expected, and her hatchet was almost there, but to her surprise, the foul creature dropped and twisted its head, allowing the hatchet to cut through its ear and bounce off of its skull, cleaving through flesh and removing a section of the beast's scalp.

The wolf slammed into her midsection, Tani'm's breath being forced from her body as she was lifted from the ground, her svelte midriff caught in the monster's powerful jaws. The attack was unexpected and terrible, all of the wolf's strength directed into that one single strike, and as its teeth came crashing in with tremendous force, the unexpected happened.

Wildfang had expected to tear the woman in half, his teeth ripping through her delicate flesh like leaves on a tree, leaving a twitching pair of legs and a stump of bone on the ground behind them, seeping blood into the cool night air. Instead, as he lifted her off the ground, his jaw met the hardest substance he had ever encountered.

He was reminded of chewing on rocks as a puppy, though her outer skin seemed far more dense and unbreakable than the stones ever had. Teeth shattered and muscles tore as his jaw dislocated, and it was only as that pain cascaded over him that he remembered the brief moment earlier in the night when he had bit down on her forearm. The pain distracted him from the anger and annoyance he felt at his own stupidity, and while he struggled to understand the damage that had been done to him, he luxuriated in knowing that the small woman was within his control.

The draw on Tani'm was sudden and intense, her power had recovered greatly during their flight through the forest, but even with that she could feel herself grow weak as Andrew's ward stole what was needed to protect her from the devastating attack that would have killed her otherwise. Despite the ward's grace, Tani'm felt the immense power within the wolf's jaw, and was thankful as she felt the soft leather that coated her body toughen and compress in, shattering the beast's teeth and ruining its jaw as the spell took that initial impact.

Just as had happened with her forearm earlier, the initial force of the attack was blunted, but the weight of the wolf lifting her from the ground was enough to steal her breath, and as she knew would happen, she could sense the magic in the air as the wolf began to repair its broken maw.

She recognized her chance, and buried her knife and hatchet into the exposed side of the wolf, hilting her knife in its neck, and the wide blade of her hatchet vanishing into the beast's side just behind its shoulder. She was able to pull her dagger from the massive creature, blood pouring from the wound as a wet sound declared its release. The hatchet was again stuck, buried into bone and difficult to break loose.

Her knife was lashing out once more when they both hit the ground, her grip on the hatchet lost in the gut wrenching impact as her head glanced off a large rock. The mighty and massive wolf was unfazed by their landing, his paws finding perfect purchase on both sides of her supine body as he looked down upon her with wild untamed anger.

Tani'm was again dizzy, the moss covered rock doing far more damage than the wolf's attack, but even through the haze of her concussion, she could hear the popping noise as the beast's jaw shifted back into place. The side of the wolf's face was swollen, and blood poured from between the broken and jagged teeth that lined the monster's mouth as it growled down upon her. She tried to raise her arm, attempting to again bury her knife into the foul beast's neck, but the monster was too quick, and it stopped her once more by pinning her arm to the ground with its broad, clawed paw.

For the third time, she felt helpless and at the wolf's mercy, a gift she knew the wolf would never give, but despite that she continued to struggle. Her legs hit the underside of the wolf's broad body, each impact seeming to stoke the flames of the monster's seething hatred. The gaping wound her knife had made on the monster's neck oozed its thick life essence, before it too closed, though she could tell how difficult the healing had been as more of the creature's muscle seemed to shrink away.

The night had been long, and it seemed that even the wolf was at the edge of its ability. Perhaps, she hoped through muddled thoughts, Sara would be able to conquer the beast once it was finished with her.

Sadistic eyes scanned her body, studying her knife wielding hand which struggled for release with every passing moment. Its teeth were still mangled and broken, jagged pieces of bone sticking out in chaotic directions, creating an image more horrific than anything Tani'm had ever imagined.

The wolf released her arm, its claws making a scratching noise as they dragged across her warded leather armor. Tani'm tried her best to drive her knife into it, but the wolf had anticipated her attack, and whether it was the fatigue from her concussion or the speed of the wolf, the result was the same, her arm was once more caught in the wolf's disgusting mouth.

Her warded armor did what it could, but the wolf had learned from its mistakes, and instead of trying to bite through her arm, it allowed her to kick and punch with ineffective strikes while it planted its paws upon her chest, before pulling back with all its might. By the time Tani'm realized what it was doing it was too late, her body twisted and jerked, attempting to pry her arm from the large animal's grip, but to no avail.

For a few brief moments the spell did its job, but as the strength of the wolf mounted, so too did the drain on her magic. Tani'm could feel the warm reassuring energy that rested deep within her vanish in shocking quantities, pulled away to protect her arm. Her kicks and punches picked up their pace, matching the frantic panic that washed over her face, but she knew, in that moment, that the wolf would have its way. So, with a whimpering sob she dropped the ward, choosing to keep some of her magic in case by some miracle she found an escape from the beast.

At least when the wolf had taken her hand, those couple of nights back, it had bitten through her flesh, breaking bone and rending her hand from her body. It was a pain she never thought she would feel again, and in a way she was right. That pain, as the spell dropped and the wolf's broken teeth sank into her flesh, was an amuse bouche for the banquet of suffering that the wolf had prepared.

She expected it to snap through her forearm, taking everything from just below the elbow, but with lightening speed the wolf released its jaw and moved its head down, catching her limb at the elbow. She cried out in pain as its jagged teeth broke through her skin, making contact with her bone, and was surprised as she heard the wolf whimper in pain.

Before she could think about the wolf's cry, it rooted its bite deep into her flesh, and as its fractured teeth gripped onto her bone, the wolf again began to pull back, its claws digging into her chest with ease as it fought for purchase.

The pain was worse than anything she knew possible, and as her eyes shot open, tears pouring out from her screaming visage, the wolf slowly and methodically pulled her entire arm from her body. At first she could hear the popping and feel the tearing of muscle and ligament as her shoulder once more came out of socket, but then came the strangest sensation she had ever had. Her muscles stretched, bone aching pain traveling through her arm and into her shoulder, and then she began to hear it, the sounds of muscles and tissues tearing apart.

Of course, the wolf only heard her delightful cries, her blood soaking his mouth and giving flavor to her beautiful music as he performed his dark task. Tani'm lost consciousness before her arm had fully been ripped from her body, suffering giving way to the welcoming embrace of darkness.

The moment her screams subsided, Wildfang heard the muffled sound of something in the forest. His severed ear had filled with blood, and made it difficult for him to pinpoint the location of the mysterious noise, but he knew better than to ignore his instincts and jumped away from the forest guardian, her arm tearing from her body in one last sudden movement. He landed behind a tree, trying to place the large sentinel of the forest between himself and where he thought the sound had been coming from.

No sooner had he landed, than the massive ocelote lept from the shadows, his last moment dodge saving him from a punishing swipe of the large cat's claws. Even with his sudden movement, the feline's strike hit the tree, creating four long furrows in its tough wooden exterior. The bark had absorbed most of the force of her attack, but the tail end of her swipe made contact with his haunch, and while it did not break all the way through his hide, he could feel that she had penetrated some of the way through, a superficial reminder of how dangerous the cat was.

The forest filled with an outraged and furious roar from the mighty ocelote, and for a moment Wildfang felt a pang of fear travel up his spine. He bit through the guardians arm as he narrowed his eyes towards the cat, the bones breaking with ease, though his mangled teeth lacking the edges he needed to cut through the meat.

Once the sound of the cat's anger faded away, the area became eerily silent. It was as if the entire place held its breath, the fate of the forest about to be decided. Tani'm's broken and mangled arm hit the ground with a sickening thud, blood dripping from the wolf's mouth as a growl met the ocelote.

They paced around each other, the wolf still uncertain of how skilled the feline was, and not wanting to underestimate the dangerous looking predator.

Sara was surprised by how frail the wolf appeared, the cost of its many victories showing on its body. The night had been punishing, taken its toll on them all, and as she circled the large wolf she knew just how outmatched they had been. It was not that the wolf was stronger than she was, she suspected it wasn't, but it was the skill that the beast had honed over years of combat and survival.

She realized then, that trying to beat the wolf at its own game had been a mistake, each encounter turned to the wolf's advantage due to their brazen disregard for the cunning of their opponent. Sara had just come to her powers, and recognized how little she knew about them. In the wolf she could see a mastery that she hoped one day to attain, but then, in that moment, she knew she had not.

Thunderfoot was hidden in a thicket of brambles and moss, a nearby cadaver helping to obscure his scent, and Sara could hear Tani'm just behind her, the small woman whimpering against the pain her mind had hidden itself from. She knew what she had to do, and that if she could not succeed that all of them would be lost.