by Nichelle Rae
“What’s going on?” Ortheldo whispered.
“I don’t know. Acalith said something evil was lurking around.”
“She didn’t say what it was?”
I shook my head.
He pursed his lips and looked thoughtful for a moment. After seeming to make some silent decision, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. I watched him as his entire body seemed to relax from his shoulders down to his feet. He was still for a while, and then his head slowly began to turn. He tilted his chin down slightly and he looked as if he was listening to something behind us. Then his head switched directions and it seemed that he was listening to something in front of us. Without warning he gasped and his eyes snapped open.
“What? What is it?” I whispered. When he turned to look at me, the expression on his face was enough to make my entire body go as pale as he was. I felt my blood just rush to my feet and I was breathing heavy. “Ortheldo, what is it?”
“Welptacks,” he breathed.
“Welp whats?”
“Addredoc,” he whispered, “can you silence our horses’ tramping?”
“What is it, Ortheldo?” Addredoc asked.
“Can you?!”
“Yes, of course.”
“Do it then!” He whispered harshly. Addredoc held his hand out, palm up towards the ground, and a moment later a soft glowing red light formed around all the horse’s hooves.
I gripped Ortheldo’s upper arm. “What are Welptacks?” I hissed, not meaning to sound angry, though I was.
“To put it simply, they are huge, deformed wolves.”
“Wolves?”
“Worse than wolves. They’re bigger and more vile.” He looked behind him, as if expecting to see one come out of the bushes on the side of the road. “I’ve met some before.”
I looked out ahead as the horses slowly and silently started moving forward.
“They can talk,” Ortheldo continued in a whisper. “They can walk on all four legs or rise up on the back legs and walk like us. Doing that makes them twice our height.” I swallowed hard as Ortheldo kept glancing behind us over his shoulder. “They are superb hunters, relying heavily on hearing and smell because they can’t see very well, but that doesn’t mean we have any kind of an advantage over them.”
“So what do we do?” I whispered.
He looked at me and swallowed, “Pray.”
My eyes bulged.
“Stay alert,” he gave me a meaningful look, “and always look behind you!”
Sweat beaded my upper lip, and trying to swallow was impossible. My throat burned and ached like sandpaper set on fire. My eyes feverishly bounced around to every shadow we neared. I tried to focus on the clearing, which was still a half-mile away but close enough to see through the trees that were beginning to thin out.
At every leaf and twig we approached, I cringed and waited for a snap or a crunch to give us away, but there was none. I trusted Addredoc with my life, and he was only earning that trust more and more with every silent step our horses took. It was nearly silent around us, nearly. The bird’s usual merry chipping or fluttering was like thunder in my ears and all of our breathing was like a low rumble.
Then I heard it. Above everything else that seemed loud to me, I heard the clumsy snap of a twig from up ahead. The horses stopped abruptly, as if knowing something was wrong. All of us glanced at each other worriedly, particularly at Ortheldo, who looked like he was forcibly reining in his fear.
Growls.
Growls came from up ahead, but I saw nothing. In truth, I didn’t want to see them. I just wanted to ride as fast as I could and get out of here. How many were there? Many? Few?
“Dismount, two-leggers!” a voice demanded from the path in front of us. The voice sounded evil and raspy, like a growl with words.
I managed to look at Ortheldo and I flinched when I saw how he was looking at me. His brows were drawn, and he looked like he was about to scold me for showing my fear. With his jaw set tight, he slowly shook his head at me. “They smell fear. Don’t let them smell you, Rabryn, especially if this turns into a battle.”
Battle? Battle!? I didn’t want this to turn into a battle!
“Rabryn!” Ortheldo scolded softly but harshly. “Don’t disappoint me.”
I swallowed hard and tried to slow my breathing.
“I said dismount!”
Still looking at me firmly, Ortheldo dismounted. I did, and then the rest of our company followed. Why didn’t we just turn and ride the other way? Why couldn’t… I heard the growling from behind us and spun around.
Ortheldo snatched my upper arm and jerked me to look at him. “Rabryn, if you don’t seal off your fear right now, you might as well run yourself through with your blade because what they’ll do will be worse.”
I tried, I really did try to calm down, but it wasn’t working.
Then Ortheldo smiled softly. “Just keep thinking about the picnic at the waterfall with your mother and Azrel.” The memory flashed in my mind, as did Azrel’s bravery and the courage she displayed ever since I’d known her. I would be brave now, like her. Finally I was able to set my jaw and nodded at Ortheldo.
Suddenly a loud, nightmarish howling noise roared up into the sky. All of us slapped our palms over our ears to block out the painful sound. The horses were thrown into a panic and galloped off in every direction. It was probably the purpose of the howl, to make sure we couldn’t escape.
“Well, well, well,” the first voice said from up ahead. Ten monstrous forms came out from the woods on all sides of us making a half circle in our path.
I had to make a serious effort not to let my face express my horror upon setting sight on the creatures. Dark brown, black, and tan fur covered broad shoulders and chests that could pass as nearly human, if much larger in comparison. Their chests were bare skin and the same color as their fur, with chiseled human-like abs carved out of each stomach. The hips and pelvis were dog-like, as were the arms, legs and feet, all covered in short coarse hair. Some had hateful red eyes, and others had such pale blue they were almost white. Their snouts jutted out two feet from their faces with two huge fangs that curled up from each lower jaw and up well past their noses. They were as enormous as they were frightening, standing only a head shorter than a full-grown horse on all fours.
I looked at the apparent leader of the pack as he neared us and realized he had a nasty scar over his left eye, which seemed to be completely blind. He approached Ortheldo, who stood with his arms crossed, and the two glared at each other. I felt the air tingle between them with familiarity.
Finally Ortheldo spoke. “Imbrul, how nice to see you again. Still bearing the mark of your last defeat, I see.”
I couldn’t believe it! Ortheldo had given him that ugly scar on his eye! Imbrul’s lips trembled with a fierce growl, but Ortheldo had yet to even flinch. “Come to have your right eye matched to it, or did you just come to say hello?”
Imbrul rose up onto his back legs, stretching himself up over twice Ortheldo’s height. I held my breath as the Welptack puffed out his chest and glared down at him. “I plan to make you suffer immensely for what you did to me—after you give me the Anarran Gem.”
Anarran Gem? That must be the name of the gem on the necklace. Ortheldo and I exchanged worried glances, realizing these Welptacks must have followed the aura of Goodness the gem radiated, like Beldorn had warned.
“Anarran Gem?” Ortheldo asked, looking back at the large Welptack.
Imbrul dropped to all fours again and snapped his jaws dangerously close to Ortheldo’s male appendage. “Don’t play coy with me. I know it’s in your pocket as we speak.” Imbrul’s foggy pale blue eyes narrowed. “Your right pocket.”
I swallowed hard again as Imbrul brought his hideous face so close to Ortheldo’s that his thin whiskers brushed my cheek as I stood next to him.
“I can smell your fear, human,” Imbrul said, even though Ortheldo hadn’t retreated an inch. “I know you have it
.”
Ortheldo rolled his eyes, “I don’t have anything. If I did, I would kindly give it to you. Maybe a few accessories would take the focus off your eye.”
Imbrul growled again, fog coming out of the sides of his mouth from the crisp morning air. “Give it to me now or I’ll rip your throat out!”
I watched him, wondering what he was going to do. I debated whether to draw my weapon, wondering how many I could actually kill before I was killed.
Ortheldo eyed Imbrul curiously. “Speaking of ripping throats out, why haven’t you attacked yet?” He sounded genuinely confused, as if he were flabbergasted that they were conversing at all.
“Give me the gem!” Imbrul screamed.
Ortheldo started glaring at him a little suspiciously. “I have nothing to give, but if you insist I do,” suddenly Ortheldo pulled out his sword. A split second later all of us were armed. “Come and get it.”
Imbrul’s eyes went wide, and for the first time since this encounter began, I felt courage seep into my heart. I realized Imbrul was afraid to attack us for some reason…but that didn’t stop him from ordering his pack to.
“Attack!” Imbrul cried out.
An explosion of Addredoc’s red wizard fire filled my vision, blinding me for a moment. When my vision returned, I saw on the ground a short ring of pulsating red light surrounding us. All of us turned to Addredoc, but he just looked at the Welptacks defiantly. Then one of his eyebrows went up in what seemed like a challenge to the deformed wolves.
Something caught my eye in the surrounding woodlands. When I realized what it was, my knees nearly collapsed; an army of Welptacks completely filled the woods in every direction, surrounding us. There had to be a thousand of them. They stood among the trees around us, gazing hungrily.
“Uh, Addredoc?” I said. “Would you mind closing up the magic ring around us? I think we’d be safer.”
Rabryn! Came his scolding voice in my head. Now they’re going to know there’s a reason I didn’t enclose us entirely!
Well, why don’t you? I fired back.
What if Azrel meets up with us today? She’ll be trapped outside and left to the wolves. I need to make sure I leave a way for her to get inside with us, without letting them know she could be nearby.
I looked around at the ring of Welptacks. She’s not going to get near us anyway with this many Welptacks around.
His brows dropped in consideration as he examined the army surrounding us. That’s a good point. I guess we’d better kill a few then.
Addredoc must have spoken in everyone’s head because we all took a battle stance at the same time. Suddenly the Welptacks leaped over the red ring of light to get to us. As soon as their abdomens passed over the red ring on the ground, rays of magic shot straight up from it, stabbing each one in the chest or stomach. All the Welptacks in the first wave fell dead on the ground. Not one made it past Addredoc’s powerful magic.
The Welptacks were taken aback, but only for a moment. Then Imbrul growled at us before screaming, “Full charge!”
In that instant my world became nothing but flashing red light and fur.
Welptack bodies fell by the dozen to Addredoc’s magic red ring, but some jumped on top of those dead bodies and managed to get inside. I fired one arrow, which was all it took for me to realize my bad choice in weapons for this enemy. I killed one wolf, but another was after me so fast I couldn’t load my bow again in time. I dropped it and pulled out my sword just in time to slice the throat of my new attacker.
Always look behind you!
Ortheldo’s warning filled my ears suddenly. I spun around just in time to see another Welptack in mid-lunge. I didn’t have the time or the room to maneuver, so I just thrust my sword forward and prayed I’d hit its heart. Both of us fell, me on my back, the Welptack on top of me. I waited anxiously for a bite or scratch, but the monster lay limp. With a breath of relief I rolled it off, only to be immediately under attack from another beast before I could even stand! I sliced that one across the throat from my back.
I had to get to Ortheldo! He had the necklace, so the whole pack was probably on top of him. But in this flurry of attacks I couldn’t take my eyes off the wolves long enough to search for him.
I managed to jump to my feet and hewed off a wolfish head as a beast flew through the air at me. Three more stood behind that one, drooling and eyeing me hungrily. I had just enough time to suck in a small gasp of air before all three leaped at me.
Before I could even attempt a counter attack, a close, blinding red light filled my vision. I threw my arm across my face. Realizing my mistake, I lowered my arm and took a stance. The three Welptacks, however, were already a puddle of gore at my feet thanks to Addredoc.
Addredoc stood in the middle of us all, an egg-shaped shield of red light surrounding his body. He was destroying the ones inside the ring as best he could, but I knew his main focus would have to be keeping that protective ring intact. There were bodies piling up all around that ring, a wall of death already taller than I was. Before I could voice my concern over that, Addredoc shot a heavy blast of air all around us, clearing the bodies completely. The full ring of magic continued killing Welptacks, though it would only a matter of time before a wall of bodies would pile up again that they could climb.
I took this opportunity to look for Ortheldo, finally spotting him in the middle of a pack of eight attacking Welptacks with Acalith and Thrawyn fighting beside him. Both of them were desperately trying to protect Ortheldo. As I suspected, he seemed to be the main focus of the pack. Ortheldo had his sword in one Welptack’s open mouth, the point exiting out the back of the beast’s head, while his left arm swept out and sliced open the throat of another from behind with his shorter hunting knife. Long cuts up and down his arms dripped blood, but his face was as grim and determined as I’d ever seen it.
Another Welptack lunged at him from behind. Faster than I ever thought I could move, I scooped up my bow, loaded an arrow, and fired, killing it in midair. Momentum carried it forward and the corpse landed on Ortheldo’s back. He fell forward to his knees just as the gaping mouth of another attacking Welptack appeared behind him. That fall to his knees saved him, as the Welptack leapt right over him, and Acalith was able to take it out.
They were relentless! I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing! I dropped my bow again and ran forward so I could help protect Ortheldo. In that moment, my focus shifted from saving myself to saving Ortheldo. I only took a moment to marvel at the fact that I was truly and unconditionally ready to die for this man…and I so was!
I pulled out my hunting knife and hacked into the Welptacks, using my blades in ways I don’t even think Azrel taught me. All over my arms I soon began to feel the burning of numerous cuts from the close calls of teeth and claws, but I barely even cared.
I spun around and saw behind me a Welptack on its two back legs, its massive forepaw raised ready to come down on my head. I moment later, it completely exploded into light. What had happened? What kind of magic was this? Addredoc’s magic was red, but the Welptack looked like it had exploded into sunlight.
I spun around again just in time to see four Welptacks leaping over the pile of bodies outside the ring and coming up behind Ortheldo. Ortheldo dispatched the two he was dealing with and then turned to look for me. Just as both our blades came up, all four of the creatures erupted in another explosion of yellow light.
Again, before I could figure out where the magic had come from, four more beasts were trying to clear the ring of dead Welptacks. Ortheldo and I spun around again. Addredoc sent another blast of air to get rid of the bodies, but not soon enough.
I was preparing myself to kill these four creatures, exhaustion seeping into my muscles, when suddenly an arm wrapped around my stomach. I was pulled to the side and completely lifted off my feet. Ortheldo was also falling with someone wrapped around him. I landed hard on top of something alive, my elbow slamming down into bone that I heard crack. The four Welptacks sailed above us
, and then they exploded into yellow light.
“Seal it!” Acalith called loudly.
Seal it? What about…
“Azrel!” Ortheldo cried in joyous relief.
I sat up and saw her standing near Ortheldo. My heart dropped because she looked awful. I finally looked down at my rescuer, who looked even worse. I knew his face, but it took me a moment to place him. “Reese?”
He nodded and closed his eyes a moment while he lay on the ground. He looked so weak, as if it took everything he had to even breathe. I stood and gently helped him to his feet, which was like lifting dead weight. I don’t know how the guy managed to stay standing after I let him go.
After making sure Reese was steady enough, I looked around and saw another new person among us. It was a tall thin stranger with a black mask over his face. All of us stood in a full dome of red light made by Addredoc, and the Welptacks were fervently stalking the walls outside. Some foolish ones jumped at it and got zapped into oblivion.
My sister was doubled over, pressing her hands into her thighs and breathing heavily. I cringed when I realized how much thinner and paler she’d gotten since last I saw her. Her eyes were glassy and as red as the dome we stood in. Both she and Reese were beyond any normal level of exhaustion and malnutrition.
Azrel held her hand out to Ortheldo. “Give me the necklace.”
Reese and the masked newcomer managed to chuckle softly, apparently knowing something we didn’t. With a soft smile Ortheldo reached into his pocket and pulled the necklace out. When it came into view, I was momentarily deafened as the remaining Welptacks howled the most outraged howl I’d ever heard. All of them leapt into Addredoc’s shield. The pile of bodies nearly reached the roof of the dome. All of us looked around, stunned at the mass suicide taking place around us.
When it was over, Addredoc sent a final blast of air to clear the bodies. All of us looked around, stunned at the silence of the woods. After a moment Addredoc lowered the shield and headed into the trees.