The Beasts Awaken

Noctis still didn’t move from where he was.

His massive silver-black form remained seated, his eyes fixed on the chaos unfolding before him. He watched as the arrows continued to rain down from the trees, each one finding its mark with deadly precision. The Enclave warriors scrambled to defend themselves, their swords swinging wildly at shadows that weren’t there. The poison on the weapons had taken them completely unaware. There was no healing for them with their abilities. Being hit by an arrow was almost a guaranteed death sentence. One by one, they fell, their bodies convulsing as the dark veins spread across their skin.

Noctis tilted his head slightly, his ears twitching at the sounds of panic and death. He was calm, patient even. The Enclave had come here expecting an easy victory. They had believed the Nightshade Pack would fall without a fight.

They had been wrong.

Then he heard the sound of paws moving in the distance.

The wolves that had separated from him were coming back. And with them came the other Enclave warriors, the ones who had been too far behind to be caught in the initial ambush. They were marching forward now, their numbers almost as great as the first wave, their weapons drawn and ready.

Yuma led from the East, her black fur blending with the shadows of the trees. Her silver eyes were fixed ahead, her senses tracking every sound, every scent, every movement. She moved with purpose, her body coiled with tension.

Another wolf led from the South, his fur a deep, rich brown, his eyes sharp and calculating. He was smaller than Noctis, but he moved with the confidence of a seasoned warrior.

They had almost reached the edge of the clearing just as the first wave of arrows began to slow. The Enclave warriors who had survived the initial attack were regrouping, forming a defensive line. Their faces were pale, their hands trembling, but they were still standing.

Then a hiss sounded through the air.

It was low at first, barely audible over the groans of the wounded. But it grew louder, more insistent, until it seemed to come from everywhere at once.

No one from the Nightshade Pack needed to be told twice what it was.

The sound was unmistakable, a sound that had haunted the nightmares of those who had faced it before.

The Enclave warriors’ eyes widened in shock as they heard it. They had not seen the beast yet, but chaos was already spreading through their ranks.

“What is that?” someone shouted.

“What’s that sound?” another demanded.

A third voice cried out,

“Are we under attack again?!”

But then a new voice cut through the panic. It was calm, commanding, the voice of someone used to being obeyed.

“Remain calm,” the commander ordered. “The beasts fight with us. They are not our enemies.”

The Enclave warriors turned toward him, their fear slowly replaced by cautious hope.

The beasts were on their side.

If that was true, then there was no way they were going to loose.

Noctis’s eyes locked onto the man who had given the Enclave warriors hope.

He had no idea whether the man was the commander or merely someone of lower rank.

He only knew one thing.

The man had to die.

Yuma and the other wolves were close to the Enclave warriors who had come from the west, their bodies low to the ground, their muscles coiled for the attack.

Then Noctis moved.

He became a blur of motion, a streak of silver-black cutting through the battlefield. Any warrior who attempted to block his path was immediately cut down by arrows from the trees before they could even reach him.

The man sensed Noctis coming.

His head snapped toward the approaching wolf, his eyes widening with alarm. He shifted immediately, his body contorting as he took his wolf form.

A brown wolf stood where the man had been.

He was larger than the average warrior, but still smaller than Noctis. His movements were quick, his stance confident, and there was experience behind his eyes.

But Noctis was faster.

The two wolves collided in the center of the clearing, snow exploding beneath their paws. The brown wolf lunged for Noctis’s throat, his jaws snapping shut only inches from their target.

Noctis twisted at the last possible moment.

His massive body moved with a grace that belied its size. One enormous paw swept across the brown wolf’s flank, his claws tearing through flesh and fur as blood sprayed across the snow.

The wolf yelped and stumbled backward, struggling to regain his footing.

He never got the chance.

Noctis was already upon him.

His jaws clamped around the wolf’s neck with terrifying force.

A sickening crunch echoed through the clearing and the wolf’s body went limp instantly.

Noctis held him there for only a second before releasing him.

The body collapsed heavily into the snow.

Then, with one violent shake of his head, Noctis tore the head free and spat it aside.

The severed head rolled across the snow before finally coming to a stop several feet away.

Silence lingered for only a heartbeat.

Then panic returned with even greater intensity.

Yuma reached Noctis a moment later.

A warrior had tried to attack him from behind, believing the massive wolf distracted.

He never reached his target.

Yuma’s jaws closed around the man’s shoulder before sliding effortlessly to his throat.

She ripped it open in a single motion and immediately moved on, not wasting even a second.

The other Enclave warriors had joined the fight now, attacking the wolves from Nightshade.

Yuma and the others had lured them here.

The wolves of the Nightshade Pack were few, but they were more than enough.

They fought like one body.

Each movement flowed into the next.

Whenever one wolf forced an enemy to retreat, another was already there waiting.

Whenever an Enclave warrior found an opening, an arrow from the trees closed it immediately.

There was no confusion.

No hesitation.

Everything happened exactly as they had trained.

Just then, a Skylur burst through the trees.

Its massive body crashed into the clearing, splintering branches beneath its weight. Blood stained its thick fur, and its yellow eyes burned with feral hunger as it searched for prey.

But before the creature could even think of attacking, arrows struck it from every direction.

They buried themselves deep into its hide but the Skylur barely reacted.

It took another heavy step forward.

Then it collapsed.

It wasn’t the arrows that had brought it down though, someone had already cut through its legs.

Deep, brutal slashes had carved through the powerful limbs before it ever reached the clearing.

The beast crashed heavily into the snow, its enormous body twitching violently for only a few seconds before finally going still.