Kuro: A Land in Eternal Night

Chapter 6.1: A Glimmer of Hope

A howl in the air roused both girls at the same time. It was a hungry howl, primeval, punctuated by guttural snarls. Vannah was on her feet immediately. "It's a Wolf Pack!" she hissed. "They have gathered the Wolf Packs to track us down!"

Mykall was already on the move, clearing their tracks. "We'll need to stick closer to the trees, make it harder for them to mark our scent."

A succession of howls filled the air, an ominous sign. The wolf packs were communicating with each other.

"They are triangulating our position." Vannah said. "It's likely they had coordinates on our starting position and are compiling data on our movements. The government is not to be trifled with. They mean to find us, and they will not waste any time doing so."

Mykall turned to Vannah. "How long will it take them to calculate our position?"

Vannah thought, "Judging from where we came from, not long. There are not many options. They know by now we mean to head for Umi."

"Roll around on the ground. " Mykall instructed. "We need to throw off our scent."

Vannah shook her head. "That will not work on the Wolf Packs. Their senses are heightened by overexposure to the Goddess Essence. Nothing will throw them off once they have marked us."

Mykall started running. "Then we have no choice but to outrun them." Vannah nodded. "That is the best course of action we have at this point."

The three ran as fast as they could, none of them bothering to look back. They were all exhausted, but they had one goal for now, survival. Mina glanced back at the limping Vannah once in a while, concerned the frail girl would be unable to keep up.

Vannah noticed Mina looking back. "I am slowing us down. I am sorry."

Mina shook her head as they continued their flight. "It's not that, I am concerned for you, that's all."

Vannah's eyes turned to slits. "Worry about yourself first. You care far too much for others." She stopped and looked around, worried. "They gain on us...I can feel their presence."

"Aye," Mykall agreed. "The wolves are upon us, we are going to have to fight. When they get to us, you two will need to run as fast as you can in opposite directions. I will try and distract them and you will each need to fend for yourselves. By running in opposite directions, you will thin the pack and increase your chances for survival.

"What if they are baiting us?" Vannah asked.

Mykall shook his head. "They mean to find me. I doubt they will try as hard to find you."

Mykall drew his sword. "Brace yourselves, they are coming!"

The Wolf Packs were feared by fugitives throughout Taiyou. Employed by the government and the Taiyou-Shi security assembly, the Wolf Packs were specially bred and trained for a single purpose: to track a target through an area. Not only did the wolves know the lay of the land, but they understood by instinct where a fugitive might head. Through overexposure to the Goddess Essence, the wolves gained the added advantage of becoming hyper-sensitive and hyper-intelligent, but this heightened increase in their senses also put them on edge. The Wolf Packs were high-strung, and even the slightest hint of resistance from a fugitive would set off their instinct to kill. It made them combat-ready and deadly.

As if on cue, the three heard powerful snarls and the movement of feet. They suddenly found themselves surrounded, as five large, grey wolves emerged from the trees. Larger than normal and more like direwolves, the wolves circled, preventing their prey from escaping. They bared their fangs, snarling and snapping, muscles bulging beneath their thick gray coats, their eyes glowing unnaturally. "I don't think our plan will work. We can't get away now..." Mina began.

Mykall had already started to move, disappearing into the air; his unique ability on display once more. It wasn't that he was disappearing, Mina now realized, he was just moving at a speed that was too fast for the eye to follow, especially in the darkness. It was over in a heartbeat. The wolves sprayed blood from severed arteries and dropped dead shortly after.

"Well done, warrior." A voice spoke in the distance. "But we shall now see how you fare."

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