The Hunters

Chapter 14 part 1

I've never heard him growl like that.

An unsettled feeling pools in my stomach at the sound. It held so much power, despite being fairly quiet.

Venus is also tense at the sound.

Kellen growls again, this time louder, as we all hear faint whistling.

The whistling gets closer, approaching the clearing.

Venus and I both turn, watching as a shadowy figure approaches between the trees, carrying something heavy.

Now in the clearing, Kellen clumsily drops the firewood, eyes wide.

Shit.

He stares at the wolf, shaking, his eyes holding fearful recognition.

He knows who it is.

The wolf growls at Kellen, this time quietly, its teeth on display in a sinister smile.

We both stumble back, listening to the snarling beast that follows. It stoops down, ready to pounce.

"Ria..." Kellen whimpers, grabbing my arm.

The beast steps forward, glaring at Kellen. It tries to come closer, but Venus blocks its path with her wings. She looks back at us, squawking and pointing her beak towards the direction of the hut.

Grabbing Kellen's hand, I break into a run, tugging him with me. It takes a few seconds for him to come out of his frozen state, giving the wolf an advantage as it begins its pursuit. Venus is loudly tackling it back - I can hear her wings flapping and the anger her voice held.

We don't make it far before we are stopped in our tracks. Within seconds, I find myself scrambling up from the ground, Kellen having pushed me away from an arrow. Another sliced past my elbow, barely grazing it.

Now stooped behind a tree, I asses my surroundings. As of yet, I can't see the archer or any other beings apart from the wolf, still engaged with Venus. Kellen seems to have disappeared, but the pained howls of what I hope is his transformation echo around me.

Somehow I need to get back to the hut, or at least find a way of alerting the others.

Breathing deeply, I grab my chakram, splitting in in half so that I can hold a blade in each hand. I look around for any immediate threats. Seeing none, I run.

As soon as I begin moving, more and more arrows whip past. I try my best to ignore them, determined to get to my destination.

My blood runs cold as Venus squeals in pain, a thud following behind.

I push myself impossibly faster, my legs burning as I get closer to the hut, nausea settling in the pit of my stomach. The wolf leaps right over me, landing directly in my path. Closer than before, I can fully make out its chilling appearance - white eyes with no pupil or iris, its mouth foaming and contorted in a devilish grin.

It stalks towards me. I step back in response.

Before I can blink, I am screaming, the wolf darting forwards.

My body twists away, finding itself stumbling in any random direction.

Tripping over a root, I find myself ramming headfirst into the first one of the wolf's accomplices to make an appearance. The brutish thing thrusts out its arms, grabbing at me and gargling. Its eyes are like that of a snakes as it attacks, swinging a wooden club. I slash a blade at its boil-covered arm, grunting in disgust when it screams and spits out at me. It lunges again, but this time is blocked by the wolf, snapping its jaws in warning.