Desider picked a direction and ran, his sword in hand. However, he didn’t know if it was of any use—not when he is the prey. He hid behind a trunk as he felt the ground quake beneath his boots, hearing the growls of these monsters. His eyes were wide, and his breath trapped. His heartbeat was akin to war drums in his chest. “(‘tis… beyond reason beasts as such could exist…)” Desider let out an exhale, his shoulder sinking.

  For a moment, the young man heard nothing. He tilted his head behind him.

  The ghoulish wolf roared, tossing the tree he hid behind like a ragdoll.

  With a yelp, he darted to another trunk, hiding himself. Had he been on bare plains, he would already be dead. Desider pressed himself against the trunk, furrowing his brows and heaving. “(Nay… I shan’t flee like a stricken hart—not when I set forth to be the hunter…!”) He gripped his blade and took a sharp inhale, shifting his head behind the trunk, bracing for the ghoul.

  He struck the trunk with the butt of his sword, attracting the beast. As its ears perked, it snarled and shifted its eyes. Desider stepped back before the great wolf tossed the trunk aside. Finding no other way to fight it, he hurled the blade to its snout. The ghoul, however, caught the blade with its teeth, shattering it completely.

  Desider staggered as its lifeless green eyes stared down at the unarmed prey, slamming its massive paw on him like an anvil. “(N-Nonsense...! How could... such a vast beast be so quick?!)” A sudden snap followed, his shoulder dislocated under the unearthly weight of this monster. He screamed. Once the young man braced for his doom with bulging eyes and uneven breath, the ghoul cracked open its jaws.

  Then it halted and lifted its paw. It stepped back a few with a growl upon seeing an approaching torchlight.

  Before Desider could tilt his head to find who came to his aid, a throwing knife pierced its ghostly eye, causing black to drip from it. As the beast wailed and howled, the Commander dashed forward, cleaving the ghoul’s snout off, followed by a plunge in its brain.

  “U-Uncle…?” Desider murmured, struggling to rise from the ground.

  “What hast thou thought upon leaving the town’s gates, in the dark hours of night?” The Commander’s hooded eyes met his nephew’s with no amusment, yet his voice remained even.

  “I… I sought to prove my readiness!” Desider exclaimed, his voice wavering in pain.

  Before the Commander could reply, he heard the rest of the pack draw closer. There were still too many. The Commander looked at his injured nephew and lowered his own voice. “Couldst thou walk?”

  Desider, holding his wounded shoulder, nodded though his face looked down.

  “Then returnst to town and fetch the mercenaries.” He blinked and paused for a moment. “And let them gather fire arrows.”

  “But what of thee…?”

  The Commander furrowed his brows further and sharpened his voice. “We cannot suffer these creatures laying waste to our walls and slaying our own. Now go. Hurry.”

  Desider stood still, though his uncle’s voice rang in his ears. He stepped away, reluctance and guilt pushing his weakened legs forward. Not long after, he reached the gates. The guard looked down and saw Desider, dragging his feet. “Aye, Desider! Where hast thou been?” the guard called out.

  Desider looked upward and spoke urgently. “Make ready thy weapons! We may be under attack!” giving no explanation, he hastened his step to the set-up feast.

  Crepus raised an eyebrow at the hurt, pale form of his cousin. “Desider…? What hath befallen thee?” He questioned, rising from his seat as the mercenaries and the Captain gave glances at the young men.

  “Mine uncle…” Desider puffed the words out and heaved. “Gather fire arrows… mine uncle is surrounded by ghouls!”

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  The mercenaries looked at each other, unsure if what they had heard is true. Crepus himself squinted his eyes, though he did not smirk. The Captain tilted his head at Desider, his eyes half-lidded. “Art thou certain of that which thou sawst…?” The Captain’s tongue slurred.

  “Mine own eyes did not deceive me, wolves unlike anything I ever known!” Desider exclaimed through ragged breaths. “‘Twas mine uncle who bade us bring fire arrows, pray thee, make haste!”

  The mercenaries, Crepus and the Captain all fell silent for a moment. Then one by one, all mercenaries began to rise from their seats, gathering the necessary gunpowder. Although Crepus lingered for a moment. Before retrieving his weapons, he squinted his eyes at Desider and muttered. “What in hell’s name hast thou done…?”

  Desider staggered, looking away and pursing his lips before helping his father rise to retrieve any weapon they can collect—and make it in time.

  As his nephew hobbled back to the feast, The Commander looked on and steadied his breath. The ghoulish wolves traced the cry left by their fallen kin, slowly closing in on him, like a darkness enshrouding.

  He dashed from trunk to trunk as they all gathered. The Commander took a glance from behind and saw each of these creatures lacking flesh in different parts of their bodies, barely covered by pitch black fur.

  The wolves all looked over to the fleeing form of Desider from where they stood. Once they took a step toward his direction, the Commander’s eyes widened and furrowed. “(Not today...)” With a flick of his wrists, a throwing knife flew to one of theirs's ankle. A pained howl was followed by their collective roaring. Their attention went back to the woods.

  They thrashed, howled, and bit down on the trees. He dashed further away and hid. “(Ghouls or not... their weakness is their heads.)” He thought for a moment as he heard the thrashing and howling go on, looming closer. He looked up at the trunk he hid behind, then back to the wolves. “(I could jump over one after the other... if I make it to the top...)” He climbed up a tree, leaping to reach the top in time.

  Then the leaves swayed, and trunk shook, followed by a rib-shuddering roar. His hands reached for the battleaxe before his eyes met the ghoul’s. Despite this, he leaped after the trunk was already tossed. He struck its snout, but didn’t cleave—hanging momentarily mid-air.

  He clenched his teeth and struggled to pull his axe out while the monster was squirming. The ghoul’s claws slashed his leather armor and tossed him. He rolled on the ground and gasped sharply in pain.

  His eyes bulged when he saw himself laying on the ground, feeling an awful burn in his stomach. “(The axe... where...?)” He looked to the ground beneath then up to the wolf he attacked, finding it planted in his nose still. He smirked and struggled to rise. He looked down and saw a red rope hung out of his armor, covered in blood. “(Zounds...)”

  His eyes darted from left to right to find barely any nearby cover. He held his entrails as his eyes widened in pain, grunting loudly before pacing to the nearest trunk. He glanced behind him to find a ghoul approaching. With a heavy huff, he threw a knife to its ankle. His hands shook as did his legs. He scrambled to find where his axe might be, only to find it laying on the open ground. He grimaced and squinted his eyes, feeling colder. The monsters still thrashed, howled and roared. “(By the saints, will these beasts not go quiet...?)”

  His blood spilled over his mouth and hand, reaching his boots. He inhaled sharply from his nose and threw more knives at them as he side-stepped toward his axe, most piercing their ankles and paws. Just as he reached for the battleaxe, a ghoul charged at him—aiming to crush The Commander with its massive paw. He blocked with his axe and looked upward, feeling the cold wind slam against his open wound. His head leaned down and vomited blood, his body leaning in-time, standing on one knee.

  Just when his vision grew blurry, he heard a strong shot followed by a light. The ghoul over him roared in pain as its pressure on him faded, allowing him to slump. He tilted his head as he saw his band and family gather, raining hellfire on the monsters.

  The band, Crepus and the Captain gazed upon the monsters with wide eyes and clenched teeth. “Aim...” One of the mercenaries called as they collectively aimed at the wailing beasts, “Fire!”

  The ghouls snarled and charged forward, only to be met with a second wave of fire-arrows descending upon them. Their fur and bones were engulfed in flames along the grass beneath their paws. One by one, the monstrous wolves yielded and retreated to the darkness.

  The band and his family drew closer, though his vision blurred and darkened, the sharp pain in his stomach barely felt anymore, replaced with a cold crawl over his skin. His body was held up by his men and his son. His hooded eyes lowered further as he leaned his head over his son’s chest. His body fell heavier in their arms.