Chapter 2. Annihilation

The soft thump of paws on cold packed earth pervaded the soft quiet of the forest. Winter was beginning to set in and many of the trees had already shed their leaves in preparation for the cold. The footsteps of a two dozen shadows sprinting through the forest were some of the only sounds in the dozing forest. Most of the other animals were inside, away from the early morning chill.

The runners could not have that luxury, the heat of their weary bodies would have to do. Steam flashed from their muzzles as they exhaled before drawing ragged breaths from the chilled air. They had been running for quite awhile trying to escape their pursuers but the enemy's responses had been on point and only their natural agility and foresight had saved them from being surrounded and subsequently annihilated.

Suddenly a tremor ran through the group and the pack abruptly changed direction, pulling away from the left flank in one synchronous movement. The pack was connected to each other through their domain and this ability had allowed them to evade the enemy by implementing instantaneous course corrections whenever an enemy was detected. The pack was spread out and observers on the edge of the formation did not need to take noticeable action to relay information.

If the enemy had been anyone else the packs mobility and quick reactions would have allowed them to escape from any attempt at surrounding them. However, the elves chasing them were mounted on fleet footed elk. Over sized and with incredible speed and stamina they allowed the elves to traverse the territory ahead of the wolf kin preparing ambushes.

They had already had to barge through two blockades. The first because they were being lead back into the elves territory and the second because it had become obvious to the pack Alpha that in a roundabout way they were being lead into a trap. The lull in activity afterwards had confirmed his theory but the change in tactics and troop movements worried him. It was like a new leader had stepped onto the battlefield, one whose planning was a step ahead of the previous one.

He was beginning to regret not breaking through the elven unit to the left. He had a bad feeling he had made a mistake, a subtle clue had evaded him.

That was it! The left unit was moving slightly towards them yet the ridge they were on was parallel to the pack. What unit would purposely maintain a specific direction when it would be easier to follow the ridge?

‘They must be trying to lead us into another trap. But the action is so direct they must have a pretty good idea of where the pack is. But how? Before the elves just had a general idea due to our clashes with scouting units. Could they be under the control of a domain? Had it entered the fray?’

The Alpha changed course back towards the left flank but not long after, while the wolf kin were traversing a relatively open part of the forest they were set upon by elves. They came charging out of the forest from the front and right flank on their majestic steeds. The alpha was surprised to see a regal looking elf on a large elk with emerald colored patterns on its hide leading the charge.

The damn elves had sent an Elite after them! He was flattered they would go to the trouble but the powers elites often held could drastically change the course of the battle. Before the elves never had enough mounted members to run the wolfs down in the woods. The elves had learned that the hard way when the wolf kin had suddenly turned around and used a perfectly choreographed pincer movement to decimate a small detachment following them at the beginning of the conflict. But with an elite the elves had a good shot of taking them out in one go.

With their steeds the elves could easily engage them on the open ground so the Alpha ordered the pack back to the cover of the dense forest where the charge of the elk would do less damage. But before they could do so the antlers of the elite elk lit up with a dazzling emerald radiance before the light swept out in a wave towards the fleeing wolf kin. Where the light touched grass grew to entangle the paws of the wolf kin and in front of them a web of branches grew to obstruct them.

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The Alpha knew they were done for so he rallied the pack as fast as he could into a cone shape to diffuse the charge. The tactic only had limited success, many of the wolf kin could not get free in time and a dozen were trampled. Moreover the elks themselves were capable of turning on a dime unlike most war horse breeds, you could so far as to call them extremely light cavalry. This did however make them vulnerable to heavy armored units and in fact most armored units would fair well against them. They had no problem facing the wolf kin though as the wolf kin were wearing light leather armor and iron short swords and claws. The elk riders quickly cornered the wolf kin against the branch web and the elves dismounted to engage them.

The elves underestimated the wolf kin though. While most domains would choose flashy magic attributes to imbue their elites with before mating in an attempt to pass on more of that capability to the next generation the wolf kin domain chose to gradually link the minds of the pack. The result was not only superior cooperation but rudimentary mind magic. In battle the wolf kin could instill pinpoint killing intent onto their enemies destabilizing them and making them vulnerable. At that point it was common for another pack member to use that opening to assist.

As a result the wolf kin killed far more warriors than the elves expected. The Elite had been sitting back using whip vines to influence the battle but whenever he saved one of his warriors one or two wolf kin would use that lapse of overall awareness to kill a comrades foe in a quick attack. The elite was arrogant and enraged. Instead of making his troops fall back to pepper the group with arrows he dismounted and joined the battle.

“You idiots. It looks like I have to do everything myself!” The Elite announced.

He was smart enough to use several tendrils to keep any wolf kin back while he focused on one enemy at a time. After three kills his confidence rose and he wadded farther into the melee. Suddenly the five remaining wolf kin moved as one towards the elite. The alpha and two others were in a position to attack but were held back by a thin wall of vines and set upon by the elves behind them. The last two protected the alpha while he tore through the wall and engaged the elite.

“Why do you struggle against fate. You should just lay down and die at my feet like the dogs you are” mocked the Elite.

“Because we can. Because life is a struggle and the only way to achieve something genuine is by trying” The Alpha replied.

“And look where that has gotten you. Such trashy existences should not be allowed to dream” The Elite sneered.

“You know I admired the strategies you showed this day but now I see you are nothing but an arrogant brat. I think you deserve to see true power… and terror” said the Alpha with a cold voice.

The look the Elite received then chilled him to his core but he couldn’t help but think that part of it was meant for someone else. Could it be?... The being behind him thought.

Suddenly the Alpha shifted left as a throwing dagger passed him on its way towards the Elite. The last wolf kin falling as the dagger left his hand. The Elite dodged and brought his sword up to defend against the blow he knew was coming. The Alpha was closer than he expected but he still had enough time to parry the blow. A sneer began to form on his face. At that moment the Alpha finally struck.

The Alpha was the Alpha for a reason, not just because he was slightly bigger and stronger than his pack mates, being Alpha did that to a wolf kin. No, he was Alpha because he had true mind magic, an Elite hiding in plain sight. To the elven Elite the Alpha seemed to explode into a towering monster of darkness and shadow. Frozen in fear and surprise the Elite did not notice the Alpha thrust his claws deep into the Elites eye sockets.

This was what Zen had been waiting for, the enemy domain would surely be focused on its own Elite and now with a proper connection Zen and the Alpha pushed past the Elites thoughts to the domain beyond. Surprised the elf domain attempted to expel the intruder but was met by the animosity of the pack, the weight of their bonds through the connection pummeled the enemy domain. The baffled domain was also unable to stop Zen’s assimilation of influence and started to flee back to the seat of elven power. Zen had one last thing to say “I am coming back and if your people are as intolerable as they are now I will raze your domain to the ground”.

Zen knew the Alpha would not be able fight his way through the rest of the elves and with the Alphas permission used the rest of the Alpha’s power and what influence he could muster so far from home to overload the connection to the enemy domain. Shocked and frightened the domain was not in a position to protect its subjects. The elves at the home settlement were too far away and to close to the domain to be affected but nevertheless they all heavily flinched in pain as their connection to their domain flared. Those on the hunt for the wolf kin were dropped to their knees while the Elites party got the worst of it. The elk and the warriors keeled over dead with blood running from their nose.

The Alpha stayed conscious long enough to witness this and closed his eyes with a smile. As the Alpha faded so too did Zen’s influence, Zen stayed with his Alpha until there was nothing but white.

He stayed there for a bit mourning for his pack. He thought about all the different choices he could have made, how things could have been different. He shook his head, there was no use thinking about that now. Instead he was angry that his pack had to be out here. Exploring was dangerous and they really had no choice in the matter. He had no choice. After finally calming down he decided to leave.

His vision faded as he disconnected from the system.