We waited, and I sent out my wolf once more. I watched through its eyes, trusting Alice to pull me back to my body if something came.

For a while, we stood there, and my wolf continued to race through the trees. It made a circular arc, hopping over the river to scout the other side and then wrapped back around.

Nothing's coming. What's going on?

Several minutes passed, and my wolf had completed an entire rotation. I pulled back from my wolf's sight and blinked to adjust to having a singular point of view.

"Anything?" Alice asked.

She gripped her axe so tightly that her knuckles showed white.

"Nothing," I said. "Is it possible the monster ran out of creatures to send against us?"

"Doubtful. There has to be something more."

I didn't reply. Instead, I sent my wolf on another round.

Come on. Where are you?

My wolf bolted through the trees, going in and out of the shadow realm. The world continuously lost color, only for it to return each time he exited out of the shadows.

He jumped over the river again, and I watched him circle around the cave entrance that led into the cavern where we found the kid. I hesitated but then sent my wolf inside.

Maybe they'll be in there.

It wasn't a bad place to hide; it was spacious and protected, but the entrance was small enough that a beast like the bear we had just fought wouldn't have been able to squeeze through.

When my wolf reached the cavern, I waited and held my breath, unsure what to expect.

I can't tell if I'm hoping for monsters or not. Probably easier if they're in here.

Yet, when my wolf reached the cavern, all I saw were piles of rocks and stagnant water. The stalactites looked the same, none that came in pairs like before.

Damn.

I pulled back from my wolf and tapped Alice's arm. She turned, an expectant look on her face. I shook my head, and she growled before closing her eyes and turning to face the woods.

The static in the air continued to assault my ears, the irritation building even with my cloak cushioning the effects. When my cloak slapped my arm, I looked down and stopped. At some point, I slid my axe out of its sheath and found my thumb running along the edge of the blade.

My green eyes stared back from a dirt-stained face, and I sighed.

"I don't know what's happening, but this should be good, right?"

Alice didn't respond.

"Hey, I said it's a good th-"

She raised a hand, and I stopped.

I kept silent and paused, straining to hear beyond the static.

Gradually, she pivoted and gestured to the right, readying her weapon. I resheathed my axe and hoisted the heavy pickaxe over my shoulder. Moving to stand beside her, I strained to listen, tilting my head to the side.

When she saw me look her way, she tapped her nose, and I understood. I sniffed the air, smelling only burnt hair and forest dirt.

What's she on about?

She raised her axe, and I raised the pickaxe.

"What do you smell?" I yelled.

She glared, looked at my face, and shook her head. "You've got dirt covering your nose. Musky and damp. Like wet fur."

I pulled my wolf back, and it was racing through the forest, but it would still be a few minutes away.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

We didn't have to run towards the monsters, not this time. Instead, a single three-eyed deer sprang from the trees. Its coat had several missing patches of fur, and black veins crawled up its neck.

It stomped the ground and charged. Alice moved first, running at full speed. She was slower than the deer, but the deer lowered its head and rushed at her, ignoring the circle, ignoring me with my pickaxe raised and ready.

Alice swung first, the flat of her axe rushing through the air. Antlers met iron, and her strength overpowered the beast as she smashed its head aside. The deer's body pushed into her shoulder, but she used her left hand to yank its head downward and quickly kneed the creature in the jaw.

It reeled, stumbling backward. In a blur of cold metal, blood gushed out and turned the ground dark red. Its head crashed to the forest floor, and its antlers sunk into the loam.

She breathed in and out, flicking her axe free from blood and meat in the same breath.

That's badass.

I never gave it much thought; too busy dealing with the insanity of every new change. Yet, that entire fight lasted less than seven seconds—her actions precise, well-timed, and deadly to the extreme.

Better than my own flailing.

She raised her chin and sniffed the air. "Incoming on your right."

My attention snapped into focus, and I readied my feet, pushing down on my toes.

A white, whiskered snout pushed out of the trees, and I froze.

One of the giant thumpers came bouncing out of the tree line. I scrambled to meet it, abandoning the idea of being able to catch it in melee like Alice did.

I raised my hand, called the flame into my mind, and let the energy go wild.

I spoke the words in a yell, hearing the static distort the sound.

It didn't matter.

My hand flared with heat, throbbing in pain, but the flames shot out and raced toward the bulky bundle of white fur. I smiled as the flames came close, about to crash into the beast, but then it jumped straight up, and my jaw dropped to the floor.

The fireball exploded and knocked away the dirt, but the massive bunny landed a few feet away and continued to race toward me.

It leapt, clearing over seven feet. I swung low, but it hopped again and barreled into me like a fuzzy cannonball. Powerful legs thumped my chest, and my breath exited my lungs. I spluttered but grabbed the bunny with both hands, the pickaxe forgotten.

I yanked on its massive ear, making it lose its balance, but its horns scraped against my leg, and I heard the fabric of my pants get torn. My anger rose again, and I punched it with my left hand. The hit caused it to screech, but as I tried to pull back, it sunk its fangs into my arm.

Agh! Let go!

I pulled, and its fangs bit down harder, my blood mixing with its wet fur. The super rabbit's coat absorbed the droplets like a sponge.

The world brightened again, and the voice in my head called out, clear as day.

Rip and tear!

I rolled over and trapped the beast beneath me. My jaw opened, and I sank my canines into its neck. Disgusting wet fur hit my tongue, but I bit down harder. My other hand pulled on its ears while I sunk my fangs into the meat of its neck, going past the fat and tasting delicious blood on my tongue.

Then, the blood soured.

I pulled away, keeping my teeth clenched. A ripping sound cut through the static, and I raised the bunny up before slamming it down. It unhooked its fangs and kicked my arm away, struggling to stand up. It moved, jumped a few feet, and then rolled to a stop. The bunny's chest spasmed and shuddered, and then its head sunk to the floor.

I stood up and wiped the foul-tasting blood off my mouth.

"Cain!"

Alice ran towards me, and I turned around just in time as a deer came charging past.

In a scramble, I grabbed the heavy pickaxe and flung it, hoping to hit its legs, but it skipped to the left. It continued towards the circle, and I chased after it, with Alice already raising her arms.

As it neared the circle, a force ball shot out. A distortion in the air tangled its legs, and it went tumbling. Its head came down at an odd angle, and the rest of its body pushed down until a muffled crack echoed through the clearing.

We continued to race towards the beast, but it didn't move, only twitched. Its chest rose in a labored breath as its beady eyes looked to the sky.

Alice said nothing as she walked forward and pulled her knife from the sheath attached to her leg. Her blade came free, and in a quick jab, it slid underneath the skull and through its brain. The deer stilled, and my shoulders relaxed.

"That was close. Too close," I muttered.

I glanced towards the circle. Devon's form was a blur, and the black grass around him began to wisp and float into the air, joining a slowly growing mass.

Another pulse supercharged the air and created a loud pop.

The smell hit me. We both turned as furry beasts, dripping water across the dirt, strode out of the woods. A dozen wet snouts of different shapes and sizes charged.

I glanced back to the circle.

There's no way.

Yet I ran.

Alice raised her arm and sent out a wave of chill. I shot a fireball at a deer veering towards me, knocking it away, but the wet fur prevented the flames from taking hold.

She swung and raised her arm again, but a bunny jumped onto her back and launched off her shoulders. It soared, and I swung my pickaxe, clipping its foot.

It didn't matter.

No!

The static roared, drowning out the beating drum of my heart.

I watched as another bunny leaped forward. Its furry feet landed, and its body shuddered. I called to the lake of fire in my chest, letting the flames crawl up my arm.

But the rabbit jumped again, and I felt the world still.

Except it leaped away from the circle and continued past.

My brain stuttered, and even Alice froze as the beasts continued to run, moving away from the clearing, ignoring Devon and us entirely.

Wh-what?

My pickaxe dropped from my hand. I watched as the entire mob of beasts, even the ones coated in a layer of frost, continued to run away.

"Alice?"

"I... don't know."

And then three loud gongs pierced the static.

One bell for sighting. Two bells for approaching. Three bells for attack.

I left the pickaxe behind and bolted towards the trees, following the fuzzy tail of a deer that disappeared behind a bush.

"Cain, stop!"