A fox-like woman stood in the moonlit clearing, her silver fur shimmering as if she herself were a creature of the moon. She stood gracefully on her hind legs, reaching a height of a meter and a half. She wore a flowing silver robe that cinched just below her waist, the fabric cascading down to her knees, catching the light with every movement. Beneath the robe, she donned fitted black pants and sandal shoes crafted from supple leather, giving her an air of both elegance and practicality.

In front of her loomed a massive bear, its eyes filled with both caution and rage. The beast growled menacingly, its muscular form tensed and ready to attack. Positioned behind the woman were seven fox-like men, their auburn fur contrasting sharply with the white fur that ran from the bottom of their snouts down to their abdomens, though much of it was concealed beneath their sturdy leather armor.

The four fox-men on the left held spears, the wooden handles worn smooth from use and the tips fashioned from sharpened obsidian, glinting dangerously in the moonlight. The remaining three fox-men on the right were armed with swords, their blades rough and jagged, showing signs of wear and tear. The edges were chipped, and the handles, wrapped in worn leather, looked as if they might snap under pressure.

Despite their mismatched and somewhat worn gear, the fox-like warriors exuded a sense of readiness and determination, their eyes fixed on the bear, their bodies poised for the imminent clash. The tension in the air was palpable as they awaited the first move, the moonlight casting long, eerie shadows that danced around them in the stillness of the night.

“We need to kill it quickly before the owner of the den comes back,” said the woman as she took a single step back while looking the bear straight in the eyes to so that it will lower its guard a bit.

“The owner of the den? Luminary Fionnuala,” asked one of the guards that was holding a spear, Maon.

“Yes, owner. Can’t you smell that stench of a rotting corpse?”

“I do smell something foul, but I just thought it was the bear,” answered another one of the guards that was holding a sword, Aodh with the others nodding to what he said.

“But why should we finish it soon? Wouldn’t it be better if both the bear and the owner tried to kill each other, then we can kill whoever is left,” Asked Maon.

“Yes, it will be wounded so I will make an easier kill than a healthy bear,” continued another one that was holding a sword, Finni.

“Because the bear is not entering the den, which means the beast that lives in there is much stronger than it and the bear is afraid to fight. If the owner came the bear will most likely run and we have to deal with a stronger enemy,” answered Fionnuala.

“Seriously, you are the elites of our tribe?” asked Fionnuala sarcastically.

All of the guards shifted their face to side in embarrassment, their leg, toes dug into the ground, a few scratching their heads. But Fionnuala continued without looking at and not caring what they were feeling.

“Do I have to teach all about hunting from the beginning like children?”

“No,” all of them said in unison but with less sound and even lesser confident.

“Where is your voice? Did you burn it with your knowledge too?” her voice a little bit higher than before, “we are about to get into a fight, and you lose your confidences now? When we get back, I will teach each of personally in the forest every single day until you cry me blood, but now you have to trust your experience of the hunt. You have done these many times. So, just your experience,” she turned to look at them and smiled with the moonlight shining at her it made her stand out in the surrounding where shadow and darkness dance and light retreat. But here she was the light her silver fur reflected the moonlight and made the face of all the guard visible then she said, “most of all trust in me.”

With that all of the guards gained some of their confidences back and returned her smile with their own.

“Stop that you all look like you are about to trick an unsuspecting, innocent victim and you all look hideous. Don’t ever smile at someone, you will definitely scare to the abyss.”

That drowsed the little confidence they had gained.

“Oh! Cheer up, I am sure there is someone out there with a worst smile than you.”

That also didn’t help them.

As they were talking the bear was slowly approaching them trying to get on their back. Fionnuala turned her attention to the bear. They slowly moved to the side in a curve with the bear going in the opposite curve. They stopped midway before they could reach the cave entrance and the bear before it got away from it.

The guard spread out, splitting to encircle the bear. The beast watched them warily, its eyes never leaving Fionnuala, who stood at the front, calm and poised. Maon and Aodh stood to her left and right, their weapons at the ready. Finni and Brianan positioned themselves on the bear's left side, while Conn and Onchu took their places on the right. Brian moved stealthily to the back; his spear poised for a deadly strike.

Without warning, Brian lunged from behind, thrusting his spear towards the bear’s back. The bear reared up on its hind legs and let out a deafening roar, its maw wide open, eyes blazing with fury. It swung its massive right paw towards Brian, but Brianan seized the opportunity, darting in from the left and stabbing at the bear with his spear. The bear’s reflexes were swift; it blocked Brianan’s attack and continued its assault on Brian. Brian raised his spear defensively, the force of the bear’s blow sending vibrations through his arms.

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Seizing the moment, Finni attacked from the left, his sword slicing into the bear’s side. The bear roared in pain as Conn jabbed his spear into its right arm, pinning it momentarily. Onchu followed with a swift slash to the bear’s arm, drawing more blood. Maon and Aodh took their chance, driving their weapons into the bear’s back, causing it to bellow in rage.

The bear’s fury reached a crescendo, and it let out an ear-splitting roar that rippled the ground. The shockwave knocked the guards off their feet, sending them sprawling. The bear, wild with pain and anger, fell onto its back in an attempt to dislodge the spears embedded in its flesh and crush Maon and Aodh. Just as it seemed they would be squashed; a coil of water snaked around their waists and yanked them to safety.

They stumbled to their feet, breathing heavily. “Thank you, Fionnuala,” they gasped, looking at her with gratitude.

“Be careful,” she warned, her eyes narrowing. “The bear can use a little Astral Essence.” Their faces grew grim at the revelation.

The bear, back on its feet, charged at Conn and Onchu. But before it could strike, a tendril of water wrapped around one of its legs and yanked it off balance, sending it crashing to the ground. Fionnuala's water turned to ice, freezing the bear’s leg. Finni darted forward, his sword slashing down and shattering the frozen limb into pieces.

The bear roared, and small rocks levitated from the ground, pelting Finni and knocking him to the ground. It stood on its three remaining legs, eyes scanning the battlefield. Spotting Finni prone on the ground, it lunged to bite his head off. A whip of water lashed out, striking the bear’s eye and sending a spray of blood. The bear howled in pain, the ground trembling in response.

Fionnuala stood firm, her body surrounded by a shimmering water shield that absorbed and deflected the bear’s attacks. The bear, maddened by its injuries, charged at her with murderous intent. She pushed Maon and Aodh aside, and the guards hurled their spears at the charging beast, each one finding its mark. The bear slowed, its body pierced and bleeding, but it still pressed on.

In a final desperate move, the bear summoned small spikes from the earth, launching them in all directions. The water shield around the guards absorbed the spikes, turning them into harmless mud that splattered to the ground. As the bear closed in, Fionnuala rolled to her left, narrowly avoiding its massive jaws.

Using her water manipulation, she coiled the liquid around the bear’s neck, tightening it like a noose. The bear thrashed, trying to dislodge her, but she held firm. Slowly, the water began to freeze, encasing the bear’s neck in a solid block of ice. It took longer than expected, but Fionnuala was determined. As the ice spread, she pulled herself closer to the bear, creating a blade of water with a razor-sharp edge.

With a final surge of power, she froze the blade and swung it with all her might. The ice blade sliced through the bear’s neck cleanly, severing its head with a satisfying crack. The bear's headless body thudded to the ground, the battle finally over. The guards stood in silence, catching their breath, as Fionnuala lowered her weapon, the ice around her melting away.

She turned to look at the guards, some on the ground and some kneeling. “Is anyone hurt?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

They all shook their heads, too spent to speak.

She walked to each of them, checking if they were truly alright, then gathered them at the entrance to the den. “Maon and Aodh, come with me. The rest of you, stay on lookout in case the owner comes back,” she said, heading inside the den with Maon and Aodh following behind.

The inside of the den was darker than she imagined, so dark that she couldn’t even see the tip of her paws. The stench of a rotting corpse was almost nauseating. She worried her daughter might find this scary and vomit everything she had eaten. “Aileen, sweetie, are you here?” she called out, her voice full of concern, as she wove a small flame using astral essence.

“Yes,” came a voice from just ahead. As the small fire formed, she saw her daughter, her snout, hands, and legs covered in dark red-brown blood, kneeling with her shoulder resting against the den’s wall. Beside her lay her friend, her left leg covered in blood that had yet to dry.

The moment Aileen saw her mother and felt safe, she cried out and vomited because of the den’s overwhelming smell.

Fionnuala rushed to them, asking if they were alright and what had happened. As she listened to her daughter give a brief account of their ordeal, she tended to Atrabus’s wound, using fire to cauterize it. Atrabus screamed, muffling herself with her hand, while Aileen covered her eyes and ears.

Fionnuala then took out a white cloth and wiped her daughter's snout, hands, and legs, though Aileen continued to vomit intermittently. Once finished, she instructed the guards to carry the girls out. “We’ll talk in more detail when we get home,” she said sternly.

Aileen flinched at her mother’s tone, wishing she never had to go back home.

As they exited the den, Fionnuala told Maon and Aodh to take both Aileen and Atrabus to the herbalist for treatment. Just as they turned to leave, they saw yellow eyes watching them from the shadows of the trees. They immediately alerted Fionnuala, and everyone turned to face the yellow-golden eyes.

They froze, fear gripping them. “Nightshroud wolf,” whispered one of them, instinctively stepping back.

Fionnuala, assessing the situation, gave a desperate order to save her daughter. “Maon, Aodh, and Finni, take both Aileen and Atrabus and run. Regroup with the chief and send back help quickly.”

“But—”

“We don’t have much time. Now run, run like death is behind you. The rest of us will hold it off as long as we can, but you need to hurry.”

Aileen, who had been silent until now, protested, “I am not leaving without you, Mom. I will stay with you.”

Fionnuala smiled softly, caressing her daughter’s face. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to die before I scold you. Now run.”

With that, the three guards ran, Aileen screaming her mother's name. Fionnuala turned to face the beast, which was watching the fleeing guards. She formed a sharp ice dagger and threw it at the beast. The beast turned its face, and a shadow emerged, catching the ice before throwing it back.

Brian deflected the ice dagger with his spear.

The beast then stepped out of the shadows, standing twice as tall as them. Its fur was darker than the night, seeming to absorb what little light remained. The sight was terrifying, and the tension in the air was palpable. The wolf’s eyes glowed with a menacing intensity, and its presence exuded an aura of imminent danger. The ground seemed to tremble under its weight as it prepared to attack, and the fox-like warriors steeled themselves for the fight of their lives.