[Hunedoara, Southwest Romania]

A small county in Transylvania, bordering human society near South Romania. Baroque buildings and archaic cathedrals littered the city, but little to no movement could be seen in the cities. As if the earth had swallowed every living soul alive.

The skies darkened and the thunder bellowed, soon rain poured mercilessly on the prairie as turbulent clouds reigned over the sun, the world was enchanted to a haunting night.

East of the city, a few kilometers away hidden within the Chizid forest, splutters of flame sparked and trepid steps convened as wizards and witches alike appeared shaded beneath the oak trees.

They were all adorned in similar attire, blue suits and a brown hat. Quite a forgettable appearance in public to avoid unwanted attention.

Three teams of ten members each had now appeared within the forest, yet the silence echoed for miles ahead. Any sound they made had already been muffled as it was damped through magical means.

Converging and immediately forming plans, analyzing the terrain and their possible encounters, the wizards were on high alert. Scouting for potential enemies or traps, was imperative for a successful ambush.

Despite the enemy having triggered the alarm, which meant they were possibly oblivious and vulnerable to attacks, it was necessary that protocol be followed.

Magical creatures were not sub-humans. Their intellect rivaled if not exceeded their wizard counterparts. Hence, each step was to be cautiously planned.

Each team had already tasked their lurkers to search and analyze any tracks left behind by the beasts who had triggered the alarm.

Using forms of tracking that would seem unbelievable to the untrained eye. The lurkers were highly specialized, using certain mixtures of powders and vials they carried around on their person, they could highlight and follow tracks exuding traces of magic.

Similar to following a scent from an animal, it was highly probably to find out what kind of creature had left this trace behind.

Besides the lurkers, were the curse breakers and ward specialists. In retrospect, each team only housed around four to five active combatants serving as vanguards and rear patrol, while the other members held equally important positions, they were simply not "specialized" in combat.

It might seem risky to comprise an ambush team of these wizards, but in reality they held the highest grade of efficiency, as no members time and expertise went to waste. There wasn't a single notion of disorder. Each team was highly trained in seeking out, identifying and fighting against magical creatures.

A period of search later, the lurkers had gathered enough data to summarize and extrapolate a reasonable conclusion.

While this occurred, Zagreus and Syed leading one of the teams made sure everyone was ready to engage at any time. Their approach would depend on the enemies nature, as such, they were quite apprehensive before issuing orders.

Dmitry on the other hand was a skilled vanguard, perhaps the one with the highest skill in confrontation among the ones present. Not only was his repertoire of spells practical and unpredictable, but his brash and and cunning tactics confused the enemy while he handled them with ease, this was what had earned him a spot on the intercepting team.

"Wand at the ready" a whisper slipped from Zag as his wand hand raised towards his chest.

A moment later, the lurkers had all but confirmed the cause of the alarm triggering.

The third team leader Andrei, a blond haired gaunt man, with a peculiar set of pitch black spectacles that seemed completely opaque, creeped closer to Zagreus, whispering something to the team leaders in confidentiality.

"Is this confirmed?" Zagreus questioned, staring intently at the man with skepticism.

"We are sure of it, there can be no other reason." Words slipped from his tongue in a hushed tone, to which he saw Zagreus unwilling to completely believe the analysis. The man swiftly shuffled his suit pocket and pulled out a small glass beaker, that seemed empty.

However, as he handed it to Zagreus the man nodded with a solemn frown.

Upon closer inspection, the beaker contained a single strand of hair, far too thick for a human, yet completely alien to ever consider to be an animals'.

Zagreus took the beaker in his hands, placing it before his wand as he channeled a thin strand of magic towards it. The hair reacted, impulsively shining a silver hue. A sign indicating its faint resistance to magic.

There was only one possible conclusion that Zagreus now fully believed.

-Werewolves.

Andrei whispered again, this time slightly with a somber frown.

"The werewolves... they are different... it is strange. We have found only three separate traces. The rest is obscured, unable to be tracked through our means. We must tread carefully, the forest is their natural territory. In the cover of night, we are vulnerable yet to their attacks. The situation might be a trap."

Zagreus considered his advice carefully.

Syed stood in solemn silence besides them as he too contemplated the best course of action,

Werewolves were excellent trackers and hunters, almost similar to their real wolf counterparts. They hunted in large packs, were resistant to some forms of magic, and made terrifying enemies.

Not only were they hard to fight against and specialized in guerilla warfare, their strikes were lethal, and highly infectious. Lycanthropy was a terrible disease, and as of yet there was simply no cure or medicine. Zagreus had considered these factors and judged that it was indeed far too risky to engage them in a forest.

A faint gust of wind gushed through the trees, the forest seemed still, not a single leaf out of place.

The silence was resounding, as all manner of critters and bugs had gone suspiciously quiet, as the grasslands seemed lifeless. The enemy could mask their traces, but they could not trick the instincts of wildlife.

Zagreus had taken a mental note of their surroundings.

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"Gather the teams, form vantage points , mask your scent. We are facing werewolves, their numbers are unknown. Highly dangerous and perhaps already aware of our presence. Don't let anyone roam around alone. If you need to break away from the group, form teams of two or three. Am I clear."

The wizards lined up behind him nodded their heads, and split up into their respective teams. The transition was seamless and professional.

In compliance with the orders, a few ward specialists had already began setting up barriers and traps that could aid their retreat. Vantage points were chosen near tall trees, on top of which a sedentary owl had been placed.

These owls were sensitive to movement, and if any werewolf or beast entered its vision they would immediate alert their handlers.

Minutes later their retreat was secure and traps were planted. The teams were ready to intercept, their scent had been masked through the use of wards, obscuring the enemy from their current location.

In theory, as long as they weren't ambushed while it was being setup, the secured retreat tactic was extremely in their favor. Preparation was a wizards best friend. They could work towards inflicting the most damage, while receiving the least casualties.

Zagreus had overseen the process as Dmitry idled around the teams mentally preparing himself for a battle that might occur.

Syed who had just returned from surveying the perimeter a second time spoke with a slight annoyance

"There are no signs of them here any longer. It is most likely a bait...It is our initiative." He snorted.

As a team leader, he had to consult the other two for a final decision, otherwise he could be held accountable for his actions.

"I do not think it is wise to attack, there are far too many variables. This could be a pre-planned ambush. I will not risk the lives of my men here." Andrei rushed with his tongue, eager to sway the majority.

Both men turned towards Zagreus, whether or not they would attack was up to a tie breaker.

"Think carefully, we can not go back emptyhanded. The trap has been triggered, it is our duty to make full use of it. Trading some casualties in exchange for the enemy is reasonable. We cannot waste such an initiative, the risk is acceptable." Syed urged vigorously as he stepped closer.

Zagreus contemplated his next move...

-Gamble on the risk or a passive retreat.

On any other day this might have been a simple choice, and yet due to the heated war on both sides, each team was being pressured to take risks and produce results. If he chose to retreat, it is reasonable that their side would lose the advantage.

....

"We will attack, but cautiously. Take the vanguards, form teams and split up. Leave the rest to guard our retreat. If anything goes south.... We. Return. Immediately."

He glared at Syed as he stretched out the last three words intentionally.

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[Chizid Forest, Vanguard Teams]

Four wizards traversed the forest silently, they rushed in tandem through the forest.

Enveloped in magic, a faint smoke emanated from their presence, concealing them from prying eyes.

They leapt and bolted through the trees at extreme speeds, the forest remained still, the ambience echoed through the area. Twigs breaking, leaves rustling and a slight downpour that washed through the forest floor turning it to mud.

The drizzling rain brought about eerie silence, no words were spoken as thunder resounded in the skies, bright flashes of lightning momentarily illuminated their faces through the dark clouds above.

The world seemed tranquil, yet turbulent. The four men halted near a grove above the trees. Unwilling to step down from the branches, afraid to alert anyone who could be looking for them.

A wizard remained alert as he squatted onto a tree branch, stalking for prey or perhaps being stalked unbeknownst to him.

A second later, another man joined near him, hanging just below the branch, resting his back between the fork of the oak tree.

"Are you sure the intel was correct. We've scoured the forest for fifteen minutes, but haven't found a sign of any werewolves. Perhaps, they're long gone." Dmitry spoke in a hushed voice, as he waved his wand, wiping off the excess water on him.

Zagreus heard his words, but did not respond. His instincts were boiling within, like an itch he couldn't scratch. Yet he was unable to ascertain their meaning.

He held his hand out, and Dmitry spoke no longer, instead placing his wand before him, ready at a moments notice.

The other two vanguards had followed through on their example. No sooner than they had done this, they heard the faint rustling of leaves below.

A figure crept from the bushes. A grotesque and mangled being with botches of fur along its back, and nails that dug through the ground. It had the face of a man deformed to match a dogs and fangs of a beast, sniffing the ground for a scent he could not find.

The vanguards were caught off guard.....

-To think the werewolves were trailing so closely. Yet the beast had perhaps failed to notice their presence above the trees. The rains had washed away their scent thoroughly.

Dmitry's wand had been ready to dispatch the beast, yet Zagreus was cautious and held him back with a signal.

His decision proved correct, as the werewolf simply strayed closer to the tree, attempting to bait out a spell. Perhaps to determine their position.

The feral monster could no longer pull through this act, as a heinous smile flashed on its malformed face and his gaze naturally followed above him, a fanatical lust for blood in his eyes.

A wild howl permeated the still night, summoning packs of beasts along him. Before the beast could finish its howl, a green energy had struck him square in the chest, and its lifeless body slumped on the wet mossy forest floor.

But it was far too late.

"GET BACK" Zagreus bellowed to his companions, as he flung his magic.

A werewolf bolted zooming through the trees, leaping through to Dmitry, trying to rip through him. Yet he was blasted back into the ground with immense force as the magic shot through his chest.

"SOUND THE SIGNA-" He shouted.

Before he could complete his words, a pack of wolves had jumped through to the two remaining vanguards, surrounding them thoroughly as they immediately tried to counter with fierce spells, almost taking a few with them.

The chaos and mayhem had disorganized the party, but Dmitry's hands did not falter, as he quickly raised his wand into the sky and a faint fireball shot through to the sky, bursting into millions of light sparks.

The beasts were merciless, their movements far too quick to target, as they aimed to rip through the wizards, not allowing a single second for spells.

The battle ensued immediately, rushing through one after the other, aiming to land a single bite on the humans' bodies the beasts attacked with wild fervor.

Countless spells hurled through as some werewolves were blasted back into the trees, and others were stunned for a fraction of a second. Their thick skin allowing certain leeway with magic.

Dmitry was instantly surrounded by three, as they attacked him simultaneously, not allowing a single breath for him to recoup.

A red hue overpowered the space as his magic surged through the wand, and an explosion rang out between the four, almost blasting them to smithereens, the force separating him from their relentless attacks. He had managed to block their lethal blows.

Zagreus acted quick, waving his wand as the wines around him obeyed his command, restraining two beasts completely as they tried to latch on to him.

Rushing through to help his encircled allies, he could see their blood flush on to the floor, in his anger he hurled the killing curse with all his strength. But the five werewolves were far too agile, only one had been struck and died on the spot. The others rushed away behind trees and stones to negate the spell and plan their retreat.

A comrade had already been killed, his body completely left ripped and shredded, the other had his leg bitten off as he limped closer to Zagreus, his mind in disorder.

Zagreus stopped the bleeding, using leaves to fashion a rope that constricted blood flow.

He rushed back into battle to assist Dmitry, as the two focused on fending off and capturing the three that had been heavily damaged in the explosion.

Unable to put up much of a fight, the three were quickly dispatched by Dmitry, two tried to bite him even in their pathetic state, in his rage fierce sparks of green lightning flew from his wand and put them to death. The last one left was deftly knocked out by with a strong stunning jinx to its face.

Zagreus immediately restricted the body using a quick spell, not a single inch was left uncovered.

"Follow the others, we can catch them before they leave." Dmitry began rushing behind them, only to be stopped immediately by Zagreus.

"No, stabilize the injured first, we can't afford to chase them. Besides, they retreated to the south, Syed should have already seen the signal. He won't let them go, trust me." He spoke as he brisked back to his injured member, ensuring he was somewhat in less pain.

Dmitry wished to chase but he couldn't bring himself to abandon an injured wizard in the field, specially as he had seen one die so soon. Hence reluctantly he chose to follow Zagreus back to camp.

The two supported the wizard by the shoulders, they made sure to collect any remains of the one who passed away and swiftly apparated away.

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