The forest edge wasn't that far from the village. It was approximately one hundred fifty meters to the forest edge from the village walls. It probably had to be close so the hunters and lumberjacks could gather supplies quickly I pondered.

From what I had learned while talking to the villagers and the village guards was that the wolves always attack when there was a full moon. Almost like clockwork, the villagers also didn't know how the wolves came in to the village begin with. But the guards gave me an important piece of information. When the attack ended the wolves always retreated back into the forest.

So my first step is to go into the forest, and look for clues on where the wolves might have their den. If we can find their den we can take out the entire pack at once. That way none wil escape and starting a new man eating pack somewhere else. If they think we’re outnumbered they won’t flee that easily and then I don’t have to hunt them done one by one.

The light of Aurora started to grow weaker the longer me and Rolly were looking for tracks in the forest.

After the first couple of attacks hunters went into to forest to search for the missing people. They found some leads here and there but they never found anything or anyone. How can we find these wolves if these wolves are able to shake off experienced hunters.The more I thought about it the more questions I got. Maybe we're are looking at this from a wrong angle. these wolves are apparently masters at not being found. So what if they found us instead..

The night has now completely fallen over the forest. Only the light of Newa shone through the thick canopy of leaves and branches. Creating long shadows across the forest floors.

"Hey Yzer, it’s getting pretty dark, maybe we should make a camp. I mean how are we actually going to find these wolves, let alone in the dark?" Rolly asked him while he was a little bit trembling under Yzer his cap.

"Easy, we're going to look around for signs which marks wolves territory,"

"Wolf territory?" Rolly asked me with a deep frown on his turtle face.

"Yeah, you know. Urine, scratch marks on trees that kind of stuff."

"Well we better find their den before they find us or we're in trouble" I added with a careless smile on his face trying to calm Rolly his nerves.

"You're not telling me something Yzer, I know this look, everytime something bad happens you…." Rolly stopped midsentence.

"Euh Yzer, I think URINE trouble. Because it became dark reaaally fast and there are creepy eyes glowing in the bushes!" Rolly screamed.

"Don't worry Rolly, it al going according to plan. But for it to work you need to keep very quiet under my cap".

“Ha… I… I… can do that.” his voice was trembeling

Usually wolves have an area in which they hunt. They will mark off their territory and normally have a den where they let their cubs sleep. And cubs need to eat. So why search for the den if we can get carried into the den. At least that is what normal wolves would do. I just hope that wolves with fangs like knives, burning tails and glowing eyes act the same…”

From the cloak of darkness an entity jumped me from behind. It felt like it had the weight and size of a bull. I knew that it would hurt but I could feel his fangs piercing into my skin. A small stream of thick warm blood ran across my back. I quickly used magic to harden my skin so the fangs wouldn't pierce all the way through. Just enough for the beast to think it made a fatal blow. But the pain was all to real.

I fell towards to ground, pretending the wolf got me with one bite. The wolf howled and bit me in muy neck dragging across the forest. Everything is going according to plan.

"This was your plan Yzer!?" Rolly whispered clearly upset.

"SHHHH you’re going to blow our cover." I hissed through my teeth. "I know you're upset with me because I didn't told you the plan beforehand. But I thought of i in the spur of the moment."

"Still Yzer this was a bad, bad, bad idea."

The wolf ran through the forest easily carrying me. He jumped up to high rocks and scaled steep hills with ease. After a while when Newa was almost at his highest point they stopped. The wolf dropped me inside of a big cave and ran away towards the entrance of the cave. I could hear his paws strutting away. I kept lying a while longer on the ground waiting for cubs to come towards him but nothing happend.

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after a while I decided to opened my eyes slowly. "Rolly, time to wake up we got work to do."

It took some time to adjust my eyes to the darkness. But the light of Newa shone bright this night so it didn't take long at all. I slowly stood up and looked around the cavern. There were no cubs or signs that looks like there was a nest. Instead there were dried up bodies chained up to the cavern walls. I had to supress my tendency to throw it. the cavern smelled like death.

"Huh, I didn't know wolves could chain up people." Rolly said while he crawled out from under my cap.

"They don't." A feminine voice behind them said.

I turned around towards the other side of the wall. On the ground chained up by her wrist was a young woman. She looked my age. She wore white plate armour with two suns painted on her shoulders. She also wore a kind of plated dress underneath it. Her face looked swollen and she had dents everywhere in her armour. Her head hanged down with long golden braided hair on the side of her face.

“Are you by any chance the paladin that accepted the quest to slay the wolves and never came back?” I asked while slowly bending on my knee to face the girl.

"Q...Q...Quickly get away before he comes back." The pain she felt was echoing through her words. "It is too late for me and the missing villagers. You won't be able to beat him trust me." Her voice and spirit sounded broken.

"Please, I beg of you leave me and save yourself, tell the villagers to.."

"No, I won’t" I interrupted her before she could finish that sentence. "I'm not going to leave you behind, that is not the kind of person I am. I'm going to save you and beat up the ones who did this to you."

“Why would you do that for a stranger you have never met before, why would you risk your live for mine?” Her head was still hanging down facing the cave ground.

“Well, because I want to. Do I need another reason to save someone?”

A tear rolled down from her face hitting the ground. In her heart she was truly happy that someone has come for her. That someone was going to save her. That there was a slight chance that she might make it.

The paladin looked up. Revealing her face which had some cuts and bruises on it. Her big blue eyes made contact with mine. I looked straight at her with an determined look, I wanted her to not give up already. Her eyes got bigger, her face turned red and she quickly averted her gaze.

I didn't understand what happend just now. Maybe she thinks that I can't save her? Maybe she felt sick because she has been chained up for too long?

"Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?"

"N-N-No, no I'm alright" she said while stuttering. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

What is Zera? Why my maiden heart doing this? I never felt this way before. He doesn’t look strong at all so why do I imagine myself running into the sunset with him in MY arms. I knew by his voice that he was around my age. So why do I expect that he is going to save me. I’m happy that someone is going to help me but what is this feeling? What is going oooon?!?!

"You sure?" Rolly asked from under Yzer his cap "Your face just turned tomato."

"W...W....Will you just release me from these chains then, sir ..?" The paladin stopped she wanted to know his name.

"My name is Yzer and this is Rolly my best bud and what is yours?"

"My name is Zera, Zera Weissenlas. Well sir Yzer can you grab my sword and slash these chains. My sword would be able to get through if you swing it hard enough. It's laying at the other side of the cavern wall right behind you. try to swing as hard as you can."

Could this be what they always wrote in those silly fairy tales? Could this be what they call love at first sight? No way, No way that a guy like that is going to save me. Why do I keep feeling this, he isn't even my type! Zera her thoughts raced across her mind.

"That won’t be necessary Zera."

I put my left hand upon my right elbow and moved it along the entire side of my arm with a fast sweeping motion. I whispered: “Body change blade form.”

My arm changed into the form of a large iron blade with a hilt where my wrist should be. It was one of the highest magics I can use now. Body Weaponizing magic.

"What is this?!" Zera exclaimed. "How in the name of Aurora did you just do that".

Hearing him call her, by her first name withouth hestitation made her heart skip a beat.

"Long story, I'll tell you when were back in the village."

Yzer cut off Zera her chains with a swift cut of his arm. "Can you stand Zera?"

Zera amazed by his raw strenght answered.

"Yes I think I can." Zera tried to get up but failed at her attempt.

"No you can't, your leg is al messed up." Her white skirt has turned red from the blood that has stained it. It appeared that there was quite a deep wound underneath there. "I'm going to grab your sword and then I'm going to lift you by your arm over the side of my shoulder. Is that okay with you?"

"L...L...Lift me over your shoulder" Zera stuttered while her face again turned red.

"So my b...b....body will be leaning onto yours?"

"Uhm yeah, unless you got an better idea"

"Well maybe you can..." Rolly intervened.

"Shut up turtle." Zera snapped at Rolly. "This is the best and only idea." she quickly added.

"My turtle-ass it is" Rolly said to himself looking at a small cart that was lying in the back of the cave.

I lifted Zera up while holding her sword in my other hand. "Does this feel okay?"

"Y-Y-Yes more than okay." Zera said. Her heart started racing even faster than before. "Yes this is love she thought. This man is the one and he is a lot stronger then he looks if he can lift me in my armour!"

Rolly looked at Zera, who had a dreamy expression on her face while she was being carried by Yzer. Yzer did not notice. Rolly felt bad for her. Poor girl doesn't realise Yzer is an idiot when it comes to girls he thought by himself.

"Okay Zera, we are almost at the end of the cave. I can see the light of Newa shining in."

"Yzer before we exit you must know the one that did this to me is..." Before she could finish I stopped her.

"Look that is not important we made it to the end of the cave. Now we just have to reach to village. The most important thing is to get you to safe...." I stopped my sentence when came out of the cavern.

"Get her to what?" A dark figure with glowing red eyes replied from the shadows of the forest.