Chapter 8 - Weak
“It seems there was a large battle here between powerful beasts.” Cario said, “but it weren’t equal in numbers. There were about 20 wolves fighting something more powerful.” Cario was reading the indentions in the snow and area of the bloody battlefield to theorize what had happened.
“What? But aren’t wolves the most powerful in this forest?” one of the men traveling along asked.
“Hmm….this beast’s footprint also seems like a small wolf’s, meaning it hasn’t fully developed yet.” Cario explained his observation with a confused look.
“Could it be the legendary black wolf? Black wolves themselves are not rare but the only one who can stay in this weather is that black wolf.” Auo said aloud to all of them. “Then, Naulo should be around here?”
“Wait, look at this over here!” Cario said as he saw the black wolf’s footprint near the tree. The snow falling covered the footprints of the small child who was too light to even make a deep impression so the group wasn’t able to follow them. Despite the hill being small people standing at the bottom couldn’t see what was on top. Cario followed the footprints up the hill and said aloud, “It seems that the wolf pick up something light on the hill before it ran away from the other big wolves.”
“It was Naulo, wasn’t it?” Auo said with almost certainty.
Cario agreed with a nod, “Most probably. We should follow the footprints before they get covered by the snow.”
The weather in the Esmori Mountains were always either snowing or windy making tracking very difficult. Even though all member of the Renaun tribe were efficient in tracking, Cario was the best. As everyone was gathering atop the hill preparing to follow Cario, Lino yelled out.
“Wait!” Lino paused and closed his eyes sending out his mana to the surrounding 100 meter tall trees. “It seems as if there is a group of wolves heading our way. Their number reaching around 50.”
“Are they after the black wolf?” Auo stated.
“Naulo might be in trouble right now! What if the black wolf hurt Naulo!” Xaro who was silent until now yelled aloud. He felt that Auo wanted to stop the group of wolves approaching instead of hurrying to Naulo’s rescue.
“That’s,” Auo paused, he felt no fear when he realized the black wolf took Naulo. His instinct told him that Naulo was not going to be in danger with the black wolf and he had lived a long time trusting his instinct. “Lino, I can’t explain it properly but I believe that Naulo would be safe and the immediate danger would be this group of approaching wolves.”
Lino was the strategist of the group so they all looked to him. Lino nodded and said, “Okay, we shall set up a base here and prepare to engage in battle with the approaching wolves.”
“Sir Auo!! Naulo is with a wolf! A wolf! Why would he not be in danger?!! Sir Lino! How can you just abandon a tribe member?” Xaro was getting hysteric because his best friend was in danger yet all of them were putting it off to the side!
“XARO! This is a decision of us adults. We have experience based on what we decide.” Cario reprimanded Xaro strongly.
“Father?!!” Xaro yelled in surprised, he thought that his father would be different but his father also pushed aside one of their own, “Then I must go find Naulo! Even if I’m going alone!”
Xaro left the group ignoring Cario’s call for him to come back and stay here with them.
Auo came up and patted Cario’s shoulder, “It’s fine Cario, Xaro would be safe since most of the other dangerous beasts has left the vicinity. I think we can let the children find Naulo. I doubt the black wolf will attack Naulo’s friends.”
Cario sighed and agreed with Auo, “Mila and Mili you guys can follow Xaro.” Mila and Mili glanced at Lino and saw him nod so they followed after Xaro.
In the distance Xaro was seen tracking the black wolf’s footprints while muttering angrily, “I can’t believe them. Why would they do that to Naulo. They just abandoned him! Sir Lino and the other guys I understand because Naulo is weak they didn’t really care much for him since he can’t bring in benefits for the tribe, but Sir Auo and Father, I do not!! Naulo is Sir Auo’s son!! Why would he abandon his own son?! And Father!! Father has always said that the weak must be protected, why did he also abandon Naulo?!”
From behind two beautiful girls approached. They quietly followed behind Xaro sensing his mood. Soon they arrived at the cave where Naulo and the black wolf were. Xaro took some time to find the entrance since ice vines covered it, which were a blue-white in color and ice cold to the touch.
As Xaro was preparing to enter the cave he was knock out flying towards the tree behind.
“Xaro!!” Mila and Mili screamed in shock as they rush towards him. Mili immediately used her power to heal Xaro as Mila faced the cave entrance in a fighting stance with Xaro and Mili behind her.
**Grrrrr**
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From the cave entrance appeared a 4-meter tall pitch-black wolf. The fur was so dark it did not reflect the sun in the slightest. It seems to be absorbing all the light hitting its body.
‘Too weak! I can’t leave Naulo to them. Enemies are coming!’ the black wolf thought.
The black wolf return quickly into the cave and brought Naulo out and ran with Naulo.
“Naulo!!” Xaro screamed helplessly at the disappearing figure of the black wolf and Naulo
DAMN IT!!! I’m so useless!! So weak!! I was too preoccupied with finding Naulo that I forgot to check the surroundings! Naulo is now gone right before my eyes while I got stupidly injured causing other people to worry! I’m so weak!
Xaro thought as Mili healed him. He was extremely disappointed in himself. He now knows that without power to back him up he will not be able to protect what is important to him. He was extremely frustrated as he clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging into his flesh drawing blood, which was also healed by Mili. After Mili was done Xaro stood up and turn towards the two girls, “Let’s follow.”
The girls nodded and followed Xaro running behind the wolf.
“It’s not just your fault Xaro. I wasn’t injured or anything but I let the wolf take Naulo away. I froze when I saw that black wolf.” Mila said quietly, but everyone heard her clearly.
“No, it was normal. We need more experience.” Xaro said without turning around as he was running ahead of Mili and Mila.
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The large wolf pack was heading back to the bloody battlefield from before to make tracking the black wolf easier. The leader wolf’s ears twitched as they approach the place and stopped walking causing all of the other wolves to stop as well.
‘You, take 3 wolves from the main pack and 4 from the side pack and head around the hill near the battle area and find that black wolf. Make sure to kill him using any means necessary.’ the leader ordered the gray-white wolf from earlier.
The gray-white wolf immediately gathered the troops and head out without question.
It seems the foolish two feet wants to challenge the Frost Wolves pack. Hummph.
‘Fellow wolves! It seems we shall be seeing more bloodshed today!’ the leader said to the other wolves who all howled with eagerness.
**AWUOOOOOOOOOOO**
All of the wolves then charged forward towards the battlefield.
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Naulo awoke as the black wolf was carrying him. His vision was still blurry and his mind was still disoriented. He still had a terrible headache from before and was in a state of half awake, in pain, and half in a dream-like state.
The black wolf was trying to find a safe location near the Renaun village to leave Naulo before its enemies come. There were more powerful people in the village that could protect Naulo. With its concentration focused it did not notice the group of white wolves approaching from the sides and behind at frightening speed.
Three wolves attacked at the same time from the left, right, and behind the black wolf as four wolves stood guarding the corners where the black wolf can run and the gray-white wolf was standing in front of the black wolf.
The wolf from the left arrived first aiming for the hind leg, the right wolf aimed for the child the black wolf was holding, and the wolf from behind was aiming to disable the black wolf’s movements by grabbing the tail.
The black wolf jumped up as the three wolves came and stepped on the wolf from behind and jumped even further back. The three wolves barely missed each other as they completed the attack at different timing. The two wolves from the corner ran forward to attack. As soon as the black wolf landed the two wolves appeared and it’s sharp teeth sank into the black wolf’s hind leg hitting the bone as the other aimed for the black wolf’s neck, which also endangered the child.
The black wolf quickly threw the child behind the two wolves towards an area near the tree shadows avoiding the trees and quickly used [Shadow shift] to appear in the shadow and caught Naulo when limped away from the group.
The white wolves weren’t stupid they realized that the black wolf valued that child’s life.
‘Aim for that child! If we can use the child as hostage then we can even bring back the black wolf alive for the Leader to kill!’ ordered the gray-white wolf as they began the chase.
Urrgh...Naulo. I’ve brought trouble to you again. This time...I must be able to protect you. This time you will not be alone.
The black wolf quickly tried to find someplace safe. It was running out of mana fast since [Shadow shift] uses a lot of mana. The most dangerous is if it gets surrounded again and must find a wall to have its back protected. The black wolf was lucky and found a gigantic rock that could function as a wall. It was too steep for climbing so its back would be safe.
It placed Naulo near the rock and quickly turn around taking a defensive stance as the other 8 wolves arrived.
‘Well well. It seems as if you value that thing’s life? Interesting. You? The Wolf of Death?’ the gray-white wolf mocked.
‘Shut up. I am me and I shall value whatever I see fit. Why are you all chasing to kill me anyway?’ the black wolf questioned with a growl.
‘Hummph, why should I answer you, brat. The leader said to kill you so your death is certain. Attack!’
Four wolves ran forward as they aimed for deathblows. However, due to the smaller size of the black wolf it easily bypasses the attack of the first wolf that arrived delivering a deadly bite to the windpipe, tearing it out. The second wolf arrive soon after and delivered a bite to the torso of the black wolf, who was unable to dodge in time due to the bitten hind leg and was knocked over. However, due to the black wolf’s high defense fur that absorbs everything, most of the damage was absorbed but the black wolf was still injured. The third wolf was approaching aiming for the neck of the black wolf as the black wolf turned and bit the foreleg of the wolf biting it. The wolf that was biting the black wolf growled in pain but did not let go as the third wolf approached.
Seeing death approaching the black wolf used a new skill causing the third wolf to fall over and unable to move.
Wait, where is the fourth wolf?!
The black wolf quickly realized that only three wolves out of the four attacked him and saw the fourth wolf heading towards Naulo. Fear filled its being as it used the last of its mana to perform a [Shadow shift] towards the fourth wolf.
Naulo saw the wolf approaching but wasn’t able to do anything but crawl away. Naulo wasn’t able to stand up due to the fear of the situation as well as the fear of the black wolf that was getting fatally injured in front of him. As the white wolf closes into Naulo he saw its shadow flicker and the battered black wolf appear in the corner of its eyes. The white wolf ignored the black wolf appearing and focused on capturing the child as a hostage. However, with the black wolf’s tackle the claws of the white wolves missed its target, instead grazing the child.
“Arrrrgh!!” the child yelled as he flipped on the ground a few times from the force before landing in a bush nearby.
The white wolf was quickly disposed of as the black wolf tore off its windpipe.
NOO!! Naulo!!
The black wolf saw the other wolves running towards the place where Naulo fell and quickly lost it’s mind as it let out a dreadful howl.
**AWWUOOOOOOOOOOOOO**
It’s all my fault! I should have quickly taken Naulo back to his village instead of recovering my mana! I should have known my own strengths before taking Naulo with me! I’m too weak to be near Naulo! If I lost Naulo again!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
The golden eyes of the black wolf turned blood red as red tears started to fall from its eyes.
‘Shit! It has entered berserk mode? I thought it wasn’t possible for an immature Death Wolf?! Quickly, retreat!! Forget that thing!’ the gray-white wolf ordered the other three as it’s hair stood on end. The wolves still alive quickly ran away.
The black wolf’s wounds started to heal as dark smoke appeared. The blood red eyes only looked towards and locked onto the fleeing wolves. The black wolf did not even glance at the bush Naulo fell in and left an after image as it chased after the other wolves.
I will return by your side to protect you when I get stronger! Wait for me, Naulo.