I chew grass to clean out the revolting substance that coursed through those monsters. It had blocked my olfactory sense. I notice the vile stench seems to be retreating. They took us for easy prey, but learned better.

We hunt, and take down large prey. After feeding, I summon two more wolves, and we feed again. My pack is strong and ready to prowl. Morning turns to day.

We find many felled beasts, rotting with their blood still in them. Their mana is drained instead. This shouldn’t happen to natural beasts, as they have no means to use their mana. It is meant to return to the land as they decompose. Whatever felled these beasts, it is harming the land. The land wants this threat removed.

The vile stench again, in the distance. We stalk toward it. As the stench builds, a powerful presence builds with it. The presence has a different quality, entirely unlike those monsters. We continue passing through the growth, quietly, and happen upon six small monsters, entering from the opposite end, sweeping their eyes across the clearing.

We sneak through the brush. I am the least stealthy, so I lag behind. My wolves get close enough to lunge at them, and one of the monsters shouts. Battle begins.

I set my wolves on them in pairs, rapidly ending two of the small monsters. The other four form a wall, and I have my wolves form an arc around them. I stalk through the clearing while the monsters are distracted. My wolves push with unnatural coordination, surrounding them and forcing them to put their backs against each other. Once they see me, I’m too close. All five of us attack at once, killing them instantly.

My sense of scent dulled again, I follow the presence.

*

We pass silently past hordes of vile monsters. Despite my senses being dulled, I can smell them. Fighting them doesn’t replenish our strength. It’s best to avoid them.

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The presence grows in intensity as we get closer. We are deep within the stench now. A subtle song seems to come from its direction.

“Come,” a voice that seems to match the presence instructs me. “Hurry!”

We gallop into a large clearing. A great venerable tree sits in the center. A battle rages around it between humanoids and the twisted monsters I encountered before. We charge toward the battle. Mana dances around the humanoid casters.

The humanoids are clearly the defensive force, holding back the monsters and raining projectiles upon them; they are visibly fatigued. The monsters are attacking intelligently, but they are hardy, and fresh monsters continue to trickle in through the treeline.

We harass the monsters while approaching the defensive line. The monsters are not weak, but my pack’s uncanny teamwork is beyond their ability to handle. I make a direct run for the defensive line, toward a large monster’s back.

“Grow your pack.” A sensation of cool water washes away my hunger. I call four more wolves.

The harassment is working. The smaller monsters are the most numerous, and they are highly maneuverable; attacking their movements is allowing the humanoids to rest. The medium monsters are the commanders. They issue orders and their movement patterns change.

The twisted monsters tighten their positions; the commanders move forward, the wall of large ones pulls back, and the small ones traverse shorter distances. I pull back my wolves before they are surrounded. A sparse wall of small monsters forms behind the commanders. To either side, they are doing the same thing, as small monsters run from one commander to the next.

One of the humanoid casters points his hand at the commander nearest to me, and a globe of darkness emerges from nothing. I send a few wolves into it. They are absorbed into the darkness. I can no longer see what they see, but I don’t need to see. They are one with the darkness. The illusion that we are separate is undone in there.

“Good. Use the darkness.” The presence is watching.

A set of teeth materializes around the neck of the commander and tears it apart. His underlings fall similarly. More pockets of darkness appear, and I garrison them with wolves. The casters sweep the darkness across the enemy line, throwing them into chaos. Those twisted monsters enter alive, and exit dead.

The monsters’ assault crumbles completely, and the survivors retreat completely from the clearing. The humanoids get to work preparing for the next attack.

“The demons fell back, with your help. But they will return. Let us talk after.”