When the beast’s eyes locked on her, Eïrin dread gnawed her insides. Her hand contracted around the rock she had picked up, and her limbs became numb and shaky.
Her mind went through a thousand futures in a fraction of a second. Regardless, the creature would close his ravenous jaws around her neck and break her spine. She couldn’t picture herself winning.
As her stomach became hard as a rock came the tentative thought of fleeing.
If she ran and abandoned the others, she might escape to the forest and find shelter among the trees. The idea was far from stupid, but the pack leader would catch up to her long before she could reach the green sanctuary.
Her terror mounted with every passing second. She fought the rising panic with all her might, but the pounding of her heart made her pulse race and thrashed in her ears. She couldn’t see or hear anything anymore. The only thing existing was the wolf who wanted to devour her.
As the beast closed in, the group started to throw rocks at them. The marble rain made the beast fall back for an instant but would not keep them at bay for long. They would attack. It was inevitable, and Eïrin knew it.
I’m going to die, thought the girl. We are all going to die.
The panic ignited. Her mind shut down, retreating inward. This could only be a nightmare. She would wake up in her room, safe and sound. It couldn’t be any other way, or so she tried convincing herself.
However, a part of her knew this was not a dream. No lie could obscure this reality.
She stepped back, and her shoulder bumped with the large crystal at the centre of the hill. The lifeless rock shivered. The brazier of her mind connected with it, and suddenly, the hill vanished.
She was in a vast, empty space. Her naked feet rested in a small layer of water. Above her head, the sky was dark and covered with a rain of stars. Three tenebrous moons illuminated the world with their silver shade, floating both in the endless black and over the blurred waters.
Eïrin couldn’t understand why, but as soon as she had reached this place, fear had left her.
The ink-haired girl had always loved watching the night sky. It had always brought peace to her mind, even in her most challenging moments. As she observed the world around her, a strange feeling came to her mind.
It was like watching a reflection of herself in a mirror, an abstract representation of herself.
The moons were her strengths, and the many stars were all the pace she could take. She needed to embrace them and use them.
Eïrin’s heart echoed, sending a vibration across the water.
Then came the voices. At first, only a low rumbling, they grew into a glorious song. The crystals chant echoes in her mind, growing into a grand voice.
Child of the lost and forsaken.
Shadow of death and salvation.
Your arrows shall pierce through the night,
Igniting it bright as moonlight.
Daughter clads in dark and silver,
listen to your name: pathfinder!
Again, her heart pounded, but something had changed. The voices had awakened a shard of the power lingering within her. Her eyes opened anew. Her last fear had vanished, and the water became still as a crystal lake.
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She drew a long breath and left herself to fall into the water. Her mind collapsed. She was back on the hill. She could see the others throwing rocks and yelling to scare the beast. Only silence came to her ears.
She ignored it all and dropped her previous weapon without regard. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the pack leader start to move. His gaze was locked on her. He wanted to be the first to taste blood.
Again, she ignored it and extended her hand forward. The familiar feeling of a weapon she had held often tingled her palm. She closed her left-hand fingers while reaching for her back with the other.
A wave of power echoed within the forest. The crystal radiated with energy, and an intricated dark bow appeared within her hand.
She drew an arrow from the quiver on her back and turned the weapon of war toward her monster. The creature had never seen such a mechanism and felt the danger too late. It tried to dodge at the last second, but Eïrin had already released the projectile.
The arrow flew true and stuck the beast in the middle of the head. The sound of cracking bones echoed. The pack leader was dead, and his dream of conquering the forest with him.
Perfect silence only broke by the last breath of a dying monster. A sharp pain, like a nail piercing her mind, made her wince. The next second, all her comrades felt the psychic magic.
Eïrin had not only awoken her power. She had opened the way for all the others. Weapons of all kinds started to appear in their hands. They could finally defend themselves.
Darius was the first to take a step forward. With a long two-handed sword, the young leader showed the example again.
Watching him step up, the others followed behind. They had cowered before their foes and prayed to nameless gods for a miracle. But now, with the tools needed to retaliate in hand, their opponents lost their sanguine glitz.
Fear evolves into anger. The teenagers’ minds synchronised as they descended upon their foes. The wolves were outnumbered, and their scrawny carcasses would not protect them from the magic weapons.
Darius was the first into battle.
His sword aligned with his head. He lowered his centre of gravity while keeping his back straight. The wolf he had chosen as his opponent was second in command after the past pack leader. A formidable foe for a fighter who had never put his life on the line.
Darius watched the beast’s movement, waiting for it to strike.
That last snarled, turning around Darius in search of an opening. The world surrounding them was no longer. Each one focused on the most fundamental part of life: kill or be killed.
The wolves contracted his legs before rushing in. At the second it entered the blade’s range, Darius stepped forward and threw a diagonal cut.
His motion was precise but not quick enough. The wolf switched direction, evading at the last second.
Bringing his sword back, Darius tried to follow with a lateral, but the beast withdrew. Only a path of fur had felt to the floor.
Darius remembered his swordsmanship instructor, an old veteran who had fought in many wars.
“When fighting for your life, take your time and never hesitate.”
Bringing his sword closer to his body, Darius offered his side to the beast, monitoring his movement with the corner of his eyes. Seeing an opportunity, the wolf pounced again.
Darius tilted his sword, trying to pierce the beast. The wolf was faster. It slipped away and jumped from the side, aiming for Darius’ neck. The boy’s instinct yelled at him to react. He returned his blade, blocking the beast’s pass at the last second.
The hundreds of teeth scraped the steel, producing an acute noise. Too late, he realised his sword was jammed between the ivory daggers. Drawing all his strength, Darius tried to pull his weapon to no avail. He couldn’t step back without forfeiting his blade.
The world knew it and, stepping on his back legs, tried to gut the boy with its claw. Twisting his body, Darius dodged the murderous jab.
Sweat covered his forehead as his eyes locked with the beast. They both understood what was going to happen.
As a shiver ran along his spine, Darius witnessed a rock hit the wolf in the head, just under the eye. This was his only chance to end it.
With a swift move, he freed his sword and, in the same movement, lacerated the beast’s flank.
The wolf rolled on the ground, yelping in pain. Darius pursued behind and rushed his sword’s tip into the creature’s belly. He pierced the skin and splintered bones. When he was sure to have reached the organs, he extirped the blade circularly.
The creature’s torment filled his ears. Its Guts splattered the ground as life fled his body. With a last swift motion, Darius sliced his head, sending it rolling downhill.
The noble turned to who had thrown the stone. Nikolai, who had no weapon, had saved his life. He thanked him with a nod before looking for another target.
At that point, only one wolf was left. Limping and surrounded, he growled at the teenagers. Armed with a glaive, a girl with long white hair approached from its side. She slashed down her weapon, hitting right into the beast’s neck.
Its spine cut, and it collapsed to the ground.
A few wolves had fled, but victory was earned. Cries of joy echoed around them. They had won their first battle, the first of many.