“The hunt began in the dead of night,

Who knew what terrors lurked out of sight?

His hunting ground was dark and vast,

Every step we took could be our last.”

Unsure of what to do next, the two of them stayed close to the outer wall, moving along its side. The air got colder as night drew near.

“So what now?” Arra asked.

“We’re supposed to kill something and go back to the castle, right?” Garassk asked.

“Well, yes.”

“Then you’ve answered the question.”

“Well… I would be open to a more elaborate plan.”

“Planning won’t do us much good until we know what we’re up against. We’ll have to go into the forest before we make a plan. I’ll go first,” Garassk said, crawling forward. “A varanian tongue can find a lot more than a human nose.”

“Lead the way,” Arra said, and Garassk did just that. New scents had emerged, but all Garassk could tell from here was that there were some other creatures in the forest. Whatever they were, they weren’t anything he’d come across before.

Their scent was distracting enough for him to do a double take when he saw a rabbit hopping a few feet away. He pointed to it for Arra to see.

“A rabbit,” she said. “That’s what we’re here for?”

“I believe we’re here to hunt for something dangerous,” Garassk said. “I doubt rabbit is what Zaroth had in mind.”

“So we’re stuck with this useless animal,” Arra huffed.

“Not quite. There are probably a few creatures here that might hunt rabbit,” he pointed out. “We can use it as bait.”

“Hm. That might work. But do we have anything other than arrows to kill it with? I’d rather we save them for the bigger beasts.”

“I’ll use one of mine,” Garassk said, taking aim and shooting. The rabbit staggered for a few seconds before dying, the arrow sticking out of its side.

“Nice shot,” Arra said. “What do you think we’re up against here?”

“I’m not sure,” Garassk said. “Most nobles hunt wolves, boars, or bears, but whatever is in the forest doesn’t taste like any of those things.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“That’s not very reassuring.”

“Nothing around here is. Anyway, we should probably find a place to put that rabbit.”

“Agreed.”

Garassk went over and picked up the body. Following the scents on his tongue, he went toward where the signs of life were clearest. As they drew nearer, the sounds of howling and snarling got louder. The tangle of trees kept them from seeing what they were headed towards.

“Do you hear wolves?” Arra finally asked after they’d gone far enough without saying a word.

“If my tongue picked up the scent, I’d say yes,” Garassk answered. “I don’t know what’s in this forest.”

Not long afterwards, they walked out of the maze of trees, and into the source of the sound. A group of roughly twenty two-legged wolves was pacing around in an abandoned fountain area, only to freeze up as soon as they arrived. The wolves stared at them for a few seconds, and then the largest one howled up at the full moon.

“Run!” Garassk shouted, throwing his rabbit to the right, and barreling toward the left. He didn’t even stop to see if Arra was following. Pausing for anything meant becoming a meal for the werewolves, and he wasn’t about to let that happen. His leg-bones thumped against his hips as his feet hit the ground over and over again. His heart slammed against his rib cage with every beat. Every breath sounded like his last, and if he fell or stopped, it might well be. The trees were lined through the forest haphazardly, meaning that he had to turn and weave at almost every step. Some trees were as dark as the night sky itself, causing him to bump into them a few times.

Don’t let me die here. Please, any gods who will listen, let me live another day, Garassk prayed.

“Garassk, over here!” Arra shouted. Garassk turned to see her standing off to the south of where he was. He charged towards her, and almost sank right into a small river. He took a moment to get his head to the surface before swimming towards her. Arra helped him up to the surface.

“Well… it looks… like we… know what we’re up against now,” Garassk panted.

“Werewolves,” Arra said, shaking her head. “We’re supposed to hunt werewolves!” Garassk didn’t need to flick his tongue out for a scent of fear. It was etched all over her face, and her body was shaking to boot.

“I don’t suppose you’ve ever done so before?” he asked.

“What do you think?!” she shrieked.

“That I’m probably an idiot for asking.”

Arra didn’t answer, but he could tell that she agreed.

“How far behind do you think they are?” he asked.

“I’d rather not find out,” she said.

“Well we’re going to need to make a plan. They’re coming soon.”

They’d made it to safety just in time to see the werewolves arrive from the other side of the stream. They snarled furiously until one who towered over them emerged from the forest behind them. Once he arrived, the rest of them showed more discipline.

“I think we’ve found our target,” Garassk said, thrusting his spear forward to keep the werewolves at bay.

Arra drew an arrow and shot it straight at the chest of the largest wolf. He staggered as the projectile embedded itself into his chest, and sank to the ground, yelping in pain. Arra beamed triumphantly.

She was barely ready when the wolf got up again and lunged over the river. Garassk knew that Zaroth’s challenge would be harder than the man let on, but this was the moment when he realized that it might just be impossible.