บท 10: The Red Eyed Wolf
Just then a loud roar filled the forest.
Roarrrrrrr!
I instinctively took a step back and looked around apprehensively.
The thing about fear is that it is often times very illogical. I knew Emily was a powerful mage and she wouldn't have brought me here unless she was sure she could guarantee my safety, yet I couldn't help but feel fear.
It permeated my body, rising in me like a dam but I forced myself to be brave, I finally had my chance to learn magic like I've always wanted and I wasn't going to let anything stop me.
Emily looked at me with a smile to reassure me, she reached in her pocket and brought out two short knives. Her eyes rotated in almost 360 degrees as she tried to locate where the sound came from.
Roaarrrrrrr!
The sound came again and this time it was closer. As a plumber finding the faults in pipes is a very tricky thing, you have to listen very attentively and be able to pinpoint abnormal sounds and where they came from with accuracy. This has developed my sense of hearing and as a result of this acute hearing, I very easily located where the sound was coming from.
"It's coming from the right". I whispered to Emily, she nodded and opened her mouth as if she wanted to ask how I knew it but she changed her mind and kept quiet.
Suddenly there was a ruffling sound in the bushes to the right.
Swish…swish.
A pair of red glowing circles appeared first, then the rest of the head of the beast that had made the noise appeared, it snarled as it looked us.
Snarrrlll!
Then it stepped out completely and I had to step behind Emily. It was not like I wanted to be a coward, in fact in my previous life I had made sure to never run from a confrontation, I either won or got beaten up badly, either way I made my point clear and earned the respect of people.
However the creature in front of me was an aberration, a freak of nature. It was a wolf, it stood four feet tall and it had claws that were at least five inches, it's huge head and was spotted and housed two huge eyes that glowed need even though it wasn't night yet. It's snout opened to reveal huge fangs that I knew could rip my arm off in split seconds.
I gulped and positioned myself in a way that I could quickly and easily dive behind Emily if the wolf attacked me. From the corner of my eye I could see Emily watching the wolf, her playful look has gone and her expression has become very serious.
Without looking at me, she started talking.
"Levi, these are twin blades, they seem like ordinary weapons at first but it's a lot more than that". She raised the weapons for me to see. "These are special weapons, forged with the ability to absorb and refine mana".
"Watch this". She said and raised the knives, she took a deep breath and her forehead creased as she concentrated fully. The knives suddenly began to glow with fire and they were completely coated in it.
"Wow". I muttered.
The wolf too seemed to be stunned by the sight, he snarled inquisitively.
Snarrlll!
"One star mages are unable to control pure mana because it is very volatile and too powerful in its raw form". Emily continued. "This is why we have weapons, they help us control the mana and channel it easily without hurting ourselves or people around us".
I nodded, the weapons were like a crutch, to help them get used to control of mana before they eventually use pure mana.
"Now watch as I fight this wolf". Emily said and squared up with the red eyed wolf, she waved her knives in the air and smiled at the wolf.
The wolf was angered by this gesture and it growled in anger.
Growwll!
Then it ran straight at Emily, she jumped out of the way in time to avoid being bitten by the huge fangs.
I realized that Emily was a lot faster than the average human, her reflexes were simply sharper than even the fastest human.
Emily yelled. "Flame whip!" And a thin cord of flame came out her two knives. She snapped the whips at the wolf and it managed to escape the first one but the second one hit it just on its back.
The wolf growled in anger and pain and blew air from its mouth to Emily. The wind turned off the flame whips.
"This wolf's element is air". Emily said. "Which is a direct opposite to my element so I have to be extra careful of it".
"Animals have elements too"? I asked dumbfounded.
"Of course". She said. "All cursed beasts have mana and elemental ability, that's why they are so strong and they wreck havoc all the time".
The more I thought about it, the more I realized I shouldn't be surpised, if there were humans who possessed magical abilities in this realm, there should be animals who possessed as well. Besides, the system had said if I killed one beast I got 10 mana points which meant that they contained mana.
I looked at the wolf again, if I didn't kill it, I wouldn't get mana points and I won't have magic. But how was I supposed to kill a beast as powerful as this without magic in the first place?
The wolf rushed at Emily again and she ducked to the side and with a very quick movement, she drove one of her knives into the neck of the wolf.
It screamed as the flaming knife entered sunk into its skin without any resistance. Emily was not done however, with great speed, she jumped behind the wolf and stabbed its back.
The wolf squealed in pain.
Squeaalll!
Emily took out her knife and went for the wolf's head, three quick stabs and the wolf crumpled to the ground, dead.
She looked back at me triumphantly. "And that's how you kill a cursed beast".
I nodded in awe and was about to tell her I was tired and I'd like for us to go back home when another loud growll surrounded the forest.
Growllll!!
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Sorry this chapter took so long, I had to take my time to build a decent story arc that you all will enjoy. You deserve the best.
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