“Get back to the ship! Run!”
My‑re carried the goat, Joey, and ran through the flowery field back to the flying ship, the Unsinkable III. The haunting calls of the crag wolves surrounded them and got closer. She didn’t glance back but heard the footsteps of the four Shagornan Elves following. They wisely heeded her warning.
“We have to warn the other camps!” Vomarian shouted behind her.
“They can hear and if they haven’t started running. They’re already dead.”
They ran through a clearing in the fields with a cropping of tall grass just ahead, perfect for them to conceal themselves from the crag wolves as they ran. Joey began to squirm fiercely. My‑re let him fall. The goat stopped.
The elves caught up to her. My‑re grabbed Vomarian when he passed. Once he stopped, she grabbed another of the passing elves around the chest. She felt the slight hint of cleavage. Well, female Shagornan Elves were with them, after all. The other two continued to run.
“Stop!” My‑re yelled. The elves continued, either not hearing or ignoring her, plowing into the tall fields, and disappeared.
“Why in the nine hells did you do that?” Vomarian asked, looking behind him. He looked at her and followed her gaze to the stationary goat. He continued, “That goat is too stupid to know when to run. It’s going to get us killed.”
Vicious snarls and high-pitched elven screams of agony came from within the tall grass a short distance away. Their shrieks were suddenly silenced, replaced by gurgling. My‑re and Vomarian unlatch their battle axes from their back. The third female Shagornan Elf readied her long spear.
Unseen, low growls emanated from just ahead. The grass parted, and four crag wolves pushed their way through. Behind them, they saw glimpses of other wolves tearing apart the two unfortunate elves and chasing each other for the scraps. They snarled at seeing My‑re and the others. Lips parted, unsheathing yellow-stained fangs ending in dagger-like points. Their gums receded from their teeth to make them even longer. A single bite and infection could be just as deadly as one’s throat being torn out. These wolves were massive. Their shoulders almost reached hers. Their brown and black fur bristled and appeared coarse and thick. Each had long, curved, bone-like spikes from their back and spine. They seemed to be different from the Alastari wolves—a harsh and unforgiving breed from a harsh and unforgiving land. A single one could kill the three of them with ease.
“The hunter becomes the hunted? We’ll test nature’s resolve,” Vomarian snarled. He gripped his battle axe tighter.
The goat, Joey, gave a long bleat. He dashed away into the tall grass. Two crag wolves pursued.
“No!” screamed My‑re. She took a step but stopped. The remaining two wolves moved to intercept her. It spelled Joey’s doom.
“Well, we won’t be eating him after all,” Vomarian quipped, watching two of the wolves leave. “Looks like I owe the little snack one.”
Snarling, the two crag wolves began barking at them. Scratching at the dirt, they made fake lunges. They seemed to be working themselves up in a frenzy to attack.
“Aphasia, formation!” called out Vomarian. Aphasia, the other Shagornan Elf, moved closer. My‑re followed. They formed a triangle defense.
The crag wolves were moving in circles around their opponents.
One wolf catapulted forward, fangs flashing in a deadly assault.
My‑re’s gladiator instincts took over. She dodged right, out of harm’s way.
“My‑re, stay on tag!” bellowed Vomarian.
Cursing herself, she became cut off from Vomarian and Aphasia. The two elves backed away and looked for a better position.
The largest of the wolves and likely leader faced My‑re. It moved constantly without pause.
The other, slightly smaller wolf lunged forward with incredible swiftness and power!
Vomarian twisted away from the blow at the last instant.
It clamped onto Aphasia's left leg. She yelled in pain!
Vomarian bashed with the side of his battle axe. He struck the wolf on the side of its head. He raised his weapon to smash at his opponent. The wolf released his bite and ducked away from the attack.
Howling in eagerness at the battle’s intensity, the wolf leader catapulted forward, jaws flashing in a deadly assault. My‑re gritted her teeth as she impossibly parried the attack with her battle axe.
The wolf’s jaws immediately clenched around the reinforced handle. Its massive weight knocked her to the ground. My-re’s arm muscles snapped taut and kept it at bay. It pushed forward. She could feel wet, hot, and rotten breath exhale from its nose and mouth. Attempting to slide the blade down and slice it, the wolf clamped tighter. Trying to scoot on her derriere, a massive paw landed on her chest. Her cloth clothing and endowments the only things helping absorb the blow. Rib cartilage snapped and popped. It felt good for a moment, then the pain registered. Her strength gave. Her grip slipped. The deadly fangs closed.
A long bleat came from the tall grass. Joey returned. Stupid goat, why did he come back?
Bleat!
At the end of things, My‑re decided her last vision would be her choosing. She turned her head. Joey emerged from the grass. The kid-goat hopped several feet and stopped in the middle of the battlefield.
Time slowed. Two crag wolves chasing Joey lunged intently from the grass toward the stationary target. Their movements slowed and stopped—their jaws inches from Joey’s tail.
Time sped up. A painful ‘yelp!’ carried in the air. Both wolves clawed desperately at the ground and were dragged back into the grass. They disappeared.
An unearthly and ear-piercing shriek cut the air like a blade.
Everyone stopped, including the crag wolf attacking My‑re.
Two creatures’ bodies sailed through the air without a sound. They landed hard on the ground. Their twisted forms came to rest, and their backs and jaws were broken.
A blurred maroon form swiped inches from My‑re’s face. The force knocked her to the side. Baffled that she still lived, the crag wolf on top of her rolled away hard.
Koma stood over her!
The mere dragon issued the same ear-piercing shriek at the wolf confronting her. It felt like daggers piercing her brain. My‑re tried to protect her ears.
Koma swiped with its claw at blinding speed. A vicious claw mark traveled across the crag wolf's face, from its forehead over one eye to its snout, mauling the animal.
The blurred forms of two mere dragons emerged and descended on the remaining crag wolf, keeping Vomarian and Aphasia at bay. Claws, fangs, and whip-like tails spun in a deadly dance. Flanked, the wolf was torn into pieces.
The lone surviving and badly scarred wolf barked in an act of defiance. Koma advanced. The wounded creature cowered and retreated into the grass, howling while it fled.
Using her battle axe, My‑re slowly began to rise. She sipped in the air and clutched her chest. Her battered ribs felt like knives pressing in each time she breathed. An old maul wound from her Blood Game days reopened.
Koma used its snout to help push her to her feet.
Vomarian helped Aphasia to stand. The blood flowing from her leg stemmed. She added weight to it, but it immediately crumpled. Running was right out.
The three mere dragons, Kata, the largest, Koma, and Kuki, not to be confused with a cookie, as Havelock would put it, laid down on the ground and snorted.
“Get on!” Vomarian shouted, and he helped Aphasia straddle Kuki. The elf cringed in pain as her wounded leg fell to the other side. “Our asses aren’t out of the grass yet!”
“How are we going to ride these things? There isn’t any saddle,” My‑re questioned, watching Vomarian climb on Kata.
Numerous haunting howls emanated from the pasture. They were close.
“Never mind, I’ll figure it out,” My‑re said, waving off the fact that a response wasn’t necessary. She attempted to straddle Koma in a couple of places, but none of them felt right. Koma looked at her with what she perceived as annoyance.
“I’ve never ridden a dragon!”
The mere dragon bucked up under My‑re’s legs, and she sprang onto its back. My‑re laid down and gripped a tuff of hair in desperation.
Howls were getting closer.
“Let’s get out of here!”
Koma began to move.
Bleat!
“The nine hells! Joey!” My‑re called out.
The three looked back, and the kid-goat stood in the clearing.
Bleat!
Kata turned with Vomarian on his back and charged the goat.
“Don’t eat him!”
Reaching out, Vomarian grabbed Joey by the scruff of his neck and pulled him into his arms. Reaching My‑re, Vomarian said, “I’d say we owed him one.”