The Sage's Vow

5.3 || According to Plan

The monsters were wolves, but not quite. They were large, reaching perhaps a meter and a half tall, though made to look taller by their thick, misty-grey coat. The fur thickened and flowed around their necks like a mane. A smoky vapor spilled from their glowing blue eyes, and that same substance formed wisps that trailed from their paws.

The biggest difference between them and normal wolves, though, were the scaled wings protruding from their backs. Some used those large wings to plummet toward Cale from above. Others charged on the ground. Many ran on all fours, but a few strange ones near the back lumbered forward on two legs, their forepaws waving in front of them.

They were speedy creatures, regardless of how they traveled. Three lunged at Cale at the same time one struck at his head. Mara's hand tightened around her bow, and ice danced at her fingertips, awaiting her command. But her worry was unfounded.

Cale moved as swiftly as the monsters, if not faster. He ducked beneath the flying wolf. Shouting "Draznik terrath," Cale dragged one blade up in an arc, an earth spike following behind him and piercing the wolf above. Using the momentum of that swing, he continued spinning, blades lashing out to slice through the three grounded wolves.

Two of them fell, but the one in the sky flapped its wings to retreat and the third that wasn't flying jumped into the air. Energy poured from the stump where its front paw had been.

A low growl behind her had Mara spinning around, an arrow crafted and bowstring drawn back. She located the wolf diving at her, made the smallest adjustments to her aim, and released. The monster didn't disintegrate, but it did veer off course.

Mara frowned as she created three more arrows and shot. Cale had lopped off the heads of the two wolves he had defeated, but Mara hadn't thought she'd really have to go that far. From what she had been told, the Plane started out with really weak monsters that could be beaten from a few simple wounds, and they grew stronger as one went deeper. The first beasts they encountered shouldn't have been sturdy enough to handle much damage.

The next three arrows buried themselves deep within the wolf's chest. It wasn't until she put one through each of its eyes that its body hit the ground and started to disintegrate.

Mara dodged around the closing wolves as she scanned the area for a place to perch and watch, all while running through the monsters she knew. Wolves were a common shape for monsters to take, but surely only one type would have wings. The mist also seemed to cling to the wolves, following them. Mist wolves with wings, mist wolves with wings...

Kidron growled. Kludiers. I have never seen one, but Cestir has mentioned them before. Annoying beasts. They're pack monsters that live in forest lakes and rivers, but they can attack from anywhere, apparently. Water, sky, earth... Kidron paused, and his realization jolted through the bond.

Mara cursed as she swung toward Cale. She found another wolf lunging at her. She created three arrows with one draw back of her string and released them. The shot hit her target, but it skittered away rather than going down.

"Caleb, watch below as well—"

He may have sensed it, or perhaps Ezraim had provided Cale a warning as well, because he reacted quicker than her own callout would have allowed. He dodged a slash from one kludier before leaping into the air. A kludier erupted from the ground right where he'd once stood, its snapping jaw reaching for Cale's leg. As gravity reclaimed him, Cale used the force of his fall to shove one blade down the throat of the kludier that had come from the ground.

He landed, rolled, and instantly went back on the offensive against two kludier, one charging from the ground and the other swooping from the sky. "Samara, I can handle these. Get to a safe place to watch!"