Darkness & Light: Book 1: Shatter Our Fates [COMPLETED]

3 - Tiber

He turns, and sees Hayley laying on the ground, her cane fallen from her hand. And a massive brown and white wolf stands over her, its jaws open, drool pooling on the grass at its paws. He doesn't blink, or breathe. Tiber plunges his hand into his enchanted satchel. He focuses on one thought and one alone.

Sword.

And he pulls a sword free of the satchel, and grips it with both hands. He shouts at the wolf, which looks up at him with blazing yellow eyes. He steps forward, aligning himself so he is between her and the beast.

Hayley is struggling to get up, her arms shaking badly. She needs her pain meds. Now.

But Tiber needs to keep her safe, protect her from this thing. He couldn't keep her safe from Achard, or their mom. But now, he knows, he must keep her safe from this wolf.

The wolf growls, and then leaps. He slashes the sword, cutting the wolf across his chest. The massive beast falls, black blood oozing from him. He barks, and Tiber gasps in horror as the wounds he's just cut into the wolf's flesh begins to knit and heal.

And the wolf seems to chuckle as it advances on them. Hayley is sobbing, but he knows its from a mixture of pain and fear. She needs to be safe, he knows. He knows she must be safe.

"Come on, you fucking monster!" Tiber roars. "Fight me!"

The wolf charges forward once more, and Tiber leaps up and to the side, slashing its legs. But the wolf leaps, and lands behind him, facing Hayley. Tiber screams in rage, and he stabs his sword down on the wolf's backside. It howls in pain, and he twists hard.

And the beast growls as it turns to him once more, a fierce look in those yellow eyes. He roars back at it, and the wolf pounces forth once more. But as it tackles him to the grass below, Tiber thrusts the sword's tip up into the beast, and he feels it cleave flesh, bone, and muscle. It tears through to the other side, coming out its chest.

The wolf screams. It is an ungodly sound, and Tiber winces as black blood sprays his face. He twists the sword, and the wolf roars. Adrenaline pumps through his body, and Tiber does not notice the slash on his thigh from the wolf. He just knows he must somehow kill this thing, before it hurts Hayley.

He lets out a battle cry, throwing the wolf off him. It falls back onto the grass behind Hayley. Tiber pulls himself up, using the sword like Hayley would her cane. He advances on the wolf, stalking toward him. Tiber steps closer to the beast and readies to plunge the blade through its skull.

But his sword slices into the soil. The wolf has moved fast, far faster than it should be able to. He whirls, but he is too late. Its jaws clamp on his leg, and this time, Tiber's the one who screams.

The wolf growls, and begins to turn its head, but Tiber slashes it across the throat with his sword. It releases him, and he falls on his butt, his red blood mixing with that of the wolf's black blood.

Its wound heals over, and the monster turns back to them. But then, just as Tiber thinks all is lost, a second wolf barrels out of the woods and plows straight into the first. This one is slightly smaller than the first one. He has black fur and blazing brown eyes, and he lunges forward, tearing into the first wolf with a bestial ferocity.

Tiber turns, and sees Hayley crawling toward him, her sobs loud in his ears. She collapses beside him, panting hard. Her meds have worn off. He shudders to think what agonies she is currently feeling.

He shoves his hand into his satchel once more, and sets down the sword between him and her, thinking one thought. He clears his racing mind, and thinks — Hayley's meds and tonic.

When he pulls his hands free, he has her tonic and meds in them. The wolves are still fighting, and nows not the best time, but he needs her on her feet. So, he passes the tonic and meds to his sister. She downs the pills with the tonic in a quick gulp. Her body shudders hard, and he smiles weakly at her.

"Tiber! You're hurt!" Hayley exclaims.

He hadn't truly noticed that, until those words escaped her lips. He looks down, and sees the gash and bites in his leg. He needs healing salve, but he's feeling off. Out of it, almost a bit .... detached.

He looks at Hayley, then to the wolves, still fighting across the small clearing from them. Tiber's head is swimming. His vision is failing. He then turns to his sister.

"My satchel," he breathes. "Say... healing... juice."

And then, he passes out.