The Storm of Warcania

Chapter 18

Blood, fur, snow and dirt mixed as the two groups clashed at the base of symmetrically rounded hill. The air was filled with the particles of those materials, mingling with raging howls and painfilled cries. The speed and ferocity of the attack had caught the bears unaware and confusion moved through their ranks. Their massive paws swung wildly through the air, missing the faster moving wolves. Their sharp, thick dagger like teeth snapped down on open space that the wolves had occupied only a portion of a heartbeat earlier.

Darrota had dispatched the first snow bear she fought and then another one similarly as quick. She then dashed through the group of bears slashing them as she swiftly bounced off ground, rock and the backs of the bears. She moved too fast and the trail of agonizing bears rolling on the ground had no concept of the source of their injuries.

After the initial contact, the wolves moved to the tactics of speed and distraction. They spread out and encircled the bewildered bears and made individual flashing attacks when the bears were preoccupied with other wolves. Insanis' speed was causing the bears fits as he zipped in and around agitating the frantic beasts. That distraction allowed the others following him to make hacking strikes. Those various persistent attacks causing major damage that resulted in many of the bears to fall as casualties.

The bear that Storm had violently threw to the ground had been rendered impotent and was curled up near the center of the group. Reduced to an immobile hump of bear that could only snap its jaws at any wolves that invaded its space. Storm continued to run in the constricting and loosening circle taking swipes at bears when it was afforded him. He continued to feel like he was flying and deftly sped past many of his classmates in the circle.

Towards the southern edge of the encircled group he spotted Fjell taking vicious slaps with his paw at the encroaching wolves. Storm knew he needed to do some damage to him if they stood a chance of surviving the fight. He moved to the outside of the circle keeping an eye on Fjell as he moved along the northern side of the group. He noticed the large snow panther flying across the backs of the bears along the side that he was closing in on. Storm decided to use the path of destruction the panther was causing to get at Fjell from the backside.

He tightened his trajectory around the group and juked into the mass of bears under the belly of a large male snow bear. He dipped and dashed, left and right avoiding massive tree trunk sized white fur legs. A bear standing on its hind legs had gotten knocked backwards and Storm barely made it out from under the behemoth before it came crashing down on its back. Storm jumped over an errant bear swipe and dove under another before coming to Fjell. His colossal legs jostled the ground and Storm ran between those hind legs and then bit down on Fjell's chest. His rock-hard muscle at first resisted Storm's fangs but then they found hold and he was able to wound the colossal snow bear before shooting out of the group of bears and returning to his circling schoolmates.

A ground shaking roar emitted from Fjell as the pain and anger of Storm's brazen attack moved through his nervous system. Shadow had witnessed the amazing feat, impressed that the young dire wolf would be able to pull it off. He had circled to the southern part of the loop and watched as the frustrated Fjell charged the encircling wolves. He easily avoided the big slow bear, and moved to capitalize on the mistake, when he noticed a massive force of snow bears running down the hill to the north. There was too many of them to stand any chance of fighting. Shadow needed to get his pack down into the valley. "WOODLAND ACADEMY!" he screamed over the sounds of the brawl. "RUN! FALL BACK INTO THE VALLEY."

He realized too late that he shouldn't have screamed out their school's name, but he couldn't undo what he said. The wolves began to peel off the circle and run south down the slight slope into the vast valley filled with snow covered pine trees. He continued to scream the order to fall back as he finished another circle around the bears, ensuring he was the last wolf off the battlefield. He then turned south following his classmates, as the main body of snow bears closed in.

As he ran south, Shadow looked over his shoulder towards the burly snow bear at the front of the main body. He was impressively sized and wore a crown of ice around his head. That bear must be the King of the Snow Bears. He was surrounded by six smaller brown bears that ran in formation around him – his king's guard. Shadow was astounded by his sight and didn't notice the large paw that came flying towards him. The paw and its extended claws slammed into Shadow's flank and flung him through the air a great distance into a boulder that sat on the edge of the pine forest.

Shadow laid dazed leaning up against the boulder with little comprehension of what had happened or who he even was. He looked through blurry eyes at the mighty Fjell walking towards him with his lips pulled back beyond his large teeth. The white fur was stained red down his front right leg with the blood from his chest wound and he emitted a deep rolling rumble as he approached the incapacitated black wolf. His eyes secreted pure rage.

Storm had noticed that Shadow wasn't behind him anymore, stopped and turned around. He exited the trees and found Fjell standing over the jungle wolf with his mouth poised to bite down on him. Without thinking Storm's eyes turned white and he teleported the snow bear to a point high in the sky. Rushing the teleportation, Storm put a little too much Element Energy into it and Fjell reemerged as a small dot against the clouds, representing a dizzying height. The bear flailed and spun through the snowy air trying to make sense of what had happened.

Storm didn't wait another moment. He ran to Shadow and saw the compromised condition the wolf was in. He knew Shadow wouldn't be able to move on his own, so he helped the wolf to his paws and then moved underneath him, hoisting him onto his back and positioning his weight directly above his front legs.

A loud bang caught Storm's attention behind him. He turned and saw that Fjell had landed with a bounce up the slope towards the place of the fight. The hulking body landed a second time at an angle, plowing up snow and slid to a stop. The main body of snow bears were running down from there and they slowed to a stop at the body of their fallen warrior. Storm then realized what Shadow had come to understand moments earlier. The lead bear was the King – Fjell's brother.

The King slowly moved up to the motionless body of Fjell. He lowered his head and nudged the bear but there was no response. He let out a sorrowful weep with his forehead pressed against the flank of Fjell.

Storm correctly assessed that then was a good time to get out of there and began to slowly move back towards the trees trying to remain unnoticed. He carried Shadow through the falling snow and had just about reached the cover of the pine trees when a bone rattling roar came from the group of bears behind him. He turned around and saw the death stare of the powerful King of the Snow Bears, directed unflinchingly at him.