Tali heard the sounds of creatures fighting ahead. Howls and roars tore through the air, mixing with the splintering of wood and yelps of pain.
Skipping over a ravine, the Titan sprinted down the slope. A rocky outcrop lay ahead, the dark grey stone jutting out over empty space like a giant blade. Tali slowed as she heard the sounds coming from below. Without looking she stepped off the outcrop.
She landed hard, her feet sinking into the soft ground. There was a wolf next to her, large enough to look her in the eyes. Its grey fur reflected the moonlight, except for the patch around its neck which was black and jagged, looking like glass daggers, or scales.
The wolf yelped in surprise at her sudden appearance and snapped at her. Tali swatted its head aside and cast [Identify]
[Obsidian Laced Wolf - lvl 145]
Another wolf jumped on her back, its hot breath washing over her face as it snapped finger long teeth closed next to her ear. Shrugging it off, Tali took in the situation.
A cave was recessed into the cliff face she had jumped off. Half-fallen trees and branches covered the entrance, forming a natural barrier. The mother bear she had run into the other day stood before the cave mouth, its muzzle pulled back to show its teeth. Around the bear were the bodies of several wolves, crushed and bitten to death. Even more stalked towards her in a semi-circle.
A wolf snapped its jaws closed on Tali’s calf, its teeth dimpling her skin but unable to break through. The obsidian wolf jerked its head viciously, pulling her off balance. Frustrated, Tali reached out and grabbed it around its neck in an overhead hug. Squeezing tight she crushed its windpipe.
[Obsidian Laced Wolf - lvl 142 slain]
[Experience gained]
[Vitalis gained]
Ignoring the notification, as the experience from such a low-level kill did nothing for her, Tali used the wolf's body as a weapon to send a different wolf rolling away.
There was another eerie howl and more wolves streamed towards them from the woods, their large forms running low to the ground and so tightly packed together it resembled a sea of silver fur breaking around tree trunks and logs.
Tali turned to the bear but had to stop as a wolf grabbed her leg again and pulled, she braced and remained still. Another wolf jumped on her, its weight swaying her. It tried to bite her head and she reached up, holding its salivating mawe away from her. Another wolf crashed into her, its hind legs tearing at her thigh as it tried to join its brother in attacking her head.
Tali snapped the neck of one and pushed the other aside, but more took its place. She heard the bear roar again and between attacks caught sight of it being swarmed as she was. It used its larger size to bully the wolves but they kept coming and when the bear focused on one, the others would attack from behind.
Frustrated, Tali let the warmth take her. She felt the familiar energy surge through her as she burnt her blood and crouching down she sprung forward like a spring. Bowling aside and stomping through the wolves in her path Tali made a beeline for the bear. Using one unlucky wolf as a springboard she snapped its spine as she launched off its back. Soaring through the air she grabbed a wolf that had made it onto the bear's back. Allowing her weight and momentum to carry her onward, Tali ripped the wolf free and threw it to the ground.
She landed and was immediately swarmed, struggling against the mass of fur that obscured her vision. She cast [Bulkwark] and the ground in front of her heaved. Grabbing it, the veins along Tali’s arms bulged as she tried to flip it. Setting her feet and burning even hotter, Tali flipped a patch of soil burying a few wolves.
One wolf jumped over its struggling companions. A black blur arced out to meet it, and the wolf was knocked off course, blood spraying through the air. Tali looked back. The bear stood over her, its fur wet with blood and saliva. The white crest on its head was dyed red.
Nodding her thanks, Tali pulled at a wolf that refused to release the bear's hind leg. Grabbing its jaws in each of her hands, the muscles along her back bunched before she tore its head in two.
More notifications appeared in the corner of her vision. She ignored them.
Throwing her head back, Tali let loose a laugh to rival the howls.
-
Edan staggered back, his arm up to block his eyes from the sharp claws that threatened to blind him. Swiping viciously at the ball of hair in his face, Edan sent the monkey flying back. Angry chitters filled the air as the monkey's family witnessed the attack. Taking the reprieve Edan cast [Identify]
[Striped Forest Simion - lvl 31]
[Striped Forest Simion - lvl 30]
[Striped Forest Simion - lvl 33]
With over-muscled forearms and small hind legs, the monkey stood hunched over. Their horned heads were bare of the thick green fur that covered most of their bodies and the tallest only came up to Edan’s knee. Their skin, where he could see it, was wrinkled and dark brown. Markings covered their fur in dark splotches, helping them blend into the foliage around them.
There had to be a hundred. Edan could see their forms dotting the branches of the surrounding trees and several had taken to the forest floor, hiding behind tree trunks and peering at him through fern leaves. A few brave ones had approached the camp first, and seeing Edan was by himself, they had attacked.
They were wickedly fast and nimble, dodging Edan’s swings and climbing up his body to bite at his face and neck. Already Edan could feel the sting of teeth in his bicep.
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Pulling the monkey off with a growl, Edan threw it to the side. The monkey hit the ground, rolled, and rebounded to its feet. Screeching at him it pounded its chest, making a soft pit-pat sound. It would have been cute if the rest hadn’t joined in. The sound echoed from the forest, sounding like the approaching feet of a hundred people.
Edan scooped up a stick from the fire and waved it about threateningly. One of the monkeys on the ground picked up a twig and mimicked him. Edan didn’t speak monkey but he was almost certain the look in its eyes was snide malice.
So Edan threw the flaming stick at it.
The monkey screeched and dove to the side. It rolled frantically on the ground, trying to ensure it wasn’t on fire before scampering back up the tree.
Emboldened by the reaction, Edan scooped up another stick and shook it at them. A stone flew out of the forest and struck him in the shoulder. Edan staggered back, his shoulder stinging. Another stone flashed in the firelight and Edan ducked instinctively.
“Want to throw shit, aye?” Edan growled. He bent down and picked up the firestone from among the ashes of their campfire. He could feel the heat through his fingers, but it didn’t bother him. “Catch!”
Edan had years of practice with throwing knives, but he still used [Throw] to be sure.
Like a shooting star, the stone streaked through the darkness and hit one of the monkeys in the tree above square in the chest. Sparks exploded on impact and the hair on its chest caught fire. The monkey screeched in fear and batted at its own chest. This only made the fire spread to its arms.
The monkeys around it tried to help but that made it worse. The fire danced from one to the next. Soon there were five monkeys streaking through the branches on fire. Then there were fifteen. They ran around wildly, falling from branches like leaves.
Edan watched a streak of notifications pop up in the corner of his vision.
[Striped Forest Simion - lvl 32 slain]
[Striped Forest Simion - lvl 30 x2 slain]
[Striped Forest Simion - lvl 33 x 3 slain]
…
..
[Experience gained]
[Vitalis gained]
[Level 32 -> Level 33]
[+15 Stat Points]
Edan was feeling pretty good about himself when the surrounding monkeys lost it. They began hooting and hollering and jumping up and down on the tree branches with enough force to shake the whole tree. Those still on the ground slammed their fists into it and spun in a circle.
Then they stopped. So suddenly and so in sync that the silence was deafening. As one, hundreds of eyes glared at Edan with pure animosity. Lips pulled back from thick yellowed canines.
Then like a crashing wave, they came at him.
Edan backpedaled rapidly, using his stick like a bat he swatted at those that launched themselves at him. Even more clawed at his feet and legs, trying to pull him down at the same time they started to climb up his body. They bite at him, making him scream in shock and pain.
-
Tali twirled, the stone axe she was using carving a swarth in the oncoming wolves. They fell before her in droves, their blood turning the ground slick as their bodies piled up around her. At her back, the bear huffed, its breath great gusts of moist air as exhaustion dulled its attacks. Wolves continuously slipped around Tali, and under the wild attacks of the bear, to jumped on the creature.
Tali chopped downward, removing one wolf's head as she grabbed another one around the neck, keeping its snapping jaws at bay. Dropping her weapon it turned to rubble. She punched the wolf in her hand, the blow caving in its face and muzzle. Using it as a battering ram she smashed anything around her before throwing it away. Looking over her shoulder she spotted a wolf gnawing at the bear's hind legs. Hopping up onto the bear she ignored its grunt of protest and slid down its back. The angle was awkward so her kick lacked the strength to kill it outright, but it pushed the wolf away.
The creature bowled over others of its kind before coming to rest next to the largest wolf Tali had seen. It was the same size as the bear, just lacking the mass. Its fur was pitch black and clumped together as if wet. Its muzzle was covered in scars and eyes of dirty yellow sclera and pale green irises stared at Tali.
Not breaking eye contact with Tali the alpha dipped its head. The wolf at its feet whimpered as its jaws closed around its throat. Casually, as if it cost no effort at all, the alpha wolf tore the throat out of the wolf and throwing its head back, swallowed the chunk of meat.
[Mutated Amalgamation - lvl 183].
Blood dripped from the black wolf's muzzle as it regarded Tali for a moment longer. Then it howled and the wolves around them attacked with renewed vigour.
-
Edan fell back, blinded, as the ground under him shifted. He staggered, trying to keep his balance as he fought off the endless gnashing of teeth and claws that tore at him. He felt something cold wrap around his ankle and almost jerked it back on reflex before realizing it was water.
The monkeys had forced him to retreat into the water.
Pulling one from his face, Edan grimaced as its clawed hand came away with a tuft of his hair. Squeezing it in the hopes of inflicting some pain on it, he threw the monkey aside as another chewed on his ear.
Pulling it, and a chunk of his own flesh, free. Edan ensured he had a good grip on the monkey's leg before using it as a mallet at those still clinging to him. The onslaught slowed and Edan took a second to gulp down sweet, clean air. The sweaty smell of monkey hung heavy in the air and the only breaths he’d managed had been filtered through the thick fur of the ones stuck to his face.
Splashing made him jerk to the side, worried they had gotten in behind him. He saw one of the monkeys slip beneath the surface, its body sinking with unnatural swiftness.
“Can’t swim?” Edan teased, falling back further into the pond until the water came up to his waist. The monkeys that had been clinging to him let go and splashed furiously in the water in an attempt to get back to shore. Some made it, by standing on the heads of the others, but not all.
Edan wiped blood from his eye. A gash had opened up on his forehead.
Edan could make out the forms of the monkeys destroying the camp in the dying light of the campfire. Their small forms bounced all over the place, casting flickering shadows, as they tore the tents apart.
-
Tali dropped her shoulder and used [Engage] her target the Alpha wolf. She tore through the wolves in her path, their bodies smashed to pieces or tossed aside under the unrelenting force of her charge.
The dark wolf watched her approach and at the last second moved aside. It moved like liquid lightning as it dodged Tali’s kick. Twisting around the blow, the wolf snapped at her calf. More than willing to trade blows, Tali let its fangs pierce her leg as she slammed her fist down on top of its neck.
With a sickening crack, its spine broke, and the creature's large body flopped to the ground in a lifeless heap. The wolves around them froze, a few letting out confused whimpers. Pulling the teeth from her legs Tali let the dead wolf's body collapse.
A bit of spine pierced through the wolf's thick pelt, the white bone bright against the sea of dark fur. Blood dripped from the wound to land on the forest floor.
Tali caught something moving out of the corner of her eye and crouching down she stared at the forest floor. There, where the drops of blood fell, were worms. Small, white worms.
There was a muted crack and Tali looked over in time to see the spine recede back into the wolf's skin. Its paws twitched and a low rumble sounded from deep within its chest.
