A Werewolf Fantasy
Chapter 18

They crossed the border into Denai' Vena an hour after the sun disappeared behind the clouds. The relief amongst the werewolves was palpable and they appeared to become even more energized, knowing that they were only a short distance from home.

However, they were all also aware that they were not yet completely out of danger, as long as they have not yet reached the fenced fortress that separated the Smallchief compound from the rest of the community.

Erin said a silent prayer in her heart that the rest of the journey will be uneventful. If they had made it this far without any attack, surely, they might get home in one piece without any more surprises. "Almost there," Danshak whispered beside her as if he could hear her thoughts.

Just then, they heard the piercing howl of a werewolf from somewhere ahead of them. They couldn't see who it was yet, but they could all tell that the voice was coming from somewhere ahead of them. They kept on running, not breaking speed or formation as they advanced.

The unseen werewolf howled again, this time, the sound was ethereal with an eerie pitch that sent shivers down everyone's spine.

"Who on earth is that?" Erin asked irritably.

The answer to her question became evident as they came out through a grove of trees and they sighted a lone werewolf standing on a hill, its silhouette outlined in the distance with the full moon seemingly behind it.

When it lifted its muzzle to the sky to let out another howl, the dark beasts suddenly appeared in their hundreds from every corner of the woods and ran toward the traveling party. The moment they had all dreaded had finally come and it was time for them to fight for their survival.

"Stay close to me," said Danshak to Erin as the beasts began their mad dash towards the werewolves who now appear to have run straight into a dark cloud of snarling fangs and flailing claws.

The creatures descended on them, attacking any werewolf on sight, and before long, Erin found herself fighting two beasts at the same time. One was on her back trying to rip her flesh with its sharp claws, while the other was in front of her attempting to tear out her eyes.

With a strength she didn't know she possessed, she shook off the one on her back, dodged the one in front of her, and turned around in time to deal a hard kick to her previous assailant with her hind leg. It landed beside Danshak who wasted no time in biting the creature in the neck, unleashing a stream of blood.

The other beast came at her again, digging its claws into her shoulders. The sharp pain destabilized her for a few seconds but she recovered soon enough to bite the creature's ear, tearing the organ off its head. It screamed in pain and let go of her but before it could recover, her father rammed into it and massacred the wounded creature.

Another howl rent the air and it appeared to give renewed energy to beasts, who now became even more vicious in their attacks, running about wildly like mad dogs. In the rabid haze, Erin noticed that her father, Danshak, and one of the Quandagh warriors created a kind of shield around her to make sure that the evil creatures didn't get to her.

Through the fracas, she could see the Prime Alpha and Olna Raven fighting back to back with their sons nearby. The entire scene looked like something out of a horrible nightmare.

The more the werewolves killed the beasts, the more new batches appeared from the woods. It was apparent to her that the plan was to kill Vak Smallchief and everyone connected to him on this very spot.

One beast eventually broke through the protective fence shielding Erin and it landed on her, biting her in the back. She screamed and tried to shake it off but it wouldn't budge and its claws were now hooked into her sides, causing her intense pain.

"Edvana!" Danshak screamed, trying to break free from his three attackers but was unable to. "I am coming for you, my love," he called out as he continued to battle his enemies.

Erin heard the urgency in his voice and she could see that he wanted to come and rescue her but it was impossible as he was now partially buried under his assailants. She knew she needed to save herself or die while waiting to be freed from her attacker.

She rolled herself over, landing on the ground with the beast beneath her. It still held on to her, refusing to loosen its grip on her flanks. With all her strength, she got up to her feet again and ran headlong into another beast that was at that moment, wrestling with Zanisck, and she rammed the one on her back against its compatriot.

Her opponent lost its hold on her and fell to the ground, and was immediately attacked by the other one that had been fighting with her brother-in-law.

Zanisck used the opportunity to pounce on the beast he had been wrestling with and delivered a fatal bite to its neck, even as it struggled with its kind. It was as if the creatures were programmed to simply fight anybody they ran into, even if it was one of their own.

Erin followed suit and finished off her attacker too while its fellow was being executed. She had never killed anyone before, but she had no remorse for ending the life of this vile creature that has put her in so much pain while trying to kill her. "Edvana, you are wounded," Zanisck observed. "Stay close to me. I will make sure none of these beasts come near you again."

"No, don't worry about me. I'm fine," she lied. She didn't want to be a burden to anyone during this war. Everyone is already fighting to stay alive, so it would be unfair of her to expect them to add her to their list of concerns right now. "You're hurt too," she noted. "So, we both need to look out for ourselves, I guess."

The lone wolf on the hill howled again, and as before, the beasts became even more enraged, tearing at their prey viciously like possessed animals.

"Who is that?" Erin asked, indicating to the lone werewolf with the glowing white fur.

"That is my uncle, Nikjin," replied Zanisck. "Our lives are in danger as long as he lives. I need to replace a way to get to him."

"Zanisck, look out!" Erin screamed.

Zanisck turned around in time to catch a beast in mid-air as it dived toward him. He wrestled the creature to the ground and they tussled for several minutes while Erin tried to replace a way to join the fray and help him out.

She was reminded of her own safety when she felt a sharp pain on her tail, and when she turned around, she found one of the creatures behind her with its sharp teeth fastened on her rear. Her scream of agony was nearly as loud as Nikjin's howls, drawing the attention of nearby werewolves.

To her relief, Danshak showed up and fought the beast off her, finishing off the creature with a deadly bite on the neck. Erin was so worn out by her pain, that she lay on the ground weeping.

She needed to replace the dream stone and then search for a safe place to fall asleep so that she could return home to her real life. She couldn't take this pain and fear anymore, she wanted out and she wanted it now.

"Edvana," she heard Danshak calling out to her. Although he was right beside her, she seemed to hear his voice from somewhere far away. "My love, my mate. I am here now, look at me, Edvana. Please, stop crying. I am here now."

"I don't want to be here anymore," she wept. "I want to go back home. I want this to be over now. I don't want to stay here anymore."

"I know," he said softly. "I know, my beloved mate. Come, let me carry you. I will take you to somewhere safe."

"Nowhere is safe here, Danshak. Look around you, look at the madness surrounding us. We are doomed!"

"No, my love. We are not doomed. The Prime Alpha is still alive, so there is yet hope. Stay with me."

Erin wanted to believe his words so badly but the reality around them was so bleak and so hopeless. She managed to gingerly get up to a sitting position on her hind legs with his help, and as she lifted her head, she saw a sight that terrified her.

The white werewolf on the hill was no longer howling, but instead, it was looking directly at the battleground with glowing eyes. Its sight was trained on the Prime Alpha and Olna Raven who were still fighting back-to-back against multiple beasts.

Slowly, Nikjin began to make his way down the hill toward the battle arena and the beasts seemed to give way to him without even looking in his direction. It was like watching the Biblical Moses parting the Red Sea effortlessly. Even the werewolves gave way to him without meaning to, and none of them could even attack him because some unseen forces appeared to repel everyone he passed.

"Look," said Erin to Danshak. "Look at what is happening."

Danshak turned to see what Erin was showing him and even he was mystified by the scene unfolding before his eyes. Everything else around them seemed to happen in slow motion as Nikjin continued his majestic walk toward his target. "He is going to attack my parents," Danshak whispered in horror. "He has held everyone spellbound by some dark magic and he is going to use that to fight my father."

"You have to save the Prime Alpha," said Erin. "He doesn't know Nikjin is near. You have to save him before it's too late."

"I do not want to leave you," said Danshak tenderly. "I want to stay here and protect you."

"I know, but if your father dies, we all die. Go now, Danshak. Hurry!"

Torn between staying and protecting her from the beasts, and running off to save his father's life, Danshak leaned forward quickly to lick her muzzle affectionately. "Whatever happens, please remember that I love you, Edvana," he said with glistening eyes and then he turned and ran off in the direction of his parents.

"I love you too, Danshak, my mate!" she yelled after him. "I love you!"