Ok, sorry for the long space in between updates, but here I am again! :D I am working on a birthday present for a friend. Regrettably I will not be posting it, but it will take up some of my time.
Well, on with the story!
"Oh," said Titania, looking at the truly gigantic creature from the doorway of a house. "Now I see what they meant when they said 'giant wolves'. I only hope we got here in time."
"Travel time is travel time," said Rhys, "and we can't help that we live a long while from here."
"Thank you for coming," said Titania. "I know you're busy."
"Though it may be my own and my home, I still want to see the world outside. The children can go without lessons for awhile, or someone else can teach them. You need a healer, and I would worry should I have stayed behind." Rhys smiled at Titania, who returned it with one of her own.
"Well," she said, getting the attention of Mia, Zihark and Boyd, who had come with them, and Tormod and Muarim, who had joined on the way. Tormod was never one to miss action, and, as he said, 'with Soren too far away, you might need me.' The group quieted down to look at Titania. "We should get started," she said.
Muarim immediately transformed into his green tiger form. Tormod took out his tome from his old mage clothes, and Mia and Zihark drew their swords. Boyd and Titania pulled out their axes, and Rhys whispered a prayer and brought out his staff.
"Let's go," said Titania. She rode forward, and the wolf whipped around. They traded blows, axe and claw. It wasn't long before the wolf was felled.
"There will be more," said Zihark, moving to a position of strength next to a wall. "Creatures like this, where they appear, usually travel in packs. And one wolf couldn't have made everyone run."
Sure enough, another large creature barrelled out of a storeroom. Bits of dried meat hung from its jaws. It was beheaded in a single jumping attack from Zihark.
Another raced down the street, from the way they had come. Meat strips hung from its jaws too, and blood. Titania hoped the blood had come from the meat.
Mia stepped in front of Rhys, the most vulnerable of the group, and held her sword out. It swiftly attacked, and Mia flew into a whirl of counters. The creature was fast, but she was faster. Boyd stepped between Tormod and another wolf, and Tormod readied his fire spell.
Another wolf came down the street. In its jaws was scraps of dried meat, again. Its mouth was full of what looked like rations. Titania, flanking a wolf with Zihark, decided to go after it as soon as this one was finished with.
"Hey! Get back here and die!" Rhys heard someone shout.
A boy, ten perhaps, ran down the street, brandishing a sword. "That meat was ALL WE HAD!" the kid shouted. He leaped onto the wolf's back, stabbing at it with his sword.
The wolf pulled back a paw and knocked the kid off of its back. The boy was flung to the ground, where he leaped to his feet and attacked again. The wolf's claws slid out.
Rhys looked around, desperate. All his comrades were fighting something. He pushed past Mia, who was in front of him, and raced across the square. He reached the kid just as the wolf was about to strike. "Watch out!" Rhys said, yanking him away.
"Rhys!" shouted Titania. He whirled around to see another wolf behind him. The two closed in, and Rhys pushed the boy backwards. They were backed up against a wall. He held up his staff in a last defence and prayed to the goddesses.
Titania rode at one of the wolves, axe flying. It was sent crashing to the ground. "Get up here!" she shouted. She grabbed Rhys by the shoulder of his robe and yanked him up onto her horse. Rhys pulled the kid up after him. Rhys bent down and shoved the child's head down as Titania's axe spun over their heads.
"Stay down," Rhys said quietly to the kid. "She needs room to swing." The kid nodded as Titania finished off the creature.
Titania rode over to an alley, where the kid jumped off. "Rhys," she said, "Never do that to me again." She hugged him tightly.
"I won't," he promised, surprised. He patted her on the arm.
"Good," said Titania.
Rhys got off of her horse. Then he saw blood on his vest. Her blood. "Titania, you're injured!" he said. He raised his staff, called on the power the goddesses had given. The wound healed.
"Oh..." said Titania. "I hadn't noticed that. I was... never mind. Just please... don't scare me like that."
Rhys watched as she rode off, poleax whirling again.
"Can you tell your wife thanks for saving me?" said the kid.
Rhys felt himself turn red. "She's not my wife," he said. "She's my commander."
The kid blushed with embarrassment. "Sorry," he said. "I just assumed... I'll be going now. Thanks!" The kid fled down the alley like he had wings on his feet.
Then, down the alley, Rhys heard an 'owch! What the hell-' from a familiar voice, a 'sorry! Gotta go!' from the kid, and footsteps up the alley.
Ike walked into view, followed by a young woman dressed in riding clothes. Ike stopped in his tracks. "Rhys!" he said.
Rhys smiled. "Ike. Good to see you."
"Who else is here?" Ike asked.
"Titania, Mia, Zihark, Muarim, Tormod, and Boyd," Rhys said.
A look of joy came across Ike's face. Then he stopped. "So why was that kid running like he was being chased by a demon?"
"Erm..." said Rhys. "I tried to rescue him from a wolf, Titania rescued both of us, and he asked me to thank 'my wife' for saving him." He was blushing again, he knew it.
Ike looked at Rhys incredulously for a moment. Then, a sparkle came into his eyes and he sputtered with laughter. The girl next to him looked vastly amused. Rhys thought she looked familiar... but where had he met her before...
"You said they're fighting?" said Ike.
Rhys nodded. "Wolves," he said.
Ike turned to the girl at his side. "Well, do you think they could use some help, Sanaki?"
Rhys looked shocked. That was Empress Sanaki? But it was, the facial features were the same. And under her cap was purple hair.
"What do you say we surprise them?" Sanaki asked, smiling.
"Sounds good," said Ike. He drew his sword and Sanaki pulled out her Tome. Rhys moved out of their way, and they charged into battle.
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