AN: Happy Australia Day to all my Aussie readers~! Finally getting to some action in this chapter and a new character is briefly introduced, but information about him won't be until the next chapter. Anyway, hope you enjoy reading~

Chapter 10:

Drayce followed Nashoba closely as the white wolf led him through the clearing and toward a path that seemed to snake further north into the labyrinth. He gritted his teeth as he prepared for the situation he may be running into. He knew that someone was in trouble or at least terrified. It was common courtesy amongst explorers not to scream out unless they legitimately feared for their life, feared for someone else's life, or was in general deep shit.

And the cry he heard, though weak, told him that they were heading toward a dangerous situation.

Rounding a tight, blind corner, Drayce heard Nashoba utter a warning growl and he momentarily stumbled to a halt when something appeared on the ground in front of him. It took him a second to realise that something was a person. A Therian.

And the Therian with red-hair was laid sprawled face down on the ground. A male Masurao by appearance. He also appeared to be unmoving. Unconscious.

God please let him just be unconscious.

Drayce's attention was soon drawn to something else that was red. A four legged creature with red fur and glistening canines. That was all he could see as it seemed to be making a beeline toward the fallen Therian as well.

The specifics of what that monster was or what had happened to the Therian would be worked out later. Right now he had to stop that thing from attacking and there was only one way he knew to do that. And he needed to get to him before that four-legged monstrosity did.

Without a second to waste, Drayce sprung forward and bypassed the Therian to instead plant himself in the monster's line of sight and in its direct path. With his shield between him and the four-legged brute, he gritted his teeth in anticipating of the impact.

And the monster hit his shield hard. Harder than he expected and he felt himself stagger back a couple of steps, almost stepping on the very Therian he was trying to protect.

Pushing back his own alarm, he peered over the top of his shield and grimaced when a pair of beady black eyes looked back at him.

Typical. The first monster they encountered had to be the notorious big-mouthed Wild Dog.

"Drayce!" Blayke called out to him, his voice filled with obvious alarm.

"Get him to safety!" Drayce ordered over his shoulder as he tightened his grip on his shield, pushing back against the monster as much as his strength allowed him. "Then get ready for battle! This thing won't be scared off!"

He received an uncertain reply in return. But even though Drayce's attention was focused on ensuring that his shield stayed between him and the gapping jaws of the Wild Dog, he could sense that his guildmates were assembling themselves in some manner. He didn't need to see them to know that they were ensuring that they themselves stayed out of danger while getting the Therian to safety.

Putting his shoulder into the shield and digging his heels into the ground, Drayce closed his eyes as he concentrated on calling out a Decoy Shield. He aimed for the space just a little behind the Wild Dog, hoping that the agitating qualities of the bunker would cause the monster to turn its full attention on it rather than against Drayce's shield.

And thankfully it did. The second the Decoy Bunker came into physical form, the Wild Dog whirled wildly around to face it. With a snort and a growl it launched forward with incredible speed and slammed its head directly in the centre of the shield of the bunker.

Drayce felt the bunker buckle under the impact and he knew that it wouldn't last a second hit. A hit that the monster was about to deliver.

Shit. He needed to call for another one!

"D-Drayce!" Came Faelen's shaky voice.

"Don't panic!" Drayce found himself shouting as he repositioned himself. "Remember the game plan; Blayke, attack when it's not looking in combination with your chain skills! Faelen, Kamali, use your long-ranged skills to help him! Nashoba, don't let this bastard near anyone! Fiorello, look after the Therian. We've got this!"

Though he receives a chorus of replies that were uncertain and even afraid, he trusted that Blayke and the others of his guild would know what to do. And that they would work together to get things done.

So all he had to do was ensure that the Wild Dog didn't get even ten feet of any of them.

Before he could call for another bunker, the Wild Dog unexpectedly whirled around toward him and rammed its enormous, bulky head against the very centre of Drayce's shield. He felt himself reel back at the impact, the corner of the shield striking the side of his face.

But he stayed on his feet and ignored the slight stinging sensation against his cheek as he summoned another decoy. The second that came into form, the Wild Dog once more whirled around to face it. This time it uttered a guttural, primal growl of rage as he raced toward it.

Better keep those Decoy Bunkers coming!

This red-furred bastard sure was a strong one!

"Drayce!" Blayke called out in alarm again.

"Stop worrying about me!" Drayce shouted back as he concentrated on summoning another Decoy Bunker. "Just focus on attacking it at a safe distance! I'll keep its attention on me!"

With a low grunt of exertion, Drayce summoned a Decoy Bunker the second the Wild Dog destroyed another one. It soon whipped its head around to glare at the newly summoned bunker. With yet another fearsome roar it charged toward the decoy once more, completely forgetting about him.

Uttering a low curse under his breath, Drayce concentrated on calling forth another one. It was starting to get taxing. He wasn't sure how many more he could summon without getting mental fatigue. No, it didn't matter. He would summon as many that was needed. If he couldn't call for anymore, he would just use his own shield.

He told himself it would be fine and just concentrate on keeping the monster preoccupied and away from the other. He had absolute faith that his teammates would do what was needed when it was needed.

He could see glimpses of Blayke as he darted forward in tandem with Kamali's fire spells and Faelen's arrows. He could see Nashoba dart around the monster, seemingly purposely coming at it from its blind spots before darting back with grace and agility that only a wolf such as Nashoba could possess.

The Wild Dog's movements were starting to slow, the constant attacks and exertion of attacking the bunkers weakening it. But its actions were still very frantic. That could only mean that it knew it was losing this battle. Just a little bit more.

They've got this!

Drayce quickly manoeuvred his shield in front of him, kicking out the stand as he reached for his gun. He hunkered down behind it as levelled his gun at the red-furred beast as it destroyed his last decoy. As the bunker disappeared in a puff of smoke, Drayce held his breath and narrowed his eyes.

One last time. He just needed to gain its attention one more time.

He squeezed the trigger.

The bullet struck the side of the Wild Dog's head. Immediately, it whipped around to face him, its beady black eyes narrowing in on him. Blood and drool dripped from its oversized mouth, of which it opened on another bone-rattling roar. Its muscles tensed as its body turned, ready to launch in Drayce's direction.

But before it could move another inch Blayke appeared in its blind spot. With his face creased into a look of determination and concentration, he took his blade and pierced the back of the monster's head.

Surprisingly, the Wild Dog didn't utter a sound. Its head simply tilted to the side before its whole body slumped unnaturally to the ground, almost taking Blayke along with it.

Blayke huffed as he sluggishly hefted his sword out of the monster's head, a disgusted expression appearing on his face from the sticky, sloppy sound the movement made. He then staggered back, still panting, as he stared cautiously as the Wild Dog.

The Wild Dog, however, didn't move. There was no fight left in it. Possibly no life either.

Drayce felt his adrenaline abruptly fade and his shoulders sagged in exhaustion. He slumped to the ground before falling back to sit down with a 'flump' noise. He placed his hands on the ground a little behind him as he leaned back and tilted his head back to look up at the sky as he panted softly.

Well…that was an unexpected experience.

For their first battle it was a hard one. But everyone was alive and no one had been hurt, so it was definitely a successful experience!

"Drayce?" Blayke's voice caused Drayce to lower his gaze from the sky and look forward once more, to find his friend standing before him, still slightly breathless as he looked at him in concern. "You all right?"

Drayce grinned tiredly at him. "Never better. Totally knew we could pull it off. Awesome footwork, by the way."

Blayke nodded his head idly as he kept his blood covered sword hanging loosely by his side. "Those bunkers are useful, holy shit."

"No kidding," Drayce chuckled.

He rolled his head to the side when he heard the slight patter of feet on the grass and saw that Nashoba had made his way over to him. He then uttered a low whimper sound before he pushed forward to lick at his cheek, the one that Drayce had injured earlier.

Drayce chuckled tiredly as he reached out a hand to gently pet the wolf in return. "Great job," he said quietly.

A pair of arms suddenly encircled his neck from behind him and a weight rested against his back. Slightly startled, he turned to look to his left to see a mop of bluish-purple hair. Though still surprised, he recognised Faelen immediately and reached up to pat him on the head as well.

"You did great, too," he said.

Faelen nodded his head but Drayce could feel that he was still somewhat shaky, most likely from the adrenaline from the battle still coursing through him. "That was…scarier than I thought it would be."

It really was a shame that the first monster they faced was a violent Wild Dog. Would have been better if they met a Rabid Acorn or two in order to ease themselves into battle. Talk about jumping into the deep end.

Still, it could have been worse. There could have been two of the rowdy bastards.

"Drayce."

Fiorello calling his name in a serious tone caused Drayce to abruptly remember the reason why they were thrown into battle against the Wild Dog in the first place. Also as if just realising, Faelen removed his arms from Drayce's neck to allow him to turn around to look in the botanist's direction.

The redheaded Therian was resting in a semi-sitting position at the base of a tree. His head was lolled to the side with his chin reaching his shoulder. His light-brown skin was marred with several bruises and scrapes, as well as dirty patches. His red hair, seemingly quite fluffy normally, was matted in several places and one of his canine ears fell limply against his head while the other remained straight.

In short, he didn't look too good.

Fiorello stood to one side of him with his bag and many of its contents on the ground before him while Kamali knelt on the other side of the patient. Kamali wore an expression of concern on his face as he looked at the unknown Therian, while Fiorello looked particular displeased about something.

Forcing himself to his feet, Drayce snared his shield and gun before he made his way over to them. "How is he?"

"Alive," Fiorello replied as he folded his arms across his chest. "Lacerations and bruises. No broken bones or internal injuries, thankfully. However, there were other signs of abuse."

"Abuse?" Drayce muttered with a deep frown. "What do you mean?"

Fiorello looked at him with a terse and serious expression. "His hands were tied together," he unexpectedly said.

Drayce's eyebrows immediately reached up toward his hairline as his mouth dropped open in surprise. "His hands were tied?" he repeated. "What-? Who-?"

Fiorello shook his head. "Obviously, I don't know. And I obviously don't like it."

Drayce glanced down at the Therian's wrists and noted that they appeared red raw and bruised as well. He didn't have any armour and there was no weapon to be seen. Clearly something untoward had happened to him and he either managed to escape his captor's clutches or was dumped in the labyrinth with the goal of him being taken care of by a monster or two.

If Drayce and the others hadn't arrived when they did, he could very well have been killed.

What kind of bastard would do something like this?

"I sense something," Kamali suddenly said with a tone of confusion. "Mana. I think it's coming from him."

Mana? Was this guy carrying something on him? Or was it rather him and the reason for the restraints? The mana may even be the reason why that Wild Dog was chasing him.

There was a lot of questions that needed answers, but right now their main priority was ensuring the Therian's safety and to get him out for further healing. Now, what would be the best way to do just that?

A soft, almost inaudible groan caused Drayce to immediately turn his full attention on the Therian once more. Setting his shield to the side, he crouched down in front of wolf-eared Therian as he began to stir.

Instead of sitting upright in a panic, he murmured something incoherent and tried to open his eyes. But he couldn't open them all the way. He managed no more than to peer through his lashes. A sliver of green could be seen, but no more than that. Almost as if he couldn't open them any further. Obviously he was exhausted, not just fatigued from the injuries.

"Hey, you're ok now," Drayce said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be safe with us, I promise. Whoever did this to you certainly won't do it again."

The Therian stared at him for a few more moments before he uttered a sigh and Drayce could see the whites of his eyes for a second before he slumped forward. Alarmed, Drayce immediately reached out to catch and steady him. "Fiorello?" he immediately asked for the botanist.

"He just fainted," Fiorello immediately replied. "He's in no danger of dying, but I want to get him back to that clinic of yours as quickly as possible."

Right.

Drayce took one of the Therian's arms and slung it over his neck. "Blayke, take his other arm."

Sheathing his sword back to his side, Blayke wordlessly took the Therian's other arm and with a big of teamwork, they both stood with their new patient slumped between them. He was out cold, so getting him through the labyrinth and back to the entrance wasn't going to be easy.

Damn, and the monsters are likely interested in the scent of blood.

With the Therian balanced on his shoulder, Drayce shoved his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out the map with the compass folded within it. He then shoved in in Faelen's direction. "I need you and Nashoba to lead us out of here."

Faelen looked stunned, his mouth dropping open. But then he looked uneasy. "A-are you sure?" he asked.

"You'll do fine," Drayce replied immediately. "Use the compass. The way to the entrance should be east from the clearing and following a single path south through and archway, after that it's west to where Virgil is, and after that, south once more to the entrance. It'll be a clear path, don't worry. We'll be right behind you."

Faelen still looked uneasy, but he retrieved the map and compass from him with a deep, but shaky breath. "Ok," he uttered. "Don't stray too far behind me, ok?"

Drayce gave him a reassuring smile. "As I said; we'll be right behind you."

That seemed to offer Faelen some reassurance and he gave him a slight smile in return. He then pressed his lips together as a look of concentration appeared on his face and unfolded the map, grabbing the compass tightly.

"Orientate yourself by finding north first," Drayce instructed as he readjusted his grip on the Therian's arm and waist. "After that, do a one-eighty and head south. Kamali, Fiorello, stick close to him and offer your support. Blayke and I will focus all our attention on getting this guy to safety."

"Of course," Kamali immediately replied.

"You got it," Fiorello also affirmed as he hastily placed the empty medicine bottles into his bag.

Drayce tightened his grip on the Therian and clenched his jaw. "Ready, Blayke?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Blayke replied. "The quicker we get out of here, the better."

"Agreed."

Ignoring his own aches and pains that were starting to set in due to the sudden drop in adrenaline levels, Drayce focused on simply walking in step with Blayke as fast as he could as they carried the limp and heavy Therian on their shoulders. Every now and again he could hear the Therian utter soft moans of pain and he felt the need to utter an apology for each time he unwittingly stumbled or jarred him in some way. But he kept quiet, instead focusing on the path in front of him and his inner mantra to simply get to the stairs and get out of here.

As they pass through a naturally formed archway created by a twisting tree, Drayce felt a small sense of relief when he looked up to see a familiar guard standing a few yards away with a flurry of chickens at his feet.

Virgil. Good. They were almost to the stairs.

Virgil idly glanced in their direction before he did a double take and his mouth dropped open in surprise. "Oh," was all he managed to utter as Drayce and Blayke dragged the unconscious Therian toward him.

"Hey," Drayce greeted with a half-hearted smile. "Saved him from a Wild Dog. Do you recognise him?"

With a frown on his lips, Virgil shook his head. "I'm sorry; I don't recognise him at all. Perhaps he entered during the night shift? I only work during the day here because of my chickens. They like to head in to sleep when the sun sets, you see."

Drayce was a little disappointed by the answer, but also felt assured that if the Therian had been dragged in against his will, someone would have put a stop to it. But he was also worried that the bastards who did do this to him were still loitering about. If they were heartless enough to bound someone and drag them into the labyrinth, they may also be volatile enough to attack a guard. And he didn't want anything to happen to Virgil also.

"I don't know his story, but be extra vigilant just in case, yeah?" Drayce said to him. "We'll take care of this guy, don't worry."

"Request the guards from the city to help you," Virgil immediately said. "They'll take him to the inn where he can recuperate."

Drayce shook his head. He didn't know the guy, sure, but he knew he was in some kind of trouble. And honestly just dumping him at the inn and making him someone else's problem didn't sit right with him at all.

No, he wanted to keep an eye on him himself.

"The Crescentia," Drayce said. "We need to take him there instead."

Virgil looked mildly surprised as he tilted his head to the side. He had a curious look on his face, but didn't ask him any questions. Instead he straightened his posture and nodded his head. "The guards shall help you take him wherever you like."

Ok, good. Carrying his shield, gun, and an unconscious Therian was starting to take its toll on him. He'll think about that later. First, he needed to get everyone out of this place.

This was not how he envisioned his first trek into the labyrinth would be…