No matter whether a person belongs to the upper or lower ranks, if he has not put his life on the line at least once he has cause for shame.
- Nabeshima Naoshige
Brutal barks and guttural growls echoed throughout the moonlit forest.
The royal siblings' irises dilated. "Uh-oh."
Luna made no reaction. Her eyes reflected an image of the immense beast emerging from the darkness—some sort of monster that should not exist in this world.
The beast walked on, his broad shoulders brushing aside branches. He breathed through clenched teeth both drooling and bloody, wild-eyed, ears pricked. The werewolf stepped underneath a beam of moonlight. As he walked, his muscles visibly moved underneath tawny fur.
Despite his monstrous qualities, Luna found the monster to be quite a majestic, beautiful beast. The werewolf stood still while the Wolfos barked and growled furiously, some of them lunging but only to crawl backwards, others circling the werewolf.
The beast stepped forth amidst the cacophony. Luna saw his haunting, amber eyes. The werewolf leaned forth and spread his arms, salivation intense below a twitchy face and chattering teeth.
"He's coming!" Sheik cried.
Zelda whimpered and grabbed her sword but Luna just stood idly with her usual blank face.
The werewolf glared at unflinching Luna and paused, as if hypnotized. He snorted then growled, Sheik and Zelda cried out. Luna looked at them and frowned. What's their problem? If we die, we die.
The werewolf growled and leapt—a black and cream-colored Wolfos tackled him mid-air. The beasts fell into shrubbery, ferocious growls and rapid breaths erupting.
"Kuriver! You're crazy!" Luna cried. "Quick, let's hide!" The kids hopped into bushes and watched.
After a furious exchange, the werewolf tripped over a rock, the Wolfos atop him. Both exchanged paws while they kicked repeatedly, their jaws flared and ready to snap at each other's necks. Several other Wolfos arrived and ran around the fight.
The werewolf lifted the Wolfos and threw him into a tree—thud!
A few Wolfos plunged upon the werewolf, burying their fangs into his limbs and sides. The beast snarled and twisted backwards while being gnawed and clawed. He twirled, movement swinging the Wolfos around but their teeth remained latched on him. He slammed his paws upon his attackers' backs repeatedly, then clamped his teeth upon one Wolfos' back, causing him to yelp then writhe away. A brown Wolfos tackled into the werewolf's back, knocking him over.
The Wolfos dog piled the werewolf, chewing him up while several more ran around and around the fight. The werewolf growled, attacking his many foes, wrestling them when able. Amid rolling, the beast sometimes bit a Wolfos' belly or neck and drew blood; they whined aloud and wriggled away, replaced by other Wolfos who bit and pawed relentlessly.
The echoes of lupine combat frightened the children, the horror only amplified by the darkness of the deep woods.
Luna snarled but ran once the violence neared her.
"Luna!? C'mon, sis, let's go!" Sheik pulled his sister's arm but she angrily reared.
"Don't be stupid! Let's stay here, the noisy fighting will attract Mom and she'll save us!"
"I thought you wanted to run away!?"
"I changed my mind!"
A black Wolfos leapt overhead the arguing royals, landing near Luna and growling confidently. Luna smiled, embraced the beast, inhaling his scent.
Several more Wolfos prowled. A few climbed trees and howled loudly—additional calls echoed from afar. The music was disturbed by a frenzied growl—the werewolf reappeared, a few Wolfos limping away. The beast bled at the legs and neck.
Several Wolfos continued maneuvering around him, pawing and biting him when able then flipping away whenever he tried to swat them, only to repeat their attacks. One Wolfos clamped her jaws upon his ankle while another tackled into his head. They fell and became a furry mass of bloody violence, rolling towards the royals.
"Now we run!" Sheik cried. The royals sprang to their feet and fled.
The werewolf burst through vegetation, several Wolfos hurled away by his might. A larger Wolfos leapt into the beast, both exchanging injuries until the werewolf headbutted his foe down then kicked him across the jaw, knocked him out.
The werewolf wiped his bloodied face and noticed a charging child. Ears pricked, he hesitated at the prospect of such a tiny attacker—the black Wolfos jumped over Luna and tackled into the werewolf's legs, gnawed his shin and taking him down. They furiously clawed and bit one another, blood spewing out. A few Wolfoses pounced upon the werewolf and dug their teeth and claws into his hide.
Luna growled like a pup as she charged, Sheik shouting her name. She snapped out of her lupine trance and darted away. "Sheik? Sheik? Sheik!" Luna frantically looked around but the lupine noise drowned out her calls. She spun to and fro, unsure if she should help the Wolfos or find her friends. "Sheik!?" No answer.
Luna grunted and ran back to her family. Underneath rays of moonlight the beast flashed in and out amidst combat, his scrunched-up snarling face and amber eyes emanating evil. He rolled on his back, clamping his jaws upon a Wolfos' neck, not letting go no matter what the other Wolfoses did.
Luna jumped over an unconscious Wolfos, dropkicking the werewolf across the forehead but doing nothing. As the beasts wrestled, Luna squirmed over a Wolfos' back and flopped upon the werewolf's head, biting his ear and tasting blood. The werewolf barked from pain, the Wolfos he had bitten freeing himself. The werewolf flailed his shoulders madly but the Wolfos kept pressure against him. He kicked and pawed furiously, snapping his jaws so powerfully his teeth clicked aloud.
Luna fearlessly pushed against the werewolf's head, tried to hold him down while a red-eyed silver Wolfos squirmed around her. The beast moved his head, enough to toss Luna aside, and he would have bitten her were it not for the silver Wolfos. She dug her fangs into werewolf's jaw and thrashed herself to and fro, his jawbone cracking repeatedly.
"Thanks for saving me, Rosfir!" Luna jumped back atop the werewolf and bit him.
Enraged, the werewolf growled, thrashing with such force he overpowered his many opponents, though a few Wolfos' jaws were still locked on him. The beast clawed most Wolfos off himself, then grabbed the Wolfos gnawing his jawbone and slammed her down; the Wolfos kept her jaws locked over his jaw. She dangled, repeatedly kicking her foe while the others chewed his legs.
Once he freed his leg, the werewolf thrust his knee into the Wolfos' sternum. She whined and flopped down. Luna jumped over her; the werewolf's eyes widened and he stepped back. He caught Luna mid-air. She kicked, punching and growling like a little demon.
Ears pricked, eyes weird, face crooked, the werewolf put Luna down. "Hrrrmmm?"
Wolfos tackled him to his knees. Every exhale a growl, the beast grabbed the jaws snapping at him, cranking them one by one. The Wolfos cried and squirmed out his grasp. Freed of attackers, the beast spun around and kicked a charging Wolfos across the jaw, who flopped over limply.
A white Wolfos jumped on the werewolf's back, wrapping his limbs around him and gnawing the back of his neck. A few more Wolfos charged and tried biting the werewolf's legs, but he stomped powerfully around himself. The Wolfos cautiously yet aggressively crawled or jumped to avoid the beast's big paws.
The werewolf grabbed the white Wolfos atop him by his leg, cranking the ankle until the Wolfos whimpered and let go, limping away. Spinning around, the werewolf pursued the limping Wolfos, but a tawny Wolfos dove from a tree, landing atop the werewolf. The extra weight staggered him as the Wolfos chewed on his head. Several Wolfos charged the beast from all directions, tackling and biting anywhere they could.
Even when attacked by several Wolfoses, the werewolf refused to give up or slow down. He kept his feet apart and knees bent to stabilize himself, continuously clubbing and clawing his attackers and biting them. The Wolfos cried out but they continued fighting until the pain was too much; they retreated only to return and fight on with greater vigor.
"They sure don't know when to quit!" Sheik stated.
"Keep your head down, dummy!" Zelda pulled him back but Luna hopped out.
The monster clubbed down Wolfos, gradually freeing himself. The tawny Wolfos reappeared atop his head and chewed. After the beast had thrown or beat away the Wolfos at his legs, he charged into a tree, sandwiching the tawny Wolfos between is back and the trunk. The werewolf towered over the limping Wolfos, fangs barred...
"Mmrrrurrrr!" Luna charged the werewolf all by herself, the beast turning around just as she tackled into his leg, clinging and biting. Unsurprisingly, Luna's attack did nothing. Several Wolfos swarmed him yet again. Luna felt their fur scrape across her face, but they served as a shield for her as well, taking the force of paws and fangs that surely would have severely injured her or worse!
A gray Wolfos leapt off branches; leaves and twigs showered as he landed atop the werewolf's shoulders and bit sideways over his face, drawing blood. Regardless, the werewolf continued pawing and kneeing, beating down the Wolfos one by one. He sometimes grasping a handful of fur and then pulling with such force he tore handfuls of fur off, skin ripped open and blood squirting. The Wolfos being grabbed cried out, biting the fingers grasping their skin and cracking them, freeing themselves and fleeing.
More Wolfos appeared, half of them wounded from fighting the werewolf earlier. They tackled into the werewolf's torso and head, the fight becoming a bloodied, furry confusion. The combined momentum brought the beast down. The Wolfos dug their teeth into him, shaking their shoulders and trying to rip...
Amidst the violence, growling, and whining, Luna did not know what was going on. She could not think, feeling like a startled animal. She just grabbed the werewolf and bit hard as she could, her teeth and jaw hurting, feeling the Wolfos moving around her. The beast's thrashing threw Luna off, but most Wolfos kept their jaws locked and rolled with him like that, mouths full of blood.
Regardless, the werewolf remained powerfully persistent. Once he got a hold of a Wolfos, his grip and claws tore into tissue, and one by one, the Wolfos received so much pain they fled. Soon, it was just Luna and a black-and-white Wolfos at him, biting his legs.
Blood and drool frothing out his mouth, the werewolf spun and hammer punched a white Wolfos that leapt, hitting him mid-air, impact flipping him over. The beast clamped his jaws upon the shoulder of the black-and-white Wolfos chewing his leg, who cried out but continued chewing. They wrestled and rolled about, movement tossing Luna away again.
"Ugghh! Heyyy!" she whined.
The werewolf fell on his back under a ray of moonlight. The black and cream Wolfos reappeared and leapt; the werewolf headbutted the Wolfos mid-air and knocked him down, the black-and-white Wolfos escaping dizzily and running into a tree.
Eager to save the black and cream Wolfos, Luna jumped atop the werewolf, pummeling his face. They made fierce eye contact—the werewolf paused, puzzled. Luna's overly long sleeves flopped around as she punched and punched, everything futile. Ferocity dropped off the beast's face as he grabbed Luna's head one-handed, holding up the crazy thing.
Luna squirmed, totally useless.
The werewolf cocked his head. "Wwaht'rrr...doing?"
Several Wolfos pounced the werewolf. The beast barked, instinctively clenching his hands, unintentionally sticking his clawed thumb down Luna's right eye.
She groaned as the beast's claw tore her eye and scalp. Blood burst out once her scalp. The beast dropped Luna, flurrying at his attackers, though Luna angrily jumped into the path of his claws which dragged across her face, right eye cut open farther.
Luna grabbed her face as blood leaked. "AAAAAAHHH!" Blood gushed out in-between her fingers as she fell in a puddle of the werewolf's blood. She squirmed and shook uncontrollably, moaning through gritted teeth, clothes soaked in lupine blood.
The werewolf fended off his enemies, outmatching their endurance and strength. The Wolfos attacking him were too hurt to fight well, receiving kicks into the neck and stomach; pain forced their whimpering withdrawal. However, blood loss took its toll on the beast. He knelt, closing his eyes and panting heavily, his fur glistening red. He lifted his gaze, seeing the black and cream Wolfos jump over Luna, landing on all fours growling.
Also trotting to the scene was the silver Wolfos with red eyes—she back! She let her tongue dangle, ears pricked forwards. The silver Wolfos did not stare back at the werewolf, smiling while walking to the other Wolfos' side, standing smugly by him.
Two other pairs of yellow eyes and another pair of red eyes glowed behind the two alphas, consisting of a white Wolfos, a black one, and a bright baize one...the last of the pack able to fight alongside the alpha male and female.
The black and cream Wolfos eyed the werewolf fiercely, eager for some revenge. It was up to him and the best of the pack to drive the werewolf out of their territory.
Paws pressing into the ground, the alpha male charged, wild-eyed, paws thudding against the earth. "Hrrrahhrrrrr!"
The werewolf charged. "HRRAAHHHRRR!"
The silver female remained smug and darted forth, leaving her tongue hanging out. The beast spread his arms, intending to grab his foe, but the Wolfos was ready for that. Instead of biting, the black and cream Wolfos leapt on the last moment, flying over the beast's arms and tackling his throat.
The werewolf staggered, coughing. "Krah-hrh-krih-krr..."
The alpha's rear legs bicycled into the werewolf's front, jaw clamped over his neck. The alpha flung his body around, causing the werewolf to twirl with him, pulling the beast down. They wrestled and bit each others' necks.
The silver Wolfos slid her tongue back in and charged. The beast stood with the alpha male in his grasp. She tackled into the back of his head, clawing her hind leg while putting him in a chokehold. She swung herself around, imbalancing the beast. The Wolfos alphas clung on the werewolf until their combined weight brought him down. The three other Wolfos—the white, black and baize ones—sprang to action, biting his arms and legs...
Luna weakly stood, hands over her injured eye. With her one good eye, she observed the werewolf flailing himself wildly, the Wolfos skipping about, biting the monster's arms and legs, the alphas keeping him down. The beast would go down fighting to his last breath, his coat soaked in blood. He and his foes growled, clawed, bit and writhed as a furious mass of violence.
Eyes leaking blood and teardrops, the metal taste of blood stinging her mouth, Luna approached the fight until something bit the back of her neck. She squeaked and was lifted off the ground—the Wolfos mother had gently bit over Luna's neck, carrying her away...
Taking shelter within shrubbery, the mother put Luna down among the Wolfos pups, licking her hair a few times, then darted off. The pups stayed low, ears back. The gray pup looked at Luna with big, worried eyes. She moved her hand off her face, caked with blood, then she hugged the pup.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you. That's what family is for." Compassion for these creatures overcame Luna's pain. She huddled with the pups.
"Beasts! Watch out!" a man yelled from afar.
Luna gasped. She and the pups lifted their heads, overhearing more shouts and growls. Though, the fiercest barking, snarling and breathing came from the other direction...
The pups whimpered softly, pushing themselves against Luna. She let go of them and poked her head out. Silhouettes of guards approached, accompanied by yelling, growling, rustling, and the sounds of fighting.
"Go! Run away!" Luna shouted, pushing the pups to get them moving. "Run! Before they find you!" She lifted a pup's hind legs to get him moving. The pups crawled away.
Luna covered her bad eye and saw the castle guards fighting other Wolfos, their spears and halberds swinging through shrubs, the Wolfos dodging and pawing. To Luna's surprise, perhaps fifty or more guards materialized from the darkness, as if the trees spewed them out. Few by few, the Wolfos crawled away while snarling, some exchanges between them and the guards before the monsters darted off. Some guards broke formation and pursued them but could not hope to catch them.
"This way!" a guard yelled, running forth until Luna jumped in front of him, spreading her arms and leaning forwards as her face leaked blood. "What the hell!?" The guard slid to a halt.
"Don't hurt them!" Luna growled, blood spewing out her mouth. The guard ran passed her, so Luna jumped and grabbed his leg while more guards rushed past.
"Let go of me, kid!" He pushed her away but Luna immediately grabbed his arm and tried to pull him down. Irritated, the castle guard tossed Luna aside and jogged on, more guards running passed Luna as she got up.
"Kid, get back to town! It's dangerous!" a guard barked, but Luna disappeared into the woods. "Hey!" He and perhaps thirty guards followed the source of growling, heading towards the werewolf.
The Wolfos fought the beast like machines, constantly biting, pawing, growling, and moving. The werewolf fell against a tree trunk, serving as a brief obstacle for his foes. Grabbing onto the bark while teeth and claws dug into his fur, the werewolf pulled himself up the tree, but the two alphas remained clung onto him, their bloodied noses digging into his fur where the skin cut open.
The other Wolfos leapt on the tree, climbing after the werewolf, but were so engrossed in their pursuit they did not realize the guards' arrival. Several guards threw their spears at the Wolfos climbing the tree, a few missing the tree, but the others thudded into the trunk. One Wolfos whined aloud and fell from the tree, a spear stuck in his back. Most of the Wolfos dropped, spinning midair to dodge spears hurled at them.
"I think I got one!"
"Come on, lads, we can take 'em on!"
The guards who threw their spears withdrew swords and charged, shouting unimpressive war cries, hauberks jingling. The Wolfos growled at the armored men, all of whom reared, armors clinking against each other. The guards swung their weapons hesitantly, though the Wolfos either backflipped or knocked aside incoming weapons.
A halberdier charged, swinging his polearm recklessly, but the beasts easily jumped out of the way. A few circled around him; he squawked and ran back towards his men who huddled up. The halberdier ran under a beam of moonlight and the werewolf landed atop him.
The beast spread his arms and leaned forwards, bloodied fur shining under moonlight. He barred his teeth, chewed-up ears pointing backwards, and he roared at the guards with such force that blood and drool spattered out his mouth.
The guards froze.
"Ughh... No fair..." the guard underneath the werewolf whined.
The werewolf breathed deeply and heavily, blood constantly leaking out his mouth and fur. A mournful howl echoed from afar. Most Wolfos darted off but some remained to growl at the Hylians. The mournful howl sounded again; the castle guards shivered, armors clinking.
"D-d-don't chase after them!"
"What do we do!?"
"Schiltrom!"
The guards ungracefully waddled into a circle and stuck their shaky polearms out. A few Wolfos ran around the guards, keeping their distance.
The werewolf swung his head to and fro, confused amid the stoppage of violence. He charged the guards, many of whom panicked, unable to retain firm grip. The werewolf swatted aside their polearms then their helms. The guards shouted and cried, spears and halberds flopping at the monster. The beast bit over a guard's helm, teeth scraping against metal while the guard squealed. The beast lifted the guard then spat him out.
One halberdier managed to strike the werewolf in the head with the hammer of his polearm, hurting the monster. Shaking from anger and pain, the beast knocked down many guards. His survival instinct kicked in and he jumped onto a tree. Three other Wolfos leapt upon the same tree, climbing after him.
Being taller and having longer digits, the werewolf swung among branches of varying trees and made his escape, the distance between him and the Wolfes growing. The Wolfos continued their pursuit, also jumping from tree to tree.
The guard the werewolf leapt on sat up. "OK, they're gone, let's get out of here!"
"Good idea!" They ran away.
Another party of guards came. "Hey! Everyone who ran off! Get back here!" The guards reorganized, a few others appearing.
The impatient guard grunted. "We need to find the prince and princess! What are you all doing, shaking, squirming, all scared and pissing yourselves!?"
A few Wolfos growled, running around.
"Let's go! Before the beasts eat the queen's children!"
Luna knelt in a bush nearby, hands over her damaged eye. She hoped that the Wolfos managed to escape the monster and the guards.
"Zelda? Sheik?" Luna whispered. No reply.
The guards advanced, Luna unnoticed.
"Keep looking for them! They should be around here somewhere!" The guards called from Sheik and Zelda. No reply.
Luna sneaked away. A few overheard her rustling, assuming beasts and bracing themselves...
"Wait for it!"
"Are you sure!?"
"No, let's get outta here!" They ran off.
Luna crawled behind a big tree, grimacing as she pressed her palm against her injured eye. She caught her breath, adrenaline over. She cried. She tried to stop but couldn't. Nose runny, eyes bloody, Luna just sat and cried, breathing sharply through clenched teeth.
The forest child paused. Did she hear something?
"Sh-Sheik?" Luna whimpered.
"Luna? Are you there?" Zelda reappeared, crawling to Luna. "This way, Luna." The princess beckoned and crawled off, Luna following. They disappeared in the shadows...
