Denizens of the Labyrinth

They had hurried through the tunnels for a while now and they were not any further or deeper. All felt the same to him, even with his sight he could not tell where to go and so kept going forward.

He was about to give up hope and consider going back when he heard a growl, the cave they were in shortly turned sharply and as he scanned round the corner, he saw to both his hope and his worry. That a large cavern was ahead.

He turned to Sadé and catching her before she ran into him. He showed her with his hands what was ahead. When she understood, she nodded and with his eyes he saw her head bob, shrouded in her own shade of Mana. Purple or a soft lilac, not that much different from her hair and not for the first time, he wondered what his own Mana looked like.

He willed his sword the broken jagged part of it, and it came into his hand from the storage bag and before he could question it any longer, fuelled by courage he rushed into the cavern. his eyes switched immediately it was well lit and much larger than he had assumed before. There were many wolves in the cavern, and they prowled and lazed around.

They were eating and to his dismay it was other wolves. But he could discern the difference. The cave wolves were coated in a murky Mana, it was darker than normal and not too far from that of the fiends. The wolves they were eating were lifeless, but their Mana still clung to their bodies even after death, was a cold white. Like that of life as Jazmel imagined.

The wolves rose as one, noticing the two. Before any could attack, he launched into attack first.

Slash!

He shouted and cutting a wolf in half, the others whimpered and growled amongst themselves.

Thunderbolt.

Sadé said over his shoulder and her skill took flight hitting a group that was skirting off to the side to flank them.

“Take them!” he said, and they rushed in, to kill as many as they could. He went to work, letting his senses and sword sense defend him. Wolves were sliced and slashed, stabbed, and stuck. They were veering round him seeking an opening but when he held a sword. He had none, thanking whoever he needed to. He thanked the abilities he had been born with.

A howl sounded and to Jazmel’s dismay more wolves appeared. Leading them were two much larger wolves, larger in size and Mana; as his eyes told him. They were tainted with the dark Mana, and it was infecting the whole pack.

Thunderbolt!

He heard Sadé scream again and then she ran from his side, he dare not look at her as the pack leaders were cornering him.

A crash and a boom rocked the cavern from the entrance that the wolves had come from, some turned to the sound. Whimpering and then others rushed in. one of the wolf leaders darted in, leading some of the wolves with it. While the other continued to close in on Jazmel.

With their numbers lessened and Jazmel feeling confident he attacked first, he ran in and sliding beneath the pounce of the wolf he cut it deeply on the stomach. It snarled and growled but not before biting him on the leg. He back pedalled and struck with his sword, taking an eye out. It howled in pain but not before launching itself at him.

Slash!

He howled, an almost guttural growl. The attack took the wolve in the midsection. Cutting it in half the head and front paws flew over his head. The lower part fell in front of him. He fell to a knee and winced at the bite. He was bleeding from it.

STATUS CONDITION

BLEEDING

HEALTH AFFLICTED

The system chimed in his head, and he worried about that. But he had no potions and he had nothing to stop the blood either, what could he do. He had been afflicted again

SHADOW WRAITH CAN CONSUME CORPSES

WILL YOU ALLOW?

He had forgotten about this; he did not see how it would help him. But he let it and his shadow which had been behind him due to the light in the cavern. spread out in a large circle. Consuming all the wolves he had killed himself. Even the split parts of the dark Mana wolf.

SHADOW WRAITH HAS CONSUMED YOUR FOES

LEVEL UP

LEVEL UP

LEVEL UP

DARK MANA CONSUMED

LEVEL UP

HEALTH SHARED

CONDITION REEVALUED

NOT BLEEDING

His wounds closed on their own. The shadow had levelled up and shared its health with him. He thanked it mentally and the shadow withered in reply.

“Was that your shadow?” Sadé asked and he looked up to see her looking at him with a quirked eyebrow. She was holding two wolf pups in her arms and in between stroking them, she was studying him.

“Yes, it is something new, I did not know it could do that. Remember the sword the captain gave me? It became this. Apparently, it can consume defeated foes.” He explained.

“That is a high-quality ability. Is it a skill?” she asked to him shaking his head.

“No, I only have one active skill. The others are passive.” Said Jazmel.

“That is interesting. Let us get out of here and then tell me about it some more.” She asked and he nodded.

WOLFHUNT! was roared back through the tunnel entrance and stepping in front of her, gingerly on his sore leg. He held his sword up. The wolves burst through the cave, some broken and others limping. They had been hit by a move and it shattered the predatory confidence the wolves had, had.

A man strolled in, he wore leather trousers, and he was barefoot. He wore a leather vest too and carried nothing, no weapons or armour. He was slim but of athletic build. His hair was jet black, but it was his eyes that made Jazmel almost balk. They were like the wolves, yellow and slitted. He carried the other wolf leader by the hide in his hand as he calmly walked in. he looked around and saw the corpses of the half-eaten wolves, he snarled, and the wolves whimpered. The wolf in his hand snuffled but he snapped, and it went silent in his grasp.

He looked at Jazmel, eyed him, the sword and then he spotted Sadé carrying the pups. His eyes softened at that. Jazmel breathed lightly; his own eyes told him that this man with wolfen eyes was not tainted. But he was wary of him still.

“Did you save the pups?” he growled.

“I did, we came through the tunnels and these wolves attacked us. I only noticed the pups when I was trying to outflank them.” Sadé answered.

“These wolves were all part of a pack, but a dark wolf tainted them. Turned them cannibalistic and they began hunting the other wolves. I have not found the dark wolf yet, but I found these wolves after they decimated the den of these wolves.” He motioned at the dead ones.

“Those pups are the last grey wolves in the woods. I need to protect them.” He snapped and the wolves all whimpered again, they were treating him like one of their own and surprisingly that felt rational to Jazmel. This man was standing in a den of cannibal wolves that hunted their own and he was carrying the pack leader by the scruff of its neck, it surrendered in his grip easily and did not struggle at all.

“Come with me.” His gruff voice, barely above a growl said.

Sadé led this time, carrying the pups in her arm. Both had fallen asleep as they felt both comfortable and safe.