Chapter 170: Dangerous Attempt
'Albus, send messages to the others not to interfere without my say.'
'Got it.'
Geth closed his eyes and spread out his senses again. The wolves either weren't bothering with or weren't able to hide their presence.
'Ten... Eleven... Twelve. There are enough for a few tries, but I'll have to be fast.'
The Direwolf pack curbed their speed as they entered the thin mist. They became cautious as they moved forward.
The mist wasn't enough to block their vision, but the additional properties dulled all of their senses.
Geth dispersed all of his selves and focused all of his ability. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the wolves stepped below his resting place.
'Now!'
Geth cast Tame Creature twelve times in quick succession. Formations appeared above and below each of the Direwolves, soon trapping each of them in a luminous cage.
The Direwolves had already started to act when the first Formation appeared. All twelve had been cast in less than a second, but the wolves' instincts weren't to be underestimated.
'Albus, inform the others to attack any wolves that break out of the cages.'
The highest Level wolf shattered the Formation before the enclosure had fully formed. A low growl escaped the beast's throat as the Formation turned to dust.
The creature's hair stood on end as the air around it began to crackle and warp. Even the softened ground below the Direwolf's feet began to bubble.
The mist on the small path quickly faded away as the wolf released its aura. Its head instantly whipped up towards where Geth was standing.
Geth wasn't idly watching the show. He saw what was happening long before the wolf had shifted its gaze.
The ground beneath the beast softened further, causing the monster to sink. Before Geth had the opportunity to harden the earth, the wolf had already thrown itself to the side.
'It's fast!'
Even in Geth's current state, the Direwolf looked like it was moving at a faster than average pace. Any other creature would look like someone had slowed down a recording.
An arrow flew out of the brush on the opposite side of the clearing, embedding itself into the wolf's thigh.
Geth looked on as the arrow's wooden shaft burnt to a crisp, and the wound slowly started to heal.
A Rune in Geth's mind began to glow as a dark aura spread out from both of his hands. He focused the Direwolf as the target creature, and the spell leaped into action.
The wolf showed a moment's hesitation as its speed was drastically reduced. A small volley of arrows and spells pelted it from behind as the melee fighters burst from the bushes.
'The new Curse spell works wonders!' Geth didn't mind casting it now that he could do so without hindering his movement.
A blackened axe slammed into the creature's side, cutting a wide gash and sending it tumbling into the dirt.
Before the creature could retaliate, Sindri had already jumped in front of it and cast Enrage. The Direwolf's eyes turned red as it leaped up and clawed at her shield.
Geth cast Mass Restoration on all of his party members and shifted his focus to the caged creatures. Four of the cages had become brighter while the rest started to show signs of damage.
"We don't have long! Hurry and finish that one off!" Geth yelled.
He leaped from his position on the branch and landed with a soft thud on the ground. In front of him were three Direwolves that were about to bust free from the Taming Formation.
Geth summoned his Arcane Archer onto the branch as he was leaping down. The Skeleton already stood proudly, its bow drawn back and a burning arrow fitted onto the string.
He cast Protection on himself and Sindri. A thin layer with over 5000 health appeared around the two tanks.
It was cast just in time as two of the Direwolves before him burst through their cages. Geth met them in a head-on clash, the Strength gained from his equipment showing its worth.
The first Direwolf was tossed back as the second's claws grazed harmlessly across his protective barrier. He nodded in approval at the new spell's effectiveness.
There wasn't much time to gloat. The third Direwolf smashed through the Formation and rushed towards him.
A solid black arrow flew over his shoulder and slammed into the wolf before it could get close. The wolf was thrown back many yards before it finally skidded to a halt.
Geth glanced back to see his Skeleton standing behind him, readying another arrow.
"Thanks, you keep them pushed back, and I'll wear them down!"
The Archer nodded but didn't speak. Geth's Foresight alerted him to danger from his right.
He ducked down just in time for a set of molten claws to graze harmlessly over his head.
Sweat dripped from his brow as the heat washed over him. Even with his enhanced Defense, he could feel the effects of the beast's paws.
He launched himself from the ground, tackling the belly of the Direwolf standing over him. It flipped head over heels in the air, thudding to the ground a short distance away.
"There's too many of them."
He watched another pair of wolves shatter their cages. Arrows flew over his head in a barrage of colors.
Each arrow had a different horrifying effect for whatever wolf it was targeting. Even if a wolf managed to dodge it, the Skeleton would control the projectile to turn and attack from the other direction.
'What an impressive display,' Geth thought.
He noticed that arrows and spells began to target the wolf that he'd thrown to the ground. Its health had already dropped by half before it could climb to its feet.
One of the wolves that had just broken free was tossed to the ground by a massive hulk-like figure. Two spiked maces slammed into the creature over and over.
The wolf didn't take it lying down. A flurry of claws and fangs assaulted Swole from the front.
He laughed as he continued his assault. With each strike, every injury would start to close.
The wolves started to slow their attacks as their confidence faultered.. Two of their highest Levels lay dead on the ground.