Toward the freedom [Mephistel] [Open]

[FlowyWolf]

It hadn't noticed how rude he was, until Ahuzanel asked him his name. For a moment, he even forgot about the upcoming danger, as embarrassed he was for his lack of manners.

"Sorry, really, I thought I..." then, realizing it wasn't the right time to talk too much, she calmed down and, sketching a little bow, he finally said:
"I'm Raholin, sorry for not introducing myself earlier."

After his awkward introduction, Ahuzanel didn't seems to carry too much about Raholin's lack of manners, but he simply turned around and acted as if he was going to whistle.

But when the sound finally came from his mouth, Raholin understood immediately it was not a simple whistle.
It was more than unusual, as if someone was singing a song without any words, or if ten flutes where playing at the same time. Better, it was almost both of things, as the nature itself was blowing inside hundred flutes.

Raholin got lost into that unnatural, yet enjoyable sound, until the ground under his feet start trembling loudly.
Before he could even ask himself in his mind what it was going on, a giant wolf appeared from the thick trees, tall as four humans and long as twelve.
Involuntarily, Raholin jumped back with fright, his breath fleeing away from his chest.

"What..." The word hardly came out from his mouth, his tongue had lost its ability to pronounce any sound.
And then, after the wolf pushed its head against Ahuzanel, its huge blue eyes turned toward him, throwing a strong shiver into Raholin's back.
For a long, infinite moment, the two of them keep on staring each other, without moving. Raholin couldn't find the strength to do anything, as scared as he was, but he knew he had to do something.

Finally, after a hard interior fight, Raholin managed to move again his arm and, as slow as possible, he got his hand close to Wolfang's muzzle. Even if he was ready to jump back at the first sign of danger, he didn't have to, as the wolf didn't make a move.
So, when his hand finally touched Wolfang's fur, Raholin found even the courage to say:
"Ni... nice to meet you..." 

[Mephistel]

Ahuzanel patted the wolf fur for a moment, pushing his head in it's thick white fur. As Raholin's hand would finally meet with the wolf, the beast simply nodded his head slowly. It was said that beast could feel another's fear.

-He is please to meet you as well, Raholin.-

The spirit said with a soft smile. While disapearing on the other side of the large beast, he lightly jumped onto his back. The wolf didn't budge while the child like being was sitting on his back. Indulging, he lowered himself as Ahuzanel extended a hand toward Raholin.

-Climb on...we will depart now...-

He said. The wolf was calm, as if tamed, but that was merely an impression. Only Ahuzanel's presence could make such a beast bow toward a human. But Wolfang had been with the spirit for many years and their friendship was more then any could be heard of. The wolf was ready to die and to bow to any of the spirit desire.

-Don't worry, he accept to let you on his back, you'll just need to hold on to me ok.-

He said, reassuringly. His voice was soothing and calm.

[FlowyWolf]

Even if Ahuzanel was trying to reassure him, this time, Raholin couldn't simply believe him.
In the last few ours, he had seen a lot of strange things, but nothing was quite comparable to that huge, imperious wolf.
When Ahuzanel moved from him, Raholin got the pulse to follow him closely, but his legs were still frozen from the fear. So, he stayed there, glaring Wolfang with a mixture of fear and respect.
-It's all so unbelievable, just one day ago, my life was so quiet and boring, and now...- he couldn't finish his thought, since the spirit's body appeared again in front of his eyes, just higher than he had expected.

When he saw Ahuzanel staying on top of the wolf, extending his arm toward him, the only thing he wanted to do was to run away in fear.

"Climb on... we will depart now" he said, and that were the worst words he could have said. He stared at his friend, incredulous, still without being able to say a word.
Ahuzanel surely noticed his fear, so he tried to reassure him with a calm, soothing voice. This time, however, the magic of his voice wasn't as strong as before.

-I can't let him down, I promised to help him- he tried to repeat himself, but he couldn't be persuasive enough.
Then, probably tired for the waiting, the wolf decided to do its own move, so he approached his snout to Raholin face and, before the boy could jump away, it hit gently his cheek, as for saying to trust him.

-Well, I think I have no choice.-

Finally, taking a deep breath, Raholin caught Ahuzanel's arm and jumped to Wolfang back. When he sat onto that soft fur, he clang to him with all his might, praying his trust in the spirit wasn't misplaced.

[Mephistel]

Ahuzanel wondered if Wolfang was too scary, he was never of him, but also, humans had a tendency to fear everything they didn't knew. Sometimes unknown were the most frightful of things. To Ahuzanel, the wolf was a very dear friend and one he could trust with his life. As the white wolf decided to push forward, Raholin finally seemed to find the courage to climb on. The spirit smiled to him.

-See...Wolfang will not harm you child of man...-

He looked around for a moment, listening to the sound of the wind, The wolf ears also were listening. In the deep silence of the forest, only the sounds of birds and insect could be heard. The feathers on the spirit's shoulder started to rustle softly against Raholin's chest.

-It's moving...-

He said calmly. Making sure the human was holding tight, he gave a small kick to the beast's side and it started moving. It almost felt like horseriding, big different, the size and the mass of muscle, without any saddle, it was a whole other world. Quickly, the wolf gained speed and soon they were rushing trough the forest, moving trough the trees without even nearing the branches. As if a path was opening in front of them. The wind was rushing against them and the sounds were all but faint noises. They were going fast but Ahuzanel was steady on the wolf back, often making sure Raholin was still fine as they rushed along.

Eventually stepping out of the woods onto the shore of a large river, they stopped for a moment as if looking for something.

-Are you still ok Raholin?-

He asked.

[FlowyWolf]

As soon as Ahuzanel had spoken, the forest started running around him.
Raholin held tightly to Ahuzanel, he never flied so fast before; actually, she never flied that way at all.

At the beginning of their journey, Raholin wasn't able to keep his eyes open, as the wind was hitting his face so hardly, and all he could hear was the loud whistle of the wind howling in his ears.
Then, with a huge effort, he managed to finally open his eyes, but all he could see were the colors of the forest.
All the trees around them, in fact, had dissolved into a single green and brown spot, and they merged with the ground as if they were one, giving him the impression to fly through a dark sky.

Raholin chest pushed hardly Ahuzanel's back, without even moving to breath.
-I'm going to die.- That was the only thought in Raholin's head as Ahuzanel's eyes turned toward him, as if the boy hoped the spirit could read his mind.

Then, after what he seemed to Raholin an hour, the world finally stopped running against them, showing him a quiet, motionless river surrounded by tall trees and bright shores.

It all was still turning around his head, when he heard Ahuzanel's question, yet he was able to understand the meaning of his words.
However, he needed some time before to be able to say something, as a strong pain tightened his stomach, almost making him throw up the emptiness there were inside it.

"I... I think so..." Then, finally seeing what was standing in front of him, he thanked for not having eaten anything before to leave, and then he spoke.

"Please, tell me we can walk from here." 

[Mephistel]

They had finally stopped. It took some time before Ahuzanel got an answer from the boy. Perhaps they went too fast for him to withstand it? He looked at him a bit worried as he spoke. Well, they could go by foot from here. He switch position, now facing the boy and put a fresh hand on his forehead to help him feel better, a slight glow from his palm and the sickness Raholin was feeling would be gone.

-We can walk from here...we are near the darkness nest...do you need to rest?-

The spirit asked softly as he let himself fall from the wolf's back. Wolfang lowered himself so Raholin  could disembark the large beast. Ahuzanel scratch his muzzle, smiling softly at the wolf.

-Thank you Wolfang...your a great help!-

He said. Turning back toward Raholin, waiting for an answer. The surrounding area was feeling strange, there was an uneasiness in the air, as if the air was foggier, dark, the sounds around them...there was none, it was eerie, as if all the birds were gone. Even the wind was dare not blow upon the river. Ahuzanel's feather rustle some more and he turned around, as if searching for something. Wolfang let out a low growl. Something was near.

[FlowyWolf]

When Ahuzanel's hand touched his forehead, Raholin got instantly better. He still was shaken from that unbelievable journey, obviously, yet he felt as if the spirit's hand were giving him some new strength.

Then, when he heard they actually could have walked from there on, she almost jumped up and down as happy as he was. However, even if he felt better after Ahuzanel's assistance, he didn't have enough strength in his body to be able to move.

So, he simply stand onto Wolfang's back, finally breathing again, until the wolf lowered to the ground to let him descend. 
When he finally touched the ground, he almost fell on it, since his legs were too shocked to sustain his weight, but somehow, he succeeded in keeping the balance.

The whole world was still running around him, when he finally realized Ahuzanel was waiting for some response, even if he didn't even heard the question. So, hoping his intuition was true, he dare answer:
"I'm ok." Then, starting to remember what had happened before that unbelievable journey, he added:
"Where are we, and where should we go?". As he spoke, however, he suddenly felt a cold wind hitting his back, filling his soul with a new, scaring fear.
He could sense it, something was near.

[Mephistel]

The spirit pointed up north, up the river. As he looked, Raholin could see how foggy it was getting, heavy mist was wrapping itself around the water, the further he looked, the darker it seemed to get. Wolfang stood next to the spirit and spoke, in a low voice.

-Why do we have to go...it's dangerous...even I can tell...let's go back to our forest, and mind our own business...-

He said. He was definitively worried about the young spirit. Ahuzanel smiled softly at him, patting it's large head.

-I know you are concern...but I can't leave a friend in danger...now can I?-

He said. The wolf wince a little, shooking his head and pushing it against the spirit's chest.

-I would never forgive myself if I lose you...-
-Do not worry, I have you by my side and him too...-

He finished calming the wolf's worry and turned back to Raholin.

-Can you walk? It's not that far ahead but...you need to be ready...it's probably become dangerous once we passed the river bend..-

[FlowyWolf]

After sensing that danger, Raholin turned instinctively up north, finding himself submerged by the mist.
Fear grabbed him from everywhere, so that he couldn't understand if the wolf actually talked to the spirit, or if it was just his sensation.

But one thing was sure, the spirit was as worried as he was.

While watching up north, Raholin tried to remember his teacher's training and, managing to focus on his inner power, awakening the magic inside him.
But his powers couldn't help him understand what was going on, that insurmountable wall of fog was standing right in front of him, too deep to be crossed.

Then, that question captured his attention, giving him the signal Ahuzanel was talking with him.

"Don't worry, I'm more than ready". It was true, his magic was flowing through his muscles and a weak wind tried to sustain his limbs, glowing with hot sparkles all around his fists and his feet.
However, even if he was ready to fight, he couldn't see where his enemy where, even if he was sensing his presence, and that started to make him uncomfortable.

Growing with anxiety, he tightened his belt and, hitting two times his bare chest as to give his body some more strength, he finally said.

"Just one thing, friend. What are we fighting against?".

[Mephistel]

Azuhanel walked to Raholin's side after watching him getting himself pumped up for the coming fight. He took his hand in his. Small, frail, soft, fresh, tiny fingers wrapping around his fist. He smiled to him, his voice once more like falling rain as the wolf stood behind them.

-You'll see...once on the other side...-

He said, mysteriously. With that, he started to walk, holding onto Raholin's hand as they entered the mist. It was cold upon touch, small tears of water fell on their skin. As they entered the mist, Ahuzanel's feather and scale started to glow slightly, the soft steps of the wolf behind them as he followed his young protégé. Their feet were living trace in the sand as they moved ahead.

It was hard to see what was in front of him, larges shadow hovered over them, it was eerie. Silent was the forest, the flow of the river barely making any sound. There was no bird chirping, no animals running, just a low void of noise.

Until they walked out of the fog, finding themselves into a surreal place. It was as if all the trees had suddenly turned into a poisonous purple and black color. Their leaf whitering away and the sun was covered by dark heavy rain clouds. Most of the surrounding vegetation was dying and the wind blowing was suddenly very cold.

Looking around, Ahuzanel's expression turned grim and sadened. As he stepped further, he eventually let out a gasp and fell on his knees, holding onto his shoulders as the feathers were turning a reddish and brown color. He started coughing a bit. Spiderwebs could be seen between the trees, relaying them into a impenetrable net, their silk shining softly.

-Ahuzanel! What's wrong!?-

The wolf cried, holding his head next to the spirit.

-Of course...I would be affected...-

He said, shivering. At that moment, the click of something huge came into view. From the darkness of the trees came probably the biggest spider either of them had ever seen, it was about the same size as the wolf, but his many legs gave it more reach and it was snapping his large fangs at them. It was pitch black with yellow and red marks on it and it didn't looked happy.

-It's her! The darkness is coming from her!-

Ahuzanel called, opening wide eyes. Wolfang stood at his side.

-Are you ready human child? We must fight now!-

[FlowyWolf]

As Ahuzanel grabbed Raholin's hand, they started walking inside the fog.
The spirit's hand was almost as cold as the weather, freezing streams were running all over his naked upper body down until his agitated legs.

Trying to warm up, Raholin started focusing on his inner magic in order to create some hot flames around him, but the creepy silence surrounding them was too scaring to focus on anything. If he hadn't seen it before, Raholin probably wouldn't have known neither there were a river near them, as silent its water was flowing.

The young boy gave up from creating his flames and kept his eyes onto the bright scales of his friend, thanking the fact they still managed to overcome that thick smokescreen.
However, when they finally came out from the deep fog, darkness overcame them, darkening all the light around them.

"What..." Raholin couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was as if all the nature became hostile, darkness spread from every single dying leaf and root and all glowed evilly with that dark, purple light.
The cold wind hit remorseless Raholin's flesh, he never felt so cold before, so he let Ahuzanel's hand go and tighten his arms to his naked chest, trying desperately to warm up.

When he let him go, however, Ahuzanel suddenly fell onto his knees, gasping anxiously, and his feathers turned red and brown, as if they had been infected by that evil darkness.

"Ahuzanel!". Raholin tried to grab his shoulder to help him, but a sudden movement behind the trees drew his eyes.
The boy lifted anxiously his head, watching closely to those thousand webs that overran all the forest, his hands closed to fists, ready to fight whoever came out from the darkness.

But when he finally saw what had called his attention, his hands lowered, discouraged, as that huge monster appeared in front of them.
Raholin was speechless, Ahuzanel's shout couldn't reach his ears, as submerged by fear he was.

The boy couldn't believe something like that could even exists, it was as huge as the wolf they've ridden until there, maybe even more than it was. Its paws were enormous, twice a man's size, and deadly, sharp fangs were pointing at them.
The spider's bloody eyes were watching them, and Raholin had no doubt they were foretasting their meal.

"We must fight now!". As the spirit shouted at him, Raholin managed to get back on his feet and rise his fists again.
He would have gladly run away from there, he knew he couldn't do anything against a monster like him. However, he also knew he won't be able to flee, as the monster would have caught him in an instant. Besides, he would never abandon his friend in such a horrible danger.

"Holen, I hope you taught me well..." speaking with no one, he focused again on his inner power and surrounded his fist with his fire and, when he sensed the eat reaching its maximum, he punched the air in front of him, throwing that little fire-ball right toward the monster's paw. However, that was too small and weak to really hurt the giant spider, and even if it stroke its paw, it seemed not to be hurt, but just irritated. While looking the scared boy with its bloody eyes, the giant spider started crawling toward him.

Finally, the battle began.

[Mephistel]

Luckily, Wolfang was with them, as the giant spider rushed toward the human, he jumped in the way, charging the insect with his whole body and slamming it to the ground. The spider let out a loud noise while clicking his legs, trying to get a snap at the wolf. Wolfang was striking back with heavy flaws, but soon red covered his white like snow pelt.

-Wolfang!-

Ahuzanel cried as he saw his friend in danger. He had hoped he could talk his way out, but this time, it seemed like it wouldn't do. He would need to fight as well. He looked at Raholin, he could feel the fear, perhaps it was a mistake to bring him here. He had felt the fighting potential of the boy, but this was maybe too much. Such a thing, humans weren't use to.

To Ahuzanel, this was also an abomination, but he had to fight, it was his duty as a guardian of the forest. Kneeling down on the ground, he started a short prayer.

-Oh spirits of the lands...animals and light....Oh mother of all born in this world....give me your strenght....Oh mother of all...allow me to borrow your power...OWL!!!

As he prayed, his voice sounded soft and it felt as if it had suddenly started raining. His body started to glow a warm light, his feather returned to their original color. Slowly standing back up, his face started to change, slowly, his nose and lips started to fuse together, turning into a black and golden beak, more feather started to cover his arms and shoulder. A feathered tails sprout from his back as wings manifested themselves on his back. His hands and feet turned into sharp claws. His eyes became more bird like. Ahuzanel let out a loud cry, one of a bird and took flight.

-It will be fine, believe in yourself...-

The voice of Ahuzanel reached inside of Raholin's head. Wolfang was back to his feet, howling at the spider. He had manage to take out one of it's legs but the wolf was bleeding. The bird like Ahuzanel joined the fray, aiming for the spider's eyes, to blind it would make it easier for them. He jumped onto the spider's back and started slashing at it's eyes while the monstruous being tried to get him off, snapping it's legs at him, hardly missing him.

[FlowyWolf]

When the giant spider ran toward him, Raholin couldn't do anything, but pray. He hadn't prayed a lot in his life, he simply didn't care too much about it, but in that moment, seeing the death run fast toward him, he suddenly understood why the people used to pray God in moments like that.

Luckily, God shouldn't be angry with him, as he decided to save him from death via Wolfang, who jumped in front of him, stopping the giant spider's run and beginning its own fight.

For some moments, Raholin stood there, powerless, his mind full with every kind of thought.
He didn't know what to do, even if he was trained as a soldier, he was used to fight against humans, no one ever taught him how to fight against that sort of giant monster. Moreover, he was an infighter, but he was almost sure his fists wouldn't even hurt that giant spider.
He had to use his magic, that was his only chance, but he never did it before, and he's first attempt didn't go as he would have expected.
So, he tried to remember what Holen said him and the exercises they did together, trying not to feel sorry for what happened to him.

Hardly fighting against the sadness those memories recalled, he didn't find any kind of use of his magic he could use in such a similar situation. At the end, all that training was finalized to use his magic without being noticed, and that was the last of his worries in a moment like that.

"Wolfang!". While he was thinking, he suddenly heard Ahuzanel's shout and, looking to the giant wolf, he saw too its blood running down its fur. Raholin turned his head toward the spirit, he seemed to be shattered, it was as if he was praying, even if Raholin couldn't hear what he was saying.

-Enough, I can't let him down this way, I'm a fighter, I must do something!- Shouting in his own mind to give him some strength, Raholin focused on his magic again and generated two small wind streams around his feet, as Holen taught him. Then, using the power of his wind, he ran toward the spider and he quickly jumped toward him, delivering a powerful flying kick right to the spider leg.

However, even if his strike had been powerful, it didn't hurt at all the giant spider, but once again, he just made him angry. Turning its head toward the defenseless boy, the spider raised one of his legs, aiming right to his head.

When Raholin saw that sharpen claw falling toward him, he instinctively raised his hand to stop it, without thinking how useless his soft hands could be against it.
However, it was his lucky day.
Wolfang, in fact, saw the opportunity and, jumping against the falling leg, he bit it fiercely with its sharpen fangs, until he finally ripped it off from the spider's body.
The monster hissed in pain and anger, swinging his remaining paws in every direction, and one of them reached Raholin torso before he could be able to avoid it.

Falling to the ground, Raholin felt the blood slipping on his skin, but he kept on rolling to the ground to take some distance from the monster, trying not to care about the pain.

And then, Ahuzanel's voice spoke in his head. He got astonished at the beginning, he almost forgot he was a magic creature, but when he raised his eyes and finally saw his friend, he got speechless.

Ahuzanel's transformation was astonishing, Raholin could hardly say it was the same person as before, as different as he was. His face had gone, replaced by a pointy beak, and his arms and his feet too, as they changed into sharp claws. His feather were glowing has he never saw before, a warm purple light that wiped out the darkness around him.

When he saw how Ahuzanel had changed and how fiercely he was fighting against that monster, he became more confident and, rising again his fists, he circled them with crackling flames and he run against one of the spider's legs.
Raholin knew his attacks wouldn't damage the monster, but he could provide some distraction, giving Ahuzanel and Wolfang the chance to strike it deadly. So, he grabbed its paw right before it got up and, clinging it with all his strength, he kept on burning his own hands with his magic.
The spider surely felt the heat, as it started swinging the leg to try to throw Raholin away, but his grasp was strong and he won't surrender so easily.

"Go, take the chance and hit him!".

[Mephistel]

The three of them were fighting, side by side, even tough not all could deliver the final punch, everyone had it's use. Wolfang had yet manage to take down another leg from the monstruous spider. It let out yet another scream, one that would make one's blood freeze.

The pain could clearly be heard, as much as the anger and hatred. It sounded as if the darkness itself had howled, in one mighty roar. Black blood was spilling on the ground like ink, the ground it touches, withering quickly. It looked poisonous to say the least.

Up in the air, Ahuzanel was striking the best he could with his claws, sometimes having to jump or dodge the creature's legs and claws. But on top of the monster, it was easier to do so as the spider couldn't exactly reach him. Using Raholin's distraction, Ahuzanel manage to claws his way in the spider's face, slashing it's eyes. It let out another high pitch scream while waving his legs around, now blinded. The boy was promptly kicked off the spider's back and sent flying into a tree. He let out a scream of pain and fell to the ground.

Wolfang jumped onto the now blinded spider and manage to push it on it's back, now clawing his way into it's inside. And as he did, a soft light started to spread from the inside of the monster.

-Ahuzanel! Hurry! It's there! You need to purify it!-

The wolf cried. The spirit slowly got up, still in that hybrid form of his and nodded. Hurrying up to the spider while Wolfang maintained it to the ground. He jumped and disapeared inside the spider, as if his whole body had suddenly become some sort of smoke and was gone.

The spider was agitated but it's missing legs and blind eyes were enough pain to stop it from attacking.

-Human, can you still stand?-

The wolf called to Raholin.

-Help me keep it to the ground until Ahuzanel come back!

[FlowyWolf]

While grabbing the spider's leg, Raholin could hear the painful shouts of that monster, actually, they almost shattered his eardrums, yet he managed somehow to cling to its paw and keep spreading his flames all around him.

The monster was losing its strength, Raholin could sense it, yet it was still firmly standing on his legs, fighting for its own life. He could see the monster's dark blood slipping on its paw, one of his two allies probably succeeded in hurting it, but the fight was far from its end.
Suddenly, in fact, Raholin saw the spider's blood slip from its paw on his torso, and he instantly felt an unbearable burning in his left side, right where he got hurt a few moments before.
Screaming in pain, he loosened his grip onto the monster's leg right before Ahuzanel managed to hurt the spider's eyes.

As the paw started swinging around, Raholin felt the spider's fur distance from his dirty skin and the air surround him, but just for a short moment, before he fell onto the ground with a hard tumble.

Raholin couldn't see what happened after he fell, he was too dizzy to understand what was going on around him and his right side was burning as if the very same underworld' flames had surrounded it. Being doubled over the pain, Raholin started rolling over the ground, as the fresh grass could make his wound less painful.
However, the grass was full of the infected spider's blood, and Raholin got no relief, but only more pain.

Tired to death, he finally stood motionless, exhausted, looking that blurred dark sky above him.
-It's over, my run has already finished- he thought in a moment of despair. Yet, the noise of the battle reached quickly his ears, giving him new desire to get back on his feet.

"... feet?". He heard nothing but the last word the wolf shouted at him, without even being surprised that Wolfgang could actually talk. Then, paying more attention to the sounds that reached his ears, he managed to understand its second shout.

-Come back from where, where did he go?- he couldn't understand what was going on, yet one thing was sure. His friends needed him.

Crawling onto his knees, he finally managed to stand back on his feet. The world was covered by a deep fog, or maybe, it was just his eyes, but he had to go on. Clenching his teeth, Raholin located where Wolfang and the spider were and he ran as quickly as he could toward him, rubbing his eyes in attempt to free them from that annoying fog.

When he reached the spot where the two beasts were fighting, driven by desperation, he evoked two little whirls under his feet and, using their push, he finally landed onto the spider's head.
When he realized what he had just done, however, he got in a panic, as he realized he had no idea what to do.
-How can I hold a beast like this to the ground?-. The spider was moving, fighting hardly against the wolf and almost making Raholin fell to the ground. So, realizing he had no more time to think about it, he did the first thing that came to his mind.

Focusing all his remaining forces into his palms, he surrounded them with flames and, when he sensed he couldn't gather any more of it, he punched with all his strength at the spider's neck and, as his hands vanished into his flesh, he kept on generating his flames, shouting desperately:

"Ahuzanel, please , come back quickly from whenever you are!".

[Mephistel]

When Ahuzanel entered the spider's body, it was as if he had entered a whole new world. A world of darkness and death, eerie. It felt as if he had jumped into a deep and dark water, he could swim torought that thick darkness. His hybrid self had turned back to normal and he was now moving trough this fog.

Everything around him was dark and scary, he could feel the pressure of the place, but then again, he could feel the presence of this forest guardian, he had been devour by this monster, but it was still alive. He had to find him and purify his soul in order to save the forest, what could have happen to this forest child for it to turn into such a beast?

He could hear it cry faintly, in the deepest part of this place. He eventually saw a small light, there it was, it was faint...and slowly dying, but there was still time. He finally reached it, extending his hand toward the child, he saw the reason behind it's transformation. He was hurt, wounded by what seemed to be a dagger. He landed beside the small figure and tok the dagger, pulling it out with all his strength while making a prayer. He sent energy toward the other spirit and it finally opened his eyes, looking at him in surprise.

He took his hand. Looking at the spirit, it looked a bit like Ahuzanel, but this one, instead of feathers and scale, had fur on his shoulders and animals ears. He nodded to him softly and his light grew stronger. He was ready and saved.

From outside, after a little while, a bright light came from inside the spider. One last cry came out and it melted to the ground, living the wolf and Raholin in a puddle of black thick liquid, which quickly vanish into the air. The light shown brightly and as such, the forest surrounding them slowly came back to life. The ground grew herbs and grass, the trees flourish, the strange fog dissipated and the sun started to shine. That wind of life also healed the wounds of Wolfang and Raholin (you can chose if it heal or not, but it's powerful enough to do so, it's up to you.)

The wolf stood up as Ahuzanel and the other spirit appeared from the light, who soon vanished as well. They landed. Ahuzanel was back to normal and smiling, looking at them both.

-Thank you! We did it!-

He said softly. The other spirit bowed to them.

-Thank you as well, you saved me!-

[FlowyWolf]

Raholin's shout got no answer, but he hadn0t the chance to worry about it. His fight was hard, the spider obviously didn't want to give up so easily, so the boy and the wolf had to draw their strength to keep it down onto the ground.

It was hard, Raholin felt has if his whole soul left his body, leaving him empty, yet he managed to survive.

Then, suddenly, a bright explosion came from the spider's stomach. The hard, tenacious body all of a sudden disappeared, leaving them float in a puddle of black, sticky liquid. However, it lasted just a few seconds, and then all that awful liquid disappeared in an instant, leaving them crawling to the ground. All of a sudden, the darkness disappeared, wiped out by a sudden explosion of light. The trees born again from the gloomy ground, surrounding them with green, newborn flora, and the first flowers begun to fight against the nature, trying to make a new start.

Then, while Raholin was still trying to understand what was going on, he suddenly felt again the sunbeams heat his body and the wind brush his skin. However, that wind was different, it was a healing one, as his skin was touched by his merciful stream, he instantly felt as if no one had ever harmed him.

It was all done, the monster was gone, leaving only some dark puddle on the ground, and two living figure standing there. One of them, Raholin surely knew him, but the other one, it was no one he never met, even if he had something similar to Ahuzanel.

However, as that figure finally spoke, bowing respectfully, a scaring voice came out from the newborn forest:

"Well, at least, we found you, traitor!" Raholin eyes opened wide as he heard that well-known voice, and when he turned his head, he already knew who was speaking.

Getting prepared to another battle, he stared at those merciless people with drawn weapons, the ones he called in the past as his friends. They were al of there, the tenth of them, staring at him with hateful eyes.

"You... you did all this mess, just to get me?". As Raholin spoke, however, he could suppose how they would have answered to him.

"You know, you broke the law, and now, you and all those monsters that decided to help you must die." .

[Mephistel]

Ahuzanel looked surprised at the man surrounding them, all humans an apparently people known to Raholin. Who were they? Not friends it seems. He could sense their hatred and desire to kill. The spirit also felt the other one starting to shake and begin to feel anger.

-It's them! They stabbed me!-

The other spirit called, holding Ahuzanel's hand firmly. The other spirit frown, he was usually very calm, but he couldn't stand people harming his kin on purpose. These people didn't seemed friendly at all and had clearly stated their intentions to kill them all.

Wolfang, as tall as he was, took a few steps forward, showing rather large fangs and claws out. He started growling at them.

-If any of you...humans try to harm them, you will suffer a slow death...-

The wolf let out. Ahuzanel stepped forward.

-Leave! Before you get hurt...we are peaceful guardians of this forest...we've done nothing to harm you...so please, just leave....-

He asked. But soon, an arrow came flying, hitting Ahuzanel straight in the shoulder, sending him flying back as he fell to the ground with a scream of pain. The wolf started howling, calling for his fellow and jumped into the group of man without anymore restraint, his heavy fangs lashing at one of the man, taking his head in his mouth and crushing it between his fangs, leaving the headless body in a bloody pool.

The other spirit had join Ahuzanel and was trying to take out the arrow, fearing that he would also be filled with darkness because of the human weapon.

[FlowyWolf]

When he heard Ahuzanel praying the humans to leave, he really hoped they would actually followed his advice. They were ten, all the village guards he was used to know, the very same people whit whom he spent his life. They were all brave people, always determined to carry out their task, yet they were facing two spirits and, moreover, a giant wolf.

Yet, they weren't afraid at all, and as a proof of it, one of them, the younger one, let an arrow fly over Ahuzanel, penetrating him in his shoulder and throwing him onto the ground.

"Ahuzanel!". Wolfang's owl filled the forest with his anger, as he jumped into the group of men killing the one who threw the arrow against his friend. As soon as he did it, three of the soldiers ran toward him with their swords up in the air, while two more men were aiming at Wolfang's head with their arrows.

Raholin was still frozen by fear, he didn't expect such a ruthless aggression from them, nor he thought they could have run so far just to take him back. However, they were there, and they were trying to kill not only him, but even his new friends.
A feeling of anger started growing quickly onto his chest, all the frustration and the hard times he had when living with them exploded in his heart, filling it with hate.

When, finally, Raholin saw his two former fellow citizens aiming to Wolfang with their bows, he broke the ice of fear that was keeping him motionless and started running toward them.

That battle was different from the one he just had, at least in Raholin's eyes. They were worse than the giant spider, they weren't attacking them just because it was their nature, they were doing it purposely, just because of their stupid fear.
Raholin would have never tolerate it again, they weren't anymore the people he used to know, to him, they were just enemies, and for that, he had to defeat them.

The boy didn't even realized he had evoked two whirls under his feet, as enraged as he was, but he jumped quickly toward the two men who apparently didn't expected an attack from him. Turning their head toward the enraged boy, they couldn't do anything to defend themselves from those punches, but they got hit right onto their nose.

Their bones crackled painfully and the blood spread all over their face and Raholin's hand. But he hadn't finished.
Dragged from his anger, he jumped onto one of them and started punching repeatedly his face, until he stopped breathing.
The other man tried to rise on his feet, but Raholin noticed his motion and, before letting his enemy attack him, he swirled his leg throwing him onto the ground. Rising from the lifeless body of the man, Raholin kicked with anger the man's neck, stopping his breath in an instant.

He had killed them, Raholin couldn't believe what he just did. He never killed anyone in his life, but now, he was a murdered. Yet, he wasn't feeling guilty at all, he was just defending his friends and himself, he had no other choice.

Rising his eyes from the blood covering his feet, he looked firmly at the four men standing in front of them, the last of their group, as Wolfang had already killed the three man who tried to attack him.
He knew them, they weren't bad people, at the end, they were just following their orders, he was aware of it.
Therefore, even if he knew it was probably useless, he tried to give them one last chance.

"This is your last chance, go away, tell the other villagers I'm dead, and forget about me." The four man were in panic, Wolfang was walking toward Raholin's side growling ferociously, and even the boy, the face covered by their friends' blood, looked pretty scary. However, they lifted their daggers shaking with fear, before answering.

"We could never let an abomination like you live freely, not after what we have saw what you're capable to do!"

[Mephistel]

As the humans were getting their last warnings, and they should have listened, Ahuzanel was going trough a lot of pain, the arrow was stuck in his shoulder and despite all of the other spirit work, he wasn't able to take it out. Wolfang was growling angrily at the rest of them, showing his bare fang, blood on his white fur as he glared them down where they stood. The wolf wouldn't forgive them.

-This is bad! Ahuzanel! Listen! Don't let the darkness spread! C'mon!! listen...Ahuzanel!!-

The other spirit was crying, but if one would take a look, the boy was quickly changing, his skin was now covered in aqua shining runes, which covered his whole body. The feathers on his shoulders were growing quickly and the scales had spread over his whole back and arms. Spikes of bones ripped trough his skin, covering his back like a porcupine as he grew in size, he had now the size slightly. His face, usually soft, turning into an expression of rage. His yellow eyes shining brightly as he got up, growling. On all four as he was now facing the remaining humans.

Wings spread from his back, not as beautiful as they should be, but organic and distorted. A aura of purple mist surrounded the spirit and the nature under his footing started to wither, like the other one had before.

-We have to take the arrow out!!-

The other spirit cried. Wolfang was taking a step back. Ahuzanel wasn't himself anymore. He growled some more. One of the man looked at him, scared to death, he couldn't believed that such a creature existed, confirming all about those evil spirits he had so much heard of.

Ahuzanel...or whatever monster he had become, jumped into the air, and landed on top of one of the man, holding his hand in between the claws that had grew from his hands and ripped it off the man's shoulder, then started shredding the body to pieces, blood spilling everywhere.