WOLVES MIST - Chapter 3(.5)
#1 of Wolves Mist
Link to Chapter 4 onwards: http://www.sofurry.com/page/290953/user
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Chris stepped back, the passing of Klains foot like a wind across his chest. He tensed his left leg and kicked out with his right. Klain dropped under it and grabbed it with a hand, using Chris's momentum and his own he pulled forward. Chris felt himself being swept into the air, watched as he flew over Klains head. He twisted his leg, using Klains hand to spin himself in the air, wrenching loose, dropped to the ground with arms outstretched. He felt the shock through his paws as he landed crouched on all four limbs and spun around snarling, only to find himself muzzle to foot. The impact snapped his head back, the blow making his eyes water and head spin.
Klain wasn't playing games. Their previous sparring had always been with less than full strength. Now it seemed Klain was determined to cause damage, even to kill him.
Chris rolled instinctively. Felt more than heard the impact on the ground where he'd been only moments before.
The dance had become deadly.
When his paws were once again under him Chris pushed up onto his legs, bringing his right arm up just in time to block another kick. He blocked out the pain and blinked his eyes furiously to clear the tears and re-orientate himself. His body might react instinctively, but fighting that way would only end up with him defeated. Klain had trained him to fight with all his senses, to trust his mind to react to what it saw, heard, felt and sensed and to directly control his movements. Too much conscious thought would only interfere, too little would only make him a brawler.
He sprang forward, paw lashing out at Klains chest as he stepped past his attack and into his guard. Klain spun away, twisting to come around him. Chris kicked out with his foot, hooked Klains leg and tripped him.
Klain fell in a tangle of limbs, not giving him time to rest Chris stepped forward and kicked down hitting only the soft earth as his opponent had rolled away and sprung up.
They squared off, taking stock of the situation.
Both stood perfectly balanced on the balls of their feet, arms loose to the side ready to defend or attack. Klain stepped forward and hit out with open palm, Chris pushed the arm wide then grabbed the arm with a vice grip and stepped in turning his back so he stood back to chest with the lithe blond man. He pushed his back paw out between his surprised opponents leg and hooked his foot before pushing backwards and falling with Klain. He heard the breath leave in a whoosh as his black furred body slammed Klain into the ground. Quickly he lifted himself and flung his feet past Klains head, twisting the arm in his grip as he moved. Klain cried out, his arm close to popping from its socket. Reacting he twisted with, trying to keep his arm from breaking.
Chris felt him shift and suddenly his leverage was gone and he had only a moment of amazed wonder before a kick in the side made him wince, the hard shock made his grip slip and he was suddenly holding empty air. Dangerously lying on his back on the ground with his opponent now released he rocketed forward into a roll, jumping up and turning to see Klain wincing and holding his arm. Worried he may have seriously injured him Chris stepped forward with hand outstretched, only the quick glint in Klains eye gave him warning and he dropped his arm under Klains which had snapped out to ensnare it.
Suddenly terror gripped him and he realised he was in true danger, Klains stance and his hands were held out ready to make deadly strikes to his pressure points that would leave him unable to move and breathe if he was allowed to complete the sequence.
Hand and paw danced through the air at near impossible speeds, Chris blocked almost every strike but Klain was faster and slipped through to slam a hit into his chest. Chris gasped for breath his muscles contorting around the spot where the blow had landed, trying to focus on the continuing flurry of blows and warding against them.
A opening, he swung out pivoting, paw fisted he completed the full swing as fast as his battered body would allow praying that Klain would not be fast enough to attack his now vulnerable back or guard. The air crackled around his fist, lightning danced around it sparking. He cried in fright and pain as his fist connected with Klains head, he felt the crackling energy snap and burn through his veins from his hind-paws through his bodies lines, his heart and out his arm into Klains face.
Klain dropped like a stone. Chris dropped next to him fearfully, quickly checking with ear to mouth he felt the sharp shallow panting breaths puffing into his sensitive ears.
Relieved that his mentor and friend wasn't dead, he called out. "Klain! Klain can you hear me?"
He shook him slightly, then harder. Klain took a deeper breath, stirred and groaned.
His eyes opened and he stared up at Chris dazed and confusedly, slowly intelligence returned to his blue eyes. "Ouch, that bloody hurt. Did it have to activate as you hit me in the head!?" he mumbled pained.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened" Chris almost wept in relief.
"You finally activated the magic of the bindings" Klain said as he pushed himself up to sit, hands cradling his head. "I was hoping you'd do it when I could at least react to it. Fool I am."
"Chris!" A scream ripped through the forest loudly.
Chris's ears rang painfully with it. Birds throughout the forest scattered and flocked into the air.
"Chris! He.." Again it blasted into the quiet air, but cut out mid word.
Suddenly Chris felt emptiness in him. "Snow!" he gasped. The sense he had of Snow was gone, now there was only an aching emptiness. Worriedly he looked down at Klain.
"Go! I can't even stand yet never mind walk. Whatever it is, go! Find out!" Klain said having seen the panicked look in Chris's grey eyes.
Chris nodded at him and stood, scooped up his bandolier of throwing knives and bow and slung them over his shoulders as he ran in the direction he'd last felt Snow.
He ran like he'd never run before, the demons of fear lending wings to his feet as he flew recklessly through the forest.
A strange metallic scent caught his nose and brought him to a halt. He snuffled at the air trying to place the scent, it was strong and seemed to stick in the back of his throat cloyingly.
Slipping into the shadows he followed the scent, now carefully stepping through brush as silent as death. The smell got stronger the closer he came, he almost gagged from it.
Crouching low he glanced around the trunk of the tree in whose shadow he was crouching. The sight before him almost stopped his heart. He sprung out and quickly dropped down next to the robed body. Blood covered and matted the silver hair so that it seemed near black, bright red streaks like the trails of tears painted his friends face.
"Skye" he cried. "Skye please be ok, wake up. I'm here, I heard you calling I'm here. Where's Snow?"
"Chris?" Skye's voice was weak.
"Yes, yes it's me Chris. What happened? I'm here." Chris tried to steady his voice.
"Snow? Where's Snow?" Skye asked suddenly sitting up. "Ow" he yelped and brought a hand to his head, then looking down at his slick red fingers which had come away covered with blood.
"He's not here, what happened Skye? I can't feel him, I don't know where he is." Fear had grip of him now, his stomach was knotted with it.
"They came out of no-where, Snow fought with them. I was shaping a spell. I called out to you to help us and then... I don't remember, just waking up now. We have to find them! They must have Snow!" Skye pushed himself up and swayed heavily, Chris quickly grabbed him before he crumpled.
"You stay here, I'll find them. I can track them." Chris said already looking around the ground at the tracks and marks of the scuffle.
"No!" Skye cried out. "They have a magician with them, I saw him just as I blacked out. I need to come with you, you'll never be able to face them and the magician!"
"You can barely stand, you need to rest. You'll never be able to keep pace with me!" Chris snarled fear and anger colouring his voice.
"Then carry me! You can't save him on your own! It must be the Imperialist Draco's. You'll end up dead if you go alone!" Skye hissed at him a nimbus of red light flaring around him, the blood matting his hair and crusted on his face disappeared.
Chris realised Skye was right, he didn't know much about the Draco's except that they were the sworn enemies of the Wolf pack, had been made in answer to their own creation. Skye wouldn't be able to run however. He un-slung his bow from his shoulder and handed it to Skye. "Sling this on and then get on my back, if you're going to help I'll have to carry you"
Skye hooked the bow behind him, so the string rand over his chest, stepped up behind Chris and leaned down against him. Chris grappled with his legs and pushed him up further onto his back.
He stood and quickly scanned the ground. There! He thought to himself spotting the broken brush, tracks and marks of something being dragged heading into the forest.
With Skye on his back he set out in pursuit of their prey.