The Villain's Sword Is Sharp

Isaac stared into the black hole, but he couldn't see anything. He and Johan cautiously walked up to the side of the den; they could hear laboured breathing coming from inside.

Since they were right beside the entrance now, they could see a little distance inside. They could barely see 2 black paws poking out from the darkness at the bottom of the den.

They saw the paws shake, then disappear. The wolf had been lying down, but it had sensed the 2 people approaching it so it rose and let out a low growl. Before it had been loud and aggressive, but this growl was quiet and menacing – like a warning not to come any closer.

Isaac glanced at Johan, then created a spirit sword and stepped into the den. Johan positioned himself behind, ready to provide ranged support.

They could see the inside of the den more clearly now. There was a 3-metre-long passageway which led into an underground chamber. Isaac slowly walked down the passageway, crouching slightly since the roof was only neck height. He kept his knees bent and his feet rather wide apart, in a position where he was ready to dodge or react.

He heard another low growl from the chamber below, so he readied his sword.

Just as Isaac reached the end of the passage, there was sudden movement. A pair of jaws came snapping at him, slobber flying everywhere.

He pulled his sword into position and defended against the strike. Then he lashed out with a jab.

The wolf retreated, and Isaac used the opportunity to advance 2 steps and get out of the passage. He emerged in a large, circular chamber where he could adequately stand up. The wolf stood in the middle of the chamber; its hackles were raised and its back was arched. Red blood slowly dribbled down its black chest and right flank. The fur around its front right paw was also stained red and it walked with a limp. Meanwhile, its mouth was a mess; it had lost 2 fangs and there was blood all around its jaws – though most of that was Guðmundur's.

At this moment, the Sarcevic Wolf looked rather like a rat – a rat which had been backed into a corner and forced to fight for its life. It regarded Isaac warily, somewhat reluctant to engage. It watched and waited for Isaac to make the first move.

Isaac saw this and decided it would be better to seize the initiative. There was no snow here, so he couldn't use the Snowshoe Anima – he had to run towards the wolf instead.

3 quick strides brought him face to face with the beast. He brandished his sword, feinting towards the head before actually targeting its injured chest.

The wolf raised a paw to protect its head, but then it saw the blade's trajectory change. It was too slow to react; it couldn't defend itself. The wolf knew it would be hit no matter what it did, so it flew into a frenzy. Any defensive precautions went out of the window and it leapt towards Isaac's sword.

Isaac didn't expect this. He was unable to adjust his sword and missed the wolf's heart, which he was aiming for. His blade pierced its soft chest again, but it passed between its ribs and failed to strike any major organs.

Now, the wolf was flying towards him and his sword was stuck. He was about to release his grip on the sword and slide under the wolf, but then he remembered his mistake from earlier.

Previously, he'd failed to protect Abbie and let the Sarcevic wolf get to her. If he slid under the wolf now, it would let the beast attack Johan who was coming down the passageway behind him. He had to stand his ground and protect Johan, but he also couldn't eat this strike head-on...

*Bam*

Isaac had spent too much time thinking and not enough time acting. The wolf barrelled into him before he could decide what to do and he was pushed to the floor.

The wolf stood over him. It raised its paw and an ominous black claw appeared behind it. Isaac would be turned to mush if the phantom claw hit him at point blank range.

He directed a punch towards the wolf's nose, trying to interrupt its attack. Then, suddenly, he saw 3 icicles pierce the wolf's head. One punctured its eye while the other 2 struck its cheek. The wolf howled in pain and the phantom claw behind it dissipated.

Isaac quickly created another sword and slashed at the wolf. It jumped back, and Isaac was able to scramble to his feet. However, he was starting to run out of Qi now, so he didn't want the battle to drag out much longer. He heard Johan speak from behind him,

"Try to create an opening so I can target its other eye."

Isaac nodded, but then the wolf charged at him. It had realised that, to survive, it had kill its 2 opponents – there was no alternative or easy way out. It went straight for Isaac's throat.

Isaac swung his sword at the wolf's incoming head, but it read his blade and ducked underneath. Now it was biting towards Isaac's torso.

He stepped back and to the side, giving Johan a clear view of the wolf. Johan fired another 4 icicles at the wolf's eye. The wolf saw them late and couldn't dodge. All of them struck its face, but none hit its eyes. However, they created a vital opportunity for Isaac.

The wolf instinctively closed its good eye as the icicles approached. In the split second where it couldn't see anything, Isaac darted forwards and thrust his sword towards the side of its head.

The blade entered just below its ear, pierced through its skull with a *crack* and went all the way through the other side. The wolf died in an instant. When Isaac removed his hand from the sword, it vanished and the wolf's lifeless body collapsed with a thud.

The Sarcevic Wolf had met death with its eyes closed. If it weren't for the wounds covering it, the beast would've looked asleep rather than dead. Indeed, it still looked as if it could wake up and attack at any moment.

Johan told himself that was just an illusion his tense mind was playing on him. The Sarcevic Wolf could never come back to life – he'd seen Isaac put a sword through its brain. He quietly reassured himself and quickly regained composure. Then he turned his attention away from the dead beast and towards its lair.

They were currently in a rather roomy chamber – a chamber that was unnecessarily large for a normal-sized wolf. The ceiling formed a dome and was at least 8 feet tall in the middle, while the chamber itself was nearly the size of a swimming pool.

The chamber was very clean and there were no skeletons here, despite the piles of them outside. Something felt odd; it didn't look like the kind of den a wolf would make.

Isaac had noticed this too and was already looking around. He started at the edges of the chamber and slowly moved inwards, looking for any anomalies. Suddenly, he stopped,

"Johan, come here!"

Johan ran over. Isaac was pointing to a patch of earth which looked like it had been charred black. Isaac ran his fingers over this black patch, then looked at his fingertips. They had been coated black by what looked like ash or charcoal.

Johan was shocked,

"This looks like the remnants of a campfire – has somebody been here before us?"

"Keep looking. There might be more signs."

The 2 of them searched the rest of the chamber. There were a few more signs of campfires being started, but nothing else. Johan's expression darkened,

"It appears as if somebody has started several campfires down here. They removed any burnt logs or leftover wood, but they've forgotten to clear the deposits of ash and soot left by the fire. If they were down here..."

Johan paused for a moment before continuing,

"Was somebody manipulating the Sarcevic Wolf?"