Wolfpact
| Wolfpact | |
|---|---|
| Date of Cutscene: | 08 November 2012 |
| Location: | Bramble Forest |
| Synopsis: | Sho's unfortunate complication to Avira's training leads to an unexpected twist. |
| Cast of Characters: | Avira |
Avira crouches in a tree, vying to catch her breath and commanding her beating heart to slow. The second day's trial had been difficult for Skoll was right, without the rain to mask her scent, she was easier to track. If that wasn't bad enough, her recent provokation of the Game Master Sho had added the dangerous element of taboo Noise to the forest-one of which Avira had just finished fleeing.
It wasn't dark yet but already she felt fatigued, tempted to curl up in this tree and sleep. Her eyes start to close, but a multitude of snarls snap them open once more. Shifting her position ever so slightly, she peers downward to spy the very wolfpack that had been hunting her the past few days. They were agitated into a frenzy and it wasn't hard to see why as the enormous form of a Wall of Grizzly crashed into their group. A small smile creeps up Avira's face-mutually assured destruction. She could get behind that.
The smile gradually vanishes as a second Wall of Grizzly plows into the group, catching the wolves off guard and sending them scattering through the air. Some hit the ground with a whine. Some don't get back up at all.
Gritting her teeth, Avira slides her palms together, rolling and shaping her ice magic between them, rapidly forming a bladelike piece. Her left hand suddenly draws back, as if pulling the string to an invisible bow while the right points her shaped projectile downward. With a snap, the magic is unleashed, slamming right into the second Grizzly's rear and spreading a thick collection of ice crystals on impact. Avira leaps down from her perch shortly afterwards, Spine drawn, plunging the weapon deep into the Noise's back.
This is not nearly enough to slay it. Frantically, Avira holds on as the creature whips around violently until the Spine is torn free-and the huntress with it. She hits the ground rolling and willingly continues the motion, barely evading the graffiti-styled claws that swipe after her. With her momentum, she twists and manages to roll herself up to her feet, though placed directly before the very tree she jumped down with the Wall of Grizzly before her. Another near miss follows as she dives sideways, the incensed Noise tearing an enormous chunk from the tree behind her.
"Stay back!" she yells suddenly, her eyes daring elsewhere for a second. To keep it from claw's reach, she hurls a fist-sized ice crystal at its face. "STAY BACK!" Crackling and creaking noises follow. 'Shouldn't be long.' Another ball of ice is thrown and the Wall of Grizzly roars, hind legs twitching, clearly ready to lunge.
Then the savaged tree crumples, falling sideways and crushing the Noise beneath its bulk.
A wild snarl steals her attention away and Avira turns to behold the first Wall of Grizzly on its back, savage, snapping wolves piled on top of it. Just as Avira takes a hesitant step towards the group, the wolves sink inward as the Noise explodes into a burst of static.
Avira quickly starts to back up, only to be surprised by a growl behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she sees one of the forest wolves there, teeth pulled back. It snaps at her and she steps forward. Looking back, she sees the other wolves dispersing from the non-remains of their "kill," approaching her. Swallowing, she looks around at them, easily able to see the wolves in the light of the sun with the recently felled tree. One of them, the one coming the closest, was clearly much bigger than the others. "...must be the alpha.." she murmurs.
Swallowing, she looks the wolf in the eyes and remains still, staring him down evenly. He snarls, baring white teeth at her, ears pinned back. Even then, she doesn't move. Then, ever so slowly, she lifts an empty hand to him. "...truce?"
Silence. The alpha snaps at her hand, but Avira forces herself to keep it there. More silence follows until he cautiously steps forward, sniffing once.
A different growling interrupts the moment and the wolves snap their heads upward, growling back and looking past Avira. The huntress cringes, recognizing that particular noise. She too is quick to turn, her grip tightening on her weapon.
Three Grunge Wolves lurk in the darkness. The alpha steps around her, lips pulled back and growling before lunging, a flurry of snapping teeth. Avira manages a small smile before she charges with the rest of the pack.
